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By E. V. Daveler

THE milling plant of the Alaska-Gastineau Mining Co. is located at the town of Thane, Alaska, on Gastineau Channel, 4 mi. south of Juneau and directly across the channel from the Ready Bullion mine of the Treadwell mines on Douglas Island. Previous to the organization of the Alaska-Gastineau Mining Co., in 1912, the milling was done at the stamp mill of the Alaska Perseverance Co. located at the mine in Silver Bow Basin. But the contemplated increase in production made it necessary to locate the mill on Gastineau Channel, as not enough water was available at the mine during the winter months, nor was there room for taking care of the large tonnage of tailings that would ultimately be discarded from the mill. CHARACTER OF ORE The gold and silver values occur in quartz lenses associated with pyrrhotite, galena, arsenical pyrites, and zinc blende. These lenses occur in large bodies of slate, schist, and metagabbro, which also carry some valuable metallic contents. With the essential low cost of mining, it was necessary to mine large bodies of low-grade material containing the high-grade streaks. Of the minerals, pyrrhotite, the magnetic sulfide of iron, is predominant, and galena is the next sulfide present in quantity. The gold occurs free and coarse and associated with the iron sulfide in its finer state. The silver occurs with the lead or is alloyed with the gold. A chemical analysis of the ore shows Silver 0.10 oz. Magnesia 0.4 per cent. Silica 59.7 per cent. Sulfur 1.2 per cent. Iron 5.2 per cent. Lead 0.1 per cent. Alumina 21.4 per cent. Zinc 0.2 per cent. Lime 5.0 per cent.

Jan 1, 1920

By A. Aly Selim

A computer model was developed to calculate the fragmentation cost for in situ leaching operations as a function of the blast design and deposit parameters. The model is based on blasting an ore zone only or an ore zone plus overburden by either a coyote blast or a vertical blasthole system. The model calculates the blast design parameters and the fragmentation cost based either on a user input powder factor value or on a powder factor calculated by the model as a function of the overburden height and the ore zone thickness. Examples of blast design parameters calculated by the model are the number and spacing of blastholes for a vertical blasthole system and the number and spacing of crosscuts for a coyote system. The model also calculates the total amount of explosives, the detonating cord length, and the number of primers. The cost of blasthole drilling can be calculated by the model based either on purchasing and operating a drill or on a user input value of the contracted cost of drilling. Application of the model to an example ore deposit showed that the vertical blasthole systems were more economical than the coyote system when there was no overburden and the deposit had an average ore thickness less than 45 meters. With no overburden and ore thickness greater than 45 meters, the vertical blasthole system was either more or less expensive than the coyote system depending on the number of levels used in the coyote system. With overburden, the coyote system was less expensive than the vertical blasthole system for blasting either the ore only or the ore plus the overburden. A coyote blast will usually produce larger particle sizes than a vertical blasthole system. Larger particle sizes can result in lower copper recoveries so that a less expensive coyote blast may not improve the overall economics of an in situ leaching operation. Blasting the ore zone only was generally less expensive than blasting the ore plus the overburden by either blasting system. Also, for the example considered, the coyote system costs were less sensitive to changes in overburden thickness and powder factor while the vertical blasthole system costs were less sensitive to changes in ore thickness.

Jan 1, 1977

IlAbad, Leopoldo F , Min Engr , Div of Mines, Bureau of Science, Manda, P I '23 ||Abadilla, Quince, A , Cia Minera de Petrolco El Aguila, S A Box 86, Puerto Mexico, Ver , Mexico '20 ||Abarquez, Ramon F , Met , Bureau of Science Manila, P I '24 ||Abbey, Robert Graham, Student, Case School of Applied Science Cleveland, Ohio '21 Abbott, A N , Mines Supt, Mazapil Copper Co , Ltd Concepcion del Oro, Zac , Mexico '23 Abbott, Clarence E , Gen'l Supt , Iron Mines Div , Tenn Coal, Iron & R R Co , 1405 Minnesota Ave , Bessemer, Ala '04 Abbott, Louis Benjamin, Chief Engr , Consolidation Coal Co , Elkhorn Div Jenkins, Ky '15 Abbott, Robert R , Met Engr , Peerless Motor Car Co Cle veland, Ohio '12 ||Abbott, Wells Osborn, Ray Consolidated Copper Co Hayden, Ariz '23 Abeel, George H , Jr, Cons Min Engr 4612 W 17th St, Los Angeles, Cal '18 Abel, Albert E, Asst to Pres, Valley Mould & Iron Corpn Sharpsville, Pa '19 Abernathy, George Elmer, Prof Geol & Min , Kansas State Teachers College Pittsburg, Kans '20 Abey, Hiroshi, Min & Met Engr, Takata & Co , 2 Yeirakucho, Nichome, ICojimachi-ku, - Tokyo, Japan '17 ||Aborn, Robert H 24 Groveland St , Auburndale, Mass '19 Abouchar, Sylvain Sley, Min Engr & Geol , Care of S H Sekaly, 13 Rue El Nimr, Cairo, Egypt '17 ?Abraham, Arthur W 1626 N Alexandria Ave, Los Angeles, Cal '21 Abrahams, Alexander I, Gen'l Mgr, Ricon Electrical Co Slough, London, England '13 ||Abrahamson, C Walter, Min Engr, Brule Min Co Stambaugh, Mich '21 Abrams, Charles Jackson, Mill Supt, Utah Apex Min Co Bingham Canyon, Utah '21 Abrams, David H, Cons Min Engr 182 Worth St, Johnstown, Pa '20 ?Acker, E O'C , Met 128 East Washington Lane, Germantown, Philadelphia, Pa '86

Jan 1, 1923

By A. H. Daane, B. J. Beaudry

The Sc-Y and Sc-Zr systems were studied by thermal and X-ray methods. Both systems are characterized by complete solid solubility in the low temperature hexagonal form and in the high temperature bcc form. In the Sc-Y system, there is a minimum in the solidus at 50 at. pct and 1365°C, while the solidus in the Sc-Zr system follows a nearly straight line relationship between the melting point of scandium and zirconium. There is a minimum in the temperature of transition from hexagonal to bcc in the Sc-Y system at 43 at. pct Y and 1175°C; while the temperature of transition is raised in the Sc-Zr system to a maximum of 1415 °C at 30 at. pct Zr. INTEREST in the metals of the first transition series has usually stemmed from their useful properties; however, there is now a great deal of interest in determining the fundamental nature of these metals. Since scandium is the first of these transition metals, a study of the preparation and Properties1 and the alloying behavior of scandium2 was initiated. In a continuing study of the alloying behavior of scandium, the systems of scandium with zirconium and yttrium have been established. Extensive solid solubility in both the Sc-Zr and Sc-Y systems was expected from application of the classical rules of Hume-Rothery. Also, the modified Darken and Gurry plot as suggested by Gschneid-ner3 showed ideal conditions for solubility in the Sc-Zr system with less favorable conditions in the Sc-Y system. The effect of scandium on the transformation temperature of zirconium and yttrium was of interest, since a recent empirical observation by Uly and Burr4 predicted that the solute scandium would raise the transformation temperature of zirconium and lower the yttrium transformation. In addition to noting the validity of the above predictions, the SC-Y and Sc-Zr systems were established. EXPERIMENTAL METHODS Materials. The metals employed in this investigation were crystal bar zirconium, distilled scandium prepared by the method described by Spedding, et al.1 and yttrium prepared by the method described by Carlson, et a1.5 The major impurities present in these metals are listed in Table I in ppm. Alloy Preparation. All the alloys examined were initially formed by comelting the two metals in a nonconsumable electrode arc-melting furnace under an atmosphere of purified helium or argon. The buttons were inverted at least five times and re-melted each time to ensure homogeneity. During preparation of Sc-Zr alloys, approximately 1 wt pct was lost which was attributed entirely to the loss of scandium by distillation. When preparing Sc-Y alloys, approximately 1.5 wt pct was lost, but it was assumed that the intended composition was maintained, since the relative weight lost when arc melting the component metals was nearly the same. Samples weighing 15 to 20 g were prepared for time-temperature thermal analysis, while only 1- to 2-g samples were prepared for the optical pyrometer and X-ray diffraction studies. Thermal Methods. The solidus and the melting points of the metals were determined by an optical pyrometer method described previously.2 The temperatures at which the transformation from hexagonal to bcc occurs were determined by differential thermal analysis. Several points on the solidus and liquidus in the Sc-Y system were also determined by this method and are in good agreement with those obtained by the optical pyrometer method. The procedure followed in the preparation of samples for thermal analysis and the furnace used have been described elsewhere.2'6 Since a limited quantity of scandium was available, most of the alloys were not melted during thermal analysis, thus avoiding contamination by the crucible. The alloy could then be reused and the composition changed by adding the desired quantity of solute to obtain the next alloy. Heat Treatment and X-Ray Methods. In order to ensure homogeneity, the "as arc-melted" alloys Were wrapped in tantalum foil, sealed in quartz capsules and heated at 1100°C for 15 hr and then cooled at a rate of 8 deg per min. Samples for X-ray diffraction were filed from these heat-treated alloys, sealed in 1/8 in. by 1/2 in. tantalum capsules under

Jan 1, 1963

By S. Weinig, E. S. Machlin

THE mechanism of the martensitic transformation has been the subject of a remarkable number of papers in recent years.' Because the task of evaluating all the available theories is a formidable one, the authors will confine themselves merely to the presentation of results of an experimental investigation of the habit orientation, lattice relations, magnitude and direction of average transformation shear strain, and orientation of subband markings for a single variant of the possible habit systems in an 11 pct Mo-Ti alloy. It is hoped that these data will assist in the establishment of a rigorous theory for the mechanism of the martensitic transformation. Experimental Procedure Specimen Preparation: A sample, approximately 1/2 x 1/4 x 1/4 in., was cut from a double arc-melted ingot composed of commercial-process A titanium and high purity molybdenum (nominally, 11 pct Mo). It was capsuled in evacuated Vycor at 10.-3 mm Hg subsequent to a double argon wash and homogenized for 48 hr at 1100°C. After a direct quench into H2O at room temperature, a large-grained specimen resulted, which, by X-ray diffraction and metallographic means, was subsequently shown to be in the body-centered-cubic phase, ß. Two adjacent, approximately perpendicular faces were polished and the ends of the specimen were ground parallel in a V-block. Fiducial lines were inscribed at 45" to the common edge of the polished surfaces in order that they would be perpendicular to the habit traces of the subsequently formed a plates.2 The specimen was then compressed between the ground ends in a Buehler press to stress induce the transformation ß to a'. Experimental Measurements: The habit-plane orientation, the orientation of subband markings, the orientation relation between the parent ß and the product a', and the transformation strain for the same plate were determined. To further establish the nature of the subbands, one surface was repol-ished and etched. The bands in the a' were still visible and were found to be optically anisotropic under polarized light. Back-reflection Laue patterns were obtained from the ß matrix and from a region comprising both a' plates and adjacent ß matrix (a Cu target was used). By superposition of the two X-ray diffraction patterns, it was possible to obtain a tentative orientation relationship between the two phases. This result was confirmed by a pattern taken after the specimen was rotated to make the basal-plane pole of the hexagonal a' phase strike the film. This necessitated cutting the specimen to expose the a' plate in the new position relative to the X-ray beam. Analysis of Experimental Measurements On the basis of the aforementioned X-ray patterns, the orientation between parent and product

Jan 1, 1955

By Frank A. Howard

WHAT are the reasons for the present public interest in the synthetic fuel industry, an interest which has culminated in the recommendation of the Secretary of the Interior that we start at once on a nine billion dollar program of construction? Three separate factors seem to have combined to create this pressure. First are recurrent seasonal and spot shortages of gasoline, fuel oil, and natural gas. Second is the international outlook, which forces us to face the possibility of war, with all that means in the way of increased call on our domestic resources and interference with our foreign commerce. The shortages we have experienced are superficially the result of lack of transportation, but basically they reflect a rapidly rising demand which has outstripped the expansion of productive facilities of all kinds. Not only oil and gas, but steel, coal, automobiles, and meat are temporarily in short supply for much the same reasons. The military problem has both long-range and short-range aspects, but the immediate necessity is to create reserve capacity in the United States to supply perhaps 2,000,000 barrels daily additional liquid fuel in time of war.

Jan 1, 1948

By W. David Menzie

An inventory of the mineral resources of a region is a most desirable basis for planning their systematic development. In the absence of appropriate samples upon which to base a reliable estimate of this inventory, investigators have resorted to a number of indirect approaches; the unit regional value concept forms the basis for one such approach. The produced resources of a region are a function of the inventory multiplied by the degree of intensity (some fraction between zero and one) of development of the resources. A convenient means of expressing this amount is to accumulate the weight and value of resource and to prorate the totals over the area represented by the unit sampled; i.e., weight and value per unit area or tonnes/km.2 and U.S. 1967 $/km.2. When this approach is used for the U.S.A., South Africa and Rhodesia the average value of (log.) U.S. 67$/km.2 for the states of the U.S.A. and South Africa are similar ($55,176 U.S.$67/km.2 and $52,538/km.2 respectively); whereas, Rhodesia is relatively underdeveloped (10,301 U.S.67$/km.2). On the other hand if the individual commodities are used as a basis for comparison, the U.S.A. shows the greatest diversity (67 commodities out of a possible total of 75) with South Africa next (50 commodities) and Rhodesia last with only 26 commodities. Since it is known that area and value are not simply related perhaps diversity is directly related to area. Again the kinds of commodities which have contributed the greatest value to the totals differs, with fuels (petroleum, coal and natural gas) predominating in the U.S.A. totals; whereas, South Africa and Rhodesia obtain their greatest contributions from gold, diamonds (S. Africa) coal and asbestos. In each case the greatest value of resources is produced from sedimentary rocks. As a somewhat different kind of example, consider a single resource (petroleum, the most valuable in the U.S.A.) over a large area (number of sampling units) the U.S.A. by state. Furthermore, assume that the model frequency distribution of the amount of petroleum (tonnes/km.2) is log normal. Then the present production fails to match the model first because 17 states (34% out of 50) have not produced petroleum. Of the remaining 33 states, Louisiana has produced the most (15,177 tonnes/km.2) and the frequency histogram is still skew. A spatial analysis of the distribution of the amount of petroleum by state shows that the samples (i.e., states) are not random; the non-producers and producers tend to cluster. It remains to be seen if this is indeed a true representation of the incidence of petroleum or is a function of the exploration philosophy currently in vogue.

Jan 1, 1977

By CHARLES DORRANGE

INTRODUCTION. CULM is a general term used in the anthracite regions for many years to denote a mixture of coal, bony coal and impurities which is sent to the refuse-banks. Thus, 35 years ago culm contained the pea and buckwheat sizes of anthracite; but to-day, and as mentioned in this paper, culm is used specifically to denote the material which passes through the smallest screen in the anthracite-breaker. The smallest size of commercial anthracite is known as No. 3 buckwheat, barley, or bird's-eye coal, and is ordinarily made through a round-punched plate having openings 3/16 in. in diameter, and over a round-punched plate with opening 3/32 in. or 1/16 in. in diameter. Thus culm will consist of coal, bony coal, slate, gravel, iron pyrite, etc., ranging in size from ? 3/32 in. down to dust. Other local terms for culm are " slush," " silt," and " dirt." The first experiments towards the utilization of anthracite culm by briquetting, and the first briquetting-work done in this country, were in 1872 at Port Richmond Piers, Philadelphia, Pa., by E. F., Loiseau.1 Clay was used as a binder and the finished briquette was water-proofed with shellac, etc. Excessive cost was given as the reason for discontinuing work at this plant. The Delaware k Hudson Co., in 1876, built a plant at Rondout, N. Y., which operated until 1880. Gas-tar was used as a binder, and anthracite screenings were briquetted for engine fuel. Excessive cost, poor results in firing, and the tendency of the fuel to cut the boiler-flues were given as the reasons for discontinuing the manufacture. The next plant was built by E. F. Loiseau about 1878, at Nesquehoning, Pa., near the No. 1 or Nesquehoning colliery

Sep 1, 1911

By M. M. Neale

The pottery department has been aptly described as the "heart of the zinc plant," md every operator of a horizontal-retort plant is acquainted with the fact that good retort practice is the keystone of the smelting process. Since retorts and condensers are clay products, it is obvious that improvements in other branches of the ceramic industry should be observed for possible adoption in the pottery process for zinc smelting. Deaeration of clay bodies is one of the improvements that have become fully, established in many brick and pottery plants. Our investigation of a number of these installations always yielded the same answer—improved practice. Improvement in workability, elimination of laminations, less porosity, greater wet and dry strength, were among the claims put forth for this process. All of these features are exceedingly desirable characteristics in the manufacture of a zinc retort. A preliminary test, which involved truck transportation of deaired slugs over a relatively long distance, did show the value of many of these characteristics in forming the retort. Results from the standpoint of , longer retort life in the smelting furnace were not outstanding. The idea lay dormant for several years but was revived again in 1940, when it was decided to make whatever changes were necessary in the equipment for pottery manufacture to fully demonstrate the process. A number of the manu- facturers of machinery for clay work were asked to submit proposals, and the plan finally adopted was extremely simple and economical. Machine FOR DeaeRRATING Selection of the ''Straight-line'' principle for conversion of the "Wettengel" pug mill to a ''vacuum-extrusion" machine preserved some usable parts of the original equipment, such as the drive mechanism, and main shaft. The converted machine consists of a feed hopper, a compression and shredding zone, a vacuum chamber, and an extrusion barrel, as shown in Fig. I. In operation the clay mix travels from the feed hopper into the compression zone, where it is compressed and finally forced around the tapered cone into the vacuum chamber. As it enters this chamber the clay body is shredded into thin plates, for exFosure to the vacuum. The shredder consists of a hub mounted on the main shaft, to which are bolted segmental sections, each of which carries shredder knives. The compression zone and extrusion barrel function as seals for the vacuum chamber and the shredded clay mix is agitated thoroughly during its exposure to the vacuum. A vacuum pump, equipped with a 3-hp. motor, is attached to this chamber, and maintains 25 to 26 in. vacuum during operation of the mill. Changes in Practice Prior to the adoption of the deaeration process, our standard pottery practice called for double mixing in the combination 7

Jan 1, 1944

By JAS. F. McCARTHY

THE present Hecla Co. is a Washington corporation; the Hecla Co. of Idaho was the old company. The older corporation owned two claims, the Hecla and the Katie May, and was incorporated for 500,000 shares of one dollar par value. The principal shareholders and officials of the older company were among the early mining men of the camp. Among the active officials were John A. Finch and A. B. Campbell. Among the directors and share- holders were Patrick Clark, J. R. Smith, Frank Upman, F. J, Kipp, Chas. Kipp, B. A. Kipp and Carl Landsee. F. J. Kipp and Carl Landsee are now directors of the Company. All of the others mentioned have died, but the surviving members of their families retain their ownership in the Company's shareholders. B. A. ,Kipp, who recently died, was the largest shareholder at the time of incorporation and Patrick Clark was the second largest shareholder. B. A. Kipp is a brother 'of F. J. Kipp, director of the Company.

Jan 1, 1924

By Walter Crooke

Regenerative hot-blast stoves are now in general use in all parts of the world, and are so well understood and appreciated, that I need not take up your time with an account of their history and introduction into the United States. My object in writing this paper is to give you a short description of a stove that is now being very favorably received and adopted here (see drawing). The stove was first introduced into this country in 1887 by M'Clure & Shuler (now M'Clure & Amsler), who have the management of the patent right in the United States. The English design had to be modified to suit the exigencies of American blast-furnace practice, which, in many respects, widely differs from our English experience. In the first place, the fire-bricks used in America expand to an extent unknown in England, and it became necessary to make special provision for this by increasing the number of cross-walls, and by leaving a space at the top of the stove through which the lining could expand. The expansion laterally was, however, more difficult to provide for, as the combustion-chamber in the center, being the hottest part of the stove, must necessarily expand more than the outer walls, and therefore tend to squeeze up the flue-openings. On first introducing these stoves to American ironmasters, a feel ing seemed to prevail that a " four-pass " stove did not utilize the whole of its surface. They also had an idea that the " two-pass " stove let the burning gas go before all the duty had been extracted from it; so that it was found neceseary to design a stove of a special character to suit their wishes. Hence the "three-pass" chimney top stove now before your notice, the advantage claimed for which is that each stove is independent, requiring no underground chimney flue or stack, and can be erected at a very light cost. The working of these stoves has proved to be very successful wherever they have been introduced.

Jan 1, 1891

[Abad. Leopoldo F., Min. Engr., Div. of Mines, Bureau of Science Manila, P. 1. '28 Abadilla, Quirico A., Geol., Lago Pet. Corp Box 172, Maracaibo, Venezuela. '20 Abarquez, Ramon F., Met., Bureau of Science Manila, P. I. '24 Abbey, Robert Graham, Student, Case School of Applied Science Cleveland, Ohio. '21 Abbott, A. N., Mines Supt.. Mazapil Copper Co,, Ltd Concepcion del Oro, Zac,, Mexico. '28 Abbott, Clarence E., Mgr,, Mines & Quarries, Tenn, Coal, Iron & R. R. Co., 1242 Brown Marx Bldg,, Birmingham, Ala. '04]

Jan 1, 1928

By Mark J. Klein

An internal-friction profile induced by nitrogen in Cr-35 at. pet Re was studied as a function of nitrogen concentration and heat treatment. From these studies, the solubility of nitrogen in this alloy was deduced. The equilibrium solubility of nitrogen in chromium does not appear to be substantially changed by the addition of 35 at. pet Re to chromium. However the precipitation kinetics of nitrogen from solution are significantly decreased. IT has been found that rhenium has a beneficial effect on the low-temperature ductility of Group VI-A metals. As part of a study to investigate the mechanism of this increased ductility, it was of interest to compare the concentration of interstitials retained in solution in one of these ductile bee alloys with the concentration retained in solution in its base metal. In this regard, a study of the solubility of nitrogen in ductile Cr-35 at. pet Re was selected for this phase of the investigation because the solubility of nitrogen in the base metal, chromium, has been determined over a fairly large temperature span.1-3 In addition, nitrogen is known to have an embrittling effect on chromium,4 but does not appear to have a comparable embrittling effect on Cr-35 at. pet Re.5 The experimental method selected for this study was the measurement of internal friction. This technique allows interstitial-concentration measurements to be made in bee metals that are sensitive to small changes in the concentration of a particular interstitial, even when other interstitials are present. When subjected to a cyclic stress, interstitial atoms in solid solution give rise to an internal-friction peak whose origin is the stress-induced ordering of interstitials into preferred lat- tice sites. These internal-friction peaks signify a dissipation of elastic energy which is greatest when the period of oscillation is comparable with the relaxation time for the attainment of an equilibrium interstitial distribution. For dilute interstitial binary alloys, the height of the internal-friction peak is proportional to the concentration of interstitial atoms in solid solutions. snoek8 has shown that the internal friction, Q-1, may be expressed by the equation where A is the relaxation strength, ? is the angular frequency, and 7 is the relaxation time. The relaxation strength, A, is proportional to the concentration of interstitials taking part in the relaxation if no interaction occurs between solute atoms. Thus values of peak height, which can be determined as a function of temperature, give a measure of the relative concentration of interstitial atoms in solution at various temperatures. If equilibrium has been attained, the peak heights will be proportional to the interstitial solubilities. The constant that relates A to the interstitial concentration can be determined experimentally from peak-height measurements as a function of concentration for specimens of constant crystallographic orientation. When this has been done, Q-1 measurements can be used to determine solubilities according to the equation C - KQ-1 where C is the soluble interstitial concentration and K is a constant that can be experimentally determined. It is possible, however, that lattice imperfections may bind interstitials to certain lattice sites. Internal friction does not measure these interstitial~, but does measure interstitials which are free to move in the normal lattice sites when subjected to an applied oscillating stress. On alloying the pure metal with a substitutional

Jan 1, 1965

By M. L. Samuels

DURING the period from 1910 to 1920, there was a lively interest in the subject of grain growth and many papers were published, followed by interesting discussions. Questions dealing with the fundamentals of grain growth-why and how it occurs-were treated in papers by Howe,1 Jeffries,2 Sauveur,3 Chappell,4 Beilby,5 Mathewson and Phillips,6 McAdam,7 Carpenter and Elam,8 Stead and Carpenter,9 Ruder,10 as well as others. Since that decade, much indeed has been done regarding the practical control of grain size, and it is now possible to order material having a size specified in the American Society for Testing Materials classification. Also, one hears the term "spliced boundaries" used in connection with certain tungsten lamp filaments" wherein it is important to prevent "sagging" between consecutive turns of the helix." This practical use of a certain knowledge as to the things that influence or even control grain growth should not be taken as an indication that the subject has been thoroughly explored and that nothing more can be learned from fundamental studies. It is with this thought in mind that a report of some observations and experiments on abnormal grain growth is believed justified. Abnormal grain growth is met with in heat-treating high-carbon steels in the austenitic range,13 in the hardening treatments of high-speed steels, 14.11 and in the low-temperature annealing of strained low-carbon steels as in sheet and wire material. Entirely aside from these instances of exaggerated grain growth, which some might consider as freakish, it is thought that abnormal growth is simply a case where the growth forces and the forces tending to prevent growth are almost, but not quite, evenly balanced. Information relative to grain-growth characteristics in general may be obtained from a study of abnormal growth conditions, which may be looked upon as vantage points. Reflection will show at once that if growth forces are great in comparison to inertia or resistance to growth, many crystals start to grow and, for that reason, none becomes very large, whereas if inertia is predominant no growth at all takes place. Under conditions in which

Jan 1, 1938

By C. Kremer Bain

DURING the past several years of diamond drilling in Washington County, Mo., the St. Joseph Lead Co. has discovered a concentration of commercial lead-zinc ore at four different points within an area of 36 square miles. The largest and to date the most promising group of these orebodies is located in the Indian Creek area. It was considered to be of sufficient value to warrant development. The Indian Creek area is in the center of the northern half of Washington County, 11 miles northwest of Potosi, Mo., the county seat. The location is readily accessible from Potosi by car or truck over the all-weather Missouri State Highway No. 114. The topography is one of rolling relief, varying from an elevation of 700 ft above sea level on Mineral Fork and Indian Creek to a maximum of 1176 ft at High Point Tower. It is divided in equal halves between the drainage to Mineral Fork and to Indian Creek. The shaft site at 1060 elevation is on the divide between the two drainage areas. The Indian Creek side is rough and heavily wooded, with only a few cultivated clearings. The slopes to Mineral Fork are more gentle and rounded, with much of the area cleared for farm land. Most of the surface is covered with Potosi and Eminence formations, which show little evidence of any structure. Ore structure was worked out by extensive diamond core drilling, with holes varying in depth from about 700 to 1300 ft. As of Oct. 1, 1950, 218 prospect holes had been drilled within the 36-square mile area. The ore is disseminated galena with considerable accompanying sphalerite in the Bonne Terre forma-tion in the shape of irregular blanket-type deposits. The main controlling structural feature of the outlined mineral zone is a buried pre-Cambrian rhy-olite-porphyry ridge extending partly through the Bonne Terre formation, which laps against the por phyry and also covers it. The mineralized zone parallels and forms an irregular halo around the porphyry ridge and is concentrated in the Bonne Terre formation where the La Motte sandstone is cut out by the porphyry ridge. This is a very common mineral occurrence in the southeastern Missouri lead belt district. The La Motte sandstone, which normally underlies the Bonne Terre formation, is thus cut out entirely. In this area the Bonne Terre is usually about 275 to 320 ft thick, the La Motte varying in thickness from zero up to 400 ft. Commercial concentrations of ore are indicated at several places, the most notable being at the shaft site where an orebody at least 4000 ft long with widths of 500 to 600 ft has been outlined. The total thickness of mineralized rock reaches 150 ft in some holes, although total ore thickness runs from 8 ft to about 60 ft, often in more than one layer. Preliminary Planning Ore reserves as outlined lend themselves to open-stope mining with trackless haulage and mobile loading machines and drilling equipment. This type of equipment has proved to be very efficient during recent years in the company's lead belt operations. After a study of bids for shaft sinking and an estimation of comparative costs, it was decided that the shaft would be sunk by St. Joseph Lead Co. personnel using company equipment. Since the plant site is about 26 miles from the company's nearest lead belt operations, it was necessary to plan a complete surface plant, including mill, shops, office, change room, and warehousing facilities. Immediately following the filing of an application for a certificate of necessity, a headframe was selected for which detailed drawings were already available. The order was placed for fabrication so that it could be delivered and erected in time to serve for sinking the shaft. This eliminated the expense of a temporary headframe. Drilling was started on two churn drill holes near shaft location, and two 1000-gpm deep well pumps

Jan 1, 1954

By H. J. Struth

AN unusual engineering achievement in the Gulf Coast last year was the drilling of a wildcat well in the swamps of Louisiana, using direct current. More unusual was the fact that it was necessary to house a diesel engine and generator on a barge in order to supply power. The remoteness of the well made it necessary to transport living quarters and drilling equipment to the location by means of barges, and involved the digging of a canal from a lake to the location, approximated one mile. The drilling equipment used on this well consisted of two generating units, each having one 210-hp. six-cylinder @$-in. bore type VDMA, 600 r.p.m. diesel engine, direct connected to a type CD-169, 125-kw., 250-volt direct current generator, which in turn is direct connected to a type CD-105, 15-kw. 250-volt exciter. One of these motors operates the draw works, one the mud pump, and one a duplicate spare. The generating equipment on the barge was approximately 250 ft. from the derrick, the control wires being brought from the derrick to the generator barge enclosed in a standard fire hose. This is an original idea for confining the con- 11.01 wires in one cable; obtaining minimum space and ample protection. Both control and power lines were suspended on poles. This well was at Lake Grande Ecaille Dome, which was located by seismograph in 1928. Fig. 1 shows the derrick, power barge and living quarters where direct G. E. current was used with rotary drilling equipment.

Jan 1, 1932

By E. A. Gulbransen, W. S. Wysong

The behavior of molybdenum and its surface oxides in oxidizing and reducing gas atmospheres and in high vacua at elevated temperatures is a question of scientific and technical importance. The use of molybdenum as a metal or as an important component in alloys in oxidizing atmospheres at elevated temperatures has been limited because of the unprotec-tive nature of its oxide film and the volatility of this oxide at moderate temperatures. This communication will present results of a vacuum microbalance studyl, 2 of the following problems: (I) the oxidation kinetics in the temperature range of 250°to 450°C; (2) the reduction with pure hydrogen of thin oxide films formed on molybdenum; (3) the volatility of the thin oxide films; and (4) the vacuum oxidation of molybdenum at high temperatures. Molybdenum is an interesting metal to study for the following reasons: (I) although the oxide-to-metal-volume ratio is greater than one, the metal is not considered protective; (2) the metal oxidizes readily at temperatures of 2 50°C and higher; (3) the oxides of the metal are reduced at temperatures as low as 500°C by pure hydrogen; (4) the oxide Moo3 melts at 795°C; and (5) the oxides of molybdenum are volatile at moderate temperatures. The following variables are studied in the oxidation kinetics: time, temperature, pressure, surface preparation, surface area, concentration of inert gas in the lattice, cycling procedures in temperature, vacuum effect and high temperature vacuum oxidation. The general interpretation of many of these factors has been previously discussed. Literature The oxidation of molybdenum has not been studied critically. Although many studies have probably been made on the kinetics of the oxidation process, none has been reported in the literature available to us. The crystal structures found in the oxidation of molybdenum have been studied by Hickman and Gulbransen." Their results showed that Moo2 is the oxide which is stable in contact with the metallic substrate throughout the temperature range 300 to 700°C. As the film thickens in the low temperature range, MoO3 becomes predominant on the surface. Above 400°C, Moos is no longer observed, MoO2 being the only oxide found. Hagg and Magneli6 have shown from an X ray study that the a-phase, orthor-hombic Moo3 is stable up to 1050°C. Two other phases, ß and ß with compositions close to MoO2.90 are also obtained. The formula for the 0 phase is not given but that of the ß phase is defined as Mo9O26 The 0' phase is found to be built upon a monoclinic unit cell. A ?-phase is isolated from a preparation MoO2.75 heated for 17 hrs at 670°C. This phase is

Jan 1, 1949

By W. E. Ruder

IT has been pointed out by Stead 1 that grains of considerable coarseness may be developed in steels containing from 3 to 5 per cent. of silicon, and in a previous paper 2 the present author has shown that under the proper conditions of annealing single grains having an area of 50 sq. cm. may be obtained. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss in more detail the conditions, promoting the growth of these grains, in the hope that the experiments described may throw some additional light upon the general problem of grain growth in metals. These silicon steels lend themselves particularly well to such experiments because of the ease with which the change in structure may be followed and because of the fact that the effect of the carbon present is largely obliterated by the high percentage of silicon. This forms a solid solution with the iron, which acts very much like a pure metal. This alloy has been found to have but one critical point, viz., Are. This point, determined by Roberts-Austen for Hadfield's 4 per cent. Si alloy, was found to lie at 703° C. Vigouroux3, in working with pure Fe-Si alloys, finds this point to rise from 750° C. for 0.5 per cent. Si to 860° for 6 per cent alloy, with a flat region in the curve from 3 to 4 per cent. Si. No accurate determination of this point has been undertaken by the present author, but it has been roughly determined to lie between 730° and 750°.

Jan 12, 1913

By V. H. Wilhelm

WITH rapidly diminishing oil reserves: a great percentage of which are uneconomical at present prices, some of the existing methods of development and production will have to undergo radical re- visions to meet the changes continually taking place in the petroleum industry. Imagination in an engineer is a great asset. The fancy of today is found to be the realization of tomorrow, and with this thought in mind, there is here presented a more or less imaginative picture which, to my mind, has a meritorious basis. Directed drilling has reached a stage of accuracy sufficient to allow the prediction that this art will be used in the future development of oil structures, especially those \\,it11 thin sand bodies 'and steep dips. Directional drilling in a number of fields in California has gratifying results. Wells which practically laid pipe lines through the oil sands have enjoyed a greater drainage radius with a consequent greater initial and cumulative production. In one field where the vertical thickness of sands was approximately 550 ft., wells drifting at an angle as great as 55 deg. fro111 vertical had over 1100 ft. of perforated pipe in contact with these sands. These wells were, and are, remarkable for their great initial pro-

Jan 1, 1936

By G. Sachs

THE iron-rich iron-nickel alloys have at-tracted considerable academic interest in recent years. The carbon-free alloys are of minor practical importance, but they are Atomic per cent nickel FIG. I. FIG. 2. FIG, I.-HONDA'S AND MERICA's IRON-NICKEL DIAGRAM, FIG. 2.-MARSH'S IRON-NICKEL CONSTITU-TIONAL DIAGRAM. the base of many alloys with various out-standing properties. The iron-nickel alloys, therefore, have been investigated exten-sively regarding both their structures and their properties. The researches on these alloys up to 1938 have been collected and critically reviewed by J. S. Marsh,1 and will be discussed in some detail in the sec-tions of this paper dealing with specific subjects. These numerous investigations have not succeeded in establishing the equilibrium conditions in this system. Alloys containing more than a certain amount of nickel (8 to10 per cent Ni) undergo the allotropic transformation extremely sluggishly, both on heating and cooling, showing a large hysteresis,2 which is not dependent upon

Jan 1, 1940