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By C. L. Sollenbeger, R. B. Greenwalt

PERHAPS the most widely used dispersants or gangue depressants in nonmetallic flotation are sodium silicates, which vary in silica-to-soda ratio from 1 to 3.75. Typical manufactured silicates in order of decreasing solubility and increasing amounts of silica are Metso, silica-to-soda ratio of 1.00; D, 2.00; RU, 2.40; K, 2.90; N, 3.22; and S-35, 3.75.* References in flotation literature1,2 to the use of sodium silicates are often weak because they fail to mention the type of silicate used. Metso and silicate N have occasionally been mentioned, but when the type of silicate is not mentioned, it is usually assumed to be N, the cheapest of the soluble silicates and the one recommended by sodium silicate manufacturers as a flotation agent. In the All is-Chalmers Research Laboratories a systematic study was made of the effect of different alkali-silica ratios on the concentration by flotation of two scheelite ores. One of these was a high grade ore from the Sang Dong mine in Korea. The effect of such factors as pH; addition agents; and conditioning time, temperature, and pulp density on the flotation efficiency of this ore have been described previously. The other ore was a low grade ore from Getchell Mines Inc., Nevada. The mineralogy and techniques of concentrating this ore have been described by Kunze. Hereafter these ores will be referred to as the Korean and Nevada ores. Experiments were made with both to determine the effect of three factors—-type of silicate, concentration of silicate, and pH of the pulp—on recovery and grade of tungsten in a rougher concentrate. Average WO, content of the Korean ore was 1.50 pct and of the Nevada ore 0.27 pct. The predominant tungsten mineral in both ores was scheelite, which was accompanied by a small amount of powellite. The powellite and scheelite were finely disseminated through both ores and required a —200 mesh grind for liberation. Major gangue minerals in the Korean ore, in decreasing order of abundance, were amphi-boles, quartz, biotite, garnet, fluorite, and calcite. Bulk sulfides composed about 3 pct of the total weight. Gangue in the Nevada ore, in descending order of abundance, was garnet, alpha quartz, calcite, phlogopite, wollastonite, and amphiboles. Sulfide minerals were 3 to 4 pct of total weight. Batch flotation experiments were made with 500-g samples of ore, each sample wet-ground to 90 pct passing 200 mesh. The finely ground ore was floated in a Fagergren batch cell at 25 pct solids. The natural pH of the Nevada ore was 8.9 and of the Korean ore, 8.5. The D, RU, K, N, and S-35 sodium silicates were obtained in colloidal dispersions with varying amounts of water. The most alkaline, Metso, was in dry powdered form. For convenience in addition, 5 pct solutions by weight were prepared from each of the silicates, on the basis of dry sodium silicate dissolved in the correct amount of distilled water. Chemical analyses of the various silicates are given in Table I, together with the pH of the 5 pct solutions. A preliminary bulk sulfide float was made with secondary butyl xanthate as the collector and pine oil as the frother. The WO] analysis of the sulfide concentrate was nearly 1 pct for the Korean ore and about 0.1 pct for the Nevada ore. The tungsten contained in the sulfide concentrate constituted about 3 pct of the total tungsten in each ore. No effort was made to recover these tungsten values. The scheelite was floated with oleic acid. Adjustments in pH were made with sulfuric acid or sodium carbonate. A 1 pct solution of 85 pct Aerosol OT was sprayed on the froth and sides of the cell during the scheelite float to aid in dispersing the minerals and to decrease the entrapment of gangue particles. Six tests were planned for each of the six types of silicate in which concentrations of 1, 2, and 4 1b of silicate per ton of dry ore were investigated at both 6.5 and 10 pH. All tests were made at room temperature. The performance of each silicate was judged from the grade and recovery of WO, in the scheelite rougher concentrate. Tungsten recovery was calculated on the basis of the scheelite remaining in the ore after the preliminary sulfide float. Testing of each silicate at three levels of concentration and two levels of pH required 36 tests with each scheelite ore. Variance analyses were performed on the concentrate grades and recoveries to determine whether or not the type of sodium silicate, the concentration of sodium silicate, or the pH significantly affected recovery or grade. Results Concentrate Grade: A variance analysis of the concentrate grades for the Korean ore showed that concentration of the silicate and pH of the ore pulp were major factors in producing a high grade concentrate. Also, the silica- to-so da ratio was important as an interaction with pH. The concentrate grade vs silica-to-soda ratio is plotted in Fig. 1. The curves show that the concentrate grade improved with an increase in concentration of sodium silicate and also

Jan 1, 1959

NEW MEMBERS The following list comprises the names of those persons who became members during the period Dec. 10, 1918, to Jan. 10, 1919. ADAMS, W. W., Mine Supt., Cia. Minera Paloma y Cabrillas, Higueras,,Coah., Mexico. ANKENY, CLEMENT W., Golden Cycle Min. & Reduction Co., Colorado Springs, Colo. ARGUE, WILLIAM H Mech. Engr., Ohio Brass Co;, Mansfield, Ohio. ARTHUR, WALTER Chem. and Met., Garford Motor Truck Co., Lima, Ohio. BANGSER, WILLIAM, Supt., Treatment Dept., Bethlehem Steel CO., Bethlehem, Pa. BEACH, C: S Asst. Supt. and Engr., Kemmerer Coal Co., Frontier, Wyo. BEAVER, A. B., Chem. and Engr. of Tests, National Cash Register Co., Dayton, Ohio. BORRIES, WILLIAM J., Min. Engr., Gen'l Mgr., American Zinc & Slate Co., Picher, Okla. BOTSFORD, CLARENCE A., Acting Gen'1 Mgr., Mogollon Mines Co., Mogollon, N. M. BOTSFORD, GEORGE B., Asst. Supt., Sunrise Iron Mines, Colorado Fuel &. Iron Co., Sunrise,. Wyo. COLLINS, GEORGE N., Mine Shift Boss, New York & Honduras Rosario Min. Co., San Juancito, Honduras, Central America. COTS, HOMER, Resident Engr., Arkansas and Oklahoma Dist., Central Coal & Coke Co., Huntington, Ark. CRICHTON, WALTER CREIG, Min.. Engr., 20S Charleston National Bank, Charleston, W. Va.

Jan 2, 1919

By A. W. Fahrenwald

The function of the c1assifier in modern fine-grinding practice is to remove a finished product from the grinding-mill discharge, leaving material that needs further comminution. The classifier, therefore, makes two products: (1) "finished" product, which overflows the rim of the classifier tank, sometimes referred to as "slimes" or as "classifier overflow," and (2) "unfinished" product, which settles to the sloping bottom of the classifier tank and is removed by dragging or raking. This product is generally referred to as "sands" or "oversize." One of the outstanding features of the closed-circuit classifier is its ability automatically to return the unfinished product of the ball-mill discharge to the feed end or scoop box of the ball mill. This is a distinct advantage because it avoids dilution of the ball-mill feed, and, furthermore, the particu1ar method of removing the settled sand, by raking it up the inclined bottom of the classifier, gives a classifier discharge containing a minimum of water. This leads to maximum classifier efficiency, in this type of classifier, because the maximum volume of water is displaced upward by the settling sands. The closed-circuit classifier is required to deliver a finished pulp of closely specified density requirements, therefore added hydraulic water generally is not permitted. Relation of Classifier Efficiency to Grinding Efficiency The energy of crushing, and therefore the cost, according to Rittinger's Law,l is proportional to the new surface exposed in crushing. Since the new surface produced in crushing is nearly proportional to the reciprocals of the diameters crushed to, it is obvious that the cost of crushing in the finer sizes is tremendously greater than in the coarser sizes for equal ratios of reduction. High circulating load of finished sand in the circuit of the classifier and grinding mill is therefore obviously expensive practice. It is the classifier's function to reduce this to a miniMum.

Jan 1, 1930

NEW MEMBERS The following list comprises the names of those persons who became members during the period of Feb. 10, 1918, to Mar 10, 1918. ADKINSON, HENRY M., Min. Engr Walker Bank Bldg., Salt Lake City, Utah. BARKE, A. C., Min. Engr., United States Smelt., Refin. & Min. Exploration Co., 1503 Hobart, Bldg., San Francisco, Cal. BARKER, F. L., Prof. of Min. and Geol., Pei Yang University, Tientsin, China. BEASLEY, ALFRED F., Supt. Of Refinery, Bunker Hill & Sullivan Min. & Cone. Co., Kellogg, Idaho. BEEKLY, A. L Chief Geol., Cosden & Co., Tulsa, Okla. BELLIS, ARTHUR E Met., N. E. Westinghouse Co., Springfield, Mass. BRAIN, ELMER C Mgr., United Gold. Min. Co., Granite, Ore. BRUNER, CRANE S., Engr., American Zinc, Lead & Smelting Co., Carterville, Mo. COLLINS,. HARRY R Mech. Engr., Fuller Engineering Co., Allentown, Pa. CRANKSHAW, ALDEN, Experimental Met., New Jersey Zinc Co. (of Pa.), Palmerton, Pa. GALLIGAN, EMMET F., Mine Supt., Homestead-Iron Dyke Mines Co., Inc., Homestead, Ore. GREENE, FRANK C Geol., Cosden Oil & Gas .Co., Tulsa, Okla. HALSEY, HOWARD G Field Engr., 0. M. Bilharz Min. Co., Miami, Okla. HARROUN, DOUGLASS HOUGHTON, Supt.., Aguascalientes Metal Co., Asientos, Aguascalientes, Mexico.

Jan 4, 1918

By Robert Glass Cleland

THOUGH the rapid revival of the copper market in the early twenties solved the most serious of the company's immediate postwar difficulties, a much more fundamental, long-range problem still remained. Mining is not like farming: the earth does not bring forth a new crop of gold, silver, lead, zinc, oil, or copper at every harvest time. Metal taken from the ground does not spring up again from the old roots like perennial flowers in a garden, or find renewal in freshly sown seed. No ore body, whatever its size or richness, is too big or too rich to escape ultimate exhaustion. When the war closed in 1918, Phelps Dodge had been mining copper from Bisbee, Morenci, and Nacozari over periods varying in length from ten to nearly forty years. During much of that time, the company's production had run from fifty million to as high as two hundred million pounds a year. Even the greatest of mines had to respond in time to such a drain. High grade ore was already at a premium in Bisbee and Morenci. The Burro Mountain properties of New Mexico were a disappointment. Failing the acquisition of

Jan 1, 1952

By David H. Browne, John F. Thompson

The literature dealing with the physical constants of nickel is so fragmentary and unrelated that a synopsis presents unusual difficulties. It is only within the last few years that investigators have understood the importance of placing on record not only the determinations they have made but also the composition, physical treatment, and past history of the material investigated. For this reason much of the earlier literature is valueless. Determinations have been made of the same physical constants on samples differing widely in origin, composition, and treatment, and the results differ widely among themselves. In the first place nickel is almost as flexible a term as steel. Its physical properties are widely influenced by its composition and treatment. It absorbs large quantities of gases and is exceedingly difficult to prepare in a state of chemical purity comparable to gold, silver, or copper. It is vitally affected by thermal and mechanical treatment. Hence in the following pages the recorded literature, where quoted, must be accepted with a certain reserve and used, as far as possible, as a check on later observations, in which these important factors are noted. In every case where new determinations are given, an attempt has been made to record all available information concerning the composition and treatment of the material used so that the data may serve as stepping-stones toward a wider knowledge of the properties of the metal. As this synopsis is an attempt by men of metallurgical training to do what should long before have been done by physicists, it is to be expected that certain errors may have crept in. Any corrections or suggestions

Jan 1, 1921

NEW MEMBERS The following list comprises the names of those persons who became members during the period of June 10, 1918, to July 10, 1918. ALLPORT, JAMES H., Cons. Engr Barnesboro, Pa. ANDERSON, G. E., Engr., Exploration Dept., American Smelt. & Refin. Co.,Tucson, Ariz. BAKER, HARRY A., Capt., Co. M, 53d Pioneer Infantry, Camp Wadsworth, Spartanburg, S. C. BEALL, ROBERT STEPHENS, Supt., Empire Zinc Co. (of Colorado), Canon City, Colo. BLAYLOCK, SELWYN GWILLYM, Mina & Met. Engr., Asst. Gen'l Mgr., Cons. Min. & Smelt. Co. of Canada, Ltd., Trail, B. C., Canada. BOTTERILL, THOMAS CLARK, Min. Engr., Belmont Surf Inlet Mines, Ltd., Surf Inlet, B. C., Canada. BOWMAN, MAURICE Asst. Supt., New Idria Quicksilver Min. Co., Idria, San Benito Co., Cal. BROOKS, EARL W Chief En r. Inland Collieries Co. Harmarville Pa. BROWN, DEWITT W Chief Chem., Prime Western Spelter Co., Iola, Kansas BUISSON, ARTHUR Min. Engr., Dept. of Mines, Sussex St., Ottawa, Canada. BUNYAN, F. W Chem., Southern Pacific Railway Co., Sacramento, Cal. BURNETT, ARCHIBALD Supt., Swansea Lease Inc., Swansea, Ariz. BURTON, GEORGE E., Resident Geol., Empire Gas & Fuel Co., Varsity Shop Bldg., Norman, Okla.

Jan 8, 1918

By W. N. Logan

A survey of geological conditions, production and prices in Indiana oil fields. Shows no production and indefinite prospects from the sub-Trenton formation; good production and much untested territory in Trenton formation; and fair production from the Pennsylvanian with fair prospects for the future in both the Pennsylvanian and Mississip-pian formations. THE petroleum industry of Indiana made somewhat notable progress during the year 1923, considering the number of handicaps it encountered. The price of labor and materials continued to have an upward slant while the price of crude oil took a decidedly downward course. In spite of these adverse conditions, the quantity production will closely approximate that of 1922, when it passed the million-barrel mark. The progress of the industry in Indiana should be considered fairly satisfactory as long as the present production is maintained. In other words, if the loss of production from the waning old wells can be offset by the production from the new for a period of 10 or 15 years longer, the industry may have cause for congratulation.

Jan 3, 1924

Using 5-p Ni powder and 0.018 ,u A1203, oxide dispersion strengthened nickel alloys were prepared by mechanical mixing of powders, followed by compaction, sintering and extrusion. Processing variables such as cooling of the powder during mixing, electrostatic discharging, mixing time, amount of oxide, and so forth, were studied to determine the effects on room-temperature tensile and high-temperature creep-rupture properties and on the reproducibility of alloys. MECHANICAL mixing of metal and metal oxide powders provides one of the simplest and most inexpensive methods for preparing dispersion strengthened metal-metal oxide alloys;" however, because of large differences in specific gravity, powder particle diameters and other variables, difficulties have been encountered in reproducing alloys and alloy properties. Using 5-p Ni powder and 0.018 p A1203, the following variables were investigated: a) Blending techniques b) Blending time c) Volume fraction of oxide for the selected pow- ders d) Sintering of compacts before extrusion Cooling of Powders During Blending— Cremens and Grant had indicated that dry ball milling of the powder mixture gave superior results over other procedures. When ultra-fine metal and oxide powders became available and comminution was unnecessary or offered little gain, the use of dry mixing in a Waring Blendor gave optimum results.' In the current study, observations of the powder mixtures indicated that considerable heat was generated due to the high speed of the Waring Blendor (15,000 rpm). This heating appeared to produce some degree of clustering and pelletizing. To minimize such agglomeration, a Pyrex cooling coil was installed in the mixing vessel. A double coil, water cooled, proved to be quite satisfactory, providing a fair degree of cooling along with good erosion resistance. Discharge of Electrostatic Charge—Electron-microscopy showed that agglomeration was minimized by the cooling procedure but was not entirely eliminated. It appeared that some of the ag- glomeration had to be explained on the basis of an electrostatic attraction due to the high-speed blending operation. These charges had the effect of promoting the growth of alumina clusters. At the end of the blending procedure such clusters had an effective size which was as much as 50 times that of the individual powder particles and were very tightly bunched. Several methods were utilized to try to discharge the electrostatic forces to minimize the clustering. One successful method, utilized in alloy 17, involved continuous exposure during blending to a radium source of 50 millicuries at a distance of 1.5 ft from the container. A number of other methods were noted to work equally well. Fig. 1 shows the more open oxide structure which results from such a treatment, permitting the matrix metal to penetrate into the cluster more effectively. The combination of powder cooling and discharging led to noticeably improved structures. Fig. 2 shows a cross and a longitudinal section in alloy M-17, one of the best alloys, illustrating the marked decrease

Jan 1, 1961

By Harlowe Hardinge

THE sound made by ball, pebble and rod mills has long been used by the operator as the "telltale" of their operation. The nature of this sound depends upon local conditions and the type of mill used. By experience an operator can tell whether the mill is running properly or not. Some operators are able to detect the difference in sound much better than others and get better results running the same mill tinder the same conditions. The automatic operation of a mill using sound as the fundamental means for maintaining control presents many problems. The satisfactory solution of these problems requires, for given operating conditions, a greater average output, with improved product for subsequent processing, than can be obtained by manual control.

Jan 1, 1939

By Benjamin Talbot

(New York Meeting, February 1913.) THE problem of segregation and cavities in steel ingots is a subject which has given and is still giving metallurgists, en¬gineers, and operators matter for serious consideration.. This question has come more into prominence lately in the United States, clue largely to the desire of railroad engineers to secure a better rail than they have obtained in the past, as the service they demand is increasing in severity; and no doubt manufacturers will be able to meet what is required of them. The rails here are as good as those made in other countries, but the conditions of service and the extremes of climate are more severe and consequently more breakages occur. Various reasons have been advanced to explain why rails may not be as good in quality to-clay as in the past. Some engineers consider that modern methods of manufacturing, designed chiefly to obtain large output, tend to reduce the standard of excellence of more deliberate methods. Others think that 4-ton ingots are worse than those of 2 tons. Again, it is .stated that the 100-ton heat in one ladle is too large, and is a :step in the wrong direction in casting. My experience upon the question of the size of the ingot is that in rolling rails of from 85-to 100-lb. sections, the range of ingot is only practically such that the difference in the size does not help in the question of segregation, cavities, or blow-holes.

Jan 4, 1913

By B. F. Oliver

A levitation zone melter is described which has the necessary characteristics for processing metals of controlled purity. No crucible is required; control of the solidification variables is stable; the environment of the charge is chenzically controlled. Rotation of the solidifying interface and mixing in the liquid by the magnetohydrodynamic stirring produce an eight-fold increase in freezing velocity over former melting units with better resulting solute redistributions. The smooth appearance of processed specimens, resistivity ratios as a hnction of position, as well as a segregation curve, are presented as evidence of smooth continuous solute fransport over distances in excess of ten zone lengths. THE difficulties of the floating zone-purification of higher density metals in large quantities under conditions of lowered surface tension are well known and have hindered fundamental research programs for some time. The inordinate amount of time required to obtain a small reproducible yield of high-quality metal has excluded the use of such material for many important material research programs. However, with the use of controllable induction levitation forces' to accomplish stable liquid zones with nearly flat solidifying interfaces, and with good physical and chemical control of the processes involved, these difficulties can be overcome. A zone melter that is to be used for both high-purity and controlled composition work in metal systems must have the following three characteristics: 1) The process must avoid the use of containers. 2) Physical control of the solid-liquid interface and of the mixing within the liquid phase must be stable. 3) The chemical environment of the melt chamber must be controllable. A description of an apparatus that accomplishes these objectives follows.* APPARATUS One of the basic features that is necessary for good process control of large sections is that the charge, the coil, and the motion mechanisms be within the same chamber. This arrangement permits a close coupling between the work coil and the load, which then provides a good flexibility for adjustments of coil dimensions, for controlling the amount of levitation needed for stable operation at a given power level. An overall view of the melter is shown, with the melt-chamber door open, in Fig. 1. The radiation shields surrounding the single-turn induction coil are of water-cooled copper. The chamber is stainless steel, as are most of the components within the chamber. The control panel for the scanner is located at the immediate lower right of the melt chamber. This panel controls the operation of the scanner. The operations controlled are the interface rotation rate, the stretch-squeeze or diameter control, the up and down scanning speeds, and the induction power. All of the drive motors are constant-torque variable-speed motors. The scanning speeds are set with precision helipots and continuously observed with the voltmeter on the control panel and checked with a mechanical indicator within the melt chamber. The rotation rate is also set with a precision helipot. The up-scanning speeds are 2 to 300 in. per hr.

Jan 1, 1963

By J. Chipman, N. J. Grant, B. M. Shields

The vacuum tin-fusion method of analysis for hydrogen, developed by Carney, Chipman, and Grant, has been modified to permit the analysis of the evolved gases for hydrogen by means of a thermal conductivity cell. A properly prepared sample can be analyzed in 10 min with a probable error of ±0.12 ppm. A study of various methods for storage of hydrogen samples shows that samples can be safely held in a dry ice-acetone bath as long as six days. Storage in liquid nitrogen is necessary for samples to be held one week or more. HE vacuum tin-fusion method, as developed by I- Carney, Chipman and Grant,' is the only analytical procedure which has shown promise of being fast enough for use in the control of hydrogen during steelmaking. It was felt that further simplification and faster speed of operation could be effected by the use of thermal conductivity measurements for analysis of the gases evolved in the tin-fusion method. The application of conductivity measurements to the tin-fusion method is possible because: 1—the evolved gas is essentially a mixture of hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon monoxide with a hydrogen content usually over 50 pct, 2—the evolved gas is collected at a relatively low pressure, and 3— the thermal conductivities of CO and N2 are practically identical while that of hydrogen is very much greater. The major part of this research program was devoted to the construction and calibration of a vacuum tin-fusion apparatus which analyzes the evolved gases for hydrogen by means of a thermal conductivity cell. The second phase of the problem was associated with the development of a procedure for storage of samples prior to analysis. With the rapid quenching method for hydrogen sampling,' which seems to be the most practical for steel mill use, it is necessary that the samples be stored safely during the interval between sampling and analysis if the hydrogen content of the molten metal is to be maintained in the supersaturated solid samples. The thermal conductivity bridge has been used for a number of years in the analysis of certain gas mixtures. An elementary discussion of the theory and practice of gas analysis by thermal conductivity measurements is given by Minter.3 A more comprehensive discussion of the theory and of the various measuring circuits is presented by Daynes.' A complete knowledge of the theory and properties of the thermal conductivity of gases and gaseous mixtures can be gained by a study of the standard textbooks on the kinetic theory of gases."' The existing data on the thermal conductivity of single gases are reviewed by Hawkins: that for a number of binary gas mixtures by Daynes' and Lindsay." The thermal conductivity method may be applied to the determination of the composition of a binary mixture if: 1—the thermal conductivity of the mixture varies monotonically with composition, and 2— the two gases have measurably different thermal conductivities. The greater the difference between the two gases, the greater the sensitivity of the method.10 he method is applicable to the analysis of multicomponent mixtures when all of the gases in the mixture except one have nearly the same thermal conductivity. Fortunately, the mixture of hydrogen, nitrogen, and carbon monoxide evolved by the tin-fusion analysis' falls in this latter classification. The thermal conductivities of nitrogen and carbon monoxide are practically equal; and the thermal conductivity of hydrogen is approximately seven times that of the other two. Therefore, the thermal conductivity of a gaseous mixture of hydrogen, nitrogen, and carbon monoxide at known temperature and pressure can be related directly to the percentage of hydrogen in the mixture by suitable calibration. Usually the thermal conductivity of a mixture of gases is measured at atmospheric pressure where the thermal conductivity is independent of pressure over a wide pressure range. At very low pressures (below 1 mm Hg), the thermal conductivity of gases varies with the pressure. This phenomenon has been utilized in the Pirani vacuum gage for the measurement of pressures in the range of 10" to 10-0 mm of mercury.= Very little has been published concerning the variation of thermal conductivity with pressure at intermediate pressures between 1 mm Hg and 1 atm. However, preliminary measurements indicated that the thermal conductivities did vary with pressure over the range of pressures (up to 10 mm Hg) at which gases are delivered from the vacuum pump. Therefore, the calibration of the thermal conductivity cell had to be planned to include the effects of both gas composition and pressure. Such a calibration chart is shown in Fig. 4. Most industrial applications of the thermal conductivity method of gas analysis have used a compensated Wheatstone bridge circuit containing two

Jan 1, 1954

By C. M. Heath, B. W. Gonser

Soft solders are used principally in the automotive, can-making, building construction and electrical industries, but their field of usefulness extends well beyond these principal users to a vast list of miscellaneous applications where metal joints are required. The most common soft solders and the only ones considered in this discussion are those composed of lead and tin, with or without various relatively small percentages of impurities or additions. A small amount of antimony is often purposely added. As an indication of the importance of these lead-tin solders, 8620 long tons of tin were consumed in 1934 in the United States for making new solder, and during most of 1935 from 900 to 1000 long tons often were used each month. In addition, many thousands of tons of secondary solder are recirculated annually. A great many factors influence the properties of joints made with soft solders. Fluxes and the fluxing procedure used to prepare the surfaces to be joined in order to give a true metal-to-metal contact are among the most important of these factors. The temperatures used, cleanliness of the work and general soldering technique have their effect, but when results are unsatisfactory they are usually attributed to the metallic solder itself and the raw materials from which it is made. Sometimes criticism of the solder is justified. The wrong composition may be chosen for a given job, impurities may be present that ruin certain desired qualities, or uniformity may be lacking. A solder may even be looked upon with suspicion because of its ancestry, regardless of its true composition and behavior. To clarify the effect of slight differences in composition as found in commercially refined solders, a comparison of properties of solders grouped according to their origin has been undertaken. This investigation seeks to give practical information on the properties of tin-lead solders produced from virgin metals, from commercially refined secondary solder, and from an electrolytically refined crude

Jan 1, 1936

By Richard S. McCaffery

This paper considers certain aspects of the acid bessemer process, particularly in its relations to the duplex process—that combination in which the pig iron is first desiliconized and decarburized in acid bessemer converters and then dephosphorized in basic open-hearth furnaces. The acid bessemer process employs an acid-lined converter and produces an acid slag. The blow is usually thought to eliminate the silicon and manganese as oxides and then to burn off the carbon as carbon monoxide On account, however, of the relatively large amount of metallic iron present in the converter, compared with the relatively small amount of the impurities it is desired to oxidize, the first reaction in the converter probably is the formation of iron oxide, which dissolves in the bath and acts as an oxygen carrier for the silicon and carbon. As soon as iron oxide is dissolved throughout the bath, the oxidation of silicon commences; but in the early stages of the blow the mass law would indicate that iron oxide must form first, and this oxide probably increases up to some saturation point. The molten metal in the converter from the early stages of the blow right through to its completion remains basic, while the slag produced is siliceous. This fact is shown by the corrosion of the acid bottom and the tuyeres, which is greatest at the tuyere orifice where oxidation is most active and where there is the most iron oxide. Why does this acid bottom corrode? Because it is attacked by a base. The thought, therefore, suggests itself, why not. make the bottoms of basic or neutral material?' As the converter slag is acid, those parts of the converter coming in contact with the slag should be acid; but those parts of the converter that are in contact with the molten metal saturated with metallic oxides should be basic. or neutral. Bessemer operators have for some time tacitly admitted this condition, for the blast pressures have steadily increased with the object of keeping the metal in suspension, and so preventing bottom corrosion; if the molten metal were not basic, it would not attack an acid bottom. In addition, the tuyeres are bunched together at the middle of the bottom and a clear space is left around the outside of the bottom; if tuyeres are placed too near the side walls the

Jan 1, 1922

By Richard S. McCaffery

This paper considers certain aspects of the acid bessemer process, particularly in its relations to the duplex process—that combination in which the pig iron is first desiliconized and decarburized in acid bessemer converters and then dephosphorized in basic open-hearth furnaces. The acid bessemer process employs an acid-lined converter and produces an acid slag. The blow is usually thought to eliminate the silicon and manganese as oxides and then to burn off the carbon as carbon monoxide On account, however, of the relatively large amount of metallic iron present in the converter, compared with the relatively small amount of the impurities it is desired to oxidize, the first reaction in the converter probably is the formation of iron oxide, which dissolves in the bath and acts as an oxygen carrier for the silicon and carbon. As soon as iron oxide is dissolved throughout the bath, the oxidation of silicon commences; but in the early stages of the blow the mass law would indicate that iron oxide must form first, and this oxide probably increases up to some saturation point. The molten metal in the converter from the early stages of the blow right through to its completion remains basic, while the slag produced is siliceous. This fact is shown by the corrosion of the acid bottom and the tuyeres, which is greatest at the tuyere orifice where oxidation is most active and where there is the most iron oxide. Why does this acid bottom corrode? Because it is attacked by a base. The thought, therefore, suggests itself, why not. make the bottoms of basic or neutral material?' As the converter slag is acid, those parts of the converter coming in contact with the slag should be acid; but those parts of the converter that are in contact with the molten metal saturated with metallic oxides should be basic. or neutral. Bessemer operators have for some time tacitly admitted this condition, for the blast pressures have steadily increased with the object of keeping the metal in suspension, and so preventing bottom corrosion; if the molten metal were not basic, it would not attack an acid bottom. In addition, the tuyeres are bunched together at the middle of the bottom and a clear space is left around the outside of the bottom; if tuyeres are placed too near the side walls the

Jan 1, 1922

By R. W. Wittkopp, J. D. Stephens

In a device known as the electron-beam microprobe, the mining industry has lately acquired a sophisticated new analytical tool that can dig out answers to a broad range of questions spanning all phases of mining activity. Essentially, the microprobe is a specialized X-ray fluorescence unit that makes it possible to obtain chemical analytical data for volumes as small as 1 cup. With this capability, it can be used both for determining the composition of small inclusions in rocks or metallic products and for monitoring changes in composition that proceed from a reacting surface. At the Research Center of Kennecott's Metal Mining Division, this versatile probe has successfully solved problems in mineral operations ranging from exploration through refining. A few instances of how the probe has been applied at the Center are presented here. In Mineral Exploration-A Good Look Before Leaping Since the objective of mineral exploration is to locate deposits of materials which can be processed at a profit, the mode of occurrence of elements or minerals in the deposits is important.

Jan 1, 1970

By R. R. Webster, H. T. Clark

The side-blown converter has been investigated as a possible commercial process for the production of low nitrogen steel. During this work, two converters of 3-ton and 22-ton capacity were operated on a pilot plant basis for a total of 214 heats. The steel made in these converters was low in nitrogen and possessed good cold working properties. Some problems of converter operation remain to be solved. IN plants operating with a high iron capacity, sev-eral different refining methods are used in the conversion of the molten pig iron to steel. These include various ore practices in stationary and tilting open-hearths, the duplex process employing the Bessemer converter and open-hearth, and the Bessemer process. At J&L, a considerable part of the iron produced is handled by the Bessemer process, either alone or in conjunction with duplexing, and therefore an appreciable portion of the steelmaking research effort has centered about the method. This paper covers research work on the development of the side-blow converter for the commercial production of low nitrogen ingots and includes descriptions of the operation of a 3-ton and a 22-ton experimental converter at the Aliquippa Works. The refining of iron to produce steel requires the removal of a large portion of the carbon and silicon and the control of manganese, phosphorus and sulphur which are present in the iron in varying amounts. The first large-scale means of refining iron was the acid Bessemer process which was brought into use almost 100 yr ago. This method, using compressed air as the refining medium, accomplishes substantially complete removal of carbon, manganese and silicon. Phosphorus and sulphur are not affected but, by choice of an iron composition sufficiently low in these elements, a commercial product can be produced. Since the process will handle large tonnages rapidly, operates without external fuel and with a minimum of additional equipment, it quickly became the major tool in the early expansion of the steel industry. Later, the basic open-hearth process, by affording control of phosphorus and sulphur and by consuming the large quantities of steel scrap that were becoming available, forced the acid Bessemer process into a secondary position in the industry. During the past two decades the demand for steel to be used in cold forming and drawing operations has gradually increased. Bessemer steel, because of its work hardening and aging characteristics, is not as suitable for these applications as basic open-hearth steel, consequently the decline of the process was accelerated. More recently, because of changing economic conditions, this long range trend appears to have been arrested or perhaps reversed. Ingot production data for recent years furnishes only an incomplete picture of the importance of the converter in the American steel industry; open-hearth furnaces utilize large tonnages of blown metal for which no published statistics are available. Metallurgical Aspects The fundamental difference between Bessemer and open-hearth steels apparently lies not in the method of manufacture but, rather, in the differences in chemical composition of the two steels. It is further believed that the principal features distinguishing Bessemer from open-hearth steel are the higher nitrogen and phosphorus contents of the former. Evidence supporting this position is supplied by tests on laboratory induction furnace heats that were made to contain varying amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen but were otherwise similar to normal low carbon silicon-killed steels. Fig. 1, 2 and 3, summarizing the test results, are taken from G. H. Enzian's paper titled, "Some Effects of Phosphorus and Nitrogen on the Properties of Low Carbon Steels."' Fig. l indicates that phosphorus has a marked effect on the cold work embrittlement of steel as shown by the work brittleness test of Graham and Work.' In the low nitrogen steels, which as a group have the better cold working properties, the effect of phosphorus variations is the more pronounced.

Jan 1, 1951

By N. L. Hancox

Previous researchers have used the cutting and rejoining model to represent a porous body when attempting to place Archie's law on a theoretical basis and calculate rock permeabilities (F = Ø-m, where F = formation factor, = - porosity and m = a constant). In using the model, a porous solid is assumed to consist of sections with parallel sides containing straight. continuous pores of total porosity 4 (pore to total volume or, for a homogeneous body, pore to total area). The joining of pores at an interface between two sections is assumed to be random which results in a common pore area Ø2. This reduced area Ø2 is then taken as that area which limits electrical conduction or fluid flow in the body. Agreement between experimental results and results calculated using a model is not always good Because of this, various modifications of the model are presented — for instance, the random nature of the joining is questioned. Formation factor measurements on specially constructed porous specimens are described in this paper. it is concluded that the common pore area limits flow completely only if sections containing straight pores are very thin, and that, in most natural materials, the common pore area at an interface must be greater than that given by random joining. However, the model is still useful in permeability calculations, provided that the fractional area limiting flow is determined from formation factor measurements. INTRODUCTION Two important properties of porous media are permeability k, which describes the ease with which a fluid can flow through a porous medium, and formation factor F, defined as the ratio of the resistivity of a saturated specimen to the resistivity of the saturating liquid which describes the electrical properties of the saturated material. k is defined by Darcy's law,l k= µqL/P Ae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [1] where µ = liquid viscosity, q = flow rate, L = length of specimen, p = pressure across the specimen and = - the effective area over which flow occurs, F is given experimentally by Archie's law,2 F = Ø-m ,..............(2) where 4 is porosity defined as the pore to total volume or, for a homogeneous body, the pore to total area; and m lies between 1.3 for loose sand and 2 for cemented sand. Consider a porous body of total cross-sectional area A and length L, saturated with a liquid of resistivity R and with an effective area for conduction of Ae. Then, from the definition of F given previously, F=A/Ae , ................(3) or, from Eqs. 2 and 3, Ae = A Øm ..............(4) Thus, in any attempt to calculate k or F, some assumptions must be made concerning the pore structure of the body and a value derived for A,. To determine Ae, Childs and George3 and Wyllie and Gardner4 suggested an elementary statistical representation often referred to as the cutting and rejoining model of a porous body. The body is assumed to be composed of two or more parallel-sided sections of porosity 4, containing straight, continuous pores with a common pore area of Ø2 at an interface between two sections. The value is given by a random joining of the pores in either section. Two such sections,

Jan 1, 1969

By Charles White Merrill

Mankind's progress is measured in minerals. Man's emergence from prehistory is marked by passage through a Stone Age and a Bronze Age and into the present era, sometimes called the Iron Age or the Age of Metals. With the evolution of civilization and the development of a modem industrial economy, minerals become more and more important. Structures, roads, and machines are built largely of minerals; the energy to heat the structures and to drive the machines is mostly mineral; agricultural fertility is maintained by mineral fertilizers and water; and military strength is provided by fortresses, armaments, and munitions, largely of mineral origin. Thus in the material world, in the productivity of the economy, access to minerals has paramount importance. Every evidence indicates increasing dependence on minerals in the modem economy, particularly on the mineral fuels as energy sources to provide the power base for advancing industrialization. Both the total and the per capita consumption of almost every mineral is increasing in the industrialized nations. Moreover, nations with predominantly agrarian economies call themselves underdeveloped and universally strive to industrialize. Most mineral consumption trends in the more advanced economies have been greatly exceeding population growth-which itself has been advancing at an accelerating rate--and sometimes have surpassed the growth in real income. Some minerals have only recently been adopted or grown to importance in use. Titanium as a metal appeared as a commercial product only in 1948, and even coal seriously displaced wood as a source of heat less than two centuries ago. On the other hand, minerals have always played an important role in construction. The prehistoric megaliths that form the dolmens of Salisbury Plain are stone; the pyramids are andesite faced with limestone; and many other ancient structures are built of mineral materials. In modem times the whole course of architecture has been redirected by new building materials, mostly mineral. Most conspicuous is the sky-

Jan 1, 1959