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By Robert Keeney

AT the beginning of the use of the electric furnace, for the manufacture of calcium carbide and ferro-alloys, experimental work was conducted in it upon the production of steel from iron ore. Stassano performed two series of experiments in Italy, the first1 during the years 1898 to 1902, and the second2 in 1908. For many years steel and wrought iron have been produced directly from ore on a small scale in the forge, crucible, and reverberatory furnaces; but the difficulties attending the operation of these combustion processes have prevented their adoption to any great extent. The combustion

Jan 2, 1914

By Arno C. Fieldner

PROBABLY no large industry in the United States is in greater need of technologic research leading to economic improvement than the coal industry. It has suffered severely from increasing substitution of petroleum and natural gas for coal and its products in the fuel markets. Part of this substitution is due to the greater convenience and suitability of liquid and gaseous fuels for special purposes, and part of it has been due to the extensive research programs conducted or sponsored by the petroleum and allied industries in the past 2 decades. A recent estimate1 places these expenditures at $100,000,000 a year.

Jan 7, 1951

By R. C. Dorward

DIFFUSION considerations are necessary to describe many technologically important metallurgical and physical processes. Since most commercially important alloys are comprised of more than two components, diffusion calculations applicable to binary systems are often unjustified. However, in many instances the more general equations valid for three-component systems may be employed. The phenom-enological description of ternary diffusion is now well-established,1-4 and the theory has been applied with some success to a few practical situations.5"7 The flux equations for the solutes (components 1 and 2) of a ternary solution may be expressed by:

Jan 1, 1969

By Wasyl Kunda

High grade jig and low grade flotation concentrates used in the following experiments, are produced from silver ore at the mine. The study was carried out to recover the silver and other metals from these concentrates by hydrometallurgical methods. The concentrates were subjected to two stage oxida¬tion leaches in a HNO3-H2SO4 medium. The dissolved metals were recovered by selective precipitation of: (a) silver chloride, (b) iron-arsenic-bismuth residue, (c) copper sulphide, (d) cobalt-nickel sulphide. The effluent solution contained only ammonium sulphate and ammonium nitrate. The silver chloride was further processed to the high purity silver powder by the AgCl ? Ag2S ? Ag2SO4 ? Ag° route. The recovery of silver from the concentrates was over 98% and other metals from 95 to 99%.

Jan 1, 1984

By C. L. Sollenberger, R. B. Greenwalt

PERHAPS the most widely used dispersants or gangue depressants in nonmetallic flotation are sodium silicates, which vary in silica-to-soda ratio from 1 to 3.75. Typical manufactured silicates in order of decreasing solubility and increasing amounts of silica are Metso, silica-to-soda ratio of 1.00; D, 2.00; RU, 2.40; K, 2.90; N, 3.22; and S-35, 3.75.* References in flotation literature's to the use of sodium silicates are often weak because they fail to mention the type of silicate used. Metso and silicate N have occasionally been mentioned, but when the type of silicate is not mentioned, it is usually assumed to be N, the cheapest of the soluble silicates and the one recommended by sodium silicate manufacturers as a flotation agent.

Jan 6, 1958

By Y. Ueda, F. Noguchi, T. Yanagase

The rate of CaO dissolution into slag melts is of great importance in the field of pyrometallurgy. In this study the mechanism of CaO dissolution has been investigated by observing the melt heated on Pt-filament directly through microscope together with a help of X-ray micro analyser to find out a distribution of each element around CaO crystal. The direct observation reveals that the CaO dissolution tends to proceed by the action of molten slag entering between CaO crystal and newly formed 2Ca0. Si02 layer through cracks. The effect of slag composition on the formation of 2CaO- SiO2 layer will be shown as well as the effect of halogenides addition on the destruction of this compound layer.

Jan 1, 1976

By W. H. McFarland

The mechanical properties have been determined for a large number of alloy-free martensitic steels with carbon contents ranging from 0.08 to 0.20 pct and with manganese contents of about 0.4 to 0.5 pet. These steels were tested 1) as water-quenched, 2) after quenching, temper rolling, and tinning, and 3) after tempering treatments which involved temperatures from 400o to 1300oF and times from 1 min to 8 hr. The majority of these tests represent steel from commercial-size coils, i.e., strip 32 in. wide, coil weights up to 20,000 16, and steel thicknesses from 0.0055 to 0.024 in. As a result of these treatments, it has been shown that as-quenched low-carbon alloy-free steels can be produced with tensile strengths ranging from 140,000 to 220,000 psi and tensile elongations from 3.0 to 4.0 pet in 2 in. The tensile strength of the as-quenched martensites can be represented by the equation, tensile strength (ksi) = 119 + 560 (wt pet C). The response to tempering of these steels is related to previous work by Muir, Averbach, and Cohen and by Grange and Baughman. Strain aging of low-carbon martensite has also been investigated. If low-carbon steels are defined as those steels with a maximum carbon content of 0.2 pet, it is found that the literature on low-carbon, alloy-free martensites contains little data on the mechanical properties of these steels. However, the following facts concerning low-carbon alloy-free martensites seem firmly established:'-' 1) The major factors in controlling the strength of the martensite appear to be a) fine structure, b) the internal strain resulting from the transformation, and, particularly, c) the amount of carbon in solid solution. 2) In low-carbon steels, the martensite is auto-tempered and is in the form of needles with only minor amounts of internal twinning, whereas the martensite in high-carbon steels forms as plates which are internally twinned on a fine scale. 3) Care must be taken in comparing the results of work that has been done on low-carbon steels with varying amounts of alloying elements to data on plain carbon steels. As has been noted by Irvine, Pickering, and Garstone,6 alloying elements generally lower the martensite start temperature and, thereby, decrease the amount of auto tempering obtained during the quench. This makes it difficult to

Jan 1, 1965

By Thomas Clagett

THE Pocahontas coal field comprises the area in Tazewell County, Va., and Mercer and McDowell Counties, W. Va., in which Nos. 3 and 4 Pocahontas seams of bituminous coal are mined. It is a mountainous region with ridges rising 300 to 1000 ft. (91 to 305m.) above the very narrow valleys and, except for some poorly kept farms along the tops of the ridges and the area occupied by the mining and coking plants and villages, is wooded throughout. First shipments were made from Pocahontas in 1883. There are now, about 100 mines, 95 per cent. of which are drift mines. At the end of 1920, approximately 298,000,000 gross tons of coal had been produced and 35,000 acres of coal mined. No. 3 seam is from 4 to 10 ft. (1.2 to 3 m.) thick, but the change is gradual and the thickness fairly uniform in any particular locality. It has a streak of bone, about 2 in. (5 cm.) thick, io which the coal adheres on both sides. In parts of the field this bone is replaced by hard slate, usually from 2 to 4 in. thick. The seam has a slate or fireclay bottom and a draw-slate top. No. 4 seam is from 65 to 80 ft. (19.8 to 24 m.) above No. 3 seam, and of minable section only in the western part of the field. It is from 3 to 8 ft. thick and has two streaks off bone, each from 1 to 2 in. thick. It has a fireclay or slate bottom and is overlaid by from 4 to 24 in. of a laminated coal and slate, locally termed "black rash," which is separated from the coal seam by about 3 in. of slate. This "black rash" averages about 25 per cent. ash, but contains some clean coal. The coal in both seams is quite soft. Cleavage sufficiently well defined to exert an influence on the mining is rare. Overlying strata are slates, shales, and sandstones, the sandstones predominating, extending from .30 to 1000 ft. above No. 3 seam. The strata directly above the. draw slate of No. 3 seam, or "black rash" of No., 4 seam, and up to the first sandstone are usually slates or shales, about 10 ft. thick over the

Jan 5, 1922

By G. S. Hume

IN. THE autumn of 1922, British Petroleums Ltd. found oil of 14° Baumé in a sand 17 ft. thick in its. No. 2 well at Wainwright, 120 miles southeast of Edmonton. This greatly encouraged drilling in the Wainwright-Irma area and this past summer several wells were started, three of which are now completed and the others still being drilled. Of the three completed, No. 4 British Petroleums contains oil; No. 3 British Petroleums gave a show of oil but so far has not given much hope, of becoming a commercial producer; and No. 1 Maple Leaf Co., as now finished, is a. gas well with a daily flow of gas of about 2,500,000 cu. ft. at a closed pressure of 700 lb. An oil sand is reported to have been encountered below the producing gas horizon in the Maple Leaf well but has not been tested. Operations on this well have been suspended for the winter. The Geological Survey of Canada this past summer undertook a geological investigation of this area with the object of defining the structures with which the oil and gas are associated. The structure underlying this portion of the plains was supposed to be a terrace with the western edge dipping into the Alberta syncline and with a monoclinal structure to the east. By accurate leveling on known geological horizons on this terrace, a number of gentle folds were located and -it is in these folds that the oil and gas are found. At the British Petroleums Nos. 2 and 4 oil wells, the western flank of the fold has a gentle dip of only a few feet to the mile to the southwest whereas the strata on the eastern flank dip to the northeast about 40 ft. in ½ mile, the strike of the fold being northwest and southeast. How far oil will be found down the gentle southwest dip is unknown but probably the productive part of the fold will not exceed 1 mile in width, and possibly less. No. 3 British Petroleums well is on the strike of the fold 1 mile southeast of the two oil wells. The sand that was productive in Nos. 2 and 4 wells was not present in this well or, if present, was very thin and unproductive. Two other sand horizons, however, were encountered. The upper of these

Jan 3, 1925

By Louis A. Carapella, Ralph Hultgren

WHEN F. Heusler1 found in 1898 that certain alloys containing only copper, manganese, and tin were ferromagnetic, the discovery excited a great deal of interest and led to numerous investigations. It was early found that tin could be replaced by aluminum, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, or boron without destroying the ferromagnetic nature of the alloys.2 Copper may also be replaced by silver.3 All these alloys have come to be known as "Heusler alloys." The aluminum alloys apparently were the most magnetic and have been most extensively investigated. However, no agreement has yet been reached as to the source of the ferromagnetism arising from these nonferromagnetic elements. Absence of reliable quantitative data makes speculation hazardous. The value of much of the earlier work was vitiated by lack of necessary precautions against contamination, and by lack of close control of heat-treatment. It was only recently established that in aluminum Heusler alloys" the ferromagnetism arose from a single phase, an ordered body-centered-cubic structure. With modern methods of preparation, heat-treatment, and X-ray examination, it is possible to prepare these alloys without contamination, to heat-treat them intelligently, and to determine what phase or phases are present in the finished sample. In the present investigation, a series of pure alloys in the comparatively neglected copper-manganese-tin system have been prepared, which consist of a single, body-centered-cubic structure (the beta phase) and whose compositions vary within wide limits. The magnetic saturation values of these single-phase alloys have been quantitatively determined, so that considerable data on the effect of composition on the ferromagnetism have been made available. In the course of the investigation some information on the extent of the stability of the beta phase and the nature of phases in adjacent regions of the ternary diagram has been accumulated. Anomalies in earlier data have been explained, and alloys have been prepared that are much more strongly magnetic than any previous Heusler alloys. PREVIOUS WORK In the original work of F. Heusler1 and coworkers,2 a maximum magnetic saturation value of I = 107 was found at the composition Cu6Mn3Sn, while a value for Cu2MnA1 of I = 443 was early measured. Ross and Grays found a second maximum at the composition Cu2MnSn, which was much more magnetic than Heusler's original alloy. F. Heusler6 then reinvestigated the system, confirmed their results,

Jan 1, 1941

By M. E. V. Plummer, F. E. Beamish, J. C. Hole, J. M. Kavanagh

Prior researches have shown that the iron-copper-nickel content of platinum concentrates may be reduced by carbon to form a collecting alloy for the platinum metals in a manner exactly analogous to the formation of the lead fire assay button. The nature of the iron-copper-nickel alloys with the platinum metals has been investigated. Palladium and probably some of the other platinum metals form solid solutions with this alloy. ONE of the greatest known reserves of the platinum metals is to be found in the nickel, copper, iron sulphide deposits of Northern Ontario. The very large tonnage of copper-nickel ore processed makes the Sudbury district a significant world source of the platinum metals, the latter being recovered as byproducts in the electrolytic refining process for copper and nickel. Chalcopyrite, pentlandite, and pyrrhotite are carriers of the platinum metals;' these minerals contain from 0.03 to 2.0 ppm of the noble metals. The analysis of the above ores for the platinum metals necessitates an initial concentration of the minute quantities present in the ore. The method usually employed involves the extraction of the noble metals by molten lead with or without small proportions of silver. The lead is then separated from the precious metals by cupellation, a process which involves absorption by the cupel and volatilization of lead oxide, leaving the precious metals collected in a silver bead on the surface of the cupel. The collection by lead is probably achieved by a process of dissolution followed by some degree of segregation in the lead alloy since the cold button is seldom uniform in composition. With silver-lead alloys this process of liquation has been used to re- cover pure lead since, during the cooling period, crystals of pure lead separate and silver becomes concentrated toward the center of the solid.' Platinum and gold liquate in a manner similar to silver which may account for the successful recovery of platinum by fire assay even though it is considered insoluble in a solid lead medium. 3 In the case of iridium the liquation process may be a disadvantage in that the iridium may appear in the outer areas of the button and thus be lost mechanically during the handling processes. In any case the deficient alloying characteristics of lead for the platinum metals encouraged attempts to find an improved collecting alloy, and by analogy with aqueous extractions, preferably one in which solid solutions would be readily formed. Since, beyond a certain minimum solute to solvent ratio, the formation of a solid solution is accompanied by a lattice distortion, one would expect some relationship between the atomic diameters of any two metals and their tendency to form a solid solution. In one survey5 the hypothesis was put forward that when the atomic diameter of the solute differs by more than about 15 pct from the solvent, the "size factor" is unfavorable and the formation of a solid solution is restricted. On the other hand, when the atomic diameters are within this limit the size factor is favorable and solid solutions are readily formed, e.g. the transition metals of Group VIII having similar radii form solid solutions over wide ranges of composition.6 Even with a favorable size factor, elements having different crystal structures cannot form a continuous series of solid solutions. Cell dimensions alter as the concentration of the solute increases, causing a

Jan 1, 1962

By Robert B. Fulton

The objective of this chapter is to discuss the interrelationship between industrial minerals and chemical manufacturing. It is intended to supplement rather than duplicate the commodity chapters. Particular emphasis is given to the pertinent chemical element and to market factors. Condensing this broad subject into a few pages of this handbook permits treating only the most important elements derived from industrial minerals. Hydrocarbons, which quantitatively dominate as raw materials for the chemical industry, are omitted, as are the metallic elements and the minerals covered in other "use" chapters such as phosphorous, potassium and nitrogen for fertilizers, and titanium dioxide for pigments. The remaining six elements of major importance are: boron, bromine, chlorine, fluorine, sodium, and sulfur. These elements are treated individually under separate headings. Table I (Jones, 1973) affords an overview of the main industrial minerals, the chemical products derived from them, and end uses of the products. Salt brines have particular importance as raw material sources for the chemical industry. Table 2 (Anon., 1967) is a chart of the chemical compounds derived from four types of brines: (1) Owens Lake-type brines, which are sources of boron and sodium compounds; (2) Midland-type brines, from which bromine, iodine, and chlorides of calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium are derived; (3) Searles Lake-type brines, yielding boron, bromine, lithium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium compounds; and (4) Silver Peak-type brines, produced mainly for lithium. Market Attributes Some of the important market traits common to industrial minerals used by the chemical industry are listed below. 1. They are international commodities, such as fluorspar and sulfur, which largely move to foreign consumers. 2. Grade, and freedom from deleterious elements are important factors affecting their usability in chemical processes. An example is salt (NaCl) used in electrolysis where ultrapure evaporated salt is required to meet rigid specifications. 3. Purified products take on the characteristics of specialty items and command a distinctly higher price than the basic commodity from which they are derived. 4. In practically all cases, chemical users require some sort of cleaning or beneficiation of the naturally-occurring mineral to bring it to specification, and individual specifications may vary from user to user for essentially the same use. 5. In some instances it is necessary to strike a balance between what the vendor can supply and what the buyer requires, with the result that specifications have to be eased to afford the needed materials in marginal cases. 6. Because they tend to be bulk commodities, low cost for handling and transportation are important and such costs may limit the area from which a chemical user can draw his supply. For example, fluorspar from China and Thailand normally goes to Japan, while South African fluorspar can go either to Japan or to the US. 7. Shipments are usually in bulk and frequently in multiple-car, full-trainload or full-shipload lots to reduce transport costs, which in turn may require large terminal investment facilities.

Jan 1, 1983

By K. E. Brown, F. W. Jessen

It is deemed feasible to store atomic reactor fuel wastes in salt dome cavities when the differential pressure acting on the cavity does not exceed 3,000 psi and the temperature is less than 400°F. Tests at pressure increments of 1,000 psi were conducted on a 2-in, cylindrical cavity contained in a 6-in. long X 6-in. diameter salt core. The cavity exhibited stability under pressures up to 3,000 psi and temperatures to 300°F. At temperature ranges of 100 to 400°F and with pressures of 5,000 psi and above continuous deformation of the cavity resulted. Initial movement of the salt was observed at all pressares. This was evidenced by vertical deformation and cavity size reduction. INTRODUCTION The development of storage techniques for safe disposal of atomic reactor fuel wastes is a goal of the Atomic Energy Commission. Salt domes have been used successfully for storage of liquefied petroleum gases and hence should prove to be suitable for liquid waste products of atomic reactors. The purpose of the following work is to evaluate the practicability of utilizing salt dome cavities for such wastes and to de-termine particularly the effect of pressure and temperature on a salt cavity. This work represents a part of a comprehensive study covering the over-all problem of storing re- actor fuel wastes in salt domes and/ or salt beds. The problem of accurately determining the stresses which exist in rocks in the earth's crust is indeed a complex one. Theoretical studies have differed widely in many of the basic assumptions about the physical properties of the rock itself. Some solutions of problems in underground stress analysis assume that rock is elastic, homogeneous and isotropic in character; others assume that rock possesses plastic, viscous, elasticovis-cous properties, or a combination thereof. Experimental evidence has shown that salt possesses plastic, viscous and elasticoviscous properties.' Recent work has shown that salt becomes more plastic with temperature.' APPARATUS AND PROCEDURE For experimental study a cylindrical cavity was chosen for analysis since it provided maximum volume per unit of depth with constant diameter. This particular cavity shape, allowing for irregularities, can be easily leached out of salt domes in field operations. For the purpose of approaching underground storage conditions as nearly as possible, the following factors were considered: (1) control of pressure and temperatures, (2) measurements of temperature gradients throughout salt mass, and (3) measurement of structural stability of salt cavities. In order to obtain triaxial pressure on the salt cavity without resorting to the application of fluid pressure directly on the salt mass, a system was designed whereby the same effect could be produced through axial loading only. By cutting a core to close dimensions to fit a steel test cylinder and applying axial pressure, a lateral pressure was obtained. This equipment is shown in Figs 1 and 2. A steel cylinder was made from

By P. Rama Rao, D. H. Sastry, T. R. Anantharaman

Deformation (a) and twin (a') stacking-fault densities in cold - wor ked filings of fcc silver alloys containing 2, 4, and 6 wt pct Sb have been estimated from Debye-Scherrer peak shifts and asymmetries, respectively. Evidence has been obtained for a possible strain-induced transformation in a two-phase alloy containing 9.0 zut pct Sb. Using Fourier analysis of X-ray line profiles, the effective particle sizes and root mean square strains have been determined for the three fcc alloys in the cold-worked condition. The values of the compound fault probability 0.5a + a') evaluated from peak shifts and asymmetries are in reasonable apeement with those derived from peak broadening. COLD work of fcc metals may produce both deformation and twin (also called growth) stacking faults, which can be detected and quantitatively estimated by X-ray diffraction techniques.' In addition to peak broadening, deformation faults produce a shift in peak positions and twin faults an asymmetry of the Debye-Scherrer reflections. Besides stacking faults, a reduction in the size of coherently diffracting domains and distortion within these also broaden the powder reflections of deformed fcc metals and alloys. Fourier analysis' of peak shapes provides quantitative infor- mation about the effective domain sizes, lattice strains, and also the compound fault probability (1.5a + a'), where a and a' represent deformation-and growth-fault density, respectively. The Paterson method2 for determination of a from peak shifts, the warren3 or wagner4 method for evaluation of a' from peak asymmetries, and the Fourier analysis for quantitative estimates of all the contributory causes of peak broadening have, in the course of the last decade, been extensively applied to obtain data for a number of deformed fcc metals and alloys. One of the useful results of earlier measurements of a in several solid solutions is a correlation between a and the solute valence as well as electron concentration per atom (p) in alloy systems based on a particular solvent. The work of Smallman and westmacott5 on Cu-Zn, Cu-A1, and Cu-Sn, of Foley, Cahn, and ~aynor' on Cu-Si and Cu-Ge, and of Rama Rao and Anantharaman7 on Cu-Si and Cu-Sb has revealed a common trend in the increase of a with p and also a with valency of the solute. Cahn and Davies' and Ad-ler and wagnerg have observed similar trends for silver alloys containing cadmium, indium, and tin. Data on a for silver alloys with a pentavalent solute element are not, however, available. It is primarily to fill this need that the present investigation on Ag-Sb alloys was undertaken. Utilizing the Patersonand Warren methods, values of a and a', respectively, have been determined in three silver alloys containing 2, 4, and 6 wt pct Sb. By Fourier analysis of the broadening of Debye-Scherrer peaks, effective particle sizes, lattice strains, and the compound fault probability (1.5a +a') have also been evaluated.

Jan 1, 1967

By Earle J. Klohn

Mining operations have been carried out in British Columbia since the time of the first settlers in the area. The early developments were mainly small volume, high-grade operations, producing small quantities of tailings wastes. In these early days the nearest stream was a logical first choice for tailings disposal. Where streams suitable for accepting the tailings were not available or where streams crossing the International Border could not be used for this purpose, the nearest convenient land site was selected for storing the tailings. Old tailings waste piles exist at many locations in the Province and are readily evident, for example, in the Princeton and Hedley areas. Figs. 1 and 2 are photographs showing the present condition of two of these old tailings dams. [ ]

Jan 1, 1972

By O. W. Simmons, L. W. Eastwood, C. M. Craighead

Eighty-four quaternary titanium-base alloys from the following systems were investigated: 1. Titanium-chromium-carbon-nitrogen. 2. Titanium-chromium-carbon with copper, vanadium, molybdenum, manganese, iron, or nickel. 3. Titanium-chromium-nitrogen with vanadium, molybdenum, or nickel. The tensile properties, minimum bend radii, hardnesses, response to heat treatment and aging treatment, and phase relationships of these alloys are reported. HIS paper is the third in a series describing J- titanium-base alloys. The first paper describingdescribed titanium binary alloys, and the second contained data on a large number of titanium ternary alloys. Eighty-four heats, comprising three groups of quaternary titanium-base alloys, are described in this paper as follows: 1. Titanium-chromium-carbon-nitrogen alloys. 2. Titanium-chromium-carbon alloys containing copper, vanadium, molybdenum, manganese, iron, or nickel. 3. Titanium-chromium-nitrogen alloys containing vanadium, molybdenum, or nickel. The methods of preparing, fabricating, and testing the alloys are described in the paper Binary Titanium Alloys. Quaternary Titanium - Chromiurn - Carbon -Nitrogen Alloys The properties of titanium-chromium-nitrogen and titanium-chromium-carbon ternary alloys have been described in the paper Ternary Alloys of Titanium. Because small amounts of nitrogen and carbon both appear to be somewhat beneficial, these additions have been investigated fairly completely in quaternary alloys containing chromium at the following levels of composition: 2.5, 3.5, and 5.0 pct chromium 0.25 and 0.5 pct carbon 0.1 and 0.2 pct nitrogen Mechanical Properties: The mechanical properties of these alloys are listed in table I. Fig. 1 and 2 show graphically a comparison of the tensile properties and hardnesses of quaternary alloys with those of the titanium-chromium binary alloys. Fig. 1 shows the comparison at 0.25 pct carbon, whereas fig. 2 shows the comparison at 0.5 pct carbon. It is concluded from these data that 0.25 pct carbon and 0.1 pct nitrogen are desirable additions to the 5 pct chromium-titanium base. It is further concluded that most of this improvement is produced by the nitrogen and that carbon is either harmless or mildly beneficial, at least up to 0.25 pct. Structure and Transformation Range: The effects of carbon and nitrogen on the transformation range of the titanium-chromium alloys were determined as part of the routine investigation. Additions of 0.25 pct carbon and 0.1 pct nitrogen had no appreciable effect upon the transformation range. However, the addition of 0.25 pct carbon and 0.2 pct nitrogen definitely raised the beta solvus temperature, as shown by fig. 3.

Jan 1, 1951

By R. I. Jaffee, J. G. Dunleavy, W. Hodge, H. R. Ogden

IN a search for an improved conductor for use in field wire for the L. S. Army Signal Corps, an alloy of copper and silver was developed from which it was possible to obtain 29 B & S ga. strands with tensile strengths in excess of 160,000 psi combined with an electrical conductivity of over 70 pct IACS. Such a favorable combination of strength and electrical conductivity has not been reported previously in the rather extensive literature covering this subject. The properties obtained from various binary alloys of copper and silver, together with the method of fabrication of these alloys which has been developed to obtain the properties desired in fine wire strands, are discussed in this paper. LITERATURE The effect on the electrical conductivity of copper of the various elements in solid solution is shown in Fig I, taken from published data by J. O. Linde and others.' It will be noted that silver in solid solution depresses the electrical conductivity to a lesser extent than any other element for which data are given, and is followed rather closely by cadmium, and then by chromium. Zinc, which lies between cadmium and chromium, has so high a solid solubility in copper that the data for zinc are scarcely comparable to the data for the other two in the range covered. Not many data are available on the strain hardening of copper-rich Cu-Ag alloys. Corson2 reports a 3 pct Ag alloy properly cold worked and annealed to have 100,000 psi tensile strength and 90 pct IACS conductivity. On straight cold working, Hessenbruch3 reports 101.000 psi for a 5 pct Ag, 0.3 pct Be alloy, and 129,000 psi for a 30 pct Ag, 0.5 pct Be alloy. Here it would he expected that much of the strain hardening came from the silver content of the alloys. The copper-rich side of the Cu-Ag diagram, according to Stockdale,4 is shown in the upper part of Fig 2. The electrical conductivities for copper-silver alloys annealed at 750 and 350°C, taken from the work of Johansson and Linde,5 are shown in the lower part of Fig 2. The sloping line corresponds to the conductivity of solid solutions of silver in copper, and the horizontal offshoots correspond to the conductivity of the two-phase alloys in equilibrium at the two temperatures shown. The electrical conductivities are very high, even for the 750°C anneal. The potentiality for age hardening from supersaturated alpha copper solutions appears to be excellent from the solubility line, but Smith and Lindlief6 have shown that the response to age hardening of solution-annealed alpha alloys is not good. They found that the tensile strength of a 5 pct Ag alloy aged at various temperatures was not as great as in the quenched condition, even though, anomalously, the hardness increased from RB68 to RB78 by annealing for 4 hr at 400°C after a 750°C quench. Weist7 also found that the alloys increased in hardness

Jan 1, 1948

By Donald Jaffe, Michael B. Bever

The solidification of Al-Zn alloys (2 to 70 pct Zn was investigated at different rates of solidification. The resulting structures were studied; the amounts of nonequilibrium eutectic were measured and compared with the amounts calculated on the assumption of no diffusion in the solid. The compositions of the cored primary constituent were investigated by quantitative autoradiography after activation of the zinc by neutron irradiation. These compositions were also determined from microhardness values. IN a recent investigation of the soltdification of aluminum-rich AI-Cu alloys,' the amounts of non-equilibrium eutectic were measured and compared with the amounts calculated on the assumption of no diffusion in the solid. The compositions of the cored primary constituent were investigated by quantitative autoradiography. The work reported here extends the investigation of nonequilibrium solidification to the Al-Zn system in the range from 2 to 70 pct Zn. In addition to autoradiography, microhard-ness values were used to determine compositions on a micro scale. Solidification Experiments The alloys contained approximately 2. 6, 12, 20, 30, 50, and 70 wt pct Zn and the balance aluminum. According to published diagrams the eutectic reaction occurs at 382°C between the eutectic liquid (95 pct Zn), a (82.8 pet Zn), and $ 498.9 pct Zn). Solid-state reactions at lower temperatures (due to the miscibility gap between 350" and 275"C, the eutectoid at 275'C, and the precipitation from supcrsaturated a) did not affect this investigation. Even if they occurred to any appreciable extent, they did not alter the evidence pertaining to the solidification structures. The alloys had to be of high purity to avoid radioact~ve contamination during activation. The aluminum analyzed 0.015 pct Si, 0.009 pct Fe, less than 0.004 pct Cu, and less than 0.006 pct Mg with traces of sodium and titanium; the zinc was reported to be at least 99.99 pct pure with traces of iron and magnesium. The alloys were prepared under argon in an induction-heated, bottom-pouring furnace, and poured into a coated steel mold, which could be preheated to temperatures up to 700°C in order to control the rate of solidification. The pouring temperatures ranged from about 40" above the liquidus for 2 pct Zn alloys to about 130°C above the liquidus for 70 pct Zn alloys. As soon as the melt entered the mold, the readings of a thermocouple placed % in. above the bottom of the mold were recorded by a recording potentiometer. Cooling at the rate induced by the initial temperature of the mold was continued to a temperature 100°C below the liquidus; the mold with its contents was then quenched in icy brine. Quenching from a fixed interval below the liquidus was used to provide a standardized procedure, since the solidus and liquidus temperatures and the interval between them vary greatly over the composition range investigated. The temperatures from which the samples were quenched were below the equilibrium solidus, but under nonequilibrium conditions some liquid was still present. This residual liquid solidified during the quench. The samples measured 314 in. diam and 11, in. height. Drillings for chemical analysis were taken

Jan 1, 1957

By E. Maxwell, C. J. Bechtoldt, H. C. Vacher

IN the course of an investigation of the properties of metals at low temperature there was occasion to determine the constitution of four iridium-osmium alloys. There is very little information in the literature1 on the constitution of synthetic Ir-0s alloys. Zvyagintzev' s has made a comprehensive study of different natural Ir-0s alloys and concludes that alloys containing more than 32 pct 0s have the close-packed hexagonal structure of osmium, whereas those containing less than 32 pct 0s have the face-centered cubic structure of iridium. The alloys studied in this work were prepared by the American Platinum Works, Newark, N. J., and were received in the form of fragments approximately 1.5 mm average diameter. The fragments had been obtained by crushing ingots made by fusing charges of iridium and osmium under an arc and air cooling. The ingots were not given a homogenizing heat treatment. Sample fragments Table I. Results of X-Roy Diffraction and Microscopic Examinations Phases Present as Determined by X-ray Diffraction Osmium Alloy Close- Iridium Face- Packed Centered Osmium, Iridium, Hexagonal Cubic Mlcro- WtPot Wt Pct Structure Structure scope 0 99.9 None Present 1 23.6 76.4 None Present 1 38.7 61.3 Present Present 2 59.4 40.6 Present Present 2 79.0 21.0 Present Not detected 2 99.9 0 Present None 1 Note: Chemical analyses of the iridium, osmium, and alloys were furnished by the American Platinum Works. of the iridium and osmium used in making the alloys also were included. Several fragments of each metal and alloy were examined microscopically and by X-ray diffraction. For the X-ray method the fragments were crushed further to pass a 270-mesh screen, then sealed in evacuated fused-silica tubes, heated to 1100°C for 18 hr, and allowed to cool in the furnace. Powder X-ray diffraction patterns were obtained from the annealed fragments by means of a Norelco camera having a diameter of 114 mm, and unfiltered cobaIt radiation. For the microscopic examination several fragments in the as-received condition were mounted in Melmac, (American Cyanamid Co.) and ground using the conventional series of abrasive papers. The polishing was done with 0-2 diamond abrasive on a Microcloth (Buehler Ltd.) lap, wet with xylene. After polishing, the surface was etched electrolytically in a 10 pct solution of chromic acid or in a 10 pct solution of potassium cyanide. Both reagents attacked the osmium-rich constituent, whereas the iridium constituent was attacked slightly by the chromic acid reagent and not noticeably by the potassium cyanide reagent. The results of the X-ray diffraction and microscopic examinations are summarized in Table I. Fig. 1 shows the microstructure of a 21 pct Ir-79 pct 0s alloy. The results indicate an appreciable solid-solu-bility range of osmium in iridium as was reported by Zvyagintzev.' The solid-solubility range of iridium in osmium is more restricted, apparently less than 21 pct Ir. This implies a large range of composition in which two phases can coexist that was not reported by Zvyagintzev.

Jan 1, 1955

By R. M. Brick, J. T. Richards

Tests have been conducted to determine the mechanical properties of several beryllium copper alloys down to liquid air temperatures. The materials investigated include beryllium copper, beryl-lium-cobalt-copper, and beryllium-zinc-copper in the wrought and cast conditions. As a means of evaluation, the influence of cold work and age hardening treatment upon subzero behavior has been observed. The effects of temperature upon both elastic and plastic deformation are also considered. THE low temperature mechanical properties of beryllium copper are of current interest in view of the increasing number of subzero applications. At extremely low temperatures, beryllium copper components are employed in temperature control and gas liquefaction equipment. At more moderate temperatures, such as those encountered in arctic regions, these alloys find use in a wide range of civilian and military applications. Although several previous subzero investigations have included beryllium copper,'-' none have been complete with respect to test temperatures or materials employed. As indicated in Table I, the alloy: used by Colbeck and MacGillivray,1 Walle,2 and Kostenets' were nonstandard and were not representative of present commercial practice. In addition, Kostenets4 did not test age hardened specimens, while the temperature in the other investigations", "-' were not carried below —100°F. These tests, however, indicate that beryllium copper offers interesting possibilities in subzero atmospheres, since the increase in strength with decreasing temperature is not accompanied by a reduction in ductility or impact resistance. As a means of checking and extending this earlier work at subzero temperatures, an investigation was undertaken at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to testing the standard 2 pct beryllium copper, other alloys were also considered in wrought and cast forms. Charpy impact and tension tests were included with particular emphasis on the elastic characteristics, since beryllium copper is frequently selected for its spring qualities. Nominal test temperatures were +80°, —75", —200°, and —300°F. Test Materials Wrought beryllium copper, beryllium-cobalt-copper, and beryllium-zinc-copper specimens were machined from 0.560 in. diameter rod. These alloys were tested in the solution treated, cold drawn, or age hardened conditions. In the case of solution treated beryllium copper, some specimens were aged (3 hr at 600°F) for maximum hardness and others were overaged (1 1/2 hr at 750°F) to determine the effect of heat treatment. The compositions and average room temperature properties of these wrought alloys are presented in Table 11. The casting alloy versions of beryllium copper and beryllium-cobalt-copper were prepared as sand-cast cylinders, roughly 3/4 in. diameter x 6 in. long. Test specimens were machined from these cylinders. Conditions tested included as cast as well as solution treated and age hardened. Table 111 lists compositional and room temperature property data for the cast alloys. Test Methods Tension tests were conducted on specimens having a 0.25 in. diameter reduced section over a 1 in. gage length. To insure axiality, specimens were loaded by means of hardened chains. The yield strength at 0.2 pct offset was obtained from autographically recorded stress-strain curves resulting from a spe-

Jan 1, 1955