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By Orson Shepard

THE term "electrocapillary amalgamation" is used in this paper to designate amalgamation processes that depend upon electrocapillary phenomenon; i.e., the action of an electric current upon the surface tension of mercury at the contact with aqueous solutions. Electro-capillary amalgamation is selected as a name for these processes because the electrocapillary phenomenon has been found to be the effective agent in the use of sodium amalgam, as well as in the various processes using an electric current from a source outside of the amalgam. Amalgamation processes that depend upon supplying an electric current to the amalgam from an outside source, such as batteries and generators, have previously been called electrical amalgamation processes. There has been a tremendous amount of experimental work done on amalgamation processes involving the use of an electric current, as shown by the large number of patents issued on these processes: the earliest in 1885 and the latest in 19341. Regardless of all the experimental work, the fundamental principles causing the operation of electrocapillary amalgamation processes have not been described. The explanation usually given is that an electric current keeps the amalgam bright and clean. Patent No. 328532 states: It is well known that when amalgam plates are used for collecting gold and silver from their ores the surfaces of these plates are liable to become tarnished or sickened by certain substances contained in the ores or in the current of water which is employed to carry the ore over the plates, and that in this condition they are unfitted for amalgamating the particles of gold and silver. To prevent this and to keep the surfaces of the amalgamation plates always bright and in a better condition for catching and amalgamating the particles of gold and silver I employ electricity in the following manner:. . . A similar explanation is given 49 years later, in patent No. 1953364: The sodium (Na) ions lose their charge at the cathode becoming sodium atoms, which do not react with the electrolyte, but follow the grounded electrical current through the mercury body producing in their passage sodium amalgam and liberate themselves in the amalgamation compartment when brought in contact with the fed

Jan 1, 1936

By M. E. Hassan, J. C. Calhoun, R. F. Nielson

An apparatus was constructed for the measurement of inter-facial tensions over a range of temperatures and pressures. This apparatus utilized the pendent drop method, and resembles in construction similar apparatus recently described in the literature and in use in some petroleum research laboratories. The interfacial tensions of benzene, propane, n-pentane, n-hexane. n-octane. and iso-octane against water were measured at temperatures ranging from 26" to 82" C and at pressures ranging from 1 to 204 atm. Values of interfacial tensions for the henzene-water system and their variations with temperature and pressure are generally in good agreement with value? of previous investigations. The data in all cases showed a slight decrease of interfacial tension with pressure at constant temperature in the range studied. The effect of pressure became less as the pressure was increased, with an indication of a reversal of the effect at higher pressures. There was a decrease of interfacial tension with temperature at constant pressure in all cases, as would normally be expected. This rate of decrease became greater the higher the temperature. A general equation is presented for the interfacial tensions as a function of presPurp and temperature over the range studied, and the constants calculated for each system. A definite trend was found in the effect of molecular weight on the interfacial tension at a given temperature and pressure, for the homologous series from propane to n-octane. Data for n-decane from the literature fitted well into this trend. INTRODUCTION It has been recognized for many years that surface forces play an active part in the production history of an oil reservoir as well as in determining the amount of unrecoverable oil. The magnitudes of these forces are governed by the values of the interfacial tensions. These vary greatly with composition, pressure, and temperature. The effect of composition is greater than that of pressure and temperature over the ranges normally encountered. In fact, because of the variety of compounds present in a crude, no attempt has yet been made to correlate crude composition with its surface tension or with its interfacial tension against water. The amount of dissolved methane greatly affects the surface properties of an oil, and there are "surface-active" compounds in crudes which have a much greater effect on boundary tensions than do equal amounts of hydrocarbons. The purpose of the present work was partly to contribute data that would eventually be used in correlations applicable

Jan 1, 1953

By C. D. Wiseman

THE concept of alloying to increase the strength of metals originated during the bronze age. However, at the present time there is no single theory capable of explaining all of the observed strengthening effects of alloying elements on the mechanical properties. In general, it may be said that solid solutions are stronger than the pure metal and that the strengthening effect increases with increasing alloy content. Various theories for solution hardening have been proposed, the first of which was presented by Rosenhain who suggested that the alloying elements roughened the slip planes, thereby requiring a higher stress to initiate slip. Recent work by French and Hibbard2 confirmed Norbury's3 conclusion that those alloying elements which cause a greater change in lattice parameter have larger effects on hardness. However, a given change in lattice parameter produced by different alloying elements does not cause the same change in hardness. A further refinement was suggested by Dorn, Pietrokowski, and Tietz4 who considered differences in valence between the solute and solvent with the change in lattice parameter to explain the plastic properties of aluminum alloys. Allen, Schofield, and Tate5 further investigated the valency contribution to solution strengthening by testing some copper-base solid-solution alloys having constant electron densities. Tensile tests performed on these alloys gave identical stress-strain curves even though the atomic size effect, which varied by a factor of two, was neglected. The advent of dislocation theory6-8 provided a new and powerful tool capable of explaining many phenomena of plastic deformation and indicated new approaches to solution hardening. The basic con- cept of recent theories is that solution hardening is not due to stresses associated with randomly dispersed solute atoms, but rather to a nonuniform distribution of the solute. This conclusion was reached by consideration of the effective tension present on each dislocation line and the ability of a dislocation to pass an obstacle. cottrell suggested the possibility that the internal stresses due to randomly distributed solute atoms would offer essentially no resistance to the passage of dislocations. He reasoned that an edge dislocation may be considered as a rigid line discontinuity. As the dislocation moved through a crystal, the random stress fields would be equally distributed along its length. Since half of the stress fields would be acting to move the dislocation forward and the other half trying to move it back, the net effect on the dislocation would be zero. Thus the randomly distributed solute atoms would not contribute appreciably to solution strengthening. Mott and Nabarro10 considered the dislocation as a flexible, rather than a rigid, discontinuity. They obtained a simple model for a dislocation moving in a lattice having precipated particles, where the dislocation would actually bend around the obstacle until it would loop back onto itself to rejoin and then continue onward. Their work indicated that the minimum radius of curvature of the dislocation line, under the action of an external stress and in the region of an internal stress, would be such that the dislocation would be unable to pass through a matrix containing small closely spaced precipates by the looping process. The dislocations would tend to remain rather straight, approaching the condition of Cottrell's rigid dislocation. Hence, the strengthening must not be due to random solute atoms; however, it might be due to the concentration of atoms, either as clusters of like atoms or as short-range ordered regions, or to the concentration of solute atoms around dislocations. To date, four mechanisms of solution strength-

Jan 1, 1959

By C. Land, R. Hultgren

Heat contents of four Cr-Ni alloys were determined in a diphenyl ethev calorimeter. Aside from ferromagnetic effects, Kopp's law of additivity of heat capacities is approximately fol-lowed, in disagreement with earlier results of A. W. Foster. In 1934 Foster1 reported heat-capacity measurements of dilute solutions of chromium in nickel, primarily as a study of the effect of alloying on the ferromagnetic Curie temperature. He found that, apart from the Curie temperature effect, the general level of heat capacities was reduced 10 pct by the addition of 1 pct Cr; 20 pct by the addition of 2 pct Cr. His measurements of pure nickel essentially agreed with accepted values. These results indicate that small amounts of dissolved chromium cause an increase in the Debye temperature of nickel, presupposing a change of frequency of interatomic bonding vibrations which is much larger than should be expected. If Foster's results were verified, therefore, they would have important implications for bonding theory. The only other heat-capacity measurements in this system seem to be those of Taylor and Hinton,' who studied anomalies which they attributed to super-lattice formation at 25 at. pct Cr. At temperatures above the anomaly, Taylor and Hinton found heat capacities at this composition were quite normal, approximately obeying Kopp's law of additivity. EXPERIMENTAL WORK In order to verify or disprove the remarkable results of Foster, the heat contents of four dilute solid solutions of chromiunn in nickel were measured in a diphenyl ether calorimeter. This instrument, described elsewhere,, operates on the principle of the Bunsen ice calorimeter, but uses diphenyl ether as the working substance. Diphenyl ether melts at the convenient temperature of 26.S°C and supplies a more sensitive measure of heat than ice. The hot sample, in an atmosphere of argon, is dropped from a furnace at a measured temperature into a chamber which is surrounded by a mixture of solid and liquid diphenyl ether. The heat from the hot specimen melts some of the solid without chang- ing the temperature of the calorimeter. The amount of solid melted, and therefore the number of calories released by the specimen, is measured from the increase of volume of the mixture, which pushes mercury down a graduated capillary tube. The apparatus has been standardized against the known heat content of pure platinum. Heat loss during the dropping of the specimen was estimated by comparing the heat content of an empty platinum capsule with a solid platinum ball of the same radius and degree of polish of the surface. Repeated tests demonstrate the precision of measurement to be closer than *0.3 pct. Smoothed experimental results are listed in Table I. The tabulated values for pure nickel are taken from kelley, several measurements were made which agreed closely with this tabulation. For chromium, however, no similar agreement was found. The values tabulated were taken from a thorough study of chromium with the diphenyl ether calorimeter which will be published elsewhere.= Suitable plots of the data showed the expected ferromagnetic anomalies in the low-chromium alloys, while the 11 pct alloy shows no ferromagnetic anomaly, but a different, small anomaly below 900°K. This is perhaps the same anomaly found in CrNi, which was once attributed to superlattice formation,' but is probably due to some other cause, such as antifer-

Jan 1, 1960

By HARRISON W. CRAVER

LIBRARIES are universally recognized as essential to modern civilization. In a world that gets most of its learning through the printed word, storehouses of print are a vital necessity. In this regard engineering differs in no way from the other learned professions, but until recent times the library needs of engineers have received rather scant attention. When the engineering profession was more of an art and less of a science than it is today, when each problem was solved more through the results of experience than by applying scientific principles, literature was less helpful. The engineer of today, however, is aware that his activities rest upon a scientific foundation and consequently comprehensive books dealing with more limited fields are now being published. Another difficulty for the operating engineer in the past was that the published works on engineering were written chiefly for use as college texts. A third obstacle to the development of engineering libraries has been the lack of librarians with experience in engineering.

Jan 1, 1938

By W. T. Lundy

THE forms in which sulphur is commonly found-native sulphur, sulphides of many metals and sulphates-are widely distributed throughout the world. The two first mentioned are the principal sources of sulphur. Substantial amounts of sulphur in some form are recovered from gases from industrial plants and from gases from smelters treating other minerals. In recent years, plants have been installed in the United States to recover sulphur in elemental form from sour gases."' The amount of sulphur so produced is small at the present time but undoubtedly will increase in the future. The recovery of sulphur from gases is not covered in this chapter, which is confined to: (1) native sulphur deposits of Texas and Louisiana; (2) those of Italy; (3) other scattered deposits of native sulphur; and (4) pyrites deposits found in many countries of the world.30 Sulphur, a nonmetallic element, occurs normally in well developed bipyramidal or tabular crystals of the orthorhombic system, as well as in stalactitic and earthy masses. The mineral has a distinctive yellow color, which may be dark and discolored by impurities; the streak is white; the luster is resinous; and the fracture is conchoidal to uneven. Sulphur is translucent to opaque; has a hardness of 1.5 to 2.5, a specific gravity of 2.05, and an atomic weight of 32.06.16 The molecular weight of the solid is expressed by the symbol SS and that of the liquid and vapor ranges from S2 to S8, depending on the temperature. Sulphur melts at a temperature between 2340 and 248°F, depending on its crystalline state, to a liquid of dark amber color, the boiling point of which is 832°F. The viscosity near the melting point is about that of water and increases to 50,000 times that of water at a temperature of 380°F, subsequently falling rapidly to a low figure at the boiling point. Crystallization changes slowly from rhombic to monoclinic above 205 °F and in cooling the transformation is reversed. The mineral is a very poor conductor of heat and electricity; it is insoluble in water and nearly all acids and is soluble in cold carbon bisulphide and carbon tetrachloride. It ignites in air at a temperature of 478°F, burning with a distinctive blue flame with evolution of sulphur dioxide.47

Jan 1, 1949

By Tracy C. Jarrett

In making gold alloys possessing certain physical properties, such i~nportant factors as corrosion resistance, color, hardness and melting points must be considered. All of these requirements depend directly upon the composition. It is possible to obtain the same colored gold alloy by using different compositions, but in doing so one may bring in some undesirable property. Other investigations have been carried on in this field by F. E. Carter,' E. M. Wise12 and L. Sterner-Rainer2 To make a complete study of the effect of composition upon these properties, a systematic investigation was carried on involving a range of copper content from 85 to 65 per cent. Elements such as zinc, silver and nickel were used to replace in part the copper content. The gold content in all the alloys remained constant. Only 10-karat gold alloys of those containing 41.6 per cent gold will be considered. All of the alloys were made in an induction furnace. Each alloy was cast in a 3 by 1/4 by 3/4-in. ingot. The method of obtaining the melting points and making color determinations was described in a previots paper.4 The Rockwell B scale with the 1/16-in. ball and 100-kg. weight was used for all hardness determinations. The submersion of test pieces in concentrated nitric acid is one of the standard corrosion tests used in the optical trade. A test piece in the 50 per cent cold-worked condition, % by 2 by 0.045 in., is blanked from a skip using a die, and the weight loss per square inch of surface is taken as a means of comparison. The time for this test is 2 1/2 hr. of actual submersion of the test picce in the acid. This standard test was applied to all of the 10-karat gold alloys discussed in this paper. The tensile tests were made upon strips of the dimensions shown in Fig. 1. The test pieces after blanking were annealed at 1300" F. for 20 min. and cooled in air. Thc "drop of the beam" method was used in determining the yield point, as there was a very marked "drop" when the yield point was reached.

Jan 1, 1940

By Tracy C. Jarrett

In making gold alloys possessing certain physical properties, such i~nportant factors as corrosion resistance, color, hardness and melting points must be considered. All of these requirements depend directly upon the composition. It is possible to obtain the same colored gold alloy by using different compositions, but in doing so one may bring in some undesirable property. Other investigations have been carried on in this field by F. E. Carter,' E. M. Wise12 and L. Sterner-Rainer2 To make a complete study of the effect of composition upon these properties, a systematic investigation was carried on involving a range of copper content from 85 to 65 per cent. Elements such as zinc, silver and nickel were used to replace in part the copper content. The gold content in all the alloys remained constant. Only 10-karat gold alloys of those containing 41.6 per cent gold will be considered. All of the alloys were made in an induction furnace. Each alloy was cast in a 3 by 1/4 by 3/4-in. ingot. The method of obtaining the melting points and making color determinations was described in a previots paper.4 The Rockwell B scale with the 1/16-in. ball and 100-kg. weight was used for all hardness determinations. The submersion of test pieces in concentrated nitric acid is one of the standard corrosion tests used in the optical trade. A test piece in the 50 per cent cold-worked condition, % by 2 by 0.045 in., is blanked from a skip using a die, and the weight loss per square inch of surface is taken as a means of comparison. The time for this test is 2 1/2 hr. of actual submersion of the test picce in the acid. This standard test was applied to all of the 10-karat gold alloys discussed in this paper. The tensile tests were made upon strips of the dimensions shown in Fig. 1. The test pieces after blanking were annealed at 1300" F. for 20 min. and cooled in air. Thc "drop of the beam" method was used in determining the yield point, as there was a very marked "drop" when the yield point was reached.

Jan 1, 1940

By Theodore B. Comstock

The paper of Mr. S. F. Emmons on the structural relations of ore-deposits, presented at the Boston meeting in February last, having been, as I am informed, unavoidably delayed in publication, was not distributed in the preliminary edition to members until immediately before the sheets of Volume XVI. of the Transactions, containing it, were sent to press. Consequently, I saw it for the first time too late to offer any comments which might have accompanied it in that volume. This is my justification for present-

Jan 1, 1889

By J. M. Oblak, R. F. Hehemann, R. H. Goodenow

STUDIES of surface relief and growth kinetics have lead to the concept that widmanstatten ferrite along with upper and lower bainite constitute a continuous series of decomposition products.1-4 Current models4 propose that these products form as plates with a coherent or semicoherent leading edge which propagates at a rate controlled by diffusion of carbon into the surrounding austenite. There are, however, important crystallographic and morphological differences between these products—particularly between upper and lower bainite. For example, upper bainite appears to exhibit a (11lIy orientation habit, whereas lower bainite develops with a more irrational habit near {2251y.5-7 Many of the morphological features of these decomposition products are not yet well-documented. Recent studiess have demonstrated that low-carbon martensites form as sheets of closely spaced needles on {lllly planes while higher-carbon martensites form as plates with {225}? or other orientation habits. The similarity in the crystallography of these two modifications of martensite with upper and lower bainite is striking. Therefore, a study of the morphology of bainite in a series of hypoeutec-toid alloy steels has been initiated to explore these relationships further. The question of immediate interest is whether upper and lower bainite form as plates or needles. A two-surface (approximately perpendicular) metallographic method was employed to study the morphology of bainite in a variety of low and medium alloy steels. Compositions of these steels have been reported elewhere. The behavior of 4340 and 4370 was typical and will be described here. Austenitizing treatments involved 20 min at 2350°F for 4340 and at 2000°F for 4370. Isothermal transformation was conducted in molten-salt baths. Upper bainite was produced at 925°F in the 4340 steel and lower bainite at 575°F in 4370 with transformation times adjusted to produce 10 to 15 pct of the decomposition product. Many of the morphological features of upper bainite have been catalogued in the recent literature.'' The two principal variants observed in the present investigation are illustrated in Fig. l(a). One form appears as long, thin plates or needles and the other as small, frequently irregularly shaped particles. Both variants may occur as isolated forms but more frequently appear in groups as demonstrated in Fig. l(a). Two-surface analysis reveals that these two variants constitute different sections through a single morphological form. To demonstrate this, a number of sections perpendicular to the plane of Fig. l(a) were prepared at various positions along the length of the elongated particles. A section taken at position 1 in Fig. l(a) is presented in Fig. l(b). Here, the dark line represents the edge of the sample and the left-hand portion of this photomicrograph is that from the surface perpendicular to the original plane of polish. Since it was necessary to repolish the original surface after each sectioning, the shape of the bainite particles on this surface, right hand side of Fig. l(b), changes with each sectioning. The disappearance of plate A, Fig. l(a), in Fig. l(b) emphasizes the small cross section of these structures. The group of particles in the lower left-hand

Jan 1, 1964

By Dean S. Rogers

The conventional role of exploration, development and grade control is examined in this paper within the context of the many and varied types of gold occurrences which are found at the Dome Mine. The account endeavours to trace the development of the total ore evaluation process, from diamond drilling through the exploration and drifting stage, to the stope development and planning phase of the operation, with an emphasis on sampling techniques and assaying procedure. The concept of ore reserve calculations is developed and the practice of grade control is described. In summary, the role of the geological, the engineering and the mining department is presented in relation to the contribution each has to make in the evaluation and exploitation of ore from one of the world's classic Archean gold deposits.

Jan 1, 1985

By John L. Schroder, D. L. McElroy

ALTHOUGH the earliest use of rubber-tired haulage was in Illinois in 1936, the first unit of this type of equipment used in West Virginia was shipped into the state in 1938. All units placed in West Virginia mines have been of the shuttle-car type. The Katherine Coal Mining Co., at Lumberport, W. Va., was the second company in the United States to install shuttle cars and the Gay Coal and' Coke Co., at [ ] Mt. Gay, W. Va., was the first company in the country to install the thin-bed type of shuttle car. On Oct. 8, 1940, nine companies in the state were using 41 shuttle cars, of which 10 cars at three mines were of the thin-bed type. All shuttle cars of the low type were in the southern fields and all of the high type were in northern West Virginia. At that time several units were in the process of delivery. The data in this paper were collected in the field by Mr. Schroder in connection with graduate work on mechanical loading of coal in West Virginia by mobile loaders. In the course of his field work he visited five mines in the state that were using shuttle cars. All of these mines were in high-volatile coal beds of strong structure. [ ] The more pertinent data obtained at the mines visited are given in Table I. The maximum distance of shuttle-car haul is the distance between the transfer station and the farthermost place. Tonnage per loading unit per foot of bed thickness is to some degree a measure of relative efficiency, especially if the different operations are working the same bed or have somewhat similar conditions. The thin-bed operation is well up in the higher bracket of the afore-mentioned column, which is as

Jan 1, 1941

By G. M. Schwartz, J. N. Gundersen

John W. Gruner (Professor Emeritus, College of Science, Literature, and the Arts, Dept. of Geology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis) — It is surprising that two men as well acquainted with the taconite rocks of the Mesabi District as Drs. J. N. Gundersen and G. M. Schwartz should have concluded that the taconite of the Eastern Mesabi before the intrusion of the Duluth gabbro consisted largely of quartz and magnetite. These minerals were "locally reconstituted" into "a wide variety of silicate mineral assemblages" by the gabbro. It is well known, of course, that the silicate mineralogy of the Eastern Mesabi ('about 14 miles in length) is quite different from that of the Main Mesabi which is over 60 miles long. The change from one to the other is abrupt and cannot be attributed to any other cause than the thermal effects of the gabbro. Are we to assume or believe that the taconite of the Eastern Mesabi was radically different from that of the Main range before the gabbro metamorphosed it?

Jan 1, 1962

By Howard Eavenson

SOME time ago, in a conference considering the mechanizing of a group of mines, I was asked if I knew of any data showing the relative frequency of accidents due to the use of 275 or 550-volt current inside mines and having a recollection of seeing some in print, the answer was made that I would find what was available. Subsequent search failed to find any pub-lished records of any kind giving such figures and none of the compensation agencies of whom inquiry was made were able to supply any, excepting the Pennsyl-vania Compensation Rating and Inspection Bureau, which had some data covering a few months for some companies in that State. The inquiry was confined to the three largest producing States, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Illinois. The inspection departments of neither of the first two had any such records, and in Illinois, only 275 volts has been allowed inside the mines for many years. A laborious inquiry has resulted in the data, shown in Table 1, which on this account was confined to the years 1921 and 1925, the latter being the latest figures available. In each State, to find the mines using 275 and 550-volt current respectively, it was necessary to list the mines from the Coal Catalog, and then to complete the list by inquiries from the companies directly, from Operators' Associations and from Inspection Depart-ments. As the mines not electrified, and those using

Jan 5, 1928

By H. C. Chao, Y. E. Smith, L. H. Van Vlack

ThE phase relationships for the MnO-MnS system have been investigated only in the eutectic region. wentrupl reported a eutectic at 1280°C (2345°F) with approximately 50 wt pct of each component, as based on the earlier work of Andrew, Maddocks, and Fowler.2 More recently silverman3 corrected these figures to 2275° ±10°F (1246°C) with 63 wt pct MnS and 37 pct MnO. Neither Wentrup nor Silverman investigated the solid-solution limits in this system. However, Wentrup did suggest with his phase diagram sketch that the maximum solubility of MnS in MnO is 10 wt pct, and the solubility of MnO in MnS is nearer 20 wt pct, Fig. 1. These figures have been utilized in subsequent publications without further verification.4 There had been evidence found in this laboratory that the above solid-solution figures were high. An investigation was therefore conducted using the following procedure. Samples containing MnO and MnS were contained in platinum foil, heated just above the eutectic temperature in a purified nitrogen at- mosphere, and quenched into distilled water. The MnO had been prepared by calcining reagent grade MnCO3 in nitrogen at 1400°C. Only MnO was detected in subsequent X-ray diffraction analyses. The MnS had been prepared by sulfur deoxidation of reagent grade MnSO4 according to the reaction: MnSO4 + S2 ? MnS + 2SO2 The details of the sulfide preparation procedure, which utilized atmospheric sulfur pressures at 950°C, are discussed elsewhere.5 The sulfur content of the sulfide was determined to be 36.8 * 0.2 pct, which matches the stoichiometric value of 36.9 pct. No evidence of either MnO or MnSO4 was detected microscopically or by X-ray diffraction. The single-phase combinations of MnO and MnS at the eutectic temperature indicate the limit of solid solution as shown in Fig. 2(a) and (c), and the revised phase diagram is shown in Fig. 2(d). The melting temperature for MnO is that provided by Glasser.6 The eutectic temperature of 1232° ± 5°C and eutectic composition of 64 wt pct MnS are in close agreement with Silverman's correction of Wentrup's work. The maximum solubility of MnO in MnS was determined to be 1.7 ± 0.2 wt pct. The maximum solubility of MnS in MnO was determined to be 1.8 ± 0.2 wt pct. These figures represent the lower limit for the presence of liquid at 1260°C and are significantly lower than the earlier estimated solid-solution figures. The authors wish to acknowledge the support of U.S. Steel's Edgar C. Bain Laboratory for Fundamental Research. The comments and critical suggestions of Drs. A. S. Keh, R. Rickett, and R. B. Snow are appreciated.

Jan 1, 1963

By Robert H. Richards

During tile summer of 1870, I had an opportunity to visit the laboratory of the late David Forbes, Esq., in London, and was much interested in a labor-saving device which he had attached to his agate mortar. The mortar was placed in the centre of a small table, and about ten inches to the right of the mortar, a post, perhaps two

Jan 1, 1879

By William G. Pariseau, H. Douglas Dahl

Recent subsidence legislation indicates that mining engineers would be welt advised to be able to predict and control surface damage caused by mine subsidence. To date, such an ability is practically nonexistent. Model analysis is suggested as one of the alternative paths available which might yield fruitful results. Similitude requirements developed for a self-loaded body in static or quasi-static equilibrium indicate that complete similitude without centrifuging is an impracticability. However, a pilot experimental study which used a simplifying assumption to correctly model mine subsidence has produced results in qualitative agreement with field observations. The purpose of this paper is to present a discussion of the various approaches that can be taken in the study of mine subsidence phenomena. Particular attention is focused upon the rational selection and use of laboratory models. Broadly interpreted, mine subsidence is the deformation of the rock mass enclosing a mine. Depending upon a number of factors, the movement of the subsiding rock mass may disrupt gas and water lines or other buried utilities, damage surface structures such as buildings and bridges, dislocate streams, roads, and rail lines, aggravate acid mine drainage and fire problems, and generally mar the landscape. It is clearly a problem that no mine manager can safely ignore. It is also a problem that will grow with the general population increase. In the following discussion, a summary review of past and present approaches to subsidence studies is given. The possibilities of duplicating subsidence phenomena in laboratory models are examined, and an analysis of a particular type of model is presented. Some preliminary results obtained from a model of the particular type analyzed are then discussed. REVIEW OF PREVIOUS WORK Historically, subsidence investigations have been empirical studies in the field and laboratory or theoretical analyses of mathematically idealized media. Empirical and theoretical work in the United States has generally lagged behind investigations abroad. In the United States, field studies are mostly pre-World War 11. These are summarized in the Mining Engineer's Handbook. ' Field studies in Europe are more recent and more extensive. Those made in Great Britain are summarized in the Subsidence Engineers Handbook2 and represent observations made at 157 different collieries. Such studies by themselves are of limited usefulness as are all empirical studies. One can never be certain that conditions at one mine will be similar enough to those at another to warrant the drawing of like conclusions. European subsidence formulas rely heavily upon the "angle of draw" and "critical area" concepts. The angle of draw is defined as the angle between a vertical line through the face, and another line extending from the face to the surface at the point where movement is zero. The critical area is defined in relation to the least extraction necessary to produce maximum subsidence. Fig. 1 illustrates the angle of draw and critical area concepts. First and second "limits of influence" are also shown. The angle of draw and associated critical area concept are obviously not well defined, being dependent upon the accuracy of the surface survey. In Great Britain, the angle of draw has increased through the years from about 26 to 35°. In the United States, zero and negative angles of draw have been reported. In the authors' opinion, these purely geometrical concepts represent an oversimplification of subsidence phenomena and their use, in the United States at least, should be discouraged. Empirical observations of laboratory models containing layers of earth, sand, clay, and plaster were made by Fayol (cited by Peele) as early as 1885. An outgrowth of his work was the "dome theory," a verbal description of what is assumed to occur in subsiding rock masses. The dome theory has since fallen into disrepute. Theoretical analyses worthy of the name treat a subsiding rock mass as a deformable body. In these analyses, the actual rock mass is replaced by an idealized material that deforms according to a simple stress-strain relationship. The stress equations of equilibrium expressing the Newtonian laws of mechanical action and the geometry of strain furnish additional equations that must be satisfied. A loading criterion-generally understood, and in some cases stated explicitly-completes the theory.

Jan 1, 1969

By C. Q. Payne

(New York Meeting, February, 1912.) THE art of crushing ores and other materials by means of rolls is a comparatively recent one. While the first record of rolls using iron crushing-surfaces dates back to the year 1806, when they were employed in Cornwall, their principal development has taken place during the last 30 years. To Stephen R. Krom belongs the credit of the pioneer in introducing the belted high-speed roll, which has had its origin and a marked development in this country. His notable contribution to the art was in the use of a single bed-plate or frame supporting the roll-shafts, and to which levers holding the movable roll-bearings were pivoted. He also made use of steel tension-rods to support the crushing-strains, and of hammered-steel tires for the crushing-surfaces. These changes brought the design of crushing-rolls to a high level. Following closely thereon, about 1885, W. R. Eckart conceived the idea of the swivel or ball-and-socket support for the roll-shaft bearings. This is an excellent mechanical conception, especially for bearings held against a spring pressure, and while it may not be necessary for all types of rolls, yet it has been quite generally adopted by other roll-designers, and illustrates the refinement which roll-construction has now reached. Other engineers, as for example, Argall, Vezin, Roger, and Sturtevant, to mention only a few among many, have also given the closest attention to the various details of rolls, such as the frame, springs, bearings, and shafts, and have developed many novel and original designs. It has remained, however, for the boldness and originality of Mr. Edison to extend the field of crushing-rolls in two new directions, and to cause them to exercise new functions. In developing crushing-machinery for his Portland cement works, Mr. Edison constructed ? giant " rolls, having a diameter of 6 ft. and a length of. face of 7 ft.

Jun 1, 1912

By Wilford L. Stork

Certain influences of oxygen on iron have been known for many years and it has always been considered one of the worst enemies of the iron and steel founders. Nobody had a good word for it, hence little was done to make use of this oxygen. In all the fields of foundry practice, the desideratum was "melt without oxidation of the metal." In the consideration of the influence of oxygen on cast iron, we must not confuse this condition with oxidized iron caused by poor melting conditions, due to a high bed, heavy charges, low coke ratio, excessive melting rate, high blast, or poor charging. It is admitted that oxygen absorbed by iron melted under these conditions has a deleterious effect on the properties of the iron. The writer has had experience both in the melting under such poor conditions and in remedying these bad conditions and considers the product far inferior to iron melted under normal conditions. As stated by Dr. Richard Moldenke,l such iron has a higher melting point and high combined carbon, is sluggish, and contains slags and oxides in solution in the liquid, causing slag inclusions and gas occlusions, 'thus producing defective castings. This oxidized condition cannot be counteracted or removed by any of the known deoxidizers; it can be remedied only by proper melting conditions. Such iron is redly burned, whereas the iron considered in this paper was melted under normal conditions with moderate blast, correct bed height, light charges of iron, and low coke consumption and is not in this category at all. In 1914, the late J. E. Johnson, Jr., startled the metallurgists of the . world when he published his results on the advantages of oxygen on cast iron.2 His work is so convincing and so logical, in spite of the common and well-established notions on the subject, that nobody has been able to refute a single argument. Such an eminent authority on iron and steel metallurgy as Prof. H. M. Howe has accepted the work in all its details in his latest book.3 The work of J. E. Johnson, Jr., has revolutionized the metallurgy of cast iron and it seems apparent that all future work must include an oxygen determination just as we include silicon, sul-

Jan 1, 1920

By W. T. Turrall, D. Porter

THE crystal laboratory, Dept. of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was confronted with the problem of obtaining a supply of optical grade calcium fluoride (CaF2) for use in growing synthetic CaFe2 crystals. A search of the known fluorspar deposits did not indicate that any quantity of optical spar could be obtained. Even the best material had to be sorted by hand to remove impurities. The process for growing CaF2 crystals developed by Professor D. C. Stockbarger of the Dept. of Physics, M.I.T., necessitates very pure feed materials. Exclusion of impurities is required, even in amounts detectable only spectrographically. The impurities occurred as minute inclusions of SiO2, BaSO4, CaCO3, FeS2, water or air. Crystals up to 4 in. in diam and weighing several pounds are made by the Harshaw Chemical Co. in Cleveland. Since the time required to grow a 4-in. crystal is about one week, and since the cost of manufacture is high, removal of impurities by any concentration method appeared practical. The mineral engineering section of the Dept. of Metallurgy undertook to investigate the possibility of concentrating clear optical fluorspar, -4 mesh +10 mesh, from a feed containing over 99 pct CaF2. Various innovations of the known methods of concentration were considered, but in each case the minute amount of impurities associated with the crystal produced such extremely small differences

Jan 1, 1952