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By Dennis K. Mortensen

Startup of the 9000 tpd Sacaton concentrator is expected to increase Asarco's domestic copper concentrate capacity by 21%. The plant site is located due west of the mining operations, consisting of both crushing and concentrating facilities. Arthur G. McKee & Co. served as the prime contractor for the project. The Sacaton mineralization contains both sulfide and oxide ores. Primary mineral constituents are chalcocite, azurite, malachite, chrysocolla, and minor amounts of silver and occasional gold. Sulfides are distinguished from oxides when more than half the total copper content is in the form of a sulfide copper mineral. While non-sulfide copper minerals are considerably less prevalent throughout the orebody, they tend to occur quite intimately with the sulfide minerals, particularly in the upper zones of the mineralization. For this reason the decision was made to treat all the ore in a flotation circuit using existing sulfidizing methods.

Jan 11, 1974

By A. J. McEvily, R. C. Boettner, C. Laird

The processes leading to fatigue failure in the low-cycle range were studied to obtain an understanding of the basis of Coffin's law. Particular attention was paid to the manner of mack nucleation and to the determination of the portion of the total lifetime spent in crack propagation. It was observed that cracks are nucleated at surface notches meated during reversed plastic deformation, Principally at grain boundaries, and that crack growth occupies greater than 75 pct of the fatigue life. When inclusions are present, they are often the primary sites of crack initiation. From consideration of the incremental distances advanced by a crack in each cycle and of the lifetimes of different materials, it appears that the universality of Coffin's law arises from the similarity of crack-tip strain for a given applied strain amplitude, irrespecti7:e of material. STUDIES of low-cycle fatigue have been particularly rewarding in that a simple correlation between fatigue lifetime and plastic-strain range has been shown to exist. This empirical relationship takes the forml,2 Nner=C [1] where N is the number of cycles to failure, Er is the plastic-strain range defined as the total plastic strain per cycle (the sum of the tensile plastic strain plus the compressive plastic strain), n, the exponent, is a constant independent of the material to a first-order approximation and often has a value of about 0.5, and C is a constant which for a number of ductile and metallurgically stable materials is approximately 0.65 for fully reversed strain.3 This relationship has been shown to be valid for a wide variety of metals and alloys and is often referred to as Coffin's law. However, it is yet not clear why so many different metals and alloys exhibit the same over-all behavior in the low-cycle range. Less is known about the mechanisms of fatigue failure in the low-cycle range than in the high-cycle range, but it is expected that the processes would have much in common. For example, an important characteristic common to both high-and low-cycle ranges is that fatigue crack propagation can occupy a considerable portion of the total lifetime. This has been shown by Laird and smith4 by a count of the number of ripples present on the fracture surface of copper specimens, each ripple corresponding to one cycle of load. On the other hand, some marked differences have been noted. For example, in copper,5 nickel, and aluminum4 there is a greater tendency for grain boundary cracking to occur as the strain amplitude is increased. The purpose of the present work was to study further the processes leading to fatigue failure in the low-cycle range and to obtain an understanding of the basis for the validity of Coffin's law. Particular attention has been paid to the manner of crack initiation and to the determination of the portion of total lifetime spent in crack propagation. MATERIALS A number of metals and alloys were tested, although more attention was focused on a particular few, once general trends had become apparent. Alloys were selected so as to investigate the effects of crystal structure, number of phases, stacking-fault energy, and impurity content. The materials in this grouping were: high-purity copper OFHC copper 1100 aluminum (commercially pure) 70-30 brass (Cu-30 wt pct Zn)

Jan 1, 1965

By John K. Hammes, Stanley D. Michaelson

The material presented in this chapter is supplemental information on those significant aspects of open-pit copper mining that are to an extent unique and therefore not detailed in previous sections covering the fundamentals of open-pit mine planning, operations and maintenance. In addition, tabulated cost and operating data are presented for a variety of open-pit copper mines. 13.3-1 History. The history of the civilized use of copper began at the end of the Stone Age when man discovered that the red metal, in the form of native copper, could be readily worked into a variety of weapons and tools which simplified the primitive requirements for survival. Almost concurrently, the high value of these early copper products became so widely known that they soon assumed major importance as trading commodities. Copper and copper-alloyed artifacts, even though produced in very limited quantities by ancient miners and metalworkers in a few parts of the Near East and the Western Hemisphere, were so valuable that early warriors and traders carried them into nearly all the world's known areas of importance. As far as copper is concerned, the Bronze Age, at sometime around 8000 BC to 6000 BC, marked the vague, little-known beginning of metallurgy. Man learned to alloy the valuable red metal to make it harder and tougher; its use multiplied as did the variety of weapons and tools made with the gradually increasing metallurgical and fabricating skills. By 3000 BC bronze alloy products became relatively widespread ; copper mining activities assumed tremendous importance and the mines on the Isle of Cyprus developed into prized possessions of each Mediterranean empire from the times of Egyptian supremacy to well beyond the decline of the Roman Empire.

Jan 1, 1968

By G. M. Crosby

Seven mines with important production records in the Coeur d'Alene lie adjacent to the Gem stocks —the Frisco (Gem), Hercules, Interstate, Rex (Sixteen to One), Success (Granite), Sunset, and Tamarack. Old records are incomplete, but available data given in Table I show these mines have produced 10.550,721 tons of ore containing more than 50 million oz of silver, more than 1.5 billion lb of lead, and about 1 billion lb of zinc (approximately 1.25 million tons of lead and zinc combined). Average ore grade is 4.8 oz of silver per ton, 7.2 pct Pb, and 4.6 pct Zn. This impressive production represents about 12 pct of the District's yield. At present metal prices, with modern beneficiation, the gross value would be more than $400 million. THE GEM STOCKS The Gem stocks, considered to be outliers of the Idaho batholith of Late Cretaceous age, are located in the northern half of the Mullan quadrangle, and extend from the town of Gem, Idaho, along a strike of N30°E for a distance of approximately five miles. They occur as two major masses of monzonitic rocks commonly referred to as the North stock, which covers an area of 1.1 sq miles, and the South stock, which covers 2.6 sq miles. The areal pattern is roughly club-shaped, the North stock representing the handle and the South stock the head of the club. Two and a half miles west and five miles northeast are two groups of smaller stocks, isolated from the main masses but of the same general rock type. This discussion is limited for the most part to the North and South stocks. At the north end, where the intrusion is about 3200 ft wide, the walls are about parallel and dip very steeply west. At the south end, where the mass is about 7000 ft wide at surface, the walls dip away from each other at moderately steep angles. An aeromagnetic survey' detects and outlines with surprising accuracy the two main stocks. as illustrated on the magnetic contour map (Fig. 2). Of particular interest is the location and shape of the magnetic anomaly representing the South stock. The anomaly is centered over the south end of the outcrop, and a westerly extension joins it with a smaller anomaly over the Dago Peak stocks. The latter anomaly, likewise, is located over the south end of the isolated stocks. This pattern suggests the intrusion has greater extent at depth to the south and west. Though correlation between the Dago Peak stocks and the larger masses is suggested, the controversial aspects of the Dobson Pass fault, which separates the two areas, casts doubt on a correlation. Topographically the monzonite stocks are ignored by the drainage pattern indicating these rocks, and the invaded rocks of the Lower Belt Series react similarly to erosion. The drainage patterns of Nine Mile and Canyon creeks cut indiscriminately across the monzonite-Belt contact, resulting in both valleys and ridges in the southern end of the intrusion. Nine Mile Creek traverses diagonally the entire five-mile length of the stocks. The monzonite rocks of the intrusion are referred to locally as granite, but granite is rare and the rocks comprise a wide variety of types. Their characteristics, described in detail by F. L. Ransome and F. C. Calkins,' are summarized by P. J. Shenon.' The principal rock type is coarse-grained, light gray, porphoritic monzonite containing black crystals of hornblende. Pyroxene, epidote, and titanite

Jan 1, 1960

By AIME AIME

ARRANGEMENTS for the Annual Meeting of the Institute were well advanced at the end of December as the following program will show. Heretofore this has been printed separately, but its inclusion in the Annual Review issue of MINING AND METALLURGY will, it is hoped, make it more easily available for reference until the final program is issued, which will be distributed at the meeting. Added details will appear in the February issue. Last year's meeting drew a record crowd of over 2300 which should be exceeded this year. Early reservations at the headquarters hotel, the Waldorf-Astoria, or any other convenient hotel are desirable, as are prompt reservations for the Annual Dinner. No one need worry about too much speechmaking this year, for the honors will be awarded and accepted in a few words instead of a few paragraphs, in seconds rather than minutes.

Jan 1, 1939

By M. F. Hawkes, R. F. Mehl

The rate of isothermal transformation of austenite to pearlite depends upon the rate of nucleation, N, and the rate of growth, G, of pearlite in austenite. Values of N are given in terms of the number of nuclei forming in unit time per unit grain boundary area of unreacted austenite; values of C are given in terms of the linear rate of radial growth. Variations in the isothermal rate with temperature result from variation of N and G with temperature. Depth of hardening of a steel depends fundamentally upon values of N and G; changes in carbon and alloy content effect changes in N and G and thus affect depth of hardening. Quantitative studies are available on N and G for the formation of pearlite in plain carbon eutectoid steels.3 Systematic studies in this field are necessary if the phenomena are to be well enough known to furnish a proper basis for full rationalization and for theory. Accordingly, the studies are continuing, both with respect to the effect of alloying elements upon the values of N and G in the formation of pearlite and to the values of N and G for the formation of ferrite in hypoeutectoid steels. The present paper is the first relating to the effect of alloying elements upon the values of N and G for pearlite. It offers special interest since cobalt is known to have an anomalous effect upon the rate of formation of pearlite, accelerating it, whereas all other elements retard it.4 It will be shown that cobalt increases both N and G for pearlite and that this effect is inherent in the Fe-Co-C system and not dependent upon factors relating to austenite heterogeneity nor upon any recognizable adventitious factor. Inasmuch as the rate of diffusion of carbon in austenite and the interlamellar spacing of pearlite are variables related to G and possibly to N (in a manner not yet certain), measurements of the effect of cobalt upon them are also reported here. In the course of the work, measurements were made on the effect of cobalt upon the marten-site temperature and these are given. COBALT AS AN ALLOYING ELEMENT IN STEEL Properties of Cobalt Cobalt resembles iron more closely than does any other chemical element. Its atomic number is 27, hence it is the element immediately following iron in the periodic system. The two differ in atomic structure only in the fact that cobalt contains seven electrons instead of six in the third, or transition, level of .the third shell. The next shell, which is the

Jan 1, 1948

By M. F. Hawkes, R. F. Mehl

The rate of isothermal transformation of austenite to pearlite depends upon the rate of nucleation, N, and the rate of growth, G, of pearlite in austenite. Values of N are given in terms of the number of nuclei forming in unit time per unit grain boundary area of unreacted austenite; values of C are given in terms of the linear rate of radial growth. Variations in the isothermal rate with temperature result from variation of N and G with temperature. Depth of hardening of a steel depends fundamentally upon values of N and G; changes in carbon and alloy content effect changes in N and G and thus affect depth of hardening. Quantitative studies are available on N and G for the formation of pearlite in plain carbon eutectoid steels.3 Systematic studies in this field are necessary if the phenomena are to be well enough known to furnish a proper basis for full rationalization and for theory. Accordingly, the studies are continuing, both with respect to the effect of alloying elements upon the values of N and G in the formation of pearlite and to the values of N and G for the formation of ferrite in hypoeutectoid steels. The present paper is the first relating to the effect of alloying elements upon the values of N and G for pearlite. It offers special interest since cobalt is known to have an anomalous effect upon the rate of formation of pearlite, accelerating it, whereas all other elements retard it.4 It will be shown that cobalt increases both N and G for pearlite and that this effect is inherent in the Fe-Co-C system and not dependent upon factors relating to austenite heterogeneity nor upon any recognizable adventitious factor. Inasmuch as the rate of diffusion of carbon in austenite and the interlamellar spacing of pearlite are variables related to G and possibly to N (in a manner not yet certain), measurements of the effect of cobalt upon them are also reported here. In the course of the work, measurements were made on the effect of cobalt upon the marten-site temperature and these are given. COBALT AS AN ALLOYING ELEMENT IN STEEL Properties of Cobalt Cobalt resembles iron more closely than does any other chemical element. Its atomic number is 27, hence it is the element immediately following iron in the periodic system. The two differ in atomic structure only in the fact that cobalt contains seven electrons instead of six in the third, or transition, level of .the third shell. The next shell, which is the

Jan 1, 1948

By Evan Evans

WITH the expiration on April 30, 1941, of the agreement between the anthracite operators and the United Mine Workers of America, a new agreement was entered into, providing for a general wage increase of 7 1/2 per cent effective May 1, to be brought to a total of 10 per cent on Oct. 1. Contract rates were increased from the rates established under the agreement of September 1923, and hourly rates were raised above the agreement of May 1936 as modified from the eight-to seven-hour day in May 1937. The new rates are to be in force for the duration of the agreement, ending April 30, 1943.

Jan 1, 1942

By AIME AIME

IN ACCORDANCE with the provisions of the Rules of Procedure of the American Engineering Standards Committee, the American Society for Testing, Mate-. on Feb. 15, 1921, submitted for approval by the A. E. S. Committee certain Standard Specifications for Copper, all of which were adopted or in process prior to Jan. 1, 1920, and sent with the standards the following histories of development and statements of use. FOR SOFT OR ANNEALED COPPER WIRE (B3-15) These specifications were originaly adopted by. the American Society for Testing Materials in 1912. They were prepared by a committee of the Society designated as Committee B-1 on Copper Wire. The committee consisted of eleven members; representatives of five manufacturers of -copper wire, of four manufacturers of electrical apparatus, and of two firms of consulting and contracting engineers. The members of the committee were designated by the officials of the companies to act as their representatives in the committee.

Jan 1, 1921

By K. N. Weaver

In the early 1950's the cement industry began putting a new emphasis on geology. This article points up some of the industry's raw materials problems that geologists are uniquely qualified to handle. Portland cement can be made from relatively abundant industrial minerals and rocks, and this may explain why cement producers placed little emphasis on geology during the early days of the industry. After World War 11, however, the industry began to recognize the need for geological exploration and some of the larger companies began to build a permanent geological staff. This development has its roots in: 1) The rapid expansion of the industry. After World War II and continuing into the early 1950's the demand for cement far exceeded the production capacity. This placed a great deal of pressure on the producers to enlarge capacity at their plants and to develop new sites. 2) The closing of many cement plants due to inadequate raw materials. Producers feared lack of raw materials due to inadequate exploration and evaluation. 3) An ever increasing pressure for upgrading of the quality of portland cement, necessitated upgrading the quality of raw materials. 4) The increasingly large capital investment needed to build new cement plants required a higher degree of accuracy in reserve calculation. These reasons are more or less self explanatory and will not be elaborated on. They are outlined to illustrate the probable evolution of thought among cement management to justify the development of a geological staff. In the author's personal experience the geologist must continually readjust to changing conditions within the industry. For example, cement production capacity grew so rapidly that today production is only about 70% to 75% of rated capacity (73.8% in 1963). Therefore, whereas the geologist's function during the active expansion of capacity was primarily one of exploration, one of his major functions today is the development of existing reserves. This assumes of course that reserves at existing plants have been proven to be adequate in terms of the company's reserve policy. Through the proper development of raw materials, the geologist can markedly influence quality control, production and long range planning. Examples of several of the operations of Medusa Portland Cement Co. will illustrate how proper attention to geologic detail pays off in the above areas. Because limestone is the major raw material of port-land cement, the examples will be concerned with it. DEVELOPMENT OF GEOLOGIC DETAIL One of the prime objectives of an exploration or development project should be the establishment of the stratigraphy and structure of the deposit. The basic tool for exploration and development is still the core drill, and the geologist must gain a maximum amount of information from a minimum amount of drilling. In order to obtain this objective the following is essential: 1) Adequate detailed geologic logging of cores. The core is first logged and separated into lithologically distinct units. In order to make the lithologic breaks as meaningful as possible, representative pieces of core (not all) are etched in dilute HCI. This removes the "drill polish", brings out the structure of the rock and indicates the proportion of dolomite and argillaceous material because dolomite and argillaceous material etch in relief. In this way the lithologic breaks become clearer and one gains a general idea of the chemical makeup before analysis. This method of logging lessens the probability of including two types of stone, e.g. limestone and dolomite into the same sample for chemical analysis. 2) Representative sampling for chemical analysis. After logging, the lithologic units are sampled for chemical analysis. A representative analysis can be obtained by extracting a 1-in. sample for every foot of core. For example, a lithologic interval of 10 ft to 20 ft would yield ten 1-in. samples taken at 11 ft, 12 ft, 13 ft... and 20 ft. These samples are then crushed, pulverized and split into a sample for chemical analysis. This sampling method represents a significant saving of time over splitting the entire core. 3) Preparing the core as a record. Because of the expense of storage and the difficulty of handling large amounts of core, only representative samples of each lithologic unit are saved for reference. An

Jan 1, 1965

By AIME AIME

BY the end of 1943, the United States will be able to produce aluminum at a rate of 1,150,000 tons a year. How much aluminum is 1,150,000 tons? It is sufficient to replace every railroad passenger car in this country three times a year. Or, it would put a thirty-piece aluminum cooking utensil set in every one of America's 34,000,000 homes with enough metal left over to make 5,000,000 miles of aluminum transmission cable, such as was used in the electrification of much of rural America. Expansion of aluminum production capacity for the war program has occurred in three steps: (1) expansion by private industry; (2) the letting of contracts by the Defense Plant Corp. for the construction of additional aluminum plants which may remain after the war to compete with existing facilities; and (3) the more recently announced D.P.C. program for the building of emergency plants to make aluminum, using stand-by power available in large metropolitan centers power of relatively higher cost, making it questionable whether such plants, now gravely needed, will be able to compete in a peacetime economy.

Jan 1, 1943

By Norman C. Stines

Russia's mineral potential is a secret that has been effectively kept by the Iron Curtain. There is no conclusive data and because of its extreme importance to the Free World, the subject is greatly discussed. Opinions range from those presented by Paul Tyler in his article "Russia's Mineral Potential," June issue of MINING ENGINEERING to those of Norman C. Stines, presented herewith. Mr. Stines is a consulting mining engineer of Los Gatos, Calif. He was in Russia, China, and Manchuria from 1909 to 1918 as a mining executive. From 1917 to 1919 he served as assistant military attache Intelligence Branch U. S. Army in Petrograd, Russia.

Jan 11, 1951

By Howard N. Eavenbon

The low-volatile, or smokeless, coal field of southern West Virginia is in Fayette, Raleigh, Wyoming, Mercer, Summers and McDowell counties, in the extreme southern portion of the state, and extends into the adjacent counties of Tazewell and Buchanan in Virginia. McDowell County is the largest producer, with Fayette and Raleigh counties next. The total area of the field (Fig. 1) is approximately 1600 square miles, or 1,024,000 acres. The percentage of volatile matter in the various seams ranges from 15 to 26 per cent, The upper limit of true low-volatile coal is usually considered to be 23 per cent volatile matter; above this point, the coal usually is classed as medium volatile. This limit will be used in this paper. Geological Position of Seams The smokeless seams are among the oldest coal seams in the country, as the Pocahontas group of rocks is the lowest member of the coal-bearing series and rests on top of the Mauch Chunk red shale, in or below which no coal seams of any importance occur. The Pocahontas group, or Lower Pottsville measures, has a thickness of 750 ft. in southern McDowell County, which decreases to about 350 ft. at Prince, on the New River, in Fayette County, 50 miles to the northeast. In this group, at various points, 12 coal beds have been found, of which 4 have been found in workable thickness and are now being mined. The New River group, or Middle Pottsville measures, is just above the Pocahontas group and varies in thickness from 1300 ft. in southern McDowell County to about 700 ft. along New River. At various places, 16 beds of smokeless coal have been identified in this group, of which 5 have been found in workable thickness and are now being mined. A general columnar section of these strata is shown on Fig. 2. The workable seams in these strata, arranged in geological sequence, are as shown on page 77.

Jan 1, 1932

By H. L. TERWILLIGER

THOSE of us who have been following rock drilling work for the last 15 or 20 years can recall some of the problems that were encountered with the old piston type of rock drill and the solid steel which it used. There was frequent trouble in keeping a straight hole in badly broken ground when using the ordinary four- point bit that had a flare on the wings of about 14". The drill steel, when pounding down its hole, would follow the line of least resistance and draw away from the desired line when it encountered a weak side in the ground through which it was drilling. Some would overcome the difficulty by making long winged bits to prevent the steel crowding over; this would relieve the troubles to a great extent. There was trouble with the rifling of drill holes and inability to drill round holes in some ground. The cure for these ills was to use the "X" bit, rather than the crossbit. The "2" bits were brought out in an effort to make it easier to drill a round hole in bad ground. Most of these troubles were before the days when the mechanical drill sharpener was in as common use as it is today. It was not until the introduction of the Leyner type of rock drill, requiring hollow steel that the users of rock drills found themselves confronted with more difficult prob- lems than they had ever encountered before with drill steel because the steel had to stand more severe service.

Jan 1, 1924

By Giovanni B. Barla, Stefan H. Boshkov

The block caving method is examined in this paper on the basis of experimental results and observations in the field, and through the use of numerical modeling by the Finite Element Method. The Grace Mine, developed by a panel caving method, served as a reference case. However, the results obtained and the simulation techniques which have been developed may find useful application in more general conditions as encountered in other mining operations by block caving. Following a brief description of the Grace Mine and of the mining method, the problems associated with the behavior of underground drifts at the production levels, during undercutting and caving, are addressed. The most important results obtained through monitoring of strains and loads in the supports of a runway are discussed, while giving relevance to the sequence of mining operations in the immediate vicinity. The most important geomechanical data, as provided for subsequent modeling, are described with reference to: (a) rock mass characterization and (b) in situ state of stress. Then, the numerical modeling procedures, developed by the Finite Element Method in order to predict the caving phenomena and the behavior of underground openings during undercutting, are discussed. Finally, an attempt is made to compare the pre- dictions of the numerical analyses with, the measurements carried out at the instrumented site. Suggestions as to how to improve the results both qualitatively and quantitatively are also given.

Jan 1, 1984

By Julius Pohlman

The history of Niagara Falls, as currently told, is simple, and by that very simplicity it has been rendered plausible. AS the story runs, the Falls were once situated at Lewiston, 7 miles to the north of their present site; and, since all the rocks in this section are alternate hard and soft strata, the waters acting readily upon the soft shales caused their removal, and the overlying hard lagers, deprived of support, broke down under the weight of the large volume of water that rushed over them; and this erosive action has sent the edge of the fall more and more southward, until it now has excavated the seven-mile gorge between Lewiston and the village of Niagara Falls. (See Fig. 1.) As early as 1790" we find this theory advanced in a description of this region; and it has been practically endorsed by subsequent observers, the most prominent of whom was Prof. James Hall, the State Geologist of New York, who surveyed the Falls in 1841, and gave the most exact description of their surroundings in the publications of the State Survey.? Not until 1883 was the correctness of the accepted theory of the Falls questioned.‡ The geology of the basins of the Great. Lakes, as elucidated by Newberry,§ Speneer,ll and others, has added largely to a clearer understanding of the life-history of the Falls. The investigators have shown us that Lake Erie, as a lake, is, geologically speaking, quite young; that its valley was excavated in pre-glacial times by a series of rivers; and that the Maumee, Sandusky, Cuyaboga, Alleghany and other rivers carried the drainage of the surrounding

Jan 1, 1889

TULSA SECTION At the smoker concluding the two day meeting of the Tulsa section of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, Tulsa, Okla., Feb. 26, 1919, Dr. Willis T. Lee, the new head of the Geological Department of the University of Oklahoma, was introduced to the assembled geologists and mining engineers. Dr. Lee requested that the geologists and engineers who were making a specialty of petroleum geology assist him in giving a good course in practical oil geology in the Geological Department of the University. After a motion offering the services of all present in giving lectures on their special subjects had been adopted, Dr. Perrine of Hutchinson, Kans., named the geologists who were pledged to give lectures in Dr. Lee's course. The students in geology at Norman are assured of the latest information regarding practical work in petroleum geology and will have the inspiration derived from contact with men who are actually at work upon the problems which they are studying. Dr. Lee and President Brooks of the University are to be congratulated upon the introduction of this .method of instruction. The plan thus put into operation is similar to the graduate system of coaching in athletics followed at many of the large universities; what is good for instruction in athletics should also prove good for instruction in applied geology.

Jan 6, 1919

By AIME AIME

AMERICAN participation in the World Engineering Congress in Japan will be generous. Nearly seventy papers have been prepared and for- warded for printing and the A. I. M. E. is well represented in the list. At our San Francisco meeting four of these will be briefly reviewed by the authors for the benefit of those who are unable to go on to Tokyo. They constitute a group dealing with the present economic status as seen by engineers of the world's iron, coal, petroleum and non-ferrous metals. Messrs. Leith, Smith and Tryon, Requa, and Probert have written papers that constitute a notable series. Messrs. Jeffries, Sweetser and Kinney, and other Institute members have written papers dealing more closely with technologic progress. The latest list of delegates and members is printed below, names of A. I. M. E. members being set in italics.

Jan 1, 1929

By Roger M. Zimmerman

The G-Tunnel heated block experiment is being conducted on the Nevada Test Site (NTS) as part of the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations project (NNWSI). The purpose of the ambient temperature testing ph se is to evaluate rock-mass mechanical properties of a block (- 8 m3) under biaxial stress changes up to 7.5 MPa above an initialization in situ value of 3.1 MPa. Results indicate that the modulus of deformation ranges from 9.7 to 17.0 GPa and Poisson's ratio ranges from 0.21 to 0.33. In general, the higher values of the modulus and Poisson' s ratio were influenced by fracture propagations parallel to the compressive stress field. Other measurements indicated that cross-hole compression (p) wave velocities and single fracture permeability values were relatively insensitive to stress changes above the in situ value.

Jan 1, 1984

By L. Seigle, R. Resnick

An inert-marker movement experiment indicates that the ratio of the intrinsic diffusion coefficients DC:DTa = 80:l in TaC at 2500°C. Measurements of the diffmion coefficient of carbon in nonstoichiometric TaC at temperatures from 1700° to 2700°C reveal that Dc increases with decreasing carbon content, but much less than expected from the probable change in vacancy concentration with carbon content. A diffusion process involving two simultaneously operating mechanisms is postulated, and shown to be theoretically feasible. The average value of the carbon diffusion coefficient is given by DC = 0.18 exp[(-85,000 ± 3000)/RT] sq cm per sec over the composition range 46 to 49.5 at. pct C. BECAUSE of their high melting points and hardness, the carbides of the IV, V, and VI group transition metals, along with those of uranium, have attracted considerable interest for applications at high temperatures. In these applications the reactivity of the materials is important, and, since rates of diffusion within the compounds influence reactivity, a knowledge of diffusion kinetics and mechanisms is desirable. While many investigations of the mechanical and electrical properties of these compounds have been made, only two fundamental investigations of diffusion in the carbides are known. Chubb, Getz, and Townleyl measured the diffusivity of carbon and uranium in UC, and Gel'd and Liubimov2 measured the diffusivity of carbon and niobium in NbC. This paper describes an investigation of the diffusion of carbon in tantalum monocarbide and, in particular, the influence of carbon deficiency on this process. Tantalum carbide melts at approximately 3800°C, which makes it one of the highest melting materials known. The compound exists over a rather wide range of carbon Content.3-7 At the peritectic temperature, 3240°C, the phase extends from about 36 to 50 at. pct C. Although the compound can exist with a substantial carbon deficiency, the high carbon phase boundary remains near the stoichiometric composition over the entire temperature range; i.e., no carbon excess is observed. The structure of TaC is the NaCl type wherein carbon atoms normally occupy the octahedral sites in a somewhat expanded fcc lattice of tantalum. Decrease of the lattice parameter with decreasing carbon suggests that the removal of carbon introduces octahedral vacancies into the lattice. I) EXPERIMENTAL DETAILS AND RESULTS Inert-Marker Experiments. In a compound such as TaC the interstitial element would be expected to diffuse more rapidly than the metal. This was confirmed by an inert-marker experiment, following Srnigelskas and irkeendall.8 Ideally, the markers should be placed at the interface between a slab of low-carbon TaC and graphite, and their movement during subsequent inter-diffusion measured. Unfortunately, no solid could be found which is unreactive in contact with carbon at the high temperatures employed in these experiments. In order to circumvent this problem, a specimen was designed in which the markers consisted of several small canals running just below the surface of a tantalum slab. This specimen was prepared by machining grooves on the surface of the tantalum slab and then diffusion-bonding a thin plate of tantalum to the slab over the grooves. The surface of the plate was then ground down until the distance between the canals and surface was as small as possible (about 0.01 cm). Thus, the canals would lie entirely within the TaC phase after a short period of diffusion. The diffusion anneal consisted of immersing the metal sample in high-purity graphite powder and heating for approximately 10 hr at 2500°C under vacuum. At this temperature, the vapor pressure is sufficiently high and the transfer of carbon from graphite sufficiently rapid to allow the surface of the diffusion sample to attain the stoichiometric carbon concentration very quickly. Conclusions regarding the relative diffusion rates of carbon and tantalum in the compound layers (TaC and Ta2C) can be drawn from the location of the canals after the diffusion anneals. If the growth of the layers is governed mainly by the diffusion of carbon, as expected, the canals should remain close to the sample surface. If the diffusion of tantalum contributes appreciably to formation of the compound layers, the distance from the markers (canals) to the surface should increase. Fig. 1 shows, diagrammatically, the appearance of the specimens after diffusion, and Table I presents the depth below the surface at which the

Jan 1, 1967