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By E. Quaquero

This article reports on the current state of an ongoing research project which is aimed at implementing intelligent models for hardly predictable hazard scenarios identification in construction sites. As past evidences showed that no programmatic action can deal with the unpredictable nature of many risk dynamics, we tried to survey on how the current approach for safety management in the construction industry could be improved. In our previous research the use of Bayesian networks elicited from subjective knowledge were preliminarily tested. Those networks might be meant as a reliable knowledge map about accident dynamics and they showed that a relevant ratio of occurrences fall in ?hardly predictable hazards? class, which cannot be warded off by programmatic safety measures. This paper reports the second outcome of our research project, which focused on the development of first elementary fragments, regarding the occurrence of a possible ?hardly predictable scenario?. Instead of experts? contributions (who, over their carrier, seldom incurred in accidents), we used ?legal cases? as an accurate source of information. They suggested which categories of ?hidden hazard scenarios? are more likely to happen. We found that the most frequent hidden hazard scenarios are linked to operator?s negligence and abnormal behavior, e.g. irregular removal of scaffolding?s components, unprotected openings, improper use of PPE, etc. Every pattern determined by legal cases has been formalized by a fragment (i.e. elementary network) of the overall Bayesian network. Finally, all the elementary networks were integrated into a comprehensive intelligent tool for realtime hardly predictable hazards prevention. The final setup, asked for interfacing these intelligent models to a low-level sensor network and used to feed them with inputs about the current state of the context, is discussed too.

Aug 1, 2013

By Jerome J. English, Gordon W. Powell

An experimental investigation and mathematical analysis of the thermal-dilation behavior of the titanium alloy Ti-7Al-3Cb have shown that the linear dimensional changes associated with the polymorphic transformation need not be isotropic. The absolute magnitude of the linear dimensional change, which may be either positiue or negative, associated with the cr-p transformation is dependent upon the relutzve volumes of different orientations of the transformation product. It is hypothesized that the dilation irregulati-ties that have been observed during the polymorphic transformation of pure, coarse-grained titanium and other titanium-base alloys can be explained in the same manner. When titanium is heated above about 165O°F, the hcp a structure transforms to bcc 0. Thermal-dilatioh measurements have shown that the transformation is accompanied by a decrease in length of 0.16 pct.' Such dilation behavior would be expected because the volume of the hcp unit cell is about 0.3 to 0.4 pct greater than that of the bcc unit cell. A recent investigation2 of the thermal-dilation behavior of an experimental a-p* titanium alloy, Ti- 7A1-3Cb, containing 0.06 wt pct 0 showed that its dilation behavior during the polymorphic transformation differed substantially from that reported for unalloyed titanium. The first time the alloy was cycled through the transformation, the dilation curve closely duplicated that of unalloyed titanium. However, upon repeated cycling through the transformation temperature range, both the magnitude and the sign of the dimensional change associated with the transformation were observed to vary with each cycle. This investigation was undertaken to obtain additional data on the dimensional changes associated with the polymorphic transformation in the Ti-7A1-3Cb alloy and to determine the cause of the dimensional irregularities. After testing, the specimens were examined metallo-graphically. In addition, Laue back-reflection patterns were obtained from selected sections taken perpendicular to the specimen axes to determine the a orientations present in these sections. White radiation from a tungsten target and a 0.1-mm-diam collimator were used to produce the diffraction patterns. RESULTS Dilation Curves. Three types of thermal-dilation curves were obtained when the a-8 titanium alloy was heated and cooled through the transformation temperature range. These three types of curves are illustrated in Fig. 1. The type I curve represents what is considered normal behavior, because the dilation change is what would be expected on the basis of the volumes of the unit cells of a and p. The Type I1 curve is the inverse of Type I. Normal behavior is characterized by an expansion on cooling through the transformation, whereas a contraction takes place in the Type 11 curve. With Type ni behavior, no clearly distinguishable length change occurs during the transformation. No other anomalies that might be indicative of other phase transformations were observed in the dilation curves at lower temperatures. Apparently, the cooling rate was low enough for equilibrium to be reached during the 0 to a transformation. Table I lists the types of dilation curves observed during the polymorphic transformation as a function of the direction of measurement and cycle number. The A1 value was determined by extrapolating the low-temperature (a + 5 pct p) and high-temperature (100 pct p) segments of the dilation curves to a common temperature and measuring the difference in the or-dinates at that temperature, see Fig. 1. The transformation occurs over a temperature range in this alloy, so the magnitude of A1 is not an absolute value but depends on the choice of temperature. A mean temperature, T,, within the transformation temperature range was selected for the measurement. T, on cooling occurred about 100°C lower than T, on heating. The first time each of the three dilation specimens was heated to above the temperature, that is, Cycle 2, normal Type I behavior was observed. In Cycle 3, two deviations from normal behavior occurred. First, during cooling of the longitudinal specimen, a substantially larger expansion, +0.21 pct, was measured as 0 transformed to a compared with +0.03 pct in Cycle 2. Second, the thickness specimen was observed to undergo a contraction instead of the anticipated expansion on cooling. Continued cycling of the three specimens from room temperature to 2500°F produced additional changes in the dilation behavior. These changes did not seem to be related to the fabrication direction of the alloy because the values of a1 for the longitudinal, transverse, and thickness specimens varied unpredictably in magnitude and sign. Furthermore, both the longitudinal and transverse specimens showed all three types of dilation curves at least once during the six cycles that they received. Fig. 2 is a sketch of the transverse specimen after

Jan 1, 1967

By Chas. A. R. Lambly

In the extreme northeast corner of the State of Washington, on the Canadian border, lies the Metaline mining district. This district is old in history, but young in production. Geology The Metaline district is a zinc-lead area of the replacement type in dolomite and limestone. The ore bodies of the Josephine horizon are in many ways similar to the ore bodies of the famous Tri-State zinc fields. The beds are faulted and folded and have varying low dips in varying directions, and underlie large areas of the district. History Production started in 1927 on a very limited basis. The property is now mining and milling 700 tons per day. The mine is opened by adit tunnels and a vertical shaft. As the ore horizons gained depth, it was necessary to sink inclines to follow the ore horizon (see Fig 1). From 1927 to date, approximately 600,000 ft of diamond drill was put down This work indicated that suficient tonnage existed to justify a redesigning of the whole operation, surface and underground. After four years of general study, the following program was planned: 1. A new mine entrance, which would be an incline, that could follow the ore body down at whatever pitch was necessary. The incline will be equipped with conveyors for the moving of ore and waste to the surface and with tractor-type locomotives for man and supply transportation. 2. The new incline also required a new type of mining which was developed and is now in use. It is called contour mining and will be described in a future paper. 3. The new incline exit would necessitate the moving of the mill and mine shops across the Pend Oreille River. This part of the program is now underway. The Incline The sinking of the incline was to start as soon as World War II ended and was as follows: The first leg of the incline was to be sunk from the surface 1600 ft on a 17" slope. The collar and first level at elevation 2180 ft, the second level at elevation 2000 ft, the third level at elevation 1875 ft, and the fourth level at elevation 1700 feet. From the 1700 ft elevation the incline was to flatten out to 12" for 400 ft to give the necessary depth for the ore pockets below the 1700 ft level and the necessary clearance for future sinking (see Fig 1 and 2). Due to lack of manpower in 1946, the program was changed and was as follows: A drift was driven from the old mine workings on the 1700 ft elevation in an easterly direction. At 1300 ft the drift was turned N 50" E and at this point a raise was driven 180 ft on a 50" slope. This raise intersected the Josephine horizon and commercial ore was encountered. At the 2000 ft mark, a main raise was driven, 245 ft on a 50" slope, and the 1875 ft elevation was cut. Exploration drifts were started on this level and production followed on a limited basis. The main drift at the 2500 ft point was turned N 35" E and ran parallel to and 10 ft east of and under the proposed incline line. At the proposed intersection of the drift and incline on the 1700 ft elevation, it was planned to raise the incline to intersect the 245 ft raise and to continue on to the surface, a distance of 1600 ft. When this proposed intersection point was reached, a heavy flow of water, approximately 800 gpm, was encountered and all work on the main drift face was stopped. This water flow flooded the main pump station in the old mine and the two lower levels with approximately 20,000,000 gal of water. The water was controlled and finally drained from the cave areas and lower levels after six months of pumping. After the heavy flow of water was encountered in the main heading, it was decided that the incline would have to be started from the surface, as originally planned, so that too much time would not be lost. The surface overburden had to be removed, a total of 6000 yards. A temporary dry house for 6 men was built. An 8 in. churn drill hole was intersected in the first raise driven from the 1700 foot elevation tunnel. Air and water lines were placed in this hole, and air and water were delivered to the collar of the incline from the mine working. The incline started down at 15 ft wide and 7 ft high through the Leadbetter slates. After sinking 4 sets, it was

Jan 1, 1950

By J. C. Kerkering

The Bureau of Mines used mathematical reliability theory to define, for use in the mining industry, the concepts of risk, safety, reliability, hazard, and mean time between accidents. In this report, the definitions are explained theoretically and illustrated by application to actual underground mine accident data extending over a 9-1/2-year period. The theoretical development proceeds along two parallel analytical paths. For each line of reasoning, the data are presumed to be independent. If they are not, the analysis stops, although there are interesting implications when dependency is demonstrated. The first method uses the elapsed times between accidents as the basic data. These elapsed times are fitted to a negative exponential distribution function using least squares and yielding the function parameter, P1 The P1 is used to form the Poisson distribution function for the data, which is then used to define the safety-related concepts. The second method uses the maximum likelihood estimator to formulate a Poisson distribution function for the data. The function is tested for adequacy by a goodness-of-fit test; if the fit is acceptable, the Poison function is used to define the concepts. Both methods were applied to the data base, yielding nearly identical results.

Jan 1, 1987

By A Keddie

Standard microeconomic theory suggests that the behaviour of mineral extraction and processing firms with respect to their demand for water can be modelled and a market demand for water subsequently derived. Such a model, although an abstraction of the real world, should be able to predict the responsiveness of quantity of water demanded to change in price, and, change in demand to a range of factors including: expectations about reliability of supply, changed commodity prices for mineral production, and change in water technology and storage at mine site. This paper demonstrates that the price of water is particularly responsive to changes in demand and that although price increases would result in some additional supplies, physical constraints on supply suggest that the industry will be paying considerably higher prices for water in the future. It is recommended that the mining industry undertakes quantification of possible price increases to position itself to minimise the impact on their operating costs as well as to make responsible capital investment decisions to facilitate future expansion or commissioning of new mines. Substantial investment is required to commission a new mining venture with expected rates of return subject to risk and uncertainty due to fluctuations in world commodity markets as well as reliability of secure supplies of inputs. If a reliable supply of water was subject to uncertainty and water was a critical input for production, then the initial mine design would typically consider a range of production decisions contingent on levels of uncertainty with respect to water supply. These states or sets of water supply, will affect production decisions and future water demand. Modelling production decisions contingent on different states of nature, termed the state-contingent approach, provides a number of insights about producer behaviour under uncertainty. This paper investigates the assumptions underlying the derivation of the market demand for water by the mineral resource industry and identifies the drivers of demand and the responsiveness of the industry to change in price and supply, particularly in relation to capital investment in water-use technologies. The usefulness of these models to the mining industry is considered by reference to the increasing demand for water by the industry in Queensland, in a climate of water shortages.

Jan 1, 2006

By E. (Walt) van Walsum

The MPTM was first applied in the U.S.A. in 1950 as described by Lewis, W.E., 1951. The method was then abandoned in the USA and rediscovered some 20 years later in France where it was greatly improved and widened in its scope of application. It was subsequently successfully introduced to Italy and Spain. The technique, at its present stage of development, provides solutions to tunneling in soil and in the softer rock types, which often were troublesome geological environments for tunneling. When used in conjunction with drilling-and-blasting, over break, excessive vibration, noise and fissuring of the rock can all be avoided. When used as an alternative to the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM), the MPTM provides safe, full face tunneling in stead of multiple headings, excavated sequentially; in addition, surface settlement can be virtually eliminated. When used as an alternative to a TBM, the method's flexibility and low capital cost make it attractive. This attractiveness is enhanced when ground conditions are erratic or when the length of tunnel to be excavated is limited. The method holds promise for tunnels of large cross section, to be excavated in soft ground or rock with unconfined compressive strengths of less than 80 MPa (11 600 psi). While in itself not new, recognition and development of the method's potential are. Further development work, aimed at increasing the range over which the MPTM can be applied, is in progress.

Jan 1, 1993

By K A. Pericieous

"Magnetic fields have many actual applications in the metals processing industry. Externally applied magnetic fields give rise to electromagnetic (Lorentz) forces formed by the cross product JxB, between the induced current density J and the magnetic field density B. When the metal is in liquid form, the Lorentz force generates motion in the fluid which in applications of practical interest becomes turbulent. In modelling terms, the Lorentz force appears as a source in the momentum equations. In addition, the induced current generates heat (Joule heating) in the metal that is in proportion to J2, with a corresponding source of heat in the energy equation. Whether as heat or as a force, these effects represent action at a distance - a most useful attribute when dealing with hot metal. The Lorentz force is used to stir solidifying alloys, pump liquid metal in conduits, dampen the flow in the meniscus of a continuous caster, levitate metal drops, induce artificial gravity conditions in suspensions or contain liquid metal. Elsewhere, the Lorentz force may be a by-product of some other operation, so leading to wave excitation in aluminium electrolysis cells, or altering the shape of the weld pool in arc welding. Joule heating is most commonly used with applied AC fields, to melt metal in induction furnaces.The author and his colleagues have been involved in the modelling of most of these processes in the past decade. Modelling is not however straightforward, since most of the examples mentioned represent genuine multi-physics challenges. There is a strong coupling between the flow field and electromagnetic field. The addition of a dynamically varying metal free surface and the moving solidus front means the flow, heat and electromagnetic fields need to be computed simultaneously. In situations involving metal containment, the metal free surface position is governed by the interplay of gravity, Lorentz force, surface tension and fluid inertia. Since all the interesting effects often happen in thin boundary layers at the surface due to the skin effect, mesh generation and mesh control during the computation become non trivial problems that need to be addressed. This paper presents a review of numerical methods used to model droplet levitation, semi-levitation melting and cold crucible induction melting of metals. The first method is based on spectral collocation techniques and the second is the traditional FV approach. Steps taken to validate the computations and typical transient results are also given."

Jan 1, 2001

By C. C. Singleterry, D. L. Katz

The critical phenomena have been studied during the past century but our knowledge of the critical temperatures and pressures of complex hydrocarbon mixtures still is very limited. The critical temperatures and pressures of pure substances have been examined in large numbers120 and in great detail.11.17 No experimental determinations of the critical phenomena have been reported on such complex hydrocarbon systems as a reservoir fluid. The critical temperature is defined by Taylor18 as follows: "there is some temperature for each gas above which the gas cannot be liquefied. This temperature is called the critical temperature." The critical pressure of a pure substance is the vapor pressure at the critical temperature. It should be noted that these definitions refer to a given substance in the pure state and do not mean that the pure substance cannot be liquefied in the presence of a second constituent. The normal procedure for obtaining the critical temperature of a substance is to heat it in a glass tube 1,20 under pressure until the meniscus between the liquid and vapor phase disappears, although other methods, especially for mixtures, have been used.13,14 However, when considering oil and gas reservoirs, it is more enlightening to consider a critical phenomenon that occurs when a mixture of oil and gas are compressed at a reservoir temperature until the meniscus disappears because the two phases become equal in composition. This conception, along with erroneous applications of the definition of the critical phenomena of a pure substance to that pure substance when it is part of a complex mixture, has caused confusion even among persons familiar with the classical theories. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the critical phenomena of pure substances and mixtures and to report experimental data on a mixture of

Jan 1, 1939

By Jasna Jurjovec, David W. Blowes, Carol J. Ptacek

At the Kidd Creek site, natrojarosite residue, derived from the zinc refinery circuit, is mixed with mill tailings before final disposal in the tailings impoundment. Column experiments were conducted with fresh unoxidized mill tailings and a mixture of tailings containing the natrojarosite residue. Acidic water, simulating mine drainage water, was pumped through the columns. The effluent water geochemistry was interpreted with the assistance of MINTEQA2. The experimental results suggest that the effluent water pH was buffered by a series of acid neutralization reactions. The release of metals, including Cu, Pb and Zn, was affected by pore water pH, Eh and mineralogy of the tailings material.

Jan 1, 2000

By Equivar J, Mirabal C, Pyper R

In 1984, work was started to determine the viability of heap leaching silver-containing waste dumps from Cerro Rico near Potosi - Bolivia, at an elevation of 4300 meters (14 100 ft.). The result today is an unusual heap leach utilizing fine crushing, grinding, and agglomeration to process 1000 tonnes per day of ore containing 200 g/tonne silver. The unique metallurgi- cal, economic, and political factors will be discussed which led to the decision to build a heap leach rather than a conventional agitation leach plant. Capital and operating costs will be given along with some of the uncommon process design and equipment problems encountered while developing the operation.

Jan 1, 1991

By Taegong Ryu

The thermal plasma process has been applied to the preparation of nanosized tungsten carbide (WC1-x). The reduction and carburization of the vaporized chloride by methane-hydrogen mixtures produced nanosized WC1-x powder, with a small amount of WC or W2C phase. The products were characterized using XRD, carbon analyzer, and TEM. The effects of plasma torch power, the flow rate of primary plasma gas (Ar) to generate plasma flame, and the addition of secondary plasma gas (H2) on the product composition were investigated. The tungsten carbide (WC1-x) powder had a particle size less than 30 nm. The powder was treated under hydrogen atmosphere to fully carburize the WC1-x, and W2C phases to WC as well as remove excess carbon in the product. Finally, WC powder with a grain size less than 40 nm was obtained.

Jan 1, 2008

By D. W. Mitchell

Mine fires are a serious hazard; surveys show that the coal-mining industry lags considerably behind industry in general in planning and training for fighting fires, and providing adequate fire-protection facilities. The results of the experiments discussed in this paper emphasize that every effort must be made to extinguish a fire in its incipient stage. The research also demonstrated that extinguishing agents and techniques, superior to those presently used in most operating mines, are available. An underground coal mine fire, if not extinguished quickly, can develop rapidly, create a serious hazard, and cause loss of life and property. The problem of controlling a fire increases in direct relationship to the time interval necessary to initiate control measures; as the fire increases in size and intensity it becomes progressively more difficult to cope with roof control, visibility, ventilation, and explosion prevention. Despite the constant vigilance of the industry, the number of coal mine fires is increasing. During the eight-year period, July 1952 to July 1960, following enactment of the Federal Coal Mine Safety Act, the Bureau of Mines investigated 401 fires that caused 30 fatalities and 75 injuries. More than half of these fires burned for more than one shift; 20 pct could not be extinguished by direct attack and had to be sealed. Agents and techniques for extinguishing simulated mining-machine and underground coal fires have been investigated in the Bureau's experimental coal mine. The research shows that visibility in the fire area is a primary factor affecting control operations. Associated with good visibility is accessibility to the fire; the closer the attack can be made, the less time and quantity of agent are required for extinguishment. Approach to the fire and visibility are hindered by the smoke and hot gases backing up against the ventilating current. In open entries an increase in air velocity assists in driving smoke ahead; at low airspeeds approach can be made by placing a brattice across the lower two-thirds of the entry, pushing the smoke ahead with water sprays, or discharging rock-dust from a rock-dust distributor. In a dead-end entry, fires can be approached by coursing fresh air along an airtight line brattice. However, it is safer, easier,

Jan 1, 1962

By J. Larsen-Badse

The resistance to dry sliding abrasion us been measured for some hardened and tempered carbon steels. The wear resistance, defined as the reciprocal of the volume loss per unit sliding distance, is found to vary linearly with the hardness of the abraded surface. The data fit two lines, one, of high slope, for the pure metals and for the annealed steels and another, of smaller slope, for the hardened and tempered carbon steels. A relationship is developed showing the alwasion resistance to be proportional to the hardness of the material and to en, where n is the exponent of work hardening. The values of n and of the hardness FOR most materials a high resistance to abrasion is generally associated with a high value of indentation hardness. Brine11 even used the abrasion resistance as a measure of hardness in an attempt at expanding the hardness range covered by his indentation-hardness test.' When comparing different types of materials there is, however, only a very general relation between abrasion resistance and hardness. Sample brittleness seems to contribute to the deviation from a direct relationship. In general, increased brittle- are those relating to the heavily deformed abraded surface. However, for materials having n constant or varying m a regular manner over a wide range of strailts, the wear resistance will also be a linear function of the bulk hardness of the material. For tempered steels containing a dispersion of cementite in ferrite the increase in wear resistance due to the dispersion is found to be a linear function of the volume fraction of Fe3C and of the reciprocal of the mean free ferrite path. This indicates indirectly that the yielding of this material, when it is already heavily deformed, follows the Orowan criterion. ness leads to decreased abrasion resistance.' When comparing materials in the same group, e.g., the metals, the spread is less. Kruschov found that the abrasion resistance of pure metals and of annealed steels is directly proportional to the hardness of the metal. For hardened and tempered steels he obtained another linear relationship, one of smaller slope and intersecting the line for the pure metals at the location of the data for the annealed steels. He also found that the abrasion resistance of cold-worked metals is independent of the degree of cold working. This shows, as he concluded, that the process of abrasion work hardens the metal in the surface region to a very high degree.

Jan 1, 1967

By L. L. Wyman

Previous studies1 by the writer dealing with the embrittlement of copper have been concerned with the behavior of various pure and deoxidized coppers when exposed to an oxidation-reduction cycle, and the consequent evaluation of these materials on the basis of their resistance to this action. No attention was devoted to the variations in penetration of embrittlement with time, when these copper materials are exposed to a strong reducing gas, such as hydrogen, nor to the variations in oxygen penetration, with time and temperature, into the "pure" coppers. The cause of the embrittlement is the reduction of the oxygen in the copper by the hot reducing gas, so that a consideration of time, temperature, the occurrence of hydrogen and oxygen must be given. For the purpose of differentiating some of the involved factors, the present work may be divided into two separate series of experiments. The first of these deals with the oxidation of purified coppers under various conditions and then the subjection of these to a standard hydrogen treatment. The second series concerns the reduction, under different conditions, of tough-pitch coppers of several oxygen contents. The resulting data will give the rates of oxidation, and of reduction, for the materials involved. The first series of experiments will reveal how rapidly copper may become oxidized, while the second series will indicate how rapidly embrittlement will penetrate into an oxygen-containing copper when it is exposed to hydrogen at different temperatures. Materials For the purpose of determining these variables, three types of material were selected, to cover the extremes in the ranges of materials commercially obtainable. The first class of materials is represented by an oxygen-free copper, as well as the high-purity vacuum-melted copper2 used in previous work. These materials were selected to determine the variation of oxidation with time and temperature, by oxidizing these coppers under various combinations of these factors, and noting the effect as indicated by a

Jan 1, 1934

By Grano S. R, Lauder D. W

Investigations on the oxidation behaviour of chalcocite and its rejuvenation by hydrogen sulphide ion have been undertaken. Chalcocite oxidation was measured using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), zeta-potential and by dissolution in et

Jan 1, 1997

Jan 1, 1940

By C. A. Sosa-Blanco

Minera Sabinas in central Mexico treats a complex sulfide ore containing galena, chalcopyrite, sphalerite and argentite as valuable minerals, and in some cases important amounts of non-magnetic pyrrhotite. For high pyrrhotite ores, results obtained by selective flotation showed good grades and recoveries in the lead-copper circuit, but a commercial zinc concentrate could not be produced due to the high floatability of pyrrhotite. When this is the case, an alternative method was proposed to produce a bulk concentrate by flotation which is then leached to recover copper and zinc from liquor in a SX-EW circuit. Leaching was conducted in an autoclave in order to study the effect of temperature and pressure, but bioleaching tests were also conducted. Leaching lead-silver residues were treated by cyanidation in order to recover silver values. The results obtained by selective flotation and by bulk flotation with leaching of the bulk concentrate showed that the latter alternative increased zinc recovery by 30 % with similar recoveries of the other metals.

Jan 1, 2007

By Taira Emoto, Hikozou Imaoka, Sohta Takatsu, Takeshi Suzuki, Yoshihito Minami

An Oval Section TBM (tunnel boring machine) enables excavation of tunnel with elliptical cross section by inclining the cutterhead. It is developed to utilize the proven conventional TBM technology with minimum modifications. Various types of tunnels which are preferred to have non-circular cross section can be economically excavated, reducing both overbreak and the amount of muck produced. On the other hand, an inclined cutterhead may create a number of new problems, such as in excavation efficiency and steering that are unknown in excavation works using a circular TBM. This paper reports on verification tests carried out to examine the extent of such problems using experimental models of the machine in an attempt to confirm the feasibility of the Oval Section TBM.

Jan 1, 1997

By Carl A. Zapffe, George A. Moore

In a previous publication from this laboratory1 the conclusion was drawn that the embrittling effect of occluded hydrogen on iron and steel must result from the precipitation of the gas within small openings through the crystal structure. A review of the literature then published indicated the real existence of crystal substructures of the mosaic type and gave presumptive evidence that the "rift openings" associated with hydrogen occlusion are the same as the L'disjunctions" of the mosaic theory. Inasmuch as no clear conception of the actual nature of the crystal fragments and openings inherent in these theories has been established, it was considered desirable to obtain direct micrographic evidence of their true configuration. In this direction the standard methods of metallographic attack have proved useless. Recourse was had, therefore, to the direct examination of the surfaces upon which failure by cleavage had resulted from the presence of hydrogen. It was expected that such a surface, unaffected by chemical attack and undis-torted by polishing, would reveal the fine openings penetrated by the gas and thus indicate the real nature of the substructures. Materials Studied In commercial steels, defects caused by hydrogen take various external forms according to such factors as structure and purity, and to the extent to which hydrogen either occludes or produces chemical changes. The present work relates only to the well-known transcrystalline hydrogen embrittlement—-"pickling brittleness "—in which elemental hydrogen occluded within the grain develops cleavage characteristics. For example, hydrogen embrittlement resulting from hydrogen reaction products is excluded from detailed study. It was also desirable, as far as possible, to have the study uncomplicated by other elements which themselves cause brittleness. Three types of iron were used. These included ingot iron, decarburized free-machining steel, and a specially prepared, aluminum-killed, electrolytic iron. This choice allowed a comprehensive selection of unavoidable minor impurities and inclusions, which could subsequently be shown to have no specific effects on the structures within the grains. Carbon, and any other impurities free to react with hydrogen, were first removed by a preliminary annealing treatment in hydrogen. Subsequent treatment in vacuo extracted much of this hydrogen and its gaseous reaction products. The resultant ductile iron was then embrittled either by a second anneal in hydrogen, followed by rapid cooling, or by cathodic electrolysis. Group 1: Prepared from Armco Ingot Iron As shown in Table 1, the principal impurity in this iron was oxygen, which survived the purifying treatment to a large extent. Two series were prepared. The first (Nos. SIO-24) was purified only one day in hydrogen and dehydrogenized one day in nitrogen. Containing both hydrogen and its

Jan 1, 1943

By W. J. Cherones

This paper describes the history of the development and application of the electric mining shovel in open-pit mining, dea1ing particularly with far-reaching advancements in three primary areas: metallurgy, mechanical design and electrical systems. Hoist drives and crowd drives, including the Magnetorque and Electrotorque systems, and the integral propel drive are given close attention.

Jan 1, 1972