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By Carter S. Cole

Mr. Chairman, Fellow Members and Guests, our chairman this morning got over into the geneological field, so perhaps I may be pardoned if I revert to some of my ancestral training and give you a text. I always like to talk about some special little text that may illustrate what we want to say. So the text that I will take for this afternoon is a very simple one, "Win the War." That is the guide for all of our actions, or should be. We should question everything we do to see what it does to contribute to winning the war. If we fail to do that, nothing else is going to count. On the wall of the office of one of the branch chiefs in the Copper Division in Washington there is a little slogan which I think we should take very deeply to heart, "The difficult we do right away. The impossible takes a little longer." I think that is a very good guide for us to follow in the work that lies ahead of us in the metallurgical field and in the handling of these secondary metals and the things that result therefrom. My subject is "Conservation and Specifications." Some people would wonder just where that fits in, and how you might define "conservation." One very good definition would be "the utmost use of our resources." If you will pardon my going back to some of my earlier experience for a little simile, those of you who know me know that for ten years after the last war I was in the railroad business. If we are with the engineman in a cab, and we have a green signal ahead of us, that is a clear signal and tells us to proceed at full authorized speed. Now suppose we come to a yellow signal that is caution, slow down to one-half authorized speed and be prepared to stop. Now if you do slow down, the chances are that that obstruction that was ahead of you will move out of the road, and you may get another yellow or caution signal at the next block, and be able to keep going at a slow speed. As of the date of Pearl Harbor our tin supply took on a very yellow tinge, and it threw the caution sign right in our faces. If we had not heeded that sign, and cut down our consumption of tin, we would not have any today; but because we have done so we are in a much better position today than we were a year ago, that is comparing our visible supply with our present rate of consumption as contrasted with the visible supply a year ago and our then rate of consumption.

Jan 1, 1943

By R. P. Smith

The carbon content of a number of alloys ranging (before carburitation) from purified iron to purified cobalt was determined for fixed activities of carbon by equilibration with each of six CO-CO2 atmosphere at 1000°C. At fixed carbon activity, the carbon content decreases continuously with increasing cobalt content. For concentrations of 0 to 50 at. pct Co the results can be expressed by a linear interaction equation of the type In y2 = 7.76n2/(n1+n3)+ 2.30 n3/(n1+n3) where y2 is the activity coefficient of carbon (standard state such that y2— 1 as n2 — 0 in the Fe-C binary) and n1, n2, and n3 are the number of atoms of iron, carbon, and cobalt per unit weight of alloy. The results are also given in terms of the a functions. In the same concentration range, the results are in accord with the regular solution theory of Alcock and Richardson. THE carbon content of Fe-Si, Fe-Mn, and Fe-Ni alloys at fixed activities of carbon has been reported previously.'-, The present work extends R. P. SMITH, Member AIME, is Research Chemist, E. C. Bain Laboratory for Fundamental Research, United States Steel Corp., Research Center, Monroeville, Pa. these measurements to a series of Fe-Co alloys. These alloys, like the Fe-Ni alloys, are fcc ("aus-tenitic") over the entire range of composition at 1000°C. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The alloys were made from electrolytic cobalt and Plast-Iron in a small vacuum-melting furnace. A small amount of graphite was added to each melt to keep the oxygen content low. The ingots were analyzed for iron and carbon: the amount of cobalt was obtained by difference. Analysis of the top and bottom of the ingots indicated that they were uniform in alloy content. Except for the pure cobalt the ingots were hot-rolled to approximately 0.15 cm thickness, cleaned by sandblasting, then cold-rolled to about 0.045 cm. We were not successful in cold rolling the pure cobalt; therefore it was hot-rolled to the final thickness. The last traces of surface oxide were removed by acid pickel, then the samples were treated in a hydrogen-2 pct water vapor mixture at 1100°C to remove carbon and most of the oxygen. The carburizing procedure was similar to that previously described.1,2,4 The alloys in the form of strips about 1.7 cm wide, 7.5 cm long, and 0.04 cm thick, together with a similar specimen of purified iron, were equilibrated with each of six CO-CO2 mixtures of fixed composition, then quenched in the

Jan 1, 1965

By J. G. Thompson

Determinations of the hydrogen content of irons and steels invariably are subject to two serious difficulties: (I) the determination of amounts of 0.001 per cent or less of any constituent requires an analytical procedure of unusual precision and accuracy, and (2) the hydrogen content of many samples is dccidedly not stable; i.e., there is no assurance that the content at the time the analysis is made is the same as it was when the sample was taken or at some previous time in the history of the piece. In respect to both the precision and speed of the determination, the vacuum-extraction procedure for the determination of hydrogen possesses advantages over the vacuum-fusion procedure, which has been the recognized standard for the detcrmination of other gaseous elements in sted-— oxygen and nitrogen for example. The basic facts upon which the vacuum-extraction procedure is based—i.e., the evolution of gas from solid steel when it is heated in vacuum, and the fact that the evolved gas is rich in hydrogen—were observed by Graham1 many years ago. Subsequent investigations have shown that hydrogen exists in steel chiefly as interstitial solid solution (i.e., in atomic dispersion) and perhaps to some extent as hydridcs that are unstable and decompose to form atomic hydrogen. In either case practically all of the hydrogen in steel at elevated temperatures exists in the atomic condition and consequently is able to diffuse readily through the metal. In contrast to this, other gaseous elements, such as oxygen and nitrogen, normally are present in steel chiefly in the form of relatively stable compounds such as oxides or silicates and nitrates; i.e., the oxygen and nitrogen atoms are fixed in stable combinations and are not free to migrate. The only oxygen or nitrogen that can diffuse in steel is the small amount in solution (atomically dispersed) and the rate of diffusion of these atoms is much less than that of hydrogen because of their greater atomic volume and lower mobility. Consequently, it is possible to extract most or all of the hydrogen from solid steel in a reasonable time at moderately elevated temperatures, but the procedure is not applicable to the determination of oxygen or nitrogen. It is only within the last decade that these observations have been developed into an analytical procedure for the determination of hydrogen. Apparatus and Procedure The apparatus used at the National Bureau of Standards,6 for the determination of hydrogen by the vacuum-extraction procedure, is shown schematically in Fig. I. The specimen, freshly cleaned and dried,* is suspended on a fine wire within the quartz furnace tube that is connected to the reservoir system and analytical train.

Jan 1, 1945

By E. H. Kelton, R. D. Grissinger

In designing structural members of steel and some other materials the design engineer has available recognized values of elastic modulus and safe working stress that may be substituted in well-known engineering formulas to give him desired cross-sectional areas and deflections for a particular part. Zinc, on the other hand, has no generally recognized modulus. It flows under continuously applied loads. Therefore, the designer of structural members must use a range of working stresses depending on the continuous load and the amount of permissible distortion. The only method of obtaining these values is by creep testing. Creep testing of zinc has been carried on for some 20 years by this laboratory, covering a wide range of zinc and zinc alloys. Types of test included tension, compression, and simple and cantilever beams at temperatures ranging from o to I50°C. Specimen conditions ranged from as-cast or as-rolled to accelerated aged in steam or dry air. Effects of plating were investigated also. It is not the intention of this paper to expound all these factors but rather to present the final data on well-known zinc die-casting alloys and to suggest means of applying these data to engineering design. Early Work In the early work on creep testing of zinc, the direct-loading tension method was used. However, direct loading of die castings was unsatisfactory because of the high loads required. For instance, a standard die-cast tension bar having a cross-sectional area of about 0.049 sq. in. would require a direct load of about 1000 lb. for a unit stress of 20,000 lb. per sq. in. Also, tests were made at nominal room temperature, but normal variations caused fluctuations greater than those due to experimental error or other causes, so that control of this variable within ±1/2°C. seemed essential. These two factors led to the development of an apparatus described by J. Ruzicka,' in which the specimens were loaded by means of a lever and were held at constant temperature by means of an oil bath. While Ruzicka's apparatus yielded excellent check results, it seemed desirable to have some setup by which literally hundreds of die-cast specimens could be tested at the same time. This would permit the conducting of a number of low-load tests designed to run 10 years or longer and still leave capacity for current high-load work. Beam testing in a constant-temperature room was the answer. Test Method Preliminary work indicated that die-cast beams of various lengths and cross scctions yielded the same result within reasonable limits regardless of whether they were tested as simple beams, uniformly loaded beams, or cantilevers. Accordingly, the simplest type was adopted. This was a,

Jan 1, 1945

By Shiou-Chuan Sun

There are several postulations for the mechanism of slime-coating. Incel proposed the electrostatic hypothesis, del Giudice2 suggested the chemical theory; Bankoff3 reported that slime-coating is inhibited whenever the surfaces of the slime particles are ionized sufficiently for Brownian movement to occur, and is facilitated when they are not. These postulations were examined by experiments involving the Burton tube, the cataphoretic cell, and slime-coating. The techniques involved will be described elsewhere in this paper. The electrostatic hypothesis, supported by migration experiments in a Burton tube, was abandoned by del Giudice.2 Experiments of mineral migration in a Burton tube. after the idea of Ince with modification, indicated that this apparatus was inefficient for accurate observation. A cataphoretic cell was constructed. The experimental data, as shown in this paper, enable the correlation and advancing of this hypothesis. Del Giudice's chemical hypothesis considered that slime particles are attached to the galena surfaces by a cement formed as the result of a metathetical reaction between the sulphide and the slime particles. Applying this hypothesis, the calcite slime particles were cemented to the galena surface by the formation of a cementing lead carbonate. In a similar way, lead silicate was considered as the cement of quartz slime coating on galena. Experiments verifying this hypothesis were carried out according to the following procedure: Fresh mineral particles selected from the central part of the broken lumps and examined first under a microscope for ascertaining a clean surface were placed in a small beaker (1.5-in. dia. by 2.5 in. deep) half filled with one kind of slime pulp. The dilution of all slime pulp was 4:I and the particle size of slime was minus 400-mesh. After agitation for 5 min. the specimen was removed by a sharp-end tong and washed gently three times in three separate distilled water baths. It was dried before a small electrical fan and examined immediately under a microscope. A photograph was made of the observation. With reference to the published solubilities,' several of these experiments, which contradict the chemical hypothesis, are listed as following: I. The coating of fluorite slime on the galena surface was light but the coating of galena slime on the fluorite surface was heavy. In a similar way, the coating of quartz slime on the galena was fairly light, but the coating of galena slime on the quartz particle was heavy. According to the chemical hypothesis, using the same constituents and regardless of which is the slime, the density of the coating should be expected to be the same. This, however, as shown above, is not true. Moreover, fluorite (CaF2), having a solubility of 16 mg.4a per liter of water, should not be

Jan 1, 1943

By Shiou-Chuan Sun

There are several postulations for the mechanism of slime-coating. Incel proposed the electrostatic hypothesis, del Giudice2 suggested the chemical theory; Bankoff3 reported that slime-coating is inhibited whenever the surfaces of the slime particles are ionized sufficiently for Brownian movement to occur, and is facilitated when they are not. These postulations were examined by experiments involving the Burton tube, the cataphoretic cell, and slime-coating. The techniques involved will be described elsewhere in this paper. The electrostatic hypothesis, supported by migration experiments in a Burton tube, was abandoned by del Giudice.2 Experiments of mineral migration in a Burton tube. after the idea of Ince with modification, indicated that this apparatus was inefficient for accurate observation. A cataphoretic cell was constructed. The experimental data, as shown in this paper, enable the correlation and advancing of this hypothesis. Del Giudice's chemical hypothesis considered that slime particles are attached to the galena surfaces by a cement formed as the result of a metathetical reaction between the sulphide and the slime particles. Applying this hypothesis, the calcite slime particles were cemented to the galena surface by the formation of a cementing lead carbonate. In a similar way, lead silicate was considered as the cement of quartz slime coating on galena. Experiments verifying this hypothesis were carried out according to the following procedure: Fresh mineral particles selected from the central part of the broken lumps and examined first under a microscope for ascertaining a clean surface were placed in a small beaker (1.5-in. dia. by 2.5 in. deep) half filled with one kind of slime pulp. The dilution of all slime pulp was 4:I and the particle size of slime was minus 400-mesh. After agitation for 5 min. the specimen was removed by a sharp-end tong and washed gently three times in three separate distilled water baths. It was dried before a small electrical fan and examined immediately under a microscope. A photograph was made of the observation. With reference to the published solubilities,' several of these experiments, which contradict the chemical hypothesis, are listed as following: I. The coating of fluorite slime on the galena surface was light but the coating of galena slime on the fluorite surface was heavy. In a similar way, the coating of quartz slime on the galena was fairly light, but the coating of galena slime on the quartz particle was heavy. According to the chemical hypothesis, using the same constituents and regardless of which is the slime, the density of the coating should be expected to be the same. This, however, as shown above, is not true. Moreover, fluorite (CaF2), having a solubility of 16 mg.4a per liter of water, should not be

Jan 1, 1943

By H. W. Graham

AS these annual occasions in honor of Henry Marion Howe continue through the years, there is progressively less likelihood that the lecturer will have had personal knowledge of Dr. Howe. The present speaker is one of those who unfortunately had no opportunity to come under the inspiring presence of this great metallurgist. A review of Howe's work shows it to cover a comprehensive range of interests and to evidence an impressive richness of detail. Not only was Howe at home in the laboratory, but he was familiar with the processes of iron and steel making and had a real understanding of them writings include much that is descriptive of processes with a wealth of material that is becoming of increasing historical value. He recorded his studies of the theoretical aspects of processes and published at least two process classifications, one in 1890 that was lengthy and somewhat theoretical, and a second in 1906 that was more of a practical listing. Wide as Howe's field of interest was, it is significant of the circumstances of his time that he gave little consideration to raw materials or to their effect on iron and steel making processes. In 1933, Waterhouse, Howe lecturer for that year, presented a descriptive summary of the major steelmaking processes, and in 1946 Joseph discussed the blast furnace process. Otherwise Howe lectures have not dealt with processes as major subjects. In today's lecture, with no effort to describe the mechanical arrangements of iron and steel making facilities, it is proposed to examine the essential technological elements of the processes, to explore the inter-relation of these elements, and particularly to seek recognition and understanding of those factors which determine why certain processes are or are not used. The discussion of this lecture will deal with the major well-known large tonnage processes, with only such attention to processes of minor tonnage and special character as may be warranted for explanation by contrast. Subject to the errors of generalization and the short- comings of condensation involved in presentation limited to a single hour, it is proposed to examine broadly but intensively those operations which convert raw materials into steel. It is an innovation for a Howe lecturer to discuss the raw materials of the iron and steel industry, but the changing circumstances of passing years intensify the influence of raw materials on processes and require the metallurgist to be alert for the process adjustments that may become advisable or mandatory. For a half century the metallurgical processing of iron and steel has followed a surprisingly straight path, but this does not necessarily mean that there are no curves in the road ahead. Ages ago primitive man came to know iron in its metallic form, not only by the

Jan 1, 1947

By R. P. Smith

Iron-carbon alloys containing a single-phase austenite region and a two-phase azcstenite + cementite region at the desired temperature were prepared by partial carburization of iron or partial decarburization of carburized iron. Each sample was held at a fixed temperature until equilibrium was achieved. Analysis of the austenite for carbon then gave the solubility of cementite in austenite. Solubility measzcrements were made for the temperature range 734° to 1012°C. These values together with other data give 7560 cal for the mean heat of solution of cementite in austenite, and 0.765 pct C for the eutectoid composition of austenite. They also indicate that graphite is the stable phase at all temperatures between the eutectoid and eutectic temperature. Measurements of the solubility of cementite in austenite at 927oand 1011 "C, using a method based on the equilibration of iron with boro-cementites, are reported. The solubility of cementite in austenite (?-iron) has been computed by Darken and Gurry1 from the observed solubility of graphite in austenite, and the thermodynamic properties of pure iron and of iron-carbon alloys. They have shown that the solubility of cementite is greater than that of graphite in the temperature range between the eutectoid and eutectic, and thus that cementite is metastable with respect to graphite and austenite saturated therewith. Since their computation is not in accord with the earlier experimental work of Mehl and wells,' the present direct determination of the solubility of cementite in austenite was undertaken. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Each iron rod about 1/2 in. O.D. by 4 in. was first carburized at a temperature and with a H2-CH4 gas mixture such that the carbon content would be greater than that corresponding to the solubility of cementite in austenite at the desired (lower) temperature; sufficient carburizing time was allowed that the carbon content became substantially uniform, as illustrated by Curve A, Fig. 1. The sample was then partially decarburized with a hydrogen-water vapor mixture, giving a carbon distribution as schematically illustrated by Curve B. The sample was then held in a helium atmosphere at the temperature at which the solubility was to be determined until the decarburized portion of the sample came to equilibrium with that containing cementite. Curve C of Fig. 1 represents schematically the final carbon distribution; the horizontal portion corresponds to the carbon content of austenite saturated with cementite. To bring the sample to room temperature without change in the carbon distribution and in machinable condition, it was first quenched in a salt pot at 480°C, then in water at room temperature. Successive layers were machined from the center 2 in. of the sample and analyzed for carbon by the usual

Jan 1, 1960

By J. R. Szedon, T. L. Chu, G. A. Gruber

Amorphous adherent filnzs of silicon dioxide have been deposited on silicon substrates by the oxidation of silane at temperatures ranging from 650 to 1050C. Various diluents (argon, nitrogen, hydrogen) were used to suppress the formation of SiO2 in the gas phase. Deposition rates of the oxide were determined over the temperature range in question as functions of' re-actant flow rates. Etch rate studies were used for a cursory comparison of structural properties of deposited and thermally grown oxides. From electrical evaluation of metal-insulator-silicon capacitors it was determined that the interface charge density of deposited films is similar go that of dry-oxygen-grown films in the 850° to 1050 C temperature range. Deposited films exhibit several ionic instability effects which differ in detail from those reported for thermal oxides. Stable passivating films of silicon nitride over deposited oxides appear to be practical for use in silicon planar device fabrication. Such films can be prepared under temperature conditions which have less effect on substrate impurity distributions than in the case of grown oxides. AMORPHOUS silicon dioxide (silica) is compatible with silicon in electrical properties and is the most widely used dielectric in silicon devices at present. Silica films can be prepared by the oxidation of silicon or deposited on silicon or other substrate surfaces by chemical reactions or vacuum techniques. The ability of thermally grown silicon dioxide films to passivate silicon surfaces forms one of the practical bases of the planar device technology. Properly produced and treated films of grown SiO 2 can have low densities of interface charge (-1 X 10" charges per sq cm) and can be stable as regards fast migrating ionic sgecies. 1 To maintain these properties, even with an otherwise hermetically sealed ambient, the Sia layers must be at least l000 A thick. Such thicknesses require oxidation in dry oxygen for periods of 7.8 hr at 900°C or 2 hr at 1000°C. Although oxidation in steam or wet oxygen can reduce these times to 17 and 5 min, the resulting oxides must be annealed to produce acceptable levels of interface charge., Oxidation or annealing involving moderate to high temperatures for extended periods of time can be undesirable. Under some conditions, there can be changes in the distribution of impurities within the underlying substrate. A chemical deposition technique using gaseous am-bients is particularly attractive and flexible for preparing oxide films. With a wide range of deposition rates available, films can be produced under condi- tions of time and temperature less detrimental to impurity distributions in the silicon than in the case of thermal oxidation. The pyrolysis of alkoxysilanes, the hydrolysis of silicon halides, and various modifications of these reactions are most commonly used for the deposition of silica films.3 Silica films obtained in this manner are likely to be contaminated by the by-products of the reaction, organic impurities, or hydrogen halides. The use of the oxidation of silane for the deposition process has been reported recently.4 The deposition of silica films on single-crystal silicon substrates by the oxidation of silane in a gas flow system has been studied in this work. The deposition variables studied were the crystallographic orientation of the substrate surface, the substrate temperature, and the nature of the diluent gas. The electrical charge behavior of Si-SiO2-A1 structures prepared under various conditions was investigated by capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements of metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) capacitors. The experimental approaches and results are discussed in this paper. 1) DEPOSITION OF SILICA FILMS The overall reaction for the oxidation of silane is: The equilibrium constants of this reaction in the temperature range 500° to 1500°K, calculated from the JANAF thermochemical data,= are shown in Fig. 1. In addition to the large equilibrium constants, the oxidation of silane is also kinetically feasible at room temperature and above. However, the strong reactivity of silane toward oxygen tends to promote the nucleation of silica in the gas phase through homogeneous reactions, and the deposition of this silica on the substrate would yield nonadherent material. The formation of silica in the gas phase can be reduced by using low partial pressures of the reactants. Argon, hydrogen, and nitrogen were used as diluents in this work. 1.1) Experimental. The deposition of silica films by the oxidation of silane was carried out in a gas flow system using an apparatus shown schematically in Fig. 2. Appropriate flow meters and valves were used to control the flow of various reactants, i.e., argon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and silane. Semiconductor-grade silane, argon of 99.999 pct minimum purity, oxygen of 99.95 pct minimum purity, and nitrogen of 99.997 pct minimum purity, all purchased from the Matheson Co., were used without further purification. In several instances, a silicon nitride film was deposited over the silica film. This was achieved by the nitridation of silane with ammonia using anhydrous ammonia of better than 99.99 pct purity supplied by the Matheson CO.' The reactant mixture of the desired composition was passed through a Millipore filter into a horizontal water-cooled fused silica tube of 55 mm

Jan 1, 1969

By A. Eilers

I PRESENT herewith, for the inspection of the members of the Institute, a specimen of coke, made in gas-retorts from the lignite of Trinidad, Colorado.

Jan 1, 1874

By A. Eilers

I present herewith, for the inspection of the members of the Institute, a specimen of coke, made in gas-retorts from the lignite of Trinidad, Colorado.

The authors have done a very thorough job in analyzing the factors affecting turndown sulfur performance at Inland's No. 4 B.O.F. While many of the results are not unexpected, it is helpful I am sure to have quantified many of the relationships that the operators rely upon daily. On the other hand, however, the results shown for ladle skimming are very surprising. I do not doubt the statistical relationship shown but I feel, based on our experience at Youngstown, that some other parameter has been ignored in the data on ladle skimming. It was our experience that by skimming our hot metal transfer ladle we could reduce our lime consumption by eleven percent while obtaining sulfur removal comparable to that shown by the authors. I would like the authors comment of similar adjustments on the lime charge that were made on skimmed heats at Inland. If not, it would seem that one could gain more desulfurization in the B.O.F. by raising the hot metal manganese than by installing a skimmer. The author's state that no comparisons are valid between the data sets for the two time periods involved because of the difference in the consumption of No. 2 Bundles. I feel this in fact is one of the important conclusions to be drawn from the paper, as there seems to be approximately a 10-20 percent difference in percent of heats that are under 0.020 percent sulfur for similar conditions, which is an extremely important difference with today's demands for low sulfur. I would like the author's comments on the difference in the amount of 82 bundles consumed. Along this same line I was quite surprised by the relatively low number of heats that had a first turn down of 0.020 percent sulfur or less. Also rather disconcerting are the conditions necessary to achieve a first turn of 0.020 percent sulfur, 50 - 60 percent of the time, as required by today's specifications. It is a problem which we are well aware of, but the numbers are still shocking.

Jan 1, 1972

By William M. Newton, John E. Sherborne

The value of the electric log as a means of interpreting underground structures has been increasingly demonstrated by its almost universal present-day use. It becomes important, therefore, to be able to evaluate the factors that affect the values obtained. By far the greatest number of electric logs are measured today in boreholes filled with rotary mud, the properties of which may exert an important influence on the electric log. In an effort to establish what the order of magnitude of such effects might be, a series of investigations was made in the laboratory and the field. Apparatus suitable for either field or laboratory use was designed and a procedure established for determining the factors that affect the resistivity of drilling muds over a wide variation in mud condition. Five muds representative of the types of clay-base muds employed in California were tested and the following observations were made: 1. The effect of raising the temperature from 8o° to i8o°F. is to decrease the resistivit~ of the mud or filtrate approximately 50 per cent. 2. The resistivity of the mud in most cases closely approximates that of its filtrate. 3. The change in the resistivities of muds caused by the addition of chemical is not the same function of the amount of chemical added for each mud. 4. The effect produced by increased sodium chloride content is to reduce markedly the resistivity of the mud and its filtrate. 5. Weighting materials, such as baroid and limestone, tend to increase the resistivity of drilling mud. 6. Cement and counteracting reagents reduce mud resistivity. The results of the investigation indicate that the mud resistivity is materially affected by the addition of electrolytes whether these are added for the purpose of conditioning the mud or enter the mud when salt beds or highly saline structures are penetrated. It should be observed, however, that the magnitude of the effect produced upon the electric log by changes in mud resistivity is also dependent upon the relative salinity of the water en. countered in the formation being logged. The laboratory data are supplemented by field data, which indicate that both the self-potential and resistivity curves are influenced by mud resistivity.

Jan 1, 1946

By Roy A. Hardy

THE Getchell mine is a comparatively recent discovery in the old Potosi mining district, Humboldt County, Nevada, a district organized in the seventies and eighties, in which some prospecting was done in several metamorphic zones along a monzonite-sedimentary contact. The district had no production in the early days and no further work was done until the same metamorphic zones were prospected for tungsten (scheelite) in 1917 and 1918, when a few small lots were shipped. It again lay dormant until 1934, when prospectors investigated a large siliceous escarpment at one end of the old district where outcroppings were a prominent feature of the topography. Undoubtedly, during the early prospecting of the district, the outcroppings had been investigated for mineral, probably by panning, with negligible results because the gold later found is invisible in the concentrate and is refractory. A fire assay revealed the presence of sufficient gold to warrant development work. The outcroppings were easily prospected by short tunnels having their portals in the siliceous material on the hanging-wall side, with a maximum distance to crosscut to the footwall of 135 ft., or a distance at right angle to dip of 60 to 90 ft. Development work, reaching a depth of over 600 ft. on the dip of the vein, was done by means of various crosscut tunnels, winzes and laterals. A churn-drill hole was also sunk, which intersected the vein at a depth of 1100 ft. on the dip. Sufficient development work of this character was completed by 1937 to justify the erection of a reduction plant to roast the sulphide ore and cyanide the calcine, and to treat the oxidized ore by straight cyanidation, to make a doré bullion for shipment to the mint. The erection of the plant was started that year and finished early in 1938, with a combined capacity of about 800 tons per day. It has operated continuously since erection and recently was enlarged to handle 1000 tons per day. The vein dips with the slope of the mountain, and by stripping the hanging wall the ore may be mined by power shovel for several hundred feet below the outcrop. Thereafter underground methods will be necessary.

Jan 1, 1940

By F. J. Longworth

For a number of years an intensive study has been made to improve the blast-furnace practice at Copperhill not only as to costs but to provide a good grade of gas for the acid plants. This study, took us back to the fundamentals of successful pyrite smelting; namely, a blast furnace working on a clean sulfide ore, free from fines, and the use of quartz high in silica as a flux. In 1919, the quality of the flux was improved and its effect on the metallurgy was very marked. To improve the practice further, it was necessary to work out some method of treatment for the sulfide fines and the siliceous and refractory ores, other than in the blast furnace. A series of milling tests indicated that these products could be successfully treated by differential flotation, and in 1922 plans were made and a flotation plant built. It was estimated that the flotation plant would deliver to the smelter 40 to 50 tons of concentrates per day; the problem was what to do with these concentrates. It was out of the question to attempt to smelt them in a blast furnace because of the dust losses and, because our practice demands a charge free from fines for satisfactory operation. There is no custom smelter in the vicinity to which concentrates may be sold, pending the time when the tonnage will be sufficient to warrant roasters and a reverbatory furnace. Sintering and nodulizing were investigated but neither method fitted into our scheme of metallurgy. A close study of the converter practice was then made to see if some method could not be evolved to smelt this tonnage of concentrates in a converter without preliminary treatment. At that time, the converter installation consisted of two 12-ft. Great Falls converters, which were handling 12 to 14 per cent. matte. The heat balance of the converters working with 12 to 14 per cent. matte was more than sufficient to smelt the contemplated tonnage of concentrates but the mechanical difficulties. of feeding fines into the Great Falls converter made the use of this type of converter impractical.

Jan 9, 1924

By John E. Sherborne, William M. Newton

The value of the electric log as a means of interpreting underground structures has been increasingly demonstrated by its almost universal present-day use. It becomes important, therefore, to be able to evaluate the factors that affect the values obtained. By far the greatest number of electric logs are measured today in boreholes filled with rotary mud, the properties of which may exert an important influence on the electric log. In an effort to establish what the order of magnitude of such effects might be, a series of investigations was made in the laboratory and the field. Apparatus suitable for either field or laboratory use was designed and a procedure established for determining the factors that affect the resistivity of drilling muds over a wide variation in mud condition. Five muds representative of the types of clay-base muds employed in California were tested and the following observations were made: 1. The effect of raising the temperature from 8o° to i8o°F. is to decrease the resistivit~ of the mud or filtrate approximately 50 per cent. 2. The resistivity of the mud in most cases closely approximates that of its filtrate. 3. The change in the resistivities of muds caused by the addition of chemical is not the same function of the amount of chemical added for each mud. 4. The effect produced by increased sodium chloride content is to reduce markedly the resistivity of the mud and its filtrate. 5. Weighting materials, such as baroid and limestone, tend to increase the resistivity of drilling mud. 6. Cement and counteracting reagents reduce mud resistivity. The results of the investigation indicate that the mud resistivity is materially affected by the addition of electrolytes whether these are added for the purpose of conditioning the mud or enter the mud when salt beds or highly saline structures are penetrated. It should be observed, however, that the magnitude of the effect produced upon the electric log by changes in mud resistivity is also dependent upon the relative salinity of the water en. countered in the formation being logged. The laboratory data are supplemented by field data, which indicate that both the self-potential and resistivity curves are influenced by mud resistivity.

Jan 1, 1946

By Michael J. Messel

W. P. MOULD*—Has consideration been given to the problem of retreating the 4,000,000 ton tailings pile to recover the very considerable amount of asbestos fiber that was lost over the years due to insufficient operation and poor recoveries? Also, what was known about the possible content of chromite and the sulphides of nickel and cobalt? M. J. MESSEL (author's reply)—Consideration was given to the problem but nothing concrete has been done up to this time. W. P. MOULD—I am certain the tail- ings contain a very considerable quantity of fiber, not all of which is in the shortest lengths, because in the milling of talc rock from a neighboring location having a common origin with the asbestos bearing serpentine source of the tailings pile, a concentrate carrying 15 pct Ni and Co in complex sulphides and constituting about 4/10 of 1 pct of the talc rock was recovered. In the belief that the tailings also contained an appreciable content of chromite (then in demand, 1937) it was suggested to the management of the asbestos company that a truck load of the current tailings be sent to the flotation plant of the talc company where it would be put over the concentrating tables in an effort to discover the presence and roughly the percentages of chromite, nickel, and cobalt. Preparations for the test were woefully inadequate and the test was completely snarled up by the surprisingly large quantity of asbestos fiber from 1 in. long down to very short fiber, all of which matted up and plugged launders and pumps with disastrous effects and practically the total loss of the sample. If anything was indicaded by the test, it was that a wet process for milling asbestos was worthy of very serious consideration. M. J. MESSEL—A wet milling process for tailings retreatment only, is at present under study at our plant. One asbestos mining company in Canada has constructed a fairly large test plant for this purpose, but as yet no definite results have been obtained other than in a small test unit plant which were in some respects quite encouraging.

Jan 1, 1950

By Ming-Kao Yen

S. E. MADDIGAN*—I think Mr. Yen should be complimented on doing a very excellent and a very comprehensive piece of work. I was particularly pleased to note the use of X rays in a somewhat less tedious technique than pole figures. In the past I think many workers have been diverted away from the use of X rays in such investigations because of the large amount of work involved in pole figures if one is dealing with a great number of specimens. The same thing, I think, applies to the determination of orientations by counting of twins which is also a very tedious procedure; as a result several papers which have otherwise been of excellent quality have depended upon etching techniques for determination of orientation. The present paper indicates that the results reported in those previous papers were correct, but I think the use of etching techniques alone is a rather shaky basis for setting up theories in the literature. W. M. BALDWIN, JR.*—This discussion will be a short note of correction and apology. In my discussion of Brick, Martin and Angier's paper I incorrectly reported the orientation of phosphorus deoxidized copper annealed at temperatures. When I learned that Mr. Yen was preparing the present paper I asked that he correct this previous error, which he most graciously consented to do. However, through my ambiguity the correction noted on p. 59 of Mr. Yen's paper is still not the proper one. For this I take full responsibility. The orientation which I observed in phosphorus deoxidized copper at high temperatures is the (112) [111] which agrees with the pole figure given in Fig 8a, on p. 65 of Mr. Yen's paper. Our observations were made on the basis of twin counts rather than X ray determinations and therefore serve as an independent confirmation of Mr. Yen's data. M. K. YEN (author's reply)—The author wishes to thank Dr. Maddigan for his comments in regard to the application of glancing technique to textures. As a matter of fact, considerable work has been done recently in connection with

Jan 1, 1950

By I. J. Gardescu

The production of petroleum in Rumania in 1932 totaled 52,560,000 bbl., an increase of 6.8 per cent over 1931. The average daily production rose from 123,000 bbl. at the beginning of the year to 173,000 bbl. at the end of the year, the production in the Gura-Ocnitzei field rising from 38,800 to 80,700 bbl. per day. This increase was due to competitive development during which time the percentage of total production of the various operating companies remained practically unchanged. Chief producers were: Concordia, 30.3 per cent; Unirea, 21.6; Romano-Americana, 13.5; Steaua Romana, 8.3. Boldesti, where production of the previous year was practically doubled, would have produced far greater quantities were it not for the fact that both Astra Romana and Romano-Americana curtailed drilling operations. Of the total daily production of 21,800 bbl. a day, the Astra Romana, Steaua Romana and Romana Americana, produced respectively 67, 25 and 8 per cent. The Moreni field showed a sudden drop in production from the preceding year, due primarily to reduced drilling activities. Its production of only 21,000 bbl. a day removes it from first position for the first time in many years. All the other fields showed a decrease in production, except Ochiuri, 3 miles west of Gura-Ocnitzei, and Ceptura, 12 miles east of Boldesti. Drilling1 During the first nine months of 1932, 116 wells were completed, 8 of which were dry holes. The Meotian (lower Pliocene) is the producing horizon in 73, the Dacian (upper Pliocene) in 31, and the Oligocene in 4 of the completed wells. Three of the Oligocene wells were drilled in the Bacau district and one at Grausor, near Campina. In addition, 47 wells were drilling on Oct. 1,1932. Of the total completions and drilling wells, 92 per cent employed rotary for a footage of 98.5 per cent of the total drilled. Power for rotary drilling was furnished to 105 wells by steam, to 38 by electricity, and to one by gasoline.

Jan 1, 1933

By S. A. Hoenig

In an earlier publication, the application of exoelectron technology to the monitoring of dry grinding in a ball mill was reported. Recently, the author has investigated the ball mill problem in more detail with the system shown in [Fig.1]. Here, some of the current generated in the ore-ball-water mixture was picked up by the metal chains and served as a measure of the rate of grinding. While the mechanism of current generation has not been completely clarified, a parallel study of electrical effects associated with rock drilling indicated that the major driving force is the zeta potential*, while oxidation of the freshly fractured material provides the remainder of the current. Both of these effects are sensitive to the exposed surface area, and it might be expected that the observed currents would provide a measure of the grinding rate. This "surface area" effect allows the measurement system to be used in any type of rock or ore grinding. Some studies with sulfide copper ore indicate higher currents than those observed with silica sand, but the overall pattern of current versus grinding rate is essentially the same. Experimental Studies The experimental system was set up as shown in [Fig. 1]. The initial studies were done with silica sand because of its availability and for comparison with the data of reference 1. The sand was sized to an average of 425 /MI (40 mesh); a typical charge consisted of 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) of sand, 0.85 L (0.22 gal) of tap water and 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) of iron grinding balls 25.5 mm (1 in.) in diameter. For a typical "run," the mill was loaded with a fresh charge of ore and operated for periods ranging from 10-60 min. During this time, the current was measured with a Keithley 417 picoammeter and a chart recorder. At the end of the grinding period, the charge was removed and sieved to recover the 425, 300, and 212 µm (40, 50, and 70 mesh) fractions which were then drained and weighed. A fresh charge was used for each test and every attempt was made to keep the draining and weighing processes uniform.

Jan 1, 1985