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By Cornelius F. Kelley

EVERY man connected with the mining industry should take a significant pride in the fact that he belongs to an industry and to a profession that, from the beginning, has been constructive. The miner digs his ore and he gives the metal to art, to industry, and to commerce. The nature of our business is destructive only in that we deal with a wasting asset. That should be a source of great pride to those who belong to the profession. But unfortunately, the product of our mines, our smelters, and our re- fineries does not always go to constructive purposes. There are times when, in the administration of the affairs of men, our product chiefly goes to purposes which are destructive. When we look upon the panorama of horror that is being enacted throughout the world today, we wonder whether any effort toward the development of civilization and culture and education and well-being has been worthwhile. We are appalled to see the things that have been developed, through the application of science, toward progress and efficiency, now used for the catastrophic destruction of those things which are the most valuable that man has built. We must find hope that this is but an episodic thing; that it must, in the infinite wisdom of the Almighty, usher in a period of peace and progress, of civilization and development that will make man's existence upon earth worthwhile.

Jan 1, 1941

For the year ending February, 1919 PRESIDENT SIDNEY J. JENNINGS NEW YORK, N. Y. PAST PRESIDENTS L. D. RICKETTS NEW YORK, N. Y. PHILIP N. MOORE ST. Louis, MO. FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT C. W. GOODALE BUTTE, MONT. TREASURER GEORGE C. STONE, NEW YORK, N. Y. SECRETARY EMERITUS ROSSITER W. RAYMOND, NEW YORK, N. Y. SECRETARY BRADLEY STOUGHTON NEW YORK, N. Y.

Jan 4, 1918

By Richard L. Stowe, Donnie L. Ainsworth

The static, rapid, and shock-loading response of rock is of interest to many in the field of rock mechanics. For example, the effects of loading rates on strength and stress-strain characteristics of rock are quite important in defining input loading for use in the design of underground protective installations. Response data on rock subjected to shock loading over a wide range of pressures are also vital in the field of underground nuclear testing. In addition, material response is needed in design of shock-absorbing liners. A number of investigators have reported that ultimate compressive strength of rock increases with increased rates of loading.1-6 Wuerker3 stated that modulus of elasticity, obtained from sonic determinations, increased in some rocks by a factor as high as 4.5. It appears that only a limited amount of work has been done on comparing static modulus and modulus obtained from impact testing.6 Phillips4 showed that with increased rates of loading the deformation decreased. More recent work by Atchley and Furr5 showed that when moderate-strength concrete is stressed with increased loading rates, the axial strain at failure increased. One would expect this to occur if we think in terms of purely elastic materials. For example, if E is constant and maximum strength [amax], increases, the axial strain would also increase. However, in rock testing thus far we have worked almost exclusively with nonhomogeneous and inelastic rocks. From this fact alone the increase in axial strain with increased load application is noteworthy.

Jan 1, 1972

By H. Foster Bain

In the preparation of this series of books it was considered particularly appropriate to include this work. Gunther was one of the younger men who was associated with Colonel Mudd in the finding and development of ore deposits. Supported by Mudd, Gunther undertook a systematic survey of the sources of copper of ancient Europe. This survey resulted in the rediscovery of the deposits now worked by the Cyprus Mines Corporation for which Gunther was, until shortly before his death, the resident manager. In finding and developing these mines, Gunther applied the methods and data embodied in this book and proved their usefulness. It is believed that other young engineers may profit similarly. In presenting a new edition, the form and substance of this work have been preserved and no changes have been made in any direct statement of the original author. Individual illustrations, paragraphs and mine descriptions appearing in the first edition have been omitted in order to permit introduction of new material. The latter has been chosen so as to present a somewhat more balanced picture of the mining industry as it now exists. The new material relates largely to the so-called porphyry coppers, to mines in Canada, Rhodesia, Alaska, and a number in the United States that have become important since the book was first written. The new material was prepared by Mr. Russell C. Fleming, using the best that had been published and items of which he had personal knowledge or had obtained by correspondence with men familiar with the deposit described. Whenever possible the description used has been submitted to the original author for correction. In a number of instances

Jan 1, 1932

By D. L. Passmore, J. D. Bennett

The degree of injury and days lost from work due to an injury are examined for selected electrical sources, occurring in conjunction with falls of the injured miner or with selected machinery, that could have been eliminated by use of diesel equipment. Although the number of preventable electrical source injuries is small relative to the total number of injuries during the period examined, many lost-time injuries could have been precluded and thousands of days lost from work could have been avoided.

Jan 1, 1986

By Richard McCaffery

WHEN we began the study of blast furnace slags we limited our work at first to a study of those slags containing only lime, alumina and silica. On our paper1 on some of the results of this first work, the solubility of sulfur in slags containing no magnesia was reported and the question of sulfur solubility and slag viscosity discussed. There has been, for a long time, a very great difference of opinion among metallurgists as to he effect of magnesia in blast furnace slags, and the literature is full if expressions of the most contrary opinions on the subject. As a result, our next publication' developed the constitution of slags considered as a four-component system, silica-alumina-lime-magnesia, and advanced an explanation of slag structure which accorded with the facts and with scientific theory. The present paper continues our study of the general subject of slags. As blast furnace slags are included in the silica-alumina-lime-magnesia system, which is a particular case of four-component solutions, we have determined that there are 22 components Table 1), which may enter into the silica-alumina-lime-magnesia system and that 10 or 12 of these components may be present in blast furnace slags which are within the ordinary ranges of composition. To cave a very definite conception of the behavior of these components in a slag, we have developed the theory of the cooling of a four-component solution from the liquid state to the solid and the conclusions that we obtained have been made use of in this paper. On account of the importance of the four oxides and 18 compounds which enter into the silica-alumina-lime-magnesia system, some method of calculating the percentages of the various compounds that are present in the slag when the percentages of the oxides are given, seemed very desirable and we develop L method later herein for doing this, and finally we give illustrations of the composition of a wide series of blast furnace slags and show some applications of these composition data.

Jan 1, 1927

By R. Laird Auchmuty

A NUMBER of factors, of varying importance, should be considered in assessing mineral land-here specifically coal land -for tax purposes. (1) Is the coal developed or un- developed'! (2) If undeveloped, is it surrounded by active development in adjoining properties? (3) Accessibility of railroad facilities to the property. Sometimes the railroad itself is of importance. (4) Cost of development of the seam under consideration, whether it can be developed by a drift from the outcrop or whether it will require deep and costly shafts or slopes. (5) Is it definitely known that the coal seam being assessed is of minable thickness and quality on the property? (6) Thickness of recoverable coal from the seam. (7) Quality of the coal. (8) Is the seam being assessed likely to be more costly to mine than other seams in the same district? (9) Is there an active market demand for coal from the seam being assessed? (10) Is the coal held only as protection to surface structures and in such location that it can never be mined? (11) Is the coal in a solid piece or is it in pillars that have been standing for some years as a result of incomplete mining in an old operation? (12) Expected percentage of recovery from the seam being assessed as determined by present mining practice in similar properties. (13) Value of the seam as indicated by sales of similar mineral rights in the immediate district. (14) Current royalty rates of leases for coal in the seam under consideration.

Jan 1, 1939

By ROBERT. RICHARDS

I. INTRODUCTION The object of this paper is to enlarge the field of settling velocities treated by me in my former papers, Close Sizing Before Jigging, and Sorting Before Sizing.' There seemed need of work both on coarser and on finer sizes. Messrs. A. Sidney Warren and M. L. Nagel undertook the investigation for the coarser sizes, from 12.85 mm. down to 2.05 mm. diameter. Their work, because of the closer spacing and because of the increased number of observations and consequent stronger averages, called for a revision of the former work. Messrs. G., A. Barnaby and Ralph Hayden undertook this part of the work, from 2.49 mm. down to 0.28 mm., which is near the limit of sifting. Their work covers the ground much more minutely and comprehensively than the former papers. There remained to be covered the portion of the field too fine for investigation with the sieves. This part, covering the range of grains from 0.48 to 0.03 mm., was undertaken by Mr. E. S. Bardwell. For it he used the elutriation method. II. THE FIRST, OR COARSEST, SECTION OF THE FIELD. The first desideratum in this investigation was a series of sieves for sizing the sands preparatory to making the tests. It became necessary, therefore, to decide on a sieve-scale for this purpose. A sieve-scale is a series of sieves in which the dimensions of the holes of the successive members form a series increasing by a. definite ratio. There are three natural sieve-scales : 1, progressing by doubling the width of the hole for each suc-

May 1, 1907

By T. A. Rickard

"The chief aim in style ought to be absolute precision", said Flaubert. "There is only one noun that can express your idea, only one verb that can set that idea in motion, and only one adjective that is the proper epithet for that noun." Let this be your motto. The engineer tries to be exact in all his measurements; he should measure his language with similar exactness. The technical term is a word of precision. It is not only precise, it is a word-saver. To the unscientific the earth is "a ball slightly flattened at the poles, something like an orange". To the scientific it is "an oblate spheroid". A similar contrast between the precision of the technical term and the vagueness of common words is afforded by a conversation between Ivanhoe and Rebecca: "' What device does he bear on his shield?' asked Ivanhoe. 'Something resembling a bar of iron, and a padlock painted blue on a black shield.' 'A fetterlock and shacklebolt azure', said Ivanhoe "-using the technical terms of heraldry. It is good style in writing, however, to adapt your manner of expression to the intelligence and experience of the person or persons to whom the writing is addressed. The description of a mine should be worded differently according as it is intended to inform a mining engineer, a director, or a bishop. REMEMBER THE READER. It is as incorrect to write in a technical way for a non-technical reader as to write in a popular way for a technical or scientific reader. That style is best which enables the writer to place himself in the closest mental touch with his reader, to establish the maximum of sympathetic understanding. Let your precision be\ proportioned to your accuracy. You should not try to be precise in matters that do not admit of

Jan 1, 1931

By A. M. Rowe, I. H. Silberberg

A computer program was written to predict the phase behavior generated by the enriched-gas-drive process. This program is based, in part, on a new concept of convergence pressme, which is then used to select vapor - liquid equilibrium ratios (K-factors) for performing a series of flash calculations. The results of these calculations are the equilibrium vapor and liquid phase compositions which define the phase envelopes. The program was used to predict phase envelopes for 11 different hydrocarbon systems on which published experimental data were available. The predicted and experimental results compare favorably. INTRODUCTION The reservoir engineer is frequently faced with the problem of predicting what will happen if gas is injected into a reservoir. One aspect of this, general problem is predicting the phase changes that will occur when a non-equilibrium gas displaces a reservoir fluid. In particular, a "dry" gas, upon displacing a volatile oil, will pick up intermediate components from the oil. On the other hand, a "wet" gas, containing a high concentration of intermediates, will lose some of these components to a relatively low-gravity, non-eouilibrium1- crude. It is this latter Drocess. occurring in the enriched-gas displacement, which is treated in this paper. In the past, these phase changes have been determined experimentally and the results incorporated into various modifications of the Buckley-Leverett analysis.112 Such experimental work is time consuming, and the results are sensitive to numerous experimental errors. With the wide availability of high-speed digital computing equipment and numerous correlations pertaining to the vapor-liquid equilibria of hydrocarbon systems, it is now practical to calculate such phase behavior. This paper describes a computer program for performing these calculations. THE ENRICHED GAS DISPLACEMENT PROCESS Experimental results have shown that oil recovery can be significantly increased by enriching the displacing gas with intermediate hydrocarbon c0m~onents.3 The essential features of the phase behavior generated by this enriched-gas-drive process are commonly illustrated with ternary diagrams such as Fig. 1.4 In this figure, Gas D, which contains a high concentration of intermediate hydrocarbons with respect to the undersaturated Crude A, is injected into the reservoir. When D contacts A, gas goes into solution until the oil becomes saturated (Point. B). Further contacting of Gas D and saturated Oil B results in a Mixture C which separates into Vapor Y(c) and Liquid X(c). Liquid X(c) is contacted by additional Gas O, resulting in Mixture E which separates into Vapor Y(e) and Liquid X(e). Repeated contacts of the liquid by the injected gas will eventually result in Liquid X(4 of maximum enrichment existing in equilibrium with Gas Y(d). The equilibrium tie-line X(4 Y(4, when extended, passes through the Point D representing the enriched injection gas. For systems of more than three components, the predicted equilibrium states are dependent upon not only reservoir temperature and pressure, but also the compositions of the crude oil and injected gas. If the gas is sufficiently enriched, a miscible displacement is generated. Line If is tangent to the phas,e envelope at the critical point (Point Z) and represents the limiting slope of the tie-lines as the critical state is approached. Point 1 therefore represents the minimum enrichment of injection gas required to generate a miscible displacement. Point G represents the minimum enrichment required for initial miscibility of the injection gas with Crude A. Accra has presented a method to be used for prediction of oil recovery by the enriched gas displacement process.l To develop the phase behavior data needed, he designed the experimental procedure described in the following quotation from his paper: The original liquid was contacted by a volume of displacing gas and allowed to come to equi-

Jan 1, 1966

By Howard S. Strouth

Investors and mining companies in the U. S. have recently shown increased interest in the Union of South Africa. This has been sparked partially by the founding in the U. S. of a large investment trust which will hold substantial shares in many of the leading gold and uranium producers. The average U. S, mining man's judgment of the Union, however, may be somewhat clouded by recent headline news. We are inclined to take a strong dislike to the stern measures of the present Union government with regard to its native majority. Others possibly think of South Africa in krms of a British colony which, under pressure of rising African nationalism, must eventually be abandoned. These concepts frequently suffer for lack of precise information.

Jan 5, 1959

By I. R. Kramer

The apparent activation energy, U, JOY plastic deformation of aluminium, copper, and gold single crystals and polycrystalline aluminum was found to he dependent upon surface condition. At low strains, the value for U for aluminum single crystals was 4200 cal per mole ; however, this value decreased to 920 cal per mole when the specimens were polished during the test at a rate of 50 X 10-5 win-1 The activated volume also was found to increase with the rate of metal removal. That the surface plays an important role in plastic-deformation processes has been adequately demonstrated.1-4 Of particular interest at this time are the observations4 that the creep rate of single crystals of fee metals is increased markedly when specimens are polished during the deformation process. These observations were interpreted in terms of a dislocation debris layer at the surface regions of the crystal. This layer, which appears to be a region containing a high concentration of dislocations or segments of dislocations, not only will impede the egress of dislocations on the primary slip system, but will also provide a barrier against which dislocations may pile up. By this means, a stress which opposes the motion of dislocations will be generated. It is considered that this stress must be taken into account in any theory which describes the plastic-deformation process. Although a detailed dislocation model cannot be given at this time, it may be stated that the stresses opposing the motion of dislocations arise from the dislocations in the debris layer, Ts, and ti due to the resistance to motion imposed by internal obstacles such as Lomer-Cottrell barriers, subgrain and grain boundaries, forest dislocations, and so forth, as well as the resistance due to the presence of jogs on dislocations and the interaction of the stress fields of dislocations, and so forth. In essence, we have added an additional term, ts, to the usual form of the equation T = Ta- Tb, where Tb is the back stress due to the various types of obstacles which impede the motion of dislocation. Accordingly, the net stress, t, acting on a dislocation may be written as where Ta is the applied shear stress. For deformation which occurs by a thermally activated process5,8 ?=Ae-u/kT = A e(u,-VT)/kT [2] and U = Uo- Vt PI where U = activation energy for plastic flow, y = shear strain rate, Uo = activated energy for plastic deformation in the absence of stress and depends upon the particular deformation process, V = activated volume, k = Boltzmann constant, T = temperature, OK, and A = frequency factor. From Eqs. [I] and [3], U = Uo- V(Ta - Ti - TS) [4] and it is seen that if Ts decreases, the activation energy, U, must decrease if V remains constant. However, as will be shown, V is a function of the surface conditions. In their work on aluminum, Lytton and coworkers7 reported that at low strains the activation energy was 3400 cal per mole and at high strains it was 28,000 cal per mole. The lower value was interpreted in terms of the energy necessary to overcome the Peierls force, while the higher value was associated with the energy necessary for dislocations to move by a cross-slip process. It will be shown that the lower activation energy is associated with the surface debris layer rather than with the Peierls force. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Single crystals having a nominal cross section of 1/8 in. and a 3-in. gage length were prepared by a modified Bridgman technique using a multiple-cavity graphite mold. The initial purity of the metals was 99.997, 99.999, and 99.999 pet for aluminum, copper, and gold, respectively. The orientation of the specimens is given in Fig. 1. The measurement of the activation energy as a

Jan 1, 1964

(Members are urged to send in for this column any notes of interest concerning themselves or their fellow-members.) Members and guests who called at Institute headquarters during the period Apr. 10, 1916; to May 10, 1916: Philip P. Baily, New York, N. Y. George W. Otterson Seattle, Wash. John M. Brooks, Jr., Knoxville, Tenn. C. Q. Payne, New York, N. Y. C. A. Burdick, New York, N. Y. Charles F. Potter, Los Angeles, Cal. W. N. Crafts, Oberlin, Ohio. Albert E. Rhoads, Harrisburg, Pa. Andrew B. Crichton, Johnstown, Pa. M. F. Sayre, Schenectady, N. Y. 0. P. Hood, Pittsburgh, Pa. H. V. Smythe, Northpines, Ont., Canada. W. McA. Johnson, Tulsa Okla. W. 0. Snelling, Long Island City, N. Y. G. H. Morgan, New York, N. Y. W. H. Staver, Ophir, Colo. E. G. Norton, Chicago Ill., A. W. Tucker, Salisbury, N. C. M. L. O'Neale, Coal City, Ala. Andrew Weisenburg, Philadelphia, Pa. Arthur H. Brown has resigned his position with the Dome Lake Mining & Milling Co., South Porcupine, Ont., Canada. Robert Sterling has resigned his position as chief engineer of the Goldfield Consolidated Mines Co., Goldfield, Nev., to accept the position of assistant manager of the vanadium mines of the Primos Chemical Co., Vanadium, Colo.

Jan 6, 1916

By Haley, D. F.

WHEN operations were first started at Climax in 1917 by the Climax Molybdenum Co., they were pioneering in the molybdenum industry for little was known relative to the uses of molybdenum or the metallurgy of molybdenite concentration. Concentration of molybdenite is relatively simple today but in 1916, when the Climax deposit first attracted attention, it presented serious difficulties. Little was known, in fact, even about the assaying of such low-grade molybdenum ores. Mine samples were sent to at least a dozen of the best laboratories in the United States and average values reported varied from 0.4 per cent to 1.0 per cent MOS2. Owing to the wide variations in MoS2 content obtained from reliable chemists, the actual value of the ore was most uncertain. This variation occurred repeat¬edly over a period of six months in 1917. It was finally decided, as a last resort, to cut several tons of sample from the tunnel and have a mill test made, using the recovered MoS2 per ton as the grade of the ore, for a small error in the assaying of the concentrate would not materially affect the results. These mill tests were made by the General Engineering Co. (Callow) at Salt Lake City. The results proved an ore of commercial grade and indicated the flotation process for the best metallurgy. Based upon these tests, the decision was made to build a 200-ton flotation plant. At this time, the art of flotation was

Jan 1, 1946

By A. Perry Thompson

I- GeneRal Distribution, AppeaRance, and Relations ........ 563 11. Data fRom MicRoscopic Examination............... 568 1. Criteria for Distinguishing Primary from Secondary Minerals...... 568 2. The Leonard Vein Filling..................... 574 Quartz............................ 575 Pyrite............................ 575 Enargite............................ 576 Covellite............................ 578 Bornite............................ 581 Chalcocite........................... 583 Chalcopyrite.......................... 586 3. The Fault-Vein Covellite..................... 587 The Speculator Ore........................ 587 The East Gray Rock Ore.....,.............. 589 4. Other Occurrences of Covellite.................. 591 111. Conclusions........................... 592 1. The Replacement of Minerals..................592 2. The Character of Mineralizing Solutions .............. 594 I. General Distribution, Appearance, and Relations Mining in Butte has seldom encountered covellite in commercial quantities. The notable occurrences, extending vertically and laterally perhaps several hundred feet, presented scattered, bladed lenses of this mineral in a matrix of quartz, pyrite, enargite, bornite, and chalcocite. But under the microscope covellite is seen to be widespread in the Butte ores, though in such small quantity that megascopic examination will not discover it. In early mining operations covellite was found in the Gray Rock vein, a member of the Blue vein system. As described by Sales,' it persisted as an occasional ore mineral, associated with quartz, pyrite, tetrahedrite, bornite, chalcocite, and minor amounts of sphalerite, from the 700-ft. to the 1,200-ft. level of the East Gray Rock and Diamond mines. Crushed quartz-monzonite and later quartz completed the vein filling between

Jan 1, 1916

By W. M. Peirce

WITH the supply of zinc, like that of most other nonferrous metals, inadequate to meet the demand, efforts to increase domestic ore supplies and production capacity have been of primary interest. No major sources of new ore have been disclosed during the year but improvements have been reported in facilities for mining and concentrating ores from existing mines. The American Zinc, Lead and Smelting Co. has announced its intention of erecting a new mill in the Ouray district of Colorado. The Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co. of Canada is reported to be planning improvements costing $3,000,000 to its Sullivan mine and concentrator at Kimberley, B.C., where the sink-float process is to be used for preliminary ore treatment. In the reduction field, the St. Joseph

Jan 1, 1947

By G. K. Manning, P. C. Rosenthal

USE of copper as an intentionally added alloy in steel and cast iron has rapidly expanded with-in the last fifteen years. It is estimated that in 1931 not more than 2000 tons of copper were so used; by 1941, however, this figure had grown to 13,000 tons. Tonnage figures during the war years have been restricted just as copper itself has been restricted, but copper-bearing cast irons and steels have played a part in the production of ordnance equipment. They are used in gun carriages, airplane landing-gear assemblies, scout cars, bulldozing equipment, army trucks, armor plate and many other instruments of war. These wartime applications have their counterpart in many peacetime applications; derricks, dredges, mine equipment, railway equipment, trucks, farm implements, automobiles, and tractors, all usually contain some parts made of copper-bearing steel or iron. An example of this is the Ford tractor which in 1940 contained over 300 lb. of copper-bearing steel castings. To this list should be added corrugated building sheet for exterior use most of which, at the present time, contains upward of 0.15 per cent copper. With the return to peacetime economy and the removal of wartime restrictions, it appears certain that copper cast irons and steels will find increasing application in civilian goods.

Jan 1, 1945

By A. A. Smith, J. S. Smart

THe elements silver, cadmium, tin, antimony and tellurium either are found as impurities in commercial coppers or are intentionally added to produce coppers for special uses. When present in small quantities, each of these metals exerts a significant effect on the properties of copper, but despite considerable experience and investigation much remains to be learned about their specific behavior. The presence of extraneous elements, particularly oxygen, complicates the study of individual additions of impurities in the range o to 0.05 per cent, and the use of high-purity copper has been found extremely helpful in circumventing these difficulties. It has also been found that individual behavior can be satisfactorilv determined from measurements of two commercially important properties, conductivity and softening temperature, according to methods that have been described previously.1,2 Data of this type, obtained in the course of a general investigation of the effects of impurities on the properties of both oxygen-bearing 2nd oxygen-free copper are presented herewith. All samples except those containing cadmium were prepared as 3/8-in. continuously cast oxygen-free rod from pure copper and weighed amounts of a similarly synthesized master alloy. Composition was checked by chemical methods, which in every case verified the calculated analyses. Test wires were cold-drawn one B, and S. number per pass on a string-up machine using four 30-min. 600°C. anneals at 0.3125, 0.257, 0.204 and 0.162 in. and a final cold reduction of 75 per cent to 0.081 in. Some oxygen-bearing samples were produced directly from the 3/8-in. oxygen-free rods by diffusion from a surface scale at 850°C. and drawn to size as listed above, but most of the alloys were remelted in pure graphite and cast through air into a I-in. round mold. The slugs were then hot-rolled to 5/16 in., drawn to 0.162 in., annealed as listed above, and drawn to 0.081 inch. Conductivity wires were annealed for I hr. at 100°C. intervals between 300' and 800°F., using a hydrogen atmosphere for oxygen-free samples and purified nitrogen for the oxygen-bearing type. All samples were quenched from the annealing temperature in 10 per cent H²S04 and conductivity was measured on a Hoopes bridge that had been checked against a Kelvin bridge. The softening temperatures represent the half-hard stage of the annealing curve as determined by a standard procedure.' Effect of Silver Numerous excellent studies of the argentiferous coppers are found in the literature, and these have been adequately

Jan 1, 1943

By A. A. Smith, J. S. Smart

THe elements silver, cadmium, tin, antimony and tellurium either are found as impurities in commercial coppers or are intentionally added to produce coppers for special uses. When present in small quantities, each of these metals exerts a significant effect on the properties of copper, but despite considerable experience and investigation much remains to be learned about their specific behavior. The presence of extraneous elements, particularly oxygen, complicates the study of individual additions of impurities in the range o to 0.05 per cent, and the use of high-purity copper has been found extremely helpful in circumventing these difficulties. It has also been found that individual behavior can be satisfactorilv determined from measurements of two commercially important properties, conductivity and softening temperature, according to methods that have been described previously.1,2 Data of this type, obtained in the course of a general investigation of the effects of impurities on the properties of both oxygen-bearing 2nd oxygen-free copper are presented herewith. All samples except those containing cadmium were prepared as 3/8-in. continuously cast oxygen-free rod from pure copper and weighed amounts of a similarly synthesized master alloy. Composition was checked by chemical methods, which in every case verified the calculated analyses. Test wires were cold-drawn one B, and S. number per pass on a string-up machine using four 30-min. 600°C. anneals at 0.3125, 0.257, 0.204 and 0.162 in. and a final cold reduction of 75 per cent to 0.081 in. Some oxygen-bearing samples were produced directly from the 3/8-in. oxygen-free rods by diffusion from a surface scale at 850°C. and drawn to size as listed above, but most of the alloys were remelted in pure graphite and cast through air into a I-in. round mold. The slugs were then hot-rolled to 5/16 in., drawn to 0.162 in., annealed as listed above, and drawn to 0.081 inch. Conductivity wires were annealed for I hr. at 100°C. intervals between 300' and 800°F., using a hydrogen atmosphere for oxygen-free samples and purified nitrogen for the oxygen-bearing type. All samples were quenched from the annealing temperature in 10 per cent H²S04 and conductivity was measured on a Hoopes bridge that had been checked against a Kelvin bridge. The softening temperatures represent the half-hard stage of the annealing curve as determined by a standard procedure.' Effect of Silver Numerous excellent studies of the argentiferous coppers are found in the literature, and these have been adequately

Jan 1, 1943

By Robert Archer

IT is now well known that the structure of aluminum-silicon alloys can be refined in a rather remarkable manner, with consequent improvement of physical properties, by certain treatments applied to the molten metal shortly before casting. The differences between the treated and the untreated alloys are so marked that special terms are used to distinguish them, the untreated alloys being referred to as "normal" and the treated alloys as "modified." The first practical method of accomplishing this result was that of A. Pacz,1 which consists in treating the molten metal with a, salt flux of which the, active ingredient is sodium fluoride. The result can also be brought about, and in a more economical manner, by the addition of small quantities of metallic sodium (or potassium) to the molten alloy shortly before casting.2 The action of the Pacz flux evidently consists essentially in the production of free sodium by the reaction of sodium fluoride with aluminum. The changing of a normal alloy to a modified alloy is referred to as "modification' and any process for accomplishing this result is a "modifying" process. Modified aluminum-silicon alloys were introduced several years ago, and it has been demonstrated both in the laboratory and in commercial practice that it is no simple matter to produce castings having the maximum or nearly the maximum properties which under favorable circumstances can be obtained. The alloys are rather sensitive to small changes in chemical composition, and the modifying process must be carried out in a very particular manner to obtain the best results. Extensive experimental work has been carried out in the laboratories of the Aluminum Company of America with the object of determining the conditions that must be observed to make these alloys of the greatest possible

Jan 2, 1926