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By B. B. Betty

H. L. Burghoff.*—Have the authors any information on the effect of grain size in these materials? There is a material difference in the grain sizes shown for the Monel and the Inconel. Is a wide range of grain size normally found for each material, and, if so, what is its effect upon creep strength? 11. L. Eiselstein.—The grain size for Monel shown in the micrograph is the usual size found in that product. The grain size of Inconel is about the same as that, too. However, we have run tests on Inconel at higher temperatures than those reported in this paper, and have found that the coarser grain size has a better creep resistance; and that the grain size that gives the best creep resistance at 1600°F. is about 0.005 in. in diameter. We have no test on Monel with varying grain size. J. J. KANTER.†-It has been known for a long time that Monel metal exhibits ductility anomalies at elevated temperatures. Even in short-time test, it can be demonstrated in the range of 900°F. that there is a distinct falling off of the ability of Mone1 metal to elongate, and in rupture tests this shortcoming is still further accentuated. Knowledge of this rupture anomaly of Monel metal may be one of the reasons for which designer's approach certain high-temperature applications with reservations. The authors of this paper have merely demonstrated that for 900°F. the alloy has an ability to elongate 1.7 per cent over a period of some 2700 hr. Before any conviction can be expected from designers that Monel metal is applicable to stress design in such range of temperature, I think it is desirable to demonstrate the capacity for the material to elongate over a longer period of time than has been done in this presentation.

Jan 1, 1945

By F. P. Dewey

Recent discussions have furnished to the members of the Institute much information concerning aluminum and its applications. The present paper will be devoted almost entirely to the description of a process by which the metal is produced in the form of alloys. The characters which especially distinguish the Heroult process consist in electrolyzing a mass of molten alumina (Al2O3), and at the same time alloying the separated aluminum with a heavy metal, the heat necessary for the fusion of both the alumina and the alloying metal being supplied by the direct passage through the molten Al2 0, of an electric current of high amperage and low voltage. The process has been in active operation at Neuhausen in Switzerland for about two years. It is also in active operation at Froges in southern France. Both these locations were selected for this purpose on account of the presence of large and desirable water-powers. The apparatus consists of a carbon containing-vessel, which may be a single crucible for small operations, or may be built up of slabs or blocks of carbon for large and industrial operations. When built up of slabs or blocks, the whole is surrounded by an iron casing. In the earlier crucibles this iron casing was cast around the carbon, in order to secure close electrical contact. This, however, has been found unnecessary; and in the later crucibles the casings consist of plates bolted together, while pulverized carbon is packed between the carbon blocks and the iron. Electric conductors are united direct to this iron casing, and the current passes from this through the carbon lining to the interior of the crucible. By this

Jan 1, 1890

By B. Fitch

This paper deals with the behavior of sedimenting suspensions. More particularly, it treats, in as organized a manner as possible, the body of knowledge, theoretical or empirical, by which one predicts the behavior of miscellaneous swarms of particles in suspension. Such knowledge is necessary for precise and economical design of equipment. While the behavior of a single spherical particle settling through an infinite sea of quiescent fluid is well understood, practical sedimentation processes are almost always concerned with particles of assorted sizes, densities, and shapes, in such concentration that there is profound particle interaction. Such swarms of particles are observed to settle in any of four markedly different manners. Which one they follow is governed by particle interaction. It is determined largely by the dilution of the suspension, and the relative tendency of the particles to cohere. TYPES OF SEDIMENTATION The relationship between the different modes of sedimentation is shown paragenetically in Fig. 1. The left side of the diagram represents particles having little tendency to cohere; the right side represents particles for which interparticle cohesion is large compared to the settling force. The vertical axis represents dilution. As seen in the diagram, sedimentation is divided into three broad fields or regimes. At high dilutions there exists a regime here named 'clarification.' Particles in clarification may settle either individually, or by collecting into separated floccules. Thus there are two different possible modes of settling in the clarification regime. It is characteristic c~f this regime that there will be no clear line of demarcation between settling suspension and a supernatant. Faster particles settle out ahead of slower ones. In batch tests there develops a gradation of both particle sizes and pulp density due to progressive depletion of the largest particles from any given pulp level.

Jan 1, 1962

By G. S. Brooks

The tendency of the oxides of such metals as aluminum, zinc, chromium, and calcium to form compounds at high tempera tures with iron oxide is well established by past investigation. Data of this reaction, as developed in laboratory research, have been contributed by Burleigh, Hofman, and Wells, in America, and by many others abroad. A partial bibliography of the subject is appended. From these authorities we learn that the ferric oxide here has the function of an acid, giving in the case of ZnO a zinc ferrite, with a normal composition of ZnOFe2O3 This formation of zinc ferrite particularly affects the success of such processes as leaching or magnetic separation, and thus becomes practically important to the metallurgist. But the meager existing data do not entirely agree; and quantitative results from muffle-practice are conspicuously absent. Furthermore, it being of some general importance to the zinc smelter in both roasting and reduction, the following few notes of operations oil a commercial scale are contributed: I. Physical Properties of Zinc Ferrite. As formed for the most part synthetically by investigators, zinc ferrite exhibits characteristic physical properties, such as octahedral crystals, dark color, and a density over 5, together with a slight magnetic attractability. In examining with the microscope many products of mechanical muffle-roasting kilns, it is, however, impossible to find individual grains which can be identified as consisting entirely of zinc ferrite. The variety of colors, especially where each grain of blende was mechanically free from marcasite, rather conveys the impression of a partial ferritization of the grain. One side or end, for example, may often have the hard, dense surface and dark red to black color of the ferrite, while the balance shows the usual light yellowish brown of a normal iron-free blende.

Jan 1, 1914

By J. L. Rodda, M. L. Fuller

In connection with an investigation in this laboratory on the high-zinc side of the copper-zinc system, it was observed that well developed segregate structures of the Widmansttten type were formed when a secondary phase precipitated from the solid solution of copper in zinc. This paper presents an analysis of the crystallographic relationship between the segregate and the solid solution matrix. The data to be presented are an interesting addition to the literature on segregate structures in that the plane of segregation is one of the less densely populated planes. In agreement with the generalization of C. H. Mathewson and D. W. Smith' the plane of segregation in the matrix contains the direction of closest atomic packing of the lattice. Furthermore, the matrix and the segregate are both hexagonal close-packed, which has not been reported hitherto in the 1iternture.l The increasing commercial importance of zinc alloys containing copper makes this fundamental study of value to the metallography of zinc alloys. Zinoeich Copper-zinc Alloys Copper enters into solid solution with zinc to at least 1.8 per cent at 400" C., according to W. M. Peirce.3 The solubility is less at lower temperatures. Thus a solid solution of copper in zinc, saturated at an elevated temperature, will precipitate the excess copper in a separate phase at a lower temperature, conditions of concentration, time, and temperature being suitable. The nature of these two phases has been established by the X-ray method of crystal analysis. Westgren and Phmgmén4 and also Owen and Preston5 have shown that the solid solution eta (7) is of the substitu-tional type with copper atoms replacing zinc atoms on the hexagonal

Jan 1, 1933

By T. A. Rickard

Among the gold-deposits discovered in recent vears none is more extraordinary in richness or interesting in structure than that of the famous mine at Mount Morgan. At a time when but few Australian mines were known to the world outside the colonies, Mount Morgan was quoted as an occurrence, unusual not only in its origin (for it was said to be dye to geyser-action) but also in the purity of its gold. The mine is situated just within the tropics, twenty-six miles southwest of Rockhampton, in central Queensland. Queensland attained in 1889 the first place among the gold-producing colonies of Australasia, a position previously always held by Victoria. In that year Queensland produced 737,822 ounces, while Victoria cape second with 614,838 ounces. Of the four chief mining districts Rockhampton stood first, as the following figures show: Quartz crushed, Yield,. Average per ton, Tons. Ounces. Oz. Dwt. Rockhampton ,....81,138 340,669 4 4 Charters Towers,.. .. 109,328 165,551 1 10 Gympie,.....106,625 112,847 1 1 Croydon,.....29,423 51,156 1 15 It should be added that Queensland has but little alluvial mining, the total output from this source in 1889 being only 5044 ounces, none of which came from the four principal gold-fields. Leaving out Rockhampton, the output of which is practically that of the Mount Morgan mine, it will be noted that the more northerly goldfields show the highest average (Gympie being furthest from and Croydon nearest to the equator). This is largely explained, however, by the increased cost of milling, due chiefly to the want of water for batteries and the consequent economical necessity of selecting high-grade material only for crushing. During the year ending November 30, 1889, the Mount Morgaq

Jan 1, 1892

By L. Segle, R. Resnick

NUMEROUS experiments in the past few years have proven that void formation occurs quite generally in the diffusion zone of bimetal specimens1-4 The phenomenon has been explained in terms of the accumulation of lattice vacancies resulting from unequal diffusion of the constituents and their eventual precipitation as holes.= Attention has recently been directed to the fact that voids also form within homogeneous metals during high-temperature creep.' The idea has been put forward that these voids form by the condensation of excess lattice vacancies generated by intersecting dislocations.".' If the precipitation of lattice vacancies from solution is treated as a nucleation and growth process, the predicted vacancy concentration for homogeneous nucleation of voids at an observable rate is 100 to 1000 times the normal thermal equilibrium concentration. It appears that voids actually form during diffusion at vacancy supersaturations which are much lower than this8 According to the calculations of Machlin,' the same must be true for voids formed in homogeneous metals during creep, if these are considered to arise from the precipitation of lattice vacancies. Therefore, if the vacancy mechanism is valid, it seems that the holes which form in diffusion and creep specimens are heterogeneously nucleated by imperfections or impurities in the metal. Irregularities in the frequency and distribution of voids in diffusion couples bear out this explanation.' , It is not known at the present time what the nuclei are on which vacancies condense. Various investigators have speculated that they could be certain dislocation configurations, already existing voids produced during solidification or working, gas pockets, or inclusions in the metal. Relatedly, the precise value of the degree of vacancy supersatura-tion for void nucleation is still uncertain. An initial attempt to estimate this value from diffusion data, made by Balluffi, indicated that voids form in diffusion couples at vacancy concentrations which may

Jan 1, 1958

By Simon Ash

THE coal-mining districts of Washington are mainly west of the Cascade Mountains; Fig. 1. The mines are on the foot hills of the slope, the lignite fields of Lewis and Thurston counties extending into the valleys west of the mountains. An exception is the Roslyn field, a small but important area on the eastern slope. If western Washington is divided into three areas from north to south, the bituminous coal fields and most of the active operations will be found largely in the middle area. The southern portion contains lignites over a large area. In the northern portion, mining is practically restricted to one mine, the Bellingham, which is working a subbituminous coal seam near the city of Bellingham. The degree of alteration that the coal of a particular field has undergone may be gaged roughly by the position of the field with reference to the Cascade Mountains. The lignites of Tenino, Tono, Mendota, and Castle Rock, on the railway line connecting Seattle and Portland, occur in a region, of low relief, in which the Eocene coal measures have suffered only minor disturbances. Subbituminous coals occur in the foot hills, as at Renton, Newcastle, and Bellingham. Coals high in fixed, carbon are found nearer the mountains, where. the measures have been sharply ,tilted and folded, as at Black Diamond and Carbonado. The two typical anthracite fields are located still higher, in the rugged mountains where outcrops appear both in deep gorges and on ridges at elevations approaching 5000 ft. At. Carbonado is found the only semianthracite seam worked on a commercial basis. The occurrence of this seam in a region of bituminous coal is due to the nearness of an igneous sill, which has changed its character from bituminous to semianthracite.

Jan 3, 1925

By L. F. Wright

Operations of these two mining companies have some superficial similarities-geographical location, production rates, comparatively large ore reserves; but any critical comparison of mining and milling procedures or of economics must take into account the striking differences in geological environment and mineralogy of the respective ore deposits. The properties are only about 20 miles apart on an upland surface of moderate relief (part of the Interior Plateau of central B. C.) which occupies an area east of Thompson River between the towns of Ashcroft and Merritt. Being in the "dry belt" of British Columbia, water conservation is necessary at both operations.

Jan 12, 1963

Jan 1, 1954

By J. S. Kasper, R. M. Waterstrat

IN view of the recent findings of a pronounced ordering of atoms in s phase alloys containing elements of the first long row of the periodic table (and including molybdenum),l it is of interest to resolve the question of ordering for s phases containing second and third-row elements. Examples of the latter have been provided recently by Greenfield and Beck2 and two of them, Re-Cr and Ru-Cr, would appear to be favorable for a study of ordering by X-ray diffraction methods because of the considerable differences in the scattering factors concerned. In addition, s phase is found to occur in the Os-Cr system, where the difference in scattering factors is even larger. Accordingly, X-ray powder intensities have been measured in an attempt to learn the nature of the ordering, if any, in these three v alloys. Since there is no reported work on intermediate phases in the Os-Cr system, an exploratory investigation was made in this system, and it was found that, in addition to the s phase, the phase with the A-15 or ß-W structure also occurs. Specimen Preparation—The alloys were prepared by compressing mixed powders of —200 mesh size and sintering in an atmosphere of pure dry hydrogen. All alloys were rapidly cooled from the annealing temperature to room temperature in a stream of cold dry hydrogen in a water-cooled chamber. Table I lists the sources and purities of the starting materials, as well as the details of processing for each of the alloys investigated. Intermediate Phases in the Os-Cr System—In the absence of information on intermediate phases in the Os-Cr system, it was suspected that this system would resemble that of Ru-Cr, where a s phase, RuCr2,2 and a phase with the A-15 structure, RuCr3,3,4 have been identified. Both these phases were found in the Os-Cr system and at compositions

Jan 1, 1958

By S. P. Burke

OUTBURSTS in coal mines have contributed greatly to the hazard of mining operations in localities in which they occur. They have been responsible for many casualties and fatalities and much property damage. An excellent review and symposium on the subject appeared recently1. From a study of the papers included in this symposium, and other litera-ture on this subject2, the following conclusions or statements seem justified: 1. Outbursts are more likely to occur in deep mines; that is, where the coal seam being mined has considerable overburden. 2. Outbursts usually occur when hard, dense, nonfractured coal is being mined. It is believed that in most cases a fault or a pocket of friable or soft or pulverized coal existed some distance behind the dense coal at the time of the outburst. 3. The outburst involves a rending or pushing of the solid material of the coal face, the roof, or the floor outwards and often is accompanied by the discharge of large quantities of very fine coal. 4. Drill holes or borings into the coal ahead of the workings have failed to yield information either from evidence of increased gas pressure or increased gas flow that makes possible the prediction of outbursts. 5. Mines in which outbursts occur are usually considered "nongassy," or only very slightly "gassy"; yet large volumes of gas may be produced at the time of the outburst. Despite the varied conditions and varied locations in which outbursts have occurred, the foregoing general statements appear to be applicable in whole or in part to all the recorded cases. These observations there-fore should be significant and any explanation of the mechanism of the phenomena should be consistent with them. The following suggestion seems to be in accord with this requirement, and is offered in the hope that it may assist in the further elucidation of this phenomenon.

Jan 1, 1935

By Lewis W. MacNaughton

The North Texas district, as herein defined, includes the counties of Archer, Baylor, Clay, Cooke, Foard, Hardeman, Knox, Montague, Wichita, and Wilbarger. This area covers generally the crest and south flank of a system of buried mountains known as the Red River uplift. The oil and gas accumulations along this feature arc in traps, which, although localized by structures incident to the regional uplift, are usually modified by stratigraphic changes in the sediments. Excepting the fields in southeastern Baylor, southern Archer, and southwestern Clay counties, all the fields within the district are on this Red River uplift. These exceptions, which have the same type of oil and gas accumulation as the other fields, are on the extreme north end of the Bend arch, which is a broad anticline plunging northward from the Llano uplift in central Texas to Archer County. The larger part of past oil and gas production has come from Pennsylvanian strata, with less important amounts from the Permian, and minor but increasingly important quantities from the Ordovician. Developments during 1939 With the later stages of development being reached in the K.M.A. field during the first half of the year, some 400 fewer producing wells were drilled in North Texas in 1939 than in 1938, when some 1750 wells were drilled. Despite this decrease in activity, production in 1939 increased about 3½ million barrels over 1938 figures, and at the end of the year the oil reserves were somewhat larger than on the first of the year. As is usually characteristic of the district, this resulted from the discovery of a large number of relatively unimportant fields. Owing principally to no appreciable abatement in wildcat drilling, more new fields and extensions to old fields were discovered this year. Although none of these discoveries was of such magnitude as to be important to the oil industry, the new developments in Montague and Cooke Counties portend greater and probably more important operations in these areas.

Jan 1, 1940

By H. J. Wasson

Published literature regarding the nation's oil reserve has been largely concerned with the estimated quantities in sight in known producing fields. This proved reserve has never been large in relation to demand. It has been the practice to consider the total future reserve (beyond that in sight within known fields) in the light of the broad potentialities of vast areas of partially explored sedimentary rocks, which are regarded as possible oil territory. Until recently, but little attention has been given to the rate at which the unexplored potentialities may be. converted into the proved reserve classification. To a certain extent, therefore, our contemporary viewpoint on the subject of national oil reserves is characterized by a pronounced contradiction. On the one hand, we measure known reserves as sufficient for only a few years of consumption—i.e., relative scarcity; on the other hand, we are confident that millions of unexplored acres will yield many new oil fields and that countless deeper productive formations underlie many of our known productive fields—i.e., infinite abundance. Of greater significance than the quantitative measure of either of these reserve classifications is the rate at which reserve replenishment must be accomplished in order to maintain an adequate time supply of proved oil reserves. The accumulation of geological data covering broad areas supports the belief that the remaining undiscovered oil reserve is exceedingly large. The distribution of oil in sedimentary formations of practically all ages, from Cambrian to Recent, is suggestive of almost unlimited possibilities; and the relatively small proportion of these possible areas that has been intensively explored in this country is a further index of the probable magnitude of the undiscovered future reserve. The implication that may reasonably be drawn from these observations is that oil, though distributed with less regularity and concentration than its related hydrocarbon, coal, nevertheless is a relatively abundant natural commodity of which the exhaustion appears remote. Final exhaustion of our oil reserve, if not infinitely remote, is a future contin-

Jan 1, 1937

By Lewis W. MacNaughton

The North Texas district, as herein defined, includes the counties of Archer, Baylor, Clay, Cooke, Foard, Hardeman, Knox, Montague, Wichita, and Wilbarger. This area covers generally the crest and south flank of a system of buried mountains known as the Red River uplift. The oil and gas accumulations along this feature arc in traps, which, although localized by structures incident to the regional uplift, are usually modified by stratigraphic changes in the sediments. Excepting the fields in southeastern Baylor, southern Archer, and southwestern Clay counties, all the fields within the district are on this Red River uplift. These exceptions, which have the same type of oil and gas accumulation as the other fields, are on the extreme north end of the Bend arch, which is a broad anticline plunging northward from the Llano uplift in central Texas to Archer County. The larger part of past oil and gas production has come from Pennsylvanian strata, with less important amounts from the Permian, and minor but increasingly important quantities from the Ordovician. Developments during 1939 With the later stages of development being reached in the K.M.A. field during the first half of the year, some 400 fewer producing wells were drilled in North Texas in 1939 than in 1938, when some 1750 wells were drilled. Despite this decrease in activity, production in 1939 increased about 3½ million barrels over 1938 figures, and at the end of the year the oil reserves were somewhat larger than on the first of the year. As is usually characteristic of the district, this resulted from the discovery of a large number of relatively unimportant fields. Owing principally to no appreciable abatement in wildcat drilling, more new fields and extensions to old fields were discovered this year. Although none of these discoveries was of such magnitude as to be important to the oil industry, the new developments in Montague and Cooke Counties portend greater and probably more important operations in these areas.

Jan 1, 1940

By Frank Haas

Many articles on the physical properties of fire damp have appeared in the Transactions and elsewhere but practically nothing has been written in regard to its occurrence or fluctuation in quantity in an ordinary mine. After the Monongah explosion in 1907, with the loss of 361 lives, the Consolidation Coal Co. sought a method by which such catastrophes could be prevented. While the cause of this particular explosion was attributed to coal dust, some of those acquainted with the mine thought that fire damp was involved, if it was not the initial cause. So the literature on the subject was studied and mines where similar conditions prevailed in this country and Europe, were visited, with the view of establishing some system by which gas could be more easily detected and controlled. The results of this study were disappointing for no method was found other than the time-honored fire boss with his safety lamp, with some variations in the rules and regulations governing his inspections and reports. Duties of the Fire Boss Pending the development of a better method, it was decided to standardize and perfect the duties of the fire boss and the reports based on his observations. Those who were then in service were closely examined, various lamps were experimented with and the lamps and individuals tested under known conditions. It was found that a fire boss could tell whether gas was present but his estimate of quantity was not even an approximation; therefore, while the services of fire bosses were indispen-sible there was need of additional information by which the quantity of gas could be estimated with some precision in order to determine its variation from time to time. Chemical Process for Determination of Methane After considering all methods known at that time a chemical process was adopted. The principles involved in the process are that in an enclosed receptacle, in the presence of excess air, methane will be completely burned by means of a hot platinum wire to carbon dioxide and

Jan 1, 1927

Officers of the Institute have been entertained by, members at nine meetings in different parts of the country during the months of March and April. Institute policies have been discussed by the officers and by members present at the different meetings, with the result of bringing about a better understanding of Institute policy among the members; it has also been made clear how various suggestions are viewed by members who are not all in close touch with Institute activities and with the policy of the Board of Directors. President Jennings devoted his remarks chiefly to an account of Institute activities in connection with Government service for the war, and presented an able address on the relations of labor and capital; with special relation to possible changes that may be necessary during the reconstruction period following the war. This carries forward the suggestion made by him in taking up the reins of government at the Annual Dinner on February 20, 1918, and makes available a paper which has aroused great interest at the different meetings; this address will be found on a following page. In referring to Institute activities in connection with the war, the President mentioned especially the Naval Consulting Board, the War Committee of Technical Societies, the War Minerals Committee, and the census of engineers prepared not only by the Institute in connection with the Bureau of Mines, but also by the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Institute of Electrical Engineers. He announced also the appointment of two committees, one on ferrous and one on non-ferrous metals, advisory to the Tariff Commission, and the appointment of a member of the Committee on the Excess Profit Tax, having especially to do with the question of excess profit taxes on gold mines. He also announced the appointment of a new committee known as the Committee on Industrial Organization, which will devote its energies largely to the question of relations of capital and labor and of "human engineering."

Jan 5, 1918

By G. R. Kotler, W. A. Tiller, W. C. Johnston

Experiments carried out on 100 g samples of molten tin and Sn-Pb alloys showed that the magnitude of the field strength, H, does not effect the supercooling, aTn, at which the initial nucleus of solid forms. However, the nuwlber of nuclei forming per cc, n, is found to increase greatly with H for fixed ATN and to increase with ATN for fixed H. The value of n increases greatly with the presence of solute and is found to he indefiendent of the cooling rate of the simples. Further, the most effective time for stirring to enhance n is immediately following the initiation of recalescence. The effect of inducing nucleation with the aid of a mechanical impact both in the presence and absence of stirring has also been studied. All proposed mechanisms for the enhancement of n by physical means seem to be inadequate in accounting for these results. IN any real nucleation experiment there are two effects influencing the results that would not be predieted from classical homogeneous nucleation theory. These may be separated into chemical and mechanical effects. The chemical effects are twofold. 1) Nucleation catalysts are present which enhance the nucleation frequency of new grains over that predicted by classical homogeneous nucleation theory.' 2) Solute will restrain the growth of nuclei so that many others may form.2,3 The mechanical effects are also two-fold. 1) Vibration (sonic or ultrasonic) of the freezing liquid enhances the nucleation frequency of new grains over that given by the chemical effects alone.4-6 2) Macroscopic fluid-flow effects produce the same effect as l).'7' It is also possible to influence the nucleation experiment by certain physical effects such as the application of electric and magnetic fields.9 From classical homogeneous nucleation theory one would predict the following relationship between the nucleation rate, N1 (number of nuclei formed per unit volume per unit time), and bath supercooling, AT, for an isothermal experiment.

Jan 1, 1963

By Richard Pearce

I am deeply sensible of the honor you have conferred on me in electing me your president for this year. It is difficult to understand why I have merited such distinction at your hands, except that I may possibly have helped, in some small way, in the develop ment of metallurgical practice in the West. I fear, however, that I shall fall far shirt of the expectations you may have in regard to my fitness for such a position. The responsibility of preparing an address for this occasion has caused me considerable thought and anxiety. Unlike my predecessors in office, many of whom have dealt in their presidential addresses with subjects covering a wide field, which they could survey with the confidence born of their own extensive knowledge, I have been confined by my experience, during the last twenty-five years, almost wholly to that portion of metallurgical science which bears especially on the treatment of gold and silver. Yet perhaps some sort of general review of the progress of this branch of metallurgy in the West, besides being the contribution I feel myself best qualified to offer, may prove acceptable to many of the members of the Institute. Some few of the gentlemen present will remember the crude condition of metallurgical practice as it was conducted in Colorado only twenty-five years ago. My own personal experience covers a period of eighteen years; and during this comparatively short time I have seen the most astonishing changes in the conduct of metallurgical works. In all probability the marked progress which this country has exhibited could hardly be reached anywhere else, and this result has been achieved mainly by the activity and enterprise so characteristic of the men of the West. The first little successful attempt at smelting made at Black Hawk, in 1867, by Ex-Senator N. P. Hill, representing the Boston and Colorado Smelting Company, proved a great boon to the miners,

Jan 1, 1890

By Charles H. MacDowell

Up to 1909 the American public had little knowledge of, or interest in, potash. Some remembered that it had to do with soft soap and sore throat,, but further they knew not. In 1909-10, the German-American potash war, and the publicity attending hostilities, brought home to America the knowledge that potash was an important article of commerce; that Germany monopolized its production and distribution, and exercised all the prerogatives attending complete control. The present war, with its transportation embargo, has again directed attention to Germany's strength as a potash producer and her present unfortunate situation as a distributor. As a consequence, the search for potash takes on new life and it again becomes a subject of general interest. My first knowledge of potash came from a study of the German potash exhibit at the World's Fair in 1893. This investigation led to the recommendation that Armour & Co. engage in the manufacture of commercial fertilizers and the fertilizer branch was organized early in 1894. From then to now " potash " has been a live subject. Two and eight-tenths per cent. of the earth's crust consists of potassium oxide. It is an important constituent of feldspar, granite, and other igneous rocks. Potash is valuable commercially in a water-soluble form. In igneous rocks it is locked in so tight that it is of little value and no utilization in a commercial way has been made of these insoluble forms. Potash in water-soluble form is found in large deposits in Germany; in smaller deposits in Austria and Spain; and in brines in some of our Western arid basins. The deposits in Germany, Austria, and Spain are concentrations from sea waters containing potash derived from the decomposition of potash-bearing rocks. It has been found that the amount of potash remaining in decomposed rocks is not the same as that in the original rock. For instance, granite containing originally 5.58 per cent. potash contained only 1.49 per cent, in the decomposed rock. Syenite containing 6 per cent. in the original

Jan 1, 1915