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By R. W. Raymond

The immense commercial value of the Gayley dry-blast process has been established beyond controversy. The testimony of practical blast-furnace managers, on both sides of the Atlantic, agrees that it reduces the cost of pig-iron about $1 per ton; but from the same testimony it appears that this direct economy does not by any means cover its commercial advantages—in fact, that under conditions frequently encountered in practice, it presents other benefits of even greater immediate financial importance. To this point I shall recur in a later part of the present paper. The history of the reception given to this invention, especially on the other side of the Atlantic, has repeated an experience familiar to American engineers. First, the reports of our practice were rejected as theoretically impossible, according to generally accepted notions and formulas; then the figures were reluctantly accepted; and finally the attempt has been made to explain how they could have been obtained. As to the Gayley dry blast, me Americans have been for several years in the last stage of the discussion, and the rest of the professional world is rapidly coming to it. Meanwhile, the remark has been repeatedly made that, whatever Mr. Gayley's process may turn out to be worth, it was not an invention on his part, but simply the energetic and persevering execution of a procedure already proposed by others. This question I wish to discuss first in the present paper. I. What Did Mr. Gayley Invent? Realizing that this is not the place for detailed argument on an issue of patent law, I shall not undertake to quote and criticise the publications prior to Mr. Gayley'a first patents. It may be admitted, without such critical analysis, that the possible advantages of removing moisture from the air forced into an iron blast-furnace were recognized and talked about a hun-

Jan 1, 1909

By B. E. Field

COBALT is a silvery white metal with a slight bluish cast, strongly resembling nickel in its appearance and properties, notably its resistance to corrosion, although its alloys with other metals differ quite decidedly in their properties from those of nickel. The name cobalt was derived from the German "Kobold" meaning goblin and this came to be applied to the cobalt minerals which, although they resembled ores, did not readily yield metal when smelted by the primitive processes available in the Middle Ages. Cobalt minerals were used as pigments by potters and glass workers before the Christian era. Cobalt blue glass was found in the tombs of the Egyptians and in the ruins of Troy, and many colors used by the ancient Greeks and Romans contained cobalt. The ancients were entirely unaware that the colors they used were caused by cobalt and the metal itself was only isolated about the middle of the eighteenth century by Brandt although the preparation of cobalt compounds had been carried on in a small way ever since the opening of the silver-cobalt deposits at Schneeberg, Germany, in 1470. The metal is fairly hard, with a density when pure of 8.81 in the cast state and 8.92 after working. The com¬mercial grade of cobalt has a density of about 8.75 in the cast state. The atomic weight is 58.97. The Brinell hardness of the pure metal is 124; that of the commercial grade varies from as low as 100 to as high as 138, depending upon the impurities present. Pure cobalt has a sharp melting point at 1478°C. The tensile strength of the pure metal in the cast condition is said to be higher than that of any other pure metal. Kalmus gives it as 34,400 lb. per sq. in. for cast unannealed metal; the effect of annealing at 850 to 900°C. is to raise the strength slightly. The yield point is close to the ultimate strength and the reduction in area and elongation are both low. Mechanical working raises the tensile strength of pure cobalt rapidly and in the form of wire it will be over 100,000 lb. per sq. in. The presence of small quantities of carbon in the commercial metal raises the tensile strength to as high as 61,000 lb. per sq. in., the reduction in area and elongation being raised at the same time to approximately 20 per cent.

Jan 1, 1933

By John V. Beall

The forecast of continued growing demand for phosphate, chiefly for fertilizer, has caused a world-wide rush for deposits by a variety of companies many of which have never before mined phosphate rock. The newcomers are diversifying into this growth industry on the strength of certain capabilities. Among these are the availability of investment capital, mining or processing know-how and marketing experience. Product tie-ins have motivated some into the search. Companies with excess sulfuric acid or potential for making it are in this category. This acid is the most commonly used for dissolving phosphate rock to make phosphoric acid. Base metal smelting companies are prime candidates in this field with by-product acid from roasting processes. Producers of "sweet" natural gas, such as those in Louisiana and Texas, have a potential for recovering low cost hydrogen from excess gas production for the manufacture of ammonia, the main source of nitrogen for fertilizer. "Sour" gas producers, such as those in the Canadian fields, are making sulfuric acid that is combined with western U.S. phosphate to make fertilizer materials. The presence of one or two steel companies in the look-see for phosphate deposits is based on by-product ammonia from coke-oven gas.

Jan 10, 1966

By Zárate G. E.

Practical and statistical considerations concerned with the sampling, sample preparation and chemical analysis of precious metal ores are reviewed. The principal requirements related with the characteristics of sample cutter, sample preparation, equipment and methods are discussed. The main errors introduced in the different stages of the sampling systems are defined. The application of statistical techniques to evaluate these errors to determine the ore grade variation and to design the number of increments needed to get an accurate assay are presented. Finally, results obtained with the application of this method to gold and silver ores are analyzed and some recommendations are given.

Jan 1, 1984

PRESIDENT BENJAMIN B. THAYER,1 NEW YORK, N. Y. PAST PRESIDENTS JAMES F. KEMP,1 NEW YORK, N. Y. CHARLES F. RAND,2 NEW YORK, N. Y. FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT SIDNEY J. JENNINGS,1 NEW YORK,. N. Y. TREASURER GEORGE C. STONE,1 NEW YORK, N. Y. SECRETARY EMERITUS ROSSITER W. RAYMOND, NEW YORK, N. Y. SECRETARY BRADLEY STOUGHTON NEW YORK, N. Y.

Jan 11, 1914

PRESIDENT WILLIAM L. SAUNDERS,1 NEW YORK, N. Y. PAST PRESIDENTS CHARLES F. RAND,1 NEW YORK, N. Y. BENJAMIN B. THAYER,2 NEW YORK, N.Y. FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT PHILIP N. MOORE,1 ST. Louis, Mo. TREASURER GEORGE C. STONE,' NEW YORK, N. Y SECRETARY EMERITUS ROSSITER W. RAYMOND NEW YORK, N. Y. SECRETARY BRADLEY STOUGHTON NEW YORK, N. Y.

Jan 6, 1915

For the year ending February, 1917 PRESIDENT L. D. RICKETTS, 1............... NEW YORK, N. Y. PAST PRESIDENTS BENJAIMN B. THAYER.1 ............... NEW YORK, N. Y. WILLIAM L. SAUNDERS,P ................ NEW YORK, N. Y. FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT SIDNEY J. JENNINGS,1 .....,...... ., .... NEW YORK, N. Y. TREASURER GEORGE C. STONE,l. ................ NEW YORK, N. Y. SECRETARY EMERITUS ROSSITER W. RAYMOND, .... .,. .......... NEW YORK, N. Y

Jan 9, 1916

[Appalachian Petroleum Section: Chairman: Robert H. Edele, 1st V.C.: Robert Vutech, 2nd V.C.: Robert Tullis, Sec.-Treas.: Frederick T. Solomon. Meets last Tuesday of each month in Charleston, W. Va. Balcones Section: Chairman: Dr. Frank W. Jessen, 1st V.C.: Gilbert M. Andreen, 2nd V.C.: Lloyd N. Johnson, Seo.-Treas.: W. C. Vercellino. Big Horn Basin Subsection: Chairman: B. E. Yester, 1st V.C.: Robert J. Woodhall, 2nd V.C.: Herbert A. Koch, Secretary: Dean Costello, Treasurer: Thomas W. DeLong. Meets 2nd Wednesday; alternating between Cody and Worland. Billings Petroleum Section: Chairman: George O. Ellis, 1st V. C.: Robert L. Spottswood, 2nd V. C.: Robert M. Watkins, Sec-Treas.: Joseph H. Bato. Meets 5:30 p.m., 3rd Tuesday at Billings Press Club.]

Jan 1, 1961

By Stanley W. Ivosevic

The South-Central Osa Peninsula produced around 30,000 kg (100,000 troy oz) of gold since prehistoric times. Gold freed by erosion from quartz lodes in the Mesozoic Nicoya ophiolite complex was reconcentrated through three generations of Quaternary sedimentary deposits. Resultant gold placers grade upward from 1 g/m3 (0.03 troy oz/m3) and are of moderate size.

Jan 1, 1980

By NEWTON B. KNOX

THE Guianas region is a geological unit, consisting of the northern lobe of the Brazilian Shield, but political accident and the fact that rivers act as the principal means of transportation have divided the region between five separate sovereignties. Brazilian and Venezuelan Guiana have already been considered. The French, Dutch, and British colonies consist of a coastal plain some fifty miles wide, which, together with the lower reaches of the principal rivers, support the greater part of the population. Inland from this tidewater region is a wide area of low, forest-covered hills, under-lain by gneisses, schists, granites, and pegmatites of the Shield. As in Venezuelan Guiana, these rocks are overlain by a thick series of horizontal continental sediments intruded by moderately basic magmas. Gold, bauxite and diamonds have been the principal products of the colonies. The first metal is quite widespread in the hill country. The quartz mines are small, though occasionally rich; probably the greater number of veins remain undiscovered because of the thick mantle of decomposition product that covers the schists and gneisses. The greater proportion of the gold, therefore, is derived from placers which are exploited in all three colonies. Some geologists claim that they occur in two belts parallel to the coast; whether this feature has its origin in the location of the primary mineralization or in the gradients of the rivers is not clear. In some instances the river gravels grade into auriferous laterite. The laterites are well developed in the Guianas and represent the weathering products of the more basic rocks.

Jan 1, 1946

By T. S. Mohibatsela, R. V. Ramani, C. V. Manula

The Mineral Engineering Department of The Pennsylvania State University has developed a suite of computer models for anthracite open pit mining (Fig. 1)1 Individual sub-systems have been developed to (a) interpolate geologic field data to obtain coal tonnages, waste volumes, and strip ratios; (b) simulate equipment performance on selected pit profiles to generate data required to choose coal and waste removal equipment; and (c) evaluate selected cost factors to determine either a rate of return for a specified selling price or vice-versa. This paper describes the application of two of these subsystems, namely, the Reserves Model (GEOL) and the Open Pit Materials Handling Simulator (OPMHS), and how these may be applied for the selection of equipment for a prime anthracite mining site.2

Jan 1, 1981

By E. M. MacKevett

The only source of uranium ore in Alaska that has been mined commercially is the Ross-Adams de- posit, a gently inclined, fusiform orebody in alkali granite in which uranothorite and uranoan thorianlte are the chief ore minerals. In mode of occurrence, apparent genetic association with the granite, and to a lesser extent in mineralogy, this type of deposit is uncommon. The mine is in the southern part of Prince of Wales Island (Fig. 1) at an altitude of about 950 ft on the southeast flank of Bokan Mountain. A steep unpaved road 1 ¾ miles long leads to the dock on the West Arm of Kendrick Bay, which can be reached by boat or seaplane from Ketchikan, some 35 miles to the northeast.

Jan 9, 1959

By D. F. Coolbaugh

Successful mine exploration requires sound planning and modern exploration techniques, but it also requires perseverance and the right timing. The La Caridad mineral area has been known for over 70 years, but as with many mines, it was not "discovered" until viewed under new economic conditions and exploration philosophies. Present exploration of the La Caridad area began in 1964 and was carried out under a joint Mexican Government-United Nations Project. Detailed exploration was begun by Asarco Mexicana S.A. in late 1968. The geology of the La Caridad deposits conforms, generally, to the "porphyry copper" deposits of Arizona. However, breccias and pegmatites play a very important part in the emplacement of mineralization.

Jan 1, 1972

By Herbert Hoover

YOUR committee asks that I speak today on the relations of the engineering profession to public affairs. That takes in a lot of ground. This being a cheerful occasion, I will assume that I should exclude the engineer's function as a taxpayer. This being a nonpartisan occasion, I will assume that I should not refer to his voting emotions in 1940. Perhaps what was in the minds of your committee was the application of engineering thought to the confusions of the times. That is also a lot of ground. I fear, however, its boundaries disappear in mirages and rainbows on all sides. Now any entry of the engineer into public affairs involves his breaking into the fields of the sociologists, the economists, and the politicians. However I don't know why, seeing the difficulties these professions are having, they should not welcome a little help.

Jan 1, 1939

By Paul M. Tyler, Carle R. Hayward

DOES it pay to do really good work? Quite likely the practical millman will answer that it does not. The preparation of ores for market is primarily a business enterprise, and by and large the individual operator does not bother his head about squandering our national resources or making easier the job of the smelterman. Having accepted such ore as he may get fro111 the mine, his job is to make the best possible showing with his mill fro111 the standpoint of financial return. His success is measured in dollars and cents, and he has no rightful reason to expect more than scant acknowledgment of any other achievements from the stock- holders of his company who in the last analysis are his employers.

Jan 1, 1936

By C. K. Leith, W. J. NEAD

(Glen Summit Meeting, June, 1911.) . ONE Of the most significant developments in the iron industry in recent years has been the discovery and opening of enormous reserves of low-grade ore in eastern and northeastern Cuba. The two principal fields are the Mayari and the Moa, situated on Nipe bay, in the Province of Oriente. A less well-known district of the same type is that of Baracoa, at the east of the island, and another is in Camaguey province in central Cuba. In the comprehensive estimates of the iron-ore reserves of the world, published during the summer of 1910 by the International Geological Congress in Sweden,' these Cuban deposits are estimated at about 2,000,000,000 tons. Certain it is that the reserve is a large one. The Spanish-American Iron Co., the Juragua Iron Co. (Bethlehem Steel Co.), the U. S. Steel Corporation, and others have been active in this exploration.. The Spanish-American Iron Co. has established a port for the handling of these ores at Felton, has built a railway 16 miles to the ore-fields, and has opened up deposits for steam-shovel mining. Its expenditures have reached an aggregate of about $6,000,000 in preparation for the handling of these ores. Shipment of the ore to Sparrow's Point, Md., has begun and may be expected to rise to a considerable amount in the near future. The ore reaches this point at a cost per unit of iron considerably lower than Lake Superior ores, and the presence of a low percentage of nickel gives a desirable steel. It is not the purpose of this article to consider these ores from a commercial stand-point, but rather to discuss their-origin. If our conclusions are correct, they throw light on the character of the deposits which should have some commercial significance. 1 The Iron Ore Resources of the World, an inquiry made upon the initiative of the Executive Committee of the Eleventh International Geological Congress, Stockholm, vol. ii., p. 795 (1910).

Mar 1, 1911

By Paul M. Tyler

THE farmer pays the phosphate miner! Phosphorus is used in fireworks; goes to battle in military smoke screens, incendiary shells, and tracer bullets; and, in vermin destroying pastes, does its part in the war against insects. A lemon phosphate can be had for a nickel at most soda fountains, and tens of thousands of tons of phosphate rock are mined annually for use in the food industries, chiefly for making monocaleium phosphate baking powder. Sodium phosphate cleaning, washing, and scouring compounds consume substantial quantities: the iron and steel industries buy a few thousand tons yearly to make ferrophosphorus and to balance foundry-iron furnace charges; and even nonferrous metallurgists use a little for phosphor bronze and other alloys. Phosphoric acid, its salts, and diverse other derivatives of this versatile element have countless applications, and industrial outlets are increasing rapidly, especially in the United States. Nevertheless, in this country nearly 90 per cent and in the whole world fully 95 per cent of the phosphate rock consumed is absorbed ultimately in agriculture.

Jan 1, 1938

By Gordon S. Duncan

(New York Meeting, February, 1912 THE U. S. Geological Survey, I believe, has almost completed a study of the Harney Peak quadrangle, preliminary to the publication of a report on that, district. As I was engaged for some months on an investigation of the mode of occurrence of the ore-bearing formation in this area, it has seemed to me timely to make public the results of my study, as a contribution to the consideration of this subject. It seems scarcely necessary to describe the locality and general geology of the Black hills of South Dakota, for since 1846 many have contributed information concerning this region, some of the reports bearing such well-known names as those of Walter P. Jenney, Henry Newton, S. F. Emmons, and C. R. Van Hise, while we have only to glance at Bulletin No. 4 of the South Dakota School of Mines, in which Prof. C. C. O'Harra, of that institution, has given us a bibliography of contributions to the geography and geology of the section, to find that other well-known men have studied the district, and have given us the benefit of their researches. The U. S. Geological Survey has made geological maps of nearly the whole of the Black hills, the only quadrangle yet to be completed being, as stated, the Harney Peak district. During the late summer and autnmn of 1910, it was my lot to examine and report. on a considerable area in this neighborhood, which once had been prospected, and in some cases exploited, for tin. This paper gives an account of certain geological phenomena, noted at that time, which greatly influenced my conclnsions. The predominating formation of the district is pre-Cambrian, represented by a highly-cleaved mica-schist, usually very garnetiferous, and sometimes hornblendic. Rising like an island from the surrounding schist is a large mass of granite, known as

Jul 1, 1912

THE following employment items are made available to AIME members on a nonprofit basis by the Engineering Societies Personnel Service, Inc., operating in cooperation with the Four Founder Societies. Local offices of the Personnel Service are at 8 W. 40th St., New York 18; 100 Farnsworth Ave., Detroit; 57 Post St., San Francisco; 84 E. Randolph St., Chicago 1. Applicants should address all mail to the proper key numbers in care of the New York office and include 6c in stamps for forwarding and returning application. The applicant agrees, if placed in a position by means of the Service, to pay the placement fee listed by the Service. AIME members may secure a weekly bulletin of positions available for $3.50 a quarter, $12 a year. MEN AVAILABLE Project Manager or Construction Engineer, 48, married. Twenty-five years' experience on mine, mill and smelter construction work, design and operation, U. S. and Mexico. Speak Spanish. Now employed; available 30 days notice. Prefer U. S. or Mexico. M-698-489-E-1-San Francisco. Mining Geologist, 53, single. Eleven years' intensive field experience giving a completely practical competence for the smallest or largest of areas; plus the highest possible grade of academic background and independent research qualifying for top rating. Available in thirty days or less. Any location acceptable. M-699-3611-E-7-San Francisco.

Jan 1, 1952

By Robert M. Dreyer

During the past two decades, synthetic abrasives have taken over successively greater percentages of the high-grade abrasive market, so that now, with the exception of natural diamonds (discussed in section 3.15.4C of this chapter), the importance of natural high-grade abrasives is negligible. The predominance of synthetic abrasives is indicated in Table 15.4A.1. This shows that the 1968 value of domestically produced synthetic abrasives (excluding synthetic diamonds) was over $80 million, whereas the value of garnet, the largest domestically produced, natural high-grade abrasive, was less -than $2 million. The major synthetic abrasives (other than synthetic diamonds) are: alumina, silicon carbide, boron carbide, tungsten carbide, and metallic oxides, including various iron oxides. A major advantage of synthetic abrasives is that the size and shape of grain can be closely controlled during manufacture. Although Table 15.4A.1 gives the average price of synthetic abrasives, such averages are of somewhat limited value. This is because the actual price varies within wide limits, depending on composition, hardness, size, and shape of grain. In 1968 the approximate total consumption of abrasives in the United States was valued at about $200 million, of which about two-fifths was in the form of synthetic abrasives (other than diamonds), one-third in synthetic diamonds, and the remainder in natural diamonds. Natural abrasive products, such as silica sand, tripoli, and pumice, are important in the low-cost abrasive field. Of the low-cost abrasives, silica sand continues to be the most important, with domestic production of about 300,000 tons at a value of $1.8 million (see Table 15.4A.1). In general, the lower the sales price of the abrasive product, the more limited is the market which can be served from a given production center. Each abrasive has applications for which it is especially useful, but there is a continual struggle among abrasive suppliers to induce substitution of one product for another. Such substitution can be stimulated by changes in method of preparation affecting hardness, shape, and size of grain.

Jan 1, 1976