Search Documents

By Nicholas J. Grant, David S. Bloom

An investigation of the Cr-Ni system has revealed that there exists a eutectoid transformation at about 1180°C. 'The transformation in chromium implied by the eutectoid reaction was detected at about 100°C below its melting point. Associated with the eutectoid transformation, a metastable transition structure has been found. THE Cr-Ni phase diagram is shown in current literature to be a simple eutectic system in which the high chromium end of the diagram is incompletely determined, Fig. 1. The last investigation of this system was undertaken in 1936.' Because of limitations in metal purity, especially of chromium, and temperature measuring techniques, the diagram should be accepted with some reservations, as was indicated by Hansen.V or examwle.-, the wresence of the compound Cr²Ni, with a tetragonal structure," remains unverified and incompatible with the simple eutectic diagram. The work reported here began because of discrepancies that appeared in experimental studies in the binary alloys Cr-Ni and in the ternary system Cr-Mo-Ni. The existing binary Cr-Ni diagram failed to provide a complete explanation of observations made by microscope, X-ray, and thermal analyses. Experimental Methods The materials employed were of a higher degree of purity than were available to previous investigators. The Mond nickel used had a nominal purity of 99.87 pct, while the electrolytic chromium analyzed 99.03 pct with the major impurity being 0.5 to 0.7 pct oxygen with some iron. All alloys were melted in a vacuum furnace to remove dissolved gases, sufficient carbon was added to the charge to combine with all the oxygen as CO. Final analysis determined the carbon as about 0.02 pct and the oxygen around 0.06 pct or slightly more. Stabilized zirconia crucibles and thermocouple protection tips were used throughout and contributed no detectable impurity to the melts, as long as the oxygen in the chromium was kept low. Heats averaged about 250 g, which permitted about 2 in. of the thermocouple protection tips to be submerged. The temperature drop across the thermocouple protection tip was determined to be about 3°C, a minor source of error. The alloys, after removal from the vacuum furnace, were placed in a furnace operating in a purified argon atmosphere for the thermal analyses. An- nealed wolfram-molybdenum thermocouples provided the primary means of temperature determination, though a Pt-Pt-10 pct Rh couple was employed for a check when possible. A sensitive, high-speed Leeds and Northrup Speedomax recording potentiometer indicated the thermocouple output. X-ray diffraction patterns were obtained primarily on a Norelco unit, which permitted diffraction angles only up to 45" (28 = 90"). In general, either rotated or stationary solid samples were used, because it later evolved that many samples were susceptible to transformation resulting from the cold working involved in pulverizing. It was also noted that rotating a sample sometimes suppressed weak lines, so, usually, samples were not rotated. Later a high temperature camera was adapted for use at temperatures up to 1400 °C on the Norelco unit utilizing both solid and powdered samples. Unless otherwise noted, all X-ray patterns were made with a chromium tube and a vanadium filter. Further-

Jan 1, 1952

By Alfred Boyles

The experiments described below are a continuation of work on the graphitization of cast iron conducted as part of the program of fundamental research at Battelle Memorial Institute. In previous work it was found that melting in hydrogen increased the amount of eutectic carbide appearing in certain alloys and in others produced marked changes in the size of the graphite flakes. These effects seemed to be closely related to the amount of sulphur and manganese present in the material studied. Iron-carbon-silicon alloys did not respond to hydrogen in the same manner as cast iron and there was no evidence to show that hydrogen was able to stabilize the carbide in such alloys unless additions of sulphur were made. The two alloys examined contained about 2 per cent of silicon. The present paper is concerned with alloys of lower silicon content and describes the structural changes produced by melting in various atmospheres at pressurcs ranging from a partial vacuum up to 300 lb. per sq. inch. Experimental Method The experimental technique was similar to that previously employed, so that direct comparison might be made with earlier work. Alloys were

Jan 1, 1939

By Alfred Boyles

The experiments described below are a continuation of work on the graphitization of cast iron conducted as part of the program of fundamental research at Battelle Memorial Institute. In previous work it was found that melting in hydrogen increased the amount of eutectic carbide appearing in certain alloys and in others produced marked changes in the size of the graphite flakes. These effects seemed to be closely related to the amount of sulphur and manganese present in the material studied. Iron-carbon-silicon alloys did not respond to hydrogen in the same manner as cast iron and there was no evidence to show that hydrogen was able to stabilize the carbide in such alloys unless additions of sulphur were made. The two alloys examined contained about 2 per cent of silicon. The present paper is concerned with alloys of lower silicon content and describes the structural changes produced by melting in various atmospheres at pressurcs ranging from a partial vacuum up to 300 lb. per sq. inch. Experimental Method The experimental technique was similar to that previously employed, so that direct comparison might be made with earlier work. Alloys were

Jan 1, 1939

By W. A. Anderson

IN the pressure die-casting of zinc alloys it is customary to force the molten alloy under high pressure into a permanent steel die by means of a plunger moving in a bushing that has a clearance on the diameter of the order of 0.002 in. Successful operation of the plunger type of machine requires the presence in the zinc alloy of certain percentages of aluminum. Without these aluminum additions, the normal reaction of molten zinc on ferrous materials causes sticking of the plunger and a complete shutdown of the equipment. All of the zinc alloys used for pressure die-casting today contain approximately 4 per cent of aluminum, which is more than sufficient to make plunger operation feasible. The clearance between the plunger and its bushing is an important matter. As the space becomes larger, there is a loss in effective metal pressure. Ordinary gray cast iron served fairly well and is still used in some machines. However, the rate at which the plunger clearance increases with this material is considered by many to be far too great. There is, therefore, a serious interest in finding new materials more capable of retaining the desired clearance during long periods of use. Today many die casters are using special materials for plungers and bushings selected by the somewhat expensive and time-consuming test of actual experience. An analysis of the problem reveals two possible end points of plunger operation: (1) the building up of zinc-alloy plunger-material reaction products in sufficient bulk to cause sticking and (2) rapid solution, wear or erosion, all of which will increase the clearance to an undesirable extent. If neither of these takes place, the plunger will operate for a long time, of course. The authors have developed a laboratory apparatus in which the action of a plunger moving in a bushing immersed in molten zinc alloy could be simulated closely. Such a machine made possible a more rapid and less expensive survey of the available construction materials and an analysis of the specific alloying reactions taking place in the clear-ance area.

Jan 1, 1939

By James W. Dally, William L. Fourney, Anders Ladegaard Peterson

For the past 3 years, the authors have been conducting research sponsored by the National Science Foundation (RANN) to improve the process of excavation by drilling and blasting. The approach followed has been experimental where the development of stress waves and fractures initiated at the bore hole have been investigated in order to obtain a complete understanding of the dynamic fracture process. The second step in the approach has been to introduce modifications in the drill and blast procedure which will permit closer control of the fracture process. The laboratory investigations involve high speed photography where the dynamic fracture process is recorded with a Cranz-Schardin 1, 2 multiple-spark camera. The camera is equipped with 16 spark gaps which are pulsed at 25 K volts to produce an intense but very short (0.5 sec) flash of light. The camera is capable of recording 16 photographs of a dynamic event at framing rates which can be varied from 30,000 to 1,500,000 frames per second. The exposure time is sufficiently short to stop motion associated with detonating explosive charges and to make visible the details of the fracture process at a bore hose. The bore hole in a massive intact rock formation is modelled with a two dimensional plate containing a circular hole to represent the bore hole. The model material employed is a transparent polyester known commercially as Homalite 100.* This polymeric material is extremely brittle as evidenced by its extremely low fracture toughness of [ ]. The fracture toughness is a measure of the ability of a material to resist the propagation of flaws or small cracks. In comparison, Schmidt3 has recently measured the fracture toughness of Salem limestone and determined [ ]. Thus, the Homalite 100 should closely model the brittle nature of rock where fractures occur at small flaws and propagate without any apparent plastic deformation. Homalite 100 is also birefringent, which indicates that it becomes optically anisotropic when subjected to either static or dynamic loads. Circularly polarized light is transmitted through the loaded Homalite 100 model in a polariscope4 and the birefringence produces an optical interference pattern which is called a fringe pattern. For dynamic photoelasticity, the multiple-spark camera is equipped with polaroid filters to produce the circularly polarized light required to generate the photoelastic fringe patterns. An example of a singlespark frame showing a fringe pattern from a typical experiment is presented in [Fig. 1]. The photograph was taken 0.000072 sec (72 sec) after the detonation of the explosive charge. The circular fringes are due to the outgoing dilatational or P type stress wave and travel with a velocity of 85,000 in. per sec (2260 m/sec) in the Homalite 100. The P wave is followed by a second lower velocity stress wave known as the shear or S type wave which propagates at a velocity of 49,000 in. per sec (1245 m/sec). In the local neighborhood of the bore hole, several radial cracks are visible. These cracks propagate at essentially a constant velocity of 15,000 in. per sec (380 m/sec) prior to arrest. The fringes about the crack tips and in the local region of the bore hole are primarily due to the residual gases contained in the bore hole after the explosive charge was detonated. Sixteen frames similar to this one are recorded during the experiment to give full field visualization of the dynamic event at 16 discrete times over its duration. The fringe order number N is related to the difference in the principal stresses of and 02 according to a stress optic law4: [ ] where f0 = material fringe value, and h = model thickness. The wholefield dynamic-fringe patterns provide a basis for simultaneously observing the interaction between propagating cracks and the stresses which drive these cracks. Fracture Control Experiments Improvements in the efficiency of the drill and blast procedures must involve close control of the fracture process following the detonation of an explosive charge in a bore hole. By control it is implied that the number of cracks initiated and the location of each crack on the wall of the bore hole can be specified. Control also, involves orienting each crack and maintaining the crack path and velocity until the specified crack length is achieved. If the entire fracture process can be controlled, then rounds can be designed to optimize volume removed. fragment size and minimize costs. One area of blasting where fracture control is vitally important is in underground excavation where the strength and stability of the rock walls must be maintained and smoothness and precision of the walls must be achieved. The smooth blasting method is one of the most commonly employed procedures for achieving some degree of fracture control. In smooth blasting, the central region of material is first removed, and then the final row of closely spaced undercharged or cushioned holes are fired to remove the final volume and produce a smooth wall. In some instances, unloaded or dummy holes between the loaded holes are recommended to guide the fracture plane. This investigation pertained to an evaluation of 3 features of the smooth blasting process. These included (a) the effect of stress reinforcement on fracture by simultaneously firing 2 charges; (b) the influence of a dummy hole on control of the fracture planes between 2 simultaneously fired charge holes; and (c) the influence of dummy hole spacing on fracture plane control.

Jan 1, 1979

By Albert Sauveur

(Cleveland Meeting, October, 1912.) ALTHOUGH many metallurgists know that some pearlitic special steels can be made troostitic, martensitic, and even austenitic, without quenching, and, therefore, without exposing them to the dangers of the quenching-bath, the practical significance of such possibility does not seem to have received the attention it deserves. Let us recall briefly the mechanism of the transformation alluded to. In Fig. 1 (after Guillet) is shown the constitutional diagram of nickel-steel that; is, of alloys of iron, carbon, and nickel. Any steel the composition of which falls within the area LPO is pearlitic after slow cooling; any steel the composition of which is represented by a point within the area MLO is martensitic, and any steel within the area MNO is austenitic. Starting with pearlitic steel, then by increasing the carbon-content or the nickel-content, or both, the metal becomes martensitic and eventually austenitic; that is, its composition crosses first the boundary-line LO and then the line M0-and it remains martensitic or austenitic after slow (air) cooling.1 We have inn this way imparted to the metal without quenching it the properties of hardened carbon-steel. In other words, the steel is now self-hardening. Nickel cannot be introduced into solid steel, but by the well-known process of case-hardening it * Professor of Metallurgy and Metalllography in Harvard University. + Assistant in Metallurgy and Metallography in Harvard University. 1 The boundaries between the various zones are not, as a matter of fact, as sharp as indicated in the diagram, because pearlite is not transformed abruptly and in its entirety into martensite when a certain critical composition is attained, nor is martensite suddenly and completely converted into austenite. Greater refinement in the construction of the diagram would undoubtedly result in the introduction of troosto-pearlitic, troostitic, and troosto-martensitic zones between the pearlitic and martensitic areas and-of a martenso-austenitic zone between the martensitic and austenitic areas. Fur the purpose of this note, however, the existence of these transition-conditions may be ignored.

Nov 1, 1912

By AIME AIME

ADDRESSING the Ohio Section at a recent meeting in Columbus, Ohio, R. C. Allen, executive vice-president for Oglebay, Norton & Co., Cleveland, spoke on "The Iron-Ore Industry of the Lake Superior Region in Prosperity and Depression." The speaker considered this region in connection with the problem of national security. This is the age of minerals; progress depends on them; and next to agriculture, the mineral industry is of prime importance. The United States has no shortage of minerals rather an over-supply; but many mines have been and are being exhausted. The shifting of the sources of supplies of minerals so important as copper, petroleum, and iron to other countries would create internal strains and affect international relations. There will be no early decline of ore mining in the Lake Superior region unless it is forced by unwise public policies. Iron ore is industrial strength and self-sufficiency. A study of economic geography is important for statesmen and mining men, because the minerals essential for peace and war are haphazardly or irregularly distributed throughout the world. Of these minerals, 75 per cent are owned by 10 per cent of the population, mainly peoples of Anglo-Saxon origin.

Jan 1, 1934

By Frank L. Gaddy

Falls of roof account for over 50% of the fatalities that occur in coal mines in the US. Thus, roof control is one of the more important phases of underground mining. In reality, the control of roof influences the system of mining and is a major determinant of the width and spacing of working places, operations at the mining face, ventilation control, and surface subsidence. Frequently, the control of roof is the largest single cost item. Roof control is a never-ending task, not only at the working face and throughout sections where men are working, but along haulways and air- ways that must be maintained for the life of the mine. This is because roof, even the best of roof, slowly deteriorates, so it must be frequently examined, with corrective support applied when needed. As coal is excavated, stresses are set up in the roof because the previous equilibrium is upset, resulting in pressures that cause fractures and slight movements that are frequently hard to detect. Unless the immediate roof, in the excavated area, is given support by artificial means, it might fall or there might be a succession of falls, varying from a thin scale to several feet, depending on the nature of the top. Exceptions to this are those rare mines, or sections of mines, with hard, strong, nonweathering roof that requires no support. GENERAL CLASSIFICATION OF ROOF There are two broad types of roof as far as support is concerned: the immediate roof above the coal and the main roof. Artificial support for mining purposes is only concerned with the immediate roof as nothing except large blocks of solid coal, or massive concrete, will support the main roof. The immediate roof is generally a few feet thick but can vary from inches to 6.1 m (20 ft) or more. There are examples of where there is no immediate roof as the massive main roof lies directly on the coal

Jan 1, 1981

By John A. THOMPSON, Pazcl D. Torrey, Frank Breayster

DISCOVERY of natural gas in the Dundee field of New York in February, 1930, and the subsequent discovery in Tioga in September of that year, focused the attention of the natural-gas industry on the enormous possibilities of production and distribution in - the most populous area of the United States-New York and New England. Prior to 1926 the natural-gas industry in New York State had settled into a definite and limited policy, with the distributing companies controlling the output from its discovery to the ultimate consumer. Production amounted to between G and 7 thousand mil- lion cubic feet a year, with another 10,000 million feet imported from Pennsylvania for distribution in New York State. This gas was primarily from the Medina sand stone in. the western part of the state.

Jan 1, 1932

By George S. Rice

Those who for the first time see, at a mine, a great hole caused by subsidence; or, going underground, see an extensive fall of roof or hanging wall are apt to regard such an occurrence as an accident and not a normal condition of exhaustive mining. Moreover, the public is inclined to believe that a cave or subsidence of the surface is the result of carelcssness in mining or the rapacity of the mine operators in "robbing pillars," a tern too loosely used in descriptions of coal mining. This belief is fostered by the common-law requirement that an owner of the surface or of surface improvements is entitled to full support of the surface. Court decisions have upheld this law even when that owner has sold or leased the underlying mineral, unless a clause in the sale or lease contract exempts the mining company from paying the owner of the surface for damages that may result from mining. Another reason for this belief is the earlier practice (which is still extensively followed in this country) of leaving all coal pillars unmined, except as they have been thinned by so-called robbing; by not extracting the pillars, the surface may be supported by them for years, perhaps for generations. Inasmuch as the practice of leaving permanently in the mines from one-third to one-half of the mineral is wrong, with respect to conservation of a national resource, it behooves the mining engineers to assemble data and disseminate information on the subject, pointing out that subsidence must follow complete extraction, unless expensive methods of back-filling are employed, such as are used in Germany and France. These methods inevitably increase the cost of mining and the price of the mineral produced. It is popular to speak of "waste in mining" without a realization that much so-called wasting is unavoidable unless subsidence is accepted and provision made therefor where the surface is valuable, or else the only present known alternative of hydraulically placing sand or crushed stone filling in the excavations, at an increased cost of the mineral product to the consumer.

Jan 1, 1923

By George S. Rice

Those who for the first time see, at a mine, a great hole caused by subsidence; or, going underground, see an extensive fall of roof or hanging wall are apt to regard such an occurrence as an accident and not a normal condition of exhaustive mining. Moreover, the public is inclined to believe that a cave or subsidence of the surface is the result of carelcssness in mining or the rapacity of the mine operators in "robbing pillars," a tern too loosely used in descriptions of coal mining. This belief is fostered by the common-law requirement that an owner of the surface or of surface improvements is entitled to full support of the surface. Court decisions have upheld this law even when that owner has sold or leased the underlying mineral, unless a clause in the sale or lease contract exempts the mining company from paying the owner of the surface for damages that may result from mining. Another reason for this belief is the earlier practice (which is still extensively followed in this country) of leaving all coal pillars unmined, except as they have been thinned by so-called robbing; by not extracting the pillars, the surface may be supported by them for years, perhaps for generations. Inasmuch as the practice of leaving permanently in the mines from one-third to one-half of the mineral is wrong, with respect to conservation of a national resource, it behooves the mining engineers to assemble data and disseminate information on the subject, pointing out that subsidence must follow complete extraction, unless expensive methods of back-filling are employed, such as are used in Germany and France. These methods inevitably increase the cost of mining and the price of the mineral produced. It is popular to speak of "waste in mining" without a realization that much so-called wasting is unavoidable unless subsidence is accepted and provision made therefor where the surface is valuable, or else the only present known alternative of hydraulically placing sand or crushed stone filling in the excavations, at an increased cost of the mineral product to the consumer.

Jan 1, 1923

By L. Luini, E. Lee

An exploratory survey of the heat treatment response of commercial titanium alloys (Ti-150A, RC-130B, and MST 3AI-5Cr al-loys) shows a wide range of possible hardness and microstructural characteristics. The hardening is primarily dependent on the solid state transformation of the phase. An age hardening reaction which apparently is associated with ß decomposition and precipitation has been shown. Brittleness and notch sensitivity appear to be characteristic of age hardening to high hardness. Ductility, tensile strengths, and elongations are given. A NUMBER of commercially produced titanium-base alloys have been made available by the titanium metals industry. These alloys were developed to combine the light weight of titanium with increased strength through alloy additions. Usually the properties of these alloys are reported for material in the hot rolled and annealed condition. Since the production of commercial titanium has preceded the investigation of titanium-base alloy systems, the potential of these alloys is not well known. Although heat treatability has been indicated for these alloys, data on the response to heat treatment are quite limited. The heat treatability of titanium is based on the allotropic transformation of the high temperature, body-centered cubic ß structure to the low temperature, hexagonal close-packed a structure at approximately 1625 °F. This transformation in the pure metal is of little practical significance in heat treatment since the high temperature phase is not amenable to controlled transformation. Alloy additions serve to alter the transformation kinetics and permit control of the transformation by heat treatment variables. The effects of different alloys on the allotropic transformation in titanium classify them in two general categories,1 a stabilizing and ß stabilizing elements. The a stabilizers, represented by aluminum and oxygen, raise the temperature limits of the low temperature phase and introduce a two-phase a + ß temperature range. The ß stabilizers, represented by molybdenum and columbium, lower the equilibrium temperature of ß and give rise to an extended temperature range where both a and ß phases are stable. Another type of ß stabilizer, represented by iron, chromium, and manganese, introduces a eutectoid reaction. Some commercial titanium alloys belong to complex multiple element systems. Based upon the phase diagrams of the binary systems, the general effect of commercial compositions is to vary the stability of the high temperature phase and significantly alter its transformation characteristics. Therefore it is expected that the characteristics of alloyed titanium can be altered by heat treatment. The present investigation was undertaken to survey the variations in hardness, microstructure, and mechanical properties as affected by heat treatment variables. Commercial Alloys lnvestigated The commercially available titanium-base alloys selected for this investigation and obtained as 3/4 in. diameter hot rolled and annealed bars are listed in Table I. The producer did not determine the chemical composition of the Ti-150A heats X1052 and L685. The early heats of Ti-150A, prefixed with the letter X, were melted with tungsten-tipped electrodes and cast in approximately 500 lb ingots 12 in. in diameter. The heats prefixed with the letter L were melted under a revised melting practice yielding approximately 1300 lb ingots 16 in. in diameter. The final annealing treatment was at 1200" to 1250°F for 1 hr. The MST-3A1-5Cr alloy was melted in an induction furnace and cast in 7 in. diameter ingots. This practice produces high carbon material and some variation in the amount of carbides was found in different sections of the same bar. The RC-130B alloy was melted with a carbon arc. This alloy showed approximately 2 pct carbides. No large segregation effects were observed.

Jan 1, 1955

By C. G. Dunn, F. W. Daniels

IN recent publications1-5 the existence and behavior of subgrain boundaries in high-purity metals has been clearly brought to light. Lacombe and Beaujardl by means of special etching methods disclosed in polycrystalline sheets of aluminum the existence of substructures differing in orientation by small amounts (about 1/4"). Boundaries of these structures at relatively high temperatures had the remarkable property' of moving about while the ordinary boundaries remained stationary. Cahn2 also observed substructures in bent and annealed single crystals of aluminum, zinc, magnesium, and rock salt. The position of subboundaries could be explained in terms of a dislocation mechanism of polygonization in which dislocations move into lines at right angles to the bent glide planes thereby relieving elastic stresses in these planes. Guinier and Tennevin8,6 disclosed the further interesting feature that polygonized structures coarsened significantly upon prolonged annealing. Somewhat similar subgrain phenomena have been observed in silicon iron of commercial purity. Although some evidence for the development of macro-mosaic structures in silicon iron already has been reported by one of the authors6,7 under the phenom-enological term "crystal recovery," much better evidence recently has been obtained due to improved etching techniques. In addition, phenomena regarding structural changes have been uncovered. The present investigation is divided into three parts: (1) The phenomenon of Laue spot sharpening on annealing cold-rolled crystals, (2) the phenomena of polygonization and subgrain coarsening The material used in the present investigation was high-grade commercial silicon iron sheet of nominal composition, 3.3 pct Si, 0.004 C, 0.011 P, 0.010 S, 0.04 Mn, 0.01 Al, 0.04 Cu, 0.01 Sn. Large single crystals of this material Were prepared for cold-rolling or bending as scheduled. Cold-rolling of 12 pct was carried out on a laboratory 8-in, diam rolling mill. The bending deformations were performed by pressing the crystals between a solid Fig. 2—lllustrative foue patterns to show Laue spot sharpening. a (Left)—Specimen as cold rolled, b (right)—After 48 hr at 1400°C. round bar and a mating half cylinder, both heavily greased. Individual specimens were cut from the deformed crystals, and the cut edges were deeply etched prior to annealing. Laue photographs were made using 40-kv tungsten radiation. The technique used to disclose the various subboundaries was an electropolish and electroetch in a bath of chrome-acetic acid.' The anodic polishing done at 22 v was immediately followed by etching at a reduced voltage, which was dependent upon the nature of the subboundaries. Phenomenon of Laue Spot Sharpening on Annealing Cold-Rolled Crystals Fig. 1 gives the initial and final orientations of the specimens cold-rolled 12 pct. Each specimen was annealed at a temperature and for a time which caused significant structural changes as evidenced by alterations in Laue patterns. Representative Laue patterns and micrographs showing the essential changes are given in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. The essential points to be derived from these illustrations follow: 1. Annealing at 950°C clearly develops a substructure with the orientation of the cold-rolled specimen. 2. The subboundaries formed obviously separate regions of nearly the same orientation. Some of the subboundaries appear as a sequence of dots similar to those observed in aluminum by Lacombe and Beaujard,' but whether this is due to extremely small differences in orientation is not known at present. 3. The substructure coarsens upon prolonged annealing. 4. Prolonged annealing also causes a decrease in orientation spread according to Laue spot sharpening'

Jan 1, 1952

By Paul M. Tyler, Herbert R. Mosley

Strategically situated in almost the heart of the leading fertilizer-consuming area of the United States, Tennessee long has ranked second only to Florida as a phosphate-producing state. Since 1932 its share of the national output of phosphate rock has increased steadily, and in 1937 its production mounted to an all-time record. More significant even than the increase in tonnage are the forward strides in technology. The Tennessee Valley Authority's research program has led to quasicommer-cia1 operations using hydroelectric power to manufacture concentrated phosphatic fertilizer that is used to further the farmer education program designed to streamline the fertilizer business and halt the appalling waste of farm land by soil erosion. Even more stimulating to chemically minded imaginations is the production of elemental phosphorus by a private company that not only has succeeded in extracting it from the phosphate rock in electric furnaces but actually has contrived to capture it and to transport it safely in tank cars. New values have been created for low-grade phosphate deposits, and the economic life of reserves has been lengthened while the waste of former years goes back into the mills for recovery of its values by modernized methods. Tennessee's phosphate-mining industry dates from the discovery of blue rock in Lewis County in December 1893. Its known reserves are of the order of 101,500,000 tons, which compares with the production of 825,099 tons in 1937; that is, 21 per cent of the phosphate-rock output of the whole nation. The total output reported from 1894 until July 1. 1938, was approximately 19,000,000 tons. Offcial estimates of reserves are overly conservative and evidence submitted before a joint Congressional committee in November 1938 places "probable" reserves at more than 6,000,000,000 tons.

Jan 1, 1942

By Herbert R. Mosley, Paul M. Tyler

Strategically situated in almost the heart of the leading fertilizer-consuming area of the United States, Tennessee long has ranked second only to Florida as a phosphate-producing state. Since 1932 its share of the national output of phosphate rock has increased steadily, and in 1937 its production mounted to an all-time record. More significant even than the increase in tonnage are the forward strides in technology. The Tennessee Valley Authority's research program has led to quasicommer-cia1 operations using hydroelectric power to manufacture concentrated phosphatic fertilizer that is used to further the farmer education program designed to streamline the fertilizer business and halt the appalling waste of farm land by soil erosion. Even more stimulating to chemically minded imaginations is the production of elemental phosphorus by a private company that not only has succeeded in extracting it from the phosphate rock in electric furnaces but actually has contrived to capture it and to transport it safely in tank cars. New values have been created for low-grade phosphate deposits, and the economic life of reserves has been lengthened while the waste of former years goes back into the mills for recovery of its values by modernized methods. Tennessee's phosphate-mining industry dates from the discovery of blue rock in Lewis County in December 1893. Its known reserves are of the order of 101,500,000 tons, which compares with the production of 825,099 tons in 1937; that is, 21 per cent of the phosphate-rock output of the whole nation. The total output reported from 1894 until July 1. 1938, was approximately 19,000,000 tons. Offcial estimates of reserves are overly conservative and evidence submitted before a joint Congressional committee in November 1938 places "probable" reserves at more than 6,000,000,000 tons.

Jan 1, 1942

By W. P. Sykes

Seven years ago, Dr. S. L. Hoytl presented a masterful discussion of the hard metal carbides and cemented tungsten carbide. His lecture summarized most of the data then available in the field; many of the details relating to the production, properties and structure of cemented tungsten carbide had never been previously published, for, in fact, this information was only then being acquired. During the intervening years, the cemented carbides have assumed a place of real importance in the commercial field, with an ever widening variety of applications due to constant improvement in the control of production technique and the unremitting search for new compositions that might better the performance of the alloys in one or another type of service. The most recent summary of production methods, properties and guides for the successful application of the cemented carbides appears in the 1936 edition of the Metals Handbook. Of necessity, much detailed information relating to structures and physical properties is not included in such a summary, and it is with such details that the present discussion is concerned. Steps in Preparation While the past 25 years have contributed a valuable store of working knowledge in the field of powder metallurgy, many of the process controls are derived entirely from experience and are not as yet finally explained by a specific physical or chemical phenomenon. For most of the cemented carbides such difficulties are aggravated by our lack of knowledge not only of the complex alloy systems involved, but also by the possible changes in structure and even in composition which may accompany variations in temperature, heating time, and furnace atmospheres. The principal steps in the preparation of these cemented carbide alloys are fairly well known, but to supply a foundation for discussion these steps are briefly outlined as follows : 1. Formation of the metal carbide in the form of powder by heating a mixture of carbon and the metal powder or oxide for several

Jan 1, 1938

By W. P. Sykes

Seven years ago, Dr. S. L. Hoytl presented a masterful discussion of the hard metal carbides and cemented tungsten carbide. His lecture summarized most of the data then available in the field; many of the details relating to the production, properties and structure of cemented tungsten carbide had never been previously published, for, in fact, this information was only then being acquired. During the intervening years, the cemented carbides have assumed a place of real importance in the commercial field, with an ever widening variety of applications due to constant improvement in the control of production technique and the unremitting search for new compositions that might better the performance of the alloys in one or another type of service. The most recent summary of production methods, properties and guides for the successful application of the cemented carbides appears in the 1936 edition of the Metals Handbook. Of necessity, much detailed information relating to structures and physical properties is not included in such a summary, and it is with such details that the present discussion is concerned. Steps in Preparation While the past 25 years have contributed a valuable store of working knowledge in the field of powder metallurgy, many of the process controls are derived entirely from experience and are not as yet finally explained by a specific physical or chemical phenomenon. For most of the cemented carbides such difficulties are aggravated by our lack of knowledge not only of the complex alloy systems involved, but also by the possible changes in structure and even in composition which may accompany variations in temperature, heating time, and furnace atmospheres. The principal steps in the preparation of these cemented carbide alloys are fairly well known, but to supply a foundation for discussion these steps are briefly outlined as follows : 1. Formation of the metal carbide in the form of powder by heating a mixture of carbon and the metal powder or oxide for several

Jan 1, 1938

By A. L. Jamieson, H. Rosenthal

The action of mercury on stressed brass to produce cracks was known before Moore, Beckinsale and Mallinson1 showed that actual season cracking did not occur spontaneously but could be induced by ammonia. These investigators studied other substances, including diphenylamine, without finding that anything other than ammonia could cause season cracking Grimston2 reported season cracking in cartridge cases stored in wooden boxes wetted with dilute sulphuric acid pickling solution. Season cracking associated with sulphur dioxide, water vapor and air has been reported by Johnston,3 although he reported that trimethylamine and pyridine did not cause cracking. Jevons4 has ascribed season cracking of brass in certain instances to trimethylamine, "aldehyde amine," "ketone amine" and pyridine, but no experimental work was done evidently to prove this definitely. Pyridine was investigated by Morris,5 who found it to have considerable cracking power. In the present investigation, the object was a qualitative evaluation of a number of representative amines with respect to their ability to cause season cracking. Thus it was desired only that an appreciable vapor pressure of each amine be obtained in order to make the test as severe as possible, without attempting to test equivalent concentrations for comparative purposes. MEthods Specimens TWO types of specimen were used: 1. Unannealed 70-30 brass CUPs formed from 0.040-in. thick sheet. Height of cup Was 13/8 in. and diameter was 17/8 inches. 2. First draw pieces of caliber .50 cartridge cases in the unannealed condition (70-30 brass)- The cups were representative of a thin wall and thin base specimen, whereas the draw pieces have a thick base (1/4 in.) and a thick wall (approximately 3/32 in.). Both types of specimens contained high residual stress and cracked in less than one minute in a solution of I per cent mercurous nitrate and I per cent nitric acid provided that this was receded by a 30-sec. pickle in 40 per cent nitric acid. Specimens were prepared as follows: (1) degreased in trichlorethylene, (2) rinsed in H2O, (3) pickled 5 min. in 10 per cent by volume H2SO4 (1.84 SP. gr.), (4) rinsed in H2O, and (5) dried. Amirtes Tested In selecting the amines, representatives of the three series of amines, and one series of substituted amines were chosen. The aliphatic series was represented by the methyl and ethyl primary, secondary and tertiary amines. These are the simplest aliphatic amines. For the aromatic series, the phenyl primary, secondary and tertiary amines were selected as being the simplest. The heterocyclic series was represented by pyridine, which is a simple heterocyclic base (tertiary amine).

Jan 1, 1944

By G. H. Bruce, C. E. Williams

The trend toward deeper drilling, together with the attcndant increase in power requirements for circulation of the drilling fluid, has emphasized the need for a critical examination of the factors affecting the removal of bit cuttings from the hole by the drilling fluid. The ability of drilling fluids to lift cuttings is called their carrying capacity. A series of laboratory and field experiments has been conducted to determine the minimrim annular velocity necessary to remove cuttings, and to investigate the effects of properties of drilling fluids on their carrying capacities. Consideration of the results of these experiments led to the following conclusions: 1. Turbulent flow in the well annulus is most desirable from the standpoint of cutting removal. 2. Low viscosity and low gel are advantageous in removing cuttings. 3. Increase in mud weight is effective in increasing carrying capacity. 4. The carrying capacity is higher when the pipe is rotated than when it is not. 5. If turbulent flow can be maintained, an annular velocity slightly higher than the slip velocity of the largest cuttings to be transported should keep the bore hole clean. This implies velocities of 100 to 125 ft per minute rather than the presently used 175 to 225 ft per minute. INTRODUCTION Power Savings by Reduction of Annular Velocities A large portion of the power expended in drilling operations is consumed in circulating the drilling fluid. An important factor in establishing the rate of mud circulation is the minimum velocity in the annulus necessary to remove bit cuttings. Empirically, it has been found that average annular mud velocities of about 200 ft per minute will remove cuttings. It was not definitely known, however, whether annular velocities of about 200 ft per minute were just above the minimum necessary to remove cuttings, or whether such velocities could be materially reduced without sacrifice of the ability of the mud to remove cuttings. It is apparent that if annular velocities could be reduced without impairment of cutting removal, a considerable saving in power requirements would result. Need for Research on Carrying Capacity The ability of a drilling fluid to transport cuttings is called its carrying capacity. Although it has been recognized that the carrying capacity of a mud is affected by mud properties such as viscosity and density1,2,3,4 there have been various views in the industry as to the effects of these mud properties on carrying capacity. The economic importance of the problem of carrying capacity and the scarcity of information on the subject indicated that research on the problem was needed. THE FACTORS AFFECTING CARRYING CAPACITY Qualitative Determination of Factors The mechanism of cutting transport is closely related to that involved in the separation of material by settling processes. A considerable amount of research has been done on settling problems, and discussions of sedimentation theory can be found in standard texts.5,6 Consideration of the information available from these sources, together with consideration of the mechanism of cutting transport, leads to the conclusion that the factors affecting carrying capacity are the dimensions of the system, the physical properties of the cuttings. and the physical properties of the drilling fluid. system Dimensions and Their Effect The dimensions of the fluid circulating system of importance to carrying capacity are the bore hole size, drill pipe size, pump capacity, and pump speed. These dimensions determine the annular velocity of the drilling fluid. Physical Properties and Their Effects The physical properties involved in the interaction between mud and cuttings are the density and shape of the cuttings and the density, viscosity and gel strength of the drilling fluid. The effect of the density factor on carrying capacity is fairly obvious; high density difference between cuttings and fluid results in a low buoyant force and therefore decreases carrying capacity. The effect of cutting shape is less obvious. Although

Jan 1, 1951

By C. E. Williams, G. H. Bruce

The trend toward deeper drilling, together with the attcndant increase in power requirements for circulation of the drilling fluid, has emphasized the need for a critical examination of the factors affecting the removal of bit cuttings from the hole by the drilling fluid. The ability of drilling fluids to lift cuttings is called their carrying capacity. A series of laboratory and field experiments has been conducted to determine the minimrim annular velocity necessary to remove cuttings, and to investigate the effects of properties of drilling fluids on their carrying capacities. Consideration of the results of these experiments led to the following conclusions: 1. Turbulent flow in the well annulus is most desirable from the standpoint of cutting removal. 2. Low viscosity and low gel are advantageous in removing cuttings. 3. Increase in mud weight is effective in increasing carrying capacity. 4. The carrying capacity is higher when the pipe is rotated than when it is not. 5. If turbulent flow can be maintained, an annular velocity slightly higher than the slip velocity of the largest cuttings to be transported should keep the bore hole clean. This implies velocities of 100 to 125 ft per minute rather than the presently used 175 to 225 ft per minute. INTRODUCTION Power Savings by Reduction of Annular Velocities A large portion of the power expended in drilling operations is consumed in circulating the drilling fluid. An important factor in establishing the rate of mud circulation is the minimum velocity in the annulus necessary to remove bit cuttings. Empirically, it has been found that average annular mud velocities of about 200 ft per minute will remove cuttings. It was not definitely known, however, whether annular velocities of about 200 ft per minute were just above the minimum necessary to remove cuttings, or whether such velocities could be materially reduced without sacrifice of the ability of the mud to remove cuttings. It is apparent that if annular velocities could be reduced without impairment of cutting removal, a considerable saving in power requirements would result. Need for Research on Carrying Capacity The ability of a drilling fluid to transport cuttings is called its carrying capacity. Although it has been recognized that the carrying capacity of a mud is affected by mud properties such as viscosity and density1,2,3,4 there have been various views in the industry as to the effects of these mud properties on carrying capacity. The economic importance of the problem of carrying capacity and the scarcity of information on the subject indicated that research on the problem was needed. THE FACTORS AFFECTING CARRYING CAPACITY Qualitative Determination of Factors The mechanism of cutting transport is closely related to that involved in the separation of material by settling processes. A considerable amount of research has been done on settling problems, and discussions of sedimentation theory can be found in standard texts.5,6 Consideration of the information available from these sources, together with consideration of the mechanism of cutting transport, leads to the conclusion that the factors affecting carrying capacity are the dimensions of the system, the physical properties of the cuttings. and the physical properties of the drilling fluid. system Dimensions and Their Effect The dimensions of the fluid circulating system of importance to carrying capacity are the bore hole size, drill pipe size, pump capacity, and pump speed. These dimensions determine the annular velocity of the drilling fluid. Physical Properties and Their Effects The physical properties involved in the interaction between mud and cuttings are the density and shape of the cuttings and the density, viscosity and gel strength of the drilling fluid. The effect of the density factor on carrying capacity is fairly obvious; high density difference between cuttings and fluid results in a low buoyant force and therefore decreases carrying capacity. The effect of cutting shape is less obvious. Although

Jan 1, 1951