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By Bevan Presley

THERE has been developed at Latouche a rather unusual system of mining which, for want of a better name, has been called the "Latouche system of mining." It is a modified form of shrinkage stoping applicable to orebodies of large or fairly large size where the ground is such that timbering would not be required in stoping. Mention has been made of this method of mining by Birch,1 who gave no details as it had been in use only a short time and the final outcome undetermined. The system, however, has proved to be entirely successful and it is thought that a paper covering it might be of general interest. Before proceeding with a detailed description of the "Latouche system" a brief description of the property and the various mining methods previously used will be given. LOCATION The Beatson mine of the Kennecott Copper Corp. is situated on the west coast of Latouche Island-, in Prince William Sound, Southwestern Alaska, 45 miles east of Seward, the coast terminus of the U. S. Government Railroad. It is a regular port of call for ships on the Southwestern Alaska run. The island is about 12 miles long and 3 miles wide. A ridge of mountains runs the entire length with a maximum elevation of 2500 feet. CLIMATE Latouche has to contend with possibly the greatest amount of precipitation on the North American continent. The annual average precipitation for the past 4 years has been 188 in., with 248 in. for the year 1926. A rainfall of 4 in. per day is not uncommon. In the winter the thermometer rarely falls below +20° F. and the snowfall is usually heavy during the months of March and April.

Jan 1, 1927

By James Aston

A PROPER consideration of this subject is not confined to the technical channels of production and metallurgy. It concerns an industry, and should cover economic aspects which are of material importance in any program of development. The discussion may logically be treated under three subdivisions, as follows: (1) manufacture, (2) characteristics related to quality of material; (3) adaptability and exploitation of product. MANUFACTURE OF WROUGHT IRON The manufacture of wrought iron is the most ancient art of the ferrous metal industry. The eighty years or less of existence of processes identi-fied with our modern "Age of Steel" is a relatively brief interval com-pared with the several thousand years associated with the production of wrought iron by man. From the primitive early methods of production, manufacture for many centuries followed the line of direct reduction. There were developments as experience was gained through the years; but man's needs for a strong, ductile, forgeable product were met by reducing the ore to metallic iron in a single-stage operation. Following the development several centuries ago of what has become our modern blast-furnace operation, manufacture of wrought iron was gradually transformed into a two-stage method of first producing cast iron and then refining this to the desired degree of forgeability; the fore-runner in principle of today's scheme of manufacture of steel. The product retained the essential characteristics of highly refined base metal with iron-silicate slag incorporation, which were associated with the material resulting from direct reduction methods. Cort's invention of the puddling process in 1784 is a landmark in wrought-iron manufacture. It consisted essentially in adapting a coal-fired reverberatory furnace to the refining operation; thus lifting the industry out of the slough of

Jan 1, 1935

By David B. Rushmore

Torches were used by the early Romans for mine-lighting, and these were followed by open lamps or earthen jars filled with tallow or oil, and later by candles. In early coal-mining, explosive gases seldom occurred, and, if they were encountered, the danger of explosion was materially diminished by the absence of any ventilating-system and the consequent insufficient circulation of air to form with the methane an explosive mixture. As the art advanced, the danger of fire-damp became more apparent, and methods for testing the air were resorted to as early as in the fifteenth century. The method of testing consisted in lowering a dog in a basket down the shaft. As soon as he encountered fire-damp he would commence to howl, after which he was withdrawn, and a leafy bush was fastened to the end of the rope and run rapidly up and down the shaft. This so disturbed the accumulation of gas as to cause it to rise out of the shaft. Later this odd method of testing was improved upon through the discovery that a light inserted in a body of fire-damp Gould produce a blue flame. Candles were used for this purpose, and, when fire-damp was thus discovered, brushing or some other primitive method of fanning was resorted to for driving out the gas. In some instances the gas was burned away, regardless of the danger thereby incurred. A man, wearing a well-moistened coat and a mask with glass spectacles, descended in the mine a few hours before each shift. With a long stick, to which was fastened a burning torch or candle, he would crawl on the floor with the stick so raised that the light would sweep the roof and ignite the gas which it encountered. In this position the flame of the explosion would pass over him, after which he would retreat from the gases resulting from the combustion. The occurrence of serious accidents resulted in

Jan 1, 1913

By M. C. Lavine, H. C. Gatos, R. S. Mroczkowski

The structure of GaAs-Ge heterojunctions prepared by a back-melting process was studied by X-rav diffraction, melallographic, and electron-micro-analyzer techniques. The boundary region between the GaAs and the germanium was found to consist of a four-layered band. A discontinuity between the two inner bands was brought about by solidification occurring simultaneously from the GaAs and the germanium side. The junction material OH either side of the central discotinuity was found to have grown as a single Crystal with the orientation of the parent substrate. It was found essential to determine the GaAs-Ge phase diagram. This was accomplished by a series of alloys containing 0 to 40 wt pet GaAs. Over this range the diagram is a simple eutectic with the eutectic point at 74 wt pet Ge and 845 C. The limiting- solubility of Coils in germanium was found to bc less than 5 wt pet. The Kossel divergent-beam X-ray technique was used to study orientation relationships across the boundary lager. A great deal of effort has been recently expended on the electrical properties of heterojunctions. Little attention, however, has been given to the metallurgical variables which may be of importance in the formation of the junctions. The present work was undertaken to investigate some of the more pertinent metallurgical aspects of interface-alloyed GaAs-Ge heterojunctions. Such parameters as solidification processes, composition gradients, orientation effects, and the accommodation of crystal structures have been the objects of study in this program. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES Phase Diagram. The phase diagram of the GaAs-Ge pseudobinary system was determined by means of cooling curves. A Bridgeman furnace was employed with the center section maintained at 1200°C and the upper section at 800°C. Melts varying from 0 to 40 at. pct in GaAs content were used. Each charge was incapsulated under a two-thirds atmosphere of argon in a carbon-coated quartz tube. Five min in the furnace hot zone provided rapid melting and homogenization. The capsule was then removed to the cooler portion of the furnace. Cooling times were of the order of 3 min. The resulting homogeneous microstructure indicated that equilibrium conditions were obtained by this procedure. Formation of Heterojunctions. Rectangular parallelepiped single-crystal samples were cut with the large faces of either the (l00), (110), or (111) orientation. The remaining four surfaces were also cut to specific orientations to permit accurate relative orientation of the GaAs-Ge pairs. The

Jan 1, 1965

Abel, Charles Edwin, Student, Univ. of California Los Angeles, Cal. '81 Ames, Marshall B., Blaine-Republic Co Republic, Wash. "81 Anderson, Norman John, Student, South Dakota School of Mines Rapid City, S. D. '82 Angst, Robert A., Jr., Student, Michigan College of Min. & Tech Houghton, Mich. '82 Apgar, James William, Student, Lafayette College Easton, Pa. '83 Armstrong, John R. Box 274, Neosho, Mo. '81 Armstrong, Robert H., Student, Lafayette College Easton, Pa. '81 Arnot, Paul H. 608 S. Acacia St., Compton, Cal. '81 Asel, Philip R., Student, Colorado. School of Mines Golden, Colo. '82 Atkins, William Robert, Student, Michigan College of Min. & Tech Houghton, Mich. '82 Augenthaler, Robert L., Student, New Mexico School of Mines Socorro, N. M. '82 Augustine, Robert W., Student, Alaska School of Mines College, Alaska. '82. Avery, Eugene A., Student, Montana School of Mines Butte, Mont. '82 Babcock, Norwood N., Student, South Dakota School of Mines Rapid City, S. D. '82 Baer, Jerome S., Student, Michigan College of Min. & Tech Houghton, Mich. '81 Baker, Robert C., Student, Pennsylvania State College.. 112 E. Beaver Ave., State College, Pa. '82 Baldwin, William C., Student, Univ. of Illinois Urban, III. '81

Jan 1, 1932

By N. A. Gokcen, M. Ohtani

Thermodynamic intevaction pararnetevs of elements E2(2), for dilute binary solutions of a component "2" in liquid iron, i.e., E(22) = 9 In f2/?N2 where f2 is the activity coefficient and N2 the mole fraction, and E(3) 2 = In f2/ N3 dilute ternary solutions of "2" and "3," and the carbon saturation parameter sc(3) (In f c/ N3) N c/N Fe for N3 - 0, are critically examined and correlated. It has been found that the interaction parameters and the atomic numbers of alloying elements follow regular periodic putterns. PHYSICO-chemical behavior of alloying elements in molten iron have become the subject of numerous investigations during the past 25 years. Consequently, the mutual effects of elements in the iron-rich solutions Fe-C-X, Fe-N-X, Fe-H-X, Fe-O-X, and Fe-S-X where X represents an alloying element, have gradually become better understood. These effects for a given temperature and pressure may be expressed by the interaction parameter of Wagner1, 2 derived briefly in the following manner. The complete differential of the Gibbs free-energy equation at constant temperature and pressure is dF = Fl dn, + F2 dn, + F3 dn3+ . . . [ 1] where F is the free energy; F 1, the partial molar free energy of "I"; and n,, the number of moles of "i." Cross-differentiation of this expression* *Cross-differentials are obtained as follows: Since the order of differentiation of F with n2 and n3 is immaterial, the left sides of the second differentials are equal, hence the derivation of Eq. [2] is obtained. For a dilute solution of components 2 and 3 in solvent 1, with the substitution of RT In f i = Fi xs for Fi where fi is the activity coefficient, and Fixs is the excess partial molar free energy, Eq. [2] becomes O) [3] where N2 and N, are the mole fractions. The interaction parameters are defined by

Jan 1, 1961

By Raymond C. Johnson

GASIFICATION is important to the anthracite industry, as it is to the entire solid-fuel industry and to the nation. However, to the anthracite industry it may have particular significance in that it would increase the market value of many millions of tons of a by-product fuel, which the industry now has in storage and is currently producing, in addition to increasing the potential market for all its products. The by-product fuel is of usable quality but the ash content is higher than it can be in other products and therefore it must be converted or used at the point of production. Gasification is one method by which the product may be given increased value. The inherent characteristics of anthracite make it well suited for producing a fuel or synthesis gas. It is the most concentrated form of natural commercial carbon, noncaking and noncoking; it does not produce smoke, tar, or soot and has a low sulphur content; and the volatile matter, which ranges between 2 and 8 pct, is 80 to 85 pct hydrogen with small amounts of methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen. The ash fuses at high temperatures, which allows it to be burned at high rates without slagging. However, with the addition of small amounts of dolomite, the ash will form a slag, or glass, which is very fluid. Anthracite has long been used in the manufacture of city gas and it is extensively used in various parts of the country to make water gas to be converted to hydrogen. Buckwheat and rice anthracite are used in Galusha producers to make producer gas. Excellent synthesis gas has been made in a Galusha producer with rice and barley anthracite with oxygen in tests at the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co., Trail, British Columbia. In these tests, anthracite was shown to have advantages over competitive fuels, in that the gas had a higher hydrogen content and could be cleaned with less difficulty. The anthracite seams are steeply pitching and in mining the parting strata and some of the roof and bottom materials are taken with the coal. In preparation, these materials are separated by gravity from the commercial product and stored in refuse banks. This refuse contains a mixture of rock, slate, or shale, and high-ash anthracite with bone coal, which is low-ash coal that is interspersed with thin bands of shale. The bone coal contains between 25 and 50 pct ash with an average ash content of approximately 30 pct, with a

Jan 1, 1953

By Daryl R. Tweeton, William H. Engelmann, Orin M. Peterson, Jon K. Ahlness, Gregory R. Anderson

The Bureau of Mines measured the geochemical changes as H2SO4 was used for in situ uranium leaching by Rocky Mountain Energy Company near Casper, Wyoming. Cores and ground water were analyzed before leaching. Water samples were taken from observation wells located between injection and production wells as the leach solution was brought up to full strength in several steps. Measurements were made of pH, Eh, temperature, conductivity, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen,HC03, U. V, Na, K, Ca, Mg,S04, CI, Mo, Mn, Fe, AI, Si, F, P, As, and Se. The data were gathered to assist in geochemical modeling of leaching and to study the potential environmental effects of acid leaching. Environmental considerations appear favorable. For example, the concentration of Se, a toxic element often found in uranium deposits, stayed below the EPA standard for drinking water.

Jan 1, 1979

By B. E. Terkelsen, B. J. Piearcey

A study has been made of the effect of unidirectional solidification on the creep behavior, stress-rupture properties, and thermal shock resistance of four nickel-base superalloys. The alloys Mar-MZOO, B-1900, IN 100, and TRW 1900 show improved rupture ductility and thermal shock resistance when tested with the columnar grains parallel to the major stress axis during test. The relative improvement in creep-rupture properties depends on the intrinsic strength of the alloy, a property which depends on composition, heat-treatnient, and crystallographic orientation. The data clarifies some of the factors affecting the properlies of the cast nickel-base superalloy. COMPONENTS designed for high-temperature use have, in recent years, been fabricated by precision casting techniques using nickel-base alloys developed specifically for use in the conventionally cast condition. This development was a result of both the increasing complexity of the component and the recognition that high-temperature strength was incompatible with workability. The use of castings can be economically favorable, but, more important, the recent complex designs of air-cooled gas turbine blades and vanes in alloys which possess the necessary high-temperature strength cannot be forged. Common modes of failure of high-temperature components are excessive creep, creep rupture, and thermal fatigue. If rupture occurs then the mechanism is usually by inter crystalline cracking along those grain boundaries oriented transverse to the major stress axis. In the stronger alloys, rapid propagation of intercrystalline cracks result in apparent premature failure demonstrated by the absence of third stage creep in a creep-rupture test and low rupture ductility. Tensile ductility shows a similar trend, that is, decreasing ductility with increase in strength. It is not surprising, therefore, that increases in creep strength have only been obtained with a loss in resistance to thermal shock, a property which shows a dependence on tensile ductility. VerSnyder and ~uard' showed that the application of unidirectional solidification to a brittle Ni-Cr-A1 alloy both improved the rupture life of the alloy and increased rupture ductility. Since this casting method results in columnar grains, it appeared that the solution to the lack of ductility in nickel-base alloy components was the elimination of the source of failure, namely the transverse grain boundaries. This concept was recently developed2 to produce cast-to-size gas-turbine blades and vanes consisting entirely of columnar grains oriented parallel to the major stress axis of the component. Not only did the process impart increased rupture life and ductility to the components, but it also increased their resistance to thermal shock. During this development, the effect of unidirectional solidification on the properties of several alloys was investigated. The resulting data allows certain conclusions to be drawn regarding the factors affecting the creep and stress-rupture properties of the cast nickel-base superalloy and also its resistance to thermal shock. Detailed information was obtained on the alloys Mar-MZOO, B-1900, In 100, and TRW 1900. The composition of the alloys studied are shown in Table I. MATERIAL PREPARATION AND TESTING The conventionally cast alloys are cast as +-in.-diam bars in innoculated shell molds under conditions designed to maintain control of grain size. Unidirec-tionally solidified casting were produced in the form of 3-in.-diam ingots. Specimens from the latter were machined such that the axes of the columnar grains were parallel with the axis of the test bar, except in certain cases where the transverse properties of the material were being evaluated. The specimens were tested in an axial loading creep machine.' Temperatures were measured with thermocouples, attached just outside each end of the gage length, to assure uniform temperature along the entire specimen. Chromel/alumel thermocouples were used up to 1800"F and Pt/Pt-10 pct Rh thermocouples above 1800"F. The specimen temperature was recorded and maintained within i2"F throughout the test. Creep extensions were measured automatically with extenso-meters attached to ridges on the specimen and recorded continuously using linear variable differential transformers and multipoint recording equipment. MICROSTRUCTURE The microstructures of transverse sections of the four alloys studied are shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 1 shows optical micrographs of the alloys, both in the conventionally cast and unidirectionally solidified conditions. Each alloy displays a cored dendritic structure, a distribution of MC carbide, and the presence of the y — y' eutectic constituent.~ In the case of IN 100 and B-1900, Fig. 1 indicates that in these specimens the eutectic is degenerate. That is, it consists only of y' pools indicating that the y constituent has been solutioned during the cooling period after solidification. The major effect of unidirectional solidification on the microstructures of the alloys is a tendency to promote a more dendritic form of MC carbide and an increase in dendrite arm spacing, both effects being a result of the slower solidification rate in the unidirectional solidification technique. V, lec tron micrographs of transverse sections of the four alloys in the two cast conditions are shown in

Jan 1, 1968

By F. Keller

ALUMINUM alloys containing magnesium and silicon are susceptible to strengthening and hardening by suitable heat-treatments, and they constitute a class of alloys of considerable commercial importance. Generally, they contain these two elements in the proportions required for the formation of the intermetallic compound Mg2Si, or an excess of silicon; no commercial wrought alloys are made with an appreciable excess of magnesium. The reason for not having excess magnesium is obvious from the results given in this paper, since it is shown that excess magnesium results in a proportional decrease in the solubility of Mg2Si. This is the eighteenth1 of a series of papers from the Aluminum Research Laboratories dealing with the equilibrium relations in aluminum-alloy systems; most of the previous publications concerned binary aluminum-alloy systems; this is the fourth of a group pertaining to ternary aluminum-alloy systems. The work on this system was com-pleted in 1930, but the results were not published because of the pressure of other work. Hanson and Gaylor2, in 1921, presented the results of an extensive investigation of the aluminum-magnesium-silicon system. Their results indicated that an excess of magnesium over the amount required to form the compound Mg2Si caused a noticeable decrease in the solid solubility of Mg2Si in aluminum. A more recent investigation3 in these laboratories showed that the solid solubility of Mg2Si in aluminum was 1.85 per cent at 595° C. and decreased to 0.30 per cent at 300° C. The results of the latter investigation were used as the basis for the present work.

Jan 1, 1936

By N. E. Rogen, N. J. Grant

WHILE direct measurements of the growth of precipitate particles during aging is of fundamental value, few such measurements have been made. Direct measurements by means of optical or electron-microscopy and X-ray techniques are preferred, however, many of the aging studies have been based on indirect methods such as electrical resistivity and hardness. Because of the minute size of most precipitate particles (less than 1000A) the light microscope is of limited use while electron microscopy is subject to slowness, etching problems and consequent resolution problems. It is fortunate that alloys of the Nimonic type, based on Ni-Cr-Ti-Al, lend themselves to accurate and relatively easy particle size measurements. With proper balance of titanium and aluminum, the only aging precipitate is the gamma prime (r') Ni3,(Al, Ti)2 phase and this phase is the basis of the high-temperature strength of these allos.3-6 The Ni3(Al, Ti) phase is a face-centered-cubic, ordered structure with nickel atoms occupying the cube faces. Titanium atoms can replace three out of every five aluminum atoms and when substituting do so preferentially.2 Electron microscopy has shown that during aging of most of the commercial alloys of this type, precipitate particles are unusually uniform in size and distribution, and that the volume of (r') phase is large (20 pct).4,7 The aim of this investigation was to measure the growth of (y') phase during aging. In so doing, it was hoped that a clearer understanding of the aging process would be attained. X-ray line broadening was used as the measure of precipitate particle size. This technique was selected because it can measure and average the diameter of thousands of particles in one operation. The variations in hardness and matrix lattice parameter with aging were also studied and related to the particle size. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE An alloy of the following composition was studied: Cr Ti A1 C Ni Wt pct 20.71 2.98 1.43 0.04 bal. At. pct 22.06 3.47 2.95 0.18 bal. The alloy, a 15- lb vacuum melt, was forged to 1/2-in. diam at a temperature of 1900" to 2200°F; was solution heat treated for 4 hr at 2000°F and water quenched; and was then aged in various ways. The ASTM grain size was 4 to 5. No (7') phase could be detected by X-ray analysis after solution treatment and electrolytic extraction. Aging was performed on 2-in. long specimens at 1400°, 1500°, and 1600°F for increasing times. One-half inch sections were removed after each time increment and were then electropolished in a solution of H3P04 saturated with chromium trioxide at a potential of 30 v and rectified with a tantalum electrode. Rockwell hardness measurements were taken using one side of the polished specimen. Matrix lattice parameter determinations were made on the other side using filtered chromium radiation references with the position of the (220) line of a silicon standard. To enable the precipitate particles of the (y') phase to be measured using X-ray line broadening techniques, it is first necessary to separate and concentrate this phase by electrolytic extraction. Extraction is necessary because the difference between matrix and precipitate lattice parameters is only approximately 0.5 pct and intensities of.the (y') phase lines are very weak relative to those of the matrix. The extraction techniques employed have been described before and found to produce a reasonably quantitative separation.398 A water solution of 15 pct H3Po4 is used at a current density of 0.5 amp per sq in. at 6 v. The precipitate particles are separated from the liquor by centrifuging and decanting and are then washed, dried and repowdered. A plot of the X-ray intensity vs diffraction angle for the (111) line of the precipitate particles was used as a measure of particle size. The intensity curve approximated the shape of Gaussian distribution function and its breadth was measured at the half height. The (220) line of a silicon standard was used to correct the measured line breadth for instrumental and other broadening errors. The Scherrer formula was used to calculate particle

Jan 1, 1961

• "This country eventually may have to rely on foreign sources for some metals, not because it does not have them here but because it may have difficulty getting the labor to mine them. Few people realize the extent to which the 'old timers' are still the backlog of the important districts." --Fred Searls, Jr. • A new filter has been developed by Arthur D. Little, Inc., for the ABC which will remove all dust from the air. Submicroscopic asbestos fibers are used as filter media and are claimed to stop all dust and pollen while passing suitable quantities of air. •Out in front public relationswise is the Peabody Coal Co. which has launched a 15-min television news program on WNBQ at 10:30 C.S.T., Tuesday and Thursday nights. Clifton Utley, news commentator, will tell how coal is mined today and indicate, with pictures, the improvement in efficiency and safety which has resulted from today's mechanized operations. •Two hundred coal mining companies are using roof bolts as a means of supporting about 14 million sq ft of roof surface, Edward Thomas of the Bureau of Mines reported. Various types of metal and wooden pins can be used. The method was first used by the St. Joseph Lead Co. over 20 years ago, but is now being studied and adopted widely in metal, nonmetallic, and coal mines. * The first ten technical graduates have reported at Hanford Works in the state of Washington, to begin the newly installed General Electric rotational training program, believed to be the first of its kind at any U.S. atomic energy plant. The program is to provide suitably trained personnel for the nation's atomic energy program. •The need for top-notch scientists and engineers to stimulate mining programs in British colonies is acute. About 60 American experts are being sought for the ECA sponsored program. Positions for mining engineers, geologists, assayers, topographers, and petrologists are open. •Production of primary aluminum for the first quarter of 1950 was 322,4250008 lb which is 6 1/2 million lb more than was produced in the first quarter of 1949. Shipments of aluminum sheet, plate, and strip amounted to 259.772,1571b for the first quarter. •Policy on manganese procurement for the stockpile is being studied by a House Armed Services Subcommittee with the possibility of lowering specifications. The U. S. Bureau of Mines is drafting a bill to encourage domestic production for stockpiling through producer subsidies. 'It will have to be cleared by the Bureau of the Budget and other agencies before going to Congress. •Oil men consider dry holes a necessary evil in their search for oil. Last year 34 out of every 100 wells drilled were dry holes. Yet Texas Technological College is attempting to drill a dry hole on its campus at Lubbock, taking every precaution to make sure it is a "duster" so its petroleum engineering students can play around with experiments without being bothered by any messy crude oil. --Natural Resources Notes. •A portable alertness indicator which signals lethargy in persons doing monotonous jobs has been developed for the Navy's Special Devices Center. A possible application to hoistmen is indicated but broaching the matter to them would be tricky.

Jan 6, 1950

By AIME AIME

THE Western States Joint Convention opened at Denver on Sept. 20, with about 400 registered the first day. Monday was devoted to the American Mining Congress, and the afternoon session was taken up with a discussion of the public land laws of the United States. Hubert Work, Secretary of Interior, and William Spry, Commissioner of the General Land Office, presented a comprehensive review of the origin and operation of the laws and argued against any general change in the system. Charles E. Winter, Congressman from Wyoming, marshalled the arguments in favor of turning over the public lands to the states within which they lie, and George H. Dern, Governor of Utah, presented a well-reasoned argument in favor of allowing the school sections to pass to the states regardless of their mineral or non-mineral character. The debate made it clear that in the West especially, there is strong feeling against any further development of the policy of reserving and leasing the public lands. Tuesday forenoon was devoted to the Silver Producers Association, F. H. Brownell and Charles A. Thomas being the principal speakers, and in the after- noon the American Association of Petroleum Geologists met with Alex. W. McCoy presiding, and Glenn C. Clark, J. V. Howell, and J. W. Beede presenting papers.

Jan 1, 1926

Many of those who attended the meeting at Chicago spent the first part of the following week in Pittsburgh, when the Experiment Station of the Bureau of Mines was dedicated and the fourth annual First Aid and Mine Rescue Contests were, held. The Bureau buildings were open for inspection during the three days, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The dedicatory ceremonies were held in the Bureau of Mines main building, Monday morning, Sept. 29, Mr. T. J. Gillespie, representing the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, presiding. In his address of welcome, Hon. E. V. Babcock, Mayor of Pittsburgh, said: "The reclamation work already done stands out conspicuously beneficial to industry and populace alike all over the United States. It has demonstrated methods of preservation of life and reclaiming of injured persons which are new and greatly beneficial to modern civiliza-tion. The establishment of this institution in Pittsburgh was greatly desired, and now it is here it is greatly appreciated." The response was given by First-Assistant Secretary of the Interior Vogelsang, who represented Secretary Franklin K. Lane. He said that the Bureau of Mines did more during the war for the triumph of American arms than any other institution.

Jan 11, 1919

By L. O. Howard

L. D. RICKETTS, New York, N. Y.-The advance which has been made in Smelting has been in the line of cheaper cost of handling, due to larger units and decrease in losses. At the International smelter, Mr. McGregor designed everything to handle the ore under cover. But we do find an unaccounted for loss of 0.7 per cent. of our copper, which is serious. Mr. Wallace has made a suggestion that I think metallurgists ought to know of and think about. He made it years ago-and that is that one of the chief losses is undoubtedly in the charging and discharging of the calcine cars. His idea is that possibly the dryers and heaters might be put immediately over the reverberatories So that they could discharge in conveyors. They could feed on both sides, and thereby the dust raised by discharging in the cars from the hoppers could be overcome. E. P. MATHEWSON, Anaconda, Mont.-I might Say a few words on the plants we have visited So far. I was particularly struck with the cleanliness of the plants, which is next to Godliness. I noticed also that the skull-cracker arrangement they have for handling their converter slag is very good. And they have paid considerable attention to ventilation, and are taking steps to take care of the health of the men. "Safety first" has been well looked after in all the plants we have visited so far. The steel structures are right up to date, and the buildings are of the most modern type, and everything is conveniently arranged. I think the designers of the plants in the Southwest are to be congratulated on what they have done.

Jan 12, 1916

By W. H. Emmons

MANY mineral veins occupy faults, and movements on certain warped fault planes have resulted in openings. On normal faults the [ ] steeper parts have the widest openings, and on reverse faults the flatter parts have the widest openings. Theoretically the width of the opening is the sine of the angle of deflection times the amount of movement on the fault plane, but actually the widths of some of the openings are probably less because of readjustments of walls along joints or of other readjustments. The first treatment of the subject seems to have been in a book on mineral veins by John Leithart, published in Newcastle, England, in 1838. Later the subject was treated in various texts published in Germany, in England, and elsewhere. The subject was not given much prominence in the earlier American literature on economic geology, but has interested several workers in that field in the past decade. In this paper examples of districts showing ore shoots on warped faults, with relations noted, are described. Fault veins of the three depth classes of veins are noted. Many epithermal veins are in normal faults, and commonly the larger ore shoots are in their steeper portions. Many mesothermal veins are in reverse faults and many others are in normal faults. The flatter parts of veins in reverse faults are commonly wider than the steeper parts, although they are not always as rich as the steeper segments of the veins. There are not many hypothermal veins in faults of measured displacement.

Jan 1, 1943

A small group of members of the Institute headed by W. H. Shockley, has insistently demanded that the Institute submit to the members for letter ballot the question of our using in our publications and corre-spondence certain so-called "simplified spellings." The principal argu-ment in favor of this proposal is written by Mr. Shockley and will be submitted in full to the membership for ballot. It rests chiefly on the desirability of saving the time of school children in the learning of the spelling of the English language. A sample of correspondence had with one of the gentlemen on this subject is given herewith in order that members may see what the correspondence and publications of the Institute would look like if we adopted the proposals. This sample was chosen at random: "Onse I condemd the report ov a president of the Institute. He did not pruve his case even on paper-"a hot air profet," I sed. Time has pruved he was." "I rote yu about the muvement to better the spelling in the Institute Bulletin, etc., neglecting to say some things that I mite hav said and things hav happened since which no member ov a democratically governed society shoud stand without protest."

Jan 12, 1919

By O. J. C. Runnalls, L. M. Pidgeon

J. M. Blocher, Jr. and I. E. Campbell (Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio)—Since the de Boer-Van Arkel process for making titanium metal involves a number of steps in a fairly compact unit, it is difficult to determine simply which of the steps is rate controlling. In any statement as to which step constitutes the rate-controlling process, qualifications appear to be in order. It is possible to design a reaction bulb in which any one of a number of steps is made to be controlling. I—With the filament removed some distance from the crude, as in the case of the authors' experiments, the interdiffusion of iodine and iodide may be controlling. 2—If, as is usually done, the crude metal is placed in a perforated cylindrical basket, or as a briquetted mass, in close proximity to the filament, the rate of deposition is increased (we obtained rates of deposition 5 to 10 times those cited in the authors' paper), and another rate-limiting factor, such as the reactivity of the crude, may take over. In this regard, we have noticed radically different rates of deposition with different crudes, and with crudes in various stages of exhaustion. 3—With a very reactive crude metal and with optimum practical geometry, still another process may be controlling. It is felt that this is a diffusion process in the immediate vicinity of the filament involving the fundamentally adverse situation of a net flow of particles away from the filament. The separate experiments on the reactivity of iodine with titanium are interesting but somewhat inconclusive. Data is still needed on the partial pressure of iodine in an operating decomposition bulb. A knowledge of the gradient of iodine partial pressure from the crude to the filament would be particularly enlightening. Optical absorption may be a useful technique here. Accurate measurements of the total pressure within a decomposition bulb under various conditions would be quite revealing. Preliminary measurements have been made at Battelle in following this line of attack. It is interesting to note that the authors' data on the temperature dependence of deposition rate indicate that the overall rate is not controlled by the kinetics of the decomposition reaction at the filament: TiI1 ? Ti + 4I Any reasonable estimate of the activation energy of this reaction would, if its kinetics were controlling, dictate a much greater temperature dependence than is observed here. The authors apparently attribute the drop in deposition rate (eventually to zero) with increased TiI4 pressure solely to a decrease in diffusion rate. However, there is an equilibrium factor involved here that must not be overlooked. As the partial pressure of TiI4 is increased, a point is reached where, due to the competing reaction of the tetraiodide with titanium to form lower iodides, the equilibrium partial pressure of titanium is reduced to the point that it equals the vapor pressure of titanium at the filament temperature and the deposition rate falls to zero. This effect would

Jan 1, 1953

By Clarence F. Zeuch

Mr. Shaw's work showed the dodecyl mercaptan as a very good collector compared with other collectors on Cu-Mo ores, Mo ores, and for Au and Au-Ag ores plus Pt ores. However, as one who has had extensive experience on Cu-Mo ores, the work is not complete in making only a rougher concentrate with a collector; the work must be carried on in making a Cu-Mo separation. Did Mr. Shaw do any of this work? Before trying the dodecyl mercaptan as a Cu-Mo collector for the Cu-Mo ore it would be well to have any new work conducted knowing how the reagent acts on the Mo. Will it allow a good separation? The use of the collector at Palabora was also mentioned. From some earlier literature I thought that the reagent has been used as an oxide Cu collector after the sulfide mineral was floated out. I thought the pH at this point was about 1.5-3.0. I would like to have this point clarified.

Jan 1, 1982

By P. B. Mee

The secondary re crystallization behavior of two vacuum-melted, nominally 3 pct Si-Fe alloys has been studied, one alloy being produced from pure electrolytic iron and semiconductor-grade silicon and the other from commercial-purity hot band. The vacuum-melted and vacuum-remelted alloys were found to develop {110}(hhl) and {lll)(hkl), respectively, on annealing in high vacuum and {100}(0kl) and {11l}(hkl), respectively on annealing in pure hydrogen of dew point, < — 60°C. H2S doping of the hydrogen or annealing in commercial argon was found to effect a reversal for the vacuum-remelted alloy from (111) to (100) secondary recrys-tallization, while prolonged vacuum annealing at 2 x 10-6 Tow resulted in a tertiary re crystallization from (111} to (110). The growth selection of the {lll}(hkl) component was found to be governed predominantly by the {111}/planar misorientation, the maximum deviation of the resulting secondaries being 5 deg. It is considered that the driving force for {111}(hkl) secondary recrystallization arises from the preferential lowering of ?111, possibly by phosphorus or nitrogen diffusion, just as oxygen and sulfur under certain conditions have been found to preferentially lower ?100. When heavily cold-rolled metals are annealed at high temperatures, primary recrystallization usually occurs rapidly and may be followed by considerable grain growth. However, in the presence of a fine dispersion of inclusions1"3 or with a strong matrix preferred orientation4&apos;&apos; the matrix may be stabilized and a secondary recrystallization may then be effected. Also, in vacuum-melted Si-Fe it has been shown possible to develop {100}(001) and {110}(001)6 surface energy driven secondary recrystallization textures. Further, it has been found that, on annealing very pure metals, grain growth normally ceases when a grain size approximately twice the strip thickness is acquired, due to the formation of V-shaped thermal grooves which result in an equilibrium being set up between surface and grain boundary stresses. If, however, a surface energy difference ??s, exists between adjacent grains (of the order of a few percent of the grain boundary energy ?b), then according to Mullins8 a secondary recrystallization may be effected, since the grains having lowest ?s would grow at the expense of their higher-energy neighbors. For clean bee metal surfaces ?110 should be lowest; however, for 3 pct Fe-Si (100) secondary structures have frequently been developed and have been attributed by Walter and Dunn9 to an alteration of the relative surface energies due to the preferential chemisorption of oxygen on (100) planes. Kohler,10 however, indicated that this reversal may be achieved by employing minute quantities of highly polar compounds in the annealing atmosphere, i.e., sulfur compounds, in par- ticular H2S being beneficial in (100) growth. This work has been verified by Kramer" using {100)/{110} bicrystals, while Mager12 demonstrated the importance of sulfur diffusion within the strip. Detert13 has intimated that carbon may be responsible for the preferential lowering of ?110 although no direct evidence has appeared yet to support this supposition. It must , be appreciated that the above-mentioned examples of surface energy driven secondary recrystallization were obtained with very pure vacuum-melted materials with oxygen contents (which is now known to be a critical factor") less than 35 ppm. During the course of a textural study on Si-Fe it has been found that under certain conditions (111) secondary recrystallization can be obtained by what is believed to be a surface energy growth selection mechanism. The purpose of the present paper is to briefly describe this result and to try and postulate the possible causes. EXPERIMENTAL Two vacuum-induction-melted, nominally 3 pct Si-Fe alloys were produced, one from pure electrolytic iron and semiconductor-grade silicon designated A and the other from commercial-purity hot band, designated B.

Jan 1, 1969