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By J. B. Newkirk, A. H. Geisler

Certain of the permanent magnet alloys provide ideal systems for the study of the kinetics of the precipitation reaction and the correlation of structure with properties. One such system, Cu-Ni-Fe, was found by Bradley1,2 to exhibit a coherent transition state in the precipitation process analogous to that reported for Al-Cu alloys somewhat earlier.3 The attractiveness of some perrnanent magnet alloys for study lies in the fact that vertical sections of the ternary phase diagram in certain regions of composition (Fig I) have as their prototype the binary Ni-Au diagram. Alloys of this type decompose into products that have the same crystal lattice type but only slightly different lattice parameters. The advantages that such alloy systems oA&apos;er for study over the usual in which an intermetallic compound is formed are many: 1. Since the precipitate has the same crystal strutture as the matrix, complex atomic movements are not required to form the new lattice. 2. Similarly, complex orientation relationships are not involved for both the matrix and the precipitate would be ex. petted to have the same orientation. 3, Small &,registry of the decomposition products at equilibrium (in contrast with Cu-Ag alloys) is conducive to extensive coherent growth in the transient state and thus the transition lattice can be detected by the usual X ray diffraction methods. 4. Finally, the relative quantities of precipitate and depleted matrix can be varied from 0 to 100 pet* thus permitting wide freedom for the study of the effect of cornposition on coherent growth and properties. In the Cu-Ni-Fe alloys of appropriate composition, the face-centered cubic precipitate and also the depleted matrix when first formed are coherent with the parent matrix.1&apos;2 The two have the same <Jo parameter as the original matrix but they are both tetragonal; the precipitate has an axial ratio c/a < I while that of the depleted matrix is c/a > I. When coherency is lost they assume the normal face-centered cubic structure with the depleted matrix having a lattice parameter greater than the original matrix and that of the precipitate less. Such a mechanism would also be expected for CU-Ni-CO alloys because of the similarity in constitution but this had not been demonstrated. The Present investigation was conducted on a CU-Ni-CO alloy. The constitution diagram and magnetic properties of these alloys have been fairly well established, however, no previous determinations of mechanism of precipitation and no correlation of structure with properties had been made. Thus, an alloy of this system Was chosen for a comprehensive investiga-

Jan 1, 1949

ALABAMA. Aldrich, Aldrich, W. F. Anniston, Noble, A. E. Auburn,&apos; Brown, R. L. Bessemer Abbott, C. E., Ferguson, V., Williams, E. P. Birmingham, Aldrich, T. H., Aldrich, T. H., Jr., Allen, A. W., Bowron, J., Burbidge, T. A., Crawford, G. G, Crockard, F. H., Dimmick, F. D., Ellis, E.,E., Hiller, E., Johnson, G. R., Ludwig, C. P., McCormack, G B., McCrery, Moffett, C. A., Morris, B.H, Peters, R., Jr., Pill, J. R., Ramsay, E. Gadsden, Hudson, J. B. Helena, Squire, J. Holt, Shook, J. W. Huntsville, Moss. Lehigh, Toulmin. Rock Run, Garvin, J. M. Thomas, Kluttz, W. L., Johnson, J. E., Jr. University, Litchman, H. B., Smith, E. A. Woodward, Woodward, A. H.

Jan 1, 1910

By J. B. Clark, A. S. Yue

The zone-melting technique can be adapted for the de-termination of the eutectic composition in complex metal systerrzs. The application of this method is demonstrated in a simple eutectic system, Mg-AE, in which the eutectic composition is known and in a complex ternary system, Mg-Al-Zn, in which the literature is uncertain as to the composition of the ternary eutectic. The advantages and limitations of this unique approach for the determirution of the eutectic composition are discussed. ThE eutectic composition in phase diagrams is usually determined by thermal analysis of a series of arbitarily selected alloy compositions. The temperatures of the liquidus and eutectic arrests for each alloy are plotted and the eutectic composition is estimated by extrapolation to the entectic temperature of the curve formed by the liquidus arrest temperatures for the series of alloys. Although this approach readily yields the eutectic temperatures, several dekrminations are needed to estimate the eutectic composition, even in a simple system. In a complex ternary system, a great many determinations are often necessary to estimate, even approximately, the ternary eutectic composition. Thus, the conventional method is inherently tedious and time consuming. The application of zone melting provides a relatively efficient method of determining the eutectic composition.&apos; As an illustration, consider the zone melting of an alloy composition C, in the simple eutectic system A-B, shown in Fig. 1, under the ideal conditions of infinitely rapid diffusion in the liquid, no diffusion in the solid, and ease of nucleation of both phases. As the zone moves along the bar, the composition of the zone is enriched by solute rejected during the freezing of the a phase and the zone composition approaches the eutectic composition CE.Once the zone composition attains the lowest melting composition, i.e., the eutectic composition, it remains at this composition as the zone moves along the bar and finally freezes as such at the end of the bar. Chemical analysis of the end of such a zone-melted bar then should yield the eutectic composition CE of the system A-B. A corresponding analysis can be made for a ternary eutectic system. Under the ideal conditions noted above, only one pass of the molten zone is required to yield the eutectic composition. Experimentally, however, a solute-rich layer forms at the solid-liquid interface2 and the composition of the zone does not attain the eutectic composition as rapidly or as uniformly as in the ideal case outlined above. But with agitation of the melt, the ideal conditions can be approximated experimentally. Also, as shown below, zone melting permits a cumulative build-up of the solute at the end of the bar to the eutectic composition. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate this unique method for determining the eutectic composition. The method is here applied to two systems: first, to the binary Mg-A1 system, in which the composition is well established, and second, to the complex Mg-Al-Zn system in which there is doubt concerning the composition of the ternary eutectic. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The zone-melting apparatus used in this study is described in detail elsewhere.3 Briefly, the binary alloy rods (5/8 in. in diam and 9 in. long) and the ternary alloy rods (5/8 in. in diam and 6 in. long), with the compositions given in Table I, were zone

Jan 1, 1962

By E. W. Cawthorne, R. I. Jaffee, C. M. Craighead

SOLUTION of a solid metal or alloy in a molten metal bath is used daily in melting operations, extractive metallurgical processes, and in brazing. It is generally recognized that temperature, time, agitation, and the composition of the solute metal and the solvent bath all affect solution rate. However, there is little information available in the literature on the kinetics of the process or the relative effect that these variables have on solution rate. In connection with an aluminum brazing study, data on the solution of aluminum in an A1-Si* bath to promote rapid solidification. The chemical analyses were made on drillings taken from the cast plates. The results of this work are listed in Table I. The thermal-analysis data were obtained on 200 gram samples cooled at approximately 1.5" per min. A calibrated chromel-alumel couple was used. The thermal arrests were recorded autographically on a General Electric photoelectric potentiometer recorder. The instrument was calibrated to 22.5 pct. The thermal emf was bucked with a Leeds and Northrup semiprecision potentiometer so that 1 mv represented the full scale of the GE recorder. Referring to Table I, it will be noted that the analytical results tend to be lower than the intended compositions by about 0.3 pct Si in the higher ranges. In view of the known difficulties in obtaining accurate silicon determinations by wet analysis when the silicon content is high and in view of the care that was employed in weighing and preparing the alloys, the intended compositions are believed to be more accurate than the analyses. Furthermore, when the thermal-arrest data are plotted against the intended compositions, a smooth curve is obtained, as shown in Fig. 1. This is not the case when the data are plotted against the analytical results. It will be noted from Table I that the 12.5 pct Si alloy (melt 4) showed a primary arrest at 577.6"C and the eutectic at 576.l°C. The metallographic examination of this chill-cast plate sample showed a small amount of primary silicon. These results, Fig. 1, place the eutectic at slightly less than 12.5 pct Si and are in rather good agreement with the unpublished Hanford data. In all of the subsequent work, the composition of the A1-Si dipping baths was determined by thermal analysis (spread between the primary arrest and the eutectic temperature) employing 12.5 pct Si and 577.2 °C as the composition and temperature of the eutectic. Material Preparation and Selection of the Techniques: At the beginning of this work, it was anticipated that, owing to oxide film present on the surface of the aluminum, difficulty would be encountered in obtaining rapid uniform wetting of aluminum specimens dipped in the A1-Si bath. The following etchants were investigated as possible methods of providing a thin uniform oxide film on the specimen surface: 1—phosphoric acid (H³O4), 2—fluoboric acid (HBFI), 3—sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and 4—hydrofluoric acid (HF). Tests with sheet .specimens (2x½x0.06 in.) of 2s aluminum prepared with these etchants indicated that the fast uniform wetting required for this work could not be obtained if any oxide film existed on the specimen surface. Tests were then conducted by dipping similar specimens etched in 5 pct NaOH and given a thin

Jan 1, 1956

By H. A. Kortmann, K. Koch, B. M. Grover, O. P. Burghardt

Addition of lime, especially when treating a hematite feed, sometimes results in swelling and a severe loss in strength during reduction in the temperature range 900° to 1100°C and in grain disintegration in the temperature range 400° to 600°C in a weakly reducing atmosphere. Swelling and/or grain disintegration of pellets is often the reason for trouble in blast furnace operation, resulting in a decrease in the rate of smelting. Following a brief description of the test procedures employed (measurements of swelling, pressure-reduction-softening and grain disintegration), some results are given which were arrived at when testing pellets from industrial plants. Results of systematic tests are presented, where the effect of the quantity and quality of the gangue upon the behavior during reduction of pellets is illustrated. Varying amounts of quartz and limestone were added to a high-grade hematite ore and, then, pellets produced in a pot grate. The relationships of the behavior of the fired pellets during reduction are presented, among others, in the ternary system CaO-FeOn-SiOP. Finally, an attempt is made to explain the reasons for swelling, loss in strength, and grain disintegration.

Jan 1, 1974

By C. Zener, J. H. Hollomon

IT Is commonly recognized that a given material may be described as ductile or brittle only with reference to the conditions of test. Thus under the usual test conditions quartz is brittle, but under high pressures it is ductile. Salts that are brittle at room temperature become ductile at elevated temperatures. Pitch, brittle with respect o rapid loads, flows at low rates of loading. Pearlitic steel, ductile under the usual conditions of test, may be embrittled under the proper conditions of combined stresses, temperature, and rate of loading. EARLIER INVESTIGATIONS A clear analysis of the conditions necessary for plastic flow and for fracture was first given by Ludwik,1 who introduced two types of stress, the "flow stress" and the "stress at fracture." These stresses may refer to tensile or to shear stresses, or, in fact, to any type of stress. Ludwik considered these two stresses to be independent of one another, functions of the conditions of test and of the prior history of the material. For the purpose of analysis, both a flow stress and a stress at fracture can be envisaged as functions of strain over the entire range from zero to infinite strain. Thus, the material is brittle if the stress at fracture is less than the flow stress and ductile if the reverse is true. According to Ludwik&apos;s analysis, the problem of determining the effects of combined stresses, of temperature and of strain rate upon the behavior of metals reduces to a problem of determining the effect of these variables upon the flow stress and upon the stress at fracture. In the present paper, methods are described for determining the effects of two of these variables, temperature and strain rate, and examples are given of the dependence or now stress and stress at fracture, upon these two variables. The effect of combined stresses will be discussed in a succeeding paper. The flow stress may be determined from a load-diameter curve. Load-diameter curves were obtained over a wide range of temperature and over the limited range of strain rates obtainable with the lever-type Riehle machine used. The. curves were then converted to an extremely wide range of strain rate by making use of the equivalence of the effects of changes in strain rate and changes in temperature, previously proposed2 and demonstrated&apos; by the authors. According to this principle of equivalence, strain rate E and temperature T affect the flow stress only through a single parameter p of the form: p = EeQ/RT [I] In this equation, R is the gas constant (2 cal. per gram mol per deg. C.), and Q is a heat of activation, which varies from material to material, and may depend upon the strain, but not upon the strain rate or the temperature. There is associated with every value of p a flow-stress curve. Combinations of strain rate and of temperature that give the same p have the same flow-stress curve. Therefore, merely by changing the temperature of test, the effect of changing the strain rate may be obtained. Thus, under isothermal conditions, the material will behave the same at

Jan 1, 1944

By A. H. Shoemaker

THE shutdown of Homestake by Government order L-208, with its consequent disruption of a very stable and trained working force, coupled with postwar inflation and the coincidence that a mining depth had been reached that posed problems of ventilation, access to exploration areas, and choice of mining methods that would be applicable to zones of greater rock pressures made a very searching analysis of every phase of Homestake&apos;s operations a necessity. Any changes to be made had not only to meet the problems of deeper mining but also had to provide greater efficiency so that the mine might operate at a substantial profit until such time as a gold price adjustment might be forthcoming that would offset post-1945 inflation.

Jan 6, 1958

By E. F. Kingsbury

One of the well-known and important uses of the noble or precious metals has been for electrical contacts. In fact, the elements of this group, comprising gold, silver and the six platinum metals, have been called "noble" because of their ability to resist heat and corrosion, properties which were early found to be of importance in good contacts. Of these, platinum and its iridium alloys, palladium, and silver, have been extensively used. In recent years the electrical industry has been responsible for about one-eighth of the total consiimption of the platinum metals in the United States. Information is not available as to what part of this one-eighth has been used for contacts but it is certainly an important one. Substitutes for Platinum During the past 20 years a considerable number of contact alloys have been proposed in the patent literature largely with the aim of more or less replacing platinum by gold or silver, and some of these alloys are finding increasingly widespread application as the reliability of their performance becomes established. From even the partial data at hand it appears that this substitution by the less precious metals has replaced at least one-half of the amount of platinum that the entire electrical industry would otherwise be consuming at the present time. While the subject is of considerable interest to the metallurgist it is even more so to the electrical engineer and it is surprising that the literature records no systematic and comprehensive investigation along these lines. Practically all the scattered work on noble metal contacts has centered around platinum as a standard and has had two more or less distinct aims. One of these has been the replacement of platinum by cheaper matcrials, and the other, the dcveloprnent of materials of superior electrical performance. The merit of a contact metal has been assumed to be dependent on its infusibility, and since thc more precious metals have the higher melting points there has naturally been an association of the two qualities in the sense that the more precious were

By A.J. PHILLIPS, Wm. B. Price

ADMIRALTY nickel is a new corrosion-resisting and heat-resisting white metal alloy composed of 70 per cent. copper, 29 per cent. nickel and 1 per cent. tin. It has been given the trade name "Adnic." In 1924, Win. B. Price1 described this alloy and its successful use as a diaphragm metal. The physical properties of Adnic at ordinary and elevated temperatures were given in Mining & Metallury.2 A patent3 was granted on Adnic, April 28, 1925. Work was first started on this alloy during December, 1921. An investigation of the patent situation in this country and abroad, and also a search of the literature, did not reveal any work on the ternary diagram, copper-nickel-tin; and the only wrought copper-nickel-tin alloy found was that known as "Newloy," composed of copper, 64 per cent.; nickel, 35 per cent.; tin, 1 per cent. This was being manufactured and sold by Wm.. Gallimore & Sons, Ltd., Sheffield, England, for unplated spoon and fork stock, and first came to our attention in January, 1922. The preliminary work in connection with the development of Adnic was started by casting four, binary copper-nickel alloys of the compositions shown in Table 1. Various amounts of tin were added to each of these mixtures, to produce the series of ternary copper-nickel-tin alloys also given in Table 1. A 200-gm. sample of each of these was cast by melting in a clay graphite crucible and allowing the melt to slowly cool with the furnace. A longitudinal section from each of these castings was polished and etched for-examination. The castings were not homogeneous solid solutions, but showed the usual cored structure associated with cast alloys. However, from an examination of these sections we roughly determined

Jan 1, 1928

By Ben-Zion Weiss, Melvin R. Meyerson

Chromium diffusion coatings on commercial Armco iron lead to carbide precipitation at the grain boundaries in and below the coatings. High compressive stresses are introduced into the coating and, as a result, tensile stresses are introduced into the base material below the coating. In coated samples, fatigue cracks form at the grain boundaries below the coating after only a limited portion of the total lifetime (5 to 10 pct). Residual tensile stresses and a stress concentration caused by precipitated carbides seems to be responsible for early crack nucleation. Stage I of Propagation may be divided into two substages: I-a in which the crack Propagates along grain boundaries, and I-b in which the crack propagates along slip boundaries according to a shear mode. In uncoated samples, the cracks form at slip bands after 40 to 50 pct of the total lifetime. In coated samples the Propagation process takes longer than in uncoated samples because of the moderate rate of crack extension until the crack breaks through the coating. The chromium-diffusion coating causes little if any increase in fatigue life. CHROMIUM diffusion is one of the most popular processes used to apply coatings to iron alloys. This popularity stems from the fact that the diffusion treatment is comparatively easy to carry out, and it improves certain surface properties such as corrosion and wear resistance as well as some other properties. Very little effort has been devoted to the investigation of the effect of chromium-diffusion coatings on mechanical properties and particularly on fatigue properties. Since the chromium coating usually represents a small fraction of the total volume of the base material it is generally assumed that the macro properties are dependent principally on the base material rather than the coating. Insofar as fatigue is concerned, there are indications that the fatigue life of the chromium coating is not less than that of the basic material and the fatigue properties are generally not reduced by it.&apos; But chromium diffusion causes drastic structural and chemical changes in the region of the material surface2-4 which introduce additional residual stresses. Such changes must affect fatigue crack nucleation and may sometimes affect the initial stages of propagation. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the secondary stages of the crack propagation could be influenced by some irreversible structural changes in the core of the material, which stem from the long-time heat treatment at high temperatures required to apply the coating. This paper analyses the structural and compositional changes produced in commercial Armco iron by a chromium-diffusion coating and the effect of the coating on fatigue crack initiation and propagation. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES The investigations were carried out with commercial Armco iron. The chemical composition of the iron, the number of specimens tested, the grain size produced during chromizing and heat treating, and the thickness and microhardness of the chromized layers are shown in Table I. Samples were chromized by a gas diffusion process. The temperature and time of the diffusion coating process were chosen according to a previous grain growth study. It had been found that at a temperature of 970°C and a holding time of between 3 and 9 hr there are practically no changes in grain size. To describe the grain size more accurately the ASTM method5 was supplemented by a statistical analysis of the mean volume diameter as outlined by Fullman6 and The The mean volume diameter was deter- mined from D = p/2m where D is the mean volume diameter, and m is the mean reciprocal value of grain diameters as seen on the micrograph. The shape and the size of the asymmetrical sample, see Fig. 1, were chosen so as to facilitate the study of fatigue crack initiation. Before coating, the samples were machined and the surface of the groove was polished. After chromizing, the two side surfaces were machined and polished so as to retain the coating only on the top surface of the groove. Residual stress in the chromized layer was measured on the top of the grooved section of the specimen after the diffusion process. The inclined incident X-ray beam procedure was used.9&apos;10 The computations were performed with the initial assumption of a zero surface normal stress component. An electron microprobe analyzer was used to obtain the relative amounts of chromium and iron con-

Jan 1, 1970

By Waynw P. Myers

Electricity, as normally thought of by a layman&apos;s definition, is a man- made force that has no color, no odor, is not visible, cannot be heard, yet man can control it and make it perform his work for him. A person dare not cheat on it, for it then will master him. It has laws, rules, and regulations that must be strictly adhered to if it is to perform in the safest, most reliable, and economical manner. In the early days of coal mining the power source was man himself. Later man employed steam and compressed air to reduce his muscle power requirements needed in the extraction of coal. By the turn of the 20th century, electricity had become the most common source of power for the coal industry. Steam and compressed air are still found in use in isolated cases today for specific applications; however, they are rapidly being replaced by electricity. Electrical laws and regulations are quite extensive and somewhat complex for the proper generation and use of electricity. Man-made laws, rules, and regulations for the care and handling of electricity, designed for man&apos;s safety, are rigidly enforced by Mine Safety and Health Ad- ministration (MSHA), as well as the various state departments of mines. BACKGROUND Until recent years most underground coal mines used direct current exclusively for all movable and for some stationary equipment. Exceptions were for permanent pumps, tipple, fan, and outside buildings where alternating current was normally employed. However, over 60 years ago there were mines with dual systems. Alternating current was used for cutting machines, drills, and pumps ; direct current for locomotives. There were no other machines as these were hand-loading mines. Later, during early mechanization in the 1920s, alternating current was also applied to loading machines at some mines. Use of dual electric systems then declined until fairly recently when

Jan 1, 1981

By S. W. Parr

FRom a study of sulfur with reference to its specific combination in coal, published as University of Illinois Bulletin No. 111, 1919, it is now possible to determine the various forms of this constituent with a good degree of accuracy. This fact suggests two questions: (1) Are the same analytic methods applicable to coke? (2) Is there any correlation between the forms of sulfur as it occurs in coal and the residual sulfur found in the finished coke? The answer to the second question might be helpful in answering a still further question as to what chemical route the sulfur travels during the carbonization process. While the special studies along these several lines are by no means complete, a few preliminary statements are herewith presented. They may, at least, prove suggestive of further possibilities from a continuation of research along these lines. There is no reason, chemically, why the analytic methods devised for coal should not apply to coke and a fair amount of experience in connection with such use affords confirmation of this statement. The procedure in the case of coal may be briefly outlined as follows: Combinations of sulfur as sulfate, or sulfides other than FeS2, are readily dissolved without disturbing either the pyrite sulfur or the sulfur that is in organic combination by means of dilute hydrochloric acid— 1 part of concentrated HC1 to 10 parts of water or approximately 3 per cent. acid. Digestion at 60" C. for 24 hr. insures the complete removal of the sulfur thus combined. In freshly mined coal the amount of such sulfur is very small; weathering processes, however, may very materially increase the amount of sulfate present. Sulfur in the form of iron pyrites, or marcasite, may be quantitatively removed without oxidation of the organic sulfur as follows: A dilute solution of nitric: acid is prepared having 1 part of concentrated HNO3 to 3 parts of water or with an approximate specific gravity of 1.12. The coal sample, ground to 100 mesh, is digested with this solution at room temperature for 3 or 4 days, filtered and evaporated to dryness, taken up with water, and acidified with hydrochloric acid. It is now ready for precipitation with barium chloride in the usual manner. If sulfate is present in the original sample to an appreciable amount, it should be removed by the procedure outlined above. It is not necessary here to give the methods for determining the two

Jan 1, 1920

By D. McLean

For many pu@oses uniform strength is desired over a long temperature range, coupled to a band of softness at the hot end for easy shaping. Various types of material fulfill such a requirement to different degrees, depending on the regularity of their atomic structure. In long-chain polymers and vitreous glasses the irregular structure leads to a steep temperature dependence of deformation resistance and the temperature band between the hard and brittle condition and the soft condition is only about 100 C. In crystals and especially metals the atomically regular structure leads to a much smaller sensitivity over a wide temperature band, thus approaching the ideal behavim. The reason for this insensitivity is that the regular crystalline structure deforms by the movement of dislocations and the elastic interactions of dislocations in- PLASTICS, GLASSES, AND CRYSTALS The ease or otherwise of deformation varies with temperature much more in some substances than in others. This is an important matter when service over a wide temperature range is needed, especially volve energies of several hundred electron volts compared with which the energy of thermal agitation is insignificant. However, temperature affects a metal&apos;s defmmation resistance through its influence on the annealing, m coarsening, of the three-dimensional dislocation network. This coarsening is a phenomenon very similar to grain growth and ideas about grain growth can be applied to it. Taking into account also the temperature dependence of the glide resistance from alloying additions, a reasonable account can be given of the overall effect of temperature on deformation strength and of stress and grain size on deformation rake. Special structures me described. some arising from these ideas and as yet untried, which may benefit metals and polymers but not ni-treous glasses. when in addition a degree of softness suitable for shaping is required at some stage. It would be nice if one could write on this subject in as much detail about plastics, glasses, and so forth, as about metals, but there has been far more study of this matter in metals than in other substances, which is one reason why most of this paper concerns metals. However, in Fig. 1 there are shown the deformation strengths of several nonmetallic substances as a function of temperature. In many tests the attempt at deformation caused breakage and the graph lines are then drawn dashed. Long-chain plastics, a glass, and a crystalline substance are included in Fig. 1. The notable feature of all of them is the sensitivity of the

Jan 1, 1969

By J. F. Havard

Gypsum is a useful industrial mineral found abundantly on the earth&apos;s crust. It is inexpensive to mine and process, and its calcined products have a wide range of readily controllable properties such as strength, density and setting time. It has proven to be such a useful material indeed, that ten American companies, operating some 57 calcining plants in 25 states in 1958, produced or imported in that year a total of 13,649,000 tons of the crude mineral valued at $39,361,000, which they then converted into manufactured products with a value of $329,070,000. Gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O) is calcium sulfate with two molecules of combined water, which are responsible for most of its useful properties. It is closely associated in most deposits with anhydrite (CaSO4), which contains no combined water and has limited commercial value in the United States. Man has long recognized the useful qualities of gypsum. It was utilized by the Egyptians in the construction of the pyramids and, later, by the Romans for important structures. Many of the ancient peoples prized gypsum for artistic and ornamental purposes, carving statuary from alabaster and making casts with plaster. The tabular variety, selenite, was used for windows, and the light transmitted through these windows reminded people of light from the moon (selene), hence the name selenite. The use of gypsum continued through the Middle Ages and into modem times. Benjamin Franklin was a famed exponent of gypsum because he applied ground gypsum to clover fields in the form of large letters which later read, in the more luxuriant growth, "land plaster used here." Gypsum is still used as an effective conditioner for some soils, but in recent decades, particularly in North America and Europe, it has become much more important as a major material for the building industry. Description Gypsum and anhydrite are closely associated minerals. Gypsum is found in a number of forms: massive rock gypsum, alabaster, selenite, satin spar, and gypsite. Anhydrite is found as massive rock or as smaller bodies or isolated crystals included in gypsum. Massive Rock Gypsum comprises most of the commercial gypsum and occurs as a sedimentary rock, interbedded in most places with shale, limestone or dolomite. This rock is soft and crystalline. Its color is white or shades of gray, pink, yellow, brown or other colors. Alabaster is a pure, compact and fine-grained variety suitable for use in sculpture or turning into artistic forms; it may be white or selected for attractive coloration. Selenite is gypsum crystallized in flat, transparent, flexible foliated plates, found in clays or in surface vugs in gypsum. Satin Spar is a fine silky fibrous variety with the axes of the crystalline fibers perpendicular to the vein or joint in which it has formed. Gypsite is an earthy mixture of gypsum with clay and sand in secondary formations; it is sometimes useful as a soil conditioner and has been used in making base-coat plasters. Pure gypsum contains 20.9 pct combined water, 46.6 pct sulfur trioxide (SO3) and 32.5 pct lime (CaO). Standard specifications (American Society for Testing Materials Designation C 22-50) read that minimum purity for material to be called gypsum is 70 pct CaSO4.2H20. Most of the commercial gypsum is 85 to 95 pct pure as produced. Impurities in

Jan 1, 1960

By E. T. Turkdogan

This paper deals with an analysis of the conditions leading to the formation of blowholes and surface and subsurface defects in cast low-carbon steels. The theoretical analysis of the problem is based on the concept of the occurrence of deoxidation reactions during cooling of liquid steel and during its solidification. The reaction equilibrium data are given on deoxidation of steel by carbon, silicon, and manganese. The details of the calculations are given on the simultaneous deoxidation of steel by silico-manganese additions to produce a desired level of deoxidation at certain residual concentrations. Based on an idealized model, an attempt is made to calculate the enrichment of solutes in the solidifying liquid entrapped within the interdendritic cells which are known to be less than 200 µ thick. Formulae are derived for the calculation of the change in the residual oxygen content of the enriched liquid steel, controlled by Si/Mn deoxidation. It is shown that for every particular initial silicon, manganese, and oxygen concentration in steel (as residuals in liquid solution at the beginning of solidification) there is a particular carbon concentration below which carbon monoxide, leading to blowholes or pinholes, is not expected to form. There are a number of independent variables which have a decisive influence on the formation of blowholes. For example, it is shown that the position of the curve depicting the critical relation between initial silicon and carbon content for suppression of the evolution of carbon monoxide) can be shifted to lower silicon or higher carbon levels by: increasing manganese content; decreasing oxygen, hydrogen, or nitrogen content; or increasing external pressure on the solidifying mass. FOR the production of sound castings it is essential to prevent the formation of interdendritic worm-holes or pinholes brought about by gas evolution during solidification. Another major problem encountered in solidification of ingots is the formation of surface defects. These problems are thought to be closely associated with the deoxidation reaction occurring in liquid steel during cooling and subsequent solidification. As the liquid becomes richer in impurities during dendritic solidification of steel, a series of reactions may occur in the liquid phase trapped within the branches of growing dendrite platelets. Because of the strong interaction between dissolved oxygen and impurities in liquid steel, the reactions most likely to occur are of the deoxidation type. However, inherent to the extreme complexity of the problem in question, numerous simplifying assump-

Jan 1, 1965

By E. C. Harder

INTRODUCTION FEW mineral deposits have in recent years attracted such general and Widespread attention as the Brazilian iron-ore deposits, due mainly to the quantities of rich ore occurring here, in contrast to the ever-decreasing grade of ores shipped from many large producing iron-ore districts of the world. The general average grade of the iron ores shipped from the Lake Superior district&apos; has decreased to approximately 50 per cent., natural, in recent years. The Rubio ore of Bilbao, Spain,2 in 1890 averaged 55.5 per cent. metallic iron, dried; in 1902, 52.8 per cent., While at the present time a large proportion of the ores shipped from Bilbao are obtained by reworking the old dumps. In northern Sweden, where large magnetite deposits have only in recent years been extensively developed, selective mining is even now necessary in order to obtain high-grade Bessemer ores. During the last two years the iron ores of Chile have attracted much attention on account of the activities of the Bethlehem Steel Co. and others in the Chilean iron-ore region. Many of these ores are of good grade, yielding 67 and even 68 per cent. metallic iron, but judging from the Writer&apos;s observations in this region a large proportion of them Will be found to he of non-Bessemer grade. The most important variety of iron ore in Brazil is hard, dense to specular hematite, occurring in Minas Geraes. A large number (89) of analyses of this type of ore have been averaged, 3 giving the following composition: Per Cent. Iron 69.65 Phosphorus 0.0125 Silica 0.24 Combined H,0 0.38

Jan 10, 1914

By Reno Sales

THE present-day application of geological knowledge to mine opera-tions owes much to Survey activities. Early publications covering developed deposits at Comstock and Eureka in Nevada, and Leadville in Colorado, aroused great interest in mine geology among mine owners and operators. In later years personal contacts between Survey geologists, notably Lindgren, Spurr, Emmons, Weed, and Ransome, to name only a few, and mine managers, mine superintendents and mine foremen, brought directly home the importance of geological mapping and study in connection with mine operations. However, the Survey had recognized from the beginning that it was not practicable, either from the viewpoint of cost or policy, to supply direct help to the miner. The situation was met by many large mining companies through the organization of geological departments to deal with problems of geology which concerned not alone the every-day mine operation but also the life expectancy of the ore deposit. The mine owner therefore looked to the mine geologist to apply the "laws of ore deposition" in estimating the future of his mine. The examination of outside properties also became a duty of the company geologist where replacements were needed or where expansion of operations was contem-plated. And finally, out of this situation there developed the inde-pendent consulting geologist, specializing in geological examinations of prospects, mines, and mining districts, whose duties included the highly important but often difficult task of appraising ore reserves and ore possibilities. Thus, while it may be considered by many that the work of the mine geologist overlaps that of the Survey geologist, their respective fields of endeavor are not in conflict. The appearance of the mine geologist has lessened in no manner the need of intensive field and research work by the Geological Survey and related organizations.

Jan 1, 1934

By J. L. Bruce, G. W. Nicolson

THE country rock of the Mavrovouni mine of the Cyprus Mines Corp. is hydrothermally altered, disintegrated pillow lava, with very little tensile strength ("short" ground). In places, especially when wet, it is heavy ground, though not extremely heavy except where movement has been caused by underlying or nearby stoping operations. Damage by caving from roof or sides of galleries is not sudden but progressively faster when the size of the cave increases as a result of the fall of small pieces. CEMENT AND CONCRETE LININGS During early operations, galleries in the country rock were supported by customary mine-timbering methods. Available timber, however, was of poor quality and of relatively high price, and replacements were frequent and expensive. Furthermore, the massive sulphide ore bodies required large volumes of fresh air for ventilation and cooling, and it was therefore desirable to provide smooth-lined galleries with low resistance for the introduction of air to the ore bodies. It was also desirable to eliminate hazards of fire in shafts and underground workings insofar as this would be practical. Cement and concrete were relatively cheap, and plans for using these in support of shafts, underground galleries, raises, and chutes, were developed steadily. Circular shafts with diameters ranging from 10 to 15 ft were adopted for all permanent shafts and airways. In places these were lined with concrete poured behind sectional pressed-steel forms especially constructed for this purpose. In other places, they were lined with precast-concrete blocks. It was found that such precast concrete of good quality could be produced on mass production scale and delivered at the mine from most favorable point of manufacture, at a cost of about 25 cents per cubic foot of concrete. This refers to prewar costs. As the use of concrete blocks in circular lined galleries was developed, it was found that there were very great advantages in the reduction of air resistance as compared with customary timber supports. After best methods had been developed, it was found that breakage and replacements were extraordinarily low, averaging only about 1 ½ pct per year during a period of about 15 years. Furthermore, it has been possible to reclaim for re-use a very large percentage of the concrete blocks from abandoned galleries. During the history of the operations precast-concrete blocks have been used for lining shafts, raises, ore chutes, galleries, and shaft stations, ranging from 3 to 16 ft id. The thickness of lining has varied from 5 to 10 in.; with I2 in. thickness in a few cases. Junctions of two galleries at angles ranging from about 30 to 60° are usually made of poured concrete behind sectional forms, or of a combination of poured concrete and precast blocks. In nearly all cases it has been found advisable to make the point of the wedge at the junction, of

Jan 1, 1947

By Arthur Phillips

THE progress made in recent years in the art of dispersion-hardening has naturally led to an intensive study of alloy systems capable of yield-ing supersaturated solid solutions at ordinary temperatures. In general, the investigations have been confined to rather precise determinations of solubility limits and to experimental approaches designed to furnish more complete information regarding the rate and nature of precipitation under appropriate thermal conditions. Efforts are being made to focus more sharply on the atomic changes that are a direct consequence of the instability of the supersaturated solution. Here precision X-ray methods have come to be of considerable importance because lattice parameter measurements indicate very precisely the concentration of solute atoms in the solvent lattice. In spite of the general acceptance of parameter values as a criterion for the placing of solubility limits, it may be suggested that no thorough appraisal has been made of the several factors that conceivably may affect such measurements. More specifically, little attention has been devoted to the significance of surface energy conditions, specimen size and method of preparation, with par-ticular regard to the genesis of the grains and the surface concentration changes as a consequence of heat treatment and etching. Stenzel and Weerts1 recently published the results of a detailed study of precipitation reactions in aluminum-rich copper alloys. They found that, although copper lowers the lattice constant of aluminum, a 5 per cent copper alloy quenched from 150° and 225° C. had parameter values unquestionably higher than that of pure aluminum. Their results seem to substantiate, at least qualitatively, the earlier work of von Göler

Jan 1, 1934

By Charles Barrett

THE experiments reported in this paper have been fruitful in disclosing the mechanism of the deformation of iron in compression. They have established the nature of "deformation bands," "etch bands," or "X-bands," that have been a recognized but little understood feature in the structure of cold-worked metals since the early days of metal-lography, and have shown the role of the bands in the development of preferred orientations by cold-working. The work has also shown the relation of the orientation of individual grains to the preferred orientation of the aggregate. Some of the methods previously used in the determination of the indices of slip planes and slip directions are shown to be untrustworthy in the presence of deformation bands. The conclusion is reached that many slip planes and slip directions must operate during each stage in the compression of a single crystal, and that theories failing to take account of this require revision. In conducting the experiments a method f compression has been used by which extreme reductions can easily be reached, even to the limit set by the metal&apos;s capacity to deform with-out fracture. The work is a portion of a research program on the plastic properties of iron and steel. It is being used as a foundation for studies of orienta-tions resulting from recrystallization and is being extended to other metals and other types of deformation.

Jan 1, 1938