Search Documents

By H. H. Stoek

A STUDY of American coal mine practice shows two of its distinctive features to be: A greater number of accidents per thousand employees than in any of the other leading coal-producing countries; a much greater percentage of the coal lost than is the case in any of the other leading coal producing countries. Although our subject is mainly concerned with the second feature, any consideration of mining methods should include safety, efficiency, and economy or costs. If in defense of our wasteful mining the argument could be offered that it was necessary on account of safety, and that it is carried out with less loss of life than is the case in other countries the plea for conservation of coal could not be so strongly urged. But when we are wasteful of both life and property, the subject merits more consideration than it has received. Some coal operators will doubtless say that the unit of accidents should be the number per million tons produced rather than per thousand employees, for by adopting this unit America probably stands in the lead rather than the lowest among the countries. However, vital statistics are not usually so expressed by other governments, by life and accident insurance companies, or in other industries, and it is merely begging the question and attempting to bolster up a bad condition to adopt a peculiar unit for the statement of our accidents. For many years the statement was made by various agencies, and was unchallenged, that "For every ton of bituminous coal mined in the United States a ton had been lost in the way of pillars left in the mines." This statement was undoubtedly true for many years, and although some progress has been made in the past decade looking to a higher extraction, and in some districts very decided progress, the loss is still great; and, although no exact data can be given, it is probable that for the United States as a whole at- least one ton is lost for every two mined.

Jan 2, 1922

By Harlan Walker

ROCK-DRILL steel has an important bearing on costs in many mining operations, both directly and indirectly. Direct factors include such items as shop expense, steel consumed per ton of ore produced, cost of distribution and the dust hazard. The latter, although no specific amount may be assigned to it, is an ever-present problem, and is receiving increased attention as the science of mining progresses. Indirectly drill-steel performance affects consumption of compressed air, mainte-nance of drills and drilling speed. The latter, in turn, increases or retards the tempo of mining and development. These factors, while not all inclusive, are preponderant in their importance. Thus it is evident that in an extensive operation drill-steel expense may run to many thousands of dollars and that thoughtful research leading toward more efficient practice is warranted.

Jan 1, 1940

By W. O. Philbrook, R. H. Spitzer, F. S. Manning

A generalized mathematical model has been developed to describe the kinetics of gas-solid reactions with special attention given to the hydrogen reduction oj dense spheres of hematite. This reduction process must pvoceed through a sequence of transport and chemical .reaction steps acting in series. Under typical experimental conditions, none oj the individual transport and reaction resistances may be neglected in the development of a physically significant model. A linear vate of thickening oj the product layer, usually taken as evidence of interface-controlled .reuction, may be observed even though transport resistances play a dominant role in the over-all kinetics. The temperature and pressure dependencies of all terms have been carefully evaluated in order to .make fill use oj arailable expe-inzental data in evaluation oj the model. FOR obvious technological reasons, the kinetics of reduction of iron oxides has become the subject of intensive experimental and theoretical investigation during recent years. Continuing efforts to construct mathematical models to describe the kinetics of reaction between a gas stream and a granular bed of solid particles have demonstrated the necessity of a thorough understanding of the reaction kinetics of a single particle within the system as a prerequisite to the construction of physically significant models of complex, reacting systems. This paper presents a critical examination of the transport and chemical-reaction processes involved in single-particle oxide reduction and develops the mathematical expressions necessary to evaluate their importance. Comparison of theoretical predictions with experimental results contributes important new understanding of the complex nature of this process. The reduction process has been studied under a wide range of experimental variables, and it is not surprising that apparent conflicts in observation and interpretation appear in the literature. The interested reader is referred to the reviews of Themelis and auvin"? and Manning and philbrook3 for a description of much of this work. The course of reaction commonly has been followed by measuring the oxygen weight loss from the particle as a function of time. A number of authors have suc- cessfully correlated their data in terms of a model which assumes that the reduction process is controlled by the rate of reaction at a single, sharply defined, advancing interface. According to this model, the interface will advance linearly with time. A mathematical model for gaseous reduction in a packed bed developed by the present authors in an earlier paper4 recognized that reduction must proceed through the series hematite (Fe203), magnetite (Fe30,), wiistite (Fe,O), and finally metallic iron. The reduction scheme permitted a stepwise topochemical reduction of the individual particles to metal or to the lowest oxide thermodynamically possible for the local gas composition in the bed. The limiting situations of theoretically dense and very porous oxide structures were considered. On the basis of available experimental evidence, the simplifying assumption was made in each case that all product layers would thicken linearly with time. A generalized single-particle model has now been developed to determine the significance of transport resistances in the product layers and in the gas film surrounding the particle. The analysis shows that the interplay of transport and chemical resistances is such that an apparently linearly advancing interface may be observed despite the fact that the reaction may be under significant transport control. Attention thus far has been focused on the development of a model for the topochemical behavior of dense spheres of hematite in atmospheres capable of reducing them completely to metal. The formation of successive product layers of iron, Fe,O, and Fe304 is assumed to follow the mechanism originally described by dstrijm.' All oxygen removal from the core occurs at the iron/Fe,O interface, intermediate oxide layers being propagated by sol id-state diffusion without change in the oxygen density of the core. Since fractional reduction is operationally defined in terms of oxygen weight loss, the kinetics of the over-all reduction of FeZ03 to iron is properly studied in terms of the gas-solid reaction occurring at the iron-wiistite interface. The fractional reduction of a partially reduced oxide sphere is given by: here refers to the radial position of the iron/Fe,O interface. This model is not universally applicable because, as explained in the earlier paper,4 a consideration of porous particles or of dense particles in atmospheres not capable of reducing wiistite must allow for the possibility of gaseous reduction at interfaces other than the one between iron and Fe,O. However, evidence that certain hematite specimens actually do follow the dense-pellet mechanism developed here is provided by the data of cewan' and of Bogdandy and

Jan 1, 1967

By J. C. Jaeger, G. A. Wiebols, N. G. W. Cook

It is usual practice in engineering to design a stable structure by ensuring that the stresses in the elements of the structure are always less than their strength, which may be defined as the yield stress, the ultimate stress, or the fatigue stress, according to the type of the load. Such restrictive design is not practical in the design of underground excavations since the rock surrounding such structures is usually failed, but only occasionally does this give rise to instability of the structure. Thus, while the usual criterion for the design of a stable structure is certainly sufficient, it is not necessary for underground excavations. A proper understanding of the conditions necessary for stability is vital to the useful application of rock mechanics knowledge to the design of underground structures. Most tests on the properties and strength of brittle rocks are disrupted at or near maximum load by the rapid release into the specimen of energy stored in the resilience of the testing machine. This is in contrast with a phenomenon, which may be observed frequently, where the rock immediately surrounding an excavation is both failed and subject to stress. By postulating a complete stress-strain curve for rock, it can be shown that failure is unstable or stable, depending upon whether the stress-strain curve of the rock lies inside or outside the stress-strain characteristics of the applied stress. Stability is, therefore, a function of the stiffness of the system applying the stress relative to that of the failing rock. Many workers have established that the strength of rock specimens under a lateral hydrostatic confining stress varies linearly with confining stress, in a way which may be expressed by the equation CT=Co+K[o]3

Jan 1, 1972

By F. W. Davis

SOME idea may be gained of the tremendous consumption of refractories by the open-hearth steel manufacturers from a statement made by A. T. Green at a meeting reported by T11.e Industrial Chemist of London, as follows: "At a very progressive steel plant in the Midlands, with a battery of five open-hearth furnaces working. twelve months and making 3000 tons of steel per week, the cost of refractories per ton of steel produced averages about $0.50 for the actual open- hearth casting and $0.12 for those operations incidental to the rolling of the metal." .These figures, when translated into the annual tonnage of steel, represent a very considerable expenditure.

Jan 1, 1930

By Frank C. Greene

Drilling in Missouri in 1943 continued at a lower rate than in 1942, only 28 wells being completed. Following the completion of the Cities Service Oil Company's No. I Jim Cook near Tarkio, in the northwest corner, NW. 'fi sec. 32, T. 65 N., R. 39, W., Atchison County, four dry holes were drilled by other parties, all a mile or more from the Cook well. Later the Cities Service Oil Co, completed No. 2 Cook for 60 bbl. Table I gives a summary of activities by counties. The total footage drilled was 23,83134 ft., of which 12,802 1/2 ft. was by cable tools and 11,029 by rotary. Four of the dry holes were drilled into Mississippian or older beds.

Jan 1, 1944

By Frank C. Greene

Drilling in Missouri in 1943 continued at a lower rate than in 1942, only 28 wells being completed. Following the completion of the Cities Service Oil Company's No. I Jim Cook near Tarkio, in the northwest corner, NW. 'fi sec. 32, T. 65 N., R. 39, W., Atchison County, four dry holes were drilled by other parties, all a mile or more from the Cook well. Later the Cities Service Oil Co, completed No. 2 Cook for 60 bbl. Table I gives a summary of activities by counties. The total footage drilled was 23,83134 ft., of which 12,802 1/2 ft. was by cable tools and 11,029 by rotary. Four of the dry holes were drilled into Mississippian or older beds.

Jan 1, 1944

By W. F. NETZZEBAND

THE long-hole drill has been used for prospecting underground in the tri-State district for several years, and its value has been pretty thoroughly proved. An attempt was made to get a statement of their experience with the machine from all the operators who were known to have used the machine. The majority of them replied to the questionnaire so that this paper is practically a summary of the experience of the district, together with some practical details taken from the experience of the Eagle-Picher Lead Company. When the drill was first used by the Eagle-Picher Lead Co., it was put in low headings and was mounted on a cross-arm supported by two drill columns. This was found to be a rather awkward method of mounting, because fairly long moves were made and the same drill columns could not be used on any two successive set-ups. The machine was later moved to a mine with high headings so that this type of mounting was found to be impractical. A heavy tripod was tried and found satisfactory, provided care was taken to see that the set-up was solid. The Evans-Wallower Lead Co. and the Century Zinc Co. report using the double post set-up, but the headings are low in these mines. The Commerce Mining St Royalty Co. first used the double-post mounting in high headings by cutting a niche in the wall and setting the post in it. This proved to be a slow and expensive method and was later abandoned for the tripod. The Federal Mining & Smelting Co. has used a tripod throughout its operations. Great care must be taken in using the tripod to see that the set-up is solid. Wherever possible it is advisable to sludge in the legs and let them set a short time before the machine is put into use. Where high bottom is encountered the Eagle-Picher operator found it advisable to drill jack- hammer holes in the bottom and drive the legs into them.

Jan 1, 1930

By Harold H. Haman

In view of Twentieth Century advances in mineral dressing technology, most modern metallurgists would be inclined to class jigging as an early, somewhat primitive, representation of their art. The practice of metallic sulfide concentration by jigging is becoming rare. This is so, in part, because the type of ore amenable to the process is becoming rare. It is appropriate, however, that this symposium recognize that a significant contribution of domestic zinc remains dependent upon coarse preconcentration by jigging, and that the state of the art be described even though the theory and applications are already well delineated in technical literature. One of the few areas still using jigging as a major concentrating process is The Upper Mississippi Valley. AREA HISTORY AND JIGGING The Upper Mississippi Valley (UMV) has produced one billion dollars worth of zinc and lead at current prices. The district includes the southwest part of Wisconsin, the northwest corner of Illinois and an adjoining narrow strip of Iowa. Within a total area of 4,000 square miles, important sub-districts cover about 400 square miles. As is widely known, early mining in this district involved shallow lead---crevice deposits of galena that were very selectively mined, hand sorted and cleaned, and then smelted at or near the site. The district has produced almost a million short tons of metallic lead, a very large part of this during the fifty- year period following 1830. Zinc mining began at the end of the civil war, but at a very low rate until about 1905.

Jan 1, 1970

By John W. Cahn, John E. Hilliard

Single crystals of copper and silicon-iron were cold rolled in orientations chosen to produce individually the major components of the poly crystalline deformation texture. The orientation dependence of the recrystallization kinetics was studied relative to the primary recrystallization textures of these specimens. It is not possible to rationalize the poly crystalline re crystallized textures on this basis. The results suggest an important role of the interaction of adjacent crystals during the deformation of aggregates. BRICK and Williamson1 first noted evidence that the recrystallization temperature was different for straight-rolled and cross-rolled copper given comparable reductions. Michalak and Hibbard2 investigated quantitatively the effect of rolling procedure on the kinetics of recrystallization of cold-rolled copper and found that material cold-rolled the same amount by straight-pass, cross-pass, and compression-pass techniques developed different deformation and recrystallization textures, different 1-hr recrystallization temperatures, and different recrystallization kinetics. However, the temperature dependence of the rate of recrystallization was essentially the same for all techniques. Similar results were obtained on iron. Dunn and Koh3 in studying the recrystallization textures of cold-rolled silicon-iron single crystals reported large differences in the annealing temperatures and times required to recrystallize specimens of different orientations cold-rolled the same amount. Liu4 and Liu and Hibbard5 utilized the concept of different recrystallization temperatures for different orientations of cold-rolled crystals to rationalize the difference in recrystallization textures found in various face-centered-cubic metals. Their explanation predicted a significant difference in the recrystallization kinetics of deformed (110) [112] crystals as compared to (358) [352] crystals, and, in fact, Liu4 reported evidence that this difference existed at least qualitatively. Verbraak6 who rolled and recrystallized a series of copper single crystals found that the double (112) [111] rolled orientation is related to recrystallized cube texture formation. The effect of rolling intensity on the relative amount of cube component suggests an important role of recrystallization kinetics. Walter and Hibbard7 while trying to relate the behavior of rolled and recrystallized single crystals of silicon-iron to the behavior of polycrystal-line silicon-iron again noted that differences in recrystallization kinetics were necessary to rationalize their results. The purpose of the present investigation was to obtain quantitative kinetic data on the recrystallization of single crystals of both copper and silicon-iron rolled to initial isolated individual orientations corresponding to those found in the polycrystalline deformation textures. These data might indicate the importance of the deformation orientation, i.e. the range of available nuclei, the deformed matrix orientation into which these nuclei grow, and the orientation dependence of their growth rate during primary recrystallization on this texture. I. COPPER Experimental Procedure—A single crystal of 99.98 pet purity copper, grown by the Bridgman technique, was purchased in the form of a bar 1 1/2

Jan 1, 1962

By Randall L. Neal

This paper discusses the impact of taxes at the state and federal level on typical on-shore oil and gas exploration economics in the USA. Taxes considered are the windfall profits excise tax, state production (or severance) taxes, state income tax, and federal income tax. Also considered will be market prices for oil and gas in the USA. The effect of government take as a percent of revenue, on rate of return, discounted Payout, and discounted cumulative cash flow is shown on the attached tables. The conclusion drawn is that tax laws, while rarely the most important factor to be considered when drilling a well, can have significant impact on the profitability of oil and gas ventures, and should be considered when determining where to drill. Hypothetical exploration wells were analyzed for the impact of tax laws on project profitability. The results of this study show that when factors other than taxes are postulated to be the same (such as producing rate, capital, operating costs, and prices), cash flow can vary by as much as 68% due to the differences in the tax laws. Other significant findings for the cases studied include: (a) that discounted payout varied by as much as 1.8 years, (b) that rate of return differed by up to 67% and (c) the total tax rate as a percentage of revenue had a maximum variance of 33%.

Jan 1, 1982

By Nelson Taylor

WITH the extensive deposits of potash minerals which have been dis-covered in the southwestern states, and their rapid development, a permanent. American supply of potassium compounds is now assured. The 325-year history of the potash industry in this country has been told by H. I. Smith1, of the U.S. Geological Survey, and the more recent activities of the Survey and of American potash companies were described last year by the same author2. In fact, it may be stated that so great is the productive capacity that two mines in New Mexico and one in California are able to supply more than half a million tons of crude and refined salts over and above that produced for agricultural purposes. The era of scarcity has given way to an era of superabundance. This situation makes it desirable for the potash producer to look for other applications for his product, and it is with this in mind that the writer presents some information pertaining to present and possible future uses for potassium compounds in the ceramic industry.

Jan 1, 1936

By Sidney Powers, Alfred C. Lane

This paper aims to present the results of an investigation concerning gravitative differentiation in lava flows, based on a quantitative microscopic and chemical study of a Triassic basalt from Nova Scotia, and confirmed by data secured from a study of certain Keweenawan ophites. At Cape d'Or, Nova Scotia, near the head of the Bay of Bundy, marine erosion has exposed a series of Triassic basalt flows in which copper has been sought for a number of years. Studies of the thickest flow of the series with regard to volumetric composition, specific gravity, and grain have been made by the junior author, and measurements by students at Tufts College, together with confirmatory observations of the same nature on this and other flows by the senior writer, and chemical analyses made by the Division of Chemistry, Mines Branch, Ottawa,' all show differentiation in lava flows comparable to that in intrusive bodies. The work was made possible by the availability of the drill-cores, the property of Tufts College, and emphasizes the desirability of the study of drill-cores from other localities. Measurements of the specific gravities of certain Keweenawan lava flows of Michigan by the senior author, from material collected in 1915, will be given as a comparison to those of the Cape d'Or flow. It has been found that the specific gravity of drill-cores, or volume per cubic foot, can be readily obtained by measuring their dimensions. This can be done to an accuracy of within 1 per cent. in pieces of core over 100 mm. in length by using a micrometer gage for the diameter, and taking the average of six measurements of the diameter; and the average of four measurements of the length made with a finely graduated ruler. Then, after weighing them, the weight in grams per cubic centimeter, or what is practically the same thing, ounces per cubic foot, is obtained. System-

Jan 1, 1916

By R. I. Garrod, R. A. Coyle

The shapes and positions of X-ray reflections from specimens of copper, steel, and aluminum alloy haue been examined in the elastic and plastic ranges both while the specimen was under stress and in the unloaded condition. For the aluminum alloy the shape was unaltered by the application of stress either within the elastic limit or in the plastic range provided that no additional plastic strain was induced. In copper the broadening accompanying plastic deformation was very slightly reduced when the specimen was unloaded. A similay but more marked elastic component of broadening was also found for steel, but in this case below the yield stress. Line profiles corrected for instrumental and particle-size broadening indicate very large internal stresses in local regions of the plastically deformed metals. The results are discussed in terms of a recent suggestion that the heterogeneous dislocation distribution between the cells and their boundary walls plays a major role in the peak shifts and broadening of the X-ray reflections. STUDIES of the X-ray line profiles from strained polycrystalline aggregates concentrate usually on one or the other of two main parameters: a) the displacement of the peak of the intensity contour from its position for a strain-free aggregate, or b) the shape of the profile. From peak shifts data can be obtained either on the relation in both the elastic and plastic ranges between applied external stress and average lattice strains in a given (hkl) direction, or, alternatively, on the residual lattice strains which are present after a plastically deformed specimen is unloaded.' On the other hand, the shapes of the broadened profiles from cold-worked metals can be analyzed to separate the broadening produced by small particle size and by heterogeneous lattice strains.' In this paper the terms "size broadening" and "strain broadening'' are used in the general sense adopted by warren.' In the past, apart from two early qualitative observation, it has been customary to examine only the movements of the peaks of the profiles while the specimen is actually under load, since the line broadening induced by plastic strain remains after removal of the external stress. Consideration of the implications of existing data of this type suggests, however, that fruitful additional information on a number of fundamental aspects might be gained by careful examination of whether the X-ray line profile is in fact different in the loaded and unloaded states of the specimen. By taking advantage of the sensitivity and convenience of modern diffractometer techniques it is possible to explore with relative ease the magnitude and importance of any elastic effects which may be superimposed upon the well-known permanent changes in profile. The main aim of the work to be described was thus to investigate this point for typical metals and alloys. For this purpose annealed specimens were extended first elastically and then plastically and the positions and shapes of X-ray reflections were recorded. Initially it was anticipated that prime interest would center on observations within the plastic range; it has been found, however, that small changes in profile sometimes occur both before and after the nominal elastic limit of the material is reached. It is shown that the results obtained have important implications in relation to the structural changes and processes associated with deformation. I) EXPERIMENTAL To enable the diffraction lines to be recorded while the specimen was under uniaxial-tensile stress, a small hydraulic testing machine was designed and constructed for direct attachment to the goniometer of a Philips diffractometer. The specimens, which were machined from 1/2-in.-diam rod and had a central rectangular section 3/8 by 1/16 in. over a gage length of 1 in., were held in the machine by split collets mounted in grooves in the cylindrical ends of each specimen. No special precautions were taken to ensure precise axiality of loading. Constant oil pressure was maintained by a lever and weights system and transmitted to the loading rig by flexible pipe. The actual load on the specimen was measured by a load cell in the machine to an accuracy of * 1 pct. To enable smooth X-ray profiles to be obtained the specimen and machine were oscillated continuously during recording through *7-1/2 deg about the normal half-angle position of the goniometer. The three materials chosen for the investigations were high-purity copper as representative of a ductile fcc metal, a low-carbon steel for a bcc metal, and an aluminum alloy as a material in which the proof stress/ultimate strength ratio is high. Details are as follows. a) Copper. 99.999 pct purity. After machining the specimen surface was polished mechanically and

Jan 1, 1964

By Charles W. Goodale, William A. Akers

The treatment of silver-ores of too low a grade to justify either smelting or preliminary roasting, and yet not " free" enough to permit of raw amalgamation, has ever been a serious problem. As bearing upon it, the operations of the Combination Mining and Milling Company of Black Pine, Deer Lodge county, Montana, during the past year may not be without interest. It is not claimed that the process to be described is not susceptible of great improvement, nor is any claim of originality made for it; but its use is, as yet, not very general, and it seems to offer a means of profitably working the large class of partially-decomposed argentiferous ores which, by reason

Jan 1, 1890

By H. M. Morse

There was little change in the oil and gas industry in Mississippi during the year 1938. No new fields were discovered and the production from the Amory field was nil. In the Jackson gas field six wells were drilled and production was obtained in each instance, but none of these wells increased the area from which the gas is produced. Outside the Jackson gas field nine wells were drilled, of which details are given in the accompanying table. The seeming lack of activity in Mississippi belied what was actually happening, for a great many geophysical crews of the major companies were active in all parts of the state. There were approximately 65 structures mapped and for the most part these have been leased. It is believed that 1939 will see an increase in wildcatting over a large part of the state.

Jan 1, 1939

By H. M. Morse

There was little change in the oil and gas industry in Mississippi during the year 1938. No new fields were discovered and the production from the Amory field was nil. In the Jackson gas field six wells were drilled and production was obtained in each instance, but none of these wells increased the area from which the gas is produced. Outside the Jackson gas field nine wells were drilled, of which details are given in the accompanying table. The seeming lack of activity in Mississippi belied what was actually happening, for a great many geophysical crews of the major companies were active in all parts of the state. There were approximately 65 structures mapped and for the most part these have been leased. It is believed that 1939 will see an increase in wildcatting over a large part of the state.

Jan 1, 1939

By George W. Bain

SOME problems concomitant with commercial exploitation of marble are presented as examples of interesting, useful and profitable fields for application of scientific knowledge. The marble industry is only one such field and is selected because its varying new aspects are familiar to the author. However, what is true for marble is equally so in principle for many industrial minerals. The problems of any stone industry are to maintain markets, create new outlets for stone already in demand, and develop varied uses for varieties that are not so popular. Here the geologist has a different role from most of his colleagues in metal mining. The producing branch may ask about the expectable variation in thickness or size of a deposit as development proceeds. The stock department may call for the available amount of a given type of stone before accepting a large order. The sales force requires data on the use for stone from certain parts of deposits in order to divert grades to the most suitable use. The service department wants defects rectified and the cause determined to avoid recurrence. The mills want data on durability and cutting quality of abrasives. The geologist occupies no special department; he is on general call, as may be illustrated by a few types of problems that may be classified as: (1) dominantly geological in character, (2) dominantly chemical in character, (3) dominantly physical in character. GEOLOGICAL PROBLEMS The geological problems deal almost exclusively with the size of blocks. Size across the deposit is limited by thickness of individual beds, and along the strike by the space between crosscutting joints. Frequently the vertical depth of a block is reduced by exfoliation shells arising from spontaneous expansion. All these factors require consideration in developing a deposit to fill an order. Thickening of Marble Beds The limestone beds that became the marble deposits of the northern Appalachians and of the Yule locality in Colorado were seldom homo-

Jan 1, 1940

By Howard S. Bryant

FROM the viewpoint of the oil producer, the oil refiner, the oil marketer, and the investor, in oil securities, a brief picture of the crude oil supply and demand in the present critical season of the year will be timely and interesting. Although crude oil production has been in a comparatively poor statistical position this year, increased sales and sustained refinery and crude oil prices have allowed increased profits for many oil companies. The large amount of crude oil going into storage during the present period of peak consumption, just previous to the major yearly fall decline in consumption, has caused oil producers to make plans to leave the oil in the ground for the present in several of the areas of large flush production. The present moment is looked on as the turning point in the current year.

Jan 1, 1929

By A. B. Kinzel

SILICON, unfortunately, is not in the same category as some other metals with respect to the absolute value of the highest purity material prepared. Tucker, in England, and Becket, in this country have devel-oped procedures for the purification of silicon, and Becket's process has made industrially available silicon of a purity of 99.8 per cent or better. However, even the term "silicon metal" may be a paradox to some people, although not more so than the term "amorphous" as applied to silicon. These terms come from commerce, and "metal" is used to distinguish industrially high-purity silicon from ferrosilicon, silicon-aluminum, and other high-silicon alloys. Alloys of iron and silicon with 95 per cent Si or less are known as ferrosilicon, with a designation of silicon content where necessary, and the terns "silicon metal" is invariably applied to the grades containing 96 per cent Si and higher. The Becket method of purification was referred to in a monograph on the Alloys of Iron and Silicon, and the Tucker procedure was described in some detail in that publication.1 In order to get silicon of still higher purity, a sample, prepared by the Becket method, analyzing 99.84 per cent Si, 0.020 Fe, 0.016 Al, 0.005 Ca, 0.025 C, 0.033 per cent 02, 0.006 H2, 0.006 N2, and 0.001 per cent Mn, was crushed to pass a 100-mesh sieve said further purified by a modification of Tucker's procedure. This modification differs from Tucker's method in that after treatment the 100-mesh alloy was centrifuged to remove the last traces of acid. Our directly determined analysis of this purified sample shows: Si, 99.952 per cent; Fe, 0.009; Al, 0.012; Ca, 0.003; C, 0.006; or 99.982 per cent. Silicon by difference equals 99.97 per cent. The variation between silicon by difference and silicon as directly determined is important. Although Tucker mentions the amount of insoluble matter in commercial silicon both before and after his treat-ment, he does not mention the existence of carbon in the alloy; neverthe-less, lie reports silicon by difference. Any final figure as to purity obviously results from agreement between direct determination and

Jan 1, 1939