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By Henry Hibbard

AT THE beginning of a Henry M. Howe lecture it seems fitting to refer to Howe's great contributions to steel metallurgy, and particularly to the literature thereof. Most of my predecessors in this role have been able, from their association with him, to give direct testimony as to his great services; but although connected with him for years in a business way, I am less familiar with what might be called his academic side, except as .it is embodied in his utterances, written and oral. Howe was adept in his genial way in extracting information in any line which, at the time, was of interest to him. In a technical lecture one expects as a rule new knowledge-something about recent advances relating to the subject. On this occasion, however, I will ask you to go back with me to the primary department of steel lore, as the title of my lecture shows, to review the more fundamental features in that field for the purpose of seeking some gaps which we can fill and so give the subject renewed interest. In thus going back one must inevitably repeat many familiar facts, but that seems to be necessary in order to reach a clear understanding of the unrecorded matters. The full interpretation of a steel analysis is at present unattainable, though much progress toward that end has been made. The ultimate analysis, giving the percentages of the five commonly determined elements, does indeed usually give a fair idea of what the steel is, and is ordinarily enough, with knowledge of its history and physical condition, to enable it to be assigned to some purpose or use for which it is reasonably suitable. But discrepancies arise. Every maker and every user of steel knows, from at least occasional examples in his own experience, that the ultimate analysis is insufficient by itself to enable one to tell positively, from its interpretation, either the mechanical properties of the steel or its adaptability to the purpose for which it was made. Further, if, while having the specified composition, it is abnormal or unsatisfactory, why it is so. Good, bad and indifferent steels may have substantially the same ultimate analysis.

Jan 1, 1928

By H. D. Hibbard

At the beginning of a Henry M. Howe lecture it seems fitting to refer to Howe's great contributions to steel metallurgy, and particularly to the literature thereof. Most of my predecessors in this role have been able, from their association with him, to give direct testimony as to his great services; but although connected with him for years in a business way, I am less familiar with what might be called his academic side, except as it is embodied in his utterances, written and oral. Howe was adept in his genial way in extracting information in any line which, at the time, was of interest to him. In a technical lecture one expects as a rule new knowledge-—something about recent advances relating to the subject. On this occasion, however, I will ask you to go back with me to the primary department of steel lore, as the title of my lecture shows, to review the more fundamental features in that field for the purpose of seeking some gaps which we can fill and so give the subject renewed interest. In thus going back one must inevitably repeat many familiar facts, but that seems to be necessary in order to reach a clear understanding of the unrecorded matters. The full interpretation of a steel analysis is at present unattainable, though much progress toward that end has been made. The ultimate analysis, giving the percentages of the five commonly determined elements, does indeed usually give a fair idea of what the steel is, and is ordinarily enough, with knowledge of its history and physical condition, to enable it to be assigned to some purpose or use for which it is reasonably suitable. Rut discrepancies arise. Every maker and every User of steel knows, from at least occasional examples in his own experience, that the ultimate analysis is insufficient by itself to enable one to tell positively, from its interpretation, either the mechanical properties of the steel or its adaptability to the purpose for which it was made. Further, if, while having the specified composition, it is abnormal or unsatisfactory, why it is so. Good, bad and indifferent steels may have substantially the same ultimate analysis.

Jan 1, 1928

One of our members, in Colombia, has written the following interesting account of his experience in trying to remit his dues to the Institute. "Last year I was away at the end of the year and on my return I was unable to obtain a draft in Honda until April, I believe. To avoid delay this year I remitted cash, early in January, to a friend in Bogota who I imagined could sell or procure for me various small drafts to cover my annual subscriptions. After many weeks' delay, I was informed that he could not get them for me and was remitting the cash to Honda where they were obtainable. After another long delay, I was informed that no one in Honda would sell drafts or checks for small amounts. Eventually I found a friend who was willing to oblige me in the matter and at once forwarded the amount."

Jan 8, 1919

By Edgar C. Bain

Jan 1, 1932

By Eugene S. Perry

The most notable development in oil and gas operations in Montana during 1938 were extensions to the Kevin-Sunburst and Cut Bank fields. No new fields were discovered, although about 20 widely scattered wildcat wells were operated. Within or adjacent to proved fields about 100 wells were drilled, resulting in 81 oil wells and 14 gas wells. In general, production activities were below those of 1937, largely because of market conditions. Markets for crude were improved late in the year by construction of refinerirs at Pocatello, Idaho, Spokane, Washington and Cut Bank; and also by price concessions. However, demand was much

Jan 1, 1939

By Eugene S. Perry

The most notable development in oil and gas operations in Montana during 1938 were extensions to the Kevin-Sunburst and Cut Bank fields. No new fields were discovered, although about 20 widely scattered wildcat wells were operated. Within or adjacent to proved fields about 100 wells were drilled, resulting in 81 oil wells and 14 gas wells. In general, production activities were below those of 1937, largely because of market conditions. Markets for crude were improved late in the year by construction of refinerirs at Pocatello, Idaho, Spokane, Washington and Cut Bank; and also by price concessions. However, demand was much

Jan 1, 1939

By Thomas Elliott

It is now clearly evident that 1963 is witnessing a record year for prospecting and exploration in British Columbia and Yukon Territory, as substantiated by the following facts: ? About 60 large mining companies and many smaller ones are active in the search for new ore deposits. ? More than 500 prospectors and exploration geologists have been in the field this season. ? It is estimated that $10 million has been spent this year on the search for new ore deposits. ? Claim staking in B. C. to July 31, totalling 14,250, is up 2000 over 1962. ? Helicopter companies report a record total of 25 aircraft chartered to mining groups, with additional numbers used in oil-gas exploration. ? Leading assayers state that business with the industry is double that of the previous year. ? Diamond drillers report an increase of approximately 25% in the amount of contracts now on hand. The question is often asked, "Why is mining so active in Canada's Pacific Northwest?"

Jan 12, 1963

By C. A. Zapffe

BOTH the foundryman and the theoretical metallurgist are now generally agreed that the anomalous "rising" or "bleeding" of certain ferrous castings of killed metal is primarily attributable to hydrogen. How and why the phenomenon occurs, however, have not been made clear. The following discussion is intended to harmonize foundry experience with metallurgical theory so that the foundryman may possibly improve his ability to prognosticate whether a certain casting may bleed or not. BLEEDING, RISING, AND PIPING The "rising" to be discussed here is not to be confused with the action in rimming ingots as a result of the carbon-oxygen reaction, although a conclusion will be drawn that may apply to the art of controlling the rimming action. Only killed metal is considered, which includes both steels and irons. In Fig. I, three killed, chill-cast ingots are shown: a porous ingot whose evolution of gas during late stages of solidification has ejected metal through the top; an ingot in which moderate gas evolution during solidification has lifted the mushy central metal, i.e., it has "risen"; and, third, a sound ingot with good piping characteristics. The first type is referred to as "bleeding," and generally infers that a solid skin had first formed through which the liquid metal later erupted. There is no fundamental distinction between bleeding and rising in reference to killed metal.* POROSITY Hydrogen appears as a cause of bleeding because the gas evolution simultaneously leaves a porosity of a type traceable to hydrogen. Twenty years ago, Melmoth1 noted that killed steel that rose unexpectedly in the mold, if returned while liquid to the furnace and heated further under a reducing lime slag, would again rise in the mold; but that if the ingot were allowed to solidify and was then remelted no rising occurred. A critical quantity of the responsible gas is therefore removed by the rising action. Melmoth associated rising with high silicon (0.7 to 0.9 per cent) and concluded that silicon increased gas absorption. Because silicon is a strong deoxidizer, oxygen must, therefore, be eliminated from consideration of the three common gases in steel-oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen. Butterworth2 later decided that pinhole porosity was caused by gases dissolved in the metal and that hydrogen was obtained from steam in the mold. Allen's classical work on copper castings,3 soon followed by

Jan 1, 1942

By Russell Dayton

THE metallurgical polarization microscope has been utilized in several researches in the last few years, thus attaining a fair degree of prominence, but little has been written in a manner suitable to a metallurgist concern-ing the theory of this instrument. In this investigation the theory was carefully studied, and the results are presented here in a detailed manner, yet as simply as possible. The theory is discussed with particular reference to the three chief functions of the instrument: (1) determination of anisotropy; (2) effect of strain; and (3) identification of inclusions. Each of these is investigated experimentally, with especial attention to the mechanism of producing any effect. Where possible, the discussion is supplemented by photomicrographs. The instrument used had numerous defects as a polarization microscope; these and their remedies are discussed. In the microscopic study of transparent mineral sections (chal-cography) the use of polarized light has aided tremendously in the identification of a mineral. The determination of strain in transparent substances (photoelasticity) by the use of polarized light has lately become a commercial process, used in testing finished glass articles. The success of the use of polarized light with opaque materials has not been so great. The magnitude of the effects obtained is much less than that of the corresponding effects with transparent materials, and the mechanical difficulties are much greater. Konigsberger,(1)? in 1909, was the first to apply polarized light to the microscopic study of

Jan 1, 1935

By Thomas L. Watson

MY thanks are due to Mr. Frank Firmstone, Easton, Pa., who has called my attention to the statement in my papers that " Barite, fluorite and quartz, though not observed in the Tennessee area," . . . as possibly misleading to the reader, if construed to mean that such a discovery had never been made. Mr. Firmstone is correct in assuming that this statement referred only to the study of the worked areas of the metallic ores, especially zinc, made in the course of the survey upon which my paper was based. The occurrence of barite and fluorite with lead-ores in Tennessee was reported by Prof. Safford,2 in 1869, and by Safford and Killebrew,3 in 1887, with the further statement that about 1,000,000 lb. of barite were annually mined in Greene, Washington and Jefferson counties, Tenn., and that considerable deposits occur also in McMinn, Smith and other counties. It is also noted that the barite ".usually occurs in veins, associated with galena." The present worked areas of barite are, however, distinct barite propositions, without workable quantities of either lead or zinc, so far as mining operations have gone, and the areas are more or less removed from the present areas of zinc-ores. Mr. Firmstone informs me also that, in 1892, he observed, in the magnesian limestone at Watauga Point, in Carter county, on the left bank of the Watauga river, a little below the mouth of Buffalo creek, small quantities of galena and some fluorite.

Jan 1, 1907

By Richard S. McCaffery, Morrison B. Yung

While assaying some copper carbonate ore from the Frazer claims, Similakameen, B. C., I noticed that on parting the gold button a deep orange solution was formed. The button gave off pink bands in the nitric acid, which became deep orange at a short distance from it; and as it traveled over the surface of the porcelain dish, it left a deep orange track behind. As the button brightened in the cupel, it appeared to have a bronze color; but I have since found that when amarillium is in large excess of the gold, the button is a very dark gray. The button parted easily. To the orange solution I added a salt (NaCl) solution, shook in a silver testbottle, and filtered. With H2S I obtained a precipitate, which I supposed due to platinum. However, on further tests, it did

Jan 1, 1903

By KING HAMILTON GRAYSON

IRON and steel were the only basic industries in the Soviet Republic in 1928 that lagged behind the pre-war production on a comparative basis. This was due to the almost complete obliteration of all industrial units manufacturing iron and steel products during the Revolution, which resulted in the production of 1921 being only 4 per cent of that of 1913. By the end of 1927 the production of pig iron had reached a point equal to 70.5, per cent of 1913; steel was 84 per cent ; and rolled iron was 78 per cent. According to the. planned program of the Supreme Economic Council, the pre-war level of the iron and steel industry was to have been reached and exceeded during 1929-30. The production of the entire period from 1917 to 1928 in comparison with 1913, is shown in the following table

Jan 1, 1929

By Thomas T. Read

EVERYONE engaged in the teaching of mining engineering will, I suppose, agree that the most difficult subject to teach is "Mining Methods." One primary difficulty is that the students taking the course have either had no previous experience in mining, or else they have had; either seeming to be somewhat of a drawback. The students who are unfamiliar with mines find it difficult to visualize underground conditions, as described and illustrated with sketches and maps, while those who have had underground experience seem to 'find it difficult to visualize anything much different from that which they have already seen. This reminds one of the remark about the Presbyterian doctrine of predestination, to the effect that "you are damned ,if you do; and damned if you don't."

Jan 1, 1930

By Tegner C. Johnson

Just a few years ago, my company was referred to as the Marion Steam Shovel Company. Though we still make shovels, both two and eight-crawler types, the eight-crawler stripping shovel appears to have been replaced by the walking dragline for overburden removal and in some cases for the mineral as well. The walking dragline appeared in the coal fields in the early 1930's. It is popular because it can cope with overburden depths in excess of 100 ft and with blasted sedimentary rock, all at an O & O (ownership and operational) cost of ±10[c] per bank cu yd (bcy).

Jan 10, 1974

By A. W. Schlechten, R. F. Doelling

Parkes' process crusts were vacuum distilled using a shortened Pidgeon retort. Zinc was effectively removed below 800°C and recovered as a zinc sheet easily stripped from the furnace liner. Lead dasdistillationazinc required about 950°C and the resulting lead condensate tillationtended to stick to the thin metal liner. Final purity of residue is limited only by nonvolatile metals such as copper. THE successful commercial application of vacuum distillation for the removal of zinc from lead, as described by W. T. Isbell,' raises the question of whether or not a similar method can be used for other metal separations. Preliminary laboratory experiments on the vacuum distillation of Parkes' crusts by one of the authors' gave such encouraging results that it was decided to make a series of tests with large scale equipment to determine the results that might be expected in plant operation. The pilot-plant test results are reported in this paper. The great advantages of vacuum dezincing are its simplicity, the relatively low temperature of operation, and the fact that the zinc is recovered in the metallic state ready for use again in the desilveriza-tion of lead bullion. These same advantages and others would be realized from the vacuum distillation of the zinc-lead-silver crusts made in the Parkes' process. Zinc readily will distill over at temperatures of 800" to 900 °C as contrasted with the 1200°C or more used in the Faber du Faur furnace. Furthermore, the recovery of zinc as metal is practically perfect since there is no loss by oxidation or fuming. If the vacuum distillation is continued and hastened by raising the temperature to around 1000°C, the lead will distill over at an appreciable rate and deposit in a warmer zone of the condenser. This lead will contain a small amount of silver, but it can be returned to the desilverizing kettles and there is not the chance of loss that there is in disposing of the rich litharge from cupelling. The lower temperatures required will mean a saving of fuel and less wear on the equipment. One further point is that the vacuum distillation could be run on a small scale practically continuously, so as to avoid the accumulation of large amounts of silver-rich material and the need of assembling a large crew for special cupellation runs. It should be pointed out here that the final purity of the silver residue will depend on the copper or iron content of the crusts, as these and other metals with low vapor pressure will not be eliminated. The idea of treating the silver-zinc-lead crusts from the desilverization of lead bullion by vacuum distillation is not a new one, but such experiments have not been reported, as far as can be determined. In 1912, T. Turner presented a paper3 before the Institute of Metals on the vacuum distillation of brass, and a member of the audience suggested that he try his method on Parkes' crusts. In 1935, W. J. Kroll, noted for his discovery of debismuthiz-ing lead by calcium additions, published a paper' on vacuum distillation of metals and pointed out possible applications in the lead industry. Principles of Separation The successful separation of two or more metals by distillation depends upon an appreciable difference in the effective vapor pressures of the metals in the alloy to be treated. The vapor pressures of the common metals have been determined with considerable accuracy; for example, at 800°C the vapor pressures of the individual metals which are of particular interest in this paper are about .as follows: Zn, 241 mm; Pb, 0.0553 mm; and Ag, 0.0000276 mm. Unfortunately,, data are not available on the activities of the components in the ternary system Zn-Pb-Ag, but it can be estimated that on the basis of the vapor pressures of the individual metals a good separation can be made by distillation. The preliminary laboratory tests previously mentioned' supported this assumption. The pilot-plant size vacuum distilling furnace is shown in Fig. 1. It consisted of an abbreviated Pidgeon retort, 5 ft long with an ID of 8 in., heated by six silicon carbide elements placed symmetrically

Jan 1, 1952

By Helmut Thielsch

IN recent years an ever increasing amount of interest has been directed toward research studying the principles and various applications of sonic and supersonic waves. Though still in their early stages of practical development, sonic vibrations are already used in the emulsification and degasification of liquids. Metals exposed to sonic or ultrasonic vibrations while solidifying show a considerable amount of grain refinement. Often sound waves are applied instead of radiography to test engineering materials for internal cracks and flaws.1 In the field of pure research these waves are used in dispersion and also in coagulation of particles or liquids in gaseous or, under certain conditions, in other liquid systems. In the settling and thickening of slurries considerable time is necessary to compress the solid particles and to squeeze out the liquid to obtain as low a dilution (liquid to solid ratio) as possible. Various methods have been developed to increase the amount of coagulation of the very fine solids (colloidal or semicolloidal) and to shorten the over-all time. The addition of small amounts of electrolytes and the warming of the suspension represent merely the more important techniques. Some of the effects of supersonic vibrations have been reported previously.2,6 From preliminary studies, therefore, it was hoped that by application of sonic vibrations it would be possible to reduce the time required to thicken such materials to a specific dilution, as well as to thicken to lower ultimate dilutions than could be obtained by quiescent settling alone. By increasing the volume thickened per unit time-i.e., improving the plant efficiency-great savings in equipment and time would be obtained for industrial processes. Also, faster settling rates should result if coagulation of particles could be increased. Experiments have been conducted for a period of several months in the Allis-Chalmers laboratory to study the effect of sonic vibrations on settling of particles of different sizes and concentrations. APPARATUS The sedimentation apparatus used in these experiments is illustrated in Figs. I and 2. The essential features are the stationary field coil and the movable voice coil. Both windings are placed around a solid iron core. A leather diaphragm connected to the steel frame holds the voice coil in place. A brass rod is fastened to the voice coil with a metal disk connected to the other end. This disk is sealed to the lucite cylinder with a flexible rubber diaphragm. The lucite tube is 17 in. long; its inner diameter is 2 ½in. and the wall thickness is ¼ in. The tube is calibrated on the outside in 10 c.c. divisions for a total of 1000 cubic centimeters.

Jan 1, 1946

By J. Rogers, K. L. Sutherland

THE relationships between collector and mineral, activator and mineral, and activator, collector and mineral will be considered herein. We propose to criticize current theories of flotation but we will not repeat the many pertinent arguments presented by Wark and Cox28 in 1937 in which the "chemical" or more strictly the "solubility" theory proposed by Taggart and co-workers22 is shown to be untenable. Recently Taggart, Arbiter and Kellogg24 have studied the long-chain aliphatic amines as collectors and have attempted to resuscitate the solubility theory for these particular collectors. Dean and Ambrose3 have felt that "we stumble over words" when we distinguish different mechanisms of adsorption. Our view is that nothing is more stultifying to the development of a science than attempts to force widely different phenomena into one classification. This oversimplification leads immediately to difficulties in the interpretation of results. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The response of minerals to activator and collector was determined by "captive-bubble" tests. The methods of preparation of specimens26 and of testing18 have been previously described. Results from captive-bubble tests were confirmed by flotation tests in glass-stoppered cylinders.25 The full lines shown in the figures relating solution composition to contact (flotation) distinguish solutions in which contact (flotation) is possible from those in which it is not. The curve is derived by successive approximation and the accuracy is ±0.2 pH units and ± 5 mg. per liter of collector or depressant. Solution compositions for which it was shown experimentally that contact or flotation is possible are marked by a circle, those for which it is not possible by a cross and those for which it is doubtful by a cross within a circle. It is assumed that at all other solution compositions within (without) the curve, contact or flotation is possible (not possible). After testing in the collector solution, the mineral was removed, washed, and tested by the captive-bubble method in water, or floated in a cylinder with frother only. In this way the composition of solutions in which a mineral was conditioned but in which properties of the collector solution prevented contact or flotation can be defined. The composition of solutions in which conditioning was possible lie between the full and broken curve, the experimental results being indicated on the figures by a square. The curves show the limits of composition of solution in which flotation in a cell would be possible. Many factors other than those considered in these tests determine recovery or grade of a given mineral in practice.

Jan 1, 1947

By Donald C. Barton

The theory of gravitation is based on Newton's law that any two bodies exert a mutual attraction which is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them; i. e., A = KMRm2 (1) where K is a constant, M and m are the respective masses of the two bodies, and R the distance between them. In the earth's gravitational system, the earth is one of the bodies; the other may be any body within or without the earth. In theoretical discussions and calculations,in regard to gravity, that other body usually is taken as a unit of mass: in the C:. C:. S. system, a body of one gram in mass. Gravity and Level Surfaces Gravity is defined in geophysics as the force of attraction exerted by the earth, towards itself, on a body of unit mass. The intensity of gravity is usually expressed in dynes of force or in centimeters of acceleration In geophysical work in America, most commonly it is expressed in dynes (per gram) with the "per gram" understood and not directly expressed. In geophysical work in Europe, most commonly it is expressed in centimeters per second per second (cm. /sec.2) and less commonly lrierely as centimeter-gram-second units (c. g. s). At sea level, the intensity of gravity amounts very nearly to 980 dynes. The vertical is the direction along which the attraction of gravity is exerted at any point. In most cases, it is very nearly, but not quite, perpendicular to the earth's surface. The path that would be taken by a body falling freely through space toward the earth is vertical at each point and may be spoken of also as ('the vertical," or as the line of the vertical, or as a line of force of gravity. At the earth's surface it comrrlonly is very nearly, but not quite, a straight line.

Jan 1, 1929

By Dr. O’Neil Thomas J., Donald W. Gentry

"We should be concerned about the future be- cause we will have to spend the rest of our lives there. " -Charles Kettering INTRODUCTION Since the early 1970s, there has been no economic phenomenon that has been more widely discussed or experienced in the United States than inflation. Al- though its precise definition and measurement are elusive, inflation has had pro- found and extensive impacts on the manner in which nearly everyone lives. It is painfully obvious to consumers that inflation is characterized by a continuing up- ward spiral of prices. In a capital-intensive industry like mining, those increases can be positively breathtaking. An interesting example is shown in Table 1. Table I shows that on a unit basis, the equivalent 1980 capital cost of Cuajone was over six times the cost of the adjacent and quite similar Toquepala operation completed in 1959. Such sobering statistics weigh heavily on the minds of executives who are contemplating major investments in new mining facilities. In spite of its monumental presence, inflation has usually been either inadequately covered or totally ignored in textbooks on engineering economy. The reasons for this are not entirely clear, but a contributing factor is the inherent difficulty in accurately predicting inflation. However, under certain conditions, inflation may become the most important factor in a mining investment, and it can rarely be safely ignored in capital investment analyses. DEFINING AND MEASURING INFLATION Defining inflation and related terms is relatively easy. Its measurement, how- ever, is the source of almost endless debate in economic and political circles. How- ever, much of that debate is not relevant to the scope of this book, so that only those issues which impact directly on the capital investment decision are covered in this section. Inflation is the general decline in the value of money as measured by what it will buy. It is clear, then, that the rate of inflation varies with the particular currency under consideration as well as the type of goods and services being purchased. One would find, for example, that the general rate of inflation relative to German marks

Jan 1, 1984

By Edward H. Robie

PONCA CITY proved an ideal selection as a place of meeting for the Petroleum Division this fall. The accommodations at the Conoco Club were just what was required for such a gathering; the committee having the arrangements in charge functioned with the efficiency of veterans and the enthusiasm of neophytes; and the members and guests followed the speakers with close attention, entered the subsequent discussions with gusto, and divulged the "low-down" at private conferences. No one minded the drizzling rain on the first day, which only served to keep up the attendance in the auditorium; the weather then cleared up in time for a group picture before the gathering went their separate ways.

Jan 1, 1932