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By Robert P. Roberts

In order to obtain data on the thermal effect of the blast-furnace jacket and on the water consumption in these jackets a series of tests were run on the 56 by 180 in. blast furnaces at the Great Falls Reduction Department of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co., at Great Falls, Mont. The arrangement of the jacket is shown in the transverse section of one of the furnaces (Fig. 1) on which the tests were made. The nose, spout, and breast jackets have independent water supplies and discharges. The end and side jackets are connected in pairs, as regards water supply, the feed water entering at the bottom of the lower jacket and overflowing into the bottom of the jacket immediately above it, and discharging into an independent overflow pipe for each pair of jackets. Tests were run on the main side and end jackets, the breast jacket, the spout, and the nose. Measurements were taken of the quantity of water discharged per minute and the rise in temperature of the water in its passage through the jacket. The product of these two results, expressed in the proper units, evidently gives the number of units of heat removed per minute by the water. Sufficient work was done on each type of jacket to determine its behavior under different conditions, and the results from each set of conditions were checked by repeating the work from three to six times. The method used was as follows: The overflow from the jacket to be tested was arranged to discharge at will into a barrel, mounted upon platform scales. The discharge temperature was read just before turning the water into the barrel, and just before turning it back to the sluice; if the test lasted more than a minute, additional temperature readings were taken at 1-min. intervals from start to finish. The elapsed time of running the water into the barrel was determined with a stop-watch, and this figure, combined with the in-

Jan 1, 1914

By Joseph A. Holmes, Henry Kreisinger

At the Mining Experiment Station of the U. S. Geological Survey, in Pittsburg, an investigation of the process of combustion is being carried on in a specially-designed furnace having an unusually long combustion-chamber. This work is conducted by a con~mittee consisti~lg of 11. Kreisinger, mechanical engineer; Dr. J. C. W. Frazer, chemist; and Dr..J. K. Clement, physicist. The problem, essentially one of physical chemistry, is estremely interesting to all who are concerned in the burning of coal or the construction of furnaces. The main object of these experiments is to ascertain the relation between the amount of' the volatile combustible driven from the coal and the combustion-spaces necessary to burn it completely. Our best steam-coals vary from 15 to 45 per cent. in volatile matter and from 40 to 75 per cent. of fixed combtistible. The greater part of the latter is burned on the grate: but the volatile combustible leaves the freshly-charsed coal and must be burned in the combustion-space. If this space is not large enough, the volatile combustible mill leave the furnace only partly burnecl, and the result will be a considerable heat-loss and a smoky stack. Strictly speaking, the factor which determines the completeness of combustion of the volatile matter, after it has been mixed with a certain amount of air, is the length of time the mixture is allowed to remain in the combustion-space; but this length of time depends on the extent of the space itself. Let us suppose, for instance, that, when a given coal is burned at a certain standard rate, the volume of the volatile combustible driven oft' per second is 10 cu. ft. Adding, say, 10 cu. ft. of air, the volume of the resulting burning mixture is increased to 20 cu. ft. If the combustion-space is 30 cu. ft., the burning mixture will stay in it,

Jan 1, 1911

Jan 1, 1951

By C. Norman Bowers, Blaine B. Wescott

Marked improvement in the serviceability of sucker rods has been effected in the last two years, partly because of the insistent necessity for greater economy in the operating costs of crude oil production growing out of the general industrial depression and partly because many of the recently developed fields have imposed more severe operating conditions upon both surface and underground equipment. The latter is particularly true of Kansas, where practically all of the oil produced is associated with damaging amounts of hydrogen sulfide brine and where the method of establishing potential production demands equipment capable of being operated at maximum capacity without interruptions. The decline of flush production in the Oklahoma City field created new problems in deep-well pumping on a scale heretofore unequaled and the increased proportion of water it has been necessary to produce in the fields of the Greater Seminole area presented conditions that were acutely in need of betterment. The problem in the latter fields was complicated by the shift towards sulfide characteristics, which accompanied water encroachment, and it is probably true that nowhere, at the present time, are pumping conditions generally as severe as in this territory. The Mid-Continent district, therefore, has become the proving ground for the numerous materials that have been proposed for sucker-rod fabrication. The information that ultimately will be obtained from an unprecedented amount of field experimentation will pay ample dividends when the decline of East Texas increases the demand for the vast reserves of sour crude in West Texas. It is a rare occurrence in industry that the use of such a simple piece of equipment as a sucker rod presents so complicated a problem for solution. As proof of this, it is only necessary to consider the numerous types of sucker rods on the market at the present time and contrast this condition with that of less than four years ago, when it was the common aim of manufacturers to develop a single sucker rod for all conditions of

Jan 1, 1935

By W. J. Taylor

It is, perhaps, more important to put on record the particulars of experiments that are derided failures than those that are successful, as those of the latter class are certain to live, while the former may be lost sight of in a short time, and repeated by others. TO this end, I propose to give the particulars of a straight or no-bosh furnace just tried at the Chester (New Jersey) works, which was such a decided failure as to leave no doubt of the plan being wrong, and determining the necessity of a bosh of some kind, as of old. Some experiences during the past year led me to suppose that the bosh or belly of a furnace was unnecessary, and that the contraction of the walls toward the bottom for the stock to wedge in, in its descent, facilitated dirty walls and scaffolding; hence, irregularity and high fuel. I concluded, however, that a very shallow bosh for a skew-back support to the stock would be necessary, and that the proper place for this was in the tuyere-section, beginning just below the tuyeres and ending just above them, where there is nothing in the solid state but fuel, which is consuming, and no slipping or travel of stock takes place. The cubical capacity of a furnace of this design would necessarily be much less than in the old style, unless it was made very much higher. But I assumed that the loss of room for reduction could be overcome by making the size of the ore and stone charged much smaller, so that the gases would act more quickly. The next point was, what should be the size of the shaft, crucible, tuyere-circle, and tunnel-head for a given quantity of air? My first design was 12 feet diameter of shaft for 7000 feet of air, with a 9-foot crucible and 8-foot toyere-circle. This I soon reduced to 8-foot shaft diameter, which I concluded was large enongh for economical work, if regular travel of the stock on the walls could be maintained. I consulted with a number of experienced furnacemen and furnace-engineers, and the plan was well thought of by many of them; and, as I had also some offers of financial aid from them toward the risk of trying the experiment, my firm concluded

Jan 1, 1885

By Bailey Willis

It is proposed to present some of the results of observation of the geologists of the Appalachian division during the past seven years, and of experimental study during the past three years, on the subject of structural geology in the Appalachian Province. The article must be brief, even at the risk of obscurity; but a more complete and fully illustrated paper will appear in the Thirteenth Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey. Certain Facts. The following facts are first to be taken account of: From the Cambrian age to the Carboniferous there existed a conti nent stretching southeast from the present range of the Blue Ridge, covering what is now eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, eastern Vir ginia, North and South Carolina and eastern Georgia, with some un known part of the present Atlantic ocean-bed. Northwest from this continent lay a sea, reaching to the west and north of the Mississippi. Sedimentary deposits derived from the land accumulated with or ganic remains, in the sea; the greater part fell in a narrow zone along the shore, the remainder spread in a comparatively thin sheet over the bottom of the Mediterranean of North America. The resulting strata measure, near Mauch Chunk, Pa., 30,000 feet; over much of Pennsylvania, 20,000 to 25,000 feet; over eastern Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama, but 10,000 to 15,000 feet. The stratified mass, considered with reference to its broad physical char acters, consists of three members: A base of shale and sandstone ; a middle of limestone, 2500 to 6000 feet thick—a stratum probably not equalled in the world for uniformity of character and massive ness; and a top of shale and sandstone, 5000 to 23,000 feet thick. This mass has been folded. In a zone 900 miles long and 50 to 125 miles wide, the strata exhibit such attitudes and relations as could result only from a force of compression acting from north west or from southeast, or from both directions. Our problem is :

Jan 1, 1893

By Ernest Klepetko

A notable amount of fossil resin exists in many of the bituminous coal beds of Utah, The upper part of these show a marked concentration of resin, which occurs primarily in the fracture seams. In general, these seams are less than 1/8 in. thick, but it is not uncommon to find coal with areas as thick as 3/8 in. The resin is of the hard kauri variety, with coloration varying from deep blood red to lemon yellow and almost colorless. There is also an almost black variety, which is not readily soluble in the same solvents as the lighter colored resins. These resins are valuable for many industrial purposes. When refined, they are suitable for uses similar to those for which lac resins are usually employed. They are particularly desirable for preparing dielectric varnishes. They are also desirable in preparing printing inks, waterproofing agents, special synthetic rubbers and rubber cements, They are especially suitable as an admixture in synthetic rubbers and cements, as they supply the essential tackiness the synthetics lack. The following chemical trade characteristics' have been found by Inter-Chemical Co. research chemists in the refined resins: Specific gravity (melted)....... I. 03 -1.06 Acid number.................. 6-8 Softening point, mercury method 160°-165°C Iodine valus (Wijs)............ 140-150 Refractive index............... 1.544 Color (Hellige, 25 pct toluol)... 14 Molecular weight, average...... 732 purity, 99 + pct pure hydrocarbon "Unaffected by alkalies and resistant to one hour fusion with solid potassium hydroxide. Completely soluble in aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. Insoluble in alcohols, ethyl acetate and other commonly used alcohols and esters. Compatible with natural and synthetic rubbers, chlorinated and cyclized rubbers, waxes, vegetable oils, mineral oils, rosin, ester gum, phenolic and modified phenolic resins and other natural and synthetic resins of like solvent solubility."* The recovery and refining of these fossil resins has been the subject of much research work and has intrigued many investigators. Broadly speaking, the problem involves separation of the resin from the coal into a very high-grade concentrate, and subsequent treatment of this concentrate to produce an acceptable refined resin for its various usages. Obviously it is also desirable to recover the residua] coal without excessive size degradation. The late W. D. Green, concentration engineer for Combined Metals Reduction CO., obtained U. S. Patent No. 1773997 for the recovery of resin from coal through

Jan 1, 1949

By C. F. Nagel

This paper is written primarily for those who are familiar with the processes mentioned but who desire a further insight into some of the fundamental principles. It does not give a complete description of the various practices employed in the working of aluminum and its alloys, but presents a few illustrations of the essential respects in which aluminum differs from other common metals, and emphasizes the controlling factors of the processes under consideration. Heat Treating Certain aluminum alloys are capable of having their mechanical properties greatly altered by a heat-treatment process. The degree of this irnprovement may be illustrated by some typical properties of dura-lurnin (Table 1). It is essential that the material be in the wrought condition in order to obtain rnaximum heat-treatment effects. In the case of duralumin, the process consists of heating the metal to a prescribed temperature and then quenching it. Immediately after quenching, the material is relatively soft though not as soft as in the annealed state. If allowed to stand at room temperature, the material changes, increasing in hardness and strength without loss of elongation, but at the expense of the plasticity. This action is very rapid at first, gradually diminishing in intensity and to all practical purposes being completed in about four days. This process of hardening is termed

By T. Cameron Kenney

INTRODUCTION Whereas the design of rock slopes in open-pit mines is done largely by mining engineers and geologists, the design of slopes in overburden at this point in time is a problem for which civil engineers or geotechnical engineers are best prepared to deal. The reasons for this situation are to be found in the educational curricula and the technical journals of the two groups, where soil mechanics has received little attention by mining engineers and geologists, and rock mechanics has similarly received little attention by civil engineers. In ten years' time this paper will hopefully be considered by young mining engineers to be a repeat of the material that they studied at university. However, even in ten years time I believe that the civil (or geotechnical) engineers will be extensively used as consultants on overburden- slope problems of open pit mines because mining companies will find this more expedient than maintaining their own geotechnical staff, special field equipment and special testing laboratories. For this reason, the purpose of this paper is not to condense several university soil mechanics courses into a twenty-page text for mining engineers and geologists. Rather, the purpose of the paper is to offer a general explanation of various factors affecting slope stability so that mining engineers and geologists will have a better understanding of the behaviour of overburden soils in slopes. A great deal has been written in soil mechanics literature on the subject of slope stability. No attempt will be made to reference all this material but rather only a selected number of references will be cited. Excellent general treatments of the subject of stability of overburden slopes are available (1,2,3,4). Further information of a more specialized nature is to be found in such publications as the Journal of the Soil Mechanics and Foundation Division of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Geotechnique (printed by the Institution of Civil Engineers, England), Canadian Geotechnical Journal, and the proceedings of the conferences of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering. FACTORS INFLUENCING SLOPE STABILITY There are two general scales of slope-stability problems, gross stability and local stability. Gross stability refers to large volumes of soil, and gross instability would involve large rotational-type shear failures. Local stability refers to something much smaller and examples

Jan 1, 1972

By Wm. R. Webster

THIS is a contribution for the proposed new discussion on the physics of steel. The former discussion on the subject started with the consideration of five papers presented at the Chicago meeting in 1893, and continued for several years. The Suggested Lines of Discussion, prepared by Doctor Howe, covered a wide field and added greatly to the success of the work. Naturally, the first step in a new discussion will be to remodel and bring up to date the old Suggested Lines of Discussion so as to embody all the important advances in the metallurgy of steel that have a bearing on the physics of steel and keep the papers and discussions within the field of work undertaken. This paper will be devoted to the practical application, in rolling steel, of the effects of carbon, phosphorus, and manganese on its tensile strength, with some suggestions on further research work. Dr. J. E. Stead, in his paper Influence of Some Elements on the Mechanical Properties of Steel,1 gave a complete review of all that had been done during the past thirty years. He gave full credit to all investigators who worked on these lines, also their results, with his views on same, and in many cases his own results. All of this data and much new valuable information were put in convenient shape for reference and study. To do this required a great deal of work, which is fully appreciated by the steel manufacturers and investigators. The variations in the values given by the different investigators for the increase of the tensile strength of steel for each 0.01 per cent. of carbon, phosphorus, and manganese were largely due to the steels they worked on, the large or small variations in the amount of the elements present, and the omission to take into consideration all the factors, from the blast furnace through to finished rolled material, that affect the character of the steel. For instance, a poorly made dirty steel requires considerably more carbon to give the same ultimate strength than a well-made clean steel with the same phosphorus and manganese content.

Jan 3, 1921

By Robert E. Tally

Underground fires have been common in the mines of the United Verde Copper Co. for the past 22 years. The first fire started in the 300 Hampton stope in the fall of 1894, following a cave in that orebody. The soft and highly pyritic nature of the ores is responsible for most of these fires. Since ore characteristics, methods of mining and ventilation, have an important influence on mine fires, they will be described in this paper. Orebodies The ores are mostly chalcopyrite except on the upper levels where considerable chalcocite, black oxides and other secondary minerals occur. The orebodies are in the form of lenses and vary in size. Some are small, while others are several hundred feet in length by a hundred or more feet in width. These orebodies extend, in some cases, from the surface to the lowest levels of the mine and usually at a steep angle of inclination. There are three different classes of ores, classified in accordance with the gangue rock. The copper in all cases, except as above specified, is in the form of chalcopyrite. The largest and most important of these reserves are in a pyrite gangue. Next in order of importance are the schist ores and lastly the quartz porphyries. The pyrite, locally termed iron ores, average from 30 to 42 per cent. sulphur. The schist and quartz porphyries vary from 3 to 25 per cent. sulphur. Mining Methods All the orebodies were worked by the overhand square-set method of mining prior to 1908; since then the cut-and-fill, shrinkage and mill-hole systems have been largely employed. But 15 per cent. of the total tonnage now extracted is from timbered stopes. Most of this is from the upper levels where the ore is soft, heavy and more or less broken to the surface. Large reserves of these ores are being conserved for more efficient methods of mining.

Jan 1, 1917

By J. O. Lewis, H. R. Pierce

Since the sudden revival of the air or gas-lift and its extensive use in the oil fields, many questions have arisen as to principles and as to their application under the conditions actually encountered in the field. Much has been written regarding both theory and practice, especially on the air-lift as applied to lifting water. Many statements have been made as to the use and benefits of the gas-lift, some of which are reasonable but many of which are unreasonable, many specialty makers claiming to have devices which operate in almost miraculous ways and even to generate energy nature never possessed. These claims are often based upon incomplete or inaccurate data. A review of the literature discloses many valuable articles, but it also discloses the need for setting out more clearly the different practical ends sought, and for working out specific engineering principles upon which to formulate the design and operation of gas-lifts to meet the desired ends within the limitations of field conditions. A check on some of the published information has revealed basic errors in the sources of data upon which conclusions have been predicated and has led the writers to doubt the value of a large part of the compiled data. The writers have concluded, therefore, that it will be opportune to direct discussion to the sources of error in the data now being collected, to recommend for consideration by the engineers some methods of collecting and correlating data, and to point out some of the factors relating to the application of the air-lift principle to oil production as dictated by the different economic ends sought, and the limitations of working conditions that may be met. Until these several considerations are clearly understood by the engineers, and the unreliable data have been sifted out and dependable data substituted, there seems little chance of evolving satisfactory engineering control for the air-lift. In the following pages no distinction will be made between gas-lift and air-lift, as they are generically the same.

Jan 1, 1928

By W. A. Ver Wiebe, E. G. Dahlgren

The year 1937 must be considered the most eventful one ever experienced in the development of oil and gas activity. Out of a total of 57 new pools discovered, 18 are apportioned to eastern Kansas and 39 to western Kansas. (For statistical purposes Kansas is divided along the meridian that separates ranges 3 E. and 4 E.) In addition to numerous longdistance extensions of the large Hugoton gas field of southwestern Kansas, two other gas pools were discovered in the area lying west of range 3 E. The 37 new oil pools in that area are to be found in 13 different counties, among which Rice heads the list with a total of seven oil pools and one gas pool. Ellis and Barton Counties both added six new oil pools, while Russell County follows in fourth place with four. Among eastern counties Butler heads the list with four new pools. Cowley arid Chautauqua each accounted for three new discoveries. The number of wells necessary to accomplish this result totals 2657, of which 1915 are oil wells and 128 gas wells. The initial production of the oil wells amounted to 2½ million barrels. Although most of the wells were drilled in proven territory, there was a good deal of wildcatting. The fact that 614 dry holes were completed emphasizes the ever-present risk attendant upon the efforts of pioneers. Some of the more venturesome spirits reached out to the counties farthest west in the state. An indication of the feverish excitement reached at times is recorded in the fact that no less than 600 drilling operations were in progress during one week in May, or the fact that over 100 new locations were staked during the second week in July. During one week in May, 65 successful oil wells were completed for an initial production of 68,000 barrels. Many drilling obligations came due during the year, and this perhaps accounts for the fact that one company had as many as 59 active operations at one time during September. Another evidence of great interest in oil possibilities in Kansas is furnished by the record of sales of oil properties, which in one case reached the high figure of about $3000 per acre.

Jan 1, 1938

By E. F. La Vigne

ON Aug. 10, 1884, the Retsof Mining Co. began the sinking of an 18 by 12-ft. shaft at Retsof, N. Y. Rock salt was reached in 1885, in September, at 1008 ft. below the surface. The first salt was shipped in the fall of 1885. A timber breaker was built in 1886. In July, 1895, there was a consolidation of the Retsof Mining Co., the Greigsville Salt & Mining Co., the Livonia Salt Co., and the Lehigh Salt & Mining Co. These consolidated salt companies are now known as the Retsof Mining Co., a subsidiary of the International Salt Co. Eventually all of the mines were closed except the mine of the Retsof Mining Co., at Retsof, Livingston County, New York. On July 6, 1921, about ½ mile south of the original shaft and plant of the Retsof Mining Co., a new 9 by 28-ft. concrete-lined shaft was started. The shaft is 1063 ft. deep from the top of the shaft collar to the bottom of the salt bed. At the same time a reinforced-concrete breaker and other buildings were erected. This new plant began opera-tions on Dec. 15, 1923. It was designed for a capacity of 3000 tons in 8 hours.

Jan 1, 1936

By H. R. Aldrich

This paper is not a treatise on the theory and practice of magnetic surveying. It presents a diagram upon which have been plotted observations taken with the simplest form of magnetic instrument, the lowly dip needle, over a large area astride the Lake Superior syncline of northern wisconsin. The exposures of the underlying formations are not sufficiently great in number nor fortunate in distribution to have provided the fuller understanding of the geology which has been secured by the use of the magnetic observations as an auxiliary tool or accessory in the hands of the geologist. The diagram (Fig. 2) in large part speaks for itself if studied in connection with the geological map (Fig. 1) for which it is the main control. It is presented to demonstrate the extent to which the use of such methods may aid in the solution of geological problems in a covered country. The diagram is probably unique in assembling the expression of such a wide range of formations, affected by so wide a range of secondary processes, and deformed by so many different structures in terms of magnetic variation. Few geologists outside of the Lake Superior country have had any first-hand experience in the taking of magnetic observations and the interpretation of the results in terms of geological conditions; nor have the Lake Superior men gone with the methods far afield from the mere tracing of iron formations. In more recent years the oil companies have gone heavily into investments in magnetometers, balances, and dip needles in the quest of concealed structural anomalies which are the favorable loci of petroleum accumulation. But these geophysicists come back from the fields with their collections of observations facing the question of interpreting the geological meaning of their magnetic anomalies. It is considered probable therefore, and certainly it is the hope of the writer, that the appended charts, or magnographs, which show how character of the country rock and its changes, structural strike and dip and their changes, depth of burial and its variation, contact metamorphic

Jan 1, 1929

By B. K. Miller, R. S. Bradley

THE principal producing areas of fire clay in Missouri are: (I) the east central district, which includes Audrain, Callaway, Montgomery, Warren, and Boone Counties [ ] (Fig. I); (2) the St. Louis district, which includes St. Louis and St. Louis County; (3) the north central Ozark district, which includes Franklin, Gasconade, Osage, Maries, Phelps, and Crawford Counties. Most of the semiplastic[$] fire clay is found in Audrain, Callaway, Montgomery and St. Louis Counties, and in St. Louis. Flint fire clay is found in Callaway, Audrain, and Montgomery Counties and in most of the north central Ozark district. High-alumina diaspore clay is found only in the north central Ozark district, except a few deposits found in Montgomery County. This paper is concerned with the semiplastic fire clay that occurs in the east central Missouri district near Mexico, Audrain County, Missouri, which is mined by the open-pit method as practiced by the A. P. Green Fire Brick Co. About one-fourth of the semiplastic fire clay in that district is mined in shaft mines, and three-fourths in open pits.

Jan 1, 1941

By W. D. Robertson

THE effect of a tensile stress in accelerating the corrosion-cracking of certain alloys of aluminum, magnesium and iron is widely recognized. The literature is extensive and it is only necessary to cite the recent ASTM-AIME Symposium.1 There are, however, no experimental data conclusively showing the effect of an applied compressive stress. It has been inferred, from the generally accepted mechanism postulated for the acceleration of corrosion by an applied tensile stress, that a compressive stress would inhibit corrosion. Furthermore, it is observed that corrosion cracks invariably start on the tension side of a specimen bent as a simple beam. This observation has led to the suggestion that shot-peening of the surface would inhibit or eliminate stress-corrosion cracking in magnesium alloys, and aluminum alloys.3 However, the degree of inhibition produced by shot-peening does not appear in the literature except for the above qualitative references which are unsupported by experimental data. Moreover, while peening undoubtedly imposes a surface compressive stress, the alteration of the surface by the severe cold-working involved complicates the interpretation of the results with respect to the effect of a compressive stress alone. If corrosion proceeds along preferential paths produced by precipitation from solid solution, it is easily understood how a component of tensile stress normal to these paths will accelerate the corrosion and lead to ultimate failure. On the other hand, if the metallurgical conditions are such as to create preferential corrosion paths, then it is difficult to understand how a compressive stress, produced by shot-peening or any other method, can inhibit corrosion except in the sense that the accelerating factor is removed. Thus, if the basic corrosion mechanism remains unaltered, there should be little or no inhibition resulting from the application of a compressive stress if in¬hibition is defined as the reduction of the degree of corrosion below that experienced in the unstressed state. The experiment described below was performed to isolate and evaluate the effect of a compressive stress on the corrosion and stress-corrosion cracking of a high strength aluminum alloy (24-S); and, by a comparison of the corrosion rate of specimens subjected to an applied tensile stress, compressive stress and in the unstressed state, to clarify the role of stress in intergranular corrosion. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The experiment was conducted with the aluminum-copper-magnesium alloy known as Duralumin 24-S.* Specimens, 0.064 in. thick, in the form of I in. wide strips sheared parallel to the rolling direction,

Jan 1, 1947

By Jed H. Mosgrove

One of the most interesting of all the subjects required of persons studying the different facets of coal mining is coal mine gases. Some mine gases have been a real problem since the very beginning of underground mining, and in the early days there was insufficient knowledge to cope with them. The history of mining shows that until about the last 50 years, much work was done primarily by the hand methods which are primitive by today's standards. Miners had to contend with gases without the aid of enclosed lighting, permissible mine machinery, sophisticated testing devices, and high-pressure ventilating fans. In early days the miners were not educated about the different mine gases nor did they have the technical equipment to determine the actual composition of the deadly atmospheres they encountered. They simply applied a descriptive term to each gas or mixture of gases depending on its, effect on a person or the surrounding atmosphere. The gases or mixtures of gases were then referred to as "damps," a term which was probably derived from the German word "damps," meaning vapors or gases. The more common damps encountered were : Blackdamp A condition of the atmosphere in which a miner's light would be extinguished and in which breathing would be difficult, sometimes even resulting in suffocation. An atmosphere deficient in oxygen which could contain a combination of any of the mine gases. Firedamp A flammable mixture of methane and air which would either burn or explode when ignited. White Damp A mixture of gases containing carbon monoxide, most often found in mines during fires or after explosions.

Jan 1, 1981

By Leon H. Nelson

Several factors which affect the segregation and solidification of killed hot-topped steel ingots are: (1) pouring temperature, (2) volume in the hot top, (3) taper in the ingot, (4) pouring rate by varying the nozzle size, (5) segregation of several elements, (6) moving ingots before completely solidified. In most of this discussion, segregation will be measured in terms of carbon variation only. All the data given are results on S.A.E. 1040 analysis of fully killed steel direct-poured in hot-topped molds giving 20-in, square ingots. Thus the variables of analysis and ingot size and contour are eliminated. Segregation results are all on the rolled-bloom size, not on the ingot itself. They are results from plant-control work and not results of special research on ingot segregation. Pouring Temperature The temperature (or, more correctly, the amount of superheat above the liquidus-solidus) of the steel entering the ingot is, of course, one of the most important factors influencing segregation and solidification. Table 1 gives the average segregation of a number of heats of S.A.E. 1040 steel with normal pouring temperatures of 2775" to 2825" F. The table also gives some data on segregation in hot heats (pouring temperature 2840" to 2870" F.) and in cold heats with some skull (poured at 2725" to 2760" F.). The results in Table 1 are on steel ingots with 20-in. square cross section and 60 in. long to the hot top. The ingot weighs 7100 lb. and the hot top contains 14.3 per cent of the total ingot volume and 11.2 per cent of the total ingot weight. The results are from drillings after rolling the ingots to bloom size. Segregation results obtained on the bloom are probably not as great as they would be in the ingot itself, since heating the ingots for rolling can perhaps cause some migration of carbon from regions of high and low carbon to those of average carbon content.

Jan 1, 1937

By William Hume-Rothery

MR. CHAIRMAN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: I need not say how much I appreciate the honor of being asked to lecture to you, and how much I would thank you for your kind invitation. It is encouraging to feel that the abnormal restrictions of the war have been relaxed sufficiently to allow a free exchange of scientists between our two countries, and I hope that some of you will be persuaded to go to England, and to visit us at Oxford, so that I may repay a little of the kindness I have received from you. As this is one of the first lectures since the end of the war, I have thought it well to describe some of the advances in the theory of alloys which were made in the years between the two World Wars. From the point of view of theoretical science, these years have been of outstanding interest in the history of metallurgy. They have been years in which the development of new and more accurate experimental methods has led to the revelation of many new facts. At the same time, the theoretical developments have enabled some of these facts to be viewed as parts of a general scheme, and we may say that some of the foundations of metallurgical science have been laid. This work was naturally stopped by the Second World War, and it can therefore be reviewed as one definite stage in the development of our Science. To illustrate the new advances, I shall deal mainly with the alloys of copper and silver, since these have revealed many of the general principles. SOLID SOLUTION At the beginning of our period, the first steps in X-ray crystal analysis had been taken, and copper had been found to crystallize in the face-centered cubic structure (Fig I). The determination of this structure naturally was of immense importance in the understanding of our subject, because it meant that we were at last in a position to appreciate the underlying structure out of which the crystal of copper was built. The earlier science of metallography had shown that in many alloys of copper the addition of a second metal in not too large proportions resulted in the formation of a homogeneous alloy which was regarded as a solid solution of the one metal in copper. Fig 2, for example, shows the so-called equilibrium diagram of the copper-zinc alloys, and here you will see that there is a solid solution of zinc in copper extending to something of the order 35 to 40 at. pct zinc.

Jan 1, 1947