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By John H. Holloman

In recent papers, O'Neill,' Vivian, and Zener and Hollomon3 have reviewed some of the information concerning the relations between stress and strain during plastic deformation. Since further information has been obtained since these reviews were published, this paper attempts to further coordinate and amplify the knowledge concerning the plastic deformation of metals in simple tension. Ordinarily the results of tensile tests of metals are presented as graphs in which the load divided by the original area is plotted as a function of the percentage of elongation measured over some specified gauge length. The interpretation of graphs of this sort is limited, since the stress required to deform the metal at any stage of the deformation is actually the load divided by the instantaneous rather than the original area. Furthermore, each increment of the deformation is performed on metal that has been previously deformed, and, as pointed out by Ludwik,4 the strain could be more effectively defined: where e is the strain and AO and A are, respectively, the original and instantaneous areas. The results of the tensile tests can be more effectively presented and interpreted if the stress* (load divided by actual area) is .lotted as a function of the strain as defined above. A schematic curve of this type is presented as Fig. I. In a previous paper,6 the concept of Ludwik7 concerning the flow and fracture of metals was successfully employed to explain some of the puzzling results of notched-bar impact tests of steel. It appears that the use of this concept ii; very fruitful and should be kept in mind in any study of the deformation charactcristics of metals. Ludwik considered that a flow stress-strain curve of a metal was essentially a locus of points that described the stress required for plastic flow of an infinite numbcr of specimens, each with a different strain history determined by the preceding part of the flow curve Each of these specimens can also be considered to have a fracture strength. Uniortunately (or fortunately depending upon the point of view), all the specimens, except the one deformed to the fracture strain, flow and do not fracture. Even though the metals do not fracture, the concept of a fracture-strength curve seems

Jan 1, 1945

By John J. Dran

The elaborate analytical techniques for risk analysis used by the large mining companies in conjunction with the valuation of mineral reserve sites are totally inappropriate for the small miner. The small miner does not possess the financial and technical resources which are available to the large companies for such risk analysis. Even if these resources were available to him, the relatively small size of his investment would not justify a huge expenditure for risk analysis. What is required by the small miner is an improvement over the single point estimates provided by the valuation techniques that he currently uses. Such improvement should provide an indication of the extent to which the true value (known only after the fact) might differ from his estimated value of the mineral reserve site. In addition, a rough indication of the chance of occurrence of various differences between the true and estimated values would be helpful to him. These improvements must be obtained at low cost to be useful to the small miner. Such improvements would have to be based on a simple system requiring very few additional estimates by the miner. The small miner is not accustomed to dealing with sophisticated risk analysis techniques. Hence, any complex, time-consuming approach would be doomed to disuse or possible misuse. A simple, uncomplicated approach requiring a minimum of additional estimates by the miner can be based on a system devised by Frederick S. Hillier Although Hillier's method can be applied to various mineral reserve valuation methods used by the small miner, this note is specifically oriented to the discounted cash flow model. The basic discounted cash flow (DCF) approach provides a single point estimate of value and introduces the concept of risk (i.e. the possibility that the annual cash flows may differ from their estimated values and thus lead to an incorrect investment value) through the use of a risk-adjusted discount rate. This approach simply lowers the present value estimate with increases in the discount rate (i.e. increases in the risk assessment). The single point estimate still remains. Although the lower value estimate makes it less likely that the risky investment will be deemed profitable and undertaken, it provides no indication of risk that is suitable for examination and analysis. In addition to the "best guess" estimate of annual net cash flows required in the DCF model, application of the Hillier risk analysis model requires that the miner

Jan 1, 1976

By J. H. Mallery, J. H. Keeler

THE crystal structure of Zral, the compound richest in zirconium (91.03 pct Zr by weight) in the system Zr-Al, has been found to be ordered face-centered-cubic. This compound is of particular interest, since it is encountered as the precipitated phase in potentially useful zirconium-rich alloys. It forms peritectoidally from body-centered-cubic zirconium and Zr,Al at about 975°C. The Zr-A1 constitution diagram has been reported by McPherson and Hansen.' For the primary determination a 100 g ingot was prepared by arc-melting in a water-cooled copper crucible under purified argon. The raw materials were crystal-bar zirconium (a purity of better than 99.7 pct) and spectroscopically pure aluminum. The ingot was double melted, examined metallographi-cally, and found to be quite uniform as shown in Fig. 1. The hardness of the as-cast button was VHN 390 to 445. A 20 mil diam specimen was prepared from annealed (900°C) filings of Zr,Al. The specimen was mounted in a 5 cm radius powder camera and an 8 hr exposure was taken using copper radiation with a nickel filter. The structure of the compound Zral was found to be ordered face-centered-cubic of the Cuau type, with an a,, value of 4.37220.003A. Its calculated density is 5.976e0.013 g per cu cm. The relative intensities for the lines were calculated using the formula 1+cos2 20 I oc----------------- • p • /F7 sin2 0 cos 0 1 + COS' 20 where----------------is the Lorentz polarization fac- sin2 0 cos 0 tor, p is the multiplicity factor, and F is the structure factor. The X-ray data are given in Table I. The compound has exhibited plasticity when present as particles in a matrix of a zirconium. During hot working at about 900°C, the compound has been found to deform plastically to the extent that some of the particles exhibit a length-to-width ratio greater than 4:1 as shown in Fig. 2. In answer to the discussion of ref. 1, McPherson and Hansen pointed out that the compound may be cold rolled and reduced as much as 33 pct. Zr,Al has also been found2 under certain conditions to precipitate in lamellar form at grain boundaries of the a phase of hexagonal-close-packed zirconium. Acknowledgment This work was carried out under Contract W-31-109-Eng 52 for the United States Atomic Energy Commission.

Jan 1, 1956

By M. Marciano, K. Kreider

Silicon carbide coated boron fiber (Borsic) reinforced aluminum composites were made which exhibit strength and modulus values predicted by the rule of mixtures. A successful technique for fabricating these composites consists of plasma spraying of monolayer filament reinforced tapes and subsequent diffusion bonding of these tapes into composites. The elastic properties of the composites were given by the rule of mixtures in reinforced directions. (The modulus parallel to the fibers was 32 x 106 psi for a composite with 50 pct by volume fibers. The other elastic properties for a composite with 50 pct fiber were transverse modulus = 14 to 16 X 10 psi, G = 9.5 x 106psi, and v,, = 0.23. Tensile strengths of over 190,000 psi were measured for the composites with 50 pct fiber and the average strength for these composites was 162,000 psi. These same composites had interlaminar shear strengths of 12 to 15,000 psi. Multidirectionally reinforced composites demonstrated the same reinforcement efficiency in strength and modulus as the uni-directimlly reinforced composites. Comrpessive strengths of composites with 50 pct by volume fiber were found to be greater than 250,000 psi. STRUCTURAL filamentary composite materials are being considered for use where high strength, high modulus, and lightweight materials are required. Metal matrix composites have been considered for use at temperatures ranging from cryogenic (aluminum stainless steel) to 6000°F (plasma sprayed tungsten plus tungsten fiber) and other requirements have been similarly diverse. Metal matrix composites offer high modulus and high strength in unreinforced directions, the ability to be joined by brazing or welding, and greater fracture toughness compared with the more easily fabricated resin matrix composites. This paper deals with the mechanical properties of aluminum boron composites, a system which is being considered for applications where lightweight, high modulus, and high strength are required at temperatures including those above the normal operating temperatures of resin composites. The boron fiber used in this investigation had an average room temperature strength of greater than 400,000 psi, a modulus of 58 x 106 psi, and a density of 0.09 lb per cu in. (2.6 g per cu cm).' The fiber used in the composites had a coating of silicon carbide to retard degrading reactions with the matrix at elevated temperatures. The coated fiber, which is sold commercially as Borsic: has been reported to have excellent resistance to degradation at temperatures up to 600°C in air and in aluminum2 and the same mechanical properties as the standard bare boron fiber. Fabrication of Composites. The composites were diffusion bonded from plasma sprayed monolayer tapes. These tapes were fabricated on a substrate of aluminum alloy foil which is incorporated in the composite matrix. The technique consists of winding a layer of fiber on the foil, and plasma spraying the balance of the matrix alloy over the windings which bonds all of the components together. Advantages of this process include the ability to achieve good fiber spacing, Fig. 1, the formation of a good bond between fiber and matrix (achieved during the plasma spraying), and the adaptability of the process for forming large and complex parts. This is particularly true when used with brazing foil backing which alloys low pressure bonding of the structural shape. PROPERTY EVALUATION TECHNIQUES Tensile test specimens, 5 to 7 in. long with a reduced gage section and ,030 to ,040 in. thick, were cut from composite sheets with a diamond saw. The gage section was .200 in. wide, while the gripped section was .240 in. wide and over 2 in. long in each grip. The standard gage length used was 1 in., however, transverse specimens (i.e., specimens with the fibers oriented 90 deg to the loading axis) were tested without a reduced section. Twelve specimens were also made with a 3-in. gage length but no significant effect of gage length was measured. The tensile test specimens were mounted in a fixture and aligned in friction grips using a 10X microscope. Unbonded foil doublers (0.010-in.-thick aluminum) were used to insure firm gripping with a minimum of damage to the fibers. The test specimens were transferred to the testing machine in a rigid fixture and mounted in the self aligning loading train. Testing was performed using a Tinius Olsen four screw testing machine with a torsion bar LVDT load

Jan 1, 1970

By Robert C. Stephenson

Large deposits of titaniferous magnetite occur associated with anorthosite and gabbro in the Lake Sanford area, Essex County, New York. The ore, gabbro, and anortbosite show consanguineous relations. Anorthosite grades through gabbroic anortbosite into gabbro but is locally intruded by gabbro. Structural and petrographic evidence suggests that gabbro was differentiated from anorthosite by filter pressing. Field and laboratory study of ore occurrences indicates that an ore residuum concentrated in the gabbro through magmatic segregation' by normal crystallization and flowage. Ore occurs as bands which grade into gabbro, and also as large masses which replace anorthosite. Ore in the gabbro is finer grained and richer in ilmenite than ore in anorthosite. Introduction The Lake Sanford area lies in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains, in the southeast portion of the Santanoni Quadrangle (Fig. I), and there are four ore bodies in the area immediately surrounding Lake Sanford. The area lies 30 miles by highway from the railroad at North Creek. The deposits were discovered in 1826, and from then until 1858 iron was produced in small quantities. They were idle from 1858 to 1906. Between 1906 and 1913, extensive development work was carried on. These early attempts to produce iron ore were thwarted by transportation difficulties and by the titanium content of the ore, which, ironically, has been the element responsible for the present development. In 1941 the National Lead Co., Titanium Division, developed the Sanford Hill ore body and is now producing ilmenite and magnetite concentrates.18 The Defense Plant Corporation is extending the railroad to the property from North Creek and is building a sintering plant to treat the magnetite concentrate. Investigations OF the Deposits* Early studies of the Lake Sanford titaniferous magnetite deposits were made by Emmons in 1842,l2 by Kemp, in 1897-98'0 and by Newland in 1908.22 Singewald26 and Osborne23 considered these deposits along with numerous other titaniferous magnetite deposits in 1913 and 1928, respectively. None of these reports entailed a detailed study of the ore occurrence in this area. The present study was begun in 1940. Seven months were spent in the field, and considerable time was spent in labora-

Jan 1, 1949

By Robert C. Stephenson

Large deposits of titaniferous magnetite occur associated with anorthosite and gabbro in the Lake Sanford area, Essex County, New York. The ore, gabbro, and anortbosite show consanguineous relations. Anorthosite grades through gabbroic anortbosite into gabbro but is locally intruded by gabbro. Structural and petrographic evidence suggests that gabbro was differentiated from anorthosite by filter pressing. Field and laboratory study of ore occurrences indicates that an ore residuum concentrated in the gabbro through magmatic segregation' by normal crystallization and flowage. Ore occurs as bands which grade into gabbro, and also as large masses which replace anorthosite. Ore in the gabbro is finer grained and richer in ilmenite than ore in anorthosite. Introduction The Lake Sanford area lies in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains, in the southeast portion of the Santanoni Quadrangle (Fig. I), and there are four ore bodies in the area immediately surrounding Lake Sanford. The area lies 30 miles by highway from the railroad at North Creek. The deposits were discovered in 1826, and from then until 1858 iron was produced in small quantities. They were idle from 1858 to 1906. Between 1906 and 1913, extensive development work was carried on. These early attempts to produce iron ore were thwarted by transportation difficulties and by the titanium content of the ore, which, ironically, has been the element responsible for the present development. In 1941 the National Lead Co., Titanium Division, developed the Sanford Hill ore body and is now producing ilmenite and magnetite concentrates.18 The Defense Plant Corporation is extending the railroad to the property from North Creek and is building a sintering plant to treat the magnetite concentrate. Investigations OF the Deposits* Early studies of the Lake Sanford titaniferous magnetite deposits were made by Emmons in 1842,l2 by Kemp, in 1897-98'0 and by Newland in 1908.22 Singewald26 and Osborne23 considered these deposits along with numerous other titaniferous magnetite deposits in 1913 and 1928, respectively. None of these reports entailed a detailed study of the ore occurrence in this area. The present study was begun in 1940. Seven months were spent in the field, and considerable time was spent in labora-

Jan 1, 1949

By T. W. Healy, P. Somasundaran, D. W. Fuerstenau

The flotation behavior of quartz in the presence of alkyl ammonium acetates as a function of alkyl chain length has been interpreted in terms of hemi-micelle formation at the solid-liquid interface. The van der Waals cohesive free energy that is responsible for hemi-micelle formation has been found from these results to be 1.0 kT per CH2 group. This is in excellent agreement with literature values obtained from research on the properties of micelles in bulk systems. Collectors of the type CH3(CH2)n-2CH2-P, where P is a polar group and n is the number of carbon atoms in the straight alkyl chain, will induce flotation of an appropriate mineral at lower concentrations as n increases. This reduction in collector concentration with increasing n has been reported for such systems as xanthates on sulfides1,2 and amines on quartz.' The effect of chain length of alkyl surfactants on such solution properties as conductivity,' surface tension,' and solubility6 and such interfacial properties of solids as contact angle7 and electrokinetic potential8 have received considerable attention, but only limited quantitative descriptions of the effects have been given. The electrokinetic studies of alkyl amine salts on quartz indicated that the solution concentration of collector at which the marked change in electrokinetic potential of quartz occurs decreases systematically as the length of the alkyl chain increases. The aim of the present work was to obtain a quantitative description in terms of current theories of flotation of the effect of the hydrocarbon chain of alkyl ammonium acetates on the flotation behavior of quartz. BASIC PRINCIPLES The marked changes in electrokinetic potentials of quartz in dodecylammonium acetate (DAA) solutions were postulated to result from the association of adsorbed collector ions into two-dimensional aggregates, called hemi-micelles.9 Subsequently, the rapid increase in flotation rate of quartz was shown to coincide with hemi-micelle formation." We would like to discuss briefly the concept of hemi-micelles in terms of recent interpretations of micelles in bulk solution. Micelle hypothesis: In dilute solutions, alkyl ammonium and related salts behave as ordinary strong electrolytes, but at a certain concentration there is a marked change in physical properties of the solutions, e.g., in equivalent conductance, transport number, freezing point lowering and viscosity. To account for these phenomena, McBainl1 introduced the concept of micelles, which are aggregates of long-chain ions. It is believed that the ionic heads of the constituent ions of the micelle are in contact with water, whereas the nonpolar groups turn away from it and are in contact with each other. Work must be done to bring these charged polar groups together, but energy is gained (i.e., so called van der Waals cohesive energy) when hydrocarbon chains are expelled from the water and allowed to associate. For a given polar group, the tendency to form micelles will therefore strongly depend on the hydrocarbon chain length. Theoretical treatments of micelle formation by Shinoda12 and Phillips13 and others lead to the following expression for the concentration at which micelles form (the critical micelle concentration or cmc) in aqueous solutions of long- chain electrolytes

Jan 1, 1964

R. S. MACPHERRAN,* Milwaukee, Wis. (written discussion?);-Mr. Stork's paper is very interesting, but I am unable to agree with some of his conclusions. He argues very strongly for the beneficial effect of oxygen, but gives no actual determinations of this element to support -his views. He states that the oxygen resulting from a high bed, heavy charges, low coke ratio, etc. must not be confused with the oxygen under normal conditions. I will be glad to know in what respect these oxygens differ or in what state they occur. Is it his opinion that the beneficial type is present as a dissolved gas and the other as metallic oxide? I will not discuss the first five of his six points, as I have not seen enough trustworthy determinations of oxygen in cast iron to form any conclusions as to its effect. I have never known the addition of manga-nese, however, to reduce the strength of cast iron. Under the sixth point, I would say that the addition of steel lowers the total carbon content, and by this action will increase the strength independently of oxygen. This reduction of carbon operates also to raise the melting point. It is interesting to note here that the author, in order to get proper fluidity for his cylinders, was obliged to reduce his oxygen by raising the manganese in the charge.

Jan 12, 1919

By A. Rosen, P. Wynblatt, J. E. Dorn

The temperature, strain rate, and structure dependence of the flow stress in a poly crystalline Fe-2 pct Mn alloy was investigated between 77" and 370°K. It was possible to identify the low-temperature data from 77° to 160°K with Dorn and Rajnak's theory of the Peierls mechanism of plastic deformation. Above 160°K one or more thermally activated mechanisms must he operative; however, these were not identified in this investigation. The mechanistic basis for the rapid decrease in the flow stress of bcc metals with an increase in temperature over the low-temperature range is yet being debated. Various dislocation mechanisms have been suggested in the past but the agreement between the various proposed theories and the experimental results have not been definitive. In the present paper, the authors will demonstrate that the plastic behavior of polycrystalline iron containing 2 wt pct Mn plus interstitials agrees excellently with predictions based on the Peierls mechanism from 77" to 160°K whereas from 160" to about 370°K other as yet unidentified thermally activated mechanisms take over. Undoubtedly, the overlap of these mechanisms with the Peierls mechanism contributed to the difficulties of rationalizing the low-temperature behavior of iron and its alloys. I) EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES AND RESULTS Although extensive data are now available on the effect of temperature and strain rate on the flow stress of various bcc metals and alloys, it was, nevertheless, deemed necessary for the objectives of the present study to obtain highly accurate data of the type most pertinent for checking the theories on a series of well-documented work-hardened states. Iron containing 2 wt pct Mn was used in this investigation in order to obtain a lower ductile to brittle transition temperature than that for iron.' The additional elements present were 0.004 pct C, 0.05 pct 0, 0.004 pct S, 0.003 pct P, 0.006 pct N, and 0.001 pct Si. The as-received 3/8 by 3/4 in. bars were cold-rolled to 0.100-in. thickness, recrystallized under argon for 30 min at 1073"~, further cold-rolled to 0.063-in. thickness, and finally recrystallized under argon for 30 min at 1000°K. This treatment gave a stable reproducible equiaxed grain structure having an average grain diameter of about 90 p. Prior to the final recrystallization treatment, the sheet was machined into tensile specimens 1/4 in. wide having a 1.625-in.-long gage section. All specimens were tested in controlled-temperature baths on an Instron Testing Machine. For convenience in the theoretical analyses the data will be given in terms of the shear stress for flow, 7, the shear strain rate, f, and the shear strain, y. A series of three standard strain-hardened states were obtained by prestraining specimens at 300°K and at a shear strain rate of 7.68 x lo-' per sec to three stress levels of 6.89 X l08, 10.3 X lo8, and 14.5 x 10' dynes per sq cm, respectively. Immediately following this prestrain the temperature bath was changed and each specimen was pulled in tension at either f = 7.68 X lo-' or f = 3.06 X 10"3 per sec. In terms of the accuracy that was achieved, the values obtained did not deviate more than *0.1 X 10' dynes per sq cm and * 1°K from the reported values of stress and temperature and not more than *5 pct in the reported values of the strain rate. The tensile stresses were converted to shear stresses using a factor of 1/2. The shear stress for the initiation of flow at the test temperature was determined by taking a y = 6.16 x 10'3 offset. from the modulus line at which point good accuracy could be achieved in determining y and the associated flow stress 7, with only a negligible increase in the pre-

Jan 1, 1965

By W. V. Green

The creep-rupture behavior of commercial powder-metallurgy tungsten rod is reported for temperatures of 2250°, 2500°, 2700°, and 2800°C, stresses up to 7000 psi, and times up to 4 hr. The temperature dependence and the stress dependence of creep rates are evaluated. Rupture time is fitted to the Larson-Miller parameter and compared to lower-temperature and higher stress results reported by pugh.4 THE tensile strength of single-crystal wire1 and of polycrystalline wire2 have been measured by Goucher. More recently Bechtold3 and pugh4 have studied the mechanical properties of tungsten rod between room temperature and 1200°C. Since tungsten has the highest melting point of all metals, it should retain useful strength to very high temperatures, and should find many applications in missiles, rockets, and so forth. Therefore, the mechanical usefulness of polycrystalline tungsten rod was investigated in the 2250" to 2800°C temperature range by short-time creep-rupture tests. MATERIALS TESTED Creep specimens were machined from 1/2-in. round commercial tungsten rod which was manufactured from powder by cold pressing, sintering, and hot swaging. Purity reported by the vendor was 99.95 pct W. Spectrochemical analyses showed "traces" (less than 0.01 pct) of silicon, iron, and titanium, and "faint traces" (less than 0.001 pct) of calcium and manganese. Carbon content was 30 ppm and nitrogen content was 70 to 110 ppm. No oxygen analysis was obtained. Room-temperature stress-strain tests on the as-received tungsten gave badly scattered results. Threaded end specimens broke at the threads. When these specimens were retested using shoulder grips, the specimens broke at the shoulders. No fractures occurred in the gage lengths. The fracture stresses were: 127,000; 137,000; and 154,000 psi for three specimens which fractured at the shoulders. The microstructure of the as-received tungsten rod is shown in Fig. 1. SPECIMENS USED Fig. 2 shows the two types of creep specimens tested. The threaded-end type specimen, which was used in most tests, had a 3/4-in. gage length and 1/4-in. gage diam. The cone-end specimen, which was used primarily to investigate the effects of a smaller gage diameter and the practicability of the modified grips and specimen, had a 3/4-in. gage length and a 1/8-in. gage diam. In both cases, the gage length terminated at 0.005-in. high shoulders which served as fiducial marks for optical strain measurements. Surface finish on the gage length was 16 µ-in. rms. Creep rates and rupture times were not significantly different for the two types of specimens and were not affected by electropolishing the specimens before testing. TESTING PROCEDURE The constant-load creep-testing machine used has been described by Smith, Olson, and Brown.5 In it the specimen is held vertically by grips of similar material and on the axis of a cylindrical tungsten or tantalum heater-tube. The specimen is loaded by means of the specimen grips, a pull rod (which is sealed to the chamber lid by a vacuum-tight bellows), a mechanical lever system, and hanging dead weights. Both specimen and grips are heated by radiation from the heater-tube, which is heated by its own electrical resistance. An optical system views the incandescent specimen through slits in the radiation shielding and heater-tube. The optical system projects an enlarged image of the specimen gage length on a ground-glass screen. Periodic gage-length measurements are made on this image with two cathetometers. Thorium oxide coatings on the specimen threads or conical end surfaces completely prevented diffusion-welding of specimens to grips, and were used

Jan 1, 1960

By Robert F. Brindisi

There are approximately thirty to forty operating mills in the United States which are currently producing uranium yellow cake. This figure includes a significant number of in situ and by-product operations however the conventional acid leach flowsheet depicted in Figure 1 is the most common process used by domes- tic yellow cake producers. Ground ore is leached with sulphuric acid and the solids are separated from the pregnant liquor and washed in a series of counter- current decantation thickeners. After clarification of the pregnant liquor, uranium is recovered from the solvent extraction/stripping circuit by the addition of ammonia with precipitation of ammonium diuranate, or simply yellow cake. The yellow cake precipitate is then thickened in a conventional thickener before re- porting to the dewatering/washing unit operation. De- watered solids subsequently report to thermal drying, and clarified liquor from the dewatering/washing step is recycled to the yellow cake thickener. The yellow cake dewatering/washing unit operation is generally accomplished using either a solid bowl centrifuge or a rotary vacuum drum filter. In most cases the underflow from the yellow cake thickener is pumped to the dewatering/washing unit operation at approximately fifteen to twenty percent solids. For the purpose of this discussion ammonium diuranate, the product of ammonia precipitation from a conventional acid-leach uranium mill flow sheet, as discussed earlier, will be considered. With only slight adjustment this discussion will be equally applicable to sodium diuranate or uranium perioxide precipitates and to either in situ or by-product operations where such precipitates are generated. Some of the domestic uranium mills which have selected solid bowl centrifuges instead of vacuum drum filters for the dewatering/washing unit operations are listed in Figure 2. Why have these uranium mills, as well as others not listed, chosen to use the solid bowl centrifuge for this particular application? It is simply a matter of performance, reliability and economics. In the remainder of this paper the performance, initial cost, installation cost, maintenance and power consumption of both the solid bowl centrifuge and the rotary vacuum drum filter will be com- pared. In order to provide a consistent basis for comparison the appropriate sized (centrifuge or filter) unit for the dewatering/washing of 400 to 500 pounds per hour of yellow cake solids will be considered. Such a flow will usually be generated by a typical 3,000 ton per day (acid-leach) uranium mill.

Jan 1, 1980

By P. E. Busby, C. Wells

FURTHER study of data used in determinations of 1—rates of diffusion of boron in austenite and 2—solubilities of boron in the a and phases of iron and steel' has provided an equation for the diffusion of boron in a iron. In brief, the previously published data were accumulated from the results of deboron-izing (and decarburizing) experiments carried out in the range of 700° to 1300°C. Diffusion coefficients (D?) for boron in austenite were calculated using the Grube solution of Fick's law. However, only solubility values were estimated from the discontinuous concentration-penetration curves, Fig. 1, which are characteristic of diffusion in two phases. Dr. Carl Wagner' has recently provided a solution for calculating D values from penetration curves of this type as follows: Cl1.1 —C8/C8- C11.1 = vp ? e ? erf (?) and D = ?/4?2 t where C11,12, C8, C11, and E have the values shown in Fig. 1. D is the diffusion coefficient, sq cm per sec; t is time of deboronizing anneal, see; and ? is a di-mensionless parameter. For a given diffusion experiment, the value of ? can be readily obtained by graphical solution from a plot of y vs the right-hand part of Eq. 1. D may then be evaluated from Eq. 2. The avplication of this solution to previously re-ported results, of which excerpts are given in Table I, permits the calculation of diffusion coefficients for boron in a iron. On the basis of these meager data, it is tentatively concluded that the diffusion of boron in a may be represented by the equation Da = 1011 e-92,900/RT where R is the gas constant, cal X 0C-1 X mol-1; and T is the absolute temperature, OK. Although the frequency factor, 106 sq cm per sec, is admittedly several orders of magnitude higher than expected, the value of Q, 62,000 cal per mol, appears reasonable and is, in fact, very similar to that for the self-diffusion of iron. It is pertinent to mention at this point that the value of Q obtained for the diffusion of boron in austenite by means of the Wagner solution is 19,000 cal per mol and is in excellent agreement with the value previously reported1 in the equation DT = 2xl0-3 e-21,000/RT [4] which was determined by the application of the Grube solution to other data. The fact that determined constants A and Q in the equation D? = A e-Q/RT were practically the same, independent of whether the Wagner or Grube solutions were used in determinations of D values, strengthened the authors' belief that the computed values of D (Table I) using the Wagner solution are reliable. The relative values in Eqs. 3 and 4 for the diffusion of boron in the a and ? phases, respectively, suggest that boron forms a substitutional solid solution in a iron and an interstitial solid solution in ? iron. The same tentative conclusion has been reached by McBride et al.3 on the basis of relative solubilities, atom diameter, and the size of the interstitial hole in a and ? iron. In connection with the data for test 14 listed in Table I, it is of interest to calculate the solubility of boron in a iron using the D value given by Eq. 3. As might be anticipated from the small movement of the interface in test 14, proper substitutions in Eqs. 2 and 1 give a low value, approximately 0.0004 pct B, at 850°C. Apparently at 835°C (test 13) it is possible to obtain 0.0018 pct B, and at 850°C only 0.0004 pct B into solution in the a phase before a second phase appears. These observations are consistent with the Fe-B constitution diagram proposed by McBride, Spretnak, and Speiser.3 References P. E. Busby, M. E. Warga, and C. Wells: Diffusion and Solubility of Boron in Iron and Steel. Trans. AIME (1953) 197, p. 1463; Journal of Metals (November 1953). 'W. Jost: Diffusion in Solids, Liquids, Gases. (1952) pp. 69-71. New York. Academic Press Inc. "C. C. McBride, J. W. Spretnak, and R. Speiser: A Study of the Fe-Fe2B System. Trans. ASM (1954) 46, p. 499.

Jan 1, 1955

By Ralph H. Sweetser

AT the end of 1943 the charcoal pig iron capacity of the United States was at the lowest point in over 1110 years, with only one strictly charcoal blast furnace in operation, and all others permanently out of blast except one in Tennessee d reported to he running on part charcoal and part coke. Such a decrease in production has taken place in spite of the O.P A.'s high-premium price on charcoal pig iron of +34 per ton f.o.b. furnace in Michigan. Depletion of the hardwood supply within fifty mlles or inure of the blast furnace is the reason why; the deplorable lack of reforesting is the cause.

Jan 1, 1944

By M. F. Hawkes

Austenite grain size has long been recognized by metallurgists as an important property of steels because of its influence on toughness, hardenability, ma-chinability and creep strength. Much research has been carried out on wrought steels to develop methods for disclosing austenite grain size, and to, provide knowledge of the grain-size characteristics of steels produced and heat-treated in various ways. Much less work in these fields has been done on steel castings; partly because, owing to the variable and complex microstruc-tures of cast steels, it is frequently very difficult to obtain results that are not questionable. The object of this investigation, therefore, was to establish, for a wide variety of carbon and alloy cast steels, suitable methods for disclosing austenite grain size and some knowledge of the grain-size variations to be expected. The steel foundryman is interested in austenite grain size at two different stages in the manufacture of his products; one is just after the steel is cast, and the other is after any reheating operation carried out above the critical temperature range. In both, it must always be kept in mind that the grain size being sought is actually a previous austenite grain size, and that the austenite no longer exists once the steel has cooled to room temperature. The prob-lem of the investigator is always to use evidence obtained from the structure at room temperature to deduce this previous austenite grain size, which was established the last time the steel existed at a temperature above the critical range. Since most steel castings today are at least annealed or normalized, the measurement of austenite grain size established by heat-treatment will he considered first. More than 50 commercially produced cast steels rcpresenting a wide variety of compositions and melting practices were used in the study. For each steel, grain-size determinations were made after each of three widely varying heat-treating schedules namely, one hour at I550'F, one hour at I700°F, and six hours at 1700 F. The list of steels and results obtained on them will be found in the appendix. (See page 530.) A discussion of the knowledge gained on the applicability of various test methods and on grain-size characteristics of cast steels in general follows. MEASUREMENT OF AUSTENITE GRAIN SIZE ESTABLISHED BY HEAT TREATMENT Methods Suitable foR Determining Austenite Grain Size after Heat-treatment at Ordinary Temperatures and Times It was desired, as one of the results of this investigation, to be able to recommend to steel foundries a method, or methods, of disclosing grain size best suited to accurate

Jan 1, 1948

By M. F. Hawkes

Austenite grain size has long been recognized by metallurgists as an important property of steels because of its influence on toughness, hardenability, ma-chinability and creep strength. Much research has been carried out on wrought steels to develop methods for disclosing austenite grain size, and to, provide knowledge of the grain-size characteristics of steels produced and heat-treated in various ways. Much less work in these fields has been done on steel castings; partly because, owing to the variable and complex microstruc-tures of cast steels, it is frequently very difficult to obtain results that are not questionable. The object of this investigation, therefore, was to establish, for a wide variety of carbon and alloy cast steels, suitable methods for disclosing austenite grain size and some knowledge of the grain-size variations to be expected. The steel foundryman is interested in austenite grain size at two different stages in the manufacture of his products; one is just after the steel is cast, and the other is after any reheating operation carried out above the critical temperature range. In both, it must always be kept in mind that the grain size being sought is actually a previous austenite grain size, and that the austenite no longer exists once the steel has cooled to room temperature. The prob-lem of the investigator is always to use evidence obtained from the structure at room temperature to deduce this previous austenite grain size, which was established the last time the steel existed at a temperature above the critical range. Since most steel castings today are at least annealed or normalized, the measurement of austenite grain size established by heat-treatment will he considered first. More than 50 commercially produced cast steels rcpresenting a wide variety of compositions and melting practices were used in the study. For each steel, grain-size determinations were made after each of three widely varying heat-treating schedules namely, one hour at I550'F, one hour at I700°F, and six hours at 1700 F. The list of steels and results obtained on them will be found in the appendix. (See page 530.) A discussion of the knowledge gained on the applicability of various test methods and on grain-size characteristics of cast steels in general follows. MEASUREMENT OF AUSTENITE GRAIN SIZE ESTABLISHED BY HEAT TREATMENT Methods Suitable foR Determining Austenite Grain Size after Heat-treatment at Ordinary Temperatures and Times It was desired, as one of the results of this investigation, to be able to recommend to steel foundries a method, or methods, of disclosing grain size best suited to accurate

Jan 1, 1948

FEW whose good fortune it has been to gaze on the Utah Copper mine but will agree that it is one of the two or three most magnificent man-made spectacles in the world. Skyscrapered Manhattan Island perhaps is more inspiring; but there the effect is obtained by aggregating a thousand separate units. The Utah mine is a single thing- the biggest thing that men have made. By the end of 1931 there had been moved at Utah 222,000,000 cu. yd. of material, including ore and the waste rock that overlay it. This figure will be increased at an average rate of nearly 20,000,000 yd. per year. Excavations for the Panama Canal are estimated at 232,300,000 cu. yd., but the Canal is 50 miles long, and it is impossible to obtain a comprehensive view of the whole project at one time. The spectator, on the other hand, need only walk part way up the east slope of Bingham Canyon to see unfolded before him the whole panorama of the great copper mine. In the foreground is a huge pit bottomed for the time being 100 ft. below the normal floor of the canyon, which also is the elevation of the main railroad yard. Here from 500 to 800 standard steel railway cars, each of 80-ton capacity, are assembled daily to carry the ore to the concentrators. But the main part of the mine and that from which ore is now coming lies above this level. As can be seen in the accompanying photograph, a series of terraces or benches reaches to the top of the mountain that projects between the main branch of Bingham Canyon and Carr Fork. From bench A (the yard level) to bench W is a vertical distance of 1500 ft. In height the benches vary from 40 to 70 ft. and in width from 30 to 450 ft. The lower benches, as they skirt the mountain,

Jan 1, 1933

By A. F. Banks

INTRODUCTION Selective flocculation-flotation as a method of desliming potash flotation feed has been practiced in the Cominco Ltd. potash plant since November. 1974 when it was installed to replace a less efficient mechanical desliming process. The plant was designed for a consistent feed containing 4.5% insolubles. In practice the quantity and quality of the insoluble material is quite variable. This variability led to serious problems in the deslime circuit and consequently had an adverse effect on sylvite flotation performance. A costly mechanical solution to the problem was being seriously considered when it was drawn to our attention that a selective flocculation-flotation process had been developed. The process was tried first in the laboratory on the Cominco Ltd. ore, then on a pilot basis on 25% of the mill feed and finally full scale. The time from being informed of the process to full scale operation was 18 months. It has since been incorporated into a tailings regrind circuit. The original mine design called for the mining of an 11 foot height up to the top of the three clay seams. These had to be taken as they were a zone of structural weakness. It also assumed that the beds would be uniform with only a few disturbances. Very soon after the initial start up it was found that permanent openings had to take in the layers right up to the upper clay seams and because of the mining process that this material would have to be milled when encountered. The number of disturbed areas in the mine is greater than the design anticipated. In operation the insoluble content of the mill feed varies from 4.5% to 8% plus with the peaks being very short- term to relatively long, from hours to day. In terms of quality, the insolubles in the mining horizon are relatively soft and easily liberated, whereas those above are hard and liberate slowly.

Jan 1, 1979

By W. A. Koehler, M. E. Hinkle

INTRODUCTION THE oxidation of pyrites and marcasite in coal-mine strata to produce discolored acid mine drainage has long been explained by chemical reactions occurring in three stages: I. The iron sulphide minerals are oxidized by air in the presence of water to produce a nearly colorless solution of fer¬rous (iron) sulphate and some sulphuric acid. 2. The ferrous sulphate and part of the sulphuric acid combine with additional oxygen to form ferric (iron) sulphate. 3. The ferric sulphate hydrolyzes to form a reddish-brown precipitate and additional sulphuric acid. Nevertheless, chemical data alone are not sufficient to explain all observed facts. The first stage seems to proceed more slowly in the chemical laboratory than in nature. The second and third stages nor¬mally occur to a marked extent within a few days with raw mine water. However, the visible discoloration that characterizes these latter stages will not develop for months if the mine water is sterilized. By means of bacteriological techniques, two organisms have been isolated from acid coal-mine drainage. These are believed to have a part in promoting the chemical reactions summarized above. One organism is considered to be Thio¬bacillus thiooxidans, which is known to be able to convert elementary sulphur or sodium thiosulphate to sulphuric acid. Its relation to the formation of acid mine drainage has not yet been established. Apparently it does not promote the oxida¬tion of ferrous iron compounds in mine, drainage to the ferric state. The second organism has not been identi¬fied by name but is described as "Gram negative, non-spore-forming rods approxi¬mately 0.4 micron wide by o.8 to 1.0 micron long." A pure culture of this when added to sterile mine water will cause the latter to become amber and develop the typical rusty precipitate. However, it has not been found to convert sulphur com¬pounds to sulphuric acid. Further research is planned to determine whether or not these microorganisms play a significant part in the first stage of oxidation whereby pyrites and marcasite minerals go into solution. Some of the conditions found in abandoned sections of coal mines, such as a reduced percentage of oxygen and increased percentage of carbon dioxide in the air, as well as the existing temperature and acidity ranges, will be tolerated by and may even be favorable to these organisms. ACID COAL MINE DRAINAGE Acid coal mine drainage has been the concern of coal mine operators, industrial¬ists, sportsmen and public officials for many years. The amount of acid flowing into our streams in the coal-producing areas varies considerably from mine to mine and from

Jan 1, 1948

By Jack R. Elenbaas, Donald L. Katz

A radial turbulent flow formula has been developed which permits the computation of the pressure drop for radial flow in gas wells whether the flow is laminar, turbulent, or partially laminar and partially turbulent. Using the formula a complete back-pressure curve has been calculated and analyzed by a comparison with existing back-pressure curves. A procedure is presented for computing the permeability of the porous media when the porosity, sphericity and average particle diameter are known. Introduction Recent studies on the flow of fluids through porous media have provided new methods for computing flow under turbulent conditions. The present study was initiated as an investigation of pressure -drop computations for flow through porous sands in gas wells and as an analysis of present-day back-pressure tests. Although laminar flow exists in the producing formation of gas wells under normal flow rates, turbulent flow does take place adjacent to the well bore. As the flow rate is increased, turbulent flow exists further and further into the producing formation and under open-flow conditions in relatively deep wells a considerable portion of the flow through the sand will be turbulent. In order to calculate a complete backpressure curve for relatively deep wells without resorting to extrapolation of curves drawn from data obtained in back-pressure tests or calculations made in the completely laminar region, it was necessary to have some means of calculating pressure drop for flow through porous sands under turbulent conditions.4.6 As a result, a radial turbulent flow formula was derived from the equations recently presented by Brownell and Katz.1 A rigorous solution of this equation involves a trial and error graphical integration. By making the assumptions of average viscosity, temperature and compressibility factor of the flowing gas, it was possible to graphically integrate the relation for the general case of radial flow of gases through the porous sand of gas wells. A chart has been prepared relating the value of the integral to the radius of the well bore and to the Reynolds number of the flowing gas. The chart actually performs the graphical integration and the solution of the formula is then reduced to a simple trial and error calculation. A typical back-pressure curve is calculated to show the transition from laminar to turbulent flow. This paper will briefly describe the pro-cedurcs for computing flow through porous media, including a method for predicting sand permeability from porosity and grain size and shape. Flow through Porous Media Brownell and Katzl recently reported a correlation for computing flow of fluids through porous media by the use of an enlarged Reynolds number and friction factor in which the porosity of the bed is included as an additional prime variable. The enlargcd Reynolds number com-

Jan 1, 1948

By Donald L. Katz, Jack R. Elenbaas

A radial turbulent flow formula has been developed which permits the computation of the pressure drop for radial flow in gas wells whether the flow is laminar, turbulent, or partially laminar and partially turbulent. Using the formula a complete back-pressure curve has been calculated and analyzed by a comparison with existing back-pressure curves. A procedure is presented for computing the permeability of the porous media when the porosity, sphericity and average particle diameter are known. Introduction Recent studies on the flow of fluids through porous media have provided new methods for computing flow under turbulent conditions. The present study was initiated as an investigation of pressure -drop computations for flow through porous sands in gas wells and as an analysis of present-day back-pressure tests. Although laminar flow exists in the producing formation of gas wells under normal flow rates, turbulent flow does take place adjacent to the well bore. As the flow rate is increased, turbulent flow exists further and further into the producing formation and under open-flow conditions in relatively deep wells a considerable portion of the flow through the sand will be turbulent. In order to calculate a complete backpressure curve for relatively deep wells without resorting to extrapolation of curves drawn from data obtained in back-pressure tests or calculations made in the completely laminar region, it was necessary to have some means of calculating pressure drop for flow through porous sands under turbulent conditions.4.6 As a result, a radial turbulent flow formula was derived from the equations recently presented by Brownell and Katz.1 A rigorous solution of this equation involves a trial and error graphical integration. By making the assumptions of average viscosity, temperature and compressibility factor of the flowing gas, it was possible to graphically integrate the relation for the general case of radial flow of gases through the porous sand of gas wells. A chart has been prepared relating the value of the integral to the radius of the well bore and to the Reynolds number of the flowing gas. The chart actually performs the graphical integration and the solution of the formula is then reduced to a simple trial and error calculation. A typical back-pressure curve is calculated to show the transition from laminar to turbulent flow. This paper will briefly describe the pro-cedurcs for computing flow through porous media, including a method for predicting sand permeability from porosity and grain size and shape. Flow through Porous Media Brownell and Katzl recently reported a correlation for computing flow of fluids through porous media by the use of an enlarged Reynolds number and friction factor in which the porosity of the bed is included as an additional prime variable. The enlargcd Reynolds number com-

Jan 1, 1948