Search Documents

By GEORGE D. RAMSAY

ABOUT three miles west of Fontana San Bernardino County, California, and fifty miles east of Los Angeles, the Kaiser Co., Inc., has built an integrated steel plant. By integrated, I mean that from its wholly owned iron ore and coal supply, the Kaiser Co. is producing in its own mills iron and steel products. Pig iron to meet the West Coast needs has been produced at Fontana since Jan. 1, 1943; steel ingots were first poured there May 14, 1943; and steel plate for ships was first rolled Aug. 15, just sixteen months after ground was broken. Briefly, the plant consists of: (I) Two batteries of by-product coke ovens, totalling ninety ovens, carbonizing about 1740 tons of coal per day at capacity; with by-product facilities for the production of tar, ammonia, and ammonium suIphate, light oil distillates, and tar distillates. (2) One blast furnace producing at

Jan 1, 1944

By HILLARY W.

THAT colleges and technical schools constitute a vital factor in our industrial system is being realized more and more of late years. Consequently it is desirable that there should be a constant interchange of ideas between the 'school and the industries and that there should be a more intimate contact between the student and his future employer. Business and industry demand certain proficiencies and qualifications of the student and he, in turn, sees certain rewards and advantages in the industry. . In a meeting of this kind, whose primary purpose is to promote a greater intimacy between the students and those men who are active in the mining profession, it is quite fitting that each state his demnds upon the other in order to establish a common understanding. It is probable that a student, not being conversant with actual conditions in the industry, may be unfair in what he asks of his employer. Therefore criticism, constructive or other- wise, is not only accepted, but is invited.

Jan 1, 1930

By Joseph Jensen

THE history of the normal oil field is supposed to show an oil graph stalting high in flush production, descending more or less steeply into the curve of settled production and dropping gradually to the vanishing point of economical operation. Together with this at somewhere in the early history of the field, there appears from a vanishing point a graph showing the production of water. During the period of settled production this graph rises higher and, toward the close, unless extensive work is done in the line of correction, rises far above the oil graph to where the cost of operation terminates profitable pumping. Fields that start out with a high relative content of water are generally very short lived. Fields that never develop a water problem are exceedingly rare.

Jan 1, 1930

By C. A. Gibbons

AFTER nine years of extremely de- pressed business, marked mostly A with red ink on the balance sheets of most coal companies and with an increasing internal competitive struggle for diminishing markets, somewhat of a change appeared during 1939. Shipments increased and prices generally firmed, giving the coal industry increasing optimism and encouragement for the future. Specifically, it now appears that bituminous coal production for 1939 will approximate 378,000,000 tons, and anthracite production will approximate 47,500,000 tons, bituminous production being around 14 per cent ahead of 1938 and anthracite production 12 per cent better. The curve on p. 31, showing both bituminous and anthracite production, furnished by the bituminous coal division of the Department of the Interior, shows graphically most of the 1939 monthly production and clearly illustrates the increased production.

Jan 1, 1940

By J. S. UNGER

A LARGE proportion of the coke used is made in the by-product oven from the high-volatile coals mined in the adjacent district. At the beginning it was feared good by-product blast-furnace coke could not be made with our coals. By experimenting with various mixtures of coals, coking time, oven design, and coking temperatures, much has already been accomplished. The results show that a hard, dense coke, not easily broken by handling, can be produced. In its present state it is not all that could be desired, but it is being constantly improved. Such coke has been used alone as the fuel on several of the blast furnaces producing the highest daily production in the Pittsburgh district. Many of the coals in the Pittsburgh district when coked in the by-product oven yield a gas which contains a high percentage of sulfur, which is objection- able for many metallurgical operations. As this fuel is gradually replacing the ideal fuel, natural gas, which is becoming less plentiful, studies are being made of the best methods for purification. Some metallurgists believe sulfur to be a very injurious element in steel. Recent investigations by Government bureaus, scientific bodies and private firms, seem to indicate that a reasonable amount of sulfur may exist in steel without detriment. Without wishing to provoke any metallurgical controversy on the subject of sulfur, the fact remains that the daily purification

Jan 1, 1926

By Robert E. Wilson

TO show the vital importance of our future oil supplies to our economy, I will merely point out that this country, with something like 15 per cent of the world's land area and something like 7 per cent of the world's population normally uses between 65 and 70 per cent of the motor vehicles of the world, between 65 and 70 per cent of the world's rubber, and produces and refines between 65 and 70 per cent of the world's petroleum. Despite all the arguments as to which is cause and which is effect, all will agree that all three of these important industries are mutually dependent. If we had not been able to produce 65 or 70 per cent of the world's oil in this country we would not have the degree of mechanization, or the efficiency of transportation, or the high industrialization that we enjoy. Furthermore, the fact that oil has been plentiful and cheap has had a tremendous effect on all the things in which we as engineers are interested. For that reason, if for no other, it is well to look ahead to see what the outlook is for the near and far-distant future.

Jan 1, 1945

By AIME AIME

SHORTLY after he started his professional career, the subject of this sketch acquired the sobriquet "Moose" Allen. At the time he was engaged in geological exploration it1 the Canadian wilds. The nickname was given .him because of the wide, straight trail that he broke with unusual speed when going through the bush. Like a moose he was strong, energetic, and determined. To a considerable degree, Rolland Craten Allen today displays the same characteristics in larger affairs-business, civic, and professional. It is his habit to study a problem thoroughly, to decide u11on the best course of action, and then to pursue that course with vigor and

Jan 1, 1936

By William L. Batt

FROM the time the Japs overran the Far East, the United Nations faced a serious military problem in the critical shortage of many raw materials desperately needed to prose¬cute the war on two fronts. For many months this critical shortage threatened substantially to limit the gigantic effort to get shooting equipment into the hands of the fighting men on the far-flung battle lines. Now this crisis has been met. Solvency in raw materials has been achieved. Simply stated, this job of producing solvency has been done by "cutting cloth to fit the garment." This does not mean that we have all the raw materials we need. Unfortunately, a few raw materials are still short, thereby limiting the total production of certain war goods, or making these goods less effective. Where the supply of raw materials is known to be limited, however, substitutions have been made or production schedules have been geared to the amounts available, and an over-all balance has been achieved between various parts of the war-production program.

Jan 1, 1943

By William Victor Vietti

A METHOD of determining the average density of the fluid column in a flowing oil well is presented. Actual field data from several wells are used to illustrate the application of the method in the Yates Field, Pecos County, Texas. The depth of the wells in the Yates Field varies from 900 to 1700 ft. depending on surface elevation and the location of the wells on structure. Production rates over 8000 bbl. hourly have been determined and many

Jan 1, 1930

By Frances H. Clark

DEVELOPMENTS in powder metallurgy have been disappointing in 1943. If any new part has gone into large-scale production, knowledge of it has been restricted by considerations of national security. Nor have any outstanding papers appeared to advance the theory of the subject during this period.

Jan 1, 1944

By E. H. Bunce

CONTINUED progress in zinc metallurgy has been shown during 1933 by the adoption of new methods as well as the modernization of old processes and equipment, and by the initiation of new fields of activity for future advancement. The use of suspension roasting continued to grow as its advantages and adaptability became increasingly, apparent. The process developed by the National Smelting Co., Ltd., several years ago, of completely roasting on large sintering machines with utilization of the gas for acid manufacture has worked so successfully that an additional machine was installed during the year. At both the Swansea and the Avonmouth Works all of the ore for smelting is now roasted on the large sintering machines, thereby completely eliminating the old hearth-roasting furnaces. Work continued on obtaining partial purification of zinc ores from lead and cadmium by close control of conditions on the sintering machine, and in a few instances by chlorine additions to the ore before sintering. Ores so treated were either partially roasted or com-

Jan 1, 1934

By William F. Boericke

THERE was a time when the selection of fire brick was .left to the judgment of the head bricklayer of the plant, whose choice was not unaffected by a box of Christmas cigars from a friendly salesman. But the days are past when it was generally believed, with complacent philosophy, that bricks were bricks without much distinction, and should be bought on a price basis alone. Gone, too, is the belief that in certain types of industrial work the eventual failure of refractories was assured. Modern metallurgical practice, with its trend toward handling larger tonnages at higher temperatures, demands the use of refractories that cannot be supplied by random guess. The logical development is to inquire into the properties of the brick to be purchased, and this resolves itself into the use of specifications. In 1925, the General Refractories Co., with the active support and hearty cooperation of some of its larger customers, established a laboratory, at its Baltimore plant, for testing and research in refractories. This was the outgrowth of a growing appreciation of the value of research in the refractory field. Since then the work has become more involved' and the aims more ambitious, so that the present laboratory now employs a staff of 11 men working, under the direction of trained refractory technologists, on problems of research as well as the routine control of manufacture. It is believed s that `this type of laboratory is a comparative novelty among refractory manufacturing plants. It handles the testing and research work for all the 15 plants of the organization. Being at one of the works has the advantage of making it possible to carry on large scale plant tests on new products after the preliminary laboratory tests have been successfully completed.

Jan 1, 1929

By Theodore J. Hoover

WHAT are the chief branches of the mining engineering profession today? In an effort to analyze the structure of the profession, for practical purposes, a quantitative study has been made of the membership of the A.I.M.E., and is herein reported for the first time. In spite of the effect that a long history and a relatively small group of professional workers have had in limiting specialization in mining engineering, there has nevertheless grown up a wide variety of specialties in this field. More than a hundred different kinds of engineers were discovered among the titles given by Institute members in the Directory, ranging from "advisory engineer" and "American engineer" down to "wire-rope engineer" and "works engineer." How should all these titles be defined and interpreted? How many of them should be relegated as meaningless or confusing? What are the relationships among the remaining useful designations? Should some of them be grouped as "metallurgical" or "chemical," or under some other head?

Jan 1, 1935

By A. S. Richardson

PROGRESS in health and safety in the mining field has been greatly affected by war conditions. Some of the instruments commonly used in ventilation and dust prevention work have been practically unobtainable. Much equipment, such as fans, has been purchasable only when it was possible to make positive statements to the effect that it was absolutely necessary for the production of definite quantities of materials essential to the war. Even then, long delays were usually experienced in obtaining such equipment from the manufacturers. These circumstances have, of course, not been conducive to the development of new and better methods, though attention has been directed by governmental agencies towards the recognition of existing hazards to which little attention had previously been paid.

Jan 1, 1945

By AIME AIME

Jan 1, 1926

By AIME AIME

THE Institute of Metals held a well rounded out symposium on the working of metals, distributed over two sessions. At the first session* four papers were presented, two dealing with the, cold working of metals and alloys and two with the hot working of non-ferrous alloys. The first paper by E. V. Crane, dealt with "Metal Working in Power Presses." Mr. Crane pointed out the empirical nature of engineering data available for use in calculating the probable stresses developed and power requirements, for the shearing, drawing, binding and other forming operations. He described the various operations, methods of determining stresses developed and presented data obtained. In the discussion C. F. Hammond took exception to Mr. Crane's objections to the rather too frequent. annealing operations in drawing of cartridge cases, pointing out that the material was-manufactured to meet specified structure and physical requirements, which could only be met by carefully controlled sequences of working and intermediate annealing operations.

Jan 1, 1931

By A. W. Gauger

WITHOUT QUESTION the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania contains the most remarkable coal deposits of the whole world. Within its borders ,are to be found excellent coals ranging in rank from the high volatile bituminous of the western part of 'the state through the low volatile or semi-bituminous of central Pennsylvania to that aristocrat of solid fuels, anthracite, found in the East. . . . But while other states and even the Federa1 Government have recognized the needs of the coal industry, Pennsylvania has not. Though bituminous coal represents one of the most important industries in the state, far more important in annual productive wealth than agriculture, for example, hundreds, of thousands of dollars have been spent on agricultural research whereas little or nothing has been spent on coal investigation.

Jan 1, 1932

By AIME AIME

LIFE in few countries is dominated by geographic conditions to the degree that it is in Peru. The broad plateau of the Andes, bordered by lofty ice-clad ranges with deeply eroded flanks, imposes a pattern on the region to which most human activities must conform. On the Pacific side, desert conditions prevail, interrupted only by irrigated valleys along rivers that descend from the highlands. Above seven or eight thousand feet the rocky ridges become grass covered, and the central zone is one of high pastures with cultivation in the valleys or on terraced slopes except at altitudes over 15,000 ft. where glaciated landscapes prevail. Each of the three belts has its own distinctive resources and climate, and each its own special ways in which its inhabitant, must make a living. The Pacific region is one of the most arid regions in the world. Except for the irrigation, the country is an unmiti¬gated desert. The climate, in spite of the tropical latitudes, is mild with the heat relieved by air from the adjoining cold ocean. Fogs are prevalent throughout the winter months but precipitation is scarcely measurable. Ideal conditions exist for cultivation of sugar and cotton which are the dominant crops. Lima, the capital. situated in one of the most productive valleys, is an impressive city which in its modern development is well maintaining the high position it held when it was the

Jan 1, 1945

By AIME AIME

THE meeting" of the Rare Minerals and Metals Committee was held Monday afternoon, Feb. 17; Donald M. Lidclell, chairman, presiding. The first paper (T. P. 279), "Progress in the Use of Tantalum," by George W. Sears, was read by Mr. Smyth. Dr. Sears' paper contains an interesting summary of the uses, alloys and ores of tantalum and a resume of present method of reduction. The uses of tantalum is based on its extreme rise to the reaction of even the strong mineral acids, its great avidity for the common gases and its capacity for transforming alternating to direct current. Tantalum, as an alloy material, has received considerable study and many alloys have been reported. Among them three types appear to .be most prominent, alloys of high melting point, hard alloys and acid rising alloys. As the estimated quantity of tantalum in the earth's crust is less than that of gold, it must be looked upon as n rare metal. Australia is the greatest producer and the Black Hills of South Dakota produce minor amounts. As the one type of mineral available contains both tantalum and columbium, the extracting and metallurgy of tantalum are difficult chemical processes. Greater simplicity in this and the development of a market for columbium would undoubtedly be of great benefit to the tantalum industry, andl make for a greater use of tantalum produced.

Jan 1, 1930

By Gilbert E. Doan

WHEN metallurgists and other engineers meet their college classmates or former teachers, the conversation will frequently become reminiscent and finally turn to engineering education. These graduates have tested the value of their college training in the hurly-burly of the outside world so respectful attention is due their opinions, which, strangely enough, fall into two opposite categories. A member of one group expresses a deep-seated conviction that engineers should have a fuller foundation of physical chemistry, another asks for a more thorough training in mathematics, others wish a more thorough grounding in refractories, a series of courses in petroleum engineering, or in electric welding. Each alumnus of this group

Jan 1, 1937