Search Documents

By J. A. Heskett

NEW ZEALAND is dependent on the outside world for its ferro goods, yet it can boast of at least two well-defined iron-ore deposits; namely, Para Para limonite, 3 Fe203 + 21120 also found as lower hydrated oxides, and Taranaki iron-sand, a combined magnetite and ilmenite, 2FeO + 2Fe203 + FeO + Ti02. The former is of massive variety and the FIG. 1.-VIEW OF WORKS SHOWING IRON-SAND DEPOSITS, ALSO WHARF AND BREAK¬WATER IN THE DISTANCE. latter granular and mixed with various proportions of fine shell and siliceous sand well water-worn. This latter deposit forms the greater portion of the beach sands of the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is so fine that the whole of a sample passed through a sieve of 40 meshes to the inch. The ilmenite cannot be detected by the microscope, as in the titaniferous ores of the Adirondacks, nor can it be magnetically separated, as in the titaniferous ore of Natashkwan, Canada. To all appearances it is a chemical compound of the double oxides of iron and titanium and not a mechanical mixture, as is the ore of the Adirondack deposits.

Jan 8, 1920

By D. J. Carney, E. Van Meter, J. J. Oravec

A study was made of combustion-air temperatures and factors affecting air temperatures in the open-hearth regenerative systems. Air-temperature surveys in the regenerative system revealed marked thermal gradients in the air above the checkers. The design of the fantail-uptake region plays a prominent part in increasing the heat recovery of the regenerative system. THE efficiency of the open-hearth regenerative system is one of the most important factors affecting open-hearth performance. Until recently, this factor has not received the attention in the literature given to many other items affecting performance, such as the type of charge, speed of charging, and the mechanical equipment of the open hearth. J. S. Marsh' emphasized the importance of the flame temperature and its dependence upon the combustion-air temperature. By means of measured air temperatures in open-hearth furnaces, data were presented which showed a remarkable degree of correlation between production rate and combustion-air temperature. This correlation was extremely good in view of the numerous factors, other than air temperature, which affect open-hearth production rates. In Marsh's work, a 100°F increase in air temperature reduced the heat time by approximately 45 min. Realizing the importance of combustion-air temperature, it is desirable to know which factors control the regenerative efficiency of the open-hearth furnace. B. M. Larsen recently discussed this subject.' The present paper illustrates a few of the more important items that affect regenerative efficiency and combustion-air temperature. In the latter part of 1951, a study of open-hearth combustion-air temperatures was begun at the South Works of the United States Steel Corp. In the initial work at open-hearth shop X, which produces low carbon steel products, temperatures were measured in the uptake in a manner similar to that used by Marsh' and the results obtained were very similar to the Bethlehem data. When it was decided to expand the study of combustion-air temperatures, open-hearth shop Y was selected because of the greater variety of furnace-design features, types of steel produced, and firing rates used. With the use of aspirating thermocouples, continuous gas analyzers, thermocouple and optical pyrometers, a study was made of: 1—effect of combustion-air temperature on open-hearth production rate, 2—thermal gradients present in various zones of the regenerative system, 3—effect of furnace-design variations on air temperature and heat recovery, 4-—effect of furnace-operating variables on heat recovery, and 5—variation in heat recovery with furnace age during the normal furnace campaign. Data collected on individual heats at 15 min intervals included air-flow rate, firing rate, checker temperature, combustion-air temperature, and furnace pressure. These data were collected on approximately 230 heats of steel. In addition, information was obtained at random on air infiltration and combustion-gas compositions. The data gathered have shown the desirability of closer control of open-hearth firing practices, a need for reducing air infiltration in the uptake zones, and a need for further study of design of checkers and of uptake-fantail areas. Equipment Air is practically a nonradiating medium. Consequently, in the measurement of air temperatures, the principle of heat conduction must be used rather than heat radiation. For this reason, aspirating-type thermocouple pyrometers normally are used to measure air temperatures. With these devices, air

Jan 1, 1956

INTRODUCTION TO PROBABILITY THEORY The mathematical theory of probability provides the foundation for the interpretations and inferences that can be made from statistical techniques. Probability theory is a broad field of study in itself, and can only be touched on here in order to provide the necessary back- ground for a more complete understanding of statistical analysis. Probability is concerned with the outcome of random events. It had its beginnings in the theory of games of chance which were of great interest to European mathematicians during the last half of the 17th century. The outcome of a random process or experiment is defined as an event. The collection of all mathematical points associated with each event is called the sample space for an experiment. Consider a random experiment having a finite number, n, of possible outcomes, some of which have a characteristic A. What is the probability that A will result from a single

Jan 1, 1980

By Will B. Jamison

Man's material advance from one level of civilization to the next has involved the development of new, more useful tools and the utilization of energy greater than he alone could produce. These two essentials for material progress have developed at an ever increasing rate in the last century. While the first really successful use of mechanical energy derived from burning fuel was in James Watt's steam engine which pumped water from coal mines in Cornwall about 1770, there was still very little use of mechanical energy in mining by 1900 except for pumping and hoisting. Compressed air, having some of the characteristics of steam and which operated engines not unlike steam engines or steam hammers, powered the first attempts to mine coal with energy greater than human muscle could provide. When direct current-powered traction cars replaced horse-drawn transportation cars on city streets, it was natural that direct current locomotives should begin to replace animal and human power in mine haulage. Slowly, trolley and battery locomotives were developed and introduced. With d-c systems being established for haulage, it was natural that improved cutting machines should be developed and powered by d-c motors. Thus began the years of

Jan 5, 1960

By W. A. McCurdy, Joseph W. Leonard, William F. Lawrence

INTRODUCTION Utilization from the Point of View of the Preparation Engineer The primary interest of the coal preparation engineer is in process design, operation, and maintenance to produce an acceptable product that can be sold at the greatest possible profit. Because of emphasis upon these interests, attention to other potential values of coal is sometimes neglected. The intent of this chapter is to alert the preparation engineer to the utilization possibilities of the product as well as the tributary coal flow moving through a modern coal preparation plant. The basis for any unrealized potential derives directly from the coal seam itself. Most coal seams consist of coal bands and benches sandwiched together in layers that differ visually from each other in physical structure and luster. Randomly selected physical and chemical ranges determined from layers of coal in a single seam can easily differ by as much as 30 Hardgrove grindability indices, 0.30 of a specific gravity point, 20 percentage points of ash, 6 percentage points of dry volatile matter, and 10 percentage points of total su1fur.l Similar wide variations exist for calorific value, seam moisture content, and, undoubtedly, for any other conceivable coal test parameter that might be used for comparative purposes. These observations all point to the long-established fact that coal is not homogeneous, as conventional analytical methods might tend to indicate, but is instead a highly heterogeneous substance.

Jan 1, 1979

By R. H. Hawkins

AN investigation of the applicability of geophysical methods to north-ern Ontario lignite deposits was undertaken early in 1930 by the Ontario Research Foundation at the request of the Ontario Department of Mines TABLE 1.-Formations Associated with Moose River Basin Maximum System Formation Lithology Observed Correlation Thickness, Ft. Pleistocene Marine clays 150 Glacial till (Minimum Interglacial 30) clay and peat Glacial till Lower Cretaceous or Mattagami Fireclay, sand 138 Kootenay (?) Upper Jurassic. and lignite Devonian (Upper) Long Rapids Petroliferous, 50 Portage and black and gray Genesee shale Williams Limestone and 87 Tully (?) Island calcareous shale Devonian (Middle).... Abitibi River Gray fossiliferous 65 Onondaga limestone Devonian (Lower) ?... Moose Rive- Limestone and 50 gypsum Devonian (Loner) Sextant Arkose, clay, etc. 50 Pre-Cambrian Syenite, granite gneiss, etc. Igneous intrusives. . Lamprophyre dikes cut the Abitibi River and lower formations. (Permission of Ontario Dept. of Mines) and was financed in part from a research grant made by the latter organ-ization. The work to date has included gravitational, magnetic and electrical resistivity studies. The gravitational and magnetic measure-

Jan 1, 1933

By V. T. BERNER

THIS apparatus was designed primarily to meet the demand for a quick, efficient stopping to seal off the burning area temporarily during a mine fire, but it can be used in any circumstance where an immediate brattice is required for ventilation control. In using the old style brattice, mine-rescue workers have found it difficult, in smoke-laden drifts and stopes, to erect an effective stopping with wooden frame and canvas. Stulls must first be cut to the proper length, the canvas tacked in place, and the numerous irregularities of the walls and back must be caulked. This operation requires the employment of axes, saws, and hammers, which cannot easily and safely be handled in dense smoke. The fire fighters have often been forced to abandon their brattice, unfinished, because of the rapid approach of the fire, or because of the exhausted sup- ply of oxygen in their breathing apparatus. It is neces-

Jan 1, 1930

By J. G. Morlet, A. R. Troiano, H. H. Johnson

Delayed failure in steel occurs by controlled initiation and growth of a crack. The incubation period for crack initiation was measured. Crack initiation and Propagation are controlled by interaction between hydrogen concentration and triaxial stress state. The incubation period results from stress-induced diffusion of hydrogen to the point of crack initiation. THIS paper describes the phenomenon of delayed failureland the kinetics of crack initiation and propagation in uniformly hydrogenated steel. The investigation was prompted by service failures of high-strength-steel components at applied stresses far below the conventional yield strength, after the part had successfully sustained equal or higher stresses for an extended time interval. This delayed failure phenomenon, often termed static fatigue, is associated1 with the presence of hydrogen. This is not surprising, since the voluminous literature on flaking and hydrogen embrit-tlement demonstrates that hydrogen may exert a potent embrittling influence. Flakes, or internal hairline cracks in alloy-steel forgings, are related to the presence of hydrogen retained from the steel-making process.2 On the other hand, embrit-tlement arises from hydrogen introduced during surface treatments such as acid pickling or electroplating. Laboratory delayed failures have been induced in notch specimens of 4340 steel by electrolytic charging of the specimen surface with hydrogen and subsequent static stressing.l,4,5 Static fatigue was observed over a wide range of applied stresses; however, failure did not occur below a critical applied stress, designated as the static fatigue limit. In this instance the extended time for failure resulted primarily from the macroscopic redistribution of hydrogen. A crack formed to the depth of the hydrogen enriched "case* upon loading; further crack growth naturally awaited diffusion of hydrogen into the material ahead of the crack. The crack-propagation rate was therefore controlled primarily by the macroscopic diffusion of hydrogen into the specimen interior during the test. Thus, in this instance static fatigue was associated with the movement of a gross concentration gradient. However, delayed failure in steel of uniform hydrogen concentration is of greater fundamental interest, as well as commercial significance. With a homogeneous hydrogen distribution a different mode of delayed failure might be expected. As the heterogeneous hydrogen distribution became more uniform,4,5 the initial crack-propagation rate decreased markedly and, in fact, what appeared to be an incubation period for crack initiation was observed. However, the macroscopic concentration gradient precluded an accurate evaluation of these observations. Although the existence of an incubation period, up to this time, has not been established definitely, it is not amiss to point out some implications of the concept. It is of interest in all hydrogen-induced embrittlement phenomena, such as flaking, delayed failure, and hydrogen embrittlement. Much discussion has centered around the possibility of an

Jan 1, 1959

By M. B. Ramachandra Rao

THIS paper records the results of the earth resistivity surveys made in the Godavari river in connection with the Ramapadasagar project. After describing the topographical and geological features of the area, the results of the investigation at the several sites have been mentioned. Further, a detailed account has been given of the resistivity methods adopted, the apparatus used and the interpretation of the curves. The resistivity measurements carried out over the water course have been specially outlined, and a review of the verification of the electrical indications by drilling in a number of cases, has also been presented.

Jan 1, 1947

By H. H. Power, C. H. Pishny

When an oil operator becomes a party to a proration agreement he may wonder, with good cause, whether production prorated .today is merely deferred until tomorrow or whether oil might be lost. Various types of evidence obtained from production records when studied quantitatively are of great assistance in arriving at definite conclusions. A study of individual examples cited in this paper leads towards some solution of the problem, particularly when they are considered in the aggregate. Many production curves on various pay horizons were studied. A disappointingly large number of these were of contributory value, but inconclusive. However, there were enough curves of similar type from the Wilcox sand at Earlsboro, Bowlegs, Seminole City, the Cromwell horizon at Little River, and the Simpson dolomite at Valley Center, Kansas, from which reasonably definite conclusions were drawn. Assuming that deferred production is later made up with no increase in ultimate recovery, a curve (Fig. 1) shows the normal flowing and pumping life of a composite well, contructed by the family curve method. The initial production of the well shown is 1700 bbl. daily and the allowed production is 25 per cent. On this basis the average daily allowed rate for the first month is 425 bb1., or the area BCDE, which is equivalent to the area AFDG under the normal decline curve. The potential production for the second month is 1500 bbl. and the allowed production 375 bbl. daily. By this procedure a potential curve for each succeeding month is obtained (points A, H, I, J and K). If the well is opened it should produce somewhere near its potential curve for a short period and then decline at a more rapid rate than the potential curve. This theoretical analysis is basic. Actual examples exhibiting all points raised by the ideal curve are rare. Proration in the Mid-Continent area has been effected mostly by leases rather than by individual wells; hence a well may produce any

Jan 1, 1931

By A. W. Gauger

SMELTING of iron ore, manufacture of steel, and the fabrication of ferrous metal products are all processes that require energy. Charcoal was adequate, to supply this energy for the relatively simple processes of the early iron-masters. In the fourth decade of the nineteenth century, anthracite and bituminous coal and later coke supplanted charcoal for the smelting of iron. So far as the chemical phases of the process were concerned, charcoal was an ideal iron-furnace fuel. It had practically no sulphur, and its ash, besides being low in quantity, consisted chiefly of lime and alkalies, thus supplying a part of the flux required for smelting the ore. The ash of coal and coke on the other hand, being largely silica, had itself to be fluxed with bases added to the charge. Physically, however, coke proved to have many advantages over charcoal, which could not be used in the furnaces of today. The chief reason, however, for the change from charcoal to coke was the impossibility of maintaining an adequate wood supply.

Jan 1, 1941

By D. J. McAdam

In 1917 Haighl presented evidence that under simultaneous corrosion and cyclic stress metals may fail at lower stresses than if the corrosion is prior to the cyclic stress. In 1926 the author, while investigating the cooling effect of water on the fatigue resistance of metals, found that under these conditions steel specimens fail at stresses far below the endurance limit.2 (By "endurance limit" is here meant the fatigue limit obtained with specimens as free as possible from stress concentration and corrosive influences.) This led to an investigation (at the Naval Engineering Experiment Station, Annapolis, Md.) of the influence of cyclic stress on corrosion. This investigation may be divided into three parts. The first part was a general survey of the conditions necessary to cause complete failure under corrosion and cyclic stress of relatively high frequency. The entire process by which metals fail under these conditions was called LLcorrosion-fatigue." Corrosion-fatigue limits" for a large number of metals were determined and the relationships of these limits to chemical composition, heat treatment and physical properties were established. The conclusion was reached that corrosion-fatigue is due to the accelerating influence of cyclic stress on corrosion. Results of this part of the investigation were presented in five papers.*-= The second part of the investigation was a preliminary study of the influence of cyclic stress on corrosion. Each experiment was conducted in two stages. The first was a corrosion stage in which the specimen was corroded under cyclic stress; the second was a fatigue stage, in which the previously corroded specimen was tested (without further corrosion) to determine its fatigue limit. The difference between this fatigue limit and the endurance limit was used as a criterion of the "damage" due to

Jan 1, 1932

By F. G. Clapp

Introduction.......................................................... 915 Scope of Discussion................................................... 915 Literature and Acknowledgments....................................... 915 Geographic Distribution of Petroleum in South America................. 916 Geographical Comparison with North America.......................... 917 Geological Inferences Regarding South America......................... 918 Quality of South American Oil........................................ 918 South America's Position in the World's Production.................... 919 Political Conditions in South America................................. 920 Peru.................................................................. 920 Distribution of Peruvian Fields................................ :...... 920 Surface Indications.................................................. 923 Geological Conditions................................................ 925 Quality................................................,............ 927 Production......................................................... 929 Argentina............................................................. 932 Distribution of Argentina Fields...................................... 932 Surface Indications.................................................. 933 Geological Conditions............:................................... 935 Quality .......................................................... 936 Production.......................................................:938 Venezuela................................................. 939 Distribution of Venezuela Fields...................................... 939 Surface Indications................................................. 939 Geology of Venezuela Fields.......................................... 941 Quality........................................................... 942 Production.......................................................... 943 Colombia.............................................................. 944 Distribution of Colombia Fields....................................... 944 Surface Indications.................................................. 945 Geological Conditions............................................... 948 Quality............................................................ 950 Production......................................................... 950

Jan 1, 1918

By Northcutt Ely

This chapter deals with the systems of laws by which governments regulate the exploration for and production of the minerals within their jurisdictions. It is a summary, restricted by necessary space limitations, of material assembled by the author for a publication of the United States Bureau of Mines, "Summary of Mining and Petroleum Laws of the World," (Information Circular 80 1 7, 196 1. ) The present study is organized in three parts, dealing with (1) the historical background of these legal systems, (2) laws of the United States, and (3) laws of other countries of the world. The reader's attention is invited to the acknowledgments at the end of the chapter, which inadequately express the appreciation due those who have assisted in the collection of this material. Part I. Historical Development of Major Western Systems of Land Tenancy with Respect to the Ownership and Control of Minerals The use of metals in primitive societies was largely confined to the manufacture of weapons for self-preservation. The ruler's control over copper, then bronze, then iron, was essential to maintenance of his own ascendancy at home and his group's position against neighbors who had access to similar metals. Ancient societies were thus characterized by the ruling group's ownership of minerals and metals. The Egyptian civilization, which emerged in the fourth millenium B.C. upon the agricultural subjugation of the lower valley of the Nile, was responsible for extensive development of the upper valley as a source of mineral wealth. The production of gold during the height of that civilization has been estimated at $30,000,000 per year, thus equaling the early placers of California and Australia. The mines of Egypt were the property of the Pharaohs and were controlled at their direction. Greek mining developed a different scheme of land tenancy which more closely resembled modem concepts. Development of mineral resources was

Jan 1, 1964

Jan 1, 1969

By J. A. Norden

MUCH has been written concerning the hoisting equipment of various mines -throughout the country, but most of the literature on the subject, if not all, describes equipment of extraordinary capacity and the small and medium-sized outfits have been neglected. The hoisting equipment here described is capable 'of handling about 1200 tons per day. It has not been worked, to capacity, but 600 to 700 tons, together with men and materials, have been handled in two shifts without any great effort. Only one shaft extends from the surface to the lowest levels of the mine; see Fig. 1. It is composed of three compartments, two of which are used for hoisting and the third for water, air, and electrical lines, and for sinking purposes. In 1909, this shaft was raised from the 1000-ft. (304-m.) level to the 700-ft. There a station was cut and an air hoist installed. At this time all mining operations were confined to the upper levels of the mine; that is; above the 700-ft. The. ore was-dropped to this level through chutes from the 300-, 400-, 500-, and 600-ft. levels and then lowered in cars on cages to the 1000-ft., which is the main haulage adit, the mill and railroad bins being about 3000 ft. from the shaft. Orebodies were, in due time, developed on the 1000-ft. level and below. Therefore, in 1913, the shaft was sunk to the 1150-ft. level and thereafter sinking was continued at regular intervals until the 1500-ft. level was reached. But, hoisting from the 1300-ft. level was a difficult, and slow process with the antiquated air hoist, so, in 1916, it was derided to raise the shaft to the surface and install a modern, electrically operated hoist. This was completed early in 1917 and the hoist was in operation in March of that year.

Jan 8, 1920

By David R. Maneval, H. B. Charmbury

At the turn of the century, iron and coal were the keys to industrial prosperity. At that time, Pennsylvania was the leading mineral producer in the Country, producing 200,000,000 tons of coal in a typical post-World War I year. Close to 90% of the Nation's energy was generated by coal. Today, coal accounts for but 22% of the energy generated, leading to a drastic reduction in Pennsylvania coal output. In contrast with the post-World War I days, 1964 figures showed a drop in production to 93,846,480 net tons. This huge decrease has created a serious economic problem in a state so much dependent on the coal industry. Along with the reduction in coal production, employment has dropped considerably through these years (the number of miners alone has gone from 280,011 to 43,149), thus causing a heavy burden of supporting the unemployed on the taxpayers. As far back as 1939, coal operators and economists saw the problems on the horizon and the need for improvement. Realizing that research was a way to improve and stabilize the industry they demanded legislative action. The Legislature reciprocated with a small grant to The Pennsylvania State University with the provision that each State research dollar be backed with one from the industry. This initial grant laid the foundation for the further growth in coal research.

Jan 3, 1966

By Davis Baker

The direct-metal cars or ladles of the Maryland Steel Company have a capacity of 18 tons when filled within 12 inches of the top. On account of this large capacity, the formation of skulls in these ladles is by no means as rapid as in smaller ladles; but a skull once formed is a very unwieldy piece of metal to handle, and especially to remove from the ladle. We have found it cheaper to clean ladles often rather than make very heavy skulls. We aim to keep the ring of chilled metal that forms on the surface of the iron chipped off, so that the skull shall form principally at the bottom until it becomes so thick as to render the ladle unfit for service. Sometimes it happens that a ladle may be held for several hours filled with molten metal. This invariably leaves a large amount of chilled metal in the ladle. Frequently the skull will weigh several tons, and will be of the full size of the ladle inside, with a top crust, having perhaps a hole 12 inches square, through which the molten metal was poured. In order to remove skulls that cannot be easily chipped out with a bar, we use what may be called a skull-extractor, consisting of a hydraulic cylinder mounted in the center of a heavy cast-iron plate, standing vertically on a suitable foundation. Figs. 1 and 2 show the construction and operation of this apparatus, Fig. 1 being a view of the extractor with pistons extended to full stroke, and Fig. 2 a view with ladle in position and pistons about to commence the stroke. in both figures, A is the hydraulic cylinder, B the vertical cast-iron plate, and C the foundation. The water-pressure, admitted through the pipe, P, is 750 pounds per square inch, and the inside diameter of A is 14 inches. There are two pistons: D, fitting the bore of the cylinder, and E, 84 inches in diameter, moving inside of D. Both pistons move together when

Jan 1, 1893

By William B Price, Ralph W. Bailey

Arsenic, antimony and phosphorus are now used in the brass industry as standard inhibitors in preventing dezincification in condenser tubes. This subject has been thoroughly covered by Barry,l who de- scribed the testing procedure by total immersion of suitable specimens in a I per cent cupric chloride solution at definite temperatures. Effects of dezincification were then determined by loss in tensile strength and elongation of the test specimens after definite periods of immersion. In the crystallography of the chemical elements as tabulated by William Hume-Rothery,2 phosphorus (metallic), arsenic, antimony and bismuth are placed in group V-B and the type of crystal lattice for arsenic, antimony and bismuth is given as rhombohedral. The Metals Handbook3 lists them as 'rhobomhedral hexagonal," with the additional notation that for arsenic this is the ordinary form at 20°C.; other modifications known or probable at other temperatures. In view of these statements and of the fact that phosphorus, arsenic and antimony are effective in increasing the resistance to dezincification, it was natural to assume that bismuth would act in the same manner. A series of tests was therefore carried out employing the methods described by Barry. Much to our surprise, bismuth did not inhibit dezincification, but rather seemed to accelerate it. Tensile-test speci-

Jan 1, 1942

By Ralph W. Bailey, William B. Price

Arsenic, antimony and phosphorus are now used in the brass industry as standard inhibitors in preventing dezincification in condenser tubes. This subject has been thoroughly covered by Barry,l who de- scribed the testing procedure by total immersion of suitable specimens in a I per cent cupric chloride solution at definite temperatures. Effects of dezincification were then determined by loss in tensile strength and elongation of the test specimens after definite periods of immersion. In the crystallography of the chemical elements as tabulated by William Hume-Rothery,2 phosphorus (metallic), arsenic, antimony and bismuth are placed in group V-B and the type of crystal lattice for arsenic, antimony and bismuth is given as rhombohedral. The Metals Handbook3 lists them as 'rhobomhedral hexagonal," with the additional notation that for arsenic this is the ordinary form at 20°C.; other modifications known or probable at other temperatures. In view of these statements and of the fact that phosphorus, arsenic and antimony are effective in increasing the resistance to dezincification, it was natural to assume that bismuth would act in the same manner. A series of tests was therefore carried out employing the methods described by Barry. Much to our surprise, bismuth did not inhibit dezincification, but rather seemed to accelerate it. Tensile-test speci-

Jan 1, 1942