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By C. E. MacQuigg

BY and large the education of the engineer has been conservative and the reasons for this are obvious. Quite properly it has been a tradition of engineering education that facts and not fancies must be adhered to. Without a doubt, those men who formed the mold of our engineering philosophy as much as it is possible for such molds to be established-rightly held the highest standards of intellectual honesty. Fortunately, it was unthinkable to them to temporize with untried theories and naturally the men whom they trained as engineering educators carry this philosophy in turn to their students, thus handing down the tradition of stability.

Jan 1, 1943

By Richard Birk

Rf sputtered quartz has been successfully used in multilayer interconnects for MOS devices. The target potential was 2000 v peak to peak with a frequency of 13.56 Mc per sec. The sputtering rate was approximately 60A per min with an operating pressure of argon gas at 10 to 15 p. The dielectric strength is 8.0 x 10' v per cm and the pinhole density is less than 2 x 10-2 per sq mm. Infrared absorption peaks for the Si-O vibrational bands we at 9.4, 12.4, and at 22.5 p. The etch rate of the sputtered SiO2 is 1200A per min. MOS devices have been fabricated using multilayer interconnects with no degradation of electrical characteristics. MULTILAYER interconnects require an insdating film between the metal layers which can be deposited below any potential eutectic temperature. Sputtered Si4, which can be deposited with substrate temperatures below 200°C, satisfactorily meets the multilayer insulation requirements and has been used to prepare MOS circuits with multilayer interconnects. The physical and electrical properties of rf sput-

Jan 1, 1969

By Albert Sauveur

MY FIRST paper dealing with the theories of the hardening of steel by rapid cooling was published in the Transactions of this Institute in 1896-30 years ago-under the title "The Microstructure of Steel and the Current Theories of Hardening;" hence, also, the title of the present paper. It was extensively discussed and was, I believe, one of the starting points of many subsequent papers and discussions of the same subject, discusssions which at times became almost violent and which led to the formation of different schools such as the "Carbonists" and the "Allotropists." Some of the older members of the Institute, who took part in the debate or who were interested observers, will, I am sure, have kept a vivid remembrance of it. The controversy gradually quieted down, apparently for lack of ammunition, without any side acknowledging defeat. Recently, however, interest in it has been revived through the claims of some that these vexed questions had at last been solved. In an effort to ascertain if possible the prevailing view of those best qualified to express an opinion a questionnaire was submitted to the following gentlemen: J. 0. Arnold Sir Robert Hadfield Edgar C. Bain W. H. Hatfield Carl Benedicks Samuel L. Hoyt N. Belaiew Kotaro Honda H. M. Boylston Zay Jeffries Harry Brearley H. Le Chatelier G. K. Burgess H. H. Lester William Campbell Francis F. Lucas H. C. H. Carpenter John A. Mathews Pierre Chevenard A. McCance P. Dejean Albert Portevin C. A. Edwards Walter Rosenhain F. Giolliti Bradley Stoughton G. Grenet F. C. Thompson Leon Guillet

Jan 2, 1926

By George J. Young

Discussion of the paper of George J. Young, presented at the San Francisco meeting, October, 1911, and published in Bulletin No. 59, November, 1911, pp. 839 to 872. ASKIN M. NlCHOLAS, Melbourne, Australia (communication to the Secretary) : * Professor Young deals with quite a variety of machines and methods, but, strangely enough, makes no mention of the work done by me, although he concludes with the remark that the " thin-cake continuous filters are a decided improvement over the thick-cake filters." As those interested in slime-treatment may consider that I did nothing more than to patent a process, I submit Fig. 1, showing the working-drawings of a machine, made, tested, and proved to work satisfactorily by me early in 1905. This time is prior to any work done in slime-filtration with rotating filters by E. L. Oliver or others. I maintain that a number of appliances now in use for slime-filtration infringe my patents. And after most exhaustive inquiry, I know of no machine or process, prior to my description in 1899,1 that embodied getting rid of the residues by holding them on the cloth with the vacuum, and then discharging them with back-pressure, so as to form a cycle of the operation, the result being continuous treatment. I therefore think that any paper dealing exhaustively with this subject is not complete without a reference to the work that I have done. * Received Mar. 11, 1912. 1 U. S. Patent No. 619,211, Feb. 7, 1899.

Aug 1, 1912

By G. W. Traer

THE distillation of bituminous coals at what is commonly termed low temperature, and the quantities, nature and adaptabilities of the products have been the subject of considerable experimentation, during recent years. Fortunately, the earlier work in this country was done by men whose scientific training qualified them properly to record and interpret the results of-their experiments. The work of Prof. Parr, of the University of Illinois, is especially notable in this respect. Prof. Parr's work, added to that of English experimenters, demonstrated certain things to a degree which is generally regarded as convincing. They have proved that a caking bituminous coal, when subjected to a temperature of not more than 1000° F. (preferably somewhat less) will yield light tar having low specific gravity (about 1.06) and high value; also, that this yield, with a given coal, will depend upon the percentage of hydrocarbons in the coal, the maximum temperature used, and the promptness with which the distillate gases are removed. It is assumed that air is excluded from the retort, and that the coal is subjected to heat for a sufficient time to drive off all of the tarry hydrocarbons. The results attained in the first, or low-temperature stage of the Carbocoal process, recently described by C. T. Malcolmson, corroborate these general principles. It is the purpose of the writer to describe other work of a practical nature, directed toward the commercial adaptation of these principles, which was begun nearly two years ago; this investigation was assisted by A. J. Sayers, of the Link-Belt Co., and Carl Scholz.

Jan 9, 1918

By Ernest A. Hersam

The advantages of the tri-axial diagram in representing the composition of slags and silicates are well appreciated by many metallurgists. Prof. H. M. Howe* has pointed out the application of a fourth variable, in connection with the diagram, and has called attention to the usefulness of the general systern of tri-axial representation. In the discussion of Prof. Howe's paper, Mr. Firmstone† indicated how certain distances could be measured directly by projection. Prof. R. H. Thurston,‡ as early as 1877, had made use of a typtic model and of triangular diagrams, with contour-lines, rekrresenting varying physical properties corresponding to varying chemical composition. Still earlier, Prof. J. Willard Gibbs§ had used the diagram in similar work; and other scientists were thought by him to have preceded him in its use. During the period of nearly a quarter-century, following these early publications, there has been an ever-increasing use of graphic methods in numerous branches of scientific work, stimulated, in part, by the possibility of representation by three co-ordinates upon plane-surfaces. Yet the number of possible co-ordinates for graphic representation has always been, and always must be, insufficient to express many facts which are shown mathematically; while, without graphic representation, the involved nature of mathematical expression often fails to facilitate and promote research. The coming into use, therefore, of the fourth co-ordinate, permitting representation by four variables, marks but the beginning of some lines of research which could not well advance without this aid.

Jan 1, 1902

By W. J. Wrazej

THE measurements on the formation of multi-layered scales on pure iron1 and the metal -lographic examination of the produced layer of FeO, Fe,O,, and Fe2O3 shown in micrographs2 throw much interesting light on this apparently well-known subject. Professor Paidassi announced2 that in a few months7 time further results are going to be published with regard to the growth of Fe2O3 and Fe2O3 layers on an Armco iron as a function of temperature. Because of the very thin layers of Fe2O3 which are shown by Paidassi (Fig. 10 of ref. 2) when samples were scaled in air at 700°C for 4 hr and because this is not in agreement with the present author's previous observations, the following experiment was recently carried out. Polished cylindrical samples 13/64 in. in diam and 1/4 in. long from electrolytic iron used for spectro-graphic work (Hilger, H.S. Iron rods, F.693) and an Armco iron sample 1/4 in. in diam of the same length were suspended in a muffle furnace on Nichrome wire and annealed in air for 4 hr at 700°C 5OC. Because of the known easy peeling off of the Fe2O3 layer which is mainly in the form of powder (purple red dust on the surface) the samples were protected against any draft and shock. After annealing, the samples were cooled in air and placed in the mount-

Jan 1, 1954

By AIME AIME

THE meeting" of the Rare Minerals and Metals Committee was held Monday afternoon, Feb. 17; Donald M. Lidclell, chairman, presiding. The first paper (T. P. 279), "Progress in the Use of Tantalum," by George W. Sears, was read by Mr. Smyth. Dr. Sears' paper contains an interesting summary of the uses, alloys and ores of tantalum and a resume of present method of reduction. The uses of tantalum is based on its extreme rise to the reaction of even the strong mineral acids, its great avidity for the common gases and its capacity for transforming alternating to direct current. Tantalum, as an alloy material, has received considerable study and many alloys have been reported. Among them three types appear to .be most prominent, alloys of high melting point, hard alloys and acid rising alloys. As the estimated quantity of tantalum in the earth's crust is less than that of gold, it must be looked upon as n rare metal. Australia is the greatest producer and the Black Hills of South Dakota produce minor amounts. As the one type of mineral available contains both tantalum and columbium, the extracting and metallurgy of tantalum are difficult chemical processes. Greater simplicity in this and the development of a market for columbium would undoubtedly be of great benefit to the tantalum industry, andl make for a greater use of tantalum produced.

Jan 1, 1930

By P. D. Merica

The remarkable phenomena exhibited by the aluminum alloy known as duralumin were discovered during the years 1903-1911 by A. Wilm1,2 and have been described by him and by others. 3 4 5 6 The unusual feature of this alloy is the fact, as was shown by Wilm, that it can be hardened quite appreciably by quenching from temperatures below its melting point followed by aging at ordinary temperatures, which consists merely f allowing the material to stand at these temperatures. The hardness is not produced by the quenching alone but increases during the period of aging, which may be from one to three days. Cohn3, 5 gives data showing the increase of hardness of duralumin during aging, after quenching in water from about 450° C. Upon annealing, the alloy so hardened by aging is softened exactly as is hardened steel. The composition of this alloy usually varies within the following limits: Copper, 3 to 4.5 per cent.; magnesium, 0.4 to 1.0 per cent.; manganese, 0 to 0.7 per cent.; aluminum, balance; iron (as impurities), 0.4 to 1 per cent.; silicon, 0.3 to 0.6 per cent. Its density is about 2.85. It is used only in the forged or rolled condition. This alloy has been produced for some years commercially and is in demand for the fabrication of parts for which both lightness and strength are required, such as for aircraft. Its tensile strength will average 50,000 to 60,000 lb. per. sq. in. (3515 to 4218, kg. per sq. cm.) after appropriate heat treatment, such as that described by Wilm.

Jan 6, 1919

By J. A. Fulton

GOLD was discovered in the Sierra Nevada by J. W. Marshall on Jan. 2, 1848. The town: of Grass Valley soon sprang up and contained several stores in 1849; but the population of the town has always reflected the fluctuations in quartz mining. Gold-bearing quartz was found on Gold Hill in September 1850, and in the next two years most of the quartz bearing veins in the vicinity were located. At first, the quartz was crushed in mortars with spring poles; the Huff Co. took out $20,000 in this manner during the winter and spring of 1851. The first mill was put up in January, 1851. In 1866, there .were in Grass Valley 248 stamps, crushing 71,420 tons of ore with an average yield of $30 to $35; in Nevada City, there were 142 stamps, crushing 14,200, tons, with an average value of $25. But in 1918, only two properties in. this region, the Empire and the North Star, were producing. Since then, there has. been a revival of mining in the district and the following properties are being opened up: The Golden Center, Grass Valley Gold. Mines CO , Idaho-Maryland Mines Co., while the Sultana is kept unwatered and work is going on in a half dozen small properties.

Jan 2, 1926

By Linn M. Farish

The reported production of petroleum in the Dominion of Canada for 1930 was 1,555,199 bbl., an increase of 455,373 bbl. over 1929. Alberta accounted for nearly all the production with Ontario and New Brunswick, the other two productive provinces, contributing less than 1 per cent, of the total. The completion of about 25 producing wells in Alberta was more than sufficient to offset the decline of the older wells in that province and the small decline in Ontario. The production of about 5000 bbl. in New Brunswick represents a restricted output to meet the market demand. Table 1 shows the production by provinces for the past 10 years. The consumption of natural gas for all purposes in Canada reached a new record of practically 40,000,000,000 cu. ft. in 1930, which was a considerable increase over 1929. The estimated value of the gas output was $10,500,000, against a little over $5,000,000 for the total petroleum production. Gas wells in Alberta accounted for over 75 per cent. of the total, with Ontario second and New Brunswick a poor third. The outlook for 1931 is for very little change in production of either gas or oil in Ontario and New Brunswick but for a substantial increase in both in Alberta.

Jan 1, 1931

By Victor Formanek, Paul Chataignon, Maurice Rey

IT is found when floating oxidized lead ores by sulphidization, that the presence of calcium salts in the water, is usually detrimental and lowers the recovery. This effect is particularly marked in dry countries such as North Africa, where the waters often carry large amounts of calcium sulphate and where the ore may even contain gypsum. The effect of calcium salts is readily visible. Whereas in their absence cerussite is quickly stained brown and then black by sodium sulphide, in their presence the mineral remains very light in color. A similar effect is produced when barium sulphide is used as a sulphidizing agent instead of sodium sulphide. Magnesium salts have little or no effect and even tend to reduce the detrimental effect of calcium salts. A study of this phenomenon indicates that it is due to the precipitation of calcium or barium carbonate in contact with the mineral simultaneously with the formation of lead sulphide. The chemical reactions can be interpreted as: PbCO3 + Na2S = PbS + Na2CO3 CaSO4 + Na2CO3 = CaCO3 + Na2 SO4 They might also be written: PbCO3 + S = + Ca++ = PbS + CaCO3 The precipitation of calcium carbonate can be followed by the lowering of the pH with which it is accompanied. Magnesium carbonate is more soluble than calcium carbonate and usually does not precipitate under the conditions prevailing. It is interesting to note that calcium salts have no effect on anglesite (lead sulphate) because calcium sulphate is soluble, but barium salts hinder the sulphidization of anglesite because of the precipitation of barium sulphate. Remedies When calcium sulphate is present in large amounts, the softening of the water with soda ash is usually too expensive to be considered, but the precipitation of the objectionable calcium carbonate can be prevented in two different ways. One is the use of sodium hydrosulphide instead of sodium sulphide. This salt gives a lower pH than sodium sulphide and does not bring about the immediate precipitation of the calcium which remains in solution as calcium bicarbonate. The other procedure is to add ammonium salts such as the sulphate or chloride which have the property of increasing markedly the solubility of calcium carbonate. Ammonium salts have other effects such as cutting down conditioning time and accelerating flotation. They should be added to the flotation cells rather than to the ball mills. Table I. Effect of Sodium Hydrosulphide and/or Ammonium Sulphate on the Flotation of Two Oxidized Lead Ores Mibladen Ore4 La Plagne Ored Con- Tall- Con- Tail-centrate ing centrate ing Reagents Pb, Pct Pb, Pct Pb, Pct Pb, Pot Without addition of CaSO, NaS 56.0 0.68 43.4 0.65 NaSH 56.2 0.60 40.4 0.50 Na2S + (NH4)2SO4d 54.6 0.56 NaSH + (NH4)2SO4d 43.0 0.66 With addition of 40 lb/ton CaSO4 Na2S 39.4 3.85 34.0 3.21 NaSH 49.1 0.70 49.6 0.88 Na2S + (NH4)2SO4d 53.9 0.85 NaSH + (NH4)2SO4d 51.0 0.45 41.1 0.78 In table I are given the results of representative tests on two different oxidized ores. They show that the strongly detrimental effects of calcium sulphate can be offset by the two procedures outlined above. Sodium hydrosulphide is now used regularly on a mill scale on certain ores. Tests are being carried out with ammonium salts. It should be noted that malachite is subject to influences similar to cerussite. One final word of caution—when the ore is rich in primary slime, which is flocculated by the calcium salts, it may be indispensable to remove these by washing or precipitation with sodium carbonate instead of keeping them in solution by the above methods. Acknowledgment We wish to thank Socibtk Miniere & Metallurgique de Penarroya and Minerais et Metaux, for permission to publish these results.

Jan 1, 1951

By Maurice Rey, Victor Formanek, Paul Chataignon

IT is found when floating oxidized lead ores by sulphidization, that the presence of calcium salts in the water, is usually detrimental and lowers the recovery. This effect is particularly marked in dry countries such as North Africa, where the waters often carry large amounts of calcium sulphate and where the ore may even contain gypsum. The effect of calcium salts is readily visible. Whereas in their absence cerussite is quickly stained brown and then black by sodium sulphide, in their presence the mineral remains very light in color. A similar effect is produced when barium sulphide is used as a sulphidizing agent instead of sodium sulphide. Magnesium salts have little or no effect and even tend to reduce the detrimental effect of calcium salts. A study of this phenomenon indicates that it is due to the precipitation of calcium or barium carbonate in contact with the mineral simultaneously with the formation of lead sulphide. The chemical reactions can be interpreted as: PbCO3 + Na2S = PbS + Na2CO3 CaSO4 + Na2CO3 = CaCO3 + Na2 SO4 They might also be written: PbCO3 + S = + Ca++ = PbS + CaCO3 The precipitation of calcium carbonate can be followed by the lowering of the pH with which it is accompanied. Magnesium carbonate is more soluble than calcium carbonate and usually does not precipitate under the conditions prevailing. It is interesting to note that calcium salts have no effect on anglesite (lead sulphate) because calcium sulphate is soluble, but barium salts hinder the sulphidization of anglesite because of the precipitation of barium sulphate. Remedies When calcium sulphate is present in large amounts, the softening of the water with soda ash is usually too expensive to be considered, but the precipitation of the objectionable calcium carbonate can be prevented in two different ways. One is the use of sodium hydrosulphide instead of sodium sulphide. This salt gives a lower pH than sodium sulphide and does not bring about the immediate precipitation of the calcium which remains in solution as calcium bicarbonate. The other procedure is to add ammonium salts such as the sulphate or chloride which have the property of increasing markedly the solubility of calcium carbonate. Ammonium salts have other effects such as cutting down conditioning time and accelerating flotation. They should be added to the flotation cells rather than to the ball mills. Table I. Effect of Sodium Hydrosulphide and/or Ammonium Sulphate on the Flotation of Two Oxidized Lead Ores Mibladen Ore4 La Plagne Ored Con- Tall- Con- Tail-centrate ing centrate ing Reagents Pb, Pct Pb, Pct Pb, Pct Pb, Pot Without addition of CaSO, NaS 56.0 0.68 43.4 0.65 NaSH 56.2 0.60 40.4 0.50 Na2S + (NH4)2SO4d 54.6 0.56 NaSH + (NH4)2SO4d 43.0 0.66 With addition of 40 lb/ton CaSO4 Na2S 39.4 3.85 34.0 3.21 NaSH 49.1 0.70 49.6 0.88 Na2S + (NH4)2SO4d 53.9 0.85 NaSH + (NH4)2SO4d 51.0 0.45 41.1 0.78 In table I are given the results of representative tests on two different oxidized ores. They show that the strongly detrimental effects of calcium sulphate can be offset by the two procedures outlined above. Sodium hydrosulphide is now used regularly on a mill scale on certain ores. Tests are being carried out with ammonium salts. It should be noted that malachite is subject to influences similar to cerussite. One final word of caution—when the ore is rich in primary slime, which is flocculated by the calcium salts, it may be indispensable to remove these by washing or precipitation with sodium carbonate instead of keeping them in solution by the above methods. Acknowledgment We wish to thank Socibtk Miniere & Metallurgique de Penarroya and Minerais et Metaux, for permission to publish these results.

Jan 1, 1951

By L. L. Peterson, W. C. Morgan

This paper discusses some of the problems involved in predicting the productivity of a shovel and truck fleet in a new set of operating conditions. More specifically, it concentrates on the problems of predicting the travel times on the haul and return portions of the truck cycle under new profile conditions and the prediction of the interaction effect between the shovel and truck at the loading point. The ability to calculate the travel times for a new road profile is not new. Additional corrections of these calculated times for expected actual operation can be made. In considering the interaction between the loader and the hauler, there are two approaches that can be taken. Probably the most accurate method of predicting the shovel-truck interaction is a simulation of the step-by-step operation considering the variation in cycle times of the shovel and trucks. This is usually called a stochastic simulation and requires input describing how these cycle times vary. However, by understanding the causes of this shovel-truck interaction it is possible to make sufficiently accurate predictions with much simpler methods. Haulage Cycle Established from Existing Operations For the purpose of this discussion let us assume that the problem involves trying to predict the productivity of a single shovel-truck fleet at some future time in an existing operation. Let us also assume for simplification that the new operation to be simulated has the same loading and pit conditions and the same dumping conditions as did the existing operation. Therefore, the only difference would be the difference in the hauling profile for the new operation. The problem then becomes one of predicting the change in the travel times on the haul and return portions of the cycle, and in determining the change in interaction between and the shovel and trucks with the new truck cycle times.

Jan 12, 1968

By Hjalmar W. Johnson

It has long been accepted that blastfurnace practice varies to some degree with the coke used. While the qualities desirablc in iron have been known for some time, the qualities in coke that produce such iron have not been established. There are no objective standards for blast-furnace coke, which is usually described in general terms, as good or bad. Many experienced operators believe that coke cannot be measured objectively except by using it in the furnace, noting the result, and labeling the coke according to furnace operations. This is admittedly unscientific, and besides is useless for the two main purposes for which a measure of coke quality is needed: (I) to produce the best possible coke from the coals and equipment on hand; (2) to test new coals and determine their value for blast-furnace coke. In seeking such an objective measure, much work has been done on tumbler tests, shatter tests, sizes of coke, porosity, specific gravity, reactivity or combustibility and other tests, but as yet very little has been published in which conclusive correlations have been established between such objective measures and furnace operation. In our study of the problem during the past 8 years we have developed no new measures of coke quality, but we have collected data that are presented here in the hope that they may assist in further work, so that at some future time there may be developed such positive measures. The purpose of this paper is to show that there are variations in coke and that such variations do influence the operation of blast furnaces. At the same time we must remember that there are variations in blastfurnace operation and it may be the blast furnace that is at fault. This correlation of coke properties with blast-furnace operation will be worked out in the following steps: . Discussion of a period when a change in the coke resulted in an increase in efficiency on one furnace and a decrease in efficiency on another. 2. Adaptation of the inefficient furnace to the available coke so that normal efficiency was restored. 3. The use of radial distribution: a discussion of the effect of size of ore layer in adapting blast-furnace operation to the coke. 4. An example of a change in size of coke and the detrimental influence on the pro duction of one furnace. 5. An example of a change in size of coke, together with manufacturing data, to show why it changed, the conclusion being that coke is a product with an optimum value. 6. Illustration of the fact that coke has different optimum values on two furnaces, with discussion on adaptation of operation so the optimum values will be the same. 7. Limitations of the use of screen tests as an objective measure of coke quality. 8. Importance of uniformity in coke. Functions of Coke and Qualities Required to Perform These Functions Coke has three important functions in a blast furnace: (I) to furnish most of the

Jan 1, 1942

By Hjalmar W. Johnson

It has long been accepted that blastfurnace practice varies to some degree with the coke used. While the qualities desirablc in iron have been known for some time, the qualities in coke that produce such iron have not been established. There are no objective standards for blast-furnace coke, which is usually described in general terms, as good or bad. Many experienced operators believe that coke cannot be measured objectively except by using it in the furnace, noting the result, and labeling the coke according to furnace operations. This is admittedly unscientific, and besides is useless for the two main purposes for which a measure of coke quality is needed: (I) to produce the best possible coke from the coals and equipment on hand; (2) to test new coals and determine their value for blast-furnace coke. In seeking such an objective measure, much work has been done on tumbler tests, shatter tests, sizes of coke, porosity, specific gravity, reactivity or combustibility and other tests, but as yet very little has been published in which conclusive correlations have been established between such objective measures and furnace operation. In our study of the problem during the past 8 years we have developed no new measures of coke quality, but we have collected data that are presented here in the hope that they may assist in further work, so that at some future time there may be developed such positive measures. The purpose of this paper is to show that there are variations in coke and that such variations do influence the operation of blast furnaces. At the same time we must remember that there are variations in blastfurnace operation and it may be the blast furnace that is at fault. This correlation of coke properties with blast-furnace operation will be worked out in the following steps: . Discussion of a period when a change in the coke resulted in an increase in efficiency on one furnace and a decrease in efficiency on another. 2. Adaptation of the inefficient furnace to the available coke so that normal efficiency was restored. 3. The use of radial distribution: a discussion of the effect of size of ore layer in adapting blast-furnace operation to the coke. 4. An example of a change in size of coke and the detrimental influence on the pro duction of one furnace. 5. An example of a change in size of coke, together with manufacturing data, to show why it changed, the conclusion being that coke is a product with an optimum value. 6. Illustration of the fact that coke has different optimum values on two furnaces, with discussion on adaptation of operation so the optimum values will be the same. 7. Limitations of the use of screen tests as an objective measure of coke quality. 8. Importance of uniformity in coke. Functions of Coke and Qualities Required to Perform These Functions Coke has three important functions in a blast furnace: (I) to furnish most of the

Jan 1, 1942

By Rollin E. Hook, Attwell M. Adair

The response of CrzO3 and C~304 to various heat treatments was studied in are-melted iodide chromizim over the temperature range 1000" to 1750°C. These oxides, which are present as impurity phases in this material, were identified by X-ray diffraction teclzniques which were supplemented by optical metallop-aphy. As a function of increasing temperature, Crs04 is first observable in samples annealed at 1300°C and coexists with Cr2O3 (the low-temperature oxide) over a temperature range exceeding 200°C. As the temperature decreases, Cr3O4 dissolves with the concomitant precipttation of Cr2Y2. Both oxides precipitate predominantly at pain boundaries. The reactions which occur are involved with at least ternary equilibria, possibly due to iron which is present as an impurity in arc-melted iodide chromium. HILTY, Forgeng, and Folkman' reported in their investigation of the Fe-Cr-0 system that Cr3O4 (with about 8 pct Fe substituted for chromium) is a primary phase found in alloys with 9 or more pct Cr. They reported that this phase is stable only at high temperatures and that below the liquidus Cr3O4 is disproportionated into Cr2O3 and chromium-rich metal for both Fe-Cr-O alloys and in oxygen saturated pure chromium. Further, they proposed that CrsO4 forms by a peritectic reaction between Cr2O3 and the liquid. On the other hand, Hook, Garrett, and Adair2 found in their investigation of impurity phases formed in "pure" chromium (material consolidated from iodide chromium crystals) that Cr3O4 forms intergranularly and is stable as low as 1500°C which is 375OC below the melting point of chromium. The purpose of the research described herein is to determine the temperature range of stability of Cr3O4, and to show the nature of its decomposition. This further investigation indicates that Cr3O4 undoubtedly occurs in this material as low as 1300°C. The chromium studied was consolidated and fabricated from iodide chromium crystals (ICr-5) and contained Fe r 135 ppm, Si = 20 to 100 ppm, and 0 = 35 to 137 ppm. A complete chemical analysis is given elsewhere.' Annealing was conducted in 1 atm of purified helium and all samples were rapidly cooled (-200°C per sec) by withdrawing them from the furnace hot zone under a high flow rate of helium. The details of the electrolytic-etching technique and electrolytic-digestion techniques for preparation of insoluble residues for X-ray examination are given elsewhere also.' EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS The Starting Material. The as-swaged rod (final swaging done at 900°C) had a wrought grain structure and contained a dispersion of CrzO3 inclusions of maximum particle size of about 2 or 3 p, Fig. 1. The microstructure also contained a dispersed

Jan 1, 1964

By E. J. Rapperport, J. P. Pemsler

The thermodynamic activities of zinc in six solid solution Cu-Zn alloys ranging from 5 to 35 at. pct Zn were determined experimentally in the temperature range 400° to 600°C. This low temperature investigation was canducted in order to evaluate techniques developed to utilize the inherently high sensitivity of atomic absorption flocesses in the measurement of thermodynamic activities. Analytical expressions ,for the activity and actizlity coeflcient are given for the six alloys in the temperature ranges investigated. RELATIVELY few experimental methods are available for investigation of thermodynamic activities of alloys, especially in the solid state. The techniques most frequently used have been the electrochemical potential and the effusion methods, both of which have severe limitations in many instances. It is therefore desirable to expand the ability to perform such measurements in order to obtain new information as well as to provide an additional independent verification capability. In this work, we present a significant improvement in the spectrophotometric method for sensing small vapor pressures in static absorption cells. Similar techniques have been used previously;1"5 however, applications had been limited to relatively high pressures, often greater than 1 torr. Prior investigators have, for the most part, used broad spectral sources such as xenon or mercury lamps, and high intensity arcs. Hollow cathode sources were first suggested in 1956 6 and were used soon afterwards.4'5 These sources offer significant improvements in sensitivity and freedom from interfering spectral lines.'-' EXPERIMENTAL High purity zinc was obtained from Cominco Products, Inc., and copper from American Smelting and Refining Co. Both elements were of 99.999 pct purity. Copper-zinc alloys were vacuum melted in a high fired carbon crucible with each alloy pulled from the melt as a 4 -in. diam bar. The bars were swaged to -1/4 in. rods and vacuum annealed for 160 hr at 800° + 1°C. Samples for gross chemical analysis were taken at intervals along the length of the rods to ascertain the axial zinc gradient. Electron microprobe analysis of homogenized specimens indicated that the alloys had uniform compositions over their cross sections on a macro (200 p) and micro (1 u) scale to better than *1 pct (20) of the gross composition. This tolerance was determined by counting statistics, rather than assured composition fluctuations. All SiO 2 windows were high-ultraviolet-transmission grade to minimize intensity losses. Silica absorption cells were scrupulously cleaned consecutively in organic solvents, dilute HF, and distilled water before use. The empty cells were then flamed while under a dynamic vacuum, cooled, and removed to an argon-filled glove bag. Alloy pieces were cut and filed in the glove bag to produce fresh surfaces, and then loaded into the cells. The loaded cells were temporarily sealed, removed from the glove bag, reevacuated to 10-5 torr or better, and permanently sealed. The instrument used is schematically shown in Fig. 1. The spectral emission from a commercially made hollow cathode lamp (A) of a selected element is focused through an absorption cell (B) inside a well-controlled furnace (C). The intensity of the transmitted beam is measured using the spectrometer* (D) 'Techtron model AA4 atomic absorption spectrometer. which contains a grating (E) that disperses the light prior to impingement on the photomultiplier (F). The monochromator grating is adjusted so that only the wavelength of interest is measured. The power supply delivered an interrupted voltage to the lamp, causing a chopped radiation output to be transmitted. The detector read only the intermittent component of radiation incident upon it, so that all continuous noise signals (furnace radiation, and so forth) were eliminated. Three recording thermocouples contained in the muffle furnace were positioned along the length of the absorption cell: one at each end and one at the center. An effort was made to keep the ends of the cell several degrees hotter than the center to avoid window condensate. Appropriate thermal corrections were then necessary to relate cell pressure to radiation attenuation. Water-cooled heat shields, as shown in Fig. 1, were found to aid signal stability by protecting the hollow cathode and the photomultiplier from furnace radiation. The furnace had a 2-in. diam muffle, Kan-thal wound, with SiO 2 windows at its ends to minimize convective effects. The hollow cathode radiation was masked and focused to form a conic beam that was a maximum of { in. diam within the furnace. Thus, the 1.5 in. diam absorption cell easily contained the entire beam. The furnace was mounted on ball-bearing slides with positive positioning detents. This arrangement allowed the removal of the entire furnace assembly from the radiation path, position [I], Fig. 1, so that frequent sampling of the unattenuated beam intensity could be obtained. In all cases the beam intensity was kept constant to 0.1 pct as judged by readings taken immediately before and immediately after data collection. Only data for absorptions of less than 80 pct were utilized, as systematic deviations from linearity were found for greater absorptions.

Jan 1, 1970

By Louis Ware

At the beginning of the present war, the United States faced the need to multiply its production of magnesium metal almost roo times within the shortest possible period. Urgently needed for construction of military aircraft, incendiary bombs, and other war uses, magnesium was at the top of the list of critical war materials. Up to that time only one Producer, employing Only One process and using One raw material in a single plant, represented this country's entire Production capacity. It was immediately desirable to plan a numher of plants located strategically over the Count'Y and to expand an industry more rapidly and to a greater extent than ever before had been attempted in so short a time. In '939 this American producer, the Dow Chemical .9 was making about 7 million Pounds of magnesium metal. It utilized as a raw material brine containing magnesium chloride, which was pumped from wells in Michigan. The logical ap-preach to certain increased production was to employ the same process on the same raw material in other sections of the United States. In Europe and other countries, different processes had been used and different raw materials were being utilized, but all of the skill and knowledge for production in this country was that of using the Dow type of cell and magnesium chloride as a raw material. The Government was testing other processes, but none then had been proved commercially feasible. Development OF New Process The International Minerals and Chemical Corporation had available a large quantity of magnesium ,chloride at Carls-bad, New Mexico, contained in the end liquor produced from its potash plant sillce the buildng of the plant in 1941 It was the only company mining commercially a magnesium ore and having anything like this quantity of magnesium chloride liquor. The magnesium ore, langbeinite, was being mined from the 800-ft. level for its content of potassium sulphate. This ore, a potassium magnesium sulphate, was reacted in a base exchange plant with potassium chloride to produce potassium sulphate, the discharge liquor having a high content of magnesium chloride. Three potash-producing companies are in the Carlsbad area, but only International has developed and is commercially producing the potash-magnesium ores. The lower, or No. 4, veil, in that area is potassium chloride ore, and is continuous through all the properties. The langbeinite, or No. 2, vein is minable at the International property, but occurs sparsely, if - at in other areas being mined in that vicinity. It is understood that most of the mag. nesium produced] by Germany comes from magnesium and magnesium-potassium ores obtained from potash mines. It was logical for International to pro-pose to make available this magnesium material and to offer its technical staff to design, construct and manage a magnesium plant for the account of the Government. The plan that finally was adopted by the

Jan 1, 1944

By AIME AIME

I would like to ask Bob Merrill whether he considers that horizontal concave curvature of a slope has any stabilizing effect, such as Jenike 1 suggested several years ago. The stabilizing effect is due to the restraint offered to radial movement by the curvature. We found in laboratory tests that if we constrained the rock with the same stresses as those measured in the pit then it would sustain a maximum stress about two or four times greater than when the same rock type was unconstrained. We are therefore definitely of the opinion that a constrained situation in a slope is favorable towards stability.

Jan 1, 1967