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By AIME AIME

IT IS impossible in this short sketch to give a detailed description of each part of the plant at Bethlehem, therefore, only such facts will be touched on as are necessary to give a general idea of the works. The extent of the plant, and the fact that the units making up the various departments are located in different parts of the works, make it impracticable to mention the departments in any regular order with regard to their location. They are, therefore, mentioned approximately in the order of their relation to each other with reference to their functions in the making of the various products.

Jan 1, 1924

By Michael S. Koleda

Less than two years ago, the, Congress, with broad bipartisan support, passed the Energy Security Act of 1980. A decade marked by ten- fold increases in world oil prices and two major interruptions in oil flows from the Middle East had ended. An all-out national commitment to transform America's vast tar sands, oil shale and coal resources into conventional fuels had begun. The national synfuels effort was to be public-private cooperation at a scale unmatched in peace time. Private industry would own and operate the synthetic fuels facilities. Government would reduce market uncertainties to acceptable levels. The potential government commitment was substantial. Up to $88 billion would be available through the Synthetic Fuels Corporation, principally in the form of contingent financing. Billions more would be spent through Department of Energy programs. Additional incentives for alternate energy development were contained in the Energy Tax Act of 1978. The Energy Security Act clearly specified national synthetic fuels production objectives: 500,000 barrels per day by 1987 -- 2 million barrels per day by 1992. Finally, said Congress, Uncle Sam was going to do something about rapidly rising oil prices, uncertainties of energy supply, and the resulting disruption to the U. S. economy. Simply put, the purpose of the Energy Security Act of 1980 was to provide government guarantees sufficient to get synthetic fuels projects off the private sector drawing boards and into commercial production. Because of their huge cost, technological uncertainty, and lengthy pay-out period, these projects were always second place to projects of smaller size, known technology and more rapid pay-out. The Energy Security Act was the legal expression of public policy to bring the free-market synfuels timetable into line with the faster paced political timetable in the interest of national energy security.

Jan 1, 1982

By Cadwallader Evans

MY endeavor in this paper will be to tell something of the accomplishments and current problems of the anthracite producer and to suggest some of the avenues for technical development that seem to me to be the most necessary and likely to bear fruitful results. The several subjects, that I find of most interest will be taken up individually with brief reference to the future trend. Underground Mining and Loading ?In this field great progress has been made in the last twenty years, beginning with the introduction of the scraper system. The electrical hoists for the operation of scrapers have been improved, and give little trouble, but there is an open field for the improvement of the auxiliary apparatus, particularly in the application of roller-hearing sheaves to the guiding of scraper ropes. Also notable in the last six or seven years is the introduction of shaker chutes, so that far more anthracite is now loaded over them than by scrapers. This trend should continue to be manifest, particularly if those who are looking ahead and who are charged with the development of this specialty continue constantly to study and improve the mechanical design of their shakers.

Jan 1, 1938

By F. B. Harris

MINE surveying and engineering at the various properties of the United States Smelting Refining and Mining Company has developed and increased in importance steadily as mining methods have changed and expanded, both in the development of ore bodies and in the methods and styles of stoping. Most important to satisfactory engineering practice, and secondary -only to accuracy and precision, is the preservation of all data relative to surveys and calculations so that it is readily available for use at all times and in -such form that it is permanent, easily found, and usable. The first consideration for a proper, accurate, and practical start for surveys and efficient engineering at any property is an accurate triangulation net and system of co-ordinates. This has been our practice and the first step seas to select a base line, readily accessible and easily measured, situated preferably on an even grade where the difference of elevation between the two -end monuments was not too great and -the distance was long enough for practical use. Permanent concrete monuments were built for these base-line points so constructed that they could be easily recognized and were visible. Precise levels were run on this base 'line and the elevation (sea level datum) if possible was established at each end monument. The distance was carefully measured many times, back and forward, by using a tape that had been standardized by the National Bureau of Standards. The tape was supported at ,each 25-ft interval on stakes which had been brought to grade between each measuring point. All conditions were

Jan 1, 1948

THE members arrived at Ticonderoga, N. Y., at noon, Tuesday, October 15th, and were received by Mr. Cyrus Butler, Chairman of the Local Committee of Arrangements. During the afternoon the works of the American Graphite Company and the Horicon Iron Company were visited under the guidance of Mr. Butler, President of both companies, and of Mr. William Hooper, Superintendent. An excursion was then made, in carriages, to old Fort Ticonderoga, on Lake Champlain, after which the party were driven to the Rogers Rock Hotel, on Lake George. The first session of the Institute was held in the parlor of time hotel on Tuesday evening. Mr. Eckley B. Coxe, President of the Institute, opened the proceedings with the following address: I shall ask your attention, this evening, to a few reflections upon the subject of mining engineering as a profession in the United States, its past, its present, and its future, and its duties and oppor¬tunities with reference to the proper development of our great min¬eral resources. Thirty years ago, there were scarcely any mining engineers in this country, and but few in England, and there were no institutions where young men could be educated for the profession in the Eng¬lish language. France and Germany have been able for about a century to boast of mining schools of a high character, that number among their graduates such men as Humboldt, Weisbach, Rittinger, Combes, and Gruner. Of the few we then had worthy of the name of "mining engi¬neer," some had studied in the continental academies, and others were graduates in the school of practical experience, and had learned their profession in mines and smelting-works. Their work con¬sisted principally in making surveys and maps of mines and mining properties, geological reports, and analyses of ores ; but the mining engineer whom we often meet with now, who has studied chemistry, physics, mineralogy, geology, mechanics, and drawing; who is more or less familiar with machinery and its construction, and with the practical management of mines or smelting-works, and who is an expert in some one branch of his profession, would have been very difficult if not impossible to find in the United States. The induce¬ments held out to ambitious and talented young men to enter the

Jan 1, 1879

By J. D. A. Morrow

TO my mind the National Bituminous Coal Act so far has proved one of the unhappiest experiences that has ever befallen the bituminous coal operators of the United States. Viewed in the light of its ugly consequences everyone should recognize this measure for what it is -a weird thing as unreal as a page from "Alice in Wonderland." Indeed it might be another stanza to the tale of the Walrus and the Carpenter, with the coal operators in the role of the unfortunate oysters who were taken on that memorable ramble. It is time that coal producers open their eyes, jerk themselves out of any lingering hypnotic optimism about the price-fixing provisions of this law, demand the repeal of these corroding clauses, and then set about remedying as best they can the disastrous effects of this retromingent scheme to regulate the coal business.

Jan 1, 1939

By Thomas Varley

IN THE congressional act establishing the Bureau of Mines one of the functions outlined was "to assist I the industry in the prevention of mineral waste." This had not only to do with the waste in mining but in milling and metallurgical practices, including smelting. The organization of the Bureau of 'Mines includes many divisions, each working in a particular field and charged with certain investigative work. The metallurgical division has the above duties under its immediate supervision, and the station located at Salt Lake City is directed by the chief of this division: There are ten experiment stations of the Bureau of Mines, located in various parts of the country, most of them being housed at state universities under cooperative agreements. Considerable care was exercised in locating the stations and in choosing the particular type of work to be investigated at each place. Inasmuch as the Bureau was designed to serve and cooperate with the industry it is only natural that the investigative work be of interest and importance to the territory immediately adjacent to the respective stations.

Jan 1, 1925

By Charles Janin

(San Francisco Meeting, October, 1911.) THE first successful bucket-elevator dredge to operate in California was put in commission at Oroville in March, 1898. There had been numerous previous attempts at dredging, but none of the earlier boats proved a success. The gold-miners in California early conceived the idea of a machine to dig gravel from the beds and bars of auriferous streams that were inaccessible by the methods then employed, and it was only a few months after the discovery of gold in California that such a machine was. shipped around Cape Horn from New York to San Francisco. This was, however, but the forerunner of many failures in gold-dredging, and was soon at the bottom of the Sacramento river. During succeeding years many other unsuccessful attempts were made, and it was not until 1897 that a dredge of the single-lift bucket-elevator type was floated on the Yuba river. This dredge was built by the Risdon Iron Works for R. H. Postlethwaite, and would probably have been a success if it had been operated on some of the rich Oroville ground instead of in a turbulent stream, where the dredge was wrecked during a flood, and was not repaired. Fig. 1 is a sketch-map of California, showing gold-dredging areas. It is not my intention to narrate in detail the history of the early failures in gold-dredging, and the various steps in the development of the modern boat, but merely to touch upon this in a general way, and to call attention to the wide difference in capacity and operating-cost between the first successful dredge, with an actual capacity of 600 cu. yd. per day-though its rated capacity was in excess of this-and the present modern dredge with 15-cu. ft. buckets, and an average capacity of 250,000 cu. .yd. per month. Even this enormous capacity has several times been exceeded on monthly runs. The first successful dredges

Mar 1, 1912

By Ralph H. Sweetser

BENEFICIATION of iron ores from the blast-furnace point of view means more than the usual enrichment of the iron contents by the removal of a large part of the clay, carbonic acid gas, silica, or moisture of the natural ore; it includes all these, but it also embraces several other mechanical .processes made , necessary by the exacting requirements of present-day blast-furnace practice. The increasing use of iron- bearing by-products, to as much as a third or more of the total ore burden, has introduced still another series of processes for improving the blast-furnace ore burden. As we look back over the past three decades of blast- furnace practice 'in. this country, we see that many of the blast-furnace troubles were directly due to lack of proper preparation of the iron ore burden,, and we realize that beneficiation in one form or another would have remedied the trouble. This was particularly true in the smelting of magnetic iron ores, where run-of- mine ore included such big lumps of 'magnetite along with rich fines that the furnace operations were greatly retarded and control of the furnace such as is usual today, was completely unknown.

Jan 1, 1930

By Lawrence K. Nordell

This paper reviews practices used In the selection and sizing of belt conveyors and stacker systems commonly used in crushing and grinding plant facilities. Historical and modern methods of sizing this equipment are presented. The new methods Include: 1) probability theory applications for establishing component reliability, 2) "Monte Carlo" simulation techniques used in evaluating alternative system designs and in establishing service factors and corresponding availability Indices of each system, 3) quantifying the system and component operating characteristics using computer assisted modeling tools simulating rigid body and elasto-mechanic behavior for starting and stopping large and/or complex belt conveyors.

Jan 1, 1982

By Oliver Bowles

STRIKING new developments in the field of industrial minerals include the employment of lime, salt, coal, and air for the manufacture of stockings, and the substitution of paper for granite and marble in making tombstones. Certain minerals that have heretofore been regarded as valueless except as museum or laboratory specimens, are now being applied commercially. Serpentine, in forms neither fibrous nor ornamental, massive topaz, pinite, and zoisite are examples. For certain other minerals, notably pyrophyllite, bentonite, vermiculite, and sulphur, extension of established uses into new fields has occurred. Substitution takes a toll in many industries, but producers of industrial minerals as a class have gained more than they have lost in recent years. Encouraging progress has been made in developing at long last a suitable substitute for certain of the uses of mica, the only industrial mineral on the strategic list of commodities established by the War. and Navy Munitions Board. Some of the more important developments in process, equipment, and use .that have come

Jan 1, 1940

By John S. Crout

TWENTY-FIVE years ago the training of an engineer was of interest solely to the educator and to the student entering the field. At that time the engineer's position in society was relatively simple. His training emphasized design and operation and he expected to enter industry to handle the engineering problems of raw materials production, mechanical and product design, and the operation of power plants, factories, transportation and communication systems, and similar phases of industrial activity. He was not concerned with or particularly interested in the problems of management, administration, sales, publicity, industrial relations, or of legislation. To a large degree he was content to leave these matters to self-made businessmen, or men trained in law, finance, or commerce. That period in the evolution of the engineer is now history. It is generally conceded that the modern world is dependent upon engineering technology for its day-to-day survival. The continued operation of facilities on which mankind relies is dependent upon the functioning of mines, utilities, chemical plants, and other factories, all of which require the knowledge and the skills of trained engineers. Thus from a purely mechanical point of view, the engineer has become indispensable to

Jan 1, 1947

By Roger L. Beals, George A. Tweedy

I. INTRODUCTION. THE results of the cyanide-operations, given in detail in the following paper, show the progress that is being made at the Minas del Tajo. The old pan-amalgamation process, in operation up to and including 1905, while paying a profit on high-grade ores, was no longer able to treat profitably the ores in sight at that time, hence an alteration in the process was imperative. The success of this alteration is eloquently expressed by the following data Pan- Amalgamation. Cyanidation. 1905. 1907. 1903. Tons treated, . . 51,387 53,983 69,300 Value per ton (U. S. currency),. $10.75 $8.39 $8.28 Extraction, per cent., 65.00 88.50 S7.45 Extraction, per ton. .- $7.00 $7.4.; $7.24 Total cost, per ton treated, 6.50 4.311 4.01 Profit, per ton treated, . . 0.50 3.07 3.23.;

Feb 1, 1910

By H. Foster Bain

I. INTRODUCTION. By H. FOSTER BAIN.+ THE recently aroused public interest in the conservation of our natural resources has peculiar importance to mining-men, since they deal with resources which are stored products. Within certain limits, the fertility of a worn-out soil may be restored, deforested areas can be replanted, one year's wasted water-supply is followed by another; but coal and ores, once taken out, cannot be mined again, and should therefore be conserved with especial care. This means, however, not that mining should be restricted, but that it should be done most economically and with the minimum of waste.

Nov 1, 1908

By AIME AIME

IN ORDER to carry on its work most effectively, the Committee on Industrial Organization (now known as the Committee on Industrial Relations) consists, of .a number of sub-committees, each composed of a chairman and members who are especially fitted to carry out the work designated by its title. With only one or two exceptions, all of these committees made reports at the New York meeting of the Institute, in February of this year, abstracts of which follow.

Jan 1, 1920

By George S. Rice

MECHANIZATION in coal mining is a phrase which has attracted world-wide attention, and those persons not engaged on the practical side of coal-mine operations seem to regard mechanization as a panacea for many difficulties of the industry. The term "mechanization" as now employed by experienced mining men is restricted to mean mechanical loading of coal at the face. In a broader sense mechanization in coal mining was begun nearly half a century ago with the introduction of compressed-air undercutting machines and locomotives and, later, of electrically operated locomotives, undercutting and shearing machines, and drills. The use of coal-cutting machines, which has increased until now about three- fourths of the bituminous coal produced is being mechanically cut, first displaced hand-picking except in a few long-wall mines, and later gradually displaced the dangerous and coal-smashing method of blasting-off- the-solid.

Jan 1, 1929

By J. B. Dilworth

I. INTRODUCTION. THE purpose of this paper is, first, to give a general account of a little-known coal-district of SE. Kentucky, its topography, drainage, and mineral resources, for those who may be interested in its economic development; and secondly, so to describe the geologic features of the field as to furnish available data to those engaged on the broader problems of Appalachian coal-geology. The data from which the major portion of the paper has been prepared were obtained, in professional investigations for private individuals and corporations, within the last decade. The area under review, defined by a heavy line on the map, Fig. 1, lies between Little Black and Pine mountains, and extends from Harlan on the west to a N-S. line crossing Looney creek 3 miles from its mouth on the east. This area can be divided for description into a Western and an Eastern Division. The character of investigation pursued in the Western Division, below Fugitt creek, was very different from that employed in the Eastern. In the former, only a rapid reconnoissance was attempted : such coal-openings as had been made by prospectors or by citizens in obtaining fuel were visited, their sections measured and, in many instances, sampled. Elevations were obtained barometrically and approximate locations sketched on a small-scale map. In a field where the coals are so well opened, the reconnoissance method gives a very fair idea of the number and character of the principal beds and their relative positions, and affords much evidence for their correlation over wide areas, without permitting the more refined work required to discover all the seams of the measures and to determine the details of geologic structure.

Feb 1, 1912

By Charles E. Locke

IN gathering material for this review the aid of the individual members of the Milling Committee was invoked and the assistance received is hereby most grate- fully acknowledged. The replies were much alike; almost everyone stated that in 1932 his operations had been cur- tailed or stopped entirely, that the only activity and progress were in milling gold ores, and that the Hadsel mill' looked like a coming machine in the crushing and grinding field. However, further inquiry and search have shown that the year was not quite so barren of developments as the foregoing statement would indicate.

Jan 1, 1933

By James K. Richardson

STATISTICAL evidence shows that continued efforts made by Government and industry to make mining safer during the last two decades have had most favorable results. In the copper-mining industry an accident frequency of 146 per million man-hours worked in 1925 dropped 71 per cent by 1945 to 43. This downward trend was relatively consistent except for a high period in 1937 which was probably due to a resumption of large-scale operation with many untrained miners. The iron-mining industry showed a similar trend, but at the relatively lower accident frequency of 66, which dropped to 24 in 1945. The close relationship between the steel and iron-mining industries may be one reason for the lower accident frequencies, because the steel industry is noted for its greater recognition of the fact that safe working conditions are an important part of labor-management relations.

Jan 1, 1948

By W. B. Hickman, J. J. Pickell, B. F. Swanson

Many physical properties of the porous media-immiscible liquid system are dependent upon the distribution of fluids within the pores; this in turn, is primarily a function of pore structure, liquid-liquiri interfacial tcnsion and liquid-solid wetting conditions. The cnpillary pressure hysteresis process provides a means of investigating the influence of pore structure upon fluid distribution for consistent sur/acc conditions. Invcstigntiot2s indicate that residual non-wetting-phase saturations /ollozuir,g the imbibition process (i.e.,wetting phase displacing nor2-wctting phase) are dependent upon both pore structure and initial non-raetting phase saturation and suggest that residual fluid is distributed as Discontinuous ,globules, one to a few pore sizes in dimension, thrnugh the entire range 01 pore sizes originally occupied. It clppears that air-mercury capillary pressure dala adequntely rellect the distribution of fluiris in a water-oil system when strong wetting condition preliczil. An oil-air counter-current imbibition technique has also been found to provide a rapid rneans of obtaining residual-initial saturation data. In a majority of cnses, rcsidual saturations detf-rniinecl from the oil-air or air-mercury process reasonably approximate residual oil saturation following water drive of a strongly water-wet medium. INTRODUCTION A reliable estimate of recoverable reserves depends not only on the amount of original oil-in-place but also on pore geometry and distribution of fluids within the pores. A critical parameter determining the recovery from a reservoir under waterflood, for example, is the amount and distribution of residual oil within the various rock types present. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mechanism of capillary trapping and assess its importance in laboratory measureqents of residual oil saturation. The degree of wettability of a reservoir rock is recognized as an important factor in waterflood or imbibition experiments. In this paper, however, only the water-wet case has been considered. Considerable experimental evidence1 suggests that for water-wet rocks, capillary forces predominate in tile distribution of fluids and that viscous forces in the range normallv of interest in the reservoir have a minimum influence on residual oil saturation. It follows that if the ultimate recovery is controlled by pore geometry, a unique residual non-wetting phase saturation should exist for a given set of initial conditions. Two laboratory procedures.found to be extremely useful in the study of pore structure and degree of fluid interconnection at various saturations are decribed. Although air-nercury capillary injection curves have been used2 previously to characterize the drainage case, the withdrawal or imbibition case can provide valuable supplementary data. The air-mercury process, however, has several disadvantages; it is difficult to run in a sufficiently accurate manner, mercury does not always act as a strongly non-wetting liquid and in the air-mercury process the sample is rendered unsuitable for future analyses. An alternative process is described in which air is the non-wetting phase and naptha, hentane, octane or toluene is the wetting phase. INTERFACIAL TENSION AND CAPILLARY PRESSURE Interfacial tension between immiscible fluids is due to the difference in attraction of like molecules as compared with their attraction to molecules of the neighbouring fluid. This net attraction results in a tension at the interface. To extend the interface; thus, interfacial tension s can also be thought of as free surface energy. Interfacial tension is normally expressed as dynes/cm, and interfacial energy is measured in ergs/cm2 hence, both have dimensions ml A 2 and are numerically equal.

Jan 1, 1967