Search Documents

By J. W. Halley, G. L. Plimpton

BECAUSE of the two distinct stages in the solidification of rimmed steel, segregation in the rimmed ingot is more complex than that in the killed or semikilled ingot. In the earlier stage, chemical reactions, resulting in evolution of gas and vigorous stirring of the metal, effect a degree of negative segregation unique to rimmed steel. The composition of this zone constitutes the principal quality advantage of this type of steel. In the later stage of solidification, after the evolution of gas has ceased, the segregation follows the general pattern of a more completely deoxidized steel. However, the composition of the liquid remaining after the first solidification stage varies markedly from that of the original melt, some constituents having been partially removed as reaction products while the concentration of others has been intensified by rejection from the metal solidifying in the first zone. The aim, from the standpoint of segregation, in rimmed steel of high quality is to effect a maximum negative segregation in the rim zone without excessive concentration of undesirable elements at the center of the ingot. To achieve this aim, the composition of the melt may be varied and the furnace and pouring practice may be adjusted within certain limits. It is the purpose of this study to discuss segregation in rimmed steel from the standpoint of the mechanisms that produce it and to survey the phases of open-hearth practice that influence those mechanisms. MECHANISMS PRODUCING SEGREGATION The mechanisms that determine the degree of segregation in the rimmed ingot are closely interrelated, making it difficult to select the primary factors and to determine a satisfactory order for presenting them. For instance, the question of sulphur segregation is relatively simple, since sulphur is not directly involved in chemical reactions in the ingot; but its concentration in the rim zone is dependent not only on its original analysis in the melt, its segregation coefficient, and the freezing rate, but also on the rate of its removal from the impure film on the solidifying surface. This washing action involves all the factors (such as freezing rate, the carbon-oxygen product, pressure, etc.) that determine the rate of gas evolution and hence the efficiency of film removal. Sulphur distribution between the rim and core is affected by the volumetric ratio between the two zones, and its segregation in the core is a function not only of the freezing rate of the core but also of all the foregoing factors that determine its concentration in the metal when solidification of the core starts. To simplify the presentation, it is proposed to treat the mechanisms affecting segregation independently in this section, reserving a discussion of their over-all effects for the section in which actual segregation data are given. The factors affecting segregation will be treated in the following order: (I) differential solidification, (2) removal of constituents as

Jan 1, 1944

By F. M. Stewart

A paper by Hurst and van Ever-dingen in 1949 led to the practical solution of many nonsteady-state flow problems.' Subsequently, applications of this material have been discussed by several authors. The purpose of this note is to outline a simplified direct procedure for water-influx pressure predictions for pressures above the bubble point. The prcposed procedure is unique in that after the "time-conversion factor" and the "influx constant" are obtained, predictions are made without trial and error. The elimination of trial and error is made possible by expressing certain PVT characteristics as explicit functions of pressure. The procedure is applicable to fields producing at pressures above the bubble point and under radial water drive from an infinite aquifer. In the usual applications it is required to predict (1) withdrawals given future pressure history or (2) reservoir pressure, given future withdrawals or production. The theory, assumptions and conditions under which the nonsteady-state solutions hold are covered in the references and are not repeated. The simplified direct procedure outlined here has been developed from published solutions for the so-called "pressure case". A similar direct procedure for the same special conditions has been developed for the "rate case"; however, in this instance the procedure is lengthy and offers no advantage over the trial-and-error solution. Consequently, this paper covers only the procedure based on the pressure case. DISCUSSION Under the pressure case prediction of withdrawals from a water-drive field, given the future pressure history, involves the use of a nonsteady-state water-influx term together with the material balance equation. The solution of a particular problem requires the following steps: (1) division of past pressure and production data into equal time intervals; (2) computation of cumulative water influx vs pressure drop for each time interval of past history using the material balance equation; (3) determination of the best values for the "time-conversion factor" and the "influx constant" by equating the nonsteady-state influx term with the influx computed in Step 2 (this requires a trial-and-error procedure); (4) prediction of influx for a given pressure drop using the influx term and the computed factors from Step 3; and (5) calculation of fluids produced using the predicted influx in the material balance equation. A forecast of the water-oil ratio or water production rate is required to complete the calculation. It is assumed that a reliable estimate of original oil in place is available, as well as the production and pressure history, and data on reservoir fluid characteristics. If the original oil in place is unknown, it may be computed simultaneously with the tinie-conversion influx factors2,3. However, the oil in place so computed may be considerably in error3; consequently, it is usually preferable to use oil in place estimated from pore-volume data unless there is considerable doubt as to its accuracy. The Material Balance Equation Above the Bubble Point Above the bubble point the simpli-

By E. V. Crane

A tremendous volume of the metal rolled annually into sheets strips and coil stock finds its way to a host of stamping and manufacturing plants which are the quantity production units of the country. Considerable in volume, too, are the rolled and extruded rods which go into forging and manufacturing plants for conversion into the same general line: those widely sold metallic necessities and luxuries of the household, the office, transportation, farming and building construction. Yet, in spite of its age and its importance, the stamping trade has been doing its "engineering" largely by trial and error. Its distinctive method is shearing out and plastically working metal to finished shape in a few quick strokes with high loads and expensive tools which are warranted only by large quantities to be produced. The principal operations have many features In common with rolling and wire-drawing methods. Combinations of stresses are diffcrent, however, and details of operations are infinite in variety. An engineering study of the subject begins with stress analysis, but must go back to metallurgy for its foundation. A grouping of pressed-metal working operations according to whether the metal is (1) sheared, (2) bent, (3) drawn or (4) squeezed has proved useful. All of these groups include instances of both hot and cold operations. For discussions of metal working properties, the division between hot and cold working is taken as the recrystallization range of temperature. This, of course, brings tin, lead and often zinc into the hot-work range at or near room temperature. The outstanding hot-working press field is in forging: particularly of brass; all of which is included in the squeezing group. Shearing Operations The shearing group of operations, including blanking, piercing, trimming, shaving, slitting, shearing, notching, parting and numerous variations and combinations of these enters once or more into the production schedule of practically every stamped or forged article. The transverse stress, set up in shearing, as shown in Fig. 1A, is a combination of an angular compressive thrust and a tensile stress which is also at an

Jan 1, 1931

By Tony B. Szwilski, K. Unrug

INTRODUCTION Since the introduction of longwall coal mining systems, reliable predictions of roof support requirements at the face and the roof caveability in the gob area have been major contributors to the success of the longwall face by means of safety and face productivity. That is, the successful operation of a longwall is well-served by good regular caving of the gob. In recent times, with the advent of increased coal face mechanization and capital investment, the evaluation of the feasibility of longwall mining has become essential. In the United States, where a face unit for a face length of about 150 metres may cost around $6 million, a quantitative system that would assist in selecting the best equipment for the coal would prove extremely beneficial. There have been many such varied investigations in the past few years. A vast -amount of work has been invested principally by West Germany [3, 7, 8, 91 , Poland [I, 101 , United Kingdom [4, 5, lo], France [4], and South Africa [4]. It is the object of this paper to review this previous research work and give an outline that may be used as guidelines for long- wall evaluation. Essentially, for the initial design phase for a longwall system, account must be taken of the geometry of the coal panel, its position relative to the surface (depth), direction of the coal cleat system, faults and in-situ stresses and other neighboring workings in the same coal seam and other seams both above and below. The advance of the coal panel disturbs the stress field and in doing so creates an abutment zone around the face. At this stage the condition of homogeneity of the surrounding rock mass does not apply. The magnitude of the rock strata pressure may exceed the ultimate strength of the rocks and create zones of clastic, plastic and elastic material, the limits of which are difficult to determine. The collapse of the gob and resulting expansion of the displaced waste roof rock, create a statically undefined support complicating an already unclear rock structure. For example, it is often a point of debate whether, indeed, the vertical strata pressure develops to regain the original magnitude of virgin stress. Under these post-failure circumstances an analytical approach based on simplified and idealized assumptions can only be considered a very general approximation. Theoretical concepts, however, may be adequately supplemented by empirical methods that are based on numerous underground observations and surveys [3, 4, 7, 8]. These methods employ the use of rock indices that very handily correspond to the competence of the roof rock mass. Scale model work [3, 41 , using equivalent materials representing the surrounding rock mass within the coal seam zone, have given valuable qualitative and sometimes quantitative data in addressing the behaviour of the rock mass around longwall panels. To characterize the state of art of caveability predictioqthe principal concepts will be reviewed with special emphasis placed on practicality for the planning of longwall operation. It has been the general observation of the authors that many of the literature surveys published in English often neglect reference to other international mining literature. It is with this point in mind that an overall review has been written including mining concepts identified with the principal coal mining countries. THEORETICAL CONCEPTS Arching Theory For the development of this theory, assumption has been made that an extracted height, h, in a coal seam results in an extracted panel of width, w . Also, the coal seam is horizontal and the rock strata of both the roof and floor are homogeneous. The primary (virgin) stress distribution will change in the roof as well as the floor. As a result of lack of support caused by the excavation (in the gob area) an additional load is developed due to the redistribution of the load around the sides of the panel, referred to as the abutment, R, where: [ ]

Jan 1, 1982

By D. A. Thomas, E. S. Meieran

Tungsten wires were examined by transmission electron microscopy after drawing and after high-temperature annealing. Drawn wire consists of highly elongated grains called fibers, whose long axis is parallel to [110]. Each fiber is ribbon-shaped, with the wide dimension of the ribbon parallel to (001) and the narrow dimension parallel to (110). Furthermore, most fibers are bent about [I10] and twisted along their length. The fibers are divided into cells, which in some cases contain a platelet substructure lying on (110) planes. The misorien-tations of these platelets accumulate to allow the macroscopic twist of the fibers. During annealing, several competing reactions occur, starting at different temperatures and progressing at different rates. Among these processes are fiber-boz~ndary migration, polygonization, dislocation rearrangement, and possibly impurity segregation. The fiber-boundary migration accompanied by the formation of transverse boundaries during polygonization leads to an equiaxed grain structure although recrystal-lization does not occur. There is a relationship between the flow stress of the wires and their average subgrain width in the form sy = s0 + kyd-1/2 . Also, there appears to be a relatio'nship between wire ductility and the formation of transverse boundaries during annealing at about 800°C. THERE have been many investigations of the structures and properties of tungsten wires1-4 due to their commercial importance for use as lamp filaments. The structural studies have so far been limited to optical microscope and replica electron-microscope studies. due to the difficulty of .-me- paring from wires thin foils which can be examined by transmission electron microscopy. However, this difficulty has been recently overcome,5 and it is now possible to examine tungsten wires by transmission electron microscopy as well as by other techniques. In this paper, the structure of drawn tungsten wire is described, as are the changes in the structure during high-temperature annealing. Some discussion of the relationship between structures and properties is also given. EXPERIMENTAL MATERIALS AND PROCEDURES Commercial 0.030-in.-diam doped tungsten wires drawn at progressively decreasing temperatures between about 1400° and about 800°C were examined. The composition, mechanical properties, and optical microstructures are described in detail elsewhere.' All experimental materials were vacuum-annealed for 10 ot 30 min at temperatures at 100°C intervals between 700° and 2000°C. Specimens were thinned for examination in the Siemens Elmiskop I electron microscope by the method of Meieran and Thomas.5 STRUCTURE OF AS-DRAWN WIRE The optical microstructure of as-drawn tungsten wire has been described by Peck and Thomas.7 They observed that wire in longitudinal section consists of highly elongated grains called fibers whose width varies between 1 and 10 µ, while in transverse section the fibers appear to be elliptical in cross section and bent about their common [110] wire axis. They explained this unusual appearance as being due to the drawing of a bcc material with a [110] texture, and predicted that the wide and narrow planes of the fiber cross section would be parallel to (001) and (110), respectively. The fibers apparently bend about the [110] axis during drawing to maintain grain boundary continuity during drawing. Transmission electron microscopy offers a way of checking these predictions as well as providing a more detailed picture of the wire structure. Figs. 1, 2, and 3 are typical electron micrographs of

Jan 1, 1965

By Ralph Arnold

SOUTH of Havana, there is a geanticline that extends from Madruga to Bejucal. The older formations outcrop in the. east and gradually go under until in the Bejucal region the entire geological column lies below the surface, with the Nazareno formation at the top. The well we are now drilling is located at the deepest part of the section. I think there is a good chance to obtain oil, for the conditions are like those in the Santa Maria field in California. In both places asphalt occurs in the upper shales in the form of dikes that break through the older formations. The drilling in the Santa Maria field was brought about by the evidence offered by the asphalt deposit, which overlaid the oilfields. Detailed geologic work in both fields discloses pretty well defined domes with minor faults. Between Madruga and Bejucal, the San Francisco formation has come, to the surface in a dome and still farther east there are other domes near the base of the formation in which the Madruga chalk is the surface rock. The Bejucal dome was selected for drilling because, it gave the greatest evidence of petroleum in the form of asphalt and because it offered three chances of striking oil in the three possible oil horizons below the top of the Nazareno formation. The hole is now 2600 ft. deep and has shown considerable gas and some oil. The lowest gas sand will probably yield from 2,000,000 to 3,000,000 cu. ft. per day. Very heavy mud has been used in drilling this hole and this has held back gas and oil indications.

Jan 3, 1925

By Wm. R. Dotson

Forty years ago the atom was split and the Age of Fission dawned. Uranium was the element used in this earth-shaking accomplishment. Thitherto almost unknown to the man in the street, uranium soon became widely and persistently sought. And the quest for this unique material is not likely to diminish during this century. To find is one thing; to own is another. Who owns uranium in the ground? Where no mineral rights in the land have been severed by devise, grant, reservation or lease, the uranium belongs to the fee simple owner of the land. But where there has been a conveyance or reservation of all or part of the "minerals", determining WHAT a substance is has been the traditional way of determining WHO owns it. What, then, is this element called uranium? The 1907 edition of Watts Dictionary of Chemistry calls it "a lustrous, hard, silver-white metal". Of nature's three prime divisions it falls within the embrace of the mineral kingdom - substances neither animal nor vegetable. In its natural state uranium always is combined with other elements or substances in the form of an ore mineral. May we, then, put to rest any doubt or question as to the nature of uranium and classify it for all purposes, including that of ownership, as mineral? Not quite! That self-same logic would find oil and gas primly ensconced in the animal or vegetable kingdom. Technically, oil and gas are not minerals but legally they have been classified as such. Why? The Supreme Court of Tennessee sought the answer in 1897 in the case of Murray v. Allard, 43 S.W. 355. After citing authorities pro and con, and while admitting their origin to be "decomposition of marine or vegetable organises" that court firmly concluded that since they were obtained by a form of mining, oil and gas were minerals. From the above example two elementary truths emerge. First, for purposes of ownership, uranium is and will be whatever the courts say it is. Secondly, the courts historically and currently favor a practical rather than technical test to determine the "mineral" character of a substance. So now we turn to the jurisprudence for enlightenment and definition. EARLY CASES ALLOT URANIUM TO MINERAL OWNERS Two early cases involving the ownership of uranium followed what had been well-settled mineral within the meaning of the conveyances involved, confirming ownership in the mineral owners. In 1956 the U. S. District Court for New Mexico in the case of New Mexico and Arizona Land Company v. Elkins, 137 F. Supp. 767, appeal dism'd 239 F.2d 645 (10th Cir. 1956), found that a 1946 deed reservation of "all oil, gas and minerals underlying or appurtenant to said lands" included uranium and thorium. The court reasoned that uranium and thorium, being minerals within the scientific, geological and practical meaning of the term, would certainly constitute minerals within the purview of the reservation. While agreeing that uranium and thorium were "minerals", defendants argued that at the tine of execution of the conveyance it could not have been the intention of the parties to reserve them because they had no commercial value in the locality and were, in fact, not known to there exist until their later discovery in 1950. The court re¬jected, as a matter of law, this "lack of knowledge" theory citing the Supreme Court of Kentucky holding in Maynard v. McHenry, 113 S.W. 2d 13, that: "The mere fact that a particular mineral has not been discovered in the vicinity of the land conveyed or is unknown at the time the deed is executed rules of construction and held that uranium was a does not alter the rule . . ." that a grant or exception of "mineral" in a deed includes all mineral substances which can be taken from the land unless restrictive language is used indicating that the parties contemplated something less general than all substances legally cognizable as minerals. Further, argued the defendants, the only feasible mining procedure for such substances was open pit or strip mining, which would destroy the value of the land for grazing or agriculture. Finding that the language of the reservation was clear and unambiguous, the court would not permit the admission of extrinsic evidence as to mining procedures required. Elkins is the first uranium case construing the granting clause involved. In 1958 the Texas Court of Civil Appeals at San Antonio, in Cain v. Neuman, 316 S.W. 2d 915, no writ, held that a 1918 lease conveying "all of the oil, gas, coal and other minerals in and under" the land involved covered uranium. The lease provided a royalty of 1/10th on "other minerals." "We find no Texas precedent which discusses uranium," said the court, "but the usual arguments that uranium is not embraced within a lease are that the ejusden generis rule excludes uranium from the meaning of the lease

Jan 1, 1979

By Alan Probert

IN his inaugural address in 1949, President Truman made a policy declaration which launched the foreign technical assistance program known to the world as Point Four. Congress passed Public Law 535 defining the scope of the program and holding activities to certain limitations. It also provided $34.5 million for the first fiscal year. The Technical Cooperation Administration was established within the Department of State to coordinate and direct a program to include "economic, engineering, medical, educational, agricultural, fishery, mineral and fiscal surveys, demonstration, training and similar projects." The mineral programs of Point Four have been staffed and managed by two agencies of the Department of Interior, the Geological Survey and the Bureau of Mines. The Geological Survey is concerned primarily with water-supply problems, the discovery of mineral deposits, and the determination of habit, shape, and grade of mineral deposits. The Bureau of Mines is concerned with determining the commercial potentialities of mineral deposits, mineral technology, and the production and distribution of mineral commodities. Mineral projects comprised only 1 pet of the first year's budget. In spite of the relatively insignificant expenditure compared to those for food, agriculture, and health, a commendable record has been achieved.

Jan 1, 1952

By H. F. A. Hergt, K. L. Sutherland, J. Rogers

In 1938 Ralston4 reviewed the many attempts to find a satisfactory collector for the separation of cassiterite from its ores and in 1944 Dean and Ambrose2 summarized some further attempts. Generally, soaps and amines are effective but nonselective collectors. We have discovered that reagents containing either the polar group — SO4- or — SO3- are excellent collectors for cassiterite and promise to be selective. The response to these reagents of cassiterite and of minerals commonly associated with it was studied, using the captive-bubble technique. Using these fundamental data, the practicability of separation and concentration of tin was investigated by flotation tests in a 2000-gram Denver cell. Experimental Methods Reagents All inorganic reagents were of Analar grade. The preparation and purification of sodium cetyl sulphate, cetyl trimethyl-ammonium bromide, laurylamine and cetylamine have been previously described.5 The other collectors were commercial surface-active agents, which were used without purification. Tests Captive-bubble Tests and Cylinder Flotation Tests have been previously de- scribed.5,10 The full lines shown in the figures relating solution composition to contact (flotation) distinguish solutions in which contact (flotation) is possible from those in which it is not. The curve is derived by successive approximation and the accuracy is ±0.2 pH units and ± 5 mg. per liter of collector or depressant. Solution compositions for which it was shown experimentally that contact or flotation is possible are marked by a circle, those for which it is not possible, by a cross, and those for which it is doubtful by a cross within a circle. It is assumed that at all other solution compositions within (without) the curve, contact or flotation is possible (not possible). After testing in the collector solution, the mineral was removed, washed, and tested by the captive-bubble method in water, or floated in a cylinder with frother only. In this way the composition of solutions in which a mineral was conditioned but in which properties of the collector solution prevented contact or flotation can be defined. The composition of solutions in which conditioning was possible lie between the full and broken curve, and the experimental results are indicated by a square. The curves show the limits of composition of solutions in which flotation in a cell would be possible but many factors other than those considered in these the determine recovery and grade of a given mineral in practice. Flotation Tests in 500 and 2000-gram Denver SUbmachines,—Melboume tap water, containing 12 parts calcium, 6 parts

Jan 1, 1947

By J. Rogers, H. F. A. Hergt, K. L. Sutherland

In 1938 Ralston4 reviewed the many attempts to find a satisfactory collector for the separation of cassiterite from its ores and in 1944 Dean and Ambrose2 summarized some further attempts. Generally, soaps and amines are effective but nonselective collectors. We have discovered that reagents containing either the polar group — SO4- or — SO3- are excellent collectors for cassiterite and promise to be selective. The response to these reagents of cassiterite and of minerals commonly associated with it was studied, using the captive-bubble technique. Using these fundamental data, the practicability of separation and concentration of tin was investigated by flotation tests in a 2000-gram Denver cell. Experimental Methods Reagents All inorganic reagents were of Analar grade. The preparation and purification of sodium cetyl sulphate, cetyl trimethyl-ammonium bromide, laurylamine and cetylamine have been previously described.5 The other collectors were commercial surface-active agents, which were used without purification. Tests Captive-bubble Tests and Cylinder Flotation Tests have been previously de- scribed.5,10 The full lines shown in the figures relating solution composition to contact (flotation) distinguish solutions in which contact (flotation) is possible from those in which it is not. The curve is derived by successive approximation and the accuracy is ±0.2 pH units and ± 5 mg. per liter of collector or depressant. Solution compositions for which it was shown experimentally that contact or flotation is possible are marked by a circle, those for which it is not possible, by a cross, and those for which it is doubtful by a cross within a circle. It is assumed that at all other solution compositions within (without) the curve, contact or flotation is possible (not possible). After testing in the collector solution, the mineral was removed, washed, and tested by the captive-bubble method in water, or floated in a cylinder with frother only. In this way the composition of solutions in which a mineral was conditioned but in which properties of the collector solution prevented contact or flotation can be defined. The composition of solutions in which conditioning was possible lie between the full and broken curve, and the experimental results are indicated by a square. The curves show the limits of composition of solutions in which flotation in a cell would be possible but many factors other than those considered in these the determine recovery and grade of a given mineral in practice. Flotation Tests in 500 and 2000-gram Denver SUbmachines,—Melboume tap water, containing 12 parts calcium, 6 parts

Jan 1, 1947

By Eugene N. Cameron

Graphite is the hexagonal form of crystal-line carbon. It is found in nature locally as tabular crystals but occurs mostly as disseminated flakes, foliated, platy, or fibrous masses, or microcrystalline compact to earthy material. Graphite is characterized by its gray to black color, metallic luster, black streak, perfect basal cleavage, softness (H = 1-2) and unctuous feel. It is sectile and flexible and has a specific gravity of 2.1 to 2.3. It is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity and is inert to ordinary chemical reagents. It melts at a temperature of about 3500°C and vaporizes at a temperature of about 4500°C. In the presence of oxygen it oxidizes to CO2 in the temperature range 600° to 700°C, but it is stable at ordinary temperature and markedly resistant to chemical weathering. Although some natural graphite is nearly 100 pct pure carbon, most contains mechanical impurities of various kinds; quartz, biotite, muscovite, pyrite, iron oxides, and feldspars are the most common. Commercial graphite products have a wide range of graphite content, but the better grades contain 80 pct graphite or more. Both natural and manufactured (artificial) graphite are used in industry. Natural graphite products are divided into two broad categories based on grain size. Graphite composed of visible crystals is called "crystalline" graphite, whereas graphite so fine-grained that it is not visibly crystalline is termed "amorphous." The distinction is arbitrary, for all natural graphite is crystalline, and all gradations between the two commercial categories are known. Within the two categories the terminology used in industry is confusing and not entirely consistent. Crystalline graphite comes from two principal types of sources. The first consists of rocks containing disseminated flakes of graphite. This source yields the "flake graphite" of industry. The second comprises vein deposits of graphite, of which those in Ceylon are the most important and furnish the Ceylon graphite of industry. Amorphous graphite comes from any of a variety of sources, including some of those that yield crystalline graphite. Manufactured graphite is made by electric furnace processes, mostly from petroleum coke. Occurrence and Distribution of Graphite Deposits GENERAL Graphite is widely distributed in nature, occurring in igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks, and even in nickel-iron meteorites. Graphite deposits of economic interest, however, occur mostly in metamorphic terranes. Five principal geologic types of deposits are recognized: 1. Deposits consisting of flake graphite disseminated in metamorphosed siliceous sediments. 2. Deposits consisting of flake graphite disseminated in marbles. 3. Deposits formed by thermal or dynamothermal metamorphism of coal or other highly carbonaceous sediments. 4. Vein deposits of the Ceylon type. 5. Contact metasomatic or hydrothermal deposits in marble. DEPOSITS IN METAMORPHOSED SILICEOUS SEDIMENTS Deposits consisting of flake graphite disseminated in metamorphosed siliceous sedi-

Jan 1, 1960

By Robert Bosworth

THE liability for damages to the surface caused by subsidence is an ever present threat in all underground mining. In ordinary lode mining, this threat rarely materializes into an action, due to the method of mining metalliferous ores, the dip of the veins, and the nature of the ground itself. In the mining of coal, however, this threat is very real. The coal frequently lies close to the surface, in beds underlying large areas of land of which the surface is suitable for: agricultural or urban development. Furthermore, the coal is generally mined by the "room and pillar" method and when the pillars of coal are removed, the subjacent support is destroyed. This question of the duty of surface support has now become a very live one in Colorado. What was waste prairie land a few years ago has become valuable agricultural land dotted here and there with growing towns. Frequent references will' be made here to Colorado conditions and adjudicated cases, but those conditions and cases and the conclusions to be drawn therefrom are applicable to all coal-mining states. Briefly stated, the question is "Does the owner of the substrata or underlying mineral owe any duty of surface support to the owner of the superjacent strata or surface?" There is no absolute duty of support owed by the mineral owner and this assertion is made with full knowledge of numerous expressions to the contrary by courts of Pennsylvania, Illinois, Colorado and other coal-mining states. Whether or not any duty exists depends upon the circumstances surrounding each case, and since in the nature of things those circumstances are rarely identical, there can be no absolute rule.

Jan 1, 1928

The Honor Roll includes the names of all members of the Institute Whom we know to have been on active military duty it the date of compilation, Mar. 5, 1919. Despite our efforts to have this list accurate and complete, some of our members who have been rendering military service are probably left off because of the fact that we have not been informed of their military connection. The list of men in military service has been compiled with great difficulty owing to the modesty of the members, who in their patriotism began their service but neglected to send us notice. In 1918, We published a separate Honor Roll of the Institute in which we included a list entitled "On active duty in other departments of the service" which contained the names of members who were rendering important emergency service to the Government other than in the Army. This list is entirely omitted this year because any list We might compile for this purpose would be entirely inadequate and must inevitably do injustice to a large number of our members who have been devoting great time and making many sacrifices for the benefit of the government along lines not within our ken. It is not too much to say that almost all our membership in this country has been, more or less directly, doing its uttermost for the successful prosecu¬tion of the war. The active work of many of these members we are Well aware of, as is also the rest of the civilized world. Faithful and wholehearted efforts on the part of many other members we have not been informed of, so that any list would be both incomplete and unsatisfactory.

Jan 1, 1923

By Barbara A. Thompson

A previously reported high-resolution method for the location of boron-rich areas in metallurgical and biological specimens was been adapted for general use on a routine basis. The rnetlzod utilizes neutron activation and autoradiograpizy. Alpha-particles emitted by boron nuclei upon neutron capture are recorded on a photographic emulsion. The resulting a-particle tracks show the location of boron-rich areas. Experimental techniques, interferences, and limitations of the method are discussed in detail. The method is most useful where there is marked segregation of boron. In this type of sample, the segregation can be observed when the nominal boron concentration is as low as 0.0006 pct. THE positive identification and location of boron-rich areas in metals is frequently of great interest in metallurgical work. Unequivocal identification is often difficult to make by conventional metallo-graphic methods. Recently, a method has been described which accomplishes this objective by neutron activation and autoradiography.l-3 The method can be described briefly as follows. Upon neutron capture, a -particles are emitted by boron nuclei according to the following reaction: ,Blo + n - ,a4 + 3Li7 + 2.4 mev The energy is dissipated as kinetic energy of the products. By irradiating a boron-containing sample in contact with a photographic emulsion and subsequently developing this emulsion, a-particle tracks are obtained whose location corresponds to the location of boron-rich areas in the sample. Two factors combine to make the reaction extremely specific for boron. The first is the unusually high (755 barns) cross section of boron for thermal neutron capture. The second is the higher neutron energy required to produce (n, a ) reactions in essentially all other nuclei except lithium. These two factors make the method specific for boron by six to seven orders of magnitude when a predominantly thermal neutron source such as the Brookhaven reactor is used. The reported limit of detection of this method is of the order of 0.01 pct B., The present work was originally undertaken to determine whether this limit could be lowered by use of a thinner emulsion. However, initial experiments showed that in order to use the method at all, it was necessary to reestablish the optimum experimental conditions in terms of the available irradiation facilities. It is the purpose of this paper to describe these experimental conditions in detail, to discuss the factors influencing sensitivity, and to evaluate several techniques for increasing sensitivity. EXPERIMENTAL A) Preliminary Experiments—The first measure-ments were made using samples of crystal oriented silicon steel containing various concentrations of boron. In the later experiments, samples of various high-temperature alloys such as M-252, hcoloy 901, Nichrome V, and so forth, were used. Faraggi, et al.,2 reported that the lower limit of sensitivity in this type of sample was about 0.01 pct B using nuclear emulsions of 50- u thickness. but that it should be possible to extend this limit by the use of thinner emulsions. Accordingly, we first used Kodak Auto-radiographic Stripping Film (Permeable Base) which has an emulsion thickness of only 5 µ. This was mounted on the metallographic specimens according to the technique described by Boyd.4 The emulsion remained in contact with the metal surface throughout exposure and development. Since the emulsion is transparent after development, the autoradiograph and metal surface can be viewed simultaneously and any correlation between film blackening and structure of the metal can be made directly with no problems of realignment. Because the silicon steel is readily attacked by moisture alone, it was necessary to apply a protective coating to the metal surfaces before mounting the emulsion. The coating was made extremely thin in order to absorb as few a-particles as possible. Boyd4 and Gomberg5 have discussed various plastics used for this purpose; however, none was sufficiently impermeable to prevent chemical attack of the steel during the developing process. This attack resulted in the production of gross chemical artifacts in the emulsion. It was, therefore, necessary to use the method of Wolfsberg and John6 as follows. A very thin (approximately 1 µ) coating of Plexiglas II was applied by dipping the sample in a 2 pct solution of Plexiglas II in dichloroethylene. Then, because the emulsion will not adhere to Plexiglas 11, a thin coating of Parlodion was applied in a similar manner using 2 pct Parlodion in iso-amyl acetate. No protective coating was necessary with the high-tem-

Jan 1, 1961

Jan 1, 1965

By A. A. Beard

ABOUT three years ago, I. L. Dunn, of Marietta, Ohio, found that wells could be cleaned by blowing with compressed air; this method has been used with great success on many wells in the Marietta, Ohio, district, where compressed air is being used to increase production, by forcing oil through the depleted sands. About a year ago, the process was successfully used to clean out wells in the Lenapah pool in Oklahoma, where an air plant had been installed, under the supervision of I. L. Dunn. Wells from 900 to 1000 ft. deep, with 40 ft. of sand and cavings in them, were cleaned out in from two to three days. The use of this process had, so far, been limited to properties using the Smith-Dunn process, where compressed air, under suitable pressure and volume, was available. For other properties, a portable compressor seemed essential; this was built and successfully demonstrated by Mr. Dunn, for the Tidal Oil Co. in September, 1924. The process of cleaning out with air has been described.1 It consists of lowering the tubing into the well, with a shoe or nipple of heavy pipe substituted for the perforated anchor on the bottom. Into the tubing, compressed air is introduced through a rotary swivel hose at the top, or by means of swing connections. The tubing is lowered to the top of the cave to be cleaned out, several barrels of water are put into the hole, and the compressed air is turned on. This blows out the material between the casing and the tubing, the tubing being lowered as the material is removed.

Jan 9, 1925

By E. J. Roberts

The theory is developed that the tons ground through a given mesh per day in a wet ball mill is proportional to the percent plus that mesh in contact with the balls and the net power applied to the balls at this point. A grindability test is described. DURING the course of a study of the fundamentals of classification in 1937, the need for a more basic understanding of the action of a ball mill became acute. Unless one knows how classification affects grinding, one cannot hope to effectively improve on classification. The methods of evaluating grinding efficiency that depend on surface developed were studied but soon discarded for two reasons: 1. There was no apparent method which could be generally used to give a reliable figure for the actual new surface developed as a result of grinding. Subsequent papers have not changed this conclusion. 2. The practical evaluation of grinding in the main ore dressing applications was in terms of the percentage retained on a screen which passes 90 to 99 pct of the material and not in terms of surface area. The Probability Theory With the background of our experience in the field of closed-circuit grinding, together with the papers of Lennox,1 Gow,2 Gaudin,8 Fahrenwald,4 Coghill, and others, the approach of the theoretical physicist was then tried. The thought was somewhat as follows: When one grinds in a ball mill, a given expenditure of power leads either to a certain number of point to point blows per hp-hr or to a certain distance of line contact per hp-hr, depending on whether the action of the balls is considered to be cascading or rolling. It is also assumed that the balls actually come together on each blow or during the roll. Then a volume of slurry will be covered per minute which is some function of the size of the particle being considered (see fig. 1). All particles coarser than this size will be reduced through this size. This volume of slurry contains a certain weight of ore, depending on the percent solids and the density of the solids. If we fix the percent solids and the density of the solids and let w be this certain weight of ore in the volume covered, then, in mathematical terms, what we have just postulated is, w —— 8 hp (a) dt If W is the total weight of ore present in the mill, then we can write. W w/8 hp (b) W dt and if C is the cumulative percent plus the size chosen at the start of the time interval dt, w w c/dt W 8 hp x c (c) wc But wc/100 is the weight plus the size chosen which at 100 wc the close of time dt is finer than that size, and W is the decrease in the percent plus of the whole mass of ore or —dC. Then, —W dC/dt 8 hp x C. (d) In other words, the mesh tons ground through a given size per unit of time is proportional to the hp and the percent plus the mesh. A crude analogy would be to picture a 1-ft-wide steam roller going down the road at 1 ft per sec. If we place one egg on the road per square foot, one egg will be smashed per second. If we place a dozen eggs per square foot, a dozen eggs will be crushed per second. Similarly, if all the particles in w are plus the mesh, i.e., C=100, we should have a maximum rate of reduction. If only 10 pct of them are plus the mesh (C=10), we would have only one tenth the maximum rate; if only 1 pct are plus the mesh, the balls have a hard time finding anything to work on. This is where the term "probability theory" comes from. The chances of the balls crushing a particle through a given mesh depends directly on the concentration of particles coarser than this mesh in the general pulp in the mill. Giving W the units of tons and dividing equation (d) through by W, we obtain -dC hp ----- = k---— C [1] dt ton where k is a constant for any one size of particle, density of solid and moisture content of pulp. Eq 1 is the rate equation for a first order reaction and says that the rate of decrease of the percent plus a given mesh with time is directly proportional to the hp per ton applied to the body of ore and to the percent plus the mesh in the ore mass as a whole. Since it is a differential equation, it only

Jan 1, 1951

By E. J. Roberts

The theory is developed that the tons ground through a given mesh per day in a wet ball mill is proportional to the percent plus that mesh in contact with the balls and the net power applied to the balls at this point. A grindability test is described. DURING the course of a study of the fundamentals of classification in 1937, the need for a more basic understanding of the action of a ball mill became acute. Unless one knows how classification affects grinding, one cannot hope to effectively improve on classification. The methods of evaluating grinding efficiency that depend on surface developed were studied but soon discarded for two reasons: 1. There was no apparent method which could be generally used to give a reliable figure for the actual new surface developed as a result of grinding. Subsequent papers have not changed this conclusion. 2. The practical evaluation of grinding in the main ore dressing applications was in terms of the percentage retained on a screen which passes 90 to 99 pct of the material and not in terms of surface area. The Probability Theory With the background of our experience in the field of closed-circuit grinding, together with the papers of Lennox,1 Gow,2 Gaudin,8 Fahrenwald,4 Coghill, and others, the approach of the theoretical physicist was then tried. The thought was somewhat as follows: When one grinds in a ball mill, a given expenditure of power leads either to a certain number of point to point blows per hp-hr or to a certain distance of line contact per hp-hr, depending on whether the action of the balls is considered to be cascading or rolling. It is also assumed that the balls actually come together on each blow or during the roll. Then a volume of slurry will be covered per minute which is some function of the size of the particle being considered (see fig. 1). All particles coarser than this size will be reduced through this size. This volume of slurry contains a certain weight of ore, depending on the percent solids and the density of the solids. If we fix the percent solids and the density of the solids and let w be this certain weight of ore in the volume covered, then, in mathematical terms, what we have just postulated is, w —— 8 hp (a) dt If W is the total weight of ore present in the mill, then we can write. W w/8 hp (b) W dt and if C is the cumulative percent plus the size chosen at the start of the time interval dt, w w c/dt W 8 hp x c (c) wc But wc/100 is the weight plus the size chosen which at 100 wc the close of time dt is finer than that size, and W is the decrease in the percent plus of the whole mass of ore or —dC. Then, —W dC/dt 8 hp x C. (d) In other words, the mesh tons ground through a given size per unit of time is proportional to the hp and the percent plus the mesh. A crude analogy would be to picture a 1-ft-wide steam roller going down the road at 1 ft per sec. If we place one egg on the road per square foot, one egg will be smashed per second. If we place a dozen eggs per square foot, a dozen eggs will be crushed per second. Similarly, if all the particles in w are plus the mesh, i.e., C=100, we should have a maximum rate of reduction. If only 10 pct of them are plus the mesh (C=10), we would have only one tenth the maximum rate; if only 1 pct are plus the mesh, the balls have a hard time finding anything to work on. This is where the term "probability theory" comes from. The chances of the balls crushing a particle through a given mesh depends directly on the concentration of particles coarser than this mesh in the general pulp in the mill. Giving W the units of tons and dividing equation (d) through by W, we obtain -dC hp ----- = k---— C [1] dt ton where k is a constant for any one size of particle, density of solid and moisture content of pulp. Eq 1 is the rate equation for a first order reaction and says that the rate of decrease of the percent plus a given mesh with time is directly proportional to the hp per ton applied to the body of ore and to the percent plus the mesh in the ore mass as a whole. Since it is a differential equation, it only

Jan 1, 1951

By I. L. Dillamore

I. L. Dillamore (University of Birmingham)—The different textures developed in various fcc metals have long awaited satisfactory explanation and it has now become clear that these differences are related to parallel differences in the deformation characteristics of the metals. Liu is correct, therefore, in seeking to account for the observed textures in terms of the flow mechanisms but I believe, for the reasons outlined below, that the particular interpretation of flow mechanisms proposed by Liu is open to substantial objections. By considering the forty-eight possible designations of the twelve octahedral slip systems found in fcc metals as distinct and separate deformation modes, Liu has fallen into the error of assuming that only positive glide dislocations associated with each system are present. In fact both positive and negative dislocations will be present and the only difference between for instance the systems B4 and B4' (in Liu's notation) is that under a stress of given sign the direction of motion of a dislocation is reversed on changing from B4 to B4'. For both orientations positive and negative dislocations will be present. In considering possible dislocation interactions it is, therefore, inadmissible to differentiate between R4 and R4' as Liu does. Liu considers those dislocation interactions which give the biggest reduction in energy to be the most favorable and neglects, on the grounds that they will form strong barriers to slip, interactions between dislocations with perpendicular Burgers vectors. Setting aside interactions between positive and negative dislocations of the same slip system, which must occur regardless of the combination of slip systems chosen, the biggest reduction in energy occurs for the Lomer-Cottrell interaction and it is Lomer-Cottrell barriers which are thought to provide the stronger dislocation obstacles. On the other hand the intersection of dislocations with perpendicular Burgers vectors is thought to be a low-energy process which contributes only a fairly small temperature-dependent part of the total work hardening. On this basis it seems doubtful whether the reduction in energy through possible dislocation interactions provides a reasonable criterion for choosing the operative slip systems. From the point of view of texture development it is unsatisfactory to ignore the slip rotations leading to an end position and to neglect to consider the stability of the chosen end point. It is also unsatisfactory to treat the two stress axes as interchangeable since, if the stress system is idealized as biaxial, one stress is compressive and the other is tensile. For the same reason the rotations of the two stress axes are not made compatible simply by assuming that the same slip directions are responsible for the rotations of the two stress axes. It is, in short, essential to treat the two stress axes as acting together on the same slip systems. Turning to the question of the difference between the copper-type and the brass-type texture, there now remains little doubt that the difference is attributable to differences in stacking-fault energy (y), as noted by Liu, but it is doubtful whether the temperature dependence of the texture in copper and in silver is due to increasing stacking-fault energy with increasing temperature. The results of Swann and Nutting42 cited by Liu were obtained in Cu-A1 alloys and the apparent increase in stacking-fault energy on raising the temperature may be influenced by short-range ordering. In pure metals such effects are absent and the only data available on the variation of y with temperature are those of Buhler et a1.43 for silver. They report a minimum at 200°C which does not fit the hypothesis put forward by Liu. It is much more likely that thermal activation of cross slip is important in determining which texture develops, as proposed by Dillamore and tors. These workers have proposed an explanation for the differences in observed texture among the fcc metals and the pole figures predicted consist of an orientation spread which is in better agreement with observation than the limited number of discrete orientations suggested by Liu. The theory of Dillamore and Roberts is also able to account for the differences between aluminum and copper which Liu still leaves unexplained. Y. C. Liu (author's veply)—The writer appreciates the interest of Dr. Dillamore, but must discuss some of his comments in order to avoid cross purposes. The phrase, "forty-eight slip systems," which appeared twice in the text—in the caption of Fig. 1 and the first paragraph in the Discussion—might unfortunately have led Dr. Dillamore to disagree

Jan 1, 1965

By Thomas T. Read

The cost of labor turnover in industry is so large as to justify the adoption of almost any means to bring about its reduction. Intensive study has shown that faulty methods of hiring and discharging men is the most important factor in labor turnover. Complete control over hiring and discharging by the foreman is a relic of outgrown industrial conditions; centralized hiring permits this work to be put on a scientific basis and also does away with many serious evils that cannot, otherwise be reached. Centralized hiring does not impair the authority of the foreman; he hires his men from the employment office and discharges them back to it, instead of from and to the street. The employment manager, being a direct representative of the employer, tends to restore the former relation of direct intercourse between employee and employer that was helpful in avoiding friction between them. Being a specialist,, he is able to bring special knowledge and skill to bear upon the task of selling employment in his concern to desirable workmen; he is also able to give the foreign workman the special attention he requires. Employment managers have been used for the past few years by a number of large organizations, a few of which are engaged in the mining and rnetallurgical industries. They have invariably reduced labor turnover, in some cases to as little as one-tenth of what it had been. So great a reduction is due in part to other changes made in the light of the data made available by scientific study of the labor problem. In my former paper on personnel work' I advocated the more general use of the employment manager in mining and metallurgical enterprises as a means of reducing labor turnover. The form of organization recommended seems not be to understood by all, and I have requested the privilege of explaining it at greater length, since it is perhaps the most important factor of all in personnel work, and has a vital influence on the cost sheet of every industrial enterprise.

Jan 1, 1918