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By Robert L. Schuster, James A. Doolittle, Ronald L. Sack

The effect of the height of a retaining-wall-supported berm on the slope stability of an idealized mine-tailings dam was investigated. The material in the dam was idealized as a two-layered system with the phreatic surface delineating the boundary between the layers. In each layer the tailings were assumed to be homogeneous and isotropic. The effect of variation in height of the berm was examined for tailings dams with three different, commonly occurring slopes. The stresses and displacements were obtained using the finite element method. An incremental analysis technique was employed to simulate sequential construction of both the tailings dam and the retaining-wall-supported berm. A one-dimensional element was used to represent all interfaces and discontinuities in the finite element model. Assuming a hyperbolic model, the nonlinear stress-strain relationship for the tailings was approximated using the method of successive increments. The stresses obtained in the finite element analyses were used in conventional slope stability analyses assuming circular failure surfaces. The results of the study show that the use of a retaining-wall-supported berm is an effective means of improving the stability of a tailings dam. This increased stability is greater for dams with steeper slopes. In addition, the increase in factor of safety is particularly notable for berm heights less than 25% of the height of the dam.

Jan 1, 1975

By Donald A. Dahlstrom

In 1961 it became increasingly more evident that significant technological changes must be made in minerals beneficiation. The status quo in technology in today's competitive markets will not be tolerated. Higher productivity, greater recoveries and newer and better products must be sought and incorporated with lower operating costs. In other words, "when you build a new mill, don't build an old mill." Recommended reading for proof of the vital necessity of new methods and techniques is in the September 1961 issue of MINING ENGINEERING. The article by one of MBD's cherished and true veterans, E. H. Rose, is entitled "Iron Ore: The BIG Picture". Because of new beneficiation methods for iron ores, nearly 47 million tons of plus 60% iron concentrates will be produced and another 40.1 million tons of capacity will be under construction or committed. Thus in a relatively short period, 87 million tons of this high-grade iron concentrate with record low silica will be available. As Mr. Rose also points out, "in gross tons, without allowance for better grade, this is the equivalent of almost exactly two-thirds of all iron ore used for all purposes in the U.S. and Canada in the peak years of 1953 or 1957." Needless to say, improved mineral beneficiation methods have had far more reaching effects than just the production of higher grade iron concentrate.

Jan 2, 1962

By Henry G. Granger

NOTHING in this paper is to be understood as even suggesting a moment's suspension of the splendid work now going forward on the Isthmus of Panama, except so far as it is related to the proposed locks. All the work already done, and all material purchased or ordered, would be available for the plan herein proposed. The situation and the problem concerned may be summarized as. follows : The scheme of a lock-canal through the Isthmus of Panama was adopted, as is well known, on two principal grounds-namely, the greater expense of a sea-level canal, and the longer time required for its construction. Of these, the latter is believed to have been the more influential. But further developments have diminished the weight of both, so that a reconsideration of the question is warranted. It is the purpose of this paper to advocate such a reconsideration-emphasizing the importance of certain objections to the lock-canal not mentioned or not duly appreciated in the report of those members of the International Board of Consulting Engineers who favored this form; showing the nature and bearing of the new facts developed; and, finally, proposing a combination of well-known methods and apparatus, which would, in my judgment, effect the construction of a sea-level canal in less time, and perhaps at no greater cost, than will be required for the remaining work on the lock-canal. I. OBJECTIONS TO A LOCK-CANAL. 1. Earthquakes. Two centuries ago Panama is said to have been destroyed by an earthquake. In 1882 a rather violent earthquake was felt at the southern end of the Isthmus. In 1898 I felt a slight shock near the present border-line of Colombia. In 1900 I felt three shocks at Quibdo, the head of navigation of the

Jan 1, 1909

INSTITUTE MEDALS AND PRIZES ASIDE from the John Fritz Medal, in which the Institute participates through its representation on the John Fritz Medal Board, the Institute itself has five major awards to make annually for excellence in technical papers, as follows The Robert W Hunt Medal, The Hadfield Prize, The J E Johnson Jr , Award, The Lewisohn Platinum Prize to senior members, and the President's Prize to junior members ROBERT W HUNT MEDAL The partners of Robert W Hunt established a fund which was presented to the Institute at a fitting ceremony on May 27, 1920, to establish an annual medal and a sum of money to be awarded under the following rules, 1 The award shall consist of two prizes, first of a gold medal, second of a sum of money, a certificate to accompany each prize The money prize shall not be awarded to a member over 40 years of age, but under unusual circumstances, both prizes may be allotted to one person provided that he is not over 40 years of age In general it will be understood that the Committee shall award the money prize to, the younger men, rather than the medal 2 The awards shall be made not oftener than once a year to that person or persons contributing to the Institute the best original paper or papers on iron and steel The scope of the term "iron and steel" shall be determined by the sub-committee consider¬ing the awards In general, papers dealing with the practical side of the subject have preference over those dealing with the theoretical side in recognition of the fact that Captain Hunt's main contributions to the industry have been in the improve¬ment of production and quality of material 3 A sub-committee of three to five, including the Chairman of the Iron and Steel Committee, shall be appointed by the Iron and Steel Committee annually to adjudge the award subject to approval 4 The awarding committee shall submit its report to the Iron and Steel Committee at its October Meeting, and the award be certified to the Secretary of the Institute in time to permit the presentation to be made at the Annual Meeting of the Institute 5 The recipient of the award shall be designated "The Hunt Medallist "

Jan 1, 1923

ASIDE from the John Fritz Medal, in which the Institute participates through its representation on the John Fritz Medal Board, the, Institute itself has five major awards to make annually for excellence in technical papers, as follows The Robert W. Hunt Medal and Prize, The J E Johnson, Jr Award, The Lewisohn Platinum Prize to senior members, and the James Douglas Medal ROBERT W HUNT MEDAL AND PRIZE The partners of Robert W. Hunt established a fund which was presented to the Institute at a fitting ceremony on May 27, 1920, to establish an annual medal and a sum of money to be awarded under the following rules 1 The award shall consist of two prizes, first of a gold medal, second of a sum of money, a certificate to accompany each prize The money prize shall not be awarded to a member over 40 years of age, but under unusual circumstances, both prizes may be allotted to one person provided that he is not over 40 years of age In general it will be understood that the Committee shall award the money prize to the younger men, rather than the medal 2 The awards shall be made not oftener than once a year to that person or persons contributing to the Institute the best original paper or papers on iron and steel The scope of the term "iron and steel" shall be determined by the sub-committee consider¬ing the awards In general, papers dealing with the practical side of the subject have preference over those dealing with the theoretical side in recognition of the fact that Captain Hunt's main contributions to the industry have been in the improve¬ment of production and quality of material. 3 A sub-committee of three to five, including the Chairman of the Iron and Steel Committee, shall be appointed by the Iron and Steel Committee annually to adjudge the award subject to approval 4 The awarding committee shall submit its report to the Iron and Steel Committee at its October Meeting, and the award be certified to the Secretary of the Institute in time to permit the presentation to be made at the Annual Meeting of the Institute 5 The recipient of the award shall be designated "The Hunt Medallist " This prize is administered by the Iron and Steel Committee

Jan 1, 1923

• "This country eventually may have to rely on foreign sources for some metals, not because it does not have them here but because it may have difficulty getting the labor to mine them. Few people realize the extent to which the 'old timers' are still the backlog of the important districts." --Fred Searls, Jr. • A new filter has been developed by Arthur D. Little, Inc., for the ABC which will remove all dust from the air. Submicroscopic asbestos fibers are used as filter media and are claimed to stop all dust and pollen while passing suitable quantities of air. •Out in front public relationswise is the Peabody Coal Co. which has launched a 15-min television news program on WNBQ at 10:30 C.S.T., Tuesday and Thursday nights. Clifton Utley, news commentator, will tell how coal is mined today and indicate, with pictures, the improvement in efficiency and safety which has resulted from today's mechanized operations. •Two hundred coal mining companies are using roof bolts as a means of supporting about 14 million sq ft of roof surface, Edward Thomas of the Bureau of Mines reported. Various types of metal and wooden pins can be used. The method was first used by the St. Joseph Lead Co. over 20 years ago, but is now being studied and adopted widely in metal, nonmetallic, and coal mines. * The first ten technical graduates have reported at Hanford Works in the state of Washington, to begin the newly installed General Electric rotational training program, believed to be the first of its kind at any U.S. atomic energy plant. The program is to provide suitably trained personnel for the nation's atomic energy program. •The need for top-notch scientists and engineers to stimulate mining programs in British colonies is acute. About 60 American experts are being sought for the ECA sponsored program. Positions for mining engineers, geologists, assayers, topographers, and petrologists are open. •Production of primary aluminum for the first quarter of 1950 was 322,4250008 lb which is 6 1/2 million lb more than was produced in the first quarter of 1949. Shipments of aluminum sheet, plate, and strip amounted to 259.772,1571b for the first quarter. •Policy on manganese procurement for the stockpile is being studied by a House Armed Services Subcommittee with the possibility of lowering specifications. The U. S. Bureau of Mines is drafting a bill to encourage domestic production for stockpiling through producer subsidies. 'It will have to be cleared by the Bureau of the Budget and other agencies before going to Congress. •Oil men consider dry holes a necessary evil in their search for oil. Last year 34 out of every 100 wells drilled were dry holes. Yet Texas Technological College is attempting to drill a dry hole on its campus at Lubbock, taking every precaution to make sure it is a "duster" so its petroleum engineering students can play around with experiments without being bothered by any messy crude oil. --Natural Resources Notes. •A portable alertness indicator which signals lethargy in persons doing monotonous jobs has been developed for the Navy's Special Devices Center. A possible application to hoistmen is indicated but broaching the matter to them would be tricky.

Jan 6, 1950

By J. E. Berry

AII evaluation is made of the acoustic velocity log for measurement of formation porosity. Plots of field-observer1 velocities vs core-measured porosities of sandstones and limestotnes with inter intergranular porosity show that the velocity log gives a useful measure of porotity, in agreement with published data. A new method of plotting electrical and velocity log data makes it easier to recognize hydrocarbon-water coritnct~ from log darn and to make serni-quantitative estinlates of hydrocarbon saturation. Two examples of this interpretation technique are given. This paper also discusses the various factors that affect acoustic velocity and shows how corrections can be made for some of these factors. INTRODUCTION Although the continuous velocity log was developed primarily as an aid to seismic interpretation, it is finding widespread use for measurement of porosity. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate this use of the log. Results are presented for the velocity-porosity relationship in many sandstones and one limestone. Practical applications of porosity values derived from the velocity log to improve interpretation of electrical surveys are presented. Various parameters which affect velocity in porous media are considered. Porosity, composition, cementa-tion, pressure difference (overburden pressure minus fluid pressure), fluid saturation, and wellability are discussed. Some of the ideas are opinions based on general considerations of well logging problems while others are supported by published data and our own observations. Major conclusions from these studies arc given in the body of the paper and detailed discussions of some of the various factors affecting porosity are given in the Appendix. POROSITY Sandstones The primary factor affecting the velocity of sound in porous media is porosity. Wyllie, et al,1 have reported a time average equation for the relationship between velocity and porosity.* This has found considerable acceptance in the industry. Other relationships between velocity and porosity have been proposed, none of which are entirely satisfactory. It is doubtful that any one relationship will completely describe all situations. We have tried an empirical relationship based on correlating log velocities with core-measured porosities. Measured porosities were averaged over a depth interval equal to the spacing used in recording the velocity logs. The depth range for the information used was from 2,000 to 12,000 ft. Velocity measurements were normalized for the effects of depth and overburden pressure. A detailed discussion of the basis for this normalization is given in the Appendix. The change is usually insignificant and when working with individual formations it can be neglected. All velocity measurements were normalized to a depth of 10,000 ft. The velocity-porosity data for sandstones in Fig. 1 came from 20 wells scattered throughout the Mid-Continent and Gulf Coast areas. The scatter of the data points is attributed to three causes: 1. There is no theoretical basis for expecting an exact velocity vs porosity relationship and it is not possible to correct precisely for the effects of such factors as impurities, grain shape, manner of cementation, etc. Some of these factors are discussed in the Appendix. 2. Porosities measured by core analysis are not necessarily representative of what the velocity log "sees". 3. Inaccuracies appear in the velocity log reading. This is particularly true of velocities from one-receiver logging tools.*" A linear-time curve (time-average equation) is plotted in Fig. 1 along with the best straight line through the points. Velocities used for the linear-time curves were 19,500 ft/sec for the matrix velocity (zero porosity) and 5,500 ft/sec for fluid velocity. For clean sandstones with velocities greater than 10,000 ft/sec, there is little difference between the velocity-porosity and the time-porosity curves. Both curves are well within the scatter of data points. The data points in Fig. 1 were restricted primarily to clean sandstones, using the SP and/or gamma-ray logs as clues to the lithology. Where a lithologic de-

T. T. READ, Secretary of the Committee on Industrial Organization, presents the following very interesting monthly ad interim report: Reports from London are to the effect that 750 housing schemes for workers, involving the erection of 128,000 new dwellings, have been submitted to the Local Government Board. Birmingham alone needs 14,000 new houses, and the Housing and Town Planning Committee of the City Council considers that 5000 new houses must be built each year for the next 20 years. Nine hundred acres of land has been acquired, on which to build 10 to 12 houses per acre for the next two years. The town of Dudley, which built 300 modern dwellings in 1915-1916, submitted schemes for another 500 houses. There is a shortage of building materials required, specially brick. Financial assistance has been received for reopening brick yards that were closed during the war. W. E. Dickson, vice president of the Midvale Steel & Ordnance Co., is reported in the daily press as stating that his corporation is planning to spend $8,000,000 in improving its plant and assisting its employees in building their own homes. The company will advance 90 per cent. of the cost of the house and extend payments over a period of 12 years. Methods of work employed in building 256 houses at Quincy, Mass., for the workers of the Fore River shipyards are described, by Joseph Meltzer, in the Engineering News Record for May 29, 1919. The approximate cost was about $3500 per house, not including water supply, sewers, streets, and sidewalks. "Comparative Costs of Tenantry and Home-Owning;" "A Plain Talk on Helping Home-builders;" and "More Plain Talk on Home Building" are the titles of three publications of the Information and Education Service of the Department of Labor. These publications should be' of a good deal of service in convincing employees that it is to their interest to own their homes rather than to live in rented houses. The same Service has issued pamphlets discussing the cost of materials.

Jan 7, 1919

By S. B. Casey

[ ] IN 1880, an electric arc was struck over metal for the first time to experiment with controllable melting. The glare of this arc has reflected on the stacks of the steel industry and continued to light the path of steelmakers in their never ending quest -for faster, more economical, and better ways of producing steel. William Siemens is credited with first employing the electric arc to melt metal in a closed hearth and produce basic metallurgical reactions. By the turn of the century, an Italian, named Stassano, was experimenting with ore reduction by the electric arc. In 1899, Dr. Paul Heroult, in France, used the direct arc principle for producing ferro-chromium. His experiments quickly led him to develop a dosed-top arc furnace for the production of steel, and his first commercial shipment was recorded in December, 1900. American steelmakers, quick to sense the possibilities of this method of melting, invited Heroult to our shores, where, in 1905, he was responsible for installing the first arc furnace on the North American continent. This furnace, at Sault Ste. Marie, was built for ore reduction. But Charles Holcomb, founder of Holcomb Steel. Co. of Syracuse, N. Y. contacted Heroult in 1905 and contracted for the first American direct-arc electric furnace for steelmaking. On April 5, 1906, the first heat was tapped from this 3-ton unit. The furnace was basic lined and powered by a single-phase, 500 kw generator, -producing high amperage at low voltage. It is interesting to note that, although the first few heats were made with cold charges, subsequent heats were duplexed. R. H. Bully, first superintendent of Holcomb Steel, persuaded the directors to purchase the unit to effect a more economical and efficient means of making tool steel by duplexing prime melting in a combustion fired furnace, and transfer of hot metal to the arc furnace for temperature adjusting, refining, and adding carbon and alloying elements. Today, duplexing is foreseen by some as the steelmaking process of the future. The promise shown by America's first arc furnace for ingot production quickly led to the purchase of a similar unit by The Firth Sterling Steel Co., in 1909, and to the purchase of the first arc furnace for production of steel castings, by the Treadwell Engineering Co., in 1911. From its humble start in 1906, production of arc furnace steel has never ceased to increase its yearly percentage of total steel production in the U. S., although certain other methods have declined or almost disappeared. By its ability to be used intermittently, the arc furnace gained favor and enhanced its reputation during depression days. When the attack on Pearl Harbor plunged us headlong into the long days of World War II, the arc furnace stood ready, flexible enough to be overburdened hearth wise 30 pct and power wise 25 pct, pouring its endless flood of alloy for the guns, tanks, ships, and planes which ultimately brought victory. During the post war boom, the now, proven virtues of low initial cost, faster installation, better yield, improved availability, and lower operating cost, enabled industry-particularly the small, new, independent producers-to locate strategically and profitably to meet the demand of an America that had been starved for new homes, appliances, cars, and highways. In the Korean police action, the arc furnace again proved itself by providing the latest alloys metallurgists could develop to meet the demands that the jet age and the innovations of guided missiles required. In today's peacetime prosperity, the arc furnace is continuing to provide the economic flexibility required to meet an ever increasing demand for better steel in the face of mounting costs, scrap shortages, and pressure toward decentralized location of industry.

Jan 1, 1961

F. E. Thompson, Pottstown, Pa.: If Mr. Webster's endeavor to open up the subject of cast-iron should prove as prolific of results as did the discussion on " The Physics of Steel," he must certainly feel richly repaid. His remarks concerning the secretiveness and conservatism of the average foundry-man recall to my mind an instance of a blast-furnace which, for the last year, has been producing much foundry-iron. The manager, believing that much more of his product could be used in the foundry than the foundry-men were will-

Jan 1, 1896

By Karl L. Konnerth

THE rapidly increasing use of machinery for the mining of coal and operations incidental thereto has materially changed conditions from a safety standpoint. A few of the coal-producing states have recognized the need for specialized electrical equipment for use in mines and have introduced certain requirements in their State safety regulations, notably Pennsylvania. This paper discusses the principal problems involved in maintenance of such equipment. PERMISSIBLE: EQUIPMENT "Permissible" electrical equipment is equipment that has met certain prescribed standards for use in mines where hazardous conditions may occur and has been recommended by the U. S. Bureau of Mines. Such machinery is available on the market for most coal-mining operations--for instance, coal cutting, transportation, drilling, loading, working-place illumination, shot-firing and pumping. A notable exception is the trolley-reel gathering locomotive which, although its parts may be explosion-tested by the Bureau, has not been approved as permissible for the following reasons: I. The trailing cable is subjected to more severe service than on other equipment. 2. State regulations do not require that a working place be examined for methane before a locomotive enters it. 3. Even with two-conductor cable, imperfect or inadequate bonding may cause the emission of sparks at the wheels of the locomotive and at rail joints. 4. As the locomotive is equipped with a trolley pole, and as the trolley wire may be installed and used in unsafe territory in spite of rigid State regulations, a trolley-reel gathering locomotive is always a potential hazard. MAINTENANCE The proper procedure for maintenance of permissible equipment may be divided into three parts: (I) inspection, (2) actual maintenance and (3) changes or improvements to existing machines. To secure the fullest benefits through the use of permissible equipment it is necessary that all men involved understand the principles underlying the safety features of this equipment and realize the significance of defects, so that neglect and indifference in the maintenance thereof may be eliminated. Inspection From the standpoint of safety it is desirable no doubt to make a suitable inspection of permissible electrical equipment once a week, but the opening of every enclosed compartment at each inspection may do more harm than good. The openings to such compartments are closed with various types of covers very accurately machined, often made of the softer alloys to reduce weight, and fastened with a multitude of bolts, screws, washers, and other small parts. Frequent handling of these covers may cause sufficient damage to defeat their original purpose and intent.

Jan 1, 1941

By A. B. Kinzel

ALTHOUGH vanadium is an important constituent of almost every brand of high-speed steel manufactured today, little is known as to its role in this series of alloys. The now standard 18 per cent tungsten and 4 per cent chromium constituents were the result of developments and improvements before 1903. In that year, vanadium was added to the steel by Dr. J. A. Mathews. This proved to be an outstanding con-tribution, so that the standard high-speed steel of today is generally referred to as the 18-4-1 type-18 per cent W, 4 per cent Cr and 1 per cent V. Various modifications have been attempted, since then, but with the exception of the introduction of cobalt, no striking improvements have occurred. Vanadium has been increased to 2 per cent in many of the common brands, and at least one brand contains 5 per cent V in addition to the usual tungsten and chromium. The carbon has been gradually increased so that it is not uncommon to find 0.80 per cent in the standard grade, although the carbon in the 5 per cent vanadium steel mentioned above is approximately 1 per cent, and even 1.2 per cent has been made experimentally. The role of vanadium has never been well understood, and although vanadium has been increased to 2.5 and even 5 per cent in certain high speed steels, it has not been generally established that the higher vanadium contents 'result in superior cutting properties. However, in all of the investigations, of which the writers are aware, the interrelation of the vanadium and carbon contents was not considered as a prime factor. The carbon content was held at 1.2 per cent or less-generally at the usual 0.65 to 0.75 per cent.

Jan 1, 1932

By Eli T. Conner

My connection, under a commission from the Councils and Board of School Control of the city of Scranton, Pa., with a recent investigation of mine-caves and the resultant damages to surface-improvements, has led to the preparation, at the invitation of our Secretary, of the present paper. It is notorious that there are, in the anthracite-fields, frequent subsidences of the surface, due to the removal of the coal beneath. No particular attention is paid to such occurrences, unless they happen to injure surface-improvements. Many caves have happened in Scranton and its viciuity, which hare excited but little remark, since they have generally caused no serious damage. In August, 1909, a cave occurred in the Hyde Park section of the city, generally known as the West Side, which nearly destroyed school-house No. 16 and considerable adjacent property. Fortunately, there were no pupils in the building at the time; but the thought of the possible result, had the usual number of pupils and teachers been present, aroused the public to the gravity of the situation; and the School Board employed engineers to investigate the case. Two reports were made by separate sets of engineers, which differed in some particulars. These differences were pointed out in the public press and magnified, and the consequent agitation of the subject was taken up and greatly exaggerated by some of the metropolitan newspapers, giving to uninformed people the very erroneous impression that the whole city of Scranton was in danger of sinking into the bowels of the earth. All this tended to affect the credit of the city and to depress real-estate values. The matter was considered at a joint meeting of the Board of Trade, the Councils, and the School Board. The Hon. J. Ben. Dimmick, a former Mayor, suggested that it

Jan 1, 1912

By R. I. Jaffee, J. G. Dunleavy, W. Hodge, H. R. Ogden

IN a search for an improved conductor for use in field wire for the L. S. Army Signal Corps, an alloy of copper and silver was developed from which it was possible to obtain 29 B & S ga. strands with tensile strengths in excess of 160,000 psi combined with an electrical conductivity of over 70 pct IACS. Such a favorable combination of strength and electrical conductivity has not been reported previously in the rather extensive literature covering this subject. The properties obtained from various binary alloys of copper and silver, together with the method of fabrication of these alloys which has been developed to obtain the properties desired in fine wire strands, are discussed in this paper. LITERATURE The effect on the electrical conductivity of copper of the various elements in solid solution is shown in Fig I, taken from published data by J. O. Linde and others.' It will be noted that silver in solid solution depresses the electrical conductivity to a lesser extent than any other element for which data are given, and is followed rather closely by cadmium, and then by chromium. Zinc, which lies between cadmium and chromium, has so high a solid solubility in copper that the data for zinc are scarcely comparable to the data for the other two in the range covered. Not many data are available on the strain hardening of copper-rich Cu-Ag alloys. Corson2 reports a 3 pct Ag alloy properly cold worked and annealed to have 100,000 psi tensile strength and 90 pct IACS conductivity. On straight cold working, Hessenbruch3 reports 101.000 psi for a 5 pct Ag, 0.3 pct Be alloy, and 129,000 psi for a 30 pct Ag, 0.5 pct Be alloy. Here it would he expected that much of the strain hardening came from the silver content of the alloys. The copper-rich side of the Cu-Ag diagram, according to Stockdale,4 is shown in the upper part of Fig 2. The electrical conductivities for copper-silver alloys annealed at 750 and 350°C, taken from the work of Johansson and Linde,5 are shown in the lower part of Fig 2. The sloping line corresponds to the conductivity of solid solutions of silver in copper, and the horizontal offshoots correspond to the conductivity of the two-phase alloys in equilibrium at the two temperatures shown. The electrical conductivities are very high, even for the 750°C anneal. The potentiality for age hardening from supersaturated alpha copper solutions appears to be excellent from the solubility line, but Smith and Lindlief6 have shown that the response to age hardening of solution-annealed alpha alloys is not good. They found that the tensile strength of a 5 pct Ag alloy aged at various temperatures was not as great as in the quenched condition, even though, anomalously, the hardness increased from RB68 to RB78 by annealing for 4 hr at 400°C after a 750°C quench. Weist7 also found that the alloys increased in hardness

Jan 1, 1948

By LESTER H. WOOLSEY

IT IS doubtful whether anything new can be said upon this subject and, therefore, it is with considerable hesitation that l prepare this paper. On account of my recent connection with the Department of State as its law- officer, perhaps I will be pardoned if I discuss this subject briefly from the point of view of that branch of the Government. , I cannot, of course, speak for that department, since I have-no connection with it at-present, but it may be helpful if I set down certain* of the factors which in my opinion and from my experience have a bearing on this international problem. With oil-burning ships, motor vessels, motor vehicles, airplanes-all consuming, astonishing quantities of petroleum or petroleum products; with the United States having within its borders only 12 per cent. of the petroleum resources of the world, and consuming about 70 per cent. of the world's output; with the more enterprising nations wide awake to the necessity ; of obtaining and preserving as large a share as possible of the oil resources extant ; the 'problem is peculiarly and in a, very practical sense an international one.

Jan 1, 1921

By G. St. J. Perrott

ONE of the important hazards in coal mining is the danger of ignition of explosive mixtures of methane and air or coal dust and air, or both, by the explosives used in blasting the coal. It has long been recognized that certain explosives are more dangerous than others in this respect. In America and abroad, government testing stations have been established for officially passing on the suitability of explosives for use in coal mines. In this country the Federal government is given no power to enforce the use of the approved explosives but merely publishes from time to time, through the Bureau of Mines, those explosives which have passed the tests necessary to place them on the list for use in coal mines. In spite of this lack of police power, the increase in the use of permissible explosives since the promulgation of the first list in 1909 has been rapid. In 1912, only 8 per cent. of the explosives used in coal mines were permissible; in 1925, this figure had increased to 25 per cent. While the past record of permissible explosives has been most gratifying, it is very desirable that we pave the way for further improvement in explosives and blasting methods by learning more about the mechanism of ignition of gas and coal dust by explosives. To this end a considerable amount of investigative work already has been carried out and a large amount yet remains to be done. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss briefly the effect of the characteristics of explosives and method of loading in the borehole on the liability of a blown-out shot to ignite explosive mixtures of gas or dust. For an account of the methods by which an explosive is tested for permissibility for use in coal mines, the reader is referred to Schedule 17-A of the U. S. Bureau of Mines.

Jan 10, 1926

By REED H. HYDE

IN these days of low metal prices and difficult marketing conditions, any treatment that will improve the grade of a product is of interest, particularly when the operation involves little or no addition to the total cost and may even result in a marketable by-product. Such a' combination of circumstances exists, in some cases, in the zinc industry, where it has been found that certain impurities can be removed from .the ore during the Dwight-Lloyd sintering operation, previous to reduction to metal. Consequently it is not surprising that zinc smelters having these sintering machines are paying particular attention to this phase of the operation. Loss of zinc as fume is very low under the conditions obtaining in sintering zinc ores, but impurities such as cadmium and lead are more readily fumed off and it is on this fact that the purification is based. As a result of preferential volatilization of these impurities a sintered product' is made from which purer zinc metal or oxide can be produced, while the fume may be collected and treated to recover the impurity metals. To be effective the operation must be carefully conducted, but no special equipment other than that of a well designed Dwight. Lloyd plant is needed.

Jan 1, 1931

By L. R. Blair

Many hydrated silicates have been synthesized and sold for commercial use. However, this paper discusses only hydrated calcium silicates and, to a lesser extent, hydrated magnesium silicates. Synthetic calcium silicates were first formed by man when he found that mixtures of silica or silicates and lime in water set up to form cements. The material which was responsible for the cementing properties was calcium silicate hydrate, although this fact was not recognized until early in this century. In the early 19001s, synthetic calcium silicates, reinforced with fibers and formed simply by reacting calcium hydroxide and silica in water with fiber at atmospheric or under low pressure autoclave conditions, found increased use in thermal insulations and in building products. These insulations were found to have a low thermal conductivity and would withstand temperatures up to 650°C. This, combined with their very low densities (from 8 to 50 Ib per cu ft) and fairly high strength, also made them suitable for use as building products. Following the disastrous Morro Castle fire of the 1930Js, calcium silicate board products were used as partitioning material in all shipboard construction in the U.S. As autoclaving techniques were improved and developed, it was: learned that under hydrothermal conditions new and useful calcium silicates which could be used under more extreme temperatures (up to 980' C) could be prepared. These had high surface areas and other unique properties which suited them for use as fillers, pesticide carriers, low temperature insulating materials, and adsorbents for the removal of fatty acids from various solutions. Hydrated magnesium silicates have not been studied as extensively as the calcium compounds. Their first important use was in the filtration of dry cleaning solutions for the removal of fatty acids. With the introduction of detergents, it was found that these products lost their advantage because of their high affinity for the detergent chemicals. However, in recent years these chemicals are finding increasing use as decolorizing agents for fats and anti-caking agents for resins. Some materials with very high surface are finding new use as adsorbents. CALCIUM SILICATE HYDRATE COMPOUNDS AND THElR CONDITIONS OF FORMATION Within the past ten years much has been done in the field of calcium silicate hydrate chemistry. As a result of this work it has been found that at least 25 different forms of calcium silicate hydrate can either be formed synthetically or found as naturally occurring materials. The stability and composition relationships among these 25 compounds present a very complicated picture, and many of these very closely resemble other forms and are difficult to dis-

Jan 1, 1962

By Tell Ertl

An annual invitational address by an outstanding man in mining, geology, or geophysics who has contributed significantly to the progress of technology in these fields. IN 1954, the first year the award was conferred, Fred Searles, Jr., remarked, "The earlier years are the easiest." In this, the second year, it was easy to choose the outstanding mining engineer. Our conferee this year has been destined to mine. He comes from pioneer stock, and though a son of the American Revolution he is most proud that all four of his grandparents came to the Jordan River Valley of Utah the "first summer," which all Utahns will recognize as 1847. At the time of discovery of high-grade ore in Bingham, his grandfather, Archibald Gardner, had a crew of men getting out saw timber in the area. The first claim staked in Bingham Canyon was named the Jordan, and Bishop Gardner was the colocator of the claim as well as the man to record it. E. D. Gardner was born in West Jordan, Utah, in view of Little Cottonwood Canyon, the site of the Emma Mine. Park City in the Wasatch Mountains a few dozen miles to the east, and Tintic, not much further to the south, were developing their vast ore-bodies throughout his youth. As a boy he was near the present Midvale metallurgical area and could see the Lark and Bingham Canyon mine dumps and imagine the mining activities at Tooele, Ophir, and Mercur just over the nearby Oquirrh Range. He was 11 years old when the first car of copper ore was shipped from Bingham Canyon. It was not surprising that he attended the University of Utah and graduated with an engineer of mines degree. Five years with the Utah Apex in Bingham Canyon as chief engineer and assistant superintendent completed his training for the 44 years of unselfish and lightly rewarded service he was to give the mining industry as a Government engineer. All of us in mining are familiar with the great work he carried on and directed during the genera- tion he supervised the Southwest Experimental Station at Tucson. He has written scores of papers and books. His observations and experiments on drilling and blasting have led to the important improvements in this field during the past quarter century. Whereas those of us who consider ourselves widely informed about underground metal mining methods make hasty trips through a half dozen or dozen mines a year, our conferee has visited them all—not only the metal mines, but also coal and hundreds of nonmetallic mines, in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and overseas. His keen observations and analytical mind have resulted in an encyclopedic knowledge of mining and mines. His improvements in mining technology have been steady and predictable. His elucidation of mining problems to the many young engineers that have come under his guidance have made them grow strong and useful to his industry. When he chooses to stop, his influence will continue to expand and prosper because of the inspiration and dedication he instilled in so many of us. The profits from his ideas have been distributed throughout the mining industry. He has remained a technical man who felt that he could serve the mining industry best as a Government engineer. But he is the staunchest advocate of the belief that the public should gain from his work through private industry. This is not the first recognition E. D. Gardner has received. The Department of the Interior awarded him the coveted Medal for Distinguished Service in October 1949, and he received the Engineering & Mining Journal's Salute in March 1951. His friends who are presenting him the Daniel C. Jackling Award today know this great mining engineer simply as "Ed" Gardner.

Jan 1, 1956

By HORACE H. EJIRICH

(New York Meeting, February, 1912.) PREFATORY NOTE.-The first part of this paper was sent to me by Mr. Emrich nearly nine months ago ; and. I held it, waiting for the second part, which he had promised to forward soon, so that I might submit the whole to some of his former professional associates, and advise him of their criticisms and suggestions before offering his work to the Institute. But, five days before the second part reached me, I received by telegraph the news of Mr. Emrich's sudden death. The paper has therefore not had the benefit of such a revision by the author as might have made it in some respects clearer and more complete. Nevertheless, I believe that experts in the branch of metallurgy with which it deals will find it both original and suggestive.-A. EILERS. I. PARTIAL REFINING IN THE ANODE-FURNACE. During my connection with one of the large New Jersey copper-refineries, and probably before that period, from 15 to 20 per cent. of the copper-bullion received was the very foul, leady blister-copper produced from lead blast-furnace matte. It had been customary to mix a small part of this blister with each charge of purer pig-copper, in the effort to dilute it as much as possible before casting into anodes; but tank-house conditions were such that I was led to try making entire furnace-charges of this blister, and refining it as much as possible in the furnace-afterwards casting to anodes and refining electrolytically, in tanks and solution separate from the main bulk of the purer copper. In making this experiment, notes were made, for several furnace-charges, of everything thought to have a bearing on the question, and some interesting facts were brought out, both in the furnace-working and afterwards in the tanks.

Jun 1, 1912