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By Ivan B. Cutler, Milton E. Wadsworth

Coprecipitation of anionic and cationic polyelectrolytes has been applied to flocculation of several mineral systems. Results obtained in a study of the flocculation of kaolinite and hematite suspensions of polycationic and polyanionic electrolytes are presented. Greatly increased settling rates were observed following precipitation of positive and negative polyelectrolytes on the surface of finely divided minerals in aqueous suspension. The ratios of polycationic to polyanionic electrolytes required to produce maximum sedimentation have been shown to correspond closely with the equivalence points obtained by light scattering studies of systems containing the positive and negative polyelectrolytes by themselves.

Aug 1, 1956

By Clarence P. Linville

(Pittsburg Meeting, March, 1910.) IT is recognized that, in all metallurgical operations, the greatest possible uniformity in all conditions is essential to the best results. It is the constant aim of metallurgists to secure this uniformity, and their success in this respect has been in many cases the cause of great advances in the metallurgical processes themselves. Of all such processes, the production of pig-iron in the modern blast-furnace is perhaps the most complex and the most difficult of control. Notwithstanding the great progress of recent years, there is still great difficulty in obtaining anything like uniform conditions and results in the manufacture of pig-iron. The reason is not far to seek. The ores vary in composition and physical properties, often carrying a varying amount of gangue material, unevenly distributed The coke may vary in composition, cell-structure, moisture, hardness, and other properties. The blast, the weight of which far exceeds that of any other constituent, varies in its moisture-content and consequently in its chemical composition ; and its temperature, by reason of the method of heating, is not uniform, but, besides varying from time to time with atmospheric and other outside conditions, has a maximum and minimum for every changing of stoves. Now, with regard to these variations, the modern demand for uniformity has been greatly aided. Chemical analysis has made it possible to select ores so that the composition of the charge can be kept fairly constant; coal may be obtained from a given field, and coked in the same kind of ovens under conditions which . make the fuel practically uniform ; the Gayley

Mar 1, 1910

By William E. Ford, Edward Salisbury Dana

Secondary Twinning. - When there is reason to believe that the twinning has been produced subsequently to the original formation of the crystal, or crystalline mass, as, for example, by pressure, it is said to be secondary. Thus the calcite grains of a crystalline limestone often show such secondary twinning lamella?. The same are occasionally observed (Ilc, 001) in pyroxene crystals. Further, the polysynthetic twinning of the triclinic feldspars is often secondary in origin. This subject is further discussed on a later page, where it is also explained that in certain cases twinning may be produced artificially in a crystal individual - e.g., in calcite (see Art. 282).

Jan 1, 1922

By Martin G. Castro, Renato G. Bautista, Morton Smutz

During the last 25 years, multistage mixer-settlers have been used extensively for liquid ion exchange work. The mixer-settler has the advantage of being a compact device in which a large number of stages can be assembled in a relatively small area. They are particularly advantageous for the separation of rare earths. Most of the adjacent rare earths have separation factors which are near one, which means that a large number of stages are needed to produce a good separation. When two elements (m, n) are extracted simultaneously, the separation factor (ßm, n) is defined as: [ ] where Ym, Yn are the molarities of the respective elements in the organic phase and Xm, Xn, are their molarities in the aqueous phase at equilibrium. The industrial consumption of rare earth oxides rose to over 6800 tons in 1968, an increase of 33% over 1967.1 The increased production and demand for rare earth and lanthanum chlorides for petroleum cracking catalysts was one of the principal factors in this increased consumption of rare earths. In 1968 approximately 59% of the rare earth oxides produced were used for gasoline cracking catalysts in the form of rare earth and lanthanum chlorides. There was also an increase in the sales of lanthanum oxides for use in optical lenses and in fiber optics. The future looks good for the rare earth industry. The rare earths can be expected to be used in many new products which are being developed. Until the late 1950's tributyl phosphate (TBP) was the principal solvent used in rare earth liquid ion exchange. In 1957 Peppard3 reported the use of di (2-ethyl-hexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) as a solvent for separating the rare earths. Rare earth separation factors of up to 2.5 were obtained in nitrate and chloride systems while the maximum separation factor using the

Jan 1, 1972

By L. C. Weiner

For zinc single crystals, xo = 3o, a surface coating raises both the cleavage and yield strengths over a large temperature range. The "brittle temperature," associated with slip after completion of twinning, does not coincide with the point of intersection of the flow and cleavage curves, which is associated with twinning. A surface film has no effect on the brittle temperature, while it lowers the intersection temperature some 20°. For crystals, yn = 83o, a coating decreases the cleavage strength, making it temperature independent, as well as increases the brittle temperature or its equivalent, the intersection temperature, 20°. These observations are described on the basis of a dislocation-pile-up-at-a-barrier model for brittle fracture; in crystals x,, = 3o the number and distribution of twins play a vital role. IN a recent investigation on the effects of solid environments on the brittle fracture of zinc single crystals,' it was demonstrated that the presence of a surface film changes the cleavage strength of these crystals, either increasing or decreasing it, depending on the crystal orientation. An increase in cleavage strength of some 43 per cent was found for coated crystals oriented x, — 3o K = 28",* while a decrease of 48 per cent was observed with crystals X" = y» — 83". Moreover, these effects were found

Jan 1, 1959

By Willard P. Ward

The numerous direct processes which have been patented and brought before the iron-masters of the world, differ materially from that now introduced by Mr. Wilson. After a careful examination of his process, I am convinced that Mr. Wilson has succeeded in producing good blooms from iron-ore, and I think that I am able to point out theoretically the chief reasons of the success of his method. Without going deeply into the history of the metal, I may mention the well-known fact, that wrought-iron was extensively used in almost all quarters of the globe, before pig or cast-iron was ever produced. Without entering into the details of the processes by which this wrought-iron was made, it suffices for my present purpose to say that they were crude, wasteful, and expensive, so that they can IE employed to-day only in a very few localities favored with good and cheap ore, fuel, and labor. The constructiou of larger furnaces and the employment of higher temperatures led to the production of a highly carbonized, fusible metal, without any special design on the part of the manufacturers in producing it. This pig-iron, however, could be used only for a few purposes for which metallie iron was needed; but it was produced cheaply and with little loss of metal, and the attempt to decarbonize this product and bring it into a state in which it could be hammered and welded was soon successfully made. This process of decarbonizatioa, or some modification of it, has successfully held the field against all, so-called, direct processes up to the present time. Why ? Because the old-fashioned bloomeries and Catalan forges could produce blooms only at a high cost, and because the new processes introduced failed to turn out good blooms. Those produced were invariably "red-short," that is, they contained unreduced oxide of iron, which prevented the contact of the metallic particles, and rendered the welding together of these particles to form a solid bloom impossible. The process of puddling cast-iron, and transforming it by decarhonization into wrought-iron has, as everybody knows, been in successful practical operation for many years, and the direct process referred to so closely resembles this, that a short description of the theory of puddling is not out of place here.

Jan 1, 1884

By James Marsh

INTRODUCTION Economists have long expressed suspicion of the economic theory of natural resource exhaustion, even in writing articles which have contributed to it (1). Indeed, the gap which separates the pure theory from practical management seems unusually wide. It is doubtful whether a mine manager could possibly know enough about the relevant parameters of his mine to steer it along the optimal paths described by the theorists (2). Nevertheless, enough faith in the theory remains that mine managers are suspected of being a separate breed whose behavior must be studied in special courses using specialized text-books, collections of readings, and journals (3). The implied hypothesis, that mines and natural resource firms are managed differently than other firms, is the subject of this paper. In the next section the theory is developed and analyzed. In section III, I discuss the implications of the statistical results that have been obtained. Finally, conclusions are reserved for section IV. THE MODEL A key difference between the traditional theory of natural resource production and that of other forms lies in the set of variables which ire assumed to jointly determine the quantity of output the firm will produce. Output, in the non-resource case, is assumed to be a function of k clearly definable and distinguishable inputs or factors of production, viz., y = f(xl, x2, ..., xk), (1) here

Jan 1, 1977

By Warren E. Wilson

THE transportation of solids in pipe lines is a matter of deep concern in many fields of engineering. Much experimental and theoretical work has been done in an effort to devise means of designing pipe lines that will satisfactorily transport given solid loads, but there remain many unanswered questions in this field. The present discussion will be confined to a rather narrow portion of this field and will endeavor to point out certain factors that may well be considered when comparing the relative economy of various installations. The data have been presented previously but a new interpretation was prompted by a suggestion in a paper by Professor O'Brien,1 of the University of California, that the friction work per pound of dry material should be considered in determining the relative efficiency of various installations. This method of considering relative economy in various pipe lines leads to some rather unexpected conclusions, especially with reference to the economy of large pipe sizes. A previous suggestion by the writer3 concerning the economy of a rather peculiar type of installation is strengthened. It is not believed that the considerations set forth herein apply directly in the case of dredge lines, where economy is largely a matter of a high rate of pumping in order to reduce the unit overhead charge. However, it is believed that some value may be gained from these considerations in cases involving the disposal of a fixed amount of solids per unit time with a minimum expenditure of energy and at a low cost for replacement of worn pipes. Such situations are not uncommon in the disposal of mill tailings and the disposal of solids deposited from irrigation waters. It was found that data leading to general conclusions for various pipe sizes were not available but certain definite trends are indicated and methods of analyzing available data are presented in the hope that they may be of assistance in preparing engineering estimates on designs of pipe lines of the type described above. ENERGY. REQUIREMENTS Carrying out the idea contained in Professor O'Brien's paper concerning the method of computing energy required to transport solids, the following analysis leads to some rather interesting conclusions. Let us represent: [Solids load in terms of mass per unit time by W Ratio of mass of suspended solids to total mass of mixture flowing by p Volume rate of flow of mixture by Q Length of pipe by L Slope of energy grade line by s Mass per unit volume of solids by m, Mass per unit volume of liquid by ml Mass per unit volume of mixture by m,,, We then have as an expression for the solids load: W = pQm¬] The work done per unit mass, P, on the mixture to move it along the pipe the

Jan 1, 1945

By Stanford O. Grodd

The Sanford Lake district encompasses an area covering 24 square miles in the central Adirondack Mountains of northern New York State. Discovery of the titaniferous magnetite deposits dates back to 1826. Several attempts to exploit the ores for iron prior to 1942 proved uneconomical because of difficulties with the associated titanium, lack of transportation facilities, and the isolated location. Since 1942, the National Lead Company has produced ilmenite concentrates for the titanium pigment industry, and a magnetite by-product used in the steel and refractory industries. Rocks of the area are Precambrian in age and of igneous origin. The area has a history of erosion, deformation, and metamorphism, subsidence, and finally uplift and glaciation. The resulting topography is extremely rough with drainage patterns controlled by a combination of fault patterns and glacial modifications. The district is within the large anorthosite massif making up the central high peak area of the Adirondacks. All of the various lowsilica rock types associated with the massif are found within the boundaries of the district. These consist of both the Marcy and Whiteface types of anorthosite and of gabbroic anorthosite, gabbro, and different grades of titaniferous magnetite ores. All of the rocks contain the same minerals and differ only in their percentages of these consitituents. Gabbro, and ore associated with it, demonstrate flow structure as both have foliation and lineation. Anorthosite and its associated ores are massive and show very little primary structure. Minor pegmatites and diabase dikes provide evidence of remobilization in selected areas and of late intrusion as well. Faulting is prevalent and follows a regional pattern of major faults trending northeastsouthwest and of minor faults at nearly right angles to them. There are four mineralized areas where an economic grade of ore has been found. Three of these have both gabbroic-type ore and anorthositic-type ore. The fourth has only gabbroic ore. Ores are graded according to their TiO, content, and these range from 9.5 per cent to over 30.0 per cent TiO,. Ore bodies of both types are related to gabbro and conform to the configuration of the gabbro bodies within the anorthosite. At least three distinct theories of ore genesis have been expounded by different investigators. Others propose some variations of one or more of these. Although complete agreement probably never will be reached, it is certain that no one process of ore emplacement can explain the complicated picture as seen today. Further understanding of the ores and their origin will require detailed mapping, sampling, and mineralogical studies of the entire district, and then it may never be understood without qualification.

Jan 1, 1968

By C. M. Wayman, S. R. Rauze

It was recently reported' that the initial transformation in (100) iron whiskers grown in the bcc condition can be nucleated on heating in regions of the whisker which are not necessarily the hottest. Although this behavior was observed1 several times, its sporadic nature precluded any documentation other than occasional visual observations during hot-stage optical-microscope heating experiments. The purpose of this communication is to report how, in one instance, the a-y transformation in such a (100) iron whisker was initiated in a region which was clearly at a lower temperature than an adjacent region which did not transform at all.

Jan 1, 1967

By T. K. Smith

The comments contained in the discussion of the paper concerning the prediction of fracture gradients are of considerable interest, since the subject is of a very controversial and timely nature. It is regrettable and Fairhurst2 contradicts the author's statement in the third paragraph of Other Applications. These references create significant doubt that Eaton's Eq. 1 predicts fracture pressure during the injection of fluid into old wells. 3. No evidence is presented in this paper to support the author's Conclusions 2 and 3. While an empirical coefficient related to back-calculated field data is correlated with depth (Eaton's Fig. 4), there is no reason to suspect that this coefficient might be the Poisson's ratio of the various formations involved. 4. Until the field data supporting the empirical approach proposed by the author are presented and evaluated, the accuracy claimed in Conclusion 5 is without substantiation. References 1. Geertsma, J.: "Problems of Rock Mechanics in Petroleum Production Engineering", Proc., First Intl. Symposium on Rock Mechanics, Lisbon (1966) 585. 2. Haimson, B. and Fairhurst, C.: "Hydraulic Fracturing in Porous-Permeable Materials", I. Pet Tech. (July, 1969) 811-817. that the comments are those of a critic and do not offer an alternative and better method for the prediction of fracture gradients. Nevertheless, a reply is in order.

Jan 1, 1970

By Edward J. Felten

Binary Cr-A1 alloys containing from 2.5 to 30 wt pct Al and 0.7 wt pct Y were heated in oxygen, air, and nitrogen between 1000" and 1200°C. The reacLivity of the alloys was found to be dependent both on the alloy composition nnd the nature of t he atmosphere. In oxygen, nllojs containing up to 15 to 20 wt pct A1 reacted to produce an external scale of Crz03 and a subscale consisting Predominently of Al203. Alloys contazning 20 to 30 wt pct A1 react in oxygen to produce an A1203 external scale and little m no subscale. The latter alloys were markedly more oxidation resistant than those of low alurninum content. In air, the alloys on which an external Crz03 scale was formed were found to be permeable to nitrogen ns evidenced by the copious amomts of chromium and aluminum nilrides observed ns part of the subscale. The reactizities in nir (or nitrogen) of these alloys increase <m their aluminurn contents increase. However, alloys on which Al,O, us an external scale is formed were nol culnerable to nccelerated attack in air, and no eltldence of nitvide subscnles were observed. For all alloys, yttrium serwed pYimarily to improve oxide adhrence. THE role of chromium in the oxidation resistance of Fe-Cr alloys &apos;-&apos; and that of aluminum in Fe-Cr-A1 al10s&apos; has received considerable attention in recent years. This is understandable since many of these alloys have excellent oxidation resistance due to the formation of either a Cr203 or a-Ala03 film between the metal and the oxidizing atmosphere. Small additions of yttrium or other rare earth metals are effective in preventing spalling of the protective oxide from the metal substrate."" In contrast, little is known regarding the oxidation resistance of Cr-A1 alloys, although some work has been done by Tumarov et a1.&apos; The poor niechanical properties exhibited by Cr-A1 alloys make them undesirable for use as structural components, but their use as coatings cannot be disregarded. The use of chromium-rich aluminide coatings for refractory metal alloys is an example of the potential use of this type of sytem. The purpose of this work is to examine the oxidation behavior of Cr-A1 alloys containing 2.5 to 30 wt pct A1 and 0.7 wt pct Y. The effects of temperature, atmosphere, and thermal cycling have been determined. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The alloys used in this investigation can be divided into two groups. Those containing 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 wt pct A1 and 0.7 wt pct Y were extensively evaluated in the temperature range from 1000" to 1200°C. Alloys containing 15, 20, 25, and 30 wt pct A1 and 0.7 wt pct Y were tested only at 1200°C. All of the alloys were prepared by standard arc-melting techniques in the form of cylinders approximately 4 in. long and 19 in. in diam. Wafers were cut from the cylinders and subsequently subdivided into rectangular coupons. The alloys were brittle and therefore some cracks were found in almost all specimens. The coupons were prepared for oxidation by mechanically polishing through 600 grit Sic paper, and were thoroughly degreased just prior to testing. Two types of oxidation experiments were conducted, namely; cyclic tests in which the specimens were examined and weighed after each 2 hr exposure, and continuous thermal balance tests run in a controlled atmosphere (oxygen, air, or nitrogen) for 20 hr. In the former test the spalled oxide was not included when the specimens were weighed. The physical condition of a specimen was noted visually after each cycle and testing was continued either to failure or until the performance of the specimen was well characterized. Both Micro and Semi-Micro Thermal Balances (Ains-worth) were used in the continuous tests. The oxidized specimens were sectioned and prepared for metal log raphic examination. The specimens were polished through 600 grit Sic paper. After polishing through 6 and l p diamond, a final mechanical polish with Linde B-Alz03 was used. Specimens containing 2.5 pct A1 were etched electrolytically using a 10 pct oxalic acid solution at 4 v for about 2 sec. Selected specimens were examined in the electron microprobe analyzer. Oxide specimens were examined by standard X-ray diffraction techniques. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS For convenience, the test results have been broken down according to the exposure temperature, and further subdivided according to the type of test and atmosphere employed. Because of the poor quality of the specimens a larger than normal amount of scatter was observed in the measured rate constants. Also, the evaluation of the weight gain data was done on a somewhat arbitrary basis and may not be truly representative. However, the results obtained do show a significant trend in behavior regarding both alloy composition and the nature of the oxidizing atmosphere. I) Oxidation Behavior at 1000°C. A) Continuous Oxidation estsin Oxygen. This series of experiments was run in the Ainsworth Micro-Thermal Balance using pure oxygen at a pressure of 76 mm Hg. Under these conditions all specimens oxidized in accordance with the parabolic rate law over a major portion of the exposure time; the rate constants appear in Table I. The oxide formed externally on all specimens was predominantly Cr,O,, which was generally adherent. In some cases a slight amount of spalling in the form of a fine powder was noted. a-A1203 was observed as a subscale, along with Yz03 in all alloys. Alloys containing up to 7.5 wt pct A1 oxidize more rapidly than the Cr-0.7Y alloy.

Jan 1, 1970

Jan 1, 1967

By Louis A. Carapella, William E. Shaw

Magnesium and its alloys have long been characterized as possessing limited capacity for mechanical forming at atmospheric temperatures prior to rupturing despite their outstanding performances in this respect at elevated temperatures. Responsible for this behavior are the fundamental facts that these hexagonal-type metals have comparatively few slip elements at low temperatures for any extensive deformation and that, at high temperatures, additional slip elements become operative, thus enhancing greater plasticity under strain. The transitionai point has been set at 2 25°C by Schmidl for single crystals, and at 250°C by Morel1 and Hanawalt² for extruded magnesium metal. In a recent X-ray investigation on poly-crystalline magnesium-alloy sheets, Barrett and Haller3 have revealed that, below the transitional tempelature, the initial plastic deformation proceeds mostly by a twinning action; that, above such a temperature, the action is mostly by slip. The deep-drawing performance of the magnesium + 1.5 pct alloy sheet† over a wide range of temperatures has been investigated by Weber and Vanden Berg,&apos; and their results are presented in Fig I. It should be noted from this work that a maximum drawability of about 25 pct at room temperature has been obtained on this alloy under the conventional deep-drawing operations. For the same alloy, it is now possible to augment the cold drawability to about 40 pct by a process to be disclosed. Hitherto, this value has been obtained only by deep-drawing the alloy at around 230°C. That greater plastic flow is attainable at atmospheric temperatures on magnesium under certain deformational techniques was discovered by the authors6 in their analyses of plastic-deformational behaviors of pure magnesium. This fact is best illustrated in Fig 2 from the Har-greaves analysis6 performed by the authors under two different modes of loading. For direct test, a separate unstrained specimen was used for each load duration, whereas for the integrated test the same specimen was employed for all the five intermittent loadings so that the load duration was made additive throughout the investigation. The higher plastic flow-rate at room temperature, as designated by the Har-greaves constant S, was obtained by the integrated or intermittent loading procedure. The authors6 in further tests showed that, under such a procedure greater plastic flow was also realized with a progressive increase in deformatione 1 loads. These findings have been applicd

Jan 1, 1947

By William E. Shaw, Louis A. Carapella

Magnesium and its alloys have long been characterized as possessing limited capacity for mechanical forming at atmospheric temperatures prior to rupturing despite their outstanding performances in this respect at elevated temperatures. Responsible for this behavior are the fundamental facts that these hexagonal-type metals have comparatively few slip elements at low temperatures for any extensive deformation and that, at high temperatures, additional slip elements become operative, thus enhancing greater plasticity under strain. The transitionai point has been set at 2 25°C by Schmidl for single crystals, and at 250°C by Morel1 and Hanawalt² for extruded magnesium metal. In a recent X-ray investigation on poly-crystalline magnesium-alloy sheets, Barrett and Haller3 have revealed that, below the transitional tempelature, the initial plastic deformation proceeds mostly by a twinning action; that, above such a temperature, the action is mostly by slip. The deep-drawing performance of the magnesium + 1.5 pct alloy sheet† over a wide range of temperatures has been investigated by Weber and Vanden Berg,&apos; and their results are presented in Fig I. It should be noted from this work that a maximum drawability of about 25 pct at room temperature has been obtained on this alloy under the conventional deep-drawing operations. For the same alloy, it is now possible to augment the cold drawability to about 40 pct by a process to be disclosed. Hitherto, this value has been obtained only by deep-drawing the alloy at around 230°C. That greater plastic flow is attainable at atmospheric temperatures on magnesium under certain deformational techniques was discovered by the authors6 in their analyses of plastic-deformational behaviors of pure magnesium. This fact is best illustrated in Fig 2 from the Har-greaves analysis6 performed by the authors under two different modes of loading. For direct test, a separate unstrained specimen was used for each load duration, whereas for the integrated test the same specimen was employed for all the five intermittent loadings so that the load duration was made additive throughout the investigation. The higher plastic flow-rate at room temperature, as designated by the Har-greaves constant S, was obtained by the integrated or intermittent loading procedure. The authors6 in further tests showed that, under such a procedure greater plastic flow was also realized with a progressive increase in deformatione 1 loads. These findings have been applicd

Jan 1, 1947

By Helmut Thielsch

In recent years an ever increasing amount of interest has been directed toward research studying the principles and various applications of sonic and supersonic waves. Though still in their early stages of practical development, sonic vibrations are already used in the emulsifi-cation and degasification of liquids. Metals exposed to sonic or ultrasonic vibrations while solidifying show a considerable amount of grain refinement. Often sound waves are applied instead of radiography to test engineering materials for internal cracks and flaws.&apos; In the field of pure research these waves are used in dispersion and also in coagulation of particles or liquids in gaseous or, under certain conditions, in other liquid systems. In the settling and thickening of slurries considerable time is necessary to compress the solid particles and to squeeze out the liquid to obtain as low a dilution (liquid to solid ratio) as possible. Various methods have been developed to increase the amount of coagulation of the very fine solids (colloidal or semicolloidal) and to shorten the over-all time. The addition of small amounts of electrolytes and the warming of the suspension represent merely the more important techniques. Some of the effects of supersonic vibrations have been reported previously. From preliminary studies, therefore, it was hoped that by application of sonic vibrations it would be possible to reduce the time required to thicken such materials to a specific dilution, as well as to thicken to lower ultimate dilutions than could be obtained by quiescent settling alone. By increasing the volume thickened per unit time—i.e., improving the plant efficiency— great savings in equipment and time would be obtained for industrial processes. Also, faster settling rates should result if coagulation of particles could be increased. Experiments have been conducted for a period of several months in the Allis-Chalmers laboratory to study the effect of sonic vibrations on settling of particles of different sizes and concentrations. Apparatus The sedimentation apparatus used in these experiments is illustrated in Figs. I and 2. The essential features are the stationary field coil and the movable voice coil. Both windings are placed around a solid iron core. A leather diaphragm connected to the steel frame holds the voice coil in place. A brass rod is fastened to the voice coil with a metal disk connected to the other end. This disk is sealed to the lucite cylinder with a flexible rubber diaphragm. The lucite tube is 17 in. long; its inner diameter is 2½ in. and the wall thickness is ¼ in. The tube is calibrated on the outside in 10 c.c. divisions for a total of 1000 cubic centimeters.

Jan 1, 1947

By Helmut Thielsch

In recent years an ever increasing amount of interest has been directed toward research studying the principles and various applications of sonic and supersonic waves. Though still in their early stages of practical development, sonic vibrations are already used in the emulsifi-cation and degasification of liquids. Metals exposed to sonic or ultrasonic vibrations while solidifying show a considerable amount of grain refinement. Often sound waves are applied instead of radiography to test engineering materials for internal cracks and flaws.&apos; In the field of pure research these waves are used in dispersion and also in coagulation of particles or liquids in gaseous or, under certain conditions, in other liquid systems. In the settling and thickening of slurries considerable time is necessary to compress the solid particles and to squeeze out the liquid to obtain as low a dilution (liquid to solid ratio) as possible. Various methods have been developed to increase the amount of coagulation of the very fine solids (colloidal or semicolloidal) and to shorten the over-all time. The addition of small amounts of electrolytes and the warming of the suspension represent merely the more important techniques. Some of the effects of supersonic vibrations have been reported previously. From preliminary studies, therefore, it was hoped that by application of sonic vibrations it would be possible to reduce the time required to thicken such materials to a specific dilution, as well as to thicken to lower ultimate dilutions than could be obtained by quiescent settling alone. By increasing the volume thickened per unit time—i.e., improving the plant efficiency— great savings in equipment and time would be obtained for industrial processes. Also, faster settling rates should result if coagulation of particles could be increased. Experiments have been conducted for a period of several months in the Allis-Chalmers laboratory to study the effect of sonic vibrations on settling of particles of different sizes and concentrations. Apparatus The sedimentation apparatus used in these experiments is illustrated in Figs. I and 2. The essential features are the stationary field coil and the movable voice coil. Both windings are placed around a solid iron core. A leather diaphragm connected to the steel frame holds the voice coil in place. A brass rod is fastened to the voice coil with a metal disk connected to the other end. This disk is sealed to the lucite cylinder with a flexible rubber diaphragm. The lucite tube is 17 in. long; its inner diameter is 2½ in. and the wall thickness is ¼ in. The tube is calibrated on the outside in 10 c.c. divisions for a total of 1000 cubic centimeters.

Jan 1, 1947

By G. R. Purdy, J. A. Malcolm

The isothermal dendritic precipitation of y in p CuZnSn is compared with the isothermal formation of Widmanstatten a plates in p CuZn. Although both precipitates are evidently bounded by semicoherent interfaces, the dendritic shape of y evolves through smooth "sinuoidal" shape perturbations, while a-p interfaces tend to be strictly planar, or rnicroscopically faceted. An estimate of the average inter-facial free energy of cube-oriented y in p through the Mullins-Sekerka analysis indicates that it is low (of the order of 50 ergs per sq cm). Interface mication is apparently controlled by volunle dij&apos;usion, and the observed anisotropy in growth probably results from anisotropy of inter facial free energy. Studies of the grain boundary precipitation of y in p indicate that the precipitate can grow in both $ grains, but becomes unstable with respect to the grain with which it shares a mobile semicoherent interface. Facets observed at the tips of Kurdjumov-Sacks-oriented Wid-manstatten a plates correspond to variants of an irrational hahit, near (231)0. Comparison with Hu and Smith&apos;s determination of relative interfacial free energies of a-(3 boundaries suggests that this system possesses an extremely deep o cup, which results in an ej&apos;ective low-o zone. The possible effects of such a cup on the stability of a-p interfaces are discussed, a needles, grown during rapid continuous cooling, possess microscopically smooth interfaces, and are characterized by a high degree of&apos; damage in the region of the boundaries. These boundaries, induced to move on tempering at 200"C, become faceted as equilibrium is approached, which seems to indicate that boundary structure and mobility in this system are dependent on the local degvee of departure from equilibrium MULLINS and sekerkal have elucidated the phase boundary stabilizing effect of surface tension. a factor not taken into account in previous treatments of morphological development. Their analysis applies to the isothermal growth of a pure spherical precipitate (planar in the limit of infinite radius) in a slightly supersaturated solution, under conditions of inter-facial local equilibrium and isotropy of interfacial free energy. More recently, several other factors which might tend to stabilize planar interfaces have received attention. These are: i) interface diffusion;4"8 and ii) slow interfacial reaction. cahn7 included a slight anisotropy in interfacial free energy, and showed that it has no stabilizing effect, but forces shape perturbations to reflect the anisotropy. shewmon4 noted that dendritic morphologies are rarely observed in solid-solid systems, and, in particular, postulated that slow interfacial reaction occurs at all boundaries between proeutectoid ferrite and austenite, except those which propagate parallel to {11 l)y planes (for Kurdjumov-Sachs [K-S] related phases). Previously, Aaronson~ had proposed interfacial reaction at the broad faces of Widmanstatten plates, and expected that the lateral motion of high-mobility incoherent ledge edges would produce planar precipitates bounded by law-mobility semi-coherent interfaces. The problem of interfacial reaction during the dif-fusional formation of precipitates has often been ignored, although it is apparent that a small component of chemical reaction must exist at any moving interface." Further, all solutions of the diffusion equations for boundary conditions corresponding to isothermal growth predict infinite growth rate at time zero, so that elements of interfacial reaction would be most easily detected at early times. However, reported deviations from diffusion control are comparatively rare," and the local-equilibrium diffusion-control model appears adequate for the description of many isothermal growth systems.&apos;2"9 Cahn14 has treated the problem of migration of an interface which is able to reach positional energy minima, and concluded that such an interface, if subjected to a high local ther-modynamic "driving force", may migrate normal to itself without the benefit of ledges. As local equi-

Jan 1, 1968

Jan 1, 1970