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By Philip E. LaMoreaux

Fluoride, generally less than 0.5 ppm, is present in ground water from rocks of Paleozoic age and older, in northern and eastern Alabama. Some of the water-bearing formations in the Coastal Plain area of the State yield water with as much as 6.8 ppm fluoride.

Jan 8, 1950

By A. D. Taylor

In recent years there has been an increasing effort to attract students into engineering. Obviously, the effort is necessary because young people find the image of the engineer unattractive. Some of the things they find unattractive are real, some are not, and part of the problem is too little knowledge of the field. First, I would like to comment on some of the ideas which appear to be justified. Engineering is a difficult course of study. True, and nothing can or should be done to change this. The education is continually being improved, but it is unlikely to be made easier.

Jan 1, 1970

By W. R. Shimer

In his valuable report on Finishing Temperatures and Properties of Rails,l Dr. G. X. Burgess, Chief of the Division of Metallurgy, U. S. Bureau of Standards, has begun a line of investigation which should be continued by those interested in the subject, and who have proper facilities for carrying out the work. For the past year or more the Bethlehem Steel Co. has been conducting experiments to learn the effect of rail finishing temperatures on their physical properties and microstructure and the results are here given for the consideration of those interested in the rail situation. Considerable differences of opinion have been expressed by various authorities, in the past, as to the effect of large or small grain size and high or low finishing temperatures of steel rails on their physical properties and wearing qualities. Low finishing temperatures and, therefore, low shrinkage, have been advocated on the theory that the wearing qualities would be improved. Others have recommended high finishing temperatures. The generally accepted cause for rail failures, due to the development of transverse fissures, is excessive wheel pressure on hard rails. One of the causes advanced for hard rails has been that they contain too high percentages of carbon and manganese; another that the rails were finished at too low a temperature, i.e., at or near the critical point. In the experiments herein described the rails were rolled from reheated blooms. All the rail blooms were charged hot in a reheating furnace and brought up to about the original ingot-rolling temperature before rolling into rails. These rails gave better results in deflection, withstood a greater number of drops before breaking, and showed greater ductility than rails of identically the same composition and section which were rolled direct from the ingot. Rails rolled from reheated blooms, finished at somewhat higher temperatures than when rolled direct from the ingot, have a different microstructure, which the writer does not believe is due so much to the difference in finishing temperatures, as to the difference in

Jan 1, 1915

A discussion at a joint meeting of the New York Section of the American Electrochemical Society and the American Institute of Mining Engineers, Nov. 20, 1913. Chairman Lawrence Addicks:-Our program this evening represents an attempt to set before you the present situation and outlook in the metallurgy of zinc. It is a time-honored custom to throw bricks at the zinc man. The accusation is that he has borrowed a lime kiln and a gas retort and part of a sulphuric acid plant, hitched them together, and spent the last 50 years in regarding with holy veneration the reactions which take place in that retort. The copper man, who thinks of zinc as something with which copper is adulterated to make brass, and the iron man, who regards it as a sort of paint for corrugated sheets, and the lead man, whose opinion as to zinc is not fit for publication, have long felt that, when two or three of the minor details of their respective metallurgies were put in order, they would take a few clays and fix up zinc on a modern basis. But somehow there still seem to be some unsolved problems at home, and while we are waiting it seems only fair that the case for the defense should be adequately presented. There is probably no man in this country to-clay better able to do this than Mr. George C. Stone, of the New Jersey Zinc Co., on whom I have pleasure in calling to talk to us on "Progress in the Metallurgy of Zinc." George C. Stone:-It is frequently stated that there has been no change in the metallurgy of zinc since the first Belgian furnaces were built in the early part of the last century. It is true there have been no such spectacular and radical changes as were worked in the metallurgy of copper and iron by the introduction of converters; but, in the essentials, I believe the progress in zinc metallurgy has been as great as in that of the other common metals. The main reason that there have not been revolutionary changes is that the chemistry of zinc differs radically from that of the other metals and these differences control the type of apparatus that can be used. The differences are: 1. The temperature at which zinc is reduced by carbon is much above the volatilizing point of the metal and it is therefore always produced as a vapor.

Jan 1, 1914

By J. M. Callow

THe results obtained by pneumatic flotation throughout the country on all classes of ore, and the tonnage now being treated by this particular method, speak for themselves. Its advantages over the so-called agitation process are now established by facts and data from practicc. The comparative efficiency of a rapidly revolving paddle, as a means for aerating an ore pulp, and of a cyeloidal or turbine blower for the same purpose, would seem to be so obvious as to leave no room for discussion. Practitioners in this art are to be congratulated on the acquisition of the valuable literary contributions that have recently been made on the theory of flotation by Messrs. Ralston, Van Arsdale, Taggart and Beach, and others, and the very valuable and able articles by Messrs. Laist and Wiggin on "Flotation Concentration at Anaconda, Mont.," by Dr. Rudolf Gahl on the "History of Flotation at Inspiration," and by David Cole on "The Advent of Flotation in the Morenci District." It is not within the province of this article to attempt an answer to the various issues raised in regard to the theory, or to defend the one advanced by me a year ago. But since discussion usually benefits the profession, a reply will be made to some of the statements made by the last-named writers. CoMPABATIVE SENSITIVENESS AND ATTENDANCE Concerning the article, "Flotation Concentration at Anaconda, Mont.," by Laist and Wiggin, a little explanation is in order. It should be stated that, with the exception of about 24 days at the end of the testing period, the Callow experimental plant at Anaconda was not run under my direction. This perhaps accounts for some of the concIusions drawn on page 499 of the descriptive paper. The conclusion that the use of acid seems to be of considerable advantage, calls for some comment. While the tests conducted by the Anaconda Copper Co. do show acid to be of considerable benefit, this is a consequence of using acid sludge as a flotation agent. My belief has always been that the Anaconda

Jan 1, 1917

PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR DONALD B. GILLIES CLEVELAND, OHIO PAST PRESIDENTS AND DIRECTORS R. C. ALLEN CLEVELAND, OHIO D. C. TACKLING SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. TREASURER AND DIRECTOR KARL EILERS NEW YORK, N. Y. VICE-PRESIDENTS AND DIRECTORS H. G. MOULTON NEW YORK, N. Y. HARVEY S. MUDD Los ANGELES, CALIF. PAUL -D. MERICA NEW YORK, N. Y. WILFRED SYKES CHICAGO, ILL. WILLIAM B. HEROY HOUSTON, TEXAS HENRY KRUMB NEW YORK, N. Y.

Jan 1, 1939

By Frederick Prime

The Great or Cumberland Valley, which (under a variety of names) extends from Canada, through Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and East Tennessee, to Alabama, is composed in part of limestones lying immediately above the Potsdam sandstone. Geologically, they belong to the era between the Potsdam and Trenton, and are commonly termed Calciferous. A peculiarity of these limestones is their great richness in limonite or brown hematite ores, which form a large part of the charges of the many blast-furnaces situated on their outcrops. The mines from which the ores are obtained are (properly speaking) only pits or quarries, from which 'the ore is extracted by means of picks or shovels, powder being rarely employed. The ore does not occur casually at any point in the limestone, but forms regular lines, following apparently the outcrops of certain beds. In Lehigh County, Penn., where 1 have been engaged on the Geological Survey of the State, during the past season, there are three or four of these lines. During the progress of the survey I was much struck by the fact that the two most important and promising lines of outcrop were, one at the base of the crystalline schists (forming the South or Lehigh Mountain), and overlying the Potsdam sandstone conformably; the other, near the line of junction of the calciferous limestone with the slates of the Cincinnati epoch. The mines along these two lines, following the topography of the country, were in place, richer and more permanent than those of the belts between, which were generally leaner. A peculiarity of these two lines of outcrop, and one to which I particularly desire to draw attention, is the occurrence of what I at first mistook for a highly altered slaty limestone, but which subsequent analysis proved to consist in great part of damourite (hydrated potash mica). The following are analyses of this damourite slate: I. From Fogelsville, Lehigh County, within a few hundred feet of the contact of limestone and slate, by Dr. F. A. Genth. 11. From Hensingerville, Lehigh County, within 300 feet of gneiss, by Mr. Sydney Castle, of the University of Pennsylvania. 111. From Allentown, Lehigh County, within 150 feet of con

By A. L. Holley

The members of the society are doubtless aware that the production of American Bessemer steel works is constantly increasing; that the same converters and machinery are doing more work every year. This enlarged output is due to various causes, chiefly the following: 1st. Better organization—better knowledge on the part of both managers and men, of the plant and the process; of the way to economize the more exhausting labor, and of the arrangement of the details of labor and operations so that they shall not conflict; also, more pluck—a greater willingness to take risks, or, more properly, such an intimate knowledge of the nature and capacities of the refractory linings in various stages of disrepair, and the probable be- . havior of the fluid metal at various stages of its treatment, that the precise nature of the risk may be better known, so that the works may be crowded to their full capacity. In the early practice, after getting four or five consecutive heats in a day, the men preferred to " let well enough alone," and to devote the remaining time to preparation for another turn. Now, thirty, and sometimes forty heats are regularly made during the twenty-four hours, day after day, without the frequent occurrence and without the fear of breakdowns or " messes," as the spilling of steel charges was graphically named in Sheffield. 2d. Although no new refractory materials have been developed, improved means of preparing such as we have, and of imbedding

In the Philippines, where distances are spoken of in terms off fight time, the Sipalay copper mines are two flight hours southeast of Manila on the island of Negros. After landing at the airport in Bacolod, it is then 170 km (106 milers) by surface transportation to Marinduque Mining and Industrial Corp.'s expanding copper operation. While copper deposits were discovered in the area in 1936-and one mine, the Binulig, began operations soon after-it wasn't until 1956 that stripping at Sipalay and construction of a 4000-t/d (4400-stpd) mill began. The mill went into operation in May 1957, and the first shipment of copper concentrate was made three months later.

Jan 8, 1978

By Yang Tsang Woo

The method of making coke that has been adopted at the Kaiping and other collieries in northern China resembles, to some extent, the familiar bee-hive oven process of the United States, except that a kiln with permanent sides is used instead of a closed oven, and the products of combustion are drawn off at the bottom. In building coke-kilns in China, two circular holes, 8 ft. 6 in. in diameter at the bottom and 13 ft. in diameter at the top, are excavated in the ground, and connected at the bottom by a flue, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The sides and bottom of the kiln are lined with fire-bricks, and covered with a lager of fireclay, and a rectangular opening, 6 in. by 8 in., connects the bottom of each kiln with the main flue. Around the edge of the hole, and overlapping the lining, is a wall of fire-brick extending 2 ft. 6 in. above the level of the ground. An open space 5 ft. wide is left in this wall, through which the coal is carried into the kiln and the resultant coke removed. This space, of course, is bricked up during the time that the coking-operation is being carried on. The wall is pierced with nine flue-openings uniformly placed around the circumference, each interverliilg space in the wall being strengthened with a brick buttress, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The floor of the kiln, as well as the main flue, is lined with fire-brick. Before charging the coal, it is first placed in shallow bamboo sieves, 2 ft. in diameter, and immersed in a trough 10 ft. long, and 3 ft. wide, fed with pit-water, in which it is washed by hand. Fig. 3 shows the manner in which the washing is done. From 25 tons of good "dust" coal, 22.5 tons of washed coal are obtained. When ready to charge the coal into the kiln, a temporary cone-shaped flue of fire-wood and lump coal is first built to a

Jan 1, 1906

By H. W. Meyer, H. N. Lander, F. D. Delve

A method of calculating the changes in blast-furnace performance brought about by burden and/or blast modifications is presented. Essentially the method consists of three simultaneous equutions derived from materials and heat balances. These equations can be used not only to evaluate quantitatively the effect of changes in process operating variables on furnace performance, but also to provide a useful means of evaluating changes in process variables which cannot be measured directly. It has been customary for a number of years to use simple heat and materials balances as a basis for assessing blast-furnace practice. A good example of the method used to set up these balances is that proposed by Joseph and Neustatter.1 This approach to process assessment has limited utility, however, in that it cannot be used to predict the furnace coke rate or production under new operating conditions. Using an approach based on multiple correlation of blast-furnace variables, R V. Flint2 has developed an equation which may be used to predict the change in coke rate that will result from some changes in operating conditions with a reasonable degree of accuracy. Although this equation has useful applications in production planning, it cannot be used to study the relationships between the operating variables and the fundamental thermochemi-cal characteristics of the process. In attempting to analyze the blast-furnace process quantitatively, the idea of dividing the furnace into zones3 may at first appear attractive. In our present state of knowledge, however, it is not possible to define with any accuracy the physical limits of such zones in relationship to their temperatures or to the reactions which may occur in them. Although its application is restricted, the zonal approach to blast-furnace analysis is useful in some instances. For example, the change in the calculated flame temperature in the "combustion zone" caused by injecting steam constitutes information which is helpful in understanding why the addition of steam to the blast is best accompanied by an increase in blast temperature. The zonal approach cannot, at the present time, be used to establish the relationships between process variables and process performance if the whole process rather than part of it is to be considered. One of the earliest approaches to the problem of relating blast-furnace operating variables to pro- duction and coke rate was that developed by Marshall.4 Essentially Marshall's work showed that it was possible to estimate the performance of a furnace by solving three simultaneous equations which consisted of rudimentary carbon and heat balances plus a further equation relating the production, wind rate, and the carbon burned at the tuyeres. Although these equations did not include all of the chemical and thermal variables of the process, their derivation and application seems to be the earliest attempt which achieved any success in relating prior furnace operating data to the calculation of furnace performance under different blast conditions. Work carried out in Germany has been directed mainly towards prediction of coke rates using material and thermal balances rather than statistical methods. wesemann5 used prior furnace operating data as part of the basis for predicting the change in coke rate accompanying a change in burden composition. This author employed a method of successive approximations to estimate the secondary changes in slag volume and stone rate brought about by the change in coke rate. The most recent analysis, which seems to have been developed concurrently with the thermochemical model presented in this paper, has been described by Georgen.6 This author has succeeded in improving on Wesemann's approach by expressing the total changes in the slag volume and stone rate in terms of the change in coke rate itself. This is accomplished in a manner similar to that used in the thermochemical model described in this paper. Although Georgen makes use of a calculated furnace heat loss, he does not relate the heat loss per unit of hot metal to the production rate as is done in the present work. Georgen's approach may be used to calculate the changes in materials requirements accompanying changes in furnace operation; it cannot be used to assess the resulting changes in production. The fact that blast-furnace behavior can be interpreted by consideration of the heat requirements of the process was demonstrated by Dancy, Sadler, and Lander.7 In the analysis of blast-furnace operation with oxygen and steam injection these authors showed that it was possible to account for the changes in production and coke rate

Jan 1, 1962

By H. I. Aaronson, C. Wells

Configurations of ferrite crystals have been found in a plain carbon steel which appear to have resulted from the nucleation of new ferrite crystals at the interphase boundaries of previously formed crystals despite the high carbon concentrations which necessarily develop at these boundaries. This phenomenon has been termed sympathetic nucleation. An attempt has been made to reconcile the occurrence of sympathetic nu-cleation with current nucleation theory. THIS investigation is one of a series on the formation of proeutectoid ferrite from austenite. From the viewpoint of chemical composition, this reaction consists of the nucleation and diffusional growth of crystals of carbon-poor ferrite within a matrix of carbon-rich austenite. The austenite adjacent to the austenite-ferrite boundaries will be greatly enriched in carbon, approximately to the value of the y/(a + y) equilibrium curve or its metastable extrapolation at the temperature of transformation. Those areas of austenite appreciably farther removed from the growing ferrite, on the other hand, will be relatively unaltered in composition, especially at the earlier stages of transformation. Since rates of nucleation are considered to decrease exponentially with decreasing supersaturation,' the frequency with which ferrite nuclei appear at austenite-ferrite boundaries should be negligible in relation to that at which they form in other regions of the austenite. During this investigation, however, many groupings of ferrite crystals have been found which appear to have resulted from the nucleation of ferrite at austenite-ferrite boundaries. This phenomenon has been given the name of sympathetic 71.1tcleation. A number of micrographs of morphological configurations caused by sympathetic nucleation will be presented, after which an explanation for this reaction will be proposed in terms of current nucleation theory. Some of the structures to be considered are composed of bainite, an aggregate of ferrite and carbide, rather than of ferrite. Since ferrite and bainite differ only in that bainite forms under conditions which result in the nucleation of carbides behind the advancing austenite-ferrite boundaries,' it will usually be unnecessary, for the purpose of this paper, to distinguish between the two reaction products. All studies were performed on an electric furnace steel (obtained from the Vanadium Alloy Steel Co.) containing 0.29 pct C, 0.76 pct Mn, 0.25 pct Si, 0.005 pct P, and 0.007 pct S. The alloy was cast as a 150 Ib, 7x7 in. cross section ingot and forged into bars 2x2 in. in cross section. These bars were homogenized for 48 hr at 1250°C in an Endo-Gas atmosphere. The depth to which decarburization penetrated during this heat treatment was determined by chemical and microscopic analyses and the affected metal was removed by machining. Specimens for isothermal transformation studies were cut from the remaining material; most of these specimens were 1/2x1/4X1/16 in., though some with a thickness of 1/32 in. were prepared for use at the shorter reaction times and lower reaction temperatures. Specimens were austenitized for 30 min at 1300°C, isothermally reacted for various times at temperatures ranging from 775" to 475 "C, and then quenched in iced water. The austenite grain sizes within individual specimens ranged from ASTM Nos. 1 through —4. A commercial heat-treating salt which was continuously deoxidized by an immersed graphite crucible served to minimize the loss of carbon during austenitizing; thick covers of powdered graphite and immersed graphite rods effectively prevented decarburization in the lead pots employed for the isothermal reaction treatments. The heat-treated specimens were sectioned and mounted in Bakelite. Following the completion of standard grinding and mechanical polishing procedures, the specimens were electrolytically polished with a Buehler-Waisman apparatus and etched in 2 pct nital. Experimental Results Rules of Evidence for Sympathetic Nucleation—On the basis of observations made on a single plane of polish, one precipitate crystal may be considered to have been sympathetically nucleated at the inter-phase boundary of another precipitate crystal when the following conditions are fulfilled: 1) The sympathetically nucleated crystal is not in contact with a grain boundary or a subboundary in the matrix phase. 2) The shape, size, and location of the crystal at whose boundary sympathetic nucleation occurred (hereafter termed the base crystal) and the crystal formed by sympathetic nucleation substantially pre-clude the possibility that the plane of polish em-ployed may have concealed the fact that both crys-tals actually nucleated at a grain boundary or a sub-boundary in the matrix phase.

Jan 1, 1957

By Frank Riddle

PRODUCTS made from the ores of the sillimanite group, and synthetic substitutes for them, have unique properties, and service tests prove that they are playing, and will continue to play, a major part in improvements in metallurgical processes. Also, they are examples of how comparatively useless, rare, or "museum" minerals have been made available in commercial quantities. Until research developed uses for them, the minerals had been observed only in small, scattered masses, or crystals. Improvements in ceramic processes and compositions have come about very gradually. In the last 10 or 15 years, several outstanding developments have been made. Of greatest interest to the mining and metallurgical engineers are those affecting the composition, necessitating the mining of new minerals, and improvements in ceramic products used in metallurgical processes.

Jan 1, 1932

By John E. Latz

QUICKSAND far below the surface, stopped two attempts by the Potash Co. of America to sink a third shaft to a potash bed that lies 1000 ft below the southern New Mexico desert. Virtually all methods of grouting were employed in the two failures without any indication of consolidation of the flowing sand. Sinking the South Shaft at the Carlsbad potash mine seemed an almost insurmountable task, until freezing was employed as a final resort. This process that proved to be the answer may be defined as "the sinking of a shaft by freezing, consists of the formation, in the water-bearing strata, of a large block of frozen ground in which it is possible to sink a shaft without danger of an influx of water, providing the ice-wall between the water outside and the shaft itself is strong enough to resist the hydrostatic pressure." Freezing Method Used Extensively in Europe Successful frozen ground shaft sinking projects had been completed in Europe, and Russel G. Haworth, resident manager of the Potash Co. of America, went abroad in search of the know-how needed for the New Mexico undertaking. The freezing process, with a history of two failures at the time, was first successfully employed by Poetsch in 1885 at the Houssu Collieries near Haine St. Pierre, Belgium. Poetsch contracted to sink the remaining 64 ft of an uncompleted shaft through water laden strata from a depth of 190 ft to a depth of 254 ft. This work was in progress until 1887. The freezing and sinking consumed more than two years. As a result of early failures, the process was not favorably received until soon after the turn of the century. The accurate prediction of success in a given application was made possible by the concerted effort and study of a group of European engineers. Means of accurate deviation measurement and control were devised, the nature and properties of frozen water laden soil (the ice wall) were investigated, a thorough and rational basis of refrigeration load calculation developed, and concurrently the efficiency and dependability of refrigeration machinery was greatly advanced. Numerous shafts in Germany, Belgium, France, and England today testify to the reliability and economical surety of the freezing method. Applied to the South Shaft, which is circular in cross-section and 15-ft diam, the freezing method consisted of drilling holes 350-ft deep, through the water bearing strata into impervious ground-the freeze hole pattern being concentric with the shaft and 31-ft diam. The holes were cased with pipe closed on the bottom end. Smaller tubes were placed inside these casings and connected to a header supplying chilled brine from a refrigeration plant. The brine descended in the tubing to the bottom of the hole and ascended through the annular space between the two pipes to the top of the casing; flowed into the return header and back to the refrigeration plant. Under these conditions, each of the freeze hole casings became surrounded by a cylinder of ice

Jan 1, 1952

By John J. Strohl, Henry J. Schwellenbach

This paper relates the results obtained by decreasing the size of feed to a rod mill screen circuit. As would be expected, added production was gained and a finer grind with no tonnage loss was made possible.

Jan 12, 1950

By W. I. Garms, J. L. Stevens

BECAUSE of the many conflicting opinions regarding the functioning of the ball load and the characteristics of ball wear in ball-mill grinding, the following resume of reports covering recent tests conducted at the Hayden plant of the Kennecott Copper Corporation is submitted with the view of pointing out certain salient features that should throw additional light on the subject. MILLS USED Cylindrical drum mills with trunnion feed and discharge were used. The discharge trunnion was I3 1/2 in. in diameter. Dimensions inside the lining were 6 ft. 6 in. in diameter and 9 ft. 6 in. long. The mills were Britannia-lined and nine lifter bars projected 2 in. from the lining. The mill speed was 16 2/3 r.p.m. Feed to the mill was 9 per cent on 10-mesh, 85 per cent on 100-mesh, 77 per cent solids. New balls measured 2 in. in diameter and the approximate weight of the ball load was 40,000 pounds. INITIAL TEST During a test that was being conducted to determine the relative economic value of standard cast balls vs. forged steel balls in the local grinding operation, certain observations were made in regard to the functioning of the various ball sizes and the characteristics of ball wear, which warranted a supplementary test for the purpose of confirming such observations. For the initial test, the necessity for developing a graduated load of the new forged balls before the test could be started was realized, but the time required to obtain a graduated load and the functioning of the various ball sizes was not clear. No advantage could be seen for starting out with a full load of forged balls, as this initial load, at the least, would have to be completely ground out and replaced by daily additions of balls before the graduation could be complete and a normal static condition of ball sizes reached. For a considerable period prior to exhaustion of this initial charge there would be an unusual quantity of worn balls of a certain size, which would not be typical of a normal charge and could influence the characteristics and functioning of the entire load. Therefore, it was decided to start by daily addition of the forged balls to a mill that contained a normal operating load of cast balls. After 88 days of operation the mill was shut down for inspection. By that time the load consisted of a mass of forged balls functioning around a large core of the residual material of the former cast-ball load. This core of cast slugs, locally referred to as "the kidney," was well defined from the forged-ball load.

Jan 1, 1946

Executive-A. R. LEDOUX, chairman. Membership-J. V. W. REYNDERS, chairman. Finance-J. V. N. Dorr, chairman. Library-E. GYBBON SPILSBURY, chairman. Papers and Publications-BRADLEY STOUGHTON, chairman. Nominations-POPE YEATMAN, chairman.

Jan 12, 1919

By R. W. Fountain, M. Korchynsky

The precipitation phenomena occurring in cobalt-tantalum alloys have been investigated in the temperature range frm 500" to 1050°C by correlating the results of metallographic, X-ray, micro-and macrohardness, and electrical resistivity studies. The property andmacrohardness,changes were found to depend on 1) general precipitation, and 2) lamellar precipitation. Two new intermetallic phases have been identified: 1) a Co3Ta, a metastable ordered face-centered-cubic compound, and 2) a stable ß Co3Ta phase of hexagonal structure. In addition, the previously reported Co2Ta phase was found to exist in two allotropic modifications: the hexagonal MgZn,-type and the cubic MgCu2-type Laves phases. SINCE a large variety of structures can result as a consequence of the decomposition of a solid solution, predictions on the nature of property changes are difficult, if not impossible, to make. For any rational attempt to correlate properties and structures of a precipitation-hardenable alloy, a detailed understanding of the kinetics of decomposition and morphology of phase separation, as well as knowledge of phase relationships, appears to be prerequisite. Information of this type has been accumulated in the past for many alloy systems, both of theoretical and pastforpractical importance.1,2 Although the presence of intermetallic compounds has been reported in cobalt-base alloys,3 the amount of published information on precipitation-hardenable cobalt-base systems is very limited. A survey of the binary phase diagrams of cobalt indicates that cobalt-tantalum alloys might be of interest as typical of other cobalt-base systems in which Laves phases of the A,B type can be precipitated from solid solution. The present work has been undertaken, therefore, to study the kinetics and morphology of the precipitation reaction in this system and to establish a base for a correlation between the structural aspects and properties in this class of alloys. PREVIOUS WORK The only available phase diagram of the cobalt-tantalum system is based on the work of Koster and Mulfinger. According to these authors, the maximum solubility of tantalum in cobalt is about 13 pct (at 1275°C) and. less than 7 pct at room temperature. Tantalum additions lower the temperature of allotropic transformation of cobalt (about 420°C), and at 7 pct Ta, the high-temperature face-centered-cubic modification (ß cobalt) is retained at room temperature. The precipitating phase was originally designated as Co5Ta2 compound (55.2 pct Ta, about 1550°C melting point), but subsequent investigations by wallbaum5" identified this constituent as the A,B-type Laves phase. Wallbaum's data indicate that there are two modifications of this intermetallic compound: one richer in cobalt (Co2.2 Tao.8)of the hexagonal MgNi, type; and another of a higher tantalum content (Co2Ta) of the cubic MgCu, type. On the other hand, Elliott7 found that the cobalt-rich alloy (CO2.10,Tao.~l) was predominantly the cubic MgCu, type at 800°C and a mixture of both the MgCu2 and the hexagonal MgZn,-type Laves phases at 1000°C. At 1200°C, Elliott found only the MgZn, type while at 1400°C, he observed only the MgCu2 type. At the stoichiometric composition, Co2Ta, Elliott reported only the cubic MgCu2-type Laves phase in the temperature range of 600oto 1600°C. The precipitation of the cobalt-tantalum intermetallic compound is accompanied by a marked increase in hardness. According to Koster's4 data, the Brinell hardness of an 8 pct Ta-Co alloy increases from 230 to 340 upon short-time aging at 800°C. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The binary cobalt-tantalum alloys investigated contained 5, 10, and 15 pct Ta. The range of tantalum additions was thus slightly broader than the reported minimum and maximum solid solubility limits of tantalum in cobalt (7 and 13 pct, respectively)4 The alloys were vacuum-induction melted in a magnesia crucible using cobalt rondelles and technically pure tantalum sheet as raw materials. Deoxidation of the melt was accomplished with carbon, and the chemical analysis of the alloys is given in Table I. The effect of isothermal aging treatments on the progress of precipitation was studied on samples cut from cast ingots. These samples were solution treated for 2 hr at 1250°C and water-quenched. Aging was conducted in the temperature range from 500" to 1050°C for periods between 15 min and 1000 hr and followed by water-quenching. To prevent contamination from the atmosphere, all samples were sealed in evacuated Vycor or quartz tubes for heat-treatments. For solution treatment, argon at 0.2 atmospheric pressure was introduced prior to sealing of the capsule to prevent collapse at high temperature, and titanium sponge was placed at one end of the capsule to act as a getter. MACROHARDNESS The effect of aging on Vickers hardness (Dph) of

Jan 1, 1960

(Members are urged to send in for this column any notes of interest concerning themselves or their fellow-members.) Members and guests who called at Institute headquarters during the period Mar. 10, 1916 to Apr. 10, 1916: R. C. Blanchard, London, England. George H. Packard, Boston, Mass. F. Lynwood Garrison, Philadelphia, Pa. Harvey B. Small, Mangangue, Colombia, S. A. S. A. Horton, Altoona, Pa. H. De Witt Smith, Kennecott, Alaska. J. S. Lane, New York City. Richard Tarantous, Terlingua, Tex. Harry T. Mercer, Painesdale, Mich. S. A. Taylor, Pittsburgh, Pa. A. L. Blomfield, for many years in the employ of Bewick, Moreing & Co. as metallurgist, and for the last eight years mill superintendent of the Golden Cycle mill at Colorado Springs, has become associated with The Dorr. Company as consulting metallurgical engineer, with headquarters at Denver. He retains his connection with the Golden Cycle mill as general superintendent.

Jan 5, 1916

By W. I. Garms, J. L. Stevens

Because of the many conflicting opinions regarding the functioning of the ball load and the characteristics of ball wear in ball-mill grinding, the following résumé of reports covering recent tests conducted at the Hayden plant of the Kennecott Copper Corporation is submitted with the view of pointing out certain salient features that should throw additional light on the subject. Mills Used Cylindrical drum mills with trunnion feed and discharge were used. The discharge trunnion was 13½ in. in diameter. Dimensions inside the lining were 6 ft. 6 in. in diameter and 9 ft. 6 in. long. The mills were Britannia-lined and nine lifter bars projected 2 in. from the lining. The mill speed was 162/3 r.p.m. Feed to the mill was 9 per cent on 10-mesh, 85 per cent on 100-mesh, 77 per cent solids. New balls measured 2 in. in diameter and the approximate weight of the ball load was 40,000 pounds. Initial Test During a test that was being conducted to determine the relative economic value of standard cast balls vs. forged steel balls in the local 'grinding operation, certain observations were made in regard to the functioning of the various ball sizes and the characteristics of ball wear, which warranted a supplementary test for the purpose of confirming such observations. For the initial test, the necessity for developing a graduated load of the new forged balls before the test could be started was realized, but the time required to obtain a graduated load and the functioning of the various ball sizes was not clear. No advantage could be seen for starting out with a full load of forged balls, as this initial load, at the least, would have to be completely ground out and replaced by daily additions of balls before the graduation could be complete and a normal static condition of ball sizes reached. For a considerable period prior to exhaustion of this initial charge there would be an unusual quantity of worn balls of a certain size, which would not be typical of a normal charge and could influence the characteristics and functioning of the entire load. Therefore, it was decided to start by daily addition of the forged balls to a mill that contained a normal operating load of cast balls. After 88 days of operation the mill was shut down for inspection. By that time the load consisted of a mass of forged balls functioning around a large core of the residual material of the former cast-ball load. This core of cast slugs, locally referred to as "the kidney," was well defined from the forged-ball load.

Jan 1, 1947