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By George S. Ramsay

The Appalachian system contains the largest area of all known Carboniferous coal-fields. Beginning near the north line dividing Pennsylvania and New York, it extends southwest through West Virginia, southeastern Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee and terminates in Alabama—a distance of about 950 miles. The northeastern part of this field will be considered in this paper. The general dips of the measures are toward a trough about parallel to the Ohio river, from the Allegheny mountains and ridges on the west. The Potonlac field is an exception; the dip in this case being northeast, the folding to the east of the Allegheny mountains in Pennsylvania being of a greater degree and diminishing southwestward. The cause of the general dip to the west of the mountains seems to be the westward movement of the thrust east of the mountains, with the large Nittany fold including other folds to the east of the escarpment, raising the mountains high above the coal-fields to the west, making a general slope toward the Ohio river southwest, and crossing waves of anticlinals west ward. The synclinals contain the coals, while in many cases on the top of the folds or anticlinals some of the veins (or, in some cases, all) are eroded. The Coal-Measures of this field are generally divided into three principal divisions, known as the Upper, the Barren, and the Lower Coal-Measures, but there is a tendency to divide them into five groups, which is more convenient. Beginning at the bottom, the first would be the Conglomerate ; second, the Lower Coal-Measures; third, the Barren; fourth, the Upper Coal-Measures, and fifth, the Upper Barren or Permian Measures.

Jan 1, 1896

By S. F. Emmons

IT was said by many who discussed Professor Posepny's admirable paper on the " Genesis of Ore-Deposits," read at the Chicago meeting of the Institute, in 1893, that its most valuable feature was the clear distinction which it drew between the influence upon ore-deposits of the "vadose " circulation of waters descending directly from the surface, and that of the deep underground circulation of waters generally coming from the depths, and assumed by the author to be ascending through more or less open spaces under the influence of heat. A little later the effect of the oxidizing action of the vadose circulation upon ore-deposits was ably and exhaustively treated by Prof. R. A. F. Penrose, in a paper on " The Superficial Alteration of Ore-Deposits "f-the only one, so far as I know, which has been exclusively devoted to this important subject. My own first detailed study of ore-deposits was made at Leadville, in 1880, at a time when almost the only minerals visible in those deposits were in oxidized forms. That this form was the result of the alteration of earlier sulphides by surface-waters had to be proved at the time by induction or analogy, the general correctness of which was, however, abundantly confirmed by subsequent developments. Thus I was early impressed with the importance of distinguishing, in the study of an ore-deposit, the alteration-products, resulting from the action of oxidizing waters descending from the present surface, from the earlier-formed sulphides; and, assuming that the latter were primary or original, I called the former secondary. I also went so far as to say$ with regard to oxidized ores passing into sulphides in depth "So generally is this accepted as a rule in ore-deposits that it would require special demonstration to prove beyond a doubt that the native metals or their

Jan 1, 1902

By M. S. King

In the design of foundations for large structures and of safe mine openings in rock, the results of laboratory and small-scale in-situ tests are often used to predict the behavior of the material as a whole. For reasons of simplicity in these analyses, the rock is usually treated as an ideally elastic, isotropic material. It has been observed, however, that most rocks are neither isotropic nor ideally elastic. This observation is particularly true for rocks subjected to low confining pressures. It is therefore necessary to investigate further the effects of anisotropy and nonlinearity on the mechanical behavior of rocks. When small differences in stress and strain only are involved, the rock may be treated as an elastic material. The elastic constants for such a material subjected to a particular confining pressure can be calculated from the classical theory of elasticity for different degrees of anisotropy. There are two experimental methods by which this can be done: first, from measurements of static stress-strain relationships; second, from elastic wave velocities measured in the rock. The former yields the static elastic constants, and the latter, the dynamic constants. The static constants will be equal in magnitude to the corresponding dynamic constants only if the rock is ideally elastic. Walsh and Brace1 have reviewed theoretical studies of the elasticity of rock considered as a material containing pores and cracks. They re- ported that the presence of sharp, narrow cavities at low confining pressures strongly influences the mechanical properties of a rock. A considerable reduction in magnitude of elastic moduli is associated with the presence of inhomogeneities such as cracks or joints. The elastic properties appear to approach those of the uncracked material in magnitude as the cavities are closed by higher pressures. Walsh and Brace

Jan 1, 1970

By Henry S. Poole

This field is geologically of much interest. It is small, hut with some seams of unusual thickness, the main one being as much as thirty-eight feet thick. The quality of the seams, as also of the associated beds of shale and sandstone, in several instances changes to a remarkable degree within short, distances. The strata dip at inclinations that carry the coal to depths of 3000 feet or more; heavy faults cut up the district, and the New Glasgow conglomerate, of disputed age, separates it from the Upper Carboniferous measures, in which no seams of workable thickness are known. This coal-field offers to the geologist much ground for study and peculation. The commercial value of the field is affected by its restricted area, the varied quality of its coal, and its advantageous position in the mainland, with railway connection and home markets, offset by the physical difficulties which make the cost of production high. It has been so long a habit with us to speak of our resources of coal as boundless, that any adverse comments, or insinuations that avoidable loss in working is a national loss, hare hitherto fallen on idle ears. While it is not my purpose to underrate the riches we do possess, yet I deem that no good end is served by echoing exaggerated estimates which encourage a national indifference to wasteful

Jan 1, 1886

By L. B. Slichter

IT has been estimated that rock exposures in most mining districts aggregate less than 1 per cent. of the total surface area.1 Conclusions concerning the hidden 99 per cent. necessarily have been based on knowledge of only a small fraction of the surface, and from this limited information the geologist has been obliged to deduce the approximate and general nature of the underlying formations. In the search for ore it is necessary to supplement this general picture with greater detail. Fairly accurate knowledge of relatively small zones is required. This knowledge is carefully sought in many different ways-detailed interpretations of geological history, the tracing of float, the use of test pits, of trenching, of drilling, and of other methods. Practical ingenuity, scientific brilliance, great perseverance and patience, and the expenditure. of large sums of money have all been a part of this search. The problem of exploring beneath cover with economy, and of obtaining essential information which this cover hides, is obviously a difficult one. It is also a very important one, for geologists inform us that already the story of the 1 per cent. exposed outcrops has been largely read.2 There remains the nearly virgin field comprised in the hidden 99 per cent., and the importance of this zone is bound to increase continually. In recent years, the problems connected with the exploration of this "99 per cent. zone" have attracted a constantly enlarging group of investigators and at present greater efforts than ever before are being made to resolve then. This work, in its various special aspects, has enlisted, beside geologists, the cooperative efforts of chemists, physicists, and mathematicians. The progress made in this development should be kept before those directing explorations in order that due advantage may be taken of a changing situation.

Jan 1, 1928

By L. Zwell, H. A. Wriedt

X-ray Lattice parameter and bulk density measurements were made at room temperature on solid solutions of nitrogen in purified a, iron, containing from 0 to 0.053 wt pct N. When nitrogen is dissolved in a, iron, the fractional increase in unit cell volume (X-ray diffraction) and the fractional increase in volume per gram of iron (bulk density measurement) are the same within experimental error. The two sets of results when averaged show that the unit cell edge of a, iron increases linearly by 3.2 X 10-2 A per wt pct N dissolved and that the partial gram-atomic volume of nitrogen at infinite dilution in a, iron is the same as it is in nitrogen-martensite, that is, 5.90 cm3. RECENT reviews17' of literature dealing with the lattice parameter of ferritic iron-nitrogen alloys indicate that the dilating effect of dissolved nitrogen on the bcc unit cell of a iron is not known with confidence. Five investigations3-7 either revealed no effect of nitrogen or were inconclusive. Among other investigations, where quantitative data were obtained, the results of Osawa and Iwaizumi8 indicate too large an effect, and those of Eisenhut and Kaupp9 show the lattice parameter of ferrite varying with the nitrogen content at concentrations far beyond the known solubility limit. It is not clear in Burns'10 data what value should be used for the lattice parameter of nitrogen-free ferrite in calculating the dilation. Burdese11 shares with Burns the shortcoming that the iron-nitrogen alloys were solution-treated and quenched with undissolved nitride present. The consequence is that the un- certainties in the solubility limit1 are added to those in the lattice parameter measurements when the variation of lattice parameter with nitrogen content is computed. For a system of such widespread interest, we felt that a new investigation was merited. Both X-ray diffraction and bulk density measurements were used to determine the dilation of the , a iron lattice by dissolved nitrogen. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Material. The bulk density and X-ray diffraction experiments were both made with specimens of a purified iron (denoted as "B iron")- from Battelle Memorial Institute. The impurity contents were as follows: As, C, Cu and Pb—50 ppm; Ag, Al, Co, Ga, 0, Ti-11 to 50 ppm; B, Be, Ca, Cd, Cr, Mg, Mn, Mo, N, Ni, S, Sb, Si, Sn, V, W-10 ppm or less. The vacuum-cast ingot was hot-forged and annealed. Pieces of the forged stock were machined and cold-rolled to give strip stock 0.08 and 0.002 in. thick for density and for X-ray measurements, respectively. Preparation of Specimens. Starting with a piece of the cold-rolled iron stock, the general sequence of operations, after an initial recrystallizing anneal, was to measure the density or lattice parameter, nitrogenize, remeasure the property, age or denitrogenize, and again measure the property. Duplicate analyses for nitrogen were made by a modified Kjeldahl method on portions of the actual density specimens and on pieces nitrogenized to equilibrium alongside the X-ray specimens. Annealing of the density specimens was performed by sealing the pieces with the as-rolled surfaces removed by filing into evacuated "Vycor" capsules and treating for 1 hr at 750°C followed by furnace cooling. (TO check the effect, if any, of annealing procedure, a specimen also was

Jan 1, 1962

By Ulf S. Landergren

Diffusion coefficients and marker movements have been determined in brass using welded couples. Three different concentration ranges were employed at 750°C, while a fourth concentration range was measured at 500°, 600°, 700°, and 800°C. Marker displacements toward and porosity development in the high zinc side of the couple were observed in all cases. The results were interpreted as favoring a vacancy diffusion mechanism. IN the large amount of diffusion literature which has accumulated during the past half century, very few experimental data have been presented on body-centered-cubic metallic phases. The impressive combination of experimental and theoretical studies which has given the vacancy mechanism a fairly secure position as the preferred mechanism for most face-centered-cubic metals has no counterpart for body-centered-cubic phases, although the theoretical picture seems to be in a better state than the experimental work. The attempts to select diffusion mechanisms by the theoretical calculation of the activation energy for the various conceivable unit diffusion processes and the energy of formation of the type of lattice defect required have been based on models of two kinds. The first kind utilizes potential functions fitted for certain properties of pure crystalline copper; the second kind is fitted for sodium. The latter is an example of an open metal in which the metallic ion is small compared with interatomic distance,&apos; while the former is characteristic of the larger class of metals in which the ions have diameters about as large as the interatomic distance. brass should resemble copper in this fundamental property. It should be evident that results on the mechanism of diffusion obtained for one of these classes need not necessarily apply to the other. Huntington and Seitz, using a model of the copper type, showed that the activation energies to be expected for interstitial migration or a two-atom direct interchange were much higher than that for vacancy diffusion. Zener pointed out that a four-atom ring rotation would involve an activation energy considerably lower than the two unlikely mechanisms although still higher than the vacancy mechanism in the face-centered-cubic structure. Furthermore, he argued, the four-atom rotation would be relatively easier in a body-centered-cubic lattice and might be competitive with the vacancy mechanism. Paneth showed that a body-centered-cubic crystal-like sodium could form interstitial defects of special type, called a crowdion, by crowding an extra atom into < 111 > directions where the defects would affect a line of about eight atoms. The defect was constrained to move along the defining line. Unlike the face-centered-cubic case, therefore, the theoretical calculations for the body-centered-cubic mechanism do not provide a very clear-cut answer, and the absence of adequate experimental studies is the more serious. This investigation was undertaken for the purpose of obtaining useful information on diffusion in body-centered-cubic phases. brass was chosen for several reasons: 1—the phase field is sufficiently wide at high temperatures to permit the use of diffusion couples with adequate concentration ranges for satisfactory chemical analysis, 2-—thermodynamic activity data are available for the calculation of mobilities from diffusion coefficients, 3—the phase is as close to the theoretical model of the copper -type on which the calculations have been done as any body-centered-cubic metallic phase is likely to be. Measurements of the movements (if found) of inert markers during the diffusion process would indicate that a vacancy or Or mechanism played a major role in diffusion in brass. If no marker movement should be found, a ring mechanism would be indicated but not assured. Experimental Procedure The alloys used in these experiments, listed in Table I with analyses, were supplied by the Naval Research Laboratory. They were from ingots of 3x3 in. cross-section, heated to 760°C, reduced under a

Jan 1, 1957

By C. S. Barrett

W. Hofmann, J. Ziegler, and H. Hanemann—Having dealt with the same alloys in the winter 1941 to 1942, we want to give a short report on the generating of the hexagonal kappa phase by deforming the supersaturated alpha phase, which we then observed. This work was delivered as a Doctor of Engineering dissertation to the Technical University of Berlin by J. Ziegler in 1942. It still exists in two copies, somewhat damaged, a brief publication of it having been issued in Fiat-Review. Our work was started from the alloy Tombasil with 4.5 to 5 pct Si, 14.5 to 14 pct Zn, the rest Cu. Torpedo propellers were die cast from this alloy in Germany during the war. In order to improve this alloy, annealing was tried. By this treatment the alloy became at the same time harder and more brittle. A further research of this process was made in the Got-tingen University30 and the "Institut fÜr Metallkunde" of the Technical University of Berlin. It soon was apparent that the Cu-Si diagram at our disposal15,31,32 would not fit the observations. For this reason the pith of the matter became from then on the Cu-Si system. At that time we did not know of Smith&apos;s* and Andersen&apos;sm latest diagrams. We first knew of them from Dr. Barrett&apos;s publication. Twenty-two alloys containing 2 to 11 pct Si were melted in a nitrogen atmosphere and generally homogenized for 2 to 4 hr at 800 °C. Part of the samples were then annealed at 700°, 600° and 500°. Annealing was followed by quenching in water. The phases corresponding to the various temperatures were identified by X-ray and microscopy. The Debye-Scherrer photographs generally were made of filings. The latter were produced after the last anneal of the samples, then equally annealed another 30 min in evacuated glass tubes and quenched in water. In the region of concentrations examined, the Cu-Si phases already known to us were observed: alpha, kappa (then called beta by us), gamma. By hot exposing an alloy of 7.69 pct Si at 800" and 750°,

Jan 1, 1951

By E. S. Bumps

A series of macrographs are presented for the purpose of graphically recording the strain phenomenon that accompanies the energy transition in the Charpy impact testing of a mild steel that is susceptible to strain aging. STRAIN patterns in mild steel Charpy impact specimens were obtained in order to determine whether, on the first appearance of plastic strain during deformation, the initial fracture cracks appear in the region of plastic strain or in the elasti-cally deformed regions between. Although this attempt to locate the initiation of cleavage was not successful, the observed strain patterns illustrating various stress conditions in partially deformed Charpy specimens are presented along with a discussion of the possible dependence of transition energy on the yield phenomenon. Earlier work on the development of strain patterns in mild steel have been reported by Fry1 and later by Jevon.2 Harris, Rinebolt, and Raring3 observed characteristic strain markings on the surface of Charpy V-notch impact specimens fractured above and below the transition temperature which they presented schematically. It is intended that the strain figures presented here will add to the literature a graphic correlation of strain with transition energy in impact specimens. Samples of % in. round hot rolled, 0.20 pct C steel were machined to standard 0.394 in. sq, V-notch Charpy impact specimens. Preliminary testing involved determination of transition temperature, Fig. 1, using a Sontagg impact tester. These data were subsequently used to select temperatures above, within, and below the transition range at which specimens were partially deformed. Partial deformation was obtained by either varying the energy or the testing temperature, see Table I. Macroscopic strain figures shown in Figs. 2 to 19 were produced by several metallographic repolish-ing and etching steps. The macroetchant used was as follows:4 120 g HCl, concentrated; 100 ml water; and 90 g cupric chloride. Strain figures were obtained on the outer surface and on sections through the central portion of the impact specimens in order to determine an approximation of the volumetric strain pattern. In the tensile strain figures reported by Jevon, it was found that strain etching would not work immediately following strain unless the material was heated to 200°C. The impact strain patterns presented here were obtained without this heating, but the specimens were not etched until ten months after straining. This confirms a discussion of Jevon&apos;s paper, in which it was pointed out that strain figures can also be developed after aging for long periods of time at room temperature. Hardness of the strained and unstrained portions, revealed by the etched pattern, was explored using R, impressions converted to R, hardness values. Discussion of Results In the impact test, as in the tensile test, some parts of the specimen yield and deform plastically, while other regions are deformed only elastically. The plastic deformation bears a relation to the imposed stress pattern. In the strain figures presented here, the plastically deformed regions are the dark etching ones. The strain figures are always symmetrical because the stress state in the Charpy-type specimen under impact loading is symmetrical. The difficulties encountered to produce initial cracks are intimated in Figs. 2 and 4. At a temperature of —75ºF, the stress was not sufficient to pro-

Jan 1, 1953

By Charles H. Jones

Jan 1, 1905

By H. S. Martin

THE Phosphate Recovery Corporation operates three flotation plants, Nos. 1 and 2 concentrators about three miles northeast of Mulberry, Florida, and No. 3 plant at Wales, Tennessee. These plants represent the first commercial phosphate flotation operation and are also believed to be the largest nonmetallic flotation operation in the world at the pres-ent time. The details of this paper will be confined to plant No. 2, this being the newest and largest concentrator in Florida, and the flow sheet being practically the same as at plant No. 1. The No. 3 plant has been oper-ated but a short time and has been shut down since December, 1932, on account of the decrease in phosphate rock production. The phosphate washers usually are located centrally on a known deposit so that about two hundred acres of ground can be mined eco-nomically to each washer location. The washers are moved to new areas when the distance becomes too great for economical pumping. The flotation plants are built either adjacent to a washer, so that current debris may be utilized, or on the site of a former washer where there is sufficient accumulated debris available for mining, and the flotation plants must also be moved from time to time. Most of the water used in the Florida flotation plants is recovered after passing through a circulating system where most of the fine sus-pended matter is settled out, but some make-up water is obtained from deep wells near the plant. Power is obtained from the Tampa Electric Co. through the dis-tribution facilities of the International Agricultural Corporation. Flotation concentrate is hauled from the plant by trolley over the International Agricultural Corporation&apos;s trolley system, to the drying plant at Prairie, one mile northwest of Mulberry.

Jan 1, 1933

By E. S. Machlin

RECENTLY, there has been much activity in the field of nucleation of martensitic transformations.&apos;- One of the problems in this field is the calculation of the rate of nucleation (number of plates nucleated per unit untransformed volume per unit time) in terms of observable parameters. Two such observable parameters are the fraction of the length of a straight line which corresponds to the portion of the total length of the line that lies in the martensitic phase and the number of plates intersected by this straight line per unit length of line. Because of the necessity of a valid answer to this problem, the following investigation was undertaken. Although this problem has been treated in the past, a derivation of the relation between the volume and linear fractions of martensite will be described to illustrate the method used in the succeeding analyses. It is assumed that the martensitic plates are in the form of a right circular cylinder having a small height relative to the radius of the base. The volume fraction of martensite is then: fr = lXNl,hjAl [1] where f, is the volume fraction of martensite, and Nij is the number of plates per unit total volume having the area Ai and the height hi. The linear fraction of martensite is obtained as follows. For the plates having the particular area A, and height h,, the fraction sin 0 dB* will have their cylinder axes between the angles 0 and 0 + d0 to the straight line along which the linear fraction of mar-

Jan 1, 1953

By S. M. Bishoff

The disturbance of surface land to support the underground mining of coal requires several hundred acres to produce easily in excess of $1 billion in sales at a moderately sized mine over 20-30 years. Due to the recent influx of environmental legislation, these surface operations must now undergo complete reclamation upon permanent cessation of production. This reclamation procedure has become so complex that the cost of reclamation must be a major consideration in the design of a new mine. This presentation will discuss these costs as they may be methodically evaluated and surcharged as a percentage of the product price. When placed in the proper, logical perspective, it is anticipated that the obstacles involved in this process may be minimized.

Jan 1, 1985

By John H. Smith

Because of increased pressure from federal and state regulatory agencies, most acid flows will require some sort of treatment prior to being discharged to receiving streams. In many industries, the volumes of liquors are large and their acid content varied. Development of a waste treatment process minimizing equipment cost and utilizing land efficiently is mandatory. Methods of acid neutralization with lime have been known for years, however, the volume and characteristics of the resultant precipitated solids can create a disposal problem. Also, when standard lime treatment is used, the settling characteristic of the precipitated solids is normally slow. In some instances, the necessity of added dissolved solids removal, such as iron, needing aeration, add to the problem of concentrating neutralized solids.

Jan 12, 1972

By Norman Lamont

The evaluation of certain reser-voir properties, such as porosity and fluid saturation, from electrical well surveys has been widely accepted in petroleum engineering. Various investigators have established relationships between these properties and certain parameters which affect the response of the electrical log. Among these are the resistivities of the mud, its filtrate, and its filter cake. In 1949, Patnode1 established a relationship between the resistivities of the mud and filtrate. The well logging service companies have contributed relationships for the mud-mud cake resistivities2,3 These have been valuable since it was the practice to measure only resistivity of mud at the well site. During the mid-1940&apos;s the industry began drilling wells with oil-emulsion drilling fluids. These were conventional aqueous muds with a dispersed oil phase. Since 1950, oil-emulsion muds have been used on an increasing number of wells each year. However, the practice of measuring only the resistivity of the mud at the well site has continued, and the mud filtrate and mud cake resistivities have been determined by the above-mentioned relationships. Service companies are now equipped to measure all three resistivities at the well site. An investigation was conducted on the resistivities of oil-emulsion muds, mud filtrates, and mud cakes to determine if these values conformed to the relationships for aqueous muds. TYPES OF MUDS Fifty-one oil-emulsion mud samples were prepared in the laboratory following a standard manual&apos; published by a leading mud company. The diesel oil in the samples varied from 5 to 50 per cent, the majority of the samples being in the 10 per cent region. The basic aqueous mud types which were converted to oil-emulsion muds were commercial clay and bentonite muds, low pH and high pH, caustic-quebracho treated muds, and lime treated muds. The emulsions were stabilized by dispersed solids, lignins, lignosulfo-nates, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, or sulfonated petrolatum. It is worthy of note that after a quiescent period of two weeks at room temperature all samples, regardless of emulsifying agent, remained stable. The make-up water for the muds was from the laboratory tap. Resistivities were varied by the addition of table salt to the water. A range of mud resistivities from 0.44 to 3.9 ohm-m was obtained in this way. Twenty-three field muds were tested. These covered the same range of mud types as did laboratory muds. Oil provinces of the Gulf Coast, South Texas, West Texas, Oklahoma, Montana, and Canada were represented. MUD TEST PROCEDURE Each mud was tested for density, viscosity, pH, and filter loss by standard testing techniques. The resistivity measurements were obtained with a Schlumberger EMT meter. This meter required small volumes of sample, e.g., 2 mm. Filtrate was obtained from a Standard Baroid fil-ter press at the end of a 30-minute test. The filter cake from the same test was used for cake resistivity measurements. Mud, filtrate, and cake samples were heated to 100" F in a constant temperature water bath prior to measurement of resistivities. RESULTS The relation between mud resistivity (Rm) and mud filtrate resistivity (Rmf) is shown in Fig. 1. The solid line represents an average for the data. The equation of this line is Rmf =0.876 (Rm) 1.075 . . (1) Arbitrary limits, indicated by the dashed curves, have been set. The majority of the data falls within these limits, but some points do lie outside the limits. The approximate equation Rmt = 0.88 Rm , . . . . (2) will give satisfactory results within these limits. The data on mud cake resistivity Rmc is shown in Fig. 2. The solid line is an average for the data. The equation for the line is Rmc = 1.306 (Rm)0.88 The dashed lines are arbitrary limits on the data. Within these limits, Eq. 3 may be simplified to Rmc = 1.31 Rm . . . . (4) DISCUSSION The limiting curves in Figs. 1 and 2 represent maximum deviations of ±25 per cent. Thus the use of the average curves can introduce considerable error. There is no substitute for accurate measurements of mud, mud cake, and mud filtrate resistivities at the well site. The mud sample tested should be representative of the mud opposite the formation being logged. The average mud filtrate resistivity curve of Fig. 1 is reproduced in Fig. 3 with two curves which have been published for clay-base aqueous muds2,3. The latter curves were determined from average values of a large number of drilling fluids. The three curves have essentially the same slope and the differences between them are from 7 to 22 per cent. Comparison is made only to illustrate the possibility of error

Jan 1, 1958

By J. H. East, E. R. Maize

INTRODUCTION PROBABLY no other type of equipment is now being introduced into American underground mines about which less is known and about which there is more misinformation than the Diesel mine locomotive. Any equipment installed underground brings with it hazards that were not present before, and it is the purpose of this paper to show that Diesel-powered equipment can be used with safety in underground mining if certain feasible but very important precautions are taken. Diesel locomotives are not new in underground mining, since they have been used successfully in European mines for at least 19 years, but their use in American mines is exceedingly limited; so far as is known, only five Diesel mine locomotives are operating at present in United States mines. Diesel locomotives were permitted underground in Great Britain for the first time in 1939, and the rapid increase in the number in use in those mines, testifies to their safety and efficiency. More than 1300 Diesel mine locomotives are in use in European mines, according to the latest statistics; these locomotives are employed in coal, iron, lead-zinc and mercury mines. So far as is known, the Diesel mine locomotive has not yet caused an explosion or mine fire, and has not been the cause of any fatalities from toxic gases in the mines in which it has been used. ADJUSTMENTS OF DIESEL ENGINES FOR UNDERGROUND USE A Diesel engine adjusted to work in an underground mine should not be confused with the same engine adjusted for use outside the mine. Adjustment of the air:fuel ratio for engines that are used on the surface is intended to give the maximum fuel economy, and little or no attention is given to the chemical composition of the exhaust gas produced. Many such engines are poorly adjusted and perhaps poorly maintained, with the result that the engine emits smoke in quantity as well as the disagreeable odor familiarly associated with Diesel engines. The air:fuel ratio in the case of Diesel engines operated on the surface is generally around 15:1; that is, 15 lb of air to burn 1 lb of fuel. Diesel engines adjusted to work underground usually have an air:fuel ratio of about 20:I, as at this ratio the minimum quantity of toxic gases is given off in the engine exhaust. Diesel engines operated underground must be maintained in better condition than similar engines used on the surface; otherwise, the smoke emitted in the exhaust becomes objectionable if not unendurable. Practically normal air is required for safe operation of Diesel engines underground or in confined places; failure to provide virtually normal air for Diesel engine operation is almost certain to result in trouble. Bureau of Mines engineers have determined that the air in which a Diesel operates in confined places should contain less than 1/2 pct of carbon dioxide and at least 20 pct of

Jan 1, 1947

By Reginald S. Dean

THE widespread occurrence of manganese in low grade oxide and carbonate ores not amenable to mechanical concentration has led to extensive investigations of hydrometallurgical methods for producing a pure manganese compound suitable for further treatment. Manganese carbonate is the preferable compound. This product when fully crystalline and of not too fine crystal size is easily filtrable and stable in air. It can be converted to other compounds such as the oxides by heating in air or can be reacted with acids for producing salts. A useful hydrometallurgical process must produce relatively concentrated solutions that can be purified easily, reagents must be cyclically used, and heat requirements must be small. Neither the ammonium sulphate nor sulphur dioxide leaching processes that have been tested extensively fulfill these &apos;requirements. Other hereto-fore proposed processes have obvious limitations and have not been tried on a large scale. The present process is based on the discovery by the writer of a new group of aqueous manganese-ammonia complex solutions highly concentrated in ammonia, which permit rapid solution of manganous oxide to concentrations of 80 to 100 g Mn per liter and from which a fully crystalline, easily filterable manganese carbonate is precipitated by the addition of carbon dioxide and partial ammonia removal. Although the process may be carried out with many ammonium salts, commercial advantages dictate the use of ammonium carbamate, which is obtained when CO2 is passed into concentrated aqueous solutions of ammonia. If the carbamate is used, the only reagents, ammonia and C02, are volatile and may therefore be recovered from solutions and residues by heating, thus eliminating washing and extensive evaporation. Impurities are controlled easily as most metal oxides are either insoluble in the lixiviant or fail to precipitate with the manganese carbonate. Others are controlled by sulphide addition. The process has been tested extensively on a small scale on a wide variety of ores; including Three Kids, Artillery Peak, Cuyuna, and Chamberlain; as repre-

Jan 1, 1952

By H. W. Hitzrot

THE new 4800-ton fine-grinding plant at the Hollinger Consolidated Gold Mines property at Timmins, in the Porcupine district of northern Ontario, went into operation in November 1937, and represents the culmination of an experimental program. The plant is a moderately low rectangular building of hollow tile on a steel frame, large enough to house four 7 by 15-ft. ball mills, with a 12 by 27-ft. classifier beside each mill. At one end is space for the addi-tion of another mill and classifier or a mill and classifier for the regrinding of table concentrates. This regrinding is now done in the old grinding department of the main mill building. Also within the new building are the four 6-in. sand pumps for lifting the product from the low-dis-charge ball mills up to the classifier feed launders and the containers and appurtenances of a complete dust-collecting system. Together with the usual overhead crane, these constitute the major units of equipment within the new plant. The location is at the lower end of the main mill buildings toward the old tailings pond, now so neatly leveled off and sodded to rival the very best of our own W.P.A. projects. Close by the new grinding plant is a large dome-shaped structure-the new fine-ore bin designed and built by Mr. Longmore and the Hollinger milling and engineering staffs. There are four separate automatically loaded inclined belt conveyors leading up from the bottom of the bin to the grinding plant. Each belt is equipped with a recording weightometer, in the grinding building. The whole structure and the machinery within it give the impression of permanence and a carefully integrated design with close attention to details, giving the operators every advantage for consistently good work.

Jan 1, 1939

By W. S. Reid

In March, 1938, E. P. Fleming, metallurgist for the American Smelting and Refining Co. inaugurated an investigation into the possibilities of recirculating the gases from Dwight-Lloyd sintering machines operating on lead charge, with the twofold object of concentration of the SO2 content and reduction in volume of total gas produced. The possibility of recovering a commercial grade of SO2 gas from D & L machines operating on lead charge had previously been considered by several investigators. Early History of Recirculation The Selby Smelter Commission Report, published by the Bureau of Mines in 1914, contains a chapter by A. E. Wells regarding results obtained at Selby, wherein some of the richer gas was recirculated through a hood over the pallets. Oldright and Miller of the U. S. Bureau of Mines had also made tests at Trail, B.C., and at Kellogg, Idaho. R. C. Rutherford, while at the Chihuahua, Mexico, Smelter of the American Smelting and Refining Co., in May, 1937, proposed recirculation of D & L gases to decrease the volume of gas handled by the baghouse. At none of these plants, however, was the operation commercialized. In July, 1938, Mr. Fleming, in correspondence with the Selby Plant, inquired regarding the possibility of obtaining 6 pct SO2 gas from the Selby D & L machines. At that time, the writer advised that there was slight possibility of obtaining 6 pct SO2 gas without re- circulation, but believed that it was possible with recirculation, and that experimental work toward that end should be tried at some plant where spare D & L machines were available. The foregoing statement was based on the following information then available— 1. Tests on Selby first-over machines showed 2.28 pct SO2 from first windbox and 1.03 pct SO2 from second windbox, and corresponding figures for second-over charge of 0.81 pct SO2 for first windbox and 0.08 pct SO2 for second windbox. 2. Oldright and Miller (US. Bureau of Mines) in 1932 at Bunker Hill, on 42 in. X 22 ft machines found: a. First-over charge—Maximum SO2 concentration (leaving cake) of 9.5 pct. b. First-over charge—SO2 concentration of over 8 pct from the 4 ft to the 12 ft points beyond the front dead-plate and that the concentration then dropped rapidly. c. That approximately 80 pct of the total sulphur eliminated on the second-over machines occurred during the travel of the pallets from the 1 ft to the 6 ft distances from the dead-plate. d. That approximately 94 pct of the total sulphur eliminated on the second-over machines occurred over the first windox. 3. Oldright and Miller (US. Bureau of Mines) in 1932, at Trail, on 42 in. X 50 ft machines found: a. First-over charge—SO2 varied from 2.0 pct to 5.5 pct (leaving cake) from the 12 ft to 28 ft points from the deadplate. b. That the average SO2 increased from 1.0 pct at 7 ft from dead-plate to maximum of 3.3 pct at 20 ft, then dropped to 1.5 pct at 40 ft. c. That on a 22 ft, second-over machine with an 11 in. bed the SO2 varied from 4.5 pct to 6.5 pct from the 2 ft to the 8 ft points from the dead-plate. d. That on the final roast, the SO2 concentration also varied across the pallets; that is, 2 1/2 pct at the side, increasing to 6.0 pct, 5 in. in, and to 7.0 pct at 10 in. to 20 in. in, then decreased vice versa at the opposite side. e. Concluded that most of the sulphur on a 22 ft machine was removed over the first 7 ft of the first windbox; therefore, they partitioned the first windbox so that the exit gas from the second 4 ft section was returned to the surface of the pallets over the fist 7 ft section, and during a seven-day trial the gas from the 4 ft section averaged 2.4 pct SO2, while the recirculated gas from the first 7 ft section only increased to 3.8 pct SO2. (Excess suction over the 7 ft section to prevent escape of SO2 laden gas from the 4 ft section caused dilution by air.)

Jan 1, 1950

By G. S. Cole

The temperature has been measured ahead of stationary solid-liquid interfaces under conditions approximating luzidirectional heat flow and therefore unidirectional solidification. Natural convection flow patterns may be deduced from the temperature distributions , temperature fluctuations, and shape of the interface. Fluid flow increases with the height and the rate of heat transfev through the interface and this is further manifested by a deviation of the interface from aflat vertical plane. The influence of fluid flow on solute inhomogeneity during alloy crystal growth can be inferred from the observed temperature distributions. A buoyancy force exists in the liquid ahead of a vertical solid-liquid interface, caused by a difference in density between cold fluid near the interface and warmer fluid in the bulk liquid. When the viscous and inertia forces in the melt exceed this buoyancy force, a flow of fluid takes place, termed natural or free thermal convection. Natural convection in purely liquid systems has been extensively studied for many years. 1"u On the other hand, fluid flow during horizontal crystal growth has oniy recently been the subject of experimental investigation."-25 The requirements for horizontal crystal growth differ from other heat flow systems. The small aspect ratio (ratio of height of cold wall to length of fluid) has never been considered. The uniform furnace gradient which supplies heat radially (and not necessarily symmetrically) differs from previous boundary conditions of uniform heat flux at the cold and hot ends. And most important of all an isothermal s/l interface is present which can adjust its shape and position to conform to heat and fluid flow. All of these boundary conditions involve complexities which cannot be readily solved analytically. Preliminary observation has demonstrated the penera1 shape of the natural convective flow pattern in transparent media.20&apos;24&apos;25 The flow is circulatory, directed toward the interface at the surface of the liquid, down and away from the interface at the bottom, and then up at the hot end of the melt. During crystal growth such a flow may interact with the solute boundary layer at the s/l interface to affect solute incorporation.M&apos;1B|28&apos;i!T Evidence has also been presented recently to show that thermal convective flow will affect the structure of ca~tin~s.~~-~~ The rate of heat transfer (conduction plus convection) in a given fluid system is a function of the temperature difference between the hot end of the liquid and the s/l interface and the height of the interface. At the lowest values of these variables* all heat is *It has been shown&apos; that adverse temperature gradients as low as O.OOS°C oer cm are sufficient to cause convection. transferred by conduction. When the temperature difference or interface height are increased, laminar fluid flow commences and heat transport takes place by laminar convection as well as by conduction; turbulent heat transfer takes place at higher values of these variables. In the transition region between laminar and turbulent flow, boundary layer separation takes place; fluctuations in temperature are also noted and increase in amplitude and frequency as turbulence becomes dominant. In this paper, fluid flow patterns in the melt ahead of a stationary interface are deduced from observations of temperature distribution and fluctuations, heat flow rate, and interface shape. The fluid flow ahead of advancing interfaces and the effect of such flow on solute incorporation may be inferred from these measurements on stationary interfaces. Observations during enforced fluid motion will also be considered. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The metal was contained in a lava boat 10 cm in length, 1+ cm in width, and 2 cm in height, as shown in Fig. 1. A water-cooled, molybdenum block heat-sink is at one end of the boat; surrounding this assembly is a slotted stainless-steel tube noninductively wound with a nichrome heating element. Temperature was measured by 38-gage Chrome1 vs Alumel thermocouples sheathed in 0.05-cm-diam graphite-coated stainless-steel tubing, which were moved longitudinally and vertically through the melt by means of a two-dimensional motorized micrometer stage. In some experiments the thermocouple junction was exposed, but in the majority of experiments the junction was welded to the sheath tip; no significant difference

Jan 1, 1968