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By D. M. Hausen

This study identifies and describes various crystalline phases of the V205-Na20 system, and relates their properties to metallurgical aspects of vanadium production. Phase equilibria and stability ranges of sodium vanadate phases of varying molar ratios of Na20/V205 were investigated in a variety of plant products, ranging from fused "black cakes" (V20 melts) to "salt roast" calcines. Crystalline compounds, Including vanadium pentoxide, V205; sodium vanadyl vanadate, 6 phase, Na2O.V2O5.5V2O5; sodium vanadyl vanadate, y phase, 5Na20.V204.12V205; sodium metavanadate, Na20 .V 05; sodium pyrovanadate , 2Na20 .V205; and sodium orthovanadate, 4Na20.~2~5, have been characterized with the aid of X-ray diffraction patterns, infrared spectra, and optical properties in addition to chemical analyses, as a guide to mineralogical "troubleshooting" of plant problems and processes in vanadium pyro- and hydrometallurgy.

Jan 1, 1984

By W. C. Hayes

The site selected for the United States prototype pumped storage project of Union Electric CO. was Proffit Mountain, five miles from Taum Sauk, the highest point in Missouri. Factors influencing final location were: high local relief; satisfactory rock type and structure; and an economic location in respect to existing transmission systems. The upper reservoir was constructed by excavating rhyolite porphyry from the crest of Proffit Mountain and constructing a rock fill dike encircling the area to form a 4350-acre foot reservoir. A 6564-ft tunnel connects the upper reservoir with the generating and pumping facilities. A concrete gravity dam on the East Fork of the Black River forms the 6350-acre foot lower reservoir. Precambrian rhyolite porphyry forms the crest of Proffit Mountain and the floor of the upper reservoir. The tunnel was excavated in rhyolite prophpy, granite porphyry, dolomite, shales and conglomerate. Abutments and the foundation of the gravity dam are in rhyolite porphyry, and much of the valley floor of the lower reservoir is underlain by dolomite and shale. Core drilling provided data on soundness of rock type, structure, depth of weathered zone and potential water loss in the fractured igneous rocks. After a six-year study of pumped storage and cost comparison with alternate stream generating units, the Taum Sauk pumped storage project was authorized by Union Electric Co. on Dec. 11, 1959.' The site selected is located in the St. Francois Mountains of southeast Missouri approximately 90 miles south of St. Louis (Fig. 1). The lower reservoir was provided by damming the East Fork of the Black River, a small tributary of the Black River with a minimum flow of about 1 sec ft. Construction of the upper reservoir was effected by quarrying the crest of Proffit Mountain - five miles from Taum Sauk Mountain, the highest point in Missouri — to provide material for a rock fill dike surrounding the quarried area. This provided a 55-acre mountain top lake with a water depth of 92 ft (Fig. 2). A vertical shaft and tunnel connect the upper and lower reservoirs through the two reversible pump-turbine motor-generator units operating under 800 ft of hydraulic head (Fig. 3). The output rating of the plant is 350,000 kw with daytime generation of about 2.2 million kw-hr under normal use. Night pumping will replenish water to the upper reservoir in about 91/2 hours3. The automatic operation is remotely controlled from the Osage plant and from the dispatchers office in St. Louis. GENERAL GEOLOGY Mountains of the St. Francois area consist of Precambrian granites, granite porphyries, extrusive fel-sites and basic dikes. Basal conglomerates overlain by Upper Cambrian Bonneterre dolomites and shales onlap the exhumed Precambrian knobs and hills and are exposed in the narrow valleys. Cambrian and Ordovician residuum as much as 200 ft thick is present on the slopes of many hills. Proffit Mountain consists of rhyolite porphyry and granite porphyry. All excavation for the upper reservoir was in rhyolite porphyry, and the same rock is present under the Bonneterre at the plant site and under alluvium at the lower reservoir dam site. The region has been dissected to the stage of early maturity with only small upland flats remaining. Considerable local relief (a requisite for the project) approaches 1000 ft. Streams flowing across the Precambrian ridges have formed restricted narrows, termed shut-ins. A shut-in approximately two miles downstream from the plant site provides an excellent site for the lower reservoir dam. TEST BORINGS Preliminary to final approval of the project, 12 test borings were made to determine subsurface geologic conditions (Fig. 2). Drill hole No. 12 at the lower reservoir dam site showed 20 ft of alluvium over solid rhyolite porphyry. Drill holes No. 1, 2 and 3 were drilled in the tail race area to depths of 66 ft, 75 ft and 95 ft respectively, and all bottomed in Bonneterre. Drill hole No. 4 at the plant site provided NX core to a total depth of 98 ft in Bonneterre. Drill

Jan 1, 1965

By Charles F. Brush

THE compression of gases to a very high degree, for purposes of scientific research, has long presented serious difficulties to the physicist. Great advances have been made of late years in the construction of ordinary air or exhaust pumps, while very little has been done towards the improvement of compression pumps. The principal difficulties encountered in the construction of such apparatus are the existence of the so-called "dead space" in the pump barrels, leakage of the piston packings under high pressure, and the trouble arising from the unequal expansion of parts caused by the development of the latent heat of the gas during compression. Of these obstacles to success, the "dead space" is far the most serious, as it fixes a limit to the performance of the pump beyond which it is impossible to carry the compression. The writer having occasion, some time since, to make a series of investigations on gases very highly compressed, and finding no apparatus, or description of apparatus, adequate to produce the required

Jan 1, 1876

By J. W. Harshbarger, E. L. Montgomery

The region of metallic ore deposits in northern Chile, southern Peru, western Bolivia, and northwestern Argentina occurs in arid zones at altitudes as high as 6 km (19,700 ft). Because surface water supplies are meager, new mines require unexploited sources of water. Prolific ground water aquifers occur in salar basins in this region of the Andean Highlands. Exploration water wells have been constructed and aquifer characteristics have been tested in eight salar basins. Results indicate ground water quality is good. Aquifer transmissivity and storage computed from results of pumping tests indicate maximum capacities of more than 170 L/sec (2700 gpm) for individual production water wells. Results of investigations conducted by the authors demonstrate that ground water reservoirs in the Andean Highlands comprise a source of large quantities of water for the mineral industry.

Jan 1, 1986

By Charles F. Brush

The compression of gases to a very high degree, for purposes of scientific research, has long presented serious difficulties to the physicist. Great advances have been made of late years in the construction of ordinary air or exhaust pumps, while very little has been done towards the improvement of compression pumps. The principal difficulties encountered in the construction of such apparatus are the existence of the so-called "dead space" in the pump barrels, leakage of the piston packings under high pressure, and the trouble arising from the unequal expansion of parts caused by the development of the latent heat of the gas during compression. Of these obstacles to success, the "dead space" is far the most serious, as it fixes a limit to the performance of the pump beyond which it is impossible to carry the compression. The writer having occasion, some time since, to make a series of investigations on gases very highly compressed, and finding no apparatus, or description of apparatus, adequate to produce the required

By A. B. Kinzel

SILICON, unfortunately, is not in the same category as some other metals with respect to the absolute value of the highest purity material prepared. Tucker, in England, and Becket, in this country have devel-oped procedures for the purification of silicon, and Becket's process has made industrially available silicon of a purity of 99.8 per cent or better. However, even the term "silicon metal" may be a paradox to some people, although not more so than the term "amorphous" as applied to silicon. These terms come from commerce, and "metal" is used to distinguish industrially high-purity silicon from ferrosilicon, silicon-aluminum, and other high-silicon alloys. Alloys of iron and silicon with 95 per cent Si or less are known as ferrosilicon, with a designation of silicon content where necessary, and the terns "silicon metal" is invariably applied to the grades containing 96 per cent Si and higher. The Becket method of purification was referred to in a monograph on the Alloys of Iron and Silicon, and the Tucker procedure was described in some detail in that publication.1 In order to get silicon of still higher purity, a sample, prepared by the Becket method, analyzing 99.84 per cent Si, 0.020 Fe, 0.016 Al, 0.005 Ca, 0.025 C, 0.033 per cent 02, 0.006 H2, 0.006 N2, and 0.001 per cent Mn, was crushed to pass a 100-mesh sieve said further purified by a modification of Tucker's procedure. This modification differs from Tucker's method in that after treatment the 100-mesh alloy was centrifuged to remove the last traces of acid. Our directly determined analysis of this purified sample shows: Si, 99.952 per cent; Fe, 0.009; Al, 0.012; Ca, 0.003; C, 0.006; or 99.982 per cent. Silicon by difference equals 99.97 per cent. The variation between silicon by difference and silicon as directly determined is important. Although Tucker mentions the amount of insoluble matter in commercial silicon both before and after his treat-ment, he does not mention the existence of carbon in the alloy; neverthe-less, lie reports silicon by difference. Any final figure as to purity obviously results from agreement between direct determination and

Jan 1, 1939

By N. Brown

From the theories of flow and fracture it is shown that the difference in reciprocals of the transition temperatures (OK) is a quantitative measure of temper ernbrittlement. Experimental data are given which support this conclusion. STUDIES of temper embrittlement have been made with various viewpoints; some involved a study of the kinetics of the reaction,',2'" others were concerned with changes in the mechanical properties," . and still others investigated the structural differences between the embrittled and unembrittled states by means of the microscope," -ray ,' measurements of electrode potential," and electrical resistivity." In all these studies, the difference in impact properties was the criterion for distinguishing between the embrittled and unembrittled states. By common agreement the difference in transition temperatures is now taken as a measure of the degree of embrittlement, and this measure is used as the quantitative measure upon which studies of the phenomenon are based. Vidal and Jolivet"' suggested that the degree of embrittlement was the same whether measured by impact or by a slow bend test. Their conclusion was based on tests at constant temperature. Jaffe and Buffum" using the impact and slow bend test showed that, for a given degree of embrittlement, the difference in transition temperatures varied with the method of testing. Hultgren and Chang" showed that the difference in transition temperature produced by the V-notched Charpy impact test was not the same as the value produced by the keyhole-notched impact test. This is a very fundamental point because there can be no true measure of temper embrittlement unless it is invariant with respect to the test method. Theory The purpose of this analysis is to show how the transition temperature depends on the stress distribution and the state of the material. The criterion for fracture may be stated as follws: where iF is some function of the principle stresses and F is a critical condition depending on the state of the metal. Similarly yielding occurs when Where is another function of the prin-ciple stresses and Y is a critical value depending on the state of the material. There is some controversy as to the exact form of the function f,.(u,, u,, us) but most experimental data give the following criterion:= where 8, and 6, = 21 or 0. Combinations of 6, and 8, give the various criteria such as the normal stress, the hydrostatic tension, and the maximum shear stress laws. Agreement is general that the octahedral shear stress law adequately describes the yield condition. where the bracketed factor will be called the design factor and depends on the stress distribution. Whether the metal decides to yield or fracture is given by the condition that The effect of temperature and strain rate upon Y has been studied by various investigators, It has been shown by MacGregor and Fisher" that

Jan 1, 1955

GENTLEMEN Herewith are transmitted reports from the Treasurer and of the principal standing committees of the Institute. To these special reports members are referred for details as to the year's work. Despite the unfavorable business conditions obtaining throughout the year, the Institute was able to carry on its various activities without curtailment and without drawing on the surplus accumulated through previous years. In fact, small additions were made to the Life, Member¬ship and various other funds. It is highly desirable that such additions should continue to be made, especially to the Life Membership fund, for reasons reported last year. At present, money must be used from current receipts in order to enable the Institute to fulfill its obligations to those who on joining the organization commuted their dues by a single payment. In addition, with the passage of years the number increases of those who have paid dues forty years or more and who, by reason of age or dis¬ability, are unable longer to practise their profession. These men have supported the Institute through their active professional life and it would be a pity to lose them as members through resignation or for failure to keep up their dues. In accordance with the By-laws the Board has authority to advance such members, on application, to the Honor Roll of Senior Members and to relieve them from further payment of dues. It has been the policy of the Board to do this liberally, but to keep up this, as well as to meet other obligations, it is necessary for money to be provided. It has been estimated by the Treasurer that nearly $50,000 additional should be placed in the Life Membership fund as soon as possi¬ble to meet these obligations without using current income and to that end it is necessary, not only to avoid running behind currently but to earn, if possible, some surplus each year. The small amount transferred to the Life Membership fund from surplus this year was, as a matter of fact, made possible by certain members paying personally bills that were properly chargeable to the Treasury. Such generosity is common among those active in Institute work and probably no year would have closed with a surplus except for it.

Jan 1, 1923

By A. A. Dor

Out of nine new major iron ore concentrators put in operation during the last three years, or expected to be commissioned in 1968, seven incorporate primary grinding mills and have a total design capacity of 13,150,000 ltpy of pellets, while only two include conventional rod and ball mill grinding circuits for a total design capacity of about 6,100,000 ltpy (Table I). This evolution in the application of primary grinding to hard, fine grained magnetite ores represents an important development in the technology of mineral processing. It has been the outcome of comprehensive testwork in the laboratory and in pilot plants.

Jan 11, 1968

By John Fritz

THE John Fritz Medal was presented to Ambrose Swasey of Cleveland, Ohio, in the Auditorium of the Engineering Societies Building, in New York, on April 23. Charles F. Rand, Chairman of the Board of Award, presided and, after speaking very briefly of Mr. Swasey, whose friend he has been for a great many years, ,introduced Gen. William Crozier, formerly Chief of Ordnance, U. S. Army, who spoke most entertainingly of, Mr. Swasey's accomplishments in designing and manufacturing instruments of precision, particularly for the use of artillery in range finding: Dr. William Wallace Campbell, Director of the Lick Observatory, and President of the University of California, described Mr. Swasey's, contribution to astronomical advancement by his notable development of the largest telescopes in this country.

Jan 1, 1924

INTRODUCTION TO PROBABILITY THEORY The mathematical theory of probability provides the foundation for the interpretations and inferences that can be made from statistical techniques. Probability theory is a broad field of study in itself, and can only be touched on here in order to provide the necessary back- ground for a more complete understanding of statistical analysis. Probability is concerned with the outcome of random events. It had its beginnings in the theory of games of chance which were of great interest to European mathematicians during the last half of the 17th century. The outcome of a random process or experiment is defined as an event. The collection of all mathematical points associated with each event is called the sample space for an experiment. Consider a random experiment having a finite number, n, of possible outcomes, some of which have a characteristic A. What is the probability that A will result from a single

Jan 1, 1980

Allan Gibb, Mount Perry, Queensland, Australia (communication to the Secretary):—In drawing conclusions from his observations, Mr. Van Liew has apparently overlooked the reduction in weight that takes place in the content of the converter. The percentage-compositions of the matte, etc., are not directly comparable for determining the rate of elimination of the impurities; and, in the absence of exact weights (which in such an operation could not be obtained), it is necessary to determine the relation between the impurities and the copper with which they are combined at various stages, in order to get data that are comparable. Owing to a portion of the copper being removed in the slag, etc., the weight of copper in the converter is not a fixed quantity, but.it is sufficiently approximate to permit very reasonable comparison. The analytical data given by Mr. Van Liew, reduced to this basis (a ratio between the impurities and the copper with which they are combined), are shown in the table on page 958. From this table it will be evident that Mr. Van Liea's conclusions as to the source of heat at digerent stages are not quite correct. During the first 10 minutes, no iron is scorified, the heat being derived from the oxidation of the sulphur, of which 7 per cent. of the total is removed in this time. Prom

Jan 1, 1904

The Library of the above-named Societies is open from 9 A.M to 10 P. M. except on holidays. It contains about 70,000 volumes and 90,000 pamphlets, including sets of technical periodicals and publications of scientific and technical societies. Members of the Institute, with few exceptions, are forced to spend a portion of their time in localities isolated from sources of information. To these the Library, through its Library Service Bureau, can render valuable service through correspondence; letters requesting information will receive especial attention. The Library is prepared to furnish references and photographic copies of articles on mining and metallurgical subjects; to determine the existence of mining maps, and to furnish general information on the geology and mineral resources of all countries. All communications should he made as definite as possible so that the information received may he what is desired and not include collateral matter which may not be of interest. The time spent in searching for such collateral matter will be saved, and the information will be sent more promptly and in more usable shape.

Jan 6, 1918

By S. K. Ruggieri, R. A. Jankowski

Airborne respirable dust levels on longwalls can be reduced if operators approach the dust control problem in a logical and fundamental manner. This can be accomplished through the proper application and continued use of effective dust control techniques. The Bureau of Mines is currently assessing the effectiveness of longwall dust control techniques in use today to provide mine operators with guidelines for selecting the most appropriate control technology. This paper presents a fundamental approach to the problem of shearer dust control. Three dust control techniques to be discussed are: deep cutting/increased pick penetration for reducing the amount of respirable dust generated; drum water sprays/improved water supply system to suppress the amount of airborne respirable dust; and improved external water spray system, the “shearer-clearer, "to push the dust close to the face. The techniques have been evaluated infield trials and have been shown to be both practical and effective in applications to control shearer generated dust.

Jan 1, 1985

By John McCaslin

ONE of the most common technical terms in the U. S. today is automation-a word not listed in the 1946 dictionary. The influence of automation on the national economy has been tremendous. It has even been the subject of congressional investigations. Automation, writes Aronson, substitutes mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, electric, and electronic devices for human effort and decision? Automatic devices and instruments are used extensively in some industries, but many others have yet to take full advantage of these great discoveries. The petroleum industry has been a leader in using automatic controls-some refineries are almost completely controlled by automatic devices. The field of geophysics is entirely dependent on instruments and has progressed at almost exactly the same rate as improvements in instrumentation. In metallurgy and mineral dressing use of instrumentation is increasing very rapidly. Mining engineers throughout the country are beginning to think in terms of instruments and controls.

Jan 3, 1958

US 4,185,078-In the recovery of rhenium values from an aqueous sodium molybdate solution contained in the hydrometallurgical processing of roasted molybdenite, improved results are realized by using a described extractant consisting of a quaternary ammonium compound and benzene or other highly aromatic solvent which dissolves a quaternary ammonium-rhenium complex Essentially all rhenium is recovered from the solution and the extractant can be regenerated and recycled. This patent is a continuation-in-part of US Patent No. 4,049,771, dated Sept. 20, 1977. L R. Quatrini and M.B MacInnis, assigned to GTE Sylvania Inc. Jan 22, 1980. 6 pp (423-49). Flied. 7-19-78 (926,167).

Jan 1, 1982

By Alfred R. Powell

Late in 1944 a group of petroleum and coal technologists was organized in Washington under the sponsorship of the Petroleum Administration for War and the U. S. Bureau of Mines. This group, known as the Technical Oil Mission, was placed under the authority of the Technical Industrial Intelligence Committee of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which was then promoting the organization of other missions to be sent to Germany to obtain technical information regarding various industries in that country. The objective of the Tehnical oil Mission was to obtain technical data on German production of synthetic oil from coal and all other commercial practices and research projects connected with the oil industry. The primary purpose was to obtain such data as were immediately essential to assist the war against Germany and Japan, with secondary emphasis on technical information that would assist American industry after the end of the war. since oil-production facilities in Germany and the occupied countries controlled by Germany were the top targets for strategic bombing, the Technical Oil Mission was the first group under the Technical Induslrial Intelligence Com,mittee to enter Germany. A few members of the group flew to London in February 1945 and the majority of the remainder followed in March. In London they were joined by an equal number of British investigators and the combined mission was then sent into Germany under the authority of the Combined Intelligence Objectives Subcommittee (CIOS). A summary of the more important information gained by this combined British and American mission is presented below. German Oil Production The oil available to Germany, both natural and synthetic, and including production from occupied countries, reached a peak in late 1943 and early 1944 Production at this time was at the rate of 1,200,000 metric tons Per month, equivalent to 100,000,000 bbl. per year, or about 7 per cent of the wartime production in the United States. Of this production, jo per cent was crude oil from Romania and Hungary, 12 Per cent was crude oil from Germany itself, including Austria, 9 per cent cumprised coal-carbonization products, that is, tar and light oil, and only the remaining 29 per cent was synthetic liquid fuel made from coal or tar. Synthetic liquid fuel made in Germany was equivalent therefore to less than 2 per cent of wartime production of crude oil in the United States. The success of the strategic bombing campaign against German oil-production facilities is demonstrated by the fact that by September 1944 the Ploesti fields of Romania and much of the syrlthetic oil production had been eliminated, so that the amount of oil available to the German war machine was only 25 per Cent of the peak qualltity mentioned above. By early 1945, when the combined British and American oil mission was entering

Jan 1, 1947

By Alfred R. Powell

Late in 1944 a group of petroleum and coal technologists was organized in Washington under the sponsorship of the Petroleum Administration for War and the U. S. Bureau of Mines. This group, known as the Technical Oil Mission, was placed under the authority of the Technical Industrial Intelligence Committee of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which was then promoting the organization of other missions to be sent to Germany to obtain technical information regarding various industries in that country. The objective of the Tehnical oil Mission was to obtain technical data on German production of synthetic oil from coal and all other commercial practices and research projects connected with the oil industry. The primary purpose was to obtain such data as were immediately essential to assist the war against Germany and Japan, with secondary emphasis on technical information that would assist American industry after the end of the war. since oil-production facilities in Germany and the occupied countries controlled by Germany were the top targets for strategic bombing, the Technical Oil Mission was the first group under the Technical Induslrial Intelligence Com,mittee to enter Germany. A few members of the group flew to London in February 1945 and the majority of the remainder followed in March. In London they were joined by an equal number of British investigators and the combined mission was then sent into Germany under the authority of the Combined Intelligence Objectives Subcommittee (CIOS). A summary of the more important information gained by this combined British and American mission is presented below. German Oil Production The oil available to Germany, both natural and synthetic, and including production from occupied countries, reached a peak in late 1943 and early 1944 Production at this time was at the rate of 1,200,000 metric tons Per month, equivalent to 100,000,000 bbl. per year, or about 7 per cent of the wartime production in the United States. Of this production, jo per cent was crude oil from Romania and Hungary, 12 Per cent was crude oil from Germany itself, including Austria, 9 per cent cumprised coal-carbonization products, that is, tar and light oil, and only the remaining 29 per cent was synthetic liquid fuel made from coal or tar. Synthetic liquid fuel made in Germany was equivalent therefore to less than 2 per cent of wartime production of crude oil in the United States. The success of the strategic bombing campaign against German oil-production facilities is demonstrated by the fact that by September 1944 the Ploesti fields of Romania and much of the syrlthetic oil production had been eliminated, so that the amount of oil available to the German war machine was only 25 per Cent of the peak qualltity mentioned above. By early 1945, when the combined British and American oil mission was entering

Jan 1, 1947

By W. A. Koehler, M. E. Hinkle

INTRODUCTION THE oxidation of pyrites and marcasite in coal-mine strata to produce discolored acid mine drainage has long been explained by chemical reactions occurring in three stages: I. The iron sulphide minerals are oxidized by air in the presence of water to produce a nearly colorless solution of fer¬rous (iron) sulphate and some sulphuric acid. 2. The ferrous sulphate and part of the sulphuric acid combine with additional oxygen to form ferric (iron) sulphate. 3. The ferric sulphate hydrolyzes to form a reddish-brown precipitate and additional sulphuric acid. Nevertheless, chemical data alone are not sufficient to explain all observed facts. The first stage seems to proceed more slowly in the chemical laboratory than in nature. The second and third stages nor¬mally occur to a marked extent within a few days with raw mine water. However, the visible discoloration that characterizes these latter stages will not develop for months if the mine water is sterilized. By means of bacteriological techniques, two organisms have been isolated from acid coal-mine drainage. These are believed to have a part in promoting the chemical reactions summarized above. One organism is considered to be Thio¬bacillus thiooxidans, which is known to be able to convert elementary sulphur or sodium thiosulphate to sulphuric acid. Its relation to the formation of acid mine drainage has not yet been established. Apparently it does not promote the oxida¬tion of ferrous iron compounds in mine, drainage to the ferric state. The second organism has not been identi¬fied by name but is described as "Gram negative, non-spore-forming rods approxi¬mately 0.4 micron wide by o.8 to 1.0 micron long." A pure culture of this when added to sterile mine water will cause the latter to become amber and develop the typical rusty precipitate. However, it has not been found to convert sulphur com¬pounds to sulphuric acid. Further research is planned to determine whether or not these microorganisms play a significant part in the first stage of oxidation whereby pyrites and marcasite minerals go into solution. Some of the conditions found in abandoned sections of coal mines, such as a reduced percentage of oxygen and increased percentage of carbon dioxide in the air, as well as the existing temperature and acidity ranges, will be tolerated by and may even be favorable to these organisms. ACID COAL MINE DRAINAGE Acid coal mine drainage has been the concern of coal mine operators, industrial¬ists, sportsmen and public officials for many years. The amount of acid flowing into our streams in the coal-producing areas varies considerably from mine to mine and from

Jan 1, 1948

By Rich Akerman

as 1866, I wish to assure both these gentlemen that I had not seen the section when I designed mine, :md even if I had, I should not have then dared to put it forth as a standard for English rail makers; tind the soundness of my opinion has a simple but conclusive proof in the statement made concerning the extra price which was at that time required for their production. I need not say that I highly approve of the original Welch section, for it is in principle similar to the design which I made ufteen yeam subsequently; and from a professional point of view I would fully concecle to Mr. Welch the credit of first designing the modern steel-rail section. From com- mercial, matter of tict, and practical point of view, he was, however, before his time by many years; or to put it in another way, rail making was ten years behind its time when the new metal steel was first introduced for rails. If his design has been incorrectly identified with my name (as the sections are similar in principle, though they differ in thickness of flange and web), I beg to say (1st) that I much regret the misun- Understanding which has arisen through no fault of niine, aud (2d) that no confusion has been intentionally created by me. It is a pity that the section designed so long ago has not been made public at an earlier date, as it would make a really goal stand- and pattern, anil even now be quite equal to present requirements. In conclusion, I wish to say that I have never desired to claim any invention or novelty by the publication of my sections; they Were put forth as being such as English railmakers could and would produce at the ordinary market. price, and as being the best and most suitable to be so obtained. Had Mr. Welch or Mr. Holley put forward theirs ten or fifteen years ago, I should have been the first to recommend theru. In fact I should have been glad to see their narnes associated with rail patterns in their own country, in the same way as mine has been. PROFESSOR RICH. AKERMAN, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN: i AGREE with your (Mr. Sandberg's) views that it is too early yet to stipulate only one definite chemical composition in the rails. Such a stipulation, I think, might he justified, if it were not for the manganese; but this metal changes the properties of the iron aud steel in tho same direc- tion ae carbon, silicon. and phosphorus, by increasing its tensile strength, stiffness, hardness, and brittleaess. If the iron and steel does not only contain carbon and manganese but also phosphorus,

Jan 1, 1881