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By George A. Koenig

This new departure in assaying is the outcome of a long-felt desire to shorten the time required in muffle-assaying, as well as to do both crucible- and scarifi cation-work in one furnace. The first object in view was the gold-assay, which must always be a combination of the crucible- and muffle-work. The large lead buttons consume much time in their reduction by scorifying and cupelling. The Hoskins gasoline furnaces have been a great convenience, for years past, in that class of practice, where only one assay was required at a time. But even with them I found myself hampered, since the crucible-furnace only takes one crucible at a time, and my practice implies always duplicate assays. Another difficulty was to get the muffle up to the necessary heat and to maintain it at that heat. Whecever I had pumped myself into perspiration and out of breath, the question presented itself, " Is the muffle necessary to do this work properly ?" Hartmann and Plattner and all their blow-piping disciples have shown that very good results are obtainable by playing a direct flame upon the work-lead. Could this be done on the regular muffle-assay scale ? I placed a cupel upon a fire-brick, surrounded it with charcoal, and then played upon it with a Bunsen gas blow-pipe. The result was encouraging. With some care a 2.75-inch scorifier charged with 0.1 A. T. of a 100-ounce ore could be melted down and scorified without any apparent loss. I thought then of constructing a furnace with four blow-pipes in a row; but the combination of gas and charcoal seemed unpractical. Instead, I placed an F crucible, bottom up, in a Hoskins crucible-furnace. Upon this support I placed a charged scorifier. The rapidity with which a very refractory charge melted and scorified was simply amazing to me. Then a cupel was put in the place of the scorifier, the lid was moved sideways, and a blow-pipe was

Jan 1, 1899

A SPRING meeting is to be held at Cleveland this month under the joint auspices of the Iron and Steel Committee and the Ohio Section with the cooperation of the neighboring sections in Pennsyl-vania, Illinois, and the other States of the Great Lakes region. The discussions will be focused on just one subject, that of manganese, but will cover that thor- oughly as is indicated by the following list of papers. TECHNICAL PROGRAM Some Political Aspects of the World Manganese Situa-tion. By C. K. Leith, Professor of Geology, Uni-versity of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis. Manganese Resources in Relation to Domestic Con-sumption. By J. V. W. Reynders, Consulting En-gineer, New York, N. Y. Manganese Deposits of the' Gold Coast, Africa. By Sir Arthur E. Kitson, Director of the Geological Sur-vey of the Gold Coast, London; with Notes on the Petrology of Certain Associated Manganese Silicate-bearing Rocks. By Maj. N. R. Junner. Reserves of Lake Superior Manganiferous Iron Ores. By Carl Zapffe, Manager, iron ore properties, North-ern Pacific Railway Co., Brainerd, Minn. Iron Manganese Alloys Low in Carbon. By. Sir Robert Hadfield, Hadfields, Ltd., London. Manganese in Non-ferrous Alloys. By M. G. Corson, Consulting Engineer, New York, N. Y. Importance of Manganese in the Steel Industry. By H. M. Boylston, Professor of Metallurgy, Case School of Applied Science, Cleveland, Ohio. Minnesota Manganiferous Iron Ore in Relation to the Iron and Steel Industry. By T. L. Joseph, E. P. Barnett and C. E. Wood of the North Central Min-ing, Experiment Station, U. S. Bureau of Mines, Minneapolis, Minn. Representatives of the leading steel companies, the Army, the Navy, the Geological Survey, Bureau of Mines, and leading technical societies will be present and a lively discussion of the various papers is already assured. Nearly 14 pounds of manganese is needed for every ton of steel made. Estimates indicate that the total reserves of ore in this country suitable for making ferro would hardly supply domestic requirements for ten years, even if it could all be mined in that time. The grade of ore called for by present practice must come from abroad. The present tariff policy of this country is stated to cost industry $8,000,000 in order to force production of manganese ore to the extent of $600,000. What is the wise thing to do? Should a stock be accumulated? If so, how? Is it feasible to change practice and use low-grade ore or to beneficiate the ores of this grade and meet our requirements? What progress is being made in this direction? ,These and similar questions are raised in the various papers that have been submitted and will be open for dis-cussion.

Jan 3, 1927

THE annual winter meeting of the A.I.M.E., which is to open in New York on Feb. 14, will be charac-terized by a number of novel features. The most important is that the technical sessions will be dis-tributed over four days instead of three as heretofore. This makes it possible to reduce the number of conflicts between sessions and also will enable each member to attend a larger number. At the same time the ses-sions are so arranged by groups that those interested only in one or more that are related can, if necessary, cover all in that group in three days as heretofore. The general excursion to which the fourth day has, for some years, been devoted has been regretfully given up, mainly because of the uncertainties of the weather in New York in February. In its place a series of group excursions are being offered at various times during the meeting, arranged, so far as possible, so as not to con-flict with any technical session likely to be of interest to those taking part in a particular excursion. Among the places to be shown the visitors are: the construction work on the Eighth Avenue subway, a real mining job; the Vehicular Tunnel, the world's greatest ventilating project; the manufacture of 42-in. conveying belts; one of the largest and most modern steam plants; a coal terminal; manufacture of mining equipment; a cable-making plant; an oil terminal and refinery. Other en-tertainment features include a smoker Monday evening with a real chance to get together and talk; an informal dance and entertainment given by the Woman's Auxiliary on Tuesday evening; the dinner-dance at the Waldorf Wednesday evening, with no long speeches; a general session Thursday evening when the Petroleum Division will present a series of important reviews of the year. An extensive program has been arranged for enter-taining the ladies, and members are urged to bring their wives. There will be dinners, teas, theater parties, shopping and sight-seeing excursions as well as the dances. The usual general luncheons for members, guests and ladies will be served each day at headquar-ters, and various committees and groups will hold lunch-eons, dinners, and round table conferences as indicated in the schedule on the page opposite. The Mining and Metallurgical Society of America and the American Society of Steel Treaters are participat-ing in this meeting and their members will be welcome as guests at any session or function. A joint conference of the Mining and Metallurgical Society and the A.I.M.E. has been arranged for Tuesday afternoon, under the chairmanship of Clinton H. Crane, at which the whole matter of the mineral reserves of this country is to be up for discussion.

Jan 2, 1927

By H. W. Page

Petroleum requirements since V-J day have been appreciably higher than predicted. Foreign operations now exceed maximum wartime levels by about 14 per cent. Domestic operations since V-J day have averaged 92 Per cent of the wartime peak. In spite of maximum foreign refinery runs, large exports of all products, except residual fuel oil, are necessary to meet foreign demand. During the next few years it is expected that foreign operations will continue at capacity, including new installations, but that, because of increases in foreign demand, exports will continue at about their present level. Domestic operations will increase during this period and crude production probably will exceed maximum efficient rates. Even after 10 years some exports probably will be required, but eventually these will be supplanted by increased output of foreign refineries, except for small tributary exports. The increase in domestic requirements will exceed the decline in exports. Unless findings of crude oil exceed present expectations, the increasing demand will be met by increased imports and synthetic methods-—such as the Hydrocarbon Synthesis Process for conversion of natural gas and coal to gasoline and distillates. Catalytic cracking installations will increase as crude availability decreases. This will help to meet the increasing demand for gasoline but will intensify the domestic shortage of residual fuel oil. Eventually larger imports will be required to satisfy the demand for this product. Introduction Under the pressure of the wartime period, there was time only occasionaly to look ahead in anticipation of what the postwar era held for the petroleum industry. Perhaps the general expectation was that a rather pronounced decline in the level of industry petroleum operations would take place shortly after the end of the war, with the impact felt mainly on the economy of the United States- It is of interest now, nine months after V-J day, to take inventory of the near-term situation and see what significant forces are at work. With this as a starting point, it should be possible to engage in something more satisfactory than pure speculation concerning trends in the immediate future and 10 to 20 years ahead. Present and Near-term Situation During the nine-month period following V-J day, foreign crude oil production and rebery operations have actually increased the These activities were at maximum capacity on V-J day but the continuation of drilling programs, the completion of new and rehabilitated refineries and of transportation facilities during the Past nine months have increased the foreign capacity. This added capacity has been fully utilized. Foreign crude oil production in May 1946 is about 14 per cent higher than during July 1945 and refining operations some 12 per cent higher' During the same period there has been a falling off in similar activities within the

Jan 1, 1947

By H. W. Page

Petroleum requirements since V-J day have been appreciably higher than predicted. Foreign operations now exceed maximum wartime levels by about 14 per cent. Domestic operations since V-J day have averaged 92 Per cent of the wartime peak. In spite of maximum foreign refinery runs, large exports of all products, except residual fuel oil, are necessary to meet foreign demand. During the next few years it is expected that foreign operations will continue at capacity, including new installations, but that, because of increases in foreign demand, exports will continue at about their present level. Domestic operations will increase during this period and crude production probably will exceed maximum efficient rates. Even after 10 years some exports probably will be required, but eventually these will be supplanted by increased output of foreign refineries, except for small tributary exports. The increase in domestic requirements will exceed the decline in exports. Unless findings of crude oil exceed present expectations, the increasing demand will be met by increased imports and synthetic methods-—such as the Hydrocarbon Synthesis Process for conversion of natural gas and coal to gasoline and distillates. Catalytic cracking installations will increase as crude availability decreases. This will help to meet the increasing demand for gasoline but will intensify the domestic shortage of residual fuel oil. Eventually larger imports will be required to satisfy the demand for this product. Introduction Under the pressure of the wartime period, there was time only occasionaly to look ahead in anticipation of what the postwar era held for the petroleum industry. Perhaps the general expectation was that a rather pronounced decline in the level of industry petroleum operations would take place shortly after the end of the war, with the impact felt mainly on the economy of the United States- It is of interest now, nine months after V-J day, to take inventory of the near-term situation and see what significant forces are at work. With this as a starting point, it should be possible to engage in something more satisfactory than pure speculation concerning trends in the immediate future and 10 to 20 years ahead. Present and Near-term Situation During the nine-month period following V-J day, foreign crude oil production and rebery operations have actually increased the These activities were at maximum capacity on V-J day but the continuation of drilling programs, the completion of new and rehabilitated refineries and of transportation facilities during the Past nine months have increased the foreign capacity. This added capacity has been fully utilized. Foreign crude oil production in May 1946 is about 14 per cent higher than during July 1945 and refining operations some 12 per cent higher' During the same period there has been a falling off in similar activities within the

Jan 1, 1947

By Oliver Bowles

When a new type of equipment revolutionizes methods of quarrying one kind of stone, producers of other kinds focus their attention on its potentialities in their particular fields. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the accomplishments of the wire saw in slate, to show its more limited attainments in other kinds of stone, and to point out the possibilities of much wider application. A wire saw consists of a 3/16-in. or ji-in. three-strand wire cable that runs as a belt and cuts the rock by abrasion. (Fig. 1. The teeth of the saw are sand grains carried in the grooves between the strands. Accomplishments in Slate† Initial experiments with wire saws by the U. S. Bureau of Mines in the Colonial Slate Quarry, Wind Gap, Pa., in 1926, attained success so immediate and pronounced that within two years in virtually every quarry in the neighborhood of Wind Gap, Pen Argyl and Bangor, the most productive slate area in the United States, wire saws were substituted for channeling machines. An 80-ft. cut in slate is shown in Fig. 2. The technique of operation has been described in several reports (references at the end of the paper). The present purpose is to summarize the accomplishments in a large, typical slate quarry after nine. years of experience. Parsons Bros. Slate Co., at Pen Argyl, Pa., substituted two wire saws for six channeling machines in 1927. The following comparisons are made between the present method with wire saws and the former channel-ing-machine method. Rate of Sawing.—The average rate of cutting with a wire saw in the early days of its operation, as determined by the Bureau of Mines', wits 14 to 17 sq. ft. per hour. Parsons Bros. Slate Co. estimates the present rate of cutting at about 25 sq. ft. an hour, whereas the channeling-rnarhirle

Jan 1, 1938

By Oliver Bowles

When a new type of equipment revolutionizes methods of quarrying one kind of stone, producers of other kinds focus their attention on its potentialities in their particular fields. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the accomplishments of the wire saw in slate, to show its more limited attainments in other kinds of stone, and to point out the possibilities of much wider application. A wire saw consists of a 3/16-in. or ji-in. three-strand wire cable that runs as a belt and cuts the rock by abrasion. (Fig. 1. The teeth of the saw are sand grains carried in the grooves between the strands. Accomplishments in Slate† Initial experiments with wire saws by the U. S. Bureau of Mines in the Colonial Slate Quarry, Wind Gap, Pa., in 1926, attained success so immediate and pronounced that within two years in virtually every quarry in the neighborhood of Wind Gap, Pen Argyl and Bangor, the most productive slate area in the United States, wire saws were substituted for channeling machines. An 80-ft. cut in slate is shown in Fig. 2. The technique of operation has been described in several reports (references at the end of the paper). The present purpose is to summarize the accomplishments in a large, typical slate quarry after nine. years of experience. Parsons Bros. Slate Co., at Pen Argyl, Pa., substituted two wire saws for six channeling machines in 1927. The following comparisons are made between the present method with wire saws and the former channel-ing-machine method. Rate of Sawing.—The average rate of cutting with a wire saw in the early days of its operation, as determined by the Bureau of Mines', wits 14 to 17 sq. ft. per hour. Parsons Bros. Slate Co. estimates the present rate of cutting at about 25 sq. ft. an hour, whereas the channeling-rnarhirle

Jan 1, 1938

By Albert J. McIntosh

With petroleum consumption declining temporarily after V-J day, the oil industry is urged to use this period as a kind of stopgap to rebuild its war-depleted inventories and help cushion the effect of this decline on producers and refiners. Higher inventories should be reestablished, since recent experiences have indicated that, by and large, the present inventories of crude oil are too low even with the tremendous current production available. The following analysis indicates that inventory levels could be built up to about 490,000,000 bbl. by the end of 1947, an increase of about 40,000,000 bbl. over the reported stock estimated for the war's end. If at the end of the war the military have some 20,000,000 bbl. on hand, this inventory will either be resold to the industry or certain demands that have been assumed to be met by industry will be supplied out of these military stocks, which would leave about 20,000,000 bbl. (net) to be built up from current production. For stock rebuilding the industry could use 10,000,000 bbl. of crude plus 10,00,000 bbl. of products, totaling 20,000,000 bbl. If this were spread over a year, this would mean 55,000 bbl. a day. By analyzing the average inventories held in a year with the total quantity of goods handled during the year, the following study and tables indicate how far the inventories should increase in the immediate postwar period. Introduction For the period immediately following V-J day, most of the petroleum economists have forecast a considerable decline in the total consumption of petroleum and its products in the United States. This will be caused by the elimination of most of the military demands and the inability of civilians to immediately replace automobiles, burners, etc., and thus increase their requirements to make up for the military decline. When the automobile industry has been back on full production for two or three years, civilians will be able to consume much larger quantities of gasoline. Delay in the manufacture of new oil burners and the time it takes to construct new homes, adds up to the same story for distillate fuels. In reviewing this outlook, the question has arisen whether the petroleum industry should not use this period of lower consumption as a kind of stopgap to rebuild its war-depleted inveritories and help cushion the effect on producers and refiners of this sudden drop in requirements. Some persons have indicated that hundreds of thousands of barrels a day could be used for this purpose extending over a year or more. Refineries will be in existence, which could run over 5,000,000 bbl. of crude oil a day and crude-oil production might be running 600,000 to 700,000 bbl. a day above the demands now forecast for the period after V-J day. Reasons for. Making Inventories In order to plan intelligently for this period, the petroleum industry should determine the needs for the establishment of higher inventories for crude and petroleum products than have been carried during the war. The reasons for trying to make such a determination are as follows:

Jan 1, 1945

By C. D. Rugen

Ground raw material as fed to the cement kiln generally is a mixture of two to four components, each of which may have widely varying physical and grinda-bility characteristics. Chemically similar materials found in the same or different deposits may also differ appreciably in physical properties, depending on their crystalline structure. The calcareous or principal cement raw material may vary from a soft chalky limestone or friable cement rock at one plant to a hard limestone or oyster shell at another plant. Argillaceous materials include clays, shales and granulated slag. Siliceous and/or iron-bearing material, including sand, 'iron ore and cinders, may also be required in addition for certain types of mixes. Frequently differences in grindability characteristics are not given the attention they deserve in comparing grinding results at one plant with those at another or in selecting suitable circuits or equipment. Many types of crushing and grinding units are used, with numerous open and closed circuit arrangements. Both wet and dry processes are used successfully. When rebuilding or installing a new grinding department, the choice of process or circuit in some cases may be dictated by the nature of the materials being ground but in other cases it may be the result of good salesmanship or a compromise. An over-all evaluation of wet process vs. dry process grinding should not be made without considering the effects on all other *producing departments in the plant. In general, the more recent grinding installations, both wet and dry, have employed closed circuits, but many older open circuits are still in successful operation. In our experience, closed-circuit raw grinding pays, because of lower power consumption and less operating labor per ton of product. However, some dry open-circuit mills with improved equipment and operating methods compare favorably in performance with dry closed-circuit units. Character of Ground Raw Mix (Kiln Feed) Grinding in the cement plant in general requires a considerably finer product than in most ore-grinding operations. A distinction between fineness of kiln feed and of cement may be made in that kiln feed preferably should be ground to a limiting size,whereas finished cement should include a range of size fractions including sufficient fine flours to give a product with satisfactory physical qualities. Grinding raw mix for kiln feed therefore is more comparable to ore grinding, although the limiting size is smaller. Most kiln feeds are ground from 85 to 95 per cent passing 200-mesh, depending on mix composition. Some cement chemists believe that raw materials cannot be too fine, since her particles theoretically combine more readily and intimately in the kiln. However, there are certain definite practical objections to extremely he kiln feed, such as loss of kiln dust, unstable material flow through the kiln and greater difficulty in control of chemical composition due to dust loss, and the disproportion of fines from the more easily ground component. Our

Jan 1, 1948

By C. D. Rugen

Ground raw material as fed to the cement kiln generally is a mixture of two to four components, each of which may have widely varying physical and grinda-bility characteristics. Chemically similar materials found in the same or different deposits may also differ appreciably in physical properties, depending on their crystalline structure. The calcareous or principal cement raw material may vary from a soft chalky limestone or friable cement rock at one plant to a hard limestone or oyster shell at another plant. Argillaceous materials include clays, shales and granulated slag. Siliceous and/or iron-bearing material, including sand, 'iron ore and cinders, may also be required in addition for certain types of mixes. Frequently differences in grindability characteristics are not given the attention they deserve in comparing grinding results at one plant with those at another or in selecting suitable circuits or equipment. Many types of crushing and grinding units are used, with numerous open and closed circuit arrangements. Both wet and dry processes are used successfully. When rebuilding or installing a new grinding department, the choice of process or circuit in some cases may be dictated by the nature of the materials being ground but in other cases it may be the result of good salesmanship or a compromise. An over-all evaluation of wet process vs. dry process grinding should not be made without considering the effects on all other *producing departments in the plant. In general, the more recent grinding installations, both wet and dry, have employed closed circuits, but many older open circuits are still in successful operation. In our experience, closed-circuit raw grinding pays, because of lower power consumption and less operating labor per ton of product. However, some dry open-circuit mills with improved equipment and operating methods compare favorably in performance with dry closed-circuit units. Character of Ground Raw Mix (Kiln Feed) Grinding in the cement plant in general requires a considerably finer product than in most ore-grinding operations. A distinction between fineness of kiln feed and of cement may be made in that kiln feed preferably should be ground to a limiting size,whereas finished cement should include a range of size fractions including sufficient fine flours to give a product with satisfactory physical qualities. Grinding raw mix for kiln feed therefore is more comparable to ore grinding, although the limiting size is smaller. Most kiln feeds are ground from 85 to 95 per cent passing 200-mesh, depending on mix composition. Some cement chemists believe that raw materials cannot be too fine, since her particles theoretically combine more readily and intimately in the kiln. However, there are certain definite practical objections to extremely he kiln feed, such as loss of kiln dust, unstable material flow through the kiln and greater difficulty in control of chemical composition due to dust loss, and the disproportion of fines from the more easily ground component. Our

Jan 1, 1948

By B. J. Kochanowsky

The idea of a portable crusher is not new. Many such crushers are available but they are small and designed for construction work. For many years the author has suggested, both in this country and in Europe, the building of larger portable crushers intended expressly for use in quarries or open pits. Although not applicable under all conditions, there are mining operations where a mobile crusher arrangement could be more profitable than the facilities now used. The primary use of a portable crusher, i.e., a crusher mounted on crawlers or tires, in the rock and mining industries is to reduce costs by permitting the substitution of conveyor belt haulage for truck or track haulage. The usual sequence of operations in surface mining is drilling, blasting, loading, haulage, and crushing. Haulage is normally accomplished by truck or track-mounted cars, the latter method being used for the longer distances. However, by using a portable crusher in the pit, the sequence of operations would be changed so that the crushing stage would occur before haulage (Fig. 1). Such a sequence would permit the use of conveyors to replace the more expensive truck or track haulage methods. Since most quarry and open pit operations normally require a crushing stage, the only additional costs incurred will be due to the investment required to purchase or construct a mobile arrangement for a crusher. But this factor has to be weighed against the advantages to be gained by conveyor haulage. As shown in Fig. 2, transportation of material by belt conveyor over short distances is less expensive than by truck. The inclination of the belt has no effect on belt speed; consequently, the hourly tonnage moved remains the same. Conversely, the output rate of trucks as expressed in tons or ton-miles per shift decreases proportionally to the haulage speed, which is considerably slowed by the steepness of the road (Fig. 3, left). Although maximum possible grades and maximum economic grades of haulage are greater for a belt than for a truck (over the same total lift), the longer haulage distances favor the use of trucks. Although power consumption for hauling on a grade increases for both conveyances, the rate of power consumption increases faster for trucks than for conveyor belts (Fig. 3, right). Since the output rate and related fixed costs are affected by the travel speed, total haulage costs with trucks would increase with the grade more rapidly than the similar costs of conveyor belts (Fig. 4). Travel distance, road grade, speed, size and number of pieces of equipment, efficiency of operation, and many other factors affect such haulage costs. In general terms it can be said that the shorter the distance, the steeper the grade, and the greater the output, the more advantageous the belt becomes in comparison to truck or track haulage. In addition to potential cost savings in haulage procedures, a portable crusher would allow better utilization and performance of shovels. Loading operations would not be interrupted as often by the necessity of waiting for cars or trucks. Unfortunately, the application of belts in open pits for haulage from bench sites is generally not practical under existing conditions because a belt fed directly by a mechanical shovel can be torn, damaged, or worn out quickly by the large rock fragments falling on it during loading. However, by using a mobile crusher this situation can be avoided. As shown in Fig. 1 (b), the shovel feeds rock into the crusher located behind it. The crushed material is initially transported by an extensible and/or movable belt, thence by a longer stationary conveyor to the plant where the material is subjected to further treatment by secondary crushing, screening, etc. The first-mentioned conveyor, needed to bridge the distance between the shovel and the stationary conveyor, is necessarily variable in length owing to the continuous movement of the shovel and the desire to keep the stationary belt at a safe distance from the bench during blasting operations. The remarkable part of mobile crusher operations is the extra-ordinarily high output per man-shift, the low maintenance and power requirements for haulage, and the increased output of the loading shovel. A cement quarry which has been using a portable crusher and conveyor since 1956 requires only three men to operate the shovel and crusher and to transport the crushed rock by belt from the quarry face to the screening plant. If truck haulage

Jan 1, 1961

By E. T. Turkdogan, L. J. Martonik, R. J. Fruehan

Electrochemical measuretnents of the solid oxide electrolyte galvanic cells CY-Cr2O3 I ZrO2 (CaO) 1 O (in Fe alloy) CY-Cr2O3 I Tho2 (Y2O3)I O en Fe alloy) have been made at 1600°C (2912°F) in order to test the Performance of such cells at liquid steel temperatures. The oxygen pvobe (cell) consists of a disk of ZrO2 (CaO) or Tho2 (Y2O3) electrolyte fused at one end of a silica tube filled with a mixture of Cr-Cr2O3 which is the reference electrode. Upon immersion in liquid steel, the electromotive force readings achieve a steady value within a few seconds, and remain steady for 30 win or more. The perforwzance of the probes has been tested using Fe-O, Fe-Si-O, Fe-Cr-O, Fe-V-O, and Fe-Al-O alloys; the oxygen contents of liquid steel derived from the measured electromotive forces are in satisfactory agreement with those determined by arulysis. Use of the probe in the deoxi-datiorz of steel, in laboratory experiments, is discussed. The results indicate that there is insignificant electronic conductivity in ZrO2(CuO) at oxygen activities down to those corresponding to 10 ppm in steel. At lower oxygen activities, probes tipped with ThOn (Y2O3) disks perform satisfactorily at oxygen activities down to 1 ppm O or less. THE key to the control of deoxidation of steel is a sensing device to measure rapidly the concentration of oxygen in liquid steel in the furnace, ladle or tun-dish at any desired stage of deoxidation. The analysis of the cast steel by the neutron-activation or vacuum-fusion method gives total oxygen as oxide and silicate inclusions. This analysis is important for guidance to steel cleanliness; however, such a postmortem is of little value in the control of deoxidation of liquid steel. At the General Meeting of the American Iron and Steel Institute in New York, 1968, Turkdogan and Fruehan' presented a paper on the preliminary results of the work done in this laboratory on rapid determination of oxygen in steel by an oxygen probe. Details of the work done in this laboratory leading to the development of a galvanic cell for the determination of oxygen in liquid steel, and the results of the tests made are given in this paper. It was through Wagner's contributions, since the early Thirties, to the physical chemistry of semiconductors in general that it ultimately became possible to construct galvanic cells for application at high temperatures. In 1957, Kiukkola and wagner2 successfully demonstrated the use of several solid electrolytes in measuring the free energies of several chemical reactions, in particular, the use of lime-stabilized zir-conia in high-temperature oxidation reactions. Starting 7 years later, a number of papers appeared in the technical literature3-' demonstrating possible applicability of galvanic cells for the determination of oxygen in liquid steel. In the earliest work, Japanese investigators3j4 experimented with various types of reference electrodes, e.g., graphite-saturated liquid iron at 1 atm CO or Ni-NiO mixtures; the results obtained, though promising, were not of sufficient accuracy. Except for the work of Baker and West,6 all other investigators5,7,8 showed that ZrO2(CaO) electrolyte could be used for this purpose. The main part of the galvanic cell used by Fischer and ~ckermann' and by schwerdtfeger7 (the latter work was done in this laboratory), consisted of a ZrO2(CaO) tube, -1 cm ID, closed at one end, with a platinum contact wire fixed mechanically inside the closed end. The tube was flushed with a gas of known oxygen partial pressure, e.g., air, CO-CO2 or H2-CO2 mixtures; gas along with the platinum lead wire served as the reference electrode. The oxygen contents derived from measured electromotive forces agreed reasonably well with the oxygen contents determined by vacuum-fusion analysis. It is evident from recent investigations that the electromotive force technique using a solid oxide electrolyte is fundamentally well suited for the determination of oxygen in liquid steel. However, it is equally clear that the cell arrangement of the type as commonly used is in need of considerable improvement, as it exhibits several shortcomings for industrial and even laboratory use. 1) Because of its size, the zirconia tube, though stabilized, has a poor resistance to thermal shock. 2) Fine pores and microcracks, which are invariably present in zirconia tubes, are detrimental to the satisfactory operation of the cell, particularly when gas reference electrodes are used. 3) Air or carbon dioxide reference electrodes give rise to high electromotive force readings; as a result, the determination of oxygen in steel becomes less accurate. For higher accuracy, the oxygen partial pressure of the reference electrode should be in the range similar to that of oxygen in steel. 4) Even in laboratory experiments, difficulties are experienced when flushing the tube with gases and maintaining the proper gas flow rate. Fischer and Ackermann,' who used air as the reference electrode, reported that when the flow rate was too low, furnace gases would leak into the electrolyte tube, therefore lowering the oxygen potential and measured electromotive force. The required flow rate in order to avoid leakage depended on the tightness of the electrolyte tube which varied with different tubes, thus making it difficult to predict in advance the required flow rate. However, if the flow rate is too high the inside wall of the electrolyte tube would be cooler than the wall

Jan 1, 1970

By T. Sterry Hunt

The deposit of rock-salt which is known to exist along the eastern shore of Lake Huron, in the province of Ontario, has lately been more completely explored than before, by a boring with a diamond drill, put down by Henry Attrill, Esq., of New York City, and the results obtained are so important in every way that I make no apology for presenting them to the Institute of Mining Engineers. I may be permitted to preface an account of this remarkable exploration, and of its results, with a historical sketch of the discovery and development of this salt-region. It was in December, 1865, that a boring was begun near the town of Goderich, in the hope of finding petroleum. In this the adventurers were disappointed, but, after passing through about 800 feet of limestone, they encountered a series of variegated marls, in which, at a, depth of 964 feet from the surface, a bed of rock-salt, 30 feet in thickness, was met with in May, 1866. The boring was carried to a depth of 1010 feet, ending in hard rock, and yielded, by pumping, a very pure saturated brine when examined by me in August of the same year. In the report of the Geological Survey of Canada for 1863-66, published early in 1867, I described this salt-well, with many geological details, and gave an analysis of the brine. In the next three years a considerable number of wells was sunk in and around Goderich, and numerous trials were made in various other parts of the region. Salt was found at Kincardine, thirty miles north-northeast from Goderich, at a depth of about 900 feet, and also at Clinton, thirteen miles southeast, at 1180 feet. Records of these wells, with analyses of the brine from them, were given by myself in a subsequent report of the Geological Survey, 1866-69, published in 1870 (pp. 211-244), together with accounts of various unsuccessful borings in the neighborhood, analyses of the brines from the various wells (including one analysis by Dr. Goessmann), with many details of the salt-manufacture at Goderich, at Syracuse, New York, and at Saginaw, Michigan. The geological character of the region was there discussed at length, and it was shown that the salt here occurs in the Onondaga or Salina formation, which

By Howard N. Eavenson

The mines of the United States Coal & Coke Co. are located in the Pocahontas coal field, in McDowell County, West Virginia. Twelve plants have been opened and equipped, of which, by reason of the present business depression, only nine are now in operation. These twelve plants serve eighteen mines; some of the plants having several openings, in either the same seam or in different seams, tributary to the same tipple. Only nine of these mines are now being worked at the plants in operation. Construction work was begun in 1902, and coal from the first three plants started was shipped in December of that year. An additional plant was opened in 1903, two in 1904, two in 1905, two in 1907 and the last two in 1908. On Jan. 1, 1915, the plants have been in operation an average period of 8.8 years. The rules of the company, which have been in operation since work was first begun, are similar to those in use by the H. C. Frick Coke Co. at its mines in Pennsylvania, in which " Safety First" was incorporated as early as 1907; and it has always been the policy of both companies to look carefully after the safety of their employees. Although the field is an extension of the old Pocahontas field, the mines, located upon a new branch railroad, are away by themselves, and, as is usual in such cases, the class of labor attracted at first was temporary in character. The rapid development of the mines required the employment of many new men and officials each year; and, while the accident record from 1904 to 1909 was as good as the average of the field, it was felt to be not as good as it could be made, and a determined campaign was inaugurated for preventing accidents of all kinds. Fig. 1 shows the tonnage of coal produced per fatality, both total and for inside accidents only, at our mines; the tonnage per fatality of all West Virginia mines, and of those in the Pocahontas field. The purpose of this paper is not one of congratulation on the results so far accomplished, since the operating officials are not at all satisfied that the maximum is in sight, to say nothing of its having been reached; but to describe the organization and methods that have produced these

Jan 1, 1915

By T. Sterry Hunt

THE deposit of rock-salt which is known to exist along the eastern shore of Lake Huron, in the province of Ontario, has lately been more completely explored than before, by a boring with a diamond drill, put down by Henry Attrill, Esq., of New York City, and the results obtained are so important in every way that I make no apology for presenting them to the Institute of Mining Engineers. I may be permitted to preface an account of this remarkable exploration, and of its results, with a historical sketch of the discovery and development of this salt-region. It was in December, 1865, that a boring was begun near the town of Goderich, in the hope of finding petroleum. In this the adventurers were disappointed, but, after passing through about 800 feet of limestone, they encountered a series of variegated marls, in which, at a, depth of 964 feet from the surface, a bed of rock-salt, 30 feet in thickness, was met with in May, 1866. The boring was carried to a depth of 1010 feet, ending in hard rock, and yielded, by pumping, a very pure saturated brine when examined by me in August of the same year. In the report of the Geological Survey of Canada for 1863-66, published early in 1867, I described this salt-well, with many geological details, and gave an analysis of the brine. In the next three years a considerable number of wells was sunk in and around Goderich, and numerous trials were made in various other parts of the region. Salt was found at Kincardine, thirty miles north-northeast from Goderich, at a depth of about 900 feet, and also at Clinton, thirteen miles southeast, at 1180 feet. Records of these wells, with analyses of the brine from them, were given by myself in a subsequent report of the Geological Survey, 1866-69, published in 1870 (pp. 211-244), together with accounts of various unsuccessful borings in the neighborhood, analyses of the brines from the various wells (including one analysis by Dr. Goessmann), with many details of the salt-manufacture at Goderich, at Syracuse, New York, and at Saginaw, Michigan. The geological character of the region was there discussed at length, and it was shown that the salt here occurs in the Onondaga or Salina formation, which

Jan 1, 1877

By R. D. Carpenter, R. R. Smith, E. E. Sougstad

The Union Carbide Nuclear Co., in treating low-grade tungsten and molybdenum-copper ores at the Pine Creek mill near Bishop, Calif., employs flotation for the initial extraction of the valuable mineral constituents. These minerals consist of scheelite, molybdenite, and several of the copper sulfides including chalcopyrite, bornite, and possibly chalcocite. They occur in a gangue consisting mainly of quartz, pyroxene, and garnet, with minor amounts of calcite and fluorite. This assemblage of minerals presents an unusual grinding problem because of their diverse physical characteristics. Feed for the circuit is prepared from -6-in. ore by screening on a rod deck screen to remove the -5/8 - in. material. The+5/8-in. fraction is crushed in open circuit with a 5 1/2-ft Symons shorthead crusher operated at a closed- side setting of approximately 3/8 in. The screen undersize and the conecrusher discharge are then combined to constitute the feed to the grinding circuit. The ore is ground in 6 by 5-ft grate discharge ball mills operated in closed circuit with 54-in. spiral classifiers. The classifier overflow goes directly to the flotation section of the plant. Studies of the flotation circuits have shown that the maximum recovery of the tungsten, molybdenum, and copper minerals occurs in the particle-sue range from 100 mesh to approximately 400 mesh. Further, practice has shown that the ore minerals are effectively reduced to this size range if the total ore is ground to -48 mesh. The general objective of the grinding circuit then is to reduce the feed to -48 mesh with the production of a minimum amount of slimes. The purpose of this investigation was to ascertain how well the grinding circuit was carrying out this objective. The method used was to sample the various products in the grinding section, size these products accurately, and analyze the resulting sue distributions. SAMPLE PREPARATION AND SIZING TECHNIQUES Representative samples of the different grinding circuit products, namely, new feed to the ball mill, ball mill discharge, classifier overflow, and classifier return, were taken over a 24-hr period. The samples were then dried without being filtered to avoid loss of slimes. The percentages of solids in the different products were the following: new ball-mill feed, 95%; ball mill discharge, 82%; classifier overflow, 52%; and classifier return, 84% solids. Particle sizes were determined on each product by wet-screening an

Jan 1, 1962

By H. S. McKnight

One phase of Canada's rapid development in mining and metallurgy during the past few years has been the creation of Canadian Copper Refiners Ltd., and the establishment of its modern electrolytic copper refinery at Montreal East, Quebec. Canadian Copper Refiners Ltd. is made up of three well-known metal firms whose combined activities cover the entire industry from the mine to the market. They are Noranda Mines Ltd., Toronto, Nichols Copper Co., New York, and British Metal Corporation, Ltd., London. Noranda Mines is the principal owner and provides the greater part of the raw material received by the refinery for treatment. Nichols Copper Co. designed and built the plant and is operating it under contract. British Metal Corporation acts as sales agent and markets the refinery's products. Montreal East was chosen as the site of the new refinery only after a careful survey had been made of the entire eastern part of Canada. The location chosen offers many advantages, chief of which arc the relatively low costs of power, labor, fuel and bupplies, and the fact that it is situated on Montreal harbor, the nearest seaport to the points of origin of the ram materials. All incoming material is received by rail. A majority of the plant's product is exported through the port of Montreal to European markets, being handled to the docks in railroad cars. A large proportion of the product is delivered by means of an industrial railway to the adjacent rolling mill of the Canada Wire & Cable Co., Limited. The refinery was designed to treat primarily the copper produced by Noranda Mines, Ltd. and Hudson Bay Mining &. Smelting Co., Ltd., and its rated capacity is 75,000 short tons per year. A general layout of the plant is shown in Fig. 1. Its capacity can be readily doubled, as shown by the dotted lines. Figs. 2 and 3 are sections taken through the furnace department and the tank house respectively. Except for the main office and laboratory and an auxiliary building containing the stores, warehouse, change rooms, compressor room and machine shop, the entire plant is under one roof. The type of building construction consists of reinforced concrete foundations supported on concrete piles, a steel structure covered with Robertson Protected Metal siding and a 3-in.

Jan 1, 1934

By W. R. Ingalls

In choosing the unusual title given to this paper, in which the term "cyclic " might be substituted for "intermittent," my idea has been simply in respect of precision. We might say old method vs. new method, but that antithesis implies something of substitution that has not occurred and perhaps is not in sight. We may say horizontal retorts vs. vertical, but none of the older retorts are truly horizontal, and there are three different types of vertical retorts. Other complexities might be suggested. There is, however, a broad distinction between distilling that is accomplished in a periodic cycle, generally daily; and distilling that is accomplished continuously, irrespective of whether it be done in the vertical retorts of the New Jersey process or in the retorts of the Trollhät-tan process. In offering a summary of the present state of the art with the intermittent process, I shall not have any idea of exemplifying it through descriptions of any single plants, but shall rather divide among the main steps of the process and outline what is best developed among them. In pursuing this thought, it will manifestly be impossible to make a composition that will exemplify the acme of good practice, for the latter will always be a function of the cost of labor, fuel, etc., which are widely variable. As of 1929, in respect of labor we might generalize the average plant wage in the Pittsburgh-Wheeling district of the United States at $5 per day; in Oklahoma at $3; in Great Britain at $3; in Germany at $1.75-$2; in Belgium and France at $1. With high labor costs the metallurgist will naturally use means of the nature of mechanization that with low labor would be uneconomical when capital charges are taken into account. Nor may we from records of performance safely make positive deductions in respect of the efficiency of different types of furnaces unless they have been tested comparatively under identical conditions in the same works. We shall find gas-fired regenerative furnaces showing coal consumption from 1.2 tons down to 0.7 per ton of roasted ore, which may be ascribable to difference in the thermal value of the coal that is used or to differences in proportions of the parts of the furnace, which is something quite distinct from the principle of the furnace. Thus, we have

Jan 1, 1937

By G. F. Fix, R. E. Esarey

During 1939, Indiana experienced a grcat increase in prospecting and drilling for oil and gas. Major activity, as during the preceding year, was in the southwestern part of the state, the Indiana portion of the Eastern Interior Coal Basin. An increasing interest was evident during the year, however, in the entire state, chiefly in northern Indiana (on the south flanks of the Michigan Basin) and in the old Trenton field of east central Indiana. In the latter area several tests to deeper horizons in the Trenton and to the underlying St. Peter sandstone were completed. Results in this area have been discouraging, however, since these deeper horizons are very erratic. The regional structure in the Indiana portion of the Michigan Basin is generally favorable to oil accumulation, but the picture is complicated by a uniform mantle of glacial drift and a lack of subsurface information. Several wells were started during the last half of 1939 to test the Devonian and Trenton formations in this area. Production from these formations was found at several localities many years ago, hut, no sustained effort has been made to locate pools in this area, which covers perhaps 20 counties. There were 377 wells completed in Indiana during 1939, and 77 others were in various stages of drilling at the close of the year. Of the 377 completed, 255 were classed as field locations and 122 as wildcats. The field wells were divided as follows: 156 oil wells, 39 gas wells, and 60 dry holes; the wildcats: 98 dry holes, 19 oil wells and 5 gas wells (wildcat oil and gas wells include deeper production in oil fields and field extensions as well as new field discoveries). During the year 218 more wells were completed than during 1938. Outstanding developments for 1939 include the discovery of several new oil and gas fields. In the Griffin field, which was discovered during the closing days of the previous year, 103 wells were drilled, including field extensions. Of these, 97 were productive oil wells. This field now covers more than 2000 acres of productive area and has not as yet been defined. There are five producing horizons in the field, including the Waltersburg, Tar Springs, Elwren, and Aux Vases sandstones of Chester age and the McClosky horizon of the Ste. Genevieve limestone. Produe-

Jan 1, 1940

By G. F. Fix, R. E. Esarey

During 1939, Indiana experienced a grcat increase in prospecting and drilling for oil and gas. Major activity, as during the preceding year, was in the southwestern part of the state, the Indiana portion of the Eastern Interior Coal Basin. An increasing interest was evident during the year, however, in the entire state, chiefly in northern Indiana (on the south flanks of the Michigan Basin) and in the old Trenton field of east central Indiana. In the latter area several tests to deeper horizons in the Trenton and to the underlying St. Peter sandstone were completed. Results in this area have been discouraging, however, since these deeper horizons are very erratic. The regional structure in the Indiana portion of the Michigan Basin is generally favorable to oil accumulation, but the picture is complicated by a uniform mantle of glacial drift and a lack of subsurface information. Several wells were started during the last half of 1939 to test the Devonian and Trenton formations in this area. Production from these formations was found at several localities many years ago, hut, no sustained effort has been made to locate pools in this area, which covers perhaps 20 counties. There were 377 wells completed in Indiana during 1939, and 77 others were in various stages of drilling at the close of the year. Of the 377 completed, 255 were classed as field locations and 122 as wildcats. The field wells were divided as follows: 156 oil wells, 39 gas wells, and 60 dry holes; the wildcats: 98 dry holes, 19 oil wells and 5 gas wells (wildcat oil and gas wells include deeper production in oil fields and field extensions as well as new field discoveries). During the year 218 more wells were completed than during 1938. Outstanding developments for 1939 include the discovery of several new oil and gas fields. In the Griffin field, which was discovered during the closing days of the previous year, 103 wells were drilled, including field extensions. Of these, 97 were productive oil wells. This field now covers more than 2000 acres of productive area and has not as yet been defined. There are five producing horizons in the field, including the Waltersburg, Tar Springs, Elwren, and Aux Vases sandstones of Chester age and the McClosky horizon of the Ste. Genevieve limestone. Produe-

Jan 1, 1940