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By Donald Barton

THIS paper outlines a time-saving graphical method of calculation for application to the interpretation of observations with the Eötvös torsion balance. Preliminary to the treatment of this short cut method which has been found practicable, the principal formu-las by which the student of interpretation can calculate the gradient and differential curvature produced by different types of bodies in different types of situa-tions are presented and discussed. It is necessary to split most geologic bodies into a series of simpler ones for which not too complicated formulas are avail-able. The gradient and differential curvature effects are calculated for each of the simple bodies and then summed to the total effect for the whole body. The calculations are considerable in number and, though more tedious than difficult, should be' entrusted to an experienced calculator. Considerable facility in qualitative interpretation can be acquired by the geophysicist from experience and from a thorough study of the types of gradient and differential curvature anomalies produced by the dif-ferent types of possible structural situations. How-ever, semi-quantitative calculations' of the probable structure bring out many relations that are not evident in a simple inspection of torsion balance results ; it throws out as impossible or improbable certain of the alternative structural possibilities that may seem equally probable under simple inspection of the results; it will determine more accurately the position of the crest of the structure; and reduce considerably the un-certainty in the interpretation and it is necessary to intelligent interpretations. The calculation of such cross-sections consists of a trial-and-error calculation of a body that will give gradient and differential curvature effects as closely as possible the same as those observed. From his knowledge of the gradient and differential curvature produced by different types of bodies, the geophysicist sketches a tentative cross-section of the structure as indicated-to him-by the observed results of the torsion balance survey, and the calculator then splits the struc-ture into blocks, and calculates the gradient and differ-ential curvature block by block. If, as rather usual, the calculated .gradient and differential curvature pro-files diverge considerably from, the respective observed ones, it is necessary to add and subtract blocks from the cross-section until a close agreement is obtained .between the calculated and observed profiles. The com-plete calculations have to be gone through for each block that is added or subtracted.

Jan 9, 1928

By Otto Henry

THE purpose of this investigation was to determine the equilibrium diagram of the lithium-magnesium pair as a first step in studying the possible usefulness of these alloys as ultra-light structural materials. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE The behavior of lithium towards magnesium was first investigated by Masing and Tammann.(I)? In order to prevent oxidation the alloys were made in iron tubes under an atmosphere of hydrogen; temperatures were measured with a glass-protected thermocouple. These investigators found that lithium and magnesium form two series of solid solutions separated by a miscibility gap between 85 and 95 per cent magnesium; that the alloys with 81 and 95 per cent magnesium showed a homogeneous structure under microscopic examination, while the alloy with 89 per cent magnesium contained two distinguishable crystallites; that the curve indicating the beginning of crystallization rises from the melting point of lithium to that of magnesium; and that no compounds of lithium and magnesium are formed. The equilibrium diagram was not plotted because no definite data were obtained for determining the solidus and the posi-tion of the miscibility gap in the solid state. The difficulties encountered in this investigation were: (1) that it was necessary to heat them as high as the melting point of magnesium in order to obtain homogeneous melts; at such temperatures the alloys attacked the glass protecting the thermo-couple; and (2) that at temperatures above 400° C. the lithium united

Jan 1, 1934

By R. W. Mancantelli, J. R. Woodward

IN 1947 a large low grade deposit of uranium was located in the northwest corner of Saskatchewan, in the Beaverlodge property of Eldorado Mining & Refining Ltd. Most of the values occur as thin seams and as coatings on other minerals, and the ore, which is light and friable, is not amenable to the usual gravity methods of concentration. The acid leaching process developed to retreat the company's Port Radium tailings was also impractical, as the percentage of carbonates is high and the percentage of sulphides relatively low. Construction of the mill building and installation of equipment, both scheduled for 1952, awaited selection of a satisfactory ore dressing process on or before Oct. 1, 1951. An extensive research program on dressing of ores from the Ace mine therefore was undertaken by the Mines Branch in Ottawa, a research team at the University of British Columbia, and an ore dressing group at the company's Port Hope refinery. Pilot plant operations were conducted at the Ottawa plant of Sherritt Gordon Mines Ltd. under the general direction of C. S. Parsons, consultant on metallurgy and ore dressing for Eldorado. In mid-September, having compared results of the several research programs, Dr. Parsons recommended a process employing a carbonate or basic leach. He reported that, while the chemistry of the process had been proved, engineering of the flowsheet was incomplete, and he suggested that under normal conditions further pilot plant work at the Ace mine might be profitable. However, since this would involve a delay of 12 to 18 months in bringing the property into operation, he recommended that design of the concentrator proceed immediately. Concentrator capacity was determined by two considerations: 1) the amount of ore then available and 2) the expectation that continued improvements would be made in the ore dressing process as a result of the intensive research being carried out by the Mines Branch of the Department of Mines and Technical Surveys. As these improvements could affect both the chemistry and the en-

Jan 1, 1956

By S. E. Craig

UPON entering the Uranium Field it was a pleasant surprise to find almost absent two factors that have always been a problem to the lead-zinc miner: 1) milling cost per ton, and 2) transportation cost to the milling site. Another interesting condition was the fixed price for the product. Under such conditions it seems rather simple to calculate the economics of a mining venture when grade and tonnage of a uranium ore deposit is known. That is assuming, of course, there is a market for the ore. It has been quite generally assumed by operators that a guaranteed price carried with it a guaranteed market, a subject about which there has been a great deal of discussion in the past several months. The fixed price for uranium in crude ore, calculated to U3O8, varies only slightly in value per pound from rather low grade ore to rather high grade ore. It is by taking advantage of this slight variation in price per pound in certain ranges that miners and shippers may increase substantially the monthly returns from ore shipments.

Jan 7, 1958

[ ] John M. Davis has left Western Machinery Co. to take a job as project engineer with Baroid Sales Div., National Lead Co., and is now located at Houston, Texas. C. W. Allen, general manager of the mining dept. of the Cleveland Cliffs Iron Co., visited the firm's iron mines on the Mesabi iron range of Minnesota recently. Thomas P. Anderson, mining engineer and geologist, has resigned from the Raw Materials Div. of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission where he was assistant chief of the Denver Exploration Branch. He will enter private practice in Golden, Colo. James E. Atkinson, consulting mining engineer and geologist, left New York for Colombia, S. A., as general manager for Cia Minera Choco-Pacifico, S. A., operating five dredges in gold and platinum on the Pacific coast of Colombia. Russell H. Bennett has been elected a director of Placer Development, Ltd. with head office in Vancouver, B. C., and is also a director of its subsidiary, Canadian Exploration, Ltd., which mines and mills lead, zinc, and tungsten ores at a property near Salmo, B. C.

Jan 1, 1952

By Leo Horvitz

PETROLEUM and natural gas are composed principally of the saturated hydrocarbons ranging from methane, the lightest, to nonvolatile liquids and solids containing approximately thirty-five carbon atoms. A technique for locating buried accumulations of these hydrocarbons before drilling obviously requires that some of the hydrocarbons leave the deposit and migrate toward the surface of the earth where they may be detected in their original form. Earliest attempts to link near surface hydrocarbons to petroleum at depth were apparently made by Laubmeyer1 in Germany and by Sokolov2 in Russia. These investigators collected samples of soil air from boreholes one to two meters deep and analyzed them for traces of hydrocarbons. They found that soil air over producing areas is richer in these constituents than is soil air over barren areas.

Jan 12, 1954

By J. W. King

URANIUM ore was first discovered in the Edge-mont district of the southern Black Hills in the summer of 1951. The discovery was not made known for some time, but after the news leaked out prospecting became intense, and several hundred claims were staked in the spring of 1952. The Hot Springs Sub Office of the Atomic Energy Commission was established at that time and airborne radiometric surveys were commenced by the Government and by private companies. During the succeeding summer another important discovery was made by private airborne surveys in the northern Black Hills, and the area favorable for uranium ore was expanded many times. Between that summer of 1952 and the present, many individuals and groups have explored, developed, and exploited their claims until now uranium ore is produced in significant quantities and substantial reserves have been developed. The Black Hills portion of the geologic map of the U. S. issued by the U. S. Geological Survey is shown in Fig. 1. Sedimentary formations are exposed as a series of cuestas and hogbacks in a roughly annular pattern with the older sediments resting on the pre-Cambrian core, which is exposed in the eastern and southern portions of the dome. The South Dakota-Wyoming state line bisects the area from north to south. The Cheyenne River crosses the southern tip of the Black Hills and the Little Missouri bounds them roughly on the north. Headquarters of the AEC in the Black Hills is the Sub Office at Hot Springs, S. D. An ore buying station is located in Edgemont, 28 miles to the southwest, where a mill is presently under construction. The area of original uranium ore discovery and of principal activity in the southern Hills is a few miles north of Edgemont. Several areas of anomalous radioactivity have been noted between Dewey, S. D., and Newcastle, Wyo. A limited amount of ore has come from the Dewey area and private exploration is active there. The Carlile deposit, largest producing mine in the northern Black Hills to date, lies northwest of the Belle Fourche River near the western extremity of the Hills. Two of the larger known orebodies of the area are located near the Little Missouri River where a small window exposes the favorable strati-graphic horizon of the Fall River sandstone. Small production has recently come from Barlow Canyon, near Devils Tower, Wyo., Fig. 2, and numerous areas of anomalous radioactivity are known in the vicinity. Three producing deposits and scattered radioactivity are found along the state line east of Aladdin, Wyo. Several areas of weakly anomalous radio-

Jan 1, 1957

By Harold J. Bennett

A comprehensive knowledge of the availability of mineral resources to evaluate and assure a dependable supply is a prerequisite in establishing and maintaining a viable national economy. Since no nation is self-sufficient in all its mineral needs, its prosperity depends to a great degree upon its developing and maintaining an effective national minerals policy. This must be preceded by a systematic inventory of mineral resources that may be available to that nation. The U.S. Bureau of Mines is implementing a mineral deposit inventory program of domestic and foreign mineral occurrences, with initial emphasis on the domestic. In order to provide an in-depth appraisal of minerals availability, the approach includes not only realistic estimates of quantity and quality, but other essential factors such as costs, technology, environmental constraints, and development-time requirements. Analysis of this information provides usable relationships of quantity, price, time, and associated degrees of confidence of the occurrence of identifiable mineral resources. Keeping pace with a changing minerals industry and handling the large volume of information required in this undertaking demands that computer methods be employed.

Jan 1, 1977

By W. D. BRENNAN

AS a rule the thoughts of engineers are more often directed toward the mechanical and physical conditions of mining practice than they are toward the disposition and the marketing of the product. This, I think, has been true of the coal industry to the present time not only among the engineering force but also generally true of operators. There has been a tendency to place the sales department in a rather secondary position; for a great many years there was a greater demand for coal than the supply would meet, so it was only necessary to increase production: either by expansion of operating mines, or opening new mines of greater capacity. While the production of coal is still a highly important phase of the industry, its enormous development throughout the country, the great advance in fuel, efficiency and economy, and the discovery of new reserves of competitive fuels have combined to create a buyers' market and force the present-day attention upon merchandising in modern ways. A buyers' market has a natural tendency to develop the keenest competition, frequently unscrupulous and nearly always profit-wrecking. Under such conditions bad practices are bound to grow and to extend until the industry is wrecked, or until wiser heads get together to reduce or eliminate unfair methods of competition. This is not so recent a condition as one might believe.

Jan 1, 1931

By S. W. Nabbs, W. D. Bachman, A. W. Last

A study has been made of wet, autogenous grinding of disseminated copper ores, including testing of a large number of samples from. Kennecott Copper Corp.'s Chino mine. The grindability of the various samples was found to vary over an extremely wide range, even among samples taken from diflerent locations within the same ore body. These variations in grindability can be qualitatively correlated with the composition of the rock and the fracturing and alteration that had occurred. Because of the large-scale nonhomogeneity of disseminated copper ore bodies, extensive and careful testing of autogenous grinding is needed. An accurate correlation of the grinding data from various samples with the geology of the ore body and with mining plans will indicate if variations in grinding mill throughput can be avoided in practice by mixing or blending of mill feed and if, therefore, autogenous grinding can be applied successfully. In the past 15 years, comminution by primary autogenous grinding has been investigated and applied economically in the minerals industry, particularly in iron-ore processing. Successful application of primary grinding is described by A. A. Dor,l.' P. B. Dettmer,334 R. R. Turner, and W. F. McDermott." other authors describing the advantages of primary grinding include H. Hardinge,' R. T. Hukki,' D. S. Coyle" and F. C. Bond,"," to mention only a few. For the past several years, Kennecott Copper Corp.'s Metal Mining Div. Research Center has been investigating primary grinding of disseminated copper ores. Both fully autogenous and semi-autogenous grinding has been explored. Ores from three of Kennecott's western operating properties and from several development properties have been tested. Host rocks include diabase, schist, silicated and argillaceous limestones, shale, granite porphyry, quartzite, and granodiorite. The object of this paper is to supplement the general knowledge in the field of primary grinding by presenting information gained from the studies with the various disseminated copper ores. Data are presented which show that carefully considered test programs are required to determine the practicality of applying autogenous grinding to a specific mining-beneficiation operation. Particularly this is so if more than one rock type occurs within an ore body or if there are wide variations in the degree of rock alteration within a deposit. Extensive sampling and subsequent testing of the ores within a mine are required if serious pitfalls are to be avoided and good engineering data acquired. We hope that this presentation will stimulate studies to increase the understanding of the fracturing process applicable to large pieces of rock, a factor which is important in autogenous grinding. Test Facilities and Procedures Both pilot-scale and full-scale test facilities were used to investigate primary grinding characteristics of the disseminated copper ores. A 6-ft Hardinge Cascade mill, a 24-ft Hardinge Cascade mill, and a 5-ft Aerofall mill were used in the studies. The Cascade mills were operated wet, while the Aerofall mill was operated both wet and dry. The Cascade mills were operated both for fully autogenous and for semi-autogenous grinding; the Aerofall mill was operated only semi-autogenously. Fully autogenous grinding, as the term is used in this presentation, is defined as the direct grinding of coarsely crushed rock by the action of the rock mass. Semi-autogenous grinding is defined as the grinding of coarsely crushed rock with the rock mass supplemented by a steel ball charge. Most of the test work was done using the 6-ft Cascade mill, operated under fully autogenous grinding conditions. Only limited testing was conducted with the 5-ft Aerofall mill and only one ore was tested using the 24-ft Cascade mill. This presentation is concerned, therefore, primarily with fully autogenous, pilot-scale grinding in the Cascade mill. Fig. 1 presents a diagram of the test facilities used with the 6-ft Cascade mill. Principal test equipment consists of a 6-ft Cascade mill, an 18-in. spiral classifier, an elevator, a 2 x 9-ft belt feeder, a conventional integrating kilowatt-hour meter, and a recording wattmeter. In testing, feed charges, adjusted as to weight, were deposited as evenly as possible on the belt feeder every 15 min. The weight of each charge was adjusted to maintain a mill charge of 27 to 30% of mill volume. The classifier was adjusted to obtain the desired size-consist of the final product, generally at 20% + 100 mesh. After equilibrium was established in the circuit, the feed, mill discharge, classifier sand, and classifier overflow were sampled and their size distributions determined. During the sampling periods, the power drawn by the mill was measured to determine the energy consumed in the reduction of the size consist of the ore solids. Fully Autogenous Pilot Grinding Tests on Various Kennecott Ores Typical test results obtained in the 6-ft Cascade mill with samples from Kennecott's Ray Mines Div., Chino Mines Div., Utah Copper Div., and a development property designated as Mine A are presented in Table 1. As shown, the ores that were ground most easily in the pilot-scale mill were composite mine samples obtained

Jan 1, 1971

By Henry Howe

§1. FOUR ASPECTS OF FLOW in the plastic deformation of steel by overstrain, such as punching, wire-drawing, tensile rupture, etc., are: (1) The inter-granular, i.e., the relative movements of the several grains, each as a whole; (2) the intra-granular, i.e., the relative movements of the masses of ferrite or cementite and pearlite within those grains; (3) the intra-pearlitic, i.e., the relative movements of the pearlitic ferrite and cementite; and (4) the crystal unit slipping, i.e., the travel of the minute units past each other, along the slipping planes, giving rise to the slip bands of Ewing and Rosenhain. It may be objected justly that (2), (3), and (4) are in a sense "intra-granular," and that (4) is in a sense "intra-pearlitic." Hence clearness may be gained at times by calling these "Movements of the 2d, 3d, and 4th orders" respectively.

Jan 4, 1914

By Philip D. Wilson

SPEED is essentiaI in this war program and it is hard to keep up with developments. When the title of this paper was chosen, the contemplated magnesium production for which plants were then under construction was some 200,000 tons of metal per year or sixty times the 3350-ton production in prewar 1939. A few- days later an analysis of the President's 185,000-plane pro-gram, incendiary bomb schedules, and the additional requirements of the Army. Navy and Maritime Commission made it apparent that a much greater amount of magnesium must be provided in 1943. The new figures are huge but the censor will not per-mit their disclosure.

Jan 1, 1942

By W. Spencer Reid

ALTHOUGH there have been some developments during the last five years which have had far- reaching and important bearing on lead smelting, it cannot be said that any basic principles of pyrometal-lurgy have been discovered. Eighteen or twenty years ago the Dwight & Lloyd sintering machine was intro-duced and literally turned the roasting end of lead smelting upside down. There has been nothing com-parable to the advent of the sintering machine during recent years. Actual blast-furnace practice today is slightly, if any, better than it was five years ago ; although immeas-urably better than it was twenty to thirty years ago. Some tell us that as far as cleanness of slags is con-cerned, it is no better today than in the days of the old Romans. The metallurgist of a generation ago did very good work, considering the equipment he had available. It is true he was working with the cream of the ores, the clean oxides and carbonates and the low-zinc sul-fides. He was troubled very little with high zinc and selected his type of slag according to preference of -some authority such as Eilers, Iles, Raht, Hahn, etc. As these free-smelting ores were depleted the complex ores were encountered, and the metallurgist gradually discovered that he had to forget the old type slags and run a slag according to the percentage of zinc on the charge. I believe it is now universally agreed that SiO2 and CaO must be lowered and FeO raised in a slag as the ZnO increases. The ratio of these variations is practically uniform and can be relied upon over wide fluctuations of the determining element, zinc. These "bastard" slags, as they are sometimes inappropriately designated, are actually in daily use, and the metallurgist of today has been forced to adopt certain standards, as a guide to successful operation. These slags practically refute the old Eilers' theory that all good slags are chemical combinations of SiO2 with FeO and MnO, and CaO and MgO. Eilers' and the other type-slag theories were based upon the assumption that a good slag must con-form to a definite formula, such as 3 (FeO)2 SiO2 + 2 (CaO)2 SiO2 or 2 (FeO)2 SiO2 + 2 (CaO)2 SiO2 which respectively figure 31.3 and 36 per cent SiO2. The SiO2 was supposed to remain constant even with the entrance of impurities such as Zn and A1,0? into the slag. The increasing amount of impurities, espe-cially Zn, soon discredited the theory, for in actual practice the slag failed to run freely.

Jan 1, 1927

By Lyman H. Hart

Some of the significant facts that will affect the supply and demand for metals during the next few decades are given in this presentation. This is important because the only hope for intelligent guidance of the national destiny depends upon presenting a consistent and accurate picture of basic problems. The metals problems now fomenting are only slightly less important than those precipitating the energy crisis. Admittedly, it is difficult to generate serious thinking on this subject when the world is enjoying easy access to all metals at modest prices. This is possible because of the current world capacity to over-produce, and United States credit standing, at least up to now, has permitted buying freely on world markets. Although both these vital conditions are subject to change, there is little doubt that if the U.S. financial house is kept in order, we can muddle along for a while on a generally expanding, metal-based economy. But should our credit standing be permitted to collapse, or should there be a tightening of world supplies of metals, the nation would immediately find itself in trouble. Unfortunately, clear signals indicate that both of these conditions are threatening. The metal age started many centuries ago, and with the exception of the noble metals, barely a dent was made in world reserves until the present century. Then, as a result of the pioneering ideas of D. C. Jackling and Paul Gemmel, and the willingness of the McNeals, Penroses and Guggenheims to back ideas with money, a virtual explosion of metal production was propagated throughout the world. It is important to examine the causes of this expansion to determine whether it is a trend that may be sustained or whether it is anomalous and therefore attributable to circumstances not likely to be repeated or continued. This period of plenty is a once only phenomenon. Vast metal resources have been sitting around here for eons, while the world was unaware of or unconcerned with their existence. But when population began to grow exponentially, and ways were discovered to use metals to develop machines to do the work of men and animals, the exploitation of raw materials increased at a staggering rate. And now the realization is dawning that minerals are a wasting asset and are beginning to present supply problems that should begin to be of concern. Two main factors have caused this condition; One is the population growth, and the other is the expanding demand for irreplaceable raw materials as nations become more developed. A group of systems analysts, at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in a book Limits of Growth, has warned that at present rates of population growth and resource consumption together with environmental constraints, a point will be reached within 100 years when the world population will become totally incapable of supporting itself. The authors conclude that this end result could be avoided if a planned equilibrium could be established at a lower rate of population growth and resource consumption. Fortunately, there is evidence that the population problem is moderating. The growth rate in the U.S. has decreased from 2.3% per year in 1900 to 1.1% in 1970. But, even at the lower rate, population will double in 70 years. The world rate is greater, and if it continues, world population will rise from 3.5 billion to nearly 10 billion in 50 years. All of these projections are questionable because the dangers of growing population are now being recognized. A marked decrease in growth rate has been noted in the more developed countries-in fact, it was zero in the U.S. in 1972. The other factor affecting consumption of raw materials is the increase in per capita use of most items as individuals become more affluent. Many economists believe that developing countries such as China and India represent a vast future potential market; but there are others, with whom the author agrees, who believe over-population tends to stagnate development. Nevertheless, it is a fact that vigorously developing societies increase consumption at a rate far above their population growth rate.

Jan 1, 1974

By AIME AIME

AMONG the industrial motion pic¬tures released in the last year of possible interest to people in the mining industry are the following: "A New World Through Chemistry," made by the public relations department of E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Wilmington, Del. This film, which is in sound and color, interprets in twenty minutes of narration and ingenious photography many of chemistry's newest developments. It may be borrowed either in 16-mm. size on an 800-ft. reel, or 35-mm. size on a 2000¬ft. reel, the only charge being the cost of returning the film. Douglas D. Rothacker, 729 Seventh Ave., New York City, is prepared to loan free of charge except for transportation each way several films prepared in the plants of the International Nickel Co., 16 mm. with sound. These include: "Nickel High Lights," 35 minutes; "Nickel Mining," 18 minutes; "Nickel Smelting," 18 minutes; "Nickel Refining," 9 minutes; and "Copper Refining," 6 minutes.

Jan 1, 1941

By David E. Fogelson, James J. Olson

Rock mechanics as a guide to a safe underground operation is gaining importance as more is under- stood of rock behavior under stress and of the competency of rock after blasting. The U. S. Bureau of Mines' Twin Cities Mining Research Center and White Pine Copper Co. personnel undertook a joint research program recently to define how the rock adjacent to a newly opened underground working could be left as undisturbed as possible. The goal was to leave a competent structure which would tend to limit rock falls and thus decrease the incidence of fatalities from this greatest of all underground hazards. High-amplitude stress waves and borehole gases create a crushed zone in the rock, the thickness of which is about equal to the borehole radius. Beyond the crushed zone, additional structural damage occurs to the rock from the microstructural level up to visible fractures that may extend several feet. This type of rock damage near the final excavation lines reduces rock strength and increases the possibility of failure of the openings from subsequent vibrations or stresses.

Jan 9, 1969

By P. R. Sahm, T. V. Pruss

Mixtures of fine GaSb and Gds as well as preal-loyed GaSbl,As, powders were hot-pressed at 690°C and 25,000 psi. Dense alloys with compositional gradients of less than 5 pct were obtained from mixtures containing about 20 mol pct GaAs. For x < 0.2, there were increasing compositional gradients, and for x > 0.2 a GaAs-rich second phase appeared in the microstructure. Densification as well as alloying wlechanisms were enhanced by dissociation and, possibly, oxidation reactions of the powders. Densification of coarse prealloyed material, however, primarily depended on plastic flow phenomena and required temperatures just below solidus and pressures of 50,000 psi Thermal and electrical properties were measured. Although in no case was the figure of merit of melt growth materials approached closer than to within 25 pct, the better overall thermoelectric properties were found in coarse-grained, prealloyed materzals which had been compacted to near theoretical density and where grain regrowth had been induced. Similar results are believed to hold in other binary 111-V compound systems if processed under similar conditions. The densification of unalloyed GaSb powders during pressure sintering (= hot pressing) was shown to depend strongly on powder particle size.&apos; Fine powders displayed a "liquid skin effect" that enhanced compaction through the presence of liquid gallium, whereas coarse powders compacted predominantly by plastic flow. The liquid skin effect, in particular, appeared attractive for alloying GaSb with other, higher-melting, III-V compounds, and to densify these in a one-step operation. This is of special interest in the case of III-V compound alloys as the conventional techniques of melt growth or long-time annealing of powders2 is very time-consuming, especially in cases where a large separation of liquidus and solidus can be expected, such as in GaSbl alloys.2 It was felt that experimentation with this system, a particularly unfavorable example, would allow us to extrapolate to several other, more favorable, cases. Uses of Ill-V alloys are most evident in thermoelectric energy conversion devices.&apos; For this reason certain thermal and electrical properties were measured and compared to those of melt-grown material and to hot-pressed prealloyed powders. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The pressure-sintering apparatus has been previously described.&apos; Using this equipment, both powder mixtures of GaSb with GaAs and prealloyed GaSbl-,As, powders were hot-pressed. The mixtures were pre- pared from cast GaSb and melt-grown GaAs. The prealloyed material was obtained from stoichiometric melts, initially heated to 1200°C in an evacuated quartz ampoule, and then annealed in the solidus-liquidus interval. A typical annealing cycle consisted of a heating to 850°C (1 hr), extended successive annealing at 750°C (65 hr), and slow stepwise cooling (25 hr) to below solidus. The GaSb, GaAs, and GaSbl-,As, materials were ground in a vibrational mill to particle sizes below 500 . A jet mill reduced these further where necessary. Fine powders were analyzed by Coulter counting for their size distribution. Average sizes by volume were calculated from the data. Mixing of the powders, where necessary, was carried out through rapid vibrational motion. The hot-pressing operation consisted of a degassing period of 15 hr, in most cases at 690°C, followed by several hours of compression, normally 25,000 psi at 690°C for powder mixtures and 50,000 psi at 710°C for prealloyed powders. The chemical compositions were confirmed by X-ray fluorescence analysis. To estimate the degree of solid solution achieved, lattice parameters were determined and interpreted according to Vegard&apos;s rule. In addition, optical microscopy helped to correlate the relative amounts of the phases present as well as the degree of porosity to the measured density. To reveal grain boundaries, polished surfaces were etched4 with H 2 O:H 2 O:HCl = 2:l:l. In several cases microscopic concentration gradients were monitored by electron-probe analysis-. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Alloying and Densification of GaSn-GaAs Powder Mixtures. After preliminary experiments showed that no appreciable alloying took place in mixtures of coarse GaSb (22.5 p) and fine GaAs (2.5 p) powders, hot pressing of mixtures was confined to fine powders only (3.1 and 2.4 p, respectively). Alloying and densification apparently occurred simultaneously with a grain regrowth mechanism which depended on the presence of a liquid phase.&apos; The liquid phase was provided by the dissociation of GasbS particles into liquid gallium and antimony above 555°C. This not only enhanced grain regrowth and densification, as in unalloyed GaSb,&apos; but took on additional importance here for the alloying process. Alloying was speeded up by the resulting liquid-solid interaction as compared to the very slow solid-state diffusion process normally expected at these temperatures.&apos; The results obtained with a series of powder mixtures have been compiled in Table I. It is seen that for mixtures with less than 20 mol pct GaAs, x < 0.2, the compositional ranges increased and for x > 0.2 a GaAs-rich phase and free antimony appeared in the microstructure in sizable amounts.

Jan 1, 1968

By W. M. Dressel, A. Visnapuu

The Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of the Interior, has upgraded high-iron domestic chromite concentrate to high-chromium concentrate by a laboratory carbonyl process. The chromite concentrate product has a chromium-to-iron ratio in excess of 3:l compared with the starting concentrate ratio of 1.6:1. The high-iron chromite was first reduced to convert the iron oxides to the metal, and then treated with carbon monoxide at elevated pressures and low temperatures to convert the metallic iron fraction to iron pentacarbonyl. Carbonylation was accelerated by the addition of hydrogen sulfide in small quantities. A constant flow of carbon monoxide swept the iron pentacarbonyl formed in the reactor out through a pressure-reducing valve. The mixture of carbon monoxide and iron pentacarbonyl at atmospheric pressure was then passed through a heated section to decompose the iron pentacarbonyl to carbon monoxide and iron, whereupon the latter plated out on the heated surface. Carbon monoxide pressure, temperature, and promoter trends for enhanced carbonylation are presented.

Jan 1, 1984

By James A. Barr

Phosphate rock is a natural rock containing one or more phosphate minerals usually calcium phosphate, of sufficient purity and quantity to permit its use, either directly or after beneficiation in the manufacture of commercial products.1 The principal minerals in phosphate rock have the apatite structure which may be represented by the type formula: Ca10(X2) (PO4)6 where X represents the hydroxyl group (OH), chlorine or fluorine, either singly or collectively. The calcium may be partly replaced by sodium, magnesium, and other positive ions such as manganese, strontium, lead, uranium, cerium, yttrium and other rare earths. The PO4 radical may be partly replaced by small quantities of UO4, AsO4, SiO4, CO3, SO4, or Vo4. A typical commercial rock is usually a calcium phosphate containing 3 to 4 pct fluorine, the major impurities being limonite or other iron oxides, clay, aluminum phosphates and silica as quartz sand. A little vanadium is present in most of the domestic rock deposits (except the Tennessee Brown Rock), according to Jacob, Hill, Marshall and Reynolds! A little uranium occurs in the Florida leached zone, as will be brought out later. The chemical analyses are reported as P205, or tricalcium phosphate Ca3(PO4)2, the latter often designated by the trade name BPL (bone phosphate of lime). Commercial analyses usually report iron and alumina as oxides, lime as CaO and silica or insoluble. Colony3 examined many samples of apatite, staffelite, dahlite and American phosphorites and concluded that all have identical X-ray diffraction patterns. The phosphates in the phosphate rock have very minute crystalline structures. The mineral apatite Ca3(F.Cl) (PO4) 3 is the principal primary source of the element phosphorus, and occurs widely distributed in igneous rocks but rarely in a minable mass. Only about 12 pct of the world production of phosphate rock comes from primary apatites; the remainder is derived from secondary phosphorites. These phosphorites have been formed by the alteration of sediments by solutions containing phosphoric acid. Such solutions have come from the weathering or leaching of igneous rock containing apatite, bone deposits of prehistoric animals, marine life or guano deposits. These phosphorites are mostly alterations of phosphatic limestones. The sedimentary phosphate deposits are of marine origin and may have been enriched by subsequent solution of the more soluble calcium carbonate by waters containing carbon dioxide, by physical concentration by wave action, and by redeposition of the dissolved phosphate ions. Uses of Phosphate Phosphorus is the spark of life and is the structure builder and one of the main elements of plant food (fertilizer). Without phosphorus, life cannot exist. A "complete" plant food[t] in addition to phosphorus compounds contains potash, which acts as a catalyst to convert nutrients to useful forms, nitrogen to supply the growth element and many minor elements. The cycle of supply of phosphorus is from the apatite to solution and soil, absorption of plant life, decay and return to the soil or by animal life feeding on the plants. With insufficient supply of phosphorus in vegetation, life is not prolific. If crops are removed from

Jan 1, 1960

By C. Feng, I. R. Kramer

A study was conducted to determine the influence of the surface on the yield point of fcc metals and high-purity iron. For the high-purity fcc metals, the yield Point produced by restraining a specimen may be eliminated by removing a sufficient amount of the layer. A yield point similar to that in fcc metals was found when iron specimens were pre-strained after a prior deformation. This yield point is not due to an aging effect but is associated with the surface layer. The yield points in age-hardenable aluminum alloy and those connected with "work softening" are not affected by a surface-removal treatment and are, therefore, caused by bulk-type dislocation reactions. The yield point which appears in previously strained fcc metals has been the subject of numerous studies. Several theories have been advanced to explain this "unloading-reloading" yield point. Cottrell and stokes,&apos; from their study on the effect of temperature on plastic properties of high-purity aluminum, considered that it was the result of an avalanche "breakdown" of Lomer-Cottrell sessile dislocations. Haasen and Kelly2 extended this concept of dislocation-dislocation interaction to account for the yield point when unloading and reloading was carried out at the same temperature. On the other hand, strain aging was found to be responsible for the yield point in A1-Mg alloy by Westwood and Broom,3 and in aluminum alloys containing various amounts of alloying elements by Smallman, Williamson, and Ardley.4 In these cases, the yield point is considered to be associated with the locking of dislocations by impurity atoms. Birn-baum and filer5,6 and Takamura and muira7 reported that, when a high-purity copper specimen was prestrained, then held at a lower stress, and finally reloaded at the prestrain temperature, a larger yield point was observed. Such an increase was attributed to the locking of dislocations by point defects. In addition, Bolling8 suggested that both mechanisms, i.e., dislocation-dislocation interaction and strain aging, are responsible for the yield phenomenon, at least in a brass. Thus, there appears to be experimental evidence for both the strain aging and dislocation-dislocation interaction theories to explain the yield point in the fcc metals and alloys. In a previous article,9 one of the authors observed that, if sufficient amounts of metal were electrolti-cally removed after deformation of a high-purity aluminum single crystal, the yield point did not appear upon reloading. Continued pursuit in this area revealed that the effect of the surface on the yield-point phenomenon is not limited to one metal but affects a variety of metals of different lattice structures. Nor is the effect limited to the yield points produced by simple unloading-reloading at constant temperature; the surface exerts an important role on the yield point even when the temperature is changed at some stage during the test. It is the intent of the present article to give additional information regarding the effect of the surface on the yield-point phenomenon and to show the association between the yield point in both fcc and bcc metals and the existence of a heavy concentration of dislocation in the region near the surface of a deformed specimen.10 EXPERIMENTAL Materials. The single crystals used in this study had a nominal cross section of 0.125 by 0.125 in. and a 3-in. gage length and were prepared by a modified Bridgman technique. The initial purity for the metals was 99.997, 99.999, and 99.999 pct for aluminum, copper, and gold, respectively. Bar stock of these same materials was used in the preparation of the polycrystalline specimens of aluminum and copper. The iron specimens were machined from rods of "ferrovac", reported to have a purity of 99.98 pct. In addition, a precipitation-hardening aluminum alloy, containing 1.5 pct Cu, 2.5 pct Mg, and 5.5 pct Zn, was used. The polycrystalline specimens of iron, copper, and the aluminum alloy had a diameter of 0.17 in. and a gage length of 2 in. while the high-purity aluminum specimen had a nominal rec-

Jan 1, 1965