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By C. E. Wood, E. P. Barrett, T. L. Joseph

The United States Bureau of Mines has been studying the blastfurnace process for about ten years. An experimental furnace was developed by the Burcau in cooperation with the Minnesota School of Mines Experiment Station, University of Minnesota. Many data have been obtained and published.' Royster, Joseph and Kinney §(48) found that the particle size of ore had an important effect upon the blast-furnace process. Kinne(28) stated: Economy in blast-furnace practice depends largely upon efficient gas-solid contact in the shaft of the furnace. If efficient work is not done in the shaft, the hearth and bosh will not function properly. A condition may be readily imagined where the particles of ore in the shaft are so large that the time entailed in the descent of these materials into the bosh is not sufficient to permit proper reduction and preparation prior to the time the ore enters the bosh of the furnace. Another condition may be pictured where the density of theatock column and the flow of stock is such that the ore will take one course and the gas another. Both of these examples will result in insufficient contact between the gas and the ore. Unreduced ore will reach the hearth, and the gas which has not been efficiently oxidized will reach the stock line. The result is the use of an excess of carbon in the smelting process. It is obvious that fine ore particles occurring in the ore as charged, or formed in the furnace due to heat and mechanical action, place a definite limitation upon the efficiency of the operation. There is also an economic loss of fine material as dust. Effect of Size of Material Kinney reported (p. 83(29)) the reduction of iron oxides between planes at three furnaces as given in Table 1. The Chicago furnace was operated on Lake ores. Distribution of gas was not good and much of the charge passed into the hearth before the iron oxide was reduced. The Holt furnace was operated on coarse ore. Distribution of gas was fairly uni-

Jan 1, 1930

By H. S. George

A method of illumination that enhances the value of microscopic study of opaque materials, as in metallography. By simulating natural lighting, structures. That possess relief are given a natural appearance. An example is included of the revelation of a hitherto invisible microconstituent. Erroneous interpretation is avoided. For example, etching figures in ferrite, heretofore considered to be pits, are revealed as pyramids, standing in bas-relief. Suggestions on technique are given, for, while the method is obvious, practice and attention to detail are requisite. ON one occasion when it seemed desirable to reveal under the microscope not only the metallic structure of an alloy, but certain small non-metallic inclusions, that are ordinarily obliterated by etching, it was discovered that, by partly eclipsing the illuminating pencil of light rays, the residual light was thrown on the object from one side and the structure was brought out in relief. At the same time, the non-metallic inclusions were retained in clear view. In this first demonstration of lighting obliquely through the objective a card was thrust part way into the light beam between the arc iris, and the light filter; the shadow of the card on the filter served to locate its position. Next several stiff-paper disks of various diameters were mounted on flexible wires some plasticine on the other end of the wires made it easy to adjust and maintain a disk at any desired position in the light beam. To facilitate manipulation, an assortment of disks, was mounted on a wheel, as shown in Fig. 1. The purpose of partly eclipsing the light beam was discussed in an earlier paper.1 There it was pointed out that the usual methods of illuminating opaque objects for microscopic examination lend an, un-natural appearance to, the view, while the new method, which has been termed conical illumination, revels the true relationship of constituents by simulating natural lighting.

Jan 3, 1924

By Stephen Taber

A vein may be defined as an aggregation of mineral matter, more or less tabular or lenticular in form, which was deposited from solution and is of later origin than the inclosing rock. This definition differs from the one found in many text-books in that no assumption is made as to the origin of the space occupied by the vein or the manner in which the mineral matter was deposited. In the present paper the writer purposes to discuss the mechanics of vein formation, and does not wish to begin by begging the question. The origin of ore deposits has been diligently investigated in recent years, but, while much has been written concerning the chemistry of the process, the physical side of the question has received less attention. The source of the ore minerals; the chemical composition of ore-bearing solutions; the relative importance of magmatic and meteoric waters as agents of concentration; and the causes of mineral precipitation have all been discussed at length. On the other hand, little has been written concerning the mechanics of vein formation, and the theories given in text-books today are essentially the same as those developed by the early Cornish and Saxon miners. Early investigators often regarded both veins and dikes as igneous in origin, but today the theory that vein minerals have been deposited from solutions, either liquid or gaseous, is firmly established. The latter view is supported by the fact that many vein-forming minerals are not found in unaltered igneous rocks; by evidence obtained in the laboratory regarding the solubility of minerals; by the presence of many ore minerals in hot-spring waters; by the occurrence of some veins in regions consisting exclusively of unaltered sedimentary rocks; by evidence as to the temperature at which some minerals are formed; and by the absence of mineral segregation due to difference in specific gravity. There is still, however, much difference of opinion as to whether certain tabular-shaped masses should be classed as veins or as dikes. Some of the earlier investigators have also advocated the theory that veins are contemporaneous in origin with the inclosing rock, while others have believed the vein minerals to represent a recrystallization or transforma-

Jan 1, 1920

By American Institute of Mining Engineers

David J. Mack (University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wise.)—Have the authors considered that the effects reported in their paper are readily explainable on the basis of equilibrium grain boundary segregation rather than ordering? It seems to the writer that all of their experiments and observations correlate well with known behavior associated with equilibrium grain boundary segregation. Although at first glance one would tend to dismiss such a possibility because of the similarity of the gold and copper atoms, their sizes differ by 12.8 pct which is in the range where segregation at grain boundaries would be expected. Then, too, the electrochemical differences between the copper, the Cu3Au, and the gold strongly suggest that a segregation mechanism is involved in the corrosion of the Cu-Au alloys. R. Bakish and W. D. Robertson (authors' reply)—The authors would like to thank Dr. Mack for his consideration of the problem of grain boundary segregation as an explanation of the observed phenomena. We had considered the problem in the following terms: Assuming a pure binary Cu-Au alloy and an ideal solid solution, the surface excess, T2= N25 — N2, of the second component (gold) may be expressed in the following way20 1 —exp (—da/kT) where 8 is the difference in surface tension of copper and gold, and a is the surface area per atom. In the present case, 6 is positive which implies that the component in excess at the boundary is gold. Since the only chemically active component in ferric chloride is copper, it does not appear that the segregation of gold is likely to increase the boundary activity. A small concentration of a third component could profoundly affect the situation. Analysis indicated only spectrographic traces of impurities, all of which are soluble in both copper and gold. Quenching experiments, reported in the paper, also tended to eliminate significant effects attributable to a third component.

Jan 1, 1958

By C. B. Sclar and

A graphical solution is presented for the equation v =v &-cU where vb is the volume of liquid b of density 6 that must be added to liquid a of volume va and density d, in order to obtain a heavy-liquid solution of preferred density dm for mineral fractionation. The equation is valid only for pairs of liquids whose volumes are additive, but empirical density-composi-tion data show that this condition is met over wide compositional ranges by all of the heavy solutions that are commonly used for mineralogical analysis. The chart is a nomograph which consists of two horizontal volume scales ad a vertical density scale arranged so that one volume scale occurs on each side of the density scale. All the scales are linear. For two liquids of density d, and &, respectively, each volume scale has an independent level on the density scale, ad the graphical solution for vb on the nomograph is obtained by construction of one straight line. The chart can be prepared easily to cover any density range with any desired accuracy by proper selection of the scales. Heavy-liquid separation of particulate samples is an indispensable analytical procedure in the mineralogical and mineral-process ing laboratory. Heavy liquids may be used 1) to isolate specific minerals in the form of high purity products or to fractionate samples into several products with density limits for petrographic, chemical, spectrographic, and X-ray diffraction analysis,'-' 2) to determine the density of minerals,'-l4 3) to facilitate the recognition and identification of optically similar associated minerals,15 and 4) to determine quantitatively the degree of liberation of ore minerals in ores and mill products at various limiting sizes." The preparation and recovery of heavy liquids suitable for mineralogical analysis are discussed fully in the literature and operational procedures and special equipment for heavy-liquid separation are described in numerous references.'747837' 13,18,25-42 Useful tabulations of heavy liquids for mineralogical analysis are given by Tickell, Mil-ner,' Twenhofel and Tyler,' and Lange and a very complete up-to-date list of minerals arranged according to increasing density is given by Mursky and Thompson. USEFULNESS OF THE DENSITY CHART For any particulate sample, the limiting densities selected for its fractionation by means of heavy- liquid separation depend on the respective densities of the constituent minerals and the specific objectives of the separation. In many instances, the densities of readily available and practicable heavy liquids do not coincide with those that are required, and suitable liquids of the proper density are obtained by dilution with miscible liquids. In the general case, one may wish to mix either a pure liquid (A) or a solution of two miscible liquids (AP,,) of known density with either a pure liquid (B) or a different solution of the two miscible liquids (A,B,) of higher or lower density in order to obtain a final liquid of the preferred density. In conventional practice, the latter is reached empirically by trial-and-error addition of increments of one liquid to the other. The density of the final solution may be determined either by accurately weighing a known volume of the final liquid,'' 532;4;40, or by means of I)a Westphal balance, 2)a hydrometer, a refractometer in the case of binary liquid systems for which density-refractive index data are available,15 4) natural or synthetic .indicators of known density, a pycno-meter. Like all trial-and-error methods, these procedures are time consuming and many require special equipment which may not be available, The purpose of this paper is to show that the volume of a liquid of known density which is to be added to another liquid of known volume and density in order to obtain a solution with an intermediate preferred density may be determined rapidly and accurately by a graphical method provided that the two liquids form ideal or quasi-ideal solutions whose volumes are additive. Empirical data47'8~'8~4B'49 show that solutions prepared from pairs of miscible

Jan 1, 1961

By S. A. Montague

Mica can claim a considerably greater importance than would be assumed from its comparatively small dollar volume, which came to about $37,000,000 for the United States industry as a whole in 1957. Mica is one of the strategic minerals. We must depend on imports from distant sources for virtually all of our requirements of high grade block and all of our mica splittings. Mica is essential and indispensable for vacuum tubes and high-performance condensers, two electronic components which are vital military necessities besides being nearly indispensable to civilization today. Composition and Properties Mica is the general name for a group of some nine different minerals, two of which, muscovite and phlogopite, are the minerals used by the mica industry as its raw material. Several of the other varieties are commercially useful-vermiculite, * used for heat insulation in expanded form, and lepidolite, used as an ore of lithium while the others-biotite, roscoelite lepidomelane, paragonite and zinnwaldite have little or no commercial importance. Biotite frequently occurs as an undesirable impurity in muscovite. Table 1 lists various properties and other data concerning muscovite and phlogopite. Chemically, mica is a complex silicate of sodium, potassium and aluminum. Most varieties of muscovite are higher in sodium, and of phlogopite in magnesium. There are no important uses of mica where the chemical analysis is important, except that in some uses of ground mica, the content of iron oxide present as an impurity must be kept to a very low limit. Muscovite occurs in a range of color from the so-called India "ruby" which is more closely a pinkish brown, to light and dark green, with numerous other intermediate shades. Ruby color is usually preferred by industry, especially in the better qualities. When split very thin the color in most [ ] micas disappears. Muscovite mica is frequently found containing black and red "stain" as a homogeneous part of the books or sheets. In most cases this stain or impurity is magnetite

Jan 1, 1960

By W. L. Eaton, S. H. Ash

A barrier pillar in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania is a portion of the bed that is left unmined along the property line or lines of adjoining mining properties, or between mines, or between parts of mines. Barrier pillars perform important functions in anthracite-mining operations. Their principal function is to act as dams to prevent water that accumulates in a mine from suddenly breaking into an adjacent mine or into adjacent mine workings and causing loss of life, property, or both. More than 83 billion gal of water is impounded in II; underground water pools in anthracite mines.1,2 These pools are confined by a system of barrier pillars which separate adjacent mines. The principal factor that threatens to cut short the life of the anthracite industry, to curtail production, and to affect the economic structure of the people and business dependent on anthracite for their livelihood is the inundation of anthracite mines.l,2,4,13,29 To obtain a clear picture of the anthracite mine-water problem, it is necessary to understand the part played by the barrier pillars that separate adjoining mines. Purpose of Report The purpose of this report is to show the methods of determining the size of barrier pillars in the anthracite region, to present the hazards that exist because of the lack of sound engineering being applied to the size of many existent barrier pillars, and to suggest a method whereby barrier pillars can perform the function for which they are intended. The Barrier-pillar Problem Article 111, section '10, of the Anthracite Mining Laws of Pennsylvania reads thus: It shall be obligatory on the owners of adjoining coal properties to leave, or cause to be left, a pillar of coal in each seam or vein of coal worked by them, along the line of adjoining property, of such width that, taken in connection with the pillar to be left by the adjoining property owner, will be a sufficient barrier for the safety of the employees of either mine in case the other should be abandoned and allowed to fill with water; such width of pillar to be determined by the engineers of the adjoining property owners together with the inspector of the district in which the mine is situated, and the surveys of the face of the workings along such pillar shall be made in duplicate and must practically agree. A copy of such duplicate surveys, certified to, must be filed with the owners of the adjoining properties and with the inspector of the district in which the mine or property is situated. Mining practices with regard to barrier pillars have varied greatly since mining began. In many anthracite mines the barrier pillars have been weakened or punctured. As a consequence, the condition

Jan 1, 1949

By H. Reginald Hardy, Y. P. Chugh, Robert Stefanko

Many materials including rocks, ice, metals and their alloys, wood, etc., emit transient vibrations in the audible and subaudible range when stressed. In rocks, this phenomenon is referred to as "microseismic activity, " "rock noise, " or " seismo-acoustical activity. " In metals this phenomenon is often termed "acoustic emission." Each individual microseismic disturbance is generally referred to as a "microseismim" or an "elastic shock." The terms "microseismic activity" and "microseismim" will be employed exclusively in this chapter. Microseismic activity has been observed in many rocks loaded experimentally in the laboratory.1 The form of a group of typical microseismims is shown in Fig. 1. Quantitatively, the microseismic activity in rock under stress is most commonly described by the number of microseismims observed per unit time. This is commonly known as the "noise rate." The noise rate in general increases with increasing stress level and rises sharply just prior to failure of the material.2 The origin of microseismims is not well understood, but it appears to be related to processes of deformation and failure which are accompanied by a sudden release of strain energy. In a polycrystalline material, microseismims may originate at the micro-level as a result of dislocations or at the macro-level by twinning, grain boundary movement, or initiation and propagation of fractures through and between the grains. It is assumed that the sudden release of stored elastic strain energy accompanying these processes generates a stress wave which travels from the point of origin, within the material, to a boundary where it is observed as a

Jan 1, 1972

By William Rawles

THIS report is the first of a series planned by The Mineral Inquiry, organized by the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers to make factual studies of the world's mineral resources in their political and international relations. The efforts of The Inquiry are directed toward filling certain notable gaps in available information, without duplication of many other investigations touching this field which are being conducted by other organizations, public and private. Much of its work is indirect-suggesting topics for study by other individuals and organizations and aiding in their planning and correlation. The present report is designed to show the nationality of the commercial control of mineral resources, in addition to the geographic distribution of production by nation-in other words, the overlapping of political and commercial control. Detailed accuracy cannot be claimed for the figures presented. For some companies division of ownership by nationality has been very difficult to ascertain, as many companies are reluctant to dis-close the extent of their holdings in other corporations, and the impossi-bility of tracing all stock ownership is obvious. Also there are frequent changes in the distribution of. stock control. The percentages given rep-resent only the participation that has been identified definitely, even though it is known in some cases with fair certainty that larger interests exist, as, for instance, American participation in foreign chromite companies. In bringing together these figures we have had the cordial co-operation of the United States Bureau of Mines, the United States Geologi-cal Survey, the Mineral Division of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, the Brookings Institution, and of many specialists connected with the mineral industries covered. The report does not cover the entire list of minerals. Coal, although it is one of the most important minerals, was omitted because , not more than one or two per cent of the world's production comes from mines that are owned by companies foreign to the countries where the coal is produced. Others, such as gold, are omitted because sufficient data have not yet been accumulated. It is hoped that some of these may be covered in subsequent reports. It is not our purpose here to discuss the significance of the figures sub-mitted, but only to point out the general nature of the problems on which they have a bearing.

Jan 1, 1933

By Thomas Egleston

The process of lixiviating silver ores, which do or do not contain gold, by means of hyposnlphite of soda is likely to assume a very great importance in the West, the conditions being such that while it is applicable to very rich ores which do not contain lead enough to smelt, it is also equally applicable to many ores that are either too poor or too impure to be treated by any other process. Western ores are generally divided into four classes: those which contain copper enough to be smelted for copper, from which the gold and silver is extracted in the wet way, as is the practice of the Boston and Colorado works; those in which there is a large quantity of lead, which can be smelted for lead, and the gold and silver extracted from it; ores in which there is neither copper nor lead enough to allow of a process of smelting, but which can be treated in pans, these ores being " free milling " if they require no metallurgical treatment, or '(rebellious" if they have to be roasted with or without the addition of salt; and ores which do not contain enough either of lead or copper for smelting, which are poor both in silver and gold, contain large amounts of sulphur, arsenic, and antimony, and cannot be treated in many places in the West by any of these processes. Roasting with salt would convert the base metals as well as the silver into chlorides, and would give in the amalgamation a very base bullion, and the expense of the process would be SO great that the margin of profit would be very small, the reason being that for the ordinary process of pan-amalgamation, which is the only one suitable for ores containing small amounts of the base metals, and poor in silver and gold, the cost of a plant for milling is so large as not to justify the expense of treating such ores. The electrolytic processes which have been partially successful in Europe have not been tried 'here. While in the near future they will undoubtedly be used, it is hardly possible to consider them now.

Jan 1, 1884

By G. L. Oldright, F. S. Wartman, H. E. Keyes

The economic manufacture of sulfuric acid by the ordinary chamber process usually involves production on a large scale and a plant that is costly to construct. The nature of sulfuric acid makes it costly to transport any great distance. For these reasons, the metallurgist has not found it feasible, at times, to beneficiate ores amenable to leaching, and a need exists for a local process that will produce acid cheaply on a small or large scale. To leach ores containing residual sulfides, an oxidizer, such as ferric sulfate, is needed in solution. Precipitation with scrap iron is one of the cheapest methods of removing some metals from solution, giving a plant of low first cost and supplying a source of cheap ferrous sulfate. The other ingredient needed for the process is SO2 roaster gas, the addition of which, as described below, will give both ferric sulfate and sulfuric acid. Where roaster gas is a waste or obnoxious product, the expense for materials is still further lessened. The use of ferric sulfate and sulfuric acid as a solvent lends itself well to the utilization of scrap iron as a precipitant, and the stages of the process fit in well together as an economic whole. Applications The hydrometallurgist usually thinks of ferric sulfate as a partial solvent for some of the sulfides of copper alone, as most work has been done on this metal. The processes of Hannay and Christensen, for leaching unroasted galena with ferric chloride made by anodic oxidation, show the added solvent action given by "ic" salts when added to brine solutions. It was found by R. D. Bradford (in some work to be published soon by the University of Utah) that, by the addition of a ferric salt to a brine solution, the silver as well as the lead in an unroasted semi-oxidized ore could be largely dissolved. The "ic" salt in the case of silver has evidently the same effect as the case of cupric sulfate when

Jan 1, 1926

For many years it has been known that large bodies of iron ore existed in Iron and Washington counties in Utah. The ore is chiefly hematite-both hard and soft-though some magnetite is found. No definite and complete estimate of the iron ore reserves of the state have been made. The U. S. Geological Survey estimated that 40,000,000 tons of ore were disclosed by development work averaging only 35 feet below the surface of the ore. The ore is found along an area about one and a half miles wide by twenty miles long, and for the most part on the eastern and southern slopes or foothills of Three Peaks. Granite Mountain and Iron Mountain. Later estimates by others have gone as high as ore in sight 164,000,000 tons, probable ore 300,000,000 tons and possible ore 1,000,000,000 tons. Whether this last estimate is too great or not there is sufficient iron ore in Utah to justify the starting of an iron industry. Two companies are now mining iron ore in Utah, the Columbia Steel Corporation and the Utah Iron Corporation. The mine of the Columbia Steel Corporation is at Iron Springs a few miles west of Cedar City. About 650 tons, of ore a day is being shipped to the blast furnace at Ironton. The ore is mined by the glory hole method. After being drilled it is blasted to the bottom of the several glory holes and is dropped through chutes into cars on the ore haulage level below. It is then hauled by electric locomotives to the crushing plant, where it is crushed to blast furnace size before going to storage bins. Some of the softer ore is brought to the chutes by Fresno scrapers.

Jan 1, 1925

By L. H. Robinson

Triaxial compression tests have been performed to determine the strength characteristics of limestone, sand-stone and shale rocks subjected to controlled stress conditions. This control tuns exercised by varying the liquid pressures within and around a plastic-encased rock specimen. The pressure in the pores of the rock was varied throughout the range from atmospheric to 15,000 psig; the external pressure was changed over the same range with various positive pressure differences between is and the intertnal pressure. The data show that the rock strength increased and the mode of failure changed as the pressuire. surrounding the rock became greater than the pressure in the pores of the rock. These observations and the resu1ts of microbit drilling experiments indicate that the increased rock strength under pressure may bc an important effect in reducing drilling rare, but that other factors are probably of even greater importance. INTRODUCTION A large part of the research conductcd to reducc thc cost of drilling is directed toward improving present drilling technology and dcveloping new drilling methods. In spite of the fact that drilling is essentiaIly the act of making rocks fail, many details of the mechanism of failure are not known. It seems probable, therefore, that continuing studies of the fundamentals of rock failure can lay a foundation for future improvements in drilling technology. One of the factors which affects rock failure is the stress applied to the rock. This effect has been known for many years.'.'.; As an example, stress studics have been published by engineers' concerned with the strength characteristics of concrete in large dams. More recently, a number of investigators4-12 have explored the effects of stress on the strength of geologic formations and the geologic implications of their findings. During the last few years some research'" on rock strengths has also been conductcd in an attempt to gain additional insight into the factors which affeet rock drillability. In detcrmining the strength characteristics of rocks under different stress conditions, investigators have conventionally used triaxial compression equipment. wherein a jacketed rock cylinder is uniformly loaded from all directions and then compressed longitudinally. The results of this work have demonstrated that the mode of failure (brittle or malleable) is dependent upon the loading pressure, and that the strength of the rock increases as the loading pressure increases. These results clearly manifest that the stress, which is determined by the loading pressure, affects rock strength, and this implies that rocks under stress should be stronger and hence harder to drill. During the drilling of a porous rock the stress conditions are determined not only by the pressure surrounding the portion of the rock undergoing failure (confining pressure) but also by the pressure of the interstitial fluids within the rock (pore pressure). The importancc of both these pressures on the drilling rate of rocks has already been demonstrated by a number of investigators. Murray and Cunningham" found in microbit drilling expcriments that at constant pore pressures the drilling ratc decreased as the hydrostatic pressure surrounding an unjacketed, impermeable rock increased. Later Eckel" found that for jacketed Iimestone specimens the differcnce between hydrostatic (wellbore) pressure and formation (pore) pressure had an important effect on drilling rate. These observations of the effect of pressure on drilling rate emphasize that for drilling studies triaxial compression tests should be conducted under conditions of confining and pore pressure which simulate conditions underground. In the past, triaxial tests have been made under conditions which do not reproduce those underground. In particular, most of the tests on porous materials have keen made at varying confining pressures but with atmospheric pore pressures. In only one group of tests' was any data on the effect of pore pressurc reported, and these few data were on materials not representiltive of those encountered in drilling earth formations. The research described herein was initiated to deter-mine the importance of both internal pore pressure and confining pressure on failure characteristics of limestone. sandstone and shales. Triaxial loading equipment was used to obtain strength data at pressures up to 15,000 psig. An additional objective of this research was to apply these results to drilling rate studies by comparing them with the previously published drilling data of Murray and Cunningham" and of Eckel12. The work reported here is but one step in determining and evaluating the fundamental mechanisms which control drilling rate. Additional research is needed to clarify other aspects of the drilling process. The better

By D. J. McAdam, G. W. Geil, D. H. Woodard, W. D. Jenkins

.In a series of papers, the authors and their associates have shown that the resistance of a metal to fracture is a function of all three principal stresses. Consequently since a technical cohesion limit is defined as the technically deter-minable resistance to fracture under a specific stress system, the technical cohesive strength comprises an infinite number of technical cohesion limits corresponding to the infinite number of possible combinations of the principal stresses. As shown in the previous papers, the technical cohesive strength increases with plastic deformation, with decrease in temperature, and with increase in the strain rate. The technical cohesion limit, therefore, is affected by the same factors that affect the flow stress,$ namely, the stress system, plastic deformation, temperature, and the strain rate. The effect of each of these factors on the fracture stress is qualitatively the same as its effect on the flow stress. The effect of any of the factors may be represented by a curve of cohesion limits, although only one point on the curve may represent actual fracture. Since the term "fracture stress" has come into general use with the same significance as technical cohesion limit, the authors are here using the shorter term with the understanding that it does not always refer to actual fracture. In the general investigation described in the previously-mentioned papers, 10-18,20,21,23 the influence of the stress system on the fracture stress was studied by means of tension tests of notched specimens. When a circumferentially notched cylindrical specimen is subjected to longitudinal tension, the minimum cross section is under transverse radial tension. The mean radial stress increases with the depth and sharpness of the notch, but is always less than the longitudinal stress. The greatest principal stress (S1), therefore, is longitudinal, and since the radial stress is effectively equal to the circumferential stress, the transverse principal stresses are equiaxial in that plane (Sz = S3). By the use of notched specimens in tension tests it was shown that the fracture stress increases with increase in the radial stress ratio (s3/s1) The evidence is based not only on the results of tests to fracture at various constant temperatures, but also On results of two-stage tests, in which each specimen was plastically deformed a predetermined

Jan 1, 1949

By Joseph Kuti

Longwall mining is the term used for the underground extraction of a wide and deep panel of coal. Such a panel may be blocked out by one or more entries on either side ("head" and "tail") of a longwall face. If all the entries are pre-driven, the panel extraction is termed longwall retreat mining. With one exception, all the longwall faces in the United States are of this type3 Prior to the general decline in the rates of production with Continuous Miners, the development of the multiple entries generally kept ahead of the longwall extraction rate. This is no longer the case: longwall extraction rates far exceed the rate of development. In addition to this problem, in newly established mines, the development of a haulage and bleeder system based on multiple entries results in a lead-time of three years or more before longwall mining can be applied. This is one reason why earlier projections and much of the optimism attached to longwall mining as a principal "savior" in the energy crisis should be viewed with some caution. The alternatives to retreat mining with multiple entries are: Modified retreat mining- where the tail-entry is being formed during the mining of-the panel ("2"-system). Some form of advance mining-where the head-entry or both head and tail entries are being formed as part of the longwall extraction process. These methods are well-known and well-established. Variants of them are being practiced in Canada, Central and South America, but not in the US. It is primarily the laws governing ventilation-conceived for room and pillar mining which prevent the rapid development of these techniques. Another aspect of longwall mining is that it requires a systematic and consistent approach in organization, roof control, ventilation and transport. It is for this reason that compliance with health and safety regulation is fairly well ensured if the longwall system has been well laid out and is subsequently well-run. Nevertheless, a management mentality raised in the great flexibility of the room and pillar system cannot always come to terms with the degree of forward planning and rigid discipline required to successful longwall mining. Research, development and other investments in the partial aspects of longwall mining are always of interest, but no massive trend to longwall can be expected realistically unless these major stumbling blocks in the basic law and basic approach are effectively removed.

Jan 1, 1980

IN the preceding chapter on thermochemistry and the reactions in and between metal and slag phases and in the following chapter on fuel combustion the main emphasis is placed on the equilibrium or "static" conditions. This equilibrium viewpoint is not concerned with the rate of change in the process or with the mechanisms or paths followed between initial and final states. The questions of just "how it works" and "how fast" belong to the kinetic aspect of any process; their answers are helpful in speeding up or slowing down and thus controlling its operation, and also in understanding its limitations. Any treatment of kinetic factors in the open hearth such as is attempted here and in Chapter 22 must at present be largely qualitative and incomplete. We are only beginning to get quantitative data on rates of reaction and diffusion at high temperatures, as indicated in Chapter 15. Empirical data in the literature on furnace operating rates do not help much to illuminate the details of gas-flow patterns and the complexities of heat flow in the many parts of the furnace system. This chapter is intended to give the reader an introduction to the problems of the flow of gases through the furnace system and the flow of heat in this system. An adequate discussion would require several times the space available here; it is possible here only to outline a few fundamentals and to indicate some of the conditions of heat and gas flow peculiar to the open hearth. Several good general treatments of these subjects may be found in the literature (see references at the end of the chapter). For the designer of open-hearth furnaces, the principles of gas flow are of paramount importance. They are also important to the operation of the process, at least to the extent of a general qualitative picture of the movement of gases in the system. MOTION OF GASES IN FURNACE DUCTS Fluid [flow] in general can vary between the extremes of laminar or streamline flow with a minimum energy loss, to irregular

Jan 1, 1964

By Arthur B. Yates

Diamond drilling has advanced and expanded during the past few yean. Along with this increase there has been a marked trend to rely more and more upon drilling for the outlining of ore for reserve purposes. This is especially true underground, where men have not been available for opening up ore by crosscuts, drifts and raises. During the recent heavy call upon known ore reserves, more drilling has been done for exploration and it has become expedient to drill longer lateral holes from underground and deeper holes both from surface and from exploration headings in the mines. Furthermore, these deeper holes have to be drilled closely enough to warrant calculation of "probable" if not "proven" ore, from the results obtained therefrom. Interpretation of diamond-drill results has become more precise and reliable with the growing knowledge and understanding of the geologic structures that control the geometry of ore distribution, and this has broadened the field of usefulness of the drill. All of this has created a necessity and a demand for more accurate control of the hole as to direction, a more precise and reliable method of surveying for position, and a need for better and more complete core recovery, as well as larger cores, to provide an adequate sample. At depth the control becomes more difficult and, at the same time, more important. Control A close study of drilling in various parts of the world for a period of more than 20 years has brought to light one definite rule, practically invariable; namely, that diamond-drill holes tend to deviate into a position normal to any structure existing in the rocks, such as bedding, schistosity, gneissosity, or even parting or jointing— even if the hole is started at almost any angle other than parallel with the structure. It also appears that the better developed the structure is, the more quickly will the hole get into a position perpendicular to it. It has often been said that there is a tendency for holes to "drift" in the direction of rotation. This is obviously untrue, for in a vertical hole the measure of deviation would depend upon the azimuth chosen as zero, and there is an infinite number of choices. It has been proved. however, that in homogeneous rocks there is a tendency for the hole to corkscrew, and that the direction of the spiral is the same as the direction of rotation. This may account for the belief that holes drift in that direction. Some tests have been made using right-hand and left-hand rods, and these show that no matter what the direction of rotation the hole will swing into a position perpendicular to the structure. Methods of Control The foregoing empirical rule may be used as an indirect method of control. If the prevailing structure is known, it may be advantageous to start the hole as nearly normal to it as possible, for the

Jan 1, 1946

By V. W. Aubel

Among the iron-bearing ores of the world, the titaniferous iron sands of New Zealand are probably the least known to American engineers. This is not surprising in view of the fact that American ironmasters look with disfavor on any, even domestic, ores containing over 1 per cent. titanium. The possibilities of smelting titanium-bearing ores in the blast furnace are still undetermined, but the problem of their efficient reduction is becoming more important each year. There seems to be little inclination on the part of American furnace operators to tackle this problem, and they will no doubt continue to utilize the non-titanium ores at their command, leaving research and experiment to those countries not so fortunately endowed. New Zealand has, however, been intensely interested in her deposits of titanium-bearing iron sand, and during the last 50 years considerable English and New Zealand capital has been expended on this problem. The extent of the New Zealand iron-sand deposits is almost beyond measure. From Patea north to Manuka Heads, along almost the entire west coast of the North Island, these deposits exist. Wherever there is beach sand along this 300 mi. of coast line, the sand is iron bearing. It varies considerably in grade; but wherever the contour of the coast affords small bays and inlets, large dunes are found that are remarkably uniform in quality. Several of these large deposits, especially those at New Plymouth and Patea, are noted for their high iron content. The dune at New Plymouth runs between 55 and 60 per cent. of metallic iron; the panning action of the prevailing westerly winds and northwesterly currents has no doubt resulted in this concentration. Whatever the origin of this material may be, there is no doubt that deposition is going on continuously. At New Plymouth, a small artificial harbor, protected from the drifting sand by a large breakwall, has been dredged. Here sailing vessels have for years been loaded with iron sand for ballast by means of a crane and grab bucket operated from the wall of the breakwater. Thousands of tons of sand have been removed from this spot yet each succeeding storm renews the supply. The sand dune shown in Fig. 1 has been tested to a depth of 50 ft. (15 m.) without losing its

Jan 1, 1920

By Earl F. Hanson

Fires in heavily timbered mines are disastrous, involving danger to both life and property. Some mines have been completely ruined or so heavily damaged that reopening them would not pay. Though few mines are entirely free from danger of fire, the risk is minimized by proper care and good design of plant. The Tintic Standard mine is at Dividend, Utah, in the famous Tintic mining district, about 60 miles south of Salt Lake City. The development of the mine was begun in 1907 by the late Mr. E. J. Raddatz and his associates. From the beginning, the work was hampered by high rock temperatures and the presence of high concentrations of rock gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Development work was carried on with great perseverance for nine years, and resulted in the discovery of ore in 1916. The total production of the Tintic Standard mine to Jan. 1, 1936, amounted to 1,664,388 tons of ore, having a gross value of $61,996,719. General Layout of the Mine The No. 2 shaft, which is the main working shaft of the Tintic Standard, is within the main orebody and is connected with the five other shafts. Their respective positions with respect to the No. 2 shaft are as follows: North Lily, 2770 ft. northwest with drift connections on the 700 and 900-ft. levels; No. 3 shaft, 670 ft. east connected through the 700-ft. level; Eureka Standard, 4550 ft. south, connected on the 900-ft. level; No. 1 shaft, 1470 ft. southwest, with connecting drifts on the 900 and 1250-ft. levels; Eureka Lilly, 2000 ft. southwest, with connecting drift and raise through the 1250-ft. level. The Tintic Standard orebody consists essentially of one continuous oreshoot extending from the 600-ft. level to the 1450-ft. level, with a cross-sectional area of approximately 70,000 sq. ft. at both top and bottom, reaching a maximum area of 215,000 sq. ft. between the 1100

Jan 1, 1937

By William E. Greenawalt

Ever since electrolytic copper refining gave promise of success, about a half century ago, efforts have been made to apply the idea to the extraction of copper from its ores. The methods of attack have, usually, been to leach with a dilute acid and then to deposit electrolytically the copper from the resulting solution with the simultaneous regeneration of the solvent used in the process. Many efforts have been made, and many patents have been taken out, both in the United States and abroad, to give this idea practical application, but only within the past few years have the difficulties been surmounted. Leaching and electrolysis, as applied to copper ores, are among the most promising fields in modern metallurgy. New conditions are arising, which will bring the wet methods into prominence; while high freight rates and increasing cost of fuel will tend to limit smelting to highly favored localities. The possibilities offered by the installation of hydroelectric plants and the greatly enlarged range of power transmission will greatly widen the field of electrolytic methods. Electrolytic methods are ideally adapted to hydroelectric development, for the load is constant throughout the full twenty-four hours, and the cost of both installation and operation of hydroelectric plants is not appreciably greater when operating for twenty-four hours than when operating for eight or ten hours; whereas, in fuel-power generation, as also in smelting, the cost is more or less in proportion to the fuel and power used. Nevertheless, fuel-power generation presents advantages in electrolytic methods, as the power plant may be located in a favorable place while the leaching and electrolytic plants may be located at the mine. The ultimate possibilities of the wet methods have yet to be determined. The possibilities of smelting have been thoroughly worked out; there is no unsolved major problem in copper smelting, and it has practically reached the limit of its possibilities. It seems hardly probable that any future improvement, either of method or apparatus, will greatly

Jan 1, 1924