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By G. Sandoz

A simple diffusion-couple experiment was carried out for the purpose of determining whether chromium in sufficient amounts would cause the cementite phase in cast irons to become thermodynamically stable with respect to graphite and austenite at 1750°F. The implications of the results to some current theories on graphitization mechanisms are discussed. The literature abounds with evidence that chromium retards the decomposition of cementite to graphite and austenite or ferrite, for example during first-stage and second-stage graphitization in malleabilizing white cast irons and the subcritical graphitization of steels. Efforts to explain this retarding action of chromium have been conjectural, however, because the mechanisms controlling graphitization kinetics in the absence of chromium have never been clearly established. Concerning rate control, there are basically two schools of thought: 1) that graphitization rates are limited by diffusion potential (the stability of cementite relative to graphite, and 2) that graphitization rates are limited by diffusivity of Fe, C, Si, vacancies, and so forth.5'10 Chromium then, is thought either to increase the stability of cementite or to retard some critical diffusion process.

Jan 1, 1960

By Arthur C. Spencer

The object of the following paper is a description of the Treadwell gold-deposits in their geological aspects. quite apart from any consideration of the economical methods of mining and milling which have been developed and successfully applied

Jan 1, 1905

By J. M. Morris

The point to be made most clear in this paper is the economic value of flotation in the Benguet mill flow sheet. It is rather a statement of effect with no attempt at a technical explanation of the cause. Certain well-known, easily understood reagents, mechanisms and principles have been adapted to the conditions at Benguet, and have proved to be more successful than was demonstrated in the laboratory. The mechanical and metallurgical development of this particular operation was arrived at by trial and error, with fortunately very little error. Changes were slow, of necessity, which in the end proved a blessing in that time was afforded for observation and analysis of the disturbing factors; and as a result each change was a definite step towards higher efficiency. Many of these steps were unpredictable from laboratory work because of the varied and differing characteristics of ores met with in daily operation of the mill, which were practically impossible to reproduce on a laboratory scale. The Benguet mill receives daily ores that differ as much as if they were delivered from three different properties. There is first the surface and upper-level zone, which produces an oxidized secondary ore containing considerable iron oxide, manganese oxide and some organic matter. Formerly, most of this ore consisted of very soft fill with some hard rock mixed in. It also contained an unusual amount of iron and aluminum sulfate, which formed hydrates upon entering the alkaline cyanide solution and caused excessive frothing. When flotation was introduced in the Benguet mill the general characteristics of this upper-level ore had changed considerably, in that it was practically all newly mined, fairly hard ore. It still contained many of the same disturbing elements, but was somewhat simpler to treat than formerly. The small proportion of fines is still troublesome in flotation, and plant practice probably does not show more than 80 per cent extraction on this small portion of the ore. No definite figure on this is available, as this particular ore is delivered at irregular intervals

Jan 1, 1939

By J. M. Morris

The point to be made most clear in this paper is the economic value of flotation in the Benguet mill flow sheet. It is rather a statement of effect with no attempt at a technical explanation of the cause. Certain well-known, easily understood reagents, mechanisms and principles have been adapted to the conditions at Benguet, and have proved to be more successful than was demonstrated in the laboratory. The mechanical and metallurgical development of this particular operation was arrived at by trial and error, with fortunately very little error. Changes were slow, of necessity, which in the end proved a blessing in that time was afforded for observation and analysis of the disturbing factors; and as a result each change was a definite step towards higher efficiency. Many of these steps were unpredictable from laboratory work because of the varied and differing characteristics of ores met with in daily operation of the mill, which were practically impossible to reproduce on a laboratory scale. The Benguet mill receives daily ores that differ as much as if they were delivered from three different properties. There is first the surface and upper-level zone, which produces an oxidized secondary ore containing considerable iron oxide, manganese oxide and some organic matter. Formerly, most of this ore consisted of very soft fill with some hard rock mixed in. It also contained an unusual amount of iron and aluminum sulfate, which formed hydrates upon entering the alkaline cyanide solution and caused excessive frothing. When flotation was introduced in the Benguet mill the general characteristics of this upper-level ore had changed considerably, in that it was practically all newly mined, fairly hard ore. It still contained many of the same disturbing elements, but was somewhat simpler to treat than formerly. The small proportion of fines is still troublesome in flotation, and plant practice probably does not show more than 80 per cent extraction on this small portion of the ore. No definite figure on this is available, as this particular ore is delivered at irregular intervals

Jan 1, 1939

By G. L. Corrigan, J. R. Coleman

Four factors that largely determine the end product obtained when cement and water are mixed are the chemical compo ition of the cement, the fineness to which the cement is ground, the amount of mixing water used, and the procedure used in mixing the slurry. In order to study the effect of two of these factors, the other two, the chemical composition and method of mixing, are kept constant, leaving as variables fineness and water-cement ratio. Through years of experimentation and usage it has been well established that the reduction of cement clinker to a very fine state by grinding improves its cementing value, principally because the reaction between cement and water takes place only at the surface of the cement particle, further action being hindered by the accumulation of reaction products that tend to coat the unreacted material. Therefore, the more finely ground a cement, and the greater the surface exposed in proportion to its mass, the more rapid is the hydration rate. Similarly, the greater the surface exposed, the greater the proportion of the cement that reacts, and the lower the amount of residue that is unreacted and so remains inert and unable to make any contribution to cementing properties.1 Although it is more expensive to manufacture a finely ground cement than a coarser cement, the advantages of fine grinding of construction cements were so marked that the fineness of cement has increased considerably in past years. When the manufacture of special oil-well cements was begun, it was necessary to consider properties of cement that previously were considered of minor importance, foremost of these being pumpability. Since, with the water-cement ratio constant, a finely ground cement will produce a neat slurry of higher consistency and shorter time of pumpability than will a coarser cement, there is a tendency to grind oil-well cements to a lower degree of fineness. Therefore, in order to produce oil-well cements that will make a slurry having a long time of pumpability, cements are manufactured that because of their coarseness generally are poorer cementing materials than some of the more finely ground construction cements. On the other hand, often it is necessary to pump oil-well cements for long periods of time to place them properly behind a string of casing in a deep well, and since high strength is not of foremost importance for such cement, there is room for considerable controversy concerning the proper fineness range.

Jan 1, 1941

By JAMES J. DOUGHERTY

THIS paper is a general discussion of developments in our reverberatory smelting practice during the past five years. It deals briefly kith changes in furnace types ; changes in furnace feed ; de- crease in the amount of slag produced; relation of slag assays to copper loss in the slag; increase in the grade of matte and furnace capacities. The reverberatory is but one unit in the copper plant ancl 'any discussion of it must be considered with reference to the other units and to the plant as a whole. A change in the grade of concentrates at the concentrator puts an entirely new aspect on reverberatory smelting and, likewise, a change in the grade of matte at the reverberatory affects the rate and cost of converting. The introduction of differential flotation in 1927 had a very marked influence on all smelting operations and its effect will be noted

Jan 1, 1930

By Thomas Adair

Moderator-Thomas Adair is now a tunnel consultant with Perini Corp., Spring Lake, N.J. He has had 40 years experience in tunnel and shaft-sinking work in both soft and hard rock, as well as subaqueous rock. He has used moles in various locations and has traveled around the world studying the problems. SOME BRIEF COMMENTS ON "MOLES" by Thomas Adair We of the Perini Corp. have been, over the past 15 years, in the forefront of the battle to develop the mechanized miner. We have contributed much to pioneer, develop, and promote the use of the mining machine. Our money and talent have not been spared in this effort. However, we are sorry to say that as of the present time (1968), at least from the economic stand- point, this effort has not been very rewarding. But, I must say to those who are presently involved in the work of building mining machines, do not be discouraged. There is money in it. We of Perini Corp. know because we put it in there. It has been estimated that during the next 15 years, some $20 billion will be spent on underground excavation; more than 13 thousand miles of sub- surface tunnels will be excavated throughout the nation. An aggressive, properly structured research and development effort would produce, within the next five or ten years, a better excavation technology and improved boring system capable of reducing present costs drastically, with a resultant great saving. The time for this effort is now, but where the enabling money for this effort will come from, I have no idea. Machine builders should be encouraged to design and develop a shield- type boring machine capable of continuous mining through varying types of ground or rock by incorporating the possibility of making minor modifications such as change of bit type, power package, etc. Such a machine could

Jan 1, 1970

By L. B. Harris

Continuous cyclic unloading during tensile work hardening of polycrystalline zinc at room temperature enables specimens to sustain greatly increased extension. Such enhanced ductility is associated with creep-type extension, during which the cyclic component appears to promote relaxation of internal strains. It is possible to trace the transitions from tension, through enhanced cyclic extension, to fatigue and relate the observed behavior to simpler types of deformation. DISTINCTIVE deformation behavior has been shown to occur when loading includes both cyclic and unidirectional components. For aluminum and copper extended by a sequence of progressively biased strain reversals, coffin1 observed greater fracture ductility and lower flow stresses than during monotonic tension. This may be compared with the reduction in hardness obtained from conventional fatigue softening. But fatigue softening is accompanied by enhanced fatigue life,' whereas Benham3 found that fatigue life was reduced when copper continuously extended during axial load cycling. The corresponding specimen elongation, for large cyclic load amplitudes, was greater than during normal tension. Under different conditions, Bendler and wood4 found that torsional fatigue initiated extension in copper under low tensile loads previously in equilibrium with the specimen; fatigue life was again reduced. Thus there is a type of cyclic softening which is associated with reduced fatigue life and which occurs when the cyclic loading is accompanied by a unidirectional strain component. Further, the fracture ductility or extension obtained from the unidirectional component can exceed that obtained in the absence of cyclic load. Specimen extension was not initiated by axial fatigue at small load amplitudes;3 hence Benham's work distinguishes between fatigue at large and small amplitudes, the former often being linked with unidirectional deformation because of similarities in strain Structure. The initiation of tensile extension during torsional fatigue,4 however, occurred with small amplitudes. Comparable changes in behavior have been ob- served during creep. kennedy' found that combined cyclic and creep stresses on lead at 32°C increased the rate of elongation over that for simple creep, the consequence being a reduction in creep life. It was also demonstrated that small cyclic stresses applied after creep deformation initially increased recovery, but that prolonged application produced only normal fatigue hardening. It is clear that physical properties can be changed by interaction between the cyclic and unidirectional deformations, but owing to the number of different ways in which the deformations can be combined and the large number of possible variables for each combination, trends of behavior become easily obscured. One definite conclusion is that enhanced ductility or increased extension can be obtained by cyclic action, and it is this process that has been investigated for the tensile test by measurements of the extra tensile strain produced by the addition of a cyclic tensile component. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Material. Specimens were 99.99 pct Zn wire of 1.6 and 2.0 mm diam. Mean grain diameter was 0.02 mm, sufficiently small to give a ductile necked-down fracture under all loading conditions. All experiments were conducted at an average temperature of 20°C. Normal Tension. Unidirectional tensile curves at different strain rates were obtained from an In-stron testing machine, on which load-time curves were recorded autographically, using gage lengths of 5 and 10 cm. Straining was at constant cross-head velocity, and quoted strain rates are with reference to initial specimen length. Measurements of total elongation under simple tension were also made on the tensile machine that had been modified to incorporate an added fluctuating load. Combined Tension and Rapid Cyclic Load. An electromagnetic vibrator was coupled to the elastic beam of a Hounsfield ensometer- and driven sinus-oidally from a power amplifier at frequencies from 20 to 360 cps, the flexible connecting links on the tensometer being replaced by rigid fixtures to eliminate lateral vibration in the specimen. One end of the specimen was pulled by the normal extension drive of the tensometer while the other end, fixed to the elastic beam and vibrator, was subjected to rapid oscillations of load. It was thus possible to apply cyclic load to a tensile test without altering the rate of extension of the specimen

Jan 1, 1964

By F. Cadena

HIWASSEE Dam, now under construction by the Tennessee Valley Authority on the Hiwassee River, a tributary of the Tennessee River, will require aggregate for approximately 800,000 cu. yd. of concrete. Near the damsite deposits of natural sand or gravel are not available and graywacke, a rock that is found in abundance, suggested itself as a likely source of manufactured aggregate. Graywacke is a metamorphosed sandstone composed principally of a mixture of quartz (65 per cent), mica (25 per cent), and feldspar (10 per cent). Other minerals are pres-ent in negligible amounts. The rock varies in different parts of the quarry from very fine to a coarse grain containing particles of about 1/4 in. maximum size, although the bulk of the deposit is medium grain. Exten-sive tests showed that graywacke would be suitable as a source of both coarse and fine aggregates. The aggregate plant available for use at Hiwassee Dam consisted of the coarse-aggregate and sand plant used on the Norris project. The coarse-aggregate plant had also been used at Chickamauga Dam. Although most of this plant equipment is now in use at Hiwassee, the present flowsheet is not only different from that at Norris and Chicka-mauga but is also unique as compared to the flowsheet of the average crushed-stone aggregate plant. It is hoped that this paper will show the importance of proper arrange-ment of equipment if the optimum in flexibility and capacity is to be attained.

Jan 1, 1939

By Noel H. Stearn

To the successful functioning of the geomagnetic method of exploration in engineering and geological practice there are two prime prerequisites : the measurability and the interpretability of significant magnetic anomalies. A magnetic anomaly may be defined as a permanent distortion of the earth's magnetic field, in order to distinguish it frog the distortions, either cyclic or irregular, which vary with time. So far as known, time fluctations have no directly assignable geologic significance in terms of rock formations, while anomalies may be considered to be directly caused by the difference in the magnetic properties within and between the formations of the substances that make up the earth's outer shell. As is effectively pointed out by L. B. Slichter,1 the effects which these differences produce on the magnetic field may be extremely minute or extremely great, depending upon the magnetic properties of the formations. Thus the actual anomalies may range from the infinitesimal to a magnitude considerably greater than that of the earth's field. The geomagnetic method of exploration has shared in the deluge of experimental effort which has lately swept geophysical prospecting to its present important place in engineering and geologic practice. But to date more of this effort has been expended upon the measurability of anomalies than upon their interpretability. The tendency has been to strive for the development of instruments and especially field techniques capable of measuring minute anomalies with a precision far beyond that for which there can be any hope of adequate interpretation other than as interesting phenomena having numerous possible causes. Such efforts, of course, are highly commendable in the field of so-called pure science, which includes the accumulation of undigested detailed observations and admits of interpretation by multiple hypotheses, but in engineering practice the factor of economy must enter. Those instruments and techniques are most desirable which can most rapidly measure the interpretable range of anomalies with the precision necessary

Jan 1, 1932

By Carl F. Floe, Michael B. Bever

THE possibility that carbon may be soluble in copper to a limited extent has been recognized for over a century. The quantitative investigation of this problem, however, requires more sensitive techniques than have formerly been available. Three recent developments have made possible more accurate determinations: the vacuum-fusion method of analysis, the production of copper of high purity and the availability of high-purity refractories, particularly graphite. In addition to its obvious theoretical interest, the problem of carbon solubility in copper is of practical importance. In the production of copper and of high-copper alloys, carbonaceous covers are frequently used. If even minute amounts of carbon are dissolved, insoluble carbon oxide gases will be formed when such metals are poured under oxidizing conditions. A mechanism of this kind could well be one of the principal causes of gas porosity in casting copper-base products. REVIEW OF LITERATURE In 1823 Vivian1 raised the question as to whether copper by overpoling becomes "combined with a minute portion of carbon." Karsten2 asserted, in 1832, that carbon reduces the high-temperature strength of pure copper, so that when the carbon content has reached 0.2 per cent the metal will be brittle at a dark red heat. According to Karsten, carbon contents of o.05 per cent make it difficult to hot-work copper. He also reported that the specific gravity of copper is 8.8969 and that it increases to 8.92 58 if the copper is cemented with carbon and then melted. He emphasized the difficulty of determining analytically the small amounts of carbon present in copper. The metal was removed by wet methods and the residue considered as carbon. At Percy's request, Dick,3 in 1856, carried out various working tests on copper that had been in prolonged contact with carbon, and found that the working properties of the metal had not been affected. He also attempted to determine the presence of carbon analytically. In one experiment the copper was dissolved and the residue was fused with litharge, and in another essentially a combustion analysis was made on a copper sample. In a final experiment, a sample was dissolved and the residue subsequently subjected to a combustion analysis. Indications of as much as o.005 per cent carbon were found, but Dick considered his work inconclusive largely because of the possible interference of sulphur. Percy4 concluded, from Dick's experiments and from some experimental work of his own, that the solubility of carbon in copper had not been established with

Jan 1, 1945

By Jeffrey N. Schuyler

In order to implement the most efficient and cost-effective hydraulic fracturing stimulation treatment within a particular region, a thorough understanding of the in-situ stress state and rock properties is paramount (Smith et al., 1978; Warpinski et al., 1982). Several studies conducted in order to "characterize" formations have provided invaluable insight into the relationship between lithologic properties, depth, in-situ stress magnitude and hydraulic fracture orientation. These studies have substantiated that at shallow depths, rock properties such as tensile strength and permeability can exert a substantial influence on the geometry of an induced hydraulic fracture. In turn, these "directional properties" can be related to existing geologic conditions during the time of deposition or major diagenetic alteration of the rock body. As the depth of the "payzone" increases, the role of the in-situ stresses and therefore the prevailing tectonic conditions becomes the dominant factor in determining fracture geometry. However, reservoir properties cannot be ignored. The porosity, permeability, pervasive fabric element and directional elastic properties can have a significant influence on the success of those tests conducted to measure the in-situ stresses either directly or through secondary observations... for instance, pore-pressure effects on measurements of in-situ stress. The purpose of this paper is to provide, through the use of appropriate field and laboratory examples, a more thorough understanding of in-situ stresses, rock properties and their integrated effect on hydraulic fracture properties. In addition to highlighting and expanding the wide body of existing literature, the case studies cited are designed to encourage mutual transfer of technology from petroleum-related, rock-mechanics efforts to other disciplines.

Jan 1, 1984

By S. Terry, W. Callender, R. J. Cornelius

When a dry ball-mill grinding circuit was in- stalled at the pellet plant of Hamersley Iron Pty. Ltd., it was something of a pioneering venture, since this was one of the first instances where such a circuit had been applied to iron ore on a major scale. The Hamersley pellet plant is located in Dampier on the coast of Western Australia. The feed for it consists of -8mm fines produced as a screened product at the Mt. Tom Price mine 186 miles inland from Dampier. It was these fines that encouraged the choice of a dry grinding facility for the plant. At the outset, tests had shown that the fines could not be filtered satisfactorily with a wet grinding system. At the pelletizing plant, the fines are stockpiled, reclaimed, dry ground in ball mills, formed into pellets on balling discs, hardened on an indurating line, and stockpiled for shipment overseas. These operations are shown in Fig. 1.

Jan 7, 1969

By Howland Bancroft

This article is not presented as a treatise on tin mines and mining in Bolivia. It deals primarily with the tin situation, and but fragmentary information is given regarding individual properties, generalizations being necessary in so short an article. Data on general subjects related to tin mining in Bolivia are necessarily abbreviated and very incomplete. It is believed that the references to be found in this article will help those interested to a more thorough understanding of the general conditions extant in Bolivia. Bolivia produces from one-fifth to one-fourth of the world's supply of tin. The United States consumes about one-half of the world's supply and produces practically none. Tin ore is not reduced in the United States. These facts are not generally appreciated by American mining men. Many conflicting data have been published regarding tin in Bolivia. The Transactions of the Institute contain practically no mention of this subject.' I have made a study of mines and mining conditions in the west coast republics of South America and have been particularly impressed by the possibilities of the Bolivian field.= In consequence the thought seems justified that the present meeting would present a fitting occasion to bring the tin situation in Bolivia to the attention of American mining men.

Jan 1, 1914

INTRODUCTION In the preceding chapters we have discussed the various elements of mineral economic analysis, their interrelationships, and the most accepted and advanced techniques by which these elements are manipulated to provide the decision maker quantitative measurements for judging alternate investment opportunities. Regardless of how carefully the economic evaluation is made, and how comprehensive the study of economic parameters has been, uncertainty still remains a significant factor in the outcome of the analysis. The investor or money manager is acutely aware of the uncertainty factor. Many of the economic parameters are functions of economic forecasts and value estimates that can- not be known with any degree of certainty. The postulated DCF-ROR is based upon certain estimates representing "best guess" values, and a single point parameter DCF-ROR analysis represents a combination of "best guesses." The wise decision maker looks at such an analysis and asks the "what if" questions. What if the production cost is 10% higher than the estimate? What if there is an overrun in construction costs? What if the mineral price falls lower than expected? What will be the effect of a higher royalty rate? Many more such questions may arise in trying to assess the total risk involved in funding a mineral project. Prior to the advent of the computer it was difficult to answer all such anticipated questions because of the many laborious calculations involved. Now, with the aid of the computer, most of these questions can be answered by the analyst at the same time the original computations are made by using the process of sensitivity analysis. Sensitivity analysis shows the effect of critical parameter changes upon the DCF-ROR or other profitability measure. When probability of occurrence can be associated with the various parameter value levels, sensitivity analysis becomes probabilistic analysis, and the risk factor can be quantitized in terms of total probability. SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS The determination of the sensitivity of the profitability index (usually the DCF-ROR) to changes in the various economic parameters, taking them one at a time, is called sensitivity analysis. The analysis may be performed for any number of parameters involved in the DCF-ROR computation. Generally, in mineral evaluations the most sensitive and most tested parameters are: the metal or mineral price, the operating cost, the annual production grade, and the initial capital invest-

Jan 1, 1980

By Richard D. Hagni

Mississippi Valley-type ore deposits contain significant quantities of minor elements, which are present partly in the form of separate mineral phases and partly in solid solution in the major sulfide phases for which these deposits are exploited. These elements, as separate phases, are: copper, mainly in chalcopyrite and enargite; cobalt and nickel, chiefly in thiospinels and bravoite; rare earth elements associated with certain fluorites; and native gold. Many economically important minor elements occur in solid solution in sphalerite, including silver, cadmium, iron, germanium, gallium, indium, thallium, cobalt, nickel, and mercury. Significant amounts of silver and antimony, and perhaps very small amounts of gold, are present in solid solution in galena. Chalcopyrite may contain small amounts of silver, molybdenum, bismuth, cadmium, cobalt, and nickel. Marcasite and pyrite may contain silver, thallium, cobalt, and nickel. Although some of the minor elements contained in the Mississippi Valley-type deposits are currently recovered at the smelters and refineries, many are lost in tailings, sludges, and slags; consequently, important quantities of these elements are potentially recoverable as non-conventional resources.

Jan 1, 1983

By Oswald J. Heinrich

(Read at the Amenia Meeting, October, 1877.) THE deposit of rock salt along the shores of Lake Huron, in Canada, has been brought before the public during the last six months, in consequence of the developments made by the diamond drill at Goderich. It is likely to be of more than common interest in the future, since now actual operations have been commenced to exploit the deposit and work it by regular mining. The methods of mining rock salt being but little known in this country, it may be of interest to make a few general remarks in regard to them before entering, upon the description of this new mining enterprise. According to the conditions under which salt is found in nature, various methods have been resorted to, in course of time, to make it available for the human race. They consist in : A. Natural or solar evaporation. B. Artificial evaporation, either exclusively or in connection with the former. C. Mining the rock salt in its natural state, and converting it to a marketable product, if need be, by simply pulverizing it. Without going into the details of the various methods of making salt available in an economical point of view, dependent on its degree of purity, or on various local influences, we cannot refrain from. alluding to the general principles which influence the mining and manufacturing of salt in countries where they have been carried on for hundreds of years. ECONOMICAL CONDITIONS FOR SUCCESS. Salt being one of the articles of prime necessity, and one universally distributed throughout nature, it must always be sold at a comparatively low price. It would even be quoted in the market at prices far below those now ruling, if it were not for the high duties generally imposed upon it, for purposes of state revenues. But looking closer into the subject, it will be found that this duty is probably one of the least oppressive, although in some countries it exceeds sixfold the cost of profitable production. To produce the article at the lowest possible cost requires, therefore, a

Jan 1, 1878

By G. A. Moore

A brief review is given of methods designed to produce metallic iron of high purity, and typical results are listed. A recent method, utilized at the National Bureau of Standards, consists of the extraction of ferric chloride by ether, reduction of this ferric chloride to ferrous chloride, further purification of this chloride, and the subsequent electrolytic deposition of metallic iron. iron produced by this procedure apparently is softer than, and otherwise different in properties from, any iron previously prepared and contains appreciably smaller amounts of impurities. THE history of attempts to produce "pure" iron reaches to antiquity and it may be presumed that each ancient armorer who succeeded in making a better steel concluded, correctly, that he had done a better job of removing the "base metals," and incorrectly, that he now at last had a "pure" metal. Early metallurgical papers mentioned use of "pure iron" in making alloys—this "pure" iron in most cases being inferior to some commercial stocks of the present time. Improvement has been continuous, and usually at a sufficient rate to convince each succeeding group of workers that they, at last, were using the really pure metal (until the analysts also improved their techniques to again discover the impurities). These adventures were reviewed in some detail by Cleaves and Thompson.' Although the ores of a metal may be abundant, difficulties in extracting it may make the pure metal very rare. When impurities are restricted to a total of a few parts per million, nearly all pure metals become rarities. Lead, copper, gold, mercury, silver, zinc, aluminum, bismuth, and the six platinum metals are claimed to be available with total impurities ranging from 2 to 50 ppm. The present small and scattered world supply of so-called "pure" iron holds an unimpressive place in another group of 16 metals having approximately 100 ppm of foreign material. Of about 20 less rare metals, only the platinum metals are more costly to prepare. While the production of such rare varieties of iron may appear insignificant in the presence of thousand-ton operations with 95 to 99 pct metal, it must be emphasized that all researches on commercially interesting irons and steels are in fact studies of the modifications of the properties of iron by additional materials. Until the properties of high purity iron are directly measured, all ferrous research must operate without known base values. Traces of impurities may affect the properties of a metal in many ways. Infinitesimal traces of solutes, by disturbing the electronic configuration, greatly change the electrical properties of transistors and semiconductors2-3 and slightly larger traces might alter these quantities in iron. Soluble impurities which disturb the perfection of lattice arrangement not only may alter the magnetic constants and electric properties, but by their close association with dislocation phenomena probably control the very existence of the "yield point"; determine the value of yield stress; and perhaps control the selection of slip and cleavage planes. It has been speculated that impurities might even cause the allotropic transformation in iron, but in any case their rearrangement must contribute to the unreliability of heat capacity and other thermodynamic measurements. Impurities which do not remain in solution may cause even greater effects on the properties. Microscopically visible amounts of phases other than ferrite can be found in all high purity irons which have come to my attention. It can be calculated that from 50 to as little as 2 ppm of an insoluble material might be sufficient to completely film all grain boundaries in irons having grain sizes from ASTM Nos. 10 to 1. Should this occur, such films, even though invisible, may be very important in fracture problems, especially at extremes of temperature:' Studies of grain growth and diffusion normally imply consideration of a single-phase system, hence, in the presence of insoluble impurities they can be expected to give ambiguous data." High purity iron is also in demand for use as chemical and spectro-chemical standards; for work in classifying the lines of the iron spectrum; for biological work in nutrition; and for work in nuclear physics. where the presence of some sensitive

Jan 1, 1954

By L. H. Dushak

DURING the war period of quicksilver activity there were a number of departures from what may be termed the classical quicksilver metallurgy. Attempts were made to beneficiate low-grade ores by gravity concentration and flotation; mechanical furnaces began to replace the Scott furnace and the vertical coarse-ore furnaces, and condensers of sewer tile and redwood tanks were used in place of the older brick and stone condensing chambers. Other developments that have occurred during the current period of quicksilver activity are mainly in the nature of improvement and further refinement of those started during the war period. Each period of quicksilver activity has been accompanied by the proposal of various new processes, including wet methods for the treatment of quicksilver ores and innovations in furnaces, retorts and condenser equipment. As far as the author knows, nothing of economic significance in the way of "new processes" has been developed. There is in fact no real need for any essentially new process for the treatment of quicksilver ores; the direct furnace treatment is simple and inexpensive. Moreover, with rare exceptions, the quicksilver industry has no complex or refractory ore problems corresponding to those which are receiving more and more attention from metallurgists in other branches of the nonferrous field. Under these conditions improvements in quicksilver metallurgy must be looked for through the adaptation of current developments in engineering and metallurgy generally to the particular needs of quicksilver practice rather than through the invention of new processes.

Jan 1, 1930

By L. Delisle

This work represents the first step of an attempt to test the applicability of the electron microscope to the study of subgrain structures in copper. Observations on annealed and deformed single crystals and polycrystalline samples of copper are described. IN the course of study of the structure of fine tungsten wires and tungsten rods with the electron microscope, well defined subgrain structures were observed. The size, size distribution, and orientation uniformity of the etch figures varied widely in different samples. Figs. 1 and 2, electron micrographs of a tungsten wire and of a tungsten rod, respectively, are illustrations of the difference in size and size distribution of the etch figures in different samples of the same metal. The observed differences, as pointed out in a previous paper,' appeared to be related to the heat and mechanical treatments of the samples. They were also consistent with the results reported in the literature on the mosaic structure of metals.' For that reason a program of research was initiated in an effort to obtain more systematic evidence of the possible relation of heat and mechanical treatments to the subgrain structure of metals as observed in the electron microscope. The purpose of this paper is to present observations made on the effect of cold work on the subgrain structure of copper. Procedure Starting Materials: Copper was the metal studied because it can be obtained in a high degree of purity, much information is available in the literature on its properties and its response to cold work and heat treatment, it shows no allotropic change, and it is sufficiently hard to be handled without great difficulty. Two groups of specimens were used: 1—single crystals cast from spectroscopically pure copper and 2—polycrystalline samples of oxygen-free high conductivity copper. Single crystals were studied because it was hoped that the elimination of a number of variables, such as grain boundaries, orientation differences, degree of purity, would simplify the problem and perhaps permit a better understanding of the phenomena that would be observed. The polycrystalline samples were designed to give a general picture of the changes considered. The single crystals were made of copper which analyzed spectroscopically to better than 99.999 pct Cu. They were cast in vacuum, by the Bridgman method, in crucibles made of graphite with a maximum ash content of 0.06 pct. The mold design is shown in Fig. 3. It permitted casting crystals of the size and shape required for the experiments, so that the danger of introducing cold work in the original samples by cutting or other machining would be eliminated. The polycrystalline samples were pieces, 3/4 in. long, cut from a rod of oxygen-free high conductivity copper, % in. in diameter. A flat surface, 1/4 in. wide, was milled along the rods, polished, and etched. The samples were then annealed in vacuum at 850°C for 1 hr. Polishing and Etching: Work previously done on tungsten,' polished mechanically and etched chemically," had shown that: 1—the general appearance of the etch figures of a given sample was not altered by repeated polishings and etchings under similar conditions; 2—variations in the time of etching and the concentration of the etchant changed the definition of the etch figures, but did not alter their general size nor orientation distribution within the limits of observation. Further work confirmed the reproducibility of the subgrain structures observed in, 1—single crystals and polycrystalline samples of copper when polishing and etching were repeated under similar conditions, and 2—specimens of tungsten and polycrystalline copper when electrolytic polishing and etching were substituted for mechanical polishing and chemical etching, respectively. On the strength of these observations, it was felt that, if conditions of polishing and etching were kept constant, changes observed in the subgrain structure of a sample upon deformation and annealing would be attributable to such treatments. For that reason the conditions of polishing and etching were kept as constant as possible. The single crystals were polished electrolytically in a bath of orthophosphoric acid in water, in the ratio of 1000 g of acid of density 1.75 g per cc to 1000 cc of solution, under a potential drop of 1.6 to 1.8 V. Electrolytic polishing was selected to prevent the formation of distorted metal in polishing. The same samples were etched by immersion in a 10 pct aque-

Jan 1, 1954