Search Documents

By D. H. Polonis, M. B. Kasen

AN unusual thermal etching phenomenon has been observed on the surface of a Cu-Si alloy. The observations were made during studies of vacancy condensation pit formation which were reported in previous papers.1,2 Figs. 1 and 2 are photomicrographs of the surface of a Cu-4.8 pct Si alloy after heating in vacuo (3 x X mm Hg) to 525°C and subsequently holding at that temperature for 16 hr in an impure (air-contaminated) argon atmosphere. Under these conditions preferential removal of silicon from the matrix by oxidation results in a surface which is entirely a phase overlying an a plus y structure. The light areas of Fig. 1 are regions in which very little thermal etching has occurred, while the majority of the surface has experienced severe etching. Similar regions in Fig. 2 are seen as plateaus above contours produced by net transfer of material from the specimen surface. Twin boundaries are also visible in Fig. 2. The difference in matrix mi-crostructure between Figs. l and 2 reflects the par- ticular orientation of low-index planes with respect to the surface of observation. Thermal etching contours of this type have been studied in detail by Hondros and Moore Both of the photomicrographs show that one or more dark spots are located approximately at the center of every protected area; where two spots are in close proximity, the protected areas have merged. The microstructures indicate that the anomalous resistance to thermal etching is related to the presence of these spots. Williams and Hayfield have shown that local regions of unusually high oxidation resistance can be caused by a surface monolayer of atoms with a work function higher than that of the base material. The result is an inhibition of the rate of electron removal from the base material and a decrease in the oxidation rate. The source of the protected layer may be either surface diffusion from contaminants on the specimen surface or pipe diffusion of solute atoms followed by migration across the surface. In the latter case the driving force is a difference in chemical potential resulting in a Gibbs adsorption phenomenon. In the present case, chemical polishing of the specimen surface precluded contaminants of a strictly surface nature. Consequently, diffusion of impurity atoms from within the lattice appears to be the most tenable explanation of the observed phenomena. The authors propose that the structures of Figs. 1 and 2 reflect the diffusion of impurity atoms along extended dislocations within the individual a phase grains prior to surface oxidation. The central spots within the protected regions are seen as sites of dislocation emergence which have become locally decorated with oxide in the manner discussed in Ref. 1. Williams and Hayfield observed protected regions adjacent to the grain boundaries of iron-contaminated copper which they attributed to the segregation of iron to the grain boundaries coupled with high dif-fusivity along the complex dislocation array at such boundaries. No evidence of such grain boundary protection was observed in the Cu-Si alloy; this

Jan 1, 1964

By B. H. Kear, B. J. Piearcey

The orientation and temperature dependence of the tensile and creep propevties oj Mav-M200 crystals halle been determined. Crystals oriented for single slip exhibit ,maximum ductility, minimum work hardening, and least creep resistance, whereas crystals in multiple slip orientations show nzinimu~n ductility, strongest work hardening, and greatest creep resistance. At 1400" and 1600°F there is a marked improzlenzent in creep strength for orientations approaching [001] and [111], indicating that interactions between dislocations gliding in intersecting octahedral slip systems play an important role in creep resistance. At 1800°F the creep strength is much less dependent on orientation, which is rationalized in terms of slip in cube planes as well as octahedral A frequent mode of failure in high-strength cast nickel-base superalloys is by intergranular fracture, particularly along those grain boundaries oriented transverse to the major stress axis. VerSnyder and ~uard' demonstrated that this problem could be overcome by eliminating transverse grain boundaries through unidirectional solidification. Piearcey and versnyder2 made use of this principle in the development of unidirectionally solidified gas turbine blades and vanes, where the growth direction of the columnar grain structure coincides with the axis of principal stress under operating conditions. The present investigation was undertaken to determine if further improvement in properties may be obtained by eliminating grain boundaries altogether, so as to take advantage of the well-known dependence of mechanical properties of single crystals upon the orientation. 1) EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Single crystals of Mar-M200* were grown from the melt under vacuum by a modified Bridgman method. The melt was poured into a preheated alumina mold, and crystal growth was promoted from one end by appropriate gradient cooling. Tensile and creep specimens (2 in. diam by $ in. gage length) were prepared by a series of operations involving electrical discharge machining, precision grinding, and electropolishing. The orientations of the specimens were determined by the Laue X-ray back-reflection method. Tensile tests were carried out in aWiedemann machine with furnace attachment, using a strain rate planes. In all orientations imzpvouement in the strength charactevistics of the material can be induced by heat treatment. Creep ad stress rupture data for (001) oriented crystals are compared with similar data obtailted previously joy random polycvystalline material, and also columnar grained material having a prejevved (001) orientation. The single-crystal )material exhibits both longer rupture life and lower minimum creep rate at all temperatuves, and the rupture elongation is comparable with that in the columnar grained material. From these results it is concluded that single crystals should and useful application in gas-turbine blades and tanes. The optimum orientation for a blade is considered to be with its axis of principal stvess parallel to (001) ou (111). of 0.0001 sec-'. Load and extension were recorded directly on an X-Y recorder. The strain measuring device consisted of extension arms attached to the grips at one end and leading out of the furnace to an LVDT (linear variable differential transformer) at the other. Creep tests were performed using a standard constant load creep frame. 2) DISCUSSION OF RESULTS 2.1) Structure of Alloy. The structure and segregation in as-cast and heat-treated Mar-M200 has been described in detail else where.~ The main features are as follows: the as-cast material is heavily cored, due to pronounced dendritic segregation during solidification; the dendrites are rich in tungsten and cobalt whereas the interdendritic regions are rich in chromium, titanium, nickel, and carbon. The structure consists of -60 vol pct coherent precipitate of y', basically Ni3(A1,Ti), in a matrix of y (nickel-base solid solution), interspersed in the interdendritic regions with minor MC carbides and -y' eutectic. The y' particles, and y-y' eutectic, contain more titanium, aluminum, and nickel, and less tungsten, cobalt, and chromium than the y matrix. Heat treatment partially removes segregation, eliminates the eutectic, refines the y' dispersion in y, and gives additional partially coherent M23Cs carbide. An as-cast crystal, therefore, is composed primarily of two oriented phases (y + y'), whereas the normally heat-treated crystal consists of three oriented phases (y + y' + MZ3Cs). Typical electron transmission micrographs of the y + y' structure are shown in Fig. 1. Crystals grown in the (100) orientation develop a simple unidirectional dendritic structure, Fig. 2, since (100) happens to be the preferred direction of growth for dendrites in this material. Crystals grown in the {110) and (111) orientations, however, tend to promote equal growth, generally in separate colonies, in the two and three geometrically favored (100) growth directions, respectively. In other orientations of growth, a single (100) dendrite direction generally pre-

Jan 1, 1968

By John Jermain Porter

The chief purpose of this paper is to indicate the laws governing the fuel-economy of the cupola, to examine the feasibility of some of the proposals for increasing its fuel-economy, and to show that the conditions limiting fuel-economy here are altogether different from those prevailing in the blast-furnace. The two methods available for studying the thermal efficiency of the cupola and determining the factors limiting fuel-economy are: 1, by the determination of the total heat-balance; and 2, by the application of the theory of critical temperatures. The case selected as an example represents a cupola operating under fairly efficient conditions. The data are as follows : Cupola, GO in. in diameter, 15 ft. high to the charging-door, with a 9-in. lining. Bed-charge, 2,000 lb. of coke and 4,000 lb. of iron. Subsequent charges, 400 lb. of coke and 4,000 Ib. of iron. Total number of charges, 20. There was 800 lb. of coke recovered from the drop, hence the total coke burned is 8,800 lb., or 0.11 lb. of coke per Ib. of iron. Coke contains 90 per cent. of fixed carbon and 2 per cent. of moisture. 300 1b. of kindling-wood is used in lighting. 80 lb. of limestone (95 per cent. of CaCO,) is used per charge, or 0.02 lb. per Ib. of iron. Melting-loss, 4 per cent.; distributed thus : Fe, 3.5; Si, 0.25; Mn, 0.25 per cent. Average analysis of top-gases : CO2, 15.1; CO, 10.0 per cent. Average temperature of top-gases, 1,600" F. Temperature of air and stock charged, 60" F. Dew-point of air, 50 F. The items entering into the total heat-balance and their calculation are as follows: 1. Heat of combustion of fuel.—Total heat evolved = 14,580 x lb. of carbon burned + 7,200 X Ib. of wood burned. Hence B.t.u. per lb. of iron charged =

Jan 1, 1913

By H. K. Work

THE instrument for the rapid determination of carbon in steel, described in this paper, was developed originally to facilitate the opera-tion of the pilot-sized open-hearth furnace in the Jones & Laughlin Research and Development Laboratory. In this small furnace, with its shallow bath, the drop in carbon is accelerated, and a rapid, reliable test for carbon content is indispensable. This problem becomes rather acute when it is desired to finish heats at a carbon content higher than can be estimated with any degree of accuracy by the fracture test. Several independent methods for determining carbon were investigated, therefore, and it was found that a relatively simple magnetic device could be made to give reproducible results. A laboratory instrument was designed and set up for the use of the furnace operators. It was tested exhaustively in the laboratory and was used with considerable success for following the carbon content in the furnace bath. As soon as suffi-cient data had been compiled to indicate that the instrument might have a wider application, a more rugged model was constructed and placed in the mill to be tested on commercial heats. Finally, about a year ago, instruments were furnished to the plant open-hearth shops, and these have been in use since that time. As a matter of convenience, the instrument has been named the "Carbanalyzer," and will be referred to by this designation in the following pages. ?

Jan 1, 1939

By Nicholas J. Grant, Rolf Nordheim, Bill C. Gissen

The system Cb-Re was examined in detail utilizing pure metals, careful melting techniques, and heat treatments. Metallographic and X-my methods were utilized for phase identification. In addition to soli-dus determinations, the composition limits and mode of formation of the intermetallic compounds 0 and X were determined. The binary constitution diagram Cb-Re has been the subject of a number of investigations.'-7 Two intermetallic phases have been described and tentative diagrams have been proposed. It was the aim of this investigation to obtain a complete and more accurate diagram through the use of purer alloys and improved techniques. The diagram worked out by Knapton7 was published after our experiments were concluded. EXPERIMENTAL METHODS The starting materials were Re powder of 99.95 pct purity, supplied by the Chase Brass and Copper Co., and Cb rondelles of 99.6 pct purity, supplied by the Electro Metallurgical Co. Typical analyses are given in Table I. The alloys were prepared from compacted Re powder and Cb rondelles; for critical compositions master alloys were used. The melts varied from 5 to 50 g and were melted nonconsumably in an Heraeus arc furnace, under ti-tanium-gettered laboratory grade argon. It was necessary to invert the buttons and remelt, followed by crushing and further remeltings, the number of which depended on the nature of the fracture of the alloy. The weight of each alloy was carefully checked after each melting operation. It was found that significant weight losses occurred only when loose Re powder was used. These losses amounted to a maximum of 3 wt pct in such instances, but did not occur after the charge was once molten, regardless of the composition. Typical loss of weight after 4 remelts, including crushing, amounted to 0.2 wt pct. Oxygen pickup during successive melting cycles did not appear to be significant, since the weight gain values never exceeded 0.01 wt pct. Control of the composition of the alloys was not too difficult; however, the problem of homogenization was a far greater one. Optimum alloying conditions were finally achieved by a combination of master alloy production and repeated crushing and remelting cycles. The compositions of the alloys utilized to determine the constitution diagram are listed in Table 11. The weight balance method was used ultimately as the sole analytical method, since repeated checks indicated that it was accurate to 0.2 pct, if the weight losses were small. The results were double-checked by a metallographic study of the homogeneity of the samples, since this was presumed to be the more serious factor. Heat treatments at 1200°C or lower were accomplished by sealing the specimens in Vycor tubes, heating in a Globar furnace, followed by air cooling. This was considered to be an adequate quench because of the very low temperatures involved. For temperatures of 1200" to 1900°, alloys were homogenized and heat treated in a tungsten-filament resistance vacuum furnace. From 1900" to 2750" a tantalum-tube resistance furnace was utilized, operating under a vacuum of 105 mm Hg. The temperature measurements up to 1200" were made by means of platinum-platinum 10 pct Rh thermocouples, with an accuracy of 5°C. For temperature measurements greater than 1200°C, optical pyrometers were used. They were calibrated against a standardized instru-

Jan 1, 1962

By D. C. Buffum, L. D. Jaffee

THAT the path of brittle fracture in temper brit-tle steel differs from the path in unembrittled steel has been known for some years1 More recently it has been recognized that alloy steels, at least, display two forms of temper brittleness1 which may be called upper-nose and lower-nose. No experimental evidence has been published, however, to show that the two forms can be distinguished by simple inspection of brittle fractures. Fig. 1 is a photograph of the fractured surface of a V-notch Charpy specimen of SAE 3140 steel in which temper brittleness developed during heat treatment in the lower-nose temperature range.' The steel was austenitized 1 hr at 900°, tempered 1 hr at 675", and embrittled 48 hr at 500°C, with water-quenching after each treatment. The temperature of transition from ductile to brittle fracture in the Charpy test was + 2°C (criterion of transition: 100 pet fibrous). The hardness was Re 25; the austenite grain size ASTM 8. This specimen was broken at 150°C in the standard Charpy test and absorbed 6.6 ft-lb; its fracture was rated 0 pet fibrous. Fig. 1 shows that the fracture appeared rough to the naked eye. At the side of the specimen away from the notch (the side which was in compression during the test), the surface as a whole deviated sharply from a plane. At higher magnification, X60, the surface gave

Jan 1, 1959

By E. A. Nesbitt

THE important permanent-magnet alloys 15 years ago contained carbon and depended upon it for their permanent- magnet properties. In recent years great, advances have been made in a number of new alloys substantially free of carbon. These include Remalloy,l an alloy of iron, cobalt, and molybdenum, the various iron- nickel-aluminum alloys of the Mishima2 type, and the more recent Alnico V3 in which the best properties are developed by heat-treating in a magnetic field. The Mishima and the Alnico types of alloys are very brittle and after casting must be ground to size. This article describes a permanent-magnet material4 that can be machined as cast, and when handled with some care can be .rolled to thin sheet and drawn to fine wire. Optimum magnetic properties are developed by a simple heat- treatment, and at this time the ductility A of the alloy disappears. If the cast alloy is heat-treated without cold-working the magnetic energy product is about 1.0 X 106. This material is called Vicalloy I (pronounced vicalloy, V for vanadium, I for iron, and C for cobalt). When the alloy is first hot-worked and then considerably reduced in area by cold-swaging, drawing or grooved rolling, it is found that after heat-treatment the magnetic energy product measured in the direction of previous extension can be increased to 2.0 to 3.5 X l06. These higher values have been obtained only after reductions in area of 75 to 95 per cent, and since the material hardens considerably during working, the reduction ordinarily can be accomplished only in fine wires, although larger sizes can be reduced by the use of powerful machinery. When the material has been cold- worked in such a manner as to improve its energy product substantially, it is called Vicalloy II. Commercial use of Vicalloy has been made in the recording of speech. Tape 0.002 by 0.050 in. has been found superior in quality to all others tried, and is now used in the Western Electric Mirrorphone In a variety of forms Vicalloy I or II is useful in many laboratory instruments, and in experiments in which the sizes and shapes required cannot be obtained with the other more brittle permanent-magnet materials. In 1936, during a study of other age- hardening magnetic systems, it occurred to the author that some of the iron-cobalt-vanadium alloys might be suitable for permanent magnets. The proportions of iron, cobalt, and vanadium were varied and a range of alloys of particular interest was found, as shown by the indicated area in Fig. I. The limits of this range of com- position are 30 to 52 per cent iron, 36 to 62 per cent cobalt, and 4 to 16 per cent vanadium. The compositions indicated by points outside this area were also tested. PREPARATION AND PROPERTIES OF VICALLY I The alloys were usually cast in graphite molds into bars ¾ in. in diameter and

Jan 1, 1946

By AIME AIME

AN enthusiastic crowd, cheerfully confident that the upturn in the oil industry has arrived, gathered in Los Angeles on Sept. 29 for a Petroleum Division meeting arranged by the Southern California Section. The assembly room of the California Oil and Gas Association was the place of meeting. H. Norton Johnson was in the chair for the morning session, with about eighty members and guests present. Four papers were presented before lunch and a fifth, on electrical coring, was withdrawn as the work on which it was based is still confidential. Joseph Jensen read his contribution on the "Kettleman Hills Middle Dome Unit Plan" and, as he had an active part in framing the plan, his outline and discussion of it was authoritative and informing. J. H. Woods asked concerning the operation of the casing-head gasolene plant under the plan and was informed that one company would operate the plant and royalties would be paid participating companies

Jan 1, 1933

By C. A. Schempp

STUDY of the adaptability of Tintic Standard ores to concentration dates back to somewhat before January, 1921, when the chloridizing mill at Harold, Utah, was put into operation. The operation of this mill has been fully covered in the TRANSACTIONS (Vol. 73). The process consisted essentially of a chloridizing roast followed by a percolating leach with a nearly saturated solution of common salt, acidified with sulfuric acid; precipitation of silver on sponge copper, and of copper and lead on tin-plate cuttings. This mill was built to treat the low grade siliceous ores having an average content of

Jan 1, 1933

By Bieniawski, Z. T.

The importance of understanding the phenomena associated with rock fracture has long been fully appreciated in rock mechanics. This is clearly apparent from the special attention paid to rock fracture in the comprehensive papers published within the past four years. These papers present a picture of how the knowledge of brittle fracture of rock was gradually enriched and also show that what was often taken for granted three or four years ago is no longer considered as valid today.

Jan 1, 1972

By Robert W. Bergmann

Twenty years ago, the standard voltage for stripping machines was 4160 v and few people even thought of using a higher voltage. It was adequate for the machines of the day, which seldom exceeded 2500 hp, and higher voltages were considered to be too expensive and even dangerous. Then, in 1956, a 4500-hp machine was placed in operation and it was determined, with some reluctance, that it should operate on 7200 v. The next step, to 14,400 v, was taken in 1964 and the latest, but perhaps not final, step was made in 1967, when voltage was increased to 25,000 v. Today, 4160 v is considered almost obsolete and 7200 v is generally considered standard. However, a few mines are using 14,400 v and some eight machines soon will be operating on 25 KV, indicating that the technical and safety problems have been solved and that there must be some merit to the higher voltages. Thus, it is logical to question, "How do I determine the best voltage for my operation?"

Jan 12, 1972

By A. Sauveur

In an important paper on The Critical Ranges of Pure Iron presented at May, 1913, meeting of the Iron and Steel Institute…

Jan 1, 1915

By Herbert Hoover

BOTH the directors of industry and your leaders have made great progress toward a new and common . ground in economic conceptions, which, I am confident, has had a profound effect upon our economic progress during the last few years. That is the conception that industry must be constantly renovated by scientific research and invention; that labor welcomes those labor-saving devices; that labor gives its full and unrestricted effort to reduce costs by the use of these machines and methods; that the savings from these reduced costs shall be shared among labor, employer and the consumer.

Jan 1, 1930

By J. P. Dovel

HAVING been requested to prepare a paper referring especially to my patents as applied to blast furnaces, I shall confine my discussion to those improvements and inventions pertaining directly to the blast furnace itself, omitting a number of patents pertaining to blast furnace operations. I spent the early part of my life in the construction of blast furnaces, from rivet-heating to drafting and designing, much of the work relating to repairs and rebuilding. Later, as I became more interested in maintenance and operation of a group of blast furnaces, one fact especially made a lasting impression on me, namely that a very expensive piece of equipment was very short lived, and the expense of replacement, relining, etc., in many instances consumed most of the profits made while in actual operation. As far back as 1910, I began to lay plans to build with a view to permanency and not merely for a blast, the common expression at that time, which really meant only one or two years in southern practice. Since we did not then blow so hard most failures occurred in the bosh and hearth. The failure of either generally meant a complete new lining, as the inwall did not look good enough to last another blast. At that time we were using two types of hearth, one of heavy steel plate protected by well and sprays on the outside, and .one of heavy. cast iron, made in sections and bound together with wrought-iron bands. The former type proved dangerous, for if the iron should come through, as it frequently did, it would cut away the steel plate, quickly turning large quantities of molten iron into the water, causing a severe explosion and costly repairs. The cast-iron type gave trouble also by the iron finding its way through the joints between the sections, which was' not so serious; since the iron would not cut away the heavy cast-iron sections very quickly, and generally caused only small damage, and repairs-were easily made. Both types have been improved; the former by the introduction of cast-iron -water-cooled plates, placed on the, inside of the steel, jacket. This has proved to be very good construction, but has no real claim to permanency: As the cast-iron plates cannot be replaced from the outside, therefore the operator must assume that some time, at no late date, he must replace them from the inside, which will mean a blowing out of the furnace. The heavy cast-iron hearth has been improved by making the

Jan 1, 1928

KARL A. PAULY,* Schenectady, N. Y.-We are deeply indebted to Mr. Hobart for a record of the actual experience of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Co. with electrification. One of the essential features of this test is that it was made under actual operating conditions. In one of the western mining districts I was once discussing the electrification of a large hoist with a mining operator, who told me that they had made a very thorough test and that the results were such as to indicate that electrification was not warranted. When questioned regarding the test, he said that they had called on the mining college in the Territory for assistance, and one of the instructors and a group of students had made the test. They first cleaned the boilers and then operated them at a' continuous load, using the maker's guaranteed steam consumption per indicated horsepower as a guide in estimating the steam consumption under actual hoisting conditions. Such a test is absolutely valueless. The efficiency of the boilers 'is affected by the intermittent demands on the steam. The standby losses, as indicated by Mr. Hobart's paper, are quite equal to the actual fuel consumption required to do the work; very frequently, also, the cost of repairs is either omitted or underestimated. One noticeable feature of Mr. Hobart's tabulation is that there is no mention of steam consumption. Intentionally or otherwise, the steam-hoist builders have befogged the question by making a great point of the steam consumption of hoists. The operator is not at all concerned in steam consumption; it is the actual cost of operation that he is interested in, and it is a comparison between the cost of operation of the two systems, all factors being considered, that should determine the choice. The steam consumption, or its determination by test, is only one step in the problem of estimating the fuel consumption, which, in an actual installation, can be directly measured much more accurately, as was done by Mr. Hobart.

Jan 4, 1918

By D. N. Seidman

In the course of a study of the electronic and thermodynamic properties of Pb-Se alloys it was found necessary to have an accurate knowledge of the phase diagram. However, the literature is in disagreement as to whether or not a monotectic reaction occurs in the lead rich portion of the phase diagram. Pelabonl reported only a two-phase region consisting of lead-rich liquid and solid PbSe extending from almost pure lead to the compound PbSe, and gave the melting point of PbSe as 1065°C. The data of Friedrich and Leroux2 are in general agreement with this type of diagram, with the melting point of the compound being 1088°C. However, Nozato and Igaki by inverse rate thermal analysis observed a monotectic reaction isotherm exlacing at 860°C with a monotectic composition of 20.5 at. pct Se. The miscibility gap in the liquid state extends from 7.5 to 20.5 at. pct Se. Hansen and Anderko4 accepted Nozato and Igaki's phase diagram in the region of the lead-rich monotectic. To reinvestigate this portion of the phase diagram, both thermal analysis and metallographic examination of various compositions were performed. The thermal analysis apparatus was constructed according to the specifications of the National Bureau of Standards. A t/t-l pct Rh thermocouple was calibrated against the melting point of copper (NBS), zinc (NBS), and antimony (A. D. Mackay), the emf being measured with a Rubicon Type B potentiometer sensitive to lpv. The absolute accuracy of the thermal analysis obtainable with this system is ± 0.5oC. Starting materials were semiconductor grade lead and selenium purchased from the American Smelting and Refining Co. Both elements were 99.999 pct pure with only trace impurities detected upon spectroscopic examination. One hundred galloys were sealed in quartz crucibles with a central thermocouple well under a vacuum of less than 1 p. This procedure prevented any composition change due to vaporization during the run. Cooling curves were obtained on the alloys listed in Table I. Data was taken by the direct method at cooling rates ranging between 1/2 to 2°C per min. The alloys were heated well above the liquidus and shaken vigorously to insure homogeneity. No evidence of an arrest indicative of the monotectic reaction was observed, and the two-phase region reported by Pelabonl and Friedrich and Leroux? was confirmed in general, although our data give higher liquidus temperatures than Friedrich and Leroux. The melting point of stoichiomet-ric PbSe determined for two different samples was 1080.7 0.5oC. The results of this investigation are compared with Nozato and Igaki's data in Fig. 1. To Complement the thermal analysis data, an 86 at. pct Pb specimen was examined microscopically. This composition was in the center of the miscibility gap reported by Nozato and Igaki.3 The alloy was heated to 1000°C, held for 1/2 hr, and water quenched. The specimen was polished using standard metallographic techniques for lead. The alloy was etched with an acetic-nitric acid etchant for 10 min at 45°C. Microscopic examination did not indicate the existence of two separate layers or solidified droplets imbedded in a matrix, as would be expected if a miscibility gap were present. The mi-crostructure shown in Fig. 2 consists of uniformly dispersed, dendritic PbSe in a lead-rich matrix.

Jan 1, 1962

By Maurice Grieves

The great majority of shafts constructed today are still excavated by drilling and blasting, a method which changed very little in over 100 years until the introduction of the mechanical lashing unit and cactus grab by the South Africans, which enabled muck to be removed as fast as massive hoisting systems could handle it and resulted in very rapid rates of sinking. Record breaking month's performances were achieved at -Hartebeestfontein No. 4 shaft, October 1960-337.1 m; Western Reefs No. 4 shaft, October 1961-340.7 m; and Buffelsfontein eastern twin shaft, March 1962-381.2m. The method was very labor-intensive, requiring a crew of over 60 workers at the shaft bottom during the drill cycle. Safety precautions were strict, but in the drive to achieve rapid advance, cases of personal injury were still somewhat high because of the large number of people engaged in this potentially hostile environment. The South African method, as it came to be referred to throughout the rest of the world, was adopted in the United Kingdom in the late 1950s in a modified form with greatly reduced manpower and nonsimultaneous sinking and lining, which was insisted on by the British Mines Inspectorate. In that instance, it was successfully used to sink the 7.3-m-diam concrete-lined shafts at Kellingley to 770 m depth, with rates of advance of over 90 m/month achieved, a British record at that time. During the sinking of the 1.15-km-deep twin shafts at Boulby potash mine in the UK in 1970, the method was again used, but for the first time ever in Britain exemptions from the mining code permitted the use of crash beams, crash doors, jack catches, and semi-simultaneous sinking and lining techniques. New British shaft sinking records of over 120 m/month were achieved in both shafts. Similar equipment and techniques were used in the early 1970s to sink several deep shafts in Canada, notably Creighton #7 and the Con zinc mine at Yellowknife in the NW Territories. Today, this equipment is standard for deep shafts in the US and the rest of the world. However, with the tremendous escalation in mining labor costs, the impact of health and safety legislation, and environmental regulations, coupled with a very real shortage of miners willing to work in this exposed situation it was apparent that an alternative to the labor-intensive conventional method of shaft construction had to be found. Recognizing the trend is inevitable, one or two major German shaft sinking contracting firms began to take a fresh look at full face boring techniques applied to tunnels and raise bored shafts. The results were most encouraging. Tunnel drivage techniques using moles had developed considerably from Colonel Beaumont's original channel tunnel machine circa 1880 to the superbly engineered Priestley machine selected to cut the British side in 1975 and the double shielded Robbins Grandori borer on the French side of the English Channel. Full face tunnel machines were being successfully used to drive uphill in inclined shafts in Austria and Switzerland. At Mapprag in Switzerland, the Demag mole drove the first (intentional) vertical transition and curve, and then went on to successfully complete the 730-m-long penstock shaft at an inclination of 35°. In Austria, the Wirth mole drove the Kaprun Glacier ski-lift railcar tunnel at record breaking rates of 457 m/MONTH (best 30 m/d) through green schist at an inclination of 29° for a distance of 3.35 km while the Hydro tunnel at Sarrelli in Switzerland was being driven by the Robbin's mole at an inclination of 35°. Simultaneously, extremely promising results were obtained using large assemblies of cutter discs on raise borer heads, such as the 4.87-m-diam X 460-m-deep shaft raised by Teton for Jim Walter Resources Inc. Bearing in mind that most mine shafts in the future (unless in exceptionally competent rock) will require some form of lining, and the trend will be toward deeper shafts as the more easily accessible mineral deposits become exhausted, it was seen that normal raise boring had definite limitations in vertical accuracy, in the limitation imposed by the drill string on the available torque that could be applied to the cutter head, and in the risk of collapse of the unsupported shaft rock wall in friable or jointed and fissured ground, since it is not possible to apply any form of temporary support until the permanent lining is being installed. A further problem was the economics of installing a subsequent lining, necessitating setting up a headgear and hoisting arrangement approaching in size that required for conventional drill and blast sinking and lining. Because of the economics, German contractors opted for a phased transition from drill and blast to the full face, rodless, out of the solid shaft mole, by starting off with a down-the-hole shaft boring machine -without a drillstring-but using a pilot hole to get rid of the muck.

Jan 1, 1982

By H. Herbert Hughes

In the years following World War II, L. de Roll S.A., Zurich, Switzerland, perfected its vertical kiln. De Roll first became interested in cement-manufacturing equipment in 1947, not only kilns but also the crushing, grinding, and handling equipment required for a complete cement plant. The parent company, Louis de Roll Iron Works, S.A., Gerlafingen, Switzerland, was founded in 1804. In its six plants, and with its associated companies, de Roll manufactures and installs equipment for a wide variety of industries-chemical and metallurgical operations, fats and oils plants, and municipal refuse incinerators and sewage disposal installations. Vertical shaft kilns, of course, are as old as Portland cement itself. Their fuel economy has long been recognized, particularly in Europe where fuel costs are high. But the disadvantages of old-type shaft kilns have been the lack of consistent quality of the clinker, the small capacity, and the relatively high labor costs.

Dec 1, 1956

By J. P. Dovel

Having been requested to prepare a paper referring especially to my patents as applied to blast furnaces, I shall confine my discussion to those improvements and inventions pertaining directly to the blast furnace itself, omitting a number of patents pertaining to blast furnace operations. I spent the early part of my life in the construction of blast furnaces, from rivet-heating to drafting and designing, much of the work relating to repairs and rebuilding. Later, as I became more interested in maintenance and operation of a group of blast furnaces, one fact especially made a lasting impression on me; namely, that a very expensive piece of equipment was very short lived, and the expense of replacement, relining, etc., in many instances consumed most of the profits made while in actual operation. As far back as 1910, I began to lay plans to build with a view to permanency and not merely for a blast, the common expression at that time, which really meant only one or two years in southern practice. Since we did not then blow so hard most failures occurred in the bosh and hearth. The failure of either generally meant a complete new lining, as the inwall did not look good enough to last another blast. At that time we were using two types of hearth, one of heavy steel plate protected by well and sprays on the outside, and one of heavy cast iron, made in sections and bound together with wrought-iron bands. The former type proved dangerous, for if the iron should come through, as it frequently did, it would cut away the steel plate, quickly turning large quantities of molten iron into the water, causing a severe explosion and costly repairs. The cast-iron type gave trouble also by the iron finding its way through the joints between the sections, which was not so serious, since the iron would not cut a way the heavy cast-iron sections very quickly, and generally caused only small damage, and repairs were easily made. Both types have been improved; the former by the introduction of cast-iron water-cooled plates, placed on the inside of the steel jacket. This has proved to be very good construction, but has no real claim to permanency. As the cast-iron plates cannot be replaced from the outside, the operator must assume that some time, at no late date, he must replace them from the inside, which will mean a blowing out of the furnace. The heavy cast-iron hearth has been improved by making the

By L. M. Cathles, W. Joseph Schlitt

A mathematical model describing the leaching of low grade industrial waste dumps in developed and solved by finite difference techniques. The leaching behavior of model dumps of different sizes, permeabilities, and waste characteristics, under different operating conditions, is then investigated using the model. It is shown that leaching is fastest for dumps 50-100 feet (15-30m) high, that permeability is very important for the effective leaching of large dumps, that slow leach kinetics of the waste may not be detrimental, and that the leaching of large dumps may be facilitated if leach solutions are preferentially applied to the hot, near-edge portions of the dump.

Jan 1, 1980