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OPEN-HEARTH refractories are not merely an accessory to the furnace. They are the furnace, to all intents and purposes. The steel work of the main structure is merely an open frame which helps to support the refractories ; and the regenerators, a necessary part of the furnace system, consist almost entirely of refractories. Not only do refractories constitute the essential part of the furnace, but they also carry the liquid steel all the way to the point where it begins to solidify. On leaving the furnace the liquid passes through a refractory runner into a refractory-lined ladle, then through a refractory nozzle closed by a refractory stopper on the end of a rod protected by refractory sleeve bricks. The liquid is sometimes sent through an additional refractory- lined tundish, a supplementary ladle, or a refractory runner for bottom pouring, until it finally enters the iron mold in which it solidifies. Even in the mold, refractory materials are sometimes used to provide a nonconducting "hot top." This series, from runner and ladle to hot top, inclusive, is often referred to collectively as the "pouring-pit refractories." REFRACTORY RAW MATERIALS The raw materials available are best classified into basic and acid types. The principal basic raw materials are magnesite, dolomite, and chrome ore. The principal acid materials are silica in various natural forms, and fireclay. Magnesite. Austria was the principal source of magnesite (MgCO3) until recent years, when the Province of Quebec, in Canada, and the states of Nevada and Washington became important sources for the American steel industry. More recently these natural sources have been supplemented by the so-called "sea-water magnesite"-which is the name somewhat incorrectly given to magnesium hydroxide obtained as one of the products

Jan 1, 1964

By J. R. Kyte, V. O. Naumann, C. C. Mattax

Imbibition and waterflooding tests at reservoir conditions show that conventional tests at room conditions sometimes lead to recovery estimates that are too low. Core samples which are of intermediate wettability at normal test conditions may be strongly water-wet at reservoir conditions. This was found to be true for samples from two of three reservoirs investigated. For the other reservoir, less difference was observed between the wettability of samples at normal test conditions and at reservoir conditions. Samples which became more water-wet at reservoir temperature and pressure also water flooded more efficiently at reservoir conditions. These results show that core analysis tests on intermediate wettability samples should be performed at reservoir conditions to obtain representative data. INTRODUCTION Throughout the oil industry, core analysis tests normally are performed using refined oils and at room temperature and pressure. This procedure has always been subject to question because the possibility is generally recognized that the reservoir environment may influence displacement behavior. Burkhardt, et al,' have performed waterflood tests at reservoir conditions on East Texas cores. They found little difference between results obtained at reservoir conditions and results of conventional flooding tests at room conditions. As they pointed out, however, this situation might not be general since they obtained data on only one rock and crude-oil system. This paper presents data which demonstrate that it is sometimes necessary to perform core analysis tests in a simulated reservoir environment to properly represent the reservoir wettability and displacement characteristics. The work is specifically concerned with reservoirs which were thought to be of intermediate wettability on the basis of conventional test results at room conditions, i.e., core samples imbibed only small amounts of either oil or water and exhibited no decided preferential wettability characteristics. Tests were performed on cores from three such reservoirs to determine their behavior in the reservoir environment. lmbibition and waterflood tests were used to demonstrate the effect of reservoir environment on reservoir rock wettability and displacement characteristics. Results of tests performed at reservoir conditions were compared with results from conventional tests. Imbibition tests were performed on samples from all three reservoirs. Waterflood tests were performed on samples from only one reservoir. Fluid properties for the three reservoirs studied are shown in Table 1. Tests at reservoir conditions were performed using bottom-hole crude oil at reservoir temperature and pressure. The aqueous phase used in these tests was a synthetic brine approximating the reservoir brine composition. Conventional tests were performed at room conditions with refined oils and synthetic reservoir brine. The oil-to-water viscosity ratios were adjusted to the reservoir values. The cores used in all the tests were taken from the reservoirs using either brine alone or a bentonite-car-boxymethylcellulose mud without additives as coring fluids. Previous tests show that these fluids have no significant effect on the wettability of reservoir rock samples.1 The cores were preserved in brine at the wellsite to prevent wettability changes during shipment and storage. Wellsite imbibition tests have been performed on fresh samples from several reservoirs (including Reservoir A) and compared with later laboratory imbibition tests on samples preserved in brine. The comparison showed that the wettability of the preserved cores was the same as that of fresh, surfaced cores at the wellsite.2 IMBIBITION TESTS Conventional imbibition tests were performed on preserved cores using the apparatus and procedures described by Bobek, et al.2 A sketch of the apparatus for imbibition tests at reservoir conditions is shown in Fig. 1. The preserved samples were first centrifuged to expel excess water and then placed in a stainless-steel container which served

By C. A. Wright

Since the adoption by the U. S. Bureau of Standards several years ago of specifications for standard 100- and 200-mesh sieves, frequent requests have been received that this Bureau test and certify sieves of other sizes than these. With a view to the adoption of a series of standard testing sieves which might be of use to all industries making fineness tests, this Bureau for two years has been studying the question of such a standard screen scale. Various scales that have been proposed were considered, and information was sought of representative firms in the various industries interested as to their requirements. Manufacturers of sieves have also been consulted as to the desirability of different screen scales and the practicability of their manufacture. As a result of this study of the question, a conference was called at the Bureau of Standards, Apr. 20, 1916, of representatives of various committees of the American Society for Testing Materials, American Society of Civil Engineers, American Institute of Mining Engineers, American Foundrymen's Association, Mining and Metallurgical Society of America, American Water Works Association, American Institute of Metals and the American Spice Trade Association; also representatives of the Committee of Revision of the U. S. Pharmacopæia, the U. S. Geological Survey, the U. S. Bureau of Mines, the U. S. Office of Public Roads and Rural Engineering, the U. S. Office of Grain Standardization and the U. S. Bureau of Standards; also representatives of a number of private firms engaged in industries in which sieves are used, such as the glass, the drug milling, the abrasive, the asphalt, the mining, the spice, the chemical, and the graphite industries; also representatives of the firms in this country manufacturing wire cloth and sieves. This Conference, after considering the various screen scales either proposed or now in use, adopted as a Standard Screen Scale that given in Table 1, and recommends that it be adopted generally by scientific,

Jan 1, 1918

By E. J. Schmitz

The following abstract of an unpublished treatise, prepared by me, on the geological formations and minerals of the State of Alabama, is deemed of interest to the Institute. This State, called after the river of the same name (which, formed by the junction of the Coosa and the Tallapoosa, waters, with its tributaries, more than half the State), is divided by its main watershed into a larger southern district, sloping south and southwest, and drained into the Gulf of Mexico, and a smaller northern district, sloping generally north and west, and drained into the Tennessee. Geologically the State may be divided (according to historical geology) according to the different formations it exhibits, among which I include the Azoic, the existence of which in Alabama has been doubted by some; or it may be divided (according to structural geology, as closely related to topography) into a north and northwestern, a middle, and a southern zone.

Jan 1, 1884

By Frank Speller

WE are here to honor again the memory of Henry Marion Howe, one of the foremost metallurgists of his time, and it is indeed a great privilege to be called upon by the Board of Directors of .this Institute to give the memorial address this year. Professor Howe started active investigation of corrosion of iron from a metallurgical standpoint in 1887, and made several important contribu-tions to the subject from 1895 to 1908.(1) ? The papers named in the bibliography are only a few of his valuable papers, but in all his works he sets a high standard of scientific accuracy, together with a clearness and power of expression rarely equaled in engineering literature. There-fore it seems appropriate on this occasion to review the work on corrosion of this distinguished gentleman and then endeavor to make a brief inventory of what has been accomplished since his time. Howe saw the beginning of the steel industry in America and before he died (May 14, 1922) witnessed it develop to a production of 45,000,000 tons per year. He was naturally very much interested in the infant industry and was quick to see the importance of the question of corrosion. It was my privilege to discuss the subject of corrosion frequently with Professor Howe at various times from 1905 to 1908; in this, as in other metallurgical problems, he sought the truth without bias and always insisted on proving an opinion or conclusion before accepting it. We should remember that when Howe started his investigation of corrosion, in 1887, steel was rapidly supplanting wrought iron. Certain papers in the early eighties (now forgotten) claiming much greater durability for wrought iron than for steel aroused Howe's interest. He could not reconcile the statement that steel was intrinsically and incurably less durable than wrought iron with the continued and widening use of steel,

Jan 1, 1934

By T. D. Yensen

IF the question should be asked at this time: "Does pure iron have allotropic transformations?" the reply would necessarily be, "We do not know." And it is doubtful whether anybody, anywhere, is in a FIG. 1.-EFFECT OF CARBON ON HYSTERESIS LOSS OF IRON-SILICON ALLOYS. (ALL OTHER IMPURITIES AND EFFECT. OF GRAIN SIZE ELIMINATED.) position to make any other reply at this time, for the simple reason that pure iron has not yet been made and tested. The nearest approach to it contains either an appreciable amount of carbon or else an appreciable amount of oxygen (a few hundredths of a per cent.). But why be con-

Jan 1, 1929

By John L. Lamont, Walter Crafts

STUDIES of the effect of composition of steel on hardenability by Grossmann,1 and as-quenched hardness by Field2 and by the authors,3 have made it possible to predict the results of quenching when the composition and cooling rate are known. In order to extend the application of the hardenability calculation to the quenched and tempered condition in which steel is finally used, a survey has been made of the hardness changes caused by tempering. From this study a method has been developed for the prediction of hardness and tensile strength of steel in the tempered condition. The method of calculation was developed from Rockwell C hardness tests on quenched and tempered Jominy specimens and is expressed in Rockwell C hardness units. It is of an additive type in which the degree of softening from as-quenched hardness is estimated. Tempered properties may be calculated within about plus or minus 5 Rockwell C hardness or plus or minus 15,000 lb. per sq. in. tensile strength. This degree of accuracy is less than that necessary for the control of heat-treatment, but is adequate for the comparative evaluation and selection of alloy steels. The formula indicates that tempered hardness is primarily dependent on as- quenched hardness and, as in the hardening reaction, the progress of tempering is controlled mainly by the carbon content- Alloys tend to retard softening by a secondary hardening mechanism in which the alloy appears to migrate from ferrite to the carbide phase. The factors for the effects of alloys in tempering vary so much from the effects of alloys in hardening that different steels of equivalent hardenability may, after lie heat-treatment, differ considerably in tensile strength. PROCEDURE In developing the method for calculating tempered Rockwell C hardness, simple and complex steels were tested over a range from 0.08-to 0.65 per cent carbon and up to 2.68 per cent manganese, 2.18 silicon, 3.50 chromium, 4.94 nickel, and 1.06 molybdenum. The steels were made as small induction-furnace heats at the Union Carbide and Carbon Research Laboratories, Inc. The accuracy of the method was finally checked on a variety of carbon, low-alloy and high- alloy types of heat-treating steels produced under commercial conditions. The method was based on a study of tempered Jominy bars, and its validity was tested by correlation with the center hardness and tensile strength of oil-quenched and tempered bars from ¼ to 4 in. in diameter. The method of calculation was derived from the differences in Rockwell C hardness between as-quenched and quenched and tempered Jominy specimens. Prenormalized Jominy hardenability specimens quenched from a normal temperature for austenitization were used to obtain a range of as-quenched Rockwell C

Jan 1, 1946

C. A. HANSEN (communicated appendix*).-Since the above paper was written, tests have been conducted with a view to securing a sounder basis for discussing the effects of temperature on the behavior of the zinc cell. The following data, while making no pretense to great accuracy, are still reasonably close. Cells were operated with the same feed solutions, but at varying temperatures, the latter being controlled by means of immersed steam coils. Current efficiencies obtained indicate that the corrosion rate

Jan 11, 1918

By Gifford White

CONSIDERABLE attention has been directed in recent years to methods of electric prospecting other than the conventional direct-current tech-niques. It has been extensively recognized that electrical data of a more general nature than that possible by direct-current methods might be useful in geophysical studies. To this end, a number of different types of electric currents have been employed, such as single-frequency alter-nating currents, square-topped periodic current waves,4 periodic surges of a less specific nature,8 and suddenly applied direct current.1,2 Yet, to the author's knowledge, little analysis of these different types of driving currents has been made from the standpoint of network theory to determine just what type of currents would give the most useful data, and, most important of all, to determine the relation of the data taken by one method to those of another. Without touching on the actual theoretical problem of how currents flow in the earth under specified boundary conditions, some very useful information can be obtained from the study of the fundamental integral equations of electrical networks, throwing light on the problem not ordinarily appreciated by the field worker. Some manipulation of the standard network equations will be made, with the sole purpose in mind of developing expressions leading to practical results. Suppose that four points in the earth have been located and it is wished to obtain the most useful type of electrical data by inserting current into two of them and measuring the potential developed between the other two. The first problem that arises is that of which pair of the four shall be chosen as current grounds. In the direct-current case, where only steady potentials are measured, the selection is of little consequence, but as soon as currents varying with time are used at the current grounds, a new effect arises. The fact that a varying current is flowing in the current-carrying conductor between the current grounds means that magnetic and electric fields varying with time will be produced

Jan 1, 1940

By Frederick G. Tickell

Petroleum engineers are displaying considerable interest in those fundamental properties of matter and energy that control the phenomena of oil and gas production. The subject is a difficult one to investigate by laboratory experiments for two reasons: (1) it is impossible to reproduce in the laboratory the scale of forces and dimensions that exist in the underground reservoir; (2) if we attempt to scale down the dimensions we are unable to reduce all proportionally. It is as if we tried to construct a model blast furnace for the reduction of iron ore, and reduced all lineal dimensions. We should find that the interstices between the miniature chunks of ore would not permit rapid transfer of gases, that combustion and heat transfer would not take place as in the full size furnace and that, in short, the contraption would not work. Just so, when we attempt to make a reduced scale oil field we find we must have, not only miniature reservoir and miniature wells, but "miniature" sand, 011, gas, etc. Much valuable work, however, has been done along these experimental lines and more will no doubt follow, but investigators should bear this point in mind and strive to attain dimensional homogeneity and dynamical similarity in order that their conclusions may be translated into terms applying to the oil reservoir. As Gibson says,' "These conditions are attained when all terms of the physical equation have the same dimensions, . . . when all corresponding particles of the two systems trace out similar paths and when the velocities are such as to make all corresponding forces acting on two such particles in the same ratio." It is the purpose of this paper to discuss the mechanics of fluid movement as it pertains to the oil pool and to point out the complexity of the laws of fluid delivery under the conditions often found. We have to do, fundamentally, with confined fluids, possessing potential energy whose expenditure is restricted by certain properties of the confining media and of the fluids themselves. The equation of motion and time is completely stated when we can assign values to the propulsive

Jan 1, 1929

By James Paul

BEGINNING in December, 1933, and continuing to the close of April, 1934, large sums of money were expended in the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia through the conduct of Federal and State Civil Works Administration, financed by the Government as a part of the President's recovery program to furnish employment to mine employees idle as a result of the economic depression. PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT The protection of the public health against the pollution of public water supply by acid mine drainage was the incentive that prompted the request that the sealing of abandoned bituminous coal mines be made a Federal project. A paper before the Central Section of the American Water Works Association, Wheeling, W. Va., on Aug. 24, by E. S. Tisdale, Chief Engineer of the West Virginia Department of Health, tersely says: In October, 1933, the combined experience of the U. S. Bureau of Mines and the U. S. Public Health Service and the States of Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky resulted in a report being filed in Washington, first with the Public Works Administration and later with the Civil Works Administration, where it was favorably acted upon, calling for these governmental agencies under the direction of the U. S. Public Health Service to expend $1,500,000 in a unified effort to seal abandoned coal mines in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky and six other states farther down along the Ohio river. The report referred to was embodied in a petition that was signed by the chief engineers of the State Departments of Health of the several states contiguous to the drainage area of the Ohio River. The project as established under Federal supervision became interstate with respect to the several states involved, and upon the termination of the Federal project on Feb. 15, it was authorized as a State C.W.A. project, effective Feb. 20, under the supervision of the State Departments of Health and the State C.W.A. Administration, which continued to March 29, and was succeeded by the S.E.R.B. of the R.W.D. from April 2 to April

Jan 1, 1935

By B. M. Bird

DURING the past four years the experimental work in coal washing carried on by the U. S. Bureau of Mines and the University of Washington has been devoted mainly to the development of special methods for the tabling of fine sizes of coals that are difficult to wash. One important outgrowth of this investigation has been the application of hindered-settling classification to coal tabling. Although used for many years in ore dressing, the term "classification" as used here may be new to many readers. It may be defined as the separation obtained when a bed of particles is held in a uniform state of suspension in an upward current of water, either continuous or pulsating, just sufficiently strong to keep the bed in a mobile condition. A common example of this type of separation is a jig in which there is no suction stroke. When the hindered-settling classifier is used with the coal-washing table, the fine-size raw coal, instead of being fed direct to tables, as is the prevailing practice, is first fed to the classifier and grouped, according to the rate of settling against the upward current of water, into perhaps six separate products. After dewatering, each of these except the sixth, a refuse product, is elevated to a seperate feed bin and washed on a separate table. This paper gives a brief discussion of the basis for the use of hindered-settling classification of a table feed; a description of the experimental work; a comparison of the results obtained with and without classification; and a discussion of the application of the classifier in commercial coal washing.

Jan 1, 1928

By F. L. Ruhlman, Max C. Eastman

The termination of the recent war marked a major changc in the oil-field operations at. Elk Hills. Production was greatly curtailed, various experimental production projects were started, and a long-range exploratory program was inaugurated. Production was reduced from the wartime peak of 65,000 bbl per day to the current rate of about 8ooo bbl per day in order to maintain an available source of crude that can be drawn upon during a national emergency. The existing production rate is deemed essential to carry on the experimental production projects. These projects are being conducted to determine the best methods and means of maintaining the Reserve, shut in, but in a state of readiness to produce the maximum quantity of oil in the most expeditious manner. Projects now being investigated include: (I) protection of surface equipmerit; (2) repair of wells that might damage the reservoir; (3) gas injection; (4) water eneroachment, (5) gravity drainage. An exploratory program is being carried on to determine the amount of recoverable oil in the unexplored portions of the Reserve. The Shallow-zone exploration is practically completed, but owing to the complexity of the Stevens structure and the magnitude of the oil discoveries in the Stevens, exploration will probably continue in that zone for another two years. Introduction Summary of Development History of Elk Hills Although a detailed history of Elk Hills oil field is presented in various publications,1,2 a summary of its unusual development and production history will be given in order that the present problems may be more readily understood. The first development that resulted in commercial production was in the central part of the Reserve. The first well, Hay No. I, in sec 36-R,* was completed in January I9I9, and was soon followed by 37 Others in the same general area. It is commonly referred to as the Hay-Carman area and was shut in in stages from 1925 to 1934 as a result of litigation regarding the title to the land. Not being highly producti,, only about 6½ million barrels of oil with a large volume of gas was produced from the area prior to the shutdown. Shortly after the start of the development of the Hay-Carman area, drilling was started 6 miles east in sec 36-S' Tupman NO. I came in for 5000 bbl per day early in I92o, It was followed by more than 200 others in the next few years, and the field became one of major importance. Produc-

Jan 1, 1949

By James E. Lonergan, Young C. Kim

Over the past two and one-half years, various emission control strategies for a coal-fired power plant have been jointly developed by the University of Arizona and the Homer City Owners. The objective of this work was to assist the Homer City management in their efforts to comply with SO2 emission regulations while continuing to use the relatively high sulfur coal from their captive mines as the primary source of plant fuel. One of the operational strategies studied was to have the captive mines minimize the sulfur variability of the run-of-mine coal on a short term basis. A mine production scheduling program called COMPF2 was developed to perform this task. This paper describes the application of this mine planning program at an underground coal mine. A comparison of the planning results with actual production figures showed the ability of this program to schedule production so as to minimize both the sulfur content and the sulfur variability of run-of-mine coal.

Jan 1, 1983

By A. C. Fieldner

ASH in coal has always been regarded as an undesirable substance, as the heat content of a coal decreases in direct proportion to its ash content. It represents so much inert material that has to be transported, handled when the coal is burned, and finally disposed of. W. R. Roberts, in an address before the Engineers' Society of Western Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, on Sept. 29, 1925, said that on an annual output of five hundred million tons of coal, a reduction of 3 per cent. of ash means fifteen million tons of refuse and a decrease of $30,000,000 in freight charges. Ash also often prevents efficient utilization of the coal through the formation of clinker caused by the melting of the ash constituents when subjected to heat. The mineral constituents of coal may be of such nature as to make the coal unsuited for specific uses, as for instance, high-sulfur coal for making metallurgical coke. While the usual proximate analysis of coal gives the amount of ash, it gives no information as to the nature and composition of the ash nor of the mineral constituents from which the ash is produced. For the efficient washing of coal to remove ash-forming constituents it is desirable to know the composition and distribution of the ash-forming constituents. Obviously such information is also desirable for the most efficient utilization of coal.

Jan 1, 1926

By L. P. Teas

As sphalerite is such a common constituent of many types of ore, the present investigation was undertaken to determine what its relations are to the other minerals in the deposits, and also whether these are of any genetic significance. The data presented herewith were obtained from a mineralographic study of about 200 ore specimens from some 43 different localities, represented by suites of specimens in the Cornell University collection. These, grouped according to their genesis, were as follows: I. Contact-Metamorphic Deposits.-Silver City, N. M.; Kelly, N. M.; Silver Bell, Ariz.; Bingham, Utah; Agaguca, Michoacan, Mex.; Matehuala, Mex.; Sombreretti mine, Mex. II. Deep-Vein Zone Deposits.-Mineral, Louisa Co., Va.; Edwards, N. Y.; Chestnut Yard, Va.; Allah Cooper mine, Louisa Co., Va.; Globe, Ariz.; Moyie, B. C.; Rossland, B. C.; Broken Hill, N.S.W.; Weedon, Que.1 III. Intermediate-Vein Zone.-Park City, Utah; Leadville, Colo.; Butte, Mont.; Santa Barbara, Mex.; Red Cliff, Colo.; Burro Mountains, N. M.; Idaho Springs, Colo.; Blue River, Ore.; Rye, Colo.;1 Slocan district, B. C.; Freiberg, Ger.; Clausthal, Ger: IV. Shallow-Vein Zone.-Ouray, Colo.; Goldfield, Nev., Zacatecas, Mex.; Field, B. C.; Kapnik, Austria; Frontenac mine, Kingston, Ont. V. Meteoric Water Deposits.-Joplin, Mo.; Southwest, Wis.; Austinville, Va.; Crittenden County, Ky.; Ridgeburg, Pa.; Moresnet, Belgium. It is not supposed that the investigation of such a limited number of occurrences may warrant conclusive and universal generalizations, but the conclusions reached are believed to be reliable in so far as the specimens, that were examined are concerned.

Jan 11, 1917

By J. R. Thoenen, M. C. Malamphy, G. K. Dale

THE beginning of the war and the events leading up to it precipitated a near crisis in the aluminum industry. Demands for the metal reached proportions far beyond the prewar production capacities and, in addition, the submarine menace seriously curtailed the importation of bauxite from South America, hitherto a chief source of high-grade ore. The situation required an intensive search for domestic ore to augment the reserves and in October 1941 Congress directed the Department of the Interior to investigate the extent, mode of occurrence, and quality of bauxite in the United States. In December of that year the Bureau of Mines and the Geological Survey began the search for bauxite in Arkansas, where more than 90 per cent of the domestic ore had been produced and where the greatest amount of bauxite was known to occur. The program involves the geophysical and geological investigation of the Arkansas bauxite region and the core drilling of areas considered favorable for the occurrence of bauxite deposits. Cores taken from the bauxite-kaolin zone are sampled and analyzed in the Bureau of Mines laboratory in Little Rock. The information from each of the deposits discovered is then assembled, the bauxite is graded with respect to its possible utility, tonnage estimates are made, and the whole is presented in the form of a war minerals report. Thirty-eight new bauxite deposits had been discovered and investigated at the end of the calendar year 1944, and the presence of several others had been indicated by the drilling. More than 5000 holes had been drilled throughout the bauxite region, and more than 60,000 chemical analyses had been made of samples taken from the bauxite-kaolin zone. A study of the chemical analyses led to certain general conclusions not only with regard to the chemical composition of Arkansas bauxite, but also with regard to its component minerals. Charts and diagrams based on these conclusions have been developed for practical use by the Bureau of Mines: (I) to serve as a check against laboratory analyses, (2) to present tonnage estimates of ore bodies based on mineral composition, (3) to illustrate the relationship of tonnages of bauxite to the alumina, silica, and iron content, and (4) to serve as a control for mining operations by providing a means for quick estimates of the value of the ore from a partial analysis of its chemical constituents. The use of charts and diagrams similar to those discussed in this paper is not new. The use of the trilinear diagram for studying the ultimate analyses of coals as originally proposed by Ralston in Bureau of Mines Technical Paper 93 (1915) showed that the various ranks of coal fell in different areas on the diagram and that volatile matter, calorific value and other properties could also be plotted by the use of contours. A considerable subsequent literature, largely on classification of coals, has accumulated since then, showing the utility

Jan 1, 1945

By Noel Stearn

WHEN the Age of Machinery was suddenly thrust upon civilization about the beginning of the 19th century, an unprecedented demand for mineral resources sprang up. This demand brought about the rapid development of the known ore deposits and the discovery of such other deposits as could be encountered by energetic and canny prospectors. Thus in the countries now reasonably accessible nearly all orebodies have been located except those which are totally concealed even from the eyes and "senses" of experienced and expert prospectors. The high rate of exhaustion of known ore deposits and the necessity of looking farther and farther ahead for raw materials as a matter of insurance on the stupendous capital outlays involved in mining, development, and conversion operations, have resulted in exceptional activity in three different fields of effort. The first is purely geographic. Prospectors are now penetrating the few hitherto inaccessible regions in the hope of stumbling upon exposed ore deposits or locating visible indications of their presence. The second is chemical. Industrial chemists and metallurgists are seeking to facilitate the exploitation of lower grade ores or to find methods of recovering valuable metals from common substances. In the third field of effort lie the activities of the economic geologist and the mining engineer, who endeavor to locate concealed ore deposits which would remain hidden from the prospector no matter how expert or conscientious he might be. Obviously the task which such a man must face is both exacting and indefinite, and the tools which he has heretofore been permitted to bring to it are, for the most part, abstract-a knowledge of certain fundamental principles and processes involved in the origin, occurrence, structure, and distribution of deposits of natural resources and of the rocks which form the environments of those deposits; and a process. of reasoning by analogy supplemented by the use of the diamond drill, or such artificial exposure as -the test pit, trench, shaft, or tunnel.

Jan 1, 1928

By E. Stansfield

IT. has long been known that coal is unstable and oxidizes in air, even at ordinary atmospheric temperatures; also, that such oxidation affects the analysis of coal. Nevertheless little or no precaution is taken to prevent oxidation in the ordinary methods of analysis, and the possibility of error due to oxidation is sometimes ignored even in researches on coal. Although the general nature of coal oxidation is well known, and many workers have made careful studies of the rate of oxidation of different types of coal exposed to oxygen at different temperatures, yet the amount of oxidation coals undergo in the ordinary process of analysis, and its influence on the determined analysis, is not well known, and the published data are widely scattered through the literature. This paper is a collec-tion, from this laboratory, of data that bear on the subject, together with a brief summary of three methods employed here to evaluate the oxidizabil-ity of coal. The post-Carboniferous coals of Alberta range all the way from anthracite down to lignite. As some of them are notably susceptible to oxidation, the necessity for care was early forced upon our attention, and oxidation has been reduced either by the removal of air with a vacuum pump or by the displacement of air with natural gas (methane). The two routine analytical operations most liable to involve oxidation are the preliminary, partial drying of the crushed coal (called air-drying) and the determination of moisture. The first is a prolonged operation on coarse coal at ordinary temperatures, and the second a short treatment on powdered coal at higher temperatures. Oxidation also occurs in coal samples stored in ordinary sample bottles. In order to gain information for this study, determinations were recently carried out on the same samples in air, in natural gas, and in vacuo. Sixteen coals were tested; three would be classed in the United States as coking bituminous coals, two as noncoking, nonslacking, bituminous coals, and the rest as subbituminous. Table 1 gives typical analyses of these coals as mined.

Jan 1, 1934

By Alan F. Stewart, Douglas R. Piteau, Dennis C. Martin

Three examples of open pits where toppling failure controls the stability and design of the slopes are described. Two examples involve the design of overall slopes in base metal mines. The third example concerns the analysis and design of remedial measures to prevent toppling failure from occurring in a critical slope in a coal mine. The analytical techniques for assessing toppling failure on a rational basis are discussed for the three examples. This includes an assessment of the important parameters which govern the stability for the toppling failure mode. The geological setting and input data for each example are described, as are the important external or limiting factors pertinent to the sites in question. A statistical cumulative technique was used to assess one of the most important input parameters in the two examples involving overall slope design. Both deep-seated toppling failures, involving the entire slope, and shallow bench failures are considered. Results of the stability analyses and their related engineering significance with regard to slope stability and design are discussed. A sensitivity analysis of various parameters is effectively utilized. Design charts are developed and evaluated accordingly. In the example where toppling failure was unavoidable, the rationale for design of stabilization techniques to prevent toppling is discussed.

Jan 1, 1983