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By K. D. McBean, W. H. Hannay, B. A. Stimmel

The electrolytic plant at Trail, B. C., was erected by the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada, Ltd., for the treatment of zinc ores and concentrates, particularly those of the Sullivan mine at Kimberley, B. C. It began operations in 1916 at a rated capacity of 60 tons of cathodes per day, which has been steadily increased to the present production of 400 tons per day. The Sullivan has furnished the greater part of the zinc so far produced, although notable tonnages of customs zinc concentrates have been treated. The maximum yearly tonnage of customs concentrates, 25,000 tons, was treated in 1926. Practically no customs concentrates hale been treated since 1929. The total bar zinc production to the close of 1935 was 1,092,782 tons. The zinc mineral in the Sullivan ore is marmatite of somewhat variable composition, ranging between 6ZnS.FeS and 8 ZnS.FeS. Practically all the zinc ores tributary to this plant are marmatites; and the iron content of the zinc mineral varies considerably. The formation of zinc ferrite during roasting is now a matter of common knowledge, so the possible extraction from any zinc concentrate is largely a function of the iron content; the progress made in concentration is reflected directly in zinc-plant recovery. The Trail plant operafes on the low-acid system, as do all the other major plants on this continent at present operating, except the electrolytic plant of the Sullivan Mining Co. at Kellogg, Idaho. The new Magdeburg plant, in Germany, occupies an intermediate position between high and low acid. Plant operation at Trail will be treated in this paper under five main sections: roasting, leaching and purification, electrolysis, cadmium recovery and melting. The oxide section of the plant, treating zinc fume from re-treatment of lead blast-furnace slag, is practically a separate zinc plant; this is necessary because of the presence of fluorine in the smelter zinc fume. Cadmium is recovered electrolytically from the purification residues of both the sulphide and oxide leaching plants.

Jan 1, 1937

air-lift and equipped with tapered tubing of proper design, we would have a gas input consumption of about 2500 cu. ft. per bbl., which at 3 to 4c. per 1000 cu. ft. would be 7 1/2 to l0c, per bbl., and there would be very infrequent loss of production due to stoppages. It has been demonstrated that with efficient design of air-gas lift, the production of wells can be increased much beyond that obtained with the former type of air-lift employed; also that small wells can be operated by air-lift with tapered tubing at a cost that places this method in competition with beam pumps in many fields. The next step in conservation that the writer expects to have an opportunity to demonstrate is that of restoring the pressure in a pool and producing by air-gas lift all of the oil possible to lift economically. This combined operation is probably the method toward which we shall eventually be working in recovering the maximum quantity of oil from pools where the oil is recovered through bore holes. General Discussion on the Air-gas Lift H. P. Porter, Tulsa, 0kla.—The papers presented at this meeting contain a great amount of valuable information. Wonderful progress has been shown in the development of air and gas-lifts. There has been nearly everything brought out that touches upon the subject. The real point that is lacking is exact knowledge of the velocity with in the flow column which will produce the best effect—that is the thing we must know more about. Velocity in Gas-lift Flow In other lines of industry the matter of velocity of fluids in pipe lines has been well analyzed and there are known laws by which to calculate velocity of flow; for instance, in irrigation work large pumps are designed with intake pipos to employ an intake velocity of 4 ft. per scc. By reduced cross-sect'ion the velocity is increased rapidly as it enters the pump and the discharge rate is at 12 ft. per src., which in turn is reduced in the discharge column to 4 ft. per sec. Crushed coal, grain and granular material is found to be best conveyed by air when a pneumatic conveyor is employed at 100 ft. per sec. As in the design of a pumping plant or a pneumatic conveyor, the velocity at the lower end of the column in the flowing well must be controlled within certain limits for best results. Mr. Griswold, I believe, stated that they had velocity as low as 15 it. per scc. and from that up to 78 ft. per sec. Mr. Pierce and Mr. Lewis showed an ideal flow column showing how the velocity increased as the fluid was carried up the column, hut did not give any figures as to the velocity. It would be well to take that sort of a diagram to establish an ideal velocity at the lower or intake end, and then calculate the velocity from expansion of the gas as it goes up. It may be that the, ideal intake velocity would vary, depending on the depth of the well, the quantity of liquid to be handled or the pressure which it may be desired to hold. The subject is one that might be worth much research.

Jan 1, 1928

By William H. Grady

FactoRs entering into the market value of coal are its grade, and the cost of labor, material, and capital. Reduction in these costs cannot be expected in the future, and it therefore follows that greater economy in their use must be accomplished if it is desired to hold the present markets; more tons of product per unit must be obtained in a given time from both men and material, and means devised for increasing the percentage of lump and domestic sizes. This paper is presented for the purpose of inviting discussion and stimulating thought in regard to the influence of methods of procedure and plans of mining, upon the quality of coal, the economical use of labor, material, and capital, and the cost of production. Even the better methods of the present day leave much to be desired, and a review of the reasons and necessities for their use may be of value in pointing the way to more economical mining. The writer does not attempt to discuss untried methods of mining, but rather to state clearly and concisely a summary of the results obtained under the several methods of procedure that have been adopted. In some instances a high degree of concentration has been effected, and comparisons of the results obtained with the results of lesser degrees of concentration form an interesting study. It is believed that much may be accomplished in improving the quality, and in the more economical use of labor, material, and capital, by concentration, and it is to concentration in particular that your study is invited. The writer, who has occasion to visit many mines, most of which are under different management, has been inclined to the opinion that improvement has been retarded in many ways and that mining has not as yet been entirely freed from the early-day practices which were forced upon it. Practices resulting in lack of concentration, to which reference will be made, are: The absence of robbing, necessitating the frequent interposition of barrier pillars; lack of system and of proper supervision, resulting in losses of life and coal. These practices could not well be

Jan 1, 1915

By John Conley

THE production of lime by the burning or calcination of limestone, including all varieties from true dolomites and magnesian limestones to high-calcium types, continues as one of the essential basic industries. In 1937, a total of 4,124,165 tons of lime valued at approximately $30,091,000 was produced in the United States.1 The importance of any contribution to our knowledge on the mechanism of the lime-burning process is, therefore, obvious. The burning of limestone has been practiced since the earliest days of our civilization, and the literature on the various phases of the industry is voluminous. Calcination of the various types of limestone has been studied by many previous investigators, but some points require addi-tional research. Each occurrence of limestone provides an opportunity for specific investigation, because the characteristics of stones in different localities vary. Knibbs13 has given an excellent discussion of available data on the theory of lime and magnesia burning. The thermal dissociation of calcium carbonate has been studied more recently by Johnston,2 Smyth and Adams,3 Ralston et al.,4 Furnas,5 Potapenko,6 and Southard and Royster.7 As a result of these investigations the dissociation temperature at atmospheric pressure has been established as 894° to 898° C. The dissociation of dolomite and magnesite, although studied by several investigators, 4,6,8 still requires clarification by additional data. The calcination of limestone was studied for a twofold purpose: (1) to extend our information on the mechanism of the lime-burning process and (2) to standardize the conditions for calcination of high-calcium and dolomitic limestones for subsequent hydration tests on the lime.

Jan 1, 1939

By L. F. Terry, H. K. Ihrig, D. J. Sabin, Ralph E. Davis

This paper presents the results of a study of the comparative values of the several fuels commonly used by industrial plants. It shows that the energy actually recovered from any fuel and turned into useful work is dependent upon several factors: (1) the total energy available in the fuel, (2) energy losses resulting from combustion reactions and (3) energy losses dependent upon the mechanics of the firing operation. The chemistry of combustion and the losses resulting therefrom are discussed. The Advantages and disadvantages of the several mechanical methods of firing and the resulting heat losses in each are developed. Data obtained from several typical fuel operations, where careful records have been maintained, are presented to show that the practical results in the actual operation are in harmony with the theoretical results developed in the earlier part of this paper. Water power and solid, liquid or gaseous fuels are at present the only commercial sources of energy. The economic utilization of any one of them depends, in the final analysis, on the cost of energy per unit of finished product to which the energy is applied. The location of the plant utilizing the particular fuel chosen is a large factor in the original choice. The cost per unit at its original natural source, or even in its delivered form, is not always the final measure of its worth. The use of electricity as a source of energy illustrates this to the extreme. Electric current produced from water power is very cheap in certain localities. In Norway, current is sold as low as ½0# per kw-hr., while in dry cells it costs as much as $10 per kw-hr. Yet the sale of dry cells is a large business. The selling price of gas also varies widely. In some localities natural gas for the manufacture of carbon black sells for as low as $0.02 per million British thermal units, while artificial gas for domestic purposes sells for as high as $6 per million B.t.u. Obviously the cost per unit of energy is not the final determining factor in its purchase. Any discussion of the economic utilization of fuels must include costs in relation to the units of finished material manufactured. In large central power generating stations, this is the over-all cost per kilowatt-hour, and in ceramic firing the cost per unit of finished product of a certain quality is the criterion of economic utilization.

Jan 1, 1931

By Ancel St. John

During a session on coal and coke at the February, 1926, meeting of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, the writer called attention to the important work on the X-ray analysis of coal1,2 being carried on in England by C. Norman Kemp and his associates. This aroused so much interest that a paper on the subject was requested for the October meeting. It has seemed advisable to make this paper a preliminary survey of the present status in the application of X-ray methods to coal problems and to follow it from time to time with further articles as the art develops. A survey of this sort naturally divides itself into two parts, radio-scopic analysis of the distribution of constituents through the body of the coal, and diffraction analysis of the state of association of the elementary components. In this article the subject matter concerning radioscopic analysis has been drawn almost entirely from the writings of Kemp and his associates and the illustrations have been sptcially furnished by him. It is a pleasure to record here a great indebtedness for this courtesy and cooperation. The subject matter and illustrations concerning diffraction analysis are taken from the author's unpublished researches. Nature and Properties of X-rays Before proceeding it is well to recall the nature and some of the properties of X-rays, as well as our present conception of atomic structure According to the accepted theory atoms are composed of electrically-charged particles. A positively-charged center, called the nucleus,

Jan 1, 1927

By B. Wilhelmi, W. H. Somerton

Simultaneous measurement of pore and elastic properties of socks under a wide range of triaxial stress conditions may be made with equipment and methods developed in this paper. Tests were run on three outcrop sandstones at several confining pressures and axial stresses up to approximately 80 percent of failure stress. The greater reduction in porosities and permeabilities occurred in the hydrostatic loading portion of the stress cycle, but substantial reductions in both properties did occur upon application of deviator (triaxial) stress. Triaxial elastic moduli were calculated from strain gauge measurements. Both Young's moduli and shear moduli were found to increase with increasing confining pressure. Poisson's ratios increased with axial stress but showed no consistent change with confining pressure. Only very general relations were observed between pore and elastic properties. The lesser decrease in porosity and permeability at higher stress values is related to increase in rigidity of rocks at higher stresses. INTRODUCTION Many investigators have studied the effects of hydrostatic stress on the properties and behavior of rocks. A few have studied the effects of triaxial stress fields on individual physical properties of rocks. To our knowledge no one has measured simultaneously pore and elastic properties of rocks under a wide range of triaxial stress conditions. This is the purpose of this work. Rocks exist in the subsurface under what Jaegerl refers to as "polyaxial" stress conditions (all principal stresses unequal). When two of the three principal stresses are equal, this is referred to as triaxial loading. The triaxial method of loading is most commonly used in modern testing work because experimental difficulties in measuring physical properties of rocks are greatly reduced over polyaxial testing. Although triaxial loading may not reproduce subsurface conditions precisely, subsurface stress conditions are never known precisely anyway. Triaxial testing would seem to be more realistic than testing under hydrostatic loading (all principal stresses equal) for application of results to subsurface problems. The objectives of this work were threefold: (1) to develop methods of measuring simultaneously pore and elastic properties of rocks under triaxial stress conditions, (2) to determine whether changes in these properties are of sufficient magnitude to be considered in subsurface calculations and (3) to attempt to relate changes in pore properties and elastic properties since they will have been measured at the same time under identical loading conditions. REVIEW OF EARLIER WORK PORE PROPERTIES Several investigators have studied the effects of stress on the physical properties of rocks. Fatt and Davis2 showed the reduction of permeability of rock with hydrostatic loading. McLatchie et al.3 and Knutson and Bohor4 related permeability reduction to compessibility of reservoir rock, again under hydrostatic loading. Wble,5 and later Redmond,6 evaluated the effects of applied radial pressure on conductivity, porosity and permeability of sandstones. In this latter work, no axial stress was applied. Dobrynin7 reviewed much of the previous work done . on the effects of overburden pressure on physical properties of rocks. He concluded that changes in physical properties are controlled to a large extent by pore compressibility of the rock. Several sets of curves developed from empirical relations are presented. These curves permit estimation of change of properties with net overburden pressure, knowing the pore compressibility and porosity of the rock. Net overburden pressure is defined as (Pe - 0.85 Pi ) where Pe is the

By R. L. Stegman, M. R. Achter

Nickel, fatigued in vacuum, shows intragranular crack initiation and growth at low temperatures. An increase in temperature initially prolongs fatigue life due to a more homogeneous distribution of slip. With a further temperature increase, the mode of failure undergoes a transitiotz to intergranular crack initiation with concurrent recrystallization which results in a shorter life. The transition temperature varies with bending strain and specimen purity. UNTIL recently, very little work has been done on the effect of temperature on the mechanism of fatigue and the resultant variation in fatigue life. Except for mild steel, where strain aging raises the strength at moderate temperature, fatigue lives had been shown to decrease with an increase in temperature. In their review article, Allen and Forrest' summarized the work of McCammon and Rosenberg and of Forrest and Mann on the fatigue of copper from -269" to 325°C. The fatigue life vs stress curves remained roughly parallel over this temperature range, the fatigue strength decreasing progressively with increasing temperature. When testing was done in vacuum, the present authors' found the results for nickel were different from those quoted above. Initially, the fatigue lives increased with temperature and then decreased as a grain boundary mode of failure was observed. The initial increase was attributed to a more homogeneous distribution of slip, a condition which was not as conducive to crack initiation as the bunching of slip lines observed at 20°C. Ronay, Reimann, and wood3 observed a similar change of slip line distribution in brass, tested in air, with rising temperature. Our previous observations were based on preliminary work with relatively few specimens, fatigued at comparatively low strains. To learn more about the mechanisms, the present investigation was undertaken for the purpose of studying systematically this effect over a wider range of strains and as a function of purity of the nickel. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES The testing equipment, procedures, and specimen geometry have been described elsewhere.' An optical technique to measure bending strains was used as de-

Jan 1, 1968

By J. T. Norton

As cold working is an important feature in a great many of the fabricating processes now applied, this paper presents some ideas of the nature and results of the plastic deformation produced in this operation. The art of manufacturing metal for practical uses is very old and has undergone very great development. The science of metals has also developed very rapidly recently and the various processes to which ,metals are submitted are much better understood now than they were even a short time ago. All the knowledge that can be obtained on this subject is useful because it promotes efficiency in converting metal into finished articles. ATOMIC ARRANGEMENT IN CRYSTALS In the solid state all metals are crystalline. The atoms are arranged in, a definite symmetrical configuration, which is repeated at regular intervals, and thereby defines what we may term a lattice. Presumably . the atoms exist as positive ions. The dissociated electrons place themselves between groups of positive ions, and thus define a second lattice, an "electron lattice." From such a point of view, the crystalline forces which hold a metal together are the electrostatic attractions between positive ions and negative electrons. The particular type of lattice into which a metal crystallizes depends on the number of these lattice electrons given up by each atom, and is thus connected very closely with the chemical valence of the metal.

Jan 12, 1926

By George C. Fryburg

The oxidation of platinum at high temperatures (above 800°C) is controlled by boundary-layer diffusion, except at the lowest pressures. The rate of oxidation is determined by the rate of diffusion of oxide through the boundary layer away from the platinum. This is in contrast to the situation in tungsten and molybdenum oxidation, where the rate is controlled largely by the diffusion of oxygen through the boundary layer towards the metal. The difference in mechanism is a consequence of the much lower rate of oxidation of platinum. Evidence is presented that supports this mechanism for the oxidation of platinum. SOME years ago we reported1 a study of the oxidation of platinum in ordinary oxygen in the temperature region above 800°C, where the oxide is volatile. All the data available up to that time had been obtained with platinum crucibles or plates heated in tube furnaces. The results were widely variant and highly dependent on the flow rate of gas through the furnace: the faster the gas flow rate, the higher the measured oxidation rate. These results indicated to us2 that reaction equilibrium was being approached in the furnace and that the rate was diffusion limited. To minimize these effects, we employed1 electrically heated ribbons placed in a cooled bulb. We were primarily interested in the low-pressure region, but some experiments were performed at pressures up to 1 atm. We found a peculiar pressure dependency which was explained on the basis that the rate of oxidation was proportional to the pressure at all pressures, but that with increasing pressure an increasing fraction of the volatilizing oxide was back-reflected to the ribbon by the surrounding gas molecules. The oxide molecules are not stable at the temperature of the platinum and are decomposed on impact, the platinum being re-deposited on the specimen. Because of the limitations of space, this explanation was offered summarily without detailed support. Recently, Jaffee and associates3, 4 have suggested that the pressure dependency of our data up to 0.5 torr could be explained on the basis of a Langmuir-type adsorption of molecular oxygen followed by dissociation. Since the correct explanation of the effect of pressure on the oxidation rate is a necessary requirement to the development of the basic mechanism of the oxidation reaction, we felt that the back-reflection theory should be presented in more detail. This is the object of the present paper. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION A typical set of results showing the pressure dependency of the oxidation reaction is presented in Fig. 1, where we have plotted, on logarithmic scales, the rate of oxidation, R, vs the pressure, p. For comparison some results of Krier and Jaffee4 and of Raub and plate5 are also shown. These data were taken at atmospheric pressure using furnaces. The effect of reaction equilibrium within the furnace is apparent from the much smaller values that these observers obtained: Raub and Plate In O2 found a rate of 3.1 µg cm-2 hr-1 compared to our value of

Jan 1, 1965

By George Mieyr, H. M. Ziesemer

Prior to 1909 that mountain of porphyry known as Sacramento Hill had hardly been touched though it had always been thought to contain ore. During that year, exploratory work was started by underground methods; drifting and raising continued until 1913. It was proved that a mineralized zone existed, the limits of which had not been determined ; so, because of the lower costs of exploratory work and the greater desirability of vertical sections, it was decided to prove the extent of the ore zone by churn drills. Drilling continued until 1917, when it seemed almost certain that the horizontal limits of the orebodies had been determined. Ore continued in depth in one direction beyond a point where it was economical to explore by churn drilling; this extension is still being developed by underground methods. The irregularities of the boundaries of the ore zones, together with the variable grades of ore encountered, made it necessary to drill on the corners of 100-ft. squares. Two ore zones were proved, known as the East and West Orebodies. The Sacramento Hill porphyry stock intruded into the Dividend fault. The fault ran roughly east and west with a dip to the south, having pre-Cambrian schists on the north against Paleozoic limestone on the south. This intrusion was accompanied by a silica breccia on the south periphery, along the limestone contact side. The ore lay in the silica breccia and in the porphyry, some distance from the breccia. NO ore was found in the heart of the porphyry mass on the north side, along the schist contact. The West Orebody is elliptic in shape, having a major axis of 1200 ft. (366 m.) and a minor axis of 800 ft. (244 m.); these diminish with depth until, at 300 ft., the axes are 500 ft. and 300 ft., respectively. The ore consists of chalcocite, some bornite, chalcopyrite, and considerable pyrite in a siliceous gangue. About 30 per cent. of the copper is caused by

Jan 1, 1923

By J. Ruzicka

In creep testing, material is subjected to a constant load, preferably at a constant temperature, and its rate of deformation is measured. The method of loading can be of various types but in this paper only creep testing under tensile load will be considered. The ordinary tensile test is essentially a comparison test in conditions that frequently hear little or no relation to those under which the test material is to be used in service. The purpose of creep tests is to measure the strength of the test material at slow rates of deformation that more nearly approach the rates realized in service. One purpose of this paper is to illustrate that the creep test, in addition to its value as a service test, is superior to the ordinary tensile test as a sensitive tool for the comparison of certain metals in investigative testing. The other purpose is to describe equipment having distinctive features of design that make it especially suitable for such tests. Representative data obtained with this equipment on a group of rolled zinc-base materials are given. These data are compared with those from practical comparison tests of the creep type on weatherstrip fabricated from the same group of materials. The comparison illustrates the value of the fast creep test and of the equipment. The Equipment The creep equipment consists essentially of a tank containing a constant-temperature oil bath in which the creep of 14 specimens, loaded by means of levers, is measured by means of one movable extensometer. Figs. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate its general construction and appearance. Constant-temperalure Oil Balh.—A common constant-temperature bath requiring only one temperature-controlling equipment for a number of specimens was chosen as the best means of fulfilling the requirements of low cost and compactness. In addition, this allows the testing of a group of specimens under identical temperature conditions.

Jan 1, 1937

By M. K. Foster

Ten horizontal retort zinc blocks of a modified Hegeler design are in operation at Nueva Rosita, Coahuila, Mexico, and produce approximately 170 t of spelter daily, or 62 000 t/year. A block consists of two furnaces of 448 retorts each, making 8960 retorts as the plant complement. Each furnace block is fired with natural gas and air maintaining the combustion mixture in the furnace always slightly reducing. No attempt to recover energy through waste heat boilers is made. The spelter moves to market by rail and truck either in palletized bundles weighing approximately 1060 kg, as loose slabs weighing 26.5 kg each, or as 1088 kg ingots. At present 46% of the metal is exported and 54% is consumed domestically in Mexico. The present day trend toward equalized or alloyed spelter, as well as special shaped castings results in sales of 35% of the entire plant's production. Sulfuric acid is also produced by the Contact Process using vanadium pentoxide as the catalyst. The plant is basically a Monsanto contact system, producing approximately 68 t of 100% sulfuric acid daily. Both 98.5% sulfuric acid and 20% oleum are available. All of the acid made is consumed in Mexico. Shipments are made in 26,900 dm3 tank cars.

Jan 1, 1970

By Robert Mehl

PART I. ORIENTATION RELATIONSHIPS IN OXIDE LAYERS Oriented overgrowths and intergrowths among both metallic and nonmetallic substances have been recognized and studied for well over a century. The work of Widmanstätten in 1808 on the geometrical struc-ture in meteorites, a structure known by his name, demonstrated that oriented intergrowths can occur in purely metallic systems. This fact led to much of the early microscopic study of alloys, contributing greatly to the advance of physical metallurgy. The problem has been attacked again in recent years in a comprehensive fashion, with the object of dis-covering what atomic movements may occur during phase changes in alloy systems. Much of this work has appeared in the A.I.M.E. TRANS-ACTIONS in a series of papers published by Mehl and coworkers beginning in 19311. Although many aspects of this general problem remain unsolved, it may be said that the orientation of a new phase forming by precipitation from solid solution or by transformation invariably bears, a unique relationship to the orientation of the phase from which it formed, and that similarity in atomic patterns on atomic planes in the two phases play an important part in determining the orientation relationship. Analogous orientation relationships exist in oriented intergrowths in nonmetallic systems-mineral or inorganic. In 1827 Haidinger2 dis-covered natural intergrowths of hematite and magnetite, and demon-strated that the rough form of the magnetite octahedrons was delineated by small crystals of hematite, of which the basal (00.1) planes lay parallel to the octahedral cleavage planes of the magnetite. The description of this orientation relationship was later completed by von Rath3, who showed that the edge (00-1):(10-1) in hematite lies normal to the [111]

Jan 1, 1937

By L. L. Handy

Two equations are compared for calculating imbibi-tion rates of water into porous media. A linear relation was found to apply when the square of the volume of water imbibed was plotted against time for water imbibing in natural rock materials. The effect of adsorbed organic materials on surface wettability was determined from measurements of rate of imbibition, water saturation and water permeability. INTRODUCTION An understanding of the mechanisms by which water displaces oil from porous media requires an understanding of the role of capillary forces in the displacement process. The capillary forces are determined by properties of the water-oil-solid surfaces. Consequently, some measure of the surface properties of reservoir rocks is necessary if displacement behavior in oil reservoirs is to be predicted from laboratory measurements. Several experimental procedures have been proposed to assign quantitative wettability indexes to reservoir rock surfaces. The most recent of these proposals are those of Bobek, Mattox and Denekas' and Amott.' These indexes are designed to show a continuous variation from the preferential oil-wet to the preferential water-wet systems. They require measuring some property of the rock which is a function of surface wettability. The quantities are measured on unaltered core material and compared with values obtained for known oil-wet and water-wet extremes on the same material. These methods are useful but are semi-empirical in nature. They have the disadvantage that the measured quantities may be functions of other variables in addition to surface wettability. Some understanding of the behavior of water-oil-rock systems may be obtained from studies of the simpler water-air-rock systems. Surfaces of a given wettability are more easily maintained for the latter. Also, certain approximations can be made for the flow of water and air which are not justified for water-oil flow. The theoretical and experimental work discussed in this paper is part of a study of the role of capillarity in the dynamic displacement of air by water. The expec- tation is that observations for the water-air system will lead to generalizations which are applicable to water-oil systems. THEORY Imbibition is defined as that process by which one fluid displaces another from a porous medium as a result of capillary forces only. Differential equations have been derived to describe the displacement of oil by water during imbibition, but these equations have not been solved.".' With certain assumptions, however, solutions are possible for water-air imbibition.

By E. Miller, J. M. Eldridge, K. L. Komarek

The thermodynamic properties of- liquid Mg-Pb allojs have been determined by an isopiestic method from 18 to 42 at. pct Pb and by a thevmodynumic analysis of the phase diagram frofiz 0 to 100 at. pct Pb. In the overlapping composition range the magneszupn activity values derived by the two methods are in excellent agreement, thus mutually supporting the correctness of the Mg-Pb phase diagram previously determined by the authors and of the acticitzes deriz~ed isopiestically. SEVERAL studies have been made of the thermody-namic properties of liquid Mg-Pb alloys. Wagner and Engelhardt,1 Lantratov,2 Knappwost,3 Sryvalin et al.* and Wilson5 used the electromotive-force method, Scheil and Wolf8 and Schmahl and Sieben" applied the transpiration technique, and the present authors8 utilized the phase diagram to determine the activity of magnesium in the Mg-Pb system. The results of these studies are not in very good agreement and could not be incorporated into a general systematic analysis of the thermodynamic properties of the homologous series of the Mg-Group IV B systems Mg-Pb,8 Mg-Sn,° Mg-Ge,10and Mg-Si.11 The thermodynamic properties of the Mg-Pb system were therefore re investigated by an isopiestic technique which has been developed for similar studies in the Mg-SnB and Mg-Ge10 systems- Lead specimens, contained in iron or graphite crucibles, were heated in a temperature gradient in an evacuated and sealed titanium reaction tube and equilibrated with magnesium vapor of known vapor pressure to form alloys of compositions which depended on their temperatures, the temperature of the magnesium vapor source, and the thermodynamic properties of the system. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Magnesium (Dominion Magnesium Ltd., Toronto, Canada) of 99.99+ pct purity and lead (American Smelting and Refining Co.) of 99.999 pct purity were used. In the early experiments, Runs 2 and 3, the alloys were contained in uncovered high-purity iron crucibles. Alloys formed in the uncovered iron crucibles had to be chemically analyzed owing to the slight volatility of lead under the imposed experimental equilibration conditions. The compositions of these alloys were determined by a gravimetric analysis of lead as lead chromate. To avoid this problem, the remaining runs were made in covered graphite crucibles machined from high-density (1.92 g per cu cm) graphite rods (Basic Carbon Corp., Sanborn, N.Y.) which had a maximum ash content of less than 0.04 pct. The non- i reactivity of graphite with lead and magnesium has been previously established,' and the experimental procedure has been described in full detail.' In the runs using covered graphite crucibles it was found that the weight increases of the crucibles and their contents after equilibration equaled the magnesium contents of the alloys within the accuracy of the chemical analysis (i0.3 at. pct Pb). Clearly, the small lid openings of the graphite crucibles prevented significant lead losses during a run, and the weight increase was therefore taken as the magnesium content of the alloys. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS At thermodynamic equilibrium the magnesium partial pressure of the specimens equaled that of the reservoir. Since the magnesium reservoir was always maintained at the temperature minimum of the system, the activity of magnesium of any specimen was given by the ratio of the magnesium reservoir pressure to the vapor pressure of pure magnesium at the specimen temperature. The standard state was chosen as liquid magnesium and the vapor pressure of liquid magnesium

Jan 1, 1968

By K. A. Gschneidner, O. D. McMasters

DgIel-ential thermal, nretallographic, and X-ray paramzetric methods were used to establish the Yb-Pb phase dingram. The terminal solid solubilities in the system are less than 0.2 at. pct. Lead additions lower the 792°C transformation tewzperature of pure ytterbiun~ at 787°C by means of an inverted peritectic veaction. Ytterbium additions raise the 327oC melting point of lead to 329°C by means of a perilectic reaction. Three intermetallic compounds Yb2Pb, YbPb, and YbPb, melt congruerttly at 1246", 1116o, and 740°C. respectively. YbsPb3 forms by a peritectic reacliorz at 1250°C. YbzPb crystallizes in the PbCh (C23) type structure and the orthorhombic latliceo constants are a, = 7.478. bo = 5.225, aud C0 = 9.549A. YbsPbs crystallizes in the hfnsSi3 (D8a) type structure. The hexa~nal lattice constants for this phase are a, = 9.325 and co = 6.92d. YbPbl crystallizes in the cubic AuCU3 (Ll2) type structure with a: = 4.8628 + 0.0008A. YbPb is diwrorphic with the structure change occurring al 507°C upon healing. The crystal structures of the two forttzs were not determined. Eulectic reactions occur at 5.1 at. pct Pb and 769oC, 41.5 at. pct Pb and 1086oC, and G8.0 at. pct Ph and 717°C: RELIABLE information concerning the alloying behavior of most of the rare-earth metals is scarce. A systematic study of the rare earth-lead alloy systems now in progress is an effort to supply such information. Determination of the phase diagram of the Yb-Pb alloys is the first step of this study. Variations in the valence of normally divalent ytterbium may be studied by comparing the characteristics of the Yb-Pb alloys to those of the trivalent rare earth-lead and of the divalent alkaline-earth-lead systems. Of particular interest are the melting temperatures of the intermetal-lic compounds since these are known to be high relative to the melting points of the constituent metals. Crys-tallographic and magnetic susceptibility data for the rare earth-lead alloys are to be included in the comparative study. Results from this and subsequent investigations should provide a better understanding of alloy formation. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Materials. The major impurities in the ytterbium and lead used in this investigation are listed in Table I. The lead was obtained from Cominco Products, Inc., and was specified to be 99.99 pct pure. The ytterbium was prepared in this laboratory by the lanthanum reduction of the oxide followed by a distillation of the ytterbium. Alloy Preparation. The alloys were prepared by

Jan 1, 1968

By C. H. Jr. Herty

ALMOST every metallurgist who has given the Howe Memorial Lecture has had a personal contact with the distinguished gentleman to whose honor this hour is devoted. Unfortunately for me, such personal contacts were not possible. However, in the preparation of a thesis on the open-hearth process, one of my earliest tasks was to make a survey of the literature, and it was from Professor Howe's Metallurgy of Iron and Steel that I drew a number of references to previous work which formed the foundation for my reading. In his volume there is such a complete exposition of the then current thought on the subject of slags and on their role in the elimination of phosphorus from steel that I feel no hesitation in discussing in this Howe Lecture the subject of "Slag Control." In the present era of close specification, the drive for uniformity of product, and the close inspection of the product and of the cost sheet, the utmost efforts must be made to control the steelmaking variables to the best advantage of the steel producer. One of the major variables is the slag in the furnace and its effect upon the composition and quality of the metal. What advantages are to be gained from slag control? In the broad sense the advantages must be tremendous, because the very foundations of good steel melting are based on "shaping up" the slag to a point where, with proper temperature, the heat is ready for the final additions. Every melter works toward these ends through his experience with innumerable heats of steel. The elimination of undesirable constituents such as phosphorus and sulphur is entirely a matter of slag composition and physical nature, a point well known for over half a century. The role played by the slag in assisting in proper heat transfer from roof and flame to the steel has been equally well known. In more recent years there has come the problem of oxygen control in the more accurate gaug-ing of additions for making high-grade rimmed steel for the new strip mills, and in the deoxidizing additions for grain-size control and cleanli-ness of forging steels, both carbon and alloy. In this problem the oxidiz-ing characteristics of the slag are of prime importance.

Jan 1, 1940

By J. F. Havard

Gypsum is a useful industrial mineral found abundantly on the earth'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 P. W. Ramsey, E. J. Boyle, E. A. Anderson

ONLY a few zinc-rich alloys are in commercial use today, and these depend largely upon solid solution effects for their desirable properties. Typical examples are rolled alloys containing about I per cent of copper, with or without additions of elements such as magnesium,1 and die-casting alloys containing about 4 per cent of aluminum with small amounts of magnesium and sometimes copper.2 A number of elements are capable of forming alloys with zinc, which do not enter into solid solution except in limited degree. The present paper considers one such system, zinc-titanium, in which alloys having potentially useful properties in the rolled form were found. ZINC-TITANIUM SYSTEM The zinc-rich portion of the zinc-titanium diagram, as determined by standard methods in this laboratory,3 is shown in Fig. I. The portion of the diagram of significance in the present work extends from 0 to about 0.5 per cent titanium. Gebhardt4 places the eutectic at 0.45 per cent, but the evidence in favor of the composition given in Fig. I is considerable. The solid solubility of titanium in zinc is very low indeed and possibly places these alloys in a somewhat different category from the commercial alloys previously mentioned. ALLOY PREPARATION All of the alloys used in this work were prepared with titanium metal of 98.9 per cent purity. In most cases high-purity zinc (99.99 per cent) was used but sufficient work was done later to show that zinc of about high-grade composition would yield approximately equal results. Best practice in alloy manufacture seemed to be to prepare a zinc-titanium hardener by adding about 4 per cent of titanium metal to molten zinc and holding under a boric acid cover, with frequent stirrings, at 750°C. until the titanium had dissolved. The desired titanium content could readily be obtained in the final alloy by adding the calculated amount of this hardener. The alloys proved to be quite stable in composition, unless overheated, and, with reasonable temperature control, required no cover or flux to prevent loss of titanium content by oxidation. HOT-ROLLING TESTS Three alloys containing, by analysis, 0.05, 0.12, and 0.23 per cent titanium were selected for preliminary study. Slab cross sections revealed a marked grain refinement* (Fig. 2) in the two alloys of highest titanium content. Cast unalloyed zinc has a columnar grain structure similar to that shown for the alloy of lowest titanium content but without the scatter of small equiaxed grains at the center.

Jan 1, 1944