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By Russell Paul

THE Wisconsin zinc district, also known as the Upper Mississippi lead and zinc district, is an area of about 2500 sq. mi. in the southwestern portion of Wisconsin and adjacent parts of Illinois and Iowa. It includes Iowa, Grant and Lafayette counties in Wisconsin, Jo Davies County in Illinois, and an irregular strip of Clayton and Dubuque counties in Iowa, parallel to the Mississippi River. During periods of high metal prices mining has been quite active in this district, but recently the lower metal prices have caused many companies to suspend, so that at the present time there are only a small number of mines operating. The short life of these mines and the low mineral content of the zinc deposits limit the investment in development and equipment, and necessitates the operation of this equipment at maximum running time and maximum capacity. The tonnage of rock handled (locally termed dirt) is large in comparison with the tonnage of concentrate produced. Moreover, the zinc content of the concentrate is low, varying from 25 to 40 per cent zinc, and the value per ton is correspondingly low. The life of the mines varies greatly. An exception-ally good deposit may produce 2,000,000 tons of rock during a period of ten years, market value permitting, from which will be obtained 100,000 to 150,000 tons of concentrate. One property which might be con-sidered as fulfilling the requirements of a profitable operation was developed and equipped in 1925, oper-ated continuously for a period of two and a half years, produced 484,292 tons of rock, from which was obtained 37,659 tons of zinc concentrate, 34.4 per cent Zn, and 1155 tons of lead concentrate, 67 per cent Pb. During the war period prices of ore permitted the mining of lower grade ores than has been possible in the past few years. The maintaining of a higher grade mill-feed has resulted in reducing the size of stopes formerly carried in the old mines and confining the workings within narrower limits.

Jan 7, 1928

By Fred P. Dewey

Although coke is the acknowledged metallurgical fuel, and has been extensively used in this country for more than thirty years, yet the facts on record in regard to its physical properties are exceedingly meagre; and this is also true, but in a less degree, of its chemical composition. An investigation is being carried on in the National Museum which is intended to supply, so far as may be, this deficiency, and through the kindness of Professor Baird, Director of the Museum, I am permitted to present to the Institute a summary of a portion of the results already obtained. So far as I am aware, the credit for the first systematic investigation of the physical properties of coke belongs to Mr. John Fulton, Mining Engineer of Cambria Iron Co. The results of this investigation have been published in Report L, Second Geological Survey, Pennsylvania, 1875, and in a pamphlet setting forth the advantages of the Connellsville coke, the latter published also by the " Virginias"* His results are not altogether free from experimental errors, and the assumption that "the specific gravities of coke and water are very nearly alike "- is scarcely warranted. It has seemed to me, therefore, desirable to make an independent investigation of the physical properties of coke on a plan somewhat different from that adopted by Mr. Fulton. This is the investigation now being carried on at the National Museum.

Jan 1, 1884

By W. R. Strickler, P. Hazebroek, M. Prats

The pressure and production behavior of a homogeneous cylindrical reservoir producing a single fluid through a centrally located vertical fracture of limited lateral extent was determined by using mathematical methods to solve the appropriate differential equation. It is assumed that there is no pressure drop within the fracture — that is, that the fracture capacity is infinite. It was found that the production-rate decline of such a reservoir is constant (except for very early times) when the flowing bottom-hole pressure remains constant. The production-rate decline increases as the fracture length increases. Thus, the lateral extent of fractures can be determined from the production-rate declines before and after fracturing or from the decline rate after fracturing when the properties of the formation and fluids are known. The production behavior over most of the productive life of such a fractured reservoir can be represented by an equivalent radial-flow reservoir of equal volume. The effective well radius of this equivalent reservoir is equal to one-fourth the total fracture length (within 7 per cent); the outer radius of this equivalent reservoir is very nearly equal (within 3.5 per cent) to that of the drainage radius of the fractured well. The effective well radius of a reservoir producing at semisteady state is also very nearly equal to one-fourth the total fracture length. It thus appears that the behavior of vertically fractured reservoirs can be interpreted in terms of simple radial-flow reservoirs of large wellbore. INTRODUCTION An earlier report1 has considered the effect of a vertical fracture on a reservoir producing an incompressible fluid. That investigation of the fractured reservoir producing an incompressible fluid was started because of its simplicity. Thus, pertinent behavior of fractured reservoirs was obtained at an early date, while experience was being gained of value in the solution of more complicated fracture problems. One of these more complicated problems, and the one discussed in this report, considers the effect of a compressible fluid (instead of incompressible fluids) on the production behavior of a fractured reservoir. In the incompressible-fluid work mentioned, it was shown that the production rate after fracturing could be described exactly by an effective well radius equal to one-fourth the fracture length whenever the pressure drop in the fracture was negligible. Because of the simplification in interpretation, it is a matter of much interest to determine whether the production behavior of reservoirs producing a compressible liquid could be described in terms of an effective well radius which remains essentially constant over the producing life of the field. The details of the mathematical investigation are given in the Appendixes. IDEALIZATION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE FRACTURED SYSTEM It is assumed that a horizontal oil-producing layer of constant thickness and of uniform porosity and permeability is bounded above and below by impermeable strata. The reservoir has an impermeable circular cylindrical outer boundary of radius re. The fracture system is represented by a single, plane, vertical fracture of limited radial extent, bounded by the impermeable matrix above and below the producing layer (reservoir). It is assumed that there is no pressure drop in the fracture due to fluid flow. Fig. 1 indicates the general three-dimensional geometry of the fractured reservoir just described. When gravity effects are neglected, the flow behavior in the reservoir is independent of the vertical position in the oil sand. Thus, the flow behavior in the fractured reservoir is described by the two-dimensional flow behavior in a horizontal cross-section of the reservoir, such as the one shown in Fig. 2. Production is due to the expan-

By Y. L. Yao

It is suggested that the binary alloy systems of transition metals may be classified into groups according to "excess energy"E. For systems with positive ?E, the Laves phase, the TiNi3-, the TiCu3- and the Cudu-type rich in the smaller atom and the TizNi-type rich in the larger atom may exist. For systems with negative ?E and composed of two components of different crystal structures, the X, the Cr3O and the phase may exist on the side of the phase digrattz rich in the component with the higher "solubility factor" value am! the Cudu-type and the disordered hcp phase on the other side; if the crystal structure of two components is the same, the Cudu-type may exist on both sides. For systems with weakly positive ?E and cotnposed of different crystal structures, the u phase and the MgCd3-type may replace the Laves phase and the other types; the X, the Cr3O and the a phase may also exist. Finally, the equirnolar compounds of the CuAu- and the CsC1-type may exist irrespective of the sign of ?E. THERE are many factors which play a major role in the formation of binary intermediate phases in alloys, such as the crystal structure, the electronic structure, the atomic size and the electrochemical factor. To find the simultaneous effects of all these factors on the formation of intermediate phases of every metal would be a difficult task, especially because only a small fraction of experimental facts necessary for the complete formulation is known at present. Thus the past surveys of intermediate phases have been usually confined to few metals, several types of intermediate phases and some but not all controlling factors. In a previous paper1 the idea of "solubility factor" of metals was introduced. Although the suggested values are tentative and empirical, the formation of a continuous series of solid solutions in metals could be correlated with the interplay among the atomic size factor, the solubility factor and the crystal structure factor. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate qualitatively the interplay of these factors in the formation of binary intermediate phases among transition metals. FACTORS CONSIDERED The Crystal Structure Factor. With rare earths excluded, the transition metals are classified into three common crystal structures listed in Table I. There is arbitrariness in the present classification of several allotropic elements. However, out of seventy-odd continuous solid solutions formed among transition metals, only six of them, namely, those

Jan 1, 1962

By H. W. Hardinge

Disregarding for the present the economic side of a new device, let us turn to that feature of the conical pebble-mill which is of interest from a scientific point of view, and consider the device as a puzzle in which the theories of the cylindrical type of mill have been increased. Many articles have been written on the theory of the tube-mill, and explanations have been made which do not explain ; but these have evolved suggestions of practice which have resulted in changes in the tube as to length, diameter, feed, discharge, speed of rotation, rotation on hollow trunnions, rotation on rings, and changes in the operation as to quantity and size of pebbles, charge of load above or below the axis, crushing by causing the larger pieces of the material of the charge to act as grinders, whether crushing is abrasive or impactive, etc. The practical worker in crushing. is first interested in the endeavor to reach an econonlic means of accomplishing a desired end; but the improvements in crushing-practice have been largely left to the manufacturer of machinery, who, as a rule, has little, if any, knowledge of the specific requirements— such as granulation, sizing for concentration without pulverizing the metals, instead of pulverizing the rock or gangue; the metals being the more friable, while the rock is tough and not so easily disintegrated. A reversal of this practice is the aim of sliming direct for cyanidation or pulverizing for cement, etc. In the ordinary cylindrical mill, having a diameter of 4 or

Jan 1, 1909

Jan 1, 1937

By G. D. Just

INTRODUCTION Large scale underground mining involves the bulk handling of fragmented material. The cost and efficiency of the mining systems is there- fore significantly influenced by material flow characteristics. Flow problems may occur in the form of ore pass blockages which interrupt the free flow at extraction openings. The costs of such delays can be readily assessed and compared to the costs incurred in reducing blockages by improved fragmentation or larger ore passes. In practice the problem is more complex than this statement suggests because it is generally un- economic to design for zero ore blockages. Another major flow problem occurs in the form of relative movement of ore and waste as the fragmented material is extracted. This produces waste dilution in the recovered ore and influences total ore recovery. This flow problem is much more complex than the ore block- age phenomena. Many questions concerning the precise flow characteristics remain unanswered because of the variability of size distributions, particle shapes, material properties and the total extraction layout and design. Model studies can provide a visual and quantitative illustration of probable flow characteristics but full scale data collection is necessary to evaluate the precision of such information. The methods and types of data obtained must be carefully selected to recover the maximum volume of useful information for operational control and future design. It is essential that honest precision levels are assigned to the data and any subsequent analyses. Grade control data may give misleading short term information on flow characteristics because of the difficulty in knowing the true grade of the mass of material before extraction commences. However, in the long term control of extraction grades is vital to the profitable operation of the mining system. The most efficient extraction design and operational schedule can only be determined after all of the facts and variables are known. This is usually only possible after the orebody has been completely extracted. However, if design and operational personnel have a full appreciation of the nature and variability of material flow under different conditions the best possible results should be achieved. The most significant features of material flow are out- lined in this paper in order to provide mine planning and mine management personnel with some of the necessary information relating to material flow. Available facts and reliable figures from selected publications are noted in association with unbiased and hopefully accurate opinions of the relevance of the data to mine design and mine system control. Possible future developments and profitable areas for research into material flow problems are also detailed. MATERIAL FLOW AND MINING METHODS The effects of material flow on the design and operation of an integrated underground ore handling system is one factor which is common to most mining methods. Analysis of the system as detailed by Just, 1980, permits the identification of unit process objectives. For example, a typical underground ore handling system as illustrated in Figure 1, involves the following unit operations:- (i) Gravity flow of ore in stope (ii) Ore extraction at base of stope (iii) Ore haulage on the production level (iv) Dumping of ore into ore pass system (v) Gravity flow of ore in the ore pass (vi) Underground crushing of ore (vii) Haulage of crushed ore to shaft (viii) Hoisting of ore to the surface. Average flow rates in each of these unit operations can be misleading due to variability in incremental capacity caused by flow blockages and machine delays. Thus to effectively analyse the probable performance of the system, it is necessary to have a measure of the flow loading and haulage rate variability. Mechanical equipment performance specifications can be used to provide such information for loading, haulage and crushing; however, in the case of the gravity flow of material field measurements are required to relate the probability of "hang-ups" to the degree of fragmentation. Factors affecting the frequency of flow stoppages are, size, distribution and cohesiveness of broken material and the geometry and size of the flow channel. Ore pass channel design is relatively simple since regular cross-sectional shapes are used

Jan 1, 1981

By T. E. Weirich

Although 1931 witnessed no new discoveries of oil or gas in Oklahoma, the year is especially outstanding because of price demoralization, political intervention, abandonment of marginal properties, a strict curbing of oil flow from wells in flush fields and an extension of proration into settled fields. In spite of a strict, adherence to proration agreements, the price per barrel of oil sank from 65c to $1.07 to a low level of 10c to 22c. Table 1 gives the price range for crude oil in Oklahoma during the year. Under a martial law order by the governor, a period intervened from Aug. 4 to Oct. 10, of complete shutting in of the flush fields. This condition created an abrupt decline in the production curve during the two months' period. Oklahoma, as elsewhere, is passing through a "transition period" of relieving expensive above-ground storage by maintaining the more copious supplies of crude oil in the natural reservoirs. For many years the thousands of small, nearly depleted wells have been considered as being the "backbone of the industry." A large number of wells of this type are now idle or completely abandoned. More than 1100 abandonments were recorded by the state Corporation Commission during the year. The industry is becoming less interested in these small wells, replacing the former attitude by the curbed potentialities of flush pools. Many of the major companies are grouping these marginal properties with those of adjacent owners, operating the whole

Jan 1, 1932

By F. Keller

ALUMINUM alloys containing magnesium and silicon are susceptible to strengthening and hardening by suitable heat-treatments, and they constitute a class of alloys of considerable commercial importance. Generally, they contain these two elements in the proportions required for the formation of the intermetallic compound Mg2Si, or an excess of silicon; no commercial wrought alloys are made with an appreciable excess of magnesium. The reason for not having excess magnesium is obvious from the results given in this paper, since it is shown that excess magnesium results in a proportional decrease in the solubility of Mg2Si. This is the eighteenth1 of a series of papers from the Aluminum Research Laboratories dealing with the equilibrium relations in aluminum-alloy systems; most of the previous publications concerned binary aluminum-alloy systems; this is the fourth of a group pertaining to ternary aluminum-alloy systems. The work on this system was com-pleted in 1930, but the results were not published because of the pressure of other work. Hanson and Gaylor2, in 1921, presented the results of an extensive investigation of the aluminum-magnesium-silicon system. Their results indicated that an excess of magnesium over the amount required to form the compound Mg2Si caused a noticeable decrease in the solid solubility of Mg2Si in aluminum. A more recent investigation3 in these laboratories showed that the solid solubility of Mg2Si in aluminum was 1.85 per cent at 595° C. and decreased to 0.30 per cent at 300° C. The results of the latter investigation were used as the basis for the present work.

Jan 1, 1936

By R. M. Wilhelm

HIGH-TEMPERATURE thermometry,, as treated in this paper, deals with the measurement of temperature in the range 100° to 550° C. The lower limit corresponds to the temperature of boiling water at normal atmospheric pressure, the upper limit is approximately the highest temperature to which mercury in a glass thermometer may be safely subjected.1 In this range., the domains of pyrometry and thermometry overlap somewhat, for high-temperature resistance thermometers and thermocouples generally classed as pyrometers are often used below 550° C. This paper will be confined to high-temperature mercurial thermometers, and indicating and recording thermometers of the vapor pressure, liquid or gas filled, and bimetallic or graphite-metal expansion types, a classification of which is as follows: CLASSIFICATION OF THERMOMETERS GENERAL CLASSIFICATION SUBDIVISIONS Mercury in glass Laboratory- Etched or engraved stems (mercurial) Enclosed scale (Einschlus) Industrial Vapor pressure Indicating and Pressure Liquid filled recording Gas filled Bimetallic Graphite-metal expansion

Jan 9, 1919

By R. Pakalnis, J. P. Savely, R. D. Call

A simple and inexpensive clay imprint core orienting device has been developed by Dr. R. D. Call. It has a minimum of moving parts, is durable and easily used by drillers, and adds only 15 minutes to a core run. Conventional wire-line drilling and a drill hole inclined 30° to 60° from the horizontal plane are required. The device will not operate in a vertical hole. The orientor is an eccentrically weighted downhole device which can be constructed in a mine shop from an old inner core barrel and lead. Modeling clay is packed in the core lifter case, which is screwed on the downhole end of the orientor. A clay imprint of the bottom of the hole is taken after each coring run. This imprint is matched to the top of the succeeding core run, the drill core is pieced together, and a reference line representing the drill hole is scribed on each core. Fracture attitudes are measured relative to the reference line and the core axis. On recent drilling projects, tests for imprint reproducibility were conducted. The results of these tests show an average variation of f3" in location of the scribed reference line between imprints. Comparisons of surface mapping data with oriented core data are good. It is rare that the entire length of drill core in intensely fractured zones can be oriented because it is impossible to piece the core together. However, if a triple tube set-up is used, a modification in the scribing procedure can result in a good statistical sampling of the fracture population. Attitudes of major structures have been oriented with this technique.

Jan 1, 1983

By Thomas M. Dr. Drown

IN experimenting in connection with Mr. P. W. Shimer (now chemist of the Thomas Iron Company, Hokendauqua, Pa.) on methods for the determination of silicon in pig iron, in order to find one which should be accurate and yet give results in a few hours, I have adopted the following procedure, which, as far as my experience goes, leaves nothing to be desired. About one gram of pig iron or steel is treated in a platinum or porcelain dish with 25 cubic centimeters of nitric acid (sp. gr. 1, 2). When action has ceased, 25 to 30 cubic centimeters of dilute sulphuric acid (one of acid and three of water) are added, and heat applied until the nitric acid is nearly or quite driven off. The heat of a water-bath is sufficient, though the process may be hastened by heating higher on a sand-bath. Water is then cautiously added (as soon as the free sulphuric acid is sufficiently cool) and the contents of the dish heated until the crystals of ferric sulphate are completely dissolved. The solution is then filtered as hot as possible, the residue washed first with hot water, then with 25 to 30 cubic centimeters of hydrochloric acid (sp. gr. 1, 12), and finally with hot water. After drying and igniting, the silica will be found to be snow-white and granular. The following are some results obtained by this method compared

Jan 1, 1879

Jan 1, 1958

By W. C. Leslie, R. M. Fisher, K. G. Carroll

J. S. Bowles and J. K. Mackenzie (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Mel- bourne, Australia)—The authors are to be congratulated for giving the first direct experimental proof that the observed macroscopic strain accompanying marten-site transformations is not necessarily a shear. We

Jan 1, 1953

By M. J. Richards, A. Szirmae, G. R. Speich

The formation of austenite from ferrite, ferrite plus retastable carbide, spheroidite, and pearlite has been studied in a series of irons, Fe-C alloys, and plain-carbon steels using fast heating techniques. In the absence of carbide, austenite nucleates at ferrite/ferrite grain boundaries; nucleation is followed by the rapid growth characteristic of a massive transfornation. The trarnsformation occurs at 950°C at heating rates of 106º C per sec and cannot be suppressed. Metastable carbide dissolves before austenite forms and does not influence the transformation kinetics. For spheroidite structures, austenite nucleates preferentially at the jinction between carbides and ferrite grain boundaries. Growth from these centers proceeds until the carbide is completely enveloped; subsequent growth occurs by carbon diffusion through the austenite envelope. For pearlite structures, austenite nucleates preferentially at pearlite colony intersections. Carbide la)?zellae dissolve at the advancing austenite interface but complete solution of carbide does not occur; the residtial carbide is eventually dissolvled or spheroid-ized depending on the carbon cuntent. The magnitude and temperature dependence of the austenite growth rate into Fe-C pearlite when incomplete carbide dissolution is assumed are satisfactorily explained by an approximate colume diffusion model. The impurities present in plain-carbon steel reduce the growth rate of austenite in comparison to that jound in an Fe-C alloy. The formation of austenite has been studied in much less detail than the decomposition of austenite. This is primarily a result of the importance of harden-ability in determining the mechanical properties of steel. Recently, more interest in the kinetics of austenite formation has resulted from the discovery by Grange1 that rapid heating techniques strengthen steel by refining the austenite grain size. Although the strengthening effect is not large, it is accompanied by no loss in ductility. In addition, interest continues in rapid heat treatment of low-carbon steel sheet for tin plate applications.2,3 Among the few systematic studies of austenite formation are the early work of Roberts and Mehl4 on formation of austenite from pearlite and recent work of Molinder5 and of Judd and paxton6 on formation of austenite from spheroidite. Also, Boedtker and Duwez7 and Haworth and paar8 have recently studied the formation of austenite from ferrite in relatively pure iron, Kidin et al.9,10 have studied the formation of austenite in 8 pct Cr steels, and Paxton has recently discussed various aspects of austenite formation in steels." The present work was undertaken to determine the kinetics of austenite formation for a variety of starting structures including ferrite, ferrite plus metastable carbide, ferrite plus spheroidal cementite, and ferrite plus pearlitic cementite. Emphasis was placed on determining the active sites for austenite nucleation, determining the temperature and time range of austenite formation, and in the case of pearlite a careful study of the growth rate of austenite was made in the absence and presence of impurities. By using a variety of heating techniques including laser-pulse heating, it has been possible to study austenite formation in an isothermal fashion over a wide range of temperatures. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The alloys studied in the present work are a zone-refined iron with 4 pprn C, an Fe-C alloy with 130 pprn C, 2 Fe-C alloys with 0.77 and 0.96 wt pct C, and a plain carbon steel with 0.96 wt pct C. The zone-refined iron and Fe-C alloys contained 60 pprn and 200 pprn total substitutional impurities, respectively. The plain carbon steel contained 2400 pprn Si, 2000 pprn Mn, and 900 pprn Cr. Various heat treatments were given to these alloys to produce different starting structures of equiaxed ferrite, ferrite plus metastable carbide, fine pearlite, and spheroidite. These heat treatments are given in Table I. A wide range of heating rates were employed in this work because many of the reactions occur so quickly at temperatures in the austenite range that they are completed during the initial heating cycle unless very fast heating rates are used. Essentially the same heating techniques employed by Speich et a1.12 and Speich and Fisher13 were used in this work. For time intervals of 2 sec to 20 hr, simple hand immersion of 0.010-in. thick specimens in a Pb-Bi bath was employed. These specimens were quenched in a 10 pct NaC1, 2 pct NaOH aqueous bath. For time intervals of 100 m-sec to 2 sec, an automatic dunking and quenching device was employed with 0.002-in. thick specimens. Again, liquid Pb-Bi baths were used for a heating medium but now helium gas quenching was employed. For time intervals of 2 to 100 m-sec a laser heating device was employed with 0.002-in. thick specimens; a helium plus fine water-droplet spray was now used for quenching. Additional information on heating times shorter than 2 m-sec was obtained by study of the zones around the centrally heated laser spot. Here diffusion of heat from the centrally heated zone raises the temperature of the specimen locally to all temperatures between ambient and the peak temperature, but for times of the order of microseconds. All the heat-treated specimens were examined by

Jan 1, 1970

By C. E. Birchenall, H. M. Schadel

Vapor pressure of silver over silver-gold alloys has been measured over a range of temperatures for four compositions. Orifice effusion has been compared with electromotive force measurement as a means for determining thermodynamic activities in these solid metallic alloys. Correlated activity coefficients are given for silver-gold alloys for the temperature range 200' to 1000°C. SOUND development of a technique for the measurement of some property of matter requires a comparison with other recognized procedures which have been used to measure the same property. Such a check is especially useful if the assumptions on which the applications stand are basically different for the two methods. Agreement in the results tends to confirm both sets of assumptions. The electromotive force method for determining thermodynamic activities depends upon the reversibility of the electrode processes and a knowledge of the valence states involved. The orifice effusion technique of determining vapor pressures requires that certain mean free path conditions be met, that the state of association of the vapor be known, and that efficient collection of vapors be maintained. Thus the requirements are quite different in nature. Although procedures often exist by which the fulfillment of these conditions may be tested internally, agreement of thermodynamic activities for a single system obtained by both methods constitutes a more severe test of the assumptions. The binary alloy system silver-gold is excellent for this purpose for several series of emf measure-

Jan 1, 1954

By T. M. Gurr

The United States is the world's leading producer of phosphate rock. In 1975 according to the US Bureau of Mines' statistics, 44.3 million tonnes (48.8 million st) of phosphate rock were produced in the United States, 1 which is 40.6% of the world's production.2 The major phosphate producing areas of the United States are located in Fig. 1 and the production for 1975 is listed as follows:

Jan 6, 1979

By Hans M. Ewoldsen

The generation and evaluation of solutions to body force problems is of extreme interest to the geotechnical profession, as all natural stress states must necessarily include some contribution from the weight of the material. In this chapter the elastic solution for the stress field around a circular, horizontal tunnel at an arbitrary depth beneath the surface of a half-space is reexamined. The influences of body force, initial stress, and free surface proximity are examined and related to in-situ cases. The solution as presented deals only with an isotropically elastic medium; this medium is further considered only in a half-space configuration. It is readily apparent that these restrictions impose severe limitations if analogies are attempted with in-situ cases where geologic discontinuities, inhomogeneities, and irregular boundaries exist. The question might be raised as to the propriety of geotechnically oriented researchers even considering such idealized conditions. There is, however, much to be gained from study of such solutions. The lack of geologic discontinuities and inhomogeneities allows the investigator to separate and leisurely examine such parameters as are included in the solution, without worry of interrelationships of a host of other parameters. Further, elastic solutions have had extensive usage prior to the development of such techniques as the finite-element solution. It is interesting to compare body force solutions with the external field solutions which in the past have been used for design purposes. Finally, the exact solution may be used to verify the accuracy of the finite-element type of solution. The mathematical solution on which this chapter is based was originally developed by R. D. Mindlin.l Because of the complexity and length of the solution, no attempt was made to determine the resultant stress fields until the advent of the present-day high-speed digital computer. How-

Jan 1, 1972

By Louis Bender

AFTER investigating the work of coal-dust fired reverberatories of the Canadian Copper Co., at Copper Cliff, Ontario, the management of the Washoe Reduction Works decided to experiment with and ascertain the advantages of using coal dust as a fuel in their reverberatories. Consequently, during the month of June, 1914, reverberatory furnace No. 8 was changed in order to use powdered coal as a fuel. The results obtained by this method of firing are gratifying and show a decided saving in cost of smelting as compared to grate firing with lump coal. The furnace, as remodeled; is 124 ft. long by 21 ft. wide, and varies in height from 8 ft. 6 in. at the back end to 5 ft. 7 in. at the skimming end. The general construction of the furnace is similar to that of the other furnaces at this plant. There are no side doors to this furnace, as it was thought that with the present arrangement for feeding no "fettling" or "claying" would be required. The interior of the furnace can be inspected through the burner port holes, after shutting off the burners and giving a few seconds' time for the gases inside the furnace to clear away. The charging is done on either side of the furnace from longitudinal hoppers, extending a distance of 74 ft. from the back end of the furnace. Leading from the hoppers into the furnace are 6-in. pipes, spaced 194 in. apart, through which the charge is intermittently dropped. The charge is kept well above the slag line at all times; in this way the side walls are protected and no fettling is needed on this portion of the furnace. The remainder of the furnace requires fettling. After operating for three months, we found that the bricks were eaten into along each side wall from the skimming door back to the point where the charge had been dropped. The depth of this cutting away was 8 in. close to the front end and gradually tapered to zero at a distance of 50 ft., and was greatest on the side of the furnace having the larger flue connection. Hoppers will be put in for the entire length of furnace, from which fettling material will be dropped, to prevent this cutting.

Jan 1, 1915