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By G. L. Oldright

THE development of the reverberatory furnace for smelting copper ores up to 1912 was described by E. P. Mathewson1 with details concerning the great changes in dimensions of the furnace. Hayward2 tabulated similar data, giving developments up to about 1924, in his revision of Hofman's Metallurgy of Copper. DEVELOPMENT OF PRESENT SMELTING PRACTICE Dimensions of Furnace Very great changes were made in the dimensions of the smelting hearths of the furnaces in the period from about 1800 to 1906, the length increasing from about 11 to 116 ft., and the width from 8 to 19 ft. During this time the tonnage smelted increased from about 9 to 250 tons per 24 hr., and the tons of charge smelted per ton of coal increased from 0.77 to 4.3. Dr. Mathewson3 noted no great difference in the "fuel ratio" (i. e., the amount of charge smelted per ton of coal) as the furnace at Anaconda was increased in length by stages from 85 to 116 ft. (The percentage of copper in the slag, however, was lowered from 0.42 to 0.36 per cent. The other components of the slag were not given.) Lump coal fired on grates was the fuel used during this period. The practice in operating the furnaces over such a length of time naturally varied considerably, and there were differences in composition and nature of the charge, yet it may be considered that the improvements made were due largely to increases in the size of the furnace used. Doubt-less some credit should be given to improvements in operating technique, like changes in the methods of firing the lump coal. However, the greater part of the advance was probably due to factors influencing the

Jan 1, 1928

By Melvin H. Podwysocki

Lineament and fracture analysis have enjoyed a resurgence of interest over the last several years, particularly since the advent of the Landsat series of Earth resources satellites. Some applications for lineament analysis include mineral, petroleum and ground- water exploration, engineering studies such as highway routing, mine roof stability, dam and power plant siting and general tectonic studies. The needs of each study may be different, but the general problem of large masses of data is common to all. Methods for efficient handling of the information and some statistical methods for its evaluation are discussed. These include comparing the lengths of the fracture population against known distributions, trend surface analysis of fracture lengths and number per unit area and multivariate analysis of rose diagrams. Examples are shown in an experimental program for predicting the presence of reef structures, areas of potential petroleum production.

Jan 1, 1977

Jan 1, 1927

By N. Arbiter, J. Steininger, C. C. Harris

Power consumption and operating variables in air-liquid systems for a wide range of operating conditions in the turbulent region have been correlated by two dimensionless groups involving the power ratio and the flow number. The form of the correlation was developed by considering flow balances related to the air-liquid composite density in the impeller zone. Data for two phase air-liquid systems, both from literature and from the present investigation, has been correlated with high statistical significance. Two phase solid-liquid and three phase gas-liquid-solid systems have also been correlated. The quantification of power requirements in the agitation of liquids is well established.1 Rushton, Costich and Everett have shown that, for mixers operating in the fully turbulent region with no vortex, the power number

Jan 1, 1964

By Blake M. Loring

Recently the S-curves for 30 to 40 alloy steels have been pub1ished.l.2 These steels show individual characteristics, which make each additional S-curve of great interest. There are important differences in the mechanism of the transformation process, the type of transformation product, and the influence of alloying elements. Steels of the same general alloy composition may possess such variable characteristics with regard to the length of time of isothermal transformation that an S-curve for each heat of steel may be desirable. In the present work the isothermal transformation of a steel having the following composition and grain size was studied: 0.29 per cent carbon; 0.21 manganese; 0.026 phosphorus; 0.017 sulphur; 0.056 silicon; 1.45 chromium; 3.25 nickel; austenite grain size, 7. The progress of the isothermal transformation was followed by several different methods, including hardness measurements, dilatometer observations, and examinations of the microstructure. It was not expected that these methods would be in precise agreement.3 Accordingly, the changes in microstructure and hardness were given additional weight in determining the initial stage of transformation and the dilatometer measurements were relied on in estimating the completion of the process. The beginning of transformation was indicated by I per cent of transformation products and the end of transformation by about 99 per cent. The reproducibility of the various methods in the ranges of highest sensitivity was checked by several observations at each time and temperature. The steel used in this investigation was annealed for 24 hr, at 925°C. Macroetching revealed no serious segregation. The specimens for the metallographic and hardness investigations were 1¼ by ½ by ? in. Wires attached to the samples were used for handling. instead of tongs, to avoid chilling. The specimens were heated at 845°C. for ½ hr. and quenched into constant-temperature salt baths held at various temperatures from 205' to 650°C. The time required to transfer the specimens was found to be about 1½ sec., and nearly 5 sec. more was required for them to come to the temperature of the bath. After various lengths of time in the constant-temperature baths the specimens were quenched in water at 2I°C. The specimens were cut in half for the metallographic examination, to provide a surface free from decarburization. To determine the beginning and end of the transformation the percentage of transformation determined metallographically and by hardness was plotted against time. A planimeter was used in the metallographic determination. The hardness and metallographic determinations made at room temperature were confirmed reasonably well by dilatometer measurements taken during the process of transformation at the various temperatures. Two dilatometers were used to

Jan 1, 1942

By Blake M. Loring

Recently the S-curves for 30 to 40 alloy steels have been pub1ished.l.2 These steels show individual characteristics, which make each additional S-curve of great interest. There are important differences in the mechanism of the transformation process, the type of transformation product, and the influence of alloying elements. Steels of the same general alloy composition may possess such variable characteristics with regard to the length of time of isothermal transformation that an S-curve for each heat of steel may be desirable. In the present work the isothermal transformation of a steel having the following composition and grain size was studied: 0.29 per cent carbon; 0.21 manganese; 0.026 phosphorus; 0.017 sulphur; 0.056 silicon; 1.45 chromium; 3.25 nickel; austenite grain size, 7. The progress of the isothermal transformation was followed by several different methods, including hardness measurements, dilatometer observations, and examinations of the microstructure. It was not expected that these methods would be in precise agreement.3 Accordingly, the changes in microstructure and hardness were given additional weight in determining the initial stage of transformation and the dilatometer measurements were relied on in estimating the completion of the process. The beginning of transformation was indicated by I per cent of transformation products and the end of transformation by about 99 per cent. The reproducibility of the various methods in the ranges of highest sensitivity was checked by several observations at each time and temperature. The steel used in this investigation was annealed for 24 hr, at 925°C. Macroetching revealed no serious segregation. The specimens for the metallographic and hardness investigations were 1¼ by ½ by ? in. Wires attached to the samples were used for handling. instead of tongs, to avoid chilling. The specimens were heated at 845°C. for ½ hr. and quenched into constant-temperature salt baths held at various temperatures from 205' to 650°C. The time required to transfer the specimens was found to be about 1½ sec., and nearly 5 sec. more was required for them to come to the temperature of the bath. After various lengths of time in the constant-temperature baths the specimens were quenched in water at 2I°C. The specimens were cut in half for the metallographic examination, to provide a surface free from decarburization. To determine the beginning and end of the transformation the percentage of transformation determined metallographically and by hardness was plotted against time. A planimeter was used in the metallographic determination. The hardness and metallographic determinations made at room temperature were confirmed reasonably well by dilatometer measurements taken during the process of transformation at the various temperatures. Two dilatometers were used to

Jan 1, 1942

By Oscar Weiss

STILFONTEIN and surrounding areas gave negative results in all prospecting attempts since about 1904 when Goerz and Co., a forerunner of Union Corporation Ltd., first drilled in the region and on the farm Stilfontein. Subsequent efforts by African and European Investments Co. and Anglo American Corp. from 1934-37 were completely unsuccessful. Holes drilled by these companies on the farms Rietfontein, Hessie, and Palmietfontein were stopped in the Lower Witwatersrand system without finding payable reefs.

Jan 10, 1951

By R. W. Raymond

In a paper on the Divining-Rod (Transactions, xi., 411), presented at the Boston meting, in February, 1883,I suggested, among other signs of which the skilled prospector might consciously or unconsciously avail himself in the search for springs of water or mineral deposits, the presence of particular grasses or shrubs, and the general appearance of the flora. There are not wanting, in the literature of our art, indications that greater attention was paid to such signs in ancient days than at present. It is the tendency of a scientific age to ignore, or regard as superstitious, what cannot be classified or explained. But the acute though unscientific observation of earlier times often, doubtless, accumulated facts which it would be worth our while to re-examine. It is highly probable that the mining prospectors of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, to go no further back, were close students of nature, and knew, though they could not explain, and, for reasons of private gain, would not communicate, many curious and significant facts. We can generalize better than they could; but for that very reason we are, perhaps, their inferiors in observation. They let nothing pass, because all things were equally significant to them. We take wider views, and miss more. And, no doubt, there still exists among practical millers, prospectors,, hunters, Indians, etc., an unwritten.

Jan 1, 1887

By Benjamin C. Greene, H. Beecher Charmbury

Water is a most remarkable substance, essential for life of all kinds. As well as needing water to survive, man has always used it for agriculture, transportation, recreation, and many other things. When our country was young and inhabited by few people, the streams, rivers, and lakes were able to provide all the clean water needed by man and take away all the wastes created. However, with our growing population and an ever-increasing demand for goods and services, the public, industry, and government at all levels have become acutely aware of the need to manage the nation's water resources more efficiently. Abundant energy from many sources has helped this nation to become the greatest industrial nation in the world. Coal has contributed a major portion of this energy, generating electricity, running railroads, and maintaining national security during wartime. The result has been the highest standard of living in the world and a time of widespread economic prosperity. The use of water in coal mining is somewhat different from its use in most industries. With the exception of water used in cleaning plants, for underground dust control, and for fire protection, most of the water en- countered in coal mining operations serves no useful purpose. In other words, it is an undesirable element and must be removed, otherwise it will interfere with operations, cause potential water quality problems, and may even stop operations by flooding. In the past, removing water from working areas of most mines was usually a fairly simple matter. Pumps with piping were installed at sumps or low spots in the mine and the water was pumped to the surface or to drainage control facilities constructed for the operation. Ditches were often used to collect and drain the water by gravity to the outside or to main sumps for pump discharge. In either case, the water was allowed to flow into the nearest stream or river. The concept of "water is water" was generally accepted without too much concern for what was in

Jan 1, 1981

By P. J. Spencer, J. N. Pratt

The vapor pressure of manganese over liquid Mn-Sn alloys has been determined by a high-temperature torsion-effusion technique. Alloys containing from 8 to 100 at. pct Mn were investigated in the temperature range jrom 1280" to 1580" and the measured pressure values were used to calculate the partial and integral thermodynamic properties of the liquid alloys. The activities show small negative departures from ideality while the integral heats and excess entropies of mixing are asymmetric inform, changing from positive to negative with increasing manganese content. The possible contribution of various factors to the observed thermodynamic properties is discussed. COMPARATIVELY few thermodynamic data are available for manganese alloy systems.' Therefore, as part of a continuing program of studies of the thermodynamic properties of transition metal alloys, measurements have been made on various binary alloys involving this element. In recent publications,2~3 investigations of liquid Mn-Cu alloys and of the Mn-Au system in both solid and liquid states have been reported. For the first-mentioned system the work suggested that magnetic interactions may be responsible for the observed form of the thermodynamic properties, while in the second the influence of the electrochemical factor appears to be dominant. The present paper describes a similar study of liquid Mn-Sn alloys. Again the thermodynamic properties have been obtained from vapor pressure measurements made by use of a high-temperature torsion-effusion technique.4 A detailed description of the apparatus and of the experimental procedures used in alloy preparation and pressure measurement may be found elsewhere.2'4 EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS Sixteen alloys, ranging in composition from 8 to 100 at. pct Mn, were prepared from spectroscopically standardized manganese of 99.99 pct purity and tin of 99.999 pct purity, both supplied by Johnson-Matthey and Co., Ltd. One-gram samples of the alloys were obtained by carefully weighing appropriate amounts of the pure components into an effusion cell; this was then suspended in the apparatus and the metals melted together in situ by heating under vacuum to approximately 1550°K. After allowing sufficient time for a homogeneous liquid alloy to be formed, vapor pressure measurements were commenced. These were determined as rapidly as possible at a series of steady temperatures within the range of interest. The duration of experimental runs on individual samples was kept sufficiently short to ensure insignificant varia- tion of alloy composition during investigation. After completing pressure measurements, the alloys were rapidly cooled and their compositions checked by weighing or chemical analysis. All experiments were conducted using effusion cells machined entirely from boron nitride. Measurements were made using a variety of cells with orifice areas ranging from 0.0032 to 0.0075 sq cm and lengths of the order of 0.04 cm; the usual effusion correction factors for orifice geometry and molecular distribution were calculated using Freeman and Searcy's equation5 and had values between 0.6 and 0.75 for the orifices employed here. The vapor pressures of manganese over the alloys were measured at approximately 20°K intervals in the temperature range 1280" to 1580°K. In view of the close approximation of the measured pressures to Clausius-Clapeyron behavior in the experimental temperature range, the data for each alloy have been expressed by equations of the form: logp(atm) =-A/T + B A least-squares computer treatment was applied to the vapor pressure values in order to obtain the coefficients A and B with their associated error. The resulting equations are listed in Table I, together with the equation for pure solid manganese obtained from a previous study.4 To minimize the effect of possible apparatus calibration errors, the activities and partial free energies of manganese in the alloys were calculated by initial reference to the latter equation, obtained from identical torsion-effusion measurements. The immediately resulting thermodynamic quantities, based on a solid manganese reference state, were then converted to refer to the more appropriate supercooled pure liquid manganese standard; tabulated values of the free energies of solid and liquid manganese from Hultgren et al.' were used for this purpose. Partial entropies of solution of manganese were calculated from the temperature coefficients of the free energies and partial heats from the Gibbs-Helmholtz relationship.

Jan 1, 1969

By Yinchang Wang

1. INTRODUCTION 1. Subject, and Scope The formation of the oxidized ores of zinc has been recognized as a subject of great importance in economic geology. For many years these ores have been much sought, partly because they are more desirable for metallurgical treatment and partly because they are apt to be freer from gangue than is the sulphide of zinc. Up to very recent years the oxidized ores were the principal source of the metal and at present they still furnish a large portion of the commercial production. . The oxidized ores of zinc include six minerals, as shown in the-following table

Jan 9, 1915

By A. M. Gow

The trend in ball milling has been toward mills of larger diameter, but without fundamental laws as a guide. The speeds at which mills are run have been a matter of cut-and-try. This paper deals with both diameter and speed and proposes to show the laws which apply to some laboratory ball mills, ranging in diameter from 18 to 42 in., run at various speeds. The correlation of power, speed and grinding rate of the respective mills will be shown by curves of markedly significant similarity. Before presenting the results some consideration will be given to the mechanics of ball milling. Mechanics and Theory of Ball Milling As early as 1904, Herman Fischerl reported observations on specially constructed ball mills which allowed the paths of balls to be studied. The following conclusions were drawn: 1. Balls do not grind the ore, but crush it by impact. 2. At slow speeds the balls roll down the inclined heap, but at higher speeds the balls close to the wall adhere to it until they reach a certain height, whence they are thrown through an arc to the bottom. 3. The falling balls do not come down in clusters, but in series, the balls of each row keeping to their own line of flight according to their distances from the wall while ascending. 4. A further increase in speed results in the balls adhering during the whole of the circuit to the side of the drum. (This centrifuging speed may be called the "critical" speed and may be taken as a reference basis, since it is a constant function of the diameter.)2

Jan 1, 1930

By H. Bartholomew, L. Bernstein

Experirmental bonds of Ag-In SLID to gold, copper, nickel, Kovar, Dumet, nickel-plated molybdenum, ALL-Pt vrzetallizing on ceramic, and nickel-plated Mo-Ti metallizing on Al2O3 ceramic have been made and exalnined. Metallographic taper sections were made of all bonds for Phase identification. In addition, failuve temperatltres were determined for bonds heated undev shear load. Sowe bonds were subjected to electvon-probe microanalysis. The ternary SLID system Ag-In-Sn was similarly evaluated. Plwtonticrogaphs and electron-probe data are discussed and related to over-all phase diagrams , diffusion effects, and wetting properties of the liquid. The rates of diffusion andor compound formation of gold, silver, and copper in indium and In-Sn liquids are found to descend in that order, as measured by the relatzve thickness of phase layers in the interfaces of bonds made at 200to 400°C. It is concluded that the SLID process enables one to produce bonds which are stable at high temperatures, after having been fabricated at low temperatures, and meet most requirements for application in interconnection, silicon bonding, or hermetic sealing of electronic devices. In a previous publication by one of the authors, the theory and principle of SLID bonding in simple binary systems was discussed. SLID bonding can be defined as a joining process using a preform with a laminated structure: a low-melting material clad on a high-melting core. During the bonding cycle a metallurgical transformation occurs such that the resultant structure can withstand, without reliquefying, temperatures higher than those at which the bond was made. The phases present in the joint interface region are high-melting compounds or, if equilibrium is reached, solid solution. Properties will depend on the phases present, ultimately approaching those of the solid substrate core of the SLID preform. The high-temperature strength of bonds made in these systems was correlated to phase identification in the interfacial bond regions from metallographic cross sections and electron-probe X-ray microanalysis data. When complex electronic components are assembled, multiphase systems result at the interfaces of bond regions. In these ternary and higher-order systems very little diffusion and phase-diagram data is available with which to predict the nature of the interfacia1 region that will result from conventional fabrication processes and subsequent field use of the component. Clarke and Rhines did early work in the field using the Al-Mg-Zn system as a vehicle. Guy and co-workers studied a portion of the Cu-Zn-Ni system and some mathematical4 and general5 aspects of multiphase diffusion. irkald' and coworkerse recently studied diffusion in the Cu-Zn-Sn system. No diffusion studies have been made on ternary systems directly applicable to this investigation but some phase diagrams are available: g-u-n, u-i-n, and CU-i-n. I) DESCRIPTION AND EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The elements Au, Ag, Cu, Ni, In, and Sn are found in alloy systems commonly used in fabricating and assembling electronic components. Reference to the appropriate phase diagrams9 and the previous publication will indicate that the binary systems of any of the two low-melting elements, indium and tin, with any one of the other four higher-melting elements are capable of producing SLID bonds. It is not unreasonable to assume that any ternary or higher-order alloy system containing at least one of the elements gold, silver, copper, or nickel and one or both of the elements indium and tin could be used to produce bonds which are stable at high temperatures, after having been fabricated at low temperatures. Indeed, the liquidus contours and isothermal sections of those phase diagrams available7 do so indicate. The parameters affecting the bond and the equipment used in evaluating the bond were described in an earlier paper.' The current investigation used the

Jan 1, 1967

By Alexander R. Troiano, Taylor Lyman

Studies of the transformation of aus-tenite at constant subcritical temperatures have been numerous since the work of Davenport and Rain.' Considerable information has been obtained on low-alloy steels and on high-carbon alloys containing undissolved carbide or graphite at the austenitizing temperature. Little is known of the isothermal transformation of aus-tenite containing in solution large amounts of both carbon and a single alloying element. In this investigation four steels containing one per cent carbon and with chromium in the range 3 to 9 per cent have been examined with the view to establishing the fundamental character of the isothermal reactions when all carbon and chromium are initially in solution in austenite. Experimental Procedure Alloys The chemical compositions of the steels investigated are given in Table I. The 4 per cent Cr alloy is a commercial steel. The other steels were made by the Carpenter Steel Co. as 50-lb., induction-furnace heats and rolled to 5/8 -in. round bars. Bars were softened at 650' to 700°C. before the specimens were cut. Most of the lines on the transformation diagrams presented here have been placed on the basis of the microscopic examinatioll of partially reacted specimens, Thees specimens were approximately 1/2 by 1/4 by 1/8 in. ill size, specimens of the 9 per cent cr steel were held 10 to 12 hr, at 1200°to 1225°C. before quenching to the various subcritical temperatures. The other steels were held for 2 to 2 1/2 hr. at 12ooOC. before quenching. These treatments, carried out in an atmosphere of purified nitrogen, produced an austenite grain size larger than A.S.T.M. So. I, some grains being 1 to 2 mm. in diameter. There were a few undissolved carbide particles in some specimens of the 9 per cent Cr steel. It is believed, however, that any errors in the results due to incomplete solution of carbon and chromium in austenite are negligible; that is, austenite compositions may be considered as being those listed ill Table I. X-ray Methods Constituents were identified and mar-tensite axial ratios determined from Debye

Jan 1, 1945

By AIME AIME

THE technical material in hand and the plans under way for the 141st meeting of the Institute clearly indicate a well-rounded program of unusual excellence. The meeting will be held in the Engineering Societies Building, Feb. 15 to 18, and while it is too early to announce definitely the time of the various sessions much of the detail has been organized up to that point. Every group in the Institute membership will find much of special interest, and several features should prove generally attractive. The various committees in charge of the lighter side of the meeting are hard at work to emulate the standard established last February In this connection and in this paragraph it will suffice to say-there will be a Smoker-dinner! The Committee on Mining Methods plans two sessions for which these papers are in prospect:

Jan 1, 1932

By Albert G. Zima

ACCORDING to recently published statistics, it is predicted that as much oil must be produced during the next 16 years as has been produced during the past 75, in order to satisfy the high rate of consumption of petroleum products. During 1934, over 17,000 oil wells were completed in the United States, and it is expected that over 20,000 additional wells will be drilled during the current year. Were it not for the remarkable progress made during recent years in the improvement of drilling technique and in the development of equipment used in the production phase of the oil industry, it is doubtful whether sufficient oil could be produced to meet present requirements. A few years ago, wells seldom were deeper than 3500 to 4000 ft., owing to the limitations of the drilling methods and equipment employed.. Today, 'however, through the application of scientific drilling methods and the adaptation of modern equipment and improved materials, many wells range from 6000 to 8000 ft. in depth, and a few recent completions exceed 10,000 feet. DRILL TOOLS Modern rotary drilling tools are the product of ingenious design and careful selection and adaptation of materials used in their construction. They must withstand terrific abrasion and, because of their compactness, must be designed to resist exceedingly high unit stresses. In bits, core drills and reamers, the bodies are made of either forged or cast alloy steels, heat-treated to develop a combination of high strength and toughness. To provide sufficient strength to the threaded portions and to protect the threads from distortion or damage, the box or pin sections of the tools are hardened to approximately 310 to 330 Brinell hardness

Jan 1, 1935

By Gary E. Melickian

Last year's review was characterized as a year of politics and began an era of legislation. The 1972 review can be similarly characterized, with even more rigid health and safety regulations and environmental legislation. The mining industry should be aware of what's happening in the nuclear power and other fields as a result of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, where the environmental impact of most major construction activities are already under close scrutiny. Section 102 of NEPA requires that all federal agencies include a detailed statement on specified environmental conditions as part of every report on proposed actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. All such environmental reports must consider the same general conditions: • The environmental impact of the proposed action. • Any adverse environmental effects which cannot be avoided should the proposal be implemented. • Alternatives to the proposed action. • The relationship between local short-term uses of man's environment and the maintenance and enhancement of long-term productivity. • Any irreversible and irretrievable commitments of resources which would be involved in the proposed action should it be implemented.

Jan 2, 1973

By L. D. Fetterolf

The New Jersey Zinc Zompany operates at Depue, Illinois, an integrated zinc smelting plant using tie vertical retort reduction process. The overall operation comprises green concentrate roasting, sintering, vertical retort smelting and metal refining. In the roasting operation, the fine concentrate is pelletized, the dried pellets fluidized and autogenously roasted with air in a “fluid column” with minimal formation of dust requiring recirculation. The roasted pellets and any associated roaster dust are agglomerated in a rotating drum and laid down, in combination with coal for fuel, on a Dwight-Lloyd sintering machine which converts to a semi-fused mass - a physical state more suitable for vertical retort smelting. The smeltins plant of 27 vertical retorts rated at 8 T zinc each per day on average requires the following major processing steps - mix preparation and briquettine, briquet coking, vertical retort reduction, vapor condensation and slab casting of metal. A portion of zinc production is converted to 99.99+ percent purity by boiling and fractional distillation in columns consisting of externally heated, superimposed trays of high-conductivity refractory.

Jan 1, 1970

By H. J. O’Donnell, B. C. Parks

IN 1930 the late Dr. Reinhardt Thiessen set up a method of microscopic analysis and type classification of coal that has since been followed as standard practice in the coal-petrography laboratory of the Bureau of Mines. Thiessen's terminology which designated the constituent parts of coal in terms of botanical origin was introduced in 1920.l The technique, however, of preparing a completely representative series of thin sections from a column sample of coal for use in making quantitative determinations of coal components with a microscope was developed about 10 years later by Thiessen and coworkers G. C. Sprunk and H. J. O'Donnell.2 Complete thin-section analyses subsequently have been made of 126 column samples of various ranks and types of American coals. The data and information were assembled from these thin-section studies and published in a large number of reports dealing chiefly with investigations of the coking and hydrogenation properties of certain American coals. In the years following adoption of Thiessen's method, a considerable amount of work was done in collecting column samples of many coals, making routine thin-section analyses of these, interpreting the results, and finding practical application for the information in other fields of coal research. The many reports and papers covering the work in coal petrography, however, offer very little discussion that can be considered as critical appraisal of the technique. Criticism outside the Bureau most often has voiced questioning opinions concerning the accuracy of the method used of measuring coal components microscopically and classifying the coal into arbitrary types on the basis of the quantitative determinations. The principal purpose of this paper is to discuss in some detail and present data showing the results of certain investigative work done in the petrography laboratory on the accuracy of the Bureau's method of microscopic measurement of components in coal thin sections. Data from microscopic analyses on file made by G. C. Sprunk and H. J. O'Donnell were freely used in the investigation, and a table of columnar analyses from an unpublished manuscript by Sprunk is included in this paper for reference. In the course of the experimental work a method was developed for measuring instrumentally with a planimeter the components shown in micrographs of selected thin sections. Measuring coal components with a planimeter furnished useful information for studying the accuracy of microscopically measuring the same components in thin sections. PETROGRAPHIC COMPONENTS AND TYPE CLASSIFICATION OF COAL Thiessen considered coal to be composed of two visibly different major components present in various types of coal in greatly varying proportions. He named

Jan 1, 1948

By Kenneth M. Bravinder, Jonathan E. Koogle, Dean H. Sheldon

The solution of subsurface geological problems requires an analysis of vertical and horizontal dimensional relationships. For many, the ability to visualize structures in three dimensions is not easily acquired, and for areas where the structural conditions are complicated by faulting the need arises for illustrative models. This has led to the many forms of peg models, in which the usual course of construction includes a peg for the well bore, and the suspension of strings from peg to peg to illustrate the formation correlation between wells, thus developing the usual folds and flexures. Such models proved unsatisfactory for the analysis of fault problems. Consideration was then given to the use of transparent materials. A model of the Dominguez oil field was constructed in 1935, which consisted of a series of glass panels irom well to well on which the formations were shown in color. This model, though serving its purpose at the time, proved to be impractical from the standpoints of cost, breakage hazard, and extreme difficulty in maintenance. The cost of materials was estimated to be approxi-mately $300, and the construction required the services of one man for a period of from 10 to 12 months. Maintenance after actual construction was an additional expense. Consideration was then given to the use of celluloid, and aiter some experimental work it was found that the advantages in its use were: (I) a short construction time, (2) ease of handling the material, (3) sec-tions are easily reworked, (4) low cost. Construction It would be of little value to recount here the difficulties encountered in the building of the first celluloid model. The conclusions drawn, however, suggest the following pro-cedure for those who contemplate the construction of such a model: 1. Determilzatiolz of the Scale.—Accurate geological interpretation requires the use of the same scale horizontally and vertically. It should be emphasized that the limited size of the celluloid sheets (20 by 48 in. maximum dimensions), the area to be studied, the maximum depths to be plotted, and area of possible future development are the controlling factors in adopting a scale to he used. 2. Construction of the Base.—A satisfac-tory base may be constructed by using two pieces of three-ply wood separated by strips of I by 2-in. material. This type of construction prevents warping of the base. The size of the base is determined by the dimensions of the area to be studied plus 5 in. on all sides. A map of the same scale as that adopted for the model, indicating the lines of section to be used, should be fastened to the base. 3. Constructiolt of the Frame (Fig. I).—In the construction of the frame the use of %-in. 0.d. pipe welded in a box shape is suggested, with two horizontal rods on each of the four sides, top and bottom. The top rod should be at least r in. higher than the

Jan 1, 1941