Search Documents

By J. B. Newsom

IN the Indiana limestone district, some 50 or 60 per, cent of the merchantable stone in a quarry opening is waste, and only about 40 or 50 per cent of the stone from the opening is finally sold. So long as the present system of quarrying is used, the wastes measured and reported in this paper will continue. Comprehensive development of an entirely different method of quarrying, using wire saws for cutting, promises great improvement. Some of the savings to be expected are pointed out in the following pages. No attempt has been made to measure losses due to variations and natural flaws in the stone, since these vary greatly in different quarries, and accurate measurement would be difficult. The wastes that have been measured account for about 30 per cent of the total ledge, which leaves 20 or 30 per cent chargeable to unmeasured sources of loss.

Jan 1, 1932

By Michael Tenenbaum, C. C. Brown

Numerous investigatiolls have been carried out to determine the total oxygen present in the basic open-hearth bath and the results of these studies have clearly defined the factors controlling the bath oxidation during the period prior to deoxidation. On the other hand, very little is known concerning any changes in total oxygen content that may occur during deoxidation, tapping and teeming. The need for such additional data is continually becoming more apparent, since there is no strict technical basis for selecting any particular deoxidation practice. Many steels are made for the same purposes and to the same chemical analyses by widely differing practices. Apparently, each practice is satisfactory. However, it would be desirable to establish more definitely the effects and relative merits of the individual practices. Such information could be used to give a definite foundation for evaluating various types of deoxidation. In order to approach this problem, a study was made of the changes effected in the total oxygen content of several grades of steel by representative open-hearth deoxidation practices. To carry out such studies, it was necessary that a reliable testing procedure for determining the oxygen content of the steel bath and the ingot mold be established. Before entering on any extensive testing program, consideration was given to the available methods of obtaining steel samples and analyzing for oxygen. Testing Procedures It has been shown5-9 that in solidified steel oxygen may ekist in combination with iron, manganese, silicon, aluminum, titanium, chromium and carbon, depending upon the amount of these elements in the sample. In molten steel, however, there has been no direct distinction of the various oxides. Accordingly, the total active oxygen in the molten steel bath is designated by the symbol 0. During deoxidation, various oxides may be present either in solution in the molten steel or as solid or liquid inclusions. Any sample taken from the molten steel for oxygen analysis will include both the dissolved and the mechanically included oxygen. Similarly, samples of the solid steel product will also include the two forms of Oxygen' Methods of Samplirzg the Molten Steel Bath In order to obtain a true oxygen analysis from liquid steel, this element must be completely retained in the solidified sample. Several methods have been proposed whereby this stabilization can be effected. As early as 1915, Kichlinelo proposed a method for testing molten steel, in which the oxygen combined with some added aluminum. The concentration of the resultant aluminum oxide was determined by chemical analysis. This method was

Jan 1, 1945

By Nicholas J. Grant, Bill C. Giessen

The phase diagram Ta-Ni has been treated repeatedly; investigations up to 1958 are summed up in Ref. 1. Since then, an equilibrium diagram has been presented by Kornilov and Pylaeva.2 They found the following intermediate phases: Ta2N; (CuA12 type),3 "TaNi" (p phase, Mo8Co7 type), TaNiz, and TaNi3 (Ticus type).5 Of these, the crystal structure of TaNin remained unknown, and no further literature reference was found. According to Kornilov and pylaeva,&apos; TaNil melts peri-tectically at 1420°C. A 5-g alloy of Ta + 66.7 at. pct Ni was prepared by inert-gas arc melting using 99.95 pct Ta rod (NRC-MG) and 99.9 pct Ni shot (Fisher). The weight loss after three melts was <2 mg; a microscopically homogeneous ingot resulted. As shown in Ref. 6, no oxygen or impurity pickup needed to be considered under these conditions. Specimens were annealed for 15 hr at 1350°C, 15 hr at 1205oC, and 15 hr at 875°C with subsequent powdering and stress relief for 10 min at 1350°C, 15 min at 1205oC, and 1 hr at 875oC, respectively. Micrographs and X-ray analysis (114.6 mm Norelco camera, filtered CuK, radiation) showed homogeneous one-phase alloys in the as-cast state and at all three temperatures, all having the same powder pattern except for broad lines in the as-cast state. From this it is concluded that either TaNi, melts congruently or its melting behavior is a transition between the eutectic and peritectic cases. Since it was found that very slight surface contamination on stress relieving can considerably alter the structure of similar phases (e.g.,TaPt3),7 patterns before and after stress relief were also compared; they were identical except for line broadening in the non-stressrelieved condition, and two faint impurity lines in the stress-relieved samples. The powder pattern is presented in Table I. All lines were accounted for by indexing with a tetragonal lattice, 0Yh- I4/mmm , with a, = 3.154 ± 0.001A, co = 7.905 * 0.002i and c/a = 2.506. The atomic positions are: 1000; 1/2, 1/2, 1/2] + 2Ta(a): 000; + 4Ni(e): *(002); z = 0.333 * 0.002 This proves TaNi2 to be a representative of the MoSiz (Cllb) type. The variable parameter was determined by grouping the visually estimated intensi- ties according to their 2 indices, plotting their F values, and varying z for best fit, which was obtained at z = 0.333= 1/3. Since absorption was not considered, only the relative intensities with similar 28 can be expected to agree. The interatomic distances are presented in Table 11; the standard error is *o.o2A, resulting chiefly from the uncertainty in z. These distances indicate a coordination number 10 for both kinds of atoms and show that the pseudohexagonal layers along (110) are rather un-distorted. The mean atomic volume of 13.1A3 is close to the Vegard&apos;s law value of 13.3A3, showing

Jan 1, 1964

By Douglas A. Karvonen

INTRODUCTION Although the economy in the Province of Saskatchewan has historically been agriculturally oriented, a major source of wealth has been realized through natural resources such as petroleum and natural gas, coal and uranium and since the 1960&apos;s - potash. Potash or potassium chloride, in the form in which it is presently produced in Saskatchewan, is used primarily as fertilizer, a source of potassium, one of three essential elements required for healthy plant growth, with about 5% of production sold to the chemical industry for use in such products as soap and liquid detergent, glass and ceramics, textiles and some pharmaceuticals. Saskatchewan is estimated to have approximately 40% of known world potash reserves and its ten active mines account for some 25% of annual world production. POTASH CORPORATION OF SASKATCHEWAN In an effort to guarantee a fair and lasting economic benefit to the Province of Saskatchewan, the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (PCS) was created on February 4, 1975 through an Order-in-Council under the Crown Corporation&apos;s Act and later on April 1, 1976, the Potash Corporation Act provided for its continuation. PCS was given the mandate to acquire ownership of a significant portion of the potash mining capacity in Saskatchewan and to establish an organization capable of operating the facilities, marketing the product, and conducting all of the other activities necessary for a successful corporation competing in the world potash industry. The corporation is the largest potash producing and selling organization in the Western World - or third largest in the world. (See also Figure 1). PCS through its wholly-owned subsidiary, PCS Mining, has acquired a whole or partial interest in five geographically distinct producing properties or divisions, representing today more than 40% of Saskatchewan&apos;s potash producing capacity. The acquisition of each division was followed by a program designed to exploit and maximize the particular opportunities at each minesite for increased production. To that end, PCS Mining has taken an active lead in expanding to meet future demand and has implemented expansion programs at all properties except for its Esterhazy Division where it has a long-term processing agreement with International Minerals & Chemical Corporation (Canada) Limited. Through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, PCS Mining, PCS Sales and PCS Transport, this provincial crown corporation has the ability to operate as a producer and marketer of Saskatchewan&apos;s potash. In certain instances PCS, the parent company, assists in the financing of various projects undertaken by the subsidiaries and in other cases the subsidiary involved arranges its own financing. POTASH RESERVES As a background to the specific issue of financing, it is helpful to describe briefly the nature of the deposit which supports the industry - our collateral, if you like. The potash beds underlying Saskatchewan are sedimentary rock deposits formed by the gradual evaporation of an inland sea during the Middle Devonian period roughly 400 million years ago. Now known as the Prairie Evaporite, this formation stretches from North Dakota and Northeast Montana through Southern Saskatchewan into North-Central Alberta. These beds lie at mining depths ranging from 950 - 1000m (3,000 ft) below the surface, where conventional mining methods can be used, and to 1,650m (5,000 ft), where solution mining must be

Jan 1, 1985

By P. A. Young

The historical background of on-strand cooling is given, together with a resume of recent practical developments. Laboratory test procedures are then considered in detail, for both productivity and quality parameters, with particular reference to the design of the Ravenscraig No 3 machine (Scotland). A heat transfer model is presented for a porous sinter with propagating cracks. The influence of cooling/sintering area ratio, sinter strength, granulometry, return fines, coke consumption and FeO levels are examined in relation to economics. A detailed comparison of capital and running costs for two different strands, designed for identical duties, but with off or on-strand cooling, is then given.

Jan 1, 1977

By Herbert D. Drechsler

Mining Finance is the interrelated aspects of "determining the total amount of funds to employ in a mining firm; allocating these funds efficiently to various assets; and, obtaining the best mix of financing in relation to the overall valuation of the firm." The first section is an overview of the financing problem through examination and discussion of the Balance Sheet and Income Statement. The next section is a discussion of the nature of the criteria developed in feasibility study. The third section describes type of capital funds, and the final section describes case studies of mining finance

Jan 1, 1985

By Ralph Hayden

I. INTRODUCTION. IN the wet concentration of ores there is always a certain amount of very fine material with which to contend, and which invariably carries such quantities of value that the treatment of it is worth while; commercially. This fine material usually contains that portion of the ore which hinders the separation of the mineral values: namely, the colloidal material resulting from the decomposition of certain constituents of the ore. The object of this paper is to show what efforts have been made to solve the slime problem as it occurs in the concentrator of the Washoe

Jan 8, 1913

By Jack A. Kanz, Samuel R. Shortes, E. C. Wurst

Zinc diffusion into GaAs from the vapor phase through reactively sputtered SiO, films Izas been inrestigated for various zinc pressures at 1000"C. Diffusions were carried out in evacuated quartz ampules with elemental zinc and with various Zn-Ga alloys. Sputtered films have proved effective in lowering surface concentrations and preventing surface deterioration during diffusion. Approxin.ate complenzentary error-function impurity distributions were found when surface concentrations were reduced to approximately 3 -—4 x 10" atoms cm&apos;3 or less with dilute zinc sources or by diffusion through SiO, films. Zinc difhsions in GaAs tlzrough SiO, films produced more planar diffusion fronts than were observed with uncoated zuafers under identical conditions. A) Surface Deterioration During Diffusion. Device technolorn-- in compound semiconductors has been hampered by several difficult problems not normally encountered with silicon and germanium. 111-V and 11-VI compound semiconductors generally have volatile constituents at temperatures used for diffusion. To achieve specific junction depths in reasonable lengths of time, or to obtain particular impurity distributions and doping levels, it is often necessary to use temperatures which cause surface deterioration and erosion of the wafer. The resultant surfaces are generally unsuitable for devices. The type and extent of surface damage depends to varying degrees on the particular environment of diffusion and on the particular impurity in question. The most common type of deterioration results from simple dissociation of the gallium and the arsenic during diffusin.&apos; The deterioration process is significantly enhanced by thermal gradients in the diffusion zone, usually resulting in vapor transport and condensation at the cooler portion of the system. The resulting damage sometimes appears as a general haziness over the surface or an array of pyramidal etch pits characteristic of the particular orientation. Occasionally, erosion of the surface occurs uniformly over the wafer so that surface loss is not readily apparent. Workers in GaAs usually resort to the sealed-ampule type of diffusion system3"5 rather than the more conventional open system used for silicon and germanium. Another type of deterioration results from direct interaction of the impurity with the surface. The form of deterioration may vary from surface alloying, as in the case of zinc, to direct chemical attack and vapor transport of the reaction products, as in the case of sulfur. Surface alloying with zinc occurs at higher temperatures and source vapor pressures.4 The process is largely controlled by the amount of free gallium on the surface of the wafer in equilibrium with the arsenic lost to the system. The group-VI elements, sulfur, selenium, and tellurium, are commonly used donor impurities for gallium arsenide. These elements are characterized by high vapor pressures and high chemical

Jan 1, 1964

By Robin P. Gardner

A radioisotope tracer method combined with a suitable back-calculation method is proposed and evaluated for the determination of model simulation parameters in open-circuit continuous ball mills. The method essentially consists of using impulse and/or step injections of short-lived radioisotopes of the naturally occurring trace elements manganese and sodium. It is evaluated here on the basis of the minimum standard deviations of the product weight-size distributions. These minimum standard deviations are taken as those predicted by a Poisson distribution of the number of particles present in size fractions of the samples taken for analysis. Previously developed tanks-in-series lumped parameter models are used in the evaluation. The results indicate that the method is very promising.

Jan 1, 1976

By Robin P. Gardner

A radioisotope tracer method combined with a suitable back-calculation method is proposed and evaluated for the determination of model simulation parameters in open-circuit continuous ball mills. The method essentially consists of using impulse and/or step injections of short-lived radioisotopes of the naturally occurring trace elements manganese and sodium. It is evaluated here on the basis of the minimum standard deviations of the product weight-size distributions. These minimum standard deviations are taken as those predicted by a Poisson distribution of the number of particles present in size fractions of the samples taken for analysis. Previously developed tanks-in-series lumped parameter models are used in the evaluation. The results indicate that the method is very promising.

Jan 1, 1976

By A. W. Gauger

It is with some trepidation that I approach my subject, for I know that I shall at once incur the suspicion of the mechanical engineer, with his concern for boiler tests and efficiencies; of the mining engineer, with his mechanization problems; and of the chemical engineer with his unit processes. Nevertheless, it must be recognized that the technology of fuels, the systematic body of knowledge relating to the production, processing and utilization of mineral fuels, has grown to such proportions and involves so many widely diverse applications of fundamental science and engineering that it behooves us to stop and consider just what its status is in relation to other technologies, as well as in relation to the present and future needs of the social order. The time has come when technologists, applied scientists and engineers must consider the possible effects that their achievements may have on Society. The development of a machine to - -replace -several hundred men is a fine achievement when considered solely from the point of view of creative endeavor. But what of the men who are displaced by the machine! Does not the responsibility for the development of this machine embrace as well the consequences of obsolescence and technological unemployment resulting from such development? I believe that it does and that we must recognize this fact in our practice of engineering and tech- nology as well as in the training of future engineers and technologists. Magnitude of the Fuels Industry Fuel technology is the body of knowledge that relates to the mineral fuels. The fuels industry is by far the most important of all Our mineral industries. The chart in Fig. I, reprinted from U. S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular No. 6643, indicates the compartive values of metals, fuels and other nonmetallic minerals for the year 1929. Of the grand total of 13¼ billions of dollars in value of minerals at the mines, the mineral fuels contributed 48 per cent. Coal, with 34.4 Per cent, exceeded the value of any other single mineral. In fact, the value of the production of the Pennsylvania anthracite mines alone anand exceeds the value of the gold production of the entire world. Petroleum and natural gas in 1929 contributed 14.3 per cent and 3.3 per cent, respectively, of the total value of world mineral production. So much for the world picture; let us now look at the situation in the United States. Over the 60-year period 1880 to &apos;939, $46,409,727,000 of metal1ic products, $80,788,852,000 of fuels (coal, petroleum, natural gas, natural gasoline) and $27,871,-ooo,ooo of nonmetallic minerals other than fuels were produced. The mineral fuels have contributed 52.7 per cent of the entire mineral wealth produced over this period that has seen such tremendous industrial development in our Our As a matter of fact, our present industrial civilization has been made possible through the use of the

Jan 1, 1942

By E. N. Mazza, H. S. Kalish

The effect of sintering types 302, 3028, and 430 stainless steel powder compacts in hydrogen and dissociated ammonia was investigated. It was found that sintering in dissociated ammonia resulted in as much as 0.5 wt pct increase in the nitrogen content of stainless steel even though the dissociation of the gas was complete. Sintering in hydrogen, on the other hand, reduced the nitrogen content of the stainless steel to less than 0.01 wt pct. In the case of the 302-type stainless steel, the low nitrogen content resulted in a material that was largely ferritic, whereas the high nitrogen content rendered the material fully austenitic. Sintering in dissociated ammonia resulted in lower density, generally lower tensile strength, less ductility, and higher hardness than sintering under equivalent conditions in hydrogen. The reduction of oxides on both stainless steel and iron particles was found to be effected by hydrogen partial pressure in the sintering atmosphere. Compacting pressure was found also to effect oxide reduction during sintering. DISSOCIATED ammonia often is used as a substitute&apos;.&apos; for hydrogen in sintering and in annealing, since economic advantages sometimes can be obtained by such a substitution. In addition, anhydrous ammonia contains very little impurity. Thus, dissociated ammonia gas is very dry whereas tank hydrogen often must be freed of oxygen and water vapor prior to use in many applications. The sintering of stainless steel powder compacts as well as bright annealing is well recognized as requiring a hydrogen atmosphere and for the foregoing reasons dissociated ammonia is frequently substituted. It has generally been overlooked, however, that the nitrogen in dissociated ammonia might have an important effect on the sintering process and on the properties of stainless steel compacts. Considered an inert gas in many applications, nitrogen, on the other hand, is very reactive with cer- tain metals. Dissociated ammonia could not be used for hydriding zirconium or titanium. Nitrogen reacts with columbium, tantalum, chromium, uranium, thorium, and many other active metals. Iron and iron-base alloys are, for the most part, inert in nitrogen but there are many borderline cases. It has been reported that stainless steel stabilized with columbium or titanium should not be sintered in dissociated ammonia.3 olybdenum has been reported as reacting with dissociated ammonia to a minor extent.&apos; Although most of the reactions with iron-base alloys are attributed to the action of un-dissociated ammonia and the action of nascent nitrogen, Uhlig4 showed how readily pure molecular nitrogen reacts with and diffuses into 18-8 stainless steel at 1150°C. He also pointed out how readily nitrogen diffuses out of 18-8 stainless steel when heated in pure dry hydrogen, and these thorough investigations on the subject show that commercial stainless steels are nitrogen-bearing, since they are melted in air. The effects of nitrogen in stainless steel, particularly the 18-8 Cr-Ni type, previously have received considerable attention." In 1926, it was pointed out

Jan 1, 1956

By A. W. Gauger

It is with some trepidation that I approach my subject, for I know that I shall at once incur the suspicion of the mechanical engineer, with his concern for boiler tests and efficiencies; of the mining engineer, with his mechanization problems; and of the chemical engineer with his unit processes. Nevertheless, it must be recognized that the technology of fuels, the systematic body of knowledge relating to the production, processing and utilization of mineral fuels, has grown to such proportions and involves so many widely diverse applications of fundamental science and engineering that it behooves us to stop and consider just what its status is in relation to other technologies, as well as in relation to the present and future needs of the social order. The time has come when technologists, applied scientists and engineers must consider the possible effects that their achievements may have on Society. The development of a machine to - -replace -several hundred men is a fine achievement when considered solely from the point of view of creative endeavor. But what of the men who are displaced by the machine! Does not the responsibility for the development of this machine embrace as well the consequences of obsolescence and technological unemployment resulting from such development? I believe that it does and that we must recognize this fact in our practice of engineering and tech- nology as well as in the training of future engineers and technologists. Magnitude of the Fuels Industry Fuel technology is the body of knowledge that relates to the mineral fuels. The fuels industry is by far the most important of all Our mineral industries. The chart in Fig. I, reprinted from U. S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular No. 6643, indicates the compartive values of metals, fuels and other nonmetallic minerals for the year 1929. Of the grand total of 13¼ billions of dollars in value of minerals at the mines, the mineral fuels contributed 48 per cent. Coal, with 34.4 Per cent, exceeded the value of any other single mineral. In fact, the value of the production of the Pennsylvania anthracite mines alone anand exceeds the value of the gold production of the entire world. Petroleum and natural gas in 1929 contributed 14.3 per cent and 3.3 per cent, respectively, of the total value of world mineral production. So much for the world picture; let us now look at the situation in the United States. Over the 60-year period 1880 to &apos;939, $46,409,727,000 of metal1ic products, $80,788,852,000 of fuels (coal, petroleum, natural gas, natural gasoline) and $27,871,-ooo,ooo of nonmetallic minerals other than fuels were produced. The mineral fuels have contributed 52.7 per cent of the entire mineral wealth produced over this period that has seen such tremendous industrial development in our Our As a matter of fact, our present industrial civilization has been made possible through the use of the

Jan 1, 1942

By V. G. Cawagdan, E. M. Sacris

The performance of the grinding circuit, from the initial stages of operation to the present, is discussed. The mill efficiency as measured by the Bond (Bond and Maxson, 1943) grindability data and the operating work index is presented. The objective was to produce a sand cyclone overflow containing not more than 6% 210 µm (+ 65 mesh). This has never been attained, even at low milling rates. Significant improvements in throughput were achieved by instituting equipment changes and process modifications within the grinding circuit. Grind improvements were achieved with enlargement of cyclone spigots, grinding at reduced densities, and decreasing the opening of the ball mill discharge. Additional grinding capacity was realized by converting the concentrate regrinding mill into a secondary ball mill. The previous 20% 210 µm (+ 65 mesh) grind improved to under 15% 210 µm (+ 65 mesh). The latest approach to solving the coarse grind problem is also discussed.

Jan 1, 1985

By Karl Eilers

This process, invented by Messrs. Hanisch and Schroder, of Rosdzin, was patented in 1883. It has attracted considerable attention in Germany, as a very neat and simple method of extracting sulphurous acid from the gases produced by roasting, and of condensing this acid so as to obtain it in the very compact anhydrous liquid form. The special importance which such a process may have at this time in the United States is suggested by the growing inconvenience, amounting to distress, experienced in such localities as Butte, Mont., where the sulphurous gases from large roast-plants have proved not only fatal to vegetation but injurious to human health. It is reported that the authorities of Butte are earnestly considering the enterprise of removing, if practicable, the dense and suffocating cloud which now hangs over that city, and of which sulphurous acid undoubtedly forms the greater and most oppressive, if not the most poisonous, part. May it not be that the solution of this problem is furnished by a

Jan 1, 1892

By S. M. Brisbane

THE life of refractory linings in rotary cement kilns can be shortened by uneven or inadequate support of the kiln and its shell and by variations in the conditions of operation. Alteration of these factors may, according to their nature, bring about mechanical deterioration of the lining or promote chemical attack. Chemical attack has been described elsewhere.1-4 The distortion of cement kilns has been discussed in a general manner by Rochow,6 ho indicates the amount of distortion which may occur in an unlined shell, and by Rosenblad: who states that the deformations of the shell are greatest above the trunnions. The present article indicates the extent of the distortion of a kiln to an oval shape in certain selected positions and the deviation from a straight line of the kiln along its length between two supports. The cement kiln is a long, hollow, rotating cylinder consisting of steel plates which may be either welded or riveted together. This shell is supported on tires, frequently 60 ft apart, which roll on trunnions. The large mass of the kiln causes distortion of its cross-section; it becomes slightly oval, i.e., diameters lengthen as they become horizontal and shorten as they become vertical. There is also a tendency for the shell to bow between supporting tires; this bowing may be upwards or downwards depending on the position of the weight forces and the supports. The extent of the deviations from the ideal kiln shape was investigated. Observations described in this paper were made on the shell of the clinkering zone between the first and second tires of two of the kilns at the Geelong works of Australian Portland Cement Pty. Ltd. The kilns were both 400 ft long and 10 ft diam with a welded enlarged burning zone 11 ft 6 in. diam. The shell was fabricated from mild steel and in this section its thickness was 1 in. It was lined with 41/2 in. of chemically bonded magnesite-chrome bricks which were jointed with mild steel plates. The kilns operate on a 4 pct slope and the speed may be varied between 0.75 and 1.68 rpm. The wet process is used; kilns are coal fired and are fitted with integral coolers. Temperatures within the kiln are difficult to determine with any accuracy because of the absence of black body conditions, but surface temperatures are probably in the range 1420° to 1470°C. Average shell .temperatures at the two positions at which the deformation studies were made were 370°C and 355"C respectively. Methods: In determining the ellipticity it was necessary to measure the lengths of the vertical and horizontal diameters while the kiln was in operation; data obtained from a stationary kiln would not have the same practical significance. For this purpose the four points V, W, X, and Y at the ends of two mutually perpendicular diameters were marked on one kiln. The point X is shown in Fig. 1. For the measurement of the length of the vertical diameter a vertical column, to which a horizontally aligned telescope was attached, was placed 10 ft from the kiln. The telescope could be racked up and down in a vertical plane. Two sets of readings were taken, one set when each of the points V, W, X, and Y was at its maximum height above the

Jan 1, 1957

By W. L. Kerlie, J. H. Richards

The variation in hydrogen content of basic open-hearth steels during refining and the effect of changing from steam to air atomization were studied. The water content of the furnace atmosphere, the slag basicity, and the degree of oxidation of the slag-metal system largely control the hydrogen in the steel. SMALL amounts of hydrogen have an adverse effect on the ductility of steel and a wide range of hydrogen contents has an adverse effect on the internal soundness of both ferrous and nonferrous castings. This has been of major concern to the metal industry, both manufacturers and fabricators, for many years. As one of the results of continuing investigations of the hydrogen problem, much has been learned about methods of reducing the hydrogen content of liquid metals below the relatively high levels that are normally associated with such phenomena as rising ingots and excessive porosity in sand casting. However, it was not until a reliable and simple method for sampling and analyzing liquid metal was developed that much progress was possible in quantitatively evaluating the effect of steelmaking practice on hydrogen contents at levels below 6 to 8 ppm. Throughout all the work described in the following presentation the Geffner pintube technique was used to obtain samples of liquid metal1 * and the tin-fusion method, developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology,2 was used to analyze the samples. Before attempting a systematic experimental program for minimizing the hydrogen content of open-hearth steels, it was necessary to determine the variation in hydrogen in the open-hearth bath during the normal processing of a heat. The logs of ten heats are illustrated in Figs. 1 through 7. The number at each point on the graphs refers to the number of pintube samples analyzed for hydrogen. An increase in the hydrogen content of the liquid metal during the early period of refining is apparent in all heats. There is evidence of a decrease in hydrogen later in the refining period, see Fig. 2, for example. Therefore, the existence of a maximum hydrogen content at some intermediate time during the refining period is anticipated. To test for the existence of a maximum, the data illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 were grouped together so that they could be examined on a collectively comparable basis. The grouping was effected, as illustrated in Fig. 8, by superimposing Figs. 1 to 5 so that the apparent hydrogen maxima coincided at a fixed position, indicated by the zero on the time axis. Also, by vertical adjustment until the graphs appeared to the eye to be superimposed, the hydrogen scale was made to show the change in hydrogen content. That is, a standard amount was subtracted from the hydrogen values for each heat. Therefore, Fig. 8 represents a generalized presentation of the data and, for this reason, cannot be used to predict the actual hydrogen content of the bath during refining, but rather to show the probable rate of change in hydrogen during refining. Statistical examination of the grouped data in Fi.g. 8 shows that the apparent. increase and suhsequent decrease in hydrogen are real and confirms the existence of a maximum in general. The average increase In hydrogen during the early period of refining is between 0.8 and 1.3 ppm per hr, and the

Jan 1, 1958

By Pol Duwez, Spencer R. Baen

A LTHOUGH the practical importance of Fe-Cr--iV Mo alloys has long been recognized, constitution studies have been limited to a few alloys within rather narrow ranges of composition. The purpose of the present study was to establish the phase boundaries in the ternary diagram at a temperature of 1200°F (650°C).* The identification of phases and the determination of phase boundaries were based primarily on X-ray diffraction measurements and occasionally on microscopic observation. The methods used for locating the phase boundaries were essentially those described in detail by Andersen and Jette,&apos; and by others.&apos;, The compositions of 180 alloys, prepared by powder metallurgy techniques, are shown in Fig. 1. The chemical analysis and mesh size of the powders which were used for the preparation of the alloys are given in Table I. The powders were mixed for 48 hr or longer, then compacted under 80,000 psi in a %-in. diam steel die. Each specimen weighed approximately 5 g. The compacts were sintered for 4 hr at 2500°F (1371°C) in an atmosphere of pure dry hydrogen (dew point near the temperature of liquid nitrogen). An open tray of chromium powder was placed upstream of the compacts to act as a "getter" for the last traces of oxygen or water vapor. In many cases this chromium powder was bright after sintering. Occasionally the upstream side of the powder was slightly greenish, but in all cases the downstream side was metallic. Some of the alloys contracted during sintering and some expanded as much as 20 pct. The latter alloys, which in all cases were brittle, were crushed in a tool steel mortar, repressed, and resintered for 4 hr at 2500°F. After sintering, the alloys were aged for ten days at 1200°F (650°C) in evacuated (105 mm Hg or better) fused silica tubes and were cooled rapidly to room temperature following the aging treatment. The use of the powder metallurgy technique in preparing alloys for structural investigation offers a simple method &apos;of avoiding contamination or non-homogeniety which could result from a melting operation. It is very often possible to dispense with chemical analysis of the alloys which have been prepared by the powder metallurgy method. In lieu of chemical analysis, it is necessary to determine the weight of the compact before and after sintering. The chemical composition of the alloy may be considered as that of the green compact, within the limits of accuracy determined by the loss of weight during sintering. In phase-diagram studies it is important to achieve homogeniety in structure, whether the alloys are prepared by powder metallurgy or by melting. Homogeniety means complete diffusion during the sintering of the alloys which are prepared by powder metallurgy. It has been found from experience that the best criterion for establishing the completeness of diffusion is the sharpness of the X-ray diffraction patterns. This criterion has been used throughout the present study. The X-ray diffraction data were obtained using powder cameras of either 214.86 or 71.62 mm diam. Copper, cobalt, or chromium Ka. radiation was used, the choice being based on the alloy composition. The powder samples were obtained by filing or crushing, depending on whether the alloy was ductile or brittle. In some cases, the powder was annealed for 4 to 6 hr at 1200°F in vacuum. The measurements were corrected for film shrinkage and absorption. The large camera, in which the film is mounted

Jan 1, 1952

By D. K. Bose, C. K. Gupta, K. U. Nair

A new approach to processing an indigenously available low grade molysulfide concentrate by chlorination with elemental chlorine in presence of oxygen is reported. Recovery of nickel and copper values associated with the sulfide concentrate by suitably treating the residue obtained after chlorination is also reported. In the chlorination process, a gaseous mixture of chlorine and oxygen in the volume ratio bf 2:5 has been passed at 1.66 x 10- 5 m3/s for 1800 s over a 0.01 kg batch of molysulfide concentrate at a temperature of 573°K. Most of the molybdenum has been volatilized as molybdenum oxychloride which has subsequently been extracted in water. The molybdenum value from the aqueous solution has been recovered in the form of calcium molybdate (CaO.MoO3) by treatment with calcium chloride (CaCI2). In an alternative processing scheme, the molybdenum rich solution has been treated with an oxidizing agent (K2S20f.J) and allowed to boil to recover a major portion of the molybdenum value in the form of molybdic oxide (MOOS). The spent charge obtained after molysulfide chlorination has been mixed with about 1 wt % sodium chloride and heated at 773K under an oxygen atmosphere. The reacted mass has been water-leached to yield a nickel-copper bearing solution with limited iron. The process liquor appears to be well suited for further processing by known hydrometallurgical recovery processes for nickel and copper. In the conventional process of molybdenum extraction, the molysulfide concentrate (-59% Mo) is first subjected to roasting to produce molybdic oxide. The oxide is then further processed in sequential steps involving vacuum distillation, ammonia leaching, and calcination to higher purity prior to hydrogen reduction to metal. In India there is at present some small tonnage production of molysulfide concentrate from a byproduct recovery plant of the M/s. Uranium Corp. of India Ltd. (M/s UCIL), Bihar. Efforts are being made at this laboratory to process the low grade fraction of the concentrate which contains sulfides of copper, nickel, and iron; quartz; and chlorites. Here, the conventional routes involving roasting and vacuum distillation appear unsuitable to produce an acceptable quality of molybdic oxide at high recoveries. Formation during roasting molybdates of some of the impurities present in the sulfide concentrate make subsequent vacuum distillation less efficient. In view of these problems, in earlier work reported from this laboratory the low grade concentrate has been processed hydrometallurgically to P. produce calcium molybdate. Starting from this molybdenum intermediate, processes have also been developed for the production of molybdenum and ferromolybdenum. Chlorination as an alternative to roasting for metal sulfides has been drawing considerable interest. The high reactivity of chlorine, the relatively low temperature of operation, the suitability of application to low grade resources, the convenience of recovering sulfur in non-polluting form, and the purity of chlorides which are separated by distillation all favor chlorination. In recent years, considerable work has been reported on the chlorination of common metal sulfides. In the field of molybdenum extraction from its sulfide resource, use of chlorination technology has been rather limited. Senderoff and Labrie3 were the first to chlorinate molysulfide concentrate with elemental chlorine at about 823°K to molybdenum pentachloride for use in the electrolytic preparation of molybdenum. The only other reported work, by Haver, Uchida and Wong, involved reaction between molysulfide and chlorine at 673°K to recover sulfur. The reaction products were, however, identified as molybdenum pentachloride and sulfur monochloride.

Jan 1, 1979

By David C. N. Cockburn

INTRODUCTION This paper analyses certain of the financial considerations which will commonly apply in relation to the following questions: - what equity structure or project vehicle should be adopted for the exploration and/or exploitation of a project by more than one unrelated participant? - what vehicle should be adopted by a participant for its participation in a multiparty project? Due to local, politically motivated laws in certain jurisdictions, or due to the overriding requirements of a dominant participant, there may be little choice of the underlying multiparty structure which may be adopted for the exploration, appraisal and/or development phases of a project. Nevertheless, even in such circumstances, attention should be given, at least in the preparation of the related documentation, or in considering methods of participating or funding the project, to certain of the points discussed below. This discussion of financial considerations in the context of the more commonly adopted multiparty structures concentrates primarily on fiscal, financial accounting, financing and funding aspects. TYPES OF PROJECT VEHICLE FOR MULTIPARTY INTERESTS The well known types of vehicle adopted for the participation in a project by more than one participant (assuming that the participants are effectively unrelated) are as follows. Joint Venture (unincorporated joint venture) By far the most commonly adopted structure for mining ventures, a joint venture is usually defined and documented in terms to distinguish it from a partnership for important tax and legal reasons. In essence, this is a contractual association of more than one participant to carry out a specific commercial project or purpose. The relationship between the separate participants and their respective rights, interests, obligations and liabilities are agreed between the participants in one or more contracts (viz Joint Venture Agreements or Joint Operating Agreements together with ancillary documentation). Unlike other project vehicles of participation, in most jurisdictions there is no specific body of law governing joint ventures. The participants thus enjoy contractual freedom to negotiate whatever deal they may wish between themselves. Jointly-Owned Project Company (corporate joint venture) A very familiar vehicle, this is a separate and distinct legal and tax entity incorporated under the company laws of the place of incorporation to undertake specific objects, and granted specific powers, in relation to the Project. Although certain rights, interests and obligations may be circumscribed in the governing corporate instruments by the promoter participants, the corporation laws of the relevant place of incorporation, and the selection of such governing laws (assuming freedom of choice) and future political changes in such corporate laws, should be carefully considered. The use of a company in a multiparty structure may be peripheral to the project itself as a specific purpose vehicle (for example, a joint sales agent or marketing company or a joint borrowing vehicle) or it may form a central function such as in the case of a tolling company which will own the project for legal and taxation purposes and raise financing with the backing of the shareholder participants commonly by the adoption of take-off, throughput and/or user agreements. Partnership This is a legal relationship, subject to the often wide-sweeping restrictions of the relevant local partnership laws, under which the participants have agreed to carry on a business venture together with a view to profit. The effect of the relevant partnership laws, as well as the various types of partnerships and the

Jan 1, 1985