Search Documents

By John Griffen

THEORY HYDRAULIC classification as explained by Rittinger and others was largely restricted to conditions wherein the free-falling velocities of the particles were conceived as governing the separations effected (see chapter 9). The laws governing classification under free-falling conditions have been summarized by Chapman and Mott as fo1lows:l Nomenclature r represents, in a particle of irregular shape, the round-hole screen through which the particle would pass, or some other linear dimension of the particle equivalent to d, the diameter of a sphere. s, the specific gravity of the particle. 1, the specific gravity of the water used as a medium. K, a constant. W, the velocity of the water. In an Upward Current of water 1. A particle will move upward if [V > K dr(s - 1)] and, by suit- ably regulating the speed of the water current, the larger and heavier particles may be made to fall downward against the current, leaving the smaller, lighter particles in suspension in the current. 2. Particles such that [- = -] cannot be separated in an upward- current classifier with any one velocity of current. Coal particles having a specific gravity of 1.35 cannot be separated from refuse particles of [2.5 - 1 2.5 sp. gr.] unless the ratio of diameters is less than [ 4.3 to 1, 1.35 – 1] and the raw coal must be screened to size limits within this ratio if they are to be separated. Cone-shaped vessels or vessels of other shapes that allow the use of different velocities of current at different points in the flow are used to modify this limitation.

Jan 1, 1943

By W. McA. Johnson

THE work of J. E. Johnson, Jr., on the effect of small amounts of oxygen in cast iron in increasing its strength and resistance to shock, is of interest from the technical and scientific standpoints. The following exposition of the theory carries Mr. Johnson's explanation further and, in my opinion, will disclose certain related phenomena and perhaps shed further light on the subject. Some facts, so novel in character as to excite incredulity, have been accepted finally by many metallurgical authorities. One of these is that oxygen to the amount of 0.060 per cent. in cast iron gives it a breaking strength of 3,500 lb. per square inch, compared with a breaking strength 2,500 lb. per square inch in cast iron of the same composition with re-ect to elements other than oxygen, but having only 0.010 per cent. oxygen. The "oxygenated" cast iron, even if made in a coke furnace, has properties equivalent to the best charcoal pig iron. Mr. Johnson has also established the fact that the variations in combined carbon cannot account for the results. By microphotographic evidence he has shown that in oxygenated cast iron the graphite particles are dense and spherical, while in well-deoxidized cast iron the graphite particles are flaky and leaf-like. It is just a matter of common sense that iron of the latter structure is much weaker than the former. The analytical and microscopical work has been done with care and there is no doubt in my mind about the accuracy of the, experimental results. In this paper then, we shall consider it as accepted that small amounts (0.060 per cent.) of oxygen increase the strength of cast iron by producing a structure in which the round and solid particles of graphite are surrounded firmly by a principal matrix of ferrite. The purpose of this paper is to show that the reason why the graphite particles are round is founded on the fact that the particles of any precipitate are made denser and harder by the presence of a reagent having a solvent action on the precipitate. This can be stated as a law, although I have never seen it so given in any textbook.

Jan 2, 1916

By Simon T. Johnson

Potential applications for boom tunnelling machines requires reliable assessment of in-situ performance. The majority of existing classification schemes concentrate on the prediction of excavation rate, neglecting the important influence of tool consumption rates. A statistical approach is taken to the analysis of the performance data, which was obtained first-hand through in-situ monitoring, and laboratory testing of representative rock samples. A statistical discrimination technique is used to produce a scheme for the prediction of performance groups, each of which covers a limited range of cutting rate and/or tool consumption rate.

Jan 1, 1984

By T. C. Campbell

Copper is extracted from the Chuquicamata oxide ore by a hydro-metallurgical process. The ore is crushed to 3/8-in. sizing, and leached with a sulfuric acid electrolyte. Chlorine is precipitated. and the ferric iron reduced in the enriched electrolyte, after which the copper is recovered by electrolysis with insoluble Chilex and lead-antimony anodes, the spent electrolyte being returned to leaching. Cathodes are melted and refined in market furnaces and cast into commercial wire-bar and cake shapes. Sulfuric acid for the process is supplied by the brochantite in the ore. Water for washing the ore is advanced through the solution system and finally after cutting by electrolysis to from 6 to 16.0 grams per liter is completely stripped by the cuprous chloride method and run to waste. The cuprous chloride so obtained plus that resulting from precipitation of chlorine from strong solution is dissolved in ferrous chloride brine and the copper cemented on scrap iron. The cement so obtained is in part used to reduce ferric iron in electrolyte, and as it is of exceptional purity is also furnace refined and cast into an exceptional quality of fire-refined copper. Fig. 1 is flow sheet of the operation. The reduction plant is composed of seven divisions as follows: (1) crushing, (2) leaching, (3) tailings disposal, (4) dechloridizing, (5) sulfur dioxide treatment, (6) electrolytic tank house, (7) smelting and melting. A brief description of each of these divisions will be given. Crushing Ore that is frequently blocky and up to 5 ft. in section is crushed in four stages to 3/8-in. mesh. The first stage of crushing is called primary and the next three stages are known as secondary crushing. The first stage is accomplished with two 60-in. Superior McCully gyratory breakers by which the ore is broken to 9 in. The second coarse gyratory breakers crush the ore to 3-in. sizing. There are seven No. 10 McCully gyratories in this service, for one of which recently has been substituted a No. 7 cone crusher. The third and fourth stages of crushing are accomplished by fifty 48-in. disk crushers. In the third stage 14 disk crushers break the ore to 1 in., and in the last stage 36 disk crushers turn out the final product of 0.371-in. sizing. Reference to the flow sheets of Figs. 2 and 3

Jan 1, 1934

By Wilhelm in der Schmitten

A necessary condition for a uniaxial stress distribution in compression testing is that the specimen end surfaces make full contact with the apparatus compression plates. In addition all compression surfaces must be machined perpendicularly to the loading axis. In general this condition is not sufficiently fulfilled in a simple apparatus. Therefore on application of the load the compression plate may first touch the specimen at one point only. This may cause crumbling of the specimen if the material under investigation is brittle (e.g., ionic crystals). It also precludes a precise study of the beginning of deformation as the effective cross sectional area is unknown. In addition a complex stress state is set up which renders quantitative work impossible, e.g., on dislocation density and arrangement as a function of stress. To overcome these difficulties a "self-adjusting" upper compression plate is required. A simple and reliable method of achieving this is shown in Fig. 1: A steel hemisphere is placed on the specimen. As soon as the compression plate (which no longer needs precise machining) makes contact with this hemisphere the load is uniformly distributed over the whole specimen surface, and a homogeneous uniaxial state of stress results. An advantage of the method is that the loading is always central, even when the specimen surface is not parallel to the compression plate (Fig. 1, dashed line). Therefore to a first approximation a uniaxial state of stress is maintained if the misorientation of the specimen end surface is small. Two typical stress strain curves of identically prepared sodium chloride crystals are shown in Fig. 2; curve 1 was taken without and curve II with the hemisphere under otherwise identical conditions. The improvement in the accuracy of defining the beginning of elastic and plastic deformation is clearly indicated. The writer wishes to thank the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft for financial support, and Professor P. Haasen for providing facilities for this work.

Jan 1, 1962

By A. L. Barnes

A number of reservoirs have been partially invaded by bottom water. Water flooding such reservoirs can be especially inefficient if the oil has a high viscosity because injected water will under-run the oil and emerge at producing wells without having displaced much oil. A possible means of improving water sweep efficiency would be to precede the water flood with a slug of water purposely thickened with a chemical additive. This possibility has been studied with a scaled laboratory flow model. The investigation was carried out on a model representing a 20-acre five-spot with one set of reservoir condition~. Displacements were performed with water, with viscous-water slugs of 10 and 25 per cent of the pore volume followed by water, and with all viscous water. Displacement tests were made at several rates of injection. For all cases, compared at the same producing water-oil ratio, an increase in rate resulted in an increase in volumetric sweep. The larger the quantity of viscous slug injected, the greater the crossflow of oil ahead of the displacing front and, thus, the lower the WOR during that period of a displacement. This investigation indicates that the injection of aqueous viscous slugs in this type of system would give some additional benefit over conventional flooding by (I) reducing the life of the flood, (2) reducing lifting costs and (3) increasing ultimate recovery. The benefits of a viscous-slug displacement would warrant its use if the viscous water could be created for a few cents per barrel. INTRODUCTION The most appropriate method for water flooding oil reservoirs which have been partially invaded by bottom water has been a problem of considerable interest. Such reservoirs, having good vertical permeability and unfavorable mobility ratios, are difficult to produce efficiently under normal waterflood procedures. Even though the injection wells have been plugged back above the oil-water contact and the water zone has been squeezed off, injection water will enter the formation and not only displace oil, but also much of it will displace the bottom water, thus creating a high producing water-oil ratio at the start of a flood (see Fig. 1). Since the rate of injection and the viscosity of the displacing fluid are the more easily controlled physical parameters of the reservoir, it is quite natural to study their effects on the volumetric sweep of the oil zone and on the producing water-oil ratio. Increasing the viscosity of the displacing fluid has two disadvantages—it reduces the maximum rate of injection into the reservoir, and it costs more than water. It was thought that the injection of a viscous-fluid slug, followed by water, would minimize these two disadvantages, increase the volumetric sweep of the oil zone and reduce the producing water-oil ratio. Water with an additive to increase viscosity would probably be the most effective. The primary purpose of this investigation was to determine the feasibility of injecting viscous-water slugs followed by water to improve or hasten oil recovery while reducing the producing water-oil ratios. The effect of injection rate upon recovery was also investigated. A laboratory model, scaled to a 20-acre five-spot prototype with one set of reservoir conditions, was constructed. Laboratory studies of displacements with (1) water, (2) viscous-water slugs of 10 and 25 per cent of the pore volume followed by water and (3) all viscous water were performed at several rates of injection. THEORY OF SAND MODEL SCALING There are two conventional means of determining scaling criteria. These are dimensional analysis and inspec-tional analysis. Determining scaling criteria by dimensional

By Donald L. Katz

The compressing of gas into a partially depleted gas drive oil reservoir to bring the contents to a single phase miscible with gas is proposed as a process worthy of serious study. The compressed gas and vaporized oil would be recovered by cycling. This paper explores the Possibility of recovering oil from reservoirs of 6,000 ft or more by this method. INTRODUCTION Many new methods for increasing the recovery of oil from reservoirs are under consideration in the various research laboratories. One method which should be considered for recovering oil From partially depleted gas drive fields is to compress gas into the reservoir until the contents become a single phase miscible with more gas. Natural gas then may be cycled through the reservoir to recover the oil. This procedure ideally will eliminate the capillary effects of the liquid ill the porous media and should permit recoveries similar to those obtained in cycling operations, probably of the order of 80 per cent. This paper explores the information now available for the prediction of the performance of such a project and discusses the problems likely to be encountered in recovering oil by cycling. For many years dry natural gas has been passed through oil reservoirs to recover natural gasoline which would vaporize from the oil. Recently a process of recovering more of the high boiling hydrocarbons has been described by employing high pressures at which the heavier hydrocarbons have a higher volatility. Nevertheless. this reported method does not eliminate the differential nature of the vaporization process and capillary forces are still present in the reservoir. The process under discussion in this paper would minimize differential vaporization and would remove capillary forces which are responsible for low oil recoveries. Higher gas pressures are required to accomplish this removal of the miniscus, but it does not follow that more gas is required for oil recovery. The process is limited to reservoirs deep enough to permit the use of the required pressure — Probabably 6,000 it and deeper. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCESS Briefly, the process is to compress natural gas into an oil reservoir which is partially depleted so that it has an oil saturation in the range of 40 to 60 per cent of the hydrocarbon pore space. The injected gas will pass through the channels formerly carrying gas to the wells to build up the pressure and dissolve in the oil phase. This injection will continue without production from the field until the reservoir reaches a single phase. If one were to select unique conditions such that the gas composition, the reservoir oil composition and the Per cent saturation would bring the mixture in the reservoir to the critical temperature and pressure simultaneously the phase behavior accompanying injection is shown by Fig. 1. The oil-gas mixture in the depleted reservoir has a critical temperature at C,. Addition of natural gas to the mixture will give a new critical temperature for each addition. Mixture No. 3 is shown to have its critical temperature at the reservoir temperature and reservoir pressure at P: the critical pressure. Under ideal behavior, the entire reservoir would be at iti critical temperature and pressure and the entire hydrocarbon content would be at a single phase. If the reservoir content were a binary system of methane and a heavy constituent. it would be miscible with more methane. However, for complex mixtures the critical locus does not confine the two phase region, and the dew point curves of Fig. 1 occur above the critical locus. If fluid which was injected into the rezervoir at the critical point were of the

Jan 1, 1952

By Lyon F. Terry

SPEED-UP of production of crude oil and its products, accompanied by rising prices and the organization of the industry on a war basis, featured the economic aspects of petroleum in 1941. Early in the year American tankers were urgently requested by the British to replace losses and offset slower transit under convoy. Some forty American owned tankers were first assigned to Britain and an additional forty-odd ships were transferred during the summer. This threatened to reduce our transportation facilities from Gulf ports to the Eastern seaboard below requirements, especially should sinkings have increased and the British needed more ships. Co-ordinator Ickes began preparations for restricting gasoline consumption in the Eastern district and plans were formulated for the construction of an emergency trunk pipe line from Texas to New York and Philadelphia refining centers, and for a gigantic tanker-building program. Sales of new oil-heating units in the East practically ceased. The companies were urged to transport as much oil as possible by tank car and by October 140,000 barrels of oil per day were reaching the East Coast district by rail, sufficient to meet 8 per cent of total requirements. But British sinkings from July through October decreased 63 per cent compared with the four months ended June 30, Britain began the return of tankers, the construction plans were dropped, and the threatened shortage was thus averted.

Jan 1, 1942

By Francis C. Blake

Although the use of gaseous fuel in blast-furnaces has been often proposed, I hope the description of a very simple, yet practical and valuable, application of natural gas to the smelting of lead-ores and residues, at the works of the Pennsylvania Lead Company, will prove interesting. In May, 1886, directly after replacing the use of bituminous coal at the above works by that of natural gas, half-inch pipes from a branch gas-main were inserted directly into the tuyeres of a lead blast-furnace, and through these pipes gas was delivered into the furnace, with the air-blast at a pressure a little more than double that in the tuyere-pipes. At the same time the blast-pressure at the tuyeres was increased by an amount estimated to give a sufficient air-delivery when mixed with the gas-supply. The amount of gas delivered to the furnace is easily regulated by stop-cocks at each tuyere, and is under the immediate control of the furnace manager. Upon the introduction of gas into the tuyeres of the furnace the coke charged at the mouth was reduced 30 per cent., this being the amount of coke which I thought could be advantageously replaced by gas. This first estimate has proved to be very close to the working results, though probably the average gas-consumption corresponds to a little less than 30 per cent. of the former coke used. The proportion that we use varies, with the nature of the furnaceburden, between 20 and 40 per cent. of the total fuel. We have used 60 per cent. of gas; but there is difficulty in keeping a cool furnace-mouth when the proportion is so high. With some residues, notably metallic drosses containing some zinc, we have found it best not to use over 20 per cent. gaseous fuel. The percentage used with ore-charges has generally been higher than that used in smelting the higher-lead charges of residues from our refining works. It results from this use of natural gas that the temperature of the hearth is under almost immediate control, and, for this reason chiefly, a cleaner and more uniform slag can be run, and the furnaceworking can be made more nearly independent of the effects of atmospheric conditions or the variable moisture in the furnace-burden.

Jan 1, 1887

C. H. MATHEWSON, New Haven, Conn. (written discussion *).-In a recent discussion of Dr. Jeffries' paper on tungsten,1 J. C. W. Humfrey,2 after taking exception to certain of the author's ideas relative to the cohesion of A and C metal, expresses the opinion that future research is likely to develop a method of preparing tungsten possessing "mechanical properties in line with those of other metals." The present paper by Dr. Jeffries begins with a determination of comparative properties of tungsten, copper, and iron, in which much dissimilarity is apparent, and ends with a coherent explanation as to why much of this dissimilarity is natural and inevitable, thereby supplying theoretical means for visualizing the changing properties of metals in general, once certain fundamental facts are known. The author's reasoning is primarily from the standpoint of the amorphous theory and his principal achievement is the development of an idea f differential cohesion according to conditions of temperature, etc., between A and C metal (which was first plainly suggested by Rosehain and Ewen, in their papers on Intercrystalline Cohesion of Metals) along with associated ideas, so as to give us a really useful working theory. I have come rather reluctantly to believe in the amorphous theory, or some theory admitting a modification of the ordinary crystalline phase so as to permit differential properties within the conglomerate, mainly because in no other way does it seem possible to account for observed changes of properties with temperature, etc. The very best illustration f the competency f the amorphous theory in this respect is seen in this and other recent papers by the author. All fractures through normal or healthy metal that have been preceded by deformation are supposed, by Dr. Jeffries, to take place either through the amorphous phase or at certain boundaries between amorphous and crystalline material; his reference to fractures, both members of which are similar in appearance and do not reveal a preexisting coarse-grained structure because of a coating of amorphous metal, indicates his preference for the former interpretation.

Jan 5, 1919

By AIME AIME

SHORTLY after he started his professional career, the subject of this sketch acquired the sobriquet "Moose" Allen. At the time he was engaged in geological exploration it1 the Canadian wilds. The nickname was given .him because of the wide, straight trail that he broke with unusual speed when going through the bush. Like a moose he was strong, energetic, and determined. To a considerable degree, Rolland Craten Allen today displays the same characteristics in larger affairs-business, civic, and professional. It is his habit to study a problem thoroughly, to decide u11on the best course of action, and then to pursue that course with vigor and

Jan 1, 1936

Note Any member who desires to be designated as being "Available for Consulting Work" can arrange it simply by sending a written request to the office of the Secretary of the Institute The following list of members is primarily arranged geographically, with secondary consideration to political subdivisions arranged alphabetically First, the states of the United States , then other North America, in order Alaska, Canada, Mexico, the West Indies, and Central America Then cones South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, each including the near by islands associated with those continents Australia, the islands to the north, and the Pacific islands except Japan are grouped together under Oceania The various countries are indexed on the preceding page NORTH AMERICA UNITED STATES ALABAMA America -Dyar, G C Anniston -DePriest, S H Klugh, B G Lefforge, J W Auburn Poor, R S Bankhead -Armstrong, W D Bessemer -Beck, A IV, Jr Carnes, D Chabot, L S , Jr Creveling, J C

Jan 1, 1952

By Harlowe Hardinge, R. C. Ferguson

Laboratory and plant data covering 12 different operations show that lower than "standard" ball mill speeds increase grinding efficiency. In the case of high pulp-level mills, the gain is so great that the increase in capital cost of the larger lower speed mill will pay for itself in less than a year's time.

Jan 1, 1950

By J. E. Johnson

At the Cleveland meeting of the Institute in October, 1912, I had the honor to present a paper outlining the conditions surrounding the charcoal iron industry…

Jan 1, 1915

By T. A. Wright

The sampling of waste materials containing copper, lead and tin has taken on a new significance within recent years, and is of increasing importance, on account of the entry of some of the copper refineries into this field and the tendency towards consolidations among the smelters. In the past, such material was sold on the basis either of a rough or grab sample or of casual inspection of the lot. The two principal sources of this waste are the processes of fabrication and the scrapping of automobile, electrical, plumbing, railroad and other equipment. In both cases much material can be sorted, salvaged and sold by classification and grade to be melted "as is" or with the addition of new or virgin metal. The increasing care in classifying exercised in the large manufacturing plants tends to increase the proportion of this usable scrap; on the contrary, the increasing use of more complex and special non-ferrous alloys tends to make sorting and grading more difficult in turnings, borings, clippings, etc., and consequently is making sampling of more moment. In tin, lead, aluminum, and zinc furnace by-products such as ashes, drosses, skimmings, etc., the trade practice of evaluation has not varied much. For instance, tin drosses, battery lead, and aluminum skimmings are ordinarily sold on what is called "metallic button" or "metallic recovery" or ('metallic yield." Copper and lead waste, however, is being sold more and more on actual copper and lead contents based on sample and chemical analyses. This paper will be devoted chiefly to the sampling of materials suitable only for refining and recovery of one or more of the metals present. The methods described are often based on the fact that but one metal, such as copper, is to be paid for. The loss of volatile constituents in melting does not appreciably affect the final copper result, as the "after-melting" assay can be readily calculated to the "before-melting" basis, but if smelter efficiency continues to increase, so that in time zinc, for instance, may be recovered on a paying basis, the method of sampling dirty brass, for example, will have to be changed also. As a matter of fact, we may expect that improved refining processes will make possible the partial recovery of lead and tin which are now lost.

Jan 1, 1928

By P. W. Bridgman

FLOW and fracture are admittedly complicated phenomena of which we are yet only partially masters. There is not even universal agreement as to the details of the language best adapted merely to describe the phenomena, to say nothing of any theory. Certain points of view, however, are widely held, and there are certain general expectations as to what sort of procedures will prove permissible. A complete description of any situation involving fracture would demand a complete history of all the variables in the control of the experimenter. The experimenter endeavors so to choose his independent variables that they are adequate to determine completely the situation in the sense that when an experiment is repeated on the same initial material and with the independent variables running through the same sequence, all the other measurable properties of the system will also run through the same course. It is, I think, the universal conviction that when we are dealing with phenomena of flow and fracture, the most important of the necessary variables are the external forces acting on the various parts of the body; when the force history repeats, with certain obvious restrictions such as that temperature must be constant and non- mechanical forces, such as magnetic field, must be small enough to be ineffective, then the history of all measurable properties will repeat; in particular the alteration of geometrical shape due to flow will run through the same course, and when fracture comes, the character of the fracture will be reproduced. Complete mastery of merely the descriptive aspects of flow and fracture would demand the ability to predict the entire course of flow and complete characterization of the final fracture for every possible combination of forces, varying in time in all possible ways, when applied to bodies of all possible shapes. This full situation is obviously of prohibitive complexity. The first stage in reduction to manage- able simplicity is to resolve the total situation into the sum of contributions made by small elements. Our thesis is that if each of the elements is adequately characterized, the behavior of the whole system is fixed. The element is usually taken of a simple geometrical shape, suggested by the mathematics best adapted to the particular situation. The forces acting across the faces of the elements are ultimately determined by the forces acting across the free faces of the whole system. The detailed process of finding the precise forces on the faces of all the elements in terms of the external forces involves the use of a special mathematical invention, the stress, a constructional quantity consisting of six components. The stress at any point in the body is determined by both the external force system and by the physical properties of the body at all points; quite different stresses prevail at the interior of bodies of the same shape under the same external forces in the elastic and plastic ranges. The forces on the faces of any element are, however, uniquely determined by the stress system at the element. Our fundamental thesis

Jan 1, 1944

By S. G. Valentine

BLAST-FURNACE blowing engines are broadly of two main types: either steam- or gas-driven reciprocating engines, or turbine-driven rotary engines. Some results of experience with a furnace blown by an engine of the latter type may be of sufficient general interest to relate. The first engine of this type was installed at Oxford Furnace, New Jersey, before the writer's connection with this plant, in March, 1910. This furnace uses chiefly New Jersey magnetites and had been in blast seven months on its old engines when the turbo blower was started. It was 80 ft. high by 17 ft. 6 in. bosh and 11 ft. hearth diameter. It is of interest to see from the records what happened when the turbo engine was put to work. But of course, as the old blowing equipment was rather antiquated, consisting of two I. P. Morris engines with air cylinders 72 by 72 in., in good running order, however, it is evident that the comparison between their work and that of the turbo blower cannot be interpreted as being between machines that were respectively of equal excellence as representatives of their types. Still the results were gratifying and -interesting. The records show that, with the old engines blowing 13,630 cu. ft: of air per minute, measured by piston displacement, the furnace was working up about 480 tons of stock per 24 hr. and producing an average of 132 tons per day and a maximum of 166 tons. The rotary blowing engine installed was a General Electric Co. machine, the driving end being a Curtis steam turbine and the air end a six-stage rotary compressor, all running at about 1,500 to 1,600 rev. per minute, and having a capacity of 25,000 cu. ft. of air per minute up to 25 lb. pressure, and equipped with an automatic constant-volume variable-speed governor. After running this blower, for a period equal to that covered above by the old engines, at an average rate of 15,000 cu. ft. of air per minute, the furnace worked up an average of about 592 tons of material and produced an average of 170 tons per day. Thus, on an apparent increase of 10 per cent. in the air volume there was an increase of about 23.5 per cent. in the materials worked up and of about 28.8 per cent. in the product. For the first calendar month's operation of the turbo blower, on an average of 15,040 cu. ft of air per minute, there is

Jan 2, 1914

By Walter W. Bradley

FOR a number of years up to the economic setback of the 1929-1931 period, the greatest proportional advances in the mineral industries in California were made among the substances in the nonmetallic groupings, particularly among the so-called industrial minerals and the salines. During the past year or two, although these have not regained the stride that marked their progress in the preceding decade, we can still record, -some new developments. California produces annually between 55 and' 60 different minerals on a commercial scale. Of these, some 40 to 45 comprise the "structural," "industrial," and "salines" materials as grouped in the reports of the State's Division of Mines. Barite-The barite deposits of California were described in Report

Jan 1, 1935

By Chas. A. Ashburner

The occurrence of oil- and gas-springs in the State of New York has been a fact of historical record since 1627, when the existence of the Cuba oil-spring was first recorded. The utilization of natural gas at Fredonia in 1821 attracted the attention of the public to the possibility of obtaining an illuminating gas by digging and drilling into the rocks. No active search was made, however, for oil or gas by the drilling of wells until after the discovery of commercial oil in Pennsylvania in 1859. In 1862 a well was drilled at Bradford, McKean County, Pennsylvania, but a few miles south of the New York state line, to the depth of 200 feet, in search of the oil-sand which had been found at Titusville, Oil City, and at other points in Western Pennsylvania. Immediately subsequent to this, other wells were drilled in search

Jan 1, 1888

By Arthur M. Miller

FROM the time of its establishment in 1933, the Tennessee Valley Authority has been active in the field of phosphates. Under the T.V.A. Act it has a broad Congressional mandate to guide a unified development of the resources of the region for the long-range benefit of the people. As one phase of this function, it is directed to co-operate with farmers in the experimental large-scale use of improved fertilizers and development of better fertilizer practices. Following careful study, it was concluded that the objectives of this phase could best be attained by soil rebuilding through the use of phosphatic fertilizer and lime in an improved farm management sys- tem. This activity was launched through a program of test and demonstration on farms and simultaneous technical investigations to develop new and improved phosphatic fertilizers. Phosphorus has since become a keystone of the Authority's resource development and conservation program. Human effort is being conserved by phosphate utilization on the farm, and mineral conservation has been promoted by technical developments in phosphate mining and manufacturing operations.

Jan 1, 1944