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The finding of gold, in enriching quantity, along the streams that issued from the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada was the prelude not only to the birth of an organized mining industry in California but to the intensive exploration of the entire Pacific slope; it presaged the feverish exploitation of the mineral resources that the ubiquitous prospector soon uncovered all over our western domain. At first when this migration began, as typified by the rush of 1849, there was no time to examine the signs of ore that were to be detected along the track of adventure, and, it must be added, not many in that motley crowd of gold-seekers were qualified to interpret the signs if they had lingered to look at them. Such intelligent curiosity as a few of them possessed was directed to the finding of gold chiefly, if not exclusively; and their good sense in this respect can not be impugned, because in a new and remote country the less valuable metals and minerals are unlikely to be worth the winning. Many of those that came to California crossed the alkaline wastes and sagebrush prairies that extend between the Great Sal? Lake and the ramparts of the snow-clad Sierra; when coming overland they found it convenient to halt on the eastern slope and to pitch their camp in the valley of the Car- son river before they began the tedious ascent of the mountains and the final entry into the land of gold. One of the trails most used by these immigrants followed the Carson river to the mountain meadows south of Lake Tahoe and then descended among the pine-woods of Placerville, where they went to work with pan and shovel in the gold-bearing streams

Jan 1, 1932

By Herbert R. Hanley

THE One Hundred and Twenty-sixth meeting-of the Institute, held in San Francisco, Sept. 25 to 29, 1922, was a success in every way. Character-istically, San Francisco presented climate suited, to the occasion, while the Committees on Arrangements left nothing undone that would contribute to the interest and entertainment of the members and their wives. There was a registration of over 230, and all sections, save three, were represented. In the technical meetings, under the leadership of Albert Burch in the mining session and C. W. Merrill in the milling session, the greatest interest was manifested in ore-hunting geology and modern ore-dressing methods. The general geologic phase developed numerous discussions and had for its aim the study and correlation of known data and the application-of these to the finding of commercial orebodies. The geologic features of the Comstock and their significance to the development of the present orebodies were discussed. This brought out matters of much technical interest as well as those of romantic nature in the history of the early life of that camp. The profitable application of modern milling methods to ores, non-commercial a short time ago, was discussed with much interest. The recent work on the Comstock ores occupied a conspicuous part in these discussions. Basic principles delineated by mathematical study of mechanical devices for the milling of ore came in for a prominent part in the program as well as the physical-chemical side of the processes devised for the winning of precious metals as a profit.

Jan 11, 1922

LIBERIAN ore has been called the richest iron ore mined in the world, and thus far, the output from the Liberian Mining Co.'s Bomi Hills mine has lived up to its reputation. Iron content has been variously given as 68.47 pct to 68.825 pct. A recent United Nations survey gave it first place, surplanting the previously top-rated Swedish product. The first shipment of Liberian ore to the United States reached Baltimore in June, 1952 and went into blast furnaces at Republic Steel's Cleveland plant, where excellent results were reported. The physical make-up of the ore was hard, dense lumps, free of fines and with ideal size distribution. The Bomi hills mines were scheduled to be in full operation by the end of 1952. At the close of 1951, 200,000 tons of ore had been delivered to Baltimore. Liberian Mining Co. states that production is about 90,000 tons of ore per month at present. Between 1200 and 1500 men are employed at the mine site, with about 25 pct of them Americans. The Bomi Hill project was financed with the aid of the Export Import bank, which loaned Liberia Mining part of the sum needed to initiate and put the development into production. No definite expansion plans are in the making but extensive diamond drilling is being pursued. Original estimates of annual production for Bomi Hills ran in the neighborhood of 1.5 million tons, but the figure is no longer applicable. Liberia's potential as an iron producing country has been known for a long time, but the physical obstacles in the way of large scale production were such as to prohibit even contemplation of the project. Until recent years, the only route from the mine site to Monrovia was a foot trail. Once to the coast, over swamps and unbridged rivers, the ore was still useless because of the lack of loading facilities. Transportation Solved One problem was solved with the completion of the artificial harbor at Monrovia. Harbor construction was well under way when the mine project began in 1948. The island location of Monrovia also made the building of a bridge across the St. Paul River necessary. The 980 ft reinforced concrete structure, accommodating railroad and vehicular traffic, was opened in 1949. Meanwhile, preliminary work on railroad construction started. Grading was completed quickly. In April, 1951, the first train made the trip from Monrovia to the Bomi Hills. About half of the cost of the entire project went into railroad construction. More than 2200 men, often forced to resort to primitive methods, were engaged in clearing a path through the heavy forests between the mine and port. Swamps were drained and filled, and bridges, including the William V. S. Tubman, named for the Liberian President, were constructed. At the port, a Robbins Conveyor Belt Co., orehandling plant was installed. Ships can be loaded from the stockpile at the rate of 3000 tons per hr and vessels need spend only one day in port. Liberian Mining is operating under an 80 year lease, giving the company exclusive mining rights to all minerals, except gold, platinum, and diamonds, within a 40 mile radius of Bomi Hills. The contract provides a fixed royalty to the Liberian Government of five cents per ton of ore extracted, and a premium -based on the New York market price for Bessemer-grade pig iron. The entire project started because an American,

Jan 1, 1952

By L. N. Brown

The use of sheet and strip metal has increascd rapidly during the last few years and manufacturers have been called upon for an ever-increasing tonnage, better drawing quality, and better surface. The automobile industry is probably the most insistent in striving for a better product and a desire to reduce costs. Confronted by these demands, the mills have directed their efforts toward the delivery of material. Their personnel has been occupied largely with the problems incident to production, as any increase forced the use of new sources of raw material with their problems. These problems, combined with those met in the daily routine, have demanded immediate attention, with the result that the standardizing of heat treatments, quality, or temper, etc., have been neglected. Considerable work in standardizing has been done by many companies, but no acceptable method has been developed. The following method, therefore, is given with the hope that some method that can be accepted by the manufacturers and users may be developed. The problem of selecting a material with such properties that the losses in processing are a minimum is interesting and difficult. A description of the properties required is likewise difficult, largely because of loose terms. Another handicap is the number of methods of testing which have not been standardized and concerning which little information is available. In the selection of drawing or forming stock, it is advisable to eliminate as many variables as possible; consequently the method of testing the material is of the utmost importance. The method should be rapid and comparatively easy of application, as it is more important that a large percentage of the stock be tested with reasonable accuracy than that

Jan 1, 1923

By L. N. Brown

The use of sheet and strip metal has increascd rapidly during the last few years and manufacturers have been called upon for an ever-increasing tonnage, better drawing quality, and better surface. The automobile industry is probably the most insistent in striving for a better product and a desire to reduce costs. Confronted by these demands, the mills have directed their efforts toward the delivery of material. Their personnel has been occupied largely with the problems incident to production, as any increase forced the use of new sources of raw material with their problems. These problems, combined with those met in the daily routine, have demanded immediate attention, with the result that the standardizing of heat treatments, quality, or temper, etc., have been neglected. Considerable work in standardizing has been done by many companies, but no acceptable method has been developed. The following method, therefore, is given with the hope that some method that can be accepted by the manufacturers and users may be developed. The problem of selecting a material with such properties that the losses in processing are a minimum is interesting and difficult. A description of the properties required is likewise difficult, largely because of loose terms. Another handicap is the number of methods of testing which have not been standardized and concerning which little information is available. In the selection of drawing or forming stock, it is advisable to eliminate as many variables as possible; consequently the method of testing the material is of the utmost importance. The method should be rapid and comparatively easy of application, as it is more important that a large percentage of the stock be tested with reasonable accuracy than that

Jan 1, 1923

By Theodore Simons

During the last half century a great amount of ingenuity and energy has been devoted to the invention of appliances for the recovery of valuable minerals from very fine sands and slimes. The reason for this is that in almost every dressing plant the greatest losses of values, considered relatively as well as absolutely, occur in the treatment of slimes. The natural aim of mill operators to minimize these losses has in recent years received another impetus, from the fact that the gradually diminishing occurrence of high-grade ores makes a more intense recovery of values from existing resources absolutely necessary for profitable operation. The results of such attempts are found in the appearance of a great number of machines and appliances which make it profitable to-day to rework old clumps, containing the tailings of older processes. A constantly growing difficulty of obtaining skilled labor and the increase in wages made it prohibitory to employ those types of machines which required much attention, and in the middle of the ninieteenth century the various concentrating tables of the percussion type, which automatically discharge their products, began to take the place of the intermittent tables, on which, when the bed had reached a certain thickness, operation had to be stopped in order to allow the skimming by hand of the separate layers formed on the table. In the course of years, two general types of machines evolved for the treatment of fine sands arid slimes: The so-called concentrators and vanners, on the one hand, and the buddles and round tables on the other.' For the profitable treatment of the very finest slimes, round tables have as a last resort proved more satisfactory and econoillical than other machines. In recent years they have agaiu become the subject of close inves-

Jan 1, 1914

By C. A. Czako

INTRODUCTION In recent decades sintering and pelletizing of finely divided materials have become the primary tonnage producing modes of agglomeration. This statement is especially true in the iron and steel industry and, to a lesser degree, in the nonferrous, chemical and non-metallic minerals processing industries. In every industry the main objectives in agglomerating fines are essentially the same, namely to convert ores, minerals and chemicals of undesirable fineness into agglomerates characterized by a size consistency desirable for subsequent use or processing. Depending on the type of agglomeration process selected and the conditions maintained during agglomeration, the physical process of increasing size is complemented by a number of other unit processes. These processes can occur simultaneously, consecutively or in an overlapping manner. Some of these additional unit processes are incidental to the agglomeration operation, but at the same time can be critical, depending upon the subsequent use of the product. Accordingly, during processing, conditions have to be controlled to either suppress or enhance the extent of completion of these unit processes. The purpose of this report is to review laboratory testing as the basis for engineering modern sintering and pelletizing plants. Considering that most typical applications are for the iron and steel industry, agglomeration of ferrous materials is reviewed and discussed. When these total processes are adapted to suit non- ferrous materials, chemicals, or non-metallic substances, the over- all approach remains the same; only the processing parameters are affected as necessitated by the different nature of the materials.

Jan 1, 1977

By T. V. Falkie, D. R. Mitchell

Many operational problems in mine haulage cannot be solved economically by conventional analytic or trial and error methods. However, a method of probabilistic simulation, which is based on the fundamental assumption that many of the variables governing any physical system are probabilistic, has been adapted to certain areas of operations research in coal mine haulage. This paper attempts to illustrate how simulation can be used in basic haulage research and what kind of results can be expected. Optimization in this case is performed in terms of locomotive and car movement, as well as best utilization of men and equipment, and is approached primarily from the standpoint of scheduling of the main haulage. Many operational problems in mine haulage cannot be solved economically by conventional analytic or trial-error methods. However, a method of probabilistic simulation, which is based on the fundamental assumption that many of the variables governing any physical system are probabilistic, has been adapted to certain areas of operations research in mine haulage. In many physical cases several probability distributions interact with each other in special ways, and it is not possible to solve for their combined effect in a mathematical equation. This is often true in the case of mine haulage, where such variables as number of empties or loads per trip, travel times, and number of cars or tons produced in a given time are probabilistic. By using a simple example of one secondary haulage segment of a large underground haulage system, this paper attempts to illustrate how simulation can be used in basic haulage research and what kind of results can be expected. Optimization in this case is performed in terms of locomotive and car movement, as well as best utilization of men and equipment. This is the type of preliminary research that will be needed as a first phase in any major haulage study, whether it be a relatively simple economic analysis or a plan for complete automation. The problem of optimization has been approached primarily from the standpoint of scheduling of the main haulage. It is evident that the method of proba-

Jan 1, 1963

By C. F. Nagel

THIS paper is written primarily for those who are familiar with the processes mentioned but who desire a further insight into some of the fundamental principles. It does not give a complete description of the various practices employed in the working of aluminum and its alloys, but presents a few illustrations of the essential respects in which aluminum differs from other common metals, and emphasizes the controlling factors of the processes under consideration. HEAT TREATING Certain aluminum alloys are capable of having their mechanical properties greatly altered by a heat-treatment process. The degree of this improvement may be illustrated by some typical properties of duralumin (Table 1). It is essential that the material be in the wrought condition in order to obtain maximum heat-treatment effects. [ ] In the case of duralumin, the process consists of heating the metal to a prescribed temperature and then quenching it. Immediately after quenching, the material is relatively soft though not as soft as in the annealed state. If allowed to stand at room temperature, the material changes, increasing in hardness and strength without loss of elongation, but at the expense of the plasticity. This action is very rapid at first, gradually diminishing in intensity and to all practical purposes being completed in about four days. This process of hardening is termed

Jan 1, 1928

By I. Iwasaki, K. Adam

During wet grinding the electrochemical interactions between grinding media and pyrrhotite not only accelerate media wear but also adversely affect the suede mineral's flotation response. A possible remedy of the adverse effects on floatability by applying electric potentials to grinding media was examined. Flotation tests, Auger electron spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to study pyrrhotite surface properties. Although anodic polarization of the steels increased metal loss by corrosion, pyrrhotite flotation recovery was increased. In the case of cathodic polarization, flotation recovery improved somewhat in a narrow range of overpotentials. At higher cathodic overpotentials, however, mineral floatability was progressively lowered although the corrosive wear of grinding media might be reduced.

Jan 1, 1985

By C. H. Li, R. J. Stokes, S. H. Bendel, J. A. Sartell, T. L. Johnston

The mechanism of the oxidation of high-purity copper has been studied at temperatures from 500° to 981°C employing gravimetric, high-temperature microscopic and inert marker techniques. An investigation of the adhesion of copper oxides was also made. The oxidation of copper is found to be parabolic at all temperatures. It is concluded that the controlling mechanism is the outward diffusion of CU+ ions through the Cu2O layer, but the mechanism of diffusion is modified by the state of compressive stress in the oxide layer at the oxidation temperature. At temperatures below the transition from elastic to plastic behavior of Cu2O the growth stresses reach a value sufficiently high to cause CuO whiskers to be extruded. The extrusion of whiskers results in the injection of a large number of vacancies into the CuO. The Cu20 layer grows by the advance of the CuzO/CuO interface into vacancy-rich CuO. Since there is an adequate supply of non -thermally created vacancies, the activation energy for oxidation is that required to move the Cu+ ion through the appropriate saddle point to a neighboring vacancy, which has been determined to be 20,000 cal per mole. At temperatures at which the Cu20 can deform plastically the stresses are never high enough to cause whiskers to form. thus vacancies must be supplied by themal activation and as a result the activation energy increases to 40.000 cal per mole. ALTHOUGH extensive studies of the oxidation kinetics of pure copper have been made in the past. the mechanism has received relatively little attention. As a result, certain features of the kinetic data have not been satisfactorily explained' For example, several workers1,2 have reported that the activation energy for oxidation in the range from 500° to 700° C was about 20,000 cal per mole whereas that above

Jan 1, 1960

By R. Simon

Maurer's review1 summarizes quite thoroughly the various theoretical developments and experimental findings that contribute to the knowledge of rock mechanics in drilling. This discussion supplements Maurer's paper by including generalities that either have been incompletely treated in his review, or formulated from new considerations by the discussant and from hitherto unpublished experimental data. These generalities are associated with the observation that all mechanical methods of rock drilling essentially comprise a sequence of indexed, concentrated loadings on the bottom of the hole being drilled. A concentrated loading is defined as a mechanical loading by a tool that contacts at any one time only a small fraction of the surface of the body being worked and penetrates only a small fraction of the body thickness. The surface in this application is the bottom of the hole. The deformation of ductile material by concentrated loading has received considerable attention because of the importance of indentation tests for measuring hardness of metals. Some of the generalities involved in concentrated loadings on ductile materials apply also to concentrated loadings on more brittle materials such as rock. Among these generalities is the applicability of similitude considerations to scaling laws and to force-displacement and energy-volume characteristics for tools of various shapes, as summarized by Tabor.2 Vork on the flow and fracture behaviors of glass loaded with pyramidal and spherical indenters is reviewed by Douglas.3 Maurer refers to the work of Evans and Murrell on wedge loadings on coal and on mixtures of pitch and sand. It is evident from Maurer's paper that a considerable portion of the studies of rock mechanics in drilling, such as crater formation experiments, has involved concentrated loadings on rock.

Jan 1, 1967

By Larry G. Hayes

Development of the Bowers-Campbell zinc deposit, located in the Shenandoah Valley two miles northwest of Timberville, Va., was commenced in 1956 by the Tri-State Zinc Co. The occurrence of lead-zinc mineralization in this area has been known for many years, but the first serious exploration program was initiated in 1951 by the geologic staff of Tri-State Zinc Co. Ordovician dolomites. The deposit is approximately 700 ft long, 100 ft wide, and 475 ft thick. Its projected plan has an elongated ovoid shape, where- as the profile appears boot-shaped with the upper portion outcropping. Vertical cross sections show the lense as having been thrust-faulted along certain bedding planes. The movement along these bedding thrusts varies greatly and in one case, has offset the deposit so as to divide it into an upper and lower orebody. The breccia lense strikes parallel to the N 34" E strike of enclosing strata.

Jan 9, 1960

By J. M. McDowell

A study has been made to deter~r~irre how the behavior of a water drivee reservoir changes as a function of the permeability of the formation and as a function of the size of the aquifer. The effect of pressure maintenance programs on the rote of nat11rn1 water influx is also studied, (IS well as the influence on the influx of the position of water injection we1ls with reference to the oil-water contact. The results are determined by the use of an electrical reservoir analyzer and are plotted as families of curves of pressure, natural water influx, and water injection vs time or cumulalive production. Two size aquifers are studided. One is limited with a 36-inile radius, and the, other approximates an infinite reservoir. The field remains the same in all respects for the completed. study except that the permeability is changed to agree with that assumed for the aquifer. 1 N TR ODUCTI ON this study was undertaken in -dcr to determine how the pres- sure decline and water influx of a water drive field would change as a function of the rate of fluid withdrawals, as a function of the permeability of the formation, and as a function of the size of the aquifer. The effect of pressure maintenance programs on the rate of natural water influx was also studied as was the position of water injection wells with reference to the oil-water contact. The information has been determined by the use of an electrical reservoir analyzer1, sometimes referred to as a Carter type analyzer. This instrument is an analog type computer which can be set up to represent a water-drive oil field. It can reproduce the past performance of the field in terms of analogous electrical quantities when the proper circuit analog of resistors and condensers has been determined, also, it can determine the future behavior for any method of production which may be selected, or permit the comparison among several different methods. Although most applications of the reservoir analyzer"" have been to thc study of specific field performance, it is intended to use the analyzer here to help understand how various reservoir characteristics effect the final performance of the field and to sec under what conditions water injection will be of benefit and to what extent. Within the oil industry the performance of water-drive reservoirs was first described analytically by LV. Hurst' and M. Muskat2 for certain types of boundary conditions. The solutions of the equations developed involved products of exponential functions and Bessel functions. Later publications by Hurst4 and van Ever-clingen" and the hooks of Muskat6 gave further information on reservoirs with other boundary conditions. They also presented rather extensive curves and tables to help evaluate the analytical expressions involved. A rccent series of publications by Chatas. bascd on the work of Hurst and van Everdingen, gives quite complete charts and tables of data to evaluate the pressure decline or water influx in infinite or limited radial reservoirs. and in linear reservoirs. The curves in all of these publications are given in dimensionless form

Jan 1, 1956

By J. P. Nielsen, H. Margolin, E. Ence

The Ti-Ni phase diagram has been investigated up to 68 pct Ni with iodide titanium base alloys by metallographic, X-ray, and melting point methods, and from 68 to 90 pct Ni by examination of as-cast structures of sponge titanium base alloys. NVESTIGATION of the nickel-rich portion of the I Ti-Ni phase diagram was first reported by Vogel and Wallbaum in 1938.' This work was subsequently extended to lower nickel contents by Wallbaum' who indicated the possibility of a eutectic reaction for nickel contents below 38 pct. Long et al.3 studied the titanium-rich portion of the phase diagram and found eutectic and eutectoid reactions below 38 pct Ni. However, the temperature of the eutectic indicated by Long et al. was considerably lower than that suggested by Wallbaum. Long and his coworkers synthesized their alloys by powder metallurgical techniques and encountered oxygen and/or nitrogen contamination. Thus the diagram which was obtained did not represent binary alloying conditions. However from these results the features of the binary diagram were predicted. At Battelle Memorial Institute4 the Ti-Ni diagram was investigated up to approximately 11.5 pct Ni with sponge titanium alloys. The range of temperatures used was not sufficient to define the eutectoid temperature or composition. The data of Wallbaum2 and Long et al.8 were of particular interest for the present study, and although the work was originally concerned with the region below 40 pct Ni, the investigation was extended to higher nickel contents in an attempt to resolve the differences between these workers. Experimental Procedure Preliminary work on the Ti-Ni system was carried out with duPont Process A sponge titanium alloys to reduce the amount of subsequent work to be done with iodide titanium base alloys. The sponge titanium used contained 99.71 to 99.77 pct Ti, 0.1 pct Fe and 0.005 to 0.009 pct Ni. The iodide titanium obtained from the New Jersey Zinc Co. contained 99.9 to 99.95 pct Ti. Nickel used with sponge titanium was 98.9 pct pure. The high-purity nickel alloyed with iodide titanium was cobalt-free with approximately 0.05 pct C and was obtained through the courtesy of the International Nickel Co. The 15 g sponge titanium charges for melting were prepared by compacting in a die or by placing the weighed portions of nickel and titanium directly into the furnace. Iodide titanium charges were made by drilling holes in the as-received rod and inserting the nickel or by wrapping the nickel in sheet. Sponge titanium alloys containing from 0.2 to 90 pct Ni and iodide titanium alloys containing 0.2 to 68 pct Ni were prepared by these methods. In addition to these alloys several 1/2 1b sponge titanium alloys were supplied by the Allegheny Ludlum Co. The charges were melted in an arc furnace under an argon atmosphere. The procedures used were similar to those reported in the literature5,' and the furnace has been described.' Except for iodide titanium alloys with 40 to 68 pct Ni (see section on copper contamination), each alloy was melted for 1 min, then either turned over or broken before re-melting for an additional minute. Currents of 200 to 400 amp were used depending on the melting point of the alloy. Prior to heat treatment, alloys containing less than 14.5 pct Ni were hot-forged at 750°C. With the exception of alloys in the homogeneity range of the compound TiNi, alloys of higher nickel contents could not be hot-forged. Heat treatment of iodide titanium base alloys was carried out in argon-filled quartz capsules which were broken under water at the conclusion of heat treatment to quench the specimens. Temperatures were controlled to ±5oC and annealing times up to 48 hr were used. For melting point determination, specimens were placed in carbon crucibles which were in turn en-capsuled in argon-filled quartz capsules. The start of melting was determined by rounding of corners and by metallographic examination. Complete melting was considered to have occurred at that temperature at which the specimen assumed the shape of the crucible. Specimens were prepared for metallographic examination by mechanical polishing or by an electrolytic procedure." For alloys containing up to 80 pct Ni Remington A etch7 50 pct glycerine, 25 pct HNO,, 25 8 HF) was used. For higher nickel alloys aqua regia and Carapella's etch (5 g FeCl,, 2 ml HNO,, and 99 ml methyl alcohol) were employed. Specimens to be exposed for powder patterns were prepared by filing, by breaking specimens in a

Jan 1, 1954

By W. N. Poundstone, G. R. Spindler

A comprehensive report on extensive experimentation in degasification of the Pittsburgh Coal seam is presented. Detailed accounts of the procedures and results are given for permeability tests, vertical bore hole tests, measurement of gas flow from sealed drainage areas, horizontal rib hole tests, and water infusion tests. The removal of methane gas from coal seams in advance of mining is not a new idea with mining men—much attention has been given to the possibility for many years. In other parts of the world, a principal concern has been in the recovery and utilization of the gas and a number of successful projects have been developed in Europe and elsewhere. In this country, the principal motivation has been related to the safety aspect with some possible side benefits concerning costs and efficiency in mining as secondary objectives. To date, experimental work in this country has been largely or entirely exploratory to determine bed characteristics with respect to the liberation of combustible gases to investigate or establish the possibility of degasification in advance of mining and as an aid in projecting mine ventilation systems to provide for safe, effective and economical handling of combustible gases liberated during mining. With these objectives in mind, the School of Mines and Engineering Experiment Station at West Virginia University, in cooperation with the Christopher Coal Co. of Osage, W. Va., initiated some experimental work in May 1952 and the project has been more or less continuous since that time. The work has been centered entirely in mines of the cooperating company in Monongalia County, W. Va., and Greene County, Pa. LOCATION AND GENERAL CONDITIONS OF THE AREA The principal mining in the area involved is in the Pittsburgh coal seam which lies at the bottom of the Monongahela series of the Pennsylvanian. The Pittsburgh coal in the area is generally uniform in its structure and physical characteristics. The bed thickness averages about 7 to 8 ft and the coal has a characteristic blocky structure as the result of pronounced face cleats and definite, but somewhat less pronounced, butt cleavage. It is a medium volatile coal, averaging about 37 pct, and is marketed principally as a steam fuel and for metallurgical purposes. The Pittsburgh coal outcrops along the Monongahela River and dips gradually, but not uniformly, slightly north of west (about N75°W). The westward extensions of the bed, from the areas contiguous to the Monongahela River which have been heavily mined, constitute the principal reserves and are all well below drainage with the depth of cover increasing with the distance from the river. In general, with deeper cover, it may be expected that methane liberation will be more of a problem in future mining as compared to areas mined previously; therein lies the interest in possible de-gasification in advance of mining. Fig. 1 shows the Pittsburgh coal area in the vicinity of Morgantown in Monongalia County, W. Va., and Greene County, Pa., in which the experimental work discussed is located. Fig. 2 shows the contours on the Pittsburgh coal in the test area. It will be noted that the first two bore holes for the experiments were at the edge of a bench or terrace with considerable change in the gradient in the immediate vicinity of the test holes and that the same general condition applies to later test areas. Mining is intensively mechanized in the area and in the mines involved in the experimental work with corresponding rapid advance of working faces a typical characteristic. In the areas now mined the total methane liberation ranges from moderate to relatively heavy, but the actual face liberation is extremely variable and may range from practically

Jan 1, 1961

By G. W. Poling

Chemical and physical properties of thiol collectors are re-examined to compare the prospects,of heavy metal-thiolate or disulphide surface reaction products acting as actual collector species. Recent evidences for the existence and importance of each of these types of adsorbed species on sulphide minerals are also discussed. A conclusion is reached that partial coverage by chemisorbed heavy metal thiolate is often sufficient to confer practical levels of hydrophobicity and floatability. Only on a few highly conducting and "noble" sulphides does adsorbed disulphide-type collector oxidation product appear to be significant.

Jan 1, 1976

Sec. 1. The membership of the Institute shall comprise six classes, namely: 1. Members; 2. Honorary Members; 3. Senior Members; 4. Associates; 5. Junior Members; 6. Rocky Mountain Members. All shall be equally entitled to the privileges of membership, excepting that no member of any class whom residence shall be outside of the United States of America, except those residing in Mexico and Canada, shall be entitled to vote. SEC. 2. Members: A person to be eligible for election or transfer into the claw of Member must be at least 27 years of age and must have had at least six years' employment in the practice of engineering, mining, geology, metallurgy, or chemistry, during at least three years of which he must have held positions of responsibility in one or more of these fields. This shall not apply to Rocky Mountain members.

Jan 1, 1944

By H. W. Hitzrot

THE new 4800-ton fine-grinding plant at the Hollinger Consolidated Gold Mines property at Timmins, in the Porcupine district of northern Ontario, went into operation in November 1937, and represents the culmination of an experimental program. The plant is a moderately low rectangular building of hollow tile on a steel frame, large enough to house four 7 by 15-ft. ball mills, with a 12 by 27-ft. classifier beside each mill. At one end is space for the addition of another mill and classifier or a mill and classifier for the regrinding of table concentrates. This regrinding is now done in the old grinding department of the main mill building. Also within the new building are the four 6-in. sand pumps for lifting the product from the low-dis- charge ball mills up to the classifier feed launders and the containers and appurtenances of a complete dust-collecting system. Together with the usual overhead crane, these constitute the major units of equipment within the new plant. The location is at the lower end of the main mill buildings toward the old tailings pond, now so neatly leveled off and sodded to rival the very best of our own W.P.A. projects. Close by the new grinding plant is a large dome-shaped structure-the new fine-ore bin designed arid built by Mr. Longmore and the Hollinger milling and engineering staffs. There are four separate automatically loaded inclined belt conveyors leading up from the bottom of the bin to the grinding plant. Each belt is equipped with a recording weightometer, in the grinding building. The whole structure and the machinery within it give the impression of permanence and a carefully integrated design with close attention to details, giving the operators every advantage for consistently good work. The many ideas and opinions behind this achievement were all ably organized and executed by the Hollinger milling and engineering staffs, anti not a few were directly initiated by them. Excellent cooperation was afforded by the Hollinger staff to the engineers helping to conduct the grinding and classification test program. It was the author's privilege

Jan 1, 1939

L. C. UREn,* BerkelEy, Cal. (written discussion).—I heartily concur with Rlr. .Fobs concerning the need for advanced courses on various phases of Petroleum Engineering. I think that his criticism is probably true of most of the engineering schools that are specializing at all in Petroleum Engineering, that is, that most of their so-called graduate courses are not of graduate caliber but are merely more specialized aspects of undergraduate subjects. It would undoubtedly be to the advantage of the petroleum profession if more advanced work could be offered in a few of the leading engineering institutions so that there would be something substantial to offer graduate students wishing to return after a period of undergraduate work, for additional training. There is no doubt but that a better trained engineer, more useful to the oil industry, could be secured from schools offering such advanced training. The problem of adpting our instruction to fit the needs of engineers trained along other lines who wish, after completion of their undergraduate work, to enter thc petroleum engineering field, is a more difficult one. It has been my experience that such men are usually sadly deficient along certain lines and that they are really not prepared for the more advanced work in Petroleum Production Engineering until they have gone back over the work which they have missed in their undergraduate training. I note that Mr. Fohs suggests that other eastern and western colleges not now stressing Petrolelim Engineering, should be encouraged to take up advanced work of this character. With this, however, I cannot agree unless the institutions arc also prepared to offer a full sequence of undergraduate work on which the more advanced courses may be superimposed. Whether or not there is a need for additional engi-ncering colleges entering the petroleum engineering field is an open qucstion. I believe that we arc turning out enough petroleum engineers at the present time and that none of the six institutions now specializing in this field arc overcrowded. Morc-ovcr, they are fairly well distributed over the country, though there may be room for an additional school in the field in the eastcrn section of the United States. F. W. Padgett, Norman, Okla. (written tliscussion).—Assuming that the stnclcnt has the proper fundamentals, that is, general science and a knowledge of the technology of the industry, then the problem is: What courses should be offered from the graduate standpoint? (a) Course Work.—His knowledge of the technology of the industry can be extended advantagcously by means of one and two-hour courses, which consist in a more detailed survey of the various branches of the industry. (b) Lilerdure.—This work may, or may not, be connected directly with his research problem. The student should become familiar with methods of locating articles in the 1iterature; should also become familiar with all the important original

Jan 1, 1928