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By H. A. Sawin, C.M. Romanowitz

Placer dredging as we know it today, especially gold dredging, is an industry about 40 years old, dating from the beginning of this century, when a few mining men in California saw the possibilities in adapting earlier dredging methods to California placer fields in and immediately adjacent to streams. At first it was thought that dredges must be operated in existing stream beds, but experience soon pointed the way to dredging alluvial deposits of old stream beds, operating on landlocked dredging ponds. Within the first five or six years of modern dredging, experience was gained so rapidly that dredges to dig 60 ft. below water level were *designed and built. This depth was believed by many operators to be the maximum at which successful dredging could be carried on. Alluvial deposits of gold, suitable for dredging, were readily handled by equipment available and developed early in the industry's history. Much of the gravel was easily dug and if deposits were cemented, contained large boulders, or for some other reason could not be handled by a dredge, the ground was abandoned in favor of other deposits that could be handled easily. Many failures, adversely affecting the dredging industry, resulted from attempts at that time to extend the scope of placer dredging with equipment not suited to the formation being dredged. Dredging ground suited to early equipment was exhausted eventually, but many supposedly undredgeable alluvial fields containing gold in commercial quantities were found and became known to dredgemen. Improved equipment was needed to work deposits known to exist at great depths or associated with unusual obstructions. Operating companies looked to dredge manufacturers and metallurgists, particularly manganese-steel foundries, for improved designs and materials. Experience developed in California has spread throughout the world, and dredges of improved types have been adapted to the mining of platinum and tin as well as gold. Space will not permit a description of all the improvements in dredging since the early days, but a few of the recent developments are worthy of note, because they make possible the dredging of placer deposits of great depth, those having hard, irregular bedrock or containing large boulders in great quantities, and compacted or cemented gravel deposits. Deep Dredging At Hammonton, calif., yuba consolidated Gold Fields has, within= the past two years, built its dredge No. 20. The company has operated continuously in that field since 1904, digging successively at maximum depths of 60 ft., 80 ft., 112 ft., and now 124 ft. below water level. The first dredges were equipped with buckets of 6 and 7½-cu. ft. capacity; six dredges operating in the field today have 18-cu. ft. buckets, digging now 65 to 124 ft. below water level. Some ground near Hammonton has been dug for the third time, owing to the devel-

Jan 1, 1943

By C. M. Romanowitz, H. A. Sawin

Placer dredging as we know it today, especially gold dredging, is an industry about 40 years old, dating from the beginning of this century, when a few mining men in California saw the possibilities in adapting earlier dredging methods to California placer fields in and immediately adjacent to streams. At first it was thought that dredges must be operated in existing stream beds, but experience soon pointed the way to dredging alluvial deposits of old stream beds, operating on landlocked dredging ponds. Within the first five or six years of modern dredging, experience was gained so rapidly that dredges to dig 60 ft. below water level were *designed and built. This depth was believed by many operators to be the maximum at which successful dredging could be carried on. Alluvial deposits of gold, suitable for dredging, were readily handled by equipment available and developed early in the industry's history. Much of the gravel was easily dug and if deposits were cemented, contained large boulders, or for some other reason could not be handled by a dredge, the ground was abandoned in favor of other deposits that could be handled easily. Many failures, adversely affecting the dredging industry, resulted from attempts at that time to extend the scope of placer dredging with equipment not suited to the formation being dredged. Dredging ground suited to early equipment was exhausted eventually, but many supposedly undredgeable alluvial fields containing gold in commercial quantities were found and became known to dredgemen. Improved equipment was needed to work deposits known to exist at great depths or associated with unusual obstructions. Operating companies looked to dredge manufacturers and metallurgists, particularly manganese-steel foundries, for improved designs and materials. Experience developed in California has spread throughout the world, and dredges of improved types have been adapted to the mining of platinum and tin as well as gold. Space will not permit a description of all the improvements in dredging since the early days, but a few of the recent developments are worthy of note, because they make possible the dredging of placer deposits of great depth, those having hard, irregular bedrock or containing large boulders in great quantities, and compacted or cemented gravel deposits. Deep Dredging At Hammonton, calif., yuba consolidated Gold Fields has, within= the past two years, built its dredge No. 20. The company has operated continuously in that field since 1904, digging successively at maximum depths of 60 ft., 80 ft., 112 ft., and now 124 ft. below water level. The first dredges were equipped with buckets of 6 and 7½-cu. ft. capacity; six dredges operating in the field today have 18-cu. ft. buckets, digging now 65 to 124 ft. below water level. Some ground near Hammonton has been dug for the third time, owing to the devel-

Jan 1, 1943

By J. W. Snavely

THE high tension belt conveyor is introducing a new and tremendously expanded era of low cost bulk material handling. High tension belt conveyors are generally those installations involving very long centers, high lifts, or drops, in which the belts are stressed up to their maximum tension values, and further, where the belt construction provides tension capacity far beyond what is possible with conventional belt constructions. With these high tension installations, the magnitude of the forces involved demands careful refinement of accepted design practice in order to achieve optimum balance of all factors.

Jan 3, 1951

By H. B. Muller

Single stage autogenous grinding of run-of-mine ore was selected by Broken Hill South Ltd., parent Company of Cobar Mines Pty. Ltd. for the concentrator to treat 60,000 tons per four weekly period of copper and complex copper-lead-zinc sulphide ores from the C.S.A. Mine at Cobar, Australia. Ore is mined by mechanised horizontal cut-and-fill stoping and is prepared for grinding by crushing under- ground in a 60 in. x 48 in. jaw-crusher set at 5 in. closed side setting. The ore is reduced to 80% minus 76 microns in two parallel sections each of one 22 ft. dim. x 7 ft. long autogenous grinding mill, powered by a 1,250 H.P. motor, operating in closed circuit with a single stage 20 in. dim. cyclone. Broken Hill South's original concept of the concentrator required the maximum use of reliable instrumentation, centralised control, and the minimum of manning. To achieve this objective the control room, housing the process recorders, alarms, closed circuit television monitors and all the control equipment, overlooks the grinding and flotation sections, and the whole plant is serviced by a public address system. The grinding units and associated equipment are located in the open and are serviced with the aid of a mobile crane and a mobile hydraulically-operated liner lifting device.

Jan 1, 1970

By Mowry Bates

The following example of the practical application of engineering geology is of interest in that it demonstrates the advantage of keeping accurate records of all wells, whether drilled by onn's self or by others, together with the advantage gained by gathering such data during the process of development. The fault described was found in the autumn of 1915, during the hurried development caused by the discovery of the famous Gusher Bend pool in Red River Parish, Louisiana. The writer was at the time employed by one of the operating companies as geologist, and the example is a portion of the routine work. Location The oil fields of northern Louisiana and east Texas are located in Caddo, Bossier, De Soto and Red River Parishes, Louisiana, and Marion County, Texas. A very narrow strip of the eastern portion of the latter is productive. The producing oil pools are known as the Caddo Field, in the northern part, and the De Soto-Red River Field, in the southern. The two fields are 60 miles apart. There are several gas fields between them, but no important supply of oil has been found, though there are several producing wells in the Anona chalk, locally called the Chalk Rock, in the Elm Grove gas field in Township 16 North, Range 11 West (see Plate 1). General Geologic and Structural Features The general geology of northern Louisiana has been excellently described by A. C Veatch in Professional Paper No. 46, U. S. Geological Survey; by G. D. Harris, Bulletin No. 429, U. 8. Geological Survey; and later by George C. Matson and Oliver B. Hopkins in Bulletins No. 619 and 661C, U. S. Geological Survey.

Jan 1, 1920

By Robert S. Archer, Zay Jeffries

It is about fifteen years since the development in Germany, largely by Alfred Wilm, of the aluminum alloy called duralumin. In this alloy, combining as it does the tensile strength of mild steel with the lightness and corrosion resistance of aluminum, a distinctly new material was presented to the engineering world. Despite the evident usefulness of this material, however, its commercial development has been slow, due in part to the difficulties involved in its fabrication. In view of the potentially great utility of strong aluminum alloys, it seemed desirable to find means of producing such alloys with better fabricating properties, and work was undertaken with this object in the laboratories of the Aluminum Company of America several years ago. This work has resulted in the production of two new types of aluminum alloy of the "strong alloy" class, having distinctly improved fabricating qualities. The knowledge gained has also made it possible to produce alloys of the duralumin type with greater strength and hardness than previously obtained. There have thus been made available some new engineering materials which it is the object of this paper to describe. These alloys, induding duralumin, are fundamentally wrought alloys. Castings of the same compositions heat treated in the same manner give inferior physical properties, particularly as to ductility. The statements made subsequently concerning properties and heat treatment apply to material that has received sufficient working to thoroughly break down the cast structure. The material referred to has, in general, undergone a reduction in section of at least 80 per cent, by mechanical working. It may be mentioned in passing that other compositions have been found that are suitable for the production of the maximum physical properties in heat-treated castings.

Jan 1, 1925

By Oswald J. Heinrich

THE responsibility resting upon the owners and managers of mines where fire-damp is generated, renders it a matter of imperative duty that a full and correct statement of any explosion that occurs should be given to the public. But such a statement must be based on the testimony of impartial eye-witnesses or trained experts. Then a sad experience may result in the adoption of effective preventive measures. In the absence of any official and professional body of mining experts in the State of Virginia, the writer desires to submit to his professional brethren of the American Institute of Mining Engineers an account of an explosion which recently took place in a colliery under his management, and earnestly desires a thorough and impartial discussion on the facts submitted. Description and Plan of the Mine.-The "Grove" shaft is situated at the nearest point 825 feet from the last old workings upon the Midlothian property, south of the old Pump shaft works. (See Plate III.) The shaft was sunk by the former company, some thirty years ago, to the depth of 622 feet. An incline over 230 feet long, starting in a northwest direction at a depth of 105 feet above the shaft bottom, had been driven to explore the coal on the dip. A return of very small dimensions had been driven round the shaft on the south side, entering the upcast chamber. With the information obtained from the former company that a seam of coal about four feet thick, at a depth of 490 feet, had been found, and with the information obtained by the present proprietor, R. T. Burrows, of Albion, N. Y., by means of two boreholes on the dip west of the old shaft, in both of which workable seams of coal at various depths had been ascertained, the clearing out and thorough retimbering of this shaft were commenced in March, 1873. Borehole No. 1, at a depth of 477 1/2 feet from surface, revealed a seam of coal. This borehole was afterwards carried to a depth of 1140 feet to the granite, without finding any other seam of coal. Borehole No. 3, at a depth of 608 feet, revealed the first coal-seam, 142 feet thick; at 633 feet, the second, 12 feet thick; at 662 feet the third, 1 foot thick, and at 692 feet the fourth, 4 1/2 to 5 feet thick. The borehole was stopped at a depth of 715 1/2 feet.

Jan 1, 1877

By Scott Turner

OUR Institute, in its annual Directory, states the following: The purpose of each Technical Committee is to further the development of the special mineral industries in its field, chiefly through obtaining and discussing papers suitable for publication by the Institute. The proper field of the new Health and Safety in Mines Committee is judged to include the entire mining industry, and involves the multitude of health and safety problems arising in all kinds of mining operations. The mining industry in the United States has made much progress during recent years in reducing accidents. This advance has been widespread, and has been especially notable in the mining of iron ore. Yet the statistics of the U. S. Bureau of Mines, when compared with figures of the National Safety Council for other industries, show that mining still has a higher personal mishap rate than any other major industry in this country. In addition, studies of dollars-and-cents cost of casualty occurrences indicate that an important part of our mining cost, held by various authorities to be as much as 10 per cent of the total, is due to accidents.

Jan 1, 1933

By D. R. Spink, D. N. Okuhara

Two reagents have been proposed for the commercial extraction of copper from leach liquors, namely LIX64N produced by General Mills Chemicals, Inc. and Kelex 120 produced by Ashland Chemical Company. Each of these reagents consists of an active extractant and an additive. In the LIX system, the additive improves the kinetics of the extraction reaction whereas for the Kelex system, the additive acts primarily as a third phase inhibitor. Equilibrium and kinetic studies have been conducted with both systems. In general, the Kelex system effectively extracts copper at a lower pH than LIX64N; furthermore, the rate of extraction with Kelex is considerably faster than with LIX which indicates that systems employing the Kelex extractants might also be able to employ agitated columns rather, than mixer- settlers which are absolutely necessary for effective extraction with the LIX reagents.

Jan 1, 1973

By Warren H. Westphal

For mining and exploration, and indeed the entire mineral industry, the first century of AIME has ended with far more problems than it began. Paradoxically, most of these problems have arisen not because, the industry has been unsuccessful, but rather because it has succeeded too well. Whatever the public demand for minerals over the past 100 years, it has somehow been met-and met at a price well within the public's ability to pay for the products. But as AIME moves into its second century, the past successes of mining and exploration are beginning to levy a tax on the future. Prospectors have already found most of the rich and ready ores, and miners have dug them out. New mineral assets grow progressively harder to come by, and as they do, the need for them grows inversely more pressing. How and where and at what cost can adequate supplies be found? How and at what cost can they be mined from heretofore inaccessible recesses deep underground and under the seas-or from vast surface tonnages containing only minor values? And once they are found or won, how can these assets be husbanded for generations to come? How also can they be extracted without injury to the land, air and water on which we and our successors must depend? And what constructive use can be made of the incidental materials now treated merely as wastes-sometimes at great expense?

Jan 1, 1971

By Ernest F. Burchard

A reconnaissance of the chrome and manganesel ore deposits of Cuba was made in the spring of 1918 by Albert Burch, representative of the U. S. Bureau of Mines, and the writer, representing the U. S. Geological Survey. The object of the study was to obtain authentic information for use of the United States Government as to the location, character, size, and availability of the Cuban deposits of the ores of these important steel-alloy metals. The Cuban Government courteously detailed Sr. E. I. Montoulieu, a mining engineer connected with the Treasury Department, to act as escort and associate throughout the work on the Island. Mr. George A. Wright, of Baracoa, Cuba, a minirng engineer especially familiar with the chromite deposits of Oriente Province, was a member of the party from Feb. 25 to Mar. 20. It was possible to visit most of the chrome-ore deposits that seemed to be of promise, but there was not sufficient time to visit all that were brought to our attention, some of which may have merit. Furthermore, no attempt was made to examine the extensive chromiferous iron-ore deposits of the Mayari, Moa, and Cubitas districts, as these deposits cannot be regarded as sources of chromium except indirectly. At the close of the field work the essential data concerning the quantity and quality of ore probably available for shipment during 1918 and 1919, in the event of the continuation of the European war, and of the tonnage of ore in reserve, were furnished to such Government bureaus as were interested, including the Shipping Board and the War lndustries Board, and as soon as chemical analyses of the chrome ores could be obtained, a press bulletin on the subject was published by the Geological Survey. In the present paper the engineering data and tonnage estimates contained in the unpublished notes of Mr. Burch have been freely used, and their helpfulness is hereby gratefully acknowledged. Many thanks are due Senor Montoulieu and Mr. Wright for their valuable work in the field; to the officials of the Spanish American Iron Co. and of the various other companies; and to individuals holding chromite claims, for courteously facilitating the work of the party.

Jan 1, 1920

By V. C. Smith

Reliable and detailed statistical data available for Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia are the most meager and unsatisfactory of any of the producing states. Detailed histories and statistics are available for only a few pools. The antiquity of these pools, loose nomenclature, particularly where several names are applied to the same pool or various parts of the pool or a new namsed when the pool was rediscovered, made the collection of accurat historical and statistical data almost impossible. So many of the data reported are unreliable that a breakdown by pools or even by counties, until more accurate information is available, would lead to gross errors. Rather than perpetuate inaccuracies, we have endeavored to go to original sources wherever possible, sift these and provide data that may serve as an incentive and basis for future work. The necessity for accurate information is thoroughly recognized by the operators, particularly because of the effect of recent government regulations and request? for data in connection with the preparation of the various codes a pending legislation. Producers, both major operating companies and individuals, . freely given their time and assistance in the compilation of these data. Valuable information was obtained from tax records, rate cases, statistics published by the oil and gas publications and the Bureau of Mines. So many individuals cooperated in the preparation of these data that individual credit cannot be given. Undoubtedly many errors will be found. Some of the data are open to controversy, and many have been omitted in the hope that new information of a more reliable character may become available. Other omissions are due to an inability to contact the proper individuals, many of whom are no longer connected with this industry. Pennsylvania grade crude sold in 1933 for the lowest price since 1895. Gas production could not find sufficient new markets to fill the void left by industrial stagnation. In the gas industry, where the market price is fixed by contract, uncertainty persisted because of impending legislative action affecting both taxes and utility rates. As a result of these factors and a lack of new money, drilling was restricted to a new low. The lifting of proration toward the end of the year in the Pennsylvania

Jan 1, 1934

By R. J. Brison, W. C. Bleimeister

The International Salt Company has long been interested in finding an efficient process for the removal of impurities from rock salt, and particularly from the rock salt produced at the Detroit mine. Methods which have been used previously at the Detroit mine included both hand sorting and differential crushing in a Bradford breaker with rejection of the oversize. Neither of these methods was adequately effective. The development of a new process for removal of impurities from rock salt has been described in the preceding article." Basically, the process consists of exposure of crude rock salt to radiant heating which selectively heats the impure particles. Subsequently the heated particles are removed by adhesion to a heat sensitive-coating on a conveyor belt. This method was found to be effective in improving both the quality and appearance of rock salt by the rejection of the dark, impure particles.

Jan 8, 1960

By Willard P. Ward

The numerous direct processes which have been patented and brought before the iron-masters of the world, differ materially from that now introduced by Mr. Wilson. After a careful examination of his process, I am convinced that Mr. Wilson has succeeded in producing good blooms from iron-ore, and I think that I am able to point out theoretically the chief reasons of the success of his method. Without going deeply into the history of the metal, I may mention the well-known fact, that wrought-iron was extensively used in almost all quarters of the globe, before pig or cast-iron was ever produced. Without entering into the details of the processes by which this wrought-iron was made, it suffices for my present purpose to say that they were crude, wasteful, and expensive, so that they can IE employed to-day only in a very few localities favored with good and cheap ore, fuel, and labor. The constructiou of larger furnaces and the employment of higher temperatures led to the production of a highly carbonized, fusible metal, without any special design on the part of the manufacturers in producing it. This pig-iron, however, could be used only for a few purposes for which metallie iron was needed; but it was produced cheaply and with little loss of metal, and the attempt to decarbonize this product and bring it into a state in which it could be hammered and welded was soon successfully made. This process of decarbonizatioa, or some modification of it, has successfully held the field against all, so-called, direct processes up to the present time. Why ? Because the old-fashioned bloomeries and Catalan forges could produce blooms only at a high cost, and because the new processes introduced failed to turn out good blooms. Those produced were invariably "red-short," that is, they contained unreduced oxide of iron, which prevented the contact of the metallic particles, and rendered the welding together of these particles to form a solid bloom impossible. The process of puddling cast-iron, and transforming it by decarhonization into wrought-iron has, as everybody knows, been in successful practical operation for many years, and the direct process referred to so closely resembles this, that a short description of the theory of puddling is not out of place here.

Jan 1, 1884

By C. O. Dale, W. J. Rundle

THE upper Mississippi Valley zinc-lead area was the first major lead producing section in the United States. The lead ore, found near the surface in crevices, was relatively pure galena that could be smelted directly into lead, at first in log hearth furnaces and later in more efficient blast type furnaces. French Canadian fur traders encouraged the Indians to mine the lead ore and showed them how to smelt it into lead that had a high value for bullets.1 Nicholas Perrot found lead ore on the Mississippi River bluffs near the junction of Wisconsin and Illinois and in 1690 established a trading post on the Wisconsin side of the river opposite the present site of Dubuque, Iowa.2 Shortly after 1720 discovery of Mine La Mott in Missouri diverted considerable attention from the Upper Mississippi area. Mining continued on a desultory basis with operations concentrated in the Galena, Illinois-Dubuque, area. In 1740 at least 20 miners were at work in the Fever River area around Galena and are reported to have shipped 2500 70-lb pigs of lead to Kaskaskia in 1741.3 Julien Dubuque established a mining and smelting operation in 1790 near the city that bears his name 'and was granted sole right to exploit the mining operations on the lands of the Sauk and the Fox Indians. He is reported to have produced 30,000 70-lb pigs of lead in 1805. Following the death of Dubuque in 1810 the Indians refused to let the white miners enter their lands, and little was done on the Iowa side of the river until the Indians were removed by treaty with the United States government in 1832.4 Early mining was entirely for lead but as the crevices were followed down, increasing percentages of zinc sulphide and zinc carbonate were encountered and at first discarded. Later a market became available for the zinc ores, and hand jigging devices were made to separate the lead," the zinc, and the rock or waste materials. The first record of zinc production from -the area is for 1860. Production of zinc passed that of lead before 1900, reached a peak of 64,000 short tons' in 1917, fell off rapidly and continually to about 2000 short tons in 1938, and since 1940 has ranged from 11,000 to 19,000 short tons. Lead has been of considerably less importance since 1900, and at present only about 10 pct as much lead as zinc is produced. Practically all of the zinc ore has come from orebodies that are rather flat and wide with, considerable length as compared to width. Most of the early lead came from the crevice type deposit, but present production is from the predominately flat zinc orebodies. The Graham-Snyder orebody, scene of Eagle Picher operations, is practically all zinc with little or no lead being recovered. Marcasite, present in varying amounts, makes production of finished concentrates by gravity separation impractical. Satisfactory lead and zinc concentrates have been produced since flotation was introduced in the area in 1927. An acid recovery plant was operated for about 20 years after World War I, but it has been dismantled, and no recovery of the iron sulphides in the ores of the district is being made at the present time. In June 1950 there were three companies operating mines and mills, Tri-State Zinc Co., Calumet & Hecla Consolidated Copper Co., and Eagle Picher Mining and Smelting Co. The Vinegar Hill Zinc Co. had completed a shaft at a new orebody and had started to develop the mine which will supply the Cuba City mill. The Cuba Mining Co. was holding the Andrews Mine inactive. The Dodgeville Mining Co. was not operating but was exploring for additional reserves. Several small mines were selling ore to the Eagle Picher mill. A general area map is given in Fig. 1. The Eagle Picher Mining and Smelting Co. entered the area in 1946 with an active exploration campaign. Leases on a block basis were secured for the area south from the Wisconsin-Illinois line near

Jan 1, 1952

By E. Gilpin

The following notes may serve to bring before your Institute an idea of the iron-ore resources of Pictou County. Enough work has been done to permit an estimate to be formed of their quality and probable extent. As yet the systematic mining and smelting of ironore in Nora Scotia is confined to the operations of the Steel Company of Canada, in Colchester County. Although the locality I am about to describe appears, in many respects, well adapted to iron smelting, etc., no attempts have yet been made to begin work. Nora Scotian capital is more readily turned to lumbering, fishing, and shipping ventures; and such an investment appears equally foreign to the rest of the Dominion. I need not, however, go further into this part of the subject, and can only hope that my notes may prove serviceable as indicating a probable field for future development. The accompanying map shows the position of the harbor of Pictou relative to the coal and iron-ore fields, and to the railways which intersect them. The branch of the Intercolonial Railway, running from Truro to Pictou, forms the western boundary of the iron-ore district, which extends beyond the point where the New Glasgow and Cape Breton Railway crosses the French River. The iron-ore district may be roughly described as a triangle formed by the ore-outcrops and the two railways, the former making the base, and the latter the sides of the triangle, the apex resting on the coal-field at New Glasgow. The drainage of the country is toward the Gulf of St. Lawrence, through the Middle, East, Sutherland's, and French rivers; and the surface is undulatory, seldom exceeding two hundred feet above the sea-level, except in the district lying between Glengarry and the upper waters of the French and Sutherland's rivers, where a maximum height of about five hundred feet is reached at several points. Geologically speaking, the district embraces two divisions, the Carboniferous and the Silurian, the latter resting on strata provisionally considered to be of pre-Cambrian age. As no geological

Jan 1, 1886

By Eben E. Olcott

The Mine.-For some years attention has been drawn to the copper deposits of the Appalachian range of mountains, and especially to those in that portion crossing the corners of Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Certain it is that in many places in this locality available deposits of copper await the miner, and one after another are being opened and worked. The parts of these three States alluded to are but sparsely settled, and communications are insufficient to meet the demand for transportation. Railroads are wanted, as the existing wagon roads are unfitted for heavy hauling; these circumstances increase very much the difficulties in the way of mining enterprises. Notwithstanding this, the success of some of the mines of this section is an established fact, and Ducktown has for some years held a high rank among the copper-producing localities of the United States. Of all these deposits, however, none is more interesting or more deserving of attention than the one now under consideration. The works of the Ore Knob Copper Company have been energetically pushed forward, since the reopening of the mine, in the spring of 1873, by Mr. J. E. Clayton, the superintendent and one of the chief owners of the property, and if one thing more than another can insure success it is the combination in this gentleman of rare business capabilities with the deepest personal interest in the pros¬perity of the undertaking. The copper vein -at Ore Knob* is a clearly defined fissure traversing the gneissic rocks of Pre-silurian age in a direction 61° east of north. * The reader is referred to a paper by Dr. T. Sterry Hunt, in the second volume of the Transactions of the Institute, on the "Ore Knob Mine, and some related Deposits," pages 123 to 129.

Jan 1, 1875

By Thomas R. Mager

An in.t!estigation has been made of the equilibrium conditions at 1200°C in the reaction between hydrogen sulfide gas and sulfur dissolved in Fe-Si alloys From this the equilibrium constant, activity coefficient, and activity of sulfur in solution were calculated. A number of studies of the equilibrium of sulfur with iron and iron alloys have given closely agreeing results from which the activity and free energy of the dissolved sulfur may be found. Sherman, El-vander, and chipman1 discussed the significant researches of dilute solutions of sulfur in liquid iron prior to 1950, and the results of this study indicated that the relationship between the ratio of PH2S/PH2 in the environment and the percentage of sulfur in solution is not a linear one. Morris and williams2 studied the equilibrium conditions in the reaction between hydrogen sulfide gas and sulfur dissolved in liquid iron and Fe-Si alloys, and reported that silicon dissolved in iron has a pronounced effect on the equilibrium conditions. They found that the activity of sulfur in iron is increased by the addition of silicon. At a silicon content of 4 pet the activity coefficient of sulfur was about twice that for sulfur dissolved in pure iron. Sherman and chipman3 investigated the chemical behavior of sulfur in liquid iron at 1600°C through the study of the equilibrium: H2 + S = H2S; K = PH2S/PH2 . 1/as [1] From the known equilibrium constant of the reaction between H2, H2S, and S and the experimental data, the activity of sulfur in the melt was determined. They found that the activity coefficient of sulfur defined as fs = as/%s is increased by silicon and decreased by manganese. Morris4 and Turkdogan5 also reported that manganese decreases the activity coefficient of sulfur in liquid iron and iron-base alloys. A recent technique of sulfur analysis developed by Kriege and wolfe6 of the Westinghouse Research Laboratories permits an accurate sulfur analysis of 0.5 * 0.2 ppm in the range of 0.1 to 3 ppm, whereas in the range of 3 to 50 ppm the accuracy is ±1 ppm. This technique of sulfur analysis was utilized in this experiment. Previous unpublished data reported that sulfur analysis by the combustion technique was not accurate below 20 ppm. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Five 5-lb ingots of high-purity Fe-Si were prepared. Three of these ingots were prepared without the addition of manganese but with a variation of silicon contents from 2 to 4 pet. The remaining two ingots contained 3 pet Si with the addition of manganese. Ingots were made at each of three silicon levels: 2, 3, and 4 pet. No alloys were made with less than 2 pet Si since below approximately 1.8 pet Si the binary alloy exhibits a to ? transformation. The two additional ingots of 3 pet Si-Fe were made at each of two manganese levels: 0.20 and 0.50 pet. To minimize the effects, if any, of impurities on the activity of sulfur on Si-Fe, the best metals available were used for melting. All ingots were vacuum-melted in magnesium oxide crucibles. After obtaining samples for chemical analyses, the ingots were processed. This consisted of hot rolling and subsequently cold rolling the alloys. Each ingot was hot-rolled at 1000°C, reheating between every pass to minimize grain growth. All heating was done in a protective argon atmosphere. The slabs were hot-rolled to strips 50 mils thick. After hot rolling, all the material was pickled to remove the scale formed on the surface of the strip during hot rolling. The material was then cold-rolled to 12-mil strips. Single strips of the material used in this experiment were hydrogen-annealed at 1200°C for 16 hr in an alumina tube. Chemical analyses of strips M-1, M-3, M-4, M-7, and M-8 are given in Table I. Sulfur, silicon, and manganese analyses were made from the millings from the cold-rolled 12-mil strips. The oxygen analyses were made from slugs of the as-cast material. The hydrogen sulfide used in these experiments was supplied from cylinders containing a mixture of argon and 1 pet hydrogen sulfide. The parts per million of hydrogen sulfide were determined from the analysis of the exit gas of the annealing furnace during each anneal. The flow rate of hydrogen was approximately 1 liter per min in all anneals. The

Jan 1, 1964

By G. F. Loughlin

Nearly 55 years have elapsed since the U. S. Geological Survey was organized. During this period the mineral industries have grown from infancy or early childhood to well developed maturity, and some mining industries appear to be declining. Decline in mining is even more conspicuous in certain districts, or even states, than in any mining industry as a whole, and discoveries or developments of important new districts have been very few in recent years. Our reserves of most metals and nonmetals are adequate for many years of normal production, subject to changes in rate of exploitation that may be caused by foreign competition and by changes in technology and market conditions; but the declining production of many districts and the scarcity of important new discoveries to compensate for them is cause for some apprehension. It is likely that future production will depend to a considerable extent on deep exploration and on the thorough examination of places in and adjoining existing districts where significant outcrops are lacking and only apparently insignificant geologic features offer encouraging clues—more so than on the discovery of entirely new districts. Even the possible discovery of new districts, which have escaped the intensive search by the nontechnical prospector, must be dependent on geologic information. There is therefore no need for argument as to the value of geology to the mining industry; and the need of continuing to advance the science. The U. S. Geological Survey's past contributions to mining geology, as expressed in its official reports and other publications, are recognized by Ransome in his historical review of mining geology in the Lindgren volume.' These contributions have helped to form the basis of modern mining geology, which has grown rapidly in the last 25 years. This growth has witnessed the organization and maintenance of geologic staffs by mining companies in several districts, and their detailed work, together with the fact that nearly all of the larger mining districts have

Jan 1, 1935

By J. H. Swisher

An experimental study has been made of the possible mechanisms for foam stability in the system CaO-SiO2-Cr2O3, where Cr2O3is the foaming agent. The degree of lowering of surface tension by Cr2O3 was determined at 1600 "C for high -silica melts. Measurements were also made of foam stability under standardized conditions. The results of the two sets of measurements then were correlated by applying the Gibbs and Marangoni theories of film elasticity. It was demonstrated that the Marangoni elasticity effect is probably the largest single contributor to foam stability, although the high uiscosity of' silicate melts makes some contribution in controlling the rate of drainage of liquid from bubble lamellae. ThE tendency of metallurgical slags to foam has frequently been observed during steel-refining operations. In the open-hearth furnace,this tendency is considered undesirable because it slows down the rate of heat transfer from the burners to the molten-metal bath. On the other hand, it is sometimes desirable to have a "foamy" slag in the basic oxygen converter.' A more effective blanket over the steel bath is made by a "foamy" slag, and loss in yield of metal due to splashing is minimized. In addition, a flush slag can be removed more easily in this condition. Since slag-foaming problems in the field have been attacked largely on an empirical basis, it appeared desirable to obtain a better basic understanding of the mechanism of foam stability. The experimental work was directed almost entirely toward the behavior of Cr2O3 as the foaming agent in CaO-SiO,-Cr2O3 melts. In the first stage of the investigation, the degree of lowering of surface tension by Cr2O3 was determined at 1600°C. The second stage consisted of measuring foam stabilities under standardized conditions. The two sets of experimental results then were correlated by applying various theories of foam stability. For convenience in interpreting the surface-tension and foam-stability results reported here, a portion of the CaO-SiO2-Cr2O3 phase diagram2 is reproduced in Fig. 1. EXPERIMENTAL 1) Surface-Tension Measurements. Very little information is available in the literature on the lowering of surface tension of slags by foaming agents. Kozakevitch 3 mentioned that the addition of 1.5 pct Cr2O3 lowered the surface tension of FeO slightly. In another system, some data on the lowering of surface tension of foaming slags by P2O5 were reported by Cooper and Kitchener.4 The technique used for the surface-tension measurements was the maximum bubble-pressure method,' using a single tube immersed to various depths in the melt. This method has been used extensively in high-temperature systems, such as in liquid metals, slags, and glasses.6,7 It has the advantage that the contact angle between the liquid and the tube material need not be known. The equation used for calculating surface-tension values from maximum bubble-pressure measurements is the Schroedinger equatioq5 which can be written as follows:

Jan 1, 1964