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By K. K. Landes

The north central and northeastern states supply over 50 pct of the chemical and metallurgical limestone produced annually in the United States, and Ontario is the leading source of this material in Canada. About three fourths of the chemical and metallurgical stone produced in this area comes from Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Ontario. The specifications, physical and especially chemical, for chemical and metallurgical stone depend upon the end use, but in general the tolerance for impurities is so low as to rule out most limestones and dolomites. Both high calcium limestone and dolomite are used in the metallurgical and chemical industries. The principal metallurgical use is as a flux in iron ore blast furnaces and open hearth steel furnaces. The major chemical uses are in lime burning and soda-ash manufacture. Other important uses include glass manufacture, in making calcium carbide, and in sugar factories. All deposits of high quality carbonate rock are definitely finite. Invariably and inevitably they diminish in either thickness or quality laterally so as to become unworkable as chemical and metallurgical stone. The size of these high quality lenses ranges from a few thousands of tons to hundreds of millions of tons. The best hunting for new supplies is in the geologic formations known to contain premium quality deposits. However, because of high transportation costs, carbonate rocks, to be workable, must be close to market, dollarwise. Definitions: Chemical stone is limestone or dolomite used as a raw material by the chemical industry. The major chemical uses are in lime burning and soda-ash manufacture. Other important uses include glass manufacture, making calcium carbide, and in sugar factories. The specifications for chemical stone depend entirely upon the end product. Some uses require dolomite, some require high calcium limestone; in a few instances, notably in lime burning, either type of carbonate rock can be used as raw material. As a general rule, a fairly pure stone is necessary and for certain particular uses the tolerance for some elements such as sulfur, iron, and phosphorus may be extremely small. Metallurgical stone is used as a flux in furnace operations, especially in the blast furnace where iron ore is converted into pig iron and in the open hearth furnace where pig iron is made into steel. Either limestone or dolomite can be used in the blast furnace, but only high calcium stone is charged in the open hearth (except for rice-size dolomite used as a refractory). There are no rigid chemical specifications for blast furnace stone, but low silica, alumina, sulfur, and phosphorus are desirable. For open hearth use, in addition to low magnesia, a very low sulfur content is also specified by many furnace operators. For furnace use, fluxstone also must be sufficiently shatter resistant that it will remain in lump form during transport and charging into the furnace. Commercial stone is the term applied in the trade for crushed stone used for roadstone and in concrete aggregate. Many of our best chemical and metallurgical limestones are too soft to qualify in the Los Angeles abrasion test for use as commercial stone. However, some limestones, and a higher proportion of dolomites, do qualify for commercial stone and so can be sold to either market. Place Value: Even the highest grade limestone is still a bulk commodity with a relatively low value per ton. As a matter of fact there is very little difference in the average price per ton between high grade chemical and metallurgical stone and crushed limestone used commercially. Most high quality stone is produced in large operations with consequent low cost per ton whereas most commercial stone is produced in relatively small local quarries. As in the case of other bulk commodities most limestone buyers pay more for transporting the raw material than the cost of the stone at its source. For this reason steel furnaces and chemical plants

Jan 1, 1961

By Harry C. Gatos, Frank J. Bachner, Mario D. Banus

The portion of the Nb-Sn phase diagram between 75 and 79 at. pct Nb at temperatures near the liquidus has been investigated by melting alloys of known composition and examining the microstmc-tzlres resulting when these melts were quenched. The Nb-Sn samples were contained in magnesia sleeves, and were mounted in a high-pressure apparatus. It was shown that Nb3Sn me1ts by a peri-tectic decomposition and that the composition of the compound Nb3Sn at the peritectic horizontal lies between 77 and 78 at. pct Nb. Analysis of the phases present in the samples was accomplished by anodic staining techniques and an electron-microbeam analyzer. DURING the past several years a great deal of work has been devoted to the Nb-Sn system, and the bulk of this work has been primarily concerned with the intermetallic phase Nb3Sn. However, the melting characteristics of Nb3Sn have not been investigated because of the difficulty in maintaining known compositions due to tin losses by vaporization, and the added difficulty of containing Nb-Sn alloys without sample-container reaction at the high temperatures involved. This paper reports on the development of a technique for containing Nb-Sn alloys under pressure high enough to prevent tin losses at temperatures in excess of the liquidus. Using this technique, melts of known composition were made and a phase diagram near the liquidus is proposed based on the microstructures resulting when these melts were quenched. EXPERIMENTAL The Nb-Sn alloys weighing 0.7 g each were prepared in the form of cylinders. Niobium powder, -200, +325 mesh, and tin shavings with a minute amount of tin powder for a binder were mixed in the desired proportions and cold-pressed at 50,000 psi in a 0.150-in. die. This cylinder was then enclosed as shown in Fig. 1, and the entire arrangement mounted in a 2.6-in. pyrophyllite tetrahedron.' The desired temperatures (-2500°C) presented several problems in high-pressure container materials. Boron nitride, the usual sample holder, was found to react with niobium to form the nitride. However, MgO cans and plugs machined from refractory rods did not melt nor react with the sample. Thick tantalum contact disks were used to carry the large currents (~450 amps) to the graphite heater, since tantalum did not melt and had enough strength to prevent extrusion of the sample. It was further observed that the graphite heater and tantalum disks could not be in direct contact with the pyrophyllite because it melts and decomposes at these temperatures to kyanite and coesite (SiO2),2 the former reacting with graphite and the latter with tantalum to form the silicide. The use of a MgO outer sleeve

Jan 1, 1965

By Ivan B. Cutler, Milton E. Wadsworth

Coprecipitation of anionic and cationic polyelectrolytes has been applied to floccula-tion of several mineral systems. Results obtained in a study of the flocculation of kaolinite and hematite suspensions of polycationic and polyanionic electrolytes are presented. Greatly increased settling rates were observed following precipitation of positive and negative polyelectrolytes on the surface of finely divided minerals in aqueous suspension. The ratios of polycationic to polyanionic electrolytes required to produce maximum sedimentation have been shown to correspond closely with the equivalence points obtained by light scattering studies of systems containing the positive and negative polyelectrolytes by themselves. DISPERSION of colloids has been of interest to surface chemists for many years. Flocculation studies have been employed to evaluate the limits of colloid stability. In water suspensions, colloids become unstable and flocculate when the 5 potential, the potential of the kinetic solvation sheath, falls to a value at which van der Waals forces may act to draw the particles together. This may happen through an adjustment of the pH of the suspension or by addition of a salt. Optimum conditions for rapid formation of large flocs are found in the region of minimum < potential. In addition to these well known considerations, colloids in water suspensions are known to be flocculated by certain large organic macromolecules. These polyelectrolytes in some cases minimize the 5 potential and in other instances increase the attractive forces by supplying sites for hydrogen bonding.&apos; Use of organic polyelectrolytes in flocculation of mineral colloids has increased rapidly in recent years. These materials are now recognized as indispensable aids to fluid-solid separations in many extractive metallurgical operations. They have been found to increase both the settling rate in thickeners and the filtration rate of filters. In the elucidation of the characteristics of these organic reagents as floc-culants in this laboratory, it was discovered that interaction of certain polyelectrolytes had a surprisingly good effect on flocculation of mineral colloids. Experimental Procedure: The anionic flocculants used in this study were Lytron 886 and 887, produced by Monsanto Chemical Co. Both reagents are copolymers of vinyl acetate and maleic anhydride. Lime is added to Lytron 886, whereas Lytron 887 is all organic. These reagents possess two carboxyl groups for each acetate group and are therefore anionic in character. The cationic reagents used were the Peter Cooper Co. 1-X and 2-X glues. The structures are not definitely known, but the re- agents are amines and are cationic in character. The glues were prepared in the chrome-alum form. Both types of reagents may be classified as polyelectrolytes in that they are high molecular weight polymers and ionize in water. All data presented are in terms of sedimentation rate, measured in 250-ml glass-stoppered graduated cylinders. With suitable precautions such measurements are fairly reproducible and provide a sensitive means for selecting important parameters such as PH, reagent concentration, and floc size and density. Agitation was standardized with five complete end over end cycles of the suspensions in the stoppered graduated cylinders.

Jan 1, 1957

By H. H. Hausner, H. S. Kalish

M. Hansen—This paper certainly is an interesting study. Although I have not had too much experience in the powder metallurgical methods of studying phase equilibria, I would like to say the following concerning the interpretations of the results obtained: 1. The existence of a zirconium-rich eutectic having a melting point close to 950°C and containing approximately 5 pct beryllium is well established. 2. Undoubtedly sintering of the original compacts (i.e., without repressing and resintering at 1350°C) resulted in a condition being far from equilibrium, even in the low-melting point zircon-rich region where undissolved zirconium particles have been observed. This means that only partial reaction between the component powders has taken place. 3. In preparing and handling powder mixtures for pressing and sintering, we have found that with powders differing considerably in density, and also in particle size, separation in layers of different composition may occur. This means that a concentration gradient would exist within such samples. This phenomenon may, at least to some extent, account for the difference in microstructure of the top and bottom regions of some of the sintered samples. If this is the case, density figures for some of the nominal compositions would not represent actual densities of those mixtures. 4. Fig. 1 shows that the low densities of mixtures with 40 and 60 pct beryllium sintered at 1350°C are changed to much higher densities if the products sintered at 1100°C are repressed and resintered at 1350°C, whereby an approach toward equilibrium takes place. This would mean that the low density and growth in volume is due to nonequilibrium conditions. If this is true, would it be justified, then, to conclude that "the remarkable growth of the alloys in the vicinity of 40 to 60 pct Be indicates the formation of a high-melting point phase, probably accompanied by a considerable change in volume due to a large alteration of the crystal structure from that of the original compounds"? If some compound formation has taken place already during the first sintering at 950" to 1350°C, more compound would be formed by repressing and re-sintering of the 1100" samples. This treatment, however, results in higher, rather than lower, densities. In general, the density-composition curve of alloy systems containing one or more intermediate phases is characterized by a more or less defined contraction (decrease in specific volume, increase in density) over the "theoretical" density. Does not discrepancy exist between the two statements that "growth of the alloy indicates the formation of a high-melting phase . . ." and "even at 1350°C, no indications of sintering have been observed"? 5. I am not sure that the explanation given for the fact that fig. 4 did not reveal as much eutectic as the top portions of the mixture with 2 pct Be, is correct. The density of the melt containing only 5 pct Be or even perhaps less, is not too much different from that of the nominal composition. The reason might be also that there was already some separation of the components in the pressed compact. 6. I do not understand why the microstructure of the bottom regions of the compact with 5 pct Be (fig. 6) is so different from that of the top regions (fig. 5). The compact was melted on sintering at 1100°C. Its composition lies close to the eutectic point. There should be at least some lamellar structure in the bottom regions too; otherwise, the composition of top and bottom must have been very different after sintering, because the eutectic is said to extend as far as the composition ZrBe2. In case the white and gray areas of fig. 6 are both gamma, and the black areas undissolved zirconium, this composition would be close to the phase coexisting with zirconium, that is, ZrBe2, according to the hypothetical diagram, or a compound richer in zirconium. 7. Figs. 9 and 10 are not mentioned in the text. 8. The great difference in microstructure of the composition 20 pct Be of figs. 8 and 14 on one side and fig. 15 on the other side proves that sintering at 950" and 1100°C results only in partial reaction of the powers. 9. The mixture with 60 pct Be (fig. 19) seems to consist of two phases, rather than one phase, one interspersed in a matrix of another. 10. The statement that the eta phase "may be an intermetallic compound or the product of a peritectic or monotectic reaction" seems to be misleading, because the product of a peritectic or monotectic reaction in this region of the system must be an intermetallic compound. 11. If there is some solid solubility of Be in alpha and beta-Zr, it would be expected to be higher in beta-Zr (b.c.c.) than in alpha-Zr (h.c.p.). The temperature of the polymorphic transformation of zirconium then would be lowered, rather than increased. In accordance with this, Battelle has found that the transformation point of titanium is decreased by beryllium. 12. In case the phases present in alloys with 80, 90, and 95 pct Be are identical (which appears to be correct), it is striking that the relative amounts of both phases (eta and beryllium) are not too different within this wide range of composition. With 60 to 65 pct Be

Jan 1, 1951

By J. C. Platt

1 desire to call the attention of the Institute to what is believed to be a new improvement in &apos;the construction of journal-bearings, having for its object the reduction of original cost as well as cost of renewals. In an ordinary railroad car we find the space between the top of the axle and the top of the box is filled with a "brass," weighing from seven to ten pounds. Of this amount of metal a comparatively small portion is subjected to the wear which it is intended to meet. The balance is, practically, a filling material, which from habit has long been constructed of the same metal. The Defreest bearing is made of three parts, namely, a malleableiron back, a bronze bearing-piece, and between them a filling-piece of sheet lead. The bronze takes the wear of the axle, the iron fills up the space and acts as a backing to the bronze, and the lead, being soft, adapts itself to the inequalities in the surfaces of the iron and bronze castings, thus insuring a uniform bearing on all points, and making it unnecessary to bore out the iron or turn off the bronze to bring them to a perfect contact at all points. These three park are joined together by two soft brass rivets, with counter-sunk heads, to prevent separation in handling. A groove is cast in the iron, and a corresponding rib on the bronze, to prevent the latter from turning with the axle when in place. In renewals it is ordinarily necessary simply to drive out the rivets and renew the bronze and lead. The iron part is not subjected to much wear and should last for years. It is evident that the first cost of these journals, and also the cost of renewals, must be much less than the old form. This difference amounts, at the present price of materials, to $9.60 for an eightwheel car, in first cost, and $4.72 for renewals. These bearings have been in use, and found to do what is claimed for them.

Jan 1, 1880

By AIME AIME

The following abstract of the minutes of the final Adjourned Annual Business Meeting, held Nov. 12, 1912, in the office of the Institute, 29 West 39th Street, New York City, is here presented for the information of the membership at large. On the announcement by the Secretary that there was a quorum present, President James F. Kemp called the meeting to order. The minutes of the Adjourned Annual Business Meeting of Oct. 7, 1912, were read and approved. (Sec p. xi,Bulletin No. 71, November). Prof. Jos. W. Richards, in behalf of the Special Committee of the Board of Directors and the Council (Messrs. Richards, Kirchhoff, and Rand), withdrew the two proposed amendments to the Constitution offered by the said Committee at the Adjourned Annual Business Meeting of Oct. 7, 1912. (See Bulletin. No. 70, October, 1912, p. vi., and Circular Announcement No. 8, Oct. 15, 1912, p. 15.) Professor Richards presented a syllabus of the proposed amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws prepared by the Special Committee. Several members present discussed various sections of the proposed Constitution, and the Committee advised that the suggestions would he duly considered before submitting the final document, which would be duly presented and sent to the membership at large at least 30 days before the next Annual Business Meeting, Feb. 18, 1913. Professor Richards presented a resolution, seconded by Mr. Kirchhoff, making a change in the present Certificate of Incorporation, so that it would conform to the proposed changes in the Constitution and By-Laws; said resolution was unanimously adopted. Professor Richards presented another amendment to the Constitution, which had been purposely omitted from the printed list, but had been requested by many members, namely, the creation of a " Class of Fellows." This question was freely discussed at the Cleveland meeting (see Bulletin No. 71, November, 1912, p. 1348), and in view of the diversity of opinion it was-decided to present it in separate form for separate action of the membership at large at the Annual Business Meeting, Feb. 18, 1913. In answer to question, the President announced that the proposed amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws presented by Messrs. Corning and Stone at the Adjourned Annual Business Meeting, Oct. 7, 1912, and published in Circular Announcement No. 8, Oct. 15, 1912, were still on record. Professor Richards presented a syllabus of the proposed amendments to the By-Laws, and several sections were discused by members present, but no action of record was taken. Mr. Charles F. Rand read a letter from Mr. L. K. Armstrong, Sec-retary of the Spokane Local Section of the Institute, referring to the proposed amendments to the Constitution, and he announced that many of Mr. Armstrong&apos;s suggestions were, in one form or another, already incorporated in the proposed amendments submitted by the Special Committee. A special vote of thanks was passed to Dr. Albert R. Ledoux for the valuable assistance rendered by him to the Special Committee in the preparation of the proposed amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws.

Dec 1, 1912

By Moore, Richard B

PROBABLY no other metal excites as much interest, among both scientific men and the general public, as radium. This is due partly to the high cost of radium salts and partly to the peculiar properties of the element. Since radium-bearing ores were discovered in the United States, the interest of American scientific men has been stimulated and, at the present time, more radium is extracted and refined in this country than in all the rest of the world together. HISTORY The property of radioactivity was discovered, partly by accident, by Henri Becquerel, the French physicist, in 1896. He was experimenting with certain fluorescent substances in order to find, if possible, a connection between fluorescence and the recently discovered Y-rays. Among other chemicals which possess the property of fluorescence, he was using

Jan 8, 1918

[RALPH ADAIR Ore Dressing Consultant Bull Mtn. Rd., Asheville, N. C. Phone 4-1693 JAMES A. BARR Consulting Engineer Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee Washington, D.C. BEHRE DOLBEAR & COMPANY Consulting Mining Engineers and Geologists 11 Broadway New York 4, N. Y. I. R. BERENT Engineering Consultants and Contractors Mineral Exploration, Mine Evaluation, Mine Designs and Mine Management 156, Ataturk Bulvarl-Ankara, Turkey BLANDFORD C. BURGESS Registered Professional Engineer Mining Consultant Monticello, Georgia GLENVILLE A. COLLINS Mining Engineer Uranium examinations Cable "Coins" 8 Howard-Canfleld Bldg. Santa Barbara, Calif. COWIN & CO. Mining Engineers and Contractors Consulting Shaft & Slope Sinking Appraisal Mine Development Reports Mine Plant Construction I- 18th St. S. W. B&apos;ham, Ala., Phone 56-5566]

Jan 1, 1952

[RALPH ADAIR Ore Dressing Consultant Bull Mtn. Rd., Asheville, N. C. Phone 4-1693 JAMES A. BARR Consulting Engineer Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee Washington, D.C. BEHRE DOLBEAR & COMPANY Consulting Mining Engineers and Geologists 11 Broadway New York 4, N. Y. I. B. BERENT Engineering Consultants and Contractors Mineral Exploration, Mine Evaluation, Mine Designs and Mine Management 156, Ataturk Bulvarl-Ankara, Turkey BLANDFORD C. BURGESS Registered Professional Engineer Mining Consultant Monticello, Georgia GLENVILLE A. COLLINS Mining Engineer Uranium examinations Cable "Coins" B Howard-Canfield Bldg. Santa Barbara, Calif. COWIN & Co. Mining Engineers and Contractors Consulting Shaft & Slope Sinking Appraisal Mine Development Reports Mine Plant Construction I- 18th St. S. W. B&apos;ham, Ala., Phone 56-5566]

Jan 1, 1952

[RALPH ADAIR Ore Dressing Consultant Bull Mtn. d., Asheville, N. C. Phone 4-1693 JAMES A. BARR Consulting Engineer Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee Washington, D.C. BEHRE DOLBEAR & COMPANY Consulting Mining Engineers and Geologists 11 Broadway New York 4, N. Y. I. R. BERENT Engineering Consultants and Contractors Mineral Exploration, Mine Evaluation, Mine Designs and Mine Management 156, Ataturk Bulvarl-Ankara, Turkey BLANDFORD C. BURGESS Registered Professional Engineer Mining Consultant Monticello, Georgia GLENVILLE A. COLLINS Mining Engineer Uranium examinations Cable "Coins" 8 Howard-Canfield Bldg. Santa Barbers, Calif. COWIN & CO. Mining Engineers and Contractors Consulting Shaft & Slope Sinking Appraisal Mine Development Reports Mine Plant Construction I. 18th St. S. W. Wham, Ale., Phone 56-5566]

Jan 1, 1952

By G. R. Speich, L. Zwell, H. A. Wriedt

HORNBOGEN1 has recently shown that it is possible to measure the degree of segregation accompanying cellular precipitation in ferritic Fe-Zn alloys by measuring the lattice parameter of the ferrite phase within the cell. In extending this work to study a wider range of composition and to evaluate the free-energy change accompanying the growth of the cells, the lattice parameter and the boundary of the a! phase in Fe-Zn alloys were redetermined to check the earlier work of Schramm.2 This appeared to be necessary since the Fe-Zn diagram has been drastically revised since the work of Schramm. Stadelmaier and Bridgers3 have recently shown that, contrary to prior belief: the y iron field is closed and the a phase boundary extends to an a + T + L peritectic at 782°C where peritectic a contains 42 at, pet Zn. The phase T in equilibrium with the a solid solution has a composition near Fe3Zn10 and a cubic 081 type structure.&apos; The alloys were prepared by two different methods. In the first method carbonyl iron powder (400 mesh, 99.8 pet pure) and high-purity zinc powder (200 mesh, 99.99 pet pure) were mixed in a ball mill and then pressed in a die at 40,000 psi pressure to make compacts with a diameter of 5/8 in. and a thickness of l/4 in. These were sealed in evacuated quartz capsules, gradually heated to 1100°C over a period of 1 week (3 days at 600°C) 3 days at 800°C, 1 day at (1100°C), and then quenched in iced brine. For the alloys containing 23.4 and 30.1 at. pet Zn, the final homogenization anneals were performed at 1000" and 850°C) respectively, to prevent melting. In the second method, alloys were prepared by saturating high-purity iron millings (0.001 in. thick, 99.9 pet pure) in zinc vapor. For each alloy the impregnation was conducted at a fixed vapor pressure of zinc and a fixed temperature between 750&apos; and 800°C. When saturated, the millings were quenched in water. The compositions of the alloys prepared by both methods are shown in Table I. The lattice parameters of the ferritic solid solutions were determined by comparing the 26 values of their 310, peaks (using Co Ka) or of their 211 , peaks (using Cr Ka) with those of corresponding peaks for high-purity a iron. The 20 values were measured at room temperature with an X-ray dif-fractometer (G.E.-XRD5). By using a fiducial value of 2.8664Å for the lattice parameter of pure a iron at 25oC,5 the lattice parameters of the zinc-bearing

Jan 1, 1964

By E. R. Helderman, C. Y. Ang, C. C. Nealey

Beryllium-base alloys have been successfully p7.-epared by the liquid-phase sintering technique. Depending orz the composition and amount of the intended liquid please, microstructures either single -phase or duplex in feature with randomly oriented grains have been obtained. Qualitative and semi-qualitative determination of distribution of alloying elements md microsegregations in some experi)uzental alloys haue been made by electron-micro-probe analysis in conjunction with microliardness testing and standard metallography. Tensile tests reoealed that some conzpositions possess attractive elastic properties with Young&apos;s mot1uli greater than 40 X 10&apos; psi. In powder metallurgy, liquid-phase sintering is a process or phenomenon that has proven to be of practical value. For example, the heavy metals such as tungsten-copper-nickel, high-strength heavy gyro alloys,&apos; heavy-duty electrical contacts,&apos; and tungsten carbide tool materials are all products of liquid-phase sintering. Mechanisms involved in liquid-phase sintering, however, are not completely understood. Questions regarding the exact roles played by rearrangement of particles, liquid/vapor surface energy, solution and precipitation, and so forth, have not been completely answered. Evidence has been cited3 that at least volume shrinkage in the densification process is diffusion-controlled. It is possible that the predominant mechanisms for the complete densification and grain growth in a liquid-phase sintered system depend primarily on the alloy systems involved, in addition to processing conditions. Despite the lack of sound understanding of the mechanisms of the process, liquid-phase sintering has been and is being used to advantage either to synthesize microstructures for their special properties or to prepare alloys which are difficult to form by fusion process. Liquid-phase sintering of beryllium alloys was first attempted by Jones and Williams.4 They first tried infiltrating beryllium with magnesium, and then succeeded in preparing the alloy by sintering Be-Mg powder compact in molten magnesium bath. This investigation resulted in the identification of some Mg-Be intermediate phases. Crossley et a1.5 also used liquid-phase sintering technique in an attempt to produce ductile beryllium alloys for structural applications. The major liquid-phase components investigated by Crossley et al. were aluminum and silver with minor additives of germanium, calcium, lanthanum, cerium, and yttrium. The lack of wetting and the bleeding out of liquid phase were the difficulties encountered during experimentation. According to Hodge,6 the two compositions investigated by Crossley, which showed some promise based on compression tests, involved large amounts (over 35 wt pct) of silver, thus making them too heavy to be of practical interest to the aerospace industry and military users. The present investigation was prompted by the search for light-weight (density less than aluminum) beryllium alloys exhibiting small anisotropy in physical properties for precision inertial navigation instrument applications. In addition to isotropy, good structural properties such as high elastic modulus or desirable combination of mechanical and physical properties are also objectives of this investigation. The technique of liquid-phase sintering was chosen for its versatility in producing either duplex or homogeneous microstructures. This report is concerned with the use of copper and aluminum, with or without silicon addition, as the intended liquid phase, and the resultant micro-structures and some physical properties of the beryllium alloys. Qualitative and semiquantitative electron-microprobe analyses of some of the alloys are presented to illustrate the usefulness of this microanalytical technique for the identification of microconstituents and their distribution. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES The beryllium powder used was -200 mesh Brush Beryllium Co. QMV NP-50 grade. Typical chemical analysis of the powder is shown in Table I. Commercial high-purity copper, aluminum, and silicon powders all screened to —100 mesh were used as additions. Mixed powder compositions were ball-milled in ceramic jars for 1/2 hr to ensure thorough blending. Milled powder was loaded either in 3/4-in.-diam button die or in Metal Powder Association flat tensile specimen die and compacted under top and bottom pressure. No lubricant or organic binder was used. Sintering was carried out in a quartz tube under a vacuum of 50 to 100 µ pressure. Surface hardness and some microhardness readings were taken on sintered specimens. Sintered density was

Jan 1, 1965

By A. T. Miesch, L. B. Riley

Distribution of minor elements in sandstone-type uranium deposits of the Colorado Plateau is being studied by the USGS on behalf of the A EC. A primary objective has been to provide basic data which could be useful in geo-chemical exploration for new deposits. The basic statistical measures — similar to those used in sedimentary petrology—are described. The underlying principle is that the frequency distributions fit or approach the log-normal form. Since 1952 the U. S. Geological Survey on behalf of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission has conducted a study of the distribution of minor elements in sands tone-type uranium deposits of the Colorado Plateau. A primary objective in this study has been to provide basic data which could be useful in geo-chemical exploration for new deposits. Among the basic data considered important are estimates of the abundance and habit of each element in the ore and in the host rocks. It has been found that a few basic statistical techniques, and variations of these techniques, are useful in this type of study. Some of the basic techniques have been used to advantage by researchers in geochemistry and in other fields of geology, especially sedimentary petrology; others have been used to only a limited extent. Among the latter is the linear correlation coefficient, which has proved useful in assessing the element associations in a particular rock type without analysing individual mineral separates. In computing the basic statistical measures a scale has been used which is, in some ways, similar to the phi ($) scale used by sedimentary petrol-ogists in grain-size studies.&apos; FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTIONS It has been recognized for some time that the results of analyses for a given minor element in a suite of samples of rocks or ores yield frequency distribution curves which are approximately normal when the curves are plotted on logarithmic or geometric scales. In other words, the analytical results give an approximate lognormal frequency distribution. A classical example is given by D. G. Krige2 in the study of the distribution of gold values from a mine on the Witwatersrand. Another example is shown in Fig. 1, the distribution of barium concentrations in samples of uranium ore from the Chinle formation. The geochemical data are analogous to grain-size data gathered by the sedimentary petrologist. Both types of data, after simple logarithmic transformations, may be treated by conventional statistical methods based on the normal distribution. This is not to say that other types of transformations may not serve equally well or better for particular element distributions.3 Spectrographers and other analysts are quite aware of the dependence of their precision on the concentration of the element present.4 For example, in the part per million range the variation may

Jan 1, 1961

By BARONJUPTNER VON JONSTORFF, Andrew A. Blair, GUNNAR DILLNER

IT is a well-known fact that the results of different analysts, when operating on the same identical sample of steel or iron, are far from concordant, and it not infrequently happens that great annoyance and trouble in the commercial community are occasioned by these discrepancies. Attempts have been made at various times to investigate the causes of such differences and to obtain more reliable methods of analysis. The most important of these was made by the British Association in 1889: The following gentlemen, with Sir W. Roberts-Austen as Chairman, and Professor T. Turner as Secretary, were constituted as a committee to investigate the question, viz.: Sir F. A. Abel, Mr. Edward Riley, Mr. G. J. Snelus, Mr. John Spiller, Professor J. W. Langley, and Professor Tilden. Average .samples of steel were prepared in America under the superintendence of Professor J. W. Langley. The steels, in the form of turnings, were divided and distributed to sub-committees in Great Britain, America, France, Germany, and Sweden. In Sweden Professor Åkerman acted as Secretary to the Swedish committee. The Government Department of Tests was appointed in Germany; Mr. Ferd. Gautier in France; the British Association Committee in England; Messrs. William

Mar 1, 1905

By James C. Ray

DURING the summer of 1931, I spent four months in a study of the Willow Creek district, Alaska. This work was part of a general investigation of the territory contiguous to the route of the Government- owned Alaska Railroad. It was conducted by the U. S. Geological Survey to determine the real and potential merits of the mineral deposits, to stimulate development of them, and thus to increase the traffic on the Alaska Railroad.

Jan 1, 1932

By J. C. Borland, J. H. Rogerson

Jan 1, 1963

By M. Albertson

UNITED STATES petroleum pro-dU6tion during 1937 materially exceeded? that of any previous year. Firm control of the production rate was maintained under State and Federal laws and aided by the&apos; Interstate Compact. During the first ten months," crude oil prices were stable, except for a slight increase early in the year. Toward the end of the year, uncertainty of price structure be-came evident and a sharp reduction in allowable production was under way. Exploration for new pools and development of .pools already discovered continued active throughout the year. Production control agencies in Texas, and to a less extent in New Mexico and Louisiana, appear to have had increasing difficulty in holding crude oil output to allowable limits. The situation elsewhere is less well known but probably the same condition exists in other important producing States whether control is by State commissions or by unofficial bodies.

Jan 1, 1938

By John McDonald

THIS report is a continuation of an earlier one with a similar title,1 to which the reader is referred for such details of procedure as do not appear here. A brief summary will be given of the objects and methods of the research at this time. It was pointed out in the previous paper that properties of magnesium alloys, as re-ported by different workers, often differ. This was thought to be due to differences in the preparation of the specimens tested. The ideal way to compare alloys would be to prepare each of them in so many ways that reasonable assurance would exist that the best properties of each alloy had been developed. The alloys would then be com-pared on the basis of these properties. The treatment actually given the alloys of these studies is necessarily a compromise with completeness. Nevertheless, enough treatments have been given so that a con-siderable degree of assurance exists that the properties obtained are representative of the alloy as such, and not merely of the manner in which it was worked and heat-treated.

Jan 1, 1940

By Russell A. Carter

Alaska is a land of immense proportions and resources. Its very name, derived from an Aleut term, means "The Great Land." Yet, in a state slightly larger than Texas, California, and Montana combined, there are presently only two-large scale mines in production, excluding dredge operations. Once referred to by its territorial governor as "a storehouse of minerals," Alaska is, in the opinion of many industry observers, at least 20 years away from a healthy, productive mining industry. The mineral potential of the state is tremendous: coal deposits on the North Slope alone have been hypothetically pegged at 1.5 trillion tons. Copper-zinc deposits on the south flank of the Brooks Range are conservatively estimated to be worth $4 billion to $6 billion. However, the problems facing mineral development are of equal magnitude, and include:

Jan 11, 1976

By Henry Mulryan

DIATOMS are microscopic aquatic plants of the order Bacillariaceae. They are unicellular plants with skeletons made up of amorphous opaline silica. The skeletons show highly ornate, complicated geometrical designs. Diatoms live in water virtually everywhere. They are found in clean sea water, brackish water, and fresh-water lakes and ponds. When conditions are right, diatoms propagate by subdivision in huge numbers. Alkalinity, temperature, and the presence of high concentrations of silica in the water largely control diatom life. When the diatoms die the skeletons drop to the bottom of their habitat to form oozes of vary-ing thicknesses. DIATOMITES Diatomite, or diatomaceous earth, is composed essentially of the siliceous remains of the diatoms, although other organic skeletons are also present, especially in sea-water deposits where radiolaria, sponges and silico-flagellates are common. Impurities are generally carbonaceous material, fine-grained silt, volcanic ash and dust, and occasional coarse grains of sand. Diatomites are marine, brackish, or fresh-water, depending upon types of diatoms and their method of deposition.

Jan 1, 1939