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By John Blatchford, H. O. Hofman

The leading antimony mineral is stibnite. In smelting stibnite ore two processes are available, precipitation and roasting-reduction. The former is suited only for high-grade ores. As low-grade ores are more common than high-grade, roasting-reduction is of greater importance than precipitation. In the roasting process the aim may be to leave the oxidized antimony in the ore, or it may be to volatilize as much of the antimony as possible, collect the volatilized oxide as a rich intermediary product and smelt it for antimony, leaving the gangue poor enough to be considered a waste product. Whichever way the roast is conducted certain difficulties inherent in stibnite are encountered. These are: 1. The low melting point of stibnite which, according to Pélabon,' is 550°C., according to Wagemann2 540°C., and according to Borgstroma 546°C. 2. The ignition temperature: According to Friedrich,4 stibnite, if heated in air, begins to oxidize at 290°C. if the size of a grain is 0.1 mm. in diameter; at 343", if 0.1 to 0.2 mm.; and 430" if 0.2 mm. 3. The fusibility of a mixture of Sb2S33 and Sb203 which in the form of kermesite (Sb2S3)z.Sbz03 melts at 517°C.6 4. The volatility of Sb2Ss and SbzOs, for which no numerical data appear to exist, although practical experience has shown that they are volatile at low temperatures. As regards the oxidation of metallic antimony, we have the experimental evidence of C. F. Plattner6 that when fused and brought to a red heat, it burns with a bluish-white flame to Sb2Oa which passes off as a

Jan 1, 1916

By Henry M. Howe

In my original paper, Piping and Segregation in Steel Ingots, I pointed out1 among other things that, in view of the slighter stretching (virtual expansion) of the crust, and greater opportunity for sagging, there should be less piping in broad than in narrow ingots, and less in slowly-cooled ingots, e.g., those cast in pre-heated sand molds, than in those which cool quickly, e.g., those cast in iron molds. A. A. Stevenson said that neither of these predictions agreed with his own experience. In particular, in a picture which he showed of a wide and of a narrow ingot cast from the same ladleful of steel: the wide ingot had certainly piped much more deeply than the narrow one. At the time I did not see the explanation of these discrepancies, but further reflection makes it evident. One of the most important elements in determining the depth of the pipe is the degree of " top-lag," that is, the degree to which the solidification of the top of the ingot lags behind that of the bottom. Through this lagging the steel of the upper part of the ingot is able to run down and fill the pipe below as fast as it forms. To the importance of this lagging I called attention in my original paper.' Sand us. Iron Molds.—If we compare two like ingots, one cast in an iron and the other in a sand mold, we see that the top-lag is much greater in the former than in the latter, because in the former the lower part of the ingot is cooling off fast while the metal is running into the upper part. It is perhaps easier to look at this as a case of the solidification of the hot-

Jan 1, 1910

By R. W. Jenkins

RACKLESS equipment is being used by the T Coplay Cement Manufacturing Co. to develop a folded limestone deposit economically and safely with inexperienced men. Cost and quality of development stone results in a saving when it is used instead of outside sources of limestone. This favorable cost has been attained by following a methods development and training program described in this paper. It is expected that further savings in favor of the mined stone will be made when stopes now being prepared are in production. The present equipment will be used for loading from stope draw points. The limestone is blended with quarried cement rock to serve as raw material for Portland cement, first produced in this country by Coplay Cement Manufacturing Co. from a process developed by its president, David 0. Saylor, in 1873. For many years the cement rock alone or with a small amount of added limestone was used for raw materials. Later as specifications were raised and the richer portions of quarries were depleted, limestone from outside sources was required in increasing amounts. In 1925 D. J. Uhle, the general manager, began to prospect company property for limestone. It was known that the argillaceous cement rock was underlain by crystalline high calcium limestone. After an extensive drilling program it was found that there were large reserves of limestone underlying a recumbent syncline exposed in the south wall of the company's No. 3 cement rock quarry. A quarry was started on the vertical limb of this fold in 1927, and by 1930 the full requirement of the plant was met. After 1945 production diminished because of the occurrence of dolomite beds in the south wall. The quarry floor was then 135 ft below the cement rock level and 285 ft below surface. In 1949 Gerald I?.

Jan 1, 1955

By A. E. Nehrenberg

IN an earlier publication' it was shown that the.. shape assumed by a volume of growing austenite is inherited from the prior structure. The matrix grains of pearlitic microstructures are equiaxed, and austenite grows in an equiaxed manner in these prior structures. Martensite and bainite, on the other hand, have an acicular grain structure, and the austenite produced in such structures grows in an acicular manner. In the discussion of this paper' it was pointed out that in cold-rolled tempered martensite, austenite grows in an equiaxed, rather than an acicular manner. The results of an experiment carried out to arrive at an understanding of this behavior are illustrated by the micrographs. Fig. 1 shows the acicular microstructure produced by heating tempered martensite to a temperature within the Ac1-Ac3 range, 1350°F. When tempered martensite is cold rolled, then heated to the same temperature, the equiaxed structure shown in Fig. 2 is produced. A sample of cold-rolled tempered martensite heated at 1350°F just long enough for the formation of a small amount of austenite is shown by Fig. 3 to have an equiaxed (recrystallized) ferrite grain structure. The small particles of. austenite which formed at 1350°F in the equiaxed ferrite matrix are likewise equiaxed. Thus, the equiaxed growth of austenite in cold-worked tempered martensite is not a contradiction of the principles described in the previous paper, for the growth pattern reflects the matrix grain structure existing at the time of austenite formation. References A. E. Nehrenberg: The Growth of Austenite as Related to Prior structure. Trans. AIME (1950) 188, pp. 162-174; Journal of Metals (January 1950). 2 J. R. Vilella and R. A. Grange: Discussion of ref. 1. Trans. AIME (1950) 188, pp. 1378-1381; Journal of Metals (November 1950).

Jan 1, 1953

DESPITE the very small number of engineers who can get away from their tasks to New York, a point so far from the Mid-Continent and Cali-fornia oil fields, where the real important, engineering progress in the industry is being made, the attendance was remarkably good, and it was generally remarked that all the sessions were "snappy," and there was no drag. This was largely because, under instructions from the chairman, very few papers were permitted to be read, and the "high lights" of each paper were pre-sented orally as an introduction to the large and varied discussions, many of which were prepared in advance. The round table discussion on petroleum engineering research problems, conducted by W. E. Wrather, proved a greater success than was anticipated, considering the difficulty in getting many of the men to discuss such problems. There has been no crystallization of opinion heretofore of what are important engineering research problems, as distinguished from pure science problems, and a digest of the discussion will be made available so as to present the results obtained. It is hoped that further round table discussions, as well as committee work, in the meantime summarizing problems appear-ing in papers published the last two to three years, will enable the oil industry to determine intelligently which of the problems are most important for immediate attack. The roundtable discussion on petroleum engineering educational problems, conducted by H. C. George of the University of Oklahoma, was equally fruitful, and since managers of companies, consulting engineers, and pro-fessors cooperated in these sessions, a cross-section of their opinions on improving the curricula for training the large number of petroleum engineers, which the industry can absorb in-the next few years, was obtained.

Jan 3, 1927

By Gerhard Derge

A SERIES of studies of the corrosion of tin is under way in the Metals Research Laboratory at the Carnegie Institute of Technology. The complete program includes examination of the corrosion properties of high-purity tin and the changes produced in these properties by the addition of varying amounts of alloying elements. Other studies of this subject have been made recently under the sponsorship of the International Tin Research and Development Council, but these researches have been confined largely to the weakly acid environments commonly encountered in the canning industry.1 There is little information available regarding the corrosion of tin under alkaline conditions, but such data would be of value, for a large amount of the metal is used under such conditions. The potential measurements to be described were made because they seemed to offer the most rapid method for obtaining a general view of the conditions to be encountered in such service. These experiments will also serve to establish a technique that will be of value in further studies. It must be emphasized that the results reported are those of controlled laboratory experiments and that the conclusions drawn cannot yet be applied to service conditions; rather, they point to the directions in which more exhaustive experimental work may be done to best advantage. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The first work was devoted entirely to the problem of obtaining reproducible results from a series of potential measurements. Only the methods finally adopted as standard will be described here, except when the variations from these have furnished results of interest. The cell used is shown schematically in Fig. 1. The electrolyte is contained in the vessel A (an inverted bell jar), whose ground top is fitted to the transite-board lid B. The controlled atmosphere can be admitted

Jan 1, 1938

By Gerhard Derge

A series of studies of the corrosion of tin is under way in the Metals Research Laboratory at the Carnegie Institute of Technology. The complete program includes examination of the corrosion properties of high-purity tin and the changes produced in these properties by the addition of varying amounts of alloying elements. Other studies of this subject have been made recently under the sponsorship of the International Tin Research and Development Council, but these researches have been confined largely to the weakly acid environments commonly encountered in the canning industry.' There is little information available regarding the corrosion of tin under alkaline conditions, but such data would be of value, for a large amount of the metal is used under such conditions. The potential measurements to be described were made because they seemed to offer the most rapid method for obtaining a general view of the conditions to be encountered in such service. These experiments will also serve to establish a technique that will be of value in further studies. It must be emphasized that the results reported are those of controlled laboratory experiments and that the conclusions drawn cannot yet be applied to service conditions; rather, they point to the directions in which more exhaustive experimental work may be done to best advantage. Experimental Procedure The first work was devoted entirely to the problem of obtaining reproducible results from a series of potential measurements. Only the methods finally adopted as standard will be described here, except when the variations from these have furnished results of interest. The cell used is shown schematically in Fig. 1. The electrolyte is contained in the vessel A (an inverted bell jar), whose ground top is fitted to the transite-board lid B. The controlled atmosphere can be admitted

Jan 1, 1938

By B. H. Sage, W. N. Lacey, W. M. Morris

The volumetric behavior of isobutane at temperatures below its critical temperature has been studied by several investigators. Seibert and Burrelll measured the vapor pressure of isobutane from the ice point to the critical temperature. Dana and co-workers2 determined among other thermodynamic quantities the density of the saturated liquid and the saturated gas and the vapor pressure from approximately 0 to 130 F. Sage and Lacey3 studied a number of the thermodynamic properties of this hydrocarbon from 70" to 250" F. The specific volume in the gas and liquid region was determined at pressures up to 3000 Ib. per sq. in.? throughout this temperature interval. In addition, the vapor pressures were measured at 30" intervals. These data taken together serve to establish the thermodynamic behavior of isobutane at temperatures between 0" and 250" F. with reasonable accuracy. However, apparently there are no data available at the higher temperatures. For this reason an investigation of the volumetric behavior of isobutane at temperatures between 100" and 460" F. was carried out with apparatus that has been described in another paper (p. 136, this volume). Materials The isobutane used in this investigation was obtained from the Philgas Division of the Phillips Petroleum Co. That company's special analysis upon this sample indicated it to contain less than 0.03 mol per cent of impurities. In order to avoid traces of noncondensable gases, this hydrocarbon material was subjected to two successive fractionations at a high reflux ratio in a column approximately 4 ft. long and % in. in diameter, which was packed with small glass rings. The middle portion of distillate from the first fractionation was used in the second fraction-ation and a portion of the overhead from this second distillation process was repeatedly condensed at liquid-air temperatures at a pressure only slightly above the sublimation pressure of isobutane at this temperature.

Jan 1, 1940

By Isobel Clark

The increasing complexity of modern mining technology makes it ever more difficult to decide on the 'best* way to solve problems in mine planning. Yet with escalating costs it becomes increasingly more important for the mining engineer to be able to evaluate quantitatively the implications of the 'what happens if' postulation on the efficiency and economics of exploitation. The use of a model of the orebody can yield an estimate, not just of overall expected results, but also of the sensitivity of these results to possible variations in the orebody. Estimation techniques, such as Kriging, will produce the expected value for the grade of ore at any given point, or over any given volume within a deposit. However, the actual grades mined during production will - of necessity - differ from the predicted values. These possible variations, and the sensitivity of the management decisions to them, can be investigated in detail by the use of simulation. An orebody can be simulated which follows the known characteristics of the deposit at any given stage in development. These properties might be the histogram of grade values, the semivariogram from the samples, the actual borehole assays, geological constraints and/or interpretation, topography, lease boundaries etc. This would be one possible 'realisation' of the deposit as dictated by the currently known data. If several of these simulations are carried out, each conditioned to the current knowledge of the orebody, then it is possible to gain an idea of the range of possible outcomes of any mining procedure or decision taken - all of which are equally likely. Not only can the best decision then be taken, but its sensitivity to the inherent variation within the orebody, and to the ever present estimation errors may be thoroughly studied.

Jan 1, 1977

By R. Dawson Hall

THE stresses in the e simplest structures are often those we find most difficult to analyze. The most complex condition in mine stresses is found in simple tunnels where the roof, the sides, and the floor are a monolith. The functions of the parts are like the parts themselves not distinct and specialized, and the problems to be solved are like those in a metal structure with riveted joints or a redundancy of bars. This difficulty explains perhaps why the condition has not been treated. But just because it cannot be discussed in its entirety is no reason why it should be treated as an action of parts with specialized functions as a roof 'beans with supports and a foundation. The problem cannot be ignored on the ground that it is not of sufficient importance to warrant careful consideration, because conditions of complete monolithism, of which the tunnel is the type, are found materially unchanged) in room-and-pillar and in longwall work. This unity between roof, sides, and floor, which to the coal miner is a difficult conception, really deserves a scientific appellation, and perhaps holoid (from holos, whole, and eidos, form) will serve the purpose as well as any other. In a simple tunnel the roof, the sides, and the floor form integral parts of one and the same structure; and the distortion of one cannot be conceived without a consequent strain in the others. Thus when the roof of the tunnel droops by reason of its weight, the upper parts of the sides are drawn in because they are integrally-connected with the roof and must approach each other whenever, by the sagging of the roof, the distance between any two points in it is diminished. (See Fig. 1.)

Jan 9, 1915

By T. D. Yensen

AGING is a term that connotes a slow change in properties under ordinary operating conditions. It can be accelerated by increasing the temperature and by mechanical straining. The magnetic properties of iron and some of its alloys have for many years been known to be subject to such a change. But the cause of the change was not recognized until a few years ago after mechanical age-hardening in non-ferrous alloys of the "duralumin" type had been definitely shown, by means of solid solubility curves, changes in electrical resistance and microanalysis, to be caused by slow precipitation of one or more con-stituents from the solid solution. The similarity between the solid solubility curves of such alloys (Fig. 1) and those for iron-nitrogen (Fig. 2) and iron-carbon alloys (Fig. 3) below the Al transformation point suggested at once that magnetic aging of iron might be caused by a similar process; namely, by the slow precipitation of carbon and nitrogen in the form of Fe4N and Fe3C at ordinary temperatures because of a cooling rate that had been too rapid to permit complete precipitation according to equilibrium conditions. This suggestion has since been amply confirmed, particularly by the comprehensive work of Köster1 on the effect of nitrogen and carbon. Typical curves are shown in Fig. 4 for the relationship between aging temperature and coercive force. Previous to the establishment of the precipitation-hardening theory it was thought that the effect of nonmetallic elements like C, N, 0, etc., on the magnetic properties of iron was greatest when these elements were retained in solid solution, atomically dispersed throughout the interstitial spaces of the iron lattice2.

Jan 1, 1935

By Gerhard Derge

A series of studies of the corrosion of tin is under way in the Metals Research Laboratory at the Carnegie Institute of Technology. The complete program includes examination of the corrosion properties of high-purity tin and the changes produced in these properties by the addition of varying amounts of alloying elements. Other studies of this subject have been made recently under the sponsorship of the International Tin Research and Development Council, but these researches have been confined largely to the weakly acid environments commonly encountered in the canning industry.' There is little information available regarding the corrosion of tin under alkaline conditions, but such data would be of value, for a large amount of the metal is used under such conditions. The potential measurements to be described were made because they seemed to offer the most rapid method for obtaining a general view of the conditions to be encountered in such service. These experiments will also serve to establish a technique that will be of value in further studies. It must be emphasized that the results reported are those of controlled laboratory experiments and that the conclusions drawn cannot yet be applied to service conditions; rather, they point to the directions in which more exhaustive experimental work may be done to best advantage. Experimental Procedure The first work was devoted entirely to the problem of obtaining reproducible results from a series of potential measurements. Only the methods finally adopted as standard will be described here, except when the variations from these have furnished results of interest. The cell used is shown schematically in Fig. 1. The electrolyte is contained in the vessel A (an inverted bell jar), whose ground top is fitted to the transite-board lid B. The controlled atmosphere can be admitted

Jan 1, 1938

By J. L. McK. Yardley

There are two general classes of problems in connection with electric furnaces. First, those relating to the best utilization of the electrical power inside the furnace; second, those connected with the bringing of the electrical power to the point where it is to be utilized. Referring particularly to the latter class of problems, many calculations have been made, covering a wide variety of furnaces, to check the electrical capacity and power factor found from test. The following analysis, made for the purpose of determining the maximum capacity and approximate performance of a new furnace, to operate at 160 volts on a 60-cycle circuit, may be of interest. The first characteristic necessary to determine is the inductance, since this is the factor that limits the amount of power which can be put into the furnace. Inductance is calculated from the dimensions of the furnace, according to formulas of the U. S. Bureau of Standardsll as follows. Formula 99, for mutual inductance, is: M = 2l [log 2l/d-1 +d/l] Formula 103, for self-inductance, is: Both of these formulas are approximations which are nearly correct when 1 is great compared to d or R. 1 = length of circuit, in centimeters, d = separation between the conductors, in centimeters, R = geometric mean radius of conductors. For a circular tube, R = the radius of the circle. For a solid circular conductor, R = 0.7788 X the radius of the conductor. For a rectangular conductor, R = 0.2235 X (a + b), a being the length, and b being the width of the rectangle. To calculate the inductance of a three-phase circuit, it is customary to figure the inductance of one leg. In circuits where the three conductors

Jan 1, 1920

By Joseph H. Taylor

The Ducktown district is in the extreme southeastern corner of Tennessee, its principal railroad point being Copperhill, on the Blue Ridge division of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, midway between Knoxville, Tenn., and Atlanta, Ga. The ore deposits were discovered about 1849 and development work was begun in the early fifties. Only the "black copper" ores, products of secondary enrichment, from beneath the gossan outcrops and overlying the massive sulphide deposits, were then mined and smelted for their copper content. Upon their exhaustion, attention was directed to the treatment of the pyritic ore remaining, resulting in the devising of a process consisting of open-heap roasting, followed by blast-furnace smelting, which was practised until 1903, when semi-pyritic smelting was adopted. In 1908, the companies operating in the district, on account of litigation brought about by alleged smoke damage to forests and vegetation in the adjoining counties of Georgia, were compelled to erect enormous acid plants to prevent the escape of the sulphur dioxide produced in the smelting operations. The utilization of this sulphur dioxide in the manufacture of sulphuric acid as a byproduct has added to the revenues of the companies, and at the same time has furnished a valuable source of supply of sulphuric acid to the fertilizer trade of the South, and more recently to the manufacturers of eyplosives for use in the production of war munitions. The steadily increasing demand for sulphuric acid for the manufacture of fertilizers and explosives, together with the decreasing imports of pyrites, from which the acid is generally produced, now makes it imperative that greatly extended resources of pyrite be developed. While the Ducktown deposits do not predominate in pyrite, they do contain an inexhaustible supply of pyrrhotite, admixed with pyrite, which can be satisfactorily employed to supplement or substitute for pyrite in acid making.

Jan 1, 1918

By Julian Kennedy

THINKING that it may prove of interest to the Institute, 1 have prepared a short; account of the blowing in and subsequent working of the "A" furnace of the Edgar Thomson Steel Works. This furnace was built for the purpose of making spiegel, but has been started and is now running on Bessemer iron. The shape and size of the furnace are shown in the accompanying drawing. It will be seen that the section is formed of lines making very small angles with each other. In fact, an arc of a circle can be drawn, from the top to the tuyeres, which will nowhere deviate more than two inches from the lines given. In building, also, great pains were taken to gradually round the angles, so that the most careful observer, standing in the crucible and looking upward, could not tell at what points the slopes changed. It will also be seen that the widest part of the furnace is almost exactly midway between the bottom and the stock line. The flattest slope is maintained for 20 feet above the crucible, and is about 18 inch to the foot from the perpendicular. The furnace is lined with small brick throughout, and has six tuyeres four inches in diameter, which project seven inches inside of crucible. There are three Siemens-Cowper-Cochrane stoves, each 15 feet in diameter by 50 feet high. Blast is furnished by an upright engine with 32-inch steam cylinder, 84-inch air cylinder, and 48-inch stroke. The steam cylinder has balanced poppet valves, working horizontally. The steam valves are worked by a Porter link-movement in order to obtain a variable cut-off. The exhaust valves are worked by a separate eccentric. It is intended to attach a governor to the cut-off, but at present it is set by hand. The steam cylinder is

Jan 1, 1880

By Merrill Horine

IT has been stated and accepted for many years that the automotive industry was the instigator, the principal sponsor for and the largest user of alloy steel and nonferrous alloys. The only universally recognized standard specifications and heat-treatments for these materials are those adopted by the Society of Automotive Engineers. It is this same auto-motive industry that has been the chief inspiration for and consumer of modern production machine tools. The production curve of steel ingots is more sensitive to fluctuations in automotive production than any other influence or group of influences. In every other important steel-con-suming industry, automotive materials and automotive processes are the outstanding features of modern progress. In this connection I need only mention the prefabrication of buildings, following the automotive system of straight-line, interchangeable mass production; the motorization of ships and railroads, employing automotive types of prime movers; the production of pressed-steel stoves, plumbing and furniture by methods originated in the automobile-body industry and the extensive use of rubber for the cushioning of all manner of machinery as pioneered by the automotive and tire industries. Dr. Jeffries has brought out this point in his address (p. 21), assuring us that the transportation industry is the largest user of these materials. In the transportation industry, or as we might more accurately express it, the transportation group of industries, the. automotive industry pre-dominates as a user of light alloys. One out of every four tons of aluminum produced is consumed by the automotive industry. Similarly, the automotive industry ranks first in the consumption of the following metallurgical materials: steel, 24.04 per cent; malleable iron, .57; alloy steels, 72.2; nickel, 30; lead, 39 per cent.

Jan 1, 1936

By Frederick G. Bulkley

That portion of the geological structure of the Leadville district which rests upon the Archæan is made up of sedimentary beds of Silurian and Carboniferous formation, consisting of many conformable strata of limestones, quartzites, and shales, which have a total present thickness of about five thousand feet. Interbedded with these strata are found, under somewhat fixed lams of regularity, sheets of intrusive igneous rock,' varying in thickness from a foot or two to several hundred feet. These consist for the most part of various types of felsite rocks, classed, by the sanction of common and long-continued usage, under the general term of porphyries. Mr. S. F. Emmons, in the abstract of his " Report upon the Geology and Mining Industry of Leadville," says in this connection : In their mode of occurrence the type-feature is that of intrusive masses, which are developed on a scale of unprecedented magnitude, and follow certain horizons with remarkable regularity.... It is probable that this mode of occurrence of eruptive rocks, viz., as intrusive masses which originally did not reach the surface but were forced up to a certain horizon and then spread out bettween the beds, is far more common than has hitherto been suspected by geologists. It is difficult to conceive of the conditions under which a fused mass could pry open strata to a width of one thousand feet or more, overcoming the weight often thousand feet of superincumbent rocks, and spread itself out in a continuous sheet between the beds to a distance of ten miles beyond the point or line of eruption. That they did exist, however, can be clearly demonstrated in this region.... In one single section over fifteen sheets, many several hundred feet thick, were counted between the Blue Limestone and the top of the Carboniferous. The region here under discussion is made up of a series of great

Jan 1, 1885

By George Smith

TWELVE years ago, the Director of the United States Geological Survey addressed to the Secretary of the Interior a letter calling attention to the government's need for liquid fuel for naval use and pointing out that the rate of increase in demand was more rapid than the increase in production.1 This letter, in a way, inaugurated the policy of public oil-land withdrawals, which was well founded in its primary purpose of protecting the oil industry and highly desirable in its immediate effect of checking the over-development of that day in California. Unfortunately, however, through delays in legislation, this policy may be regarded now as having outlived both its intent and its usefulness. In 1908, the country's production of oil was 178,500,000 bbl., and there was a surplus above consumption of more than 20,000,000 bbl. available to go into storage.: In 1918, 10 years later, the oil wells of the United States yielded 356,000,000 bbl.-nearly twice the yield of 1908-but to meet the demands of the increased consumption more than 24,000,000 bbl. had to be drawn from storage. Nor is this all of the brief comparison. In 1918, our excess of imports over exports of crude petroleum was nearly 33,000,000 bbl. whereas in 1908 we exported 3,500,000 bbl., which was net, as we had not begun to import Mexican oil. In this period, the annual fuel-oil consumption of the railroads alone has increased from 16,871,000 to 36,714,000. bbl.; the annual gasoline production from 540,000,000 gal. to 3,500,000,000 gal. This record may be taken not only as justifying the earlier appeal for Federal action, but as warranting deliberate attention to the oil problem of today.

Jan 1, 1920

By Donald Barton

THE elastic, earthwaves produced naturally by earthquakes -have been used for a long time as evidence from which to draw conclusions in re-gard to the constitution of the interior and crust of the earth. The elastic earthwaves produced artificially by occasional explosions and recorded by seismological observatories were used to draw conclusions regarding the-geology of the intervening area. Intentionally pro-duced elastic earthwaves in the past five years have come to be used extensively in the investigation of very local geologic structure. The seismic method of work-ing geologic structure, which makes use of artificially controlled explosions and the resulting earthwaves, has developed almost `clairvoyant power in handling certain geologic situations, and in the discovery of salt domes in the Gulf Coastal: Plain region of Texas and Louisiana has 'scored the, most brilliant success. The. first, proposal for the use of artificial earth-quakes in the study-of velocity of elastic earthwaves in the surface formations of the earth's crust was made before 1888 by the English seismologists, Mallet and Abbot. Partly on the basis of their work, A. Schmidt in 1888 proposed- the use of the time-distance graphs of artificial earthquakes to study the variation of ve-locity with depth. Belar in 1902 proposed the practical application of such investigation in connection with boring tunnels. Galitzen repeatedly (1912, 1913) pro-posed the use of explosions to study the velocity of the longitudinal and transverse waves in the uppermost formations and pointed out that the velocity depended in a high degree on the physical character of the beds and that from changes in the velocity, conclusions could be drawn in regard to the compositions of the beds. Somewhat the same thought: was proposed by von dem Borne (1908), by Benndorf, Udden, and others.

Jan 9, 1928

By W. N. Lacey, B. H. Sage, W. M. Morris

The volumetric behavior of isobutane at temperatures below its critical temperature has been studied by several investigators. Seibert and Burrelll measured the vapor pressure of isobutane from the ice point to the critical temperature. Dana and co-workers2 determined among other thermodynamic quantities the density of the saturated liquid and the saturated gas and the vapor pressure from approximately 0 to 130 F. Sage and Lacey3 studied a number of the thermodynamic properties of this hydrocarbon from 70" to 250" F. The specific volume in the gas and liquid region was determined at pressures up to 3000 Ib. per sq. in.? throughout this temperature interval. In addition, the vapor pressures were measured at 30" intervals. These data taken together serve to establish the thermodynamic behavior of isobutane at temperatures between 0" and 250" F. with reasonable accuracy. However, apparently there are no data available at the higher temperatures. For this reason an investigation of the volumetric behavior of isobutane at temperatures between 100" and 460" F. was carried out with apparatus that has been described in another paper (p. 136, this volume). Materials The isobutane used in this investigation was obtained from the Philgas Division of the Phillips Petroleum Co. That company's special analysis upon this sample indicated it to contain less than 0.03 mol per cent of impurities. In order to avoid traces of noncondensable gases, this hydrocarbon material was subjected to two successive fractionations at a high reflux ratio in a column approximately 4 ft. long and % in. in diameter, which was packed with small glass rings. The middle portion of distillate from the first fractionation was used in the second fraction-ation and a portion of the overhead from this second distillation process was repeatedly condensed at liquid-air temperatures at a pressure only slightly above the sublimation pressure of isobutane at this temperature.

Jan 1, 1940