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By L. T. Larson

The spectral reflectivity of zirconium in light of 441 to 668 nanometers (nm) wavelengths and air immersion has been determined. Bireflectance and apparent-angle -of-rotation measurements show zirconium to be optically isotropic when examined in light of approximately 484 nm wavelength. There is a direct relationship between bireflectance and the tilt of the basal pole of zirconium from the surface normal. This relationship allows the determination of the spatial orientation of the basal pole of an individual single crystal within a coarse-grained poly crystalline section to within± 2 to 3 deg for angles of basal pole tilt from 0 to 90 deg. In recent years considerable attention has been given to the quantitative determination of optical properties of opaque minerals by use of vertically incident, plane-polarized light. In particular, Cameron' and Cameron et a1.2 have developed criteria for the identification of a large number of anisotropic ore minerals based upon measurement of the apparent angle of rotation and the ellipticity or phase difference of the reflected light. It was shown by Larson and Pickle-simer3 that apparent-angle-of-rotation measurements may also be used to determine crystallographic orientations of grains of noncubic metals. In particular, it was shown that the basa.1 pole orientation in space of zirconium grains can be determined to ±3 deg for those grains with basal pole tilts of 10 to 90 deg from the plane of the section. Another, even more widely studied, optical property is reflectivity. cameron4 has commented upon measurement of the reflectance of plane-polarized, vertically incident light and Bowie and Taylor5 have made such measurements an integral part of their system of ore-mineral identification. Leow6 has reported on the spectral reflectivity of molybdenite and has used reflectivity values to calculate refractive indices and absorption coefficients. Cameron7 has made use of reflectivity values to ascertain aniso-tropic ore mineral symmetry and Piller and v. Gehlen8 have evaluated sources and importance of errors in reflectivity measurements as applied to calculation of optical constants. cambon9 has shown that reflectivity measurements using vertically incident, plane-polarized light are useful in the investigation of metals and in the identification of phases present in alloys. Bronson10 has made preliminary measurements on the optical anisotropy of beryIlium and Mott and Haines11 have published qualitative data on the intensity of light reflected from sections of bismuth, tin, and aluminum when these metals are microscopically examined under crossed polarizing plates. Koritnig12 has correlated the reflectivity of homogeneous solid solutions with their chemical compositions. From the above work and investigations in progress by this author, it is apparent that accurately determined values for the reflectance of vertically incident, plane-polarized monochromatic light from carefully polished surfaces of noncubic metals can prove useful in identification, composition determinations, and crystallographic orientation applications. Finally, reflectivity values, when measured in two media of differing refraction index and related to standards whose spectral reflectivities in these media are known, can be used to calculate optical constants such as refractive index and absorption coefficient. These constants may prove of use to those concerned with problems of electron band configuration. This paper reports the spectral reflectivity of zirconium measured in light of 441 to 668 nanometers (nm) wavelengths and air immersion. It also gives maximum bireflectance values for a prism section of zirconium in these wavelengths and shows how bire-flectance may be used to determine the crystallographic orientation of zirconium single crystals. Because of the lack of information on the reflectivities of the standards in oil immersion, no attempt is made to calculate the refractive indices or absorption coefficients although it is recognized that such values may be of fundamental importance. METHOD Single crystals of zirconium were cut by electro-discharge machining from a single-crystal rod grown from iodide bar by an electron-beam zone-melting process.13 The crystal sections were mounted in cold-setting epoxy resin and mechanically polished to a plane, uniform, bright surface. Each crystal was then chemically polished in a 26/26/43/5 mixture (by vol) of water, nitric, lactic, and hydrofluoric acids to remove the mechanically damaged and smeared surface layer. Final polish was obtained by electropolishing at 30 v in a bath of methyl alcohol and perchloric acid (98/2 by vol) at -70oc.14 Reflectivity measurements were made using a photometer system designed and developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and described in detail by Larson.15 Briefly, the reflectivity measuring system consists of a reflecting microscope; a double-beam, null-balancing photometer array; a mechanically driven microscope stage; and a direct X-Y readout of the reflectivity of the specimen relative to its orientation on the microscope stage. The measuring photometer receives its signal from the specimen through a slotted Wright occular placed on top of the photovisual head of the microscope. The reference photometer receives light through a flexible glass "light pipe" from a mirror in the reflecting system of the microscope. Monochromatic light is attained through use of interference filters (15-nm half-peak width pass bands) placed in front of a stabilized Vickers 12 v, 100 w, tungsten-filament, quartz-iodide lamp.

Jan 1, 1970

By R. Schuhmann Jr., P. J. Ensio

As a first step in a study of the physical chemistry of copper-smelting slags, experimental measurements were made of the oxygen pressure of simple iron-silicate slags in equilibrium with solid iron. The experiments consisted in bubbling CO2-CO mixtures through the slags in iron crucibles and in finding the equilibrium ratios of CO2 to CO. From the data, activities and partial molal heats of solution FeO and SiO2 in the slags were calculated. THE ternary system FeO-Fe,O,-SiO, is the simplest system which can represent adequately the important chemical properties of the slags formed in matte smelting and converting. Accordingly, the experimental study of slags in this system was started as the first step in a general research program on the thermodynamics of copper smelting. A recent paper by one of the authors' outlines this general research program and shows in some detail how information on thermodynamic properties of iron-silicate slags, especially information on oxygen activities, is essential to a full understanding of the chemistry of copper smelting. The FeO-Fe,O,-SiO, system also is the basis of slags produced in other processes, such as acid steelmak-ing processes, and is important in relation to the behavior of silicious refractories. In addition, data on the physicochemical properties of iron-silicate slags should contribute to a general understanding of the nature of slags, since at present such data for all kinds of slags are relatively meager. The principal quantitative information already available on iron-silicate slags consists in Bowen and Schairer's constitution diagram for slags in equilibrium with metallic iron,' Darken and Gurry's complete and precise thermodynamic study of the Fe-0 system,",' and Darken's study of the phase equilibria in the Fe-Si-o system. From the results of this previous work, it was clear that a complete thermodynamic study of ternary iron-silicate melts was a major undertaking which would have to be broken down into parts, including the working out of the ternary equilibrium diagram as well as extensive activity measurements on slags. The experimental measurement of oxygen activity, using CO-CO, and other gas mixtures as yardsticks of oxygen activity, was the basis of Darken and Gurry's study of the Fe-0 system. From the experimental measurements of oxygen activities over a large range of temperatures and compositions, they were able to calculate the activities of other species such as Fe, FeO, Fe,O,, etc., and also the other important thermodynamic properties in the Fe-0 system. At the start of the present investigation, it appeared that the same approach would be fruitful for the study of iron-silicate melts. Also, the experimental measurement of oxygen activities seemed particularly attractive because oxygen activity itself is a quantitative measure of oxidizing or reducing power, which is an important variable in copper-smelting slags. The slag compositions in equilibrium with yFe appeared most suitable for the first investigation of this kind, for the following reasons: 1—Good constitution data2 were available. 2—An iron crucible could be used, thus affording a simple solution to the refractory problem without introducing contarnination. 3—With Fe activity fixed, at unity with respect to a standard state of solid Fe, measurements of 0 activity could be followed by simple calculations of activities of FeO and other Fe-0 complexes and of SiO,. 4—This starting point afforded several possibilities for cross-checking with previous work,

Jan 1, 1952

By W. M. Peirce

WITH the supply of zinc, like that of most other nonferrous metals, inadequate to meet the demand, efforts to increase domestic ore supplies and production capacity have been of primary interest. No major sources of new ore have been disclosed during the year but improvements have been reported in facilities for mining and concentrating ores from existing mines. The American Zinc, Lead and Smelting Co. has announced its intention of erecting a new mill in the Ouray district of Colorado. The Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co. of Canada is reported to be planning improvements costing $3,000,000 to its Sullivan mine and concentrator at Kimberley, B.C., where the sink-float process is to be used for preliminary ore treatment. In the reduction field, the St. Joseph

Jan 1, 1947

By L. D. Lash, J. R. Ross

Discovery of scandium in the Vitro solvent extraction plant for uranium led to commercial recovery of the byproduct. Micro amounts of scandium were extracted with uranium by dodecyl phosphoric acid, but failed to follow ura-niuminto the hydrochloric acid strip solution and were eventually concentrated in the organic extractant. A fluoride strip system was developed to recover scandium from the solvent in concentrated form. High purity scandium oxide was then prepared in multi-pound lots by chemical separation techniques. The plant recovery operation, final product purification, and analytical procedures are described. Scandium is a pseudo-rare earth which is truly rare and expensive. It has special properties which may make it desirable even at the present price of $2750 per lb. Recently the price was lowered from $5000 per Ib which had prevailed since 1952, and it is anticipated that usage will be stimulated because of the lowered price. This metallic element is distributed widely in trace amounts in the rocks of the earth's crust. In addition to micro-amounts found in most uranium ores, concentrations of 50 to 100 ppm have been found in Colorado ferberite ore, lateritic nickel ore, heavy sandstone from Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico, and various zircon sands and monazites from the western part of the U. S. Scandium has been found as an essential constituent of very few minerals, the most important being thortveitite, a scandium silicate. At the present time, this mineral commands a price more than twice that of gold. Chemically, scandium is in group 3A of the periodic table. It is closely associated with yttrium and the rare earths which it strongly resembles in its reactions. It has a valence of three and will form an insoluble hydroxide, fluoride, or oxalate under proper conditions, similar to the rare earths. Eight years before its discovery, scandium was predicted by Mendeleef who ascribed his eka-boron with properties nearly identical to the actual properties of scandium. Its position as the element with Atomic No. 21 and Atomic Weight 44.96 places it between calcium and titanium in Period 4 of the chart. The successful commercial application of scandium must depend on unique properties to justify use of this high cost substance. Greater consumption would allow additional price reductions, but scan- dium will remain a relatively high-priced commodity because of its inherent scarcity. Research reportedly has been oriented toward use of scandium as an agent to achieve high-temperature, low-density alloys with magnesium and tantalum.' Also, the U.S. Air Force sponsored a project for production of research amounts of pure scandium metal.' The oxide has been used experimentally in electronics, ceramics, and metallurgy. The various aspects of scandium are well covered in recent publications.s-5 CONCENTRATE RECOVERY Small amounts of scandium exist in uranium ores and are dissolved during an acid leach yielding up to 0.001 gpl Sc2O9. When Vitro converted their uranium plant from phosphate precipitation to solvent extraction: scandium was found to follow the uranium into the dodecyl phosphoric acid solvent (DDPA). However, scandium did not strip with uranium from the DDPA in hydrochloric acid, but remained in the solvent. Therefore, a concentration of scandium built up in the organic phase. Residues from the solvent were spectrographed by the U.S. Bureau of Mines and found to contain scandium. As a result of this discovery, provisions were made in the plant for recovery of scandium-bearing concentrates. Solvent extraction of uranium was added to a conventional acid leach process in a typical installation? The ore was crushed and ground, and then leached with dilute sulfuric acid. Addition of an oxidant such as sodium chlorate insured conversion of uranium minerals to a soluble form. At this point, the slurry was chemically reduced by a sulfide, such as sodium hydrosulfide, to remove substances such as ferric iron and molybdenum which were partially extracted by the solvent. The solids-liquid separation was accomplished by a four-stage counter cur rent decantation (CCD) thickener circuit. The uranium was extracted from pregnant liquor with 0.1M DDPA in kerosene and stripped with ION

Jan 1, 1961

The Alligator Ridge Project is owned jointly by Amselco Minerals Inc. and Occidental Minerals, with Amselco being the operator. It is the latest of Nevada' s gold heap leaching operations , having gone into operation in October of 1980 after a design and construction period of only seven and one-half months. Alligator Ridge is located about 77 km (48 miles) northwest of Ely, Nevada. Three separate but adjacent ore bodies will be mined: Vantage I, II and III. The first lies virtually at the surface and is totally oxidized; the second is somewhat deeper and contains some carbonaceous material; and the third is at the lowest horizon and contains substantial carbonaceous ore. The ore is a Carlin- type siltstone which has been silicified, especially at depth, and contains finely disseminated free gold. Exploration drilling on Alligator Ridge resulted in the defining of an ore reserve of about 4.54 million mt (5 million st) averaging 4. 12 g Au per mt (0. 12 oz Au per st). A pilot heap leaching program was run during 1979. Because of the high content of fine material in portions of the ore body, one test heap of 5,000 tons was leached, after being crushed to 19 mm (314 in.), in the conventional manner using cyanide and caustic while a second heap of 2,500 tons of ore was agglomerated with cement before leaching. Results of this work were reported at the 1980 American Mining Congress meeting by Paul Chamberlin (see Bibliography). The test work clearly indicated the superior leaching qualities of the agglomerated ore, and the plant was designed on this basis. Run-of-mine ore is crushed in an open-air crushing plant using a jaw crusher followed by two cone crushers, one standard and one shorthead. Provision was made to bypass the shorthead when the ore is wet from rain or snow. Crushed ore at 19 mm (314 in.) size is mixed with cyanide solution and cement, with the ratio of the latter to the ore being 2 to 5 kg per mt (4 to 10 lb per st). The resulting moisture content is about 870, and the fines are effectively bound to the coarse particles so that migration of the fines in the heap does not take place during leaching. For agglomeration, Amselco uses a rotating drum 2. 75 m 0 by 6 m long (9 ft 6 by 20 ft). For the same agglomeration, Candelaria uses three "grasshopper" conveyors, with introduction of caustic- cyanide solution at the conveyor transfer points. Provision was made for future addition of cement slurry at these same points.

Jan 1, 1981

By Benj. Lazer

Multiple seam mining has been studied and writ- ten about extensively in the past and in the latest review of the subject in 1956 David Stemple covered it exhaustively. The present discussion has to do with only one phase of the problem-"The effects on upper seams when the lower seams have been mined first." The study presented here is based on observations made in mining operations in southern West Virginia and adjoining areas of Virginia and Kentucky during the past 43 years. These observations are largely confined to the Pocahontas coalfields of southern West Virginia which have, since 1883, produced well over one billion tons of coal from an area of about 300 sq miles and where multiple seam mining has been active, or is now active, at more than 40 operations. The observations and conclusions as to the effects on upper seams when lower seams have previously been mined are therefore related only to the local coalfields in the area of the three states named but I believe that they can be applied generally to other coalfields.

Jan 9, 1965

By R. D. Pehlke, J. F. Elliott

The equilibrium pressure of nitrogen gas over pure silicon metal and silicon nitride has been measured in the temperature range 1400° to 1700°C. From the experimental data, the standard free energies and enthalpies of formation of Si3N4(a) have been calculated as functions of temperature over the above temperature range. Utilizing data in the literature and the results of this investigation, the specific heat, molar enthalpy, molar entropy, standard enthalpy of fornation, and standard free energy of fornation are estimated for the temperature range 298° to 1400°C. THE high-temperature thermodynamic properties of many metallic nitrides are not well established at present. This is a serious deficiency because nitrogen and nitride-forming metals are important alloying additions to steels, and knowledge of the interaction between nitrogen and these elements is essential to a better understanding of the behavior of steels. Metallic nitrides also are used as refractory materials. Consequently, the investigation reported here was undertaken to provide more complete information on the standard entropy and free energy of formation of silicon nitride. The experimental technique provided a direct measurement of the equilibrium pressure of nitrogen gas in the range of 1413 to 1700°C for the reaction: 3 Si(1) + 2N2 (g) = Si3N4 (a) [ 1 ] and below 1413oC for the reaction: 3Si(c) + 2N2(g) = Si3N4(a) [2] APPARATUS The experimental system consisted of a crucible assembly, a reaction chamber, and a gas supply and vacuum system. The Crucible Assembly which contained the equilibration specimen and molybdenum radiation shields with a susceptor for induction heating is shown in Fig. 1. Two covered, high-purity alumina crucibles, one nested within the other, contained the susceptor, shields and specimen. Central openings in the upper shield and crucible covers permitted on optical pyrometer to be sighted into the central cavity of the specimen. The specimen itself was a 5/8 OD by 1-in.

Jan 1, 1960

Jan 1, 1967

A discussion at a joint meeting of the New York Section of the American Electrochemical Society and the American Institute of Mining Engineers, Nov. 20, 1913. Chairman Lawrence Addicks:-Our program this evening represents an attempt to set before you the present situation and outlook in the metallurgy of zinc. It is a time-honored custom to throw bricks at the zinc man. The accusation is that he has borrowed a lime kiln and a gas retort and part of a sulphuric acid plant, hitched them together, and spent the last 50 years in regarding with holy veneration the reactions which take place in that retort. The copper man, who thinks of zinc as something with which copper is adulterated to make brass, and the iron man, who regards it as a sort of paint for corrugated sheets, and the lead man, whose opinion as to zinc is not fit for publication, have long felt that, when two or three of the minor details of their respective metallurgies were put in order, they would take a few clays and fix up zinc on a modern basis. But somehow there still seem to be some unsolved problems at home, and while we are waiting it seems only fair that the case for the defense should be adequately presented. There is probably no man in this country to-clay better able to do this than Mr. George C. Stone, of the New Jersey Zinc Co., on whom I have pleasure in calling to talk to us on "Progress in the Metallurgy of Zinc." George C. Stone:-It is frequently stated that there has been no change in the metallurgy of zinc since the first Belgian furnaces were built in the early part of the last century. It is true there have been no such spectacular and radical changes as were worked in the metallurgy of copper and iron by the introduction of converters; but, in the essentials, I believe the progress in zinc metallurgy has been as great as in that of the other common metals. The main reason that there have not been revolutionary changes is that the chemistry of zinc differs radically from that of the other metals and these differences control the type of apparatus that can be used. The differences are: 1. The temperature at which zinc is reduced by carbon is much above the volatilizing point of the metal and it is therefore always produced as a vapor.

Jan 1, 1914

By James M. Stapleton

It has long been recognized by blastfurnace men that correct top distribution of materials is very important in efficient and economical furnace operation. Thousands of experiments on top design, filling, sizing, and other operations have been carried out to improving furnace performance by securing uniform distribution. Many of these experiments have worked out satisfactorily and have been passed along to the industry. Many of them have been discarded and forgotten. It has been the custom to judge the results of such experimentation by the results shown in improved or lowered furnace efficiency. While the effect on furnace practice will have to continue to be the final criterion of experimental changes, it has always been a desire of blast-furnace men to ascertain the reason for failure or success. Efficiency in the blast furnace approaching the maximum can be measured in several ways: (1) by actual operating results as revealed in the coke rate and tonnage figures, and (2), in the degree to which the top gas approaches the limiting ratio of CO/CO2 for the reduction of iron oxide by CO gas. This ratio is shown in the equilibrium curve in Fig. I for the system Fe-O-C and CO2-CO-C. The closer the top gases approach this limiting ratio (set at 1.08 by Martin1 because of the effect of limestone calcination) the more efficiently we may expect a furnace to operate. The fact that low CO/CO2 ratios parallel eficient operating performance caused us to investigate the cause of good or poor distribution and the effect of filling and other changes on furnace operation. Heretofore it has been possible to take a sample of furnace gas (usually from the dust catcher) and from it determine how closely the reducing gases were to the ideal or limiting value as set by the equilibrium diagram. However, to find just where in the top area the distribution was distorted and the top-gas CO/CO2 ratios were distant from equilibrium values has been a difficult and expensive investigational procedure. In an effort to overcome this difficulty, apparatus was designed to take gas samples and temperatures across the top radius of the furnace. It was hoped that with the aid of this apparatus traverse sampling of the ascending gases could be simplified, and the cost of sampling substantially lowered. Routine experimenting could then be maintained and results checked with furnace operation. It must be emphasized that a traverse sampling is necessary for a true picture, as single samples at any one point are unreliable. This statement can be verified by an examination of Tables 3 to 6, showing results obtained at our furnaces in a large number of tests. Apparatus The design of the equipment for taking the samples was governed by the need for providing a simple, routine test that could be performed fairly quickly without adversely affecting normal furnace operation.

Jan 1, 1943

By James M. Stapleton

It has long been recognized by blastfurnace men that correct top distribution of materials is very important in efficient and economical furnace operation. Thousands of experiments on top design, filling, sizing, and other operations have been carried out to improving furnace performance by securing uniform distribution. Many of these experiments have worked out satisfactorily and have been passed along to the industry. Many of them have been discarded and forgotten. It has been the custom to judge the results of such experimentation by the results shown in improved or lowered furnace efficiency. While the effect on furnace practice will have to continue to be the final criterion of experimental changes, it has always been a desire of blast-furnace men to ascertain the reason for failure or success. Efficiency in the blast furnace approaching the maximum can be measured in several ways: (1) by actual operating results as revealed in the coke rate and tonnage figures, and (2), in the degree to which the top gas approaches the limiting ratio of CO/CO2 for the reduction of iron oxide by CO gas. This ratio is shown in the equilibrium curve in Fig. I for the system Fe-O-C and CO2-CO-C. The closer the top gases approach this limiting ratio (set at 1.08 by Martin1 because of the effect of limestone calcination) the more efficiently we may expect a furnace to operate. The fact that low CO/CO2 ratios parallel eficient operating performance caused us to investigate the cause of good or poor distribution and the effect of filling and other changes on furnace operation. Heretofore it has been possible to take a sample of furnace gas (usually from the dust catcher) and from it determine how closely the reducing gases were to the ideal or limiting value as set by the equilibrium diagram. However, to find just where in the top area the distribution was distorted and the top-gas CO/CO2 ratios were distant from equilibrium values has been a difficult and expensive investigational procedure. In an effort to overcome this difficulty, apparatus was designed to take gas samples and temperatures across the top radius of the furnace. It was hoped that with the aid of this apparatus traverse sampling of the ascending gases could be simplified, and the cost of sampling substantially lowered. Routine experimenting could then be maintained and results checked with furnace operation. It must be emphasized that a traverse sampling is necessary for a true picture, as single samples at any one point are unreliable. This statement can be verified by an examination of Tables 3 to 6, showing results obtained at our furnaces in a large number of tests. Apparatus The design of the equipment for taking the samples was governed by the need for providing a simple, routine test that could be performed fairly quickly without adversely affecting normal furnace operation.

Jan 1, 1943

By Reaves. M. J.

The title of my talk, "What Happened to the Uranium Boom?" is old news. Certainly it is for this group. All of us that make our living in uranium know that the boom of the last half of the 1970's is over. U.S. production has been exceeding consumption by more than two to one. Mines and mills are closing and yellowcake prices have been dropping for over 20 months. The gloomy outlook for the industry in the near term has been well documented by soothsayers of various descriptions, your daily newspapers, and in the Nuexco Monthly Reports. I'd like to attempt to describe the next upturn in the market (speculate, really) based upon the clues we're seeing now. In order to do that, I'd first like to go over briefly, some of the market factors that contributed to the recent price drop and resultant production cutbacks, and then hypothesize on the way these factors are changing and will change. Market prices are greatly affected (maybe even entirely determined) by buyer perceptions. This is particularly true with uranium, because of the long lead times associated with nuclear plant construction and also with conventional mine/mill development. Before the price rise (say, 1975) utility uranium buyers believed that: 1) U.S. producers would have difficulty expanding to meet U.S. demand. 2) Australian and Canadian production was essential to avoid shortages in the early 1980's. 3) Uranlum prices would continue to rise as demand exceeded supply. 4) Enrichment capacity would become inadequate. It was thought necessary, therefore, to build enriched inventory in the early 1980's for use in the late 1980's. Artificially accelerated expansion of the uranium producer industry was necessary to accommodate anticipated enrichment demand. Current perceptions are largely the opposite. These are the beliefs that were held most of this year and late last year as prices dropped. 1) U.S. production is far in excess of domestic need. Contraction of the U.S. production lndustry is necessary. 2) Canadian and Australian supply is optional and not essential. Producers in those countries are expanding mainly by displacing higher cost production and not because they fill a void, 3) Prices may be essentially stable for some time. 4) Enriched uranium is in excess supply. That is 1981. 1982 is shaping up to look like this: 1) Prices will have bottomed out. (That is not Nuexco's opinion necessarily, by the way, but it is my opinion.) 2) There will still be substantial utility inventories, but fewer spot sales. 3) Canadian and perhaps Australian sellers will have made substantial sales in the U.S. and will be aggressively seeking more. 4) U.S. production will have been dramatically curtailed. U.S. utilities that wish to con- tract long term will have difficulty in finding domestic sellers. Concern will develop about the availability of U.S. production capability. Virtually all long term con- tracts signed will be with non-U.S. sellers. 5) An awareness will begin to develop among U.S. buyers that we are approaching a period of dependence upon foreign uranium (which will be true). The history of the uranium market has been one of dramatic changes and overreaction to those changes. The rapid price rise of a few years ago generated excess U.S. production capacity and the rapid price drop of the last two years will almost certainly result in too little capacity. It will soon be difficult for U.S. buyers to buy domestic material except on the spot market. The question is, "will they care?" The lack of demand, of course, is the underlying reason for the current poor health of the uranium industry. In 1972, 1973 and 1974 collectively, there were 105 nuclear reactors ordered in the U.S. That ordering rate was expected to continue and accelerate throughout this century. In 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, and 1980 altogether, there were 56 more reactors cancelled than ordered. The net growth of our only customer since 1974 has been a negative 56. TO put this in perspective, if these 56 reactors were operating now it would more than double present U.S. uranium consumption. Underlying lack of demand is something that is simply not going to change in this decade. Time is going to be required. The NRC indicates that the maximum feasible number of new reactors that can be licensed each year is six. That would increase uranium consumption by only 10% per year. New reactors, if ordered tomorrow, would not generate new uranium demand until after 1990. Even so, United States' consumption of uranium will rise from the 1980 level of 18 million pounds per year, to

Jan 1, 1982

By Charles E. Locke

The little stamp-mill in the mining laboratory of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the work done by it have been well described by Prof. R. H. Richards and E. E. Bugbee in a paper read at the Albany meeting of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, February, 1903.' As run for student class-work the mill contains a feeder, stamps, plate, and vanner. Results in the past indicate that the work of these machines is just as efficient as that of a regular mill handling the same class of ore. It has been the custom to obtain ore principally from Nova Scotia, mainly because it is the nearest source of supply, and also because there is a considerable saving in freight-cost as compared with other districts. The gold in Nova Scotia ores is notoriously coarse, and for this reason it is almost impossible to obtain satisfactory results by sampling and fire-assay, unless an extremely large lot of ore is crushed and all of the contained gold pellets are saved. A very interesting and most extraordinary example of this fact has been presented by a recent run in the Technology stamp-mill. Since the capacity of the mill is about 60 kg. per hr., and since in about 5-hr. run the students in any one section have an opportunity to make the necessary study of machines, it usually happens that several runs are made from one lot of ore. When the shipment is received it is first dried and weighed, put through the Blake breaker, set at 1 or 1.5 in., and the crushed product is piled in a cone on the sampling-floor. When the crushing is completed the ore is usually stored away in barrels for future use; it is aimed to have each barrel of

Jan 1, 1914

By Chikao Nishiwaki

INTRODUCTION The Japanese dependency for mineral raw materials from foreign sources increased rapidly within the 20 years since the Korean war. During this 20 year period Japan has attempted to industrialize and develop her economy while depending mostly on heavy import of nearly all kinds of mineral raw materials. She has fabricated them using energy generated mostly by mineral fuel that are also imported. Fabricated goods are either used domestically to accelerate more fabrication industry or exported after adding more refinement or fabrication. In this paper iron ore as a major raw material for the Iron and Steel industry, three major base metals, copper, zinc and lead, and petroleum as a major energy source have been selected as examples to represent the general features of various kinds of mineral raw materials that are imported. Among other important mineral commodities for which Japan dependa upon foreign sources are: Aluminium, nickel and cobalt, potash and phosphorous 100 percent dependent and tin, tungusten, chromium and molybdenum over 95 percent dependent. IRON ORE Statistics for the important iron and steel raw materials, namely iron ore, coal and scrap iron are shown in Tables 1, 2 and Fig. 1. Iron ore is by far the most important and basic among these three commodities. There has been practically no steel or iron imported as a metal into Japan during this period. Iron ore, including aggregate such as pellets, and metallurgical coal are mostly transported in large ore cargo boats to the port where very efficient port facilities unload them directly at the steel mill site. As a result

Jan 1, 1976

By J. W. Downey, S. T. Zegler

A study has been made of the occurrence of Phases having the Cr30-type structure in ternary alloys having the general composition where B cept for iron and copper all the B components are known to form binary compounds having the type structure. The occurrence of the struc-ture type in the ternary alloys was investigated using optical and X-ray metallography. The results indicate that iron can replace virtually none of the cobalt in at 900°C, but substitutes for nickel in up to the approximate composition tually insoluble in V3Ni and 2) and exhibit complete solubility. At 100 nickel can be substituted for cobalt in VSCo up to the composition solubility; and 3) in the system , two solid solutions having the type structure occur. At the same temperature, 1000°C, V3Si exhibits limited solubility for V3Co but is completely mis-cible with V3Ga. Lattice parameters have been determined for all the binary and ternary phases. The solid solutions are discussed in terms of the atomic size and electronic factors which are thought to influence the occurrence of Cr30-type phases. The binary compounds V3Co and V3Ni were found to form peritectoidally from o phases and a vanadium, the former compound at a temperature between 1000" and 1050°C, the latter between 800°and 900°C. The substitutions of nickel and rhodium for cobalt in V3Co were determined not to raise the superconducting transition of VSCo to a temperature as high as 2°K. The occurrence and stability of binary intermediate phases having the Cr30- or A15-type structure (space group o;, Pm3n) have been discussed in several recent papers . Vanadium forms the struc -ture at or near V3B stoichiometry with all the mem -bers of the cobalt and nickel groups in the periodic table and also with Au, Ga, Si, Ge, Sn, P, As, and Sb. This paper describes a survey of the occurrence of the CrsO-type structure in ternary alloys having the general composition V3(B, B') where B and B' are Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Rh, Ir, Si, and Ga. The purpose of the survey was to clarify the connection between the position of the B partner in the periodic table and its CrsO-type phase-forming tenden~y.~,~ The survey is part of a broader program concerned with the influence of B-partner substitutions on the superconducting transition temperatures of CrsO-type compounds. The transition temperatures, Tc, of some of the ternary Cr,O-type phases found in the survey are also discussed in this paper. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The alloys were prepared by arc-melting in an A-He atmosphere and were in the form of buttons, weighing approximately 3 g. The metals used in their preparation were received from commercial sources and were in all cases 99.9+ pct pure. The vanadium was spectrochemically pure except for 800 ppm of Si, 200 ppm of Fe, and 200 ppm of Al. For study of each pseudobinary system at least seven alloys were prepared having the general compositions case of alloys containing gallium, melting losses were small, usually less than 0.3 pct of the total weight of the metals charged for melting. Melting losses were somewhat greater for gallium alloys, ranging in general from 0.9 to 5.0 pct. Ternary V-Si-Ga alloys were chemically analyzed and the results are given in Table I. The analyses show most alloys to be within 2 at. pct of the intended composition. Throughout the balance of the paper the intended compositions are used in discussing the alloys. The cast buttons were annealed within evacuated quartz capsules for times ranging from 3 to 6 weeks at temperatures between 800" and 1000°C and water-quenched. The phases present in the annealed and quenched alloys were identified by optical and X-ray metallography. X-ray diffraction photograms were made with powders prepared from the bulk specimens, by the use of a 114.6-mm-diam powder camera with copper irradiation. The lattice parameter of CrsO-type phases and their standard errors

Jan 1, 1963

By I. B. Cadoff, J. C. Bilello, R. Rosenberg

Diffiusion of magnesium into the surface of LiF crystals to controlled depths and subsequent heat treatments provided a wide range of surface zone harahesses and structure, The bend strength of the LiF crystals was increased by as much as an or-dev of magnitude. Ductility was achieved when dislocation generation occurred in the diffusion zone or when dislocations penetrated to the surface from the intevior. A critical surface hardness of 130 to 140 kg per sq mm was found helozu which generation could take place in the diffusion zone and ahoue which the zone was impenetrable, This hardness was obtainable by several methods, among them the aging of quenched MgF2 -LiF solutions to produce MgF, precipitation. Maximum hardness was ohtained in quenched specimens with no visihle evidence of MgF,. Diffusion-zone formation followed a parabolic rate law and an activation energy of 20.9 kcal per mole was obtained for the process. RECENTLY, the properties of ionic crystals as related to surface condition have been receiving much attention, specifically the transitions between ductile and brittle behavior. Originally Joffe 1 showed that NaCl crystals could be made ductile by immersion in water and related this to the elimination of surface microcracks. Aerts and DeKeyser 2 and Gorur 3' have subsequently shown that ionic crystals are inherently ductile and are embrittled through contact with air. Machlin and Murray4 hypothesized that a layer of NaCIO3 produced by contact of ozone with NaCl induced embrittlement by acting as a barrier to outward dislocation flow. westwood,' Rosenberg and Cadoff,9 and Bilello and cadoff' have reported surface strengthening of LiF crystals by coating with a magnesium compound and then heat treating for adherence. The major effect of the coat was to inhibit dislocation-slip lines from reaching the specimen surface. westwoods showed microcrack formation and fracture to be caused by slip-band interactions at the surface. The material presented in this paper is an extension of the work reported earlier by Bilello, Rosenberg, and cadoff'6,7 and illustrates the wide range of surface properties and bulk behavior obtainable by use of heat-treated magnesium-diffused surface regions in LiF crystals. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The LiF single crystals were obtained from the Harshaw Chemical Co. Some batch to batch variation was observed; therefore all specimens for a given test series were cleaved from the same crystal. The typical dimension used was 1 by 0.1 by 0.40 in. Surface damage resulting from cleavage was removed by chemically polishing in a 2 pct NH4OH solution. Each group of specimens was given a vacuum anneal at 700°C for 4 hr to provide a base standard for measuring comparative effects of various surface treatments. To produce the reacted surface zone, the annealed specimens were immersed in a boiling suspension of MgF, in doubly distilled HzO, agitated slbwly for 30 sec, removed, and dried at room temperature. Uniform coatings of MgF, were deposited with a thickness of approximately 5 mils. It should be noted that this technique can be modified for use with crystals which are soluble in water by using boiling absolute alcohol as the dissolving medium. This was found effective for the coating of NaCl with MgF2. The diffused surface zone was obtained by annealing the coated samples at elevated temperatures in a vacuum of lob4 mm Hg. Penetration depth was controlled by varying the annealing time from 1/2 to 28 hr. After heat treatment, the samples were tested for bend strength and hardness. Load was applied by four-point bending in a hard-beam testing jig. Four-point rather than three-point bending was used to provide a wide area of constant stress and to minimize the effect of localized inhomogenities in the specimen. The deflection rate was 8 x min-' and the distance between knife edges was 1/4 in. Load-time curves were obtained from a chart recorder coupled to the machine and converted to resolved shear stress on the shear plane vs deflection, as plotted in the figures. The unstressed portions of the sample outside of the two outer knife edges were used for the microhardness studies. Microhardness measurements were made with a Bergsman tester attached to a Reichert metallograph. All hardness impres-

Jan 1, 1964

By AIME

AS with Phil Kraft, referred to on this page last month, travel has always held a great fascination for Raymond Frank Baker and for that reason he determined to become a geologist. He had heard that geologists travel and that was what he wanted to do. Now as chief geologist for The Texas Co. his early wish has been fulfilled-he spends almost one third of his time journeying' from one oil field to another. Mr. Baker was born in New Haven, Conn., on Jan. 11, 1892, and went through the public schools in New Britain. A stalwart New Englander, he attended Yale and in 1912 received a degree in civil engineering. For a year following this he worked as a civil engineer for the New York Central Railroad, but his early urge to travel widely could not be satisfied here. So in 1913 he re-entered Yale and until 1916 studied mining and economic geology. He had a little taste of field work, which later became so enjoyable to him, in the summer of 1915 when he worked with the U. S. Geological Survey as a geologic aid. In 1916 he made his first contact with The Texas Co. when he entered their Tulsa office as a geologist. This early career was interrupted by service in the

Jan 1, 1947

By A. C. Stevenson

THE hoisting equipment selected for use at the Hecla mine in 1907 was one of the first Ilgner type Ward-Leonard controlled hoists put into ser- vice. Development of the Hecla below the 2000-ft. level, which is the ultimate depth of the old equipment, and the additional service required by the "Star," necessitated additional hoisting capacity. It will be our endeavor to give j70u a brief summary of the engineering which determined the selection of the new equipment. The engineer in making his decision as to size, speed, etc., must .make a duty study approximating as closely &s possible the actual opePating conditions which will eventually result. Primarily, it is necessary to know what work must be done. The amount of material which must be hoisted under the maximum condition, as well as its distribution from the various levels of the mine was carefully studied by the mining engineering department, as the ore reserves, their relative-position and the probable method of working them had to be considered. The final figures reached, taking into consideration four different operating conditions, were, in tons per day, as follows:

Jan 1, 1930

By Clarence E. Killebrew

The key to the successful use of any tool, more than anything else, depends upon proper application assignment. To achieve this, the individual having such machine responsibility must maintain fresh knowledge of technical improvements that broaden machine uses. 8.3-1. Tractor Shovel. This type machine is available in a wide range of sizes mounted either on crawler tracks or rubber-tired wheels, with both two-wheel and four-wheel drive. The original concept in both crawler and rubber mounting was that of an attachment to be added to a tractor already in existence. This served as an important expedient for the introduction of the tool, but the basic tractor proved to be inadequately designed for the additional loads. In spite of these structural inadequencies, customer acceptance generated sufficient revenue that further development could be financed for product improvement. The evolution of the product is continuing in many ways-including engines, drive line components, tires, hydraulic pumps, hydraulic valves, structural steel, etc. With each improvement, the operating capability of the machine is extended. This is resulting in the rubber-tired, four-wheel-drive concept making an invasion of the job applications that were formerly considered suitable only for crawler-track mounted machines. Both rubber- and crawler-mounted tractor shovels have invaded the market of small excavator shovels. Larger tractor shovels are challenging the larger size excavators. It is important that each job application be carefully considered so that the proper machine is put in operation. The performance varies widely in operating cost, production efficiency, and job flexibility. Factors to be considered in equipment selection are: 1. Nature of material to be moved 3. Distance material must be moved 2. Surface over which material must be moved 4. Quantity to be moved 5. Secondary or alternate use capability

Jan 1, 1968

By T. Prof. Egleston

DURING the last winter we have been actively engaged in the School of Mines in search for boracic acid. This has been owing to the fact that Mr. M. W. Iles, assistant in the qualitative laboratory, has discovered a test for that substance which makes its discovery exceedingly simple instead of being, as previously, very difficult. It consists in powdering the mineral, calcining it, then moistening it with sulphuric acid, and heating on a platinum wire until the sulphuric acid is expelled. It is then moistened with glycerin and made to take fire. If boracic acid is present it infallibly gives a green flame. It is not at all surprising, under such circumstances, the test being so easy, that boracic acid has been found by the students in a great many cases where its presence was not previously suspected, and in some where its detection was previously too difficult to warrant looking for it. We were not prepared, however, for its discovery in Lake Superior iron ores, and were disposed at first to think that a mistake had been made. After, however, it had been frequently reported in these ores it was considered worth while

Jan 1, 1877