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By J. Chipman, N. J. Grant, H. L. Bishop

Lime and dicalcium-silicate crucibles were equilibrated with molten iron and liquid slags containing iron oxide and small amounts of sulfur. The oxygen content of metal, iron oxide activities, and desulfurization values of the slags were determined in the temperature range 1530 to 1700°C. The influence of magnesia in the slag and the temperature dependence of the solubility of lime in liquid iron oxide and the ferric oxide content were established. The temperature contour of the liquidus surface of iron-silicate slags saturated with lime and dicalcium silicate was also established at 1600°C. THE importance of the role that slag composition plays in the refining of steel has been known for many years. Numerous studies have been made using actual plant data in order to establish the relationship between the composition of the slag and metal during the refining of a heat of liquid steel. These results rarely represent equilibrium conditions since completion of the various chemical reactions involved in steelmaking is seldom realized. In order to establish quantitatively the equilibrium conditions existing between the slag and metal, several laboratory studies have been conducted in the past 20 years to determine the reactions important in slag control. These investigations have included studies of simple liquid basic and acid slags as well as more complex slag systems which approach those commonly found during the refining of a heat of steel. Since most of the previous studies of simple basic iron-oxide slags equilibriated with molten iron were made in magnesia crucibles, it was not possible to establish the distribution of sulfur and oxygen between molten iron and slags consisting only of the three essential components, lime, silica, and iron oxide. This investigation was undertaken to establish the equilibrium conditions for simple lime-iron oxide and lime-silica-iron oxide slags. Accordingly, it was expedient to prepare crucibles both of lime and dicalcium silicate to establish the equilibrium conditions between molten iron and iron-oxide slags saturated with the refractory materials and free from other components. The only other studies of the equilibrium between molten iron and lime-saturated slags are those of Fischer and vom Ende, 1, 2 in which the solubility of oxygen was determined in an air atmosphere. The

Jan 1, 1959

By Alvin Kaufman

The industrial revolution of the early 1800's and the subsequent remarkable progress in raising American living standards are based not only on a constantly improving technology but on an ever increasing use of energy from mineral fuels and waterpower. Industrial nations require inexpensive energy sources in order to grow. The more complex the economy, that is, the more intensive the processing of raw materials, the greater the energy needs of that economy. As a result of the current international economic expansion, the worldwide search for sources of low-cost energy has accelerated. As a part of this search there is considerable interest in the potential for commercial development of geothermal power, particularly abroad and in the western United States. This interest is indicated by the fact that 40 exploratory wells have been drilled in the California thermal areas alone during the 1955-62 period. Of these, 24 were drilled in The Geysers, Casa Diablo, and Salton Sea areas.

Jan 9, 1964

By C. A. Wright

The average lead and zinc content of the ores mined and milled in the Joplin district is low as compared with that of other lead and zinc deposits throughout the United States. Because of this fact and of the high grade of the concentrates, the ratio of concentration is unusually high. Most of the operating companies have aimed to produce as high a grade of concentrate as possible in order to obtain the highest price for their product. They have done this at the sacrifice of the percentage of zinc recovered. The average percentage of zinc recovery is from 60 to 70 per cent. For percentage of recoveries from actual mill tests, see tables. The concentration is commonly effected by crushing the ore to ½-in. (12.7 mm.) size and subjecting it to a roughing and cleaning over two or more large Cooley jigs, of the Harz type, the finer sands being treated on the usual types of sand and slime tables. The treatment of slimes by flotation is being tested at several of the larger mills. Coarse Concentration When the ore has been hoisted from the mine it is dumped onto a chute leading to a grizzly made of iron bars, usually heavy rails, spaced 4 to 5 in. (101 to 127 mm.) apart. The oversize is caught on the grizzly, the mineralized pieces are broken with sledge hammers so as to pass through, and the boulders that are practically barren are sorted out by hand and trammed to the waste-rock pile. The proportion of waste rock thus sorted out varies from a fraction of 1 per cent. to 15 per cent., depending on the nature of the rock. Crushing The undersize material, 5 in. (127 mm.) or less in diameter, passes through the openings of the grizzly into the mill hopper below. From

Jan 1, 1918

By J. D. Miller, A. Cortez, J. Hupka

The separation efficiency of the hot water digestion-flotation technique used for bitumen recovery from various domestic tar sands was evaluated. Bitumen viscosity was found to be the most important tar sand property in determining the success of the bitumen separation. Bitumen viscosity of the tar sand war controlled by changes in digestion temperature and/or changes in diluent (kerosene) addition. Complete and uniform dilution of the bitumen phase was achieved by providing a sufficient presoaking, or penetration time, for a given tar sand type. For all the tar sand samples tested, an excellent correlation was obtained between the coefficient of separation and the bitumen viscosity. To achieve a satisfactory coefficient of separation, it was found that the bitumen viscosity must be reduced below 1.5 Pa.s (16 P) at the temperature of digestion. This was the case regardless of the tar sand type, grade, or origin.

Jan 1, 1984

By William G. Pariseau

The flexure of geologic strata, a phenomenon of interest to geologists and mining engineers alike, is examined as a sheet bending problem in Coulomb plasticity. Fonnulae for the distribution of stress, strain, and displacement increments; volume change; change in the length of the central surface; and power of dissipation, as well as for the neutral surface shift are given. Strains of any magnitude are considered. The analysis shows that deeply buried strata may bend and develop "tensile" cracks under generally compressive states of stress. It is also shown that bed separation and high capacity props are desirable in mechanized longwall mining, a result in keeping with operating experience. Although speculative at this time, the analysis provides a rational working hypothesis as regards the problem of strata flexure and control. | he purpose of this paper is to present an analysis of the flexure of geologic strata as a problem in the bending of a sheet of material failing in accordance with a Mohr-Coulomb criterion. The flexure of strata has an obvious academic interest to the geologist concerned with the mechanics of folding. It is of interest to the economic geologist as it relates to the structural control of certain types of ore deposits. It has an intimate association with mine subsidence phenomena, and is of concern to the mining engineer. Strata flexure is also the dominant feature of roof behavior about longwall workings. An improved understanding of strata flexure through a rational mechanical analysis thus appears desirable not only from the academic view but from the economic one as well. In the field, the most commonly observed feature of folding, subsidence, and longwall roof behavior is the permanent and therefore inelastic nature of the strata movement. Fig. 1 illustrates the physical disposition of strata in the vicinity of a longwall face. Inasmuch as most rocks (with the possible exception of certain evaporites) do not exhibit significant viscoelastic behavior, at least not over time spans of engineering interest, a plastic analysis is indicated. The analysis is meant to apply to strata whose deformation is dominantly that of bending such as might be expected in the remote roof about a longwall face.

Jan 1, 1970

By H. F. Hebley

In recent years, especially in the last decade, great interest has been shown and many advances have been made in the preparation and cleaning of coal. In the major coal-producing countries, the percentage of tonnage cleaned has been increasing ever since 1924. As separating media, both liquids and gases are used, these generally being water and air respectively. Some systems, instead of obtaining separation by the velocity of the medium in which the coal is cleaned, depend on the density of water mixed with sand, or coal dust and shale, or with chemicals such as calcium chloride. In studying the results of coal-cleaning equipment, it will be observed that the efficiency of the cleaning apparatus lowers as the size of the coal decreases. This inability to obtain any marked improvement in the fines has been partly responsible for the installation of dedusting equipment, to remove the fine sizes from the raw coal prior to cleaning. When considering the possibility of installing dedusting equipment, many factors must be taken into account. Very often, but not always, both the ash and sulfur content of the coal increase as the coal size decreases. When bituminous coal, containing soft powdery fusain, is subjected to a wet washing process, the porous fines of the fusain remain in the small coal or in the wash water and delay the dewatering of the washed coal and increase the difficulty of clarification in settling tanks or thickeners. When a dedusted coal is cleaned by a wet process, the sludge recovered from the settling tank often runs so high in ash that the sludge can be discarded without further treatment and still the loss is small. Where treatment of the sludge is desired, however, froth flotation may be used to advantage if the size of the feed is below 1/10 in. Dust from the deduster can be treated in a similar manner. Fusain, which is usually found in the fine sizes, has often a much larger ash content than other coal. Illustrative of this condition is a table of ash contents for the various petrographic constituents of Illinois coal (No. 5 bed) as given by Mitchell' (Table 1).

Jan 1, 1934

On the following pages are abstracts of papers published by the Institute during the year 1936 as TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS and CONTRIBUTIONS, papers in bound volumes appearing for the first time, and papers in MINING AND METALLURGY For abstracts of papers that appeared in bound volumes in 1936 but that were published as TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS in 1935, see the YEAR BOOK dated January 1936.

Jan 1, 1937

Discussion of the paper of FRANCIS S. PEABODY, presented at the St. Louis meeting, October, 1917, and printed in Bulletin No. 125, May, 1917, pp. 775 to 781. THE CHAIRMAN (CARL SCHOLZ, Chicago, I11.).-Coal wastage is undoubtedly one of the most prominent topics before the coal operators of the United States today. Even those who have been in the business only 25 years, like myself, know that the exhaustion of coal is something that should and must, be curbed. If it is not, before long we shall discover that the great coal resources of the country are not what we-thought they were; we have been so accustomed to work at the best and thickest coal alone, that it will be difficult for us to realize one of these clays-and that (lay is not far distant-that we are no longer the rich nation in coal that we thought we. were. In this connection I feel obliged to attach a little blame to the Geological Survey for misleading the people. There are several members ,here who assisted in that work, and I am going to ask them to defend themselves. The Geological Survey deals with coal seams of much less thickness than we could now expect to, mine, particularly with the present high wages, excepting at a prohibitive cost. The Geological Survey, in its estimates, does not discriminate between thick and thin seams, but simply estimates our resources at so many hundred thousand billion tons of coal. I believe they include seams from 15 to 18 in thick, but you all know that a vein below 3.5 or 4 ft. is not considered economical to mine at this time. R. V. NORRIS, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.-Mr. Peabody has evidently been thinking almost entirely of Illinois conditions, with which I regret to say I am absolutely unfamiliar. In some West Virginia mines the total recovery at present is considerably over 90 per cent. and extraction-, as high as 97 or 98 per cent. are claimed.

Jan 1, 1918

By W. F. Boericke

THE recent completion by the United States Aluminum Company of a $4,000,000 addition to its plant at Massena, N. Y., consisting of a large blooming mill and structural mill, gives this organization, a subsidiary of the Aluminum Company of America, the distinction of possessing the largest aluminum rolling mill in the world, as well as the first mil1 in this country to roll aluminum exclusively. The plant is located near the international boundary line between Canada and the United States, about 3 miles from the St. Lawrence River, to take advantage of the development of cheap hydroelectric power which is needed not only for the manufacture of structural shapes from the ingots, but in the reduction of alumina to the metal by the well-known Hall process as well. A power canal from the St. Lawrence River to the power house on the Grasse River at the plant provides for the waterflow, which, coupled with a drop of 47 ft. in 2% miles, generates 80,000 hp. through vertical turbines. An additional 60,000 hp. is purchased.

Jan 1, 1930

By A. M. Gaudin

A great number of hypotheses has been advanced to explain the complex phenomena that are encountered in flotation. In the days of bulk-oil flotation, when a large quantity of oil was employed, it was observed that the oil-mineral aggregate floated above the ore-pulp because of its lesser density. With the advent of froth-flotation this phase of the theory had to be modified to take into account the presence of air bubbles. The reason why the mineral-bearing froth of today rises to the top of flotation cells is, of course, because the air-mineral aggregate, with whatever reagent may be associated with it, is lighter than the pulp. In an attempt to explain froth-flotation the fact has been emphasized that certain minerals are wetted and therefore remain in water; while others are not wetted and therefore become associated in preference with air. Such an "explanation" does not explain facts, it merely states them; for instance, it does not explain why minerals are wetted under some circumstances and not wetted under others. Going somewhat further, the wetting or nonwetting of minerals by water has been ascribed' to differences in the angles of contact between oil droplets and mineral surface at the surface of the minerals. This explanation, however, was abandoned when soluble flotation reagents came to replace the so-called "insoluble" reagents. Another theory, sponsored about 10 years ago by Ralston,² involves the effects of electric charges at the surface of the mineral particles and air bubbles. This theory, unfortunately, was not developed as fully as it seems desirable. The belief that adsorption phenomena might play a preponderant role in flotation3 has been rather widespread for the last 10 years. Unfor-

Jan 1, 1928

By W. Hurst

What is entailed here is the extension of the sinzplified material balance formulas to encompass interference between oil fields. As previously reported, the ex-plicitness as so revealed for the cunzulative pressure drop as a function of all factors contributing to its change in the material balance equation, is now transcribed through the inter-conzmunicating aquifer to effect an increased pressure drop on an adjoining field by interference. Such is performed by mathematical analyses and the application of the Laplace transformations. What is accomplished is that the reiteration problems previously associated with interference studies are nullified, since volumetric changes for the fluids in situ are automatically adjusted by the explicitness so expressed, and what pertains to the superposition principle applies only to the impeded water drive upon a su.bject field, which is likewise incorporated in the over-all pressure drop that results. The mathematics treats with the rigorous solution of the problem, as well as with methods easily amenable to numerical interpretation by the practicing engineer. In all cases, however, what is deduced for areal extents, reveal interference between wells when time becomes large that further substantiate the analyses. Probably of equal significance, all variables and for/nation characteristics are accounted for. This applies to the differences in PVT analyses that occur from field to field and the physical parameters associated with the lithology of the reservoirs. The latter is deduced from a rigorous interpretation of the unsteady-state flow problem for sands of different permeabilities in series. Thus, what purports to be a trial-and-error calculation to include variations in sand conditions within the intercommunicating aquifer to define water drive has little importance compared to the designation of such paranzeters at the reservoir to constitute the essential criteria. INTRODUCTION In a recent publication, the reader has been introduced to the simplified material balance formulas,' It has been shown that the complexities formerly associated for identifying and determining reservoir pressure in the material balance relationship can be resolved by treating with the Laplace transformations, the inversion of which reveals pressure as an explicit function of all factors contributing to its change. For an under saturated oil reservoir, this constitutes an integrated effect from the inception of production; and for a saturated oil reservoir, such represents a survey traverse. However, what is most important, for the first time we are able to express the pressure change in a reservoir directly to the oil, gas and water produced, and to the physical parameters of the formation, in the same manner that reservoir pressure has served in the past to define well interference — which opens up this avenue of endeavor for investigating interference between oil fields. The occurrence of interference is by virtue of the juxtaposition of two or more oil reservoirs producing in the same aquifer. Thus, in any one field, the extended production so incurred creates a pressure lowering in the field, as well as in the aquifer, which can now be transcribed by these simplified material balance formulas to the adjoining reservoir to observe the increased pressure change so induced. These effects are retroactive from field to field, to reveal a pressure drop far in excess of normal depletion to evidence the interference pattern that can result. Such is the purpose for the present undertaking — to develop the mathematical physics treating with this phenomenon of interference between oil fields, employing the simplified material balance formulas. Since Ref. 1 often will be referred to in the text, it is identified as "The Simplification", in the same connotation that another paper has been referred to as the "Laplace Trans-formation. However, the amount of material to be covered in these passages is substantial; therefore, the total emphasis will be placed upon developing these fundamental ideas treating with interference rather than attempting to offer work curves, which always can be prepared. For the practical application of these simplified material balance formulas that form the framework of the present development, the reader will find a comprehensive treatment in the Appendix of Ref. 1, illustrating a factual field example. In essence, what is proposed by this presentation is to make available to the practicing engineer a simplified means to treat with interference between oil fields, independent of the complex machine computations that have attended such undertakings in the past. As the problem unfolds, a common pattern will be discernible, whereby the many reiteration processes that previously required computing devices are eliminated.

By L. J. Klinkenberg

It is pointed out that the current concept of pore size distribution is not unequivocally defined and that different methods aiming at a determination of such a distribution therefore do not lead to the same results. A pore size distribution should not be based on the idea that a core should, under all circumstances, behave as a bundle of straight non-interconnected capillaries of the same pore size distribution. This is illustrated by calculations and experiments on the displacement of miscible liquids. INTRODUCTION The introduction of the concept of pore size distribution has been an attempt to characterize the intricate geometry of the flow channels in porous media. As pores in a porous medium are interconnected it is impossible to describe exactly what is meant by a "pore" and, therefore, the term pore size distribution requires further amplification. In the visual method for the determination of pore size distribution "the pore" is considered to be the hole between the grains as observed on thin sections or on a polished surface of the rock under a microscope. In all other presently known methods,1,2 a displacement process is studied and it is ascertained what as- semblaae of straight cylindrical capillaries would show the same behavior. The distribution of the capillary diameters of this assemblage is said to represent the size distribution of the pores of the actual porous medium. From the foregoing it is already apparent that it is useless to try to decide which process or which method of investigation leads to a "correct" pore size distribution. To illustrate this further a displacement process in which a fluid is displaced by another miscible with it will be discussed and the results will be interpreted in terms of a pore size distribution. DISPLACEMENT EXPERIMENTS WITH MISCIBLE LIQUIDS OF NEARLY IDENTICAL VISCOSITY AND DENSITY Interpretation in the Form of a Pore Size Distribution If distilled water is displaced from a homogeneous unconsolidated sand pack by, for instance, a dilute solution of NaCI, the breakthrough recovery i.e., the amount of distilled water produced at the moment the first trace of NaCl can be detected in the effluent water, is between 95 and 100 per cent of the pore volume of the pack. This result can be understood by following in imagination the course of one particle of the liquid. Imagine a length, ?l, at the end of which a liquid particle has an independent chance of a renewed choice of pores of different diameters. In other words, the particle has a choice of traveling time, at, for any length ?l; instead

Jan 1, 1958

By Eugene R. Rice

(Canal Zone Meeting, November, 1910.) THERE are many methods for determining the meridian, but all of those in common use involve at least two separate observations, one for latitude and one for azimuth. Such observations made upon a south star at any hour are open to the objection of possible inaccuracy due to ignorance of the absolute refraction, and also to slow change in the altitude of the star when near the meridian. The method of observing a circumpolar star at elongation, besides requiring a separate observation for latitude, is open to the serious objection that clouds may obscure the star at the critical moment. Moreover, a tedious wait for the star to come to elongation is sometimes necessary. Many of us can recall long, cold, weary vigils, waiting for Polaris to reach elongation. For observing a circumpolar star at any hour, not only the latitude, but also the true time, must be known. This it is practically impossible to obtain, except in regions reached by the telegraph, and usually then one has to know the longitude also, in order to reduce "standard time" to "local time." The results obtained by this method, when the star is at culmination, are not very good, unless the true local time is absolutely known. The methods of obtaining the meridian from the sun, by means of a solar attachment, or by direct observation, while good, are not absolute, by reason of refraction, change in declination of the sun, and small change in vertical angle, when the sun is near the meridian. For these two methods, latitude, time, and approximate longitude have to be known. In the method here described, only one observation is needed, and from it azimuth, latitude, and sidereal time are computed. In other words, one can observe a circumpolar star-Polaris

Nov 1, 1910

By Glenn Keep

THIS paper is not an announcement of the successful conclusion of the Cerro de Pasco Copper Corporation's pacos-pyrite problems, but merely a description of the commercial-scale, intermittent-roasting operations conducted by the writer, J. H. Lucas and others of the staff. It was prepared by request, for presentation at the February meeting of the Institute. The results obtained in Peru confirm the 1-ton-a-day experiments completed about three years ago at Kearny, N. J. by C. C. Gordon and Mr. Lucas, where it was first demonstrated that a mixture of about 80 per cent. pacos ore with 10 per cent. pyrite ore and 10 per cent. salt could be roasted intermittently in a small 1-ton-a-day Holt-Dern furnace without extraneous fuel, producing porous calcine that could be leached rapidly. Mr. Keep and his staff, by successfully introducing improvements in the construction of the commercial furnace and in their handling of material, have established beyond doubt a low cost for roasting. The other steps in the process of treating pacos and pyrite ores have not as yet been demonstrated as sufficiently conclusive to warrant their acceptance for a permanent plant.

Jan 1, 1929

By W. Rostoker, A. Siede

THE venerable problem of hydrogen embrittlement of ferritic iron lacks as yet a complete explanation. Possibly part of the difficulty has been the exclusive preoccupation with the total ductility prior to fracture. In the past few years it has been noted at least twice1,2 that hydrogen charged into iron has the ability to depress the upper yield point and, at room temperature, to eliminate completely the discontinuous yield phenomenon. Cracknell and Petchl rationalize that the depression of the yield stress is an example of the behavior of inhomogeneous stresses. Their explanation requires that microcracks exist in the annealed metal, and that hydrogen collect in these cavities under high hydrostatic pressure. The hydrostatic pressure of hydrogen generates localized tensile stresses in the iron which, with external loading, reach the critical stress for yield prematurely. The local plastic zones will spread across the specimen before the Lüders bands can be generated, and the yield-point elongation phenomenon is eliminated. This viewpoint will be discussed in succeeding paragraphs. Rogers,2 on the other hand, represents the depression of the initial flow stress as a result of the interaction of hydrogen with dislocations. He submits two alternative modes of interaction. In the

Jan 1, 1959

By Frederic Dewey

HAVING shown1 the difficulty of assaying so-called cyanide bullion and the extreme variations often found in the results, an investigation was undertaken to discover if possible the causes of these variations by a series of tests upon the specific action of various metals during cupellation. Zinc.-In order to test the effect of zinc, 48 assays were made in sets of 6, 2 rows of 3. The charge for the middle cupels consisted of 500+ mg. Au, 1,125 mg. Ag, 10 mg. Cu. To the end cupels 50, 75, 100 and 125 mg. Zn were added, and a set of each proportion was cupelled with 4 and 8 grants Pb. The cupels were assayed and showed the following gold contents in milligrams, the figures being arranged as the cupels stood in the muffle: TABLE 1 50 Mg. Zn 75 Dig. Zn 100 Mg. Zn 125 Mg. Zn 4 grams, Pb 0.2S 0.25 0.2S 0:29 0.27 0.34 0.33 0.28 0.41 0.31 0:30 0.36 0.30 0.33 0.34 0.31 0.31 0.29 0.35 0.37 0.42 0.41' 0.34 0.38 8 grams, Pb 0.40 0.43 0.42 0.38 0.36 0.43 0.35 0.34 0.41 0.33 0.37 0.37 0.54 0.17 0.59 0.44 0.43 0.43 0.38 0.39 0.41 0.57 0.38 0.46 _ In many instances the zinc does not appear to affect the cupel gold, but various exceptions are apparent, generally in the cupels in the back row. With 100 and 125 mg. Zn, in some cases the Zn burned with its characteristic flame before it could alloy with the other metals. Also, less fusible oxidized lumps were observed during the cupellation and some cupels showed a scum. In order to lessen the premature burning out of the Zn, an alloy of 2 parts Ag to 1 part. Zn was used. A uniform charge of 500,+ mg. Au,

Jan 7, 1917

By John M. Cummings, Warren. Harry V.

THE Geology Department of the University of British Columbia has undertaken the task of examining the ores from as many as possible of the gold mines of British Columbia. The object of this work is two- fold. First, it is known that detailed mineralographic studies are useful in attacking ore-dressing problems, and these studies are intended to be helpful to mill operators. Second, it is hoped that mineralogical and mineralographical studies will prove useful adjuncts to those of lithology and structure in throwing more light on problems related to the origin of the deposits. The paper shows that gold, for all practical purposes, is not present in an ore mineral in solid solution nor as a eutectic with any mineral; if the latter were true the gold particles would be distributed equally throughout that mineral. The gold occurs either as native gold or as a gold-silver telluride and is not distributed regularly through any mineral or minerals. The relationship between the gold or gold-bearing telluride and the associated minerals affords a means of classification that is not only simple but also appears to be directly related to the geological nature of the deposit, which may be summarized as follows: 1. Disseminated Gold Type.-Precious minerals in extremely small grains, which are distributed without regard to grain size, fractures or grain boundaries: (1) Hedley variety-gold in native form; (2) Surf Point variety-gold predominantly as telluride. 2. Veining Gold Type.-Precious minerals in grains of various sizes, which occur mainly along fractures and grain boundaries: (1) Cariboo gold quartz-goldin native form. (2) Waneta variety-gold as telluride. Application Te Ore Dressing These mineralographic studies have proved to be of value to mill operators, and future studies of a similar nature should prove increasingly useful because every year provides a further opportunity to correlate

Jan 1, 1937

By G. W. P. Rengstorff, R. B. Fischer

A study was made of the effect of impurities on the bend ductility of cast molybdenum. High purity molybdenum was repared by re-melting under high vacuum. The ductility of "transverse-grain" specimens indicated that intergranular brittleness decreased with an increase in purity of the metal. THE production of as-cast molybdenum with high ductility at room temperature would make working of the metal easier and increase the usefulness of the as-cast metal. Furthermore, a .knowledge of the factors that influence the ductility of as-cast molybdenum might be applied to the problem of making fusion weldments having satisfactory room-temperature ductility. Individual grains of commercial as-cast molybdenum are slightly ductile at room temperature. However, the presence of carbides at the grain boundaries may cause the metal to fracture in a brittle manner. This behavior has been discussed.' The amount and distribution of the impurities in as-cast molybdenum would be expected, from previous research on the metal, to have considerable influence on its ductility. Some effects of oxygen and carbon on the mechanical behavior of the metal were discussed by Parke and Ham,2 Woodside,3 and Zappfe. Landgraf, and Worden.4 Parke and Ham2 found that, if a sufficient number of molybdenum oxide particles were present at the grain boundaries, the intergranular cohesion was reduced to the extent that arc-melted molybdenum would rupture intergranularly during hot forging. They also found that if the oxygen content was less than 0.003 pct, the cast molybdenum was hot forgeable. It is suspected, however, that forgeable molybdenum may contain a small amount of oxide that could reduce the ductility of the as-cast metal at room temperature. Also, there is the possibility of the unfavorable distribution of other impurities having a detrimental effect on the ductility of cast molybdenum. The results of a study of the influence of purity on the room-temperature ductility of cast molybdenum are presented here. Vacuum Arc-Melting to Produce High Purity Mo One way of determining the effect of impurities on the ductility of molybdenum is to prepare and test metal as free of all impurities as possible. Accordingly, the present investigation was undertaken with this in view. Arc melting in high vacuum (less than 0.1 micron of mercury) was chosen as the method for reducing the impurities below the concentrations occurring in commercial molybdenum. Commercial arc melting of molybdenum is carried out at about 50 microns pressure. During the arc melting, carbon and oxygen in the metal react to form carbon monoxide. By virtue of the vacuum process, the partial pressure of carbon monoxide is maintained at such a low value that the reaction greatly lowers oxygen and carbon contents. An excess of at least 0.03 pct C is used in commercial arc melting to insure that the oxygen content will be below 0.003 pct. The excess carbon remaining after the deoxidation step forms carbides on freezing. Some of the carbides precipitate at the grain boundaries and, as will be shown, have an unfavorable effect on the room-temperature ductility. In the present work, only the small amount of carbon (0.003 pct) contained in the commercial powder-metallurgy molybdenum used for melting stock was present. Partial removal of oxygen from the melt probably occurred as the result of the volatilization of molybdenum oxides, or by distillation of oxygen at the high melting tem-

Jan 1, 1953

By J. T. Crawford

Although nearly 10 pct of the total tonnage of coal produced annually within the United States is handled by bulk freighters on the Great Lakes, very little of the detail connected with it has been published other than occasional newspaper stories and publication of tonnage statistics. Of the total tonnage floated on the Lakes each year some 10,000,000 is stored and distributed from the port of Duluth-Superior, at the western end of Lake Superior commonly known as the Head of the Lakes. This port has the largest single area concentration of coal docks in the world. Since this area contains the largest ore docks, the largest movable material handling bridge, the largest and highest grain elevator and the largest coal bri-quetting plant in the world, it is entirely fitting and proper that here also should be located the largest coal dock and what we believe to be the world's largest clam shell. Of the sixteen coal docks operated by ten companies, five are owned and operated by the North Western-Hanna Fuel Co. which has two docks on the Superior, Wis., waterfront and three docks in Duluth, Minn. It is with these five docks that we are primarily concerned, General History In the summer of 1871 a small sailing vessel entered the harbor of Duluth-Superior with the first commercial coal cargo. All the coal brought up that first year did not amount to more than 3000 tons. During the year 1877 the first dock equipped for handling coal was built in Duluth. Coal receipts increased to 52,785 tons in 1879 the first year for which an official record was kept. Since then the volume of water-borne coal to the Head of the Lakes steadily increased to a maximum of 12,688,321 tons in the year 1923. This tonnage was nearly equalled in the year 1927 and the next highest tonnage recent year was in 1946 when 10,105,703 tons were unloaded. The average annual bring-up over a ten year period 1938 to 1947 was 8,605,231 tons. Approximately 30 pct of the coal unloaded at the Head of the Lakes is handled over the docks of the North Western-Hanna Fuel Co. Competition of other fuels coupled with expansion of coal fields in the mid-west have held coal receipts for Duluth-Superior at a relatively constant figure during the last eight years although the total tonnage of coal floated on the Great Lakes has more than doubled in the past 25 years. From the shovel and wheelbarrow method of unloading early cargoes to the horsepowered windlass derrick with a wooden tub was but a short step. The first movable coal handling, steam operated,

Jan 1, 1949

By J. Randel Hill

The 64th Texas Legislature passed the "Texas Surface Mining and Reclamation Act," Chapter 131, Texas Natural Resources Code (subsequently referred to as "the Act"), at a point in time when little surface mining had taken place within the state. Thus, enactment of regulatory control governing mining operations in our state has, for the most part, preceded widespread, intensive mining activity. I should point out that the statute applies only to the extraction of coal, lignite, uranium and uranium ore. A recent opinion rendered by the Attorney General's office has stated that extraction of the named elements, when it occurs incidental to the extraction of other materials, e.g., clay, is not not an activity subject to the Act. An important theme of the Act, frequently overlooked in other environmentally oriented legislation, is recognition of the Act's affect on the mining industry. The Act states that "the extraction of minerals by surface mining operations is a basic and essential activity making an important contribution to the economic well-being of the state and nation" and, in reference to reclamation being accomplished contemporaneously with mining, provides a recognition that "the extraction of minerals by responsible mining operations is an essential and beneficial economic activity." This legislative recognition is, of course balanced against the need for proper mined land reclamation, the rights of surface owners, the need to guard against unreasonable degradation to land and water resources and numerous other actions or events that the Legislature wanted protected. Another rather pervasive general theme that is established in the Act is the concept that the agency is entitled to obtain whatever information, or take whatever action, that appears reasonably necessary to effectuate the purposes of the Act. This concept, coupled with the detailed requirements placed on mining operations in the portions of the Act dealing with Permit Applications, Reclamation Plan and Reclamation Standards, easily insures that surface mining activities can and will be regulated to the extent necessary. Section 131.102(b)(2) is probably the most relevant provision in the Act which deals with the preclusion of mined lands becoming waste lands. This portion of the Act states that the surface mining operator shall: ". . . restore the land affected to the same or a substantially beneficial condition. ." In this language the Legislature had made it abundantly clear that the abandoned or orphaned lands found in some of the Eastern states, will not be tolerated in this State, and provided the Commission with a degree of latitude to determine what condition would be appropriate in each individual mining situation. I bring this area of the Act to your attention because it is the area which has received the most inquiries and concern by operators, i.e. what does "substantially beneficial" constitute? The Commission's staff has spent a considerable amount of time wrestling with the statutory language "substantially beneficial" to determine the legislative intent and provide operators with guidance of what they can expect. In this regard, the most definitive criteria in our opinion lies in the Act's legislative hsitory. The Legislature had before it basically three reclamation standards namely: House Bill 656, considered to provide the most stringent reclamation standard and identical to Senate Bill 66; House Bill 1717 which was supported by industry spokesmen and was considered to contain the least stringent reclamation standard; and Senate Bill 55 which was adopted by the Legislature. During the Bill's initial hearing before the House Environmental Affairs Committee, the House sponsor of the Senate Bill 55, which was the Bill eventually adopted, made the following statement: (I am quoting verbatim from the Committee's transcript although substituting the speaker's reference to the authors names with the Bill's numbers.) "An example of the differing approaches of the four bills can be seen in the area of reclamation standards and this is critical. House Bill 656, talking about restoring the surface of the land, House Bill 656 has this statement: 'At least fully capable of supporting the use to which it was capable of supporting prior to any mining or any higher or better use.' In other words you have to restore it to the level it was prior to the mining. Senate Bill 55: 'Restore the land to the same or substantially beneficial use.' Substantially beneficial use. (Emphasis his) House Bill 1717 says: 'Restore insofar as practical to appropriate beneficial post-mining use.' So that House Bill 1717 said to, 'restore insofar as practical to appropriate beneficial use. I think that's too weak, whereas I think the House Bill 656 that would call you to restore it to at least the use it had prior to the mining may also be too tight the other way. I think the Senate Bill 55 approach is down the middle of the road which says that you do restore it to the 'same or substantially beneficial use,' is a proper way to go there." Therefore, the conclusion that we have drawn from the legislative history of the bill is that the extent of reclamation required by "substantially beneficial" may be something other than the use it was prior to

Jan 1, 1979