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By B. B. Cox

Since our last review of Iraq,' considerable progress has been made not only in exploiting Iraq's potential resources but in building pipe lines to carry the oil to the Mediterranean. No new fields were discovered in 1933. The Naft Khaneh field, discovered in early 1927 by the Khaniqin Oil Co. (subsidiary of the Anglo-Persian Oil Co.), continues to supply the local markets through the Rafidain Oil Co. Kirkuk field, discovered by the Turkish Petroleum Co. Oct. 14, 1927, remained shut in pending the completion of the Mediterranean pipe lines, and the Qaiyarah field, discovered by the same company on Oct. 13,1927, was abandoned in 1928. The principal development of interest during the year was the progress made on construction of the Iraq Petroleum Company's 1152-mile pipe line from Kirkuk to the Mediterranean. The line is double 10-in. and 12-in. pipe for 156 miles west of Kirkuk, where the parallel lines bifurcate, one leg going through British mandated territory to the new port of Haifa and the other through French mandated Syria to Tripoli. Each line may be operated independently of the other. There are three double stations on the Kirkuk-Haditha portion, four single stations on the Tripoli leg, and five on the Haifa in addition to a relief station in the Jordan Valley. Except for the Jordan Valley section and two other short stretches on the Haifa leg where pressures are exceptionally high, the line is single. Sea loading lines will be used exclusively at Tripoli and both sea loading lines and dock loading will be employed at Haifa. All pipe was welded and buried before the end of December, 1933. It is anticipated that enough stations will be completed to make 50 per cent capacity operation possible some time during the latter half of the current year. Some months will then be required in which to fill the line, so that if terminal facilities are ready and no unexpected emergencies arise, partial daily deliveries of Iraq crude may be received at the Mediterranean some time during the final quarter of the current year. Capacity operation of 84,000 bbl. per day is not anticipated much before the middle of 1935. Oil and Gas Production No gas is produced commercially and, except for Naft Rhaneh production, no crude is marketed. Although the Turkish Petroleum Co. and

Jan 1, 1934

By R. P. Rothwell

AT this our first meeting I beg to call the attention of the members of our Institute to what is certainly a question of the greatest possible importance to the industries we represent; and more particularly to the welfare of the coal and iron trades: I refer to the enormous waste of coal in mining and in its preparation for market, as now practised in our anthracite coal-fields. I t is a fact which many of you can certify to, that we are wasting fully me-half of all the coal in the veins we are now working, and there are cases, which might be mentioned where this proportion, immense as it is, has been greatly exceeded. The popular belief that our deposits of anthracite coal are "practically inexhaustible," is very far from being founded on facts. On the contrary, supposing the present rate of increase in the production to be maintained, it is probable that a maximum yield for our coal-fields would be attained in about fifteen years ; there are in fact some of our smaller basins where the principal veins are nearly exhausted and the production has already attained its maximum. There are others, again, where the depth attained-and it must be borne in mind that we commenced working at the surface outcrop moderate though it is (scarcely ever reaching eight hundred feet), has so increased the cost of mining as to imperil the capital invested, and though it requires but little foresight to predict the time when the difficulties of mining will be very considerably increased by reason of the greater depth, greater quantity of water, fire-damp, and other fruitful sources of cost, yet, ignoring these recognized facts, we continue to waste more than one-half of the coal where it is obtained with the least danger, expense, and trouble, that is, near the surface-either above water-level or at a moderate depth . below it. The inspection of almost any accurate mine map will satisfy you that, on an average, we leave fully one-third. of the coal in the ground as pillars to support the roof; in some places more than one-third thus remains, while it is very rare that less than one quarter is left. In almost every case this coal is absolutely lost, for it will very rarely pay to reopen gangways and lay roads to it after that portion of the mine has been abandoned. Is it necessary in all cases to support the roof, and where it is, may not some artificial

By W. C. Meyer, R. R. Klimpel

A physical model of flotation, derived from viewing froth as a kinetic species since it constitutes the carrier of ore particles, not only agrees with and is simulated by engineering mathematical models, but is statistically verified by actual laboratory flotation data. The model couples the mechanical removal of froth using paddles with the more rapid interactions taking place in the bath. It clearly shows that the kinetics of mass removal is dictated by flotation cell dimensions, paddle speed, and, more importantly, froth characteristics. Some conclusions and model predictions are presented.

Jan 1, 1984

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 Charles W. Wagner

A premature explosion might be described as an explosion that, occurs before the miner expects it. Notwithstanding that it is unexpected, a premature is generally within the miner's control. A hangfire explosion is a blast that occurs after the miner expects it,, and in all instances, except where the explosives or blasting accessories are defective, hangfire explosions are within the miner's control. Causes of Premature Explosions Generally, there are seven methods of shot-firing in anthracit,e mines; namely: (1) cap and fuse with dynamite, (2) fuse with pellet powder, (3) squib with black powder or pellets, (4) exploders and delays with dynamite or black powder, (5) exploders with dynamite, (6) delay ignitors with black powder or pellets, (7) electric squibs with black powder or pellets. Cap and Fuse.—This method of firing seems to produce the greatest number of premature explosions. This is not solely because of the method, but is the result of mispractices which are possible with this method of firing. The two most common mispractices followed with cap-and-fuse blasting are the firing of multiple holes and the use of short fuse.. In the firing of multiple holes by cap and fuse, investigations have shown that in nearly every instance where the miner was injured by this method of firing he remained too long at the face lighting the several fuses, so that the first shot went off before he could reach a place of safety. Such accidents could have been avoided either by accurate judgment by the miner of the relative lengths of the fuses or by the use of electric firing. Rules exist in nearly every mine forbidding the lighting of more than one hole at a time where the cap-and-fuse method of firing is practiced. Where it is desirable to fire more than one hole at a, time, electric firing should be used. It is difficult to understand why so many premature explosions result from the use of short fuses, inasmuch as the cost of fuse is practically a negligible item in the expense of a day's work. Notwithstanding this, however, we frequently find miners using short lengths of fuse in an effort to save one or two cents per hole, or about 15 to 20 # in a day. A practice

Jan 1, 1931

By Alberto J. Terrones L.

THE classical papers on contact metasomatic deposits by Lindgren on the Clifton-Morenci district,1 by Barrel1 on Marysville, Mont.,2 and by Goldschmitt on the Oslo district, Norway,3 laid the foundation for understanding of the importance of separating the metamorphic process from the subsequent metasomatic stage. Knopf4 made a big step forward by recognizing that sulfide ore minerals are invariably younger than silicates and by further stressing the importance of structural control5 ore finding. Some years later Harrison Schmitt6 fought the idea that contact metasomatic deposits are erratic, irregular, bunchy, economically marginal, and of small size, concluding that these descriptions have little factual basis. He emphasized the importance of detail mapping and careful geological study as fundamental requirements for a better understanding of these deposits. This article presents a comparative description of the structural features at the Magistral, Antamina, Morococha, Vilca, Ferrobamba, Katanga (Quibio), Tintaya, and Huarca contact deposits (Fig. 1). Further, it will describe how these structural features controlled the emplacement of the intrusives, their shape, distribution of metamorphic and metasomatic halos, and sulfide deposition in post-skarn structural channelways. Finally, the modifications introduced by a superimposed hydrothermal stage recognized at some localities will be discussed.

Jan 3, 1958

By George S. Rice

MANY studies on ground movement and subsidence have been carried on by members of the Institute during the past year, but only a few papers have reached maturity. Two of the mining schools of this country have continued their interest in ground movement research. At Columbia University School of Mines, Philip Bucky has continued his investigations, employing photoelastic methods and the use of his centrifugal apparatus for testing what he termed "the strength and behavior of mining structures." Helmut Landsberg, of The Pennsylvania State College, has developed a convergence recorder similar in principle to that used by the

Jan 1, 1936

By A. W. McReynolds

E. OROWAN*—I observed the phenomenon of jerky yielding many years ago with zinc25 and cadmium single crystals. A significant point was that the jerks occurred not only when the stress was raised but also (sometimes, after a pause of many minutes during which no trace of creep was observable) at constant stress. The phenomenon may be closely linked with the inertia of the testing machine and of the specimen, although the inertia alone cannot account for it. If, during the test, the resistance of the material to plastic deformation suddenly diminishes while the applied force remains constant, a sudden deformation follows until the yield stress has risen, by strain hardening, to the level of the applied stress (= the value of the previous "upper yield point."). When this is reached, the rate of deformation has attained a maximum value because, up to this moment, the applied force was higher than the plastic resistance of the specimen, and the difference was used for accelerating the moving parts of machine and specimen. The kinetic energy accumulated is now transformed into plastic work by further deformation; that is. the deformation overshoots the point at which the plastic resistance equals the applied static force. When the kinetic energy has been used up, therefore, we are left with a specimen the yield stress of which is higher than the applied stress, and no further deformation can occur (apart from a little creep) until either the applied stress has been raised to the new yield stress level, or the yield stress has fallen by thermal recovery to the level of the applied stress. While this occurs, a new upper yield point can develop, for example, by precipitation.26

Jan 1, 1950

By R. S. Dean. J. R. Long T. R. Graham, Roberson A. H., Armantrout C. E.

The general program of the Federal Bureau of Mines on the study of alloys made with electrolytic manganese has been extended to copper-manganese-aluminum alloys. The initial results of the work are presented in this report and concern a determination of the mutual solubilities of these three metals to form the alpha solid solution. The principal studies of this system, reported in the literature, have been focused on the Heusler alloys containing ro to 30 per cent Mn with 9 to 15 per cent Al. These investigations concern the ferromagnetic properties and the determination of the crystallization contours, with little emphasis on the phases present in the solid state outside of this area. Heuslerl recognized a breakdown of the beta solid solution of the magnetic alloy, which he says decomposes into the alpha, beta, and gamma phases of the copper-aluminum system, somewhat modified by the presence of manganese. Rosenhain and Lantsberry2 examined alloys ranging up to 10 per cent Mn and 10 per cent A1 but were unable to reach definite conclusions concerning the phase boundaries in that area. Krings and Ostmann3 made magnetic studies and examined the system by thermal analysis. They present contours of the liquidus surface but do not place any of the phase boundaries. Corson4 has drawn a hypothetical boundary for the alpha field with few, data to support such construction. The binary systems involved have rcceived considerable attention by numerous investigators, and their general features are well established. The copper-ahminum system (Fig. I) has been thoroughly examined by Stockdale,5 who places the limit of solubility of aluminum in copper at 7.4 per cent at the liquidus and 9.5 per cent at room temperature. Smith6 established the eutectoid temperature at 570°C. by a study of isothermal decomposition of the beta phase. The copper-manganese system (Fig' ') has been recently reviewed by Dean and CO-WorkersS.7 Using high-purity alloys,

Jan 1, 1947

By Armantrout C. E., R. S. Dean. J. R. Long T. R. Graham, Roberson A. H.

The general program of the Federal Bureau of Mines on the study of alloys made with electrolytic manganese has been extended to copper-manganese-aluminum alloys. The initial results of the work are presented in this report and concern a determination of the mutual solubilities of these three metals to form the alpha solid solution. The principal studies of this system, reported in the literature, have been focused on the Heusler alloys containing ro to 30 per cent Mn with 9 to 15 per cent Al. These investigations concern the ferromagnetic properties and the determination of the crystallization contours, with little emphasis on the phases present in the solid state outside of this area. Heuslerl recognized a breakdown of the beta solid solution of the magnetic alloy, which he says decomposes into the alpha, beta, and gamma phases of the copper-aluminum system, somewhat modified by the presence of manganese. Rosenhain and Lantsberry2 examined alloys ranging up to 10 per cent Mn and 10 per cent A1 but were unable to reach definite conclusions concerning the phase boundaries in that area. Krings and Ostmann3 made magnetic studies and examined the system by thermal analysis. They present contours of the liquidus surface but do not place any of the phase boundaries. Corson4 has drawn a hypothetical boundary for the alpha field with few, data to support such construction. The binary systems involved have rcceived considerable attention by numerous investigators, and their general features are well established. The copper-ahminum system (Fig. I) has been thoroughly examined by Stockdale,5 who places the limit of solubility of aluminum in copper at 7.4 per cent at the liquidus and 9.5 per cent at room temperature. Smith6 established the eutectoid temperature at 570°C. by a study of isothermal decomposition of the beta phase. The copper-manganese system (Fig' ') has been recently reviewed by Dean and CO-WorkersS.7 Using high-purity alloys,

Jan 1, 1947

By David White

The submission of carefully prepared estimates of the oil reserves of the United States calls for no apology or explanation. In this country, petroleum is a rapidly wasting asset and an occasional appraisal of the amount remaining in the ground is a simple business procedure to safeguard the general welfare and the prosperity of the republic. The rumored danger of failure, in the near future, of the foreign supply on which we depend in constantly increasing amounts makes the immcdiatc review of our available reserves the more imperative. The Director of the U. S. Geological Survey, in March, 1921, requested the American Association of Petroleum Geologists to cooperate in the preparation of new estimates of the oil remaining in the graund. With the members of this cooperative committee, state geologists, regional geologists, oonsulting specialists, and geologists and engineers attached to many companies worked both independently and through subcommittees. The reports for districts, counties, fields, etc., after review by local or state committees, were discussed by the joint cooperative committee in conferences that, in some instances, were attended by the original compilers of estimates for the states or smaller areas. Finally the data were reviewed and the figures revised by the joint cooperative committee, so that the totals given in Table 1 represent the opinion of the committee, which was composed of F. W. DeWolf, W. E. Wrather, Roswell H. Johnsont Wallace A. Pratt, Alexander W. McCoy, Carl H. Beal, C. T. Lupton, G. C. Matson, K. C. Heald, W. T. Thom, Jr., A. E. Fath, Kirtley F. Mather, R. C. Moore, and David White, chairman. Oil geologists and engineers understand well the speculative nature and the chances of error that must attend estimates of the petroleum in the ground when they cover not merely prospective territory, but possible territory. Neither the character nor the magnitude of the factors of uncertainty is to be disguised. Further, the inevitable differences of opinion between geologists of equal rank and experience must also bc

Jan 1, 1923

By David White

The submission of carefully prepared estimates of the oil reserves of the United States calls for no apology or explanation. In this country, petroleum is a rapidly wasting asset and an occasional appraisal of the amount remaining in the ground is a simple business procedure to safeguard the general welfare and the prosperity of the republic. The rumored danger of failure, in the near future, of the foreign supply on which we depend in constantly increasing amounts makes the immcdiatc review of our available reserves the more imperative. The Director of the U. S. Geological Survey, in March, 1921, requested the American Association of Petroleum Geologists to cooperate in the preparation of new estimates of the oil remaining in the graund. With the members of this cooperative committee, state geologists, regional geologists, oonsulting specialists, and geologists and engineers attached to many companies worked both independently and through subcommittees. The reports for districts, counties, fields, etc., after review by local or state committees, were discussed by the joint cooperative committee in conferences that, in some instances, were attended by the original compilers of estimates for the states or smaller areas. Finally the data were reviewed and the figures revised by the joint cooperative committee, so that the totals given in Table 1 represent the opinion of the committee, which was composed of F. W. DeWolf, W. E. Wrather, Roswell H. Johnsont Wallace A. Pratt, Alexander W. McCoy, Carl H. Beal, C. T. Lupton, G. C. Matson, K. C. Heald, W. T. Thom, Jr., A. E. Fath, Kirtley F. Mather, R. C. Moore, and David White, chairman. Oil geologists and engineers understand well the speculative nature and the chances of error that must attend estimates of the petroleum in the ground when they cover not merely prospective territory, but possible territory. Neither the character nor the magnitude of the factors of uncertainty is to be disguised. Further, the inevitable differences of opinion between geologists of equal rank and experience must also bc

Jan 1, 1923

By K. J. Anusavice, R. T. DeHoff, A. G. Guy, T. B. Lindemer

As one oi the approacizes to understanding multicorn-ponent dimsion, an expevinzental sturly is being jnade of tracer diffusion in the copper corner of the CLI-Ni-Zn syste?n, out to 30 at. pct each of nickel and zinc, and in the 150°C range oJ temperature just below tlze solidts te?rlperature. The reslts obtained using the Znm isotope are reported heve, while studies with nickel and copper isotopes are planned for a future paper. The fifteen alloys investigated were melted in sealed wear lubes, sroaged, homogenized, and then analyzed, using the conventional isotope-plating plus lathe- sectiorzing teclzniqlte. The data obtaiued show that the difJusion coeflcient of the zinc isotope increases titlz increase in zinc content, and decreases t'itlz incease in nickel content. The correlation xith solidus temperature is particularly strong. Diffirsiui-ties ranged fro u sq cm per sec nt tlze Iiigh-zinc, low-nickel compositions. The activation energy /or tracer diffusion ravied j.or 31.000 to 54,000 calper mole. It is now generally recognized that diffusion data and theories are needed for multicomponent systems, where extensive practical developments and even some theoretical studies have already been made. For example, much recent work on precipitation from solid solution has been concerned with ternary solid solutions such as A-M-Z' while Zener relaxation has been studied on Au-Ag-Zn alloys,' although adequate diffusion data are available for neither of these systems. Actually, the only ternary systems for which systematic diffusion studies have been begun, in addi- tion to the one reported here, are CO-i-cr3 and Cu-A-Au. Since the theory of multicomponent diffusion is still in the stage of active development5 it is important to distinguish the various kinds of diffusion data that can be determined. An oversimplified approach, widely used prior to 1950, was to determine the influence of a third element, such as nickel, on the diffusion behavior of a binary alloy, such as CU-Z. Later it was recognized7 that four diffusion coefficients can be used to describe ordinary interdiffusion in a ternary system, while as many as six coefficients may be required to include the Kirkendall effect. It is likely that the number of independent coefficients will be shown to be less than four and six, respectively, through the application of the thermodynamics of irreversible processes.5 The simplest type of diffusion in a multicomponent system is tracer diffusion, since each component is characterized by its own tracer-diffusion coefficient in an alloy of a given composition. Thus, in a ternary alloy there are three tracer-diffusion coefficients, each a function of composition and temperature. The present research program is a study of tracer diffusion in the copper corner of the Cu-Ni-Zn system out to 30 at. pct each of Ni and Zn in a 150°C range of temperature just below the solidus temperature. The

Jan 1, 1967

COLUMBIA SECTION STANLY A. EASTON, Chairman, FREDERIC KEFFER, Vice-Chairman, L. K. ARMSTRONG, Secretary-Treasurer, P. 0. Drawer 2154, Spokane, Wash. D. C. LIVINGSTON FRANK A. Ross The first meeting of the Columbia Section was held on March 24, as a part of the 1916 Northwest Mining Convention which was held under the -auspices of the Spokane Mining Men's Club assisted by the Spokane Chamber of Commerce, the technical program being in charge of the Spokane Engineering and Technical Association assisted by the local sections of the A. I. E. E., A. S. C. E., and A. I. M. E. The program of the successive sessions was carefully arranged with view to its application to mining, and in addition to the technical program there were exhibits of ores, minerals, devices, etc., of interest to the delegates, who numbered over 500. A portion of the program was also arranged with special reference to the requirements of the prospector and miner. A reception, a banquet, a complimentary luncheon, a regular daily call' of the Stock Exchange, a visit to the High Schools and to one of the substations of the Washington Water Power Company and to the Union Iron Works kept the visitors entertained, the ladies being looked after by a special committee of ladies who held open house during the entire week. Several important resolutions were passed by the Convention and one by the Columbia Section, A. 1. M. E. With Stanly A. Easton, chairman, presiding, the Columbia Section, American Institute of Mining Engineers, occupied the time between 2.00 and 5.30 p.m., March 24th, the Moorish room of the Spokane hotel being filled with members and their guests. "The Apex Law and the Mineral Surveyor" was a paper presented by F. W. Callaway and generally dis-cussed because of its local application in the Coeur d'Alenes, the conclusions being reached after expensive litigation between two of the large mining operators in that district.

Jan 6, 1916

By E. S. Hutchinson

The subject of the influence of coal-dust in mine-explosions has received considerable attention both in England and on the continent of Europe, but until the recent disaster at Pocahontas, Va., it seems not to have been of special interest to engineers in this country. The reason, perhaps, is that most of our bituminous mines are worked by short shafts, slopes and drifts; few have been specially dry; and the explosions that have occurred could readily be traced to fire-damp with 110 complicated circumstances. The object of the present paper is to bring together, for the convenience of members of the Institute, the principal English opinions upon this important subject. Messrs. Lyell and Faraday, in their report to the Home Secretary," in England, on the Haswell Colliery explosion in 1844, seem to have been the first to point out that dust fed the flame originating in a

Jan 1, 1885

By Norman B. Pilling

The technical difficulties hampering the metallographic analysis of silicon steels are chiefly the result of the extreme corrodibility of these alloys. The addition of silicon to iron in increasing quantities, up to about 6 per cent., rapidly increases the susceptibility of the alloy to chemical attack, not only in acid solution, but in water. This renders the preparation of metallographic sections very difficult, because of a non-selective attack upon the finely polished surface by the water used as a lubricant in polishing. This water attack masks the true structural details revealed by suitable etching reagents. It is thus necessary to use alcohol as a polishing lubricant in the last stages of preparation and to avoid all etching reagents having an aqueous base. A specific reagent for the identification of iron carbide in ferrous alloys, and the one hitherto used almost' exclusively by metallurgists, is an alkaline aqueous solution of sodium picrate, which stains this constituent selectively. Its application to silicon steels has not proved successful, as its distinctive selective action is more or less completely hidden by the general attack of the aqueous solvent on the silico-ferrite, greatly accentuated by the fact that this reagent must be used at its boiling temperature (105' C.). Thus, a powerful metallographic aid to the study of the higher silicon alloys, such as transformer steels, is lost. A new reagent has been developed for the purpose of overcoming this difficulty. It is with some hesitation that the list of etching reagents, already overburdened, is increased, but the properties of this new reagent are advantageous in several ways and a definite field for it may be found in the metallography of ferrous alloys. The reagent consists of a dilute solution of nitric acid and methyl alcohol in nitrobenzol. It is a great advantage to secure an anhydrous solution, as a tendency toward acidic etching has been traced to small amounts of water. A convenient method of preparation is to make an anhydrous stock solution of nitric acid in methyl alcohol in the proportion 20 per cent. acid by weight (12.5 per cent. by volume). The alcohol can

Jan 1, 1924

By E. A. Holbrook

Research, primarily, is finding out the truth. Research applied to enigeering opens the door to new principies and processes, the application of which benefits mankind in a material way. The engineer believes that investigation instituted with the primary view of making the results directly applicable to the industries is the highest type of research. Coal is essentially the basis of modern industrial civilization; therefore, any considerable research pertaining to coal must link itself to the industry by practical application of the results of the research. In other words, all investigational work connected in any way with coal leads to conclusions that permit a better understanding of the origin, nature of occurrence, composition, better and safer mining, more careful preparation, or greater efficiency in utilization of coal. Modern engineering research has been fostered essentially by universities and in the laboratories of institutions of learning. Coal problems that lend themselves to solution in the laboratories have been first attacked and are perhaps the farthest toward solution. For example, a great amount of research work has been carried out with the various phases of chemistry connected with coal. On the other hand, the equally important problems connected with methods of mining have received but little attention, primarily because their solution involves the continued use of a great and expensive laboratory, which is none other than the mine itself. As many of the problems already solved have had chemistry as their background, so many of the problems unsolved have physics as their background; there are also unsolved problems that deal in coal economics. Even psychology must be called upon in future coal-mining research as a basis for solving those great problems that deal with human relationships. 'In general, considerable advance has been made in coal research dealing with chemistry, not so much progress has been made with problems having physics and engineering as a background, while there is a tremendous range of untouched problems that deal essentially with business and psychology. Research in coal mining is not a new development. In the chronicles of the northern coal trade as published in the Transactions of the North

Jan 1, 1920

By W. R. Ingalls

ThE following chronology presents the history of lead-mining in the United States in a brief form and is a useful reference in connection with the statistics of production: 1621.. Lead was mined and smelted near Falling Creek, Va., to supply the local demand for bullets and shot. This was the first mining and .smelting of lead in what is now the United States. 1632. In a report made on the minerals of New England, lead-ore is mentioned. (Bishop, I., 470.) 1650. Supposed beginning of mining by Jesuits in Pima county, Ariz. 1651. Grant of lead-mine at Middletown, Conn., to Gov. John Winthrop. 1682. Lead-ore supposed to have been discovered in Wisconsin by Nicholas Perrot. (K. D. Irving, Mineral Resources of Wisconsin, Trans., viii., 498.) 1700 Discovery of lead in Missouri by Penicaut, one of Le Sueur's party. Tile same expedition discovered lead near the southern boundary of Wisconsin in August of the same year. 1712. Grant by Louis XIV. of the Crozat patents, with special privileges respecting the discovery and operation of mines in the then territory of Louisiana. Little or no mining was done under this patent until about 1720. 1717. Transfer of Crozat patents to the Mississippi Co., promoted by John Law, which prepared for active mining. 1719. First attempt to mine and smelt lead in Missouri, made by Sieur de Lochon, in behalf of the Mississippi Co., near Meramec river. Results unsuccessful.

Jan 1, 1908

By Herbert H. Uhlig

A STUDY of passivity in chromium-iron alloys holds considerable interest, both because of the present-day practical importance of the stainless steels, and because of the scientific importance attached to the mechanism of their corrosion resistance. Upon the discovery of the passive chromium-iron alloys in 1912, it seemed logical to attribute the observed phenomenal corrosion resistance to a thin, continuous, protective reaction product on the surface. The product was thought to be Cr2O3 or a similar oxide containing both chromium and iron. This mechanism seemed likely in view of Michael Faraday's conjecture that passive iron is not reactive in concentrated nitric acid because of an oxide on the metal surface.† Since 1912, data have accumulated that permit a further exploration into the nature of passivity and provide a new approach to the problem. A summary of the facts lends considerable weight to a mechanism based not on physical protection of an oxide or similar compound, although such compounds may be present on the surface, but to a change in tendency of surface metal atoms to react chemically. This change in reaction tendency is ascribed to chemisorbed films that effectively satisfy residual valence forces of the metal surface, but do not appreciably disturb the positions of metal atoms in the lattice. In other words, formation of a new lattice such as that of an oxide is not a necessary condition for this type of passivity. The decreased reaction tendency of the metal by reason of chemisorbed films can thereby account for low reaction rates of the stainless steels in many media, as well as a noble galvanic potential as is observed. Substances capable of adsorbing on the stainless steels, and hence accompanying the property of passivity, are typically oxygen, nitrites or chromates, but are not in any sense limited to these. Other elements and compounds can also chemisorb, and therefore may also play a major part in the mechanism of passivity in specific media. The mechanism of passivity based on chemisorption or activated adsorption begins with the interpretation Langmuir proposed for his experiments concerning adsorbed oxygen on tungsten.1 He found that adsorbed oxygen was tightly bound, remaining on the tungsten surface above temperatures at which WO3 rapidly volatilizes. The oxygen in such a state did not readily react with hydrogen even at

Jan 1, 1947

By Aaron Miles

THE pressure distribution in a producing oil or gas reservoir has been obtained mathematically in a limited number of special cases where the boundary of the reservoirs are simple geometric figures with the wells conveniently located within them. Using some of the previous work as a basis, it can be proved that a number of additional problems of pressure distribution can be solved by use of soap film. This method is particu-larly applicable to a reservoir drained by a number of wells, or to a reservoir of irregular shape, or to both. Since this method obtains the pressure distribution, it also establishes the drainage boundaries of the wells. This paper derives the analogy between the equation representing the pressure distribution in a reservoir and the equation of the deflected membrane. It also describes the apparatus and the method of operation. The experimental method is employed to solve a problem whose mathe-matical solution is known and the results compared. These are found to be in good agreement. The method is applicable to any homogeneous liquid, compressible or incompressible, or to a gas, flowing in a reservoir of uniform thickness, permeability and porosity. The flow state may be either the steady state or the transient state wherein the density or pressure of the fluid in the reservoir declines at a constant rate.

Jan 1, 1938