ILLINOIS STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 3 3051 00004 2246 J&l A Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign http://archive.org/details/researchonstates15mine State of Illinois Henry Horner, Governor Department of Registration and Education John J. Hallihan, Director Division of the STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY M. M. Leighton, Chief INFORMATION CIRCULAR NO. 15 FOURTH ANNUAL MINERAL INDUSTRIES CONFERENCE OF ILLINOIS " Research on the State's Mineral Resources and The ir Ut ilization " Urbana, Illinois April 24-25, 1936 COAL SESSIONS ABSTRACT REPORTS OF GENERAL SESSION, FORUM ON RESEARCHES IN PROGRESS, AND SYMPOSIUM ON NEEDED RESEARCHES Sponsored by The Illinois State Geological Survey Division of the Department of Registration and Education The Engineering Experiment Station of the University of Illinois Illinois Mineral Industries Committee May, 1936 CONTENTS Q-ene ral Session The Objectives of this Conference ~ M. M. L'elghton Research and the Immediate Future -' Fred Wesley Sargent Forum on Researches in Progress Classification af .Illinois Coals - G-, H. Cady i •• Coal Preparation and Utilization - D.. R. Mitchell' Constitution of Coal in Relation to its Use - L. C. McCabe Standardization in Coal Analysis and its Application to Plant Control and Marketing - 0, If, Rees Carbonization of Illinois 'Coals U Gilbert Thiessen Smokeless Briquets from Illinois Coal Fines ~ R. J. Piersol Inventorying the Coal Resources -of- Illinois - J. M. Weller Symposium on Needed Researches Factors to be Investigated in the Satisfactory Stoker Use of Illinois Coals - C. V, Beck Federal Regulations of the Bituminous Coal Industry « G-eorge W, Reed The Regulation of Moisture in Coal as a Factor in Benefioia- tion - T. E. Shaugnessy The Significance of Hydrogenation with Respect to Illinois Coal - F. H, Reed and Gilbert Thiessen Abstract. reports of the addresses presented ■■ at the Fourth Annual Mineral Industries Con- ference of Illinois are available as follows: Information Circular COAL SESSIONS . ."V ." '. . . .' , . . ."No. 15 OIL AND GAS SESSIONS , . . ,- •. . . . No . l6 CLAY AND CLAY 'PRODUCTS SESSIONS , , . No. 17 ROCK AND ROCK PRODUCTS SESSIONS '. . . No. lg The State Geological Survey does not assume responsibility for the statements herein presented. Many of these papers are being published in full by technical or trade ' journals. Friday Forenoon, April 2k, 1936 GENERAL SESSION The general session was under the chairmanship of Dean M, L. Enger of the Engineering Experiment Station of the University of Illinois. After welcoming the guests he introduced Dr. M. M. Leighton, Chief of the State Geological Survey, who outlined the ob- jectives of the conference. Dr. Leighton pointed out that prosperity in our early his- tory rested upon the exploration and development of the country's untouched resources, whereas now it rests upon scientific discover- ies and technologic developments of new and improved uses of these same basic resources. The new viewpoint given us by science is that we should make a complete inventory of our many types of resources by thoroughgoing investigations and then show that their constitu- tion, composition, and properties are such that they can be trans- formed in various ways into ever increasingly useful products. The commonwealth that will make available this kind of information will make more profitable use of its resources, will be better able to meet competitive conditions, will create more industrial opportuni- ties, will provide more widespread employment and will lay the soundest of foundations for prosperity and happiness of its people. He stated that this conference was thus planned to discuss the importance of research as applied to the State's mineral re- sources and their utilization, to acquaint the industries with the research now in progress and the value of the results, to permit us all to catch a larger vision of the possibilities of well planned comprehensive' research, to receive suggestions of additional re- searches needed from the standpoint of industrial experience, and to develop a Joint interest in pursuing a research program with proper facilities and qualified personnel that will make for greater indus- trial activity and greater public welfare within our commonwealth. The main address was given by Mr. Fred. Wesley Sargent, President of the Chicago and North Western Railway Company, who was introduced by Dr. A. C. Willard, President of the University of Illinois, Mr. Sargent* s subject was " Research and the Immediate Future " Mr. Sargent set forth the thesis that economic conditions will be Improved by the production of new forms of wealth. Inten- sive research is producing new and improved means of production, and ~ 1 ~ is creating new industries and enormous demand for changes and im- provement in old industries-'. 'The chemical industry illustrates the tremendous and rapid advances of scientific research. Many things are being done with chemistry that it was thought, heretofore, could only be done with machinery and muscle. Changes are coming so rapidly that frequently plants become obsolete long before they are worn .out,,,,.. • •. ,..,._ ., The .'intensive developments in science make it. imperative that -producers of raw materials ever be alert to scientific re- search. Pure research working in cooperation with honest business are forces that will move us into an era of unprecedented prosper- ity, r , .-■■ ..■■;• ..'•.,.. ■ •"!. By., enlarging the wants of men. and .women' in diverse direc- tions and by the consequent new demands arising for new additional service.s, scientific discoveries enlarge the field of. human activity .thereby creating, new types of employment,, ^. . •.-.-.•'/ .._'; .The Illinois coal industry, : . which in quantity, and total yalue of product, is Illinois* largest mineral industry, ought also to-be one'' of the greatest in concentrated value. . Coal must not be looked -upon only as a fuel to be destroyed by burning. Coal as coal only to burn may not long be able to hold its modern place of power, but through the aid of research it has limitless possibilities not only as a .source of power but as a basis for vast new industries. Railroads are now burning dyes, medicines, perfumes and innumerable valuable chemicals along with their coal, all of which are wasted, and, all of : whtc : h ought to be captured for the service of mankind. •New forms of; competition are forcing the railroads to herculean efforts to .hold their place in the field of transportation. ' Since ■ some of- these' efforts are' directed to producing power ^at lower cost, , the coal industry must avail itself of research. and more. research to meet ,the. competition of other fuels. , > .. ./ ... ,,..,.; '■••':-,'.'• '".The possibilities of coal as a chemical raw material are illustrated, by" analogy to the rapid modern development, in the pro- ducts obtained from corn-. In recent weeks the daily .press has re- ported the discovery whereby a powerful explosive can be extracted from corn. •- '..,','... . The railroads stand indicted because of- their failure to •take full, advantage of scientific; research possibilities. None of the major contributions to railroad' development, during' the nine- teenth century came from' the railroads themselves. The telegraph was invented. by Wheatstone, an English prof essor of 'philosophy, anc Morse, an American artist'; the Pullman, sleeping car by a street coi tractor; the automatic coupler by Jahriey, "a dry goods clerk; the automatic' '"block signal system by Hall, a retired textile manufac- turer; etc.. ... ■•■;•'•...*.'...,. The railroads recently created the Association of Ameri- can Railroads, and this -organization created a Department of Re- search. This is a most important branch of this organization for - 2 - it should lead to things of permanent value - safety, greater effi- ciency and lower costs in producing and delivery transportation ser- vice. It is no longer possible to stand by, trusting to luck, that some school teacher, artist, street contractor, or dry goods clerk will save the transportation industry in the future as they have in the past. The tempo of the times will not tolerate it. Progress through research is the order of the day. It is ridiculous to haul a ton and a half of dead weight per ton of freight and several tons of Pullman per pas-senger; to haul two to three thousand pounds of engine tender with load in order to have coal and water next to the power plant; and to use steam only once and then allow it to escape into the air e New scientific achievements are eagerly recorded in the daily press. The most promising field of achievement is -in the full use of all the riches wrapped up in our mineral resources, the de- velopment of transportation to the end that goods and persons will move freely and within the purchasing power of all. The true idols of the future will be the "Microbe Hunters," the "Hunger Fighters," the engineers, and the great students in pure scientific research. "We are in the midst of a real, practical, scientific revo- lution that holds promise of a marvelous future for the raw products of our State, providing we have the vision and the courage to organ- ize for research and thereby convert to useful' purposes the riches now wasted, and through new and better processes make our minerals more valuable in all uses to which they may be applied to the end of a greater abundance for men and women everywhere." 3 - Friday Afternoon, April 2k FORUM ON COAL RESEARCHES IN PROGRESS Following are abstracts of the papers presented at this forum which was one of four on Researche s in Progress by the State Geological Survey and the Engineering Experiment Station of the Uni- versity of Illinois, on the mineral resources of the State and their utilization. These forums covered four major fields - Coal, Oil and Gas, Clay and Clay Products, and Rock and Rock Products - and were held separately and concurrently on Friday afternoon. Classification of Illinois Coals , by Gilbert H. Cady, Senior Geologist and Head of the Coal Division, State Geological Survey. The development of a satisfactory classification of coal as a short cut to accurate description, depends on our fundamental knowledge of coal. Scientific classification of coal as a rock concerns the nature of the material initially and at present com- posing coal and the nature and extent of changes effected by geo- logical agencies. That is to say, like other rock materials coal must be capable of fundamental classification on the basis of its constitution and on the basis of its position in the series extend- ing from peat to anthracite. Accordingly it is agreed that funda- mental classification must be in the two categories of "type" and "rank." The criteria for classification are partly geological and depend upon geological investigations of the occurrence of coal. Much information in regard to coal, however, is experimental or empirical and reveals the nature of coal behavior when subjected to standard conditions. Such are the standard proximate analysis, calorific value and ash fusion determination and results of other standard tests such as are available for Illinois coals. The cor- relation of this empirical information with type and rank classi- fication of coal as a rock material is highly desirable to achieve a sound use classification. Unfortunately research in the physi- cal constitution of coal to yield information that will make pos- sible a natural petrographic classification has proceeded much more slowly than the accumulation of empirical data, hence the scientific bases for classification into type and rank are still insecure. It is therefore exceedingly important that fundamental investigation into the constitution of coal and the physical criteria for classi- fication by rank shall be actively pursued. The State Geological Survey is endeavoring to enlarge the field of knowledge of coal con- stitution and is seeking physical criteria of rank differentiation whereby the significance of empirical data may be more fully under- stood. - k - Coal Preparation an d Utilization , by David R. Mitchell, Assistant Professor of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, Uni- versity of Illinois. - Current investigations pertaining to coal preparation and utilization now being carried on at the Engineering Experiment Station of the University of Illinois include: (l) A study of the character of coal mine waste, particularly picking table refuse, to determine -< its possible uses. Results are soon to be published on a study of the possible recovery of coal which con- stitutes approximately ^0 per cent of the discard, and a study* of the recovery of pyrite is in progress; (2) the effect of fines and free impurities on steam costs and boiler plant operation. These are being carefully tested at the University power plant; and (3) investigations pertaining to the reduction or elimination of the sulphur problem in using Illinois coals. Particular attention is being given the removal of deleterious sulphur compounds from stack gases. Constitution of Co'al in Relation to its Use , by Louis C. McCabe, Coal Division, Illinois State G-eological Survey. The breakage characteristics. of the three principal banded ingredients of Illinois coals have a great deal to 3.0 with the kind of coal that goes into the prepared sizes. Both vitrain (bright bands) and clarain (duller laminated coal) may be found in the lump, but most of the fusain will be found in the screenings, or if the coal is de- dusted, it will be .found in the dust. TJie 3 x 2 egg may have some of the smaller vitrain bands but for the most part is clarain. The No, 2 nut is still richer in clarain. In most coals the No. 3 nut is £ or 10 per cent higher in vitrain than the coal bed from which it is .mined, Vitrain continues to concentrate below ^g-mesh in most instances until the 100 or 200-mesh size is reached. Bel6w this the fusain is ordinarily highly concentrated. ' Washing may further separate the ingredients. In the minus 1 1/^4— inch screenings from one mine, 5$»9 per cent floats at I.30 sp. gr. The coal floating is 5^« 2 per cent vitrain, ^-0.0 per cent clarain, 1.1 per cent fusain and .7 per cent middling-refuse. The average vitrain content of the coal bed is 20 per cent. ■■> An approach to the problem of utilization from the view- point of the coal constitution is now in order. Research into the burning characteristics of the different ingredients in stokers is projected. The best combinations of ingredients for domestic coke production and for powdered fuel firing are problems that must also be solved. In considering the problem of the constitution, the fol- lowing general summary as to the nature of the kk million tons of coal mined in Illinois last year can be made: 8> million tons of vitrain, greatly swelling coal with less than 2 per cent ash. T* H «-» 1 million tons of fusain, largely dust, with 65 to 70 per : '- •' •■=•■' <- ; bent'-flXe^.Qa^bpni;;;;^ Jr,.-\ t :: : '■ \ 35 million tons : of- clarain,; less strongly .swelling -than '•"'■ vitrain ' and" as a result freer burning, with: ah aver- •' '•'•'age ash of-' 6 to $ per cent. .-■ ,..-'-,/ r .... :: . : .... St andardization in Coal Analysis-, and ,its Application to Pla nt Control an d Marketing .-,.- by Q-. W. Rees,- Associate Chemist, Illinois State G-eologlca-L Survey. Coal analysis is of .great, im- portance today due to the increased need for such analyses in prep- aration plant control and to the Increasing tendency tp. : market coal by analysis." 'That such -analyses should be made, as accurately as possible is' therefore .imperative. On large tonnages of coal ana- lytical errors may prove costly. On the basis of a consumption of a" thousand tons of coal per day at a base price of $2.00 at the mine an error of one per cent in the B.t.u, value would "represent a difference of $20.00 per day or $73 00 P© r year. Penalties for other error's ."Will rapidly add to' this. The nonhomogeneous character of coal makes sampling and analysis 'difficult'. Furthermore many of the methods available fori coal analysis are of the empirical type,, that, is, procedures in which details of procedure are definitely ■ specified. Because of this it is necessary to follow closely standard procedures in order to obtain results- which can be duplicated. Emphasis is placed on proper sampling both in obtaining the proper gross sample and in properly preparing this sample for analysis, proper housing of the laboratory to eliminate shock, sway, dust and dirt, and close ad- herence to standard procedures of analysis as specified by the American Society for* Testing Materials (t> 271-33)". '*'. Methods of properly sampling prepared products and new methods of analysis, for example, a method for differentiating be- \ tween 1 surface and inherent moisture are needed. There is, there- fore-, a need for analytical research in coal analysis. . Carbonization of Illinois Coals , by Gilbert Thiessen, As- sociate Chemist, Illinois State G-eological Survey. The growing market for -domestic coke offers great possibilities for the Illinois coal industry. This is a steady market,- not subjected to : the wide fluctuations of the metallurgical and other industries using coke. Because of their higher volatile matter contents, cokes from Illi- nois coals shrink severely and form fingery pieces If. too completely devolatilized. A highly fingered coke offers difficulties in push- ing from standard slot type ovens. Coking in ovens having a wide, flat section avoids these difficulties*- Studies have been made of the behavior of ^Illinois, coals under heat and their. softening, de- composition and solidification temperatures determined. These coals rapidly lose their" coking powers on storage, especially so if they have been subjected to any considerable exposure before storage. The rate of coking in any equipment is governed by the rate of heat - 6 - transfer across the zone of plastic coal which, divides, the. un- changed coal "from the coke. "Temperature gradients of 4-00° F. or more are found across this zone which is from one-quarter to one- half inch in thickness. The temperature conditions in a charge of coal being coked in a Knowles type sole-flue oven throughout an en- tire coking period were determined. The composition of the coal in terms of its banded ingredients has a great influence upon the characteristics of the coke produced "from it. Because of their high moisture and oxygen contents as compared with other coking coals, lower by-product yields' must be expected from Illinois coals. Smokeless Briquets f rom Illinoi s Coal Fines .' by R, J. Piersol, Physicist, State Geological Survey. This paper reviews the results of the studies on smokeless briquetting presented in detail in Report of; Investigations No. 4-1, which covers three distinct, but related, fields which are (l) the production and properties of smokeless briquets, (2) the processing of Illinois coal fines into a smokeless coal product, and (3) the development of a laboratory method for the quantitative measurement of the smoke content, to- gether with the design of the necessary equipment. A commercial dry brick press may be used to form four five-pound briquets simultaneously, each briquet being 5 x 10 x 2 1/2 inches in size, the press having a capacity of 120 tons per 24-hour day. Such briquets burn with a blue flame, without visible smoke, and with high radiant heat; the combustion takes place from the sur- face inwardly, without swelling or crumbling. The smokeless product is processed by the liberation of 15 per cent of the smoke-producing volatile matter at a temperature of about U-&0° C. applied for a 10-minute period. ■The smoke index is a numerical value of the smoke content of coal, expressed as the product of the average absorption of light (per cent) by the time of combustion (seconds) per gram of coal, the accuracy being within 5 pe^ cent. Smokeless briquets were made from Illinois coals which have less than one-third of the smoke index of that of so-called natural smokeless coals* Inventorying the Coal Resources o f Illinois , by J. Marvin Weller, Geologist, Illinois State Geological Survey. A comprehen- sive field investigation of the Pennsylvanian or "Coal Measures" rocks of the State by members of the Geological Survey has been in progress for ten years 'and 'is nearing' completion. This study has shown that the different kinds of Pennsylvanian rocks normally occur with certain definite relations to one another and that a certain sequence or .cycle of beds is more or less incompletely repeated about forty times. Although only six coal seams in the State have been.- mined on. an important scale, each of these cycles includes a coal. Studies of outcrops and drill records prove that most of the ~ 7 -, cycles are persistent throughout the State and they furnish an im- portant new" means of 'correlation because even though a coal is lo- cally absent, its exact position may be determined from the asso- ciation of the other rocks. Most of the coals have been traced in outcrop around the Illinois coal field and observations of their characters, especially variations in their thicknesses, make possi- ble predictions regarding their presence beneath more or less deep cover within the coal field. Finally the distribution of all of the important coals was briefly outlined and the conclusion reached that important coal reserves occur at greater depth in already active mining districts but that as the thicker seams are exhausted mining of certain thinner seams will spread outward into all parts of the coal field. In his "disqussion of this subject, Dr. G-, H. Cady pointec out that many mining problems resulting particularly from inequal- ities of the coal and its roof are directly related to variations ii the normal sequence of the Pennsylvanian rocks and that an under- standing of this sequence is of great importance in reaching a practical solution of such problems. Saturday Forenoon, April 25 SYMPOSIUM ON COAL RESEARCHES NEEDED On Saturday forenoon symposia on Needed Researches from the industrial viewpoint were held separately and concurrently for Coal, Oil and Gas, Clay and Clay Products, and Rock and Rock Pro- ducts, These meetings were planned in order to provide industries' with a special opportunity to offer their suggestions of needed re- searches. Following are abstracts of the papers presented at the Coal symposium. Factors to be Investigated in the Satisfactory Stoker Use of Illinois Coals , by C. V. Beck, President, St. Louis Coal Company, and Executive Director, Coal Exchange, St. Louis. The underfeed stoker of the screw feed type seems well adapted to the small oper- ation, such as residential heating and the ordinary commercial job, which by reason of their number constitutes a large field. Some of their disadvantages might be overcome through experimental varia- tion in the rate of feed, size or shape of retort or tuyeres, vol- ume and pressure of air supplied,, and depth of fuel bed maintained, Some of the problems suggested for experimental solution include - g - the effect of various sizes and types of retorts and tuyeres in re- lation to the amount of coal fed; how rapidly a fire will normally burn down as against a certain upward feed and certain air pres- sures; experimentation with stoker controls to determine how much fuel should be fed and how often; and development of stoker control that will permit the best possible results from low-grade coal. The suggestion was made that enforced intermittent off-and-on oper- ation permitting fuel bed to cool down periodically may permit burn- ing of low grade fuels otherwise unburnable in this type of stoker, and that Investigation should be made" into what happens to a fuel bed during the period in which green coal is being brought up to the ignition point. Federal Regulations of the Bituminous Coal Industry , by George W. Reed, Vice-President, Peabody Coal Company, Chicago, and Chairman, Bituminous Coal Producers 1 Board for District 10. Congressional efforts to regulate the coal industry are an outgrowth of many special Commission investigations over the last 20 years dealing with strikes, coal shortages especially dur- ing war-time, high prices, destructive competition, price-cutting and wage-* out ting, disorder and poverty in the mining districts, and waste of coal resources. Under the N.R.A. code, operative from September 1933 to May 1935* conditions were greatly improved. - The Bituminous Coal Conservation Act of 1935 w &s designed to meet the whole situation, ' providing a minimum of regulation neces- sary to stabilization of the industry. Price-fixing provisions, based on average costs of production for several districts, will com- pel, more efficient operation in badly managed or incompletely equipped mines, and will assure mine employees living wages. Con- sumers are assured against price levels reaching abnormal and un- reasonable heights. Their interests are protected at all times by a Consumers Counsel appointed by the President.' The Act does not establish wages or hours of employment, but provides for their es- tablishment through collective bargaining, so that different rates will apply to different labor classifications in different produc- ing districts. The code provides for appeals by code members or districts to the Bituminous Coal Commission, hearings by the Com- mission, and review by the Circuit Court of Appeals of the United States of orders Issued by the Commission or the Labor Board. Pen- alties are provided for attempts to evade the code* ' • rt The country is divided into 23 producing districts, each to be under a District Board of from 3 to ' 17 members to be chosen by majority vote of district tonnage for 19^. Each District Board is empowered to make such price variations as may be deemed neces- sary. The minimum prices so established must reflect as nearly as possible the relative market value of the various kinds, qualities, and sizes of coal, shall be Just and equitable as between producers within a district, and shall have- due, regard to the interest of the consuming public, and no minimum price shall be established that permits dumping. - 9 - Classification of Illinois coals has been based on rank as determined by the Illinois State, Geological Survey and published in Bulletin 62. The problem of what other factors are pertinent in the valuation of coals is still being studied. The Reg ulation Q f Moistur e in Coal as a Factor in Bene- fication, by Thomas E. Shaugnessy, Combustion Engineer, Northern Illinois Coal Corporation. ' Efforts to regulate the moisture con- tent of coal (which begins to vary as soon as the coal leaves the mine) are made when the coal is being sized, prepared, and loaded for shipment. Where washeries are employed to control the ash con- tent, heat drying or dehydration is needed to reduce the excess moisture, although it does not reduce it below the original mois- ture content of the coal in the mine. Suggested lines for further research included (l) the degree to which regulation and reduction of moisture' would affect the rank,, grade, and heat index classi- fication of a coal; (-2) the regulation of moisture in agglutinat- ing and non-agglutinating, in weathering and non-weathering coals; (3; the effect of moisture regulation on coals which disintegrate rapidly; (^4-) limits to which the moisture content of a coal may be regulated. Practical benefits of moisture regulation of coal, to both producer and consumer were pointed out, and a wet-washing and dehydrating installation was described in detail. The Significance of Hydro venation with Respect to Illinois Coals , by Frank H, Reed, Chief Chemist, and. Gilbert Thiessen, Asso- ciate Chemist, Illinois State Geological Survey. Present indica.- tions point to the possibility of a domestic petroleum shortage by 19^0 and possibly a considerable shortage by 19^5. Improved re- covery and more efficient utilization methods will not prevent the necessity fqr us to look for other sources of liquid fuels. The most logical source is coal from which liquid fuels can be made by three procedures, Carbonization, destructive hydrogenatlon, and syn- thesis from coal gasification products. The by-products of coal carbonization cannot be expected to furnish an important part of our liquid fuel supplies » It is possible to produce liquid motor fuels and lubricants by catalytic synthesis from carbon monoxide and hy- drogen obtained by complete gasification of coal. Construction of a plant for such synthesis has been started in Germany. The first unit of this plant will have a capacity of 200, 000 barrels of gaso- line per year. Most of the synthetic motor fuel produced today is obtained through the destructive hydrogenation of coal. A recently erected plant in England is designed to produce 100,000 tons per year of ■ motor fuel from 500,000 tons of coal besides 10,000 tons from low temperature tar and.^0, 000 tons from creosote oil. This plant is valued at 12 1/2 million dollars and employs 2000 men. The, cost of. synthetic motor fuel is stated to be between 12 and 17 cents per gallon in contrast .to a refinery price of about 5 cents per gal- lon for petroleum -gasoline in .the United States. Refineries, in the Illinois market area have been processing about - one-seventh of the United States production of petroleum and producing 60 million bar- rels of gasoline annually. To produce this gasoline from coal - 10 - would require about 35 million tons of coal. We have much to learn about the hydrogenating properties of Illinois coals. We must start now to obtain this information if we are to have it ready when it will be needed. It is suggested that a cooperative research project with federal and other state agencies might most effectively and economically furnish this information. - 11 ~ "WASCHER'S" LIBRARY BINDERS S07 S. Goodwin Urbana, 111.