Search Documents

By CHARLES HOPPER

In preparing the Steep Rock Lake iron ore body for mining, it was necessary to drain Steep Rock Lake. Using diamond drills, a cut 1800 ft long, 100 ft wide, and maximum depth of 95 ft amounting to 300,000 cu yd of material, was excavated in Greenstone to provide a drainage channel. This was done under the general contractor C. A. Pitts, of Toronto, who in turn employed a diamond drill contractor, Boyles Bros., to do the drilling. The method of excavation was selected be- cause a clean square cut and grade could be maintained in the bottom of the channel. Bootlegged holes would have left blocks of rock in the corners which would have created a situation which would have become progressively worse as the open cut advanced from one side of the ridge to the other.

Jan 1, 1949

By A. W. Hesse

Twelve years ago, some coal-mine operators, mining engineers, oil and gas operators, Bureau of Mines engineers, geologists and state mine inspectors met in Pittsburgh, Pa. to discuss and solve if possible, the problems in connection with the drilling of oil and gas wells through or near coal mines and through the future coal reserves. Regulations were drafted and presented by O. P. Hood and A. G. Heggem of the Bureau of Mines.' . There was considerable discussion of the various articles, practically all of which appear in Bulletin 65, but the interest aroused at that meeting was short lived. Practically none of the important coal-producing states gave the matter the consideration it should have received. Notwithstanding the marked progress in safety work, coal mines still have an unenviable reputation for mine explosions. Our mining laws have become stricter and the enforcement, especially in Pennsylvania, more rigid, but what good will come from a rigid enforcement of the mining laws if some source of danger exists all around the mines, over which the operators have no control ? It is hardly necessary to recite all the cases of natural-gas explosions published in Bulletin 65, but with some of them I am especially familiar. In 1912, while visiting the Miners' Hospital, at Fairmont, W. Va., my attention was called to a patient swathed in in bandages so that no part of his face and hands were visible. He had not been told that his two sons, mere boys, had died of the burns they had received in the same accident—explosion due to natural gas leaking into a country mine at Peora, Harrison Co., W. Va.

Jan 1, 1925

By J. D. Lubahn

The influence of precipitation from solid solution on the subsequent deformation resistance of alloys is well known. However, the influence of precipitation or aging that occurs simultaneously with deformation may be entirely different and of considerable importance. It is thought1 that the presence or absence of a yield point jog in impure iron at room temperature and the presence or absence of discontinuous flow at higher temperatures may be directly related to aging phenomena, particularly since the yield point jog is absent when the carbon and nitrogen are sufficiently removed.2 As a preliminary attack on the problem of simultaneous aging and deformation, three kinds of tests—constant strain rate tensile tests, constant load creep tests, and variable strain rate tensile tests—were carried out on an age hardenahle aluminum alloy. Constant Strain Rate Tensile Tests Stress-strain curves at a strain rale of about 0.001 min-1 were obtained for specimens of 61S that had been quenched into liquid nitrogen after a one-hour solution treatment at 521°C, then aged at room temperature 10 min., 20 min., 4 hr, and 26.5 hr before testing. Strain-time curves were obtained on the same chart with the stress-strain curve by means of an auxiliary pen, driven parallel to the axis of the chart drum at constant speed by a synchronous motor and gear chain. The angle of rotation of the chart drum was proportional to strain. The strain rates reported are the measured slopes of the strain time curves. Constant strain rate was approximated (within a factor of 2) by manual adjustment of the oil inlet valve of the hydraulic testing machine in such a way that the course of the recorder pen was parallel to pre-drawn strain-time lines of the desired slope. The specimens were machined from 9/16 in. rod. The cylindrical portion was 0.357 in. in diam by 13/4 in. long and

Jan 1, 1950

[James C. Gray, President W. B. Stephenson, President-Elect A. B. Cummins, Past-President E. G. Fox, Eastern Regional Vice-President H. C. Weed, Western Regional Vice-President Donald W. Scott, Central Regional Vice-President John Cameron Fox, Secretary 29 W. 39 Street New York 18, N. Y. After September 7, 1961 345 East 47 Street, New York 17, N. Y. D. R. Tone, Assistant Secretary Nathaniel Arbiter, Treasurer]

Jan 1, 1961

By P. Bandopadhyay, T. C. Rao

Geologically the Indian coals belong to Gondwana formations. Being of drift origin, these coals contain high percentage of mineral matter distributed in finely disseminated form. Indian coal-preparation plants process prime coking and medium coking coals for use in steel plants. Limited resources of good quality coking coals (Table 1) could not keep pace with the rapid developments of the iron and steel industry in India. This resulted in the introduction of coal-preparation technology and the establishment of washeries in India in the last 30 years or so. The first four washeries were set up during the early fifties at West-Bokaro, Jamadoba, Lodna and Kargali. Next came the first non-coking coal washery at Nowrozabad set up by the Associated Cement Company. In 1961, following the recommendation of Central Coal Washeries Committee (1953-54), Hindustan Steel Ltd. had set up five central washeries at appropriate locations, viz Durgapur, Dugda (2 washeries), Patherdih and Bhojudih, so that the raw coal feed having similar washability characteristics can conveniently come from a number of collieries to a particular washery. Subsequently, to meet the increasing demand of metallurgical coal by steel plants, two more central washeries (at Durgapur and Chasnala) and three pit-head washeries (at Kathara, Swang and Gidi) were installed by 1970. The prime objective of washing Indian coking coal is essentially to reduce the ash content. All the washeries in India, taken together have an installed capacity of about 26 million tons of raw coal input per annum. Details of these washeries in respect of their annual capacity, main washing systems adopted and the nature and size of the products are given in Table 2. It can be observed from this table that (1) bulk of the coal is processed in units like jigs HM baths and HM cyclones; (2) only two of the washeries have cleaning circuits for treatment of fines.

Jan 1, 1980

An Engineers' Symposium was held Wednesday evening, Mar. 26, in the auditorium of the Engineering Societies Building, 29 West. 39th St., under the general auspices of the Local Sections of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, American Society. of Mechanical Engineers, and the Society of Automotive Engineers. It was participated in by members of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers, American Chemical Society, American Electrochemical Society, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers, American. Society of Refrigerating Engineers, New York Electrical Society, Brooklyn Engineers' Club, Illuminating Engineering Society, Institute of Radio Engineers, Municipal Engineers of the City of New York, Society de Chemie. Industrielle, Society of Chemical Industry, and the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. In opening the meeting the chairman, Gano Dunn,* said: The program calls this an engineers' symposium, which means a putting, together of things, and these things tonight are ideas of fundamental relations to the engineering profession and the engineering societies. Not only engineers, but all men nowadays are examining their views in respect to their relation to what we call Society. My conception of Society is that there is no such thing in the concrete sense of the word. It is an abstraction, and just in proportion as it is a generalization and broader in scope than the particulars from which it is drawn, so is it emptier of content. That does not mean that it is not important, but it does mean that we should be careful and not be led astray into a zeal for doing things for Society that we would not do for our fellow engineers and our brothers. The man who is unwilling to do something for his brother or fellow engineer and yet urges that same thing for Society-is thoroughly inconsistent and, in my opinion, wrong.

Jan 5, 1919

By Alfred H. Bell

Illinois produced 5 per cent more crude oil in 1934 than in 1933, because there was less curtailment, and. the value of the year's production at the wells was 35 per cent more than that of the previous year. The average price of Illinois crude oil in 1934 was $1.13 as compared with $0.87 in 1933, an increase of 30 per cent. The quotas of allowable production for Illinois during 1934, as authorized by Oil Administrator Harold L. Ickes, were as follows: January, February, March, 12,000 bbl. per day; April, May, 12,500; June, July, 12,600; August, 12,500; September, October, November, 12,000; December, 11,700. No other restrictions on production were in effect during the year until Oct. 11, when it was found necessary to prorate the fields to 75 per cent, a curtailment of 25 per cent below the quota fixed by the Federal Administrator. On Dec. 1 the curtailment was reduced to 18 per cent and on Dec. 18, to 15 per cent. Production in Illinois by months during 1934 was as follows: Barrels Barrels January...................... 393,000 July........................ 394,000 February.................... 337,000 August..................... 402,000 March....................... 394,000 September.................. 378,000 April......................... 373,000 October.................... 352,000 May......................... 411,000 November.................. 305,000 June......................... 392,000 December................... 321,000 Total ................... 4,452,000 In spite of higher prices for crude oil, fewer wells were drilled in Illinois in 1934 than in 1933 (Tables 1 and 2). Of the 26 wells drilled, 10 were oil producers, 8 were in proved fields and 2 were in a new pool in Wabash County, l½ miles south of the nearest production, one was a small gas well on the Stubblefield anticline in Bond County, one was an input well for repressuring in the Colmar-Plymouth field, McDonough County, and 14 were dry holes, mostly scattered wildcat tests.

Jan 1, 1935

R. W. Raymond, New York City: As was announced in the Secretary's note, appended to the pamphlet edition of Dr. Ledoux's paper, I have undertaken to superintend the preparation of the samples required by his plan, and the ollation for publication of the results reported. Promises of cordial co-operation hare been received already from a number of leading assayers;? and it is to he expected that the data thus collected, and the discussion to be based upon them, will shed much light upon the important question raised in this paper. Although a detailed discussion of methods on the present occasion might be deemed premature, I am sure that suggestions on the subject from members engaged in assaying would be timely and valuable as a preliminary to later and more detailed criticism. Herbert G. Torrey (U. S. Assay Office), New York City : I may say in relation to the losses in the furnace that I have made a number of experiments, and on my little blank form years ago I put down a place for the losses in the cupel. It met with a good deal of opposition among the smelters, but I claimed that it was my duty to give the full amount of the gold and silver present, and that it

Jan 1, 1895

By P. B. Bucky

IN this day of steady progress in the mining industry, especially along mechanical lines, the question of whether to discard present equipment for that of a new type often engages the minds of many officials of mining companies. The rapid strides made from year to year sometimes cause this question to be brought up within a year after new equipment has been purchased and installed. It is a moot question whether a machine that has been purchased last year should be replaced by a new one put on the market this year. As I see it, the reasons for the replacement of present equipment may be summed up as follows: (1) because of increased safety; (2) because of legal regulations; (3) because of increased profits. I think all of us, as engineers, will endeavor to put in as safe equipment as it is possible to devise. The tendency of mining companies in that direction is very gratifying.

Jan 1, 1930

By J. H. Klepinger, C. W. Goodale

I. Introduction....................567 II. Character oF the OrE................568 III. Old FluE System..................572 IV. Tests on Old FLUE System..............575 1. Aspiration Tests................. 575 2. Tests with Steel Settling Chamber........... 575 3. Test with Experimental Brick Flue........... 583 4. Testa on Blast Furnace Geses............. 591 V. Design of New FluE System.............. 597 VI. Main Dust Chamber................. 605 VII. Some DetailS of Construction ............. 609 VIII. THE Chimney.................... 616 IX. Operation of New FluE System............. 624 X. Temperatures and DraFTS............... 630 XI. Velocities and Volumes................ 632 XII. TeStS on the New FluE System............. 637 XIII. Conclusion..................... 643 I. Introduction. In the summer of 1909 the Boston & Montana reduction department of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co. completed a new flue system, at a cost of about $1,100,000, and as this includes the largest and highest chimney in the world, and some new features of flue construction, a description will be of interest. At the Spokane meeting of the Institute in September, 1909, a brief mention was made of this flue system, in discussing Mr. Brunton's presidential paper on the Progress of Metallurgy in the West, and a promise was given that when a long enough time had elapsed, so that operating results could be given, a paper would be offered. The smelting plant includes blast furnaces, MacDougall roasters, gas-fired reverberatories, and converters.

Jan 1, 1914

By AIME AIME

T HE appointment of Herbert Hoover to the portfolio of Commerce in the President's Cabinet is to engineers the fulfillment of a long deferred hope to have an engineer in high political office and is a matter of congratulation to us for three reasons; because he is a mining engineer who represents the highest type of idealistic engineering effort; because he is a past president of the Institute; and because he has probably a broader grasp of world problems than any other living engineer. Frank A. Vanderlip in the preface to his book "What Happened to Europe" tells of the many interviews he had with the most prominent men in Europe which were made possible for him by his eminence as a banker and by the courtesy of the American ambassadors. He cites by name such well known figures as Austin Chamberlain, Sir Auckland Geddes, Monsieur Delacroix, Monsieur Briand, Mr. Padkrewski, Mr. Venizelos, Colonel House, General Pershing, Mr. Baruch, and many others and says :

Jan 1, 1921

By E. L. Tucker

PREVIOUS investigations of E. L. Tucker and R. E. Head' related in particular to the effect of cyanogen compounds on galena, sphalerite, and pyrite, and their behavior in the presence of such com- pounds. The present contribution deals with the float- ability of the copper minerals and of pyrite. All experiments were performed on minus 200-mesh material, the method of preparation being the same as that described in the previous article. Flotation tests were made in a small mechanically agitated machine of 50-g. capacity designed in this laboratory by Gates and Jacobsen." General Naval Stores pine oil No. 5 and potassium xanthate were used in constant amount in all of the experiments; these agents were selected because of their present wide use in the flotation of copper minerals. Lime additions were varied to secure four 'final hydrogen ion concentrations, namely, neutral, 0.0005 per cent CaO, 0.003 per cent CaO, and 0.02 per cent CaO. The variation in lime addition was introduced to include the range of alkalinities employed in actual flotation practice.

Jan 1, 1926

By W. M. Small

From the one producing well in Austria, 7000 bbl. of heavy oil was produced and sold in 1933. This well, owned by the Raky-Danubia, was completed late in 1932 in the formation called Flysch (Upper Cretaceous or lower Eocene) near Zistersdorf north of Vienna. Two wildcats drilling in the vicinity have not yet reached the producing beds. Near Vienna, the European Gas and Electric Co. drilled five shallow wells for gas, three of which were failures. One gas well was completed for 8 million cu. ft. capacity at 260 meters depth and with a pressure of 570 lb. Another is being tested following blowouts. One gas well and one dry hole were completed in the pool in 1932. In Upper Austria, the same company abandoned one wildcat at 679 m. and is drilling at 280 m. on a second. No gas was sold during the year, but a line is being completed to supply fuel to boilers of the Vienna Electric Works. Hungary No deep drilling was done in 1933. Oil and gas concession was granted by Parliament to the European Gas and Electric Co. on Trans-danubia. Active geological and geophysical investigation is in progress. Czechoslovakia In the Gbely and Hodonin shallow fields, some 26 wells were drilled of which three were reported as failures. The total production of the fields was 111,736 bbl. of oil and 40 million cu. ft. of gas used as fuel in the field. At Vacenovice, where there were already two small gas wells, a third producer was completed at 420 m. This pool markets a small amount of gas, which is compressed and used to light railway carriages. Wildcat wells were reported drilling at about 300 m. depth at both Jasina and Telnice. One 700-ni. wildcat near the Hodonin field was abandoned. Another failure was reported completed and abandoned at 820 m. near Holic.

Jan 1, 1934

By D. J. MacKinnon, J. M. Brannen

Smooth, compact, dendrite free 24-h zinc deposits have been electrowon from zinc chloride electrolyte using a diaphragm cell. The cell consisted of sealed anode compartments containing DSA anodes separated from an open cathode compartment by Dynel cloth membranes. Fresh electrolyte was fed to the cathode compartment where zinc deposition onto an aluminum cathode was aided by air sparging. The catholyte passed through the diaphragms into the anode compartments from which chlorine gas and spent anolyte were withdrawn. Standard electrolysis conditions were: 15 g/L Zn, 0.12 M HCI, I5 mg/L tetrabutylammonium chloride (TBACI) as the addition agent, 35°C, and 323 A/m2 (30 ASF) current density. The effect of variations in these conditions on the morpohology orientation, current efficiency, and energy requirement for 24-h zinc deposits was determined. The effect of total chloride ion concentration on the zinc deposit was studied by adding various amounts of NaCl to the electrolyte.

Jan 1, 1983

By Jacob T. Wainwright

This stove has been designed to meet the requirements of a fur nave that must be operated with either a reducing or a neutral flame ; and more particularly to make feasible the operating of re duction-furnaces with the cheaper grades of gas-fuel, which has heretofore been impracticable. In general, cheap gas-fuels result from incomplete combustion, and, being suited for further combustion, answer very well for heat ing purposes; and high temperatures may be attained with them, when they are used in conjunction with regenerative stoves. But, in operating a reduction-furnace, a high temperature is not the only requirement. It is also necessary that the fuel shall not be cansumed beyond a certain degree, in order to insure a re ducing flame for the reduction-process ; consequently, it becomes necessary to dispense with combustion as much as possible previous to the use of the fuel-gases in the reduction-furnace. Moreover, these gases must be preheated to a high degree, in order that a sufficient temperature may be maintained in the furnace; and, since this preheating cannot be accomplished by a previous, partial combustion of the gases themselves, it follows that the stoves for pre heating these gases should be heated to as high degree as it is pos sible to attain with an inferior fuel. This result can best be accom plished by complete combustion of the heating gases, and is further facilitated by preheating all of the air and gas used for this com plete combustion. It is more particularly desirable to preheat the air, since the combustible gases used may generally be obtained directly from the furnace, or gas-producer. The reducing gases, escaping from a gas-fuel reduction-furnace, are capable of considerable further dilution with air to secure com plete combustion, and consequently may be utilized for heating the stove to a high temperature, provided the air be sufficiently preheated.

Jan 1, 1889

Executive Committee, Board of Directors Augustus B Kinzel, Chairman, J L Glllson, Vice-Chairman, A W Thornton, Howard C Pyle, Grover J Holt Finance Committee, Board of Directors Andrew Fletcher, Chairman, J S Vanick, Gall F Moulton Investments Gail F Moulton, '60, Chairman, Henry Krumb, '59, J Loveloy, '61, C R Dodson, ex off as Treasurer, Andrew Fletcher, ex off as Chairman, Finance Com¬mittee Endowment Andrew Fletcher, Chairman, N G Alford, H DeWitt Smith, W J Coulter, J V N Dorr, R B Gilmore, J B Haffner, O H Johnson, D H McLaughlin, J R McMillan, L F Reinartz, C E Weed, Wilfred Sykes, J R Suman Honorary Memberships H DeWitt Smith, '59, Chairman, C E Reistle, Jr, '59, Grover J Holt, '59, L F Reinartz, '59, M L Haider, '60, D H McLaughlin, '61, John M Lovejoy, '62, Augustus B Kinzel, ex off as President

Jan 1, 1958

By Robert Peele

TWO outstanding members of the Institute will be honored at the Annual Meeting this month: Robert Peele, who will accept his election to the small group of Honorary Members; and Clinton Hoadley Crane, president of the St. Joseph Lead Co. and William Lawrence Saunders Medalist for 1936. Eminence in the profession character, interest in Institute activities, and general recognition as a gentleman and a friend by so many people, have contributed to the election of Professor Peele. The Saunders Medal is for "achievement in mining." In awarding it to Mr. Crane the citation reads "For distinguished achievement in the successful development and operation of low-grade lead mines."

Jan 1, 1936

By Thomas V. Falkie

Mining and exploration, in the year 1971, can be characterized as a year of politics and the beginning of an era of legislation. Certainly the activities of our state and federal lawmakers and international politicians over-shadowed technical developments, which are outlined in the following pages. The nationalization of the Chilean copper industry was the most far-reaching event of the year. Not only will it have an effect on international metal trade, but the nationalization will also affect the major mining companies in such a way as to cause strategic, managerial and technical adjustments in metal mining and exploration efforts in other parts of the world.

Jan 2, 1972

By H. N. Eavenson

Prior to 1907 nearly all coke was made in beehive ovens, and most of the gas produced was made in the old-style gas retorts, and while there were a few coke plants in southern West Virginia, southwest Virginia and Kentucky operating on high-volatile coals the proportion of the total product made by them was small and usually was used locally. The greater part of the coke made, and the coal gas produced, came from the Pittsburgh seam of western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia, which was then regarded as the standard coking and gas coal of the country, and the best coal available anywhere for these purposes. With the advent of the byproduct oven and the building of coke plants at the furnaces, the restriction of the use of one grade of coal for making coke was removed and the use of mixtures of low-volatile and high-volatile coals began. The change in the locations of the coke plants removed the necessity of using Connellsville coal and also made sources of gas available to the public utilities other than of their own manufacture. Most of the first oven plants were built at points distant from the Connellsville region and this afforded an opportunity for the use of coals from the southern Appalachian fields, which were then at approximately equal distances from the ovens. Since that time development has been made on a number of seams of coal of great purity in southern West Virginia, southwestern Virginia and eastern Kentucky, which have been largely used for gas, cokemaking and metallurgical purposes where low amounts of ash, sulfur and phosphorus are determining factors. These coals are much lower in the objectionable elements than most of the coal shipped from the Pittsburgh seam, or than any northern coal, and when blended with low-volntile cod produce coke in byproduct ovens that is not excelled for any purpose by any coal mined in this country, and is equaled very seldom. Coal from several of these scams is shipped in great quantities without beneficlation and is lower in ash and sulfur than any but the best washed product from the Pittsburgh seam in the north. The writer has made a study of these coals to ascertain their relative qualities and the areas and reserves of coal available in each of them. No attention has been paid to the coals of Alabama, which do not compete with any of these coals, and no coal of equivalent quality is found in

Jan 1, 1934

By John H. Schilling

The Gabbs magnesite-brucite deposit is unique in size and is one of two magnesite deposits being exploited in the United States. It is near the town of Gabbs, which is one hundred miles southeast of Reno, in west-central Nevada. The brucite was discovered in 1927; the magnesite was found while exploring the brucite. During World War II, more than 80,000 tons of magnesium metal was produced from about 900,000 tons of magnesite ore mined from these deposits. An additional 5,000,000 tons of magnesite and 1,000,000 tons of brucite have been produced for use in making magnesia refractories and chemicals. Basic Inc., presently the only producer, mines 1.5 ± 0.25 million tons of ore and waste annually using high-selective open-pit rriethods; the ore is up-graded, calcined, and processed into a variety of products. Known reserves of highgrade (less than 5 per cent CaO) magnesite ore total more than 25,000,000 tons, and there are larger tonnages of lower-grade material; brucite reserves are small. The magnesite and brucite are in generally west-dipping dolomite of the upper member of the late Triassic Luning Formation, in the over-riding plate of the Paradise thrust fault. A great variety of dikes and a stock of Cretaceous granodiorite intrude the Luning Formation in the vicinity of the magnesite-brucite deposit. The magnesite bodies are scattered over an area of about a square mile around a prong of granodiorite which extends north from the stock. The brucite is mainly in two bodies in contact with the prong of granodiorite; at the surface and along deeper cracks the brucite has weathered to hydromagnesite and artinite. In the area of magnesite-brucite mineralization, much of the dark, fine-grained, schistose, regionally-metamorphosed dolomite of the Luning Formation has been marmorized to a lighter-colored, coarser-grained, massive dolomite that is intergrown in varying proportions with the magnesite. The magnesite and marmorized dolomite can not be distinguished visually. In addition to the two varieties of dolomite, the gangue in the magnesite and brucite bodies mainly is the various varieties of dike rock, serpentine and a variety of other "contact" minerals, and "post-ore" dolomite and calcite. The magnesite ( and recrystallized dolomite) is believed to have formed by the hydrothermal replacement of the regionally metamorphosed sedimentary dolomite; alternatively it has been suggested that the magnesite is sedimentarv and formed contemporaneously with the dolomite in an embayment of the Triassic sea. Because all the igneous rocks exposed in the immediate vicinity of the magnesite deposits appear to be younger than the magnesite, the ore-forming solutions are thought to be related to a somewhat older granite which crops out elsewhere in the area. The brucite is the result of contact-metasomatic replacement of magnesite during the emplacement of the granodiorite stock.

Jan 1, 1968