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By Howard N. Eavenson

WHEN the A.I.M.E. was formed 75 years ago the bituminous coal industry was in its swaddling clothes, although it had been operating for more than a century and coal was being mined in every state now producing it, and its output had long passed that of anthracite. In 18/1, the value of bituminous coal was about seventy per cent of the value of all metals produced and more than one fifth of the value of all products of mines, both metallic and nonmetallic.[1a] While many of the operating mines then shipped by rail, most of the development was along waterways, although the canal era of transportation was nearly at its end. Coal mining is a heavy industry and one of the best measures of its progress is its output throughout the period. Fig. 1 shows this graphically from 1800 to 1945. From 1870 to 1910, the production-which is very nearly the consumption-almost doubled every decade, a most amazing growth. In 1918, in World War I, a peak was reached and a decline began, which ended in 1932. A gradual recovery then started, interrupted in 1938 but culminating in the record output of 1944, when, owing to World War II, a tonnage of 619,576,000 was produced. It is evident that the forces leading to the continuous increase ending in 1918 have spent themselves and that only unusual conditions will require so large a production again. The postwar conditions of World War II will probably

Jan 1, 1947

By R. J. Marcotte, C. T. Eddy, R. J. Smith

The objectives of the investigation herein reported were to determine: (I) the S-curves for certain selected cast steels, (2) whether or not the published S-curves for wrought steels are satisfactory for use on cast steels of similar composition, and (3) to prepare hardenability curves of the selected cast steels. In order to make the final comparisons between cast and wrought steel more completely tangible, it was deemed advisable not only to determine S-curves for the steels submitted in the cast condition but also to roll some of the cast-steel test bars and determine comparison S-curves on such wrought material. This procedure eliminates the composition variable and makes it possible to reveal the differences resulting from plastic deformation of the cast structure in addition to providing the comparison with published data on wrought steels. Cast Steels The cast steels selected for the preparation of S-curves, or time-temperature transformation curves, were similar to S.A.E. series 1030, 2330, 4130 and 4330. Of these the 1030 was supplied by The Crucible Steel Casting Co., Cleveland, Ohio, and the other three by The Sawbrook Steel Castings Co., Lockland, Ohio. The steels were furnished in the as-cast condition. The manufacturers supplied the chemical analyses and the properties that could be obtained in the heat-treated condition—all of which is summarized in Table I. The metallographic and dilatometric procedures and equipment were in general standard. The specific technique employed was described in a report of the Steel

Jan 1, 1945

By S. G. Bankoff

INCE1 proposed that electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged particles was responsible for slime-coating. Del Giudice2 postulated the metathetic formation of a cementing compound. Wark3 suggested that prevention of slime-coating was related to peptization of the slime. [ ] In the experiments of Table I the technique employed was essentially that of del Giudice, with the difference that the particle was examined under a film of water rather than dry.4 In general, the polished particle was agitated for 2 min. in a pulp consisting of 12.5 grams of the slime (-200 mesh) and 50 c.c. of distilled water, washed in three baths of distilled water, and examined at 220 diameters with the Leitz Ultropak. Observations of Brownian movement were made at 850 diameters with dark-field illumination. Several of these experiments do not jibe with the metathesis theory. According to published solubilities,5,6 the lead salts of the anions in experiments [c] through g are more insoluble than lead carbonate, therefore should prevent the formation of lead carbonate on the galena surface. In experiment [i] the calcium oxalate, which presumably was on the calcite surfaces, should have permitted the formation of a lead carbonate cement by virtue of its greater solubility. Experiments [j] through m show that the addition of lime accelerates the deposition of quartz onto a galena surface. The writer is unable to postulate a satisfactory cementing compound, according to the metathesis theory, to explain this effect. These experiments led to the conclusion that the metathetic formation of a cement-

Jan 1, 1941

By F. B. JEWETT

TWENTY FIVE years of doing, finding, and encouraging others to do scientific research in' industry, and of organizing the machinery for the` smooth 'and effective conduct of such research, have left me with a feeling that so far as this branch of human activity is concerned the problems in 'essence are- not, materially 'different from those met elsewhere. Years ago, in a less mature period of life, I may have thought that the effective industrial research man was a being somewhat different from his fellow workers in adjacent 'fields, but I have long since 'changed my views. The rank and' file of the modern industrial research organization are relatively easy to find, though some¬times difficult to get in sufficient numbers. Mistakes in choosing them are not particularly serious to the or¬ganization, however unfortunate they may be for the misplaced individual who persists too long in the wrong environment. The reason for this is obvious from the fact that, taken by and large, the work of the rank and file is at best necessarily a work of detail done under guidance of the more experienced. In this respect the situation of the rank and file in an industrial research organization is not different from that class in any other group activity, whether concerned with industry, the university, or the church. This does not mean, however, that we are not all anxious to have the best possible material obtainable in the rank and file, or that we are indifferent to the utmost of encouragement and stimulation to its individual members.

Jan 1, 1929

By E. I. Salkovitz, F. W. von Batchelder

DURING the last few years several papers1-' have been published in which internal friction measurements have been used to determine the quantity of carbon or nitrogen dissolved in a iron. This method is based on the fact that, in pure Fe-N and Fe-C alloys, nitrogen and carbon cause peaks in the internal friction vs. temperature curve; at a frequency of 1 cycle per sec (cps) these peaks appear at $-200 and +360C, respectively, and if internal friction is expressed as Q-1, which is equal to times the logarithmic decrement, this figure will, by coincidence, give the weight percentage of nitrogen or carbon in solid solution.' In most of the studies published, very pure iron (Puron) was used. In one case the influence of manganese on the behavior of nitrogen in a iron was mentioned.4 It would be of great value, especially for the study of aging and related phenomena, if this method could be applied to commercial mild steel with norrnal percentages of manganese, phosphorus, sulphur, etc. As a rule, in such steels carbon and nitrogen are present together, and the amounts of these elements in solid solution should preferably be determined separately. The fact that their internal friction peaks appear at different temperatures (+36° and + 20°C in pure iron) seems promising for such a selective determination. It is necessary, however, that the peaks are narrow enough not to interfere with one another, and further, that there is no effect from carbon on the behavior of nitrogen in stress induced diffusion, and vice versa. According to Fast,' however, in the presence of manganese the nitrogen peak gets wider and appears at a higher temperature nearer the carbon peak, and thus the prospects for selective determination are reduced. (The carbon peak was not affected by the presence of manganese.) But even if fully quantitative de- terminations of the two elements are not attained, some relative figures on the sum of them and an indication of which one is the predominant one, would be of value. Some results from experiments along these lines will be reported here. An internal friction measuring device was assembled mainly following a description by KG." The measurements were also carried out as reported in that paper. Table I gives the chemical compositions of the four different materials used in this investigation. All materials were drawn to wires with diameter about 0.8 mm, and the analyses refer to these final shapes. Determination of Nitrogen Peak Wires from steels A, B, and C were decarburized in wet hydrogen (about 30 pct H2O) at 700°C until no carbon or nitrogen could be found by chemical analysis. No peak was then found in the internal friction. The wires were further annealed at 580°C for 16 hr in hydrogen bubbled through a solution of 6.8 pct NH3 in distilled water. Chemical analyses gave 0.04 pct N in A and C, and 0.06 pct in B. After annealing at 580°C for 15 min in a lead bath and water quenching, the internal friction was immediately measured. The resulting curves are shown in Fig. 1. At these high values of the internal friction the accuracy is comparatively poor; at Q-1 - 0.030 it is estimated to be 0.002. In order to make possible a calculation of the activation energy for diffusion of nitrogen, measurements were made at two different frequencies. Steel A shows rather broad peaks, and their temperatures can hardly be expected to be very accurate. Steels B and especially C are better in this respect. The finding of Fast' that manganese broadens the nitrogen peak is con-

Jan 1, 1953

By L. B. Lindemuth

TO those who are in a position to carry the thought to a conclusion, I would like to present a theory of the cause of blisters in ' galvanized sheets. Blisters that are caused from piping and shrinkage cavities will not be considered, because the reason for their formation is entirely obvious. Blisters that periodically occur, with no apparent system of location, number, size or grouping, and then disappear with no apparent change in manufacturing method, are the ones to which this theory would apply. Examination of blisters of the latter type has shown that they contain hydrogen gas at atmospheric pres-sure, and that occasionally traces of oxide or sulfide are found on the inner surface of the blisters. These two characteristics have led to the rather general idea that hydrogen gas generated in pickling, and that iron oxide supposed to be inherent in the ingot and causing weak spots, were, in some manner, responsible for the development of blisters in galvanizing. The theory which I wish to advance is that these blisters are caused by moisture that has penetrated the steel after the annealing operation. This moisture comes from the atmosphere, or from pickling or wash-ing, and when it is suddenly expanded into superheated steam in galvanizing, the increase in volume is so great that it cannot escape with sufficient rapidity through the small opening which it entered as moisture. The pressure so generated forces the sheet apart along those lines of lamination that may be found in practically all flat sections of steel rolled comparatively cold.

Jan 5, 1927

By Peter M. Fozzard

The San Bartolomt silver deposit was discovered by a United Nations team of geologists working with a counter- part team of staff of the Ecuadorian Government's General Directorate of Geology and Mines (DGGM). The Phase I project over five areas of operation during which this discovery was made was financed through a United Nations Development Program contribution of $860,000 and an Ecuadorian Government participation of about $680,000 equivalent. Existence of mineralization at San Bartolomé was first recognized in 1966 when a reconnaissance geochemical stream-sediment program was carried out over a 10 500 km2 (4,054 sq mile) area centered around the city of Cuenca in southern Ecuador. Over the course of this project more than 10,000 samples of stream-sediment, soil, and rock materials were collected. Average costs per sample were $10.00, as follows: collection, $5; sample preparation, $1.60; assay work, $3.40. Initially in the program (1965-1966) sediments were collected along all motorable roads and tracks. Routine analyses, originally by colorimetry and later by AAS, were for Cu, Pb, Zn and occasionally As, Ni, and Co. Discovery geochemical samples from the San Bartolomé drainage area were among the first to be taken in 1965. As luck would have it, the road along which this traverse was taken passes only some 100 m (328 ft) downstream from the mineralized suboutcrop. The relevant two streams sampled are of inconsequential size, some 1 m (3.3 ft) in width, with a limited flow volume throughout the year. Original anomalies were recognized through cold-extractable Cu/Zn analyses. The pH of all river waters was also recorded at sample sites. Resampling the discovery sediments when AAS became available showed total extractable values of between 150 ppm-300 ppm Zn, 550 ppm Pb, and 10 ppm Ag. In 1967 the first followup was by rough-and-ready means. Dithizone field-kits (THM) were used to rapidly test soils from the surrounding area. The area has no outcrop. This work allowed the definition of an area of interest of some 2 km (1.2 miles) x 500 m (1640 ft). Six approximately 1 km (0.6 mile) to 1.5 km (0.9 miles) lines spaced at approximate 250 m (820 ft) intervals were established and used for IP surveys and soil sampling at 50 m (164 ft) intervals. Where one of the lines crossed the westernmost geochemical discovery creek a first-priority geophysical anomaly coincided with a major Zn/Pb (and later Ag) soil anomaly. A pit was sunk and encountered mineralized vein material at a depth of 1.5 m (5 ft). This lucky glory hole confirmed the geochemical discovery and prompted systematic followup. Immediately, costeaning of the west bank of the discovery creek, the Quebrada Ocashuaico, was carried out and exposed weathered and leached mineralization. Nearly 100 mineralized veinlets ranging in thickness from 0.5 cm (0.2 in.) to 8 cm (3 in.) were exposed across the 180 m (59 1 ft) costean. Sixty mineralized veinlets were determined over a 90 m (295 ft) wide zone. Sampling delineated minable widths averaging between 0.16 and 0.31 kg/t (5 and 10 oz per st) Ag with associated copper (very sporadic) lead and zinc. Over the period 1968- 1972 a considerable amount of detailed work was completed: detailed IP, EM Turam, magnetic and mise-a-la-masse geophysics, very detailed soil- sampling, trenching, drilling and glory-hole drifting, and cross-cutting. Numerous problems were encountered: the area was found to be a most difficult geoelectrical target; zero outcrop; pyrite (nonargentiferous zones) associated with faulting; mineralized groundwater; extensive clay development; loss of diamond drill-core, and no two-dimensional surface information. As the program developed the complexity of the structure was slowly unravelled, using a degree of good guesswork. Apart from photogeological and ground geological mapping at various scales, the following

Jan 1, 1985

By S.G. Bankoff

Ince1 proposed that electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged particles was responsible for slime-coating. Del Giudice2 postulated the metathetic formation of a cementing compound. Wark3 suggested that prevention of slime-coating was related to peptization of the slime. In the experiments of Table I the technique employed was essentially that of del Giudice, with the difference that the particle was examined under a film of water rather than dry.4 In general, the polished particle was agitated for 2 min. in a pulp consisting of 12.5 grams of the slime (—200 mesh) and 50 C.C. of distilled water, washed in three baths of distilled water, and examined at 220 diameters with the Leitz Ultropak. Observations of Brownian movement were made at 850 diameters with dark-field illumination. Several of these experiments do not jibe with the metathesis theory. According to published solubilities,5,6 the lead salts of the anions in experiments c through g are more insoluble than lead carbonate, there- fore should prevent the formation of lead carbonate on the galena surface. In experiment i the calcium oxalate, which precumably was on the calcite surfaces, should have permitted the formation of a lead carbonate cement by virtue of its greater solubility. Experiments j through m show that the addition of lime accelerates the deposition of quartz onto a galena surface. The writer is unable to postulate a satisfactory cementing compound, according to the metathesis theory, to explain this effect. These experiments led to the conclusion that the metathetic formation of a cement-

Jan 1, 1943

By S. G. Bankoff

Ince1 proposed that electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged particles was responsible for slime-coating. Del Giudice2 postulated the metathetic formation of a cementing compound. Wark3 suggested that prevention of slime-coating was related to peptization of the slime. In the experiments of Table I the technique employed was essentially that of del Giudice, with the difference that the particle was examined under a film of water rather than dry.4 In general, the polished particle was agitated for 2 min. in a pulp consisting of 12.5 grams of the slime (—200 mesh) and 50 C.C. of distilled water, washed in three baths of distilled water, and examined at 220 diameters with the Leitz Ultropak. Observations of Brownian movement were made at 850 diameters with dark-field illumination. Several of these experiments do not jibe with the metathesis theory. According to published solubilities,5,6 the lead salts of the anions in experiments c through g are more insoluble than lead carbonate, there- fore should prevent the formation of lead carbonate on the galena surface. In experiment i the calcium oxalate, which precumably was on the calcite surfaces, should have permitted the formation of a lead carbonate cement by virtue of its greater solubility. Experiments j through m show that the addition of lime accelerates the deposition of quartz onto a galena surface. The writer is unable to postulate a satisfactory cementing compound, according to the metathesis theory, to explain this effect. These experiments led to the conclusion that the metathetic formation of a cement-

Jan 1, 1943

In their presentations Dr. Puddington and Dr. Stratton-Crawley have concentrated on spherical agglomeration and two-liquid extraction respectively. I should like here to complete the picture by putting these two techniques together in context with other techniques in which non-polar oils are used in the concentration and separation of minerals. Although these techniques are invariably treated separately and have been studied in isolation, there is a lot to be said for considering them together and trying to systematize their similarities and differences. This I take as a principle guideline in my introduction to this discussion. Four processes can be distinguished on the basis of the dosage of oil required: --simple flotation with collector-extender --agglomeration (emulsion) flotation --spherical agglomeration --two-liquid separation Dr. Stratton-Crawley has suggested that "pigment flushing" could find application in the treatment of ores. This is an interesting suggestion. However, the process can be regarded as a variant of two-liquid extraction, and it is convenient for me to do so in this discussion. Table 1 sets out some main features of these techniques. The first, in which the oil is used to enhance the strength and reduce the dosage of the collector is not designed for and has no special advantages in the treatment of fines, and therefore will not be further treated here. To add to the details appearing in the Table, thumbnail sketches of the other three, which all do show particular efficacy in the treatment of fine particles, are given below.

Jan 1, 1979

Discussion of the paper of J. V. EMMONS, presented at the Pittsburgh meeting, October, 1914. and printed in Bulletin No. 93, September, 1914, pp. 2233 to 2248. ALBERT SAUVEUR, Cambridge, Mass.-Mr. Emmons is to be congratulated for having placed before us in so forcible and satisfactory a manner a question of much importance-that of the surface decarbonization of steel. Of course, both manufacturers and consumers have known for many years that during the heat treatment of high-carbon steel, surface deca.rbonization is always likely to occur to a greater or less degree, but the subject does not seem to have been investigated with the method and thoroughness it deserves. I am in substantial agreement with Mr. Emmons's conclusions, and I have but little to add to what he has so well said. His statement that carbon dioxide is just as effective an oxidizing agent as pure oxygen is likely to cause surprise and some will wonder whether his investigation has been carried far enough to warrant so unexpected a conclusion. The reaction C + 0 = CO, expressing the oxidation of carbon by pure oxygen, is decidedly exothermic, whereas the reaction C + C02 = 2C0, expressing the oxidation of carbon by carbon dioxide, is endothermic. Decarburization by pure oxygen, therefore, should take place much more readily than by carbon dioxide. One cannot help regretting that the author does not mention' the best way of preventing in a practical manner surface decarbonization while treating tool steel and other high-carbon steels.

Jan 4, 1915

By John Mathews

SOMEONE has divided mankind into two groups: (1) those who have the willingness and imagination to weigh the future gain over against a present indulgence, and (2) those who cannot do so. The former have self-control, patience, foresight and a capacity for sustained effort. Those having these homely virtues become the, possessors of capital and hence employers of others. Those lacking these qualities and owning no capital must seek it from those of the first class, and therefore are employed by others. The human qualities, which divide men into two classes-employers and employed-are, however, capable of change by education, training, environment and by all agencies which tend to develop character. These words of the economist have stuck in my mind for many years and the more I see of men in my business contacts the more firmly I am convinced of their truth. The earth in some respects resembles its inhabitants. When we stroll over the fields and hills we are impressed by the unorganized masses of sand and rock which make up the ground beneath our feet. When by chance we come upon a bit of mineral matter in crystalline form we are impressed by its beauty and symmetry and probably have it polished and call it a gem. Gems constitute a minute portion of the earth's crust, and those intellectual gems, worthy of polish, who brilliantly reflect the incident rays of education and experience that have fallen upon them are few among the masses of mankind.

Jan 1, 1931

By Alfred Weiss

When I first received the announcement of this meeting I was pleased to see that this 14th APCOM Symposium had expanded its range of interest. One new topic to be considered this year is long range or strategic planning--the continuous process by which current risk taking decisions are made systematically, and with the greatest knowledge of future impact. Long range planning should receive our attention. It is the first step in the management process and the foundation of many--if not all --key managerial decisions. Improvements made at this stage of managing are almost certain to be of benefit in later stages of decision making. It is obvious to many of us that in a physical process such as mineral beneficiation, one does not concentrate all of one's attention on the flotation design without also considering the grinding, cycloning, and desliming stages of the process. Taking this a step further it would be equally erroneous to find a mineral engineer designing a mill without due consideration for mine, smelter and refinery and beyond that the sales goals, growth and profit objectives of the firm itself. And yet, how many times have we seen organizations staff and reorganize without consideration of an overall plan; without adherence to the management process which by its definition, calls for a plan first, followed by the appropriate organization and staff. The computer applications traditionally discussed at APCOM meetings have concentrated on areas dealing with things and people-- the implementation of the plan, rather than with concepts and ideas, the formulation of the plan.

Jan 1, 1977

By R. W. Raymond

R. W. Raymond, New York City: In his paper at the New York meeting (Trans., xix., 28), Mr. Ledyard described, among other mines, the Belmont, in the county of Peterboro, Ontario, the developments of which at that time indicated, though they did not, perhaps, completely demonstrate, a deposit of high-grade Bessemer magnetite of very great extent. Mr. Ledpard said that experts estimated the quantity of ore within 100 feet of the surface at 1,000,000 tons. But the precise data upon which this estimate was based were not furnished. We are all interested in the development of fresh supplies of Bessemer ores. I think nobody who knows how enormous is the demand can seriously fear that such deposits will be exploited too rapidly. On the other hand, I need not here enlarge on the fact that a considerable number of enterprises, in which American ironmasters have been more or less interested, for the development of Canadian iron-ore deposits, have been unsuccessful, more by reason of disappointment as to the quantity of the ore and the facilities for cheaply mining it on a large scale, than as to its quality. Of course, a Canadian nine supplying the American market is handicapped at present, to the extent of 75 cents per ton, by the duty on foreign iron-ore; but this would certainly not be prohibitory in the case of a deposit sufficiently large, rich, and accessible. Or, to put it otherwise, there might easily be, somewhere in Canada, near our borders, a mine so favored that its product could be profitably

Jan 1, 1892

By John F. Blandy

IT is not my intention in this article to consider this subject in the light of the geographer or geologist, but rather in that of the mining engineer, and to endeavor to show the necessity and value to him of studying the minor details of the field or district in which he may be engaged. I t has been said by a distinguished geologist that "the natural boundaries of the geographer are rarely described by right lines. Whenever they occur, however, the geologist may look for something remarkable." And again : " Physiognomy is no idle or doubtful science in connection with geology. The physiognomy of a country indicates almost invariably its geological character." Our country furnishes examples enough of the truth of these remarks, and in no part of it is it so beautifully illustrated as in our own State, which has been so ably described by Prof. Lesley in his admirable little work on the "Topography of Coal." As the great mountain lines become guides to the geologist in determining and mapping out the geography of the formations, so do the minor details of topography become guides to the mining engineer in conducting his explorations, discovering of dislocations, and determining the character of the deposits which are the object of his search. I t is therefore requisite that he should, whilst making his surveys, pay the strictest attention to every variation of the landscape and surface of the ground. Until he has mapped out every feature he may be unable to read the geological changes which may have

By S Bankoff

INCE1 proposed that electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged particles was responsible for slime-coating. Del Giudice2 postulated the metathetic formation of a cementing compound. Wark3 suggested that prevention of slime-coating was related to peptization of the slime. [ ] In the experiments of Table I the technique employed was essentially that of del Giudice, with the difference that the particle was examined under a film of water rather than dry.4 In general, the polished particle was agitated for 2 min. in a pulp consisting of 12.5 grams of the slime (-200 mesh) and 50 c.c. of distilled water, washed in three baths of distilled water, and examined at 220 diameters with the Leitz Ultropak. Observations of Brownian movement were made at 850 diameters with dark-field illumination. Several of these experiments do not jibe with the metathesis theory. According to published solubilities,5,6 the lead salts of the anions in experiments c through g are more insoluble than lead carbonate, there- [ ] fore should prevent the formation of lead carbonate on the galena surface. In experiment i the calcium oxalate, which presumably was on the calcite surfaces, should have permitted the formation of a lead carbonate cement by virtue of its greater solubility. Experiments j through m show that the addition of lime accelerates the deposition of quartz onto a galena surface. The writer is unable to postulate a satisfactory cementing compound, according to the metathesis theory, to explain this effect. These experiments led to the conclusion that the metathetic formation of a cement-

Jan 1, 1941

CENTRAL AMERICANIZATION COMMITTEE Chairman, MRS. C. C. BURGER This committee reports progress in drawing up circulars on the. subject of Americanization, to be sent to all the branches of the W. A. A. I. M. E. It is greatly to be desired that all our members should interest themselves personally in work that can be done among the women and children in the mining districts in the way of Americanizing those of foreign birth or extraction; so much can be accomplished by individual interest and sympathy.

Jan 11, 1918

By Elton A. Youngberg

J. H. HEARDING, Jr.*—Extremely hard ferruginous chert (taconite) was encountered in driving a drift at the Fraser underground mine near Chisholm, Minn., on the Mesabi Iron Range. In order to get better results in drilling in this ground, it was decided to try tungsten carbide bits. In the beginning, 1½ in. tungsten carbide bits and 1 1/8 in. round-lugged alloy steel drill rods with "jack-stud" inserts were used. Considerable difficulty was encountered because the jack-stud became loose in the drill rods. Because there was not enough alloy steel drill rod on hand, we began to insert jack-studs in the ordinary high carbon drill rods and found, to our surprise, that there was less trouble with jack-studs working loose in these rods than there had been with the alloy steel rods. As a result, use of the alloy steel rods has been discontinued entirely. Under the heading "Drilling Procedures" the statement is made that all holes are started with detachable bits or conventional steel to prevent undue strain on the tungsten carbide bit inserts when collaring a hole on uneven ground. This practice was followed in our work originally for the same reason. It was soon found, however, that the holes could be started with the tungsten carbide without injuring the inserts if the drill operator was careful and did not give the drill too much air until the bit had a chance to seat itself in the rock. J. C. FRANZ*—In a discussion of other technical papers with reference to percussion drills and the use of carbide tungsten bits, it was my impression that the authors reported one of the first difficulties experienced with the use of standard, conventional percussion drills, was insert bit failures due to crushing of the bit inserts when the bits became dull. During the past few years, some of the rock drill manufacturers, I am told, have adopted an air drill for use with the carbide bits that have a lighter blow and faster rotation than the regular machine. This machine has been tested and the carbide bit failures have been considerably reduced. L. W. DUPUY†—The difficulties Mr. Youngberg mentions that were had with rod and coupling breakage call to mind similar troubles experienced at the Picacho mine in California near Yuma.6 The commercial couplings then available were found to be tempered almost to brittleness. Rod breakage was usually in the threads near the end of the rod. The highly-tempered couplings would break as soon as the rod broke. The solution was to thoroughly anneal the couplings and to put in only a very mild temper. Subsequently the alloy used in making the couplings was changed from the original by the manufacturer, but still only a very mild temper was used. The result was that the softer coupling would give but would not snap and release its hold on the broken rod thread. Fishing jobs were reduced to the few where the rods broke at the rod end of the thread. Thread breakage on the rods was further reduced by thorough annealing prior to tempering. The data Mr. Youngberg presents regarding the use of carbide inserts on long blasthole drilling is most interesting and it would appear that the use in this manner of percussion drills and carbide bits will have many applications. W. M. WOODWARD*—How many feet of hole, on the average, do you get from a tungsten carbide bit, and is there much variation from this average? E. A. YOUNGBERG (author's reply) —In recent months the 2 in. tungsten carbide bit footages in long hole drilling hake varied from 115 .to 140 ft monthly. The footages obtained from individual bits vary from several feet to over 300 ft, however the life of a majority of the bits will be within 25 ft of the average.

Jan 1, 1950

Robert Schorr, San Francisco, Cal. (communication to the Secretary*):—In operatioils requiring the expenditure of fuel, it is solely a question of supplying a certain number of heat-units at certain temperature-conditions. The difficulty of controlling these temperature-conditions is mainly responsible for low efficiency, unless utilizable waste heat is carefully applied either for the pre-heating of the air necessary for combustion, or for the heating of the raw materials, or in other departments of the works to generate steam, etc. A high theoretical or thermal efficiency very often does not establish a high " commercial" efficieiicy, and this fact is responsible for apparent crude practice in many arts. Coal is still very cheap in the East, and oil sells in the West for less than anywhere else in the world. Despite these favorable conditions, I believe that the list of references given in E. C. Eckel's book,' and also the contributions of C. Naske,2 will show that Mr. Eldred's statement, that a the study of the phenomena of applied combustion has been neglected," is not justified as far as the burning of cement is concerned. I have investigated the heat-balance of a lirne-kiln ailci the commercial advantage of using generator-gas for calcination. Mr. Eldred proposes to calcine the materials in the present type of rotary kiln, gas-fired with long-flame combustion, and to Pdke the fritted calcines to a special, gas-fired clinkering-kiln, which shall embody heat-regenerators. While his state-

Jan 1, 1911

By Edward V. D’Invilliers

In connection with some recent professional work in the coalfields of Western Pennsylvania, with special reference to results of coking operations, I was asked to compile a statement giving the estimated cost of mining coal and manufacturing coke at two hypothetical plants of 500 ovens each, giving the relative yield of coal in coke at each plant; and, upon the average number of working days in each of the past five years, from 1899 to 1903, together with average selling price of coke at the ovens, to prepare an estimate of the relative commercial returns in each district. What seemed at first sight to be a comparatively simple proposition, involving only the ordinary elements of mining and coking costs, became complicated by the lack of standard published records of mining costs and sales, which would be applicable to the subject at issue. Upon searching through the usual channels of Government publicatious and the files of our technical societies and mining periodicals, I was surprised to note the absence of fundamental factors that would approximately meet the case in point. The very elaborate and interesting statistics annually published by the National Government' do not supply the required data for the following reasons:—1. Being reported by arbitrary districts, the average values are too general to be applied to special fields. 2. The value of coal charged to the ovens is apparently based upon the regional average value of the coal if sold in the market, and not upon the cost of production. 3. Some plants only use the slack (a by-

Jan 1, 1905