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By John N. Hobstetter

IT is widely believed that the nucleation of phase transformations in solid metals is accomplished by some type of local atomic fluctuations in the parent phase which arise from spontaneous diffusion in the metal or alloy system. Under appropriate conditions, these fluctuations are believed to be stable in the sense that the free energy of the entire system is lowered if the fluctuations, or nuclei, grow,' Under other conditions they are thought to be unstable in the sense that the free energy is lowered if they redissolve. The criterion for stability is usually taken as the size of the fluctuation. This view has been rationalized by Becker1 in terms of the free energy released by the volume of the nucleus and the free energy associated with the formation of a new surface surrounding the nucleus. The qualitative result of this reasoning is shown in Fig I where the changes in free energy for the surface and volume effects are plotted together with their sum against the radius of the nucleus. There is evidently always a critical size r. beyond which the release of free energy which is proportional to the volume always dominates the increase of free energy which is proportional to the surface area. Borelius2 has also attempted to rationalize the stability criterion for binary alloys, but in terms of the internal concentration of the fluctuations. He has found that, if surface energies are entirely ignored, the fluctuation must still reach a critical concentration if it is to become stable and avoid subsequent dilution. Although the Borelius theory fails to predict many observed nucleation phenomena such as the vanishing of the nucleation rate at the critical temperature, the major premise must certainly be valid. In this paper a reconciliation of the Becker and Borelius views is made by means of a search for nuclei which are at once stable with respect to both size and internal concentration, The increase in free energy per mole accompanying the formation of a nucleus which is just stable, ?fe, is independent of the path whereby the nucleus is brought into being. It is thus appropriate to seek critical nuclear attributes without reference to the fluctuation mechanism. The rate of nucleation, however, cannot be treated without a detailed understanding of the exact fluctuation process which produces stable nuclei. In this and succeeding papers the purpose will be to find the size, shape and internal concentration of the stable nucleus which is formed with a minimum increase in free energy in a wide variety of systems. THE NATURE OF THE NUCLEUS It is necessary to have rather detailed knowledge of the nature of a nucleus if ?Fe is to be computed. Fortunately, enough facts are known or suspected about the nucleus to make possible a detailed analysis. X ray diffraction studies have shown3

Jan 1, 1948

By John Johnston

WHEN I was honored by being invited to give the Howe Memorial Lecture, I decided to read Howe's book, "The Metallography of Steel and Cast Iron," published in 1916-that is, about 25 years ago-in search of a text. I found the book written in fine, clear, attractive, yet precise style, as I expected, knowing that his father Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe, his mother Julia Ward Howe, and all of his four brothers and sisters had lived in a New England literary atmosphere and had written books. This leads me to suggest that many authors of metallurgical papers and books could well study Howe's writings with a view to the improvement of their own. I failed to find a specific text, but did find a subject, for in reading his book I was struck by the few instances in which time is considered explicitly as a factor in the phenomena examined, and by the fact that many of the hottest arguments would have been settled had time been taken properly into account. Indeed, Howe hardly mentions time except in a rather incidental way, as in a few references to lag; for instance: The lowering of temperature at which the transformation occurs by rapid cooling . . . is a phenomenon of undercooling or lag. It is in part explained by the fact that the transformation itself is a time-consuming reaction which, setting in during a rapid fall of temperature, is naturally protracted till the temperature has sunk far below that at which it is due. He does discuss, quite fully, the iron-carbon equilibrium diagram, as known at that time, introducing it by stating: As he is a reasonable man who is not deterred from using a hand' truck for moving his trunk by the consideration that he has thus to move a trunk plus a truck, so am I reasonable in putting into your hands this useful, indeed indispensable, tool for mastering the ABC of iron metallurgy. Somewhat later, in introducing a discussion of the phase rule, which "it would be hardly proper to pass ... by without an attempt to outline its meaning," for "a clear exposition of its applicability or jurisdiction is needed to restrain the half¬initiated from misusing it and the uninitiated from being misled by these misuses," he writes-and I quote his statement because we cannot properly discuss the influence of time on a process until we know the state of equilibrium which would ultimately be reached by the system under consideration: It is a most remarkable and valuable generalization, its conceptions help greatly toward getting a broad outlook on metallography, but its misconception has brought out a flood of obscuring writings. It tells us about the constitution towards which alloys tend, that which they reach when equilibrium is complete, when all tendencies have corrected themselves and have been complied with completely. Its application, in absence of true equilibrium, is like determining density with a telescope or even with a tuning fork; it is like the mad tea party at which the butter put into the works of the watch was the best butter. If the reader learns no more than to beware of attempts to decipher the conditions of inequilibrium by a law which touches only the conditions of exact

Jan 1, 1942

By J. C. Fisher

Martensite transformations in steels and other alloys are characterized in part by the absence of composition changes during the growth of a new phase. Transformation occurs rapidly, and there is insufficient time for long range diffusion or partition of alloying elements to take place; martensite reactions in alloys thus are similar to phase transformations in single component systems. A fundamental understanding of martensite transformations in steels is impossible without knowledge of the free energy change upon transforming austenite (face centered cubic iron containing alloying elements) to ferrite (body centered cubic iron containing alloying elements) of the same chemical composition. The present paper assembles the best information available concerning the influence of temperature and composition on this free energy change. Most of the material has been taken from the work of Johansson,' Mehl and Wells,2 Zener3,4 and Smith;5 and indirectly, through these authors, from the work of Austin.6 In agreement with the generally accepted viewpoint, martensite is assumed to be an ordered solution of carbon in ferrite of the same composition as the parent austenite; only at high temperatures and low carbon concentrations is the carbon in ferrite distributed at random. The properties of the disordered solution are estimated by extrapolating the known properties of iron-carbon solid solutions into the range of supersaturation, and the free energy change associated with ordering is estimated from the theory developed by Zener. By incorporating Smith's recent thermodynamic measurements and Zener's theory of ordering, the present analysis modifies previous estimates of the free energy change associ- ated with martensite transformations. Consider a two component system consisting of a solvent A and a solute B. Let Na and Nb represent mol fractions of A and B respectively, let aa = raNa and ab = YbNb represent activities, and let superscripts 1 and 2 refer to phases 1 and 2. The partial molal free energies of A and B in phases 1 and 2 can be summarized as follows: free energy standard state Fa' - Fao1 = RT In an1 pure A' Fa2 - Fa2 = RT In aa2 pure A2 Fb1 - Fbo = RT In ab1 pure B Fs2 - FB2 = RT In aB2 pure B. The free energy of a gram atom of phase 1 is* AF1 = Na'Fa1 + Nb'Fb1 and that of phase 2 is AF2 = NA2FA2 + NB2Fb2. A martensite transformation from phase 1 to phase 2 requires Na1 = Na2 = Na and NB1 = NB2 = Nb, and the free energy change per gram atom accompanying transformation is AFi-2 = NA(Fa2 - Fa1) + Nb(Fb2 - Fb1) = NA[RT In (aA2/aA1) + AFa1?2] + Nb RT In (aB2/aB1) = Na[RT In (ra2/ra1) + AFa1?2] + Nb RT In (TaVTB1). [1] where yn2, yn1, yB2, yB1 are activity coefficients, and where Ma'+* is the free energy change upon transforming a gram atom of pure A from phase 1 to phase 2 at the temperature in question. For martensite transformations in plain carbon steels, A = iron (Fe), B = carbon (C), 1 = austenite (7). 2 = ferrite (a), and Eq 1 is AFr ?a= NFe[RT In (rf.a/rfer) + AFF.r?a] + TVc RT In (eca/rc1)- L2] Nothing is known concerning the values of yFea and yca for carbon concen- , trations in excess of 0.025 pct. However, the approximation rf.7 = 7f." = 1 cannot be appreciably in error for small carbon concentrations, and Eq 2 reduces to Afr-a = NfeFfer?a1 + NC RT In (rca/rcr)- [3] Johanssonl and Zenera have calculated MFfr?a from the specific heat measurements compiled by Austin.6* Their calculated values agree closely, and are summarized in Table 1. The activity coefficients relative to graphite for carbon dissolved in iron vary with temperature according to the relationships d In rcr/d(1/T) = AHcr-R dlnyca/d(l/T) = AHCa/R where AHc? and AHca are the heats of solution of graphite in y and a iron. Assuming the values of AH to be independent of carbon concentration and temperature, In rCr = AHcr/RT + I1 In rca = AHCa/RT + 12

Jan 1, 1950

By F. H. Spedding

From thermal, metallographic, X-ray, dilatometric, and electrical resistance data a Phase diagram is proposed for the La-C system. TWO compounds are formed, body-centered-cubic Laz C, having a large range of solid solubility, and body -centered-tetrago-nal Lac2 . The former melts incongruently at 1415°C, and at 25OC it has an electrical resistivity about two and one-half times that of bure lanthanum. The latter melts congruently at 2356°C and at room temperature has an electrical resistivity about equal to that of bure lanthanum. The addition of carbon to La lowers the melting Point of La about 115' C, raises the higher (B-Y) transfomzation about 10" C and appears to have no effect on the lower ( a-0) transformation. The addition of carbon appears to lower the oxygen content in the metal and improve the machinability; however, the tendency to oxidize is increased. Two eutectics are formed in the system. The first occurs at 2.2 pct C and melts at 806" C, while the second occurs between Lac2 and C with a melting point of2271"C. PETTERSSON,~ in 1895, was the first to prepare lanthanum dicarbide by heating the oxide with carbon in an electric furnace. He showed that this yellow, crystalline but brittle carbide had a formula corresponding to LaCz and that it reacted with water with the evolution of hydrogen and hydrocarbons and the formation of the hydrated oxide. Von Stackelberg's investigation of the crystal structure of the MCz carbides showed that the lanthanum dicarbide is of the tetragonal calcium dicarbide-type structure. He found the lattice parameters were a = 3.92 and c = 6.56.* Bredig,' using X-ray methods, showed that the room-temperature form of lanthanum dicarbide is stable up to 1750 °C and that above this temperature it transformsoto a face-centered-cubic structure, a = 6.0 ± O.lA, probably of the pyrite, FeSzstruc- typ? The reported discovery of two new cerium carbides, suggested that a corresponding face-centered-cubic lanthanum monocarbide and a body-centered-cubic lanthanum sesquicarbide might exist. This paper describes work on the lanthanum-carbon system which is part of a study of the rare earth metals and their alloys now in progress in this laboratory. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Source of Materials—The lanthanum metal was prepared at the Ames Laboratory by metal1o;hermic reduction of the fluoride with calcium metal. The results of spectrographic and chemical analysis indicated the presence of 0.01 pct Y, Al, Cu, Fe, and Si; 0.02 pct Ca and Mg; 230 ppm C; and 115 ppm N. The carbon used was of two types: 1) "National Special Graphite Spectroscopic Electrodes," and

Jan 1, 1960

By J. R. Bell, W. J. Childs, J. H. Bucher, G. A. Wilber

A technique for determining recrystallization times as short as 0.10 sec was developed utilizing the "Gleeble", a commercially available testing system designed for the study of short-time, high-temperaLure themal and mechanical processes. The procedure consisted of heating a small tensile specimen to a given temperature of hot deformation, loading to a given reduction in area, unloading, delaying various intervals at temperature, and then reloading- to failure. The magnitude of the ultimate load obtained upon reloading decreased with delay lime as recrys-lallization proceeded. The technique was applied to austenite recrystallization in AISI 1010 and AISI 1010 uith 0.02 pct Cb steels. For each steel the reduction in area given the specimen on the first pull was mainlairred at 30 ± 5 pct and recrystallization times deterntined at various temperatures. The results indicaled a significantly slower rate of recrystallization for the columbium-modified composition, suggested the presence of- a recovery stage in the softening process , and indicated a greatly increased softening rate at a temperatuve where significant allotropic transformation to a partially ferritic Structure could occur. In recent years increasing attention has been paid to the fact that the process of recrystallization of austenite deformed at elevated temperatures is far from instantaneous at many practical hot-working temperatures.1-3 This realization has given rise to such terms as hot cold-working1 or warm-working,2 These terms generally describe processes where the recrystallization rate at the temperature of deformation is slow enough to have an appreciable effect on mechanical properties despite a relatively high deformation ternperature. The mechanical properties of interest can be either the properties at the deformation temperature as in hot-workability studies4 or the room-temperature properties after cooling as in the many recent studies of various thermomechanical processes172 where heat treatment and deformation are intentionally combined to give a unique set of room-temperature properties. Because of this interest in processes where the austenite recrystallization kinetics can be an important variable, the development of quantitative methods of following the course of short-time, high-temperature recrystallization has received increasing attention.l,3,5 The experimental methods to date have, in general, relied upon rapidly deforming the austenite, holding at temperature for various brief intervals, quenching as G.A.WILBER and W. J. CHILDS, Members AIME,are Research-Fellow and Professor, respectively, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N. Y. J. R. BELL and J. H. BUCHER, Member AIME, are Research Engineer and Research Supervisor, respectively, Graham Research Laboratory, Jones & Laughlin Steel Co., Pittsburgh, Pa. Manuscript submitted March 13, 1968. IMD. rapidly as possible, and then using room-temperature measurements to follow the recrystallization process. Although such methods can be successfully applied to certain alloy steels, the existence of the allotropic transformation during cooling of plain-carbon or low-alloy steels tends to obscure the results. Thus, such room-temperature measurements as hardness and X-ray line widths do not correlate well with the extent of austenite recrystallization before quenching,5 and results based on room-temperature microstruc-tural observations are dependent upon the success in correlating the observed structure with the prior aus-tenitic grain structure.1,3,5 The purpose of the present work was to develop a quantitative method for the determination of short-time, high-temperature recrystallization rates, based on measurements made at the temperature of deformation. EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUE The basic technique consisted of heating a small tensile specimen to a given temperature of hot deformation, loading to a given reduction in area, unloading, delaying various intervals at temperature, and then reloading to failure. The data were obtained in the form of traces of load and elongation as a function of time. Due to the high deformation temperature, the strain hardening introduced during initial loading was progressively annealed out with holding time after unloading and the loads obtained upon reloading decreased as this softening proceeded. Although the value of the second load at any Consistent point On the load-elongation curve could have been used as a measure of the degree of softening, the most convenient to use was the ultimate load. The softening indicated by the decrease in the second ultimate load with time is essentially a process of annealing of cold-worked material at a high deformation temperature. Although some recovery grain growth may contribute to such a softening process, it is generally considered that the major softening which must take place to achieve complete removal of substantial Strain hardening will occur by the formation of new, stress-free grains. As the results of this work indicate that essentially complete removal of strain hardening did in fact occur. the primary softening process will be attributed to recrystallization, and specific reference made where it appears that other mechanisms may be contributing to the total observed softening. It would, of course, be of interest to attempt to correlate the results of this work with the actual austenite fraction recrystallized as determined by other techniques. This was not attempted in the present work because it would have required running a large number of additional specimens and, as discussed previously, there is limited assurance that the results would accurately reflect the prior austenite fraction recrys-

Jan 1, 1969

By P. E. Demmler

The apparatus in which the process of bright annealing of copper wire was carried out consisted of a section of iron pipe, 6 ft. long and 3 ft. in diameter. The pipe was provided with flanges to which were bolted the end plates for sealing, also with inlet and outlet tubes to allow for the displacement of the air in the pipe by natural gas. After charging with copper wire, sealing and displacing the air, the pipe was heated to 350' C. (662" F.). It was expected that the natural gas would furnish a neutral atmosphere which would prevent oxidation and give a satisfactory bright-annealed product. It was found, however, that the outer layers of wire were discolored and not suited for the use for which they were mtended. To obtain an idea of what was taking place in the annealing furnace, skeins of the hard-drawn wire were placed in a glass tube so that all changes in appearance could be observed as they were heated to different temperatures and under varying conditions. The temperature in each case was determined by means of a thermocouple placed in the tube close to the wire. Following is a summary of the results of these experiments: 1. When the wire was heated for 1 hr. in a current of natural gas at a temperature of 350") 400") or 500" C. (662", 752", or 932" F., respectively), there was a marked darkening of the wire throughout the skein. 2. When heated for 1 hr. in natural gas at a temperature of 600" C. (1112' F.), there was no coloration, the wire remaining clean and bright. 3. When heated in natural gas to 350" C. until darkened and the treatment continued with the temperature raised to 600' C., the coloration disappeared and the wire became clean and bright.

Jan 1, 1923

By P. E. Demmler

The apparatus in which the process of bright annealing of copper wire was carried out consisted of a section of iron pipe, 6 ft. long and 3 ft. in diameter. The pipe was provided with flanges to which were bolted the end plates for sealing, also with inlet and outlet tubes to allow for the displacement of the air in the pipe by natural gas. After charging with copper wire, sealing and displacing the air, the pipe was heated to 350' C. (662" F.). It was expected that the natural gas would furnish a neutral atmosphere which would prevent oxidation and give a satisfactory bright-annealed product. It was found, however, that the outer layers of wire were discolored and not suited for the use for which they were mtended. To obtain an idea of what was taking place in the annealing furnace, skeins of the hard-drawn wire were placed in a glass tube so that all changes in appearance could be observed as they were heated to different temperatures and under varying conditions. The temperature in each case was determined by means of a thermocouple placed in the tube close to the wire. Following is a summary of the results of these experiments: 1. When the wire was heated for 1 hr. in a current of natural gas at a temperature of 350") 400") or 500" C. (662", 752", or 932" F., respectively), there was a marked darkening of the wire throughout the skein. 2. When heated for 1 hr. in natural gas at a temperature of 600" C. (1112' F.), there was no coloration, the wire remaining clean and bright. 3. When heated in natural gas to 350" C. until darkened and the treatment continued with the temperature raised to 600' C., the coloration disappeared and the wire became clean and bright.

Jan 1, 1923

By Ligon Johnson

. Only the acute phase of the smelter fume problem is new. The problem itself is older than the Christian era. While both lead and copper were mined and crudely smelted some 3000 years ago, it was not until the Roman occupation of the Iberian . Peninsula and the British Isles, which occurred but shortly before the beginning of the Christian era, that there was any evidence of smelting operations on a scale sufficiently large to permit a fume problem. Around Huelva, Spain, are found more than 30 million tons of slag from lead smelting conducted there by the Romans. Pliny tells US that more than 20,000 slaves were employed in the Iberian mines. Extensive mining and smelting by the Romans in England and Wales were coincident with the Iberian proceedings. These metallurgical operations were upon a sufficiently large scale to produce marked results both upon the surrounding country and the smelter workers, but, as they were those of a conqueror upon conquered soil, conducted by slaves, imperial Rome failed to recognize that such a thing as a smoke problem did or could arise, and whatever fume question there may have been at that time remained a question only to those who had no chance to answer any phase of it. The smelting operations of the Romans extended over about 400 years, and little is recorded of lead and copper smelting from that time until the 16th century. From the revival beginning at this period up to the present century, the growth of smelting has been comparatively gradual. In Great Britain, smelting was conducted almost wholly in localities where metallurgical operations were of paramount importance, and the communities .that grew up in smelter localities were due to and dependent upon the mines and smelters. This fact had much to do with the comparative freedom of British smelting from burdensome fume litigation and legislation. To a lesser degree these conditions applied to the German operations which, when coupled with the further fact that most of the early German operations were to a greater or less degree fiscal workings of Prussia, Saxony and Brunswick-Hanover, accounts for

Jan 1, 1918

By Wheeler P. Davey, Robert T. Phelps

A study of solid solutions has long been a source of interest because of the conditions controlling their formation. X-ray investigations so far have been conducted with the idea that there were two types of solid solutions. In the first type, an atom of the solute was supposed to replace an atom of the solvent in the crystal lattice. In the second type, an atom of the solute was supposed to lie in one of the interstices between the atoms of the solvent. These pictures both require that the sizes of the atoms must play an important part in the process of solution. It is the purpose of the present investigation to study the mechanism of solid solution, using pure silver as the solvent, and pure aluminum as the solute. X-ray measurements show that these elements have the same "shape" of atomic domains1 (they both crystallize as face-centered cubes) and that their atomic diameters differ by less than one per cent.' The results of the present investigation point toward a chemical rather than a physical picture of the nature of solid solution, and make the older pictures merely special cases of a more general picture. The new theory has the advantage, too, that it offers a rational explanation of certain phenomena which hitherto have been only interesting detached facts. The aluminum-silver system which was chosen for this study has been studied by various methods by several workers. By means of thermal analysis Gautier2 and Petrenko3 have determined the phase diagram. Hansen studied the aluminum-rich alloys by means of thermal and microscopic analyses. He showed that at high temperatures silver dissolved in aluminum to the extent of 47 per cent by weight at 560" C. But this solubility decreased to 1 per cent at 200" C. Westgren and Bradley5 made an extensive X-ray study of these alloys. They used the change in the lattice parameter of silver as a criterion of the solution State College, Pa.

Jan 1, 1932

By H. Siebel, N. A. D. Parlee

MIZIKAR, Grace, and parlee' studied rates of absorption of oxygen in stagnant liquid silver in a new type of open-ended gas-liquid metal diffusion cell, where the capillary diameters used were 1.5, 2, and 3 mm. They reported that the rates appeared to be controlled by the rate of diffusion of oxygen atoms in liquid silver and they used their data to arrive at the following equation as a reasonably good representation of the diffusivity (D) of oxygen in liquid silver: D = (14.7)10-4 exp (-7100 ± 3200)/RT cm2/sec Since this type of diffusion cell offers a promising method of measuring diffusivities of gas atoms in liquid metals, the senior author of this note and his students are carrying on a critical examination of the method, and are attempting to improve and extend the technique. The research reported briefly here was designed to examine more carefully the earlier conclusion1 that the absorption rate is diffusion-controlled, and to find out whether the diameter of the cell could be greatly increased and thus extend the method to systems where gas solubilities and diffusion rates are much smaller than in the case of oxygen in silver. For the purpose of these experiments, the open-ended capillary cell used by Mizikar, Grace, and Parlee was replaced by a small cylindrical crucible (1 to 1.7 cm in diam) containing pure silver (to a depth of 1.3 to 3 cm) resting in the bottom of a closed-ended vertical quartz tube, with an evacuated quartz filler tube just above the crucible to reduce dead volume. The method of measuring the rate of absorption was otherwise very similar to that of Mizikar, Grace, and Parlee and all the same precautions were taken. A much smaller and shorter tube furnace was used for heating, but simi- lar precautions about temperature gradients were observed. This technique was nothing more than the application of a Sieverts apparatus to the measurement of rates of absorption in small crucibles of stagnant liquid silver. In each run the volume of gas absorbed (V) was plotted against the square root of time (vt) and apparent diffusivities were calculated from the slope of the line, as described by Mizikar, Grace, and parlee.' Care was taken to use only the data obtained during the early part of the total absorption period while the cell functioned as one of infinite depth. The results at 1000°C are summarized in Table I and Fig. 1. The following conclusions may be drawn: 1) Diffusion cells up to 1.7 cm in diam yield, within experimental error, the same values for the diffusivity of oxygen (D) as the capillary cells of 1.5, 2, and 3 mm in diam employed by Mizikar, Grace, and Parlee. Cell diameters as large as 1.7 cm are probably not desirable for the most precise work. Intermediate sizes, perhaps 0.5 cm, will be most practical. 2) All absorptions measured were consistent with a model where the rate is controlled by the diffusion of gas atoms in the metal. The fact that runs at absorption pressures ranging from 0.1 to 1 atm (at any one temperature) give

Jan 1, 1965

By C. S. Roberts, S. L. Couling

PLASTIC strain in polycrystalline metal as a result of bulk movement of one grain with respect to another along grain boundaries is not new. Rosenhain and Humphrey observed such effects shortly after the turn of the century.' Since then, observations of grain boundary deformation have been made on several metals. In recent years, intensive studies of the deformation at grain boundaries have been performed on polycrystalline metal and bicrystals.14-20 Aluminum or its alloys have been used in these latter studies. The subjects of controversy at present appear to be not whether grain boundary deformation exists, but 1) how quantitatively important it can be in polycrystalline metal, and 2) what its detailed mechanism is. Some investigators have concluded that such de- formation is minor in importance while others have concluded that it is a major consideration. Some have concluded that it involves shear of one grain over another at the interface while others have concluded that it operates by crystallographic deformation within the grains near ,the boundary. A categorical statement for electrolytic magnesium cannot be made on either of -these points. When polycrystalline magnesium is deformed in creep under conditions of high strain rate and low temperature, grain boundary deformation is relatively slight." Under these conditions, much deformation occurs within the grains and boundary contours change to a higher-energy jagged form. The result is shown in Fig. 1, where boundary jaggedness is pronounced upon polishing and etching after a plastic strain of approximately 6 .pct at 300°F and 3000 psi. No migration of the boundaries has been detected in this process. When the same metal is deformed the same amount at 600°F and 300 psi, resulting in a much lower strain rate, the boundaries migrate toward a lower energy configuration, where

Jan 1, 1958

By C. R. Claus, G. A. Standish

Since March. 1945, the Magnolia Petroleum CO. has drilled 39 wells in Southwest Coastal Louisiana. All wells were drilled within a comparatively small radius, but the area provides a large variety of problems. The deepest well drilled was 13,518 ft, and the total depth averaged 10,977 ft. Throughout this period drilling mud control and types of mud handled were: (I) phosphate, (2) red lime (late conversion), (3) red lime starch (early conversion), (4) red lime starch oil emulsion, (5) precision controlled low alkalinity-low lime content. and (6) gel muds for completion purposes. Improvement has been obtained in effecting some or all of the following: (I) more rapid penetration, (2) reduction in drilling hazards, (3) better evaluation of cores and logs, and (4) better completions. The geological sequence of zones penetrated range from recent sediments at the grass roots through the Frio section. Anticipation of high-pressure zones and incompetent formations entails precision control of drilling mud weights, and the unconsolidated nature of the various zones requires constant attention to the filtrate, viscosity, and gel strength values. In the Chalkley field, particularly, this combination of problems exists, where the formation pressures and overburden weight density values are in very close proximity. Design of casing and drilling mud programs must be modified to fit each well. INTRODUCTION Field and research work on drilling fluids has made constant progress, enabling operators to prospect progressively deeper horizons. Numerous papers have been written on the theoretical aspects of drilling fluid devel- opment, but in the field engineers have found it difficult to evaluate the role of specific mud constitutents when dealing in terms of thousand barrel mud systems. For that reason field data is somewhat lagging in technical report writing. However, applications of new techniques in the field have usually paralleled, and in numerous instances preceded, research work. The information obtained by Magnolia Petroleum Co. in the course of drilling 39 wells within a comparatively small area in Southwest Coastal Louisiana provides an excellent opportunity of reviewing a specific example of drilling mud evolution. A large variety of problems has been coped with, the most important result being that every well was successfully drilled to its projected total depth. The discussion begins with the advent of deep drilling in this area in March, 1945, and is concluded with a resume of recent drilling operations in the Chalkley field. The primary purpose of this paper is to describe the evolution in types of drilling fluids as it occurred and its application in the solution of various drilling problems. All of this information and experience resulted in the successful drilling of the three wells in the Chalkley field, where a combination of the most sound techniques was necessary in carrying drilling operations to the projected total depths. Other operators along with service company engineers have contributed considerably through the interchange of ideas and information to this paper, but the data and conclusions which are contained are based on first-hand observation of Magnolia Petroleum Company's drilling operations. The 39 wells drilled by Magnolia Petroleum Co. average in depth 10,977 ft per well, while the maximum depth penetrated was 13,518 ft. The cost of drilling fluids have varied from $8,700 to $165,000, with the over-all drilling costs ranging from $74,000 to $543,000 per well. This wide variance illustrates the unpredictable nature of each well and the effects on over-all cost when high density muds are required to control

Jan 1, 1955

By Tell Ertl

TODAY'S mining industry is witnessing a transition in labor utilization. The drill-jumbo operator, the mucking-machine operator, the blasting crew, the scaling and timbering crew are all specialists. The all-around miner is rapidly disappearing. As mechanization has resulted in a higher order of underground skills; specialization of labor has been a natural consequence, as has the need for more supervision and engineering. Mines now are cleaner, neater, safer, and have a greater productivity per man-shift than ever before. Nothing spectacular like the continuous miner has yet come to the underground metal mines, but t a gradual improvement in methods, equipment, and technical knowledge is achieving the increased efficiency. With the exhaustion of the rich ores and large profits and who-cares-about-the-costs, mining has become a business; that of producing low value ores at costs below selling price. Charles A. Chase, patriarch of Colorado mountain mining men, manager of the Shenandoah-Dives, was one of the first to preach and prove his preachings that mining is a business. He has been mining a lead-copper-zinc-gold-silver ore, much from elevations above 1.3,000 ft, for a quarter century without a shutdown.-The ore is of such low value that most engineers and investors still would consider it foolhardy. Yet he has kept Silverton, Colo., alive, has paid wages without a lapse, has produced $25 million of new wealth and maintained a steady return to the investors. This type of responsibility is increasingly apparent in the mining business and is one feather that can be worn proudly. .Much emphasis is being placed on improving, the productive mining operations-breaking, loading and transportation. Breaking in underground metal mining is done by drilling and blasting. To the writer's knowledge, no chain or rotary-type machine has been developed for mining strong, abrasive rock. Drilling Percussion drills are still the standard drilling machines underground. Diamond drills, that: were the rage a decade ago for drilling long holes, are being superseded by the rock drill. The development of the hard abrasion-resistant carbide bit permits full-gage long holes to be drilled by percussion drills at a lower cost than diamonds. The change in the use of percussion drills is chiefly in the method of mounting. The column and arm are disappearing and the jackleg and rubber-tired or track-layer jumbo mountings are taking its place. At the Homestake mine .lightweight jackhammers mounted• on pneumatic legs using 7/8-in. hexagonal drill. rods and 1 1/2-in, tungsten-carbide detachable bits have been found more portable and maneuverable. They have less air consumption, lowered, dynamite consumption, and more footage and tonnage per man-shift than with 3 1/2-in. drifters on a column mounting. Drills now are mounted on longer feed carriages, drilling up to 20 ft without changing steel. These mountings result in great savings because the driller can set up quickly, drill the entire depth of the hole without changing the drill rod or bit using carbide and one-use bits, and can move his machine quickly to the next hole. One man to the machine is becoming general practice. The result is longer rounds rounds drilled at a lower cost than the previously used short rounds. A jumbo developed in the Tri-State can be extended to mine ore left in the roof up to 65 ft above the floor. Drill-rod life was formerly considered to be about 250 min of actual use. The increase in the drilling time per rod per day has gone up considerably with the development of the jumbo and the long-feed carriage, resulting in which is apparently more rod breakage., Consequently, a great deal of research is being done in the attempt to develop an alloy-steel rod with longer service life to offset the greater cost. Some reports indicate that alloy steel or Swedish steel results in cheaper drilling than conventional drill rod. However, several tests have shown only slightly increased life for alloy drill rod. Undoubtedly, the blow of the rock drill, the length of the drill rod, and the resiliency of the rock being drilled are important factors in the life of drill rod, so it follows that alloy steel might work well in some mines and result in no savings in others. The bit forged on the drill rod is seldom encountered and steel detachable bits are not as common as in the recent past. The one-use bit is gaining popularity because of. the difficulty in rehardening reconditioned steel bits satisfactorily. It is thought that the, carbie-insert bit is most applicable to drilling hard 'rock' where the steel bit is unable to drill out a full change, for instance, in extremely abrasive

Jan 1, 1952

By Charles White Merrill

Mankind's progress is measured in minerals. Man's emergence from prehistory is marked by passage through a Stone Age and a Bronze Age and into the present era, sometimes called the Iron Age or the Age of Metals. With the evolution of civilization and the development of a modem industrial economy, minerals become more and more important. Structures, roads, and machines are built largely of minerals; the energy to heat the structures and to drive the machines is mostly mineral; agricultural fertility is maintained by mineral fertilizers and water; and military strength is provided by fortresses, armaments, and munitions, largely of mineral origin. Thus in the material world, in the productivity of the economy, access to minerals has paramount importance. Every evidence indicates increasing dependence on minerals in the modem economy, particularly on the mineral fuels as energy sources to provide the power base for advancing industrialization. Both the total and the per capita consumption of almost every mineral is increasing in the industrialized nations. Moreover, nations with predominantly agrarian economies call themselves underdeveloped and universally strive to industrialize. Most mineral consumption trends in the more advanced economies have been greatly exceeding population growth-which itself has been advancing at an accelerating rate--and sometimes have surpassed the growth in real income. Some minerals have only recently been adopted or grown to importance in use. Titanium as a metal appeared as a commercial product only in 1948, and even coal seriously displaced wood as a source of heat less than two centuries ago. On the other hand, minerals have always played an important role in construction. The prehistoric megaliths that form the dolmens of Salisbury Plain are stone; the pyramids are andesite faced with limestone; and many other ancient structures are built of mineral materials. In modem times the whole course of architecture has been redirected by new building materials, mostly mineral. Most conspicuous is the sky-

Jan 1, 1959

By E. P. Polushkin, Henry L. Shuldener

This paper describes the results of microscopic examination of a series of brass pipes removed from apartment and office buildings in New York City, adjacent localities on Long Island, and Philadelphia. They were selected as typical of approximately four hundred pipe specimens obtained over a period of five years during an investigation of corrosion in hot-water installations. A part of the investigation is reported in this paper and includes a brief history of the pipes, a description of their inside surface and microstructure, and a study of the effects of corrosion, with particular reference to the structural aspects of local and selective dezincification. Although the bibliography on the corrosion of brass pipes is quite extensive, it refers almost entirely to corrosion in sea water. The authors believe that their examination of this series of pipes, which had been subjected to the corrosive action of fresh water for various lengths of time, may throw some additional light on the problem of corrosion. Pipes Examined The pipes were made by different manufacturers and their sizes range from 3/4 in. to 4 in. nominal inside diameter, the majority being within I to 2 in. They can be divided into two groups according to chemical composition: (I) with a copper content of 60 to 62 per cent and (2) with a copper content of 65 to 68 per cent. The first group (pipes made of Muntz metal) comprises 22 pipes and the second (pipes made of high brass) comprises 18 pipes. The pipes had been in service in various locations in the hot-water systems of the buildings involved. Some were taken from horizontal lines in the basement, some from overhead distributors and some from vertical risers. The distance, in terms of feet of pipe, of the specimens from the hot-water generator was no less than 75 ft. and often IOO to 300 ft. In the majority of cases the water-heating equipment was provided with a regulator to limit the temperature of the hot water supply. The normal range of temperature in pipe systems of this kind is Ioo° to 160°F. Water Supples The average chemical composition of the water supplies carried by the pipes is shown in Table I. In evaluating the corrosiveness of a natural water, four factors are considered of prime importance: namely, hardness, alkalinity, pH and silica content. The waters listed in Table 1 are characterized by relatively low hardness, 10, alkalinity, low pH and low silica content. The waters of lower pH and higher CO2 content are more corrosive. A characteristic of all of these waters is that they do not deposit a protective mineral coating as do waters with high bicarbonate of lime content, which would be reflected

Jan 1, 1945

Gach-Saran.—The most important development of 1937 has been the successful completion of initial exploratory wells in the Gach Saran (formerly known as Gach-i-Qaraghuli) field, about 125 miles southeast of Haft Kel. Two of these wells are rated at 33,000 bbl. per day at flowing pressures exceeding 800 lb. Drilling is proceeding with the object of delimiting the structure. Exploratory drilling is also being undertaken in several areas within the company's concession. In the producing fields the policy of controlled production has been maintained as in the past, and drilling has been limited to that required for maintenance of production and general control of the fields. Acid treatment to increase production when desired has continued to be successful in most cases. Table 1.—Crude Production in Iran Masjid-i-Sulaimana Haft Kel Total Year barrelsb Ton Barrelsb To Barrelab 1936 3,641,247 27,820,000 4,473,849 34,200,000 8,115,096 62,020,000 193P 4,375,112 33,110,000 5,693,849 43,480,000 10,068,961 76,590,000 * Net production; i.e., excluding surplus products re-injected to reservoir. 6 To nearest 10,000. " Correct to November, with an added estimated figure for December. Masjid-i-Su1aiman.—There have been no new developments in this field. The policy of returning, as and when necessary, surplus products to the reservoir has been maintained. Haft Ke1.—Drilling to explore deeper formations has been undertaken, but has not progressed far enough for conclusive results to be drawn. Gasoline retention in the crude by means of multistage pressure stabilization has been continued as in past years. Separation pressures are as follows: well-head separators, 500 lb.; central battery, 190, 85, 40, 20 and 10 lb. per sq. in., respectively. The stabilized crude is delivered to pipe line at atmospheric pressure, or ex the 10-lb. stage, in accordance with refinery requirements.

Jan 1, 1938

By James B. Macelwane

THE Mineral Industry Education Division of AIME has long been interested in geophysical education. Organized in 1938, a Committee on Geophysical Education presented a number of reports in succeeding years. The AIME is an engineering society; hence it might be expected that the interest of the Mineral Industry Education Division would have centered about the relation of courses in geophysics to engineering education. However, this was not the case. The burden of the discussion held under the auspices of the Committee on Geophysical Education bore on geophysics in general and particularly on its relation to geology. In the decade that has passed since those meetings much water has flowed under the bridge. Not only have the geophysical sciences developed at an extraordinarily rapid rate but the practical importance and the range of their applications have spread in ever widening circles and have even assumed a very prominent place in research programs of the military, the Army, the Navy and, particularly, the Geophysical Research Directorate of the Air Force at Cambridge, Mass. So enormously have the geophysical sciences as such grown in scope and in degree of specialization that no one man in a lifetime of study can hope to master the theoretical and experimental complexities or even to follow intelligently in the published literature all the varied accomplishments of basic research in these 'fields. As in the other sciences, most of the results of geophysical research have potential economic value and are being applied to a wider and wider range of human needs. Here we see a parallel with the older sciences and their relation to engineering. Whenever the applications of scientific results required the special experimental background, the economic outlook, and the practical knowledge characteristic of the engineer, a curriculum in that type of engineering grew up in the colleges and universities. In the words of the "Report of the Committee on Adequacy and Standards of Engineering Education" in the. January 1952 number of the Journal of Engineering Education: "Engineering education in America was not developed after a preconceived plan. It evolved in parallel with the needs of a growing country, a country engaged in the development of a vast industrialization. From the first it filled a practical need, and its design emanated largely from an evaluation of the professional requirement." The advent of the railroad created a need for scientifically trained engineers and the response was the curriculum in civil engineering. The development of steam power created the demand for a curriculum in mechanical engineering. Neither of these types of engineers was trained to cope with the requirements of electrical power, and so there came to be a curriculum in electrical engineering. The advent of radio communication and of electronics during the first World War and in the years that followed resulted in the establishment of electronics engineering, sometimes within the curriculum in electrical engineering and sometimes independent of it. The complexities of industrial management have created an ever increasing demand for industrial engineers and the consequent building up of a curriculum in industrial engineering. The wide industrial application of chemical processes required a type of engineer whose background was training in chemistry but who was able to design processes and plants on an industrial scale; hence we have the curriculum in chemical engineering. The advent of the airplane created an entirely new set of problems which were solved by the training of aeronautical engineers. Many of these have called for more and more science and mathematics. Such was the history of the older engineer-

Jan 1, 1952

Tooele Flue-type Cottrell Treater Discussion of the-paper of A. B. YOUNG, to be presented at the New York meeting, February, 1921, and printed to accompany MINING AND METALLURGY No. 162, June, 1920. HARRY V. WELCH,* Los Angeles, Calif. (written discussion).-The basic requirement in the electrostatic process of electrical precipitation is that gases containing solid particles in suspension are forced to pass through an electrical field consisting of an insulated high-potential wire, or other type of discharge member, and a grounded plate, or other, type .of collecting member. Commercial. operation and efficiency of precipitation are secured by electrical and structural arrangements to provide the maximum value of the variable factors modifying the degree of precipitation. That is to say: 1. A unidirectional flow, of high-potential current is vastly more effective in precipitation than a high potential alternating-current flow.

Jan 2, 1921

By Samuel M. Brock

In recent years society has become increasingly concerned with maintaining and improving the quality of environment. Thus, public interest and concern with pollution problems is now high. This is reflected in recent federal and state efforts to formulate new legislation to prevent pollution and strengthen existing pollution laws. In reviewing literature pertaining to pollution problems, it is possible to distinguish many common elements. The most outstanding of these is the failure of the market to guarantee that private firms responding to price signals generated in the marketplace will make decisions leading to optimal resource use. Cases of market failure in allocating natural resources according to the wants of society frequently are due to the presence of technical externalities, or side-use effects.59 These roughly and generally can be defined as interdependencies among production and consumption units, the impacts of which are exerted other than through the market. They are, in other words, extra-market relationships. The economic unit generating external effects does not take them into account in decision-making. Thus, the tendency is for the unit to produce either more than society desires or not enough. In such cases society often has intervened in the decision-making process. This intervention frequently has taken the form of legislation to regulate production and consumption activities. Thus, a body of institutions, which acts as a constraint in decision-making processes, has materialized. These institutions are often far more influential in their effect upon resource use than are the forces of supply and demand acting in the marketplace. The problem of environmental pollution is essentially the problem of handling residuals which are the byproduct of all production and consumption activities which take place in the economy.2 These residuals are emitted into the air and water and disposed of on the land. They are interrelated, in that efforts to control emissions into the air or water can result in the production of solid wastes, which then present disposal problems. It is convenient to separate residuals by the type of pollution they cause-air, water, and land while remembering that these problems are related and that solutions may require coordinated effort.1 Residuals may be produced in both production processes and consumption. Residuals produced in production by the mineral industry, or firms utilizing its products, range from emission of sulfur dioxide by steam generating plants to radioactive mill tailings produced in the course of mining uranium.. Residuals associated with consumption are generated mainly through transportation of members of the household, space heating, and in the disposal of solid wastes, including refuse and junk autos. Residuals associated with both production and consumption receive attention in ensuing sections of this chapter.

Jan 1, 1976

In the seven years that have elapsed since the AIME World Symposium on Mining and Metallurgy of Lead and Zinc, there have been a number of significant milling innovations and trends implemented in lead-zinc flowsheets to either improve grade and recovery or to control escalating mill costs. First, mill controls and instrumentation, which only had a foot in the door in 1970, have become increasingly common. In Australia, research into automatic crushing control has been implemented by Mount Isa Mines, and in virtually any large lead-zinc mill worldwide, an assortment of on-stream x-ray analyzers, grinding circuit controls, level detection devices, and reagent metering methods can be found. The increased circuit control offered to mill operators by this new technology points to more efficient flowsheets, as well as to a greater dependence upon computer-controlled operation.

Jan 11, 1977