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By M. D. Cooper

FOr the purpose of obtaining some first-hand data in regard to the shooting clown of coal in bituminous 'nines, it was the writer's good fortune to be employed as a shot-firer for almost one year. In all, 6,020 shots were fired by him during this period. All of the work was clone in what is known as the South Main section of the No. 2 Mine of the Ellsworth Collieries Co., Ellsworth, Pa., a subsidiary of the Lackawanna Steel Co. Position of Shot-firing in the Cycle of Operations The established practice of the Ellsworth Collieries Co. calls first for the undercutting of the coal by electric chain machines across the face of the entry or room. This is followed by replacing any posts removed by the machine-runners, or the setting of new posts or timber, as may be required. After this has been done the machine cuttings are loaded into cars. Then the coal is spragged, and a shot hole drilled to the depth of the undercut. Next in order, the shot-firer loads the hole and fires the charge. The working place is then cleaned up, timbered if necessary, the sides and face squared up, and loose material taken down. The face is again ready to be undercut.

Jan 1, 1917

By COURTNEY DE KALB

IRON ore is the cause of the present trouble in Morocco. At least three nations are interested in the outcome and private syndicates have been active. The iron deposits are found in that mountainous northern coast line known as the Rif. This is an uplift that has been cut through, by the northward drainage, representing an ancient land surface. Erosion has produced .a fiordlike coast, which circum- stance has aided contraband' traffic to the tribes dominated by Abd-el-Krim, the chief of the clan of the Beni Urriaguel, near the center of 'the north coast, opposite Alhucemas. The iron deposits are extensive in the territory of the Beni Urriaguel. They were "located," if such a term is permissible, many years ago. The first arrangements, through direct contracts with the tribal chieftains, have been reinforced by compliance with the subsequent code under the Spanish protectorate in 1914. Under those terms, the location had to be made through the Arbitral Commission sitting in Paris. These locations, or "denouncements," were made by the I-louse of Mannesmann, of Hamburg.

Jan 1, 1925

By P. H. Griffin

WHEN a subject, such as the manufacture and service of chilled car wheels, as has been fruitlessly discussed for ten or fifteen years, it is difficult to revive interest and action by the mere repetition of statements and arguments that have been made before. And when a situation involves serious responsibilities for conditions that have grown up under circumstances beyond the control of any particular individuals or authority, it is even more difficult to deal with. But there is one phase of every subject that need not involve these particular points if presented in a, proper manner; and that is, " the future state." I will try to present the subject of this communication from the latter standpoint and with the hope that all of those interested will feel disposed to give the matter attention from the basis that it is a, vitally important one to all that travel on railroads, whether as employees or officials, or as dependent on those in charge of the operation, or in the matter of materials and equipment used. The conditions of chilled wheel service have been changed so radically in the past ten or fifteen years by the use of freight cars of 40 and 50 tons capacity, that it is fair to say in the interest of all concerned in the use and in the manufacture of such wheels, that the increased strains and loads have been quite sufficient to account for much of the service results that have transpired. That proper provision was not made for increased possibilities of strength and wear, in fact that previous factors of the kind were allowed to deteriorate, is no proof that such wheels cannot be made equal to heavy service conditions as shown in the data given herein.

Jan 10, 1913

By L. S. Castleman, R. K. Hotzler

We are currently studying the effects on recrys-tallization of impurities diffused into dispersion-hardened alloys. Our interest in this phenomenon was originally aroused by the observation that the recrystallization temperature range of tungsten "doped" with alumina and silica, or with thoria, is lowered drastically if nickel is plated onto the tungsten prior to heat treatment.' In this note, we report a similar effect that sulfur has on the recrystallization behavior of thoriated nickel. The experimental procedure for this exploratory phase of the investigation has consisted simply in heating commercially obtained stress-relieved samples of thoriated nickel for varying temperatures and times in sealed capsules containing air and small quantities of sulfur. The samples contain 2.4 vol pct thoria and initially less than 18 ppm S by weight; they are prepared either from 0.5-in.-ciiam rod stock or from 0.092-in. sheet and are in the "as-received" (stress-relieved) condition prior to exposure. In an atmosphere free of sulfur, such samples do not show evidence of recrystallization after being annealed for 1 hr at a temperature of 2500°F (1372C).2 The photomicrograph in Fig. 1 shows the microstructure of one of our samples annealed for 75 hr at 1000° C (1832°F) in a sulfur-free capsule. The grain structure is hardly evident (if at all) at 465 times magnification. In contrast, the photomicrograph of Fig. 2 shows the recrystallization that has taken place in a sample exposed to sulfur for 5 hr at 1000°C (1832°F). A nickel sulfide phase is visible at the grain boundaries of the light-appearing grains. We have also observed recrystallization to occur in a sample annealed at 600°C (1112°F) for 25 hr. This temperature is below the 637°C (1178°F) eutectic in the Ni-S system. In the latter case, no nickel sulfide phase is evident in the microstructure. Moreover, we have noticed the occur-

Jan 1, 1969

By J. F. K. Brown

ANTHRACITE?S satisfactory showing in 1942 was accomplished in the face of adverse conditions, such as the loss of man power to the active services and to other industries, and the difficulty and delay in obtaining the necessary materials and equipment required in mining operations. Although the in- creased output was stimulated by the war, and thus does not impress one as contributing to continuing improvement in the industry, nevertheless the year witnessed several efforts ant1 consideration of others that have the appearance of permanent progress.

Jan 1, 1943

By Philip D. Wilson

IT has been my privilege to read the article prepared by R. S. Dean entitled "Production of Alumina from Low-Grade Domestic Materials" which appears on another page of this issue. Dr. Dean should be congratulated on the preparation of such an erudite and scholarly dissertation on bauxite and on the work which the Bureau of Mines has been doing in connection with the development of processes to use low-grade domestic materials.

Jan 1, 1943

By HAROLD E. WHITE

LONG before the Stone Age, when man first sought shelter where there-were no natural shelters, such as caves and clefts in the rock, he uprooted trees and planted them upside down so that the roots formed the roof. By selecting trees whose roots grew out in a horizontal direction and; by planting these trees close enough - together, a crude shelter was formed. He then took mud, formed a plaster and covered over the' roots. Later the walls were made by using sticks and twigs and plastering between them. It is natural then, that he wiped his muddy hands on- his own hairy body and soon found that the mud was difficult to remove when, dry. It is due, to this discovery that we mix animal hair in 'our modern plaster to increase its strength. The use of fibrous asbestos in some refractory cements has followed this same principle.

Jan 1, 1929

By Lawrence K. Jetter, Robert F. Mehl

Some advances have been made recently in the theory of the kinetics of precipitation from metallic solid solution despite the complexities of the problem, but there is surprisingly little quantitative information available on rates of precipitation with which to test present theory or upon which to build new theory. Attempts to measure rates of precipitation have been beset with difficulties which originate both in the anomalies that attend the changes in the properties selectcd for measurement, as, for example, in electrical conductivity or mechanical properties, and also in the complexities in the structural changes in some systems, as in the aluminum-copper system. If the functional relationship between the quantity of precipitate and the value of the selected property is uncertain, measurements of that property are obviously of uncertain utility in determining absolute rates of precipitation. If the precipitating system passes through one or more transition stages, the interpretation of measured rates lacks definiteness; in such cases, it is necessary to measure the rate of reaction in each separate stage, if the rate measurements are to have any significance from the kinetic point of view.* These difficulties cannot be wholly avoided, for at least in some measure they are characteristic of the process of precipitation from solid solution, but they can be minimized both by the selection of a simple system and by the use of a method of measurement relatively free from anomalous behavior. The present paper reports dilatome tric measurements on the rate of precipitation of silicon from the aluminum-rich solid solution in the aluminum-silicon system—a study that approaches the desiderata of simplicity. The aluminum-silicon system offers advantages from these points of view: there are no known anomalies in the property changes accompanying precipitation; there are no known transition stages; the precipitate is an element, not a compound, and both matrix and precipitate are cubic, and while the structures are not identical (the solid solution is face-centered cubic and the precipitate is diamond cubic), the system at least approaches the ideal case of a crystal precipitating from a matrix of the same crystal type—the ideal case which Becker6 assumed in treating the precipitation process theoretically. The dilatometric method, while not free from disturbing effects, as the subsequent dis-

Jan 1, 1943

By Lawrence K. Jetter, Robert F. Mehl

Some advances have been made recently in the theory of the kinetics of precipitation from metallic solid solution despite the complexities of the problem, but there is surprisingly little quantitative information available on rates of precipitation with which to test present theory or upon which to build new theory. Attempts to measure rates of precipitation have been beset with difficulties which originate both in the anomalies that attend the changes in the properties selectcd for measurement, as, for example, in electrical conductivity or mechanical properties, and also in the complexities in the structural changes in some systems, as in the aluminum-copper system. If the functional relationship between the quantity of precipitate and the value of the selected property is uncertain, measurements of that property are obviously of uncertain utility in determining absolute rates of precipitation. If the precipitating system passes through one or more transition stages, the interpretation of measured rates lacks definiteness; in such cases, it is necessary to measure the rate of reaction in each separate stage, if the rate measurements are to have any significance from the kinetic point of view.* These difficulties cannot be wholly avoided, for at least in some measure they are characteristic of the process of precipitation from solid solution, but they can be minimized both by the selection of a simple system and by the use of a method of measurement relatively free from anomalous behavior. The present paper reports dilatome tric measurements on the rate of precipitation of silicon from the aluminum-rich solid solution in the aluminum-silicon system—a study that approaches the desiderata of simplicity. The aluminum-silicon system offers advantages from these points of view: there are no known anomalies in the property changes accompanying precipitation; there are no known transition stages; the precipitate is an element, not a compound, and both matrix and precipitate are cubic, and while the structures are not identical (the solid solution is face-centered cubic and the precipitate is diamond cubic), the system at least approaches the ideal case of a crystal precipitating from a matrix of the same crystal type—the ideal case which Becker6 assumed in treating the precipitation process theoretically. The dilatometric method, while not free from disturbing effects, as the subsequent dis-

Jan 1, 1943

By A. J. Lanza

THE prevention of illness among the employees of the mining industry is especially important in view of the importance of the industry, the unsettled conditions of labor, which emphasize the economic necessity for conservation of labor, and for humanitarian reasons. The burden of chronic illness is altogether unwarranted and unnecessary. If the industry is to maintain its labor supply in an efficient manner and keep the standard high, it is essential that it make every effort to keep its labor in good physical condition. The basic principles underlying health conservation are the same for any industry, but they are here applied especially to the mining industry, and more particularly, perhaps, to metal mining, as it is with this phase of the industry that the writer is most familiar, and as it is conceded that metal mining presents more health hazards than coal mining. The first step in the prevention of illness lies in securing employees who are in sound health and free from organic disease. I do not mean that all men who go underground should be physically perfect, but they should be free from organic defects of the heart, lungs, and other organs, or from anatomical defects that would- markedly increase their liability to accident. The number of men working underground in mines in this country whose physical, condition totally unfits them for such work presents-a situation that should not be allowed to continue, and which I believe is 'not equalled in any other, industry in the country. There is but one way to secure men who come up to the required standard, . and that is by a thorough physical examination before employment. I am fully aware of the objections felt toward such a procedure by many employers and employees. There is much to he said on both sides, but to any one who is at all familiar with the mining industry as it is today in this country, and who approaches the matter with an unbiased mind, there can be absolutely no doubt as to the necessity for physical examination. As a purely logical proposition this is self-evident, but there remains the further necessity of placing physical examinations on such a

Jan 2, 1919

By W. M. Robertson

The rate of crack Propagation thvough a solid meta1 in the presence of a liquid metal has been calculated. The crack is assumed to propagate by solution of the solid in the liquid under the influence of an applied stress, with volume diffusion of the dissolved solute through the liquid controlling the propagation. The calculated velocities can be tens of centimeters per second or higher. THE embrittlement of normally ductile solid metals by liquid metals has been the subject of extensive study, as summarized in the book by Rostoker, McCaughey, and arkuus.' In experimental studies of liquid-metal embrittlement it is usually concluded that the observed crack-propagation rates are too high to be accounted for by diffusion processes. Diffusion is considered to be an unimportant factor and various other mechanisms are invoked to account for the experimental observations. The similarities of liquid-metal embrittlement to stress-corrosion cracking, to hydrogen embrittlement of steel, and to low-temperature embrittlement of bcc metals are frequently used as analogies for these mechanisms.1"3 The present paper assesses how rapidly a crack could propagate by a mechanism of volume diffusion through the liquid metal. We assume that the crack propagates by solution of the solid in the liquid at the crack tip under the influence of the applied stress and diffusion of the dissolved solute away from the crack tip. The model uses only macroscopic thermodynamic, kinetic, and elastic concepts. The calculations indicate that this dissolution-diffusion mechanism can give high crack velocities. In some previous treatments4'' of crack propagation in a liquid-metal environment the fundamental step has been the breaking of atomic bonds at the crack tip. The liquid greatly decreases the energy necessary to break these bonds. The present model assumes the crack is filled with liquid metal; the presence of the liquid is essential because diffusion through the liquid is assumed to control the rate of propagation. With proper modification this model could also apply to stress corrosion in a liquid environment. THEORY Consider a crack in a homogeneous elastic continuum, ignoring all the structural details of the solid. This neglects a host of metallurgical details which can be significant in the problem of liquid-metal embrittlement;' but this simple assumption is a useful approach in evaluating the role of diffusion through the liquid. The stress distribution around the crack tip establishes a gradient in the chemical potential at the tip, which causes a diffusion flux through the liquid away from the tip. The solid-liquid interfacial tension works against crack propagation, since propagation requires creation of interfacial area. From these two considerations we derive the diffusion flux, which then yields an expression for the velocity of the crack tip. The concentration of the solute in the liquid, C, is equal to the equilibrium concentration in the presence of an unstressed, flat surface, Co, plus the excess concentration due to the stress, AC(a), plus the excess concentration due to capillarity, AC(y): We calculate AC(o) and AC(y) and then obtain the diffusion flux. Consider (Fig. 1) a long flat crack of length 2L, thickness 2r, and tip radius r, where r remains constant as the crack propagates in the positive x direction. There is no stress ay in the y direction across the flat surfaces of the crack. The magnitude of the stress at the crack tip due to the applied stress, a,, is given by the relation6 ^=^[l-2^] 12] which, for long narrow cracks, becomes The stress increases the chemical potential in proportion to the strain energy.? The excess chemical potential due to the stress, Ap(a), is given by where 52 is the atomic volume of the solid and E the Young's modulus. Inserting Eq. [3] gives Now consider the crack to be filled with a liquid metal. The excess solubility due to stress, hC(a), is given by the excess chemical potential due to capillarity, Ap(y), is given by8 where y is the solid-liquid interfacial energy, and v1 and YZ are the two principal radii of curvature of any surface point. At the crack tip, r1 = -r and vz = m, so TRANSACTIONS OF THE METALLURGICAL SOCIETY OF AIME

Jan 1, 1967

By George M. Fowler

DURING 1937 the subject of mining geology was probably given more attention and more mining geologists were usefully employed than at any previous time. Of the many contributing factors the most important were: (1) a higher degree of prosperity in many countries, (2) a. better understanding of geologic phenomena, and (3) the apparently diminishing reserves of several important minerals. Mining companies have come to look upon geology with a growing appreciation of its aid in the more effective exploration and exploitation of mineral deposits. Most of the larger and more active companies have one or more geologists permanently attached to their staffs and some have well organized and efficiently managed geological departments. Even the smaller companies, who feel they cannot afford to employ a geologist on a permanent basis, are seeking the advice of competent men in this field with increasing frequency. One of the most significant trends has been the growing tendency to base exploratory work on more thorough geologic studies instead of empirical "hunches,"on which so much off the work in the past has relied. Likewise, mining companies are apparently more willing to expend larger sums on the basis of geologic possibilities in a district.

Jan 1, 1938

By H. C. Chang, N. J. Grant, A. R. Chaudhuri

During the creep of coarse-grained polycrystalline magnesium at elevated temperatures, a nonbasal type of slip was found to play an important role in the deformation processes. The nonbasal slip traces were examined metallographically in eight specimens (13 grains) and the observed glide plane located stereographically for each grain. The tests were run at 500&apos; and 700°F at stresses of 148 to 786 psi. Based on these measurements and theoretical calculations, the crystallographic elements for nonbasal slip were determined. WHEN a metal deforms by slip, the conventional appearance of the slip bands on the surface of a specimen is that of straight lines. Such is the behavior of the face-centered-cubic metals, as for example, aluminum. The particular slip system on which slip occurs in these metals is governed by the criterion of resolved shear stress. Work on the body-centered-cubic metals a-iron,&apos;. &apos; molybdenum, and columbium4 has shown that the process of slip is somewhat more complicated than the simple gliding of one close-packed plane of atoms over another in a close-packed direction and that it results in the formation of wavy and irregular slip traces on the surface. The recent reviews and experiments of Vogel and Brick and Chen and Mad-din3 show that, for the body-centered-cubic metals, the resolved shear stresses along the planes and the degree of close-packing do not necessarily determine the slip system. Theirs and other investigations indicate that a complete understanding of the slip process in the body-centered-cubic metals is not yet possible. However, one behavior displayed by all these metals is that the slip direction is invariably one of the close-packed directions <11l>. The wavy nature of the slip-band traces has been explained on the basis of cooperative slip by planes sharing this same slip direction.1&apos;3l&apos; It is generally acknowledged that, when the hexagonal-close-packed metal magnesium (axial ratio c/a = 1.624) deforms by slip at room temperature, it does so by basal slip in the close-packed direction <1I%>. This type of slip has the conventional appearance of straight lines and is governed by the critical shear-stress law. Schmid and coworkers" showed that basal slip was operative in the temperature range of —185" to 300°C (—300" to 572°F). Work by Servi, Norton, and Grant6 has shown that, during the creep of coarse-grained aluminum at high temperatures, new slip systems come into operation. The existence of a new high temperature slip system at temperatures greater than 225 °C (437°F) for magnesium was suggested also by Schmid. This was later indicated by Bakarian and Mathewson&apos; to be slip along the pyramidal planes (10i1) in the close-packed direction <11%>.* They * Mention will be made in the text of pyramidal planes and prismatic planes. The pyramidal planes referred to are the type I. order 1 of the form {10il); and the prismatic planes of the type 1 of the form (10i0). For the sake of brevity, they are termed in the teat as pyramidal (10il: and prismatic (10i0) planes, respectively. Where reference is made to the pyramidal plane type 1, order 2 of the form {10i2), they are referred to as the pyramidal planes of the type (10i2:. observed that this kind of slip resulted in irregular markings on the specimen surface. According to them, a possible cause for the appearance of the markings was due to "limited accessory slip on the pyramidal {10i2) planes." Burke and Hibbard," on deforming a single crystal of magnesium at room temperature, found evidence of slip on a pyramidal plane {1011). They explained it as being due to the effect of grip restraints. It is pertinent to note at this point that, although basal slip has received a fair amount of attention, only two specimens have been investigated, that of Bakarian and Mathewson and of Burke and Hibbard, to establish the elements of nonbasal slip in magnesium. During the study of the deformation mechanisms

Jan 1, 1956

By J. R. Campbell

During the past few years, the writer has had occasion to take several excursions into the realms of the washability of beds 3 and 4 of the Pocahontas coal and the proper handling of these coals in prepared sizes Fig. 1.—Washability curve for 4 by 2½-in. egg, PocahoKtas coal. Note that definite break occurs at about 1.60 sp. gr., and washing at this gravity removes all heavy rock and slate, amounting to about 5 per cent. Curve 2 indicates a bony coal, and washed egg coal might not have a good appcarance, and would be condemned by visual inspection, although it would be well prepared mechanically. to attain the greatest realization for the operator and yet produce a market product acceptable to the consumer. Preparation is not new in the southern field, but some new angles have presented themselves in recent years on account of the progress of mechanical preparation. Mechanical methods are entirely devoid of the five senses given to

Jan 1, 1931

By W. S. Row

This mine is operated at 4000 to 4500 tons daily through a single shaft, with one rock hoist and one senice hoist. Latest shaft construction is concrete with wooden dividers. Economics of drifters and air-leg drills are compared, as well as costs of shrinkage and sub-level stoping. Economy of large haulage equipment and underground crushing is shown. THE property of Kerr-Addison Gold Mines is located in the Larder Lake district of Ontario about 3 miles from the Quebec boundary on the highway between Kirkland Lake and Noranda. It is roughly 320 miles due north of Toronto and 365 miles north of Buffalo, N. Y. The property was staked in 1906 and after several development efforts finally came into continuous production at 500 tons per day in 1937. In 1939 the daily tonnage -was increased to 1200 and in 1941 to 2100 tons. At the end of the war, because of the shortage of labor, tonnage was down to 1100 tons per day, rising to 2200 in February 1947. A further plant expansion inaugurated in 1946 was completed by December 1948, bringing the capacity of the mine and mill to a production rate of 4000 tons per day. Current production, with 880 men employed, is 4400 tons per day. Changes in mining methods and equipment, required by the recently completed expansion program, have yielded interesting comparative results, some of which are described in this paper. Hoisting of ore and waste from the mine, as well as all service facilities for handling men and supplies underground, are provided for in a single vertical five-compartment shaft. Ore and waste are hoisted in 12½-ton skips in balance by a 14-ft diam hoist with drums 115 in. wide, grooved for 2?-in. wire ropes. This hoist, with a total rope pull of 85,000 lb, was designed to operate at a speed of 2600 ft per min to a depth of 4000 ft, hoisting 15 tons of ore in each skip. It is amplidyne-controlled and powered with dual drive dc motors of 2250-hp each, through flexible couplings to two pinion shafts, one on each side of the main gear. Each motor has a peak load rating of 4500-hp at point of greatest duty. Direct current power to the hoist motors is supplied from a motor generator set consisting of a 5000-hp synchronous motor driving two 1750-kw dc generators. The loading pockets used so far are at depths of 1500 and 2725 ft respectively. Consequently the present hoisting speed is 2000 ft per min and the skips capacity only 12½ tons. Now that the shaft has been deepened the new pockets at 3934 ft will be increasingly used so that the speed and the skip size will be increased up to original specifications as required. Some difficulty in meeting the required hoisting cycle is expected because of the shape of the skips. As now in use the cross-sectional dimensions of the inside of the skip are 4 ft 6 in. x 3 ft 8 in. To hold 121/2 tons, therefore, they are 14 ft 10 in. deep. Since the skips are the conventional overturning or Kim-berley type, considerable hoisting time is lost in retardation in entering the headframe dump and in acceleration when leaving. It is expected that to obtain the specified tonnage from this hoist when the skip size is increased to 15 tons it may be necessary to resort to bottom dump skips. This type of skip could reduce considerably the present excessive acceleration and retardation times. Analyses of the skip-hoisting operation are made monthly, and every effort is made to reduce controllable delays. For a nine-month period in 1951 such an analysis shows that the hoist was in operation 92.5 pct of the available time, which was allotted as shown in Table I. Overall hoisting costs, cage and skip, for the year 1951, averaged $0.168 per ton of ore milled. The mine is serviced entirely by means of a single cage, capacity 35 men or 15,700 lb, operating in con-

Jan 1, 1954

By B. C. Raynes

IN the early part of 1952, under the auspices of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission, Horizons Inc. undertook an investigation dealing with the preparation of high purity thorium metal in order to develop an economically competitive production process for this metal based on a recovery of the metal by a fused salt electrolysis, since a survey of the literature of thorium chemistry indicated that electrolytic methods had not received much attention, despite the consideration that electrochemical production methods often offer attractive commercial potentialities. Thorium metal has been prepared by methods which fall into four general categories: 1) reduction of halides or double halides; 2) reduction of the oxide; 3) thermal decomposition of halides; and 4) electrolytic methods. Some of the important results obtained by various investigators since about 1900 in recorded attempts to prepare pure thorium metal are summarized in Table I. A bibliography of pertinent literature is included in this paper. Thorium is strongly electropositive and possesses a great affinity for oxygen and nitrogen. As a result the prospects for the production of high purity thorium from aqueous media or oxygen bearing compounds are remote. The most promising and profitable area of investigation for production of thorium metal lies in fused salt electrolysis. Thorium has been produced previously by this technique from halide salts in fused alkali chloride eutectic mixtures. Until recently, however, the lack of known large uses for thorium has inhibited the investigation of these methods. The basic problem in an investigation into fused salt production methods for thorium is to develop a suitable fused salt system for the economic preparation of thorium. The first portion of the work in these laboratories was a small scale investigation of the electrolysis of potassium thorium fluoride, KThF5, under a variety of conditions. High purity thorium was prepared in this manner, but the process did not appear to offer the simplest and most attractive continuous commercial operation. The work reported here relates to an all-chloride system employing thorium chloride as the cell feed. ThCL4 was produced as an anhydrous material stabilized in molten sodium chloride. This product, further diluted in NaCl, was subjected to electrolysis. The electrolytic process has been studied in cells capable of holding up to 50 lb total salt charge. Ductile, pure thorium metal has been reproducibly obtained in this operation. Considerable experimentation was carried out in the preparation of ThCL as a cell feed free from moisture, oxides, and other impurities. Thorium was cathodically deposited as a coarsely crystalline powder interspersed with residual bath salts. Aqueous procedures for separating and recovering the metal were developed. The thorium metal powder obtained has been evaluated with respect to its hardness, chemical purity, and certain other physical properties. Preparation of ThC1,—Thorium chloride, and the chlorides of some other metals (aluminum, beryllium, tantalum, zirconium, etc.) cannot be obtained from aqueous solution by direct heating and evaporation. Evaporation and heating of a solution of thorium chloride yields a hydrated salt or partially hydrated salt, and finally Tho,. Anhydrous thorium chloride is obtained by forming a hydrated ammonium chloride complex salt in acidified water solution, dehydrating this compound, and finally decomposing the double salt and subliming the ammonium chloride component. Various methods for the preparation of anhydrous thorium chloride, in accordance with this concept, were investigated as indicated in Table I1 from hydrated thorium chloride (ThCl, . 3H2O), and from thorium oxycarbonate (ThOCO,). In the method found most satisfactory for this work, thorium oxycarbonate was dissolved in an excess of concentrated HC1 to give a clear yellow solution. At least 2 mol NH,Cl were added to the solution per mol of contained thorium. Ammonium thorium chloride hydrate was crystallized from solution by cooling and saturation with HC1. The resultant complex, (NH,Cl),ThCl;xH,O, was dehydrated by evaporation at 130° to 150°C and thoroughly dried at about 250°C. The dried ammanium thorium chloride was then mixed with sodium chloride in proportions to form NaThCL or to produce a ThCL4-NaCl mixture with a given thorium content. The ammonium chloride was sublimed off at temperatures above 500°C in an inert atmosphere furnace to give an anhydrous chloride source electrolyte, essentially free of Tho, and of NKC1.

Jan 1, 1958

By B. L. Averbach

Recovery and primary recrystalliza-tion in cold worked metals are usually considered as two competing processes. Some of the effects which usually accompany recovery are: alleviation of stress corrosion tendencies, changes in thermal emf,1 damping capacity,2 electrical resistivity,2 and magnetic properties,3 and only minor changes in hardness or the related strength properties. During primary recrystalliza-tion new unstrained grains are formed at the expense of the strained matrix. These new grains eventually become visible metallographically, and nucle-ation and growth kinetics have been indicated for this process.4,5 Frequent attempts have been made to study the cold-working phenomenon by observations on the line broadening by X ray diffraction patterns. Relatively few measurements of line intensities have been made, although Brind-ley and his collaborators, 6,7,8 by means of film techniques, compared the intensities of cold worked Cu, Ni, and Rh patterns with those from chemically precipitated powders. These precipitated powders were presumed to be strain free, and it was found that the intensities for the cold-worked materials progressively decreased as the Bragg angle increased except for the first line, where there was an increase due to reduction in extinction. This was interpreted as a randomness in atomic position induced by cold work. Such randomness is similar to that caused by thermal agitation and has been described as "frozen heat" displacement of 0.08-0.10 A from the mean atomic position. In a recent study9 on the effect of cold work in metals on their powder pattern intensities, the changes in integrated intensity for heavily cold worked alpha brass were observed as a function of the annealing temperature. These measurements were made with a manually operated Geiger-counter spectrometer using CuKa radiation monochromated with a rock salt crystal. Intensity measurements were made with a scaling meter over small intervals of angle, and the equipment was so arranged that the diffracted and incident beams made equal angles with the specimen. Intensities could be compared directly by simply interchanging specimens, and comparisons from day to day were made with a standard whose line intensities did not change on aging. It was shown that a cold worked alpha brass standard was stable for at least a year. Table 1 indicates the results of the integrated intensity measurements on a 70 Cu-30 Zn brass. In the sample preparation, a brass plate was first cold rolled 50 pct and then filed, screened to —325 mesh, compacted into briquettes at a pressure of 60,000 psi and finally annealed for one hour at various temperatures up to 400°C. The briquetting pressure did not seem to influence the integrated intensities, and most of the cold work was introduced by the filing. Although this method of cold work is not quantitative, it was used to obtain random orientation (and thus uniform diffraction lines) in order to make accurate measurements of integrated intensity. Back reflection patterns were taken in each case to check the uniformity of the lines, and from the observed line broadening it was apparent that this type of plastic deformation was quite severe. Care was taken to traverse the entire background of the pattern and to assign to each peak the total intensity above this background. The bases of the diffraction lines were quite broad and spread out over several degrees, even for the narrow peaks. The theoretical intensities were calculated to include a temperature correction, a dispersion correction, and a Lorenz- polarization factor corrected for the crystal monochromated beam. In Table 1 it was necessary to match the calculated and observed values at only one point, and the rest of the experimental values were converted directly to this arbitrary scale. The integrated intensities in Table 1 are listed in arbitrary units, and the accuracy was sufficient to reproduce any of the measured line intensities to within + 1.5 units. It is evident that the percentage error on the strongest line (111) was quite low. The calculated values and the observed intensities for the cold worked material matched reasonably well. As the annealing temperature was raised, however, the intensity of the strongest reflections, particularly the (lll), decreased measurably. Since the background intensities of all of these patterns were identical, such behavior could be interpreted as a primary

Jan 1, 1950

Charles Catlett, Staunton, Virginia (communication to the Secretary*): I have had occasion to examine a few of the irondeposits in the immediate section of which Mr. Watson speaks, but have not had an opportunity to visit any of the well-known manganese-deposits. I find the former can be very safely read in light of the information which it is possible to get from the same measnres farther. north, where they are less completely decomposed. In the same way all of his conclusions in regard to the geology of the manganese-deposits bear out their occurrence in Virginia, when we allow for the far more complete decomposition in the section he has so carefully studied. Judging from the same measures farther north, I think he will be safe in agreeing even further with Penrose as to the origin of these ores. Some years ago I carried on prospecting work in these measures in Virginia, in which the iron-ore and manganese-ore were followed down to undecomposed material, and in which their occurrence along a definite line of stratification, and apparently a part of the original bedding, was plainly shown. This is unusual, however, even in the section of which I speak. At Crimora, Virginia, the decomposition is quite complete; at the same time the results of some hydraulic work, which has been done there, disclosed, at the time of my last visit, the manganese interbedded in the residual clay along a definite and distinct plane parallel to the bedding of the underlying quartzite, and which, as is shown at other points, corresponds with the plane of the original material. In view of the phosphorus reported by Mr. Watson as existing in the Cartersville ores, and the not uncommonly prohibitive amount in southern ores, I am interested to know whether

Jan 1, 1904

By R. A. Thomas, R. L. Solbod

The importance of transverse diffusion on the finger development in a miscible-phase displacement at an adverse mobility ratio of tbree was studied in a porous plate 1/4-in. thick, 3-in. wide and 18-in. long. Fast displacement rates (29 ft/D) and slow rates (1.6 ft/D) were used to determine the effect of residence time on the geometry of the fingers. The shape of the fingers was observed directly by use of the X-ray technique. At fast rates numerous narrow fingers were observed, but at slow rates a single somewhat bulging finger was produced. The amount of material moved transversely by diffusion across the plate was sufficient to modify the finger geometry in the slow-rate run because of the long residence time. These results are in contradiction to some of the postulates in the literature. The composition of the effluent stream, however, was not affected by the flow rate. This result is not inconsistent with the observed change in the shape of the finger in a short model, but it seems likely that a short model does not offer adequate and proper scaling of the reservoir. The model used was probably a valid one for studying the effect of transverse diffusion on the finger geometry, but a longer model would be needed for proper scaling of the effect of the change in the finger shape on the efficiency of displacement as measured by the composition of the effluent stream. INTRODUCTION Fingering can be defined as the uneven advance of the injected phase as it moves into a porous medium displacing the resident phase from the pore spaces of the rock. The use of this term is usually restticted to the situation in which the displacing phase is less viscous or more mobile than the fluid being displaced. Under these conditions, not only are fingers formed, but the length and width of the fingers grow with distance traveled in the porous medium. This subject has become one of great interest to the oil industry because of the present trend toward the use of various forms of miscible-phase displacement to increase oil recovery. Since in nearly all of the known modifications of the miscible-phase displacements an unfavorable mobility ratio exists (the displacing phase has a lower viscosity than that of the crude oil), the conditions are proper for fingering to develop. An appreciable amount of fingering appears to be a severe handicap to these processes for it increases the volume of agent required for the process to be a success, and such an increase puts a severe strain on the economics of the proposed processes. In some cases, such as for a mobility ratio of 200 unfavorable, it has already been demonstrated that the proposed process would not be economic if the fingering in the field were to be of the same magnitude as that observed in the laboratory. A number of aspects of fingering have been studied and reported in the literature. While the phenomenon of fingering cannot be regarded as a completely understood subject, considerable information exists on the effect of the path length and the mobility ratio on the growth of fingers. Less-complete data are available on the effect of the diameter of the flow path on the character and amount of the fingering, and even less agreement in results exists on the effect of rate of flow on the nature of fingering. This paper deals with one aspect of this latter subject. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was narrowed down to one rather specific feature of the behavior of fingers in miscible-phase displacement in porous media. The variable studied was the effect of rate of flow on the nature and the development of fingers. It should be made clear at this point that, while rate was the apparent variable, the real variable was residence time; that is, at low rates the fluids are present at a given spot in the porous medium for a longer time interval than at fast rates. The purpose of the study, therefore, was to determine the changes which occur in the fingering and the possible benefits which might accrue from a longer residence time during that period when fingers are

By W. E. Bonini, E. A. Hickok

IN the course of an investigation directed toward expanding ground-water facilities in Essex and Morris counties, New Jersey, the Board of Water Commissioners of the city of East Orange authorized a seismic-refraction survey&apos; for the purpose of de-lineating bedrock topography below unconsolidated overburden. Results of the survey were highly satisfactory and led to the preparation of a comparatively detailed bedrock contour map. Knowledge of the bedrock depth and configuration was an important aid in selection of sites for test drilling. The portion of the East Orange Water Reserve under consideration is in the flood plain of the Pas-saic River about 10 miles west of Newark, N. J. The flood plain is about 175 ft above mean sea level and is bordered by low hills rising to elevations of approximately 250 ft. The bedrock underlying the Water Reserve consists of sandstone and shale of the Triassic Brunswick formation and is covered everywhere by deposits of unconsolidated glacial outwash sand and gravel, lacustrine clay, and recent river silt as much as 150 ft thick. Yield of wells in the sandstone and shale averages 100 to 200 gpm. Since production wells constructed in the sand and gravel aquifer in the buried river valley shown on the contour map (Fig. 1) yield 300 to 1400 gpm, it was proposed to locate additional production wells in this buried valley, where the yields per well would be maximum. In 1939 and 1946 the East Orange Water Dept. had electrical-resistivity surveys made to determine depths to bedrock. From the resistivity data the exploration company prepared a bedrock contour map. A well field expansion program begun in 1955 utilized this information to locate sites for test wells along a predicted northward extension of the buried valley in which existing production wells are located. After several test wells (wells 201-205) had been drilled, it became apparent that the resistivity information was unreliable." For example, test well 201 recorded bedrock at a depth of 72 ft, whereas the resistivity depth determination was 130 ft. As a consequence, the test drilling program was temporarily suspended and a seismic survey was under- taken to determine the topography and extent of the buried valley known from well records to underlie the existing well field. In the first phase of this study, several seismic shot point locations were placed at sites where well logs had been obtained previously. This procedure is necessary in a new area to determine whether the seismic method is applicable and what degree of accuracy is to be expected. At the East Orange Water Reserve, depths obtained from the shot points near test wells 202, 203, and 204 were within 8 to 11 pct of the depths logged (Table I). With this assurance that accurate results could be obtained, additional seismic spreads were located on the Water Reserve. Using a portable refraction seismograph, in the fall of 1955 a crew of four men shot a total of 29 reversed seismic spreads in a period equivalent to six field days. Charges as heavy as 3 1b of 40 pct dynamite were necessary at a few places to overcome ground vibrations caused by traffic on nearby highways. At most other sites, a 1-1b charge was sufficient. Travel-time plots were made for all spreads, and depths and true velocities were calculated according to formulas for multiple sloping layers by Ewing, Woollard, and Vine.&apos; The plot of spread 7 (Fig. 2) is typical of the short spreads in which bedrock was shallow—about 50 ft in this case. Where there were not enough arrivals through the bedrock to define the high velocity bedrock line, the spreads were lengthened. This was done by placing shots on line several hundred feet away from each end of the line of geophones. It was then possible to construct complete reverse plots for both short and extended shot points (see spread 27, Fig. 3). Four individual depths were calculated from each extended spread. Three and in some cases four seismic layers were observed. The surficial layer had a velocity range of 900 to 1200 fps, the lowest velocity recorded. This seismic layer is above the water table and is interpreted as recent river silt. The bedrock had the highest velocities, which ranged from 10,600 to 16,400 fps. Intermediate velocities ranged from 4500 to 6800 fps. In every case the intermediate layer was within

Jan 1, 1959