Search Documents

By E. L. C. Martins, M. J. Nicol, D. Majuste, A. D. Souza

The effects of organic compounds on the current efficiency (CE), morphology, crystal structure and mechanical properties of the metal deposited during the electrowinning of zinc are described. A flotation collector and lubricating oil were selected based on observations made during the industrial production of zinc from silicate ores, in Brazil. The analysis by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of these compounds, which may be present in minor amounts in the electrolyte solution, indicated the presence of a polar amine group in the collector, while the lubricating oil is a non-polar compound. The average CE value obtained from organic-free industrial solution was 91.15 ± 0.26 %. The CE dropped to 54.35 ± 0.73 % in the presence of 100 mg·L-1 of collector in the solution, and a negative effect was also observed in the presence of similar amounts of oil (88.84 ± 0.61 %). The characterization of the deposits by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction revealed the formation of pores in deposits obtained from solutions containing the oil, while a different growth pattern (perpendicular zinc platelets) was identified when the flotation collector was added to the industrial solution. In the presence of these contaminants in the solution, guided-bend tests revealed that the deposits have a higher resistance to deformation, but lower ductility, properties that may affect the performance of the stripping stage. As a result of this work, simple control and optimization actions were applied in the industrial plant, which resulted in important improvements in the electrowinning process.

Jan 1, 2014

By John Gittins

Lots 11 and 12, Range IX, Calumet island, are underlain by a Grenville metamorphic complex into which sills of tourmaline granite pegmatite have been injected. The pegmatite has an average mode-potash feldspar 65 per cent, sodic plagicdase 10 to 20 per cent, quartz 5 to 20 per cent, tourmaline 10 to 15 per cent, accessory minerals < 5 per cent; it is unzoned except for a narrow border zone. Some of the feldspar has been replaced by calcite. Microcline has been ?partially replaced by sodic plagioclase. Three varieties of tourmaline are present (black, blue, and green) and spectrographic analysis suggests progressive compositional changes during its crystallization. The presence of U- and Th-bearing minerals in the pegmatite prompted the Quebec Nickel Cor,porat10n, Ltd., to explore the possibility of developing the pegmatite but it does not appear that this is economically possible at the ? present time. Tt\e Grenville metamorphic complex consists of recrystallized limestones and calcsilicate rocks of the albite-epidoteamphibolite facies and the amphibolite facies, which were derived from sedimentary rocks. Several of these are dis-equilibrium assemblages, and retrograde metamorphism has probably formed biotite and epidote from hornblende. The schistosity of the gneisses dips steeply eastward. Numerous strike faults are roughly parallel to the schistosity and one of the pegmatite sills is bounded by such a fault, dipping at 60 ° with about one foot of fault breccia. The general structure of the map-area seems to be an asymmetrical syncline ?overturned to the west. The emplacement of the pegmatite is associated with a period of folding, metamorphism, and igneous intrusion.

Jan 1, 1956

By N. J. Duncan

"Coal mining, whether surface or underground, has hazards that make it unique in the field of industrial safety and health. The often soft, faulted and folded sedimentary strata make wall or roof movement a risk to the safe and economic removal of the coal, while the extraction and handling of coal may create an explosion hazard even in surface operations, In Canada, these problems are compounded by the situation of the coal fields which range from deep undersea deposits in Nova Scotia to steeply pitching thick coal seams high in the Rocky Mountains. Climate too can create its own problems, particularly the effect of metals of minus 40°C temperatures, as crumpled dragline booms at prairie strip mines witness. Because of the difficult and sometimes hazardous conditions, Canada's underground colliery managers, in common with those of other Commonwealth coal-producing countries, must have a government ""certificate of competency"" before being appointed as mine managers. Certification of assistant managers (""under-managers"") and foremen (""fire-bosses"") is also a legal requirement for all of Canada's underground collieries, while the province of Alberta requires certification of surface management personnel. Electricians and mechanics who install and maintain the specially designed equipment underground and in hazardous areas of surface mines and processing plants, and mine surveyors who ensure accuracy of the location of underground workings, must also hold government certificates of competency. The requisites for all certification include a minimum work experience and knowledge of coal mining technology and mine safety and health legislation. Despite recognition of the hazards and increasing knowledge of methods of preventing explosions of flammable gas and coal dust in Canada's underground mines, there have been several disastrous explosions such as those at Springhill Colliery in Nova Scotia in 1891 with the loss of 125 lives, at Hillcrest Colliery in Alberta in 1914 with 189 dead, and more recently · explosions and fires in No. 20 and No. 26 Collieries in Cape Breton. Preventing explosions has required developing optimal ventilation techniques, reducing ignition potential, suppressing ignition at source, draining flammable gas before it can enter the air courses, and preventing, or sealing off, autogenous heatings with their associated carbon monoxide or explosion dangers."

Jan 1, 1985

By James E. Fisher, Roger Cotton

"The legal background f or environmental issues, and the growing emphasis both from government and private concerns of corporate and management liability for environmental problems provides one of the driving forces behind the growing concern with environmental law for the future. One prime objective must be the identification and minimization of potential liability, both for the corporation and its officers, directors and employees.This paper will identify the basis for liability of individuals and corporations for environmental matters, focussing on current legal requirements, and the appropriate legal response to events of such potential liability. It will also consider the reduction of liability through the implementation of management systems and environmental policies in order to ensure due diligence both with respect to corporate responsibility and the responsibility of the individuals within the corporation.IntroductionConsolidated Professor Mines Ltd . and its predecessor have been exploring in northwestern Ontario for about sixty years . During the last twenty years, the company has been interested in developing a gold mine, the Duport Project, on Stevens Island in Shoal Lake . The lake straddles the border between Ontario and Manitoba and is a drinking water supply for Winnipeg and environs.The Duport Project involves the mining of 450 t/day grading an average of 0.35 oz Ault of ore . At the minesite, located on Steven s Island in Shoal Lake, only preliminary processing of the ore will take place, to produce gravity and flotation concentrates for final gold recover y at a mainland plant well removed from the Shoal Lake watershed. No hazardous chemicals will be used at the island site."

Jan 1, 1991

By M. R. Henzinger, W. Schubert

"The quality of the backfill applied at a shield driven tunnel is of significant importance failure of the lining. The used material also affects the interplay between support and excavation behaviour.In this research the state of the actual bedding situation is investigated by an analytical approach, laboratory tests and numerical simulations. The numerical simulation using continuum methods have shown shortcomings. These shortcomings regarding the instability of large strain simulations restrict the possibility to reproduce the relocation of the backfilling material. The performed scaled model tests have shown that the regripping process of a double shielded tunnel boring machine affects the soil failure within the gap. With the analytical results the influence of the wall friction can be predicted. Therefore the angle of the failure surface can be determined. The results have shown that the wall friction significantly increases the failure angle. INTRODUCTIONFor tunnel boring machines (TBM) with single (SM) or double (DSM) shield, precast liningsegments are used as rock support. These segmental linings are installed within the protection of the TBM shield. In order to reduce the friction while advancing, the shield diameter is smaller than the diameter of the cutter head and therefore also smaller than the excavation boundary. The difference depends on the expected radial convergences. Since the lining segments are mounted within the shield the steering gap between the shield and the excavation boundary increases and is hereinafter called annular gap.In the process of tunneling in hard rock, the annular gap is usually filled with fine grained and closely graded gravel, termed as pea gravel. The backfilling process starts as soon as possible after the shield tail passes the lining. Due to the operational procedure within the working area of a TBM, a fully backfilled annular gap might not be established after every ring closure. This leads to an unfavorable distribution of the pea gravel leaving the segmental lining partially without bedding. Segmental linings can develop sufficient resistance only when properly bedded."

Jan 1, 2015

By Peter A. Bevan

"In massive and semi-massive deposits, it is essential to take samples continuously for specific gravity determination as well as for assays of the various metals of interest. Failure to use specific gravity in mixed deposits of high density contrast will result in incorrect determinations of the average grade.Graphs and linear equations of specific gravity against the grade of one metal are not considered accurate enough in a multi-mineral deposit, but appear to be very satisfactory in a theoretical one-sulphide/gangue mix. Specific gravities based on base-metal values only in massive sulphide deposits will result in underestimating the effect of low grade areas on the average grade and also cause a reduction in the calculated tonnage.IntroductionBy definition, a base-metal assay is the percentage of metal by weight contained in a sample, whether it be a soil or silt sample, a grab, chip or channel sample, or a section of diamond drill core.In those cases where there is a series of contiguous samples, say in diamond-drill core, the average grade may be required of the various assays that are above a desired or required cutoff grade.Internal low grade or waste can be included if the assays one side or the other are used to ""carry"" the lower grade material and the resulting average grade is above the cut-off grade. To determine the average grade, the individual assays are ""weighted"" by multiplying these values by their respective lengths, adding up the cumulative assay times length and dividing by the total length. This method is essentially a weighting by volume, because the core diameter is constant and is common to all the samples being considered for estimating the average grade . If some of the core samples have much higher specific gravities than others, and the specific gravities are not used in the weighting process, the resultant average grade will be over-estimated or underestimated, depending on the grade of the heavier sections. When core assays of approximately the same specific gravity or weight are averaged by length, the error in the weighted estimation of the average grade is negligible."

Jan 1, 1993

By Cesar H. Oboni

The development of specific risk-based methodologies to guide and prioritize clearing decisions in countries contaminated by Unexploded Ordnance and Land Mines (generically defined as Explosive Remnants of War: ERW) either at country-wide scale or road-network-scale was used in an unexpected way when a large mining company asked Riskope (www.riskope.com) to develop a multi-modal transportation network risk assessment plan, which included ocean going vessels, ports, wharves, railroad, trucking and other modes of transportation. What had been a first-in-the-world attempt in the humanitarian landmine clearing industry turned out to be extremely useful and equally innovative in the extractive corporate world. Instead of a country contaminated by man-made hazards such as Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) we were now dealing with a very complex multi-modal transportation system afflicted by all sorts of potential hazards from quakes to climate change, sabotage to labour strikes, and vulnerable infrastructures to potential energy crises. Interestingly enough the method developed to deal with ERW risk based clearing was also capable of solving the transportation risk evaluation problem, after necessary customization. This paper shows how ?out of the box? thinking and industry cross dissemination can bring significant evolution and a competitive edge even to unexpected areas of the world-wide mining industry. The results of the logistic system risk assessment shed new light on the management of the system, changed the way insurance coverage was purchased, and led to significant potential cost reductions in a period of global recession.

May 1, 2010

By F. Golestani-Fard, A. A. Nourbakhsh

In this paper microstructural development of nitride-Bonded SIC refractories is reported in presence of Al203, Mg() and Urea additives .The samples were prepared by mixing, shaping and firing at 1400-1500°c in a controlled atmosphere furnace. Phase analysis, microscopic observation and mechanical evaluation were taken for microstructural investigations. The strength of samples doped with Al203 was first increased and then decreased at higher amount of Al2O3 additions. The addition of MgO decreased the strength while the urea showed an improving effect on strength. These phenomena could be attributed to microstructural evolution and mainly to liquid phase formation and grain morphology. It was found that the additives such as Al203, MO and urea could modify the microstructure in terms of phase formation and texture modification, which in terms influences the mechanical behavior.

Jan 1, 2004

By Robert H. Clark

Introduction During the last twenty years, science and industry have been strenuously endeavouring to discover new sources and new kinds of liquid fuels and to work out suitable chemical methods for their production. One of the new possibilities for the production of liquid fuel on a large scale is law-temperature carbonization of various grades of coal. The use of alcohol as motor spirit, in spite of its relatively low calorific value, is being widely investigated. Its production by fermentation of sugars, its recovery from the sulphite liquors of the paper industry, its production directly from wood and also from calcium carbide, have all been considered. At present the most promising line of investigation would appear to be the further development of those technical processes which yield liquid fuels from coal; since science has shown the possibility of preparing all kinds of liquid fuels and even the complete conversion of coal into oils. The present paper will consider briefly: 1. The production of primary tar by low temperature carbonization of coal. 2. The hydrogenation of coal. 3. The synthetic processes of Dr. Franz Fischer.

Jan 1, 1928

By A. Bouchard

"Based on laboratory testwork, a two-stage cleaner / re-cleaner circuit with feed regrind was proposed to replace an existing single-stage middling circuit treating a scavenger concentrate at Inco’s Clarabelle mill. In order to effectively transfer the technology and implement the new flowsheet in the plant, an extensive on-site pilot plant campaign was conducted. After demonstrating the improved metallurgy, the two-stage middlings circuit was successfully implemented at the operation.The present paper describes the on-site pilot plant testwork and the plant metallurgical improvement after implementation of the new middlings circuit. The addition of TETA / Na2S03 greatly enhanced the pentlandite selectivity against pyrrhotite and the two-stage cleaning considerably improved the pentlandite selectivity against rock minerals. The improvement was immediate after the installation of the new middlings circuit. Size by size recovery analysis indicated that a finer regrind would further improve the metallurgy of the new two-stage cleanerhe-cleaner circuit and those modifications are in progress at the mill.INTRODUCTIONThe milling operation at Inco’s Clarabelle mill has been described elsewhere (Kerr and Kipkie, 1985; Agar, 1991). While maximizing the recoveries of chalcopyrite (Cp) and pentlandite (Pn), continuous effort has been directed toward improving pyrrhotite (Po) and rock minerals (Rk) rejection. Inco discovered diethylene triamine (DETA) and triethylene triamine (TETA) (Marticorena, et al., 1994) for pyrrhotite rejection. Falconbridge further improved pyrrhotite rejection using DETA and SO2 (Kelebek, et al., 1995). No special technologies are used in the rejection of rock minerals."

Jan 1, 2001

By B. S. Ignasiak, Dennis Carson

"Laboratory study of the behaviour• of binary coal blends shows that coke strength is more closely dependent on the distribution of ""reactive"" oxygen in the parent coals than on their proximate, elemental or petrographic compositions, and it also appears possible to qualitatively predict coke strength from information about reactive oxygen. Proceeding from this recognition, experiments were carried out to test the possibility of preparing metallurgical cokes from binary blends in which non-caking hvb coal was substantially freed of reactive oxygen by prior heat t1•eatment under controlled conditions. The results indicate that such blends can yield surprisingly strong cokes and that coke strength may be amenable to further improvements by modifying the size distribution of the pre-heated component and the rate at which it is charred."

Jan 1, 1976

By A. Saigal

The effect of temperature on the cutting forces during machining of alumina reinforced aluminum composites was investigated, Aluminum 6061, 10% Al2O3 reinforced composite and 20% Al2O3 reinforced composite were tested, A 5/8-inch diameter high-speed steel end mill, a Micro 100 TiN coated single edge endmill cutter and a two-fluted solid carbide insert cutter were used for tooling, The results, in general, showed an increase in the cutting forces as the temperature of the material increased, From the raw data, there are temperatures ranges in which the force data did decrease but they were insignificant with regards to predicting a downward trend. A regression analysis was used to understand which variables had the greatest affect on the forces being generated, The correlation and regression analysis showed that at 600 rpm (velocity: HSS- 98,2 sfpm, Micro 100 cutter - 78,5 sfpm, solid carbide cutter - 192,4 sfpm) the tooling, the workpiece material, built up edge, and temperature were statistically significant factors in the test, Tooling was a significant variable in all testing, The smallest forces recorded during machining were generated with the solid carbide two-fluted endmill cutter, Visually, the solid carbide tooling produced a better surface finish during the testing which made it the tool of choice, In addition, the force data proved that as the cutting speeds were increased, the cutting forces decreased.

Jan 1, 2005

By S. Glen

Cyanide management practices on modern gold plants are becoming more onerous, due to environmental pressures, particularly for signatories to the International Cyanide Management Code. Operations are therefore seeking to reduce levels of weak-acid dissociable (WAD) cyanide reporting to spigot discharge as well as to any eventual discharges from the tailings storage facility (TSF). Current gold industry standard processes primarily include the oxidation of cyanide by means of sodium meta-bisulfite (SMBS, or SO2) with air, Caro&apos;s acid (H2SO5) or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). These processes require the transport and usage of expensive oxidizing reagents, along with the safety and environmental issues associated with these corrosive and toxic chemicals. Maelgwyn Mineral Services (MMS) has developed the MMS CN-DTM process, which utilizes the Aachen ReactorTM, a high-energy mass-transfer superoxygenation system, in conjunction with an activated carbon-based catalyst and no additional reagents, to increase the rate of cyanide oxidation to cyanate, the thermodynamically more stable form. Testwork conducted at the Maelgwyn Australia testwork facility in Perth Australia is described, at both pilot scale and continuous bench-scale, on a sample of tailings effluent obtained from an Australian gold plant. WAD cyanide is demonstrated to be lowered using the MMS CN-DTM process from an influent of 130 mg/L to the required levels for discharge to TSF (<50 mg/L). The continuous test results showed stable operation over three residence time turnovers. The pilot-scale results demonstrated the efficiency of the process at the reasonably large scales required for engineering cost estimation.

Jan 1, 2011

By Turgut Yalcin

"In this study, potential benefits of focculant usage were explored in the processing of mill tailings by hydrocyclones. Tests conducted on copper-nickel mill tailings have demonstrated that, under suitable conditions, flocculation could significantly enhance solid-liquid separation in hydrocyclones. For example, at a feed pulp density of approximately 9%, focculant-assisted hydrocyclone produced an underflow with over 98% solids recovery, compared to a recovery of less than 53% with conventional hydrocyclone. However, feed pulp density was found to be a critical factor, and tailings with pulp densities of greater than about 15%required a two-stage hydrocyclone operation where the focculant-assisted hydrocyclone was employed at the second stage to process the overfow of a conventional hydrocyclone.The underflow and overflow products obtained from the focculant-assisted hydrocy-clone may be discharged into tailings dams in the same manner as those produced by gravity thickeners. The focculant-assisted hydrocy-clone would, however, provide a higher throughput."

Jan 1, 1996

By J. A. Hillier

"IntroductionThe purpose of sampling is to remove a portion of material from a stream which is representative of it in size, moisture and mineral content.To prevent the effects of segregation, generally caused by the way in which a conveyor, pipe or launder is loaded or directed, the sampler should cut proportionally the entire cross section of the stream.If one conveyor transfers to another at a right angle, fines may be dropped on the near side, and the coarse material thrown to the opposite side. Segregation can also occur as a result of the motion of a conveyor belt passing over the idlers causing the coarse material to roll to the sides of the belt.When slurry changes direction of flow in a launder or pipe, the heavier and coarser fraction will centrifuge to the outside of the curve and tend to remain on one side of the stream. Similarly, if two streams joining in a common launder are not mixed at the point of confluence, they will continue down the launder unmixed . This effect is particularly noticeable in a plastic lined launder.Therefore, a proportional sample is usually accomplished by a constant rate of cutter travel across the entire stream, making certain that the cutter is not full or splashing over before reaching the end of travel.The cutter should operate on a constant interval based on time, tonnage and uniformity of flow. The opening should be at least three times the width of the largest piece to be sampled. The cutter width is more critical with ore samples where particle sizes are large. With slurry samples, the opening is usually much larger than the minimum in order to obtain sufficient samples"

Jan 1, 1989

"This paper presents results of ongoing research being carried out at the University of New South Wales into improved methods for estimating rock mass strength. In this paper the rock mass strength of Hawkesbury Sandstone is assessed. An estimate is first made based on an extensive database of intact rock strength data being collated by the author and the assumption that the rock mass strength can be determined following the GSI approach. The resulting strength envelope is then compared with nine documented case studies where stress induced failure has occurred in tunnels excavated within Hawkesbury Sandstone. The case studies cover a range of conditions:• construction dates from 1880s to 2006• spans from 3.2 to 12.5 m• depths from 17 to 124 m• excavation methods of drill & blast, roadheader and TBM.Finite element modelling is used to assess the likely magnitudes of the stresses present at the time of failure. The finite element models are interrogated to provide the values of major and minor principal stresses in and around the mapped failure zone. Failure and stable points are then compared to the rock mass strength envelope(s) of Hawkesbury Sandstone derived using the Hoek-Brown criterion and spalling criteria. The Hoek-Brown rock mass strength envelope differentiates between the ‘failed’ and ‘stable’ zones remarkably well.INTRODUCTIONStress induced failures of rock masses are fortunately rare in civil tunnelling. However, when they occur they provide an opportunity to calibrate an assumed rock mass strength criterion. This paper compares an estimate of rock mass strength for the Hawkesbury Sandstone with the following cases where stress induced failure occurred in tunnels excavated within Hawkesbury Sandstone.• Cataract & Devines Tunnels of the Upper Canal (Upper Nepean Scheme)• Malabar Outfall Tunnel• Sydney liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) Storage Cavern• Northside Storage Tunnel• Cross City Tunnel• Lane Cove TunnelTwo-dimensional finite element modelling is used to assess the likely magnitudes of the stresses present at the time of the failures. The principal stresses are then compared to the assessed rock mass strength envelope(s) of Hawkesbury Sandstone derived using the 2002 Hoek-Brown criterion (Hoek et al., 2002) and the spalling criterion suggested by Diederichs (2007)."

Jan 1, 2015

By Donald A. Cranstone

Donald Cranstone holds B.Sc. (Honours) and M.Sc. degrees in Geology from the University of Manitoba and a Ph.D. in Economic Geology from Harvard University. He has worked as a mine geologist, a provincial geological survey geologist and as a senior exploration geologist. He joined what is now the Minerals and Metals Sector of Natural Resources Canada in 1971, where he has been a commodity specialist for gold, for copper and another 28 metals. He is a senior mineral economist, currently engaged in analysis of mineral exploration and discovery success in Canada and of the future of the Canadian mining industry. Abstract This paper examines the history of Canadian non-petroleum mineral production. The outlook over the next 25 years, for mining in Canada and in each province and territory, is reviewed. The outlook for mining in Canada and in most provinces/territories is favourable, but problems seem likely in a few jurisdictions unless new orebodies are brought into production. In terms of exploration potential, Canada consistently ranks among the top three countries in the world. Over the last eight years, Canada has consistently been second only to Australia as a destination for exploration investment. For the first time, Canada is ranked in terms of total mineral production, including coal and construction materials, relative to all the countries of the world including countries of the former communist bloc.

May 1, 2001

By Douglas C. Fraser

A DIGHEM survey was flown in the Belford-Montcalm Township area of Ontario in November 1975. This 600-linemile survey resulted in the detection of 134 EM anomalies. The Montcalm Township copper-nickel discovery yielded a single-line anomaly having a conductance of 154 mhos. This anomaly was highly visible because (a) it had the highest conductance in the survey area, (b) it correlated with a 175-gamma thumbprint-shaped magnetic anomaly and (c) it was isolated from long conductive bands. The deposit is a copper-nickel pyrrhotite body which occurs in gabbro and strikes north-south, parallel to the flight lines. The DIGHEM survey was flown north-south, because the exploration program was primarily concerned with locating copper-zinc sulphides in the east-west-striking felsic volcanics. The flight line passed close to the deposit and yielded a 9-ppm anomaly on the chart record. The computer analysis showed that a deposit of exceptionally high conductance (154 mhos) caused the relatively weak (9 ppm) anomaly. The ground follow-up program of magnetics and EM led quickly to the discovery drill hole, which penetrated the orebody in September 1976. Subsequent geophysical surveys consisted of horizontal-loop EM, pulse EM, magnetic and induced polarization surveys over an area of about 8 claims. In addition, a detailed DIGHEM" airborne survey was flown at a line spacing of 100 m to evaluate the entire property of 620 claims. This detailed survey yielded EM conductor maps and contour maps of resistivity, magnetics and enhanced magnetics.

Jan 1, 1978

By S. Malkin, Z. Shi, H. Attia, D. Chellan

An experimental investigation is reported on creep-feed grinding of a nickelbased alloy (IN718) using conventional aluminum oxide grinding wheels. Straight surface grinding expe.riments were conducted on nickel-based alloy blocks over a wide range of grinding conditions with straight oil as- grinding fluid applied at high pressure. Grinding power, forces, workpiece surface roughness, and radial wheel wear were measured. Specific material removal rate as high as 64 mm2/s was Used without burning the workpiece, which can be attributed to the extremely low specific energy of 12.6 J/mm3. It was found that the grinding wheel under the present test conditions had a strong capability of self-sharpening as indicated by the stabilized power, forces, and surface roughness after an initial short transient.

Jan 1, 2006

By O. A. Ojo, O. A. Idowu, N. P. Wikstrom, M. C. Chaturvedi

Transient Liquid Phase Bonding (TLP) of a Nickel base superalloy, Inconel 738, was performed to study the influence of holding time, filler gap size, and temperature on the joint microstructure. Insufficient holding time for complete isothermal solidification of liquated insert caused formation of eutectic-type microconstituents along the joint centerline region. An increase in the eutectic thickness with increase in initial filler gap size was observed in joints prepared at a constant temperature and holding time. In agreement with prediction by conventional TLP diffusion models, an increase in bonding temperature for a constant gap size, resulted in decrease in the time, tf, required to form a eutectic-free joint by complete isothermal solidification. However, a significant deviation from these models was observed in specimens bonded at and above l 175°C. A reduction in isothermal solidification rate with increased temperature was observed in these specimens, such that a eutectic-free joint could not be achieved by holding for a time period that produced complete isothermal solidification at lower temperatures. Considerable enrichment of the liquated insert with base metal alloying elements at higher temperatures is suggested to be an important factor contributing to the observed departure from conventional TLP prediction.

Jan 1, 2006