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Development Of Ventilation System And Usage Of Computer Simulation At Northeast Churchrock MineBy David Yob
INTRODUCTION This paper is intended to fulfill three major purposes. The first of these purposes is to narrate the improvements to the ventilation of Northeast Churchrock Mine and the subsequent reduction of the radiation levels. The second major objective is to pass on to persons unfamiliar with the ventilation of radon and radon daughter producing mines some of the most important characteristics of airborne radiation and the control thereof. The third objective is to describe the use of a computerized digital mine ventilation simulation. This description is not only of the usage, but also some of the important methods and techniques involved in the usage. This paper is not intended for the persons with extensive experience in these areas. However, to those persons who are just becoming involved with either ventilation of mines with airborne radiation problems or persons interested in computer simulation, this paper should be of some interest. It is the author's experience that most of the information on either computer simulation or airborne radiation control either assumes an extensive knowledge on the part of the reader, or does not address the direct application of the information contained in these articles. It is for that reason that this paper intends to concentrate on the actual application of the topics covered. INITIAL STATUS In the first quarter of 1980, the author and others became involved with the ventilation effort of the Northeast Churchrock Mine. At this time, this team began an investigation of the mine ventilation with the intent of reperforming a mine pressure survey. During the course of this investigation, it was determined that the ventilation system was inadequate. During this first quarter, the responsibility for ventilation of the mine was transferred to the author and his team. It was determined that the system that was in use was that of the single entry or haulage return type. In this type of system, there is very little direct control of the airflow, and it is not an effective type of ventilation for mines that experience problems due to airborne radiation. In a single entry, or haulage return, system there is no separate return system provided. In the system, as we found it, the only source of intake air to the ore level working areas was from the track level. This intake air was forced into the ore level, or stope level, via bulkhead fans installed on raises from the track. This air, after being used in the working areas, was then allowed to find its own way back to the exhausting vent holes. There was essentially no control of this air from the bulkhead fan discharge to the vent hole. The only control used was by the sizing of the fans on the raises. The main portion of this air used the haulage and access drifting for return. Due to the large horsepower used in these bulkhead fans and the large resistance both between the areas to the vent holes and inadequate intake ducting, the stope level pressure was higher than the track level. This pressure differential caused a severe recirculation between the stope level to the track level. This recirculation also caused a severe pre-contamination problem to the supposedly fresh intake air, making his air nearly unusable for working area ventilation. [ ] It was found at the time our ventilation effort began, that the radiation levels were high enough to make compliance with the four working-level month per year standard impossible. For this reason, we had to spend several months driving costly development drifts to implement a completely different type of ventilation system. Before describing the system that was implemented to solve the problems that were discovered during our initial investigation, some discussion of the characteristics of airborne radiation due to radon and radon daughters is needed. RADON CHARACTERISTICS AND RELATED TECHNIQUES One of the most notable characteristics of radiation contamination caused by radon and radon daughter decay is that once the contamination has entered the airstream, the radiation levels as measured in working levels will continue to rise without any further contamination. This radiation rise will eventually stop
Jan 1, 1982
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Geology - Role of Mine Geology in the Exploitation of Iron Deposits of the Knob Lake Range, CanadaBy J. B. Stubbins, R. A. Blais
Extensive geological work was initiated — and continues — when operations of the Iron Ore Co. of Canada commenced in the Labrador-New Quebec area. Such geological operations include: mapping, test pitting, drilling, underground workings, volume factor and structure tests, and the calculation of ore grades and tonnages. Details of such work are given. Development is carried sufficiently ahead of mining to provide reliable tonnage and grade estimates and allow final mine planning. In order to make full use of geology in mining operations, the pit engineer combines the duties of geologist and mining engineer. The iron deposits of the Knob Lake range are located in the central part of the Labrador peninsula, a territory nearly twice the size of Texas, which is bounded by Hudson Bay on the west, Hudson Strait on the north, the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Gulf of St. Lawrence on the south. The mining district proper is about 1000 miles northeast of Toronto. A 360-mile railroad links this mining area to the port of Sept-Iles on the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Schef-ferville, which is only a few miles from the open-pit mines, is the center of operations of the Iron Ore Co. of Canada. It has a population of nearly 5000. The nearest settlement is Labrador City, some 120 miles to the south, where this company is erecting a large plant for beneficiating its huge reserves of local low-grade iron ores. HISTORY The mineral possibilities of the area were recognized as early as the end of the last century, when A.P. LOW' of the Geological Survey of Canada made his famous trek across the Labrador Peninsula. After mapping several belts of iron formation, Lovr recommended that the area be thoroughly prospected for iron. In 1929, two well known Canadian geologists, J.E. Gill and U'.F. James, led a private expedition in central Labrador and discovered the first deposit of high-grade iron ore near what is now the Ruth Lake Mine. In 1936 the Labrador Mining and Exploration Co. was formed to 11ake over a prospecting concession of over 20,000 sq miles in central Labrador. An adjoining concession of 3900 sq miles in New Quebec was obtained in 1942 by Hollinger Consolidated Gold Mines, which had just Purchased the Labrador Co. The same year the M.A. Hanna Co. Purchased an interest in both exploration companies. From 1942 to 1950 extensive exploration was conducted by the Hollinger-Hanna technical staff to systematically appraise these vast concessions. More than 40 deposits of high grade ore were found and, by the end of 1950, the total ore reserves reached 418 million tons. In 1949 five American steel companies joined the Hollinger-Hanna interests and formed the Iron Ore Co. of Canada. Financing and full-scale construction were decided upon in 1950. This included the construction of a 360-mile railroad through very difficult terrain, the erection of two hydroelectric plants, the installation of terminal port facilities at Sept-IIes, the building of a modern town-site at Schefferville, the construction of crushing and screening plants, and the preparation of deposits for mining. Ore was first shipped in July 1954. Total open-pit mine production to date is 66 million long tons of direct-shipping ore. GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERING The above achievements would not have been possible without irtegrated teamwork of people of diverse skills and extensive use of geology. In their paper on the role of geologists in the development of this iron ore field, (Gustafson and Moss1 rightly emphasized the difficulties facing the early workers in the area. In an uninhabited land with no roads or railroads and no navigable rivers leading to the interior, everything had to be flown in. It was not until 1948 that aerial photographs and adequate base maps became available. In spite of these and other difficulties, an impressive amount of field work has been done since 1942. Nearly all this work has been directed by geological engineers and geologists. About 15,000 :sq miles have been geologically
Jan 1, 1962
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Institute of Metals Division - Deformation of Zinc Bicrystals by Thermal RatchetingBy J. E. Burke, A. M. Turkalo
IN 1923 Desch¹ pointed out that the grains in a metal which is anisotropic with respect to its thermal coefficient of expansion would contract differently upon cooling, and that the stresses developed might approximate the plastic strength of the metal. More recently Boas and Honeycombe2-5 studied the behavior of several metals upon thermal cycling and observed that the stresses developed in arlisotropic metals are great enough to produce slip lines in individual grains and a roughening of the specimen surface. This phenomenon they have named "thermal fatigue." The mechanism they propose involves essentially a kneading of the grains, the deformation being alternately in compression and tension in a given grain as the temperature is changed in one direction and then the other. The present work was undertaken to investigate the possibility that an additional mechanism might operate to produce plastic deformation during thermal cycling—a "thermal ratchet" that depends upon a combination of grain boundary flow to relax the stress that develops between differently oriented grains upon raising the temperature and transcrys-talline slip to relax the oppositely directed stress which develops on lowering the temperature. Thus, thermal cycling should produce a nonreversible distortion such that certain grains will change shape differently from their neighbors with a simultaneous displacement being produced at the grain boundary. Temperature Dependence of Grain Boundary and Grain Strength The critical resolved stress for the initiation of slip in metal grains is only mildly affected by temperature." For example, in cadmium it decreases from 0.15 to about 0.05 kg per sq mm when the temperature is increased from 20° to 458°K and further temperature increase causes little further decrease. On the other hand, the work of KG1 indicates that the grain boundaries behave in a viscous fashion that can be described8 by the expression: t = BVexp(Q/RT) [1] t is the shearing stress on the boundary; B, a constant; V, the flow rate at the boundary; Q, the activation energy for grain boundary flow; R, the gas law's constant; and T, the absolute temperature. Eq 1 indicates that the stress necessary to cause a given grain boundary flow rate, V, decreases rapidly with increasing temperature. The value of the constant B is such that at sufficiently low temperature and ordinary strain rates deformation will occur preferentially by slip rather than by grain boundary flow. There is considerable evidence to indicate Consider the bicrystal shown in Fig. 1. In grain 1 the slip plane lies 45 " to the boundary while in grain 2 the slip plane is 90" to the boundary. The coefficients of expansion of the grains in a direction parallel to the length of the crystal are a1 and a, with a, > a2 for the orientations shown. The sequence of events that can occur upon heating and cooling this specimen is illustrated schematically in Fig. 2. Initially there is assumed to be no stress in the specimen (A). Upon heating, grain 1 attempts to become longer than grain 2, but is constrained by grain 2. Thus grain 1 is loaded in compression and grain 2 is loaded in tension, and a shearing stress is present across the boundary (B). As the temperature is increased, the stress will build up, and finally grain 1 will be plastically deformed by slip, since the greater stress is resolved on its slip planes. Any further heating will result in more slip and the stress will remain constant until some temperature T* is reached where the stress can be relaxed by grain boundary flow.† At this relaxation temperature (C) a step will appear between grain 1 and grain 2. Further heating above T* will cause grain 1 to become relatively longer, but no stress will appear because the grain boundary is too weak to support the stress (D). Upon cooling again, at T* (E), the grain boundary will again be able to support a shearing stress, and upon cooling further, grain 1 will be loaded in tension and grain 2 in compression (F). When the decrease in temperature below T* is sufficient to impose the critical shear stress upon the slip plane of grain 1, it will be stretched by slip.
Jan 1, 1953
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Natural Gas Technology - Non-Ideal Behavior of Gases and Their MixturesBy A. Satter, J. M. Campbell
Reported herein are the results of a careful and detailed study of the non-ideal behavior of pure gases and their mixtures. Included are: (1) new data on five ternary systems composed of methane, ethane and H2 S; (2) a simple compressibility factor correlation that is inherently superior to present correlations, particularly for gases containing H2S and CO2; and(3) a detailed study of combination rules and the effect of system composition on the choice thereof. This study makes use of the rather large mass of data already available in the literature. A complete re-examination of the data and ideas presented in the last 25 years was considered desirable as a prelude to our basic concern — the effect of diluents on gas behavior. A consideration of both the macroscopic and microscopic properties of gases provides a better insight which, in turn, gives a firmer basis for improved correlation techniques. Such a study has shown that expressing the compressibility factor Z as a function of acentric factor w, as well as reduced temperature and pressure, yields a correlation that is broader in scope. The study of various combination rules has shown that better results are obtained by "tailoring" the rule used to the system composition. To do so improves the basic reality of results by overcoming some of the anomalies often found when using Kay's rule alone. Tentative recommendations are made regarding the most reliable combination rule for use with a given class of gas. The data presented are useful for estimating the direction and magnitude of the expected deviation when using a given rule. Although more work is needed, particularly around the critical region and with CO2 mixtures, the advantage of the classification scheme proposed is apparent. INTRODUCTION When one attempts to write a PVT equation to fit the data for actual gases, greater precision is obtained by the use of a multiple number of empirical constants. This has lead to multiple-constant equations such as Benedict-Webb-Rubin, Beattie-Bridgman, Keyes, etc., which are capable of yielding very precise results for pure gases in a range for which data to get the constants are available. As a matter of practicality, though, the use of such equations for gas mixtures is limited. Because of the infinite number of gas analyses available, any attempt to compile the constants needed requires a prohibitive amount of experimental data. This could be overcome by the use of a combination rule, but there is no real advantage in doing so because the end result offers no practical impovement over the Z factor correlation. The most widely used method of predicting the volumetric properties of pure gases is based upon the "theorem of corresponding states". According to this theorem, "all pure substances have corresponding molal volume at corresponding temperature and pressure if the reference point of correspondence is the critical point". Generalized compressibility charts for gases were prepared first by Cope and associates1 in 1931 and later by Brown and co-workers2 in 1932. However, the most commonly used charts are those of Dodge,3 Nelson and Obert,4 Hougen and atsson: and Standing and Katz.6 The work of Katz and co-workers has provided us with basic data for the hydrocarbons most widely used today. Their original chart6 was compared with a relatively large amount of multi-component data for gases consisting almost entirely of normal paraffin hydrocarbons. A deviation of only + 1.2 per cent was obtained.39 In the 20 years following publication of this work it has been found that the behavior of most mixtures of paraffin hydrocarbons could be predicted by this correlation within at least 5 per cent. Where difficulty has been encountered it has largely involved one or more of the following circumstances: pressures above 4,000 psig, mixtures containing large amounts of heavy ends and/or aromatics, systems in the critical region and mixtures containing polar compounds and/or CO2. The abnormal error sometimes found with such gases, not too unexpected for this method, is
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Operations Research - Optimum Production PlanningBy Y. C. Kim, C. B. Manula
This paper is concerned with the details of the derivation of an operations research model, specifically linear programming, to solve production scheduling problems. While some results are presented for an actual study, the calculation of cases of a more general nature have not yet been completed. Production managers from those segments of the mining industry that experience a seasonal or highly variable sales demand find it rather difficult to develop overall producing plans for their organizations. In an attempt to solve this technical problem, demands are usually met by keeping production corresponding exactly to sales. This results in a fluctuating production schedule which is costly to maintain because of overtime premiums in periods of high requirements and because of costs associated with an idle mine plant during slack periods. An alternate solution may be to produce part of the desired amount and make up any deficiencies by using overproduction in previous time periods. This tends to smooth the production pattern through the use of a stockpile. However, because of associated storage costs, the solution may again be undesirable if it yields comparatively large surpluses. In general, this type of scheduling problem has an infinite number of solutions which satisfy the requirements. These are largely dependent on the extent to which an operation is geared to changes in production and on the size of its stockpiling facility. The determination of an efficient schedule is implied, therefore, as one lying between two extreme solutions, i.e., one that minimizes surpluses and one that minimizes output fluctuations. These conflicting objectives result in an economic balance problem between the costs of carrying surpluses forward from slack periods versus the cost of high production levels during peak demands. Various methods of operations research have been developed to handle problems whose genesis is explained above. It is very seldom, however, that these quantitative means are used in practice by the mining industry. Those who are familiar with mining operations know that most managers have not progressed satisfactorily in this area. Production planning systems which most mines employ today are often no more than rough records of management's mental planning. For small mines these means are normally sufficient; but as operations grow larger and become more complex, this type of planning ability is no longer adequate. Managers may find themselves losing control of cost relationships, taking longer to outline production sequences, and becoming forgetful of certain resource availabilities. ORIGIN AND SCOPE OF A SCHEDULING PROBLEM The more fundamental aspects of the production scheduling problem can be brought into focus by demonstrating how it exists in a bituminous coal mine* located in southwestern Pennsylvania. This mine, operating in the Pittsburgh seam, uses a definite room-and-pillar block system of mining, which is planned and carried out with only slight variations to meet local conditions. The coal seam, which is firm and varying in thickness from 8 to 9 ft with the bottom 6% ft being extracted, is under 500 ft of cover and opened by a shaft. The bulk of the coal (60%) is obtained from the pillaring activity with the mains and sections, which are considered primarily as development activities, contributing the balance of 12% and 28%, respectively. All coal is won by a ripper-type continuous miner in conjunction with shuttle-cars directly behind a loading machine. Track haulage is employed to move coal from these machine centers to the shaft bottom. The coal, thus mined, is shipped to one destination as part of a mixture of coals to be used in the making of steel. A material flow diagram of this distribution scheme is illustrated in Fig. 1. PROBLEM STATEMENT From the above types of shipments and mining limitations, the basic problem is to determine an economic means of producing and stockpiling a single coal product produced in three different machine centers (main, section, and pillar). Fig. 2 shows total demand for coal as a function of time. Because of the extremely high peak demands, slack period production must be stored and then distributed
Jan 1, 1969
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Institute of Metals Division - Dendrite Morphology, Microsegregation and Homogenization of Low-Alloy SteelBy Merlon C. Flemings, Theodoulos Z. Kattamis
Examination was made of the distribution of tnanganese and nickel in colutrrnar dendrites of a cast low-alloy steel; more limited work was corzducted on chromium. Corresponding "segregrction ratios" were calculnted and shown to be relntivelv insensitive to cooling rate (''segregation ratio" is defined (Is the ratio of maximum to minimum concentrations within a volume whose dimensions are the order of the dendrite-arm spacing). Isoconcentratiorl curves were determined by the electron micropvobe and by rt7etallografihic studies on specimens subjected to isothermal-transformation treatments. From construction of isoconcentration curves, morphology of columnar dendrites is descvibed as intermediate between Perfect rodlike and sheetlike morphologies. The study is extended to equiaxed dendrites and it is shown that the strcture of these dendrites is sittlilar in many respects to that of columnar dendrites. On the basis of tlze sheetlike morphology of dendrites, a simple model is pvoposed for calculation of honzogenization kinetics. Results of trzatllevlatical analysis brcsed on this utzodel are given. This analysis relates residual segregation to time at homogenization temperature; it is in agreement with experiment. Calculations are given which show that even for relatively rapidly cooled material (of 1-ine dendrite-artn spacing) treatmets at 1200°C or above are necessary to achieve slgxificant Izomogenization of elenlents other than carbon itz reasonable time (e.g., rnangclnese, nickel). Conlplete homogenization of carbon is obtnined at much lowev tenlperatures (below 870°C). IN dendritic solidification of castings and ingots, solute redistribution during freezing results in mi-crosegregation of most alloy elements. The micro-segregation is such that minimum solute concentrations occur at the center of dendrite arms and maximum concentrations occur between dendrite arms. Residual segregation after subsequent therma1 processing (homogenization) depends on maximum and minimum initial concentration, on the detailed geometry of the isoconcentration surfaces within interdendritic regions, on the diffusion coefficient of the solute, and on time of thermal processing. The objective of this work was to determine, for a low-alloy steel, maximum and minimum concentrations, and the geometry of isoconcentration surfaces, primarily in order to permit calculation of homogenization kinetics. Most of the work reported was conducted on Samples from a unidirectionally solidified, fully columnar ingot. This type of ingot is made by extracting heat during solidification from one face; techniques for accomplishing this have been discussed.' Samples were taken at several locations, up to 5.75 in. from the mold chill face; the bulk of the work was performed on samples at 5.75 in. Alloy cast was, nominally, 0.4 pct C, 1.8 pct Ni, 0.8 pct Cr, 0.7 pct Mn, 0.25 pct Mo, 0.3 pct Si, and the balance iron. Brief study was also made on samples from an ingot which solidified with equiaxed grain structure. SAMPLE PREPARATION AND ANALYSIS Samples for electron-microprobe analysis were incorporated in mounts that included pieces of electrolytic nickel, chromium, and manganese, in order to normalize the intensities of these solutes in the specimens; also, a piece of electrolytic iron was included to measure the background. All specimens were polished in the usual metallographic manner. After the microprobe traces were made, the path was revealed by etching the specimens with picral. All microprobe analyses were made by point counting, integrating for 30 sec. The distance between points was fixed from 2 to 10 p, according to the precision desired in each case, the fineness of the structure, and the concentration gradient existing in a given area. (The distance was chosen 2 to 5 p near the maximum-concentration regions and 5 to 10 p near the minimum concentration.) The "take-off" angle for the A.R.L.-Model No. 21000 microprobe employed was 52.5 deg. Samples for metallographic analysis of isoconcentration curves were prepared by austenitizing at 1540°F for 20 min, quenching to the nose of the TTT curves (1200°F), heat treating isothermally at this temperature for a given time 0, and then quenching to room temperature. Due to concentration gradients existing in a dendritic structure, no transformation will take place for a given time 0 of isothermal heat treatment in the regions where the a.lloy concentration is higher than a given limit. Thus, the dendrite appears limited by an isoconcentration curve and can be made to appear to grow by varying the time of isothermal heat treatment.
Jan 1, 1965
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Geophysics - Rubeanic Acid Field Test for Copper in Soils and SedimentsBy R. E. Delavault, H. V. Warren
In normal soils there are usually 10 to 50 parts of copper in every million parts of .soil. Only 0.2 to .5 pct of this copper can be found by any simple cold chemical attack. Now, with rubeanic mid reagent paper, a prospector or field geologist can detect as little us 4 ppm of readily available copper ill soil. This degree, of sensiticity is enough to determine the presence. of copper anamalous an as and, ecentually, to discouer copper mineralization. Circumstances determine whether it is better to make analyses in the field or in a permanent laboratory. The rubeanic acid test described in this article has been designed primarily for field use: it is simple and virtually foolproof, and it requires a minimum of field kit." It is sensitive, easily de- • Ed. Note: Persons Interested in purchasing kits suitable for rubeanic acid prospecting can obtain information by writing Eldrico Geophysical Sales Ltd., 633 Hornby Street. Vancouver 1, B.C. The University of British Columbia does not produce these kits for sale and has no financial interest in their production tecting 4 ppm of readily extractable copper in a soil. This is by no means a quantitative test, but it is accurate enough to provide a valuable indicator of copper anomalous areas for both prospectors and field geologists. The easiest method for detecting metal deposits that do not produce visible float or stains is to make a simple chemical test for the metal in overlying soil, or in the silt of a stream that may have picked up metal farther upstream. In Brief: Testing for copper may be done easily by shaking a soil sample with strong acetic solution in a small test tube and pouring the mud into a small filter, the tip of which rests upon a strip of reagent paper impregnated with rubeanic acid (di-thio-oxamide). When copper is present—and only when it is—a blue spot develops. The more copper, the darker the spot. If the copper content is merely the small amount present everywhere, there is a pale blue or hardly visible spot; if it is abnormally high, the spot will be dark. There are, of course, intermediate cases where the experienced geochemist cannot tell offhand whether a medium-strength spot represents rich agricultural soil, weak copper mineralization, or distant rich copper mineralization. Reagents and material are inexpensive; the test may be readily done on the spot with a simple kit easy to pack and handle. Anyone interested in general problems of soil sampling as applied to prospecting may refer to an article recently presented to the AIME. In exploration work it is the contrast between the metal content of anomalous and background areas that is important; absolute values become of greater interest when an anomalous area is being investigated in detail. With specific reference to copper, it has been the authors' experience that the amounts of metal extracted from anomalous and normal soils with buffer solutions of decreasing pH show better contrast if an acid reagent is used. This contrast tends to increase with increasing acidity until 3 to 4 pH is reached. Using a short cold attack on unheated soil, it has been found that further increases in acidity do not produce better results, and only increase the hazards involved in carrying strong acids. An acidity of about pH 4 is satisfactory for direct determination of copper by dithizone. But dithizone itself introduces some problems: it must be made up fresh at frequent intervals, and with some soils, notably those with much ferric iron, oxidation mag take place before all the copper has reacted with the dithizone. Rubeanic acid keeps its strength unimpaired for long periods, is unaffected by oxidation, and is practically specific for copper at pH 4. Consequently it seems an ideal reagent to use in prospecting for copper. History and Background: Rubeanic acid (systematic name: dithio-oxamide (SC-NH2) has long been known as a spot test reagent for some heavy metals with which it gives a number of compounds. Only copper and some metals of the platinum family are believed capable of providing any ru-beanate compounds under conditions of moderate
Jan 1, 1959
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Coal - Automatic Coal Sampling SystemBy C. D. Allman
Specifications for coal at the Grand Lake thermal electric station read in part: "Coal will be Rom Minto Bituminous (strip operation). Maximum lump 3x3x4 ft. Very corrosive, abrasive and when damp, sticky. Coal may consist of frozen lumps of coal, snow and ice." To maintain quality control it was necessary to develop an automatic sampling system capable of: 1) sampling from one 10-ton truckload every 1½ min; 2) permitting an operator to automatically take a sample from each truckload; 3) depositing the sample in a pre-selected container, one of a possible 10; and 4) performing the sampling operations in accordance with latest ASTM specifications for sampling coal with an ash content of 35%. This paper tells how these and other problems were resolved and describes the equipment used. The New Brunswick Electric Power Commission issued detailed specification No. 5351-5009 outlining the scope of work and general requirements for a mechanical coal handling system to be installed at the Commissions Grand Lake Generating Station. The thermal station is located at Newcastle Creek, some 40 miles east of Fredericton, N.B. Canada, on the shore of Grand Lake. This particular location is immediately adjacent to the Minto strip mining coal area of New Brunswick. Contained in the specifications, but not detailed specifically was an automatic coal sampling system. The system outlined, was to be designed and specified by the individual equipment tenderers. In conjunction with the Hardinge Co., the Barber-Greene Co. designed a sampling system which was contained in the general contract proposal. The system as designed originally, however, presented certain limitations to a continuous coal handling system and was ultimately changed. However, it was only through preliminary study and design that problems created by the specifications were determined, and these problems discussed and finally negotiated with the NBEPC engineering staff created the subsequent sampling system now being installed by Barber-Greene. It must be considered that where the original specifications did not detail the mechanical equipment, it was necessary to present a system which would correspond to the intent of specification and for which Barber-Greene would be responsible as to function, but remain in a competitive position with regard to the tender considered primarily on a price basis. The system now being installed, contains basically all the components which were detailed originally, with the exception of the holding bin arrangement, which was changed to allow a continuous operation of the entire coal handling system. SPECIFICATIONS The specifications covering the sampling system follow. 4.5 Sampler: An automatic sampling system shall be installed capable of sampling one-truck load of coal every 1½ min. When the coal is dumped into the receiving hopper, the operator shall push a button and the sampler shall automatically take a sample of that particular coal when it reaches the sampler. Then the sample taken shall be crushed and reduced in quantity to a workable sample and deposited in a pre-selected container, one of a possible ten. All samples and sampling operations shall be in accordance with the latest edition of ASTM designation 492 for sampling coal with an ash content of 35%. The coal for the initial sample shall have maximum sized lumps of about 3/4 in. and the final sample shall be adjustable from 2 to 5 lb per sample and capable of passing through a sieve with 1/8-in. diam openings. It should be noted that, because of the time delay between the time the sample is requested and when it is actually taken, the operator may call for one or two additional samples from different coal before the first sample is completely refined and in the final sample can. Coal is received from a number of different suppliers on the same day, therefore, the system shall be designed so that there is no possibility of mixing or contaminating the coal from the different suppliers. All coal rejected from the sample shall be returned to the main conveyor. All chutes, hoppers, etc. shall be designed in accordance with Section 4.6 of these specifications. 4.6 Chutes, Hoppers, etc. All chutes and hoppers
Jan 1, 1963
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Minerals Beneficiation - Studies on the Flotation of ChrysocollaBy T. P. Chen, F. W. Bowdish
Studies made with a captive bubble apparatus on the sulfidization and collection by amyl xanthate of true chrysocolla specimens have defined the ranges of pH value and sulfide concentration which permit contact between the bubble and the mineral surface. Titanium compounds were the most effective of the materials found to activate the sulfidization of chrysocolla. With titanium activation, the contact angles and the ranges of pH value and sulfide wncentration giving bubble contact were all increased. Chrysocolla ores were concentrated by flotation. Chrysocolla ores occur at many localities in grade and quantity sufficient to make mining and millin feasible, but no satisfactory method of concentratio has been found. Although chrysocolla may be leached with acid, only those ores without acid-consuming gangue may be leached economically. Because of its potential importance, a study of the conditions nece sary for flotation of chrysocolla has been carried ou The literature contains a few references to flotation of chrysocolla. Two methods were developed by the U. S. Bureau of Mines.1,2 The first consisted of a fatty acid soap and a high xanthate as collectors of chrysocolla from a synthetic ore, while the second involved the use of hydrogen sulfide and xanthate. Ludt and DeWitt3 demonstrated the difference in adsorptive powers of chrysocolla and quartz for bas triphenyl methane dyes and suggested the use of butyl, hexyl or octyl-substituted malachite green as collector. Jackel4 emphasized the effects of combin tions of reagents such as Aerofloat 31, pine oil, and Reagents 404 and 425 with sodium sulfide and zinc hydrosulfite as conditioning agents. Although he reported recoveries of 89% from a synthetic ore and 98% from a natural ore containing azurite, malachite, chalcopyrite and chrysocolla, careful application of Jackel's method to chrysocolla from Tyrone, N.M., failed to give a high recovery. MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUE Samples from Inspiration, Ariz., and Tyrone and Magdalena, N. M., were used for experimentation and verified as true chrysocolla by leaching tests, specific gravity tests and X-ray diffraction. Chrysocolla does not dissolve at pH 4, although malachite and azurite do. Chrysocolla is about half as dense as the copper carbonates. X-ray diffraction analyses by the powder camera method confirmed the samples as true chrysocolla. A captive bubble apparatus, which cast an enlarged image of the air bubble and the mineral surface upon a screen, was used to check on the character of the surfaces. The specimens were prepared by grinding a flat surface on a glass plate using fine abrasive; then they were washed and kept in distilled water until they were to be treated with reagents. Before each reagent treatment, the specimen was carefully checked for cleanliness in the captive bubble apparatus. It was assumed that the surface was clean if, after fine grinding and washing of the specimen, the bubble would not stick. Specimens were handled with glass forceps, and precautions were taken to avoid contamination of the mineral surfaces. Contact angle measurements were carefully made several times on each treated specimen to obtain reliable average values. EFFECT OF pH VALUE AND SODIUM SULFIDE CONCENTRATION In each experiment, a specimen with a freshly ground surface was immersed for 10 min in a solution of sodium sulfide, washed and immersed for 15 min in a solution containing 30 mg per 1 of potassium amyl xanthate. The specimen was then washed again in distilled water and tested for contact angle in the captive bubble apparatus while submerged in distilled water. In this series of experiments, the pH of the sulfidizing solution was varied from 3 to 7, and the concentration of sodium sulfide, containing 60% Na2S, was varied from 50 to 650 mg per 1. Many combinations of pH value and sulfide concentration resulted in no contact between the bubble and the surface, but over a limited range of conditions, contact angles varying from 24ºto 52ºwere obtained. The data in Fig. 1 show sulfidization conditions that lead to bubble contact and those that do not. The region of contact is surprisingly small, which may indicate why flotation of chrysocolla involving sulfidization has proven so difficult in practice. Several features of the system are illustrated in Fig. 1. In the region between pH values of 4 and 6 with sodium sulfide concentrations below about 350
Jan 1, 1963
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Institute of Metals Division - Influence of Crystallographic Order On Creep of Iron-Aluminum Solid SolutionsBy J. A. Coll, R. W. Cahn, A. Lawley
WHILE the creep properties of pure face-centered-cubic and close-packed-hexagonal metals have been thoroughly investigated and are well established, body-centered-cubic metals have been studied less extensively. Moreover, very few fundamental studies on the creep of solid solutions, irrespective of crystal structure, have been reported. The present study is concerned with the creep of a series of body-centered-cubic solid solutions. The present position concerning creep of pure metals is, briefly, as follows.1"3 Creep at first takes place at a steadily decreasing rate; this is the stage termed primary or transient creep. Except at the lowest temperatures this is succeeded by a stage of secondary or steady-state creep. At high temperatures and stresses, this may be succeeded by an accelerating stage, termed tertiary creep, with which we shall not here be concerned. There is no well-defined physical model at present for the transient stage; in general terms, transient creep is best regarded simply as a manifestation of work-harden ing. Steady-stage creep can certainly take place by several different mechanisms: the choice of dominant mechanism depends primarily on temperature. We shall here be concerned only with high-temperature steady-state creep, a term usually reserved for creep at absolute temperatures higher than 0.5 Tm, where T, is the melting point. In this range, the activation energy for creep is, for many metals, equal to the activation energy for self-diffusion, and this is generally interpreted in terms of a "climb mechanism.1-4 The creep rate is determined by the speed at which dislocations, impeded by obstacles the nature of which is disputed but which are probably established during transient creep, can climb by means of a diffusion process, until they are able to by-pass the obstacle. In solid solutions, the intrinsic resistance to the slip motion of dislocations may be much larger than in the solvent, to the extent that the motion of dislocations in the glide plane, rather than their escape by climb out of this plane, may become the rate-controlling factor. weertman5 has considered this possibility from a theoretical point of view, and concluded that some form of "viscous slip" is likely to be rate-controlling at comparatively low stresses. The resistance to slip may arise from "atmospheres" of impurities forming around dislocations; a high Peierls force in materials of high cohesion; or some structural peculiarity such as clustering or ordering of solute atoms.= We shall be concerned here with the case of ordering. The only published investigations concerned explicitly with the effect of order on creep refer to creep in ß-brass by Herman and Brown,7 and in Ni-Fe alloys, by Kornilov and panasyuk8 and by Suzuki and Yamamoto.9 Recently, Herman and Brown's paper has been supplemented by a determination of the tensile yield point of ß-brass as a function of temperature.10 Both studies showed a sharp drop in resistance to deformation of ß-brass over a range of a few degrees just above the critical temperature Tc at which order finally disappears. These observations are especially noteworthy, because in ß brass the degree of order diminishes steadzly to zero as the temperature approaches Tc. It is, therefore, the disappearance of the last traces of long-range order which has the largest effect on the resistance of the alloy to plastic deformation. In the Ni/Fe alloys of various compositions, resistance to creep at a given temperature and stress is maximum at the stoichiometric composition, both below Tc, (long-range order), and above T,. (short-range order).' Near Tc, the creep resistance of an ordered alloy is much higher than that of the same alloy in the disordered condition.9 The aim of the present investigation was to study the creep behavior in the neighborhood of Tc, of another system of ordering alloys. The iron-aluminum alloys were considered the most suitable. because: i) The order again diminishes steadily to zero as the temperature approaches Tc; there is no sudden drop in order at Tc, and it therefore is
Jan 1, 1961
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Reservoir Performance - Critical Analysis of the Effect of Well Density on Recovery EfficiencyBy F. H. Callaway, W. O. Keller
The various theories as to the well spacing-recovery relationship are reviewed in considerable detail and these theories analyzed in terms of their consistency with modern reservoir engineering concepts. It is concluded that the well spacing problem must be analyzed in terms of recovery efficiency and that a positive answer to the relation between well density and recovery efficiency is not available from direct comparisons of the production histories of wells and fields. The results of an engineering analysis designed to permit approximate calculation of recovery efficiencies as a function of well spacing in a depletion type reservoir from basic reservoir data is presented. Results of this type analysis indicate that the effect of well spacing on recovery efficiency in depletion type reservoirs can be expected to be very small. Limitations of this approach are pointed out, particularly with respect to its application in lenticular reservoirs. Testing techniques are outlined which should indicate whether or not a reservoir is continuous between wells and whether or not satisfactory drainage is being obtained with present spacings. A mass of data of this type indicates continuity to exist in most fields. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this paper is to review critically the engineering aspects of the well spacing problem, both from the standpoint of certain concepts and from the standpoint of reservoir mechanics. The well spacing problem is primarily an economic problem in which the optimum well density for a particular field is that density which will yield the greatest oil recovery consistent with justifiable development costs. The well spacing answer in terms of economic conditions, however, is extremely sensitive to the variation in recovery efficiency with well density. The variation in recovery efficiency with 'References given at end of paper. Manuscript received at the office of the Petroleum Branch October 2, 1949. Paper presented at the Petroleum Branch Meeting in San Antonio. Texas, October 5-7. 1949. well density is properly an engineering problem. Different opinions as to the correct answer to this engineering problem is the basis for most of the wide difference in opinion among various members of the industry as to optimum well spacing. This paper will be confined to the engineering problem of the relation between well density and ultimate oil recovery; economic considerations necessary for the evaluation of optimum well density for any particular field will not be discussed. The paper can be logically divided into two parts. The first part deals with a critical examination of the background and logic of the Cutler Rule and of similar studies by other authors and of related well spacing concepts. It is indicated that the variations in recoveries with well density* observed by Cutler and. others can be logically attributed to regional migration. Theoretical justification of the Cutler type relation wherein observed variations in recovery with well density in the same field is attributed to variations in recovery effiiency, in terms of energy relations, is refuted. The second part consists of a review of concepts of reservoir mechanics with regard to the well density-recovery relation. It is indicated that little variation of recovery efficiency with well density can be expected in a depletion type reservoir, unless lenticular conditions prevent communication between wells. The significance of field test data with regard to the existence or non-existence of lenticular conditions is pointed out. THE CUTLER RULE The first published article concerning the engineering aspects of the well spacing problem to receive wide attention was the work of W. W. Cutler' of the U. S. Bureau of Mines, published in 1924. In a study of decline curves from a large *The expression "well density" as utilized herein refers to the number of acres attributed to each well in a uniform well pattern, and is expressed in acres per well. The term "well spacing" Is utilized to denote the average distance between adjacent wells in a uniform well pattern. †Although the Cutler rule is treated critically in this discussion the authors intend no personal criticism of W. W. Cutler or of his hark The currently accepted concepts of reservoir mechanics were no": existent at the time of Cutler's work, as were even the moat basic tools (such as the bottom hole pressure bomb) for observing reservoir behavior.
Jan 1, 1950
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Institute of Metals Division - Alloys of Copper, Nickel and TantalumBy C. S. Smith
The solubility of tantalum at 1100°C is 0.025 pct in pure copper, 1.2 pct with 20 pct Ni, and 2.7 pct with -30 pct Ni. The solubility decreases with temperature, and the alloys are precipitation hardenable. A 79/20/1 Cu-Ni-Ta alloy reaches maximum hardness after aging at about 750°C and, if cold worked, does not recrystal-lize below that temperature. The alloys have good tensile properties at moderately elevated temperatures and, since they can be hot and cold worked nearly as easily as cupronickel, they are suggested for service at temperatures above the usual limits for copper alloys. MASSIVE tantalum dissolves extremely slowly in copper-rich alloys, and tantalum powder forms refractory surface layers which prevent its solution unless special precautions are taken. After many trials, an 80 pit recovery was consistently obtained by using a mixture of a finely divided tantalum powder with two or three times its volume of potassium tantalum fluoride (K2TaF1,-melting point about 750°C) poured in a slow stream directly on to the surface of the molten copper alloy, so that each particle would remain coated with flux and be immediately and individually wetted by the molten metal. A 50-50 nickel-tantalum alloy has a melting point of about 1400°C and small lumps of it slowly but satisfactorily dissolve in molten copper-nickel alloys as does commerical "ferro-tantalum." The high affinity of tantalum for carbon makes it necessary to avoid carbonaceous crucibles. COPPER-TANTALUM ALLOYS Castings with good shrinkage resulted when 0.1 pct Ta or more was added to copper melted under charcoal and cast in air. Copper in two-pound melts to which 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2 pct Ta had been added retained residual amounts, by analysis, of 0.025, 0.023 and 0.026 pct, respectively. The solubility of tantalum in molten copper at about 1200 °C is therefore about 0.025 pct. The electrical conductivity of these three samples was 100.48, 100.00 and 100.20 pct IACS in the annealed condition, and 98.24, 97.98 and 98.08 in the cold-drawn condition. Wires 0.080 in. in diam withstood from thirteen to nineteen reversed bends after annealing for 30 min in hydrogen at 850°C and the metal was therefore completely deoxidized. The annealing temperature corresponding to 50 pct loss of work hardness in 1 hr in a strip cold rolled 77 pct reduction was 175C, compared to 230°C for equivalent undeoxidized material. It is unusual for a decrease of recrystallization temperature to result from an alloying addition, and the tantalum probably combines with and removes some minor impurity in the original copper that restrained its recrystalliza- tion. No difficulty whatever was encountered in hot or cold rolling or drawing these ingots, and were tantalum not so expensive it would make an excellent deoxidizer for copper. COPPER-NIcKEL-TANTALUM ALLOYS Studies were made of the solubility of tantalum in a large number of copper-rich alloys, but of these significant solubilities were found only in the case of an iron alloy (which, however, separated into two immiscible liquid layers) and alloys of copper and nickel, in which tantalum is freely soluble and which were found to have interesting properties. The latter alloys are the subject of U. S. Patent No. 2,430,306 (1947). They are not at present available commercially. The Ternary Constitution Diagram—The copper-rich corner of the constitution diagram was constructed on the basis of microscopic examination of samples of various composition and treatments. The alloys were hot rolled to 0.25 in. from castings 0.625 in. thick, then annealed for 1 hr at 1000°C, quenched, cold rolled to 0.10 in. and finally annealed for various periods of time at temperatures between 800" and 1100°C in a nonoxidizing atmosphere and quenched. When the solid-solubility limit had been transgressed, particles of a compound believed to be Ni2Ta*were
Jan 1, 1960
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Institute of Metals Division - Phase Equilibria of the Group IVA Metals with YttriumBy C. E. Lundin, D. T. Klodt
The binary alloy systems, Y-Ti, Y-Zr, and Y-Hf, have been investigated throughout their entire composition regions. There is no compound formation in any of the systems, and each system is characterized by a single eutectic reaction. The eutectic compositions and temperatures are as follows: A eutectoid reaction pct Y and 870°C occurs in the Y-Ti system, whereas a peritectoid reaction,: pct Y and 880°C occurs in the Y-Zr system. Peri-tectic-type reactions at temperatures above the eutectic levels are postulated for the yttrium and hafnium transfovmations. The development of the technology of yttrium has been given considerable attention during the past few years, and studies of binary phase equilibria have, of course, taken a prominent position in this development. In many respects yttrium, in the third group of metals of the periodic table, is similar to the adjacent group of metals, titanium, zirconium, and hafnium, and the knowledge of the phase relationships of yttrium with these metals is basic to their technology. MATERIALS AND EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES Materials. The metals for this investigation were supplied by the General Electric Co., Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion Department. The yttrium was in the form of an arc-melted ingot, and the other metals were in the form of high-purity, iodide-Process crystal bar. Table I lists the purities of these materials. Alloy Preparation. Melting was done by conventional techniques in a nonconsumable electrode arc furnace in an atmosphere of purified argon. Melting conditions for each binary system were the same. Each alloy button was inverted and remelted several times to assure homogeneity. Accurate weights of the charges and resultant alloy buttons were obtained to indicate deviations from intended compositions. No chemical analyses were obtained since melting weight losses were consistently in the range of 0.1 to 0.2 pct of the total weight. 10- or 20-g buttons for each 5.0 wt pct composition increment were melted to survey the three individual alloy systems. Additional alloys differing in composition by 1.0 or 0.1 wt pct increments were also melted to study selected regions of the systems. Metallograpllic Techniques. Standard metallo-graphic techniques were followed for mounting and rough grinding. Preliminary polishing was accomplished using 6-u diamond paste as an abrasive on a Metcloth Lap. Final polishing was done on a Microcloth-covered wheel using 1-u diamond abrasive paste. Purified kerosene was used as a lubricant for both polishing stages. • sothermal- Annealing. Alloys were sectioned for as-cast structlure examinations and then homogenized in preparation for isothermal-annealing treatments. Homo{:enization was accomplished by cold pressing the alloy buttons followed by 72-hr anneals at 1100c. The alloys were encapsulated in Vycor or quartz for the homogenization treatments or for isothermal anneals. Resistance-wound or resistance-element tube furnaces were used for the annealing treatments. The homogenized alloy buttons were cold rolled until cracking occurred or until a -in. specimen thickness was obtained. Small -in. square) specimens for the isothermal anneals were then sawed from the alloys. Each specimen was wrapped in tantalum foil before being sealed in the capsule. Temperatures during the anneals were controlled The time at temperature necessary to equilibrate the structures during the anneals was determined for each alloy system by holding triplicate specimens of alloys at a constant temperature for three different periotls. The specimens were quenched and examined microscopically to determine the number and amounts of phases present in the micro-structure as a function of time. Melting Studies. Eutectic temperatures of the three alloy systems were established from the results of incipient-melting studies conducted on as-cast alloys. Specimens to be melted were suspended on a tungsten wire inside a graphite cylinder placed in a glass vacuum chamber. An optical pyrometer was used to follow the temperature of the specimen as it was inductively heated in a high vacuum. The temperatures were corrected for emissivity losses by standardizing the pyrometer with known-melting-point metals. Accuracy of the temperature measurements is estimated to be + 10°C. The melting point of the yttrium was determined to be 1550°C by this technique. The invariant-temperature levels were also checked by an anneal-quench technique. This technique consists of annealing a series of
Jan 1, 1962
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Part VII - Twinning and Brittle Fracture in MolybdenumBy G. T. Hahn, C. N. Reid, A. Gilbert
An evaluation is made of the possible cautsal relationship between twinning and fracture in molybdenum. For both single and poly crystalline material no instance of twin-induced fracture was observed. Instead brittle fracture was found to be slip-induced at heterogeneities. For single-crystal material, the yield stvess in compression and the fracture stvess in tensiow obey a similar angular- relationship which follows approximately a 1/cos2 ? law. where 0 is the angle between the specimen axis and the nearest (100) plane. This sittlilarity between yield and fracture behavior casts doubt on the interpretations made previoltsly that a 1/cos2? relationship supports a critical normal fracture stress criterion. SINCE fracture in brittle materials takes place at stresses an order of magnitude lower than the theoretical strength of the lattice, it must be postulated that some stress-concentrating effect is operative during the fracture-initiation process. Several mechanisms have been proposed whereby the necessary stress concentrations could be produced. The well-known Cottrell mechanism1 describes a dislocation interaction which can lead to the formation of an incipient cleavage crack on a cleavage plane, and both zener2 and stroh3 have discussed models which predict the stress concentration at the intersection of a slip band with a grain boundary. When twinning occurs twin/twin intersections and twin/grain boundary intersections represent another possible means of fracture initiation. Although still controversial, the concept of twin-induced fracture is supported by a weighty mass of evidence, which has been reviewed in a recent paper.4 This investigation was conducted in order to assess the extent to which the brittleness of molybdenum can be ascribed to this cause. Emphasis was placed on seeking direct metallographic evidence for twin-induced fracture such as arrangements of twins located at the fracture origin. EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM Materials. The experimental materials are described inTable I. From the chemical analyses and estimates of the amounts of interstitials likely to be retained in solution,5 it is concluded that all were mul-tiphased systems. X-ray diffraction experiments6 showed no evidence of preferred orientation in the polycrystalline materials. Single crystals were grown from Molybdenum X and Y using the floating-zone technique,' in a vacuum of better than 3 x 10-5 Torr. However difficulties were experienced with Molybdenum X due to violent gas evolution from the molten zone, and additional crystals (Crystals 3 to 6) were produced by annealing for 5 1/2 hr at 2300°C under a vacuum of 10-4 Torr. Techniques. A series of tension, compression, and bend tests was conducted. Tension tests were used to demonstrate brittle behavior, to measure brittle-fracture stresses, and to provide fractured specimens for metallographic inspection. Compression tests were employed in order to obtain some ductility and a measure of the yield stress. Furthermore, it was considered that compression loading would permit the study of crack nucleation in the absence of propagation. The bend tests were conducted to facilitate identification of the fracture origin, which would be expected to be at, or near, the tensile surface of the sample. Tests were carried out at temperatures between 78" and 298°K attained by means of a liquid-nitrogen evaporator of modified Wessel design.' Specimens were fashioned by mechanical grinding, and, prior to heat treatment, were electropolished at 10 v in a 3:l mixture of ethyl alcohol and sulfuric acid, using a stainless-steel cathode. Except where noted, a strain rate of 4 pct per min was used. All specimens had a gage section 0.75 in. long; diameters of 0.10 and 0.20 in. were adopted for the tension and compression specimens, respectively, the former of single shoulder design, the ends being gripped in split collets with a conical bearing surface. In the bend test, electropolished specimens measuring 0.080 by 0.25 by 1.25 in. were deformed at 78°K by four-point loading. The bending device had spans of 1 in. between the outer and 4 in between the inner fulcra; it was stressed between the compression anvils of the Instron machine at a constant deflection rate. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS Polycrystals. Tension and Compression Tcsls. It is apparent from Fig. 1(a) that above 170°K fracture of Molybdenum X takes place at stresses equal to or greater than the compressive yield stress whereas
Jan 1, 1967
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Part XI - Papers - Martensite in Ternary Cu-Zn-Based Beta-Phase AlloysBy Horace Pops
Martensitic transformation has been studied during cooling and heating in ß-phase Cu-Zn alloys to which small additions have been made of Ni, Ag, Au, Cd, Ga, In, Si, Ge, Sn, and Sb. The start and finish of the martensitic reaction and the variation of transformation temperature with third-element content were determined by electrical-resistivity measurements from alloys which had either constant zinc contents or constant values of electron concentration. All of the third elements, except nickel, lowered the transformation temperature if the results were plotted along the lines of constant zinc contents in each ternary system. A significant difference in the rate of lowering of the transformation temperature per atomic percent of the third element was observed for elements which had the same nominal valence. No systematic variation of transformation temperature with the valence of the third element was observed. It is suggested that the observed increase in transformation temperature for nickel-bearing alloys is due to the transfer of electrons from the conduction band of the alloy to virtual bound states. However, electron concentration is not the most important factor controlling the instability of the 0 phase. The transformation temperatures of the ternary alloys can be predicted from the following approxilnate expression: Ms (°K) = +3280 - 80 Zn + 8 Ni - 30 Ag - 12 Au - 140 Cd -90 Ga- 145 In - 80 Ge -175 Sn - 120 Si - 150 Sb MOST binary ß -phase alloys based upon the noble metals copper, silver, and gold are unstable at low temperatures and transform spontaneously by a martensitic reaction. This transformation has been studied recently in the ordered bcc ß'-phase Cu-Zn binary al1oys1,2 where the transformation temperature is below the room temperature and decreases with an increase in zinc content. It has been reported that the transformation temperatures can be raised above room temperature by small additions of a third element such as silicon3,5 or gallium,4,5 but no quantitative study has been made. The transformation temperature of different binary alloys can be altered by third-element additions. For example, it was shown that nickel and copper may have a large effect on the Ms temperature of CU-Al6 and Au-cd7 alloys. The present investigation was made to determine systematically the influence of various third elements on the martensite-transformation temperature of Cu-Zn ß-phase alloys. Since these alloys have an electronic origin,' alloy compositions were chosen so that the transformation temperatures could be determined at constant zinc contents or at constant values of electron concentration. I) EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Ten ternary alloy systems were obtained by adding nickel, the noble metals silver and gold, and some B-subgroup elements to a Cu-Zn matrix. These are arranged according to their rows and columns in the Period Table as follows: Each ternary alloy was prepared by melting and casting weighed quantities of high-purity metals (99.99+ pct) in sealed quartz tubes under a partial pressure of helium to make a 4-g ingot. The molten alloys were shaken vigorously and then quenched in water. Since the weight loss was negligible, the compositions of the ingots after casting and annealing were assumed to be the same as the nominal compositions. The ingots were homogenized after casting in helium-filled Vycor tubes for 24 hr at temperatures between 750" and 810 C and quenched into brine. Metallographic examination revealed that all alloys were homogeneous, poly crystalline ß-phase alloys, and that the grain size was in the range 1 to 5 mm. Electrical-resistivity measurements were made to determine transformation temperatures of the ternary alloys during continuous cooling or heating. Transformation temperatures of the ternary alloys can be determined by electrical-resistivity measurements since the resistance of the martensitic phase is much higher than that of the 0' phase. The technique has been described previously in connection with a study of Au-Zn alloys.9 The reproducibility of transformation temperature was approximately ±6°C. II)RESULTS A hysteresis was always observed in electrical-resistivity curves and was usually less than about 12°C.
Jan 1, 1967
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Coal - The Quantitative Petrographic Composition of Three Alabama CoalsBy R. Q. Shotts
Nitric acid oxidation rate analyses of three coals, previously studied microscopically by the Bureau of Mines, revealed three components. Relative quantities agree with those found for the four components given by the Bureau and results are consistent with current ideas of coal constitution. Possible multi-component composition for bright coal and a reactivity-rank relation are suggested. THE physically dissimilar components of bituminous coals often are easily recognized mega-scopically. Under the microscope, reflected light or light transmitted through thin sections reveals the presence of the different components, even when these are intimately mixed. Optical methods for the quantitative estimation of the relative abundance of the various components, both by means of thin sections and by particle count, have been fully described.'. ' It has long been recognized that there are chemical and physical differences between the various petro-graphic components of bituminous coals, although analytical differences usually are small.:'. ' Only in the case of fusain have chemical differences been used for quantitative determination of a component. C. C. Hsiao and associates, at the Mineral Industries Experiment Station of the Pennsylvania State College, have described a method of analysis which is based upon the differences in the rate of nitric acid (8N) oxidation, fusain, and the other components of coal."," The reproducibility of their method and its applicability in checking microscopic determinations of fusain content have been supported by several independent investigations.'. " The writer has proposed the use of differences in oxidizability for the estimation of other components." "' The results of the oxidation of whole coals and of float-and-sink fractions of coals were reported. In most cases the plots of the logarithms of the percent dry, non-fusain, organic residue from oxidation, against time, revealed the presence of at least two distinct components. Both components appeared to oxidize according to a first order law, but the reaction constants for the components were distinctly different. One or more of the dull density fractions were found to contain but one component, and some of the lower rank coals oxidized in such a way as to suggest the presence of three components. A suitable way to check the identity and significance of the components delineated by oxidation would be to analyze a sample of coal both by the nitric acid oxidation procedure and by a microscopic method. The writer was wholly unfamiliar with either of the microscopic techniques commonly used, and to make such a comparison it was necessary to rely upon microscopic analyses made by someone else. It is hoped that some laboratory which is equipped to make both types of analyses will some day make them upon identical samples. During the past 20 years, four Alabama coals have been analyzed petrographically and the results published by the United States Bureau of Mines. They are: 1—Flat Top mine, Mary Lee bed; 2—Empire mine, Black Creek bed; 3—Wylam No. 8 mine, Pratt bed, all in the Warrior field; and 4—Soot Creek mine, Fairview bed, in the Coosa field."-" Of these, only the Flat Top mine is still operating. Because of the closing of these mines, it first appeared necessary to rely upon the indirect and unsatisfactory procedure of sampling the beds in other mines located as near to the closed mines as possible. Upon investigation, however, it was found that the Bureau of Mines still had, in storage, the very same samples which had been used in the published petrographic studies. The Bureau very generously furnished about 2000 g each of the Pratt, Mary Lee, and Fairview bed coals, largely lumps but with some fines. The blocks of coal, when received, still were covered by the paraffin coating which had been placed on the polished surface, in the case of the Mary Lee coal almost twenty years ago. Procedure The procedure for oxidizing the coal sample and removing the alkali-soluble humic acid has been described. In the present study, oxidation periods of 1/6, 1/3, 1/2, 3/4, 1, 2, 3, and 4 hr were used. All oxidations were made in triplicate. After the paraffin had been removed in boiling water and the coal washed carefully with cold benzene, the entire sample of approximately 2000 g, obtained from the Bureau of Mines, was crushed to pass a No. 4 sieve. About 200 g of this material was pulverized to pass
Jan 1, 1954
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Part VIII - High-Field Superconductivity of Tantalum-Titanium AlloysBy K. M. Rolls, J. Wulff, D. A. Colling
Solid-solution alloys of the Ta- Ti system containing up to 70 at. pct Ti were melted and fabricated into wire. Steady magnetic-field measurements of cold-worked wires at 4.2°K indicate that the resistive critical field increases smoothly with increasing titanium, reaching a maximum of 93 kG (J = 1 amp per sq cm) for a composition of about 50 at. pct Ti. The composition dependence of the resistive critical field indicates it is largely paramagnetically limited for alloys containing more than 35 at. pct Ti. For cold-worked wires the value of the critical current density, Jc , was found to be insensitive to composition changes for compositions in excess of 20 at. pct Ti. It was observed that Jc could be increased by final-size heat treatment at 400°C without altering the value of- the resistive critical field. Experimental data are used to calculate the electronic specific-heat coefficient and the "upper critical field" for the alloys studied. THE effect and importance of metallurgical structure on superconducting properties have been summarized by Livingston and Schadler.1 Specific work on solid-solution alloys such as Nb-zr2-7 and Nb-Ti5-7 have shown that critical current density (Jc) and superconducting transition temperature are structure-sensitive. Berlincourt et al.6,8,9 in their studies of transition-metal alloys find that Ta-Ti alloys remain superconducting at fields comparable to Nb-Ti alloys. 6,8 Transverse critical current tests of a Ta-10 at. pct Ti alloy10 and longitudinal critical current tests of a Ta-25 at. pct Ti alloy1' indicate that such alloys are capable of carrying high currents at intermediate fields (-40 kG). The work reported in the present paper was undertaken to explore the superconducting properties of further compositions in the Ta-Ti alloy system as well as the structure sensitivity of the superconducting properties. I) EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Alloys were prepared by melting tantalum (Fansteel Metallurgical Corp., 99.96 pct purity) and iodide, crystal bar titanium (Foote Mineral Co., 99.92 pct purity) mixtures in an arc furnace on a water-cooled copper hearth using a tungsten electrode. Melting was accomplished in a purified, gettered argon atmosphere at pressures from 250 to 400 Torr. Each alloy was turned and remelted fourteen times to assure complete mixing of tantalum and titanium. Ex- cessive coring in the cast samples was, nevertheless, observed. This was somewhat reduced by annealing in vacuo at 1000°C for 13 hr. The ingots were then machined to 0.250 in. diam, jacketed in Type 304 stainless-steel tubing, and swaged to 0.140 in. diam. They were then drawn to 0.010-in.-diam wire. Alloys containing up to 70 at. pct Ti were readily cold-drawn to wire in this manner. Later experiments showed that oxygen additions up to -3000 ppm could also be cold-worked into wire. Test samples for superconductivity measurements in the 2-in, air-core Bitter solenoids of the M.I.T. National Magnet Laboratory were prepared from 10-in. lengths of 0.010-in.-diam wire, cleaned of residual wire-drawing lubricant. Current contacts were made by clamping clean copper tubing over both No. 18 current lead wire and the ultrasonically indium-tinned ends of the specimen wire.12 Potential leads of No. 32 copper wire were connected to the specimen by ultrasonic soldering in an indium bath. The potential lead separation was about 4 cm, corresponding to the circumference of the Bakelite rod to which the wire was affixed with half-mil Teflon tape. The final specimen configuration is shown in Fig. 1. Specimens were lowered into a liquid helium bath (4.2oK) in a double solenoid dewar and positioned so that the maximum magnetic field was oriented transverse to the wire axis of the gage section. Measurements were made by passing a current through the specimen at a preset solenoidal magnetic field. The current was increased until a 1-pv potential difference appeared across the gage section (1/4 µv per cm). At low magnetic fields, however, it was not possible to use this criterion because power-dissipation difficul-
Jan 1, 1967
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Institute of Metals Division - An Evaluation of Two Least-Squares Methods for Precision Determination of Hexagonal Lattice Parameters from Debye-Scherrer PatternsBy H. M. Otte, A. L. Esquivel
A new leasl-squares method is Presented for determining lattice parameters of hexagonal or tetragonul structures. The method is adapted for use on electronic computers and involves a reiterative procedure. The correction factor employed raries linearly with the lattice parameter, a (determined from the Brag, angle). In contrast, Cohen's method and recent modifications of it use a correction factor that varies incersely as the squure of the lattice paramneter, a. While the recent modifications attempt to improve the precision of the extrapolated lattice parameter, a, (or-cu). by stressing the importance of the weighting factor. the present approach emphasizes the need for choosing the correct extrapolation function. A comparison between the present method (the Linear method) and Cohen's method indicates that the Linear method may be more appropriale in certain cases. through a priori no critertion appears to he available for making a chorce between the methods. The size of hexagonal and tetragonal crystal lattices is determined by two parameters, a, and c,. Although in principle the two lattice parameters can be determined independently from reflections for which h - k = 0 and 1 = 0, respectively, in practice this may be inconvenient (because of the angular positions at which these reflections may occur) or not easily possible (because of low intensity). Furthermore, if a high precision or accuracy is required, the limited number of reflections of this type available, particularly in the high-angle region, is not sufficient for the necessary corrections (mainly due to absorption) to be determined with accuracy. Several methods1-7,11-13 have been proposed employing all reflections, to obtain the optimum values, a. and co, either by a trial and error procedure or a least-squares fit. Of the latter method, cohen's5 is the best known one since it provides explicit expressions for the optimum a. and c,. However, Cohen's method is only strictly valid if an extrapolation function is used that varies linearly with l/a2 or lie2 (see Section 3), a requirement that does not appear to be generally appreciated. On the other hand, all the better known and more widely used A recent trial and error method was proposed by Massalski and King8,7 who computed extensive auxiliary tables of axial ratios vs the functions A = [(4/3)(h2 + hk +k2) + l2+(a/c)2] and C = A(c/a)2 used in computing a and c values from the observed Bragg angles. These values of a and c were then plotted against a function which permitted linear extrapolation. As a criteria; for the "optimum" values, Massalski and King rely upon a visual fitting of the line through points representing reflections of low 1-index points to compute the extrapolated value of ao and high 1-index reflections to obtain CO. The successive computations and graphical plotting required to reach the "optimum" value are quite lengthy and tedious even on a desk calculator and no quantitative assurance is obtained of having in fact selected the optimum value.* If the method of Massalski and King is used on an electronic computer, then their published tables become redundant and a least-squares fit becomes a natural selection for the choice of optimum values. Such an approach will be called the Linear method. For work now in progress on the effect of certain physical variables on the lattice parameters of hexagonal crystals, it has become essential to determine the confidence limits of small changes in the lattice parameters. Since extrapolation functions that varied linearly with a and c actually also appeared to vary linearly with l/a2 or l/c2 when tested against published as well as our data, a comparison of Cohen's method and the Linear method was considered desirable (Sections 3 and 4). For the latter method an electronic computer was required since a reiterative procedure to obtain the optimum ao and co values had to be employed. The purpose of this paper is to describe the principles of the Linear method, illustrate its application, and compare it with Cohen's method. 1) THE LINEAR METHOD The standard practice in obtaining the lattice parameters in the Debye-Scherrer method is to
Jan 1, 1965
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Part IV – April 1969 - Papers - High-Temperature Plastic Deformation of Polycrystalline RheniumBy R. R. Vandervoort, W. L. Barmore
Tensile creep experiments were conducted on high-purity, poly cvystalline rhenium from 1500" to 2300°C at stresses from 1500 to I0,OOO psi in a vacuum of 10-a torr. The apparent activation energy for creep was 60 kcal per mole, and the steady-state creep rate varied directly with stress to the 3.4 power. Dislocation substructure that developed during creep was studied by transmission electron microscopy. Possible rate-controlling deformation mechanisms are discussed. The creep behavior of most metals at elevated temperature can be represented by the following equation:''' t = Cf(s)(^)(s/E)nD [1] where i = steady-state creep rate, C = constant, f(s) = a function involving microstructure, s = applied stress, E = the average elastic modulus at test temperature, n = constant, D = diffusion coefficient According to this well-established relationship, metals with higher elastic moduli and lower diffusion coefficients should have greater creep resistance at the same stress and temperature and equivalent mi-crostructures. While no diffusion data are available, the diffusivity of rhenium should be less than that for most other refractory metals because of its high melting point and hcp crystal structure. The Sherby-Simnad relation for calculating atomic mobility in metallic systems3 predicts that the diffusion coefficient for rhenium is less than that experimentally determined for tungsten4 in the temperature region 1500. to 2200°C. At these temperatures the elastic modulus for tungsten5 is only slightly larger than the extrapolated modulus for rhenium.6 Thus, rhenium is a good possibility for a a high-temperature structural material, but few data on the creep of rhenium have been reported. This investigation was undertaken to study the high-tempera-ture deformation behavior of rhenium in detail. EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES The material used in this study was consolidated from high-purity powder. After cold pressing the powder to a plate a in. thick, the billet was sintered in hydrogen at 2250°C for 24 hr. The plate was reduced to 0.100 in. by cold cross rolling with intermediate anneals at 1650°C for 20 min between passes. The plate was further reduced to 0.060 in. by unidirectional cold rolling with similar heat treatments between passes, and then finally stress-relieved in hydrogen at 1650°C for 30 min. Specimens tested at 1900°C and below were pretest-annealed at 1900°C for 2 50 hr. Specimens tested above 1900°C were pretest-annealed at 2400°C for 5 hr. The impurity content in the "as-received" plate was quite low, table I. Essentially no change in impurity levels was detected in specimens after creep testing. All creep tests and annealing treatments were conducted in a vacuum of 10-8 torr in a test furnace heated by a tungsten mesh element. The load was applied to the specimens through a bellows, and stresses were maintained to ±1 pct of the selected value by periodic corrections for changes in specimen cross-sectional area during creep and for changes in the bellows spring force due to load column extension. One-inch-diameter tungsten force rods were used in the hot zone of the furnace. Deformation at temperature was measured by optically tracking gage marks on the specimen. Temperature was measured by a calibrated optical pyrometer and was determined to ±5"C. Grain sizes were determined by the linear intercept method and specimens were examined in the "as-polished" condition, using polarized light. Specimens annealed at 1900°C had a grain size of 52 ± 5µ , and those annealed at 2400°C had a grain size of 148 * 11 µ. Pieces were cut from the gage section of creep-tested specimens and planed to a thickness of about 0.010 in. by spark discharge machining. Thin foils for viewing by transmission electron microscopy were obtained by electropolishing in a solution of 6:3:1 ethyl alcohol, perchloric acid, and butoxy ethanol, respectively, using the window technique. Bath temperature was —4OoC, and the cell potential was 35 v. The foils were examined in Siemens Elmiskop I, operating at 100 kv. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION In order to analyze the results from creep experiments, Eq. [I] is rewritten in the following form: <=Kf(s)ne-/RT [2] where K = constant, ?// = apparent activation energy for creep,
Jan 1, 1970
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PART XI – November 1967 - Papers - The Limitation of Autoradiography as a Technique to Measure Grain Boundary SegregationBy D. F. Stein
In spite of the apparent usefulness of autoradiography in demonstrating segregation, it has had very limited success in demonstrating grain boundary segregation. Because of this limited success, a model system amenable to mathematical analysis was devised to determine which variables in the experiment are most important. As a result of these calculations, it was concluded that autoradiograPhy is a rather insensitive technique to measure grain boundary segregation. The range (energies) of the emitted particles (ß and a) must be low, and the concentration of the radioactive speczes at the grain boundary must be (in general) two or three orders of magnitude greater than the concentration within the grain. Because of these very restricted conditions , the limited success of the technzque is not surprising. In spite of the apparent usefulness of autoradiography in demonstrating segregation, it has had very limited success in demonstrating grain boundary segregation. Sulfur segregation in iron1 and possibly polonium segregation in Pb-5 pct B1 2 alloys are the only autoradi-ography experiments that have demonstrated segregation to grain boundaries in metals without the formation of a second phase. Segregation to a boundary without the formation of a second phase is often called Gibbs' absorption and is discussed by McLean in Chapter 5 of Ref. 10. There are several394 experiments showing grain boundary diffusion of a radioisotope, but this type experiment is not representative of equilibrium between the concentration of an element at a grain boundary and that in bulk, so it will not be discussed in this paper. In an attempt to determine if temper embrittle ment of low-alloy steels was associated with segregation of antimony to grain boundaries, a program to use auto-radiography (using Sb-125) was initiated. Even though other measurements strongly suggest that segregation is occurring during embrittlement, no evidence of grain boundary segregation was observed in the auto-radiography experiments. An attempt was also made to detect segregation of carbon (using C-14) to grain boundaries in iron during slow cooling. There is again strong indirect evidence7 that segregation occurs during such a treatment, but the autoradiography experiment gave no evidence of such segregation. Because of the failure of these experiments and the general lack of success by our metallographic unit in measuring grain boundary segregation using autoradi-ography, a model system amenable to mathematical analysis was devised to determine which variables in the experiment are most important. MODEL SYSTEM The model system is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. It is a semi-infinite bicrystal with a single grain boundary perpendicular to the top face. The width of the grain boundary, W, is defined as the region to which segregation has occurred and it is assumed that this region is of constant composition. The assumption of an infinite dimension is for mathematical reasons but the results of such an analysis (as will be demonstrated later) are valid for even very small specimens. It also is assumed that the measurement is not limited by means of detecting the radiation (photographic emulsions, counters, and so forth) but that the means of detecting radiation is linearly sensitive to the radiation and has infinite resolving power. The distance y is the perpendicular distance from the center of the grain boundary to the point at which the background radiation is measured and x is the integration variable. CALCULATION FOR BETA PARTICLES Two values of the intensity of radiation will be calculated, the intensity at the center of the grain boundary and the intensity far from the grain boundary. The radiation at the center of the grain boundary can be calculated in the following way. Assume a grain boundary of width W having a uniform concentration equal to Cgb + Cb where CGb is the excess concentration of the element under consideration at the grain boundary and Cb is the bulk concentration. The intensity of radiation, IgB, at the center of the grain boundary, is a consequence of the amount of radioactive material, decay rate, absorption, and geometrical factors which can be represented mathematically by the following expression:
Jan 1, 1968