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By William L. Russell

A new instrument for measuring bulk and grain vol-urnes is described, and compared in accuracy with two modifications of Nutting's method, All three methods are reasonably fast, and in all three the probable error in the determinations of bulk volume can be kept down to about 0.1 to 0.2 per cent. INTRODUCTION The new pycnometer described in this paper is designed to give speed without sacrificing accuracy. Some time ago Russell1 described a somewhat similar appa-ratus; however, the instrument described in the present paper is more accurate. Nutting' designed the pycnom-eter shown in Fig. 1 (A and B), and Pirson3 has shown points like those of Fig. 1-D. The procedure described in this paper for using Nutting's pycnometer has been modified from that used by Nutting. CHOICE OF LIQUIDS The best liquids for measuring grain volumes are hydrocarbons or chlorinated hydrocarbons which evaporate slowly. Trimethylbenzene or mesitylene, triethylben-zene, carbon tetrachloride, and tertalin have been used for this purpose. Any of these liquids or mercury may be used for measuring bulk volume. PREVENTING ERRORS DUE TO INVASION OF LIQUID Errors due to the invasion of the porous, permeable bulk samples by the liquid of measurement may be prevented or greatly reduced by using mercury, by applying an impervious coating, or by soaking the bulk samples in the liquid of measurement until bubbles cease issuing from them. Errors are produced only by the invasion of the samples which occurs between movement when the samples are weighed in air and the moment the weight of liquid displaced by the sample in the pycnometer is determined. No error is produced by varying degrees of filling of the pore space of the samples by the liquid of measurement. The excess liquid should be wiped from the samples immediately before the weight in air W1, is determined, and they should be placed in the pycnometers immediately. OPERATION OF NEW INSTRUMENT The new pycnometer is shown in Fig. 2. It consists of two glass parts which fit together at a ground glass joint. The spaces J and D are connected by fine glass tubes E, and the space J must be larger than the space D by at least the volume of the largest sample to be tested. The projections H afford a grip for twisting when the two parts tend to stick together. The position of the sample in mercury is shown by I, and in other liquids by M. F is a permanent mark on the glass, and G is a tem-Some marker. In order to determine the position at which G should be placed, invert the instrument so that A is at the bottom, and fill space D. Place the cub K

Jan 1, 1958

By Carleton Ellis

(Presented at a meeting of the New York Local Section of the Institute, Apr. 12, 1912.) I. INTRODUCTION. THE problem of the influence of hot surfaces upon gaseous combustion is one which, from a purely scientific stand-point, has engaged, for many years past, the attention of Prof. William A. Bone, of Leeds University and the Imperial College, London; and as his recent work has been the direct outcome of earlier scientific investigation, it will be appropriate, by way of introduction, to review briefly the present position of science with respect to this important subject, as stated by Professor Bone. One may perhaps best arrive at an understanding of the term " ?flameless " or " surface " combustion by considering certain facts which differentiate it from the more familiar processes of combustion as they occur in ordinary flames. All hot surfaces have an accelerating influence upon chemical changes in gaseous systems. If, at any temperature, a gaseous system, A, tends to pass over into another system, B, contact with a solid at the same temperature will accelerate the process. To take a very simple example, if a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen in their combining proportions (electrolytic gas) were maintained in an inclosure with smooth glass walls at a temperature of, say, 450° C., there would certainly be a tendency to form steam, but the rate of change would be negligibly small. If, however, there were brought into the system some porous solid material at the same temperature, so that a large surface was exposed to the gases, the rate of change would at once be rapidly accelerated in the layer of gas immediately in contact with the hot surface. Steam, the product, would diffuse outward from the surface, and the supplies of hydrogen and oxygen at the surface would be renewed by diffusion inward. Thus combustion would proceed heterogene-

Sep 1, 1912

By ALEX. S. THOMAS

HOWEVER good a furnace may be in regard to design, etc., or however excellent in the quality of the gas used, a suitable heat for the successful working of the metal cannot be obtained unless the melt be coated with a proper quantity of slag. This coating may be excessive or it may be deficient in quantity. The right degree of heat is the essential condition of successful working, for the quality of the steel made is never very good when the metal is allowed to simmer in the furnace for an excessive period, and this heat cannot be obtained if the metal is not protected by a proper covering of slag. This is not only to prevent the metal being over-oxidized and wasted, but also to prevent the metal being chilled when exposed with only a thin covering of slag. The slag may be obtained in either of two ways : 1, naturally, by the presence of sufficient silicon in the iron used, to unite with iron oxide to form a staple slag ; or, 2, by the addition of slag or free silica. In the first case the slag is formed naturally by the action of the oxygen in the flame - i.e., the oxidizing atmosphere of the furnace-on the silicon in the metal when melting. The charge then melts, as it is termed, "thick," and protects the banks from being cut. If too much silicon be present, however, and an excessive quantity of slag be formed, it will be found to be rather infusible, and unless care be taken to add the oxides quickly and follow the furnace up-thus rendering the slag more fusible by the extra iron oxide-the furnace bottom is liable to be pulled up. In such cases the author has frequently been able to warn

Nov 1, 1906

By Hans Lundberg

AFTER the war years, great activity has been shown in geophysical exploration for ore. The appreciation by mining and government geologists of geophysical techniques and results is largely responsible for the popularity of these methods. In Canada, plans are being made to study, by geophysical methods, the structure of a portion of the Pre-Cambrian shield in the hope that such studies will not only give a clearer picture of the geology, but will be of direct aid to the mining companies when selecting areas for detailed prospecting. Although geophysics thus has become more popular, some engineers are still reluctant to employ the methods to their full extent. Allotted funds are often rather low, so that the least expensive

Jan 1, 1947

By R. T. Mishler

I wish to express my keen appreciation of the article on the above subject by Coe and C1evenger.l It has been doubly interesting to me, for the reason that the experience recorded and the principles evolved practically parallel the results of similar investigations made by myself and others at The Lucky Tiger Mine, El Tigre, Sonora, Mex. An outline of the work at El Tigre may aid in confirming the principles expressed by Coe and Clevenger. El Tigre has the unenviable distinction of possessing a slime with a much lower settling rate than any recorded in the article discussed. Under most favorable conditions the settling rate is about one-third that reported for the Liberty Bell mill, and one-tenth that reported for the Nipissing, Golden Cycle, and Presidio mills. This slow settling characteristic of Tigre ore has necessitated careful investigation of settling phenomena throughout the various evolutions of the plant. Previous Settling Investigation at Tigre During construction work at the mill, the metallurgical engineer in charge, D. L. H. Forbes, ran a series of experiments on settling. His tests proved that deep settling tanks were not ordinarily necessary. The use of tanks 2 or 3 ft. in depth was suggested.2 Later experiments demonstrated that the following principles of settling applied to Tigre pulp.3 1. In settling dilute pulp, settling rates are independent of pulp depth. 2. In settling thick pulp, settling rates are approximately proportional to pulp depth.4

Jan 1, 1918

By R. T. Mishler

I WISH to express my keen appreciation of the article on the above subject by Coe and Clevenger.1 It has been doubly interesting to me, for the reason that the experience recorded and the principles evolved practically parallel the results of similar investigations made by myself and others at The Lucky Tiger Mine, El Tigre, Sonora, Mex. An outline of the work at El Tigre may aid in confirming the principles expressed by Coe and Clevenger. El Tigre has the unenviable distinction of possessing a slime with a much lower settling rate than any recorded in the article discussed. Under most favorable conditions the settling rate is about one-third that reported for the Liberty Bell mill, and one-tenth that reported for the Nipissing, Golden Cycle, and Presidio mills. This slow settling characteristic of Tigre ore has necessitated careful investigation of settling phenomena throughout the various evolutions of the plant. PREVIOUS SETTLING INVESTIGATION AT TIGRE During construction work at the mill, the Metallurgical Engineer in charge, D. L. H. Forbes, ran a series of experiments on settling. His tests proved that deep settling tanks were not ordinarily necessary. The use of tanks 2 or 3 ft. in depth was suggested.2 Later experiments demonstrated that the following principles of settling applied to Tigre pulp.3 1. In settling dilute pulp, settling rates are independent of pulp depth. 2. In settling thick pulp, settling rates are approximately proportional to pulp depth.4

Jan 3, 1917

By Yeatman, Pope

FOR many years geologists have felt that mining companies should adopt a more liberal policy in the publication of their reports. The increasing usefulness of the geologist to the mining profession in recent years demands that consideration be given to this question. Prior to 1900, the call for geologists of high reputation by mining companies was probably mainly in connection with lawsuits arising from the interpretation of rights or ownership as defined by the "Law of the Apex," and from problems such as finding the continuation of the vein or whether the vein followed was the main one or a branch. Later, outside of legal questions, the most intensive and general use of their services arose from the search for oil. Geologists to determine the position of the formations

Jan 1, 1938

By Joseph A. Holmes

I. INTRODUCTORY. THE plans for the investigation of fuels and structural materials now being conducted by the Technologic Branch of the United States Geological Survey were, before being decided upon by the Director of the Survey, submitted for consideration to the National Advisory Board, upon which there are nine representatives from the membership of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, viz.: Messrs. John Hays Hammond, Robert W. Hunt, B. F. Bush, and E. V. d'Invilliers (representing the Institute); Messrs. Julian Kennedy and C. S. Robinson (representing the Iron and Steel Institute); Dr. Charles B. Dudley (representing the American Society for Testing Materials); Mr. F. H. Newell (representing the U. S. Reclamation Service); and Dr. Richard Moldenke (representing the American Foundrymen's Association). It seems fitting, therefore, that a report of these investigations of the past three years should be submitted to the Institute for publication in its Transactions. The above, together with other representatives of the national engineering societies and allied organizations, were invited by President Roosevelt to serve, along with the Chiefs of the several Government Bureaus who have charge of public works and large. fuel purchases, on the National Advisory Board to give advice concerning these investigations. The appointment of this National Board grew out of a wish on the part of the President, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Director of the Geological Survey not only that the appropriations for these investigations be expended in a manner most beneficial to the several branches of the government

Jan 7, 1908

Executive A. R. LEDOUX, Chairman GEORGE D. BARRON SIDNEY J. JENNINGS J. V. N. DORR J. E. JOHNSON, JR.¬ Membership J. E. JOHNSON, JR., Chairman KARL EILERS F. F. SHARPLESS R. M. RAYMOND LEWIS W. FRANCIS Finance J. V. N. DORR, Chairman CHARLES F. RAND J. V. W. REYNDERS Library E. GYBBON SPILSBURY,' Chairman ALEXANDER C. HUMPHREYS GEORGE C. STONE' JOHN H. JANEWAY BRADLEY STOUGHTON Papers and Publications BRADLEY STOUGHTON, Chairman

Jan 1, 1923

By H. J. Maguire

(Presented by invitation at a meeting of the Spokane Local Section, Feb. 17, 1912.) THOSE familiar with mill-practice understand the work required of an average bucket-elevator, but I wish to call special attention to the wear on the buckets. I have been studying in what manner the life and service of the bucket might be improved, and I feel that an adjustable lip, attachable to each bucket without the aid of rivets, will be of material advantage. For illustration, consider the feed-elevator of a typical mill in the Cur d'Alène district. The ore is carried by water in a launder from the feed-rolls and dumped in the "boot" of the elevator, directly in front of the ascending bucket. Middlings from the return-rolls are similarly handled. Under this condition the bucket not only carries the ore, but also picks it up, and this latter requirement determines the life and service of the bucket. It might be said that it would be better practice to convey the feed to the elevator and dump it directly into the bucket, but at one mill at which this plan was tried the results were disappointing and the rubber belt was badly worn. The wear of the bucket is confined to the lip and the corners which have to pick up the material. When the lip on a corner of a 7- by 12-in. malleable cast-iron bucket is worn down about 3 in., the bucket is of no further value as a carrier and has to be replaced. The worn bucket, containing about three¬quarters by weight of the metal of the original bucket, has a scrap value of about 10 per cent. of that of a new bucket. To the cost of the bucket, however, should be added the time-cost of replacing the old bucket by a new one. This time-cost is considerable when the loss per hour, to cease operating the mill, is about $200. It is out of the question to put lips on a bucket unless the latter was originally fitted with this device. For if it is attempted to fit lips upon buckets not originally provided with

Sep 1, 1912

By FRED T. WILLIANS

INTRODUCTION. THE Park City mining-district is distinctively a camp of few properties, 5,000 acres, or one-third of the entire district, being under the management of but three companies. As a rule, the ore-bodies lie deep, with no outcrop, except where erosion has formed the deeper canyons and gulches. Ontario canyon exposed the famous Ontario ledge, and Woodside gulch showed the first ore of the Silver King Coalition mine. The Quincy ore-bodies were first brought to light in upper Empire canyon, and Thaynes canyon was instrumental in aiding the prospector during the early days of the camp. There are 22 shafts which have reached a depth of at least 500 ft., ten a depth of 1,000 ft., five a depth of 1,300 ft., and two a depth of 2,000 ft. The amount of lateral development has been proportionally extensive, including six long tunnels, four of which are in 3 miles, with a fifth now being driven. The Ontario lower drain-tunnel is now more than 4 miles long. The formations are sedimentary, dipping about 30° NW. and N., and traversed by many fissures, dikes, and faults. The principal ore-bodies are found associated either with the contact of the basal Ontario quartzite and the overlying limes, or on a quartzite stratum within the limes, or in the fissures, or along some of the porphyry dikes. The district covers the intersection of the Uintah and Wasatch ranges, which explains the existence of large folds and faults, and fissures of great length, width, and depth. In a general way, the geology of the district consists of a basal quartzite dome, which has been exposed by erosion at the Ontario property. The Ontario fissure lies entirely within this formation. Flanking this dome on the west, north, and east lie

Jun 1, 1911

By E. P. Pfleider, O. Rellensmann

For many years mine surveyors and exploration engineers have sought an accurate means of transferring meridian underground by using the gyro-compass. These efforts have generally failed, either because they were inaccurate or because the size and cost of the unit were prohibitive. During the past ten years, however, great strides have been made. Autonetics in California has developed a comparatively light-weight (100-lb) gyro-theodolite, and the Institute for Mine Surveying at Clausthal Mining Academy in Germany has developed an instrument that is accurate to within 20" to 30" of arc. Concurrently, Minneapolis-Honeywell has produced an astounding gyro, the size of a salt shaker, that weighs less than 0.5 lb and compares favorably in performance with the 50-lb gyros of conventional design. This unit, designed for missile guidance, should be adaptable for surveying small boreholes. Given the proper interest and approach from the engineering fraternity, excellent gyrocompasses could probably be available for accurate underground survey work at nominal cost within the next three years. Principles of the Gyro-Compass: The gyrocompass, used for 50 years as a navigational instrument in ships and aircraft, senses the turning axis of the earth and points out true polar north. It does this by employing the earth's rotation, the force of gravity, and the precession characteristics of a gyro. For further details the reader is referred to several excellent publications'"3 covering the principles and application of the gyroscope. The heart of the gyro-compass is the gyroscope, or rapidly spinning wheel, which rigidly maintains its angular orientation in inertial space. Free gyros employ universal joints to allow the wheel axle to maintain its rigid spatial orientation independent of base motion disturbances. Free gyros are independent of the earth's turning and are not north-seeking. Only as they might be initially oriented parallel to the earth's turning axis could any north indication be obtained. In practice, the free gyro tends to drift off its set position and lose its accuracy. The Sperry-Sun Well Surveying Co. instrument (5M in O. D.) is of this free gyro type. It is counterbalanced, however, against the rotational effects of the earth, so that orientation of the spinning axis will be maintained throughout the survey.

Jan 1, 1960

By AIME AIME

AN outstanding session of the Annual February Meeting was one held under the joint auspices of several groups on Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 22, as a symposium on the question of preserving peace in the postwar era through the control of the supply of sundry minerals vital to the Axis nations. D. H. McLaughlin and R. C. Allen were associate chairmen. And C.K. Leith led the discussion.

Jan 1, 1944

PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR JOHN R. SUMAN HOUSTON, TEXAS PAST PRESIDENTS AND DIRECTORS DONALD B. GILLIES CLEVELAND, OHIO H.- G. MOULTON NEW YORK, N.Y. TREASURER AND DIRECTOR KARL -EILERS SEA CLIFF, N. Y. VICE-PRESIDENTS AND DIRECTORS W. B. HENRY HOUSTON, TEXAS HENRY KRUMB NEW YORK, N. Y. ERIE V. DAVELER , NEW YORK N Y W. M PEIRCE PALMERTON, PA. PAUL D. MERICA NEW YORK, N. Y. LEROY SALSICH DULUTH, MINN.

Jan 1, 1941

By S. A. Falconer

Much attention and publicity has been given, during recent years, to grinding, classification, flotation, and thickening. The various technical papers, and symposiums held to discuss these important phases of milling, have contributed to a better under- standing of the fundamental principles and operating variables involved. Another important part of milling- to the flotation operator-is a treatment step to which frequently too little attention is given-" conditioning," or the treatment the ground mineral pulp receives before it enters the flotation machines. Conditioning" is a hackneyed and frequently misused term, commonly employed to describe the pretreatment of surfaces of minerals in ore pulps or mill pr6ducts prior to froth flotation. In general, such pretreatment is for the purpose of changing the flotation characteristics of these mineral surfaces to enable them to respond in some desired predetermined manner when subjected to flotation. Taggartl states that the function of conditioning is "either to insure selective collector coating of one mineral species while another species is not; or to take such steps as will compensate for departure there from."

Jan 1, 1949

Albin, B. R Billings, Mont. '28 Amster, Nathan L 25 Broad St., New York, N. Y. '28 Bache, Jules S 42 Broadway, New York, N. Y. '28 Barrett, C. P 5338 Harper Ave., Chicago, 111. '28 Bayless, William S Russ Bldg., San Francisco, Cal. '28 Bean, Louis, H 60 E. 42nd St., New York, N. Y. '28 Beatty, Ross J Room 604, 6 N. Clark St., Chicago, III. '28 Benwell, Oswald F Hold Mags. '28 Beymer, Albert S., V.P., Keystone National Bank Pittsburgh, Pa. '28 Blumenthal, Hugo 44 Pine St., New York, N. Y. '28 Boettcher. Charles Ideal Cement Bldg., Denver, Colo. '28 Bowlus, Thomas H., Banker, Pres., Allen County State Bank Iola, Ran. '28 Brown, Colvin B Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D. C. '28 Burt, Maxwell Struthers Southern Pines, N. C. '28

Jan 1, 1934

By D. H. Gieskieng

E. H. BRONSON*—I find this paper very interesting, except that I am not able to understand the derivation of the so-called "realization factor." This factor is defined as the ratio of the size of square opening passing all the feed to the gape of the receiving opening. By this I presume the author means the size of rock feed to the width of crusher opening. So if we fed a 12 in. rock to a 16 by

Jan 1, 1950

By J. F. Smith, J. R. Ogren, N. J. Magnani

The uapor pressrcres of magnesium over binary alloys of magnesium with twelve of the yare-earth eletnetzts have been measured by the Knudsen effuion method in the temperature range 675° to 910°K. These vapor-pressure measurments were combined with data concerning the tevtrlitzul magnesium solubility and the vapor pressure of pure magnesinm to evaluale the standuvd free energies of pluase jormation. These free-etzergy values indicate that the CsCl structures of the heacy rave earths tend to be somewhat less stable than those of the light rare earths. This dif-]eying- behaviov covrelates with differences which have been obsevz~ed in other alloy systetns wherein a phuse appeurs, disappeavs, or changes crystal stvucture as the atomic number of the rare-earth com-ponent is changed. This behauior also appears to correlate with the struclurul rariations within the rare-earth elements themselves, and it is speculated that cariations in the spatial extent of the 4f orbitals are responsihle. STUDIES of the phase relationships and crystal structures in the binary systems between rare-earth metals (lanthanons) and magnesium are extensive but far from complete. However, the currently available information1-10 does produce a rather interesting pattern. This is illustrated in Table I. If one excludes europium and ytterbium from consideration because of their generally atypical behavior, it can be seen from the table that the phase relationships in the magnesium-rich regions show a distinctly different pattern for the lighter lanthanons as compared to the heavier lanthanons. For the lighter lanthanons, LnMg2 phases occur from lanthanum to gadolinium with the cubic MgCu2 structure, LnMg3 phases occur from lanthanum to terbium with the BiLi3 structure, and magnesium-rich phases occur from lanthanum to gadolinium with stoi-chiometries between Ln5Mg42 and LnMg12. In contrast, for the heavier lanthanons, those LnMg2 structures which have been examined have the hexagonal MgZn2 structure, LnMg3 phases have not been observed beyond terbium, and the magnesium-rich phases occur with the a manganese structure near a stoichiometry of Ln5MgZ4. The heavy lanthanon-magnesium systems thus appear to be analogous to the Y-Mg system""2 wherein YMg has the CsCl structure, YMg2 has the MgZn2 structure, and the region Y4Mgz5-Y5Mg24 has the a manganese structure, and no other intermediate phases are observed. Similarity in alloying behavior between yttrium and the heavy lanthanons occurs commonly, and on this basis it seems likely that LnMg2 phases will be found with the MgZn2 structure in the binary systems of dysprosium, thulium, and lutetium with magnesium when the appropriate investigations are made. In the case of the magnesium-rich phases of the lighter lanthanons, only the Ce-Mg phase relationships have been investigated thoroughly and in detail, and until similar investigations are made for the other systems there will remain questions as to which magnesium-rich stoichiometries represent equilibrium phases and what systematic variations occur in the sequence from lanthanum to gadolinium. Thus the data in Table I show that only the LnMg phases occur with the same crystallographic structure throughout the sequence from lanthanum to lutetium. It was speculated that the relative stability of these LnMg phases might vary from one lanthanon to the next in such a way as to presage the differences which occur among the more magnesium-rich lanthanon-magnesium phases. On this basis the present investigation of the thermodynamics of phase formation was Gndertaken for the LnMg phases. PROCEDURE AND RESULTS A generalized phase diagram for the lanthanon-rich portion of a lanthanon-magnesium alloy system is shown in Fig. 1 where ß represents a high-temperature bcc

Jan 1, 1968

JAMES GAYLEY (President), R W RAYMOND (Secretary), FRANK LYMAN Treasurer) T A RICKARD NEW YORK, N Y CHARLES H SNOW NEW YORK, N Y R W RAYMOND NEW YORK, N Y (Terms expire February, 1906 ) JAMES GAYLEY NEW YORK, N Y FRANK KLEPETKO NEW YORK, N Y FRANK LYMAN NEW YORK, N Y (Terms expire February, 1907 ) JAMES DOUGLAS NEW YORK, N Y JAMES F KEMP NEW YORK, N Y ALBERT R LEDOUX NEW YORK, N Y (Terms expire February, 1908 ) Council PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL JAMES GAYLEY VICE-PRESIDENTS OF THE COUNCIL GEORGE W MAYNARD NEW YORK, N Y JULIAN KENNEDY PITTSBURG, PA CHARLES D WALCOTT WASHINGTON, D C (Terms expire February, 1906 ) WILLIAM P BLAKE TUCSON, ARIZ THOMAS F COLE ,DULUIH, MIFF IRVING A STEARNS WILKES-BARRE, PA (terms expire February, 1907 )

Jan 1, 1910

By Charles B. Henderson

DESPITE the loss, by enemy conquest, of a high percentage of our normal sources of supply for tin, the position of this important metal is easier today than that of rubber and a long list of other strategic materials, many of which are produced in this country. Actually, there is no shortage of tin for essential war purposes, owing to a strict control of its use, to increasing considerably the amount of secondary tin available, and to the foresight of the Government in authorizing the Reconstruction Finance Corp., as early as June, 1940, to acquire and produce certain critical and strategic materials of which tin was one of the most important. The construction of the Longhorn Smelter on the Gulf Coast in Texas is an important part of this program.

Jan 1, 1943