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By R. F. Jones, N. E. Truitt, M. Prats

In most published discussions and theories of in situ combustion, the combustion fronts are assumed to be vertical. However, evidence from field tests leaves no doubt that combustion fronts often advance more rapidly along the top than near the bottom of a formation as a result of difference in density between injected air and formation liquids. The approximation proposed in this paper to determine the movement of the resultant tilted combustion surfaces states that the vertical rate of movement of combustion surfaces is proportional to the horizontal oxygen flux. Where self-ignition is possible, the proposed method demands that a secondary combustion surface exist around production wells which produce some oxygen. These secondary combustion surfaces may be formed long before the primary combustion surface can advance from injection to production wells. Heat liberated near production wells at these secondary combustion surfaces can contribute to an early increase in production rate. Results indicate that significant oil recoveries cannot be obtained from the usual flood patterns (five-spots, seven-spots, etc.) without producing large volumes of unused oxygen. Ideally, to increase oxygen- consumption efficiency, well patterns should allow oil production from a first line of production wells and gas production from more distant lines of producers. However, it may be desirable to produce some gas at all wells to support (and benefit from) active secondary combustion surfaces. Results indicate that the well spacing through which combustion can be advanced is larger than that predicted by other methods. A large number of production wells may still be desirable to take quick advantage of gravity drainage. From a comparison with results at South Belridge field, California, it appears that this method adequately describes oxygen concentration and temperature histories and combustion-front shapes. However, this method does not accurately locate the most advanced point of the combustion surface. There is some field evidence to substantiate the actual presence of secondary combustion surfaces at South Belridge. Use of the proposed method appears warranted at this time when lay-over of the combustion surface can be anticipated. INTRODUCTION The assumption of vertical combustion fronts has been embodied in all previous publicationsl-6 which use the movement of combustion fronts away from injection wells to determine the temperature and fluid distributions in the reservoir. The only paper concerned with a mathematical model of the combustion process in which a nonvertical combustion front is used was written by Gottfried.11 Actually, nonvertical combustion fronts have been observed in most in situ combustion field tests for which adequate data are available.7, 8, 6 In practice, the typical vertical extent of the burned zone decreases with distance from the injection well, and this burned zone is at or near the top of the sand body. In some cases, such as at South Belridge field near Taft, Calif., the combustion surface is almost horizontal over a very large area.8 Thus, for some years an obvious and serious gap has existed between theory (vertical fronts) and practice (tilted fronts). This is indicated in Fig. 1. Tilted combustion fronts such as observed at South Belridge8 sometimes result from the natural tendency of injected gases to rise to the top of an oil sand. An initially present gas cap, even if thin, would make apparent the effect of gravity segregation from the first, particularly since formations considered for in situ combustion field operations are generally selected for their

Jan 1, 1969

By R. H. Tien

Temperature distribution as well as position of the solidified front is solved by means of "heat balance integral", for the case of freezing a slab with time-dependent surface temperature. Numerical solutions for the cases of linear variation and exponential decay for surface temperature are given. Application also includes solidification of casting. An increased interest in the heat-transfer problem involving a change of phase has been developed in recent years. Practical problems include solidification of a casting, freezing and thawing of soil, ice formation, and others. Despite the importance of the topic, a literature search reveals relatively few solutions which may be extended to practical problems. Due to mathematical complexity, which comes from the nonlinearity of governing differential equations, exact analytical solutions which have been published are limited to a few cases with simple boundary conditions. Although numerical solutions of these problems have become available after highspeed digital computers were introduced, lack of simple and general methods of programming for computation makes this approach impractical. The case of the semi-infinite slab with constant surface temperature was solved in the 19th century. In honor of Neumann, who first found an analytical solution, this kind of problem is generally referred to as the Neumann solution. As has been shown in Fig. 1, the problem to be analyzed is the freezing of a semi-infinite region (x > 0) which is initially liquid at the melting temperature with the surface (x = 0) maintained at time-dependent temperature. This analysis can be applied to the study of many casting processes where most of the heat removal is essentially unidirectional. "Heat balance integral" which has been used by Goodman1 is employed in this analysis. The concept of "heat balance integral" is to define a quantity, d(t), called the thermal layer. Beyond this thermal layer, for all practical purposes, there is no heat transfer, and the region is at the equilibrium temperature. "Heat balance integral" is obtained by integrating the conduction equation with respect to the space variable over this thermal layer d(t). Choosing some plausible temperature distribution, usually a polynomial or a finite trigonometric series in the space variable, this integral equation becomes an ordinary differential equation, with time as the independent variable, which can be solved by classical methods. The thermal layer and "heat balance integral" are equivalent, respectively, to the boundary-layer thickness and the momentum integral in hydrodynamics. A modern account of Prandtl's concept of the boundary layer and von Karman's momentum integral may be found in Ref. 2. Although the problem considered here has been limited initially to uniform melting temperature, the present method is equally applicable to the case with arbitrary temperature distribution in the liquid. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The physical situation and coordinate system used in the problem to be analyzed are shown in Fig. 1. Notations used are listed in the table of nomenclature. Let us assume a semi-infinite region extending over positive x, initially at the uniform melting temperature. At the surface x = 0, a time-dependent temperature, which has a numerical value

Jan 1, 1965

Do not write until you have something to say. Think first; then write. In order to be understood, you must know what you wish to say. Clear writing is the consequence of clear thinking. Therefore consider your subject well before you begin to write; ruminate on it; marshal the salient facts in your mind; saturate yourself with the ideas you wish to express and with cognate ideas; then express yourself deliberately. If you are bubbling over with your subject the words will come, but you might as well expect to sail without a breeze as hope to give life to words without the living thought. Here I may advert to the fact that among the uneducated it is a common expectation to acquire the knack of writing without taking the trouble to study the art of literature. I overheard a woman in a suburban train remark to her neighbor: "I'd like to be able to write well without stopping to think about it". She was one of many that would like to do a thing well without the trouble of thinking; but it cannot be done in respect of anything to which thought is essential. The possession of a good voice does not justify a person in expecting to sing successfully to a large audience; before singing in public one has to master the technique of singing; one has to learn first how to breathe properly, how to enunciate, and many other things. The successful singer is an artist, not a megaphone. Most of us would regard a man or a woman without any training in the art of singing as a fool or an impostor if he or she were to give a public concert, yet we do not recognize the equal foolishness and imposture of persons that write books before they have studied the technique of writing. That is why so many books are unreadable, and why many books by clever men are difficult to read. They start to write books before

Jan 1, 1931

By W. H. McFarland

The mechanical properties have been determined for a large number of alloy-free martensitic steels with carbon contents ranging from 0.08 to 0.20 pct and with manganese contents of about 0.4 to 0.5 pet. These steels were tested 1) as water-quenched, 2) after quenching, temper rolling, and tinning, and 3) after tempering treatments which involved temperatures from 400o to 1300oF and times from 1 min to 8 hr. The majority of these tests represent steel from commercial-size coils, i.e., strip 32 in. wide, coil weights up to 20,000 16, and steel thicknesses from 0.0055 to 0.024 in. As a result of these treatments, it has been shown that as-quenched low-carbon alloy-free steels can be produced with tensile strengths ranging from 140,000 to 220,000 psi and tensile elongations from 3.0 to 4.0 pet in 2 in. The tensile strength of the as-quenched martensites can be represented by the equation, tensile strength (ksi) = 119 + 560 (wt pet C). The response to tempering of these steels is related to previous work by Muir, Averbach, and Cohen and by Grange and Baughman. Strain aging of low-carbon martensite has also been investigated. If low-carbon steels are defined as those steels with a maximum carbon content of 0.2 pet, it is found that the literature on low-carbon, alloy-free martensites contains little data on the mechanical properties of these steels. However, the following facts concerning low-carbon alloy-free martensites seem firmly established:'-' 1) The major factors in controlling the strength of the martensite appear to be a) fine structure, b) the internal strain resulting from the transformation, and, particularly, c) the amount of carbon in solid solution. 2) In low-carbon steels, the martensite is auto-tempered and is in the form of needles with only minor amounts of internal twinning, whereas the martensite in high-carbon steels forms as plates which are internally twinned on a fine scale. 3) Care must be taken in comparing the results of work that has been done on low-carbon steels with varying amounts of alloying elements to data on plain carbon steels. As has been noted by Irvine, Pickering, and Garstone,6 alloying elements generally lower the martensite start temperature and, thereby, decrease the amount of auto tempering obtained during the quench. This makes it difficult to

Jan 1, 1965

By Juan Sodi, John F. Elliott

The standard free energy of ReS2 has been measured in the range of 1050° to 1250°K using H2/H2S mixtures and a slight variation of the method described by Hager and Elliott.1 The result is: The experimental method and apparatus were modified slightly for this study. Measurements on Cu2S were made to verify the application of the method to the work on ReS2. THE EXPERIMENTS AND RESULTS Briefly, the experimental method consisted of exposing a chip of copper or rhenium at a known temperature for 8 hr to a slowly flowing gas stream at the same temperature in which Ph2S and PH2 were known. The chip was withdrawn quickly from the hot furnace, and subsequently it was inspected for the presence of a sulfided surface. In the experiments described here, there was no ambiguity in any case as to the presence or the absence of the sulfide. At a given temperature, gas compositions for sulfidization were explored systematically until two compositions were found whose values of ?G°, Eqs. [I] and [2], were within approximately 100 cal of each other, one of which was sulfi-dizing and the other was not. These are termed the "straddle" compositions and it is assumed that the equilibrium composition lies between them. The chief modification to the apparatus, which is shown schematically in Fig. 1 of Ref. 1, was to support the metal specimen on a small alumina boat which could be moved along the reaction tube, 6 mm ID, by platinum wires. An appropriate seal at each end of the reaction tube permitted the sample to be moved from the cold end of the tube into the hot zone in 2 to 3 sec, and the sample could be withdrawn equally rapidly. Thus, it was possible essentially to quench the specimen from the reaction temperature with the reaction gas or helium flowing and without danger of breaking the reaction tube. The usual practice at the end of the experiment was to switch the gas system to the helium tank, flood the reaction chamber with helium, and pull the sample out of the hot zone. The purpose of the modification was to permit study of the sulfidization of copper without the complication of the back-reaction between the gas and the specimen as the latter cooled during slow withdrawal of it from the hot zone; this was a problem in the earlier work.&apos; A further improvement located the tip of the temperature-indieating thermocouple and the specimen precisely at the hottest part of the furnace. A carefully calibrated thermocouple, with its tip at the position of the specimen and with other conditions duplicating those of an actual experiment, showed that in the temperature range of 900° to 1122°C the temperature of the specimen differed from that of the tip of the indicating thermocouple by less than 0.5°C. The two positions were 0.5 cm apart. The reaction gas was prepared from ultrahigh-purity hydrogen (<l ppm O2, <0.5 ppm H2O) and CP grade hydrogen sulfide (99.5 pct H2S). High-purity helium (99.995 pct He) was used. All of these gases were purchased from the Matheson Co. All flow meters were recalibrated by the soap-bubble method with hydrogen, H2S, helium, and several gas compositions used during the study. These calibrations gave a linear relationship with a slope of 1.0 for the plot of log flow rate vs log pressure drop across the flow meter, in accordance with the Hagen-Poiseuille equation. The analysis of the gas was determined in the same manner as was reported previously. Good checks were obtained between the composition of the gas established by the flow-meter settings and by chemical analysis of the gas taken after the mixing bulb and ahead of the furnace. The pressures of H2S, H2, S2, and HS in the equilibrium gas at temperature were calculated from the following data :3 The pressures of the species S and S8 were negligible for the conditions of the experiments.3 There was no sign of vaporization of ReS2 either by weight loss or deposits in the reaction tube. Thus it is not possible to account for the apparent volatility of the compound reported by Juza and Biltz.2 The inlet gas composition and the calculated equilibrium ratio of PH2 S/PH2 for the "straddle" points of each experiment are shown in Table I. The specimens of metal for the experiment were small clippings of annealed copper (99.9+ pct) sheet 0.005 in. thick that was obtained from Baker and Adamson and of "high-purity" rhenium (99.9+ pct) sheet 0.005 in. thick that was purchased from Chase Brass and Copper Co. A specimen was removed from the apparatus; inspected for the presence of the sulfide, and then stored in a sealed vial. A fresh clipping was used in each measurement. The condition of the surface of each specimen after the experiment is noted in Table I.

Jan 1, 1969

By T. Egleston

The necessity of using a refractory material capable of much greater resistance to chemical action and having a far higher melting-point than those which contain silica, which melt and sweat off in the furnace even when not exposed to bases forming with silica more or less fusible compounds, has led to a careful practical study of all those materials which contain very refractory bases. The results of these researches, extending over several years, and made on a very large scale in many of the largest works in Europe, are of the highest interest, not only considered as a step in the progress of the study of the materials themselves, but in the application of refractory materials to metallurgical uses in general. The result of the experience of the last seven years with these basic materials, as in general with all such substanccs, is that natural products cannot be used as such. They are either too uncertain in their quality, contain substances which may in certain cases be very injurious, or, when in a condition in which they might be used, are so rare as to become practically unavailable for employment on a large scale. The materials that may he used are therefore not only limited in number. but they must be prepared artificially. When the use of basic artificial material is further extended, no doubt the number of these substances will not only be greatly increased, but the methods of preparation will be both perfected and cheapened to such an extent as to permit their application in processes for which they have hitherto proved too expensive. The quantity of refractory materials required for making ingots will he from 130 to 150 Ibs. per ton, or between 6 and 8 per cent. of the metal produced. In an establishment producing 2000 to 3000 tons of steel per week, considerable space is required to handle the basic materials properly. It is proposed in this paper to briefly discuss these basic materials and their application in the only two metallurgical processes where they have as yet been applied. These are the basic Bessemer and the basic open-hearth process, known as the Thomas-Gilchrist processes.

Jan 1, 1886

By ROY BERENTZ

MANUFACTURE is the transformation of material by the application of energy and power. The energy of a man exerted throughout a day is equivalent to about one horsepower-hour of mechanical work an amount which can be purchased for less than 2c. It is evident that manual labor is uneconomical if mechanical energy can be applied effectively, or without disproportionate expense. Since manual energy is relatively so costly, economy demands that mechanical power be employed so as to reduce the human effort connected with mining operations to a minimum. Power, like other commodities, is most efficiently produced in large quantities. Mechanical transmission, once prevailing, is being rapidly superseded by electric drive. There are many reasons for this change; such as increased production, ease and accuracy of control, convenient application, ease of moving, etc.

Jan 1, 1930

By R. M. Brick, Arthur Phillips

The Institute of Metals Division Lecture in 1936, given by R. F. Mehl, on diffusion in solid metals1, was introduced with the statement that "the phenomena of diffusion are intimately related to many basic problems of the metallic state, but in addition to this the process of diffusion is of first importance practically." In view of the scope of that lecture, it does not seem necessary to review the importance, history or present status of diffusion problems. One aspect of the subject of diffusion that has received little attention became of some immediate importance in the course of a study on segregation. When a solid solution alloy freezes, the familiar mechanism of solidification requires that the first nuclei formed be low in solute concentration, with a resultant normal segregation or coring effect during freezing. Theoretically, musion of solute atoms during solidification should result in a homogeneous solid solution. Actually, of course, it is impossible in most binary alloys to obtain a cooling rate that will permit diffusion to eliminate coring in the freezing dendrites. For a given alloy, the extent of diffusion attained up to the point of final solidification will determine the degree of enrichment in solute atoms of the final liquid phase. The flow of this liquid into dendritic contraction channels and the solute concentration of the liquid seem to be the determining factors as to whether the final gross segregation is normal, inverse or absent. The purpose of the present study of diffusion was to determine to some extent the separate diffusion rates of copper and magnesium into pure aluminum with a view to clarifying previous results on segregation in these alloys; i.e., the fact that under similar freezing conditions aluminum-copper alloys segregate inversely and aluminum-magnesium alloys segregate normally. Of concomitant interest were the questions of the homogenization times required for segregated ingots or partially melted, i.e., "burnt," structures, and the solution heat-treatment times required for cast, hardenable aluminum-copper and aluminum-magnesium alloys, for worked and annealed structures, and so forth.

Jan 1, 1937

By John Wulff, J. H. Hollomon

THE opinion has been widely held that the corrosion of alpha brass occurs by the selective solution of zinc. As late as 1939, Fink1 and Evans2 suggested that in the initial stage of the corrosion the selective solution of zinc produces copper-rich areas, which subsequently act as cathodes that facilitate the deposition of copper. Previously Abrams3 had shown that most of the copper found on corroded brass was redeposited and not residual, although he did not consider the nature of the initiation of the corrosion process. Enough data exist to indicate that any metal surface is sufficiently heterogeneous to provide the anodes and cathodes necessary for the initiation of corrosion.4,5 Thus, for alpha brass we need postulate not an initial selective solution of zinc, but only the existence of local differences in electrochemical potential. The heterogeneity responsible for potential differences may arise from oxide and other films as well as from alloy concentration gradients. Even though selective corrosion may be possible in some alloy systems, previous data on alpha brass as well as the experimental work reported in this paper do not require this supposition. Bengough and May,6 in a discussion of Abrams&apos; paper, first suggested the addition of small amounts of arsenic (0.03 per cent) to alpha brass to prevent the redeposition of copper (dezincification). This suggestion was later substantiated by Nixon.7 In their studies of the inhibiting influence of arsenic, Evans and Fink were led to the selective-solution hypothesis in order to explain the initial corrosion of such alloys. They believed that an arsenic film covered anode areas and prevented the formation of copper-rich spots capable of acting as cathodes for the deposition of copper. They did not consider, however, the mechanism by which the arsenical film was formed. Bengough and May,8 in another publication, suggested that the commonly found gray or black arsenical film may act to: (I) carry oxygen to the brass surface, (2) increase the discharge potential of copper on brass, (3) precipitate cuprous chloride from colloidal suspension in chloride solutions. Masing9 assumed that the film found upon arsenical brass was metallic arsenic. His measurements of hydrogen overvoltage of bulk arsenic led him to believe that the inhibition of dezincification occurs because the overvoltage of a brass surface is lowered by the arsenic film. He reasoned that this film would permit the more rapid reduction of hydrogen at the cathode, which would prevent the redeposition of copper. In a recent paper,10 we have pointed out that the film formed during the corrosion of arsenical brass and copper in stagnant solutions is essentially arsenious oxide (As203),

Jan 1, 1942

By Tom Westgarth

As papers are placed before you upon large gas-engines in Belgium and Germany, it was considered that some information should be given upon the same subject in Great Britain. I therefore agreed to compile these notes, which I have made very short in view of the somewhat full nature of the other papers presented to this meeting, and considering the complete nature of the many publications which have been made recently upon the subject of large gas-engines. I give below Tables I. to VI., showing the number and particulars of large gas-engines which have been built or are building by British makers, and in view of the growing size of gas-engines I have concluded that engines less than 500 h.p. cannot now be included in the category of large gas-engines, and therefore I have not considered engines under that power.

Nov 1, 1906

By Frank L. Antisell

Certain physical and chemical properties of copper are so intimately related that a change in variation of the physical properties indicates a certain chemical change. The standard specifications of copper of the American Society for Testing Materials are based upon physical characteristics with one exception, namely, the copper contents. The physical standard includes electrical properties, defects in the "set or casting," variation in dimensions, weight, etc. Paragraph 4 of the specifications states, " Wire bars, cakes, slabs and billets shall be substantially free from shrink holes, cold sets, pits, sloppy edges, concave tops, and similar defects in set or casting." Shrink holes and concave tops indicate both physical and metallurgical defects; cold sets, sloppy edges, etc., indicate physical defects only; small pit holes may be indicative of either or both physical and metallurgical defects, depending on conditions under which they originated. To the refiner, a copper casting, no matter how made, is known as a "shape," irrespective of whether it is wire bar, ingot, cake, slab, billet, etc. As practically all shapes are cast in an open mold, that is a mold without cope, the surface of the shape cools in contact with the atmosphere and has a coating of oxide. Certain phenomena of the surface indicate the adaptability of the metal for forging or rolling. The writer believes that it is much simpler to produce shapes that are metallurgically correct than those that are mechanically satisfactory. When copper is to be rolled into thin sheets or drawn into very fine wire, the slightest physical defect becomes evident. It is, therefore, of the utmost importance to consider every characteristic of the shape and ascertain the physical and chemical relationship. Pitch and Set.—The appearance of the surface of the copper when cooled is considered as to its "pitch," or the general contour of the surface of the shape (which may vary from a concave to a convex); and the &apos;" set,"&apos; or the detail appearance of the surface of the shape (the wave-like structure). When the shape presents a concave surface, it is known as "low pitch;" a convex surface is known as "high pitch" or "tough pitch;" and a level surface is called "flat pitch." The set of the copper is, in a very large measure, directly related to the pitch; and so intimately are

Jan 1, 1921

The plans involve about ten technical sessions, a day spent in Cripple Creek and in Pueblo, where there will he optional visits devoted to steel, non-ferrous metals, etc.; half-a-day each to mills in Colorado Springs district and an auto trip to the top of Pike&apos;s Peak. Finally, a day at Leadville devoted to visits, including the molybdenum works.

Jan 4, 1918

By E. F. Poncelet

Forty years ago A. A. Griffith developed a theory explaining why brittle materials displayed such low tensile strengths.&apos; He based his views on two points. First, he found himself compelled to assume that all brittle materials are replete with flaws, cracks, and other defects that act, although quite invisible, as large stress raisers. Second, he applied the "theorem of minimum potential energy," which says that the total potential energy of a system must pass from the unbroken to the broken condition by a process involving a continuous decrease in potential energy. By this means he satisfactorily accounted for the noted low strength of such solids and also for the wide spread obtained in experimental measurement of these strengths. So successful has the theory been that it is favored by some to this day. Unfortunately this theory is of limited use beyond the explanation of these two noted phenomena and it is keenly felt that a better theoretical insight into the physics of the fracturing process is needed as the volume of experimental evidence accumulates. The author proposes in the following to build on the fundamentally sound concepts of Griffith and, with the help of increased theoretical knowledge over that available to Griffith, develop a mechanism for frac-ture which will provide far greater understanding of the experimental evidence accumulated to date than is possible from the original Griffith idea. THE GRlFFlTH THEORY Very little progress indeed can be made without accepting the first postulate of Griffith which supposes all brittle solids to be full of microcracks. It would be difficult indeed to find a better mechanism for the small strength of such brittle materials, in conjunction with the fact that the energy that must be expended for comminution is by no means small. The postulate of the existence of the microcracks permits the breakup of the various bonds a few at a time by concentrating the stress at the tip of the progressing crack, while the total energy expended is the same as if they all had been ruptured simultaneously. The only flaw in the argument is that no reasonable explanation has been proposed to account for the genesis of such cracks. Indeed their very presence is in violation of the Griffith second postulate, the potential energy theorem. This theorem is straightforward for isothermal processes, and, in spite of Griffith, there is some doubt that treating the problem isothermally is legitimate. The surface energy of bodies is a free energy, not a potential energy as stated by Griffith, and the production of new surface free energies is not necessarily an isothermal process. There is ample evidence to the contrary. Generally speaking, if heating a body increases its surface area, then, by virtue of Le Chatelier&apos;s principle, any increase of that area by other means will tend to lower its surface temperature. Lord Kelvin calculated the actual cooling that resulted in drawing out a film of liquid.2 R. A. Houston calculated the surface cooling that resulted in stretching a metal wire.3 These calculations were made by applying the Carnot cycle to the process and evaluating the thermodynamics thereof. IRREVERSIBILITY OF THE FRACTURING PROCESS While Griffith was very careful not to say so, the impression gained from studying his papers is that he considered the fracturing process as reversible, that is, a succession of quasi-equilibrium states. There is ample evidence that it is not. The indication that the new surfaces produced by the propagation of a crack are cooler than the original body points to an irreversible heat flow from the interior to the new surfaces to equalize the temperatures. If the process be reversible, any crack accidentally formed should immediately close up as, in the absence of any strain energy, the potential energy would thereby be lowered. The fact that they do not, constitutes a paradox. Such paradoxes are nothing new where certain phenomena that propagate from minuscule nuclei are assumed to be reversible. Such is, for instance, the condensation of a pure saturated vapor that is suddenly chilled by adiabatic expansion. At the beginning the tiny droplets that are formed should be only a few angstroms in size, but the vapor pressure at such droplets is so high that they should evaporate at once. A similar situation arises if a saturated pure solution becomes super-saturated upon cooling; the first tiny crystal nuclei should dissolve as fast as

Jan 1, 1964

By H. H. Klepfer, K. J. Gill, P. Chiotti

SOME observations relative to the U-Zn system have been made by other investigators. Chipman1 and Carter2 have reported the preparation of several U-Zn alloys and point out that these alloys are generally difficult to prepare. Chipman1 reported evidence for a high melting compound at about 90 atomic pct Zn and the possible existence of a eutec-tic between the compound and uranium. Raynor," in a theoretical discussion of the alloying properties of uranium, included zinc among the elements predicted to have little or no solubility in a, p, or y uranium. In the present investigation, thermal analyses, X-ray, metallographic, and vapor-pressure data were obtained to determine the phase boundaries. The relatively high zinc pressure over most of the alloys at temperatures of 900 °C and above proved troublesome and special techniques had to be employed in preparing suitable alloys. Materials and Preparation of Alloys The metals employed in this investigation were Ames Laboratory biscuit uranium containing less than 500 ppm total impurities and Bunker Hill slab zinc or Baker Analyzed reagent granulated zinc, both with a purity of 99.99+ pct. Due to the high vapor pressure of zinc and the high reactivity of both uranium and zinc with oxygen at only moderately high temperatures, alloys were prepared in closed containers which had either been evacuated or evacuated and filled with helium. High purity magnesia, magnesia containing 10 pct calcium fluoride, and tantalum proved to be suitable crucible materials. Tw-o different procedures, described below, were used to prepare alloys, the latter being the most satisfactory. The metals, uranium turnings and granulated zinc, were cleaned with dilute nitric acid, rinsed, dried, and placed immediately in a helium-fill&apos;ed dry box. The two metals were placed&apos; in a 10 mil Ta crucible. The charge was enclosed in the tantalum crucible by welding on a preformed tantalum cap. This assembly was enclosed inside a stainless steel (AISI 309) bomb. The bomb was made by welding a piece of stainless steel plate on each end of a stainless steel pipe. All these operations were carried out in a helium atmosphere. These assemblies were heated in a muffle furnace at temperatures between 1100" and 1200°C for 10 to 15 min or held as long as 15 to 20 hr in the 950" to 1000°C temperature range before quenching. Spectrographic and chemical analyses showed no tantalum pickup by the alloys, indicating no reaction between the alloys and the crucibles. However, some of these crucibles failed, probably due to imperfections in the welds of the stainless steel or tantalum crucibles. The second and most satisfactory method was to prepare the alloys by powder metallurgy techniques. The procedure was to press degreased and acid-etched uranium turnings with granulated zinc into 20 g compacts under 20,000-psi pressure. The compacts were placed in MgO crucibles, and sealed in evacuated Vycor or fused silica tubes. The alloys were then heated as long as two weeks at about 550°C in a muffle furnace. The pressed compacts were observed to expand by several volume percent during heating and it was necessary to make allowances for this expansion in order to avoid breaking the crucible and Vycor tube. This method was found very satisfactory for preparing alloys which were suitable for thermal analysis or vapor pressure studies. Experimental Methods and Results The phase diagram for the U-Zn system at 1 atrn pressure, shown in Fig. 1, is based primarily on vapor pressure measurements and on thermal analysis taken at temperatures below 950°C. Fig. 2 shows the U-Zn diagram at 5 atrn pressure, constructed on the basis of thermal analysis of alloys in sealed containers up to 1150°C and on the basis of metallographic, X-ray, and analytical data. The alloys sealed under vacuum were actually under their own vapor pressure and those sealed in an atmosphere of helium were under an additional pressure due to the helium. At temperatures up to 1100°C the zinc pressure is 5 atrn or less for these alloys; consequently the maximum pressure over the alloys sealed under a helium atmosphere was 10 atrn or less at temperatures up to 1100°C. Changes in pressure of this order of magnitude do not appreciably alter the position of most solid-solid or liquid-solid phase boundaries. In constructing the phase diagram for a pressure of 5 atm, the effect of pressure on all phase boundaries except those for liquid-vapor or solid-vapor regions was considered negligible.

Jan 1, 1958

By Herbert Clark Hoover, Lou Henry Hoover

DIFFERENT methods of parting gold from silver, and, on the other hand, silver from gold, were discussed in the last book; also the separation of copper from the latter and further, of lead from gold as well as from silver ; and, lastly, the methods for refining the two precious metals. Now I will speak of the methods by which silver must be separated from copper, and likewise from iron.1 The officina, or the building necessary for the purposes and use of those who separate silver from copper, is constructed in this manner. First, four long walls are built, of which the first, which is parallel with the bank of a stream, and the second, are both two hundred and sixty-four feet long. The second, however, stops at one hundred and fifty-one feet, and after, as it were, a break for a length of twenty-four feet, it continues again until it is of a length equal to the first wall. The third wall is one hundred and twenty feet long, starting at a point opposite the sixty-seventh foot of the other walls, and reaching to their one hundred and eighty-sixth foot.

Jan 1, 1950

By William P. Blake

In directing attention to the newly-opened zinc-ore region in Southwestern New Mexico, I adopt a suggestion made at the Engi neering Congress last summer in Chicago by Prof. Le Neve Foster, who commended the indication of the geographical position of a district under description by means of an outline-map. Such a map is the more important in this instance, inasmuch as the region to be described is remote and little known even in the United States. Until within a few years it has been infested by the savage Apaches, has not been often visited by mining engineers, and could not be

Jan 1, 1895

By John H. Hollomon

The interpretation of notched-bar impact results has been a matter of controversy since the introduction of more or less standard tests by Fremont,&apos; Charpy2 and others at the turn of the century. Many investigators3-l1 have contributed to the understanding of the significance of such tests. Several symposiums12,13 have been held with the express purpose of discussing the significance and interpretation of the impact tests. It is not the purpose of this paper to review all these contributions to the development of the knowledge on this subject, but rather to present an interpretation of notched-bar impact tests that appears to be in agreement with the available published data. Fundamentally, the interpretation discussed in this paper of the brittle failure of some steels in notched-bar impact test is similar to the qualitative analysis presented by Ludwik3 in the I92o&apos;s. Essentially, Ludwik stated that the function of the notch was to increase the tensile stress necessary for yielding, and that brittle failure occurred when the stress necessary for yielding exceeded the normal stress required for fracture (with no plastic deformation). Ludwik, however, had no means of measuring this normal stress necessary for failure of a plastically* undeformed metal, therefore he could not extend his interpretation beyond the qualitative stage. Kuntze14 and recently Mc-Adam15 attempted to determine the effect of deformation on the stress necessary for fracture by testing, in tension, specimens notched to various depths and angles. Because of the uncertainties in Kuntze&apos;s (and McAdam&apos;s) analysis of the stresses (which have been pointed out by Sachs16) and the inherent nonuniformity in the stress distribution in notched bars, the results of such investigations are difficult to interpret. A more direct method of measuring the effect of deformation on the fracture stress was suggested in previous papers"-18 and has been utilized in the present investigation. The present paper concerns itself primarily with the behavior of notched impact specimens. The effects of strain rate, temperature, and stress distribution, which are discussed with reference to the impact specimen, apply just as well to the behavior of metal at the bases of notches in any engineering structure. All that is necessary is to determine the stress distribution in the structure at the base of the notches.

Jan 1, 1944

By John H. Hollomon

The interpretation of notched-bar impact results has been a matter of controversy since the introduction of more or less standard tests by Fremont,&apos; Charpy2 and others at the turn of the century. Many investigators3-l1 have contributed to the understanding of the significance of such tests. Several symposiums12,13 have been held with the express purpose of discussing the significance and interpretation of the impact tests. It is not the purpose of this paper to review all these contributions to the development of the knowledge on this subject, but rather to present an interpretation of notched-bar impact tests that appears to be in agreement with the available published data. Fundamentally, the interpretation discussed in this paper of the brittle failure of some steels in notched-bar impact test is similar to the qualitative analysis presented by Ludwik3 in the I92o&apos;s. Essentially, Ludwik stated that the function of the notch was to increase the tensile stress necessary for yielding, and that brittle failure occurred when the stress necessary for yielding exceeded the normal stress required for fracture (with no plastic deformation). Ludwik, however, had no means of measuring this normal stress necessary for failure of a plastically* undeformed metal, therefore he could not extend his interpretation beyond the qualitative stage. Kuntze14 and recently Mc-Adam15 attempted to determine the effect of deformation on the stress necessary for fracture by testing, in tension, specimens notched to various depths and angles. Because of the uncertainties in Kuntze&apos;s (and McAdam&apos;s) analysis of the stresses (which have been pointed out by Sachs16) and the inherent nonuniformity in the stress distribution in notched bars, the results of such investigations are difficult to interpret. A more direct method of measuring the effect of deformation on the fracture stress was suggested in previous papers"-18 and has been utilized in the present investigation. The present paper concerns itself primarily with the behavior of notched impact specimens. The effects of strain rate, temperature, and stress distribution, which are discussed with reference to the impact specimen, apply just as well to the behavior of metal at the bases of notches in any engineering structure. All that is necessary is to determine the stress distribution in the structure at the base of the notches.

Jan 1, 1944

By F. L. Wolf

The catenary system of line construction possesses so many desirable characteristics from the operating standpoint that it has wide application for all types of electric traction. Many steam roads are electrifying sections of their lines, and in most cases are operating both steam and electric locomotives over the same track. This means that the overhead catenary system is subjected to the severe corrosive action of locomotive smoke, and data concerning the resistance of various alloys to this form of corrosion are very desirable from every point of view. Reliable and specific information and data on the subject of corrosion due to steam and smoke from locomotives are extremely meager and, on this account, extensive service tests, together with accelerated tests, have been made on a number of commercial metals and alloys. The observations and data recorded in this paper are the result of a preliminary test which was started in 1923 and which has been carried on to the present time. The recognition of the need for even more detailed and accurate data has resulted in the undertaking of another test which has been in progress for about a year. The result of this test will be published in due course. Some years ago The Ohio Brass Co. was asked by one of the large steam railroad companies to furnish data on construction details for a catenary system which it was considering for one of its divisions. The selection of materials which would give the necessary physical characteristics as well as withstand the severe corrosive action of locomotive gases caused electrical railroad engineers considerable concern. At that time, there were available no specific or authentic data on these important questions: no systematic investigation of the problem appeared to have been made, even though it&apos;s importance was generally recognized. Such observations as had been made were crude in that they had been limited largely to visual inspection which too frequently is most misleading. However, the scattered information which was collected gave important clues as to how best to start an investigation. Technical literature was studied, metallurgical experts were consulted, and the problem was discussed with engineers who were in close contact

Jan 1, 1930

By Arthur F. Taggart

Some years ago, A. M. Gaudin and one of the authors published a paper showing removal of tar acids from solution by sulfides preferentially as compared to gangues (specifically by galena as compared to quartz).&apos; The underlying phenomenon was classed as adsorption, and the paper went on to develop the general thesis that so far as water-soluble frothing and collecting agents in flotation are concerned, the phenomenon of adsorption is one of controlling importance. Adsorption was defined in that paper as "a process of rearrangement of a system, which results in establishing a difference in concentration, as between the interfacial layers and the bulk of the phases, of a substance or substances initially uniformly dispersed in one or several of the phases." The paper went on to develop the relation between adsorption and surface cnergy according to Gibbs&apos; equation (which may be thrown into the form U/c = KdT/dc, where U = excess concentration in surface layer, c = concentration, T = surface tension, and K is a constant), and pointed out that, according to this equation, degree of adsorption and change in surface tension vary directly. The present paper offers a somewhat different definition for the term adsorption; and sets up, in sweeping terms, the generalization that simple chemical reaction underlies the functioning of the flotation reagents which control mineral collection, when these reagents are soluble in and act from solution in the water of the pulp. Adsorption According to the modified definition, adsorption means concentration at an interface between different phases in a heterogeneous system (thus far the definition runs as before), by the action of some mechanism, of which nothing is properly implied in the word, and concerning which the user of the word is probably in entire ignorance. Thus defined,

Jan 1, 1930