Search Documents

By William Hume-Rothery

I need not say how much I appreciate the honor of being asked to lecture to you, and how much I would thank you for your kind invitation. It is encouraging to feel that the abnormal restrictions of the war have been relaxed sufficiently to allow a free exchange of scientists between our two countries, and I hope that some of you will be persuaded to go to England, and to visit us at Oxford, so that I may repay a little of the kindness I have received from you. As this is one of the first lectures since the end of the war, I have thought it well to describe some of the advances in the theory of alloys which were made in the years between the two World Wars. From the point of view of theoretical science, these years have been of outstanding interest in the history of metallurgy. They have been years in which the development of new and more accurate experimental methods has led to the revelation of many new facts. At the same time, the theoretical developments have enabled some of these facts to be viewed as parts of a general scheme, and we may say that some of the foundations of metallurgical science have been laid. This work was naturally stopped by the Second World War, and it can therefore be reviewed as one definite stage in the development of our Science. To illustrate the new advances, I shall deal mainly with the alloys of copper and silver, since these have revealed many of the general principles. taken, and copper had been found to crystallize in the face-centered cubic structure (Fig I). The determination of this structure naturally was of immense importance in the understanding of our subject, because it meant that we were at last in a position to appreciate the underlying structure out of which the crystal of copper was built. The earlier science of metallography had shown that in many alloys of copper the addition of a second metal in not too large proportions resulted in the formation of a homogeneous alloy which was regarded as a solid solution of the one metal in copper. Fig 2, for example, shows the so-called equilibrium diagram of the copper-zinc alloys, and here you will see that there is a solid solution of zinc in copper extending to something of the order 35 to 40 at. pct zinc.

Jan 1, 1947

By Robert T. Howard, Morris Cohen

THE purpose of this paper is to direct attention to the lower part of the austenite transformation diagram, or TTT curves, where considerable uncertainty still exists as to the blending of the bainite and martensite reactions. The dissimilarities between these two low temperature trans- formations have been summarized recently by Troiano and Greninger.1 Of particular importance to the present work is the fact that martensite formation, unlike bainite formation, is not suppressed by the fastest quenching rates attainable. However, most of the investigations in this direction have been concerned primarily with the start of the martensite transformation [(M,)] during cooling, rather than with the quantitative aspects of the subsequent reaction on either further cooling or isothermal holding. Several years ago, Cohen2 suggested a form of transformation diagram which reconciled, at least schematically, the isothermal characteristics of the bainite transformation with the insuppressible nature of the martensite transfoi mation. In essence, the diagram consisted of a family of horizontal lines (representing the progress of the austenite-martensite reaction during quenching) which were interrupted in point of time by the bainite family of C-curves extending down from higher temperatures. This picture received later support by metallographic3 and dilatmetric4,5 studies, but the techniques employed were not sufficiently critical to substantiate some of the details. Elmendorf6 and Grange and Steward7 have shown that the Greninger-Troiano metallographic techniques may be used not only for [M,] determinations, but for studying the course of further austenite decomposition. In fact, the latter investigators have observed the amount of martensite formed as a function of temperature below [M,] in fourteen commercial steels. In the present paper, the Greninger- Troiano technique has been combined with the lineal method of Howard and Cohen9 to provide a unique, quantitative treatment of the austenite-martensite reaction. Furthermore, isothermal transformations have been similarly measured on holding at temperatures above and below M,, thus permitting a fairly detailed presentation of the lower part of the conventional austenite transformation diagram. EXPERIMENTAL DETAILS Materials The steels, listed in Table I, were selected for study because they exhibit a satisfactory range of M, temperatures and have not received as much attention as the lower carbon grades. They were prepared as 30 lb induction furnace heats in the laboratories of the Vanadium-Alloys

Jan 1, 1947

By H. B. Goodrich

Anthony I?. Lucas died suddenly at his home in Washington, D. C., on Sept. 2, 1921. Captain Lucas, as he was known to us, was born in Dalmatia, Austria, in 1855, of Montenegrin ancestry. He was graduated as an engineer at the Polytechnic of Grate and served in the Austrian Navy as second lieutenant. In 1879, he obtained leave of absence and visited an uncle in the United States. After an extension of this leave of absence, in order to undertake an engineering engagement in the lumber district of Michigan, where he resided, he decided to become an American citizen. He was naturalized in May, 1885. His name was Luchich, but as his uncle had adopted the name of Lucas, which was more easily pronounced by Americans, from his entrance to this country, he used this Anglo-Saxon form. Without knowing this fact, upon first meeting him a person was sometimes surprised to note the rather Germanic pronunciation of the Captain. Although he subsequently revisited Austria with Mrs. Lucas, he made his permanent home at Washington, D. C. His son served with distinction in the A. E. F. during the World War. His activities in this country as a mining engineer were at first in Colorado and later in salt mining at Petit Anse and Belle Isle, La. During his salt investigations, his attention was directed toward the possibility of oil in the Gulf Coast region and in January, 1901, his well, the "Lucas Gusher," on Spindle Top, Tex., started a new era in the oil business and his reputation as discoverer made him famous throughout the world. Captain Lucas became a member of the A. I. M. E. in 1895. During 1914, 1915, 1918, and 1919, he was chairman of the Petroleum and Gas Committee of the Institute and was at all times prominent in Institute affairs. As to the personality of Captain Lucas, the lasting impression is of a courteous hospitable gentleman, genial, affable, obliging, and helpful with his advice br assistance to any colleague. He was sincere, honest, firm against all obstacles, backing his judgment with his own hard work along any course which he had determined to be correct. His value in the engineering world lies mainly in the petroleum industry. In the oil business all wild-catters are pioneers that deserve credit and gratitude upon their success. There are, however, names that particularly stand out in our history. Drake conquered such obstacles as ridicule, lack of finances, and started the oil business. In 1901, Captain Lucas had the conviction that Spindle Top, a dome rising about 12 ft. above the coastal prairie south of Beaumont, Tex., contained commercial oil. He was scoffed at by practical oil men of the East. Noted geologists

Jan 1, 1921

By W. M. Weigel

SALT production in Louisiana and Texas at the present time is entirely from salt domes of the interior and coastal groups. Before and during the Civil War salt was recovered from numerous salines and salt springs by evaporation in open 'kettles. The location of these in nearly every instance was near what is now known to be a salt dome, and the source of the salt in the salines and spring waters was that in the salt core. The tops of many of the shallower domes have been subjected to erosion1. The discovery that the salt occurred as large masses of rock salt in the form of domes was made in May, 1802, at Avery Island, La., by John Marsh Avery, grandson of the original owner, John C. Marsh, who built the old salt works in 18122. The first shaft for mining was sunk on the Avery dome in 1867 by Chouteau and Price. It was 90 ft. deep, about 58 ft. being in solid salt. It was abandoned in 1870. There are three general groups or fields of salt domes; interior Louisiana in northern Louisiana, interior Texas in northeastern Texas, and the coastal domes nearer the Gulf Coast and extending from the Mississippi River to the Rio Grande. This last group contains by far the greatest number of domes. As many of the coastal domes especially are prolific producers of petroleum and a few of sulfur, their geology has been intensively studied and fully covered in the literature. The depth to the top of the salt varies from near the surface, where shallow ground waters have dissolved the salt to just below recent deposits, to several thousand feet, where the depth has been estimated only by geophysical methods. The diameter of the salt core varies from less than ½ mile to over 2 miles. Only domes where the salt is compara-tively near the surface have been developed for commercial salt. Three deeper domes, which will be described later, have recently been developed or are in process of development, as a source of brine for chemical use.

Jan 1, 1935

By A. W. Schlechten, Ernest J. Breton Jr.

Experiments on the separation of copper and zinc ions by selective action of ion exchange resins showed the carboxylic type to be more effective than the sulphonic resins. The latter demonstrated a greater capacity over a wider pH range. Data show the effectiveness of resins as a means of concentration. IN recent years the restrictions of stream pollution laws and the high price of metals have created an interest in ion exchange as a means for metal recovery. Some applications have proved successful. In Germany during World War 11, 17 tons of copper per day were recovered from rayon mill wastes by means of ion exchange resins;' and for some time in this country a large ion exchange unit has been in operation for the recovery of copper from rayon waste water. The possibilities of applying ion exchange to the recovery of metals occurring in plating rinse water is particularly promising. In most of these applications only the metal being recovered occurs in the waste. The ion exchange resins act merely as a means of concentrating the metals to a point where they can be recirculated. It would be highly desirable to use ion exchange as a means of not only concentrating but also of separating metals. With the exception of the impressive separations accomplished in connection with the atomic energy program, very little has been done on metal separations.' Therefore, an investigation was undertaken at the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy to determine if either of the two main types of ion exchange resins could be used to separate metal ions in solution. The selective removal of copper ions from a mixture of copper and zinc on carboxylic and sulphonic-type resins was investigated as a function of flow rate, pH, copper-zinc ratio, and concentration. It was shown that zinc can be separated from copper and that very large ratios of concentration can be obtained using ion exchange resins. Since ion exchange is relatively new to the field of metallurgy, a brief review of the subject will be included. Theory of Ion Exchange A comprehensive theory for ion exchange has not been developed as yet, but the mechanisms are analogous to metathetical reactions: R Na + Cu++ *=? K(SO3)2 Cu + 2Na+ R is the designation for the ion exchange resin. If a copper solution is passed over a resin bed in the sodium form, two ions of sodium will be released for every ion of copper removed. For the most part this reaction follows the laws of mass action and of electrical neutrality. Consequently, if an excess of sodium ions is passed over a bed containing copper, the reactions will be reversed, and the resin will be regenerated to its original form. A few empirical rules governing the exchange reaction have been set forth: 1—In general ions with a high valence will replace ions with a lower valence. 2—Ions having higher activity coefficients have a higher replacement potential. 3—In a series of mono-valent ions, those with the smallest radii of hydra-tion will tend to replace those having larger radii of hydration. 4—Where ions are similar in most respects, those with the higher atomic weight sometimes will take precedence. This last rule is not as definite as some of the others. These rules apply to rather dilute solutions at moderate temperatures and assume all ions to be present in about equal concentrations. Higher concentrations and temperatures may in some cases reverse the normal exchange reactions. Ion exchange materials are unique in that their efficiency increases as the concentration of the solution decreases. For many exchangers, most efficient operation is obtained at concentrations in the order of one thousandths of a percent. Most applications, though, are made in solutions containing considerably higher concentrations than this. Coste9 as shown that ion exchange resins will remove aluminum and iron effectively' from solutions of up to 10 pct chromic acid. Ion Exchange Resins Ion exchange resins are insoluble, porous, resinous structures to which active groups have been attached. Active groups such as (—SO,,)- and (COO)- pick up cations; hence structures saturated with groups such as these are called cation exchangers. Structures saturated with groups such as (—NH,)' which pick up anions, are referred to as anion exchangers. The resinous structure of necessity is resistant to strong acids, bases, oxidizing, and reducing agents, and most of the common organic solvents. An idea of the stability can be gaged from the fact that resins last for many years under constant use without detectable chemical or physical breakdown. The ion exchange reaction is not confined to the surface of these synthetic resins. Its porous structure permits active groups in the center of a particle as well as those on the surface to remove ions. A high capacity resin such as Amberlite IR-120 will remove up to 3.3 lb Cu per cu ft of resin. In this investigation several approaches to the problem of separating copper from zinc by ion exchange were considered. First, if a reagent could be found which would complex one of these metals and not the other, then by passing this reagent through a bed of exchanger containing copper and zinc, the

Jan 1, 1952

By Eugene McAuliffe

AS anthracite is no longer used to a marked extent by the rail- ways of the United States (1,513,000 tons in 1933), that portion of the mining industry engaged in the production of bituminous coal is, and will continue to be, the one chiefly concerned with the future use of its product by the railways. In a period such as the present, when all enter- prise is unsettled, when fundamental principles of industrial management and control are being swept aside or else changed overnight, it is difficult to predict what will happen. The relation between the total production of bituminous coal and the volume consumed by the steam rail- ways of the United States, Classes I,

Jan 1, 1936

By WILFRED SYKES

THE story of the rolling of strip steel is not limited to any one plant or individual or group of individuals. It is a story with many ramifications. First of all, it should be understood that the strip mills we are considering are continuous mills, in that the steel passes directly from one mill to the other in a more or less straight line. Continuous mills are not new; in fact, they have been used for many years in the rolling of a few simple shapes. They were, however, driven by one motor through jackshafts, and as a result the speed of each roll stand had a fixed relation to that of every other stand in the series. This in turn fixed the reduction that could be made in each stand. The mill could produce simple things, but was not satisfactory for the production of the variety of strip now required. It was, therefore, necessary to get away from the restrictions of that kind of drive. To accomplish this, the designer could either separate

Jan 1, 1936

By C. W. Clark, J. H. Schloen

Two papers have been written previously concerning operations at the Montreal East plant of Canadian Copper Refiners Limited. The first one,1 written in 1932, described silver-refinery operations at the time for producing silver and gold bullion from tankhouse anode slimes; the second,2 published in 1933, consisted of a description of the entire plant. Since publication of these papers the refinery has become the world's largest producer of refined selenium. The first selenium was produced in August 1934. Tellurium production on a commercial scale followed in October 1935. This paper will deal with selenium and tellurium production and also with present operations in the silver refinery. Blister cakes from Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Co., Flin Flon, Manitoba, and commercial anodes from Noranda Mines Limited, Noranda, Quebec, are refined at Montreal East. Both these bullions have unusually high gold, selenium and tellurium content. The average assay of raw slimes produced from domestic and Noranda anodes is about 40 per cent Cu, 3600 oz. per ton Ag, 800 oz. per ton Au, 22 per cent Se and 3.7 per cent Te. EARLY SILVER-REFINERY OPERATIONS From the start of operations in 1931 until July 1934, the raw slimes were oxidize-roasted at 700° F. in a Nichols-Herreshoff furnace, acid¬leached with tankhouse discarded foul electrolyte (20 per cent H2SO4), filtered and charged directly to the doré furnace for refining to doré metal. This is the customary method for treating tankhouse anode slimes but was not suitable at the Montreal East plant because of the high selenium and tellurium content of our slimes. In the acid-leaching process about 50 per cent of the selenium and tellurium in the roasted slimes was dissolved in the electrolyte. These elements were recovered with the copper as a sludge in a small electrolytic

Jan 1, 1938

By James Douglas

I had the good fortune to visit the Stockholm Exposition just before its close in October last, and to get a glimpse of the methods used in Sweden in making the wonderful steel and iron for which its furnaces are so famous. My time and opportunities for observation were limited, but some points which I noted may be worth bringing to the notice of the Institute. The Exposition itself was confined to the natural and artificial products of Scanclinavia, and therefore iron and steel held a very prominent place in it. There was a complete collection of the rocks and ores of the Peninsula made by the Geological Survey; and every iron-mine of note exhibited a glass model of its workings, as well as classified specimens, accompaniecl by thorough analyses of the ores. Another feature of interest was the display of models of the old mining-machinery, in the invention and introduction of which Sweden led the way, and of the old and new surveying-instruments and compasses devised for the exploration of the Swedish iron-ore bodies, all of which are more or less magnetic. The magnetometric collection and exhibit of methods of operation made by Prof. Nordestrijm were supremely instructive. The larger metallurgical works, such as those of the Kopparberg and Sandvik companies, exhibited their wares in separate pavilions, in which crude and manufactured objects were arranged most eflectively and tastefully; while the smaller companies erected in the Industrial Arts Building trophies, every one of which was an object of beauty. One was struck on all sides by the fine asthetic feeling exhibited in the ingenious installation of materials and objects not easily lending themselves to artistic treatment. Hammers, picks and drill-steel were grouped into mural designs which it was a delight to look at.

Jan 1, 1899

By Anthony Anable

THE definite trend to stricter specifications with respect to hydraulic concrete has become increasingly manifest in the last six years or so; but it remained for the vast reclamation projects of the Bureau of Recla-mation of the Department of the Interior of the last few years to focus attention on this trend, and to demonstrate how thousands of tons of concrete-making aggregates can be produced continuously and auto-matically with a control of fineness comparable with that obtained with small samples in well equipped private and governmental laboratories. Pioneer work in this direction was done, to be sure, by private com-panies, notably the Kaiser Paving Co. of San Francisco, prior to the present vast public works program. Then in 1931 came the first great aggregates-preparation plant of the Six Companies, Inc. to supply. construction materials for Boulder Dam' in Nevada, and now, in 1936, the aggregates plant of the Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co., general con¬tractors on the Grand Coulee dam in Washington. At Boulder dam and to an even greater degree at Grand Coulee dam, sand production is recognized as probably the most important single element affecting the physical characteristics of the concrete. For in the construction of dams accurate grading of the fine aggregate has consider-able bearing on the attainment of a uniform and homogeneous concrete of a high degree of workability and placeability and, at the same time, combining high density and low cement content. Low cement content is of value not only from the standpoint of economy but also because the use of an unnecessarily rich concrete causes certain undesirable characteristics to develop. This paper will relate how at Grand Coulee dam methods that are more advanced than ever before are producing four sizes of gravel and a sand having a fineness modulus of 2.5-3.0. The design capacity is 1000 tons an hour. Significantly, the methods and equipment employed are broadly those that have been used for a generation in metallurgical mills for accurately sizing and grading both precious

Jan 1, 1936

By John A. Gann

WITHIN a very few years magnesium has sprung from oblivion, from classification as a technically unknown, little appreciated, and expensive material to front-page importance in many fields of engineering. Bunsen may be considered the real founder of our present magnesium industry. In 1852; he prepared this metal by the electrolysis of fused magnesium chloride in a porcelain crucible. In the following years the electro¬lytic process became recognized as superior to chemical reduction methods and Germany became the world's chief producer, installing the first electrolytic magnesium plant in 1886. ' Thirty years later, national defense requirements, occasioned by the outbreak of the World War and the cutting off of imports, caused France, England, and the United States to begin production. Most of this magnesium was used for military purposes so the close of the war resulted in a large curtailment in production. A few companies, however, encouraged by the early success of the Germans and by the rapid developments taking place in aeronautics, and confident in the certain future and ultimate value of this metal, undertook extensive re¬searches in its production and utilization. A variety of production methods, both chemical and electrochemical, were investigated and some of them operated on a commercial scale. Reduction of the oxide with carbon at high temperatures and the electrolysis of the oxide in a fluoride

Jan 1, 1932

By Hans Lundberg

N OT so long ago, the discovery of an orebody took place only by accident. At the present time mineral deposits, even though concealed, may be revealed by their physical or geophysical characteristics, considered in connection with geological studies. Geophysical methods are based on sound, scientific principles and in no sense partake of the mysteries of "divining-rod " methods. Geophysical methods are divided into two main groups: Group I: Methods where fields of force surrounding mineral deposits are investigated (magnetic, gravitometric, electric) ; Group I1 : Methods where fields of force are applied (produced) and anomalies caused in these fields by mineral deposits are recorded (electric, seismic). By methods belonging to Group I, the investigation of the fields of force may be brought to an astonishing degree of accuracy by means of highly sensitive and delicate apparatus (torsion and magnetic balances) ; at least, in simple cases these methods have proved to be of great value.

Jan 1, 1925

By Augustus Locke

Jan 1, 1923

By Augustus Locke

Jan 1, 1923

By Henry M. Howe

The death of Sir Lowthian Bell removes almost the last of the group of heroic leaders who made their age and ours the Age of Steel—a group which his luster and the luster of his peers, Bessemer, Siemens and Tunner, made one of the most brilliant, perhaps even the most brilliant, in the annals of induetry. Born on February 15th, 1816, in Newcastle-on-Tyne, he was the eldest son of Thomas Bell, an alderman of Newcastle, and of his wife Catherine Lowthian of Newbiggin, near Carlisle, in Cumberland, and was christened Isaac Lowthian, the name of his maternal grandfather. His father was born about 1788, and came in 1808 from Newbiggin to Newcastle, where he entered the office of the Cumbrian firm of Losh & Company, manufacturers of alkali and wrought-iron, at the Walker Iron and Alkali Works, at Walker, near Newcastle. Young Isaac Lowthian Bell was educated at Dr. Bruce's school in Newcastle, whence he went to Germany and Denmark, learning there German and Danish. On his return he studied at Edinburgh University, and then at the Sorbonne in Paris. As a student he already showed the remarkable character and application which later gained him such distinction. After studying the manufacture of alkali near Marseilles, he returned, and when about twenty years old (A.D. 1836) was employed in his father's firm, then called Losh, Wilson, & Bell. After spending a year in their Newcastle offices, and after visiting the important iron-making districts of France, Germany, Poland, and Austria, he took charge of their rolling-mills at. Walker, and profited so well by his opportunities, and especially by the teachings of his father and of Mr. John Vaughan (later one of the founders of the great firm of Bolckow, Vaughan & Co.), that he was made manager of the Walker works in or about

Jan 1, 1906

By G. R. Hodgson, M. P. Lebourg

The introduction in the field of a new type well completion called for the setting of tubing open-ended in the well before perforating the casing. This paper describes a new perforating tool of the shaped charge expendable type, small enough to pass through tubing and powerful enough to perforate the casing. The perforations are produced at an angle and are large enough for optimum production. Performance of this tool in targets and under various well conditions is described. Very often no lifting equipment will be available at the well. In some cases, pressure will exist in the well at the time of the perforating operation (workover wells or multiple trip perforation) ; therefore, new equipment and new technique for the perforating operation were devised. This paper describes this equipment and technique, particularly casing collar recording, sheave support, and cable pull-down device. this last item being necessary for wells under pressure. Results obtained with this tool in the field are given. INTRODUCTION One of the key requirements for the introduction in the field of a new method of permanent well completion was the development of a new perforating method involving the use of a perforating gun small enough to go through tubing and with enough penetrating power to perforate the casing satisfactorily. The equipment described in this paper was basically designed to go through open-ended two-in. tubing and to perforate 5 1/2 in. casing. The equipment is illustrated in accompanying figures. NEW COMPLETION METHOD With the new permanent type well completion, the production string of casing is run and cemented through the potential producing zone. Open-ended tubing is -then run into the well and used to replace the drilling fluid with oil or water. The amount of the oil or water "cushion" can be varied according to the expected bottom hole pressure. Thus, if desired, the hydrostatic head can be greater, equal to, or less than the expected pressure within the zone to be perforated. Mud having been displaced, the tubing is -then positioned so that the end is above the zone to be perforated. The Christmas tree and flow lines are installed and tested. The drilling rig can now be removed from the well since it is not necessary for the perforating operation, thus resulting in a saving in rig tme. The perforating equipment is then moved to the well and the gun lowered through the tubing. After the gun passes out of the open end of the tubing, the depth measurements are correlated with casing collars and the gun placed opposite the zone to be perforated. Upon firing, the gun body is shattered and falls to the bottom of the well. Since the lubricator has been closed before firing, it is possible to withdraw the casing collar locator and head and then open the well immediately to the tanks. DESCRIPTION OF GUN An investigation of two basic types of Perforators, namely a bullet perforator and a shaped charge gun, was undertaken towards the development of a gun to meet the aforementioned requirements. Preliminary tests on various bullet perforator designs within the diameter limitations did not give results encouraging enough to warrant further study. Somewhat better results were obtained by using conventional shaped charges; but, as in the case of the bullet types, the necessarily small overall diameter proved to be a severe limitation and resulted in insufficient penetration. A shaped charge employing a new design was developed which gave excellent penetration. These shaped charges were designed to produce a large hole directed upward at a 45" angle. In order to obtain the maximum space possible for these charges, it was decided to use an expendable carrier made of drillable material, usually aluminum, which would shatter at the time of firing, leaving only harmless fragments at the bottom of the hole. The fixed spacing is five shots per ft. wit11

Jan 1, 1952

By Michael H. Kuryla, Galen H. Clevenger

Some years after Nobel made his epoch-making contribution to the knowledge of high explosives, Sprengell described a new class of detonating explosives consisting of mixtures, made immediately before use, of an oxidizing agent and a combustible substance.2 The novel feature of the Sprengel explosives is that the constituents alone are non-explosive during manufacture, storage and transport. Despite this advantage, and although some of these have been used in important work, they are now little used, possibly on account of the greater inconvenience to the user, compared with explosives supplied by the manufacturer in final form. Liquid-oxygen explosives are a type of Sprengel explosive in that the oxidizing agent (liquid oxygen) and the combustible substance or substances (solid carbonaceous matter alone or in combination with liquid hydrocarbons or even metallic powders and, at times inert absorbents) are brought together immediately before use. The components separately are non-explosive. The possibility of using liquid oxygen as one of the components of an explosive was perhaps first suggested by Sprengel, who stated that the beau ideal of a detonating explosive was a mixture of eight parts of liquid oxygen with one part of liquid hydrogen. Although the liquefaction of air3 had been accomplished in the laboratory as early

Jan 1, 1923

By Michael H. Kuryla, Galen H. Clevenger

Some years after Nobel made his epoch-making contribution to the knowledge of high explosives, Sprengell described a new class of detonating explosives consisting of mixtures, made immediately before use, of an oxidizing agent and a combustible substance.2 The novel feature of the Sprengel explosives is that the constituents alone are non-explosive during manufacture, storage and transport. Despite this advantage, and although some of these have been used in important work, they are now little used, possibly on account of the greater inconvenience to the user, compared with explosives supplied by the manufacturer in final form. Liquid-oxygen explosives are a type of Sprengel explosive in that the oxidizing agent (liquid oxygen) and the combustible substance or substances (solid carbonaceous matter alone or in combination with liquid hydrocarbons or even metallic powders and, at times inert absorbents) are brought together immediately before use. The components separately are non-explosive. The possibility of using liquid oxygen as one of the components of an explosive was perhaps first suggested by Sprengel, who stated that the beau ideal of a detonating explosive was a mixture of eight parts of liquid oxygen with one part of liquid hydrogen. Although the liquefaction of air3 had been accomplished in the laboratory as early

Jan 1, 1923

By Maurice L. Pinel, Thomas T. Read, Thomas A. Wright

THE erroneous, but until recently widely prevalent, belief that iron castings were first made in Europe in the fourteenth century has been adequately refuted in a number of earlier papers;1,11,12 but except for an unpublished metallographic study by the late William Campbell, and a phosphorus analysis by T. A. Wright of the metal of the Han dynasty cast-iron stove described by Laufer,2 nothing was known of either the chemical composition or the metallographic structure of the metal of any ancient iron casting, although data on castings of recent manufacture are abundantly available. The metal of the stove, which had been buried in a grave for at least 15 centuries, was so corroded that it seemed inadvisable to publish the results on it until more and better specimens from other ancient castings could be obtained. During a journey through China, extending from Peking in the north to Canton in the south and Cheng-tu, Ssu-chuan, in the west, in the late summer and autumn of 1936, one of us (T. T. Read) was fortunate enough to obtain, and bring home for study, nine castings, all more than 1000 years old, of which the date of manufacture is precisely known because of inscriptions cast in them, another that lacks a dated inscription, but of which the date, as explained below, can be otherwise established, and a specimen from the largest iron casting ever made," which is also dated. The period covered by this suite of specimens extends from 502 to 1093 A.D. In addition, a sample was obtained from a casting of date unknown, but which was certainly cast before 1000 A.D. and possibly as early as the third century A.D. A detailed description of these specimens is as follows: 1. 502 A.D. A pair (right and left) of recumbent lions (Fig. 1). Base 7 ¼ by 14 3/8 in., height over-all 5 ½ in., weight 26 lb. each. The translation of the inscription on the base is: "Made on the twenty-fourth day of the seventh month of the third year of Ching Ming of Great Wei" (Sept. 11, 502 A.D.).

Jan 1, 1938

By Dudley L. Davis, E. C. Peterson

Introduction The Darwin District is 30 miles east of Olancha which is 220 miles north from Los z4ngeles via U. S. Highway No. 6. The ore deposits occur in the Darwin hills that have been elevated above the Darwin plateau by typical basin and range-type faults. Some of these faults have been active quite recently as shown by the displacemerit of Quaternary (?) basalt flows and the rejuvenation of erosion in Darwin wash. The ore bodies occur as fissure fillings and replacement of favorable beddings in a thick series of Paleozoic limestones, dolomites, shales and quartzites. Rich oxidized lead-silver ores were dis'Overed in the early seventies. BY 1875, Darwin had a population Of about 5000, and by 1880 several small mills and smelters had been built. Early exhaustion of surface ores, the isolated location of the district, and fluctuation Of metal prices caused intermittent operations until World War 11. The district production is estimated at about $3,000,000 prior to 1900 and perhaps $4,000,000 between 1900 and 1945 when Anaconda purchased the major producing mines. 'or the Past two Years, daily production has averaged 75 tons of direct shipping and 150 tons of milling-grade ore. At present, 300 tons of mixed oxide and sulphide ore are treated by flotation, the oxidized lead minerals being activated by addition of sodium sulphide after galena and sphalerite have been recovered from the circuit. Extraction averages 85 pct of the lead, 80 pct of the silver, and about 33 Pct Of the zinc in a bulk concentrate. The mill is designed so that minor changes permit selective flotation of pyritic lead-zinc ores encountered at depth. General Geology The oldest rocks in the Darwin hills are a series of Paleozoic limestones, dolomites, shales and quartzites probably pennsyl-vanian in age. These rocks have been intruded on the Rest by the Coso granite batholith and on the east by a granodiorite stock. Numerous sills and dikes grading from orthoclase granite to gabbro are exposed in the underground workings. The sedimentary rocks have been considerably folded and faulted, the most prominent structure being a northwest pitching anticlinal fold, the crest of which lies just west of the ridge line of the Darwin hills, The east limb of this fold has been intruded by the granodiorite stock and east of the stock the sediments show several closely spaced anticlines and synclines. The minor flexures on the west flank of the major fold are structurally important in localizing the ore in the Defiance and Essex mines of the Darwin group. There are three principal systems of faulting and fissuring, most of which are post-intrusive and premineral in age, with minor amounts of postmineral movement. The Darwin tear fault is the largest, most persistent fault in the district. It strikes N 60 to 75°W, dips steeply south and is traceable for about 10 miles. It is a normal

Jan 1, 1949