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By J. E. Burke

RECENT investigations have elucidated many of the phenomena of the grain growth process, but have also revealed some conflicting and unexplained results. Beck and his co-workers1,2,3 have shown that grain growth continues with continued heating at one temperature until the average grain size approaches the thickness of the specimen, Plotting the logarithm of the average grain diameter, D, against the logarithm of the annealing time, t, they find the straight line relationship given by the equation: [D=Ktn [11] with possible small deviations at short annealing times. K and n are constants at constant temperature. On the other hand, Walker4 finds that, in alpha brass, the rate of growth falls off more rapidly than indicated by Eq I after long annealing, so that an equilibrium grain size is approached. Burke5 showed, using Walker's data, that time and temperature for grain growth are apparently related through an activation energy, H, according to the relationship: [t, Hr i '_ III t„ = R \T, - ~) [2]] where t1 and t2 are the annealing times necessary for the average grain size to increase from Do to D at temperatures T1 and T2 and R is the gas laws constant. In the case quoted, H had the value 60,000 cal per mol. The apparent validity of this relationship, at least up to 700°C, and the approximate value of H were later confirmed by Beck.' The results obtained by Beck, Kremer, Demer and Holzworth2 for aluminum and aluminum-magnesium alloys could not be satisfied by such a relationship, since the slope of the isothermal curves increased with increasing temperature. These data indicate and Beck, Holzworth and Hu6 later demonstrated experimentally that the only apparent factor controlling the rate of grain growth at constant temperature is the grain size. While many of the phenomena have been elucidated, a reasonably quantitative explanation of the process is lacking. There exists uncertainty even as to the primary driving force for grain growth, although there is a considerable body of indirect evidence that the interfacial energy of the grain boundary is responsible.7,8,10 Making implicit use of this assumption, several authors14,15 have pointed out that grain boundaries should migrate toward their center of curvature. Harker and Parker' have advanced this concept furthest, and show that one can expect grain boundary migration to occur only when the grain faces are curved, or when they meet at non-equilibrium angles. When the face is curved toward a grain A, for example, the atoms in the surface of grain B, on the other side of the boundary, are on the average more surrounded by the atoms of their lattice than the atoms on the surface of grain A. Because of thermal motion, the atoms at the interface will sometimes be attached to grain A and

Jan 1, 1948

By A. T. English

X-ray dif action techniques were used to investigate ordering and domain coalescence for the B2 (CsC1) superlattice in this alloy. Essentially complete disorder is obtainable by drastic quenching. isothertmal ordering occurs very rapidly at temperatures between 565° and 680°C, only a few seconds being required for development of substantial long-range order. A very fine antiphase dormain structure, found in samples annealed for short times, undergoes coalescence with further annealing. Domain "size" is found proportional to (t)1/2 . This Yate law can be derived by adapting the formalism of Hillert's analysis 01- metallurgical grain growth. For this Purpose the material is descvibed in terms of a "Swiss-cheese " structure, consisting of two multiply connected, mutually intertwined domain volumes. The observed activation enevgy for coalescence, 70 kcal per g-atom, agrees with an estit~lated value ,for volume diffusion in disordered rrzaterial. It is suggesled that the experimental value vejlects the substantially disordered environment of mobile vacancies located in the moving antiphase domain boundary. The alloy Fe-Co-2V is bcc below about 900'C and orders into a B2 (CsC1) superlattice below about 730c It has important applications in magnetic components, including many requiring extensive cold rolling.* example, Marcinkowski and Brown6 observed a re1atively small as-quenched domain size of about 250Å in B2 Fe3A1. Since there appear to be no published data on domain coalescence in B2 alloys, this process was studied in detail. MATERIALS AND EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES A commercial high-purity alloy, nominally 49 Fe-49Co-2V, was obtained from the Arnold Engineering Co. in the form of cold-rolled sheet 0.004 in. thick. Samples were annealed for 1 hr at 800°C in dry H2 to produce disorder and quenched into iced brine. They were then annealed in a nitrate-nitrite salt bath for various times at temperatures between 525° and 625°C. Estimates of the LRO parameter S and the APD size D were made using established X-ray diffraction techniques. Superlattice peaks are best observed using CoKa radiation, for which the value of (fFe-fCo) is maximized. Peak-to-background intensity ratio was improved by filtering CoKß from the incident beam to eliminate sample fluorescence, and by using a pulse-height analyzer. The LRO parameter S was computed from the ratio of integrated intensities I 100/I 200- Owing presumably to systematic errors associated with the presence of crystallographic texture and X-ray extinction, only rough agreement was obtained between experimental and theoretical (absolute) intensity ratios. For this reason certain experimental refinements (e.g., use of balanced filters) were considered superfluous and were omitted. Emphasis was placed on maximizing intensity in order to reduce the time taken to accurately determine the contour of the very small (loo), peak. This was done by point counting 105 counts at appropriate intervals. Background intensity averaged about 1200 cps.

Jan 1, 1967

By C. E. Lesher

Low-TEMPERATURE carbonization needs no introduction to the literature on coal. This paper will attempt no review of that literature; it tells the story of the commercial development of one of the processes for carbonizing coal at so-called low temperatures, dealing with the technology and economics of the process rather than with the design of equipment. The process used is that covered by the patents of C. B. Wisner, with improvements and changes made by the Pittsburgh Coal Carbonization Co. The important and novel feature of the process is the phenomenon of making the product in ball form (Fig. 1). Melting coal dust into smokeless solid fuel in an apparatus as simple as a revolving cylinder of ordinary mild steel has been proved to be practical. Furthermore, it has been found that the process has a wide application, for by applying a knowledge of why and how this balling action is accomplished, the apparatus can be designed and adapted to treat any coal that has a certain minimum agglutinating property. The operating plant is 20 miles west of Pittsburgh, adjacent to the Champion preparation plant of the Pittsburgh Coal Co. The coal used is cleaned minus 3/8 -in- or finer sizes. The products are low-tem-perature coke, tar and tar products. Present capacity is 7000 tons per month of low-temperature coke and 140,000 gal, of tar. There is no surplus gas for sale, and none of the light oils are stripped from the gas. The coke is marketed in two sizes, 1 to 2 in. and 1 to 6 in., through retail coal dealers for domestic con-sumption in hand-fired furnaces, and for fireplace fuel. The smaller size is bagged by dealers. Crude tar and many distillates and road tars are sold.

Jan 1, 1940

By R. J. Wysor

SINCE the outbreak of the European war, few problems of raw-material supply have commanded more nation-wide attention than potash. It is well known that before the war the domestic production of potash was an insignificant percentage of the imports. The average annual importation of raw potash salts for several years prior to 1914 was slightly over 300,000 net tons, and f other potash manure salts about 700,0000 tons. The sudden and almost total cessation f these imports created a unique and stringent situation. Methods of recovering potash from feldspar and other native mineral sources, and reclamation from hitherto waste products, have received a marked impetus. Soaring prices have been a keen-incentive to research and industrial development. Although several brief articles concerning the possibilities of potash recovery have appeared in recent trade journals, it still may be a matter of some surprise to the average technical mind that potash might be reclaimed as a profitable byproduct in the manufacture of pig iron. At the present time it may be of special interest to present some data, largely of a technical nature, on this subject. A fairly thorough search of the literature reveals a number of articles concerning salts of the alkali metals in the blast furnace. Many of them deal with the-theoretical role f alkali cyanides in the furnace. Several discuss the, probable effect of the alkalies on the furnace brickwork. Two or three ambitious patents have been granted for reclaiming potash or other products from blast-furnace gas. However, we have heard nothing further as to the practical application of these patents. Little literature of importance has appeared during the last 10 years concerning alkalies in blast-furnace practice, and I have discovered no record whatsoever as to the actual sale or commercial disposal f flue dust for its , potash content until this was inaugurated in our plant at Bethlehem. A bibliography of the most important articles discovered is appended.

Jan 1, 1917

By Milton H. Fies

EARLY in 1945 the laboratories of the Southern Research Institute will begin active research investigations on behalf of industrial clients. This achievement has come after four years of planning by a group of Alabama businessmen, and is in partialanswer to an urgent need in the South. Those who conceived the Institute have long realized that a marked relationship exists between scientific research and the economic well-being of the several regions of the country. Clearly, technological research, generally absent in the South, is the medium through which are created new finished goods industries, and the increase of technological research is perhaps the most important long-range project in the South.

Jan 1, 1945

By W. R. Shimer

IN his valuable report on Finishing Temperatures and Properties of Rails, I Dr. G. K. Burgess, Chief of the Division of Metallurgy, U. S. Bureau of Standards, has begun a line of investigation which should be continued by those interested in the subject, and who have proper facilities for carrying put the work. For the past year or more the Bethlehem Steel Co. has been conducting experiments to learn the effect of rail finishing temperatures on their physical properties and microstructure and the results are here given for the consideration of those interested in the rail situation. . Considerable differences of opinion have been expressed by various authorities, in the past, as to the effect of large or small grain size and high or low finishing temperatures of steel rails on their physical properties and wearing qualities. Low finishing temperatures and, therefore, low shrinkage, have been advocated on the theory that the wearing qualities would be improved. Others have recommended high finishing temperatures. The generally accepted cause for rail failures, due to the development ,of transverse fissures, is excessive wheel pressure on hard rails. One of the causes advanced for hard rails has been that they contain too high per centages of carbon and manganese; another that the rails were finished at too low a temperature, i.e., at or near the critical point. In the experiments herein described the rails were rolled from reheated blooms. All the rail blooms were charged hot in a reheating furnace and brought up to about the original ingot-rolling temperature before rolling into rails. These rails gave better results in deflection, withstood a greater number of drops before breaking, and showed greater ductility, than. rails of identically the same composition and section which were rolled, direct from the ingot. Rails rolled from reheated blooms, finished at somewhat higher temperatures than when rolled direct from the ingot, have a different microstructure, which the writer does not believe is due so much to the difference in finishing temperatures, as to the difference in

Jan 3, 1915

By Earl Bardwell

THE structural relations existing between cuprous oxide and copper -were first systematically studied by Heyn1', who suggested that a study of the microstructure of refined copper might be substituted for the analytical methods in vogue for determining the oxygen content of copper coming from the refining furnace. Hofman, Green and Yerxa,2 in their paper A Laboratory Study of the Stages in the Refining of Copper, working along the lines suggested by Heyn, showed that a study of the microstructure could be made to yield a correct estimate of the oxygen content of the specimen of refined copper under examination. In order to determine the oxygen content of the specimen of refined copper under. examination a photomicrograph was first made. From the relative areas of copper and eutectic, the percentage of cuprous oxide and the corresponding percentage of oxygen were then readily calculated. It was found that the values for oxygen thus obtained corresponded closely with the analytical results. With the idea of utilizing this method of determining the oxygen content of each charge dipped from the refining furnaces at the Boston & Montana Reduction Plant, the physical testing laboratory was equipped with suitable apparatus for carrying out the work. It may be of interest to describe certain of the methods which have been worked out in this connection and give such data as have been obtained bearing on the effect of the oxygen content of refined copper upon its conductivity. Apparatus.-For the benefit of those who may be unfamiliar with metallographical apparatus and methods and may be interested to know what equipment is required, a few words with regard to the apparatus is in place at this point.

Jan 7, 1913

By Stephen Krickovic

AS it is commonly understood in the bituminous coal mining industry, pillaring means removal, as completely as is practical, of all pillars formed in the development of headings and rooms on first mining. The degree to which this can be accomplished, termed percent of recovery, is of course dependent generally upon the physical conditions of the bottom and the overburden, the system of min-

Jan 1, 1956

By R. H. Richman, F. Borik

A 0.3 pct C-12 pct Cr-6 pct Ni steel was rolled to 93 pct reduclion in area as austenite at 510°C, and then partially transformed as desired to ~rlartensite by qnenching to - 196°C. Pole figures for the austenitic matrix and for the martensitic product were separately determined by an X-ray transmission method. The deforitration texture of' the warm-worked austenite is characlerized by (110)(225) components, and is thus closely similar to those produced in a brasses. The pole jigure of the martensite in partially transformed material agrees well with that which can be constructed by transfortnation of the {110)(225) orientations according to either the Kuvdjuniov- Sacks or the Nishi-yatuu relatiotship. Howeuer, an important result of this construction is that me-third of the predicted orientations are missing. A graphical analysis can then be used to show that in deformed austenite certain crystallographic variants of martensite (related to the most probable austenite slip systems) are suppressed, resulting in this preferred transformation. The evidence for preferred transformation is corroborated by the measured elastic anisotropy of warm-rolled and fully transformed H-11 steel. EXTENSIVE plastic deformation of a polycrystal-line aggregate in a manner that causes flow predominantly in one direction results in a preferred orientation of the constituent crystallites. The particular orientations that are produced depend upon the crystal structure and composition of the material, as well as upon the temperature, mode, and degree of deformation; in any case, the preferred crystallo-graphic orientations, or textures, are reflected in directionality of mechanical properties. Although such anisotropy may be exploited in certain specialized applications, it is more commonly diminished or eliminated by heat treatment lest it interfere undesirably in subsequent forming operations or in structural design. In the recently developed thermomechanical treatments that significantly enhance the strength of some steels,1,2 considerable deformation of the metastable austenite prior to the martensite transformation is essential to the strengthening process. If the austenite is textured by the deformation, and if the transformation to martensite proceeds according to one of the relationships established for transformation in annealed austenite, then it must be expected that the martensite will also possess a preferred orientation even though the multiplicity of martensite orientations possible in a given austen- ite crystal will tend to restore some degree of randomness. The existence of a residual anisotropy, both mechanical 3-6 and crystallographic,' has been substantiated. In the latter crystallographic investigation, preferred orientations were determined for the martensitic structure of an SAE 4340 steel rolled 72 pct as austenite at 833°C and then quenched. However, the choice of a composition that transformed almost completely to martensite during the quench to room temperature did not permit direct measurement of the prior austenitic texture. In fact, when the "ideal orientations'' associated with well-known fcc rolling textures were converted, alone or in combination, to martensite according to the Kur-djumov-Sachs (K-s)' or Nishiyama8 relations, the agreement obtained with the observed martensite texture was only fair at best. Recently a pertinent aspect of the austenite to martensite transformation was reported by Bokros and parker,10 who found that certain habit-plane variants of martensite were suppressed by tensile deformation of Fe-31.7 Ni single crystals prior to the necessary subzero cooling. It might be anticipated that the consequences of such preferred transformation are sustained during the formation of martensite in warm-worked austenite that has a well-developed deformation texture. The present investigation was undertaken first to establish more firmly the relation between preferred orientations in plastically deformed austenite and in the resulting martensite, and second to examine the textures for evidence of deformation-induced preferred transformation. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES An alloy containing 0.3 pct C, 12 pct Cr, 6 pct Ni, and the balance iron, was selected because the mar-tensite-start temperature (M,) of about -100°C allowed convenient experimental manipulation of either austenite or martensite at room temperature. Furthermore, this composition can be readily deformed as metastable austenite at moderately elevated temperatures without intervention of appreciable isothermal or athermal decomposition products. The alloy was austenitized at 1150°C, aircooled to 510°C, rolled unidirectionally at this temperature to 93 pct reduction of cross-sectional area, and finally oil-quenched to room temperature. Partial transformation to martensite was accomplished by quenching to -196°C as needed. The rolled stock was reduced in thickness from 0.067 to 0.010 in. by etching in a solution of 5 pct HC1, 45 pct HNO3, and 50 pct water, and further thinned by careful mechanical polishing to maintain the two sides of the sheet parallel within 0.0003 in. After mechanical polishing to 0.005 in., electropolishing in 1:9 perchloric-acetic acid solution produced a final thickness of 0.002 in. The preferred orientations were determined from

Jan 1, 1968

By L. C. Brown, E. B. Hawbolt

The formation of grain boundary precipitates has been studied in Ag-5.64 wt pcl Al alloys at 688°C. Large-grain specinzerzs were used and the boundary misorientation measured by X-ray diffraction. At low-angle grain boundrrries Primary sideplates form. u)hile abore a 17-deg misorientation lenticular precipitates predominate. Growth of the lenticular precipitates was studied on individual grain boundaries using a statistical technique. The thickening and lengthening rates appeared to be independent of &apos;pain boundary misorientation, indicating that grain boundary diffusion was not significant in this system. The precipitates grew urith constant shape, with both the length and thickness increasing parabolically with time. The parabolic lengthening rates were unexpected since previous theory and experimerztal results had indicated linear growth. By approximating the shape of the precipitate to that of an oblate spheroid grouling with constant shape an equivalent diffusion coefficienl was calculated. The zlalue obtained was in good agreement with nleasurements obtained fron, diffusiorz couples. IF a single-phase alloy is heated or cooled to a temperature such that the phase becomes supersaturated, there is a tendency for a second phase to precipitate from it in order to remove the supersaturation. Precipitation takes place initially on grain boundaries due to preferred heterogeneous nucleation, but subsequently Widmans kitten plates may form in the grain interiors if the grain size and supersaturation are sufficient. The type of grain boundary precipitate formed depends on the nature of the boundary. Aaronson1 and clark2 have shown that grain boundary misorientation can be characterized by the simple parameter R, where and X, Y, and Z represent the minimum rotations about three orthogonal axes required to bring the two lattices forming the grain boundary into coincidence. The maximum value for R is 60 deg. In using this parameter the orientation of the grain boundary itself is, of course, neglected. However it was found in both Fe-si3 and A1-Ag2 that the precipitate shape depended only on the parameter R. Clark found that the vast majority of precipitates formed were allo-triomorphs— lens-shaped precipitates that grew along the grain boundaries. At low-angle boundaries, however, (R < 15 deg) Widmanstatten sideplates nucleated at the grain boundaries and grew into the adjacent grains. It has been reported that the rate of growth of grain boundary precipitates is controlled by diffusion within the supersaturated phase.&apos; The theories which have been developed for growth rates have assumed the diffusion coefficient constant over the composition range of the supersaturated phase. This is a fairly good approximation if the composition range involved is not large. Thickening rates have been calculated using the theory developed by Zener4 and by Frank5 for the growth of planar precipitates. A parabolic growth law

Jan 1, 1968

By M. C. Flemings, T. Z. Kattamis

Dendrite morphology and grain size were studied in bulk samples of iron and nickel base alloys under-cooled up to 300°C. In the alloys studied, dendrite morphology gradually changes with increasing undercooling from the usual dendritic structure to a structure composed of cylindrical dendrite arms. At a critical undercooling of approximately 170°C in these alloys there is an abrupt transition to a fine-grained structure of spherical morphology. Final dendrite-arnz spacing of melts nucleated at less than the critical undercooling decreases with increasing undercooling and with decreasing distance from a chilled surface. Grain size of melts nucleated at greater than the critical undercooling decreases similarly with these factors. It is concluded that structure coarsening, with reduction of surface area as driving force, is the principal mechanism determining final dendrite-arm spacing in melts nucleated at small undercoolings and grain site in melts nucleated at large undercoolings. IN solidification of highly undercooled melts, nuclea-tion and growth of the solid is accompanied by a rapid release of latent heat of fusion. The heat release is sufficiently rapid in bulk specimens that it takes place essentially adiabatically with respect to the surroundings; hence the specimen heats up ("recalesces") to some maximum recalescence temperature. For bulk liquid metals and alloys, a simple thermal balance shows the undercoolings obtainable in bulk samples are not sufficient to lower the maximum recalescence temperature below the equilibrium solidus temperature. Hence, some liquid always remains at the end of recalescence; this liquid must solidify by rejection of heat to the surroundings. Metals, including iron and nickel base alloys, normally freeze with only a few degrees of undercooling. In general, nucleation begins on impurity particles present in the metal, at a "heterogeneous nucleation temperature" that is quite close to the equilibrium liquidus temperature. Very small droplets of metal can be undercooled considerably before nucleation occurs,1-4 presumably because subdivision of the liquid reduces the probability of solid impurity in a given droplet. Following early work on metal droplets,&apos; a series of studies has shown that it is possible, without great difficulty, to undercool bulk samples of many metals and alloys. Undercoolings obtainable are approximately two tenths of the melting point for nickel, iron, copper, and other metals and alloys.5-9 Specimen sizes have generally been in the range of 50 to 500 g. Studies on undercooling to date have been concerned primarily with techniques of undercooling and with nucleation and growth kinetics. Only limited consideration has been given to dendrite morphology in under- cooled alloys. One such study, in bulk Cu-Ni alloy,8 showed that at small undercoolings a typical dendritic structure was obtained. At undercoolings the order of 175°C the structure of a Cu-40 pct Ni alloy became "ray or starlike", and a dense network of subbound-aries appeared. At still larger degrees of undercooling, of the order of 250°C, the structure became more random and included an ensemble of globular forms. Comparable results were obtained by walker10 on Cu-Ni alloys, and by Kamenetskaya et al.11 in research on Cu-Ni, Sb-Bi, Fe-Ni, and Fe-Cr alloys. In this work, study was made of the processing parameters influencing dendrite morphology and grain size in undercooled alloy melts. Experiments were specifically designed to show the effects of coarsening ("ripening") during solidification on final casting morphology. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Apparatus used was patterned after that of Walker,10 Fig. l(a). Melting was by induction under reduced pressure of helium. Two different types of crucible materials were used; there was no difficulty in obtaining substantial undercooling in both types of materials. Alumina crucibles were used for the bulk of the runs made, with a glass coating separating the metal from the crucible walls. Other runs were made using fused silica crucibles with or without slag coating. A graphite susceptor was employed around the crucible to aid in melting and to reduce melt stirring. The major portion of the experimental work was on

Jan 1, 1967

By John S. Crandall

Occurrence: small crystals in alluvial sands from the eroding Belt Series mica schists. Flowsheet: dragline, trommel screen, jigs, drier, crusher, screens. Value: ground, $2.50 per cu yd, garnet sand gross $60. per ton. Costs: production and sales $48. per ton. Uses: blasting sand in aircraft plants, monumental works, foundries. Efficiency comparison: superior to silica sand. Future: possibilities only touched upon, research continuing.

Jan 1, 1950

By W. F. Chiao

With the application of dislocation damping theory an attempt was made to determine whether the generation and extension of dislocations is inherently more difficult in a brittle steel than in a ductile steel. A ductile steel was compared with a brittle stee1 by simultaneously measuring the ultrasonic attenuation and velocity during tensile test, and the density of free dislocations and their mean loop length were then calculated as a function of strain. The results showed that in the ductile steel there was always a large generation of dislocations and great extension of loop length occurring at some stage within the early plastic region. In contrast, the brittle steel showed very little or no such sudden changes in dislocation dynamic states after the onset of plastic deformation. Furthermore, a strong temperature dependence of dislocation dynamic states was also observed in the ductile steel and a hypothesis was suggested that a thermally activated process of dislocation rearrangement could occur at higher deformation temperatures. The activation energy of dislocation rearrangement at room temperature was estimated as about 2030 cal per mole.C. DUCTILITY is an indispensible property in the application of engineering materials, especially steel. During the past two decades the theoretical and experimental approach to the understanding of flow and fracture of metals has been constantly undergoing changes and progress." while the fracture behavior of metals can be influenced by many factors such as chemical Composition,3 second-phase particle mor-phology,4 and dislocation arrangement,5 it is now a general belief that the fundamental understanding of the ductile-brittle fracture phenomena of solid materials must stem from the study of dislocation dv-namics developed under stress conditions.6,7 Most of the traditional ductility tests, such as Charpy impact test, slow bend test, and tensile fracture test, cannot by themselves reveal directly the mechanisms of ductile to brittle transition of materials. In the experimental investigation of tensile ductility it would be ideal to be able to study directly the dynamics of dis-locations in a bulk specimen during the process of deformation. Since the ultrasonic pulse technique is the only satisfactory method for studying dislocations and the fine details of deformation characteristics in metals in the course of a tensile test, it would appear that a comparative study of ultrasonic attenuation changes during tensile tests of metallic materials exhibiting different ductility might be very informative. So far no work comparable to this study has appeared in the literature. Recent progress in both theory and experiment has indicated the feasibility of studying the dislocation mechanisms of ductility behaviors by ultrasonic measurements during tensile test. Granato and Lucke8 have developed a quantitative theory that enables the calculation of dislocation density and their average loop length from the measurements of ultrasonic attenuation and velocity, and several investigators, including Chiao and Gordon,9&apos;10 have shown that simultaneous ultrasonic measurements can be successfully made during a tensile test. Furthermore, many investigators11-13 have repeatedly proposed in the past several decades that deformation and fracture are mutually self-exclusive, and that the ability or inability of a material to deform plastically, i.e., to generate dislocations, is a major factor in determining whether the material will be ductile or brittle. Thus, in the present work an attempt was made to determine whether the generation and extension of dislocations is inherently more difficult in a brittle steel than in a ductile steel. This article is principally concerned with the study of the relation between the propagation of ultrasonic waves and tensile deformation in a steel series which displays quite different toughness at room tempera-turk. changes in attenuation and velocity of ultrasonic waves have been measured as a function of strain during the deformation process. The results have been interpreted in terms of the vibrating string model for dislocation damping as developed by Granato and Lucke, and it has been found that some of the more subtle predications of the model are in good agreement with the experiments. This would be especially meaningful because most of the previous experiments in testfying the model were carried out with single crystals of high-purity materials and little work has been done with polycrystalline steel alloys. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES AND RESULTS Specimen Materials. The tensile specimens used throughout this experiment were of two compositions selected from a series of Fe-Mo-0.77 pct Mn-0.22 pct C steels prepared for a ductile-brittle fracture transition study. One steel contains 0.21 pct Mo and the other 1.03 pct Mo. These two compositions were chosen for the present study because they possess quite different toughness properties at room temperature. The 0.21 pct Mo steel is quite ductile while the 1.03 pct Mo steel is rather brittle, as measured by the standard Charpy impact test. The alloys had been prepared by vacuum induction melting and chill casting in steel molds. The ingots were hammer-forged into 1/2-in.-sq bars from which tensile specimen blanks were cut. These blanks were first normalized under argon atmosphere at 1700°F and then reaus-tenitized and isothermally transformed at 1050°F to a bainitic microstructure. The chemical compositions, heat treatments, hardness measurements, and Charpy transition temperatures of the two steels are listed in Table I.

Jan 1, 1970

By R. J. Tailleur, M. Rosenberg

Oil well drilling muds prepared with lubricating aids such as oil, graphite or mica will not produce a sufficiently strong protective lubricant film for the bit bearing surfaces under high load conditions encountered in drilling operations. Consequently, the damage to the bearing surfaces resulting from the absence of such a film frequently results in a shortening of the drill bit life. Several different types of extreme pressure lubricating additives for use in muds have been developed. These arlrlitives are capable of providing a protective lubricating film for bearing surfaces subjected to high load pressures. A modified version of the Timken lubricant tester, an instrument commonly used for testing the extreme pressure lubricating properties of oils, is used for measuring and controlling the lubricating qualities of the mud. Comparison tests made in the laboratory with 55/8-in. tricone bits drilling on steel plates immersed in extreme pressure lubricating muds and conventional muds showed that the bearing life of those bits tested in the lrrbricating mud was three to four times greater than obtained with conventional muds. Drilling tests made with extreme pressure lubricating muds in West Texas increased over-all bit life three to fourfold, reduced drilling torque and wear on drill pipe and drill collars. INTRODUCTION Roller bit cones contain roller, ball and journal-type bearings that are subjected to very heavy loading during drilling operations in which the only lubricant available for these bearings is either water or drilling mud. These bearings must be able to operate satisfac- torily in order for the cutting structures on the surface of the cones to be fully utilized. Frequently, the bearings wear to the point that the cones freeze and the bit must be pulled before the cutting structures on the cones become worn. In some instances the bearings continue to turn with severe wear but the cones, which are held on the bit by the bearings, drop off; and this causes an expensive fishing job. In other instances the bearings wear to the point that the cones pinch in causing an undergauge hole and delays to ream the hole. The advantage of increasing bit bearing life is self-evident. Because of inability to control the internal wear of bits while drilling, it was felt that improvement of the lubricating qualities of the circulating mud would be helpful. However, the often-discussed lubricating property attributed to muds has been a rather vague and intangible one. The literature has implied that the oil-emulsion muds are more effective lubricants than non-emulsion muds. Actually, there has been no direct method of measuring the lubricating property of muds which would indicate that one mud was better than another; there has been no way to determine whether the lubricating property of any mud was adequate. Furthermore, in comparing lubricating properties of muds, two qualities should be considered—the coefficient of friction and the extreme pressure lubricating qualities. For example, graphite can reduce the coefficient of friction, but does not provide a strong enough lubricating film to protect bit bearings subjected to high loads. The primary object of the investigation reported herein was to find a method for prolonging the bearing life of drill bits; and considering the heavy loads used in drilling, it was felt necessary to find both a method of measuring lubricating properties under high load conditions and methods of establishing effective lubrication under these conditions. Extreme pressure lubrication deals with that realm of lubrication where metal surfaces are in rubbing contact with each other under very high pressures. These pressures may be quite high, as for example,

By C. D. Hall, F. E. Dollarhide

Fluid Ioss agent.s for crude oil and for water have been studied in dynamic tests. A treatment using a spearhead with a fluid loss agent followed by plain fluid appears feas ible in crude oil, but not in water. An equation for spearhead depletion shows that spurt loss relative to fracture width must be low, if the portion of spearhead fluid in the treatment is to be small. The presence of colloidal matter in crude oils aids the fluid Ioss agent. Unlike in kerosene, where flow limited the agent deposition, in crude oils the filter cake continually formed and leak-off declined. The volume-time relation varied somewhat for different crudes, but was best described by a square root of time function. Spurt loss was inversely proportional to agent concentration. After the fluid loss agent initiated the filter cake, the crude oil colloids built on it effectively. A 2-minute or a 5-minute spearhead with double the normal agent concentration gave the same fluid Ioss curve as the same concentration did for a 30-minute test. The agents tested in water gave fluid Ioss plots on which, for the first few minutes, volume was proportional to the square root of time, but later became proportional to time. For fracture area calculation the customary square root of time function is a satisfactory approximation. Leak-off rates and spurt losses were higher in water systems than in oils. The spurt Ioss tended to be inversely proportional to concentration. In spearhead tests, the filter cakes were not eroded by water flow. However, the rather high spurt loss values make spearhead treatments impractical for water-based fluids. Introduction The effects of dynamic testing conditions on the performance of fluid loss agents in kerosene have been studied previously.&apos; We have extended the work to include crude-oil- and water-based fracturing fluids. An understanding has been gained of the mechanisms of formation and functioning of the filter cakes of fluid loss agents. The practical aspects of evaluating performance of agents in relation to fracture area calculations also are considered. The feasibility of using the fluid loss agent in a spearhead stage of the treatment is examined further for both types of fluids. Experimental Procedure The dynamic fluid loss tests were performed in an apparatus similar to the high-pressure apparatus described in a previous publication.&apos; A fracturing fluid was circulated over a rock surface located in a closed pressurized loop. The fluid flowed axially over the cylindrical surface of a core 2 in. in diameter X 3.5 in. long, mounted (with the flat ends sealed off) in a pipe, with 0.117 in. annular clearance. The filtrate was collected in a central hole in the core and led through valves to graduated cylinders. Provision was made for changing quickly the circulating fluid during the test (spearhead runs) without interrupting the filtration pressure. The only modifications were to add heating tapes and water jackets for the tests with crude oils, all conducted at ISOF, and to change all parts exposed to the test fluid to stainless steel for the tests with water-based fluids. The latter tests were made at room temperature, 80F. Three crude oils were tested. A mixed crude, obtained from a local refinery, contained a considerable amount of light ends. For safety reasons, it was stripped to 250F vapor temperature before use in the fluid loss tests. The other two oils were used as obtained from lease tanks. One was a greenish-brown, 37" API paraffinic crude, and the other was a black, 32" API asphaltic crude. The fluid loss agent for oil, here designated for brevity as Agent A, was Adomite@ Mark II*, a granular solid commercial agent, the same as previously tested in kerosene.&apos; Three different compositions of fluid loss agents were tested in Tulsa tap water. Agent B was adomit& Aqua*, a solid commercial fluid loss agent, comprising clays and hydrophilic gums principally derived from starch. Agent C was a mixture of three parts of Agent B with two parts of silica flour. Agent D was Dowel1 J137, a mixture of guar gum and silica flour. The test cores were cut from contiguous blocks of Berea or Bandera sandstones. For the oil tests, the cores were oven dried, evacuated, saturated with kerosene, and the kerosene permeability was measured. The cores used with the water-based fluids were pretreated by saturating with 3 percent calcium &loride solution to minimize pemeability damage by the fresh water due to clay migration. The

Jan 1, 1969

By William Hurst

Muskat&apos;s depletion performance equation is here derived considering the expansion behavior of the reservoir hydrocarbon system and a simple fractional-flow equation. This nietkod of derivation leads logically to the two extensions that follow. The first of these is concerned with gravity segregation in a depletion-drive reservoir. The second is concerned with including an empirically determined tern? for water influx in the performance equation. The more general equation for gravity segregation when there is a primary gas cap and empirically-determined water influx is stated for completeness. These equations have been found useful in reservoir performance calculations in Eastern Venezuela. A discussion on the methods of solving these equations follows, and considers firstly the effect of taking finite intervals in the numerical integration, and sec-ondly, methods of incorporating the time functions involved in segregation in with the expansion behavior. The paper concludes with a brief general discussion on further extensions to the depletion performance equation. INTRODUCTION The two fundamental sources of energy by which oil is produced from a reservoir result from pressure depletion inside the boundaries of the reservoir and fluid encroachment across the boundaries of the reservoir. The wells in either case form low pressure outlets through which oil and gas may be produced by the expansive force of the reservoir fluids and associated encroaching fluids. When the reservoir pressure is higher than the bubble-point pressure of the oil, so that there is no free gas in the reservoir, these expansive forces are the only ones available for the production of oil. However, when the reservoir pressure is less than the bubble-point pressure of the oil, free gas is vaporized as the pressure falls. With both oil and free-gas phases present, the additional forces of gravity and capillarity may operate on the gas-oil system, as they have previously operated on the oil-interstitial water system. Gravity tends to segregate the free gas from the oil due to their density difference. Capillarity opposes and eventually balances gravity as the more extreme free gas and oil saturations are reached, preventing the independent move- ment of free gas until it is above a certain saturation, and the independent movement of oil when it is below a certain saturation. The type of depletion performance equation chosen for predicting the future performance of a reservoir depends on the amount of past history available. When the reservoir is somewhere past the halfway mark in depletion, some form of decline curve is often used. With less past history, material balance equations which incorporate empirical factors based on the past performance are often used. When, however, the amount of past history is small, the Muskat depletion performance equation will usually be used. The distinguishing feature of this type of equation is that empirical factors based on the over-all or macroscopic reservoir behavior are almost or entirely absent. Each parameter affecting the reservoir performance is ascribed an independent set of values based on measurements made on laboratory samples; that is, incorporating microscopic empirical factors. In establishing Muskat-type depletion performance equations, it is necessary to consider the reservoir as consisting of a number of associated blocks, in each of which the saturations and pressures may be considered uniform, and in each of which all substances have uniform pressure-volume characteristics. Thus, a primary gas cap can usually be considered as one block and an aquifer as another. Gravity segregation may be negligible for practical purposes when the rock and oil properties are adverse and/or the dip or thickness of the reservoir is too small. In this case the whole oil leg may be considered as one block, except in very large reservoirs. In very large reservoirs the fluid and rock properties may vary enough, particularly in the dip direction, for it to be necessary to divide the oil leg into a number of blocks, in each of which the relevant quantities may be considered uniform. When gravity segregation of the oil and free gas is not negligible, it is necessary to consider the space occupied by the initial oil leg as divided into two blocks, a secondary gas cap and an effective oil leg, in each of which saturations may be considered to be uniform. The total volume of these two blocks is thus constant, but the secondary gas cap grows continuously at the expense of the oil leg. Muskat1 derived depletion performance equations for the basic case of an oil reservoir with closed boundaries and without segregation, and for the case of an oil

By Frank A. Hill

A visitor to the Northern anthracite coal-field in 1844 wrote: " History and song have hallowed the valley of Wyoming, and everything pertaining to it seems wrapped in an atmosphere of romance." Song and history have since been almost forgotten in the rush of enterprise and business energy, while the invested capital which has built 160 colliery plants, producing last year 17,031,826 tons of coal and giving employment to 50,000 men and boys, lends an atmosphere the inspiration of which is the very sustenance of prosperity and progress. The fundamental cause of this great valley&apos;s financial strength, however, rests on the fulness of its mineral wealth. Its mountains surround and its cities are built upon anthracite coal. Its foundation, physically, financially and socially, is coal. Its geology has governed its growth and developed its greatness. In 1768, ten years, prior to the celebrated Wyoming massacre, two Connecticut Yankees, named Gore, settled near Wilkesbarre, Luzerne County, and, burning Pennsylvania anthracite in their blacksmith&apos;s forges, were the first to utilize it as a fuel. Its first use in the household was also at Wilkesbarre, where, in 1808, Judge Fell burned it in an open grate. Carbondale, Wilkesbarre, and Scranton were early recognized as the coal centers of the field.

Jan 1, 1887

By Howard I. Smith

POTASH is of prime importance as a plant food and is also widely used in industry. The term "potash was applied to a crude pearlash obtained by evaporating, in iron pots, solutions leached from plant ashes. Later it included caustic potash obtained by treating pot ashes with lime, and now it is applied generally to various compounds of potassium used by agriculture and industry. Herein it applies to the theoretical equivalent in potassium oxide (K20)--a compound never found in nature or manufactured in commerce but generally used as a common denominator for comparison of all potassium compounds. Potash was made from plant ashes at an early date, but potassium in mineral form was not noted until 1797, when it was identified in leucite.3 The importance to plant life of potash in the soil was first recognized by von Liebig3 and his published reference thereto appeared in 1840. In 1843, potash was discovered in the brine of a well drilled for salt near Stassfurt. HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN POTASH INDUSTRY Among the colonists reaching Virginia in 1608 were men from Poland skilled in making potash from wood ashes19 and records show that the production of potash was begun in other colonies also, soon after their establishment. The American product entered the trade in 1635, and at various times since that date the production of potash for industry has been subsidized by the Government or protected by tariffs. The production of potash from wood ashes reached its peak in 1825. Beginning in 1823, a cheaper product, sodium carbonate, made by the Leblanc process, was substituted for much of the potash used in industry. Production rapidly declined after the Civil War, when the forests most productive of potash had become depleted and labor had become

Jan 1, 1949

By A. S. Yue, A. E. Vidoz, F. W. Crossman

Tensile specimens were prepared from a single grain of an epitaxially grown Al-CuAl2 eutectic ingot. The eutectic lanzellae were oriented parallel and perpendicular to the tensile axis of the specimens. Since the composite was of the eutectic composition, the aluminum-rich matrix could dissolve up lo 5. 7 wt pct Cu in solid solution and, therefore, was amenable to strengthening by precipitation hardening. The tensile properties of the eutectic single crystals were determined at room temperature as functions of interlamel-lar spacing, platelet orientation, and thermornechanical trealment. The obserced variations in composite stress and modulus with respect to the level of&apos; composite strain are discussed in terms of premature fracture of CuAlz platelets, a distribution function for the strength of the lamellae, and unequal strains due to localized fracture of&apos; platelets. The discontinuous fiber composite model of Kelly and Tyson is modgied to account for a changing distribution of fiber lengths during composite loading. The tensile properties at elevated temperatures were determined for the direc-tionally solidified eutectic oriented with platelets parallel to the tensile axis. The observed properties are attributed to the onset of plasticity of the CuAL2 phase above 150°C. DURING the investigation of whisker- and fiber-reinforced metallic matrix composites in recent years, two major problem areas have developed: 1) The fabrication of the composite involves tedious handling techniques in order to obtain a unidirection-ally aligned and uniformly spaced set of whiskers in the metal matrix. 2) Due to weak interfacial bond strengths or because of the formation of additional embrittling phases at the metal-fiber interface during long-time exposure or fabrication at elevated temperatures, many composite systems have exhibited considerably lower strengths than those predicted by a law of mixtures analysis.&apos; These problems have been bypassed by the technique of growing whiskers and plates of high-strength materials in a ductile metal matrix by controlled unidirectional eutectic solidification.2 The tensile properties of directionally solidified A1-CuA12 eutectic are presented here. This alloy consists of a ductile aluminum matrix, containing up to 5.7 wt pct Cu in solid solution, which is amenable to precipitation hardening by heat treatment and a reinforcing high modulus CuAlz intermetallic phase. The two phases are present in the form of alternating platelets or lamellae. The microstructural stability of this unidirectionally solidified alloy at elevated temperatures has been studied extensively.3.4 and preliminary tensile and bend tests have been reported. 5-7In the present investigation the tensile properties of the A1-CuA1, eutectic have been studied as a function of several ther-momechanical variables: solidification rate. heat treatment. rolling at elevated temperatures. and lamellar orientation. It was felt that the uniformity of structure and excellent interfacial bonding would give tensile properties concomitant with the metal matrix composite theory of strengthening proposed by Kelly and coson. 8-9 The tensile properties that were obtained point to a wide distribution of strengths for the CuAlZ platelets, which leads to large deviations from the predicted mechanical behavior for this composite. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Epitaxial Growth of Eutectic Alloy. The A1-CuA1, eutectic alloy was prepared by an epitaxial growth process. Sections of a master alloy ingot (total impurity content <0.008 pct) were placed in an alundum boat, melted. and directionally solidified to obtain a multigrained plate 12 by 2 by 4 in. This plate was tapered at one end to mate with a seed crystal 1; in. long and 4 by $ in. square. Then the seed-plate combination was placed in an alundum boat which sat in a quartz tube passing through the center of a horizontal resistance wound tube furnace. A dried argon atmosphere was maintained. The temperature gradient in the furnace was such that the liquid-solid interface of the eutectic alloy was located near the end of the furnace and could be observed through the quartz tube. Single-crystal plates were formed by melting the material back to the midpoint of the seed crystal of the desired platelet orientation and then epitaxially growing the plate from the seed by withdrawing the alundum boat from the furnace at a constant rate. This technique was used to produce aluminum and CuA12 lamellae parallel and perpendicular to the transverse direction on the plate. Metallographic examination showed that both phases were continuous across the original liquid-solid interface. It was also possible to grow a plate from two seeds placed side by side: and, although the lamellae of one seed were oriented at 90 deg to those of the second seed, the interface between the two grains remained parallel to the growth direction along the entire ingot length. Maintenance of a straight intergranular boundary during the solidification process was possible as long as both seeds were oriented with their original growth direction parallel to the solidification direction of the plate. Eutectic plates were directionally solidified at rates of 0.2, 1.0. and 4.7 cm per hr and sectioned transversely to the solidification direction to determine the apparent inter lamellar spacing of the lamellae. Metallographic examination was also employed

Jan 1, 1970

By R. V. Wheeler

A MATTER of much concern at present to the coal-mining industry of-Great Britain is the effect of the working of the Coal Mines Act, 1930. This Act, which received the Royal Assent on Aug. 1, 1930, contains five parts: (I) production, supply and sale of coal; (II) the reorganization of the coal-mining industry; (III) hours of work; (IV) the Coal Mines National Industrial Board; (V) general. The first three parts are of major interest and discussion can be confined to them.

Jan 1, 1931