Search Documents

A High-speed Dilatometer and the Transformational Behavior of Six Steels in Cooling. By Arthur L. Christenson, Edward C. Nelson and Clarence E. Jackson. (With discussion).................................606 Dilatometric Studies of the Graphitization of Cast Iron. By N. A. Ziegler. With discussion) 627 An Interferometer Type of Dilatometer and Some Typical Results. By- L. '4. WIlley and W. L. Fink. (With discussion).........................642 The meeting was held in the Pine Room of the Statler Hotel, Cleveland, Ohio, on Tuesday afternoon, October 17, 1944. The chairmen were F. M. Walters, Jr. and Howard Scott. Introduction F. M. Walters, Jr.—The principal advantages of the dilatometric method perhaps are two, as compared with the method of thermal analysis. One is that the dilatometric method can be applied with a large variety of rates of heating and cooling, whereas thermal analysis—that is, the study of the transformational characteristics by means of heat evolution—is limited to the rates of heating and cooling that reveal the evolution of heat. The dilatometer can be used for the study Of reactions at zero rates of heating and cooling; that is, isothermal reactions. As you will hear this afternoon, the rates have been pushed up as far as 500°C. a second. The other advantage is that the dilatometric method shows that a two-phase region is a two-phase region, whereas the thermal analysis merely reveals the temperature at which the rates of heat evolution are greatest.

Jan 1, 1945

By G. Cartaud, F. Osmond

We have already devoted two previous memoirs to this question. In the firstL we collated and discussed the existing literature on the subject; in the second: we described the crystalline forms obtained by the reduction, at different temperatures, of ferrous chloride by hydrogen or by zinc-vapor. The conclusion from these researches was that the three allo-tropic states of iron—a, stable below A2; , stable between A2 and A3; and , stable above A3—all crystallize in the cubic system. The differences observed were such as are customarily encountered in the crystallographic records of many minerals of which allotropic varieties or isomerides are not known, and did not conform to the ordinary definition of polymorphism. It is, however, improbable that allotropic transformations, which are placed beyond doubt by a series of positive facts, do not involve some changes in the intimate structure. As a matter of fact, the crystals we did obtain were too small to allow of a precise examination, and this might introduce an element of uncertainty in the firm establishment of our conclusions. Professor H. Le Chatelier mas even led to think from some of our results that r-iron could very well be a rhom-bohedron simulating a cube, and not a true cube, and it will be remembered that the crystalline form of bismuth was for a long time incorrectly regarded as cubic. Allotropy does not, however, necessarily involve such a deduction. Without departing from the cubic system at all, a whole

Jan 1, 1907

By NATHANIEI HERZ

(Cleveland Meeting, October, 1912.) THE formula very frequently used for computing the economical size of pipe to transmit compressed air is that of D'Arcy, as follows: d5(p1-p2)/w1l D-c w11 Where, D = the volume of compressed air delivered in cubic feet per minute,-at the final pressure. c = an experimental coefficient determined for the various sizes of pipe. d = the diameter of the pipe in inches. 1 = the length of the pipe in feet. P1 = the initial gauge-pressure in pounds per square inch. p2= the final gauge-pressure in pounds per square inch. W1 = the density of the air, or the weight in pounds per cubic foot at the initial pressure, p,. The most common case is that in which the given quantities are: the quantity of air required, the length of the pipe, and the initial pressure. The method of solution is to assume a pressure-loss and to compute the remaining factor, c/d5, thus giving the size of pipe corresponding to the assumed loss of pressure. It is always desirable to try two or more pressure-drops, in order to find the combination that is most satisfactory, since often a small change in the size of pipe will reduce or increase the loss of pressure several pounds. An alternative method is to assume a size of pipe and calculate the corresponding pressure-drop. Each method involves a series of tedious calculations to arrive at the most economical solution, and also requires the use of tables giving the constant, c, the actual diameters corresponding to the nominal pipe-sizes, the density of the air, w1, and often, for convenience, a table giving the

Dec 1, 1912

By Norman D. Fitz Gerald

THE growth of domestic requirements for motor fuel has been phe-nomenal, rising year after year in a fashion almost unique among com-modities, resisting depressions and forging rapidly ahead in times of prosperity. Consumption advanced from 226 millions of barrels in 1925 to 522 millions of barrels in 1938; or 130 per cent. The economic influ-ences generating and sustaining this demand are of vital concern to the petroleum industry. The general factors affecting utilization of motor fuel are well known but it is the purpose of this paper to employ the recently developed technique of economic dynamics to describe them mathematically. Such problems in economic analysis are complicated by the freedom of all the variables to fluctuate, their mutual interdependence, changing incidence upon one another, and the nonquantitative character of some of them. Economic quantities and relationships, unlike those of the physical world, are continuously changing and this dynamic characteristic is both a distinguishing and confusing feature in economic research. The com-plexities of the problems require application of the analytical devices of mathematical statistics to uncover the probable relationships between factors. The procedure employed is to formulate a logical relationship linking the dependent to the independent variables, and then simul-taneously, rather than sequentially, determine their separate effects by multiple correlation. This transformation of common knowledge to quantitative terms makes it possible to measure the probable effects of changing conditions upon requirements, assisting in the sound interpreta-tion of economic policies. The utility of the results of such dynamic analysis is in sharp contrast to the sterility of the trends and other simple empiricisms of descriptive statistics. It is not intended in this study to throw light on the reasons why any motor fuel at all is consumed; but to discover relationships explaining why more was consumed at one time than at another. Specifically the prob-lem is confined to the measurement of the influences of statistically

Jan 1, 1940

By L. E. Tanner

A study was made of the transformation kinetics of the commercial titanium-base alloys, Ti-2.5Al-16V and Ti-4A1-3Mo-1V, using two different heat treatment cycles: 1) step-quenching to aging temperatures from a ß solution anneal and 2) water-quenching from an a+ß solution anneal followed by reheating to aging temperatures. Metallographic examination and hardness testing provided the major portion of the data, while electrical resistivity, dynamic elastic modulus, and X-ray diffraction techniques were also used to obtain critical or confirnzatory data. TTT diagrams were constructed from these results. The sheet alloys, Ti-2.5Al-16V and Ti-4Al-3Mo-lV, are of current interest to the Department of Defense. As an aid to the planning of their respective heat treatments, a program was carried out to determine the transformation kinetics of these alloys using ß and a + ß reference states. This paper presents the TTT diagrams constructed from data obtained by metallographic examination and hardness testing, as well as by X-ray diffraction, electrical resistivity, and dynamic elastic modulus determinations. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Materials—Sheets of the alloys were obtained from the producers in the "mill anneal'' condition and were tested prior to shipment to assure their meeting mill specifications. Chemical analyses were also supplied and are presented in Table I. Heat Treatment—The majority of the data presented in this study were obtained from hardness testing and metallographic examination. Sample coupons were cut from the alloy sheets and heat treated on a mass scale. The annealing cycles were operated in the following manner: 1) The ß solution anneals were carried out in a horizontal tube furnace with the bare samples protected by a dynamic helium atmosphere. Following this treatment, the samples were quickly transferred to lead, solder, or oil-bath furnaces for aging. After prescribed times at the various reaction temperatures they were water-quenched. 2) The second cycle simulated commercial practice, which requires the alloys be quenched to room temperature following the a + ß sotution anneal. This anneal was carried out in a muffle furnace with a dynamic helium atmosphere. The specimens were then reheated from room temperature to the reaction temperatures in lead, solder, or oil-bath furnaces, followed by water-quenching after prescribed times at these temperatures. Information concerning the critical temperatures of the alloys was obtained from the literature and solution treatments were based on these values. A summary of the solution annealing treatments is found in Tables II and 111. The aging temperatures for the (a - ß alloys ranged in 50°C intervals from 200°C (392oF) to approximately 50°C below the ß/a + ß transus in the first cycle and approximately 50°C below the a + ß solution temperature in the second. The transformations in these alloys were known to be rather rapid, and thus aging times started at 0.5 min and went to a maximum of 7000 min. Hardness Testing and Metallographic Preparation— Heat-treated samples were sheared and mounted in Bakelite with their cut edges exposed. After a flat surface was ground, the hardness was determined in Vpn on an Armstrong-Vickers machine utilizing a 20-kg load. Three to four impressions were made on each specimen. After this procedure, the hardness impressions were removed and the edge surfaces of the specimens were prepared for metallographic examination in the usual manner. The etchant was 20 pct HF and 20 pct HNO3 in glycerine. Electrical Resistivity—It has been shown that the isothermal reactions in titanium-base alloys can be followed by measuring the changes in e1etrical resistivity attending these transformations. As mentioned earlier, the reaction kinetics of a-ß alloys are rather rapid; thus, it would be expected that resistivity data obtained from these alloys would be more significant if measurements were made continuously at the respective aging temperatures. To accomplish this end a special apparatus, based on the current-potential principle, was assembled. Its design was derived from earlier devices constructed by Colner and zmeska1 4 and Levinson.5 The set-up provided for the heat treatment zof machined specimens (approximately 2 x l0-4in. in cross section by 3 in. in length) and the determination of their relative

Jan 1, 1962

By H. Hance James

SOME of the outstanding features of petroleum production in Illinois during 1923 were: (1) Sustained production from the older wells, due to cleaning and deepening; (2) good results from new drilling in a few localities; (3) large percentage of dry holes, many of which were ill advised tests, with a resulting high cost of the new production; (4) decrease in the number of productive wells in the state; (5) low average price of crude petroleum, a serious factor over the entire country. FIG. 1.-ANNUAL TOTALS OF ILLINOIS PRODUCTION. The total production of Illinois for 1923 was 8,710,000 bbl.,1 a decrease of 7.2 per cent. from that of 1922. Of this amount, it is estimated that about 8,500,000 bbl. were produced by old wells, many of which had been cleaned and deepened somewhat, and approximately 210,000 bbl. were obtained from the new wells drilled during the year. About 95 per cent. of the oil comes from the southeastern field in Clark, Crawford, and Lawrence Counties, where production is almost entirely from Pennsylvanian and Mississippian rocks. Extensions of the productive area were made in Clark, Wabash, Marion, and Jackson Counties. Some important gas development has been accomplished near Jacksonville, in Morgan County, and at Gillespie, in Macoupin County.

Jan 3, 1924

By W. A. James

NATURE endowed the Niagara Frontier with great resources but it was the molding of these resources by the early pioneers that assured its future development. This great industrial district of New York stretches along about fifty miles of shore line on the eastern end of Lake Erie and the Niagara River, embracing the two counties of Erie and Niagara, with the city of Buffalo about in the center. This location at the junction of the eastern end of the Great Lakes and the western boundary of the State, a great focal point of land and water, transportation, guaranteed the development of the Frontier. Although the first white settlers came to this section in 1784, it was not until after the turn of the nineteenth century that real development started. Perhaps the most significant influence in the early days was the completion of the Erie Canal between Buffalo and Albany in 1825. This then monumental achievement gave Buffalo an advantage in the race for the best trade route to the Western

Jan 1, 1938

By WM. HUFF WAGNER

Computations and allowances for mine depletion for Federal income tax purposes depend upon the meaning of certain terms in the pertinent provisions of section 114(b) 4 of the Internal Revenue Code. Unfortunately, but one of these terms is defined in the Code. Congress left it to the Commissioner to define the other terms in the Regulations. Even though the Commissioner, through his staff, labored long and earnestly to draft these definitions they have not been satisfactory to the mining industry, because the definitions in the Regulations and the interpretation placed thereon by the Commissioner do not state what the industry believes to be the clear and obvious intent of Congress. Consequently serious and prolonged disputes, unduly delaying the settlement of Federal tax returns involving percentage depletion deductions are continually arising between taxpayers and the Commissioner.

Jan 1, 1949

By George A. Miller

THE outstanding characteristic of the American business man is that he likes to run his own business his own way, without any interference from his wife, his friends, his bankers, and least of all from his government. The oil man, like the miner, is an American business man in which this special characteristic is even more pronounced. It may be because he has been an explorer and is more nearly like those pioneering Americans who explored, developed, and built these United States.

Jan 1, 1944

By H. L. Bilhartz, H. F. Dunlap, C. R. Bailey, Ellis Shuler

Data are presented which indicate that the saturation exponent, n, in the equation, R. = R100S-11, relating core resistivity, I:,. to the resistivity at 100 per cent saturation. R100. and to the saturation, S. may vary appreciably from the value of two which is usually assumed for this exponent when interpret ing well logs. Values ranging from one to two and one-half have been found on (.ore sample investigated to date. Attempts to correlate this saturation exponent with porosity or permeability of the core have not been successful. The saturation exponent is apparently not a function of the interfacial tension between the brine and the displacing fluid. Some evidence is given indicating that the resistance of the core is not a unique function of the saturation but depends upon the manner in which this saturation was achieved. Equipment and technique are discussed for measurement of resistivities in core plugs in which water saturation can be varied. lNTRODUCTION A number of investigations of the resistivity-saturation relationship for un-c~~nsolidated sands and consolidated (.ore samples have been reported in the literature. According to most of these: R. = R¹ººS², where R² = the resistivity of a formation at saturation S, and R¹ºº= the resistivity of the formation at 100 per cent water saturation. Much of this work was (lone on unconsolidated sands desaturated by gas or oil. Hen-clerson and Ynster worked exclusively with dynamic systems, flowing oil or gas through consolidated cores. There is some doubt as to how well this reproduces static reservoir conditions. Jakosky and Hopper³ onsidered also the case of consolidated core plugs, but the oil-water distribution in the emulsions which they used to saturate their cores is almost certainly different from that occurring in reservoirs. Recently Guyod quotes the results of some Russian work which indicates that n may vary from 1.7 to 4.3. No experimental details of this work are available. In connection with electric log interpretation it is important to know the value of the saturation exponent. For example, if in a given reservoir it is found that the resistivity is three time.; the resistivity observed when the reservoir is 100 pel. cent 'saturated with water, this fact would be interpreted as indicating a water saturation of 33 per cent if the saturation exponent were 1 and a water saturation of 6-1 per cent if the saturation exponent were 2.5. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD In the work to be described it was assumed that reservoir conditions are most nearly obtained when core plugs are desaturated by the capillary pressure technique referred to in numerous places in the literature, as for example. in Bruce and Welge's paper.' In this technique the core. saturated 100 per cent with brine, is placed in contact with a ceramic disc permeable to brine but not to the displacing medium for the displacement pressures used. Pres-ure is then applied to the displacing medium and brine forced out of the core through the ceramic disc. Fig. 1 shows the core plug in place in the cell in which resistivity and saturation measurements are made. Fig. 2 shows the schematic electrical diagram wed to make resistivity measurements on the core plug. A four-electrode type circuit is used, employing a Hewlett-Packard model 400A. AC vacnum tube voltmeter. The 60-cycle AC current througli the core is adjusted to 1 milliampere and measured by noting the voltage drop across the calibrated 100-ohm resistor. The vo1tages appearing at probes 1, 2, 3, and 4 are then successively measured. Voltage drops across the top, center, and bottom portions of the core are obtained by sublracting the voltages appearing at successive probes. This technique avoids any polarization or other high contact resistance phenomena which may develop at the current input electrodes. Resistances which may develop between the core and the probes, and which are small compared to the 1-megoam input impedance 01' the vacuum tube voltmeter will (obviously not affect the measurements allpreciably. Any very appreciable resistallces which may develop at any of the probe wires are detected and allowed for by inserting a 1-megohm resistor in series with the voltage measuring probe. If the probe resistance is actually zero, the new voltage measured after insertion of the I-megolim resistor will be approximately one-half of that previously measured. since the input impedance of the vacuum tube voltmeter is itself 1 megohm. If an! appreciable probe resistance has developed, the new voltage is found to be appreciably greater than one-half of the previously measured voltage. Such probe resistance; have been found to develop only occasionally and usually can be traced to poor connections betwern the core

Jan 1, 1949

By C. R. Bailey, H. F. Dunlap, Ellis Shuler, H. L. Bilhartz

Data are presented which indicate that the saturation exponent, n, in the equation, R. = R100S-11, relating core resistivity, I:,. to the resistivity at 100 per cent saturation. R100. and to the saturation, S. may vary appreciably from the value of two which is usually assumed for this exponent when interpret ing well logs. Values ranging from one to two and one-half have been found on (.ore sample investigated to date. Attempts to correlate this saturation exponent with porosity or permeability of the core have not been successful. The saturation exponent is apparently not a function of the interfacial tension between the brine and the displacing fluid. Some evidence is given indicating that the resistance of the core is not a unique function of the saturation but depends upon the manner in which this saturation was achieved. Equipment and technique are discussed for measurement of resistivities in core plugs in which water saturation can be varied. lNTRODUCTION A number of investigations of the resistivity-saturation relationship for un-c~~nsolidated sands and consolidated (.ore samples have been reported in the literature. According to most of these: R. = R¹ººS², where R² = the resistivity of a formation at saturation S, and R¹ºº= the resistivity of the formation at 100 per cent water saturation. Much of this work was (lone on unconsolidated sands desaturated by gas or oil. Hen-clerson and Ynster worked exclusively with dynamic systems, flowing oil or gas through consolidated cores. There is some doubt as to how well this reproduces static reservoir conditions. Jakosky and Hopper³ onsidered also the case of consolidated core plugs, but the oil-water distribution in the emulsions which they used to saturate their cores is almost certainly different from that occurring in reservoirs. Recently Guyod quotes the results of some Russian work which indicates that n may vary from 1.7 to 4.3. No experimental details of this work are available. In connection with electric log interpretation it is important to know the value of the saturation exponent. For example, if in a given reservoir it is found that the resistivity is three time.; the resistivity observed when the reservoir is 100 pel. cent 'saturated with water, this fact would be interpreted as indicating a water saturation of 33 per cent if the saturation exponent were 1 and a water saturation of 6-1 per cent if the saturation exponent were 2.5. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD In the work to be described it was assumed that reservoir conditions are most nearly obtained when core plugs are desaturated by the capillary pressure technique referred to in numerous places in the literature, as for example. in Bruce and Welge's paper.' In this technique the core. saturated 100 per cent with brine, is placed in contact with a ceramic disc permeable to brine but not to the displacing medium for the displacement pressures used. Pres-ure is then applied to the displacing medium and brine forced out of the core through the ceramic disc. Fig. 1 shows the core plug in place in the cell in which resistivity and saturation measurements are made. Fig. 2 shows the schematic electrical diagram wed to make resistivity measurements on the core plug. A four-electrode type circuit is used, employing a Hewlett-Packard model 400A. AC vacnum tube voltmeter. The 60-cycle AC current througli the core is adjusted to 1 milliampere and measured by noting the voltage drop across the calibrated 100-ohm resistor. The vo1tages appearing at probes 1, 2, 3, and 4 are then successively measured. Voltage drops across the top, center, and bottom portions of the core are obtained by sublracting the voltages appearing at successive probes. This technique avoids any polarization or other high contact resistance phenomena which may develop at the current input electrodes. Resistances which may develop between the core and the probes, and which are small compared to the 1-megoam input impedance 01' the vacuum tube voltmeter will (obviously not affect the measurements allpreciably. Any very appreciable resistallces which may develop at any of the probe wires are detected and allowed for by inserting a 1-megohm resistor in series with the voltage measuring probe. If the probe resistance is actually zero, the new voltage measured after insertion of the I-megolim resistor will be approximately one-half of that previously measured. since the input impedance of the vacuum tube voltmeter is itself 1 megohm. If an! appreciable probe resistance has developed, the new voltage is found to be appreciably greater than one-half of the previously measured voltage. Such probe resistance; have been found to develop only occasionally and usually can be traced to poor connections betwern the core

Jan 1, 1949

W. M. PEIRCE, Chairman J. L. CHRISTIE, Past-chairman E. H. DIX, JR., Vice-chairman ALBERT J. PHILLIPS, Vice-chairman E. M. WISE, Secretary International Nickel Co., Bayonne, N. J. W. M. CORSE, Treasurer Executive Committee W. H. BASSETT, JR. R. H. LEACH' D. K. CRAMPTONR. F. MEHL J. A. GANN W. E. REMMERS G. O. HIERS H. J. ROAST JEROME STRAUSS Finance Committee J. L. CHRISTIE, Chairman W. M. CORSE C. H. MATHEWSON T. S. FULLER H. S. RAWDON

Jan 1, 1934

United Engineering Trustees, Inc James L Head, '55, E C Meagher, '56, Gail F Moul¬ton, '57 Advisory Committee to Real Estate Committee Cleveland Dodge, Herbert Hoover, Paul D Merica The Engineering Foundation W M Peirce, '56, A M Gaudin, '58 Research Procedure Committee A M Gaudin, March '54 Engineering Societies Library Board Frank T Sisco, '54, E M Wise, '56, James L Head, ex officio Engineering Societies Personnel Service Board of Directors E J Kennedy, Jr, E H Robie

Jan 1, 1954

By Per Kofstad, Hallstein Kjöllesdal

The oxidation behavior of niobium (columbium) has been studied in the temperature range 500° to 1200°C and at oxygen pressures of 760,100, 10, 1, and 0.1 mm of Hg. The work comprises kinetic studies of the oxidation as well as structural investigations of the oxidized specimens by means of X-ray diffraction, electron diffraclion, electron microscopy, and metal1ographic techniques. The oxidation reaction has a highly irregular temperature dependence and is unusually sensitive to changes in the oxygen pressure. The complex oxidation behavior is suggested to be due to formation of different Nb2O5 modifications in different temperature regions. During oxidation oxygen is also dissolved in the metal. Formation of oxide whiskers take place on the oxide surface at temperatures above approximately 800°C. VARIOUS aspects of the oxidation of niobium have been studied.l-12 The investigations show that niobium has a complex oxidation behavior, and the oxidation

Jan 1, 1962

By H. D. Kessler, F. A. Crossley, J. J. Rausch

The titanium-rich corner of the system Ti-AI-V has been studied to determine the phase relationships in the temperature interval 600° to 1200°C. Metallographic examination of long time isothermally annealed specimens was the principal method of investigation. TWENTY-SIX alloys in the region 1 to 22 pct A1 and 2 to 11 pct V, and the temperature range 600° to 1200°C, were studied as part of a program on phase relationships and transformation processes of titanium alloy systems. Experimental Procedure Preparation of Alloys—Materials used in the preparation of alloys were high purity Bureau of Mines sponge titanium (103 Bhn), 99.7 pct pure V chips obtained from the Electro Metallurgical Div., union Carbide and Carbon carp., and 99.71 pet pure A1 in the form of granulated shot from Aluminum cO. Of The alloy ingots, weighing l5 g, were melted in a nonconsumable tungsten electrode arc furnace un-

Jan 1, 1957

By R. G. McQueen, E. G. Zukas

THE production of isotropic fine-grained ingot iron would be most useful since physical measurements associated with the elastic properties of iron are influenced by the size and orientation of the individual grains. This can be accomplished at present for small samples by established metallurgical procedures, but for large samples (in excess of 2 in. diam by 1 in. thick) it is virtually impossible to produce reasonably small uniform grains with random orientation. Such pieces can, however, be produced by impulsive loading followed by a suitable recrystallization treatment. The shock loading system employed is diagrammed in Fig. l. Here the 3/8-in. iron plate is accelerated by the plane-wave initiated high explosive charge through a 1 5/8-in. air space. Collision of this plate and the specimen of interest generates a shock wave in excess of 300 kbars which passes through the specimen. For this type of work it is not necessary to use machined parts: for example, the ingot iron pieces are saw cut from the billet so that they can be inserted in short sections of iron pipe. The recovered specimens are less distorted, however, if the air gap between the iron sample and pipe is filled with Woods metal. The dimensional changes resulting from this type of loading technique are minor, usually less than a 10 pct reduction in thickness. Compressive yield

Jan 1, 1962

By S. C. Lindsay, D. J. I. Evans

With each year that passes hydrometallurgical processes are being more widely used to recover base metals from ores and concentrates. Generally these processes involve liquid-solid separation of metal-bearing liquors from barren residues. This may be done by countercurrent decantation, thickening and filtration, or filtration or centrifuging only. Choice of method is governed by chemical and physical characteristics of the pulps; cost of labor, power, materials, and waste disposal; and even by the amount of capital available when building plans are under way. Since all these controlling factors change with time and location and with technological advances, the separation method must be re-evaluated when new plants or expansion programs are contemplated. At the Sherritt Gordon refinery in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, an ammonia pressure leaching process recovers nickel, copper, and cobalt from the nickel concentrate produced at Lynn Lake, Manitoba.' Pregnant liquors are separated from the barren leach residues in a thickener-filter liquid-solids circuit. The decision to use this type of separation was based on a summation of economic factors during the pilot plant and design stages. Although countercurrent decantation was not incorporated in the refinery flowsheet, the problems solved in thickening the leach residues and the experience gained in operating the commercial plant are pertinent to countercurrent decantation, particularly where it is applied to slow-settling leach slurries or slurries having a relatively high vapor pressure of a valuable, obnoxious, or poisonous vapor. The nickel sulfide concentrate is leached under pressure with air and ammonia to dissolve the nickel, copper, and cobalt and most of the sulfur, leaving a residue of iron and siliceous material to be discarded.2,3 During a subsequent distillation stage to recirculate part of the ammonia used for leaching, copper is recovered from the solution as a high-grade sulfide. After further purification to remove traces of copper and undesirable sulfur compounds, the nickel is precipitated by hydrogen under pressure at an elevated temperature. The cobalt, together with unreduced nickel, is precipitated as a mixed metal sulfide by hydrogen sulfide for eventual cobalt recovery. The end solution is then evaporated to produce a crystalline ammonium sulfate byproduct. As shown in Fig. 1, the nickel concentrate is leached in a continuous, two-stage, countercurrent circuit. In the first stage, or adjustment leach, the fresh concentrate is partially leached (60 pct) in the liquor produced in the second stage, or final leach. This system is necessary to produce a solution suitable for treatment in the copper sulfide precipitation step. Both stages are carried out at 170" to 180°F under a total pressure, with air, of 100 to 120 psig in large, horizontal, water-cooled autoclaves. The autoclaves are divided by overflow weirs into four compartments to give a certain amount of staging during leaching. In each compartment a relatively slow-speed (100 to 150 rpm) agitator maintains the nickel concentrate in suspension. Adjustment leaching, carried out in two autoclaves in parallel, is followed by a thickener-filter liquid-solids separation. Final leaching is done in two parallel trains of three autoclaves using aqueous ammonia to extract metal values from the adjustment leach residues. This too is followed by a thickener-filter circuit. Here the residues are repulped once with aqueous ammonia and twice with process water and refiltered after each repulping stage, to insure a maximum recovery of soluble metal, before being discarded to the tailings pond. The adjustment leach is followed by a seven-disk Dorr-Oliver American filter, with an agitator in the filter boot to keep the residues in suspension. Agitators have also been installed beneath the four ten-disk filters following the final leach thickener. Slurry Characteristics: A typical analysis of the Lynn Lake nickel concentrate, produced by differential flotation,' is given in Table I. The concentrate comprises 35 to 49 pct pentlandite, (Fe, Ni)S; 3 to 6 pct chalcopyrite, CuFeS,; 1 to 4 pct pyrite, FeS2; and 24 to 42 pct pyrrhotite, Fe1-2S (where x varies between 0 and 0.2) together with various siliceous minerals such as actinolite, hornblende, and talc. During leaching, the sulfur in the pentlandite, chalcopyrite, and part of the pyrrhotite is successively oxidized through the thiosulfate and poly-thionate radicals to sulfate and sulfamate." Simultaneously the nickel, copper, and cobalt are converted to soluble ammine complexes and the iron in the pentlandite, chalcopyrite, and part of the pyrrhotite is oxidized to a spongy hydrated iron oxide. The hydrated iron oxide is readily broken down by the agitation needed to sustain the concentrate in suspension and to maintain a satisfactory mass transfer of the oxygen from the air to the slurry. Table I shows typical chemical, screen, and

Jan 1, 1961

By George H. K. Schenck

Diminishing returns in management's fight to lower manufacturing expenses have added luster to savings that can be achieved in delivered costs through creative management of the distribution function. This is especially true for companies engaged in the production of bulk commodities, for which transport costs may represent 25 to 50% or more of total delivered price, A. E. Cascino, vice president of International Minerals and Chemical Corporation, recently gave an example of why top management in his firm is concerned with distribution: "The price of a ton of phosphate rock, f.o.b. mine, is about $7. The cost of warehousing, freight, and handling frequently totals an additional $11 . . . . If one of our competitors . . . discovers a way in which he can cut his distribution costs by $3, we're dead! Even if we wanted to offset our competitor's more efficient means of shipping with reduced f.o.b. price for our product-we don't have that much profit margin . . . ." In a special report on the revolution now occurring in transportation of goods, Business Week stated in its September 24 issue: "Moving and storing goods on their way from mine and mill through various sub-assemblies to their final markets costs anywhere from $50 billion to $75 billion a year- $100 billion if paperwork costs are included.

Jan 1, 1967

By K. Mukherjee

A quasi-thermodynamic calculation is presented for estirt~ating vacancy Parameters in fcc metals. For fcc metals the equilibrium vacancy concentration at the melting point can be approximated by a constant mole fraction. The Gibbs free energy of formation of the vacancies can then be expressed as a simple function of the absolute melting temperature alone. From this description the formation energy Ef, the vibrational entropy Sv, and the formation volume of a vacancy can be calculated in terms of known thermodynamic parameters. The calculated values are in good agree-rnent with available experimental results. IT appears that many of the physical parameters associated with lattice defects can be empirically related to thermodynamic melting parameters.'-7 Besides the implicit correlations between melting phenomenon and point defects, the melting temperature itself at atmospheric pressure can be used as a reference temperature for the purpose of comparison of vacancy concentrations in a given crystal class. The concentration at the melting point then corresponds to the maximum vacancy super saturation in the crystalline state at a fixed pressure. For pure fcc metals such as Au, Cu, Al, Ag, Pb, and Pt the mole fraction of vacancies at the melting point8 is of the order of 10*"3 to 10"1. The equation expressing the equilibrium vacancy concentration at the melting point contains three parameters: the formation energy, the vibrational entropy, and the absolute melting temperature, see Eq. [2]. Since these three parameters cover a wide range of values8 in the above-mentioned metals, it can be assumed that in other fcc metals, for which no reliable data are available, the mole fraction of vacancies at the melting point most likely lies in the range 10~3 to lO"4. This is then the basis of the calculations described in this article. Within this range the mixing entropy can be linearized and the vibrational entropy, the formation energy, and the vacancy formation volume can be calculated in terms of known thermodynamic constants. 1} LINEARIZATION OF MIXING ENTROPY The Helmholtz free energy of a crystal containing n vacancies at the melting point can be writteng as where Ef, T,, k, and S, are the formation energy of a vacancy, the absolute melting temperature, Boltz-mann's constant, and the vacancy formation entropy, respectively. After applying Stirling's approximation in Eq. [l] and minimizing with respect to n where (n/N), is the equilibrium vacancy concentration in mole fraction at the melting temperature at 1 atm pressure. If instead of setting (6~/6n) = 0 immediately after Stirling's approximation in Eq. [I], the configurational partition function is simplified, then some useful and significant results can be obtained by utilizing the experimental inforrnation After applying Stirling's approximation and rearranging is plotted as a function of (n/N) in Fig. 1. The points, not all of which are shown, are fitted by a straight line substituting from Eq. [5] into Eq. [I] and minimizing with respect to n combining Eqs. [6] and [2] It must be emphasized that Eq. [7] is only a crude approximation based on an oversimplified model of

Jan 1, 1967

By Richard W. Brummett, Robert L. Dubms

Located some 180 miles east of Los Angeles in Riverside County, California, the Eagle Mountain mine supplies iron ore concentrates for the Kaiser Steel Corporation steel plant in Fontana, California, and for export to Japan. Although the deposits were first discovered in the early 1890's, no production was realized from the area until 1948 when Kaiser Steel Corporation commenced operations. A part of the large Basin and Range province, the Eagle Mountain area's geologic column comprises a thick series of metasediments resting on Precambrian gneisses and schists that have been intruded by sill-like masses of porphyritic quartz monzonite. The metasediments are composed of three quartzite units that are separated by a schistose meta-arkose and by two ore zones. They have been folded into a large east-west trending anticlinal structure that extends completely across the Eagle Mountains. The iron ore deposits occur in two well-defined horizons in the metasedimentary series, and they are found only along the north limb of the major anticline. Host rocks for the ore zones were a series of limestones and dolomites with associated quartzites. Magnetite plus pyrite comprised the primary mineralization that formed many replacement lenses and stringers of ore within the ore zones. The primary ore has been oxidized to hematite and goethite in a broad zone at higher elevations in the deposits. Hydrothermal alteration formed actinolite- tremolite granofels, local phlogopite, and minor tourmaline in the ore zones. This alteration and the ore deposition seem related to the same magmatic event that formed the porphyritic quartz monzonite intrusion

Jan 1, 1968