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By John Birkinbine

Through the partiality of my fellow-members I have been able, during seven years' service on the Council of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, to note the development of technical societies, a subject which commends itself as an appropriate theme for me, in retiring from the office of President, at a time when we meet in convention with Canadian technical societies. Our next assembly, called at Chicago at the time fixed for an International Engineering Congress, offers additional reason for the selection of this topic. If subsequent statements appear to give to the American Institute of Mining Engineers greater prominence than to kindred organizations, they may be excused upon the ground of long association with and loyalty to its members, and to a personal knowledge of their work. Besides, data as to its growth and development are more accessible; and at a meeting of the Institute features connected with it may be considered as of greater immediate interest than those affecting other organizations. The purpose of this address is, however, to use the record of the Institute as indicating a similar development of other technical societies, rather than to claim preeminence for any organization; the work of each must speak for it. There is a general tendency to form associations at the present time. Organizations have been created and are active in every profession and in all branches of labor, trade, industry, commerce, manufactures, science and art. A record of such associations and their aggregate membership would be startling, and would show how large a percentage of the population of North America is connected with one or more of them; but the figures cannot be even approximately estimated. The class of associations representing national, state, or local trade interests, such as boards of trade, chambers of commerce, etc., may be used as an illustration. A late report shows that in the

Jan 1, 1893

By Leo F. Reinartz

Part II of a four-part series on the history of steelmaking in the US, points out the inadequate safety and living conditions that existed in steel mills at the turn of the Century. Also defined are furnace and process developments. OPERATIONS in steel plants today are highly mechanized. Men work in light, clean, orderly melting shops, making it difficult for old timers to convince young men that primitive, hazardous conditions existed in steel plants at the turn of the century. Working conditions then were very poor as compared to present day standards. In small plants especially, sanitary, locker, and washroom facilities, first-aid practices and stations were un- known Accidents were frequent and severe. Workers had a fatalistic attitude toward getting hurt. He who had an accident was looked upon as a hero. A dirty bandanna often served as a bandage. Infections were frequent. Electric cranes were in their infancy and broke down often Cables had not as yet replaced chains. Pig iron and scrap iron were loaded by hand in the stockyard, and stockyard locomotives were un- known; mules served as the usual motive power. It was not unusual to see recorded a delay of ½ hr in charging a furnace because of a balky mule. Furnace operations A few plants had primitive charging machines, but most furnaces were charged by placing scrap or pig iron on the paddle of a long peel, which rested on a bar across the furnace door opening. Laborers at the handle end of the peel, using the bar as a fulcrum, would heave the material into the furnace by a down and sideward motion of the peel handle. In time they became expert in placing these materials in the furnace, but it was hard, hot work, and a long time was required for charging. Cold charges of 25 tons required more than 12 hr for melting and re- fining the steel. Ports, doors, and frames were not water cooled. The charging and working area in front of the furnace was covered with steel plates. They were hot and often warped by the intense heat of the un- insulated checker chambers directly below. In the summer, working conditions on the charging floor were almost unbearable. Silica refractories were of poor quality. Because of this, and the inadequate training of furnace men in fuel control and furnace operations, roofs, front and back walls, and ends burned out rapidly. Dolomite machines were unknown; consequently, furnace banks and hearths were fettled with dolomite by the use of hand shovels. The round system required six or more men. Each man took a shovelful of dolomite and, in his turn, deposited it on the back wall and bank by a dexterous forward swing and twist of the shovel. The upward swing of the shovel partially protected his face from the searing heat of the furnace coming out through the wide-open door. Considerable skill and stamina were required to do this job properly. Reverse valves, usually of the cast-iron butterfly type, were located below the charging floor. They were operated by long levers on the charging floor level men they became warped, because of heat and abuse, great strength and skill were required to reverse them. Furnace operations were difficult. The quality and quantity of producer gas coming from irregularly stoked, hand-operated gas producers was uncertain and unreliable. Furnace Linings and ports were quickly burned out. Poor bottom and side-wall refractories, indifferent and inexperienced crews, as well as irregular re-

Jan 1, 1961

By Lincoln F. Elkins, John T. Cooke

Injection of gas to increase oil recovery has been considered for almost all important discoveries during the past ten or fifteen years. However, the number of gas injection projects having sufficient history and data is too limited to permit valid generalities of effectiveness of gas injection. Management and engineers are faced with a difficult problem of selecting those reservoirs which are susceptible to profitable application of gas injection. Injection of gas to maintain high pressure favors some factors affecting reservoir performance such as viscosity, surface tension, and formation volume factor of oil by keeping gas in solution and favors some operating features such as extending flowing life of wells and storing part of the produced gas for future use or sales. Injection of gas at low pressure involves lower compression ratio, or at least a single gas-gathering system, larger displacement volume in the reservoir per unit of gas handled, and permits effective utilization of the naturally existing energy and agent for oil displacement that is gas dissolved in oil. Each program is thus a compromise to meet optimum economic conditions while striving to attain maximum recovery of this important nautral resource. The statement has often been made that pressure maintenance would greatly increase oil recovery by permitting abandonment of formation oil inflated with gas in solution rather than abandonment of the same liquid volume of tank oil, if the same terminal oil saturation could be attained. Simple calculations indicate increases in oil recov- ery as high as one hundred per cent on this basis for high formation volume factor oil encountered in current deep drilling. Important in this statement is "if the same terminal oil saturation could be attained." Implicit in this statement are the requirement of physical

Jan 1, 1949

By John T. Cooke, Lincoln F. Elkins

Injection of gas to increase oil recovery has been considered for almost all important discoveries during the past ten or fifteen years. However, the number of gas injection projects having sufficient history and data is too limited to permit valid generalities of effectiveness of gas injection. Management and engineers are faced with a difficult problem of selecting those reservoirs which are susceptible to profitable application of gas injection. Injection of gas to maintain high pressure favors some factors affecting reservoir performance such as viscosity, surface tension, and formation volume factor of oil by keeping gas in solution and favors some operating features such as extending flowing life of wells and storing part of the produced gas for future use or sales. Injection of gas at low pressure involves lower compression ratio, or at least a single gas-gathering system, larger displacement volume in the reservoir per unit of gas handled, and permits effective utilization of the naturally existing energy and agent for oil displacement that is gas dissolved in oil. Each program is thus a compromise to meet optimum economic conditions while striving to attain maximum recovery of this important nautral resource. The statement has often been made that pressure maintenance would greatly increase oil recovery by permitting abandonment of formation oil inflated with gas in solution rather than abandonment of the same liquid volume of tank oil, if the same terminal oil saturation could be attained. Simple calculations indicate increases in oil recov- ery as high as one hundred per cent on this basis for high formation volume factor oil encountered in current deep drilling. Important in this statement is "if the same terminal oil saturation could be attained." Implicit in this statement are the requirement of physical

Jan 1, 1949

By Charles P. Williams

The lead-bearing area of Missouri has been subdivided, geographically, into the Southeastern, the Central, and the Southwestern

By F. P. Dewey

The subject of this paper does not embrace the consideration of ways and means for the increase of analytical accuracy, or the question what could or should be attained in that direction. I desire simply to call attention to the degree of accuracy exhibited in actual every-day practice. In estimating this, little weight will be given to the evidence afforded by the agreement of duplicate or multiple determinations by the same chemist; for I am convinced that such agreement is a delusion and a snare. Nor will special importance be attached to the agreement of two or even three analyses in special cases, or to the agreement between two methods practiced by the same analyst. I propose to compare the results obtained by several chemists, working upon the same sample and by various methods, in order to exhibit, as I have said, the actual condition of practice. The available material for illustrating this phase of the question is unfortunately scanty; but something has been done; and I hope, by calling attention to some of the work in this line, to stimulate further work in the same direction by inducing others to prepare suitable samples and submit them to various chemists who are competent and willing to make the necessary determinations, and fully describe the methods they employ. I draw most of my illustrations from the Transactions of the Institute, the Proceedings of the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists, and from personal experience. Manganese in Steel.—In May, 1881, Mr. William Kent presented a paper to the Institute entitled " Manganese Deter-

Jan 1, 1897

"Mining as an industry of Utah had its inception in the activities of United States soldiers who came to the Salt Lake valley under the command of Gen. P. E. Connor, founder of Fort Douglas, in October, 1862. Many of these soldiers were from California and naturally employed their spare time in the search for minerals. Although their military status did not permit them to make locations in their own names, they assiduously prospected the region in accordance with their own knowledge and with information conveyed to them by Indians and others. Their efforts were encouraged by their commander, who thereby fairly earned the title of father of the industry here, and by their other officers, and many discoveries that subsequently proved of great value were made by the soldiers.No systematic prospecting or mining had been done in the Territory previously, although early Mormon settlers in the southern portion had mined a little ore from time to time in order to provide supplies of lead for bullets. The Mormon leaders at that time did not encourage mining. They held that agriculture was more important and profitable for their followers.Coal was discovered and produced in 1850. Iron was discovered in 1850 and the first iron plant was in operation in 1852 in Iron County. The first non-ferrous metal production was in 1854, in Beaver County, when Isaac Grundy treated ore from the Rollins mine in what is said to have been the first lead furnace west of the Rocky Mountains. The first mineral location was the West Jordan claim in Bingham canyon, located September 17, 1863, now owned by the United States Smelting, Refining & Mining Co., and still productive. The first district organized in the state was the West Mountain (Bingham), December I 7, 1863. Other important districts of early organization are: Little Cottonwood, December 20, 1869; Big Cottonwood, July 11, 1870; American Fork, July 21, 1870; Uintah (Park City), July 8, 1871; Tintic, December 13, 1896; Ophir, August 6, 1870. The first silver-lead smelting was by J. W. Gibson at Stockton in 1866. Lieut. James Finnerty had previously erected two small trial furnaces there, but made no quantity production."

Jan 1, 1925

By ir. H. Eraly

The allocation of miners to teams, and of teams to production faces, is complicated by the high degree of absenteism of miners in Belgium. Therefore, the exact knowledge of who is actually present at the beginning of a shift and of the exact skills of those present, enables the foremen and mine captains to constitute their teams before all men go down into the mine in the most effective way possible. This paper describes the system of attendance recording and of displays which the foremen use to constitute their teams and/or to interrogate the personnel data base in order to do so. It shows how the foremen dialogue with the computer, to change the function of a miner within a team, to another team, or the function of a team as a whole. The implementation of the system, data bases, and data communication equipment and procedures, is described. The benefits obtained are presented for each level of the company: foremen and team supervisors, engineers, mine management.

Jan 1, 1977

By William Brewster

DATING back some five years ago, various foundries made inquiries as to the probable total carbon content in a given specification and grade of pig iron. Up to that time we had no data, and except for a few occasional determinations of total carbon, no attempt had ever been made to set up routine determinations of total carbon. In fact, at that time, a cast analysis was considered sufficient, without examining at further length into possible variations of analysis between ladles of the same cast. In view of the various inquiries as to total carbon, we sampled all piles of all grades of pig iron, making complete analyses. Finding some variation in carbon content, we secured more samples and plotted the carbon content with respect to silicon in each grade of iron except for the higher phosphorus foundry iron, where it was necessary to divide the group into twenty-point phosphorus ranges. This is easily understood, owing to the falling off of carbon content with the increase in phosphorus con-tent, silicon in each case being the same. In addition, these curves clearly demonstrate the lowering of the carbon content as the silicon is increased. In order to insure accuracy and reliable determinations the following method of sampling and analysis was employed: Two pigs selected from each end of the car, each car containing iron from one 50-ton ladle, are drilled with a 5/16-in. drill all the way through from top to bottom in the center of one section of the pig. The drillings are collected and transferred to an 80-mesh sieve; the portion passing through and the portion retained are placed in separate envelopes and labeled accordingly. The amount of sample in each envelope is weighed to obtain the proportionate amount of coarse and fine drillings, then a factor weight of sample (1.3636 grams) made up of proportionate

Jan 1, 1936

By Erland Johnson

BRINE was discovered at Avery Island, La., in 1790, but it was not until 1862 that rock salt was found about 13 ft below surface-the first discovery of rock salt on the continent. Maximum elevation of the island is 152 ft and elevation at the shaft 31 ft. The mining level is 530 ft below elevation at the shaft and the shallowest salt about 12 ft below surface. A shaft was sunk in 1869 when the mining operation started. In 1898 the present shaft was sunk, and the mine has been operated by International Salt Co. ever since.

Jan 6, 1957

By C. R. Watts

The feasibility of producing composites containing nickel or molybdenum fibers in a beryllium matrix was inrestigated. The composties studied were jabricaled by powder mallurgical techniques. The 1-mil-diarr nickel fibers reacled completely below 900°C, converling the fibers .from nickel to Ni5Be2,. As the /LO/-pressing temperalure as raised above 1110oC, tlie nickel diffused outward from the beryllide fibers. The solid solubility of nickel in beryllium was clboul 20 wt pet at the 1100°C pressing temperature a1 the zone-fiber interface. The 1.5-mil-diam molybdenum fibers slzolred no evidence of reaction and little evidence of diffitsion after pressing at 900°C. Between 1000° and 1050°C pressing conditions, the fibers began lo react , producing 1ayers of MoBe2 and MoBe12, respectively surrounding the molybdenurn core. The struture remained the same at 1100°C with no evidenre of solid solubility of the molybdenum in the berylium or vice versa. In recent years a considerable amount of attention has been devoted to the determination of methods for improving the mechanical properties of materials through the use of fiber or whisker reinforcement. Previous work with metal matrix composites indicates that the study of the chemical compatibility of the fiber and matrix is an area requiring greater understanding. The metal-metal or ceramic-metal interface is frequently subject to chemical reactions that may result in the formation of hard brittle intermetal-lic compounds and/or low melting point eutectic compositions. The reaction products may reduce both the low-temperature and elevated-temperature strength of the composite by weakening the fiber-matrix bond, producing premature failure at the interface. It is well-known that most metal-metal systems and many metal-ceramic systems of interest for structural composites are thermodynamically unstable,'-" particularly at elevated temperatures. If, however, the rate of reaction under the conditions of fabrication is sufficiently low. composites can be fabricated that can be used efficiently for indefinite periods at low temperatures and for short periods at elevated temperatures. This paper presents the results of a series of tests to determine the compatibility of nickel and molybdenum fibers with beryllium at various hot-pressing temperatures. Nickel was selected as a candidate fiber material primarily because the relatively ductile fibers might be useful as crack arresters in applications such as ballistic impact where crack growth can result in catastrophic failure. The high density and the reactivity of nickel were primary factors detracting from its selection as a possible reinforcement. Molybdenum with a modulus of elasticity of 52 Xlo6 psi is one of the few metallic materials having a modulus higher than beryllium (42 X lo6). Its high modulus, coupled with its refractory characteristics, made molybdenum an attractive candidate for a relatively stable fiber reinforcement for beryllium. Its density, being higher than that of nickel and over five times that of beryllium: detracted from its other characteristics. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The specimens were prepared from beryllium powder with a dispersed phase of fibers by powder metallurgical techniques. P-20 grade powder, Table I, from Berylco was used as the matrix material. Short lengths of 0.001-in.-nominal-diam nickel fibers supplied by the Sigmund Cohn Corp. and 0.0015-in.-nominal-diam molvbdenum fibers obtained from the General Electric Co. were used as the dispersed phase. The composite constituents were combined under an argon atmosphere by mechanically mixing the powders and fibers. The compositions used were nominally 1 vol pct fibers. After mixing. the composites were hot-pressed into a-in.-diam pellets under an argon atmosphere at 900°, 1000". 1050". and 1100°C at a pressure of 6000 psi with no hold time at these temperatures so that a comparison could be made between the resultant microstructure and hot-pressing temperature. The billet was heated at a rate on the order of 30°C per min to the desired temperature and then cooled at a somewhat slower rate. The microstructure obtained should be considered as characteristic of the integrated time-temperature history of the sample, as well as the maximum temperature attained. Upon removal from the hot-pressing dies. the specimens were cut. mounted. and polished by standard procedures. No etchant was used in specimen preparation. Photomicrographs, electron microprobe scans, and electron back-scatter pictures were made. X-ray dif-fractometer patterns were made of several of the specimens. but only the lines for beryllium could be resolved. Specimens for optical and electron microprobe examination were selected partially for the roundness of the cross section. A round cross section was taken to indicate that the body of the fiber was approximately normal to the surface and that therefore effects due to fiber material immediately below the surface could be neglected. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The microprobe scans indicated that nickel reacted as low as 900°C, converting the entire fiber cross section to NisBe21. Fig. l(a). There was no evidence of further reaction from the optical or the back-scatter pictures, Figs. 2(n) and 3(a).

Jan 1, 1970

Jan 1, 1890

By J. D. Miller, A. Cortez, J. Hupka

The separation efficiency of the hot water digestion-flotation technique used for bitumen recovery from various domestic tar sands was evaluated. Bitumen viscosity was found to be the most important tar sand property in determining the success of the bitumen separation. Bitumen viscosity of the tar sand war controlled by changes in digestion temperature and/or changes in diluent (kerosene) addition. Complete and uniform dilution of the bitumen phase was achieved by providing a sufficient presoaking, or penetration time, for a given tar sand type. For all the tar sand samples tested, an excellent correlation was obtained between the coefficient of separation and the bitumen viscosity. To achieve a satisfactory coefficient of separation, it was found that the bitumen viscosity must be reduced below 1.5 Pa.s (16 P) at the temperature of digestion. This was the case regardless of the tar sand type, grade, or origin.

Jan 1, 1984

By E. G. Leonardon, C. Schlumberger, M. Schlumberger

Last year the authors presented a paper that discussed the various electrical measurements they perform in drill holes, which they name "electrical coring."' The object of the present paper is to give a brief account of the points of scientific interest that have been elucidated by further field work and laboratory research, as well as the economic results that have been attained recently. The practical examples given in this paper are drawn, for the most part, from the field work performed in Russian oil fields during the years 1931 and 1932. This is due to the fact that, thanks to the comprehensive cooperation of the Russian geologists and scientists, the authors are allowed to make public a large amount of recant information. In other countries in which the authors are engaged in similar work, the competition between private companies makes it imperative, for a considerable lapse of time, to avoid publication of the results obtained. The following points will be discussed successively, under separate headings: 1. Electrochemical phenomena in drill holes. 2. Stratigraphic correlations and tectonic studies. 3. Relations' between the productivity of oil horizons and their electrical resistivity. 4. Location of coal seams. 5. Summary and conclusions. Electrochemical Phenomena in Drill Holes Technical Publication 462l described the author's discovery concerning the existence of important differences of potential spontaneously gener-

Jan 1, 1934

The Molycorp operation at Mountain Pass, California, is unique in that it is the only place in the world where bastnasite is mined. The orebody is a metamorphic carbonatite; the mineral of importance is bastnasite, a fluocarbonate containing principally cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, and praseodymium, with small amounts of samarium, gadolinium, and europium. In addition, appreciable quantities of barite, calcite, and strontianite are present. Molycorp had mined and processed the bastnasite ore since the early 1950s at a rate of about 100 tpd by a unique hot flotation process in a plant originally used for cyanidation of gold ore. The concentrate was primarily used in high quality glass polishing, lighter flints, ceramics, and in specialty steel making. Then in the early 1960s, Molycorp and the Colorado School of Mines Research Foundation developed a solvent extraction process to recover europium from the bulk rare earth concentrates. In 1965 a new SX plant was constructed to produce this material for use as a red phosphor in color television tubes. Because of the demand for this material, a new 500 tpd concentrator was designed and constructed in 9 ½ months. Then, because of a sharply increased demand for europium, the plant was expanded to 1200 tpd only four months after completion of the original construction. The crushing section of the new plant was designed similarly to those portable units used in road construction and arrived on the site in ten major pieces. Foundations were concrete piers; and after their completion, the entire crushing plant composed of primary and secondary crushers, conveyors, and a screen was erected in fourteen days by a crew of ten men assisted by a mobile crane. Pit-run ore is loaded into 35-ton trucks by a 7 yd (5.4 cu m) loader, trans- ported to .the crushing plant, and dumped into the 65 -ton concrete pocket. A 42 in. by 20 ft (1.07 m by 6. 1 m) apron feeder feeds ore to the 30 in. by 42 in. (760 rnrn by 1070 mm) single toggle jaw crusher. Crushed ore is trans- ferred by a scissors conveyor to a 5 ft by 14 ft (1.52 m by 4. 27 m) double- deck screen which produces a final ¾ in. (19 rnrn) product with the oversize being treated in a 4 ¼ ft (1. 3 m) standard cone crusher. Cone crusher product is returned to the first scissors conveyor to join the primary crusher product. Dust collection is by a wet scrubber, and an operator's control room is located to overlook the primary. The entire crushing is in the open, and a 30-ton mobile crane is used for maintenance. Molycorp’s two-stage crushing plant is an excellent example of functional design for a small mining and milling operation.

Jan 1, 1978

By Eugene McAuliffe

The term "mechanical mining" carries an ambiguity which justifies a preliminary word of explanation. . All mining activity conducted in this day is more or less mechanical; that is to say, power expressed in the form of electricity, steam or compressed air is used in some portion of practically every mining activity of consequence. "Mechanical loading" is more nearly correct than "mechanical mining" in reference to present practice. The first substantial effort made in the direction of mechanical mining, subsequent to the application of steam for hoisting and underground pumping purposes, was that of substituting for hand labor undercutting and shearing by power-driven machines. The undercutting of coal by hand represented at one time the most arduous task confronting the miner. Occupying a kneeling position in the thicker beds, or lying on his side in the thinner coal, the task was tedious and exhausting. The first attempt to substitute crude air-driven, and later electrically driven, "punchers," as the percussion type of machine was called, met with much the same opposition on the part of the workers as was expressed by workers in the other industries when any innovation, whether labor-saving or otherwise, was introduced. We should not be too critical of this attitude of mind shown by the mine workers. The peculiarly isolated character of the work carried on in semidarkness by a class of men who to a large extent lived and held themselves aloof from the other branches of society led long ago to the development of a craft consciousness which they have found difficult to surrender. It was not until 1891 that a definite record of the results obtained by the use of undercutting machines of all types was made available, the quantity undercut in that year totaling 6,211,732 tons of bituminous coal from all American mines. The volume of bituminous coal undercut by machines in 1928 totaled 369,687,007 tons, or 73.8 per cent. of the nation's production. In the light of this experience, we can properly feel that the work of introducing the coal-loading machine as a substitute for hand shoveling is making substantial progress.

Jan 1, 1931

By John Cogan

Field observations were made of rock phenomena in shale, dolomite, and fractured quartzite in the Burgin Mine, Eureka, Utah. Draft closure rates were measured with extensometers and convergence gages. In addition the effects of hydraulic props upon the retardation of closure was also monitored. Drift closure rates were found to be constant and to vary between 0.32 x 10-8 min-1 for dolomite and 23.8 x 10-8 min-1 for soft shale. The installation of props set at constant load served to retard the closure rates. General results show closure to occur at a constant rate for all cases, to be non-uniform around the drift openings, and to be increasingly retarded toward a zero rate by increases in prop load.

Jan 1, 1979

By S. K. Nicol, A. R. Swanson, J. C. Day

Addition of oil to a suspension of hydrophobic coal particles can influence its dewatering characteristics. An agglomeration process occurs in which coal particles are held together by negative capillary pressure at particle/oil/water contacts. Consequently, the units round which flow can occur are enlarged and this improves dewatering parameters such as drainage rate, solids recovery, and equilibrium moisture content. This paper discusses processes which attempt to use this principle, in terms of metallurgical and economic efficiency. The discussion is augmented by results of recent experiments on the effect of oil addition to centrifuges and vacuum filters.

Jan 1, 1980

By G. A. Wells

The consumption of barytes in certain paints, polyurethane foams, seamless flooring, glass, brake linings, plastisol gaskets for food containers, and in fluids used for gastrointestinal X-ray examinations relies on the unique properties of barium sulfate. There are no readily available mineral substitutes. Barytes are also the essential raw material for the manufacture of industrially important barium chemicals. High quality barite ore has become scarce throughout the world. Processing ore into quality end products is both capital and energy intensive. These factors have tended to limit availability and increase Prices which have encouraged the use of alternative or competitive materials and restricted market growth.

Jan 1, 1981

The volumes of Transactions, which are published annually, contain the list of officers, rules, etc., the Proceedings, and the papers revised for final publication. (In this revision, after the preliminary publication, authors are permitted to use the largest liberty; and the changes and additions made in papers are sometimes important. It should be borne in mind by those who study or quote a paper in the preliminary edition, that they may not have in that form the ultimate and deliberate expression of the author's views. It should be added, however, that in the majority of cases there are no important changes.) These volumes are for sale as follows, in paper covers:

Jan 1, 1917