Search Documents

By W. N. Poundstone, P. C. Thakur

Introduction Horizontal drilling in coal mines is a relatively new technology. The earliest recorded drilling in the United States was done in 1958 at the Humphrey mine of Consolidation Coal Co. for degasification of coal seams. Spindler and Poundstone experimented with vertical and horizontal holes for several years. They concluded in 1960 that horizontal drilling in advance of underground mining appeared to offer the most promising prospect (for degasification) but effective and extensive application would be dependent upon the ability to drill long holes, possibly 300 to 600 m, with reasonably precise directional control and within practical cost limits (Spindler and Poundstone, 1960). Mining Research Division of Conoco Inc., the parent company of Consolidation Coal Co., began a research program in the early 1970s to achieve the above objective. The technology needed to drill nearly 300 m in advance of working faces was developed by 1975 and experiments on advance degasification with such deep holes began in 1976. Preliminary results of this research have already been published (Thakur and Davis, 1977). To date nearly 4.5 km of horizontal holes have been drilled for advance degasification and earlier results were reconfirmed. In summary, these are: • The greatest impact of these boreholes was felt in the face area where methane concentrations were reduced to nearly 0.3% in course of two to three months from original values of nearly 0.95%. • The methane concentration in the section return reduced to 50% of its original value immediately after the boreholes were completed, indicating a capture ratio of 50%. • The total methane emission in the section (rib and face emission plus the borehole production) did not increase but rather gradually declined with time. • Initial production from 300 m deep boreholes in the Pittsburgh seam varied from 3 m3/min to 6 m3/min but then slowly declined as workings advanced inby of the drill site (well head) exposing a larger surface area parallel to the borehole. Encouraged by these results, it was decided to design a horizontal drilling system that would be mobile and compatible with other face equipment. A mobile horizontal drill can be divided into three subsystems: the drill rig, the drill bit guidance system, and borehole surveying instruments. The drill rig provides the thrust and torque necessary to drill 75- to 100-mm diam holes up to 600 m deep and contains the mud circulation and gas cuttings separation systems. The drill bit guidance system guides the bit up, down, left, or right as desired. Borehole surveying instruments measure the pitch, roll, and azimuth of the borehole assembly. Additionally, it also indicates the thickness of coal between the borehole and the roof or floor of the coal seam. Thus, it becomes a powerful tool for locating the presence of faults, clay veins, sand channels, and the thickness of coal seam in advance of mining. In recent years, many other potential uses of horizontal boreholes have come to light, such as in situ gasification, longwall blasting, improved auger mining, and oil and gas production from shallow deposits. The purpose of this paper is to describe the hardware and procedure for drilling deep horizontal holes. The Drilling Rig [Figures 1 and 2] show the two components of the mobile drilling rig: the drill unit and the auxiliary unit. The equipment (except for the chassis) was designed by Conoco Inc. and fabricated by J. H. Fletcher and Co. of Huntington, WV. The drill unit. It is mounted on a four-wheel drive chassis driven by two Staffa hydraulic motors with chains. The tires are 369 X 457 mm in size and provide a ground clearance of 305 mm. The prime mover is a 30-kw explosion-proof electric motor which is used only for tramming. Once the unit is Crammed to the drill site, electric power is disconnected and hydraulic power from the auxiliary unit is turned on. Four floor jacks are used to level the machine and raise the drill head to the desired level. Two 5-t telescopic hydraulic props, one on each side, anchor the drill unit to the roof. The drill unit houses the feed carriage, the drilling console, 300 m of 3-m-long NQ, drill rods, and the electric cable reel for instruments. The feed carriage is mounted more or less centrally, has a feed of 3.3 m, and can swing laterally by ± 17°. It can also sump forward by 1.2 m. The drill head has a "through" chuck such that drill pipes can be fed from the side or back end. General specifications of the feed carriage are: [ ] The auxiliary unit. The chassis for the auxiliary unit is identical to the drill unit but the prime movers are two 30-kW explosion proof electric motors. It is equipped with a methane detector- activated switch so that power will be cut off at a preset methane concentration in the air. No anchoring props are needed for this unit. The auxiliary unit houses the hydraulic power pack, the water (mud) circulating pump, control boxes for electric motors, a trailing cable spool, and a steel tank which serves for water storage and closed-loop separation of drill cuttings and gas.

Jan 1, 1981

C. M. Bishop (Aircraft Div., A. V. Roe Cnnada Ltd., Toronto)—Reference is made to the coherency hardening of ß due to ß' and also to the hardening of ß due to a coherent precipitation of the a phase. What is meant by the term "ß'?" Would not the coherency hardening of ß during cooling be due to precipitation of a sub-microscopic dispersion of a, as is the case during reheating a ß-quenched alloy? I feel that these two phenomena are essentially the same mechanism, i.e., precipitation of a from unstable or supersaturated ß. From the text, it would appear that Tables III and IV are intended to show the effect of the martensite transformation on the properties of Ti-Mn alloys. Referring to Table 111, the ß-quenched alloys would contain a greater proportion of retained ß than would the equilibrated alloy. Could not the increase in properties be attributed to this, along with possible coherency hardening of the ß? In the same way, the structures referred to in Table IV contain ß from which they could derive their hardness. It would appear to be difficult, if not impossible, to assess the role of the martensite transformation from the data contained in these tables. F. C. Holden, H. R. Ogden, and R. I. Jaffee (authors' reply)—In reply to the first question raised by Mr. Bishop, the term "ß"' designates an apparent retained-p structure which is harder than it is after the most rapid cooling from the ß field. It is thought to be the result of a coherent precipitation of a. The mechanism by which hardening takes place is undoubtedly the same as that involved in the early stages of aging of a re-tained-p structure, and we are in agreement with Mr. Bishop on this point. The term "ß'" to designate the anomalously hard retained-ß structure was agreed upon at a symposium in 1953." The authors do not agree that the quantity of retained ß and/or ß' in the ß-quenched specimens of Table III is necessarily greater than that of the 600°C equilibrated specimens. The ß-quenched specimen has a structure which appears to be completely a' formed by the martensite reaction. It is recognized that there could be some retained ß (or ß') between the a plates if the M, temperature is below room temperature. This is unlikely for the 3.4 pct Mn alloy where the M, is known to be at about 640°C. Therefore, the increase in strength cannot be attributed to the presence of a greater quantity of coherency-hardened ß, but, rather, the increase in strength must be attributed to the transformation products formed, e.g., a' (martensiti-cally formed a). Concerning the data in Table IV, we agree that it is difficult to estimate the role of the martensite reaction, since the 6.4 pct Mn alloy was retained ß in the quenched condition.

Jan 1, 1955

By Peter J. Conroy, Julianne H. Gyarmaty

INTRODUCTION The current study is part of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) on-going subsidence research program. The long-term objective of the DOE program is to develop analytical methods of subsidence prediction applicable over a broad range of geologic and mining conditions encountered in the United States. The DOE currently has several contracts in progress to develop a sound data base that can be used in the development of predictive models. Dames & Moore is currently under contract to DOE to collect and analyze detailed subsidence and hydrologic data from a coal mine employing longwall mining methods in the Eastern Coal Province. Work under Contract No. DE-AC22-80PC 30335 began in October of 1980 and will continue through September of 1984. The contract includes monitoring of two adjacent longwall panels. This paper summarizes the surface monitoring work that was performed through February of 1982. Mining of the first of the two panels (3 off 3 north) was completed on February 3, 1982. Results of the surface monitoring through completion of this panel are presented and discussed. SITE DESCRIPTION The mine being studied is located in eastern Ohio. The site is west of the Ohio River, approximately 56 km (35 miles) south of Wheeling, West Virginia. The topography of the unglaciated region

Jan 1, 1982

By L. Adler

The author recently proposed a technique for handling the effect of planes of weakness on failure in geologic material.1 The technique employed an "extended" Mohr's rupture envelope, on which was superimposed a generalized three dimensional stress representation. Subsequently, the method was applied to so-called two-dimensional stress states" which were in reality degenerate three-dimensional ones. Since a two-dimensional stress solution usually refers to a plane stress condition, the terminology was confusing. The distinction between a plane stress state and a degenerate three-dimensional one is shown in Fig. 1. The solution of problems involving a generalized three-dimensional stress state is greatly aided by continual reference to the basic principle that no stress components can act on a plane, oriented as is the weakness plane, which lies outside of the weakness plane's rupture enVelope.2 This is shown in Fig. 2; and if it is also remembered that the radii of the Mohr's Circles give the orientation of such a plane, solutions are easier to follow, and perform. Sample Problem 1: Site Location (generalized three-dimensional case).' Given: 1) Both rupture envelope for the solid and plane of weakness. 2) Existing principal stresses and orientations in space (?12, ?13) obtained from a stress analysis of the proposed structure. Find: Permissible orientations of the weakness plane in order to select a suitable site.

Jan 1, 1963

Executive SIDNEY J. JENNINGS, Chairman GEORGE D. BARRON J. E. JOHNSON, JR. EDWIN LUDLOW ROBERT M. RAYMOND Membership KARL EILERS, Chairman LEWIS W. FRANCIS J. E. JOHNSON, JR. LOUIS D. HUNTOON ARTHUR L. WALKER Finance GEORGE D. BARRON, Chairman CHARLES-F. R AND BENJAMIN B. THAYER Library E. GYBBON SPILSBURY,1 Chairman ALEX C. HUMPHREYS8 GEORGE C. STONE2 J. H. JANE WAY' BRADLEY STOUGHTON Papers and Publications BRADLEY STOUGHTON, Chairman

Jan 4, 1918

[New York Holds monthly meetings, except June, July and August. J. E. SPURR, Chairman A D. BROKAW, Vice-chairman SIDNEY ROLLE, Vice-chairman M. H. MERRISS, Secretary-treasurer, Nichols Copper Co., 25 Broad St., New York M. F. CHASE KARL HOFFMAN Boston Meets first Monday of each winter month. C. R. HAYWARD. Chairman E. C. GEITHER, Vice-chairman D. H. MCLAUGHLIN, Secretary-treasurer Rotch Bldg., Harvard Univ. Cambridge. Mass. GEO. H. GILMAN GEO. A. PACKARD]

Jan 1, 1928

By Harry P. Hohenadel

DURING the past few years the amazing developments of the chemical industry have inspired so much publicity that the feature writers assure us that we are entering a "Chemical Age," industrially as important as the "Steel Age" and the "Electric Age," so-called. Whether or not these assurances are overstatements, it is a fact that the expansion of the chemical industry during the past 25 years has been enormous. The Chemical Bureau of the War Production Board calculates the value of chemicals produced during 1944 at $8,300,000,000, no small sum even in inflated dollars. As concerns us of the Southwest oil and gas country, four significant trends of the chemical industry are most important. (1) Many of the recently developed chemical products are new creations, not substitutes,. as new and original as the invention of the light bulb, and with a field for exploitation almost as wide. (2) Many of these chemical products will enter the mass consuming markets, which require enormous tonnages of products, and such markets are setting up an industrial demand for chemicals on a mass volume basis, compared to the relatively high-priced low-volume basis ordinarily considered as the chemical outlet of the past. (3) Most of the processes involved in producing these chemicals are adapt. able to the use, all or in part, of natural gas, oil, or refinery gases as raw mate-

Jan 1, 1945

By John J. Dran

The elaborate analytical techniques for risk analysis used by the large mining companies in conjunction with the valuation of mineral reserve sites are totally inappropriate for the small miner. The small miner does not possess the financial and technical resources which are available to the large companies for such risk analysis. Even if these resources were available to him, the relatively small size of his investment would not justify a huge expenditure for risk analysis. What is required by the small miner is an improvement over the single point estimates provided by the valuation techniques that he currently uses. Such improvement should provide an indication of the extent to which the true value (known only after the fact) might differ from his estimated value of the mineral reserve site. In addition, a rough indication of the chance of occurrence of various differences between the true and estimated values would be helpful to him. These improvements must be obtained at low cost to be useful to the small miner. Such improvements would have to be based on a simple system requiring very few additional estimates by the miner. The small miner is not accustomed to dealing with sophisticated risk analysis techniques. Hence, any complex, time-consuming approach would be doomed to disuse or possible misuse. A simple, uncomplicated approach requiring a minimum of additional estimates by the miner can be based on a system devised by Frederick S. Hillier Although Hillier's method can be applied to various mineral reserve valuation methods used by the small miner, this note is specifically oriented to the discounted cash flow model. The basic discounted cash flow (DCF) approach provides a single point estimate of value and introduces the concept of risk (i.e. the possibility that the annual cash flows may differ from their estimated values and thus lead to an incorrect investment value) through the use of a risk-adjusted discount rate. This approach simply lowers the present value estimate with increases in the discount rate (i.e. increases in the risk assessment). The single point estimate still remains. Although the lower value estimate makes it less likely that the risky investment will be deemed profitable and undertaken, it provides no indication of risk that is suitable for examination and analysis. In addition to the "best guess" estimate of annual net cash flows required in the DCF model, application of the Hillier risk analysis model requires that the miner

Jan 1, 1976

By D. T. Peterson, T. Carnahan

The diffusion coejTicients of carbon, nitrogen, and oxyget were determined in $ thorium over the tempernilcre range 1440" io 1715°C. The diffusion coyfiicir?zls are given by: D = 0.022 exp (-27,000/RT) jor carbo)~, D = 0,0032 exp(-l7,00Q/RTj for nitrogen, and D = u.0013 expt(-11,UOU/RT) for oxygen. Cavl~orz was found to increase the hardness of thoriunz nearly linearly with concentration over the range 100 to 1000Ppm carbon. ThORIUM has a fcc structure up to 1365°C and a bcc structure from this temperature to its melting point at 1740°C. Diffusion of carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen in bcc thorium was of interest in connection with the purification of thorium by electrotransport.' In addition, it was possible to measure the diffusion of all three of these interstitial solutes in the same bcc metal. Only in niobium, tantalum, vanadium, and a iron have all three interstitial diffusion coefficients been measured in a given bcc metal. Diffusion coefficients have been measured for carbon and oxygen in a thorium by Peterson2, 3 and for nitrogen by Gerds and Mallett.4 Activation energies for diffusion are reported by the above authors to be 38 kcal per mole for carbon, 22.5 kcal per mole for nitrogen, and 49 kcal per mole for oxygen. Values of the diffusion coefficients of carbon and nitrogen in 3 thorium have been reported by Peterson et al.' However, these were secondary results of their investigation of electrotransport phenomena in thorium and it was hoped that the present study could provide more precise data. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The specimens used in this study were the well-known pair of semi-infinite bar type. The couple was formed by resistance butt welding two 0.54-cm-diam by 3.0-cm-long bars of thorium together under pure helium, the concentration of the solute being greater in one cylinder than that in the other. The finished couple then contained a concentration step at the weld interface and diffusion proceeded only along the axis of the rod. The thorium used in this study was prepared by the magnesium intermediate alloy method.5 The total impurity content was less than 400 ppm. The major impurities were: carbon, 100 ppm: nitrogen, 50 ppm; and oxygen. 85 ppm. The total metallic impurity content was less than 150 ppm. The high solute concentration portions of the diffusion couples were prepared by adding the solute to the high-purity thorium in a non-consumable electrode arc melting procedure. Carbon and nitrogen were added in the form of spectroscopic graphite and nitrogen gas while a Tho2 layer was dissolved by arc melting to add oxygen. High-purity thorium formed the low concentration portions in the carbon and nitrogen couples. The low oxygen portions were obtained by deoxidizing high-purity thorium with calcium for 3 weeks at 1000°C according to a method reported by Peterson.3 The high C-Th contained 400 ppm C, the high N-Th contained 400 ppm N, the high 0-Th contained 220 ppm 0, and the low 0-Th contained 25 ppm O. The high O-Th was brine-quenched from 1500°C to retain most of the oxygen in solution at room temperature. These concentration levels were all below the solubility limits in 0 thorium at 1400°C. A resistance-heated high-vacuum furnace was used to heat the couples. The samples were mounted horizontally on a tantalum support which had small grooves near each end. Spacer rods of thorium, 0.4 cm in diam, were placed in these grooves to prevent contact between the sample and the tantalum support. This arrangement should have prevented contamination of the sample by contact with the support. In further effort to reduce contamination, the oxygen diffusion couples were sealed inside evacuated outgassed tantalum cylinders lined with thorium foil. Thorium rings around each end of the samples acted as spacers in this case. Pressure during diffusion runs was about 10-6 torr after an initial outgassing stage. Temperature measurements were made by sighting on black body holes in the sample support adjacent to the samples with a Leeds and Northrup disappearing-filament optical pyrometer. Temperatures were constant during a diffusion anneal to ±5C. The observed temperatures were corrected for sight glass absorption after each diffusion run. The pyrometer was checked against a calibrated electronic optical pyrometer and a calibrated tungsten strip lamp with the electronic pyrometer being taken as the standard. All temperature readings agreed to within ±3C over the temperature range 1450" to 1690°C. Time corrections due to diffusion during heating and cooling were necessary because of the short diffusion times. The diffusion times ranged from 6 min for the oxygen sample run at 1690°C to 90 min for the carbon sample run at 1500°C. A series of temperature vs time plots were made for heating and cooling of the samples to the various diffusion temperatures. This data was then used in a method according to shewmon6 to determine the time corrections. The corrections amounted to

Jan 1, 1970

By Hallet R. Robbins

KOREA, the ancient " Hermit Kingdom," is a peninsula jutting out from the coast of eastern Asia. By the natives it is called " Chosen," which, translated, means " Land of the Morning Calm." It lies between the Yellow sea and the Sea of Japan. On the north it is separated from Manchuria and the Russian province of Primorsk by the Yalu and Tiumen rivers ; on the south the Korean straits interpose a rough voyage of 120 miles to the nearest point in Japan. The entire country is situated between the parallels of 34° and 42° N. latitude. The surface of the country is made up of successive ranges of unglaciated mountains, separated by narrow, fertile, and more or less densely populated, valleys. Through all the obscure centuries of its history, Korea has succeeded in maintaining a monastic seclusion, over which, from time immemorial until the late Chino-Japanese war in 1894, China exercised a shadowy sovereignty. Although Korea had been forced into slight foreign contact previously, her first foreign treaty was signed with Japan in 1876. Under the restraining guardianship of China, the Japanese treaty bore but insignificant innovations for Korea; but when, in 1883, a treaty was made with the United States, the first of the western nations, a decade after the American gunboats, under Commodore Rodgers and Lieutenant Schley, forced their way up the Salee river, shooting daylight through the ancient walls and fastnesses, Korea awoke from her sleep of 4,000 years. The Korean peninsula suddenly became the arena where rival nations' enterprises and individuals met in fiercest conflict. Out of this struggle grew two singularly successful American

Jan 7, 1908

By D. R. Miller

Internal friction and elastic modulus variations in electrorefined titanium, iodide refined titanium, and alloys of the latter material with oxygen, nitrogen, aluminum, and zirconium were investigated. No oxygen peak was detected with electrorefined titanium but, provided precautions were taken to prevent increases in background damping, an oxygen peak at about 410°C could be resolved with each of the other materials. An additional partially resolved peak was observed at 500°C in a Ti-N alloy. An anomaly in the variation of rigidity modulus with temperature was observed. Possible mechanisms for the formation of any oxygen peak have been discussed. PRATT, Bratina, and Chalmersl investigated the internal friction of commercial purity titanium and alloys of this material containing 1.5, 3.5, and 4.5 at. pct O. With commercial titanium the internal friction curve consisted of two components, a background which increased steadily with temperature and a peak at about 600" C which was due to grain boundary relaxation. In the Ti-O alloys, however, an additional internal friction peak was observed at 430" to 450°C and, since this peak increased in height as the oxygen content was increased, it was thought to be associated with the presence of oxygen. The diffusion of oxygen in titanium at temperatures between 300" and 500° C is believed to have marked effects in its tensile properties2'3 and the present internal friction measurements were undertaken to obtain further information on this diffusion, using material of higher purity than that of Pratt et d. and an apparatus of very much greater sensitivity. In the course of the investigation a number of important limitations on the work of Pratt et al. were revealed and results have been obtained which emphasize the need for ensuring that in this type of experiment, internal friction is independent of strain amplitude and that the values obtained are reproducible. 1) MATERIALS AND APPARATUS The basis material from which the majority of the specimens was prepared was iodide-refined titanium, the major impurities in which were oxygen and nitrogen—the metallic impurities being present at concentrations less than 0.001 at. pct. The hardness of this material after arc melting, forging, and swaging to rods 1/4 in. diameter was Dph = 110. Specimens 10 in. long and 0.020 in. (0.51 mm) diameter were prepared from these rods by further swaging and wire drawing and were finally annealed in vacuo (5 x 10-6 mmHg) for 24 hr at 800°C. The oxygen alloys were prepared from iodide-

Jan 1, 1962

LIMA (PERU) Established May, 1952 (Official year begins in June) Luncheon meetings third Wednesday monthly Ernesto A Baertl, Chairman Arthur C Hall, Chairman-elect Raymond R Beard, 1st Vice-Chairman Edgardo Portaro, 2nd Vice-Chairman Walter E King, Secretary-Treasurer Av Santa Cruz 331 San Isidro, Lima, Peru Alberto E Brazzini, Asst Treasurer Daniel M Rodriguez, Asst Secretary Robert P Koenig, '56, Section Delegate Arthur C Hall, Alternate Section Delegate

Jan 1, 1955

[Separates of all the Technical Publications published in 1928 are available at Institute headquarters. All the papers are on file in public, university and technical libraries, and when so indicated in the list, may be found either in the TRANSACTIONS or in the special volumes issued by the Institute.; METAL MINING TECH- NICAL TRANS. PUBLI- TITLE AUTHOR MEETING VOLUME CATION AND PAGE* No. 50 The Eötvös Torsion Balance D. C. Barton New York Method of Mapping Geologic Feb., 1928 Structure 52 A Cartographic Correction for the C. A. Heiland New York Eötvös Torsion Balance Feb., 1928 61 Liquid-oxygen Blasting at Chuqui- H. C. Schultz, New York camata, Chile F. K. Middleton Hunter Feb., 1928 76, 108, 123 64 Working Methods of Practical Geo- Hans Haalck New York physics Feb., 1928 65 Experiments with Eötvös Torsion P. W. George New York Balance in the Tri-State Zinc and Feb., 1928 Lead District 74 Gravity Surveying in Great Britain H. Shaw New York Feb., 1928 75 The Computation of Eötvös Gravity E. Lancaster-Jones New York Effects Feb., 1928 82 Earth-resistivity Measurements in W. O. Hotchkiss, New York the Lake Superior Copper Country W. J. Rooney, Feb., 1928 James Fisher 83 Mining Methods and Records at the Roy W. Moore New York 76, 56, 90 United Eastern Mine Feb., 1928 98 Recent Results in Electrical Pros- Hans Lundberg New York specting for Ore Feb., 1928 101 Relation between the Oxygen Bal- G. St. J. Perrott, New York ance and Propulsive Strength of N. A. Tolch, Feb., 1928 Eight Gelatin Dynamites J. E. Crawshaw 102 Effect of Oxygen Balance of Gelatin G. W. Jones, New York Dynamites on the Gaseous Prod- G. St. J. Perrott Feb., 1928 ucts of Detonation 108 The Financial Report of a Min- Henry B. Fernald New York ing Company-Its Content and Feb., 1928 Meaning 116 What Duty to Support the Surface R. G. Bosworth New York Does a Subsurface Owner Owe? Feb., 1927 136 Comparison of Branch Raise and C. A. Mitke Los Angeles 76, 93, 103 Combined Shrinkage and Caving Sept., 1928 Methods 141 A Mining Company Balance Sheet G. F. Wolff New York Feb., 1928

Jan 1, 1927

By Richard Addison, Ronald O. Cranor

Tailings dam construction and operation of Rosario Dominicana's gold/silver mine in the Dominican Republic is described. Impoundment of 8.5 kt/d of cyanide-process tailings is required in an intensive agricultural area which is also an earthquake and high rainfall zone. The earthfill embankment dam, incorporating internal gravel drains, is described together with methods of construction used. Methods of tailings transport, solution reclaim, and runoff water diversion that have evolved are discussed.

Jan 1, 1982

By A. P., Svenningsen

ECONOMICAL handling of a minimum of 25,000 tons of minus 3/4-in. ore per day, grinding it to 2 per cent on 65 mesh, and effecting a high recovery of the copper at the lowest possible cost were the principal aims in the design of the new Morenci concentrating plant. Dealing with a tonnage of this magnitude, it is obvious that lost motion cannot be tolerated. When ore is carried on a conveyor an unnecessarily long distance or elevated to a greater height than necessary, or when pulp flows in a launder by a circuitous route thereby losing elevation and distance, we have lost motion which is always costly both from the standpoint of construction and operation. In addition to the 25,000 tons of ore which must be handled, 100,000 tons of water per day has to be carried through the plant in the treatment of the ore. Though water is not so difficult to handle as the ore, the combined tonnage represents a figure which could easily run into a considerable monetary loss per day if all phases of the design were not carefully followed with the idea of eliminating any unnessary handing of materials.

Jan 1, 1942

By Howard I. Smith

THE mineral trona was discovered on Government land in 1938, about 18 miles west of the town of Green River, Wyo., in the core of the John Hay, Jr., well, a test well drilled for oil by the Mountain Fuel Supply Co. in sec. 2, T. 18 N., R. 11o W., sixth principal meridian. Although no oil or gas was reported, the drilling led to a discovery of great potential economic importance and exceptional scientific interest. Trona is a relatively rare mineral found at various places in playa deposits but not previously found at any great depth. It is composed of hydrous sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate (Na2CO3.NaHCO3.2H2O). Pure trona contains the equivalent of 70.35 per cent of sodium carbonate. Total sodium computed to carbonate times 1.42 equals the percentage of trona in the absence of other sodium carbonate minerals in the sample. ANALYSES Two short pieces of core sent to the author a few days after the completion of the Hay well were analyzed by R. C. Wells† and found to be exceptionally pure trona. A brief article on this discovery has already been published.1 Arrangements were then made through W. T. Nightengale‡ for the author to inspect and sample the core. The company log of the well included notations of sodium salt crystals from a depth of 1190 to 1820 ft. Not being able to identify all the minerals present, the author selected several specimens of the core for petrographic examinations and sampled the sections of trona for analysis. J. J. Fahey, of the Geological Survey, examined the specimens and reported most of the crystals to be a new anhydrous sodium carbonate and calcium carbonate mineral (Na2CO3.2CaCO3), which he named shortite,2 after Maxwell N. Short.* He analyzed the samples of trona, with the results shown in Table i. [ ] In addition to the 10 ft. I in. of trona in the first section, it is reasonable to assume that the 9 ft. 8 in. for which no core was available for sampling is either mostly trona or some other soluble salt, but it should not be included in calculating reserves. In the part of the core between 1590 ft. 3 in. and 1600 ft. 4 in. the material insoluble in cold water, amounting to about 5 per cent, was estimated petrographically to contain 70 per cent clay, 25 per cent shortite, and 5 per cent pyrite. ACCOMPANYING MINERALS Fahey later secured about 600 ft. of the core for a detailed examination and study

Jan 1, 1942

By J. B. Newkirk

IN 1939 Bitter and Kaufmann1 suggested that iron, precipitating from a copper-rich, Cu-Fe solid solution, appears initially as coherent particles of r-Fe which transform to the body-centered-cubic form of iron when the alloy is cold worked. Since then there has been considerable discussion, supported only by indirect evidence, regarding the validity of the concept. For example, Reekie, Hutchison, and Hether-ington2 interpreted the changes in electrical resistance accompanying the aging of Cu-Fe specimens in terms of a coherent 7-Fe precipitate which transformed to the incoherent a-phase during long aging or cold working. Greninger- ound that Cu-Fe alloys which had been water quenched from 1050" and then held at 650°C for 3 hr changed from weakly to strongly ferromagnetic as the aged wire was subsequently cold worked. He also found diffraction lines corresponding to body-centered-cubic iron in Debye-Scherrer patterns given by aged and worked specimens but lines corresponding to only one face-centered-cubic phase in specimens which had been aged but not worked. Knoppwost,' and later Cech and Turnbull,5 found that aged Cu-Fe specimens showed a slight increase in ferromagnet-ism after they had be? cooled in liquid nitrogen. Very recently Denney6 followed the kinetics of the precipitation reaction as indicated by the saturation magnetization, hardness, and diffuse X-ray effects. The experimental results reported by all of the authors mentioned above are readily explained in terms of the Bitter and Kaufmann concept. However, most of the evidence is indirect when used to define the structural changes involved. It was the aim of the present investigation to determine the mechanism of precipitation of iron from a Cu-Fe solid solution in the light of available published information and with additional new and more direct experimental data. Experimental Method At 1060°C copper will contain up to 3 atomic pct Fe in equilibrium solid solution.7 The solvus slopes rapidly toward lower iron concentration, so that at 600°C only about 0.5 pct Fe remains in solution at equilibrium. Below the eutectoid temperature (850°C), the iron-rich phase in equilibrium with the copper-rich solid solution consists of body-centered-cubic a-Fe. Above 850 °C the equilibrium iron-rich phase is face-centered-cubic r-Fe. The alloy to be studied was made by melting electrolytic iron and OFHC copper by induction under vacuum in an Alundum-lined crucible. The metal was held molten for about 5 min, after which time the power was turned off and the crucible was tipped about 70" to promote directional solidification. The resulting ingot, containing 2.5 wt pct Fe by analysis, was clean, large grained, and free of gross segregation. Slices % in. thick were cut from the ingot, rolled to 1/8 in. in thickness, homogenized in hydrogen at 1060°C for 24 hr and, finally, quenched in cold water. Specimens for all subsequent tests were made from these slices. Squares measuring about 1 cm on a side were cut from the slices to make specimens for studying hardness and microstructure. Wires (0.020 in.) for the Debye-Scherrer survey were drawn from 1/8 in. sq rods which had been cut from the homogenized slices. Large crystals for observing diffuse X-ray diffraction effects were prepared by mechanically

Jan 1, 1958

AARONS, J. BOYD, Major. AGNEW, FRANK VANS. ALLEN, HERMAN H., Private, D Co., 8th -Reserve Engineers. BAINS, THOMAS M., Major, Engineer Officers' Reserve Corps. BANKS, H. R., Lieutenant, Canadian Engineers, B. E. F. BARBOUR, PERCY E., Deputy Supt. (Captain), New York State Troopers; Captain, 22d Regiment, N. Y. N. G. BARLING, H. B., Ist Lieutenant', Engineer Officers' Reserve Corps. BIGELOW, BRAXTON. BLOOMFIELD, E. C., Lieutenant. , BORROW, F. K. BROCK, R. W., Major, 19th Reserve Battalion of Canadians. BROOKS, ALFRED H., Captain, Engineer Officers' Reserve Corps. BROWNE, DE COURCY, 1st Lieutenant, Ordnance Dept., Fortress Monroe, Va.

Jan 9, 1917

By J. S. Hromatko, L. J. Gurevich

In the course of the examination, at the BureLu of Standards, of fusible tin boiler plugs for the Steamboat Inspection Service, it became evident that an investigation should be undcrtaken to determine the precautions necessary in the manufacture of acceptable plugs. The results of the tests of these plugs show that their manufacture has improved, though at present not all of the plugs tested are, satisfactory. Table 1 gives the result of tests of some 1500 plugs from about 100 makers. Records of the tests show that several of the makers were able to produce satisfactory plugs with every pouring. The Steamboat Inspection Service has the following specifications for fusible plugs: "Fusible plugs for use in boilers of steam vessels under the jurisdiction of the Steamboat Inspection Service shall be made of bronze casing with the bore tapering continuously and openly from end to end, and filled from end to end with tin not less than 99.7 per cent. pure and to contain not more than 0.1 per cent. of lead and not more than 0.1 per cent. of zinc. The small end of the bore may be countersunk not more than 1/32 in. in depth and width, but no recess, thread, or cavity other than this countersink shall be allowed." Table 1.—Thirty-"five-mdh Testing Record of Fusible Plugs Causes of Rejection Inspection Period June-November, 1916.................. 311 32.8 47.2 3.8 11.5 15. 1 10.9 1 1.9 4.5 December, 1916-May, 1917............. 318 71.4 28.6 2.2 4.4 12.8 5.9 i ... 2.8 June-November, 1917.................. 228 73.0 27.01 ... 9.6, 5.2 9.6' ... 0.8 December, 1917-May. 1918............. 214 72.028.0 0.9 0.4 11.6 7.0 ... 7.9 June-November, 1918...............250 70.7 29.3 ... 2.0 20.0 5.2 ....2.8 December, 1918-April. 1919............ 23378.121.9 7.2 1.2 1 4.7 3.0 ... 6.0 Total 35 months....................1544.69.7 30.3 2.3 4.8 11 0 6.9 0.3 4.1

Jan 1, 1921

By AIME AIME

MOST of the copper mines in Canada are favored by nature in having other metals besides, copper in their ore, which puts them in a most satisfactory competitive position. Noranda ore has an important gold content, Flin Flon gold and zinc, and International Nickel of course has nickel. All of the larger copper companies in Canada operated during 1.933 and the total production of copper exceeded that of the year before. The Britannia Mining and Smelting Co. worked out to succcessful conclusion a three-product flotation process for separating the copper, zinc and iron from its low-grade ore. Although the method and equipment is different from that used at the Flin Flon mine, the object is the same, that

Jan 1, 1934