Search Documents

By E. Miller, J. M. Eldridge, K. L. Komarek

Aclivilies of magnesium in liquid Alg-Si alloys have been delermined between 5 and 60 at. pcl Si, close to the melling point of Mg2Si, by an improved isopieslic melhod. Silicon specinrens, held in alumina crucibles and graplrile conlainevs of special design, were healed in a letrlpevalure gvadient and equilibrated with mag-nesilcrrl rapor in a closed lilanium system. The ther-madynamic Junctions were calculated and compared with the thermodyuamic properties of the other three mg- Gvoup IVB systems. Lattice paramelers of three Mg2X compounds were measured. The bonding in the Mg2X compounds is largely covalent with small and uarying amounts of metallic and ionic conlvibutions. The Mg-Si phase diagram1 has one congruent melting compound, Mg2Si, of essentially stoichiometric composition, two eutectics, and very limited terminal solid solubilities. Little information is available on the thermodynamic properties of this system. The free energy of formation of Mg2Si has been determined by the Knudsen cell technique2 in the range 572" to 680oC, by the transportation method3 between 858" and 950oC, and by the electromotive-force method4 in the range 400o to 600°C. Kubaschewski and villa5 and caulfield6 have measured the heat of formation of Mg2Si. An electromotive-force study of magnesium-rich liquid alloys was recently published by Sryvalin el al.7 The present investigation was undertaken to complete a general survey of the thermodynamic properties of the homologous series of Mg-Group IVB systems, i.e., Mg-Pb,a9,Mg-Sn,10,11 mg-Ge,12and Mg-Si. An isopiestic technique, previously developed for similar measurements on liquid Mg-sn11 and Mg-Ge alloys,12 was modified for the Mg-Si system. Specimens of the nonvolatile component, silicon, were contained in dense alumina crucibles placed inside covered graphite crucibles which were heated in a temperature gradient in an evacuated and sealed titanium reaction tube and equilibrated with magnesium vapor of known vapor pressure. The alumina crucibles prevented contact between the highly corrosive liquid Mg-Si alloys and graphite. The graphite cruci- bles effectively preserved the high-temperature equilibrium composition of the liquid alloys containing highly volatile magnesium on termination of the experiments during the quench to room temperature. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Silicon of semiconductor-grade purity (E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., Brevard, N.C.) and 99.99+ pct Mg (Dominion Magnesium Ltd., Toronto, Canada) were used. Graphite crucibles with press-fitted lids were machined from high-density (1.92 g per cu cm) rods (Basic Carbon Corp., Sanborn, N.Y.) which had a maximum ash content of less than 0.04 pct. The alumina crucibles had a purity of 99.7+ pct (Triangle RR grade, Morganite, Inc., Long Island City, N.Y.). In preliminary runs the liquid alloys were contained in graphite crucibles following the exact procedure developed for the Mg-Ge system.'2 These runs failed due to appreciable reaction between the molten Mg-Si alloys and graphite, and the results have been discarded. The procedure was then modified and the Mg-Si alloys were subsequently held in alumina crucibles. For most of the runs alumina crucibles of known weight and approximately 6.3 mm ID, 12.5 mm height, 1.0 mm wall thickness were loaded with weighed amounts of silicon and encapsuled in tightly covered weighed graphite crucibles 5/16 in. ID, 2 in. helght, 3/32 in. wall thickness). The graphite crucibles were machined from rods which were 85 pct of the theoretical density. These crucibles were therefore sufficiently porous so as to permit magnesium vapor to effuse through the silicon under the experimental conditions of approximately 970O to 1220°C and 1 day equilibration time. However, negligible magnesium was lost from the crucible during the quench due to the slow effusion rate through the pores of the graphite. The inner alumina crucible prevented the liquid alloys from contacting the graphite, and the very tightly fitting graphite crucible lids served to retain any magnesium vaporizing from the alloys inside the crucibles during the quenching step.12 The loaded silicon-alumina-graphite cells were positioned, one above another, on a 16-in.-long titanium thermocouple well and tied securely to the titanium tube with thin molybdenum wires held in grooves around the circumference of the graphite crucibles. A thin (0.005-in.) molybdenum strip prevented contact between the graphite crucibles and the titanium. This assembly was lowered into a titanium reaction tube (la in. ID, 16 in. long, $ in. wall thickness) closed on one end which contained a 11/2-in.-long cylinder of magnesium at the bottom. The inner titanium thermocouple well was positioned eccentrically in the large tube because of the eccentric mounting of the cells on the well. Appropriate modifications of the titanium cap"'12 were made to join the inner and outer titanium

Jan 1, 1968

By Sanford Belden

My topic, Recent Developments in the Design of Electric Mine Locomotives and Mining Machinery, does not require me to go into a general review of electricity as applied to the mining industry. Interesting as that subject always is, what I might say in regard to it, by way of introduction, would be unnecessary use of your time, since such facts are familiar to all. First, we will consider the recent development of the electric mine locomotive. We may well pause for a moment to reflect upon its importance to the coal-mining industry of to-day. With the dawn of the electrical age its advent was inevitable. Our practical interest is aroused not so much by the first crude effort as by the great efficiency attained during the 30 or more years since the electric locomotive made its first appearance. To judge accurately what it means to coal mining, and through coal mining to the industrial field at large, we would have to know how many of these locomotives are in use throughout the country and their aggregate daily performance, and then compare the results with what could be expected with other forms of power. Such data are lacking, but it requires no statistician to make it evident that the electric mining machine is a tremendous factor in modern progress, and that without it the work of the world could never have reached its present magnitude. Not only has the electric mine locomotive served its own special branch of usefulness, but incidentally it has solved in the main the whole problem of electric transportation. It is but a step from the triumph of a 25-ton locomotive leading a long train of loaded coal cars from a mine to the electrification of common carriers. We may or may not be near any great change in this respect. Economical reasons may hold it back for an indefinite period. But the fact remains that in the development of our mine locomotives we have met this larger emergency, in mechanical type and efficiency, whenever it may come.

Jan 6, 1914

By H. I. Aaronson, H. A. Domian, G. M. Pound

The thernodyna,nics of I the Proeutectoid ferrite re-action ha1.e been investigated on the bases of three diifevent descviptions of the statistical thernzodynamics of interstitzal solid solutions. Especially at low ternperatures, substantial dijeretzces are found in the valltes of the extrapolated y/y + a and cr/a + y equilibriurn curls, and in the To- co7nposilion metastable eqliilibriunz curl-es thus co,npited. Although neither actiztity nor phase-diagram date are able to distingrish udeqiutely among the various descviptions, the statustics of Lacher, Fouller, and Guggenheinz provide the ?nost conplete epresentation az3ailable of the single carbon-ctrbon interaction energy (w) nzodel of an intevstitiril solid solution, and the relationships deduced frojrl then2 are accordingly pre.ferred. The findings tlzut w in austenite 'aries significu?ztly uith tenpevntrue and that phase-diagawr data arc not accurately con?palible usith eqcrctions deduced on the basis of actility infoation indicate, hou'e13er, that a wzore cornplex nlodel of the uustenite , und pvobably of the .feyrite, solirl solutions will have to forn the basis of f4tuve statistical t1.eat1nents. Some suggestions for such a ruodel arc advanced. Althoug11 w represents a vepltlsio energy in austozite, it was found to corvcsporzd in ferrite to a binding energy, in qualitatit.e accord zc,itlz the internal-friclion results of Keefer and wert. ThE transformation of austenite to proeutectoid fer-rite is becoming recognized as an exceptionally useful vehicle for quantitative studies of the kinetics of phase transformations.'" Reasons for this popularity include well-characterized microstructures which develop on a convenient scale with acceptable kinetics within a considerable temperature-composition region, the absence of great sensitivity to common impurities, and, especially. the availability of a unique wealth of the ancillary information indispensable for the quantitative interpretation of kinetic measurements, including phase diagram,3 crystallographies diffusivity,5 inter-facial energy,=17 elastiit," specific vlume, ''' and ativity'-' data. Development of considerable amounts of additional thermodynamic information from activity data is of particular importance with respect to kinetic studies, since much of this information is needed in temperature-composition regions not directly accessible to presently available techniques for the measurement of equilibrium properties. A generally useful approach to the thermodynamics of solid solutions, which is of especial value in this situation, is based upon the formulation of the free energy of such solutions as a function of temperature and composition. The free energy of solid solutions has been resolved into many components. Particularly in the case of interstitial solutions, with which we shall be concerned in the present study, however, only the positional entropy component has been intensively studied. The other components are conventionally taken into account by fitting equations for the activity of the interstitial species or the temperature-composition path of phase boundaries, derived principally from positional entropy considerations, to experimental information on these quantities through adjustment of one or more constants in the equations. A number of studies of the thermodynamics of interstitial solid solutions have been made primarily on this basis,'"25 but only Kaufman, Radcliffe, and cohenZ2 (hereafter KRC) and ener''% ave applied the results of such studies to develop relationships for the thermodynamic quantities of interest in the austenite —- proeutectoid ferrite transformation. KRC made use of a model developed by cheil'' (on the basis of a previous study by ohansson'), and subsequently rede-rived correctly by Speiser and retnak,' in which a carbon atom is considered to inhibit occupancy of a certain number of its nearest-neighboring interstitial sites. schei120 determined the number of sites in austenite thus excluded by matching calculated and experimentally measured curves for the variation of carbon activity with the mole fraction of carbon. zener17 used a different approach. He assumed that the positional entropy of carbon is ideal both in austenite and in ferrite (i.e., no excluded interstitial sites), and included all other contributions of carbon in a temperature-independent "free-energy change" accompanying the transfer of 1 mole of carbon between the two phases. This quantity was determined by "pinning" an equation derived for the boundaries of the a + y region to experimental data on the compositions of these boundaries at a single temperature. In the present investigation, three different approaches to the thermodynamics of the proeutectoid ferrite reaction are examined comparatively: I) the method of Zener; 2) the model employed by KRC and predecessors; and 3) the more detailed statistical thermodynamic treatment of the same model developed by acher and Fowler and uenheim, ' in which the problem of overlapping regions of influence of individual interstitial atoms is resolved. In order to make these comparisons, it is necessary to undertake an extension of one aspect of Zener's method; since the Lacher- Fowler -Guggenheim (LFG) treatment has not been previously used in the present context, the necessary thermodynamic "superstructure" for this treatment will be developed in parallel

Jan 1, 1967

By Donald Barton

THE theory of gravitation is based on Newton's law that any two bodies exert a mutual attraction which is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them; i. e., A =KRM/R2 (1) where K is a constant, M and m are the respective masses of the two bodies, and R the distance between them. In the earth's gravitational system, the earth is one of the bodies; the other may be any body within or without the earth. In theoretical dis¬cussions and calculations in regard to gravity, that other body usually is taken as a unit of mass: in the C. G. S. system, a body of one gram in mass. GRAVITY AND LEVEL SURFACES Gravity is defined in geophysics as the force of attraction exerted by the earth, towards itself, on a body of unit mass. The intensity of gravity is usually expressed in dynes of force or in centimeters of acceleration. In geophysical work in America, most commonly it is expressed in dynes (per gram) with the "per gram" understood and not directly expressed. In geophysical work in Europe, most commonly it is expressed in centimeters per second per second (cm./sec.2) and less commonly merely as centimeter-gram-second units (C. G. S.). At sea level, the intensity of gravity amounts very nearly to 980 dynes. The vertical is the direction along which the attraction of gravity is exerted at any point. . In most cases, it is very nearly, but not quite, per¬pendicular to the earth's surface. The path that would be taken by a body falling freely through space toward the earth is vertical at each point and may be spoken of also as "the vertical," or as the line of the vertical, or as a line of force of gravity. At the earth's surface it com¬monly is very nearly, but not quite, a straight line.

Jan 1, 1928

By Michael A. Devane, Neil Duncan

Inclines and tunnels can extend from ground surface to considerable depths traversing a wide range of lithologies. The strata encountered may be affected by loosening and induced stresses at different locations along the route. It is suggested that Phase I of the pre- driving assessment process should include study of the geology, hydrogeology, rock material and rock mass characteristics. A rock mass disruption factor is used to express the ratio of the unconfined strength of intact rock material to the unconfined strength of in situ rock mass. It is suggested that there is a relationship between in situ (secondary) permeability values and the disruption factor, since the permeability of the rock mass is governed by parameters which influence strength. In Phase I1 of the pre-driving assessment, consideration should be given to the prediction of primary loosening which results largely from disturbances to the rock mass arising from the driving process. Also in Phase 11, preliminary assessments are made of the effects of induced stresses and of the geodurability characteristics of the rocks. In Phase 111, the mechanics of various secondary loosening pro- cesses are considered along with their relevance to estimates of stand up time and support requirements. Yield-line analysis is introduced for the study of plastic and brittle type bending deformations. Stand up time and support characteristics are also assessed. In Phase IV, the effects of induced stresses are analysed. It is suggested that even for broken rock in the Yield Zone, the rock mass disruption factor may not often increase above lo which is equivalent to an in situ permeability of 10-1 m/s.

Jan 1, 1983

By F. A. Schaufelberger

Early work on chemical precipitation of metals from metal salt solutions is reviewed. The chemistry and thermodynamics of precipitating copper, nickel, cobalt, and cadmium metals by reaction with hydrogen are discussed. Mechanisms of metal precipitation, nu-cleation, growth, and agglomeration are reviewed, as well as some solubility phenomena of cleation,gases and solids at elevated temperatures. Experimental data presented deal mainly with the reaction of copper sulfate solution with Hz. METAL can be recovered from a leach solution either indirectly by precipitation as a compound that is later reduced or directly by electrolysis, cementation, or chemical reduction, for example, with hydrogen. The widely used electrowinning processes suffer from the inefficiency of converting fuel to low voltage dc and from low current efficiency when complete recovery is attempted. With the batch hydrogen reduction methods outlined here, a unit of fuel converted to hydrogen in modern gas reform plants will make two to three times as much metal as can be obtained with electrolysis. With continuous hydrogen reduction, four to six times as much metal is obtained. Precipitation by reducing a metal salt solution with H, has been known for almost 100 years.' Commercial use of the process, however, awaited the research and development program initiated by Chemical Construction Corp. Within the last few years this program has brought about construction of commercial plants, listed on p. 701. Ideal hydrogen reduction will precipitate a pure metal from a solution obtained by commercial leaching methods at a rapid rate without excessive temperatures and pressures. The metal precipitate will be of desired size and density, less than a percent left in the vessel being deposited on the wetted parts. The present discussion will outline Chemical Construction Corp.'s early development program and will discuss the chemistry and mechanics of reducing copper, nickel, cobalt, and cadmium from solution by H2. Work on selective reduction of nickel from cobalt has been described earlier.2 The article is not concerned with precipitation of copper by disproportionation of cuprous solutions where yield is limited" to 50 pet.* It does not discuss use of gaseous reducing agents other than hydrogen, such as SCV which may lead to contamination with sulfur, or CO," which is considerably more expensive than hydrogen and produces a gaseous reaction product, CO2.† The article does not include use of other nongaseous reducing agents: which are far more expensive than CO. Also, notes on the history, engineering design, and performance of commercial plants have been given elsewhere." It will be shown that a pure metal can be precipitated by reduction with hydrogen from solutions obtained by commercial leaching methods when the solution cohposition is controlled and proper acidity, proper metal ion concentration through controlled complex formation and hydrolysis, and adequate agitation for suspension of metal and for transfer of reducing gas are maintained. Reasonable temperatures and pressures are used which are less excessive than those used by previous workers, although they are maintained at above equilibrium values because of process kinetics.' It has also been found necessary to induce nuclea-tion and to control growth and agglomeration in order to get a powder product of suitable physical properties. Review of the Literature Muller, Schlecht, and Schubardt of I. G. Farbenm claimed a successive reduction of silver, copper, nickel, cobalt, and zinc from ammoniacal solution by applying progressively higher temperatures and hydrogen pressures. Metals produced by this technique were not pure, since no attempt was made to adjust the solution composition between the different reductions. It is doubtful that the zinc product contained any metallic zinc. The major contribution to the literature" was made by the Ipatiews,12 who prepared platinum, iridium, copper, nickel, cobalt, lead, tin, arsenic. antimony, and bismuth at often extreme conditions, up to the critical temperature of water (373"C), at 1500 to 7500 psi, for as long as several days. Even cadmium and zinc were claimed to have been observed in trace quantities precipitated together with basic salts. In the early experiments solutions were not stirred. Extensive formation of oxides and basic salts occurred. probably long before sufficient hydrogen could be supplied in the unstirred liquid to decrease the metal concentration in solution by reduction. The importance of hydrogen pressure was

Jan 1, 1957

By N. Schapiro, R. J. Gray, G. D. Coe

A petrographic and chemical investigation was conducted to determine the occurrence and distribution of the organic and inorganic forms of sulfur in various size and specific gravity fractions of a high volatile, A-rank, Pittsburgh seam coal. The investigation was conducted to aid in the resolution of the problem of how metallurgical coke of lower sulfur content can be produced from high sulfur coals. The Pittsburgh raw coal contains about 2.4% S in two dominant forms: pyritic and organic. Pyritic sulfur constitutes about 57% of the total sulfur in the raw coal and occurs in macroscopic and microscopic-size particles. A plant cleaning process mechanically separates between 50 and 60% of the pyritic sulfur, mainly the macroscopic particles. The organic sulfur constitutes 41% of the total sulfur in the raw coal and 55% of the sulfur in the washed coal. Thus, organic sulfur is not reduced by physical methods of separation. Organic sulfur occurs in all the coal entities, but in general, increases as the exinoid content of the coal increases. In this study, it was found that carbonizing certain selected low gravity coal fractions containing an average of 0.45% pyritic sulfur and 1.01% organic sulfur produced cokes containing an average of 0.22% pyritic sulfur and 0.91% organic sulfur. However, the organic sulfur in the coke is probably derived in part from the heating of pyrite in the presence of carbon. Thus, the total sulfur in the coal carbonized is the most important factor affecting the sulfur content of the coke produced. Concentration of microscopic pyritic and organic sulfur in the middling-type coal indicates the necessity for rejecting as much of this material as is economically feasible. Most of the sulfur introduced into the blast furnace originates from the coke. Although the sulfur content of the hot metal can be controlled by the addition of flux, the flux used restricts the productivity of the furnace by displacing ore and requires first to be smelted; therefore, low sulfur coke is highly desirable. Since the sulfur content of coke is dependent upon the sulfur content of the coals from which the coke is produced, low sulfur coals are required to produce low sulfur coke. In the western Pennsylvania area, large quantities of good coking coal are available from the Pittsburgh seam, but this coal unfortunately contains relatively large quantities of sulfur. To provide information that might be useful in reducing the sulfur content of this coal in the cleaning process, an investigation was conducted to determine the physical and chemical forms in which this sulfur occurs and with what petrographic components it might be associated. The Pittsburgh seam coal, like most other coals, contains two dominant forms of sulfur: one occurs as the minerals pyrite and/or marcasite and is referred to as pyritic sulfur; the other is combined with the coal substance and is called organic sulfur. Pyritic sulfur is amenable to physical methods of separation, whereas organic sulfur is not. Pyritic sulfur particles must be freed from the surrounding coal if they are to be removed in the washing process. Generally, this requires crushing; the required degree of crushing being a function of the size and distribution of the pyrite. The present investigation was conducted to 1) determine the size, distribution and association of sulfur-bearing minerals in the coal and 2) to determine whether the organic sulfur has a preferential association with specific coal entities. If a preferential association exists, this knowledge may be useful in devising a method for organic sulfur reduction. In addition, a study was made to determine the extent to which pyritic and organic forms of sulfur in the coal contribute to the sulfur in the coke produced from this coal. A representative 3%-ton sample of raw coal was crushed to —3 in. and screened into square-mesh sizes: 3 to 1 in., 1 to % in., % to % in., % in. to 10 mesh, 10 to 35 mesh, and 35 to 200 mesh. Separate samples of the -200-mesh fraction and the all-size composite were also collected. Each size fraction (except the -200 mesh) was fractionated on heavy liquids of the following specific gravities: 1.280, 1.300, 1.325, 1.350, 1.375, 1.400, 1.425, 1.450,

Jan 1, 1963

By Geoffrey Gilbert

The material that forms the basis of this paper was collected in the spring of 1922, during a ten-day visit to Ducktown by the writer in the company of Prof. L. C. Graton. The time available for the work was far too short to allow anything like a thorough study of the deposits, and structural and stratigraphic questions, though they have an important bearing on the origin of the primary ores, were necessarily left untouched. Attention was focussed on the zone of oxidation and enrichment; and by devoting most of our time to the upper levels, open pits, and old workings, and examining the deeper levels only thoroughly enough to obtain a fair idea of the nature of the primary sulfide ore, we were able to make a reasonably complete survey of the various orebodies. With this field work for a background, the writer later made a study, in the Harvard laboratories, of the specimens obtained during the visit. As some of the facts brought to light by this study appear to be new, it seems worth while to set forth the outstanding features and a proposed explanation of them. Much of the Ducktown material that is obviously of greatest significance, as regards oxidation and enrichment, is soft and crumbly. Notwithstanding the desirability of gaining from such material all possible information as to its mineral composition and textural relationships, but little has heretofore been learned regarding it; but, by suitable preparation of this material in connection with the present study, it has been possible to examine it under the microscope without any disturbance of its texture and about as satisfactorily as if it were hard, fresh ore. The information thus gained has contributed measurably to the results set forth in this paper.

Jan 1, 1924

By Andrew Hyslop

IN our never ending search for new and better ways of underground mining, we find that transportation has had its share of new ideas in the past few years. The old and still effective method of track haulage has had some competition from rubber tired cars and belt conveyors, each of which has its own safety hazards which demand close scrutiny in any safety study. The use of shuttle cars, in particular, has introduced clearance hazards caused by the absence of the more or less positive guides formed by the rails of a track sys¬tem; likewise the requirement of greater clearance tends to increase roof hazards which we all know to be great enough with the best of methods. However, the subject of transportation hazards is too broad to be covered entirely in one paper, so I will confine myself to track methods which carry the preponderance of underground tonnage. I am quite sure that to this group it is an evident fact that haulage accidents are of major importance. However, to stress the point, it may be well to look at a few figures. Safety statistics can be quite boring and often are subject to question as to mathematical accuracy because of different

Jan 1, 1948

By S. M. Marshall, B. M. Bird

For a number of years European investigators have used laboratory methods of predicting the probable strength of coke made from coal, and recently several investigators in the United States have reported the use of various tests for this purpose. There is at present no method accepted as standard, however, nor is there even agreement as to the general type of test that should be used. Furthermore, because the details of most of the tests have not been worked out carefully, one investigator can not hope to duplicate the work of another. The extension of coke manufacture to new localities in the United States, and the increasing need for cokes of exceptional qualities made from the most economical mixtures, made it desirable to have some simple laboratory test which will determine whether given coals, alone or blended with other coals, are more satisfactory from the standpoint of coke strenpth- than others of different cost. The work described herein has resulted in the development of a simple laboratory test which, it is believed, can be generally adopted in coal laborat,ories, and which will give concordant results even though performed by different investigators in different laboratories. The general method of predicting whether a coal or a mixture of coals will produce a strong coke, resistant to crushing and shattering, has been to correlate the known strengths of the cokes produced in commercial ovens with some measurable constituent or with some property of the coals, and then to use the relationship so found for forming an estimate of the coking strengths of coals unknown. Several such correlations have utilized the percentages of the various ultimate constituents of coal, such as the oxygen content and the hydrogen-oxygen ratio;(39)§ other correlations have involved the proportion of a, B and r com-pounds, (17,21,30c) or of "oil and solid bitumens."(16,30) Also a relationship has been traced between the coking properties of coal and the rate of change of the resistance offered to the flow of an inert gas by fine particles of the coal while being slowly heated. (11,176) But the most general corre-

Jan 1, 1930

By A. V. UDELL

OF all the metals that have from time to time been called the "Wonder Metal," mercury, often called quicksilver, is probably the most deserving of this designation. A wonder metal it must have been to those workers of an earlier day who named it after that Latin god of commerce and gain, characterized as the fleet messenger of the gods and the conductor of souls to the lower world. The word mercury has been used to indicate a carrier of tidings, a bearer of news, a nimble or clever person, a hawker, and a skillful thief. All of these attributes, and more, are recognizable in this metal, the technical terminology of which is "Hydragyrum," meaning water-silver, and from which the chemical symbol "Hg" is derived. Fickle in its occurrence in nature, simple in its metallurgy, illusive in captivity, it serves man in life or death, in war or peace, in commerce, science and arts, in mining, agriculture, and forestry with a versatility found in no other element.

Jan 1, 1929

THE research and policy committee of the Committee for Economic Development, a non-profit research organization composed of leaders in industry and the professions, including such prominent figures as Dwight D. Eisenhower, Paul G. Hoffman, and Charles E. Wilson, recently published a report entitled "How to Raise Real Wages." Since its founding in 1942 the CED has initiated many objective studies on matters of national economic policy, and has gained a fair measure of prestige from its activities. The CED's latest report cites the more than three- fold rise in real wages in the United States in the past 50 years and attributes the accompanying improvement in the standard of living to the great in- crease in production per man hour. The report states that in order for production to continue rising in the future with the attendant increase in real wages four basic conditions must be manifest: (1) better methods, (2) more capital, (3) better training of workers, and (4) better management. The report cautions that although prospects for increases in output per man hour are good "it is desirable that steps be taken to encourage such a rise."

Jan 8, 1950

By S. L. Hoyt

IN technological studies on steel considerable emphasis has been placed on the identification of the foreign inclusions, testimony of which is adequately given in the metallographic literature covering methods for their identification. The outstanding accomplishment in this field is the scheme devised by Campbell, Comstock and Wohrman for identi-fying various oxides, sulfides, silicates and other constituents by syste-matic etching tests and microscopic examination.1 The time involved in carrying out this procedure has led to attempts to secure quicker methods, or at least to shorten the time required to secure essential information. An example of this is the use of dark field illumination, but when this was tried out by the authors it was found that cavities and pits on the polished surface appeared bright on a dark field and could not be distinguished from small glassy inclusions. Still another means is the Leitz Ultropak, an instrument equipped with optical units for the illumination of the specimen by reflected light to secure an effect similar to dark field illumination. The structures are made visible in exceedingly sharp details by utilizing the inherent properties of the samples, such as refractive index, absorption coefficients and reflection powers. We have had no experience, with the Ultropak, but a recent paper by Benedicks and Löfquist3 describes methods for

Jan 1, 1934

By Frank W. Osterwald

Violent, spontaneous destruction of coal faces and ribs during, what are commonly called, bumps endangers and at times destroys life and property in mines of the Book Cliffs coalfield, Carbon County, Utah. Because these mines supply much of the coking coal for the West Coast steel industries, mining is necessary, although costs are high and operating conditions are very difficult at times. As operations continue, mining will go to greater depths, and the difficulties will increase. Whether or not mining can be continued successfully depends in part on whether or not incidence of bumps can be controlled successfully. For this reason, the U.S. Geological Survey, at the request of and in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Mines, undertook a study of the Sunnyside No. 1 mine to determine what geologic factors were related to the incidence of bumps. This report presents the preliminary results of that study and indicates that some observable geologic features in the mine may be related directly or indirectly to bumps, and that other features may be used to infer stress distribution around workings that will aid in design of roof support measures. Coal is mined in the Sunnyside No. 1 mine from depths as great as 2500 ft by room-and-pillar methods. The surface topography is rugged with many steep cliffs and deep canyons, hence the load on the coal varies greatly within short distances. Much of the Sunnyside coal is under high stress, and while being mined, it shatters continuously' and falls from the face. Continuous shattering (bumping) makes mining easy, but if the shattering is interrupted, greater stress is built up and violent bumps may result when the coal is mined.

Jan 4, 1962

By A. R. Kaufman, P. Gordon

THE large-scale manufacture and use of uranium in conjunction with the atomic energy development during the war led to a need for knowing the equilibrium diagrams of uranium with various other metals. The alloys of uranium with aluminum and with iron were among the first that were studied for this purpose. Much of the work was done in the manner of a survey since it was necessary to determine the important features of the phase diagrams rather than to obtain completely detailed results. For this reason no attempt was made to locate exactly such features as liquidus lines, solid solubility limits and compound and eutectic compositions. It is believed, however, that there are no great inaccuracies in the diagrams reported here and that no important points were overlooked. Earlier work on alloys of uranium with aluminum and iron is almost nonexistent and in each case is considered to have been of little value by M. Hansen. It is interesting to note, however, that the compound UAl3 was first reported in 1902 by L. Guillet. Experimental Procedure Materials: The uranium used for making most of the aluminum alloys was obtained from material prepared by Metal Hydrides, Inc., and melted in vacuum at M.I.T. Because of the lack of an adequate supply of metal, it was necessary to use material from several different batches and hence it is impossible to state an exact analysis. However, a few results indicated about 0.01 to 0.03 pct iron and probably about 0.03 to 0.05 pct carbon. Toward the end of the work a small amount of metal was obtained from Brown University and from Iowa State College and this was used in determining the transformations in pure metal and in some dilute alloys. All of the aluminum used in this investigation came from a supply of high purity metal (greater than 99.9 pct aluminum) which was obtained through the courtesy of Dr. Mehl of the Carnegie Institute of Technology. The uranium used for making the alloys with iron was produced by the bomb reduction process which has been described by J. Chipman.² This metal, after vacuum melting, contained about 99.9 pct uranium by weight with carbon and iron as the chief impurities. Electrolytic iron containing about 0.012 pct carbon, 0.020 pct nickel and 0.009 pct copper was used in making the melts. Melting Equipment: The melting of the alloys went through a stage of development which culminated in the use of beryllia or beryllia-lined crucibles and in the use of high frequency heating in either vacuum or in an atmosphere of argon. It was found that uranium at a few hundred degrees above its melting point would pick up aluminum and to a lesser extent silicon from an alundum thimble while aluminum above 1000°C would extract silicon from the impure alundum. No reaction of either metal with beryllia was noted at temperatures as high as 1800°C. The distillation of aluminum from the aluminum-rich alloys was quite troublesome at temperatures above about 1300°C and was only partially avoided by the use of argon instead of vacuum. Melting in resistance furnaces,

Jan 1, 1951

By Hon. Tasker Oddie

DURING the closing days of the last Congress a resolution was passed, creating the Senate Com-mission of Gold and Silver Inquiry. The resolu-tion charges the Commission with the responsibility to investigate and report to the Congress on Jan. 1, 1924, upon the following subjects: 1. The causes of the continuing decrease in the production of gold and silver. 2. The causes of the depressed condition of the gold and silver industry in the United States. 3. The production, reduction, refining, transportation, mar-keting, sale, and uses of gold and silver in the United States and elsewhere. 4. The effect of the decreased production of gold and silver upon commerce, industry, exchange, and prices. The personnel of the Commission is as follows: Senators Pittman, Sterling, Goodling, Walsh and Oddie. At a meeting on May 8, H. N. Lawrie, a mining engi-neer and economist, was appointed as Assistant to the Commission. The present situation with respect to the gold and silver mining industries is well illustrated by the follow-ing data: The total world production of gold (in dollars) for 1915 was $468,724,918, and for 1921, $329,915,101; as shown by the reports of the U. S. Mint; and for the year 1922, $306,793,000, which is based oh a prelimi-nary estimate; this indicates a decrease of 34.5 per cent. between 1915 and 1922. The total world production of silver (in fine ounces) for 1915 was 178,850,000 oz.; for 1921, 175,268,234 oz., a decrease of 2 per cent.

Jan 6, 1923

By John C. Branner

No precise geographic limits can be given for the zinc- and lead-region of North Arkansas. In general terms it lies N. of the Boston mountains and W. of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern railway; but the prospecting and the development of the ore-deposits have not gone far enough to outline more than vaguely the areas over which workable deposits are to be expected. The tardiness of the development of the region is due in part to its topography, as a hilly and partly mountainous country, through which there have been no railways until recently. There is no longer any doubt, however, about the existence in that region of large bodies of zinc-ores. I. General Geology. The general geology of the region is, in the main, quite simple, but that of the ore-deposits is less so. The zinc-regions of North Arkansas lie about the southern flanks of the Ozark dome. The rocks are approximately horizontal, but have a gentle southward dip away from the axis of this dome. Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show the broad features of the to-. pography and geologic structure. South of the zinc-region, the sandstones and shales of the lower Coal-Measures form the north-facing escarpment of the Boston mountains. Beneath the Coal-Measure rocks are the limestones and cherts of the Lower Carboniferous; and these rest upon Silurian and Ordovician beds. The uppermost beds (Coal-Measures) have been cut into by erosion along the mountain-slopes so that their edges or outcrops have a meandering or dendritic form. The same thing happens with the Lower Carboniferous beds; but these, haying been more or less protected by the overlying Coal-Measured, have broader bases, and cover a much larger area. In places,

Jan 1, 1902

By Walter Nummela

INTRODUCTION By the end of 1979 pellet productive capacity from the processing of low grade iron ores in the Lake Superior-District will total 86 million tons per year. Of that tonnage, 72 million result from the processing of magnetic ores such as taconite, about 6 million tons from the flotation processing of relatively coarse grained specular hematite, and 8 million tons from the processing of fine grained non- magnetic ores at Tilden. The Tilden flowsheet represents a break- through in the processing of this type of crude ore and hence is unique in the Lake Superior District (1). Operations at Tilden started in late 1974 with Algoma Steel, J&L Steel Corp., The Cleve- land-Cliffs Iron Company, The Steel Company of Canada, Ltd., Wheeling- Pittsburgh Steel Corp., and Sharon Steel Corp. as participants. Cleveland-Cliffs operates and manages the operation. Other companies have conducted extensive pilot plant tests or are in commercial production in the processing of fine grained non-magnetic ore materials (2). Flowsheets and reagent schedules may be different for each particular application, but some of the problem areas in the processing of Tilden ores have also been experienced at operations such as the IOC Plant at Sept-Isles, at Lamco and at Bong in Liberia, and in pilot testing of Fabrica ores of Ferteco Mineracao in Brazil. With a grind of about 80-85% -500 mesh resulting in 50% of the particles in the concentrate being less than 15 microns, a discussion of the pro- cessing of Tilden type ores fits the topic of this workshop. There are very large tonnages of fine grained non-magnetic crude ores which exist throughout the Lake Superior District and other iron ore producing regions. These fine grained non-magnetic materials constitute an important source of iron minerals. Before going into specifics of the flowsheet, it is important to

Jan 1, 1979

By U. C. Tainton

IN reviewing progress in zinc metallurgy during the last year or so one is reminded of the premise on which H. G. Wells based his "Food. of the Gods," namely that growth does not and cannot take place smoothly and steadily, but occurs in a series of bursts and intermissions: "It is as if every living thing has to accumulate force to grow, grows with vigor only for a time, and then has to wait for a space before it can go on growing again."

Jan 1, 1937

By Henry N. McCarl

[The Construction Materials section contains the following Chapters: Aggregates Cement and Cement Raw Materials Crushed Stone Dimension and Cut Stone Lightweight Aggregates Gypsum and Anhydrite Sand and Gravel Insulating Materials-Thermal and Sound Slag Roofing Granules] Mineral aggregates are those natural and manufactured industrial mineral and rock materials that provide bulk and strength in portland cement concrete, bituminous concrete mixes, and plaster or stucco surfaces. They may also provide special characteristics such as thermal and acoustical insulation, weight, surface textures, abrasion resistance, and impermeability to various concrete products and mixes. Most aggregates are relatively inexpensive materials, but despite their low unit value, the tonnages consumed each year in the United States and throughout the" world make mineral aggregates by far the leading industrial mineral and rock materials both in terms of volume (tonnage) produced and value consumed. The major use of mineral aggregates is in concrete. The low cost, high bulk aggregates tend to keep concrete construction costs at levels competitive with other building materials. Other major uses of aggregates include highway and railroad base or ballast materials, graded fill, and various industrial uses such as metallurgical and chemical fluxes and raw materials-these latter uses are often considered nonaggregate uses of mineral aggregate materials. The per-ton value of mineral aggregate materials at the production plant in 1980 and 1981 varied from $2 to $5 for most sand and gravel and crushed stone, $3 to $6 for air-cooled slag, $7 to $20 for expanded slag and expanded clay or shale aggregate, to as much as $165 to $320 for expanded perlite or vermiculite. The expanded lightweight aggregates have been dramatically affected by increasing fuel costs. It is ironic that the specialized aggregates used as insulating materials to conserve energy cost so much more to produce due to the high proportion of energy consumed in their production. The first four parts of "Construction Materials" deal with the utilization of four major mineral aggregate types: Crushed Stone, Lightweight Aggregates, Sand and Gravel, and Slag. While the focus will be on the use of these industrial minerals and rocks, there will also be some coverage of sources, mining and production, especially in those cases where they are not discussed in the Commodity section of this book.

Jan 1, 1983