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By R. T. Walker

GROUND waters-hot or cold-containing small amounts of the more common earth acids, such as carbonic acid, silicic acid, hydrogen sulfide, sulfurous acid and sulfuric acid, have only a very limited "solvent effect on dominantly siliceous rocks, whether of igneous or sedimentary origin, but in limestone they often form extensive cavities; and such "limestone caves" are the only openings of considerable size and continuity in rock formations that do not owe their existence directly and almost wholly to dynamic action. Limestone caves such as are developing at the present time must have been formed in all past geological ages in which limestone beds existed and where suitable conditions for the development of such caves prevailed; hence it would seem a reasonable expectation that, in the course of geological history, a certain number of ancient limestone caves must have been utilized as channels for the passage of mineralizing solutions, during portions of their course, at least, and that, in consequence, orebodies must have been deposited in such caves. Such a conception is not novel; it was proposed many years ago, but its possibilities, as explaining certain types of ore deposits, have been rather lost sight of in the development of the theory of the metasomatic replacement of rocks by minerals. It is the purpose of this article to assemble evidence to show that many of the orebodies found in limestone beds have been deposited in pre-existing caves; to discuss the criteria whereby such orebodies can be distinguished from others which have been formed along fissures and fracture zones traversing limestone, by the more common method of metasomatic replacement, analogous to orebodies in other formations; and to describe certain orebodies-particularly the "ore channels" of the Tintic district, Utah-as illustrative of the principles discussed. Limestone caves may be divided into two classes: those formed by cold, descending surface waters, which emerge again at some lower elevation as cold springs; and those formed by hot, ascending waters of deep origin or circulation, which attain the surface as thermal springs. Although these two classes are similar in many respects, there are certain characteristic and inherent differences whereby they can usually be distinguished.

Jan 1, 1928

Herewith are transmitted the joint report of the Treasurer and Finance Committee for 1934 and the reports for the same year of the Chairmen of the following Committees: Admissions, Membership, Papers and Publications, Library, and MINING AND METALLURGY. TO these reports you are referred for details of the year's activities. Finances.-Income for 1934 from all sources totalled $134,967 com- pared with $121,689 in 1933. The increase is accounted for principally by four items: $6000 increase in initiation fees and dues of new members; $1800 in current dues; $4000 in "back" dues; and $2800 in the sale of publications, including TRANSACTIONS volumes and technical papers in the form of "separates." In passing, it may be remarked that income from back dues during 1935 will be less than in 1934, for the obvious reason that the total amount of dues in arrears has shrunk and consequently there is less to draw from. Income from

Jan 1, 1934

By J. W. Halley, G. L. Plimpton

BECAUSE of the two distinct stages in the solidification of rimmed steel, segregation in the rimmed ingot is more complex than that in the killed or semikilled ingot. In the earlier stage, chemical reactions, resulting in evolution of gas and vigorous stirring of the metal, effect a degree of negative segregation unique to rimmed steel. The composition of this zone constitutes the principal quality advantage of this type of steel. In the later stage of solidification, after the evolution of gas has ceased, the segregation follows the general pattern of a more completely deoxidized steel. However, the composition of the liquid remaining after the first solidification stage varies markedly from that of the original melt, some constituents having been partially removed as reaction products while the concentration of others has been intensified by rejection from the metal solidifying in the first zone. The aim, from the standpoint of segregation, in rimmed steel of high quality is to effect a maximum negative segregation in the rim zone without excessive concentration of undesirable elements at the center of the ingot. To achieve this aim, the composition of the melt may be varied and the furnace and pouring practice may be adjusted within certain limits. It is the purpose of this study to discuss segregation in rimmed steel from the standpoint of the mechanisms that produce it and to survey the phases of open-hearth practice that influence those mechanisms. MECHANISMS PRODUCING SEGREGATION The mechanisms that determine the degree of segregation in the rimmed ingot are closely interrelated, making it difficult to select the primary factors and to determine a satisfactory order for presenting them. For instance, the question of sulphur segregation is relatively simple, since sulphur is not directly involved in chemical reactions in the ingot; but its concentration in the rim zone is dependent not only on its original analysis in the melt, its segregation coefficient, and the freezing rate, but also on the rate of its removal from the impure film on the solidifying surface. This washing action involves all the factors (such as freezing rate, the carbon-oxygen product, pressure, etc.) that determine the rate of gas evolution and hence the efficiency of film removal. Sulphur distribution between the rim and core is affected by the volumetric ratio between the two zones, and its segregation in the core is a function not only of the freezing rate of the core but also of all the foregoing factors that determine its concentration in the metal when solidification of the core starts. To simplify the presentation, it is proposed to treat the mechanisms affecting segregation independently in this section, reserving a discussion of their over-all effects for the section in which actual segregation data are given. The factors affecting segregation will be treated in the following order: (I) differential solidification, (2) removal of constituents as

Jan 1, 1944

By E. A. Anderson, M. L. Fuller

The copper-zinc phase equilibrium diagram has been the subject of many investigations. Until recently, however, the boundary of the terminal solid solution of copper in zinc (eta) has not been thoroughly investigated. This paper reports determinations of the solid solubility of copper in zinc at temperatures from 100' to 400' C., the course of the liquidus and solidus for the eta solid solution and determinations of the peritectic temperature and peritectic point for the reaction between epsilon and the melt to form eta. The liquidus of the eta phase was determined by thermal analysis and the solidus by the microscopical examination of specimens quenched from temperatures above and below the solidus. The temperature of the peritectic horizontal was obtained by thermal analysis and the composition at the peritectic point was determined by extrapolation of the solid solubility boundary of the eta phase to the peritectic horizontal. The solid solubility boundary of the eta solid solution was investigated very carefully. Particular care was used to achieve equilibrium in the alloys at each temperature selected. The X-ray, electrical conductivity and microscopical methods mere used in determining the solid solubility limits. The X-ray method measures the changes in the solvent lattice with increasing solute content and in this manner locates the composition of the alloy at which no further change in the solvent lattice takes place, the limit of solid solubility. The method of electrical conductivity measures the conductivity of the alloys of a graded series of compositions, whereby the solubility limit is indicated by a discontinuity in the conductivity-composition relationship. The microscopical method distinguishes, by direct inspection, between the homogeneous solid solution alloys and those having a secondary constituent in addition to the solid solution phase, and thus indicates from the examination of a series of alloys the solid solubility limit.

Jan 1, 1934

By Ashok K. Sinha

The quasi-binary systems "VFe3"—VCo,—VNi,— "VCu3"and "TiFe3"—TiCo3,—TiNi3-"TiCu3"have been studied by a combination of microscopic and X-ray methods. Of the Phases encountered, eleven had close-packed ordered layer structures. Within each system, there is an approximately linear variation of the degree of hexagonality of the stacking arrangement with electron concentration, e/a. A study of eighty -four known examples of AB3 structures in transition metal alloys indicates that at e/a = 8.65 the ordered structure of the close -packed layers changes from "triangular" (AuCu3 type) to "rectangular" (SbCu3 type). At e/a < 8.65, the slope of hexagonality us e/a line increases with the group number of the A component. An interesting series of close-packed ordered structures is known to exist at the composition AB3; however, their alloy chemistry has not yet been fully understood. Dwight and Beck1 observed a correlation between position of the components in the periodic table and the type of crystal structure of the binary AB2 structures formed by transition metals. No consistent effect due to atomic size was noted and they proposed that electron concentration* predominates in In the present paper, the AB3 structures are characterized by a symbol describing the stacking and a symbol specifying the ordered layer. The stacking symbol used was introduced by Zhdanov,7 and later used in the International Tables,8 and by Beck9 in his survey of possible layer stacking structures. Alternating positive and negative integers are used to represent the number of positive (e.g., in abcabc...) and negative (e.g., in cbacba...) stacking sequences. T denotes the triangular ordering found in close-packed planes of the AuCu3 structure and R the rectangular ordering found in close-packed planes of the SbCu3 structure, Figs. 3(a) and (b). The present structure symbols are listed in Table I alongside the prototypes, where known, and other structural characteristics of AB3 phases found in the present investigation. EXPERIMENTAL The starting materials were metals of 99.9+ purity. The alloys were prepared by arc melting under argon atmosphere using a nonconsumable tungsten electrode and water-cooled copper hearth. The total weight loss upon melting and subsequent annealing was always less than 0.5 pct and hence the alloys will be referred to by their intended (unanalyzed) compositions. The alloys were homogenized and annealed at suitable temperatures in the range 750" to 1200°C, the annealing periods varying from 3 days at 1200°C to 10 days at 750°C. The heat treatments were carried out in sealed silica capsules under argon atmosphere and with a molybdenum foil cover between the alloy and the walls of the capsule. The quenched alloys were microscopically examined and reduced to powder by crushing or filing. The powders were, whenever necessary, given a stress-relieving anneal at the original annealing temperature. X-ray powder patterns were obtained with an asymmetrical focusing camera, a Guinier-deWolff focusing camera, or a Debye-Scherrer camera. Cr, Co, or Cu radiations were used. In some cases, to ensure the minimum degree of contamination, the deeply etched specimens were mounted in the asymmetrical focusing camera to obtain an X-ray pattern. Internal silicon standards were employed for lattice parameter determinations. The intensity calculations were made by using a Fortran IV program

Jan 1, 1970

By R. A. L. Black, J. E. Jennings

The problems of slope stability in open cast mines are examined. A criterion, the instantaneous stripping ratio, is suggested for use in the design of pit slopes and as an index of control at all stages of the exploitation of the orebody. This criterion may also be related to safety and to the maximizing of profits. Two approaches to safe design of slopes, one from the point of view of soil mechanics and the other from the point of view of rock mechanics, are described and critically compared. The effect on slope stability of the regional tectonic stress field is discussed. Explanation is given of the application of the Terzaghi effective stress concept to problems in both soil and rock environments, including possible effects when borehole deformation techniques are used to measure stresses in rock in situ. A company embarking on open cast mining is faced with two basic questions: 1) will the venture be profitable and 2) can it be carried out with safety? The two questions are obviously interrelated because both depend upon the slope angles adopted for the pit. The cost of open cast mining depends largely upon the stripping ratio, defined as the volume of overburden that must be removed to the volume of ore recovered. The steeper the slope angles, the more favorable the stripping ratio, but the stability of the slopes, and therefore the safety of men and materials in the pit, require that the angles be made relatively flat. Consequently, the design depends upon a compromise: the slopes must be steep enough to result in economical mining and flat enough to ensure safety. Today there is a world trend towards deeper mining by open cast methods. This is mainly due to the higher cost of underground mining and the lower cost of open excavation resulting from the introduction of large modern earth and rock-moving machinery. Deeper open cast mining has led to a very great increase in the volumes of wasted overburden, and much thought is being given to the considerable economic benefits which would result if pit slopes could be made steeper by even one or two degrees. The result has been an increasing interest in research into slope stability problems in the expectation that the application of scientific principles will provide solutions leading both to economies and to more predictable operation of the mines. In at least four places, the U.S., Australia, Western Germany and Southern Africa, comprehensive investigations are at present in progress, and it is the object of this paper to review some of the more important aspects of these programs. RELATION BETWEEN ECONOMY OF OPERATION AND SLOPE ANGLES The main object of any industrial enterprise in a free economy is to make a profit. In mining, where profits must be made from a wasting capital asset, a further definition of the profit motive is imposed, namely that the economic aim should be to maximize the total possible profit. But since profits deferred for a number of years are not as valuable as profits that are immediately available, it is usual to discount deferred profits at some rate of interest which reflects their current or present value in the hands of the investor. Thus, in mining the logical aim can be defined more closely still: to maximize the present value of the total future profits. In commercial terms the present value represents the market value of the operation as a going concern. Many factors enter into the forecast of current and future profits. They include the volume of production, the price of the salable product and the cost of production. Current profits can be estimated with reasonable accuracy by the operating engineers; but it is the task of economists and management to assess future trends in the mineral markets and in the economy as a whole, and together with the engineers, they can then estimate the future cost and profitability of the mining operations. In open cast mining, the rate of ore production once decided on remains a virtually constant factor unless a major change in the capital structure of the mine is made. But one factor over which the operator has a considerable measure of control is the ratio of the volume of ore mined to the volume of waste over-

Jan 1, 1963

By D. A. J. Swinkels

The problem of determining oxygen levels in liquid steel to aid in deoxidation control has received general attention for a number of years. Work in this direction started at the B.H.P. Central Research Laboratories early in 1967 with an evaluation of sampling techniques followed by vacuum fusion analysis to determine the oxygen content of the samples (1). It was found that these techniques had a number of drawbacks if they were to be used for deoxidation control. The method of analysis was rather too slow to allow effective control and measured total oxygen level rather than dissolved oxygen. Furthermore, the results were found to be very variable due to slag entrainment in the samples. Attention therefore turned to the galvanic cell method using a solid oxygen ion conductive electrolyte such as cubic stabilised zirconia. The ionic conductivity properties of electrolytes such as (ZrO2) 85 (CaO).15 had been studied by a number of investigators and had already been applied to the measurement of oxygen activity in gases, in lower melting metals such as copper, lead, tin, silver, alkali metals and indeed the first studies in steel had been made (2,3). Since then the results of a number of studies in the development of an expendable oxygen probe for steel have been reported (4-9).

Jan 1, 1972

By J. E. Ryan

TRONA, Calif., is a miniature urban community of some 3500 people, located on the northwest shore of dry Searles Lake in the extreme northwest corner of San Bernardino County, approximately 186 miles north and east of Los Angeles. Since it is situated on the Mojave Desert, a typically desert climate prevails with wide variations in temperature between day and night, extreme daytime summer heat, and cool to cold winters. Rainfall averages somewhat less than 4 in. per year, and dust storms are common. The rate of evaporation, .however, is great, amounting to 6 to 9 ft of water per year. The extremely low humidity makes the summer heat of 110°F tolerable with only a mild, temporary discomfort. Nature of Deposit During the periods when Searles Basin was flooded, the waters that passed through Indian Wells Valley spread out to form a broad, shallow lake providing, in effect, a settling basin for suspended sediment. The drainage into the deeper and more isolated Searles Basin thus was clarified to a great degree before concentration began. Today, the elevation of the dry surface of Searles Lake is 1618 ft, and the salt deposit measures 5x7 miles. At the eastern and northeastern margins of the main playa zone and just at the foot of the alluvial slope of sand and coarser wash from the Slate Range mountains, a rim of crusted salts rises a few feet above the level of the flat. The deposit is a saline efflorescence composed of salts that were presumably brought up with rising ground waters to be deposited at the surface by solar evaporation. This deposit consists chiefly of trona, and it is after this Trona Reef that the town Trona was named. Strip mining operations have been conducted in the past at infrequent intervals for the recovery of crude trona salts. The main focal point of interest in Searles Lake from a commercial standpoint is the main salt body located almost centrally in the basin. The exposed portion of this porous saline deposit covers approximately 12 sq miles and averages 71 ft deep. Its interstitial voids, which constitute 50 pct of the total volume, are permeated with a brine, which is in equilibrium with the soluble salt deposits. The brine is the raw material for the operations of the American Potash and Chemical Corp. plant at Trona, shown in Fig. 1. The soluble salt deposits are of interest for their potential values in future technologic development. The brine, which is stratified according to slight differences in density, stands usually within 6 in. of the surface of this exposed, firm, salt body. The surface is usually dry and will support the weight of heavy mobile units and drilling equipment. Occasionally, however, surface waters from the higher watersheds encroach upon the main salt body during infrequent periods of precipitation on the surrounding mountains. This water dissolves surface salt, becomes a dilute brine, and has been observed to stand as high as 18 in. above the salt surface when undisturbed. Windstorms will shift the water back and forth across the lake surface. The exposed salt body is surrounded by additional submerged areas of commercial soluble salt deposits covering some 20 sq miles, hidden from view by marginal playa mud. These vary in depth up to as much as 30 ft. Thus, the outline of exposed and submerged salt deposits of commercial value is estimated to cover a total area of 32 sq miles, which is roughly circular but slightly elongated from northwest to southeast. It has been estimated that each square mile contains about 100 million tons% f alkali salts. The results of drill borings in the past 15 years have brought to light the interesting fact that the main salt body lies superimposed on an impervious mud deposit from 10 to 15 ft thick containing relatively little soluble salt. Under this deposit lies a second soluble salt body 35 ft deep. The lower salt body is interspersed with numerous insoluble mud lenses and its composition is considerably different from that of the primary, or main salt deposit. Recent drill borings have not penetrated beyond 300 ft. They have, however, revealed that underlying the lower salt body, the mud sediments carry deposited minerals of trona, nahcolite, mirabilite and much less soluble carbonates or sulphates of calcium and/ or magnesium. This structure is shown in Fig. 2. Current Lake Survey Program Several hundred holes have been drilled in the deposit. However, to carry out a thorough and carefully correlated study of the composition of the soluble salts and other minerals in the dry lake basin, a drilling program was inaugurated recently and is now nearing completion. In this survey, pattern drill holes are sunk at regular lh-mile intervals to a depth of approximately 150 ft. Drilling equipment consists of a No. 51 C. P.

Jan 1, 1952

By John J. Gilman

F many years it has been suspected that a correlation existed between pits produced by etching and the density of dislocations in crystals. In 1953, the interest in this correlation was greatly stimulated when Vogel et al&apos; demonstrated a 1:l correlation between etch pits and dislocations in low angle grain boundaries of germanium. About two years ago, the author began attempts to produce etch pits at dislocation sites in zinc mono-crystals. These attempts met with success a year or so ago,&apos; and since that time a survey has been made of the etch pit patterns that are associated with various modes of deformation in zinc monocrystals. Unfortunately, the etching technique that will be described is too delicate for use as an accurate quantitative tool. Nevertheless, it has been of considerable assistance in clarifying the structure of plastically deformed crystals. Technique Many attempts were made to produce etch pits in high purity zinc crystals. It was found that several techniques would produce surface grooves at grain boundaries that had misorientation angles greater than about l°, but no technique was successful for boundaries with smaller angles. Among the things that were tried were: electrolytic CrO, (both etching and polishing concentrations), HNO, in various water and alcohol solutions, dilute HC1, many 0-0,-Na,SO, solutions, Cr0,-HC1 solutions, picral, electrolytic Na,S,O,, and electrolytic NaOH and KOH. A few attempts to use cathodic sputtering and thermal etching were also made.

Jan 1, 1957

By H. Y. Yancey, B. M. Bird

One of the problems studied by the U. S. Bureau of Mines in cooperation with the University of Washington has been the re-treatment of table middlings. Hydraulic classification has given the best results. Instead of using the classifier to prepare the feed to the tables, as has been the practice for many years in ore dressing, it is used to separate part of a middling product that cannot be re-treated successfully on the table. Middlings are desirable in a table plant because the separation according to specific gravity is incomplete; that is, in the products of the table there is always an overlapping of free particles of coal and refuse that can be distinguished with heavy liquids such as are used in the float-and-sink test. The causes of this overlapping may be divided into two groups, those outside the table separation itself and those inherent in the table separation. The first of these groups includes, among other causes, the following: (1) poor adjustments of the table, (2) overloading or underloading the table, (3) irregularities in the quantity and quality of the feed, (4) irregularities in the power and water supply, and (5) a vertical dancing motion of the table deck due to weak foundations. These causes of overlapping are largely unnecessary in a properly designed and constructed plant; but whenever they are present they materially affect the character of the middling product, and hence the problem of re-treatment. The other group includes three additional causes: (6) small differences in specific gravity between coal and impurities, (7) a size-specific-gravity relationship of the coal and refuse particles in the table feed such that the sizing action of the table opposes the separation according to the specific gravity, and (8) shapes of particles that prevent a separation. The sixth, small differences in specific gravity, may be a very important reason for an incomplete separation. The change in specific gravity from coal to shale is always gradual and the designation of one part as coal and another part as refuse is arbitrary. If some specific gravity, such as 1.45, is chosen as the dividing point between washed coal and refuse,

Jan 1, 1930

By H. H. Campbell

Many attempts have been made to write a formula by which to calculate the strength of steel from its chemical composition, but most of these endeavors have failed because there were too many disturbing conditions. It is idle to collect from the pages of trade-papers, books, or the proceedings of scientific societies, a multitude of observations. The combination of such results will simply show that steel of the same composition will vary in tensile strength through wide limits—a fact that has been known for generations. That cold-working, overheating, and many another form of heat-treatment alter fundamentally the strength of steel, is ancient history, although it is only recently that the microscope has pointed out the road to an explanation of the phenomena. It mag be urged that the microscopic structure must betaken into consideration in any formula giving the ultimate strength, but from the standpoint of the present investigation this is unnecessary. We are trying to determine primarily, not what changes in ultimate strength may be made by variations in the condition of carbon, but what effect is produced by changes in the amount of carbon, when its condition remains constant. For such an inquiry, in order that the condition of the carbon should remain as nearly uniform as possible, it is essential that all testrpieces be made under the same conditions; and it is believed that the tests described in this paper satisfy that requirement. The investigations were made at the works of the Pennsylvania Steel Company, Steelton, Pa.; the ingots from which the tests were made were 6 in. square in every case; they were heated in the same furnace and forged at the same ham-

Jan 1, 1905

By John E. Greenawalt

In view of the increasing importance of sintering in the beneficiation of iron ores preparatory to their reduction in the blast furnace, the writer believes the time is opportune for an up-to-date, though brief, discussion of the general principles of sintering, as well as a discussion of some of the recent improvements and mechanical developments that have been achieved in this industry, its present trend and future possibilities. Sintering may be defined as the agglomeration of fine mineral particles into a porous mass by incipient fusion caused by heat produced by combustion within the mass itself. Its first successful application, in connection with the treatment of lead sulphide ores, was known as blast roasting. In this process the lead ore was given a preliminary roasting in a reverber-atory furnace, then the incandescent mass was placed in a pot with a grate and an updraft was applied. It was soon discovered that much better results were obtained by cooling the ore, moistening it, and placing it upon an incandescent layer of fuel previously placed upon a grate, and then applying the updraft blast of air until the charge was converted into a more or less agglomerated mass. The fuel was sulphur and the process one of desulphurization, which was the principal result desired. The application of downdraft to blast roasting brought about tremendous results; the principal one of which was that an air blast of high pressure could be passed through a layer of ore deposited on a grate, or on a grate covered by a layer of coarse porous material, without disturbing the particles of which the layer is composed. The air current is compelled to filter through the pores of the charge, whereas if the same pressure applied to the top surface of the charge with downdraft were applied to the bottom of the charge with updraft, the charge would be completely blow11 off the grate. Another result of reversing the draft was that a flame could readily be applied to the top surface of the charge for igniting purposes. Broadly speaking, sintering is an oxidizing or burning process, therefore the volume of air passing through the charge is the all-important factor. The air must pass through with sufficient rapidity to produce the necessary heat, and if sufficiently rapid the combustiorl will take place

Jan 1, 1938

By John E. Greenawalt

In view of the increasing importance of sintering in the beneficiation of iron ores preparatory to their reduction in the blast furnace, the writer believes the time is opportune for an up-to-date, though brief, discussion of the general principles of sintering, as well as a discussion of some of the recent improvements and mechanical developments that have been achieved in this industry, its present trend and future possibilities. Sintering may be defined as the agglomeration of fine mineral particles into a porous mass by incipient fusion caused by heat produced by combustion within the mass itself. Its first successful application, in connection with the treatment of lead sulphide ores, was known as blast roasting. In this process the lead ore was given a preliminary roasting in a reverber-atory furnace, then the incandescent mass was placed in a pot with a grate and an updraft was applied. It was soon discovered that much better results were obtained by cooling the ore, moistening it, and placing it upon an incandescent layer of fuel previously placed upon a grate, and then applying the updraft blast of air until the charge was converted into a more or less agglomerated mass. The fuel was sulphur and the process one of desulphurization, which was the principal result desired. The application of downdraft to blast roasting brought about tremendous results; the principal one of which was that an air blast of high pressure could be passed through a layer of ore deposited on a grate, or on a grate covered by a layer of coarse porous material, without disturbing the particles of which the layer is composed. The air current is compelled to filter through the pores of the charge, whereas if the same pressure applied to the top surface of the charge with downdraft were applied to the bottom of the charge with updraft, the charge would be completely blow11 off the grate. Another result of reversing the draft was that a flame could readily be applied to the top surface of the charge for igniting purposes. Broadly speaking, sintering is an oxidizing or burning process, therefore the volume of air passing through the charge is the all-important factor. The air must pass through with sufficient rapidity to produce the necessary heat, and if sufficiently rapid the combustiorl will take place

Jan 1, 1938

By George F. Comstock

It has been known for many years that the alloy containing 90 per cent. copper and 10 per cent. aluminum can be hardened, like steel, by quenching from a suitable temperature, and that the hardened alloy can be softened again by annealing or drawing the temper. It does not seem to be generally appreciated, however, that the effect of the first slight reheating after quenching is actually increased hardness, the softening effect not taking place until a certain temperature of "drawing" has been exceeded. This paper gives the results of a few experiments on various specimens of cast 10 per cent. aluminum bronze, quenched for maximum hardness, and subsequcntly annealed at different temperatures. The hardness measurements were made with both a scleroscope and a standard Swedish Brinell machine; some peculiarities of the scleroscope test on this material are described. The author is not aware of many previous investigations of the hardness of this alloy when quenched and drawn, but two important papers on the subject should be mentioned. The earliest was by Portevin and Arnou,1 in which it was stated that tempering quenched 10 per cent. aluminum bronze at 400" C. increased the hardness as compared with the quenched untempered alloy and that reheating above that temperature &apos; was necessary to obtain any softening effect. A later paper was by Seidell and Horvitz,2 who mentioned Portevin and Arnou&apos;s work, but did not report any increase in hardness obtained

Jan 1, 1925

By E. T. Turkdogan, P. Grieveson

It is shown experimentally that, by making use of the coupled S-O reaction in ionic melts, it is possible to transfer slclJur or oxygen from a lozv to a high chemical potential through an ionic nzenzbrane. This uphill transfer of sulfur is accompanied by a counter downhill transfer of oxygen and vice versa. The Materials balance shows that the amoulits of sul -fur and oxygen lost or gained by one system are the same as those gained or lost by the other systenz — the two systejns being separated by an iofzic membmne. The systems used in these experi?nents were solid Mn-MnS-Mno and liquid Fe-S-0. Sufficient results were obtained Lo study the kinetics of the transfer and the indications are that the counter diffusion of sulfide and oxide iojzs in the membrane is the rate controlling process. WHEN an ionic oxide-melt reacts with an atmosphere containing sulfur and oxygen-bear ing gases the following reaction occurs: 1/2 S2 (gas) +O2- (melt) = S2- (melt) + 1/2 0, (gas) [1] Under the restrictions that i) electric conductance in the melt is purely ionic and ii) each constituent element in the melt does not change valence, the solution of an atom of sulfur in the melt will result in the evolution of an atom of oxygen, so that the electric neutrality is maintained. For a given temperature and melt composition, the equilibrium concentration of sulfur in the melt is determined by the ratio, po2 /ps2 , in the gas phase and not by the individual partial pressures of oxygen and sulfur. This has been demonstrated by a number of investigators, for example by Richardson and withers&apos;, Fincham and Richardson,la by St Pierre and Chipman,&apos; and by Turkdogan and Darken.3 In his Howe Memorial Lecture for 1961, Darken discussed the possibility of uphill pumping of sulfur through an ionic membrane at the expense of oxygen. TO test the validity of this concept associated with coupled reactions, experiments were carried out in the following manner. A presintered mixture of Mn-MnS-MnO and prefused mixture of Fe-S-0, contained in platinum and iridium crucibles, respectively, and separated by a thin layer of soda-glass (to act as an ionic membrane), were placed side by side in an evacuated silica capsule and sealed. This was then kept at 1400°K for a required time to allow Reaction [11 to occur via the ionic membrane. When partial equilibrium is reached, the ratios Po2 /pS2, for systems on either side of the membrane, are equal and the flux of sulfur and oxygen through the membrane becomes zero, although the individual partial pressures po2 andp,, in these two systems may differ considerably.

Jan 1, 1962

By V. K. Zworykin

THROUGHOUT its development the science of electronics, like so many other branches of science and industry, has been indebted to the metallurgist. Metallurgy has provided the electronic engineer with conductors to furnish passage for electrons outside of his evacuated tubes; it. has developed tungsten and tantalum wires for emitting electrons and various refractory metals and alloys suitable for electrodes, which receive them and guide them within the tube; finally it has supplied ferromagnetic materials both for shielding electronic apparatus from magnetic fields and for forming highly concentrated fields for deflecting electron. Today I hope to show you that electronics has not been altogether ungrateful for this assistance. More specifically, I wish to indicate the role that the electron microscope, a relatively recent product of electronic engineering, is playing even now in the study of metals. Every metallographer is aware that his standard metallographic microscope will not reveal structural detail involving separations smaller than a certain fraction -at the very best a tenth-of a micron. This limitation, he knows, is a consequence of the fact that the wave length of the light employed for forming the image has this order of magnitude. It is, thus, a property of all light microscopes. To overcome it, a different imaging medium must be employed. The existence of such a medium became evident when it was demonstrated&apos; that electrons were affected by magnetic and electric fields with axial symmetry just as light is affected by glass lenses; these fields, or "electron lenses," curve the paths of electrons reaching them from an object located on the axis of symmetry in such a manner that, at some distance from the lens, a true image of the object is formed, Furthermore, although a wave length may be ascribed to electron beams just as to light, this wave length is much shorter; for electrons accelerated through a difference of potential of 50 kilovolts, the wave length is only about one hundred-thousandth of that of visible light: Actually, the electron microscopes of today resolve detail one hundred times as fine as light microscopes; if the maximum useful magnification of the latter is taken to be a thousand, that of electron microscopes is one hundred thousand. THE ELECTRON MICROSCOPE Since electrons are readily scattered and absorbed by matter, specimens to be observed in the electron microscope must be prepared to be less than one micron in thickness; furthermore, the interior of the microscope must be carefully evacuated to prevent collisions between the electrons and the molecules of the air. Finally, as already mentioned, the lenses are formed by axially symmetric magnetic or electric fields, and not by any material medium such as glass. Apart from these basic differences, the electron microscope closely

Jan 1, 1943

By John W. Wagner, Robert K. Willardson

Single crystals of Pbl-xSnXTe have been grown from The melt under liquid B2O3 using the Czochralski technique. The PbTe-SnTe crystals were grown from near-stoichiometric melts and from melts with slight deviations from sloichiometry. Crystal growth rates ranging from 1 mm per hr to 1 cm per hr were employed, the latter being generally used. Several investigations were performed to characterize the single crystals grown In this study. The phase diagram of the PbTe-SnTe system was examined. X-ray analyses verified the single-crystal character of the crystals, and powder pattern lattice parameter determinations showed that Vegard&apos;s law was followed within the limits of the experimental error. The as-grown crystals were p-type with apparent carrier concentrations of -8 x 1018 to -8 x 1020 carriers per cu cm. Hall coefficients, resistivities, and carrier mobilities were determined as a function of composition. Dislocations were revealed by an electrolytic etch, and the crystals were found typically to contain 2 to 4 x 105 dislocations per sq cm. Microhardness measurements were performed; no maximum in the Vickers hardness us composition curve was seen. Mass spectrometry was used for impurity analyses, and the crystals were found to contain 1 to 2 x 1017 total p-type impurities per cubic centimeter. Distribution coefficients were calculated for the major impurities which were Na, Mg, Al, Si, Cl, and Zn. RECENTLY interest has been stimulated in the preparation and characterization of many alloys of the binary compound semiconductors. This interest is due primarily to the almost unlimited possibilities of adjusting the semiconducting characteristics of these materials by varying the alloy compositions. One alloy system which has been receiving extensive investigation is the PbTe-SnTe system, since these alloys show promise of being useful as emitters and detectors of electromagnetic radiation in the spectral range of 8 to 14 µ. This paper reports on the growth of PbTe-SnTe single crystals by the Czochralski technique and investigations of the general properties of these crystals. The phase diagram of the PbTe-SnTe system was investigated so that specific alloy compositions could be attained. I) CRYSTAL GROWTH The PbTe-SnTe single crystals were pulled from the melt using the Czochralski technique. Generally, the crystals were grown from near-stoichiometric melts, although special growth runs were made from both lead-rich and tellurium-rich melts. Growth of single crystals from up to 5 pct lead-rich melts presented no problems; however, melts with tellurium in excess of -1 pct caused volatilization problems which generally made crystal growth impossible. All melts were prepared from high-purity materials as follows: 1) lead— 6 N— Cominco (Cominco Products, Inc., Spokane, Wash.); 2) tin—5N—Cominco; and 3) tellurium— 5N+— American Smelting & Refining Co., Plainfield, N.J. No further purification of materials was undertaken in this study. The elements were reacted at -1000°C in a vacuum-sealed silica tube for a few hours, a gentle rocking action being used to ensure thorough reaction. The cast ingots were then transferred to a silica crucible for crystal growth. A schematic diagram of the growth apparatus is shown in Fig. 1. The Vycor tube is sealed at both ends by O-ring flanges so that a vacuum or a positive pressure may be maintained in the growth chamber. The pull rod and crucible may be rotated; all crystals produced in this study were grown with the crucible sta-

Jan 1, 1969

By Samuel B. Christy

" The man is always greater than his work." The training of the men who are to develop the mineral resources of the world is the most important problem connected with mining engineering. It becomes ever more important to civilization as the mineral wealth of the earth approaches exhaustion. I have therefore decided to consider a few of the more important problems arising in the training of the mining engineer, and especially those arising in America. , The Peculiar Nature of Mineral Wealth. Mining and Agriculture are the two fundamental arts. Without the latter our existence would be precarious; without the former, our civilization impossible. Agriculture furnishes that regular supply of food and raiment which leads to the growth of large communities in which cultivated leisure first becomes possible; while mining furnishes the metallic thread from which is woven that complex fabric we call civilization. But in these two arts the conditions for success are widely different. Most of the crops that the farmer reaps may be harvested year after year, and the proper fertilizers being added, he may continue the annual harvest indefinitely, while, as a result of cultivation, his farm becomes yearly more valuable. But the crop the miner reaps can be harvested but once in the history of the race. Our mineral wealth has taken unknown ages to mature in the bosom of the earth. The ripened fruit can be plucked but once. There are no fertilizers for worked-out mines. It never pays to work over a mine that has been

Jan 1, 1906

E. E. THUM,* Salt Lake City, Utah (written discussion?).-While the present paper is confined exclusively to the microstructure of fusion welds, it may be of interest to draw attention to certain appearances existing in resistance welds such as spot or butt-welded joints produced by the Thomson process. For instance, a butt weld between two pieces of carbon tool steel (carbon about 0.90 per cent.) will show concentric ellipsoids of the various materials from pearlite to martensite. The surfaces of demarcation are quite well defined, the center of the ellipsoid being at the intersection of the axis of the piece and the plane of the weld. Often these unannealed welds show a troostitic center; evidently this core was not quenched as rapidly as the surrounding shell. Such specimens are beautiful samples for instruction purposes. An annealed butt weld of this kind will show a very well defined central ellipsoid of decarburized, materials. It is interesting to consider the reason why this change takes place. It must be understood that the heat is on the metal for a very short time, possibly 30 sec. It is therefore evident that the decarburization, or migration, of the carbon takes place with extreme rapidity. Since no blowholes are evident in a well-made butt weld, the deoxidizing air and the products of combustion must migrate with the highest speed; second, the carbon might migrate back into the stock; or, last, a large proportion of the pearlite may be extruded with the hot metal, which forms a fin at the plane of weld. Examining these possibilities in detail, it is not probable that such deep-seated decarburization, extending with maximum effect to the very center of a 2-in. round bar, is done by reaction with the oxygen of the air. This would postulate entrance of oxygen and egress of carbon oxides in large quantity without leaving behind traces in the form of oxides or

Jan 5, 1919

By Zay Jeffries

IT has been known for a number of years that certain aluminum alloys could be hardened by quenching from a temperature of about 500° C. Immediately after quenching the total increase in hardness is not marked, but the hardness increases gradually so that after about 4 days, it has reached a maximum. The actual increase in hardness probably continues for weeks or even months, but in order to detect the differences after 4 days, it is necessary to make tests at rather long intervals. So far as is known to the authors, Alfred Wilm was the first to discover these properties in aluminum alloys.1 The aluminum-copper alloys are amenable to this treatment and the addition of magnesium makes the heat-treatment effect more pronounced. Until recently heat treatment of aluminum alloys has been confined to the worked alloys in the form of sheet or extruded products. The alloy that has been most used in this connection is known commercially as duralumin and has about the following composition: copper not exceeding, 6 per cent.; magnesium not exceeding, 2 per cent.; manganese not exceeding, 1 per cent.; commercial aluminum,2 balance. A typically good alloy in this range consists of: copper, 4 per cent.; magnesium, 0.5 per cent.; manganese, 1 per cent.; commercial aluminum, balance. This alloy can be rolled into sheets or extruded; and in this condition it can be heated in the ordinary furnace atmosphere to a temperature near 500° C. and quenched in water. After about 4 days it will have the following physical properties: tensile strength 55,000 to 60,000 lb. per sq. in. (3866 to 4218 kg. per sq. cm.); elongation in 2 in., 15 to 20 per cent. No harmful effects of the furnace gases or even the air, if the heating is affected in an electric furnace in an air atmosphere,

Jan 9, 1919