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By Morris Cohen, William P. Kimball

This paper deals with the calculation of the composition of the infinitesimal trace of alloy that transfers from the liquid to the solid state at each temperature during the equilibrium solidification of a binary solid solution, and which thereby enables the compositions of the coexisting liquid and solid phases to follow along the liquidus and solidus lines respectively during the cooling. A general expressioll for the composition (6) of the liquid-to-solid transfer at each temperature has been derived: , = Zlxl{xl - P) + ZsXsiP - xs) [I] Zl(xl -P)+ Zs{P - xs) where ZL and Zs are the slopes of the liquidus and solidus lines at the given temperature, xl and xs are the compositions of the stable liquid and solid phases at the same temperature, and P is the composition of the alloy under consideration. The d equation is valid for the process of equilibrium heating as well as cooling, and may be applied to vapor-to-liquid, vapor-to-solid, liquid-to-liquid, and solid-to-solid transfers if the corresponding equilibrium diagrams are known. The d-versus-temperature curves for two alloys P1 and P2 are shown in Fig. I. In each case, the liquid-to-solid transfer has the same composition as the stable solid phase only at the temperature of the beginning of solidification, and has the same composition as the stable liquid phase only at the temperature of the completion of solidification. At each intermediate temperature, the composition of the liquid-to-solid transfer differs by a finite amount from those of the two coexisting phases. Therefore, during equilibrium cooling. the transfers must merge into the solid phase from the liquid without forming a transition phase; otherwise the condition of equilibrium would be violated. At any given temperature during solidification, the composition of the liquid-to-solid

Jan 1, 1941

By Walter Kauzmann

EyRing'S general theory of shear rates as a function of the properties of molecular units of flow is outlined and applied to the creep of metals. This theory regards the unit molecular processes involved in the flow of matter as typical chemical reactions requiring an energy of activation in order to proceed. The externally applied stresses are assumed to influence the rate of flow solely by lowering the activation energy for flow in one direction and raising that for flow in the other, owing to the work that is done by or against the external forces in going from the normal to the activated state. The rates of flow in the two directions are then no longer equal arid there is a net, macroscopically observable flow in one direction. This is understood to be the physical basis for the well-known exponential dependence of the creep rate on the stress. The amount by which the activation energy is raised and lowered by a given external stress is directly related to the molecular dimensions of the unit of flow, so that some insight into these call be found from the behavior of the strain rate with changing stress. When Eyring's equation is applied to the flow of ordinary liquids, such as water or benzene, it has been found from the values of the constants required to fit the observed data that the unit molecular process here involves the passage of single molecules by one another. In metallic creep, on the other hand, the unit molecular process is shown probably to involve the shear of rather large blocks of material (100 to 1000 or more atoms on a side). This agrees with present ideas of crystal flow by means of dislocations such as have been presented by Taylor, Oroaan, and Polanyi, as opposed to flow by a mechanism related to that taking place in atomic diffusion. The dimensions of the dislocations are found to depend markedly on the temperature. The questions of why some metals are so much softer than others, the effects of impurities on hardness, the softness of single crystals, and the role of self-diffusion in creep are considered in the light of the theory and it is shown how answers to these questions (and others similar) might be obtained by use of the theory.

Jan 1, 1941

By John Wulff

In a previous paper Burwell and Wulff1 have shown by electron diffraction studies that allotropic transformations can be induced in 18-8 stainless steel by polishing to a depth of about 5 X 10-5 cm. The development of a successful etching technique, which removes accountable amounts of metal from the surface without pitting and without changing the root-mean-square profile as measured with an Abbot pro-filometer, led to the application of the whole technique and material to an investigation of various mechanical methods of surface preparation, such as grinding, lapping, superfinishing and cold-rolling. Ideally suited to such a study is 18-8 of low carbon and nitrogen content. The material can be heat-treated to produce a coarse-grained single-phase structure. On cold deformation there occurs not only a reduction in grain size but, at regions of maximum stress, a change of face-centered material to body-centered material, provided the metal is worked below about 200°C. When worked between 200"about and 415°C., diffraction studies evidence a reduction in grain size without the appearance of any new body-centered ferrite. Ferrite, which can be referred also to strains induced by carbide precipitation, is evident when the material is worked at temperatures between 4150 and 800°C. Stainless steel is advantageous because the usual surface-finishing operations do not readily oxidize it to any appreciable depth. In order to produce detectable oxide films on the surface of austenitic 18-8 in a time equivalent to that required to produce, for example, a fine ground finish on 1/2 sq. in., the sample must be held in a furnace or oxygen stream above 600°C. By using longer heating times, it is possible to achieve measurable oxide films on samples , whose surface temperatures exceed only about 250°C. Experimental Procedure The apparatus, material, and technique described in the previous paper1 were employed in this investigation. Samples of 18-8, I by I cm. by 4 mm., were carefully annealed in the austenitic range to produce a coarse-grained structure. They were then quenched and pickled to remove scale, On a lapping machine of the Graton2 type, both sides of each sample were polished to a a of 1/6 a wave length of sodium D light. Thereafter they were electrolytically etched to remove at least 1 X 10-3 cm. of the surface, a depth that is well below that of any defermations induced by surface preparation. samples of this material, carefully mounted in steel holders, were then sent to various industrial organizations known for special finishing techniques. In the instrue ment shops at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology check samples were finished by the same methods, as far as they were available. Abbot profilometer3 readings Were made on all the samples, which were then carefully degreased in double distilled benzine and alcohol, dried in a hot-filtered air blast, and kept in a desiccator. SUC-

Jan 1, 1941

By Cyril Wells, Robert F. Mehl

The practical importance of a knowledge of the rates of diffusion of carbon and of alloying elements in steel has often been pointed out.l,13 This importance lies chiefly, though by no means only, in the study of carbufizing and in the study of reactions involved in the eutectoid inversion in steel. The present paper is one of a series in which the rates of diffusion of carbon and of alloying elements in ?-Fe and their mutual effects are measured with precision. The present paper reports the results of measurements of diffusion coefficients D of manganese in ?-Fe over wide ranges of temperature, and concentration, and of the effect of carbon and impurities and of grain size upon these diffusion coefficients.‡ Data on the rate of diffusion of manganese in ?-Fe have been reported by Fry2 and by Paschke and Hauttmann.3 Claussen4 calculated the diffusion coefficient D from Fry's data as 3 X 10-10 sq, cm. per set. at 960º, which will be shown to be incorrect by many orders of magnitude. Paschke and Hauttmann gave a rough value of 9.6 x 10-8 Sq. cm. per set. at 14000. Neither of these workers considered the variation of D with concentration and with temperature, and neither studied the effect of carbon. Method and Materials Method.—The method employed is identical with that used earlier.5 Owing to the volatility of manganese and the consequent loss of manganese from the outer surfaces of the welded diffusion bars, these surfaces were discarded. The diffusion anneals were performed in argon, except One (test 18) in which hydrogen was employed for purposes noted below. The temperatures reported are accurate to about 3" and constant within 1°C; the diffusion times are reported to the nearest half hour. The specimens were furnace-coo1ed after the diffusion ation, at about 2° per min. Layers, usually 0.004 in. thick, parallel to the welded interface, were machined from the specimens after the diffusion anneal and analyzed for manganese to 0.I Per cent Mn; the distances of these layers from the interface was measured to ±0.0002 in. The concentration-penetration curves obtained were analyzed by both the Grube and the Matano solutions.8 The D values calculated by these two methods do not differ appreci000. The Grube solution was used except in tests in which the effect of concentration upon D was greater than so per cent; in such cases the Matano method, which explicitly provides for the variation of D with concentration,' is the more reliable. In general, the number of layers machined from the zones of variable composition were large enough to permit the use of the average layer composition as that of the center of the layer. In 3 of the 3' tests, however, this is not justified, and the D values

Jan 1, 1941

By Cyril Wells, Robert F. Mehl

The two earlier papers in this series1,2 presented data on the rate of diffusion of carbon and of manganese in gamma iron. Apart from their scientific interest, these data are needed chiefly in order to treat data on carburization, on rate of formation of pearlite, and on rate of austenit-izing in a quantitative way.1'2'9'10 In the present investigation rates of diffusion of nickel in ?-Fe over wide temperature and concentration ranges have been determined, and the effects of carbon, of im- purities, and of grain size on these rates have been studied. Claussen,3 using the data of Fry,4 has calculated the diffusion coefficient of nickel in y-Fe as 9.2 X 10-11 sq. cm. per sec. at 1200ºC., but had no data from which to calculate the variation of D with concentration, temperature, and percentage of carbon. Method and Materials Method.—Nickel was diffused along the axis of a cylindrical specimen across a concentration gradient, concentration-penetration curves were determined and D values calculated from Grube or Matano solutions.5 Details of the method are given

Jan 1, 1941

By J. W. Spretnak, G. Sachs

The: iron-rich iron-nickel alloys have attracted considerable academic interest in recent years. The carbon-free alloys are of minor practical importance, but they are the base of many alloys with various outstanding properties. The iron-nickel alloys, therefore, have been investigated extensively regarding both their structures and their properties. The researches on these alloys up to 1938 have been collected and critically reviewed by J. S. Marsh,l and will be discussed in some detail in the sections of this paper dealing with specific subjects. These numerous investigations have not succeeded in establishing the equilibrium conditions in this system. Alloys containing more than a certain amount of nickel (8 to 10 per cent Ni) undergo the allotropic transformation extremely sluggishly, both on heating and cooling, showing a large hysteresis," which is not dependent upon the rate of cooling and persists even with very slow rates of cooling.3 Honda4 and Merica4 have therefore resigned themselves to proposing a diagram (Fig. I) for practical use, illustrating the structural relations under commercial conditions instead of attempting to establish the true equilibrium diagram. Marsh is less pessimistic and suggests an equilibrium diagram (Fig. 2) which conforms approximately to the facts known about this system. Recent X-ray investigations by Owen-Sully5 and Bradley-Gold-schmidt6 on powdered alloys indicate that the previous work on the iron-nickel system yielded very incomplete results. These investigators agree (Figs. 3 and ,+) that alloys in the powdered form containing more than 8 per cent and up to about 35 per cent Ni decompose into a stable heterogeneous mix-

Jan 1, 1941

By H Pray, H. W. Russell, Paul D. MILLER

It is known that austenitic chromium-nickel steels that have free carbide in the grain boundaries are subject to intergranu-lar corrosion. It is difficult to detect such a susceptible condition in a fabricated article because present test methods require a sample section for examination and in most cases this is difficult to obtain. The question of the nature and prevention of intergranular corrosion in austenitic stainless steels has been ably discussed by Bain and co-workers1-3 and by other investigator4-10 The present methods of study subject samples to corrosive conditions in such reagents as the Strauss solution, a mixture of copper sulphate and sulphuric acid. Such tests usually require at least 72 hr. to run. Various methods of measuring the degree of sensitization have been employed, such as the measurement of electrical resistivity, magnetic measuremerits, measurement of the degree of cracking produced on bending over a malldrel, and microscopic studies. The detection of carbides at the grain boundaries by metallographic polishing and etching methods is tedious and requires a skilled operator. A recent report on such methods of carbide detection is given by the American Society for Testing Materials Subcommittee VI of Committee A.-1011 and by Arness.12 The present investigation was undertaken to develop a simple test procedure for detecting carbide precipitation or susceptibility to intergranular corrosion. The test is designed for use in the plant and for the testing of fabricated structures. Carbide precipitation, the factor leading to susceptibility to corrosion, is produced by heating the alloy in the temperature range 800° to 1600°F., as in welding, in improper annealing or in service where such temperatures are met. The connection between such precipitation and susceptibility to corrosion has been thoroughly discussed, as has been the use of stabilizing addition elements to prevent precipitation. Experimental Method A small area of the steel under test is subjected to an anodic treatment in a cell that can be 'lamped Onto a a Or an actual structure. The cell and electrical circuit used are illustrated in Fig. I. The cell C is lead, joined to the steel plate D and insulated from it by a short piece of rubber tubing E. The cell is forced tightly against the steel plate by a spring Or clamping device. The seal formed by the rubber against the steel plate is sufficient to retain the liquid bath inside the cell. The spot treated can be made any shape desired, depending on the shape of the rubber gasket. The cell illustrated polishes a circular spot about 3/8- diameter' The bath consists of 60 per cent (by weight) sulphuric acid to which is added 5 ml. per liter of Glycyrrhiza extract (U.S.P.). The cell requires about 2 to 2.5

Jan 1, 1941

By P. R. Kalischer

In the production of alloys by powder metallurgical processes it is often necessary or desirable to include one or more cornponents that tend to form very stable oxides. Included in this group of metals are aluminum, manganese, magnesium, silicon, and a few others. In many cases it is not necessary for the sintered compact to have full density and the other physical characteristics of a cast alloy and in that event no undue precautions need be taken. If, however, it is required that the sintered part be entirely homogeneous, and have maximum density and physical properties, some method must be found to reduce the surface films of oxide, which are always present on the metals, and for the metals mentioned above this is always extremely difficult, if not impossible. since the production of high-density alloys is of particular interest to powder metallurgists, some experiments were undertaken to devise methods of reducing the refractory oxides. For this work, alloys of iron, nickel, and aluminum were chosen because aluminum oxide is one of the most stable oxides and because these alloys in the right compositions form excellent permanent magnets. All of the pertinent properties of the magnets could be accurately and delicately measured by density measuremerits and magnetic tests of sufficient scope to give a complete demagnetization curve. From such a curve the maximum coercive force, residual magnetism, and energy products could be obtained and compared with the same properties for a cast material. Any lack of homogeneity, density, or solid diffusion would be immediately apparent as a decrease in the magnetic properties. Nature and Removal of Surface Barriers The early work of the present investigation was based upon published processes.* In the published information it was claimed that by intimately mixing iron, nickel, and iron-aluminum alloy (50 Per cent Fe, So Per cent Al) powders, compressing such a mixture into the desired shape and size, and then sintering (heating to a temperature below the melting point of the component metals) in hydrogen at 1200°C. or higher, a sound, homogeneous article could be made having the desired physical size, shape, and strength, and good magnetic characteristics. However. this early work showed clearly that something in the powder compress was inhibiting diffusion and the process was almost entirely unworkable. In the initial phase of the investigation samples of iron powder, nickel powder, and iron-aluminum alloy powder were pressed into separate bars and sintered in hydrogen. Both the iron and nickel powders sintered

Jan 1, 1941

Jan 1, 1941

Jan 1, 1941

By E. S. Davenport, R. J. Hafsten, R. A. Grange

The influence of austenite grain size upon the hardenability of steel is now fairly well understood; for a given austenite, increasing the grain size increases the depth of hardening, and, since the latter is related to the fundamental transformation behavior of austenite, it follows that austenite decomposition must, in general, be retarded by increasing grain size. To date, very little quantitative information bearing directly on the effect of austenite grain size upon the progress and result of isothermal transformation has been published. Davenport and Bain,' and Zimmerman, Aborn and Bain2 have shown that the transformation is definitely relarded in hypereutectoid plain carbon steels at temperatures near and above the upper region of rapid transformation (Ar') when the austenite grains are increased in size. More recently, Griffiths. Pfeil and Allen3 investigated the effect of a series of different heating (austenitizing) temperatures upon the progress of isothermal transformation at 1245°F. (675°C.) and 745ºF. (395°C.) in a medium carbon, low-alloy steel; while they reported no measurements of the austenite grain size, their results suggest that increase in grain size retards austenite transformation at 1245ºF. (675°C), but has no appreciable effect at 745°F (395°C.). The present paper deals with the results of a study of the isothermal transformation of austenite in a single commercial alloy steel in which a fine-grained or a coarsegrained state was induced by appropriate selection of austenitizing temperature. The data are presented in the form of isothermal transformation diagrams, which clearly show that coarsening the grains lessens the rate of transformation of austenite to proeutectoid ferrite and pearlite—that is, at temperature levels above about 1000°F. (540°C.)—but is without significant effect at lower temperatures where the transformation product is bainite or martensite. It is to he presumed that the foregoing statement would be valid, at least in principle, for many other grades of steel; it confirms again that the mechanism of transformation to a pearlitic structure is fundamentally different from that to an acicular structure. A number of related observations were made, which seem to throw some light on the transformation process as it takes place in alloy steels, particularly at temperature levels in the vicinity of 1000ºF. (540°C.), where the transition from lamellar to acicular structures occurs. These data are discussed briefly in the belief that they may lead to a clearer understanding of this aspect of the subject. Material and Experimental Procedure The material investigated was a cornmercial grade of S.A.E. 4140 steel, the composition of which was as follows: 0.37 per cent C, 0.77 per cent Mn, 0.98 per cent Cr and 0.21 per cent Mo. It was hot-rolled to a 1 1/8-in. round bar and normalized by air-cooling from 1800°F. (980°C.).

Jan 1, 1941

By S. G. Bankoff

INCE1 proposed that electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged particles was responsible for slime-coating. Del Giudice2 postulated the metathetic formation of a cementing compound. Wark3 suggested that prevention of slime-coating was related to peptization of the slime. [ ] In the experiments of Table I the technique employed was essentially that of del Giudice, with the difference that the particle was examined under a film of water rather than dry.4 In general, the polished particle was agitated for 2 min. in a pulp consisting of 12.5 grams of the slime (-200 mesh) and 50 c.c. of distilled water, washed in three baths of distilled water, and examined at 220 diameters with the Leitz Ultropak. Observations of Brownian movement were made at 850 diameters with dark-field illumination. Several of these experiments do not jibe with the metathesis theory. According to published solubilities,5,6 the lead salts of the anions in experiments [c] through g are more insoluble than lead carbonate, therefore should prevent the formation of lead carbonate on the galena surface. In experiment [i] the calcium oxalate, which presumably was on the calcite surfaces, should have permitted the formation of a lead carbonate cement by virtue of its greater solubility. Experiments [j] through m show that the addition of lime accelerates the deposition of quartz onto a galena surface. The writer is unable to postulate a satisfactory cementing compound, according to the metathesis theory, to explain this effect. These experiments led to the conclusion that the metathetic formation of a cement-

Jan 1, 1941

By Frank C. Greene

The wildcatting in northern and northwestern Missouri, which started in 1939, was continued in 1940. Two new gas fields were found and one discovered in 1939 was further extended. The total number of completions was 94, of which 5 were oil wells with about 48 bbl. initial production, 30 were gas wells with an initial open-flow capacity of 37,655,000 cu. ft., and 59 were dry holes. The outstanding discovery was the Polo gas field, T. 55 N., R. 28 and 29 W., in Caldwell County. A sand now believed to be a lens in the Bandera shale at a depth of 400 ft. yielded flows of more than 12,000,-000 cu. ft. In all, I0 wells with 31,490,000 cu. ft. of gas, were drilled. The rock pres-sure is 80 lb. At present no arrangements for an outlet have been made. In Platte County, the Prairie Point gas pool in sec. 7, T. 51 N., R. 33 W., and sec. 12, T. 51 N., R. 34 W., and the Lake-side pool in sees. 5 and 6, T. 50 N., R. 33 W., were further developed, and in the latter both oil and gas have been found, but data are not available for publication at this time. Drilling for gas continued in proven areas in Clay County, and for both oil and gas in proven areas in Jackson and Cass Counties. Table 1 summarizes the results of drilling in Missouri in 1940.

Jan 1, 1941

By W. W. Adams

Increased employment and a lower accident-frequency rate were the outstanding features of the metal- and nonmetal-mining4 industries of the United States in 1939 compared with 1933, according to reports furnished by individual mining companies to the Bureau of Vines, United States Department of the Interior. Except for 1937, the reports for 1939 showed gains both in number of employees and number of mar -hours worked over all years since 1929. The accident-frequency rate per million man-hours of exposure to mining hazards was lower than in any year since 1925. Reports for 1939 revealed a total of 111,909 men employed in and about mines, an increase of inure than 8 percent over 1931 The total volume of labor performed at all mires was slightly more than 299 million plan-hours, an increase of mare than 10 percent over 1938. As these gains suggest, the average employee had a longer period of work in 1939, the increase amounting to r workdays per employee.

Jan 1, 1941

By O. E. Andrew

THE object of this paper is to present a brief summary of the dust control system in use on the 3,825-foot level at the jaw crusher station, Lake Shore mine. During the years 1936 and 1937, dust survey reports were presented to the management showing that high dust concentrations were being created during operating periods. At that time, however, this crusher was running only an hour or so each shift, and it was felt that no large capital expenditure for dust control equipment could be justified. In order to afford some protection to the operators, a number of respirators then on the market were .tested and the 'Comfo' respirator was adopted for use by the crusher-men. In 1938 this crusher began to handle a large share of the total mine tonnage and the hours of operation were increased. Further dust sampling showed increased dustiness with the longer operating time. It was also realized that the operators suffered considerable inconvenience if they wore their respirators throughout the shift. If the respirators were not worn, then dangerous amounts of dust were being inhaled. The fact that the crusher station was situated on the 3,825-foot level limited the means that could be employed to eliminate the dust hazard. At that rime there was not available the 5,000 c.f.m. of fresh air which would be required to sweep out or dilute0 the dust, and there was also no way of disposing of the contaminated air without passing it on for other men to breathe. Thus it became apparent that a self-contained dust disposal system would have to be installed.

Jan 1, 1941

By R. F. Mehl, C. S. Barrett, A. H. Geisler

THE complicated nature of the property changes that accompany age-hardening has made it necessary to reconsider and to elaborate the simple dispersion theory.1 It has been apparent for some time that more direct information is needed concerning the atomic mechanism of precipitation from solid solution if the theory of age-hardening is to be developed past a purely qualitative stage.‡ Fortunately, in recent years information has been developed which allows us to trace in detail the lattice changes accompanying the process of precipitation from solid solution. This information relates chiefly to the sequence of the several stages of lattice alteration by which the matrix lattice is transformed to the equilibrium precipitate lattice, and permits reasonable inferences to be drawn concerning the states of internal strain that accompany these stages. This information is most complete for the solid solution of copper in aluminum. The equilibrium precipitate is the ?' phase," CuA12." This forms in plates, parallel to the {100} matrix planes. The atom pattern and atom spacing on the plane in ?' lying parallel to this plane are roughly similar to those opposite it in the matrix.' The formation of ?', however, is preceded by the formation of a transition lattice ?', which again lies parallel to the matrix {100} plane, but in this case the matching of atom pattern and spacing across the matrix-precipitate interface is nearly perfect; thus there is lattice coherency across the interface and the interface is a plane of separation in only a very limited sense.4-8 Particles of ?' may be recognized microscopically and form a well-defined Widmanstätten figure.* The ?' lattice is recognized by the occurrence of diffraction lines on powder photograms or of spots on Laue photograms which may be analyzed in the usual ways to determine the lattice type and the lattice spacings. Very recent research 6.7,1 has shown, however, that streaks occur on the Laue photogram at an earlier point in time during the aging process. These streaks have been attributed to a preferential clustering of copper atoms into small platelike elements of only a few atoms in thickness and a few hundred atoms in diameter, probably of the composition of "CuA12," which may be designated as Guinier-Preston zones or aggregates.1 It is difficult if not impossible to determine the lattice type and lattice spacing in these aggregates. It is possible1 that these aggregates are in fact merely ?' in a high state of dispersion; the inclination to argue this is strong, as we shall see later. Never-

Jan 1, 1941

By Charles B. Carpenter

[The Bureau of Mines selected Anahuac for a petroleum-engineering study because it is one of the notable fields of the Gulf Coast region. It is outstanding because the producing formation is very thick; ever modern technique of drilling' and development has been applied; complete records of all operations,, including detailed subsurface information have been kept; the field has ,been developed systematically; and every effort has been made to utilize the reservoir energy efficiently. Data and information pertaining to the development anal operation were collected, compiled, and studied by the writers as if the field were under single ownership. The chief aim of the study was to increase the accuracy of the existing methods of estimating reserves by applying all the data collected during the modern development of an oil field, These scientific aids include coring; electric logging; micropaleontology determinations of porosity, permeability of oil-bearing sands, and their connate water content; subsurface sampling of the reservoir oil; and depth-pressure measurements. Because the reservoir structure in the Anahuac field is extremely complex, special attention was given to methods of calculating the reservoir volume.]

Jan 1, 1941

By William P. Kimball, Morris Cohen

This paper deals with the calculation of the composition of the infinitesimal trace of alloy that transfers from the liquid to the solid state at each temperature during the equilibrium solidification of a binary solid solution, and which thereby enables the compositions of the coexisting liquid and solid phases to follow along the liquidus and solidus lines respectively during the cooling. A general expression for the composition (6) of the liquid-to-solid transfer at each temperature has been derived: d= Zlxl(xl - P) + Zsxs(P - xs)/Zl(xl - P) + Zs(P - xs) [1] where ZL and Zs are the slopes of the liquidus and solidus lines at the given temperature, Xl and 28 are the compositions of the stable liquid and solid phases at the same temperature, and P is the composition of the alloy under consideration. The 6 equation is valid for the process of equilibrium heating as well as cooling, and may be applied to vapor-to-liquid, vapor-to-solid, liquid-to-liquid, and solid- to-solid transfers if the corresponding equilibrium diagrams are known. The d-versus-temperature curves for two alloys P1 and P2 are shown in Fig. I. In each case, the liquid-to-solid transfer has the same composition as the stable solid phase only at the temperature of the beginning of solidification, and has the same composition as the stable liquid phase only at the temperature of the completion of solidification. At each intermediate temperature, the composition of the liquid-to-solid transfer differs by a finite amount from those of the two coexisting phases. Therefore, during equilibrium cooling, the transfers must merge into the solid phase from the liquid without forming a transition phase; otherwise the condition of equilibrium would be violated. At any given temperature during solidification, the composition of the liquid-to-solid

Jan 1, 1941

RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT ITS MEETING ON APRIL 17, 1936 Recognizing the fact that the problems of the committee named by the Board to prepare the "official ticket" fog officers and Directors of the Institute age various and difficult; and desiring to assist this committee by setting forth some of the principles that should guide the committee and some of the qualifications that should be required of candidates, the following instructions are formulated and the Secretary is directed to publish them in MINING AND METALLURGY concurrently with the publication of the names of each newly appointed Nominating Committee and to send a copy to each member of the Committee.

Jan 1, 1941

By B. M. Larsen

In endeavoring to put the art of the steelmaker on a more scientific basis, as a means of securing closer control of the product, we must be severely critical of the basis of any theory we use. In particular, we must be careful to distinguish between factors that are primary and those of only secondary impartance. The concentration relations that determine the slag-metal equilibria, which are usually more or less closely attained, are of course of primary significance, but a, dear picture of the whole process requires that the actual rates of the several reactions be taken properly into account. At the high temperature of the steelmaking furnace, all reactions might be thought to be very rapid, but some of them in fact are not; the essential causes of this condition are important to a proper understanding of the process. This paper aims to present, and to justify, the viewpoint that the most significant reaction is the oxidation of carhon in the metal, the progress of which determines the oxygen pressure levels in slag and metal and produces stirring effects, all of which influence the course of the process as a whole. Reaction Rates at Steelmaking Temperatures General experience in reaction rates makes it almost certain that at steelmaking temperatures equilibrium is attained practically instantaneously when the reactants are well distributed in a single liquid phase —that is, in the so-called homogeneous reactions. The actual slowness of some of the reactions in the open-hearth furnace must therefore be attributed to a relatively slow rate of diffusion within the slag or metal phase, which limits the rate at which the reactants can meet each other in the liquid steel or at its surface. That the reactions can be made to go with great rapidity, by proper mixing and stirring of the reacting phases, is indicated by the following illustrations: 1. In the Bessemer process there is intimate contact between air and the whole mass of metal, and the reactions are complete in a few minutes. 2. Perrinl has demonstrated that by pouring liquid steel into slag contained in a deep ladle, and thereby producing almost a slag-metal emulsion, the phosphorus or oxygen content of the steel is adjustcd immediately. 3. Barret, Holbrook and Wood2 observed a quite rapid rate of desulphurization when powdered calcium carbide was stirred vigorously into liquid iron. 4. When a spoonful of liquid steel is poured into a. mold containing aluminum wire, the formation and precipitation of alumina occurs in the fraction of a second required to freeze the surface layer of the tiny ingot. The first three examples all show that any means of increasing the effective surface between slag and metal and promoting intimate mixture of the reacting phases, thereby obviating the limitation imposed by diffusion, will enhance the speed of the steelmaking process.

Jan 1, 1941