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By R. V. Mrazek, F. E. Block, S. B. Knapp

The mixed homogeneous and heterogeneous kinetics of the thermal decomposition of tungsten hexacarbonyl were studied by employing a batch reactor. The system was such that a sample of tungsten hexacarbonyl could be injected into the preheated reactor, and the progress of the reaction followed by a simple pressure measurement. Both the homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions were found to be first order, and approximate activation energies were determined for each reaction. It is shown that the dis-proportionation of carbon monoxide to give carbon and carbon dioxide cannot be the source of carbon in tungsten deposits prepared by this reaction. The kinetics of the thermal decomposition of tungsten hexacarbonyl have been investigated as part of a continuing study by the U.S. Bureau of Mines on the decomposition of organometallic compounds. Reactions involving the thermal decomposition of metal carbonyls have a potential application in the preparation of pure metals and fine metal powders. Indeed, it was these applications which provided the impetus for much of the early work involving the carbonyls of nickel1 and iron.' The relative lack of study of other metal carbonyls can be traced to the comparative difficulty in synthesizing these compounds. The most common use for tungsten hexacarbonyl has been as an intermediate in vapor-phase plating.7'8 However, attempts to obtain a carbon-free deposit of tungsten by this method have not been successful, and some investigators have taken advantage of the carbon contamination and used this process to form tungsten carbide deposits.lo Other investigators have studied the thermodynamic properties11"14 and molecular structure of tungsten hexacarbonyl. However, very little is known about the kinetics of this thermal decomposition, the mechanisms involved," or the source of carbon in the resulting plate. In contrast, studies have been made of the kinetics of the thermal decomposition of nickel tetracarbonyl, iron pentacarbonyl, and molybdenum hexacarbonyl.'l It has been found that these thermal decompositions occur by a mechanism which is partially heterogeneous in nature. Information available on the equilibrium constants for the decomposition of tungsten hexacarbonyl was used to determine a temperature range, 500" to 560°K, in which the reaction could be expected to be essentially complete. APPARATUS The apparatus used allowed the injection of a sample of tungsten hexacarbonyl into a preheated batch reactor and the use of a simple pressure measurement to follow the progress of the reaction in the sealed reactor. The pressure was sensed by means of a pressure transducer (Consolidated Electrodynamics Corp., 0.3 pct)* capable of operating at the *Reference to specific products is made to facilitate understanding and does not imply endorsement of such brands by the Bureau of Mines._______ reaction temperature. This type of sensing element was chosen to avoid the problem of condensation of the sublimed carbonyl in the capillary tubing leading to any type of remote pressure-sensing device. stirring was provided by rotating the entire apparatus. Glass beads placed in the reactor provided a pulsating agitation. To minimize thermal gradients in the reactor walls, the reactor was constructed of aluminum. The support tube which held the reactor in the furnace was thin-walled stainless steel to minimize heat conduction out of the reactor. As a result of these measures, a nearly uniform temperature (°C) was maintained throughout the reactor. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the apparatus. The small gear motor rotated the entire apparatus at about 200 rpm. The bearings shown at the ends of the air cylinder were perforated to allow air to be fed to the charging piston and to allow inert gas to be fed to the reactor during the preheating period. The sample was simultaneously injected and sealed inside the reactor by operation of the air piston. Fig. 2 shows a cross section of the air cylinder and the adjoining portion of the support tube leading to the reactor. The sample carrier is shown in place at the right-hand end of the injection rod extending from the air piston. The piston is shown in the retracted position, as it would be prior to the start of an experiment. The small Teflon gasket which encircled the sample carrier at the end of the injection rod sealed the reactor when the sample was injected. This seal was maintained throughout the test by maintaining air pressure on the piston. The sample carrier was a 2-in. section of thin-walled, -in.-diam nickel tubing with an internal blank about 1 in. from the base and with the base end sealed.

Jan 1, 1969

By STEPHEN L. GOODALE

THE question indicated in this title was put by letter to a number of my friends working in various industries, who have charge of young metallurgical graduates. The replies were almost unanimous in stating that the college training should cover in the most .thorough manner possible those sciences which are the fundamentals - of engineering. Mathematics, physics, mechanics, electricity, chemistry, physical chemistry, and their applications to actual problems of life were mentioned in most of the letters I received. Some writers added also business law, economics,. and finance. One reply expressed it: "These subjects, well founded, mixed with good judgment, well applied, should enable the .young man to carry on the art of life successfully." One answer stated frankly what is really wanted: "As much as possible.' ' This writer mentioned .the sciences as being very important, but he wishes men ' to be trained in metallurgy also, and he concedes the omission of some advanced chemistry and physic's to secure the metallurgy. He emphasized particularly. the a we. desirability of work in college to development' He concludes his letter with a repetition of his slogan that what is wanted is as much as is possible.

Jan 1, 1930

By John Garcia

IN some districts of the bituminous coal field the problem of construct-ing bulkheads to seal off water under pressure is becoming increasingly important. Recently this matter has been brought very much to the front by the loss of a large. Illinois mine due to failure of a bulkhead that separated it from several old, flooded mines. As this great misfortune has provoked much inquiry about proper bulkhead design, it is felt that a description of the successful and extensive water-sealing practice at three mines that have different natural conditions will be of considerable interest to those connected with properties having a present or future water problem and to engineers that may have to design safe bulkheads of economical construction. These three mines are the Saxton acid Dresser, near Terre Haute, Ind., and the Hegeler, near Danville, 111. All three have water conditions that make it necessary to regularly seal off till worked-out sections of the mine, and there are considerably over a hundred bulkheads in each. As far as the writers know, these three mines are the only ones in the bitu-minous coal fields of the United States with anything like so large a number of water seals and experience, although a number of other mines are known to have a few bulkheads. More detail will he included herein on the Saxton mine than on the others, as the writers are more familiar with it.

Jan 1, 1937

By W. D. Grundy, Frances Wahl Pierce, Jean-Paul Marbeau, Carol Waite Conner

Resource and coal quality estimates of three coal deposits in the Western United States were estimated by kriging, a geostatistical method that yields unbiased estimates with maximum achievable precision. Derived geostatistical models were used in kriging to estimate the tonnages of the deposits and to derive contour maps of thickness, structure, and sulfur content. Where data were available on quarter-mile spacing, kriging was used to obtain detailed information applicable to mine planning and design. Where data were sparse, kriging was used to do a preliminary evaluation of total resources. Geologic studies were required to correlate the individual coal beds and to identify complicating conditions such as the presence of faults, burnt zones, channels, and regional changes in thickness and elevation. Where these conditions were identified, they were explicitly integrated into the estimation procedure.

Jan 1, 1983

By Larry D. Hartzog

PANELISTS Paul Chamberlin, Nerco Minerals Jim Gourdie, Goldfield Mining Corp. Roger Leonard, Cyprus Northumberland Mining Co. Eric Daniels, Tenneco Minerals John Dasher, Consulting Metallurgist Bob Shoemaker, San Francisco Mining Associates Larry Hartzog, Bechtel Civil and Minerals, Inc.

Jan 1, 1984

By W. Kauenhowen

The production of petroleum in Germany during 1932 totaled about 1,608,558 bbl., a slight increase over the 1, 602,517 bbl. produced in 1931. A decline, as shown in Table 1, occurred chiefly in the Volkenroda (Thuringia) field. The total production of the other fields (salt domes), however. reached a new record, about 21 per cent above 1931. Table 1.—Oil Production of Germany by Fields and Oil Provinces, 1928-1932 (Barrels of 42 Gallons)" Salt Dome Province __________________________________________________|_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1928 274,323 322,742 679 46,319 644,021 644,315 1929 310,891 337,582 10,535 67,578 719,901 720,069 1930 586,404 427,539 100,716 72,485 1,186,969 29,806 1,220,296 1931 506,548 403,634 213,549 116,088 1,242,598 360,885 1,602,517 1932 769,405 366,982 230 979 130,711 1,498,077 110,481 1,608,558 " Official figures published in Germany are given in metric tons. For the above conversion into barrels a factor of 1 metric ton equaling 7 barrels has been used. Includes a very small production from Hcide, Holstein. c Includes a very small production from Tegernsee, Bavaria, and Bruchsal, Baden. Nienhagen-Hanigsen Field In 1932 the Nienhagen-Hanigsen yielded about 51 per cent of the production from the four German salt dome fields. During 1932 the productive area was again extended, chiefly towards the northwest in the so-called north district, to which the present drilling activity is confined almost entirely. Since the discovery of the north district in 1928, about 45 wells have been drilled in it, of which only two were

Jan 1, 1933

By N. L. Muench, J. S. Osba

Research conducted previously has demonstrated that spectral analysis of gamma radiation from the naturally radioactive elements present in earth materials permits detervination of the relative concentrations of these elements. This research suggested that spectral analysis of gamma radiation resulting from neutron bombardment of elements not nor-mally radioactive might serve to identify these non-radioactive elements, and might permit their quantitative determination. To investigate this possibility, laboratory experiments were conducted in which various earth materials were subjected to bombardment by neutrons from a polonium-beryllium source, and in which the spectra of the resultant gamma radiation were analyzed. The geometry of the lab-ortory system was designed to simulate wellbore conditions. The laboratory work demonstrated that some elements not only can be identified with relative ease, but also can be determined quantitatively. This finding indicates that the use of an intense source of more energetic neutrons may lead to the identification and measurement of additional elements of interest by means of induced nuclear reactions. INTRODUCTION In recent years the applications of nuclear physics to the producing branch of the petroleum industry have become increasingly numerous. One significant development, an outgrowth of nuclear science which is of potential importance in well logging, has been the analysis of gamma-ray spectra of naturally radioactive elements in earth strata. The work of Brannon and Osoba1 has demonstrated that presently available equipment and techniques may be used to determine the relative concentration of thorium, potassium, and uranium in underground strata by means of gamma-ray spectral analysis. Success of the research on spectral analysis of naturally radioactive elements suggested that spectral analysis of induced radioactivity might serve to identify, and perhaps measure quantitatively, those elements which normally are not radioactive, but which become radioactive on neutron bombardment. It was to investigate this possibility that the research described in the following sections was undertaken. THEORY OF INDUCED NUCLEAR REACTIONS Of fundamental importance is the fact that an element, when bom- barded with neutrons, emits gamma rays of energies characteristic of that element. Therefore, in theory, an element may be identified by analysis of the energy spectrum of the neutron-induced gamma radiation. If a neutron impinges upon the nucleus of an atom, any one of several reactions may occur. For identification of elements in earth formations the more important are listed below: 1. The neutron may be elastically scattered, as in a collision between two billiard balls. In this case the total kinetic energy is conserved, and no nuclear radiation is emitted. 2. The neutron may be inelast-ically scattered, as in a collision between two automobiles in which case the total kinetic energy is not conserved. The lost kinetic energy reappears in the form of gamma radiation. 3. The neutron may be captured, in which case the neutron becomes a part of the target nucleus, and a gamma ray is emitted. For example, if the target nucleus is H1, the pro-duced nucleus will be H3, and gamma radiation of a particular energy will be emitted. 4. The neutron may produce nuclear fission, or may enter into miscellaneous reactions which result in the emission of

Jan 1, 1958

By Z. F. Oszter, D. Vincent, W. K. Behrands

With the expansion of open pit operations, belt conveyors are going to be used in the 13 608 to 18 144 t/h (15,000 to 20,000 stph) capacity range, which calls for a review of some of the horsepower calculation methods. This paper presents methods (based on German research data, field tests and theoretical considerations) for the evaluation of the Ky factor in the CEMA formula for belt conveyors of large carrying capacity, which fall beyond the limits of the data given in tables in the CEMA book. (The CEMA limits are 407 N\\m (300 lb ft) and Tave = 7.3 Mg (16,000 lb). At these large loads, the impression resistance of the belting on the idlers plays a major role, which in turn influences the magnitude of the drive horse power required. An example will illustrate the order of magnitude difference of the horsepower values obtained by using a conventional calculation method and the suggested method, as well as the beneficcia1 influence of the 4-roll idler in comparison to the standard 3-roll unit for a large caving capacity belt conveyor. This paper concerns itself with the analysis of the resistance to motion of belt conveyors, emphasizing the evaluation of the frictional resistance to motion due to load and belt pressure on the idlers and the flexing resistance of the belt and material when passing over the idlers. In the case of long and heavily loaded belt conveyors, the aforementioned resistances reach extremely high values calling for close analysis of the phenomena, presently not calculable with normally used formulas. This paper establishes correlation between experimental and empirical data presenting practical formulas a tool for the designer of high-capacity belt conveyors. The application of the formula is illustrated in an example in the Appendix.

Jan 1, 1981

By S. P. Goplen, M. Henriksen, T. F. Barron

In the past decade, numerous large scale drilling projects have made use of reverse circulation air lift methods. Reverse air lift pumping can be established by injecting gas into a column of liquid; the subsequently decreased density of the gas-liquid mixture allows atmospheric pressure outside the lift conduit to establish flow. The rate of flow can be controlled by varying the gas to liquid ratio. A typical reverse circulation air lift system is depicted in [Fig. 1]. Allen 1 has described a number of reverse air lift drilling projects. Although cited examples are generally related to large diameter holes, the method has seen use in other applications such as sand dredging, chemical pumping, water well pumping. and continuous coring. One particular benefit obtained with enclosed reverse circulation drilling is elimination of lost circulation. The required air/water ratio for pumping at a given submergence and lift has been established experimentally by Gibbs.2 His data, however, do not reflect sensitivity of flow rate to air/water ratio. Further, in Gibbs' work, air apparently is injec-

Jan 1, 1980

By J. F. Nester, J. B. Schroeder

COMPOUNDS of rare-earth and iron-group elements are of technical interest because of their unusual magnetic properties. To date, however, all magnetic measurements1-4 have been made with polycrystalline, often polyphase, samples. For the measurement of anisotropic properties, single-crystal samples are necessary to avoid the averaging effect of randomly oriented grains. The purpose of this note is to describe a technique with which we have grown relatively large single crystals of YCo5, NdCo5, DyCo5, and "YFe9". Crystal growth of these materials is complicated because: 1) the binary equilibrium diagrams are, in general, not well-established; 2) in those cases where phase-equilibrium data are available, the compounds of interest are generally formed by peritectic reaction; 3) the molten component metals are chemically very reactive, making contaminaticn of the melts by the crucible material a serious problem. Techniques such as arc or levitation melting followed by strain annealing have been tried5)' in the past with these materials, but with little success because of the peritectic reactions and the inherently poor process control. For this reason we chose to use the zone-melting technique of Mason and cook7 for our work, since past workers8 have had some success in preparing single crystals of peritectic compounds by this method.

Jan 1, 1965

By D. V. Carter, F. M. Hackbusch

Beginning the year 1938, the East and East Central Texas district comprised 48 counties, which is equivalent to the Texas Railroad Commission districts 5 and 6. At the close of the year there were 46 oil and gas fields in this district. Eight other fields, seven oil and one gas, have been abandoned. Exploratory Drilling During the year, 113 exploratory wells were drilled. Nine discoveries were made, five of which proved to be oil fields, three distillate, and one gas. Completions for the district were 2043 oil wells (distillate wells included), 36 gas wells and 163 dry holes. Exclusive of the East Texas field, the Marion County extension of the Rodessa field led the district in the number of completions during the year. Production and Proration All fields in the district produced a total of 182,369,484 bbl. of oil, a decrease of 12.57 per cent compared with the 208,594,453 bbl. produced during 1937. The East Texas field produced 148,189,913 bbl., which was 81.6 per cent of the district's production for 1938. November daily average oil production for the East and East Central district was 469,102 bbl. The estimated cumulative production to Jan. 1, 1939, for this district was 1,753,894,802 bbl. It is estimated that the East and East Central district produced 38.9 per cent of the state's total production for the year, which was 468,781,632 barrels. The decrease in 1938 production, as compared to that of 1937, in this district was partly due to the Saturday and Sunday shutdowns, 71 days for the year, which is equivalent to 19.45 per cent of the year. All fields in this district were affected by shutdowns except the Texas portion of the Rodessa field, which was shut in only during January and February. Certain wells were exempt from these shutdowns because of special pro-

Jan 1, 1939

By Dorsey A. Lyon, Robert M. Keeney

The electric furnace has always been found to be especially adapted to melting, refining, and finishing processes throughout its gradual acceptance by metallurgists as a practical apparatus for conducting metallurgical operations. In the steel industry, the electric furnace is firmly established in the manufacture of steel of the highest grade, equal to crucible steel. For the production of the cheaper grades of steel in large tonnage, the electric furnace gives a higher-grade product than the open-hearth or converter, but due to the high cost of power prevailing in steel centers, considered from the electric furnace standpoint, it is not economical to produce tonnage steel in the electric furnace. As a refining and finishing agent for open-hearth or Bessemer steel, the electric furnace has had some degree of success in thc production of tonnage steel. After a study of the use of the electric furnace in the steel industry, it appears that there may be a possibility of its use to advantage for the melting of cathode copper. In the case of copper the problem is not one of actual refining, because the copper if refined properly by the electrolytic method needs no further refining; it needs simply to be cast into a marketable shape. The name "refining" is applied to the present finishing process, because in the operation oxygen and other impurities arc removed, which the electrolytic copper absorbs in being melted in the reverberatory furnace. Considering that processes may be positive, negative, and neutral, the electrolytic method would be positive; reverberatory melting of cathode copper, negative; and electric furnace melting, neutral. The electrolytic method produces about as pure a copper as is possible, if operated properly and the anodes are not too impure. The final reverberatory melting of this cathode copper lowers the grade of the final product, due to the absorption of gases and impurities. The reverberatory melting of cathode copper is one of the weak parts

Jan 1, 1915

By D. F. Haley

THE molybdenite deposits at Climax, Cool., have recently attracted considerable notice, because of their great size, as compared with other known deposits of the same mineral. Climax station, on the. Colorado Southern narrow-gage railway, was at one time the Fremont Pass station on the Denver & Rio Grande. It is 1412 miles northeast of Leadville, and exactly on the divide between the headwaters of the Arkansas and Blue Rivers. Climax station is 11,300 ft. (3444 m.) above sea level. The working tunnel of the molybdenum mine is about 1 mile from the railroad, and 900 ft. above it, at an elevation of 12,200 feet. The climatic conditions are severe, and snow can be expected during any month of the year. Winter sets in not later than Nov. 1, the snowfall is very heavy, and the ground remains covered with snow until June 1, and sometimes even later. From June 1 to Oct. 1, there is much rain and a little snow falls in the late afternoon nearly every day. In October, 1917, there was one of the biggest snowstorms and blizzards of the year. Being just on the divide, constant strong winds blow the fine, dry snow with such force that, during most of the winter, outside work of any kind -is accomplished under most trying conditions. Within a few miles of Climax, some of the richest gold placers of Colorado occur. One of them, McNulty Gulch, was just across on the northeastern flank of Bartlett mountain. This mountain, therefore; was well prospected, and the presence of a bluish mineral and a yellowish one resembling sulphur was known to the old prospectors. They thought for many years that the blue mineral was graphite, and it is difficult to say when it first became definitely known that it was molybdenite. Claims had been staked as .early as 1896, but it is evident that the prospectors at that time were looking for gold. In 1902; several claims were acquired by H. Leal, who drove a tunnel about 900 ft. (274 in.) long, probably to intersect a fault, which shows on the surface, and was thought to be a possible gold carrier. Gold was not found in paying quantities, but throughout its length the tunnel passed through a fractured silicified granite, showing a fairly uniform distribution of a fine-grained bluish mineral, which was finally determined as molybdenite. For several

Jan 8, 1918

By D. V. Carter, F. M. Hackbusch

Beginning the year 1938, the East and East Central Texas district comprised 48 counties, which is equivalent to the Texas Railroad Commission districts 5 and 6. At the close of the year there were 46 oil and gas fields in this district. Eight other fields, seven oil and one gas, have been abandoned. Exploratory Drilling During the year, 113 exploratory wells were drilled. Nine discoveries were made, five of which proved to be oil fields, three distillate, and one gas. Completions for the district were 2043 oil wells (distillate wells included), 36 gas wells and 163 dry holes. Exclusive of the East Texas field, the Marion County extension of the Rodessa field led the district in the number of completions during the year. Production and Proration All fields in the district produced a total of 182,369,484 bbl. of oil, a decrease of 12.57 per cent compared with the 208,594,453 bbl. produced during 1937. The East Texas field produced 148,189,913 bbl., which was 81.6 per cent of the district's production for 1938. November daily average oil production for the East and East Central district was 469,102 bbl. The estimated cumulative production to Jan. 1, 1939, for this district was 1,753,894,802 bbl. It is estimated that the East and East Central district produced 38.9 per cent of the state's total production for the year, which was 468,781,632 barrels. The decrease in 1938 production, as compared to that of 1937, in this district was partly due to the Saturday and Sunday shutdowns, 71 days for the year, which is equivalent to 19.45 per cent of the year. All fields in this district were affected by shutdowns except the Texas portion of the Rodessa field, which was shut in only during January and February. Certain wells were exempt from these shutdowns because of special pro-

Jan 1, 1939

By Volker Ruth

DURING an experimental investigation of the Kirken dall effect in the Ag-Au system, cracks along grain boundaries in connection with a shift of adjoining crys tallites are observed on the gold-rich side of the couple. Also on the gold-rich side the formation of a zone of small protrusions is found.' The growth law of the width of this zone indicates that the protrusion formation is a secondary effect of diffusion. The protrusions are not found within a distance of approximately 60 from a grain boundary. Unaffected regions along grain boundaries were also observed by Doherty and Davis during precipitation of vacancies in aluminum2 and by Wyon and Lacombe during precipitation of iron in aluminum.3 Thus we may suppose that we have an effect analogous to precipitation in which the crystal tends to maintain its equilibrium vacancy concentration by transporting excess atoms to the surface. At an early stage (i.e., before sintering has influenced the shape of the protrusions) the protrusions have similar shapes (three sided pyramids and roof shapes) and similar orientations within a single grain but vary from one grain to another. Further experiments were carried out on cylindrical Au-Ag single crystal couples. During the weld-

Jan 1, 1963

By R. W. Woodward, G. K. Burgess

minum bronze. Nearly all copper-base alloys are improved by rolling processes, but the copper-aluminum alloys seem to possess equally good properties when cast or rolled; this is a remarkable metallurgical fact. Another important property of these copper-aluminum alloys is their resistance to alternating stress. Many tests indicate that their resistance is greater in this respect than that of some steels, and I have seen instances when cast aluminum-bronze bolts have outlived five steel bolts in foundation work subject to severe shocks. I mention these various instances to indicate that work originally started as research for substitution of one material for another frequently develops 212 article which has properties not possessed by the original metal or alloy. I have dwelt particularly on the aluminum bronzes because recently I have done more special work on them than on other alloys, but I believe that the use of aluminum itself, in many combinations of metals, is a very important subject for investigation. Undoubtedly, after the war, the cost of aluminum will be reduced from its present price, and considering its low specific gravity it offers a very interesting and important field for research in the non-ferrous business. Naturally, if combinations containing aluminum can be developed in view of a probably increasing supply of metal, the cost will be reduced. This will benefit the industry generally and will immediately conserve tin. Bronzes, Bearing Metals, and Solders G. K. Burgess* and R. W. Woodward,† Washington, D. C.— From a metallurgical standpoint, there are several ways in which a reduction of the tin consumed in commercial non-ferrous and white-metal alloys can be effected. First, a reduction of the tin content of the alloy; second, substitution of part or all of the tin content by some other metal; third, a substitution of a different type of alloy, which in some cases also involves a change in mechanical design. The Bureau of Standards has been studying these methods of conservation for tin alloys, particularly in regard to babbitts and bearing metals, bronzes, and solders. Much of the information sewed by the Bureau was obtained from answers to questionnaires sent to manufacturers and users of these materials, so that, in general, any of the following suggestions or recommendations can be considered as being practical and as having already been thoroughly tried. Bearing Metals There is no question that the tin content of nearly all bearing metals can be reduced to some extent, and in some cases actually eliminated

Jan 1, 1919

By W. J. McGee

Most nations and states have conducted geological surveys, generally with the view of discovering and developing natural resources, sometimes with the aim of promoting science. In some cases, as in the first survey of Pennsylvania, the official geologist so far preceded the prospector and miner as to guide the discovery and exploitation of the commoner ores, mineral fuels and structural materials; but in most instances statesmen have only been awakened to the need of such a survey by the successful extraction of minerals;

Jan 1, 1893

By Leon McCulloch

WIIen clean iron and metallic zinc dust, protected from the air, arc heated below the melting point of zinc, the iron takes on a coating that has excellent protective value. This coating is a brittle alloy of zinc and iron, and the process is called sherardizing. Although the zinc particlcs are covered with oxide and cannot touch the iron, an extremcly small amount of the zinc vaporizes and the vapor, reaching the iron, alloys with it. Other zinc then vaporizes to replace that which has been removed from the atmosphere. This process continues indefinitely at a decreasing rate, for the coating already formed permits zinc to diffuse through it to combine with the iron beneath. In this way, the coating grows outward from the surface of the iron, as the bark grows from a tree. The method of growth was clcarly seen while sherardizing small cubes of cast iron, at about 450" C., in a srnall glass-stoppcrcd bottle enclosed in a rotating drum. The dust contained about 3 per cent. iron, which prevented caking, and coatings % in. thick were grown in a few hours. After a heavy layer had been formed, the cubes mere again treated for a shorter time. The layer last formed was seen to lie next to the iron, instead of at the outer surface, showing that the growth was from the surface of the iron outward. The coatings split at the edges and corners, leaving the iron exposed there. Flakes of graphite from the iron were lifted upward and embedded in the coatings. The composition of sherardized coatings varies from the outer surface inward, as would be expected from the mode of growth. That is, the iron content increases slowly at first, then more rapidly as the iron is approached. At the surface the least amount of iron possible is 6 per cent., as the experiments described below have shown. A study was made of the effect of iron in zinc dust on the proccss and on the resulting coatings. Glass bulbs, holding the small pieces to be sherardized, together with enough zinc dust to make them two-thirds full, were heated in a small, rotating electrically heated and controlled furnacc. The bulbs had 6-in. (15 cm.) necks, of 96-in. (9.Fj mm.) tubing, plugged

Jan 1, 1923

By Leon McCulloch

WIIen clean iron and metallic zinc dust, protected from the air, arc heated below the melting point of zinc, the iron takes on a coating that has excellent protective value. This coating is a brittle alloy of zinc and iron, and the process is called sherardizing. Although the zinc particlcs are covered with oxide and cannot touch the iron, an extremcly small amount of the zinc vaporizes and the vapor, reaching the iron, alloys with it. Other zinc then vaporizes to replace that which has been removed from the atmosphere. This process continues indefinitely at a decreasing rate, for the coating already formed permits zinc to diffuse through it to combine with the iron beneath. In this way, the coating grows outward from the surface of the iron, as the bark grows from a tree. The method of growth was clcarly seen while sherardizing small cubes of cast iron, at about 450" C., in a srnall glass-stoppcrcd bottle enclosed in a rotating drum. The dust contained about 3 per cent. iron, which prevented caking, and coatings % in. thick were grown in a few hours. After a heavy layer had been formed, the cubes mere again treated for a shorter time. The layer last formed was seen to lie next to the iron, instead of at the outer surface, showing that the growth was from the surface of the iron outward. The coatings split at the edges and corners, leaving the iron exposed there. Flakes of graphite from the iron were lifted upward and embedded in the coatings. The composition of sherardized coatings varies from the outer surface inward, as would be expected from the mode of growth. That is, the iron content increases slowly at first, then more rapidly as the iron is approached. At the surface the least amount of iron possible is 6 per cent., as the experiments described below have shown. A study was made of the effect of iron in zinc dust on the proccss and on the resulting coatings. Glass bulbs, holding the small pieces to be sherardized, together with enough zinc dust to make them two-thirds full, were heated in a small, rotating electrically heated and controlled furnacc. The bulbs had 6-in. (15 cm.) necks, of 96-in. (9.Fj mm.) tubing, plugged

Jan 1, 1923

By William J. Coulter

WITHIN the past thirty years the United States has been involved in two tragic, vicious, and costly world wars. To make the world safe for democracy was the reason given for our participation, but the confusion and misunderstanding that prevails all over the world today suggests that war is not the proper approach to the attainment of that utopia. These conflicts were conceived and prosecuted by nations far advanced in civilization and culture. Their best manhood was sacrificed, a staggering tax burden was saddled on their peoples, huge financial losses were incurred, destruction of property was appalling, and cultural and peaceful scientific advancement received a setback that may require centuries to retrieve. Therefore, some basis is established for the conclusion that progress in the past fifty years has been most outstanding in the development of instruments used for death and destruction, and that progress in this direction between the two World Wars would indicate that the next war will go far toward total destruction of world civilization.

Jan 1, 1946