Search Documents

By Stuart S. Forbes

Changes and additions made to the Canadian Copper Refiners Ltd. electrolytic refinery between 1949 and 1955 are reviewed. The effect of high current density on current efficiency and section work is discussed. OPERATING and physical changes which have been made to the electrolytic tank house of Canadian Copper Refiners Ltd. suggest a review of present conditions. Previous papers1 a have described the general arrangement. Since then, expansion, closer anode spacing, and higher current densities have increased annual cathode capacity from 112,000 to 182,000 tons. A recent extension to the tank house, begun in the spring of 1954 and completed in August 1955, was undertaken to handle the monthly production of about 3,000 tons of anodes from Gasp6 Copper Mines. The anticipation of these additional receipts and large stocks of unrefined copper caused by the increase in custom smelting at Noranda made it necessary to increase production without immediately available additional cell capacity. Accordingly, from December 1954 through March 1955, the tank house was operated successfully at a current density of 24.0 amp per sq ft. Again, as of September 1955, one of the two tank house circuits is being operated at this high density. Although other refineries may operate at current densities higher than 24 amp per sq ft, none is doing so with anodes which contain silver and gold content as high as those being refined at Canadian Copper Refiners Ltd. General Arrangement The original building consisted of two parallel bays, each 660 ft long and 60 ft wide, with a 24 ft pump bay extending along the west side of the building. A previous expansion, completed in 1939, was to the west of the original building and consisted of two 60 ft parallel bays 240 ft long. The length of these two bays was extended in 1954 to 540 ft, adding one stripper and 12 commercial sections to No. 2 electrical circuit. Space is still available for an additional six commercial sections and one stripper section. Construction on these seven sections started in September 1955, and will be completed early in 1956. The tank house capacity will then be 206,000 tons of cathodes per year. In the two tank houses there is a total of 900 cells distributed as follows—commercial, 468; stripper, 36; total, 504 in the No. 1 tank house (No. 1 circuit): commercial, 360; stripper, 36; total, 396 in the No. 2 tank house (No. 2 circuit). Section arrangement consists of nine cells to a tier and two tiers or 18 cells to a section. Anodes, weighing 620 lb each, are cast with a Baltimore groove and are refined by the multiple system. Solution enters each cell through a bottom inlet at one end and overflows at the top of the opposite end. Rate of solution flow through the cells is controlled by valves at each section to 4.5 gpm. Electrical power to the tank house is now provided by nine 675 kw motor generator sets. Each set consists of a 135-12 v 5000 amp dc generator, driven by a 980 hp 2300 v synchronous motor. When No. 1 circuit is operated at 22,000 amp, five sets, at 4400 amp each, are connected in parallel. As the maximum allowable current on No. 2 electrical circuit has recently been set at 18,000 amp, only four sets are connected in parallel on No. 2 circuit. A tenth set, now being installed, will be reserved as a spare, for use in either circuit as required. Recent Changes In 1949, the annual capacity of the tank house was increased from 112,000 to 132,000 tons by closing the

Jan 1, 1957

By B. F. Tillson

There is a dearth of information on the economic threat of silicosis. Even the insurance companies and rating bureaus are in a quandary, and the majority of them avoid any action that will stir up an awakened public consciousness of the serious nature of this industrial hazard. Individual claims for $100,000 are now common in silicosis lawsuits. Because of ('hidden costs," in lowered plant efficiency, the total cost of this disease to industry is probably four times its apparent direct cost. The direct costs vary with the labor policies of the employer and with the labor legislation in force. Direct costs may originate in three ways: (1) voluntary assumption by the employer of medical expenses and loss of earning power of stricken employees; (2) state enforcement of industrial disease compensation acts; and (3) awards or settlements after suits in common law. Examples are offered in the last two classifications. In the Rand, South Africa, compensation laws are in effect and in approximately 20 years prior to 1932 about $65,000,000 has been awarded for silicosis and an additional liability of $34,000,000 incurred, or an average of about t5,000,000 per year. During 1932 silicosis compensation on the Rand was about $6,000,000. No figures are available for the direct capital or operating costs for preventive measures there, nor for the additional "hidden costs." It might be reasonable to assume that silicosis has cost the gold-mining industry of South Africa twenty to twenty-five millions of dollars per year. It is estimated that common-law silicosis claims have, in the last few years, aggregated $50,000,000 in New York State alone and have exceeded $300,000,000 in the United States. Attention is called to the involved nature of the insurance situation for industrial diseases in contrast to accidents. The indeterminant, insidious nature of silicosis makes it particularly difficult to predict necessary insurance premiums and reserves. The serious hazard of this disease was not properly appreciated by either insurance companies or industrialists, so sufficient study has not been given its causation, prevention, detection, treatment, and compensation. Therefore legal difficul-

Jan 1, 1934

By Edward H. Robie, E. J. Jr. Kennedy

his volume records the "clay symposium" that featured the geology side of the Annual Meeting of the Institute at St. Louis, February 19-22, 1951. The symposium consisted of four sessions held under the joint sponsorship of the Geology Subdivision and the Industrial Minerals Division AIME and the Society of Economic Geologists. Its main purpose was to define or outline certain problems of clay and laterite genesis, and the papers herein, which were presented at the first three sessions, deal for the most part with individual deposits or special problems. The fourth session was a seminar concerned almost wholly with a discussion of "problems." The discussion follows the papers in the volume. The clay symposium was not the work of an appointed committee. It was thought up and inspired by John J. Collins, who so ably supervised and co- ordinated the mining, geology, and geophysics program for the 1950 annual meeting of the Institute. After requesting Dr. A. F. Frederickson to get material together on clay and laterites for the St. Louis meeting, Mr. Collins visited Dr. Frederickson and discussed this project with him in greater detail. By that time their interest and enthusiasm had spread to others in the field. The Geology Subdivision, the Industrial Minerals Division, and the Society of Economic Geologists by common consent turned over the organization of the program to Dr. Frederickson. Mr. Collins continued in active touch with Dr. Frederickson and gave him every assistance. Dr. E. C. Harder and Dr. W. D. Keller read all the material comprising the symposium, and their comment was made available to Dr. Frederickson, who did much to put papers and discussion in final shape for publication. To the Karl Eilers Memorial Fund--one of the Funds that enables the Institute to publish books of this kind, to the authors of the various papers, to the contributors to the discussion, and to Messrs. Collins and Frederickson the Institute and readers of this book are indebted.

Jan 1, 1952

By C. A. Czako

INTRODUCTION In recent decades sintering and pelletizing of finely divided materials have become the primary tonnage producing modes of agglomeration. This statement is especially true in the iron and steel industry and, to a lesser degree, in the nonferrous, chemical and non-metallic minerals processing industries. In every industry the main objectives in agglomerating fines are essentially the same, namely to convert ores, minerals and chemicals of undesirable fineness into agglomerates characterized by a size consistency desirable for subsequent use or processing. Depending on the type of agglomeration process selected and the conditions maintained during agglomeration, the physical process of increasing size is complemented by a number of other unit processes. These processes can occur simultaneously, consecutively or in an overlapping manner. Some of these additional unit processes are incidental to the agglomeration operation, but at the same time can be critical, depending upon the subsequent use of the product. Accordingly, during processing, conditions have to be controlled to either suppress or enhance the extent of completion of these unit processes. The purpose of this report is to review laboratory testing as the basis for engineering modern sintering and pelletizing plants. Considering that most typical applications are for the iron and steel industry, agglomeration of ferrous materials is reviewed and discussed. When these total processes are adapted to suit non- ferrous materials, chemicals, or non-metallic substances, the over- all approach remains the same; only the processing parameters are affected as necessitated by the different nature of the materials.

Jan 1, 1977

By S. Leber, R. F. Hehemann

Diffusion coefficients for the Cb-W system were measured using couples prepared from poly crystalline, commercially pure metals. The diffusion coefficients, measured in the temperature range between 1700° and 2300°C, decreased exponentially as the tungsten concentration was increased from 0 to 50 at. pct, then decreased abruptly at higher concentrations. A decrease of two orders of magnitude was observed over the entin? compositional range. The diffusion coefficients were in the range defined by the self-difiusion coefficients of the individual elements, indicating their general validity. An activation energy of 60,500 cal per mole was measured for the 20 pct W composition. Such low values, when compared with energies over 100,000 cal per mole for the pure constituent elements, indicated that transport mechanisnzs more rapid than volume diffusion were contributing substantially to inter dijfusion. Difference should, therefore, be expected between these data and the intrinsic diffusion coefficients. These differences should be significant in the kinetics of 'transport phenomena in practical systems. CONSIDERABLE attention has been devoted in recent years to the mechanical behavior and other properties of the refractory metals and their alloys. The Cb-W system has been of special interest as a base for the development of more complex compositions of commercial interest. In spite of the importance of mass transport to all aspects of elevated-temperature behavior, and especially to the production of alloys by powder-metallurgy techniques, little attention has been paid to diffusion in the Cb-W system. Results from a previous study of this system1 appeared to be anomalously high. The present investigation is, therefore, an attempt to obtain more accurate diffusion coefficients in this system. Intrinsic diffusion coefficients, of primary importance from the theoretical viewpoint, can only be obtained accurately from studies utilizing compositional gradients approaching zero. However, many practical problems involve diffusion under significant concentration gradients. The diffusion coefficients determined in this investigation were, therefore, obtained from couples prepared from elemental metals. The data obtained should be of value in the analysis of problems such as homogenization during powder-metallurgy alloying or reactions between base and clad in coated structures. In this vein, the investigation was conducted on poly crystalline materials of commercial purity. PROCEDURE Diffusion couples were prepared by sandwiching a columbium sheet between two sheets of tungsten. The composite was welded around all edges, the tungsten forming a protective can for the columbium. The composite was soaked for 4 min at 1600°C in a hydrogen-atmosphere furnace, quickly forged to 40 pct reduction in thickness, and then rapidly cooled to room tempera-

Jan 1, 1967

By S. R. Goodman, Hsun Hu

The rolling texture transition in copper as a function of deformation temperature is found to be quite similar to that in high-purity silver. The ordinary copper type texture changes gradually to the brass type, accompanied by an increase in the stacking fault frequency, as the temperature of deformation decreases. The rolling textures obtained at low temperatures and the corresponding annealing textures compare remarkably well with the ordinary rolling and annealing textures of low-zinc brasses. Furthermore, it is also found that the observed stacking fault energies of copper specimens deformed at low temperatures correspond closely with those of low-zinc brasses, as deduced from measurements of the dislocation nodes. These results are consistent with the idea that texture transition may be significantly dependent on the stacking fault energy. It was shown in a series of previous publications1"3 that the rolling texture of high-purity silver changes gradually from the common silver type (or the brass type) to the copper type* with increasing temperature *The silver or brass type rolling textures are commonly described as (110)[112],4,5 whereas the copper type rolling textures are mainly (123) [a121 and (146)[211].5 Other ideal orientations have been used by various investigators for the copper type rolling textures, but the actual difference among these ideal orientations is rather small. of deformation, and that such texture transition can be correlated with the change in stacking fault frequency as a function of rolling temperature. Furthermore, it was shown that the formation of annealing textures in high-purity silver from the various rolling textures obtained during the course of texture transition depends entirely upon the deformation texture. From a common silver type or brass type rolling texture (such as produced by rolling at 0" or at 50° C) the recrystallization texture is mainly (120)[211], which is quite different from the recrystallization texture of brass.* However, for both ma- terials the orientation relationship between the rolling texture and the recrystallization texture can be expressed in terms of similar rotations around [Ill.] axes of approximately 30 or 35 deg. They differ in that the [Ill] rotational axes are different. In the case of high-purity silver, the axes of rotation are the two (111) poles near the plane normal of the deformed specimen with a (11l)[112] type rolling texture, whereas in brass, they are the (111) poles near the direction of rolling. For high-purity silver with a predominantly copper type rolling texture (such as produced by rolling at 150° or 200°C) the recrystallization texture is mainly (100)[001], or the cube texture, plus its twin orientations. It was shown previously6 that such reorientation observed in copper or aluminum can be described as [Ill] rotations of 30 to 40 deg. For intermediate cases, i.e., when the rolling textures are composed of a

Jan 1, 1963

THE problem of reaction rates in the open-hearth process is essentially that of trying to form a fairly clear picture of the "chemical mechanisms" in the bath. Quantitative data on reaction rates would perhaps not be of much practical importance even if they were available; however, what few approximate data there are can be used in combination with data given in Chapters 16 and 17 to sketch a picture of the "chemical mechanics" of the open-hearth process that is consistent with essentially all the present available evidence. The result may later be found incorrect in many details but even so it will illustrate certain useful methods for obtaining a clearer understanding of the process. Consistent with the treatment in Chapter 15, but in simpler terms, we may say that chemical reactions in general involve the following elements or steps : 1. The reacting molecules are mixed together in space in such fashion as to favor collisions among them. 2. Units of what is usually an intermediate molecular arrangement called an activated complex are formed at a certain rate, depending on temperature and concentrations. 3. .These activated complex units decompose into the reaction products (this step usually assumed to be so rapid as never to limit the over-all process). 4. In any of these steps, heat energy may have to flow into, or away from, the reaction zone to permit the reaction to proceed. 5. The products of reaction will usually have to move out of the way to permit further reaction. The temperature factor enters mainly through step 2, and its effect is very marked. (What is called temperature is really the mean energy content of all the molecules of the substance involved; at any one temperature a certain proportion of the molecules will have much higher energy content than the mean value.) Various reaction rates measured at around room tem-

Jan 1, 1964

By A. B. Kinzel

Precise knowledge regarding the effect of heat treatment on the properties of steel has made possible the detailed specifications and instructions covering optimum heat-treating temperatures and practices that are in current use. A distinct contrast is presented by the metallurgical treatment of steel adjacent to a fusion weld, as such steel is subjected to each temperature from room temperature to fusion temperature, and cooled at a rate that is not generally controllable but is predetermined by the nature of the assembly to be welded, the kind of welding used, and the surrounding conditions. This is true regardless of the type of fusion welding: oxyacetylene, electric arc, thermit or flash resistance. Therefore it seemed desirable to investigate the effect of this metallurgical treatment on the characteristics of carbon steels commonly used for welding, by a detailed study of metal subjected to each temperature range; i.e., each heat-affected zone. Oxyacetylene welding was chosen for the investigation because of the experimental facility of accurately segregating and studying each temperature zone. The nature of the zones produced by other types of welding is the same. The difference is primarily a matter of dimensions of each of the temperature zones involved. The advantages and disadvantages of the extent of the zone are of prime moment, and are discussed after the presentation of the detailed zone study. No mention is made of the fused metal proper, as this has been the subject of much published research and the nature of the solidified metal is fairly .ell known. General Method The scheme of procedure in the work herein reported involved the testing of the metal of each temperature zone adjacent to the weld in so

Jan 1, 1935

By A. B. Kinzel

Precise knowledge regarding the effect of heat treatment on the properties of steel has made possible the detailed specifications and instructions covering optimum heat-treating temperatures and practices that are in current use. A distinct contrast is presented by the metallurgical treatment of steel adjacent to a fusion weld, as such steel is subjected to each temperature from room temperature to fusion temperature, and cooled at a rate that is not generally controllable but is predetermined by the nature of the assembly to be welded, the kind of welding used, and the surrounding conditions. This is true regardless of the type of fusion welding: oxyacetylene, electric arc, thermit or flash resistance. Therefore it seemed desirable to investigate the effect of this metallurgical treatment on the characteristics of carbon steels commonly used for welding, by a detailed study of metal subjected to each temperature range; i.e., each heat-affected zone. Oxyacetylene welding was chosen for the investigation because of the experimental facility of accurately segregating and studying each temperature zone. The nature of the zones produced by other types of welding is the same. The difference is primarily a matter of dimensions of each of the temperature zones involved. The advantages and disadvantages of the extent of the zone are of prime moment, and are discussed after the presentation of the detailed zone study. No mention is made of the fused metal proper, as this has been the subject of much published research and the nature of the solidified metal is fairly .ell known. General Method The scheme of procedure in the work herein reported involved the testing of the metal of each temperature zone adjacent to the weld in so

Jan 1, 1935

By Ulrich H. Roesler

RECENTLY, C. Zener1 published a new thermo-dynamic treatment of the a/y transformation in iron alloys. His interpretation differs from the previous theories2-0 ainly through the separation of the free energy difference, Ga—G, into two additive

Jan 1, 1957

Continued Discussion of the papers of Van Hise, Emmons, Weed and Lindgren, Bans., xxx., 27, 177, 424, 578. See also the papers of Vogt, Kemp, Rickard, Blake and Lindgren, at pp. 125, 169, 198, 220, 226, and also the final contribution of Prof. Van Hise, p. 284 of the present volume. All the foregoing, together with the discussion here following, are included in the special volume, "The Genesis of Ore-Deposits," issued this year by the Institute. H. Foster Bain, Des Moines, Iowa (communication to the Secretary):* The zinc- and lead-deposits of the Mississippi valley, which it has been my fortune to study, give particularly good examples of many of the principles of ore-deposition formulated by Prof. Van Hise. Perhaps there is nowhere clearer evidence supporting his fundamental tenet., that ore-bodies are to be regarded as a result, and as merely one of the phases, of the work of underground waters. The facts regarding the mines of the upper Mississippi valley have been given in some detail for Wisconsin by Prof. Chamberlint and, more recently, for the mines west. of the Mississippi by the Iowa Geological Survey.‡ Fortunately, also, the processes of underground water-circulation have been studied in some detail in connection with the investigation of artesian waters throughout the region.$ In Missouri and Arkansas the mines and ore-bodies have been much studied ; but the general problems of the circulation of underground waters have been neglected. During the season just closed the writer has been engaged in a re-study for the United States Geological Survey of the zinc- and lead-deposits of the Ozark region, with special reference to those of the . Joplin area; and his full report is now in preparation. It has been interesting to note how fully the statement that the orebodies result from the general action of underground waters is

Jan 1, 1902

By A. Hansson, G. E. Tardiff

WHILE it is generally known that cold-worked low-and medium-carbon steels exhibit substantial increases in tensile rupture ductility with increased deformation velocity172 (up to the von Karman limit), the observations for annealed or normalized steel do not permit simple generalization. Various investigators, for example, have reported both small increases1,3 and small decreases4,5' in rupture ductility with increased rates of deformation of normalized low-carbon steel. The purpose of the present note is to report on the dependence observed for strain-aged steel since preliminary work here indicates that strain aging results in the development of a consistent type of behavior that is understandable in the light of current knowledge of the lower yield dynamics for steels which deform inhomogeneously.6 This realization throws additional light on the influences responsible for the behavior of normalized steel. The results presented here were obtained for a 0.21 pct C, 0.012 pct N sheet (0.012 in. thick) steel which was received in a temper-rolled condition (approximately 3 pct reduction in thickness after process annealing); the as-received material had a spherodized structure with a ferritic grain size of ASTM 8. The material was selected for testing after 6 months room temperature aging, at which time the static lower yield and ultimate tensile strength measured 79 and 82 kpsi, respectively. ASTM 2-in. reduced section, 1/2-in.-wide specimens were used in smooth bar tests and 3/4-in.-wide specimens containing two 60-deg opposed edge notches (root radii = 0.002 in.) were used in notched bar tests. To facilitate strain measurement, the smooth bars were blued with ink and marked at 0.1-in. intervals along the gage length; the notched

Jan 1, 1968

By D. J. Carney, C. W. Boquist, E. C. Rudolphy

Effect of variations in sinter feed composition on sinter strength, bulk density, re-ducibility, chemical composition, and microstructure were determined by sintering experimental samples on a production sintering machine. Increasing amounts of roll scale, ore fines, return fines, and blast furnace slag were most beneficial to feed permeability, sinter bulk density, and strength. Burnt lime additions improved feed permeability but were not beneficial to sinter strength or bulk density. Sinter reducibility was adversely affected by all additives. DEVELOPMENT of methods for evaluating sinter quality, which would in some way predict the behavior of the sinter during charging and smelting in the blast furnace, has been given considerable attention in recent years. In a previous investigation at South Works of the United States Steel Corp., standard sinter sampling and testing procedures were developed.1,2 By modifying the sinter sampling device, a method of sintering experimental mix sinter samples upon a production Dwight-Lloyd sintering machine was also developed. This technique afforded a rapid and controlled method of investigating the effects of the various raw materials and additives on sinter quality and was used in this present investigation. Since the beginning of the present study in 1953, the results of numerous sinter investigations have been published, most of which were concerned with production tests of iron ore sinter, both here and abroad. Three groups of investigators reported results of experimental sinter studies that were related to this investigation. Voice et al.3 studied the effects of controlled variables on sinter quality by producing and testing experimental Northants iron ore sinter using an experimental sintering unit. Mor-rissey and Powers' determined the relationship between iron ore sinter quality and the moisture and coke content using a small laboratory sintering system. Burlingame et al.5 studied the effects of "additives" upon iron ore sinter using a laboratory sintering apparatus and laboratory grade raw materials. At South Works, it was considered desirable to study the effects of sinter mix composition and additives upon the quality of a flue dust-base sinter produced on a production sintering unit. Extrapolation of controlled laboratory test data to sintering plant operation lacking such precise control is not altogether satisfactory. Therefore, the present study was conducted in a manner which approximated production conditions as closely as possible. The raw materials used were those commonly encoun- tered in the production of flue dust and flue dust ore-type sinters and these were varied within extremes encountered in this type of sinter production. Experimental Procedure The experimental sinters were produced from 100 lb mixtures of sinter feed. The principal raw materials and additives used, their particle size, and approximate chemical composition are listed in Table I. The mixing of the raw materials was accomplished by means of a miniature single shaft pug mill shown in Fig, 1. The use of the pug mill as a mixer was decidea upon after encountering difficulty in reproducing the mixing and chopping effect of the sinter plant pug mill with other types of available small mixers. The miniature pug mill was constructed, consisting of 31/2x2x1/4 in, blades spaced 3 in. apart along a 3 ft shaft. Preliminary tests were run with this small mixer to establish the proper rotation speed and the required number of passes through the pug mill to thoroughly mix and distribute all the raw materials in a manner approximating the production Pug mill- Although the effects of varying the mosture content were determined in one particular series of tests, the amount of moisture added was changed as the composition of the experimental mix was varied. The aim in making water additions was to achieve a permeability as high as possible for each particular

Jan 1, 1956

By Herbert Haas

GEORGE W. HAWKINS, Tucson, Ariz. (communication to the Secretary*).-The paper by Mr. Haas will no doubt be followed with considerable interest, as it covers the power-plant problem in quite a comprehensive way, including not only the usual operating costs but also the fixed charges on the investment, and for load factors ranging all the way from 25 to 100 per cent. and fuel oil ranging from $1.25 to $2 per barrel. The very fact, however, that his paper does cover such a wide range of conditions, makes it the more imperative that any conclusion drawn from his analysis be very carefully considered for any specific case, for in making such analysis the type of prime mover and size must be selected for some one condition which might not be the proper selection had some other condition been assumed as the basic one, resulting in an unfavorable comparison under all conditions except that condition assumed. From the reasons given by the author for his selection of the large turbine units, it is evident he had in mind very high load factors, ranging

Jan 12, 1916

By Arthur Knapp

The petroleum industry is confronted with the problem of conservalion. This is not a simple problem in view of a wide difference of opinion among authorities as to whether conservation is necessary and the specific direction that it should take. Many writers accuse the petroleum industry of wasting the natural resources of the country. Others link the consuming public with the industry in this waste. Let us define our terms; agree, if possible, on where and when waste occurs in connection with either the recovery or use of petroleum and select such plans for conservation as appear most practical. A plan for conserv3tion which appears to be logical today may not meet the problem tomorrow. The conservation of petroleum is closely linked with the advancement of marly arts and sciences and as these advance, the plan of conservation has to change. The need for conservation does not necessarily rest upon the elimination of waste. There is not necessarily a fixed connection between waste and conservation. Conservation may be necessary or desirable although there is no waste. Definitions Waste: Useless or unnecessary expenditure. Conservation: The preservation of the natural resources for economical use. Both definitions contain adjectives the interpretation of which is extremely difficult. It is the determination of what expenditures are "unnecessary" or what uses are "economical" that will require study and agreement. If one lets his automobile engine run in cold weather in order to keep it hot, it is difficult to measure that necessity. If an automobile is driven two blocks, when the driver is physically capable of walking, what is the measure of necessity. This question is in the realm of one of the oldest of sociological problems, "What is a luxury?"—a problem which has not been solved. The history of society indicates that the measure of a man's wealth has been the measure of necessity. What he can afford to buy without stinting himself in some other direction, is not a luxury to him and, if it fulfills his desires, may be considered his necessity.

Jan 1, 1927

By C. S. Blair

THE development of a geological department as an integral part of the Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Co. in the Birmingham district, Ala-bama, in 1908 was an innovation probably unique for any mining organ-ization south of the Ohio River, At that time a few of the oil companies were starting geological departments, but there were no geologists among the larger industrial organizations. The Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Co. had been a substantial producer of pig iron for many years and was just getting a start in the manufacture of steel products from the pig iron. It had large acreages of coal land, ore land and timber land, but there was lacking the detailed knowledge of the possible mineral resources of much (of its territory, and this territory at that time covered an area in the neighborhood of 500,000 acres in the states of Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia. Those responsible for the operations of the mining properties, not being familiar with the kind of help that might be expected from geologic work, were decidedly skeptical of the utility of the work. Therefore it was necessary to develop cooperation with the mining organization, by not infringing upon its functions, and by developing the work in such a manner as to demonstrate to the mining department its practical utility. In the first instance the man responsible for a mining operation is apt to assume the attitude that the geologist is a blockader, because the geologist, unfortunately, is obliged to point out difficulties in the carrying out of mining operations in the way originally planned. He points out the dangers of mining out one coal or metal seam at the ultimate expense of an upper or lower seam, and he develops structural features, such as faults and folds, which call to the attention of the mining operator diffi-culties in his future operations, which the latter had not anticipated. Eventually, however, -the value of having these data became ap to the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Co., and the operators not only welcomed the geological work and cooperated fully in its acquisition of essential information, but reached the point of asking assistance and advice; and complete coordination of the two activities has existed for many years.

Jan 1, 1933

By M. A. Scheil, S. L. Hoyt

About three years ago eight standard steels were prepared for the cooperative investigation of methods for oxygen analysis, sponsored by the Iron and Steel Division of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers and by the National Bureau of Standards. A preliminary report of the results was made at the annual meeting of the A.I.M.E. in February, 1936. † This report showed the reliability of vacuum-fusion methods and further brought out certain advantages of the fractional vacuum-fusion method. The results obtained by the authors with the latter method will be discussed here, with some comments on the procedure for those who are interested in determinations of gases in steel. Some additional comments are offered on the use of the polarizing microscope for identifying the inclusions in the steel to check and amplify the findings of the fractional vacuum-fusion analysis. For details of the fractional method, see the paper by L. Reeve1. Degassing the Crucible One of the sources of error in vacuum-fusion methods has been the blank gases evolved from the graphite crucible after preliminary out-gassing. We have used 1750" C. as the outgassing temperature. This gives a base pressure at that temperature of less than 0.030 mm. after one hour and of 0.004 mm. on dropping the temperature to 1575" C. At lower extraction temperatures the base pressure is 0.001 mm. at 1050" C., 0.002 mm. at 1170" and 0.003 mm. at 1320' C. Because of the size of our induction coil we are limited to this temperature, although it 'would be advantageous to use 1950" to 2000" C. Hamilton2, after outgassing at 1850" C. for 100 min., was able to reach a base pressure of 0.001 mm. for a temperature of 1700' to 1725" C. This would give a blank corresponding to less than 0.00015 per cent 02 and 0.00005 per cent H2. Chipman and Marshall outgas at 2000" C. for one hour by using a special construction

Jan 1, 1937

The problem of surface support in coal mining is naturally divided into three branches: 1. Surface covered with improvements of such value as compared with the value of the underlying coal, or with such elements of danger to mining, that absolute support is essential. 2. Surface with improvements of less value than the underlying coal such that moderate settlement may be permitted, but destructive settlement must be avoided, either by reason of danger to human life or unwarranted property damage. 3. Surface of relatively small value as compared with the underlying coal where destructive settlement may be permitted. First Problem In the first case it is evident that the original support must be maintained either (a) by leaving ample pillars and confining the coal recovery to a very conservative first mining, (b) by so supporting less conservative first mining by filling or flushing that the gradual deterioration of the pillars may be prevented and subsidence avoided, or (c) by incompressible support as masonry either as an adjunct to insufficient pillars or in place of the original coal support. a. From tests made by the Scranton Engineers Club, it appears safe to figure on 2000 Ib. per sq, in. as the safe squeezing strength of coal pillars in place, provided that these are, as usual, not higher than their least horizontal dimension; and from this figure the percentage of pillar to be left for various depths may be easily calculated. For safety in this

Jan 1, 1930

By George D. Graffin.

The first use of graphite is lost in the mists of time. It was used by primitive man to make drawings on the walls of caves and by the Egyptians to decorate pottery. As early as 1400 A.D. graphite crucibles were being made in the Haffnerzell district of Bavaria. Through the Middle Ages graphite was confused with other minerals, especially galena and molybdenite. Two common names that are still used for the mineral are "Plumbago," meaning leadlike, and "Black Lead." The latter name implied that graphite is either composed of lead or at least contains a large percentage of it. Gessner is credited with having recognized it as a separate mineral in 1565, but its composition was not determined until 1779, when Scheele demonstrated that graphite oxidized to carbon dioxide, thus proving its carbon constitution. In 1789, Werner named it "graphite" from the Greek word "graphein," meaning to write. The United States has long relied on foreign countries for its graphite supplies. This reliance has been due more to the lack of suitable domestic graphites than to any particular preference for buying minerals overseas. Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) graphites were imported as early as 1820, and Madagascar graphites have been imported since the properties on that island were opened up about a hundred years later. Mexico has long supplied the United States with most of its requirements for amorphous graphite. Physical Properties and Classification Graphite is found in laminated, flaky aggregates disseminated in schistose rocks. It also occurs in veins and exhibits a foliated or fibrous structure. Graphite is a black lustrous mineral that crystallizes in the hexagonal system, with rhombohedral symmetry. The crystals have tabular form and are six-sided; the faces are commonly striated. The flakes have perfect basal cleavage and are opaque. When well crystallized, the flakes have a black metallic luster while the amorphous material is black and earthy, with a microcrystalline compactness. The flakes feel greasy. Graphite is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity. It melts at approximately 3550°C at a triple point under 1250 psi. It sublimes between 3300-3500°C at 14.7 psi. At 3726°C a second triple point occurs at approximately 100,000 atmospheres. Thermal oxidation in the presence of oxygen begins at 300°C and the rate increases with temperature. The three forms of carbon (charcoal, graphite, and diamond) are distinguished by chemical and physical tests. The specific gravity of charcoal is 1.3 to 1.9, of graphite 2.266 g/ cm3 (crystal density), and of diamond 3.5. Graphite has a hardness of 1 to 2 (Mohs' scale). Natural graphite can be divided into three classes: disseminated flake, crystalline vein (fibrous or columnar), and amorphous. Flake graphite is a lamellar form found in metamorphic rocks, such as marble, gneiss, and schist. Each flake is separate, having crystallized as such in the rock. Crystalline vein graphite is found in the form of well defined veins or as pocket accumulations along the intrusive contacts of pegmatites with limestones. The graphite of such deposits is of two types, foliated and columnar. The important Sri Lanka (Ceylon) deposits are vein type. Amorphous graphite is commonly found as minute microcrystalline particles more or less uniformly distributed in feebly metamorphic rocks, such as slates and shales, or in beds consisting practically entirely of graphite. The latter usually are metamorphosed coal seams and carry as much as 80-85% graphitic carbon, while the former, being altered carbonaceous sediments, commonly range from 25 to 60%

Jan 1, 1983

By F. R. Cattoir, R. W. Kimball, C. T. Anderson

ONE of the principal impurities in all steels is sulphur. Sulphur-bearing, manganese-free steels exhibit hot shortness. Manganese is added to steel to improve the hot-working properties. If no sulphur were present in steel, it is probable that hot shortness would be nonexistent. This paper is the first of a series to be issued by this Laboratory reporting the measurements of hot forgeability tests and the physical properties of Fe-C alloys to which additions of various alloying elements have been made. The present paper describes the results- obtained by the addition of varying amounts of sulphur to Fe-C alloys. To obtain control over residual elements in the various charges melted in the arc furnace, it was considered advantageous to use sponge iron from one source as the melting stock rather than scrap metal having an unknown history. Small amounts of unwanted alloying elements might be introduced into the charge when scrap was used, thereby influencing the results of the various heats. A sponge iron having a high silica-lime ratio was used. Ore from Sunrise, Wyo., had been reduced to sponge iron and briquetted at the Bureau of Mines sponge-iron plant at Laramie, Wyo. The briquettes were 5 in. in diam and 2 to 3 in. in thickness, and weighed about 10 lb each. The chemical analysis of the sponge iron is as follows: C, 0.67 pct; Mn, 0.10; SiO2, 4.75; CaO, 1.4; P, 0.044; S, 0.72; MgO, 0.4; A12O3, 1.1; total Fe, 87.5; Fe metallic, 79.2; and reduction, 90.5 pct. Where a reducing agent was required, crushed graphite electrodes usually were used. The charcoal available contained 0.20 pct S. An analysis of the available coke showed it to contain 0.70 pct S. Where high sulphur heats were required, elemental sulphur additions were made to the ladle. Limestone of good quality was obtained locally and had the following analysis: CaO, 53.7 pct; MgO, 0.8; ignition loss, 42.4; R2O3, 0.2; SiO2, 3.0; and P2O5, 0.014. Melting Procedure Sponge iron was melted to produce metal stock for the experimental alloys in a silica-lined, three-phase, direct-arc, size ST, Moore Rapid Lectromelt furnace with a 500 kva rating. Fig. 1 shows this furnace installation. About 25 tons of sponge iron was melted in 75 heats, averaging 927 lb of sponge iron to the heat. An addition of carbon was required to complete the reduction of a portion of the iron oxide remaining in the sponge to prevent high losses of iron oxide in the slag and a low carbon content in the resulting metal. As reducing agents in preparing the melting stock, charcoal, coke, and a carbon product resulting from the thermal decomposition of natural gas were used. The quantity varied from 20 to 60 Ib per furnace charge, with an average of 38 lb. An average analysis of the metal obtained gave 0.52 pct C, about 0.01 pct Mn, 0.070 pct P, and 0.092 pct S. The average yield of metal was 647 lb with 241 1b of slag, the sponge-iron recovery being 70 pct. The metal obtained in melting the sponge iron was cast into pigs weighing about 20 lb each to facilitate recharging into the furnace for further refining. The pouring of the pigs is shown in Fig. 2. The average power consumption for the production of the 24 tons of metal obtained was 1704 kw-hr per ton.

Jan 1, 1954