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Institute of Metals Division - Steady State Creep in a CuAu3-Alloy (TN)By R. G. Davies
WeERTMANI has shown that the high temperature steady state creep rate, i, in lead and indium-base alloys obeys an equation of the form where AH is the activation energy, o the applied stress, n the stress exponent, and R and T have their usual meanings. He observed a variation in n from 4.5 for pure metals to 3 for concentrated alloys, which he interpreted as due to Change in creep mechanism from the climb of dislocations in pure metals to a micro-creep mechanism in the alloys. The Cottrell-Jaswon microcreep mechanism of the moving dislocation taking its impurity atmosphere with it was considered to be the most likely process, although short-range order and the segregation of solute atoms to a stacking fault will also give a stress exponent of 3. Steady state creep has been investigated in a Au - 27 at. pct Cu alloy at temperatures above 1/2 TIM where TIM the absolute melting temperature. As the oxidation resistance of this alloy is excellent all tests were carried out in air with a furnace built to give a temperature variation of less than 1°C along the 60 mm gage length. A lever-arm arrangement applied the stress with a load being adjusted between each creep test to maintain a constant stress. As each test produced less than 0.5 pct creep strain, the variation in stress during the test was negligible. The creep strain was measured by a transducer at the end of one of the alloy-steel grips, with the out of balance potential being finally recorded on a variable speed chart recorder. A typical creep curve is shown in Fig. 1. The results, Fig. 2, confirm that n is nearer to 3 than to 4.5; the creep mechanism could be any of those given above. The activation energy, AH, which is independent of stress, is consistent with a diffusion controlled process; the activation energies for the self-diffusion of gold and for the diffusion of gold into Copper are both -45 kcal per ml., There is now considerable evidence, that, when the steady state creep is dependent upon diffusion, irrespective of the actual creep mechanism, the activation energy is independent of the stress. The author would like to acknowledge the financial assistance provided by the International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, and the Argentine Atomic Energy Commission.
Jan 1, 1962
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Minerals Beneficiation - An Improved Method of Gravity Concentration in the Fine-size RangeBy H. Rush Spedden, Arvid Thunaes
Pilot plant test work in 1942 and 1943 showed that by a combination of deslim-ing, fine-size classification, and Sullivan deck concentration it is possible to recover heavy minerals such as cassiterite at least as fine as 10 microns in size. This appreciable improvement in gravity concentration practice has been substantiated by several full-sized plants. IN the past, mills treating ores of tin and tungsten by gravity concentration have recovered very little mineral finer than 325 mesh, although some form of slime concentration has been generally attempted by the use of buddies or round tables. This paper describes a series of pilot plant tests made in 1942 and 1943 in which the use of the Sullivan deck was investigated for the recovery of an appreciable amount of the fine values formerly lost. The investigation was initiated by the U. S. Government in an effort to increase the wartime production of tin. Bolivian milling practice at that time included jigging of the coarse sizes, tabling of the intermediate sizes on conventional shaking tables, and the use of buddies or round tables on the finest sizes. Flotation of the pyrite was employed at different stages of the treatment, depending upon the quantity present and the preference of the operator. Usually good recoveries and the bulk of the production were made in the jigging and tabling operations provided that these sections were not overloaded. Buddies and round tables were used for a small additional recovery if it could be shown that they could pay for their high cost of operation. Extensive test work established that by a combination of desliming, classification, and Sullivan deck treatment, cassiterite as fine as 10 microns (1500 mesh) could be recovered when proper conditions were maintained. This test work has been verified by several full-scale installations. The method is generally applicable to the preconcentra-tion of large tonnages of low-grade ores or tailings for the recovery of a small amount of a valuable heavy mineral. The Sullivan deck (or now the Denver Buckman tilting concentrator), which is the essential part of the method, was devised originally for the recovery of tin from tailings of the Sullivan concentrator, Kimberly, B. C. Since the material treated contained only 0.05 pct Sn, it was impractical to attempt to recover cassiterite finer than 500 mesh.*
Jan 1, 1951
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Investigation of Fatigue of Metals Under StressBy H. F. Moore
AT PRESENT, I am connected with an investigation of the so-called fatigue of metals under stress. So far we have studied the more fundamental and simple case of the repeated stress, without the additional complexity of impact, which might bring in other factors. We feel that this investigation, which has been in active progress for a little over a year, has shown more conclusively than has been shown before that steel under repeated applications of stress, reversed from positive to negative, will not fail below some fairly clearly defined limiting stress that,, so far we can see, does not bear any definite relation to the ordinary elastic limit, being as large as the elastic limit in some cases and about one-half the elastic limit in others. I might be asked, first, what is fatigue. The old view is summed up "in the word "crystallization." The idea was that under repeated stress the material changed its crystalline structure. I do not know of any evidence in favor of the theory that metals materially change their crystalline structure under repeated stress. The crystals are broken under repeated stress. The second theory, advanced by Bauschinger, the German scientist, is that under repeated stress some inherent property of the material changes its elastic limit; it is an inherent property of the material, possibly some property of the amorphous cement between the crystal. The third view is that all fatigue of metals is the result of the spread of damage from little localized overstresses. I do not feel justified in stating my positive belief in the third view as against the second, but I have yet to run across a case of failure of steel or other metal, either in the laboratory or in service, that could not be explained by the gradual spread of damage from some nucleus. We have found, for example, that it is possible to subject a homogeneous steel, like Armco iron or a 0.90 per cent. carbon steel, that hag been thoroughly annealed, to one hundred million reversals f stress as high as the elastic limit of the steel with no sign of failure. We stopped the test at one hundred million because the machines Were required for other work. Forty-five days, continuous running at 1500 revolutions a minute is required to produce one hundred million repetitions. On the other hand, a complex structured steel, like a chrome-nickel steel that
Jan 6, 1921
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Technical Notes - A Correction to "The Sigma Phase in Binary Alloys."By P. Greenfield, P. A. Beck
RECENT work by J. Darby, Jr. in this laboratory has shown that the reported vanadium-rich limit of the s phase in the Co-V system at 1200°C is in error. The appearance of a second phase in s actually is restricted to alloys containing over 68 atomic pct V. The error in the original value is due apparently to a reaction that takes place along the numerous cracks in the s specimens between the alloy and the impurities present in the He + 8 pct H atmosphere in the annealing furnace. Such a reaction and the consequent appearance of a second phase can be suppressed if the alloys are sealed under vacuum in Vycor tubing. The new value of 68 atomic pct V for the vana-dium-rich limit of the s phase in the Co-V system effects slightly the s compositions calculated from average values of N, and N,. for various s phases. The standard deviation between experimental mean compositions and those calculated from the assumption that s is characterized by a constant number of 3d + 4s electrons per atom (N,), is slightly reduced from 9.1 to 8.8 pct. The maximum divergence for the V-Mn s phase is reduced from 15.5 to 14 atomic pct. The standard deviation calculated from constant electron vacancy numbers given by N.. = 4.66 (Mo + Cr + V) + 3.2 (Mn) + 2.2(Fe) + 1.71(Co) + 1.6(Ni) is now greatly reduced, as the maximum divergence for this correlation previously occurred in the V-Co system. This maximum divergence is reduced from 7.6 to 2.3 pct, and the standard deviation for all s- phases is reduced from 4.1 to only 2.9 pct. The correlation for electron vacancy numbers given by N. 5.66 (V when with Ni or Co) + 4.88 (V when with Mn or Fe) + 4.66 (Cr + Mn) + 3.3 (Mn) + 2.66 (Fe) + 1.71 (Co) + 0.61 (Ni) is made slightly worse, and the standard deviation increases from 2.8 to 3.9 pct. These changes, however, do not affect the conclusions of the paper.' The deviation between calculated and experimental s compositions is much less for either one of the electron vacancy correlations than for the correlation with the number of 3d + 4s electrons.
Jan 1, 1955
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Minerals Beneficiation - An Improved Method of Gravity Concentration in the Fine-size RangeBy H. Rush Spedden, Arvid Thunaes
Pilot plant test work in 1942 and 1943 showed that by a combination of deslim-ing, fine-size classification, and Sullivan deck concentration it is possible to recover heavy minerals such as cassiterite at least as fine as 10 microns in size. This appreciable improvement in gravity concentration practice has been substantiated by several full-sized plants. IN the past, mills treating ores of tin and tungsten by gravity concentration have recovered very little mineral finer than 325 mesh, although some form of slime concentration has been generally attempted by the use of buddies or round tables. This paper describes a series of pilot plant tests made in 1942 and 1943 in which the use of the Sullivan deck was investigated for the recovery of an appreciable amount of the fine values formerly lost. The investigation was initiated by the U. S. Government in an effort to increase the wartime production of tin. Bolivian milling practice at that time included jigging of the coarse sizes, tabling of the intermediate sizes on conventional shaking tables, and the use of buddies or round tables on the finest sizes. Flotation of the pyrite was employed at different stages of the treatment, depending upon the quantity present and the preference of the operator. Usually good recoveries and the bulk of the production were made in the jigging and tabling operations provided that these sections were not overloaded. Buddies and round tables were used for a small additional recovery if it could be shown that they could pay for their high cost of operation. Extensive test work established that by a combination of desliming, classification, and Sullivan deck treatment, cassiterite as fine as 10 microns (1500 mesh) could be recovered when proper conditions were maintained. This test work has been verified by several full-scale installations. The method is generally applicable to the preconcentra-tion of large tonnages of low-grade ores or tailings for the recovery of a small amount of a valuable heavy mineral. The Sullivan deck (or now the Denver Buckman tilting concentrator), which is the essential part of the method, was devised originally for the recovery of tin from tailings of the Sullivan concentrator, Kimberly, B. C. Since the material treated contained only 0.05 pct Sn, it was impractical to attempt to recover cassiterite finer than 500 mesh.*
Jan 1, 1951
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PART IV - Creep of Thoriated Nickel above and below 0.5 TmBy B. A. Wilcox, A. H. Clauer
The steady-state creep of TD Nickel NL + 2 001 pct TltOz) has been studied orer the telirperatve range 325' to 1100O and the stress range 15,000 to 36,000 psi. At high temperatures (aboue 0.5 T& gran-boundary slzding is the )nost znportant )node of creep deformation, and the steady-state creep rate, is, can be related to stress and temperature by: where Q = 190 kcal pev mole and n has an unusually high value of 40. A creep mechanism based on cross slip of dislocations around The O2 particles can satisfactovily explain the low-temperature (T < 0.5 T,) cveep behavior, and the follo wing relation is applicable: Q, (a) is found to decrease from 57 to 46 kcal per mole as the stress is increased from 32,000 to 36,000 psi. THERE have been a variety of theories proposed to explain the influence of dispersed second-phase particles on the yield strength and flow stress of metals, and these have been reviewed recently by Kelly and icholson.' However, only several attempts2"4 have been made to develop mechanistic treatments which characterize the creep behavior of dispersion-strengthened metals, and to date these have not been fully evaluated experimentally. weertman2 and Ansell and weertman3 proposed a quantitative creep theory for coarse-grairzed dispersion-strengthened metals, based on the concept that the rate-controlling process for steady-state creep was the climb of dislocations over second-phase particles, as suggested by choeck. The theory predicted that the steady-state creep rate, <,, was proportional to the applied stress, a, for low stresses and that is a4 o for high stresses. The activation energy for creep, Q,, was equivalent to that for self-diffusion, Qs.d., in the matrix. Some limited experimental evidence in support of this theory was obtained on a recrystallized Al-Alz03 S.A.P.-type alloy by Ansell and Lenel.6 Ansell and weertman3 also developed a semiquanti-tative theory for high-temperature creep of lineg-rained dispersion-strengthened metals in order to explain their results on an extruded S:A.P.-type alloy, which had a fine-grained fibrous structure. They suggested that the rate of dislocation generation from grain boundaries was the rate-controlling process, and fitted their results to the equation: where Q, was found to be 150 kcal per mole, i.e., QC- 4Q,.d. in aluminum. Similar high activation energies for creep7-'' and tensile deformation" of dispersion-strengthened alloys have been observed by other investigators for S.A.P.,'" indium-glass bead omosites, and Ni + A1203 alls.' There is no general agreement regarding the mechanisms involved in the creep of dispersion-strengthened metals, and this is due in part to the lack of detailed studies relating the structures of crept specimens to the mechanical behavior. The present investigation on thoriated nickel was undertaken with the aim of studying the structural changes which occur during creep of a dispersion-strengthened alloy and rationalizing the observed mechanical behavior in terms of the creep structures. EXPERIMENTAL METHODS The material used in this investigation was 1/2-in.-diam TD Nickel bar, which contained 2.3 vol pct Tho,. Obtained from E. I. duPont de Nemours & Co., Inc. The final fabrication treatment by DuPont consisted of -95 pct reduction by swaging followed by a 1-hr anneal at 1000°C. Transmission and replica electron microscopy revealed that the material had a fine-grained fibered structure with an average transverse grain size of -1 p and a longitudinal grain size of 10 to 15 p. Selected-area diffraction indicated that the fiber axis was parallel to (OOl), in agreement with the results of Inman eta1." All creep specimens were vacuum-annealed at 1300°C for 3 hr prior to testing. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the only structural change due to annealing was a slight decrease in dislocation density, confirming the reported high degree of structural stability.13 Furthermore, recrys-tallization or grain growth during creep was never observed. The structure typical of uncrept material (after the 1300 C, 3-hr anneal) is shown in Fig. 1. The grain boundaries are predominantly high angle and. although some areas show a tangled cell structure, the grain interiors are relatively dislocation-free. Individual dislocations are strongly pinned by the Tho2 particles; i.e., very rarely did dislocations move within a thin foil. The grey "halos" around some of the larger particles which protrude out of the foil surface arise from contamination in the electron microscoge. The Tho, particle size ranged from -100 to IOOOA, and the distribution is shown in Fig. 2. The technique used to obtain the data in Fig. 2 consisted of dissolving the nickel matrix in acid, collecting the Tho2 particles on cellulose acetate, and measuring about 1000 particle diameters in the electron microscope. Similar results were obtained by measuring about 600 particles in thin foils, an; the average particle size was found to be 2r, = 370A. Using the data in Fig. 2 (annealed structure), the mean planar center-to-center particle
Jan 1, 1967
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Drilling and Production Equipment, Methods and Materials - Method of Establishing a Stabilized Back Pressure Curve for Gas Wells Producing from Reservoirs of Extremely Low PermeabilityBy C. W. Binckley, F. R. Burgess, E. R. Haymaker
A method of establishing stabilized back-pressure curves for gas wells producing from formations of extremely low permeability is presented. Actual well performance under many different operating conditions is shown by the stabilized back-pressure curve. By use of the method. it is possible to conduct back-pressure tests with a critical-flow prover on wells that stabilize slowly, and save approximately 88% of the gas ordinarily vented to obtain satisfactory test data, with a great reduction in time required for testing. INTRODUCTION The reasons for establishing dependable back-pressure curves on gas wells have been pointed out by previous publications. The publication most referred to. of course, is the United States Bureau of Mines Monograph 7, titled "Back-Pressure Data on Natural Gas Wells and Their Application to Production Practices". The technique generally established therein has been accepted and used by many engineers; and, when proper tests are conducted, the results can be used for the analysis and solution of several practical problems concerning field operation and development. Even where formations of low specific permeability are encountered, the determination of a well's actual performance by the back-pressure test method permits the engineer to analyze many problems in individual well operation and also to predict necessary future field development. Such problems as the determination of the ability of a well to produce into a pipe line at a predetermined line pressure, the design of gas gathering systems and meter settings, and the determination of the time and the number of wells required to be drilled to meet future market obligations, can be solved, in part., by the use of a reliable back-~ressure curve. In addition, the computed well delivery rates determined by data from backpressure tests ordered by state regtilatory bodies, when compared with the true back-Pressure curve, permit the operator to ascertain whether such data represent unstable or relatively stabilized delivery rates for given pressure conditions of the well. The technique of back-pressure testing, as described in this report, was developed by Phillips Petroleum Company engineers from data obtained during a testing program that started in 1944 and has been continued to date. Three hundred and eleven back-pressure tests were conducted on 299 wells located in the southern part of the Hugoton Field. The gas-bearing zone is composed of several dolomitic formations of the Permian Age; the important ones are the Herington, Upper Krider, Lower Krider, and Winfield. The average bottom-hole temperature is approximately 91 °F.. and the initial wellhead shut-in pressures range from 400 to 440 psig. The spacing pattern is 640 acres per well with each well located near the center of the section. The range of back-pressure potentials on wells tested was from 500 to 23,000 Mcfd. All gas wells were acidized, and the quantity of acid used, expressed in 1574 hydrocloric acid, varied from 12,000 to 22,000 gallons per well. The quantity and concentration of each treatment depended on the stage, the formation being treated, and experience gained from previously completed wells. The gas in the Hugoton Feld is a "dry" gas. It has a gasoline content of approximately 0.25 gallons per thousand cubic feet, as determined by charcoal test, and its specific gravity averages about 0.71 as compared to air (air = 1.00 at 60°F.). Of the wells tested, 71 were completed with 7" casing, 3 with 9 5/8" casing, and 1 with 6%" casing set on top of the upper producing formation with the well bore through the gas bearing formations being open hole. Two hundred and twenty-four were completed with 5 1/2'' O.D. casing set through the gas bearing formations and perforated. For the purpose of establishing reliable back-pressure curves in the area, Phillips Petroleum Company personnel has computed data on the basis of 24-hour flows per point. Early in the program, many tests were actually permitted to flow 24 hours to obtain data for each plotting point, at great expense in man power and time. Presently, however, such tests have been replaced by tests of short duration flows which can be made to effect results that correspond to the tests obtained by flows of much longer duration. METHOD When a gas well producing from a reservoir of low permeability is opened for production through a constant size orifice, both the rate of flow and working pressure decline. first at a high rate and later at a lower rate until after several hours the decline becomes difficult to ascertain. In this paper the rae of flow and working pressure are considered to be stabilized when it becomes difficult to observe changes in working pressure during a period of three hours by the use of a deadweight pressure gage. Stalibization of pressure in the literal sense is never obtained in a producing gas well. In formations of low permeability. such as those in the Hugo-ton Field, most wellhead working pressures approach stabilization closely enough to be used satisfactorily in the determination of a back-Pressure potential curve after flow periods of 24 hours. We shall therefore describe the backpressure curve calculated from ohserved rates of flow and working pressure at the end of 24-hour flow periods.
Jan 1, 1949
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Drilling and Production Equipment, Methods and Materials - Method of Establishing a Stabilized Back Pressure Curve for Gas Wells Producing from Reservoirs of Extremely Low PermeabilityBy E. R. Haymaker, C. W. Binckley, F. R. Burgess
A method of establishing stabilized back-pressure curves for gas wells producing from formations of extremely low permeability is presented. Actual well performance under many different operating conditions is shown by the stabilized back-pressure curve. By use of the method. it is possible to conduct back-pressure tests with a critical-flow prover on wells that stabilize slowly, and save approximately 88% of the gas ordinarily vented to obtain satisfactory test data, with a great reduction in time required for testing. INTRODUCTION The reasons for establishing dependable back-pressure curves on gas wells have been pointed out by previous publications. The publication most referred to. of course, is the United States Bureau of Mines Monograph 7, titled "Back-Pressure Data on Natural Gas Wells and Their Application to Production Practices". The technique generally established therein has been accepted and used by many engineers; and, when proper tests are conducted, the results can be used for the analysis and solution of several practical problems concerning field operation and development. Even where formations of low specific permeability are encountered, the determination of a well's actual performance by the back-pressure test method permits the engineer to analyze many problems in individual well operation and also to predict necessary future field development. Such problems as the determination of the ability of a well to produce into a pipe line at a predetermined line pressure, the design of gas gathering systems and meter settings, and the determination of the time and the number of wells required to be drilled to meet future market obligations, can be solved, in part., by the use of a reliable back-~ressure curve. In addition, the computed well delivery rates determined by data from backpressure tests ordered by state regtilatory bodies, when compared with the true back-Pressure curve, permit the operator to ascertain whether such data represent unstable or relatively stabilized delivery rates for given pressure conditions of the well. The technique of back-pressure testing, as described in this report, was developed by Phillips Petroleum Company engineers from data obtained during a testing program that started in 1944 and has been continued to date. Three hundred and eleven back-pressure tests were conducted on 299 wells located in the southern part of the Hugoton Field. The gas-bearing zone is composed of several dolomitic formations of the Permian Age; the important ones are the Herington, Upper Krider, Lower Krider, and Winfield. The average bottom-hole temperature is approximately 91 °F.. and the initial wellhead shut-in pressures range from 400 to 440 psig. The spacing pattern is 640 acres per well with each well located near the center of the section. The range of back-pressure potentials on wells tested was from 500 to 23,000 Mcfd. All gas wells were acidized, and the quantity of acid used, expressed in 1574 hydrocloric acid, varied from 12,000 to 22,000 gallons per well. The quantity and concentration of each treatment depended on the stage, the formation being treated, and experience gained from previously completed wells. The gas in the Hugoton Feld is a "dry" gas. It has a gasoline content of approximately 0.25 gallons per thousand cubic feet, as determined by charcoal test, and its specific gravity averages about 0.71 as compared to air (air = 1.00 at 60°F.). Of the wells tested, 71 were completed with 7" casing, 3 with 9 5/8" casing, and 1 with 6%" casing set on top of the upper producing formation with the well bore through the gas bearing formations being open hole. Two hundred and twenty-four were completed with 5 1/2'' O.D. casing set through the gas bearing formations and perforated. For the purpose of establishing reliable back-pressure curves in the area, Phillips Petroleum Company personnel has computed data on the basis of 24-hour flows per point. Early in the program, many tests were actually permitted to flow 24 hours to obtain data for each plotting point, at great expense in man power and time. Presently, however, such tests have been replaced by tests of short duration flows which can be made to effect results that correspond to the tests obtained by flows of much longer duration. METHOD When a gas well producing from a reservoir of low permeability is opened for production through a constant size orifice, both the rate of flow and working pressure decline. first at a high rate and later at a lower rate until after several hours the decline becomes difficult to ascertain. In this paper the rae of flow and working pressure are considered to be stabilized when it becomes difficult to observe changes in working pressure during a period of three hours by the use of a deadweight pressure gage. Stalibization of pressure in the literal sense is never obtained in a producing gas well. In formations of low permeability. such as those in the Hugo-ton Field, most wellhead working pressures approach stabilization closely enough to be used satisfactorily in the determination of a back-Pressure potential curve after flow periods of 24 hours. We shall therefore describe the backpressure curve calculated from ohserved rates of flow and working pressure at the end of 24-hour flow periods.
Jan 1, 1949
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Papers - Orientation and Morphology of M23C6 Precipitated in High-Nickel AusteniteBy Ursula E. Wolff
The precipitation of carbides from an alloy containing 33 pct Ni, 21 pct Cr, balance iron, was investigated electron microscopically by means of extraction replicas and thinned metal foils. Annealing temperatures ranged from 565°to 870°C and up to several thousand hours. M23C6 precipitated in pain boundaries, incoherent and coherent twin boundaries in that sequence. The orientation relationship between carbides and austenite matrix was determined and correlated with the morphology of the carbides and with the type of boundary in which precipitation occurred. In large-angle grain boundaries, as well as in coherent twin boundaries, the carbides had the same orientation as one of the adjacent pains. These carbides formed sheets of individual flakes with shapes related to the orientation of the boundary. In incoherent twin boundaries carbides precipitated in ribbons composed of pavallel rods. An unidentified subcarbide was found to precede precipitation of M23C6 in these boundaries. The M 23 C6 rods had a kind of fiber texture with (110) parallel to the long dimension of the rods and ribbon, and with orientations of both of the adjacent twin-related austenite crystals Predominant in the texture of the carbide. A hard sphere crystal model has been used to discuss orientation and morphology of the carbides in terms of free volume and vacancies available in the boundaries. A number of papers have dealt with the morphology of chromium carbide (M23 C6) precipitated in austenitic stainless steels.1"7 In all these investigations, the carbides were examined in the electron microscope by means of extraction replicas. With this technique, the carbides retain the spatial distribution they had in the bulk sample. However, since the matrix is dissolved in the process, the particles can turn in an unpredictable way; and the orientation relationship between matrix and carbides cannot be established. In this paper the results of studies on extraction replicas and on thinned metal foils are reported. These studies were undertaken to determine the matrix-to-car bide orientation relationship, and to correlate the orientation of the carbides with their morphology. PROCEDURE The material used was an austenitic alloy with 33 pct Ni, 21 pct Cr, balance iron, containing approximately 0.05 pct C. Coupons of 1.25-mm sheet were first solution-annealed at 1050°C for 15 min and air-cooled. Then, to precipitate the carbides, samples were isothermally annealed in the range from 565" to 870°C for times up to several thousand hours. All further specimen-preparation procedures were carried out after the final anneal. Carbon extraction replicas from polished and etched surfaces were made with 10 pct bromine in methyl alcohol.' Thin foils were prepared from punched-out 3-mm-diam disksg which fit into the electron-microscope holder. The disks were prethinned by grinding to approximately 0.5 mm thickness, and then electro-polished in a polytetrafluoroethylene holder1' with a solution containing 5 pct perchloric acid in acetic acid to which 10 g per 1 Cro3 and 5 g per 1 nickel chloride were added (etchant modified from that of Briers et al."). This solution dissolves neither the carbides nor the austenite around the carbides preferentially. By using extraction replicas, electron micrographs and selected-area electron-diffraction patterns were taken from the same carbide arrays. By using thin foils, electron micrographs were made from a grain boundary area containing carbides. Electron-diffraction patterns were then taken from the same area and from each of the adjacent grains separately. In this manner, the orientation of each grain could be determined without interference by the carbide pattern. A peculiarity of extraction replicas should be pointed out. After the matrix is etched away, the carbide arrays float freely in the etching and washing solutions, and are held in place only at the anchoring points in the carbon replica. When the replica is picked up with a screen the carbide arrays tend to flip to one side. Thus, while the surface features are preserved, the original arrangement of the carbides may severely and unpredictably be disturbed whenever the specimen contains large amounts of interconnected carbides. Nevertheless, it is possible to correlate the different morphologies of the carbides with the type of boundary in which they have precipitated. RESULTS 1) Extraction Replicas. Fig. 1 shows that the grain boundaries usually are curved, multicornered surfaces of random orientation. The coherent twin boundaries (which are (111) planes) cut a grain into parallel slices. Incoherent twin boundaries occur at the ends and on the steps of twins and are often narrow, parallel-sided strips which are much longer than they are wide. Different morphologies can clearly be distinguished for the M23Ce carbides precipitated in each of these types of boundaries, and agree well with those observed by kinzel.2 The kinetics of this precipitation has been investigated." The first carbides precipitate in junctions of three grain boundaries and fan out from there into the adjoining boundary surfaces, Fig. 2(a). These carbides are oriented randomly, Fig. 2(b), and become coarser and thicker as annealing time increases. The large-angle grain boundaries are next to fill
Jan 1, 1967
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Part VIII - Papers - Solidification Structures in Directionally Frozen IngotsBy B. F. Oliver, C. W. Haworth
Pure tin and Sn-0.5pct Pb ingots have been frozen unidirectionally from the base. For quiescent melts that were initially undercooled, a transition from lower eqlciaxed structure to an upper columnar structure is found in the alloy ingots. Columnar to equi-axed back to columnar transitions are observed in superheated alloy ingots, but no such equiaxed band is observed impure tin. The reproducible equiaxed band is associated with a thermal undercooling followed by a recalescence. This undercooling is <5"C, whereas the critical (maximum obtainable) under-cooling for both the pure tin and the alloys used is -20°C. A similar undercooling is observed at the same position in the pure tin ingots, although in this case no clear transition in structure can be seen. The structure of the pure tin ingots is either entirely columnar or mixed columnar-equiaxed. A consideration of the detailed thermal history of the ingots indicates that the ingot macrostructures are determined by the occurrence of a local therlnal undercooling in conjunction with nuclei multiplication and transport mechanisrris. GENERALLY it is found that a pure metal ingot solidifies so as to produce an entirely columnar structure. Frequently an alloy ingot is found to have a columnar outer zone and an equiaxed central portion. Early systematic work to examine the factors controlling the formation of the equiaxed structure was reported by Northcott' who showed that, for copper alloys frozen unidirectionally with a given ingot practice, the alloying element influenced the length of columnar crystals and the extent of the equiaxed structure. Northcott showed that alloys with a wider freezing range more readily produced the equiaxed structure. The nucleation process can be important in producing equiaxed structures; frequently an alloy which readily solidifies with an entirely columnar structure will produce an entirely equiaxed structure when a nucleating agent is added to the melt.' The formation of the equiaxed structure was attributed by Winegard and chalmers3 to the presence of constitutional supercooling; that is, a region of liquid in front of the growing solid could have a temperature below its equilibrium liquidus temperature. Thus, with a small enough temperature gradient in the liquid, it was suggested that the presence of constitutional supercooling may be sufficient to bring about the nuclea-tion necessary for the formation of an equiaxed structure. Although this explanation is plausible, and may be relevant in many ingots, Walker has described an experiment' for which constitutional supercooling seems to be an unlikely cause of nucleation. A Ni-20 pct Cu alloy, repeatedly undercooled more than 50"C, was crystallized and found to show the typical colum-nar-equiaxed structure. The separation between the liquidus and the solidus for the alloy is 40°C. Thus, in this experiment the nucleation required for the formation of the equiaxed structure must have come about in some other way than by the nucleation catalysis constitutional supercooling hypothesis. Chalmers has suggested more recently5 that nuclei (in a typical ingot) are present immediately after pouring and are prevented from redissolving by the constitutional supercooling effect. More recently Uhlman, Seward, Jackson, and ~unt' have shown direct evidence using ice and organic materials that freeze dendritically that the "remelt mechanism" may be an extremely effective crystal multiplication process during the freezing of ingots under conditions involving dendritic growth. JSlia" experimentally demonstrated the detachment of dendrite arms. chernov14 has analyzed the dendrite arm detachment process as a coarsening phenomena driven by the minimization of interphase area. Katta-mis and ~lemings" working with undercooled steel melts give evidence supporting this mechanism. Mechanisms of dendrite arm detachment such as those assisted by convection are believed to be the origin of the macrostructures obtained in this study. This study makes no attempt to distinguish the relative contributions of these mechanisms. The object of the present work was to obtain accurate temperature measurements during the solidification of an ingot and to correlate these measurements with the formation of equiaxed grains in the resulting ingot structures. Similar previous work is very limited. The measurements carried out by Northcott are neither sufficiently extensive nor sufficiently accurate for any interpretation. Plaskett and winegard7 carried out experiments on A1-Mg alloys in which they observed values of the temperature gradient, G, in the liquid and rate of freezing, R (for a given alloy solute content Co), at the transition from a columnar to an equiaxed structure. They reported that equiaxed crystals were produced at values of G/G approximately proportional to the solidus composition. Similar experiments using Pb-Sn alloys carried out by £111011" showed a linear relation between G/R and the solidus composition. However, the thermocouples were in the mold wall rather than in the melt and, in one case, ingot surfaces were examined. There is ambiguity in the meaning of the values of G and R measured in all these experiments. APPARATUS AND EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Alloys were prepared by induction melting 99.999 pct Sn and 99.999 pct Pb to form a Sn-0.5 wt pct Pb alloy in air in a graphite crucible and casting into a cylindrical graphite mold 6 in. long, 1 in. in diarn , and with a & in. wall thickness. This mold was mounted on a copper base through which cooling water could be
Jan 1, 1968
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Institute of Metals Division - Role of Gases in the Production of High Density Powder CompactsBy Donald Warren, J. F. Libsch
HIS investigation originated as a result of a pre-vious experimental study' of the magnetic properties of Fe-Co alloys fabricated by the powder metallurgy technique. Densities of powder compacts prepared for the magnetics investigation varied from 7.45 to 7.70 g per cu cm or from 93 to 95 pct of the experimental value of 8.08 g per cu cm for a fused alloy of the same composition.' While this range of density is considered sufficiently high for most applications, the highest possible density is to be desired for maximum magnetic properties. By applying a technique similar to the one described above to a pure electrolytic iron powder, Rostoker³ was able to achieve a density of 7.895 g per cu cm, which is the highest density ever reported for sintered iron. While Rostoker's work involved the sintering of an elemental powder rather than a mixture, it was believed that higher densities should also have been obtained for alloys using the above technique because of the recoining operation and the high sintering temperature. Consequently, it was decided to investigate the various factors affecting the density of this alloy with the idea that such a study might lead to higher densities and, as a result, powder alloys having magnetic properties identical with those of the fused alloys. It was believed that the principal reason that near-theoretical densities for the powdered alloy were not obtained was the interference of gases with the normal sintering mechanism. When present during the sintering operation, gases can exert several harmful effects: they can remain on the particle surface and interfere with surface diffusion and plastic flow; they can be released and, under certain conditions, expand the void spaces through gas pressure; or they can remain trapped in the pores and exert a hydrostatic pressure that retards elimination of the pores. Jones,4 Rhines,5 Goetzel," and others have given the effect of gases in the sintering of powder compacts an extensive treatment. Among the more important sources of gases in the sintering process are dissolved gases, adsorbed gases, air entrapped during pressing, and gaseous products of chemical reactions. During sintering adsorbed gases are partly released at a relatively low temperature, while those gases entrapped during pressing cannot escape until their pressure is increased sufficiently through increasing temperature to expand the interpartjcle openings. The remaining adsorbed gases, gaseous reduction products, and dissolved gases produce a similar effect at the higher temperatures. If, in the sintering process, gas evolution occurs after the interpore channels have been sealed, an exaggerated expansion of the void spaces results. This is particularly true if the temperature is high enough for extensive plastic flow. In his fabrication of powder bars from tantalum, Balke7 had to consider the effect of adsorbed hydrogen and provide for its escape during sintering by limiting the compacting pressure to a maximum of 50 tons per sq in. The effect of gases entrapped during pressing was first noted by Trzebiatowski8 when he found that gold and silver powders decrease in density with increasing sintering temperature if pressed at 200 tsi, while they exhibit the usual increase when pressed at 40 tsi. Recent investigators9-11 have also noted that entrapped gases have an effect on the expansion of copper compacts during sintering. Proper provision for the escape of gaseous products of reduction must be made in order to avoid deleterious effects. Myers" states that in the sintering of electrolytic tantalum powder, the temperature was gradually raised to 2600°F with a pause at 2000°F to permit reduction of the oxides. Experimental Details For the present study, 50 pct Co-50 pct Fe compacts in the form of circular disks 1½ in. in diam and 0.15 in. thick were fabricated by the pressing and sintering of a mixture of the elemental powders. It was decided to follow the sintering process by means of liquid permeability measurements, because it was thought that such measurements might serve as a measure of relative pore sizes, as well as a possible indication of the point at which most of the interpore channels become sealed. However, since the permeability as measured by the flow of a liquid, such as ethylene glycol, does not give an absolute indication of the point where the pores have become isolated, a method for determining the percentage of pores connected to the surface was set up. As an additional cross check on the permeability measurements, metallographic methods were used to study the relative pore size. Finally, the property of ultimate interest, the density, was measured. Raw Materials: The powders used consisted of an annealed, 99.9 pct pure, —150 mesh grade of electrolytic iron powder, and a 98 pct pure, —200 mesh grade of reduced and comminuted cobalt powder. The cobalt powder was not further processed either by hydrogen reduction or annealing. The screen analyses for the iron and cobalt powders are given in Table I, while the chemical analyses for each type of powder are listed in Table 11. Table 111 gives the hydrogen loss measurements for the powders according to the M.P.A. Standard Method and for a higher temperature as well. Preparation of Compacts: Equal amounts of the elemental powders were mixed by rotation for 1 hr and then pressed into compacts approximately 0.15
Jan 1, 1952
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Dynamic Photoelastic lnvestigaf on of Stress Wave Interaction with, a Bench FaceBy H. W. Reinhardt, J. W. Dally
A dynamic photoelastic analysis of stress waves interacting with a free surface is described. The free surface is that of a bench with a fixed bottom so common in quarry applications. The stress waves are generated by line charges of lead azide (Pb N,). Four models of identical geometry are investigated with the direction of detonation of the line charge varied between the four models. Dynamic photoelastic patterns are recorded and analyzed to indicate which method of detonating the line charge produced the largest magnitude of tension at the free surface. The mechanics of rock breakage by means of explosives has received considerable treatment by many investigators including Duvall, Obert, Broberg, Rinehart, and Langefors1-11 over the past two decades. Indeed in more recent years several texts12-15 have been written on the topic, treating a wide variety of subjects which are logically related to the modern technique of rock blasting. In rock blasting the chemical energy of a concentrated explosive contained in a relatively small diameter borehole is utilized to fragment the rock. The explosive is transformed into a gas with enormous pressures which exceed 10-5 bars18 This high pressure shatters the rock in the area adjacent to the borehole and produces dilatational and distortional stress waves which propagate radially away from the borehole. The state of stress associated with these outgoing waves produces a system of cracks which extend for a few feet from the borehole. The breakage produced in this manner is limited as the dynamic stress in the pulse attenuates markedly with distance. In the absence of a free surface, the stress wave propagates away from the source without further fracture. With a free face of rock near the drill hole, another mode of breakage occurs which is due to scabbing failure of the layer of rock adjacent to the free face. These scabbing failures are produced by the reflection of the incident waves and the conversion of compressive stresses into tensile stresses sufficiently large to fracture the rock. The detailed nature of the interaction of the stress waves with the free surface is complex and difficult to treat analytically. However, dynamic photoelasticity offers an experimental approach which gives a fullfield visual display of propagating stress waves and the reflection process. Applications of static photoelasticity to solution of problems related to mining technology have become relatively common (see, for instance, Refs. 17 and 18) with a plastic model loaded to produce a state of stress representative of that occurring in the workings of a mine. The application of dynamic photoelasticity is ex tremely limited. Tandanand and Hartman19 have used a multiple spark camera to study fracture in glass and plastic plates impacted by a chisel-shaped tool. This paper describes a dynamic photoelastic analysis of stress waves interacting with a free surface. The free surface is that of a bench with a fixed bottom so common in quarry applications. The stress waves are generated by line charges of lead azide (Pb-N6). Four models of identical geometry are investigated with the direction of detonation of the line charge varied between the four models. Dynamic photoelastic patterns are recorded and analyzed to indicate which method of detonating the line charge produced the largest magnitude of tension at the free surface. Experimental Procedure The model illustrated in [Fig. 1] was fabricated from a sheet of Columbia Resin CR-39 to represent a bench with a fixed bottom. Properties of the CR-39 pertaining to these dynamic experiments are listed in [Table 1]. Scribe lines on 1-in. centers are used to identify locations along the bench face. The bench height was 8 in., the burden was 3 in., and the overall dimensions of the sheet, 16 and 18 in., were large enough to eliminate reflections from nonessential boundaries during the period of observation of the dynamic event. To simulate a charge in a borehole, a groove 0.062 in. wide and 0.080 in. deep groove was cut into the sheet from one side. The lower end of the groove was 1 in. or 1/3 the burden distance below the bottom of the bench. The upper end of the groove was 3 in. or one times the burden distance below the upper level of the bench. The groove was packed with 60 mg of Pb No per in. of length, and ignited with a bridge wire detonator. Four different ignition procedures were used to examine the effects of detonation direction on the stress wave interaction with the free face of the bench. In Test 1 the line charge was ignited at the top and the line charge detonated downward. In Test 2 the line charge was ignited at the bottom and the charge burned upward. In Test 3 the charge was ignited in the center with the top half burning upward and the bottom half burning downward. Finally in Test 4 the line charge was ignited at both ends simultaneously. Sixteen high-speed photographs of the photoelastic fringe patterns representing the stress wave propagation were recorded for each of the tests. A Cranz-Schardin multiple spark gap camera 20,21 was operated at framing rates which were systematically varied from 110,000 to 250,000 frames per sec during each test.
Jan 1, 1972
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Part VI – June 1969 - Papers - New A3B5 Phases of the Titanium Group Metals with RhodiumBy R. Wang, N. J. Grant, B. C. Giessen
By crystallographic and X-ray methods, the existence and isonzorphism of Ti3Rh5 and Hf3Rhs were confirmed. Both phases are of the orthorhombic Ge3Rh5 type; lattice parameters and refined positional parameters are given. The structure is related both to the filled-up NiAs-B8 and Cu-AI types. An analogous phase with zirconium does not exist; the effect of ternary substitutions for titanium ad hafnium suggests a size factor limit to be active. A recent survey of phase diagrams of the T4 metals titanium, zirconium, and hafnium with the T, noble metals rhodium and iridium indicated the existence of the A3B5 phases Ti3Rhs, ZrsRhs, and HfsRhs. Ti3Rhs and Hf3Rh5 were found to be isostructural, based on the line-rich powder patterns which had not been analyzed. Zr3Rh5 was considered to have a substructure of the NbRu type (orthorhombically distorted B2-CsCl type).' Because, in combinations with other transition metals, hafnium and zirconium are generally more likely to form isostructural phases than hafnium and titanium (with the significant exception of the Ti2Ni-"E93" type phases based on T4 metals2), the reversal of this relation for the A3B5 phases was of interest. As shown in the following, the nonexistence of Zr3Rhs has been established, the structures of Ti3Rh5 and Hf3Rh5 have been worked out, and crystal chemical relationships and stability criteria are reported. EXPERIMENTAL METHODS AND RESULTS Alloy Preparation and Phase Diagram Work. Alloys were prepared from high-purity (99.99+ pct) elements by arc-meltin3,4.Heat-treated alloys were annealed in a vacuum of 3 x X torr for 24 hr at 1300DC. Metal-lographic samples were etched electrolytically in concentrated HCl with 5 v ac for 5 min.3 X-ray diffraction powder patterns were taken on a GE XRD-5 dif-fractometer with Cum radiation at low scanning rates (0.2 deg per min for 28). It was confirmed that Ti3Rhs and Hf3Rh5 have similar diffraction patterns, and that an alloy with the composition Zr3Rhs has a different pattern. Six Zr-Fh alloys with 59 to 69 at. pct Rh were therefore prepared and investigated in the as-cast state by X-ray diffraction and metallography. Alloys at 59 and 61 at. pct Rh were found to be a single phase, with the distorted B2-CsC1 type structure typical for the off-stoichio- metric region of the phase (Zr,-,Rh,)Rh. This phase forms a eutectic with ZrRhs at about 66 at. pct Rh: accordingly, alloys between 61 and 69 pct at. pct Rh consisted of two phases. There is no evidence for the existence of Zr3Rh5. Based on the results in Rafs. 1 and 5, on the present work on Zr-Rh, and on several additional alloys investigated, the portions between the AB and AB3 stoi-chiometry for Ti-Rh, Zr-Rh, and Hf-Rh are as follows: Further, several ternary alloys near Ti3Rhs and Hf,Rhs were prepared in which it was attempted to replace titanium and hafnium partly by zirconium, niobium, tantalum, and germanium. The results will be discussed in a later section. Structure Determination of Ti3Rh5. Since Ti3Rh5 and Hf3Rh5 are isostructural, the following discussion will largely deal with the former. Although the powder pattern of TisRhs is complex, as found previously,1 it could be indexed by comparison with other structures of A3Bs stoichiometry. Ti3Rh5 was found to be isostructural with Ge3Rh5, whose orthorhombic structure had been elucidated by Geller.9 As both the sizes and atomic numbers of germanium and titanium are comparable, the unit cell volume and the peak intensities could be expected to be similar; however, significant differences exist in the atomic positions, as will be shown. All lines in the powder patterns of Ti3Rh5 and Hf3Rhj could be indexed with primitive orthorhombic unit cells with the lattice constants: The fractional errors are 10 The low-angle portion of the indexed powder pattern of Ti3Rh with sin2 8 < 0.30 is listed in Table I. The extinction laws Okl only with k = 2n and hOl only with h - 2n are compatible with the space group Pbo2 and the more symmetrical space group Phnm of Ge3Rh5. Finally, the positional parameters of Ti3Rh5 and HfsRhs were refined under the assumption that titanium and hafnium occupy the germanium positions in Ge3Rh5. Integrated intensities were obtained from the diffraction patterns by planimetry. Intensities of overlapping reflections were separated by an iteration process incorporated into the least-squares positional refinement program according to a method described previously. The intensities of Ge3Rh5 were used in the first separation cycle, while the atomic parameters of Ge3Rh5 were used as starting values in the first refinement cycle. Absorption due to specimen
Jan 1, 1970
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Part VI – June 1968 - Papers - On the Nature of the Chill Zone in Ingot SolidificationBy H. Biloni, R. Morando
The surface structure and substructure of Al-Cu alloys solidified as conventional ingots and under particular conditions such as those used by Bower and Flemings are studied. The influence of lampblack coating on the mold walls is especially considered and the results compared with those obtained in copper and graphite molds where no coatings exist. When high heat extraction conditions exist the observations show that mechanism of copious nucleation is responsible for most of the chill zone. When the heat extraction through the mold walls is low, a coarse grain structure with dendritic morphology arises, with a size that depends on the degree of convection present, analogous to that analyzed by Bower and Flemings. In both cases the effect of the convection on the macroscopic and microscopic appearance is discussed. The ingot macrostructure consists of one or more of three zones: "chill zone", "columnar zone", and central "equiaxed zone". The mechanism of the columnar-equiaxed transition has been subject of considerable interest and at present at least three theories exist about the formation of the equiaxed region: 1) the constitutional supercooling theory1 maintains that the equiaxed crystals nucleate after the columnar zone has formed, as a result of the constitutional supercooling of the remaining liquid; 2) chalmers2 pointed out, however, that there were several objections to this proposal, and that consideration should be given to the possibility that all the crystals, equiaxed as well as columnar, originated during the initial chilling of the liquid layer in contact with the mold; 3) Jackson et aL3 and O'Hara and ~iller~ suggested that a remelting mechanism of the dendrite arms is responsible for the formation of the equiaxed region. After the work of Cole and Bolling and other authors6 it became evident that convection (natural, reduced, or forced) plays a very important role in the transition from columnar to equiaxed and on the size of the resultant equiaxed structure. Until recently the accepted explanation of the chill zone was that it occurs as a result of copious nucleation in the liquid layer in contact with the mold walls.798 The columnar region is a subsequent result of the growth of favorably oriented grains and, as a result of a selection mechanism studied by Walton and Chalmers,9 elongated grains with marked texture are formed. Recently, however, Bower and Flemings" using an ingenious laboratory experiment introduced the idea that the "copious nucleation" mechanism is not responsible for the formation of the chill zone and that the presence of convection, introducing some form of "crystal multiplication", plays a decisive role in the formation of the chill zone. Unfortunately, it is important to consider that for their conclusions Bower and Flemings extrapolated the results obtained in their special experiments to the case of conventional ingots, and that these authors only analyzed the macrostructures of the specimens. Let us consider the work by Biloni and chalmers" concerning predendritic solidification. These authors were able to show that a study of the segregation substructure of A1-Cu gives information about the nucleation and growth of crystals formed in contact with a cold surface. A spherical predendritic region characterizes the first part of every grain nucleated in contact with the surface as a result of the chill effect. The aim of this paper is to elucidate through the observation of the segregation substructure the conditions under which (in the Bower and Flemings type of experiments and in conventional ingots) either the nucleation or the multiplication mechanism gives rise to the structure in contact with the mold walls. I) EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES The experiments were performed on two alloys: Al-1 wt pct Cu and A1-5 wt pct Cu. The purity of the aluminum was 99.99 pct and the copper 99.999 pct. The results obtained with both alloys were similar. In the Bower and Flemings type of experiments the apparatus employed to obtain rapid solidification against a surface was similar to that used by those authors. The liquid was drawn by partial vacuum into the thin section mold cavity. Plate casts were 5 cm wide and usually 7.5 cm high. The thicknesses of the cast were 0.1 and 0.3 cm. Two different materials were used for the mold, copper and nuclear-grade graphite. The internal mold surfaces were polished and left uncoated for some experiments. In other experiments, the copper or graphite surface was coated with a thin film of lampblack material. In some of these particular experiments one of the mold walls was left with an uncoated region (usually in the form of a cross). The conventional ingots were cast in graphite or copper molds. In different experiments the mold walls were sometimes uncoated or coated with lampblack material. The results obtained in conventional and Bower and Flemings copper molds were compared with those obtained with copper molds coated with a very thin film of graphite; the results obtained were essentially similar. The size of the conventional ingots was 5 cm diam and 7 cm high in all cases. The cast surfaces produced by the Bower and Flemings type of experiments and conventional methods were observed macroscopically and microscopically without any metallographic preparation. As Biloni and Chalmers showed," the observation of the chill surface can give considerable information about the structure and segregation substructure.
Jan 1, 1969
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Part VII – July 1968 - Papers - Structure and Migration Kinetics of Alpha: Theta Prime Boundaries in AI-4 Pct Cu: Part II-Kinetics of GrowthBy H. I. Aaronson, C. Laird
The kinetics of thickening and of lengthening of ?' plates in an Al-3.93 pct Cu alloy in the temperature range 203" to 300" C were determined by means of transmission electron microscopy. The rate of thickening was found to be less than that allowed by volume diffusion control at all temperatures, by amounts which increased with decreasing temperature, in agreement with the predictions of a general theory of precipitate morphology.1 Thickening was treated on the basis of the ledge mechanism. Ledges were deduced to spread across the broad faces of ?' plates at volume dzjrfusion-controlled rates, as anticipated from the disordered structure of their edges. Lengthening of 8' plates, on the other hand, took Place more rapidly than allowed by volume dzjrfusion. This occurred despite clear morPhological evidence of a bmrier to growth at the edges of these plates. It was concluded that the misfit dislocation structure comprising the barrier requires that lengthening take place by a jog mechanism. The tnisfit dislocations, however, also serve as diffusion short circuits, and allow high overall lengthening rates to be achieved. In Part I' it was shown that, within the range of aging temperatures and times studied, the broad faces of 8' plates formed in Al-4 pct Cu are fully coherent with the a, matrix. Virtually .all of the dislocations present in these faces were found to have developed as a result of plastic deformation in the a phase. Such dislocations are thus "intruders", rather than the more usual misfit-compensating variety. The edges of 8' plates were confirmed, by extension of the earlier studies of Mat-suura and Koda,3 to be made up of edge-type misfit dislocations, in sessile orientation with respect to lengthening of the plates. These interfacial structures should cause 8' plates to thicken and to lengthen at rates less than those allowed under the condition of volume diffusion control, such as would be expected if the interphase boundaries had disordered structures.' The narrow width of 8' plates, the reproducible crystallography of their broad faces, and the appearance of these plates in cross section as octagons rather than as circular discs2 provide qualitative support for these deductions. The present study of the rate of thickening and the rate of lengthening of 8' plates was undertaken in order to examine them on a quantitative basis. I) THICKENING KINETICS OF THE BROAD FACES OF?' PLATES A) Literature Review. The measurements now available on the thickening kinetics of single-phase precipitate plates consist of one plot of the thickening of a proeutectoid ferrite plate in an Fe-C alloy,' showing (as predicted) thickening rates less than those allowed by volume diffusion control. B) Experimental Procedure. Details of the preparation of the 4-3.93 pct Cu alloy used in this study have been previously reported.4 As in Part 1,' transmission electron microscopy was the observational tool employed. A general description of the apparatus and procedures of the electron microscopy studies is given in Section I of Part I. In thin foils, 0' plates tend to form at and parallel to the foil surface.' A direct investigation of the thickening process by means of hot-stage transmission electron microscopy was therefore not feasible. It was thus necessary to use the conventional method of aging individual bulk specimens for a wide range of different times at the various temperatures studied. In each specimen, the thicknesses of a number of plates were measured. Since thin foils prepared from "bulk-aged" material contain a large proportion of grains with orientations near (001) , it was relatively easy to find, near the edges of the foils, the characteristic multifold patterns of intersecting extinction contours which indicate regions where the foil is exactly at an (001) orientation. The thicknesses of large numbers of plates were measured along the (200) branches of the "stars" so that the 8' plates were precisely parallel to the optical axis of the microscope. Wherever possible, intersecting extinction contours were adjusted with the parameter s > 0 to improve the visibility of the plates in bright-field illumination. These precautions, in combination with taking the measurements at the thinnest parts of the foils, minimized the errors in the measurement of the thickness of the plates resulting from inexact parallelism to the electron beam. Since the plates were very thin, it was not easy to measure their thickness on the photographs. The techniques of enlargement and of microdensitometry were employed to minimize errors from this part of the measurement. A further source of possible error, that the plates can appear thicker because of contrast associated with mismatch normal to the plane of the plate, was also considered. The images of the plates were usually thinner than those of dislocations, however, and no anomalous changes in apparent plate thickness were observed when regions of foil containing plates were tilted through various diffracting conditions. Any error from this cause must therefore be small. Other sources contributing errors were: a) the microdensitometer traces per se and the subjective estimates of their peak limits, and b) slight fluctuations in magnification associated with small changes in the current of the objective lens of the electron microscope. The overall error probably amounted to no more than 5 to 10 pct. In order to obtain readily interpretable data on thickening kinetics, it is essential that the diffusion fields of adjacent ?' plates not be allowed to overlap. Calculations'-' showed that this condition is definitely not ful-
Jan 1, 1969
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Institute of Metals Division - A Study of the Microstructure of Titanium Carbide (Discussion, p. 1277)By R. Silverman, H. Blumenthal
It was found that despite the similarity of chemical analyses of different titanium carbides used as base materials for cermets, the physical properties, especially transverse-rupture strengths, of test bars were different. Hence this metallographic study attempts to link physical properties to micro-structures. It is shown that microstructure, grain shape, and grain growth are functions of three interrelated factors: 1—powder production procedure, 2—surface conditioning of the particles, and 3—impurities either contained in the original powder or acquired during ball milling. An explanation is offered for the "coring effect," long observed, but heretofore of unknown origin. The explanation is based on assumption of an oxide film and on chemical analyses which substantiate these findings. TITANIUM carbide has become in recent years a material of great interest in the high temperature field. Consequently, many manufacturers in the United States and Europe are producing titanium carbide for cermet applications as well as for additions to the well known tungsten carbide tools. All present commercial processes of titanium carbide production utilize the chemical reaction of titanium dioxide and carbon to form as nearly as possible stoichiometric Tic. This reaction is carried out in three ways: 1—in a menstruum of molten metal,' 2—in the solid state, either in a protective atmosphere2 or in vacuum;" or 3—in an are-melting operation. In spite of the fact that the pure carbides obtained in these operations are almost identical chemically, the physical properties vary considerably when they are combined with a binder (Ni, Co) to form cermets. This fact led the authors to examine metal-lographically nickel-bonded titanium carbide in order to find the possible reasons for this behavior. Materials and Methods Five different titanium carbides were used in this investigation. They are identified in Table I. The first four materials were used in the as-received condition. Material E, received in lumps, was crushed to —100 mesh and carried through a flotation process in order to bring its graphite content in line with the other products. A Galagher flotation cell was used with pine oil as frothing agent. The chemical analyses of the investigated materials are given in Table 11. The binder used was carbonyl nickel of 9 to 14 microns particle size, supplied by A. D. Mackay. The materials were ball milled at a ball to charge ratio of 6:1 using procedures described under "Experiments and Results." All particle sizes mentioned are averages determined with a Fisher Sub-sieve Sizer. Test bars (lx0.40x0.16 in.) were prepared by 1—hot pressing to 85 to 95 pct of theoretical density at pressures between 1 and 1½ tsi and temperatures from 1600" to 1800°C, 2-—-cold presssing after 3 pct camphor had been added, or 3—wet pressing, both 2 and 3 at pressures between 5 and 10 tsi. All pressed bars were sintered in a vacuum of 105 to 10-6 mm Hg for 2 hr at 1350 °C. Transverse-rupture strengths were determined by breaking on a Baldwin Universal Testing Machine over a 9/16 in. span. Densities were measured by water displacement. The preparation of the specimens for micrographs was done according to Silverman and Doshna Luscz." All magnifications are at X1000. A sodium picrate electrolytic etch was used. Experiments and Results The influence of ball-milling procedure, ball-milling medium, pressing procedure, and sintering procedure on the microstructure of 80/20 — TiC/Ni were investigated. Ball Milling of Materials A, B, and C in a Steel Mill: Figs. 1 and 2 show microstructures of hot-pressed and vacuum-sintered test bars of materials A and B after the respective materials had been ball milled to 2.1 microns particle size in a steel mill and mixed with 20 pct Ni binder. Material A (Fig. 1) shows considerable grain growth. Also evident is a tendency of the carbide grains to coalesce. The density is 98 pct and the low transverse-rupture strength of 111,000 psi is probably caused by many large grains and an unfavorable packing factor. Almost all grains show a slight indication of "coring." Material B (Fig. 2), although showing grain growth, still has many small particles and a better distribution of binder and carbide due to the relative absence of the coalescing tendency. "Coring" can be observed in almost all grains. The high transverse-rupture strength of 179,000 psi and the density of 100 pct are believed to be due to the many small grains completely surrounded by the binder phase. There is also a preference to form spherical grains with material A, while most grains of material B preserve their angular shapes. Material C, of which no picture is given, stays between A and B in every respect. Rounding of some grains can be observed as well as coring, but the latter to a lesser degree than with material B. Its densification is good and the transverse-rupture strength obtained is 142,000 psi. Ball Milling of Materials A, B, C, and E in a WC Mill: When the Tic powders were ball milled to 2 microns particle size in a we mill, then ball-mill mixed with 20 pct Ni binder, hot pressed, and vacuum
Jan 1, 1956
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Part III – March 1969 - Papers- Phase and Thermodynamic Properties of the Ga-AI-P System: Solution Epitaxy of GaxAL1-x P and AlPBy S. Sumski, M. B. Panish, R. T. Lynch
The liquidus isotherms in the gallium-rich corner of the Ga-Al-P phase diagram have been determined from 1000" to 1200°C and at I100°C the corresponding solidus isotherm was obtained. A simple thermody-namic treatment which permits calculation of the solidus and liquidus isotherms is discussed. A technique which was previously used for the growth of GaxAl1-xAs was used for the preparation of solution epitaxial layers of GaxAl1-xP and ALP. An approximate value of 2.49 i 0.05 ev for the band gap of Alp at 300°K was obtained and the ternary phase data were used to estimate a value of 36 kcal per mole for the heat of formation 0f Alp at that temperature. The Gap-A1P crystalline solid solution is one in which there exists the possibility of obtaining crystals with selected energy gaps, within the limits imposed by the energy gaps of Gap and Alp. Such crystals are of considerable interest because of their potential value for optoelectronic and other solid-state devices. Furthermore, it has been amply demonstrated for GaAs and GaP,'-7 that device, or bulk materials grown from gallium solution generally have more efficient radiative recombination than materials prepared in other ways. This presumably due to the lower gallium vacancy concentration in such material.= Small crystals of GaXAl1-xP and A1P have been grown from solution,8-10 and A1P has been grown from the vapor," but neither have previously been grown by liquid epitaxy. In this paper we present the ternary liquidus-solidus phase diagram of the Ga-A1-P system in the region of primary interest for solution epitaxy, and discuss the thermodynamic implications of that phase diagram with particular reference to the liquidus and solidus isotherms in the gallium-rich corner of the GaxAl1-xP primary phase field and to the A1-P system. Several measurements of the absorption edge of GaxAl1-xP crystals have been made and the width of the forbidden gap of A1P has been estimated from these measurements. EXPERIMENTAL The differential thermal analysis technique used to determine the liquidus isotherms and the optical measurements used in this work are similar to those described previously12 for the Ga-Al-As system, ex- thermocouples in the thermopile for added sensitivity. The materials used were semiconductor grade Ga, Gap, and Al+ The composition and temperature range at which DTA studies could be done was quite restricted. The upper temperature was limited by the chrome l-alumel thermopile to about 1200°C, and the highest aluminum concentration to about 5 at. pct by low sensitivity caused by the reduced solubility of Gap with increasing aluminum concentration in the liquid. DTA studies were not possible at 1000°C and below because of the low sensitivity caused by low solubility of Gap in the Ga-A1-P system. The cooling rate for these studies was about 1°C per min. No heating studies were done because of limited sensitivity. Supercooling probably does occur, but our experience with other 111-V systems indicates that it is no greater than about 10 to 15.c. Solid solubilities were determined by analyzing epitaxial layers of GaxAl1-xP grown from the liquid, with an electron beam microprobe. The layers were grown on Gap seeds by a tipping technique in which the layer is grown over a short-temperature range (20" to 50°C) on the seed from a solution of known composition. The tipping technique reported by Nelsson1 for GaAs could not be used, particularly for solutions containing appreciable amounts of aluminum, because of the formation of an A1203 scum on the liquid surface. A system was therefore designed, which would effectively remove the oxides mechanically, so that uniform wetting and crystal growth could occur. This tipping technique has already been described in detail." The best control over the composition of the re-grown layer was obtained when the tipping was done at a temperature which corresponded to the temperature of first formation of solid for the solution being used. Generally, therefore, a solution was prepared by adding the amounts of Ga, Gap, and A1 required to yield a solution which would be completely liquid above the tipping temperature with solid precipitating below that temperature. For most of the work reported here, the 1100°C isotherm of the ternary was used. It was generally necessary to heat the solution to 50" to l00. C above the tipping temperature to dissolve all of the Gap in a reasonable length of time. The epitaxially grown layers were used both for optical transmission measurements to aid in the estimation of the way in which the absorption edge changed with aluminum concentration, and for the electron beam microprobe analyses to provide data for the determination of the solid solubility isotherm. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Liquidus Isotherms in the Ga-A1-P Ternary Phase Diagram: Thermodynamic properties of the system. The only thermal effect studied in this work was that
Jan 1, 1970
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Iron and Steel Division - The Interaction of Liquid Steel with Ladle RefractoriesBy C. B. Post, G. V. Luerssen
It is generally recognized that non-metallic inclusions in steel come from two principal sources. First are the chemical reactions in the furnace, or in subsequent deoxidation, resulting in slag which does not free itself from the metal. Much information has been published concerning these chemical reactions and their control through proper attention to slag viscosity, composition of deoxidizers, and other qualities. The studies of this subject by C. H. Herty, Jr. and others through the medium of physical chemistry have yielded much information for the steelmaker. The second source is erosion of ladle refractories, such as lining brick, stoppers, nozzles and runners, causing entrapped particles of globules of fluxed silicate material. In contrast with the large amount of information available on the first source, relatively little has been published on the subject of erosion which, in the case of basic electric melted steel, is the principal source of nonmetallics. This is probably due to the fact that the problem was assumed to be one of simple mechanical erosion, which could be solved primarily by modification of ladle practices. Good improvements have been made by elimination of slurries in the ladle, better ladle and runner refractories, and more attention to pouring temperatures. It is doubtful, however, that this problem has been recognized in its true light since it is not one of simple mechanical erosion but rather one of chemical reaction between the metal and the refractories; and in this sense is as much a problem of physical chemistry as the reactions involved in the actual steelmaking process. The influence of ladle refractories on the resulting cleanness of steels was early recognized by A. McCancel who examined large inclusions in steels made by both acid and basic practices. His chemical analyses showed the large influence exerted by the manganese content of the steel on erosion of the ladle and nozzles used in those days. The presence of MnO in such inclusions led McCance to the hypothesis that both basic and acid steels react chemically with the ladle refractories so that small globules of fluxed refractories are carried in the stream into the molds. This early work of McCance was checked by one of the present authors on basic electric bearing-steel, and it was found that on steels containing as low as 0.40 pct manganese the fluxed surface of the ladle lining after delivering such a heat showed as high as 25 pct MnO by actual analysis. Furthermore, by lowering the manganese content of the steel to 0.20 pct, ladle erosion was decreased with a corresponding decrease in silicate inclusions in the steel. Limitations placed on the manganese content for the required inherent properties made it impossible to pursue this line further, and subsequent attention was concentrated on improved ladle refractories, care in keeping the ladle clean and free from loose refractories up to the time of tapping, and pouring the steel at optimum temperature. Our study of the chemical reactions at the metal-brick interface between steel and ladle refractories was revived in 1939 as a result of an experimental observation made on the cleanness of alloy steels of the SAE types. This observation showed that the relative cleanness of such steels made in basic electric arc furnaces of 12 ton capacity and poured in ingots ranging from 1100 to 2200 lb weight was determined to a large extent by the ratio of the manganese and silicon contents, provided other steelmaking variables such as tapping temperature, pouring temperature, pouring time, amount of aluminum added for grain size control, and degree of deoxidation in the furnace were kept reasonably constant. Detailed studies made on the deoxidation and slag practice during the refining period of basic electric furnace practice showed that these two variables exerted some influence on the resulting cleanness of steel in the form of bars and forgings. The important variable, the manganese-silicon balance, was not apparent until heats were made in succession by the best furnace practice kept under fairly rigid metallurgical control. Another observation pertinent to this work concerned the similarity in the microscope of slag particles causing magnaflux or step-down indications in subsequent rolled bars, and the patches of slag frequently seen on the surface of ingots. These patches are generally believed to come from the glassy metal-brick interface in the ladle and represent an entrapment of such glass (both from the ladle brick and nozzle) in the metal as it flows over the refractories in the neighborhood of the nozzle. These glassy particles are carried down into the mold with the liquid steel, and gradually coalesce into a slag "button" which floats on the surface of the steel as it rises in the molds. Periodically the button is washed to the side of the ingot where it is trapped between the surface of the ingot and the mold, later appearing as a slag patch on the surface of the ingot after stripping. Even though most of the small glassy particles coalesce into a slag button while the ingot is being poured, it is logical to suspect this step in the steelmaking process as being a source of slag lines large enough to cause trouble
Jan 1, 1950
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Part IX – September 1968 - Papers - The Catalyzed Oxidation of Zinc Sulfide under Acid Pressure Leaching ConditionsBy N. F. Dyson, T. R. Scott
The iilzfluence of catalytic agents on the oxidation of ZnS has been studied under pressure leaching conditions, using a chemically prepared sample of ZnS which was substantially unreactive on heating at 113°C with dilute sulfuric acid and 250 psi oxygen. Nurnerous prospective catalysts were added at the ratio of 0.024 mole per mole ZnS in the above reaction but pvonounced catalytic activity was confined to copper, bismuth, rutheniuwl, molybdenum, and iron in order of. decreasing effectiveness. In the absence of acid, where sulfate was the sole product of oxidation, catalysis was exhibited by copper and ruthenium only. Parameters affecting the oxidation rate were catalyst concentration, temperature, time, oxygen pressure, and a7riount of acid, the first two being most important. The main product of oxidation in the acid reaction was sulfur, with trinor amounts of sulfate. An electrochemical (galvanic) mechanism has been suggested for the sulfuv-forming reaction, whereby the relatively inert ZnS is "activated" by incorporation of catalyst ions in the lattice and the same catalysts subsequently accelerate the reduction of dissolved oxygen at cathodic sites on the ZnS surface. Insufficient data was obtained to Provide a detailed mechanism for sulfate fornzation, which is favored at low acidities and probably proceeds th'rough intermediate transient species not identified in the preseni work. THE oxidation of zinc sulfide at elevated temperatures and pressures takes place according to the following simplified reactions: ZnS + io2 + H2SO4 — ZnSO4 + SG + HsO [i] ZnS + 20,-ZSO [21 In dilute acid both reactions occur but Reaction [I] is usually predominant, whereas in the absence of acid only Reaction [2] can be observed. Both proceed very slowly with chemically pure zinc sulfide but can be greatly accelerated by the addition of suitable catalysts, as suggested by jorling' in 1954. Nevertheless, an initial success in the pressure leaching of zinc concentrates was achieved by Forward and veltman2 without any deliberate addition of catalytic agents and it was only later that the catalytic role of iron, present in concentrates both as (ZnFe)S and as impurities, was recognized and eventually patented.3 It is now apparent that another catalyst, uiz., copper, may have also played a part in the successful extraction of zinc, since copper sulfate is almost universally used as an activator in the flotation of sphalerite and can be adsorbed on the mineral surface in sufficient amount The importance of catalysis in oxidation-reduction reactions such as those cited above has been emphasized by various writers and Halpern4 sums up the situation when he writes that "there is good reason to believe that such ions (e.g., Cu) may exert an important catalytic influence on the various homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions which occur during leaching, particularly of sulfides, thus affecting not only the leaching rates but also the nature of the final products." Nevertheless relatively little work has appeared on this topic, one of the main reasons being that sufficiently pure samples of sulfide minerals are difficult to prepare or obtain. When it is realized that 1 part Cu in 2000 parts of ZnS is sufficient to exert a pronounced catalytic effect, the magnitude of the purity problem is evident. An incentive to undertake the present work was that an adequate supply of "pure" zinc sulfide became available. When preliminary tests established that the material, despite its large surface area, was substantially unreactive under pressure leaching conditions, the inference was made that it was sufficiently free from catalytic impurities to be suitable for studies in which known amounts of potential catalytic agents could be added. The first objective in the following work was to identify those ions or compounds which accelerate the reaction rate and, for practical reasons, to determine the effects of parameters such as amgunt of catalyst, temperature, time, acid concentration, and oxygen pressure. The second and ultimately the more important objective was to make use of the experimental results to further our knowledge of the reaction mechanisms occurring under pressure leaching conditions. The fact that catalysts can dramatically increase the reaction rate suggests that physical factors such as absorption of gaseous oxygen, transport of reactants and products, and so forth, are not of major importance under the experimental conditions employed and an opportunity is thereby provided to concentrate on the heterogeneous reaction on the surface of the sulfide particles. As will appear in the sequel, the first of these objectives has been achieved in a semiquantitative fashion but a great deal still remains to be clarified in the field of reaction mechanisms. EXPERIMENTAL a) Materials. The white zinc sulfide used was a chemically prepared "Laboratory Reagent" material (B.D.H.) and X-ray diffraction tests showed it to contain both sphalerite and wurtzite. The specific surface area, measured by argon absorption at 77"K, varied between 3.9 and 4.6 sq m per g. Analysis gave 65.0 pct Zn (67.1 pct theory) and 31.9 pct S (32.9 pct theory). Other metallic sulfides (CdS, FeS, and so forth) used in the experiments were also chemical preparations of "Laboratory Reagent" grade. Samples of mar ma-
Jan 1, 1969
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Institute of Metals Division - Metallographic Identification of Nonmetallic Inclusions in UraniumBy R. F. Dickerson, D. A. Vaughan, A. F. Gerds
ALTHOUGH the metallurgy of uranium has been under intensive study since the early 1940's, no systematic effort has been made to identify the non-metallic inclusions in uranium. Uranium carbide (UC), which is probably the most common inclusion found in graphite-melted metal, has been tentatively identified by previous investigators, but the other nonmetallic inclusions have received little attention. Since metallography is a valuable tool in metallurgical studies, the metallographic identification of the nonmetallic inclusions in uranium is important. Such an investigation has been completed and the identification of slag-type inclusions and of uranium monocarbide, uranium hydride, uranium dioxide, uranium monoxide, and uranium mononitride is described. Metallographic Preporation It is often possible to prepare specimens for metal-lographic examination equally well by several methods. The specimens which were examined in this work were prepared by one of two acceptable methods. For the convenience of the reader, both methods will be discussed in detail and will be referred to simply as Method I or Method II in the subsequent sections. For both Methods I and 11, specimens for microscopic examination usually were mounted either in bakelite or in Paraplex room temperature mounting plastic. Method I—Specimens were ground in a spray of water on a revolving disk covered successively with 120-, 240-, and 600-grit silicon carbide papers. It was necessary to perform the final grinding operation carefully on worn 600-grit paper to keep the scratches as fine as possible. After washing and drying, the specimens were polished for 3 to 4 min on a slow speed wheel (250 rpm) covered with a medium nap cloth. Diamet Hyprez Blue diamond polishing paste, Grade 00, 0 to 2 µ, was used as abrasive with kerosene as lubricant on the wheel. Specimens were washed thoroughly in alcohol and final polished electrolytically in an electrolyte composed of 1 part stock solution (118 g CrO, dissolved in 100 cm3 H2O) with 4 parts of glacial acetic acid. A stainless steel cathode was used. At an open circuit potential of 40 v dc, a polishing time of 2 sec retained inclusions well with the bath at room temperature. If additional etching was required to sharpen the interface between the metal and the inclusions, an electrolyte composed of 1 part stock solution (100 g CrO3 and 100 cm8 H20) and 18 parts glacial acetic acid was used at room temperature. Best results were obtained by etching for from 10 to 15 sec at 20 v dc in the open circuit. Surfaces obtained by this method are suitable for microscopic examination. However, if desired, they may be etched further with other chemicals. Method 11—Rough grinding was done on a wet 180- or 240-grit continuous grinding belt. The specimen was then ground by hand successively on 240-, 400-, and 600-grit silicon carbide papers in a stream of water. Final polishing was accomplished on a 4 in. high speed wheel (3400 rpm) covered with Forstmann's cloth. Linde B levigated alumina, suspended in a 1 volume pet chromic acid solution, was the abrasive. Specimens usually were polished in 5 min or less by this technique. Often the inclusions present in the metal were identified in the mechanically polished condition. When etching was required to outline inclusions more sharply, one of the two following methods was used. In the first method, the specimen is etched lightly while electropolishing in the chromic-acetic acid solution described above (1 part of stock solution to 4 parts of acetic acid). The electrolyte was refrigerated in a dry ice-ethyl alcohol bath and specimens were etched at 60 v dc on the open circuit for 2 or 3 cycles of 3 to 4 sec each. The second technique utilizes electrolytical etching at about 10 v dc (open circuit) in a 10 pet citric acid solution at room temperature. X-Ray Diffraction Technique The major problem in the identification of inclusions in metals by X-ray diffraction techniques is the extraction of a sufficient amount of each type of inclusion to obtain an X-ray diffraction pattern. In the present study, X-ray diffraction patterns were obtained from individual inclusions of the order of 10 µ diam. The polished and etched samples shown in the micrographs were examined at a magnification of X54 or XI00 with a binocular microscope. This allowed sufficient working distance to extract the inclusions with a needle probe for powder X-ray diffraction analysis. Friable inclusions such as MgF2, CaF2, UO2, and UH3 could be freed from the metal by probing the as-polished and etched surface. The fine particles then were picked up on the end of a Vistanex-coated glass rod (0.002 in. diam) which was held in a brass adapter made to fit the powder X-ray diffraction camera. The end of the glass rod was centered in the path of the X-ray beam. In the case of the UC, UO, and UN inclusions which are smaller in size, more metallic in appearance, and less friable than the other inclusions, it was necessary to etch the inclusion in relief before extraction. UN inclusions etched sufficiently in relief in the electrolytic polishing solution described in Methods I and II by increasing the polishing time. UN inclusions were relief etched by extending the
Jan 1, 1957