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By Norman L. Newbern, Robert E. Green

An investigation of the effect of size on the deformation properties of metal single crystals made it desirable to grow from the melt cylindrical aluminum single crystals possessing exactly the same crystallographic orientation but varying in diameter. Methods for the growth of rather large (up to 3 in. diam) aluminum single crystals in molds of the desired shape are well known. However, when one applies the same techniques to the growth of smaller (less than 1/8-in. diam) specimens many additional problems arise. Two of the major problems are the construction of the molds to be used and the removal of the thin specimens from these molds without deformation after growth has been completed. Also the problem of the constraint forces exerted by the mold on the specimen is much more pronounced for the smaller specimens. The technique described herein is a zone-melting method in which no mold is used since the surface tension of the molten metal and its oxide is sufficient to retain the melt. The specimen is suspended vertically in a manner similar to that of Keck and Golay.2 However, while Keck and Golay supported the specimen from both ends, the method used here supports the specimen only at the upper end. The surface tension of the molten aluminum and aluminum oxide contains the melt and suspends a length of newly grown crystal that has already passed through the molten zone until the weight of the newly grown crystal is equal to the component of surface tension holding the specimen together in the molten region. When the weight of the newly grown crystal is equal to the component of surface tension holding the specimen together the specimen pulls in two in the molten zone. The length of crystal which can be grown before this separation occurs varies with the diameter of the specimen and the size of the molten zone. In order to prevent the specimen from pulling in two a tube of glycerine is placed beneath the furnace in such a manner that the newly grown crystal passes into the glycerine which provides sufficient buoyancy to allow aluminum single crystals in wire form to be grown to lengths determined only by the length of the tube containing the glycerine. A schematic diagram of the experimental arrangement is shown in Fig. 1. The furnace used is constructed as follows. High-resistance nichrome wire is coiled on a 3/8-in. diam fused quartz tube. The distance between the windings is much less over a length of about 3/8 in. at the center so as to develop a hot spot. This core is located in the center of a 4-in. diam steel cylinder 5 in. in height and insulated from it by Kayolite. The temperature of the furnace is controlled by means of a thermocouple located near the central hot spot and a Minneapolis-Honeywell temperature controller. Temperature ins,ide the furnace is measured with a thermocouple and a standard potentiometer in the usual manner. By the above method it is possible to grow high-purity (99.99 pct Al) aluminum single-crystal wires over a range of sizes. Crystals varying from 1/8 to 1/64-in. diam were grown by the authors. Since the tube containing the glycerine cannot contain a crystal longer than approximately 3 ft, the growth of crystals longer than this presents another problem. It was found that one could cut the newly grown crystal without deformation in the region between furnace and glycerine tube try means of a cutting torch and then by moving the glycerine tube slightly aside continue

Jan 1, 1962

By J. W. Rutter, K. T. Aust

THE object of the experiments to be described in this report was to determine, first, which grains, out of a large number introduced into a sample in which their growth could proceed, were able to grow most successfully; and, second, the factors which control their growth selection. In an earlier study of grain boundary migration in high-purity lead,' it was found that, under some conditions, the most successful grain in an experiment of this type bears a special orientation relationship to the grain into which it is growing. The present work represents an extension of the previous study, directed at the determination of the orientation relationships which appear under a wider variety of conditions. Experiments of this general type have been done using commercial aluminum2 with somewhat conflicting results. In the present experiments, in contrast to the above,' the sample composition was a principal controlled variable, resulting in a considerable clarification of the phenomena observed. EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUE The experimental technique used in this investigation was essentially that employed previously in studies of grain boundary migration kinetics.1'3 The material used was zone-refined lead with various small amounts of tin or silver added to study the effect of varying the sample composition. The specimens were in the form of single crystals, about 1/4 in. 1/4 in cross section by 3 to 4 in. in length, grown from the melt in a horizontal graphite boat. A crystal grown in this way generally contained a lineage or "striation" substructure of the type shown in Fig. 1 of Ref. 1. This substructure consists of an array of low-angle boundaries which partition the crystal into regions misoriented from each other by a few degrees. The substructure constitutes a source of driving energy, estimated to be about 4000 ergs per cc, for the migration of a large-angle grain boundary into the striated crystal. New grains were introduced by plastic deformation in compression of a localized reglon at one end of the sample. Re-crystallization occurs at room temperature in the deformed region, introducing a large number of new, striation-free grains into the specimen. These grains are able to grow into the melt-grown crystal on annealing at a suitable temperature. The stria-tions are removed by passage of the grain boundary, as the substructure energy is utilized to produce the boundary migration. Usually, only one or two of the recrystallized grains persist after growth has occurred for about 1 cm out of the deformed region. Laue back-reflection X-ray photographs were obtained to determine the orientation relationship between the melt-grown crystal and the recrystallized grain or grains which grew most successfully in each specimen. EXPERIMENTAL OBSERVATIONS Fig. 1 shows the results obtained for a series of specimens to which had been added tin in the range from 0 to 5 ppm by weight. In this figure is plotted, in the standard stereographic triangle, the single axis about which the most successful recrystallized grain or grains are related to the starting, melt-grown crystal by the smallest rotation. The range of angular rotations observed about such axes is indicated beside each stereographic triangle. The results shown in the stereographic triangle on the left, Fig. l(a), were obtained by localized deformation at one end of each specimen at room temperature, followed by annealing in a furnace which had been preheated to 300°C. The furnace atmosphere was argon. It will be seen that the orientation relationships observed between the melt-grown and recrystallized grains are quite random. On the right, Fig. l(b), are shown results for samples in which the de-

Jan 1, 1961

By Luiz C. Correa da Silva, Robert F. Mehl

A. D. Le Claire and R. S. Barnes (Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, Didcot, Berks., England)-—This much awaited paper admirably confirms that the Kirkendall effect is a true diffusion phenomenon and likely to be found in all diffusing systems. The most likely explanation put forward so far to account for the shift of interface is that the two components of the system, diffusing in opposite directions, do so with unequal rates so that there is a net loss of material from that half of the diffusion zone rich in the more rapidly diffusing component. This loss is accompanied, and at least partly compensated for, by a closing up or decrease in volume of this latter half of the diffusion zone and an expansion of the other half so as to tend to keep constant the overall volume per atom. This is manifest as a movement of the original interface. If this is a true picture of what is taking place then there are at least two important matters requiring further study."1—The quantitative relating of the observed shift with the independently measured separate diffusion coefficients of the two diffusing species."2—A detailed study of the mechanism and characteristics of the closing up process."We would like first to make a few remarks pertinent to these topics. In connection with the first of these, it is a pity that more and detailed measurements were not made on the Au-Ag system, the only one for which the separate diffusion coefficients of the two species have been measured.'" One of us (A. D. Le C.) has calculated from Johnson's results the shift to have been expected in samples D.2 and D.3. Darken4 showed that the velocity v with which the markers move is related to the separate diffusion coefficients Dau, Dag, by the eauation:"dN"v = (Dag — Dau "dx"dN"where .is the concentration gradient at the mark-ax"ers. Under certain conditions,4, 20 it can also be shown that:"Xm"v = "2t"where x, is the total marker shift after time, t:"dN". . xm = 2t (Dag — Dau) [9]"dX"Johnson measured Dag and DAu in a chemically homogeneous alloy and so his reported figures represent the true or ideal diffusion coefficients"; the same quantities in eq 9 represent the actual diffusion coefficients as would be measured in the presence of a chemical concentration gradient, so we need to multiply Johnson's reported values of Dag and Dau by the"1 before insert-dlogN "ing them in eq 9. 7 is the activity coefficient of Ag at the concentration prevailing near the markers which we shall assume to be - 50 pct. The values of the thermodynamic factor for N = 0.5 and the temperatures at which D.2 and D.3 were annealed were obtained from thermodynamic data quoted by Darken.' aN/ax was computed from the coefficient of inter-diffusion of Au and Ag given by Johnson on the assumption that in the samples D.2 and D.3, the concentration distance curve could be represented by the standard equation:""No is the original difference in concentration between the two halves of the couple, and + is the error or probability function."aN/ax at x = 0 is then given by:"adN/dx "2/nDt"and we assume that this represents the concentration gradient at the markers, although it is probable that the figure is slightly high."When all the appropriate quantities are inserted in eq 9, we find that the expected shifts are: for D.2, 0.0134 cm and for D.3, 0.0119 cm."The agreement between these results and those

Jan 1, 1952

By H. C. H. Darley

Particles of montmorillonite-type clays consist of plate-like clay crystals stacked face to face. Under certain conditions in a suspension, these particles disperse to individual platelets with the formation of diffuse double layers round each platelet. This action has a profound influence on the rheo-logical and other properties of the suspension. This paper describes a test for degree of dispersion and uses this test to correlate changes in dispersion with changes in viscosity and gel strength. The test is of practical value in determining and controlling dispersion in drilling muds. INTRODUCTION It has long been recognized that the hydration and dispersion of clays, particularly those of the montmoril-loilite type, strongly influences the rheological and other properties of drilling muds, but little has been done to measure either of these phenomena under conditions that exist in drilling muds. The hydration of clays as such has been extensively studied by those interested in clay mineralogy, but in drilling muds it is to be expected that dispersion is at least as important a factor as hydration because of the much higher water-to-clay ratios and the very high degree of mechanical agitation. The term dispersion as generally applied to colloidal systems means the subdivision of large particles to small. Particles of montmorillonitic clays, however, consist of plate-like particles stacked face to face. Dispersion of these aggregates to individual platelets may be expected to have an unusually large influence on the properties of the suspension because of the shape factor, the enormous increase in specific surface, and the pronounced surface phenomena exhibited by the crystal surfaces. It is this form of dispersion that is particularly considered in this paper, -and the term degree of dispersion is used to imply the number of platelets per particle. The term aggregation is used to denote the opposite of dispersion, the association of individual platelets face to face to form stacks. It is important, as Garrison' has pointed out, to distinguish between the deflocculation-flocculation phenomenon and the dispersion-aggregation phenomenon. Flocculation of clay suspensions is characterized by the formation of voluminous sediments that are stable under quite high centrifugal fields. This indicates an edge to plate association of particles to form an open network type of structure, which obviously will have quite a different influence on the properties of the suspension than aggregation of the platelets face to face. The work described in this paper was primarily concerned with developing a test for degree of dispersion in clay suspensions and by means of this test to follow changes of dispersion brought about by addition of electrolytes and to show the influence of dispersion on the rheological properties. The Clay-Volume Test This test is based on the assumption that the greater the number of particles per unit weight of clay in a suspension the greater will be the volume of sediment when it is flocculated under standard conditions and centrifuged. After considerable experimentation the following procedure was established: 1 cc of the test mud vigorously shaken with 100 cc of 1-N NaCl in an ASTM oil centrifuge tube and centrifuged for five minutes in an International No. 2 centrifuge at 2,000 rpm. When drilling fluids of different solids content are being compared, the clay volume is expressed in cc per gram of clay solids, but generally changes in dispersion in a given mud are being compared and it is more convenient to report as cc of sediment. The test is strictly a comparative test, so that it is not necessary to adhere to the conditions specified above, e.g., with field muds a stronger flocculant such as Al2(SO4)3 may be preferable to NaCl.

Jan 1, 1958

By Howard E. McKinney

A high-pressure wellhead lubricator has been developed to facilitate telemetering electrical measurements from subsurface reservoirs to the surface with the well under normal flowing conditions. The field unit in use at the present time employs a 5/16-in diameter, single-conductor armored cable and is to be used in wells with surface pressures up to 5,000 psi. It has a pressure sealing element that maintains a continuous and absolute seal around the cable as it enters or leaves the tubing at speeds up to 175 ft per minute. A cable injecting device is used which obviates sinker bars or weight sections on the instrument. INTRODUCTION The development of instruments for securing physical measurements in pressure wells has been confined in the past to those instrument which would operate on a wire line and record the necessary measurements in the downhole instrument itself, or those which would operate on an electric cable in a well with the surface pressure killed by the use of weighted fluids or by the use of tubing plugs. In one case the accuracy of the measurements is questionable, and in the other the range of application is very limited. Considerable work has been done by other interests to provide effective means to accomplish the necessary telemetering. The U. S. Bureau of Mines developed a wellhead lubricator prior to 1947 which permitted a 5/16-in diameter single-conductor cable to be lowered into a well with a surface pressure of approximately 500 psi. This unit was used successfully in a number of tests in Oklahoma. A company which tests wells has recently offered on a service basis a wellhead lubricator with a 3/16-in diameter cable that reportedly operates up to 2,500 psi surface pressures. Each of the above operates on a staging principle to effect a seal. In both of these units some leakage of well fluid occurs when the cable is moved. SPECIFICATIONS FOR DESIGN In order to provide the maximum flexibility in its use, the following parameters were established for the design of our high-pressure wellhead lubricator: L An absolute well fluid seal up to 5,000 psi surface pressures. 2. Means for raising and lowering the instrument at speeds of at least 100 ft per minute. 3. Provision for the instrument to enter and leave the well without disturbing the well flow or the reservoir conditions. 4. A cable large enough to provide suitable electrical characteristics and suitable mechanical properties. 5. A method of operation that will not damage the well in any way. The present high-pressure wellhead lubricator field unit fulfills the above requirements. DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIT AND ITS OPERATION The cable selected for this use is the standard Amergraph 1H2 as manufactured by the American Steel and Wire Co. This particular cable is normally used by the Halliburton Oil Well Cementing Co. in their conventional well logging operations. Although the cable presents a noncircular cross-section (Fig. l), its diameter is very consistent; lor example, maximum diameter is 0.325 in., minimum diameter 0.314 in. This [actor permits the use of the sealing element, as later described. Early in the development of the high-pressure wellhead lubricator it was apparent that we could not effect a direct gas seal around a moving 1H2 cable. This becomes evident when an examination of the cable cross-section is made. The voids between the strands of the outer armor provide natural channels lor the flow and escape in large quantities of a low-viscosity fluid such as gas. However, it is relatively simple to

Jan 1, 1952

By W. D. Haentjens, A. P. Pipilen, M. Weintraub, A. A. Orning

W. D. Haentjens (Barrett, Haentjens and Co., Hazleton, Pa.) — The authors are to be complimented on undertaking a project which has little available experimental data. There are so many variables in the hydraulic transport of solid materials that it is difficult to correlate the experimental information from one series of tests into usable data involving other materials or even similar materials but of different size consists. The friction data is of particular interest to those involved in pipeline design. Most such pipelines, however, involve portions which are not level and the effect of sloping or vertical lines might also be considered in extensions of this test work. Pump manufacturers are concerned about criticism resulting from the stated amount of degradation occurring in a pump. The amount of degradation is affected somewhat by pump design and this should be taken into consideration. The pump which was loaned for this work was a modification of a standard medium duty slurry pump. This modification was for maximum particle size, however if minimum degradation is the object, then other design changes would be indicated. Although there is a tendency to be less concerned with degradation in industrial applications, it is nevertheless an important factor in many uses and further studies should be made. In particular, the amount of degradation could possibly be segregated into more classifications, rather than charge some losses to the pump which apparently are occurring in other handling. It seems difficult to evaluate the degradation which occurs in handling the coal into the pump sump and in removing it from the line into the tank. Each handling, of course, contributes some degradation, as does the screening operation itself. These are all charged to the pump, or to the pipe line and pump together; and, although they may be small, they could possibly be evaluated. It is interesting to note the verification of the old rule of thumb of maximum particle size equal to approximately one-third of the pipe size. Our experience has shown size distribution to have an effect on the flow characteristics and if this data is available for the tests which were run, it would be interesting supplementary information. A. P. Pipilen, M. Weintraub and A. A. Orning (Authors' Reply) — In this paper the authors have attempted to outline some of the major factors affecting a rational design for a solids-liquid transport system. They are grateful to Mr. Haentjens for pointing out several other equally important considerations. Pump manufacturers, in general, should be complimented on the strides that have been made in decreasing particle degradation within the pump. Considerable research and a great deal of mathematical analysis is required before pump design in this field can become a science rather than an art, for each system requires a different set of compromises. As Mr. Haentjens indicates, maximum-particle-size handling capability may be inconsistent with minimum degradation; even more important, the rotor profile for the most efficient transfer of energy to the fluid may have to be compromised to reduce particle breakage, for, whenever particle density differs from fluid density, the two phases will have different trajectories. Some evidence of this geometric factor is provided by a cursoy analysis in the Bureau of Mines Report of Investigations now in preparation, where it is indicated that, for the pump used, degradation decreased when the tangential velocity was decreased and when the radial velocity was increased. This relation, itself, is probably a function of particle size and concentration. Some data on particle size distribution, as requested by Mr. Haentjens, will be provided in the Report of Investigations referred to above in addition to that already presented in Table II of the original paper. However, in the limited number of tests it is difficult to distinguish between cause and effect, for not only did the particle size distribution alter the flow characteristics, but, through the medium of degradation, the operating conditions rapidly altered the particle size distribution.

Jan 1, 1965

By L. S. Reid, Irwin Politziner F. M. Townsend

Recently published data indicate that the water vapor content of a gas, as determined by dew point measurement, is inaccurate when the gas has been dehydrated with diethylene glycol. Water vapor contents and dew point measurements of gases dehydrated with triethylene glycol have been obtained in this investigation in order to determine the magnitude of a similar error, if one exists. Experimental data show a very low concentration of triethylene glycol vapor in gases dehydrated at atmospheric ternperatures and pressures ranging from 500 to 2,500 psia and that the accuracy of dew point measurements is not impaired by the presence of triethylene glycol vapor. INTRODUCTION Nearly all natural gas transported by pipe line to northern and eastern markets must be dehydrated to a low residual moisture content in order to assure maximum transmission efficiency and continuous delivery under peak load conditions. Without dehydration, water vapor often condenses in pipe lines in quantities sufficient to restrict the flow3 and. under low atmospheric temperature conditions, gas hydrates may form and plug gathering. transmission and distribution facilities. Gas may be dehydrated to pipe line specifications by a number of methods. The most widely used methods are (1) adsorption of water vapor on a solid dessicant such as activated bauxite, alumina or silica gel,' (2) by absorption of water vapor by either diethylene or triethylene glycol-water solutions of high glycol concentration,11,13 and (3) by simultaneous expansion-refrigeration of very high pressure gas in which gas hydrates are purposely formed and then quickly decomposed.'"" Of these three fundamental methods, the adsorption and absorption processes provide the bulk of the dehydrated gas moving to market at the present time. The expansion-refrigeration process. a relatively new development, is gaining in favor because of its simplicity but is sharply limited in its application by available differentials between source and gathering system pressures. Where gas sale or purchase contracts contain a maximum water vapor content specification, the water vapor content is usually determined by measuring the dew point of the gas at system pressure. Knowing he dew point temperature and the system pressure, the water vapor content of the gas is determined from a graphical correlation of saturation, or dew point, temperature us the water vapor content of the gas which is customarily expressed as pounds of water vapor per million cubic feet of gas measured at 14.7 psia and 60°F. Dew points are usually measured with the U. S. Bureau of Mines Dew Point Tester. shown in Fig. 1, which is well suited for use at temperatures lower than 120°F and at pressurei; ranging from atmospheric to 3,000 psi. A number of correlations of dew point temperatures vs water vapor content are available,3,5,15 the most recent of which is that by McCarthy et al.4 Where natural gas is dehydrated by absorhing contact with concentrated diethylene glycol-water solutions. considerable difficulty is experienced in observing water dew points due to condensation of liquid hydrocarbon and glycol films on the mirrored surface of the dew point tester. Riesenfeld and Frazierl2 report that the dew point method for determining the water vapor content of a dietllylene glycol-treated natural gas is in error due to the glycol content of the condensate formed on the tester mirror, and that the water vapor content of the gas tested is actually lower than that indicated by the standard' dew point-water vapor content correlation. Extensive experience in testing gases dehydrated by concentrated triethylene glycol-water solutions lias not revesled difficulties of the nature cited above for diethylene glycol. Water dew points are clear and sharp and condensation of

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 F. W. Jessen, C. A. Johnson

The effect of treatment with ferrochrome lignosul-fonate on both sodium and calcium bentonites has been examined. In the early stages of treatment it appears that some base exchange of iron and chromium for sodium may occur with the sodium bentonite. Such exchange appears specific for exchange of sodium ions when the calcium ion concentration represents 40-5.5 per cent of the total exchangeable cations, and when additions of lignosulfonate are less than 1 lb per bbl. Adsorption appears entirely physical above 1 lb per bbl treatment level for all concentrations of calcium studied. Gel strength and plastic viscosity of both calcium and sodium bentonite systems were reduced with treatments of ferrochrome lignosulfonate up to 2 Ib per bbl, the greatest reduction occurring within a range of calcium concentration of 40-5.5 per cent of the total exchange capacity of the clay. INTRODUCTION The problem of control of viscosity and gel strength of drilling fluids by the action of thinners or dispersants has been studied by many investigators.1-7 In addition, much work has been done on formation of gel structure in clay suspensions. However, gel formation and structure still are incompletely understood, and the use of the various dispersing chemicals is based, to a large extent, on data almost entirely empirical in nature. In recent years the lignosulfonates have become increasingly important in the treatment and control of drilling fluids. More specifically, ferrochrome lignosulfonate has found rather wide acceptance, particularly in calcium systems.5-7 Lignosulfonates are refined lignin products made from spent sulfite liquor from which the fermentable sugars have been removed.15 The exact structure of lignin is not known; however, it is believed to be a phenolic propane type polymer which may exist as a branched chain or cross linked structure. The molecular weights of lignosulfonates probably range from 300 to 100,000 or more.15 A better understanding of the mechanism of adsorption of dispersants is essential before improvement and development of characteristics of drilling fluids and drilling fluid control is possible. This investigation was undertaken to determine the action of ferrochrome lignosulfonate on sodium and calcium montmOrillonite' LABORATORY INVESTIGATION A Stormer viscosimeter and Fann V-G meter were used to measure viscosity and gel strength. A Zeiss spectrophotometer was used for analysis of Fe and Cr and the flame attachment was employed in the analysis of Na, Ca and Mg. A General Electric X-ray diffraction unit utilizing Copper Ka radiation and a Ni-filter was utilized in the X-ray studies. PROCEDURE Two systems were studied. Predominately sodium clay, obtained from Wyoming, and a predominately calcium clay from Texas were used. These particular samples were chosen because of the extensive work of characterization completed by Mungan. Ionic base exchange capacity determined by flame photometry and total exchange capacity by the Kjehldahl method were obtained experimentally. A 7-per cent suspension of the sodium clay and a 20-per cent suspension of the calcium clay in distilled water were prepared by mixing with a high-speed mixer. The suspensions were allowed to stand for two weeks for complete hydration. Calcium chloride was added to portions of the sodium and calcium cla suspensions to obtain suspensions varying in Ca++ concentration as shown in Table I. A series of treatments was run with 500-ml portions of the original suspensions using a ferrochrome lignosulfonate. Treatment was carried out in the same way with each of the suspensions of varying Ca concentration. Viscosity and gel strength were measured and a filtrate obtained at each treatment level. Ten ml of filtrate were diluted to 50 ml, and aliquot portions of the 50 ml were taken for the Na, Ca, and Mg analysis by the flame photometer. The pH of these filtrates ranged from 7 to 7.3. Standard

By L. E. Young

The progress of mineral industry education will be limited to the period prior to World War II and will be considered as primarily a division of engineering education. Its relation to progress in the mineral industry and to the activities of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers will be emphasized. The history of mineral industry education has been recorded most completely and authoritatively by Dr. T. T. Read in his recent volume in the Seeley W. Mudd Series of American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers publications, entitled, The Development of Mineral Industry Education in the United States. Therefore, most of the historical details will be omitted from the discussion and an effort will be made to point out significant developments and to analyze trends. Introductory Statement and Significant Points in Progress Among the significant points in the development of mineral industry education in the United States since 1871, the following deserve particular mention: 1. The number of institutions offering undergraduate instruction has increased, particularly during the years 1890 to 1925; the number of students enrolled in undergraduate study has increased greatly, largely on account of the development of courses in petroleum engineering and increasing interest in metallurgy. 2. The selection of students to be admitted to undergraduate courses has been improved through the advisement, counseling, and guidance programs sponsored by the Engineers' Council for Professional Development. 3. Improved instruction methods all the training of the teaching staff have been promoted by the educational institutions themselves, but with the most effective stimulus and guidance of the American Society for Engineering Education and the Engineers' Council for Professional Development. 4. The accrediting of undergraduate curricula through the Engineers' Council for Professional Development, consitlering both qualitative and quantitative criteria, has done much to improve standards of instruction in engineering education for thc mineral industry. 5. Undergraduate curricula and courses are revised currently to meet the needs of the American mineral industry. New curricula are developed currently to permit specialization in technical fields, particularly in the fourth year of undergraduate work. 6. There has been a strengthening of the fundamental courses in mathematics, physics, mechanics, and chemistry, and at the same time these courses are being adapted to the most recent developments in the industry, including metallurgy, geophysics. petroleum engineering, petroleum technology, ceramics and SO forth. 7' There has been continuing improvement in plant and laboratory facilities of the educational institutions.

Jan 1, 1949

By C. H. Mathewson, Robert Maddin, W. R. Hibbard

A SATISFACTORY mathematical relationship between shear, elongation and change of orientation in the axial straining of a single crystalline rod or wire may be based on a simple model in which blocks, representing glide lamellae, glide over one another and rotate so as to maintain the original fixed position of the axis as the wire elongates.1 Obviously such a model gives no information concerning strain-hardening or the atomic adjustments at the sliding surfaces and their influence on the internal structure of the blocks. Moreover such an operation could be conducted with rigid blocks only by using self-aligning grips or a flexible attachment which would permit the adjacent blocks to freely assume their changing orientations. There are many unsolved problems (see Andrade2) concerning the manner in which nature departs from the simple model in permitting the essentials of slip, rotation and elongation to occur along with strain-hardening and the appearance of glide lamellae of various dimensions and special characteristics, not fully appreciated at the present time. This paper describes part of an extensive investigation on the development and characteristics of glide ellipses in single crystalline alpha brass rods and is especially concerned with the observation of cross-slip in crystals oriented wholly within the range of slip on a single system according to the generalizations first presented by Taylor and Elam in 1923.3 EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Half inch rods of alpha brass (nominally 70 pct Cu, 30 pct Zn) * were converted into single crystals by melting and gradual solidification in a graphite mold according to the Bridgman method.' In order to remove any coring, the crystals were homogenized at 800°C for 16 hr and tested by etching with a 50 pct nitric acid solution. The back-reflection Laue technique as described by Greninger5 was used for determining the orientations of the crystals. Standard stereographic operations were employed to locate the specimen axis in a triangle of the Taylor and Elam3 projection so that the slip plane and direction could be predicted. The lineage structure reported by Buerger6 was present in the crystals used in this investigation. However, only crystals were used in which the internal differences in orientation did not exceed two degrees. Very little is known concerning the effect of the presence of a lineage structure on the detailed mechanism of plastic deformation.

Jan 1, 1948

By E. C. Skinner

Cardox, which consists essentially of a steel tube containing carbon dioxide compressed to the liquid state, is a trade name designating a device used principally in coal mines to break down coal. The use of Cardox to break down coal was developed in the Middle Western coal fields around 1927 or 1928. At first, a large, heavy tube was used, requiring many parts. Through experimentation and technologic improvement, the weight of the tube has been brought down from 88 lb. to 20 lb. and the new, light tube makes use of larger volumes of CO2 at lower pressures than formerly was thought possible. This blasting method is extensively used today in coal mines and probably one tenth of the bituminous coal produced in the United States is prepared with Cardox. Construction and Application As used in the coal mine, Cardox looks like a piece of steel pipe 2 to 3 in. in diameter and 3 to 5 ft. long. When it is necessary to fire a shot, the tube is wired with two leg wires that are long enough so that when the tube is pushed the desired distance into the hole the wires will protrude 5 to 6 in. It has been found that No. 18 insulated copper annunciator wire is the best material for leg wires. A two-conductor rubber-covered shot-firing cable of sufficient length is then attached to the leg wires. A 2 to 6-volt current is applied, either by means of shot-firing batteries or the standard type of shot-firing generator. Upon the application of the current, the charge in the cartridge is set off. Because the breaking action upon the coal is supplied by the relatively slow physical expansion of the carbon dioxide gas rather than by the rapid chemical formation of gases as in more familiar explosives, the result is a slow heaving action, somewhat similar to that produced by black powder, rather than a shap detonating effect. Permissible powder does its work at roughly ten times the pressures in use with Cardox. The escaped gas from a Cardox shot apparently works along the planes of weakness in the coal face, such as the coal cleats, the edges of the cut, and along the top of the seam, breaking off the coal toward the free faces and heaving the mass of coal outward. Cardox tubes are manufactured in various sizes to take care of variable conditions of seam size, undercut depth, cleatage, coal hardness, and so forth. The tubes range in diameter from 2 to 3 in. (Table I) and the normal CO2 charge is from 24 to 96 oz. For any one tube size, several sizes of shear disks are available, thus excellent control of the type of shooting desired is possible. In general, local experience and experimentation dictate the size of tube chosen for any particular job. For high coal, and deeper or wider cuts, a larger size is chosen to start with, and the opposite is true for low coal, softer coal, or small cuts. After the tube size has been experimentally selected, tests are run in the mine to determine how many shot holes are needed and where the holes should be placed. The size of the disk,

Jan 1, 1944

By E. R. Buchanan, R. E. Reed-Hill, F. W. Caldwell

Poly crystalline zirconium tensile specimens containing a sizable fraction of grains unfavorably oriented for slip were deformed at 77°K to strains as high as 9 pct. The contributions of the various twinning modes to the observed strain were deter~nlned quantitatively using measured twin volume fractions and Schrnid orientation factors. The results indicate that at very small strains twinning can account for almost all of the observed strain. At higher strains slip becomes the dominant means of deformation. The most significant form of twinning was {1121}. PLASTIC deformation in polycrystalline aggregates is poorly understood even today. This is primarily because slip cannot be easily observed or studied in the interior of a metal. On the other hand, twinning can be discerned inside a specimen after deformation. Twinning studies can therefore often yield quantitative information about polycrystalline deformation not otherwise obtainable. This investigation uses the above aspect of twinning in determining the contributions of twinning to the strain during tensile deformation at a cryogenic temperature (77°K). Polycrystalline zirconium was used as the object of study. There are several reasons why this information should be of value. In contrast to many metals, both the strength and ductility of zirconium increase with a corresponding decrease in temperature. This may be related to the fact that twinning becomes more profuse and complex with decreasing temperature. Secondly, it has been discovered that certain room-temperature properties of zirconium can be greatly improved by about 1 pct prestrain at 77°K. These include an increase in tensile elongation in critical directions by over 50 pctl and a large mechanical hysteresis effect.2 Both effects are believed to be related to twins formed by prestraining: plastic twin-boundary movements accounting for the increased ductility, and anelastic twin-boundary movements for the internal friction. Thirdly, hexagonal metals which twin primarily on only the (1012) mode (such as beryllium, zinc, and magnesium), unlike zirconium, are very limited in ductility at cryogenic temperatures. Therefore, the significance of the various types of twinning in zirconium at cryogenic temperatures is of more than academic interest. Three twinning mechanism-s have beenobserved in quantity at WOK, {1012), {1121), and {1122). Each must be considered as a unique deformation mechanism because of their markedly different twinning shears and basically different angles between twinning and basal planes, as shown in Table I. It is therefore necessary to separately consider the role of each of these twins during plastic deformation at 77°K. Fortunately, each twin possesses unique morphological features which makes its identification possible on a properly prepared metallographic section. The use of the polarized microscope3 can also greatly aid in identification of the various forms of twins. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Arc-melted sponge zirconium plate, previously describedY4 was machined into 1/8 by 1 1/4 in. threaded-end, round tensile test specimens. These specimens were deformed to the desired strains in a liquid-nitrogen cryostat mounted in an Instron testing machine. The tensile axis was the transverse plate direction. This specimen direction resulted in large numbers of grains in orientations unfavorable for deformation by prism or basal slip. Deformed specimens were sectioned, mounted in epoxy cold-mount resin, ground on metallographic papers, electropolished, and anodized to provide surfaces sensitive to polarized light. Standard quantitative metallographic procedures5

Jan 1, 1965

By E. C. Skinner

Cardox, which consists essentially of a steel tube containing carbon dioxide compressed to the liquid state, is a trade name designating a device used principally in coal mines to break down coal. The use of Cardox to break down coal was developed in the Middle Western coal fields around 1927 or 1928. At first, a large, heavy tube was used, requiring many parts. Through experimentation and technologic improvement, the weight of the tube has been brought down from 88 lb. to 20 lb. and the new, light tube makes use of larger volumes of CO2 at lower pressures than formerly was thought possible. This blasting method is extensively used today in coal mines and probably one tenth of the bituminous coal produced in the United States is prepared with Cardox. Construction and Application As used in the coal mine, Cardox looks like a piece of steel pipe 2 to 3 in. in diameter and 3 to 5 ft. long. When it is necessary to fire a shot, the tube is wired with two leg wires that are long enough so that when the tube is pushed the desired distance into the hole the wires will protrude 5 to 6 in. It has been found that No. 18 insulated copper annunciator wire is the best material for leg wires. A two-conductor rubber-covered shot-firing cable of sufficient length is then attached to the leg wires. A 2 to 6-volt current is applied, either by means of shot-firing batteries or the standard type of shot-firing generator. Upon the application of the current, the charge in the cartridge is set off. Because the breaking action upon the coal is supplied by the relatively slow physical expansion of the carbon dioxide gas rather than by the rapid chemical formation of gases as in more familiar explosives, the result is a slow heaving action, somewhat similar to that produced by black powder, rather than a shap detonating effect. Permissible powder does its work at roughly ten times the pressures in use with Cardox. The escaped gas from a Cardox shot apparently works along the planes of weakness in the coal face, such as the coal cleats, the edges of the cut, and along the top of the seam, breaking off the coal toward the free faces and heaving the mass of coal outward. Cardox tubes are manufactured in various sizes to take care of variable conditions of seam size, undercut depth, cleatage, coal hardness, and so forth. The tubes range in diameter from 2 to 3 in. (Table I) and the normal CO2 charge is from 24 to 96 oz. For any one tube size, several sizes of shear disks are available, thus excellent control of the type of shooting desired is possible. In general, local experience and experimentation dictate the size of tube chosen for any particular job. For high coal, and deeper or wider cuts, a larger size is chosen to start with, and the opposite is true for low coal, softer coal, or small cuts. After the tube size has been experimentally selected, tests are run in the mine to determine how many shot holes are needed and where the holes should be placed. The size of the disk,

Jan 1, 1944

By P. Ramachandraraa, T. R. Anantharaman

THE technique developed by Duwez, Willens and Kle-ment' for rapid solidification of molten alloys in small quantities by ejecting them on to a highly conducting substrate with the aid of a shock wave has come to be known as "liquid quenching" or "splat cooling" in literature and has already been applied to alloys of many binary systems.' The very high cooling rates of the order of l060 to 1080 per sec obtained in this technique and the consequent drastic undercooling of the melt have led to such striking results as formation of new amorphous and crystalline metastable phases and extension of solid-solubility limits in many alloy systems. The cooling rates in these experiments can, however, be neither accurately measured nor effectively controlled and hence the occurrence of either more than one metastable phase or appreciable differences in constitution in splat-cooled alloys of the same composition cannot be ruled out.3 In fact, workers in two laboratories have reported formation of two different cubic metastable phases in liquid-quenched Au-Si alloys containing 17 to 20 at. pct si.4,5 The present note deals with some new and interesting results obtained in a Ag-21 at. pct Ge alloy and a Au-27 at. pct Ge alloy subjected to the liquid-quenching treatment at different cooling rates. Two alloys of nearly the same composition had earlier been rapidly solidified by the standard "gun technique" in the same laboratory and shown to solidify in nonequilibrium structures, viz., an hcp phase (a = 2.987Å;c =4.718Å) in the Ag-Ge system6,7 and both hcp (a = 2.885Å; c = 4.754Å) and tetragonal (a = 11.627A; c = 22.491Å) phases in the Au-Ge system.3 Apart from different substrates (copper and stainless steel), different melt temperatures (50º to 500°C above the liquidus), and different capillary sizes (0.4 to 1.5 mm diam) in the "gun technique", slower cooling rates of the order of l050C per sec were also obtained in the present work by replacing the substrate by water at room temperature in a modification of the technique due to Olsen and Hultgren.8 No attempt was made to measure the cooling rate in any experiment. The products varied from fine powder (>40 pct by wt—200 mesh) obtained by quenching in water to thin flakes and foils (11.0 sq mm to 4.0 sq cm) produced by splat cooling. They were subjected to the Debye-Scherrer method of X-ray examination in each case. In case of the Ag-Ge alloy, in addition to the expected metastable hcp phase,6 a coexistent tetragonal phase (a = 5.093,Å; c = 7.009Å) was detected in some experiments. Eight weak X-ray reflections from this phase could be identified, two of them being the same as reported earlier.7 With increase in the cooling rate, the dominant hcp phase seems to be first accompanied by traces of silver or germanium and then either homogeneous or mixed with traces of this new tetragonal phase. The splat-cooled Au-Ge alloy showed generally the expected hcp and tetragonal phases,3 but sometimes traces of germanium were also present. Further, two new tetragonal phases with the following lattice param ters could be clearly identified in samples quenched

Jan 1, 1970

By Stephen Zorn

INTRODUCTION The process of financing mining projects in developing countries has changed greatly in the past 15 years. New methods of financing, notably the use of syndicated Eurocurrency project loans, have appeared, and direct equity financing by transnational mining corporations has become less significant. These changes are of particular importance to developing countries which have many mineral deposits still awaiting development, or even discovery. If major new mines are to be financed, host governments will need to obtain more sophisticated information than has hitherto been widely available as to the various sources of finance currently available and as to possibilities for innovative approaches to financing, such as the combination of several different kinds of financing in a single package. This paper reviews the major sources of mining finance potentially available to developing countries and highlights those problems in obtaining adequate financing that developing country producers have begun to experience in the last few years and that are likely to persist through the 1980s. Section I surveys the major types of mining finance; section II reviews specific financing problems, including (a) the withdrawal of the transnational corporations from developing countries, (b) inflation and the size of new projects; (c) developing country indebtedness, and (d) competition among projects in different countries. SOURCES OF DEVELOPING COUNTRY MINING CAPITAL1/ There is a wide range of financing mechanisms which are potentially available to developing countries with economically viable mining projects., Moreover, these financing mechanisms have not been fully exploited by developing countries, and more aggressive pursuit of financing by the governments of these countries may well reveal greater possibilities in respect of any particular project than may initially have appeared. However, virtually all the funds available from these sources are available only to projects which meet the standards of viability acceptable to lenders and others in the business community. If a project does not, for example, promise to generate a discounted cash flow rate of return of at least 15 per cent on total funds employed, or if it does not appear likely to generate sufficient cash flow in the early years of production to cover debt service requirements with a comfortable margin in reserve, most of the sources of financing will not be available. Only where a government has its own financial surplus (as in the case, for example, of the industrialization program of the Saudi Arabian government) can it effectively undertake projects which do not satisfy the definition of economic viability that is accepted at any given time by the worldwide financial community. Internal Sources In Developing Countries Internal financing capacity in developing countries is restricted to a relatively small number of countries - typically those large enough to support a well-rounded industrial sector, in which mining is only one of a number of dynamic industries. While there are large mining companies in certain other countries, the ability of such companies to finance new projects (or even, in some cases, to generate the cash necessary to maintain existing levels of production) is highly problematical. Within developing countries, the possible sources of internally-generated mining finance are the following: (1) state-owned enterprises; (2) private capital; (3) the banking system, and in particular those financing agencies that have a special involvement with the mining sector; and (4) direct budgetary appropriations.

Jan 1, 1985

By D. Mills, G. B. Craig

The defortnaliotz of zirconicltt single crystals conlaining osygen in the range 740 to 6800 atom parts per nilllion was esanined oc7er the range 77" to 950°K. An anctlsis of the dqfarmaliotz parameters leads to the cotcllsiotr that the rale -cotzfrolling thermally activated dqivr,irrtion process oe-r /he range 77" to 560°K is oc.crco,ling osvgen alotns. A thermally actitaled defor,ilntion process is not found between 600" and 800", but does occur aboz%e 800°K. THE present investigation was undertaken to measure the effects of controlled amounts of oxygen on the deformation parameters of a zirconium single crystals over the temperature range 77" to 950°K and to determine the rate-controlling mechanisms. Although there is no doubt that the mechanical properties of the group IV metals, titanium, zirconium, and hafnium, are strongly influenced by the interstitial impurities oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, and hydrogen, there are many conflicting theories as to the role played by the interstitials during the deformation proess.'- There is general agreement that the mechanisms which control plastic flow in a metal impose characteristic values on such parameters as the flow stress and its temperature dependence, the activation volume, and the activation energies. These parameters will be used to analyze the deformation mechanisms. eltham,' Sargent,16 and ibbs' have shown that the stress relaxation technique allows the activation volume characteristic of the deformation process to be found during the course of a simple tension test. In many cases it is found that the relaxation of stress is logarithmic with time and obeys a relationship of the following form: T-T = AT =S logl0(qt + C) [I] where t, is the shear stress at the start of the relaxation test, t is the shear stress at time t, and S. q, and C are experimental constants, and S is the strain rate sensitivity of the stress t as shown in the appendix. The slope found from a semilogarithmic plot of At vs time is approximately equal to S. The activation volume u, association with the deformation process, is found from the following relationship: The theoretical treatment of thermally activated plastic flow due to schoeck18 shows that the activation volume when combined with the temperature dependence of the flow stress gives the activation energy for the process according to equations: seegerZ3 considers that the flow stress at lower temperatures ld is composed of two parts such that Tapplied = tinternal + Teffective , where Teffective 3 ff , is the stress necessary to overcome the local obstacles to deformation and Tinternal, ri, is the stress necessary to overcome the long-range elastic stress field of dislocations on other planes. ri is considered to be largely elastic in origin and can be estimated from the stress value at the temperature independent portion of the flow stress-temperature curve. EXPERIMENTAL The crystal bar zirconium used in this investigation was supplied by Wah Chang Corp. whose certified analysis gave the following impurity contents in parts per million by weight: oxygen, 150; nitrogen, 10; iron, 180. All others were less than 100 ppm. The oxygen and iron contents were confirmed by neutron activation and chemical analyses, respectively. Single crystals were grown in an electron beam furnace according to the method of Wilson and Pickle-simer'' and ills.'' The orientation of the crystals was such that the specimen axes were located in the lower third of the standard section of the basal plane stereographic projection for zirconium. This orienta-

Jan 1, 1969

By N. Marusov, D. K. Lowe, J. C. Karp

This paper considers, from an engineering viewpoint, several factors involved in creating, designing and locating horizontal barriers for controlling water coning. This is an effort to consolidate new concepts with previous information so that a reasonable selection of barrier materials, dimensions and vertical position can be made. Coning theories previously developed are briefly reviewed and an effort i,s made to reduce the results of coning-theory calculations to a point where routine calculations can be made with a desk calculator. It is expected that these simplified calculations will give usable predictions of the amounts of improvement attainable with barriers of various dimensions. Apparatus and procedures used for testing the suitability of commercial cements are described and test results are presented. INTRODUCTION Just about as soon as the phenomenon of water coning was recognized as an oilfield problem, there were suggestions that the production of water coning could be controlled or completely suppressed by means of horizontal barriers. It was also suggested that natural barriers such as shale streaks were helpful in restricting bottom-water production. The implication was that wells not having the benefit of continuous shale streaks to suppress bottom waters should, in some way, be supplied with an artificial barrier. With regard to the selection of barrier materials, there are many references which give the merits of liquid barriers.',' These liquids include surface-active agents," recipitates' and emu1sions. There is no real need to review the merits of these materials again. This paper deals with the use of solid barriers which could be made from various cements. The two major restrictions placed on these barrier cements are that (1) they must be commercially available in large quantities, and (2) they must be applicable by means of standard tools and equipment with techniques that have been fully developed and are in general use at the present time. A schematic drawing of a horizontal barrier in a reservoir is shown in Fig. 1. Two maximum stable water cones are illustrated-—-one for the wellbore diameter and the other for a barrier. A maximum stable cone is one that has attained its maximum volume at the critical production rate and is on the threshold of producing water. The volume displaced by each water cone and the rise in water table are indications of the amount of water-free oil produced. Corrections for porosity, connate water and residual oil, of course, must be applied. The water-oil interface which defines a maximum stable cone is called a free surface. It is a surface over which the pressure is constant. This free surface has the shape of a limiting streamline at and below which there is no movement or transport. The shape of the water cone describes the pressure drop in the reservoir. The effect of a completely impermeable barrier on the cone shape is essentially the same as extending the wellbore out to the barrier radius. The placement of a horizontal barrier requires that a horizontal fracture be created using a single-point entry technique. Two methods may be employed for filling this fracture. One method consists of propping the fracture before filling with cement. The other consists of fracturing with fracture fluid, then immediately following with cement

DEVELOPMENT of a chemical process for the extraction of pure metals from mill concentrates or metal scrap has progressed beyond the pilot plant stage and may prove an important adjunct to present smelting and refining methods if initial commercial operations prove economically successful. Developed by the Chemical Construction Corp., the new process involves the treatment of oxide and sulphide ore concentrates by chemical methods, instead of the usual smelting and refining techniques. Several of the many applications are now scheduled for commercial use. Refiners using the new process will prepare ore concentrates by standard flotation methods, introduce the concentrate as a slurry into an autoclave along with water and an acid or ammonia. From the resulting leach solution, recovery of individual metals is made by use of suitable reducing agents. By varying conditions during treatment, different metals in the ore are produced separately as pure powders, which may be pressed into forms ready to market, or in the case of copper, extruded as rods or pipe. The reagents are generally recovered. By manipulating the variables during reduction, selective separation of nickel, and/or cobalt, and/or copper can be made simultaneously. The separation is a continuous operation. Low metal prices are not immediately in view because of the tremendous demand at this time. However, reduced metallurgical treatment costs will allow economical mining of orebodies with lower metal content, permitting increased production to meet demand. Although the practical horizon for use of the new process appears to be limitless, one factor may enter into its employment. Just how low grade a concentrate can be economically used is unknown. In addition, for present practical considerations, only metal below zinc in the electromotive series may be processed. Each commercial application requires specific technique adaptation and pilot-plant data for engineering design. A nickel-cobalt-copper process has been researched and piloted in collaboration with Sherritt Gordon Mines, Ltd., for the firm's Lynn Lake properties. In addition, processes were tailored for cobalt concentrates of Howe Sound Mining Co., and National Lead Co., in view of the urgent need for this specific metal. Major General William N. Porter, president of Chemical Construction, says of the new process, "piloting experience has shown that production cost, from ore concentrates to pure metals should be considerably below current costs." Other savings may be realized by cutting transportation and personnel costs, and by reducing the time lag between mining and pure metal from months to a matter of hours. First commercial use of the process will start sometime this summer. Chemico is slated to finish building a $2.5 million cobalt refinery for Howe Sound Mining near Salt Lake City. The plant is expected to raise world cobalt production by 40 pct. The plant will process 35 tons of 20 pct cobalt concentrates from Howe Sound's Blackbird mine near Cobalt, Idaho, daily. Yearly production is expected to reach 2000 tons of pure metal, about one half of U. S. consumption in 1950. Steps in the Howe Sound application of the process are: 1. Acid oxidation leach. 2. Filtration (residues thrown away are insoluble compounds-gangue, iron, arsenic). 3. Cementation (for Cu removal because Cu content is too low for recovery). 4. Reduction from ammoniacal solution. 5. Separation of Co and Ni as mixed metals (95 pct Co and 5 pct Ni). 6. Recovery of ammonium sulphate. Under construction at the Fredericktown, Mo., mine of National Lead is a $5 million refinery sched- [ ]

Jan 1, 1952

By Henry M. Howe, W. P. Barba

When this country went into the war, but two concerns, The Bethlehem Steel Co. and The Midvale Steel and Ordnance Co., knew how to make steel fit for great cannons and at these concerns there were relatively few men who knew the whole art. Fortunately, certain of these men put their knowledge at the service of the Government, and proceeded to instruct the metallurgists at the arsenals and at various steel works. Doctor Howe, then chairman of the Engineering Division of the National Research Council, suggested that this work might be facilitated, and the number of effective gun-steel makers thereby increased, if a detailed description of the best practice could be written, giving the reasons for the various steps, and issued with the endorsement of a committee composed of those who were evidently the most competent authorities. It was thought that something would be gained by clarification of the subject, and something by the eminent authority of the members of the committee. To that end, the Engineering Division appointed a committee, consisting of the gentlemen whose names follow, to mention on1y those who retained their connection with it. At this time there were serious difficulties in the manufacture, for the Government. of aircraft and high-speed engine crankshafts, of certain ordnance forgings, and of shells for both the Army and Navy. This Committee was asked to study and report upon these, with a view to betterment of practice. There were indications that the source of some of the difficulties went back to the melting of the steel and the production of the ingot. Hence, the committee first studied steel melting and ingot production, in order to guide the wartime manufacturers to an even larger percentage of useful production from the steel initially melted. Committee on Steel Ingots W. P. Barba, chairman, Ordnance Dept., U. S. A. (formerly Vice Pres. & Gen. Mgr., Midvale Steel Co., Philadelphia). George K. Burgess, Chief of Division of Metallurgy, U. S. Bureau of Standards, Washington, D. C. Henry M. Howe, Then Chairman Engineering Division, National Research Council.

Jan 1, 1922