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By Robert Anderson Cook

The subject of refractory materials occupies such an important position in all metallurgical works, and particularly in those of iron and steel, that any data concerning it must be of interest to the metallurgist. No apology is needed, therefore, for this attempt to describe the mining of fire-clay and the manufacture of fire-brick at one of the largest establishments in this country. Mount Savage is a small village situated in the northwestern part of the Cumberland coal basin, on the Cumberland & Pennsylvania Railroad, and at the foot of Savage Mountain, from which the village takes its name. Fire-brick have been manufactured here almost, if not quite, as long as in any place in America; and as the brick are still shipped to nearly half the States in the Union every month, the manufactory is probably the most generally known. In the year 1837, a company was formed called the Maryland & New York Coal & Iron Company. It built two blast-fiirnaces, the ruins of which still remain. It was in the construction of these filmaces that the first fire-brick made here were used ; and though the iron works ran but spasmodically, the brick works have been in constant operation ever since. From 1837 until 1846, the Maryland Coal & Iron Company, from then until 1548, the Lochiel Iron Co., and from 1848 until 1861, the Mount Savage Iron Co., ran the brick-works, and in

Jan 1, 1886

By J. E. Johnson

The subject of blast-furnace slag is one which has had much consideration, particularly from the scientific standpoint, and several years ago technical literature contained many learned discussions on the oxygen-ratio of the acids and the bases, all on the assumption that acids and bases must be present in a ratio depending on molecular weight and chemical valency. Much work has also been don.e, sometimes in conjunction with the former, on the total heat and the temperature of initial fusion or softening of various slags. A wider knowledge of the blast-furnace now enables us to say that for practical purposes this work has been of almost no value. It is now generally admitted that on,the physical side the important point of a given slag is neither its total heat of fusion nor its softening-point, but its free-running temperature, since this is the critical temperature of the furnace. This temperature bears no definite relation to the softening-temperature, as determined by Seger cones, for instance, because some slags melt relatively like ice, with a very short viscous-range, while others melt relatively like tar, with a very long viscous-range. In one the difference between the softening- and the free-running temperature may be very small, as little as 100° F., while in another this difference may easily be 200' or 300°. The importance of this difference is so great in practice as to destroy completely the value of exhaustive investigations, even such as those of 0. Boudouard, published a few years ago.'

Jan 1, 1913

By J. W. Snavely

THE part that acceleration plays in starting a belt conveyor and its effect on belt conveyor design are well understood in a general way. Its practical importance is easily overlooked, however, and under some conditions, it is absolutely necessary to give the problem of acceleration detailed study. Most handbooks on conveyor belting design adequately present basic data for the determination of acceleration values. This paper will only attempt to present practical thinking and a convenient method of treatment of acceleration in belt conveyor design. Mathematical Analysis In working out the various problems of conveyor belt acceleration, the starting point, as presented by the handbooks, is the familiar formula of "force of acceleration is equal to the mass times acceleration." By expressing these fundamental quantities in terms of belt conveyor design, it is possible to arrive at the unsuspected conclusion that the acceleration time for horizontal belt conveyors is independent of the load, and instead, dependent upon the belt speed, the type of drive arrangement and drive pulley, and the idler coefficient of friction. The mathematics leading to this conclusion are shown in Table I, which has been prepared to show, this derivation. While at first the conclusion just given may not seem to be reasonable, further reflection indicates that obviously the type of drive pulley and the type of drive do affect materially the tension in the conveyor belt, and thus, as clearly shown, the time of acceleration is dependent upon the factors mentioned. Inasmuch as all of the factors except time are predetermined by the belt conveyor design, it becomes relatively easy to establish the accelerating time and to reduce further this time determination to a simple graph from which the time in seconds can be read directly. Such a graph is given in Fig. 1. The table appearing on Fig. 1 should be explained further. For a given belt speed, the time of acceleration can be expressed as a percentage of the belt speed. The time of acceleration is also dependent on the drive arrangement, and changes in the drive arrangement consequently change the time of acceleration. It further follows that for a given belt speed, the time expressed as a percentage of that belt speed also changes with the type of drive. Obviously then, it becomes possible to graph the percentage of speed for each type of drive against the belt speed and accelerating time, after which, for a given belt speed and type of drive, the time can be read directly in seconds. Two constants were established for Fig. 1, the first one being the limiting of the maximum acceleration tension to 35 pct of the full load operating tension in the belt. The purpose of this is to limit the total tension imposed upon the belt during the acceleration period to 135 pct of the full load operating tension, which is the amount required to start or breakaway the fully loaded belt conveyor from rest. The other constant is the friction factor used for the idler equipment, which has been established as 0.022. For installations where it is necessary to establish the values of acceleration, invariably high grade idler equipment is used, and it has been established from. field experience that 0.022 for the idler friction factor is amply conservative. The use of this friction factor for idlers must be tempered with judgment, of course, for occasions will arise where more power than indicated is required to start, even with the very best of equipment, such as low temperature operations that tend to congeal the grease in the bearings and thus produce additional friction drag. An inspection of the table in Fig. I affords a convenient rule of thumb method for determining the acceleration time, which conveniently can be 5 pct of the belt speed in seconds. The 5 pct of belt speed figure is close to the average for most types of drives. In using Fig. 1 it must be emphasized that it applies accurately to horizontal belt conveyors only.

Jan 1, 1952

By George Otis Smith

A PHILOSOPHER has pointed out that inventive genius, in substituting mechanical power for human brawn, leaves' man the intellectual factor in the industrial life. "Almost human" is the description sometimes applied to the automatic machine, yet the true characteristic of the perfect machine is its unquestioning obedience. "Its not to reason why." The human operator, not the mechanism of gears and levers, has freedom of choice: he wills; the machine obeys: There map be a grinding monotony, a tiring rhythm, that passes from machine to man, but the responsibility resides in the man. In no proper sense call the machine worker be called the slave: whether he guides an electric shovel or tends a group of automatic 1athes.in the machine shop.

Jan 1, 1930

By AIME AIME

STRIP coal mining in the United States has-become noted for its massive equipment, especially its power shovels. Notable among the latest examples of this trend is the Bobolink mine of the Binkley Mining Co., at Seeleyville, Ind.,. eight miles from Terre Haute. This is only one of the Binkley company's operating properties; in all, the company owns or controls 26 mines, in fourteen seams. The Bobolink, however, is the largest strip mine in America and probably also in the world. It has an estimated life of fifteen years. The shovel used to strip the over¬burden is electrically operated, of Bucyrus-Erie make, and was. shipped to the property for assembling, a job

Jan 1, 1936

By Michael Perch, Charles C. Russell

Nearly 75 per cent of the total coke production in the United States in 1940 was consumed in blast furnaces. In 1939 the percentage was 69.9, and in 1938 it was 61.3. To produce a net ton of pig iron 1757 lb. of coke was required in 1940 and 1760 lb. in 1939. These figures indicate how dependent the production of pig iron is upon the production of coke. The rate of iron production is in some measure influenced by the physical and chemical characteristics of the coke. Blast-furnace operators believe that the physical properties of coke profoundly influence the operation of the furnace. Although it is true that coke of a wide variety of physical properties is used in American blast furnaces, the periodic fluctuation of these properties is one of the causes of irregularity of blast-furnace operation. The purpose of this paper is to present a broad picture of the physical properties of by-product coke that are generally considered to be important by coke-oven and blast-furnace operators. Effects of the kind of coal used, the preparation of the coal, the rate of coking, and other factors will be considered. Of all these variables, the kind of coal used is by far the most important. In this discussion use will be made of the method of coal classification by rank1 standardized by the American Society for Testing Materials. Although this method of classification has been an American standard for several years, it has not been given the attention it deserves, especially in connection with the selection of coal for production of coke. Despite the fact that many producers of blast-furnace coke are limited to some particular source or sources of coal, a good understanding of the principles involved in setting up the standard method of classification may lead to a better appreciation of the causes of changes in coke characteristics. Furthermore, where it is necessary to select new coals as a substitute for the original supply, this method of classification can be of great assistance. The data presented have been gathered from many sources, but no attempt has been made to cover the vast literature. Instead, some of the more important data have been selected to show how coals and their carbonization affect some of the physical properties of coke. It must be emphasized that generalizations concerning the behavior of coking coals are presented and that individual coals may vary widely from the specific behavior depicted. Nevertheless, it is believed that the data illustrate certain typical behaviors. Neither was it possible to cover completely all the factors involved; for example, the macroscopic constituents of coal are believed to have important effects on the physical properties of coke, but since there is little information available for such study, and since vitrain, clarain, and durain are neither

Jan 1, 1942

By Carle R. Hayward

LEAD ore smelting plants have been operating in general at reduced capacities and secondary lead has assumed relatively more importance during the last year. Present smelting practice results in a large amount of dross, often over 25 per -cent, from blast-furnace lead. This is usually treated at a fairly high temperature in a reverberatory furnace to remove part of the lead and produce a matte-speiss product which is shipped to a copper plant. Few smelters are satisfied with this 'treatment. The fume losses are high and the matte-speiss contains considerable lead. It would seem that a fruitful field for research was open here.

Jan 1, 1934

By Raymond S. Weimer

Of the several characteristics of a coal that influence its suitability for use in a given piece of burning equipment, the clinkering and slagging characteristics of the ash of the coal are highly important. They determine the maximum rate at which the coal may be burned on a stoker or in pulverized form without difficulty from damage to metal parts, from erosion of refractory walls, or from stoppage of gas passages by accumulation on the tubes. They also determine the minimum rate at which a slag-tap furnace may be operated without difficulty in removal of the ash in fluid form. Need for a Better Criterion In common with other producers and users of coal, the Northern Illinois Coal Corporation has long used the available methods for the measurement of the clinkering characteristics of coal ash, chemical composition and fusion temperature of the ash, as criteria for the selection of coal that would suit the particular requirements of its customers. These two available criteria have greatly helped in the problem of selection but it is unnecessary to dwell upon the fact that they are not completely adequate for the purpose. The composition of the ash and its clinkering tendency vary widely over the company's mining area. In a certain period, some years ago, an unusual amount of severe clinkering of the ash of coal shipped made extremely acute the need for a better criterion of the clinkering that might be expected. It was also desirable that the criterion result from a reasonably rapid method, so that the clinkering characteristics of the coal would be known before shipment. Complaints on the severe clinkering of the ash came from only a fraction of the output of the mine but the occurrence of the clinkering seemed quite unpredictable. Attempts to relate the chemical composition of the ash and the fusion temperatures to the clinkering were unsuccessful. Coal from the area of the mine in which the fusion temperature of the ash was the lowest gave the least trouble from clinker-ing. Chemical analysis of the ash from that section giving the most trouble showed high contents of iron and low contents of silica, but frequently these were not greatly different from those of coals that gave little trouble from clinker. Aside from the clinkering difficulty, the coal was quite satisfactory. The ash content was normal and high rates of burning could be obtained, but again and again such severe clinkering would occur that the furnace would be shut down because of the accumulation of clinker. Examination of the clinker from the customers' plants showed that the clinkers that adhered to the grates and fouled the fuel beds were hard, flat, dense, and usually dark in color. Coal that was satisfactory gave clinkers that were softer, bulky rather than flat, of low density, and usually lighter in color.

Jan 1, 1944

By Raymond S. Weimer

Of the several characteristics of a coal that influence its suitability for use in a given piece of burning equipment, the clinkering and slagging characteristics of the ash of the coal are highly important. They determine the maximum rate at which the coal may be burned on a stoker or in pulverized form without difficulty from damage to metal parts, from erosion of refractory walls, or from stoppage of gas passages by accumulation on the tubes. They also determine the minimum rate at which a slag-tap furnace may be operated without difficulty in removal of the ash in fluid form. Need for a Better Criterion In common with other producers and users of coal, the Northern Illinois Coal Corporation has long used the available methods for the measurement of the clinkering characteristics of coal ash, chemical composition and fusion temperature of the ash, as criteria for the selection of coal that would suit the particular requirements of its customers. These two available criteria have greatly helped in the problem of selection but it is unnecessary to dwell upon the fact that they are not completely adequate for the purpose. The composition of the ash and its clinkering tendency vary widely over the company's mining area. In a certain period, some years ago, an unusual amount of severe clinkering of the ash of coal shipped made extremely acute the need for a better criterion of the clinkering that might be expected. It was also desirable that the criterion result from a reasonably rapid method, so that the clinkering characteristics of the coal would be known before shipment. Complaints on the severe clinkering of the ash came from only a fraction of the output of the mine but the occurrence of the clinkering seemed quite unpredictable. Attempts to relate the chemical composition of the ash and the fusion temperatures to the clinkering were unsuccessful. Coal from the area of the mine in which the fusion temperature of the ash was the lowest gave the least trouble from clinker-ing. Chemical analysis of the ash from that section giving the most trouble showed high contents of iron and low contents of silica, but frequently these were not greatly different from those of coals that gave little trouble from clinker. Aside from the clinkering difficulty, the coal was quite satisfactory. The ash content was normal and high rates of burning could be obtained, but again and again such severe clinkering would occur that the furnace would be shut down because of the accumulation of clinker. Examination of the clinker from the customers' plants showed that the clinkers that adhered to the grates and fouled the fuel beds were hard, flat, dense, and usually dark in color. Coal that was satisfactory gave clinkers that were softer, bulky rather than flat, of low density, and usually lighter in color.

Jan 1, 1944

By Robert L. Frantz

Progress and improvement continue to be the bywords of a dynamic coal industry. The industry continues to gain strength and expand its horizons in the face of competition from atomic energy and the problems of restrictive legislation. The direct contribution of coal mining and transportation to the national economy is about $3 billion a year ac- cording to a study made by the National Coal Policy conference. Coal remains the backbone of the power industry producing almost two-thirds of all the electrical energy generated by fossil fuels and one-quarter of all the energy consumed in the nation. Power supplied by electric utilities increased 6.9% last year. The chairman of the Federal Power Commission predicted a 7.5% growth rate until 1980 for the nation's electric output. Some 80,500 MW of fossil fired power plant capacity are on order or under construction before 1974, compared to a present capacity, all sources, of about 290,000 MW. The comparable new additions of nuclear power plants is expected to total about 51,000 MW.

Jan 2, 1969

By AIME AIME

At the Annual Meeting of the Institute, February, 1908, the following amendments to the Constitution were proposed for action at a future business meeting (see Trans., XXXIX, xxvii) To Art. II. After the first sentence of this Article, add the following sentence « These classes may be subdivided by the Council, according to profession, length of membership, nationality, or other conditions not inconsistent with the provisions of this article." To Art. III. In the first line, substitute " fifteen " for "ten " dollars. At the Annual Meeting of February, 1909, action upon these amendments was postponed to the next business meeting (see Bulletin No. 27, March, 1909, p. xiv). Of these two amendments, the first has been withdrawn, as unnecessary-the subdivision thereby authorized being already practicable without such amendment. The second amendment will be acted upon at the next Annual Meeting, February 15, 1910, and the Secretary has been instructed to call the attention of members to the subject in such a way as to secure a general vote upon it. A special circular, now being prepared by the Secretary, will shortly be sent to all members. Year Book of the Institute. The Year Book of the Institute for 1910 is sent to all members and associates with this issue of the Bulletin. In addition to the lists of members enrolled Jan. 1, 1910, and arranged both alphabetically and geographically, this annual contains lists of officers, council, corporation, past officers, meetings, and notices concerning publications; also the constitution and by-laws of the Institute, and blank forms for proposal of mem-

Jan 1, 1910

By D. S. Jacobus

It is proposed to give in this paper an estimate of the cost at which carburetted and uncarburetted water-gas will have to he sold, in order to compete successfully for steam-boiler use with anthracite coal. The following are analyses of the gas direct from the generator, and of the same after it has been carburetted for illuminating pnrposes. Per cent. by Volumes. I. 11. Uncarburetted. Carburetted. Nitrogen,.4.69 2.5 Carbonic acid,.3.47 .3 Ethylene,....... 0 12.5 Oxygen,....... 0 .2 Benzole vapor,...... 0 1.5 Carbonic oxide,.36.80 29.0 Marsh-gas,.2.16 24.0 Hydrogen,.52.88 30.0 100.00 100.0

Jan 1, 1889

By H. I. Aaronson, C. Wells

Configurations of ferrite crystals have been found in a plain carbon steel which appear to have resulted from the nucleation of new ferrite crystals at the interphase boundaries of previously formed crystals despite the high carbon concentrations which necessarily develop at these boundaries. This phenomenon has been termed sympathetic nucleation. An attempt has been made to reconcile the occurrence of sympathetic nu-cleation with current nucleation theory. THIS investigation is one of a series on the formation of proeutectoid ferrite from austenite. From the viewpoint of chemical composition, this reaction consists of the nucleation and diffusional growth of crystals of carbon-poor ferrite within a matrix of carbon-rich austenite. The austenite adjacent to the austenite-ferrite boundaries will be greatly enriched in carbon, approximately to the value of the y/(a + y) equilibrium curve or its metastable extrapolation at the temperature of transformation. Those areas of austenite appreciably farther removed from the growing ferrite, on the other hand, will be relatively unaltered in composition, especially at the earlier stages of transformation. Since rates of nucleation are considered to decrease exponentially with decreasing supersaturation,' the frequency with which ferrite nuclei appear at austenite-ferrite boundaries should be negligible in relation to that at which they form in other regions of the austenite. During this investigation, however, many groupings of ferrite crystals have been found which appear to have resulted from the nucleation of ferrite at austenite-ferrite boundaries. This phenomenon has been given the name of sympathetic 71.1tcleation. A number of micrographs of morphological configurations caused by sympathetic nucleation will be presented, after which an explanation for this reaction will be proposed in terms of current nucleation theory. Some of the structures to be considered are composed of bainite, an aggregate of ferrite and carbide, rather than of ferrite. Since ferrite and bainite differ only in that bainite forms under conditions which result in the nucleation of carbides behind the advancing austenite-ferrite boundaries,' it will usually be unnecessary, for the purpose of this paper, to distinguish between the two reaction products. All studies were performed on an electric furnace steel (obtained from the Vanadium Alloy Steel Co.) containing 0.29 pct C, 0.76 pct Mn, 0.25 pct Si, 0.005 pct P, and 0.007 pct S. The alloy was cast as a 150 Ib, 7x7 in. cross section ingot and forged into bars 2x2 in. in cross section. These bars were homogenized for 48 hr at 1250°C in an Endo-Gas atmosphere. The depth to which decarburization penetrated during this heat treatment was determined by chemical and microscopic analyses and the affected metal was removed by machining. Specimens for isothermal transformation studies were cut from the remaining material; most of these specimens were 1/2x1/4X1/16 in., though some with a thickness of 1/32 in. were prepared for use at the shorter reaction times and lower reaction temperatures. Specimens were austenitized for 30 min at 1300°C, isothermally reacted for various times at temperatures ranging from 775" to 475 "C, and then quenched in iced water. The austenite grain sizes within individual specimens ranged from ASTM Nos. 1 through —4. A commercial heat-treating salt which was continuously deoxidized by an immersed graphite crucible served to minimize the loss of carbon during austenitizing; thick covers of powdered graphite and immersed graphite rods effectively prevented decarburization in the lead pots employed for the isothermal reaction treatments. The heat-treated specimens were sectioned and mounted in Bakelite. Following the completion of standard grinding and mechanical polishing procedures, the specimens were electrolytically polished with a Buehler-Waisman apparatus and etched in 2 pct nital. Experimental Results Rules of Evidence for Sympathetic Nucleation—On the basis of observations made on a single plane of polish, one precipitate crystal may be considered to have been sympathetically nucleated at the inter-phase boundary of another precipitate crystal when the following conditions are fulfilled: 1) The sympathetically nucleated crystal is not in contact with a grain boundary or a subboundary in the matrix phase. 2) The shape, size, and location of the crystal at whose boundary sympathetic nucleation occurred (hereafter termed the base crystal) and the crystal formed by sympathetic nucleation substantially pre-clude the possibility that the plane of polish em-ployed may have concealed the fact that both crys-tals actually nucleated at a grain boundary or a sub-boundary in the matrix phase.

Jan 1, 1957

By Dr. O’Neil Thomas J., Donald W. Gentry

"October. This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August and February." -Mark Twain Although the preceding chapters describe the type of preliminary evaluation frequently performed in the mining industry, it has been assumed that input data are known with certainty-clearly an enormous simplification. In reality, estimates of ore grade, mining cost, metal price, etc., are subject to varying degrees of uncertainty due to the inability to predict the future with much precision. Management would probably not, for example, be equally attracted to two projects each offering a 20% DCFROI-one for a new gold venture in Nevada and the other for an undersea manganese nodule operation in the Pacific. The high risk with the latter investment tells the obvious; there is more to investment decision-making than a deterministic analysis using "best estimates" of input parameters. The science of decision theory normally distinguishes between decisions under uncertainty, where probabilities of various outcomes are unknown; and decisions under risk, where such probabilities can be estimated. The first case is rarely en- countered in practical capital investment analysis in mining, so the remainder of this chapter focuses on that class of problems where rational probability distributions for the future states of input variables can be estimated. RISK IN MINING Risk in the context of this chapter is the unforeseen deviation of individual cash flows from expected values for a capital project. For a mining venture, the source of this uncertainty could be any number of factors relating to such items as ore grade, ore reserve tonnage, operating costs, product prices, etc. With conventional *Adapted from O'Neil, T.J., 1979, "Procedures for the Preliminary Financial Evaluation of Metal Mining Ventures," Computer Methods for the 80s, A. Weiss, ed., AIME, New York, pp. 556-573.

Jan 1, 1984

By I. M. Bernstein

The steady-state creep behaviov of zirconium and zivcaloy-2 was examined in the temperature vatlge 520° to 620°C A1 low stresses the creep rates were cimracterized by a linear stress dependence; at highev stresses the stress dependence was much more pronounced. Temnperature-cycling tests yielded values for the aclivation enevgy for creep. Various tlzeories were examined in the ligltt of- the experimental re-sults and it mas concluded that the low-stress creep behavior is the result of the stress-direcled diffusion of vacancies along gain boundaries. It has been observed,"&apos; usually under conditions of high temperature and low stress, that creep deformation can occur for which the steady-state creep rate is linearly dependent on the applied stress. For magnesium and certain magnesium alloys, Harris and ones&apos; and ones&apos; have argued that this type of creep occurs by mass transfer as a result of the stress-induced generation and migration of vacancies, along a gradient defined by the stress direction. Jones&apos; demonstrated that the rate-controlling diffusion path is sensitive to grain size and temperature, and that by suitable control of these variables creep could occur by vacancy diffusion either predominately along grain boundaries or through the lattice. Recently, Jones3 suggested from an examination of limited high-stress data for zircaloy-2, composition in Table I, that significant diffusion creep could occur at low stresses, at least between 375" and 500°C, controlled by grain boundary vacancy diffusion. This process could have an important implication in assessing the role of zirconium alloys as a structural or cladding material in certain classes of nuclear reactors, since it predicts creep deformation far in excess of any estimates based on extrapolating slip creep data from higher stress levels. If the diffusion creep process occurs it should be possible to describe the total steady-state creep rate of zirconium and its alloys as the sum of two terms, Eq. [I]; the first term relates to a slip creep process important at high stresses and which is manifested by a much more pronounced dependence of creep rate on stress4 than diffusion creep and the second to a process controlled by mass transfer,5&apos;6 dominant at low stresses: where A and BI are parameters which can depend on structure, Ql and Q2 are the activation energies for the particular creep process occurring, and n describes the sensitivity of the creep rate on stress. It is the purpose of this paper to present some direct experimental evidence in support of this view. It is recognized that other analytical approaches have been proposed to explain data of this kind and these will also be discussed. 1) EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Flat creep specimens (gage length 1 by 0.25 by 0.02 in. approx) were prepared from cold-rolled, argon-remelted, crystal bar zirconium and cold-rolled commercial-grade zircaloy-2, the analyses of which are given in Table I. The specimens were annealed at a pressure of < 10-5 Torr at temperatures from 625" to 675°C for 2 hr and slow-cooled. This treatment produced stable grains of average size (defined here by the average linear intercept) of for zirconium and -4xin. (-10 p) for zircaloy-2. The specimens were tested in a dead load tensile creep rig. The stress was maintained constant by adjusting the applied load after approximately each 1 pct of strain. The specimen temperature was controlled to better than +1°C. This system had a small thermal lag, so that rapid temperature changes were possible. To minimize corrosion, the specimens were tested in high-purity (99.95 pct) argon, further dried,

Jan 1, 1968

By M. S. Seltzer

High temperature steady-state creep rates have been determined jor lead sulfide single crystals whose defect concentrations were fixed by equilibration under controlled sulfur pressure. The activation energy of creep, Qc , for undoped lead sulfide, is a function 01 composilion, decreasing from 2.9 to 2.2 ev as the carrier concentration increases from 9 x 1016 to 8 1018 electrons cm-3 for lead excess crystals, and increasing from 1.7 to 2.3 ev as the concentration of holes increases from 4 x 1017 to 1 x 1018 cm-3 in sulfur excess material. For five different composilions, Qc for undoped and bismuth-doped crystals has been found to be equal to Qpb + Qs, the self-diffusion activation energies for lead and sulfur in PbS. It is well-established1 that high-temperature steady-state creep of pure metals is a diffusion-controlled process, where the activation energy of creep is equal, within experimental error, to the activation energy of self-diffusion. The relationship between the activation energy for steady-state creep and those for self-diffusion in binary compounds is more complicated, however, because two different diffusing species must be considered, and becayse the activation energies may be influenced by compositional variations and by foreign atom additions.2-4 In some cases experimentally determined creep activation energies are correlated with those for self-diffusion of the slower-moving species, but such agreement is by no means universal. Interpretation of experimental results is difficult because few investigations include measurements of creep rates and self-diffusion coefficients of both diffusing species on single crystals of similar composition and foreign atom concentration. The objective of this investigation, therefore, is to determine the influence of stoichiometric defects and foreign atoms on steady-state creep and self-diffusion for a well-characterized binary compound. Lead sulfide, a compound semiconductor which crystallizes in the NaC1-type structure, and whose homogeneity range includes compositions on either side of the 1:l atom ratio, was chosen for study in this investigation. The pressure-temperature-composition relations for PbS are available,5,3 and deviations from stoichiometry may be monitored by electrical measurements.7 Single-crystal specimens are available to allow observation of effects due to bulk phenomena without interference from grain-boundary effects. These crystals have been employed to determine steady-state creep rates under compressive stress for "pure" and bismuth-doped PbS as a function of sulfur pressure and temperature as well as crystal orientation and applied stress in order to establish the relationships between defect concentrations and creep rates. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES Crystal Growth. Lead sulfide crystals, prepared by the Bridgman method, are grown in evacuated quartz crucibles, filled with almost equal atomic proportions of high-purity (99.999 pct) lead and sulfur, and heated to a temperature above the melting point of PbS (about 1127°C) so that the lead and sulfur react to form molten PbS. The crucible and melt are dropped through the hot zone of the crystal-growing furnace at the rate of 1 cm per hr. The maximum melting point of PbS is slightly on the lead-rich side of the 50:50 composition; hence crystals grown from a near stoichiometric melt are usually n-type semiconductors containing excess lead atoms. Typically the lead excess concentration in solid solution with the PbS is 3 x 1018 atoms cm-3. Crystals containing either 1/20 or 1/2 mole pct Bi2S3 were prepared by addition of the foreign atoms prior to crystal synthesis. Preparation of Specimens of Controlled Stoichiom-etry. Since it is difficult to grow crystals of desired composition, the process of crystal growth and control of stoichiometry are separated into two distinct operations. Equilibration of as-grown PbS to a desired composition is most easily accomplished by first annealing the n-type crystals under high sulfur pressure (about 1 atm) at temperatures above 700°C. This process serves to put excess lead precipitates into solution, yielding 0 -type crystals upon quenching to room temperature. Inter diffusion occurs readily in crystals so treated, and the methods described by Bloem may then be employed to obtain crystals of controlled stoi-chiometry. For the creep measurements made in this study, this involves heating crystals in mixtures of H2 and H2S The equilibrium constant for H2S is given by: Thus the sulfur partial pressure is obtained from knowledge of the H2/H2S ratio and Kh2S for the temperature in question. Fig. 1 shows the p-T-x diagram for PbS. It can be seen that, within the stability limits for single-phase lead sulfide, desired compositions may be obtained by equilibrating under a specified sulfur pressure and temperature. Characterization of Crystals. The principal methods for evaluating PbS crystals include measurement of electrical properties and mass-spectrographic analysis. The measured electrical parameters include Hall coefficient, conductivity type, and electrical resistivity Bloem7 has shown that there is a 1:l relation between the defect concentration and carrier concentration obtained. Hence, if the contribution to the carrier con-

Jan 1, 1968

By A. W. Fahrenwald

Cell depth has been for many years a controversial question in a flotation-machine performance. In the impeller type of machine, we are really talking about impeller submergence—i.e., the depth in the pulp at which the impeller is required to produce aeration. The Flotation Machine a Compressor A flotation machine can be considered as an air compressor or blower in which the aeration mechanism takes in air under atmospheric pressure† (14.7 Ib. per sq. in.) and blows it into the pulp (the pulp being the receiver) against a head of 14.7 plus cell depth in feet times 0.4333 lb. per sq. inch. In commercial machines the impeller is submerged in the pulp to depths ranging from about 2 ft. in the smaller machines to as much as 5 ft. in some of the larger ones. In the 2-ft. cell, the hydrostatic head on the impeller is (2 X 1.25 =) 2.50 ft. (assuming a pulp density of 1.25), equal to (2.50 X 0.4333 =) 1.078 Ib. per sq. in. For the 5-ft. cell, the hydrostatic head against which the impeller must make air is (5 X 1.25 X 0.4333 =) 2.708 Ib. per sq. inch. In the small 2-ft. machine, the volume reduction is (1.078 ÷ 0.147 + 0.01078 =) 6.85 per cent and in the large, 5-ft. machine, the volume reduction is (2.708 0.147 + 0.02708 =) 15.5 per cent. It is obvious that for unit volume of free air intake the larger machine receives a lesser (8.65 per cent less) volume of aeration* than the smaller machine. The bubbles in escaping from the pulp expand and are greater in volume at the surface than at the moment of their formation in the pulp; 7.33 and 18.4 per cent larger, respectively, in the small and large machines. Just how this situation affects flotation is not known. It is interesting to note, however, that the bubbles are smaller in the zone of the coarsest particles and largest in the upper zones of the her, more easily suspended mineral particles. It would seem that the relationship might be reversed advantageously. The deep cell is at a greater disadvantage in this respect than the shallow cell. Nothing, however, presumably can be done about this situation. The shallow cell is a partial corrective. Not only does the compression ratio of aeration increase with impeller submergence but the hydrostatic head against which the impeller must operate also increases. The Flotation Machine as a Pump Since, in impeller machines that rely upon their own operation to produce aeration, pulp Passes through the im-

Jan 1, 1947

By A. W. Fahrenwald

Cell depth has been for many years a controversial question in a flotation-machine performance. In the impeller type of machine, we are really talking about impeller submergence—i.e., the depth in the pulp at which the impeller is required to produce aeration. The Flotation Machine a Compressor A flotation machine can be considered as an air compressor or blower in which the aeration mechanism takes in air under atmospheric pressure† (14.7 Ib. per sq. in.) and blows it into the pulp (the pulp being the receiver) against a head of 14.7 plus cell depth in feet times 0.4333 lb. per sq. inch. In commercial machines the impeller is submerged in the pulp to depths ranging from about 2 ft. in the smaller machines to as much as 5 ft. in some of the larger ones. In the 2-ft. cell, the hydrostatic head on the impeller is (2 X 1.25 =) 2.50 ft. (assuming a pulp density of 1.25), equal to (2.50 X 0.4333 =) 1.078 Ib. per sq. in. For the 5-ft. cell, the hydrostatic head against which the impeller must make air is (5 X 1.25 X 0.4333 =) 2.708 Ib. per sq. inch. In the small 2-ft. machine, the volume reduction is (1.078 ÷ 0.147 + 0.01078 =) 6.85 per cent and in the large, 5-ft. machine, the volume reduction is (2.708 0.147 + 0.02708 =) 15.5 per cent. It is obvious that for unit volume of free air intake the larger machine receives a lesser (8.65 per cent less) volume of aeration* than the smaller machine. The bubbles in escaping from the pulp expand and are greater in volume at the surface than at the moment of their formation in the pulp; 7.33 and 18.4 per cent larger, respectively, in the small and large machines. Just how this situation affects flotation is not known. It is interesting to note, however, that the bubbles are smaller in the zone of the coarsest particles and largest in the upper zones of the her, more easily suspended mineral particles. It would seem that the relationship might be reversed advantageously. The deep cell is at a greater disadvantage in this respect than the shallow cell. Nothing, however, presumably can be done about this situation. The shallow cell is a partial corrective. Not only does the compression ratio of aeration increase with impeller submergence but the hydrostatic head against which the impeller must operate also increases. The Flotation Machine as a Pump Since, in impeller machines that rely upon their own operation to produce aeration, pulp Passes through the im-

Jan 1, 1947

By Davis Baker

The direct-metal cars or ladles of the Maryland Steel Company have a capacity of 18 tons when filled within 12 inches of the top. On account of this large capacity, the formation of skulls in these ladles is by no means as rapid as in smaller ladles; but a skull once formed is a very unwieldy piece of metal to handle, and especially to remove from the ladle. We have found it cheaper to clean ladles often rather than make very heavy skulls. We aim to keep the ring of chilled metal that forms on the surface of the iron chipped off, so that the skull shall form principally at the bottom until it becomes so thick as to render the ladle unfit for service. Sometimes it happens that a ladle may be held for several hours filled with molten metal. This invariably leaves a large amount of chilled metal in the ladle. Frequently the skull will weigh several tons, and will be of the full size of the ladle inside, with a top crust, having perhaps a hole 12 inches square, through which the molten metal was poured. In order to remove skulls that cannot be easily chipped out with a bar, we use what may be called a skull-extractor, consisting of a hydraulic cylinder mounted in the center of a heavy cast-iron plate, standing vertically on a suitable foundation. Figs. 1 and 2 show the construction and operation of this apparatus, Fig. 1 being a view of the extractor with pistons extended to full stroke, and Fig. 2 a view with ladle in position and pistons about to commence the stroke. in both figures, A is the hydraulic cylinder, B the vertical cast-iron plate, and C the foundation. The water-pressure, admitted through the pipe, P, is 750 pounds per square inch, and the inside diameter of A is 14 inches. There are two pistons: D, fitting the bore of the cylinder, and E, 84 inches in diameter, moving inside of D. Both pistons move together when

Jan 1, 1893

By R. C. Neavel

One of the most important requirements to be met by any coal producer is delivery of size consists tailored to specific applications. Generally these specifications include a minimum as well as a maximum size limit. The customers of a major Indiana coal producer noticed that some shipments of sized coal contained a large proportion of undersize pieces. Also, in these shipments, the pieces which remained within the specified limits were cracked and, when handled, crumbled readily. The producer, certain that these shipments had been properly sized at the tipple, suspected that degradation had occurred in transit. The Indiana Geological Survey was requested to examine the coal from one of these shipments to attempt to determine the cause of breakage. Two basic facts about coal and coal seams led to the employment of petrographic techniques in this investigation. First, all coal seams consist of accumulations of diverse organic and inorganic constituents; and second, most coal breakage, either desirable or undesirable, can be attributed to the inherent weakness of some of these constituents or to poor adhesion between certain constituents. Analyses of degraded coal Sampling: Samples were secured from 2 stock piles of 2-by 4-inch coal in a dealer&apos;s yard. The coal in both piles had received the same treatment from mining to storage, although it had been mined and shipped on two different days. The size consist of one pile, however, appeared smaller than that of the other. The sample from the degraded pile is referred to as the slack sample, and the other is called the unslack sample. Size analyses: In order to determine the actual size consist, the samples were screened, with a minimum of rough handling, on square 2-inch, 1-inch, 1/2-inch, and 12-mesh screens. It is assumed that 100 percent of the 2-by 4-inch coal is retained on a 2-inch round screen at the tipple. Analyses of several loads at the tipple indicate that approximately 26 percent of the 2- by 4-inch coal, 100 percent of which was assumed held on a 2-inch round screen, passed through a 2-inch square screen. Twenty-six percent may be taken as the normal difference between round and square screens. Results of the analyses of stockpile coal are shown in Table 1. Cumulative percent versus size are plotted on a Rosin-Rammler chart as Figure 1. Both samples approximately follow normal size distribution; this indicates that breakage is not size preferential and also that the samples are representative of the stockpiles. Although both samples exhibit the same general size distribution, the median size of the slack sample is considerably smaller than that of the unslack sample. Fifty-five percent of the unslack sample was undersize (29 percent greater than the normal 26 percent difference), and 83 percent of the slack sample was undersize (57 percent greater than the normal 26 percent difference). Both piles contained a greater percentage than normal of undersize coal; this indicates that they were both affected by degradation, but to a different degree. Bedding-plane analyses: Coal, because of its laminated nature, will break preferentially along bedding planes, especially where adjacent constituents are poorly cemented to each other. Subsequent breakage perpendicular to the

Jan 1, 1961