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By E. E. Thurlow

The Geology Div. of Northern Pacific Railway Co. has adapted to its exploration efforts field procedures for geochemical sampling and semi-quantitative analysis which have been developed through research by the U. S. Geological Survey. The sampling is done in conjunction with reconnaissance geologic mapping on aerial photographs or during field checking of maps which have been prepared largely by photo-geologic interpretation. Stream sediment or soil samples are taken and readily soluble combined heavy metals are extracted with ammonium citrate followed by colorimetric titration with dithizone at the sample site. The effectiveness of this approach has been demonstrated both in positive and negative results, thereby assisting in the elimination of large areas of land from further immediate attention and in providing targets for followup exploration. An occa sional sample is submitted for spectrographic analysis as a check on the possible presence of other elements of economic significance. Field laboratory procedures are also being implemented for determining molybdenum, mercury, and other metals which may be valuable in themselves or useful as pathfinder elements in outlining mineralized areas. A lead-zinc occurrence in Oregon and a copper deposit in Montana were readily detected and outlined by stream sediment and soil sampling and a heavy metal anomaly that lacks obvious interpretation has been found in northwestern Montana. Detailed mapping and additional sampling are followed by other exploration techniques if warranted. Northern Pacific's program of reconnaissance mineral evaluation of company-owned lands and adjoining areas was outlined in a paper presented at the American Mining Congress meeting in Las Vegas four years ago. That report included policies and procedures with respect to mineral development on Railway Co. lands and may be referred to for information on these matters.1 In a sense this paper is a progress report on the use of geochemical prospecting in Northern Pacific's continuing mineral evaluation program. At this time there are positive results but as yet there is no real success story in the form of a minable ore body. GEOCHEMICAL PROSPECTING PROCEDURES The decision to use geochemistry as a reconnaissance exploration tool must be followed by research into sampling and analytical methods and into the interpretation of results. Various analytical methods were tried and evaluated by the Geology Div., including hot and cold acid extraction with and without fusion of the sample, panning and magnetic separation followed by dithizone testing of the magnetite, and cold aqueous extraction of metallic ions followed by indicator tests. Samples were first sent to the laboratory for analysis; later field laboratories were established and now virtually all testing is done at the sample site. It was concluded that, where applicable, the quickest dependable methods for reconnaissance use are the dithizone field tests for readily extractable heavy metals. This involves the simultaneous treatment of a sample, usually of soil or stream sediment, with two immiscible liquids; one a cold aqueous extractant (ammonium citrate) and the other a solution of dithizone in toluene or xylene.2 Dithizone is a colorimetric indicator that reacts quantitatively with copper, lead, zinc, and several other metals to form colored complexes in organic solvents. Results may be expressed in ml of 0.001 pct dithizone that are required to reach the blue end point, or calibration of the test results can be carried out with standard solutions of zinc; conversion factors would then be expressed in ppm, zinc equivalent. Calibration of dithizone solution with zinc standards indicates that 1 ml of 0.001 pct dithizone is equivalent to approximately 0.25 ppm of zinc. An authoritative report on dithizone field tests authored by H. E. Hawkes in the June-July 1963 issue of Economic Geology* states "The appeal of these techniques has been the simplicity and speed of the determinations as compared with more tedious laboratory determinations of trace metals in weathered rocks, soils, or plant materials. This obvious appeal, however, has often been more than matched by misuse of the method in such a manner that the results are

Jan 1, 1964

By Archer Wheeler

The Boston & Montana Reduction Works at Great Falls, Mont., was formerly the reduction works of the Boston & Montana Consolidated Copper & Silver Mining Co., and continued as the reduction plant for the independent company until .June 1., 1910, when the consolidation of a large number of the operating companies of Butte was effected. It then became merged in the Anaconda Copper Mining Co. as the Boston Montana Reduction Department of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co. The history of copper converting at this plant, while not covering the entire period of the commercial use of the process in this country, does cover by far the larger part of it, and as the operations and appliances of the process have undergone many changes during the time, it may, perhaps, be of some interest to put the record of these changes into permanent form. The plan followed in the preparation of this paper has been to give first a brief chronological record of the principal events and changes and then, even at the risk of some repetitions, to give more detailed account, of some of these changes under separate headings. The headings for the complete paper are as follows: 1. General Chronological Review. 10. Development of Different Classes 2. Mechanical Manipulation of Converters After Class I. 3. Casting of Finished Copper. 11. Basic Lining. 4. Tamping of Linings. 12. Number and Size of Tuyeres. 5. Early Acid Linings. 13. Cast Copper Tuyeres. 6. Acid Linings With the Use of Ore. 14. Efficiency of Air. 7. Introduction of Flux Through the 15. Size of Converter Mouth. Tuyeres 16. Height of Converter. 8. Bottom Blast. 17. Summary. 9. Disposal of Converter Slag.

Jan 8, 1913

By Robert Richards

Introduction. WALTER RENTON INGALLS recently gave a very interesting talk before the student mining society of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In it he showed the present status of mining as he sees it. In the talk he explained that, while discoveries of great mining districts are still possible, they are being made less and less often; that the great mining companies, although there are large numbers of mines offered for sale, are finding it less and less possible to find new mines that are up to the standard of richness that they wish for purchase. The natural conclusion is that better, cheaper, and more efficient methods of mining, concentrating, and smelting are needed if the lower-grade mines are to be worked at a profit. This is true also if the high-grade mines are to yield their greatest profit. This paper deals only with the concentrating or ore-dressing problem, and gives some thoughts which point towards greater profit. In a paper on The Development of Hindered-Settling Apparatus the writer showed that there were two main lines of work that would lead to greater saving, lower tailing assay, and, therefore, greater profit. The first is the recrushing of middling or tailing products for the saving of the contained values. This is well understood and largely carried out in existing mills. The second is the saving of fine free mineral at the first opportunity. This is a matter less well understood in the mills, and to dwell upon this the present paper is written.

Jan 9, 1913

By H. R. Gardner

The heat treatmmt of plutonium was studied using the Jominy end-quenching technique commonly used for determining the hardenability of steel. Plutonium specimens were end-guenched from temperatures in each of the ß, y, d, d') and E phases. One series of specimens with a low-iron content, 165 pprn Fe, and another gvoup with a high-iron content, 678 pprn Fe, were used in order to study the effect of a Pu-Pu,Fe eutectic network on the hardness and micro-structure. Hardness traverses indicated no significant variations in hardness with either cooling rate or quench temperature. Metallographic studies indicated major effects on microstructure. Grain size was found to vary markedly with quenching temperature and cooling rate. It was determined that the Pu-PueFe eutectic network could be modified extensively by heat treatment, including spheroi -dization in the y phase and 6 phase below 413°C. An unidentified spheroidal inclusion was observed to go into solution in the delta and higher temperature phases. 1 HE element plutonium is unique among metals in that it has six allotropic forms in the solid state.' These have been designated' as the a, ß, y, d, d', and phases. The respective phase transformations occur at approximate temperatures of 122", 210°, 319°, 450°, and 480°C with a melting point at 640°C. With this number of phase transformations it becomes pertinent to consider the effect of heat treatment and cooling rate in the various phases on the microstructure and hardness of plutonium. To determine; the effect of a wide range of cooling rates, the Jominy end-quenching technique was applied to cylindrical plutonium specimens. In addition, since the presence of iron in amounts greater than 500 pprn is common in plutonium and results in a network of the Pu-Pu6Fe eutectic, it was decided to study heat treatment effects on two bomb reduced plutonium buttons with different iron contents. A low iron button containing 165 ppm Fe and a high iron button containing 678 ppm Fe were selected for this comparison. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Experimental Material. The cylindrical bars for Jominy quenching were cast from button stock in vacuo in MgO coated graphite molds. Metal pouring temperature was approximately 950°C and the molds were preheated to 300°C. The castings were machined to 0.5 in. diam. by 2.5 in. long cylinders. Chemical analysis and density data for the two groups of Jominy specimens containing different iron contents are presented in Table I. Except for iron, heats 19-12-1 and 20-2-1 are comparable within the limits of analytical accuracy. Representative specimens from the low-iron and high-iron bars were taken for metallographic examination. The low iron specimen was found to have extensive microcracking, Fig. 1. In addition, numerous unidentified spheroidal inclusions were present, Fig. 17. The average grain size of the low-iron plutonium is 0.068 mm, Fig. 4. In the high-iron plutonium, a Pu-Pu6Fe eutectic network is prominent, Fig. 7. The average size of the network is 0.100 mm. Unidentified spheroidal inclusions were also common in the high-iron plutonium. The average grain size of the high-iron plutonium is 0.036 mm. Experimental Technique. A Jominy end-quenching fixture was fabricated for glove box use. A 2.5 in. water height was used with an orifice of 0.250 in. ID. The orifice to specimen distance was maintained at 0.5 in. Annealing temperatures of 160°, 265°, 400°, 465°, and 535°c were chosen for the study of the effect of quenching from ß, y, d, d', and e phases on microstructure and hardness. During quenching, cooling curves were obtained from the Jominy specimens at distances from the quenched end of 1/16, 1/8, 3/8, 3/4, 1-1/4, and 2 in. Cooling rate calculations were made from the cooling curves for temperature intervals of 100° to 110° 160" to 170°, 330" to 340°, 420° to 430°, and 490° to 500°c. These temperature intervals were chosen

Jan 1, 1962

By F. M. Lewis, J. F. Meyers

In the mining and handling of sulphide ores, some degree of oxidation takes place on the sulphide surfaces, which are exposed to the atmosphere. It is, moreover, well known that the oxidation compounds formed are a factor when such ores are subsequently treated by flotation. Modern operating technique and reagents are capable of contending with this condition to a major degree, provided that the proportions of the reagents used are varied correctly. This is particularly true at the Tennessee Copper Co., where the ore treated contains pyrrhotite in addition to other sulphides. A number of soluble salts, some of which are unstable, can be formed during the oxidation of the sulphide ores. Those unstable salts, whose oxygen requirements are unsatisfied, are constantly changing to more stable forms because oxygen reacts with them during the crushing, grinding and other operations of ore preparation. We add no chemicals of any kid to the ore pulp in its preparation for flotation feed. Consequently the only compounds that are present in the flotation feed are those produced by the natural oxidation of the ore in the presence of air and water. The Tennessee Copper Co. ore is composed of from 60 to 70 per cent sulphides and from 40 to 30 per cent non-sulphide material. It is not the purpose of this paper to discuss the nature of these various oxygen-sulphur compounds nor their effect on flotation, but to describe a method for correcting the effect. Suffice it to say that we have found that the reducing sulphur and oxygen salts have a depressing action on our bulk flotation process.' From long experience we find that the best means of correcting for this variation in our work is to increase or decrease the quantity of xanthate, the promoting agent, as the quantity of the reducing salts increases or decreases. It was, therefore, very desirable to provide the operators with some quick and

Jan 1, 1947

By J. F. Myers, F. M. Lewis

IN the mining and handling of sulphide ores, some degree of oxidation takes place on the sulphide surfaces, which are exposed to the atmosphere. It is, moreover, well known that the oxidation compounds formed are a factor when such ores are subsequently treated by flotation. Modern operating technique and reagents are capable of contending with this condition to a major degree, provided that the proportions of the reagents used are varied correctly. This is particularly true at the Tennessee Copper Co., where the ore treated contains pyrrhotite in addition to other sulphides. A number of soluble salts, some of which are unstable, can be formed during the oxidation of the sulphide ores. Those unstable salts, whose oxygen requirements are unsatisfied, are constantly changing to more stable forms because oxygen reacts with them during the crushing, grinding and other operations of ore preparation. We add no chemicals of any kind to the ore pulp in its preparation for flotation feed. Consequently the only compounds that are present in the flotation feed are those produced by the natural oxidation of the ore in the presence of air and water. The Tennessee Copper Co. ore is composed of from 60 to 70 per cent sulphides and from 40 to 30 per cent nonsulphide material. It is not the purpose of this paper to discuss the nature of these various oxygensulphur compounds nor their effect on flotation, but to describe a method for [ ] correcting the effect. Suffice it to say that we have found that the reducing sulphur and oxygen salts have a depressing action on our bulk flotation process.1 From long experience we find that the best means of correcting for this variation in our work is to increase or decrease the quantity of xanthate, the promoting agent, as the quantity of the reducing salts increases or decreases. It was, therefore, very desirable to provide the operators with some quick and

Jan 1, 1946

By F. M. Lewis, J. F. Meyers

In the mining and handling of sulphide ores, some degree of oxidation takes place on the sulphide surfaces, which are exposed to the atmosphere. It is, moreover, well known that the oxidation compounds formed are a factor when such ores are subsequently treated by flotation. Modern operating technique and reagents are capable of contending with this condition to a major degree, provided that the proportions of the reagents used are varied correctly. This is particularly true at the Tennessee Copper Co., where the ore treated contains pyrrhotite in addition to other sulphides. A number of soluble salts, some of which are unstable, can be formed during the oxidation of the sulphide ores. Those unstable salts, whose oxygen requirements are unsatisfied, are constantly changing to more stable forms because oxygen reacts with them during the crushing, grinding and other operations of ore preparation. We add no chemicals of any kid to the ore pulp in its preparation for flotation feed. Consequently the only compounds that are present in the flotation feed are those produced by the natural oxidation of the ore in the presence of air and water. The Tennessee Copper Co. ore is composed of from 60 to 70 per cent sulphides and from 40 to 30 per cent non-sulphide material. It is not the purpose of this paper to discuss the nature of these various oxygen-sulphur compounds nor their effect on flotation, but to describe a method for correcting the effect. Suffice it to say that we have found that the reducing sulphur and oxygen salts have a depressing action on our bulk flotation process.' From long experience we find that the best means of correcting for this variation in our work is to increase or decrease the quantity of xanthate, the promoting agent, as the quantity of the reducing salts increases or decreases. It was, therefore, very desirable to provide the operators with some quick and

Jan 1, 1947

By H. R. Gardner

THE wide variation in tension and compression properties' which exist between the a,ß and ? phases of plutonium indicate that a study of the impact properties would give a greater insight into the variables affecting the mechanical properties and formability of plutonium. In tension the a phase is quite brittle with elongations less than 1 pct. The ß phase at normal test speeds is unusually ductile; elongations up to 621 pct have been obtained. However, the ß phase is quite sensitive to strain rate; elongations decrease rapidly as strain rate is increased. The y and 6 phases are less ductile than the ß phase, with the 5 phase the more ductile of the two. Neither are very sensitive to strain rate. Considering the brittle nature of a Pu in tension and compression and the strain rate sensitivity of ß -phase Pu, both unnotched Charpy specimens and standard V-notched Charpy specimens were fabricated for testing. In addition, since iron in amounts greater than 500 ppm forms a Pu-PlgFe eutectic network which inhibits microcracking in as-cast plutonium,' it was decided to prepare impact specimens with low and high iron contents. Chemical analysis and density data for the impact specimens are presented in Table I. A total of 55 impact specimens, 32 unnotched and 23 with the standard Charpy V-notch were tested at temperatures from —45' to 330°C. The test results for both unnotched and notched specimens are illustrated in Fig. 1.

Jan 1, 1962

By J. Chipman, J. C. Fulton

Reduction of silicon from blast-furnace-type slags by carbon-saturated iron is a very slow reaction even under conditions of rapid stirring. Equilibrium under atmospheric pressure of carbon monoxide was approached from both sides, and the silica-silicon relation was established at temperatures of 1425º to 1700°C for slags containing up to 20 pct Al2O3. Silicon carbide is formed by reaction of graphite with high silica slags and the conditions for its formation were determined. Activities of SiO2 and of CaO in their binary solutions at 1600°C were determined. The effects on the activity of SiO2 were established for additions of 10 to 20 pct AI2O3 and of 10 pct MgO. STUDIES of chemical reactions between blast-*>-5 furnace slags and metal have been focussed on the transfer of sulphur from metal to slag. The important role which silica reduction plays in this process' has led to a study of the transfer of silicon from slag to metal and the equilibrium represented by the equation SiO2 (in slag) + 2C (graphite) = Si + 2CO (g). [I.] The authors2 have published an account of the experimental method employed in attacking this problem and of three series of experimental results at 1600°C. This paper contains data on some additional compositions and extends the observations to cover the temperature range 1425° to 1700°C. The data are used to determine the activity of silica in the slags. As in the earlier experiments, the atmosphere was carbon monoxide which flowed through the furnace at 150 ml per min. In certain heats designated in the tables and figures, the gas was bubbled through the melt using a graphite tube. The latter increased in porosity during a run and in some cases bubbling ceased as indicated by cessation of surging. Some results were discarded for this reason. Experimental Results The new data are shown in Tables I through V and both old and new data are plotted in Figs. 1

Jan 1, 1955

By Alfred E. Hunt

The late Alexander Holley said, on returning from a careful study of the relative merits of the Bessemer and the open-hearth processes, as shown in the best European practice, that, in this country, the open-hearth process would live to attend the funeral of the Bessemer ; and he said this several years ago, when in this country the Bessemer plant and practice had been developed to far outstrip that abroad, and when, proportionately, it had reached an advancement much beyond the improvements in open-hearth plants and practice. At the same time, the prevailing idea in the metallurgical world, a few years ago, seemed to be in favor of the substitution of Bessemer for open-hearth steel for most of the higher qualities, and Bessemer enthusiasts loudly proclaimed, that as good steel for all purposes could be obtained by their favorite process as by the open-hearth. It was, in fact, confidently prophesied that very soon tool-steel and similar grades, which consumers had learned to specify, in ordering, to be made by the crucible process, would by common consent be made by the Bessemer, as best adapted to give the desired results. But these expectations have failed to materialize; not only do the crucible people keep on in the even tenor of their way and talk with pride of their comparatively large outputs of " hundreds " of tons per month, as usual, but the open-hearth people have kept fast hold of their original domain of nearly the entire amount of sheared plates, of locomotive tires, of large forgings, spring-steel, agricultural steel, steel castings and the like. Further, owing largely to one of the great advantages of the Bessemer process, which is also one of its inherent dangers, namely, its large output, it has also fallen into considerable disrepute for structural purposes. Not a few experienced engineers are now stipulating in their specifications that Bessemer steel will not be allowed to be used, especially for tension-members.

Jan 1, 1888

By J. B. Newkirk, W. G. Martin

Oxidized cobalt powder is known to have a magnetic hysteresis loop which is asymmetric with respect to the magnetization axis. The experiment described herein shows that the orientation relationship between the basal plane of hexagonal cobalt and the oxide which forms upon it at 400°C is {111}ux//{100.1 }co <110>ux//<11.O> This orientation relationship allows a magnetic interaction between the antiferromagnetic oxide and the ferromagnetic substrate which could account for the offset hysteresis loop. Oxidized nickel powder has a symmetrical hysteresis loop and so is apparently not influenced by any magnetic interaction between metal and oxide. The orientation of the oxide (cubic) was found to be identical with that of the nickel substrate when the oxide forms on a polished surface parallel with {111} Ni. IN 1956 W. H. Meiklejohn and C. P. Bean discovered that fine particles of cobalt which had been prepared in a certain way have a magnetic hysteresis loop which in a strong field is asymmetric relative to the magnetization axis.&apos; The cobalt powder exhibited this unusual magnetic property only after it had been oxidized in air or oxygen; it lost the shifted hysteresis loop when the oxide was reduced in hydrogen. X-ray and neutron diffraction&apos; experiments showed the presence of cobaltous oxide (COO) and hexagonal cobalt in samples exhibiting the biased hysteresis loop and specifically showed no indication of any other compound with the exception of mercuric oxide.* The magnetic hysteresis loop becomes symmetrical above the Nee1 temperature (paramagnetic state) of COO. Therefore, it was concluded that the anomalous magnetic behavior is associated with the influence of cobaltous oxide upon the metallic cobalt. It has been proposed that crystallographic coherency may exist between the cobalt and a plane of some antiferromagnetic material which has unbalanced spin distribution and sufficient magnetic anisotropy to hold its spin in the direction which existed when the specimen was cooled. COO has these properties. Therefore, Roth&apos; has suggested that cobaltous oxide may form with a {111} plane parallel and coherent with the basal plane of the hexagonal cobalt metal and proposed that, as consequence of the antiferromagnetic interaction between COO and the underlying cobalt, the magnetization direction in oxidized fine Co particles may be ro-lated from the easy c-direction.2 Such a relationship, he proposed, would explain the observed magnetic effect in oxidized cobalt powder. The main purpose of this study was to determine the orientation relationship, if any, between the basal plane of cobalt and the oxide which forms upon it. Attempts to produce a film of COO which was strong enough to be handled were not successful. However we did succeed in making a film of CoCo2O, which was strong enough to be removed from the cobalt substrate and mounted on an electron-microscope grid. Because of the close structural similarity of COO and CoCo2O, we believe the orientation relation found for CoCo2O, on cobalt probably also holds for COO on cobalt. The epitaxial relationship of NiO and Ni also was investigated. To date no shifted hysteresis loop has been observed with nickel powder. However, the similarity of atomic array in cobalt and nickel leads to the prediction that a {111} of NiO may be parallel with a (111} of nickel. Experimental Method Cobalt-Cobalt Oxide—A coarse-grained specimen of a (hexagonal) cobalt was prepared by allowing a large crystal of fee cobalt to transform slowly at 400°C. The crystal was then cut to expose a surface parallel with the basal plane. A back reflection Laue X-ray photograph showed that the 00.1 plane was within 2" of the cut surface. The surface was mechanically polished and then electro polished in 85 pet orthophosphoric acid after which the crystal was held for 30 min at 400°C in air. During this heat-treatment the surface darkened slightly due to the oxide film which formed. The film was not thick enough to give an X-ray diffraction pattern, even by a glancing-angle technique. Glancing-angle electron diffraction was not possible either, owing to the interference of the electron beam with the high magnetic fields which exist at the 00.1 surface of the cobalt. However, it was possible to make an electron-diffraction photograph of the oxide film by stripping it from the cobalt substrate using the method described later. By maintaining reference marks carefully, it was possible to preserve the orientation relationship between the stripped film and the substrate on which it was formed. The oxidized surface of the crystal was first covered with a 1 pet solution of collodion (cellulose nitrate) in amyl acetate. When the film was dry, small rectangles were scored on the surface with a needle point. The specimen was then repolished

Jan 1, 1959

By F. R. Hutto Jr., F. L. Kady Jr., L. E. Weymouth

The behavior of particulate non-metallic materials in moving contact with smooth surfaces is of interest and concern to manufacturers and users of abrasives, of fillers, and of pigments alike. The theoretical aspects of the subject have been treated to considerable extent in the literature, and correlatic,ns are available that attempt to relate various methods of hardness determination." 2 The particle size and friability are characteristics of the abrasive that are not related to the smooth surface. The hardness, on the other hand, may be visualized as relative to that of the smooth surface. In a study of abrasive action, the role that hardness, per se, plays is a complicated one. For it is necessary to compare the "hardness" of the abrasive, usually a non-metallic, with that of the smooth surface, generally a metal. Hardness of non-metallics is defined as resistance to scratch and is almost universally described with respect to the Mohs scale.3 Minerals have been rated by Mohs numerically from the softest (talc = 1) to the hardest (diamond = 10). By definition, a mineral has a designated hardness when it is scratched by the standard that is numerically just above it on the scale; and conversely, when it scratches the standard that is just below it. Hardness of metals. however.. implies resistance to indentation, a property that has been measured by a number of methods. In fact, the indentation hardnesses of the standard minerals on the hlohs scale have been determined by the Rockwell tester. Reproduced below are two versions of this correlation. &apos;A conversion chart, prepared by Wilson Mechanical Instruments Division of American Chain and Cable Co., merely gives the conversion from Rockwell to Knoop hardness. The relation between Knoop indentation hardness and Mohs scale has been reported by G. S. Smith — A New Scale of Hardness, The Engineer, Aug. 26. 1949. G. F. Kinney in Engineerin Properties and Aplications of Plastics reports the Rockwell hardness of the minerals directly in the Mohs scale. The question immediately arises as to whether this relation is valid when applied in reverse; namely,

Jan 1, 1961

By Alexander Knoll, Dwight L. Baker

THE work herein reported shows that galena in certain organic solutions of fatty acids becomes coated with lead soaps, and that this coating is not only highly water-repellent but is also repellent to certain organic liquids, particularly those [ ] of high surface tension; i.e., nitrobenzene, diphenylmethane. WETTING PROPERTIES OF GALENA IN NONAQUEOUS FATTY ACID SOLUTIONS When a "captive bubble"1 is withdrawn from a polished, plane galena surface under a nitrobenzene solution of stearic acid, the air bubble shows a decided tendency to "cling" to the mineral surface. The contact angle, therefore, was greater than zero, although it was not large enough to be measured quantitatively by the captive-bubble method.* [ ] When pure nitrobenzene&apos; was substituted for the nitrobenzene-stearic acid solution, no clinging of the bubble was observed; viz., contact angle = zero. Although the contact angle developed in air-galena-nitrobenzene-fatty acid solution was small, the organic solvent repellency of the galena surface was great enough to enable good recovery in a laboratory flotation cell.2 In Table I are given the results of flotation experiments using several different fatty acids dissolved in nitrobenzene.

Jan 1, 1941

By Jamie Deuel

The a ad on Connection" For the purpose of this paper, we will concentrate on the ubquitous radon gas as the principle, low-level radiation effect from uranium tailings piles. Standards are also proposed for gamma radiations but, by most accounts, this is much less of a low level problem than is radon. I am also aware of some just completed research at Oak Ridge National Laboratories that suggest polonium may be a major concern in tailings, but those data are preliminary at this time. What is radon gas? In the first place it is not a gas in the accepted sense in that it has no driving pressure head. It might prove a more convenient description to call it radon vapor. Radon vapor, then, is 7-1/2 times heavier than air. Radiologically, it is an alpha emitter which means it spontaneously gives off high ionizing potential but low penetrating power particles. In fact, the alpha particle has such low penetrating power that this sheet of paper will completely shield a person. The problem, though, is breathing the radon decay products, called radon daughters. If radon daughter products are ingested into the lungs, their alpha emissions may cause cancer. The principle carcinoma associated with breathing radon, or more basically, associated with radiological effects is oat cell car- cinoma of the undifferentiated mall cell type. Radon has a 3.8 day half life which means in less than four days half of its initial radioactivity has decayed away. In less than a month it essentially becomes inert or non-radioactive. The Tailings Situation The NRC, in its April 1979 Generic Environmental Impact Statement

Jan 1, 1983

By J. Chipman, N. J. Grant, H. L. Bishop

In a recent review1 of the iron-oxide activity of simple open-hearth type slags containing lime, magnesia, silica, and iron oxide, it was established that activity values were lacking in the range of slag composition most interesting to open-hearth operators. That is, laboratory experimental results were not available for simple slag compositions having basicity ratios ranging from about 1.5 to 4.0 and iron-oxide concentrations ranging from about 10 to 30 pct. However, in order to estimate iron-oxide activities for the range of slag compositions of interest to open-hearth operators, activity values were calculated using ionic concepts of slags by following the treatment of Flood and Grjotheim.2 A study of these data indicated that the desired slag compositions were probably not obtained due to the limited solubility of the basic constituents lime and magnesia. Thus, it was decided to make additional heats equilibrating molten carbon-free iron with slags containing MnO, P2O5, and A12O3 in percentages commonly found in open-hearth refining slags, and to examine the liquid slag field over a greater composition range than that of the simple slags studied previously. The ranges of the constituents used in the present study are summarized as follows: Metal Pct 0 0.070-0.201 PctMn 0.005-0.142 Slag Pet CaO 24.45-41.90 Pct MgO 3.23- 9.21 Pct MnO 1.13- 9.62 Pct FeO 20.08-48.7 Pet Fe2o3 2.23-10.14 Pct SiO, 3.51-28.50 Pct P2O5 0.23- 3.65 Pct A12O3 0.43- 3.38 The experimental procedure consisted of equilibrating the slag and metal in an induction furnace provided with a carbon-arc slag heater as described previously by Winkler and chipman.3 The data obtained were used to establish both the iron-oxide activity values and the activity coefficients for FeO and MnO in the open-hearth type slags. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION I) Iron-Oxide Activity of Open-Hearth Type Slags—The iron-oxide activities of various iron-oxide contents of the open-hearth type slags, as calculated from the oxygen content of the metal by the method of Taylor and Chipman, 4 are plotted against the molar ratio of bases to acids in Fig. 1. The data represent slag-metal studies carried out in the temperature range 1530" to 1700°C. For the purpose of this study, the constituents CaO, MgO, and MnO are assumed equal on a molar basis in their effect on the iron-oxide activity; and, PO2,5 is calculated as an equivalent to SiO2 and A12O3 on a molar basis. The total iron content of the slag is calculated to FeO and is represented by the symbol (FeO) The points presented in Fig. 1 represent the results of this investigation for iron-oxide slags containing between 1 and 8 mol pct MnO and less than about 2 mol pct each of A12o3 and PO2,5 The curved lines shown in Fig. 1 represent the results of the summary1 of the iron-oxide activities of simple slags of the system (CaO + MgO) - SiOz - (FeO),. The solid portions of the curved lines represent experimental data, and the broken portions represent iron-oxide activities calculated from ionic concepts of slags. The iron-oxide values of the open-hearth type slags of this study are in good agreement with the values of the simple iron-oxide slag system. Only a slight modification is indicated. The results of this study suggest that the line for 20 mol pct (FeO), should be lowered slightly in the basicity range 1.5 to about 3.

Jan 1, 1959

By Herbert Dlaska

The BBU - rotary hearth treats lead concentrates and battery scrap by the roast-reaction process. It corresponds in principle to the long-known Newnam hearth, however its hearth-basin is not straight but curved to a closed ring. In operation this annular hearth is filled with liquid lead and rotates around a central blast-box. The charge, heated to a glowing-red, floats on top of the lead bath, into which air is blown from the blast-box through a horizontal slot-type tuyere. Ore pellets and brown coal are continuously charged onto the reacting mass from two storage bins. Lead is set free by the roasting reactions and trickles through the charge into the lead bath from where it is tapped from time to time. The reacting mass is continuously stirred by a mechanical agitator and backed, by a mechanical shovel, against the water-jacketed wall of the blast-box. The gangue of the charge forms lumps of scorified character, the so-called hearth slag or grey slag, which are discharged from the hearth. The waste gases are collected in a hood and conducted to a baghouse from where the fumes and dust are automatically transported to the pelletizing installation and are recycled with new material. The daily output of lead bullion depends mainly on the lead content of the charge. With lead concentrates containing 74% lead, about 24 tons of lead bullion per day are produced on the hearth at a direct lead recovery of about 89 per cent. Approximately 10 per cent of the lead content of the new material passes into the hearth slag from where it can be recovered in a blast furnace or in a rotary furnace. For small lead smelters the BBU-process represents the most economical way of melting high-grade lead concentrates. The process requires a relatively small capital investment, consumes little fuel, utilizes cheap fuel and is very flexible. Further, of great importance, is the fact that battery scrap can be treated by the BBU-process with very good results.

Jan 1, 1970

By A. J. Heckler, J. A. Peterson

A capsule technique was successfully employed to investigate the effect of nickel on the activity of nitrogen in Fe-Ni-N austenite in the temperature range 600" to 1200°C. This technique consisted of equilibrating nitrogen among various Fe-Ni alloys within a sealed silica capsule. Nitrogen transfer among the specimens occurred by N, gas at 900°, lOOO? and 1200?C. Nitrogen gas pressures within the capsules were estimated to be as high as 22 atm. The activity coefficient of nitrogen, fN , in Fe-Ni-N austenite is adequately described by the linear interaction equation: log . wt pct Ni where the standard state is chosen such that fN = I as wt pct Napproaches zero in binary Fe-N. This relationship was determined over the temperature range 873" to 1473°K and for nickel contents of 0 to 35 wt pct. ALTHOUGH chemical thermodynamics of liquid iron alloys have been extensively studied, experimental data for the solid state are needed. These thermody-namic data will provide a basis for understanding phase transformations, precipitation reactions, metal-gas equilibria, and so forth. The interaction of sub-stitutional alloying elements with the interstitial elements is of particular interest. In this investigation the thermodynamic behavior of Fe-Ni-N austenite has been studied. The solubility of nitrogen gas in iron austenite is known to obey Sieverts&apos; law up to about 65 atm.1-6 In addition, the solubility of nitrogen in Fe-Ni austenite has been investigated5"8 using the classical method of equilibrating Fe-Ni alloys with nitrogen gas at 1 atm. A capsule technique similar to that used to study the activity of carbon in alloyed austeniteg&apos;&apos;&apos; was employed in the present work to determine the effect of nickel on the activity of nitrogen in Fe-Ni austenite over the temperature range 600" to 1200°C. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE A series of Fe-Ni alloys up to 35 wt pct Ni was vacuum melted and cast into 1 by 3 by 6 in. ingots. Chemical analyses at the top and bottom of each ingot demonstrated that the ingots were homogeneous with respect to nickel content. The nickel contents are given in Table I. Additional chemical analyses showed that wt pct Si < 0.05, s < 0.01, C < 0.01, Al < 0.006, 0 < 0.004, Mn < 0.002, and P < 0.002. A 2 in. section of each ingot was cold rolled to 0.015 in. The material was then decarburized to a carbon content of less than 0.004 wt pct. A portion of the material of each nickel content was nitrided to various levels in a H2-NH3 gas atmosphere to provide a source of nitrogen during subsequent equilibration. The experimental technique consisted of equilibrating the series of Fe-Ni-N alloys in a partially evacuated sealed silica capsule at the temperature of interest. Both Vycor and quartz capsules were used. In general, the final equilibrium nitrogen content for each Fe-Ni alloy was approached from both higher and lower nitrogen levels. The criterion for establishing that equilibrium was attained was that the final nitrogen content for each Fe-Ni alloy was the same irrespective of the initial level. A schematic drawing of the sample configuration in a capsule is shown in Fig. 1. The samples were arranged so that there was a minimum of physical contact. The samples were also dusted with a fine, high purity alumina powder to help prevent sticking. Several different types of furnaces were used in this study. In each case, a thermocouple was placed immediately adjacent to the capsule during equilibration and the temperature was controlled to within *4?C of that reported. At each equilibration temperature, the following times were found to be more than sufficient to attain equilibrium: 600°C-250 hr, 900°C-150 hr, 1000°C-150 hr, and 1200°C-50 hr. After equilibration the capsules were quenched in water and the nitrogen contents of the specimens determined by a Strohlein analyzer. Analyses of samples after equilibration at 1000" and 1200°C showed no silicon pickup from the silica capsules. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Transfer Mechanism. The mechanism by which nitrogen was transferred among specimens in an initially hydrogen flushed and partially evacuated capsule equilibrated at 1000°C was investigated. After equilibration the gas in the capsule was collected over water and an estimate of the pressure at temperature

Jan 1, 1970

By Erwin S. Sperry

The oxidation of metals melted in contact with air takes place with dissimilar results. Tin, lead or zinc are examples of a class, the oxides of which float on the surface of the melted metal. First a film is produced, which covers the surface; then, if agitation from any cause exposes new metal to the action of the air, additional oxidation takes place, and the film is increased in volume. This change goes on until a considerable quantity of oxide (or " dross," as it is technically called) is formed; depending, of course, upon the duration of the exposure of the metal to the atmosphere. When such metals are poured, the dross may be skimmed off; and clean metal will be left underneath. The removal of such oxides is, therefore, merely a mechanical process. In the case of copper, however, the result is quite different. The sub-oxide of copper (Cu2O) is readily soluble in molten copper; and therefore, instead of the formation of a film of oxide, to be finally removed as dross, the surface of the metal remains bright and clear, because the oxide has been dissolved as soon as it was produced. It is customary in the process of copper-refining to leave a small quantity of oxide in the metal, in order to oxidize any traces of bismuth, arsenic or antimony which have not been entirely removed. As a result, these metals exist in the commercial product as oxides, and not as metals, which would form an

Jan 1, 1901

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

A portion of the Ni3Cr-Ni3Al phase dzagram has been investigated, including the precipitation of 1 (Ni3Al) as well as the existence of ordered Y (Ni matrix), Extensive metallographic studies by electron microscopy have been carried out and X-ray diffraction diagrams have been taken at both elevated and ambient temperatures, No long-range ordering of the phase was found above 893°C (1639°F) in the compositional range investigated. The high rate of formation of the ordered ?1 phase upon quenching has been confirmed, a phenomenon which up to the present Lime has retarded the understanding of this phase diagram, Specimens with controlled amounts of ?1 exhibited up to a six-fold improvement in yield and creep strength compared with single-phase Ni-Cv-A1 alloys. MOST of the important high nickel heat-resistant alloys are related to the nickel-chromium-aluminum system. One of the important functions of the aluminum, often accompanied by titanium, is to produce a precipitate of the very fine ?1 phase (Ni3A1, X) where X may be Ti, Cr, or other elements. A number of investigators1-" have demonstrate the presence of y&apos; in these alloys but most of their materials contained large amounts of other elements resulting in appreciable amounts of con- fusing phases such as carbides. Further clouding of the precise role of y&apos; has been the suspected existence of an ordering reaction in the y matrix itself, ro-3,12-17 It appeared from these investigations that aluminum in Ni-Cr alloys would raise the ordering temperature of the matrix from 540°C at NisCr to 1300°C at Ni,Al. In support of this possibility, the matrix phase in the parallel Ni-Fe-A1 system is ordered to very high temperatures.1 OBJECTIVES OF THIS RESEARCH From this survey of the literature it appeared desirable to conduct an investigation of the simple Ni-Cr-A1 system using the alloys of the highest available purity to avoid the complication of foreign phases and thereby isolate the structures in the Ni-Cr-A1 system. Procedures were developed to study ? - ?o and ? - ?1 equilibria. Preliminary mechanical tests at elevated temperatures were also conducted.

Jan 1, 1962

By R. E. Miner, J. K. Jackson, D. F. Gibbons

Internal-friction measurements were made during isothermal aging treatments of 18 pct Ni maraging-steel wires between 420° and 612°C. A sharp initial drop in the internal-friction level was interpreted in terms of a rapid dislocation recovery reaction. The rate of the recovery was found to be independent of temperature. Truncation of the recovery reaction was apparent in those systems that exhibited the rapid age-hardening characteristics of the maraging steels. It is proposed that this initial hardening response is the result of a low activation energy preprecipitation reaction involving molybdenum. A gradual rise in the internal-friction level at longer aging times was associated with the precipitation of a molybdenum-containing precipitate. CONSIDERABLE research effort has recently been devoted to the mechanisms responsible for the high strength and toughness of 18 pct Ni maraging steels. These bcc martensitic alloys are found to harden during aging at temperatures between 400° and 600°C. The aging response is very rapid with more than half the total hardness increase occurring within the first few minutes of aging, Fig. 1. Precipitate particles have been observed in the later stages of aging by a number of investigators.&apos;-&apos; While the identity of the precipitates remains the subject of some controversy, one or more of the intermetallic compounds, Ni3Mo, Ni3Ti, and Fe2Mo, are almost certainly involved. Heterogeneous nucleation of precipitates at dislocations has been noted8 and cobalt is believed to enhance the formation of fine, homogeneously distributed particles by lowering the solubility of the alloying elements in the martensitic matrix.3,7 Transmission electron microscopy studies of the initial hardening behavior have not been fruitful. Strengthening mechanisms based on atomic ordering have not been generally supported by X-ray and neutron-diffraction experiments.9 In the present investigation, the aging reaction was studied using isothermal-aging internal-friction measurements. The marked sensitivity of internal friction to short-range diffusion and precipitation processes has provided a convenient tool for the elucidation of the strengthening mechanisms operative in the maraging steels. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE An upright torsion pendulum was used to measure the internal friction of several maraging steels during isothermal aging. The pendulum was placed in an atmosphere of helium at a pressure slightly less than atmospheric. To permit measurement of internal friction during the first minutes of aging, the specimens were rapidly heated by passing a current through them in a manner similar to that described by Ang and Wert.10 Thermal gradients in the specimen were largely eliminated by using specially designed specimen grips11 which produced temperature variations of less than 1 pct over 90 pct of the specimen length and less than 3 pct over the entire length at aging temperatures up to 620°C. A proportioning strip-chart program controller was employed to maintain constant specimen temperature during treatments of up to 36 hr duration. A number of vacuum-melted laboratory heats having compositions near that of a typical commercial 18Ni-7Co-5Mo-0.4Ti alloy were investigated. The amount of cobalt was varied from 0 to 7 wt pct in five of the heats. Either molybdenum or titanium was omitted in the remaining two heats. The alloy desig-

Jan 1, 1967