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In general, the metallurgical industry has so far been slower than the chemical industry to adopt ion exchange materials for industrial processes. The atomic energy industry presents a marked exception to this general situation, and the literature shows a rapidly increasing use of ion exchange techniques for the recovery of atomic energy metals on scales ranging from the ultra micro up to that of the largest mining operations. In many cases, the processes used would be equally applicable to more common metals and it is hoped that this review will be of interest to metallurgists outside the specialised atomic energy field. The review is intended to describe developments of ion exchange processes made during the last three years. Earlier studies have been summarised by Kunin and Preuss (1956) and Roland (1957). In order to restrict the number of references discussed, purely analytical procedures have been omitted and only those processes which have been conducted on a reasonably large scale or which, from their nature, areclearly capable of being upscaled, have been considered. The paper is divided into five main sections concerning respectively:Water treatment and effluent disposal.Metal recovery and purification.New ion exchange materials.New ion exchange equipment.Membrane cells.WATER TREATMENT AND EFFLUENT DISPOSALA high proportion of atomic reactors, and particularly those of American design, are cooled by water which is...

Jan 1, 1961

By M. Mikhaylenko

The most common methods of processing of uranium ores is sulfuric or carbonate leaching with conversion of hexavalent uranium to uranyl carbonate or sulfate anionic complexes followed by sorption of the later by strong base anion (SBA) exchange resins. It is known that chloride anion has high affinity for SBA resins so that it depresses sorption of anionic complexes of uranyl. Application of the SBA resins becomes impractical for recovery of uranium when chloride concentration in pregnant leach solution exceeds 3-5 g/l [1-3].

Jan 1, 2012

By D. Donald Downey

Pilot Testing Ion Exchange Resin (IEX) can go from very simple beaker testing to complicated column testing. Space velocities, regenerant quantities, loading capacities, ion leakage, are all terms that get accumulated together to prove or disprove a resin’s (or resins’) ability to load a single ion (or specific set of ions). Not getting all the resin’s operating parameters correct will disqualify (or at least skew) the results. Laboratory tests for capacity, moisture content, bead size, metals fouling, etc.—what does it all mean? At last count, there were over twenty-five separate ion exchange resin tests (analyses) that were available to end users. Standard testing procedures identify the resin properties but more specific procedures can be used to identify problems with equipment operation. Then, there are the costs to consider; simple cation resin testing (moisture content, total capacity and bead integrity) is in the $200/sample range. However, add to this Chatillon, Russian Ball Mill Test, HIAC particle size, metals and % regeneration test procedures and the lab work can increase to over $1000/sample. In this paper, the author will explain the “must-do” pilot and test procedures and why they are important and the key to understanding how resin performs ion exchange.

By D Head

IonicRE acknowledges within our mining industry, there is a common belief that workplace health and safety, often referred to as safety, is just a matter of ‘common sense’ – something obvious and easy. However, at IonicRE, we hold a different perspective. We understand that safety is far from easy. We recognise the need to emphasise the importance of understanding and conveying the inherent difficulties of working safely. We are committed to implementing processes that support individuals in achieving our safety objective of eliminating fatalities and permanently disabling injuries. To build resilience and sustainability into safety performance, we draw parallels with the principles underpinning sustainable and exceptional production performance. Achieving sustainable safety performance demands effective leadership, meticulous planning, adept management, genuine care and unwavering commitment. We’ve leveraged various tools and techniques, such as DISC theory, Maslow’s hierarchy, process control, Kaizen, Six Sigma and Kirkpatrick’s 4 levels, among others, to facilitate this improvement. There methods play a pivotal role in developing a Safety Blueprint for enhanced safety performance. This paper provides an overview of IonicRE’s Safety Blueprint, a strategic framework for developing our safety capability. Our capability is underpinned by three key pillars. Firstly, a comprehensive risk management approach is imperative, encompassing the understanding of hazards, the identification of threats to our people and the associated risks. Secondly, it entails providing and enforcing accountability to sustain our safety capability. Lastly, it involves constructing an effective defence system against threats and harm. Implementing these pillars requires a meticulously devised change process. Anticipating resistance and potential setbacks, we underscore the importance of having the right people and a wellcommunicated vision for safety at IonicRE. A Safety Blueprint serves as a detailed plan outlining the path toward a future goal. At IonicRE, we contend that safety in the mining industry has generally lacked a coherent and effective Safety Blueprint – a comprehensive plan to navigate the journey toward a destination. Drawing parallels with NASA’s detailed plan for landing a man on the moon safely, we question why, as an industry, we cannot similarly eliminate fatalities. While progress has been made in the last century, we must not wait another 50 years to eradicate fatalities from our industry. Examining Safe Work Australia data from 2008 reveals that 47 per cent of mining fatalities result from vehicle activity and 40 per cent stem from individuals being struck by an object. As of December 7, 2023, seven lives have been lost in the mining industry in Australia this year, indicating a stubborn trend mirroring 2022, with limited improvement over the past 25 years. These incidents are not isolated or unexpected. We understand the hazards and controls, yet fatalities persist. IonicRE considers that the mining industry stands at a critical juncture – do we accept a plateau in mining safety performance, or do we rethink our approach? At IonicRE, we are thoroughly reassessing the hazards that threaten our people, systematically redefining effective risk control measures and establishing a robust framework to hold individuals accountable for the effective implementation of the control measure.

Apr 16, 2024

By K. Hausmann, P. A. Sashin, G. J. Prejean

Misfires caused by unreliable shock tube constructions can have significant cost implications and place field workers at serious risk during remediation. Ionomer materials, used as a subtube in shock tube constructions, provide superior hot tack strength, oil resistance, impact resistance at cold temperatures and excellent thermoformability properties. These are important features for resisting blast-throughs and ensuring blasting reliability in demanding environments, such as open pit mining in harsh environments. Superior hot tack strength, strain hardening, and excellent thermoformability properties of the ionomer materials ensure uniform powder distribution along the shock tube during construction and avoid undesired powder accumulation due to deformation or vibration during use. Oil or chemical resistance is another feature of Ionomers. This allows improved property retention in contact with oils and hence longer sleep times of the shock tube. Another feature of these highly engineered ionomers is superior impact strength at low temperatures. This plays an important role considering the resistance to fly rock impact in open pit mining operations in particular in cold climates.

Jan 1, 2011

By Rainer W. Kaiser

High wear resistant HSS rolls are being successfully used in the first stands of HSM finishing trains since the early 1990´s. The strong demand of mill administrators to make them applicable also in the last stands of the finishing rolling mill is a major influence factor of R&D efforts at respective roll suppliers. Looking back to the successful replacement of ICDP and HiCr rolls by more economic HSS rolls in F1-4 in regard to the TCO, rolling mill managers wish to repeat such scale gain also at F5-7 stands. Actually used enhanced ICDP rolls wear faster, being the HSM stoppage factor. F1-4 HSS rolls can be used for example 3 times longer. There is an obstacle to be overcome by roll suppliers and end users to replace F5-7 rolls by HSS rolls. Stick and crack resistance properties of HSS need to be improved. As a worldwide known leading producer of cast rolls for steel mills since 1820, the traditional German family owned foundry and machine shop IRLE, existing since 1693, accepted to face also this additional challenge. IRLE´s long year experience and prior researches have shown possible development directions to improve mentioned stick and crack resistance properties of its HSS grade, called SST. A new material of the HSS family is in the development pipe line and is discussed: SST/G. Choice criteria of the development direction, steps to control and guarantee respective sections of an industrial scale production as well as observations and results are described.

Jul 30, 2018

By Edgar C. Bain

A NUMBER probably a sizable group of person with a dominant interest in metals maintain contact with the developments in ferrous metallurgy by reading week by week, as time permits, some four or five periodical devoted in considerable part to this field. It seems possible that some of these, like ourself, find it difficult to see the net results of the development day by day in clear perspective, The impression sometimes seems blurred by the uninterrupted succession of so many accounts, or out of focus from the very impact of so many reports of new things enthusiastic, well written, and understandable though they usually are. It is at times almost as though one were trying to observe, from a fastmoving vehicle, objects all too near at hand. Or perhaps this impression is merely a manifestation of our individual hyperopia ; in which case we should content ourself with an observation that it would be more satisfactory on the whole to discuss in 1941 the metallurgical advances of 1930-35 than those of

Jan 1, 1941

By H. D. Hibbard

At the beginning of a Henry M. Howe lecture it seems fitting to refer to Howe's great contributions to steel metallurgy, and particularly to the literature thereof. Most of my predecessors in this role have been able, from their association with him, to give direct testimony as to his great services; but although connected with him for years in a business way, I am less familiar with what might be called his academic side, except as it is embodied in his utterances, written and oral. Howe was adept in his genial way in extracting information in any line which, at the time, was of interest to him. In a technical lecture one expects as a rule new knowledge-—something about recent advances relating to the subject. On this occasion, however, I will ask you to go back with me to the primary department of steel lore, as the title of my lecture shows, to review the more fundamental features in that field for the purpose of seeking some gaps which we can fill and so give the subject renewed interest. In thus going back one must inevitably repeat many familiar facts, but that seems to be necessary in order to reach a clear understanding of the unrecorded matters. The full interpretation of a steel analysis is at present unattainable, though much progress toward that end has been made. The ultimate analysis, giving the percentages of the five commonly determined elements, does indeed usually give a fair idea of what the steel is, and is ordinarily enough, with knowledge of its history and physical condition, to enable it to be assigned to some purpose or use for which it is reasonably suitable. Rut discrepancies arise. Every maker and every User of steel knows, from at least occasional examples in his own experience, that the ultimate analysis is insufficient by itself to enable one to tell positively, from its interpretation, either the mechanical properties of the steel or its adaptability to the purpose for which it was made. Further, if, while having the specified composition, it is abnormal or unsatisfactory, why it is so. Good, bad and indifferent steels may have substantially the same ultimate analysis.

Jan 1, 1928

By Wm. A. Haven

As soon as the likelihood of American participation in the war was established, and in spite of the fact that we can produce almost as much as all other countries combined, the demand for prompt deliveries of iron and steel products from American factories began to exceed their utmost capacity, and, after fifteen months of practically full operation, has continued to do so. Therefore, it would seem worth while to review some of the aspects of the supply and demand for steel as well as the efforts that are being made to bring them into balance. It is still being debated as to whether the situation should be defined as a real shortage that will persist through the emergency period or as a temporary one than can be relieved by less drastic measures than a Government-sponsored program of expanding existing plants and building new ones.

Jan 1, 1942

By Sid T. Killan

The utilization of the reducing power of blast-furnace gas can be estimated by applying two rectifying calculations to the gas analysis. A resulting corrected CO/CO2 ratio varies inversely with furnace production. Directions for calculating the corrected CO/CO2 ratio are given, and a corrected CO/CO2 ratio is compared with actual furnace production. THE inadequacy of the normally accepted CO/CO, ratio as a measure of blast-furnace performance and furnace efficiency was discussed following the presentation of the paper by H. F. Dobscha.' In this outstanding example of careful observation on large scale blast-furnace operation, the changes occurring with beneficiated ores were: 1—A net gain in tonnage of 21.2 pct. 2—A decrease in net coke of 15.3 pct. 3—A decrease of 1.9 pct in the CO/CO, ratio. In this great change in furnace performance, the CO/CO, ratio proved itself worthless. The discussion of the inadequacy of expressing furnace performance and efficiency by the CO/CO, ratio led indirectly to the calculations forming the basis of this paper. At that time Dr. T. L. Joseph said: "We must consider difference in CO, from the stone in the two cases when we talk about the ratios of CO/C02." This statement is used for the second of the two CO/CO, ratio corrections forming the basis of this paper. The research work in attempting to find out why the furnaces could op-erate so differently with practically the same CO/CO, ratio lead not to the answer sought but, after a shift to the gaseous phase in the research work, the proof that the normal CO/ CO, ratio was outmoded and a new corrected ratio should replace it. To be of any value, any new corrected ratio should express approximate furnace efficiency and give an idea of practical furnace performance to be expected. This the normal CO/CO, ratio has failed to do. However, in the absence of anything better, some credence has been attached to the normal CO/CO, ratio. As far as the writer can ascertain, the present paper is the first attempt to change or improve the normally accepted index of

Jan 1, 1952

By H. W. Meyer, H. N. Lander, F. D. Delve

A method of calculating the changes in blast-furnace performance brought about by burden and/or blast modifications is presented. Essentially the method consists of three simultaneous equutions derived from materials and heat balances. These equations can be used not only to evaluate quantitatively the effect of changes in process operating variables on furnace performance, but also to provide a useful means of evaluating changes in process variables which cannot be measured directly. It has been customary for a number of years to use simple heat and materials balances as a basis for assessing blast-furnace practice. A good example of the method used to set up these balances is that proposed by Joseph and Neustatter.1 This approach to process assessment has limited utility, however, in that it cannot be used to predict the furnace coke rate or production under new operating conditions. Using an approach based on multiple correlation of blast-furnace variables, R V. Flint2 has developed an equation which may be used to predict the change in coke rate that will result from some changes in operating conditions with a reasonable degree of accuracy. Although this equation has useful applications in production planning, it cannot be used to study the relationships between the operating variables and the fundamental thermochemi-cal characteristics of the process. In attempting to analyze the blast-furnace process quantitatively, the idea of dividing the furnace into zones3 may at first appear attractive. In our present state of knowledge, however, it is not possible to define with any accuracy the physical limits of such zones in relationship to their temperatures or to the reactions which may occur in them. Although its application is restricted, the zonal approach to blast-furnace analysis is useful in some instances. For example, the change in the calculated flame temperature in the "combustion zone" caused by injecting steam constitutes information which is helpful in understanding why the addition of steam to the blast is best accompanied by an increase in blast temperature. The zonal approach cannot, at the present time, be used to establish the relationships between process variables and process performance if the whole process rather than part of it is to be considered. One of the earliest approaches to the problem of relating blast-furnace operating variables to pro- duction and coke rate was that developed by Marshall.4 Essentially Marshall's work showed that it was possible to estimate the performance of a furnace by solving three simultaneous equations which consisted of rudimentary carbon and heat balances plus a further equation relating the production, wind rate, and the carbon burned at the tuyeres. Although these equations did not include all of the chemical and thermal variables of the process, their derivation and application seems to be the earliest attempt which achieved any success in relating prior furnace operating data to the calculation of furnace performance under different blast conditions. Work carried out in Germany has been directed mainly towards prediction of coke rates using material and thermal balances rather than statistical methods. wesemann5 used prior furnace operating data as part of the basis for predicting the change in coke rate accompanying a change in burden composition. This author employed a method of successive approximations to estimate the secondary changes in slag volume and stone rate brought about by the change in coke rate. The most recent analysis, which seems to have been developed concurrently with the thermochemical model presented in this paper, has been described by Georgen.6 This author has succeeded in improving on Wesemann's approach by expressing the total changes in the slag volume and stone rate in terms of the change in coke rate itself. This is accomplished in a manner similar to that used in the thermochemical model described in this paper. Although Georgen makes use of a calculated furnace heat loss, he does not relate the heat loss per unit of hot metal to the production rate as is done in the present work. Georgen's approach may be used to calculate the changes in materials requirements accompanying changes in furnace operation; it cannot be used to assess the resulting changes in production. The fact that blast-furnace behavior can be interpreted by consideration of the heat requirements of the process was demonstrated by Dancy, Sadler, and Lander.7 In the analysis of blast-furnace operation with oxygen and steam injection these authors showed that it was possible to account for the changes in production and coke rate

Jan 1, 1962

By Arnulf Muan, Egil Aukrust

Activities of COO in the three solid solution series COO-MgO, COO-MnO, and COO-"FeO" have been determined at 1200°C by equilibrating oxide samples with a metal phase (cobalt or a Co-Fe alloy) in atmospheres of known oxygen activities. The systems COO-MgO and COO-MnO are ideal, within limits of experimental error, whereas the system COO-"FeO" shows a slight positive deviation from ideality at the temperature of this investigation. KNOWLEDGE of activities of oxide components in solid solutions is necessary for the calculation of the cation distribution among coexisting oxide phases in many important metallurgical, ceramic, and geochemical systems. Very few activity-composition curves are available for such systems at the present time. A start on the prodigious job of obtaining such data has been made by studies of solid solutions with simple sodium chloride type structure containing NiO or "FeO" as a component.1-3 The present paper describes similar studies for solid solutions with sodium chloride type structure containing COO as a component. For the systems COO-MgO and COO-MnO, the activity solid solution is determined by the equation Here po and are the oxygen activities of the gas phase in equilibrium with the phase assemblages metallic cobalt plus oxide solid solution, and metallic cobalt plus pure COO, respectively. In the system CoO-"Fe07', the metal phase is a Co-Fe alloy rather than pure cobalt. In this case the activity of COO in the oxide solid solution is calculated from the equation where a& is the activity of cobalt in the metal phase. Because the system Co-Fe is close to ideal4 and the metal phase appearing in the present work contains less iron than cobalt even at the lowest COO concentrations of the oxide phases used may be set equal to N . Hence, Eq. [2] becomes The value of Nc, can be estimated from the relative stabilities of the oxides COO (see below) and I) EXPERIMENTAL METHOD Two different but closely related procedures were used in the present investigation to determine the activity-composition curves. In one method, the oxide solid solutions were equilibrated against

Jan 1, 1963

By E. T. Turkdogan

Jan 1, 1962

By John Chipman, Peter J. Koros

The distribution of copper between liquid silver and liquid iron, Fe-C, and Fe-C-Si alloys was studied at 1600°C. From the data and the activity of copper in silver obtained from the phase diagrams, the activity coefficients of copper in iron up to 3 atomic pct are log y, = 0.90 — 2.4 N, and y": = 8.0. The effect of carbon up to saturation is expressed as log y = 1.8 Ni. The effect of silicon up to 11 atomic pct is insignificant. SLOWLY rising copper content of steel being produced is focusing attention on the lack of information on the behavior of copper in liquid steel. Chou' measured the activity coefficient of copper in liquid iron through its distribution between liquid silver and iron. He obtained a value of 9.12 at infinite dilution. Chipman' calculated the activity coefficient of copper in liquid iron at 1600°C from the phase diagram and obtained a value of 12. Ameiln and Pfeiffer- investigated the possibility of removing copper from liquid steel through the use of lead, silver, and bismuth as solvents. They also calculated that the activity coefficient of copper in liquid iron would be increased five or sixfold by addition of 4 pct C. Langenberg and Lindsay' are investigating the effectiveness of lead and sodium sulfide in removing copper from liquid iron. The experimental method was similar to that used by Chou' and Chipman and Floridis." Silver, copper, and iron were melted together, the copper distributing itself between the two layers so that at equilibrium a,.,, (in Ag) - a,.,, (inFe) and N,.,, (in Ag) yc,, (inFe) (in Ag). [21 N,.,, (inFe) Thus, from the concentration of copper in each layer and the activity coefficient of copper in liquid silver, the activity coefficient of copper in liquid iron can be calculated. The effect of an alloying element such as carbon on the activity coefficient of copper can also be determined from its effect on the distribution, provided the new element is essentially insoluble in silver. The one serious limitation of this method is the increasing mutual solubility of silver and iron in the presence of a third component. The mutual solubilities of pure iron and silver are negligible, but increase with increasing copper concentration beyond the range investigated. Ag-Cu System—The activity coefficient of copper in silver at 1600°C had to be estimated, since direct experimental data are not available. Kawakami" measured the heat of mixing of Ag-Cu alloys at 1200°C by a calorimetric technique. Scheil' calculated the heat of mixing in this system by use of the phase diagram, assuming that the solution is random and that the heat of mixing is independent of temperature. The terminal solid solution may be assumed to obey Raoult's law within the requirements

Jan 1, 1957

By J. F. Peters

The term solution loss is discussed and defined. Examples are given showing that solution loss may either have a favorable or unfavorable effect on blast furnace performance. A theory is advanced explaining the contradictions encountered during earlier studies of the problem. MANY papers have been written and numerous theories advanced concerning the chemical reactions in the iron blast furnace. Richards, discussing the utilization of fuel in the blast furnace, said: "All the carbon burnt in the furnace should be first oxidized at the tuyeres to CO and all the reduction of oxides above the tuyeres should be caused by CO, which thus becomes CO,. This dictum is not Gruner's own words, but expresses their sense, and from the point of view of the present discussion, it is the correct principle upon which to obtain the maximum generation of heat in the furnace from a given weight of fuel." Richards also said the cubic feet of wind per pound of coke does not express how efficiently a furnace is running, but it will be shown later where Howland paid much attention to this figure. Richards pointed out a shortcoming of Grun-er's discussion in that Richards claimed there is not enough CO generated in a good working blast furnace to possibly combine with the oxygen of the ore, so some of it must be reduced by solid carbon. Mathesius2 made two important contributions. First, he wrote the direct and indirect reduction equations showing the heats of formation in each case and stressed that the indirect reduction reaction produces heat while direct reduction absorbs heat. Secondly, he substantiated Richards' conclusion that there may be a deficiency of CO gas and that some direct reduction is required, but he pointed out that "direct reduction in the hearth has often been confused with direct reduction in the stack, which more correctly should be termed 'premature combustion'." Then he said that "as this carbon is consumed partly by economical (direct reduction in the hearth) and partly by wasteful reactions in ever varying proportions, it is evident that the relation of this total carbon gasified above the tuyeres to the fuel consumption of a furnace cannot possibly have a direct bearing on the economy of furnace operation. The premature combustion of carbon (CO2+C?2CO) must therefore in all cases be considered a detrimental reaction." Johnson3 discussed this whole problem. Through experience Johnson found that when departure from Gruner's ideal working is considerable, the fuel economy is poor, and when the quantity of blast goes up, the fuel economy goes up in the same proportion. Johnson said that the wind per pound of coke is a measure of fuel economy, which will be shown to be wrong. Howland4 established the fact from operating data that there was no relationship between the coke consumption of a furnace and the percentage of coke burned at the tuyeres. But some of his calculations have led to questionable conclusions, such as "it is practically impossible to obtain low coke consumption unless we keep our wind low." Howland made an important contribution when, in his concluding paragraphs, he reached certain negative decisions as to why one coke works better than another. He said the reason one coke works better than another in a blast furnace is not because: 1—there is any difference in the percentage gasified at the tuyeres, or 2—there is any difference of wind required per pound of coke. Korevaar5 propounded a new theory on combustion which disagrees with Gruner because "as far as we can see, this is sufficient proof for the invalidity of Gruner's ideal, for if it was valid, the Low coke consumption should always be accompanied by a higher percentage of carbon burned at the tuyeres. This not being the case, we must deliberately give up our belief in Gruner's ideal." The part in italics will be proved to be wrong. Martin" contended that there was not enough reducing capacity in the blast furnace unless solution loss occurs. He came to a series of conclusions, such as: 1—The greatest efficiency of the blast furnace may not be attained when the reduction is performed entirely by carbon monoxide as demanded by Gruner's definition of the ideally perfect working of the blast furnace. 2—The so-called solution loss reactions, which should more properly be termed direct reduction reactions, promote furnace efficiency. 3—In modern blast furnace practice, the carbon consumption of the process is determined primarily by the carbon needed for reduction purposes, any thermal deficiency created by the reduction process being balanced in practice by the use of blast heat. From a practical standpoint further discussion of the theory of chemical reactions is of little moment. There is however one phase of the general theory of chemical reactions which is very important and that is the combustion of coke in the blast furnace. The purpose of this paper is to show that the reaction

Jan 1, 1955

By J. H. Swisher

An experimental study has been made of the possible mechanisms for foam stability in the system CaO-SiO2-Cr2O3, where Cr2O3is the foaming agent. The degree of lowering of surface tension by Cr2O3 was determined at 1600 "C for high -silica melts. Measurements were also made of foam stability under standardized conditions. The results of the two sets of measurements then were correlated by applying the Gibbs and Marangoni theories of film elasticity. It was demonstrated that the Marangoni elasticity effect is probably the largest single contributor to foam stability, although the high uiscosity of' silicate melts makes some contribution in controlling the rate of drainage of liquid from bubble lamellae. ThE tendency of metallurgical slags to foam has frequently been observed during steel-refining operations. In the open-hearth furnace,this tendency is considered undesirable because it slows down the rate of heat transfer from the burners to the molten-metal bath. On the other hand, it is sometimes desirable to have a "foamy" slag in the basic oxygen converter.' A more effective blanket over the steel bath is made by a "foamy" slag, and loss in yield of metal due to splashing is minimized. In addition, a flush slag can be removed more easily in this condition. Since slag-foaming problems in the field have been attacked largely on an empirical basis, it appeared desirable to obtain a better basic understanding of the mechanism of foam stability. The experimental work was directed almost entirely toward the behavior of Cr2O3 as the foaming agent in CaO-SiO,-Cr2O3 melts. In the first stage of the investigation, the degree of lowering of surface tension by Cr2O3 was determined at 1600°C. The second stage consisted of measuring foam stabilities under standardized conditions. The two sets of experimental results then were correlated by applying various theories of foam stability. For convenience in interpreting the surface-tension and foam-stability results reported here, a portion of the CaO-SiO2-Cr2O3 phase diagram2 is reproduced in Fig. 1. EXPERIMENTAL 1) Surface-Tension Measurements. Very little information is available in the literature on the lowering of surface tension of slags by foaming agents. Kozakevitch 3 mentioned that the addition of 1.5 pct Cr2O3 lowered the surface tension of FeO slightly. In another system, some data on the lowering of surface tension of foaming slags by P2O5 were reported by Cooper and Kitchener.4 The technique used for the surface-tension measurements was the maximum bubble-pressure method,' using a single tube immersed to various depths in the melt. This method has been used extensively in high-temperature systems, such as in liquid metals, slags, and glasses.6,7 It has the advantage that the contact angle between the liquid and the tube material need not be known. The equation used for calculating surface-tension values from maximum bubble-pressure measurements is the Schroedinger equatioq5 which can be written as follows:

Jan 1, 1964

By D. A. Dukelow, G. Derge

THE Fe0-Mn0-Si0, system has many properties of fundamental interest besides its occurrence in steel-making. The system is the simplest ternary complication of the FeO-SiO, binary whose electrochemical properties have been explored. Therefore, knowledge of the conformance of Fe0-MnO-SiO, melts to Faraday&apos;s laws, as investigated by current efficiency measurements, would be of particular value in interpreting the observed variations of electrical conductivity, while at the same time furthering understanding of this type of molten oxides. Pertinent to the present study are conductivity data of FeO-SiO, and Fe0-Mn0-SiO2, and current efficiency data of FeO-SiO,. Concerning conductivity measurements, Inouye, Tomlinson, and chipman&apos; studied the specific conductivity, a, of molten wüstite as a function of temperature and oxide addition. Liquid FeO in equilibrium with an iron crucible was found to have a o whose magnitude and positive temperature coefficient were undeniably semiconductor in nature (o1400°C = 269 ohm-1cm-&apos;). Additions at 1400°C of 5 mole pct MnO decreased o to 227 while a similar addition of SiO2, dropped o to 125. Additional SiO2 produced an exponential decline of o. It was reasoned that because wüstite is known to be oxygen excess and since there is no pronounced change in oFeO upon melting, that UFeO(L)is p-type semiconduction. Björling2 gives o data for the ternary FeO-MnO-SiO, using fayalite, 2 FeO-SiO,, as the base substance. Upon addition of tephroite, 2 MnO-SiO, he noted a small decrease in o. Taking his data for 1400°C with one-half of the fayalite replaced by tephroite, o shows a decrease of some 40 pct relative to o for fayalite, i.e., 5 ohm-&apos; cm-&apos; to 3. In line with this observation, Mori and Matsushita3 reported that substituting MnO for FeO in the silicate de- creased o slightly except at high SiO, contents where the decrease was somewhat larger. Investigating the ionic nature of FeO-SiO2 melts, Simnad, Derge, and George4, found the anode current efficiency, C,, as calculated from iron anode weight loss, was temperature invariant and in general increased with SiO2 concentration. The authors suggested the possible presence of electronic conduction to explain why C+ < 100 pct. Fig. 4 includes their results as curve (b). EXPERIMENTAL METHOD Apparatus—Fig. 1 is a schematic section of the electrolysis cell used in all the current efficiency runs. The melt was contained in an iron crucible that rested on an alundum ring. A centered silica tube came within 1 in. of the surface of the melt and initially served as a thermocouple well and then as the guide for the anode.

Jan 1, 1961

By J. A. Pusateri, M. A. Orehoski, N. R. Arant

Plant studies on commercial-size ingots and laboratory experiments with induction furnace heats have demonstrated that the major source of ingot cracks is associated with two conditions arising during top-pouring practice: 1—solidification during pouring, and 2—turbulence created by the impact of the stream. Methods of controlling the two factors were effective in eliminating or significantly reducing ingot cracks. BECAUSE the process of removing surface defects from hot-rolled product is so costly, the steel industry is striving constantly to develop methods of preventing, or at least decreasing, the occurrence of surface defects. Investigations have revealed steel-making and processing variables related to major surface defects, and controlling these variables has led to improvements in surface quality. However, the fundamental causes of major surface defects, such as ingot cracks, have not been determined; consequently such defects persist. At the Research and Development Laboratory of the United States Steel Corp. in Pittsburgh, a seam research program was initiated to determine the fundamental causes of certain major defects. As a part of the program, ingot cracks in killed, finegrained C1020 steel were selected for study. A cost survey indicated that, of the steels produced in sizable tonnages, carbon steels in the range of 0.18 to 0.23 pct C content require the most conditioning. Since this is particularly true of C1020, any im-provement of surface quality that might be effected from the study would be beneficial. Also, since the frequency of ingot cracks is exceedingly high for this grade, the steel would provide an excellent opportunity for a thorough study of the ingot-crack-ing problem. Why steels in this carbon range tend to exhibit more ingot cracks than do other steels was not considered in the investigation; the mechanism of ingot-crack formation was of paramount importance. Also, only the top-pouring practice was considered in the investigation, because this pouring procedure is used more extensively than others. In this study, ingot cracks are defined. as deep surface defects that sometimes are observed in an ingot prior to rolling but usually are observed during the initial stages of rolling on the primary mills. These defects may occur at any angle to the rolling direction but are most prominent in the transverse or nearly transverse direction. The appearance of ingot cracks on the rolled product varies with respect to their angle of formation and with the extent of rolling after their first occurrence. Ingot cracks are also termed "deep seams," "arrowheads," "irregular cracks," and "transverse cracks." Fig. 1 shows ingot cracks in a rolled bloom. This report summarizes: l—the exploratory investigation of commercial-size ingots; 2—the labor-atory investigations related to determining the source of ingot cracks and developing corrective methods; and 3—the plant evaluations of laboratory methods of decreasing ingot cracks. Exploration of lngot Cracks in Commercial Ingots Materials and Experimental Work: At the Du-quesne Works of the United States Steel Corp., five heats of killed, fine-grained C1020 steel were selected for the exploratory phase of the seam-research program. The heats were made by open-hearth practices that are considered most conducive to good surface quality. They were top-poured into 22x25 in. big-end-up hot-topped molds. One as-cast ingot and four other ingots rolled to the following cross-sectional sizes were set aside from each heat: 16x20 in.; 9 1/2x10 in.; 5x5 in.; and 2x2 in. The processing of the heats, from the time of charging in the open hearth furnaces to the end of the rolling operation on the primary mill, was observed carefully and recorded. The cast ingot and the four rolled ingots from each heat were examined for surface defects. The cast ingots were split longitudinally near the vertical center plane to expose the ingot structure beneath badly cracked regions. Also, a series of transverse sections was cut at about 1 in. intervals in a badly cracked area of one ingot. All sections were ground, polished, examined by sulphur printing and deep etching, and photographed. The rolled ingots

Jan 1, 1955

By E. T. Turkdogan, P. Grieveson, J. F. Beisler

Jan 1, 1963

By G. R. St. Pierre, A. J. Wilhelem

In connection with the reduction of hematite or magnetite to metallic iron, it appeared desirable to study the rate of reduction of each oxide to the next lower oxide under conditions which excluded all other condensed phases. For this purpose, pellets of Fe,O,, Fe,O,, and oFeOo were prepared. A gas train for the preparation of Ar-Hz-H20 mixtures was employed to establish a continuous flow of a controlled atmosphere over a pellet suspended on a balance. In this manner the following individual reduction steps could be studied: For example, pellets of hematite were reduced solely to magnetite by adjusting the gas atmosphere such that it was oxidizing to wustite. In other words, the reaction was complete when the hematite pellet had been totally converted to magnetite. The pellets were prepared from Baker Chemical ferric oxide. The ferric oxide powder was moistened and handrolled. Air sintering at 950°C produced Fe,0, pellets with a density of 3.65 g per cm3. The pellets ranged in size from 0.6 to 1.2 cm diam. The magnetite and

Jan 1, 1962