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By Benjamin Talbot

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

Jan 4, 1913

By J. McD. Porter

In many of the old placer-mining districts are still to be found large tracts of gold-bearing gravel not suitable to be worked with a dredge, because the bed is too shallow or the gulch too narrow. Frequently there is not enough grade to handle the gravel successfully by ground-sluicing or a bedrock flume, or it contains too many boulders to be worked succeeefully with the ordinary hydraulic pipe or tube elevator. In southwestern Oregon, two practical placer-miners named Ruble, after working for years trying to make money out of placer-ground coutaining many large boulders, invented and patented a hydraulic elevator of an entirely new type, and one that has been found to work very successfully in flat ground and in gravel containing many large boulders. It is a very simple contrivance. A few years ago I acquired the property near Pierce City, Idaho, known as the American placer-mine. Various attempts had been made to work this ground. A bed-rock flume had been installed by one company, an Evans elevator by another, and still other methods were tried on a smaller scale. All were

Jan 1, 1910

By Bernard York

Mine opening stability was investigated by loading model openings to failure. Eight-inch plaster blocks were cast with small uniform section openings passing through the centers. After curing, the models were jacketed and loaded hydrostatically in a closed vessel. Opening size, shape, and orientation were varied to determine how these factors influence opening stability.

Jan 7, 1953

By A. L. Holley

It has been customary at our opening sessions, for the presiding officer to address you on the general development of one or another of our several professions, or upon some important feature of Mining or Metallurgical Engineering. It is somewhat embarrassing to his successor that our former President, Dr. Raymond, expert as he is in every one of these professions, has been accustomed to keep them all, in their turn, prominently before yon. In selecting for this occasion a subject necessarily connected with iron and steel, I have thought that a review of these manufactures, with reference to some of their more pressing needs for improvement, will be more timely than a general or statistical paper. I shall endeavor to confine my remarks to a few specific defects of practice and management, and to their equally specific and more or less developed remedies. That serious defects exist; that they must be remedied ; that the manufacture is indeed already on the verge of transition, will be generally admitted. But it cannot be revolutionized all at once, however desirable the technical results might he, for that would bankrupt the business at large. We cannot afford to pull down and rebuild all our blast-furnaces that do not make a ton of pig iron with 25 cwt. of fuel; nor to replace all our hand-puddling furnaces with revolving ones, even if we could select the best revolver. Although the soft steels promise to supplant iron for most structural purposes, there are neither money nor present market to warrant all at once replacing our iron works, or half of them, with steel works. Since, then, these manufactures can neither stand still nor be suddenly metamorphosed, their managers are saying to one another: " We must feel our way into larger development; we must work gradually into better practice; we must improve a little at a time."

By E. F. La Vigne

ON Aug. 10, 1884, the Retsof Mining Co. began the sinking of an 18 by 12-ft. shaft at Retsof, N. Y. Rock salt was reached in 1885, in September, at 1008 ft. below the surface. The first salt was shipped in the fall of 1885. A timber breaker was built in 1886. In July, 1895, there was a consolidation of the Retsof Mining Co., the Greigsville Salt & Mining Co., the Livonia Salt Co., and the Lehigh Salt & Mining Co. These consolidated salt companies are now known as the Retsof Mining Co., a subsidiary of the International Salt Co. Eventually all of the mines were closed except the mine of the Retsof Mining Co., at Retsof, Livingston County, New York. On July 6, 1921, about ½ mile south of the original shaft and plant of the Retsof Mining Co., a new 9 by 28-ft. concrete-lined shaft was started. The shaft is 1063 ft. deep from the top of the shaft collar to the bottom of the salt bed. At the same time a reinforced-concrete breaker and other buildings were erected. This new plant began opera-tions on Dec. 15, 1923. It was designed for a capacity of 3000 tons in 8 hours.

Jan 1, 1936

By John C. Branner

Stratigraphic Position of the Deposits.—During the progress of the geological survey of Arkansas, in the northern part of that State, it was found that the interval between recognizable Lower Silurian rocks below and recognizable Lower Carboniferous rocks above contains no representatives, or but poor representatives, of the whole Upper Silurian and Devonian series. In some places one passes in the space of a foot from Lower Silurian rocks to the Lower Carboniferous—the Boone chert of the Arkansas survey, or the " Burlington " beds; at other places this interval is 3 or 4 feet thick, but it is generally concealed by the ready decay of the black shale—the Eureka shale—which fills it, so that for a long time it was passed over undetected. It was only after considerable work in the region lying north of the Boston mountains, and by the valuable palzeontologic work of Dr. Henry S. Williams, of Yale University, who kindly accompanied me on a trip through this part of the State, that the importance of this interval came to be recognized, and the thin beds occupying it to be critically studied. It then appeared that this interval was occupied, for the most part, either by a greenish or black shale or by a sandstone; and eventually the sandstone was found to have a maximum thickness of 40 feet on South Sylamore creek in 15 N. 11 W., Section 21. It was, therefore, called Sylamore sandstone. The shale of this interval is generally from 3 to 10 feet thick; it is a constant feature of the geology through Carroll county, and is well exposed in the streets and cuts in and about Eureka Springe, and was for this reason named the Eureka shale. Its maximum thickness is 50 feet in the northwestern part of Benton county. The relations to each other of the Sylamore sandstone and the Eureka shale I have never determined satisfactorily; for

Jan 1, 1897

By T. D. Murphy

The element silicon, with its usual partner, oxygen, plays the same role on this planet relative to inorganic materials as carbon and hydrogen play with respect to living organisms. The crystallographic structure of silicon dioxide (SiO,) consists of one atom of silicon well-nigh inseparably bonded to four contiguous atoms of oxygen, a gas of but slightly more than half its atomic weight, forming a three-dimensional network of SiO, tetrahedra (Dietz, 1968). This wispy arrangement is the fabric of the mineral quartz which is one of the harder, more abrasive, and chemically stable raw materials to be found in Mother Nature's cupboard. Most of us are vaguely familiar with the observation that nearly 60% of the lithosphere to an approximate depth of 10 miles is composed of these two elements, which proportion actually rises to about 75% if the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere are included (Parker, 1967). Elemental silicon is a brittle steel-gray metalloid with a density of 2.42 and does not occur in nature. In its limited commercial form, which is still brittle and metallic in appearance, its density drops to 2.33. It combines with oxygen to form the gaseous oxide SiO, or the solid dioxide SiO, (analogous to its congener carbon in CO and CO,); a tetrachloride SiCl, (analogous to CC1,); or, combining with oxygen and one or more metal ions, forms the largest rock-making family of all, the silicates. Further, next to the feldspars, quartz is the most abundant known mineral and, in some form or another, accounts for roughly 12% of surficial terrestrial rock. It is this so-called "free silica" to which your attention is chiefly directed in this chapter. In any such consideration of silica, its several crystalline phases with their attendant differing physical properties appear worthy of delineation. Alpha quartz is the only one of this interesting polymorphic family that is thermodynamically stable at normal pressures and temperatures up to about 573°C. The low phases of tridymite and cristobalite can exist in the so-called metastable state below 117°- 200°C but seldom occur in nature in these two different crystal forms (Sosman, 1965). Opaline silica, now considered by most researchers to be a variety of cristobalite, occurs in abundance and is the only exception. The three remaining polymorphs, keatite, coesite, and stishovite, also are metastable under ambient conditions. Keatite, however, is not known to occur naturally and has only been synthesized in the laboratory. The other two have been identified in submicron sizes and in microscopic amounts, occurring naturally as a result of high order shock-wave pressures generating quite elevated temperatures-such as might accompany the impact of a large meteorite on a hard sandstone terrain (Chao, et al., 1962). An intriguing characteristic of these silica minerals, and one which has very practical applications, is their extremely variable densities. The classic 2.65 specific gravity of alpha quartz drops to 2.20 in tridymite, cristobalite, and lechatelierite (natural silica glass), as well as in many man-made glasses of commerce which are merely noncrystalline or amorphous solids in the form of super-cooled liquids which can no longer change their shapes (Pauling, 1950). It rises again to 2.50 and 2.93 for keatite and coesite, respectively, and finally becomes a reported 4.35 for stishovite-nearly a 50% range in density for the known physical combinations that silica naturally assumes (Frondel, 1962; Konnert, et al., 1973; Pecora, 1960).

Jan 1, 1975

By Granville S. Borden

This brief is a reconnaissance report on some prospects in the field of taxation which can safeguard our Mineral Resources. The brief is a prospectus soliciting help and enthusiastic cooperation in the common task of developing these prospects in a manner which will be most beneficial to all parties-the owners, operators, employees, tradesmen, the federal and state governments, and the people of this nation.

Jan 4, 1950

By Andrew W. Jenike

STORAGE AND FLOW Introduction The layout and design of a bin or stockpile for bulk solids should assure reliable feed at the required time and rate without spillage and, when required, without segregation and degradation. The typical procedure in the design for gravity flow follows these steps: 1. The bulk solids to be stored are identified and the range of moisture content, temperature, feed rate and time of storage at rest, as well as the storage capacity, are specified. The materials of construction of the hopper, that is of the converging part of the bin, are decided upon. Hopper liners and coatings to reduce wall friction are considered. 2. The flow properties of the bulk solids and the friction angles against the wall materials are measured for the expected range of conditions. 3. The width of a slot outlet needed for reliable flow of each solid under the full range of conditions is determined from the tests. This dimension is an explicit measure of flowability of a solid. The widest slot determines the critical solid and the critical conditions. 4. A suitable feeder of size sufficient for the widest slot outlet is selected. 5. On the basis of the measured wall friction angles, a suitable wall material is selected and a mass flow hopper is designed to ensure reliable and uniform flow of solid into the feeder and to minimize the load on the feeder. The mass flow hopper may extend upward to the intersection with the cylinder thus producing a mass flow bin. Alternatively, the hopper may terminate at a height equal to a few widths of the outlet and then expand at a less steep slope in its upper part in order to save headroom, or it may terminate in the flat bottom of a bin or stockpile. The choice depends on the flow properties of the solids and the size of the bin or stockpile. 6. The design of the bin is completed for the specified storage capacity. Multiple hoppers and

Jan 1, 1982

By John L. Lamont, Walter Crafts

STUDIES of the effect of composition of steel on hardenability by Grossmann,1 and as-quenched hardness by Field2 and by the authors,3 have made it possible to predict the results of quenching when the composition and cooling rate are known. In order to extend the application of the hardenability calculation to the quenched and tempered condition in which steel is finally used, a survey has been made of the hardness changes caused by tempering. From this study a method has been developed for the prediction of hardness and tensile strength of steel in the tempered condition. The method of calculation was developed from Rockwell C hardness tests on quenched and tempered Jominy specimens and is expressed in Rockwell C hardness units. It is of an additive type in which the degree of softening from as-quenched hardness is estimated. Tempered properties may be calculated within about plus or minus 5 Rockwell C hardness or plus or minus 15,000 lb. per sq. in. tensile strength. This degree of accuracy is less than that necessary for the control of heat-treatment, but is adequate for the comparative evaluation and selection of alloy steels. The formula indicates that tempered hardness is primarily dependent on as- quenched hardness and, as in the hardening reaction, the progress of tempering is controlled mainly by the carbon content- Alloys tend to retard softening by a secondary hardening mechanism in which the alloy appears to migrate from ferrite to the carbide phase. The factors for the effects of alloys in tempering vary so much from the effects of alloys in hardening that different steels of equivalent hardenability may, after lie heat-treatment, differ considerably in tensile strength. PROCEDURE In developing the method for calculating tempered Rockwell C hardness, simple and complex steels were tested over a range from 0.08-to 0.65 per cent carbon and up to 2.68 per cent manganese, 2.18 silicon, 3.50 chromium, 4.94 nickel, and 1.06 molybdenum. The steels were made as small induction-furnace heats at the Union Carbide and Carbon Research Laboratories, Inc. The accuracy of the method was finally checked on a variety of carbon, low-alloy and high- alloy types of heat-treating steels produced under commercial conditions. The method was based on a study of tempered Jominy bars, and its validity was tested by correlation with the center hardness and tensile strength of oil-quenched and tempered bars from ¼ to 4 in. in diameter. The method of calculation was derived from the differences in Rockwell C hardness between as-quenched and quenched and tempered Jominy specimens. Prenormalized Jominy hardenability specimens quenched from a normal temperature for austenitization were used to obtain a range of as-quenched Rockwell C

Jan 1, 1946

By A. Szirmae, Hsun Hu

The early stages of recrystallization in a 70 pct cold-rolled Si-Fe crystal of the (110) (0011) orientation were studied with a Siemens electron microscope. Orientation studies based on electron-diffractzotz. patterns confirm the results of previous texture analysis. The driving energy for recrystallizatior and the critical radius for growth were calculated from the dislocation energy and the energy of the subgrain bourzdaries, and it was found consistent with the observed size of the recrystallized grains. The recrystallization characteristics of crystals with different initial orientations are discussed. The recrystallization of cold-rolled (110)[001] crystals of Si-Fe has been widely studied by various investigators.1-4 Their results on both deformation and annealing textures are in good agreement. The rolling texture after 70 pct reduction consists mainly of two crystallographically equivalent (111) [112] type textures and a minor component of the (100) [011] type. The latter is derived from the deformation twins, or Neumann bands, which are formed during the early stages of deformation and later rotate to the (100) [011] orientation upon further rolling reduction. Between the two main (111) [112] type textures, there is some orientation spread, because of which very low intensity areas appear in the pole figure. If these very low intensity areas are considered to be a very weak component in the texture, then a (110) [ 001 ] orientation may be assigned to them. When this rolled crystal is annealed at a sufficiently high temperature for recrystallization, the texture returns to a simple (110) [001]. The purpose of the present investigation was primarily to seek a better understanding of the recrystallization process by using the electron transmission technique. The (110) [0011 type of crystal was selected because orientation data for it are well known from previous studies with conventional techniques. Direct observations on the recrystallization of such a crystal have also been made by using a hot-stage inside the electron microscope, and the results will be reported in another paper. MATERIAL AND METHOD A single-crystal strip of the (110) [001] orientation was prepared from a commercial grade 3 pct Si-Fe alloy by the strain-anneal technique.= The strip was approximately 0.014 in. thick, and was rolled 70 pct at room temperature to a thickness of 0.004 in. Specimens were cut from the rolled strip and were annealed in a purified hydrogen or argon atmosphere. They were then electrolytically polished in a chromic-acetic acid solution to very thin foils. Best results were found by polishing first between two narrowly spaced flat cathodes with the specimen edges coated with acid-resisting paint, followed by polishing between two pointed electrodes until a hole appeared in the center as described by Bollmann.6 It was found that a thin transparent film always formed along the thin edges of the polished specimen. This film was then removed by rinsing the specimen very briefly in a solution of alcohol with a few drops of HF or HCl. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 1) The Deformed Crystal. From the electron-diffraction patterns taken at various areas of an as-rolled specimen, the texture components as deduced - from ordinary pole-figure analysis were confirmed. Over most of the areas where orientation was examined, a (111) pattern with a [112] direction parallel to the rolling direction was obtained. This corresponds to the main deformation texture of the (111) [112] type. In a few areas the diffraction pattern was (100) [Oil], corresponding to the minor-texture component derived from the Neumann bands. The (110) [001] orientation, which corresponds to the very weak intensity area in the pole figure, was found infrequently. A typical example of the deformed matrix having the (111) type main texture is shown in Fig. 1, where (a) is the microstructure and (b) is the diffraction pattern taken from that area. It was also frequently observed that in other areas more or less continuous rings of weaker intensity were superimposed on the simple (111) diffraction pattern, suggesting the presence of a wide range of additional orientations. Other evidence indicated that the recrystallization characteristics are different in these two different types of areas. The hot-stage observations which provide this evidence will be discussed in another paper. AS shown in Fig. l(a), numerous dislocation-free areas of very small size are embedded in the "clouds" of high-dislocation density. This indicates that the deformation of a single crystal, even after a rolling reduction of 70 pct, is far from uniform on a micro-

Jan 1, 1962

Some years ago it was my good fortune to inspect some coal properties in Germany, and the most striking impression I received on my trip was that in that country every one in the coal industry, miners and operators, was proud of the fact-not apologetic about it-and that industrially coal was looked upon as a King. The explanation, of course, was that at least 90 per cent of the entire mineral value produced in Germany was from coal, and that it was the very foundation of the nation's industrial life. The feeling was so different from that existing in the United States among those engaged in producing coal that it made a profound impression on me, and many times since then I have speculated about the reasons for the difference in opinion in the two countries. Here, of course, our units are much smaller and more numerous, there is not so large a proportion of technically trained men, and we have the American trait of depreciating the things we do at home; but among those not actively

Jan 1, 1935

By F. G. Miller, R. C. McFarlane, T. D. Mueller

During the process of gas storage in pressure-depleted oil reservoirs, it has been observed that in some instances additional liquid oil is recovered and that the composition of the storage gas is materially altered. A mathematical study was made of the dynamic behavior of such a depleted oil reservoir undergoing gas injection. The important variable considered in this study, not included in previously published work, was that of compositional effects on the phase behavior of two-phase flow. Pressure, saturation and component composition profiles were developed for a linear, horizontal and homogeneous porous medium containing oil and gas but undergoing dry gas injection. Special new techniques were developed to overcome the problems of numerical smoothing which arise in the solution of the equations representing such systems. The method of solution includes the development of partial differential equations describing the behavior of the system, representing these equations by finite difference approximations, making certain simplifying assumptions and, finally, applying methods of numerical analysis with the aid of a high-speed digital computer. In an example calculation, results using the mathematical model are compared with field observations made on a gas storage project in Clay County, Tex. This field project involved a depleted oil reservoir used 'for gas storage and gas cycling purposes. As a result of these processes, the reservoir yielded substantial amounts of secondary oil, both in the form of stock tank oil and as vaporized products in the produced gas. The methods derived in this study may be applied to a variety of oil reservoir problems which are dependent on compositional effects. In recent years the number of oil reservoirs being used for gas storage purposes has increased greatly, and there has been at least one published account of additional oil recovery resulting from gas cycling a depleted oil reservoir after repressur-ing with dry gas for storage purposes. Additional oil recovery from oil reservoirs resulting from gas storage operations could become an important secondary recovery process. This is especially true since the use of natural gas in large metropolitan areas continues to increase and more gas storage volume near these areas is needed. These facts provided the motivation for the work reported here. This paper reports on a study of the inter-relations of composition, saturation and pressure changes which occur when hydrocarbon gas is injected into an oil reservoir system. From an understanding of the process, prediction methods may be developed for use in forecasting the secondary recovery products from gas storage operations in oil reservoirs and, consequently, .the economics of such projects can be developed. The process of storing hydrocarbon gas in an oil reservoir and the cycling process both involve the transient multi-phase flow of oil reservoir fluids with changing fluid compositions. There is a scarcity of work published on the subject. One of the first laboratory models developed to study a problem similar to the one posed here was published in 1948 by Standing, Lindblad and Parsons. l They developed a model to study gas condensate recovery by gas cycling, including the effect of heterogeneous reservoir permeability. Their results showed the compositional effects of injecting a gas of known composition into a two-phase condensate reservoir of known composition. A major finding of their study indicated that maximum oil recoveries from gas cycling projects result when low cycling pressures are used. Previous to their work it was generally considered

By D. S. Eppelsheimer, D. N. Williams

The cold rolled textures of iodide titanium and of three samples of commercial titanium were examined using the Schulz-Decker Geiger counter technique. The iodide titanium and two of the three samples of commercial titanium showed a (0001) [1010] texture rotated 30' toward the transverse direction about an axis in the rolling direction. The third sample of commercial titanium showed a double texture. THE metals of the hexagonal system tend to deform similarly if the c/a ratios are similar. Thus titanium, zirconium, and beryllium, with c/a ratios of 1.601, 1.590, and 1.570, respectively,l should have similar cold rolled textures. The cold rolled texture of high purity iodide titanium has been described as (0001) [1010] rotated 30" toward the transverse direction about an axis in the rolling direction.' The texture of zirconium has also been reported as (0001) [1010] with a transverse rotation from the ideal position of approximately 30" about an axis in the rolling direction." This texture differs from that reported for titanium however since a continuous spread of (0001) poles toward the transverse direction was reported rather than distinct (0001) maxima 30" from the rolling plane normal. Beryllium has a texture similar to that of zirconium although the angle of transverse rotation of the (0001) poles is much less.' These three metals thus show a common type of cold rolled texture, as yet unexplained, which can be described as (0001) [1010] with various degrees of rotation toward the transverse direction about an axis in the rolling direction. Since titanium showed the greatest degree of rotation from the (0001) [1010] position, the cold rolled texture of titanium was re-examined using a semiquantitative Geiger counter X-ray technique to obtain more accurate experimental data from which a theoretical interpretation of this new type of hex- agonal rolling texture could be developed. The cold rolled textures of iodide titanium and of three samples of commercial titanium were determined. Table 1 gives the analyses of the titanium samples. Experimental Procedure Preparation of Samples: Prior to the final rolling operation each of the samples was given an initial reduction of approximately 50 pct and annealed to remove the gross effects of any previous treatments. Samples were annealed in vacuum, high purity helium, and air to determine whether annealing atmosphere had any effect on the cold rolled textures developed. All samples were annealed 1 hr at 800°C. Grain size determinations were made using the formula, 1.075 in which n is the number of grains counted in an area A (in sq mm) and M is the magnification of the area counted.' This formula gives the diameter between opposite flats assuming hexagonal grains. At least three areas containing more than sixty grains each were counted in each grain size determination. Rockwell B hardness readings were made on the annealed samples. The results of the measurements of

Jan 1, 1954

Jan 1, 1887

By Samuel M. Cassidy, John A. Garcia

IN some districts of the bituminous coal field the problem of constructing bulkheads to seal off water under pressure is becoming increasingly important. Recently this matter has been brought very much to the front by the loss of a large Illinois mine due to failure of a bulkhead that separated it from several old, flooded mines. As this great misfortune has provoked much inquiry about proper bulkhead design, it is felt that a description of the successful and extensive water-sealing practice at three mines that have different natural conditions will be of considerable interest to those connected with properties having a present or future water problem and to engineers that may have to design safe bulkheads of economical construction. These three mines are the Saxton and Dresser, near Terre Haute, Ind., and the Hegeler, near Danville, Ill. All three have water conditions that make it necessary to regularly seal off all worked-out sections of the mine, and there are considerably over a hundred bulkheads in each. As far as the writers know, these three mines are the only ones in the bituminous coal fields of the United States with anything like so large a number of water seals and experience, although a number of other mines are known to have a few bulkheads. More detail will be included herein on the Saxton mine than on the others, as the writers are more familiar with it. General Mining System All three of the mines use the same general panel room-and-pillar system, which consists of rooms turned both ways off room entries and a solid block of coal left on all sides of the completed panel except on the cross-entry side, where a heavier pillar is pierced by two entries for haul- age and air. On completion of the panel the two entries are sealed and the panel is then isolated from the rest of the mine. Owing to water conditions, no pillars are pulled; recovery inside the panel barrier pillars is approximately 65 per cent.

Jan 1, 1937

By E. J. Valyi

The purpose of the continuous casting processes is twofold: As the name implies, they aim at performing a heretofore intermittent operation continuously; in this respect, they tend to satisfy the appetite of the beast that modern extrusion plants and rolling mills have grown to be. The effort invested in the development of these methods bore rich dividends in economy and in the improvement of technical characteristics. The other purpose of many continuous casting methods is to reduce the number o-f operations mushrooming between the liquid alloy and the finished mill product, essentially by substituting adequate chill in comparatively small cross sections for one or more "breakdown" steps. It is this second tendency of continuous casting that justifies description of the Soro process within the frame of our symposium: although not continuous, the Soro method constitutes a means of converting molten metal into a nearly finished mill product. The Process The name, Soro, is a composition of initials and abbreviations, with no particular technical significance. The process originates in Switzerland; it was adopted by numerous European plants between 1937 and 1940 and is now being installed in this country. It is applicable to ferrous and nonferrous alloys of an exceptionally wide range of composition. It is capable of producing rod from 1/2 in. to approxi- mately 4 in. in diameter, or other simple solid shapes of corresponding cross-sectional area. , Fig. I shows schematically the succession of operations involved. A ring is cast in a two-part centrifugal-casting metal mold. The cross section of the ring may be round, hexagonal, rectangular or some other solid shape, with the exception of any contour that is undercut with reference to the mold parting line. As cast, the ring has a riser along its inner periphery, which is removed in the next operation, so as to leave the ring with a dean cross section. Following the removal of the riser, the ring is severed at one point and one end is bent outward, leaving a slight clearance between the two ends. The next step is straightening of the ring in a special device, forming a bar with a slight bend; this is followed by any one of the conventional finishing operations that are necessary to obtain forging rod, screw-machine stock or strip. The outstanding features of this procedure are: I. The cross section cast is the same or within a few per cent of the cross section of the finished product (except for fabricating into strip and wire). 2. All operations following casting of the ring are performed cold. Equipment The equipment required is simple and inexpensive. The casting machine is a conventional horizontal-shaft mold assembly, similar to those found in centrifugal-casting foundries. Fig. 2 shows a battery of three machines- with their protecting hoods .swung open. One of these machines,

Jan 1, 1945

By Burdett Loomis

The advantages of gaseous fuel have been too fully set forth during the past few years to need recapitulation. Papers, arguments, and editorials have been issued, in a more or less general way, that would make volumes. Systems have found zealous advocates, and many promises of results that have sounded strangely in the ears of old-fashioned gas-makers, have been born of theory, and have died in the earliest throes of trial; while in some few instances success has demonstrated the value of practical effort. With few exceptions, however, everything attempted or accomplished has tended towards the one end-—the realization of more perfect results than we can

Jan 1, 1891

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Jan 1, 1938

By Per Kofstad, Hallstein Kjöllesdal

The oxidation behavior of niobium (columbium) has been studied in the temperature range 500° to 1200°C and at oxygen pressures of 760,100, 10, 1, and 0.1 mm of Hg. The work comprises kinetic studies of the oxidation as well as structural investigations of the oxidized specimens by means of X-ray diffraction, electron diffraclion, electron microscopy, and metal1ographic techniques. The oxidation reaction has a highly irregular temperature dependence and is unusually sensitive to changes in the oxygen pressure. The complex oxidation behavior is suggested to be due to formation of different Nb2O5 modifications in different temperature regions. During oxidation oxygen is also dissolved in the metal. Formation of oxide whiskers take place on the oxide surface at temperatures above approximately 800°C. VARIOUS aspects of the oxidation of niobium have been studied.l-12 The investigations show that niobium has a complex oxidation behavior, and the oxidation

Jan 1, 1962