Search Documents

By M. Semchyshen, G. A. Timmons

The predominant orientation in both straight-rolled and cross-rolled molybdenum is the {100} [110] texture. Upon complete recrystallization, this same texture predominates, but there is less spread about the ideal orientation. A secondary orientation about the [111] direction as the axis develops in cross-rolled sheet. Compression-rolled sheet exhibits random orientation in the plane of the sheet. Some mechanical properties were measured at varying angles to the rolling direction to determine the effect of preferred orientation on anisotropy in molybdenum sheet which had been straight, cross, or compression rolled. THE development of the arc-cast process has made available large ingots of molybdenum from which it is possible to roll sheet of considerable size. It is anticipated that such sheet will be further fabricated by spinning, drawing, stamping, or forming. Anisotropy of physical properties caused by the preferred orientation developed in the sheet during rolling may be expected to affect the behavior of the metal when subjected to these fabricating operations. To produce a sheet which will be most amenable to the fabrication of a given shape by a particular operation, consideration should be given to the directions and magnitudes of plastic deformations produced in the operation. When possible, the rolling schedule should be controlled to develop a texture which favors the required deformation. The existence of preferred orientations in rolled molybdenum sheet has been reported by Jeffries,' Konobejewsky,' Fujiwara," Goss,' and Ransley and Rooksby." None of these investigators obtained sufficient X-ray data to permit the construction of pole figures; instead, they based their conclusions upon Debye-Scherrer patterns of a limited number of positions. Ransley and Rooksby devoted some attention to transcrystalline cleavage at 45" to the rolling direction, indicating that it is appreciable in polycrystalline material only when the crystals are in the ideally preferred condition, and that this condition is only approached if the metal has been rolled successively in two perpendicular directions. In a recent paper, Custers and Riemersmao introduced the first pole figures to describe the textures of straight-rolled and cross-rolled molybdenum sheet. To increase the knowledge concerning the generation and effects of preferred orientations in molybdenum sheet, an investigation was undertaken to determine the effects of variations in rolling schedule and annealing treatments on preferred orientation, and to correlate preferred orientations with some mechanical properties. The orientations of straight-rolled, cross-rolled, and compression-rolled sheet have been determined by X-ray analysis, both as-rolled and after recrystallization. Pole figures have been constructed to describe the textures produced by these various rolling procedures. Texture of Cast Molybdenum Ingots In the arc-cast process, molybdenum powder is pressed into a vertical column which is sintered to increase its strength as it proceeds downward into a water-cooled mold, where the metal is melted in an alternating-current arc established between the end of the formed powder electrode and the metal bath at the top of the growing ingot. Since the solid-liquid interface moves continuously upward in the mold, the crystal axes are not normal to the cold surface of the mold but have the curvature shown in Fig. la. X-ray analysis reveals that the cube axis is the fiber axis and that it is normal to the cold surface of the mold; that is, the [loo] direction is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ingot. This substantiates recent work by

Jan 1, 1953

By James T. Gow, Oscar E. Harder, Anton de S. Brasunas

THIS paper deals with the results obtained and the techniques employed in determining: I. Liquidus and solidus temperatures of the HH and HT type heat-resistant alloys. † 2. The relation of true temperatures (thermocouple) to apparent temperatures (optical pyrometer) for the molten HH and HT type alloys. This work was the outgrowth of needing to know something definite about these temperatures in order to study the effect of pouring temperatures, shake-out times, and heat-treatments on the properties of some heat-resistant alloys. The information developed is thought to be of interest to industry for guidance in foundry practices and the industrial heat applications of the alloys. This paper is based upon work that has been done for the Alloy Casting Institute at Battelle Memorial Institute. LIQUIDUS AND SOLIDUS TEMPERATURES OF HH AND HT TYPE ALLOYS Experimental Procedures Temperature-time curves were obtained during the cooling and solidification of several HH and HT type alloys. The metal was melted in an Ajax high-frequency induction furnace and poured into a coresand mold for cooling. The temperature measurements were obtained by means of a platinum, platinumrhodium thermocouple contained within a fused silica sheath, which was extended through the side wall of the dry core-sand mold to a point at about the center of the mold cavity, which was 3 in. in diameter by 5 in. deep. The cold junction of the thermocouple was kept in an ice bottle, and the temperature was recorded automatically on a direct-reading potentiometer recorder. Through a switching arrangement, the temperature recorded was checked occasionally with a portable Leeds and Northrup potentiometer indicator. Less than a 5°F. variation in the two instruments was always found. This is within the limit of accuracy of readings. The thermocouple used was checked for accuracy against a standard couple, both before use on this work and after completion of the work, by the instrument laboratory. Temperature-time Cooling Curves Fig. I is an enlarged reproduction of a part of one of the cooling curves over the temperature range of 2600° to 2200°F. for an alloy of the HT type with 0.45 per cent carbon, 16 per cent chromium, and 36 per cent nickel. This is a typically shaped cooling curve as obtained for the alloys. It will be noted that two temperatures are shown on Fig. r for the liquidus temperature. It is thought likely that the higher temperature, A, at the point at

Jan 1, 1945

By W. H. Bassett, C. H. Davis

ALTHOUGH brasses and bronzes have been made for ages, a systematic study of their physical properties has been carried out only during the years of the present century. Among these properties may be included those which are to be detected by means of microscopic examination; in other. words by the science of metallography. The earlier workers in this field, both in this country and abroad, gave their attention to steel. When the senior author explored the situation in 1902, there was little encouragement to be found in undertaking the study of the non-ferrous alloys. A start was made, and the metallography of the brasses and bronzes, as well as of the copper-nickel-zinc alloys developed materially under his direction. Annealing experiments were begun in 1902, and in the succeeding years the effect of temperature, and the influence of previous working, on the grain size of brass were studied. The conclusions so well known and widely published today were largely reached during those earlier years. . In 1905 the first complete annealing series were made. By this it is meant that brass and copper sheet, 5 B & S Nos. hard, was machined into tensile test specimens, then annealed under accurate control for 30 min. at temperatures up to the melting point of the material. Various determinations were made, including tensile strength and elongation in 2 in. There rapidly followed similar series on all of the copper-zinc alloys from 100 to 60 per cent. copper, on the bronzes, cupronickels, and on copper-zinc-nickel alloys. At this point there was published by Grard, in October, 1909,1 the very comprehensive and complete work on the tensile properties of cartridge brass, 90-10 copper-zinc, and electrolytic copper. The excellent photomicrographs in that paper illustrated the changes in structure produced by cold rolling as well as by annealing at different temperatures, but where Grard's work was confined to copper and to two alloys, the investigations in this laboratory have been over the entire fields of the commercial copper-zinc alloys, copper-tin alloys, representative copper-nickel and copper-nickel-zinc alloys as well as aluminum bronzes and others of a more special nature.

Jan 1, 1928

By Arthur B. Cummins, Henry Mulryan

DIATOMITE is a hydrous or opaline form of silica, commonly known as diatomaceous earth, diatomaceous silica or kieselguhr. The term "infusorial earth" has lost its original meaning and today is incorrect in view of the distinctions between diatoms and infusoria. Various locality and variety names are obsolete but some retain local significance. Moler and Celite are trade names that have become associated with diatomite products from certain deposits in Denmark and near Lompoc, California. COMPOSITION Diatomite is essentially silica with some combined water (2 to 10 pct). Frequently it contains organic matter (from traces up to over 30 pct) and varying amounts of inorganic impurities such as sand, cryptocrystalline silica, clay, volcanic ash, calcium carbonate, magnesia and soluble salts. In the natural or crude state, diatomite contains from 10 to 65 pct or more of free water. Table I gives analyses of several diatomites from deposits of different types. PROPERTIES Pure varieties, either massive or stratified, are friable and porous, of low apparent density, and somewhat chalklike in appearance. Varieties containing organic matter vary from sedimentary oozes to peatlike materials. Impure varieties may be more or less claylike, sandy, calcareous or cherty. Compacted types approach porcellanite and silicified shales. COLOR-white, cream, gray, tan, brown, greenish to nearly black. HARDNES-light-weight varieties appear 1 to 1.5 because of porosity, but microscopic particles are 4.5 to 6.5. SPECIFIC GRAVITY-1.9 to 2.35. APPARENT DENSITY---dry block form, 20 to 40 lb per cu ft; dry powder, 5 to 16 lb per cu ft. CRYSTAL SYSTEM-generally amorphous (isotropic by X-ray diffraction) but frequently showing faint cristobalite pattern.67.68,70 MELTING POINT-1400° to 1650°C. STREAK-white. LUSTER

Jan 1, 1949

By Frederick Laist

THE object of the construction and operation of the 80-ton leaching plant was to test out the leaching of sand tailings on a large scale and, if possible, determine a definite method of operation, and the best construction for the larger unit which is now being built. It was also of importance to obtain some practical data as regards cost items. The 80-ton plant was not expected to be a commercial success. A leaching process on such low-grade material necessitates the treatment of a very large tonnage.. Such a cost item as labor, for instance, is entirely out of proportion in such a small plant. The amounts of acid, salt, scrap iron, and fuel for roasting, however, are the same per ton in an 80-ton plant as in a 2,000-ton plant. These costs were definitely established. Also the percentages of extraction and grade of tailings were definitely determined for a large-sized unit. Following will be found the description of the plant, the method of operation and the results obtained. A -general view of the plant is given in Fig. 1. The bins consisted of one coal bin with a capacity of 30 tons, one salt bin with a capacity of 20 tons, and a "mill tailings" or feed bin which held 70 tons. The coal and salt bins were placed with their floor level even with the firing floor of the roasting furnace. The feed bin, to give it greater capacity, discharged about 12 ft. below this point, to a 12-in. conveyor belt, which, in turn discharged into a pug mill. This fed another conveyor belt, which discharged into the top hearth of the furnace. The furnace was an ordinary six-hearth MacDougall roaster, .20-ft. in diameter. It was equipped with two fire boxes, on opposite sides, the flames entering on the third hearth. An induced draft was obtained with a Buffalo blower, worked as an exhaust fan. Just above the top hearth was an annular flue around the whole circumference of the furnace. Slots at intervals of about 18 in. led from this flue down into the top hearth. The slots were 2 in. wide by 6 in. long. This annular flue proved rather unsatisfactory, as it tended to fill up with flue dust and choke the slots, thus cutting down the draft. The volume of gas through

Jan 8, 1914

By M. Cohen, R. T. Howard

The purpose of this paper is to direct attention to the lower part of the austenite transformation diagram, or TTT curves, where considerable uncertainty still exists as to the blending of the bainite and martensite reactions. The dissimilarities between these two low temperature transforrnations have been summarized recently by Troiano and Greninger.' Of particular importance to the present work is the fact that martensite formation, unlike bainite formation, is not suppressed by the fastest quenching rates attainable. However, most of the investigations in this direction have been concerned primarily with the start of the martensite transformation (Mg) during cooling, rather than with the quantitative aspects of the subsequent reaction on either further cooling or isothermal holding. Several years ago, Cohen2 suggested a form of transformation diagram which reconciled, at least schematically, the isothermal characteristics of the bainite transformation with the insuppressible nature of the martensite transformation. In essence, the diagram consisted of a family of horizontal lines (representing the progress of the austenite-martensite reaction during quenching) which were interrupted in point of time by the bainite family of C-curves extending down from higher temperatures. This picture received later support by metal-lographic3 and dilatometric4,5 studies, but the techniques employed were not sufficiently critical to substantiate some of the details. Elmendorf6 and Grange and Stewardi have shown that the Greninger-Troiano metallographic technique8 may be used not only for M, determinations, but for studying the course of further austenite decomposition. In fact, the latter investigators have observed the amount of martensite formed as a function of temperature below M, in fourteen commercial steels. In the present paper, the Greninger-Troiano technique has been combined with the lineal method of Howard and Cohen9 to provide a unique, quantitative treatment of the austenite-martensite reaction. Furthermore, isothermal transformations have been similarly measured on holding at temperatures above and below M., thus permitting a fairly detailed presentation of the lower part of the conventional austenite transformation diagram. Experimental Details Materials The steels, listed in Table I, were selected for study because they exhibit a satisfactory range of M. temperatures and have not received as much attention as the lower carbon grades. They were prepared as 30 lb induction furnace heats in the laboratories of the Vanadium-Alloys

Jan 1, 1949

By M. Cohen, R. T. Howard

The purpose of this paper is to direct attention to the lower part of the austenite transformation diagram, or TTT curves, where considerable uncertainty still exists as to the blending of the bainite and martensite reactions. The dissimilarities between these two low temperature transforrnations have been summarized recently by Troiano and Greninger.' Of particular importance to the present work is the fact that martensite formation, unlike bainite formation, is not suppressed by the fastest quenching rates attainable. However, most of the investigations in this direction have been concerned primarily with the start of the martensite transformation (Mg) during cooling, rather than with the quantitative aspects of the subsequent reaction on either further cooling or isothermal holding. Several years ago, Cohen2 suggested a form of transformation diagram which reconciled, at least schematically, the isothermal characteristics of the bainite transformation with the insuppressible nature of the martensite transformation. In essence, the diagram consisted of a family of horizontal lines (representing the progress of the austenite-martensite reaction during quenching) which were interrupted in point of time by the bainite family of C-curves extending down from higher temperatures. This picture received later support by metal-lographic3 and dilatometric4,5 studies, but the techniques employed were not sufficiently critical to substantiate some of the details. Elmendorf6 and Grange and Stewardi have shown that the Greninger-Troiano metallographic technique8 may be used not only for M, determinations, but for studying the course of further austenite decomposition. In fact, the latter investigators have observed the amount of martensite formed as a function of temperature below M, in fourteen commercial steels. In the present paper, the Greninger-Troiano technique has been combined with the lineal method of Howard and Cohen9 to provide a unique, quantitative treatment of the austenite-martensite reaction. Furthermore, isothermal transformations have been similarly measured on holding at temperatures above and below M., thus permitting a fairly detailed presentation of the lower part of the conventional austenite transformation diagram. Experimental Details Materials The steels, listed in Table I, were selected for study because they exhibit a satisfactory range of M. temperatures and have not received as much attention as the lower carbon grades. They were prepared as 30 lb induction furnace heats in the laboratories of the Vanadium-Alloys

Jan 1, 1949

By Leslie F. Tedsen, John E. Dorn, Alan E. Flanigan

It is necessary occasionally to use aluminum-alloy sheet where moderately elevated temperatures are encountered. Considerable attention has been directed toward determining the influence of "artificial aging" on the room-temperature properties of the precipitation-hardenable alloys, as testified by numerous company reports and by references I to 4. Investigations on the properties at elevated temperatures are few, however, and have not always covered the range of times and temperatures of greatest interest. The present investigation was instituted to overcome this deficiency. The work was done for the Office of Production Research and Development of the War Production Board, under the supervision of the War Metallurgy Committee, as a part of the "restricted" Project NRC-548. It has been released for publication by the Office of Production Research and Development. AS is well known, the high-strength aluminum alloys achieve their remarkable properties as a result of precipitation-hardening. In production they are subjected to a solution heat-treatment followed by quenching, to retain the supersaturated solid solution. The solution treatment is followed by "aging" (precipitation-hard- ening) either at room temperature or at a suitable elevated temperature. A considerable increase in tensile and compressive yield stresses results from precipitation at room temperature ("natural aging"). Through the elevated-temperature process ("artificial aging") it is possible to obtain values of yield stress considerably higher than those attainable by natural aging. The increase in yield stress is accompanied by a smaller gain in ultimate tensile stress and by a decrease in elongation. During the first stages of artificial aging the yield stress increases steadily until it reaches a maximum value. In this condition the material is said to be "fully aged." Further exposure results in "averaging," attended by a steady decrease in yield stress. In the production of the artificially aged materials, temperatures and times are selected to achieve full aging. The following important characteristics are associated with the process: 1. The higher the temperature, the more rapidly is the fully aged condition attained. :7

Jan 1, 1946

By Leslie F. Tedsen, Alan E. Flanigan, John E. Dorn

It is necessary occasionally to use aluminum-alloy sheet where moderately elevated temperatures are encountered. Considerable attention has been directed toward determining the influence of "artificial aging" on the room-temperature properties of the precipitation-hardenable alloys, as testified by numerous company reports and by references I to 4. Investigations on the properties at elevated temperatures are few, however, and have not always covered the range of times and temperatures of greatest interest. The present investigation was instituted to overcome this deficiency. The work was done for the Office of Production Research and Development of the War Production Board, under the supervision of the War Metallurgy Committee, as a part of the "restricted" Project NRC-548. It has been released for publication by the Office of Production Research and Development. AS is well known, the high-strength aluminum alloys achieve their remarkable properties as a result of precipitation-hardening. In production they are subjected to a solution heat-treatment followed by quenching, to retain the supersaturated solid solution. The solution treatment is followed by "aging" (precipitation-hard- ening) either at room temperature or at a suitable elevated temperature. A considerable increase in tensile and compressive yield stresses results from precipitation at room temperature ("natural aging"). Through the elevated-temperature process ("artificial aging") it is possible to obtain values of yield stress considerably higher than those attainable by natural aging. The increase in yield stress is accompanied by a smaller gain in ultimate tensile stress and by a decrease in elongation. During the first stages of artificial aging the yield stress increases steadily until it reaches a maximum value. In this condition the material is said to be "fully aged." Further exposure results in "averaging," attended by a steady decrease in yield stress. In the production of the artificially aged materials, temperatures and times are selected to achieve full aging. The following important characteristics are associated with the process: 1. The higher the temperature, the more rapidly is the fully aged condition attained. :7

Jan 1, 1946

TO THE. BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND MEMBERS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGICAL ENGINEERS GENTLEMEN Submitted herewith are the report of the Treasurer for the year 1945 and reports for the same year of the following committees: Membership, Admissions, Papers and Publications, Mining and Metallury (Magazine), and Library. In this review of the year by the Secretary reference frequently will be made to the "Paul" Committee and to the "hotter" Committee. The first is the special committee on Divisional Relationships and the second the special Committee on Ways and Means. These two important committees, appointed by President Harvey S. Mudd under authorization of the Board of Directors on March 21, 1945, were composed as follows:

Jan 1, 1946

By Frank C. Smith

The following article covers the history of a metallurgical campaign, commenced in March, 1905, at the mines of the Socorro Bold Co., in the so-called desert region of Yuma county, Arizona. The results obtained were simply a function of necessity, as will be seen from the description of the local economic conditions and the character of the ores treated. The mines and mill of the Socorro Gold Co. are located near the small village of Harrisburg, about 60 miles from Congress Junction, Ariz., which, at the time this work was undertaken, was the nearest railroad station, and from which all supplies were brought by wagon through the desert, at a cost varying from $10 to $15 per ton in addition to the railroad freights. Wood, the only available fuel, cost $7 per cord. Water for all purposes was pumped to the plant from a well in the valley about 4 miles away. Under the Arizona law, a working-shift is 8 hr. Wages were $6 per day for foremen and mill-men, $4 per day for blacksmiths and engineers, $3.50 per day for miners, and $3 per day for shovelers and trammers. The ore consisted of quartz, in which, above the 250-ft. level, the iron-minerale were largely oxidized and some free gold was visible; below that level few traces of oxidation occurred, and pyrite constituted the principal mineralizer in the quartz, together with occasional pockets of galena and a few eccentric specks of covellite. The 20-stamp mill was equipped with plates for amalgamation, and three Standard tables for concentration. The tails from the tables mere elevated by a centrifugal pump to a launder, by which they were conveyed to a 60-ton cyanide-mill for further treatment. The cyanide-mill was erected at so great a distance from the stamp-mill that a separate crew of workers and a separate power-plant were necessary. No arrangement had been made for the treatment of the concen-

Jan 1, 1907

By C. F. Cigliana

TO accommodate a large tonnage at high speed from a single level at San Manuel, a very flexible haulage system was designed to give maximum access to stoping areas, minimize delays, and pro- vide for safety. With these requirements as a guide, the haulage was laid out as a simple double loop with one-way traffic of continuous pull. These loops consist of two parallel drifts 100 ft apart, center to center. Haulage drifts are numbered from north to south, the northernmost being the No. 1 drift. This holds true on both the North and South haulage loops. Haulage drifts are connected at 1000-ft intervals with crossovers so that it is possible to bypass any given section that may be inaccessible. Two of these turnouts are double diamonds, one located on the approach to the rotary dumps at the hoisting shafts and the other on the departure from the dumps. The turnout on the approach or North haulage is 835 ft in front of the rotary dump, and the one on the departure, or South haulage, is 1058 ft from the dump. This type of turnout allows trains coming down either haulage drift No. 1 or No. 2 to be routed into either shaft and expedites movement by avoiding delays due to congestion in the dumping area. The double diamond on the return haulage loop facilitates returning empty ore trains to the panels.

Jan 5, 1958

By C. H. Li, R. J. Stokes, T. L. Johnston

Dislocation half-loops, artificially introduced by sprinkling with carborundum, were subjected to stress using three-point loading. The different stages of loop expansion and multiplication were then correlated with the macroscopic stress-deflection curve. Loop expansion started at approximately one-third of the "yield stress," defined here as the motivation stress. Above one-half of the "yield stress" simple multiplication commenced while about two-thirds of the yield stress gross multiplication developed short slip-line segments. These values were not affected by the age of surfaces exposed to both dry and wet air. Slip was not detected on unsprinkled crystals below two-thirds of the "yield stress." Thus the stress to activate intrinsic sources, defined here as the activation stress, was approximately twice the motivation stress. This relationship was independent of the strain rate used. It is concluded that lattice resistance takes the form of a viscous drag rather than a static type of force. THE importance of surface condition and environment as one of the more significant factors controlling the mechanical properties of ionic solids has recently received renewed attention.1-4 In some materials, notably the alkali halides, exposing freshly cleaved specimens to the atmosphere results in a progressive hardening and embrittlement of the crystals. This has been attributed to the surface layer becoming "aged," thereby restricting the motion of dislocations in such a way that pileup and eventually fracture results. It is necessary therefore in studying the mechanical properties of ionic crystals to inquire first into the density and distribution of dislocations in the normal cleaved surface and to understand the role these dislocations play in the onset of plastic flow. Knowledge of the effect of environment on this behavior will then assist in understanding the mechanism of embrittlement on aging. In the work reported here a method is described for studying the initiation of plastic flow from dislocation sources in the surface of magnesium oxide crystals. Preliminary results are described of the influence of surface age on this behavior. EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES The magnesium oxide used in this investigation was obtained from the Norton Co. and had a nominal purity of 99.5.pct. Single-crystal specimens, having dimensions typically 1/4 by 1/8 in. cross section and 1 in. in length, were prepared by cleavage over (100) planes from the parent crystal. They were deformed under three-point loading with 3/4 in. spacing between the two end supports and a constant rate of deflection at the center of 0.001 in. per min. The maximum strain rate therefore was 1.5 X 10-5 sec-1. Reasons for choosing this particular form of loading will become apparent in a later section. In addition, a number of confirmatory type tests have been performed at higher loading rates where the maximum strain rate was increased to 1 x 10-3 sec -1. Following deformation the crystals were etched to reveal the dislocation distribution. In a previous paper5 we described a satisfactory etching solution consisting of 5 parts of saturated ammonium chloride, one part of sulfuric acid, and one part distilled water. Immersion of the crystals for 1/4 hr at room temperature developed reproducible conical etch pits at the points where dislocations emerged through the surface. It should be mentioned that dislocations freshly introduced by room temperature deformation gave sharply pointed etch pits which generally distinguished them from the almost flat-bottomed pits obtained on "grown-in" dislocations. The distinction is obvious in the photomicrograph included in Fig. 5(b). Annealing crystals at 1000°C for 12 hr on the other hand gave sharper etch pits on the grown-in dislocations and the distinction was no lower -possible; a similar observation has been reported for lithium fluoride. We have succeeded furthermore in chemically polishing magnesium-oxide crystals. Boiling in fresh 85 pct ortho-phosphoric acid for only 1 min resulted in a microscopically smooth surface which could again be etched to reexamine the dislocation distribution. This boiling time was sufficient to remove the surface damage introduced by cleavage (see next section). SURFACE DISLOCATION SOURCES There are a number of ways by which dislocations may be introduced into cleaved surfaces to act later

Jan 1, 1960

By T. R. Lippard

PURE gypsum may be broken down into its constituents as follows: [ ] Standard specifications (ASTM Designation C22-25) state that a material shall not be considered gypsum if it contains less than 64.5 pct by weight of CaS042H2O. Anhydrite, the second calcium sulphate mineral found in nature, may be broken into its constituents as follows: [ ] PROPERTIES OF GYPSUM AND ANHYDRITE Pure gypsum is colorless to white but various impurities change its color to shades of gray, brown, red, or pink. It has a hardness of 2 in the Mohs scale and can be scratched with the fingernail. The specific gravity of pure gypsum is 2.3 to 2.4, so that rock gypsum, free from moisture, weighs about 145 lb per cu ft. Gypsum crystallizes in the monoclinic system in tabular crystals that exhibit good cleavage

Jan 1, 1949

By P. E. Baker

An improved method of logging formation density has been developed in which the formation is bombarded with a collimuted beam of gamma rays. By means of a scintillation detector and pulse height discriminator, the gamma-ray energy band is accepted and recorded which corresponds to deepest penetration into the formation. Laboratory tests on a field tool revealed no borehole diameter effect for smooth holes and no effect of formation chemistry, except insofar as chemistry affects density. In extensive field tests, the density log has exhibited satisfactory agree-ment with core measurements and has correlated accurately with other logs. INTRODUCTION This paper describes an improved method of logging formation density by means of back-scattered gamma rays to penetrate the formation together with energy discrimination to select only that energy (or frequency) range corresponding to deepest penetration into the forma- tion. This method of density logging was developed at the La Habra laboratory of California Research Corp.* Field instruments have been built and tested by McCullough Tool Co. and commercial service has begun in some areas. All of the data discussed here were obtained for the original field tool. The density log can be a valuable adjunct to existing logs because of its use in determining porosity quantitatively. It is useful also in connection with seismic and gravity surveys where formation density information is of interest. PHYSICAL PRINCIPLES The intensity, I, of a beam of gamma rays after traversing a distance, x, in an absorbing medium is given by I = loe -ax where I, is the intensity of the beam entering the medium and a the attenuation constant or macroscopic cross section of the medium for gamma-ray absorption. The macroscopic cross section depends on the number and types of atoms per unit volume and the gamma-ray energy. In brief, it is the sum of the atomic cross sections of all atoms per cubic centimeter. The density of the material is the sum of the masses of all atoms per cubic centimeter. Thus, the density and the macroscopic cross section for gam-ma-ray absorption vary in propor- tion to the number of atoms per cubic centimeter. The density of the material increases, of course, if the atomic masses increase without a change in the number of atoms per cubic centimeter. When the density increases in this latter way, the macroscopic cross section increases also, but disproportionately. This results from the fact that part of the gamma-ray absorption arises from the photoelectric effect and the pair-production effect**, which are proportional to the sixth and to the second power, respectively, of the atomic number of the absorber. The remainder of the absorption results from the Compton effect, and is directly proportional to the atomic number. The gamma rays that undergo Compton scattering are not immediately absorbed. Since these rays are scattered in all directions, a fraction will emerge from the face of the medium at which they entered. If a gamma-ray shield is placed between the source and detector, most gamma rays reaching the detector will be those scattered out of the medium. The intensity will depend on absorption and scattering in the medium, and so indicates the density of the medium. For gamma rays for which Compton scattering prevails, the intensity

Jan 1, 1958

By Sherwin F. Kelly

MANY baffling problems of crustal geology-of warping and folding, elevation, subsidence, and great dislocations of the earth's surface-may now be on the verge of yielding to the science of geophysics. Electric, magnetic, gravitational, geothermal, and seismic methods are being turned to the gathering of geological evidence buried by deep layers of rock, or lying beneath the waters of the oceans. In this hope, B. L. Miller expresses the opinion that these geophysical studies will sup- ply useful data bearing-on some of the more theoretical problems of North American geology. Among these for example, is the explanation of how Appalachia disappeared. This ancient land mass is supposed to have foundered beneath the Atlantic Ocean after the close of the Paleozoic era and the question arises, was it warped or faulted downward? The geophysical data, though meagre, indicate that the surface of the dense, basal rocks, the probable remnant of ancient Appalachia now underlying the Continental Shelf, slopes downwards to a depth of some two miles below sea level at a distance of 140 mi. from shore: thus suggesting that the subsidence was the result of warping downward rather than abrupt faulting.

Jan 1, 1938

By T. D. McKinley

Theory, operational characteristics, and indicated precision and accuracy of analytical methods based on vacuum extraction, equilibrium pressure, and combustion approaches are reviewed. At the present time vacuum extraction at 1400°C and the equilibrium pressure method are recommended for determination of hydrogen in titanium and titanium-rich alloys. UNTIL a few years ago the role of hydrogen in titanium was an unknown factor with regard to its effect on the physical and mechanical properties of the metal. However, following the work of Jaffee and othersa-" it is now generally acknowledged that hydrogen has a degrading effect on titanium and its alloys. The chief manifestations are a decrease in impact strength in -systems and delayed cracking in a-ß systems. Since hydrogen does have a de- grading effect on titanium it is essential to control it within tolerable limits. It then follows that procedures for quantitative estimation of hydrogen are a primary requirement for the industry. For greatest benefit these methods should be simple, rapid, and precise. In addition to having these virtues, methods must be easy to duplicate in both equipment and technique to gain widespread use. After inherent accuracy has been established, the, required precision to make a method acceptable is dependent largely on the nature of the work at hand. Ability to obtain a representative sample has a pro-

Jan 1, 1959

By Roy A. Lindgren

SINCE the year 1643, when the first blast furnace in America for treating iron ore was built at Saugus, Mass., out of mica schist quarried in the neighboring district, the procurement of a suitable refractory for furnace lining has been a problem of concern to the operators of furnaces. The stacks built of mica schist continued to smelt iron ore until about 1836, when, according to F. H. Norton, the first firebrick were produced', at Queens Run, Pa. Other writers speak of brick having been molded and burned in Massachusetts about the year 1834. In 1841, Andrew Russell began to produce medium refractory plastic clay brick near East Liverpool, Ohio, that were used for lining blast furnaces'. The well-known Kentucky clay-producing district was not opened up until the year 1871, but since then it has produced a large percentage of the linings for iron blast furnaces. While some strides have been made by the refractories industry during the 100 years that have passed since the first firebrick were produced, it has been only during the last two decades that any real progress has been made towards bettering the product, even though the method of production had improved. Perhaps the fault lies with the user of the brick rather than with the producer, for not sooner demanding a supe¬rior product. During the past 15 years the tonnage produced per lining has increased from 500,000 gross tons to 1,000,000 gross tons, and now some furnaces are producing 1,600,000 gross tons and better on a single lining. It is true that enlarged capacity of furnaces and improved practice have accounted for some of this increase in tonnage, nevertheless better quality in firebrick must be given credit for its share. However, we are not yet ready to say that we have reached a maximum life of furnace lining. We believe that a better product can be produced and that the refractories industries of America will, through their extensive research depart-

Jan 1, 1937

By M. R. Geer, H. F. Yancey

With the exception of pneumatic processes and a few special beneficiation methods of comparatively limited application, all mechanical coal-cleaning and mineral-dressing processes involve the admixture of solid particles with a liquid, generally water. Upon completion of the beneficia-tion process the solids must be reclaimed from the water. With coarse particles separation of solids from water is accomplished readily by the simple expedient of screening, but recovery of fine solids presents a much more difficult problem. Thickening and dewatering are practiced so generally, both within the mineral industry and elsewhere, that they have been the subject of study through the years and a number of processes for making the solid-liquid separation have been developed. Dorr-type thickeners have been standard equipment lor many years, and more recently driers employing centrifugal force have gained in popularity.' A cyclone device employed to thicken the loess suspension is a novel feature of the loess heavy-medium coal-cleaning process developed by the Netherlands State Mines in the thirties. The cyclone thickener was first mentioned by Driessen2 in 1939 in a paper describing the loess process and has been the subject of two more recent reports by the same author.3 The cyclone does not differ greatly from cyclone dust collectors used in this country for years, except that it is operated wet rather than dry. Advantages of the cyclone over other thickening devices are its simplicity of construction, high capacity, and the fact that, having no moving parts, it is simple and inexpensive to operate. The Bureau of Mines became interested in the cyclone after one of the present authors observed it in operation in the Netherlands in 1945. The first experimental work with the cyclone conducted by the Bureau of Mines was an investigation of the unit functioning as a heavy-medium cleaner for fine coal—a use for the cyclone that was conceived long after it had been perfected as a thickener. The results of this investigation were published last year.4 The present investigation deals exclusively with operation of the cyclone as a thickener. Object and Scope of Investigation Although the cyclone thickener has been dealt with in three reports by Driessen, its use as a thickener was not the principal subject of any of these reports and therefore neither the cyclone itself nor its operation was described completely. The design of the cyclone was described only in a very general way, only limited operating results were given, and virtually nothing was disclosed about the influence of the various possible operating variables. Moreover, the Netherlanders apparently had employed the cyclone exclusively for thickening loess and had not employed it On coal 'lurries. One English colliery has used a cyclone to thicken coal slurry,5 and as it appeared that

Jan 1, 1949

By Gerhard Derge, J. Warren Stewart

Extrusion processes are used in the commercial production of a wide variety of products, as indicated by the review presented a few years ago by D. K. Crampton.' Most writers have confined themselves to a general description of the equipment and products and the engineering aspects of the process. The few studies that have dealt with the metallurgical side of extrusion have been concerned primarily with an examination of the mode of flow of the metal during extrusion. This has been accomplished by the use of composite billets, by scribing grids on symmetrical sections of billets and observing the change of dimensions in the gridwork, or by examining microstructures in extruded sections.2"8 Ariotlier limitation of these original studies is that they were confined to the extrusion of very simple shapes, usually rods having a diameter of about one-fourth that of the billet. Tin is particularly well suited to the extrusion of collapsible tubes and similar shapes in which the extruded section is very small in comparison to the diameter of the billet or slug. In modern production, impact extrusion methods are generally employed, therefore the thickness of the slug is small compared to its diameter. Under these conditions the process differs considerably from the processes that have been most fully described in the literature, and it is known that the quality of the product is very sensitive to slight variations in any one of the many variable factors involved, such as coinposition and structure of the alloy, rate of extrusion, temperature, shape of punch and die. An exhaustive examination of all of the above-mentioned problems promises to produce so many data that it seems advisable to initiate the reports at this time, even though all of the factors outlined have not been examined fully, and to confine this paper to a description of the apparatus and method. Only tin and its alloys with small amounts of copper have been considered. These are the alloys most commonly used in this country for the production of the type of articles already described.

Jan 1, 1940