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By J. T. Norton, Joseph Gurland

IN spite of the extended use and high state of practical development of the cemented tungsten carbides, the structure of these alloys is still a matter of considerable controversy. The characteristic high rigidity and rupture strength of sintered compacts have been attributed to a continuous skeleton of tungsten carbide grains, formed during the sintering process. This view is based mainly on the work of Dawihl and Hinnuber,1 who reported that a sintered compact of 6 pct Co maintained its shape and some of its strength after the binder was leached out with boiling hydrochloric acid. After leaching, only 0.04 pct Co was reported to remain in the compact. They also showed that the assumed increasing discontinuity of such a skeleton, as the cobalt content is increased, could be made to account for the observed discontinuous increase of the coefficients of thermal expansion, the loss of rigidity, and the impaired cutting performance of alloys of more than 10 pct Co. Contradictory evidence was cited by Sanford and Trent,' who mentioned that a sintered compact was destroyed by reacting the binder with zinc and leaching out the resulting Zn-Co alloy. The skeleton theory also does not account for the observed change of strength of sintered compacts as a function of cobalt content. If the skeleton is responsible for the strength, the latter would be expected to decrease with increasing binder content. Actually, the strength increases and reaches a maximum around 20 pct Co. In addition, tungsten carbide is brittle and undoubtedly very notch sensitive. The highest value found in the literature for the transverse rupture strength of pure tungsten carbide prepared by sintering is 80,000 psi.3 herefore, such a skeleton does not easily account for a rupture-strength value of 300,000 psi and higher, commonly found in sint.ered tungsten carbide-cobalt compacts. In view of the conflicting data present in the literature, experiments were undertaken to determine whether the sintering of tungsten carbide-cobalt alloys leads to the formation of a carbide skeleton or whether the densification behavior and the properties of cemented compacts are consistent with a structure of isolated carbide grains in a matrix of binder metal. The specimens were prepared from powders of commercial grade. Tungsten carbide powder ranged in particle size from 0 to 5x10-4 cm. Mixtures of tungsten carbide and cobalt were ball milled in hexane for 48 hr in tungsten carbide lined mills. After milling, the specimens were pressed in a rectangular die (1x1/4x1/4 in.) at 16 tons per sq in. NO pressing lubricant was used. Sintering of the tungsten carbide-cobalt compacts was carried out in a vertical tube furnace equipped with a dilatometer (Fig. I), by means of which the change of length of the powder compacts could be followed from room temperature to 1500°C. An atmosphere of 20 pct H, 80 pct N was maintained inside the furnace. Decarburization of the samples was prevented by the presence of small rings of graphite inside the furnace tube. The temperature of the sample was measured by a platinum-platinum-rhodium thermocouple, which also was part of a temperature control system able to maintain a constant temperature within ±100C. Pure tungsten carbide compacts were prepared by sintering the carbide without binder or by evaporating the binder from sintered compacts in vacuum at 2000°C. Since complete densification of these samples was not desired, they were sintered only to 60 or 80 pct of the theoretical density of tungsten carbide. The specimens were prepared for metallographic examination by polishing with diamond powders and etching with a 10 pct solution of alkaline potassium ferricyanide. Cobalt etches light yellow and the carbide gray. The amount of porosity is exaggerated since it is difficult to avoid tearing out carbide particles, especially from incompletely sintered samples. Experimental Observations A number of specific experiments were carried out in order to study some particular aspect of the sintering problem. The details of these experiments, together with their results, are as follows: Electrolytic Leaching: The binder was removed by electrolytic leaching from sintered tungsten carbide-cobalt compacts for the purpose of determining the continuity of the carbide phase. The method used was based on the work of Cohen and coworkers4 on the electrolytic extraction of carbides from annealed steels. If the sample is made the anode, using a 10 pct hydrochloric acid solution as the electrolyte, the binder is dissolved, but the rate of solution of tungsten carbide is negligible. A current density of 0.2 amp per sq in. was applied. As shown in Fig.

Jan 1, 1953

By V. F. Marsters

THE oil-producing territory of Peru is confined to the province of Tumbes and the department of Piura, located in the extreme northern end of the republic and adjacent to the southern border of Equador. The first real production came from Zorritos field, located on the shore line and in the province of Tumbes. The production of this territory was soon exceeded by that of the Negritos field, also located along the shore line and in the northwest corner of the department of Piura. Talara, lying a short distance north of the original or early producing area was made the shipping port. This field was developed by the London Pacific Petroleum Co.; it is now-operated by the International Petroleum Ltd. (Toronto, Canada). A little later, the Lobitos field came into prominence; it was first exploited by the Lobitos Oil Co. At present, it is operated by the British Oilfields Ltd. This field is located between Talara, on the south, and Zorritos, on the north. It is now the second largest producing area in the country, the Negritos being by far the largest both in area and production. In other parts of Peru, there have been periods of desultory prospecting, particularly in the department of Puno. This work was carried on in the surrounding region of what,is locally known as the "Pirin" field, developed by the Brown Brothers. It lies between Juliaca, a railway junction point and Lake Titicaca. No favorable results from the latest prospecting have been reported. During the past few months, an opinion has been expressed in various journals that it is doubtful if commercial production will be found in the high plains of the Lake Titicaca region. It is, however, due to the Peruvian oil industry to remember that the Pirin field, although covering but a small area, was a fair producer even under adverse circumstances. If the author's interpretation of the geology of the Titicaca section is correct, certain sections of the high plains will be found to be commercially productive, not-withstanding the unfortunate geographical position from the standpoint of transportation; or its elevation.

Jan 3, 1925

By Samuel L. Hoyt

THIS paper gives a short account of plastic deformation as observed in single crystals of zinc, zinc having been selected for the experiments described herein because the phenomena are comparatively so simple and can be studied throughout such a wide range. It is hoped that the paper will serve to show the type of information which studies of single crystals afford and will contribute toward the solution of the general problem of metallic behavior. PRODUCTION OF ZINC SINGLE CRYSTALS The method of Czochralski,1 as modified by von Gomperz,2 was used to produce the crystals studied. The equipment is shown in Fig. 1. Molten zinc is held in a crucible at a temperature which is not far above its melting point, as measured by a pyrometer. A lava disk floats on ,the melt, and is provided with a central hole about 1 mm. in diameter. A glass tube, drawn into a capillary at the lower end, is suspended from a string which is wound up by an electric drive at the speed desired. At the start, the glass capillary is let down into the melt and the hoist is started.. The capillary brings up a small quantity of molten metal with it to a point just above the lava disk. At this point, a jet of hydrogen cools it and causes it to crystallize, with the result that a small crystal forms. As the hoisting is continued, more molten metal is drawn up, in turn to be solidified by the jet of hydrogen. This additional metal continues the growth of the crystal already formed, and a long, cylindrical crystal results. The speed of hoisting used was generally between 0.1 and 0.5 mm. per sec., and the crystals were from 4 to 6 in. long and about 1 mm. in diameter. By varying the conditions, crystals of quite different orientations were obtained and were used in the study of the phenomena to be described.

Jan 1, 1927

By N. E. Holden, R. R. Goodrich

TheRe is a small area about Murray where bedded gold quartz veins occur in Prichard slate. The ore taken from the upper levels, during the early days, was free milling and was treated by stamp milling and amalgamation. There was likewise a considerable placer working. The report is current that tungsten (scheelite) was encountered, which interfered with the amalgamation in the stamp mills and which, in placering, collected in the riffles in the sluice boxes and clogged them. Consequently, in the quartz mines, the scheelite, when encountered, was rejected, being thrown into the waste, sometimes inside the mine and at other times outside on the dump. The free surface ores became worked out and as the ore in depth became pyritic and rebellious to amalgamation the mines closed down. Last spring tungsten ore brought a high price, near $80 per unit, 60 per cent. W03 and up. This so stimulated the output of tungsten ore that old dumps were explored and waste stored in the mines was gone over. Tungsten was likewise mined from virgin ground. So the district produced quite heavily for a time. The condition now is different. The price is not so high, about $20 per unit WO3, which makes profits questionable when mining in new ground. The accumulations from early day mining have been exhausted and the output has greatly declined. The Golden Chest mine was the heaviest producer of tungsten. The months of June and July were spent at this mine studying the problem. Since the mine had produced both gold and tungsten, we looked forward to the problem of recovering both from what might be called a gold-tungsten ore. A study of the Golden Chest vein showed this was not to be the case. While gold ore and tungsten ore come from the same vein, the tungsten ore is confined to a more or less disturbed or distorted portion

Jan 1, 1918

By A. W. Griffith, R. G. Beverly, W. A. Millsap

THE Grand Junction Pilot Plant, operated by National Lead Co. Inc., for the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission, is engaged in the amenability testing of orebodies to establish design and cost data for commercial mills and to test new processes for recovery of uranium from ores. Test work was performed to study the effects of several variables on leaching of uranium ores in carbonate solutions. Many of these variables had been investigated in the laboratory, but pilot plant tests were desirable to evaluate their importance in semi-works equipment and to predict optimum operating conditions for future commercial mills. The results of these tests should serve as a guide in selecting the most efficient and economical method of leaching uranium ores amenable to a carbonate process. This article is concerned with a process in which uranium is extracted from the ore by a hot Na2CO3- NaHCO3 solution; the uranium-bearing solution is separated from the solid residue by filtration, and uranium is then precipitated by chemical means.

Jan 9, 1957

By R. I. Jaffee, R. W. Wood, H. R. Ogden, D. N. Williams

D. W. Morgan, D. H. Polonis,and R Taggart (Uuivevsity of Washington)—Dispersion hardening in titanium-copper alloys is of particular interest to us in view of our current research activities in phase transformations in this system. We should like to raise questions concerning several points in the paper. The flow sheet for fabrication and heat treatment (Authors' Fig. 2) indicates that 0.045 in sheet is treated in air for a period of 30 min at 1625' F. Were any surface coatings used to reduce oxygen contamination at this stage? One might ask the same question about the 8-hr annealing at 1400F. Contamination during fabrication and heat treatment of such thin sections could be considerable without some protection. Although the authors state that no analyses were made, they note that contamination masks the distinction between base strengths of the different alloys. In this connection, what fabrication and heat-treatment procedures were used in obtaining the comparison specimens of unalloyed titanium? It would seem that oxygen contamination must cast doubt on the reliability of the proposed strength-mean free path relationship deduced from the data (Authors' Fig. 5). It is usual to evaluate dispersion hardening on the basis of yield strength rather than ultimate tensile strength, and accordingly we have replotted the authors' Fig. 1 to include yield strength. The yield strength data do not justify a discontinuity of 3 p at either 70" or 1000 OF. Can the authors substantiate their conclusion 1) with additional evidence? Otherwise it seems that they have succeeded only in pointing out the possibility of a linear relationship between yield strength (or Uts) and the logarithm of the nleall free path, comparable with that demonstrated for iron-carbon alloys (Authors' Ref. 2). Work in our own laboratories has shown that the hardness of the phase Ti,Cu is 235 Vpn, and that of a 1.5 pct (at.) (2 pct wt) supersaturated solid solution of copper in titanium is 190 Vpn. This small difference in hardness would suggest that Ti2Cu should not be a very effective dispersion-hardening phase. D. N. Williams, R. W. Wood, H. R Ogden, RI. L Jaffee (authors' reply)— This discussion brings out some interesting points with respect to the interpretation of our results, and also raises some questions regarding the experimental technique. We shall consider the latter questions first. Contamination during heat treatment was prevented by performing all heat treatments in argon-filled Vycor capsules. Fabrication was done in air, with the usually observed scaling. Scale was removed

Jan 1, 1962

By J. Murray Riddell

The method of treating hazards wherein value is decreased, is cited by R. D. Parks. Quite properly, the theory of probabilities is made use of when multiple hazards are under consideration. E. F. Fitzhugh, Jr. $ deals with the enhancement phase graphically and uses percentage of expectancy as derived by a study of conditions and the selection of a chance factor. It is believed that both of the authors referred to fully recognize the part which human judgment plays, and as coupled with experience, training, and the application of the theory of probabilities; in that respect the composer of this paper is in accord. Within the past year, the task of arriving at a mathematical method for handling the enhancement phase, and, additionally, coupling the negative and positive phases, was explored. In citing the hazard, or negative phase, reference is made to the text by Parks. Types of Items far Consideration On the hazard, or negative, side some of the common items to be considered are: 1. Subsidence and resulting damage. 2. Flo wage of water above that anticipated. 3. Geological. (a) Decline in quality of probable ore, and/or (b) Decline in quantity of probable ore. 4. Depressed economic conditions. 5. Litigation. Similarly, on the enhancement, or positive, side common items to be considered are: 1. Flo wage of water below that estimated. 2. Geological. (a) Increase in quality of probable ore, and/or (b) Increase in quantity of probable ore. 3. Elevated economic conditions. 4. Litigation. 5. Technological advance in the art. Tn all of the above items no consideration is given to placing a value on, or giving consideration to, possibilities. For example, referring to Table 1, the estimated normal present value (Vp) of a property, exclusive of risk consideration, is taken as $100,000. If subsidence affects the usefulness of the shaft, the present value of the property will decrease to $60,000, and it is judged that there is a 1 in 4 chance that the shaft will be impaired;, consequent.ly, if subsidence took place, the present value would be reduced ($100,000-$60,000) $40,000, but since the chance is 1 in 4, the allowable reduction would be only one-fourth of $40,000, or $10,000, or a discount of 10 pct (hazard factor) of the original value; the related safety factor is taken as unity minus 0.10, or 0.90. Thus, the original Vp, $100,000, multiplied by the safety factor ($100,000 X 0.90) gives $90,000, which is the adjusted present value of the property in this single instance. Additionally, there is a water hazard, which, if encountered, will reduce the present value to $85,000. The chance is 1 in 3. Following through with the same reasoning as shown above, the derived safety factor will be 0.95. To arrive at a single multiplying factor which will express the combined risks, the two safety factors are multiplied together, 0.90 X 0.95 = 0.855. That factor when multiplied by the origirial Vp will give the adjusted, and

Jan 1, 1950

By L. W. Fagg

The purpose of this paper is to present in a convenient form data and examples necessary in making dynamometer card analyses; also to outline a procedure of well weighing. Many articles and papers have been written delving into the mathematical considerations relative to the shape and characteristics of dynamometer cards. However. it is recognized that there are too many unknown factors involved in such calculations to assure a workable degree of accuracy. For this reason the accepted procedure is to take dynamometer cards on wells in question rather than try to calculate the load curve. The polished rod dynamometer is now recognized as a necessary tool for measuring loads, torque, and horsepower. It is also used to determine pump action and trouble-shoot for any seemingly abnormal pumping condition. The apparently infinite variety of a = maximum load (height x scale constant) b = minimum load. Range of load is difference between maximum and minimum load speed—taken with stop watch stroke —measured at polished rod c = beginning of down stroke in direction of arrow. (End of up stroke) d = beginning of up stroke. (End of down stroke). Polished Rod Horsepower = (Area of card) x Scale const. x Stroke x Length x spm (Length of card) 33000x 12 1.35 1.35------x5300x 24 x 12 2.53 --------------------------= 2.06 23000x12 Appraximate Peak Torque: Upstroke = (2390) (12) (1) = 28,700 in. Ib Downstroke = (1 860) (12) (.866) = 19,300 in. Ib Counterbalance should be increased to make up stroke and down stroke peak torque equal. FIG. 1 dynamometer cards that can be obtained is one reason for the general lack of usage of the dynamometer as a control instrument rather than a means for making routine measurements of leads and horsepower. When it is considered that the dynamometer card is a record of the resultant of all forces acting on the polished rod at any particular instant during the pumping stroke. the problem is then one of breaking down this resultant into its various components. As a means of a quick review we shall consider the examples shown in Figs. 1 to 9: and Tables I and II and then proceed to the interpretation of variously shaped cards caused by some abnormal operating condition. In Table 11, when we were considering the factors involved in calculating the peak polished rod load, it can be seen that the factors involved greatly oversimplify the problem. Certain assumptions are made which may or may not he even close to the actual field conditions, such as the specific gravity of the fluid generally considered as one; that the crank has constant angular velocity; that the down-hole friction is zero; and that the fluid lift is from the pump. In the following examples we shall see what a variation in fluid weight and friction can do to the general shape and magnitude of the dynamometer card. (Figs. 10 to 22.) MAKING THE WELL STUDY It is obvious that it would be impractical to consider in detail all of these factors each time a well study is made, inasmuch as each well study job could conceivably be extended into a research project rather than serve the practical requirements of finding the answer to a specific problem. For this reason it is important that some objective be established previous to the time the well study is made. Load at TU = 3070 Ib Crank angle when polished rod is at position TU = ? ? = 30° Maximum counterbalance effect at polished rod = 2760 Ib Torque at TU = (Load at TU — Max. counterbalance effect-lbs) sin 0 x Length of Stroke 2 = (3070-2760) .5 x 24 = 1860 in. 15 2 Torque at TD = (Load at TD — Max. counterbalance effect-lbs) sin ? x Length of Stroke 2 = (530 - 2760) sin 330' x 24 = 13,400 in. Ib 2 Note: sin 0 from c to d on UPSTROKE will be positive value. sin 0 from c to d on DOWNSTROKE will be negative value Torque at c and d is zero because 0 is zero. FIG. 2 —APPROXIMATE METHOD FOR CALCUlATlNG TORQUE

Jan 1, 1950

By George C. Branner

STATE geological surveys have had an interesting development in this country. They first appeared more than a hundred years ago. The fact that they have persisted and are now an important part of most state governments indicates the basic need for state departments con-cerned with mineral problems. The number of state surveys in 1941 (43) is at an all-time high, as is the aggre¬gate appropriation for their support for the fiscal year 1940-'41 ($1,600,708). The first surveys, those of North and South Carolina (see Fig. 1), made their appearance in 1820-'30, but neither survived that period. During the next two decades surveys were created in twenty states, but only three survived. In fact, it was not until the decade 1900-'10, when eighteen surveys were created and only five abolished, that these agencies became firmly established.

Jan 1, 1941

By H. H. Hausner, H. S. Kalish

IN recent years zirconium and beryllium have become of great interest because of their special properties. Zirconium is known for its remarkable ability to absorb the gases oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen, has extensive use as a getter in electron tubes and has indeed become the primary metal in the manufacture of photoflash bulbs. Beryllium is of interest because it is light metal and as such could supplement aluminum and magnesium in light metal applications. The late development of zirconium ductile at room temperature produced by both the iodide and calcium reduction methods has stimulated frequent articles on this metal in the recent literature. Beryllium is so closely akin to zirconium crystall-ographically that some investigators are of the opinion that beryllium should be ductile at room temperature if it were pure enough. The crystallographic relationship of beryllium and zirconium, the interest created in Be-Zr alloys where the zirconium is believed to function as a remover of solid solution gas in beryllium and thus increase the ductility of the beryllium rich alloy, and the amenability of these metals to powder metallurgy methods stimulated this approach to an investigation of the system Be-Zr. Preliminary work showed that a zirconium compact melted when pressed in contact with a beryllium compact and sintered at 1250°C, without any apparent final bond between the two. A search of the literature revealed nothing pertinent about the Zr-Be system or about any zirconium - beryllium alloys. In 1936 Misch³ vaguely identified the compound ZrBe2 and reported that it has a deformed cubic structure. Two patents," , were issued to Mach-lett Laboratories in 1943 and in 1946 regarding the addition of small amounts of zirconium to beryllium in order to improve the ductility of beryllium so that it may better be used for X ray windows. In considering the alloy formation of beryllium with other metals Raynor thought it unlikely that zirconium would have any solid solubility in beryllium. From this indefinite information nothing could be ascertained about the possible use of Zr-Be alloys or the use of these metals intimately. A brief preliminary study of the system Zr-Be by powder metallurgy methods was undertaken to provide regions for more intense studies of Zr-Be alloys and as a guide to a formal phase diagram determination. The investigation described in the following pages was completed in less than three weeks. The usefulness of this rapid method to facilitate phase diagram studies and new alloy investigations will be shown. Materials and Procedure Zirconium powder was produced from crystal bar stock of high purity supplied by Foote Mineral Co. The crystal bar was converted to hydride at 730°C, crushed, and the hydride decomposed in purified argon at 850°C. 60 pct of the powder passed through a 325 mesh screen, 40 pct of the powder was —140 mesh, +325 mesh and the average particle size of the total was 8 to 12 microns. The beryllium powder was used as re-

Jan 1, 1951

By R. Maddin, R. Pond

THERE have been many recent studies of nonequi-librium alloy structures using specimens which have been formed by rapid solidification.' The general methods for achieving nonequilibrium structure utilize high velocity impingement of a liquid metallic droplet(s) and one or more substrates of relatively high heat conductivity. Specimens formed by current popular techniques are small and have various forms of irregular geometry which severely limit their use for many measurements of physical or mechanical properties. As a result of geometric limitations most research has been restricted to X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and to a small degree, electrical resistivity. Recently several attempts in mechanical property evaluation have been reported.2,3 A technique for casting large quantities of regular, rectilinear, continuous metallic fibers has existed for a number of years.4 We have utilized this technique with some slight modifications to produce nonequi- librium alloy structures. The apparatus is composed of a small open tube furnace, a pneumatic cage which raises and lowers a graphite ejection mold, and a

Jan 1, 1970

By AIME AIME

C. H. BENEDICT, chief metallurgist of the Calumet and Hecla Consolidated Copper Co., has pioneered for nearly half a century. Noted for his ammonia leaching process, lie has Iong been responsible for all Calumet and Hecla mill, concentrator, and reclaination plant flowsheets. His influence has spread far beyond his own organization. lie is dean of Lake Superior metallurgists and has contributed greatly toward raising his specialty-the country over-to an honored profession; not merely an honored profession but a profitable one for industry and the public. The leaching process which he developed in 1912 has, since 1915, produced for Calumet and Hecla 250,000 tons of copper from waste tailings at a cost per pound, in 1929, below five cents. It has yielded profits of $35,000,000. In the war just ended, this process proved the only one adaptable to the recovery of copper from gilding-metal¬clad steel strip, and Calumet and Hecla treated more than 50,000 tons of such scrap for the Government.

Jan 1, 1945

By B. DE MARE

THE No. 6 open-hearth furnace at the plant of the Worth Steel Co., Claymont, Del., is the first to be rebuilt according to the Kuehn system. This as well as the other five furnaces at Claymont, has a nominal capacity of 75 tons, but the actual charge is about 242,000 lb. No hot metal being available, the pig-iron is charged cold. Oil of low grade with an asphalt base is used as fuel. These two items have to be kept in mind when discussing the actual fuel consumption. Careful records have been kept covering a five weeks run and the following is a brief summary of them The time required to heat the furnace preparatory to charging from the time a wood fire was started until charging commenced was 36 hours. This, I understand, is much less than with furnaces of standard design. The draft of the furnace, as shown by a gage in the stack-flue, is 1.25 in. The maximum draft with new checkers on former runs was 1.50 in., this draft gradu¬ally decreasing as the checkers closed up. Both of the first helpers claim the present draft is all they need for the proper working of the furnace, and, as with the Kuehn regenerators the draft remains practically the same from beginning to end of a run, this is satisfactory.

Jan 1, 1929

By David R. Mitchell, R. M. Fleming

MANY trends were evident in the coal industry during 1951. Some were favorable for the industry; others were not. Probably those having the most far-reaching consequences are those affecting coal's markets. The rapid dieselization of many railroads and the continued trend toward oil and natural gas for home heating has caused serious dislocations in various mining districts. Mines have been forced to close down or to work on a reduced time basis. Conversely the increased activity in the metallurgical industries has increased the demand for coking and special purpose coals, and the growing production of electric energy has increased the demand in certain areas for steam coals. The increased demand for metallurgical coal and for steam raising by the large utilities is more than equal tonnage-wise to the loss of coal to railroad dieselization and conversions to oil and gas in the domestic market. Since much of the expansion is at captive mines of large corporations, many commercial operators supplying railroad and domestic users have had their markets curtailed without any compensating demand from other sources. Feverish activity was in evidence in many areas by commercial operators attempting to find new markets. The Norfolk and Western Railway is the, only major American railroad committed to the burning of coal. It has an exceptionally good cost record. During 1951, fifteen additional modern coal-burning steam switching locomotives were authorized for construction in the company's Roanoke shops at a cost of about $1,450,000. When the new order is completed the road will own a total of sixty locomotives of the modern-switcher type, including thirty acquired by purchase last year. The Norfolk and Western today is the only American railroad building its own motive power. All of these locomotives burn coal. Production Coal production in the year 1951 will approximate 570 million tons of anthracite, bituminous coal, and lignite. Of this, approximately 7 pet is anthracite. Total production is approximately 30 million tons more than in 1950 and reflects the increase in general industrial activity. Exports are expected to be close to 50 million tons. The industrial stockpile is close to 75 million tons, the highest it has been since 1943. With the exception of the usual local stoppages the year 1951 was unmarked by labor disputes. It was a year of good labor-management relations with a negotiated wage increase unmarred by a work stoppage. This may be the beginning. of an era of sensible negotiations to find agreeable settlements of disputes without the usual protracted bickering and industry-wide strike. The United Mine Workers of America has condemned wildcat strikes, stating that in nearly every, instance proper grievance procedures have not been instituted. Government defense organizations, perhaps profiting by their experiences during World War II, are pursuing a more enlightened program with regard to the fuel requirements of the nation. Many prominent officials have stated that wherever possible coal should be considered the primary source of fuel in all defense expansion. With the increased consumption of steel by defense projects, approval of transportation facilities for liquid and gaseous fuels have been refused where these fuels would enter a coal producing area. Liquid and gaseous fuel producers also have failed to provide satisfactory evidence that they have sufficient reserves and are capable of supplying their product in adequate amounts for the periods of time required. Realization has at last become prevalent that the hydro-electric power installations in several areas are insufficient to handle increased demands.' Steam generating plants are being constructed in these areas and equipped to burn coal. Most notable of these, is the TWA area whose supplemental steam power plants are expected to consume 10 million tons of coal per year when completed. The Pacific Northwest is another area which is expected to follow the same pattern. Nearly all new steam-power generating plants are being equipped to burn coal either as a primary fuel or as an emergency measure. Metallurgical Coal The steel and other metallurgical industries are expanding rapidly to meet increased industrial demands and defense orders. Since these industries are dependent on coke, coke has had a year of high production and can be expected to break all existing records when steel-plant expansions are completed. Most notable of the expansion projects is that of the Delaware River area where the iron ore will be received by ship from Canada and South America. U. S. Steel is only one of several steel corporations that are planning on putting integrated steel producing units in this area. The Defense Solids Fuels Administration announced in December that through. November 30, 1951. 29 projects in eight states, with a total cost of

Jan 1, 1952

By P. G. Shewmon

A novel technique for determining the surface energy (?) and its derivative with respect to orientation, (?') is described. Essentially it involves the 'floating" of a wedge on the substrate, said wedge being made of a material which is not wet or only slightly wet by the substrate, i. e., as a greased needle "floats" on water. A thermodynamic analysis of a system in which the wedge is supported entirely by surface energy is given. If the original suyface is not at a cusp orientation, the surface tension is directly measurable from the groove angle formed. If the original surface is at a cusp orientation, there may or may not be a groove depending on the relative value of ?' and the weight of the wedge. Experiments primarily on copper and silver showed that sapphire, quartz and refractory metal wedges were wet while graphite wedges were not. The technique was demonstrated to work using graphite wedges, but the results obtained were not as eccurate as those obtained by other workers using the wire-creep experiments. It is concluded that the technique might prove most useful with non-metals where ?' is large and filament creep experiments would be quite difficult. If an absolute value of the surface free energy (?) of a metal is to be determined, the most reliable methods used to date measure an average over the various orientations exposed on a polycrystalline sample. For example, ? for silver, gold, and copper have been measured by determining the force required to just keep a thin wire,' or foil,' specimen from contracting under the influence of ?. Herring 3 has predicted and experiment confirms, that the sensitivity of this method is inversely proportional to the grain size.' Thus it cannot be used to measure ? for a particular orientation by using a foil single crystal or a very coarse-grained specimen. An accurate value if ? for tungsten averaged over a range of orientations has been determined using a field emission technique. The same techniques cannot or have not been used to measure ? for non-metallic solids, and as a result the values available are much less accurate.4 This Paper resents a means of making an absolute determination of ? for a particular surface orientation on any solid, as long as the given surface orientation does not break up into other orientations during an anneal. Experimentally ? is found to vary with orientation and at a few low index orientations it is found to have a cusped minimum, i.e., the derivative of ? with respect to the orientation of the surface changes discontinuously at the low index orientation, see Fig. 1. The slope of a plot of ? vs orientation (herein designated ?') is called the torque on the surface, since it tends to rotate the exposed surface toward the low index orientation, or if the surface is at the cusp orientation it opposes any force tending to rotate the surface out of the low index orientation. The ratio ?'/? has been determined for a few metals, but in cases where this ratio is high there is presently no means of determining either ?'/? or the absolute value of ?' for the orientations present on an annealed surface. The technique discussed herein also provides a means of determining an absolute value of ?' for those orientations which deviate only infinitesimally from a cusp orientation. It should work best on surfaces where ?'/? is large; that is, for cases where no other technique is available for measuring ?'. Aside from trying to learn more about surfaces through measuring ? and ?', the primary reason for wanting values of ? or ?' is to study adsorption. From measurements of the variation of ? for a particular orientation with the concentration of an impurity, one can obtain the number of impurity atoms adsorbed per unit area (Ti) on that orientation using the Gibbs adsorption equation.' where µi is the chemical potential of the adsorbed impurity. Thus, if absolute values of ? could be obtained for the free surface of a given surface orientation as a function of µi, ri could be determined for the given orientation. Furthermore, by equilibrating a grain boundary with the given surface at various values of ki, one could also determine ri for the grain boundary. Similarly Robertson 6 has pointed out that if y is taken to be a continuous function of and µi, then a2 ?/a @a µ2 = a2 ?/a pi a +. Thus, at all orientations away from cusps the following equation holds From a measurement of ?' vs ki, it is thus possible

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