Search Documents

By R. M. Foley, Hidesaburo Kurushima

About 25 pct of all Japanese pyrite comes from the Yanahara mine on Honchu Island. For the past 40 years lack of an economical recovery process forced the operator, Dowa Mining Co., to sell the pyrite for its contained sulfur only, leaving 7 million tons of high grade iron ore waste. Introduction of the Dorrco FluoSolids roasting system enabled the company to make use of its iron sulfides and also to find a market for the mine's considerable pyrrhotite production. The success of this project is of great importance to Japan's economy since it points the way toward material increase in her natural resources. Prior to use of the present process, no practical method was available for commercial exploitation of known large tonnages of pyrrhotite, while the copper content of the even larger deposits of pyrite made the roasted residue unacceptable for the iron and steel industry. In Europe, large amounts of copper-bearing pyrite cinder are given a chloridizing roast for separation of the copper and iron but this treatment is not economical in Japan where salt is imported from as far away as Egypt.

Jan 10, 1958

[ ]

Jan 1, 1928

Jan 1, 1930

By Clarence Linville

IN an article published in the Iron. Trade Review 1 I gave a convenient arrangement for the installation of wet and dry bulb thermometers for use in making moisture determinations in the air being blown into a blast furnace, and also gave a chart for use in obtaining moisture values from the thermometer readings. The data from which this chart was prepared were obtained from the tables in use by the U. S. Weather Bureau.2 The work of Carrier 3 has shown that these tables are somewhat in error. He has recalculated the values for moisture as referred to, wet and dry bulb thermometer readings, and he has prepared a psychrometric chart from the values thus obtained. This work has priced the subject of psychrometry upon a correct scientific basis. I think it is proper that we should recognize the importance of his work and give him credit for one of the most interesting and valuable researches that have been published in recent years. Blast-furnace men are not ready to use, as he suggests 4 a value expressed in grains of water accompanying a pound of dry air. However convenient this may be for heating and ventilating work and other engineering problems, there are several reasons for preferring the use of a value expressed in grains of water in a. cubic foot of mixed air and water vapor, in connection with combustion phenomena and the effects of moisture on blast-furnace operation. Previous papers presented to the Institute have used such values and we have

Jan 10, 1913

R. Culver, Colorado School of Mines I appreciated Professor Starfield's presentation, because his approach to blasting research reflects my feelings that a lot of practical work can be done toward making short-term advances that can be used by the blasting industry. We should not forget this in our attempt to obtain solutions to such idealized problems as a mathematical theory of cratering. The blasting industry would like very much to have the efficiency of the basic blasting processes improved from the range of 20 percent up into the range of 50 percent. And many of these problems should be approached and attacked in the laboratories. Blasting research at the Colorado School of Mines for the past two or three years has been aimed at improving the pre-splitting process, because we feel it will become increasingly important to the construction industry. We have attempted to develop a unified theory of how pre-splitting works; and the more we investigate, the more variables we find. We may never obtain an entirely satisfactory theory of pre-splitting, but we have developed a tentative explanation. One of our first conclusions was that we are making very poor use of the explosive in current pre-splitting practice. But to appreciate this we must first consider how pre-splitting works. A series of parallel boreholes are loaded with low density charges which are detonated simultaneously. (Delayed detonation has been tried, but most people agree that simultaneous detonation is best, and this is what we found.) Stress waves traveling out from each borehole interact with the stress waves from the two adjacent boreholes influencing the direction of the fractures that occur and propagate from each borehole. It has been suggested in private communication with Mr. Wilbur Duvall of the U. S. Bureau of Mines, that the fracture between the adjacent boreholes is a result of the net particle velocities above and below the pre-split plane which tend to set up a net tension along the pre-split plane. Regardless of what the exact mechanism is that causes the fracture to propagate from one borehole to the next, we know that it, in general, relies upon an interaction of the stress waves. However, if there is a large compressive stress normal to the pre-split place, it can practically eliminate any possibility of obtaining the desired pre-split by preventing the desired fractures from getting started. Aside from obtaining a fracture along the pre-split plane, the other major aim of pre-splitting is to minimize the fracturing that occurs around the borehole. We do this by drilling a large hole and putting a small charge in the middle of it. This results in a badly decoupled charge which is very inefficient; most of the energy is used in compressing the air in the borehole. Out of discussions about how pre-splitting works, we decided that perhaps there was some other explosive geometry which would make more efficient use of the explosive, and result in optimizing the pre-splitting process. Starting in the laboratory with small plexiglas blocks, we found that a fully-coupled explosive charge of 5 grains/in. of PETN gave random fractures extending about I in. from the borehole. A 1/4 in. plexiglas plug fit into a 1/4 in. hole in a similar block with the same fully coupled charge gave random fractures extending out only about 1/2 in. due to the energy absorbed in fracturing the plug. If the plug was split longitudinally but otherwise using the same geometry, it was possible to drive a fracture about 2 in. in either direction from the borehole, with an even smaller amount of fracturing around the borehole.

Jan 1, 1967

New Products Equipment

Jan 11, 1950

By Bruno Nordberg

HOISTING is one of the earliest endeavors of man with machinery, for hoisting was probably used by the early Egyptians. Treadmills were used for general hoisting until early in the nineteenth century and it was a short step only to attach a Watt steam engine to the rope drum of a hoist. One of the earliest steam hoists was built for a coal mine at Frisne, near Valenciennes, France. It was a remarkable piece of engineering created by James Watt in 1811, using a wooden drum on a vertical shaft. This followed the crude hoist by Holtzhausen in 1803, which used a drum of wood on a horizontal shaft.1 In this country there were examples of crude mine hoists, which have been developed into the efficient machines in use today. African and Australian mines show examples of both extremes, and have an array of fine hoisting equipment exemplified in those built by British manufacturers. The influence of both English and American engineering in hoisting is interestingly evident in Canada. The information available to the writer does not reveal this to be true of South Africa, although American-built hoists have been furnished. Mining camps develop their own style of equipment, adapted to local conditions. For instance, the Butte mining district adheres to the straight drum with friction clutches, because of the great number of levels from which hoisting is done or to which men and material are lowered and the necessity for hoisting or lowering unbalanced. The north Michi-gan copper country uses both straight and cylindroconical drums and hoists continually in balance, so that the drums are not clutched to the main driving shaft. The Joplin mining district, Missouri, has its own peculiar small hoists. Other individual mines or localities in which a number of mines have been developed show individualisticc types of hoists, depending upon their particular problems. In each instance, however, the particular problem must be carefully analyzed, as conditions are seldom so near the same that a number of identical hoists can be used to advantage.

Jan 1, 1940

By Leonard C. Grimshaw

The idea of bonding two dissimilar ferrous metals, and making use of both, is an old one. Tips have been brazed onto tool shanks for many years. The bonding of larger pieces to form whole bars and sheets has also been accomplished, but has received little attention in the technical literature, although a number of patents have been issued covering various methods for its accomplishment. There are three main motives behind the manufacture of composite steels. One is that the physical properties of one steel may supplement those of another; a useful, but at the same time, hard, brittle steel may be backed by a soft ductile one, or a stainless steel may be backed by a steel possessing greater strength. Another motive is direct lowering of cost; an expensive steel may be backed by a less expensive one, bringing down the cost of the piece as a whole. The third motive is an indirect lowering of cost, as when a useful steel is backed by a steel that is easier to machine, so that machining cost on a finished product is lowered considerably. Often more than one of these motives lead to a decision to use a composite steel. Previous Methods There are two methods in use that result in tolerably good bonds between ferrous metals: (1) the casting method, and (2) what we shall call the "heat-pressure" method. This "heat-pressure" method covers processes in which the bond is made between two prepared surfaces by heating them and then applying pressure. Usually sufficient pressure must be used to produce appreciable spread and elongation, or else we arc merely brazing and not truly welding. Casting methods for welding together ferrous metals have been used more than 74 years, and are described in the technical literature as applied

Jan 1, 1936

By Leonard C. Grimshaw

The idea of bonding two dissimilar ferrous metals, and making use of both, is an old one. Tips have been brazed onto tool shanks for many years. The bonding of larger pieces to form whole bars and sheets has also been accomplished, but has received little attention in the technical literature, although a number of patents have been issued covering various methods for its accomplishment. There are three main motives behind the manufacture of composite steels. One is that the physical properties of one steel may supplement those of another; a useful, but at the same time, hard, brittle steel may be backed by a soft ductile one, or a stainless steel may be backed by a steel possessing greater strength. Another motive is direct lowering of cost; an expensive steel may be backed by a less expensive one, bringing down the cost of the piece as a whole. The third motive is an indirect lowering of cost, as when a useful steel is backed by a steel that is easier to machine, so that machining cost on a finished product is lowered considerably. Often more than one of these motives lead to a decision to use a composite steel. Previous Methods There are two methods in use that result in tolerably good bonds between ferrous metals: (1) the casting method, and (2) what we shall call the "heat-pressure" method. This "heat-pressure" method covers processes in which the bond is made between two prepared surfaces by heating them and then applying pressure. Usually sufficient pressure must be used to produce appreciable spread and elongation, or else we arc merely brazing and not truly welding. Casting methods for welding together ferrous metals have been used more than 74 years, and are described in the technical literature as applied

Jan 1, 1936

By Don Simon

In the late 1960s the mining industry was in an apparent slump due to a combination of factors. Enrollment dropped significantly at schools offering mining engineering degrees, resulting in a shortage today of experienced mining graduates to staff middle management positions. How has this limited supply affected salaries? Does the shortage impair the mining industry's ability to respond to national energy needs?

Jan 12, 1979

By James J. Bean

F. M. Lewis—I believe that density recorders are a prerequisite to all well operated ore concentrators. Well designed density instruments are very accurate and give an excellent record of the steadiness of the operation. Controlling the density of a pulp with an instrument, as described by Mr. Bean, is new and the experiences in developing this controller at the American Cyanimid Co.'s Mineral Dressing Laboratory are very interesting and should be extremely helpful to others who are planning on designing or installing controlling density instruments. Instruments for recording the density of the classifier overflow or flotation feed are rather common in ore concentrators, but there are a number of profitable uses for these instruments that are not too well known. Density recorders with bubble tubes submerged to different depth in a classifier pool give an excellent record of the classifier operation. The loading and unloading of the machine, that is so easily masked in the density of the overflow, can be easily recorded if the instrument is installed at some depth in the classifier pool. On some occasions, two instruments with bubble tubes at different depths give a more candid picture of the irregularities in the classifier operation. When cleaner machines are operated in closed circuit with roughers, a record of the density of the cleaner tails will indicate the circulating load in the circuit and is very helpful in coordinating different operators, because quite often the circulating load will be increasing for some time before the analyses of the products will change. Density recorders are used to record the variations in the dilution of the underflow from thickening tanks and in at least one plant the instrument controls the underflow.

Jan 1, 1951

By James J. Bean

F. M. Lewis—I believe that density recorders are a prerequisite to all well operated ore concentrators. Well designed density instruments are very accurate and give an excellent record of the steadiness of the operation. Controlling the density of a pulp with an instrument, as described by Mr. Bean, is new and the experiences in developing this controller at the American Cyanimid Co.'s Mineral Dressing Laboratory are very interesting and should be extremely helpful to others who are planning on designing or installing controlling density instruments. Instruments for recording the density of the classifier overflow or flotation feed are rather common in ore concentrators, but there are a number of profitable uses for these instruments that are not too well known. Density recorders with bubble tubes submerged to different depth in a classifier pool give an excellent record of the classifier operation. The loading and unloading of the machine, that is so easily masked in the density of the overflow, can be easily recorded if the instrument is installed at some depth in the classifier pool. On some occasions, two instruments with bubble tubes at different depths give a more candid picture of the irregularities in the classifier operation. When cleaner machines are operated in closed circuit with roughers, a record of the density of the cleaner tails will indicate the circulating load in the circuit and is very helpful in coordinating different operators, because quite often the circulating load will be increasing for some time before the analyses of the products will change. Density recorders are used to record the variations in the dilution of the underflow from thickening tanks and in at least one plant the instrument controls the underflow.

Jan 1, 1951

By W. G. Sinclair

The wartime momentum of exploration continued throughout the year 1945 despite the end of hostilities in mid-August. The table below illustrates drilling activity in the various categories: Completed wells. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401 Wildcats.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 Wildcat discoveries, oil.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Wildcat discoveries, gas-condensate.. . . . . . . 4 Development wells.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .297

Jan 1, 1946

By W. R. Hudspeth

AS an outgrowth of its spodumene recovery operation at Kings Mountain, N. C., Foote Mineral Co. has been recovering a heavy mineral by-product. Foote leased this idle plant in 1951, reactivated it, using a new spodumene recovery process, and purchased plant and properties in October 1951. While the operation at Kings Mountain is primarily concerned with the production of spodumene concentrate, pilot plant work determined that the pegmatites also contained heavy minerals including cassiterite. Plans were made to recover the heavy minerals as a by-product and the flowsheet incorporated these facilities when the mill was modified for the new spodumene recovery process. The orebodies consist of spodumene, feldspar, quartz and mica. Apatite, tourmaline, and beryl are present in small quantities. The wall rock is pre- dominantly hornblende shist. The heavy minerals, including cassiterite, columbite, pyrrhotite, monazite, pyrite, and rutile represent about 0.2 pct of the ore. The fine-grained heavy minerals are disseminated throughout the dikes, apparently unassociated with the spodumene. The pegmatites are quarried and secondary breakage is by mud-capping and block-holing. Power shovels load into trucks transporting the ore to a coarse ore bin. A Telesmith 10x36-in. apron feeder delivers the ore to an 18x36 in. Traylor Jaw crusher adjusted to discharge -3 in. product to a primary conveyor. The conveyor delivers to a 4x5-ft Tyrock single deck vibrating screen using 3/4 in. cloth. The screen undersize is elevated to the crushed ore bin. Screen oversize goes to an Allis-Chalmers Hydrocone Crusher fitted with 4 in. concave and set to deliver approximately 66 pct minus 3/4 in. The crusher discharge returns to the primary conveyor. The crushing and screening installation has a capacity of about 60 tons per hour. Spirals The crushed ore is delivered at a rate of 350 tons per day to two 6x8-ft Hardinge Pebble Mills, equipped with 20 mesh Ton-Cap trommel screens. The screen oversize is pumped to a 12-in. hydroclone for primary desliming. The hydroclone underfl spirals. There is no heavy mineral loss in the hydro-clone overflow. The spirals bank consists of eight 5-turn Model 24-A Humphreys Spirals. The top port and the last four ports of each spiral are blanked, the remaining nine port splitters are adjusted to remove about 5 pct feed weight. The heavy mineral rougher concentrates are upgraded on a Deister Overstrom table. The spiral concentrates contain approximately 4 pct heavy mineral, and the spiral reject, which goes to another section of the plant for spodumene recovery, contains about 0.03 pct heavy mineral. There is an interesting feature in the spirals installation. An adjustable splitter mounted on the discharge boxes splits out a mica fines product containing very little heavy mineral. The mica product is cleaned by spiralling and screening. Thus the spirals recover two products; mica, and a heavy mineral rougher concentrate. Table Treatment The rougher spiral concentrate goes to a Deister Plato table, modified to receive a Deister-Overstrom No. 6 rubber cover with sand riffles. The table is operated with a 5/8 in. stroke, 270 strokes per minute, and a slope of 1/2 in. per ft from feed to tailings side. There is no slope adjustment from motion to concentrate end. Wash water consumption is relatively high, since the large spodumene grains tend to report with the fine heavy minerals. A middling band about 4 in. wide is maintained in order to produce clean concentrate. The middling, representing about 10 pct of table feed, is recirculated by air-lift. A band of concentrate grade coarse spodumene occurs just below the middling. This is removed and delivered to concentrate storage. The table tailing, containing approximately 0.7 pct heavy minerals, is returned to the spodumene feed preparation circuit. The heavy mineral table concentrates are approximately 45 pct cassiterite, 33 pct columbite, 14 pct pyrrhotite and 8 pct monazite, together, with some rutile, pyrite, and copper from blasting wire. Concentrate is collected at 24 hour intervals. and dried. If the concentrate remains in wet storage appreciably longer surface oxidation takes place which seriously interferes with the subsequent magnetic separation process. About 150 lb of heavy mineral concentrate is produced per 24 hours and shipped to the company's plant at Exton, Pa. for final separation into tin and columbium concentrates.

Jan 1, 1952

By S. R. B. Cooke, H. S. Choi, I. Iwasaki

In magnetic taconite of the East Mesabi range, quartz, magnetite, and cummingtonite (OH}(Fe, Mg)(Si4O11)2) are the three major ore-forming minerals.' Fine grinding and magnetic separation of the taconite leads to a concentrate analyzing 64 to 65 pct Fe and 8 to 9 pct insoluble; the gangue content of the concentrate arising from the presence of locked magnetite-gangue particles, and of occluded gangue particles in magnetic floccules. To further upgrade such taconite concentrates, flotation appears to offer a particularly promising approach. To evaluate its effectiveness in separation, a knowledge of the flotation characteristics of each mineral comprising the concentrate becomes desirable. The floatability of magnetite and of quartz have already been reported in a previous paper,2 in which the flotation characteristics of the two minerals were correlated with the electrokinetic properties at the mineral-solution interfaces. Since cummingtonite has somewhat intermediate chemical composition between the above-named oxides, the electrokinetic and the flotation behavior of this mineral becomes of interest for both practical and fundamental reasons. In the present article the results of electrophoretic mobility measurements and of Hallimond tube flotation tests on cummingtonite are reported and are compared with those of quartz and magnetite. MATERIALS AND METHODS A sample of cummingtonite-rich taconite, received from the Mitchell pit, near Babbitt, Minn., was crushed and ground through 100 mesh, and the product was fractionated magnetically into three portions. First, a drum-type laboratory cobber was used to separate a highly magnetic portion, consisting mainly of free, but also containing locked, magnetite particles. The cobber tailing was then passed in two stages through a Franz isodynamic separator. The middle fraction was isolated, and, upon examination petrographically, was ascertained to be principally cummingtonite. The 100 to 150 mesh fraction of this sample was selected for the present study. It was cleaned by leaching briefly with hot, dilute HC1 and then by rinsing repeatedly with demineralized water. A ground and elutriated fraction of -5p cummingtonite was used for the electrophoretic measurements.

Jan 1, 1961

A special meeting of the Institute, at which the Institute of Metals Division will join with those members who are most interested in iron and steel, and in coal and coke, will be held in Milwaukee, Wis., October 8 to 11, 1918. The technical program is as follows: INSTITUTE OF METALS DIVISION Tuesday morning, October 8: The Metallography of Tungsten, by My Jeffries. (Bulletin No. 138, p. 1037.) The Constitution of the Tin Bronzes, by S. L. Hoyt. Paper, title not given, by C. H. Mathewson. Notes on Babbitt and Babbitted Bearings, by Jesse L. Jones. (Bulletin. No. 140, p. 1397.) Oxygen and Sulphur in the Melting of Copper Cathodes, by S. Skowronski. (Bulletin No. 135, p. 645.) The Relation of Sulphur to the Overpoling of Copper, by S. Skowronski. (Bulletin No. 135, p. 651); with discussion by Philip L. Gill. (Bulletin. No. 140, p. 1156.)

Jan 9, 1918

By W. A. Bruce

This paper covers the theory and present state of development of an apparatus for the nonmathematical analysis of complex problems of reservoir and well behavior. At the present stage of development of this apparatus, it is capable of solving the water-drive problem of any reservoir performance for which a mathematical solution has been presented in the literature, either on the basis of steady or unsteady-state flow analysis. The theory is presented for the extension of the scope of this analyzer along the lines of the present development. The resulting apparatus should be able to solve reservoir-performance problems previously thought too difficult for practical solution by mathematical means. As an illustration of its operation and present scope, the analysis of a reservoir problem and synthesis of expected performance is presented. Introduction In this method† of analyzing problems of petroleum-reservoir and well behavior, the porous continuum of the reservoir is assumed to be divided into small blocks, or units. Each block is assumed to be small enough so that for a material balance on the fluids in the block an average pressure for the block can be used. In analyzing reservoir behavior from this point of view by mathematical means, a set of simultaneous difference equations would be obtained (two for each block), which must be solved or combined into a partial differential equation. In the method to be described here, instead of solving these sets of equations analytically, electrical units are constructed, which will behave in respect to the flow of electricity exactly as the reservoir units behave under various conditions of fluid flow. The electrical units are then wired together in the same way that the reservoir units are connected naturally by virtue of their geometrical locations and shapes. Fluid-Flow Equations Consider a block in a reservoir. Assume that reservoir fluid (or fluids) is flowing in at one face and out at the opposite face, and that the block is small enough so that at all points the stream lines are within one degree of perpendicular to the face. Furthermore, assume that the pressure, pi, at the upstream face (Fig, I) is not more than one per cent greater than P2 the pressure at the downstream face. A material balance will show that the mass of fluid flowing out less the mass of fluid flowing in will equal the change in density times the fluid volume. This is expressed in the equation:

Jan 1, 1943

By W. A. Bruce

This paper covers the theory and present state of development of an apparatus for the nonmathematical analysis of complex problems of reservoir and well behavior. At the present stage of development of this apparatus, it is capable of solving the water-drive problem of any reservoir performance for which a mathematical solution has been presented in the literature, either on the basis of steady or unsteady-state flow analysis. The theory is presented for the extension of the scope of this analyzer along the lines of the present development. The resulting apparatus should be able to solve reservoir-performance problems previously thought too difficult for practical solution by mathematical means. As an illustration of its operation and present scope, the analysis of a reservoir problem and synthesis of expected performance is presented. Introduction In this method† of analyzing problems of petroleum-reservoir and well behavior, the porous continuum of the reservoir is assumed to be divided into small blocks, or units. Each block is assumed to be small enough so that for a material balance on the fluids in the block an average pressure for the block can be used. In analyzing reservoir behavior from this point of view by mathematical means, a set of simultaneous difference equations would be obtained (two for each block), which must be solved or combined into a partial differential equation. In the method to be described here, instead of solving these sets of equations analytically, electrical units are constructed, which will behave in respect to the flow of electricity exactly as the reservoir units behave under various conditions of fluid flow. The electrical units are then wired together in the same way that the reservoir units are connected naturally by virtue of their geometrical locations and shapes. Fluid-Flow Equations Consider a block in a reservoir. Assume that reservoir fluid (or fluids) is flowing in at one face and out at the opposite face, and that the block is small enough so that at all points the stream lines are within one degree of perpendicular to the face. Furthermore, assume that the pressure, pi, at the upstream face (Fig, I) is not more than one per cent greater than P2 the pressure at the downstream face. A material balance will show that the mass of fluid flowing out less the mass of fluid flowing in will equal the change in density times the fluid volume. This is expressed in the equation:

Jan 1, 1943

By Richard W. Lodge

Ix the crucible-method of assaying ores for silver a certain amount of litharge is essential to supply sufficient lead to collect the precious metals. The object of this paper is to point out that the use of a .large excess of litharge in the assay of some ores will give results for silver that are uneven as well as low. So far as I know, however, an excess of litharge does not affect the results obtained in the crucible-assay of ores for gold. The main reasons for using, in the crucible-assay, much more litharge than is required to give the necessary lead button are : 1, its action as a flux; 2, its action as a desulphurizer; and 3, its action as an oxidizer, especially on metals like copper and nickel, whereby they are forced into the slag as oxides and thus prevented from passing into the lead button. Hence, by the use of much litharge in the crucible-assay more-ore can often be taken than in the scorification-process, and a lead button obtained which can possibly be cupelled at once or after a single scorification. The method is specially advantageous with an ore carrying much copper or similar impurity and poor in silver, when the assayer does not wish to resort to a wet-analysis for the determination of the silver. It is well known that some ores give better results when assayed by the scorification-method, while others give better results by the crucible-method. For several years I have noticed that, when much litharge was used with certain sulphide and arsenical ores, the results were considerably lower than when the scorification-method was used. This fact was more forcibly brought out in connection with certain work carried on this year by Messrs. H. A. Frame and

Sep 1, 1907

By H. R. Thresh

An oscillational vis cometer has been constructed to measure the viscosity of liquid metals and alloys to 800°C. An enclosed cylindrical interface surrounds the molten sample avoiding the free surface condition found in many previous measurements. Standardization of the apparatus with mercury has verified the use of Roscoe's formula in the calculation of the viscosity. Operation of the apparatus at higher temperatures was also checked using molten lead. Extensive measurements on five different samples of zinc, of not less than 99.99 pct purity, indicate i) impurities at this level do not influence the viscosity and ii) the apparatus is capable of giving reproducible data. The variation of the viscosity ? with absolute temperature T is adequately expressed by Andrade's exponential relationship ?V1/3 = AeC/VT , where A and C are constants and V is the specific volume of the liquid. The values of A and C are given as 2.485 x 10-3 and 20.78, 2.444 x 10-3 and 88.79, and 2.169 x 10-3 and 239.8, respectively, for mercury, lead, and zinc. The error of measurement is assessed to be about 1 pct. Prefreezing phenomena in the vicinity of the freezing point of the zinc samples were found to be absent. AS part of an over-all program of research on various phases of melting and casting nonferrous alloys, a systematic study of some physical properties of liquid metals and their alloys was undertaken in the laboratories of the Physical Metallurgy Division.1,2,3 The most recent phase of this work, on zinc and some zinc-base alloys, was carried out in cooperation with the Canadian Zinc and Lead Research Committee and the International Lead-Zinc Research Organization. One of the properties investigated was viscosity and the present paper gives results on pure zinc; the second part, on the viscosity of some zinc alloys, will be reported separately. Experimental interest in the viscosity of liquid metals has virtually been confined to the past 40 years. The capillary technique was already established as the primary method for the viscosity of fluids in the vicinity of room temperature; all relevant experimental corrections were known and an absolute accuracy of 1 to 2 pct was possible. Ap- plication of the capillary method to liquid metals creates a number of exacting requirements to manipulate a smooth flow of highly reactive liquid through a fine-bore tube. Consequently, the degree of precision usually achieved in the high-temperature field rarely compares with measurements on aqueous fluids near room temperature. However, the full potential of the capillary method has yet to be explored using modern experimental techniques. As an alternative, many investigators in this field have preferred to select the oscillational method. Unfortunately, the practical advantages are somewhat offset by the inability of the hydrodynamic theory to realize a rational working formula for the calculation of the viscosity. In attempting to overcome this restriction many investigators have employed calibrational procedures, even to the extent of selecting an arbitrary formula for use with a given shaped interface. However, where calibration cannot be founded on well-established techniques, the contribution of such experiments to the general field of viscometry is questionable. A critical appraisal of the viscosity data existing for pure liquid metals reveals a somewhat discordant situation where considerable effort is still required to establish reproducible and reliable values for the low-melting point metals. The means of rectifying this situation have gradually evolved in recent years. Here, the theory of the oscillational method has undergone major advances for both the spherical and cylindrical interfaces. The basic concepts of verschaffelt4 governing the oscillation of a solid sphere in an infinite liquid have been adequately expressed by Andrade and his coworkers.5,6 Employing a hollow spherical container and a formula, which had been extensively verified by experiments on water, absolute measurements on the liquid alkali metals were obtained. The extension of this approach to the more common liquid metals has been demonstrated by culpin7 and Rothwel18 where much ingenuity was used to surmount the problem of loading the sample into the delicate sphere. Because of the elegant technique required to construct a hollow sphere, the cylindrical interface holds recognition as virtually the ideal shape. On the other hand, loss of symmetry in one plane increases the complexity of deriving a calculation of the viscosity. The contributions of Hopkins and Toye9 and Roscoe10 have markedly improved the potential use of the cylindrical interface in liquid-metal viscometry. The relatively simple experi-

Jan 1, 1965