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By D. Harker, M. J. Murphy

The mechanism by which age-hardening takes .place is still not completely understood. The principal theories range from the extreme of "precipitaiion-hardening" to that of "order-hardening," with many intermediate gradations. In the hope of obtaining new data on which to base a choice among the many theories, the authors have made electron micrographs of formvar replicas taken from metallic specimens at various stages of age-hardening. The results so obtained on an alloy of 2 per cent beryllium in copper and one of 20 per cent molybdenum in iron will be described in the following pages, as well as the technique used in preparing the replicas. Preparation of Formvae. Replicas of Metallic Specimens This section is concerned with the techniques that have roved successful in preparing formvar replicas for studying the microstructure of metals with the electron microscope. Because of its simplicity and accuracy, the formvar replica1 method developed in the General Electric Research Laboratory has been used exclusively, since it is much simpler than the silica replica method of Heidenreich and Peck2 and produces as good results. The formvar method to be described requires a technique acquired only by practice, and no foolproof set of rules can be given. it is a rapid method and a replica can be obtained in less than five minutes under favorable conditions. This does not mean that perfect replicas can be produced every five minutes, but rather that one can well afford to take several strippings* in order to produce a replica of high quality. The metallographic technique required for replica work—very fine polishing and etching with very dilute solutions—is described here. It can be said, in general, that almost any surface that has been carefully prepared for a photomicrograph at 1000 or more diameters can be used to obtain a replica for the electron microscope. Preparation of Metallographic Specimens The preparation of the metallographic specimens is somewhat more exacting than that usually given to samples to be used for inspection under the light microscope. After much experimentation, it was concluded that the best method consists in polishing the metal through to the coarse cloth, then etching and repolishing on final cloth until the layer of distorted metal is removed. After this procedure has been completed, a dilute etch—to approximately the depth necessary for a micrograph at 1000 diameters—usually produces a sur-

Jan 1, 1945

By H. G. Moulton

The increasing scale of mining operations over the past decade, particularly in connection with the exploitation of large bodies of comparatively low-grade copper ores, has made necessary the study of the behavior of rock under failure. When extractions of as high as 40,000 tons a day are reached in steam-shovel operations and as high as 20,000 tons per day in underground mining operations, it is evident that excavations soon become of such size that the behavior of the rock will often be dependent on fundamental principles applicable to more or less homogeneous materials under stress, rather than on weathering or local planes of weakness. In the ordinary rock excavations encountered in civil-engineering practice, such as excavations for subways, highways, railroads, etc., rock faces are not carried to depths sufficient to develop any pressures, or consequently any failures, except those due to loose masses resulting from local planes of weakness. When, however, orebodies whose tonnage is measured by hundreds of thousands are to be extracted by steam-shovel operations in open pits, it is necessary to determine if possible in advance the slopes that the sides of the pits will assume, for these slopes influence the shape of the excavations and thereby the amount of ore that may be extracted by the open-pit method. When large orebodies are mined underground at depths of 300 to 500 ft. (91 to 152 m.) by caving methods, the surface subsiding as the ore is withdrawn, it is necessary to determine in advance the outermost limits of fracture in the subsiding surface, for on the delineation of these limits depends the location of surface improvements, mills, smelters, etc. and also the location of development work, such as hoisting shafts, main haulage levels, and all other underground openings that must remain undisturbed during the period of ore extraction. Heretofore, in civil-engineering practice, it has been assumed that earth and rock behave differently in failure. For the calculation of earth pressures, formulas are used in which the assumption is made that earth banks fail by sliding along the slope determined by the frictional resistance of the material. The line of failure and the resulting pressure is held to be dependent on the angle of repose, which is different for varying

Jan 1, 1920

(Members are urged to send in for this column any notes of interest concerning themselves or their fellow-members.) Members and guests who called at Institute headquarters during the period Apr. 10, 1916; to May 10, 1916: Philip P. Baily, New York, N. Y. George W. Otterson Seattle, Wash. John M. Brooks, Jr., Knoxville, Tenn. C. Q. Payne, New York, N. Y. C. A. Burdick, New York, N. Y. Charles F. Potter, Los Angeles, Cal. W. N. Crafts, Oberlin, Ohio. Albert E. Rhoads, Harrisburg, Pa. Andrew B. Crichton, Johnstown, Pa. M. F. Sayre, Schenectady, N. Y. 0. P. Hood, Pittsburgh, Pa. H. V. Smythe, Northpines, Ont., Canada. W. McA. Johnson, Tulsa Okla. W. 0. Snelling, Long Island City, N. Y. G. H. Morgan, New York, N. Y. W. H. Staver, Ophir, Colo. E. G. Norton, Chicago Ill., A. W. Tucker, Salisbury, N. C. M. L. O'Neale, Coal City, Ala. Andrew Weisenburg, Philadelphia, Pa. Arthur H. Brown has resigned his position with the Dome Lake Mining & Milling Co., South Porcupine, Ont., Canada. Robert Sterling has resigned his position as chief engineer of the Goldfield Consolidated Mines Co., Goldfield, Nev., to accept the position of assistant manager of the vanadium mines of the Primos Chemical Co., Vanadium, Colo.

Jan 6, 1916

By R. H. Pemberton

The principle of airborne electromagnetic prospecting is well-known. The basic geophysical texts in most cases discuss the main elements involved in electromagnetic prospecting. However, there is certainly little information available to the public concerning the present types of airborne electromagnetic systems being flown today by both contracting companies and some of the mining companies which have their own instruments. This is unfortunate since it is difficult for those people not conducting such operations to understand thoroughly the large variation in the electromagnetic instruments available.

Jan 1, 1961

By Denis Yeung, B. H. G. Brady

A hybrid finite element-boundary element code with eight noded isoparametric finite elements and three noded boundary elements is described for plane strain and linear isotropic elasticity. In the direct formulation of the Boundary Flement Method, quadratic variation of geometry and displacements, and linear variation of tractions with respect to the element intrinsic coordinates are used. The boundary element region is treated as a "super-element" in the finite element sense.

Jan 1, 1982

By C. R. Kuzell

INTRODUCTION KNOWLEDGE of the thermal capacity of gases is of great importance in making metallurgical calculations. The metallurgist is, frequently called upon to investigate and determine furnace efficiencies in which the heat carried into or out of the furnace by gases is a large item in the heat balance. Not only do such problems present themselves in the determination of furnace efficiency, but also in the study of the application of heat is accessory apparatus, such as stoves, regenerators, waste-heat boilers, driers,.etc. The thermal effect of the use of excess air in the combustion of fuel, the theoretical temperatures of combustion, the quantity of heat in hot blast at various temperatures, the effect of hot blast on furnace temperatures, are a few more examples of frequently occurring calorific problems involving gases. So many are the applications of the data on the heat capacity of gases that the subject merits careful study. The heat in a gas maybe due to its heat of combustion, if it is a combustible gas, and to its temperature. The latter is called its sensible heat and is the heat absorbed or evolved by a gas as its temperature is raised or lowered. The heat of combustion of gases is well established and is commonly known. The values can be found in almost any mcdern treatise on metallurgy. The sensible heat of gases has not been so well established because it is in most cases a function of the temperature, and the values of specific heats of gases over a wide range of temperatures have only recently been determined. It is the purpose of this paper to deal with the sensible heat of gases.

Jan 8, 1914

By A. R. Gregory, A. L. Podio, K. E. Gray

Dynamic elastic properties of dry and water-saturated Green River shale samples were computed from compressional- and shear-wave velocity measurements. P- and 5-wave velocity measurements were made in three mutually perpendicular directions with respect to the bedding planes. Measurements were also made in several different directions by varying the angle between the bedding planes and the direction of propagation of the wave for angles of 0, 30, 45, 60 and 909 The oriented samples were subjected to both confining pressure and axial loads, in excess of the confining stress, in the direction of propagation. In general, P- and S-wave velocities increased with increasing stress levels, with a corresponding increase in Young's modulus. Water saturation caused the P-wave velocity to increase and the S-wave velocity to decrease. Elastic moduli decreased upon saturation, except for Pois son's ratio, which increased, indicating some degree of weakening of the material. The samples showed a moderate degree of anisotropy; this was to be expected from the laminated nature and shallow occurrence of Green River shale. INTRODUCTION This paper presents some results of an experimental determination of the elastic coefficients of anisotropic materials (in particular, finely layered rocks and minerals such as Green River shale) from measurements of dilatational and shear-ultrasonic-wave velocities. Ultrasonic techniques have been used extensively in nondestructive testing. Several methods have been proposed by Mcskimmin, 1 and some of these have been used successfully to measure ultrasonic velocities in rocks. Hughes and Cross, 2 Wyllie et al., 3 and Birch 4,5 developed pulse first-arrival techniques for the measurement of dilatational and shear velocities. Williams and Lamb 6 used the method of cancellation of a traveling wave, which was later modified by Myers et al.' and perfected by McSkimmin. 8 Although this method is highly accurate, it has not been used as widely as the pulse-transmission methods recently reported by Jamieson and Hoskins 9 King,10 and Mattaboni and Schreiber. 11 It has been common practice to use some form of crystal transducers, either quartz or ceramic, that has been cut or polarized in different directions in order to generate either compressional or shear waves. However, accurate determination of shear wave velocities has been difficult due to problems that arise in obtaining a pure shear wave from cross-polarized crystals, which usually also generate a small amount of compressional energy. As reported by Gregory, 12 this energy can be seen as a long precursor preceding the sharp break of the shear first arrival. The need for generating pure shear waves led to interest in mode-conversion techniques, which are based upon conversion of the mode of vibration through wave reflection or refraction at a discontinuity. Arenberg13 showed that for certain materials and for certain angles of incidence it is possible to generate pure shear modes by reflection at a boundary. Jamieson and Hoskins 9 used a pyrex glass-air interface for generating pure shear waves, and King 10 used this method successfully for measuring shear-wave velocities in rocks. Gregory l4 arrived at a similar result by refraction of a wave at an aluminum-oil interface. A plane compressional wave, traveling in the oil phase, is incident on the aluminum at an angle larger than the critical angle for compressional waves, and thereby generates a purely transverse, plane-polarized wave in the aluminum. During the last few years methods have been developed that allow the simultaneous determination of shear and compressional velocities in solids.

Jan 1, 1969

By S. S. Marsden, S. A. Khan

Externally generated foam was injected continuously into short porous media. Both flow rate and pressure drop were measured. Liquid saturation was determined by electrical conductivity. Foam yuality I, expressed as the ratio of gas volume to total volume, was varied from 0.70 to 0.96. As measured with a modified fann VG Meter, apparent viscosity of this foam µa decreases with increasing shear rate but usually falls within the range of 50 to 500 cp. At a given shear rate, µa increases almost linearly with I-. When measured with a Bendix Ultraviscoson, kinematic pa is independent of V but absolute pa increases with T from about 3 to 8 cp. The effective permeability -apparent viscosity ratio ke/µa decreases almost linearly with V for porous media of high permeability, but the rate of decrease becomes less for tighter ones. The relative permeability-apparent viscosity ratio kr/µa us V data does not fall on a single line. The kr/µa ratio increases with liquid saturation in the porous medium and with surfactant concentration. Estimates of pa for foam in porous media vary from 30 to 100 cp. INTRODUCTION Although research on the development of a foam-drive, oil recovery process has been going on for almost a decade, most of the significant publications have appeared within the last several years. This illustrates well the rate at which interest in this process is accelerating. Bond and Holbrook 1 were the first to describe the use of foam to improve oil recovery in their patent of 1958. They proposed that an aqueous foaming agent slug be injected into the formation and that this be followed by gas to produce a foam in situ. Fried 2 studied the injection of foam into porous media which had already been subjected to conventional gas or water drives and found that gas could be used to drive a foam bank which would, in turn, displace additional oil in the form of an oil bank. He attributed the increased oil recovery to the high effective viscosity of foam flowing in porous media. His microscopic observations showed the importance of foam generation and regeneration within the porous medium. By injecting both air and aqueous surfactant solution, Bernard3 generated foams within the porous medium in which oil displacement was being studied. In a separate empirical test, he also measured the dynamic foaming characteristics of the same surfactants in water and/or oil. With some exceptions and for the seyen surfactants studied, there seems to be a qualitative relationship between the efficiency of liquid rlisplacrment and the dynamic foaming testtsed. This relationship was not consistent enough to eliminate the necessity of actual foam flood tests in porous media for surfactant selection. In a study basic to gas storage in aquifers, Bennett4 described the displacement of brine by foam in consolidated porous media. Among other things, he stated that the ability of a surfactant solution to foam is more important than the stability of its foam. The presence of a foam bank between the displacing air and the displaced brine improved both breakthrough and ultimate recovery. In a continuation of this work Kolb5 attributed the great reduction in surfactant solution production rate as displacement by air progressed to a decrease in relative permeability to gas. These several effects reported by both Bennett and Kolb can all be attributed to the high apparent viscosity of foam which was obviously flowing in the porous media. Bernard and Holm6 observed that gas permeability in the presence of foam was much less than in the absence of foam when both were measured at the same gas saturations. This reduction in permeability was proportionately greater for more permeable sands and sandstones than for the less permeable. Viscosities of the surfactant solution and air were used for their calculations rather than apparent foam viscosities. The foam stability increased with decreasing permeability, which was probably due to the natural regenerative properties of porous media, and the permeability reduction increased

Jan 1, 1967

By F. V. Lenel, G. S. Ansell, E. C. Nelson

IRMANN'S' discovery that extrusions of fine alumi-num-flake powders possess remarkable high-temperature strengths has led to the production of a new class of engineering materials whose properties are derived from a fine dispersion of oxide particles in a metallic matrix. A fundamental study of such materials and elucidation of the mechanism whereby the oxide parti-

Jan 1, 1958

By R. F. Mehl

Jan 1, 1961

By George Norman

A NUMBER of methods have been developed for the determination of the dust concentration in air, some of which have been reported as very efficient and for research may be more satisfactory than the method about to be described. In practical mine use, however, the accurate research equipment is unwieldy and requires a high degree of technical skill to manipulate it. Also, it gives less general practical information to the operator in the same length of time than the method described here. Moreover, it is doubtful whether at the present stage of affairs the results obtained from the precise methods have any more practical significance than those obtained with simpler and more portable appara-tus, which can rapidly give a sufficiently reliable indication of the rela-tive dust hazard.

Jan 1, 1937

New Jersey Zinc Co. - The Plants Canon City Palmerton Depue

Jan 12, 1953

By Chauncey L. Berrien

The United Verde Copper Company's mine is at Jerome, Ariz. The orebodies arc of the schist replacement type, the main sulfide mass being a large lens-shaped body approximately 7 acres in cross-sectional area. In general, the mineralization is found along the iron schist contact, with the orebodies extending about 1000 ft. along this contact and varying from a few feet to 250 ft. in width. Three types of ore are mined; schist porphyry and the so-called "heavy" or "massive sulfide" ore. Approximately 50 per cent. of the total tonnage mined at present is of the latter class. A representative analysis of this ore indicates 42 to 46 per cent. sulfur. Because of the high sulfur content, blasting in this ore is an extremely hazardous operation. not only does it endanger the lives of men who may be in the mine at blasting time but it also becomes a potential fire menace when timber is in close proximity to shots being fired in these massive sulfides. The origin of the fires of 38 years ago, embers of which are glowing to this day, may perhaps be attributed to dust explosions due to blasting in the massive sulfides of those early square-set stopes. Dust Explosions Dust explosions in coal mines are a common source of mine disasters. That such explosions may be of common occurrence in metal mines is not generally known, but it is known that metal-mine dust will explode and such explosions have been investigated by the U. S. Bureau of Mines at the Pittsburgh Experiment Station. Samples of "heavy sulfide" ore from the United Verde mine were used in the tests. After studying the results of the tests it was concluded1 that: 1. Dust explosions were initiated in sulfide ore dust in the gallery with a charge of as low as 75 g. of 60 per cent. gelatin dynamite. 2. The exploding dust generated considerable pressure.

Jan 1, 1930

F. W. Matthiessen, who, with E. C. Hegeler, of La Salle, was one of the creators of the zinc industry in the-United States, was born in Altona, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, Mar. 5, 1835. He was one of a family of remarkable brothers, two of whom were long absociated in this country with the sugar and glucose industry. Mr. Matthiessen was educated at Freiberg, and came to this country in 1857 with Mr. E. C. Hegeler, after having, in company with that gentleman, visited the mining districts of Germany, Belgium, and England. They first went to Friedensville, near Bethlehem, Lehigh County, Penn., wherc attempts had already been made to produce zinc from the ore deposits found in that place. The ore was a he silicate but all attempts to extract zinc from it had failed. Mr. Matthiessen and Mr. Hegclcr were successful, but declined to invest their money in the zinc industry at Bethlehem because 01 certain local conditions. Hearing of the discovery of zinc -ore in the West, they visited both Wisconsin and Missouri and thought of settling in the coal region of East St. Louis. Finally La Salle, as being near to the Wisconsin fields and having much coal, was selected ae the site of the new smelting company, and on Dec. 24, 1858, the first shovelful of dirt was turned for the buildings of the new industry. The Civil War at first interfered with the manufacture of zinc, but afterward a lively demand for the metal arose and the future success of the institution was established. A large rolling mill was added in 1866, and in 1881 the manufacture of sulfuric acid as a byproduct was begun. Mr. Matthiessen also developed the Western Clock hlanufacturing Co. of La Salle, which manufactures the Big Ben alarm clock, from a small plant having 25 men to the present large institution which employs some 2000 workers. Mr. Matthiessen's affiliations with other metal industriefi have been numerous. But the contributions of the great zinc manufacturer to the causes of philanthropy and education have made his name known throughout the country, beyond industrial circles. He has given to the city of La Salle probably a sum total of $500,000 in various benefactions. Among the objects of his philanthropy were the La Salle-Peru Township High School, which he has made a model institution of secondary education for the entire United States; also the Tri-City Hygienic Institute of La Salle, Peru, and Oglesby, Ill., which he endowed for $200,000 This Hygienic Institute, which is unique in the United States, has a traincd staff of health officers, bacteriological laboratory, medical library, infant welfare station, milk station, free dental clinic, school nurse, and isolation hospital. Mr. Matthiessen was elected mayor of the City of La Salle three times and gave generously to the municipality of which he was the head. He also saved for the people of Illinois one of the great scenic districts of the state, Deer Park, with its cafions and natural beauties, which he con-verted into a model scenic resort, and the proceeds of which he gave to the charities of the Tri-Cities in which he lived. He died on Feb. 11, 1918.

Jan 1, 1920

By W. C. Phalen

INTRODUCTION NOBODY will dispute the fact that the conservation in every legitimate manner of our valuable high-grade phosphate-rock deposits is a present-day problem of importance. The table and curve, given herewith, show. that during the past 10 years the exportation of high-grade rock has averaged very close to half the total output of the entire country. The bulk of this exportation is from Florida, for obvious reasons. It is plain that the deposits in this State, more particularly, are being wastefully depleted under a system of selecting the cream of the product for exportation to Europe, leaving the comparatively low-grade rock, running from 65 to 70 per cent., and under, in bone phosphate of lime, for our own n fertilizer manufacturers to work up when all the best rock is gone. In this paper the writer has endeavored to make a point of describing in some detail the important methods of production and conservation in Tennessee. These ought to prove of educational value to our American agriculturists and fertilizer manufacturers, and should result in a demand for the highest-grade rock, both for direct application to the soil and for use in making acid phosphate. It is certainly evident that the European

Jan 10, 1916

By R. S. Archer

SILICON is one of the most important elements in the metallurgy of aluminum. It is always present in small amounts in the ordinary grades of "pure" aluminum, and hence in all alloys made therefrom. Within the last few years binary alloys containing up to 13. per cent, of silicon have come into extensive use for castings. Silicon is also added, beyond the amount present as an impurity, in alloys containing one or more other elements such as copper, manganese, magnesium and nickel. The binary aluminum-silicon alloys are not yet heat treated to any extent in commercial practice, although, as will be shown, their properties are affected to a very considerable degree by heat treatment. There are other aluminum alloys that develop higher strength, but the special characteristics of the silicon alloys may well lead to the application of heat-treating processes on a commercial scale. The role of silicon in the heat treatment of aluminum alloys is more important than would be indicated by consideration of the binary alloys alone, because many of the alloys that are heat treated in regular commercial practice contain some silicon in addition to that derived from the aluminum ingot as an impurity. Among these may be mentioned the heat-treated 195 alloy castings, and the wrought alloys 258, Special 178 and 51S of the Aluminum Co. of America, and the German wrought alloy, Lautal. It is the purpose of this paper to present the results of experimental work and the conclusions derived therefrom regarding the heat treatment of the binary aluminum-silicon alloys. The products heat treated included forgings, chill castings and both "normal" and "modified" sand castings.

Jan 1, 1927

By Robert E. Bush, E. S. Mardock

The objective of this paper is to present practical methods of applying radioactivity logs to problems of interest both to those engaged in evaluating fundamental reservoir data as well as to those engaged in subsurface structural work. The basic theories underlying the operation of radioactivity logging methods are briefly discussed along with some of the problems arising in the interpretation of the log. Relative methods of quantitative interpretation are described, with a discussion of relative reference lines and specific examples are given showing the application of these relative quantitative interpretation methods. To show the variation of the methods described, specimen wells penetrating formations widely divergent in point of geologic age were selected to demonstrate the application. A relative reference line is determined for the Neutron Curve and by comparison to known petrophysical data such as porosities from diamond cores, a direct quantitative relationship is developed. The application of this relative calibration curve to logs of unknown wells will permit a reasonably accurate determination of porosity in limestone and dolomite formations. Specific examples are given showing the application of these relative methods of interpretation to logs of the Smackover limestone in Louisiana, the Edwards limestone and dolomites of South Texas, and Permian dolomites of West Texas. Radioactivity logs have been used extensively by the petroleum industry for a number of years and recognition of their value has grown steadily, not only as tools to aid in the solution of specific stratigraphic problems, but also as potential sources of the basic data necessary for the estimation of net pay and reserves. The value of radioactivity logs for stratigraphic work has been pointed out in the literature,1,2,4,5,6 and now has long been recognized by the industry, but the quantitative application of the logs has advanced but little beyond the stage of a strong conviction that radioactivity logging curves will some day provide the information on such important quantities as the porosity and the liquid saturation of the formations. During the past few years the staffs of the Lane-Wells Company and Well Surveys, Incorporated, have devoted a great deal of time, thought, and experimentation to the relationships existing between radioactivity curves and the lithologic conditions encountered, and this paper is, in a manner of' speaking, intended as a progress report of this work and includes suggestions which the authors have found useful in the interpretation of radioactivity logs. The section on theory is not intended as a complete exposition of the physical processes involved, but rather as a brief introduction to the reader of these processes so that he may acquire a better understanding of the behavior of the radioactivity curves under the varied conditions encountered in normal well logging. Three relative methods for using neutron logs for the quantitative estimation of porosity in limestone or dolomite are presented. These methods are based on the comparison of logs and porosity data from wells in Louisiana, South Texas, West Texas, and New Mexico. These areas were selected because not only were there more core data available from these areas but also the majority of these data were from limestone or dolomitic zones. The correlation between core data and logs is simpler for limestones and dolomites than it is for sandstones due to the fact that sandstones are more complex than limestones and differ more widely among themselves as to composition of cementing materials, siltiness, etc. When data applicable to the various types of sandstones are available, the authors hope to present a discussion similar to this paper covering sandstones or possibly a more general discussion covering all types of reservoir rocks. The relative methods for estimating porosity which are presented in this paper fall short of the absolute method sought. However, these methods possess the advantage that they can be applied to almost any neutron log as long as the range of application is held within the limits imposed by the local lithologic conditions which prevailed during calibration, i.e., these methods are for short range application only. THE THEORETICAL BASIS FOR RADIOACTIVITY LOGGING The two redioactivity logging curves commercially available today are the

Jan 1, 1950

SPEAKING generally, it may be said that leaching is the simplest method of recovering copper from its ores. Likewise it is perhaps the oldest method of treatment used by copper metallurgists of the modern era. Reliable records indicate that as early as 1752 cupriferous pyrite was leached in the famous Rio Tinto region in Spain. Though the manipulation was quite different from that in use today at Chuquicamata, New Cornelia, Inspiration, and Andes, it resembled that employed by Phelps Dodge at Bisbee, as described in Chapter XIV. Leaching consists of subjecting ore to the action of a liquid solvent or menstruum (usually an aqueous solution) which dissolves the major part of the soluble copper minerals. The resulting pregnant solution is drained off or otherwise separated from the residual ore; and the copper in the solution is then recovered by some appropriate means of precipitation. When sulphuric acid is the lixiviant, as is usual, the simplest procedure is to pass the copper-bearing solution through large troughs containing scrap iron. The iron displaces the copper in the solution, precipitating it as a slime coating the iron and varying in color -from bright copper to a dull black. This may be washed off at intervals, collected as a sludge, dried, and melted with a little fluxing material to produce reasonably pure copper. Usually, of course, the mud is sent to a smelter where most often its destination is the converter or reverberatory furnace. Modern practice uses precipitation on iron only as a complemental process to electrolytic precipitation or deposition, wherein the pregnant copper-bearing solution, acting as the electrolyte in a cell having insoluble anodes and copper cathodes, is depleted of the copper it contains. Cathode copper, 99.5 per cent pure, is produced ready for the market as refined copper, or for a simple process of melting, fire-refining, and casting in

Jan 1, 1933

By George S. Rice

Ten years ago: October, 1914, the author had the privilege of giving an illustrated address on investigations of coal-dust explosions1 to this Institute at one session of its fall meeting in Pittsburgh, Pa,. On the following day, the members had the opportunity of seeing a large-scale explosion test at the Experimental Mine near Bruceton, in which the explosion was made to follow a predetermined path by means of rock-dust barriers of various types, which had prevented the explosive waves from reaching the outlets of the mine by the shortest paths.2 There was also shown a ((home-made" rock-dusting machine discharging the dust from a flexible nozzle, and a cement gun operated for the quick erection of a fire or ventilation stopping, such as might be put up after an explosion. Following that paper, there was presented a paper by J. Taffanel, Director of the Lìévin testing station in the Pas de Calais, which reviewed the French coal-dust investigations.3 A paper4 by Howard N. Eavenson contains lists of explosions that occurred in North America and Great Britain, from early in the 19th century to 1912; in France to 1903, and Belgium to 1909. Although explosions still occur, we are hopeful that we have entered a happier freedom from these visitations, as the result of increased knowledge of the causes and means of prevention. Looking back over coal-dust investigations, there appear to have been periods of advance and of stagnation. Coal-dust Investigations From the earliest times of coal mining, which chiefly affected Great Britain as the first nation to take up coal mining on a large scale, to the beginning of the 19th century, no one thought of coal dust as an explosive agency; firedamp was the cause dreaded. It was believed, when Sir Humphrey Davy invented his safety lamp in 1815, that a solution had been found for the prevention of mine explo-

Jan 1, 1925

By Ancel St. John

During a session on coal and coke at the February, 1926, meeting of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, the writer called attention to the important work on the X-ray analysis of coal1,2 being carried on in England by C. Norman Kemp and his associates. This aroused so much interest that a paper on the subject was requested for the October meeting. It has seemed advisable to make this paper a preliminary survey of the present status in the application of X-ray methods to coal problems and to follow it from time to time with further articles as the art develops. A survey of this sort naturally divides itself into two parts, radio-scopic analysis of the distribution of constituents through the body of the coal, and diffraction analysis of the state of association of the elementary components. In this article the subject matter concerning radioscopic analysis has been drawn almost entirely from the writings of Kemp and his associates and the illustrations have been sptcially furnished by him. It is a pleasure to record here a great indebtedness for this courtesy and cooperation. The subject matter and illustrations concerning diffraction analysis are taken from the author's unpublished researches. Nature and Properties of X-rays Before proceeding it is well to recall the nature and some of the properties of X-rays, as well as our present conception of atomic structure According to the accepted theory atoms are composed of electrically-charged particles. A positively-charged center, called the nucleus,

Jan 1, 1927