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By Robert Archer

IT is now well known that the structure of aluminum-silicon alloys can be refined in a rather remarkable manner, with consequent improvement of physical properties, by certain treatments applied to the molten metal shortly before casting. The differences between the treated and the untreated alloys are so marked that special terms are used to distinguish them, the untreated alloys being referred to as "normal" and the treated alloys as "modified." The first practical method of accomplishing this result was that of A. Pacz,1 which consists in treating the molten metal with a, salt flux of which the, active ingredient is sodium fluoride. The result can also be brought about, and in a more economical manner, by the addition of small quantities of metallic sodium (or potassium) to the molten alloy shortly before casting.2 The action of the Pacz flux evidently consists essentially in the production of free sodium by the reaction of sodium fluoride with aluminum. The changing of a normal alloy to a modified alloy is referred to as "modification' and any process for accomplishing this result is a "modifying" process. Modified aluminum-silicon alloys were introduced several years ago, and it has been demonstrated both in the laboratory and in commercial practice that it is no simple matter to produce castings having the maximum or nearly the maximum properties which under favorable circumstances can be obtained. The alloys are rather sensitive to small changes in chemical composition, and the modifying process must be carried out in a very particular manner to obtain the best results. Extensive experimental work has been carried out in the laboratories of the Aluminum Company of America with the object of determining the conditions that must be observed to make these alloys of the greatest possible

Jan 2, 1926

By Jay N. Fairbanks, Richard G. Robinson

This paper discusses a computer program and related formulas for fire fighting responses by coal mine personnel. The computer will interpret the mine air analysis, print reports, and provide relevant graphs allowing quick and accurate responses to coal mine fires.

Jan 1, 1983

By Joseph C. Buchen

IN principle, production of salt from sea water is a simple operation. Sea water is trapped in ponds, the sun and wind cause evaporation of the water, and what is left is principally salt. Commercial production of solar salt, however, requires a careful consideration of many factors. Obviously, sufficient evaporation must take place throughout the making season to produce an economically adequate crop. Other factors are density of soil, contour of ground, height of ground above sea level, minimum dilution from fresh-water streams, and distance from market. Unfortunately, in the United States the localities of greatest evaporation, allowing for the other factors, are not the most suitable for the manufacture of sea salt by solar evaporation. The south end of San Francisco Bay most

Jan 1, 1937

By John T. Crawford

Introduction Loading and hauling systems are evaluated in open pit mining for new properties, expanding existing operations, changing systems or equipment, and equipment replacement analysis. The objective of such evaluations is to determine the equipment needed to handle planned tonnages at the lowest cash flow cost. Cash flow costs are used to combine capital outlays with operating and maintenance costs. Leasing costs could be substituted for capital costs with appropriate modifications to calculation procedures. These modifications will not be covered. This chapter will describe methods of evaluating loading and hauling systems, concentrating on some of the more often raised questions concerning quantitative data. While the methods described are not the only ones in current use, they have a record of proven reliability. The shovel and haulage truck system is used In the examples because of its common use in open pit mines. In medium to large open pit mines, electric shovels and diesel-electric drive haulage trucks are normally used. The basic ideas presented in this chapter apply to all loading and hauling systems, with appropriate modifications. The process of performing a shovel and haulage truck evaluation can be time-consuming and tedious because of the quantity of data involved, but it is not particularly difficult. The examples used to Illustrate shovel and haulage truck evaluation are based on a hypothetical open pit mine operating 350 days per year producing 31 750- 000 t (35,000,000 st, 100,000 stpd) annually, of which 11 110 000 t ( 12,250,000 st, 35,000 stpd) are ore. Selection of the optimum shovel and haulage truck fleets will be shown. The principal sources of data for the examples or any other equipment evaluation are equipment manufacturers and actual operations. Whenever possible, actual operating experience should be used to verify estimates. The quantitative data presented herein are unrelated to a specific existing mining operation.

Jan 1, 1979

By Betty J. Laswell, Gerald W. Laswell

Rotary drilling in modern open-pit mining is usually considered the lead phase which not only establishes the production rates but frequently limits them. From this viewpoint alone, the drilling phase must be maximized. The drill phase is the step that permits all the other operational phases to function within their design limits. This means that, in most cases, the drill is literally run to destruction to ensure that the shovel will be able to smoothly and consistently load a manageably size muck, the haul trucks can carry a balanced load without having a boulder dropped through the bed, and the crusher can devour constant rock size.

Jan 8, 1978

By Carl Lee

CHICAGO in the last week of June fulfilled all its promises to the visiting engineers except one. This holds true with respect to the activities of the Regional Meeting of the A. I. M. E. in particular and of Engineers' Week in general. No one expected to find much of the beautiful in the outward aspects of the Fair-the Century of Progress Exposition, to be more formal; but they expected novelty, color, and startling lighting effects at night, and they were in no sense disappointed. It has been said that the architecture is a portent of the style of the buildings of the future; most who have seen the Fair hope that this forecast will prove inaccurate. As to the exhibits themselves, they are splendid. They are in keeping with the theme of the Exposition-a Century of Progress in science, in engineering, in the industries based upon them. No attempt will be made here even to suggest the exhibits that are most interesting. There are plenty for every one; and any member of the Institute who has the opportunity should by all means visit Chicago before the end of October.

Jan 1, 1933

By E. H. Crabtree

This paper traces the experimental and pilot plant work completed by the authors since 1939 including the various methods which have been developed in applying coarse activated carbon to cyanidation. The methods and results developed by the authors in desorbing gold and silver from carbons are given and the possibilities for the re-use of the desorbed carbons are discussed

Jan 1, 1950

By M. L. Requa

EVERY forward step in civilization brings with it an increase in population and increasing demand for raw materials. Modern civilization, because of its industrial development, depends more and more for its well-being on ample supplies of raw materials; the higher the type of that civilization, the greater its dependence. No fact is more obvious than that the raw materials should be put to use with greatest prudence and efficiency. National life is not a matter of a decade or a century. Conservation is no longer a matter for political discussion; it is a vital element in the future welfare of all nations. Unfortunately, to the minds of many, conservation means the locking up of natural resources, their arbitrary withdrawal, bringing about, in short, a condition of industrial stagnation. This has occurred in past centuries through misdirected governmental effort. Two eminent engineers have variously defined conservation as follows:

Jan 1, 1925

Abadilla, Quirico A., Geol.. Lago Pet. Corp Box 172 Maracaiho, Venezuela. IIAbbw. Robert Graham. The W. W. Sly Mfg. Co.Train Ave.. Cleveland. Ohio. Abbotf A. N., Mines Supt., Maznpil Copper Co.. Ltd..Conception del Oro, Zac., Mexico. Abbotf Clarence E, Mgr.. Mines & Quarries, Tenn. Coal. Iron & R. R. Co., 1242 Brown Marx Bldg., Birmingham, Ala. Abbott. Louis Benjamin. Chief Engr.. Consolidation Coal Co. ... .Elkhorn Div., Jenkins, Ky. Abeel, George 8.. Jr., Cons. Min. Engr...4612 West 17th St., Los Angeles, Cal. Abel. Albert E.. Asst. to Pres.. Valley Mould & Iron Corp..Hubbard, Ohio. Abel. Raymond L Asst. Prof., Dept. of Pet. Refin.. Univ. of Pittsburgh. .. .Pittsburgh. Pa. Abernathy. George Elmer. Prof. of Geol. & Min.. Kansas State Teachers College. Pittahurg. Kans. Abernethy, D. Carl, Jr. Min. Engr., Hudson Coal Co. .Scranton, Pa. Abw, Hirouhi. Min. & Met. Engr., Min. & Met. Dept., The Higher Technical School, Osaka, Japan. Aborn. Robert H.. Research Assoc.. Mass. Inst. of Tech..Cambridge, Mass. Abouchar. Bylvain Sley. Min. Engr. & Geol., c/o S. H. Sekaly, 13 Rue El Nimr, Cairo, Egypt. tAbozeid. Mahmood. Pet. Min. Engr., Marland Oil Co. of California, Subway Terminal Bldg., Los Angeles, Cal. Abraham. Arthur W.A. pt. 40, Barcelona. Anzoatmui, Venezuela. Abrahams. Alexander I.. Gen'l Mgr., Racon Electrical Co.. ..... .Slough, London, England. tAbrahamuon, C. W., Min. Engr.. The Mond Nickel Co., Ltd.. ..... .Levack. Ont., Canada. Abstein, Henry T.. Engr. & Mgr.. Profile-Tamarack Mines Co.. ...... .Yellow Pine, Idaho. tAcker, E. WC.. Met.. ........ .I28 East Washington Lane. Germantuwn. Philadelphia, Pa. IlAckerman, D. E.. Research Engr.. Research Lab., International Nickel Co., Bayonne, N. J. tAckerman. Ernest R., Pres., Lawrence Portland Cement Co.. . .Plainfield, Union Co., N. J. Adachi. Jinzoo.A..d dress Wanted Adachi, Yuichi, Chief Engr.. Anzan Steel Works, South Manchuria RY. Co., Anzan, South Manchuria. China. (Via Dairen). Adair, Arthur C, Valuation Engr., Internal Revenue. Treasury Dept.. . .Washington, D. C. Adami. Arthur E., Prof. of Min. Engrg., Montana State School of Mines. Butte, Mont. Adami. Charles J.. Min. Engr., Gen'l Mnr., St. Jos~ph Lead Co.. ....... .Bonne Terre, Mo. Adama, C. W., Pres. Adams Pacific Corp .I66 Montgomery St., San Francisco. Cal. Adams. Cuyler .Dee rwood, Minn. Adams, David T, 514 Wrigley Bldg.. Chicago, Ill. ADAMS, FRANK DAWSON, Logan Prof. of Geology and Dean, Faculty of Applied Science. McGiU Univ., Montreal. Que.. Canada. Adams. Gale L, Research Engr.. General Pet. Corp...Los Angeles. Cal. Adams. George I.. Prof. of Geol. & Mineralogy. Univ. of Alabama. .Tuscalmsa, Ala. Adams. H. H.. Cons. Gml..Room 415, W. T. Waggoner Bldg., Fort Worth. Tex. Adams, Henry, Cons. Min. Engr. . 934 Park Ave., Plainfield, N. J. Adame, Henry H. 285 Madison Ave., New York. N. Y. Adams. Henry Farnum. Engr.. Charge Experimental Work, Inspiration Concentrator. Inspiration Cons. Copper Co.. Box 364, Inspiration. Ariz. Adams, Huntington, Min. Engr, 149 Broadway, New York, N. Y. Adams. Leland D, V.P.. Leslie-California Salt Co., 166 Montgomery St.. San Francisco. Cal. Adams. Louie W.. Illinois Steel Co Gary, Ind. Adama, XL L. Min. Engr.. Old Ben Coal Corp., Mine 12.. Christopher. IU. Adams, Robert M. Robert M. Adam Co. .I201 Fidelity Bldg., Duluth, Minn. Adams. Sidney F.. Geol., Empire Zinc Co .Gilman, Colo. tAdams, Waldo Peck..P ittsfield, Pike Co.. Ill. Addams. Charles 1. Min. Engr.. Bo x 663. Phoenix, Ariz. Addicka, Lawrence. Cons. Enar..... .61 Maiden Lane. New York. N. Y. Addison, Herbert, V.P.. Big Horn Collieries Co ,412 Colorado Bldg., Denver, Colo. Adkemn. J. Carson. Min. Engr.. HY Grade Manganese Co., Inc..Woodstock, Va. Ady. Joseph Wesley. Jr.. Min. Enar., 314 Mining Exchange Blda., Colorado Springs, Colo. Affelder. William Lewis. Asst. to Pres., Hillman Coal & Coke Co. & Allied Companies. 2006 First National Bank Bldg.. Pittshurgh, Pa. Ameck, B. F.. Pres.. Universal Portland Cement Co. .. .210 South La Salle St., Chicago. Ill. Agabeg, Edgar C.. Cons. Min. Engr.. ..... .Evelyn Lodae. Asansol, E. I. R. Bengal, India. tAsar. William M.. Aest. Prof. of Geol.. Kirtland Hall, Yale Univ.. ... .New Haven, Conn. Agaeniz. Rodolphe L, Pres.. Calumet & Hecla Consolidated Copper Co. ...... .Boston, Mass. tAgens, William Holmes. District Mgr.. Traylor Engrg. & Mfg. Co., 362 I. W. Hellman Blda.. Los Aneeles. Cal.

Jan 1, 1928

By AIME AIME

THE best meeting ever held, was the opinion expressed by a number of those who attended the annual meeting of the Institute in New York, Feb. 18 to 21, and there was an atmosphere of friendliness and good fellowship about it that fully justified the feeling. In numbers it was not quite so large as last year and unless the Engineering Societies should build for themselves a new building it is probable that no meeting can be larger, in respect to numbers, than that held in 1928, which was only made possible by the circumstance that the eighth floor of the building happened to be, temporarily vacant at the time. The number of rooms available for -sessions that were provided when the building was built long ago proved inadequate, and it is only by the expedient of obtaining the temporary use of the board and committee rooms of other societies that it is possible to arrange for the over 40 sessions that must be spread over the four days of the meeting. The-fifth floor, where. a buffet lunch is served each-day, has reached its full capacity and it seems quite evident that any future development of Institute meetings must be along the lines of quality, not size.

Jan 1, 1929

By Finney, W. R.

MUCH has been said and written of the "Big Inch," of the terrific obstacles encountered in its construction, of the colorful and tough men engaged in its building, but little has been publicized of the engineering and economic problems behind the scenes. Long before Pearl Harbor it was apparent to the petroleum industry that a critical oil shortage could be expected along the Atlantic seaboard, owing to delay in tanker deliveries as a result of convoy movements, and to allocation of vessels for foreign shipments. This area, with a normal consumption of approximately 1,800,000 barrels per day of oil and products, was almost entirely supplied by tanker. Pipe lines supplied an average of only 20,000 barrels per day in 1939, 40,300 barrels per day in 1940, and 55,000 barrels per day in 1941. A small amount of oil and products was also delivered via barge.

Jan 1, 1943

By R. P. Fischer

The Colorado Plateau region has been the principal domestic source of uranium, vanadium, and radium. The value of these commodities produced from the region through 1964 slightly exceeds $2 billion. Most of the deposits occur in streamlaid lenses of sandstone in the Chinle and Morrison Formations. The ore minerals below the zone of oxidation are low-valent oxides and silicates of uranium and vanadium; all of these, except the quite stable vanadium silicates, oxidize readily to a variety of high-valent uranium and vanadium minerals. The ore minerals partly replace fossil wood but mainly impregnate sandstone, typically forming tabular ore bodies that are nearly concordant to the bedding of the host rock. The deposits range in size from those containing only a few tons of ore to those containing more than 1 million tons. Stratigraphic, lithologic, and sedimentary structural factors obviously influenced the localization of these deposits, but igneous activity, hydrothermal mineralization, and tectonic structures show no similarly consistent influence on localization. The deposits are epigenetic, but the source of the ore metals, the nature of the ore-bearing solutions, and the time of ore emplacement are uncertain. A few uranium deposits in the region are dominantly discordant to bedding and occur in collapsed breccia pipes or along linear fractures. Their origins are also uncertain.

Jan 1, 1968

By E. T. Knight, John D. Gill

IN ITS capacity for service to the public the oil industry is truly gargantuan. But it is only in this respect that the industry is the voracious, many-headed, many-armed and many-handed creature it has been so often painted by those who know it not too intimately and only from the outside. Contrasted sharply with the immensity of the service rendered is the relatively modest share of the national income which has gone to those who provided the tools and the mental and manual labor with which the service was performed. No doubt the relative meagreness of the re- ward was the result of a combination of fortuitous circumstances respecting the nature and accessibility of the industry's raw material and the extensive development and application of the most advanced technology, spurred by an intense competition.

Jan 1, 1940

By Arthur S. Huey

AS the end of the collegiate year approaches, the problem of student employment again becomes acute. This subject divides itself into two phases: (1) employment prior to graduation and (2) employment following graduation. "Experience is the best teacher," according to the old adage, and the student needs all that he can get. He is afforded every opportunity to reap from his books the theories and principles of scientific and engineering practice, and occasionally he is privileged to make field trips to observe the practical side of the subject. But it is not enough for one to know the theory and to observe its application; it is also desirable for the student to get the feel of the tools during his training Such opportunities can only be afforded the student if the major companies cooperate with the universities in giving the student part-time and vacation work.

Jan 1, 1932

By John D. Sullivan

ALUMINUM and magnesium plants in the United States underwent enormous wartime expansion which made many wonder if ghost plants would result when industry swung back to a peacetime basis. Production capacity of primary aluminum ingots was stepped up from 150,000 tons annually to about 1,150,000 tons; magnesium production increased from 2500 tons in 1936 to nearly 200,000 in 1943, with a production capacity of some 300,000 tons. Not only was primary metal production enlarged but also the capacity of prime fabrications such as castings, forgings, extrusions, and sheets was correspondingly increased. In mid-December it was estimated that production of primary aluminum ingots in the United States in 1946 will be about 410,000 tons while consumption will be about 500,000, close to half of the wartime consumption. The 1946 estimated consumption of secondary aluminum is 200,000 tons. The critical shortage of soda ash is hindering production of primary metal, and the outlook for an early relief of this shortage is dark.

Jan 1, 1947

By Robert McKay

THE practical study of corrosion requires consideration off its economic aspects. It must be based on sound scientific principles, but it should be borne in mind that probably the most important object of a corrosion test is to determine what metal in corrosion-resisting construction will produce the greatest operating profit. Thus the corrosion test must be directly connected with money values or it is not a practical corrosion test. This, perhaps unusual, connection between corrosion and economics is partially due to the fact that corrosion deals only with the time factor or duration of equipment, and it is almost the only test which deals with this feature. In these statements a departure is made from the academic definition of the word corrosion and it is done deliberately. The use of the term corrosion is unusual. It is as though we spoke of a tensile test as. a "breaking" test. We are not interested primarily in the break but in the strength of the metal. There is no English word which expresses our main interest in corrosion-testing, but let us have clearly in mind that we make corrosion tests to prevent corrosion. Our real interest is in this corrosion-prevention, not in the corrosion. Previous to 1922, it was common comment that "it is impossible to determine the course of corrosion by laboratory testing." This statement was true at that time in that the technique of laboratory testing for corrosion resistance was so vague that tests in the laboratory gave untrue results almost as often as true ones. This was so, even in the simple case of determining which one of two metals better resists a given solution. While this is no longer true the number of misleading "corrosion tests" still being ground out by laboratories is too large in the light of our present knowledge. There are two important features of corrosion testing whose neglect is a large contributing factor to misleading results: (1) The economic relations of the corrosion tests to other tests; (2) testing technique.

Jan 1, 1929

By G. F. Olsen

ON superficial consideration a technical library might be considered a luxury to the business institution that possesses one. After all, public libraries and research institutions probably contain all the data that would be found in a private technical library, and able consultants are available both within and without a company. In all probability the technical men of a company have in their combined personal libraries sufficient information to answer most inquiries. Nevertheless, possession of such a department is of real economic benefit because of the time it saves its users, because it prevents expensive duplication of technical literature in a company, and lastly, but most important, be- cause it makes readily available a central storehouse of technical facts classified and indexed to meet the demands of the industry or industries concerned.

Jan 1, 1940

By Samuel S. Wyer

Bethlehem Meeting, February, 1906 THE following abbreviations have been used in the text:¬ Am. MF. and Iron World. American Manufacturer and Iron World, Pittsburg, Pa. Can. Min. Rev. Canadian Mining Review, Ottawa, Can. Cass. Mag. Cassier's Magazine, New York, N. Y. Col. Eng. Colliery Engineer, London, Eng. Col. Guard. Colliery Guardian, London, Eng. Eng. and Min. Jour. Engineering and Mining Journal, New York, N. Y. Eng. News. Engineering News, New York, N. Y. Engr. Engineering, London, Eng. J. I. and S. I. Journal of the Iron and Steel Institute, Lon¬don, Eng. Jour. W Soc. of Engrs. Journal Western Society of Engineers, Chicago, Ill. Lond. Eng. The Engineer, London, Eng. Mines and Min. Mines and Minerals, Scranton, Pa. North of Eng. I. M. E. North of England Institute of Mining Engineers, Newcastle-on-Tyne, England. Oester Zeitsch f. Berg u. Hüt. Oesterrcichische Zeitschrift für Berg. und Hüttenwescn, Vienna, Austria. Pract. Engr. Practical Engineer, London, Eng. Proc. I. C. E. Proceedings Institution of Civil Engineers, London, Eng. Trans. A. I. M. E. Transactions American Institute of Mining Engineers, New York, N. Y. Trans. A. S. M. E. Transactions American Society Mechanical Engineers, New York, N Y Trans. Fed. I. M E. Transactions Federated Institute Mining Engineers, Newcastle-on-Tyne, England. Trans. I M E Transactions Institute Mining Engineers, Newcastle-on-Tyne, England.

Mar 1, 1906

By Henry Rawdon

THE RELATION between the course, or path, of the fracture of metals and alloys, produced in service or as a result of certain laboratory tests, and the crystalline units of which such materials are composed is of utmost importance. The fracture of normal material is, in general, intracrystalline, i.e., it consists of a break across the grains rather than of a separation between them. An intercrystalline fracture indicates either that the metal is of very inferior quality or that the break occurred under very unusual conditions, e.g., at a very high temperature. The usual mechanical tests, when applied to metals of the type that breaks with an intercrystalline fracture, merely measure the coherence of adjacent grains for one another and reveal little as to the real properties of the metal itself. Even such a soft plastic substance as lead, under suitable conditions, may be rendered so weak and brittle that the metal can be easily crumbled into powder by the fingers although the constituent grains have lost none of the intrinsic properties of lead. Various erroneous explanations of this behavior of lead have appeared in the scientific literature, the change being described usually as an allotropic one. The importance, in an industrial sense, of a proper explanation of this type of the corrosion of lead justifies the description of the type of metal deterioration that follows.

Jan 2, 1920

By Arthur Notman

THE raw material men in all industries, and copper is no exception, are accustomed to think of them- selves as the whole show, and not without justice, for if there were no copper mines the world would have no copper. Nevertheless, many different things costing money and resulting in profits must be done to their product before it is ready for the world's use. In other words, they are making the frequent mistake of Chinking in terms of partial costs. Nobody really uses electrolytic copper. Possibly that is why nobody seems willing to pay anything for it. The manufacturers, being canny, do not buy any more electrolytic than they feel that they can work up and sell profitably, although they like to make the raw material men Chink that they will take all that can be produced. This is a state of affairs that has aroused my sympathy and curiosity, and has induced me to study the financial history of the copper wire and brass industry of the country or such portion of it as publishes any records readily available to the curious minded. About 60 per cent of the electrolytic copper used in this country is drawn into wire and consumed by the electrical industries. The remaining 40 per cent is

Jan 1, 1926