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By Walter Mueller

Transition in the underground coal industry, begun with the passage of the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, should be completed midway in the 1972-80 period. Surprisingly, many of the far reaching effects of this act have been, for the most part, beneficial to the industry from the standpoint of health, safety and basic operating standards. Production has dwindled, but the next few years will see production declines level out. Average declines of approximately 27% have been recorded since passage of the 1969 act, with costs increasing an average of $1.50 per ton throughout the industry. Nationwide averages presently are in the range of 14 tons per man-shift, and by 1980 this may be further reduced to a 10-ton per man-shift average for the industry. But in spite of the many temporary set-backs affecting the industry, the marketing opportunities are clearly visible. Due primarily to the energy squeeze facing the U.S. over the near term, the 'underground coal operator is and will be enjoying unusual leverage in selling his product.

Jan 10, 1972

Mr. Brown : .That part of the Standard Company's plant which has been added since the publication of Mr. Leggett's paper, and is described in mine, renders the single-phase, alternating system, which Mr. Hale has called " unelastic," much more elastic than it had been. The original plant at Bodie was substantially the same as the Telluride plant mentioned in his paper. The machines came from the same shops, and were practically the same; but while the Telluride Company has changed completely to a polyphase system, the Standard Company has retained its original plant, but has belted on a directcurrent generator at the receiving end, thereby converting the water-power into electricity, electricity into power, the power into electricity, and finally again electricity into power for use in the mines. This is a roundabout course, to be sure, but it shows that there are possibilities even in the out-of-date single-phase system. The only point perhaps, that deserves particular notice with respect to the hoist is the fact that the rheostat, or starting-resistance, was not built originally

Jan 1, 1897

LOCAL COMMITTEE OF ARRANGEMENTS. Major J. W. Powell, Chairman; F. P. Dewey. Secretary; S. F. Emmons, A. S. Hewitt, J. P- Hilgard, Charles Knap, and F. W. Taylor. THE opening session was held in the hall of the new National Museum, on Tuesday evening, February 21st. President Metcalf introduced General W. T. Sherman, one of the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, who read the following address: ADDRESS OF GENERAL SHERMAN. MR. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN : I have been invited to meet you here this evening to extend to you the cordial greeting of the regents of the Smithsonian Institution, and to assure you that they are most happy to have it in their power to place at your disposal this beautiful hall, dedicated to science and art. This National Museum is the property of the United States, of which the regents of the Smithsonian are simply the custodians, and the board has delegated to its secretary, Professor Baird, the right to extend its use to the National Academy of Sciences and like kindred societies, among which we are glad to class the Institute of Mining Engineers. It is eminently fit that you should meet here at this, the nation's capital, under a roof partly your own, devoted to natural sciences, and in the shadow of the Smithsonian, founded for the exclusive purpose of collecting and diffusing knowledge among men. Of all the workers employed on earth no single class seem to me more worthy the respect of their fellows than those who seek beneath the surface for the useful minerals and metals which contribute so largely to the wealth and comfort of mankind. In no branch of human industry does intelligence come so immediately in contact with labor. To the mining engineer chemistry, mineralogy, and geology are as reading, writing, and arithmetic to the merchant;

Jan 1, 1882

By Henry A. Wentworth

(New York Meeting, February, 1912.) ELECTROSTATIC separation of ores in its present form is generally known as the Huff' process from the name of Charley H. Huff, of Boston, Mass., through whose constant and persistent labors (with the invention of Clinton E. Dolbear as a basis) the successful commercial process embracing separative machinery and the various electrifying devices has been developed step by step, and the finances for the long period of development provided, and the method finally established and recognized throughout the world as an important and successful addition to the ore-dressing department of metallurgy. The permanent field-success of electrostatic separation began in 1908 with a 20-ton Huff experimental mill built specially for the purpose by the American Zinc, Lead.& Smelting Co., in Platteville, Wis., a plant which was a success from the start and was gradually increased in capacity as the market-conditions warranted to 100 tons of concentrates per day. Much credit is due to the above-mentioned company for its initial venture, and for its assistance in applying the process to field use. Prior to 1908 electrostatic separators had been installed and operated (but for a comparatively short time, however) in a number of places; some under the patents of Mr. Dolbear by himself and associates, and some under the patents of Lucien I. Blake and Lawrence N. Morscher, by W. G. Swart, mining engineer, of Denver, who has always been a courageous advocate of electrostatic separation. Due to the difficulties experienced in the generation of the electrical charges, the primitiveness of the separators, the wooden construction instead of iron as at present, the lack of control of the electrical fields and other difficulties overcome by the later inventions of the Huff Electrostatic Separator Co.,

Jun 1, 1912

By Carl Scholz

DURING November And December, 1907, Four Serious Mine-explosions Occurred In The Appalachian Coal-Field, Which Resulted In The Loss Of Nearly A Thousand Lives And Caused An Enormous . Damage To Property. These Accidents Attracted More Than The Usual Attention; Coal-Trade And Engineering Papers Contained Many Comments And Suggestions On The Cause And Prevention Of Accidents; The Daily Press In Many Instances Condemned The Coal-Operators And Charged These Accidents To Their Negligence, Or Their Anxiety To Make Money Without Adopting Precautionary Measures. Immediately After Each Accident The Respective State ..Authorities Ordered Close Investigations To Be Made, With The View Of Establishing The Cause And Suggesting Remedies To Prevent Recurrence. Representatives Of The Technologic Branch Of The U. S. Geological Survey, To Whom The Investigation Of Mine-Accidents Had Recently Been Delegated By The Secretary Of The Interior,. Visited The Mines And Co-Operated With The Local Authorities In Their Determinations. It May Be Safe To Say Here That An Investigation Of A Mine After An Explosion Has Occurred Discloses But Little, Because. The Causes Have Been Removed And Conditions Have Been Entirely Changed. On Jan. 8, 1905, The Coal-Operators Of West Virginia Organized An Association At Washington For The Purpose Of Making Extensive Investigations, And Sufficient Funds Were Pledged To Carry Out This Work. At This Organization Meeting, The Representatives Of The Geological Survey Present Had No Suggestions To Offer As To The Cause Of These Accidents. An Examination Of The Various Reports Concerning These Accidents Indicates That The Explosions Were Caused By The Ignition Of Gas Or Dust; They Show The Point Of Origin And The Direction In Which The Force Was Expended, And Give A Detailed Description Of The Damage Done. Very Little Has Been Said As To What

Jan 7, 1908

EDITORIAL comments on the anthracite report of the Federal Fact-finding Coal Commission, which became public on July 5, together with an analysis of its more important conclusions, will be found on another page of this issue. In this place, only a few extracts from the report, bearing more directly on technical matters, can be quoted, for lack of space. COST OF MINING Mining cost, as it stands on the books of each mining company, represents the average cost of the total output, all sizes, of anthracite. Egg coal has at least five times the market value of barley, but these' sizes are mined together and their costs can not be separated. Mine costs directly reflect the conditions under which these deposits of coal are recovered. Even within the few counties in which anthracite is found there is a conspicuous range of natural conditions. The distinc-tion between the Northern, Middle, and Southern field, or, as they are also termed, the Wyoming, Lehigh, and Schuykill regions, is primarily geologic and topo-graphic, but the effects of the natural conditions largely control costs. The contrast is great between Some of the level-lying beds of moderate but fairly constant thickness under the broad Wyoming Valley, where mining and underground haulage present relatively simple problems to the engineer, and the steeply pitching or overturned and faulted beds of variable thickness in the Schuykill field, where crushed coal' and treacherous roof multiply the difficulties of mining; and increase the unavoidable waste. Even more direct is the connection between geologic processes and the, differences in the character of the coal as mined, the varying proportions of large and small sizes demanding differences in preparation and resulting in different average prices realized for the product of the mines.

Jan 8, 1923

By Douglas Bunting

(Wilkes-Barre Meeting, June, 1911.) WITH the gradual exhaustion of the upper veins in the anthracite coal-fields, the problem of mining at greater depths acquires increasing importance and demands the consideration of a number of important factors, one of which is the greater earth-pressure and the consequent necessity of stronger support o for the roof. Under the pillar-and-chamber system, almost exclusively followed in the Northern anthracite-field, the highest economy in mining is generally secured by leaving, on first mining, pillars only sufficient to support safely the overlying strata. As to the necessary size of such pillars, the opinions of mining experts are widely divergent. In establishing the width of chambers and pillars, the thickness of vein and its depth below the surface have received little consideration. For. instance, it has been quite usual to work both overlying and underlying veins with the same width of chambers and pillars, when the lower vein was two and one-half times as thick, and twice as fits below the surface, as the upper. In view of the generally-accepted theory that the crushing-strength of coal-pillars of the same base-area becomes less with increased height, it is probable, in this instance at least, that the most economical mining has not been secured. This question of adequate pillar-support is economically less important down to about 800 ft. than at greater depths; and it is with reference to mining at these greater depths that the study of the subject here presented has been prompted. The necessity of leaving larger pillars, involving greater mining-costs per ton and also smaller yields per acre, is one of the troubles of deep working. To mine without leaving adequate pillar-supports will result, sooner or later, in a squeeze. Limited areas, it is true, have been mined at certain widths of

Sep 1, 1911

By L. W. Bahney

FREQUENTLY in using a thermo-electric pyrometer for measuring the temperature of a furnace, a hole is drilled at the back or side of the furnace, through which is introduced the tube containing the thermo-couple. At times the couple is left almost where it drops, for the reason that it soon becomes too hot to be handled easily, and the space at the back or side of the furnace may be so small and uncomfortably hot that an easy and accurate adjustment is nearly impossible. In order to overcome this clumsy and unscientific method of using the thermo-electric pyrometer, I designed an adjustable stand, to hold the clay or quartz tube unclosing the platinum and plati-num-rhodium leads that constitute the couple of the Le Chatelier thermo-electric pyrometer. This stand also allows an easy and rapid adjustment of position to varying heights and angles, as may be desired for special reading. This stand is illustrated in Fig. 1. The couple in the tube might be of better service if the tube were held a little higher above the charge in a roasting-dish, changing the height and angle if desired. The stand, made of 1.5-in, water-pipe and mounted on casters, is heavy enough so it cannot be tipped over easily. It is adjusted to any position, and has a universal clamp which holds the clay or quartz protecting-tube. To avoid disturbing the wires of the couple at the cold junction each time the tube is moved, the cooling-bottle sets in a wire basket so placed that it moves forward or back with the couple. To overcome the necessity of leveling and adjusting a galvanometer at each furnace, a switch-board is used to connect

Jan 1, 1910

By Elwin L. Fisk

The Cordero mine is located in the Nevada portion of the Opalite Mining district that straddles the Oregon-Nevada state boundary. The mercury deposits of the district occur along the margins of the broad east-west graben valley of McDermitt Creek. The only other major producers, the Opalite and Bretz mines, on the northern margin of the graben have thus far exploited only shallow deposits within 100 feet of the surface. Through December 1965, Cordero has produced 94,680 flasks of mercury, the most of which came from the large underground cinnabar deposit. Nearly all of the mercury ore deposits in this district have been found in Miocene rhyolitic intrusives, flows, tuffs, and lake beds. These rhyolites have been argillically altered at depth and extensively silicified at or near the surface. These silicified areas or "opalite" masses were the original cinnabar-bearing outcrops.

Jan 1, 1968

By J. L. Gillson

Joseph H. Birman (Chairman, Dept. of Geolcgy, Occidental College, Los Angeles, Calif.) Many thanks to J. L. Gillson for so comprehensive a survey of the titanium sand deposits of the world. Over the past two years, the writer studied rather carefully some of the Cretaceous ilmenite deposits in New Mexico and Colorado, including the Sanostee deposit shown in Gillson' s map, Fig. 6. The deposits were geologically mapped and sampled, surveyed by magnetometer, and the Sanostee deposit was drilled. Moat of the genetic interpretations made by Gillson concerning the recent sedimentary ilmenites can be clearly read in the Cre-taceous deposits in New Mexico. The deposits are in marine regressive members of the Mesaverde group. The deposits trend within a few degrees of N 55° W and persistence of this trend through both distance and time (the deposits are in different members of the Mesaverde group) implies that the deposits are offshore bar accumulations. Heavy mineral content ranges from about 10 pct to more than 50 pet. Thicknesses are from 4 ft to as much as 20 ft, widths range from 150 to 600 ft, and lengths range from a few thousand feet to a few miles. All are locally or completely overlain by carbonaceous shale and thin coal. The deposits are strongly altered, and from X-ray diffraction the principal titanium alteration product appears to be anatase. Drilling of the Sanostee deposit shows that the alteration is not related to the present erosion surface but took place at the site of deposition and before burial by the overlying sediments. Iron oxide derived from the alteration cements the grains and is the chief coloring agent in the immediately overlying shales. In the Sanostee deposit, there is virtually no feldspar, the gangue mineral being almost exclusively quartz. Sorting is excellent, but the quartz grains are subangular to angular. Petrographic examination reveals that the angularity is not due to overgrowths. Therefore, short distance transport is implied. The mineralogical composition suggests a low relief granitic terrane as the source area. Feldspar may have been decomposed by weathering at the source, but an alternative preferred by the writer is that each of the deposits represents a long-term concentration site (for example a large sand bar) which was continually being deprived of light minerals by wave action and selective transport. Feldspar may have been mechanically reduced in size more quickly than the quartz, and thus its rate of removal may have exceeded that of quartz. Concentration of heavy minerals would thus occur until the marine regression removed the zone of maximum wave energy from the site. Chemical alteration would then become the most important process until burial by encroaching swamp deposits.

Jan 1, 1961

By N. H. Jensen

SINCE the sixties, Utah has been one of the leading metal mining states of the Union. During the last fifteen years its mines have supported the largest smelting center in the world. Its rank as a metal producing state is reflected by its 1924 production which had a value in excess of $65,000,000 making it the leading silver producing state, third in both copper and lead and sixth in gold production. During the past year, metallurgical developments for the recovery of zinc contained in lead ores has made rapid progress so that the future zinc output will be of substantial importance. The largest silver mines of the nation and the world's largest open cut copper mine are within its borders. Settlement of Utah started in 1847, with the advent of the "Mormons," and originally the area of the state was much greater than now. The first metal mining

Jan 1, 1925

By George W. Maynard

IN the biographical notice of Thomas F. Witherbee, published in Bulletin No. 32, August, 1909 (p. xxv), it is said that ". he is believed to have been the first manager in America to use the chemical laboratory for the purpose of controlling the regular running of the blast-furnace." Since the year is not given, I cannot decide as. to Mr. Witherbee's priority; but the statement leads me to contribute a bit of history, showing an early departure from the "rule-of-thumb " blast-furnace work to the employment of a chemist. In the autumn of 1868 the department of mining and metallurgy was established at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In connection with the assay-department a laboratory was equipped for making general commercial analyses. In January, 1869, Alexander L. Holley, the manager and builder of the Bessemer plant at the Rensselaer Works of John A. Griswold & Co., the first plant erected in the United¬States under the Bessemer patents, began to send me samples of ore, pig-iron, and steel for analysis. Early in 1869 I was regularly retained as chemist for the Rensselaer Works; and while the laboratory was not located at the works, for all practical purposes it was the works-laboratory. The increase in work soon made it necessary for me to secure an assistant. I applied to Prof. Charles F. Chandler, who recommended Dr. August Wendel, who had been an assistant of Rammelsberg and had lately landed in New York. Dr. Wendel remained with me until 1873, when I left Troy. My leaving made necessary the erection of a laboratory at the Rensselaer Works, which, was done under my supervision, and Dr. Wendel was employed as chemist. During the period from 1868 to 1873 my work as consulting mining engineer frequently called me to the Lake Champlain

Nov 1, 1909

By George Otis Smith

A YEAR ago, ,at the Institute's dinner, I closed my A remarks with the words: "The scientist devotes his life to the advancement of learning; the engineer gives his to the advancement of living." May 1 begin tonight where I left off then and speak first of the distinction between science and engineering? This difference is a difference both in purpose and in method: it is the sharp contrast between theory and practice; it marks the broad gap between dream and attainment. Sometimes it happens that the investigator is also the builder and applies what he discovers, yet the distinction between science and engineering serves to point out the broad dependence of the engineer upon his brother the scientist. You remember .the old - saying that "where there is no vision the people perish" translate this into modern experience and we may say that "where there is no science, the engineer fails."

Jan 1, 1929

By W. J. Houk, F. C. Hull

To clarify interpretations of grain structures and to assist in calculations of spatial grain size distributions, plane distribution curves have been determined for random sections through four regular polyhedrons approximating the shapes of metal grains. The characteristics of the distribution curve for the average metal grain are predicted. IT was realized early in the history of metallurgy that metals are polycrystalline aggregates and that the size and shape of crystals affects the properties of the material. Reaumur1 in 1722 employed the microscope to examine the fractured surfaces of steel and of white and gray cast iron and suggested a polyhedral arrangement of the crystals. The first extensive investigation of the form of crystal grains was carried out by Desch.2 He examined the disintegrated grains from a ß brass sample and noted that the number of faces per grain ranged from eleven to twenty and that the number of edges per face varied from three to eight and the maximum occurred at five. While it has been found practical to examine isolated grains only in exceptional cases, it is always possible to make a plane section through the metal and examine the shape of the grain sections on the plane of polish. Desch2 tried to determine the relation between the form of a polyhedron and that of its plane sections for comparison with distribution curves of numbers of sides per grain section of actual metal samples. The polyhedrons investigated were the rhombic and pentagonal dodecahedrons and the orthic tetrakaidecahedron. However, the frequency distributions of the number of sides of plane intersections were not sufficiently characteristic to decide which polyhedron most closely approximated the average grain in a metal. Determination of Statistical Shape of Grain in Space Scheil3 was interested in the problem of calculating the distribution of grain sizes in space from the easily measured distribution of grain section sizes on the plane of polish. Assuming that the grains were spheres and using the plane distribution curve for a sphere shown in Fig. 1, he employed a successive subtraction method to calculate the spatial distribution. In order to evaluate the accuracy of these calculations, Scheil and Wurst4 determined the actual distribution of grain sizes in space in their sample of ingot iron by polishing off successive layers and following every individual grain in a series of micrographs. From curves of mean radius of intersection of a given grain vs thickness of metal removed in polishing, Scheil and Wurst attempted to derive the statistical shape of a grain in space. Their calculated plane distribution curve for this shape is compared with the distribution curve for a sphere in Fig. 1. A table of values based on this curve was prepared for calculating spatial distributions of grains. The calculated and measured spatial distributions of their sample then agreed much better than when a spherical shape had been assumed. In the present paper, an attempt has been made to learn something about the average metal grain by studying in detail the effect of the shape of regular polyhedrons on the plane distribution of areas and shapes of areas produced by random sections through them. From the data presented below, it can be concluded that the plane distribution curve for the average metal grain differs in three fundamental respects from the curve derived by Scheil and Wurst. Polyhedrons Selected for Study The polyhedrons selected for the statistical study are illustrated in Fig. 2 and consisted of a cube, a figure formed by cutting off the corners of a cube at the midpoints of the original edges, a tetrakaidecahedron, and a pentagonal dodecahedron. The length of edge on any one figure is a constant. For the above models the edge lengths were 3.50, 4.00, 2.00, and 2.08 in., respectively. A cube was selected for one of the polyhedrons because of its simple geometry, because it is a form that by repetition can completely fill space, and because it represents a convenient degree of departure from compactness beyond which the shape of

Jan 1, 1954

By G. C. Wallick

Since the appearance of the paper, "Solution of the Equations of Un-steady State Two-Phase Flow in Oil Reservoirs," by W. J. West, W. W. Garvin, and J. W. Sheldon,' a two-fold investigation of this subject has been carried out. One objective of the investigation has been to deter-mine the feasibility of solving such problems 7on a medium-size com-puter such as the Datatron*, and the other objective has been to in-vestigate the application of such cal-culations to experimental and theo-retical petroleum reservoir research. In the first Datatron calculations, the fluid and rock properties published by West, et al, were used, together with the published equations describ-ing the system. Details of the formu-lation not given in the original paper are discussed in the Appendix to this note. Reference should be made to the subject paper for the complete equations and defintion of symbols. An unexpected result of this in-vestigation was the discovery that the linear solution published by West was in error. Thus, in addition to describing the Datatron solutions and to discussing certain numerical diffi-culties which will be encountered if one uses the published method of solution, the purpose of this note is to indicate the nature of this error. LINEAR FLOW Since the linear case requires a minimum amount of scaling, a fixed-decimal point Datatron program was written for the one-dimensional flow problem and an attempt was made to duplicate the solution described by West. In the case described, fluid was produced at a constant rate, Q, until such time as well pressure reached 0.04. Production was then continued at constant pressure. From the constants and curves given by West it was determined that the ini-tial constant production rate could be approximated by Q = 0.007. An ini-tial dimensionless time step ?t = 0.434 X 10 - "as used, and each suc-cessive time step was doubled until a value of = 0.444 was reached. This constant interval was then used for the remainder of the solution. In subsequent solutions, several varia-tions in the time schedule were em-ployed, including smaller time steps and slower rates of increase in the time steps. In all cases, almost identical results were obtained regardless of the time schedule employed. However, as described below, it was noted that the time schedule had some influence on the rate of convergence of the solutions. As a check on the accuracy of the solution, the cumulative production at each time step was calculated using the two methods described in the Appendix. Satisfactory agreement was observed with the differences in these two values of the order of two parts in 50,000. It should be noted that the mass balance check as described is of questionable value, particularly with regard to the well pressure and saturation. This is especially true in the radial solution where pressure and saturation values near the wellbore would make only a negligible contribution to the numer-ical integration. It is believed, how-ever, that such a comparison is ot value in determining the over-all accuracy of a solution. In comparing the Datatron solu-tion with that published by West it was discovered that in the later stages of depletion, the pressures near the well declined more rapidly in our solution than in the West solution, and that the limiting well pressure of 0.04 was reached at an earlier time than that originally reported. It thus became evident that it would be impossible to duplicate the production schedule described by West and a constant rate of production was maintained until the well pressure was equal to 0.0. A representative comparison of the results published by West with those obtained in this investigation is shown in Fig. 1, which is a plot of GOR as a function of cumulative recovery. These two curves should be in agreement until a cumulative recovery is reached which corresponds to a well pressure of 0.04 — for the Datatron solution, a recovery of approximately 5.6 per cent. Actually, a major disagreement is evident. Subsequent correspondence

Jan 1, 1958

By J. R. Hauber, N. R. Borch

A study uras made on the creep behavior of cast and extruded SR grade beryllium. It is shown that, for stresses below about 1000 psi in the temperature range 760" to 85o° c, the creep behatior is nearly exactly described by the Nabarro-Herring mechanism. The activation energy is apparently that for self-diffusion, 42 2 kcal per mole, below 1000 psi, but it rises to 88.6' kcal per mole at higher stresses. The slress exponent is 4.5 at the higher stresses. Tertiary creep in this material is clearly related to void formation apparently caused by grain boundary sliding. BERYLLIUM is becoming an increasingly important technological material. A search of the literature has revealed a lack of fundamental studies on the creep of beryllium. This investigation was therefore undertaken to gain insight into the creep behavior of this material. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Tensile creep samples were prepared from cast and extruded SR grade beryllium. The vendor's chemical analysis of the beryllium tested is shown in Table I. The test specimens were machined as shown in Fig. 1 from i -in.-diam rods. The machined creep specimens were annealed to remove surface damage and to establish a variation in grain size. The heat treatments and their resulting grain diameters are shown in Table 11. The average grain diameters were determined by the intercept method. True average grain diameters were estimated by multiplying the measured average grain diameters by 1.5.' The creep tests were performed at temperatures from 700" to 850°C in a vacuum of 105 Torr or better in a tantalum-element resistance furnace. Loads were applied by an Instron testing machine such that the stress was held constant to within 20 psi. The test temperature was measured by thermocouples on the sample. With one exception the deviation from the desired test temperature was 2"C, and in that case the deviation was 4"C. Elongations were measured by an extensometer within the vacuum chamber which was fastened to the creep specimens at the grooves in the grip ends, as shown in Fig. 1. The precision of measurement of elongation was 1 X loe4 in. The creep tests were begun only after thermal equilibrium had been established in the sample and the extensometer to insure that there was no strain rate component due to transient thermal effects. Two kinds of creep experiments were performed. First, at constant grain size, the effects of varying stress and temperature were studied. In the second set of experiments, the temperature was held constant and the grain size was varied. The activation energy for creep was determined by varying the temperature at constant stress, as described by orn, during the first set of experiments. The variable grain size experiments revealed that creep at low stress apparently occurred by the abarro-errin' mechanism. In all of the creep tests, the stress was held constant only until sufficient strain had occurred to accurately determine the creep rate. The stress was then raised to a new value and the new creep rate determined. This process was reported until tertiary creep occurred. In this manner several data points were obtained from each specimen. The assumption was made that the structure was not changing appreciably between the incremental stress levels. This was verified by reducing stresses to previously tested levels and comparing the creep rates with the creep rates obtained at the lower strains. The re-producibility was within experimental error over strains on the order of 1 pct. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS A typical series of creep tests is shown in Fig. 2. Primary creep was not observed in any test. Transient creep, which we define as creep rates that are nonlinear with time, was not observed for any change in stress except where tertiary creep occurred. The absence of both primary and transient creep has been previously reported for hot-pressed powder beryllium.= The data for the creep behavior at constant grain size are summarized in Fig. 3. The data show two distinctly different stress dependencies. At stresses below about 1000 psi, in the equation:

Jan 1, 1969

By I. R. Kramer

In his technical note entitled "Specimen Temperature During Electropolishing of Aluminum Crystals" Dr. Nakada 1 reported that the temperature of his aluminum specimen increased 65°C when it was polished electrolytically; he therefore concluded that the temperature of the specimens used in our work (Nakada's Refs. 4 and 5) similarly increased by this amount. From this he further concluded that the change in plastic-flow characteristics associated with the removal of the surface by electropolishing during deformation were due solely to a temperature effect. We believe that these conclusions are not justified. It is, of course, realized that the amount of the temperature increase is associated with the total heat transfer of the entire system, including the efficiency of the stirring action, heat flow through the grip on the specimen, and so forth. Of great importance is the type of electrolyte used for polishing. For example, in Dr. Nakada's experiment a methanol-perchloric acid solution was used. This solution has a relatively low conductivity and for the current densities of 0.3 amp per sq cm the electrical input appears to be 30 to 40 w. In our research a methanol-nitric acid solution was employed and for the size of specimen employed by Dr. Nakada the power never exceeded 7 w. There are major differences in his test apparatus which also appear to affect the temperature rise. In our case a steel specimen holder was used in order to provide a good heat sink and conduction path. The cathode was a coiled aluminum tube through which a coolant was passed to provide additional cooling capacity near the specimen. The stirrer was placed in a position to obtain maximum cooling efficiency. On the other hand Dr. Nakada used a teflon grip to support the specimen at one end only and a flat copper cathode, thus providing a much less efficient heat sink as compared with the metal grips used in our studies. The relationship between current density and the temperature increase for two sizes of aluminum crystals tested in our tensile apparatus is shown in Fig. 1. The temperature measurements were determined from a thermocouple spot-welded to the surface of the specimen. The thermocouple was protected from the acid by means of a thin film of stop-off lacquer which covered just the outer surface of the thermocouple junction. Whereas Dr. Nakada reported a time delay of 8 min to obtain thermal equilibrium, our temperature change occurred in less than 15 sec. This emphasizes the importance of the heat transfer in the entire system. However, readings were taken over a period in excess of 5 min to assure thermal equilibrium. The data given in Fig. 1 were also confirmed by determining the thermal expansion of the specimen in a sensitive creep apparatus. As may be seen, for the smaller specimen the increase in temperature is 8°C for a current density of 1.5 amp per sq in. The majority of our data on the effects of surface removal on the plastic behavior of aluminum were obtained at current-density values at or below this value. Above 1.5 amp per sq in. the temperature rise is uncertain; for under certain conditions, especially in the vicinity of 2 amp per sq in., the anode can become polarized and the current flow is erratic. This condition is easily recognized because wide fluctuations in the creep and stress-strain data make it virtually impossible to obtain reliable results, a condition which was always avoided in our work. The temperature increase for the larger specimen is less than that of the smaller specimens below a current density of 1.5 amp per sq in. At a current density of 2 amp per sq in. the temperature increased 13°C. The above temperature data are in accord with observations made during creep experiments. Using a transducer capable of detecting strain in the order of 10 -6, temperature changes in excess of 8°C were not detected when the current density was increased to as high a value as 1.5 amp per sq in. Finally we wish to point out that our experimental data cannot be explained solely in terms of a heat effect. For example in Fig. 1 of Ref. 2, the change in slope of Stage II as a function of the rate of re-

Jan 1, 1965

By M. Garfinkle

LITERATURE data1'3 have suggested that the resolved shear stress necessary to initiate slip in a particular slip system in tungsten single crystals is strongly dependent on the tensile orientation of the crystals. This orientation dependence is contrary to the critical resolved shear stress criterion. Because the Schmid factors for slip on particular {110}( I l l), {112}(Ill), or {123}(111) slip systems in a (100) oriented tungsten crystal are virtually identical to the respective Schmid factors for a (110) oriented crystal, slip should initiate on the same system in both orientations, independent of the values of the critical resolved shear stresses. Thus, it would be expected that, for a critical resolved shear stress model to hold, the proportional-limit stress for these two orientations must be similar. The expectation of similar proportional -limit stresses has not been borne out by reported experimental observations. Rose et nl.' reported that the proportional-limit stress for crystals near the (110) orientation was 92,000 psi, approximately three times that of (100) oriented crystals (31,000 psi). Garlick and probst2 reported greater than a fourfold difference. Most recently, Beardmore and ~ull~ examined tungsten crystals with orientations along the edge of the standard stereographic triangle and showed a gradual increase in proportional-limit stress from 28,000 psi for the (100) orientation to 93,000 psi for the (110) orientation. Again, the difference was more than threefold. As has been emphasized by these investigators, the apparent gross variation of proportional-limit stress with orientation precludes any meaningful analysis of slip mechanics using a simple critical resolved shear stress relation. The purpose of the present communication is to report that, by use of refined strain-measuring techniques, the proportional-limit stresses for the (100) and (110) orientations are quite similar. Obviously, to determine accurately the value of the proportional-limit stress, which is by definition the stress at which nonlinear stress-strain behavior first occurs, the method of measuring strain must be capable of high accuracy. The investigators cited used as the measured elongation the crosshead displacement of the tensile machine. This method, however, introduces extraneous strain contributions from the load train. Because these extraneous contributions are considerable in the initial portions of loading (as has been well-documented in the literature) the proportional-limit stress measurement, dependent on the deviation of a line from linearity, can be significantly affected. During the course of a recent study, room-temperature strain was measured directly on several (100)-and (110)-oriented tensile specimens axially oriented within 5 deg of the desired direction. Each specimen was fitted with two foil strain gages mounted on opposite sides of the 0.08-in.-diam reduced section. The tensile specimens were loaded at a crosshead speed of 0.01 in. per min on an Instron Universal Testing Machine. Strain was monitored through an external bridge circuit in which the specimen strain gages comprised two arms. The bridge output was recorded against the applied load. A strain of 2 x 10"" could be readily detected by this method. Some specimens were subjected to conventional loading while the load for others was cycled between zero and continually increasing values until the first deviation from linearity was observed. The results of these methods were similar, and the stress at which nonlinear behavior occurred was considered the proportional-limit stress. The proportional-limit stresses measured in this study are approximately 5000 and 6500 psi for the ( 100) - and ( 110) -oriented crystals, respectively, a range of values almost a magnitude less than those reported previously. Representative curves are presented in Fig. 1. Because of the nature of the measurements made, the point of departure of a line from linearity is often debatable. While the load-strain curve for the (100) -oriented crystals made a relatively abrupt deviation from linearity, the curve for the (110) -oriented crystal was more gradual, so that the actual point of tangency may be at a lower load than reported. Thus, the difference in values for the proportional-

Jan 1, 1967

By N. J. Grant, D. S. Bloom

N recent reports, Sully' and Beck and coworkers' I have advanced hypotheses concerning the formation of the phase. Both of these hypotheses are based on Pauling's theories of the electronic configuration of the elements of the first transition group. Sully considered that the number of electrons which can be absorbed in filling electron "holes" is the factor which determines whether or not the structure can form. Beck suggested that the presence of a certain concentration of electron "holes" is the controlling value. It can be shown that a similar criterion can be developed without making reference to Pauling's theories. Table I shows the elements of the first transition group and the incidence of the a structure in the binary systems of these elements according to the data presently available. Also appended is the number of electrons considered to exist in the 3d-4s levels of these elements. If the atomic percentages for the phase are listed as shown in Table 11, and if the number of electrons in the 3d-4s levels per atom is calculated for the a boundary values, the results are as shown in the last column. It can be seen that the numerical values are all in the vicinity of 7 electrons per atom. This is true also for the ternary Cr-Mo-Ni IT phase, which occurs in a system in which none of the binary compositions are known to develop the phase. In the Fe-Mo binary, the high temperature a phase, which occurs at a composition of 50 atomic pct of each element, also yields a ,;1 e of 7 electrons per atom. From inspection of Tables I and 11, it develops that any series of sequential numbers which is assigned to the elements under consideration will result in the numbers pertaining to a compositions grouping themselves around one specific number. It does not follow, however, that this random number necessarily has physical significance. Such a point has already been discussed by Hume-Rothery." One interesting point develops from this study, however, and that is the position of manganese with reference to the other elements and to the phase. In the system used here, the formation of phase is associated approximately with the value of 7 electrons per atom, which is also the number of electrons per atom that manganese has. Manganese, it will be recalled, exists in three different crystal forms, none of which are the usual, simpler metallic forms; on the other hand, elements just to the left of manganese (in Table I) generally have lower coordination-number structures (body-centered cubic) than do elements to the right of manganese (face-centered cubic). The contribution to a complex crystal structure by the interalloying of elements from opposite sides of manganese is significant in that the a phase is formed in binary systems including one element from each side of manganese, with manganese capable of participating with both sides. It is indeed an interesting coincidence that manganese, with 7 electrons per atom, solidifies in complex crystal forms, and that when alloys of the transition elements are made which have seven 3d-4s electrons per atom, they, too, tend to assume a complex crystal form. From the above, it might be deduced that the study of the a phase might be advanced by a critical examination of the element manganese and how its structure is affected by small additions of elements which change the 3d-4s electrons per atom number. The role of atom size would also be of interest in formation. References ' A. H. Sully: The Sigma Phase in Binary Alloys of the Transition Elements. Journal Inst. Metals (1951) 80, Part 4, p. 173. 2 S. Rideout, W. D. Manly, E. L. Kamen, B. S. Lement, and P. A. Beck: Intermediate Phases in Ternary Alloy Systems of Transition Elements. Trans. AIME (1951) 191, p. 872; Journal of Metals (October 1951). "W. Hume-Rothery, H. M. Irving, and R. J. P. Williams: The Valencies of the Transition Elements in the Metallic State. Proc. Royal Soc. (September 1951) 208A. p. 431.

Jan 1, 1954

By Robert Gillham, Victoria Yablonsky, Grover R. Castle

INTRODUCTION The commercial paper market, unique to the United States, is a direct exchange of funds between high-grade borrowers and large lenders; because it eliminates both the bank's role as middleman and also some significant transaction costs, commercial paper is the lowest cost short term instrument in the world. For this reason, virtually all borrowers would like to enter the market, but only issuers with the highest rating from Moody's and Standard & Poor can attract purchasers at the best rates. COMMERCIAL PAPER The commercial paper market, in existence for over 100 years, has traditionally been used for short-term financings, with most paper maturing within 30-45 days. Under the U. S. Securities Act of 1933, (section 3(a)3) industrial paper can avoid registration only if it matures within 270 days and is used for current transactions. It was first used to finance the short-term seasonal working capital needs of manufacturing companies. Since World War II, commercial paper use has grown steadily, serving in the 1950's as the market in which finance companies financed the explosion in consumer credit purchases of heavy consumer durables. LETTER OF CREDIT BACKING As far as is known, the use of letters of credit to support energy-related commercial paper began about 13 years ago with an arrangement to finance the nuclear fuel for Con Edison's Indian Point 3 Plant. Goldman, Sachs was the architect of this financing and Chemical Bank provided the letter of credit support. After an early burst of interest, this type of financing wobbled severely in the difficult credit markets of the mid-seventies before regaining serious momentum in 1976 and 1977. A mining project would not normally qualify as a borrower in the commercial paper market because of its credit standing and because its large capital needs require long term financing. However, lately, commercial paper has begun to take the place of a bank term loan in limited recourse project financings. L/C backed commercial paper took this new and startling turn in 1982 when it was used as part of the $700 million financing for the development of the Newlands-Collinsville coal mines of Mount Isa Mines Ltd. in Australia. This was the first use of L/C backed commercial paper in a long-term limited recourse project financing. First Boston acted as financial advisor and, again, Chemical Bank provided sole letter of credit support of $155 million. The $785 million BHP financing for the acquisition of the Queensland (Australia) coal assets of Utah International from General Electric Company followed the next year; there we acted with two other Front Banks to provide $270 million of L/C support. These two important transactions indicate that not only has commercial paper become an integral part of a long-term financing package, but also that it is no longer the exclusive domain of the best known U. S. companies. Lesser-rated companies and a multitude of foreign borrowers have gained access to this "exclusive club." How has this become possible? OPERATION OF AN L/C An instrument of the commercial banks, the "direct pay" letter of credit, has enabled lesser-rated companies to issue commercial paper in their own names. The letter of credit allows the issuer to substitute the credit rating of the supporting bank for its own. The L/C in effect allows a lesser-rated company to rent the bank's credit rating. This upgrading is possible because the bank is unconditionally obliged to pay the note-holders at maturity and then turn to the Issuer for reimbursement. The Issuer commonly "rolls over" a new short-term issue and reimburses the supporting bank from the sale of the new issue until cash flows from the project allow the borrower to reduce the level of paper outstanding. The commitment for an L/C facility, up to 12 years in the case of the Broken Hill transaction, governs the life of the commercial paper tranche of the financing. The term of the L/C commitment thus has the power to extend the ordinary 30-45

Jan 1, 1985