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By Clarence Zener

[ ] THE present investigation started in an attempt to understand certain details of the decomposition of austenite, and of the effect of alloying elements thereon. As the investigation proceeded it became apparent that not only these details, but all the general features of austenite decomposition, could be understood in terms of fundamental physical principles. Since the direct applicability of these physical principles has not been previously recognized, it was decided to incorporate the original results of the investigation into a review of the general subject of the kinetics of austenite decomposition. This review constitutes the present article. An extended summary of the results is given on pages 27 to 30. This article, which deals with the kinetics of phase transformations, may appropriately be considered as a sequel to two recent articles1,2 from this laboratory on the equilibrium relations in medium alloy steels.

Jan 1, 1946

By A. J. Bartlett

ISLAND Creek conditions are generally referred to as ideal; yet, as at all other properties, there are all known hazards of coal mining. The hardest of these hazards to combat is the human element. The basic thought in the minds of the management of these properties is to produce coal with the utmost safety, and it has impressed upon its supervisory force that it does not want a ton of coal unless it can be produced safely. This company has instituted a mine inspection department, which reports direct to the general manager, and all matters pertaining to safety come under the direction of this department. Through the medium of the inspection department, the management is kept in touch with the actual conditions existing in general at all mines. Inspections are made regularly and continuously; that is, at all times while the mines are in operation some sections of some mines are being examined. These inspections cover all active and inactive workings. Miners are con-tacted in their working places and other employees at their respective work. A thorough check is made to see that the state mining laws are complied with and that company safety rules are being observed. Night shifts receive the same attention as day shifts. All violations and dangerous practices are brought to the attention of the plant supervisory force with suggestions and recommendations; major hazards of emer-gency nature are taken up immediately with the management. Peri-odical inspections are also made of all tipples, preparation plants, dumping and hoisting equipment, to see that all machinery is properly guarded, and walkways and platforms properly fenced; conditions of equipment and mechanical defects are also reported. Reports of inspection are written in letter form and in such a manner as to give the management a picture-of the existing conditions at the time of inspection. Copies of inspection reports are forwarded; to the superintendents with the general manager's comments.

Jan 1, 1937

By W. H. Adams

Among the engineering plants with new features and deserving details which are constantly being brought to the working stage in the Southern States by the generous expenditure of capital, none can exceed in interest, whether to the public or the profession, the incline-railway built from base to summit of Lookout Mountain, near Chattanooga, Tennessee. Much geological and historical interest centers in this section of the middle mountain-country. Of its geology, the Transactions of the Institute contain many particulars. Of its history, the most

Jan 1, 1888

By Bernard Kopelman, C. C. Gregg

THE reduction of tungstic oxide to tungsten metal powder by hydrogen is a process by which one might expect the resultant metal powder to be porous. In- [ ] deed, sponge iron, prepared by reduction of the oxide in a reducing gas, is generally accepted as quite porous, with pores large enough to be seen readily under the optical microscope at relatively low magnifications. However, any pores that may exist in tungsten metal powder are not resolved by the optical microscope, and apparently, not even by the electron microscope. Fig I shows commercial tungsten powder magnified at 10,000X by the electron microscope,1 both etched and unetched. In an earlier paper by one of the authors,2 the existence of pores in tungsten powder [ ] was required to explain adequately the particle size changes occurring during the reduction of tungstic oxide. The inability to detect these pores under the electron microscope at 10,000 X implies that these pores are of a size of 100 A units or less. (This in itself is by no means proof that pores above 100 A would not exist, since polishing effects on the specimen might smear up holes of such small magnitude). If, then, these pores are less than 100 A, and of the order of molecular size, then the density of the metal powder should be

Jan 1, 1948

By Douglas L. Gerner

In the early 1950's fishermen and their families around Minamata Bay in Japan were stricken with a mysterious neurological illness. The Minamata disease, as it came to be called, produced progressive weakening of the muscles, loss of vision, impairment of other cerebral functions, eventual paralysis and in some cases coma and death. The victims suffered structural injury to the brain. Minamata seabirds and household cats which, like the fishermen, subsist mainly on fish, showed signs of the same disease. This led to the discovery of high concentrations of mercury compounds in fish and shellfish taken from the bay, and the source of the mercury was traced to the effluent from a factory. Since then there have been other alarming incidents. In 1956 and 1960 outbreaks of mercurial poisoning involving hundreds of persons took place in Iraq, where farmers who had received grain seed treated with mercurial fungicides ate the seed instead of planting it. Similar outbreaks occurred in Pakistan and in Guatemala. In Sweden, game birds and other wildlife, apparently poisoned by mercury-treated seeds, began to be noticed in 1960. The Swedish Medical Board in 1967 banned the sale of fish from 40 lakes and rivers after it was found that fish caught in those waters contained high concentrations of methyl mercury. In 1970 alarm rose in North America. Following the discovery of mercury concentrations in fish in Lake Saint Clair by an investigator working in Canada, restrictions on fishing and the sale of fish were imposed in many areas in the U.S. and Canada. Government agencies in both countries began to take action to control the discharge of mercury-containing wastes into lakes and streams.

Jan 6, 1973

By Howard W. Miller, Charles R. L. Oder

APPROXIMATELY 5000 tons of zinc ore a day was mined during 1943 in the Mascot-Jefferson City district in East Tennessee. This ore came from the Kingsport formation, a part of the Knox dolomite, of Ordovician age. The Kingsport is composed of 350 to 400 ft. of limestone and dolomite. Thin cherts, sandy layers and shales are numerous. Frequently, the limestones are altered to crystalline dolomite. The Kingsport is divisible into four main lithologic zones. These divisions are illustrated in an accompanying table, which gives detailed sections of the ore-bearing beds as found in the mines and shows the exact positions of the various ore zones within the formation. Key beds are described and the practical applications of stratigraphy in mapping, prospecting and mining are discussed.

Jan 1, 1945

By Paul Cook

THE ore deposit of the Buckhorn Mines Co., Buckhorn, Nev., is peculiar in being a shallow kaolinized mass of material with basalt walls, and having apparently no direct connection with any of the usual gold-bearing rocks. The average ore contains 16 per cent. waiter of hydration, and the cyaniding of this hydrous clayey material offered unusual difficulties as compared with the typical gold quartz ores of Nevada. The orebody was thoroughly developed; then the mill was built according to the latest cyanide .practice, with such changes as were thought to be demanded by the peculiar nature of this ore. Upon starting the mill, the ore proved more difficult to handle than had been anticipated. It is hoped that an account of how these difficulties were met may prove of interest to anyone having a clayey ore to handle and to the profession in general.

Jan 9, 1916

By R. R. Estill

THE rank of the Ruhr coal ranges from a high volatile bituminous coal to an anthracite, depending to some extent on the original depth of the seam. The average Ruhr coal corresponds to a soft bituminous American coal of a coking quality. The average thicknesses of individual coal seams being mined are also comparable (59 in. against 65 in. in the United States). However, consideration of seam conditions and mining conditions other than those just mentioned emphasizes differences rather than similarities with United States soft coal. In general, the Ruhr seams now being mined are much more folded and inclined than American seams. Dips of 20" and 30" are common in seams now being worked, and 30 pct of the coal reserves in the district are in seams dipping more than 35". Only on the tops and bottoms of folds do we find rather flat coal seams. In addition to the folding there is extensive displacement by cross faulting plus a certain amount of strike faulting of an overthrust nature, which results locally in doubling or omission of seams. Because of the long history of mining in the Ruhr, nearly all coal lying near the surface has long since been mined out, and we find that the average depth of mining is at present about 2300 ft below the surface. Deep mining, folding, and faulting result in seam conditions requiring a great deal more roof support than one finds in American soft coal mines. In fact only in the anthracite district and the Rocky Mountain and Pacific coal fields do we find somewhat similar conditions. It is easy to say, therefore, that the problem of mechanization of coal cutting and loading in the German mines is quite different from that which we have so effectively met in America with our mobile cutters and loaders, duck bill loaders, and a room and pillar system of mining our drift and slope mines.

Jan 12, 1950

By Wilson D. Michell

THE Magma copper vein trends east-west, dips 70° south, and cuts through a 6000-ft thickness of limestones, quartzites, shale, diabase, and schist. The vein is itself a fault with -a horizontal offset of 500 ft on the formation contacts in the two walls. There are two principal faults of large displacement and numerous smaller steep and flat faults that complicate the prediction of ore occurrence. A study of the geology, its systematic recording to facilitate ready reference, and graphic methods of interpretation of mineralization have aided the exploration, development, and mining of the ore. In making predictions of the distribution of mineable ore bodies and their shape in critical areas, studies are made of "mineralization contours" and "mineralization trends," which are developed on a longitudinal section of the vein from variations in the concentration of the combined base metal content as shown by assays of available openings in the mine.

Jan 1, 1947

By Hu Weibei

This paper describes the development and implementation of the control system in the flotation plants of China. The control system can be categorized as: Control in the crushing circuits: Automatic control of the flow rate of the crusher. Control in the grinding circuits: Control of the feed rate of the grinding mill and circulating load. PSM-200, an indigenous particle size monitor, and gamma-ray density gauges are utilized. Control in the flotation circuits: pH control, flotation reagent dosage estimation and control, pulp level control, aeration control, etc. Complete grinding-flotation circuits control is based on minicomputer operations. Some typical control systems which have been applied in copper flotation plants are summarized and specific problems discussed.

Jan 1, 1984

By Geo. H. Eldridge

This sketch of the Florence oil-field, presented to the Institute by permission of the Director of the U. S. Geological Survey, is accompanied with a map, Fig. 1, the topography of which has been taken from a field-manuscript of the Survey. The scale of the map and

Jan 1, 1892

By Edward J. Ryan, E. A. Peretti

iV preliminary X-ray and metallographic survey of the ternary system Bi-In-Te revealed that the following isopleths could form quasibinary systems: InTe-Bi, InTe-InBi, InTe-BizTe3, and InzTe3-Bi2Te3. The nature of the InTe-Bi phase diagram was established by Bologna and Peretti.' This article presents the results of an investigation of the InTe-InBi system by thermal analysis, X-ray methods, and metallographic examination. The bismuth and tellurium were bought from the American Smelting and Refining Co. The tellurium had the following spectrographic analysis: 0.0001 pct Mg, 0.0001 pct Si, 0.0001 pct Fe, 0.0002 pct Al, and 99.999+ pct Te (by difference). The bismuth assayed: 0.0001 pct Mg, 0.0001 pct Pb, 0.0001 pct Fe, 0.0001 pct Cu, and 99.999+ pct Bi (by difference). The indium was obtained from the Indium Corp. of America and contained 0.002 pct Cu, 0.006 pct Pb, 0.01 pct Sn, 0.01 pct Zn, and 99.97+pct In. The alloys were made by melting the required proPortions of InTe and in evacuated, sealed quartz

Jan 1, 1967

By Edgar C. Moxham

THE paper of Mr. W. H. Adams, read at the Cleveland Meeting, June, 1891 (Trans., xx., 196), on "The First Iron Blast-Furnaces in America," establishes the interesting fact that the earliest operations on this continent in the manufacture of pig-iron were based upon a deposit which, after many years of neglect, has now become again the object of active exploitation. In addition to the remarks of Messrs. Pechin and Raymond in discussions of the paper above cited,

Jan 1, 1893

CAMBRIDGE, MASS., May 22, 1913. TO THE PRESIDENT, American Institute of Mining Engineers. Dear Sir: Referring to Mr. J. WV. Finch's letter printed in the Institute Forum of the May Bulletin, I am very much in sympathy with his suggestion that the Transactions be printed in several volumes devoted separately to the various subjects covered by the Institute papers, such as " Iron and Steel," "Mining Geology," " Precious and Base Metals," etc. The advantages of this plan appear to me so great and so obvious as to far outweigh any possible objections. At a meeting of the Iron and Steel Division Committee held on June 28, 1912, I moved that the Committee recommend to the Council that papers on Iron and Steel be published in separate annual volumes. The motion was seconded and passed. Since then I have never failed to repeat my request whenever an occasion presented itself, and I welcome the opportunity offered by Mr. Finch's communication to again call the attention of those interested to an innovation which appears to me so highly desirable. ALBERT SAUVEUR.

Jan 6, 1913

By Mary Sue Coates

Characterization of the rock mass in which deep underground structures are to be located is of critical importance to the feasibility and design of the structures. The process involves areal studies, subsurface exploration and extensive testing to obtain comprehensive data on the rock units which will enclose the excavated structures. The Illinois Deep Hole Project provides an example of characterization of rock at great depth describing the types and variety of tests and studies which were utilized and the results obtained.

Jan 1, 1984

By Pekka S. Särkkä

The method of interactive dimensioning is based on the computation of the loading-deformation curves caused by country rocks on the pillars with numerical methods. The comparable loading-deformation curves of pillars with different shapes are determined with small-scale model tests in a servo-controlled testing machine. The equilibrium points, i.e. the stability of the different pillar-country rock systems are determined by matching these curves adequately scaled. A case from a Finnish mine is presented together with the stoping results.

Jan 1, 1984

A meeting of the Board of Directors was held in the Council Room of the U. S. Bureau of Mines, Interior Building, Washington, D. C., on Friday, June 21, 1918, at 4 p. m. Twelve members of the Board, the Secretary of the Institute, and nine guests were present. Upon the petition of 28 members of the Institute residing in or near Washington, D. C., a Washington Section was authorized. A committee was appointed to nominate officers and prepare a set of by-laws. The report of the Treasurer was presented in writing, accepted, and ordered filed. Thirty-nine members, 12 associates and 8 junior associates were elected. Two members were reinstated. One resignation was accepted. The dues of 64 members were suspended on account of their being on active war duty.

Jan 8, 1918

By R. C. Emmett, R. P. Klepper

The industrial practice of concentration of solids and production of clear solution by gravity sedimentation is an old technology. Through the years, many devices have been designed and built to aid this process One of the more significant developments was a revolving rake mechanism to convey settled material to a central discharge point of a circular tank, patented in 1907 (Dorr). In recent years, clarification systems employing parallel inclined plates have appeared on the market; the original device utilizing this principle was patented in 1886 (Gaillet, et al.) Numerous other methods have been invented, tested, discarded, and sometimes reinvented, all with the specific intention of improving the capacity of a particular settling area. Sedimentation theory, as expressed in Stokes' Law, shows that the rate of settling of a panicle is directly proportional to the difference in density between the particle and the surrounding liquid and, more significantly, proportional to the square of the panicle diameter. While this latter effect is less pronounced with larger particles, anything that can increase the diameter will greatly assist sedimentation and, as a result, flocculation always has been an integral part of sedimentation. Most materials suspended in aqueous media are naturally flocculent to some degree and, hence, are readily concentrated by sedimentation, although sometimes very slowly.

Jan 1, 1981

By Clinton H. Crane

WHEN I agreed to accept your Committee's suggestion that I talk to you at this meeting on the future of copper, lead and zinc mining, I could not help wondering why I had been chosen to be a prophet. Knowing the pious nature of your committee, I thought I had better look up and see what the Bible says about being a prophet, and what the dictionary definition of a prophet is. The word "prophet" comes from the Greek and is defined as "one who speaks through a divine inspiration." Also, in the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Christ tells us that a prophet is "not without honor save in his own country and in his own house." That gave me pause until I remembered that after all, I had started my professional career as a Naval Architect, not as a Mining Engineer, and consequently, this might be a clue to the fact that the eminent geologists of this society, who know infinitely more about the world's crust than I do, were passed over in this assignment. In thinking back, I then remembered that the first really successful prophet was Noah and that Noah was a Naval Architect. Here then was the answer. One more quotation from the Bible I shall take as my text: In Ecclesiastes, chapter I, verse 9: "The thing that hath been is that which shall be." Now, with this preamble, and not being bound by anything save inspiration, I will proceed to prophesy: As far as the next 15 to 25 years are concerned, from the studies made by

Jan 1, 1947

By Gifford Pinchot

The proposition that forest reserves are, from the mining point of view, not only desirable but necessary, is not one which would have received enthusiastic support in. the West a year ago. It is, nevertheless, easily susceptible of proof. A short and simple statement of the facts has seldom failed to carry conviction as to the wisdom of the forest-reservation policy. Hostility to mining interests was never contemplated by the men to whom the forest reserves are chiefly due, and it is most unfortunate that the opposite belief should have obtained wide

Jan 1, 1899