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By Robert W. Thompson, Darry A. Ferguson

In August, 1977 the United States Congress passed Public Law 95-87 which has been commonly referred to as the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (or SMCRA). This title is somewhat misleading in that the act creates as many regulatory requirements for underground coal mines as for surface coal mines. How- ever, this paper will concentrate on the effects of SMCRA on designs and stability for various activities of surface coal mines, specifically those concerning "Disposal of Excess Spoil". In the past, the objective of most laws and regulations applicable to the mining industry has been to achieve goals of safety or environmental concerns for all types of mining. However, SMCRA is unique in that it sought to regulate-all-activities of coal mining from initial data gathering, exploration, mine design and facilities design to reclamation activities and design. More specific to the stability of the activities of surface coal mining, special criteria for design and construction performance standards have been promulgated for the construction and maintenance of roads, dams and embankments, coal processing waste, ex- cess spoil piles, backfilled reclamation and pit slides. The criteria for design for the previously mentioned facilities has been enumerated by regulations and in many ways restrict the use of site specific design parameters. The restrictions imposed by regulations significantly inhibit the engineer's ability to develop the best practical and economical design and in some cases may re-

Jan 1, 1983

By R. E. Wagner

MISSOURI's famous lead area, in what is known as Southeast Missouri, is locally termed the "Lead Belt." These deposits are in the Bonne Terre dolomite of late Cambrian age which has a thickness of nearly 400 ft. Underlying this is the La Motte sandstone which varies in thickness from 0 to 400 ft. The La Motte beds are deposited directly on the ancient erosion surface of Pre-Cambrian porphyries and granites of probably Algonkian age. The buried igneous peaks extend up into the Bonne Terre in several areas within the Lead Belt. Overlying the Bonne Terre are shales and siliceous dolomites of late Cambrian and early Ordovician age. Within the Lead Belt these have a thickness of from 0 to 500 ft. The district is bounded in general on the southwest by the Sims Mountain fault, on the northwest and north by the Big River fault, and on the

Jan 1, 1947

By George D. Graffin.

The first use of graphite is lost in the mists of time. It was used by primitive man to make drawings on the walls of caves and by the Egyptians to decorate pottery. As early as 1400 A.D. graphite crucibles were being made in the Haffnerzell district of Bavaria. Through the Middle Ages graphite was confused with other minerals, especially galena and molybdenite. Two common names that are still used for the mineral are "Plumbago," meaning leadlike, and "Black Lead." The latter name implied that graphite is either composed of lead or at least contains a large percentage of it. Gessner is credited with having recognized it as a separate mineral in 1565, but its composition was not determined until 1779, when Scheele demonstrated that graphite oxidized to carbon dioxide, thus proving its carbon constitution. In 1789, Werner named it "graphite" from the Greek word "graphein," meaning to write. The United States has long relied on foreign countries for its graphite supplies. This reliance has been due more to the lack of suitable domestic graphites than to any particular preference for buying minerals overseas. Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) graphites were imported as early as 1820, and Madagascar graphites have been imported since the properties on that island were opened up about a hundred years later. Mexico has long supplied the United States with most of its requirements for amorphous graphite. Physical Properties and Classification Graphite is found in laminated, flaky aggregates disseminated in schistose rocks. It also occurs in veins and exhibits a foliated or fibrous structure. Graphite is a black lustrous mineral that crystallizes in the hexagonal system, with rhombohedral symmetry. The crystals have tabular form and are six-sided; the faces are commonly striated. The flakes have perfect basal cleavage and are opaque. When well crystallized, the flakes have a black metallic luster while the amorphous material is black and earthy, with a microcrystalline compactness. The flakes feel greasy. Graphite is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity. It melts at approximately 3550°C at a triple point under 1250 psi. It sublimes between 3300-3500°C at 14.7 psi. At 3726°C a second triple point occurs at approximately 100,000 atmospheres. Thermal oxidation in the presence of oxygen begins at 300°C and the rate increases with temperature. The three forms of carbon (charcoal, graphite, and diamond) are distinguished by chemical and physical tests. The specific gravity of charcoal is 1.3 to 1.9, of graphite 2.266 g/ cm3 (crystal density), and of diamond 3.5. Graphite has a hardness of 1 to 2 (Mohs' scale). Natural graphite can be divided into three classes: disseminated flake, crystalline vein (fibrous or columnar), and amorphous. Flake graphite is a lamellar form found in metamorphic rocks, such as marble, gneiss, and schist. Each flake is separate, having crystallized as such in the rock. Crystalline vein graphite is found in the form of well defined veins or as pocket accumulations along the intrusive contacts of pegmatites with limestones. The graphite of such deposits is of two types, foliated and columnar. The important Sri Lanka (Ceylon) deposits are vein type. Amorphous graphite is commonly found as minute microcrystalline particles more or less uniformly distributed in feebly metamorphic rocks, such as slates and shales, or in beds consisting practically entirely of graphite. The latter usually are metamorphosed coal seams and carry as much as 80-85% graphitic carbon, while the former, being altered carbonaceous sediments, commonly range from 25 to 60%

Jan 1, 1983

By A. J. Carlson, G. M. Marincel, M. L. Hovland, J. H. Healy

Research personnel of Erie Mining Co., a pioneer taconite mining firm on the Mesabi Range, have invented a new method to make an effective 325 mesh separation at high tonnage rates over stationary screens. The company regards this development as historically significant in that it represents the first successful method to commercially screen large tonnages of ore at fine sizes. Erie, which is now completing an expansion program at its plant site near Hoyt Lakes, Minn., has incorporated this screening method as part of that expansion. When completed, the concentration plant will produce 10.3 million tons of iron concentrate, all of which will have been efficiently screened at 325 mesh.

Jan 4, 1967

By E. C. Felton

At the Pennsylvania Steel Works, Steelton, Pa., a series of trials has been made with oil as fuel in steel-heating and open-hearth steel-furnaces with the following results : First Trial.—Hot 14-inch ingots, six to a charge, were heated in two Siemens' heating furnaces in the blooming mill, the oil being put in first in March, 1888. The oil used had been partly refined, so that the paraffine and some of the naphtha were removed. During a run of six weeks the consumption of oil was about 61/2 gallons per ton of blooms, including the oil required to keep the furnace hot over Sunday.

Jan 1, 1889

By Gorr W. W., Wyche E. H, R. Smith

The combination of high strength and corrosion resistance of cold-worked 18 Cr, 8 Ni steel has been advantageously utilized for some time, particularly in aircraft and rail car structures. There are, however, certain limitations on the use of such materials because the high strengths can be obtained only by cold-working, limiting the available products to sheets, strip, wire and tubes. The authors sought to overcome these limitations by resorting to precipitation-hardening, which has been used so successfully in nonferrous metallurgy but only to a limited extent in iron-base alloys. Accomplishment of this objective not only overcame the limitations, but also effected certain improvements in mechanical and other properties. This paper is an account of the development by Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation of a precipitation-hardening 18-8 stainless steel (called Stainless W‡ and tentatively identified as type 322). A description is given of its composition and metallurgical characteristics, heat-treatment, physical and mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. Development of the New Steel For a considerable length of time the authors were unable to determine the mechanism of the precipitation-hardening process that had been noted by Ffield18,19 in 18-8 Ti or 18-8 Cb after cold-working and reheating to moderately elevated temperatures. All known variables were exhaustively studied, but with little success. However, results began to indicate that chemical composition was the most important variable, particularly the ratio of austenite-forming to ferrite-forming elements. The investigators then focused their attention upon the composition, and, in particular, upon the element titanium and its mode of alloying in the presence of other elements. A heat was obtained that could not be brought to the softness level of annealed 18-8. The response to cold-straining and aging* was very marked by previous standards, and, more important, cold-straining was found to be entirely unnecessary to produce the precipitation-hardening effect. The chemical composition of this heat was: C, 0.06 per cent; Mn, 0.54; P, 0.016; S, 0.016; Si, 0.58; Ni, 7.28; Cr, 17.60; Ti, 0.90; Al, 0.17. For some time the development work, particularly on composition, was carried

Jan 1, 1947

By Gorr W. W., R. Smith, Wyche E. H

The combination of high strength and corrosion resistance of cold-worked 18 Cr, 8 Ni steel has been advantageously utilized for some time, particularly in aircraft and rail car structures. There are, however, certain limitations on the use of such materials because the high strengths can be obtained only by cold-working, limiting the available products to sheets, strip, wire and tubes. The authors sought to overcome these limitations by resorting to precipitation-hardening, which has been used so successfully in nonferrous metallurgy but only to a limited extent in iron-base alloys. Accomplishment of this objective not only overcame the limitations, but also effected certain improvements in mechanical and other properties. This paper is an account of the development by Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation of a precipitation-hardening 18-8 stainless steel (called Stainless W‡ and tentatively identified as type 322). A description is given of its composition and metallurgical characteristics, heat-treatment, physical and mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. Development of the New Steel For a considerable length of time the authors were unable to determine the mechanism of the precipitation-hardening process that had been noted by Ffield18,19 in 18-8 Ti or 18-8 Cb after cold-working and reheating to moderately elevated temperatures. All known variables were exhaustively studied, but with little success. However, results began to indicate that chemical composition was the most important variable, particularly the ratio of austenite-forming to ferrite-forming elements. The investigators then focused their attention upon the composition, and, in particular, upon the element titanium and its mode of alloying in the presence of other elements. A heat was obtained that could not be brought to the softness level of annealed 18-8. The response to cold-straining and aging* was very marked by previous standards, and, more important, cold-straining was found to be entirely unnecessary to produce the precipitation-hardening effect. The chemical composition of this heat was: C, 0.06 per cent; Mn, 0.54; P, 0.016; S, 0.016; Si, 0.58; Ni, 7.28; Cr, 17.60; Ti, 0.90; Al, 0.17. For some time the development work, particularly on composition, was carried

Jan 1, 1947

By Joseph E. Pogue

THE period of new oil discoveries in Illinois began in February 1937, when The Pure Oil Co. found the Clay City field the forerunner of a number of limestone pools. The importance of the area was emphasized greatly in December of the same year with the discovery of excellent sand production by The Carter Oil Co. at Louden and in June, 1938, with the discovery by The Texas Co. of the Salem field producing from two sands and one lime- stone horizon. By September, 1939, new discoveries in Illinois were estimated to have added, under prevailing production practices, some 500,000,000 barrels to the crude oil reserves of the United States and to have produced to that date some 63,000,000 barrels with daily production passing the 300,000-barrel mark by Sept. 1.

Jan 1, 1939

By David R. Mitchell, E. C. Carris

THE particular field of application of machines utilizing air currents as the primary separating medium is in the cleaning of fine sizes of bituminous coal. Approximately 18,000,000 tons of bituminous coal was cleaned by air machines in 1947, but such machines have not yet been applied in the cleaning of anthracite. This chapter is limited to a description of the processes in which the separation between coal and refuse depends mainly on a difference in specific gravity. Dry processes depending on differences in coefficient of friction, shape, or other property, are described in chapter 17. The possibility of using air for the separation of coal from refuse was recognized early by mining men and many attempts were made to develop commercial machines. Some of these early machines are described by Berrisford,1 Chapman and Mott,2 and Mitchell.3 Only two machines are extensively used today in the United States, the Stump air-flow jig and the American oscillating table. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AIR CLEANING MACHINES The principles of gravity concentration and the properties of air as a medium for separation were explained in chapter 9. It was pointed out that because of the low density of air a medium of sufficient density has to be built with the material itself. Hence there must be some device to impart to the bed the necessary mobility for proper classification. It was also noted that the compressibility of the air may cause "geysering" of the bed and disturbance of the hindered-settling classification if the correct balance of conditions is not maintained. Most devices use a vertical upward current of air through the bed of material. They differ by the method of imparting mobility to the bed and the method of removing the refuse. In general terms, the air machines can be divided into three types: 1. Pneumatic jigs where the air current is pulsated. 2. Pneumatic tables where the refuse is diverted from the direction of flow of the clean coal by a system of riffles fixed to the deck.

Jan 1, 1950

By R. H. SWEETSERS

A Discussion of Mr. Hall's paper, read at the Washington Meeting, February, 1905. R. H. SWEETSER, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. (communication to the Secretary*) :-The recent work of furnace No. 1 of The Algoma Steel Co., at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, using for fuel, first all charcoal, then a mixture of charcoal and coke, and finally all coke, upsets the estimates given by Mr. Hall in the last two paragraphs of his interesting paper. Furnace No. 1 was built for a charcoal-furnace, and it was run on charcoal fuel from March 6 until July 9, 1905; then, for a week, a mix¬ture of charcoal and coke was used, and, since then, coke alone has been the only fuel. It is to be regretted that at no time, during the run on charcoal, was there enough charcoal on hand and " in sight'" to warrant blowing the furnace as hard as it should have been blown. During April and May the supply of charcoal limited the amount of blast to about 8,000 cu. ft. of air per min.; in June, to about 8,900 cubic feet. For a few days in July about 10,000 cu. ft. were blown, and then the maximum daily output, 173 tons (2,240 1b.), was reached. At all times the quality of the charcoal was poor, having been made from wood cut from three to four years before. Doubtless this furnace could have produced .200 tons of iron per day, even with this quality of charcoal, provided the supply had been sufficient; and with good charcoal I see no reason why it could not make as much iron per day as it has made with coke. During the one week of using a mixture of charcoal and coke, the changes in quantity of blast and composition of the slag followed each other so closely that no single condition could last long on the furnace. The results were good, and the pig-iron was about the same in quality as that made during the

Jan 1, 1906

By Keith Leonard Sutherland

THIS paper is a study of the differential flotation of the sulphide minerals in the presence of salts of silver, lead and zinc. In practice, accidental activation due to these salts is more important than their use as reagents to replace copper sulphate. The general method of investigation has been based upon contact tests, the temperature of 35°C. being chosen in conformity with earlier work. Potassium ethyl xanthate and potassium amyl xanthate were selected as collectors and pure sulphide minerals were used. The experimental procedure has been outlined in earlier papers and all solutions were kept carbonate-free.'' Contact, or spreading of an air bubble, at a mineral surface indicates the presence of an adsorbed collector film. PURITY OF REAGENTS The xanthates were purified in the usual manner.1 Neither the cyanide nor the sodium hydroxide solutions contained sufficient carbonate to give a precipitate with barium chloride solution. The silver sulphate was prepared from pure silver nitrate by evaporation with concentrated sulphuric acid until there was no evidence of brown fumes. This solution was diluted and the difficultly soluble sulphate washed with water so that unchanged nitrate was dissolved. The resultant crystal-line powder was pure white. The lead and zinc salts were prepared by dissolving especially pure lead and zinc in C.P. nitric and sulphuric acid solution and the crystals drained. The standard solutions were checked by titration. It was felt desirable to use the sulphate radical wherever possible, but since lead sulphate was insufficiently soluble for the purpose of the experiments, it was necessary to use some other lead salt. A.R. copper sulphate was used without further purification. RESULTS The results are presented in the accompanying figures; the areas of noncontact (nonflotation) are shaded in Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11; in the remainder they lie to the right of the curve. Zinc Sulphate The curves in Fig. I are to be compared with those for Fig. 2, for which zinc sulphate is absent. This comparison shows that the influence of the zinc ion is usually small. Its influence is more marked, however, for chalcopyrite in the absence of cyanide. The influence of zinc sulphate is also marked for copper-activated sphalerite, for which tests were made only in the absence of cyanide. The results are of importance in the separation of pyrite from copper-activated sphalerite when zinc sulphate is added in the lead flotation section (p. 204 of ref. I). Sphalerite does not adsorb the collector (i.e., become floatable) under the conditions chosen.

Jan 1, 1942

By Fred H. Brooks

INTRODUCTION The toughest job for any mining company, large or small, is to locate and identify a property which it feels has the potential for development and which can be tied up through location, lease or option under terms within their means. In the case of a small company, this precludes grass-roots exploration with its attendant high costs and the extended time required to develop a prospect to the point of being a project. The small mining company, therefore must limit its search to known properties which, for various reasons, have been shut down or were never thoroughly developed at the time of discovery. These types of prospects are located either through literature search, familiarity with many mining areas in general, or through contacts and submittals from a variety of sources. In order to develop a marketable presentation to any investor, the basic requirements are the same: - the property must demonstrate the potential to provide a satisfactory return on investment - the evaluation study must be thorough and professionally developed. In order to promote any mining property, it is first necessary to know what you have. INFORMATION DEVELOPMENT We normally begin with a detailed literature search of the district, assembling all available data on the basic geology, production records, and old reports of this or neighboring properties and any other information which can be found. This will aid in the general understanding of the basic geology and hopefully allow a fairly detailed knowledge of the specific occurrence. With this information one can begin to speculate on the reserve potential and develop some high and low figures for estimating purposes as to mining method, production rate, metallurgy and begin developing estimated capital and operating costs. Cashflow runs are developed for varying tonnages (high and low), estimated high and low grades of metal and at differing market prices for the product. FINANCE CONTACTS Brooks Minerals, from its inception, has been an operating company and we have been able to assemble a small but experienced operating staff. For this reason we try to put together projects and joint ventures where we can be the operator and maintain a certain degree of control. Whether due to familiarity with many colleagues in the mining industry or due to unfamiliarity with the banking houses and securities markets, the approach to raising finance has generally been to contact the established mining companies. This requires a familiarity with the corporate philosophies of these companies with respect to their development goals and financial capabilities. A common mistake is to shotgun the proposal to many companies of different sizes and goals in hopes that one might be interested. It is more beneficial, when possible, to tailor a proposal to each company, stressing the positive points where the specific proposal best meets their interests. One company may be more interested in a development program with fairly certain and conservative return potential. The property may well contain both possibilities but a lack of understanding of the individual company's method of operation could spoil the deal. In another instance, one company may look at a property as a moderate income producer over an extended life, yet a second may elect to high-grade the deposit over a shorter period in order to provide early cash flow or take advantage of a favorable market situation. MAKING THE DEAL There are as many types of deals as there

Jan 1, 1985

By LIONEL E. BOOTH

ORE tests are made for the purpose of determining the correct methods of treatment for any particular ore. They should be conducted so as to insure that the results obtained in actual mill practice, on ore of similar grade and physical nature, will duplicate the results obtained in the test work. As the expenditure of many thousand of dollars may be involved in the building of the necessary mill, the testing of ores calls for extreme care and skill in handling laboratory machines, and a knowledge of actual practice to guard against the danger of obtaining results in test work that would be impractical to duplicate on a commercial scale. The importance of a correct sample of the ore is at once apparent. No matter with what degree of care the test 4rk is done, it loses its value when made on an unrepresentative sample. It is the first safeguard against future disappointments in the loss of capital and time. A number of failures in the past have been traced directly to faulty or lax methods in obtaining the ore sample.

Jan 1, 1924

By D. L. Martin

THAT small amounts of impurities have a harm-J- ful effect on the malleability of metals and alloys is well-known. One common type of em-brittlement involves the formation of a small quantity of eutectic at the grain boundaries, and is typified by sulfur embrittlement of nickel. Another example of eutectic embrittlement—sulfur embrittlement of cobalt—is described in this report. In the preparation of specimens for a study of Co-Pt alloys, it was observed that the hot swagabil-ity of the alloys appeared to be influenced by the grade of cobalt used as melting stock. The cause of the hot-shortness was not traced to any particular impurity, although sulfur was suspected.' The damaging action of sulfur on the malleability of cobalt has not been generally recognized,'; in spite of the fact that the Co-S phase diagram8 eveals the same basic conditions—low solubility and eutectic formation—responsible for sulfur embrittlement of iron and nickel.7, 8 Apparently sulfur embrittlement has not been a serious problem in the fabrication of cobalt alloys. One related factor is likely the limited commercial experience with high cobalt alloys, since the predominant use of cobalt has been in alloys containing less than 75 pet Co. A series of Co-S alloys was prepared and studied to establish the effect of sulfur on the hot working characteristics of cobalt. Specimens, 5/8 in. diam by 4 in. long, were prepared by vacuum melting in magnesium oxide crucibles and casting in a copper mold. Two grades of low sulfur electrolytic cobalt were used as the basic material for the study, one from Johnson, Matthey and Co. and the other from the International Nickel Co. Each contained about 99.5 pet Co and had a nominal sulfur content under 0.005 pet. The sulfur was added initially as cobalt sulfide powder. Later, some low sulfur alloys were prepared by diluting the high sulfur alloys with cobalt. Trouble was experienced in controlling the sulfur content. Apparently much of the cobalt sulfide powder was lost during melting, as most of the samples contained a lower sulfur content than was added. The alloys were evaluated for hot brittleness by heating to 1000°C in a hydrogen furnace and swaging in air. The results of these tests are summarized in Table I. All the alloys containing less than 0.008 pet S were successfully hot swaged to 1/4 in. diam. The bars containing more than 0.015 pet S could not be swaged because of the formation of intercrystal-line cracks similar to those illustrated in Fig. 1. Examination of the microstructure of the cast bars revealed cobalt sulfide eutectic at the grain boundaries, Fig. 2. The sulfide was not always continuous at grain boundaries in bars that were hot embrittled but, in general, the particles did form a network that could account for the brittleness above the eutectic temperature, 880°C. There is no question about the brittle nature of a specimen exhibiting a continuous sulfide network such as is shown in Fig. 2b, though a sulfide distribution similar to that in Fig. 2a is marginal. This particular bar cracked when hot-swaged. However, other bars with lower sulfur content but with some sulfide phase at grain boundaries were successfully worked. The reduction of area of a hot tensile test specimen was also found to be a sensitive indicator of sulfur embrittlement. The variation of reduction of area with sulfur content is shown in Fig. 3 for specimens fractured at 900°C in an evacuated capsule. The ductility of cobalt is greatly reduced when the sulfur content exceeds 0.005 pet. Similar results were obtained for alloys tested at 800°C, below the eutectic temperature. The upper sulfur embrittlement limit of 0.015 pet, Table I, agrees with the observation of Kalmus8 hat

Jan 1, 1957

By AIME AIME

HOLDING the annual dinner-dance of the Institute at the Waldorf-Astoria had become such a tradition that there was widespread regret when it became known that the demolition of the building to make way for a huge office structure would perforce bring to an end the long and enjoyable series of gatherings our Institute had held there. This year the . Commodore was the place at which it was held and the commuters on the New York Central and the New Haven railroad systems, at least, found it a more convenient place for them. Except for the famous "Hoover" dinner, which will probably set a mark for all time, it was the largest dinner the Institute held, 1000 being present, and it taxed the facilities of the hotel to the utmost.

Jan 1, 1930

By William Catron

BECAUSE the rich La Colorada orebody of the Cananea Consolidated Copper Co. does not outcrop at surface, after its discovery (by churn drill) and before mining was begun, a large amount of development work was done to learn the shape and extent of the ore and to provide for eco-nomic and effective mining. As these openings progressed, the actual shape of the orebody became known and with this knowledge came the realization that mining this rich and unusual deposit without loss of ore or danger to workmen presented several difficult problems. This paper will describe one of these problems; namely, the handling of an inverted cone-shaped core of barren rock, on the periphery of and below which the ore occurred. It was clear that as the ore was mined out from around and under this inverted cone of rock, weighing about 3,000,000 tons, it would hang over the workings, held suspended only by its own tensile strength and threatening to crash into the stopes below with disastrous results to men and mine. The method of mining developed during the years 1928, 1929 and 1930 anticipated and provided for the eventual collapse of this core of rock. In November 1936 the core settled clown gradually on the edges of the stopes, descending a total of about 50 ft. vertically. The men in the stopes had ample to warning and no lives were endangered. There were no air blasts in the mine. The core broke loose from its top support at the 500-ft. level along old fracture planes and evidently is crushed to the ninth level. Movement was of short duration; the following shift went to work in the stopes as usual. No ore was lost.

Jan 1, 1938

By E. F. Johnson, V. O. Naumann, D. P. Bossler

A method is presented for calculating individual gas and oil or water and oil relative permeabilities from data obtained during a gas drive or a waterflood experiment performed on a linear porous body. The method has been tested and found both rapid and reliable for normal-sized core samples. INTRODUCTION Individual oil and gas or oil and water relative permeabilities are required for a number of reservoir engineering applications. Chief among these is the evaluation of oil displacement under conditions where gravitational effects are significant, such as a water drive or crestal gas injection in a steeply dipping oil reservoir. Numerous proposed methods of obtaining relative permeability data on reservoir core samples have been too tedious and time consuming for practical use, or have yielded questionable and sometimes inconsistent results. A method has been developed by which the individual relative permeability curves can be calculated from data collected during a displacement test. The method is based on sound theoretical considerations. Using this method, with a properly designed experimental procedure, relative permeability curves can be obtained using core samples of normal size (i.e., 2 to 3 in. in length and 1 to 2 in. in diameter) within a few days after receipt of the core. In a recent publication D. A. Efros1 describes an approach to the calculation of individual relative permeabilities that is based on the same theoretical considerations. We believe the approach described in the present paper is more adaptable to practical application than the method implied by Efros. In addition, comparisons with independently determined relative permeabilities are furnished to substantiate the reliability of the new method. DERIVATION Previously the theory of Buckley and Leverett as extended by Welge2 as been used to calculate the ratio of relative permeabilities. In the derivation which follows, this theory is further extended to permit calculation of the individual relative permeabilities. The theory assumes two conditions which must be achieved before the method is applicable. They are that the flow velocity be high enough to achieve what has been termed stabilized displacement,3 and that the flow velocity is constant at all cross sections of the linear porous body. In stabilized displacement the flowing pressure gradient is high compared with the capillary pressure difference between the flowing phases. The high pressure drop insures that the portion of the core in which capillary effects predominate will be compressed to a negligibly small fraction of the total pore space. The assumption of constant flow velocity at all

By Irving A. Palmer

During the past 15 years in this country there have been few additions to the literature of lead smelting. After the consolidation of the principal smelting companies at the beginning of this period it became the policy of the larger company not to permit the publication of details in regard to many of its metallurgical processes. This led to similar action on the part of some of its competitors. The result, of course, was a decided decrease in the number of papers written upon the practical side of the subject. Even upon the theoretical side the contributions have been few. It would seem that the industry as a whole has suffered from this general unwillingness to exchange information. While it is true that a given company is entitled to the reward that may come from its own development of a new process, it is also true that a still greater reward might be the result of a free exchange of ideas with other plants. This principle has been recognized for a long time in other metallurgical industries, notably those engaged in the smelting of iron and the manufacture of steel. It is pleasing to note that the leading lead-smelting company has very recently decided to modify its policy of secrecy, and to permit the publication of papers covering some details of its metallurgical methods. The statement has been made that there has been but little progress in lead smelting during the period just referred to. This impression is due in part, no doubt, to the scarcity of papers written on the subject. 'There has been, it is true, some discussion of the new sintering processes, but with little reference to detail, and to the effect that blast roasting has had upon the industry as a whole. In spite of the prevailing belief, it may be said that lead smelting, in common with other metallurgical industries, has made steady and substantial progress. It is the purpose of the present paper to discuss briefly some features of the industry as it is now conducted, with special reference to the blast-furnace practice in the larger silver-lead smelting plants of the United States and Mexico.

Jan 1, 1915

By E. H. Dix

The success of the Charpy impact test in the steel industry has led those interested in aluminum alloys to investigate the possible application of this test to aluminum and its alloys. In this paper are set forth the results of a few preliminary tests made at the Lynite Laboratories of the Aluminum Manufactures, Inc. In order to study more thoroughly the significance of the Charpy test, slow-bending tests have been made duplicating the arrangement of the impact machine. Tests have been made on both notched and unnotched specimens of a series of copper-aluminum alloys. Apparatus The standard American-made Charpy impact machine delivering a blow of over 200 ft.-lb. was much too large to test aluminum-alloy specimens of the same type used for steel, so that it was necessary either to adopt a larger specimen or to have a special light-weight hammer made. Since there is no known relation between specimens of different sixes, even though geometrically similar, it was decided to adhere to the 10 by 10 mm. specimen. Accordingly, Sauveur and Boylston, the American makers of the machine, were asked to construct a special light-weight pendulum adapted to their standard machine, this pendulum to have one-tenth the capacity of the standard. The writer wishes here to acknowledge his indebtedness to Mr. H. M. Boylston for the personal interest and care exercised in constructing this pendulum. The machine with the light-weight hammer in place is shown in Fig. I. It is mounted on a concrete foundation with the concrete covering the flange on the base of the machine. Vibration is further prevented by four 5/8-in. (15.8 mm.) foundation bolts. The large standard hammer shown against the wall was also used for some of the unnotched bars that required more than 20 ft.-lb. to rupture. When the light-weight hammer was received, it was carefully cali-

Jan 1, 1921

By Samuel Shallcross

THE principal function of the Bell limestone mine, of the American Lime & Stone Co., at Bellefonte, Pa., is to supply raw material to the company's modern rotary kiln plant at Bellefonte. Because mining costs are naturally higher than many open quarries with more favorably lying strata, it cannot compete, except to a limited extent, in the markets for road material and fluxing stone. In the broad sense, mining does have an advantage over the average open quarry when the end products are designed for and controlled by process and final inspection for the exacting demands of the industrial and chemical markets. Approximately 80 per cent of the output of the Bell mine is sold in the industrial and chemical markets. And as higher standards are set each year for construction and agricultural work, the remainder of the mine output goes to these two classes. Mining produces more fines than open quarries, and these fines are difficult to market; on the other hand, owing to absence of contaminating clay and impure rock, a greater percentage of the output of a mine is marketable. Because of the great production of fines, rotary kilns for lime burning are necessary when the stone must be mined. In 1921 the American Lime & Stone Co. operated 19 quarries and 72 lime shaft kilns spread over an area of 40 miles between Bellefonte and Altoona, Pa. At that time the line-production capacity of the 72 kilns amounted to approximately 700 tons per day. After 15 years the company operates three rotary kilns and six shaft kilns, with a combined output of approximately 500 tons of lime per day, concentrated in its single Bellefonte plant (Fig. 1). Its only stone-producing plants are now the limestone mine at Bellefonte and a construction-stone open quarry at Union Furnace, near Tyrone, Pennsylvania.

Jan 1, 1936