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By H. T. Bowman

FOR more than 80 years the Bessemer process has depended upon the ability, skill, and judgment of the blower, although as early as the 1860's it was recognized that the process would benefit by some type of instrumental control.1 However, instruments with sufficient recording speeds did not exist, so the end-point determination was always dependent upon the blower's eye. This placed an obstacle in the way of precise experimental work, because of the absence of the necessary records and reference points as reported by Work.2 The use of the photocell provided the instantaneous record of the blow that made this experimental work possible and provided more scientific control for the process as discussed by Graham3' A brief description of the progress of the blow will illustrate the recording function of the instrument. The silicon in the iron is being oxidized during the first minutes of the blow, as pointed out by Henning4 in a table showing the order of metalloid elimination. The product of this oxidation is a solid that remains in the converter, so there is virtually no flame during this part of the blow. This low flame luminosity is illustrated by the flame recording shown in Fig. I, where the silicon blow is plainly marked. The dull flame of the silicon blow gradually gives way to the brilliant carbon flame as the increasing quantities of carbon monoxide formed inside the converter burn to dioxide upon contact with the atmosphere above the vessel. When the carbon reaches some low value under 0.20 per cent, there is insufficient monoxide formed to maintain the dioxide flame, so its intensity drops. Throughout the flame drop carbon continues to burn, until at some value around 0.05 per cent an arrest occurs in the recorded drop. This point has been designated as the end point. The period of time from this end point until the vessel is turned upon its side and blowing has stopped has been called the afterblow. This afterblow is used as a measure of the degree of metal oxidation, and uniformity demands that it be controlled within narrow limits. Iron and blowing conditions are likely to change several times during a turn, necessitating corresponding changes in end-point control. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss these changes, the factors that make them necessary, and their bearing upon the quality of steel. CARBON-FEO RELATIONSHIP In the Bessemer process oxidation relationships are precise. Fig. 2 shows a graph of the carbon-FeO relationship. The familiar "bomb-test" method, described by McCutcheon and Rautio,5 was used for obtaining these and all other dissolved FeO values herein reported, all tests being taken from the converter before deoxidation unless otherwise noted. All tests of 0.10 per cent carbon and above were obtained from metal blown for duplexing. McGinley and Woodworth6 reported iron oxide values for blown metal, but their tests were obtained by a different method than were those

Jan 1, 1942

By J. R. Campbell

It is the purpose of this paper to review somewhat in detail the literature on the subject that is extant, which ought to provoke considerable beneficial discussion. The value of 1 per cent. ash in blast-furnace practice was brought to the attention of the writer when he was connected with the U. S. Steel Corpn. Various groups of blast furnaces in the Pittsburgh district compiled a statement in which the average saving was about 6 c. per ton on pig iron for every 1 per cent. of ash reduction. Later, the same groups of furnaces, when materials had reached a higher price, compiled a statement in which there was a 30-cent saving on pig iron for every 4 per cent. ash reduction in the Pittsburgh district, which was equivalent to 7½ c. for every 1 per cent. ash reduction. In the Chicago district, on long freight hauls of coal and coke from the Pocahontas district, the set-up was 30 c. per ton of pig iron for every 2 per cent. ash reduction, or 15 c. for every 1 per cent. Some years ago, Ralph H. Sweetser, of the American Rolling Mill Co., presented a paper which provoked considerable comment.' To get the matter again before this body a résumé of his computations is given below: Comparison of Pig Iron Costs Ash in Coal. Ash in CoKe, Fixed Carbon in Coke peR Ton OB PIG Iron peN Day, Per Cent. PeR CeNt. Coke. Per Cent. PIG IRon. Lb. Tons 6.00 8.70 89.80 1800 365.0 7.00 10.15 88.35 1860 353.2 Coke with 8.70 Per Cent. Ash Ore mixture, 4144 It). = 1.85 tons @ $5.50.............................. $10.17 Coke, 1800 lb. = 0.90 ton @ $6.50..................................... 5.85 Limestone, 1000 lb. = 0.50 ton @ $1.50................................. 0.75 Labor, $365 per day on 365 tons....................................... 1.00 Supplies and service, $250 per day...................................... 0.68 Overhead, $200 per day............................................... 0.55 Reserve for relining and depreciation................................... 1.00 Total............................................................. $20.00

Jan 1, 1931

By AIME AIME

ARGUMENTS and discussions were not lacking either Wednesday or Thursday mornings, when the geophysicists got together. The first session, under the chairmanship of Paul Weaver, was devoted largely to theoretical papers, except for the first one by F. W. Lee, which was a progress report. This speaker mentioned some of the high lights of geophysical exploration during the last year, such as the recently announced extension of the Rand gold fields through magnetic exploration, and the continued activity in the oil fields of this country. Even this brought forth some disagreements, Paul Weaver feeling that credit was being given geophysics where it was not due for the discovery of certain oil fields. In this criticism Everette DeGolyer concurred, and both agreed that geophysicists must lean over backward when it comes to taking credit for discoveries. The troublesome question of interpreting resistivity curves is always being aired, and Lynn G. Howell's paper, presented briefly by the chairman, served to clear up a moot point raised last year by M. King Hubbert's work. By use of Maxwell's theory of images the author calculated that the effect of a thin, conductive sheet placed perpendicularly across the middle of a four electrode system should bring the resistivity curve up to a figure equivalent to the resistivity of the surrounding medium, but no higher. Variations from this he explained as being due to dirt on the surface of the sheet. The difficult question of interpreting three-layer curves was tackled bravely in Thomas Manhart's paper, presented in abstract by S. F. Kelly. The author seems to be attaining some success through dividing three-layer curves into two approximation curves of the two-layer type.

Jan 1, 1933

By H. S. Bell

IT SEEMS unnecessary to dwell upon the advantages of the modern pipe still as compared with the older type of distillation equipment used by oil refiners. The relatively low installation cost, coupled with remarkable operating efficiencies of pipe stills, precludes the consideration of other types except in rare instances where some peculiarity of product or plant may have an influence. The question of the actual heat required to distil petroleum is quite involved. We have extensive data on the latent heats of the various hydrocarbons under different conditions of pressure. We also have information regarding the specific heats of various oils and the effect of temperature thereon. Because of the complexity of petroleum and of each fraction, it seems impossible to theoretically analyze the partial-pressure effect of the great number of hydrocarbons upon one another during distillation. If a distillation curve and percentage analysis of any crude or product are available, it is possible to construct a curve with ordinates representing per cent. distilled and B. t. u. per pound or per gallon, or other desired unit. To do so the crude is split into fractions, of 5 or 10 per cent. The boiling point and gravity of each fraction being determined, it is possible to evaluate the heat required. As each fraction is removed, the residue must be raised to a higher temperature and latent heat supplied for the successive fraction. As the calculations progress, the latent heats decrease while the specific heats increase. Such a curve is illustrated by Fig. 1 for a typical 39.9 B° North Texas crude.

Jan 1, 1928

By Persifor Frazer

CONTENTS. PAGE 1. Committee House of Commons Report (1843).......521 2. Clark (1880).............521 3. Schröder and Schertel (1884).... . 521 4. Committee House of Lords Report (1887).......523 5. Vita (1890).............524 6. Irvine (1890-1)............524 i. Cramer (1891)............525 8. Bailey. Cohen. Tatham and Hartog (1891))......525 9. Morrison (1891)............525 10. Brunner (1891)............525 11. Bell (1892).............585 12. Oades (1892).............526 12a. Purcell (1892)............526 13. Sennett (1892)............526 14. Bulier (1892).............526 1.7. Wiesner (1892))...........526 16. Thomson (1892)............530 17. Fletcher (1892)............530 18. Committee Engineers' Club Report (1892).......530 19. Cohen and Hefford (1892)..........531 20. Discussion Soc. Chem. Ind. (1893). ..532 21. Reuss (1893).............532 22. Thomson (1894—5) ...........535 23. Clowes and Feilmann (1895). ...536 24. Callan (1895)...........536 2.5. Wright (1895)............536 25A. Mabery (1895)............536 26. Re- (1896). ..........536 27. Herman (1896)............ 537 28. Cohen and Russell (1896).......... 537 29. Dennstedt and A hrens (1896). ..537 30. Cohen (1897). ...........537 31. Drehschmidt (1897)........... 538 32. Pfeiffer (1898). .........538 33. Fritzche (1898)............ 540 34. Ost and Wehmer (1899)........... 540 35. Donkin (1899). .........541 36. Beilby (1899)............. 643 37. Berthelot (1900)............ 544

Jan 1, 1908

By Frederick Laist

The ores received at the Washoe Smelter come almost entirely from the mines in Butte and contain the following minerals : Chalcocite, Cu2S; covellite, CuS; chalcopyrite, CuFeS2, (trace); bornite, Cu3FeS3; enargite, Cu3AsS4; malachite, Cu2CO4 + H2O (trace); pyrite, FeS2; sphalerite, ZnS; rhodo-chrosite, MnCO3, (less than 1 per cent.); rhodonite, MnSiO3, (less than I per cent.). The country-rock of Butte is of the granite family and is a quartz-monzonite containing a little less silica than typical granite. It is made up of the following rock-minerals in approximately the proportions indicated: Minerals. Composition. Per Cent. Quartz SiO2 20 Andesine 1/2 NaAlSi3O8; 4 CaAI2Si2O8 42 Orthoclase KA1Si308 23 Hornblende 1/2 Ca(MgFe)3Si4O12; & (MgFe)2(AlFe)4Si2O12 6 Biotite (HK)2(MgFe)2A12Si3O12 9 Titanite CaTiSiO5 0.1 Apatite (CaF)Ca4(PO4)3 0.05 Magnetite (FeO)(Fe2O3 0.15 Pyrite FeS2 0.02 99.32 The main country-rock (quartz-monzonite) is cut by dikes of aplite, a granite having the following composition: Quartz, 30; andesine, 20; orthoclase, 45; ferro-rnagnesian minerals, 3; pyrite, 0.1; total, 98.1 per cent. Closely associated with the copper-deposits are dikes and bodies of " Modoe" porphyry, technically known as quartz-

Jan 1, 1913

By Niels Hansen

The substructure formed by drawing at room temperature in aluminum (99.5 and 99.998 pct purity) and in recrystallized aluminum aluminum-oxide products containing from 0.2 to 4.7 wt pct of aluminum -oxide was examined by transmission electron microscopy, and the flow stress of the drawn materials was measured by tensile testing at room temperature. A sub-grain structure was present after a reduction in area by drawing of 10 to 20 pct, and the subgrain size was observed to decrease with increasing deformation. The tensile data show that the increase in flow stress (0.2 pct offset) by drawing from 10 to 95 pct depends on the reduction in area, not on the composition of the materials. Dispersion strengthening and subgrain bowzdary strengtlzening contribute to the flow stress, and these strengthening processes have been found to be linearly additive. The flow stress (0) can be related to the subgrain size &) by the Petclz relation = uo + k . t, where go is dependent on the composition of the products and k is approximately the same far all materials. THE microstructure of dispersion-strengthened aluminum aluminum-oxide products consists of small oxide plates distributed in an aluminum matrix. The matrix structure depends on the manufacturing history, and in hot-worked as well as cold-worked products the matrix is divided by subgrain (or dislocation) boundaries. For hot-extruded products it has been shown1 that dispersion strengthening and subgrain boundary strengthening are linearly additive, and the flow stress (0.2 pct offset.) at room temperature has been related to the subgrain size (ts) by a Petch equation,2,3 s = so + k . ts-1/2, where s0, increases with increasing oxide content. For cold-worked products containing subgrains no systematic work has been reported, and it was the aim of the present study to examine the microstructure and the relationship between the flow stress and the subgrain size for such products. The behavior of' aluminum aluminum-oxide products depends on the purity of the aluminum matrix, and aluminum of the matrix purity (99.5 pct) was included in the investigation. The literature contains few data about the behavior of this impure aluminum, and aluminum of a higher purity (99.998 pct) was therefore also examined. As regards the relationship between the flow stress and the subgrain size in cold-worked dispersion-strengthened products, no systematic work has been reported. For aged cold-worked structures containing fine precipitates (Fe-Mo carbide) a Petch relation has been found,4 and it has been shown that the k value NlELS HANSEN is Head, Metallurgy Department, Danish Atomic Energy Commission, Research Establishment Riso, Denmark. Manuscriot submitted January 9, 1969. IMD is approximately the same as in iron, whereas the s0 value is higher owing to the presence of the precipi-tates. Investigations of metals such as tungsten,' ferrous metals,4,6 and molybdenum7 cold drawn or swaged at room temperature have shown that the flow stress can be related to the subgrain size by a Petch relation when ts is taken as the subgrain size perpendicular to the direction of deformation. For aluminum no work has been reported on the relationship between the flow stress and the subgrain size after deformation at room temperature, whereas for aluminum tensile strained at different temperatures in the range -183" to 375°C a Petch relation has been found by taking ts equal to the subgrain size.' In the present study two aluminum materials (99.998 and 99.5 pct) and three aluminum aluminum-oxide products (containing 0.2, 1.0, and 4.7 wt pct oxide) were drawn at room temperature to reductions in area from about 10 to about 95 pct. The structures were studied by transmission electron microscopy, and the flow stress (0.2 pct offset) was measured at room temperature. EXPERIMENTAL Materials. The materials are given in Table I together with the chemical analysis. The three aluminum aluminum-oxide products were manufactured from aluminum powder that had been compacted and Table I. Chemical Analysis of Materials Al203 Fe SI Material wt pct wt pct wt pct 99.998 pct* - 0.0004 0.0012 Aluminum 99.5 pctt - 0.36 0.16 Aluminum AlMD13† 0.2 0.16 0.12 Aluminum- -Oxide AlMD105† 1.0 0.26 0.18 Products SAPISML960s† 4.7 0.22 0.19 *Other impurities: O.0004 pct max each of Cu and Zn (supplier's analysis). †Other impurities: 0.03 pct max Cu. 0.02 pct max each of Mn, Mg, Zn, Ti. Table 11. Mean Diameter of Aluminum-Oxide Particles in Extruded and in Cold--Drawn Aluminum Aluminum-Oxide Products Mean Diam. of A1203-Plates* Material State A AlMD105 Extruded 540 Cold Drawn 97 pct 510 SAP ISML 960 Extruded 770 Cold Drawn 95 pct 820 *The standard deviation of the mean is approx. 5 ±pct.

Jan 1, 1970

By HAROLD A. TITCOMB

TOWARD the close of 1925, a British geologist, T. Landell Mills, brought to the notice of .A. Chester Beatty and selection Trust Ltd. certain mineral areas in southern Yugoslavia. Mills' data, which included rough maps and preliminary reports by' a Yugoslav engineer, Jules Draskocy, appeared interesting to Reatty, and early in 1926, I, with three British assistants, proceeded to Serbiaand commenced the investigation of several groups of ancient mine workings. They were found to be extensive and the geological conditions-schists, limestones, and andesitic intrusive-favorable for mineral deposits. At Stan Trg, on the Trepca Concession, five rniles east of Kosovska Mitrovica, an ancient filled adit was found, a shelter-hut erected, and work started in reopening this adit.

Jan 1, 1936

Meeting of June 26, 1914.-The President was authorized to appoint Advisory Committees to co operate with the United States Bureau of Mines. The President announced the appointment of Edward H. Benjamin and W. C. Ralston as additional members of the Committee on Arrangements for the San Francisco meeting, 1915. H. T. Van Ells and Judd Stewart were appointed to represent the Institute on a joint committee of several technical societies to consider the standardization of graphical methods for the presentation of statistics. The President announced the appointment of H. Foster Bain to succeed Edward H. Benjamin, resigned, on the Committee of Management of the International Engineering Congress, 1915. The Secretary was authorized to issue a new circular advertising the sale of back Transactions and to sell back Transactions, bound in cloth, at a price of $35 for 46 volumes, provided sufficient orders were received to warrant the special binding. The sum of $177.50 was contributed to the San Francisco Local Section. Upon recommendation of the Committee on Membership, 70 Members, 4 Associate Members and 7 Junior Members were elected to their respective classes; there was also one change of status from Junior Member to Member.

Jan 8, 1914

By R. E. Cech

Metallographic observations on hydrogen-reduced nickel oxide crystals suggest that nucleation of nickel occurs at structural singularities in the oxide. The fully reduced structure contains micron-diameter, worm-like voids occupying 40 to 50 pct of the volume. The crystallographic orientation relationships between nickel oxide and nickel resulting from oxide reduction are recorded and discussed. THE process of reduction of oxide to metal is one of considerable complexity involving a chemical reduction reaction, mass transport of reducing agent to the point of reaction and of reaction product away from it, and finally a transformation whereby metal atoms released from the oxide rearrange to form a stable reduced phase. In addition, nucleation of the reduced phase affects the overall reaction kinetics. Thus far only the thermodynamic aspect of reduction has received the attention warranted by the importance of

Jan 1, 1960

By W. Hodge, A. F. Haskins, R. M. Evans

Refractory boron compounds are shown to resist corrosion by molten zinc. Coatings were made from ferroboron and manganese boron by several methods: welding, hard facing, and pack diffusion; and techniques of coatings are very important. Mechanical failure of the diffusion coatings can be partially eliminated by applying them to type 416 chromium steels rather than carbon steels. Welded coatings made with a tungsten arc are better than those made by other welding methods. Sintered compacts of mixtures of iron and chromium borides developed strengths of about 30,000 psi. They resisted corrosion of zinc at 600°C and oxidation at higher temperatures. MOLTEN zinc rapidly attacks common metals of construction. The rate of attack is greatly amplified at temperatures over 500°C. However, there are many applications where it is necessary, or at least advantageous, to use metal construction, such as for galvanizing pots and zinc smelter equipment. Condensers and agitator linings used in continuous zinc smelting processes are eroded and corroded by violently agitated molten zinc. Pumps, tubing, and other parts to permit transfer of molten zinc would be desirable in many zinc handling operations. The development of metallic materials which are resistant to molten zinc also might permit its use as a heat-transfer medium in modern high efficiency power plants. In reviewing previous work on zinc-resistant metals, it was evident that most of the available data refer to corrosion at temperatures just above the melting point. Tungsten and high Mo-Fe alloys containing more than 80 pct Mo resist corrosion by molten zinc.', ' Imhoff states that because chromium is not attacked by zinc, chromium plating improves galvanizing pot life." Nitrided cast iron has been used in die-casting machines' where the molten alloy is 96 pct Zn and 4 pct Al. Other metals that have been suggested as of possible value for zinc resistance are columbium, tantalum, and titanium.V he corrosion of steel by zinc has been discussed by many authors,z, "2 None of these materials resisted corrosion by molten zinc at the temperatures used in this investigation, i.e., 600" to 700°C. I. Exploratory and Resistant-Coating Tests To make a study of zinc-resistant metals, exploratory tests were conducted to sort out roughly those materials which seemed most worthy of further development. This preliminary study included both solid metals and surface coatings. Exploratory Corrosion Tests in Molten Zinc—In initiating a study of this problem, numerous samples of metals and alloys were evaluated by dynamic corrosion tests made at 440 °C. Each metal was tested in its most readily available form, which, because of shape and size, was often unsuited for standard corrosion testing. The equipment used for dynamic corrosion testing of all materials, except in a few initial experiments, is shown in Fig. 1. Samples were tied to tungsten rods with tungsten wire, immersed in the zinc, and revolved at 12 rpm about the circumference of a 4 in. diam circle. Speed of travel was about 12.5 fpm. The molten zinc was protected from oxidation by an atmosphere of carbon monoxide, or, at a later period in the program, by a 9:1 mixture of nitrogen and hydrogen. When the effect of both molten metal and atmosphere was desired, the zinc level was lowered. Special high grade zinc was used in all of the corrosion tests. Corrosion losses for materials tested are shown in Tables I and 11. Whenever the materials were available in suitable form, the losses are reported in mils per year. It was recognized that weight losses on irregularly shaped specimens did not show the corrosion rate but the important consideration—poor resistance to corrosion—could be determined readily.

Jan 1, 1956

By O. A. E. Jackson

Pebble milling has been practiced in the reduction works of South Africa gold mines for well over 50 years. Originally flint pebbles were imported from Denmark to grind stamp-mill amalgamation-process tailing, which contained a good deal of extractable gold, but local operators soon found that large pieces of ore could be used for the same purpose. The ore is a hard, tough conglomerate in which quartz pebbles are cemented together by a matrix of redeposited silica interspersed with pyrite crystals. The gold, rarely visible, occurs as fine particles mostly segregated at the interface of the pebble and matrix, although a small fraction occurs within the pyrite crystals. There is seldom any gold in the pebbles themselves. Following the usual South African practice in pebble milling, Union Corp. grinds the ore wet in two or three milling stages incorporating classification. The sized broken ore used as grinding media is separated from the main ore stream in the crushing section that prepares the ore for milling. Where the ore channel, or reef, is narrow there is a shortage of large pebbles. In this case primary grinding may be done in ball mills or, more recently, in rod mills, which cost less per ton to operate. The trend, however, is to prepare finer feed for the milling section. This makes it possible to use smaller primary pebbles and eliminates the need for steel. REDUCTION WORKS OF UNION CORP. LTD. Union Corp. Ltd. exercises financial and technical control over a group of seven gold mines in the Transvaal and Orange Free State. In the Transvaal, with one exception. the mines lie 20 to 40 miles east of Johannesburg, in flat or gently rolling countryside. Winkelhaak, the first of several new mines that will be developed by Union Corp., is located in similar terrain in an entirely new gold mining district about 80 miles east of Johannesburg. Table I gives details of milling units for six of the Union Corp. mines, together with the tonnage milled in 1957. Winkelhaak Mines Ltd. is not included, as it did not begin milling until 1958. This reduction plant has no crushing section; ore is ground directly from the mine (autogenously) in 12x16-ft mills. Because these operations are still in development, they are not described in this article. It will be noted that certain reduction works have mills of more than one size in the same milling stage. This came about when plant extensions in- corporated larger units. In the case of Geduld Propty. Mines Ltd., which began milling operations 50 years ago, the primary stage is stamp milling. The reduction works follow a uniform pattern and are usually joined to the main ore shaft. Ore from other shafts is brought by standard-gage railway and dumped into a common transfer bin. The trend is to increase surface storage capacity to enable the crushing and milling sections to operate at a steady rate, independent of fluctuating ore deliveries from mine. Milling and cyanide extraction divisions of new mines are always designed to allow for extensions as mine production increases. The conveying, washing, and screening system of the crushing section is usually laid out in final form, with additional space for more crushing equipment. The crushing sections operate on one shift during early years of mine production; a second shift is introduced when the mining rate warrants it. Ample surge capacity is provided. Crushing and milling is done only on weekdays, as the law does not allow these operations to take place on Sunday in any plants constructed since 1911. The cyanide extraction sections, however, operate continuously seven days a week, drawing on mill pulp gradually built up in the thickeners during the week. Construction and equipment of milling plants follow standard practice. Dilution water is drawn from a large, high-level tank to obtain constant pressure, but gland service water for the pulp pumps is reticulated from high-pressure, two-stage pumps. The mills are equipped with the most up-to-date machinery and are designed to save labor. They compare favorably with milling plants in countries where native labor does not exist, and automatic controls are being installed wherever feasible. Hydrocyclone classifiers have replaced mechanical classifiers in modern milling plants, chiefly because of the saving in capital outlay, maintenance, and building space. The hydroclones are fed from steady head boxes rather than directly from pumps, and dilution water is introduced into these boxes. Tests have shown that in steadiness of operation and separating efficiency cyclones are comparable to mechanical classifiers. but protective stationarv screens are needed to keep the spigots clear. Rubber-lined pumps are used for pulp of about 3 mesh or finer and metal-lined pumps for coarser material. None of the Union Corp. milling plants practices gravity concentration of coarse gold by amalgamation or the use of corduroy blankets. Studies have proved that no economic case can be made for these methods, which complicate the milling process and demand extra precautions against theft.

Jan 1, 1960

By Richard T. Newcomb

Federal and utility industry research has largely ignored coal beneficiation techniques in the implementation of SOx control. This paper accepts the hypothesis that beneficiation cum scrubbing is the cheapest way for the vast majority of seams in the eastern coal provinces to comply with standards. Comparisons are based on point estimates of average beneficiation costs from a model of coal preparation (COBET) designed to simulate four levels of cleaning. The paper describes how economic theory can be applied to derive econometric supply functions from actual data on the geology of minable seams, washability and technical constraints. West Virginia is taken as an example of a producing region. Spatial supply functions are derived empirically from the engineering model simulations.

Jan 1, 1977

By Roshan B. Bhappu

This is the Centennial year of AIME and many of us reading this issue of ' will be getting ready to attend the Centennial Celebration in New York from February 26 through March 4. The officers of the Division sincerely hope that a large number of our members will attend the fine technical sessions and social functions arranged for this really big meeting. The year 1971 will be a crucial one for MBD. This SME Division is a working group organized "to furnish a medium of cooperation among those interested in the basic unit processes and unit operations of minerals beneficiation; and to promote the advancement of this branch of mineral technology through meetings for professional intercourse, and to stimulate the preparation, reading discussion and circulation of papers connected therewith." No one can deny the worthiness of these objectives or minimize the efforts that Division officers and members have made to attain them. Much has been done over the past several years to achieve a smooth-running and effective MBD organization. However, there is still room for improvement and much more needs to be done in order to provide the best possible services for the membership and the profession.

Jan 1, 1971

The new Ceramic Engineering Building of the University of Illinois is to be formally dedicated on Nov. 20 and 21. The occasion will be made one of great interest to the clay-workers of the country. It is expected that the exercises will be attended by many representatives of the architectural, structural, mining, geological, chemical, and manufacturing interests. In connection with the dedication exercises, an industrial conference will be -held, in which a number of topics of current interest to the ceramic engineer, the clay-worker and the manufacturer will be discussed by well-known experts. : The number of students registered in the College of Engineering of the University of Illinois eleven days after the beginning of registration - for the new year, is as follows: Architecture, 116; Architectural Engineering, 167; Ceramic Engineering, 46; Civil Engineering, 190; Electrical Engineering, 266; Mechanical Engineering, 273; Mining Engineering, 25; Municipal and Sanitary Engineering, 26; Railway Engineering, 34; total, 1,143. The enrollment of students in the whole University, not including the College of Medicine, the College of Dentistry and the School of Pharmacy, which are located in Chicago, is 5,21.4.

Jan 10, 1916

By H. DeWitt Smith, W. H. Sirdevan

The mine operated by the United Verde Copper Co. is situated near Jerome, Ariz., on the eastern flank of the Black Hills, at an elevation of approximately 5500 ft. (1676 m.) above sea level. The mine and the town of Jerome are located on a steep hillside, which slopes rapidly to the valley of the Verde River. The smelter town of Clarkdale is situated in the Verde valley 4.1 mi. (6.5 km.) distant in an air line from Jerome, and at an elevation of 3560 ft. The two towns are connected by the standard-gage railroad of the Verde Tunnel & Smelter R. R., a subsidiary of the United Verde Copper Co. This road is 11 mi. long and has a compensated 4 per cent. grade. At Clarkdale, it connects with the Verde Valley branch of the Santa Fe R. R. The narrow-gage (36-in.) line of the United Verde & Pacific Ry. was, until 1919, Jerome's only rail connection with a main trunk line. This road connects with a branch line of the Santa Fe system at Jerome Junction, after traversing 26 mi. of mountainous country. From the time of its location, in 1876, until its purchase by Senator W. A. Clark, of Montana, in 1889, the United Verde mine was worked on a small scale and shipments of high-grade gold-silver ore were made from the surface workings. Until 1894, when the narrow-gage railroad to Jerome Junction was completed, all supplies for the mine and smelter

Jan 1, 1922

By V. Koump, T. F. Perzak, R. G. Olsson

The vate of dissolutioz of carbon in molten Fe-C alloys urns studied by votating- cylindrical g-vaphite sairlples in a stationary crucible containing the melt. The rate of dissolltion was determdined from the change in the bnth co)npositiorz. Alccss-tvansfev coeffi'cients, calcilated with the assurlption that the inte)yacial liquid ulas saturated with carbon, were found to be in agreement with an existing Correlation fov mass transfer jroni votating cylinders. It is corzcllrded tlat, itz the wnge of- Reynolds' numbers itzvestigated (790 to 18,000), the vate of dissolutio of carborz in Fe-C alloys is controlled by tile rate of carbon difirsion from the interface. The dissolution of carbon in molten Fe-C alloys has been the subject of a number of investigations. Most of these investigations have been inconclusive because of poorly defined experimental variables. Two of the more sophisticated studies are summarized below. Dahlke and Knacke' studied the phenomenon by, in part, immersing graphite rods into 0.5 pct carbon-steel for different lengths of time. Since the experiments were conducted in air or in CO atmospheres, the melt was strongly agitated by gas evolution. It was concluded that the change in bath composition as a function of immersion time was in agreement with the assumption that the dissolution process was transport-controlled. The hydrodynamic conditions in these experiments, however, were not well-defined and gave no indication of the nature of the dissolution process at higher fluid velocities. In a recent study Shurygin and ruk investigated the dissolution of carbon in molten Fe-C, Fe-Si, Fe-P, and Fe-Ni alloys. Small graphite disks were rotated in a crucible containing molten alloys under such conditions that only the lower face of the disk was exposed to the melt. The results of this investigation indicate that, over the range of velocities (100 to 1000 rpm) and bulk liquid concentrations (0.7 to 4.5 wt pct C) considered, the dissolution of carbon in the iron alloys is limited by the diffusion of carbon from the interface to the bulk liquid (a transport mechanism). For the particular geometry used by these authors, exact analytical solutions of hydrodynamic and diffusion problems are aailable. Hence the experimental results obtained by Shurygin and Kryuk permit the evaluation of diffusion coefficients of carbon in the four systems investigated. In the present investigation a series of experiments were conducted in which the rate of dissolution of carbon in Fe-C alloys was measured under conditions which permitted wide variation of the fluid velocity and the carbon concentration of the bulk liquid. Graphite cylinders were rotated at different speeds in a stationary concentric crucible containing various molten Fe-C alloys. THEORETICAL DEVELOPMENT In general, the resistance to mass transfer from a solid interface to a turbulent liquid is assumed to reside in a laminar boundary layer adjacent to the interface. If it is also assumed that the diffusion coefficient is independent of concentration, the steady-state rate of dissolution for the case of arbitrary liquid and solid densities can be obtained from the integration of the equations of continuity. The derivation is similar to that used by Lommel and chalmers4 for the case of pl = ps. The solution, expressed in terms where N = rate of diffusion of the solute from the interface. Exact analytical solutions of the hydrodynamic equation for the boundary layer thickness are available for only a limited number of geometries. Consequently, a mass-transfer coefficient, k, is usually

Jan 1, 1967

By Reinhardt Thiessen

During the last few years a type of coal called "splint coal" has been brought to the attention of the United States Bureau of Mines, through numerous inquiries concerning its nature. Until recent years it appears to have escaped general notice. The term "splint coal" is of long standing, but was thought to be merely another expression applied by the miner to coal having certain minor characteristics. When closely examined, however, these coals were found to form a marked and distinct type, with distinctive characteristics that cannot be mistaken. Because splint coals produce a hot cheerful flame, possess a clean blocklike nature, and have a high volatile content, they have lately become much valued for domestic, gas-producer and steaming purposes, and have attracted considerable attention. Mattkohle For many years we have heard from the Germans about Mattkohle and Streifenkohle, in contradistinction to Glanzkohle, but have not realized that they were of a different type from the coals with which we were most familiar. This type of coal was first brought to general notice by Muck, in 1881, who gave a good description of it.' Because this coal is often intercalated with thin sheets of brightly shining cod, Schondorff, who was more familiar with the Saar coals, called it Streifernkohle. This term was later used by Muck also. Still later Potoné² used this term exclusively for the whole group in contradistinction to a class called Glanzkohle, and considered these coals to be composed alternately of Humuskohle and Faulkohle or Mattkohle (Pig. 20). Not knowing the nature of the German coals and not realizing that the term Streifenkohle was applied to a distinct class of coal, the terms of its components as used by Potonié and others were translated to "bright Coal" and "dull coal" and applied to the components of our

Jan 1, 1930

By Sydney H., Ball

ONE of the important mineral discoveries of the eighteenth century was , that of the Minas Geraes, Brazil; diamond fields. The production of this and of .other diamond discoveries in neighboring states made Brazil the premier producer of diamonds, succeeding India; its 140 years of supremacy finally passed to- South Africa- 60 years ago. Three times have diamonds contributed heavily to Portugal's somewhat checkered financial history; first in the sixteenth and seventeenth- centuries when the diamond trade of India was controlled by its citizens residing in ,Goa, later in the late eighteenth and the first 75 years of the nineteenth century when the Brazilian fields were the world's source of diamonds, and now, when the Angola diamond mines are the principal source of revenue of its colony, Portuguese West Africa. Certain phases in the history of the administration of the Brazilian field are sufficiently curious to warrant description.

Jan 1, 1929

By F. B. Plummer, R. B. Newcome

The practice of introducing acid into oil wells to increase production of oil and gas has been in use since 1894, when it was first used in the Pennsylvania oil fields30.‡ It is only since 1928 that it has been used to any extent in the Mid-Continent18. The process has proved successful in increasing production, at least temporarily, in depleted oil fields where the producing formation is highly calcareous and where water drive is not too pronounced. In the Zwolle field in Louisiana, where the producing horizon is a chalk, increases of 100 per cent have been recorded25. In north-central Texas, where the oil is produced from the Marble Falls limestone, equally pronounced increases have resulted3. The production also in some fields yielding oil from quartz sand cemented with calcitc has been benefited. The evidence of actual increase in total recovery of oil, however, has been questioned by some engineers18. It has been pointed out that the results of the treatment of a well in a now district, where the process has never been tried out, can never be predicted with certainty, since other factors besides percentage of calcareous content of the oil sand play a large part in determining the success of the method. Numerous articles have been published on acid treatment and on the effects of acid on limestone1-35, yet very little has been written concerning experimental work on the actual effect of acid on capillary pores and larger oil-coated voids of oil sands. This is due partly to difficulties in duplicating field conditions in a laboratory and partly to the fact that the process has been carried out largely by contracting companies that have been unwilling to publish details of their results for fear of loss of business to competitors. The authors, using equipment developed to measure the radial permeability of oil-sand cores2', have developed a method of investigating the results of acid treatment which has enabled them to test numerous cores and to study in some detail the action of acid on the different types of rocks, particularly fine-grained rocks.

Jan 1, 1936