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By William B. Plank

ENROLMENT data given in this report of the seventh study of the schools by the Mineral Industry Education Division reveals the critical situation in the mineral engineering schools of the United States. Complete figures for the year 1942-43 show that at that time, about one year after Pearl Harbor, the enrollment of mineral engineers was 6385 or 30 per cent less than in 199441. By October 1943, however, enrollment had dropped to 2050, as reported in the Journal of Engineering Education of January 1944. This was a further reduction of 68 per cent in one year, or 77 per cent in three years. With accelerated programs in effect during the current year, with many graduations since last October, and with the military forces taking practically all the high school graduates, the present enrollment is, of course, much lower than the 2050 above given. There are no late data on the exact situation. In Canada, the same situation exists in the mineral engineering schools, only

Jan 1, 1944

By R. G. Lazzell

THE British are worried about the postwar possibilities of their coal mining industry. Indeed, there are causes for this worry, with the aver- age 1943 cost of production at about $5.40 per long ton, compared to $3.20 in 1938. Average production per man day has dropped from 1.12 in 1938 to 1.03 long tons in 1943. As a comparison, production per man day in the United States is approximately 5 long tons. The average day wage in the British mines is now a little aver $4; in 1938 the average day wage was about $2.25. Great Britain produced 227 million long tons in 1938 from their deep mines, and in 1943 production was 194.5 million, with an additional 4.5 million from strip mines. To meet present wartime needs, output is being supplemented by the production of strip- mined coal, an industry that did not exist prior to the war. Strip mining is now producing at the rate of 15 million long tons per year.

Jan 1, 1944

By H. A. Kursell

IN pre-war days, the mining industry of Russia occupied in the industrial life of the Empire a place of ever increasing importance. The peak of produc-tion was reached in 1913 and 1914, the years of greatest prosperity, and a rapid growth of the mineral industry seemed assured, especially as regards base-metal mining. Exceptions were the gold production, for which a gradual decline was anticipated, and the platinum out-put which was expected to remain steady. A greater productivity of labor, corresponding to better working facilities was noticeable, and the economic status of the working classes was constantly improving. The tremendous strain on Russia's economic life caused by the World War did not materially alter the prospects of the mineral industry and the fundamental changes began only with the revolution in the spring of 1917. Their scope and character are illustrated by the figures in Table 1 which compare, for the parts of the Russian Empire under Soviet (R. S. F. S. R.) control, the average mineral production of 1913 and 1914 with that of 1920, 1921 and 1922, as supplied by bolshevik sources.1The latter three years in Russia's history were characterized by the firm establishment in power of the Communist party as a new ruling caste. Silver, lead, zinc, tin, nickel, tungsten, barite, etc., were either produced in negligible quantities, or not at all. However, before the revolution the development of several argentiferous lead-zinc deposits in western Siberia had reached a stage which seemed to assure an appreciable output of the white metals for the near future.

Jan 7, 1923

By Mark R. Lamb

THE treatment of slime is of special interest to those engaged in cyaniding gold- and silver-ores. The usual practice is to make as small a percentage of slime as possible. In many instances the slime is given no treatment, but is impounded in dams in the hope that the future will develop some method of economically treating this product. The filter-press was the first step upward from ordinary decantation, but, on account of heavy labor-charge and high cost, its use has been limited to high-grade material. The slime at the Combination mill at Goldfield averages perhaps $20 per ton, and although the values are quickly dissolved the filter-press installation was not entirely satisfactory, resulting in the erection of the canvas-cell filter, developed by Chas. Butters and his staff. This filter is a great improvement over the filter-press, and the following description of it will be of interest to those engaged in treating slime produced in crushing ores, especially in view of the fact that, by the use of this filter, slime can be treated at a lesser cost and with a higher percentage of gold- or silver-extraction than in the ordinary treatment of sand; and, moreover, the initial outlay for an all-sliming plant is less than that for the ordinary sand- and slime-plant. The economy of construction of the Butters filter-plant is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which illustrate the 20-frame filter of 40 tons capacity, now being installed by the Nevada Goldfield Reduction Co. In this construction the slime-pump is so connected that it can pump to or from either tank or the filter by changing the valve-settings-a combination which is necessary in this particular installation, since sufficient fall is not available for filling and discharging the filter by gravity. Ordinarily, a slime-plant comprises: a filter-box with frames

Jan 1, 1907

By Wilhelm Rohn

When a metal solidifies, gas, initially present in solution, may be concentrated at the grain boundaries, leading to brittleness, or it may form solid compounds which, if localized at the grain boundaries, impair the properties. On the other hand, the solid compounds formed sometimes distribute themselves more or less uniformly, and hence may be relatively harmless. If metallic oxides are heated under a partial oxygen pressure less than that corresponding to the dissociation pressure of the oxide in solution in the melt, they will decompose and oxygen will tend to be eliminated from the melt. This paper presents data on the partial oxygen pressures of copper and nickel oxides over a wide range of temperatures; it also presents data regarding the amount and nature of the gases evolved in the vacuum melting of a 3500-kg. charge of nickel-chromium alloy and gives test values indicating the improvement in impact values ascribed to vacuum melting. The results of commercial experience with a 4-ton vacuum melting and casting furnace indicate that this method entails an increase in cost of about 10 cents per pound of ingot over orthodox practice, which may be justified for special products and may be lowered if hot metal is charged into the vacuum furnace. DISCUSSION (Howard Scott presiding) J. H. ScafF, New York, N. Y. (written discussion).—In the section of Dr. Rohn's paper describing the effect of melting -metals in vacuo, he says, "In this way plain copper, nickel and iron may be easily purified. For example, vacuum-melted copper does not contain any oxygen and for this reason it is never sensitive to hydrogen embrittlement." This statement is contrary to the results of our experiments at the Bell Telephone Laboratories on the effect of vacuum melting on the properties of copper. Several 150-gram samples of tough-pitch copper were melted in a vacuum of the order of 1 X 10-5 to 1 X 10-6 mm. Hg for 2 hr. Portions of the ingots obtained were swaged to 0.100 in., then drawn to wire 0.050 in. in diameter for physical and

Jan 1, 1933

By L. Albert, A. M. Cameron, J. W. Gullick

International Nickel has 15 operating mines in Canada, and. 3 mines which are being maintained on a standby basis. Annual production is about 20 million dry short tons of ore, most of which is from underground mines, the remainder from open pit mines. Although some of the underground mines are served by ramps for trackless vehicles, most men, materials and ore are hoisted in vertical shafts. In addition to shafts and raises for ventilation and service purposes which are not equipped with hoisting plants, there are now 28 vertical shafts at Inco mines served by 47 hoists. Of these, 22 shafts and 36 hoists are located in the Sudbury District of Ontario, one shaft and two hoists are at the Shebandowan mine in Western Ontario, and 5 shafts with 9 hoists are located near Thompson, Manitoba. This paper describes the components of Inco hoisting plants-which have been applied at different times and under different conditions, and indicates the rationale for the various designs. Some engineering and maintenance practices, considered advantageous, are also described. MINE SHAFTS Many of the shafts sunk in the early days of the Sudbury District, on what are now Inco properties, were inclined shafts. Of the identifiable shafts sunk between 1885 and 1920, thirteen were inclined and at least four were vertical. Since 1920, thirty vertical and two inclined shafts have been sunk. All of the inclined shafts have been abandoned for hoisting purposes but the majority are still in use as service or ventilation ways. Shafts at Thompson- and Shebandowan are all vertical. The vertical shafts range from 2 or 3 compartment exploration and development shafts to 6 compartment shafts for ore, man and material hoisting. They vary in depth from 1,050 to 7,137 feet and in addition to hoisting compartments all contain manway and service compartments. Prior to 1948, unlined rectangular shafts with timber sets and guides were used. The rectangular cross-section was favoured since the rock is competent, the shape compatible with timber set framing, and since available shaft space could be used efficiently. Resistance to air flow was not of prime importance. Concrete linings were introduced for the first time at the Creighton No. 7 Shaft which was collared in 1948. All major shafts since that date have been concrete lined. Vertical set intervals were increased in steps, with the introduction of structural steel sets secured to the concrete linings. Whereas 7 foot set intervals were used with timber framing, this increased to 10 feet 6 inches with steel sets and more recently to 15 feet with steel and steel backed wood guides. With the advent of deeper shafts, or shafts which are expected to be deepened, the trend is to circular concrete lined shafts. The majority of shaft guides in service are of select Douglas Fir. This practice commenced as a component of timbered shaft design but continued as a

Jan 1, 1975

By J. W. Leonard, J. C. Anderson, C. T. Holland

PREPARATION CONTROL IN UNDERGROUND MINING Selective Mining According to district Depending upon the particular geographic location or seam characteristics modem raw coal preparation practices can be used to obtain improved product quality and uniformity. Nevertheless, certain coal markets may require only marginal quality while others may require very high quality and these objectives may be sought by commencing the preparation of coal underground at the "working face." Underground preparation involves choosing those portions of the bed which can be cleaned to satisfy predetermined market requirements involving (1 ) maintenance of uniformity in chemical quality, (2) elimination of removable impurities, (3) control of sizes and size ratios and (4) control of moisture. The methods employed to attain these objectives vary widely with the (1) seam under development, (2) mining equipment available and (3) changing trends in the consuming markets. When a mining property is opened and development progresses from one section to another the (1) petrography of the coal in the bed does not re- main uniform, (2) character of roof and floor are subject to change and (3) character and prevalence of mineral impurities are subject to considerable variation. The quality of coal shipped to market from any mine depends upon intelligent foresight, planning, execution and supervision. Mining becomes a highly technical art. The quality of coal as determined by chemical and petrographic analysis is without question one of the most important considerations in the development and life of any coal-mining property. Variations in such proper- ties as volatile matter, ash, sulfur, Btu content and petrography are of considerable interest and to a limited extent so are such properties as phosphorous content, free swelling index, plasticity, hardness, pressure formation during coking and ash composition. The maximum and minimum specifications of these characteristics as established by competitive market conditions place definite limits on the marketability of a coal. The prospecting and evaluation of any area containing one or more salable coal beds by means of channel samples taken from outcrop openings and/or from diamond-drill cores can yield valuable data on coal characteristics. By correlating the data developed from distinct petrographic sections of channel and/or drill core samples, the quality of the bed according to stratification will be evident. There are few coal beds that do not show wide variations of such characteristics as ash and sulfur

Jan 1, 1968

By Robert E. Tally

A recorded in the account of the Annual Meeting, on another page, the report of the tellers showed that all men nominated by the committee, which included Messrs. Wilber Judson, E. DeGolyer, W. A. Weldin, J. A. Norden, J. D. MacKenzie, Wilfred Sykes and S. Skowronski, were duly elected to the offices for which they were nominated. Robert Tally, who was elected to the presidency for 1931-2, is well known to all our members not only because he has served on the Board of Directors since 1928, but through a brief outline of his great achieve¬ments in his chosen profession pub¬lished in our issue of December last. The vice-presidents, Howard N. Eavenson and H. A. Guess, are also well known to our members. Mr. Eavenson has not only been chairman of the Coal Division since its organization, but was also a Director during 1917, 1918 and 1919., Mr. Guess was Director in 1926, was elected a vice-president by the Board last year to fill the vacancy created by the election of Mr. Bassett to the presidency, and is now elected to the usual three-year term.

Jan 1, 1931

By W. R. Hibbard

It has been proposed1 on the basis of slip and flow that the ideal deformation texture of drawn wire for face-centered cubic metals is a (111) direction parallel to the wire axis. Under these considerations, an intermediate [loo] texture is permissible but should eventually change to the stable [Ill] orientation. This theory does not explain why copper and its alloys containing up to about 30 pct nickel, 5 pct zinc and 1 pct aluminum were found to have a double [Ill], [100] texture, while alloys with at least 8 pct zinc and 2 pct aluminum developed essentially a single [Ill] texture.1,2 It does suggest, however, that the [loo] component of the former alloys should disappear with additional deformation.3 Some evidence exists to support this suggestion. Howald4 reported that annealed copper wire previously drawn 93.8 pct and 98.5 pct developed a single [Ill] texture. Since, in wire, the drawn and annealed textures are similar, these wires probably had a single [Ill] deformation texture before annealing. In addition, although cold rolled polycrystalline copper and 80-20 brass were found to form different types of pole figures,5,6 single crystals of these metals when rolled from the stable (110) [112] orientation were found to produce essentially the same polo figure.7.8 It may be, therefore, that while the addition of solute elements changes the path by which the final texture is obtained, the final texture is not changed. Experimental Results The wires remaining from the previous investigation1 already drawn about 50 pct reduction in diameter were further drawn to 86 pct and then to 96.4 pct total reduction in diameter. The textures were determined after these stages by transmission X ray photograms taken with a copper K-alpha beam rotated 0 degrees toward the wire axis. It was found that the ratio of the [111].] and [100] intensities of the double texture in copper and its alloys containing 0.94 pct aluminum, 30.70 pct nickel, 2.61 pct zinc and 4.99 pct zinc increased from about 3:l for the 50 pct reduction to about 9:l for the 86 pct reduction. After 96.4 pct reduction, these wires exhibited essentially a single [lll] texture. Summary Thus, the drawn wire deformation texture of copper and its alpha solid solution alloys containing aluminum, nickel or zinc is essentially a single [Ill] texture as predicted by theoretical considerations of slip and flow.' For copper and its alloys containing up to about 1 pct aluminum, 5 pct zinc and at least 30 pct nickel, an intermediate [loo] component is found after about 50 pct reduction in diameter, but disappears after about 95 pct reduction in diameter. For alpha solid solution alloys containing at least about 2 pct aluminum and 8 pct zinc the single [Ill] texture is developed considerably more easily and is found after about 50 pct reduction in diameter. No explanation of this compositional effect is apparent. Similar work is contemplated for cold rolled and cold compressed alloys. References 1. w. R. Hibbard, Jr. and M. K. Yen: Trans. AIME 175, 126. Metals Tech., Feb. 1948, TP 2334. 2. W. R. Hibbard, Jr. and D. E. Trout, 11: Trans. AIME 185, 620. Jnl. of Melals, Sept. 1949, TN 18. 3. W. R. Hibbard. Jr.: Disc. of R. M. Brick's paper on Deformation Textures, ASM Symp. on Cold Working of Metals, Oct. 1948. 4. T. S. Howald: Disc. of Ref. 1. Trans. AIME, 175, 126. Melals Tech. Aug. 1948, TP 2449. 5. R. M. Brick, D. L. Martin and R. P. Angier: Trans. ASM (1943) 31, 675. 6. 0. Dahl and F. Pawlek: Zlsch. Melall. (1936) 28, 266. 7. C. S. Barrett and F. W. Steadman: Trans. AIME (1942) 147, 57. 8. J. E. Burke and C. S. Barrett: Trans. AIME 175, 106. Melals Tech., Feb. 1948. TP 2327.

Jan 1, 1950

By C. H. Li, R. J. Stokes, T. L. Johnston

Dislocation half-loops, artificially introduced by sprinkling with carborundum, were subjected to stress using three-point loading. The different stages of loop expansion and multiplication were then correlated with the macroscopic stress-deflection curve. Loop expansion started at approximately one-third of the "yield stress," defined here as the motivation stress. Above one-half of the "yield stress" simple multiplication commenced while about two-thirds of the yield stress gross multiplication developed short slip-line segments. These values were not affected by the age of surfaces exposed to both dry and wet air. Slip was not detected on unsprinkled crystals below two-thirds of the "yield stress." Thus the stress to activate intrinsic sources, defined here as the activation stress, was approximately twice the motivation stress. This relationship was independent of the strain rate used. It is concluded that lattice resistance takes the form of a viscous drag rather than a static type of force. THE importance of surface condition and environment as one of the more significant factors controlling the mechanical properties of ionic solids has recently received renewed attention.1-4 In some materials, notably the alkali halides, exposing freshly cleaved specimens to the atmosphere results in a progressive hardening and embrittlement of the crystals. This has been attributed to the surface layer becoming "aged," thereby restricting the motion of dislocations in such a way that pileup and eventually fracture results. It is necessary therefore in studying the mechanical properties of ionic crystals to inquire first into the density and distribution of dislocations in the normal cleaved surface and to understand the role these dislocations play in the onset of plastic flow. Knowledge of the effect of environment on this behavior will then assist in understanding the mechanism of embrittlement on aging. In the work reported here a method is described for studying the initiation of plastic flow from dislocation sources in the surface of magnesium oxide crystals. Preliminary results are described of the influence of surface age on this behavior. EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES The magnesium oxide used in this investigation was obtained from the Norton Co. and had a nominal purity of 99.5.pct. Single-crystal specimens, having dimensions typically 1/4 by 1/8 in. cross section and 1 in. in length, were prepared by cleavage over (100) planes from the parent crystal. They were deformed under three-point loading with 3/4 in. spacing between the two end supports and a constant rate of deflection at the center of 0.001 in. per min. The maximum strain rate therefore was 1.5 X 10-5 sec-1. Reasons for choosing this particular form of loading will become apparent in a later section. In addition, a number of confirmatory type tests have been performed at higher loading rates where the maximum strain rate was increased to 1 x 10-3 sec -1. Following deformation the crystals were etched to reveal the dislocation distribution. In a previous paper5 we described a satisfactory etching solution consisting of 5 parts of saturated ammonium chloride, one part of sulfuric acid, and one part distilled water. Immersion of the crystals for 1/4 hr at room temperature developed reproducible conical etch pits at the points where dislocations emerged through the surface. It should be mentioned that dislocations freshly introduced by room temperature deformation gave sharply pointed etch pits which generally distinguished them from the almost flat-bottomed pits obtained on "grown-in" dislocations. The distinction is obvious in the photomicrograph included in Fig. 5(b). Annealing crystals at 1000°C for 12 hr on the other hand gave sharper etch pits on the grown-in dislocations and the distinction was no lower -possible; a similar observation has been reported for lithium fluoride. We have succeeded furthermore in chemically polishing magnesium-oxide crystals. Boiling in fresh 85 pct ortho-phosphoric acid for only 1 min resulted in a microscopically smooth surface which could again be etched to reexamine the dislocation distribution. This boiling time was sufficient to remove the surface damage introduced by cleavage (see next section). SURFACE DISLOCATION SOURCES There are a number of ways by which dislocations may be introduced into cleaved surfaces to act later

Jan 1, 1960

By A. R. Kinkel

THE Shasta copper-zinc district of northern California lies in the foothills of the Klamath Mountains at the northern end of the Sacramento Valley. It contains two main areas of base-metal ore deposits, the East Shasta and West Shasta districts shown in Fig. 1. The East Shasta includes the area from the Afterthought mine, near the settlement of Ingot on U. S. highway 299 East, to the Bully Hill mine, on the north side of the Pit River, 9 miles to the northwest. The West Shasta, a well-defined northeast-trending district about 8 miles long and 2 miles wide, west of the Sacramento River, Fig. 2, is the western part of the ore-bearing area formerly known as the Shasta copper belt. Referred to in the older writings as a copper arc, this belt was thought to form a crescent extending entirely around the head of the Sacramento Valley, the convex side to the north. Recent studies by the U. S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the California State Division of Mines show that there are two districts, one at each end of the so-called copper arc, which are distinct in geologic structure and ore occurrences, and that there is only sporadic and unconnected copper mineralization between them. Ore deposits of the two districts are similar in mineralogy, that is, they are largely massive pyritic ores containing copper and zinc with minor amounts of gold and silver, but the structure and structural control of ore deposition are different. The ores of the East Shasta district are replacements of steeply dipping shear zones in Triassic rhyolite and shale, whereas those of the West Shasta district are replacements of gently dipping rhyolite of Middle Devonian age and are essentially flat-lying. Thus there is marked lateral control of orebodies by shear zones in the East Shasta district and equally marked vertical control of orebodies by the stratigraphy in the West Shasta district. Geologic Setting The Paleozoic rocks of the West Shasta district range in age from Middle Devonian (?) to Missis-sippian. The oldest formation exposed is the Copley greenstone, probably Middle Devonian. It is composed of volcanic flows, volcanic breccias, and tuffs, all of mafic composition, but contains minor amounts of shale and rhyolitic tuff. Largely submarine in origin, it rests upon a base of older marine sediments, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3. The lower part of the formation is made up principally of flows, many of which are ellipsoidal, and the upper part contains most of the pyroclastic material. The formation is at least 3700 ft thick. The Balaklala rhyolite overlying the Copley greenstone is made up of many rhyolitic flows and beds

Jan 1, 1956

By James Terry Duce

The symposium on production for the year 1940 contains few papers on the foreign situation. It is probable that the foreign part of next year's symposium will be even shorter. This is due to rigid censorship in various countries, as the question of the volume of petroleum supplies has become one of great strategic importance. This is even more true than in the last war, owing to greater mechanization of armies. 'It has always been the policy of officers in charge of the symposium to refrain from publishing information that might possibly injure national or private interests. At the close of the war we hope again to publish full and accurate records of production abroad. Excerpts from Circular to Authors In order to facilitate interpretation of the data in this chapter, we print the following excerpts from the Circular to Authors. The field is the unit in this tabulation. In cases of fields extending across State boundaries, such as Rodessa, it is suggested that each State author treat the section of the field in his State as a unit, and by a footnote indicate that the field extends into an adjacent State. Each space in Table I may represent one of four possibilities; either it is not applicable to the particular field, or the proper entry is not determinable, or the proper entry may be determinable but is not determinable from data available to the author, or the proper entry is determinable. When spaces are not applicable, leave blank; in spaces where the proper entries are determinable but not de-terminable frod data available to the author, please inserty; in spaces where the proper entries are determinable by the author, make such entries. y implies a hope that in some future year a definite figure will be available. The entry of a zero is a positive declaration, and an important declaration where it is in order. Inability to determine precisely the correct entry for a particular space should not lead the author to insert merely y. Contributions of great value may be made by the author in many cases where entries are not subject to precise determination. In sucli cases the author should use his good judgment and make the best entry possible under the circumstances. For many spaces the correct entries represent the opinion of the author (for example, "Area Proved') and in such cases the entry need not be hedged to such extent as when the quantities are definite yet can be ascertained only approximately by the author. In cases under definite headings but where figures are only approximate, the author may use x. It is thought that the nearest whole numbers are sufficiently accurate for our purposes except as to percentage of sulphur in oil. If an author desires to report any other figures to tenths, he may do so. The quantity of gas produced should include, where possible, gas sold or otherwise marketed, and gas blown into the air, burned as flares or otherwise wasted. Segregation of these figures would be interesting if the authors can make such segregation. In any event, the figures should represent as nearly as possible the total quantity of gas removed from the reservoir. Under the columns on "Depth," the average depth to the top of the productive zones and to the bottom of the productive wells, when

Jan 1, 1941

In Mr. Weed's interesting paper, frequent reference is made to the Cananea copper-deposits, which are said to have been so vigorously exploited that they produced 14,000,000 Ib. of copper in 1901. The ore-bodies which yielded this large quantity of metal are described as a product of contact-metamorphism, and in Mr. Weed's genetic classification of such deposits, they receive a place under the sub-heading, "Deposits impregnating and replacing beds of contact-zone."* They are considered by Mr. Weed to represent a special type under this head, and are further classified as: " l. Chalcopyrite deposits: (a) Pyrrhotite ores; (6) Magnetite ores, Cananea type." In condensing much information into a comparatively small space, the presentation of a subject may be so abbreviated as to detract from its clearness. The situation at La Cananea, considering its importance from an economic as well as scientific standpoint, may he worthy of more detailed description. As Mr. Weed rightly remarks, " structural differences are so important, and have SO marked a bearing, not alone on the theory of their genesis, hut also on the working of the deposits and a determination of their value as mines, that they merit a full discussion."† It is my present purpose: (1) to show that it is doubtful whether the copper of La Cananea is mined, except to a limited

Jan 1, 1903

By J. H. Swisher

When an Fe-Mn alloy is internally oxidized, the inclusions formed are MnO which contains some dissolzled FeO. In the internal oxidation reaction, not all of the manganese is oxidized; some remains in solid solution as a result of the high Mn-0 solubility product in iron. Taking these factors into consideration, the rate of internal oxidation of an Fe-1.0 pct Mn alloy is computed as a function of temperature, using available thermodynanzic data and recently published data for the solubility and diffusivity of oxygen in iron. The predicted and experimentally determined rates for the temperature range from 950 to 1350°C are in good agreement. ThE rates of internal oxidation of austenitic Fe-A1 and Fe-Si alloys have been studied extensively.1"4 Schenck et al. report the results of a few experiments with Fe-Mn alloys at 854" and 956C, and Bradford5 has studied the rate of internal oxidation of commercial alloys containing manganese in the temperature range from 677" to 899°C. When Fe-Mn alloys are internally oxidized, the inclusions formed are solutions of FeO in MnO, the composition depending on the experimental conditions. Since the thermodynamics of the Fe-Mn and FeO-MnO systems have been investigated,6"9 and since the solubility and diffusion coefficient of oxygen in y iron have been determined recently,' it is possible to predict the rate of internal oxidation from known data. The calculations used in predicting the rate of internal oxidation will first be outlined, then the results of the prediction will be compared with the experimental results of this investigation. PREDICTION OF PERMEABILITY FROM THERMODYNAMIC AND DIFFUSIVITY DATA Oxygen is provided for internal oxidation in these experiments by the dissociation of water vapor on the surface of the alloy. The dissociation reaction is: + H2(g) + [O] [1] where [0] denotes oxygen in solution. The equilibrium constant for this reaction is known as a function of temperature:' log As oxygen diffuses into the alloy, oxide inclusions are formed which are MnO with some FeO in solid solution. The reactions occurring are: [Mn] + [0] = (MnO) [31 and [Fe] + [0] = (FeO) [41 where [ Mn] is manganese dissolved in iron and (FeO) is iron oxide dissolved in MnO. The overall reactions may be written as follows: [Mn] + HOte) = (MnO) + H2(£) [5] and [Fe] + H20(g) = (FeO) + Hz(R) [61 The standard free-energy changes and equilibrium constants for Reactions [5] and [6] are known.6 Therefore the equilibrium constants for Reactions [3] and [4] may be obtained by combining known thermodynamic data for Reactions [I], [5], and [6]. For Reactions [3] and [4]: K = and For the present purpose, both the Fe-Mn7,8 and FeO-~n0' systems can be considered to be ideal, i.e., [amn] = [NM~] and (aFeO) = (NM~~) = 1 - (NFeO) where the Ns are mole fractions. These relations, together with Eqs. [I] and [8], permit us to compute both the oxide and metal compositions as a function of temperature and oxygen potential at any point in the specimen. For cases where the oxygen concentration gradient between the surface and the subscale-base metal interface is linear, the kinetics of internal oxidation is an application of Fick's first law: where dn/dt is the instantaneous flux of oxygen into the specimen, g-atom per sq cm sec; 6 is the instantaneous thickness of the subscale, cm; Do is the diffusion coefficient of oxygen in iron, sq cm per sec; p is density of iron, g per cu cm; h[%O] is the oxygen concentration difference between the surface and sub-scale-base metal interface, wt pct. B6hm and ~ahlweit" derived an exact solution to the diffusion equation for systems in which there is a stoichiometric oxide formed. They showed that the oxygen concentration gradient is given by a rather complex error function relation. For the Fe-Mn-0 system and for most other systems that have been studied, however, variations in oxide compositions are small and rates of internal oxidation are sufficiently slow that the deviation from linearity in the concentration gradient of oxygen is negligible. The mass of oxygen transported across a unit area of the specimen for the total time of the experiment is given by the mass balance equation:

Jan 1, 1969

MORE than 2500 members of the AIME from all sections of the U. S., Canada, Central and South America are expected to attend the 175th General Meeting scheduled for Los Angeles Feb. 16 to 21, 1953. The Southern California Section will be host for the meeting. It will be the first time the Annual Meeting has been held in Los Angeles. In keeping with the historic nature of the event, headquarters will be the fabulous Statler Hotel, recently opened in downtown Los Angeles. Meeting plans are under the direction of Henry T. Mudd, General Chairman, assisted by members of the Southern California Section, headed by Basil P. Kantzer. The annual business meeting is scheduled to be held Tuesday, February 17, at the Statler Hotel, at 4 pm. Minerals Beneficiation Div. has planned a very important program, with 10 technical sessions, the famous Scotch Breakfast, divisional luncheon, and participation in the Mining Branch and All-Institute activities. The MBD business meeting is set for the morning of Feb. 16, 1953.

Jan 1, 1952

By AIME AIME

CONVENTION plans for the A.I.M.E. Regional Meeting to be held on the Minnesota Iron Range Aug. 12 to 1.5 are being completed to give the visiting member?s from all parts of the country a wide variety of technical and recreational features. High spots of the social events are the official dinner, dance, luncheon and golf: and of course, special provision is being, made for the entertainment of visiting ladies. The technical sessions will fit in with scheduled trips to view all phases of mining, beneficiation and transportation of iron ore. Men from the West and Southwest will find much of interest in the detail of the mining operations. A trip to the steel plant of the

Jan 1, 1941

By F. W. Lake

The ultimate production from a natural reservoir of petroleum is inversely proportional to the gas-oil ratios existing during the producing life of the reservoir whenever gas is the major expulsive force in the recovery. In other words, in the period during which gas is the major expulsive force the ultimate production will be increased if the gas-oil ratio is decreased, and vice versa. This condition prevails in the greater number of the present producing districts. While this relation is difficult to prove from actual operation, on account of the present paucity of detailed observations, it must be admitted after a study of the forces and conditions governing the recovery of petroleum from natural reservoirs. Where gas and oil exist under pressure in sand interstices and water movement is not freely possible, the force expended in moving the oil to the well is the expansion and movement of the gas through the pressure differential existing between the interior of the reservoir and the well. If pressure and solution conditions in the untapped reservoir are such that the relation between gas and oil volumes at atmospheric conditions is as 100:1; and if during the producing period, until the gas is exhausted, the relation between the gas and oil volumes produced is 300:1, it follows that only one-third of the oil has been produced and the remaining two-thirds cannot be recovered unless some extraneous force is introduced into the reservoir. This serves to illustrate the importance of gas-oil ratio control during normal producing operations. Gas-oil Ratio Control Eliminating natural conditions in a reservoir, which govern gas-oil ratios, such as the physical properties of the oil and gas, the physical characteristics of the reservoir strata and the original pressure and solution conditions in the reservoir, which cannot be controlled by operation practice; and also eliminating operating conditions that apply to the reservoir as a whole, such as well spacing, well locations, relative completion dates, various penetrations and drilling practice; there remains but one condition in each well that influences the gas-oil ratio and that is

Jan 1, 1928

By B. R. Banerjee

MATERIAL used throughout this investigation was high-purity aluminum (99.998 pct). The 1/2-in. cubes were cut out of a cold-rolled slab and annealed at 550°C for 1 hr before deformation. The single crystal specimen was 1 in. in diam x 0.33 in. thick, cut from a cylindrical crystal produced by cooling at about 55°C per hr in a furnace which had a convenient gradient of about 10°C in every 4.5 in. vertical crucible length. Specific data on the ten specimens studied are summarized in table I. Three types of deformation were employed: (I) compression in a hand-operated hydraulic press; (2) impact with a 7-lb sledge hammer; and (3) rolling, using a wedge-shaped specimen' to obtain a gradient of deformations varying from 0 to 50 pct along the length of the wedge. Specimens were either deformed at room temperature, or first cooled in a freezing mixture of dry ice and ether at a temperature of —72°C and then deformed between steel blocks cooled with dry ice. The specimens deformed at the low temperature were ground and polished through 000 emery paper and wheels impregnated with alundum and alumina No. 1. During this entire procedure the specimens were dipped frequently in the freezing mixture of dry ice and ether in order to maintain constantly a frosty surface as insurance against overheating. All specimens were given a final electrolytic polish, using two different electrolytes* to insure that the surface effects observed were not char- acteristic of the polishing technique. With both electrolytes, the annealed specimens gave even surfaces with good polish. Several standard etchants were tried without success. The best results were obtained with an immersion etchant, developed in this connection, containing: hydrofluoric acid, 4 parts; nitric acid, 1 part; glycerine, 3 parts. Discussion of Results Typical strain markings have been observed within deformation bands, as shown in figs. 1, 2, and 4. By stereographic plotting of metallographic measurements, the strain markings within a deformation band in a single crystal of aluminum deformed by compression were found to be traces of (111) planes within a maximum scatter of 6". The edges of the deformation band were found to be traces of the (100) planes also within the maximum scatter of 6" (in agreement with previous workers). At 30 pct deformation, this scatter was considered quite normal because of the fragmentation and rotation of the crystal. This solution, based on the traces on one plane of observation is not unique, but as the planes were observed to be those normally and logically to be expected, further work in this regard was not felt to be necessary. The study of strain markings in a wedge-shaped specimen, rolled to obtain a gradient of deformation from 0 to 50 pct, revealed prominent strain markings at 25 pct reduction in thickness (fig.5). Faint and weak strain markings were visually observable up to a minimum reduction in thickness of about 12 pct. Since strain markings have been observed in other face-centered cubic metals after much smaller deformations;1, 2 and since the rate of recovery in aluminum is high, it is believed that, at lower deformations, self-recovery removes the localized strains at the slip interfaces, thus removing the source of the etching effects that give rise to strain markings. At high magnifications, strain markings sometimes seem to appear as very thin, light-banded re-gions bounded by a pair of dark edges. This so-

Jan 1, 1951

By F. Weinberg

In developing a mechanism for the solidification of metals from the melt, it has been proposed that solidification proceeds by the growth of platelets parallel to close packed planes. The evidence for this is based primarily on observations of decanted interfaces of lead1,2 and tin on which platelets 1 to 10 µ thick4 were observed. In recent observations of decanted eutectic alloys, 5,6 it was found that the eutectic structure on the decanted surface was markedly different than that of the bulk material, with the surface structure extending approximately 10 µ behind the interface.' This suggested that, at least for these experiments, a residual liquid layer 10 µ thick had been left on the decanted interface, which solidified subsequent to decanting. If a similar thickness of residual liquid was left on the decanted surfaces in the lead and tin observations referred to above, then it is questionable to what extent the observed platelets can be related to the solid-liquid interface before decanting. The purpose of the present investigation was to measure the thickness of the residual liquid layer on a decanted surface of tin, using relatively standard decanting procedures. The technique used was to add approximately 200 ppm of Tl204 (PI) to the melted portion of a high purity (99.999 pet) bar of tin, which was being progressively melted from one end, and then decant during melting. Since only the melt contained the radioactive tracer, the activity emanating from the decanted surface could be used as a measure of the thickness of the residual liquid layer. Progressive melting was carried out in the same fashion as single crystal growth, namely, in a horizontal graphite boat, in an argon atmosphere, using a moving furnace. The decanting was done in two ways; 1) removing the furnace and suddenly dropping the melt end of the boat, and 2) suddenly jerking the solid away from the liquid by the action of a falling weight (estimated peak acceleration 3 x 105 cm per sq sec), using a split graphite container. In all cases the melt was vigorously agitated by bubbling argon through it. The activity of the decanted surface was measured through an aperture 1.5 cm by 0.5 cm in a lead shield with an Anton tube geiger counter. Assuming that the active layer on the surface had the same concentration of Tl204 as the decanted liquid, the thickness of the layer could be determined from the measured activity of the decanted material, and the relationship between activity and material thickness. The latter was determined by rolling some of the decanted material into foil and measuring the activity of multiple layers of the foil. The activity At of material of thickness t (in mm) was determined to be A, = Ao(1 - e-22.5t) where Ao is the activity of the bulk material. The results of the measurements of the thickness of the residual liquid layer for six decants are given in Table I. The variation in t is attributed to variations in the decanting procedure and the rate of melting, the latter being difficult to control because of the vigorous agitation of the liquid. The rate of melting was in the order of 2 cm per hr, estimated from the position of the solid-liquid interface during melting. The results indicate that a residual liquid layer of the order of 10 µ in thickness is left on the decanted interface in agreement with the observation on eutectic alloys referred to above. If the mixing of the liquid during melting is not complete, as was

Jan 1, 1962

By Bernard Moore

THE last few decades have witnessed the introduction of many new nonmetallic mineral products and changes in the use of many of those already well known. Among these is diatomite, formerly employed as a mild abrasive and, at one time, as the absorbent material in dynamite. Now nearly 100,000 tons a year are mined and milled into such things as filter aids, cement admixtures, insulants, fillers, absorbents, cosmetics, cleansers, etc. Pumice, commonly regarded as only an abrasive, is now also employed as an insulant, as light-weight aggregate and as a concrete admixture. With increasing use of insulants, light-weight aggregates, and acoustic stuccos and plasters in the building trades, both these mate-rials should find increased application. Very large deposits occur in eastern Oregon and have been studied by the U. S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Oregon State Mining Board.

Jan 1, 1934