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Jan 1, 1941

By Frank C. Roberts

Progress in the facilities for handling mining products has been largely superinduced by the necessities of commercial economy ren dered requisite in order to meet the demand of competition. So rapid has been the depreciation in the value of mineral products, primarily due to the disproportionate increase of output over con sumption, that it may be justly claimed that mining, when considered as a commercial success, depends largely upon the ease and cheap ness by which the products are brought to the surface of the ground. In all methods of performing this operation, wire rope enters as an important factor; and the object of the present sketch will be to explain, as fully as is consistent with the space allotted, the various • adaptations of wire rope employed in placing coal and ores within the reach of our overground systems of transportation. These adaptations will be considered in the following order: I. Hoists. II. Inclined planes. a. Engine planes. b. Gravity planes. c. Aerial planes. III. Haulage. a. Tail-rope system. b. Counter-rope system. c. Endless-rope system. IV. Hoists. The term " hoist" is applied to the system whereby the mine product is elevated from the mine-level to the surface through ver-

Jan 1, 1888

By H. P. Stüwe

HE recent papers of Aust and Rutter112 have again brought to mind the importance of certain "special" orientation relationships between the lattices of two fcc crystals on the mobility of the grain boundary separating them. No theoretical treatment of this problem has been offered till now. The only principle published so far that has given an indication why certain orientation relationships should be "special" is the counting of "coincidence sites" according to the suggestions by Kronberg and Wilson.3 The "coincidence plots" published by these authors show, for instance, that two fcc lattices rotated by 38 deg around a common (111)-axis have 1/7 of their lattice sites in common. Such an orientation relationship is also characteristic for high boundary mobility. The accuracy of the orientation relationship needed for high mobility is not too rigid. Deviations up to 10 deg from the ideal orientation seem to be tolerable as can be gathered from the experimental data.'j4 The auestion arises, then. how the density of coincidence sites will be affected by a deviatioi from mathematical accuracy. This can be checked by a simple model. Two sieves are prepared, the arrangement of the holes corresponding to lattice sites on a (111)-plane in a fcc crystal. They are placed upon each other, Fig. 1. One is kept fixed, the other is rotated around an axis pushed through one hole in common to both. The light falling through holes of both sieves is then a measure for the density of coincidence sites. If the diameter of the holes is very small, light intensity is contributed only by holes the centers of which coincide "exactly." If the diameter of the holes is rather large, some intensity will be contributed by

Jan 1, 1962

By A. C. Fieldner, W. A. Selvig

For purposes of coal classification it is desirable to know the composition and calorific value of the pure coal substance; that is, of the coal free from its ash-forming minerals. Two methods suggest themselves: (1) To free the coal from most of the ash-forming material previous to the analysis; and (2) to analyze the coal as received and calculate the analysis, with certain more or less arbitrary corrections, to the pure-coal basis. Calculation methods are obviously more apt to give correct results with low-ash than high-ash coals. With coals of unusually high ash it would appear preferable to remove, previous to the analysis, as much of the inorganic matter as possible, by float-and-sink or acid-treating methods. Effect of Ignition on Inorganic Constituents of Coal The need of corrections in calculating analysis to the pure-coal basis is due to the fact that the ash, as determined by ignition, is not the same, in either weight or composition, as the inorganic mineral matter in the coal. On ignition a number of changes occur in the coal such as loss of water of hydration of the shaly material, conversion of pyrite (FeS2) to ferric oxide (Fe203) with evolution of the sulfur as sulfur dioxide or possible fixation of more or less of the sulfur in the ash as calcium sulfate (CaSO4), and decomposition of calcite (CaC03) to calcium oxide (CaO). The amount of sulfur from pyrite which remains in the ash as calcium sulfate depends on the amount of calcite and pyrite in the coal. Certain coals high in both calcite and pyrite show relatively large amounts of sulfate sulfur in the coal ash. The determination of total carbon and hydrogen in coal includes, besides the organic carbon and hydrogen, the carbon of inorganic carbonates such as calcite, and the hydrogen of the water of composition of some of the ash-forming minerals. For detailed discussion of corrections proposed for calculations of coal analyses to the " pure "

Jan 1, 1930

By Carroll Forbes

INTRODUCTION MANY different shapes of drill bits are in use with hammer drills, but little definite information is available whereby to judge which one of these shapes is the best. The following investigation was undertaken in order to determine what effect, if any, the shape of the cutting edge has on the cutting speed and wearing qualities of drill bits. The bits tested were those in common use, namely, the 4-point or cross bit, the 6-point bit, the Z bit and the "Carr" bit. The rock in which the tests were made was the red granite from southeast Missouri. It is a coarse crystalline granite containing an unusually large amount of quartz and is extremely hard, and on account of its uniform texture is admirably adapted to this work. While tests in other rocks might show somewhat different results, nevertheless it is the opinion of the authors that the relative cutting quality inherent in the shape of the bits would be the same in all rocks. Other qualities, such as mudding freely, freedom from fitchering, etc., might make one bit more desirable than another in softer rocks. DESCRIPTION OF BITS TESTED The 4-point bits were the usual shaped bits commonly made on the Leyner sharpener with 14° taper on the wings and a 90° angle between cutting edges. Some tests were run at 85 lb. pressure with a 4-point bit made with a 5° taper on the wings. This was made by using the Carr bit die. The 6-point bits were the usual shaped hits made on, the Leyner sharpener. The Carr bits were made with a 5° taper and an angle of 100° between cutting edges.

Jan 8, 1917

By K. F. Veith, R. L. Marovelli, T. S. Chen

An analytical study is made of thermal stress distribution in a thin circular disc subjected to a peripheral thermal shock at various rates of heat transfer. The problem is of importance in predicting the thermal shock response of a rock body of finite size. The theoretical analysis is based on radial heat flow by conduction in the disc and heat exchange by convection between the disc and the surroundings. The case of constant properties and plane stress is treated. Solutions of the stress distribution are presented for both cooling and heating shocks and an average stress theory is formulated. Preliminary experimental verification was obtained from the results of shock tests on thin rock discs insulated on both flat end faces so that heat exchange took place through the exposed peripheral surface. Physical properties vital to the analysis are Young's modulus, tensile strength, coefficient of linear thermal expansion, thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity. Plots of these properties are presented. Historically, thermal energy has been used for primary rock removal throughout the ages. Although it is not widely known, the fire-setting method of thermal rock fragmentation was still in use 100 years ago in systematic underground mining operations in Scandinavia.' There, the availability of cheap labor and abundant wood fuel made the method competitive with the early blasting powders. By 1880, as high explosives replaced powder, use of the method declined and it was finally abandoned about 1885. Only 40 years ago, some experimental fire-setting methods were used for rock removal underground at Pribram and Zinnwald in Central Europe.2 Compressed air-oil burners replaced the earlier wood fuels. About 15 years ago, gaseous oxygen-oil burners were introduced in the United States and gained acceptance for difficult blasthole drilling and some quarry opera- tions. At present, there is renewed interest in the compressed air-oil burner designs. The literature included information on thermal secondary processes for rock weakening or particle liberation3,4,5,6,7,8 on thermal spallation of rock 9,10,11,12,13 and on the thermal fracture of materials other than rock. The 1955 Symposium on Thermal Fracture14 and the later work of Hassel-man, cover recent developments in thermal shock investigations on brittle ceramics. Although the number of published analytical and experimental investigations conducted on ceramic and refractory materials is large, the literature reveals that there is a lack of information on both the theoretical and actual response of rock to thermal shock. Many of the thermal shock studies on ceramic and refractory bodies are based on the case of heat transfer at the solid's surface by convection in either liquid or air. A similar heat transfer situation was adopted for a theoretical analysis of the thermal stresses in a thin circular disc subjected to a peripheral thermal shock. Experimental thermal shock tests were then conducted on rock specimens to check the analytical results. Specially insulated quartzite, basalt and taconite discs were shocked in either liquid or still air bath at various rates of heat transfer. The work was done in order to resolve the question as to whether theoretically determined tensile stresses are actually realized in a finite rock body undergoing thermal shock. Specifically, if theory predicts that the tensile strength of a rock should be exceeded in a particular type of controlled thermal shock, will fracture occur? This information is needed by Bureau researchers working on thermal and electrical rock fragmentation methods. The object of this paper is to present the main features of the theory and procedure being used in the authors' approach to quantitative prediction of rock response to a thermal shock. THEORETICAL ANALYSIS In the analysis to follow, simple geometry of a thin circular disc is considered. The disc is assumed to be isotropic, homogeneous and perfectly elastic, and to have constant thermal and mechanical properties. The effect of radiation is neglected so that heat is transferred by conduction inside the disc and by convection with its surrounding. In addition, the end

Jan 1, 1967

By R. E. Wade

THE Butte, Anaconda & Pacific electrification is of peculiar interest, in an incidental way, to the entire mining fraternity, and especially the engineering branch, not only in this great Northwest country but throughout the entire Western mining country, which is rich in minerals and water power. It is probably fair to say that the prime object of mining and smelting engineering is to reduce the cost of production, and in the case in hand the relative location of mines and smelter brings the cost of transportation of ore to the front. While some might assign this item to the railway people, it is inseparably a part and parcel of the general scheme of the production of metal from the ore. In considering the electrification of the B., A. &. P. railway the mining and smelting engineer, above all, wants to know what saving will be effected by the change in motive power. Unfortunately the new power has been in use during a very limited period and on the Smelter Hill section of the road only, and no reliable data, from actual service conditions, can be obtained until the entire electrified section has been in service for a reasonable length of time. Any remarks on this subject at the present time, therefore, must of necessity be general in nature and more or less descriptive. The railway, electrical and mining worlds and the country in general are indebted to the B., A. & P. railway for the pioneer work it is now doing, as it undoubtedly marks the beginning of the electrification, within the comparatively near future, of all transcontinental roads between the Missouri river and the Pacific coast. Together with this goes the development of an untold wealth in water power and all natural resources within the same territory. For the first time in the history of electric railway work, in this country, direct current at a potential of 2,400 volts is being used. With this potential there is a great saving in transmission of energy to the locomotives and there are only two substations, one at. either end and 26 miles apart, for supplying the power for the movement of trains of heavy tonnage over the main line and for switching movements at terminal and intermediate yards, and comparatively little feeder copper is required.

Jan 11, 1913

By H. J. Morel-Seytoux

The influence of patten, geometry on assisted oil recovery for a particular dispIacement mechanism is the object of investigation in this paper. The displacement is assumed to be of unit mobility ratio and piston-like. Fluids are assumed incompressible and gravity and capillary effects are neglected. With these assumptions it is possible to calculate by analytical methods the quantities of interest to the reservoir engineer for a great variety of patterns. Specifically, this paper presents (1) very brieily, the methods and mathematical derivations required to obtain the results of engineering concern, and (2) typical results in the dorm of graphs or formulae that can be used readily without prior study of the methods. Results of this work provide checks for solutions obtained from programmed numerical techniques. They also reveal the effect of pattern geometry and, even though the assumptions of piston- like displacement and of unit mobility ratio are restrictive, they can nevertheless be used for rather crude but quick, cheap estimates. ,These estimates can be refined to account for non-unit mobility ratio and two-phase flow by correlating analytical results in the case M = 1 and the numerical results for non-piston, non-unit mobility ratio displacements. In an earlier paper1 it was also shown that from the knowledge of closed form solutions for unit mobility ratio, quantities called "scale factors" could be readily calculated, increasing considerably the flexibility of the numerical techniques. Many new closed farm solutions are given in this paper. INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND Pattern geometry is a major factor in making water-fIood recovery predictions. For this reason many numerical schemes have been devised to predict oil recovery in either regular patterns or arbitrary configurations. The numerical solutions, based on the method of finite difference approximation, are subject to errors often difficult to evaluate. An estimate of the error is possible by comparison with exact solutions. To provide a variety of checks on numerical solutions, a thorough study of the unit mobility ratio displacement process was undertaken. To calculate quantities of interest to the reservoir engineer (oil recovery, sweep efficiency, etc.), it is necessary to first know the pressure distribution in the pattern. Then analytical procedures are used to calculate, in order of increasing difficulty: injectivity, breakthrough areal sweep efficiency, normalized oil recovery and water-oil ratio as a function of normalized PV injected.

Jan 1, 1967

By Marcus A. Grossman

THE institute has established this lectureship to honor the memory of a great American metallurgist, one whose fame has continued long after his passing. As one scientist recently stated it," All metallurgical texts gradually become outdated and outmoded, except those of the great Henry Marion Howe." It seems fitting, then, that, once every year, we should review, in his honor, some aspects of the science in which he was such a distinguished leader, and also discuss any new data that may help to clarify our concepts. It is my privilege, for which indeed I express the deepest appreciation to this Institute, to offer for consideration a few thoughts on the toughness and fracture of hardened steels. Before proceeding to the data, I wish to express my great indebtedness to many associates whose stimulating discussions, generous contributions of data and cooperation in experiments are gratefully acknowledged. (But I wish to absolve them of any blame that may arise from the way in which their discussions and data have been used!) First, Dr. Edgar C. Bain, Vice President, Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation, whose amiable but merciless criticisms and always constructive and thoughtful suggestions help unfailingly to guard against pitfalls. Then to associates at Gary Steel Works, especially Mr. H. B. Wishart, Mr. W. K. Smith and Mr. V. Elliott, for great assistance in securing data. Also to Col. C. H. Greenall, Director of Laboratories, Frankford Arsenal, and his metallurgical staff, including Messrs. J. K. Desmond, H. Markus, D. F. Armiento, H. Rosenthal and Henry George, for numerous data and illustrations. Further to Dr. J. R. Low and Dr. M. Asimow, for helpful discussions of effects of states of stress during deformation and rupture, to Mr. J. M. Hodge for discussions and data, to the staff of the U. S. Steel Corporation Research Laboratory for advice and data, and to the Metallurgical Staff at Duquesne Steel Works. The individual acknowledgments will also be found under illustrations. Acknowledgment is also due to Mr. S. C. Snyder for incredibly meticulous scrutiny of manuscript. To all of these, grateful thanks.

Jan 1, 1946

By R. E. Wade

The Butte, Anaconda & Pacific electrification is of peculiar interest, in an incidental way, to the entire mining fraternity, and especially the engineering branch, not only in this great Northwest country but throughout the entire Western mining country, which is rich in minerals and water power. It is probably fair to say that the prime object of mining and smelting engineering is to reduce the cost of production, and in the case in hand the relative location of mines and smelter brings the cost of transportation of ore to the front. While some might assign this item to the railway people, it is inseparably a part and parcel of the general scheme of the production of metal from the ore. In considering the electrification of the B., A. & P. railway the mining and smelting engineer, above all, wants to know what saving will be effected by the change in motive power. Unfortunately the new power has been in use during a very limited period and on the Smelter Hill section of the road only, and no reliable data, from actual service conditions, can be obtained until the entire electrified section has been in service for a reasonable length of time. Any remarks on this subject at the present time, therefore, must of necessity be general in nature and more or less descriptive. The railway, electrical and mining worlds and the country in general are indebted to the B., A. & P. railway for the pioneer work it is now doing, as it undoubtedly marks the beginning of the electrification, within the comparatively near future, of all transcontinental roads between the Missouri river and the Pacific coast. Together with this goes the development of an untold wealth in water power and all natural resources within the same territory. For the first time in the history of electric railway work, in this country, direct current at a potential of 2,400 volts is being used. With this potential there is a great saving in transmission of energy to the locomotives and there are only two substations, one at either end and 26 miles apart, for supplying the power for the movement of trains of heavy tonnage over the main line and for switching movements at terminal and intermediate yards, and comparatively little feeder copper is required.

Jan 1, 1914

By L. F. Terry, H. K. Ihrig, D. J. Sabin, Ralph E. Davis

This paper presents the results of a study of the comparative values of the several fuels commonly used by industrial plants. It shows that the energy actually recovered from any fuel and turned into useful work is dependent upon several factors: (1) the total energy available in the fuel, (2) energy losses resulting from combustion reactions and (3) energy losses dependent upon the mechanics of the firing operation. The chemistry of combustion and the losses resulting therefrom are discussed. The Advantages and disadvantages of the several mechanical methods of firing and the resulting heat losses in each are developed. Data obtained from several typical fuel operations, where careful records have been maintained, are presented to show that the practical results in the actual operation are in harmony with the theoretical results developed in the earlier part of this paper. Water power and solid, liquid or gaseous fuels are at present the only commercial sources of energy. The economic utilization of any one of them depends, in the final analysis, on the cost of energy per unit of finished product to which the energy is applied. The location of the plant utilizing the particular fuel chosen is a large factor in the original choice. The cost per unit at its original natural source, or even in its delivered form, is not always the final measure of its worth. The use of electricity as a source of energy illustrates this to the extreme. Electric current produced from water power is very cheap in certain localities. In Norway, current is sold as low as ½0# per kw-hr., while in dry cells it costs as much as $10 per kw-hr. Yet the sale of dry cells is a large business. The selling price of gas also varies widely. In some localities natural gas for the manufacture of carbon black sells for as low as $0.02 per million British thermal units, while artificial gas for domestic purposes sells for as high as $6 per million B.t.u. Obviously the cost per unit of energy is not the final determining factor in its purchase. Any discussion of the economic utilization of fuels must include costs in relation to the units of finished material manufactured. In large central power generating stations, this is the over-all cost per kilowatt-hour, and in ceramic firing the cost per unit of finished product of a certain quality is the criterion of economic utilization.

Jan 1, 1931

By D. W. Fuerstenau

In 1940 Schuhmann1 showed that the size distribution of a comminuted material can be expressed by the following empirical relationship: y = 100 (|f [i] where y is the cumulative percentage of material finer than size x, k is a size modulus, and a is a distribution modulus which is constant for a given material and machine. During the past few years, considerable emphasis has been given to the investigation of the extent of size reduction resulting from the expenditure of mechanical energy in crushing and grinding. Recently Schuhmann' presented a derivation of the energy-size reduction relationship by postulating that comminution in a device such as a ball mill can be considered to be the summation of many single comminution events, each of which yields a size distribution of particles following the Schuhmann size distribution equation. By grinding

Jan 1, 1961

By Thomas C. Baker

The Fresnillo unit of the Mexican Corporation, S. A., is situated at the old historic mining town of Fresnillo, Zacatecas, Mexico, 33 miles north of the city of Zacatecas and 750 miles south of El Paso, Tex. It is connected with the Mexican Central Railroad by a broad-gage spur 5.5 miles long, belonging to the company. Fresnillo is surrounded by a broad semi-arid valley on the Mexican plateau at an elevation of 7300 ft. The monotony of the valley is broken by a number of low hills. Near the town of Fresnillo is the " Cerro de Proano," an elliptic-shaped hill of gentle slope, rising out of the plain to a height of 325 ft.; the base has a major axis of 4500ft. and a minor axis of 3000 ft. In this hill is the silver-bearing mineralized zone, which comprises past and present mining operations. (In this paper money values are expressed throughout in American currency and the dry short ton of 2000 lb. is used.) The discovery of ore at Fresnillo is credited to the Spaniards, soon after the conquest of Mexico. There are, however, no authentic records to show the amount of work done by them. In 1832, the State of Zacatecas took possession of the property and operated it. Evidently the rich ore above the horizon of the plain had been fairly well exhausted, as an old record states that thirty shafts were used for unwatering, requiring 300 men and 1500 animals. The cost of pumping alone amounted to $150,000 a year. In spite of the fact that cheap convict labor was used, mining costs were reported as $20 and treatment charges as $20 per ton. In 1835, the state was obliged to seek foreign capital, and a company formed in London secured a controlling interest in the property. This new organization sank two shafts, one 11 by 19 ft. and the other 10 by 15 ft., to unwater the mines and extract ore. Large Cornish pumps were purchased in England and hauled overland from Vera Cruz; engines also were installed to operate the arrastres (grinding mills) in the patio process of ore treatment. Substantial buildings were erected and operations were conducted on a large scale, for that period. The patio, the largest in Mexico, was 1150 ft. square. The costs for 1850 were:

Jan 1, 1925

By AIME AIME

THE Iron and Steel and Institute of Metals Divisions will meet jointly at the Statler Hotel, Detroit, Oct. 4 and 5, during the Metal Congress, Oct. 2-6. The Wire Association, the American Welding Society and the American Society for Steel Treating, together with the two Divisions of the Institute, constitute the Congress this year, and each body offers an interesting technical program. The National Metal Exposition will, as usual, be held concurrently. Visiting metallurgists will find themselves engaged in a bit of research not listed in the program-a time study of how best to exploit in a few days both the Congress and all that the place of meeting has to offer. For Detroit, the beautiful "City of the Straits," is third in rank industrially in the United States, and its great manufacturing plants offer much of metallurgical interest. This is especially true of the automobile plants which will be open to members of the various societies during the week of the Congress.

Jan 1, 1933

By John E. Conley

The slate industry of the United States has shown a marked decline in value of products made annually since the peak year 1925, although there has been moderate improvement over the lean years 1932 to 1934. In 1940, the value of all slate products sold was approximately 5¾ million dollars for a total output of 473,450 short tons. The quantity sold was a little less and the value a great deal lower than the annual averages for the past two decades. Enormous quantities of waste materials result from the quarrying, splitting and milling of slate. Obviously, utilization of such waste material is desirable, not only from the viewpoint of economical operation but also for the purpose of conserving natural resources. One possible use is to produce expanded or puffed lightweight aggregate for use in concretes. Such concretes are strong enough for specific uses, and the advantage of lightness could be obtained in such structures as the walls and roofs of buildings, suspension-bridge roadways and various other applications where weight is a factor. Conceivably, these uses could consume an appreciable annual tonnage. Use of Waste Slates for Making Aggregates The lightweight-aggregate industry has been discussed elsewhere4,5 and need not be covered in detail in this paper. The materials commonly utilized are naturally occurring aggregates such as volcanic cinder, tuff and pumice; by-product materials, such as ordinary cinders and air-cooled slags; and the specially manufactured products, including Haydite, Pottsco, Gravelite, Cel-seal, Superock and Waylite. Slates, however, have not been given the consideration they merit, especially in the United States. In the British Isles, some work has been done3 on certain Welsh slates by the Building Research Station to stimulate the use of these wastes. Requirements for Raw Materials As pointed out by Hughes,4 the lightweight-aggregate industry is segregated in regions adjacent to large cities in order to localize the market and avoid the necessity of long freight haulage. Waste slate from the deposits of eastern Pennsylvania, northern Maryland, and Virginia would meet the basic requirement of ally low-priced structural raw material. One apparent advantage is attained when slate waste, normally discarded, is utilized in the manufacture of a by-product. Mining or quarrying costs usually have been assessed against the main product. Some additional grinding might be desirable, but this operation would be relatively cheap, as most slates grind easily. It is believed that virtually all slates, when properly heated, will expand to some degree. However, types that will expand from 3 to 7 times their original volume are preferred. Fig, I illustratcs the expansion of a Pennsylvania slate. The cube originally

Jan 1, 1942

By John E. Conley

The slate industry of the United States has shown a marked decline in value of products made annually since the peak year 1925, although there has been moderate improvement over the lean years 1932 to 1934. In 1940, the value of all slate products sold was approximately 5¾ million dollars for a total output of 473,450 short tons. The quantity sold was a little less and the value a great deal lower than the annual averages for the past two decades. Enormous quantities of waste materials result from the quarrying, splitting and milling of slate. Obviously, utilization of such waste material is desirable, not only from the viewpoint of economical operation but also for the purpose of conserving natural resources. One possible use is to produce expanded or puffed lightweight aggregate for use in concretes. Such concretes are strong enough for specific uses, and the advantage of lightness could be obtained in such structures as the walls and roofs of buildings, suspension-bridge roadways and various other applications where weight is a factor. Conceivably, these uses could consume an appreciable annual tonnage. Use of Waste Slates for Making Aggregates The lightweight-aggregate industry has been discussed elsewhere4,5 and need not be covered in detail in this paper. The materials commonly utilized are naturally occurring aggregates such as volcanic cinder, tuff and pumice; by-product materials, such as ordinary cinders and air-cooled slags; and the specially manufactured products, including Haydite, Pottsco, Gravelite, Cel-seal, Superock and Waylite. Slates, however, have not been given the consideration they merit, especially in the United States. In the British Isles, some work has been done3 on certain Welsh slates by the Building Research Station to stimulate the use of these wastes. Requirements for Raw Materials As pointed out by Hughes,4 the lightweight-aggregate industry is segregated in regions adjacent to large cities in order to localize the market and avoid the necessity of long freight haulage. Waste slate from the deposits of eastern Pennsylvania, northern Maryland, and Virginia would meet the basic requirement of ally low-priced structural raw material. One apparent advantage is attained when slate waste, normally discarded, is utilized in the manufacture of a by-product. Mining or quarrying costs usually have been assessed against the main product. Some additional grinding might be desirable, but this operation would be relatively cheap, as most slates grind easily. It is believed that virtually all slates, when properly heated, will expand to some degree. However, types that will expand from 3 to 7 times their original volume are preferred. Fig, I illustratcs the expansion of a Pennsylvania slate. The cube originally

Jan 1, 1942

By H. H. Stoek

THE fundamental reasons underlying the choice of a method of mining a coal seam are safety of operation, cheapness of producing the product and the character of the product as a saleable article. From the standpoint of safety, open or strip coal mining is always preferable, as many of the dangers inherent to underground work are absent, such as explosions of gas and dust, falls of roof and coal, and also to a great extent those due to haulage and the use of explosives, thus eliminating three of the chief causes of accident from which about 75 per cent. of the underground accidents in coal mines occur. The conditions under which coal is stripped also make the work much safer than ordinary quarry work, as the depth. of the pit is usually comparatively slight. From the standpoint of low mining cost, there is much misapprehension and many of the costs given are misleading in that they do not take into account such items as the destruction of the surface for future use, the full cost of the removal of the overburden, depreciation, amortization, coal depletion, loss of time through floods and from bad weather in winter, etc. Coal is no doubt often put on the cars at less cost by stripping than by underground mining, but by no means always so, as is too generally assumed. In some cases coal must be obtained by stripping or not at all, due to the small amount of overburden that renders underground mining impossible.

Jan 9, 1917

By S. D. Strauss

The marketing of nonferrous metals and of the ores and concentrates from which these metals are recovered is a fascinating trade, international in character, sensitive to every change in the economic tide, and complex in its organization. Each individual metal has its own marketing mechanism; no two are exactly alike. The differences sometimes are a matter of tradition rather than of necessity, but usually they have developed because of the very nature of the problems of producing or consuming the individual metal. This description, because of limitations of space, can do no more than indicate the major aspects of the trade and touch lightly on the marketing structure of each metal. The dictionary states that a market is a "meeting of people for selling and buying." In the case of nonferrous metals this meeting may occur on a half-dozen different occasions between the time the ore has been first mined and the time the refined metal is available for use by industry; or it may not occur at all until after the metal itself has been rolled, drawn, stamped, cast, or forged into a useful semifabricated shape. To illustrate: A Chilean miner may sell his small ore production to a custom mill, which produces concentrates that are sold to an ore dealer, who finances shipments of the concentrate to a custom smelter, which buys them for conversion into blister, to be subsequently refined into electrolytic copper (sometimes by a refinery having no corporate ties with the custom smelter) and sold. Conversely, aluminum production is mostly by integrated concerns that mine bauxite, convert it to alumina, smelt that to produce aluminum, and then fabricate that into semifinished or even finished products before title to the material changes hands for the first time. Some nonferrous ores are not converted into metal at all but are sold by the miners or dealers directly to the ultimate consumers. A good example would be chrome ores used by the chemical industry. And of course a substantial part of the commerce in nonferrous metals is in scrap, which is the reconversion into useful form of metals that have long since been mined and smelted. Thus, one-third of all the lead used in the United

Jan 1, 1964

G. K. BURGESS,* Washington, D. C.-In the service tests, the Advisory Committee on Aeronautics considered it highly necessary, particularly for seaplanes, to find out whether or not it was necessary to paint exposed parts; reports have been obtained but have not been pub-lished at the present time. Investigations were carried on at three Navy Yards. On just a hurried examination, the inspection was made about two weeks ago and the results are now being digested an examination shows that the aluminum alloys, whether painted or unpainted, stand up very well. It apparently is not necessary to paint, which, of course, is a very important item in the question of the weight of seaplanes. We will be able to report on that, I expect, probably at the next meeting.

Jan 12, 1919

By J. M. Boutwell

I. Introduction. THE object of this paper is to present a concise statement on the genesis of the copper- and lead-deposits of the Bingham Mining District, Utah. It is essentially a condensation of a chapter in a detailed report on this district, together with so much on geologic features, and on the character and occurrence of the ores as bears on the problems of ore-deposition. The studies upon which the paper is based were undertaken in 1900 under the direction of S. F. Emmons, Geologist-in-Charge of the Section of Metalliferous Deposits, U. S. Geological Survey; and a little additional data was secured in subsequent years. The evidence then obtained as to the genesis of the replacement copper-ores has led, to conclusions which differ somewhat from explanations hitherto current. Accordingly, it seems desirable briefly to present the facts together with the resulting conclusions in a separate paper.

Nov 1, 1905