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Established as a Society February 26, 1957 John S Bell, President Wayne E Glenn, President-elect Basil P Kantzer, Past President R E Howard, Vice, President M B Penn, Vice-President Everett G Trostel, Treasurer Joe B Alford, Executive Secretary 800 Fidelity Union Bldg Dallas 1, Texas

Jan 1, 1959

By J. W. JESSUH

TO certain people the name of Northern Rhodesia brings only a vague recollection of a distant country somewhere in Africa; to others, it means a big game territory and the opportunity for excellent shooting; to some, a land of sunshine and peace; but to mining men the name signifies the land where the latest discoveries of copper ore are astonishing the mining world and bid fair, in a few years, to make Northern Rhodesia one of the largest copper- producing countries. There is a fascination about this part of the globe that is somewhat similar to southern California, and at the same time there is that feeling of mystery peculiar to a tropical climate. Perhaps it is the isolation, the fear of wild animals, or the influence of an undefinable something which cannot be expressed.

Jan 1, 1931

The plans for the activities of the Petroleum Division for the coming year do not differ materially from those of the past several years. The fall meeting is scheduled for Oct. 12 and 13 and is to be held at Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Division, of course, will take part in the annual meeting of the Institute at New York. A fall meeting will also be held in California at approximately the same time as the meeting at Tulsa. A number of papers are to be presented at the two meetings simultaneously. The various committees are at work arranging the programs. The Division will continue to be active in its various fields of endeavor, such as stabilization, production reviews, and economics, but special stress is to be laid on the engineering and research fields. In the past the Division has served as a forum for open and frank discussion of problems confronting the engineers in the oil industry. It is hoped that it will continue to function in this capacity. Papers presenting original ideas and extending the boundaries of knowledge and understanding in the field of petroleum production will be welcomed. Members who have interesting information to contribute should not wait until called upon by one of the Committees, but should offer a paper at the earliest opportunity. The past year has seen a decided strengthening of the control over production, with prospects of even more rigid control in the future. It is essential that production programs under such control be carefully planned and it is highly desirable that petroleum engineers take an active part in the planning, to insure efficient production of oil and minimize the waste of this natural resource. At a time like this, when it is difficult to keep the production of oil within reasonable limits, it may seem unnecessary to improve the efficiency of production methods, but, as has been aptly said, the trouble is not that we have too great a reserve of oil but that we are producing tomorrow's oil today. Therefore it behooves those who are entrusted with the engineering and scientific phases of production to learn how to get the greatest yield economically possible from the present and future fields in order that we may enjoy the advantages of petroleum products for a long time to come.

Jan 1, 1934

||Abad, Leopoldo F, Min Engr, Div of Mines, Bureau of Science Manila, P I '23 Abadilla, Quirico A, Geol , Logo Pet Corp Box 172, Maracaibo, Venezuela '20 ||Abarquez, Ramon F, Met, Bureau of Science Manila, P I '24 ||Abbey, Robert Graham, Student, Case School of Applied Science Cleveland, Ohio '21 Abbott, A N , Mines Supt, Mazapil Copper Co, Ltd Concepcion del Oro, Zac , Mexico '23 Abbott, Clarence E , Mgr, Mines & Quarries, Tenn Coal, Iron & R R Co. 1242 Brown Marx Bldg, Birmingham, Ala '04 Abbott, Louis Benjamin, Chief Engr, Consolidation Coal Co, Elkhorn Div Jenkins, Ky '15 Abbott, Robert R , Met Engr, Peerless Motor Car Co Cleveland, Ohio '12 ||Abbott, Wells Osborn, Ray Consolidated Copper Co Hayden, Ariz '23 Abeel, George H., Jr, Cons Min Engr 4612 W 17th St, Los Angeles, Cal '18 Abel, Albert E , Asst to Pres , Valley Mould & Iron Corp Sharpsville, Pa '19 Abernathy, George Elmer, Prof of Geol & Min , Kansas State Teachers College, Pittsburg, Kan '20 Abey, Hiroshi, Min & Met Engr, Chief Engr, Takata Min Co, 2 Yeirakucho, Nichome, Kojlmachiku, Tokyo, Japan '17 ||d'Ablamg, Philip R , Millman, Old Dominion Silver-Lead Co Ellensburg, Wash '25 Aborn, R H, X-Ray Metallographic Research, Mass Inst of Tech Cambridge, Mass '19 Abouchar, Sylvain Sley, Min Engr & Geol, care of S H Sekaly, 13 Rue El Nimr.

Jan 1, 1923

By Brehon B. Somervell

SOMEONE has called this war a war of gadgets. Someone else says it is an engineers' war. It is a war of production, transportation; a war in the sky; a war on wheels; a civilians' war. Let us not quarrel about nomenclature. Call it what you want. If four motored bombers and thirty-ton tanks are gadgets, then it is a gadget war. Engineers, scientists, shop laborers, air-raid wardens all have their highly important jobs to do. The fact remains that this war, like all others, is a soldiers' war. The basic strategy employed today is the same strategy that Philip of Macedon used on the Plains of Thessaly twenty centuries ago. His phalanx was a striking force armed with every known weapon. It was armored with breastplate and casque. It depended for success on superior man power and mobility, upon superior weapons and supply, and upon superior discipline. It executed commands faster than its enemies; it had more catapults and spears, more men in the back areas bringing up supplies. It was a new idea. It used what today we call the scissors movement to cut up its foes. It took sharp advantage of surprise. It introduced terror as a weapon-terror inspired by a vast, moving, shouting army with banners. It laid waste the cities by fire. The Greeks had a word for it but that word wasn't "blitzkrieg."

Jan 1, 1942

[†AARONSON, ALFRED E., Vice-Pres., Mid-Co. Petroleum Co., Mid-Co. Bldg., Tulsa Okla. '18 ABADIE, EMILE R., Min. Engr Box 927, Porterville, Cal. '76 ¦ABADILLA, QUIRICO A. Student, Colorado School Of Mines, Golden, Colo. '20 ABBOTT, CLARENCE E., Gen'l Supt. Iron Mines Div., Tenn. Coal, Iron & R. I. Co., 1405 Minnesota Ave., Bessemer, Ala. '04] [ ]

Jan 1, 1925

Trans. No. Place Date Vol. Page 1. Wilkes-Barre Pa......May.71 1 3 2. Bethlehem, Pa.........Aug., '71 I 10 3. Troy, N.Y............Nov..: 71 1 13 4. Philadelphia, Pa........Feb., 72.. 1 17 5. New York. N. Y.*......May, '72.. 1 20 6. Pittsburgh. Pa.........Oct..' 72.. 1 25 7. Boston, Mesa..........Feb., '73.. 1 28 8. Philadelhia, Pa.*......May, '73.. 2 3 9. Easton, is............Oct..' 73.. 2 7 10. New York, N. Y.......Feb..' 74 . . 2 11 11. St. Louie. Mo.*........May,' 74 . . 3 3 12. Hazleton, Pa...........Oct., '74.. 3 8 13. New Haven Conn......Feb., '75.. 3 15 14. Dover,N.J.*..........May, 75.. 4 3 15. Cleveland,O...........Oct. 75. 4 0 16. Washington D. C......Feb.'' 76.: 4 18 17. philadelphia, Pa.......June,: 76.. 5 3 18. Philadelphia Pa........Oct 76.. 5 19 19. New York, N. Y.......Feb: '77.. 5 27 20. Wilkes-Barre. Pa.*.....Mag :77.. 0 3 21. Amenia N. Y..........Oct. 77.. 6 10 22. Philadeiphia Pa........Feb.;' 78. . 6 18 23. Chattanooga' Term.*. . . May' 78. . 7 3 24. Lake George: N. Y....: Oct. 78. . 7 103 25. Baltimore, Md.*.......Feb:' 79.. 7 217 26. ~ittsburgi, Pa.........~a;' 79.. 6 3 27. Montreal, Canada......~ept.;' 79.. 8 121 28. New York, N. Y.*......Feb., '80.. 8 275 29. Lake Superior, Mich....Aug., '80. . 9 1 30. Philadelphia, Pa.*......Feb., '81. 9 275 31. Staunton, Va..........May, '81. .10 1 32. Harrisburg, Pa.........Oct.. '81..10 119 33. Washington, I). C.*....Feb., '82. . 10 226 34. Denver. Colo..........Aug.. '82. . ll 1 35. Boston. Mass.*.........Feb.. '83..11 217 38. Roanoke, Va...........June, '83.. 12 3 37. Troy, N. Y...........Oct.. '83. .12 175 38. Cincinnati. O.*.... Feb, '84..12 4 39. Chicago Ill............May, '84. . 13 1 40. philadelphia, Pa........Sept., '84. . 13 285 41. New York, N. Y.*......Feb., '85. . 13 586 42. Chattanooga, Tenn.....May, '85..14 1 43. Halifax, N. S..........Sept., '85.. 14 307 44. Pittsburgh, Pa.*........Feb.. '86 . . 14 587 45. Bethlehem. Pa.........May, '86 .. 15 Ixiii. 46. St. Louis, Mo..........Oct, 86.. 15 Ixx. 47. Scranton, Pa.*.........Feb.', '87. . 15 lxxvi 48. Utah and Montana.....July '87.. 16 xvii. 49. Duluth, Minn...........July' '87. -16 xxiv. 50. Boston. Mass.*.........Feb.: '88. . 16 xxviii. 51. Birmingham, Ala.......May, '88. .17 xix. 52. Buffalo N. Y..........Oct. '88.. 17 xxiv. 53. New york, N.Y........feb.' ;89 . . 17 xxxi. 54. Colorado..............June' 89 . . 18 xvii. 55. Ottawa, Canada........Oct., 89. . 18 xxiv. 56. Washington, I). C.*. . . Feb. 90. .18 xxx. 57. New York, N. Y........sept:, '93. .19 vii. 58. New York, N. Y.*......Feb. '91. . 19 xxv. 59. Cleveland, O.......... June, :91 . .a xvi. 60. Glen Summit, Pa.......Oct, 111. . 20 lxi. 61. Baltimore, Md.*.......Feb.: '92. .21 xix. 62. Plattsburg, N. Y.......June, '02. . 21 xxxiii. 03. Reading. Pa...........Oct., :92. .21 xliv. 64. Montreal. Canada*.....Feb. 93..21 65. Chicago, Ill............aug.: '93..22 XI. 66. Virginia Reach. Va.*. ...Feb., '04. .24 xwl. 67. Bridgeport Coon.......Oct., '94..24 xxx?. 08. Florida ...'............Mar., '95. .25 xix 69 Atlanta. Ga......... Oct 95. 25 xi 70. Pittsburgh. Pa.*........Feb., '96.. 26 xvii. Trans. No. Place Date Vol. Page 71. Colorado..............Sept. '96. .26 xxix. 72. Chicago, Ill............Feb.. "97.. 27 xvii. 73. Lake Superior..........July '97. .27 xxx. 74. Atlantic City, N. J.*. ..Feb.: :98. .28 xvii. 75. Buffalo N. Y..........Oct. 08. .28 XXXVI. 76. New York,N. Y.*......Feb.: '99. .29 xvii. 77. California.............Sept., ;99. . 29 xlix. 78. Washington, D. C.*.....Feb., 00. .30 xix. 79. Canada...............Aug.. '00. .30 xlv. 80. Richmond. Va.*........Feb.. '01. . 31 xix. 81. Mexico................Nov..'01.. 32 cxviii. 82. Philadelphia Pa. $......May, :02. . 33 xxxv. 83. New Haven, Conn......Oct.. 02.. 33 xlvii. 84. Albany N. Y.*........Feb '03. .34 xxiii. 85. New York, N. Y........Oct.': '03. .34 xi. 86. Atlantic City. N. J.*....Feb., '04. .35 XXIII. 87. Lake Superior..........Sept.'04. .35 dii. 88. Washington. D. C......May' '05. .36 xlii. 89. British Columbia.......July, '05. . 36 90. Bethlehem. Pa.........Feb. '06. .37 xli. 91. London, England.......July: '06. .37 xlviii. 92. New York, N. Y........April, '07. . 38 lii. 93. Toronto, Canada.......July. '07. .38 lix. 94. New York, N. Y........Feb., :08. .39 xli. 95. Chattanooga, Tenn.....Oct.. 08..39 xlviii. 06. New Haven Conn......Feb. '09. .40 xli. 97. Spokane,Wash.........Sept:.'09. .40 xlviii. 98. Pittsburgh, Pa.........Mar.,'10. .41 xxxviii. 99. Canal Zone............Nov.,'10. .41 dv. 100. Wilkes-Barre, Pa.......June. ' 11. . 42 xxxiv. 101. San Francisco, Cal......Oct.. '11..42 xliv. 102. New York. N. Y.*......Feb 12. .43 Ixxvii. 103. Cleveland, Ohio........0ct;' '12.. 44 wii. 104. New York, N. Y.*......Feb.. '13. .45 xv. 105. Butte, Mont...........Aug., '13. .46 ?' 108. New York, N. Y........Oct., 13..47 vii 107. New York. N. Y.*......Feb.. '14..48 xv. 108 Salt Lake City. Otah Aug. :l. 49 5: 109. Pittsburgh, Pa.........Oct., 14. .50 vii. 110. New York, N. Y.*......Feb., '15. .51 xvi. 111. San Francisco, Cal......Sept., '15. .52 xii. 112. New York,N. Y.*......Feb., '16..54 xvi. 1 Arizona...............Sept.,'l6. .55 VII 114. New York, N. Y.*......Feb., '17: .56 vii. 115. St. Louis, Mo..........Oct.. '17..57 vii. 116. NewYork,N. Y.*......Feb.. '18..59 xvii 117. Colorado.....:........Sept.,'18. .60 vii. 118. Milwaukee, Wis........Oct.. '18. .60 x:!: 119. NewYork,N. Y.*......Feb., '19..61 xi. 120. Chicago...............Sept.,' l9.. 62 VII. 121. New York, N. T.*......Feb., '20..63 ix. 122. Lake Superior District. .Aug., '20.. 66 ix. 123. New York, N. Y.*......Feb., '21. .66 xiii. 124. Wilkes-Barre, Pa...... Sept.. : 21.. 66 xix. 125. New York, N. Y.*......Feb., 22. .67 ix. 126. San Francisco. Cal......Sept.,:22. .68 xxix. 127. New York, N.Y.*.....Feb., 23. .69 xxix 128. Canada...............Aug., '23. .69 xxxv! 128.129. New York, N. Y.*......Feb., ;24. .70 xxxi. 130. Birmingham, Ala.......Oct. 24. .71 xxxiii 131. NewYork.N Y.*......Feb.: '25.. 71 xxxviii. 132. 131.Salt Lake City, Utah .. .Sept., '25. .73 xvi 133. New York, N. Y.*......Feb., '26. .73 xxii. 134. Pittsburgh Pa ....... Oct.. '26. .74 xv. 135. New York,' N. Y.*............Feb., '27. .75 x::: 135.136. NewYork,N. Y.*......Feb., '28..76 104 137 NewYork.N. Y.*......Feb., '29. .291 116 138.San FranciscoYork,N.Y. Cal..........Oct. 29..308 406 139. New York, N. Y.*...Feb., '30..30H 1321

Jan 1, 1930

By AIME

SUPPLEMENTING surveys of the engineering profession regarding salaries and advancement, based upon data from individual engineers, a survey through a questionnaire to employers of engineers has recently been made by a subcommittee of the Engineers Joint Council's Committee on the Economic Status of the Engineer. Its object was to learn directly from employers their attitudes and policies pertaining to the selection, training, placement, advancement, guidance, and professional activities of engineering graduate employes. The questionnaire was sent in May 1946 to 174 employers of engineers, including colleges. Replies were received from 104 employers in nineteen fields of industry, who employ about 2,000,000 persons, about 40,000 of whom are engineers. The following general observations are based on the questionnaires returned. Who Are Hired? Of the co-operators 96 per cent employ cadet engineers directly upon graduation from engineering schools, but only 4 per cent recruit their engineering staffs exclusively from the new graduates. About 43 per cent hire more than half of their new engineer employes after one or more years' experience with other employers. This is evidently a matter of necessity or expediency rather than preference, because more than sixty per cent of those reporting indicate that they prefer to hire the new graduate.

Jan 1, 1947

THE CHAIRMAN.- This meeting is under the auspices of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, and I think the germ of the idea originated in the steel business. Last year there was a meeting of prominent people in the steel industry with the idea of getting together and discussing practical phases of their business, so that everybody could contribute and from that there might be benefit derived for the industry. Several months ago when Mr. Bain was in Salt Lake City, he and Mr. Oldright asked me what I, as an individual, thought of it. From that originated this idea of having the copper people come together to discuss reverberatory smelting and all its phases. In starting out, it seemed the best plan to ask members what particular subjects they wished to discuss first; that is, the ones that would be considered more important. We asked Mr. Oldright, or suggested sometime ago that the meeting be postponed until May because May is a lovely month in Salt Lake. There are a number of attractive features around the city. We have a number of smelters here and I think that probably the most of the benefit will be derived from talking in an informal way and visiting the various plants around. the valley. At any rate, speaking as a resident of Salt Lake, I am glad to see all of you gentlemen here, and hope you have an interesting and instructive time. The tentative list of subjects for discussion at this conference is as follows: Construction Walls, etc. Walls, proper design and thickness of brick for various types of charging. Bottoms, construction of. Binding steel, correct weight and arrangement, where thrust of arch should be taken. Refractory materials, feasibility of using different material in various parts of the furnace. Water jackets, where applicable. Should bricks be used inside of same. Gas space, proper design for, height of roof above bath, etc. Roof Shape of Roof, in hot zone and elsewhere, longitudinally. Construction of roof, in various zones, around openings.

Jan 1, 1930

Jan 1, 1886

By AIME AIME

APROXIMATELY one third of the world's iron ore is mined in the United States; and about 80 per cent of this third is mined in the Lake Superior ore region, and about 60 per cent in Minnesota. The Lake Superior iron ore region covers a vast area in the vicinity of Lake Superior that contained in early geological times large areas of iron-bearing sediments, which today form metamorphosed iron-bearing rocks, such as jasper, chert, taconite, and slates. Concentration of the iron content chiefly through solution and resultant removal of silica produced the ore bodies we find today in rock folds as on the Menominee range, at dike or impervious wall intersections such as on the Gogebic range, and blanket-type enriched ore bodies ly¬ing on or within the ore formation, such as occur on the Mesabi and in steeply pitching ore lenses elsewhere. In many places, folding and subsequent erosion of the tops of the folded areas has resulted in steep dips in the ore formation and contained ore bodies. The upper eroded edges are mostly buried under glacial over-burden. The slightly dipping Mesabi formation is the principal exception as to steeply dipping ore bodies.

Jan 1, 1941

By Norman C. Stines

Russia's mineral potential is a secret that has been effectively kept by the Iron Curtain. There is no conclusive data and because of its extreme importance to the Free World, the subject is greatly discussed. Opinions range from those presented by Paul Tyler in his article "Russia's Mineral Potential," June issue of MINING ENGINEERING to those of Norman C. Stines, presented herewith. Mr. Stines is a consulting mining engineer of Los Gatos, Calif. He was in Russia, China, and Manchuria from 1909 to 1918 as a mining executive. From 1917 to 1919 he served as assistant military attache Intelligence Branch U. S. Army in Petrograd, Russia.

Jan 11, 1951

By AIME AIME

THE annual fall meeting of the Institute of Metals and the Iron and Steel divisions, in conjunction with the American .Society for Steel Treating and the Metal Congress and Show, at Boston was from many standpoints the most successful we have had to date. While many faces were missing from the various gatherings, the Institute registration reached the high mark of 324 members and guests. Cooperating with the Steel Treaters were also the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Society of Automotive Engineers and the American Welding Society. ,The meeting was, as usual, a three-ring circus with technical sessions 'galore, plant .trips, visits to the Exposition, social events such as lunch- eons and dinners as well as entertainment for the ladies present.

Jan 1, 1931

By Ian Wark

IN an earlier paper1 measurements of contact angles due to the effect of xanthates on mineral surfaces were reported. The solutions in which these measurements were made differed widely from those of modern flotation circuits. It is intended, however, by introducing, one at a time, the other principal reagents of flotation, to approach gradually the solu-tion composition of flotation liquors. The work now described is an attempt to determine the effect of one of the most important of these reagents-namely, sodium cyanide-on the establishment of air-mineral contact. The work has been carried out for the following companies: Broken Hill South, North Broken Hill, Zinc Corporation, Electro-lytic Zinc of Australasia, Mount Lyell Mining and Railway, and Burma Corporation. Since the effect of cyanide is inseparably connected with the alkalinity, the results cited below deal with the mutual effects of alkalis and cyanide. Alkalis alone exert a significant effect on the air-mineral contact but comparatively large amounts are required. Since the addition of a small amount of cyanide greatly decreases the degree of alkalinity necessary for the suppression of contact at surfaces of any of the minerals experimented with (except galena) and since alkalis are rarely used alone in practice, little attention has been paid to cyanide-free solutions. It was shown in the previous paper that, excluding the dixanthogen effect, whenever contact was practicable at all in an ethyl xanthate solution the angle of contact was 60°. There is, therefore, less necessity to measure equilibrium contact angles; in fact, the experiments herein described have generally been conducted with a view to determining whether contact is possible and not to measuring the actual value of the contact angle. The separations which have generally to be effected in dealing with complex sulfide ores are: (1) galena from sphalerite, pyrite, etc.; (2) sphalerite from pyrite and/or gangue minerals; (3) copper minerals from pyrite and gangue minerals; (4) pyrite from gangue minerals; (5) chal-

Jan 1, 1933

By C. H. Mathewson

MicrOscopic metallography has been exploited quite well enough to bring about a very general understanding that the typical metal or alloy is composed of minute crystalline particles blended into a coherent rnicrostructural rnosaic. One does not have to be a specialist in metallography to realize that the properties of such an aggregate are essentially a summation in appropriate form of individual effects derived from the shape, size, placement or orientation and cohesive characteristics of the component particles. It is clearly of great importance to consider the various forms of discontinuity which may occur at the boundaries between these crystalline particles. When a number of particles each possessing the same orderly arrangement of atoms are brought together into a close-fitting system of purely haphazard contacts, not unlike a handful of snowflakes compacted into a snowball, the particles are said to possess random orientation. There are no generally accepted views concerning the arrangement of the atoms or the constitutional reaction between atoms where one crystal meets another, but these contact regions are characterized by strength rather than weakness and it is customary to require the presence of many rather than few boundaries in preparing metal for useful service. Under certain circumstances all of the particles in a metal may be nearly alike in orientation. Other general tendencies of orientation may be associated with particular forms of mechanical and thermal treatment. In contrast with these cases of fortuitous or statistical diversity of orientation, we often find adjacent particles united along a plane which possesses a grouping of atoms belonging equally well to both structures. This, of course, determines a fixed relationship between the two orientatjions and it is always possible to derive one from the other by some form of- rotation or reflection prescribed by the symmetry of the crystal structure under consideration. Particles united in this manner are known as twin crystals although the term refers to the form of association rather than the number of individuals concerned.

Jan 1, 1928

By V. L., McCutchan

FORM of ore bodies, strength of wall rock, and quantity of water that must be handled differ so greatly in the various districts in which the Corporation operates that a variety of mining methods have to be employed. All are underground, however, with the exception of glory holes at Cerro de Pasco from which siliceous silver pacos ore is obtained. In general, the ors is in many relatively small bodies unsuitable for hulk mining, such as caving or top slicing. The strength of the rock and ore rarely permit open stopes, though shrinkage is successfully used on various veins with strong walls, particularly in, Casapalca. Horizontal cut and-fill and square-set stoping with careful filling are the principal methods employed, with the necessarily higher cost for supplies and labor offset as much as possible by care in the avoidance of dilution. The mines at both Morococha and Casapalca are notoriously wet, and even at Cerro de Pasco the quantity of water was enough to retard deep development until the perfection of electric pumps. In Morococha particularly, the extension of successive levels, first from adits of moderate length, then from shafts and heavy pumping installations on the 750 and 1000 levels, and finally by the 30,564-ft. Kingsmill tunnel, was one of the most difficult and long continued fights against water and resulting heavy ground that is recorded in mining history.

Jan 1, 1945

By AIME AIME

WEDNESDAY night, by long tradition, is al- ways set aside for the annual dinner, even when, as it was this year, it is Ash Wednesday. Whether the somewhat smaller attendance than last year is attributable to that cause, the unexpectedly long persistence of business depression, or whatever may have been the reason, it was a joyous occasion, and the grand ball-room of the Commodore Hotel was as completely filled With diners as * was consistent with com- fort. In the half hour before the dinner was actually served the guests assembled in an adjoining room and not only exchanged greetings but proceeded along the receiving line to greet the guests of honor. The number present was so large that hardly more than half of them had been able to do this before the summons to the dining room sounded and a hearty and immediate response was made to it. Toy balloons at each plate, inflated and directed at the heads of companions or nearby friends, but which were just as likely to carom from the nose of a hurrying waiter, successfully broke the ice as well as not a few plates. It would be interesting to know whether the pleasure the guests derive from these de- vices is in part based on the all-too evident annoyance of the waiters, and what the relative quantitative relationships are.

Jan 1, 1931

By Harry C. Gatos, Frank J. Bachner, Mario D. Banus

The portion of the Nb-Sn phase diagram between 75 and 79 at. pct Nb at temperatures near the liquidus has been investigated by melting alloys of known composition and examining the microstmc-tzlres resulting when these melts were quenched. The Nb-Sn samples were contained in magnesia sleeves, and were mounted in a high-pressure apparatus. It was shown that Nb3Sn me1ts by a peri-tectic decomposition and that the composition of the compound Nb3Sn at the peritectic horizontal lies between 77 and 78 at. pct Nb. Analysis of the phases present in the samples was accomplished by anodic staining techniques and an electron-microbeam analyzer. DURING the past several years a great deal of work has been devoted to the Nb-Sn system, and the bulk of this work has been primarily concerned with the intermetallic phase Nb3Sn. However, the melting characteristics of Nb3Sn have not been investigated because of the difficulty in maintaining known compositions due to tin losses by vaporization, and the added difficulty of containing Nb-Sn alloys without sample-container reaction at the high temperatures involved. This paper reports on the development of a technique for containing Nb-Sn alloys under pressure high enough to prevent tin losses at temperatures in excess of the liquidus. Using this technique, melts of known composition were made and a phase diagram near the liquidus is proposed based on the microstructures resulting when these melts were quenched. EXPERIMENTAL The Nb-Sn alloys weighing 0.7 g each were prepared in the form of cylinders. Niobium powder, -200, +325 mesh, and tin shavings with a minute amount of tin powder for a binder were mixed in the desired proportions and cold-pressed at 50,000 psi in a 0.150-in. die. This cylinder was then enclosed as shown in Fig. 1, and the entire arrangement mounted in a 2.6-in. pyrophyllite tetrahedron.' The desired temperatures (-2500°C) presented several problems in high-pressure container materials. Boron nitride, the usual sample holder, was found to react with niobium to form the nitride. However, MgO cans and plugs machined from refractory rods did not melt nor react with the sample. Thick tantalum contact disks were used to carry the large currents (~450 amps) to the graphite heater, since tantalum did not melt and had enough strength to prevent extrusion of the sample. It was further observed that the graphite heater and tantalum disks could not be in direct contact with the pyrophyllite because it melts and decomposes at these temperatures to kyanite and coesite (SiO2),2 the former reacting with graphite and the latter with tantalum to form the silicide. The use of a MgO outer sleeve

Jan 1, 1965

By Leo J. Miller

It is both an honor and a pleasure for me to be the keynote speaker for the Paul F. Kerr's Symposium on Applied Mineralogy. Professor Kerr was a man for all seasons to his students, and he treated all students as distinct individuals. Philip Bethke in his memorial to Dr. Kerr summed up our remembrance best by stating that "We have lost our most successful educator-administrator-scholar, who was our steadfast teacher-counselor-mentor-friend." His unique trait was the ability to bring out the best in a variety of individuals In order that their performance was at the peak of quality.

Jan 1, 1985

By Robert Baker

IT has been demonstrated in the laboratory by A. J. Phillips1 that a transformation or conversion from beta directly to alpha may take place in a brass of 61 to 62.5 per cent copper content. The completion of the transformation is dependent on a rapid rate of cooling from the all-beta field through the alpha + beta range to the alpha field. Phillips states that in a slowly cooled alloy containing 62 per cent copper and 38 per cent zinc the copper content of the beta is progressively decreased from 62 to 56 per cent by precipitation of alpha. Rapid cooling tends to prevent the separation of alpha with a copper content of more than 62 per cent by reducing to a minimum the time required for passing through the alpha + beta range. Upon crossing beyond the (alpha + beta.)/(alpha) boundary to the all-alpha region below, the material is transformed from beta to alpha. It is essential that there be no change in composition. Phillips obtained his results by quenching a 62:38 copper-zinc alloy from 850° C. in iced brine at -8° C. No reference to the occurrence of this transformation in a manufacturing process has been found in the literature. An investigation of the microstructures of a number of hot forgings made from leaded brass rods yielded one forging in which this striking conversion from beta to alpha had occurred. The purpose of this paper is to describe the transformation and certain conditions under which it may occur during the hot pressing of brass. The conversion was noted in a shape forged from a leaded brass rod, the composition of which was: Cu, 60.26 per cent; Zn, 37.86; Pb, 1.88. In this study the lead content was disregarded and the alloy was considered to be equivalent to an alloy of 61.40 per cent copper and 38.60 per cent zinc (98.12 parts = 100 parts). The possibility that the lead might obstruct or accelerate the precipitation of alpha was not studied. The lead appears as black globules in the photomicrographs and has a negligible solubility in the alloy.

Jan 1, 1931