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By Charles F. King

THE only investigations on record of the reactions occurring during the Bessemer blow are of charges containing a large percentage of manganese, with the exception of two partial analyses by Snelus and Barker of the. English method, where a low percentage of manganese was used. They do not give the analysis of the spiegel, nor do they report any graphitic carbon after the first stage of the process. Both report only traces of manganese after the first stage until the addition of spiegel. The slags corresponding to the samples of metal were not analyzed.

Jan 1, 1881

By Robert T. Howard, Morris Cohen

THE purpose of this paper is to direct attention to the lower part of the austenite transformation diagram, or TTT curves, where considerable uncertainty still exists as to the blending of the bainite and martensite reactions. The dissimilarities between these two low temperature trans- formations have been summarized recently by Troiano and Greninger.1 Of particular importance to the present work is the fact that martensite formation, unlike bainite formation, is not suppressed by the fastest quenching rates attainable. However, most of the investigations in this direction have been concerned primarily with the start of the martensite transformation [(M,)] during cooling, rather than with the quantitative aspects of the subsequent reaction on either further cooling or isothermal holding. Several years ago, Cohen2 suggested a form of transformation diagram which reconciled, at least schematically, the isothermal characteristics of the bainite transformation with the insuppressible nature of the martensite transfoi mation. In essence, the diagram consisted of a family of horizontal lines (representing the progress of the austenite-martensite reaction during quenching) which were interrupted in point of time by the bainite family of C-curves extending down from higher temperatures. This picture received later support by metallographic3 and dilatmetric4,5 studies, but the techniques employed were not sufficiently critical to substantiate some of the details. Elmendorf6 and Grange and Steward7 have shown that the Greninger-Troiano metallographic techniques may be used not only for [M,] determinations, but for studying the course of further austenite decomposition. In fact, the latter investigators have observed the amount of martensite formed as a function of temperature below [M,] in fourteen commercial steels. In the present paper, the Greninger- Troiano technique has been combined with the lineal method of Howard and Cohen9 to provide a unique, quantitative treatment of the austenite-martensite reaction. Furthermore, isothermal transformations have been similarly measured on holding at temperatures above and below M,, thus permitting a fairly detailed presentation of the lower part of the conventional austenite transformation diagram. EXPERIMENTAL DETAILS Materials The steels, listed in Table I, were selected for study because they exhibit a satisfactory range of M, temperatures and have not received as much attention as the lower carbon grades. They were prepared as 30 lb induction furnace heats in the laboratories of the Vanadium-Alloys

Jan 1, 1947

By F. F. Poland

The purpose of this paper is to describe the recent applications and improvements made in the process and equipment for the recovery of metallic zinc from secondary metals by means of high temperature electric resistor furnace distillation. The process and high temperature furnace, as developed by Revere Copper and Brass Incorporated, Research and Development Department, was described in a previous paper. † Since the publication of that paper the process and equipment have been licensed to others. Consequently its field of application has been expanded, particularly for the treatment of scrap brass, galvanizers dross and scrap zinc. Other applications are being considered, particularly the melting of metallic titanium and special alloys requiring a controlled atmosphere. Consideration is also being given to modification in design that would allow the melting of copper cathodes for the production of oxygen-free and electrolytic tough pitch copper shapes without the necessity of blowing and poling. In the design of a furnace for melting copper cathodes it is intended that the fundamental principle of charging the solid material into a large pool of molten metal through a double door charging vestibule as shown in Fig 3 of the previous paper, † would be adhered to and, in addition, either dehydrated and desulphurized producer gas or commercial nitrogen, that is, approximately 96 pct nitrogen, 2 pct hydrogen 2 pct CO, also dehydrated, would be used to provide a protective atmosphere for the resistors and to flush out more soluble gases from the molten copper. The operation of a small unit producing approximately 1000 lb of copper per hr has shown that the commercial nitrogen will allow the production of tough pitch electrolytic copper when the metal is transferred from the meltdown unit contemplated to a special type induction unit where the oxygen absorption and temperature can be controlled. Standard practice in treating low grade scrap brass has been to oxidize the zinc by blowing air through the molten metal. This operation results in the recovery of approximately two-thirds or less of the zinc content of the brass in the form of an impure zinc oxide having only a fraction of the value of the zinc in metallic form. The balance of the zinc is lost to slag, fume and drosses. Fig 1 shows the revised flow sheet of the process for the treatment of scrap brass. For this application and as shown on the flow sheet a low frequency induction furnace has been substituted for the Wilkins-Poland type as a melting unit. This type of furnace has been found the most suitable for the purpose as will be shown by the following discussion. Serap Brass The melting of refinery scrap brass preparatory to distillation presents a melting problem quite different from the usual melting of brass mill scrap for recasting because refinery scrap is a heterogeneous mixture of alloys each having different melting and boiling points, and coated with a variety of corrosion products and foreign materials. In addition, brass and copper plated pieces of sheet iron, stainless steel, ceramic materials, and others are present that do not melt except at temperatures above the boiling point of the liquid bath. In the previous paper it is noted that difficulty was encountered in the melting of refinery grade scrap brass without excessive loss of zinc by volatilization and that 5 to 10 pct razorite flux was used to alleviate this condition. While this flux was successful in preventing the excessive loss of zinc by volatilization it interposed a low heat conductivity layer between the source of heat and liquid charge and resulted in lowering the melting rate of the furnace. This same problem presents itself in all types of furnaces in which the metal is heated by radiation and conduction from above the charge. It has been found in melting this type material that the melting rate per hour or per square foot of hearth area

Jan 1, 1950

By H. W. Mead, C. E. Birchenall

SELF-DIFFUSION in pure gold has been studied by Sagrubsky,1 McKay,2 Gatos and coworkers,3,4 and Okkerse.5 Sagrubsky used a sectioning technique but reported results far lower than any of the others. The work seems to be carefully done, and it appears that a factor of 60 must have been omitted in his calculations or the units misstated by an equivalent amount. McKay used a surface activity method, and Gatos and Kurtz, following Gatos and Azzam, applied autoradiography to the measurement of activity on an oblique section through the diffusion zone. These two investigations agree well with each other but give results below those reported here. Okkerse employed a very careful sectioning technique. Chemical interdiffusion in Au-Ag alloys has been measured under several concentration conditions. Average values of the diffusion coefficient for the range of 0 to 18 atomic pct Au were obtained by Braune.6 since the diffusion coefficient probably varies markedly over this range, the values may not be too useful. Also, a plot of these data suggests that grain boundary contributions may have been appreciable at the lowest temperature employed. Ebert and Trommsdorf7 give average values for 0 to 9 atomic pct Ag, and Johnson8 reports average values for 45 to 55 atomic pct Au. Johnson also measured silver and gold self-diffusion coefficients in 49.2 atomic pct Au alloys, and self-diffusion in pure silver. The self-diffusion of gold in pure silver has been determined by Jaumot and Sawatsky.10 Other measurements which do not cover a range of temperature or are of low precision are not mentioned in this account since a review by Kubaschewski is available." This contribution reports diffusion coefficients for self-diffusion in gold, self-diffusion of gold in Au-Ag alloys, and chemical diffusion in Au-Ag alloys. Although it had been intended to obtain silver self-diffusion data in the alloys it now appears unlikely that these measurements can be done soon, so a table has been worked out for a self-consistent scheme of diffusion coefficients which should not be too far from the true values. Experimental Details Experiments on pure metals were conducted using fine gold of 99.99+ pct Au and silver of the same purity. Alloys were prepared by melting the two metals together in a graphite crucible in vacuo and allowing the slug to solidify in the crucible. After machining to a cylinder about 0.85 in. diam each slug formed one half of a diffusion couple. Compositions were determined later by analyzing chips taken from the extremities of the diffusion zones. The gold used in the preparation of alloys was sometimes pure gold but was normally either in the form of clean pickled alloy from previous experiments or gold recovered by oxalic acid precipitation from warm aqueous solution. Chips from the various stages of experimentation were dissolved in aqua regia and the solution taken to low bulk, diluted with water, and again taken to low bulk before diluting for the precipitation. This precipitated gold contained a small amount of silver as the only impurity detectable by spectrographic analysis. Disks for use in diffusion couples had opposite plane faces abraded on emery paper as far as zero grit, were annealed for 12 hr at 900°C in argon, and had one face of each disk polished to 000 emery paper. Radioactive gold was plated at about 2 ma per sq cm from a small volume of cyanide solution containing 1 mg of inactive gold as a carrier. Specimens , were freshly abraded on 4/0 emery paper immediately prior to plating. In the case of the active couples disks of a similarly prepared but unplated alloy or pure metal were placed on top and welded to the active disk. With the concentration couples disks of different compositions were welded. Welding was performed after a pressure of 5,000 lb had been applied at

Jan 1, 1958

By Stuart S. Forbes

Changes and additions made to the Canadian Copper Refiners Ltd. electrolytic refinery between 1949 and 1955 are reviewed. The effect of high current density on current efficiency and section work is discussed. OPERATING and physical changes which have been made to the electrolytic tank house of Canadian Copper Refiners Ltd. suggest a review of present conditions. Previous papers1 a have described the general arrangement. Since then, expansion, closer anode spacing, and higher current densities have increased annual cathode capacity from 112,000 to 182,000 tons. A recent extension to the tank house, begun in the spring of 1954 and completed in August 1955, was undertaken to handle the monthly production of about 3,000 tons of anodes from Gasp6 Copper Mines. The anticipation of these additional receipts and large stocks of unrefined copper caused by the increase in custom smelting at Noranda made it necessary to increase production without immediately available additional cell capacity. Accordingly, from December 1954 through March 1955, the tank house was operated successfully at a current density of 24.0 amp per sq ft. Again, as of September 1955, one of the two tank house circuits is being operated at this high density. Although other refineries may operate at current densities higher than 24 amp per sq ft, none is doing so with anodes which contain silver and gold content as high as those being refined at Canadian Copper Refiners Ltd. General Arrangement The original building consisted of two parallel bays, each 660 ft long and 60 ft wide, with a 24 ft pump bay extending along the west side of the building. A previous expansion, completed in 1939, was to the west of the original building and consisted of two 60 ft parallel bays 240 ft long. The length of these two bays was extended in 1954 to 540 ft, adding one stripper and 12 commercial sections to No. 2 electrical circuit. Space is still available for an additional six commercial sections and one stripper section. Construction on these seven sections started in September 1955, and will be completed early in 1956. The tank house capacity will then be 206,000 tons of cathodes per year. In the two tank houses there is a total of 900 cells distributed as follows—commercial, 468; stripper, 36; total, 504 in the No. 1 tank house (No. 1 circuit): commercial, 360; stripper, 36; total, 396 in the No. 2 tank house (No. 2 circuit). Section arrangement consists of nine cells to a tier and two tiers or 18 cells to a section. Anodes, weighing 620 lb each, are cast with a Baltimore groove and are refined by the multiple system. Solution enters each cell through a bottom inlet at one end and overflows at the top of the opposite end. Rate of solution flow through the cells is controlled by valves at each section to 4.5 gpm. Electrical power to the tank house is now provided by nine 675 kw motor generator sets. Each set consists of a 135-12 v 5000 amp dc generator, driven by a 980 hp 2300 v synchronous motor. When No. 1 circuit is operated at 22,000 amp, five sets, at 4400 amp each, are connected in parallel. As the maximum allowable current on No. 2 electrical circuit has recently been set at 18,000 amp, only four sets are connected in parallel on No. 2 circuit. A tenth set, now being installed, will be reserved as a spare, for use in either circuit as required. Recent Changes In 1949, the annual capacity of the tank house was increased from 112,000 to 132,000 tons by closing the

Jan 1, 1957

By AIME AIME

UNDER the auspices of the Institute's Committee on Industrial Preparedness, a symposium was arranged for the Annual Meeting on the subject "Ores, Metals, and the War," with many well-known Government men and industrialists participating. Wilfred Sykes, president of the Inland Steel Co., of Chicago, presided, with C. K. Leith and Clyde Williams as vice-chairmen, Mr. Williams presiding over the latter part of the meeting. On the Auditorium stage in the Engineering Societies Building was a formidable corps of "experts," with an audience of several hundred to hear what they had to say and to ask questions.

Jan 1, 1942

By J. W. Freeman, J. P. Rowe, R. F. Decker

HEAT-to-heat variations in properties of an alloy of constant nominal chemical composition have been a perplexing problem to the metallurgist. These heat-to-heat differences have been especially baffling in high-temperature metallurgy. In order to establish fundamental reasons for these heat-to-heat variations, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics has sponsored and financially assisted an extended research program on heat-resistant alloys at the University of Michigan. As part of the program to find the contribution of processing variables, Frey, Freeman, and white' studied effects of heat treating on nickel-base alloys and Ewing and reeman' investigated effects of hot-working practice on N155 alloy. To extend the program to the study of effects of melting practice on high-temperature properties, a 55 Ni-20 Cr-15 Co-4 Mo-3 Ti-3 pct A1 composition was selected for experimentation. The objective of this program was to establish the melting-practice variables which influenced the hot-working characteristics and creep-rupture properties and, at the same time, establish the metallurgical mechanisms for the effects. During the course of the investigation of practices using vacuum melting, it became increasingly evident through chemical analyses supplied by industrial concerns that a major variable was melt reaction with the crucible. This paper is devoted to the results of this phase of the melting-practice study. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES Experimental 10-lb heats were induction melted in the University of Michigan vacuum-melting unit with the melting practices outlined in Table I. Aim analysis for the basic alloy, in wt pct, for all heats was as follows: Cr Co Mo Ti Al 20.0 15.0 4.0 3.1 3.1 Mn Si C Ni 0.12 0.12 0.08-0.15 Bal. Small amounts of boron and zirconium were added to certain heats as listed in Table I. These additions

Jan 1, 1959

By M. S. NORTH

IT may be a far cry from the days of the old horse whim, and it is relatively a long way back to hand production in factories. Modern machinery has made possible deep shaft-sinking, newer methods have increased the recovery of mineral. Technically, excavating and ore dressing have advanced as has mass production and its many ramifications in the manufacture of commercial product. To those of the mining industry who would have us believe that mining and manufacturing are totally different enterprises, it can be said that certain differences do exist. These differences rather than being fundamental are the result of adhering to past practices which were possibly sound years ago but do not measure up today. Differences in managerial control, sales, and distribution, cost finding, etc., are often so pronounced that efforts to compare or contrast are almost futile.

Jan 1, 1930

By D. Weinstein, F. C. Holtz

AS a possible method of improving the elevated temperature strength properties of zirconium, an investigation was initiated on the feasibility of producing a dispersion-strengthened material. Because of the high reactivity of zirconium, its high solubility for oxygen, and the stability of the Zr-0 solid solution, the major problem in such a development is choice of a suitable dispersant. Thus, in the present investigation we were concerned primarily with the stability of various dispersants in the zirconium matrix. The experimental procedure consisted of blending powders of zirconium and a dispersant, followed by cold compaction and extrusion. The best available source of -325 mesh zirconium powder contained between 1500 and 3500 ppm Oz; to this material, powders of zirconium carbide (5 p max), vanadium carbide (5 p max), alumina (0.03 p average), lan-thana (0.8 to 2 p), ceria (0.8 to 2 p), yttria (0.8 to 2 p), calcia (44 p rnax), or thoria (0.6 to 0.8 p) were added in amounts of 7 vol pct and compacted at 65 tsi. A cylindrical compact having a density between 70 and 80 pct of theoretical and dimensions of 1 in. diam by 1-114 in. high was thus produced. After canning in copper, these billets could be extruded (5: 1) on a 54-ton capacity, slow-traverse hydraulic press with the billet temperature at 1550°F and the extrusion die at 900°F. However, lack of densifica-tion of some of the extruded billets necessitated ratios of at least 23 :1. Ultimately, all billets were successfully extruded at 1500°F to 0.190 in. diam (32 :I), fully dense rods using a 200-ton capacity press and a ram speed of 90 ipm. The microstructures of as-extruded Zr-7 vol pct LazOS and Zr-7 vol pct Y2Os are shown in Fig. l(a) and (c), respectively. These structures are similar to all the as-extruded materials and consist of an elongated, single-phase zirconium matrix dispersed with oxide or carbide particles. Very little porosity is observed, and the interface between matrix and particles appears satisfactory. The size and distribution of particles, however, are not ideally of the type desired for dispersion strengthening. Since the primary study was of particle stability with respect to zirconium, no attempt was made to overcome agglomeration during powder blending and fabrication. Some areas exhibit fine, well-distributed particles; undoubtedly, a small proportion is submicroscopic and has the

Jan 1, 1963

By B. Post, F. W. Glaser

Three borides of zirconium have been reported: ZrB,l ZrB2,2,3 and ZrB12, 4 The phase relationships, ranges of stability, and some physical properties of these compounds are described. THE zirconium borides differ considerably from one another, particularly with respect to their relative stabilities at high temperatures in the presence of carbon.4,5 ZrB2 is extremelv stable at all temperatures (to the melting point) in contact with carbon. Both ZrB and ZrB12 tend to decompose at elevated temperatures when carbon is present in excess of about 0.5 pct. ZrB forms ZrB2 and ZrC, and ZrB12 decomposes to form ZrB2 and a boron-carbide phase. In the ZrB12 preparation, boron present in excess of that needed to form ZrB2 reacts with carbon, if present, to form carbides, in preference to forming the higher boride. Similar instability of borides, other than diborides of the transition metals of the 4th and 5th groups of the periodic table, has been reported.5,6 special precautions had, therefore, to be taken to minimize carbon contamination in the preparation of ZrB and ZrB12. Reactions below 1400°C were carried out by heating powdered mixtures of zirconium hydride and boron in quartz tubes in a hydrogen atmosphere. For temperatures above 1400°C, reactions were carried out in graphite molds. Carbon contamination from the molds was minimized by employing extremely rapid heating rates to reduce carbon diffusion into the body of the specimen, and by subsequent "shaving" of sample surfaces that had been in contact with the graphite dies. A heating rate of about 2000°C per min was obtained by heating the dies (by direct conduction), using a current of 40,000 amp. Although this type of heating cycle apparently allowed little time for "homogenization," close approximations to equilibrium conditions were usually obtained as a result of the very strongly exothermic reactions between zirconium hydride and boron at elevated temperatures. Reproducibility of results in repeated runs under varying conditions was taken as a reasonable indication that equilibrium conditions had been effectively achieved. Quenching was accomplished by rapidly immersing the entire die, containing the reaction products, in water. Specimens could also be cooled at controlled rates by adjustment of the rate of flow of water through the water-cooled copper electrodes in contact with the graphite dies.

Jan 1, 1954

By G. S. Brooks

WITH the gradual depletion of the natural-gas pools of the Kansas district, together with the uncertainty of further cheap fuel developments, some. of the western zinc companies turned to the coal fields, attracted by their permanency and the 'success of the Matthiessen & Hegeler Co. and the Illinois Zinc Co. Being then confronted with the problem of using a relatively high-priced fuel, although the ultimate' supply was very great, the fuel economies of the kilns and furnaces became of far more importance, and the more modern equipments, as a result, embodied distinct gads in this phase of the business. In addition, there have been some pronounced advances in the actual making of gas from these coals. Increased efficiency in gas making has contributed its share to lowering costs and those plants located in the higher priced fuel districts have probably been obliged to study these economies somewhat more closely. Naturally, many beneficial changes have resulted in both practice and apparatus in these sections. On, certain western coals, for instance, the actual saving in fuel consumption has been 50 per cent. By this is meant that, where about 1.75 tons were burned to smelt 1 ton of oxidized ore, 0.7 to 0.9 ton is now required. While comparisons by W. R. Ingalls1 of fuel economies in smelting in this country and Germany before the war may, in general, be correct, they do not appear to-do justice to the more progressive. American practice. It is doubtful whether German plants were substantially bettering these fuel ratios. Data furnished by Bender and Frams do not afford records averaging less than 0.9 ton coal per ton ore on materials from 40 per cent. to 50 per cent. zinc.

Jan 9, 1919

For more than 100 years, the Republic of Chile has been one of the leading copper-producing countries of the world. Between 1877 and 1880 Chile accounted for over 50 pet of total world copper production. Today it has the world's largest known reserves of copper ore and a capability of producing over 600,000 tons per year. This capacity can and will be increased as the world demand for copper grows steadily during the remaining years of this century. The Potrerillos mine of Andes Copper Mining Co., a subsidiary of The Anaconda Co., was developed in the rugged, high Cordilleras in the early 1920's, and the townsite, concentrator, leaching plants, smelter, railroad, power and port facilities were completed so that it came into full production in 1927. Since then and until the closing o f the mine in June of last year, 1,762,192 tons o f copper were produced.

Jan 4, 1960

By H. H. Kellogg

A model of the slag-fuming process for recovery of zinc oxide fume from lead blast furnace slags, adapted to solution by a digital computer, is presented. The model incorporates the variaticm with time of the following: the fuming of zinc and lead, the change in the ferrous-ferric ratio in the slag, the transfer of sulfur to and from the slag, the temperature of the liquid slag, the temperature of the gases and fume which exit to the flue, the heat losses to the water jackets, and the amount of frozen slag on the water jackets. The assumptions which underlie the model-some of which are but crude approximations—are discussed. Despite some obvious shortcomings, the model simulates faithfully many of the important features of practical slag-fuming operations. The behavior of the model is compared with the operation of the American Smelting and Refining Co. fumzace at El Paso, Tex. The model is used to predict the effects on performance of changes in the coal rate, the temperature of the secondary air, and the composition of the coal. THE fuming of lead blast furnace slag for recovery of zinc oxide is standard practice today, and it has been the subject of several previous attempts at mathematical process analysis.'-' The mathematical process model described in this paper incorporates many of the features from the earlier studies, but it is a far more complete and realistic representation of the commercial process in that the following additional features have been included: the fuming of lead as well as zinc; the transfer of sulfur between slag and gas; the addition of slag feed in batches, over a period of time; tapping of the final slag over a period of time; the change of slag temperature with time. The additional features of the present model add greatly to the mathematical complexity, but this difficulty has been obviated by programming the model for solution by a digital computer. The IBM 7094 computer solves the model for one operating cycle of the fuming furnace in less than 1 min. It is doubtful if the same calculations could be completed with the aid of a desk calculator in less than a month. The computer program, written in the Fortran IV language, is too lengthy for presentation here.* Instead, this paper As shown in the sections which follow, it does simulate with remarkable faithfulness most of the known behavior of the industrial process. On the other hand, the model contains several gross simplifications of both the chemistry and heat balance, necessitated by the lack of more exact knowledge. In addition to these known weaknesses, it is not unlikely that those more intimately acquainted with industrial practice than the author will find other additions to or modifications of the model which will improve its utility and reliability. CHEMISTRY In brief outline, the present model treats the fuming furnace as two units, A and B, in series. In A the batch of slag reacts with the continuous stream of air (primary and secondary) and fuel injected at the tuyeres, to produce a stream of hot, reduced gases containing zinc vapor. The zinc content of both the slag and the product gas changes with time because of the batch nature of the process. Unit A is called the "lower furnace" in this paper; physically, it is considered to be that part of the fuming furnace which lies below the charge port. In B, the "upper furnace", the product gas from A is burned with the stream of "tertiary" air, to produce zinc oxide fume. The performance of B also depends on time because of the time dependence inherited from the product gas of A. The rate behavior in the lower furnace determines the important features of the process—the rate of elimination of zinc and lead from the slag, and the amount of fuel required for this purpose. Bell, Turner, and peters' published the first useful model of the lower furnace. They employed the assumption that, at any instant of time, the slag and reduced gas reach a state of equilibrium, according to the reactions: They cited only indirect evidence in support of their assumption of slag-gas equilibrium, yet several more recent laboratory studies of the activity of zinc oxide in slags4-8 have produced evidence which supports their view. On first acquaintance it seems unlikely that a high-output "rate" process like slag fuming would even approach an equilibrium state. The author, in an earlier study,' established, however, that the gas-slag interface in a fuming furnace was capable of such high mass-transfer rates that a close approach to equilibrium between gas and slag was quite probable. In devising the present model it was decided to assume a state of equilibrium between slag and gas at the outset, and then to modify this assumption as necessary in order to make the model agree with the be -havior of the actual process. Up to this time the assumption remains a part of the model, since no behavior

Jan 1, 1968

By A. L. Engel

STRICTLY speaking, ore-dressing does not commence until after the ore is in the mill bins, but where complex ores are treated and their minerals separated to make the best commercial concentrate with the lowest economical tailing, ore-dressing problems begin and often center in the mine itself. This does not refer to the grade of the ore, but rather to the frequent condition in which metallurgical results radically different from customary are obtained because of changes in the character of the ore treated. Different varieties of ore can usually be identified as coming from well-defined depths or zones in the mine, or from known sections of the orebody. Varying degrees of alteration of the ore, inclusions of harmful gangue material, or variations in the quantities of component metallic minerals are often causes of temporarily bad metallurgical results in otherwise successfully operated plants, especially those employing differential flotation to. recover several valuable minerals contained in the ore.

Jan 1, 1931

By P. C. Keith

IT is difficult to talk about atomic energy and the engineer without repeating a number of phrases that have been worn smooth with use Mr John M. Hancock has spoken to you of the two-sidedness of atomic energy, one useful, and the other destructive. If a control plan of the type that he has outlined is adopted it will be perfectly possible to go ahead with the peacetime development of atomic energy Failing the adoption of such a plan, emphasis will of necessity be placed upon the perfection of atomic energy as a weapon of destruction I want to speak, however, in the hope that atomic energy will be developed for peace-time use, and speak about the role of the engineer Before I can do that I must, outline the framework within which the engineer must work, and then I would like to go back and tell of some of the things that he has done, in the hope that that may throw some light on what he may be expected to do in the future Last year the McMahon Committee the Senate Committee charged with drafting domestic atomic-energy legislation-held extensive hearings in an effort to strike a balance between the negative attitude of what to do about atomic energy and the positive attitude of what to do with it Out of these hearings grew the United States Atomic Energy Act, calling for a civilian commission to exercise control over all atomic-energy activities in this country As you

Jan 1, 1947

Economic Significance of High-grade Concentrates BY PAUL M TYLER AND CARLE R HAYWARD (Min & Met, Dec, 563 4000 words) Generally pyro¬mctallurgical methods yield a higher recovery but cost more per ton of ore treated Milling methods are inherently cheaper for the reason that they do not involve dissipa¬tion of heat energy in slag formation, ctc It is vaguely realized that the smelter man could do a better job if he were supplied with purer raw materials but hard¬headed mill men have been offered little inducement to do a really good job of cleaning concentrates To do this may involve some sacrifice in percentage yield and in mill capacity and unless there is a compensating saving in freight and smelter charges, it simply is not good business to go beyond a certain point in the way of making clean concentrate Opportunities exist for eliminating one or more steps in the expensive series of processes for recovering various metals, or at least reducing the volume of materials that has to be handled at the most costly steps The beneficiation of nonmetallic minerals likewise affords numerous examples of over-all economies obtainable through more refined methods of mechanical improvement All this leads to the conclusion that perfecting selective processes for isolating pure minerals (e g, galena) virtually free from other sulfides as well as gangue may be productive of industrial economies Conversely, cheapening smelting methods may invade the field of mechanical improvement of ores but, as Kiphng said, that is another story

Jan 1, 1937

By J. D. Livingston, H. E. Cline

The lamellar-dendritic transition in Sn-Pb alloys near the eutectic composition has been studied at high growth rates. Lamellar structures were found over a substantial range of tin-rich compositions, and this range extended to increasingly tin-rich concentrations as growth rate increased. These results are discussed in terms of stability and competitive-growth arguments. Various experimental and structural limitations to the rate of directional solidification are discussed. The rate of heat removal at the heat sink is the major experimental limitation. ReCENT interet1,2 in the use of fine composite structures produced by directional solidification of eutectic alloys makes it important to determine the range of composition and growth conditions that yield such microstructures. Because increasing growth velocities produce increasingly finer microstructures, it is particularly significant to determine the factors limiting the rate of solidification. Mollard and Flemings3 have shown that composite structures, free of primary dendrites, can be obtained in Sn-Pb alloys of off-eutectic composition. The composition range of composite structures was found to increase with increasing values of G/V, where G is the temperature gradient and V is the growth velocity. These results are in good quantitative agreement with an analysis of the stability of a planar eutectic interface.4 This analysis specifically predicts that over a small range of compositions stable lamellar structures will be obtained even for G/V = 0, hence, even at very high growth rates. The lamellar-dendritic transition in Sn-Pb alloys has also been analyzed with a model based on competitive growth between dendrites and the composite structure.576 This treatment, based on earlier work on organic eutetics,7 predicts that the composition range yielding composite structures in Sn-Pb will increase rapidly at high growth rates. An increase in the composition range of composite structures at high growth rates was recently observed in Cu-Pb alloys near the monotectic composition.8 In view of these results, and the predictions of the stability and competitivegrowth analyses, it was decided to study the lamellar-dendritic transition in Sn-Pb alloys at high growth rates. EXPERIMENTAL Using 99.999 pct pure materials, a series of Sn-Pb alloys were prepared containing 16.8 at. pct to 27.6 at. pct lead. (Eutectic composition is 26.1 at. pct Pb.) Ingots were extruded to 0.175 in. rod, and some rod was drawn to 0.070-in. wire. Directional solidification was accomplished in two different ways, Fig. 1. For growth rates up to 2 x 10-1 cm per sec, a 0.175 in. diam sample was placed in a graphite crucible 5 in. long with 0.250 in. OD and 0.035 in. walls. Samples were melted under flowing argon in a vertical, platinum-wound furnace, and solidified by driving the crucible downwards through a \ in. hole in a water-cooled copper toroid, Fig. l(a). An insulated chromel-alumel thermocouple was imbedded in the center of a representative sample, and moved with the sample during solidification. The local temperature is plotted against the distance travelled by the sample in Fig. 2. As the growth rate increased, the solid-liquid interface moved closer to the water-cooled toroid and the temperature gradient increased. At growth rates above 10-1' cm per sec, heat was not removed fast enough and the sample moved into the toroid in the liquid state. The curve for V = 2 x 10-1 cm per sec shows a plateau caused by incomplete removal of latent heat from the interface, a problem which will be discussed later. To improve the heat removal, the toroid was cooled by nitrogen gas precooled in liquid nitrogen. This allowed successful solidification at rates up to 2 x 10-1cm per sec. Higher solidification rates required still more effective heat removal. Samples 0.070 in. in diam were placed in graphite tubes 0.125 in. in diam with 0.020 in. walls. Instead of cooling by sliding contact with a cooled toroid, these thinner samples were sprayed or directly immersed into water, Fig. l(b). After solidification, samples were stored in liquid nitrogen until they could be examined metallographic-ally. The surface was prepared with a diamond-knife microtome, followed by a light etch. The presence or absence of tin dendrites, Fig. 3, or lead dendrites, Fig. 4, was noted by optical microscopy, usually of a transverse section near the center of the sample. Replicas of the surface were prepared and examined in an electron microscope to resolve the fine lamellar structures, Fig. 5. The structures observed at various compositions and growth rates are summarized in Fig. 6. Composite structures were observed at increasingly cin-rich compositions as growth rate increased. This transition from dendritic to composite structure with increasing growth rate was also demonstrated by solidifying half a sample at a slow rate and then suddenly increasing the growth rate by lifting the furnace and quenching the sample with a water spray. A longitudinal section of this sample, Fig. 7, shows that the tin dendrites, which extended ahead of the slow-moving composite interface, were bypassed by the composite when the growth rate was increased. The range of composite structures at high growth rates was limited by the appearance of primary lead dendrites on the tin-rich side of the eutectic composition. Observation of representative longitudinal

Jan 1, 1970

By Arthur F. TQggQrt

THE approximate status of education in ore dressing in 1871 is reflected by Rossiter W. Raymond in an article written at that time presenting the curricula and descriptions of the laboratories at the various mining schools in the United States. For the most part, the curricula in which ore dressing was taught were for mining engineering. They comprised courses in geology, mining, and pyrometallurgy about equal in point or credit weights; a short course in ore dressing, and a somewhat longer course in assaying; and courses in surveying, hydraulics, power, and strength of materials-all superimposed on a broad foundation of physics, chemistry, and mathematics. Some curricula contained a fair content of the humanities. Then, as now, the emphasis on fundamentals was greater in the older colleges and universities. The report on the Columbia School of Mines, then relatively young, emphasized that a large percentage of its students were college graduates. As technical and scientific knowledge grew, first metallurgy and then geology were set up as separate curricula. So far as curriculum designation is con-

Jan 1, 1947

By Terry G. Richard, Vernal H. Kenner, Sunder H. Advani

This paper presents and discusses the results of thirty-one fracture toughness tests on Pennsylvanian Age Clay Shale. Two different orientations for this anisotropic material were studied and two series of tests were conducted, namely, 1. a test series to determine the effect of moisture content on fracture toughness, and 2. a test series to study mixed mode fracture. Increased absorbed moisture is found to reduce fracture toughness. Several analyses of mixed mode failure are found to give varying non-conservative predictions of failure stress intensity level.

Jan 1, 1982

By W. D. Roberts

INTERGRANULAR corrosion of metals and alloys has been extensively investigated and the current conclusions are summarized in the Symposium on Stress-Corrosion Cracking of Metals.' It appears, however, that the relative importance of the various factors involved in the mechanism is still obscure. Several recent, independent studies, in combination with available X ray data op preferred orientation, indicate that there may be a direct correlation between relative orientation of contiguous grains and susceptibility to intergranular corrosion. The object of the present note is to show the nature

Jan 1, 1951