Search Documents

By PAUL DYER MERICA

PAUL DYER MERICA, who has been awarded the James Douglas Gold Medal for his achievements in non-ferrous metallurgy, is a Hoosier, having been born at Warsaw, Ind., in 1889. His father, a clergyman and educator, was president of the University of Wyoming from 1908 to 1913. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin in 1908, young Merica (not yet twenty years of age) went to China, where he was professor of chemistry in Chekiang Provincial College, Hangchow, until 1911. He then went to Germany to s t u d y and was fortunate enough to receive his Ph.D. from the University of Berlin just a few months before the outbreak of the World War in 1914. Returning to America, his first position was as special investigator at the En¬gineering Experiment Station of the University of Illinois, but before the year was out he joined the staff of the U. S. Bureau of Standards as associate physicist. Since 1918, he has been superintendent of research for the International Nickel Co. His work during those years is excellently summarized in the following quotation from the statement of Zay Jeffries recommending him for the award.

Jan 1, 1929

By E. R. Borcherdt

METHODS and equipment are subject to study in the Butte district at all times in order that advantage may be taken of any new developments that might serve to increase efficiency and lower costs. Detailed time studies of each operation involved in the entire mining process have been of invaluable assistance in analyzing the individual operation for possible improvement. In other words, the fact that a practice has been in vogue for many years does not exempt it from change provided an easier and cheaper method can be found. EXPLORATION Ore occurs in the Butte district in such manner that structures must be drifted on, no matter how small or unimportant they appear when intersected by a crosscut. Parallel structures also add to the crosscut requirements. This prospecting work, which formerly was done entirely by drifting and crosscutting, is now being supplemented by diamond drilling, to aid in greatly decreasing the amount of waste. In long-shot prospecting, or in second or third class prospecting, where the chances of developing commercial ore are not very great, diamond drilling is of particular value. In prospecting where chances of encountering commercial ore are certain or where crosscuts can be used later for haulage or ventilation, drilling obviously is not applicable. Improvement in drilling machines and bits has contributed greatly to the present success of diamond drilling. STOPING For many years square-set filled sloping was the principal mining method used in the Butte district. Later timbered and untimbered rill stopes were used, also some horizontal cut-and-fill sloping where both ore and walls were particularly strong. Because of the amount of timber required for square-set stoping, and the relatively low production per scope unit, experiments with horizontal cut-and-fill scopes were begun in ore bodies of which many had fairly weak walls. It was felt that increase in the speed of the stoping operation, followed closely by filling, to avoid weight being produced by permitting ore and walls to remain insufficiently supported over comparatively long periods, would maintain the walls and backs in safe condition without the use of timber and without ore dilution from wall slough. Cycles of drilling, scraping ore, and filling were devised, which have materially increased stope production and decreased timber consumption, so that both stope labor and supply costs were lowered appreciably without materially affecting grade control. In the larger mines of the district, where wide veins favor this stoping method, half of the total production is now being mined by horizontal cut-and-fill stopes (Fig. I). The increase of the filling rate demanded by the increased stoping rate was the greatest obstacle encountered in the accelerated stoping operations. Finally this problem was solved by replacing the time-honored method of transferring filling waste by small cars, which were hoisted or lowered in the auxiliary shaft, by a transfer

Jan 1, 1941

By Frank L. Antisell

Certain physical and chemical properties of copper are so intimately related that a change in variation of the physical properties indicates a certain chemical change. The standard specifications of copper of the American Society for Testing Materials are based upon physical characteristics with one exception, namely, the copper contents. The physical standard includes electrical properties, defects in the "set or casting," variation in dimensions, weight, etc. Paragraph 4 of the specifications states, " Wire bars, cakes, slabs and billets shall be substantially free from shrink holes, cold sets, pits, sloppy edges, concave tops, and similar defects in set or casting." Shrink holes and concave tops indicate both physical and metallurgical defects; cold sets, sloppy edges, etc., indicate physical defects only; small pit holes may be indicative of either or both physical and metallurgical defects, depending on conditions under which they originated. To the refiner, a copper casting, no matter how made, is known as a "shape," irrespective of whether it is wire bar, ingot, cake, slab, billet, etc. As practically all shapes are cast in an open mold, that is a mold without cope, the surface of the shape cools in contact with the atmosphere and has a coating of oxide. Certain phenomena of the surface indicate the adaptability of the metal for forging or rolling. The writer believes that it is much simpler to produce shapes that are metallurgically correct than those that are mechanically satisfactory. When copper is to be rolled into thin sheets or drawn into very fine wire, the slightest physical defect becomes evident. It is, therefore, of the utmost importance to consider every characteristic of the shape and ascertain the physical and chemical relationship. Pitch and Set.—The appearance of the surface of the copper when cooled is considered as to its "pitch," or the general contour of the surface of the shape (which may vary from a concave to a convex); and the '" set,"' or the detail appearance of the surface of the shape (the wave-like structure). When the shape presents a concave surface, it is known as "low pitch;" a convex surface is known as "high pitch" or "tough pitch;" and a level surface is called "flat pitch." The set of the copper is, in a very large measure, directly related to the pitch; and so intimately are

Jan 1, 1921

Jan 1, 1902

Insoluble slimes are present in nearly all sylvinite ore bodies and must be removed prior to potash flotation because they adsorb excessive amounts of potash flotation reagents and cause low potash recoveries and grades. The problems associated with insoluble slimes will become more pronounced as high grade-low insol potash ores are depleted and lower grade ores containing high insols are processed. The most common commercial practice for insoluble slimes removal is mechanical desliming (hydroclassification); however, most of these desliming circuits were designed to treat sylvinite ores containing less than 4 percent insoluble slimes. As Mr. Banks mentioned in his presentation, higher insoluble slimes concentrations (>4 pct) in the mill feed overtax the mechanical desliming circuit and result in excessive brine and potash losses. Increasing the capacity of the circuit would require redesigning of the entire potash circuit and additional costly equipment. Because of mineralization and liberation properties of the high insols sylvinite deposits, the expansion of the desliming circuit may not economically maintain high potash grades and recoveries. Selective flocculation-flotation is an excellent alternative for removing insoluble slimes from potash ores. Cominco's ore, containing 4.5 to 8 percent insoluble slimes, is particularly amenable to the slimes flotation process, probably because of the absence of expanding-type clays such as montmorillonite. The overall potash recovery of 86 percent and low slime flocculant and collector dosages of 0.03 to 0.04 pound reagent per ton of feed is good evidence of the success of the process. If appreciable montmorillonite were present, the metallurgy would not be as favorable and reagent consumptions would increase significantly.

Jan 1, 1979

By R. Taggart, D. H. Polonis, J. C. McMillan

Thin foil electron microscopy techniques have been used to study the micros tructure of a Ti- 7.5 wt pct vanadium alloy in the quenched and aged cond_itions. Selected area diffraction has identified a (1011) twinning mode accompanying the martens ite t9.an.sfo?rn~ation. Precipitation of the 0 phase during the aging of quenched alloys has been obsevced to occuv in the form of plates and needles with preferential growth along the (1120) direction in the a' matrix. In the present work, the micro structures of quenched and aged alloys of the 0 isomorphous Ti-V system have been investigated by means of thin-foil electron-microscopy techniques. Most of the previous studies of martensitic phases in titanium-base alloys have utilized optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. The application of transmission electron microscopy is more recent, and only a few such studies have been reported.1-5 This paper is concerned particularly with the crystallographic nature of substructures formed in the martensitic a' plates. The early stages of aging or tempering have also been examined to determine the modes of precipitation from the martensitic solid solutions. Such information is essential in studying strengthening mechanisms and in determining the feasibility of high-strength rnartensitic alloys based on titanium. Liu and Margolin6 reported several types of substructures within the martensitic plates of quenched Ti-Mn alloys. It was later suggested by Liu7 that the structure of martensitic plates might be very complex and not single crystals as normally assumed. The sub-markings could not be identified with the two possible habit-plane orientations {334}ß and {344}ß, and it was not positively determined whether they are associated with mechanical twinning. The recent studies by Armitage5 on titanium martensites in a variety of commercial alloys have indicated that twinning does not generally accompany the transformation. This observation is in accordance with the Mackenzie and Bowles model for the transformation in pure titanium8 which suggests that twinning is not to be expected. However, a number of other recent investigators have reported twinlike substructures in the martensitic plates of several titanium systems including commercia1 titanium,2,3 Ti-Cu,5,9 Ti-Ta,1 and the commercial alloy Ti-8A1-1Mo-1V. Blackburn* has reported that the structure of quenched Ti-8A1-1Mo-1V depends on the prior solution temperature. He identified two types of martensitic structures, one of which is described as a heavily faulted hcp or twinned fcc structure and the other an hcp structure with a high internal dislocation density. The latter type exhibited some twinning with a (1011) twin plane. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES AND RESULTS The alloy used in the present work was a 7.5 wt pct V alloy that was prepared by conventional arc-melting techniques. This alloy composition was selected

Jan 1, 1968

By C. Graeme-Barber, R. L. Bell, T. G. Langdon

An analysis is made of the formulas and ,methods used to estimate the contribution of grain boundary sliding to the overall strain of a polycrystal. The errors involved in the approximations and/or ,mistakes in earlier work are assessed quantitatively so as to make possible the critical use of previously published data. SINCE it has been found that, under conditions of very slow creep, the strain due to grain boundary sliding (?gb) may contribute as much as 80 pct of the total creep strain,1,2 it is obviously important to have reliable methods for estimating this grain boundary strain. In two recent papers Stevens3,4 has drawn attention to the pitfalls encountered in assessing ?gb. He criticizes 1) the assumptions made in the derivation of some of the formulas for ?gb, and 2) the indiscriminate averaging procedures used for obtaining the quantities substituted in these formulas. These and further criticisms of earlier work are mostly valid. Unfortunately the only formulas and procedures recommended are either impossible or very difficult to apply in practice. Furthermore no attempt is made to assess the errors involved by the earlier approximations or mistakes, and so it is not possible to make critical use of any of these early dab. The present article attempts to improve on these shortcomings by reference to empirical verification of easily applied formulas whose theoretical derivations involve some otherwise unjustifiable assumptions, and by a quantitative assessment of the errors in previous work. DEFINITIONS First it is necessary to define the terms and symbols to be used. The choice of symbols preferred here is a logical combination and extension of the v introduced by McLean5 and the u by Brunner and rant.' In Fig. 1 the two grains X and Y are displaced by the sliding vector AC. u is the component of sliding resolved along the stress axis, v is that measured perpendicular both to the stress axis and to the specimen surface, and w is that measured perpendicular to the stress axis but in the plane of the surface. Two angles define the orientation of the grain boundary: 8, between the stress axis and the surface trace of the boundary, and +, the internal angle on a longitudinal section cut perpendicular to the surface. In computing the strain resulting from the boundary displacement at all the in- dividual boundaries in a polycrystal the components u, v, or w are sometimes averaged along a longitudinal line (i.e., parallel to the stress axis), sometimes along a transverse line, and sometimes at randomly chosen boundaries. Averages obtained in these three ways are given subscripts 1, t, and r, respectively. Stevens rightly calls attention to the possibility of non-equiaxed grain shapes either at the start or at the end of deformation. In this article all values of numbers of grains per unit length will refer to measurements made before deformation. The subscripts 1 and t will be used for the number of grains per unit length obtained along longitudinal and transverse lines, r for that obtained by averaging along a number of randomly directed lines. FORMULAS FOR ?gb ?gt, as a Function of u. An obvious truth is that cgb can, in principle, be obtained by summation of all the v components at the boundaries intersected by a longitudinal line of known length I, viz.: where nl is the number of grains per unit length, parallel to the stress axis, in the unstrained specimen. There are assumptions in the analytic derivation of Eq. [I] due to Brunner and rant' but ~achinger' arrived at Eq. [la] by a rigorous method. Unfortunately the experimental procedure required by Eq. [ la] proves very difficult as boundary migration tends to obscure the points at which the longitudinal line meets the grain boundary and the errors on such measurements tend to be large, see Fig. 2. For example, on a specimen of Magnox AL 80 at a creep strain of 9.7 pct, 300 measurements of u obtained from the points of intersection of a longitudinal line with the grain boundaries gave ul = 8.95 ± 3.58 pm, or an error of ±40 pct, at the 95 pct confidence limit. These large errors due to migration may be avoided by measuring u from the separation of the segments

Jan 1, 1968

By R. I. Jaffee, F. C. Holden, H. R. Ogden

The mechanical properties of Ti-C and Ti-C-0 alloys can be altered by heat treatments to dissolve or reject carbon from solid solutions. The maximum strength is obtained by annealing just below the peritectoid temperature. Quenching from the ß-carbide field results in softening. Impact behavior is influenced by the extent of solution of interstitials CARBON is not as important in titanium alloys as it was in earlier years when graphite induction melting was more prevalent. With induction melting, carbon pickup is about 0.5 to 0.8 pct. Cold-mold arc melting with graphite electrodes, which is among the more current methods, results in carbon pickup of 0.1 to 0.2 pct. The titanium-sponge melting stock itself contains about 0.02 to 0.07 pct C, picked up from the magnesium used in the reduction process. Thus, carbon is still one of the more important contaminants in titanium and needs careful study and evaluation in order to understand titanium and titanium alloys. Moreover, it is equally proper to consider carbon as an alloying addition because, in controlled amounts in titanium alloys, it may serve a most useful function. This is particularly the case where the ultimate in toughness is not required. The addition of carbon to titanium results in a peritectoid-type system as illustrated in Fig. 1. The solubility of carbon is seen to be higher in the a phase than in the ß phase in the temperature range of interest. Below the peritectoid temperature, the solubility of carbon in a titanium decreases with decreasing temperature. This type of system permits many microstructural and heat-treatment variations which may influence the properties of the alloys. The study of how the microstructure variations affect mechanical properties is described in this paper. Experimental Procedures The experimental techniques and testing methods used in this work were the same as those described in detail in a previous paper.' No further descriptions will be given except where changes have been made. High purity iodide titanium, produced by the New Jersey Zinc Co., was used in all of the alloys. Carbon additions were made using high purity spectro-graphic carbon electrodes in order to obtain the highest purity carbon available. The alloys were prepared by double arc melting to reduce the possibility of segregation. The alloys were forged at 875°C to ¾ in. round, descaled, vacuum annealed for 5 hr at 900°C to remove the residual hydrogen, and swaged to ¼ in. round at 750°C. All heat treatments were made on material in this initial condition. Two of the early Ti-C ingots were found to have been contaminated in melting. Vacuum-fusion analyses showed that the two contaminated alloys had picked up oxygen, so the test results on these two alloys permitted an evaluation of ternary Ti-C-0 alloys. A list of the alloys and their compositions are given in Table I. Properties of Ti-C Alloys In a peritectoid-type system, such as the Ti-C system, the chief microstructural variable which influences the properties is solid-solution strengthening. For a given composition, it is possible to control the disposition of carbon, either in solid solution or as the compound Tic, by suitable heat treatments. When in solid solution, the carbon present in the alloy makes a definite contribution to the strength of the alloy. However, when present as Tic, it has very little effect on the strength. Other microstructural variables considered in this investigation were transformation structures and grain size. As discussed in subsequent sections, these variables have only a minor effect on properties as compared to the solid-solution effect. Solid-Solution Strengthening: The principal strengthening mechanism for Ti-C alloys has been found to be solid-solution strengthening. Carbon in interstitial solid solution strengthens titanium, but has very little strengthening effect if present as the compound. Since carbon has a higher solubility in

Jan 1, 1956

By E. Miller, J. M. Eldridge, K. L. Komarek

The liquidus curve of the Mg-Pb system was accurately redetermined. The compound Mg2Pb decomposes peritectically at 538.2° ± 0.3°C to liquid and to a compound p' which melts congruently at 35.0 at. pct Pb and 549.0° ± 0.3°C. The solidus curve of ß' was determined. X-ray diffraction studies indicate that 4' has an orthorhombic structure. Activity values of magnesium calculated from the phase diagram agree with those published in the literature. EXPERIMENTAL thermodynamic properties of binary metallic systems have to be consistent with values calculated from the phase diagram. In systems forming intermetallic compounds the shape of the liquidus curve near a compound is determined by the thermodynamic properties of the coexisting solid and liquid phases. Hauffe and Wagner' neglected the temperature dependence of the chemical potentials and obtained the potential differences of the components of the liquid alloys, relative to stoichiometric liquid. Their calculations were based on the liquidus curve and on the heat of fusion of the compound, and were only valid near the congruent melting point. Steiner, Miller, and Komarek2 developed equations which account for the temperature dependence and obtained the chemical potentials of liquid Mg-Sn alloys over the entire phase diagram from the liquidus and solidus curves and from enthalpy values with the pure components as the standard states. The Mg-Pb phase diagram has been studied by several investigators whose results have been compiled and critically evaluated by Hansen.3 Although the liquidus curve was poorly defined, the general features of the diagram, i.e., one congruent melting compound, Mg2Pb, of essentially stoichiometric composition, two eutectics, and limited terminal solid solubilities, seemed to be suitable for a similar thermodynamic analysis. A careful redeter-mination of the liquidus by thermal analysis revealed, however, the existence of another compound. The liquidus curve between the two eutectics was precisely delineated and the structure and solidus curve of the new compound were investigated. The revised phase diagram was thermodynamic ally analyzed to evaluate the activity of magnesium in the liquid alloys. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The magnesium metal (Dominion Magnesium Ltd., Toronto, Canada) had a purity of 99.99+ pct; lead (American Smelting and Refining Co.) contained 99.999 pct Pb. Most experiments were carried out in graphite crucibles. Several experiments were made in high-purity alumina (Triangle R.R., Mor-ganite, Inc.) and in Armco iron crucibles to test the inertness of the graphite crucibles. Chemical analysis of magnesium and detailed description of the procedure for thermal analysis have been given previously. For the determination of the solidus curve of the compounds, specimens of initial composition Mg2Pb were equilibrated in a closed isothermal system with magnesium vapor. The source of the magnesium vapor was an alloy which had a gross composition lying in the 0' + L field at the temperature of equilibration. As equilibrium was approached, the specimens lost magnesium to the two-phase reservoir thereby lowering the activity of magnesium in the specimens until activity and composition equaled that of the ß'/ß' + L boundary. Crucibles (1.9 cm ID by 2.2 cm OD by 4.1 cm high) and tightly fitting lids were machined from a molybdenum rod; small, shallow trays were fashioned from thin (0.005 in.) molybdenum sheet, and all the molybdenum components were degreased in hot carbon tetrachloride and then dried. The pieces were then degassed in vacuum at 950°C for about 6 hr. The two-phase alloy was placed at the bottom of the crucible and small specimens of the Mg2Pb compound, weighed on an analytical balance, were placed in two molybdenum trays above the two-phase alloy. The crucible was closed by forcing its lid on and then inserted in a titanium crucible. This crucible was evacuated, flushed twice with argon, and welded under argon. The specimens were equilibrated for about 1 week in a resistance furnace regulated by a Celectray controller, and the runs were terminated by water quenching. The specimens were again weighed and the equilibrium compositions were calculated on the basis that the weight losses were solely due to a loss of magnesium to the two-phase alloy. The structure of the B' phase was investigated by the Debye-Scherrer X-ray diffraction technique. Selected ingots from thermal-analysis experiments containing about 35 at. pct Pb were re-melted, slowly cooled, and crushed in an argon-filled glovebox until the entire ingot passed through a 50-mesh sieve. The powder was thoroughly

Jan 1, 1965

By A. R. Orban, R. B. Engdahl, J. D. Hummell

The initial phase of a research program on smoke abatement from Bessemer converters is described. In work sponsored by the American Iron and Steel Institute, a 300-lb experimental Bessemer converter was assembled to simulate blowing conditions in a commercial vessel. Measurements of smoke and dust were also made in the field on a 30-ton commercial vessel. During normal blows the dust loading from the laboratory converter averaged 0.51 lb per 1000 lb of exhaust gas. This was similar to the exhaust-gas loading of a commercial vessel. The addition of hydrogen to the blast gas of the laboratory converter caused a decided decrease in smoke density. Smoke was also reduced markedly when methane or ammonia was added instead of hydrogen. The research is continuing on a bench-scale investigation of the mechanism of smoke formation in the converter process. DURING the past 2 years, on behalf of the American Iron and Steel Institute, Battelle has been conducting a research program on the control of emissions from pneumatic steelmaking processes. The objective of the research program is to discover a practical method for reducing to an unobjectionable level the emission of smoke and dust from Bessemer converters. PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION Although conceivably some new collecting technique may be devised which would be economically practicable for cleaning Bessemer gases, no such system based on presently known principles seems feasible because of the extremely large volume of high-temperature gases involved. Hence, the research is being directed toward prevention of smoke formation at the source. A thorough review was first made of former work to determine the present status of the cleaning of converter gases. No published work was found on work done in the United States on collecting smoke or on preventing its formation in the bottom-blown, acid-Bessemer converter. In Europe, however, a number of investigations have been made on the basic-Bessemer converter. Kosmider, Neuhaus, and Kratzenstein1 conducted tests on a 20-ton converter to obtain characteristic data for dust removal and the utilization of waste heat. They concluded that because of the submicron size of the dust, special equipment would be necessary to clean the exhaust gases. Dehne2 conducted a large number of smoke-abatement experiments at Duisburg-Huckingen in a 36-ton Thomas converter discharging into a stack. A number of wet-scrubbing and dry collectors were tried unsuccessfully. A waste-heat boiler and electrostatic collector with necessary gas precleaners was felt to be the best solution for this particular plant. Meldau and Laufhutte3 determined that the particle size was all below 1 µ in the waste gas of a bottom-blown converter. Sel'kin and zadalya4 describe the use of oxygen-water mixtures injected into a molten bath in refining open-hearth steel. They claim that with use of oxygen-water mixtures the amount of dust formed was reduced between 33.3 and 20 pct of its previous level, and emission of brown smoke almost ceased. Pepperhoff and passov5 attempted unsuccessfully to find some correlation between the optical absorption of the smoke, the flame emission, and the composition of the metal in a Thomas converter in order to determine automatically the metallurgical state in the melt. In a recent U. S. Patent (NO. 2,831,762)' issued to two Austrian inventors, Kemmetmuller and Rinesch, the inventors claim a process for treating the exhaust gases from a converter. By their method the inventors claim that the exhaust gases from the converter are cooled immediately after leaving the converter to a degree that oxidation of the metal vapors and metal particles to form Fe2O3 is inhibited in the presence of surplus oxygen. Gledhill, Carnall, and sargent7 report on cleaning the gases from oxygen lancing of pig iron in the ladle. They claim the Pease-Anthony Venturi scrubber removed 99.5 + pct of the smoke, thereby reducing the concentration to 0.1 to 0.2 grain per cu ft, which resulted in a colorless stack gas after the evaporation of water. Fischer and wahlster8 developed a small basic converter and compared the metallurgical behavior of the blow with that of a large converter. Later work by Kosmider, Neuhaus, and Hardt9 on the use of steam for reduction of smoke from an oxygen-enriched converter confirmed that the cooling effect of steam is detrimental to production. From review of all of the published information on the subject, it was concluded that a practical solution to the smoke-elimination problem had not been found. Accordingly, it was deemed desirable to investigate the feasibility of preventing the initial formation of smoke in the converter.

Jan 1, 1961

By Walter Knox, J. D. Doherty

In 1939, at the request of The Koppers Coal Co., the Koppers Company Research Department established a Stoker Coal Research Laboratory for the purpose of investigating the performance characteristics of stoker coals in typical domestic stoker installations. Fig. I is a photograph of part of the laboratory. The material in this paper deals with the performance of one coal in a single installation. Presented are details of this installation, mechanical characteristics of the stoker, and the results of a series of burning tests in which adjustments were systematically varied. Summary OF Results Mechanical Features I. A large percentage of the total power consumed by a domestic stoker is used to operate the gear case and motor (Fig. 3)- 2' The power consumption per ton goes down with an increase in rate of coal feed (Fig. 4). 3. The automatic air control in this stoker showed advantages Over manual control (Fig. 5). 4. The air velocities through the retort tuyeres were uniform around the retort, but varied between the rows of tuyere rings (Fig. 6). 5. The crushing of coal with this stoker increased the minus 1/8-in. from 11.6 per cent to 19.2 per cent. There was a notice- able segregation of coal as it came from the retort and distribution was not uniform (Fig. 7). 6. Measurement of air entering over the fire showed that with some not uncommon adjustments this air may be a high percentage of the total air supply (Fig. 8 and Table I). Operating Performance ,. The, removal of clinker was shown to give a period of poor performance characterized by a high fuel-bed resistance and a high percentage of carbon monoxide in the flue gases (Fig. 10). 2. The fuel-bed resistance was found to decrease as the fuel bed built up in a normal response to heat demand after a prolonged hold-fire (Fig. II). 3. with intermittent operation the burning rate was almost always less than the feeding rate, The wide variations were found to be greatly dependent upon the length of the On period and the length of the intervals between On periods (Fig. 12). 4. The maintenance of a low furnace draft led to less fly ash, better clinker formation, and higher efficiencies (Fig. 13). 5. The maintenance of a minimum of excess air also resulted in less fly ash, better clinker formation, and higher efficiencies (Fig. 14). Guiding Principles In planning the investigations, the following principles were adopted: Selection of Heating Equipment.—Use only standard models of stokers and furnaces representative of those widely used.

Jan 1, 1942

By Walter Knox, J. D. Doherty

In 1939, at the request of The Koppers Coal Co., the Koppers Company Research Department established a Stoker Coal Research Laboratory for the purpose of investigating the performance characteristics of stoker coals in typical domestic stoker installations. Fig. I is a photograph of part of the laboratory. The material in this paper deals with the performance of one coal in a single installation. Presented are details of this installation, mechanical characteristics of the stoker, and the results of a series of burning tests in which adjustments were systematically varied. Summary OF Results Mechanical Features I. A large percentage of the total power consumed by a domestic stoker is used to operate the gear case and motor (Fig. 3)- 2' The power consumption per ton goes down with an increase in rate of coal feed (Fig. 4). 3. The automatic air control in this stoker showed advantages Over manual control (Fig. 5). 4. The air velocities through the retort tuyeres were uniform around the retort, but varied between the rows of tuyere rings (Fig. 6). 5. The crushing of coal with this stoker increased the minus 1/8-in. from 11.6 per cent to 19.2 per cent. There was a notice- able segregation of coal as it came from the retort and distribution was not uniform (Fig. 7). 6. Measurement of air entering over the fire showed that with some not uncommon adjustments this air may be a high percentage of the total air supply (Fig. 8 and Table I). Operating Performance ,. The, removal of clinker was shown to give a period of poor performance characterized by a high fuel-bed resistance and a high percentage of carbon monoxide in the flue gases (Fig. 10). 2. The fuel-bed resistance was found to decrease as the fuel bed built up in a normal response to heat demand after a prolonged hold-fire (Fig. II). 3. with intermittent operation the burning rate was almost always less than the feeding rate, The wide variations were found to be greatly dependent upon the length of the On period and the length of the intervals between On periods (Fig. 12). 4. The maintenance of a low furnace draft led to less fly ash, better clinker formation, and higher efficiencies (Fig. 13). 5. The maintenance of a minimum of excess air also resulted in less fly ash, better clinker formation, and higher efficiencies (Fig. 14). Guiding Principles In planning the investigations, the following principles were adopted: Selection of Heating Equipment.—Use only standard models of stokers and furnaces representative of those widely used.

Jan 1, 1942

By N. E. Garner

Laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the cutting of a single diamond on limestone and shale under simulated down-hole conditions. A high-pressure chamber was modified by adding a rock-rotating device so that planing tests could be run. Weight on the diamond, diamond geometry and differential pressure across the face of the rock were varied. It was found that (I) high differential pressure reduced the volume of rock cut by the diamond at a given bit weight by strengthening the rock and changing the mode of failure; (2) a finely powdered rock left in the bottom of the grooves reduced the volume cut by as much as 50 percent; and (3) orientation of a single diamond about the axis of a drill point had considerable influence on diamond cutting efficiency. INTRODUCTION Diamond bits consist of many diamonds held in a matrix provided with water courses for fluid passage to clean, cool and lubricate the diamonds as they drill formation. Each diamond contributes its share to the overall effectiveness of a bit, but a lack of understanding of the performance of a single diamond has hampered efforts to engineer improvements in diamond bits. The need for those improvements prompted this study. This paper describes the findings of a laboratory investigation of the outting action of a single diamond where the differential pressure between the wdlbore and formation, diamond geometry and vertical force on the diamond were independently varied. The tests were conducted in a pressure chamber that provided relative horizontal motion (planing) between a rock and diamond under simulated down-hole pressure conditions. EQUIPMENT HIGH-PRESSURE CHAMBER WITH ROTATING DEVICE The high-pressure chamber used in previous rock mechanics studies' was modified for this study by addition of a rock-rotating device. The modified chamber (Fig. 1) differs from the old chamber in that the rock can be rotated to provide relative horizontal movement between the rock and the penetrator which may be a small element of a diamond or a drag bit. In this study the penetrator was a single diamond. The rock sample holder inside the chamber is mounted on a thrust bearing and is connected to the external drive mechanism by a stem that passes through two seal elements. The seal elements are needed to allow formation pressure to enter the bottom of the rock sample through a small hole in the stem. The Kapseal seal elements (Tefion boots backed by O-rings) provide low friction (hand free) even at differentials of 5,000 psi. The drive mechanism is a variable-speed transmission with a speed range from 0 to 30 rpm and an output torque of 2,800 in.-lb. A right-angle-drive gear box couples the drive to the stem. The new design has two independent pressure systems (formation and borehole) to simulate down-hole rock stress environment. Formation pressure enters from the bottom of the rock through a 6-in. diameter area, and borehole pressure acts over the remaining surface. A 14-in. layer of zero fluid loss oil-base mud poured over the top of the rock and an O-ring seal on bottom allow a differential between the borehole and formation pressures. Bayol 50 was used as the hydraulic fluid in the chamber. The differentials reported here were obtained by elevating the borehole pressure while keeping the formation pressure at zero.

By H. C. Gatos, J. T. A. Pollock, V. Sadagopan

PREVIOUS investigations on the effect of neutron irradiation on the superconducting properties of bulk transition metals indicated that little or no change occurred in poly crystalline disordered materials, particularly if cold-worked prior to irradiation. Only the superconducting properties of ordered intermetal-lic A15 compounds were found to be sensitive to irradiation, and the observed reduction in Tc and increased magnetic hysteresis or critical current densities were attributed to the introduction of flux pinning vacancy clusters and disorder in the lattice. Since the former would also be expected to be present after irradiation in disordered alloys, the general conclusion was that the disordering effect of the irradiation was the primary reason for the changes observed. The present note reports some unusual effects of neutron irradiation on cold worked Nb(Cb)-Ti-V alloys. Specimens with nominal composition as given in Table I were prepared by repeated arc melting, taking the usual precautions, and homogenized at 1000°C for 24 hr prior to a reduction of 15:l by cold rolling. Samples of size 1 by 1 by 25 mm were sliced from the rolled strips. The sarmples chosen for irradiating were sealed in a cadmium tube (wall thickness 1 mm) prior to exposure in a fast neutron flux of 3.7 x 1019 neutrons per sq cm in the swimming pool reactor of Union Carbide Corporation&apos;s Sterling Forest Reactor. During irradiation the temperature of the samples was maintained below 70°C. The irradiated samples were stored at room temperature for approximately 1 year allowing the radiation levels to reach a safe handling value. Tc measurements were made employing a self-inductance coil technique. Jc data at 4.2"Kwere obtained using a four lead resistivity method. The latter measurements were made at the Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory by setting the perpendicularly applied field and increasing the direct current through the sample until a potential of about 10-6 v was detected. Tc values for the nonirradiated samples are listed in Table I together with the change in Tc after irradiation. A decrease in Tc of 0.25 or 0.3"K was measured for three of the four samples, the exception being the Nb-30 at. pct V-20 at. pct Ti alloy which showed a decrease of 0.5K. Jc vs applied field data are plotted in Fig. 1 for the Nb-20 at. pct V-30 at. pct Ti alloy. These curves are typical of the four alloys and surprisingly indicate that a degradation occurred in all the samples after irradiation. Hc2 values, obtained by extrapolation to zero current, are 8 to 15 pct lower than those measured for the nonirradiated specimens. The reasons for the degradation of Tc and jc ob-served in the alloys on exposure to neutron irradiation are not immediately apparent. The temperature at which the samples were maintained during bombardment (<70°C) and stored (20°C) make it highly unlikely that any significant change in the dislocation density of the materials through thermally activated migration and annihilation would occur. The explanation must lie in the type of damage produced by the bombardment. McEvoy et a1. reported no change in superconduct-

Jan 1, 1970

By J. M. Blank, V. A. Russell

When the nucleation of silicon on a sapphire substrate is accomplished by gradually decreasing the substrate temperature while subjecting it to a constant impingement rate of hydrogen and silicon tetrachloride, the resulting deposit is characterized by widely separated islands of silicon scattered over an "open sea" of sapphire. Analysis shows that nucleation takes place mainly on sites of large adsorption energy, about 85 kcal per mole, and small surface concentration, about 108 cm-2. Crystal growth proceeds rapidly on these nuclei and results in enough depletion of Sicl4 from the ambient gas to suppress further nucleation. The technological importance of single-crystal films on dielectric substrates has prompted considerable work on the deposition of silicon on sapphire. This paper is concerned with the deposition of silicon, by the reduction of silicon tetrachloride with hydrogen, onto heated sapphire substrates. The apparatus consisted of a temperature-controlled container for the silicon tetrachloride along with gas lines and flow meters necessary to convey a hydrogen-silicon tetrachloride mixture to a reaction chamber constructed of quartz tubing. Heat for the substrate was provided by means of an inductively heated graphite susceptor. The observations pertinent to the present discussion were made with an American Optical Co. high-temperature microscope which allowed us to make motion pictures of the deposition process at a magnification of approximately 50 times. Two main categories of experiments were carried out: one on determination of critical condensation temperatures and the other on the deposition of epitaxial silicon films on the sapphire substrates. Critical condensation temperatures were determined in the traditional way by raising the substrate temperature well above that at which condensation could be expected at the impingement rates being studied and then gradually lowering the temperature until the condensation of the first silicon was observed. This was done initially with ellipsometry-type detection but it was soon discovered that the deposits were occurring as widely separated islands and groups of islands scattered over an "open sea" of sapphire. We have called these archipelago formations. They were most easily detected by optical microscopy. Data gathered from experiments of this type have been collected in Table I. Motion pictures of the formation of archipelago patterns show that the nucleation period lasts about 10 sec if the substrate temperature and impingement rate are kept constant. Essentially all of the nuclei are formed in a few seconds and all subsequent silicon deposition merely adds to the size of the established nuclei. After an archipelago formation has matured at a given substrate temperature and impingement rate, it is very difficult to stimulate any further nucleation in the open space between islands. Lowering the substrate temperature will occasionally stimulate nucleation but increasing the impingement rate hardly ever produces any more new nuclei. It should also be emphasized that the nucleation rates appear to be very small, about 104 cm-2 sec-1. They will receive special attention in the analysis section. Another series of experiments was performed employing a systematic variation of substrate temperatures and impingement rates approximating those expected to produce epitaxy. Sapphire substrates with surfaces normal to the 2233 direction were used. In contrast to the procedure that produces archipelago patterns, these films were deposited by raising the substrate temperature to a desired value at which time the silicon tetrachloride and hydrogen flow was begun. Of course, these depositions produced mainly films that were continuous. After removal from the deposition chamber, the substrate and silicon film were examined microscopically to determine the nature of the deposit and by X-ray diffraction to determine the extent to which a single-crystal film had been achieved. Results of these experiments are summarized in Table 11. Of interest for the present analysis is the fact that epitaxy appears to be confined to a fairly narrow temperature range between about 1050" and 1150°C. This also will be discussed in the analysis section. ANALYSIS In this section we shall apply nucleation theory to the data presented above with the objective of testing

Jan 1, 1967

By Charles Colcock Jones

In the winter of 1902, while occupying the position of mining and examining engineer for the Mountain Copper Co., Ltd., of Keswick, Cal., I had .occasion to discuss with the General Manager, among other things, the question of the enormous waste of sulphur in smelting cupriferous pyrite ore, and to cast about for means to utilize this waste or to render the fumes innocuous to vegetation. The decreasing rate of production of California farms, the consequent need of fertilizers, and the opportunity thus offered to utilize large quantities of sulphuric acid in the manufacture of superphosphates naturally brought the subject to the practical and commercial side of phosphates. I was informed that the company had made efforts to find phosphates in the West, without success. I advised as a start placing inquiries for phosphate deposits on the Pacific coast in the current mining journals. This was done, with the result that in January, 1903, from an advertisement in the Mining and Scientific Press we got track of a deposit in Rich county, Utah, through T. J. Wilson, of the Southern Pacific railroad in San Francisco. As soon as snow in the mountains would permit, in May, 1903, I undertook an examination of the property, with the result of recognizing the importance of the find, in spite of its lack of facilities for transportation at a commercial figure. On June 15, 1903, I concluded my report by saying, "This may be one of the world&apos;s deposits of phosphates." On Nov. 17, 1903, I concluded my report for the season in the following words : " I have now no hesitation in saying that I believe the Carboniferous formation so largely developed in the Wasatch mountains of Utah and the mountains of the Great Basin will prove to be one of the greatest storehouses of phosphoric acid in the world." Early History. In the summer of 1897 R. A. Pidcock, a mail carrier of Ogden, Utah, while on a prospecting trip camped on " 12 mile," a branch of

Jan 1, 1914

By Eric R. Morgan, J. C. Shyne

STRAIN aging is the name given to time-dependent changes which occur in the properties of cold-worked metals and alloys during storage. These changes are best observed through a study of mechanical properties, as illustrated in Fig. I for low-carbon steel. The effects of strain aging are usually regarded as being detrimental, particularly in deep-drawing steels. For example, an increase in yield strength and loss in ductility lead to buckling and tearing during drawing. At the same time the return of the yield point results in the formation of Luders bands or stretcher strains during the pressing operation. As a result of these effects many attempts have been made to eliminate strain aging from low-carbon steel. The problem still remains, however, because all known methods of preventing strain aging result in a more costly steel. The present work is an assessment of the situation in terms of theoretical, practical, and economic factors and suggests a new solution to the problem. Previous Work According to the Cottrell theory,&apos; strain aging in a-iron may be regarded as the migration of interstitial atoms to free dislocations and the anchoring of dislocations by the resulting atmospheres. It may be concluded that the important factors which will govern the degree of strain aging are the diffusivity, the effective amount of interstitial element in solution, and the time of aging. The diffusivities and effective amounts of carbon and nitrogen in solution in low-carbon rimming steel are such that significant aging occurs in a few hours&apos; storage at room temperature. Strain aging in deep-drawing steels cannot be controlled by controlling the time of aging because in commercial practice this is determined by economic factors concerned with inventories and may be several weeks. The diffusivity of nitrogen is twice that of carbon at room temperature but the diffusivities can be controlled by controlling the storage temperature. The retardation produced by only a 25 °C drop in temperature is significant but the cold storage of large steel inventories is an impractical solution to Table I. Analysis of Base Materials Alloy Pet C Yet 0 Pet N Vac 0.0037 0.052 0.0003 H 0.0044 0.013 0.0008 C 0.06 0.0014 0.0001 the problem. By far the most simple and effective ways to control strain aging are through control of the amount of carbon and nitrogen in solution. This may be effected through alloying, controlled precipitation, or by eliminating the carbon and nitrogen. Consider first the control of the amount of carbon in solution. The simplest approach would be alloy -ing in which strong carbide-forming elements are added. Examples of this approach are the additions of titanium&apos; and niobium9 0 steel. These elements also combine with nitrogen and oxygen and when added in sufficient quantity result in a completely killed and non-aging steel. They are, however, impractical additions because they result in a costly steel. Carbon and nitrogen are often removed from iron on a laboratory scale by annealing in wet hydrogen, but because of cost this process has never been adopted on a commercial scale. In practice the amount of carbon in solution is controlled by the rate of cooling from the annealing temperature (710°C or 1310°F). In commercial box

Jan 1, 1958

By A. E. Bellis, T. W. Hardy

The problem of heat treating high-speed steel becomes more and more important as the design of cutters becomes more and more complicated in increasing the efficiency of mechanical operatioqs. Hundreds of dollars are spent in the design and manufacture of milling cutters of special form for rapid production of duplicate or interchangeable parts, and then, as the heat treatment is faulty on the one hand, or scientifically executed on the other, the tool fails after a few operations, or its efficiency is greatly increased. The practical operation of giving these complicated tools the right temperature necessary to bring out the best cutting qualities, and at the same time bring-the tool out "clean," is a difficult one and calls for no small amount of skill. In order to be on the safe side the average tool hardener uses a temperature much too low to give the best results with the high-speed steel he uses. In the case of cutters which are finished to a given diameter before hardening, it is impossible to grind the tool after hardening, so that it is essential that the surface be protected from oxidizing or de-carbonizing. It is the aim of this paper to describe some experiments on hardening high-speed stee1, in which metallographic means were used to determine the correct hardening tempcratures. The accompanying table and plates show the results of hardening experiments on five different high-speed steels. The analyses for carbon, tungsten, chromium and vanadium of each steel are given in the accom- . panying table. Six specimens from the same bar of each kind of steel

Jan 1, 1917

By W. E. Howlett, R. L. Slobod

Jan 1, 1965

By James W. Malcolmson

This paper treats of the history and development of the Sierra Mojada mines in the north of Mexico, the character and extent of the ore-deposits, and the methods of mining the ore. The growth of the smelting industry in Mexico in recent years is, to a large degree, due directly to the output of the lead-bearing ores from the Sierra Mojada mines, and at the present time (1901) new smelters are being built, looking to this district for their supply of lead-ores. These mines are located in the southern part of the State of Coahuila, in the Republic of Mexico, in latitude 27 24&apos; N. and longitude 103O 43&apos; W. of Greenwich. The last account of the Sierra Mojada published in our transactions was contributed by Mr. Richard E. Chism, in October, 1886.* Since that time some 3,000,000 tons of ore have been extracted from the mines, and much additional information has been developed regarding the mineral deposits. Since 1886, the Mexican Northern railroad, 78 miles in length, has been built from Escalon, connecting the camp with the Mexican Central railway, a trunk-line from El Paso, Texas, to Mexico City. The distances by rail from Sierra Mojada to the principal smelting-centers are as follows : To Torreon, Coahuila, Mex., 179 miles; to Monterey, Nuevo Leon, Mex., 422 miles; to El Paso, Tex., U. S., 494 miles; to Aguas Calientes, A. C., Mex., 522 miles; to San Luis Potosi, 8. L. P., Mex., 644 miles; to Pueblo, Colorado, U. S., 1158 miles; to Argentine, Kans., U. S.,

Jan 1, 1902