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By G. Herget

Finite-element analysis of slopes and a field trial of a slope support system have shown that a considerable potential for excavation reduction exists if slopes are designed with variable slope angles with depth, and if artificial support systems are made an integral part of the slope design. A cost analysis has shown that the savings for a straight 500 ft. high slope with artificial support can amount up to $900 per foot of horizontal pit extension. Horizontal stresses and displacements can be overestimated by up to 100% by employing a two-dimensional finite-element analysis instead of a three-dimensional one. Stress magnitudes differ considerably when comparing results from slope models subjected to a gravity stress field with slope models subjected to high horizontal stresses. Because the latter case appears to be predominant for open pits, slope stability analyses have to be adjusted accordingly. A field trial measuring peak accelerations and displacements has shown that the use of pre- shearing for termination bench blasts, in cases of already heavily fractured ground, can be more detrimental than beneficial.

Jan 1, 1972

By Milton Fies

ALTHOUGH pig iron from iron ore and red cedar charcoal preceded the mining of coal by many years, for tradition says that Alabama iron was used to shoe the horses of Andrew Jackson's soldiers, coal was not produced until 1830. In that year, coal was mined in Tuscaloosa County, in the vicinity of what is now the University of Alabama, and shipped on flat boats (obviously during the wet season, for there were many shoals) down the Warrior River to Mobile. About that time, the first railroad, the Decatur & Tecumseh, was being constructed in northern Alabama to overcome the obstructions to freight traffic caused by the now well-known Muscle Shoals in the Tennessee River. This railroad was patterned after a railroad at Mauch Chunk, Pa., which was used for hauling anthracite from the Panther Creek valley. The Alabama railroad, which required about four years to complete, was 46 miles long and was used solely for the transportation of cotton. Although it was a failure, it demonstrated the practicability of the undertaking, and the succeeding railroads, which were begun in 1834, 1848, 1852, and 1853, added immeasurably to the development of the coal resources of the state. Between the years 1830 and 1860, practically all the coal mined in the state was dug from the outcrop near the river or from the river beds, and shipped by boat to Mobile. Transporting coal down the Warrior River was one of great risk, required much skill, and frequently had heavy losses. It is recorded that this coal was sold to the gas company in Mobile in 1844; it was most likely mined from the Black Creek Seam. In 1914, on the completion of Lock 17, the Warrior River became a navigable stream from 9 miles above Cordova, Ala., to Mobile and offers a great opportunity for the future development of the coal resources of the state.

Jan 9, 1924

By CHRIS A. HARTNAGEL

For the second consecutive year, the production of crude petroleum in New York has fallen below the 5,000,000-bbl. Mark that had prevailed previously since 1937. In 1945, the output totaled 4,658,000 bbl., a decrease of slightly more, than one per cent from the 1944 production. This total represents 2 per cent of the stripper-well production of the United States, which in turn is I 3 per cent of the total annual yield of the nation's petroleum.

Jan 1, 1946

By W. M. Robertson

The rate of crack Propagation thvough a solid meta1 in the presence of a liquid metal has been calculated. The crack is assumed to propagate by solution of the solid in the liquid under the influence of an applied stress, with volume diffusion of the dissolved solute through the liquid controlling the propagation. The calculated velocities can be tens of centimeters per second or higher. THE embrittlement of normally ductile solid metals by liquid metals has been the subject of extensive study, as summarized in the book by Rostoker, McCaughey, and arkuus.' In experimental studies of liquid-metal embrittlement it is usually concluded that the observed crack-propagation rates are too high to be accounted for by diffusion processes. Diffusion is considered to be an unimportant factor and various other mechanisms are invoked to account for the experimental observations. The similarities of liquid-metal embrittlement to stress-corrosion cracking, to hydrogen embrittlement of steel, and to low-temperature embrittlement of bcc metals are frequently used as analogies for these mechanisms.1"3 The present paper assesses how rapidly a crack could propagate by a mechanism of volume diffusion through the liquid metal. We assume that the crack propagates by solution of the solid in the liquid at the crack tip under the influence of the applied stress and diffusion of the dissolved solute away from the crack tip. The model uses only macroscopic thermodynamic, kinetic, and elastic concepts. The calculations indicate that this dissolution-diffusion mechanism can give high crack velocities. In some previous treatments4'' of crack propagation in a liquid-metal environment the fundamental step has been the breaking of atomic bonds at the crack tip. The liquid greatly decreases the energy necessary to break these bonds. The present model assumes the crack is filled with liquid metal; the presence of the liquid is essential because diffusion through the liquid is assumed to control the rate of propagation. With proper modification this model could also apply to stress corrosion in a liquid environment. THEORY Consider a crack in a homogeneous elastic continuum, ignoring all the structural details of the solid. This neglects a host of metallurgical details which can be significant in the problem of liquid-metal embrittlement;' but this simple assumption is a useful approach in evaluating the role of diffusion through the liquid. The stress distribution around the crack tip establishes a gradient in the chemical potential at the tip, which causes a diffusion flux through the liquid away from the tip. The solid-liquid interfacial tension works against crack propagation, since propagation requires creation of interfacial area. From these two considerations we derive the diffusion flux, which then yields an expression for the velocity of the crack tip. The concentration of the solute in the liquid, C, is equal to the equilibrium concentration in the presence of an unstressed, flat surface, Co, plus the excess concentration due to the stress, AC(a), plus the excess concentration due to capillarity, AC(y): We calculate AC(o) and AC(y) and then obtain the diffusion flux. Consider (Fig. 1) a long flat crack of length 2L, thickness 2r, and tip radius r, where r remains constant as the crack propagates in the positive x direction. There is no stress ay in the y direction across the flat surfaces of the crack. The magnitude of the stress at the crack tip due to the applied stress, a,, is given by the relation6 ^=^[l-2^] 12] which, for long narrow cracks, becomes The stress increases the chemical potential in proportion to the strain energy.? The excess chemical potential due to the stress, Ap(a), is given by where 52 is the atomic volume of the solid and E the Young's modulus. Inserting Eq. [3] gives Now consider the crack to be filled with a liquid metal. The excess solubility due to stress, hC(a), is given by the excess chemical potential due to capillarity, Ap(y), is given by8 where y is the solid-liquid interfacial energy, and v1 and YZ are the two principal radii of curvature of any surface point. At the crack tip, r1 = -r and vz = m, so TRANSACTIONS OF THE METALLURGICAL SOCIETY OF AIME

Jan 1, 1967

Aase, Glenn D., (J'40) Jr. Met.. American Smelt. k Refin. Co., Selby, Calif. Abadie, Henry G., (J'43) Petr. Engr., Avenal, Calif. Abbott, Clarence E., (M'04) Civil Engr., V.P.. Tennessee Coal, Iron & R.R. Co., 1542 Brown Marx Bldg., Birmingham, Ala. Abel, Raymond L., (M'28) Chem. Engr., C.O., Pitts¬burgh Chem. Warfare Procurement Dist., American Bank Bldg., Pittsburgh. Pa. Abel, Walter D.. (M'32) Min. Engr., Supvr. Engr., R.F.C.Lee Angeles, Calif. Abele, Louis T., (M'31) Route No. 1, Adameville, Tenn. Abell, Leo M., (M'31) Mill Supt. & Met., Emperor Gold Min. Co. Ltd., Vatukoula, Fiji Is. Abernathy, G. E., (M'38) Geol., Kansas State Geol. Survey, Pittsburg, Kans. Abernathy, Jack H,, (M'40) Asst. Cenl. Supt. of Prod., Sunray Oil Co., 11th Floor, Philtower Bldg.. Tulsa 3. Okla. Abernethy, D. Carl, (M'44) Min. Engr. Rm. 3217, N. Int. Bldg., Washington, D. C.

Jan 1, 1944

By W. H. Bassett

ABOUT twenty-five years ago the copper industry had outgrown the Lake Superior production. The electrolytic copper producers had- their process well in hand and the industry was well started in the use of electrolytic copper, both for working into wire and sheet, and for the making of alloys. The trade knew that some brands of copper made good material and that other brands did not. There came together a group of men-a refiner, a rolling-mill man, and a manufacturer of electrical machinery-each of them desiring to know why there was a difference and what .it was. Much investigation was done with wire bars and cakes which involved ' chemical analysis, metallographic examination, physical tests and electrical tests. To find the influence of different kinds of copper in making brass 200 carloads of ingots were made into ,eyelet brass under careful observation; each carload was carefully analyzed and tested before used. The alloy was made and rolled under standard conditions and the results recorded.

Jan 1, 1924

By E. H. Rose

From the more distant members and some not so distant, the plaint is often heard that they cannot justify the expense and time required to attend the AIME Annual Meeting. Almost invariably, the reason given takes this form: "I just don't see that I would get enough out of it." Often the would-be clincher is added: "Besides, the meat of it all comes out in print anyway." Not long ago, a group of us who have seldom missed a meeting in recent years fell to discussing this phenomenon, and found ourselves in emphatic agreement that anyone holding such a belief indicates by his first remark that he does not know how to attend a convention, and by his second, proves it. He is, by and large, the man who has never been there, and of him, there are many.

Jan 1, 1949

By Richard F. Moe

INTEREST in developing White Pine, considered since 1942, was renewed by the Korean conflict and its shortage of domestic sources of copper. In view of this Morris F. La Croix, president of Copper Range Co. of Boston, and of its wholly owned subsidiary, White Pine Copper Co., worked an agreement out with Government officials. Essentially the contract called for a construction loan of $57,185,000 at 5 pct interest, with $13 million additional supplied by Copper Range. Defense Materials Procurement Agency contracted for 243,750 tons of copper from the first 275,000 tons produced, at a base price of 25.5& per lb, the contract to expire Dec. 31, 1961.

Jan 4, 1954

By Edwin S. Johanson, Ronald H. Wolk, Clarence A. Johnson, Harold H. Stotler, Katherine C. Hellwig

The H-Coal process, an ebullated bed reactor system for converting coal to liquid fuel, is described. Results from long-duration continuous flow bench-scale operations with Wyoming Wyodak, Arizona Black Mesa, and Utah Kaiparowits Plateau coals are presented. Economic data on the conversion of these coals to liquid products are given. The potentials of the H-Coal process in regard to coal from western producers is stressed.

Jan 1, 1974

By M. O. Abo-el Fotoh, J. B. Mitchell, J. E. Dorn

The effect of strain rate and temperature on the tensile flow stress of a polycrystalline bcc alloy of magnesium containing 14 wt pct Li and 1.5 wt pct Al was investigated for strain rates of 3.13 x lom5 to 3.13 x 10-3 per sec over the range from 20° to 300°K. From about 180° to 300°K the alloy exhibited an ather-ma1 deformation behavior where the flow stress was independent of strain rate and increased only slightly with decreasing temperature. At lower temperatures the flow stress was strongly strain-rate- and temperature-dependent, characteristic of deformations controlled by thermally activated mechmzisms. The activation volume for thermally activated plastic defornzation was between 5 and 30 cu Burgers vectors, independent of plastic strain. This low-temperature thermally activated deformation behavior was found lo be in satisfactory agreement with the theoretical dictates of the Dorn-Rajnak1 formulation of the Peierls mechanism where deformation is controlled by the rate of nucleation of pairs of dislocation kinks over the Peierls energy barriers. SEVERAL studies of the low-temperature thermally activated deformation of bcc metals and alloys (molybdenum,1 tantalum,1 Fe-2 pct Mn,2 Fe-11 pct MO,3 and AgMg4) have revealed that the strain rate is controlled by the activation of dislocations over the Peierls-Nabarro energy hills. Although there is some uncertainty as to the nature and effect of solute atom-dislocation interactions during low-temperature deformation of bcc metals, it has been concluded by Dorn and Rajnak,1 Conrad,1 and Christian and Masters6 among others that overcoming the Peierls-Nabarro stress which arises from the variations in bond energies of atoms in the dislocation core as it is displaced is the probable mechanism controlling low-temperature deformation. The purpose of this research was to investigate the low-temperature plastic deformation of the bcc alloy Mg-14 wt pct Li-1.5 wt pct A1 to determine if the behavior of this alkali metal alloy might be analogous to that for other bcc metals. This alloy was selected because of its availability and its current industrial importance as a lightweight material for aircraft and aerospace applications. I) EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Polycrystalline tensile specimens having cylindrical gage sections 2 in. long by 0.2 in. in diam were machined from as-received alloy sheet stock of Mg-14 wt pct Li-1.5 wt pct Al. Specimens were annealed in an argon atmosphere at 423°K for 4 hr and maintained in a kerosene bath together with the sheet stock to prevent corrosion. The resulting specimen microstructure consisted of a coarse uniform dispersion of incoherent precipitate MgLi2Al particles7 in a bcc 0 phase matrix having an average grain size of 150 p. Prior to testing the specimens were chemically polished in dilute hydrochloric acid. Comparison of tensile properties and microstructures of specimens cut from center and edge sections of the sheet stock revealed no effects of inhomogeneities in the sheet material. Tensile tests were performed on an Instron machine at crosshead speeds corresponding to tensile strain rates of 1.56 x 10-5 and 1.56 x 10"3 per sec. Stresses were determined to ±2 x 106 dynes per sq cm and strains to within ±0.0001. Average values of shear stress t and shear strain y reported were taken as one half the tensile stress and three halves the tensile strain, respectively. Flow stresses were taken at 0.05 pct strain offset. Test temperatures down to 77°K were obtained by immersing the specimens in constant-temperature baths. Lower-temperature tests were performed in a liquid helium cryostat to within ±2°K of the reported values. Prior to testing at the various temperatures and strain rates all specimens were prestrained at 2 35°K at a shear strain rate of 3.13 x 10-5 per sec to a stress level of 0.606 x 10' dynes per sq cm to obtain a uniform initial state. Additional tests were made to determine the effect of changes in strain rate and strain on the flow stress by rapidly changing the crosshead motion during testing. Shear moduli of elasticity, needed for analyses of the data, were obtained at several temperatures by a common technique of determining the resonant frequencies of vibrations of rectangular test specimens. 11) EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS Fig. 1 shows the experimentally determined flow stress vs temperature for two strain rates. Two distinct regions of behavior are evident. Below about 180°K the strong increase in flow stress with increased strain rate and decreasing temperature indicates that deformation is controlled by a thermally activated dislocation mechanism. At higher temperatures an athermal region is evident where the flow stress is independent of strain rate and only slightly dependent on temperature. The applied stress t to cause plastic flow was separated into two components:

Jan 1, 1969

By L. W. Kempf

A BALANCED system of internal stress is set up in any metallic structure by plastic deformation below the annealing temperature. The internal stress induced by cold rolling or other fabricating processes is generally recognized and its magnitude is known to be, within certain limits, a function of the degree of cold deformation. The plastic deformation that may accompany rapid cooling from elevated temperatures may not materially change the form of the product. The internal stresses so induced are not, therefore, so evident and nonrecognition of their presence has at times led to engineering failures. The heat treatment of aluminum alloys is a relatively new art and little information is available regarding the magnitude of stresses induced luring the commercial heat treatment of aluminum alloy products is the industrial use of aluminum increases, it is inevitable that products of increasingly large volume be required. It has become necessary in the present commercial utilization of aluminum to heat-treat castings and forgings weighing hundreds of pounds. One of the factors governing the magnitude of internal stresses arising from rapid cooling at elevated temperatures is that of the, size of the structure being treated. Some of the other factors are: cooling rate, elastic properties of the alloy, thermal expansivity, thermal conductivity, and the presence or absence of phase changes. Practically all aluminum alloys have a high coefficient of thermal expansion and some are capable of developing relatively high

Jan 1, 1934

By S. L. Crouch, C. Fairhurst

The general term "coal mine bump" refers to the sudden and violent failure of in-situ coal. Coal bumps occur in most countries where coal is worked by underground methods. They are related to geological factors and mining techniques. Coal bumps can be characterized as unstable releases of energy associated with yielding that occurs with progressive mining. Unstable releases of energy occur when the coal is able to absorb less energy than is released by the surrounding rock mass during the yielding process. At any stage of mining, the amount of excess energy so released is governed by the mining geometry, the overburden stress, the elastic properties of the rock mass, and the stress-strain characteristics of the seam material. If the coal in the vicinity of the working face is crushed, the peak abutment pressure occurs at some distance into the intact portions of the seam, and mining takes place in essentially destressed coal. With subsequent mining, additional yielding occurs, excess energy may be released, and the peak stress is again shifted into the solid. This process continues until the mining geometry is such that the zone of peak stress is effectively surrounded by yielding coal, at which point it can be anticipated that further mining will produce dramatic redistributions of stress and be accom¬panied by large releases of energy. On this basis, the differences between several alternatives for mining a given block of coal may be pronounced.

Jan 1, 1975

By L. D. Jaffe, W. P. Clancy, D. C. Buffum

Many earlier workers have suggested that the temper brittleness of steel is associated with the presence of carbon or nitrogen. Nevertheless, no investigations on the effect of removal of these elements upon susceptibility to temper brittleness have been published. It was therefore decided to determine whether temper brittleness would develop in an iron alloy ...__, ing very little carbon and nitrogen. The alloy, in the form of a 10-lb ingot, was prepared by melting purified materials under . argon. Its composition, in per cent, was: This analysis, except for carbon content, is within the specified range for SAE 3140, which has been demonstrated by previous work at this laboratory2 to be markedly susceptible to

Jan 1, 1950

W. M. CORSE, Mansfield, .Ohio.-We have sometimes seen in indi-vidual tests ultimate tensile strengths ass high as 55,000 lb. per. sq. in. being attained under electric furnace practice. These results, of course, average much lower than that, but with better methods of melting, can we hope to get the strength up to somewhere near the figure attained by these individual tests? C. P. KARR.--Yes, because with the electric furnace you can lessen the oxidation by means of the impurities always found in the melting. But one of the most important things in making 88-10-2 bronze of this class is to use a core-sand mold with a very open grain, so that the

Jan 12, 1919

By John J. Elango

Strain gage load cells, the most widely used type of nonmechanical weight sensor, are capable of taking measurements between 0.45-4.5 million kg (1-1 million lb) with an accuracy of 0.05%. They are available in a wide range of standard capacities, configurations, and accuracies, and special load cells may be custom-manufactured to meet unusual requirements. Typical applications include automated batch processing, process monitoring and control, mixing of powders and liquids, weighing coal or other materials in silos, and in large platform systems that weigh trucks and railcars. Because the strain gage load cell produces an electrical signal proportional to the applied load, it readily interfaces with readouts, keyboards, computer terminals, and alarm systems.

Jan 6, 1979

By B. H. Sage

ATTEMPTS have been made to predict the volumetric and phase behavior of naturally occurring hydrocarbon mix-tures1-5 but these methods have not been extended to the higher pressures and tem-peratures that are currently encountered in some producing formations. Furthermore, the methods of prediction at present avail-able have not been tested in a sufficient number of cases to ensure their applica-bility to all naturally occurring hydrocar-bon mixtures, even at the lower pressures and temperatures. For these reasons the behavior of a number of hydrocarbon mix-tures from a field in which the subsurface pressures are above 4500 lb. per sq. in.? and the temperatures are in the neighbor-hood of 250°F. was investigated.

Jan 1, 1940

By A. H. Dierker

NEXT to the metal itself, molding sand is the most important raw material used in the manufacture of steel castings. There are no accurate, figures available but probably it would be safe to say that the average steel foundry uses approximately 1000 lb. of new molding sand per ton of castings produced. With untreated sands costing from two to four dollars (in some extreme cases it may run as high as eight or ten dollars) per ton delivered at the foundry siding, molding sand is an important item in the cost of making castings, and any information that may help to reduce this sand consumption should be of interest to the industry.

Jan 1, 1929

By H. K. Martin

IN September 1954 the Lavender pit concentrator at Lowell, Ariz., began treating low grade porphyry copper ore from the nearby Lavender mine. Nominal capacity of the mill is 12,000 tpd, but production now averages 16,226 tpd. Plant design was somewhat affected by the re-use of old equipment and the substantial re-use of old buildings. A breaking-in period between June 24 and Sept. 1, 1954, was devoted to training operators and making minor changes in launders, chutes, and piping. From Sept. 1, 1954, to July 1, 1956, the mill treated 8,598,105 dry tons of ore, from which 556,541 tons of concentrate were produced, containing an indicated 144,055,185 lb of copper.

Jan 11, 1957

By J. W. Ristori, V. R. Garfias

ONE of the most serious problems now confronting Gel- many-and one that will affect Italy even more seriously if she goes to war against England and France -is that of supplying her navy, mechanized army, and air force as well as her industrial and other needs with the necessary and related products. This problem, serious even now, will become vital should hostilities on a large scale develop.

Jan 1, 1939

By M. E. Tyrrell, Alan H. Goode

The application of a simple, two-dimensional computer technique for evaluating rock burst potential in cut-and-fill stopes was investigated. The principal purpose of the study was to compare the effectiveness of high-modulus fill and destressing as aids in the control of rock bursts. Two conclusions that are probably of general applicability are drawn. First, high-modulus fill is ineffective as a means of increasing the mine stiffness and acts to control rock bursts only if it supports enough load to reduce substantially the stresses on the unmined vein material. Second, destressing is most effective if it is performed when the vein material is near the point of failure.

Jan 1, 1975