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By James F. Howe

EveRy engineer and user of wire rope is desirous of information that will enable him to determine whether the performance of any particular piece of rope is satisfactory, and what conditions can be changed so as to increase the life of a rope. In most cases, it is far from easy to analyze the conditions of service and tell which is the greatest factor in determining the life of wire rope. If we start on a layout for an entirely new rope system, the task of making conditions satisfactory is simplified so far as the engineering details are concerned; but if the plant requiring wire rope is in operation, any change is likely to involve the expenditure of considerable money to replace and change over machinery that must be kept in constant operation, because a large monetary loss will result from a shutdown for even a few days. Often wire rope is kept operating under bad conditions, as the user thinks that it is cheaper and quicker to replace the rope than to make alterations in the hoisting machinery. A typical case is a metal mine operating in what is now almost the center of a large mining city, where it owns a few acres of mineral rights. It was expected that the shaft would go to a depth of 1000 ft. (305 m.), so a moderate-sized rope, about 1 1/4in. (31.7 mm.), was used on a 6-ft. drum with a 7-ft. head-frame sheave and rather short lead from drum to head sheave. This mine has gone deeper each year until it is now 2500 ft. deep and the rope speed has been increased from 1500 ft. per min. to over 3000 ft. The original rope just filled the drum in one layer, now it overwinds three layers. The original ropes were probably 6 X 19 crucible steel and lasted from 12 to 18 mo.; now, the highest grade plow steel is used, yet the average service is only about 6 mo. The cause is not hard to find. If the engineers had known at the outset what would be done with this hoist, the design would have been very different. Conditions at this mine, from a wire-rope standpoint, have gradually become worse and it is difficult to see how rope service on this hoist can be compared with the service of previous years with any fairness to the wire-

Jan 1, 1923

By Grover J. Holt

A detailed description of the many variations in iron mining and transportation practice in Minnesota would require much space. Since a fairly detailed description of the practices then in use was published in the guidebook issued in connection with the meeting of the Institute on the iron ranges in 1920, and subsequent developments have been described by E. E. Hunner, M. H. Barber,2 and A. E. Anderson, J. M. Riddell and G. J. Holt,³ it will not be necessary here to do more than review the highlights of current practice. Details on any points of interest can be obtained through correspondence with the operators involved. † The iron ores of Minnesota, which have been formed through enrichment of the iron formation in which they occur, largely by the removal of silica, are usually covered by a blanket of glacial drift known locally as "surface." Surface material, including sand, clay, hardpan and boulders, makes up the greater portion of the stripping in open-pit operations. In some instances, stripping also includes taconite and paint rock," directly below the surface material and overlying the ore. Tacenite is the iron formation, a ferruginous chert with inter-bedded slate layers. :'paint rock" is a local term for oxidized slate layers inter- bedded in the iron formation, high in phosphorus, alumina and moisture. The iron ores fall into two classes: (I) direct shipping (merchantable ores or ores requiring no treatment except possibly crushing or screening to make an acceptable sized product), and (2) ores requiring beneficiation (such as sintering, drying, washing, jigging, high-density treatment, or magnetic separation in the case of magnetite). The Mesabi Range produces chiefly soft Bessemer and non-Bessemer ores. The Cuyuna Range produces mainly low-manganese brown ore and high-manganese black ores, with some iron ore. The Vermilion Range yields mainly Bessemer and non-Bessemer iron ore, with some hard or lump ore that finds use in the open hearth. Open-pit mining is limited to the Mesabi and Cuyuna Ranges but underground mining is done on all three. The choice of mining methods is determined by the relative economics of overburden-removal and shaft-mining costs. Stripping Practice Common practice has been to remove the bulk of the overburden during the winter season and to mine during the summer, In- the present emergency many operators are forced to forego the economies attained by year-round utilization of paper. and to equip for, and carry on, stripping and mining simultaneously. In the normal years or lean years to come, most properties probably will be overequipped and high depreciation charges Will have to be absorbed.

Jan 1, 1943

By George Fancher, R. L. Whitting

A typical drilling mud from the Hastings oil field, Brazoria County, Texas, containing only 8 per cent (dry basis) of material of colloidal dimensions, which is largely illite, was concentrated to a density of 10.2 lb. per gal. and used in this study. The effects of water dilution, treatment with complex polyphos-phates, temperature and the time of heating upon the rheological properties of the mud were investigated. It was found that water plays an important part in chemical treatment and that sodium acid pyrophosphate and sodium tripolyphosphate were more efficient than other complex polyphosphates for chemical treatment. Muds treated with either of these chemicals manifested maximum reduction in viscosity and minimum filtration rates at low concentrations. Furthermore, .mud treated to minimum viscosity with either of these two chemicals was virtually unaffected by heat-treatment. Introduction The drilling of deep wells is dependent upon the use of drilling mud, and problems frequently arise concerning the effects on mud of temperature, prolonged heating and aging. The use of chemicals to control the rheological properties of mud is a well-established practice. Salts of weak organic acids such as sodium tannate or gallate were used at first until the complex phosphates of sodium were found to be more efficient. Consequently, it seemed important to investigate the reaction of a mud to chemical treatment with phosphates, temperature, heat-treatment and aging, particularly since previous work in the laboratory at the University of Texas had provided the particle-size distribution and mineral composition of Hastings mud. Properties or Mud Used in Experiments A large sample of the mud from a drilling well in the Hastings field, Brazoria County, Texas, was obtained directly from the circulatory system. Some of the general physical characteristics of the mud and other data are presented in Table I. Table i.—General Properties of Hustings Drilling Mud Alex- Cur-ander keet Well Well Depth when sample was taken, It.. 5720 5700 Weight. lb. per gal............... 9.5 0.8 Viscosity, sec. A.P.I.............. 47 60 Viscosity, Stormer, grams......... 80 Viscosity, centipoises............. 13 Filtration rate, c.c. per 30 min.a. . . 19.6 22.8 Salt content (chlorides), per cent... 0.13 0.12 pH............................. 8.9 8.9 The Alexander mud was used for the experimental work. Comparison with Curkeet mud indicates a considerably greater dilution but otherwise suggests similarity. The mineral composition and particle-size distribution of Curkeet mud (Table 2) are available (Fancher and Oliphant6). It is suggested that Alexander mud would have a similar composition.

Jan 1, 1943

By F. C. Oliphant, George H. Fancher

Two samples of drilling mud from the Hastings oil field, Texas, were tested, and the solids in each were separated into small fractions of a limited range in particle size. The mineral composition of each fraction by X-ray analysis is reported, and the results are interpreted in relation to other measured quantities, such as the physical properties of the original samples and the density of the various fractions. It was found that only 7 to 8 per cent by weight of the solids was of colloidal dimensions and that neither of the samples contained montmorillonite but did contain illite. Considerable calcite was also found. These data should be useful to the geologist interested in the origin and history of sedimentary strata as well as to the petroleum engineer. Introduction The questions, What is good drilling mud? What constitutes bad drilling mud? are pertinent, because the proper use and control of drilling fluids has been a factor of great importance in the successful drilling and completion of oil wells since the days of Captain Lucas. Adequate control of the characteristics of drilling fluids has assumed greater significance comparatively recently because of the problems introduced by caving formations in deep wells, costly blowouts and impressive mud bills. Much is known about the solution of some of the problems but, despite extensive research directed toward a better understanding of the physical and chemical properties of clay suspensions, it is difficult to define precisely a drilling mud, and much more difficult to say what constitutes a good mud. It is generally believed that the smaller particles of a drilling mud greatly affect its physical properties. In fact, it is customary to blame the colloids in a mud for nearly everything that goes amiss, because colloidal properties have effects out of all usual proportion on viscosity, filtration rate and reaction to electrolytes. It is germane to know whether drilling muds possess colloids and if so, the quantity and kind. Source oF Samples Two drilling muds from the Hastings oil field, Brazoria County, Texas, were selected because it is generally agreed that in this oil field good natural muds made solely from formations penetrated by the drill can be used until the well is nearly ready for completion. Customary drilling procedure in this field is to spud in with water, set a protective string of pipe, drill to 2500 ft. and set the surface casing. Drilling is continued to 5500 ft. with no treatment of the drilling fluid other than addition of water to

Jan 1, 1943

By Lawson P. Entwistle

One of the important reserves of mangani-ferous iron ore is at Boston Hill, near Silver City, New Mexico. The area consists of a faulted block of gently dipping Lower Paleozoic shale, dolomite, limestone and sandstone, which has been intruded by a roughly circular mass of quartz-bearing monzonite porphyry and subordinate dikes. Prom a noselike protuherance of the intrusion radiate many premineral faults, which have localized much of the hypogene mineralization. Three important stages of hypogene mineralization can be recognized: (I) mesitite, a manganiferous iron magnesite, (2) quartz sulphides, and (3) barite-galena The carbonate stage is widespread but stronger near the intrusion. The quartz may have been derived from hydrothermal alteration of the igneous rocks. Barite-galena is most important in the Chloride Flat mining district, about one mile north, where argentiferous galena provided silver for the supergene ore. The hypogene carbonate, lean in iron and manganese, has been oxidized and consequently enriched by meteoric waters containing an excess of oxygen and carbon dioxide to form ore bodies of intimately mixed hematite and pyrolusite. The ore bodies, at one place attaining a length of 1600 ft., a width of 300 ft., and a thickness of 25 ft., are largely confined to areas of brecciation and to spreads from faults in Silurian dolomite beneath soft Devonian shale. Boston Hill comprises three rolling hills southwest of and adjoining the town of Silver City (pop. 5044), Grant County, N. Mex. The mining district covers less than 2 sq. miles. Silver City, on a branch line of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway, is a supply point for the important mining communities at Santa Rita, Hurley, Hanover, Tyrone, and Mogollon. The Chloride Flat mining district adjoins Boston Hill on the north. History and Production Bonanza-type silver ores were discovered in the Chloride Flat mining district during the silver boom of the seventies and eighties, at which period it has been credited with as much as $5,000,000 production. In 1916 manganiferous iron ore was first shipped from the Boston Hill mining district to Pueblo, Colo., where it was mixed with manganese ore from Lead-ville and smelted into spiegeleisen. During 1926 and 1927 the Colorado Fuel and Iron Co. mined and churn-drilled part of the district. Mining operations ceased during the depression of the thirties, but production was resumed in 1937. Since 1916 the Boston Hill mining district has produced about 600,000 long tons of ore averaging about 12 per cent manganese and 35 to 40 per cent iron.

Jan 1, 1949

By C. P. Mangelsdorf

The roof truss as a means of secondary or supplemental mine roof support has enjoyed increasing acceptance in recent years, particularly in bituminous coal mines. In those entries where long life is required or doubtful performance from other forms of support seems likely, trusses in many cases have provided the necessary protection for continuing operations. Although relatively expensive and time-consuming in their installation, trusses, particularly with the new resin point anchor system, appear to be justifying their higher premium. It seems inevitable that techniques and equipment for installing them within the cycle will soon be developed. The actual mechanism by which trusses contribute to the stability of a roof is, as yet, poorly understood, and it may be that more than a single mechanism is involved. There are, however, a number of useful observations which can be made concerning the structural behavior of the truss itself, based solely on the mechanics of rigid and deformable bodies. The purpose of this article is to present some of these observations, particularly relating to friction in the system. A few speculations concerning the roof must, of course, be made. From a knowledge of the structural behavior, some insight into the truss-roof interaction may be gained. The concept of the truss is quite simple. As shown in [Fig. 1], it consists of two inclined chords (usually at 45') anchored in holes drilled in the roof over the ribs. A horizontal chord is formed connecting the exposed ends of the inclined chords, either with a third piece or by bending extensions of the inclined chords until they meet in the middle. A distinction can be made between active and passive chords of a truss depending upon the manner of installation. If the inclined chords are fully grouted and the horizontal chord is merely attached to them, it may reasonably be assumed that no significant forces exist in the truss until the roof begins to work. Such would be a completely passive system. On the other hand, if the inclined chords are anchored only at their upper extremities and the horizontal chord is formed in such a way that all three chords can be pretensioned to a significant portion of their tensile strengths then the truss may be regarded as fully active. Combinations of active and passive chords are also possible. * The discussion here is confined to the fully active truss such as the Birmingham steel rod system or the Galis wire rope truss. In both cases, pretensioning is accomplished by tightening of the horizontal chord, some of which tension is transferred to the in-

Jan 1, 1981

By M. K. Geer, H. F. Yancey

Investigations of the fundamental factors involved in the performance of various coal-cleaning processes have constituted a substantial portion of the research 011 coal cleaning conducted by the Bureau of Mines. These detailed studies of the mechanism of separating coal from impurity in various cleaning devices were undertaken to provide the coal industry with information that is helpful in selecting the type of cleaner most suitable for treating a particular coal. Previous reports describing these investigations have dealt with the wet table,1 the pneumatic table,' and the plunger,3 pulsator.4 and Baum types5 of jigs. The present report compares the performance of three commonly used units treating the same coal—a pneumatic jig, also known as the air-flow. cleaner, a pneumatic table, and a Baum-type jig. Object and Plan The fact that pneumatic coal-cleaning processes are less efficient than wet-washing methods because they are unable to make as sharp a separation between coal and impurity is well recogilized. The literature, however, contains little quantitative in- formation on the relative performances of the two types of cleaners. The object of the present report is to present a detailed comparison of the performances of two pneumatic units and one wet-washing process treating coal from the same bed. Although the information in this report demonstrates that the performance of the pneumatic cleaners is not as good as that of those employing water, it must not be construed as reflecting on the usefullless of such equipment. Performance is often secondary to other factors in the selection of coal-cleaning equipment, and the advantages inherent in pneumatic processes frequently outweigh the limitations imposed by their performance. Specific gravity and particle size are the principal factors that influence the separation of coal from impurity in either pneumatic or wet processes; consequently, the tools available for this investigation were the float-and-sink bath and the screen. Accordingly, the raw coal, clean coal, and refuse samples representing the operation of each type of cleaning unit were first separated into a series of density fractions by means of the float-and-sink bath, and then each density fraction was screened into a series of size fractions. By this procedure the raw coal, clean coal, and refuse were subdivided into components of restricted ranges in density and size. From these data it was possible to determine how the cleaning unit disposed of each component of the raw coal; that is. what proportion of each component is sent to clean coal or rejected as refuse.

Jan 1, 1947

By H. F. Yancey, M. K. Geer

Investigations of the fundamental factors involved in the performance of various coal-cleaning processes have constituted a substantial portion of the research 011 coal cleaning conducted by the Bureau of Mines. These detailed studies of the mechanism of separating coal from impurity in various cleaning devices were undertaken to provide the coal industry with information that is helpful in selecting the type of cleaner most suitable for treating a particular coal. Previous reports describing these investigations have dealt with the wet table,1 the pneumatic table,' and the plunger,3 pulsator.4 and Baum types5 of jigs. The present report compares the performance of three commonly used units treating the same coal—a pneumatic jig, also known as the air-flow. cleaner, a pneumatic table, and a Baum-type jig. Object and Plan The fact that pneumatic coal-cleaning processes are less efficient than wet-washing methods because they are unable to make as sharp a separation between coal and impurity is well recogilized. The literature, however, contains little quantitative in- formation on the relative performances of the two types of cleaners. The object of the present report is to present a detailed comparison of the performances of two pneumatic units and one wet-washing process treating coal from the same bed. Although the information in this report demonstrates that the performance of the pneumatic cleaners is not as good as that of those employing water, it must not be construed as reflecting on the usefullless of such equipment. Performance is often secondary to other factors in the selection of coal-cleaning equipment, and the advantages inherent in pneumatic processes frequently outweigh the limitations imposed by their performance. Specific gravity and particle size are the principal factors that influence the separation of coal from impurity in either pneumatic or wet processes; consequently, the tools available for this investigation were the float-and-sink bath and the screen. Accordingly, the raw coal, clean coal, and refuse samples representing the operation of each type of cleaning unit were first separated into a series of density fractions by means of the float-and-sink bath, and then each density fraction was screened into a series of size fractions. By this procedure the raw coal, clean coal, and refuse were subdivided into components of restricted ranges in density and size. From these data it was possible to determine how the cleaning unit disposed of each component of the raw coal; that is. what proportion of each component is sent to clean coal or rejected as refuse.

Jan 1, 1947

The following additional notes about prices of coal in the early days were collected from the sources shown. Several data about canal tolls and labor conditions are also included. 1796, November: "The inhabitants lay it (coal) in at about 3;d. (83¢) sterling per bushel." (Ref. 73: p. 147.) 1804, March: "In March, 1804, I sent a person accustomed to mining to open the vein of coal, and to load the ark, which was accomplished, and early in the month of April the ark, with the first cargo of bituminous coal passed safely the Conewago falls, and landed her coal at Columbia, Lancaster County. The coal was sold at 31¢ per bushel at Columbia." ($7.75 per ton). This was the first coal from Clearfield County near the town of that name. (Letter from William Boyd: Pa. Senate Jour., 1833-1834, vol. 2, p. 561.) 1807: The following notice appeared in the Bedford Gazette: "Huntingdon, June 4. "Stone Coal.-Such of the farmers as wish to make experiment with stone coal as a substitute for plaster, in manuring their Indian corn, may be supplied with coal gratis upon application to Peter Hughes, at Mr. Riddle's mines, on the Raystown Branch. The proprietor of the mines offers not only to refund the carriage, but to pay the expenses of applying the coal, if upon a fair experiment it is found to be inferior to plaster, which now sells at two dollars per bushel." (Ref. 735: p. 708.) 1809: Coal was delivered in Pittsburgh at 5¢ per bushel or $1.25 per net ton. (Ref. 444: p. 50.) Coal was delivered in Connellsville at 4¢ per bushel or $1.00 per net ton. (Ibid.: p. 185.) 1810: Pittsburgh.-"Coal may be obtained of a good quality, ready delivered at 5¢ a bushel." ($1.25 per net ton.) (Ref. 315: vol. 2.) 1811: "It (coal) costs 6¢ a bushel at your door." ($1.50 per net ton.) (In Pittsburgh.) (Ref. 277: 1811, p. 68.) 1814: At Columbia, now part of Donors, Washington County, Pa., an original sale of lots in 1814 gave the purchaser of each lot the right to mine stone coal gratis from a bank on the property. (Ref. 410: vol. 1, p. 547.) "A laborer is able to dig upwards of 100 bushels per day." (4 tons.) (Ref. 277: 1814, p. 109.) A paper about the early newspapers in West Virginia says: "Collier Wanting. From 10 to 20 steady and industrious men, who understand digging coal, may obtain high wages in Kenhawa for that business, if immediate application is

Jan 1, 1942

By A. Cochardt, D. H. Feisel

HE success of the sintered aluminum powder material (SAP)' in raising the maximum useful temperature of aluminum alloys has stimulated effort in investigating similar systems in which the metallic matrixes have higher melting points. Examples of such systems which have been studied are nickel-alumina,2, 3copper-silica,4 copper-alumina,4 titanium-cerium oxide,5 and 80/20 nickel-chromium,8 cobalt,= and molybdenum7 matrixes with various hardeners. Conventional precipitation-hardened high-temperature alloys are often thermally unstable in service. The original fine particles that are responsible for good strength properties grow in size at elevated operating temperatures, a process termed "over-aging." This growth of precipitated particles causes a gradual loss in strength properties. A previous paperb describes the factors that govern the process of overaging, and estimates the time required for overaging of a nickel-alloy matrix dispersion-hardened by various precipitates such as are found in current high-temperature alloys, and by alumina. These calculations indicate that nickel-base alloys hardened with Ni3Al, Tic, or TiN are quite unstable at 1340" F (727°F). Such alloys should overage within a few hours at that temperature. A nickel-base alloy hardened with alumina, on the other hand, should behave differently. It should not overage appreciably within a thousand years. It was further shown8 that the thermal stability of the oxide-hardened alloy is mainly due to the low solubility of oxygen in equilibrium with alumina in the nickel-base matrix. Since the oxygen solubility is small, little oxygen can diffuse, and structural changes require very long times. This paper illustrates the effects of time and temperature on the structural stability of nickel alloy matrixes hardened by dispersions of Ni3A1, Ni3Ti, Tic, and alumina, and of nickel-chromium matrixes hardened by alumina. Hardness measurements and metallography have been used as a measure of structural stability. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Using the best information from published phase diagrams,'-l4 compositions of the Ni-Al, Ni-Ti, and Ni-Ti-C alloys were determined so as to have 5 vol pct of precipitate at 1350° F(732°C), the temperature selected to illustrate the effect of time on structural stability. Table I lists the chemical compositions of these alloys. Standard laboratory melting and alloying techniques were used in preparing ingots of the F-Series of alloys. The cast ingots, 1 3/4 in. in diam, were forged to 3/8-in. diam rods.

Jan 1, 1960

By Earl G. Alexander, W. R. Runyan

The nature of silicon growths which form on amorphous silicon dioxide during epitaxial deposition in unmasked areas was investigated. Octahedral silicon crystals nucleate and grow on the oxide at pinholes, adjacent to foreign matter, and probably at oxygen-deficient sites. Generation of these oxygen-deficient sites on the oxide surface is shown to be thermody-namically favorable under usual deposition conditions. The conditions which affect saturation (SiCl4 concentration, flow rate, temperature) determine the number of sites on which silicon will nucleate and grow. Reaction product HCl is likely responsible for suppressing silicon growths on the oxide near exposed areas of silicon. Evidence is given that the oxide-silicon interaction occurs in hydrogen only and involves water as a transport agent. SINCE shortly after the first epitaxial layers of silicon and germanium were grown over large areas, efforts have been underway to grow selectively on specified portions of the surface. Such selective growth should be particularly applicable to monolithic integrated circuits. Usually the approach has been to use a mask to delineate the desired area,'-7 but the VLS methoda can also be used, and direct programmed atomic beam deposition has been suggested.9 The masking techniques may embody two forms: in one the mask is a material which can later be removed along with any growths attached to it; in the other, attempts are made to prevent growth on the mask, so that over a whole slice the only deposition that will occur is in the unmasked regions. The present work is concerned with only the latter case, and specifically with silicon. Joyce and Baldrey1 suggested the use of thermally grown silicon dioxide as a mask material and showed that for the proper choice of operating conditions (total flow, SiCl4 concentration, total deposition time, and temperature) spurious growth could be minimized and that if the deposition times were not too large, and the criteria not too stringent, a usable process occurred. Later Schnable et al 4 observed that after extended deposition times, during which most of the silicon dioxide became covered with growth, there was always a band of oxide around the exposed silicon area that was quite free of spurious silicon crystallites. This latter observation is particularly intriguing since it extends the hope that with proper precautions masking can be much more versatile than it presently is. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Silicon substrates oriented to within 1.5 deg of a (111) plane were prepared by etch polishing lapped

Jan 1, 1967

By N. A. D. Parlee

THE gas-liquid metal diffusion cell technique1-3 has been used to study the diffusion of nitrogen in Fe-C alloys. The actual apparatus and technique were the same as employed by the authors to study the diffusion of hydrogen in liquid iron.' The diffusion cell' was formed by immersing an alumina tube in a stagnant melt contained in an alumina crucible. The tube (hereafter called absorption tube) contained nitrogen gas at 1 atm and was connected to a sensitive gas-measuring system. The change in the average concentration of nitrogen in the melt in the absorption tube was determined by measuring the rate of absorption of nitrogen in the diffusion cell. Eq. [I], 1-3 derived from the appropriate solution of Fick's second law, was used to examine the data and to calculate chemical diffusion coefficients (D) in situations where the absorption appeared to be controlled by diffusion in the liquid: where V is the stp volume in cu cm, d is the diffusion cell diameter in cm, p, is the density of the melt in g per cu cm, pg is the stp density of nitrogen in g per cu cm, C, is expressed in wt pct, D is in sq cm per sec, and t is in min. According to Eq. [I], a plot of v vs vt should yield a straight line passing through the origin if absorption is controlled by diffusion in the liquid. The slope of this line could be used to determine the value of D under appropriate conditions. As discussed in earlier reports,1,2 the initial thermal expansion of the gas upon immersing the absorption tube distorts the line in the initial stages of a diffusion experiment. However, this is not a serious problem since the slope of V vs 6 plots can be determined from the data points obtained after the initial expansion ceases. The volumes reported on the data plot presented here represent absorption after this thermal expansion ceased. Several preliminary diffusion experiments were attempted with melts of pure iron and with Fe-C alloys containing up to 0.6 pct C. In these cases, no or very little absorption was observed. The only data obtained were for an Fe-C melt which was in addition thoroughly deoxidized by successive hydrogen and vacuum-degassing treatments. These treatments introduced an appreciable amount of aluminum into the melt and reduced its omgen content. The original charge material for this melt contained 0.23 pct s and approximately 0.001 pct &. After repeated hydrogen and vacuum-degassing treatments two diffusion experiments were performed. The analysis of the melt

Jan 1, 1968

By R. L. Whitting, George Fancher

A typical drilling mud from the Hastings oil field, Brazoria County, Texas, containing only 8 per cent (dry basis) of material of colloidal dimensions, which is largely illite, was concentrated to a density of 10.2 lb. per gal. and used in this study. The effects of water dilution, treatment with complex polyphos-phates, temperature and the time of heating upon the rheological properties of the mud were investigated. It was found that water plays an important part in chemical treatment and that sodium acid pyrophosphate and sodium tripolyphosphate were more efficient than other complex polyphosphates for chemical treatment. Muds treated with either of these chemicals manifested maximum reduction in viscosity and minimum filtration rates at low concentrations. Furthermore, .mud treated to minimum viscosity with either of these two chemicals was virtually unaffected by heat-treatment. Introduction The drilling of deep wells is dependent upon the use of drilling mud, and problems frequently arise concerning the effects on mud of temperature, prolonged heating and aging. The use of chemicals to control the rheological properties of mud is a well-established practice. Salts of weak organic acids such as sodium tannate or gallate were used at first until the complex phosphates of sodium were found to be more efficient. Consequently, it seemed important to investigate the reaction of a mud to chemical treatment with phosphates, temperature, heat-treatment and aging, particularly since previous work in the laboratory at the University of Texas had provided the particle-size distribution and mineral composition of Hastings mud. Properties or Mud Used in Experiments A large sample of the mud from a drilling well in the Hastings field, Brazoria County, Texas, was obtained directly from the circulatory system. Some of the general physical characteristics of the mud and other data are presented in Table I. Table i.—General Properties of Hustings Drilling Mud Alex- Cur-ander keet Well Well Depth when sample was taken, It.. 5720 5700 Weight. lb. per gal............... 9.5 0.8 Viscosity, sec. A.P.I.............. 47 60 Viscosity, Stormer, grams......... 80 Viscosity, centipoises............. 13 Filtration rate, c.c. per 30 min.a. . . 19.6 22.8 Salt content (chlorides), per cent... 0.13 0.12 pH............................. 8.9 8.9 The Alexander mud was used for the experimental work. Comparison with Curkeet mud indicates a considerably greater dilution but otherwise suggests similarity. The mineral composition and particle-size distribution of Curkeet mud (Table 2) are available (Fancher and Oliphant6). It is suggested that Alexander mud would have a similar composition.

Jan 1, 1943

By Lawson P. Entwistle

One of the important reserves of mangani-ferous iron ore is at Boston Hill, near Silver City, New Mexico. The area consists of a faulted block of gently dipping Lower Paleozoic shale, dolomite, limestone and sandstone, which has been intruded by a roughly circular mass of quartz-bearing monzonite porphyry and subordinate dikes. Prom a noselike protuherance of the intrusion radiate many premineral faults, which have localized much of the hypogene mineralization. Three important stages of hypogene mineralization can be recognized: (I) mesitite, a manganiferous iron magnesite, (2) quartz sulphides, and (3) barite-galena The carbonate stage is widespread but stronger near the intrusion. The quartz may have been derived from hydrothermal alteration of the igneous rocks. Barite-galena is most important in the Chloride Flat mining district, about one mile north, where argentiferous galena provided silver for the supergene ore. The hypogene carbonate, lean in iron and manganese, has been oxidized and consequently enriched by meteoric waters containing an excess of oxygen and carbon dioxide to form ore bodies of intimately mixed hematite and pyrolusite. The ore bodies, at one place attaining a length of 1600 ft., a width of 300 ft., and a thickness of 25 ft., are largely confined to areas of brecciation and to spreads from faults in Silurian dolomite beneath soft Devonian shale. Boston Hill comprises three rolling hills southwest of and adjoining the town of Silver City (pop. 5044), Grant County, N. Mex. The mining district covers less than 2 sq. miles. Silver City, on a branch line of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway, is a supply point for the important mining communities at Santa Rita, Hurley, Hanover, Tyrone, and Mogollon. The Chloride Flat mining district adjoins Boston Hill on the north. History and Production Bonanza-type silver ores were discovered in the Chloride Flat mining district during the silver boom of the seventies and eighties, at which period it has been credited with as much as $5,000,000 production. In 1916 manganiferous iron ore was first shipped from the Boston Hill mining district to Pueblo, Colo., where it was mixed with manganese ore from Lead-ville and smelted into spiegeleisen. During 1926 and 1927 the Colorado Fuel and Iron Co. mined and churn-drilled part of the district. Mining operations ceased during the depression of the thirties, but production was resumed in 1937. Since 1916 the Boston Hill mining district has produced about 600,000 long tons of ore averaging about 12 per cent manganese and 35 to 40 per cent iron.

Jan 1, 1949

By Seymour Fiekowsky, Alvin Kaufman

Taxes are compulsory charges levied by a government for its support. They are usually paid to support the general services provided by government rather than special services (such as safety inspection). The latter are normally supported by user charges often called license fees. Taxes are used by national governments not only to raise money but also as a part of fiscal policy. As such, taxes are used to stimulate or deflate the economy, as an incentive to save or invest, as a means of allocating national resources, and as a means of redistributing income. In our discussion, we will deal only with those facets of the subject that relate specifically to the mineral industry. In doing so we will deal with taxes levied on all industry in a generalized way and only insofar as it affects our industry, but at some length on those portions of the tax system related directly to the mineral industry. It is not our intent to provide a "cookbook" for computing taxes, but rather to present some of the policy issues that bedevil those who must develop our tax policies. MINERAL TAXES The mineral industry is subject to the full range of taxes levied by governments. These include taxes on income, property, and sales, as well as excise and severance taxes. The latter are somewhat similar to a royalty in , that such taxes are levied either ad valorem or per unit of output. Severance taxes most commonly are charged to oil and gas output, although coal, salt, sulfur, and iron ore production also have been taxed in this manner. The major governmental advantage of the severance tax is the administrative ease of collection. On the other hand, it poses an addition to cost independent of profitability. As a consequence, the severance tax can cause premature abandonment if mineral product prices do not rise sufficiently to cover it. Such a rise may not occur if differential tax rates are levied by the various states. Property taxes normally are levied on all property owners, including mineral owners. The major difficulties in this kind of tax, in so far as mining is concerned, are erratic valuation coupled to the inherent problems involved in assessing a property where the extent and richness is chiefly unknown. The impact of these taxes, including state income taxes, is reduced somewhat, as they are usually deductible from gross income as a business expense with a consequent lowering of national income taxes. The net cost of severance, property, sales, and state or local

Jan 1, 1976

By James Howe

EVERY engineer and user of wire rope is desirous of information that will enable him to determine whether the performance of any particular piece of rope is satisfactory, and what conditions can be changed so as to increase the life of a rope. In most cases, it is far from easy to analyze the conditions of service and tell which is the greatest factor in determining the life of wire rope. If we start on a layout for an entirely new rope system, the task of making conditions satisfactory is simplified so far as the engineering details are concerned; but if the plant requiring wire rope is in operation, any change is likely to involve the expenditure of consider-, able money to replace and change over machinery that must be kept in constant operation, because a large monetary loss will result from a shutdown for even a few days. Often wire rope is kept operating under bad conditions, as the user thinks that it is cheaper and quicker to replace the rope than to make alterations in the hoisting machinery. A typical case is a metal mine operating in what is now almost the center of a large mining city, where it owns a few acres of mineral rights. It was expected that the shaft would go to a depth of 1000 ft. (305 m.), so a moderate sized rope, about 1 ¼ in. (31.7 mm.), was used on a 6-ft. drum with a 7-ft. head-frame sheave and rather short lead from drum to head sheave. This mine has gone deeper each year until, it is now 2500 ft. deep and the rope speed has been increased from 1500 ft. per min. to over 3000 ft. The original rope just filled the drum in one layer, now it overwinds three layers. The original ropes were probably 6 X 19 crucible steel and lasted from 12 to 18 mo.; now, the highest grade plow steel is used, yet the average service is only about 6 mo. The cause is not hard to find. If the engineers had known at the outset what would be done with this hoist, the design would have been very different. Conditions at this mine, from a wire rope standpoint, have gradually become worse and it is difficult to see how rope service on this hoist can be com-pared with the service of previous years with any fairness to the wire-

Jan 2, 1922

By E. W. Shaw

Continued discussion of the paper of Roswell H. JOHNSON, presented at the New York meeting, February, 1915, and printed in Bulletin No. 98, February, 1915, pp. 221 to 226. See also Bulletin No. 101, May, 1915, pp. 1157 to 1162. E. W. SHAW, Washington, D. C. (communication to the Secretary+). -With the word petrology-literally the science of rocks-being used primarily for igneous rocks, and with geophysics coming to mean the study of lavas and the rocks into which they solidify, contributions to the knowledge of the physical chemistry of sedimentary rocks, even though only ideas which may be used as working hypotheses, become most welcome. The forces which control the formation and subsequent history of the stratified portions of the earth's crust are so little known that no one has yet been able to settle finally the questions as to whether petroleum is of organic or inorganic origin; whether it originated far from its present position, or nearby. Yet both the chemical and physical problems of the rocks in which oil occurs seem to be more simple than those of the igneous rocks. The oil-bearing rocks of western Pennsylvania, for example, have in all probability never been subjected to a pressure exceeding 3,000 or 4,000 lb. to the square inch, nor to a temperature higher than 100° or 200° C. These pressures are considerably below the crushing strength of rocks, and the temperature far below their melting point. The igneous rocks,, on the other hand, have been affected by enormous pressures and very high temperatures and yet steady progress is being made in reproducing in the laboratory the conditions of their formation and subsequent modification within the earth. The solution of the sedimentary-rock problems would seem to be fully as important as those of igneous rocks, and yet we must content ourselves with reasoning backward and our inferences as to what has happened are oftentimes little more than guesses.1 One of the fundamental problems is the origin of the salt water in oil fields. Is the salt water fossil sea water; has it been formed by the solution o-f salts of various kinds from distinct beds, from disseminated par-ticles, and from the weathering of suitable grains in the rock; or is it of deep-seated origin? Its general resemblance to sea water points to the first, but the principles held by some concerning the free circulation of water throughout the earth's crust, and certain peculiarities of composition indicated by the few analyses available, seem out of harmony with such an explanation.

Jan 7, 1915

By O. Chanute

all of' level atid grade curve excepting Nos. 897, 898, 899, and 900, because of the impossibility of grouping them in the same nlonner, no two Iraving the chemical composition and physical prnprtiw as tho only v:iriubles. Phosphorus ~tnits have been taken to show the relatia h:wdnes. Of these 16 groups, 10 decidedly indicate slower wear firr tile harder rail. Of the remaining 6 groups, three (groups 2, 9, and 15) come well within the limits of error (.25 pound per yard) inherent in the palculation of the data as pointed out by Dr. Dndley; they catrnot, therefore, be considered tls exceptions. Group 2 and 15 arc but little outside of the limita of error. Rail 923 of group 9 is obviously abnornlal. This is probahly due to its being overheated, which the chemical analysis shows might easily be the case, and which the physical tc~ts and its low specific gravity tend to c-nfirm. We inry say, then, thnt 13 of these 16 groups fairly indicate, if they do not definitely point out, th:kt, under the same condition% tbe harder rail gives the slower wear. Of course, these comparisons are too few to enable us to arrive at positive ~?o-nclusions; but indications thus obtained are, I believe, fir more vsluitblc and tresttvc~rthy than those fhzt averages rvottld give us, mnde up from any ~lumhr of rails under intloy difi~rcal, conditions. Finally, it, seems to me, that the conclusions arrived at earlier in my remarks, together with, and confirmed by the last, show strong evidence that, under the same conditions, the harder rail will givc the slower wear. 0. C~~anute, New York CITY: We are very much shlipl, 1 ant sure, to Mr. Sandberg for his paper upn " Rail Ryaifications and Rail Inspertion in Europe." We have in thp United States bithhrto Been inspecting mils sonlewl~at haphazard, and we ore glad to gtbt tfie results of Mr. Sandberg's long experience. We recognize that he was an)ong the first, if not the very firwt, to iipply mare rittional and scientific rules to the designing of irou rails., niora recently, to adapt tlitve rules to the clesigtting of steel I':I~]R, to conform to the oapaljilities and rqniretnento of this new n1:ttcrial. Although we have generally adopted, in this country, sectinns for hteel rails which marly of our railway men think even bottar than those of Mr. Snlldlmrg, he is neverthelees the Ieat3er in foot.iito11~ we have followed ever since it has been est~blished

Jan 1, 1881

By W. D. Robertson

THE effect of a tensile stress in accelerating the corrosion-cracking of certain alloys of aluminum, magnesium and iron is widely recognized. The literature is extensive and it is only necessary to cite the recent ASTM-AIME Symposium.1 There are, however, no experimental data conclusively showing the effect of an applied compressive stress. It has been inferred, from the generally accepted mechanism postulated for the acceleration of corrosion by an applied tensile stress, that a compressive stress would inhibit corrosion. Furthermore, it is observed that corrosion cracks invariably start on the tension side of a specimen bent as a simple beam. This observation has led to the suggestion that shot-peening of the surface would inhibit or eliminate stress-corrosion cracking in magnesium alloys, and aluminum alloys.3 However, the degree of inhibition produced by shot-peening does not appear in the literature except for the above qualitative references which are unsupported by experimental data. Moreover, while peening undoubtedly imposes a surface compressive stress, the alteration of the surface by the severe cold-working involved complicates the interpretation of the results with respect to the effect of a compressive stress alone. If corrosion proceeds along preferential paths produced by precipitation from solid solution, it is easily understood how a component of tensile stress normal to these paths will accelerate the corrosion and lead to ultimate failure. On the other hand, if the metallurgical conditions are such as to create preferential corrosion paths, then it is difficult to understand how a compressive stress, produced by shot-peening or any other method, can inhibit corrosion except in the sense that the accelerating factor is removed. Thus, if the basic corrosion mechanism remains unaltered, there should be little or no inhibition resulting from the application of a compressive stress if in¬hibition is defined as the reduction of the degree of corrosion below that experienced in the unstressed state. The experiment described below was performed to isolate and evaluate the effect of a compressive stress on the corrosion and stress-corrosion cracking of a high strength aluminum alloy (24-S); and, by a comparison of the corrosion rate of specimens subjected to an applied tensile stress, compressive stress and in the unstressed state, to clarify the role of stress in intergranular corrosion. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The experiment was conducted with the aluminum-copper-magnesium alloy known as Duralumin 24-S.* Specimens, 0.064 in. thick, in the form of I in. wide strips sheared parallel to the rolling direction,

Jan 1, 1947

By Grover J. Holt

A detailed description of the many variations in iron mining and transportation practice in Minnesota would require much space. Since a fairly detailed description of the practices then in use was published in the guidebook issued in connection with the meeting of the Institute on the iron ranges in 1920, and subsequent developments have been described by E. E. Hunner, M. H. Barber,2 and A. E. Anderson, J. M. Riddell and G. J. Holt,³ it will not be necessary here to do more than review the highlights of current practice. Details on any points of interest can be obtained through correspondence with the operators involved. † The iron ores of Minnesota, which have been formed through enrichment of the iron formation in which they occur, largely by the removal of silica, are usually covered by a blanket of glacial drift known locally as "surface." Surface material, including sand, clay, hardpan and boulders, makes up the greater portion of the stripping in open-pit operations. In some instances, stripping also includes taconite and paint rock," directly below the surface material and overlying the ore. Tacenite is the iron formation, a ferruginous chert with inter-bedded slate layers. :'paint rock" is a local term for oxidized slate layers inter- bedded in the iron formation, high in phosphorus, alumina and moisture. The iron ores fall into two classes: (I) direct shipping (merchantable ores or ores requiring no treatment except possibly crushing or screening to make an acceptable sized product), and (2) ores requiring beneficiation (such as sintering, drying, washing, jigging, high-density treatment, or magnetic separation in the case of magnetite). The Mesabi Range produces chiefly soft Bessemer and non-Bessemer ores. The Cuyuna Range produces mainly low-manganese brown ore and high-manganese black ores, with some iron ore. The Vermilion Range yields mainly Bessemer and non-Bessemer iron ore, with some hard or lump ore that finds use in the open hearth. Open-pit mining is limited to the Mesabi and Cuyuna Ranges but underground mining is done on all three. The choice of mining methods is determined by the relative economics of overburden-removal and shaft-mining costs. Stripping Practice Common practice has been to remove the bulk of the overburden during the winter season and to mine during the summer, In- the present emergency many operators are forced to forego the economies attained by year-round utilization of paper. and to equip for, and carry on, stripping and mining simultaneously. In the normal years or lean years to come, most properties probably will be overequipped and high depreciation charges Will have to be absorbed.

Jan 1, 1943