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By M. G. Driessen, H. E. Criner

THE cyclone thickener has two important applications in wet washing plants: (1) water clarification, and (2) fine coal recovery. The thickener consists of a conical chamber into which the fluid is injected through a tangential nozzle at the periphery of the large end. The solids of the slurry are concentrated and removed from the apex of the cone while the "thinner" portion is discharged from a central tube in a flat head at the large end, fig. 1. The advantages of the cyclone thickener are that large volumes of slurry may be treated with small space requirements and that the underflow concentration may be controlled easily and readily to meet varying feed conditions. Control of Washery Water Solids Concentration: The first requirement, in the process of controlling solids concentration, is that the solids be removed from the body of circulating water at the rate at which they are introduced. If this condition is satisfied the concentration will remain at a fixed value and will not increase to uncontrollable levels. The second requirement is that the solids concentration

Jan 1, 1951

By R. F. Mehl, J. T. Ransom

For many years the Metals Research Laboratory of Carnegie Institute of Technology has been concerned with the statistical nature of the engineering properties of steel from an experimental viewpoint, particularly those properties representing ductility.' In the past three years new work has been directed toward evaluating the statistical nature of the endurance properties. It has been shown that both the fracture curve and the endurance limit in fatigue are markedly statistical in nature. The S-N curve (and the endurance limit) of ferrous materials is often determined with specimens which number as few as ten. The common procedure is to test the first specimen at a stress well above the expected endurance hmit. Each succeeding specimen is then tested at a progressively lower stress, until, after five or six tests, a specimen runs ten million or so cycles without failing. Two or three more specimens are then used to find the highest stress at which failure will not occur; the limiting stress determined in this way is called the endurance limit. It has now been found, however, that the variability in the fracture curve and in the endurance limit in heat-treated alloy forging steels is so great that S-N curves must be drawn on the basis of distribution curves which can be appraised only by statistical methods. Two methods have been adopted in this study: (1) straightforward statistical studies of cycles to fracture of a number of specimens at each of a series of stress levels, and (2) a new abbreviated statistical method, known as "staircase testing."2 The latter corisists in testing a series of specimens, one by one, with the test stress for any given specimen automatically

Jan 1, 1950

By C. G. Goetzel

E. V. Crane.*—I want to ask Dr. Goetzel concerning the control of atmosphere in heating and pressing. Was the heating and pressing done in the die, or were the two kept separate there? C. G. Goetzel.—The setup used for this investigation implied heating the die to the temperature at which the work was to proceed, introducing a preformed compact into the hot die. The atmosphere was supplied through an annular chamber from which it passed through two holes into the die cavity. E. V. CRane.—The compact was not preheated? C. G. Goetzel.—The compact was not preheated. Tee Chairman.—In the course of recent studies on the effect of time of heating upon the tensile strength and hardness, I have observed that there is often a maximum in tensile strength and hardness reached before complete homogenization has been attained. The magnitude of each mechanical Property changes rapidly with time in the early stages of sintering, the more so as temperature increases. For these reasons it seems that the comparison of values obtained by heating for the same time at a series of temperatures may be deceptive. Not only may those heated at higher temperatures give higher tensile readings, but the reverse may be true if the maximum in the tensile strength versus time curve has been passed. A better basis for comparison would be that of equal degree of diffusion. C' " Goetzel.—Thank you, Professor Rhines, for this interesting contribution. I would like to add here that I have noticed a similar effect with straight copper. There is, of course, the possibility that this maximum in hardness and tensile strength may be caused by work-hardening.

Jan 1, 1945

By J. W. Pugh, J. D. Nisbet

F. B. Foley—The use of data published by Wever and Jellinghaus in 1931 to fix boundaries of the sigma phase in the Fe-Cr system, in the face of the author's own references to the suggestions of Bradley and Goldschmidt, Aborn and Bain, and Hougardy that the phase is much more extensive, and the very much more accurate work, which weighs heavily in favor of these suggestions, of Cook and Jones, published in 1943 and evidently disregarded by the authors, makes their derived ternary diagram, especially fig. 15 for 400°C, quite inaccurate on the Fe-Cr side and affects the extent of phase boundaries in the most controversial and important part of this ternary system. In commercial Fe-Ni-Cr alloys the occurrence of sigma has been observed time and time again at lower chromium contents than that of the 24 pct Cr, 16 pct Ni, 60 pct Fe alloy which is the lowest permitted by fig. 15 of practically carbonless metal. Newel1 reports sigma in 27 pct Cr-Fe even with some carbon present to be one of the greatest detriments to its extensive application, whereas Pugh and Nisbet set a low limit of 36 pct Cr for sigma in the binary Fe-Cr system. J. J. Heger—The diagrams presented by the authors do not agree with observations made on commercial Fe-Cr and Fe-Cr-Ni alloys, nor do they agree with two recent investigations made on the Fe-Cr and the Fe-Cr-Fe systems. I refer first to the investigation made by Cook and Jones1' on the sigma region of the Fe-Cr system. On the basis of their results which were published in 1943, Cook and Jones established new boundary limits for the sigma and the alpha plus sigma regions. These new limits have been accepted and are incorporated in the Fe-Cr diagram that appears in the 1948 edition of the Metals Handbook. This diagram is shown here as fig. 34. As will be noted, the boundary limits of the alpha plus sigma region in this diagram extend to much lower chromium contents than do those in the diagram presented by the authors in fig. 2. These new limits indicate that sigma phase should form in an Fe-Cr alloy containing 26 pct Cr, and experience with commercial alloys confirms this finding. Indeed, recent studies on a commercial Fe-Cr alloy containing 17 pct Cr have shown sigma phase to be stable in this alloy at 550°C. I recognize that the authors' work did not include studies on the sigma region; however, I believe this is a serious omission because sigma phase may profoundly affect the physical properties of these alloys and should be evaluated in any investigation which attempts to relate physical properties to the equilibrium diagram. The second investigation to which I refer is that made on the Fe-Cr-Ni system by Rees, Burns, and Cook,'' who used pure alloys and employed heating 17 W. P. Rees, B. D. Burns, and A. 3. Cook: Journal Iron and Steel Institute. (July 1949) 162, Part 3. p. 325. times that extend to 200 days. These investigators published their results in July 1949 and from these results constructed isothermal sections at 800" and 650°C. The isothermal section at 650°C is shown here as fig. 35. This diagram indicates sigma phase should form in a pure 18 pct Cr-8 pct Ni alloy. Although sigma phase has not been observed after 10,000 hr at 1200°F in commercial 18-8 alloys containing carbon and nitrogen, it has been observed under the same conditions in 18-8 alloys modified with titanium and columbium, both of which serve to reduce the effect of carbon and nitrogen. This section and the one at 800°C suggest that the constant iron sections which are presented by the authors, should be considerably altered, if they are to represent an accurate picture of the system. A few of the suggested alterations are as follows: In fig. 9, the section at 50 pct Fe, the gamma plus sigma region should be widened, not narrowed at 800" and 650°C. In fig. 10, the section at 60 pct Fe, the gamma plus sigma region should be widened at 800° and 650°C. In fig. 11, the section at 70 pct Fe, an alpha plus sigma, an alpha plus gamma plus sigma, and a gamma plus sigma region should be added. In fig. 12, the section at 80 pct Fe, the alpha plus gamma region should be widened at 800°C. In fig. 13, the section at 90 pct Fe, the alpha plus gamma region should be widened at 650° and 800°C. Undoubtedly, the chief reason for the discrepancies between the authors' data and those of Rees, Burns, and Cook is that the authors did not employ long enough heating times to allow for transformation. In this connection, I wish to warn that transformations in these alloys, particularly transformations at temperatures below 800°C, are extremely sluggish and may require a year or more to approach completion. Therefore, unless extremely long heating times are employed or steps are taken to accelerate these transformations by such means as mechanical working, the results will not yield an accurate picture of the alloy system. Certainly, an accurate picture is needed for the development of better high-temperature materials. E. J. Dulis-The purpose of this work is not clear. If an improvement of the ternary equilibrium diagram of the Fe-Cr-Ni system was wanted, it seems logical that testing techniques superior to those previously used would be a prime requirement. To approach equilibrium in this system, long holding times are needed; a fact established long ago but apparently ignored by the present authors, who used the continuous heating and cooling tests in equilibrium studies. A publication on the same system by Bradley and Goldschmidt6 was criticized by Monypenny in a

Jan 1, 1951

By Leon Dominian

(Wilkes-Barre Meeting, June, 1911.) I. INTRODUCTION. THE lack of Aryan roots for the names of metals commonly known among the Aryan settlers of Asia Minor, as well as the later colonizers of Europe, indicates that these races were generally ignorant of the use of metals until they came into contact with Semitic peoples. Practically all mining-terms in current use among the earliest Greeks resemble very strongly their distinctly Semitic equivalents, which can be traced all the way in a broad belt beginning in Lower Mesopotamia, and extending westwardly to the Syrian shores of the Mediterranean. The Greek word " "metallon," for instance, used indiscriminately to designate mine or ore, probably came from the earlier Semitic equivalent, " matal." Again, the Greek words " chrysos " (gold) and " chalkos " (copper) seem to be descended from the Semitic forms " throats " and a chalak." It is a natural inference that primitive mining-methods were evolved by the dwellers in the mineralized areas of Asia Minor, from whom later Greek, Roman, and even North European miners obtained their first notions of the reduction of metallic ores, by virtue of a general westward migration of mining and metallurgy. Some traces of its passage through Turkish territory will be noted in this paper. While European Turkey can boast of one ancient gold-field, the Asiatic dominions of the Sultan may lay claim to at least two well-defined and widely-separated gold-producing districts. These three regions may be distinguished as the Thracian, the Pontic, and the Anatolian gold-fields. II. TURKEY IN EUROPE. . The Thracian Gold-Field. The most conspicuous topographic feature of the lowland between Constantinople and Salonica is the uplifted Archaean

Nov 1, 1911

By A. E. Nehrenberg

THE mechanism by which austenite forms in steels has received a great deal of attention in the literature in past years.'-'* Our present knowledge concerning this mechanism has been recently summarized quite concisely by Bain and Vilella,1 while a few years ago the literature was carefully reviewed by Roberts and Mehl.² The consensus is that any ferrite-carbide interface is a potential site for the nucleation of austenite during heating above the Acl temperature, and that the new austenite generally grows freely to produce approximately equiaxed grains, whether the carbides are initially present in the lamellar or the spheroidal form. In the case of eutectoid steels, growth of the new grains of austenite continues until contact is established with other grains. Then growth stops and an initial austenite grain size is established which does not change until the heating is continued to some high temperature at which grain coarsening begins. In the case of pearlitic steels which are not of eutectoid composition, the proeutectoid ferrite or carbide may interfere with the growth of the austenite if the temperature is not above that designated the A63 or the Acm, respectively. Although a large amount of work has been done to establish the mechanism of austenite formation in steels, it became clear to the present author while he was studying the transformation characteristics of a new 0.25 C Mn-Si-Ni-Mo hypoeutectoid steel" that the manner in which austenite grows in steels depends upon some factor, or factors, not previously considered. This was indicated by the fact that when this steel in the spheroidized condition was heated above the Ae1 temperature the new austenite which was formed did not envelop the carbides and grow in an equiaxed manner as described by Bain³ or spheroidized steels. Instead, in this steel, the austenite was observed to grow much more readily in certain directions than in others with the result that at temperatures within the Ac1-Ac³ ransformation range the austenite grains were acicular in shape. The excess ferrite was also found to be acicular with the distribution of these phases being such that a lamellar pattern was developed. This unusual directional growth of austenite in this new steel initially in the spheroidized condition is illustrated by fig. 1. A search of the literature revealed that this type of growth was not necessarily peculiar to this steel for similar microstructures had been observed by other investigators.4-8 However, the full significance of these microstructures does not appear to have been appreciated, and no work has been done to determine the conditions responsible for this directional growth of austenite or to arrive at an understanding of it. It was for this purpose that the work described in the present paper was carried out. Material: During the course of this investigation a total of 15 steels was studied. They consisted of hypoeutectoid, eutectoid and hypereutectoid carbon steels, and hypoeutectoid and hypereutectoid alloy steels, all of which were obtained in the annealed condition from commercial warehouse stock. As received, the carbon and alloy hypereutectoid steels had microstructures which consisted of spheroidal carbides in ferrite, whereas the eutectoid steel and the hypoeutectoid steels were pearlitic. The grades of steel represented were 1050, 1080, 10110, 3310, 4140, 4340, 4615, 6145, 8620, 9260, 9442,

Jan 1, 1951

By Arthur F. Taggart

RECENT jig practice has shown such marked departures from the pronouncements of the textbooks, particularly as to particle size recovered and size range of feed, as to make it desirable to reexamine the mechanism of jig action. This paper presents the results of such a study. The general conclusions of the paper are: I. A jig bed is a bi-functioned as well as bi-parted body. The upper layer comprises a plastic stream moving slowly in a substantially horizontal direction from feed lip to tail board. It serves to rough out tailing and light middling and to pick up heavy middling and lift it out of the jig box. The lower layer acts as the ultimate separating means by absorbing concentrate and rejecting heavy middling. 2. The separating function of the lower layer is performed in three definitely different ways, depending upon the relative sizes of the grains presented to it and those composing it. EXPERIMENTAL The experimental work consisted of close and long-continued visual observations of operating beds in a plunger jig, eccentric driven, and in determinations of the settling rates of various metal spheres through a quartz bed under various conditions of operation. Falling velocities were measured by an ingenious method devised by A. C. Dorenfeld, a student in the Mining Department at Columbia. Spheres of different metallic alloys, Y8-in. diameter, were cast with a short piece of fine copper wire frozen in to serve for suspension. A short piece of black cotton thread was looped to the top of the wire to serve as an indicator. The set-up for a test is shown in Fig. I. The thread should be boiled, if necessary, to make it freely water absorbent. The piece of clean plate glass D is supported rigidly at the proper height in a vertical position. The white scale E is similarly supported behind the glass. At the beginning of a test, D is filmed with water by holding it (best with clean rubber finger cots) under running tap water. It is then clamped in approximate position and C, already wet, is laid across it and drawn straight and vertical with the upper end at or near the top of D, and the ball A slightly above the top of the expanded bed. The water film holds the string to the glass. For a test the string is released, its upper end position noted just after the top of the ball becomes submerged, when the corresponding time is read, and thereafter simultaneous readings of position and time are taken as desired. Results of the visual studies of the bed are given at the pertinent places in the following discussion. Results of the settling tests are summarized in Figs. 2 and 3. DEFINITIONS The name bed as used herein refers to the entire mixture of solids and water filling the jig box. A layer is a stratum of a bed composed of particles of substantially the same specific gravities. A granular product is long-range when it approximates a crushed or ground product limited as to upper size only; a shorlrange product is one closely sized. A bed is loaded when operating with continuous feed

Jan 1, 1943

By J. R. Spencer

When supplies of high pressure mercury or other liquids are required in analytical work, it is convenient to have the source of supply at a relatively constant pressure and available in sufficient volume to satisfy the requirements of the apparatus in use. It is also desirable that the pressuring device be as simple and as inexpensive as possible and convenient to operate. This pump combined with a small storage reservoir containing gas under pressure has the attributes of (1) positive control of the maximum output pressure through the use of a regulator in the low pressure air supply; (2) an increasing capacity as the rate of withdrawal of mercury from the pressured system is increased; and (3) simplicity, requiring only the use of a lathe, drill press, and welding unit in its construction. DESCRIPTION Essential parts of the pump are shown in Fig. 1. In appearance the unlt is similar to the usual steam pump in common use in industrial applications although considerably smaller in size. The main differences lie in the area ratio of the air and mercury pistons and in the design of the air valve mechanism. Approximate diameters of these pistons are 4.25 in. to 0.375 in. respectively, giving an area ratio of about 130 to 1. The air piston (2) is attached to the end of shaft (4), with the mercury piston being merely a reduced extension of the shaft. Mercury intake and discharge to the pump are controlled by high pressure check valves that screw into the ports indicated at (6). Air supply is controlled by the valve assembly mounted on top of the

Jan 1, 1950

By Ralph H. Sweetser

C. H. Herty, Jr.,* Pittsburgh, Pa.—The procedure of the Open-hearth Committee in studying pig iron and its effects in the open hearth has been influenced by the discussions at a number of meetings of the Committee. Those discussions have brought out very clearly that, as far as the pig iron affects the quality, interference with quality should be studied for three definite types of pig iron: (1) low-silicon pig iron; (2) very high-silicon pig iron, and (3) pig iron in which the silicon varies over a wide range in short periods, such as 1 to 3 casts. If a blast furnace is running steadily at 1 per cent. silicon iron, practically no trouble, apparently, can be traced to the pig iron, but if the furnace is running from 0.60 up to 1.50 and then down to 0.60 per cent., trouble in the finished steel is liable to occur, which apparently cannot be corrected by open-hearth practice. The open-hearth discussions have shown fairly definitely that with low-silicon iron, one type of trouble arises on the finished product and with the high-silicon iron, another. Our experience with the high-silicon is that any non-metallic matter that may form, does so when the pig iron is put into the furnace; that is, silicates immediately form which are more liable to be high in silica than would happen with low-silicon iron. I think Mr. Sweetser will agree with mc that if a blast furnace is very irregular, different points in the furnace may be working irregularly, in other words, the temperature gradient all over the furnace is not uniform. We have made many determinations on that point which indicate that a varying blast furnace causes hot spots and cold spots around the periphery. If some of those spots are hot and others are cold, although the analysis of the iron may be constant, then unreduced oxide, going through on one side, and good iron, going through on the other, may mix and the average temperature of the iron is not high enough to get completely rid of the oxides. So our method of attack is directly on that point; it is our first objective. Our procedure is to make a number of consecutive tests at a blast furnace, making a detailed study of the blast-furnace operation. We follow the iron through the open-hearth heat, being sure that we know just how much of each kind of iron gets into the open hearth, and take out specified samples at certain times during the process, working on steel where no finishing additions are made in the furnace. We are following one type of iron through the billet mills and into the finished product and are obtaining complete data on open-hearth operation. Besides the ordinary chemical analyses on the samples of slag and metal, we are running samples of the plg iron, the steel in the open hearth and the finished steel, for oxygen and silicates. We are going to find out whether or not oxygen, as silicates or oxides, has some connection with this trouble. If not, we may be able to locate some other factor. I am inclined to think that the silicates are responsible, judging from the indications in some other work that the Bureau of Mines is doing in Pittsburgh. We have laid out a very definite method of testing to which we will adhere at the different plants where we are now working and at others in the future. Our aim is to

Jan 1, 1927

By G. Nabi, W-K. Lu

Cylindrical specimens of natural dense hematite were reduced to magnetite at atmospheric pressure in H2-H2O mixtures of known composition over the temperature range 1084° to 1284°K. The rate of reduction was measured by the rate of movement of the interface between hematite and magnetite. The diffusion of gases through the gaseous boundary layer, the magnetite layer, and the interfacial chemical reaction were all considered in the interpretation of experimental data. The mass transfer coefficient through the boundary layer was calculated using accepted correlations. Values of the chemical reaction rate constant and the diffusivity of hydrogen in the magnetite phase were determined. THE present investigation is concerned with the reduction kinetics of natural hematite to magnetite by H2-H2O mixtures in the temperature range 1084" to 1284°K at atmospheric pressure. This reaction is the first step in the series of topochemical reactions in the process of reducing hematite to iron. Kinetic information of the simple steps such as hematite-magnetite transformation is necessary in order to have a better understanding of the complex processes of hematite reduction in iron-making. It also has direct industrial significance because magnetic roasting is one of the most important methods in benefication of lean ore.&apos; Although many technical papers have been published on the process of magnetic roasting and iron oxide reduction, very little information is available in the literature concerning the fundamental nature of hematite reduction to magnetite by reducing gases. Hansen et al.2 reduced the dense synthetic pellets of high-purity oxide in CO-CO2 mixtures and determined the reaction rate by weight-loss method. They were able to interpret most of their results by applying the interfacial area control theory developed by Mckewan.3 In contrast, Wilhelm and St. Pierre,4 who studied reduction of hematite to magnetite in H2-H2O mixtures by weight-loss method, stressed that the resistance of the porous magnetite layer to the diffusion of gases cannot be neglected in consideration of the overall reaction rate. In the present study the contributions of interfacial chemical reaction, diffusion of gases through the magnetite phase, and the gaseous boundary layer to the overall reaction rate will be considered. APPARATUS AND PROCEDURE Hematite Specimens Preparation. Natural hematite ore from Vermillon range of Northern Minnesota was selected for the present investigation because of its high purity and thermal stability. Chemical analysis of five samples gave the following average values: 67.52 pct total iron (96.62 pct Fe2O3, 0.28 pct FeO, 0.03 pct metallic iron), 2.53 pct SiO2, <0.07 pct MgO, 0.03 pct CaO, 0.05 pct combined mixture, 0.07 pct loss on ignition, and 0.34 pct other. Cylindrical specimens of 0.93 cm in diam and 2.7 cm in length were drilled from slabs of ore with a water-cooled diamond core drill. These specimens were heated to 1000°C and furnace-cooled. Specimens with silica pockets developed large cracks. The uncracked specimens were heated a second time, and their surfaces were carefully examined with a microscope. Those with hairline cracks or surface inhomoaenitv-- were rejected. Preparation of H2-H2O Mixtures. H2-H2O mixtures were prepared by the combustion of H2-O2, mixtures in a pyrex glass chamber in the presence of a catalyst. Alumina pellets coated with palladium, supplied by Englehard Industries, were used as the catalyst. Purified grades of hydrogen and oxygen were used which were repurified by usual techniques. Hydrogen before entering the combustion chamber was passed through an activated alumina H2O absorption bulb, with copper turning at the top. The cover of this bulb was not made pressure-tight so that any pressure development in the hydrogen line would cause the cover to blow off and also the copper turnings would act as a flame arrester in the case of a flashback from the combustion flame. Oxygen flow rates were measured with a bubble flow meter after purification with 1 pct accuracy. Hydrogen flow rates were measured by "precision wet test meter" and the amount of unburnt hydrogen was accurately measured by a bubble flow meter, after condensing water vapor in the gaseous stream. The Pyrex glass bulb contained concentric Vycor glass tubes as shown in Fig. 1. Oxygen was prevented from diffusing into the hydrogen line by threading platinum wire through pores at the combustion end of gas inlet tube. The glass bulb was heated with a Kanthal heating wire pasted in asbestos paper. The surface temperature of the bulb was measured with a thermocouple and adjusted to remain at approximately 350°C. The gaseous reaction chamber also served as a preheater for gases to avoid thermal segregation. The following sequence of operation was adopted. 1) Nitrogen was passed through the outer concentric tube to purge the catalyst bulb of oxygen. 2) Hydrogen was introduced through the inner tube until a steady flow was obtained. 3) Oxygen was then introduced into the nitrogen stream passing through the outer tube. 4) When combustion had commenced and a flame was visible over the platinum wire, the N2 was turned off.

Jan 1, 1969

The Office of Price Stabilization broke the copper price loggerhead between the U. S. and Chile when it permitted copper wire and brass mills to add to their ceiling prices 80 pct of the increase in cost of foreign copper above the 27 1/2 cents per pound specified in the agreement with Chile. Another step forward in the processing of taconite seems to have been made with the patenting of a process for the strengthening of taconite pellets. The patent was issued to Fred D. De Vaney and assigne to the Erie Mining Co., of Hibbing, Minn. Strength of the pellets is improved by adding from one to five pounds of starch or sodium silicate. A new iron ore deposit discovered on Vancouver Island will start producing soon, and is expected to yield 2 million tons of magnetite over its span of operation. A new mill will be built by the Argonaut Construction Co., of San Francisco, at the deposits of the Utah Construction Co., its parent organization. The Organization for European Economic Cooperation banned the use of nickel and nickel alloy in the manufacture of about 500 products in an attempt to conserve nonferrous metals in short supply. Some 18 members of the organization have already volunteered to restrict nickel consumption.

Jan 1, 1952

By F. S. Sinnatt

THIS paper is the outcome of an extended investigation carried out in association with Dr. L. Slater. The inquiry had been continued in various directions and a number of results are quoted from an investigation recently completed by S. H. Jenkins. In projecting the work some five years ago, the author had in view a general attack on the problem of the spontaneous combustion of coal from an angle that had received little attention. The basic idea was to obtain a "slow motion study" of the active combustion of coal. This included an examination of the conditions prevailing in a mass of coal at the moment when active combustion ceases. It was thought that, if the factors governing the extinction of combustion in coal could be definitely established, it might offer an explanation of the manner in which the spontaneous combustion of coal originates. The inquiry arose from a detailed study of the properties of fusain that the author began in 1918. Fusain seemed to possess characteristics quite distinct from the coal with which it was associated, for if it were collected into a heap and one portion were heated by a small flame the combustion would traverse the whole mass. This combustion was not accompanied by smoke and passed slowly through the heap of material. Later, it was found that coals, including anthracites, would behave in a similar manner provided they were in the form of powder and that the particles were smaller than a certain size. The limiting size of particles is a definite characteristic of the coals investigated. In view of the fact that fusain exists with coal in a state that enables it to undergo this particular form of combustion, it must be assumed, sometimes, to playa definite part in the spontaneous combustion of coal in the goaf (waste).

Jan 3, 1925

By Richard B. Moore

The successful commercial production of helium during the last few years has added greatly to its scientific interest. When the quantity of an element available for experimental purposes increases within a few years by 200,000 per cent., both public and scientific interest in the element are greatly stimulated. Before the war, probably, there was not more than 10 or 15 cu. ft. of helium in existence. The larger part of this was owned by Prof. Kam-merlingh Onnes, and was used by him in connection with his low-temperature work at Leiden. By experimental work during the war and immediately afterwards, the Canadians, under Prof. J. C. McLennan, produced about 60,000 cu. ft. of helium of various grades of purity. Up to Dee. 1, 1921, when the plant at Fort Worth was shut down because of lack of funds, there had been produced during the experimental work by the U. S. Government, during the war and afterwards. 2,300,000 cu ft. of helium averaging between 92 and 95 per cent. purity. After the new appropriation was made in 1922, the production plant was again started and at the time of writing was making about 15,000 cu. ft. of helium a day. Only three of the five units were being operated because of the inability to get sufficient gas to run at full capacity. The gas supply is owned by two companies and on account of a disagreement between them, it has been possible for some time to get gas from only one. It is expected that when all five units are running steadily, the daily production will be between 30,000 and 40,000 cu. ft. of gas averaging from 93 to 95 per cent. purity. All three experimental plants used during the war have been shut down. The Air Reduction plant, using the Claude system, and the Linde

Jan 1, 1923

By Richard B. Moore

The successful commercial production of helium during the last few years has added greatly to its scientific interest. When the quantity of an element available for experimental purposes increases within a few years by 200,000 per cent., both public and scientific interest in the element are greatly stimulated. Before the war, probably, there was not more than 10 or 15 cu. ft. of helium in existence. The larger part of this was owned by Prof. Kam-merlingh Onnes, and was used by him in connection with his low-temperature work at Leiden. By experimental work during the war and immediately afterwards, the Canadians, under Prof. J. C. McLennan, produced about 60,000 cu. ft. of helium of various grades of purity. Up to Dee. 1, 1921, when the plant at Fort Worth was shut down because of lack of funds, there had been produced during the experimental work by the U. S. Government, during the war and afterwards. 2,300,000 cu ft. of helium averaging between 92 and 95 per cent. purity. After the new appropriation was made in 1922, the production plant was again started and at the time of writing was making about 15,000 cu. ft. of helium a day. Only three of the five units were being operated because of the inability to get sufficient gas to run at full capacity. The gas supply is owned by two companies and on account of a disagreement between them, it has been possible for some time to get gas from only one. It is expected that when all five units are running steadily, the daily production will be between 30,000 and 40,000 cu. ft. of gas averaging from 93 to 95 per cent. purity. All three experimental plants used during the war have been shut down. The Air Reduction plant, using the Claude system, and the Linde

Jan 1, 1923

By Henry M. Howe, W. P. Barba

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

Jan 1, 1922

By W. P. Barba, Henry M. Howe

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

Jan 1, 1922

R. L. Bullock (St. Joseph Lead Co., Bonne Terre, Mo.)— The progressive approach of The International Salt Co. as described by Mr. Ryon is certainly commendable as is his paper. St. Joseph Lead Co. has been shooting AN/FO in 13/8 to 1 1/4-in. holes for several months now (as of October 1960) on a trial basis. The results thus far obtained are excellent, but conclusive evidence at this date is premature. One point that he gave should interest even the most ardent skeptic. That is, they are getting a detonation of the 1 1/4-in. ANDO charges in 2 1/4-in. holes. In light of its low sensitivity and critical diameter, this would appear to be one of the worse conditions that one could expect in which to get proper detonation of AN/FO. It has been shown* that partial confinement sometimes decreases sensitivity of a column of explosive because the air space above the explosive becomes highly compressed and in turn compresses the explosive prior to passage of the detonation front. Apparently, this does not happen in their shooting and the poor explosive coupling caused by the 2 1/4-in. holes yields a minimum of overbreak and is an ideal condition for their back.

Jan 1, 1961

By W. R. Seyfried

The problem of extracting alumina from clay and low-grade bauxites has been the subject of considerable interest for some time. The basic reason, of course, lies in the fact that known reserves of high-grade bauxite are not inexhaustible and that the present commercial process cannot successfully cope with low-grade bauxites or clay. Ultimately it may be necessary to use these poorer raw materials for all commercial operations. An unprecedented demand for aluminum during the war emergency and the constantly threatened shortage of imported bauxite caused the United States Government to take an active role in this problem. Through the National Academy of Sciences, the War Production Board and the Defense Plant Corporation, it investigated processes and finally selected four to be used in the construction and operation of four experimental plants. Each plant was to be designed in such a way as to facilitate its incorporation into a larger commercial plant should the need arise. The Chemical Construction Corporation process, or "Chemico" ammonium sulphate process as it is better known, was one of the four selected. The extensive literature and patents on record before the war generally follow one of two process-types depending upon the extracting reagent used. One group uses an acid reagent, the other an alkali. The Chemico process uses an acid reagent. For those interested in other processes described in literature, there is a short bibliography at the end of this paper. The basic steps of all acid extraction processes are: (I) to make the aluminum silicates acid soluble, (2) to separate the released alumina from impurities and insoluble gangue, and (3) to recover the reagent for re-use. The Process as Planned In April 1941, a group of chemists and engineers of the Chemical Construction Corp. became interested in the problem of extracting alumina from clays and low-grade bauxites and, under the leadership of Mr. Blakeslee Barnes, Vice President and General Manager of the company, first drafted a process in July of that year—five months prior to Pearl Harbor. The work continued in our research laboratories and with a small pilot plant. By June 1943, the work had progressed to a point where it was possible to apply for a patent on the process which was U.S. patent 2,405,426, granted August 6, 1946. Immediately prior to the development of the Salem plant, the process was envisaged to be as follows: I. The first step was to make the aluminum silicates acid soluble. It was planned: (a) Clay or lour-grade bauxite would be roasted at 700 to 800°C (1292° to 1472°F). (b) The roasted ore would then be leached with hot aqueous ammonium bi-sulphate to form a slurry. In this way the

Jan 1, 1949

By J. G. Paterson, J. A. Meech

Abstract-Activated carbon is a strong adsorbent for amyl xanthate, capable of removing from solution up to a quarter of its own weight in xanthate. In selective flotation systems where depression is unstable, separation efficiency increases with activated carbon additions. The improvements observed are brought about by two mechanisms. First, by removing stripped and residual collector ions from solution, competition between depressant and xanthate is reduced and depression is stabilized. In addition, the texture of the froth phase at high pine oil concentrations is modified by activated carbon such that better drainage between the air bubbles takes place, alleviating the mechanical entrapment of depressed mineral particles. In treating a bulk copper/lead concentrate produced from GECO ore, selectively between galena and chalcopyrite is increased when activated carbon is used. Although the rate of flotation of galena is marginally lowered by activated carbon, a small extension in the duration of flotation allows the lead recovery to increase by 19% at the same recovery of copper. An addition rate of 0.75 kg/ton (1.5 lb/st) of bulk concentrate is suggested as optimum from this testwork. However, the actual level wed in the mill is dependent upon the residual concentrations of collector and frother in the bulk concentrate Pulp.

Jan 11, 1978

By J. H. Slater

THERE is nothing particularly new about the use of sinter in a blast-furnace burden. For many years flue dust has been sintered at the various blast-furnace plants to put it in a form that could be recharged to the furnace with some assurance that it would stay in the second time. This paper is not a compilation of scientific data but only an attempt to give our experience with sinter. There are some unexplained discrepancies in the tests given here, such as the flue dust produced and iron tonnages, but the results given are the results that were obtained. Sinter is not the cure-all for blast-furnace problems. A good coke is still the most important factor in good furnace operation. However, good sinter is a big help. As flue dust is produced under varying operating conditions and fluctuates greatly in carbon content, it is difficult to produce from flue dust alone a uniform sinter, which will give satisfactory blast-furnace results. Sinter made from flue dust alone will change in character with every carbon variation. Almost invariably flue dust con-tains carbon in excess of the amount necessary to make good sinter, and this excess must be burned out, This, of course, necessitates reduction of the speed of the sintering machine and thus a decrease in tonnage, An alternative is to dilute with a carbon-free material to use up the excess carbon. High-carbon material when sintered results in a very dense, undesirable prod-uct, since the excess heat melts the charge into a hard, nonporous mass, and tends to form refractory silicates.

Jan 1, 1940