Search Documents

By Tell Ertl

THE term oil shale is defined. Foreign oil-shale developments are outlined briefly, The richest and most extensive oil-shale deposits in the United States lie in Western Colorado. The Bureau of Mines is opening two adjacent areas for underground mining in Western Colorado. From the first area the oil shale is mined selectively as required by the retorting plant. The second area is being developed as a unit of a full scale oil-shale mine to ascertain the most practical methods of mining oil shale and to determine costs. In both of these mining areas, research will be carried on to develop new and improved practices for mining oil shale.

Jan 1, 1947

By J. Ivon Graham, T. D. Jones

This paper presents methods in use in British coal-mines for the suppression of dust. While the effect of present-day treatment will not be apparent for several years, in pits in South Wales, concentrations as high as 50 gm./1,000 cu. ft. were some years ago fairly common in various operations at or near the coal-face, with an average concentration of 20 gm./1,000 cu. ft. Now the average concentration in what were previously dusty pits is probably not greater than 3 gm./1,000 cu. ft.Nevertheless, every effort must be made to improve conditions still further. In South Wales it is claimed that 99% of the coal-faces requiring treatment have been dealt with either by wet cutting, infusion, or hand-spraying. The extent of the treatment by these methods can be gauged by the fact that the total length of coal-faces now being treated by water infusion in Cardiff and Swansea areas is about 33,000 yds., by wet cutting 25,000 yds., and by hand-spraying nearly 14,000 yds. The influence of methods of mining upon dust production is only mentioned very briefly in this review, and there is no doubt that much more is to be learned concerning this aspect. It can be stated, however, that good mining practice is essential to prevent unnecessary dust production, and the problem of dust in mines will be solved only by the closest co-operation between mine managers, workmen, and scientists.

Jan 1, 1947

By Alvaro Abreu, Thomas Fraser

The work described in this paper was carried out under the sponsorship of the Foreign Economics Administration and in cooperation with the Departamento Nacional da Produggo Mineral, Rio de Janeiro. The project was undertaken to obtain complete data on the variations in washability of coal to be used for coke manufacture in the steel industry and to determine the economy of preliminary hand-sorting operations. The coal-producing industry of Brazil is in that pioneering stage in which operating practices and methods are just being developed. Increased wartime demand for fuel, coincident with a drastic curtailment of foreign supplies due to lack of shipping facilities, has put a tremendous pressure on the national industry to furnish more coal. Under this incentive, production facilities are being -expanded- and new methods of operation are being tested. Such changes are being developed both by improvement of existing methods that originated in the field and by adaptation and modification of methods introduced from the United States and Europe. These mining conditions and mining practices in Brazil are typical of what the American mining engineer will find in many instances when he goes pioneering into the developing coal fields of the Southern Hemisphere. The producing coal fields of Brazil are all in the southern states of that country. The coal measures are in a band roughly paralleling the coast and extending in a generally southwesterly direction from northern Sao Paulo through the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul to near the Uruguayan border in the vicinity of Bajé. The accompanying map1 (Fig. I) shows the general location of these fields and also the principal routes of movement of both national and imported coal in a late pre-war year (1940). Statistical data on production by states up to that year are given in Table I. Rio Grande do Sul is still the largest producer among the coal states; but wartime

Jan 1, 1947

By Albert L. Toenges

The production of coal from underground mines in Washington declined during the recent war owing to shortage of manpower, and coal was shipped to the Pacific Northwest from mines in the Rocky Mountain region. The movement of this coal into Washington required the use of railroad equipment that otherwise could have been used for transporting war materiel and personnel. Strip mining uses a minimum of manpower, and the development of coal areas in the Pacific Northwest that can be mined by the strip method should increase production in the area, thus releasing railroad equipment from the necessity of transporting coal long distances and also providing consumers with a lower-cost product. The development of a strip mine to supply the demand at low cost requires a large investment in heavy equipment. In order that the fixed charges due to large investment in plant and equipment may be kept at a minimum, large reserves of coal must be proved. A reconnaissance of an area near Toledo, Lewis County, Wash., indicated a large bed of lignite that could be mined by strip methods. The area is approximately midway between Portland, Oreg., and Tacoma, Wash. (refer to fig. 1), and the opening of a large mine in the area would supply fuel to these and other nearby centers.

Jan 1, 1947

By J. M. Smith

This resume provides an account of the work of the Bureau and it's establishment by an Act of Parliament in August 1916. The Medical Bureau is concerned solely with the administration of the medical provisions of the Act. Its main functions are to conduct and to direct or control the medical examinations provided for in the Act. The paper covers the changes in type of silicosis, classification into the three legal stages of silicosis, cancer of the lung and tuberculosis.

Jan 1, 1947

Jan 1, 1947

By H. R. Hendricks

THE ore of the Iron King Mine, being very hard and having a very fine crystalline structure, presents many problems in milling that are not present in ordinary lead-zinc ores. This very fine crystallization causes much interlocking of minerals and is most prevalent between the gold and pyrite and the sphalerite and pyrite. The recovery of gold is extremely important in the economic value of the ore and therefore constitutes a large part of the metallurgical problem to be solved. All of the gold is free but it has not been observed in any of the mill products except under very high magnification. Some of the gold is tarnished, and this condition also makes recovery difficult. The gold values have been determined to be highest in association with chalchopyrite and arsenopyrite. The silver occurs mostly in association with galena and tennantite. A small amount of native silver has also been observed occasionally. The galena, being softer than the other minerals, frees much better in grinding. Some oxidation of galena is present in the ore, as the nonsulphide lead content amounts to approximately 10 pct of the total lead. Some oxidation of sphalerite is also present in the ore. Microscopic examination of the zinc concentrate shows many grains in the minus 325-mesh to be half pyrite, together with the fact that some of the zinc is marmatite, makes production of a high-grade zinc concentrate very difficult unless recovery is sacrificed. In the grinding, it has been determined that the flotation feed must be maintained at 85 pct minus 200-mesh to free the minerals sufficiently to make the best economic recoveries. Table I illustrates the effect of fine grinding. It shows that the bulk of the recovered minerals is in the minus 325-mesh size and is the part of the minerals that is more readily freed. The pyrite concentrate is not given in the table because it contains practically no minus 325-mesh. DEVELOPMENT OF PRESENT FLOWSHEET AND MILLING PRACTICE The first milling operation started in 1938, with a mill capacity of 140 tons daily, producing a bulk gold-silver-lead concentrate. After several stages of expansion and changes of the mill flowsheet, the mill is currently treating 380 tons of ore daily and three separate concentrates are produced. In order of their importance and value, these are: (1) lead concentrate, (2) zinc concentrate and (3) pyrite concentrate. The present average grade of mill heads is: gold 0.11 oz, silver 4.00 oz, lead 2.50 pct, zinc 7.60 pct, copper 0.22 pct, iron 22 pet and 30 pct insolubles. Specific gravity of the ore is 3.8. During the period when bulk flotation was practiced, the flowsheet was very simple. The ore was ground fine enough to liberate as much gold, silver and lead as possible. Necessary collectors and frothers were added in sufficient quantity

Jan 1, 1947

By J. H. Hollomon, J. C. Fisher

THE fundamental problem concerning the fracture of both crystalline and noncrystalline solids is the divergence between the actual and the theoretically computed fracture stresses; the stress required for fracture, computed from the forces between atoms, is many times that actually observed with commercially available materials. Computations have been made1, 2 indicating that the theoretical fracture stress should be from 100 to 1000 times that actually observed. There are other incidental problems that have arisen, perhaps the most important of which is the problem of size effect often observed in the measurement of the fracture stress of non-metallic solids, such as glass. Another effect concerns the relation between deformation and the stress required for fracture. Experiments recently made with pearlitic steels indicate that the tensile fracture stress increases with increasing tensile deformation and decreases with increasing prior compressive deformation. This marked anisotropy of the effect of deformation on the fracture stress is in contrast with the essential isotropy of the flow stress. Early experiments on rock salt crystals by Joffé, et a13 have illustrated the effect of tensile strain in increasing the tensile stress required for fracture. A consistent theory must be constructed that will explain not only the divergence of the measured fracture stress from the theoretical value, the size effect, and the effect of deformation; but will also explain and predict the effects of combined stress, of temperature, of strain rate, and of metallurgical structure. With respect to this last variable, it has now been relatively well established that the carbide particle is the element of structure controlling the fracture of steels. In steels carbide particles vary in shape from plates to spheroids. It has been found that not only does the magnitude of the fracture stress depend upon the size and shape of these particles, but also its dependence upon strain is affected by changes in shape and size of the particles. The precipitate resulting from the age hardening of duralumin also modifies the fracture stress of this alloy. Nonmetallic inclusions greatly lower the fracture stress of all metals. The magnitude of the lowering depends on the size and shape of the included particles. In glass, the major source of the low fracture stress has been fairly conclusively demonstrated by Griffith4 to arise from real flaws or cracks present in the material. He showed that the stress concentration at the end of a defect was of sufficient magnitude to raise the stress at this location to a value comparable with the theoretical strength of the material. If the cracks were reduced in size, Griffith showed that the observed fracture strength increased by virtue of the decrease in stress concentration. He also pointed out that cracks disposed perpendicularly to the applied tensile stress would be more effective in lowering the fracture

Jan 1, 1947

By Sidney W. Poole

THE control of deoxidation, together with other factors involved in electric-furnace melting practice, to consistently produce heats of high-quality alloy steel to stringent specifications as to nonmetallic inclusion content is a problem of considerable magnitude. Steel melting as an industrial process is subject to many variables that can influence the quality of the product made. In order to modify the size, amount and distribution of inclusions and to promote their elimination, deoxidation, among other practices, plays a major part. The primary purpose of deoxidation in the production of electric-furnace alloy steels is the removal of dissolved oxygen present as FeO in the bath, which is produced as a result of prior oxidizing conditions. The elements usually added to effect this removal of soluble oxygen are those that will, upon addition, cause the formation of an oxide compound insoluble in the molten steel bath as silica, alumina or silicate combinations.

Jan 1, 1947

By Grover J. Holt

In order to provide a clear picture of the development of the sink-and-float process of concentration as applied to the iron ores of Minnesota, a few pertinent facts should be brought out concerning the ores and the products of concentration. Iron ore is primarily a cheap commodity handled in immense quantities. The price of iron ore at present, based on a natural iron content of 51.5 per cent, varies from $2.55 to $2.70 per gross ton f.0.b. cars at the mine or washing plant in Minnesota. Last year 92,000,000 gross tons were shipped from the Lake Superior district (Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin) to the furnaces. Concentrated iron ores have no greater value per unit of iron content than ores that can be mined and shipped direct from the shafts or open pits. For years only the higher grades of concentrating ores could be treated and sold in competition with the immense reserves of direct shipping ore available. These higher-grade "straight wash" ores required only the simplest treatment; namely, the washing out of fine sand from coarse ore particles. As the exhaustion of the " straight wash " ore is reached, rock is found replacing part of this sand, and the ore no longer responds to the former sizing treatment. Substantial tonnages of this marginal (jig ore) remained to be treated. Because of the limitations placed on concentrates by the furnaces—namely, low price of product and minimum amount of fines—iron-ore concentration oil has been and must continue to be a one-pass process. Only an increase in price or a change in structure of concentrates allowed by the ore consumer will encourage departure from this practice. Faced with the necessity of handling large tonnages, with the limitations mentioned, iron-ore research men have found their search for new and more efficient methods of treatment seriously handicapped and removed from the field of fine crushing. Sink-and-float treatment appeared to offer the best field in coarse concentration and has been proved by several plants to be well adapted to our problem. The use of ferrosilicon as a medium solid was decided upon. In our present practice, the ferrosilicon metal, carrying about 83 per cent iron, 15 per cent silicon and 2 per cent carbon and nonmagnetics, is crushed to pass 65 mesh and used without further sizing. When mixed with water the specific gravity of the medium may be controlled to within 0.02 per cent above or below the required gravity. Table I shows examples of a change in solid content of the medium for varying gravities. the I is based on clean ferrosilicon, whereas some contamination is always present in the mill circuit, tending to

Jan 1, 1947

By W. E. Selnes

Introduction In 1938, a survey conducted by the Ontario Mining Association revealed a rather startling fact. Injuries incurred in chute pulling were more numerous than those from any other single cause. This report prompted Mr. W. B. Paton, then Inspector of Mines for Manitoba, to make a similar survey of the mines of his Province. It indicated that, in Manitoba mines, chute accidents ranked second only to those from falls off roofs and sides. Why has the mining industry been so slow to recognize the dangers of chute pulling? A partial answer may be the lack of any systematic classification of accidents according to their real cause. The result has been to attribute to other causes injuries which were a direct outcome of chute pulling, and, indeed, has made it difficult to analyze accidents in the industry as a whole. Perhaps, too, because chutes are generally located in the comparative safety? of the drifts, there has been a tendency to consider the occupation as not very hazardous. Not until enough statistics were obtained on this particular task could it be appraised correctly. The Mining Association's survey has been most helpful, and latterly the industry has done a great deal toward analyzing the causes of chute accidents and toward determining an effective means of overcoming them. Much, however, remains to be done. An effort will be made in this paper to outline methods which have been found successful in materially reducing the number of injuries. Qualifications of the Chute Puller First of all it must be realized that chute-pulling is a specialized occupation. The men require proper training for the job, just as in other mining operations. Care must, therefore, be taken to choose persons whose qualifications fit them for the job. Chute-pulling is an integral part of the general mining operation and cannot be considered as isolated from the tasks of other workers. One of the essential qualifications of a chute-puller is a sufficient knowledge of mining operations to appreciate the effect his work will have on the safety of others in the vicinity. He must take the necessary precautions, by verbal warnings, by placing barricades and signs, or by personally guarding the chutes, to prevent accidents to fellow workers.

Jan 1, 1947

By Edward Saibel, W. T. Lankford

DURING the course of an investigation of the plastic flow of aluminum aircraft sheet under combined loads, several problems arose in which analyses of the conditions leading to unstable plastic flow were needed. In order to provide these analyses, and in the hope of attaining a better understanding of the general problem of unstable plastic flow, the present study was undertaken. It is well known that unstable plastic flow is associated with a form of mechanical instability frequently observed during the plastic deformation of ductile metals. This instability is characterized by the fact that, at its onset, plastic straining will proceed at a constant magnitude of the externally applied forces. It is further typical that the resulting unstable flow is generally accompanied by the formation of a neck, a local bulging, or some other form of heterogeneous deformation. Perhaps the most familiar example of unstable plastic flow to the metallurgist is the formation of the neck in the ordinary tension test. It is well known that in this test most metals exhibit a maximum in the externally applied load, followed by the process commonly referred to. as "necking down." Instability in the simple tension test has been frequently discussed and numerous investigators 1,2.3,12 have derived the criterion for instability in terms of a critical rate of strain hardening. It is the purpose of the present study to extend the criterion for unstable flow to the more general case where the body undergoing flow is subjected to combined loads. It is hoped that the problems considered will provide a more consistent picture of the general features of this important form of mechanical instability. The most practical implications of instability in plastic flow arise in connection with sheet metal forming operations. In the formation of a great many sheet metal parts, the deformations are produced primarily by stretching. If the conditions which lead to unstable flow are fulfilled in such a formation, and if the resultant instability leads to a pronounced localization of flow, then the useful limit of ductility of the material will have been reached. It is also essential that the effects of instability be taken into consideration in any study of the plastic flow and rupture of metals under combined stresses. In general, when unstable plastic flow is initiated, straining becomes localized, the geometry of the test specimen changes, and the state of stress in that portion of the specimen undergoing plastic flow is no longer under external control. In many past studies of the effects of combined stresses on flow and rupture, account has not been taken of the fact that, although a given test may be started under constant

Jan 1, 1947

Chairman: Mr. R. C. Heers, Project Manager, Kaiser Company, Inc. CHAIRMAN HEERS: Fellows, I can't say it gives me a lot of pleasure to call this meeting together because I would rather somebody else had the job. I haven't anything to say this morning and I think the sooner we get started with the fellows that have something to say, the better pleased everybody will be. The first speaker this morning is Mr. John Griffen of the McNally Pittsburgh Company. He has a talk on coal preparation and I am pleased to present Mr. Griffen.

Jan 1, 1947

By James A. Barr

The writer's first experience with flotation was during World War I, in the bene-ficiation of Alabama graphite schist ores. One plant used a cone with a peripheral overflow; dried ore was distributed by a rotating disk onto the surface of the water. No reagents were added' The flake-graphite film floated along with some fine silica. Dewatering screens separated the flake. Naturally unit capacities were low but results were satisfactory. Minerals separation mechanical flotation machines were used in another graphite mill. pine oil was added directly to the head cells, with very good results. All the graphite concentrates from both types of flotation were carefully refined after drying by passing through burr mills, followed by very close sizing on sifters. In March 1927, the writer ran a very successful flotation test on minus 28-mesh, deslimed, Tennessee brown phosphate "sand,"† using a mechanical laboratory machine built in the shops of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co., through the courtesy of Ernest Klepetko. The machine was soon converted to a subaeration type, with improved results. This phosphate research program was greatly enlarged and led to the formation of the phosphate Recovery corporation. The development of nonmetallic flotation followed rapidly. The first flotation machine for bene- ficiation of phosphate was installed in January 1928, in a pilot mill, by International Minerals and Chemical Corporation, at Mulberry, Florida. These machines were Minerals Separation, 24-in., sub-,,,tion types, with weir control of pulp between cells. The sand bleeders were very small—about 1¼-in. diameter. As the feed flake. Is to 25 per cent plus 28-mesh material, the cells choked up frequently. This was corrected by cutting a 2 by 6-in. bleeder opening above the impellers, at grid level, which short-circuited the coarse fractions directly into the feed of the next cell. The matter of size classification and grinding was a considerable problem, which does not come within the scope of this article. Because of the troubles noted above, cascade-type roughers were installed in the second flotation plant, built about 1930. Experimental cells had been tried in 1928. General plant layout is shown in Fig. 1 and details of the cascade construction in Fig. 2. The cascade installation in plant NO. 2 gave good results and eliminated troubles due to choke-ups and coarse feed. The capacities and metallurgical results equaled those of the modified 24-in. Minerals Separation flotation machines in plant No. I The objections to the cascade installation are the floor space and mill height required. In 1939 an improved Minerals Separation machine was tested in parallel with the cascades. Extensive tests indicated

Jan 1, 1947

By M. Muskat, F. Morgan, R. G. Russell

Core experiments with radioactive tracers are reported in which an artificial radioactive material, radiovanadium, was used in aqueous solution in a study of the mobility of connate water. Sandstone cores saturated with active water were first oil-flooded to simulate virgin sand conditions in which the pores are filled with oil and connate water. They were then subjected to flooding with inactive water. Measurements were made of the activity of various portions of the effluent as well as the activity of the core after the flooding process was completed. In additional experiments the distribution of activity along the core was measured during the flooding process. In still other experiments direct flooding tests were made on cores fully saturated with active water. In all cases it was found that after injecting into the core a volume of inactive water equal to a pore volume, the effluent contained more than 80 per cent of the active content originally in the core. It is felt that these results imply a high degree of mobility of the connate water when subjected to flooding, although at least a partial contribution of the effect of tracer transfer within the core cannot be definitely excluded. The implications of this result with respect to water-flooding, core analysis and electric logging are discussed. A better approach to determining the connate water saturation of oil-producing rocks, by measuring the fluid content of core samples at the surface, is by the use of crude oil or oil-base muds as the coring fluid. Although water flooding is of considerable importance in the recovery of ail, comparatively little is known with certainty about the role played by the connate water during the operations. Two possibilities exist. Either the connate water is retained in the formation while the flood water sweeps past, or it is pushed along to a greater or lesser degree by the flood. Thus far no explicit recognition in terms of quantitative studies appears to have been given to the displacement of connate waters by the intruding extraneous waters, although such a possibility might be important in determining the efficiency of the oil -displacement process in water-flooding operations, especially in argillaceous rocks. On the other hand, it is a common observation that the first water produced with the oil as a result of water-flooding is definitely saline.*.' Similar questions regarding the mobility of the interstitial water arise in the quantitative description of the advance of edge-water drives. In the interpretation of the water saturations determined from core analyses, when coring with water-base muds, it is generally assumed that the drilling fluid merely adds to the connate water without displacing the

Jan 1, 1947

By D. J. McAdam, G. W. Geil, R. W. Mebs

AS shown in previous papers by the authors 9-l7† the resistance of a metal to fracture, like its resistance to plastic deformation, is a function of all three principal stresses.‡ A technical cohesion limit is the technically determined resistance to fracture under a specific stress system. The technical cohesive strength thus comprises an infinite number of technical cohesion limits corresponding to the infinite number of possible combinations of the principal stresses. The technical cohesive strength, therefore, may be represented by a surface in a diagram with the three principal stresses as coordinates. As shown in previous papers, 9-I8 the technical cohesive strength increases with plastic deformation, with decrease in temperature, and with increase in the strain rate. The technical cohesion limit, therefore, is affected by the same factors that affect the flow stress, § namely, the stress system, plastic deformation, temperature, and the strain rate. More- over, the influence of each of these factors on the technical cohesion limit has been shown to be qualitatively similar to the influence of the same factor on the flow stress.9-18 Advance of knowledge about the conditions determining fracture, of metals has been retarded by the reluctance of some investigators to abandon preconceived ideas about how metals "should" behave. The incorrect idea is still prevalent that the conditions determining resistance to fracture are very different from those determining the flow stress. Attempts are still being made to express resistance to fracture in terms of a single parameter, such as a limiting value of the greatest principal stress, the maximum shearing stress, or the volume stress (one-third the algebraic sum of the three principal stresses). In these attempts, a sharp distinction is sometimes made between a ductile or "plastic fracture " and a "brittle fracture." In making this distinction, however, the meaning attached to the term "brittle fracture" sometimes is not made clear. The term could mean fracture after very little plastic deformation or it could be used to designate the type of fracture. An ordinary fracture of a ductile metal at room temperature starts as a cleavage, generally transverse to the direction of the greatest principal stress, but eventually changes to a shearing fracture. In some conditions, however, the metal fractures entirely by cleavage, with no evidence of plastic deformation during the fracture; the surface of such a fracture may have a

Jan 1, 1947

By T. H. Wilson

In 1901, the Crow's Nest Pass Coal Company, Limited, began producing industrial coke in 212 beehive ovens at Michel colliery. By 1908, 486 ovens had been installed and in that year 147,623 tons of coke were produced. Coke manufacture has been continuous from 1901 until the present time (1946), with total production of 2,795,402 tons. At present writing, only 100 beehive ovens are operating and production is reduced to 1,800 tons per month, due to the shortage of suitable labour. These ovens are drawn by hand, on contract, and the workmen are exposed to considerable heat. A man draws three ovens in eight hours, thereby producing approximately 1072 tons of coke per day. In addition to the inefficient and costly method of drawing coke in beehive ovens, tremendous losses are experienced in the wastage of gas and tar, which are driven off into the atmosphere. Also, the yield of coke per ton of coal fed to the ovens is low as part 9f the carbon is utilized in producing heat to carbonize the remainder of the coal. A recovery of only 55 per cent of the carbon, as coke, is obtained. The coking process takes place from the top of the charge, which is 21/2 feet deep, downward to the floor. Six and a half tons of coal are charged and 3.6 tons of coke are drawn from the oven after 72 hours' carbonization. The beehive ovens using Michel coal produce a very hard and tough coke, large in size and of silvery appearance, which has served the requirements of both foundry and smelter for many years. In 1938, the Company made a careful study of coking processes with a view to introducing a more economical method than beehive ovens and one that would be less dependent on skilled labour, the supply of which was rapidly diminishing at that time. Various methods of by-product coking were investigated, and it was decided that the Curran-Knowles process offered the greatest possibilities because of the low capital investment in relation to output and also because the horizontal oven design was suitable for an expanding coal. Consequently, a test on Michel B seam coal, supervised by Mr. E. Burrough, of the Fuel Research Department, Ottawa, was run in the Curran-Knowles plant at West Frankfurt, III. The results of this test led to the construction of a ten-oven battery of 32 ft. 6 in. by 8 ft. 3 in. Curran-Knowles ovens at Michel, which were completed in November, 1939. This battery was built as an experimental unit, with provision for an additional ten ovens if the coke proved satisfactory for the market. In 1942, an expanding coke market led to the construction of a second battery of ten ovens, which were completed in April, 1943.

Jan 1, 1947

By James T. Kemp

SOME interesting and, to American eyes, rather unusual processes for refining impure aluminum derived from scraps were found by American and British investigators who went into Germany in 1945 for the Technical Industrial Intelligence Committee Of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. What was found was recorded in a series of reports (see page 14), many of which have been released for general reading. This paper gathers under one title and summarizes the German work in refining light metal scrap. Reference must be made to the original reports for greater detail. Basically, the occasion and stimulus for the German developments in treating light metal scrap were hard necessity. Germany needed the metal for a rapacious war industry. Adequate supplies of new aluminum from reduction works were not assured. Great quantities of airplane and other light metal war scraps were forecast. It was evident that the scrap metal would have to be reabsorbed by the producing industry and would have to be kept of good quality. The normal current production of manufacturing scrap was being and could be consumed as generated. It offered no technical problem. The mixed scraps, especially those arising from crashed and decommissioned airplanes, however, presented problems of another kind. AIRPLANE SCRAP The recovery of usable aluminum alloy from the mixed assemblies that made up the piles of airplane scrap was attacked in different ways by different groups and with differing degrees of success. Three procedures actually were used On a commercial scale, one was in pilot-plant stage and another had come to a halt in the laboratory a year before Germany collapsed. Four of these five processes actually involved "refining"; that is, some measure of purification of the metal after melting. SORTING AND SEPARATION ON A SLOPING HEARTH The simplest procedure for utilizing airplane scrap involved no refining in the strict sense of the word. This was the practice adopted by two representative plants visited by the author, the Leipziger Leichtmetalle Werke, Rackwitz, Saxony, and the Vereinigte Leichtmetalle Werke, Hanover. These firms did essentially the same thing that was done in England but not with equal success, to judge by their shorter experience, the smaller tonnage handled and by the number and quality of alloys produced. The two German firms named rough-sorted scraps by their easily recognizable alloys, essentially by part and shape. They used hand labor to chop and hack and tear apart. The easily separated heavy metal and nonmetallic scraps were discarded as they were found. Steel and the higher-melting-point metal parts riveted to aluminum or built into

Jan 1, 1947

Jan 1, 1947

By J. B. Caine

THE investigation outlined in this paper was carried on at the plant of the Sawbrook Steel Castings Co., Lockland, Ohio. EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE In the study of the effect of temperature, heats were made with the Sawbrook company's standard practice, using multiple slags, the only difference' being that the heats were tapped at two temperatures; one group between 2960° and 3040°F and the other group between 3200° and 3250°F. Slags were weighed throughout the heat at each slag change and after the heat was poured. Only the significant slag weights, those of the total slag and the finishing slag, have been reported.

Jan 1, 1947