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By J. Brian Eby, T. I. Harkins

THIS paper outlines the geophysical investigation of the area covering the Darrow salt dome, Louisiana. Surveys with the refraction seismograph and torsion balance failed to disclose the dome, but reflection dip shooting was successful and was confirmed by later drilling.

Jan 1, 1944

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 hest 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 call vary from inches to 6.1 m (20 ft) or more. There are examples of where there is no imrncdiate roof as the massive main roof lies directly on the coal

Jan 1, 1981

By H. M. Chance

(Butte Meeting, August, 1913.) ADEQUATE treatment of the difficulties surrounding the valuation of mineral lands requires that agreement be first reached defining value as understood for the purpose of appraisal. To define value as the price of a product is not sufficient, and does not assist us in using the factors that cause variations in values and in relative values. The real value of any product depends primarily upon its relation to the necessities, comforts and pleasures of mankind. As the necessities, comforts and pleasures of the civilized races differ from those of more primitive man, the value of products varies with the degree of civilization and the environment of the consumer. Coal has no value to the savages of warm climates, and arrow-head flint none to the residents of New York. It has long been recognized that what has been termed ? intrinsic value " must be limited to materials that are essential to existence-air, water, food. But "intrinsic value" cannot be measured in monetary terms. The intrinsic value of a bushel of wheat is due to the fact that it will support the life of an individual for a certain definite time, but this fact does not enable us to measure or to express that value in monetary terms. It has often been proposed to adopt as a measure of the value of any product the quantity of labor necessary to produce it, but this method is of limited application, and will not apply to what may be termed "intrinsic values." For many reasons it might be well, while assenting to the fact that any material may he intrinsically valuable, to abandon the use of the term " intrinsic value." One of these reasons is the tendency to confuse the idea of intrinsic value with a value that is conferred by economic conditions, that is purely artificial and that may be permanent or evanescent; Intrinsic value must from its nature be permanent and unchangeable.

Jan 7, 1913

By Edward H. Robie

THOUGH the final figures are not available as this is written, it seems certain that the Institute accounts will show $7000 to $8000 surplus for the year 1951. This is the first time this has happened since 1941. No money had to be taken from any of the Funds to bring about this happy condition. Furthermore, the amounts allowed for depreciation, bad debts, and inventory adjustment were more liberal than in the past. Income increased some $29,000 over 1950. Dues received from old members increased moderately, but dues from new members dropped off $2000 and from initiation fees quite severely-from $17,000 to $11,000. The number of new members did not come up to expectations and a change in procedure caused a delay in getting some of them on the rolls. A large number of the new members paid an installment of $5 on their initiation instead of the full $20. Junior Members, of course, pay no initiation fee. Brightest spot in the income picture was the increase in advertising income-from $103,000 in 1950 to $143,000 in 1951. All three of the journals shared in this, Mining being up $18,000; Metals, $9000; and Petroleum $13,000. Nonmember sales of the journals dropped off slightly, and sales of Transactions volumes more so from $35,000 in 1950 to $27,000 in 1951, with a further drop of $5000 accounted for by a change in accounting procedure. On the other hand, sales of other publications increased by $10,000.

Jan 1, 1952

By Harry Bapty

LONGHOLE drilling with a heavy type percussion Leyner drill, jointed steel rods, and a tungsten carbide insert bit was investigated while drilling and working a quartz barite brecciated rock. Procedure and practice were developed and its suitability for tackling pillar and sill recovery proven and extended to regular stoping at Torbrit. Torbrit, as the name implies, is a contraction of the Toric property and the Britannia Mining & Smelting Co. Ltd., the former owners. This silver property, with minor amounts of lead, zinc, and rarer sulphides of little or no economic value, was discovered in 1916 from an outcrop in the Kitsault River, 18 miles north of Alice Arm Post Office, in the Portland Canal Mining District, B. C.

Jan 11, 1954

By J. E. Gould, H. J. Hand

Many independent studies are being made on slag-metal relationships in the open-hearth furnace, and these studies cannot help but result in an ultimate improvement in the quality of open-hearth steel of both the open and killed types. In maintaining quality control at the National Tube Company's plant, emphasis has been placed on an evaluation of the iron oxide content of the steel in as quantitative a manner as possible, in order that the most desirable level of oxidation might be obtained for a given type of steel, and to secure a more precise basis for final de-oxidation. In the past, various methods were used for estimating FeO content of the metal at tap to ensure uniform and thorough deoxidation of killed steel, avoiding overdeoxidation to minimize the amount of inclusions present and to make as sound a steel as possible. For the open-type steels, such control involves obtaining the necessary level of oxidation for the most suitable action of the steel in the molds to provide good surface quality and cross section for the specific grade involved. While rapid analytical methods are available for determination of FeO in the liquid metal, such methods are still not sufficiently rapid for routine control on the open-hearth floor, nor do such analyses provide information as to what causes high or low FeO values. The method of sampling can still be considered a problem in view of the variability encountered in taking simultaneous duplicate tests. With the accurate rapid methods now available for determining carbon in the metal, estimating slag basicity and obtaining temperatures of liquid metal, it was believed possible to determine the influence of the various furnace reactions in establishiug the state of oxidation at a given time. Simultaneous slag and metal tests were used in this analysis, aided by statistical methods, to determine the factors that affect the metal FeO, and also to make a quantitative evaluation of these factors. Data obtained are from actual iurnace operations, the metal test being of the I spoon, Herty type, and taken in duplicate. Metal temperatures were taken with the open-tube bath pyrometer developed by the Research Laboratory of the United States I Steel Corporation. This method of taking open-hearth metal temperature was invented by Collins and Oseland,l and was developed into its present form by L. 0. Sordahl,2 of the Research Laboratory. The instrument and its mode of operation have been fully described by Sordahl and Sosman in three publications.3,4,5 lag components were obtained by chemical analysis. Data were taken from four 165-net-ton furnaces during the working period of the heat. Recognizing that additions of ore affect the metal FeO. no tests were included within 30 min. after ore additions. In all, 65 tests (48 heats) were used in this study.

Jan 1, 1942

By J. E. Gould, H. J. Hand

Many independent studies are being made on slag-metal relationships in the open-hearth furnace, and these studies cannot help but result in an ultimate improvement in the quality of open-hearth steel of both the open and killed types. In maintaining quality control at the National Tube Company's plant, emphasis has been placed on an evaluation of the iron oxide content of the steel in as quantitative a manner as possible, in order that the most desirable level of oxidation might be obtained for a given type of steel, and to secure a more precise basis for final de-oxidation. In the past, various methods were used for estimating FeO content of the metal at tap to ensure uniform and thorough deoxidation of killed steel, avoiding overdeoxidation to minimize the amount of inclusions present and to make as sound a steel as possible. For the open-type steels, such control involves obtaining the necessary level of oxidation for the most suitable action of the steel in the molds to provide good surface quality and cross section for the specific grade involved. While rapid analytical methods are available for determination of FeO in the liquid metal, such methods are still not sufficiently rapid for routine control on the open-hearth floor, nor do such analyses provide information as to what causes high or low FeO values. The method of sampling can still be considered a problem in view of the variability encountered in taking simultaneous duplicate tests. With the accurate rapid methods now available for determining carbon in the metal, estimating slag basicity and obtaining temperatures of liquid metal, it was believed possible to determine the influence of the various furnace reactions in establishiug the state of oxidation at a given time. Simultaneous slag and metal tests were used in this analysis, aided by statistical methods, to determine the factors that affect the metal FeO, and also to make a quantitative evaluation of these factors. Data obtained are from actual iurnace operations, the metal test being of the I spoon, Herty type, and taken in duplicate. Metal temperatures were taken with the open-tube bath pyrometer developed by the Research Laboratory of the United States I Steel Corporation. This method of taking open-hearth metal temperature was invented by Collins and Oseland,l and was developed into its present form by L. 0. Sordahl,2 of the Research Laboratory. The instrument and its mode of operation have been fully described by Sordahl and Sosman in three publications.3,4,5 lag components were obtained by chemical analysis. Data were taken from four 165-net-ton furnaces during the working period of the heat. Recognizing that additions of ore affect the metal FeO. no tests were included within 30 min. after ore additions. In all, 65 tests (48 heats) were used in this study.

Jan 1, 1942

By W. N. Lacey, R. H. Olds, B. H. Sage

Samules of liquid and gas were obtained from the primary separator of a well in the Paloma field. The volumetric properties of the samples and of six systematically chosen mixtures of the samples were experimentally determined at 100°, 190°, and 250°F. at pressures up to 5000 lb. per sq. inch. From these data the influence ,of pressure and temperature upon the composition and specific volume of the bubble-point liquid and of the retrograde dew-point gas was established, The formation volumes and gas-oil ratios of the rnixtures investigated were calculated on the basis of the plant-product oil, which is defined as the isobutane and less volatile portion of each mixture. The results are presented in graphical and tabular form. The volumetric behavior of the mixture corresponding to that produced by the well at the time of sampling was determined for 235ºF., the reported reservoir temperature, by graphical interpolation of the experimental data with respect to composition and temperature. The results indicate that the well-production mixture probably existed as a gas at its retrograde dew point under the conditions of temperature and pressure believed to prevail in the producing zone at the time of sampling. The effect upon the phase behavim occasioned by the omission from the well-production mixture of certain components of intermediate molecular weight was investigated. In the first case, all of the isobutane and 11-butane, and substantially all of the iso-pentane, were removed from the mixture of trap samples corresponding to the well production. In the second case, all the propane, isobutane and n-butane, and substantially all of the isopentane, were removed. Both modifications led to considerable increases in the retrograde dew-point Pressure at 235ºF.; an increase of 558 lb. Per sq. in. above that of the unmodified well-production mixture in the first case, and an increase of 1208 lb. Per sq. in. in the second. It was concluded that the material? remaining after the removal of certain components of intermediate molecular weight could not be injected back into the reservoir in the saqe proportion in which they were produced without entailing appreciable loss of liquid material through condensation within the formation. Introduction Under the usual conditions of production practice, petroleum arrives at the surface of the earth in a physical state considerably different from that in which it existed in the underground reservoir. The relative rates of production and the properties of oil and gas measured at surface conditions do not constitute, in general, even a qualitative description of the fluids existing in the reservoir. The estimation of reserves and the attainment of optimum efficiency with regard to rate, quantity, and cost of production require accurate data concerning the physical properties of petroleum throughout large changes in pressure and temperature. Many schemes have been devised for predicting the behavior of propane, as it is encountered in nature? but the experimental work upon which these predictions are based has not, for the most part, been extended to the higher pressures that occur in practice, nor do these methods permit, as yet, the estima-

Jan 1, 1945

By Harold E. Thomas, Samuel S. M. Chan, Nicholas Bada

The U.S. Bureau of Mines has developed a technique for locating and evaluating bedding plane cracks in mine roof by an air-injection and hot-film flow logging technique. It is ultrasensitive to cracks and is especially useful for detecting the early stage of crack development. Potential applications include: (1) correlation with roof sag measurements, (2) locating cracks for grouting, (3) comparison of mechanical and resin roof bolt effectiveness, and (4) possible delineation of the fracture zone to confirm the arch hypothesis. The required equipment is inexpensive and simple to operate.

Jan 1, 1975

By Charles R. Isaacs

In 1972 Kennecott Explorations, Inc. conducted a three month cruise to the central Pacific as part of a study of deep-ocean manganese nodules. One of the objectives of the voyage was to collect at least 200 tons of nodules for use in extractive metallurgy research and various engineering tests. It was determined to cut off production at a maximum of 200 tons, should we reach that amount before the end of the 38 on-station days. We were able to reach that goal; 200 tons of nodules were collected, representing an average return of 2340 lb from 171 dredge runs. Once equipment and techniques were refined, normal returns consistently exceeded 2 tons per haul. Up to this time, Kennecott had sampled extensively with the use of small free-fall devices using wire rope and winch equipment. These devices have never offered a viable method for collecting nodules in bulk, and we sought to develop a dredging capability which would give some assurance of meeting future requirements with efficiency and economy. After testing a series of increasingly complex dredge designs at sea, it was decided to utilize two of the simpler configurations, which after modification provided the basic design for the dredge used.

Jan 4, 1974

IT is necessary that all men who wish to bring things to a certain end should think of the agents needed to attain this. Now whichever one of the above processes you wish to use you must consider the nature of the material and see whether it is disposed to render what you wish to extract. Then you must see whether you have the other agents sufficiently powerful and proportioned to attain this result, for if the things were not in harmony your work would be vain and very laborious. Therefore, if you should wish to make waters or oils by way of distilla-

Jan 1, 1942

By Charles H. Behre

This paper deals with recent geologic studies in the slate belt of Northampton, Lehigh and Berks counties, Pennsylvania. The work was conducted under the auspices of the Pennsylvania Topographic and Geologic Survey. Three years have now been spent in detailed consideration of the economic geology of this region. In the field, particular attention was paid to the bearing of geology on quarry development and property valuation and the object of this paper is to summarize the results from that viewpoint. Excellent studies of a somewhat similar nature have already been carried out by Bowles,' but with the emphasis upon the details of quarrying and fabricating methods, rather than upon the geologic relations. The Northampton-Lehigh-BeRks District Location The region here discussed lies in east-central Pennsylvania and extends southwestward from Delaware River, on the New Jersey line, to the Schuylkill in north-central Berks County. It is an elongated belt occupying the northern sections of the three counties mentioned and lying along the southern edge of Blue Mountain. Its length is about 50 miles and its average width five or six, though in places it attains a maximum of 10 miles. There are no large cities in the region, but about 10 miles south are Reading, Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton. Railroads serving the slate belt are the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western, and the Pennsylvania along the Delaware River, the Lehigh Valley and Central of New Jersey along the Lehigh, and the Pennsylvania and Philadelphia and Reading on the Schuylkill. In addition, two railroads—the Philadelphia and Reading and the Lehigh and New England—cut obliquely through the slate region to reach the more isolated communities. Transportation facilities are thus excellent. The slate deposits of these three counties are conspicuously unified, both economically and geologically. In general type of marketable

Jan 1, 1928

By Alfred H. Bell, Virginia Kline

In 1944, Illinois produced 77,413,000 bbl. of oil, or 4.6 per cent of the total for the United States, and continued to rank sixth in the nation in oil production. This represents a decrease of 6 per cent from 1943, when- the total Illinois production was 82,256,000 bbl. This decrease was much less than the 23 per cent decrease in 1943 from production of the previous year. The principal factor in arresting the production declinc, which had been going on since 1941, seems to be the increased drilling that followed the relaxing of the Federal Government's rules in regard to well spacing. The daily average production for 1944 was approximately 212,000 bbl. Daily averages by months were as follows: Jan......... 219,000 July........ 206,000 Feb......... 220,000 Aug......... 211,000 Mar........ 216,000 Sept......... 209,000 Apr......... 211,000 Oct......... 210,000 May........ 213,000 Nov........ 209,000 June........ 209,000 Dec......... 205,000 During the year, 1991 wells were drilled for oil and gas in Illinois as compared with 1791 in 1943, an increase of II per cent. Of the 1991 wells, 430 are classified as "wildcat" as compared with 461 in 1943. Twenty-eight new pools (Table 2 A) were discovered in 1944 as compared with 29 in 1943. Changes in federal drilling regulations, permitting closer spacing of wells, resulted in a drilling program that emphasized development of proved acreage rather than wildcatting. Data on production and drilling by fields are given in Table I; data on annual production and drilling for Illinois, in Table 3. Discoveries Twenty-eight new fields (Table 2 A), 42 extensions (Table 2 B), and 39 additional producing zones in existing fields (Table 2 C) were discovered in 16 counties in Illinois during 1944. Of the 28 new fields, one was abandoned during the year, 14 were one-well fields, eight others had not more than 6 wells, one had 8, one had 9, one had 11, one had 15, and the largest new field, Roaches North, had 28 producing wells at the end of the year. In all, 109 wells were producing in these new fields on Jan. 2, 1945, as compared with 111 wells producing from 29 new fields at the end of 1943. . The average initial production of the discovery wells of the 28 new fields was 129 bbl. of oil and II bbl. of water, a notable decline from the average initial production of 194 bbl, of oil and 15 bbl. of salt water for the 1943 discovery wells. In fields discovered since 1936, the total number of oil wells producing at the end of 1944 was 12,335. Productive Acreage The area of proved production in the new fields (discovered since 1936) increased from 144,335 acres at the end of 1943 to 173,485 acres at the end of 1944 (Table I), an increase of 29,150 acres. Of this increased area, 1720 acres are in fields discovered during 1944 and 27,430 acres are in extensions of fields discovered earlier.

Jan 1, 1945

By J. D. Prater, H. R. Spedden, E. E. Malouf

Application of research findings to the old art of leaching copper from copper-bearing mine waste has resulted in a significant contribution of copper to over-all copper production. For example, at the completion of the current expansion program at the Kennecott properties in the United States, copper produced from waste dump leaching will amount to about 25% of the total production, whereas formerly only 2% was derived from this source. This planned expansion of copper leaching focused attention on the problem of developing more efficient methods for the recovery of copper from greatly increased volumes of copper-bearing so1utions.l Detailed investigations made in laboratory pilot plant and plant tests for the recovery of copper from copper-bearing solutions have included electrowinning, solvent extraction, ion exchange and cementation with iron in launders, precipitation drums, activated launders, and precipitation cones. The results of these investigations have led to the development of a precipitation cone-type recovery system having advantages over older methods.

Jan 4, 1966

By J. K. Furst

THE reasons for manufacturing steel by the duplex process are, briefly: saving of time; increasing output for capital invested; and avoiding the difficulty sometimes experienced in obtaining scrap. On account of the latter reason, some plants duplex only at such times as the price and quantity of scrap in the open market warrant. At some plants the use of the duplex process enables, the blast-furnace practice to be simplified, because the furnaces run more smoothly and produce more iron when not held to a strict specification as to the silicon and phosphorus therein. The duplex process was practiced in Witkowitz as far back as 1878, but it was left to the steel makers of this country to develop it along practical, commercial lines. The American companies manufacturing steel by the duplex process at the present time are: Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Co., Maryland Steel Co., Bethlehem Steel Co., Pennsylvania Steel Co.; Jones & Laughlin Steel Co., Colorado Fuel & Iron Co., Lacka-wanna Steel Co., Dominion Iron & Steel Co. of Canada. All of these companies, except the Dominion Iron & Steel Co., combine the acid Bessemer with the basic open-hearth process, while the latter combines the basic Bessemer with the basic open hearth. The Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Co.'s Plant The installation of a converter of 15 tons capacity at the Ensley plant of the Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Co. in 1904 marked the introduction into this country of the duplex system. The experience gained in the employment of the Bessemer converter had demonstrated that there was a shortening of .the time required in the open-hearth furnace and a reduction of the outlay for fuel and lime, thus affording substantial evidence of the economies resulting from this method.

Jan 10, 1914

By E. Goldin, H. J. Juretschke

THE electrical properties of porous conductors have been studied ever since such materials, usually prepared by pressing and sintering of metallic powders, obtained practical importance. In most cases, however, the results have not been easy to interpret because of the great number of independent variables such as powder size, pressure, pressing rate and temperature, subsequent thermal history, porosity, and so on, which enter into the fabrication of industrially desirable materials. In recent years an interpretation of these properties has become of interest because the electrical properties of many new substances, prepared as fine powders by crystallization from the vapor phase or by reactions in the solid state at high temperatures, have to be determined on porous samples formed from the powder. Since theoretically significant information must refer to the fully dense state of the material, it is important to relate the electrical properties measured on such porous samples to those expected for a sample of 100 per cent density. A simple theory for the porosity dependence of the electrical conductivity and the Hall effect was recently proposed by Juretschke, Landauer, and Swanson.' Their model, assuming a distribution of pores of equal size and shape, sufficiently far apart so that each pore is embedded in a region of uni-

Jan 1, 1959

By B. S. Taylor, J. D. Fraser, W. L. Chen

Steam coal quality is less stringent than metallurgical coal quality. Steam coal is prepared either by cleaning a full-size range of raw coal or cleaning coarse coal only, leaving the fine coal raw. The latter scheme is more cost competitive. It is particularly applicable to US eastern soft coal where low ash coal is concentrated in fine sizes. For raw coal size separation the Rotating Probability Screen, developed by the British Coal Board, may be used for easy change of raw coal separating size, and to avoid screen deck plugging when handling wet and clayey raw coals.

Jan 1, 1985

By Leo F. Reinartz

The history of steelmaking in the United States is a fascinating story of determination, sudden tragedy, exploitation, and inventive genius rolled into one gigantic plot. Mr. Reinartz' flowing interpretation of the progress made in the last one hundred years is being presented in a series of four articles. THIS is the Age of Steel. We live in a mechanized era. Our everyday lives--everything we see or do-are organized and influenced by this versatile metal. Our industries, our farms, our homes, and our transportation-yes, our vocations and avocations, or luxuries and necessities-all are dependent upon smelting iron and making steel. Take away iron and steel and soon our vaunted civilization would revert to a primitive existence. These metals, often in crude forms, have been known for thousands of years. Down through the ages, until about one hundred years ago, steel was made laboriously, and at high est, in small batches. During those years, methods of manufacture did not change very much. Over long periods of time only warriors, royalty, and wealthy people could afford to use articles made of iron or steel. History has recorded that the nations which were expert in iron and steel manufacture, and had access to rich iron-ore deposits, were the leaders in war or in peaceful pursuits. At the end of the 18th century, thirteen struggling American colonies had broken not only the political shackles that bound them to Great Britain, but also many of the economic bonds. They had showed their skill, Yankee ingenuity, and energy by making iron and steel articles for their own use. After the Revolutionary War, more and more hardy American pioneers pushed westward through the Allegheny Mountain passes and down the rivers into the fertile Ohio River and Kentucky country. Demands for articles made of iron increased. The iron industry on the east coast grew and prospered. As this trend continued, iron industrialists moved their plants westward to be near the large deposits of high-grade coal in western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, and nothern West Virginia. They also desired to use the local iron ores and water resources of those areas. Blast furnaces and ironworks were built in the Pittsburgh, Youngstown, southern Ohio, and northern West Virginia districts. In 1810, the United States produced 53,908 gross tons of cast iron and 917 tons of steel. Iron ore discovery A white man first discovered large deposits of iron ore in the northern Michigan and Lake Superior country in 1844. One year later, the Sault

Jan 1, 1961

By E. I. Larsen, A. S. Doty, F. R. Hensel

The alloy under discussion is a Pig. I shows results of heat-treating tests nickel-silicon bronze and is one of many on two typical nickel-silicon bronze castings age-hardening or precipitation-hardening of the type on which the observations were copper-base alloys. The hardening constituent is a nickel-silicon compound.l The quenching temperature necessary to produce hardening by a subsequent aging treatment is a function of the composition and extends from about 700°C. to 950°C.; the aging temperature range extends from 4000 to 600°C. The work carried out by the authors of this paper was confined to cast alloys having compositions within the ranges of: 1.5 to 3.00 per cent Ni; 0.4 to 0.75 per cent Sj: balance. comer. made. A quenching temperature of 750°C. produces almost as high a hardness on subsequent aging as do quenching temperatures of 850' and 900°C. Several foundries have spent years of active and intelligent effort in trying to control the casting and heat-treating variables of nickel-silicon bronzes and finally gave up the attempts because of the inconsistencies of results.2 This undesirable characteristic was not manifest in the ultimate hardness or conductivity but primarily in tensile strength and ductility, as shown in Table I. The variation in tensile properties was often much greater than that existing on the alloys

Jan 1, 1941

By A. S. Doty, E. I. Larsen, F. R. Hensel

The alloy under discussion is a Pig. I shows results of heat-treating tests nickel-silicon bronze and is one of many on two typical nickel-silicon bronze castings age-hardening or precipitation-hardening of the type on which the observations were copper-base alloys. The hardening constituent is a nickel-silicon compound.l The quenching temperature necessary to produce hardening by a subsequent aging treatment is a function of the composition and extends from about 700°C. to 950°C.; the aging temperature range extends from 4000 to 600°C. The work carried out by the authors of this paper was confined to cast alloys having compositions within the ranges of: 1.5 to 3.00 per cent Ni; 0.4 to 0.75 per cent Sj: balance. comer. made. A quenching temperature of 750°C. produces almost as high a hardness on subsequent aging as do quenching temperatures of 850' and 900°C. Several foundries have spent years of active and intelligent effort in trying to control the casting and heat-treating variables of nickel-silicon bronzes and finally gave up the attempts because of the inconsistencies of results.2 This undesirable characteristic was not manifest in the ultimate hardness or conductivity but primarily in tensile strength and ductility, as shown in Table I. The variation in tensile properties was often much greater than that existing on the alloys

Jan 1, 1941