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By R. B. Gilmore

It has been the custom of the Railroad Commission of Texas to hold hearings each month with respect to existence and imminence of waste of oil and gas in Texas and its prevention, and to issue orders restricting the production of oil to the reasonable market demands and allocating production to the various fields in Texas. The practice of designating the actual days during the month on which wells are to be shut down was discontinued in the order for November 1942, and orders issued thereafter contain only the number of shut-in and producing days for the month. Orders issued by the Railroad Commission are divided into two main subdivisions, the first a general shutdown order of all oil wells in the various fields in Texas, and second, the exception of certain fields to this general order. Table I shows the producing days for all of the fields in Texas for 1944 under the first of these classifications : The fields that have producing schedules varying from the general order may be divided roughly into three subdivisions, as follows: Table 2 shows the producing days for certain fields that were prorated as a group throughout 1944. Other fields which were occasionally included with this group were also prorated under the general order and by special orders. The producing days for these irregular fields are shown in Table 4. In Table 3 are listed fields that were exempted from any shutdown days during December 1944, the majority retaining this exception throughout 1944. Certain fields included in the general order were added to this group on the first day of the month shown.

Jan 1, 1945

By Carle Hayward

THE effect of copper on steel has been studied by numerous investigators. Before modern testing methods had been developed, blacksmiths noted red shortness in iron, the cause for which was ascribed to the presence of copper. Numerous papers have been published on the corrosion of steels containing various amounts of copper, and a few writers have discussed the effect of copper on the mechanical properties of steel. The purpose of the investigation described in the following paper was to obtain additional data on the mechanical properties of medium-carbon steel containing small quantities of copper. Among those who have published results of mechanical tests on copper steels are Ball,1 who states that copper increases the tensile strength and 'hardness but lowers the elongation. Stead2 states that copper steels closely resemble nickel steels containing equivalent percentages of nickel,, as regards tensile strength, resistance to shock, corrosion and hardness. Wigham 5 found that copper in small amounts had no injurious effect on steel. Breuil4 found that with 1 per cent. carbon, copper lessened the brittleness of steel and in low-carbon steel it increased the tensile strength and lowered the ductility slightly. H. H. Campbell 5 states that copper up to 0.25 per cent. slightly raises the elastic limit, elongation and reduction of area.

Jan 1, 1918

By Arthur Philips

THE purpose of this paper is to present certain data and observations resulting from a series of experiments dealing with the heat treatment and microstructure of commercial white cast iron and its derivative, malleable iron. In planning the experimental work, particular pains were taken to secure for the tests white cast iron of "normal" composition; i.e., within the composition limits commonly prescribed by manufacturers of malleable castings. A review of the literature leads us to believe that much data of a fragmentary character treating of the graphitization of white cast iron have been of little value, mainly because of the diversity in chemical composition of the materials employed in the tests. Moreover, when feasible, annealing periods at least comparable to those of current practice have been adopted. We wish to acknowledge our indebtedness to the members of the research department of the Eastern Malleable Iron Co. for the white cast iron used in the tests and, particularly, for their active cooperation during the experimental stage of the work. In this paper the following subjects will be discussed in the order indicated: Data on the thermal critical points of white cast iron and malleable iron. Changes produced in tensile properties and microstructure of white cast iron by annealing at different temperatures within the range, 760 to 1100° C. Relation of thickness of wall section of hard iron to microstructure and tensile properties of malleable iron obtained under normal annealing conditions. Notes on mechanics of graphitization of normal white cast iron as observed in specimens quenched after various periods of anneal at approximately 800° C.

Jan 1, 1922

A new departure of unusual importance in Institute annals was in-augurated by the trip of President Philip N. Moore to the Local Sections at Nevada, Southern California, San Francisco, Seattle, Spokane, Montana, Utah, and Colorado. Everywhere the visit of the President was the occasion of an enthusiastic and successful meeting, which is reflected in the account, published under the different Sections in this and other Bulletins. The President also joined the members of the Columbia Section in their visit to Nelson, British Columbia, at the International Mining Convention, which was attended by mining engineers of Canada and the United States. The President of the Canadian Mining Institute, as well as the officers and members of the Western Section also attended this convention. For full particulars we recommend to our readers the ac- count of this very interesting meeting, which is given on another page of this. Bulletin. It is believed that this is the first meeting between the mining engineers of America and any other country since America joined the Allies. The Secretary of the Institute accompanied the President at the first four meetings and was expecting to attend the others also, but was called home by a death in his family.

Jan 7, 1917

By M. G. Corson

The iron-silicon alloy series has always been one of the most puzzling among the binary alloys. Examining the well-known mechanical properties of the iron-rich alloys only we meet the following situation: The ultimate strength and yield point of alloys worked and annealed under the usual conditions represent nearly a straight line function of the silicon content up to 1.5 per cent. silicon (Fig. I). Starting at the ultimate strength of 35,000 lb. and at a yield point of 16,000 lb. for pure electrolytic iron, one reaches a maximurn strength of 93,000 lb. and a maximum yield point of 74,000 lb. at 4.5 per cent. silicon. This corresponds to an increase in ultimate strength by 13,000 lb, per each per cent. of silicon added and nearly the same rate applies to the yield point. The data mentioned are taken from the investigation by T. D. Yensen,1 and while they do not exactly corroborate the results obtained by earlier investigators, they seem to be the most correct. Plastic properties of the alloys are controlled by a much more complicated relationship. Up to 2..5 per cent. Si, the elongation stays close to 50 per cent. (in 2 in.) and the area reduction amounts to 85 per cent., a situation that forms the usual feature of all alloys representing strictly solid solutions. The plasticity of the latter is always nearly equal to that of their base metal. Beyond 2.5 per cent. silicon, the situation becomes much more complicated. Yensen observed an enormous drop in elongation and area reduction at about 2.65 per cent. silicon, where the first hardly reaches 10 per cent. and the second is still lower; he found, however, a considerable recovery in plasticity at about 2.8 per cent. Si and up to 1.5 per cent. Si it is represented by 20 per cent. for the elongation and 30 per cent. for area reduction. Yensen's graphs, as shown in Fig. 1, indicate also a considerable drop in strength and yield point at the same point of 2.65 per cent. Si,

By R. E. Hoffman, R. A. Ward

The self-diffusion coefficient in high purity nickel has been measured over the temperature range 870' to 1248°C. The results are described by the relation D = 1.27 exp[—-66,800/RT 1cm2ec-1. The measured activation energy correlates satisfactorily with absolute melting point, heat of fusion, and heat of sublimation. KNOWING the rates of self-diffusion is important in the understanding of many metallurgical reactions. However, in spite of the rather widespread interest in nickel, both commercially and in fundamental investigations, no measurement of the self-diffusion in solid nickel has previously been re- ported." In connection with a program of measuring rates of diffusion in some nickel alloys, self-diffusion in pure nickel has been investigated over a rather wide temperature range by combining a sectioning technique and a surface counting technique.

Jan 1, 1957

By Marc Lemieux

Computer pit design techniques generally make use of models in which the deposit is represented by a regular array of data. Using a regular system, the number of data points required to represent the air, waste and mineralization in a large deposit become excessive. The number of blocks used to describe the deposit is dependent upon the block size. The quality of the pit wall slope design also is dependent upon the block size used and the method of defining the slope. The error associated with reserve calculations becomes greater with increasing block size. A deposit model consisting of variable sized air and mineralized blocks has been developed at the University of British Columbia and improved upon at Climax for pit design work. The method permits put- ting the entire model in core for rapid data processing. This permits the use of a versatile cone generation technique which allows close adherence to variable slope constraints in all directions. The conical shape is approximated by rectangles on each level which equal the area of the ideal conical intersection. The shape of the intersection may vary from approximately circular to elipsoidal. The approximate cone shape is controlled by the slope constraints applicable at the point of intersection on the bench. The overall modeling technique greatly assists the pit design engineer in developing a high quality pit design.

Jan 1, 1977

By Augustus Locke

San Francisco Meeting, October, 1911.) Two Opposed Interpretations of the Tonopah Structure.-The important geological publications concerning the Tonopah mining-district are those of Spurr 1 and of Burgess.2 In these publications are presented fundamental differences of interpretation, which are the more interesting because both authorities have had ample opportunity for observation, and because both are geologists of proved ability. I was vastly puzzled to know which had the better of it, and in order that I might reach a conclusion in my own mind, I recently spent some time in the district going over the physical evidence. Surprising as it may seem, this evidence looks agreeably conclusive. A review of it will, I believe, be of interest to those who are familiar with the previous publications. The general geological features of Tonopah are shown in Fig. 1, and the differences of interpretation referred to are outlined in the accompanying notes. Briefly, Burgess regards the various rocks as flows, lying in the order of their deposition. Spurr regards them in part as flows, and in part as flat-lying intrusives. The disagreement, then, concerns the rocks regarded on the one hand as intrusives, and, on the other hand, as flows. These rocks are chiefly the so-called calcitic andesite, the upper rhyolite, and the lower rhyolite. Economic Importance of the Question of Interpretation.-The economic importance of the question of interpretation is, of course, limited to its bearing on the probable distribution of 1 Geology of the Tonopah Mining District, Nevada, Professional Paper No. 42, U. S. Geological Survey (1905). Report on the Geology of the Property of the Montana-Tonopah Mining Co. (1910). An abstract of this report is given in the Mining and Scientific Press, vol. cii., No. 16,p. 560 (Apr. 22, 1911). 2 The Geology of the Producing Part of the Tonopah Mining District, Economic Geology, vol. iv., No. 8, pp. 681 to 712 (Dec., 1909).

Feb 1, 1912

By H. B. Aaron

DIFFRACTION micrography provides a useful tool for studying complex strain fields. Newkirk1 observed an X-ray diffraction effect due to strain interactions at the intersection of slip lines in LiF and attributed this effect to a reduction of primary extinction due to strain-gradients. It is the object of the current study to correlate the observations and rationalize the appearance of the strain fields around intersecting slip planes in x-ray extinction contrast studies by a semiempirical method. Fig. 1 shows typical strain patterns observed by Newkirk on (200) reflections in LiF using chromium radiation and a variation of the Berg-Barrett (B-B) technique. In other reflections (e.g., {220}) the strain patterns are absent. If one defines a vector 3 along the striations from the more to the less dense portion, and a vector v in the direction of the X-ray beam parallel to the reflecting plane, such that both 3 and v lie in the reflecting plane of the crystal, Fig. 1, then the positions of the striations on (200) reflections appear to be confined such that where is the angle between v and 3, Fig. 1. It will be seen later that 3 is the projection of Sb on the reflecting planes. In some instances the strain effects are observed only above the slip plane, Fig. l(C), in others only below, Fig. l(D). Where the strains appear to be both above and below the slip line, Fig. l(E), one sees that there are actually two slip lines present, Fig. 1(F) and (G). Furthermore, the strain patterns are observed in the vicinity of the intersection of emergent edge dislocations (diagonal lines on the micrograph) with emergent screw dislocations (horizontal lines on the micrograph), e.g., Fig. l(HJ) and (MN), but not in the vicinity of the intersection of two emergent edge dislocation arrays, Fig. l(HJ) and (KL). However, in the latter case the contrast of the dislocation array itself is reduced along (KL) and increased along (HJ). Line (AB) in Fig. 1 is the edge of the crystal, and the material to the left of (AB) is the side of the sample. Any empirical correlation will have to include most, if not all of the aforementioned observations. Lang2 and Newkirk1 determined that the condition for contrast is given by g-b#0 [2] where b is the Burgers' vector and g the diffraction vector (normal to the reflecting planes). If one assumes that the direction of the observed strain fields is given by the vector sum of the slip vectors (Sb1) of the intersecting slip planes, then Eq. [2] may be generalized to g-S#0 [3]

Jan 1, 1963

By R. L. Skaggs, R. A. Molsberger

DARKEN1 has pointed out that in most binary liquid metal systems the thermodynamic behavior is relatively simple in the terminal regions. Between the terminal regions. the thermodynamic behavior is more complex. To describe this behavior. he has defined the stability and the excess stability as shown: Qualitatively, an inflection in the free energy of mixing curve results in a change in sign, from positive to negative, of the stability function and is associated with a phase separation. Conversely, a large, positive stability over a narrow composition range is indicative of compound formation. Darken has shown a number of binary systems where the excess stability is constant in the terminal regions and varies sharply in between. The work described in this communication was undertaken to study the variation of stability and excess stability in a binary system as a function of temperature. In addition, this work provides means for the direct comparison of previously existing equilibrium (activity) and calorimetric (molar heat of mixing) data on the Hg-Sn system. Hildebrand2 measured the vapor pressure of mercury over Hg-Sn alloys at 595°K. Calorimetric studies were made by Kawakami3 at 523°K and by Kleppa4 at 423°K. In this work, the equilibrium vapor pressure of mercury was measured over a series of Hg-Sn alloys at 453" and 503°K by use of fused salt manometer with one arm exposed to mercury vapor. Deflections of the fused salt manometer were balanced by argon pressure on the other arm. Argon pressure was subsequently measured with a dibutyl phthalate manometer. Tin activities were determined by graphical integration of the Gibbs-Duhem equation making use of the familiar Darken5 a function. The activities of mercury and tin showed positive deviation from Raoult's law at 453 and 503°K as Hildebrand observed at 595 K. In Fig. 1 are plotted log activity of mercury and tin vs reciprocal temperature. The plot contains activities obtained from calorimetric studies. Hult-gren6 has calculated activities from Kleppa's4 data, and Kubaschewski7 has similarly treated Kawakami's7 data. Presumably. in each case a regular solution was assumed. For regions where a two-phase field

Jan 1, 1970

By J. B. Wagner, p. Hembree

The iron tracer diffusion coefficient of umstite has been measured at 110(fC across the phase field and at a single composition at 800°C. Assuming a simple cation vacancy model the tracer diffusion coefficient was found to be a linear function of the cation vacancy concentration at 1100°C. The equation is D = 3 x 20 29 where denotes the concentration of vacancies in numbers per cc. The tracer work at 800°C was carried out to investigate the reported "pinning" of tracer to the wustite surface at low temperatures. No evidence for the "pinning" of the tracer was found at 800°C in COz-CO gas mixtures. HIMMEL, Mehl, and Birchenall,&apos; Carter and Richardson,2 and Desmarescaux and La combe3 have measured the diffusion of iron tracer in wustite at several temperatures and compositions. The present work was undertaken to extend the measurements over a large composition range at 1100°C and to resolve certain apparent discrepancies in the data, expecially at lower temperatures. EXPERIMENTAL Wustite was prepared by oxidizing rectangular iron plates* in C02-CO mixtures. The samples were •The iron was supplied by the Battelle Memorial Institute courtesy of the American Iron and Steel Institute. The analysis is presented in Table I. quenched. Due to the inward flow of cation vacancies during oxidation, the center of the sample contained a thin void. The edges of the wustite slab were sanded until the sample could be split into two parts. Each part was then sanded on the front and back flat area until a smooth surface was obtained. The specimens were then replaced in the furnace and equilibrated at llOO°C in a predetermined COa-CO mixture by methods described elsewhere.4"6 The specimens were again quenched and the surfaces were lightly sanded to remove any roughness following the first equilibration. The specimens were then reequi lib rated in the same C02-CO mixture for thirty minutes in order to relieve any mechanical damage on the surface due to the polishing. The specimens were then quenched and the tracer was applied by an electroplating technique. The work of Carter and ~ichardson&apos; demonstrated that there was no systematic difference in the iron tracer diffusion coefficient in wustite if the tracer was plated, dried, or evaporated on the specimen. In the present study a piece of filter paper was saturated with an iron chloride solution of pH <* 3 that contained the tracer FeS5. The wustite was placed on the filter paper and made the cathode. A current density of 0.4 to 0.6 ma per sq cm was passed for about five to ten minutes. The thickness of the tracer layer was estimated to be about 7 x lom6 cm. This estimate was made by considering the area plated, the current flow, and time for plating and the activity of the iron in the plating solution. Different areas of the specimen were counted using a collimator to determine the uniformity of the tracer. Any specimen which exhibited a variation from the initial count rate (about 1500 cpm) by more than 15 pct was rejected. An estimate of the time necessary to convert the thin layer of iron tracer to wustite was made using the data of Pettit and wagner." he estimated time was 1 sec at 1100°C assuming linear oxidation kinetics. The shortest diffusion anneals were 1800 sec. The samples were suspended in the hot zone of a furnace by two platinum wires. Two separate specimens were run at the same time. Only the edges of each sample were in contact with the wires. The C02-CO gas of the same composition as that used in the pre-diffusion anneals flowed freely around the samples at a linear velocity of 0.9 cm per sec. To initiate a run, the specimens were lowered from the cold zone of a furnace to the hot zone by a magnetic lowering device." bout 60 sec were required for lowering. To terminate a run, the sample was withdrawn from the hot zone to the cold zone. Time zero for the beginning of the experiment was taken when the sample blended into the red glow of the furnace and conversely for the end of the experiment. The surface decrease method of measuring the tracer diffusion coefficient was used to collect the data. This method requires that counting geometry be reproducible because the specimen is counted before the diffusion anneal and after the anneal. A special jig was constructed for each specimen so the specimen could be removed from the jig and returned to the jig such that the well geometry was reproducible.

Jan 1, 1970

DESPITE strikes, domestic production of copper and zinc in 1951 rose about 3 pct and 10 pct, respectively. Lead output fell only about 7 pct. Primary refined, including processed scrap and imported concentrates, was somewhat higher for zinc, and slightly lower for copper and lead. Prospects are for moderately larger mine and refined production in 1952 according to Standard & Poor&apos;s analysis of nonferrous metals. The survey goes on to report domestic copper prices averaged 14 pct higher in 1951, lead prices 30 pct higher, and zinc prices 32 pct higher. The 2¢ rise in zinc and lead ceilings in October will lift the average price in 1952 over 8 pet, assuming no further price change. Currently, OPS appears opposed to raising the 24 ½ ¢ copper ceiling to the 24 ½ ¢ maximum on imported metal. The steep premiums in world markets are likely to be reduced in 1952. Sales in 1951 were at new peaks. A further moderate rise is indicated for 1952. Earnings of the industry were at a new high in 1951. The increase for companies covered in the survey was perhaps 25 pet, despite a tax rate of about 53 pet, against about 40 pct. in 1950. Relatively maintained to moderately higher earnings are currently indicated for 1952. About two thirds of the companies covered in the survey raised dividends, including extras, in 1951. In general, maintained payments appear probable in 1952.

Jan 1, 1952

I. The Property. The Homestake Mining Co. has acquired through consolida tion the ground and equipment of the Father De Smet Con solidated Gold-Mining Co., the Deadwood-Terra Mining Go., the Caledonia Gold-Mining Co. and the Highland Mining Co., at and near Lead, Lawrence county, South Dakota, in the northern portion of the Black Hills. The company owns or controls 250 claims, comprising 2,616 acres and covering about 8,000 ft. along the strike of the lode. At the surface there are several veins, of which three have united in depth, where the main vein ranges from 300 to 500 ft. in width. The 1,100-ft. level is the lowest at present. The rock of both walls is, so far as known at present, carboniferous alate, and the country is penetrated by a system of porphyry dikes, and in some places capped with porphyry. The output of the company up to January, 1903, has been, approximately, $70,000,000. II. The Ore. The oxidized, open-cut ore is nearly all treated in the three mills on the northern part of the property, which are as follows : The Mineral Point (formerly the De Smet), of 100 stamps, the Monroe (formerly Caledonia), of 100 stamps, and the Pocahon tas (formerly the Deadwood-Terra), of 160 stamps. A cyanide plant, to treat the leachable portion of the tailings from these North End mills, has recently been installed and put into oper ation at Gayville, or Blacktail as it is now known. The Homestake lower-level ore, which comprises the greater part of that being milled at Lead, may be described as a horn blende, garnetiferous schist or slate, which has been crushed and infiltrated with free silica and pyrites, the latter being

Jan 1, 1904

ROBERT WOOLSTON HUNT, who joined the Institute in 1874, served twice as its President, was made Honorary member in 1919, in whose honor the Hunt prize and medal were established, and who, within a month, had received the Washington Award, died at his home in Chicago on July 11, 1923. Robert Woolston Hunt was born Dec. 9, 1838, in Fallsington, Buck County, Pa., His father, Dr. Robert A. Hunt, of Trenton, N. J., graduated from Princeton College in the class of 1824, and later from the Uni-versity of Pennsylvania. His mother was Martha Lancaster Woolston. Mr. Hunt spent several years learning the practical side of iron making in the roll-ing mills of John Burnish & Co. at Pottsville, Pa. Later he took a course in analytical chemistry in the laboratory of Booth, Gar-rett & Blair, upon the completion of which he entered the employ of the Cambria Iron Co. at Johns-town, and for them, on Aug. 1, 1860, established the first laboratory in Amer-ica forming an integral part of an iron or steel organization. In the fall of 1861 he en-tered the United States military service, and was in command of Camp Curtin at Harrisburg, serving as mustering officer for the State of Pennsylvania, with the rank of Captain. In 1864 he assisted in recruiting Lambert&apos;s Independent Mounted Company, and was mustered into active ser-vice as a sergeant, having tossed up with a friend who had also participated in recruiting the company, as to which one should receive a Lieutenant&apos;s commission. Upon being mustered out of service, Mr. Hunt returned to the employ of the Cambria Iron Co. which sent him to the works at Wyandotte, Mich., where experiments with the new Bessemer process of making steel were being conducted. He was placed in charge of those works in July, 1865, and so continued until May, 1866, when the Cambria company called him back to Johnstown to take charge of their steel business, intending at once to begin the erection of a Bessemer steel plant. The plant, however, was not built for several years, and in the meantime the Cambria company began the rolling of steel rails for the Pennsylvania Railroad, using ingots of Bessemer steel produced by the Pennsylvania Steel Co. at their Steelton works. Mr. Hunt had charge of the steel for these operations; and in August, 1867, the first steel rails made in America on a commercial order were rolled.

Jan 8, 1923

By J. C. Coughlin, M. C. Flemings, T. Z. Kattamis

Experiments on Al-4.5 pct Cu alloy shou the dendrite arnz spacing increases with time during isothermal holding in the liquid-solid region. This coarsening of the dendrite structure is then shown to occur at roughly the same rate during solidification as during isothermal holding. Final dendrite arm spacing in both types of experiments depends primarily on coarsening kinetics. It is concluded that driving force for the coarsening is reduction of liquid-solid sur/ace area. Calculations based on two simple models show qualitative apreement with experinzent. 1 HERE has been considerable interest in recent years in determining effects of solidification variables on dendrite arm spacing in cast alloys. The interest has resulted primarily from the clear evidence that 1) the degree of homogeneity which can be obtained in a cast alloy with commercially practical homogeni- zation treatments depends on dendrite arm spacing, and 2) mechanical properties of the heat-treated casting depend on the homogeneity obtained.&apos;-&apos; In wrought alloys, microsegregation from the original ingot is carried to some extent into the final wrought product, and affects mechanical properties in similar fashion Experimental evidence available indicates that dendrite arm spacing in cast aluminum alloys is influenced only by cooling rate (or "local solidification timev*) and alloy content.Fig. 1, for example,

Jan 1, 1968

By L. W. Pommier, F. B. Brien

In order to determine the ability of cyclones with heavy liquids to preconcentrate ores, a study of the variables which govern the behavior of the solids in the apparatus has been made. To assess the test results, the cyclone products have been examined by sink and float analysis at various specific gravities and the results examined by the Tromp type curves. This analysis has allowed the development of the SG50 unit — specific gravity of the particles, 50% of which goes to overflow and 50% to underflow — rather than the d50 (size) unit used in classification. The results of tests using the closed circuit laboratory cyclone assembly with dry feed samples show the validity of the equation: Results indicate that 83% of the feed may be rejected containing 0.1% Sn. Recoveries in excess of 80% are obtained at a grade of 1.7% Sn from feed samples assaying 0.4% Sn. As water-wetted particles may comprise the plant feed, separate tests were performed to examine the effect of water in the feed material. Results indicate that the entrained water divides into two fractions, one of which is defined as free water and is rejected to the cyclone overflow, the other fraction forms an adhering envelope of water on the ore particles, altering their effective size and density. The presence of the envelope of water on the particles increases the ease with which the heavy liquid can be recovered but decreases the concentration efficiency. It is proposed that the detrimental effect of water in the cyclone may be minimized by using a higher feed pressure cx by the use of surfactants. A higher feed pressure, by increasing shearing forces, would reduce the thickness of the water envelope on the particles. The surfactants, by adsorbing on the particles and producing hydrophobic surfaces, would displace the water envelope and allow the heavy liquids to wet the modified surfaces. In both cases a larger proportion of the entrained water would report to the cyclone overflow as free water, thus minimizing the detrimental effect of water on the concentration efficiency. Additional testing is required on the behavior of water in the system; to determine the optimum particle size for the preconcentration step; to determine final particle size for optimum liberation and subsequent treatment of the products in present plants and to determine the efficiency with which the heavy liquids may be recovered from the products. For many years tin mining in Bolivia has been very important to the economy of the country. In recent years the tin content of the ore reserves has been steadily declining. An improvement in concentration efficiency is highly desirable in order to increase productivity from the present low-grade mine ores and to allow retreatment of the many millions of tons of tailings from past operations, some of which equal the present ores in tin content. A number of investigators have been or at present are working on various phases or approaches to the problem. Gravity concentration is used in Boliva today as it has been in the past to recover tin minerals from the mine ores. An objective of the work reported in this paper was to examine the possibility of treating present low-grade ores and sink-float tailings products, at a relatively coarse grind, in order to produce a higher grade feed material to the present gravity concentration plants. The possibility of using heavy liquids in cyclones to treat large tonnages with a minimum of outlay presented itself and is of particular interest since heavy liquids are now available with physical properties which lend themselves to simple recovery methods. Tests were carried out using a closed circuit laboratory cyclone assembly. It was desirable to determine the value of using the SG50 concept and Tromp curves for analyzing the cyclone concentration test results. The effects of entrained water on the behavior of ore particles in the cyclone were examined. THEORY AND TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS Three types of heavy liquids are available: aqueous solutions of very soluble salts, salts or mixtures of

Jan 1, 1964

POSITIONS VACANT (Under this heading will he published notes sent to the Secretary of the Institute by members or other persons.) In the course of the next few months, a mechanical engineer, who has specialized in the design and erection of copper-smelting plants, including steel work, power equipment, etc., may be required by a company operating abroad. Man speaking German preferred. No. 23. ENGINEERS AVAILABLE (Under this heading will he published notes sent to the Secretary of the Institute by members or other persons introduced by members.) Member, 31 years of age, married, graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, desires position with malleable iron or steel firm. Nine years&apos; experience as chemist and metallurgist in malleable, gray iron, and steel. No. 123. Member, metallurgist, desires position with company making steel, castings, or tool steel. Has had six years&apos; experience with the electric furnace, making steel castings and tool steel, also heat treatment of same. No. 124.

Jan 9, 1914

By G. T. Engel, W. G. Gruzensky

Jan 1, 1960

By M. B. Bever, A. B. Michael

THE structure of cast A1-Si alloys is altered profoundly by modifying agents. Sodium, in particular, reduces the size of the silicon particles in the eutectic and tends to change their shapes from plates to nearly rounded grains. This refinement is accompanied by a shift of the eutectic to higher silicon concentrations and lower temperatures. Similar effects can be attained by rapid solidification. Hypotheses advanced to explain modification have involved the formation of a ternary eutectic,1 the removal of oxides by fluxing,&apos; and even a presumed allotropic transformation of silicon. Other hypotheses assume that the modifying agent causes an envelopment of the silicon particles by the aluminum-rich solid solution, but attribute this envelopment to different mechanisms. According to various explanations, the growth of the silicon particles is obstructed by an immiscible sodium-rich liquid," an adsorbed layer of sodium,&apos; or a ternary compound;5 his obstruction has been conceived as purely mechanical or as a colloidal action.&apos; It has also been proposed that sodium reduces the surface tension on the Al-Si interface, thus permitting the aluminum-rich solid to grow faster and to envelop the silicon particles.? Still other hypotheses stress undercooling and the attendant change in the rate of nucleation of silicon, but fail to ascribe any definite function to the sodium addition." &apos;" Procedure High-purity alloys of aluminum and 3 or 7 pct Si were treated with modifying agents containing radioactive sodium tracers. The experiments were intended to investigate the partition of sodium between the primary aluminum-rich solution and the eutectic, and, if possible, to determine whether sodium is concentrated in or around the silicon particles in the eutectic. Radioactive sodium fluoride, alone or mixed with stable sodium chloride, was allowed to react with the alloy for 5 min immediately before solidification in the crucible. Modification could not be attained with additions of less than the equivalent of approximately 0.1 pct Na. Some alloys were not completely modified, but comparison of the structures of treated and untreated specimens indicated a very considerable reduction in particle size of the silicon in all of the former. A treated alloy is shown in Fig. 1. Radioactive sodium fluoride was prepared by bombardment with deuterons having an energy of 14 mev. This bombardment (totaling, for example, 6 microampere-hours in one run) produced radioactive Na24 (half-life 14.8 hr) by the reaction 11Na23 (d,p) 11Na24. The radioisotopes of fluorine also produced have short half-lives and were not detected. A half-life determination by counting confirmed that the measured activity was due to Na24. The distribution of the sodium in the solidified alloys was determined by an autoradiographic technique by which a suitable stripping film is attached to a very thin metallographic specimen. After exposure and development, this emulsion remains superimposed on the specimen and may be examined microscopically or photographed by reflected light. The emulsion of the autoradiograph can be correlated directly with the underlying surface by simple adjustment in focus. The details of this technique have been described elsewhere." Results Fig. 2 is a micrograph of the autoradiographic emulsion ("autoradiograph") lying directly above the area of eutectic in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a similar autoradiograph of a region consisting of primary solid solution. The small black dots (tracks) in these autoradiographs are developed grains in the emul-

Jan 1, 1954

By S. Floreen, R. M. Pilliar, H. W. Hayden

The fracture behavior of a 50 pct Cu-50 pct Fe mi-croduplex alloy, laminated composites of copper and iron and an extruded 50-50 Cu-Fe elemental powder composite was studied. Very low ductile-brittle transition temperatures were achieved in all cases, but for different reasons. In the microduplex alloy both the initiation and also the propagation of cleavage fractures appeared retarded by the very small in-terphase distances. In the composites, crack propagation through the sumples was prevented in most cases by delamination fractures perpendicular to the advancing cracks. These delaminations occurred at different regions and by different mechanisms in the various composites. In the extruded powder composite, de-lamination appeared to take place along preexisting flaws. In the crack arrest geometry of the laminated plates, delamination took place by localized shear fractures within the copper near the Fe-Cu interfaces. In this case delamination was enhanced by thicker laminate layers, and by having the resistance to shear failure of the copper sufficiently low compared to the toughness of the iron. BRITTLE fracture in engineering materials has long been a problem, and many different ways of preventing it have been considered. One method that has been of growing interest lately is to prevent crack propagation by the introduction of mechanical discontinuities into the structure. These discontinuities may act in several ways. They may simply act as crack stoppers. They may introduce secondary fractures such as de-laminations that deflect the initial crack into new, less damaging directions. Alternatively, they may subdivide a fairly large bulk sample that would have been loaded in plane strain, for example, into a number of subunits that are individually loaded in plane stress and thus are more resistant to fracture. Other mechanisms, or combinations of mechanisms, are also feasible. A number of methods exist for introducing mechanical discontinuities into a structure. Composites by their nature have discontinuities in structure, and numerous studies have shown that fracture propagation in materials of this type can be radically changed by suitable control of the composite parameters. Of particular significance to the present work are recent investigations of layered composites made by joining high strength steel sheets by various means.&apos;-4 These studies have shown that through proper control of the mechanical properties of the bonds joining the sheets it was possible to introduce delamination fractures that markedly improved the overall toughness of the composites and in some cases completely prevented through-the-thickness fractures. Another technique for introducing structural discontinuities is simply to use a two-phase alloy. It has been recognized for many years that a small amount of a second phase may improve toughness either by homogenizing plastic flow and thus preventing localized stress concentrations that nucleate fracture, or by interacting with an advancing crack. In most of these studies of two-phase materials, the decreases in ductile-brittle transition temperatures produced by the second phase were relatively small. More recently, work on two-phase stainless steels having a very fine grain microduplex structure has shown that the presence of on the order of 40 to 50 pct of a tougher second phase may lower the ductile-brittle transition temperature of the brittle phase by approximately 300°F. 5-7 In these alloys delaminations were seldom observed. The tougher second phase appeared to minimize the ease of both the initiation and the propagation of cleavage fractures. These results show that both the composite approach and the microduplex alloy approach are effective methods of preventing brittle fracture. Therefore, it was of interest to compare the fracture behavior of a microduplex alloy with composites made from the two-phases that were present in the alloy. To simplify this comparison the 50 pct Cu-50 pct Fe system was selected for study. At low temperatures the equilibrium tie line phases in this system are essentially pure ferrite and pure copper. A 50-50 alloy was cast and hot worked to produce a microduplex structure. Two types of composites were studied; laminated structures prepared by roll bonding iron and copper sheets of the tie line compositions, and an extruded powder composite made from high purity elemental powders. The fracture behavior of these materials was then compared. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Alloy Preparation. The 50-50 Fe-Cu alloy and the components for the roll bonded composites were prepared by vacuum induction melting 30-lb heats using electrolytic grades of iron and copper as charge materials. A carbon boil was used to deoxidize the melts. Small additions of copper and iron were made to the iron and copper heats, respectively, to approximate

Jan 1, 1970