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By Spencer S. Shannon

This chapter is concerned with the uses, geology, exploration, evaluation, preparation for markets, and future of 90thorium and 39yttrium, along with 14 rare-earth elements. The rare-earth metals or lanthanides were divided into three categories by Berzelius. The cerium subgroup is comprised of 57lanthanum, 58cerium, 59praseodymium, 60neodymium, and 62samarium. 61Promethium does not occur naturally. The terbium subgroup includes 63europium, 64gadolinium, and 65terbium. The remaining lanthanides are placed in the yttrium subgroup. Strictly speaking, yttrium is not a rare earth. Because the properties of yttrium resemble those of heavy rare earths, its name has been used as a designating adjective. The yttrium subgroup includes 66dysprosium, 67holmium, 68erbium, 69thulium, 70ytterbium, and 67lutetium. Rare-earth elements, especially those of the same subgroup, tend to occur together rather than in discrete minerals.

Jan 1, 1975

By Raymond O. Ladoo

FUSED quartz is a glass made by the fusion of nearly pure silica. Some confusion in terminology exists but in the trade today "fused quartz" generally refers to the perfectly transparent colorless product made from rock crystal whereas "fused silica" is a white, translucent product made from silica sand. Vitrified silica is the term preferred by purists for all quartz glass, but it lacks the definiteness of -the trade terms. Since the raw materials, methods of production, and properties of the finished products arc different for the two types, the trade terms are preferred. As fused quartz is amorphous, it-physical properties differ greatly from those of quartz crystal. Lacking crystallographic directions and having no piezo-electric properties, fused quartz. of course, has no value for the making of radio oscillator plates; but it does have other valuable and unique properties. Perhaps the 'best known and most useful properties are its extremely low coefficient of expansion and its ability to transmit short-wave ultraviolet radiant energy. Crystal quartz not only has an aver-

Jan 1, 1947

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 Vanderlei Beisiegel, Arthur L. Bernardelli, Arthur W. Ruff, John H. Tremaine

Estimated reserves of high-grade iron ore at Serra dos Carajás total 16 billion metric tons and have an average grade of 66.7 per cent iron, 2.2 per cent combined silica and alumina, and 0.05 per cent phosphorous on a dry basis. Hematite is predominant and no significant sulfur on other deleterious elements are present. Serra dos Carajás is located in northern Brazil, about 550 kilometers southwest of Belém, Pará. It is six degrees south of the equator between the Xingu and Tocantins Rivers. Both rivers flow northward toward the Amazon River. The greater part of the area is covered by thick jungle, and the most practical means of access is by air.

Jan 1, 1974

By Bradley Stoughton

The regular, bottom-blown Bessemer converter of the present day is a modification of previous forms, and most of the latest proposed modifications of it are merely returns to former types which Ressemer discarded. That he tried almost every conceivable method of blowing iron, with tuyeres at almost every possible position or angle, is well known; and it is to be supposed that he was familiar with the advantages of each type, since he finally settled on that form which has not been improved upon hitherto, for the purposes for which converters will generally be used. Modifications have been tried along two lines: In the arrangement of tuyeres, and in the manner of carrying out the process with tuyeres still blowing vertically upward through the bath. While they have all failed in general competition with the regular modern type of vessel, some of them have found special fields in which they have held their own. The most notable example is in the steel-casting industry, and especially in that part of it concerned with the manufacture of castings which require very hot or very fluid metal, or supply a demand of constantly varying physical or chemical requirements. In this industry the small converters occupy a field between that of the crucible-process and that of the open-hearth process, arid have won a place for themselves in France, England, America, Russia and other countries, which they bid fair to retain until either a new method is discovered of producing cheaply very hot, fluid steel, or the open-hearth process is so improved that very hot steel may be made with it at lower cost of repairs to lining arid roof.

Jan 1, 1903

By F. G. Miller, E. B. Wilson

In 1972, coal mine productivity was in steady decline and labor and maintenance costs were spiralling upward. Yet, despite this sad state of affairs, nowhere in the US at that time was there a comprehensive and coordinated coal research and development plan in the offing. The Bureau of Mines had not yet been charged with such a responsibility, and industry was content to rely on machinery manufacturers for innovations. It was during this period that Bethlehem Steel Corp. determined that a new approach to coal mining research was needed for the industry as well as for the company itself. After studying Bethlehem's own mining practices, the state-of-the-art of mining research elsewhere, and development work by manufacturers, a comprehensive research package was presented to company management in late 1972. The ideas and experience of many operating and management personnel in the company contributed to the formulation of the final plan as approved.

Jan 10, 1976

By Shiro Ban-ya, John Chipman

Equilibrium in the reaction was investigated at temperatures of 1500°, 1550°, and 1600°C for sulfur concentrations up to 7.2 wt pct. Multisample crucibles contained the liquid alloys in a resistance-heated furnace using a technique especially designed for the study of more complex alloys to be reported separately. Modern free-energy data are used to correct the H2S:H2 ratio for dissociation of H2S and calculalion of the partial pressure of S2. Published data on the equilibrium are similarly corrected. Thermodynanzic treatment of the data employs the composition variable zs = nS/(nFe — nS) and the activity coefficient Gs = as/zs The data at 1500" and 1550°C are fitted by the equation log s = —2.30zs. Within the limits of experimental error the same coefficient is applicable to the data at higher temperatures. Equations are given for the free-energy change in Reaction [I] as well as for the solution of S, gas in the metal. The heat of solution of 1/2 s2 is -32.28 i2.5 kcal. Uncertainty in the free energy is very much smaller. For dilute solutions of interest in steelmaking, the activity coefficient of sulfur is unchanged from that listed in Basic Open Hearth Steel-making. DETERMINATIONS of the thermodynamic properties of sulfur in liquid iron by Morris and williams1 and by Sherman, Elvander, and chipman' provided a basis for control of sulfur in steelmaking processes. From the standpoint of understanding the chemistry of metal plus nonmetal in liquid solution they left several questions unanswered. The activity of sulfur in dilute solution at about 1600°C was well-established but temperature coefficients were uncertain, due at least in part to the use of the optical pyrometer and uncertainty regarding the effect of sulfur on emissivity. It appeared that deviation from Henry's law increased with increasing temperature, a most unusual behavior requiring either confirmation or disproof. These studies were based on experimental determination of equilibrium in the reaction: At high temperatures H2S is partially dissociated so that the gas mixture contains HS, S2, and S in addition to HS. At the time of the earlier studies the free energies of these constituents were unknown and it was therefore impossible to make adequate correction for dissociation. Observations on the effects of alloying elements by Morris and coworkers1, 3 and by Sherman and Chip-man4 enable us to assess the effects of alloying elements on the activity and to make corrections for incidental impurities in the binary liquid. These studies as well as a number of more recent investigations will be reviewed in detail after out own experimental results have been presented. It was our purpose in planning this study to avoid uncertainties regarding the emissivity of alloys and the errors of thermal diffusion which plagued some of the early attempts,5 by using a resistance furnace and thermocouple in preference to induction heating and optical pyrometer. Modern data on free energies of the gaseous species are to be applied to our data and to those of other investigators to obtain corrected values of K1 and of the activity coefficient and ultimately to relate the sulfur content of the bath to the equilibrium partial pressure of S,. Extension of the study to include ternary and complex solutions will be described in a later section. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD a) Preparation and Calibration of H2-H2s Gas Mixture. The source of hydrogen sulfide was a preparer mixture of 43 pct H2S, balance hydrogen, contained in a large aluminum cylinder. This was passed through anhydrone and through a microflowmeter. Hydrogen was passed through platinized asbestos, ascar-ite, and anhydrone, and through a capillary flowmeter. Argon was passed through copper wool at 500°C, then through ascarite, anhydrone, and a flowmeter. The flow rate of hydrogen was kept constant at 200 ml per min, to which an arbitrary amount of the hydrogen-hydrogen sulfide mixture was constantly added and then the prepared gas mixture was introduced into the reaction tube through a gas mixer. In certain experiments 200 ml per min of argon was added to the hydrogen-hydrogen sulfide gas mixture to increase the total flow rate of gas. The ratio of hydrogen-hydrogen sulfide in the inlet gas was checked for each run by chemical analysis. A sample of the gas taken from a bypass was bubbled through zinc and cadmium acetate solution (4 pct zinc acetate, 1 pct cadmium acetate, and 1 pct acetic acid) to remove hydrogen sulfide from the gas mixture, and the flow rate of the remaining hydrogen was measured by a soap bubble method to determine the volume of hydrogen. The amount of hydrogen sulfide absorbed in solution was determined by titration with iodine against sodium thiosulfate, with starch used as the indicator. The ratio of hydrogen sulfide to hydrogen in the inlet gas could be kept within ±2 pct in the range from 10-2 to 5 x 10"4 which corresponds to from 0.2 to 7.0 wt pct sulfur in liquid iron. b) Furnace Arrangement. Fig. 1 shows the furnace arrangement and the shape of the alumina crucible used in this experiment. A vertical-tube silicon carbide electric resistance furnace contained the reaction tube which consisted of two parts, the gas-tight

Jan 1, 1969

By James T. Kemp

AN historical society of particular interest to mining engineers all over the world was born in Cornwall in 1935. A hundred-year-old winding engine then finished its long labors at the Levant mine on the cliffs near Lands End, England. The engine was to be dismantled and scrapped. A few men living near-by, appreciating that this event was one of the final acts in closing a long century of extraordinary mining and engineering evolution. armed a committee to prevent the destruction of the old mine hoist and succeeded in purchasing the engine. They restored the engine house and in time arranged with the Manor of Trewellard, owners of the land, for a 99-year ground lease on a peppercorn rental.

Jan 1, 1947

By Harry C. Wiess

RECENT announcement of further restrictions on gasoline consumption in the Mid-West and Southwest has focused public attention on current discussions of an oil scarcity. Conflicting arguments are advanced on the one hand that we have plenty of oil and will not need to restrict consumption as soon as transportation facilities are adequate, and on the other hand that a great impending shortage will require most drastic reductions in civilian consumption in order to provide adequate supplies for military purposes. Data can be presented to support both views, the result being that the public is confused and uncertain of where the truth lies. For a nation with about half of the known crude-oil reserves of the world and two thirds of the total production it seems almost incredible to the layman that any shortage can exist. Those familiar with estimates of future demand. however. show increasing concern regarding our ability to meet military demands without further restrictions in civilian use or wasteful production from our remaining reserves. Only by considering such facts as are available and can be made public can a true appraisal be made of whether or not we are faced with a shortage that will amount to a crisis in crude oil.

Jan 1, 1943

By George Simkovich

It was hypothesized that solid-state point defects should alter the flotation properties of solids. Tests conducted on pure AgCl and AgCl doped with CdC12 show that atomic point defects exhibit an important role in the floatability of AgC1. Tests conducted on PbS doped with Ag2s or Bi2S3, also show that the defect structures resulting from these dope additions, i.e., a combination of electronic and atomic point defects, contribute significantly to the flotation of PbS. IT has been established that flotation occurs only when a finite contact angle exists between a solid and a gaseous bubble.' This angle, measured through the liquid phase, is expressed by the equation where the are inter facial free energies and the subscripts S, G, and L represent solid, gas, and liquid phases, respectively. As is seen in Eq. [I] three interface free energies, sG, sl, and GL, enter into the contact angle equation. Therefore, any variation in these energies which sufficiently varies the contact angle will, in turn, vary flotation processes. Changes made in any of the phases concerned, i.e., gas, liquid, or solid phase, are reflected through the changes occurring in two of the surface energy terms. Thus, a change in the liquid composition would be noted in sL and GL, and it is this phase, the liquid, which is most frequently altered in flotation studies., Changes in the solid phase must be reflected through the changes occurring in the sG and sL terms. In particular, it is hypothesized that changes in the surface concentrations of point defects in the solid-phase will alter the sG and sL terms which, in turn, will be reflected by flotation results. As an illustration of this hypothesis one may consider the defect structure and the flotation of AgC1. The bulk defect structure of AgCl is essentially one involving equal number of cation vacancies and interstitial cations.3 Upon adding CdC1, to AgC1, a greater number of silver ion vacancies are created in the bulk of the crystal.4 On the surface of the crystal the smaller binding forces and the free space accomodations may also allow for the creation of "surface interstitial anions", which will be designated as ad-anions. Thus, the point defect structure of the surface of AgCl doped with CdCl, will consist of cation vacancies and/or adanions. If the molecular forces responsible for the surface energies, ?SG and ?sL, are significantly altered by the presence of these surface point defects, then differences in flotation results will be noted as the concentration of these defects is varied. The defects present in AgCl are predominantly atomic in nature. In the case of PbS both electronic and atomic defects are present.5 This compound conducts electrically by either electrons or electron holes depending upon whether excess lead or excess sulfur is present. Upon disolving BiS3 in stoichio-metric PbS, one increases the concentration of cation vacancies and the number of electron carriers in the bulk of the crystal.5" At the surface, the possibility of ad-anions must also be considered. Conversely, upon dissolving AgS in stoichiometric PbS one increases the concentration of interstitial cations and the number of electronhole carriers in the bulk of the crystal.5,6' At the surface the interstitial cations will be designated as ad-cations. Thus, the point defect structure of the surface of a PbS crystal doped with Bi2S3 will consist of a number of cation vacancies and/or ad-anions and an excess of electrons. Conversely the point defects on the surface of a PbS crystal doped with Ag2S will consist of a number of ad-cations and an excess of electron holes. Again, as in the case of AgC1, should the molecular forces responsible for the magnitude of the interface free energies, ?sG and ?sL, be significantly altered by the presence of these surface defects then significant differences in flotation results will be noted as the concentration of these defects is varied. EXPERIMENTAL To test this hypothesis flotation tests were conducted on pure and doped AgCl and on PbS doped with either Bi2S3 or Ag2S. Preparation of the AgCl samples was performed as follows: AgCl and weighed amounts of CdC1, were melted in a porcelain crucible. The melt was then forced through a capillary tube and the particles emitted solidified in air as they fell about 1.5 meters. Spherical particles, -0.50 + 0.25 mm, were separated from the remaining solidified material

Jan 1, 1963

By C. K. Leith

IN telling the story of Canada's minerals many interesting and spectacular details will be passed over to permit pointing out some of the significant inter- national aspects. No country now has enough of all minerals for its own use. The problems of satisfaction of both national and world demands under these conditions have become international in scope, and history supplies no obvious solutions. The minerals of Canada are coming to play a prominent part in such problems. Production and Reserves In the last decade Canada has rapidly advanced in mineral production. In 1928 the total value of mineral products from Canadian sources reached 273 millions of dollars. Canada ranks first in production of nickel, first in asbestos, second in cobalt, third in gold and silver, fourth in lead and copper, and sixth in zinc.

Jan 1, 1929

By M. C. LAKE

THE industrial development of the United States has been stimulated by the presence of high-grade iron ore in the Lake Superior district. These great deposits have been susceptible to economical extraction and are conveniently located for cheap lake vessel transportation to the great consuming centers. The district furnishes from 80 to 85 per cent of the iron ore annually consumed in the United States, and a full understanding of the available supply of this great commodity is so important that it is well to consider whether or not the industrial supremacy and national independence attained as a result of the abundance of cheap ore are permanent. The enormous deposits of high-grade ore available in the Lake Superior district have been the foundation upon which the vast industrial structure of the steel and allied industries has been built. It is extremely important to the country as a whole, and especially to those States and communities now dependent on Lake Superior ore for their prosperity, that their industries shall retain the particular advantages with which they are now endowed, and that a generous supply of high-grade raw material be available for their consumption at a satisfactory cost. The steel industry is so basic and fundamental that any fluctuation in the cost of its finished products as determined by the supply and cost of the raw materials involved in its manufacture will necessarily affect the business of a wide variety of industries which are dependent on it.

Jan 1, 1926

By Ellsworth Daggett

The ore smelted in the Winnamuck furnace during the year 1872 consisted, for the most part, of oxidized ores from the Winnamuck mine, only sixty tons of outside ore (from the Spanish mine) having been smelted. The latter, like the principal Winnamuck ore, was oxidized or so-called carbonate ore. There was mixed with these oxidized ores three hundred to four hundred tons, or 7 to 10 per cent. of galena, some of which was mined with the oxidized ore, while a part was mined separately from the lower portion of the mine, and afterwards mixed with the ore, with a view of preventing the formation of deposits of metallic iron in the furnaces. The average assay in silver of all the ore handled was 51.46 oz. per ton, most of it existing as chloride of silver. The lead contents were 34.98 per cent,, all, or nearly all, in the form of carbonate of lead. The relative amount of silver is not at all constant, the best silver ore often being poorest in lead. The predominant gangue was silica, several determinations of which have been made on representative samples, yielding in three such samples 26, 38, and 58 per cent. silica, the latter test being ore containing but little lead. The average contents in silica are about 35 per cent., with 6 to 7 per cent. sesquioxide of iron, and small quantities of alumina and lime. Mechanically, the ore was very fine, and so thoroughly disintegrated that it presented few distinguishing characteristics, rendering sorting or separating of ore from waste difficult, and often impracticable. Experiments on a small scale have been tried, with a view to separate the silica by washing; but these were unsuccessful, as the finest slime, requiring a long time to settle in still water, contained a large amount of silver; and on a careful sizing and washing of the sands and coarser parts, the silver contents were found to be less dependent upon specific gravity

By Evan Just

DIRECT subsidies for mine production in this country began as an outgrowth of wartime 'price regulation. The price-fixing authorities realized that the volume of production to be required from domestic copper, lead, and zinc mines would invoke costs of production considerably higher than the established ceiling prices. Accordingly, beginning Feb. 1, 1942 the Premium Price Plan was set up, which undertook to pay premiums to mines for production in excess of quota, of 5¢ per lb of copper and 2Y4¢ per lb of zinc or lead. Quotas, except for small mines, were initially established at the average rate of production in 1941, but were later reduced arbitrarily on an individual basis. Subsequently, additional "B" premiums were set for lead and zinc of 2Y40 per lb and a further "C" zinc premium of 2%¢. Additional copper premiums were negotiated on an individual basis, mainly with small mines. Quotas under each of these successive categories were the production obtained at the next lower premium level. In other words, under ceiling prices of 12¢ for copper, 6,14¢ for lead, and 83¢ for zinc, it was possible for high-cost operations to receive prices plus premiums of 17¢ or more for copper, 12¢ for lead, and 16% 0 for zinc on a portion of their production. On the other hand, some of the larger operators received only slight premiums and in at least one instance none at all. The average price plus premium for copper was 12.25¢ in 1942 and rose to 13.65¢ in 1945. That for lead was 6.99¢ in 1942 and 8.73¢ in 1945, and for zinc it was 9.06¢ in 1942 and 11.200 in 1945.

Jan 1, 1948

By John D. Sullivan

MAJOR technical advances seldom occur in a single year, and this is especially true with aluminum and magnesium where marked improvements in metallurgical processes and products took place during the war years. Nevertheless, the light metals and alloys, particularly aluminum, are advancing in commercial importance and are finding their niche in industry. New applications during the year have resulted from a better over-all knowledge of properties, handling, etc., rather than from revolutionary new developments.

Jan 1, 1948

By Victor De Ysassi

THE iron mines of Spain are located on the mountain ridge forming the boundary between the, Teruel and Guadalajara provinces, called Sierra Menera. They form a property of 25 mines extending over an area of 1,677 hectares (4,140 acres) situated at a height varying from 1,200 m. (3,940 ft.) to 1,500 m. (4,920 ft.) above sea level. The deposit follows the direction north to south; huge masses of ore are being found both on the slopes and at the summit of the Sierra. The ore occurs among quartzites and magnesite limestone, in some places overlaid by quartzite 15 in. (50 ft.) thick; in some others (and this is more general) the ore is overlaid by earth and boulders of quartzite origin,; this layer is about 8 m. (26 ft.) thick. The ore beds occupy the geological horizon of the Superior Trias or Muschelkask, which are here in direct contact with the Silurian quartzites. The lime-stones have been more or less transformed. There is ample evidence to show that these mines were worked in very ancient times-objects and tools employed in mining by the ancient Romans and Arabs are to be found plentifully in old workings which extend down into the deposits. It has been estimated that more than 10,000,000 tons of ore were mined in the old days in this district and carried to the primitive forges in the vicinity where iron of much renown in Spain was extracted. Remains of more than 20 of these forges are found in the neighborhood of Sierra Menera and are usually situated near waterfalls and forests. Much investigation has been carried on for the purpose of determining the quantity of ore to be found in these mines, but no exact calculations can be made at present. When the investigation is completed it will surely be found that the deposit contains a much larger quantity than the 100,000,000 tons indicated by the present workings.

Jan 2, 1916

By Ellsworth Daggett

THE ore smelted in the Winnamuck furnace during the year 1872 consisted, for the most part, of oxidized ores from the Winnamuck mine, only sixty tons of outside ore (from the Spanish mine) having been smelted. The latter, like the principal Winnamuck ore, was oxidized or so-called carbonate ore. There was mixed with these oxidized ores three hundred to four hundred tons, or 7 to 10 per cent. of galena, some of which was mined with the oxidized ore, while a part was mined separately from the lower portion of the mine, and afterwards mixed with the ore, with a view of preventing the formation of deposits of metallic iron in the furnaces. The average assay in silver of all the ore handled was 51.46 oz. per ton, most of it existing as chloride of silver. The lead contents were 34.98 per cent., all, or nearly all, in the form of carbonate of lead. The relative amount of silver is not at all constant, the best silver ore often being poorest in lead. The predominant gangue was silica, several determinations of which have been made on representative samples, yielding in three such samples 26, 38, and 58 per cent. silica, the latter test being ore containing but little lead. The average contents in silica are about 35 per cent., with 6 to 7 per cent. sesquioxide of iron, and small quantities of alumina and lime. Mechanically, the ore was very fine, and so thoroughly disintegrated that it presented few distin¬guishing characteristics, rendering sorting or separating of ore from waste difficult, and often impracticable. Experiments on a small scale have been tried, with a view to separate the silica by washing; but these were unsuccessful, as the finest slime, requiring a long time to settle in still water, contained a large amount of silver; and on a careful sizing and washing of the sands and coarser parts, the silver contents were found to be less dependent upon specific gravity

Jan 1, 1874

By George A. Miller

OIL, the abundance of it in the hands of the Allies and the lack of it in the hands of the Axis, played a major role in winning World War II. It bids fair to implement the winning of the peace. In fact the signing of the revised agreement on petroleum between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the United States of America on Sept. 24, 1945, may be considered as the first step in establishing a new pattern in foreign relations by our Government. The significance of this agreement on petroleum is that it was arrived at on the part of the United States of America through the advice and consent of the most interested parties, the leaders of the petroleum industry and the Government, distinctly a first step toward unifying the power of business and the strength of the Government, which places us on a par with the British Crown which has always had the advice and counsel of its business leaders in formulating its foreign trade policies. And what is the thing so patently discernible in this new first step toward winning the peace? It is that the petroleum agreement, the first draft of which, signed in Washington on Aug. 8, 1944, almost caused an epidemic of apoplexy among the leaders of the oil industry, represents the desire of the people most concerned with the problems of petroleum both at home and abroad. This new agreement, which will come up before the Senate for ratification this month-hearings will commence in January - derives its "power from the consent of the governed," something about which our forefathers were vitally concerned once upon a time.

Jan 1, 1946

By Max W. Ball

Our ever-increasing use of minerals has been the outstanding fact in our American economic development. The rise in our standard of living in the past century is without equal in human history. Nowhere in time or place has the man who works lived so well, or the man who cannot work been so well cared for. We live in a new world, even the poorest of us, that our forebears of 1849 could not have dreamed. That new world has come mainly from our use of minerals. Our per capita use of nonmineral products has grown too, but by only a modest amount. Food consumption per person has grown about 15 per cent in the past fifty years; lumber use per person ,has fallen 56 per cent and that of wood for fuel 65 per cent. Of all the products of field and forest, our use, per capita, may have increased by one fifth during the present century. In contrast, our per capita use of minerals has multiplied several times. Each of us uses 2% times as much steel and 16% times as much petroleum as our fathers used in 1900. In less than half a century our per capita consumption of all minerals has probably risen by 200 to 250 'per cent. Man once built with wood; today he builds mainly with brick and stone and steel. Once he traveled by the power of hay and oats; today he travels by the power of coal and oil. Rubber made from minerals is already better for some uses than rubber tapped from trees; before long it will be better for most and perhaps all uses. Even our ladies' graceful legs are clad in mineral fiber, where once animal or vegetable fiber would have covered them. Our high standard of living is a product of the machine.. The machine is made of minerals. The machine is driven by minerals. The machine age is a mineral age.

Jan 1, 1949

By AIME AIME

THAT neither the Reconstruction Finance Corp. nor its subsidiary, the Metals Reserve Corp., are in competition with private enterprise was stressed by Charles B. Henderson in an informal talk before the N. Y. Section, A.I.M.E., on Sept. 23. Among other things, the speaker stated that the R.F.C., since its establishment, had authorized loans of $12,000,000, of which over $8,775,000 has actually been distributed. Of this amount, over $6,600,000 has been repaid. None of this money was appropriated by Congress, the sole assistance from that body being the initial authorization of $500,000,000 capital stock.

Jan 1, 1941