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By L. M. Johnson, C. G. Janes

INTRODUCTION In May, 1966, the General Services Administration (GSA) announced a program to encourage additional domestic production of copper in the interest of national security. Upon learning of the copper production expansion program, Duval Corporation entered into negotiations with GSA for development of the Sierrita copper-molybdenum property under the program. Agreements between the GSA and Duval Sierrita Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Duval Corporation, were concluded in 1967, with the Sierrita Concentrator beginning operation in 1970 at a designed capacity of 72,000 STPD. Subsequent additions and modifications have expanded capacity to 90,000 STPD. This property, located approximately 20 miles south of Tucson, Arizona, represents an investment including working capital of about $200 million. These funds were provided from an $83 million loan from GSA, repayable in copper valued at 38 cents per pound, $48.75 million of bank loans subject to U. S. Government V-loan guarantees, and Company capital contributions. Current general operating statistics for the concentrator are listed below: [Ore Grade 0.32% Cu., 0.030"/. Mo. Daily Tons Milled 90,000 STPD Annual Copper Product ion 94,600 Tons Annual Molybdenum Production 15,000,000 Lbs. Annual Silver Production 1,135,000 Ounces]

Jan 1, 1976

By J. M. Smith, D. Kunii

Effective thermal conductivities of sandstones filled with stagnant fluids were measured using a steady-state technique. Data were obtained for seven sandstone samples, taken from four different locations and ranging in permeability from 18 to 590 md. The measurements with gases (helium, nitrogen, air and carbon dioxide) covered a pressure range from 0.039 psia to 400 psig. Data were taken for four liquids — n-heptane, methyl alcohol, 79.8 weight per cent glycerol-water solution and pure water at atmospheric pressure. The experimental results were used to evaluate the theoretical equations for predicting stagnant conductivities developed earlier 4 The low-pressure measurements permitted evaluation of the consolidation parameter bpDp/ks (necessary to utilize the theory) for the various types of sandstones. Using these characteristic values, the tbeoretical equations correlated well with the experimental conductivity data for the several fluids and rock samples. INTRODUCTION An aspect of heat transfer in solid-fluid systems of considerable current interest is the effective thermal conductivity of porous media. The stimulus for study of the subject arises from the need for sound procedures for designing thermal methods of petroleum production. The general system occurs when there exists a flow of fluid through the pores of the solid material. However, a logical starting point in developing a theory for predicting the effective thermal conductivity in the general system is to attack the special case when the porous solid is filled with stagnant fluid. Since the flow rates anticipated in thermal production processes are very low, such stagnant conductivities k,O are also of practical significance. Kunii and Smith4 recently reviewed the existing data for stagnant conductivities and proposed a theory for heat transfer in porous rocks. This leads to equations for predicting the stagnant conductivity as a function of the properties of the fluid and solid phases. The existing experimental information1-3,5,7,8 covered a range of porosities and agreed well with the theory. However, the available data were insufficient to examine critically the effects of two important properties on koe, — the thermal conductivity of the fluid and the pressure. The objectives of the present study are twofold: (1) to measure the effect on koe of (a) the pressure for gases, and (L) the thermal conductivity of the fluid kg for bloth gases and liquids; and (2) to determine for rocks of different porosities and permeabilities the apparent solid conductivity ks and the consolidation parameter bpDp/ks required in applying the theoletical equations. Measurements extrapolated to zero pressure are helpful in evaluating ks and the consolidation parameter. However, the extrapolations must be based upon data obtained at low pressures because in small pores the molecular conductivity of the fluid may be unusually depressed. This occurs when the mean free path of the molecules is of the same order of magnitude as the pore diameter, that is, in small-diameter pores at low pressures. The phenomenon has been studied recently by Schotte6in beds of unconsolidated fine particles. With particles in the size range of 45 to 200 microns, a significant reduction of kg with pressure was found even at absolute pressures greater than 1 atm. In the sandstones employed in the present investigation, pore diameters lower than those experienced by Schotte are likely, so that the effect would presumably be greater. SCOPE OF MEASUREMENTS Stagnant conductivities were measured for four types of sandstones using a total of seven samples. The characteristics of the samples, including porosity and permeability values, are given in Table

By R. P. Smith, L. S. Darken

FOR a high-purity iron-carbon alloy, the phases existing at equilibrium at temperatures slightly above the temperature of the metastable eutectoid are austenite and cementite (hyper-eutectoid) or austenite and ferrite (hypo-eutectoid) and those below the eutectoid temperature (carbdn content > 0.02 pct) are ferrite and cementite. Such an alloy, held in a carefully controlled and measured temperature gradient (about 1 cm per deg) which includes the eutectoid temperature, then quenched and examined metallographicall.y, provides a precise measure of the eutectoid temperature. The samples were hollow cylinders approximately 1.3 cm OD, 0.63 cm ID, and 2.5 cm long, which had been carburized to the desired carbon content at 1000°C with an appropriate hydrogen-methane mixture. In order to cool the samples to room temperature with a minimum change of carbon content and absence of cracks they were quenched in a Cerro Bend bath at 480°C, followed by a water quench to room temperature. Three cylinders were suspended in the furnace1 in a purified helium atmosphere, by a closed end, thin wall, silica tube which also served as a thermocouple well. The top and bottom cylinders served only as a means of making the temperature gradient along the center cylinder more uniform. The temperature was determined with a platinum-platinrhodium thermel calibrated by comparison with a thermel certified (* 0.5OC) by the National Bureau of Standards. After holding in the temperature gradient for 24 to 72 hr the samples were quenched in Cerro Bend at 480°C, followed by

Jan 1, 1960

By William B. Potter

We have come together on this occasion, as so often before the members of the Institute have met in friendly council, to hear and discuss whatever investigation, observation, and experience during the past months may have developed of value or interest to the many departments of knowledge and practice represented in this association. The member, possessed of the true scientific spirit which this Institute is especially intended to foster, brings here the results of his experience and study unrestrained by fear of giving undue advantage to competitor or rival. He appreciates, moreover, the responsibilities of membership and his duty to the cause, and how much is to be gained by himself from the keen but friendly criticism of his fellow-workers and even by the suggestions that may come of shrewd question or chance remark from those who labor in other but related fields.

Jan 1, 1889

By Marcie A. Greenberg, John C. Patton, R. Tim Thompson

The Fence Lake Project is located in the Salt Lake coal field, an extension of the San Juan Basin. Geologic formations exposed in the Project area range in age from late Cretaceous to Quaternary. Coal is encountered in the Moreno Hill Formation (upper Cretaceous). Salt River Project (SRP) followed the basic textbook approach for the exploration, regional appraisal, detailed reconnaissance, detailed surface detailed and three dimensional sampling (physical exploration). SRP is exploring this property as a potential fuel source for the Coronado Generating Station. Therefore, for the physical exploration stage, the quality sampling program was designed from a utility company viewpoint to determine possible impacts to the Station. Exploration drilling was completed in spring, 1982; September, 1982, and summer, 1984. Engineering, environmental, and land acquisition studies - in the Summer, 1984 Program to more closely evaluate the potential Fence Lake Project coal supply option for the Coronado Generating Station. Studies, including drilling, are ongoing at this time.

Jan 1, 1985

By J. H. Nead

The subject of this paper is one to which there are many references in the literature but on which few actual data have been published. Such data are here presented showing the absorption of sulfur from producer gas in two open-hearth heats. This absorption occurs during the melting-down stage. Results of analyses of slag and metal samples taken simultaneously from the bath are given. THE subject of this paper is one to which there are many references in the literature on the manufacture of steel in the open-hearth furnace, but few actual experimental data have been published. For that reason, the presentation of results obtained from two open-hearth heats where attempts were made to measure the sulfur absorption will be of considerable interest and value. The two heats on which the experiments were made were Armco ingot-iron heats and differ from the usual open-hearth heat of medium- or mild-carbon steel in that the refining is carried further; in this product the carbon and manganese are reduced practically to traces. Inmost other respects, and especially in respect to the absorption of sulfur from the producer gas, the two heats are typical of usual open-hearth practice. The object of the experiments made on the first Armco iron heat was to determine the fluctuation of the composition of the metal bath and the slag throughout the course of the heat, with especial reference to the variations in sulfur. It was hoped to, determine whether there was an increase in sulfur in the bath from the producer gas and if so at what stage in the process the increase occurred. The experimental method consisted of charging analyzed scrap and pig iron, so that the sulfur in the charge could be calculated. Then, throughout the duration of the heat, metal and slag samples were taken every half hour, beginning as soon as there was enough molten metal to take a sample. These samples were analyzed; the results are given in

Jan 2, 1924

ARTHUR CROWFOOT, Morenci, Ariz. (communication to the Secretary*).-In order to set at rest any doubts in regard to the reasons for selecting the Callow pneumatic flotation process for use in the concentrators of the Arizona Copper Co., Ltd., at Clifton and Morenci, I am presenting the following facts gained from the results of test work carried out on the Callow and Cole-Bergman types of flotation machines at Morenci. Prior to the comparative test of merit between the Callow and Cole-Bergman machines, many months' time and a large amount of money had been expended in the development and testing of the Cole-Bergman machine, and it was necessary to decide quickly what make of machine was best to install. The Callow pneumatic flotation process was recommended for installation in our concentrators for the following reasons: The results indicated: 1. That the Callow system made the highest extraction of copper values from the feed treated. 2. That the Callow system was simpler to operate and could he operated it a lower cost. 3. That the Callow system operated with a lower air pressure. (The question of the actual power consumption of the two types of machines was not definitely settled at this time.) During the official test period the Callow flotation apparatus showed an additional recovery of from 1 to 1.5 lb. of copper per ton more than the Cole-Bergman machine, this difference being maintained by further treatment of the tailing from both machines. The simplicity of the operation of the Callow flotation system is one of its notable features, two operators per shift being able to handle 90 standard cells and blower equipment.

Jan 7, 1917

By John D. Sullivan

ALUMINUM and magnesium plants in the United States underwent enormous wartime expansion which made many wonder if ghost plants would result when industry swung back to a peacetime basis. Production capacity of primary aluminum ingots was stepped up from 150,000 tons annually to about 1,150,000 tons; magnesium production increased from 2500 tons in 1936 to nearly 200,000 in 1943, with a production capacity of some 300,000 tons. Not only was primary metal production enlarged but also the capacity of prime fabrications such as castings, forgings, extrusions, and sheets was correspondingly increased. In mid-December it was estimated that production of primary aluminum ingots in the United States in 1946 will be about 410,000 tons while consumption will be about 500,000, close to half of the wartime consumption. The 1946 estimated consumption of secondary aluminum is 200,000 tons. The critical shortage of soda ash is hindering production of primary metal, and the outlook for an early relief of this shortage is dark.

Jan 1, 1947

By R. G. Green, R. L. Dowdell

LEAD POISONING as a result of eating lead pellets deposited in marsh areas is a cause of high mortality among ducks, geese, and other waterfowl ingested lead shot become trapped in the gizzard with gravel and are slowly ground away by the grit. Absorption of lead as it passes through the intestine in a finely divided state produces severe lead poisoning which is usually fatal. Ducks and geese with lead poisoning develop first a typical green diarrhea. Later, paralysis of the wing muscles prevents flight. As the poisoning continues with further grinding of the shot trapped in the gizzard, increasing paralysis reduces the bird to helpless-

Jan 1, 1937

By A. H. Daane, J. J. Hanak, F. H. Spedding

IN the study of the rare earths at the authors' laboratory, methods have been devised for preparing pure rare earths and many of their properties'- have been determined. Very little information is found in the literature on the properties of europium metal, which is the scarcest of the naturally occurring rare earths. Since we have recently prepared europium in appreciable quantities, we are in a position to describe the method of preparation and some of the properties of this metal. Metallic europium was first prepared by Klemm and Bommera who heated a mixture of potassium and EuC1, in vacuo, and obtained a mixture of europium metal and KC1. Trombe4 electrolyzed a molten salt bath containing NaC1, KC1 and EuC1, and collected the europium in a molten cadmium electrode as a cadmium alloy. The cadmium was subsequently removed by distillation but the properties of the residue indicate that pure europium was not obtained. McCoy attempted to prepare europium by distilling mercury from europium amalgam, but the stability of the Eu-Hg intermetallic compounds prevented a complete separation of the two elements. The preparation of very pure europium was suggested by previous work in this laboratory1,4 in which ytterbium and samarium were prepared by heating the respective sesquioxides with lanthanum metal turnings to 1450°C in vacuo and distilling ytterbium and samarium from the mixtures. Subsequently, small test experiments showed that europium also could be prepared by this method. A more detailed version of this method was used in the work described in this paper. Klemm and Bommer3 found by X-ray analysis that the metal had a body-centered cubic (bcc) structure with a lattice constant a, = 4.582 ± 0.00A (converted from kX units), with a bulk density of 5.30 g per cu cm. They found europium to be weakly ferromagnetic. Spedding, et al,7 found a,, to be 4.606 ± 0.001A. Barrett' showed that the bcc structure persists throughout the temperature range 5 to 3000K with a, at 5, 78, and 300°K being 4.551 ± 0.003, 4.551 ± 0.004 and 4.577 ± 0.001A, respectively. Trombe1 described europium as being iron gray, malleable, about as hard as neodymium and not attacked by cold water. He estimated the melting point to be between 1100 and 1200°C. Previous work in this laboratory indicated that the pure metal corrodes rapidly in air and reacts with cold

Jan 1, 1959

By W. L. Grose, J. E. Nealy

A device developed by the U.S. Bureau of Mines for the detection and quenching of coal mine explosions suffers from the inability to discriminate between the light emitted from hydrocarbon combustion and that emitted by electrical sparks and miner's cap lamps1. Since the quenchant device is activated by an internal explosive charge, the possibility of serious injury to nearby personnel demands a detector which can reject false signals. Described herein is a detector which can provide a rapid response signal upon the emission of radiation from hydrocarbon combustion and concurrently reject spurious signals from such sources as sparks and cap lamps. It was suggested that a detector might be developed to operate on the principle of monitoring the radiation intensity emitted from two separate spectral regions and ratioing the intensities2. A series of experiments was conducted for combustion of methane-air mixtures which demonstrate the ability of such a detector to discriminate between combustion and spurious signals. Experimental Apparatus A cylindrical (3.8 in. diam by 12 in.) stainless-steel shock tube test section was used as a combustion chamber. The test section was equipped with quartz windows (2 in. diam) on either side, a piezoelectric pressure transducer, and two steel electrodes. A 10-kv capacitor discharged across the electrodes provided a submicrosecond duration spark to ignite the gas mixture within. The desired partial pressures of methane and air were obtained by using a Wallace and Tiernan 0-800 mm Hg pressure gauge with which pressures could be determined to an accuracy of % mm Hg. All tests were conducted with a total pressure of 1 atm in the chamber. To

Jan 1, 1972

By J. Chipman, N. J. Grant, J. H. Walsh, T. B. King

WITH the development of adequate sampling and analysis techniques, much information has been obtained concerning the behavior of hydrogen in the steel bath during the course of steelmak-ing operations. From studies of this type it has become clear that the slag has an important role to play in determining the hydrogen content found in commercial products. A knowledge of the behavior of hydrogen in slags is necessary to round out our knowledge of hydrogen in steelmaking practice; with this information we are better able to assess practical methods of control. In this paper a method developed for analyzing slags for hydrogen content, studies of the solubility of hydrogen in synthetic slags, and studies of the variation of hydrogen content in slag and steel in industrial heats will be described. Previous Work—While very little has been done in the past to determine the hydrogen content of metallurgical slags, measurements have been made on such slag-like materials as geologic magmas and glasses. Goranson as made extensive studies of the solubility of water in natural and synthetic granites. Many workers have investigated the solubility of gases in synthetic and commercial glasses, but the recent work of Russell" is the most extensive. Russell found that the solubility of water in glass was proportional to the square root of the water vapor pressure in water vapor-oxygen mixtures. It was found that the solubility could either increase or decrease with temperature depending on the glass composition. Wentrup, Fucke, and Rief,' and Piper, Hagedorn, and Backes' have extracted hydrogen by holding a slag at 1300" and 800°C respectively in vacuum. Wentrup et al. reported hydrogen and water vapor as evolved together while Piper et al. passed the evolved gases from the hot extraction treatment over hot ferromanganese to reduce the evolved water vapor to hydrogen and, therefore, reported the analyses in terms of total dissolved hydrogen. Yavoiskii has reported hydrogen and nitrogen analyses on steelmaking slags. Dobrokhotov, Povol-skii, and Khan have studied the hydrogen content of basic open hearth steel under slags of varying viscosity. These authors reported that the hydrogen content of the steel bath increased as the fluidity of the slag was increased by the addition of bauxite. They recommended that a viscous slag be used and the steel tapped without deoxidation in the furnace to ensure a low final hydrogen content. Analysis of Slags for Hydrogen Development of Apparatus—The vacuum fusion analysis equipment described by Shields, Chipman, and Grant" was modified for the analysis of slags." This method depends upon the reduction of water in the slag to hydrogen, which is readily determined by the method used for hydrogen in steel. Preliminary experiments were made with a eu-tectic ferrosilicon melt as the reducing agent. Other experiments included the use of graphite and molybdenum crucibles. The ferrosilicon alloy bath was found to produce a thick coating on the furnace tube which could adsorb hydrogen. Graphite produced CO by the reduction of FeO, MnO, and SiO2 in such quantities that analysis for hydrogen was virtually impossible. Molybdenum, while giving a low blank value, could reduce the slag sufficiently to produce a volatile oxide which again was found to adsorb hydrogen. The arrangement finally adopted is shown in Fig. 1. The molybdenum sheet served as the induction-heated susceptor, and was separated from the escaping gases by alumina guide tubes. An outer jacket of alumina protected the quartz furnace tube, and alumina and quartz stools completed the assembly. The falling sample is shown wrapped in aluminum foil, 0.002 in. thickness, which acted as the reducing agent' This foil was careful'~ washed in acetone and an d and then dried in hot air before wrapping the weighed slag sample for charging into the apparatus. Investigation of the hydrogen content of the aluminum foil itself showed that a small quantity of hydrogen was released in vacuum, but had no relation to the weight of the aluminum charged. This quantity of hydrogen was

Jan 1, 1957

By Kiyoshi Azuma, Hiroshi Kametani

The variation of the dissolution behavior of a ferric oxide with calcining temperature has been investigated. Samples were prepared by thermal decomposition of ferric hydroxide, nitrate, oxalate, and sulfate at low temperature, followed by the calcination in the temperature range between 600" and 1200°C. The samples of eight series and a fine crystalline sample of hematite were dissolved in 1 N hydrochloric acid at 55.2°C and the results are represented on double-log graphs for convenience. It is confirmed that all dissolution courses follouj either the accelerated process or the parabolic process except in the special case of the crystalline hematite which dissolced in accordance with the uniform dissolution of a particle. Examinations of the physical properties of the oxide powders revealed that the surface area measured by the permeability method is strikingly relevant to the dissolution behavior of the oxide. In the previous paper,' detailed data were presented on the effect of the kind of acid, the solution temperature, and the concentration of acid on the dissolution of two ferric oxides. It was also shown that these sam ples dissolved in strikingly different ways. The present investigation was carried out on the dissolution of various calcined samples prepared from various ferri salts by various methods to ascertain the course of dissolution. Pryor and Evans2 pointed out a change of the dissolution rate at around 700°C for a series of calcined ferric oxides prepared from the hydroxide. Several papers374 reported also the dissolution of ferric oxide samples. It seems, however, that a systematic account of the relationship between the dissolution behavior and physical properties of the oxide has not yet been given. This paper presents the variation of the dissolution of the oxide in relation to the calcining temperature and the change of physical properties of the calcines. EXPERIMENTAL Raw materials were prepared by precalcination of ferric hydroxide, thermal decomposition of ferric nitrate, oxalate, and sulfate, and aerial oxidation of ferric chloride vapor, at as low a temperature as possible. The products were crushed, ground, if necessary, and sieved with a 100-mesh Tylor screen prior to calcination, after which the specimens were dissolved in acid solution. The following is a detailed description of the preparation of the samples. Sample H. About 500 g of ferric chloride (guaranteed reagent) were dissolved in 5 liters of deionized water and filtered. Ferric hydroxide was precipitated by addition of the minimum amount of ammonium hydroxide solution, and the precipitate was washed continuously till chloride ion was not detected by silver nitrate solution, and then filtered. The filter cake was dried at 120°C for a week and ground, and the -100 mesh portion was used. Sample S. Ferric sulfate (guaranteed reagent) was pyrolytically decomposed in a crucible at 700°C for 24 hr and the product was sieved. In this case the following calcination was carried out at temperatures over 700°C. Sample B. Commercial ferric oxide (guaranteed reagent). About 15 kg of ferric nitrate were decomposed in a furnace maintained at 800°C for 2 hr. The actual temperature of the decomposition was not measured. The product was crushed and sieved, and the -100 mesh portion was used. Sample N. About 50 g of ferric nitrate (guaranteed reagent) were decomposed in a beaker in a sand bath until a red-brown dense solid was produced. This product was crushed and sieved, and subjected to complete decomposition at 500°C. The precalcined product was again sieved and used. Sample N2.5. Since the decomposition temperature was not controlled for sample AT, a different sample was prepared in a temperature-controlled furnace. The subscript represents the decomposition at 250°C. The product was treated in the same manner as sample N. Sample Nc. Under atmospheric pressure it is prac-tically inevitable that ferric nitrate hydrate melts to form a brown liquid at about 50°C before pyrolysis. For this reason, the salt was first slowly heated under reduced pressure (about 10-3 mm Hg measured in a trap refrigerated by dry ice-alcohol) to achieve dehydration without melting. About 5 hr were required for the dehydration and the partial decomposition. Then the temperature was elevated to 500° C in air for complete decomposition. The relatively porous product was sieved and used. Sample Ov. About 200 g of ferric oxalate hydrate (extra pure) were dehydrated under reduced pressure (as described above) followed by thermal decomposition at 500°C for 6 hr in air. The decomposition of this salt was accompanied by liberation of carbon monoxide, by which the ferric salt was initially reduced to a black powder. The powder changed in turn into brown ferric oxide as the gas liberation decreased and reoxidation predominated. The product consisted of sparkling fine particles passing through a 100-mesh screen. However it was ground and sieved as for the other samples. Sample D. Commercial fine powder for magnetic tape purposes. The preparation was as follows.5 Ferric chloride vapor and preheated excess air were mixed and passed into a reaction tube where oxidation took place at 450°C. The fine powder formed was collected in a cottrell chamber. The product was vacuum-degassed at 450°C for 1 hr and sieved.

Jan 1, 1969

By E. W. Dewing

The nature of solid solutions of sodium in non-paphitic carbon at temperatures near 1000°C has been investigated by an electrolytic technique. The activity coefficient is found to vary strongly with the heat-treatment temperature of the carbon, and an analysis of the energy terms involved suggests that this is due to variations in the Fermi level. The diffusion coefficient for sodium is in the range implying that the sodium atoms (or ions) are not bound to specific sites on the carbon, in agreement with lack of evidence for specific compounds in the activity -composition curves. In the light of These results phenomena occurring in aluminum reduction cell linings are dis-cussed. It is concluded that sodium migrates by diffusion through the carbon lallice and not the pores, and that A14C9 is formed within the lining hy The excess of NaF invariably found in used linings is formed by this reaction and by air oxidation: There has recently been much interest in the swelling of carbon which occurs when it is made cathodic in an aluminum electrolysis cell, and there is general agreement that the phenomenon is due to the penetration of sodium atoms, derived from the reaction on the carbon lattice. (NaF and AlF3 are constituents of the fused-salt electrolyte.) The low-temperature lamellar compounds of potassium with graphite are well-known, and one compound between sodium and graphite has been reported.4 There is, however, virtually no information on the basic chemistry of the interaction of sodium with nongraphitic carbon at high temperatures, although Dell3 has made some fundamental studies of rates of penetration. At the time the present work was carried out these were not available. Rapoport and samoilenkol had measured rates of physical expansion in a dilatometer, using the fractional increase in length of a carbon specimen after electrolysis in a cryolite bath for 2 hr as an index of susceptibility to cathodic swelling. Work here with a similar apparatus showed that expansion (of a 1.5-in.-diam cylindrical specimen) ceased in less than 20 hr, and that the final expansion was much more reproducible than the value at some intermediate time. This suggested that an equilibrium was being set up, and that a thermodynamic approach was required. The results obtained are not as accurate as had been hoped, but they are the only ones of their type available and have enabled useful conclusions to be drawn. The experimental work was divided into two parts: an investigation of the activity-concentration diagram for sodium in carbon, and a rough determination of the diffusion rate. For the former, most of the experiments were made with petroleum coke even though this is not a form of carbon used in cell linings. It has the advantages, however, that it is a homogeneous material, that it is low in ash, and that its structure is reasonably well understood. Anthracites and coal cokes gave results of the same type as obtained with petroleum coke, but the reprodu-cibility from specimen to specimen was extremely poor. EXPERIMENTAL 1) The Activity-Composition Diagram for Sodium in Carbon. The petroleum coke was ground, pressed at 40,000 psi into plates 19 by 9 by 2 mm without added binder, and heat-treated. The sodium activities were established by an electrolytic technique. The carbon was made anodic in a cryolite bath with an aluminum cathode, and a controlled potential, E, applied so that the sodium activity at the anode was given by ln Na = 1n asa - EF/RT [21 where as, is the sodium activity generated by Reaction [I]. The relative activity is sufficient for many purposes and is simply given by The value of Na not at present known, but when the thermodynamics of the Na-A1 system have been worked out it can be derived from the equilibrium

Jan 1, 1963

By Ellen H. Richards

It is of importance to analysts to have a ready means of detecting the presence of small quantities of titaninm in iron ores and in certain fluxes and slags. The method given in Elderhorst's Blowpipe Analysis (fusion with potassium hydrogen sulphate) requires considerable practice, in order so to regulate the heat that the titanium oxide shall become soluble. In Brash's Determinative Mineralogy is found a method which, at least in inexperienced hands, has given better results, i. e., fusion of the substance to be tested with sodium carbonate on charcoal in the reducing flame. The solution in hydrochloric acid of the bead thus obtained, boiled with tin or zinc, gives the characteristic violet color; but when the mineral contains less than four per cent. of titanium oxide, long boiling and consequent concentration is necessary. In fact the test would seem to be much less delicate than is generally supposed. In the course of some analyses I quite accidentally found that a peculiar color is given to turmeric paper by solutions of titanium chloride. This color is hard to describe, being modified by the quantity of ferric chloride present in the solution ; but it is neither the orange of zirconia nor the red of' boron. It is rather a dull shade of purple, arid is easily recognized when the paper is dried, although the color fades in a few hours. By this means a solution containing .015 per cent. of titanium oxide can easily be tested. The same solution, treated with tin, required to be concentrated to one-tenth its bulk before a decided color could be obtained. The color given to turmeric paper is intensified after the solution has been treated with tin. This and some other indications show that the best shade of color is given by the titanons chloride rather than by the titanic chloride, and no other salt of titanium than the chloride has been found to give the color. Another peculiar property of titanium salts has come tinder my observation. When titaniferous minerals are soluble in nitric acid, and the solution is subjected to the action of the battery, the soluble titanium salt is converted into the insoluble oxide and appears on the electrode, in some cases, as a white coating; this

Jan 1, 1883

By J. T. Ryan

SiR Humphry Davy's epoch-making treatise delivered on Nov. 9, 1815, before the Philosophical Society of London, first announced and demonstrated a flame safety lamp for detecting methane in mine air. Coal mining was known in England as early as 1180, more than 600 years before the advent of a safe lighting and gas-detecting appliance. Mining, no doubt, took place first in outcrop coal, and danger from gas did not become apparent until the workings became deeper and more extensive. Davy's lamp did much to increase the safety of miners, and a modified Davy lamp is still widely used for detecting the presence and approximate amount of combustible gas in mine air. No factor in coal mining has improved more rapidly during the past 15 years than safety measures. This progress came about not only as a result of the workmen's compensation laws now in force in most of the states of the Union, but because the research work of the U. S. Bureau of Mines had demonstrated some dangers incident to coal mining which were not considered to be serious matters prior to that time. Electric power and explosives are necessary but potential hazards in American coal mines. A general mechanization program is now under way, while the mines are growing deeper and more extensive. Consequently ventilation problems are more complex and a demand has been created for positive detecting devices for carbon monoxide as well as methane. Scientists and manufacturers, working hand in hand during the past 10 years, have invented and developed appliances which make systematic and effective examination of mine air possible. The object of this paper is to describe briefly the approved testing devices in use today, with the hope that they may lead to the saving of life. Two Groups of Dangerous Coal Mine Gases Dangerous coal mine gases may be placed in two groups: (I) those that are dangerous because of their explosive properties, and (2) those that are dangerous because of their toxic properties. Methane (CH4) is the important gas of the first group, and in so-called gaseous mines constantly exudes from the coal and rock; it may accumulate and form an explosive mixture. The explosive range of methane-air mixtures is well defined. The low limit is 5 per cent., the high limit 15 per cent., and the most explosive

Jan 1, 1927

By JAMES GAYLE

(Presented at the Washington meeting, May 3, 1905, and simultaneously sent to the Iron and Steel Institute, for presentation at the meeting of that Society in London, May 11, 1905.) IT is to be regretted that the data respecting the use of dry-air blast, which was presented to the Iron and Steel Institute at its meeting in the United States, in October, 1904, should. have been restricted to the period from August 25th to September 9th inclusive, and from September 17th to 30th inclusive. In order to present the paper at all it was found necessary to limit the record of operations to the period above stated. In the discussion of the paper it would appear from the conclusions of some participating therein, that they have been placed at some disadvantage in considering the economies obtained through the use of dry-air blast, by reason of the data covering such a short period. It is the purpose of this communication to present in detail the record of operations of the Isabella Furnaces from November, 1904, to March, 1905, inclusive, as shown by the furnace-records. The month of October, 1904, is not included, as the furnace using dry-air blast was stopped several times for repairs, and while the record was a very good one considering these interruptions, yet it was not a continuous one. The record for Furnace No. 1 using dry-air blast, and the comparison with Furnace No. 3 using natural air for the month of November, 1904, is set forth in Table I. By a reference to my former paper it will be noted that the month of November is the beginning in this country of the winter period, when the atmosphere decreases rapidly in humidity. The month of October being the transition month in the autumn and April in the spring, and furnaces using natural air approach more closely, from November on, to the conditions obtained by the use of dry-air blast. The data given in

Jul 1, 1905

By Lombard Squires, W. K. Lewis, W. I. Thompson

Clays consist predominantly of hydrated silicates of alumina. The formula is frequently assumed to be A1203 . 2Si02 . 2H20,'and certain of I. North Carolina. Low plasticity. 11. Same as I, after washing. Low plasticity. III. Tennessee. Good plasticity. IV. Pennsylvania flint fireclay. Low plasticity. V. Laredo, Texas. Very plastic. CaO/Na2O corrected for GO2. VI. San Antonio, Texas. Fine grained, highly plastic. Moisture and CO2 were determined together at 18.8 per cent. VII. Selected crude bentonite, California. " Data from R. Ries: Clays. John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1927. them undoubtedly have substantially this composition, but in general the ratio of silica to alumina is considerably higher. However, they always contain water of chemical constitution, as shown by Table 1.

Jan 1, 1935

By A. A. Steel

DUring the summer of 1905 I was employed by the U. S. Geological Survey to investigate the geology, mining, and preparation of barite in most of the fields of the United States. The Eastern districts have been more or less completely described; the Virginia field in detail by Thomas L. Watson, in his paper, Geology of the Virginia Barite-Deposits,' and other fields in abstract, including statistics of production and references to current literature, by various authors.2 There have also been published a few details of the occurrence of barite in the lead-mines of Washington county, Mo.³ The other accounts of this district are erroneous and meager, and since this field is the most important one in the United States at the present time, a detailed description of the local geology seems doubly desirable. Barite-deposits are scattered over nearly the whole of Washington and adjoining counties, but the product is all mined from the areas indicated upon the sketch-map, Fig. 1, and is shipped from the stations of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern railway, between Blackwell and Potosi, from 45 to 60 miles SW. of St. Louis. The topography is for the most part gently rolling, with slightly graded streams, usually less than 200 ft. below the higher hill-tops. Along Mineral fork and Indian creek are some steep bluffs and cliffs, affording good exposures of the

Jan 1, 1910

By Clemens Jones

A FORM of apparatus for volumetric determinations which shall possess the features requisite for the constant use of potassium permanganate, is a very desirable fixture in a well-appointed laboratory. Expedients to economize time and insure accuracy are generously employed for various other reagents, while the permanganate seems to have been consigned to the use of an ordinary burette, and a black bottle of the standardized solution. But the introduction of new, methods dependent on the permanganate, and the urgency of technical requirements where it has long been indispensable, require a revision of practice more scientific and convenient. The apparatus designed by the writer for the laboratory of the Thomas Iron Company at Hokendauqua, Pa., is so simply contrived and works with such entire satisfaction that a description of it may be of use. It may be prefaced that the characteristics of a suitable device offer some mechanical difficulties when combined in a continuous appliance. The burette, B (50 C.C. to 1/10 c.c.), shown in Fig. 1, consists of the graduated tube proper and an arm, E, fused to it below the 50 c.c. mark. At its top are rubber connections with the blast-aspirator, shown in the cut (Fig. 2) of the front view. By means of an extra stopcock, D, connection through E is established with the reservoir F. The burette is clamped Securely to a slide, C, which is counterpoised and moves freely on guides between two parallel sides, L, suitably

Jan 1, 1887