Search Documents

By Henry A. Wentworth

(New York Meeting, February, 1912.) ELECTROSTATIC separation of ores in its present form is generally known as the Huff' process from the name of Charley H. Huff, of Boston, Mass., through whose constant and persistent labors (with the invention of Clinton E. Dolbear as a basis) the successful commercial process embracing separative machinery and the various electrifying devices has been developed step by step, and the finances for the long period of development provided, and the method finally established and recognized throughout the world as an important and successful addition to the ore-dressing department of metallurgy. The permanent field-success of electrostatic separation began in 1908 with a 20-ton Huff experimental mill built specially for the purpose by the American Zinc, Lead.& Smelting Co., in Platteville, Wis., a plant which was a success from the start and was gradually increased in capacity as the market-conditions warranted to 100 tons of concentrates per day. Much credit is due to the above-mentioned company for its initial venture, and for its assistance in applying the process to field use. Prior to 1908 electrostatic separators had been installed and operated (but for a comparatively short time, however) in a number of places; some under the patents of Mr. Dolbear by himself and associates, and some under the patents of Lucien I. Blake and Lawrence N. Morscher, by W. G. Swart, mining engineer, of Denver, who has always been a courageous advocate of electrostatic separation. Due to the difficulties experienced in the generation of the electrical charges, the primitiveness of the separators, the wooden construction instead of iron as at present, the lack of control of the electrical fields and other difficulties overcome by the later inventions of the Huff Electrostatic Separator Co.,

Jun 1, 1912

By J. D. Hanawalt

Significant strides were made in the year 1948 leading to further recognition of the place of magnesium as a common commercial metal, rather than as just a premium aircraft material. One of the factors contributing to this recognition was the price stability and, in many cases, price reduction of magnesium products in 1948. In contrast to most other metals, manufacturing advances in magnesium outweighed the effects of increased labor and other costs. At the present time, many magnesium extrusions, die castings, and permanent mold castings can be purchased as cheaply as their aluminum counterparts in these forums, though competitive prices for sheet still await the inauguration of a modern tandem rolling mill for magnesium, such as has already been demonstrated.

Jan 1, 1949

By Daniel C. Jackling

WHAT is written here features some of the things that I would say if I were to de- liver a Presidential address during the Annual Meeting to be held this month in New York. I am aware that custom favors written rather than vocal delivery of such a discourse; and, as this accords exactly with my own preference, I assure readers that they will never be called upon to hear these remarks spoken- anyhow, not by me. My year as President is drawing to a close. As I look back I like to classify and analyze the impressions that have been left with me. It has been a delightful and fascinating experience to me personally; I have appreciated the courtesies and aids, and have been deeply gratified at the honors accorded me. Perhaps the source of greatest satisfaction is the opportunity I have had to sense more about the provinces of this Institute and about the useful functions of the profession that it represents. For 38 years I have been a member. I served two terms as Director-one in 1914-'16 and again in 1927-'29. I have been honored by selection as a Saunders Medalist. I thought I was reasonably familiar with the functions, the ideals, and the activities of the Institute. But the things that I have discerned during the past year have dispelled that conceit. I still think that, a year ago, I was as well informed as most members; but since then I have had the rare privilege of executive service and insight. That has given me a perspective that I feel can be obtained in no other way-as I think the illustrious engineers who have preceded me in office will agree. I wish that I had the power to translate to every member somewhat of the feelings of pride in our organization that a year as President cannot help but instill.

Jan 1, 1939

By H. S. McQueen

The insoluble-residue method for the examination and correlation of limestones and dolomites, or other sedimentary rocks containing calcium and magnesium carbonates, originated and was developed in the laboratory of the Missouri Geological Survey. The numerous and ever-increasing problems in the field of applied geology, and the need for a tool or aid in the solution of them, led to experimental work with samples collected from deep wells, in the early part of 1924. The success attained, almost at the outset, with this method was so great that the method has now been developed from the state of the experimental to the realm of large-scale, every-day routine. In a previous paper the writer1 described the procedure in detail and the characteristics of the residues obtained from certain Paleozoic formations in Missouri. The purpose of the present paper is to discuss the economic application of the insoluble-residue method. Developmental History Within the Ozark region of southern Missouri the geologic column consists of Lower Ordovician (Canadian of Ulrich) and Upper Cambrian formations, which are composed mainly of dolomite with subordinate amounts of sandstone, shale and limestone. Chert is found to some extent in all except one of the dolomite formations. The stratigraphy of the region is complex because the dolomites have lithologic similarities, fossils are few and often poorly preserved, and identifiable horizons within the comparatively thick formations are not common. Although considerable stratigraphic work of an areal nature had been done for a period of many years by the Missouri Geological Survey, the detailed geologic succession had not, until a few years ago, been systematically worked out. The problems of subsurface stratigraphy were even more complex. This region constitutes the main ground-water province of the State of Missouri and within it wells of varying depths are drilled in order to obtain supplies of ground water. In the work of the State Geological Survey in connection with the drilling of water wells for public supplies * Published with the permission of the Director, Missouri Geological Survey and Water Resources. Manuscript received at the office of the Institute Feb. 20, 1936. Assistant State Geologist of Missouri; Missouri Geological Survey, Rolla, Mo. References are at the end of the paper.

Jan 1, 1937

By Allan D. Taylor

INTRODUCTION From the designer's view, the installation starts with the first definition of the orebody, and progresses through a long and complex development. The design is affected not only by the characteristics of the ore, but by all of the personalities and events of the project during its development. The following discussion attempts to touch on the most important aspects which define the context in which the designer must work in apply the do's and don'ts. That context is the basis of the viewpoint. WHAT CAN GO WRONG The Project Is Going Over Budget This is a common and serious concern to the plant designer. The Project Falls Behind Schedule Another common and disturbing condition with which the plant designer must cope. Some Equipment Fails to Perform This can be due to either faulty equipment or operating deficiencies. It can be the result of a wide variety of causes, but the designer will be an interested party in the search for the cause and the cure. The Plant Isn't Flexible Enough Sometimes a plant will handle some or even most of the ore satisfactorily but is unable to treat another type properly. This can be a significant problem. An example might be a case where low capacity of a cyclone feed pump makes it impossible to accompany an increase in grinding mill throughput with a corresponding increase in dilution water. This could lead to an increase in cyclone feed density, and a loss in product grade or a limit on the plant capacity. Spillage And Cleanup Are Excessive This is one of the most common and annoying defects in metallurgical plants, and one for which the designer can rarely delegate blame. Maintenance Is Excessive Another common complaint in new plants, and also one for which the dedesigner must accept most of the responsibility.

Jan 1, 1982

By E. A. Holbrook

IT may be taken for granted that a mine official knows his duties, as outlined by the bituminous mining laws of the State, he knows how coal should be mined and transported, and he has judgment on any possibly unsafe condition in his mine. Certainly, if he is weak on any of these points, there are definite ways in which he can acquire the needed knowledge. If with this knowledge the mine official has the necessary practical experience to bring self-confidence, he stands before the world as a man who knows his job. There is, however, another side to his work, one not found in hooks, a side even that may not be learned at the face even though one spends a lifetime there. The actual duties a mine official knows and performs are the tangible and definite things about his work. There are other things which may be termed intangible, because they are hard to pin down and see, and. which appear to be of equal importance in successfully handling a job and which in time determine the very success of the company itself.

Jan 1, 1930

Adolph Greiner, Seraing, Belgium:—I have nothing special to add to Professor Hubert's paper except to say that there are some little things that it would be well to have corrected when the paper comes to be published. In dealing with the thermal efficiency of the engine, you will find that the 29.84 per cent. was a very high one. Professor Hubert has forgotten those engines built under the Cockerill type, but he has referred to them in Appendix 11. At our works at Cockerill we have built 63 engines, giving 63,000 h.p., and the other companies who have received licenses have built 113 engines, making 103,000 h.p., and aggregating 176 engines and 166,000 h.p. Eight years ago I had the pleasure of giving to the Institute the results obtained up to that time. Since then a good many engines have been constructed. In 1898 I thought a blast-furnace producing 100 tons of pig iron would allow 3,000 h.p. Professor Witz and Professor Hubert show that with the same production of pig the new engines take 3,800 h.p. out of the gas. At present at Cockerill we make 700 to 800 tons of pig iron per day, and we hope to have 26,000 h.p. in a few years. At present we have only half of that in gas-engines, but we hope to have in five or six years all the gas out of these furnaces to the number of 25,000 or 26,000 h.p. Tom WEstGarth, Middlesbrough, England :—My contribution is not a paper in the ordinary sense of the word, because I am sure you will agree with me that what I have written is only supplementary to the other two papers. The notes are schedules of the larger-size gas-engines built by British engine-makers, of 500 h.p. and upwards. If you look at the schedules you will find that in England gas-engines have become quite ordinary motors for a good many purposes. It was at first thought that gas-engines were troublesome, and ill-

Jan 1, 1907

By John M. Kelly

New Mexico produced 39,475,388 bbl. of oil in 1944, the greatest amount in one year in the oil history of the state. This production was 593,046 bbl. or 1.25 per cent more than in 1943. New Mexico retained its position as the seventh largest oil-producing state. The maximum per well allowable on Jan. I, 1944 was 48 bbl. daily and at the end of the year it was 45 bbl. daily. Allocations as set by the New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission closely followed the recommendations made by the' Petroleum Administrator for War. The average daily pipe-line runs were within 4 per cent of the allocation. Production by counties was as fol1ows;Lea County, 33,509,548 bbl.; Eddy County, 5,504,498; Northwestern New Mexico 461, 342. Drilling activity for New Mexico in 1944 was well above that of 1943, with 362 completions. Of these, 283 were oil wells, 12 gas wells and 67 dry holes. The ratio of dry holes to producers, about I to 4, was an improvement over 1943. Wildcat drilling during 1944 was responsible for the discovery of six new fields and the extension of two present producing areas. Drilling records were established in New Mexico during 1944 with the deepest producer ever completed, the Humble Leonard Oil Company's No. I at 11,969 ft., in the Ellenburger section of Ordovician age near Jal, Lea County. The discoveries in Lea County during 1944 were as follows: West Lovington field, where Fred Turner, Jr. drilled his No. I State B .in C SE SW sec. 4-17-36 and completed it for 122 bbl. of oil in 8 1/2 hr., in the San Andreas section of Permian age. The Tonto field, where the T-exas Company completed its No. I Baskin at a total depth of 3586 ft. in Seven Rivers lime of Permian age, with an initial production of 254 bbl. of oil in 21 hours. The Drinkard area, where the Gulf Oil Corporation's Drinkard No. I flowed 782 bbl. of oil in 14 hr. from the Yeso section of lower Permian age, thus opening the first lower Permian production in the state. The total depth of this discovery was 6508 ft. and oil was 38.8" A.P.I. gravity. The Dublin area, where the Humble Oil and Refining Co. established a drilling depth record of 11,969 ft. drilling and completing its No. I Leonard Oil Co. well in the Ellenburger lime of Ordovician age. This well flowed 221 bbl. of oil per day, of 48.9º A.P.I. gravity oil. It is in sec. 12-26-37. The new pay horizon discovery of the Continental Oil Co. in the Skaggs area, where the company completed its Skaggs B-23 No. 2 in sec. 23-20-37 for 236 bbl. of oil in 21 hr. from the Wolfcamp section of lower Permian age, at a total depth of 7725 ft. This well was drilled to granite at 10,465 ft. and plugged back to the Wolf-camp for a new pay zone completion.

Jan 1, 1945

By L.L. Wyman

The exact nature of the changes that take place in the iron-nickel alloys, giving rise to the interesting and useful expansion alloys in the Invar range, has yet to be fully understood. Similarly, the ternary iron-nickel-cobalt alloys, which also possess such commercially useful expansion characteristics,1,2 are concerned with transformations that appear to be identical with those found in the parent iron-nickel alloys. The investigations on iron-nickel alloys in the range 26 to 29 per cent Ni have been reported by several authors3-9 wherein it is shown that there are factors other than temperature, such as stress and grain size, which play an important part in determining the temperature at which the low-temperature transformation takes place. It will be shown in this paper that the ternary iron-nickcl-cobalt alloys having nickel contents comparable to the alloys mentioned above behave in a parallel manner. The alloys in the range of 26 to 31 per cent Ni and 16 to 21 per cent Co have a coefficient of expansion of about 4.0 X 10-6 per degree Centigrade, and the alloys in this range of composition find considerable application in making glass-to-metal seals, because these expansion properties so well match commercial glasses. The behavior of these alloys is not a simple matter, for it has been observed in alloys of 28.5 per cent Ni and 18.5 Co that severe working ran cause the appearance of a second phase having a needlelike structure similar to the martensite structure in carhon steels. Fig. 1 shows the change brought about in an alloy of this composition when a strip of this material was cut with tin shears. This second phase has been identified as the body-centered cubic alpha phase, and it is the purpose of this paper to describe the results of some of the preliminary investigations in the study of the changes involved in these alloys. Materials The past work on these alloys has concerned itself primarily with materials made by the usual casting procedure and involving the use

Jan 1, 1939

By L. L. Wyman

The exact nature of the changes that take place in the iron-nickel alloys, giving rise to the interesting and useful expansion alloys in the Invar range, has yet to be fully understood. Similarly, the ternary iron-nickel-cobalt alloys, which also possess such commercially useful expansion characteristics,1,2 are concerned with transformations that appear to be identical with those found in the parent iron-nickel alloys. The investigations on iron-nickel alloys in the range 26 to 29 per cent Ni have been reported by several authors3-9 wherein it is shown that there are factors other than temperature, such as stress and grain size, which play an important part in determining the temperature at which the low-temperature transformation takes place. It will be shown in this paper that the ternary iron-nickcl-cobalt alloys having nickel contents comparable to the alloys mentioned above behave in a parallel manner. The alloys in the range of 26 to 31 per cent Ni and 16 to 21 per cent Co have a coefficient of expansion of about 4.0 X 10-6 per degree Centigrade, and the alloys in this range of composition find considerable application in making glass-to-metal seals, because these expansion properties so well match commercial glasses. The behavior of these alloys is not a simple matter, for it has been observed in alloys of 28.5 per cent Ni and 18.5 Co that severe working ran cause the appearance of a second phase having a needlelike structure similar to the martensite structure in carhon steels. Fig. 1 shows the change brought about in an alloy of this composition when a strip of this material was cut with tin shears. This second phase has been identified as the body-centered cubic alpha phase, and it is the purpose of this paper to describe the results of some of the preliminary investigations in the study of the changes involved in these alloys. Materials The past work on these alloys has concerned itself primarily with materials made by the usual casting procedure and involving the use

Jan 1, 1939

By AIME AIME

THREE of the addresses presented at this interesting and important session are printed in full else- where in this issue. The fourth, Mr. Hewett's paper, on "Cycles In Metal Production" has been issued as Technical Publication 183, and an abstract of it was published on page 162 of last month's issue. The general discussion that followed these four important papers is given in full below. S. A. TAYLOR: I would like to ask Mr. Veasey whether the control of oil in pools includes royalties, and, if so, in case of a new pool how are you going to control, or rather how are you going to describe the limits of that pool?

Jan 1, 1929

By George H. West, Ross Cummings, L. V. Steck, B. P. Little, Robert D. Pike

The drilling of constantly deeper oil wells has made it imperative that the manufacturer of casing be ever searching for new methods and new materials to meet the increased demands. One phase of this search constitutes the subject matter of the present paper. Starting from the original Drake well in 1859, the depth of wells has advanced by leaps and bounds, until today depths of 6000 to 8000 ft. are common. Conditions point to the necessity for drilling to greater depths, and it is not at all improbable that much of the future oil produc- tion will be from wells around 10,000 ft. deep. The trend to deeper wells is nicely illustrated by the curve in Fig. 1.l The points plotted are the maximum depths attained in the various pools which were at their peak for the years given. It may be of some interest to observe the change that has taken place in the tensile and collapsing stresses over the last 25 years. The pressure at the bottom of a 900-ft. hole, equivalent to the pressure caused by an equal column of water, is only 450 1b. per sq. in. The equivalent water pressure corresponding to the depth of the deepest hole today would be 4762 1b. per sq, inch.

Jan 1, 1930

By Louis E. Reber

Jan 1, 1922

By E. G. Bailey

PLANTS that normally burn coal now able too obtain a substantial increase over their normal supply for their greater power needs, and also additional tonnage for extra storage against the uncertainties of the future. Many plants previously burning oil or gas have already been converted to coal, and those which must yet change to coal will undoubtedly be able to obtain ample tonnage of coal of standard quality at reasonable prices. What a contrast this is to the conditions of 25 years ago, when the shortage of coal and transportation led to prices of $5 to $6 per ton at the mines, and degradation of quality, until the already overburdened railroads were called upon to haul 100,000 ton per day of extra ash alone. This was the result of a runaway market and the loading of gob, slate, and sub-quality coal amounting to an estimated increase in ash of 5 per cent of the total tonnage hauled. The problem of getting increased steam output from inferior coal caused unbelievable reductions in the low normal boiler efficiency of that time and untold labor in firing the hand- and stoker-fed furnaces of that day.

Jan 1, 1942

United Engineering Trustees, Inc. GEORGE D. BARRON ARTHUR S. DWIGHT R. M. ROOSEVELT The Engineering Foundation H. C. BELLINGER E. DEGOLYER J. V. N. DORR

Jan 1, 1932

By H. M. Chance

Jan 1, 1887

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 W. B. Plank, A. C. Callen

WAR and normalcy do not walk hand in hand, whether it be in industry, the educational field, or in the daily lives of individuals. Schools and departments offering curricula in mineral engineering have been seriously disrupted, beginning with 1942 and reaching a low during 1944. Selective Service regulations and voluntary enlistments have effectually stopped the flow of college-trained men into the mineral industry, and the flow into the colleges is little more than a dribble. The year just closed has been a most serious one for our institutions. Until March many of our faculties had been kept reasonably intact because of the large training programs of the Army and Navy. Although the number of

Jan 1, 1945

By G. R. Speich, L. Zwell, H. A. Wriedt

HORNBOGEN1 has recently shown that it is possible to measure the degree of segregation accompanying cellular precipitation in ferritic Fe-Zn alloys by measuring the lattice parameter of the ferrite phase within the cell. In extending this work to study a wider range of composition and to evaluate the free-energy change accompanying the growth of the cells, the lattice parameter and the boundary of the a! phase in Fe-Zn alloys were redetermined to check the earlier work of Schramm.2 This appeared to be necessary since the Fe-Zn diagram has been drastically revised since the work of Schramm. Stadelmaier and Bridgers3 have recently shown that, contrary to prior belief: the y iron field is closed and the a phase boundary extends to an a + T + L peritectic at 782°C where peritectic a contains 42 at, pet Zn. The phase T in equilibrium with the a solid solution has a composition near Fe3Zn10 and a cubic 081 type structure.' The alloys were prepared by two different methods. In the first method carbonyl iron powder (400 mesh, 99.8 pet pure) and high-purity zinc powder (200 mesh, 99.99 pet pure) were mixed in a ball mill and then pressed in a die at 40,000 psi pressure to make compacts with a diameter of 5/8 in. and a thickness of l/4 in. These were sealed in evacuated quartz capsules, gradually heated to 1100°C over a period of 1 week (3 days at 600°C) 3 days at 800°C, 1 day at (1100°C), and then quenched in iced brine. For the alloys containing 23.4 and 30.1 at. pet Zn, the final homogenization anneals were performed at 1000" and 850°C) respectively, to prevent melting. In the second method, alloys were prepared by saturating high-purity iron millings (0.001 in. thick, 99.9 pet pure) in zinc vapor. For each alloy the impregnation was conducted at a fixed vapor pressure of zinc and a fixed temperature between 750' and 800°C. When saturated, the millings were quenched in water. The compositions of the alloys prepared by both methods are shown in Table I. The lattice parameters of the ferritic solid solutions were determined by comparing the 26 values of their 310, peaks (using Co Ka) or of their 211 , peaks (using Cr Ka) with those of corresponding peaks for high-purity a iron. The 20 values were measured at room temperature with an X-ray dif-fractometer (G.E.-XRD5). By using a fiducial value of 2.8664Å for the lattice parameter of pure a iron at 25oC,5 the lattice parameters of the zinc-bearing

Jan 1, 1964

By Harry C. Gatos, Frank J. Bachner, Mario D. Banus

The portion of the Nb-Sn phase diagram between 75 and 79 at. pct Nb at temperatures near the liquidus has been investigated by melting alloys of known composition and examining the microstmc-tzlres resulting when these melts were quenched. The Nb-Sn samples were contained in magnesia sleeves, and were mounted in a high-pressure apparatus. It was shown that Nb3Sn me1ts by a peri-tectic decomposition and that the composition of the compound Nb3Sn at the peritectic horizontal lies between 77 and 78 at. pct Nb. Analysis of the phases present in the samples was accomplished by anodic staining techniques and an electron-microbeam analyzer. DURING the past several years a great deal of work has been devoted to the Nb-Sn system, and the bulk of this work has been primarily concerned with the intermetallic phase Nb3Sn. However, the melting characteristics of Nb3Sn have not been investigated because of the difficulty in maintaining known compositions due to tin losses by vaporization, and the added difficulty of containing Nb-Sn alloys without sample-container reaction at the high temperatures involved. This paper reports on the development of a technique for containing Nb-Sn alloys under pressure high enough to prevent tin losses at temperatures in excess of the liquidus. Using this technique, melts of known composition were made and a phase diagram near the liquidus is proposed based on the microstructures resulting when these melts were quenched. EXPERIMENTAL The Nb-Sn alloys weighing 0.7 g each were prepared in the form of cylinders. Niobium powder, -200, +325 mesh, and tin shavings with a minute amount of tin powder for a binder were mixed in the desired proportions and cold-pressed at 50,000 psi in a 0.150-in. die. This cylinder was then enclosed as shown in Fig. 1, and the entire arrangement mounted in a 2.6-in. pyrophyllite tetrahedron.' The desired temperatures (-2500°C) presented several problems in high-pressure container materials. Boron nitride, the usual sample holder, was found to react with niobium to form the nitride. However, MgO cans and plugs machined from refractory rods did not melt nor react with the sample. Thick tantalum contact disks were used to carry the large currents (~450 amps) to the graphite heater, since tantalum did not melt and had enough strength to prevent extrusion of the sample. It was further observed that the graphite heater and tantalum disks could not be in direct contact with the pyrophyllite because it melts and decomposes at these temperatures to kyanite and coesite (SiO2),2 the former reacting with graphite and the latter with tantalum to form the silicide. The use of a MgO outer sleeve

Jan 1, 1965