Search Documents

By William R. Webster

This is a subject which our Institute has made peculiarly its own. In the first volume of its Transactions the analysis of steel received attention, and every subsequent volume has borne witness to the acuteness and industry of our members in the investigation of this subject. The keynote mas struck, in this as in so many other lines of progress, by A. L. Holley, in his paper on " Tests of Steel," read at the Easton meeting of October, 1873 (Trans., ii., 116)—an essay which may rank as a classic by reason of .its elegant form, logical force, and clear prevision of all the bearings of its theme, Taken together with the brief report of the discussion which followed it (in which Dr. Drown emphasized the effects of heat-treatment and mechanical handling, and Dr. Sterry Hunt the importance of minute variations in chemical composition, and of possible isomeric and allotropic conditions), it constitutes, after the lapse of twenty-five years, an admirable and adequate introduction to the long list of technical papers which have succeeded it. Three years later came the epoch-making papers of Dr. C. B. Dudley on the relation between the chemical composition and physical properties of steel rails, which, with the voluminous discussion they evoked, constitute a special volume, published by the Institute, and full of useful suggestions. If Dr. Dudley could be induced to resume this investigation, he would doubtless be able to solve many points still uncertain or disputed. But I cannot undertake to review the history of this subject, as represented in our Transactions—still less to restate all the contributions to it which have been made in books or in papers before other technical societies, since the initiative was taken by the Institute. My more modest purpose is to indi-

Jan 1, 1899

By C. H. Herty

The reactions that occur in the basic open-hearth process are complicated and are subject to many different factors such as temperature, slag composition and rate of boiling of the bath. It is difficult, therefore, to present an extended theoretical discussion of open-hearth operations without confusing the theory of the process with the application of the theory. This paper attempts to present some of the theory of the open-hearth process without mentioning theory at any point, simply giving some of the practical applications of results founded both on theory and practice and on experimental work both in small and large furnaces. It is hoped that an answer to a number of questions commonly asked by the open-hearth operator may be found in this paper. Discussion of the subject matter is taken up more or less in the order in which a heat ie worked, beginning with the oxidation of the scrap charged, sulfur absorption by the scrap, calcination of the limestone, and extending into the pig iron for the charge, the slags formed during the process, and some of the phenomena occurring in deoxidation of the steel and in its action in the molds. Oxidation of Scbap When scrap is charged into a furnace it immediately begins to oxidize, Oxidation is carried out by.three reactions: Fe + H20 + FeO + Hz (absorbs heat) (1) Fe + C02 + FeO + CO (absorbs heat) (2: Fe+ ½O2 + FeO (gives off heat) (3: The product of oxidation contains some Fe3O4, but FeO usually predominates on account of the iron present in close contact with the scale formed For a given type of scrap the amount of oxidation is controlled by thc fuel and by the excess air being carried in the furnace, the temperature 01 the furnace, and the length of time that the scrap is in contact with the furnace gases. In general, less oxidation occurs when the furnace is rur hot so that the scrap melts rapidly. More important in operation thar the two variables atmosphere and temperature, is the type of scrap being

Jan 1, 1929

James W. Malcolmson died suddenly on Dec. 26, 1917, at Kansas City, Mo., where he had made his home for the past ten years. He was born at Dover, Kent, England, on Oct. 6, 1866. He graduated from the Royal School of Science, London, England, in 1889, and almost immediately after graduation came to Mexico, accepting a position with the Michoacan Railway and Mining Co., as mining and mechanical engineer. His work in the mining profession was carried on principally in Msxiac and the United States. • In 1888, he married Katherine Haden Krause, of Woolwich, Kent, England, and leaves, besides his wife, five sons and one daughter. During Mr. Malcolmson's long and successful career as a mining engineer, he was connected with the following companies: from 1889 to 1893, with the Michoacan Railway and Mining Co., as mining and mechanical engineer; from 1893 to 1898, in various capacities with the Kansas City Smelting & Refining Co.; after the consolidation of the Kansas City Smelting & Refining Co. with the American Smelting & Refining Co., he remained as manager of the mining department in Mexico of the American Smelting & Refining Co. until 1902. In 1902, he located in El Paso, and took up the practice of his profession as a consulting engineer. While there, he was consulting engineer for the famous and rich Pedrazzini mines at Chispas, in the State of Sonora. He was instrumental in organizing the La Republics mine in Chihuahua, and for a time acted as consulting engineer for the property. He remained in El Paso until 1907 and then moved to Kansas City and became associated with the United States & Mexican Trust Co., as consulting engineer. In 1909, he became connected with The Lucky Tiger Combination Gold Mining Co., as its consulting engineer, and continued in this connection and in the general practice of his profession as consulting engineer until his death.. His general policy in connection with the Lucky Tiger company was always a progressive one and the success of the enterprise can be largely attributed to him and his good judgment. Mr. Malcolmson contributed several articles to the Institute at different times, one of them being on the ore deposits of the Sierra Mojada Mining District, in 1901. Much of his work was in Mexico, and during his long residence in that country he acquired a very thorough knowledge of the Mexican people and their customs. During the revolution, from 1910 to 1916, this knowledge was of great value in connection with his work for the Lucky Tiger company, and often assisted greatly in keeping the property going. Mr. Malcolmson was one of the very widely known men in his profession; he was everywhere held in the very highest regard, and his position among men in the mining profession was an enviable and honorable one. At the time of his death, besides being consulting engineer for the Lucky Tiger company, he was interested in mines in the Miami zinc fields and was acting as consulting engineer for two of the operating properties there. He invested to quite an extent in real estate when he moved to Kansas City in 1907 and his investments in this line proved successful.

Jan 1, 1920

By A. J. Hendron, D. U. Deere, F. D. Patton, E. J. Cording

In the design of structures founded in the near-surface rock, a distinction may be made between those problems that are related to the strength of the rock mass, and those that are related primarily to the compressibility of the rock mass. The mining engineer deals almost exclusively with problems involving strength in the design of open-pit slopes and underground openings. The civil engineer is similarly concerned with strength problems in the design of vehicular and water tunnels; underground power plants; cut slopes in rock for highways, canals, and spillways; and in the study of the sliding resistance of the foundations of gravity dams and the abutments of arch dams. Moreover, the civil engineer encounters problems in which the compressibility of the rock becomes the key element in the design. These problems include settlement of heavy structures supported on rock, deformation of the abutments of arch dams, and deflection of pressure tunnel linings. The design problems listed above are still solved largely on the basis of experience and rule-of-thumb. However, recent developments in rock mechanics give promise of providing more realistic approaches to certain aspects of the design. This paper, presents some of the more important recent developments which contribute to an understanding of rock behavior and which aid in design of rock structures. Typically, four steps are involved in the design of a structure, whether it be a machine element, a structural member of a building, or a structure in rock. These steps are listed below:

Jan 1, 1967

By A. J. Weinig

NEED for some simple method of determining tonnages in mill circuits has always been felt by operators and consultants alike. To meet this demand the following method was evolved and has been found accurate and practical after considerable testing on various mill flows. The essence of the method is to add a chemical at a uniform rate to a mill flow, such as a launder conveying pulp, and then determine the concentration of the added chemical in a sample of the pulp. From this procedure the tonnage can be calculated. Common table salt has proved the most satisfactory chemical for ordinary conditions. It has many decided advantages for use in tonnage determinations, among them being the following:

Jan 1, 1933

By Ernest Burchard

A RECONAISSANCE of the chrome and manganese'1ore deposits of Culm was made in the spring of 191s by Albert Burch representative of the U. S. Bureau of Mines and the writer representing the U. S. Geological Survey. The object of the study was to obtain authentic information for use of the: United States Government as to the location, character, size, and availability of the Cuban deposits of the ores of these important steel-alloy metals. The Cuban Government courteously detailed Sr. E. I. Montoulieu, a mining engineer connected with the Treasury Department, to act as escort and associate throughout the work on the Island. Mr. George A. Wright, of Baracoa, Cuba, a mining engineer especially familiar with the chromite deposits of Oriente Province, was a member of the party from Feb. 25 to Mar. 20. It was possible to visit most of, the chrome-ore deposits that seemed to be of promise, but there was not sufficient time to visit all that were brought to our attention, some of which may have merit. Furthermore, no attempt was made to examine the extensive chromiferous iron-ore deposits of the Mayari, Moa, and Cubitas districts, as these deposits cannot be regarded as sources of chromium except indirectly. At the close of the field work the essential data concerning the quantity and quality of ore probably available for shipment during 1918 and 1919, in the event of the continuation of the European war, and of the tonnage of ore in reserve, were furnished to such Government bureaus as were interested, including the Shipping Board and the War Industries Board, and as soon as chemical analyses of the chrome ores could .be obtained, a press bulletin on the subject was published by the Geological Survey. In the present paper the engineering data, and tonnage estimates contained in the unpublished notes of Mr. Burch have been freely used, and their helpfulness is hereby gratefully acknowledged. Many thanks are due Senor Montoulieu and Mr. Wright for their valuable work in the field; to the officials of the Spanish American Iron Co. and of the various other companies; and to individuals holding chromite claims, for courteously facilitating the work of the party. In the study of material for the present paper, chemical analyses have been made by R. C. Wells and petrographic determinations and descriptions were furnished by Miss E. F. Bliss, both of the U. S. Geological Survey.

Jan 9, 1919

By P. H. Dudley

A Discussion of the Paper of Prof. Howe. (Bi-Monthly Bulletin, No. 14, March, 1907, pp. 169 to 274.) P. H. DUDLEY, New York, N. Y. (communication to the Secretary*) :-The characteristics of Prof. Howe's metallurgical papers are, that he is able, from the mass of confusing evidence on the subject, to make an analysis and present hypothetical and essential principles in concrete form for consideration and discussion. I can appreciate, from the practical side of the subject, the arduous labor of collecting and investigating the data that is essential to prepare the paper. Much of the data necessarily came from material of preceding years. of manufacture in which there was allowed time for chemical reactions of the recarburizer, and for the elimination of the oxidation-products before teeming the ingots. This condition gave a favorable tinge-element to free the metal from slag- and other impurities, but, in allowing the. ingot to cool before charging in the furnace, the time-element entered as a detrimental factor in the development of the pipe or shrinkage-cavities, which gave an ingot-structure deficient in soundness. The interpretations from such material must be made with due allowances for the methods of manufacture, and must be given proper weight, as general facts, in subsequent arguments. The difficulties under which investigators labor are not easily surmounted in differentiating between reliable and unreliable data incident to variables of methods of manufacture, chemical composition of the alloys of steel, mediocre practice and that of the highest state of the art. Modern practice and large outputs in Bessemer steel have reversed the effects of the time-element-by cutting short the chemical reactions of the recarburizer and the elimination of

Jan 5, 1908

By R. S. Busk, R. F. Marande

The magnesium-aluminum-zinc 'system contains most of the magnesium-base alloys used commercially, although in practice the ternary alloys are usually modified by the addition of a small amount of manganese. Table I contains the magnesium-base commercial sand-casting alloys most widely used throughout the world, together with their typical tensile properties. These alloys may be regarded as a single family of varying aluminum and zinc content, disregarding manganese. A concise means of presenting data for them is by means of iso-property lines plotted on triangular coordinate paper. Constitutional, casting, and mechanical properties are presented in this manner. The data are given with the obiect of providing reference material, and to aid in the choice of a commercial alloy to serve a particular purpose. Detailed, critical analysis of the commercial alloys has been covered in a previous paper.' All alloys reported were made in rj-lb. melts, superheated to r700°F. for 15 min., cooled to r400°F. and poured in sand molds. The test bars produced had a 1/2-in. reduced section and were about 6 in. long. Except for the data represented in Figs. I and 3 the alloys used were of commercial purity and contained 0.1 to 0.2 per cent Mn in addition to the aluminum and zinc. Constitutional Data Under the heading of Constitutional Data are included all known data on con-

Jan 1, 1946

By R. F. Marande, R. S. Busk

The magnesium-aluminum-zinc 'system contains most of the magnesium-base alloys used commercially, although in practice the ternary alloys are usually modified by the addition of a small amount of manganese. Table I contains the magnesium-base commercial sand-casting alloys most widely used throughout the world, together with their typical tensile properties. These alloys may be regarded as a single family of varying aluminum and zinc content, disregarding manganese. A concise means of presenting data for them is by means of iso-property lines plotted on triangular coordinate paper. Constitutional, casting, and mechanical properties are presented in this manner. The data are given with the obiect of providing reference material, and to aid in the choice of a commercial alloy to serve a particular purpose. Detailed, critical analysis of the commercial alloys has been covered in a previous paper.' All alloys reported were made in rj-lb. melts, superheated to r700°F. for 15 min., cooled to r400°F. and poured in sand molds. The test bars produced had a 1/2-in. reduced section and were about 6 in. long. Except for the data represented in Figs. I and 3 the alloys used were of commercial purity and contained 0.1 to 0.2 per cent Mn in addition to the aluminum and zinc. Constitutional Data Under the heading of Constitutional Data are included all known data on con-

Jan 1, 1946

By Hugh S. Spence

IN the winter of 1941-42, muscovite mica was discovered by a young prospector, Justin Purdy, in the township of Mattawan, Nipissing District, Ontario, a few miles north of the small settlement of Eau Claire, which lies on the main Transcontinental Highway (No. 17) between Mattawa and North Bay. Muscovite had been known for many years to occur in the general Mattawa region, and various small efforts at production had previously been made by individuals working scattered deposits in the area. These minor activities, however, had never led to production of any consequence or the discovery of any important mica bodies. The Purdy finds were made in a heavily timbered, mountainous area lying about three miles north of the low-lying settled land along the highway, and in a section not hitherto prospected. The mica taken by Purdy and two partners from surface outcrops proved so remarkable in point of size of trimmed sheets that the find attracted considerable attention, and the area surrounding the three claims taken up by the prospectors was quickly blanket-staked by various interests. Though a number of other mica-bearing pegmatite dikes were 'found later on these stakings, none proved as rich as those on the original Purdy ground; very little commercial mica was obtained from them and attempts to develop them were short-lived. Purdy and his partners sold their initial production to dealers in Ottawa and Hull, where the Canadian mica industry long has centered. Young Purdy, unfortunately was killed in a motor accident in the early summer of 1942. His father continued mining operations for a few months and produced and sold a considerable amount of mica. In October 1942 the Purdy holdings were acquired by Inspiration Mining and Development Co. of Amos, Quebec, which had been active in staking in the area. This company formed a subsidiary, Purdy Mica Mines, Limited, to develop the property. Under the energetic management of Joseph R. Norrie, rapid progress was made, and production soon attained important proportions. Realizing from the outset the unusual character and potential value in the war effort of the Purdy discovery, the Metals Controller, Department of Munitions and Supply, at once arranged with the Department of Mines and Resources for an official geological report on the area, and also drew the attention of the War Production Board in Washington to what seemed likely to prove a highly important source of strategic-quality mica. Officials of WPB were sent up in the summer of 1942 to inspect the property,

Jan 1, 1947

By William N. Poundstone

What attracts young engineering graduates into the coal industry? What do these young men expect of a career in coal mining? These questions are often asked and debated by mining men throughout the country. In order to present a comprehensive answer to them, an opinion survey was conducted at West Virginia University's School of Mines among the junior and senior classes and part of the sophomore class. The tabulation of the answers showed that the present-day mining engineering student is an older, more mature individual as compared with former years and as compared with other present-day college students. The average age of the country's record-breaking 150,000 college graduates is 24 years. Among this year's mining graduates at West Virginia University, 78% are of this age or older. Over half (54%) of those polled in the survey are married. This is com- pared to 30% as a national figure. Of those married, 38% have one child and over 6% have two children. The entire senior group covered by this survey has averaged almost three years in the armed forces. An article entitled "The Class of '49" in the June issue of Fortune magazine states that this year's class is the oldest, most mature class in history. Our survey indicates that the mining engineering students at West Virginia University are well above the average in this respect.

Jan 1, 1949

By Arthur Notman

SacRamento Hill is a mass of granite porphyry intruded along a fault between Paleozoic sediments and pre-Cambrian schists in the Bisbee district, Cochise County, Arizona. The intrusion invaded both walls of the fault to a large extent, and the accompanying extensive mineralization of the Paleozoic limestones is the locus of the great high-grade copper orebodies of the Bisbee mines. Prior to 1909, although the presence of ore in the masa of the hill itself had long been suspected, systematic exploration had not been attempted. A few shallow pits on the surface here and there had disclosed some chal-cocite with associated carbonates as stringers in a mass of strongly brccciated, silicified, and iron-stained porphyry. The workings in the surrounding limestones had penetrated the porphyry in a dozen or SO places for some distance from the contact but had disclosed no ore. However, the rock had been largely altered to quartz and sericite and very thoroughly impregnated with pyrite and traces of the copper sulphides. A close geological study of the conditions, both surface and underground, strengthened these suspicions, and plans for prospecting the hill were made in 1909. Reference to the accompanying illustrations, Figs. 1 and 2, will give an idea of the general appearance of the surface. The mineralization is more intense in two main zones, one at the west end and the other at the east end of the hill. The outcrop of the hill is elliptical and approximately 3,000 ft. long by 1,400 ft. wide. The Sacramento shaft, which is the main hoisting shaft of the mine and situated at the east end of the hill, as shown by the accompanying map (Fig. 3), offered a convenient base for prospecting that end of the hill, while the workings from the Holbrook shaft offered a similar opportunity at the west end. The choice of level for the first work was determined by analogy with the most favorable depth for enrichment below surface obscrved in the other disseminated deposits of the Southwest.

Jan 1, 1916

By Frances Hurd

WHEN 60:40 brass is heated to 825° C., given a drastic quench to obtain the beta solid solution, and reheated, various changes take place in the structure. Reheating at 200' C. causes a fine, granular, sorbitic structure to appear which has been considered alpha solid solution. These particles coalesce at higher temperatures of reheating, and at 470° C., the alpha forms twins. A further study of these transformations was considered worth investigating.

Jan 1, 1927

By R. J. Brison, W. C. Bleimeister

The International Salt Company has long been interested in finding an efficient process for the removal of impurities from rock salt, and particularly from the rock salt produced at the Detroit mine. Methods which have been used previously at the Detroit mine included both hand sorting and differential crushing in a Bradford breaker with rejection of the oversize. Neither of these methods was adequately effective. The development of a new process for removal of impurities from rock salt has been described in the preceding article." Basically, the process consists of exposure of crude rock salt to radiant heating which selectively heats the impure particles. Subsequently the heated particles are removed by adhesion to a heat sensitive-coating on a conveyor belt. This method was found to be effective in improving both the quality and appearance of rock salt by the rejection of the dark, impure particles.

Jan 8, 1960

By T. Lane Carter

It is a curious fact that while in our Transactions there are papers dealing with mining-districts in all parts of the world, in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, there is not one which describes the mining possibilities of Nicaragua, our near neighbor. To be most interested in distant objects, like the moon, and to neglect what lies at our feet, appears to be a trait of human nature. The neglect of Nicaragua is not confined to the American Institute of Mining Engineers. In no other transactions am I able to find papers dealing with mining in Nicaragua, some parts of which are as much in need of discovery and research as the North Pole. I hope this paper will be the precursor of many others to be printed in our Transaclions, dealing not only with the miniilg possibilities of Nicaragua, but with the whole of Central America, where there are vast areas a,waiting skill and capital for their development. Much of this capital and skill should come from the United States in the future, although it is probable that European capitalists, when they appreciate fully the possibilities, will investigate more and more the mining-resources of Nicaragua and ot'her Central American republics. Fig. 1 is a sketch-map of Nicaragua showing the principal mining-districts. 11. History. Mining in Nicaragua did not begin yesterday. It was commenced by civilized man when the Spanish conquerors pene-' trated into the interior and forced the natives to procure the precious metal for them. It is strange that the Spaniards did not find more gold, and work on a scale as extensive as in Colombia and other parts of South America. Probably in Nicaragua the Indians covered up most of the rich prospects

Jan 1, 1911

By T. Egleston

THE materials containing copper which are refined in the United States, are, for the most part, the native, coppers of Lake Superior. Until quite recently but little pig copper was made for sale, and that came principally from the pure sulphurous ores of New England and the South, and was generally sold to refineries not far from the ore furnaces. A small amount found its way into the market which was produced either as the by-product of the treatment of gold and silver ores, or as the result of the treatment of impure copper ores; but both these grades, on account of the impurities they contained, were looked on with suspicion, and were not sought for. All the grapes of pig copper are sold by the unit of copper contents, a great reduction being made in the price when impurities are present. There are at the present time only three works which treat native copper, the two of the Detroit and Lake Superior Copper Company, and the works of C. G. Hussey & Co., in Pittsburgh. There are a few works which smelt sulphurous ores and refine their pig; besides these there are a few small works where pig copper is refined only. Some of these purchase black copper, refine scrap, or simply refine such grades of ingot copper as are found in the market, but mostly that from Lake; Superior, for the purpose of getting it into such shapes that can be handled commercially to advantage, such as in making large plates or high grades of wire for electrical purposes. A number of such works are situated in the Naugatuek Valley and elsewhere in New England. The recent discovery, of valuable ores in Arizona makes it probable that within a few years the refining of copper in the United States will make great developments. Up to the time of the discovery of the mines on Lake Superior, only a very small quantity of native copper had ever been found, not sufficient to justify the erection of works for its special treatment. It had, besides, never been found in very Large masses, so that the discovery of great-blocks of it presented serious difficulties, not only in mining it,† but in bringing it into a merchantable condition. It seemed a very simple process to melt these large masses, * Road at the Lake Superior Meeting, August, 1880. †Transactions American Institute Mining Engineers, vol. vi, page 2S2.

Jan 1, 1881

By O. B. Buchlen, J. W. Smith

The Coal Research Bureau of the School of Mines at West Virginia University, using an experimental flotation cell designated an airlift-cyclone was able to obtain a clean coal product containing 7.64% ash with 94% yield and 97% coal recovery. This favorable performance was obtained with the experimental flotation cell operating as a simulated three-stage unit on slurry taken from the fine coal circuit of a coal preparation plant. This experimental device, consisting of a sheet metal cyclone-like unit mounted on a U-shaped uplift pipe, uses a combined flotation and cyclone action to beneficiate the minus 14 mesh partially cleaned feed product. In addition to providing comparable analytical results, the airlift-cyclone possesses other attractive features among them being a low capital expenditure, utilization of moderate plant floor space, efficient operation on high density feed slurry, and absence of moving parts. The primary shortcoming of the experimental cell is its limited capacity. The Coal Research Bureau presently has under construction a larger unit which, it is hoped, will provide the capacity and quality to establish the airlift-cyclone as a commercially feasible unit. Froth flotation of fine coal is a practice which has only recently gained wide acceptance in this country. Various explanations can be put forth for this delayed acceptance of a very selective and efficient system of coal preparation. Among these reasons would be the advent of continuous mining machines resulting in the increased production of coal fines, the change in market patterns from domestic and rail consumers who did not want fines to a predominantly utility market which normally consumes fines, and also the imposition of legal restrictions in regard to stream pollution. However, the major detriment is probably the high cost involved both in installation and operation of the flo- tation unit and auxiliary systems. These facts assume greater emphasis when considering that froth flotation installations normally process a low quality feed product. A recent estimate' of installation costs including dryers, filters, and other auxiliary equipment for a flotation system was $5000 to $7000 per ton of capacity while the operating costs, exclusive of auxiliary equipment, were estimated at 10 to 306 per ton of feed. The Coal Research Bureau of the School of Mines at West Virginia University is currently developing a simplified froth flotation cell, designated an airlift-cyclone, which may provide considerable savings in capital and operating costs without sacrificing product quality or recovery. This experimental cell consists of three primary components: 1) a vertically mounted U-shaped pipe; 2) an air injector device; and 3) an integrally mounted cyclone-like unit (Fig. 1). A feed slurry is introduced at the top of one leg of the U-pipe while compressed air is injected near the base of the other leg. The air serves both to aerate the pulp and to cause it to flow upward into the base of the cyclone unit where the floated clean coal is separated from the reject material and unfloated coal which remains in slurry. The Coal Research Bureau's experimental airlift-cyclone is somewhat similar in principle to a flotation device developed by Russian engineers in the late 1950's. In tests upon a two-stage pilot-size device, the Russians obtained very favorable cleaning efficiencies.' However, later experience with production models demonstrated that rated capacities and acceptable product quality could not always be maintained.3 Because of these limitations, Russian engineers subsequently recommended that conventional, mechanical cells be used when cleaning difficult to float slurries. Engineers at the Coal Research Bureau felt that such a device utilizing the combined actions of a cyclone and a froth flotation machine offered numerous attractive features and merited investigation. Accordingly, a small capacity experimental airlift-cyclone was designed and, with the permission of the Christopher Coal Company Div. of Consolidation Coal Co., installed in Christopher's Humphrey preparation plant near Morgantown, West Virginia.

Jan 1, 1964

By D. Bergekoff

IN the routine examination of a wide variety of metal specimens it is sometimes necessary to have special methods of polishing in order to retain and reveal certain details in each specimen. Among such special cases is the retention of graphite in malleable and gray cast irons, the preservation of all types of nonmetallic inclusions in both hard and soft steels, obtaining a scratch-free surface with soft metals, and avoiding the usual relief effects with very hard specimens such as tool metals con-taining various carbide and nitride phases. It is the purpose of this paper to give an account of some of these special polishing methods in use at the Union Carbide and Carbon Research Laboratories. The polishing procedures outlined have been found to give uniform results. It is obvious that only general rules and the most important working details can be given here. Following these rules, the polisher can obtain satisfactory results if he possesses the necessary patience and has a sincere desire to give as nearly perfect a finish as possible to his work.

Jan 1, 1939

By J. D. Rice, P. L. Wearden, W. L. Hensou

Solutions to the unsteady-state partial water-drive reservoir performance problem can be obtained through the use of analogue computers or high-speed electronic digital computers. The solutions that have previously been resolved for use on digital computers, however, demand a knowledge of the aquifer parameters. Generally, the analogue computers now in use do not require this knowledge. A solution is presented herein where the aquifer performance, expressed in terms of difference equations, is related to the reservoir performance as expressed by the modified Scbiltbuis material-balance equation. A numerical procedure for a medium-sized digital computer also is presented in which a solution to the set of equations defining the aquifer and reservoir performance is obtained and the aquifer parameters (permeability and sand thickness) are automatically optimized while simultaneously matching the known pressure behavior. Predicted pressure behavior can be calculated using rates from any assumed future production practice. The procedure provides an output format which presents the cumulative, incremental and average rate of natural water influx, the per cent gas-cap expansion, the calculated reservoir pressure, the measured reservoir pressure, and the difference between the measured and calculated pressures. Results of a test problem are presented in comparison with results obtained by the Bruce Analyzer, Ohio Oil Co. 's Pace General Purpose Analogue Computer, and Sun Oil Co.'s Single-Pool Electronic Reservoir Analyzer. These results indicate that unsteady-state reservoir perlormance for a single-pool system can be adequately simulated by a numerical method employing a digital computer and that the special-purpose analogue computer can be supplanted by this method. INTRODUCTION The numerical approach to the unsteady-state partial water-drive reservoir performance problem heretofore has been limited in that solutions have been resolved only for certain fixed parameters. Also, prior to the advent of high-speed electronic digital computers in the last few years, calculations were so tedious and time-consuming that they ordinarily were neglected, or some other means of obtaining the solutions were used. The analogue approach had been used for obtaining solutions to the transmission-of-heat problem and, consequently, means were developed for applying the electrical analogue to the unsteady-state reservoir performance problem. Bruce submitted a paper for AIME publication in Sept. 1942, in which he described an electronic device (now called the Bruce Analyzer) for analyzing the water-drive performance of any reservoir, based on either steady or unsteady-state flow characteristics. 1 Sun Oil Co. adopted the analogue approach in 1949 and now has two special-purpose high-speed electronic reservoir analyzers in use.2,3 Two main features of Sun's analyzers are (1) the high repetitive rate of reproducing the entire history of reservoir performance cyclically a number of times per second, and (2) the elimination of the necessity of knowing the properties of the associated aquifer. Since the advent of larger and faster digital computers, the possibility of incorporating this second feature into a numerical approach appeared feasible. Previous work has been done and material published covering the application of numerical methods to the behavior of the pressure with respect to time at any point in an associated aquifer? However, the aquifer parameters must be known from some source. The material presented in Ref. 4 has been used to a great degree in developing the numerical method described herein. DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION AND BOUNDARY CONDITIONS The problem of simulating the performance of a reservoir and the associated aquifer is to determine the characteristics of the aquifer such that the

By H. I. Aaronson

ONLY limited studies have been made of pro-eutectoid a morphology in hypoeutectoid Ti-Cr alloys during previous investigations, 1-3 The nature of the eutectoid reaction, ß?a + TiCr2, has been considered in somewhat more detail.1,2,4,4 Inasmuch as the proeutectoid ferrite reaction in plain carbon steels has recently been extensively investigated in this laboratory, advantage has been taken of the opportunity to compare the morphologies developed in two rather different eutectoid systems in order to permit a preliminary estimate to be made of the degree of generality which may be ascribed to the various results obtained. Experimental Procedure The chemical analyses of the alloys used are given in Table I. The 7.22 pct Cr alloy was prepared by the Battelle Memorial Institute from iodide titanium and high purity chromium. The initial ingot was made by arc melting a master alloy and iodide titanium. The resultant ingot was twice remelted. by the consumable electrode technique. Upset forging at 950°C reduced the final ingot to 3/4 in. sq bars. The 10.94 pct Cr alloy was prepared by the Titanium Metals Corp. of America from sponge titanium and chromium of ordinary purity. This alloy was melted twice by the consumable electrode technique, forged at 1200° to a 3/4 in. sq bar, and rolled at 815°C to a 1/2 in. round. Specimens 1/4 in. x 1/4 in. x 1/16 in. were cut from the 7.22 pct Cr alloy; halves of disks 1/2 in. in dlam and 1/16 in. thick served as specimens of the 10.94 pct Cr alloy. These specimens were individually encapsulated in Vycor, Each capsule was evacuated three times to a pressure of 2 to 6 x lo-' mm Hg and flushed twice with a reduced pressure of argon prior to sealing. The inclusion of two small packets of zirconium chips permitted the capsules to be outgassed and internally gettered, without heating the specimen, prior to heat treatment. The specimens were solution annealed for 40 min at 1000°C, isothermally reacted in deoxidized lead pots, and quenched in iced water. Most of the isothermal reaction treatments were carried out at 25" intervals between 725° and 550°C on specimens of the 7.22 pct Cr alloy and at 650°C on specimens of the 10.94 pct Cr alloy. Results and Discussion Morphologies of Proeutectoid a*—Kinetics of the ß?a Reaction: Fig. 1 shows the TTT-curves for the beginning of the proeutectoid a and the eutectoid reactions in the temperature range investigated in the 7.22 pct Cr alloy. The M, temperature in this alloy is below 0°C. The curve for the beginning of the proeutectoid a reaction is in good agreement with that of Frost, Parris, Hirsch, Doig, and Schwartz' for a 7.54 pct Cr alloy, appears at considerably earlier reaction times than the corresponding curve presented by Rostoker4 for a 7 pct Cr alloy, and lies athwart the curve of Spachner and co-workers11 for an 8 pct Cr alloy. Differences in criteria for the beginning of the a reaction and the relatively high rate of this reaction at lower temperatures presumably account for some of these divergences and may also explain, in part, the apparent failure of an iodide-base 7.22 pct Cr alloy to react more slowly than sponge-base 7 to 8 pct Cr alloys. Grain Boundary Allotriomorphs: Crystals of this morphology nucleate at and grow preferentially and more or less smoothly along the matrix grain boundaries.5-7 Allotriomorphs are the first morphology to precipitate at most grain boundaries at reaction temperatures from 725°C, the highest temperature studied, at least through 575°C. Fig. 2 Shows typical allotriomorphs, formed during an early stage of transformation at 725°C. Grain boundary allotriomorphs are not the predc=iaant morphology at late reaction times at any temperature studied. However; from 725" through

Jan 1, 1958