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By F. P. Nichols, F. A. Renninger

At one time, mineral aggregates were considered physically and chemically inert substances whose junction was that of an inex-pensive, easily obtainable source of bulk. This philosophy applied regardless of the use to which the aggregate was put. Research approaches dealing only with such gross physical properties as hardness, toughness, impact resistance, etc., dominated the early growth years of the industry and influenced specifications to a large extent. The accelerated pace of highway construction, which began toward the end of the depression years, focused attention on the need for extensive aggregate research. The realization in the early 1940's that aggregates interacted chemically as well as physically with their environment provided the stimulus necessary to translate the drab, systematic aggregate technology of the early 20th century into the changing, dynamic, challenging field it is today. Current research problems are discussed in detail. These efforts being pursued by contract research organizations, universities, governmental agencies, and industry transcend many fields. The mineral aggregate industry is the world's largest mining and processing endeavor, yet it is graced with little of the romance or public awareness that accompanies mention of gold, silver, iron, copper, uranium, or aluminum mining efforts. Much of this reaction is undoubtedly due to the fact that the uses to which crushed stone and sand and gravel are normally put are not fully recognized or appreciated by the general public. Almost 2 billion tons of mineral aggregates are quarried or mined, processed, and sold yearly in the United States alone.= The largest uses to which this vast tonnage is subjected are as ingredients of portland-cement concrete, bituminous concrete, and dense-graded aggregate-base course mixtures in the highway and building construction fields, two industries closely related to the expenditure of public funds. It is for these uses, partially in justification for the expenditures of vast sums of public funds, that mineral aggregate research truly finds its emphasis. The research efforts expended relative to the highway and building construction uses to which mineral aggregates are subjected are those of primary concern to the industry. These efforts, while of direct consequence to the industry due to the volume market represented, are of interest as well to public agencies, universities, and contract research firms. All actively conduct research, exchange information, and make contributions to the overall knowledge relative to aggregate usage and limitations. The research efforts of the mineral aggregate industry is the subject to be discussed throughout this paper. It covers all aspects of highway and building design, construction, and technology. The effects of research pertaining to quarrying and mining methods, blasting and processing techniques, storage and handling facilities, and equipment employment and development have left their mark on the crushed stone and sand and gravel industries. Such specialized efforts have resulted in dramatically increased production rates which in turn have served to keep costs, and hence prices, down. Despite the many inflationary pressures over the years, the cost of a ton of aggregate today is little more than it was 25 or 30 years ago. Mention is made of these efforts simply to emphasize the diversity of research in the mineral aggregate field. The remainder of this paper focuses on the complexity of what might be termed "product knowledge" research.

Jan 1, 1971

By E. G. Leonardon

The object of this paper is to describe briefly the practical results obtained in several problems of civil engineering by resistivity measurements of the underground. It is intended for the mining engineer, as well as for the construction engineer; the stratigraphical problems discussed are general and frequently are encountered in mining exploration. Resistivity measurements have been used in mining and oil exploration for a number of years.' Their introduction in the field of civil engineering, on the contrary, is rather recent. It was applied for the first time in the spring of 1928 near Littleton, N. H., in the survey of two dam sites for the New England Power Assn.2 Since then, the geophysical firm with which the author is connected has had an opportunity to develop this field of activity, and more than 20 investigations at dam and tunnel sites have been carried out in the United States and Canada. A part of this work has been verified by underground or drilling exploration. This paper deals with but a few of the results, which we are permitted to make public now. The theoretical and technical sides of the processes employed will not be discussed; they have already been described in various technical publications. A few general points will be mentioned, to make clear the practical examples given. Resistivities OF the Rocks The surveys are based on the measurement of the specific resistance of the rocks. This resistivity is the electrical resistance of a cylinder of

Jan 1, 1932

By A. W. Sommer, H. H. Kellogg

It is shown that SO3-O2 mixtures react with sphalerite at an appreciable rate ill the temperature range of 361° to 527°C to fornz ZnSO4. The rate of reaction follows a parabolle lax. Oxygen, or O2-SO2 mixtures, have a negligible effect on sphalcrite in the same temperatuee range. PRACTICAL roasting of sphalerite is usually performed at 800°C or higher. The calcine is composed of zinc oxide unless the roaster atmosphere contains relatively large amounts of SO2 and the temperature is held to 800oC or lower, in which case zinc sul-fate may also form. Ong, Wadsworth, and assell' have made a careful kinetic study of sphalerite oxidation under these "normal conditions" and have concluded that the rate of the reaction is controlled by the decomposition of an activated complex adsorbed on the sphalerite surface. They found the rate of oxidation to be small at 700°C. Extrapolation of their data to 400°C would indicate an almost negligible rate at this temperature. In our work sphalerite was reacted with air, mixtures of SO2, O2, and N2, and mixtures of SO3, O2, and N2 in the temperature range 361o to 527OC. Negligible rates of oxidation were found, except for the gas mixtures containing SOs. With this latter gas, the oxidation of finely divided sphalerite was fairly rapid and zinc sulfate was the product. Based on the limited evidence available, the rate of sphalerite oxidation by SO3 is postulated to be controlled by gaseous diffusion through pores or cracks in the zinc-sulfate coating. This evidence for the direct reaction of sphalerite and SO, at low temperature may prove of importance to the understanding of zinc-sulfate formation in the dust-collecting equipment usually associated with zinc roasters. The roaster gas carries off fine dust, much of which may be unreacted sphalerite. The temperature in dust-collecting equipment drops from the roaster temperature (about 800°C) through the range of temperature we studied, to ambient temperature. Such dusts are known to contain far larger amounts of zinc sulfate than the primary calcine. It has been assumed in the past that this sulfate is formed by reaction of ZnO dust with SO3 (or SO, plus 0,) in the partly cooled gases. Our work shows that an alternative possibility exists—the direct reaction of SO3 with ZnS dust. EXPERIMENTAL Reaction rates for sphalerite at 350° to 600°C are relatively small so that it was necessary to use finely divided material with a relatively large surface area in order to obtain measureable amounts of reaction. In the preliminary experiments, pure mineral sphalerite, ground to pass a 325-mesh sieve, and chemically precipitated ZnS (in the form of an impalpable powder) were used. In the quantitative rate experiments the ground mineral sphalerite was processed in an Infrasizer to obtain a product with particle size between 9 and 18 µ. The analysis of this material was 66.7 pct Zn, 0.09 pct Fe, and 32.7 pct S (theoretical sphalerite is 67.1 pct Zn, 32.9 pct S). The sized powder was carefully mixed and divided into l-g samples. The apparatus used for the quantitative rate measurements is shown in Fig. 1. For the preliminary experiments the following change was made: The external catalyst furnace (B, C)* was not used. *Letters refer to Fig._______1 .___- Rather, when catalysis of the SO2 + O2 reaction was desired, the glass beads in basket M were replaced by vanadium-oxide pellets. Procedure—A l-g sample of ZnS was placed on a shallow stainless-steel tray, I, and spread evenly to a depth of about 1mm. The tray was placed in the reaction assembly and the assembly inserted in the cold furnace. The furnace tube was flushed with dry argon and then heated to the desired reaction temperature. The temperature was controlled to ±0.5oC. Gas mixtures (O2 + N2 or O2 + SO2) were prepared from tank gases by means of a mixing device identical to that employed by Darken and Gurry.2 The total flow rate of gas was 205 ml per min to point A of Fig. 1. The accuracy of the individual and

Jan 1, 1960

By Samuel B. Christy

" The man is always greater than his work." The training of the men who are to develop the mineral resources of the world is the most important problem connected with mining engineering. It becomes ever more important to civilization as the mineral wealth of the earth approaches exhaustion. I have therefore decided to consider a few of the more important problems arising in the training of the mining engineer, and especially those arising in America. , The Peculiar Nature of Mineral Wealth. Mining and Agriculture are the two fundamental arts. Without the latter our existence would be precarious; without the former, our civilization impossible. Agriculture furnishes that regular supply of food and raiment which leads to the growth of large communities in which cultivated leisure first becomes possible; while mining furnishes the metallic thread from which is woven that complex fabric we call civilization. But in these two arts the conditions for success are widely different. Most of the crops that the farmer reaps may be harvested year after year, and the proper fertilizers being added, he may continue the annual harvest indefinitely, while, as a result of cultivation, his farm becomes yearly more valuable. But the crop the miner reaps can be harvested but once in the history of the race. Our mineral wealth has taken unknown ages to mature in the bosom of the earth. The ripened fruit can be plucked but once. There are no fertilizers for worked-out mines. It never pays to work over a mine that has been

Jan 1, 1906

By J. D. Lubahn

The influence of precipitation from solid solution on the subsequent deformation resistance of alloys is well known. However, the influence of precipitation or aging that occurs simultaneously with deformation may be entirely different and of considerable importance. It is thought1 that the presence or absence of a yield point jog in impure iron at room temperature and the presence or absence of discontinuous flow at higher temperatures may be directly related to aging phenomena, particularly since the yield point jog is absent when the carbon and nitrogen are sufficiently removed.2 As a preliminary attack on the problem of simultaneous aging and deformation, three kinds of tests—constant strain rate tensile tests, constant load creep tests, and variable strain rate tensile tests—were carried out on an age hardenahle aluminum alloy. Constant Strain Rate Tensile Tests Stress-strain curves at a strain rale of about 0.001 min-1 were obtained for specimens of 61S that had been quenched into liquid nitrogen after a one-hour solution treatment at 521°C, then aged at room temperature 10 min., 20 min., 4 hr, and 26.5 hr before testing. Strain-time curves were obtained on the same chart with the stress-strain curve by means of an auxiliary pen, driven parallel to the axis of the chart drum at constant speed by a synchronous motor and gear chain. The angle of rotation of the chart drum was proportional to strain. The strain rates reported are the measured slopes of the strain time curves. Constant strain rate was approximated (within a factor of 2) by manual adjustment of the oil inlet valve of the hydraulic testing machine in such a way that the course of the recorder pen was parallel to pre-drawn strain-time lines of the desired slope. The specimens were machined from 9/16 in. rod. The cylindrical portion was 0.357 in. in diam by 13/4 in. long and

Jan 1, 1950

By J. J. Calaman, D. H. Fleming

DURING 1950 the jet-piercing process was used commercially in the piercing of primary blast-holes in magnetic taconite at the preliminary taconite plant of .the Erie Mining Co., Aurora, Minn. The Erie Mining Co. purchased a jet-piercing machine and associated equipment in 1949, and the machine has been in operation since its installation in the summer of that year. An overall view of the pit with the JPM-1 jet-piercing machine in operation is shown in Fig. 1. During three months of 1949 and continuously since February 1950, production piercing took place under all pit conditions. By the end of October 1950, a total of 15,000 linear ft of hole had been pierced in an open pit handling an average of 1200 to 1800 tons of crude a day in one 8-hr shift. While it is recognized that this output does not approach the millions of tons a year planned for the developing Minnesota taconite projects, the machine as a unit has been operating under conditions probably more adverse than those that eventually will be encountered in the large operations. This pilot operation has permitted evaluation of the piercing problem in the full-scale taconite plant. This paper describes jet-piercing process funda- mentals, important features of the latest jet-piercing burners and machine, actual piercing results obtained, and new developments that give promise of materially increasing overall process efficiency. To produce the blasthole, jet-piercing utilizes thermal energy, as contrasted with the application of mechanical energy in churn drills and jackham-mers. The heart of the process may be termed a tailored flame produced by a rocket-type burner, thermodynamically similar in every respect to that of the giant rockets being developed for military purposes. The heat release in the combustion chamber of the burner is about 50x10' Btu per cu ft per hr as compared with 5x10' for most modern steam generators.* Combustion of liquid petroleum fuels (kerosine, diesel oil, or No. 2 fuel oil) with gaseous oxygen in the burner chamber at pressures of 100 to 200 psi results in temperatures of about 4300°F. Expansion of the hot combustion gases through divergent nozzles produces high-temperature supersonic jets having measured velocities of about 6000 fps. Impinging the flame jets on rock causes a thin surface layer to expand and break away from the base as a result of the thermally induced stresses. This spalling action is aided further in chert and quartzite by the 0.82 pct volume change resulting from the 6 to p quartz inversion at 1066"F.t The dynamic action of the jets whisks the spalled rock

Jan 1, 1952

By R. V. Whetsel, V. R. Gargias, J. W. Ristori

WoRld consumption of petroleum and its substitutes in 1941, the amount of which obviously is largely conjectural, is estimated at 2,066,653,000 bbl. This is 48,689,000 bbl. more than the previous year and is an all-time high. Except for the United States, this figure does not include consumption for military purposes. Consumption in the United States also reached an all-time high during 1941, totaling 1,492,000,000 bbl., or 158,230,000 bbl. more than the previous peak year of 1940. On the other hand, it is estimated that civil consumption in countries outside of the United States decreased 109,541,ooo bbl. as compared with the previous year. Demand for military purposes and/or additions to stocks in countries outside of the United States is estimated at 304,507,000 bbl. during 1941, compared with 209,635,000 bbl. in 1940. This increase was due largely to blitzkrieg warfare on several fronts. especially Russia; entailing large expenditures of petroleum by both sides because of the immense area covered by the fighting forces, the long supply lines necessary and the intensity of the fighting. It is interesting to note in this connection that Axis-controlled countries, excluding Japan, had an estimated production of approximately 89,000,000 bbl. of petroleum and its substitutes in 1941. The peacetime consumption of these countries in 1938, for example, was about 183,000,000 bbl. It is believed that the minimum to which civil consumption could possibly be re-duced in wartime is 20 per cent of that of peacetime, which would call for a minimum consumption of 37,000,000 bbl. in these countries in 1941 for civil purposes. This

Jan 1, 1942

By V. R. Gargias, J. W. Ristori, R. V. Whetsel

WoRld consumption of petroleum and its substitutes in 1941, the amount of which obviously is largely conjectural, is estimated at 2,066,653,000 bbl. This is 48,689,000 bbl. more than the previous year and is an all-time high. Except for the United States, this figure does not include consumption for military purposes. Consumption in the United States also reached an all-time high during 1941, totaling 1,492,000,000 bbl., or 158,230,000 bbl. more than the previous peak year of 1940. On the other hand, it is estimated that civil consumption in countries outside of the United States decreased 109,541,ooo bbl. as compared with the previous year. Demand for military purposes and/or additions to stocks in countries outside of the United States is estimated at 304,507,000 bbl. during 1941, compared with 209,635,000 bbl. in 1940. This increase was due largely to blitzkrieg warfare on several fronts. especially Russia; entailing large expenditures of petroleum by both sides because of the immense area covered by the fighting forces, the long supply lines necessary and the intensity of the fighting. It is interesting to note in this connection that Axis-controlled countries, excluding Japan, had an estimated production of approximately 89,000,000 bbl. of petroleum and its substitutes in 1941. The peacetime consumption of these countries in 1938, for example, was about 183,000,000 bbl. It is believed that the minimum to which civil consumption could possibly be re-duced in wartime is 20 per cent of that of peacetime, which would call for a minimum consumption of 37,000,000 bbl. in these countries in 1941 for civil purposes. This

Jan 1, 1942

By Fred C. Bond, Fred T. Agthe

WHEN some materials are ground dry in a ball mill, a stage of comminution is reached at which the finely divided particles begin to adhere to the balls and to the mill lining. As grinding progresses, a coating accumulates upon the grinding media, which tends to cushion the impacts and thus retard reduction of the material, and finally becomes so thick that all grinding ceases. At this stage, the characteristic noise produced by the grinding media during normal mill operation changes to a dull, muffled sound. In most instances, the formation of the coating marks the practical limit of size reduction. Industrial requirements for fine grinding frequently meet with this obstacle, and the tendency in many commercial operations to grind materials to a higher degree of fineness than formerly makes the solution of this problem an important one. The phenomenon is of far greater importance, therefore, than the limited amount of research and technical discussion devoted to it implies. In order to learn more about the coating of different materials when ground dry to a high degree of fineness, certain laboratory tests were made from which it was found that different materials form coatings at widely different size distributions. It is probable that most materials will coat if they are ground fine enough; the exceptions have inherent lubricating qualities, like coal and graphite. In general, the softer materials tend to coat at coarser sizes than the harder or more brittle materials. Limestone, as an example, will coat more readily than quartz, even though limestones of different texture and composition exhibit great differences in coating potentialities. Various materials were tested in thg laboratory to show the variation in coatine qualities. It was found that in most tests quartz must be ground to a fineness that would permit it to pass through 325 mesh before coating became markedly detrimental to the grinding operation. Siliceous rocks, however, tend to coat more readily than quartz. Granite, which is composed essentially of feldspar, quartz and mica, has been found to start coating at about 92 per cent through 200 mesh, and feldspathic minerals alone usually show a tendency to coat at the same fineness. Barite has been ground in the laboratory to a fineness of 99 per cent through 325 mesh without showing serious coating of the grinding media. Gypsum coats readily. Apatite and phosphate rock usually tend to coat. Hematite usually coats, although when mixed with charcoal it does not do so. In testing the carbonate rocks and minerals, it has been found that burned magnesite, dolomite, and dolomitic limestone coat, whereas calcite and calcined calcite do not coat so readily. It has been

Jan 1, 1940

By E. W. Johnson, M. L. Hill

Equilibrium concentrations of hydrogen in iron were measured at H2 pressures up to 136 atm and temperatures down to 145°C. Residual hydrogen was prominent near 600°C in air-melted but not in vacuum-melted iron. The diffusible hydrogen solubility is abnormally high below 390°C, confirming the hypothesis of hydrogen trapping.' It appears that the traps for hydrogen in iron form suddenly on cooling. The estimated H2 pressure in equilibrium with 5 ppm hydrogen in steel at room temperature is less than 1000 atm. It was shown previously1 that the diffusivity of hydrogen in a-Fe below 200°C is anomalously low, a behavior attributed to the presence in the metal structure of hydrogen "traps." The energy of the trapped hydrogen was computed as 4.8 kcal Per g-atom below that of the interstitially dissolved hydrogen. The strongest confirmation of the trap hypothesis should be obtainable from measurements of the hydrogen solubility at low temperatures. such measurements have been performed and are reported in this paper. The "residual hydrogen" effect1'' must be carefully controlled if valid measurements of the solubility are to be obtained, and such an effort was made in the present work. Previous data for the solubility of hydrogen in iron have been summarized by Geller and Sun.3 Their equation for the most probable solubility at 1 atm in a-Fe above 400°C is

Jan 1, 1962

By J. E. Hilliard, J. W. Cahn

In this paper it is suggested that the degree of contiguity (or contact) between adjacent grains be described by three parameters which can be rigorously determined from measurements on a random plane of polish. An expression is also derived for the number of contacts per unit volume and it is shown that this quantity can-not, in general, be estintated from measurements on a random plane. IN a recent contribution1 Gurland has proposed various parameters for describing the degree of contiguity (or contact) between grains of the same phase in an alloy. To relate these parameters to measurements on a random two-dimensional section, it was necessary in most cases to make some assumption about the form of the structure. Since Gurland was specifically interested in sintered carbide structures, he chose, quite reasonably, to assume that the grains were constant-size spheres and that all the intersections were flat areas of constant radius. Since, as we will show, the relationships between the parameters and the measurements are strongly dependent on the grain shape and size distribution, it is evident that these assump tions will not be satisfactory approximations for a

Jan 1, 1960

By G. E. Agar, A. L. Mular

G. E. Agar (Manager, Minerals Processing Research, International Minerals & Chemical Corp., Skokie, III.) — The author notes a discrepancy between the parameters a and ß which are the slopes of the size distribution and energy-size modulus plots respectively. The reason for the discrepancy and the systematic decrease in the magnitude of a with grinding time is abundantly clear from the work of Fuerstenau8 on dry grinding. Fuerstenau shows very clearly in his Fig. 5 that at short retention times the parameter a is the same as that obtained by sizing over the complete size range. From this figure, it is obvious that sizing to only 400 mesh gave distribution curves similar to Mular's - that is, the slope apparently decreased systematically with increased grinding. As a consequence of the improper determination of a, the magnitude of ß given by Mular must be larger than the true value. In order to demonstrate this, the following Fig. 6 was taken from Mular's paper (his Fig. 1). Fuer-stenau's results show that we can approximate the correct value of K by drawing lines parallel to the short retention time curves through the 400-mesh

Jan 1, 1963

By Colin M. Sargent

ALTHOUGH annealing twins are frequently observed in many fcc metals, their occurrence in aluminum is relatively rare. ~ahn' in his review of twinning has listed only a few references to observations of twins in aluminum, e.g., Refs. 2 and 3. They have also been shown to occur in evaporated aluminum layers.4 During the present work, several annealing twins were studied in aluminum. The specimens of 1099-grade aluminum had the following thermomechanical treatment: deformed 90 pct by rolling, partially re-crystallized, further deformed 60 pct to a final thickness of 100 p, then annealed for 24 hr at 120°C. This treatment produced several annealing twins—-about ten per electron microscope specimen. The specimens were produced by the window technique and examined in a Phillips E.M. 200 operating at 100 kv. A typical twin boundary is shown in Fig. 1. For several of the twins studied the twin plane could be tilted so that it was parallel to the electron beam, e.g., Fig. 2. The associated diffraction pattern, Fig. 3, shows the twinned relationship between the grains. The twinning plane in each case was (111). Use of a reflection common to both the twin and the matrix,* i.e., using reflecting planes parallel in the twin and the matrix, the coherent twin boundary becomes invisible and only the noncoherent segments of the stepped boundary are seen, e.g., Fig. 4. Trace analysis of the boundaries showed that the long straight portions were invariably the twin plane; i.e., these portions are coherent. The planes of the shorter segments are shown by Fig. 5 to be (551 1, (7111, and {211).

Jan 1, 1969

By David Donoghue

The efforts towards curtailment in Texas have been successful, despite the great area covered and the wide variety of oils offered. There are, of course, examples of noncooperation, perhaps of absolute indifference, but of such it can at least be said that they have benefited from the restrictions imposed elsewhere. The prevention of waste is the legal background for proration in Texas. The legislature in 1899 passed the first laws to prevent waste of oil and gas. Subsequent legislatures, especially those of 1905, 1913 and 1917, undertook to regulate the development and transportation of oil and gas to the end that waste would not occur. In 1917 a constitutional amendment was submitted to the people, providing that natural resources of the state should be conserved and requiring that the legislature pass appropriate laws. This amendment was adopted, and the Acts of 1919 and 1929 have been passed, and these have had the effect of making a rather elaborate plan for the conservation of oil and gas and their protection against waste. In 1930 the new pipe line act, designed to provide for ratable purchases, was passed. The administration of these laws has been placed under the Oil and Gas Division of the Railroad Commission of Texas. The Commission can only consider actual waste, not economic waste. The various proration plans in use in the state, while differing in efficiency, are based on engineering principles. In the proration of flush fields, the limiting of drilling and the steady production of oil under restriction are the principal points involved, and these methods are entirely different from those which prevailed until recently in the Oklahoma City Pool, where apparently nothing beyond the restriction of production on a time basis was attempted. There is little to say in defense of proration in the older and smaller producing areas in Texas, except that, inasmuch as the market outlet has been reduced, proration distributes the market ratably among the producers. Work of Central ProRation Committee In the early part of 1930 the overproduction situation became acute, and, at the request of the Railroad Commission, a committee was formed composed of representatives of the Texas Division of the Mid-Continent

Jan 1, 1931

By R. W. Balluffi, B. H. Alexander

RELATIVE diffusion rates of copper and zinc in a brass have been measured in a vapor-solid type of couple with which the amounts of copper and zinc diffusing past inert Kirkendall markers can be obtained by means of a few simple experimental measurements. If inert markers are placed on the surface of copper which is then exposed to zinc vapor from a brass chips, the particles become buried due to outward diffusion of the copper, as shown in Fig. 1. A schematic diagram of such a couple after diffusion is shown in Fig. 2. Consideration of the diffusion flow of copper and zinc shows that the entire hatched area, including the cross-hatched area, is proportional to the amount of zinc diffused inward past the markers and that the smaller cross-hatched area is proportional to the amount of copper diffused outward past the markers. These areas are completely determined by the expansion of the couple, the depth of the buried particles below the surface, and the chemical composition at the specimen surface. As Darken1 has shown, the ratio of diffusivities of copper and zinc is then given by the ratio of these two areas. Polycrystalline copper and two copper single-crystals made by the Bridgman method were prepared in the form of 1.5 cm diam disks approximately 0.5 cm thick with faces plane and parallel. Tungsten particles approximately 0.001 cm in diam were bonded to the surface of each disk by heating 5 hr at 1060°C in vacuo. Each specimen was next

Jan 1, 1953

By J. E. Johnson

The subject of blast-furnace slag is one which has had much consideration, particularly from the scientific standpoint, and several years ago technical literature contained many learned discussions on the oxygen-ratio of the acids and the bases, all on the assumption that acids and bases must be present in a ratio depending on molecular weight and chemical valency. Much work has also been don.e, sometimes in conjunction with the former, on the total heat and the temperature of initial fusion or softening of various slags. A wider knowledge of the blast-furnace now enables us to say that for practical purposes this work has been of almost no value. It is now generally admitted that on,the physical side the important point of a given slag is neither its total heat of fusion nor its softening-point, but its free-running temperature, since this is the critical temperature of the furnace. This temperature bears no definite relation to the softening-temperature, as determined by Seger cones, for instance, because some slags melt relatively like ice, with a very short viscous-range, while others melt relatively like tar, with a very long viscous-range. In one the difference between the softening- and the free-running temperature may be very small, as little as 100° F., while in another this difference may easily be 200' or 300°. The importance of this difference is so great in practice as to destroy completely the value of exhaustive investigations, even such as those of 0. Boudouard, published a few years ago.'

Jan 1, 1913

By L. W. Saperstein, W. W. Kaufman

Stimulated by the hearing protection clauses in the 1969 Coal Mine Health and Safety Law, attempts were made to determine what safety hazards, in terms of warning signal discrimination, are attendant upon the wearing of hearing protectors. Warning signals of dangerous roof conditions were collected and analyzed from 11 different coal mines in four different coal seams. Primarily, signals of audible level emanating from roof, floor, or coal were recorded. The interpretations of these signals were seen to be very dependent upon coincident visual and tactile signals. Acoustic character of such signals is shown to be dependent upon the spectral energy distribution of the pulses. Roof talk signals generally have broad-band spectra concentrated below 5 kHz. Reverberation times of acoustic pulses are generally less than 0.5 sec in duration. Indications have developed which link the coal mine entry dimensions with the nature of noises recorded there. Related experiments suggest that roof talk can be discriminated from background noise equally well when wearing protection as when not. This conclusion is only appropriate when noise levels warrant the wearing of protection. When quiet, the wearing of protection somewhat reduces discriminatory ability.

Jan 1, 1976

By B. M. Larsen, T. E. Brower

For some years we have been carrying on a rather comprehensive investigation of the occurrence of oxygen in liquid open-hearth steel. This investigation was interrupted by the war emergency and is therefore incomplete, with many questions still answered only partially, if at all; yet it seemed worth while to present a report of progress on this difficult field of research, if for no other reason than to promote discussion and further investigation of this important problem. The significance of such studies depends in large measure upon the accuracy of measurements of oxygen content in liquid steel while it is still in the furnace or as it flows into the ladle, or thence into the mold and there is, as we shall show, good reason for believing that the main source of uncertainty is in the sampling, not in the analytical method as such. The difficulty arises from the fact that any method of sampling is of itself apt to alter the amount of oxygen in solution in the liquid steel, because this oxygen is in a readily reactive condition. On the one hand, being usually present at a concentration appreciably in excess of that corresponding to equilibrium with the carbon then present, it may decrease rapidly in percentage by reaction with carbon and evolution of CO, especially if the liquid metal is in any way shaken or brought in contact with a cooler solid surface. On the other hand, it may increase rapidly by ab- sorption of oxygen from a slag, a furnace atmosphere, or from air. These circumstances, which are inherent in the problem, as well as our conclusion that, despite the considerable amount of careful work already done, there is still no method of sampling liquid steel acceptable as an unquestioned standard, ed us to undertake systematic comparisons of oxygen content of large numbers of samples taken: (I) by a single method at different positions and levels in the bath; (2) at the same place by different sampling methods; and (3) from bath, tapping stream and pouring stream. The different sampling methods yield somewhat different values and there is as yet no way to tell with certainty which is the most accurate. But the general reproducibility and consistency of the results give us some confidence in certain inferences we draw from them: namely, that the "spoon" method of sampling, properly carried out, gives somewhat more consistent results than the "bomb" method, as it has usually been practiced; that, in the bomb method, an aluminum cap is preferable to a steel cap; that the oxygen content of liquid steel in a finished heat is substantially the same all over the bath at the same level, and tends to decrease at lower levels further from the slag interface; also that it tends to decrease, and to decrease erratically, from furnace bath to tapping stream entering the ladle. Accordingly it seemed desirable to report these observations in detail as a first step, so that the reader may judge their significance as a contribution towards solution of the main problem, which is to find a means of pre-2

Jan 1, 1945

By O. W. Ellis

Before entering upon a general discussion of the fascinating, but at present rather controversial, subject of gases in copper, the author feels that some attention should be directed to the work which has been carried out on the solubility of gases in metals. The outstanding contributions to our knowledge of this subject have been made by Sieverts and his collaborators(1) † and by Iwasé.(2) Both the German and the Japanese investigators employed apparatus of the same general design in their investigations. Full reference need only be made, therefore, to the German scheme, which is diagrammati-cally illustrated in Fig. 1. This, to use the words of Sieverts, which he employed in describing his arrangement of apparatus at the 1928 meeting of der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Metallkunde(10): shows a diagram of the usual mode of procedure. A quartz flask contains the metal (for high temperatures a highly refractory porcelain tube is used) and is connected with the rest of the apparatus by means of a stopcock. The other parts consist of a burette divided into 1/10 c.c., a leveling tube, and an adjustable mercury reservoir. The burette is connected on one side with the gas inlet and on the other side with the absorption flask; the connection can be interrupted by means of suitable taps. Another tap permits the connection of the flask and the Töpler pump. In an experiment the quartz flask is first exhausted and then a measured quantity of gas is let in from the burette. In the first place the volume of the flask when empty is found by calibration with an inert gas. The pressure is read off on the level tube of the burette, and the temperature measured by means of a thermocouple whose welded junction lies close to the outside of the quartz flask, which is heated in an electric furnace. In several experiments the quantity of absorbed gas was transferred to a burette by means of a pump and measured. Care was taken by Sieverts to cool the ground-in joint between the reaction flask (or tube) and the rest of the system. Suitable precautions

Jan 1, 1934

By J. J. Taber

The turbulent flow drag coefficients, or friction factors, have been experimentally determined for the cut-tings normally encountered in drilling operations. The gas law and average drag coefficients for characteristically flat particles (limestones and Shales) and for angular to sub-rounded particles (sandstones) were used to extend Newton's equation to a more useful form. The resulting equations are expressions for the slip velocity of a particle as a function of the particle size and shape, the bottom-hole injection Pressure, and the Bottom-hole temperature. The velocities necessary to lift actual rock cuttings as observed in the laboratory were compared with velocities predicted from the derived equations. Results indicate that there is no single correct circulating velocity and that the commonly used 3,000 ft/min linear velocity may he sufficient to lift only very mall particles. The advantage, in terms of horsepower requirements, of cycling high pressure air to obtain lower compression ratios was shown. INTRODUCTION A promising departure from standard rotary hydraulic drilling is air or gas drilling. In many instances the rate of penetration and bit life increases resulting from this method have been very substantial. Further the application of air drilling in areas of lost circulation or water sensitive pay zones has been highly successful. Purpose For the drilling contractor, the practical question remains, "How much air pressure and volume should I have?' lt is necessary to have a reasonable knowledge of the air velocities and pressures required in air drilling operations for the proper design and most advantageous use of surface equipment and for adequate removal of cuttings from the borehole. Eased on experience, most operators agree that at least 3,000 ft/min linear velocity is necessary for satisfactory hole cleaning.' It was the purpose of this investigation to evaluate the drag coefficients, or friction factors, for the cuttings normally encountered in drilling operations, i.e., sandstones, limestones and shales, and to utilize the values obtained to develop an expression for the minimum velocities and pressures (hence the volumes) necessary to lift these cuttings. THEORY Several investigators have done extensive work on the ability of drilling mud to lift bit cuttings. They conclude that the ability of a drilling mud to lift cuttings is dependent on the density difference between the rock being drilled and the drilling mud, the cutting size and shape, the mud flow constants, and the flow state (laminar, transitional or turbulent) of the mud. However, drilling muds are not true fluids but have a variation of viscosity with velocity in laminar flow and a constant apparent viscosity in turbulent flow. A survey of the literature revealed that no experimental work had been done to determine the velocities necessary to lift actual rock cuttings using a compressible fluid such as air or gas. In 1953, Nicolson6 stated that in air drilling fluid mechanics the particles could be assumed spherical in shape and that ; constant drag coefficient of 0.5 could be used due to the highly turbulent flow of the circulating air. By equating the turbulent resistance on the particle to the gravitational force on the particle, he obtained the expression, ^ = 2.67^y ,.......(1) where V, is slip velocity of spherical particle, ft/sec; D is particle diameter, in.; p, is particle density, 1b/ft8; and p, is fluid density, lb/ft3. However, as stated earlier, most operators seem to agree that adequate hole cleaning can be obtained by circulating a sufficient volume of air to give a linear velocity of 3,000 ft/rnin in the annular space. Basic Equation The velocity with which a solid particle freely falls through a fluid will increase until the accelerating force, gravity, is equal to the resisting forces, buoyancy due to the fluid displaced by the particle and friction due to the relative motion of the particle through the fluid. When the accelerating and resisting forces become equal,