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By Helmut Thielsch

During the last three decades a great many arguments have been presented on the subject of "mosaicJ' or "blockJJ structures of metals. Apparently because of insufficient evidence, the "block-structure" theories have never been widely understood among the physical metallurgists in this country, and most investigators among the few that have tried to demonstrate the existence of such an inner strutture Of crystals or grains have failed to recognize also the existence of a lamellar structure. Moreover, little thought has been given to justify the existence of such "lamellar" or "mosaic-block" structures on a theoretical basis. Since properties such as Plasticity; ferro-magnetism, hardness, diffusion, and others may be explained by structural faults in the lattice network of the crystals: the great importance of a more detailed knowledge of the structure within crystals or grains becomes now evident. Because Of the vast extent of the field Of submicroscopic structures, it shall be the purpose Of this paper only to review the more important of the results obtained by other investigators, especially in Germany, where a great deal of attention has been given to mosaic structure during the last three years. The origin of this mosaic patternt and effects of cold reduction and recrystallization will be shown in further studies later on. Imperfections in Crystals The many terms used in the literature to denote structural types of crystals are often not clearly defined. To clear up some of the confusion, the meaning of the more important terms will be given here. ideal, or perfect without any structural imperfections are called "ideal crystals,,or ''Perfect'' crystals,n meaning a Homogeneous interior structure of atoms, ions or molecules, as the case may be. In other words, at every point in the interior of the crystal exactly the same orientation of the crystallographic axes of the coordinate system would exist. The Surface of such a body, if etched with an appropriate etching reagent, would reflect light with perfect uniformity. Crystals of this type are almost nonexistent. Real Crystals.—L'Real crystals"' may contain various types of structural defects, which can be classified into: (I) lineage structure, (2) mosaic-block structure, (3) lamellar structure. The inhomogeneities many,in these groups mean that the orientation of the crystallographic aies will not be the same at every point within the interior of a crystal (or grain of a poly crystalline body). 'Perjecl Real Crystals.—The term "perfect real crystals " is generally used to describe crystals with minute structural or thermo-dynamical inhomogeneities. The former

Jan 1, 1946

By W. McA. Johnson

The work of J. E. Johnson, Jr., on the effect of small amounts of oxygen in cast iron in increasing its strength and resistance to shock, is of interest from the technical and scientific standpoints. The following exposition of the theory carries Mr. Johnson's explanation further and, in my opinion, will disclose certain related phenomena and perhaps shed further light on the subject. Some facts, so novel in character as to excite incredulity, have been accepted finally by many metallurgical authorities. One of these is that oxygen to the amount of 0.060 per cent. in cast iron gives it a breaking strength of 3,500 Ib. per square inch, compared with a breaking strength of 2,500 lb. per square inch in cast iron of the same composition with respect to elements other than oxygen, but having only 0.010 per cent, oxygen. The "oxygenated" cast iron, even if made in a coke furnace, has properties equivalent to the best charcoal pig iron. Mr. Johnson has also established the fact that the variations in combined carbon cannot account for the results. By microphotographic evidence he has shown that in oxygenated cast iron the graphite particles are dense and spherical, while in well-deoxidized cast iron the graphite particles are flaky and leaf-like. It is just a matter of common sense that iron of the latter structure is much weaker than the former. The analytical and microscopical work has been done with care and there is no doubt in my mind about the accuracy of the experimental results. In this paper then, we shall consider it as accepted that small amounts (0.060 per cent.) of oxygen increase the strength of cast iron by producing a structure in which the round and solid particles of graphite are surrounded firmly by a principal matrix of ferrite. The purpose of this paper is to show that the reason why the graphite particles are round is founded on the fact that the particles of any precipitate are made denser and harder by the presence of a reagent having a solvent action on the precipitate. This can be stated as a law, although I have never seen it so given in any textbook. Let us then, for purposes of illustration, give a concrete example and develop the theory of such mechanical and chemical actions as occur: It is well known that, by a soluble sulphate, a barium salt in solution is precipitated in a dense and easily filtered body when the solution is

Jan 1, 1916

By A. E. Back, W. Wyman, K. E. Tame, S. F. Ravitz

In 1940, when it appeared that the United States soon might be cut off from foreign sources of high-grade manganese ore, the Bureau of Mines began an extensive series of investigations on the production of ferro-grade products from low-grade domestic ores by ore-dressing, pyrometal-lurgical, and hydrometallurgical methods. Among the hydrometallurgical processes for oxide ores investigated was a sulphur dioxide process in which the manganese was recovered from solution by precipitation with lime;' this process is essentially as follows: The ground ore is suspended in water and leached with SO2 gas to extract the manganese as manganese sulphate. Calcium chloride is then added to the slurry to precipitate calcium sulphate and form manganous chloride solution, and the resultant slurry is filtered to remove the calcium sulphate together with the insoluble portion of the ore. Calcium hydroxide is added to the filtrate and the mixture is agitated with air to precipitate hydrated oxides of manganese and regenerate calcium chloride. The precipitate is calcined, and the calcium chloride is recycled. To determine manganese extraction, reagent consumption, grade of product, and similar data for this process, a labora- tory investigation was started. Two minor modifications in the process were soon made: (I) the ore was suspended in calcium chloride solution instead of in water in order to extract the manganese and precipitate the calcium sulphate in one step, and (2) the agitation with air after the addition of slaked lime to the filtrate was omitted because manganese hydroxide is readily precipitated without air agitation and can be nodulized or sintered to a satisfactory product. When the process was carried through a series of cyclic tests, it was noted that the concentration of dithionate ion (which is one of the products of oxidation of SO2 by MnO2) in the cycled solution gradually increased; at the same time the chloride content of the solution gradually decreased, owing to soluble losses in the leach residue and in the precipitate. After a number of cycles, the calcium chloride became virtually completely replaced by calcium dithionate, the quantity of dithionate ion formed during the leach being more than enough to make up for the losses of dithionate in filtering. The calcium chloride process thus developed into a calcium dithionate process. Since the latter eliminated the need for make-up calcium chloride, and the dithionate solutions appeared much less corrosive than the chloride solutions, work on the calcium chloride process was dropped in favor of the calcium dithionate process. Acknowledgments The dithionate process was developed by the Bureau of Mines as part of a

Jan 1, 1949

By G. D. Cremer, J. J. Cordiano

ALUMINUM powder is a well-known article of commerce and in various forms has been marketed widely for use in paint, for pyrotechnic purposes and for exothermic mixtures. For a number of reasons, how- ever, aluminum powder has not been employed extensively in powder metallurgy, although a great many proposals along this line have been offered. Aluminum and aluminum-alloy powders oxidize readily upon exposure to air and the thin film of oxide (or hydroxide) thus formed is highly refractory, in that ordinary gaseous reducing agents such as hydrogen or carbon monoxide do not reduce the oxide to metal at temperatures below the melting point of aluminum. It has been thought that the presence of these films of oxide on aluminum particles would interfere markedly in powder metallurgical work and a number of suggestions have been made, either for preventing the formation of the film through the production of the powders in inert or reducing atmospheres, or for the removal of the oxide by means of powerful reducing agents, including "nascent" or atomic hydrogen released from metal hydrides. 4 second and more serious difficulty in the use of aluminum and aluminum-alloy powders in powder metallurgy resides in the fact that during compression such powders tend to adhere or cold-weld to the die walls, thus interfering with the formation and ejection of a compact. A third difficulty, which has been encountered only with aluminum-alloy powders, is their hardness when compared with elemental aluminum. Certain of these powders are susceptible to age- hardening, which further hinders the formation of strong green compacts. These conditions are particularly true of atomized aluminum-alloy powders. Even in the annealed condition, plastic deformation of alloy powders under pressure is low when compared with unalloyed powders. This fact, coupled with the lower corrosion resistance of the alloy powders, is probably the significant factor in our failure to obtain strong sintered pieces. METHODS OF PRODUCING THE POWER Many methods have been proposed for manufacture of aluminum powder, only a few of which are used commercially. Several of the more important processes include: (I) atomization of the molten metal; (2) mechanical pulverization and other types of comminution; and (3) graining, in which molten aluminum is stirred during freezing. For pigment and certain pyrotechnic uses aluminum flake powder is desirable, because of its greater proportion of surface to volume; and large quantities of such material are made by a procedure that involves stamping or ball milling. In making flake intended for use as pigment,

Jan 1, 1943

By Brison Robertson, W. P. Fishel

The carbide-forming tendencies of the various steel-alloying elements, or their affinities for carbon, is a subject that has received considerable attention, but little more than a probable arrangement of the elements as to their carbide-forming tendencies has been proposed. The physical properties of alloy steels depend upon the relative proportions of the elements present and their combinations. one important phase of this subject is the distribution of carbon between the various elements present. The distribution of car. bon between iron and other elements evidently sill depend upon: (I) the affinity of each for carbon; (2) the relative atomic masses of the elements present; and (3) the possible formation of compounds between the alloying and iron and between the elements themselves, In ternary steels the case is simplified, especially in systems in which the element and iron form no compounds, In such systems iron and the alloying element are competing for the carbon present. In this work the distribution of carbon between titanium and iron has been studied by measuring the relative amounts of iron carbide and titanium carbide present ill a series of annealed steels in which the ratio of titanium to carbon extended from 0.527 to 4.61. Ten Fe-Ti-C alloys, weighing about 250 grams each, were prepared by melting under a Vacuum, in an Induction furnace, Armco iron, carbon-free ferrotitanium (25 per cent Ti), and pure carbon. Vacuum melting prevented the formation of titanium oxides and nitrides, which would the the problem. The melts were made in graphite crucibles lined with sintered magnesium oxide. The ingots were the in the furnace under a vacuum and "'ere then completely annealed at 950°C. The determination of the amount of titanium carbide present was based upon the established insolubility of titanium carbide in boiling dilute (1:4) sulphuric acid, and the complete solubility Of free titanium and titanium-iron compounds in this acid. High-carbon ferrotitanium, which had been treated to remove free Ti and Fe. was found to be completely insoluble in the acid; and the carbon-free ferrotitanium used in making the alloys was found to be completely soluble. Others have reported the insolubility of titanium carbide in sulphuric and hydrochloric acids. Turnings from the ingots were digested with boiling sulphuric acid (1:4) until all action had ceased. The carbide residue was filtered off and analyzed for titanium, and in some cases for carbon. This represerifs the titanium that was united with carbon The filtrate from the carbide residue contains the portion Of the titanium that was in solid solution in the ferrite. Titanium

Jan 1, 1945

By A. M. Gavdin, F. W. Bowdish

Mineral dressing is an industrial art concerned with the treatment and separation of solids suspended in fluids. Knowledge and evaluation of the area of solid-fluid interface is important in all cases except those involving only large pieces of solid. In fact, many problems relating to comminution, to flotation, to thickening and classification, could be dealt with more rationally if the interfacial area were known. A number of methods have been proposed for the measurement of the surface of certain finely divided solids. Among them are methods using rate of dissolution of the solid,? its magnetic remanence,³ the turbidity of its suspension," and the character of the size distribution of the material.9 The first two are limited to one mineralogical species per sample; the third has certain optical limitations, especially for mineral mixtures, and the fourth is based on an extrapolation of uncertain validity. The need of a better and more general method of surface determination has long been felt, therefore. The method of P. H. Emmett,4 based upon the low-temperature adsorption of vapors, appears to fulfill this need. This method consists in determining the amount of nitrogen that is adsorbed by a given sample of solid at the temperature of boiling nitrogen. The more surface there is on the solid—both internal and external—the more nitrogen is abstracted. In actual operation, the method is somewhat less simple than has been stated so far, in that the nitrogen is adsorbed in an incomplete layer, the completeness and thickness of the layer being related to the pressure of the nitrogen in contact with the sample.2 This circumstance makes it necessary to determine the nitrogen adsorption for three or more values of the nitrogen pressure. Apparatus In the Richards Mineral Dressing Laboratories an Emmett apparatus has been built and tested (Figs. I and 2). A mechanical vacuum pump B and a mercury diffusion pump A work in series to give a high vacuum. The sample, placed in bulb D, can be evacuated by this pump train by suitable operation of the stopcocks in the glass tubing that connects the various parts of the apparatus. C is a McLeod gauge, used to ascertain the order of magnitude of the vacuum obtained, and not for accurate pressure measurements. Pressure measurements are made in the mercury manometer F and gas-volume measurements in the gas burette E. Gases are stored in flasks L (nitrogen) and K (helium), arranged so that definite quantities of these gases can be introduced into

Jan 1, 1947

By A. M. Gavdin, F. W. Bowdish

Mineral dressing is an industrial art concerned with the treatment and separation of solids suspended in fluids. Knowledge and evaluation of the area of solid-fluid interface is important in all cases except those involving only large pieces of solid. In fact, many problems relating to comminution, to flotation, to thickening and classification, could be dealt with more rationally if the interfacial area were known. A number of methods have been proposed for the measurement of the surface of certain finely divided solids. Among them are methods using rate of dissolution of the solid,? its magnetic remanence,³ the turbidity of its suspension," and the character of the size distribution of the material.9 The first two are limited to one mineralogical species per sample; the third has certain optical limitations, especially for mineral mixtures, and the fourth is based on an extrapolation of uncertain validity. The need of a better and more general method of surface determination has long been felt, therefore. The method of P. H. Emmett,4 based upon the low-temperature adsorption of vapors, appears to fulfill this need. This method consists in determining the amount of nitrogen that is adsorbed by a given sample of solid at the temperature of boiling nitrogen. The more surface there is on the solid—both internal and external—the more nitrogen is abstracted. In actual operation, the method is somewhat less simple than has been stated so far, in that the nitrogen is adsorbed in an incomplete layer, the completeness and thickness of the layer being related to the pressure of the nitrogen in contact with the sample.2 This circumstance makes it necessary to determine the nitrogen adsorption for three or more values of the nitrogen pressure. Apparatus In the Richards Mineral Dressing Laboratories an Emmett apparatus has been built and tested (Figs. I and 2). A mechanical vacuum pump B and a mercury diffusion pump A work in series to give a high vacuum. The sample, placed in bulb D, can be evacuated by this pump train by suitable operation of the stopcocks in the glass tubing that connects the various parts of the apparatus. C is a McLeod gauge, used to ascertain the order of magnitude of the vacuum obtained, and not for accurate pressure measurements. Pressure measurements are made in the mercury manometer F and gas-volume measurements in the gas burette E. Gases are stored in flasks L (nitrogen) and K (helium), arranged so that definite quantities of these gases can be introduced into

Jan 1, 1947

By John L. Boardman

BECAUSE of the attention that has re¬cently been given to the health and safety of miners by various organizations such as the A.I.M.E., The American Congress, Mining Section, National Safety Council, as well as the Bureau of Mines and various state mining departments, your committee on health and safety deemed it best to call attention this year to the mine-accident cause that is by far the most important; namely, injuries due to falls of ground, rock, roof and coal. Each of several members of the committee contributed a brief outline of the importance of this accident cause in his district. While these papers were brief, it would require too much time and space to give them in full, therefore we present an outline of each and summation of all. REPORT OF M. D. COOPER, HILLMAN COAL AND COKE CO. M. D. Cooper, Division superintendent, Hillman Coal and Coke Co., Pittsburgh, Pa., contributed the following: During the period from 1930 to 1939, accidents from falls of roof in bituminous mines average 54.3 per cent of all accidents. In mechanized mining, there is a tendency toward reduction in this class of accidents because the operator of the machine is usually at a distance of 10 to 20 ft. from the face, whereas. in hand loading the miner is close to the face during most of the shift. No doubt the use of aluminum and light steel beams supported at regular intervals by jacks, a common practice in mechanical mining, has contributed to the favorable record so far developed. REPORT OF M. H. FIES, DE BARDELEBEN COAL CORPORATION Milton H. Fies, Vice-President, DeBardeleben Coal Corporation, Birmingham, Ala., says: With reference to the types of mining, it is suggested that a clear understanding be had as to the character and thickness of the directly overlying strata, with especial consideration to the strength and in some cases an analysis of it. In coal mining, generally speaking, overlying strata higher in silica than others is stronger. In changing from narrow to wide places, the procedure should be experimental, both as to the width and depth of places and as to the nature of the necessary timbering. Since most of the accidents in coal mining particularly are due to falls of roof and coal, this phase of mining should be attacked with vigor. There is no substitute for discipline and, in this connection, under present conditions it is important that cooperation by the labor organizations be sought and that a spirit of fairness prevail. Frequent and thorough inspection of all active working places should be made.

Jan 1, 1941

By Gerald Edmunds

In a paper1 before this Institute in 1940, the writer reported that the surface orientation texture of zinc and cadmium differed from the texture existing within the casting, in that basal planes were parallel to the surface. He was unable to rationalize the , origin of this surface texture. It is conceivable that the surface orientation texture is influenced by the atomic force fields, which are different at the surface and within the body of metal. It was considered that a radical changc in the surface against which the metal is cast might alter the surface texture. In trial of this, zinc has been cast against a surface of molten lead, but the same result has been obtained—i.e., (001) parallel, ± 2oo, to the surface—as was obtained when it was cast against air, Transite or iron.' Into the bottom of an open cast-iron tray, 7 by 14 in. by 2 in. deep, preheated to about 275°C., about 1/4 in. of lead, then 1/2 in. of zinc was poured, and the whole was covered with an electric heater to enforce freezing from the bottom upward. After a lapse of time sufficient for the zinc but not the lead to solidify, the zinc slab was raised free of the molten lead. The bottom surface of the zinc casting was coated with a thin layer of lead. A specimen of the slab 136 in. square was metallographically polished to flatten it and remove the slight film of lead, and the orientation was determined by the method used before,' with the result stated above. Some determinations have also been made on other metals, as follows: Surface orientation determinations were made on the 3/8-in. diameter grip section of two 1/4-in. diameter aluminum-alloy die-cast tensile bars and on a 1/8 by 1/2-in. flat aluminum-alloy die-cast tensile bar. None of these three aluminum die castings exhibited any preferred orientation at the surface. A brass die casting (nominal composition: 60 Cu, 37.75 Zn, 1.00 Sn, 1.00 Pb, 0.10 Al, 0.15 Si) furnished by C. S. Smith was also examined. The surface showed a random orientation of alpha and beta. Summary A zinc casting solidified against a molten lead surface was found to have the same surface orientation texture, (001) parallel to the surface, as other zinc and cadmium castings. Aluminum and alpha-beta brass die castings were found to have random grain orientation textures at the surface. Acknowledgment The X-ray determinations were conducted by M. L. Fuller.

Jan 1, 1945

ARTICLE I NAME AND OBJECT SEC. 1. This Institute is incorporated under the Membership Corporations law of the State of New York; its corporate name is American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, Inc.; and its objects are such as are stated in its Certificate of Incorporation. ARTICLE II- MEMBERS SEC. 1. The membership of the Institute shall comprise four classes, namely: 1. Members; 2. Honorary Members; 3. Associates; 4. Junior Associates. All members shall be equally entitled to the privileges of membership, excepting that Honorary Members, Junior Associates, and Members and Associates whose residences shall be outside of the United States, Mexico, and Canada shall not e entitled to vote. Members and Associates residing within the United States of America, Mexico, and Canada, and not in arrears for dues, shall be entitled to vote in person at the meetings of the Institute, or, as hereinafter provided for, by letter ballot. SEC. 2. Members shall comprise all those persons who on the third Monday of February, 1918, were members of the Institute, and in addition thereto, all those thereafter elected or transferred into the class of Members. A person to be eligible for election or transfer into the class of Members must be at least 27 years of age and must have had at least six years' employment in the practice of-engineering, mining, geology, metallurgy or chemistry, during at least three years of which he must have held positions of responsibility in one or more of these fields. Graduation from the scientific course of a college, approved by the Committee on Membership, shall be considered equivalent to two years' employment, as required in the previous sentence. Employment as a teacher of engineering, mining, geology, metallurgy or chemistry, if in direct charge, may be considered a position of responsibility as specified in the second paragraph. Persons employed in research or any scientific literary work or in teaching in the scientific departments of colleges, approved by the Committee on Membership, who at the same time are engaged in consulting or in the active practice of mining, geology, or metallurgy, shall be entitled to consider the time so spent in active practice as equivalent to an equal length of time of employment in positions of responsibility, . provided the work done or the positions held seem to the Committee on Membership to warrant the. equivalency. The requirement of three years' employment in positions of responsibility may be waived by the Committee on Membership in the case of persons who have done notable original work in mining,. geology, or metallurgy, or have won distinction by

Jan 1, 1925

By T. Sterry Hunt

This remarkable mine, to which attention has lately been drawn, is situated not far from the New River, in Ashe County, North Carolina, on a spur of the Blue Ridge which lies between the main crest of this name and the so-called Iron Mountain, a part of the Unaka or Smoky Mountain range. It is on a true fissure-lode, which cuts the strata of gneiss and mica-schist of the region. These, which have the lithological characters of what I have called the Montalban or White Mountain series, have here a dip of about forty-five degrees to the southeast, while the lode is vertical, with a course north 60' east. Both the country-rock and the lode, as is usual in this region, are decomposed to considerable depths; and the latter exhibits a cap of hydrous peroxide of iron or gossan, blocks of which, left by the denudation of the softer inclosing rock, are scattered over the surface, and first called attention to the locality as a source of iron ore. In sinking upon this lode, it was found that the porous gossan at a certain depth became charged with carbonate and red oxide of copper, and lower down was replaced by sulphuretted ores of this metal of remarkable richness. This deposit was worked for copper, in an irregular manner, before the late civil war, but was afterwards abandoned, and only reopened during the present year, by Messrs. S. S. & J. E. Clayton, of Baltimore. The outcrop has been traced for 1900 feet, and the sulphuretted copper ores have been met with in five shafts in a distance of 661 feet, a drift having moreover been carried for the above distance through the solid ore. The breadth of the lode, so far as opened, varies from six to eight feet to fourteen feet in places, and that of the outcrop of gossan is, in some parts, twenty feet. After comparing this deposit with the copper mines of Ducktown, Polk County, Tennessee, and those of Carroll County, Virginia, it is evident that we have, at Ore Knob, to do with the same kind of black ores as were met with in these mines, and will be noticed further on, Beneath the gossan, at Ore Knob, is found, in some parts, an iron-black, friable, drusy, crystalline, sulphuretted ore, inclosing grains of quartz, garnet, and magnetite, besides a black non-magnetic mineral, not attacked by nitric acid. This ore contains about 36 per cent. of copper, and portions have the mineralogical charac-

By Parke A. Dickey, R. Fettke

Drilling activity during 1944 increased considerably in the oil fields and slightly in the shallow gas fields of western Pennsylvania. The number of deep tests (middle Devonian or deeper) completed during 1944 was the same as in 1943 and did not result in discoveries of additional reserves of natural gas or oil. Thus far no commercial oil production has been obtained from sands below the Upper Devonian in Pennsylvania. As a result of the lack of new discoveries, oil production in nearly all of the producing areas in the entire Pennsylvania grade region declined 10 to 11 per cent. Stocks of Pennsylvania Oil The Peilnsylvania grade crude-oil stocks in storage on January 1943 were 2,479,000 bbl. In January 1944 crude stocks totaled 1,846,000 bbl., and during 1944 the stocks of Pennsylvania grade crude declined to a year-ending balance of 1,617,000 bbl. Nearly all of this oil is "unavailable for use," representing pipe-line fill, tank bottoms and limited working inventories at the refineries. The storage of Pennsylvania oil has declined to a point where little or no available crude oil is currently in storage. Prices The posted price of Pennsylvania oil remained constant during 1944; however, on Rug. I, 1944, the wartime Government subsidy was instituted at a rate of 75¢ per barrel. The average price in the Bradford area, including the subsidy, was $3.31 per barrel. New Technical Developments The Pennsylvania Grade Crude Oil Association started a rather ambitious program of research in production fundamentals and technology during 1944. Several well-qualified engineers have been employed and a laboratory is to be equipped at Bradford. The group will investigate, in cooperation with the American Petroleum Institute, the possibilities of bacteria as agents in oil recovery, and undertake other studies of both a fundamental and an applied nature. In cooperation with the Pennsylvania State College, the Research Group worked out a method of measuring water-intake rates in different strata. The method involves injecting salt water down a string of tubing and fresh water down the annulus, determining the location of the interface electrically, and measuring the input rates above and below the interface. The United States Bureau of Mines, in cooperation with oil companies of the Venango district, developed a simple gas-lift tubing string, which is operating successfully in some 20 wells. This device uses the air-gas mixture produced with the oil to lift it by the usual gas-lift principles. The Northern Ordnance Co. is experimenting with a chamber lift device that expels the oil in an unbroken column. These devices hold considerable promise

Jan 1, 1945

By Z. E. Arlin, R. D. Lynn

A deep well injection system is used by The Anaconda Co. for the disposal of uranium mill tailing water near Grants, N. M. A 2511-ft hole was cored and tested through Triassic, Permian, and Pennsylvanian (?) sediments and bottomed in Precambrian granite gneiss. The disposal well was plugged back to 1830 ft and completed in 563 ft of sandstones in the Yeso formation. The reservoir sandstones contain water similar to the injected waste water, and are isolated from overlying fresh-water aquifers by an evaporite barrier zone. Mill tailing water is decanted, filtered, and introduced into the well by gravity at an average rate of 400 gpm. The reservoir has a life expectancy of 10 years. The Anaconda Co. began uranium milling operations near Grants, N. M. in 1953 with a small mill that processed limestone ores. A larger second mill was built in 1955 to treat sandstone ores. In 1956 it became apparent that a large tailing pond would be required to contain the increased discharge of mill waste water. Research was begun on supplementary methods of disposal by which a minimal pond size could be maintained to avert excessive seepage losses. An intensive sampling program was begun to monitor the fresh-water wells in the area. The original limestone mill ceased operation in 1959. The present mill treats sandstone ores by sulfuric acid leach and a resin-in-pulp ion exchange recovery circuit that uses chloride elution. Process waste water is discharged to a tailing pond where, after evaporation losses, an annual average of about 400 gpm are available for injection into the disposal well. The waste water is a mildly acid solution that contains large amounts of manganese, iron, and the sulfate and chloride salts of sodium, calcium, and magnesium. It is a low-level radioactive fluid that contains small amounts of Uranium-natural, Thorium-230, and Radium-226. The average chemical and radioactive analyses of the waste water injected into the disposal well are shown in Column B of Table I. Disposal of the excess mill waste water by deep well injection was investigated after extensive research had proved that alternate methods were not satisfactory. A study of the regional geology and hydrology indicated that a disposal well was feasible, and a test well to basement rock was planned. Tentative plans for the test well and the results of the geologic and hydrologic studies were submitted to the New Mexico Dept. of Public Health, the New Mexico State Engineer's Office, the U.S. Atomic

Jan 1, 1962

By Gerhard Derge, Arthur H. Grobe, Harold Markus

The high corrosion resistance possessed by tin under most circumstances, combined with its generally satisfactory appearance and useful physical properties, has led to many and varied uses for the metal. These uses have been partly limited by the fact that tin is an expensive metal, therefore many applications have been developed in which tin has been employed in combination with lead, either by coating, as in tin-lined collapsible tubes, or by the formation of alloys containing various proportions of tin-rich and lead-rich phases, as tcrne plate. A detailed knowledge of the corrosion characteristics of the tin-lead couple therefore is of general interest and has become specially important at the present time, when every effort is being made to conserve tin as much as possible. The present study has been limited to carbonate solutions with a pH range from 8.4 to 11.2 so that the results may be related to earlier work on the corrosion of tin and its alloys. 1-3,6 In these papers, the effects of a number of anion and cation additions to these solutions have been observed. Apparatus and Method The electrodes for the corrosion cell were cut from rolled sheet about 1/16 in. thick. The length of all specimens was held constant at 7 in., while the width was varied from M to 2 in. These electrodes were fastened to brass electrode supports, which were attached to rubber stoppers fitting into tall-type one-liter Pyrex beakers that contained the electrolyte. The lead electrodes were prepared from Omaha pig* and the tin was rolled from a slab of Chempur.† After cutting to size, the sheets were polished with No. I emery paper and cleaned with carbon tetrachloride. The edges, back and upper parts of the specimen were coated with a synthetic lacquer, which was supplemented with beeswax for the lead electrodes. The binding posts were coated with beeswax after the electrodes had been clamped. The pH of the electrolyte was controlled by adjusting the ratio of carbonate to bicarbonate. Approximately 600 ml. of electrolyte was used in each beaker. The entire assembly was placed in an oil bath thermostatically adjusted to operate at 30°C. + 0.1". Potentials were measured against a saturated calomel electrode connected to the cell by an agar-agar salt bridge. The carbonate solution used in the salt bridge was the same as that used in the corrosion cell. Currents were measured with a milliam-

Jan 1, 1942

By Harold Markus, Arthur H. Grobe, Gerhard Derge

The high corrosion resistance possessed by tin under most circumstances, combined with its generally satisfactory appearance and useful physical properties, has led to many and varied uses for the metal. These uses have been partly limited by the fact that tin is an expensive metal, therefore many applications have been developed in which tin has been employed in combination with lead, either by coating, as in tin-lined collapsible tubes, or by the formation of alloys containing various proportions of tin-rich and lead-rich phases, as tcrne plate. A detailed knowledge of the corrosion characteristics of the tin-lead couple therefore is of general interest and has become specially important at the present time, when every effort is being made to conserve tin as much as possible. The present study has been limited to carbonate solutions with a pH range from 8.4 to 11.2 so that the results may be related to earlier work on the corrosion of tin and its alloys. 1-3,6 In these papers, the effects of a number of anion and cation additions to these solutions have been observed. Apparatus and Method The electrodes for the corrosion cell were cut from rolled sheet about 1/16 in. thick. The length of all specimens was held constant at 7 in., while the width was varied from M to 2 in. These electrodes were fastened to brass electrode supports, which were attached to rubber stoppers fitting into tall-type one-liter Pyrex beakers that contained the electrolyte. The lead electrodes were prepared from Omaha pig* and the tin was rolled from a slab of Chempur.† After cutting to size, the sheets were polished with No. I emery paper and cleaned with carbon tetrachloride. The edges, back and upper parts of the specimen were coated with a synthetic lacquer, which was supplemented with beeswax for the lead electrodes. The binding posts were coated with beeswax after the electrodes had been clamped. The pH of the electrolyte was controlled by adjusting the ratio of carbonate to bicarbonate. Approximately 600 ml. of electrolyte was used in each beaker. The entire assembly was placed in an oil bath thermostatically adjusted to operate at 30°C. + 0.1". Potentials were measured against a saturated calomel electrode connected to the cell by an agar-agar salt bridge. The carbonate solution used in the salt bridge was the same as that used in the corrosion cell. Currents were measured with a milliam-

Jan 1, 1942

By F. J. Mehringer, C. W. MacGregor

VARIOUS investigations have been carried out to determine the effects of cold-rolling on the common physical properties as represented by the yield strength, tensile strength, percentage of elongation and ordinary reduction of area. Very little information is available in the literature with reference to the effects of cold-rolling on the true stress-strain properties. Since the ordinary physical properties base both the stresses and the strains on the original dimensions of the test piece, which are greatly changed during the test, they are essentially empirical values and do not represent physically either true stresses or true strains. Consequently, they do not give an accurate picture of the effects of different conditions, both mechanical and metallurgical, on the strength and ductility of the material. It is not, however, the purpose of this paper to review the various advantages accruing from the use of true stress and true strain values, since these have been shown elsewhere,1-12 but to utilize them in representing the various effects considered. The true stress S and true strain (e = q') values mentioned above for the tension test are defined by1 [ ] where P, A, Ao are the axial load, the instantaneous area and the original area of cross section, respectively. From simultaneous readings of the axial load and the dimension or dimensions determining the instantaneous area of cross section, the true stress-strain curve is constructed by using the relations given in Eq. I. It is then the object of this paper to discuss the general effects of cold-rolling on the true stress and strain values for a low-carbon steel together with the effects of age-hardening and directionality on these properties. PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIONS The material considered throughout the paper is a low-carbon steel of the following chemical analysis: C, 019 per cent; S, 0. 118; P, 0.092; Mn, 0.85; Si, 0.01. The stock was received in bars, 7 by 3/4 in., and was first annealed for one hour at 1650°F. followed by a furnace cool. Photomicrographs of this material showed considerable directionality even in the annealed condition. In view of the possible effects of the nonhomogeneity and directionality in this material, it was considered important to investigate their influence on the true stress-strain diagrams. In addition, the effect of strain-aging in this steel was also made the subject of a preliminary study. Elect of Aging on True Stress-strain Properties Since a certain time element would elapse between the cold-rolling operation and the final tension tests, it was determined to investigate the aging character-

Jan 1, 1945

By J. F. Butler

The degree and type of carbide dispersion resulting from changes in the cooling rate from austenite determine the amount of carbon remaining in solution after slow cooling- from a subsequent subcritical annealing treatment. A difjusion model has been proposecl to explain the effect of carbide dispersion on the amount of carbon retained in solution and the amount of carbon in solution has been related to the degree of carbon strain aging. COTTRELL and Leak' have shown that the rate of strain aging in low-carbon steels is dependent upon the amount of carbon and nitrogen in solution. Carbon can be effectively removed from solution as Fe , C by quench aging at temperatures of 200" C or lower; however, the relatively higher solubility of nitrogen at these temperatures prevents sufficient removal of nitrogen as iron nitrides. For this reason, nitrogen in solution has been considered the major cause of strain aging in rimming grades of commercial low-carbon steels. Nitrogen can be effectively removed from solution and nonaging steel produced through the addition of aluminum to form the stable nitride, AlN; however, the aluminum also causes deoxidation resulting in a killed steel. III an attempt to produce a rimmed steel which was also nonaging, Morgan and Shyne 2 investigated tile strain-aging properties of low-carban steels containing boron and found that strain aging was suplx-essed in steels containing as little as 0.007 pet B. The original purpose of this investigation was to determine the mechanism of strain-aging suppression by boron. Early in the study, the function of boron was discovered to be much like that of aluminum in that the formation of a nitride, BN, removed the nitrogen from solution.' However, during the course of the investigation, an effect of heat treatment upon the strain-aging properties and the amount of carbon in solution was found which could be related to the microstructure of the steel. The purpose of this paper is to examine these relationships among heat treatment, microstructure, carbon in solution, and strain aging in steels where nondetectable amounts of nitrogen are present in solution. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The investigation was carried out using 0.030 in. by 12. in wire specimens which had been cold swaged and drawn to the final diameter. Table I lists the compositions of the low-carbon steels used. Those with 'V' designations were vacuum melted and cast; the alloys designated 'AISI' were prepared from high-purity iron obtained from the American

Jan 1, 1962

By Geoffrey Gilbert

THE Montana Phosphate Products Co., subsidiary of the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada, operates three phosphate properties north and northeast of Garrison, Powell County, Mont. Production of all three is from the same phosphate bed, a 3 to 4-ft. member of the Phosphoria formation, whose outcrop is traceable across the mountains of the Garnet Range in a series of southeasterly pitching folds. Because of topographical differences and of variations in the attitude of the bed, each property has its own mining methods and problems. Most of the phosphate rock produced since I930 has been shipped to the plant of the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co. at Trail, B.C., where it is treated with sulphuric acid for conversion to phosphoric acid, which in turn is used to produce various fertilizers. HISTORY The occurrence of rock phosphate in Montana has been known. since 1910, and the Garrison area was mapped by the United States Geological Survey in 1913In the nineteen twenties William Anderson, owner of a ranch 8 miles north of Garrison, discovered phosphate on his land, and the Montana Phosphate Co., which later became the Montana Phosphate Products Co., was formed to work the deposit. Montana Phosphate Products Co. later obtained United States leases on two adjoining parcels of ground, and this combined property, known as the Anderson mine, has been the main source of Consolidated's phosphate rock. The mine now includes an adjoining parcel leased from Anaconda and mined from the Anderson workings. In 1940, the Graveley mine, a small privately owned property 6 miles east of the Anderson, was leased from the owner by Montana Phosphate Products Co., and a U. S. lease held by Graveley on some adjoining ground was subleased. In 1943 the Luke mine, on the Mineral Hill property, 1 ¾ miles south-southwest of the Graveley, a U. S. lease, which previously had produced a few thousand tons, was optioned from the lessees by Montana Phosphate Products Co., and is now being developed. At both these mines the rock is appreciably higher grade than at the Anderson mine. GEOLOGY The Phosphoria formation is the Permian member of an extensive sequence of Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks. It is underlain by Pennsylvanian (Quadrant) quartzite and Mississippian limestone, and overlain without any marked unconformity by Jurassic (Ellis) shale and Cretaceous shale and sandstone. In the Garrison area, the Phosphoria itself consists mainly of about 50 ft. Of gray to yellow chert. Immediately below the chert is the phosphate, usually 3 to 4 ft. thick. Below the phosphate occur a few

Jan 1, 1945

By Pierre R. Hines

The first progress in American ore dressing practice was made in the mills of the Mother Lode in Calif., the Comstock Lode in Nev., and Gilpin County in Colo., during the years 1861 to 1870, when the ancient wooden stamp battery, with square wooden stems, was converted into the 'California' stamp made of wrought and cast iron, with round stems which rotated. Eli Whitney Blake invented the jaw crusher in 1858 for stone crushing, and it was soon used for crushing ore. F. W. Gates' gyratory crusher followed twenty years later. S. R. Krom, Thomas A. Edison, and others improved the Cornish rolls by increasing their size and spring pressures; the Symons Brothers made horizontal and vertical disc crushers; W. Ball and E. T. Leavitt designed powerful steam stamps for Lake Superior native copper ores; and jigs were mechanized. William B. Frue, a mill superintendent in the Lake Superior copper district, invented the vanner in 1874. Arthur F. Wilfley built his riffled concentrating table in 1895, just after Dr. Robert H. Richards commenced his Ore Dressing. The Wilfley table so changed concentrator flow sheets that Dr. Richards was compelled to revise his text, and its publication was delayed until 1903. The value of sizing or classifying before concentration was recognized. Dr. Richards had persuaded the Anaconda Copper Mining Co. to install round tables with special surfaces to catch the 'extremely fine free mineral.'l Gravity concentration had achieved almost every refinement for recovering or separating minerals by the difference in their specific gravities. However, one serious problem remained unsolved, i.e., how to retrieve the enormous loss of the extremely fine mineral in the slime portion of the ore. Slime, then, as now, was not a precise term due to the variation in the mineral composition of the ores and the different requirements in crushing, grinding, sizing, and classifying. At that time, slime was considered to be fine sand and colloidal material passing 100 mesh.2 Most sulfide ore minerals are more friable than their associated gangue minerals, so that crushing and grinding increased the proportion of the extremely fine ore minerals in the slime. Sparkling specks of galena, chalcopyrite, argentite, or ruby silvers, according to the ore, floating away on the tailing stream from vanners and slime tables, were familiar sights in the old gravity concentrators. Gravity concentration practice was aimed at recovering the ore minerals at the coarsest possible size because the recovery was higher and unnecessary

Jan 1, 1962

By R. Bakish, W. D. Robertson

IN the course of a study of stress corrosion cracking of AuCu,, it was necessary to develop new electropolishing and metallographic etching methods. The techniques are generally useful for Cu-Au alloys, including the AuCu composition in which transformation markings are well delineated. For electropolishing, the only satisfactory electrolyte and procedure that has been found1 has the composition given in Table I. The solution must be vigorously stirred while polishing and the temperature maintained in the range of 55" to 62°C. The electrolyte is very unstable and can be used only for 10 to 15 min after which its color changes and a dark-brown precipitate forms. The polishing time is between 1 and 4 min depending on the initial surface preparation. The use of a hood is recommended to avoid the danger of cyanide gas which may form at one of the electrodes even though the solution is alkaline. The optimum current and voltage conditions for vertical anode and platinum cathode are on the plateau shown in Fig. 1, in which voltage is measured across the cell terminals. At voltages below the plateau, etching of grain boundaries occurs and under some conditions, which have not been clearly defined, octahedral etch figures are observed. For general purpose grain-size determination in polycrystalline alloys, a 3 pct solution of iodine in methyl alcohol is used with excellent results. However, when it is necessary to reveal small orientation differences or concentration gradients in an alloy, the iodine etch is not satisfactory. For this purpose, a highly satisfactory etching procedure was developed during this investigation. It involves the use of the vapor given off by freshly prepared aqua regia. The solution employed is 3HC1 to lHNO, which decomposes in accordance with the reaction HNO, + 3HC1 = NOCl + 2H,O + Cl,. The polished specimen surface is held about 1 to 2 cm above an aqua regia solution for 2 to 10 sec depending on the intensity of the contrast required and the surface is not subsequently washed. The results obtained with a coarse grained cast structure are shown in Fig. 2. Subgrain boundaries in a single crystal and concentration gradients within the boundaries are developed by the same treatment with the results shown in Fig. 3. Obviously, any conclusions regarding structure-dependent properties will be modified by the pronounced heterogeneity, which is not clearly evident when more conventional methods are used. Interesting structural details are also revealed by treatment for 4 hr at 850°C in unpurified tank argon. Fig. 4 shows a pattern characteristic of orientation-dependent oxidation.

Jan 1, 1956