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By George E. Roberts

THE gains of society from the state of primitive conditions in the past to the standard of living which prevails in the advanced countries today have been accomplished mainly by the increasing productive capacity of the population under the leadership and services of the engineer. Without improvements in the arts and industries the growth of population tends to place succeeding generations always at a disadvantage. In this country we have been exploiting with reckless prodigality a wealth of soil and minerals and timber that has been in preparation for thousands of years. We know that the prices of all national products have been advancing, and were on a rising scale even before the phenomenal increases resulting from the war. Over against this depletion of natural wealth we have the influence of improvements made in the methods of production and distribution-and the accumulation of wealth in the form of productive equipment. The net result of these opposing influences determines whether society moves forward or backward.

Jan 1, 1926

By D. H. Woodard

One of the principal uses of polarized light in metallurgy is to show the granular structure of metals by contrasting reflections. This use is confined largely to anisotropic metals, such as beryllium, tin, magnesium, and the like.1 Recently, Hone and Pearson2 have extended the use of polarized light to include the isotropic metal aluminum. This was made possible by the formation of an anodic film that was optically anisotropic and that had a fixed and reproducible structural relationship to the grains in the substrata. With their method, it was possible to indicate localized textures in annealed aluminum sheet. In the course of an investigation of plastic deformation at the National Bureau of Standards, it was found that the isotropic single phase alloy Monel could be made optically anisotropic by treatment with the usual Monel contrast etchant. Experiments soon showed that dif- , ferences in orientation could be detected easily. Previous investigations involving the use of polarized light have been restricted to annealed metals. In this paper it will be shown that inhomo-geneous plastic deformation which results in lattice bending and development of deformation bands, experienced by individual grains in polycrystalline Monel, is revealed in the microstruc-ture. This interpretation of the micro-structure was confirmed by a study of slip lines formed after prior plastic strain. Materials and Procedure The material used was Monel, the chemical composition of which was C—0.17 pet, Mn—1.28 pet, Fe—1.61 pet, S—0.009 pet, Si—0.17 pet, Cu— 30.70 pet, Ni—66.04 pet. The material was divided into 2 lots which were treated as follows: Lot A was heated at 1700°F for 3 hr to produce a fully annealed, coarse grained structure. Lot B was heated at 1400°F for 1 hr to produce a close approximation of a fully annealed structure without appreciable increase in the grain size of the original material. After each of these heat treatments the material was cooled in air. Samples for metallographic examination were cut from tensile and compression test specimens and were prepared by grinding on lead-tin laps, followed by electrolytic polishing, † Etching and the development of ridges were avoided by keeping the voltage above 3.8 and by preventing contamination of the polishing solution with water. Monel, when polished and treated with most etchants, is optically isotropic. However, when given a light etch for about 4 sec with the Monel contrast solution the surface of the metal becomes optically active. The microstructure when observed under crossed nicols* appears different from that viewed by ordinary light. This is shown by a comparison of micrographs made of the same area of a plastically deformed specimen using polarized light (Fig la) and white light (Fig 16). If Monel, which has been lightly treated with the contrast etchant, is slightly deformed by compression, rectangular figures are apparent over the specimen. However, within too short a period to be photographed, these rectangles become circular, probably because of surface tension effects within the etched film. The two observations,

Jan 1, 1950

By S. Frederick Ravitz

IN most applied sciences there are two distinct methods of carrying out research and development work. One of these, the theoretical, attempts to solve problems that may arise and to predict facts of practical importance by the application of the various laws of science, the other, the experimental method, attempts to each the 'same goal by obtaining data and trying out various processes in the laboratory. Since individuals frequently find themselves better adapted for one or the other type of procedure, it is natural that -two groups should 'arise, both working toward the sane objective but with somewhat different points of view, although many in each group are thoroughly competent in both fields. Metallurgy, in particular, offers an excellent opportunity for a comparison of the two methods.

Jan 1, 1935

By AIME AIME

THE Charleston Section of the A. I. M. E. held a joint meeting with the National Coal Association and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers on May 6 and 7, at which 94 members and guests were registered. Mechanical operation of coal mines was the subject discussed. First on the program was a paper entitled "Rock Dusting in the Coal Mines of West Virginia," by R. M. Lambie, chief of the Department of Mines, and Gordon MacVean. It appears in full in the current issue of MINING AND METALLURGY, p. 290. J. E. Jones of the Old Ben Coal Corp. opened this discussion by describing the method of rock dusting employed in the mines of that company, giving many interesting details, incidentally referring to the use of rock dust in fighting mine fires. He described one case where a number of troughs was brought to within 150 ft. of the fire, and rock dust had been thrown in its direction. After each trough had been thrown the party advanced a few feet, where another trough was discharged. About 10 ft. were gained on each advance, until the party found they had advanced completely over the fire.

Jan 1, 1926

By W. R. Ingalls

DUPING the last two years, and especially during the last six months, a number of important articles upon the new methods for the desulphurization of galena have been published in the technical periodicals, particularly in the Engineering and Mining Journal and in Metallurgie. I proposed for these methods the type-name of "lime-roasting" of galena as a convenient metallurgical classification,' and this term has found some acceptance. The articles referred to have shown the great practical importance of these new processes, and the general recognition of their metallurgical and commercial value which has already been accorded to them. It is my present purpose to review broadly the changes developed by them in the metallurgy of lead, in which connection it is necessary to refer briefly to the previous state of the art. The elimination of the sulphur-content of galena has been always the most troublesome part of the smelting-process, being both costly in the operation and wasteful of silver and lead. Previous to the introduction of the Huntington-Heberlein process at Pertusola, Italy, it was effected by a variety of methods. In the treatment of non-argentiferous galena concentrate, the smelting was done by the roast-reduction method (roasting in reverberatory furnace and smelting in blast-furnace); the roast-reaction method, applied in reverberatory furnaces; and the roast-reaction method, applied in Scotch hearths 2 Precipitation-smelting, simple, had practically gone out of use, although its reactions enter into the modern blast-furnace practice, as do also those of the roast-reaction method.

Sep 1, 1906

By GLENVILTE A. COLLINS

(Presented at a Meeting of the Spokane Local Section of the Institute, Feb. 17, 1912, and accepted for publication in the Bulletin. ) WHILE I am not at the present time engaged in active mine-management, my duties permit of extensive study and examination of many mines, mills, and reduction-works in various places throughout the United States. Being much interested in efficiency-work in general, and an ardent reader of writings on this subject by Frederick W. Taylor and others, as applied to manufacturing-plants, and having served my apprenticeship from mucking to the engineering design of ore-dressing and underground plants, I hope that this paper will lead others to investigate the field more fully, to the improvement of general mine- and mill-operations, as well as the advancement, intellectually, physically, and financially, of the employee and his relations with the employer. If a man who is prepared to look closely and observe broadly starts in Canada and zig-zags from camp to camp to southern Mexico, taking time casually to inspect mines, mills, and smelters, he will be pitifully impressed by the great difference in customs, and the general waste of labor, time, and money throughout the country. He will so seldom observe a dollar's worth of results given in exchange for a dollar spent that he will form a poor opinion of operating-efficiency and management. This highly-scientific department, requiring an amount of skill and executive ability equaled in few, if any, of the professions, certainly falls short of the standard established in our greater manufacturing industries. It is easily said that this is due to the diversity of conditions in mining, milling, and smelting. But on second view it must be admitted that there is room for tremendous improvements in nearly every mining-organization. The proposal of such improvements is often met by the argument that any mine

Sep 1, 1912

By J. W. Buch

IN THE FIELD of track haulage, interest has seemed to center on the question of larger mine cars both for handling material from loading point to shaft bottom or surface, and for shuttle service. Saving of time in car changing is obvious if larger cars are used. In addition, shorter trips result where car transportation is from face to opening without transfer. This also brings about side-track and equipment savings. Track shuttle service, using large automatic-dump cars (10 tons) between loading machines and trip loading point, has been a satisfactory solution for the operator who mechanizes a working mine regularly equipped with a large number of small mine cars. This development in track shuttle haulage, has made track installation and maintenance increasingly important, requiring closer supervision.

Jan 1, 1942

By Roy P. Full, Robert M. Grantham

Regional structural adjustments in early Tertiary time resulted in the development of the Republic graben, a major down-dropped block that is from 6 to 10 miles in width and more than fifty miles in length. The graben became the center of extensive volcanic activity during Eocene and Oligocene time, resulting in a thick sequence of water-laid tuffaceous sediments, volcanic flows, and associated intrusives. A younger series of sediments, pyroclastics, and flows were deposited in structural depressions within the graben following the period of widespread volcanic activity. The Republic mining district is located along one of the major intragraben structural zones, where continuing subsidence during the period of volcanic activity resulted in an increased thickness of flows and associated flow breccias and pyroclastics. Intrusive masses in part healed early graben-forming faults, but later subsidence reopened old faults and created new fracture zones which later became the control for the gold-quartz veins. Considerable block adjustment along the subsidence area is evidenced by the structural pattern in the mines, and telescoped vein structures indicate north-south compressional stresses and east-west graben-forming tensional stresses prior to and during the emplacement of the veins. The veins, varying from a few feet to more than 50 feet in width, are filled primarily by fine-grained quartz, commonly chalcedonic or porcelain-like in appearance. Finely laminated dark-gray to black concentric banding within the veins generally distinguishes the better-grade ore zones, which contain finely disseminated sulfides and ore minerals that include principally electrum, stephanite, naumannite, and native silver.

Jan 1, 1968

By C. G. Brehm

THE anthracite-producing region is in the northeastern section of Pennsylvania, and has an area of approximately 484 square miles. It is divided geographically into three separate fields, known as the Northern, Middle and Southern. The Northern field, with Wilkes-Barre approximately at its center, is a basin about 60 miles long and almost 6 miles wide at its greatest distance across. Generally speaking, it may be said that the coal meas-ures in this field lie horizontally, or on slight pitches, and consist of from 11 to 19 veins of coal, varying in thickness from several inches to several feet. The intervening strata between veins may be composed of slate, clay, rock or shale, or a combination of several, and are sometimes very thin. This condition often causes a treacherous roof, therefore roof sup-port and the attending hazard of mining are problems of concern. The Middle field is made up of a number of small basins of not very great depth, and the measures, which are in like number to those of the Northern field, are varying inclinations running from nearly flat to steep pitches.

Jan 1, 1938

By Steven Mitchell

BACKGROUND Homestake Mining Company began milling operations at the Bulldog Mountain Mine near Creede, Colorado in 1969. The Bulldog Mill, rated at 350 tpd, produces a bulk flotation condentrate assaying about 180 oz/T Ag and 20% Pb, from heads of about 16 oz/T Ag and 2% Pb. The circuit is straightforward with two-stage grinding to 1-5% plus 65 mesh, followed by rougher and cleaner flotation. Reagents used are Z-6, Z-11, Aerofloat 242 and Aero Promoter 404, with an Aerofroth 65-MIBC mixture for a frother. Additional information on the geology, mine and mill are available in references (1) and (2). A flow sheet for the mill and CIP plant together is attached as Figure 1. Final flotation tailings normally vary from 1.5 - 2.0 oz/T Ag. These tailings are cycloned to produce sand for underground backfill. After cycloning, the sands are repulped and given a final scavenger float. This sand scavenger recovers a small additional amount of silver which recycles back to the main flotation circuit. The tailings are recycloned and pumped to the mine or, if the mine cannot accept sand, to tailings. The majority of the silver in the flotation tailings exists in the fine fractions; cycloning upgrades the slimes and lowers the assay of the sand. The sand, after scavenging, typically assays 0.5 oz/T Ag, and the slimes assay about 3.0-3.5 oz/T Ag. From 1969 to 1976 all of the slime tailings and the sand tailings not used underground were impounded in a tailings pond located about

Jan 1, 1983

By H. J. C. MAC DONALD

THE mining engineer must have a chest of books snug enough for a camelback or to be stowed away in a canoe; at the lowest possible cost, as he needs it the most in those early years when he earns the least; but at the same time one having an unusually wide range, for he may have to cut down a forest, put up a sawmill, build mine towns, construct dams, power houses, power lines, and railroads. In fact he may be called upon for many unexpected accomplishments and all in extension of the characteristically broad demands of his profession. Suppose that an average mining engineer with a thorough theoretical training and a specialized mining education has accumulated, during a cosmopolitan experience, a complete and up-to-date library, but, unfortunately, in accepting a long term assignment to a far country he is forced to discard the greater part of

Jan 1, 1925

By S. H. Penn

One of the more challenging aspects of the unfolding age of space travel centers about the opportunity for man to use the natural resources of other worlds. The first of the extraterrestrial worlds to be exploited will be the moon. After only a scant few thousand years of scratching the earth's crust, man will embark upon a venture that for centuries has excited the imagination of many (while staggering that of most) and may become a reality within the next decade. There has never been a time when so much money and effort will have been expended to exploit an area about which so little is known. Paradoxically, this effort combines much of the detached objectivity so typical of our analytical time with the proverbial optimism of the indefatigable prospector. As the earliest manned lunar missions will be brief and exploratory in nature, astronauts will not be expected to attempt to exploit any of the possible lunar natural resources. In later missions, with a more extended period of time available for the astronauts to stay on the moon, it may be desirable or even necessary to "live off the land". The resulting exploitation of lunar resources will be intended primarily to reduce the dependence of manned missions upon terrestrial logistic support and to reduce the cost of maintaining lunar bases.

Jan 3, 1966

By J. W. Cunningham, M. J. Stultzman

THE demand for improved materials for high-temperature service has increased during the last few years. Iron,- nickel,- and cobalt-base alloys have been investigated extensively and many alloys with outs'tanding high-temperature strength have been developed. Considerable research has been directed toward improved methods of processing these alloys. The vacuum furnace as a tool for the purification and improved control of high-temperature alloys has been studied extensively and production units are in operation. The research covered by this paper studied the effects of casting in air, vacuum, or argon upon the elevated-temperature properties of two nickel- and two cobalt-base alloys. The alloys investigated were Stellite 31, He 1049, Udimet 500, and Guy Alloy. MELTING AND CASTING PROCEDURES Two heats of each of the four alloys under investigation were melted and investment cast under the following conditions: 1) Stellite 31 was melted and investment cast in air and in vacuum, with an argon atmosphere for pouring. 2) He 1049 was melted and investment cast in air and in vacuum, with an argon atmosphere for pouring. 3) Udimet 500 was melted and investment cast in vacuum with and without additions of zirconium and boron. 4) Guy Alloy was melted and investment cast in vacuum and in argon. The heats were all melted in induction furnaces equipped with preformed magnesia crucibles of 50-lb capacity. The air-melting furnace was powered by a spark-gap converter of 40 kw capacity. The vacuum-melting furnace was powered by a motor-generator set of 100 kw capacity. The argon heat of Guy alloy was melted in the vacuum melting furnace under an argon atmosphere. Virgin materials were used for preparing all heats except the air heats of Stellite 31 and He 1049. The charge for the air heat of Stellite 31 was a commercial blend of shot. The charge for the air heat of He 1049 was Stellite 6 shot plus those virgin materials necessary to give the desired composition. All of the materials used were of the same grade used com-

Jan 1, 1960

We would like to thank Mr. Mandolesi for his informative paper on rails from strand cast steel. The chemical and structural properties of the strand cast steel were of particular interest to us. We would like to supplement his excellent report with some of Inland's findings from our Caster with submerged nozzles and strands reduced in line from 7" x 7" to 5-5/8" square cross section. Inland has conducted extensive segregation studies on AISI 1049 steel - Fine Grain 0.50% carbon and 0.75% manganese. Based on approximately 80 heats, our normal segregation pattern results in analyses of .49% carbon in the center, and 0.50% carbon at the midway and edge position. The sulfur analysis averages .025% in the center, .027% midway, and .026% at the edge. Note the slight negative segregation between the center and midway position. This steel, being lower carbon and probably cast nearer the liquidus, resulted in less segregation than the 0.80% carbon rail steel.

Jan 1, 1972

By Allen D. Gorrison

EFFORT to develop fundamental quantitative information and improved technique in the production of petroleum has long been faced with difficulties of a particularly evasive nature, owing to a combination of circumstances. In the first place, petroleum comes from far below the ground, out of sight, so that information derived from indirect observations must be extrapolated to reservoir conditions. If one does not force the analogy too far, the petroleum engineer may be said to be somewhat in the position of the astronomer. The actual phenomena which he wishes to observe in detail appear at a place so deep in the earth?s crust that personal observations and direct experiments are impossible.

Jan 1, 1942

By T. H. Oxnam

INTRODUCTION. THE predominating value of the ores now being treated by the Palmarejo and Mexican Gold Fields, Ltd., is silver, although some gold is also carried. The present method of treatment consists of wet-crushing and concentrating, followed by the cyanidation of the unroasted sands and slimes. The sands are treated by leaching and the so-called accumulated slimes by a system of agitation and decantation. It is only within very recent years that the cyanidation of unroasted silver-ores has been commercially successful. In fact, at the time operations were begun at the cyanide-plant at Chinipas, February, 1902, I knew of no other leaching-plant treating similar ores successfully. The cyanide treatment of the Palmarejo ores differs but little from the ordinary practice in cyaniding gold-ores; and perhaps but little, if any, new information concerning the metallurgy of silver is to be gleaned from it. PALMAREJO MINE. The Palmarejo mines are located in the southwestern part of the State of Chihuahua, Mexico, on the foothills of the Sierra Madre mountains, at an elevation of 3,200 feet. The mills, 12. miles distant, are situated on the Chinipas river, near the town of Chinipas, which is about 150 miles northeast of Agiabampo, on the Gulf of California. Supplies are shipped via this port as this route is the best and most direct to the property. The ore-bodies in the Palmarejo mines have been deposited. along a series of rock-fractures, caused by an intrusion of eruptive rock. The most important of these fractures or fissures, both in width and value, are the Prieta and Blanca veins, which.

Jul 1, 1905

A. R. Ledoux,New York City: The so-called combination method " is generally used in assaying bar copper for silver. It has been modified from time to time. Briefly outlined

Jan 1, 1901

By H. S. Munroe

The dressing-works of the St. Joseph Lead Company were destroyed by fire, February 26th, 1883. Within about four months, or on July 5th, 1883, the new mill, with a capacity of 500 tons per day, was built and in active operation. The capacity of the new mill has since been increased to 800 tons per day. The old mill was built in 1867, by Mr. C. B. Parsons, the present superintendent. It was a curious rambling old structure, which had grown with the demands of the business; a few jigs having been added in one place, a table or two in another and wings and sheds added to the main buildings, from time to time, as it was found necessary to increase the efficiency or the capacity of the mill. The old mill was, moreover, a most interesting place to the student, a perfect "museum of ore-dressing." Nearly every form of dressing apparatus known to the art had, at one time or another, found a place under its roof, jigs of many kinds, concave, convex, side-bump and stationary tables, tyes, buddles, dolly-tubs, etc., etc. The method of dressing followed in the main the lines of English practice, but with many modifications, both in the machinery and the methods of working, due to the inventive genius of Mr. Parsons. Different forms of crushing apparatus were tried, and the best method of handling the ore and the different products of

Jan 1, 1889

By T. Reed Scollon

With some uncertainty as to the type, rate and scope of adoption of air pollution control regulations, and with limited information on the availability of low-sulfur fuels, it is possible at best to make only a rough assessment of the impact of such regulations on coal. It is apparent from the following discussion that regulations of the type already effective or being considered, if adopted and enforced on a widespread basis over a short-term period and if substitute fuels were available, both quantitatively and economically, could result in a loss of more than one-half of coal's markets. Depending on the areal sequence of adoption of such regulations, some areas would be able to obtain limited amounts of low-sulfur coals. Others would not. Because of the usually greater distances from the large industrial coal consuming areas to new sources of coal supply, and because of the higher mine prices for low-sulfur coals, the delivered prices of such coals as might be available would be much higher than those for high-sulfur coals. A large and sudden demand for low-sulfur coals would exert further upward pressure on prices.

Jan 1, 1970

By L. O. Howard

THERE are three active mines in the Chewelah-Colville district, the United Silver Copper near Chewelah, and the Old Dominion and the Chloride Queen near Colville. The Admiral near Valley is also doing development work. The Chewelah district is in the south central part of Stevens County in the Colville Valley. Chewelah, a thriving town of 1600 people, and the scene of operations of the Northwest Magnesite Co., is about the center of the district. It is situated in a farming community on the Spokane-Nelson branch of the Great Northern railway, about 65 miles north of Spokane. Only two or three of the mines in the district have been extensively developed, although many have been prospected. The general elevation of the valley, is about 1600 or 1700 ft., that of the mountain ranges on each side about 3000 to 4000 ft., with gentle slopes and rounded glaciated tops. Prospecting is often difficult because of much glacial debris.

Jan 1, 1925