Search Documents

By R. G. Vardiman, M. R. Achter

THERE has been interest recently in the conditions under which dislocation pipe diffusion may be observed. In order to extend the measurements to temperatures below Tm/2, where pipe diffusion becomes more important, a chemical sectioning technique was developed for silver single crystals which makes possible the removal of layers of 100A or less. The procedure is briefly as follows. Silver single crystals of 99.995 pct purity were cut in the form of discs t by 4 in., electropolished, and electropolated with Ag110 to about 1000A thickness. The thickness was determined by calibrating the activity with the weight of heavier platings, up to 10,000A. Both diffused and undiffused samples were sectioned in a two-step process. Reaction with a solution of iodine in alcohol formed a thin, even layer of AgI, which was then dissolved in a KCN solution. The reaction rate of the iodine solution varied slightly over a period of time, so that the thickness of the stripped layers, while quite even and regular for a given specimen, ranged from 65 to l00W for different specimens. This variation was checked by using a thickly plated standard with each run. Layer thickness was determined from undiffused samples by the point where the layer activity drops to half the maximum. This maximum intensity also provides, with appropriate corrections, the initial concentration per layer co. Because of the small penetration distances, it is necessary to use the exact solution of Fick's law for a source of finite thickness.' For a plating of thick- where c is the concentration at depth x. flj the error function, D the apparent diffusion coefficient, and t the time. The diffusion coefficient was obtained from the concentration-penetration data by extrapolating to x = 0 where c/co = erf h/2(Dt)1/2 Enough points were taken to impart confidence in the accuracy of the intersection, generally about ten layers. Four temperatures were used as in Table I. For best accuracy, t and h were chosen to give values of the parameter (Dt)1/2/h between 1.0 and 1.7. A typical concentration-penetration curve is shown in Fig. 1. The diffusion coefficients calculated from Eq. [I] are plotted in Fig. 2. For comparison, the high-temperature data of Tomizuka and sonder 2 which go down to 630°C are plotted as the solid line 2(a) from their expression D = 0.40 exp (-44,090/RT). Also for comparison, the lowest temperature point of Hoffman and Tumbull3 is plotted. It is apparent that our data diverge appreciably from the high-temperature extrapolation by 373°C. A better straight line fit for the low-temperature portion is obtained by subtracting the extrapolated volume diffusion coefficient from the apparent. or measured coefficient, and plotting the difference, curve (h) of

Jan 1, 1970

By Charles T. Holland

Miners have observed for many years that as pillars are removed in mining operations the pillar adjacent to those mined out frequently shows evidence of being compressed. Although this has been known for a long time, little or no information is available concerning how far from the mining area the pillars are affected in this manner, or how great is the magnitude of the compression, or concerning the manner or characteristic way in which the compression acts, as the mined-out area approaches the pillar under consideration. The writer made a study of pillar action in the Mona mine of the Arkwright Coal Co., partly to get some quantitative data on the deformation of coal-mine pillars. The study was not completed but it seems best to present the information that was obtained. Method of Measurement Fig. 1 shows the details of the apparatus used for measuring the deformation. This is permanently attached to the pillar. Fig. 2 shows the details of the gauge that records the deformation. This gauge is removable and was used to measure the deformation at all the stations. The recording dial is graduated in thousandths of an inch and records measurements up to one inch. Fig. 3 shows how the removable gauge is placed in the instrument. When installing the instrument in the side of the pillar, all loose coal near by was removed and a trench 4 to 6 in. deep, and approximately 1 ft. wide, was dug in the pillar. In this trench near the top and the floor, the holes holding the instrument were bored. These holes were then partly filled with thin cement and the rods were inserted. The remaining space in the holes was tamped full of cement. At this time, by carefully manipulating the permanent rods and clamps and adjustable pin, it was possible to adjust the instrument so that the removable gauge would stand true and measure any vertical deformation between the top and bottom rods. Fig. 4 is a photograph of one of the instruments installed, showing the removable gauge in place.

Jan 1, 1938

By Charles T. Holland

Miners have observed for many years that as pillars are removed in mining operations the pillar adjacent to those mined out frequently shows evidence of being compressed. Although this has been known for a long time, little or no information is available concerning how far from the mining area the pillars are affected in this manner, or how great is the magnitude of the compression, or concerning the manner or characteristic way in which the compression acts, as the mined-out area approaches the pillar under consideration. The writer made a study of pillar action in the Mona mine of the Arkwright Coal Co., partly to get some quantitative data on the deformation of coal-mine pillars. The study was not completed but it seems best to present the information that was obtained. Method of Measurement Fig. 1 shows the details of the apparatus used for measuring the deformation. This is permanently attached to the pillar. Fig. 2 shows the details of the gauge that records the deformation. This gauge is removable and was used to measure the deformation at all the stations. The recording dial is graduated in thousandths of an inch and records measurements up to one inch. Fig. 3 shows how the removable gauge is placed in the instrument. When installing the instrument in the side of the pillar, all loose coal near by was removed and a trench 4 to 6 in. deep, and approximately 1 ft. wide, was dug in the pillar. In this trench near the top and the floor, the holes holding the instrument were bored. These holes were then partly filled with thin cement and the rods were inserted. The remaining space in the holes was tamped full of cement. At this time, by carefully manipulating the permanent rods and clamps and adjustable pin, it was possible to adjust the instrument so that the removable gauge would stand true and measure any vertical deformation between the top and bottom rods. Fig. 4 is a photograph of one of the instruments installed, showing the removable gauge in place.

Jan 1, 1938

By Kavetsky A

In surface mining operations, the ease with which a muckpile may be dug is a dominant factor in mining efficiency. Within broad limits, this is largely dependent on muckpile shape and looseness within a muckpile. Moreover, prediction of grade boundary movement and subsequent dilu- tion is of interest to most open cut mines. Such a predictive tool would enable blast design changes to be made to reduce mixing of certain grade regions. At the very least, a good knowledge of post-blast region bound- aries can reduce layout of the grade boundaries and decrease grade dis- crepancies between pit and plant. The model presented in this paper is able to consider various options for a production blast and predict consequent muckpile shapes and grade boundary movements in a three dimensional manner. The overburden geometry, hole patterns, hole inclination and charge distribution are all explicit model inputs. The model divides the rock mass into blocks and calculates a velocity for each block. Three controlling parameters are used in the model, which are related to the explosive energy per unit length of blast hole, energy attenuation of the rock mass and inter-row delay, respectively. The output of the model is a 3 dimensional muckpile shape (contour or any cross section) and a contour map of grade distribution within the muckpile. The model parameters are site specific, since their values depend on the rock condition and explosive-rock interaction which varies from site to site. In order to "tune" the model to a particular site, parameter values must be found which reproduce an observed muckpile profile shape from a given blast design. This calibration of the model requires at least one surveyed muckpile profile shape from a production blast. The model parameters which best reproduce that shape are found by a pattern search technique, and may then be used to predict the effect of changes in blast design on muckpile profile shape and grade boundary movement.

Jan 1, 1989

By Esau Arinaitwe

The most extensively used methods and approaches for characterizing and selecting frothers for plant application are based on measurements in clean water in the absence of solids and without consideration of physicochemical factors that are known to influence the properties and behavior of practical flotation froths, and hence metallurgical performance. These factors include aquatic chemistry, collectors, modifiers, particle shape and size, and pH. Understanding interactions between these factors and the role and relevance that they play in characterizing frothers and froth zone properties will greatly aid in the frother selection and evaluation process. Such an understanding will also greatly enhance the ability to create frother solutions that are sufficiently robust to plant variability (such as mineralogical, comminution, operational, physical and chemical). This paper reports results of a “systems approach” study designed to probe ways in which physicochemical factors a) influence frothing and bubble size in 2- and 3-phase systems, and b) confound correlation of fundamental measurements with flotation outcome. The concepts and insights gleaned from fundamental frother studies, together with empirical laboratory flotation tests and a thorough understanding of plant needs and challenges were used to develop and implement customized frother formulation at a Cu-Mo flotation plant. Plant metallurgical data and qualitative assessment of froth zone properties showed that a frother formulation developed using the approach described here provided marked improvements in froth characteristics (mineralization, mobility, stability, persistence). These improvements resulted in better circuit control and significant performance advantages, such as improved coarse particle recovery, without detrimental downstream effects. INTRODUCTION Successful recovery of value minerals of sufficient grade via the flotation process requires selective manipulation of the value minerals to render them hydrophobic using collectors and modifiers. The hydrophobized minerals then attach to air bubbles and the mineral-bubble aggregates are selectively transported through the froth zone into the launder. Frothers play a critical role in froth formation and more importantly in achieving and maintaining desirable froth characteristics (for example, stability, mobility, persistence) that are essential in facilitating the selective transport and recovery of value minerals. Fundamentally, frothers contribute to the transient stability of thin liquid films and so aid in reducing bubble coalescence rates in the pulp and froth zones, thus maintaining the small bubbles required for efficient bubble-particle attachment. Invariably, the action of frothers at the liquid/gas interface in the pulp and froth zones impacts bubble stability, water and solids transport to the froth, which in turn impacts froth mobility, froth carrying capacity, and the concentrate grade. Consequently, selection and evaluation of frothers for flotation plants requires careful consideration of the frother type, though the choice is limited to only two main classes of compounds in terms of fundamental chemistry (short chain alcohols and polyglycols). Even with the selection of what is thought to be the best frother for a given application, practical knowledge of the froth zone and experience in controlling its properties is essential for maximizing metallurgical performance.

Jan 1, 2019

By A. R. Jr. Amos

LOG washers have been used for many years in the washing of clay iron ores, phosphate rock and manganese ores, but not until the past 15 years have they been employed to any extent in the preparation of aggregate materials and fluxing stone. For a machine of such importance where tenacious clay or soft rock must be eliminated, there are few data generally available. The purpose of this paper is to set forth the results obtained from several operations, together with a few suggestions for planning a specific installation. Where the material to be washed out consists of loose surface soil, silt, or small amounts of quickly soluble clay, there is little competition with other forms of washers, because greater power and maintenance are required for the operation of log washers, but where the foreign matter is a stiff clay, such as occurs with high-calcium limestones and in marginal gravel deposits, the ability of other kinds of washers to eliminate com-pletely the hard clay balls is at least uncertain. Then the log washer comes into its own field, for with the breaking and churning action of the logs it will clean out the toughest clay. Even with material from the hydraulic dredge, if it contains tough clay, the log washer is desirable unless the gravel is subjected to a costly soaking and rehandling process. Recently there has been a considerable development in other types of machines to accomplish these results but it is not within the scope of this paper to make comparisons between competitive types, but to present the best obtainable data on log washers only. From the primitive design that gave it its name, a long log hewn from a tree, with paddles forged to shape from strap iron and attached by lag screws, the log washer has gradually been developed to the present all-steel type. As now manufactured, the log washer consists essentially of two built-up logs on which are mounted a series of paddles, carried by shafts fitted at the ends of the logs on bearings fastened outside the enclosing steel box, or trough, which is set at an angle of about 5° to 10° and into which the material is fed. Stuffing boxes at the places where the shafts pass through the box at the lower end are equipped with water-

Jan 1, 1936

By R. M. Hardgrove

PULVERIZED coal was first used for firing cement kilns about 45 years ago, with such success that it has continued in general use. Based on cost, pulverized coal is usually the most economical fuel. In some localities natural gas or oil is cheaper, but 85.5 per cent of all cement kilns at present are fired with pulverized coal. The pulverized-coal flame is well suited to kiln conditions. Its soft, luminous nature gives it a high radiating property and the length of the flame can be readily varied to suit conditions in a kiln of any length. Ash and slag cause most of the difficulties incident to the burning of coal. In a cement kiln, however, the ash, being similar in composition to the raw mix and being deposited uniformly in the mix and clinker, occasions no difficulty as long as it remains constant in quality and quantity. Until 6 years ago almost all cement kilns using pulverized coal employed the bin system. The coal was dried and pulverized in a separate plant and delivered into a bin at the kiln. Thus the bin system requires driers, storage-type pulverizers, conveying systems, individual kiln bins, pulverized-coal feeders and primary air fans. The direct-fired system requires only a pulverizer and a blower. Fig. I shows typical plants. The first installations of direct-fired pulverizers were of the impact type but fineness of pulverization was both inadequate and variable. About 1927 a few direct-fired installations employing tube-type pulverizers were made, which were much more satisfactory. As more efficient pulverizers were developed from 1934 on, equipment for direct firing was installed at a large number of plants, until now 196 of about 900 kilns in use in the United States are direct-fired. Most of these replaced antiquated bin systems. PROCESS OF BURNING CEMENT CLINKERS The process of burning cement clinkers is fundamentally one of heat transfer. In boilers and other heat-exchange apparatus the area of the surface receiving heat from the gases is the best unit for comparing output. This seems to be equally true for kilns. The inside kiln surface is the heat-receiving surface and its area is used as the unit of kiln size in the following comparisons. Heat input is based on British thermal units in the fuel. E. G. Bailey,1 in his work on boiler-furnace heat absorption, has used the unit "B.t.u. available." This is the practical calorific power of the fuel, plus the heat in the air used for combustion. In other words, it is the heat available for useful work in the furnace or kiln. The unit of kiln output is barrels per hour. The composition of the raw mix, the percentage of water in the slurry of wet plants and hardness of burning all affect the output. These conditions, however, are hard to evaluate and probably have less effect on the output than irregularities of raw feed and clinker discharge and inexpert control of combustion. WET VS. DRY PLANTS The study presented here covers 88 plants, of which 41 are wet and 47 dry. Of

Jan 1, 1941

By S. S. Raymond, C. R. Hayward

In reheating quenched steel to remove part of the hardness, the softening effect has generally been considered to be a function of temperature and time. The temperature effect is well known, and long before pyrometers were heard of the blacksmith was able to do a good job of tempering, by rule-of-thumb methods and experience in judging temperatures. Modern conditions, which demand steel that will withstand the severest tests, require that the heat treatment be carried out with every possible precaution to secure the best results obtainable. Pyrometers and heat-treatment furnaces of many types are on the market and improvements are continually being made so that it is now possible to regulate the temperature in heat treatment very accurately. There is still a question regarding the time that the steel should be subjected to treatment. It is customary with all operators to insure the desired temperature throughout the specimen and it is generally supposed that a longer treatment of a hardened steel produces a further softening but there are few published figures showing the exact effect of time of treatment at constant temperature. A search of the literature disclosed several brief statements that the tempering effect was a function of both time and temperature, but in no case were any figures given. The opinion is very generally held that the well-know tempering colors are accurate indicators of the degree of tempering. This is disputed by Brearley (The Heat Treatment of Tool Steel, page 102) who states: It has been said that the result would be the same in respect to both hardness and other properties whether the colors were obtained by a shorter heating at a higher temperature or a longer heating at a lower one. This, to say the least, is a very doubtful conclusion, and is certainly not borne out by mechanical tests on oil-hardened and tempered motor car steels which, after tempering for periods varying from 15 min. to 2 hr., show no very great bifferences. The present investigation had for its object the obtaining of some definite data regarding the effect of time, which might serve as a guide to those engaged in the heat treatment of steel. The Rhode Island Tool Co. cooperated by furnishing the steel and machining the test specimens.

Jan 1, 1917

By Dick Whittington, W. R. Taylor

GENERAL In mid-1974, a representative of ARCO Petroleum Company walked into our Austin offices and asked for a permit for ARCO's first Clay West Mine site. This was the first in situ uranium mining permit issued in the United States. That initial permit, issued in January 1975, was for three acres. The four years since have been characterized by growth and change. Today there are 16 permits approved for approximately 1,540 production acres issued to five companies at eight sites in four counties. There are approximately seven additional permit applications being processed or on the verge of being submitted for an estimated 2,000 additional acres of production. As a rough gauge of the financial scope of this activity, at the typical 40 production wells per acre and an estimated $2,000/well, operators hale installed or committed $122 million for production wells. This does not account for the exploration and development wells installed to delineate the ore or the cost of processing facilities for extracting the uranium. HISTORY OF URANIUM MINING IN TEXAS Information I have concerning early in situ uranium mining activities is "sketchy" but the apparent first on-site test of in situ uranium mining was conducted between 1967 and 1971 at the Dueterstat site, north of Yorktown in Gonzales County, by City Service. Others ran tests at the Bruni site in Webb County and the Burns and Clay West sites in Live Oak County in the mid-70's. During this period, Texas Water Quality Board personnel in the central and district offices maintained a general surveillance of these various test activities. Regulation of in situ uranium mining was formalized with the issuance of a permit in January 1975 with the advent of ARCO's initial production scale (3 acre) effort in the Clay West area at the Moser mine site. Since 1975, the accelerating rate of mining and exploration activity is noticeable. There were 16 exploratory rigs operating early in 1977. This year, the rig count is averaging 46--a 287% increase. HISTORY OF LEGISLATION Paralleling this mining activity was state and federal legislation which subjected in situ mining to environmental regulation. The following is a brief chronology of the legislation that is directly or indirectly related to uranium mining. As most of you know, disposal wells are an integral part of most in situ uranium mines operating in Texas. They are used both during production and during aquifer restoration following production. The wells are regulated by the Texas Injection Well Act, enacted in 1961 by the Texas Legislature. In 1967, the Water Quality Act established the Texas Water Quality Board, and provided for the regulation of water quality by the so-called permit system. In 1969, the Solid Waste Act was enacted by the Texas Legislature. The legislation provides for control of wastes from manufacturing, mining, and agriculture. This Act regulated uranium surface mining activities until 1975 when the Texas Surface and Mining Reclamation Act placed responsibility with the Railroad Commission for uranium open-pit mining and surface mining of coal and lignite. In 1972, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (Public Law 92-500) was passed. This legislation forms the legal base for the NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) and the subsequent point source effluent guidelines and standards. The November 6, 1975 issue of the Federal Register published interim final rules for Best Practical Treatment levels for effluent discharges from ore mining and dressing operations. Litigation was immediately initiated by eleven companies against these proposed rules, and they are currently being reconsidered for reissuance in 1979. In 1974, the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act (Public Law 93-523) was enacted. A part of this legislation is the Underground Injection Congrol Program. The regulations implementing this program have undergone various public hearings and it is expected that they will be published in the Federal Register before the end of 1978. In 1975, the Texas Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (Senate Bill 55), providing for the Railroad Commission's authority to require reclamation of surface mines, was passed. In 1977, an amendment to Senate Bill 55 was introduced that proposed to place regulation of in situ mining of coal, lignite, and

Jan 1, 1979

Various aspects of judgment and decision-making are key themes in this book. The model presented here serves as a loose structure for the chapters that follow this one. The notion of a model is introduced because growing research interest in the subjective aspects of group and individual behavior has led to a debate over whether judgment is a skill that can be understood scientifically. A related point of contention is whether such an understanding could lead to the development of methods for estimating people's ability to make good decisions during an emergency. There is some literature that supports the potential usefulness of this approach. However, little agreement seems to have been reached on how to define and operationalize even those basic concepts necessary to assess the soundness of decisions from within their environmental and group contexts [Jensen and Benel 1977; Godden and Baddeley 1979; Baumann and Bourbonnais 1982; Brecke 1982; Stone et al. 1985]. A look at the real-world process is clearly needed. The need to attempt a better understanding of judgment and decision-making properties stems from those occasions in the existence of an organization when there is a lot at stake. The process of decision-making (which is part of the exercise of judgment) has been analyzed in situations such as corporate takeovers [Janis and Mann1977], military combat [Begland1979], clinical emergencies [Baumann and Bourbonnais 1982], and aviation events [Billings and Reynard1984]. The fundamental assumption of these analyses is that, while there are untold successes, there are also notable numbers of failures resulting from decisions that can be ascribed to one or more errors in judgment. From a cognitive perspective, any person engaged in decision-making (either alone or in a group) is actively involved in a process characterized by certain elements. These were mentioned in chapter 1, but are reiterated briefly at this point: (1) detection of a problem, (2) definition or diagnosis, (3) consideration of available options, (4) choice of what is perceived as the best option given recognized needs, and (5) execution of the choice based on what has transpired [Flathers et al. 1982; Baumann and Bourbonnais 1982]. At any moment in this process, there are factors at play that have a large impact on one's ability to solve complex problems in a limited time: (1) an internal state [Hedge and Lawson 1979] is the sum of a person's psychomotor skills, knowledge, attitudes, etc.; (2) uncertainty [Brecke 1982] is caused by faulty or incomplete information received from the external environment; (3) stress [Biggs 1968; Jensen and Benel 1977] is generated both by the problem at hand and any background problem that may exist; and (4) complexity, as it is used here, refers to the number of elements involved that must be attended to. These variables are depicted in figure 5.1, and their relationship to each other and to an outcome is indicated. This schema is designed to suggest interaction, because while the judgment and decision-making process may be conceptualized as discrete stages, experience tells us that this is not the way people function in real-world situations.

Jan 1, 2000

By H. A. Deans

A three-parameter mathematical model for one-dimensional flow in porous media is developed. The objective of the model is to predict accurately the longitudinal dispersion associated with the flow of either gases or liquids over a wide range of Reynolds number. A qualitative analysis of the model parameters is given. Published experimental pulse-response curves are compared with results predicted by the model. Several general types of problems are given for which the model can be used. INTRODUCTION The problem of multicomponent single-phase flow through porous media is encountered in the study of petroleum reservoirs, gas chromatographic and ion-exchange columns, industrial fixed-bed con-tacters and elsewhere. These particular examples span the wide range of flow conditions possible; Reynolds numbers of less than l0-4 are not unusual in oil-production problems, while values in excess of 103 are common in large fixed-bed operations. The study of flow-dependent transport phenomena is complicated both by the changes in the character of the flow over this range, and by the irregularity of the flow boundaries inherent to porous media. Dispersion is one of the important phenomena known to depend fundamentally on flow conditions as well as on fluid and medium properties. As used in this paper, the term "dispersion" refers to the observed mixing of fluid elements of different composition which occurs in flow systems. The actual mechanism may be one or more of a number listed below. Only dispersion in the direction of the mean flow (referred to as axial or longitudinal dispersion, or mixing) is considered here, although lateral dispersion arises as part of certain coupled mechanisms. MECHANISMS FOR LONGITUDINAL DISPERSION A number of distinct mechanisms are known3,5,7,8 to contribute to the phenomenon of longitudinal dispersion. The more important of these are as follows. 1. Molecular diffusion in the flow direction. 2. Turbulent (cell) mixing. 3. Lateral transport processes coupled with velocity and/or residence time distributions, including: (a) "Taylor" diffusion caused by the interaction of velocity profiles in individual voids with lateral molecular diffusion; (b) separation and remixing or interdiffusion of streams having different velocities around particles; and (c) the couplipg of gross velocity profiles, caused by viscous instability or inhomogeneous porosity, with lateral dispersion. 4. Finite mass-transfer rate between a porous matrix and the flowing phase, and finite diffusion rate inside elements of the porous matrix. It is a well documented fact that these mechanisms, whether acting individually or in combinations, produce essentially similar integral effects. The observed dispersion can be described approximately by solutions of the diffusion equation with a properly chosen dispersion coefficient. Necessary conditions for equivalence between dispersion and diffusion are discussed by Klinkenberg and Sjenitzer.7 Apparently these conditions are not satisfied exactly in many real systems. "Best fit" solutions of the diffusion equation often depart appreciably from measured breakthrough curves for the usual pulse- or step-forced experimental systems. In particular, pulse response curves usually show some degree of asymmetry and "tailing" which cannot be reproduced by the one-parameter diffusion model. The three-parameter model proposed herein attempts to produce these effects in a realistic manner. Asymmetry and tailing are predicted for certain sets of parameter values, while for other sets the new model agrees with the diffusion model. VELOCITY DEPENDENCE OF DISPERSION Molecular diffusion apparently controls at sufficiently low Reynolds number in both gas and liquid systems.*l3 At Re > 20, turbulent cell mixing is dominant for gases flowing at low pressure; the data of McHenry and Wilhelm8 show that the mixing cell is approximately 1 particle diameter long in random sphere packs. on the other hand, the data

By W. W. Adams

Two important facts stand out as features of the metal- and nonmetal-mining4 industry of the United States in 1941 as compared with 1940: First, the number of employees and man-days of employment increased; second, accident-frequency rates, both fatal and nonfatal, decreased. Reports from mining companies to the Bureau of Mines covering underground, open-pit, and surface operations for 1941 re¬vealed the largest number of men employed since 1926 and the largest number of man-days worked since 1929. The combined fatal and non¬fatal accident-frequency rate for 1941, calculated on a basis of one mil¬lion man-hours of exposure to hazard, was (except for 1931 and 1932) the lowest since 1911, the earliest year for which figures are available. During this 31-year period, only 1938 and 1939 showed lower fatality rates, and only 1931 and 1932 had lower nonfatal-injury rates. Operating companies reported that 9,620 mines were active during all or some part of the year. These employed 125,290 men, an increase of more than 4 percent over 1940. The total volume of work performed at all mines, measured in terms of man-shifts, increased to nearly 32 million, a gain of 10 percent; man-hours of employment rose to almost 254 million, an increase of 10 percent over the 231 million man-hours worked in the previous year. The year's operations resulted in an average work-year of 255 days per man, an increase of 13 days per employee over the average working time in 1940. Although the 8-hour day prevails generally at most mines, the industry as a whole averaged 7.94 hours per shift, as in 1940.

Jan 1, 1944

By C. A. Hartinagel

During 1941, the total production of crude oil in New York state was 5,185,000 bbl. This represents a small increase over the average for the past five years. From 1921, when the annual production of the state amounted to only 988,000 bbl., there was a regular annual increase in production (excepting one or two years) until the 5,000,000-bbl. mark was reached in 1937, After more than 20 years of oil recovery by flooding methods, it was generally believed, until a few months ago, that the rate of production was nearly at its peak and within a few years the fields would experience a gradual decline as the thicker sands became exhausted and the thinner ones could be worked only at increasing costs. As a result of the present emergency, however, unusual efforts are being made, in spite of higher costs of operation, to increase the output of Pennsylvania grade oil, to which the New York product belongs. Since most of any increased production would be obtained by flooding, and since floods travel slowly, no large increase in production can be expected for some months to come. During the first year, 10 or 15 per cent increase could be obtained, but maximum production, an increase of perhaps 40 per cent, could not be expected until some time during the second or third year. In the Allegany fields, which account for two thirds of the state's oil production, 1246 wells, including water-intake wells, were drilled during the year; 390 more than in the preceding year and 590 more than in 1939. It is evident that much of the best oil territory has already been developed. As producers move toward edge properties and thinner sands, returns will be smaller, whereas costs remain the same or, under war conditions, become higher. It is estimated that at least 60 million barrels of oil is in sight and will be produced from the thicker sands by present recovery methods. In the thinner sands and edge properties, some 35 million additional barrels can be produced at a profit only if prices become higher. In view of the fact that there is little hope of finding new oil pools in New York, one of the future problems of the oil producer will be to obtain adequate returns for increased production costs. The year started with a posted price of $2.15 per barrel of crude. There were five successive price increases until the high of the year was reached at $2.98 on Aug. 14. Eight days later the Office of Price Administration directed that the price be reduced to the June level of $2.75 a barrel, which remained in effect to the end of the year. With rising costs of operation, it is feared that many of the smaller properties cannot continue production unless the Federal price cut is revoked. During the year, Allegany Refiners Inc., a local enterprise founded in 1933, with plant at Bolivar, western Allegany County, increased its refining capacity from 1000 to 1500 bbl. daily. At the same time equipment was added to make the plant a complete lubricating-oil refinery, including facilities for the refining of wax into the finished product. Previous to the enlargement, it was necessary to sell the wax

Jan 1, 1942

By C. A. Hartinagel

During 1941, the total production of crude oil in New York state was 5,185,000 bbl. This represents a small increase over the average for the past five years. From 1921, when the annual production of the state amounted to only 988,000 bbl., there was a regular annual increase in production (excepting one or two years) until the 5,000,000-bbl. mark was reached in 1937, After more than 20 years of oil recovery by flooding methods, it was generally believed, until a few months ago, that the rate of production was nearly at its peak and within a few years the fields would experience a gradual decline as the thicker sands became exhausted and the thinner ones could be worked only at increasing costs. As a result of the present emergency, however, unusual efforts are being made, in spite of higher costs of operation, to increase the output of Pennsylvania grade oil, to which the New York product belongs. Since most of any increased production would be obtained by flooding, and since floods travel slowly, no large increase in production can be expected for some months to come. During the first year, 10 or 15 per cent increase could be obtained, but maximum production, an increase of perhaps 40 per cent, could not be expected until some time during the second or third year. In the Allegany fields, which account for two thirds of the state's oil production, 1246 wells, including water-intake wells, were drilled during the year; 390 more than in the preceding year and 590 more than in 1939. It is evident that much of the best oil territory has already been developed. As producers move toward edge properties and thinner sands, returns will be smaller, whereas costs remain the same or, under war conditions, become higher. It is estimated that at least 60 million barrels of oil is in sight and will be produced from the thicker sands by present recovery methods. In the thinner sands and edge properties, some 35 million additional barrels can be produced at a profit only if prices become higher. In view of the fact that there is little hope of finding new oil pools in New York, one of the future problems of the oil producer will be to obtain adequate returns for increased production costs. The year started with a posted price of $2.15 per barrel of crude. There were five successive price increases until the high of the year was reached at $2.98 on Aug. 14. Eight days later the Office of Price Administration directed that the price be reduced to the June level of $2.75 a barrel, which remained in effect to the end of the year. With rising costs of operation, it is feared that many of the smaller properties cannot continue production unless the Federal price cut is revoked. During the year, Allegany Refiners Inc., a local enterprise founded in 1933, with plant at Bolivar, western Allegany County, increased its refining capacity from 1000 to 1500 bbl. daily. At the same time equipment was added to make the plant a complete lubricating-oil refinery, including facilities for the refining of wax into the finished product. Previous to the enlargement, it was necessary to sell the wax

Jan 1, 1942

By J. W. Spretnak, R. Speiser

IT has been suggested that boron in steel may form a film entirely around the austenite grain and that this film is responsible for the boron hardenability effect. In this connection, it is of interest to examine some of the ramifications of the concentration range of boron usually employed in hardenable steels, namely 0.0005 to 0.003 pct in a grain size range of ASTM grain size No. 1 through No. 10. The ratio of the iron to boron atoms and the number of unit cells of y iron per boron atom are listed in Table I. Even at the highest concentration considered, there are 1600 unit cells of y iron per boron atom, assuming a uniform distribution of boron. To investigate the possibility of the boron film formation, the number of boron atoms required to cover the grain surface completely must be calculated. With some transition elements, boron crystallizes in sheets composed of equilateral hexagons very much like graphite.' The selected value for the length of a side is 1.80Å. A simple calculation shows that two boron atoms cover an area of 8.4x l0 -16 sq cm. Table II lists the number of atoms of boron required for the formation of the monatomic film and Table III lists the number of boron atoms per grain. The hypothetical cases of 100 pct and 10 pct adsorption are calculated (all boron atoms in a grain and 10 pct of all boron atoms in a grain are located at the grain surface respectively). In Table 111, all combinations of grain size and composition below and to the left of the solid line (100 pct adsorption) and the dashed line (10 pct adsorption) are excluded as to the possibility of covering the grain surface with a continuous boron film. Thus, even for 100 pct adsorption, the smaller grains can form the film only at the higher concentrations. For the best case, grain size No. 1 and 0.0030 pct B, the required degree of adsorption is 3.9 pct. The above calculations deal only with the number of boron atoms required to form a monatomic film and do not take into account the mechanism of concentration of boron at the grain surface and the possible limitations to the extent of this concentration at a constant temperature, as for example in the austenitizing process. The question next arises as to how this surface concentration can occur during an isothermal treatment. Such surface enrichment of boron must occur through the phenomenon of surface adsorption, i.e., the concentration of solute atoms in solid solution in the vicinity of the surface without precipitation. A solute atom will tend to concentrate at the grain boundary if it reduces the interfacial tension. The possibility of adsorption effects involving both boron and carbon in iron has been discussed.' In general, the tendency for a sol-

Jan 1, 1954

By A. L. Ph. B. Holley

(Read at the Philadelphia Meeting, February, 1878.) THIS paper is an abstract and a discussion of results obtained by the United States Test Board in experiments upon 14 brands of wrought iron, most of which are well known and of high repute.* The iron was all intended for chain-cables; it was tested in the form of bars, usually of nine sizes, from 1 inch to 2 inches round, and also in the forms of single links and short chains. Not less-than 2000 tensile tests were made, each showing elastic limit, elongation, and reduction of area. This work was done with conspicuous intelligence and fidelity, at the Washington Navy Yard, by Commander L. A. Beardslee. Some important practical results and principles which he has developed, and others which he has confirmed, will be referred to. The chemical part of this work consists of 42 complete analyses (including slag), by Mr. Blair, chemist to the Board. EFFECTS OF COMPOSITION ON STRENGTH. Variations in the physical qualities of iron may he due to different composition, or to different treatment in manufacture, or to both these complex causes. In order to determine the specific causes of variation, one class of altering conditions should be made to vary largely, while the other classes should be kept uniform. Then another class should be varied, and so on, until the value of each is ascertained. As all the irons under consideration were intended to have that purity and refinement which was deemed indispensable in chain-cables, their chemical analyses are perhaps more important in proving that physical variations result chiefly from treatment, than in pointing out the specific effects of certain ingredients. While the subject of treatment-especially the increase of strength by greater reduction in rolling-may be the more important one, it can be best appreciated after we have familiarized ourselves with the gen¬eral chemical and physical characters of the irons. The typical facts are given in the following tables. * As the present object of the Board is not to compare the products of different makers, but to discover the physical effects of various composition and treatment, the irons are designated by letters rather than by their trade names.

Jan 1, 1878

So many emergencies that crop up in mining necessitate a departure from ordinary methods that the writer has been led to illustrate a few of the examples that have come under his notice during a somewhat lengthy career; and as most of the methods illustrated are certainly outside the ordinary, it may be hoped that while to many they may convey little that is new, to the larger number some acceptable information may be gleaned whenever the occasion calls for it. Experience has shown that there can be no hard and fast rule in mine timbering that will fit the varying- necessities of different localities, and the engineer must divest his mind of all prejudices that his practice of any particular system or systems may have induced, and must direct his attention to the character of the local timber and its fitness or otherwise for the purpose he has in view. Fortunate indeed are the man and mine that can claim an abundance of good and cheap mining timber it simplifies, oftentimes, what would be, under unfavourable timber conditions, a difficult problem. In many parts of the States there is either none or at best a scrub if the latter, he has to either pigstye, balk, or bulkhead, if his ground will permit; if, not, and the necessary timber has to be imported, then some system of recovering his timber and using it over and over again may be possible. As an illustration of this, Fig-s. Nos. I and 2 show a method applied to the copper deposits of the LyellTharsis, Tasmania. The workings were wide; varying from 30 ft. to 50 ft., and the deposit a taIcose schist of fairly good...

Jan 1, 1902

By Stanley Dempsey

INTRODUCTION The mining industry has been under- going a significant restructuring for the past several years. Some firms have been liquidated. Some have been merged with other firms. A number of mining divisions of larger firms have been spun off, in some cases in leveraged buyouts by management. Recently, there have been a number of spin outs of gold subsidiaries. There are also a number of start-up situations where new firms are emerging as significant gold producers through mine development or acquisition. This restructuring has created an attractive market for specialized mining finance firms, and a number of firms have recently entered that field in the United States. These firms provide financial advisory and valuation services to mining firms and project developers, and access to venture capital. In some cases, they invest for clients or for their own account. I have been asked to describe how our firm works, and what kind of information we expect to receive when mine developers seek our assistance in financing a project. HOW WE OPERATE Denver Mining Finance works for both mine developers and investors. We also provide expert advice on mining issues to governments and to firms who are in litigation over mining issues. A lot of our work involves valuing mineral interests for various purposes. Our principal expertise is in the technical, commercial, and financial area. We help put mining deals into shape commercially so that they can be financed, and we help investors get into mining deals that are commercially sound. We work on projects, but we also advise mining firms on the structure of their business and how to make the most out of one or several mines that they might own. In addition to our work for clients, we are also prepared to invest in mining projects for our own account, and to recommend gold properties for acquisition by our parent company, Royal Gold, Inc. We are, to some extent, a venture capital firm, in that we sometimes work with projects that are not "bankablerV1 and are prepared to invest in attractive early-stage situations in mining. However, I want to emphasize that our principal focus is on development of commercially attractive mining projects that can be brought into production in the best possible financial terms. If we can make a project qualify for a project loan from a commercial bank, we will not advise the developer to use high cost venture capital. For the purpose of this paper, I will focus primarily upon our functions with respect to development of precious metal projects. In a typical case, a firm with an advanced-staged project approaches us for help with financing the final feasibility study, and construction and operation of a mine. In some cases, the developer has already developed a financing plan and wants only our access to investors. If we agree that the project is sound and that the financing scheme will be attractive to investors, we will help the developer reach investors on a commission basis. In such cases, we are particularly insistent that the financing plan and our participation meet all regulatory requirements, particularly compliance with state and federal securities laws. In most cases, however, the developer asks us for advise both on how to structure the financing, and how it can be implemented. Here we work for fees based on hourly rates for advisory work,

Jan 1, 1987

By J. B. Hess, R. L. Dietrich

IN the mechanical twinning of magnesium on the {1012} planes the crystallographic deformation is such that, in the direction of the hexagonal axis [0001], twinning is possible only under tension stress, while in the directions perpendicular to the hexagonal axis, twinning is possible only under applied compression. Thus in extruded magnesium and magnesium alloys where the extruded textures are best described as either [1010] or [ 1120] fibers,1 the basal planes are all nearly parallel to the extrusion axis and such material is susceptible to {1012 } twinning by compression in the direction of the extrusion axis. In order to explain the results of cyclic stressing in alternate tension and compression upon the tangent elastic modulus in such material, Dorn and Thomsen2 have postulated that, following twinning under applied compression, a retwinning or untwinning occurs as a result of residual microtensile stresses immediately upon removal of the applied compressive force. Recently, Carapella and Shaw3,4 have used this supposition of untwinning in magnesium in discussing their results on indentation hardness and on cold drawing of MI sheet. In trying to confirm this hypothesis by suitable direct experiments, the authors have been unsuccessful in detecting any evidence whatsoever that untwinning follows the release of applied compression and are forced to conclude that this hypothesis is improbable or, at least, that the quantity of material involved is small. For the experiments, small cylindrical specimens 0.040-in. diam. X 0.120- to 0.140-in. long were etched from 0.0625-in. extruded rod. The ends of the specimens were accurately faced off parallel in a jeweler's lathe. The compression jig was simply an ordinary set of micrometer calipers with an anvil interposed between the spindle and the specimen. The anvil was free to move axially but restrained from rotating so that the rotation of the spindle would not introduce a twisting stress on the specimen. With this arrangement the compressive strains could be estimated to 0.0001 in. and X ray pinhole photographs could be taken with or without load as required. Fig 1 is the pattern of an uncompressed specimen of AZ31 alloy, showing the approximate [1010] extrusion fiber. The X ray beam is normal to the extrusion axis; in this position it is particularly sensitive in detecting twinning if one directs his attention to the diffraction ring from the basal plane. Since twinning on {1012} planes produced an 86° reorientation of the crystal lattice, the original basal reflections occur at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions while the (0002) reflections from any twinned material will occur at the 6 and 12 o'clock positions. Fig 2 shows the same specimen compressed 3.0 pct, photographed while still under load. This strain has been just enough to produce a detectible amount of twinning and the sensitivity is roughly indicated by the fact that no alterations were produced in the intensities or maxima of the other diffraction rings. A strain of

Jan 1, 1948

By E. W. Newman

DURING 1943 and 1944, there was an urgent need for certain grades of optical calcite (Iceland spar) for instruments for military uses. To find a supply of this material, prospecting was carried out in Montana, California and Colorado. Although some production was obtained by the work in California, the best results were from prospecting the large calcite veins of south central Montana. The bulk of the optical calcite mined during World War II has come from that area. The Bureau of Mines took an active part in the search for optical calcite in Montana. It examined most of the known calcite veins in the 70-mile distance between Wilsall, on the Shields River, and Absarokee, on the Stillwater River, and conducted exploration on several of the deposits. The Geological Survey also took an active part by mapping many of the veins. Actual mining of the calcite was performed at first by Calcite Operators, Inc., and later by the Metals Reserve Co., through an agent. A sorting plant was established at Clyde Park, where custom material could be sold. These activities stimulated mining by private operators. To be suitable for military uses, the calcite mined had to meet rigid specifications as to both size and quality. Individual crystals had to be clear and transparent and if in the form of rhombs had to measure at least 7/8 in. on each edge. Some color and a few inclusions in the calcite were allowable, but material with incipient or developed cleavages, or showing twinning other than parallel to the base, was unacceptable. HISTORY OF DEPOSITS The existence of large veins of calcite in south central Montana has long been known, and for many years the farmers of this region have used the common vein calcite for producing grit for chicken feed. According to reports, the first optical calcite produced from Montana came from the Cartwright deposit near Greycliff,1 but until recently the mining of optical calcite in Montana has been limited to spasmodic searching for small crystals suitable for making nicol prisms for saccharimeters and microscopes, or for mineral specimens. The possible need of substantial amounts of optical calcite for military uses began to appear late in 1942 and early in 1943, therefore the Polaroid company began searching for a source of supply in Montana and California. Work on the Wade property near Clyde Park was started on a small scale in the fall of 1942, by A. H. Hansen, of Clyde Park. During the winter and spring of 1943, a modest quantity of optical calcite was mined and shipped to the Polaroid Corporation, Cambridge, Mass. Most of this was produced from the "Hansen vug," which was found close to the surface. Early in the summer of 1943, mining on the Wade property was undertaken by Calcite Operators, Inc., a company organized for mining optical calcite from the Montana and California deposits. This com-

Jan 1, 1945