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By Bruce H. Gardner, Stephen A. Miller, Shosei Serata

The Bryan Mound salt dome in Freeport, Texas, has some of the largest and oldest solution caverns in the U.S. There are a total of five caverns of varying shapes and sizes randomly distributed throughout the salt dome. When the caverns were converted from a brine production to an oil storage operation, the effects on long-term stability of the caverns and inter-cavern behavior were analyzed to evaluate the future safety of the storage operation. The analysis was based on a worst-possible-case scenario, including accidental wellhead pressure loss. The impact of this pressure loss upon the thinnest partition between the two closest caverns was analyzed, using a case example of storing lightest weight LPG, thereby creating maximum differential pressures between these two caverns. The finite element method with the REM computer code was utilized for this analysis. Results of the analysis illustrate the basic mechanisms of the long-term behavior of the multiple caverns in the LPG storage operation.

Jan 1, 1985

Restrictions on the use of zinc will be a thing off the past in a few months. Government allocations on the metal are also expected to go by the board. Concurrently, action is also expected in reference to lead allocations. Government stockpile goals for zinc have been reached. The International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers lent support to United Steel Worker demands and at the same time put in their own bid for a 25-cent an hour increase at a meeting held in Denver. While backing the USW, the IUMMSW charged the Steel Workers with membership raiding. Iron and steel companies producing about 92 pct of steel ingots in the United States, showed nearly a 13 pct decline in net profit during 1951, compared with the previous year, despite a 22 pct increase in their combined revenue. Federal income tax rose 61 pct, to more than 012 million. New iron ore reserves are being sought in Canada by Jones & Laughlin Steel Core, The company has acquired exploration options near Petersborough on the north shore of Lake Ontario in Durham, Northumberland and Frontenac Counties. *'A fourth property is southwest of Ottawa, in the Kingston, Ontario area..

Jan 1, 1952

No phase of the steel industry is more typical of its remark- able progress than is the evolution and development of the modern American blast furnace. The founding of the Institute in 1871 also marked the beginning of a new era in the pig-iron industry. The rapidly expanding westward development of the country, with its seemingly unlimited markets, gave rise to unprecedented demands for blast-furnace products. The manner in which the iron industry responded provides a fascinating chapter in the history of industrial development. Prior to this period, the iron industry of the United States, largely concentrated in the East, was based upon the consumption of local iron ores and local fuels, the latter predominately charcoal and anthracite. Small, isolated furnaces were located near scattered ore and fuel sources, and the completely integrated ironworks and steelworks were yet to be developed. In about 1860 exploitation of the newly discovered rich ore deposits in Michigan and the successful adaptation of blast furnaces to coke produced from coal of the great Pittsburgh seam in western Pennsylvania proved to be major factors in firmly establishing the general westward shift of the industry. But these were largely economic in character, and it was not until about 1870 that the aggressive, individualistic nature of the ironmaster asserted itself in no uncertain manner. No longer limited by relatively inadequate equipment and inferior raw materials, and spurred as well as encouraged by those who supplied capital for these new enterprises, furnacemen began to establish unheard of records in iron production. It is not surprising that Pittsburgh was the center of this new activity. Its tenor is best indicated by the following account :l

Jan 1, 1948

By P. E. Chapman, J. E. Worthington, I. T. Kiff

Increases in the price of gold starting about six years ago, and rapid fluctuations since then, have created a substantial popular interest in the noble metal. Gold prospecting had been at a low ebb since the end of World War II in most of the United States, except for a flurry of activity in Nevada after the Carlin and Cortez discoveries. The last few years, however, have seen a great awakening of interest in gold exploration as well as an opportunity for education for many explorationists in the geology and other vagaries of gold deposits. The writers have participated over the last few years in a search for gold deposits throughout the United States. This search was greatly influenced by the geologic studies of Dr. William Spence at the Haile gold mine in South Carolina, as reported in a companion paper. Spence's studies resulted in definition of a geologic model that has proven useful in a number of other geologic environments in the United States. These programs were all carried out under the auspices of Cyprus Mines Corp. and permission by Cyprus to present these results is gratefully acknowledged. The writers, however, reserve for themselves all responsibility for the results and conclusions. The exploration program to be described began in the southeastern United States. Spence's studies provided a reasonable basis for interpreting and understanding the geology of the Haile deposit, and also provided a means for predicting additional occurrences. This concept was then expanded to other gold occurrences in the Piedmont, and became an effective tool for evaluating other prospects. Finally, it became evident that the concept could be applied in some western gold districts. The following discussion will then include descriptions of other Piedmont examples and a few western districts that also appear to fit the pattern.

Jan 1, 1981

By C. Richard Tinsley

INTRODUCTION The economic analysis (Chapter 3), the engineering studies (Chapter 10), the credit structure (and the consequential funding sources) - Chapter 11, and the overall feasibility structure for any venture are all directed to determining one major decision element: How much and how certain is the reward for taking these risks? Risk assessment is a surprisingly weak area of analysis and is usually addressed in a checklist fashion. It is much preferable to deal within a risk system so that the inevitable tradeoffs among risks are correctly made. DEFINITION The first step toward risk definition must be to ascertain all of the risks to which a project or a company is exposed; otherwise one will remain ignorant of the possibility of a financially crippling loss until it occurs. (Carter and Crockford, 1974). However, simply stating what "risk" is can lead to debate. For example, risk could be (adapted from Vaughan, 1982): -the chance of a loss - uncertainty of loss -possibility of loss - uncertainty -dispersion of actual from expected results - probability of an outcome different from the one expected - possibility of an occurrence of an undesirable contingency -a condition in which a possibility of a loss exists. For the minerals industry financier, the last definition is probably the most appropriate. However, from a mineral company's point of view the definition might well include the possibility of not achieving the expected financial return. RISK CLASSIFICATION Risk identification will be readily agreed as the all-important first step. There are five major "branches" of risk classification. These are: -Statistical -Modellers -Checklist -Project Financing -Insurance The Statistical set discovered probability theory and any risk discussion soon deteriorates into a mathematical jungle (Megill, 1977; Hartman, 1976; Reutlinger, 1970; and Pouliquen, 1970).Their use of terminology tells its own story: coin toss (binomial distribution), gamblers' ruin, delphi (oracle) techniques, monte-carlo simulations, random walks, etcetera. These techniques inadequately represent the judgements necessary in an increasingly complicated and interrelated world. The risk Modellers have turned to the computer to handle these inter-relationships but soon find barriers because of "simultaneity". Certainly the computer has its uses to conduct various analyses (marketed as "sensitivity" analyses) but very often one finds that this involves changing one or two variables at a time, all other things being equal. Unfortunately, in a modern and complex world all other things do not remain equal. The statisticians will, no doubt, jump to their own defence by citing this

Jan 1, 1985

By B. J. Kochanowsky

TO improve blasting methods it is necessary to know how the explosive force acts and how rock resists this force. Because of the tremendous power developed within milliseconds and the great number of other factors directly affecting the technical and economic results, an analysis of the fundamentals of blasting theory is difficult. But since the rules used for layout design and for calculations of size of explosive charges are based on theoretical assumptions, complete knowledge of blasting theory has great practical importance in mining. Analysis of Blasting Theory: It is interesting to note the opinion of blasting experts with respect to contemporary blasting theories. F. Stussi; Professor of the University of Zurich, stated: "We do not have enough experience yet to change our army engineering regulations in blasting and base it on new fundamentals. It is our duty to collect more practical data and to do more research in blasting to close this gap." K. H. Fraenkel,2 editor of the Manual on Rock Blasting published in 1953 in Sweden and written by well-known Swedish, German, Swiss, and French blasting and explosive experts, said: "To the best of our knowledge no suitable formulas for civil blasting work are to be found in the American, French or German literature." Present blasting theory is based upon two assumptions. 1) The blasting force of explosive acts in concentrical and spherical form. 2) Rock resistance against the explosive force is directly proportional to the strength characteristics of the rock. The first classical formula based on theoretical fundamental in blasting theory for explosive charge calculation was introduced by Vauban, a military engineer who lived 300 years ago. It was Vauban who proposed the famous formula L = w3 q, where L is the explosive charge, w = line of least resistance, and q = specific explosive consumption proportional to the weight of rock. Later engineers used q as proportional to the strength of the rock. Since Vauban's time different suggestions concerning blasting theory have been proposed. However, the principles stated at that time so affected the thinking of later generations that his formula is still in use and practically unchanged. The first controversy concerned the form of crater. It was found that geological features of rock affected its form. The factor q was analyzed thoroughly by Lares3 and later by Ohnesorge," Weichelt,5 Bendel,6 and others, but the assumption remained that resistance against explosive force is directly proportional to the strength of the rock blasted. The greatest controversy, which has not yet been settled, concerned w. It was noted that w3 is more appropriate for long lines of resistance and w2 for lines of resistance less than 15 ft. Based on the assumption that the explosive force acts concentrically and spherically, spacings between charges were limited to distances not greater than the length of line of least resistance. Sometimes larger spacing is recommended, but this is due to the advantageous geological and physical properties of rock and not to the action of an explosive force as such. In addition to the classical formula, empirical formulas are used widely. These state that the explosive charge is directly proportional to the volume of blasted rock in cubic yards, and the amounts of explosive required are usually expressed in pounds of explosive per cubic yard of rock. Empirical and classical formulas are contradictory. In the empirical formula, but not in the classical formula, explosive charge is taken proportional to all three space axes: line of least resistance, spacing, and bench height. In spite of this contradiction, both formulas give good results. This is possible because as now practiced the explosive charge calculation for heavy burdens need not be highly accurate. Each, open pit or quarry, usually works with a certain relation between bench height and line of least resistance and between charge spacing and line of least resistance. When these relations are changed, however, the specific explosive consumption q changes greatly. This is one of the reasons why the principles on which the formulas are based appear to be incorrect. In addition to the formulas discussed, others exist and are based more or less on the same theoretical

Jan 1, 1956

By Alan R. Grant

The Cascade Range of Washington can be considered metallogenetically to be primarily a copper province. Structural and chemical data compiled from examination of numerous copper occurrences in the Cascades indicate a marked parallel of physical conditions for sulfide deposition. In probable order of significance, the environmental criteria are as follows: 1) adjacent or subjacent, postregional metamorphism high-level intrusive activity, most commonly in the time range from 15 million years to 30 million years; 2) transverse northeast trending structural belts which obliquely cut the northwest regional trend of the range; 3) potassium-silica wall rock alteration; most important of the alteration suite of silicates are orthoclase secondary biotite and quartz; 4) the intersection of northwest trending and northeast trending structures. The varying geologic environments in the Washington Cascades present a complex setting for the sulfide deposits. The North Cascades are comprised of predominantly pre-Tertiary metamorphic rocks invaded by Tertiary calcalkaline intrustive rocks. The Central Cascades, lying south of the North Cascades, exhibit a younger, higher level geologic environment comprised of predominantly early to middle Tertiary volcanic rocks and subordinate sedimentary rocks which are intruded by Tertiary calc-alkaline igneous rocks. Although the Tertiary Cascade intrusions are dominantly quartz dioritic, copper mineralization is commonly found in rocks of quartz monzonite to granite composition. These acid rocks appear to be the product of late stage magmatic K alteration of the original quartz diorites. Sulfide concentrations are considered to be in part dependent on the degree of K-silicate activity and the intensity of transverse structural deformation.

Jan 1, 1973

PUBLIC hearings began before the Committee for Reciprocity Information on May 24, 1950, for the purpose of unearthing data and opinion that will be helpful in the forthcoming reciprocal tariff and other trade-barrier negotiations at Torquay, England, on September 28th of this year. The conference this fall will constitute the "third round" of tariff negotiations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade concluded at Geneva in 1947. The United States plans to negotiate with 17 other countries on possible tariff modifications on various articles all the way from baby carriages and bottle caps to lead and zinc-bearing ores. On May 31, June 1 and June 2, spokesmen appeared before the Committee for Reciprocity Information on behalf of the domestic lead and zinc mining industries. Producers of these metals protested the inclusion of paragraphs 391 (lead-bearing ores, dust and mattes), 392 (lead bullion, lead in pigs and bars, and scrap lead), 393 (zinc-bearing ores of all kinds), and 394 (zinc in blocks, pigs or slabs, and zinc dust) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended in the list of articles to be considered for possible tariff concessions at Torquay. It was pointed out that although operating costs have more than doubled since 1939 tariffs on these metals were actually higher in that year than at present. This, coupled with the detrimental effects of the recent series of devaluations, has sounded the death knell for a substantial number of domestic lead and zinc mines-a most undesirable development in the face of the ominous international situation, according to these spokesmen. It was urged that higher rather than lower tariff rates are needed on these metals. The opinion was expressed that it was inconsistent to foster a high living standard in our western areas and then, once it is attained, to undermine that condition by minimizing the protection that was partly responsible for it. The main theme of some arguments implied that although every effort should be made to close the "dollar gap" abroad, serious consideration must be given the methods employed lest our national security position be jeopardized in the process. The House Committee on Foreign Affairs completed hearings on H. J. Res. 236, to provide for United States membership and participation in the International Trade Organization. Hearings began on April 19th and ran for over five weeks. Many witnesses from industry and government presented voluminous testimony, which will not be available for public distribution for several weeks. However, it is no secret that the most controversial provisions of the Draft Charter of the ITO are: (1) Article 17 (Chapter IV on Commercial Policy) which would obligate members to negotiate for the reduction of tariffs and the elimination of trade preferences; (2) Article 20 which would prohibit the use of quantitative restrictions for protective purposes; (3) Article 16 which promulgates rules to implement the principle of non-discrimination in international trade; and (4) provisions permitting the use of protective measures for promoting economic development, particularly in backward areas, even though such provisions are inconsistent with those of the three articles cited above. United States membership in the International Trade Organization is essential to the successful operation of that body in view of this country's position as the economic giant in the present international trade pattern. Many countries are reluctant to take any action toward the ratification of the charter until it is known what course America will pursue. However desirable or undesirable the ideal of free multilateral trade may be it is unlikely that this Government's participation in the ITO will materialize soon. Advices in Washington indicate that H. J. Res. 236 will not be enacted during the present session of Congress. The legislative pattern designed to secure Congressional approval of the ITO is similar to that of the St. Lawrence Seaway project. The Seaway project was pending in treaty form for several years before the Foreign Relations Committee of the Senate and when the Administration decided to incorporate this project into bill form it was found that, while it passed the House promptly, the Senate decided to pigeonhole it because of the obvious intent to circumvent the constitutional prerogative of the Senate to advise and consent to the ratification of treaties. The ITO bill may be slated for a similar fate. It is deemed essential by western Senators and Congressmen that the present session of Congress enact some form of mining legislation before its adjournment, now set for July 31st. These legislators from prominent ore-producing states do not desire to return to their home areas in the fall emptyhanded. Aside from that, it is entirely superfluous to reiterate the necessity for maintaining a healthy domestic mining industry as a bulwark against a sharp rise in the temperature of the "cold war". Now that S. 2105 has failed a new bill is taking shape in the Senate Interior and Insular Affairs Committee. It is similar in language to H. R. 8221 (to encourage the conservation and development of the mineral resources of the United States) reported by the House Public Lands Committee on May 3, 1950, but so far has failed to receive approval of the House Committee on Rules. There are some qualified observers in high circles in Washington as well as in the mining industry who favor a tax incentive program to stimulate investment in mining enterprises, as opposed to a conservation and exploration program. The Bureau of Mines and the Treasury Department have undertaken a joint study to determine the need for modification of the tax laws as they apply to mining. The study is scheduled for completion before the end of the year, and appears to be supplementary to the investigation initiated by the National Minerals Advisory Council which culminated in the submittal of recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior in December 1949. The "cold war" is largely responsible for the increased demand for metals. Stock-pile purchases and heavy industrial demand due to military needs distort markets and disrupt normal price trends. Such activity has an unhealthy influence on metal production, luring some producers into a state of dependency on the continuation of this condition. When stock-pile objectives are met sometime in the future purchases must then come to a halt unless international "fireworks" are touched off. It can only be hoped that technological improvements and further mechanization of mines coupled with the stimulus of a rising population will offset the anticipated drop in industrial demand and cessation of stockpile purchases when the international crisis abates.

Jan 7, 1950

By Edwin A. Sperry

At the request of some of my engineering acquaintances, to whom the results became known, I submit the following description of the survey made by me for the underground tunnel-connection between the Riverside and Home coal-shafts, at Leavenworth, Kansas. The State law requires an escape-shaft; and as neither of the shafts had one, the two companies decided to make this connection in order to comply with the law and still escape the great expense of sinking

Jan 1, 1895

By W. Julian Parton

General Crushed Stone Co. operates a dozen quarries in such rock types as gabbro, basalt, granite and limestone. Drilling characteristics and problems vary from one operation to another so that a variety of equipment and methods must be employed. In addition, it has been found that equipment improvements make it advisable to continuously look for and experiment with new machines and accessories. This article discusses drilling progress at some of the Company's more interesting operations.

Jan 1, 1963

By John M. Kelly

New Mexico produced 31,913,816 bbl. of oil in 1942, the lowest annual production since 1936, and dropped one place to rank eighth among oil-producing states. This production decreased 7,838,052 bbl., or 19.71 per cent, from the 1941 figure is the result of transportation difficulties caused by the dislocation of tanker sailings to east coast ports. The average per-well allowable in New Mexico on Jan. I, 1942, was 43 bbl. and at the end of the year was 38 bbl. Allocations as set by the New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission followed the recommendations of the Petroleum Administrator for War. After setting the daily outlet, however, the average daily pipe-line runs were 87,545 bbl.—11.06 per cent short of these allocations. Production for Lea County was 26,812,949 bbl., Eddy County 4,624,578 bbl., northwestern New Mexico 473,609 bbl., Chaves County 2,680 barrels. Drilling activity for New Mexico in 1942 was approximately 84 per cent of that in 1941 with 339 completions. Of these completions 254 were oil wells, II gas wells, and 74 dry holes. Proven fields accounted for 55 of the dry holes and 19 were wildcats. Three new oil fields and one new gas field were discovered as the result of wildcat drilling. Extensions were made to one oil field and one gas field. By the close of the year, the New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission had designated 59 areas as proven for oil and/or gas. Southeastern New Mexico Lea County Monument was again the largest producing field in the state, with 5,729,336 bbl.; Eunice was next, with 5,217,965; Vacuum produced 3,295,624 and Hobbs 2,973,488. The Hobbs field has the largest accumulated production, which at the close of 1942 totaled 100,381,417 bbl. The 100-million-barrel mark for Hobbs focused attention on the fact that this is the first field in the state to attain this figure, and also that, as Hobbs has been under continuous proration since July 1930, or approximately the entire life of the field, this 100-million-barrel recovery was obtained with 86 per cent of the wells in the pool still flowing and having a drop in bottom-hole pressure of only 3.5 Ib. per million barrels recovered. Hobbs stands out as perhaps the best regulated major oil field in the world. Two new oil fields were discovered in Lca County, the most inlportant being the area designated as East Lusk, consisting of the south 4 tiers of Sections in T. 19 S., R. 32 E. The discovery well was drilled in the SW. SW. 1/4 of sec. 21, T. 19 S., R. 32 E., by Culbertson and Irwin, Inc., and others. It was completed at a total depth of 2751 ft. in the Seven Rivers formation of Permian age. The initial potential of the well was 237 bbl. per day on pump. The oil produced has a gravity of 24.10 A.P.I., with sulphur content of 0.9 per cent. This oil has an asphaltic base and because

Jan 1, 1943

By John M. Kelly

New Mexico produced 31,913,816 bbl. of oil in 1942, the lowest annual production since 1936, and dropped one place to rank eighth among oil-producing states. This production decreased 7,838,052 bbl., or 19.71 per cent, from the 1941 figure is the result of transportation difficulties caused by the dislocation of tanker sailings to east coast ports. The average per-well allowable in New Mexico on Jan. I, 1942, was 43 bbl. and at the end of the year was 38 bbl. Allocations as set by the New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission followed the recommendations of the Petroleum Administrator for War. After setting the daily outlet, however, the average daily pipe-line runs were 87,545 bbl.—11.06 per cent short of these allocations. Production for Lea County was 26,812,949 bbl., Eddy County 4,624,578 bbl., northwestern New Mexico 473,609 bbl., Chaves County 2,680 barrels. Drilling activity for New Mexico in 1942 was approximately 84 per cent of that in 1941 with 339 completions. Of these completions 254 were oil wells, II gas wells, and 74 dry holes. Proven fields accounted for 55 of the dry holes and 19 were wildcats. Three new oil fields and one new gas field were discovered as the result of wildcat drilling. Extensions were made to one oil field and one gas field. By the close of the year, the New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission had designated 59 areas as proven for oil and/or gas. Southeastern New Mexico Lea County Monument was again the largest producing field in the state, with 5,729,336 bbl.; Eunice was next, with 5,217,965; Vacuum produced 3,295,624 and Hobbs 2,973,488. The Hobbs field has the largest accumulated production, which at the close of 1942 totaled 100,381,417 bbl. The 100-million-barrel mark for Hobbs focused attention on the fact that this is the first field in the state to attain this figure, and also that, as Hobbs has been under continuous proration since July 1930, or approximately the entire life of the field, this 100-million-barrel recovery was obtained with 86 per cent of the wells in the pool still flowing and having a drop in bottom-hole pressure of only 3.5 Ib. per million barrels recovered. Hobbs stands out as perhaps the best regulated major oil field in the world. Two new oil fields were discovered in Lca County, the most inlportant being the area designated as East Lusk, consisting of the south 4 tiers of Sections in T. 19 S., R. 32 E. The discovery well was drilled in the SW. SW. 1/4 of sec. 21, T. 19 S., R. 32 E., by Culbertson and Irwin, Inc., and others. It was completed at a total depth of 2751 ft. in the Seven Rivers formation of Permian age. The initial potential of the well was 237 bbl. per day on pump. The oil produced has a gravity of 24.10 A.P.I., with sulphur content of 0.9 per cent. This oil has an asphaltic base and because

Jan 1, 1943

By T. Sterry Hunt

THE deposit of rock-salt which is known to exist along the eastern shore of Lake Huron, in the province of Ontario, has lately been more completely explored than before, by a boring with a diamond drill, put down by Henry Attrill, Esq., of New York City, and the results obtained are so important in every way that I make no apology for presenting them to the Institute of Mining Engineers. I may be permitted to preface an account of this remarkable exploration, and of its results, with a historical sketch of the discovery and development of this salt-region. It was in December, 1865, that a boring was begun near the town of Goderich, in the hope of finding petroleum. In this the adventurers were disappointed, but, after passing through about 800 feet of limestone, they encountered a series of variegated marls, in which, at a, depth of 964 feet from the surface, a bed of rock-salt, 30 feet in thickness, was met with in May, 1866. The boring was carried to a depth of 1010 feet, ending in hard rock, and yielded, by pumping, a very pure saturated brine when examined by me in August of the same year. In the report of the Geological Survey of Canada for 1863-66, published early in 1867, I described this salt-well, with many geological details, and gave an analysis of the brine. In the next three years a considerable number of wells was sunk in and around Goderich, and numerous trials were made in various other parts of the region. Salt was found at Kincardine, thirty miles north-northeast from Goderich, at a depth of about 900 feet, and also at Clinton, thirteen miles southeast, at 1180 feet. Records of these wells, with analyses of the brine from them, were given by myself in a subsequent report of the Geological Survey, 1866-69, published in 1870 (pp. 211-244), together with accounts of various unsuccessful borings in the neighborhood, analyses of the brines from the various wells (including one analysis by Dr. Goessmann), with many details of the salt-manufacture at Goderich, at Syracuse, New York, and at Saginaw, Michigan. The geological character of the region was there discussed at length, and it was shown that the salt here occurs in the Onondaga or Salina formation, which

Jan 1, 1877

By R. DiBella, H. Biloni, G. F. Bolling

A study of the detailed relationship between solidification substructure and microsegregation in dilute tin alloys has been continued. New observations reveal that depressions form at the solid-liquid interface not only as an initial form of segregation but throughout the range of increasing constitutional supercooling. In order to show the importance of this node formation it proves convenient to make two simplifications. Although substructure changes continuously as constitutional- supercooling increases,&apos; the following discrete stages may be used for discussion: 1) the planar solid-liquid interface; 2) ordered nodes, or depressions at the interface;&apos; 3) two-dimensional or elongated cells;3 4) regular or hexagonal cells;4 5) distorted cells, or hexagonal cells with branches;4 6) dendrites. It is also convenient to ignore observations made near grain boundaries which interact with the cellular substructure.2-4 And, it should be clearly pointed out that all singular depressions at the solid-liquid interface will be called nodes. Heretofore, the term "node" has been used without clear justification to describe both the truly isolated depression and the junction of cell walls appearing in a later stage of segregation. This usage is continued because it seems proved by the observations. Standard systematic growth of tin crystals was undertaken over a broad range of constitutional supercooling using various added solutes. Except for one or two chance observations, this research failed to reveal any appreciable range of growth conditions over which a disordered array of isolated nodes exists. Even though &apos;some finite range of random instability must exist, it is now concluded that stage one passes very rapidly to stage two. Next, after confirming that stage two passes to stage three by the elongation of isolated nodes: a reexamina-tion of stages three, four, and five followed. Standard metallography showed that pockets of higher solute concentration (for ko < 1) became more numerous in cell walls the more severe the growth conditions. These high-concentration regions must arise from depressions; however, in stage three their segregation is not distinguishable from the segregation of the nodes which join cell walls together. It seems, therefore, that the presence of nodes is causal in the formation of new cell walls, and that the mechanism by which stage three passes to stage four is initiated by nodes. If a similar reasoning is followed, the separation of stage four from stage five appears to be just a convenience that has arisen from the decanted interface observations made in the past. The present observations again show that more severe growth conditions relate directly to an increase in the number of nodes in the hexagonal cell walls. These nodes apparently serve as the origin for lines of segregation extending within the body of a cell, and can thus be assumed to represent the earliest form of branching,* as shown here in Fig. 1. The examination of stage six involved decanted-interface structures as in Fig. 2, which are similar to those considered by Rutter and Chalmers,5 Plaskett and winegard,6 and Hellawell and Herbert,7 and where distinct protrusions are each surrounded by a depressed boundary. The corresponding microsegregation behind the interface, but not far enough behind to allow a smearing of the segregation because of diffusion,4 is shown in Fig. 3. Both the shape of the decanted interface and the segregation pattern behind it

Jan 1, 1968

By J. H. Slater

THERE is nothing particularly new about the use of sinter in a blast-furnace burden. For many years flue dust has been sintered at the various blast-furnace plants to put it in a form that could be recharged to the furnace with some assurance that it would stay in the second time. This paper is not a compilation of scientific data but only an attempt to give our experience with sinter. There are some unexplained discrepancies in the tests given here, such as the flue dust produced and iron tonnages, but the results given are the results that were obtained. Sinter is not the cure-all for blast-furnace problems. A good coke is still the most important factor in good furnace operation. However, good sinter is a big help. As flue dust is produced under varying operating conditions and fluctuates greatly in carbon content, it is difficult to produce from flue dust alone a uniform sinter, which will give satisfactory blast-furnace results. Sinter made from flue dust alone will change in character with every carbon variation. Almost invariably flue dust con-tains carbon in excess of the amount necessary to make good sinter, and this excess must be burned out, This, of course, necessitates reduction of the speed of the sintering machine and thus a decrease in tonnage, An alternative is to dilute with a carbon-free material to use up the excess carbon. High-carbon material when sintered results in a very dense, undesirable prod-uct, since the excess heat melts the charge into a hard, nonporous mass, and tends to form refractory silicates.

Jan 1, 1940

By R. M. Hudson, P. E. Perry

Weight-gain data obtained by nitriding low-carbon sheet steel in an amrnonia CNH,) atmosphere indicated that the process obeyed a parabolic rate law. The calculated actization energy for nitriding in the range 964" to 1268°F agreed reasonably well with published data. At 1358"F, rate data indicated that the activation energy decreased. Weight-gain data obtained by uszng mixtures of NH3 -Nz at 1268°F containzng jrom 10 to 100 zol pct NH3 also obeyed a parabolic rate law. The rate of &apos;nitriding increased with an increase in the NH3 content of the gas Mixture. It is well-known that steel heated in gas mixtures containing ammonia (NH3) takes up much larger quantities of nitrogen than steel heated in nitrogen, both gases having a total pressure of 1 atm;&apos; this phenomenon can presumably be attributed to the catalytic decomposition of NH3 on the steel surface to furnish nascent (monatomic) nitrogen. This process was studied bv Brunauer. Jefferson, Emmett, and Hend-ricks at furnace temperatures of 752" and 831°F2 using mixtures of NH3 in Hz. Englehardt and wagner3 reported that, at a furnace temperature of 914°F and under their experimental conditions, both nitriding and denitriding were controlled by the rate of gas-metal reactions at a steel surface rather than by the rate of diffusion of nitrogen in iron. The present study was undertaken to obtain information on the kinetics of nitriding low-carbon steel strip at higher temperatures so that practical rates for short-time strip-annealing treatments could be estimated. Variables studied included time: temperature, and NH, content in the annealing atmosphere. Mechanical and chemical characteristics of steel nitrided in this manner will not be considered in the present article. MATERIALS AND EXPERIMENTAL WORK The samples used were from a commercial low-carbon steel, 0.0244 cm thick, in the cold-reduced condition. The chemical composition of this steel is given in Table I. Panels were cut to 5.1 by 17.8 cm, degreased in toluene, and weighed just before treatment. Four specimens were nitrided under each of the experimental conditions. A study was made of the nitriding rate of steel in a 100 vol pct ammonia atmosphere, 740 mm pressure, at five specific temperatures within the range 964" to 1358°F. The nitriding rates of steel in ammonia-nitrogen gas mixtures containing 10, 18, 26, 50, and 100 vol pct ammonia, 740 mm total pressure, at 1268°F were also determined. All atmospheres used were dried by successively passing them through drying towers packed with soda lime and with Linde Molecular sieve Type 4A. Quoted gas compositions refer to those entering the furnace. Specimens were held in the constant-temperature zone of a vertical annealing tube furnace for times of 14, 3, 5, 10, or 15 min. Gas flow rates were maintained at 3.8 cu ft per hr, which was nineteen volume changes per hour for the system used. The rate of flow was selected to provide a high level of free NH3 for cracking on the steel surface where the ammonia gas is most effectively used as a nitriding agent. The vertical annealing tube furnace consisted of a Hevi-Duty tube furnace with a 2 1/2-in.-ID mullite ceramic high-temperature tube. The constant-temperature zone (controlled within 10°F) was about 10 in. long. After each specimen was degreased, a hole was punched in one end, for attaching the specimen by hook to a chain so that it could be lowered into or raised from the high-temperature portion of the tube by means of a power-driven winch. A stainless-steel access port with O-ring seals was connected by suitable glass-to-metal seals to the cool upper portion of the furnace tube. After the weighed specimen was placed in the access port, the furnace tube was evacuated to approximately 10"3 torr, and then the system was flushed thoroughly with the atmosphere under study. When the gas flow rate and constant-temperature zone of the furnace were established, the specimen was lowered into the constant-temperature zone. The atmosphere flowed from the top to the bottom of the vertical furnace tube and was then vented. For all these runs, during the first 3 min of the time the specimen was in the constant-temperature zone of the furnace the specimen was heating up to the tempera-

Jan 1, 1970

By J. L. McK. Yardley

There are two general classes of problems in connection with electric furnaces. First, those relating to the best utilization of the electrical power inside the furnace; second, those connected with the bringing of the electrical power to the point where it is to be utilized. Referring particularly to the latter class of problems, many calculations have been made, covering a wide variety of furnaces, to check the electrical capacity and power factor found from test. The following analysis, made for the purpose of determining the maximum capacity and approximate performance of a new furnace, to operate at 160 volts on a 60-cycle circuit, may be of interest. The first characteristic necessary to determine is the inductance, since this is the factor that limits the amount of power which can be put into the furnace. Inductance is calculated from the dimensions of the furnace, according to formulas of the U. S. Bureau of Standardsll as follows. Formula 99, for mutual inductance, is: M = 2l [log 2l/d-1 +d/l] Formula 103, for self-inductance, is: Both of these formulas are approximations which are nearly correct when 1 is great compared to d or R. 1 = length of circuit, in centimeters, d = separation between the conductors, in centimeters, R = geometric mean radius of conductors. For a circular tube, R = the radius of the circle. For a solid circular conductor, R = 0.7788 X the radius of the conductor. For a rectangular conductor, R = 0.2235 X (a + b), a being the length, and b being the width of the rectangle. To calculate the inductance of a three-phase circuit, it is customary to figure the inductance of one leg. In circuits where the three conductors

Jan 1, 1920

By Oswald J. Heinrich

THE responsibility resting upon the owners and managers of mines where fire-damp is generated, renders it a matter of imperative duty that a full and correct statement of any explosion that occurs should be given to the public. But such a statement must be based on the testimony of impartial eye-witnesses or trained experts. Then a sad experience may result in the adoption of effective preventive measures. In the absence of any official and professional body of mining experts in the State of Virginia, the writer desires to submit to his professional brethren of the American Institute of Mining Engineers an account of an explosion which recently took place in a colliery under his management, and earnestly desires a thorough and impartial discussion on the facts submitted. Description and Plan of the Mine.-The "Grove" shaft is situated at the nearest point 825 feet from the last old workings upon the Midlothian property, south of the old Pump shaft works. (See Plate III.) The shaft was sunk by the former company, some thirty years ago, to the depth of 622 feet. An incline over 230 feet long, starting in a northwest direction at a depth of 105 feet above the shaft bottom, had been driven to explore the coal on the dip. A return of very small dimensions had been driven round the shaft on the south side, entering the upcast chamber. With the information obtained from the former company that a seam of coal about four feet thick, at a depth of 490 feet, had been found, and with the information obtained by the present proprietor, R. T. Burrows, of Albion, N. Y., by means of two boreholes on the dip west of the old shaft, in both of which workable seams of coal at various depths had been ascertained, the clearing out and thorough retimbering of this shaft were commenced in March, 1873. Borehole No. 1, at a depth of 477 1/2 feet from surface, revealed a seam of coal. This borehole was afterwards carried to a depth of 1140 feet to the granite, without finding any other seam of coal. Borehole No. 3, at a depth of 608 feet, revealed the first coal-seam, 142 feet thick; at 633 feet, the second, 12 feet thick; at 662 feet the third, 1 foot thick, and at 692 feet the fourth, 4 1/2 to 5 feet thick. The borehole was stopped at a depth of 715 1/2 feet.

Jan 1, 1877

By W. J. Moore, E. M. Swiggard, H. Shenker

Beryllium is the most soluble of the double-acceptor impurities in germanium; the solubility is at least 1 x 10 19 atoms cm3. Photoconductive, optical, and electrical measurements were made on a set of Ge:Be samples grown without other intentionally added imp~ivities. The excited-states spectrum of beryllium in germanium was determined both in zero field and in magnetic fields up to 30 kc. It was found that the absorption 0-f lines in the vicinity of the G line increased markedly with increasing magnetic field. The ioniza-tion energy of neutral beryllium in germanium was determined to be 24.3 * 0.1 mez: using the excited-states spectrum. An infrared detector using a Ge:Be element was found to have a normalized detectivity D* (50 p, 1000 cps, 1 cps) of 9 X ldO cm-~ps"~-w-&apos;. The Ge:Be sambles exhibited low-field breakdown and inibzirity band conduction effects at low temperatures. WHILE the properties of most dopants in germanium have been thoroughly investigated, the properties of beryllium in germanium have had relatively little attention. Much of the work that has been done&apos; has been concerned with the properties of singly ionized beryllium in germanium. The purpose of the present work was to determine the photoconductive and electrical properties of beryllium-doped germanium (Ge:~e) with a small concentration of other electrically active impurities. Ge:Be is of special interest since beryllium is the most soluble of the known double-acceptor impurities in germanium. MATERIALS PREPARATION A set of &:Be crystals with beryllium concentrations between 5 x 1013 and 1x 10&apos;&apos; cmm3 and without other intentionally added impurities was grown in a hydrogen atmosphere by the horizontal zone-refining techniques described by Swiggard and Shenker.2 The segregation coefficient of beryllium in germanium was found to be about 0.07 and its maximum solubility was found to be greater than 1 x 10&apos;&apos; atoms cm-3 which is in agreement with previous results.&apos; Most of the crystals were found to have a small net concentration of shallow acceptors; for example, a crystal having a beryllium concentration of 1.1 X 1016 cm-3 was found to have a net concentration of shallow acceptors of less than 1.5 X 1013 cm-3. Ingots designed to have a beryllium concentration of 1 x 1017 cm-3 or less exhibited a loss of electrically active beryllium. That is, the beryllium concentration was lower than expected and the decrease of the beryllium concentration along the length of the ingot was much larger than expected. It is hypothesized that this effect is due to the oxidation of the beryllium by the residual oxygen in the system. This effect is similar to but not as severe as the effect observed with boron in germani~m.3, 4 OPTICAL ABSORPTION SPECTRUM The excited-states spectrum of neutral beryllium atoms in germanium was studied by measuring the infrared optical absorption spectrum. A typical spectrum is shown in Fig. 1; the labeling of the absorption lines follows that of Fisher and Fan.* The spacings between the observed lines and the D line are nearly equal to the corresponding spacings for the other ac -ceptors in germanium.5-7 By the use of the theoretical result67&apos; that the neutral impurity ionization energy is 2.53 mev larger than the energy of the D line, the ionization energy of neutral beryllium in germanium was determined to be 24.3 * 0.1 mev at 4.2"K. This method yields a more precise value of the impurity ionization energy than the usual Hall effect method.&apos; The absorption spectrum of Ge:Be was also measured as a function of magnetic field using a magnetic field parallel to the incident radiation and using unpolarized radiation. A typical spectrum taken at 30 kG is shown in Fig. 2. An unexpected observation is that the absorption of the lines in the vicinity of the G line (there is a strong possibility that some of these lines may be associated with lines other than the G line) increases with magnetic field. RESISTIVITY AND HALL DATA Measurements of Hall voltage vs temperature were made on several of the samples. The thermal activa-

Jan 1, 1968

By Charles B. Dudley

THEO. N. ELY, Esq., Superintendent of Motive Power. DEAR SIR: It is now nearly three years since my first report to you on the subject of steel rails was written. That report, as you will remember, dealt principally with the question of the relation between the chemical composition and physical properties of steel rails and their power to resist crushing and fracture in actual service. Other matters were referred to or touched upon in that report, but the main question was, Why do some rails crush or break in service while others do not? You will doubtless remember that the principal conclusion arrived at was, that the softer rails are less liable to crush or break in service than the hard ones. Or, in other words, so far as conclusions could be drawn from the chemical analysis and physical test of 25 samples of steel rails which had actually been in service, these conclusions were that those rails which have the smaller amounts of carbon, phosphorus, silicon, and manganese are less liable to crush or break in service than those which have larger amounts of these elements. Or, again, looked at in the light * At the Lake George meeting of the Institute in October, 1878, I had the honor of presenting to the Institute, through the kind permission of the officers of. the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, the results of a study of twenty-five samples of steel rails, which had all been in actual service. Considerable discussion followed the publication of that paper, and there seemed to be a strong disinclination, especially on the part of the steel-rail manufacturers, to accept the conclusions presented. One of the principal objections urged against the conclusions drawn was, that they were based on too few samples; in other words, that no conclusions safe to act upon could be drawn from the examination of twenty-five rails. In view of this criticism it was decided to repeat the investigation with a larger number of samples, and with the aid of the experience gained in the first investigation. The results of this second study of steel rails are, by the permission of the officers of &apos;the Pennsylvania. Railroad Company, herewith presented to the Institute, with the sincere desire that they may aid in adding to our knowledge of this most important product. Like the previous paper, this is in the form of a report to one of the officers of the company, which will account for the style, and the manner of presenting the data

Jan 1, 1881