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By J. R. Campbell

The need for standardizing methods of arriving at definite conclusions regarding the cleanability of a given coal, and for measuring the performance of coal-cleaning equipment, is constantly increasing. Earlier notes by the author on this subject are amplified in this paper, because he believes that better preparation of bituminous coal is a partial solution of the coal operators' troubles. Washability Studies The term "washability" of coal was coined when washing was the universal method of separating coal from its impurities by utilizing their difference in specific gravity. This and analogous terms are still used in their broad sense although pneumatic or air separation is now used to clean coal. These terms are so used in this paper. Too much time or money can hardly be spent on "feed surveys') to get a "picture" of the coal that is to be cleaned. There have been too many "rule of thumb" methods used. Screen analyses and "sink-and-float" tests on the raw coal enable the coal operator and washery man to predict within reasonable limits the results that may be expected from any efficient cleaning apparatus. The sizes to be examined to get the picture are optional to the investigator. In modern wet washing, the range is from 4 to 0 in. Hand-picking on properly constructed belts is perhaps the standard for cleaning above these sizes. A good picture of the coal may be obtained by the following screen analysis: 3½ to 1¼ in. 1¼ to 3½ in. ½ to 5/16 in. 5/16 in. to 14 mesh 14 to 28 mesh 28 to 48 mesh and for very complete data on the fines: 48 to 100 mesh 100 to 200 mesh and through 200 mesh

Jan 1, 1930

By D. O. Hobson, J. O. Stiegler, C. J. McHargue

The effects of alloy composition, deformation temperature, heal treatment, ad inlerstilial contamination on the occurrence of deformation twins were studied. The twinning transition temperature varied with composition and was a maximuni of 140°C for the 40 pcl V composition. Tire remperature range of the transition was very narrow. Alloys of 20 to 70 pet V could he cold-rolled and exhibited profuse twinning. The alloys which did not twin at room temperature (10, 80, and 90 pel V) could plot be cold-rolled. Oxygen additions systematically lowered the transition temperatures for all vanadium contents. The transition temperature for a 30 pet V alloy increased with annealing temperature, apparently due to changes in dislocation density and configuration. Twinning did not nucleate fracture in any specimen in the 20 to 60 pet V composition range. THERE is great current interest in the refractory metals and alloys as structural materials. An important factor in considering the ductile-brittle behavior of such materials is the role of mechanical twinning as a deformation mechanism. Mechanical twins have been observed after deformation at low temperatures or at high loading rates in the pure metals iron,1 vanadium,2,3 columbium,4,5 tantalum,6 Chromium,7 molybdenum,8 and tungsten.9 Binary alloys in which mechanical twins have been observed include: iron with silicon,10 phosphorous," or aluminum;12 and chromium, molybdenum, or tungsten with rhenium.13-17 The increase in low-temperature ductility obtained by alloying the Group VI-A elements with rhenium is very important with regard to fabricability, and there has been considerable effort to understand the so-called '(rhenium effect". Factors suggested to explain this effect include:'' 1) increase in solubility of interstitial impurities with alloying (electronic effect): 2) changes in the nature of grain boundary phases; 3) changes in interfacial energies of grain boundaries and stacking faults: and 4) promotion of twinning. Although an outstanding characteristic of these alloys is the profuse twinning that accompanies low-temperature deformation, most studies of the rhenium effect have been concerned with the other factors. During recent studies of refractory-metal alloys, it was noted that solid solutions of columbium and vanadium exhibited high hardness and strength at room temperature and elevated temperature and, surprisingly, also showed considerable ductility at room temperature and below. These alloys deformed by twinning at room temperature when subjected to slow loading rates. It appeared that the low-temperature ductility resulted at least in part from the relaxation of stresses by twinning in a system where slip is difficult. The reason for enhanced twinning behavior in some bee solid-solution alloys is unknown. There have been suggestions18,19 that, as in fee alloys, the

Jan 1, 1965

By K. G. Davis, P. Fryzuk

A study has been made of the effect of undercooling on the grain structure and solute distribution in small ingots of pure bismuth and of a 100 ppm Ag in bismuth alloy. Autoradiographic evidence shows that in undercooled melts a network of dendrites is formed throughout the melt immediately after nu-cleation. At large undercoolings the dendrites are very thin and closely spaced. The origin of the observed grain morphology can be explained on the basis of information about the mode of solidification revealed by the impurity substructure. WHILE a great number of studies of nucleation in undercooled molten metals have been made, comparatively little attention has been given to the mode of solidification from melts with large undercool- ings. Colligan and Bayles1 and Walker2 have measured the rate of advance of the solid-liquid interface in undercooled nickel melts, but the morphology of the solidifying material remained a matter of speculation. Fehling and Scheil3 have described the grain structure in ingots formed from undercooled melts of nickel, palladium, and copper, and a series of Ni-Cu and Ni-Pd alloys. At small undercoolings, equiaxed structures are observed, the grain diameter tending to increase as the temperature of nucleation is lowered. At greater undercoolings, a columnar structure is developed, while with still further undercooling there is a smaller grain size incorporating rather coarse subgrains. All-bright and Colligan4 examined the grain structure shown by ingots solidified from melts of nickel and of Ni-Ag alloy at an undercooling of 105°C, and concluded that considerable grain growth had taken place after solidification. The object of the present work is to correlate the mode of solidification from undercooled melts with both the grain structure and impurity segregation, using tracers to examine the latter.

Jan 1, 1965

By Jack C. Haptonstall

Abstract-Minas de San Luis, S.A. operates the old Tayoltita mine located in the Sierra Madre Occidental in Durango, Mexico. Yearly production is 55 000 kg (1.7 million troy ox) of silver and 1000 kg (31,000 troy ox) of gold from milling 165 000 t/y (181,900 stpy) obtained from fissure veins. A 4.4 km (2.75 miles) adit, to intersect the veins below existing workings, was completed in 1974. The adit and ancillary projects facilitated extensive mechanization of the mine, ramp development of it, integration of duplicate facilities and elimination of obsolete facilities. It provided a deep-level access for exploration and development of the veins, and resulted in a 25% increase in production with the same labor force. The cost of the in-house financed project was $3.4 million.

Jan 2, 1978

By J. A. Roberson, Robert A. Rapp

From the observation of platinum wire marker movement in the oxidation of columbium at high lemperatures and low oxygen pressures, predonzinant cation diffusion in CbO, has been demonstrated. The Cu,0 molecule was used as an oxidizing species to study the nature of the porous scale and the location of the reduction site in the oxidation of colum-bium. The Cb205 scale contains microporosity and forms by alternate ionic diffusional growth and fracture. The oxidation of columbium at high temperatures and very low po, results in a relatively compact and protective Cb205 layer. THE observation of marker movements during oxidation is one means for the identification of the mobile ionic species in an oxide lattice. Previous marker experiments in the oxidation of columbium have all resulted in the markers being found on the outside surface of the Cbz05 scale. The Cr203 powder markers of Klopp et a1.,' the gold film marker of Kofstad and ~jijllesdal,' and the platinum wire marker of Cathcart et a1 .3 were found at the oxide/gas interface for oxidation temperatures ranging from 450" to 120O0C. However, in all experiments relatively high oxygen pressures were used. As discussed by Mrowec, even the interpretation of marker experiments in simple scales containing only one compound is not without ambiguities. In brief, it can be said that a marker may be found almost anywhere in the scale layer if the metal oxidizes by cation diffusion through the scale; the position of the marker depends upon morphological happenings in the scale. When considering marker movement in a polyphase scale one must proceed with extreme caution. For example, in the past (and present) work markers have never been found at the columbium-scale interface, and one might infer that the oxygen ion is mobile in CbO and CbO,. However, only trace quantities of CbO and CbOz have been present on any of the specimens, so no firm statement is justified on this basis. Despite previous experimental work, considerable doubt still exists concerning the role of the oxides CbO and CbOz in the oxidation of columbium. The identification of the mobile ionic species in CbO and CbOz from the observation of platinum wire markers was one goal of the present investigation . The linear kinetics of columbium oxidation at high temperatures (T - 1000°C) suggests that the Cbz05 scales which form on columbium are porous. From mercury absorption measurements on a Cbz05 scale formed at 500"C, Aylmore et al.' reported a minimum volume fraction of connected voids equal to 0.15. While these scales often appear to be quite porous when viewed in metallographic cross section, they are so brittle that metallographic preparation is likely to exaggerate any porosity originally present. In this investigation, porosity developed during the oxidation of pure columbium and present at the high temperature was detected by oxidizing specimens in sealed evacuated capsules containing large compacts of mixed copper and CuzO powders. wooda has demonstrated that the CuzO, or (CuzO),, molecule is volatile and that oxygen is transferred by the CuzO molecule from a Cu/CuzO mixture to materials having a greater affinity for oxygen. For each molecule of CuzO that is reduced at a sink for oxygen, two atoms of copper are deposited. Quantitatively, essentially all of the oxidation carried out by a Cu-Cu20 compact results from a displacement reaction involving the CuzO molecule. When a metal which oxidizes to form a porous scale is exposed to the CuzO vapor, the CUZO molecules are reduced in the pores leaving a deposit of metallic copper to mark the site of the reduction. This technique has the rather unique advantage that any copper-coated pores found in the scale are unambiguously related to the reduction site in the growth of the scale under consideration. Pores or cracks which form in a msition*- external to the reduction site or which occur as a result of cooling or handling of the specimen will not exhibit the copper deposit. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Marker experiments were made on columbium metal, and on pellets of CbO which had been pressed and sintered. Platinum wire markers (0.001 and

Jan 1, 1968

By Francis Lucas

A microscope objective of given numerical aperture, whew used with light of given wave length, has some fixed limit of resolution. This may be expressed as potential resolving ability-the ability to resolve is inherent in the lens but whether this limit is achieved in practice is quite another matter. Nearly 50 years ago Abbe evolved theoretical considerations which indicated that the ability of a lens to resolve detail is directly proportional to twice the numerical aperture of the objective and inversely proportional to the wave length of the light used. It is true, unquestionably, that as the numerical aperture of the objective is increased the potential resolving ability of the lens is increased and likewise whew the wave length of the light used is decreased, the degree of resolution is increased. Whether Abbe's formula expresses the exact relationship is not a matter of great concern. It suffices to know that to improve resolution, other things being equal, two avenues of approach are available. Either the numerical aperture of the objective may be increased or the wave length of the light decreased. With the apochromatic system it is possible to employ successfully wave lengths from 400 to 500, µµ and still secure reasonably short exposures. The present limit for numerical aperture is 1.40 N. A. although objectives of 1.65 N. A. are wow an experimental possibility for metallurgical work. Thus certain well defined limits are set for those who work within the range of the visible spectrum. In order to take advantage of the increase in resolving power which accompanies a decrease in the wave length of light employed, Dr. A. Köhler and Dr. M. Vow Rohr of the Zeiss Scientific Staff developed the "monochromats." These are quartz objectives corrected for the single wave length 275 µµ which lies in the ultra-violet region of the spectrum. They also developed a series of quartz oculars and a complete photo-micrographic equipment with which to use the quartz optics. Quartz must be used for the optical parts because glass absorbs ultra-violet light almost completely. Thus there was made available about 20 years

Jan 6, 1926

The annual meeting of the Mining and Metallurgical Society of America was held on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 1918, at the Engineers' Club, New York, to elect officers and councillors for the ensuing year, to receive the reports of its retiring officers, and for the transaction of any business which might properly be considered. As usual, the meeting was divided into two sessions; the first, more properly the business session, was called to order at 2:30 p.m., with an attendance of 17 members; the second session took place at 8:30 p. m., immediately following an informal dinner, at which 40 guests and members participated. The latter was particularly interesting because it gave the meeting an opportunity to absorb first-hand information regarding the present crisis in Russia. Messrs. F. W. Draper and J. P. Hutchins, the latter a member and long resident in Russia, were the speakers of the evening.

Jan 3, 1918

By Malcolm J. McPherson, Michael Hood

Sunnyside Mines, owned and operated by the Kaiser Steel Corporation, are situated near the city of Price, Utah. The complex comprises three adjacent mines, named simply Nos. 1, 2 and 3, all connected underground. Two seams, the upper and lower Sunnyside have been worked. These dip at about 10 percent to the north-east. The surface cover is variable due to the mountainous nature of the topography. The Sunnyside upper seam varies from 5 1/2 ft (1.7m) to 9 ft (2.7m) In thickness whilst the lower seam remains at about 6ft (1.8m). The separation between the two seams has ranged from 7 to 45 ft over the mined area (2 to 14m). Longwall mining has been practiced at Sunnyside for over 20 years due to difficulties of roof control encountered when using the roan and pillar system. Number 3 mine is bounded on the north and south sides by mines Number 1 and 2 respectively. Whilst current production is concentrated into Number 1 mine, much of the future of the complex lies in the further development of deeper reserves in Number 3 mine. Workings in this latter mine were curtailed in 1978 due to difficulties in ventilation. Present developments are ventilated partially from the neighboring Number 2 mine where no workings are in progress. The layout of Number 3 mine is illustrated on the schematic Figure 1. Trunk airways extend down dip from the surface at No. 2 Canyon and the Water Canyon for a distance of some 9,600 ft. (2930m). The area between the two sets of trunk airways has been worked extensively in both seams as have the corresponding reserves on either side in the connected adjacent mines. At the present time exhausting fans are sited at the top of a shallow shaft in No. 2 Canyon and an 8 ft (2.4m) diameter shaft sunk to a depth of 1013 ft (310m) closer to the current developments (Figure 1). The current airflow system, even with an additional 116,000 cfm (55m3/s) entering from No. 2 Mine, is adequate only for the development work now in progress but will be unable to support new longwall faces further downdip. The basic ventilation problem of this mine may be stated quite simply. In a situation where all intake and return airways pass through extensive old workings, a ventilation system design was required that would be effective, efficient and economic for the foreseeable future of the mine. ORGANIZATION OF THE PLANNING PROCEDURE The procedure followed during the study is illustrated on Figure 2. Initial ventilation surveys established the current state of the airflow system and provided the necessary data for setting up a Basic Network File in a computer store. The data in this file was a mathematical model of the ventilation system of the mine. The basic network was analysed by a ventilation network analysis program in order to correlate the measured and computed airflows and to establish the basic network as a true representation of the mine as it stood at the time of the surveys. The network model could then be extended to simulate the future development of the mine and alternative ventilation designs investigated. The remaining sections of the paper outline the work involved in each of these main phases of the planning procedure. VENTILATION SURVEYS Conduct of Surveys Two types of measurements were conducted simultaneously throughout the air-carrying routes of the mine: (i) Airflow measurements were made by anemometer traverse or smoke tube at 221 selected stations. Anemometer traverses were repeated at each station until at least three gave results to within 5 per cent. (ii) Pressure drop measurements were made across ventilation doors, regulators and, wherever possible, across stoppings. Additionally, frictional pressure drops were measured along airways where such pressure drops were significant (above 0.01 inches of water gauge or 2.5 Pa over a 100m distance). The trailing hose method was used to determine these frictional pressure drops. This involved laying out 100m of abrasive resistant plastic tubing (3 mm internal diameter) with a 4 ft. pitot-static tube facing into the airflow at either end and a low range pressure gauge connected into the line. The trailing hose method was preferred to the alternative barometer technique for this study because of (a) the relative ease of access between measuring points and (b) the greater accuracy within individual airways. The anemometers used were Davis Biram Type A/2-3" (30 to 5,000 ft/min) and Airflow Developments AM-5000 digital (50 to 5,000 ft/min). The pressure gauges employed were Dwyer magnehelic instruments. These were preferred to liquid in glass manometers because of their portability and dependability under adverse mining conditions. A checklist of the equipment used in the survey is given in Appendix 1. The instruments were calibrated before and after the surveys in the mine ventilation laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley. The survey occupied two teams, each of three men, for ten working days. The work consisted

Jan 1, 1982

Jan 2, 1976

By E. V. Daveler, Frank L. Antisell

CERTAIN physical and chemical properties of copper are so intimately related that a change in variation of the physical properties indicates a certain chemical change. The standard specifications of copper of the American Society for Testing Materials are based upon physical characteristics with one exception, namely, the copper contents. Certain phenomena of the surface indicate the adaptability of the metal for forging or rolling. The writer believes that it is much simpler to produce shapes that are metallurgically correct than those that are mechanically satisfactory. The appearance of the surface of the copper when cooled is considered as to its "pitch," or the general contour of the surface, and the "set," or the decail appearance of the surface of the shape. The set of the copper is, in a very large measure, directly related to the pitch; and so intimately are these characteristics connected that they are often used as synonymous terms by the refiner when he is speaking of well-refined copper. Oxygen is often spoken of as a medicine for copper, it being used to regulate the pitch.

Jan 1, 1920

By R. H. Sweetser

THERE are SO many conditions affecting blast-furnace results that it is hard to get satisfactory comparative data on the working of two furnaces, and much more difficult to get comparable results from the use of two entirely different fuels. The several advantages of charcoal over coke as a blast-furnace fuel have doubtless been apparent to many managers; but probably the conditions for comparative tests of the two were never so favorable as during the year 1905, at the works of the Algoma Steel Co., Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, which comprise two modern blast-furnaces, well equipped, though of comparatively small capacity. For four consecutive months one of these furnaces was run with charcoal and the other with coke. Then the charcoal-furnace ran for a while with part charcoal and part coke; and, still later, with coke only. The ore-mixtures were about the same in the two furnaces, and, of course, all the climatic conditions were identical. The dimensions of the two furnaces, and their work with the different fuels, are given in Table I.

Jan 5, 1908

By T. Sterry Hunt

WET processes for the extraction of copper from its ores have of late attracted much attention, especially in Europe, where the use of oupriferous iron-pyrites as a' source of sulphur prevails. These processes present an additional interest, when, as is often the case, the copper-ore's to be treated contain one or both of the precious metals, since the complete separation of these from copper, either in the dry or the moist way, is, as is well known, one of the difficult problems of metallurgy. The principal wet processes hitherto in use for the extraction of copper from its ores, may be included under three classes : I. Those in which the copper in snlphuretted ores is rendered soluble in water by calcining them, after a preliminary roasting which removes the greater part of their sulphur, with a portion of common salt, by which the copper is converted into a chloride (Long-maid and Henderson), or with sulphate of soda, by which sulphate of copper is formed (Monnier). Allied to these is the method by which a portion of the copper is got as soluble sulphate by roasting without addition, a process which is sometimes modified and rendered more complete by re-roasting the lixiviated residues with the addition of a portion of raw sulphuretted ore (Bankart). II. Those methods in which free chlorhydric or sulphuric acid is used to dissolve the copper- from oxidized or roasted ores. These, while simple and efficient, are too costly, except in certain localities where chlorhydric acid is a waste product. Related to them is the plan which consists in exposing the oxidized and moistened ores to the slow action of sulphurous acid mixed with air, by which a soluble sulphate of copper is formed. It has been proposed to decompose the solutions of sulphate or chloride of copper by sulphuretted hydrogen, thus separating the copper as sulphide, and using the liberated acid to dissolve fresh portions of oxidized copper. It is, however, the almost universal practice to throw down the copper from its solutions, however obtained, in the metallic state by the use of iron, either scrap-iron or iron-sponge; although in some instances

Jan 1, 1882

By C. S. Yust, Lida K. Barrett

The change in shape of the void in a sirzterir~g copper mass has been investigated as a juntction of' density. A serial sectioning' technique was used to eoaltrate the irregular shape of the void at two levels qf density. A measure of the void size and configuration, the proximity number, is defined and used to describe the progress of void removal. The process of. void removal deduced front the observations of this study contrasts with current sintering models in that it takes into account the irregularity of structure of a sintering mass and demonstrates that isolated Porosity does not occur first as spherical pores, but as large, definitely nonspherical sections of the void void volume. The process of sintering, about which there is much practical and theoretical knowledge, has evaded a direct and thorough analysis despite the intensity with which it has been studied for 60 years or so. This is due, of course, to the complex structure of a sintering mass and the inability to observe directly the development of a fully dense solid from the initial particulate arrangement. Extensive theoretical analyses have been based on the adoption of one or another of several model systems, that is, by visualization and analysis of some sort of regular assembly or arrangement of geometric "particles" approximating the conditions of a sintering mass. It seems appropriate at this time to try to examine experimentally in some detail the extent to which a sintering mass of irregular particles dlffers from these models. Many models deal with neck growth and the initial stage of sintering and follow the direction established by ~ucz~nski' in 1949 for the sintering of spheres to flat plates. Recently Johnson and cutler2 have adapted these models to sintering of powder masses. coble3 has presented a mathematical model for sintering that applies to the middle and final stages of the process. These papers, without exception, assume a regular geometry, generally spheres in contact in a regular array. Rhines~ and coworkers, however, are studying the sintering process by applying a model based on the topological concept of genus which permits them to consider an irregular structure. whites has described the various models with the exception of that of Rhines et al., and the assumptions on which they are based and their shortcomings. The present paper examines the geometric changes that occur in the powder mass during sintering by examination of the void. The method is to analyze a series of partially sintered structures and to propose from this analysis the sequence of events which occur in the removal of the void space as a sintering mass progresses from a collection of individual particles to a solid body. The irregular nature of the stacking of particles and of the particles themselves will be taken into account. The significant points derived from this study are: first, accurate reconstructions of the irregular void shapes are presented; second, it is clearly established that closed porosity occurs first as widespread volumes of interconnected porosity, definitely nonspherical in shape; and third, a new factor, the proximity number, is defined, which serves in this paper as a tool for describing the void shape changes observed, and which will be used in a later paper as part of the basis of a mathematical model for sintering. While the specific material studied is copper, the observations are thought to be relatively general as indicated by comparison of the results with partially sintered structures in other materials presented in the literature, both metallic and nonmetallic. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Four series of specimens representing progressive stages of the sintering process were prepared by sintering high-purity copper powder for various time periods. A relatively large particle size was used so that the void-solid interface could be readily distinguished at low magnification. In three series of specimens a loose stacking of particles was obtained by pouring powder into an alumina mold and lightly tapping the mold. The green density of such compacts was approximately 40 pct of theoretical density. Two of these three series utilized irregularly shaped particles in the size range -230 +325 mesh, one series sintered in vacuum and one in hydrogen at 950°C. The third series of loosely stacked particles consisted of spherical particles in the size range -270 +325 mesh, sintered in hydrogen at 950°C. A fourth series was prepared from compacted irregular particles sintered in hydrogen at 950°C. The specimens for this series were formed by lightly pressing the irregularly shaped particles in a steel die; the green density of the pressed pellets was approximately 60 pct. The irregularly shaped particles used in this study are shown in Fig. 1. The density of these particles, measured by a toluene picnometer technique, is 98.2 pct of theoretical density. Each particle is highly convoluted, and in some instances appears in cross section to contain internal porosity. The density measurement, however, indicates that completely enclosed porosity is very small so that the individual particles have a highly irregular surface but are essentially fully dense copper. Therefore, most of the void space that appears in two dimensions to be isolated within the particle is actually at the particle surface and connected to the external void in the dimension not included in the plane of the cross section. The void space that appears as void surrounded by the par -ticle or within folds in the particle w~ll be r~fc\r?

Jan 1, 1968

By R. F. Burdyn

The inadequate use of centrifugation to economically recover solids from weighted drilling fluids reflects the need for better equipment and techniques for this putpose. Laboratory studies in the development of an improved separator are described in which an operating equation is derived and tested. Results show that the concentric cylinder geometry employed effectively separates bnrite from a suspension and that the operating equation provides a good approxinmtion for scale-up. INTRODUCTION Our current drilling technology frequently requires a high-density drilling fluid obtained by addition of barite. In the course of drilling, formation solids which are too fine to be removed either by screening or settling become suspended in the drilling fluid and gradually the volume of solids in the mud increases. The volume fraction of solids must be limited (if a satisfactory set of rheological parameters are to be maintained). A centrifugal separatorprovidesan economical way of accomplishing this. The barite recovery process can be considered as a separation of two solids. One, the light solids, composed of formation and added solids, has a specific gravity of 2.6 to 2.7; the other, barite, has a specific gravity of 4.2 to 4.3. This density difference, plus the fact that the average light-solids particle size is much smaller than the average barite particle size, permits separation by a centrifuge. In drilling fluids some of the coarse particles of the light-solids-range will settle faster than fine particles of the barite-particle range. As a result a complete separation of the two species is not possible. since the object of the process is not merely recovering the maximum amount of barite but includes as well removing the maximum amount of light solids, an optimum barite recovery efficiency exists. From a practical standpoint this optimum cannot be determined in the field for each drilling fluid system, and in practice the separation is less than optimum, with some sacrifice of barite. Drilling technology has included centrifugal separators for barite recovery for more than a decade. Results have been reported by a number of investigators indicating that the process is practical and economica1. l-4 The decision to use a centrifuge is based on economics in which direct cost savings and the indirect benefits in rig time derived from improvement of the drilling fluid are important factors. One would expect that centrifugal separation of barite from drilling fluids would significantly affect barite consumption; however, this is not the case. The Minerals Yearbook shows an annual domestic barite consumption in the drilling industry of nearly 1 million tons.5 By rough estimate there are perhaps 80 separators presently in field use. Assuming half of these in use at any one time, operating an average of four hours per day, at recovery rates averaging 3,000 Ib of barite per hour, total annual recovery is about 90,000 tons. This is less than 10 per cent of he total barite used. I conservatively estimate that barite consumption in drilling operations can be reduced by 30 per cent through greater utilization of centrifugal separators. To encourage more widespread acceptance of centrifugal separators in the drilling industry, improved equipment and techniques would be very desirable. The present paper, covering theory and results obtained from a laboratory model, is the first in a series on he development of an improved mud separator for field use. THE CONCENTRIC CYLINDER GEOMETRY AS A SEPARATING DEVICE Consider the geometry shown in Fig. 1, consisting of two concentric cylinders separated by an annular space. These are arranged so that the outer cylinder is fixed and the inner one can be rotated about its axis on shafts sealed against the ends of the outer cylinder. If the outer cylinder is fitted with openings at either end, the inner

Jan 1, 1966

By Paul E. Nilles

For every single BOF heat, the steelmaker must control the refining operation in order to satisfy at turndown the following conditions : - to reach the correct steel analysis (C, S, P, ...) in the shortest time possible, i.e. without reblow; - to maintain the temperature of the metal in a narrow range; - to produce the optimum steel weight. It is obvious that during refining limited time and scarce information are available and only very few corrective actions can be taken. For this reason, it is of the greatest importance to facilitate the control of the BOF process by taking adequate measures before and during charging of the converter. These are : - the availability of accurate and reliable equipments for the classical measurements, 5.e. weights, temperatures, flow-rates, analyses, etc... - the operation of an optimal charge calculation model which takes into account all information concerning the preceeding heats and the charged materials. '

Jan 1, 1972

By J. H. Westbrook, R. W. Guard

The influence of a number of alloying additions on the structure and hardness of Ni3Al (?') has been studied. Three general effects have been observed.. solid-solution hardening, strain aging, and defect hardening arising from deviations from stoichiometry. The solid-solution hardening phenomena are complicated relative to binary terminal solid solutions due to the possibility of virtually independent substitution for the component elements and to the concomitant effects of strain aging. In many superior nickel-base high-temperature alloys the elevated temperature strength is attributable to the presence of a dispersion of Ni3A1 (?') in a solid-solution matrix. Examples of such alloys are Inconel X-550, Inco 713, Waspalloy, and Nimonic 80. It is, therefore, appropriate to seek a further understanding of the properties and alloying behavior of this compound. Ni3Al, the compound most rich in nickel in the nickel-aluminum binary system, was first detected by litakal but not established with certainty until the much later studies of Bradley and Taylor' and Alexander and Vaughan.3 More recently the mechanism of formation was clarified by Floyd4 who showed that Ni3Al is the product of a peritectic reaction at 1395°C between the melt and the compound NiAl in agreement with the original suggestion of Alexander and Vaughan.3 Ni3Al has the ordered face-centered-cubic or Cu3Au structure in which the nickel atoms occupy the face centers and the aluminum atoms the cube corners, a0 = 3.570A. Despite earlier reports to the contrary. the compound apparently remains ordered at least to 1000oC.5 It exists over a narrow range of compositions (-3 pct wide) whose limits and temperature dependencies thereof have been reviewed recently by Taylor and Floyd.' Most previous workers have found Ni3Al to be both hard and brittle7,8 although Maxwell and Grala8 obtained 2.5 to 6 pct tensile elongation at room temperature and Alexander and vaughan3 described the material as "hard and tough" on the basis of observations made while preparing metallographic specimens. In a recent study one of the present authors found that although considerable intergranu-lar brittleness was evident: individual grains of a coarse-grained inert atmosphere arc-melted specimen were readily deformable.l0 The same study also showed Ni3Al to have an anomalous temperature dependence of hardness in that such a curve exhibits a number of peaks between room temperature and 800°C which could not be associated with any microscopically observable precipitation reactions or polymorphic transformations. It was, therefore, proposed in the present study to elucidate the anomalous high-temperature strength behavior and to examine the solid-solution alloying of this compound and the effects of such alloying on hardness. Sample Preparation and Experimental Procedure-Samples, both of pure Ni,Al and of various alloyed solid solutions based on Ni3Al, were prepared by arc melting 100-g buttons in an inert atmosphere arc furnace. All buttons were heat treated for 4 hr at 1275oC and examined metallographically for homogeneity. Microstructures were typically homogeneous and single phase with ASTM grain size about 1 and unusually clean grain boundaries. Chemical analyses showed good correspondence (within a few tenths of a percent) with intended compositions. Microindentation hardness data were obtained from room temperature to 800°C in vacuo using a balanced-beam type loading system in an instrument to be described in detail elsewhere." In general a 100-g load, a loading rate of 1 mm per min and an indentation time of 15 sec were used. Various indenter materials were used according to the materials bein tested because of specimen-indenter interaction. Fl Measurements of the Vickers-type indentations were made at room temperature. Hardness-temperature curves were run at least twice on each sample to ensure that surface work-hardening effects had been eliminated." Precision lattice-parameter measurements were made on powder samples using a back-reflection

Jan 1, 1960

By Will Mitchell

The classical definition of a beneficiation engineer as one who treats an ore in order to separate and discard worthless fractions by essentially physical means is obsolete. Technology in the profession has advanced so rapidly during the last two or three years that educators have not been able to coin definitions to keep up with the pace. In the past some people have hesitated to include leaching or even agglomeration as minerals beneficiation, because of the major chemical changes involved. This view has fallen by the wayside, especially because a majority in the profession have become actively involved in extraction and pyro processes that go far beyond the original definition of mineral dressing. To say that there is a great revival of interest in leaching is putting it mildly, for the uranium business, like the gold business, now depends almost entirely on leaching. This revival of leaching, long overdue in mineral engineering, has been stimulated this year, especially as a result of the relaxation of security restrictions surrounding the recovery of uranium from its ores. It has brought new unit operations to minerals beneficiation, namely ion exchange and solvent extraction. These operations have appeared as resin-in-pulp, solvent-in-pulp, and liquid-liquid systems. In many cases these leaching and separation procedures, now reaching the production stage, have been engineered by minerals beneficiators. The trend toward leaching has also had impact on the technology of beneficiating other nonferrous minerals, especially copper, manganese, columbium, tantalum, nickel, cobalt, titanium, and the rare earths.

Feb 1, 1956

By Robert H. Leach, C. H. Chatfield

THIS paper gives a brief summary of the process of manufacture of sterling silver, and some of its more important physical properties, as observed in commercial production of rolled sheet and wire. Although papers have been published by Turner and Smith,1 Rose,2 Sperry3 and Jordan,4 there are few technical data available, and unfortunately the time allowed for the preparation of this paper has not been sufficient to make it as comprehensive as the title might indicate. ANALYSIS OF STERLING SILVER Fine or pure silver is too soft for coinage and the manufacture of articles in which strength and resistance to wear are desired. From the earliest times of which we have record, copper has been the metal generally used to harden silver. Analyses of coins and silver articles from ancient tombs show varying amounts of copper, and old Roman silver objects in the British Museum have approximately the same analysis as our sterling. The first authentic record of the establishment of a stand¬ard alloy is during the reign of Henry II in England. During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the people in the Eastern Provinces of Germany had a reputation for the standard and purity of their silver coinage, and it is said that Henry II employed some of these Easterlings, as they were called, to improve and standardize the English coinage, which had become debased. The peculiar standard adopted is probably accounted for by the system of weights used. A troy pound contains

Jan 1, 1928

By Danforth R. Hale

Minerals for electronic and optical uses divide easily into two sections: (1) quartz and (2) minerals other than quartz. Quartz Quartz, having a great usefulness discovered by the radio communication enthusiasts about 1918, has become a subject of amazingly expanded interest in the U.S. over the past decade as a man-made mineral and a $3 million crystal-growing business. An economic summary of the commercial growing of quartz crystals has a place in a handbook directed to the mineral engineering industry when it is remembered that quartz crystals have long been an important commercial mineral, and that the raw material for “cultured quartz”- that is to say, quartz crystals grown through the ingenuity of man-is still natural quartz. Nearly all the natural crystals come from Brazil. The larger pieces which meet rigorous standards of quality are used for electronic and, to a lesser extent, optical components. Smaller pieces and fragments are used for vitreous silica. The need for high quality material in quantity led to U.S. government-sponsored research programs in the 1940s that have resulted in the factory growing of beautiful crystals of prescribed shape, size, and quality. The development of the cultured quartz crystal is typical of man's success in adapting the product of the mine to increasingly sophisticated uses. A remarkable achievement perhaps, but foreshadowed by experiments in 1908 by Giorgio Spezia (1908), an Italian geologist studying the relative effects of temperature and alkaline environment on the solubility of quartz. Modern radio equipment is most often controlled as to frequency by the presence in the circuit of a separately added "crystal"-the 1918 discovery responsible for the existence and growth of the quartz industry. The "crystal" is quartz, but this component is a carefully oriented and prepared slice from a crystal, but not a crystal as recognized by a rock hound or seen in a museum. How quartz operates to control frequencies is not a proper subject for a handbook on industrial minerals, and references should be consulted (Cady, 1964; Mason, 1964). Quartz belongs to that class of materials called dielectrics: those that do not conduct an electric current but permit electric fields to exist and act across them. Quartz shows the "piezo-electric effect," which means that when a quartz plate is mechanically deformed against its natural stiffness, one of its surfaces becomes negatively charged, the other, positively charged. When the plate is released from the stress quickly, the charges disappear as the plate regains its original shape, but because of mechanical momentum the plate deforms in the opposite direction (to a lesser amount) and the surfaces correspondingly become charged in the opposite direction. By coating the two surfaces thinly with metal and attaching flexible wires, these charges may be brought into an electronic circuit. If the surfaces are suddenly electrically charged by movement of current through the wires, the "converse piezoelectric effect" occurs -the plate deforms. Carry the thought further and it is realized that an alternating current flowing through the wires responds to the mechanical oscillation of the plate and is keyed to this oscillation. By controlling the thickness of the plate its mechanical vibration frequency can bevaried through a wide range. One type of quartz plate, called the AT-cut, having a precisely defined orientation with respect to the crystallographic axes of the crystal, vibrates on a microscopic scale much as a book would deform when placed flat on a table and the top cover moved parallel back and forth with the hand. There are at least 17 other orientations which have been studied, some of

Jan 1, 1975

By Raymond E. Birch, Oscar M. Wicken

THE mineral magnesite, formerly the source of nearly all magnesia, now shares this role with brucite, dolomite, and the world's natural and artificial brines. The mineral magnesite is the normal carbonate of magnesium, MgCO3, composed when pure of 47.6 pct MgO and 52.4 pct CO2. It is one of the calcite (CaCO3) group of rhombohedra1 car- bonates, which also includes dolomite, CaCO3.MgCO3, and siderite, FeCO3. Magnesite does not form an isomorphous series with calcite or dolomite; consequently, these lime-bearing carbonates commonly present in magnesite deposits are there only as mechanical mixtures. Magnesite and iron carbonates form a continuous isomorphous series and therefore are inseparable mechanically. The variety of magnesite known as breunnerite is an isomorphous mixture of iron and magnesium carbonates. Magnesite may be either crystalline or amorphous (cryptocrystalline). The former, which includes breunnerite, is often termed spathic magnesite. Crystalline magnesite varies from finely to coarsely crystal- line in texture and has a hardness of 3.5 to 4. The color is white, yellowish, blue-gray to drab, red, pink, black, or mottled. It is seldom found pure but usually contains variable amounts of iron, lime, silica, and sometimes manganese. The color cannot be used as an index of purity. The cryptocrystalline variety is perhaps the more common type but the crystalline variety usually occurs in larger deposits. The amorphous type is fine grained and compact, showing no cleavage. It is usually snow white but sometimes is light to pale orange yellow or buff, owing to impurities. The fracture is conchoidal to uneven and the hardness 3.5 to 5. Silica may be present as inclusions of serpentine, quartz, chalcedony, or other minerals. The lime and iron contents are usually low. In general, amorphous magnesite is somewhat purer than the crystalline variety. The specific gravity of cryptocrystalline magnesite is 2.90 to 3.00. Pure crystalline magnesite has shown a specific gravity of 3.02 but iron

Jan 1, 1949