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By Sidney Fischler

Large striation-free single crystals of bismuth have been grown from the melt by rapid freezing. Zone-refined bismuth, together with doping impurities if desired, is placed in a shallow flat-bottomed graphite boat and melted in air with a propane hand torch. The torch is then withdrawn in a manner which causes the melt to freeze direction-ally. Crystallization, which resuires only a few minutes, usually results in the formation of a single crystal even when a seed crystal is not used. Crys -tals of any desired orientation may be grown by using oriented seeds. Undoped crystals grown by this method have residual resistivity ratios greater than 200. THE growth of large single crystals of bismuth by either the Czochralski or horizontal zoning technique is not entirely satisfactory. Specifically, difficulties are encountered in producing single crystals of the required dimensions in all desired orientations, and striations caused by low-angle polysynthetic twins are frequently present in the crystals. In addition, both methods are time-consuming and require special apparatus of some complexity. A simpler method has now been developed for growing large striation-free bismuth single crystals of desired orientation in a short time. Fig. 1 shows a typical setup consisting of a rectangular graphite boat which contains zone-refined bismuth, a 1/8-in.-thick flat quartz plate which covers the entire inner bottom of the boat, and three additional quartz plates about 1/4 in. thick which are used to separate the bismuth from the graphite everywhere except at a small area at the left of the boat. The graphite boat is 1 in. high, and its sides and bottom are about 1/8 in. thick. The quartz plates should be smooth and clean. The graphite boat is heated from the right with a propane torch, as shown in Fig. 1, until the bismuth is completely melted. The melt has the shape of a triangle with a narrow neck at the apex farthest from the torch. The melt is frozen direc-tionally by gradually moving the torch toward the right, away from the boat. The bismuth in contact with the graphite, at the left end of the neck, freezes first. The freezing interface then moves down the neck into the main bulk of material, where it develops a convex shape ideal for the continuation of single-crystal growth. The interface continues to move through the melt until the entire bulk is solid. The entire procedure may be completed, in air, in a matter of minutes. The technique described almost always yields a single crystal whose basal plane is nearly perpendi,cular to the bottom of the graphite boat. In earlier experiments, in which the bottom of the melt was in direct contact with the graphite boat, single crystals were grown with basal planes parallel, perpendicular, or at some intermediate angle to the bottom of the boat. At times the orientation of the bulk of the material differed from the orientation of the material in the narrow neck. In these cases, a nucleation site initiated the growth of a differently oriented crystal, and the thermal conditions favored the new orientation over the initial one. The thermal conditions depend on a number of factors, including the heating technique, the placement, shape, and thickness of the quartz plates, the thickness of the walls and bottom of the graphite boat, and the quantity of bulk bismuth employed. All of these factors, plus the initial orientation and the presence and effectiveness of nucleation sites, will determine the orientation of the final large single-crystal slab. When a crystal of specific orientation is desired, an oriented section of a rapid-freeze crystal is shaped by spark cutting and grinding for use as a seed. To grow a doped crystal, the desired impurity is placed in the graphite boat together with the bismuth chunks and seed. Crystals doped with mercury, cadmium, lead, and selenium have been grown. The rate of freezing is so great that the distribution coefficient of any impurity approximates unity. On a gross scale, therefore, impurities should be more homogeneously distributed in rapid-freeze crystals than in Czochralski or zoned crystals. Because of the possibility of constitutional supercooling, however, it is quite possible that impurities are not homogeneously distributed on a microscopic scale in the rapid-freeze crystals. Generally the single crystal slabs which have been prepared are initially 5 to 7 mm thick. Thicker crystals may be obtained by using one of these slabs as a seed. The slab is placed in a graphite boat resting on a large aluminum block, either air- or

Jan 1, 1964

By J. B. Chatelain, M. F. Dufour

FLUID jet mills, employing a compressible fluid to grind materials to the subsieve range, was developed in the early 1930's, and the subsequent acceptance of these units was the result of their ability to pulverize solids that, because of physical properties, could not be processed by other attrition methods, such as ball, pebble, and hammer mills. Also, the fluid energy pulverizer is the only grinding device that will discharge continuously a 5-micron or smaller product. Simultaneous ultra-fine grinding and classification is the widest application of this unit. Jet mills may be used to advantage to reduce particle size of solids suspended in liquids, for coating one material with another, and effecting chemical reactions and changes in physical characteristics other than a reduction in size. Materials that can be processed by this grinding method include nonmetallic and metallic minerals, ores, metals, pigments, insecticides, fungicides, pharmaceuticals, plastics, dyes, and numerous other organic and inorganic products. Grinding principles utilized in the fluid mills available on the market are basically the same, the major difference being in the shape of the, grinding and classification chamber. Grinding in fluid jet pulverizers is accomplished by collisions between particles of the material being ground with the energy being supplied by compressed fluids entering the grinding chamber at high velocities. The "Micronizer" is a fluid energy mill employing a relatively flat cylindrical grinding chamber. Fig. 1 shows general construction details. The mill shown is equipped with a venturi type feeder using a compressed fluid to inject the feed into the grinding chamber. The energy consumed in forcing the feed into the grinding chamber against the mill pressure is, in some cases, as much as 40 pct of the total required for processing. Recent improvements, using a compression screw feeder as shown in Fig. 2, can reduce this to 1 or 2 pct of the total energy requirements. Grinding Grinding, as carried out in the. Micronizer involves the action of gaseous jets emerging from nozzles located in the peripheral wall of the grinding chamber. The axes, of the jets are tangential to a circle of smaller diameter than the grinding chamber as is shown in Fig. 1, and the gases entering the chamber maintain a high rotational velocity. The feed introduced into the mill is accelerated by the rotating gases and is thrown to the outside where a portion, coming in the zone of action of a nozzle, is further accelerated tangentially and inward. Violent collisions occur between the particles so accelerated and other particles circulating at a slower rate in a thin band near the periphery. It is estimated over 90 pct of the reduction in Micronizers occur as a result of impact within a fraction of an inch of the orifice. Observations also indicate that size reduction is independent of any interaction with the walls of the

Jan 1, 1952

By James P. Roe

Steel has occupied such a prominent position in most minds during the last thirty years, particularly since the introduction of the basic open-hearth process (by which the field from which the raw material could be obtained has been so widened), that little attention has been made to improvements in puddling iron. In fact, the general tendency seems to have been to accept the prediction that puddled iron is doomed. Events have in a measure justified such a forecast, due in large part to the introduction of mechanical appliances and operations with large units in the manufacture of steel, from which much lower costs have resulted. But this general tendency has met checks in certain directions. This is notably the case where the finished product is a welded one, or is subject to oxidation, to shock or to vibration; and, as far as the writer's observation goes, the bond (which is largely a mechanical one) is not as close and lasting between steel and tin or zinc as between iron and the same materials. The field still open for puddled iron is, therefore, a large one, provided the low costs of steel-manufacture can be approached. The process of puddling is one of the most interesting in the metallurgy of iron, as the reactions and the changes effected are apparent. The subject has had the strongest fascination to the writer from boyhood, and has led, not unnaturally, to a close study, which long ago resulted in the conviction that it could be successfully carried out with large units and by mechanical means. That others have also drawn these conclusions is shown by many undertakings, though there have been few such attempts during the last twenty-five or thirty years. Puddling cousists, essentially, in the removal of most of the carbon and silicon, and part of the phosphorus and sulphur

Jan 1, 1903

By G. H. Anderson

Cadmium-coppeR precipitate, a byproduct of the purification stage of the zinc plant, is composed mainly of zinc, cadmium and copper in varying amounts depending on the efficiency of precipitation and the cadmium and copper contents of the impure solution treated. The composition range is approximately: cadmium 10-12 pct, copper 6-8 pct, and zinc 3&35 pct. As received at the cadmium plant, the precipitate is a dark gray to black press cake produced by filter pressing the flocculent cadmium-copper precipitate formed when impure zinc solution is agitated with zinc dust. The details of the cadmium-copper precipitation are to be found in the paper "Electrolytic Zinc at Risdon, Tasmania," by W. C. Snow. Transactions AIME, 121, 501. The treatment, in addition to recovering cadmium as metal, yields a copper product as a residue for realization and recovers in solution for return to the zinc plant, the excess of zinc dust used during purification. The recovery of cadmium metal is approximately 200 tons† per year, but, with the amount of copper residue recovered, varies with the zinc production tonnage, composition of the original concentrates, degree of roasting and other operational factors. The operations involved in the recovery of the foregoing materials are carried out in a building adjacent to the purification section of the zinc plant and can best be described by dividing the process into the following stages: 1. Oxidation and Grinding of the cadmium-copper precipitate. 2. Leaching and Filtering. 3. Precipitation of cadmium. 4. Oxidation and Grinding of the precipitated cadmium. 5. Leaching oxidized cadmium precipitate and Purification of leach solution. 6. Electrolysis. 7. Melting, Casting and Packing. A feature of the process is the use of two distinct solution circuits. Spent electrolyte from the zinc plant circuit containing about 10 pct sulphuric acid is used as the primary solvent of the cadmium and zinc present in the oxidized precipitate. When the cadmium is later separated by precipitation and filtering, the filtrate, originally zinc plant spent electrolyte and now fortified in zinc, is returned to the zinc plant. The precipitated cadmium, after oxidation, is redissolved in spent electrolyte from cadmium electrolysis which solution is in closed circuit within the cadmium plant except for discards to the zinc plant circuit as mentioned in Section 5 hereinafter. (Fig 1.) Details of the various operations follow. I. Oxidation and Grinding of the Cadminm-copper Precipitate The precipitate having had a preliminary drying by compressed air in Dehne filter presses in the zinc plant is trucked to a storage platform of sufiicient length to store 3 to 4 days' production separately. After 48 hr exposure to atmosphere, oxidation is sufficient to enable all cadmium and zinc but only a portion of the copper to be dissolved in dilute sulphuric acid. The oxidized precipitate is shovelled into trucks and, after weighing and sampling, is broken in size by means of

Jan 1, 1950

By R. Littlewood

The concepts of "redox potential" and "oxide-ion activity" are suggested as measures of the fundamental slag properties of interest to the extraction metallurgist. Thermodynamic data for single oxides are presented graphically in these terms and a method of expressing desulfurization of steel in electrochemical terms is indicated. The application of the theovy to mixtures of oxides (slags) is discussed and the redox potential is shown to provide a link between all the redox equilibria in a slag-metal system. In particular, the redox potential of the slag, its basicity, and the oxygen partial It is now generally recognized that slags are mixtures of polymeric anions of silicates, aluminates, phosphates, and so forth, neutralized by cations. However, conventional thermodynamic treatments of slags have almost always been in terms of activities of the pure component oxides (e.g., SiO,, CaO, A1203, and so forth), which are known not to exist as such in slags. While this type of empirical treatment is perfectly acceptable and provides a rigorous and self-consistent way of considering thermodynamic properties, it can give little guide to the structure of slags, since its very nature ig- pressure are closely connected. Direct deternzination of these by electrode-potential measurements is possible. Literature calculations of ion activities in the system Ca0 -Fe0-SiO,/molten iron are used to evaluate redox potentials, which are shown to correlate with data on sulfur partition in the system. In addition to its application to equilibrium conditions, an electrochenzical approach to slag-metal reactions might provide a basis for new methods of studying the kinetics of these reactions and for plant-control instruments in the pyrometallurgical industries. nores such complications. Recently, the thermodynamic properties of some slags have been successfully interpreted in terms of activities of anions of varying degrees of complexity. (While these have been successful curve-fitting exercises, there is no direct implication that the anions used in the models are necessarily the ones which actually exist in slags.) The success of these ionic thermodynamic treatments is encouraging but a complete picture of slag structure is still a long way off. What is needed is a complete knowledge of the values of stability constants for all reactions in slags of the type:

Jan 1, 1965

By Carle R. Hayward

(Wilkes-Barre Meeting, June, 1911.) THE growing importance of metallography has caused a corresponding interest in the improvement of apparatus for preparing specimens of metals and alloys for microscopic examination. The purpose of this paper is to describe an electric heating-furnace, a grinding-and-polishing machine, and a device for mounting specimens, which are used in the metallographical work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. These three pieces of apparatus were designed and made in the laboratory of the Institute, and. each possesses some original features which may be of interest. ELECTRIC HEATING-FURNACE., The accurate control of heat necessary for metallographic work is best obtained by the electric-resistance furnace. Unfortunately, however, even the platinum-wound furnaces deteriorate with use and ultimately burn out, while the cheaper resistance-materials are often short-lived. Since the resistance-coil must be replaced from time to time, it is of advantage to be able to make this change with as little trouble as possible, and this is an important feature in the furnace shown in Fig. 1. A is a cylindrical galvanized-iron can, with two handles, B. A porcelain tube, C, passes through the central hole in the cover of the can and rests upon the asbestos disk, D; the bottom of the tube is held in place by the asbestos ring, E. The space, F, around the tube is filled with powdered magnesia. G is an ordinary assay-crucible, with the cover inverted so as to present a smooth top for supporting a second porcelain tube, H. The latter is wound with ?Excello " resistance-tape, 0.014

Dec 1, 1911

By Teder R. I., M. M. Protodyakonov

In order to find an empirical relation between a quantity F and (m) independent variables or factors, each of which take (n) different values or levels, it is necessary to conduct nm different experiments (all possible combinations of the factors), each of which has to be repeated a few times (usually five) due to the scattering of the data. The total number of such experiments is very large, thus for example, when m = 4 and n = 5, it is equal to 5.54 = 3125; and very rarely is it possible to conduct such a number of experiments. Various possible methods of planning partial experiments are illustrated in Fig. 1. Each method shows a large combinative square consisting of five columns and five rows of middle squares, each of which, in turn, is further divided into five columns and five rows of cells. Such a partition corresponds to a plan of an experiment with four factors, each of which takes five different levels. The blackened cells indicate the combination of factors in a partial experiment. The total number of experiments is reduced on the basis of the following considerations: a) The effect of only a few levels of some factors is studied (Fig. la). Such an investigation gives no information on the effect of some factors, therefore it cannot be accepted as satisfactory; b) By reducing the number of levels of each factor; in such a case it is not possible to obtain an empirical relationship, but only whether some factors have an effect. This is evidently inadequate;

Jan 1, 1971

By C. E. Wethered

THE Morning mine is operated through one main working adit, known as No. 6 or 800 tunnel level. At a distance of 10,000 ft. underground from the portal is the vertical four-compartment, main working shaft, which extends to the 3050 level, a distance of 2250 ft. below the collar, or 800 level. Shaft-stations are cut and levels opened every 200 ft. of depth and the ore is stoped to the next level above. The vein is nearly vertical and the ore is usually fairly massive and brittle. Both walls are soft and slabby and much difficulty is therefore experienced in holding them. Stopes are usually carried up in short sections, approximately 200 ft. in length, that are mined as rapidly as possible in order to avoid a too great replacement or repair of stope timbers. The four-compartment vertical shaft, 110 ft. in the footwall of the vein, is the sole medium of outlet for all ore mined below the adit level. Two compartments of this shaft are used exclusively for hoisting ore, except at the time of changing shifts, when one compartment is used to handle some of the men and timber. The third compartment is equipped for handling men, tim-ber and all general supplies and is operated by a Nord-berg 300-hp. electric hoist. This hoist has a lifting ca-pacity of 14,000 lb. with an average rope speed of 800 ft. per minute. The fourth compartment is used solely as a manway and pipeway.

Jan 7, 1927

By W. H. Fulweiler

The writer would define the term "Use Classification" as a discussion of the qualities that coal should possess to fulfill the requirements of the industry or process in which it is to be used. The general problem of the gas industry is to transform the maximum amount of the thermal energy in coal into a gas of specified quality. The qualifications that a coal should possess to be useful in the gas industry are complicated by probably a greater number of factors than in most industries. The most important of these is the delivered price of the coal. While the- general problem of the industry is as given above, yet the actual problem is the production of gas of a specified quality at the minimum cost. The relative cost of coal and the selling prices for the residuals which are influenced to a large extent by geographical locations are of determining importance as effecting the cost of the gas. It is unfortunate that we cannot disassociate cost figures from a discussion of the desirable characteristics and this results frequently in the use of coal in one location that will be looked upon as quite impossible in another location more favorably situated. Without going into any discussion of the freight rate problem we might merely point out that in general the freight on the coal is equal to or greater than the mine price. It must be evident, therefore, that price must always be considered in any discussion of the effect of the characteristics of a given coal. Two Classes of PRocesses In discussing the characteristics of coals for use in the industry, we must divide the processes in use into two classes: (1) where the coal is destructively distilled at high temperatures resulting in the formation of coke in the liberation of gas and by-products, and (2) where the coal is consumed by combustion in air or steam with a production of gas and by-products leaving only clinker as a residue. The Germans differentiate these two types of processes in their words"' entgasung'" and'" vergasung."' In the distillation processes, we have the effect of the coal on the yield of gas and its quality; the quantity and quality of coke; and the

Jan 1, 1930

By Irwin Roman

In a previous paper,l a method was suggested for determining the depth to a bed in the simple case of a uniform overlying layer of constant thickness. The main purpose of the present paper is to show how a slight modification of that method has been used to interpret specific data obtained in the upper peninsula of Michigan by the staff of the Depart- ment of Mathematics and Physics of the Michigan College of Mining and Technology. The method of Tagg2 has also been used on the same data, thus furnishing a comparison of the two methods, as well as a method of using the two methods jointly. The method of measuring the apparent resistivity is that suggested by Wenner,3 and illustrated in Fig. 1. A current I enters the earth at the positive pole C and leaves it at the negative pole D. The potential V of the high electrode A, with respect to the low electrode B is measured by suitable means. The separation of the collinear points in the order shown, DBA C, is I, the same for each interval. If the resistivity of the overburden is po, and that of the bed is pa, the apparent resistivity is given by

Jan 1, 1934

By J. Stringer, I. W. Edington, C. R. Rarey

THE geometrical interpretation of transmission electron micrographs of hcp metals is more complicated than the equivalent interpretation of cubic metal for two reasons: firstly, prominent zone axes are not in general normal to prominent planes, so that a simple diffraction pattern often corresponds to a nonra-tional foil plane; and secondly, the Miller-Bravais sys-tem of indexing directions is not easy to visualize. In this, the indexing is referred to the Bravais four-axis system, and the direction is labeled [hkil], chosen so that and I are shown in Fig. 1. Some geometrical relationships useful for the interpretation of transmission micrographs have been calculated and are tabulated below: 6) Direction of the intersection of two planes; this is easily calculated by applying Condition 4 to both planes: a direction that lies in both planes is clearly their direction of intersection. Some of the above expressions have also recently been given by Otte and Crocker;' Expression 5 is of course in most standard crystallographic texts. It is generally considered easier and quicker to use graphical methods for the interpretation of electron micrographs than analytical methods. For this purpose, it is most convenient to use a "double stereo-gram" in which both the poles alzd the rational directions are plotted. It is, of course, necessary to orient

Jan 1, 1967

By W. E. Wickerham

THE Magnetic Storm Monitor is an instrument that continuously records variations in the earth's total magnetic field at a fixed location. It is intended for use in conjunction with airborne magnetometer surveys. There are stormy periods when changes in the earth's magnetic field are so violent that data obtained with airborne equipment would be of little value. The Monitor provides this information so that flights may be cancelled or terminated, thus eliminating useless flying. Moreover, when some unpredictable change in the earth's field occurs during an airborne survey, the Monitor record, showing a similar event, may serve to salvage the data. The utility of a base instrument is determined largely by its physical dimensions, power requirements, stability, and reliability. This instrument is small enough to be transported in any powered vehicle. It will operate from either a 110 v, 60 cycle power line or from an inverter powered by an automobile battery. The development of an electronic feedback circuit that measures the magnetic field strength and a fabricated buckout magnet having essentially zero temperature has contributed to instrument stability and reliability. A tripod supporting the magnetometer head, a chassis housing all electronic components, and an Esterline Angus Recorder comprise the equipment, shown in Fig. 1. The vibrator-type inverter shown is used when a 110 v, 60 cycle power line is inaccessible. Approxi- mately 60 w are required to operate the instrument and the circuit is insensitive to reasonable power line voltage changes or transients. The head unit contains a fluxgate-type magnetometer element and a special magnet mounted on a ceramic structure. Since this magnet is used to buck out most of the earth's field, adjustments are provided for properly positioning the magnet with respect to the element. This assembly is mounted in such a way that the element can be oriented into the total field. Fluxgate Element: The heart of the Storm Monitor is a fluxgate-type magnetometer element. The ability of this unit to detect changes in magnetic fields has been covered at length in the literature.1, 2 For this discussion it will suffice to say that the Gulf

Jan 1, 1956

Albert Sauveur writes, on Apr. 16, 1918, while the German offensive was at its height, as follows: "In spite of the German guns and air raids we are all in good health and spirits and shall leave Paris only as a last extremity. Our unlimited confidence in Foch, however, makes us believe that it will not be necessary. I trust that everything is well with you at the Institute." Harold Whittingham entered the active service with the heavy artillery in England at the beginning of the war and has been fighting in France since February, 1915. He now holds the rank of Major. On Dec. 17, 1917, after being wounded, he was taken prisoner by the Germans, and, so far as is known, is still in a prison camp in Germany. Charles W. Wright, who is a Captain in charge of the work of the American Red Cross in Sardinia, Italy, writes that the service there is giving aid to about 80,000 soldiers' families and is upholding the good repute of America in that place. W. S. Holloway in 1914 joined the Sportsmans' Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers as a private, but is now a Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers, Mining Corps. He received the Military Cross while mining at the Front in France. A. L. Queneau writes the following interesting account of his experience of the war. Several letters from Mr. Queneau have been published

Jan 6, 1918

By John E. Sherborne

Much valuable scientific research has been performed in recent years on the subject of phase behavior of hydrocarbons.l-11 Engineers employed in petroleum production are interesting themselves in this work as well as in methods of applying the fundamental data available to the solution of their various problems. Recently a number of papers have been published in which applications of phase behavior have been made to specific cases pertaining to critical phenomena.l2-16 Little effort, however, has been made in the literature to show the relation between changes occurring in the critical region and the more common phase behavior, therefore it is believed that a presentation of the fundamentals of phase behavior with reference to hydrocarbons is timely. Study of phase behavior is not new. In the metallurgical field, knowledge of heterogeneous equilibria has advanced tremendously, particularly with reference to solid-solid and solid-liquid behavior. Much is known about vapor-liquid equilibria too, but few engineers are familiar with this subject. Definition of Terms In a discussion of this sort, a definition of terms used is most important. Such terms as "pressure," "temperature" and "volume" need little definition other than mention of the units in which they are considered. Pressure is expressed in pounds per square inch absolute. Temperature is usually expressed as degrees Fahrenheit or degrees Rankine. In considering thermodynamic and phase behavior, the use of the absolute, Rankine, scale is desirable. Volume is expressed as specific volume, such as cubic feet per pound. This will be recognized as the reciprocal of the specific weight. In considering systems composed of more than one component, it is sometimes desirable to consider molal

Jan 1, 1940

By John E. Sherborne

Much valuable scientific research has been performed in recent years on the subject of phase behavior of hydrocarbons.l-11 Engineers employed in petroleum production are interesting themselves in this work as well as in methods of applying the fundamental data available to the solution of their various problems. Recently a number of papers have been published in which applications of phase behavior have been made to specific cases pertaining to critical phenomena.l2-16 Little effort, however, has been made in the literature to show the relation between changes occurring in the critical region and the more common phase behavior, therefore it is believed that a presentation of the fundamentals of phase behavior with reference to hydrocarbons is timely. Study of phase behavior is not new. In the metallurgical field, knowledge of heterogeneous equilibria has advanced tremendously, particularly with reference to solid-solid and solid-liquid behavior. Much is known about vapor-liquid equilibria too, but few engineers are familiar with this subject. Definition of Terms In a discussion of this sort, a definition of terms used is most important. Such terms as "pressure," "temperature" and "volume" need little definition other than mention of the units in which they are considered. Pressure is expressed in pounds per square inch absolute. Temperature is usually expressed as degrees Fahrenheit or degrees Rankine. In considering thermodynamic and phase behavior, the use of the absolute, Rankine, scale is desirable. Volume is expressed as specific volume, such as cubic feet per pound. This will be recognized as the reciprocal of the specific weight. In considering systems composed of more than one component, it is sometimes desirable to consider molal

Jan 1, 1940

By John M. Hartman

The high temperature of the blast of modern furnaces renders it desirable that the pipe conveying the blast into the furnace crucible shall transmit and radiate as little heat as possible. To accomplish this, the pipe shown in the accompanying sketch was devised and patented. It consists of a slide-valve, leg-pipe, and belly-pipe, which are held together and to the tuyere by a system of levers and links. The slide-valve is superior to the old throttle-valve. The legpipe is formed of two thicknesses of wrought-iron pipe, with a space of half an inch filled in with clay and brick. The belly-pipe is made in the same way as the leg-pipe, and terminates in a globe face to suit the tuyere. The quarter turn is made extra thick, of cast iron, and the cap on the end is lined with clay also. The catches, A, B, C, are merely for convenience in putting the pipe together. The joints D and E are globe faces, and allow the pipe to adjust itself to any angle. The eye-piece is made of violet glass, which cuts off the glare from the bright coals in the furnace and allows a close examination of the interior, so that any water dropping or vapor can be detected. The glass does not become coated with dirt, like mica. Since good running of furnaces is shown by a bright tuyere, it is necessary to have a good eye-piece to examine them. To detach the pipe, a man lifts the weights, the side rods are then slipped off the bell crank under the quarter turn, the link under the belly-pipe is unhooked, and the pipe carried away. The same process is reversed to put the pipe together. The nozzle is changed by taking off the cap, G, drawing the nozzle through the belly-pipe, and inserting another. In this way the change can be made quickly, without taking down the pipe. On the old tuyere pipe bolts with brass nuts were used, which burned up and gave trouble. In other cases key-bolts were used, making it difficult to adjust the pipe. Bolts make too rigid a joint, and there is no provision for movement from contraction or expansion. As the temperature of the blast increases there is more expansion, and where rigid joints are

Jan 1, 1879

By John M. Hartman

THE high temperature of the blast of modern furnaces renders it desirable that the pipe conveying the blast into the furnace crucible shall transmit and radiate as little heat as possible. To accomplish this, the pipe shown in the accompanying sketch was devised and patented. It consists of a slide-valve, leg-pipe, and belly-pipe, which are held together and to the tuyere by a system of levers and links. The slide-valve is superior to the old throttle-valve. The leg-pipe is formed of two thicknesses of wrought-iron pipe, with a space of half an inch filled in with clay and brick. The belly-pipe is made in the same way as the leg-pipe, and terminates in a globe face to suit the tuyere. The quarter turn is made extra thick, of cast iron, and the cap on the end is lined with clay also. The catches, A, B, C, are merely for convenience in putting the pipe together. The joints D and E are globe faces, and allow the pipe to adjust itself to any angle. The eye-piece is made of violet glass, which cuts off the glare from the bright coals in the furnace and allows a close examination of the interior, so that any water dropping or vapor can be detected. The glass does not become coated with dirt, like mica. Since good running of furnaces is shown by a bright tuyere, it is necessary to have a good eve-piece to examine then. To detach the pipe, a man lifts the weights, the side rods are then slipped off the bell crank under the quarter turn, the link under the belly-pipe is unhooked, and the pipe carried away. The same process is reversed to put the pipe together. The nozzle is changed by taking off the cap, G, drawing the nozzle through the belly-pipe, and inserting another. In this way the change can be made quickly, without taking down the pipe. On the old tuyere pipe bolts with brass nuts were used, which burned up and gave trouble. In other cases key-bolts were used, making it difficult to adjust the pipe. Bolts make too rigid a joint, and there is no provision for movement from contraction or expansion. As the temperature of the blast increases there is more expansion, and where rigid joints are

Jan 1, 1879

By P. P. Gregory

NATURAL petroleum gas occurring in the oil-bearing reservoirs is found to exist either as free gas associated with the oil and/or in solution in the oil. In some virgin fields practically no free gas is encountered under the reservoir conditions of pressure and temperature, although in other fields a considerable section of the ``pay" horizon is occupied by free gas. In other words, a given oil field may or may not have a gas cap before the exploitation takes place. However, when the reservoir pressure is reduced to a point below the critical saturation pressure by withdrawals of fluids from the producing formation, the gas dissolved in the oil inevitably begins to come out of solution and becomes free gas. Under the con-trolled methods of production and drilling, a portion of this gas is pro-duced with the oil to the surface and a portion of it remains within the reservoir to accumulate at higher structural levels toward which it migrates by virtue of its low specific gravity. The rate of growth of a gas cap in a-given structure depends primarily upon the rate of decline in the reservoir pressure. If the rate of pressure decline is rapid, the gas cap likewise will grog rapidly. On the other hand, shrinkage in the gas-cap area was noted in some fields in which reservoir pressures were increasing.

Jan 1, 1938

By William L. Grube

PECIMEN preparation for electron metallography involves several steps, such as polishing, etching, replicating, mounting, and shadowing. Although each step must be done with care, the operation requiring the utmost attention is etching. Proper etching is important because the relief pattern developed on the surface of the specimen by the etchant, and reproduced as minute differences in thickness of the replica, determines entirely the amount of detail seen in the final micrograph. The characteristic colored stains, sometimes used in light metallography to simplify identification of certain microconstituents, cannot be tolerated because there is danger of introducing artifacts in the replicating operation. It is also quite difficult to remove plastic replicas from stained specimens. A suitable etchant for electron metallography must, therefore, in all cases exhibit a preferential attack upon each of the microconstituents present sufficient to result in a difference in surface elevation. When only two microconstituents are present, it is not too difficult to find a suitable etchant since their physical or chemical properties are generally sufficiently different to result in a marked difference in attack by the etchant. For example, picral (a saturated solution of picric acid in methanol used as an immersion etch) is a satisfactory etchant for the specimen shown in Fig. 1 consisting of iron carbide particles embedded in a ferrite matrix.'

Jan 1, 1952

By Edward Saibel

The object of this study is to investigate the effect of prior tensile strain on the fracture stress of a metal. This is done in a theoretical manner starting from the point of view developed by the author in his thermodynamic theory of the fracture of metals. The results are compared with experimental findings and a rational interpretation is given to work that shows the variation of fracture stress with prior tensile strain. Theory op Fracture In the thermodynamic theory of the fracture of metals developed earlier,' it was shown that a critical strain energy per unit volume exists. This is characteristic of the material and may be calculated from basic thermodynamic data. When the area under the flow curve reaches this characteristic value, fracture occurs. The general criterion for fracture is expressed in the form « ± u. = JLJW/V [r] where L, is the latent heat of melting of the unit volume, AV/V is the ratio of the change in volume of the unit volume to the original unit volume on passing from the solid to the liquid state, uo is an initial energy density, and J is a conversion factor, which changes energy from heat to mechanical units. As a first approximation, it will he assumed that the stress-strain curve is the straight line that extends from the point of maximum load onward, extrapolated back to the axis of zero strain, for example, line AC of Fig. I. If the point of intersection of the straight line with the axis of zero strain is represented by v., and the slope of the straight line is p, the analytic form of the flow curve is a = (To + pd [2] and the strain energy per unit volume evaluated from Jud6 becomes (u,6 + pa2/2). When this latter term reaches the critical value JLbVIV (designated hereafter by M), it is assumed that fracture occurs. This leads to the following expression for the fracture stress: a; = V«r.2 + iMp [3] The strain at fracture may be calculated from Eqs 2 and 3. It is assumed in this paper that the initial energy density is either zero or that it may be neglected. Furthermore, the complicated states of stress and of strain existing in the necked region of the tensile specimen after "necking" has occurred will also be neglected for the present, so that average conditions will be assumed to prevail. Flow and Fracture Curves LudwigZ attributed to materials two fundamental properties: (I) a resistance to flow and (2) a resistance to fracture. He reasoned that at each instant the

Jan 1, 1948