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By T. E. Leontis

The importance of magnesium alloys in the manufacture of aircraft engines has been realized for many years. A concentrated effort has been exerted in the laboratories of the Dow Chemical Co. to develop magnesium-base alloys with improved properties at elevated temperatures whereby greater advantage can be taken of the inherent lightness of these materials. In an earlier publication, attention was called to the superior tensile properties and resistance to creep of cerium-containing magnesium alloys at temperatures up to 700°F. More recently, additional data on magnesium-cerium alloys have been furnished by Murphy and Payne. The present paper deals with the mechanical properties of sand-cast magnesium alloys containing zinc, at temperatures up to 500°F. The study includes binary Mg-Znt alloys containing up to 10 pct zinc and several ternary and some polynary alloys based on the Mg-~Zn,f Mg-jZn, Mg-4.4211, Mg-6Zn, and Mg-roZn binaries. The compositional variation in the tensile properties, hardness, and creep at room and elevated temperatures, and in the electrical conductivity at room temperature has been determined. The results of these tests show that many zinc-containing magnesium alloys exhibit resistance to creep at elevated temperatures significantly higher than that of present commercial magnesium alloys, but lower than that of alloys of the magnesium-cerium type. In addition, they have high tensile properties at room and elevated temperatures and high conductivity. This combination of mechanical properties and conductivity indicates that these alloys should be given serious consideration for commercial applications involving exposure to temperatures higher than those to which present commercial magnesium alloys can be taken safely. Literature The properties of sand-cast magnesium alloys containing zinc as a principal alloying element have not been investigated very extensively, especially at elevated temperatures. The following remarks, which are confined to sand-cast alloys, will serve as a summary of the most important references on this phase of magnesium metallurgy. The first recorded determination of the tensile strength of binary Mg-Zn alloys as a function of zinc content was reported by Aitchison. Similar studies, including the measurement of elongation and hardness, have been performed by Gann and Winston,' Dumas and Rockaert, Haugh-ton and Prytherch,6 and by Spitaler, the last being reported by Beck.' A slight superiority in the tensile strength of chill-cent Mg + 8 es alloy Over the sand-cast alloy was noted by Maybrey.8 That alloys of magnesium containing 5 to 12 pct zinc

Jan 1, 1949

By Charles T. Holland

In connection with the problems of bumps in coal mines, much has been written concerning the manner in which roof action and methods of mining enter into the pressure effects observed but little has been written upon the relationship between the physical properties of coal and associated rocks and the cause of bumps. The question of the strength of bituminous coal, of its elasticity, and the energy it can absorb and store has been neglected to a considerable extent in connection with this problem. It is generally agreed that one of the necessary conditions for bumps is a strong coal.' Therefore, since the strength of coal is an important factor, a study of this property should be made. several investigators have conducted laboratory experiments upon the strength of coal, using small cubical or rectangular test pieces. An attempt will not be made to go into all of these investigations, but they are briefly summarized in Table I. Experiments of the U. S. Bureau of Mines and of Lawall and Holland (pp. 27 and 34 of ref. 9), however, indicate that regardless of whether the coal is a soft and weak semihituminous (Pocahontas No 3) or a hard and strong bituminous (Stockton) coal, the maximum ultimate unit stress developed in laboratory tests is higher in small cubes than in larger cubes of the Same coal.

Jan 1, 1942

By Charles T. Holland

In connection with the problems of bumps in coal mines, much has been written concerning the manner in which roof action and methods of mining enter into the pressure effects observed but little has been written upon the relationship between the physical properties of coal and associated rocks and the cause of bumps. The question of the strength of bituminous coal, of its elasticity, and the energy it can absorb and store has been neglected to a considerable extent in connection with this problem. It is generally agreed that one of the necessary conditions for bumps is a strong coal.' Therefore, since the strength of coal is an important factor, a study of this property should be made. several investigators have conducted laboratory experiments upon the strength of coal, using small cubical or rectangular test pieces. An attempt will not be made to go into all of these investigations, but they are briefly summarized in Table I. Experiments of the U. S. Bureau of Mines and of Lawall and Holland (pp. 27 and 34 of ref. 9), however, indicate that regardless of whether the coal is a soft and weak semihituminous (Pocahontas No 3) or a hard and strong bituminous (Stockton) coal, the maximum ultimate unit stress developed in laboratory tests is higher in small cubes than in larger cubes of the Same coal.

Jan 1, 1942

By N. A. Zeigler

GRaphitization phenomena occurring in solid cast iron have principally been studied from the angle of the reactions taking place during annealing of white castings in the manufacturing of malleable iron. The selected bibliography at the end of this paper presents the high spots of the published information in this field. Graph-itization of gray iron upon reheating has received much less attention, primarily because only on rare occasions is this material subjected to any kind of industrial heat-treating. Moreovcr, articles made from gray iron are seldom used commercially at temperatures when any graphitization can take place. When used in such conditions, it is assumed that the articles can be replaced at frequent intervals, which can be afforded because of the low cost of gray iron. However, there is at least one commercial process in which articles made from gray iron, during their manufacturing processing, are subjectcd to rather high temperatures; that is, manufacturing of cast-iron enamelware, which is glazed at about 1600° to 1700°F. (870' to 930°C.) From practical experience, it has been found that one of the convenient and economical compositions of gray iron suitable for enameling is, in round figures, as follows: Si, 2.50 per cent; Mn, 0.35; S, 0.07; P, 0.80; T.C., 3.35; C.C., 0.70. Since this iron usually is cast into thin-walled sections, the percentage of com- bined carbon in it is relatively high. Upon heating in the enameling furnaces, this combined carbon graphitizes, which causes permanent dimensional changes of the articles. Obviously, from practical considerations, it is desirable to maintain these dimensional changes as constant as possible. In the course of experimentation with this iron, two series of experimental heats were prepared in which the manganese to sulphur ratio of the standard cupola metal was offset by ladle additions of: (I) progressively larger amounts of sulphur, and (2) progressively larger amounts of manganese. Each one of these ladle charges was cast into experimental plates 8 by 4 in. and about 5/16 in. thick. All told, 13 ladle charges were thus treated. All of them are listed in Table I, together with their chemical analyses. It may be noted that the manganese to sulphur ratio in these samples ranges between 1.2 and 30.2. Every one of these compositions was subjected to thermal allalysis, using an automatic, self-recording differential dila-tometer. The specimens used in this instrument are 50 mm. long and 4 mm. in diameter. During the dilatometer cycle they are kept under a vacuum of about 3 microns. Each one of them was subjected to a thermal cycle by heating it to I830°F. (1000°C.) in 3 hr. and cooling to room temperaturc in 5 hr. Figs. I, 2 and 3 present three automatically recorded dilatometer curves for irons: Serial No. I (normal composition), Serial No. 6 (high sulphur), and Serial No. 13 (high manganese). All three of these figures are

Jan 1, 1945

By C. E. Brown, D. C. Helms, O. W. Shimer

The early history and progress of anthracite stripping, from the first known operation at Summit Hill in 1821 through 1917, was covered in 1917 in a paper by J. B. Warriner,1 then chief engineer, now president of the Lehigh Navigation Coal Co., and stripping methods between 1917 and 1931 were the subject of a paper in 1931 by H. H. Otto,2 of the Hudson Coal Company. . The present paper is confined to methods used today on pitching beds in the western middle and southern anthracite fields. The anthracite industry, not unlike other large industries, had been affected for more than a decade by the adverse economic conditions of the country. High development and operating costs and the competition of other fuels caused some collieries to be closed temporarily, while others were permanently abandoned. In order to obtain a larger tonnage at a lower development cost, a larger stripping program was put into effect by many companies. In 1932, stripping operations accounted for 3½ million tons, or 7 per cent of the total anthracite production of the year, and in the next 10 years this increased until more than double that amount, or over 14 per cent of the total production, was from stripping operations. These figures represent the total production of the entire anthracite region; unfortunately, the figures have not been separated from the different fields. There are some operations in the southern and middle western fields where the tonnage obtained from stripping amounts to more than 30 per cent of the total colliery production. Stripping operations on pitching beds present difficult problems. Owing to the various geological formations, a different situation is encountered in nearly every stripping pit; and because of the proximity of an overlying bed, it is very often necessary to load the entire overburden into trucks and haul it out of the pit to the dump area, although back filling and casting is done whenever possible. Beds in the areas described in this paper pitch from 20" to 90 and some are on the invert in many sharp folds and faults. Planning The more successful strippings have had adequate engineering analysis. Some work is being done without much preliminary planning, but many strippings would have failed completely if close supervision by the engineering department had not been . maintained. Locations of stripping areas are determined as follows: I. By constructing cross sections over the areas and drilling sufficient diamond-drill or well drill holes to study the strata and to determine the location, thickness

Jan 1, 1944

By Paul T. Allsman, E. W. Newman

TRENCHING, sampling, and core drilling in Stillwater and Sweetgrass Counties, Mont., by the Bureau of Mines have delimited over 5,000,000 tons of chromite ore containing more than 20 per cent chromic oxide. The Benbow and Mouat-Sampson mines have been developed and are fully equipped for mining and milling 500 tons and 2000 tons a day, respectively.

Jan 1, 1944

By Fred Bond

This paper is a continuation of two earlier papers,1,2 and presents new data on the grindability of various ores and other materials-the results of several years of intermittent research work on the nature of grinding and interpretation of test results. It is divided into five parts: 1. The tabulated results of several hundred grindability tests on a wide variety of ores. 2. A method of correcting screen analyses and calculating from them the surface and other properties. 3. A description of a. new method of measuring the "surface energy" of in ore by pendulum impact tests. 4. Test results. 5. A general discussion of the test results and their application to grinding problems.

Jan 1, 1938

By B. A. Rogers

ACCORDING to petrographic investigations, 1-4 cooled steel furnace slags contain a number of substances that have been shown to be ferro-magnetic5,6 and hence capable of undergoing appreciable changes of susceptibility with temperature. Since any alteration of the suscepti-bility of a constituent affects the average susceptibility of the sample, information concerning the nature of the substance should be deducible from its magnetic behavior. The possibility of obtaining information concerning slags in this way led to the construction of the apparatus to be described. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF APPARATUS The most convenient method of observing changes in mass suscepti-bility? with temperature is the one employed by Curie7 in his original investigation of the changes in magnetic properties of substances at elevated temperatures. As the method has been described frequently in the literature and in textbooks, only a brief review of the fundamental principles need be given here, but the particular arrangements used in the present work require a more detailed description.

Jan 1, 1939

By Warren Howes, C. O. Anderson, Robert E. Illidge, M. D. Harbaugh, S. J. Burris

The Tri-State zinc-lead mining district embraces an extensive area, including the northeastern part of Ottawa County, Oklahoma, the southeastern part of Cherokee County, Kansas, and adjacent portions of Missouri, mainly in Jasper County. The Oklahoma-Kansas portion of the district, in the vicinity of Picher, Okla., has been the principal producing area since 1917, and the present milling practice in that section is the subject of this paper. This district is the largest zinc-producing field in the United States. In 1926 it produced 55 per cent of the nation's zinc and 15 per cent of its lead, and in 1933 it produced 35 per cent of the zinc and 10 per cent of the lead. From 1842 to 1933, inclusive, the total output of the district was 18 1/2 million tons of zinc and lead concentrates valued at 818 million dollars. Of this production, the Oklahoma-Kansas, or Picher, field yielded over 9 million tons valued at over 400 million dollars. Mining operations in the Oklahoma-Kansas field near Picher and Baxter Springs began in 1915. The mills built it that time consisted merely of gravity concentration plants employing jigs and tables and the same flow sheets as had proved satisfactory with the free-milling ores such as were mined in the Joplin-Webb City fields in Missouri. The Kansas-Oklahoma ores proved to be much richer but also more refractory to treatment than those in the Joplin area, and contained a considerable percentage of zinc mineral not freed by the amount of crushing usually practiced in preparing the ores for jigging. Thus the old Joplin type of mill, with its usual two or four jigs and a few tables, proved inadequate and resulted in excessive tailings losses sometimes as high as 50 per cent

Jan 1, 1935

By Lyle L. Marsh, David L. Douglas

CORRELATION was made between the heat treatment and hardness of three U-Ti alloys ranging in composition from 8.5 to 50 atomic pct Ti. The following important observations were made: 1) A direct quench of y U-Ti solid solution resulted in the formation of a hard martensitic phase in low-titanium alloys. 2) Subsequent tempering initially increased the hardness by the precipitation of a fine dispersion of U2Ti; further precipitation of U2Ti with tempering time eventually resulted in softening. 3) High-hardness levels were obtained also by isothermal transformation of an 8.5 atomic pct Ti alloy at 400º and 500°C. 4) The crystal structure of the phases present at the solution-treating temperature (one region in the phase diagram excepted) and the temperature within a given phase region affected the hardness of both quenched and isothermally transformed alloys. Introduction It has been known since 1887 that the mechanical properties of metals were dependent upon their microstructure. Sorby pointed out in that year that annealed gray iron castings were softer than chilled iron castings by virtue of the graphite which had replaced hard cementite in the microstructure. Over the years, interest has increased in the effect of microstructure on the mechanical properties of metals, and now high-strength levels may be achieved by bringing about the dispersion of a second phase or by other microstructural adjustments. The nature of a second phase in an alloy strongly influences the properties. For example, the size, shape, amount, and distribution of a second phase plays a very important role in the ultimate properties of an alloy. Microstructural control is achieved by heat treatments. Hence, any alloy system of potential use should be understood in terms of its response to heat treatment and the resultant effects upon the properties.

Jan 1, 1958

By R. M. Brick

THE etched microstructures of cold-worked alpha brasses, after reduc-tions in excess of about 20 per cent, exhibit dark lines or markings, which have been termed "deformation bands," "etch bands," and "strain markings." The terms will be used synonomously in this report. The markings are similar in their general appearance to etch figures found in cold-worked iron, aluminum and other cubic metals but in certain respects may differ noticeably. At reductions of from about 20 to 50 per cent in brass, they appear as straight dark lines of irregular spacing and at random directions in different grains, but apparently intimately associated with definite crystallographic planes, usually {111}, in each crystal. At higher reductions, the markings on the rolling plane tend to appear in a direction transverse to the rolling direction in all crystals but may bend away at considerable angles, particularly near grain boundaries. Samans,1 on the basis of X-ray and micrographic studies of two single crystals of brass, rolled to a 50 per cent reduction, showed that the lines of deformation were the edges of thin mechanical twins parallel to octahedral planes. Barrett and Levenson2-4 have made comprehensive studies of the deformation of iron and of aluminum. They show that in these two metals the deformation markings originate by division of the original homogeneous crystal into banded areas differing in orientation by an amount that increases with the degree of deformation. The markings thus cannot be twin bands, and Barrett, in a review of this subject,2 attributed Samans' results on brass to an accidental choice of deformation that left the bands in approximately a twinned relationship. On the other hand, Mathewson5 has suggested that in some cases mechanical twinning offers a better rationalization of the coverage of some (111) pole figures of worked brass than the assumption of band rotation into sym-metry positions. Considering next a deformed and annealed alpha brass, the most striking aspect of its microstructure is the multiplicity of twin bands.

Jan 1, 1940

By Hermann Bach, Walther Hänig, Willi Gehrhardt, Ernst Theurich, Walter Langner

With the construction of the Magdeburg zinc works, the Georg von Giesche's Erben Mining Co. of Breslau has to a certain extent completed the program of reconstruction which it set as its goal after the boundaries of Upper Silesia were drawn by the Treaty of Versailles. During its history, covering.more than two centuries, zinc and lead mining has been its chief activity. Through the new boundaries established, it lost to Poland all its mines and smelters, including five distillation smelters. Of its extensive properties, there remained only an apparently unimportant and unexplored portion of the old Bleischarley ore field which, however, happily made possible the resumption of its old business. In 1925 the Deutsch-Bleischarley shaft-only a few kilometers from the old Bleischarley shaft—was sunk and developed, and in May 1926 production of lead and zinc ore was resumed. As facilities for smelting were lacking, the ore was at first delivered to the neighboring smelters, which had now become Polish. Realization of the plan to build its own zinc works had to be postponed at first for lack of capital. In the meantime, however, plans for the new works were worked out in all details. After extensive experimentation in a semicommercial pilot plant it was decided, at the end of 1928 and the beginning of 1929, to use the electrolytic process and, for economic reasons, to place the works at Magdeburg. With zinc at the approximate price level that had ruled since the Deutsch-Bleischarley mine had begun working, it was hoped that the plan could be completed in 1930 with the company's own resources. However, falling metal prices, already noticeable in 1929, made this impossible, and further postponement for a time became necessary. Finally, at the end of July 1933, the funds for building the works became available, in the form of a loan granted under the first employment

Jan 1, 1937

JOSEPH W. RICHARDS, Chairman. J. E. JOHNSON, JR., Vice-Chairman. ARTHUR S. CALLEN, Secretary, 453 Chestnut St., So. Bethlehem, Pa. SUB-COMMITTEES IRON ORE DWIGHT E. WOODBRIDGE, Chairman. ERNEST F. BURCHARD, WILLIAM KELLY, CHARLES F. RAND, FELIX A. VOGEL. BLAST FURNACES II. A. BRASSERT, Chairman. WILLIAM H. BLAUVELT, AMBROSE N. DIEHL, JAMES GAYLEY RICHARD V. McKAY. STEEL WORKS HENRY D. HIBBARD, Chairman. GUILLIAEM AERTSEN, C. F. W. RYS, .1. S. UNGER. FRANK D. CARNEY, A. A. STEVENSON, WILLIAM It. WALKER. MECHANICAL TREATMENT CHARLES A. BUCK, Chairman. ROBERT W. HUNT, GEORGE MESTA, FREDERICK W. WOOD.

Jan 6, 1915

By Irving Cadoff, Kurt Komarek, Edward Miller

THE lead-telluride phase diagram as compiled by ansen' has one intermetallic compound, PbTe, with solid-solubility limits extending from 22 to 45 wt pct Te (31.4 to 57.1 at. pct). Pelzel2 redetermined the solubility limits on the lead-rich side of the compound by measuring the relative areas of the two phases in samples annealed in the liquid + compound region, and obtained data that agreed with that of Hansen. Recent studies of the semiconducting properties of PbTe3 however, have indicated that addition of either lead or tellurium to PbTe does not produce samples having carrier concentrations greater than about 10 19 cm-3. Assuming that each impurity atom results in one ionized charge carrier, this carrier concentration corresponds to a solubility range of less than 0.04 at. pct. Fritts and Karrar4 have also observed two phases in samples containing from 0.15 to 3.0 pct excess Pb. To resolve the discrepancy between these data, the solid solubility limits of the compound PbTe were reinvestigated, using several other techniques. Ten 25-g samples with compositions of 1/2, 1, 3, 5, and 10 wt pct excess Pb and Te and two 100-g samples of 15 and 65 wt pct Te were prepared, sealed in evacuated quartz capsules, and melted at 950oC. The 1 pct excess Pb and Te and the 15 and 65 wt pct Te alloys were homogenized for 96 hr at 450°C; the remaining specimens were annealed 50°C below the solidus temperature reported in Hansen. The specimens were polished and etched with dilute HNO,. All the samples were two phase, the second phase appearing at grain boundaries or as spheroidized inclusions in the grains. In the case of the tellurium rich specimens, the second phase could be identified as a eutectic. Debye-Scherrer powder diffraction patterns of the i, 1, 3, 5, and 10 pct excess samples were obtained using CuKa filtered radiation. The films were indexed as the B1 or NaCl structure. The calculated lattice parameter of PbTe was the same for all the specimens, with an average of a0 = 6.460 ± 0.0005A. Lines due to excess lead or tellurium were very faint but could be clearly seen in all the films. The relative areas of the two phases in the 15 and 65 wt pct Te samples were corrected for the differences in density of Pb, Te, and PbTe, and taken as proportional to the relative volumes of the two phases. The corrected relative volumes agreed with a phase diagram having negligible solubility of both lead and tellurium in lead tellurium. The density of the two specimens was obtained to give a third independent determination of the phase limits. The specimens were broken into small pieces to eliminate any internal porosity, and adherent air bubbles were removed by vigorous shaking under water for several hours. The density of lead (11.34 g per cm3) and of tellurium (6.25 g per cm3) was taken from the International Critical Tables and that of stoichiometric PbTe (8.25 g per cm3) calculated from the lattice parameter. For the 15 wt pct Te samples, the density assuming no solubility was calculated to be 9.89 g per cm3; the observed density was 9.86 g per cm8. For the 65 wt pct Te alloy, the density calculated for the case of no solubility was 7.24 g per cm3; the measured density wag 7.22 g per cm3. These results are consistent with those of planimetry and X-ray. SUMMARY Data have been presented which show that the solid solubility of both lead and tellurium in PbTe is

Jan 1, 1961

By R. B. Snow

This paper describes a technique of polishing and etching specimens of open-hearth furnace slags or hearth aggregates for identification of the crystalline constituents —lime (CaO), tricalcium silicate (3CaO.SiO2), dicalcium silicate (2CaO.-SiO2), rnonticellite (CaO.MgO.SiO2), or forsterile (2MgO.SiO2), with especial em-phasis on the mineral merwinite (3CaO.-MgO.2SiO2). With proper standardization, this identification does not require the use of the petrographic microscope. The composition of basic open-hearth slags and furnace bottoms falls, almost without exception, within systems containing CaO, MgO, 'IFeO,,, MnO and SiOz, in which the number of basic molecules so greatly exceeds the orthosilicate ratio (two molecules of base to one of silica) that free basic oxides, and combinations between them such as alumi-nates or ferrites, are present in cooled specimens. Orthosilicates of (CaO + NgO) are the most common in such specimens, since in nearly all cases, except premelt slags, the molecular ratio of (CaO + MgO) to SiO, is more than 2 to I. When sufficient lime is available it combines with the silica to form dicalcium silicate (2Ca0.Si02), which contains little, if any, IvfgO, FeO or MnO in solid solution whereas the latter oxides combine to form the oxide solid solution known as periclase. If the lime present is insufficient to form dicalcium silicate (2Ca0.Si02) it combines with Mgo to form either merwillite or moIlticellite (SiOz); these minerals take little if any FeO or MnO into solid solution and the remaining MgO, FeO and hInO combine as periclase. This generalization seems to be valid for basic slags and furnace bottoms, since minerals such as Ca0.MnOSi02 and CaO.FeO.SiOz are found only in slags in which the lime-silica ratio is less than 2 and are not observed in 'pecimens from furnace bottoms. The identification of crystalline constituents in such materials, especially of fine crystals in the groundmass, is difficult under the petrographic microscope. They are often masked by their neighbors because of their small size in relation to the thickness of the thin section and because of the presence of Opaque Or colored constituents. The indices of refraction and the optical sign of the mineral are sometimes difficult to determine because of the small size or because Of twinning or of inclusions within the crystal. Moreover, the positive identification of merwinite (3Ca0.Mg0.2Si02) from its optical properties is usually difficult in the presence of dicalcium silicate (zCaO.SiO2). CaO, MgO, jCa0.Si02 and 2Ca0.SiOz in open-hearth 'lags have been identified for a number of years in the U.S. Steel Corporation Laboratory by the usual

Jan 1, 1948

By R. B. Snow

This paper describes a technique of polishing and etching specimens of open-hearth furnace slags or hearth aggregates for identification of the crystalline constituents —lime (CaO), tricalcium silicate (3CaO.SiO2), dicalcium silicate (2CaO.-SiO2), rnonticellite (CaO.MgO.SiO2), or forsterile (2MgO.SiO2), with especial em-phasis on the mineral merwinite (3CaO.-MgO.2SiO2). With proper standardization, this identification does not require the use of the petrographic microscope. The composition of basic open-hearth slags and furnace bottoms falls, almost without exception, within systems containing CaO, MgO, 'IFeO,,, MnO and SiOz, in which the number of basic molecules so greatly exceeds the orthosilicate ratio (two molecules of base to one of silica) that free basic oxides, and combinations between them such as alumi-nates or ferrites, are present in cooled specimens. Orthosilicates of (CaO + NgO) are the most common in such specimens, since in nearly all cases, except premelt slags, the molecular ratio of (CaO + MgO) to SiO, is more than 2 to I. When sufficient lime is available it combines with the silica to form dicalcium silicate (2Ca0.Si02), which contains little, if any, IvfgO, FeO or MnO in solid solution whereas the latter oxides combine to form the oxide solid solution known as periclase. If the lime present is insufficient to form dicalcium silicate (2Ca0.Si02) it combines with Mgo to form either merwillite or moIlticellite (SiOz); these minerals take little if any FeO or MnO into solid solution and the remaining MgO, FeO and hInO combine as periclase. This generalization seems to be valid for basic slags and furnace bottoms, since minerals such as Ca0.MnOSi02 and CaO.FeO.SiOz are found only in slags in which the lime-silica ratio is less than 2 and are not observed in 'pecimens from furnace bottoms. The identification of crystalline constituents in such materials, especially of fine crystals in the groundmass, is difficult under the petrographic microscope. They are often masked by their neighbors because of their small size in relation to the thickness of the thin section and because of the presence of Opaque Or colored constituents. The indices of refraction and the optical sign of the mineral are sometimes difficult to determine because of the small size or because Of twinning or of inclusions within the crystal. Moreover, the positive identification of merwinite (3Ca0.Mg0.2Si02) from its optical properties is usually difficult in the presence of dicalcium silicate (zCaO.SiO2). CaO, MgO, jCa0.Si02 and 2Ca0.SiOz in open-hearth 'lags have been identified for a number of years in the U.S. Steel Corporation Laboratory by the usual

Jan 1, 1948

By Frederick Laist

Introduction IN a leaching process, having obtained the copper in solution, the choice of the precipitation method is influenced y the following factors: 1. Availability of precipitant. 2. Adaptability to the leaching process. 3. Final product desired. 4. Regeneration of leaching solutions. 5. Fouling of solutions. There are three general classes of precipitation methods: 1. The use of iron, scrap or sponge. 2. Electrolytic deposition. 3. The use of some gas or reagent y which the copper is obtained, usually in the form of an intermediate precipitate which requires further treatment. For example, the precipitation of the copper as Cu2Cl2 from chloride solutions, with SO2 gas. The use of iron is adapted to almost any process. It has the great advantage of extreme simplicity, and the recovery of the copper and any values present in a highly concentrated, easily treatable form. The disadvantages are the cost in isolated places, the uncertainty of the scrap-iron market, and the fouling of the leaching solutions. The latter is a serious factor, When a reagent such as salt is used in them, which makes necessary their re-use. Where applicable, electrolytic deposition is very attractive. The copper is obtained in a form directly marketable, there is a regeneration of acid amid no fouling of solutions. Unfortunately, chloride solutions do not lend themselves to electrolysis. An entirely satisfactory anode material has not yet been discovered, although magnetite, apart from being rather brittle, seems to answer the requirements fairly Well.

Jan 7, 1914

By T. L. McCall

THE late Walter Herd1 in 1929 gave a full description of past and present conditions in No. 2 mine, Springhill, Nova Scotia, developed theories regarding the cause of these bumps and made certain suggestions regarding possible methods of future development. Recapitulating briefly from Mr. Herd's paper, the seam is bituminous coal, averages 9 ft. in thickness and has a well defined parting containing fusain about 14 in. from the roof. This roof coal is somewhat stronger than the rest of the seam and has a tendency to cling to the roof. The pitch of the seam where it is now being worked is about 20°. The first manifestations of bumps began when the room and pillar workings had reached a depth of cover of 1900 ft. and under continuously increasing depth of cover these bumps increased to such an extent, both in number and severity, that in the year 1924 it became apparent that some change in the system of extraction was necessary. After closely studying all the factors involved and benefiting largely by valuable out-side advice obtained by the Provincial Department of Mines of Nova Scotia,2 the system of working was changed from room and pillar to longwall retreating. Mr. Herd's paper described in detail three remarkable bumps in the year 1928 in April, July and October that affected the 5700-ft. and 5900-ft. East levels, the last bump being so severe both in intensity and in extent of damage done that this district was abandoned. The longwall workings to the west of the slope had been stopped in the year 1926 owing to an inbreak of water, coming from the flooded waste of No. 3 seam lying some 400 ft. vertically overhead. This inflow was not excessive, but a large quantity of water being impounded in the old workings it was considered advisable to take the prudent course and not incur the risk of possibly increasing the flow by further working. This district has remained idle ever since.

Jan 1, 1934

By R. Schuhmann

Distribution of material in the fine sizes of a comminution product generally is well represented by the empirical equation' y = 100 (x/k)a [1] in which y — cumulative percent finer, x = particle size, a -= distribution modulus, and k = size modulus. Charles3 found that the energy consumption in comminution is usefully expressed by another empirical relation, E = Ak(1-D) [2] in which E = energy input per unit volume of material, A = a constant, k = size modulus based on Eq. 1, and n = a constant; (1-n) is the slope of a plot of log E vs log k. Holmes3 has presented energy equations similar to Eq. 2. The constants a and n in Eqs. 1 and 2 have been shown to depend both on the nature of the material and on the comminuting device. Moreover, Charles showed that within experimental error a and n are a — n+1 = 0 [3] Combining Eqs. 2 and 3, E = A k-a [4] In the first sections of this article it is shown that the energy equation, Eq. 4, can be derived directly from the size distribution equation for the fine sizes, Eq. 1. The derivations are made without assuming any of the specific relationships between energy and particle size which have been common in previous literature. For comminution processes in which Eqs. 1 and 4 adequately represent the experimental data, the constant A in Eq. 4 is found to be a simple and useful inverse measure of grindability. That is, A is the energy consumption per unit volume of comminution product finer than unit size as determined from the straight line portion of the log-log plot of the size distribution. These considerations all lead to a unifying hypothesis of comminution mechanism from which both Eq. 1 and Eq. 4 can be derived. Finally, it is pointed out that this hypothesis raises serious questions as to the significance of the Rittinger hypothesis, the Kick hypothesis, and other theories in which energy numbers are systematically assigned to various size fractions of comminution products in order to calculate theoretical energy consumptions. Derivation of the Energy Equation from the Size Distribution Equation: For simplicity, consider the comminution of 100 volumes of a feed material of relatively uniform particle size. The comminution process may be considered as the summation of many individual and independent comminution events. The extent of comminution is most easily expressed as the number of comminution events, z. In the first derivation, the key assumption is that the characteristics of the comminution events in a given crushing or grinding process are substantially constant and do not vary with the progress of the comminution process. Accordingly the characteristics of an average comminution event may be defined. In one such event, a quantity of energy $E is applied to a single particle of size f and volume $v. The crushing of this particle produces fine particles with a size distribution similar to that given by Eq. 1: yw=100(x/ka)a0 [51 In this equation yo, a0, and k0 are used to characterize the product of an individual comminution event rather than the product of the comminution process as a whole. In using Eq. 5, we will not be concerned with values of x close to the feed size f and will therefore assume only that the equation is applicable to the finest sizes of the material. In 100 volumes of total product, the actual volume of product finer than x from a single comminution event, or dy, is given by The total volume of material below size x, resulting from z events, is then given by y = z(dy) =z(dv) (x/ka)a0 =" Eq. 7 reduces to Eq. 1 when we let a, = a and [8a] z =100/dv (ka/k )1 or k = ka (zdv/100)-1/a [8b] Eq. 8a shows that the distribution modulus of the comminution product is the same as for the product of an individual comminution event. Eq. 8b shows how the size modulus of the comminution product k varies with the extent of comminution as measured by the number of events, z, or as measured by the fraction of the feed actually subjected to com- minution1 zdv/100. The energy input to 100 volumes of total feed, or 100E, is the sum of the energy inputs for all the comminution events: 100E =z (dE) [9]

Jan 1, 1961

By William A. Johnson, Robert F. Mehl

It is now recognized that several important types of reactions in metallic systems proceed by the formation of nuclei and the growth of these nuclei. The process of freezing is a simple example of this, as Tammann pointed out years ago.1 Tammann held that the rate of freezing is determined by a rate of nucleation, expressed as the number of nuclei formed per unit volume of unfrozen liquid per second, and a rate of growth of these nuclei, expressed as the linear rate of radial growth in units of length per second. For isothermal freezing the conception is simple; for ordinary freezing, extending over a range of temperature, it is not as simple, for the values of the two constants must change with change in temperature. There is ample evidence that the postulated mechanism is correct even though a quantitative derivation of the rate of isothermal or of ordinary freezing in terms of the two constants has been lacking. In recent years other reactions have been found to proceed in a similar fashion. It has been well established, particularly by Bain12-8 that the formation of pearlite from the eutectoid decomposition of the solid solution austenite proceeds in such a way, and Polanyi and Schmid, Tammann and Crone, Karnop and Sachs, and others9-11 have shown that the process of recrystallization proceeds in a similar way. Isothermal reaction rates have been determined for eutectoid decomposition by a number of investigators. Bain's2-8 work on the formation of pearlite from austenite is especially valuable in this respect—the type of isothermal reaction curve obtained, as illustrated in Fig. 13, showed an initial slow rate, accelerating to an intermediate maximum rate which then decelerated to the completion of the reaction; similar curves have been obtained by Wever and his collaborators.12 Other eutectoid decompositions show similar behavior: for example, the decomposition of the beta eutectoid in the copper-aluminum system, studied by Smith

Jan 1, 1939