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By S. Isserow

RECENTLY, a description of the wartime work in this laboratory on the U-Si phase diagram was published. This diagram was available earlier in the open literature; as were Zachariasen's crystal structure identifications for the compounds in the system. The uranium end of the phase diagram is shown in Fig. 1. The most recent work on this system has emphasized the peritectoid E phase, of particular interest for a number of reasons. The early work provided evidence of this phase's resistance to corrosion in water and of its slight ductility. Further information on these properties has been obtained here. Work elsewhere4 has provided evidence of stability under irradiation. This body-centered-tetragonal phase is relatively isotropic compared to the more usually applied a or ? uranium phases. Unlike the other compounds in this system, it contains no Si-Si covalent bonds.3 In addition, consideration on the basis of Pauling's concepts leads to the conclusion that in the E phase, uranium has a higher valence than in any of the other phases. Definition of the composition of the ? phase has been of prime concern in the study of this alloy. Evidence is presented below that its silicon content is slightly higher than that of stoichiometric U8Si, the composition frequently assigned this phase on the basis of Zachariasen's identification. This work on the composition required careful attention to the method of dissolving the alloy for analysis, since apparently low silicon contents could be found under certain conditions, see Appendix. Preparation: Melting, Casting, and Heat Treatment—Almost all the samples were from castings with a diameter of 13/4 or 2 in. and about 1 ft long, weighing 10 to 15 lb. The U-Si charge was melted by heating to about 1650°C in an induction heated vacuum furnace. Beryllia crucibles were used at first, but were replaced by zirconia-washed graphite as the technique of keeping the carbon content low enough (about 500 ppm) was mastered. The alloy was bottom-poured at about 1650°C into graphite molds. A few small buttons, weighing no more than 50 g, were prepared in a small arc melting unit.' Since cast material has a preponderance of uranium and U8Si2, heat treatment is necessary to ob-tain the ? phase by the solid-solid peritectoid reaetion. Once obtained, the ? phase is stable to room temperature, obviating the need for speeial attention to the method of cooling after epsilonization, see Fig. 1. It was found desirable to epsilonize at 800°C for a week. For some purposes, in which residual uranium and/or U8Si2 are tolerable, shorter periods may be adequate. The temperature of 800°C is not critical, since essentially the same results were obtained from 785° to 825°C. Further departure from this epsilonization range is inadvisable.

Jan 1, 1958

By Douglas Muir, Chas. A. Chase

The Aztec mine is not widely known, by reason of its isolation and the relative insignificance of its tonnage; financially, however, it has an enviable record and geologically it is extremely interesting. The town of Baldy, Colfax County, the mine camp, at an elevation of 10,000 ft. (3048 m.) is 8 mi. west of Ute Park, the terminus of a branch of the A. T. & S. I?. Ry. The mining tract was designated by the Maxwell Land Grant Co. as the Aztec Reservation, and lies on the east slope of Mt. Baldy, the summit of which, 12,491 ft. (3807 m.), is one of the highest in the state. Rich copper float was found on the northeast slope of the mountain in 1865, and discovery work was begun the next year. At the same time, gold placers were found on Willow Creek, on the southwest side of the mountain, and the Elizabethtown settlement followed shortly. Gold washing lasted many years. In 1867, placer gold was found also on Ute Creek, the tracing of which to its source led to the locating of the Aztec mine by Lynch, Dogherty, and Fosley in the following year. The early production came from the contact of shale and sandstone or from sandstone immediately above the contact. Exact record of production is lacking, but L. C. Gratonl gives estimates ranging between $1,250,000 and $1,500,000, of which about $1,000,000 was taken out in the first four years. After the exhaustion of the early bonanza, production continued intermittently until 1909, when the Maxwell Land Grant Co, undertook systematic development, through four adits at intervals of 75 ft. vertically or approximately 100 ft. on the dip of the contact, which was thought to contain generally a quartz-pyrite vein. The two intermediate adit? almost immediately reached ore, the most southeasterly in Fig. 2. This ore, however, was not mined until 1911-12; its grade was about $20 and

Jan 1, 1923

By Douglas Muir, Chas. A. Chase

The Aztec mine is not widely known, by reason of its isolation and the relative insignificance of its tonnage; financially, however, it has an enviable record and geologically it is extremely interesting. The town of Baldy, Colfax County, the mine camp, at an elevation of 10,000 ft. (3048 m.) is 8 mi. west of Ute Park, the terminus of a branch of the A. T. & S. I?. Ry. The mining tract was designated by the Maxwell Land Grant Co. as the Aztec Reservation, and lies on the east slope of Mt. Baldy, the summit of which, 12,491 ft. (3807 m.), is one of the highest in the state. Rich copper float was found on the northeast slope of the mountain in 1865, and discovery work was begun the next year. At the same time, gold placers were found on Willow Creek, on the southwest side of the mountain, and the Elizabethtown settlement followed shortly. Gold washing lasted many years. In 1867, placer gold was found also on Ute Creek, the tracing of which to its source led to the locating of the Aztec mine by Lynch, Dogherty, and Fosley in the following year. The early production came from the contact of shale and sandstone or from sandstone immediately above the contact. Exact record of production is lacking, but L. C. Gratonl gives estimates ranging between $1,250,000 and $1,500,000, of which about $1,000,000 was taken out in the first four years. After the exhaustion of the early bonanza, production continued intermittently until 1909, when the Maxwell Land Grant Co, undertook systematic development, through four adits at intervals of 75 ft. vertically or approximately 100 ft. on the dip of the contact, which was thought to contain generally a quartz-pyrite vein. The two intermediate adit? almost immediately reached ore, the most southeasterly in Fig. 2. This ore, however, was not mined until 1911-12; its grade was about $20 and

Jan 1, 1923

By Luther W. Lennox

During the last few years, one of the great problems in the milling of all ores has been that of grinding. This subject involves not merely the cost of the operation, but also the selection of the proper degree and character of grinding to yield the best metallurgical results on the given ore. Considering the diversity of machinery, one is led to wonder at the variety of grinding methods employed, even when realizing that metallurgy demands varying products. In an attempt to investigate the relative grinding resistances of a number of ores now being milled in this country and Alaska, the manage-mxitofthe Portland mills requested Samples of average mill-run of ore from various companies. The request met with a ready response, indicating the desire of all operators to gain information on the subject. The difficulties involved in this investigation were numerous, lack of time for outside problems during this strenuous period being a serious one. Also, we were unable, in the time, to obtain a correct 150-mesh screen; in the screen analyses tabulated and plotted herewith, the 150-mesh screen was used merely to protect the 200-mesh screen, not to ascertain points on the curves. The experimental grinder was a small iron tube-mill, 8 by 121/2 in., in which was placed a definite number (74) and weight (3450 gm.) of 3/4-in. steel balls, 1 Ib. water and 1 Ib. ore. To obtain uniform conditions, each ore was first crushed and screened, and from the sized products a "standard feed" was artificially prepared, the same standard being adopted for all tests in that particular series. The prepared feed was

Jan 1, 1920

By F. W. McNair

WITHIN the last twenty-five or thirty years the actual operations of the great mining industry have passed almost wholly under the charge of men trained in the technical colleges. It follows that the industry is profoundly influenced for good or ill by the character of the training which the college graduate receives, and the relations existing between the industry and the colleges. This fact seems to be generally recognized, as evidenced, for example, by the existence of a Committee on Technical Education created some two or three years ago by the Mining and Metallurgical Society of America. In 1921 this committee rendered a very able and. extremely well poised reports of technical education as applied to the prospective mining engineer. It deserves the attention of every one interested in the effectiveness of engineering training. That the importance of the relation between the mining industry and the engineering colleges is recog-nized is evidenced also by the mass of criticism, usually adverse, which is proffered to and often hurled at the colleges by those in the industry. The man inn the field sometimes goes so far as to say that engineering educa-tion is hopelessly inefficient and its product worthless, while the college worker sometimes complains that the demands of the industrialist are too numerous and conflicting to be met, and adds that they would' best be ignored. Between these extremes, there seems to be a general consensus of opinion that the training of the would-be engineer can be, and. ought to be, made much better than it now is.

Jan 4, 1923

By Carl H. Beal, E. D. Nolan

In February, 1918, the conclusion was published by Lewis and Beal "that wells of equal output on the average will produce equal amounts of oil in the future, regardless of the ages of the wells." This conclusion was based upon the study of data collected principally in Oklahoma and was not known at that time to be true for other oil fields. An abundance of statistical proof was later collected by the senior author of the present paper, which showed that the conclusion was undoubtedly well founded and that it applied to other fields as well. Accordingly, it was later restated2 as the "law of equal expectations" as follows: "If two wells under similar conditions produce equal amounts during any given year, the amounts they will produce thereafter, on the average, will be approximately equal, regardless of their relative ages." Although only scanty data from the California oil fields were available at the time this publication was prepared, sufficient information was analyzed upon which to base the insert on Fig. 80, which showed beyond a doubt that the law held at least for a part of the Midway oil field in California. Recently the authors have collected more complete data in California, and it is the purpose of this paper to explain the method used in demonstrating the truth of the law and, in addition, to give several methods by which curves constructed in accordance with this law can be used in a practical way with ease and accuracy. The Family Curve The law of equal expectations means that each individual of a group of wells producing under similar conditions will decline along approximately the same type of curve, the rapidity of decline varying with the output

Jan 1, 1921

By AIME AIME

FOR the purpose of subsequent discussion let me reiterate certain points in my paper. The things we are certain of are that individuals differ in their accident liability, and that the bulk of accidents in any industrial group is sustained by comparatively few individuals; further, that this difference in liability cannot be wholly accounted for by differences of exposure, since some of the personal factors involving a high accident rate have already been measured in certain industrial groups.

Jan 1, 1929

By Harvey S

After considerable experience in connection with the magnetic iron-ores at the South, especially in the Cranberry district of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, the writer was led into a thorough investigation of the magnetic separation of iron-ores, and, from this investigation, has gradually been developed a separating machine which it is the purpose of this paper to explain. Numerous United States patents have been issued upon machines for magnetic separation. Since the original patents date back to 1849, it is not possible to-day to establish broad claims upon the principles of electro-magnets as applied in such machines. Among these inventions there are certain types of separators which have very marked practical advantages over the others; and these successful machines, while varying radically from each other in their proportions and arrangements, are all based upon a principle originally explained in a patent which was granted in 1870, and which has now expired by limitation. The problem of practically separating iron-ores, as found in the mines, is very different from the separation of a purely magnetic substance from a purely non-magnetic one, since the crystals of magnetite, scattered through the ore-bearing rock, and sometimes collected in masses, are of very different sizes. The average size of the particles may be definitely ascertained for each mine, and the crushing- and screening-machinery may be adapted thereto, but there will still be a large percentage of very fine crystals which, in the crushing for the average, will not be broken apart from the gangue. If these mixed particles are thrown into the heads they carry gangue with them, and if thrown into the tails they occasion a loss of ironore. There are two methods for preventing such loss. One is, to crush all the material to the size of the finest particles, which means, of course, a large crushing-plant, heavy wear and tear, and excessive cost for repairs, and the production of only a very fine-grained concentrate which our blast-furnace managers, to say the least, do not

Jan 1, 1893

By J. B. Wagner, B. Swaroop

The atomic ratios of oxygen to iron in zlarious corn-posilions of wustite in the vicinity oj the reported p to n transformation were determined in the temperalure range between 950" and 1250°C. For these conditions, equilibrium vacancy concenrations have also been determined at vatious mixtures of C0,-CO. The data show a continuos introduction of iron vacancies as oxygen is introduced into wuistite. No phase change is observed with in the wuustite field. However, the value of n in the isothermal oxygen pressure dependence, the weight change shifts to 1ower values as the concentration of oxygen increases. WUSTITE is a metal deficit semiconductor with the majority lattice disorder being cation vacancies. Using the notation similar to that of Kroger and ink,' the dissolution of oxygen into wiistite using C02-CO mixtures is represented by, WHere v+! denotes a cation vacancy with k effective negative charges and kh • denotes k electron holes, h -. Applying the law of mass action and assuming a dilute solution of defects in the wiistite yields Where the square brackets denote concentrations. Furthermore, when k = 2 the cation vacancies are completely ionized, and both the concentration of cation vacancies and the concentration of electron holes are proportional to the third root of the ratio, PC /PCo. This analysis is valid for one particular mael based on an ideal solution at elevated temperatures (in this case t > 1000°C). At lower temperatures, it has been shown2 that the pressure dependence of the electronic conductivity changes in a manner which suggests that vacancies interact with or "trap" electron holes. At the very high concentrations of defects, 10'' to 10" per cu cm, these simple models no longer hold. Recently Tannhauser,3 Geiger et a1.' Bransky and Tannhauser; and Hillegas' have found an apparent p to n transformation in wiistite in the temperature range of 950" to 1300°C. This junction was found by thermoelectric and electronic conductivity measurements. Geiger eta1.' found that the electronic conductivity became almost independent of the oxygen pressure at high temperatures and oxygen concentrations within the experimental error. In addition, Vallet, Raccah, and coworkers6'7 have reported the existence of several "varieties" of wiistite which were reported to exist within what was heretofor presumed to be a

Jan 1, 1968

By Stirling Huntley, R. H. Johnson

Pennsylvania will be remembered, as long as oil is produced, as the cradle of the industry of petroleum in North America. It was on Oil Creek, near Titusville, Venango Co., that Col. Edwin L. Drake, superintendent for the Seneca Oil Co., brought in the first commercial oil well on Aug. 28, 1859. Great difficulty was experienced in getting the well down to the producing depth of 69 ft. (21 m.) with the spring-pole system then in vogue for punching shallow water wells, so the novel expedient of driving an iron tube through the surface clays and quicksand was finally resorted to. The well had an initial yield of 25 bbl. a day on the pump, but soon went off, though 2000 bbl. were produced by the end of the year. With the Drake well a success, a young industry sprang into being, the rapid growth of which has been second to none in the country and the value of whose product is only surpassed by that of coal. For years the only producing territory, the Pennsylvania-New York field attained its greatest production in 1891, when the bringing in of the McDonald pool, between Pittsburgh and the West Virginia line, gave a total of over 33,000,000 bbl. At present the field, combined with West Virginia and southeast Ohio, gives 25,000,000 barrels. Geology and Stratigraphy In general, the Appalachian field is a huge geosyncline, the axis of which runs roughly northeast-seuthwest, from north of the New York state line south through Brookeville, Kittanning, Pittsburgh, Washington, through the southwest corner of the state of Pennsylvania into West Virginia. Minor folding has accompanied or followed the dominant fold of the field, and it is from these structures near the Pennsylvania-West Virginia line and their influence on the accumulation of oil and gas that I. C. White, state geologist of West Virginia, obtained his evidence for anticlinal guidance of prospecting. Many horizons in the geologic column of the field serve as reservoirs, and there arc several pools that have wells producing side by side from different and widely vertically separated strata. The strata show a promising succession of porous sand and conglomerate horizons alternating with numerous gray and dark brown 01. black shales, admittedly

Jan 1, 1921

Discussion of the paper of R. H: Sweetser,. presented at the Cleveland meeting, October, 1912, and printed in Bulletin No. 71, November, 1912 pp. 1327 to 1334. See also Bulletin 11 No. 72, December, 1912, pp. 1561, 1562. J. J. HOWARD, Dover, N. J. (communication to the Secretary*) :-No doubt there are as many different methods of starting a blast-furnace as there are men who assume that responsibility. Having blown-in a furnace a few years ago in a manner similar to that outlined by Mr. Sweetser, things went along so well at the start that I had time for a little reflection on what was going on inside the furnace. I saw the wood turned to charcoal practically, and it occurred to me, why should I use wood when I could put in the charcoal in the. first place, and thus save a lot of time, and also eliminate the dangerous gas from the wood, which is the cause of most of the accidents in starting up a furnace. I had a furnace out for repairs and decided to use no cord-wood in blowing in. I put in about a carload of charcoal and used no wood except some shavings and oily waste at each of the tuyeres. The furnace had 16 tuyeres and was 100 by 22 by 14.5 ft. Hot rods were put in each tuyere' and the blast started immediately at 11 a.m. Within 5 mill. the air was all driven out of the stack and the gas lighted of its own. accord at the top of the furnace. It was allowed to burn for 5 min. longer and then the bell was closed and the gas taken to the last stove and the last boiler on the gas-main. It was all clone so quietly that it was hard to realize that the gas was down. The tuyeres were as bright as if the furnace had been in blast for a long time. I have learned since that others have used the same method, but they had not passed the good advice along.

Jan 5, 1913

By S. Feuerstein

THE influence of environment on the mechanical properties of metals has been extensively studied and documented.' Most investigations have dealt with an interaction between a particular environment and a specific metal surface and the concomitant change in bulk mechanical behavior. Typical contributing media are oxide and metal film:;, electrolytes, and other surface-active agents. In the last category fall controlled gaseous environs (i.e., pressure or vacuum). Most vacuum exposure experiments prior to 1963 were conducted at pressures s>10-6 torr and elevated temperatures, or in such a manner as to prolong the exposure (e.g., by stress-rupture, creep, and fatigue). Little attention has been given to vacuum environment effects on the mechanical behavior of metals subjected to simple uniaxial deformation at room temperature. Test times and temperatures were assumed too ineffective as far as bulk changes were concerned. Further, the contribution of surface effects to the bulk mechanical behavior of metals was considered minimal. Under vacuums of the order of 1.0- 8torr and higher, molecular densities and, consequently, the rate of monolayer formation are such that exposures from seconds to days would be required for complete gas coverage. Thus, atomically clean surfaces created under ultra-high vacuum could conceivably maintain their cleanliness for time intervals orders of magnitude greater than at higher pressures. The influence of this unusual type of environmental surface phenomenon on the short-term bulk mechanical behavior of aluminum was first observed by Krame and Podlaseck in 1963.' kin equivalent effect was reported for magnesium by Williams and Nelson.3 It was concluded from these studies2,3 that vacuum and, consequently, the monolayer formation rate of the oxide, were responsible for the described changes in flow behavior. The presence of an oxide layer impedes dis- I) EXPERIMENTAL DATA: MOLYBDENUM The tensile behavior of molybdenum was investigated by the author4-6 at ambient temperature over a range of pressures from 760 to 10-10 torr. These studies revealed that the flow behavior of the bulk specimens (0.200 in. diam by 2 in. gage length) was independent of pressure on sintered (0.062 mm grain size) and arc-cast polycrystals (0.012 to 0.149 mm grain sizes) and single crystals. Since the specimens were relatively large in size, it was assumed that any flow behavior effect would be surface-limited because of the short-term deformation procedure. Strain-rate-change experiments performed to determine the activation volumes for individual specimens at 760 to 10- 10 torr further indicated that the surface flow contribution was either minimal or zero, contrary to the findings of Shen el a1.7 on aluminum. Although the flow behaviors did not change, specimen ductility did change. For the sintered material at a strain rate of 4.2 x 10-4, specimen ductility was -9 pct higher at l0- 10 torr than at atmospheric pressure (dry nitrogen). A more comprehensive investigations on this same material revealed a distinct pressure dependence, Fig. 1. Intermediate and atmospheric pressure tests were obtained by backfilling the system from l0- 10 torr with extra dry, prepurified nitrogen. Other environments (air and purified argon) were also utilized for the 760 torr experiments; the results were essentially the same as those for dry nitrogen atmospheres. Departure from the fracture strain values obtained at 760 torr takes place in the vicinity of l0-6 torr, as indicated by the scatter band; a noticeable ductility increase is apparent at l0-8 and 10-10 torr.

Jan 1, 1970

By S. Razi

Injection luminescence of single crystals of rare-earth-activated CdS was investigated. Crystals of CdS:Nd, CdS:Er, and CdS:Yb, grown by the vapor transport technique, were suitably etched and hetero-junctions of Cu2S-CdS were fabricated on one side of the CdS substrate by chemical reaction. The device was then heated to 200°C in an inert atmosphere for 5 min. Static V-I measurements show that at low voltages (V < 1 v) the current is controlled by the junction, while at higher voltages the bulk Properties of the CdS substrate effectively control the current. Because of the large thicknesses no negative resistance was found. Reverse breakdown voltage varied from 5 v, for junctions that were not heat-treated, to 100 v, for diodes that received the proper heat treatment. The rectification ratio, measured in the range of 2 to 10 v, varied from 300 to 3000. Capacitance- voltage measurements indicate a weak dependence of the junction capacity on applied voltage. The capacity was found to increase appreciably with room light illumination. The variation of capacitance with frequency is indicative of a p+-i-n structure. An open-circuit voltage of 0.4 v was measured under an illumination of 100 mw per sq cm. Under forward bias, the bluish-green edge emission characteristic of CdS was observed. No sharp rare earth emission line was observed, which is in contrast to our results using ZnS:Tb, where, under high-voltage excitation, the rare earth emission was dominat over the lattice emission. The absence of rare earth emission implies that either the nature of the rare earth ion is different at the het-erojunction than in the bulk or the probability of energy transfer to the rare earth ion is small. RARE earth elements are playing an increasingly important role in the Synthesis of materials for a variety of purposes, e.g., solid-state lasers, color television screens, and so forth. Interesting systems result when wide-band-gap photoconducting lattices are activated with rare earths. A study of the lumines-

Jan 1, 1969

By W. B. Watson

IN the USSR considerable technical improvements have been made in hydraulic methods of mining coal. In New Zealand coal mining by these methods is still comparatively crude. The Russian techniques are closely studied in New Zealand, and this description is based mainly on translations of technical articles. Fundamentally the methods in both countries are the same-chief developments in the USSR are the use of high pressure water jets, capable of winning all but the hardest coal without prior blasting, and hydraulic pipeline transportation where the gradient is unsuitable for flume transport.

Jan 4, 1958

By Rodney G. Ravenscroft

Leasing is not a new phenomenon. Experts have identified its origins as early as biblical times. It is a method of finance that has grown rapidly and is now used in most countries, including those of South East Asia, South America, the Middle East and even the People&apos;s Republic of China. Internationally, the leasing world divides fairly easily into two groups and this is determined, by and large, according to whether a country has Anglo-Saxon origins or not. Most of the Anglo-Saxon countries have seen tax-oriented leasing become a sophisticated means of financing the acquisition of large and costly items of equipment and large projects. Countries such as France, Spain and Japan have a highly developed leasing industry but it is not tax-oriented. This paper will not address leasing of this kind. LEASING - THE CONCEPT Wide acceptance of leasing as an alternative for financing capital equipment has grown with the recognition by the users of equipment that it is use and not ownership that generates profits. Whilst this seems obvious, memories of repossession of assets during the Depression and attitudes towards leasing as "last resort financing" have raised strong philosophical resistance that has only recently begun to be overturned. A financial lease is a commitment by way of contract between a user of equipment (lessee) and a financial owner (lessor) under which the lessee makes a series of payments in return for use of the equipment. The lessee is acquiring economic value associated with ownership but not ownership of the equipment itself - that remains with the lessor. A lease is a method of financing the use of an asset; other methods finance the assets themselves. It is the taxation aspects that then become important. The lessee is giving up some or all of the taxation benefits of ownership such as depreciation and investment tax credits. The lessor claims these benefits, as he is entitled to do as owner, and takes them into consideration when determining the level of lease payments that are necessary to generate his required rate of return. These lease payments are, of course, lower than they would have been without those taxation benefits. The lease payments themselves are fully tax deductible. This is tax shelter leasing. The lessor is acquiring taxation deductions that are applied fully and immediately against his other taxable income so as to reduce the amount of tax he is to pay to the revenue authorities. It is this concept that makes financial leasing work. Governments provide incentives by way of tax concessions to encourage capital investment. Governments presume that prudent capital investment will offer employment opportunities, generate sales and streamline economic activity. These, in turn, will lead to the collection of government revenue. It makes no difference at all whether these incentives are claimed by a commercial or industrial owner/user or by a financial owner who makes equipment available for use by industry. Rather, the issue is to ensure that if an incentive is available, it is used so as to achieve its desired results. No greater or lesser incentive is available for leasing and leasing does not misuse the taxation aspects of equipment ownership. The critical issue is whether the full value

Jan 1, 1985

By M. L. Jeremic

Mining practice and underground studies show that, besides mining stresses, lateral tectonic stress also influences roadway stability. Roadways perpendicular to the direction of major lateral stress experience the majority of roof falls, accelerated floor heave, and extrusion of coal ribs into openings. They have the most severe deformations and their maintenance is difficult. Roadways parallel to the major lateral stress exhibit roof sagging and bed separation, moderate though sometimes uneven floor heave, and slabbing of coal ribs into openings. Roadways oblique to lateral stress have, to a certain degree, self-supporting roofs, uniform floor heave, and limited sloughing of coal ribs into openings. The optimal orientation of roadways is, therefore, oblique to the lateral stress direction with fewer crosscuts between them.

Jan 1, 1982

By AIME

The Taconites Are Ready, the editorial appearing on P. 933 of the September issue, has provoked comment from several informed engineers to the effect that the indicated profit margin was considerably exaggerated. The cost figures in the editorial, taken from the Congressional Record, were characterized as inaccurate by some correspondents. The theme of the story was, however, substantiated in the announcement (P. 1023, October) that Republic and Armco had joined forces in a $160 million project for taconite development. Chief among the dissenters was E. W. Davis, , Director of the Mines Experiment Station at the University of Minnesota. Mr. Davis has worked up the following set of cost figures:

Jan 1, 1950

Jan 1, 1880

By Milton E. Wadsworth, Edward M. Eyring

BETTER understanding of solid surfaces and their associated adsorption products is of both academic and practical value. The study of detergents and their behavior in cleaning surfaces is fundamentally related to the nature of the products adsorbed and their ability to compete for certain surfaces. Similarly in flotation, the nature of the adsorbate before and after adsorption is basic to clear understanding of the process. The recently developed pellet technique1,2 employing infrared spectroscopy provides a powerful tool for the study of solid surfaces. Absorption bands, which are infrared-active, may be observed for adsorbed products. Also any changes in the surface substrate that occur as a result of adsorption may be detected by means of differential spectra. In applying the pellet technique to solids of large surface area, French and his coworkers3 have surveyed the adsorption of organic flocculants on clay minerals, oleic acid on fluorite, and ammonia on cracking catalysts. Recent work on application of differential infrared spectroscopy to the study of solid surfaces&apos; has demonstrated that the difference between a sample and a reference can be obtained with double-beam instrumentation. In this way displacement of surface products, adsorption of new products, and differences in the substrate, if any, may be detected. Experimental Procedure: Potassium iodide pellets were used in this study, prepared from recrystallized analytical reagent grade KI. Grinding was carried out in a Fisher mechanical agate mortar. Two-gram plates containing the solid under study were pressed in a special evacuated die constructed in the laboratory at the University of Utah." Concentration depended on the solid in question. Zinc sulfide and willemite are sufficiently transpar- ent in the infrared region for concentrations as high as 20 mg of mineral in 2g of KI to be used. Zinc oxide is even more transparent, permitting concentrations as high as 60 mg in a 2-g plate. For non-differential operation, however, much lower concentrations (2 to 10mg/2g KI) had to be used. Spectra were obtained on a Per kin-Elmer 21 double-beam recording infrared spectrophotometer. A sodium chloride prism was used giving a spectral range of approximately 2 to 15 v wave length. For differential runs a resolution of 1000 was used and the scanning speed was controlled commensurate with instrument response. The response was checked continuously and each spectrum was repeated several times. For nondifferential runs a resolution of 927 was used. Zinc oxide used was analytical grade oxide fume. The zinc sulfide was precipitated from solution with analytical grade zinc sulfate and sodium sulfide. The precipitate was washed and centrifuged several times and dried. Before use the precipitate was washed in dilute HCl and then treated with saturated NH4Cl to remove any bulk oxides and sulfates. X-ray patterns of the precipitate were comparable to that of the natural mineral sphalerite. The precipitate was much more satisfactory than finely ground natural ZnS because of its very large surface

Jan 1, 1957

In high-volume mining operations, preventive maintenance programs that include standardized replacement wear parts can boost equipment availability and lower unit costs. Meeting the daily production targets depends heavily on keeping equipment working as close to full time as possible. This is the case at one medium-sized western surface coal operation producing approximately 2.7 million t/y (3 million stpy). The mine, located in western Wyoming, removes in excess of 8 million m3 (10.5 million cu yd) of highly abrasive overburden each year. According to the mine superintendent, "Abrasion at this mine is some of the worst I&apos;ve ever seen. Shovel points can wear out in little more than one shift. Dozer blades some- times last two weeks, but can wear out sooner. And ripper points really take a beating. If we can replace this fast-wearing iron with small pieces that go on quickly, we think that&apos;s the way to go."

Jan 3, 1978