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By Jean Howard

RECENT attempts to produce secondary recrystalli-zation in high-purity iron have given conflicting results. Coulomb and Lacombe1'2 did not find it but Dunn and Walter3,4 did. The latter workers have stated that (100) [001] and/or (110) [001] orientations develop depending on the oxygen content of the annealing atmosphere. This Technical Note records results which are in agreement with Dunn and Walter in so far as it shows that secondary recrystallization can be produced in high-purity iron, but does not confirm that both types of orientation are obtainable. Similar observations have been made on chromium-iron and molybdenum-iron, although when this technique is used on 3 1/4 pct Si-Fe, both types are obtained as in the work of Dunn and alter.' Pure iron strip was cold-rolled from sintered compacts prepared from Carbonyl Iron Powder-Grade MCP of the International Nickel Co. (Mond) Ltd. The powder contains about 0.5 pct 0, 0.01 pct C, 0.004 pct N, (0.002 pct S, $0.005 pct Mg and Si, and 0.4 pct Ni—that is, it is substantially free from metallic impurities other than nickel, which is thought to be unimportant in the present work. The iron powder was (a) pressed at 25 tons per sq in. into blocks measuring 3 by 1 by 0.3 in., (b) deoxidized in hydrogen (dewpoint -60°C) by heating first at 350°C and then at 600° C until the dewpoint returned to -60°C at each temperature and (c) sintered in hydrogen (dewpoint -40°C) at 1350°C for 24 hr. (when dewpoint is referred to in this Note, it is the value as measured on the exit side of the furnace). The sintered compacts were cold-rolled to 1/8 in., annealed in hydrogen (dewpoint -60°C) at 1050°C for 12 hr and cold-rolled to 0.004, 0.002, and 0.001 in. with inter-anneals at 900°C for 5 hr and a final reduction of 50 pct. Final annealing of strip between alumina or silica plates at 875" to 900°C in hydrogen with dewpoints of -20°, -55" and -80°C produced secondary grains with the (100) in the rolling plane; the extent of secondary recrystallization was greatest when the dewpoint was -55°C. Annealing in a vacuum of 2 x 10"5 mm Hg at the same temperature produced no secondary recrystallization at all. With strip thicker than 0.002 in. very few secondary crystals developed whatever the conditions of annealing. Using a processing schedule somewhat similar to that described above, secondary recrystallization was produced in two bcc alloys of iron, viz. 80 pct Fe + 20 pct Cr and 96 pct Fe + 4 pct Mo. The former was reduced to final thicknesses of 0.001 to 0.004 in. and the latter to final thicknesses of 0.001 to 0.016 in. With the chromium-iron, a final anneal at 1250°C (found to be the most effective temperature for developing secondary crystals in the 0.004-in material) with a dewpoint of -25°C produced a greater degree of secondary recrystallization than with dewpoints of -50°C or -20°C. Secondary crystals developed in strips of all thicknesses from 0.001 to 0.004 in. Final annealing in vacuum produced no secondary crystals at all. For the molybdenum-iron a temperature of 1200°C was most effective. It was found that a dewpoint of -50°C during the final anneal gave better results than a dewpoint of -25 "C on the 0.008 in. material. Final annealing in vacuum gave slightly worse results than annealing in hydrogen with a dew-point of -50°C. Secondary crystals were developed in strips of all thicknesses up to 0.008 in. The experiments show that the extent of secondary recrystallization is a maximum for certain critical values of oxygen content of furnace atmosphere and annealing temperature, and that these values are different for different alloys. The thinner the material, the less critical these values are. The general conclusions are that secondary recrystallization can be obtained in high-purity iron, chromium-iron, and molybdenum-iron, using a processing schedule similar to that which will cause the phenomenon to take place in high purity 3 1/4 pct Si-Fe. Unlike the silicon-iron, however, only the (100) (0011-- orientation has been produced in these alloys, irrespective of the temperature of final annealing and the oxygen content of the furnace atmosphere. The information used in this Note is published by permission of the Engineer-in-Chief of the British Post Office.

Jan 1, 1962

By George W. Pawel

OWING largely to its value as a toughener and strengthener of steel for both industrial and military purposes, nickel is playing, an important role in the current war. It is fine of the metals in which the Allies enjoy a definite edge over the Axis nations and this time there is no place to which the Germans may send another submarine "Deutsehland" and expect to pick up a cargo of nickel to replenish their exhausted supplies. Total world nickel production thanks almost entirely to the expanded operation of the International Nickel Co. of Canada at Sudbury must now be at the rate of around 175,000 tons a year scarcely more than 5 per cent of which is accounted for by Germany, Italy and Japan. This represents more than four times the world output at the end of the first World War.

Jan 1, 1943

The first mention of the mining and use of coal in the Pittsburgh district refers to the mine under Duquesne Heights that furnished coal for the garrison at the fort at Pittsburgh in 1760. Coal had been dug and used as fuel just outside of Brownsville, Fayette county, in 1759, but this was not a regular mine as the opening was in an outcropping. Maps of Ohio in 1770 showed "Cole Mines" at various points. The Penns purchased all the coal south of Kittanning in southwestern Pennsylvania from the Chiefs of the Six Nations for a reported price of $10,000. During the Revolution, coal from Herron Hill, Mincrsville, and Coal Hill, all within the present city limits, was used in Pittsburgh. There is today one custom pit opened in Coal Hill (Duquesne Heights). The first steam engine was set up in Pittsburgh in 1794 and used coal as fuel. The first mine in the Youghiogheny gas district was opened in 1796. In 1803, the first shipment of coal by water was made from Pittsburgh down the Ohio river and landed at Philadelphia, where it sold for approximately $9.50 per ton. The mines along the Monongahela were naturally the first to be opened. With the completion of locks and dams in 1844, permitting slack-water navigation, the industry began to thrive. The No. 8 field of Ohio and the Fairmont region of northern West Virginia were opened in the period 1840 to 1855. From that time on there has been a continuous development of the coal rcsources of this district, until at present productive capacity is enough to supply 30 per cent. of the country's needs of bituminous coal. The original method of working the Pittsburgh seam was to drive under cover at some easily accessible point on the outcrop with a single entry, usually 1½ yd. wide. Rooms or gangways were turned to the right and left from this entry and ventilation was usually poor and inade-

Jan 1, 1927

By C. L. Berrien

BEFORE the present company was formed, in 1916, each group of mines comprising the old organizations made its detailed daily and monthly mine cost records along the lines used before the consolidation; that is, there was no attempt made to standardize and compare the stope costs of all mines. The general cost sheets for all mines, however, were standardized, and cumulative labor cost sheets were compiled in the general superintendent's office. At most of the mines, a daily record or distribution sheet for each working place was kept, showing the number of men, hours of drilling, hours of timbering, hours of tramming, cars of ore, cars of waste, sticks of powder and feet of fuse. This information was kept by each shift boss and entered on the distribution sheet by him or, at some mines, by a tram boss. The superintendent solved his own problems under the direction of the general superintendent, but without coming in touch with other superintendents, either through records or general conferences. Probably 95 per cent. of the stopes were square-set worked by day's pay; there were some back-filling and shrinkage stopes. Many of the development places, such as shaft sinking, station cutting, drifting and raises had always been run by contract. These contracts were given, for no definite period, at so much per linear foot and were measured monthly, or when completed; the men being paid monthly. In some cases, fairness to the employee, was not maintained. On the whole, there was no standardization. There were no stope contracts, because of the objections of the Western Federation of Miners to general contracting in the mines.

Jan 2, 1922

By H. N. Wolcott

AMONG the many cases of replacement of one mineral by another, that of quartz or silicates by pyrite, or even other sulphides, is not uncommon, but the reverse of this process does not appear to have been recorded, even if it has been observed. It, therefore, seemed to the writer that the case described below was worthy of record. FIG. I.-GROUND MASS OF CHALCOPYRITE (C) CONTAINING ROUNDED GRAINS OF PYRITE (P) SHOWING DIFFERENT DEGREES OF REPLACEMENT BY QUARTZ (Q), AND ALSO QUARTZ VEINLETS CUTTING THROUGH THE PYRITE. (PHOTOGRAPHED BY REFLECTED LIGHT.) The specimens described in this paper were obtained by R. B. Morton of Idaho Springs, Colo., from the Old Town Mine, in Russell Gulch, and are in the collection of Cornell University, where the writer studied them. In the rough, the specimens appeared to consist largely of chalcopy- rite, with some grains of tetrahedrite. The polished surface of some of

Jan 6, 1917

By E. A. Metzbower

STEREOGRAPHIC projections of hcp metals depend upon the c/a ratio. Hu1 has recently published standard projections for titanium (c/a = 1.5873) of the (000l), the basal plane, the (1010), the most prominent slip plane, and the (1012), the most prominent twinning plane. Caplan et a1.2 and Hul have also published tables of angles between poles of planes, between directions, and between directions and poles of planes. From these tables standard projections and double stereograms can be constructed. However, by using the on-line CALCOMP plotter with a CDC 3800 computer, direct plots of standard stereographic projections of titanium (c/a = 1.587) have been made.

Jan 1, 1970

By Research Staff ? Verde Copper Mines

FLOTATION is now commonly practiced in alkaline ore pulps, yet little is known regarding the action of the alkaline solutions on the ore particles beyond the fact that films of oxidized material form. We wish to chronicle our discovery of the presence of soluble reducing agents in alkaline ore pulps of the United Verde, and present some data on lime consumption. During the grinding and flotation of a pyritic ore containing small amounts of ferrous sulfate and other soluble salts, an excess of lime was added to precipitate the salts, and filtered samples of the solution were titrated with standard permanganate solution. Even in pulps of high causticity an appreciable permanganate titration was always obtained, in spite of the fact that the solutions were shown to contain little iron. Investigation of the cause brought about the discovery of several previously unsuspected compounds in flotation pulps made from pyritic ore. Not only the reducing agents present had to be identified, but also the amount of dissolved oxygen, and a survey was finally made of the free oxygen content and reducing agents of the mill pulp in the concentrating mill at Clarkdale. A great many compounds might form, caused by oxidation of pyrite or other metal sulfides or by reaction between a lime solution and pyrite. The most probable compounds considered were calcium sulfides; polysul-fides, thiosulfates, and polythionates. Later it was discovered in the literature that in alkaline pulp polythionates do not exist and if introduced. are decomposed into sulfites and thiosulfates.1 Any precipitated sulfur is changed by alkali into thiosulfate and polysulfide. Sulfites and sulfides react to form thiosulfate, so that in the end it is possible to have in an alkaline solution only thiosulfate and an excess either of sulfide or sulfite. Confirmatory tests were made and it was finally established that the alkaline mill pulps made from the United Verde ore contained

Jan 1, 1929

By V. Damiano, M. Herman

CELLULAR substructure observed in metal crystals grown from the melt. has been studied extensively'-' and is attributed to the existence of a constitutionally supercooled zone in the liquid ahead of the solidifying interface. The mathematical description of this process has been given in terms of the concentration of solute in the liquid phase, the rate of solidification, and the temperature gradien.t in the liquid as the only variables.5 This technical note presents some evidence of 1) the effect of crystal orientation on some aspects of cellular growth, and 2:) the degeneracy of these cells into dislocation arrays. The zinc single crystals used in these studies were alloyed with cadmium sufficient to produce the constitutional supercooled cellular substructure. Crystals containing 0.05 pct Cd exhibited substructure formation for a growth rate of 10 cm per hr and a temperature gradient of 15°C per cm in accord with the theory. The growing liquid-solid interface was examined after we liquid had been decanted away in a fashion similar to that described by Rutter and Chamers.' The cellular substructure was also observed after polishing and etching the surface directly behind the decanted interface with a solution of HNO, and water. Fig. 1 is a photomicrograph of a typical polished and etched surface revealing substructure, the cleavage plane, and twins. The crystal has been grown with its basal plane parallel to the direction of growth and the plane of the micrograph is per-

Jan 1, 1960

By G. S. Rice

IT is evident from Professor Louis' remarks that he holds a different opinion on certain phenomena connected with a specific type of surface subsidence from mining than is held by many engineers in the United States. The question which appears to be at issue is whether or not the line or plane of "draw" produced in ground movement resulting from extraction of pillars may, under certain conditions, be vertical or even inclined toward the workings rather than inclined for- ward over the unworked mineral, as it is universally agreed occurs in mining by the longwall advancing method. In discussing this case it is well to take the simplest condition, such as specified by Professor Louis, of a flat bed, whether it be coal, iron or other mineral, where the overburden is stratified rock and where there is no overlying quicksand. Professor Louis says in effect that his experience is that the ultimate angle of draw is always positive and inclined 5" to 15" from the perpendicular over the unwrought mineral. My experience under Illinois coal-mining conditions is that .'where longwall advancing is used the draw is always positive as Professor Louis describes it, but that in extracting of panels by withdrawal of pillars, the ground movement is manifested, after the first roof' beam break, by the forming of an unstable dome over the goave. Then subsequently, by the falling of individual slabs from the under side, the dome gets larger and higher until it breaks through to the surface of the rock., Up to this time, arch stresses buttress the rocks above the solid coal or mineral. When, however, after. the dome breaks through and the central hole - #enlarges so the arch is no longer sufficiently supported -the stratified rocks cantilever out .from over the solid unworked mineral and tend to break off in masses triangular in vertical cross-section, until the broken loose material, sliding down against the solid rock, .has such a thrust that it balances the tendency ,for the solid stratified rock to break away and slide toward the excavation.

Jan 1, 1929

By M. J. Pool, R. K. Saxer, J. R. Myers, D. S. Dickson

ThE equilibrium phase diagram of the Mo-Cr system, described by anssen,' indicates that chromium and molybdenum form a continuous series of solid solutions above 1673K. The liquidus and solidus have been reported to have a minimum at about 12 at. pct Mo and 2133°K by Bloom and Grant2 and by Putnam, Potter, and Grant.3 X-ray studies by Trzebiatowski and ploszek4 and Baen and Duwez' revealed no indication of solid solution decomposition after long anneals at 1473", 1273", 923", and 873°K. However, Bloom and rant' by means of cooling and heating curve analysis of alloys containing up to 45 at. pct Mo found thermal effects at temperatures approximately 100" * 30°K below the liquidus. The only previous thermodynamic study of the Cr-Mo alloy system was made by Laffitte and Kuba-schewski6 who used the Knudsen effusion method at 1471°K. These investigators reported the possibility of a miscibility gap because they observed positive deviations from ideality in their chemical activity

Jan 1, 1970

By James M. Link

The design and construction of cross-country pipelines for fluids such as crude oil appears relatively simple compared to the complex problems encountered in slurry systems. Considerable effort has been expended in hydraulic research laboratories in an attempt to improve the understanding of slurry behavior. This effort has been rewarded with considerable success and is best illustrated by the large number of slurry systems now planned or under construction. However, slurry transport in pipelines is still, in many instances, more of an art than a science. In order to minimize the risk factors in the construction and operation of large scale slurry systems, studies are frequently conducted in pilot scale test loops such as the one at the Colorado School of Mines Research Institute. The pilot scale projects are designed to provide the basic engineering data necessary to design slurry transport pipeline systems. Usually three slurry solid concentrations are pumped at various line velocities and optimum slurry densities and velocities are determined. Critical velocities, friction head losses, power requirements, and so forth, are also determined from measurements and calculations. Wear tests are also strongly recommended and anticipated pipe wear rates in inches per million tons of solids reported.

Jan 11, 1972

By A. R. Troiano, A. B. Greninger

There is need for an adequate working hypothesis that would describe at least qualitatively the crystallographic mechanism for the transformation from austenite to martensite in steel. A general theory would not only be of great assistance in the correlation of existing data and in planning future experimentation, but would also form the basis for an eventual explanation of the property changes that accompany lattice transformations. The mechanism of martensite formation described in the following pages is the outcome of two new experimental determinations: (1) the accurate evaluation of the lattice relationship between austenite and individual crystals of martensite, and (2) the measurement and analysis of the change in position that a volume of austenite undergoes when it transforms into a crystal of martensite. For this latter study, the stereographic analysis of shear was employed; this method greatly simplifies the solution of lattice-shear problems, and some space is devoted to its description. Lattiice Relationships and Habits PREVIOUS WORK The lattice relationships between austenite and martensite in carbon steels have been studied by Kurdjurnow-and Sachs,' and by Wassermann;2 and in iron-nickel alloys by Nishiyama.3 Wassermann,2 and Mehl and Derge.4 The studies by Kurdjumow and Sachs and by Wassermann were made on single (austenite) crystals of quenched 1.4 pct carbon steel, and the results of these two independent studies agree closely with the postulated lattice relationships: (III)r||(0ll)a [101]r [111]a [1] Both Nishiyama and Wassermann worked with an alloy of iron plus 30 pct nickel (all austenite at room temperature), and "martensitic alpha" was formed by cooling in liquid air. They agree that the lattice relationships for these conditions are: (lll)r||(011)a [112]r[011]a [2] Mehl and Derge worked with a range of iron-nickel alloy compositions centered about 30 pct nickel. They concluded that when the transformation takes place near room temperature or above, relationship [l] holds, but if the same specimen is made to transform at -195°C, relationship [2] obtains;intermediate temperatures evidently produced a combination of these two relationships. Sachs and co-worker~,1,7 as well as Nishiyama,3 have proposed transformation mechanisms for martensite formation.* Both of the mechanisms picture the transformation as initiated by shearing movements along the octahedral [Ill] plane of austenite, followed by suitable expansion and contraction to complete the transformation. These mechanisms have been described and commented upon by Mehl, Barrett, and Smith,8 Mehl and Derge,4 Wassermann,2 and others, and generally accepted by investigators in this field. Greninger and Troiano9 have recently published the results of a detailed study of the shapes and orientation habits of martensite crystals in plain-carbon and nickel steels. They found that, contrary to previous assumptions, martensite plates form not along the octahedral planes but along austenite planes of very high indices; these results were in line with those of previous studies of martensite reactions in nonferrous alloy systems by Greninger and coworkers.6,10 Greninger and Troiano concluded that the transformation theories of Kurdjumow and Sachsl and of Nishiyama3 are untenable. Phragmén11 reached a similar conclusion. EXPERlMENTAL METHODS The object of this particular study was the evaluation of (1) lattice relationship between austenite and martensite, and (2) relationship between the martensite lattice and the martensite plate. The technique used for solving these problems was similar to that used by Greninger6 on martensitic structures in 8 copper-aluminum alloys. Briefly, the method consists of grinding and polishing a specimen on a surface parallel to an individual martensite plate and thus exposing a single martensite crystal for an area of l to 3 mm. The orientation of this exposed martensite crystal is then determined by means of a back-reflection Laue X ray pattern.12 Another pattern is obtained from the matrix crystal, and a stereo-graphic plot of data from these two patterns then provides the solution to the problem. It is necessary to repeat this process on several crystals in order to determine whether or not the solution is unique.

Jan 1, 1950

By Tomek Ulatowski

This presentation discusses the necessary ingredients for the creation of an acceptable credit structure, i.e., the structure that enables the borrower to attract the funding from different groups of lenders. As the amount of debt in the capitalization of new projects increases, it becomes quite critical that the mining venture sponsors obtain funding in a manner which maximizes the project economics. Attention normally is focused on the inherent operating cost characteristics of a venture such as the cost of mining, milling, transportation, smelting, and refining. The projected costs are derived from lengthy feasibility studies often taking millions of dollars and years to prepare. For a variety of reasons as the amount of equity directly provided by the sponsors declines, the balance must be made up from external credit sources. As a result, once the project becomes operational, debt service requirements assume crucial importance. For most new ventures, in the early years of production, the total amount of periodic debt amortization charges together with the projected interest expenses equals or exceeds the total operating cost. Utmost care must be taken, therefore, to reducing these costs which will then increase the chances for the implementation of the project. Project sponsors must carefully evaluate different funding sources in terms of their potential economic impact and, concurrently, evaluate alternative credit structures in order to be able to attract the selected funding vehicles. In this presentation I will discuss credit sources in the order of their relative appeal; i.e., from the standpoint of maximizing rates of return to the project owners. The tenor of the credit, that is the period from signing a loan agreement to the time of last repayment under the loan agreement, is undoubtedly the most important variable in evaluating the attractiveness of debt sources. Therefore, I will begin by discussing debt sources with the longest maturities and will end with a description of credits with relatively shorter tenors. The availability of different funding possibilities will naturally depend on the geographic location of the proposed venture, the creditworthiness of the borrower and the sponsors, the project economics, and finally the actual liquidity conditions in the capital markets at the time that the funds are committed. U.S. LONG-TERM DEBT MARKET - PUBLIC OFFERINGS AND PRIVATE PLACEMENTS The long-lived nature of most mining projects dictates that the majority of the mine financing be raised from long-term sources. In today's world capital markets U.S. debt issues probably carry the longest maturities available. The maturities can range from 5 to 40 years. Various types of long-term corporate debt instruments can be differentiated from one another by their terms, seniority as to claims against the assets of the issuer, legal form, and whether issued privately or through a public offering. The terms of these debt issues vary widely. For example, the interest rate which is typically fixed at the time of issuance, is determined by the credit quality of the issuer, the maturity, the average life, the seniority of the debt, the quality of control covenants or type of assets pledged as security, and other exogenous factors such as: economic policy, general level of interest rates and cur-rent level of financing activity. The entire principal amount of the debt may be due and payable at maturity (known as a "bullet" maturity) or, more typically, through periodic repayments in equal or staggered amounts. Almost all such debt issues allow for prepayment at the option of the issuer, but require varying amounts of repayment penalties. Disbursements are made over a relatively short period after signing of the debt documentation which may not coincide with the actual funding needs of the project. Financial covenants can be quite stringent, covering areas such as the issuer's financial leverage, working capital, payment of dividends and other distributions, merger and acquisition activities, and limitations on the disposition of property. Long-term debt issues may also be distinguished by the seniority of their claims against

Jan 1, 1985

By C. H. Mathewson

MY first reflection on the subject assigned to me by the officers of this symposium was that a critical description of these lesser characters in the cast of inanimate actors now before us under the title "The Role of Metals in New Transportation" would be about as well received as the description of a horse race in terms of harness buckles and jock-ey's buttons. The word "new" in the title of this symposium seems to shout strong aluminum and stainless steel, unless we transfer our attention to transpor-tation on another planet where the strength-density ratios may require very different engineering treatment. To load a speaker with the "heavier nonferrous metals" amidst the airy consideration of flying or 20th century gliding along the earth and through water, like Hermes, the messenger of the immortals, and expect an instructive or enlivening flight into the area of current exploitation and popular interest in transportation would, of course, require the performance of a miracle or at least the exhibition of genius to which I can lay no claim. But copper and nickel, headliners in other classifications, are also indis-pensable as components of the important new structural materials of transportation, and together with lead, tin and zinc perform many minor or contributory functions in this field that may indeed be con-sidered well-nigh indispensable. A complete and well planned fabric of classification, explanation and critique of even these secondary functions would take much time, and I cannot hope in the 25 minutes or so alloted for the purpose to offer more than a rambling treatment, in which a thread of continuity will be sought by anchorage to one after another of the following attributes or appurtenances of the moving vehicle: 1. The machinery and accessories. 2. The framework and superstructure, and the line or travelway. 3. Light, heat, power, water, sanitary and housekeeping services. 4. Embellishment, or style.

Jan 1, 1936

By R. A. Young

Zinc metal production in the operating plants in the United States during 1948 was approximately equal to that of the year 1947, although new developments during the year assure higher output in 1949, if economic conditions are favorable. In the Western plants, the man-power shortage was almost completely overcome and new capacity has been or is in the process of being added to three plants; thus by December of 1948 daily zinc metal production had risen to the highest point since May of 1944 despite strikes in one large primary smelter and in one secondary plant.

Jan 1, 1949

By Joseph M. Chelini

A cash-flow factor is any figure acquired in an evaluation that effects the cash flow potential of an eventual operation. Table I is a list of some of these cash-flow factors. There are more, such as, the payments and penalties in a smelter schedule if the concentrate would be sent to a smelter. During an evaluation it is necessary to maintain a two-way flow of communication between the evaluation people and financing people. To accomplish this, it is necessary to translate the vocabulary of the evaluating people into the vocabulary of the financing people, or geologic and engineering jargon into dollars and cents. This is done by cash-flow studies in which cash-flow factors are input, which when logically manipulated using accepted rules and procedures of accounting, provide an output in dollars and cents.

Jan 5, 1972

By A. W. Bethune, L. M. Pidgeon

The equilibrium vapor pressure of zinc has been determined over the systems: ZnS(s) + Fe(s) = FeS(s) + Zn (vapor) and ZnS(s) + 2Cu(s) = Cu2S(s) + Zn (vapor) by reacting the components in an evacuated tube containing a thin copper fiber, and allowing equilibrium to be established with respect to the brass formed and the zinc in the vapor phase. The composition of the brass formed was determined and equilibrium vapor pressure values obtained from existing data. Between 850' and 1000°C, values for the first reaction ranged from 8 to 58 mm Hg; for the second reaction from 1.8 to 22 mm Hg. THE direct reduction of metallic sulphides may be indicated by an equation of the form MS + X = XS + M [1] where X is some suitable reducing agent. In the case where M is a metal of relatively high volatility, the use of vacuum will displace the equilibrium to the right at comparatively low temperatures in the face of the usually unfavorable thermochemistry. For this technique to be feasible, MS, X, and XS, must of course be nonvolatile compared to M. In this regard, zinc becomes an obvious metal both from the point of view of its volatility and the fact that most commercial ore deposits of this metal occur as the sulphide, and its direct reduction would avoid the expensive roasting process necessary prior to present day reduction methods. Two reducing agents are of interest, namely copper and iron, with the former having the added attraction of being relatively easily regenerated by oxidation in the copper converter. The possibility of these reactions has been considered before. Imbert1 patented a process whereby zinc sulphide was reduced by either copper or iron. The process as described took place at atmospheric pressure and, at the high temperatures required, the system was molten, resulting in the formation of a matte with the consequent reduction in the activities of the reactants. Peterson2 did further experimental work on these reactions and, although promising results were obtained on a small scale, attempts to increase the size of the furnace led to excessive "blue powder" formation. The early workers failed to realize the large reduction in temperature afforded by the use of vacuum and its desirable results. More recently, the direct reduction of zinc sulphide by iron has been the subject of a thermody-namic investigation by Kelley,3 and Gross and War-rington' have studied the kinetics of the reaction in the temperature range 900" to 1000°C, their experiments being conducted using vacuum and indicating that the reaction would proceed practically to completion in 1 to 3 hr, depending on the temperature. A qualitative examination of the system ZnS-Cu carried out at this University indicated that 98 pct of the theoretical zinc in the charge could be recovered in 1 hr at 1000°C when operating under reduced pressure. The purpose of this research program was to study the equilibrium of the two reactions. During the investigation, reference to the experimental work of Schenk5 was found but, due to lack of detail in the report, it was felt that it would be desirable to continue the equilibrium measurements. Selection of Method The measurement of vapor pressure of metals presents obvious problems resulting from the high temperatures which must be employed. In the present case, the production of the "reaction pressure" introduces a further difficulty since a chemical reaction must proceed before any metal vapor pressure is produced, resulting in depletion of the re-

Jan 1, 1954

By W. N. Logan

THE petroleum industry of Indiana made somewhat notable progress during the year 1923, considering the number of handicaps it encountered. The price of labor and materials continued to have an upward slant while the price of crude oil took a decidedly downward course. In spite of these adverse conditions, the quantity production will closely approximate that of 1922, when it passed the million-barrel mark. The progress of the industry in Indiana should be considered fairly satisfactory as long as the present production is maintained. In other words, if the loss of production from the waning old wells can be offset by the production from the new for a period of 10 or 15 years longer, the industry may have cause for congratulation. SUB-TRENTON INVESTIGATIONS In recent years a number of tests of strata lying below the Trenton limestone have been made in Indiana. Several of these tests were completed in 1923. Indications of oil were reported by drillers from several horizons below the Trenton. The most satisfactory of these came from the St. Peter sandstone lying immediately below the Trenton limestone, but no production has yet been obtained from any of the Sub-Trenton horizons. Glen Valley Wells.-Two wells in Marion County were drilled into the St. Peter sandstone, 1 mi. north of Glen Valley and 9 mi. south of Indianapolis. About 30 ft. of sand saturated with a dense asphaltic oil was found in the upper part of the St. Peter sandstone in one of the wells, which contained about 10 per cent. of the light oils, or more easily volatile constituents, and about 90 per cent. of a dark, dense, asphaltic residue. The oil resembled the residue of an asphaltic petroleum from which the more volatile oils had disappeared.

Jan 3, 1924

By Lawrence A. Roe

The magnetic reflux classifier, which utilizes the combined effects of magnetic fields and a hindered settling classifier, is a new tool for determining the quantity and quality of middlings in fine-sized magnetite concentrates. Results are given for processing a typical taconite ore, and a sketch of the apparatus is included. IN examining magnetite ores and beneficiated products it often becomes necessary to make critical studies of the amount of grinding necessary to produce the desired degree of magnetite liberation. In the past this has been accomplished by laboratory heavy-liquid tests, which provide a method for selectively removing middling particles and free magnetite from various-sized fractions. Examination of the various products under the microscope results in fairly accurate determination of the degree of liberation. The method is quite efficient on sizes coarser than 325 mesh. Thus the heavy-liquid method of middling separation was satisfactory until the advent of present day magnetic taconite studies. When magnetite concentrates ranging from 70 to 100 pct —325 mesh are studied it becomes apparent that older methods of determining liberation size are not satisfactory and that there is need for a new method. For example, some of the low-grade magnetite ores of the Wisconsin and Michigan iron ranges require grinding to 100 pct —325 mesh to produce a magnetic concentrate containing less than 12 pct silica. Examination of concentrates from such ores often reveals that many of the middling particles consist of only very minor proportions of iron mineral. Thus it becomes important to be able to determine the degree of grinding necessary not only for complete liberation, but also for liberation of only 80, 85, or 90 pct of the total iron mineral content. Actually, complete liberation is never attained, but is often used to designate that degree of liberation necessary for production of high-grade concentrates. A rougher concentrate, produced after elimination of a coarse-sized tailing, can usually be subjected to a second grinding stage and concentrated into a higher grade product than could be produced from the same crude ore with one stage of grinding resulting in the same overall size reduction. This fact adds to the importance of being able to determine partial degrees of liberation on any magnetite ore. Standard laboratory methods such as heavy-liquid separation, microscopic grain counts, Davis tube magnetic separation, magnetic flocculation, classification, flotation, and others often are not applicable, or are prohibitive because of time requirements when large numbers of fine-sized magnetite samples are investigated. The Davis tube magnetic separator is an efficient tool to use in rejecting the non-magnetic mineral particles from an ore sample. The middlings discarded by the tube separator usually are so low in iron content that they can be considered relatively unimportant in liberation studies. This condition is caused by the extremely high flux density used in the Davis tube. This flux density ranges from four to eight times the flux density produced by most of the powerful commercial machines in use today. Thus the problem resolves itself into a search for a method of selectively removing middlings from Davis tube magnetic concentrates which will be both rapid and efficient. Those methods showing most promise in the development of a process for isolating middlings from extremely fine-sized magnetic concentrates were flotation and magnetic flocculation. The use of flotation to remove middlings from magnetic concentrates is reported in the literature.'.' The flotation process is effective in removing middlings from a magnetite concentrate, but physical entrapment of fine-sized free magnetite in the silica-bearing froth is an undesirable feature. The flotation method of removing middlings requires time, effort, and precise control of many variables, and does not meet the required degree of middling isolation. Magnetic Flocculation Magnetic flocculation has long been resorted to"-" in efforts to upgrade magnetite concentrates. One of the new magnetic taconite plants now under construction on the Mesabi Range includes magnetic flocculation in the flowsheet' as an accessory process to remove high-silica middlings and free silica which has been mechanically entrapped in magnetite flocs. The use of magnetic flocculation as a laboratory method of making precise separation of middlings was further investigated, since it offered a rapid, simple method of accomplishing the desired result. Magnetic flocculation involves the subjection of a magnetic concentrate to a strong magnetic field, passing the concentrate in a highly flocculated condition to a hydroseparator or other classifiers of various types, and removing free silica and middlings as overflow products. In an attempt to utilize simple

Jan 1, 1954

By Oliver Smalley

EXCEPT for the work of Guillet, who conducted a systematic investigation on the zinc-replacing value of nickel in brass, and extended his investigation with a view to developing commercial high zinc content nickel brasses, the author does not know of any systematic research on the subject. The most promising commercial alloys and their physical properties obtained by Guillet are given below: Maximum Elonga- Reduction Copper Zinc Nickel Stress, tion, of Area, Brinell Tons Per Per Cent. Per Cent. Sq. In. 55.0 41.0 5.0 24.4 46.5 94 Sand cast. 22.6 27.0 90 Chill cast. 56.7 39.74 3.35 30.0 43.0 51.7 97 Casting annealed 2 hr. at 750° C. 33.9 33.0 50.7 144 Cold-drawn bar. 55.15 42.3 2.24 29.8 33.0 116 Casting annealed 2 hr. at 750° C. 32.3 29.0 151 Cold-drawn bar. These test results scarcely justify the use of such quantities of so expensive a metal, and could have been obtained from ordinary commercial brass. For purposes of comparison, the physical properties of ordinary brasses, ranging from 70 per cent. to 50.1 per cent. Cu in both the cast and normalized1 conditions are included in Table 1. These incidentally furnish a useful standard of the properties of castings and of rolled, extruded and forged brass when correctly annealed. A close study of some of the well-known special brasses containing nickel reveals a series of alloys which bewilder by their complexity, and one can only hazard a guess at the function and commercial value of each of the many elements used.

Jan 10, 1925