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By E. H. Rose

IN these days of the spectacular in research and technological accomplishment, it is easy and natural to overlook some of the applications to everyday life of recent developments of a more pedestrian kind, or to fail to realize that sometimes two or three of the latter may be combined to serve a novel purpose in fields other than those in which they grew. The present remarks are to point out three such developments which might be combined to apply to an everyday function of the A.I.M.E. as an organization. By its Constitution, the A.I.M.E. is organized "to promote the arts and sciences connected with . . . minerals and metals, and the welfare of those employed in these industries . . .; to hold meetings for social intercourse and the reading and discussion of professional papers, and to circulate . . . among its members the information thus obtained . . .; and to . . . maintain . . . a library." By these words of Article I the profession of mining and metallurgy is recognized to involve many arts and sciences, of which the art and science of exchanging information is a leading one. As to methods of preparing or securing papers, the Constitution is silent.

Jan 1, 1944

By F. R. Morral

INDUSTRY has yet to find a universal solution to the problem of engineer personnel selection. Today, the choice of the right man for the right job is even more pressing than ever before. The age of the hard apprenticeship seems to have passed. In its place one finds the interviewer who must determine through personal contact and evaluation of college grades whether a graduate engineer will fit into his company's scheme. The problem, as it is constituted today, may be broken into four parts: Need for better use of human resources (there is a shortage of engineers, scientists, and skilled workers), productivity with higher efficiency, encouragement of personal pride in work performed, and employee's happiness on the job and away from it.

Jan 4, 1953

By ALEC CROWELL

Mississippi has had oil production for only the past six years and natural gas production of minor magnitude since' 1926. The search for oil and gas commenced in 1903 and 1496 wells had been drilled in search of oil and gas up to Jan. 1, 1946. As the year 1945 ended, 659 wells were producing oil and gas from 23 separate reservoirs. The production for the year was 8,353,719,000 standard cubic feet of natural gas measured on a pressure base of 15.025 lb. per sq. in. abs., 15.316,009 bbl. of oil¬field water and 19,093,766 bbl. of crude oil and condensate. Production for the year 1944 was 2,636,067,000 standard cubic feet of gas, 14,979,793 bbl. of salt water and 16,420,346 bbl. of crude oil and condensate.

Jan 1, 1946

By T. W. Guy

The increased moisture due to water-spraying for coal dust control is of interest even for mines from which the coal is to be wet-washed before screening, because in many cases wet coal dust materially de- 20-mesh X 0 sizes as pct ROM average ............................... 6.3 pct Range 2.3 to 9.5 pct 20-mesh X 0 sizes as pct 3/8 X 0 sizes average........'...................... 18.9 pct Range 12.7. to 23.9 pct creases the loading efficiency of men and equipment at the faces. It also causes a serious increase in the normal wear and deterioration of all equipment with which it comes in contact. It is important to the consumer if it increases his as-received moisture. No attempt will be made in this paper to cover the entire subject of water-spraying of coal for dust control. It will be confined to discussion and data on (I) percentages of dust in bituminous coals, (2) moisture increases due to spraying for dust control in mines or plants by methods which have proved satisfactory for periods of one to five or more years, and (3) a few suggestions for research. Size and Percentage or Coal Dust The U. S. Bureau of Mines1 classifies as coal dust all bituminous coal passing a 20-mesh sieve (0.0328 in. square opening). The percentage of such dust to be found in ROM coal, of course, varies widely with the characteristics of the seam, and with the methods used in the mining and in the preparation of the coal. ROM screen analyses of 12 U. S. coals selected at random from personal files given in Table I show: A few other screen analyses examined indicating 40 pct or more of 20-mesh X 0 dust in 3/8 in. X 0 sizes were not included because of uncertainty that they were representative. The number of results in Table I is not sufficient to give a reliable estimate of the average, or of the range to be expected, but it indicates that in every case the coal dust is a relatively large percentage of the total ROM coal, and, of course, a progressively larger percentage of resultants as the larger sizes are separated for marketing.

Jan 1, 1949

(Members are urged to send in for this column any notes of interest concerning themselves or their fellow-members.) Members and guests who registered at Institute headquarters during January: A. Neustaedter, Jersey City, N. J. William Jones, Kent, England. A. J. Sweetser, Boston, Mass. Percy E. Barbour, Candor, N. C. Algernon Del Mar, Los Angeles, Cal. Herbert S. Kohlberg, El Paso, Texas. W. B. Cogswell, Syracuse, N. Y. I. N. Knapp, Ardmore, Pa. R. E. Chambers, New Glasgow, N. S.

Jan 2, 1914

By Theodore Marvin

NOW that real progress is being made in building airplanes that can stand up under adverse conditions in isolated parts of the world, utilization of aviation by mining and petroleum companies is proceeding rapidly. This isolation, offering such handicaps to ordinary methods of transportation, also was the thorn in the flesh of aviation until the recent advances in plane and englue design. The accompanying illustration shows one of the six new planes just delivered to the U. S. Government for map making. The planes will be used in Department of Commerce, Coast and Geodetic Survey, Navy Hydrographic, and Insular work. There is a trap door in the bottom of the hull for a Fairchild camera which takes five pictures-vertical, N60°, E60°, S60°, and W60°-at regular intervals. It is manufactured by the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corp., Farmingdale, N. Y.

Jan 1, 1935

By Donald H. McLauqhlin

ITEM expressed in billions of dollars have become so commonplace these day- that a mere statement of the latest figures for the country s gold reserve scarcely conveys m adequate sense of the immensity of the commitment the nation has made in building up its huge stock, two-thirds of which is now stored at Fort Knox. Kentucky. Only by measuring it against quantities that mean something tangible to a particular group can an adequate comprehension of its magnitude he rained; consequently, to mining engineers, a comparison with the value of output from well-known mining districts might best serve to give some degree of reality to the astronomical figure at which the country gold is now valued.

Jan 1, 1941

By Louise B. Freeman

Kentucky for the first time in its oil history passed the 10 million barrel mark. Of the total 10,019,641 bbl., 8,262,516 bbl. were produced in Western Kentucky, and Union County surpassed all others, with 4,056,142 bbl., or 40 percent of all the production for the state. There were 930 wells known to have been drilled during the year; 510 in Western Kentucky and 221 in the gas-producing area of Eastern Kentucky.

Jan 1, 1946

By ANDREW McVILLIAM, WILLIAM H. HATFIELD

AT the 1902 May meeting of the Iron and Steel Institute, the, authors presented a paper on " The Elimination of Silicon in The Acid Open-Hearth," wherein they recorded a few typical examples of certain Siemens charges out of a very large number specially watched for the purposes of that research. The main deductions drawn from those experiments have been accepted in all the intelligent criticism during or after the discussion on the paper. One opinion, however, was rigidly held by all who mentioned the matter, with the single exception, perhaps, of Mr. Lange, and that was the necessity for the attainment and the maintenance of an abnormally high temperature in order that the percentage of silicon in the metallic bath might increase, or that an unusually large proportion of silicon might be retained in the metal. The original decision was ar-rived at on the results of scores of trials, and has since been the subject of frequent experiment. The authors still retain their opinion that although, naturally, a higher temperature will accelerate the (probable) action between the carbon of the steel and the excess silica of the slag, they then fairly proved, and have now abundantly confirmed the fact, that around the temperatures occurring in Siemens steel-making practice the chemical composition of the slag, particularly with regard to its acidity, is the factor which determines whether the percentage of silicon in the molten steel shall increase or decrease. In the discussion in 1902 Mr. Saniter called attention to Mr. H. H. Campbell's work, and in the reply the authors also mentioned that of Messrs. Winder and Brunton of 1892, the two

Mar 1, 1905

By Paul M. Tyler

MILITARY power stems from industrial power and industrial power in turn depends predominantly upon an ample and assured supply of mineral raw materials. It thus becomes the duty of mineral economists to collate the vast array of data and logical deductions in order to reach an unemotional judgment as to the ability of the Soviet economy to withstand the strain of prolonged military action on the modern scale. Russian publications, reports: and official speeches have been laboriously screened and analyzed. Since these are the sources of information for the lower echelons of the Soviet industrial organization itself, they carry factual data that can be pieced together to show the present-day pattern. Apparent contradictions and obvious distortions or omissions can often be rationalized on the basis of observations made by foreign engineers and consultants during the 1930'5 and by checking against the technical literature published before even so-called technical articles were riddled by bombastic and presumptuous claims.

Jan 6, 1951

By C. C. Harris

An analytical solution of the integro-differential equation of batch grinding is proposed as a first appoximation to the xYt surface. The size distribution equation (xY plane) is a three parameter equation previously suggested. Possible refinements are outlined. Comminution kinetics research is presently following several related courses. Some are equivalent, in that they represent different ways of viewing the same facet of the problem, though the entire endeavor cannot be described as being completely integrated. The purpose of this note is to propose and discuss a framework into which the various approaches might be fitted. This must clearly be founded upon an analysis of the xYt surface.' (See also Fig. 1 of Reference 26.) The investigations referred to above comprise mainly researches into the following: (1) The kinetics of the creation of the finer sizes during relatively small grinding times. This is the Fahrenwald-Arbiter-Bhrany 2-3 approach which leads to equations equivalent to a special case of the charles4 relationship. It emerges that initial production of fines follow essentially zero order* kinetics. (2) Disappearance kinetics of the coarser fractions. This appears to be a first order relationship.5-6 (3) Prediction of the xYt surface via the selection and breakage functions utilizing computer-programmed or approximate solutions of the integro-differential equation of batch grinding.5,8-17 A recent discussion by Mika et al.5 references the relevant literature up to about 1966. In addition to these main-stream researches there is some work on the minor topic of extremely long grinding time considered as a limiting case.18-19 The field is supported by investigations into the size distribution of fragments produced by breakage processes, some of this work being most valuably statistical-mechanical in nature.20-25 Better fitting equations, however, are obtained by statistical and curve-fitting methods.26 This

Jan 1, 1969

By Kenneth Cotingham

Many factors joined in reducing drilling activity in Ohio in 1942. Conservation Order M-68 was important, but other things, such as operators and members of drilling crews joining the armed services and going into war plants, had an important part. The reduction in number of completions was considerable. In 1941, the total of wells drilled was 1561 but in 1942 the total was 1008. The total initial daily open flow discovered by the 701 gas wells drilled in 1941 was 492,000 M cu. ft., whereas the open flow of the 471 gas wells completed in 1942 was 314,488 M cu. ft. The total initial daily production of the 333 oil wells drilled in 1941 was 10,300 bbl., and in 1942 the 181 oil wells had a total daily initial of 7570 bbl. The average daily initial per gas well therefore was somewhat less in 1942 when compared with the preceding year, but the initial per ail well increased about 36 per cent over 1941. General Activity The total depth of the 652 oil and gas wells drilled in 1942 was 1,597,000 ft. The most active county was Perry, where 63 oil wells were drilled, most of them in Clayton township. In Morgan County. where 43 gas wells were drilled, the greatest activity was in York and Marion townships. Medina County was third in number of wells drilled, although of the total of 33 gas wells in the county, 26 were in the new Hinckley township pool. The total initial open flow of these 26 wells was 39,202 M CU. ft., and was considerably larger than from any other single area. Muskingum was an active county, particularly Washington and Wayne townships, in each of which seven gas wells were drilled, and Blue Rock and Harrison townships, in each of which five gas wells were drilled.

Jan 1, 1943

By Kenneth Cotingham

Many factors joined in reducing drilling activity in Ohio in 1942. Conservation Order M-68 was important, but other things, such as operators and members of drilling crews joining the armed services and going into war plants, had an important part. The reduction in number of completions was considerable. In 1941, the total of wells drilled was 1561 but in 1942 the total was 1008. The total initial daily open flow discovered by the 701 gas wells drilled in 1941 was 492,000 M cu. ft., whereas the open flow of the 471 gas wells completed in 1942 was 314,488 M cu. ft. The total initial daily production of the 333 oil wells drilled in 1941 was 10,300 bbl., and in 1942 the 181 oil wells had a total daily initial of 7570 bbl. The average daily initial per gas well therefore was somewhat less in 1942 when compared with the preceding year, but the initial per ail well increased about 36 per cent over 1941. General Activity The total depth of the 652 oil and gas wells drilled in 1942 was 1,597,000 ft. The most active county was Perry, where 63 oil wells were drilled, most of them in Clayton township. In Morgan County. where 43 gas wells were drilled, the greatest activity was in York and Marion townships. Medina County was third in number of wells drilled, although of the total of 33 gas wells in the county, 26 were in the new Hinckley township pool. The total initial open flow of these 26 wells was 39,202 M CU. ft., and was considerably larger than from any other single area. Muskingum was an active county, particularly Washington and Wayne townships, in each of which seven gas wells were drilled, and Blue Rock and Harrison townships, in each of which five gas wells were drilled.

Jan 1, 1943

Jan 1, 1967

D. M. Riordan has been appointed a member of the Institute Com¬mittee of the Engineers' Reserve Corps movement. Our Committee, therefore, now consists of Henry S. Drinker, Chairman, Messrs. Arthur S. Dwight, Warren A. Wilbur and D. M. Riordan.

Jan 1, 1916

By Zárate G. E.

Practical and statistical considerations concerned with the sampling, sample preparation and chemical analysis of precious metal ores are reviewed. The principal requirements related with the characteristics of sample cutter, sample preparation, equipment and methods are discussed. The main errors introduced in the different stages of the sampling systems are defined. The application of statistical techniques to evaluate these errors to determine the ore grade variation and to design the number of increments needed to get an accurate assay are presented. Finally, results obtained with the application of this method to gold and silver ores are analyzed and some recommendations are given.

Jan 1, 1984

By Mi Chung

T HE ore-dressing problem at Tul Mi Chung is complicated by the unusually complex nature of the ores. These come from replacement ore- bodies in limestone at the contact with a granite batholith, and contain copper, gold, silver, bismuth, molybdenum, iron, arsenic, zinc, and lead, the first two metals constituting the principal sources of profit. Iron is present as pyrite, magnetite, and hematite. Arsenic occurs both as mispickel and lollingite (FelAsa), the latter carrying a certain amount of finely divided gold. The gangue minerals are those typical of limestone con- tact-metamorphism and include a large percentage of garnet, together with diopside, serpentine, calcite, epidote, zoisite, actinolite, 'mica and other minerals. A part of the gold occurs in a free state; some is combined with chalcopyrite and lollingite, and a consider- able proportion is contained in the pyrite. Researches towards the improvement of recovery have been energetically conducted since 1915. Amalgamation, gravity concentrating tables, vanners, can- vas plants, etc., have all been tried and discarded in favor of flotation. It was very quickly established that fine grinding was essential for satisfactory recovery. This was and is still accomplished in Hardinge ball and pebble mills. A comparative test showed that when the ore was crushed to the point at which it contained 20 to 26 per cent. coarser than 100 mesh, the gold recovery was only 55.9 per cent., whereas when crushed so that only 11 to 15 per cent. was coarser than 100 mesh, the gold recovery was increased to 82.5 per cent. No particular difficulty was ever experienced in making a satisfactory recovery of copper but the losses in gold were considered serious and led to the investigation described in this paper.

Jan 1, 1924

Jan 1, 1969

By L. P. Durham

DuRing the early mine development period, 1929 and the first part of 1930, a 300-ton pilot-plant concentrator was built at Nkana mine of the Rhokana Corporation, Northern Rhodesia. This plant operated from May 26, 1930 until Oct. 26, 1931, treating 101,080 tons of Nkana ores and producing 4372 tons of concentrate. The plant was built, primarily, as a test unit to determine the grinding characteristics, floatability, etc. of the Nkana ores and other ores of the Rhodesian copper belt and to supply sufficient data on which to base the design of a 5000-ton concentrating plant at Nkana mine. The test unit operated wholly on development ores and no attempt was made to grade or select the ores from any section of the mine. The average assays for the 17 months of operation are given in Table 1. The first ground was broken for the 5000-ton concentrator during June, 1930, and the construction of the plant was completed in November, 1931. The plant started on Dec. 10 and has operated continuously since that date: The whole of the concentrating plant is compact and closely connected, yet with sufficient space for expansion of all sections up to 20,000 to 25,000 tons per day capacity. Mining operations are carried on along a length of about four miles on the easterly limb of the Nkana syncline. This length includes the North orebody, from which all production has thus far originated, and the Mindola orebody, now being developed for production. The ore-bearing measures in the North orebody are leached for some 75 ft. below the surface; the oxidized zone varies in vertical extent from 100 to 150 ft. Practically all the ore below the 200-ft. level is sufficiently

Jan 1, 1935

By S. H. Ash

Diesel locomotives, trucks, bulldozers, and other diesel-powered equipment are fast proving their superiority for mine transportation purposes. MORE than 100 minerals are mined and processed in the U. S. Management and labor have negotiated wage-scale agreements that have balanced wages and affected cost of labor in such a manner that comparisons can be made of transportation costs. Transportation of materials underground has become of vital importance.1"0 This report describes underground haulage methods and equipment, presents cost analyses, and discusses future plans for underground transportation in metal mines. It does not cover hoisting in shafts or slopes by cage, skip, or cars. Advancements have been made by the metal mining industry in lowering transportation costs in several mines, making it possible to mine orebodies or portions of orebodies not considered economically recoverable a few years ago.7,8 Wumerous reports have been written on transportation at metal mines; this report covers recent haulage at some representative mines throughout the U. S. The term metal mine is used to include all noncoal mines from which up-to-date information was obtainable. The best haulage equipment is subject to break- downs and accidents; but unless the rolling equipment, track, and signal systems are kept in good repair and are operated systematically, these breakdowns and accidents are likely to be frequent, destructive, and more costly than are necessary.10 Rail haulage crews using dependable rolling stock can move trips safely over grades low enough to be traveled without loss of control; this applies particularly if the track is straight and well maintained. Few accidents occur on main haulage lines if visibility and clearance are good and clear track is assured. One-way traffic underground is a recent development contributing to reduction of accidents and increased efficiency in mine haulage (Kelly mine, Anaconda Co., Butte, Mont., and Climax mine, Climax Molybdenum Co., Climax, Colo.)." Locomotives: Six types of mine locomotive used in recent years are trolley, storage battery, combination trolley and storage battery, diesel, compressed air, and gasoline. Electric haulage has been displaced by compressed air locomotives, which have been used successfully in certain instances, especially on dirty and wet tracks and steep grades." Maintenance cost is high, and operating efficiency, from a power standpoint, is low. Compressed air locomotives operate under self-contained power, and the absence of bare elec-

Jan 1, 1957