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By Nicholas J. Grant, Michio Yamazaki

Cast copper alloys containing 10, 20, and 30 pct Ni and 0.75 to 0.80 pct Al were machine-milled into chips, then comminuted in a rod mill to fine flake powder utilizing a number of processing variables. The powders here internally oxidized, mostly at 800°C, in a low-pressure oxygen atmosphere. The consolidated powders were hot-extruded into bar stock. Room-tenmperature tension tests, stress-rupture tests mostly at 650°C, but also at 450° and 850°C, and hardness measurements after various annealing temperature treatments to study alloy stability were perfomted. Excellent room-temperature strength, high rupture strength at 650°C, and resistance to recrystallization at 1050°C were obtained. Problems in optimizing conditions for internal oxidation of Cu-Ni base alloys are discussed. THE interesting high-temperature properties of SAP' have stimulated considerable effort in the study of more refractory alloy systems where the potential for high-strength alloys at high temperature is great.2-13 A number of methods have been utilized to produce the desired fine, hard particle dispersions, of which internal oxidation2,9,7 of dilute solid-solution systems offers considerable promise by virtue of the potential for producing ultrafine, well-dispersed oxides. While most of the published works are concerned with pure metal matrices, a number of investigators have studied the effects of solid-solution strengthening.10,19 Use of more complex alloy matrices (for example, aging systems) has been unsuccessful because overaging still occurs at high temperatures in the oxide-containing alloys.14.15 Solid-solution strengthening is, however, effective at very high temperatures9,10 and might be expected to contribute importantly to the strength of oxide-dispersion strengthened alloys. For this study, internal oxidation of solid-solution alloys of copper and nickel, containing small amounts of aluminum, was chosen as the method of alloy preparation. PREPARATION OF ALLOYS Three copper alloys containing about 10, 20, and 30 pct Ni and each containing 0.75 to 0.80 pct A1 (enough to yield about 3.5 vol pct alumina) were prepared as air-cast ingots measuring 2.5 in. diameter by 6 in. high (see Table I for the analyses). Processing steps for all the alloys were as follows (also see Table 11): 1) Homogenization of the ingot at 982°C (1800°F) for 45 hr in an argon atmosphere. 2) Machine milling of ingots into fine chips. Average thickness was about 0.1 to 0.2 mm. 3) Hydrogen reduction of chips at 593°C (1100° F) for 1 hr to reduce copper and nickel oxides. 4) Rod milling of chips to finer powders. 5) Hydrogen treatment of powders as in step 3. 6) Internal oxidation of the powders. 7) Hydrogen treatment of oxidized powders as in step 3. 8) Hydrostatic compression of evacuated powders. 9) Sintering of compacts in hydrogen. 10) Hot extrusion. Variations in processing among the alloys were made in steps 4, 5, and 10 (see Table 11). In the past, two methods were utilized to internally oxidize alloy powders. Preston and Grant3 surface-oxidized dilute Cu-Al powders to obtain the necessary amount of oxygen to oxidize the solute metal (aluminum and silicon), and then permitted the formed copper oxide to diffuse and react with the solute in an argon atmosphere. Bonis and Grant4 exposed Ni-A1 and other nickel alloys to an oxygen pressure derived from the decomposition of nickel oxide at a preselected temperature, in an argon atmosphere. Both methods are applicable and can be modified to generate a range of oxygen pressures for oxidation of the solute but not the solvent metals. Procedure I: Surface Oxidation of Alloy A3, Cu-10Ni-0.76A1. Powders of -20 to +28 mesh were surface-oxidized at 500°C (932°F) to obtain the desired amount of oxygen for oxidation of the aluminum to alumina; the powder was then sealed in Vycor and heated at 900°C (1652°F) for various times up to

Jan 1, 1965

By Thomas T. Read

Readjustment of the industrial world to a peace basis after more than 4 years of war will involve many fundamental and far-reaching changes that cannot as yet be clearly foreseen or definitely provided for. Such problems may be subdivided, in the vocabulary of war, into those involving material and those centering about personnel. Of the two, the latter group is the more difficult and obscure, as the factors involved are less clearly understood and the methods to be followed are not yet tested and standardized. When it is said that the market is weak, stocks large, and demand light, every business man understands clearly what is meant and what course he should adopt to adjust himself, so far as possible, to such conditions. But when it is said that the rapid spread of Bolshevism in Europe is a danger to industrial organization in this country, it is difficult to have any assured sense that all that the statement may mean is clearly understood or that the means to be followed to meet such a situation are definitely known. Since Bolshevism is primarily a mental phenomenon and since the rupture it brings about in industrial organization should be prevented, if possible, it is my purpose to restrict this discussion of the activities of the Committee on Industrial Organization to some of its mental aspects, as the chairmen of the sub-committees, from their special knowledge of their own fields, can best set forth recent progress in the lines with which they are especially concerned. The first requisites of success in industrial organization, as in the biological organism of which it is the social counterpart, are unity of purpose and coordinated activity. Typical good and bad examples of this' are the relative parts that the United States and Russia have played in the great war. These two factors are primarily mental, and it is not difficult to view the mental aspects of all problems of industrial organization as the most important ones. Unless we can attain unity of purpose and coordinated activity in industry, the provision of comfortable homes at reasonable rent, the assurance of steady work at good wages, the elimination of industrial accidents, and provision against want in old age or in case of disability will have brought us no nearer to our real goal.

Jan 1, 1919

By M. ROWE, H. E. Gilliland, L. BARNES

The authors of this paper are to be commended for a clear exposition of a timely subject. However, some important conclusions, in addition to those presented in the paper, can be drawn from the results of their elaborate and rather complete numerical computations. First of all, the major part of the calculations presented in the paper are for semi-infinite slabs of oil shale (the authors designate this as Model I) and a question must be posed — Are these elaborate computations needed to arrive at realistic estimates of the shale oil displaced. Consider the model of Lauwerier* that corresponds to the authors Model I if thermal conduction parallel to the fracture be neglected. If one also neglects the finite (but relatively small) heat capacity of the material in the fracture, it is easily shown from Lauwerier's solution that the cumulative oil production would be:

Jan 1, 1969

By R. U. Jackson

Belt conveying is a method of transportation that requires proper servicing and maintenance if completely economical results are to be obtained from the system. With a trucking system, it is common practice to deliver the trucks to a servicing station each day or at the end of each shift. With railroad transportation there is a similar procedure. Sufficient credit is seldom given to this periodic inspection and maintenance procedure, yet it is the key to the successful operation of trucking and rail haulage systems. How about the belt conveyor transportation system? Here is a system that requires no operator for each individual unit. It requires only a main switch and an adequate sequence interlocking system, and the system is so simple to operate that maintenance is considered as only a casual requirement-nothing is done about it until after trouble has developed.

Jan 1, 1956

By Peter Joraleman

Man has always felt more comfortable breaking his life into categories or classifications. An otherwise bewildering life somehow becomes easier to bear when divided into neat measurable sections, each of which is fitted into its proper niche. It seems likely that the world's first economic geologist, when faced with the world's first two ore bodies, started his career by classifying them. Early on, he divided his ore bodies into those born of water, of fire, and of air. In retrospect this threefold classification was probably about as useful as the more complex ones that followed. This division of ore bodies probably did not help him in his search for new deposits, but it made him feel more secure in dealing with those already known.

Jan 12, 1975

By E. D. Peters

It frequently occurs in the establishment of reduction works, in an entirely new and untried mining district, that the metallurgist in charge finds considerable difficulty in determining the process best adapted to the ores which he receives for treatment. At the first glance it would seem easy enough to decide what style of furnace is best adapted for beneficiating any one class of minerals. If the ore possessed a quartzose gangue and was comparatively free from base metals, while salt could be obtained at a reasonable price, one would naturally resort to a chloridizing roasting, and pan or barrel amalgamation for the extraction of its silver contents. If galena or carbonate of lead was the prevailing mineral, and charcoal could be obtained at moderate figures, the blast-furnace would beneficiate the ores most advantageously. But if, as is usually the case in Colorado, the ores consisted of an intimate mixture of galena, zinc-blende, copper-pyrites, and noble silver minerals, associated with an overwhelming mass of siliceous heavy spar, or limestone gangue, the common reverberatory furnace can be used to the greatest advantage ; and, although the product is only a copper matte, I do not hesitate to affirm that it can be treated, and the silver, gold, and copper produced at nearly the same price for which silver and lead can be separated. In Germany, blast-furnaces are frequently used for this same purpose, both for argentiferous and non-argeutiferous copper ores; but any one who will take the trouble to examine the statistics of smelting at Fahlun, the Oberharz, and other Continental works of this description, will see that the expenses are far too great, and the production much too small to think of employing this method in our mining districts, where only the softest and most miserable kind of charcoal is obtainable. I propose in this paper to give an accurate account of the expenses incurred at the Mount Lincoln Smelting Works in treating the same kind of ore, and producing the same end-product in both blast and reverberatory furnaces. I have taken for comparison a favorable campaign of the blast-furnace, and a good average month's running of the reverberatory. In the blast-furnace estimate I have included the calcining and concentration of the matte produced during that campaign, as I always, when possible, concentrated the regulus made

By d&apos, John C. Entremont

Pure iron was inductively melted in small refractory crucibles and optical pyrometer and immersion thermocouple readings were simultmzeously taken. The resulting emissivities of the liquid iron surface obtained were found to be greatly affected by both the gaseous atmosphere and geometrical changes in the physical setup. Quantitative values for these effects are indicated. FOR many applications in both the laboratory and plant, optical pyrometry is still the best means of measuring temperatures in the incandescent range. A prerequisite in evaluating the correct temperature is a good value of the emissivity of the surface. To obtain the emissivity from the tabulated values of the literature can be very confusing and often far from correct. There are many reasons for these difficulties, and it is not within the scope of this paper either to enumerate or to discuss them all. Its purpose is to show quantitatively how several factors affect the apparent emissivities obtained from experimental measurements on liquid iron surfaces. The black body is the reference state for the quantitative values of emissivities and is defined1 as a body which absorbs all radiation incident on it, reflecting none; such a surface emits more radiation per unit area per unit time than any surface which reflects any radiation, and is given a value of unit emissivity. All bodies having reflective power thus have emissivities less than unity and are considered nonblack or grey bodies. The ratio of the radiant energy emitted by the flat, nonblack surface to that of a perfectly black surface of equal area and temperature is the emissivity of the surface. The above definitions are applied to flat, polished, opaque surfaces, very seldom encountered in actual measurements, and for this reason many authors have suggested that the word "emittance" be used for real bodies rather than emissivity. The emittance has reference to the material and its configuration rather than to its properties in the idealized state. Recent observations of molten iron in a small refractory crucible indicate that not only the configuration of its surface but the geometrical arrangement of its surrounding and the nature of the surrounding atmosphere have a pronounced effect on the emittance. Neglect of changes in such conditions may lead to errors as large as 40°C at 1600°C. Thus it is suggested that the term "apparent emissivity" be used and that it be recognized that its value pertains to a particular experimental arrangement only. As a result of not recognizing these differences in emissivities, which are obtainable from changes in the physical setup of an observation, many investigators have incorrectly quoted their values as those of the emissivities of particular materials rather than as an apparent emissivity for their particular arrangements. As a consequence, values of the emissivity of liquid iron ranging from 0.3 up to 0.55 are found in the literature. In an effort to establish an accurate optical temperature scale for liquid iron solutions in which de-oxidation studies were to be carried out, it was observed that the temperature relationship, obtained by simultaneously taking immersion thermocouple

Jan 1, 1963

By AIME AIME

UNTIL recently, practically all geophysical prospecting in Australia was conducted by government departments, either by the Aerial, Geological and Geophysical Survey of Northern Australia or the New South Wales Department of Mines. At present, in addition, the Shell company is carrying out an extensive geophysical campaign in South West Queensland. The Northern Australia Survey has now been in operation for over six years, its work being carried out principally in the northern and central parts of Australia over an area of about a million square miles. At present this Survey is being brought to a conclusion but it appears certain that the geophysical section will be transferred to a Commonwealth Government department on a permanent basis. At present the officers of the Geophysical Section are preparing or have issued some 150 reports on their field work and also a special technical report on the geophysical practice of the Survey.

Jan 1, 1942

By William L. Boyd, Eugene L. McCarthy, Laurance S. Reid

Proper control of the moisture content of natural gas is essential to reliable operation of gas transmission and distribution facilities serving northern markets. The moisture content of natural gas is usually determined by dew point measurement at the existing pressure. For any gas of constant moistrire content. the dew Point varies with the pressure. A correlation of the data of several investigators is prezented in graphical form by the authors. These data were correlated by the authors and F. M. Townsend, C. C. Tsao. M. I). Rogers. Jr.. and J. A. Porter. graduate students in chemi(.a1 engineering at the University of Oklahoma. Of articular interest are the hitherto unpublished low temperature data observed by Wickliffe Skinner. Jr., which are included in this correlation. PRESENTATION OF DATA The problem of interpreting water dew points, or saturation temperatures. of natural gas in terms of specific moisture con-tent has increased in importance during the past decade bec.arl.;e of extensive development.; in the transmission and petro-chemical phases of the natural gas industry. Virtually all gas transported to northern and eastern markets must be dehydrated to a low water vapor content to prevent hydrate formation in transmission and distribution lines and resultant interruption.; in gas deliveries. Complete dehydration is required in certain phases of tile petro-chemical industry involving low-temperature operations. It is a well-known fact that the water vapor content of pure hydrocarbon vapors and their mixtures at superatmospheric pressures cannot be predicted with accuracy by assuming validity of the ideal gas laws." Earlier interest in the general problem was concentrated on the water vapor content of pure hydrocarhons and hydrocarbon mixtures in the pressure and temperature ranges common to gas and oil producing reservoirs in order to obtain fundamental data for the improvement of production techniques and the furtherance of reservoir studies. Excellent data are published for pressures ranging from atmospheric to 10,000 psig and for temperatures ranging from 100° to 460° F4,9,10,11 and are found to be in close agreement. However, experimental data at high pressures and temperatures below 100°F are comparatively limited in scope. Experimental data in the lower temperature range have been reported by Laulhere and Briscoe.8 Deaton, et al,2,3 Hammerscllmidt,5,6 and wade," In general, the pressures employed in these investigations ranged from atmospheric to 1.000 psig while temperatures ranged from 32° to 120°F; i.e., the usual conditions encountered in gas transmission line operations, Additional data were reported by Russell, et al,12 at pressures as high as 2.000 psig and covering a rather narrow atmospheric temperature range. In 1947, Hammerschmidt published a correlation of all available data,' in which the water vapor content of gases at saturation. under high pressure and low temperature. was predicted by extrapolation. In 1948, Wickliffe Skinner. Jr.. presented data on the moisture content of a low nitrogen content gas at low temperature and at pressures ranging upward to 1.500 psia.1-3 Comparison of Skinner's experimental data with the extrapolated data of Hammerscllmidt revealed an appreciable variation in the lower temperature range. emphasizing the need for a new correlation which would rely on Skinner's data at lower temperatures. Careful scrutiny of available data suggested that presence of an appreciable quantity of nitrogen in a gas mixture may affect its saturated moisture content so that data obtained from gases with more than three per cent nitrogen were not used in this correlation. CORRELATION OF DATA Data employed in this correlation are presented in Table I. The data of Dodson and Standing.4 McKetta and Katz,9 and Olds, Sage and Lacey10 were compared and found to be in close agreement so that the data of Olds. et al, re-plotted in a more convenient form by the Humble Oil and Refining Co.,' were used for temperatures of 100°F and above. Skinner's data were used for temperatures below 40°F. Between these intermediate temperature limits, the data of Hammerschmidt.7 Wade" and extrapolated data of Olds. et al.1 were tabulated

Jan 1, 1950

As a result of Engineering Council's request to the Director of the Census, the National Service Committee has been successful in effecting a reclassification of engineers so that all technical men will be listed as such and they will be separate and distinct from the non-technical engi-neers. Thus, the next census will bring an enumeration of all technical engineers together as one unit under the main headings of civil, mech-anical, electrical and raining; architects also will be enumerated separately. This will enable the engineering profession, the Government or any other interested organization to know exactly how many technical men there are in the United States and in each state. The enumeration will also include non-technical engineers, except that there will be no such heading and in order to get the totals of non-technical men all of the various grades of this classification would have to be sorted out and added.

Jan 12, 1919

By R. L. Manegold

This paper outlines the reasons for and the application of suspended magnets above belt conveyors for the purpose of removing tramp iron to protect equipment. The design of a magnet strong enough to extract iron through a distance of 24 in. is described along with the proper method of application in the field. Advantages of the suspended magnet in contrast to the conventional magnetic pulley are also discussed. IN RECENT years there has been a decided trend toward bringing ores and coal out of open-pit and underground mines by long, sloping single-stage belt conveyors. Because the high investment cost of haulage conveyors dictates maximum speed and full loading for economy, conveyor belts are running faster than ever before, with a greater burden on the belts. In addition, larger blocks of ore are being mined and conveyed. Rougher use of large mining equipment generates more tramp iron; mechanical loading rejects nothing. Therefore the extraction of tramp iron and other deleterious materials for the protection of haulage conveyors at transfer points, chutes, and idlers is becoming an increasingly difficult job. In our experience, the best method of protecting long haulage conveyor belts is to extract the tramp iron, at least the large tramp iron, ahead of the main haulage conveyor or series of conveyors. It is most practical to collect the tramp iron at the earliest source possible, usually directly after the primary car unloading dump or after the primary crushers, which are ordinarily not affected by tramp iron, see Fig. 1. The coal or ore from its primary source is fed by chutes or feeders onto a buffer or shock belt conveyor, a short, ruggedly built conveyor system that can be considered somewhat expendable. Its primary function is to bring the ore up to speed for transmission to the haulage conveyor. There is no assured method of protecting this conveyor from tramp iron damage at its feed end. Likewise, there is a possibility, although remote if the magnet applied to this belt is installed correctly, that the tramp iron extraction process will damage the shock belt, which is, however, short and comparatively inexpensive. Magnetic head pulleys with their maximum effective range of about 8 or 10 in. cannot be considered for large installations, even though they are desirable because of the continuous and automatic tramp iron removal feature. Further, the most dangerous form of tramp iron with respect to potential damage to a haulage conveyor is the long rod, roof bolt, or rail segment, which is not extracted satisfactorily because of the limited tangential contact of such an iron shape with the magnet. Magnetic head pulleys are also undesirable because the dribble or fines from the head pulley discharge at the same point as the tramp iron. Screens must be used to separate the fines from the magnetics, resulting in additional expense and loss of head room. Magnetic detectors have been used with success, but they only indicate the presence of iron, and the conveyor belt must be stopped for its manual removal. The stoppage of any conveyor means that all preceding equipment must be stopped or a cascade of material on the idle conveyor will result. Occasionally combinations of detectors and magnetic head pulleys are used. The detector precedes the magnetic head pulley and detects only large pieces of tramp iron, while the magnetic pulley subsequently takes out the smaller ferrous metals. Suspended magnets overcome the disadvantages of magnetic head pulleys, detectors or a combination of both. There are several magnetic extraction problems involved in applying a suspended magnet at this

Jan 1, 1953

By R. L. Manegold

This paper outlines the reasons for and the application of suspended magnets above belt conveyors for the purpose of removing tramp iron to protect equipment. The design of a magnet strong enough to extract iron through a distance of 24 in. is described along with the proper method of application in the field. Advantages of the suspended magnet in contrast to the conventional magnetic pulley are also discussed. IN RECENT years there has been a decided trend toward bringing ores and coal out of open-pit and underground mines by long, sloping single-stage belt conveyors. Because the high investment cost of haulage conveyors dictates maximum speed and full loading for economy, conveyor belts are running faster than ever before, with a greater burden on the belts. In addition, larger blocks of ore are being mined and conveyed. Rougher use of large mining equipment generates more tramp iron; mechanical loading rejects nothing. Therefore the extraction of tramp iron and other deleterious materials for the protection of haulage conveyors at transfer points, chutes, and idlers is becoming an increasingly difficult job. In our experience, the best method of protecting long haulage conveyor belts is to extract the tramp iron, at least the large tramp iron, ahead of the main haulage conveyor or series of conveyors. It is most practical to collect the tramp iron at the earliest source possible, usually directly after the primary car unloading dump or after the primary crushers, which are ordinarily not affected by tramp iron, see Fig. 1. The coal or ore from its primary source is fed by chutes or feeders onto a buffer or shock belt conveyor, a short, ruggedly built conveyor system that can be considered somewhat expendable. Its primary function is to bring the ore up to speed for transmission to the haulage conveyor. There is no assured method of protecting this conveyor from tramp iron damage at its feed end. Likewise, there is a possibility, although remote if the magnet applied to this belt is installed correctly, that the tramp iron extraction process will damage the shock belt, which is, however, short and comparatively inexpensive. Magnetic head pulleys with their maximum effective range of about 8 or 10 in. cannot be considered for large installations, even though they are desirable because of the continuous and automatic tramp iron removal feature. Further, the most dangerous form of tramp iron with respect to potential damage to a haulage conveyor is the long rod, roof bolt, or rail segment, which is not extracted satisfactorily because of the limited tangential contact of such an iron shape with the magnet. Magnetic head pulleys are also undesirable because the dribble or fines from the head pulley discharge at the same point as the tramp iron. Screens must be used to separate the fines from the magnetics, resulting in additional expense and loss of head room. Magnetic detectors have been used with success, but they only indicate the presence of iron, and the conveyor belt must be stopped for its manual removal. The stoppage of any conveyor means that all preceding equipment must be stopped or a cascade of material on the idle conveyor will result. Occasionally combinations of detectors and magnetic head pulleys are used. The detector precedes the magnetic head pulley and detects only large pieces of tramp iron, while the magnetic pulley subsequently takes out the smaller ferrous metals. Suspended magnets overcome the disadvantages of magnetic head pulleys, detectors or a combination of both. There are several magnetic extraction problems involved in applying a suspended magnet at this

Jan 1, 1953

By H. W. Gillett

WE hear much in these days about "tailor-made" steels. Farseeing executives have sensed the demand for metals of improved and special properties, with those properties deliberately built into the steel in order to fit it for a particular use or group of uses. They have set their metal-lurgists at work to produce what the customer needs, even though the tonnage required may not, at least at first, be great. As the metal-lurgists bring out such metals, the products are advertised and the customer becomes increasingly conscious that he no longer has to take "ready-made" steel as the only thing available, whether it fits his needs or not, but that there are plenty of steelmakers ready to serve his specific needs with a tailor-made steel. Of course this is nothing new in the realm of rather highly alloyed steels to be heat-treated. The automotive industry demanded and got such steels long ago. Indeed, one could not design a modern car using only non-heat-treated carbon steel, since an engine of present horsepower would be so heavy that the gasoline required merely to lug the engine itself around would be absurd. Many different alloy steels and many different heat-treatments are required to produce the fine gradations of properties and the strength per unit weight that are needed in each particular part. Aircraft designers, of course, count a high strength-weight ratio in the materials used as Article I in their constitution, and they too, and in outstanding degree, require tailor-made alloys. Aircraft and automobiles may be considered as the tail coats and Tuxes of the metallurgical tailors. Nowadays there is also a demand for business suits, in the form of high-strength alloys to reduce dead load and so increase payload, all through the transportation industry. We hear most about weight-saving design and materials in respect to the railroads, with the spectacular new high-speed passenger trains and the prosaic freight car. The latter sounds especially sweet to steel-mill ears, because it means tonnage. While most of us think of these developments, and of the engineering acceptance of high-strength materials as "new," the fundamentals are of almost hoary antiquity. It is the widespread availability of a variety of materials and their general acceptance that are new.

Jan 1, 1936

By F. W. Bloecher

DETERMINATION of the surface area of finely divided minerals is of interest to mineral engineers engaged in flotation, comminution, and de-watering studies. In the industrial minerals field, many materials are classified as to fineness according to their specific surface (surface area per unit weight). A method of surface area determination has been tested and used in the Richards Mineral Engineering Laboratories at M.I.T. It involves low temperature krypton adsorption measurements using the technique described by Beebe.' During the past fifteen years a number of new surface measurement techniques have been developed. Those that are broadly applicable to materials dealt with by mineral engineers include the permeability method in which a gas or liquid is passed through the sample, and the low temperature gas adsorption methods first described by Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller."" Efforts to make surface determinations from size distribution curves have long been attempted"."." but because of the uncertainty of sub-sieve size distribution and inaccuracies in screen analyses, the method is at best only a rough approximation. The most widely used gas adsorption method utilizes nitrogen gas." Nitrogen adsorption, however, is not particularly suited as a tool for most mineral engineers because the method is not applicable for surface determinations on coarse materials, that is, materials coarser than approximately 150 to 200-mesh. Other gases have been used in mineral engineering studies, particularly ethane."' lo The use of ethane gas, however, involves .a technique that is too sensitive for most mineral engineering work. The permeability method of surface area determination has the disadvantage of not being sensitive enough to detect the surface represented by minute cracks, the so-called internal surface of a particle. The low temperature krypton adsorption method described by Beebe1 utilizes apparatus and techniques that are essentially the same as those used in the ethane adsorption method."1° The surface area is calculated by the B.E.T. method."-' The krypton adsorption technique is particularly suited to the needs of the mineral engineer because: (1) The method can be used for making surface area measurements of rather coarse materials (35 to 48-mesh), as well as extremely fine materials, such as clays or colloidal slimes with specific surface that might be as high as 20 to 30 mb er g. (2) The use of krypton gas offers the advantage of low saturation pressures (2-3 mm) at the conveniently obtained liquid nitrogen temperature. Therefore the krypton vacuum system need not be designed to measure or withstand internal gas, pressures above one atmosphere as is the case with the nitrogen gas method. (3) The krypton technique offers the safety feature of employing liquid nitrogen, as contrasted to the ethane technique in which liquid oxygen is required. Furthermore, ethane vapor pressure at liquid oxygen temperatures is low (about 10 microns), and a high sensitivity McLeod gage is required for pressure readings. (4) The measurement technique with krypton gas is much simpler and faster, and the apparatus is less elaborate than that required with either nitrogen or ethane gases. Apparatus A krypton surface measurement apparatus like that used at M.I.T. is shown in Fig. 1. It is constructed of pyrex glass. A vacuum is maintained by two mercury diffusion pumps in series backed by a mechanical vacuum pump."' The vacuum thermocouple gage is used for checking the vacuum within the system. This type of gage is quite sensitive down to a pressure of 1 micron of mercury," but may be used to indicate pressures much lower than that

Jan 1, 1952

THE task of the smith who works in iron is very laborious, indeed far more so than that of the coppersmith just described. For he also handles heavy weights continually, and stands constantly erect be- fore the fire of the forge, since the hardness of the iron cannot be softened except by means of heating and boiling it well. In this place he continually moves his body, now thrusting the iron into the heart of the fire with large thick tongs, now removing it to look at it and to put sand, tuff, or other earth over it, now putting on fresh charcoal, now moistening and slowing down the fire, and now cleaning it. Finally, while the iron is hot

Jan 1, 1942

By W. W. West

MACHINERY used for size reduction of materials may be divided into three classes-depending upon the manner in which the crushing force is applied. In the first class could be listed the primary crushing units, such as the jaw crusher and gyratory crusher-which crush to coarse sizes by applying pressure intermittently between converging surfaces. In the second class may be listed crushing units, such as the hammer mill, roller mill, and ball mill, which crush principally by grinding or attrition. In the third class is the impact mill which, as the name infers, crushes by impact. The second and third classes generally include machinery used as secondary units for intermediate or fine crushing and grinding. Theory of Crushing by Impact Throw a stone into the air and give it a severe blow while it is momentarily suspended, and it shatters into several pieces. The impact crusher uses this "batting" principle, but carries it one step further. As the material to be reduced enters the crushing chamber, it receives a severe free-air impact blow by hard-hitting beaters suspended from rotor discs. The shattered particles formed are then driven at high velocity against impact blocks, where a further reduction in particle size takes place. The rebounding particles from the impact blocks are again caught by the beaters, and the process repeated until the material is swept out of the open bottom of the crusher. Impact Crushing Versus Attrition Crushing Fig. 1 shows a Hammermill type of attrition crusher. This particular mill has central feed and is reversible. Because of the central feed, an impact section can be designed into it at the feed entrance for preliminary crushing, followed by the cage bar attrition area for final sizing. The material is caught and held in a crushing chamber enclosed by grate bars or perforated plate. It remains in this chamber until it is reduced to particle size small enough to pass through the openings between the bars or in the plate. In this manner the top particle size discharged from the mill is closely controlled. As the swinging hammers pass through the bed of material, the material is broken down by a scrubbing action between hammers and material, material and grate bars, and material against material. This attrition produces a rounded particle shape, accompanied by slivers and a comparatively high percentage of fines. The crusher is especially useful in industries where the material treated is not too abrasive, such as limestone, cement or coal plants. It can be readily understood that from the maintenance standpoint, it is not suitable for hard abrasive materials such as refractories and aluminum oxides. One common type of impactor is shown in Fig. 2. The bottom of this type crusher is entirely open and the passage of the material through the crushing chamber is almost instantaneous. Liberal clearances are maintained between the impact hammers and the anvil type breaker blocks. This eliminates practically all attrition. It is the elimination of attrition that makes the impactor particularly adaptable for reducing hard, abrasive materials. The impactor is also well suited for the reduction of wet or frozen materials, which clog an ordinary Hammermill. Particles broken by impact, when examined under the microscope, show a distinct tendency toward rough, cubical shape, with a minimum of fines. Another important factor in impact crushing is that crushing is accomplished along natural cleavage lines, thus freeing foreign ores or materials.

Jan 1, 1952

By Willard L. Hunter

Four solvent extraction systems were studied to determine their efficiency jor extraction and separation of tantalum and columbium. Aqueous feed solutions of varying HF-HCl concentrations and metal content were contacted with equal volumes of cyclohexanone, 3-methyl-2-butanone, and 2-pentanone and solutions of varying HF-H2S04 concentrations were contacted with equal volumes of 2-pentanone. One multistage continuous test was made in a polyethylene pulse column using cy clohexanone as the organic phase. In each system studied, columbium and tantalum purities in excess of 95 pct with respect to each other were obtained in single-stage tests at low acidities in the feed solution. Separation factors ranging from 1700 to 2400 were obtained when rising HF-HCl mixtures in the aqueous phase. Best results were obtained when a solution of HF-H2S04 was used as the aqueous phase and 2-pentanone as the organic phase. A separation factor in excess of 6000 was obtained in one stage with aqueous solution concentrations of 2 _N HF and 2N H2S0,. When acid concentrations were increaszd to 52 HF and 10 _N H2S0,, 99.9 pct of the tantalum and 98.2 pct of the columbium initially present in the feed solution were transferred to the organic phase. The separation of columnbium and tantalum obtainable by means of the solvent extraction systems presented in this paper was found to corn -pare favorably with other systems, including the HF-H2SO4-methyl isobutyl ketone system currently used by most producers for the extraction and separation of these metals. TANTALUM and columbium are always found together in minerals of commercial significance, although the proportion of the two metals in ores varies within broad limits. Columbium is estimated to be 13 times more abundant than tantalum. Five methods generally employed for the separat:ion of these metals are: 1) fractional crystallization (the Marignac process),2 2) solvent separation, 3) fractional distillation of their chlorides, 4) ion exchange, and 5) selective reduction. Of these methods, the one currently used by industry to the greatest extent is that of solvent separation. One of the early technical developments in solvent separation of tantalum from columbium was reported by the Bureau of Mines: the HF-HC1-methyl isobutyl ketone system; data were presented for both laboratory and pilot-plant experimentation.3 Of twenty-eight organic solvents tested for their ability to extract tantalum from an HF-HC1 solution of columbium and tantalum, 3-pentanone (diethyl ke-tone), cyclohexanone, 2-pentanone, and 3-methyl-2-butanone were chosen for further study. Data on the HF-HC1-diethyl ketone system has been published4 and data describing the use of cy clohexanone, 2-pentanone, and 3-methyl-2-butanone as the organic phase are included in this report. RAW MATERIAL The source of tantalum and columbium oxides for this study was ('Geomines" tin slag from the Manono Smelter, Cie Geomines, Gelges, S.A., Congo. In order to extract the valuable Ta-Cb content, the slags were carbided, chlorinated, and the sublimate from chlo-rination was hydrolized and washed free of chloride with water. The washed material was air-dried and stored in a stoppered container. Throughout the paper, "feed material" refers to this mixture of hydrated oxides which was employed because of its high solubility in aqueous solutions. Typical analysis of the hydrated oxides is shown in Table I. I) HF-HC1-CYCLOHEXANONE SYSTEM Batch Separation. Effect of Acid Concentration. To determine the effect of varying the acid concentration upon the transfer of tantalum and columbium, a series of tests was made in which approximately 2.5 g of feed material was added to 25 ml solutions of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 N HF and 0 through 5 N HC1. Tantalum pentoxide concentration of the solu%ons was approximately 21 g per liter and columbium pentoxide was 14 g per liter. These starting solutions were shaken with equal volumes of cyclohexanone in 100 ml polyethylene bottles for 30 min. The phases were carefully separated in 125 ml glass separatory funnels. The time of contact of the solutions with the separatory funnels was kept at a minimum to reduce silica contamination. The measured phases were separated into 400 ml polyethylene beakers and the metal contents of each were precipitated by addition of an excess of ammonium hydroxide. Precipitate from each phase was filtered on ashless filter paper, ignited at 800" to 1000°C for 45 min, weighed, and analyzed by X-ray fluorescence.5 Data tabulated in Table I1 and illustrated in Fig. 1, show that maximum separation of tantalum from columbium for each HF concentration was obtained with no HCl present. The purest tantalum product was obtained with some HCl present. The highest separation factor was obtained at 2 N HF and

Jan 1, 1970

By Thos Egleston

The sands of Snake River, Idaho, have long been known to contain gold. They were worked by some of the first prospectors who came to Idaho, and on the banks still stand the ruins of camps abandoned for years. There are almost always prospectors searching for gold during the season of low water, and it is not an infrequent thing to find a miner of the old type actually panning the sand, or the prospect-hole which he has just left. There is more or less mystery about these miners and their methods of finding the spots where they work. They are always subjects of much speculation to the ordinary traveller. The rich discoveries are, for the best of reasons, concealed until the claims can be taken up. It is difficult to find a place where there are no prospects, but the " colors " are so very fine that they do not offer much inducement to enterprise. The California miner usually values a color at from 5 to 10 cents, often the latter; while on Snake River it would take 100 colors, or even more, to make that amount.

Jan 1, 1890

By W. Crafts, J. L. Lamont

Electrolytic extraction of carbides from quenched and tempered steel and their examination under the electron microscope were found to be helpful in understanding the mechanism of secondary hardening in alloy steels1 and the same technique has been applied to isothermally transformed steels. A preliminary survey of the utility of the method has indicated that it has promising possibilities for investigating the characteristics of pearlite and bainite. The examination of a few carbon and chromium steels has suggested that pearlite is formed with carbides of two varieties representing the lamellar and nonlamellar forms and that bainite appears to form with a structure analogous to, but significantly different from, martensite. Procedure The method used for examining the carbides was similar to that described previously.1 The chromium steels used in the investigation were made from an Armco iron base in an induction furnace and were not treated with grain-refining deoxidizers. The composition of the steels is given in Table 1. Three-inch square ingots were forged and rolled to 1/8-in. thick sheet for use in the isothermal studies. After rolling, the sheets were sandblasted to remove the rolling scale. Specimens approximately 3/4-in. wide and l1/2-in. long were prepared from the 1/8-in. sheet. They were heated in a salt "bath at 2100°F (1150°C) for 1/2 hour, transferred to other salt baths at 1300°F (704°C), 1000°F (538°C), 800°F (426°C), or 600°F (315°C), held for various periods up to 100 hr and finally quenched in water. After quenching, the specimens were cut in half, one half being submitted to microscopic examination and the other half being used for the electrolytic extraction. The isothermally transformed specimens were submitted to examination under the light microscope to determine the degree of transformation and type of structure and were photographed at 2000 X. Carbide residues were obtained by electrolyzing in 10 pet hydrochloric acid and collecting the residue in glycerine to minimize attack by the acid. As pointed out in the earlier paper, the carbides are attacked to some degree during electrolysis. This attack is relatively minor on the coarser carbides but may be quite severe on the fine bainitic carbides. The residues were washed free of the glycerine with water and alcohol. The alcohol was removed by repeated washings of amyl acetate, and the amyl acetate suspensions were transferred to stoppered vials. Debye-Sherrer X ray diffraction patterns of the residues were prepared using a chromium target. A selection based on the microstructure and X ray data was then made of samples considered most illustrative of the progress of transformation. Electrolytically extracted residues from these samples were submitted to examination by W. D. Forgeng and A. C. Jenkins on the electron microscope at the Research Laboratories of The Linde Air Products Co. and electron micrographs were made at X 5000 and enlarged to 25,000 X. The micrographs obtained with both the light and the electron microscopes are mounted side by side in the accompanying figures. Although no effort was made to establish the T-T-T diagram for the chromium steels, the times for holding in the salt bath were adjusted with the intention of making the samples represent different stages in the transformation at temperatures of 600, 800, 1000, and 1300°F. The degrees of transformation and results of X ray examination are shown in Tables 2—4. The carbide designations refer to orthorhombic or trigonal carbide types and are not meant to imply that the compositions are exactly as indicated. X ray Diffraction Data The occurrence of Fe3C and Cr7C3 in these steels was found to be consistent with published data on comparable chromium steels. Steels A and B with relatively low ratios of carbon to chromium contained Cr7C3 in the pearlitic structures and FeuC in the

Jan 1, 1950

By Eckley B. Coxe

I wish to call the attention of the Institute to a peculiar variety of anthracite which occurs in the Buck Mountain vein at our collieries at Drifton, and in the same and other veins in different localities in the anthracite coal-fields. It is known among the workmen as iron-gray or cast-iron. It has a dull, greasy appearance, as if a piece of ordinary anthracite had been rubbed with a dirty and greasy rag and allowed to dry. It was formerly considered a very impure coal containing a high percentage of ash, and was picked out of the coal and thrown away. But the following analysis of it and of its ash, made by Mr. J. Blodget Britton, of Philadelphia, shows that such is not the case, the percentage of ash not being much higher than that of the ordinary anthracites as they are prepared for market. ANALYSIS OF COAL. Water,.........4.36 Fixed carbon, by difference,.. 84.90 Volatile combustible matter,. . 3 48 Ash,..........7.26 100.00 The carbon proved to some extent to be of the nature of graphite, and slowly combustible. ANALYSIS OF ASH. Silica,.........25.66 Sulphur,........ .17 Alumina,........27.03 Phosphoric acid,.......21 Ferric oxide,.......42.83 Alkali, undetermined matter and Lime,.........1.56 loss,.........60 Magnesia,........1.83 Manganous oxide,......11 100.00 We recently collected a quantity of the substance and made a fire with it, in an ordinary stove, which was kept up several days. We found that it burned with intense heat, and apparently as freely as our other coal does. Mr. Britton is probably right in his view, that the difference in appearance is not due to impurities in the coal, but to the fact that the carbon is in a more or less graphitic form, as many of the standard coals are no purer. I bring this before the Institute as I know that a large quantity of this valuable fuel is thrown away every year, on account of its supposed impurities.

Jan 1, 1879