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By H. Herman, M. E. Fine

Kinetics of reversion and reformation of GP I were studied resistometrically in Al-1.7 at. pct Cu. The reversion process is over in roughly 1/2 minute at 205 "C irrespective of the amount of primary aging. After reversion the occurrence of an incubation time before reaging begins has been substantiated. The reaging kinetics is drastically accelerated by plastic deformation to the specimen. An incubation time is observed only if the specimen is aged before reversion. The incubation time and the effect of plastic deformation indicate that nucleation of GP I is heterogeneous. Simple clusters of copper atoms apparently do not act as nuclei for GP I. AFTER quenching aluminum-rich copper from the solid solution range, Guinier-Preston zones of the first kind, GP I, form very rapidly at room temperature. The rate, largely controlled by the concentration of vacancies, is initially most rapid1 (that is, at the time of the first measurement: 1/2 min) and decreases with time. The nucleation is thought to be athermal. If after aging for several days the GP I is dissolved by reversion at 205°C, according to measurement of Young's modulus an incubation period is observed before GP I begins to form on subsequent aging.2 Yet if the reversion is carried out immediately after quenching, both resistivity3 and modulus changes2 show no incubation effect. The zones which form after reversion have the same structure as those which form after the quench.4 Because of entropy considerations and also the short diffusion time, the solid solution after reversion, 2 min at 205°C, is probably more highly clustered than at the original solution treating temperature, 520" to 550°C. It appears most reasonable to associate with nucleation the incubation time observed on reaging after reversion. A simple cluster of copper atoms, many of which are presumed to be present after reversion, is then not a sufficient nucleus for GP I; a GP I nucleus must contain something in addition to a cluster of copper atoms. The purpose of the present note is to give some additional experimental information concerning the incubation time and rates of reaging after reversion. The existence of the incubation time has been verified by measurement of another property, the electrical resistivity. Acceleration of reaging after reversion by plastic deformation has also been investigated. In acl.dition, the kinetics of the reversion process itself was studied. EXPERIMENTAL Electrical resistance was measured by the poten-tiometric four probe method. The 1.7 at. pct Cu alloy was furnished by the Aluminum Co. of America in the form of 1/2 in. rod. The major impurities reported by Alcoa were Fe (0.002 wt pct), Si (0.003 wt pct), and Mg (0.001 wt pct). Specimens for measuremenl of resistance were prepared by rolling to 0.010 in., cutting 2 by 0.2 in. pieces, rolling the middle pclrtions of these to 0.005 in., and splitting the 0.010 in. sections up to the reduced central section to form current and potential leads. Aluminum extension wires insulated with ceramic tubes were spot welded to the leads. The specimen was supported by the lead wires. The whole specimen assembly was annealed at 500" C in an air furnace for more than 12 hr and then aged at room temperature. This was done to assure quick and complete resolution during subsequent solution treatments. These were carried out in Houghton's "430 Temper Salt" at 520'C for 1 hr. Unless otherwise specified, quenching was accomplished by quickly transferring the specimen from a salt pot to 25°C water. Aging was carried out in a 3 liter dewar of distilled water, rotated and stirred. The temperature was controlled to +0.01°C with a thermomercurial regulator in conjunction with a transistorized relay

Jan 1, 1962

By F. W. Jessen, R. W. Durie

The development in the laboratory of mall salt cavities illustrated that the rate at which salt dissolved was affected by the rate at which fresh water was injected into the cavity. Experiments carried out with small salt cores indicated, however, that the rate of salt removal with forced convection was not significantly different from that with natural convection, provided the flow was in the laminar range. The rate of salt removal was apparently controlled by the water salinity, which was indirectly determined by the rate at which fresh water was injected. With turbulent flow at the salt surface, the rate of salt removal could be increased several-fold with the same salinity in the cavity. A quantitative evaluation of the rate of salt removal under natural convection was attempted by using techniques developed for the analogous heat convection system. The values of the rate of salt removal obtained experimentally were considerably greater than the calculated values due to surface irregularities. To determine the effect of these irregularities, the rate of salt removal was found for a smooth surface by experimentally determining the rate of salt removal as an irregular surface developed and then extrapolating this trend back to initial time. Excellent agreement between the experimental and calculated values then were obtained. INTRODUCTION Underground cavities leached from massive salt formations have been used extensively for many years for storing LPG products. The development techniques for storing methane gases in the liquid state at a low temperature leads to speculation that underground salt cavities of controlled geometry may be quite important in this field. In any case, the increasing number of salt cavities used for storage indicates an impending need for a better knowledge of the washing process to efficiently develop maximum storage volumes within specified regions. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss some aspects of -the mechanism of the dissolution of salt in the formation of cavities of controlled geometry. Although no attempt is made to resolve the problems that may be associated with the storage of methane in the liquid state in salt formations, the fact that salt cavities can be formed at reasonable cost would appear to justify investigation in this direction. Further, underground cavities have the advantage of allowing storage at higher pressures (and hence higher temperatures) than surface installations. Although the thermal conductivity of salt is somewhat higher than frozen earths, 0.017 cal/(sec) (cm)(c) for salt at 32F vs 0.005 cal/(sec) (cm) () for ice at this temperature, this disadvantage is offset by the higher storage temperature in underground cavities. For example, at atmospheric pressure, the temperature of liquid methane would be —258F. In a storage cavity at 2,000 ft, the pressure would be approximately 1,000 psia, which would allow a storage temperature of -9OF. The formation temperature would be roughly 110F at this depth, hence the total temperature differential would be 200F. Under surface storage conditions the corresponding temperature difference would be some 333 F (75 F + 258 F). The results of this difference can be compared more readily by substituting the appropriate values of thermal conductivity, temperature difference, heat capacity and density into the solution of the diffusion equation for the unsteady linear conduction of heat. For the underground salt storage, the heat flux is 15cal/(sec) (sq cm), where t is the time in seconds from the initiation of the cooling. For the surface system, and using the thermal properties of ice at the average temperature, the corresponding figure is 21cal/(sec) (sq cm). Hence, the heat losses through ice under surface conditions would be some 30 per cent higher than the underground salt storage. This ratio would vary, considerablv. Of course, for other conditions, but it indicates that an advantage over surface facilities may be obtained by storage in underground salt cavities.

Jan 1, 1965

By E. H. Rose

IN a year of sober reflection and stocktaking after the mineral-squandering spree of World War II, the role that beneficiation of low-grade must henceforth play in American mineral industry has become unmistakable. From the volume of research and development progress in mineral engineering during 1946, mineral dressers evidently have ample resoluteness to meet the challenge. Perhaps ,the most conspicuous trend of the year was the renascence of interest in gravity concentrating methods and more serious effort than ever before to make them effective in finer size ranges down to 200 mesh. This has been forced by the problem in iron ores where the low value of the product will not support a high flotation reagent cost, however good flotation pilot plant results may have been and however well the acute problem of variable feed may be met. The race is on between rabbit flotation and tortoise gravity methods and a surprising amount of betting money is being laid on the tortoise which already is showing previously unsuspected talent for speed. Mostly, however, a wait-and-see attitude prevails during the present preliminary heats. As evidence of the latter, two magnetic plants are now on the boards for magnetic taconites on the eastern Mesabi to establish a reprieve against the time when nonmagnetic taconites must be addressed. Incidentally, these operations will force the blast-furnace issue on preparation of fine material since a minus-100-mesh grind is contemplated.

Jan 1, 1947

Spent automobile catalyst is an important secondary resource of PGMs (platinum group metals) and the recovery is significant. Various methods of recovery technology have been reported and applied in practical production, including pyro- and hydrometallurgical processes. Since the grade of PGMs in the catalysts is so low, approximately 0.5 wt. %, the present recycling technologies require high energy-consumption, it is of great significance to enrich the PGMs with some energy saving physical separation methods as a pretreatment. Automobile catalyst is usually composed of cordierite phase as a substrate and alumina phase, with PGMs, which covers the cordierite phase. We adopted the quenching pretreatment, one method of thermal shock, to generate micro-cracks between the two phases and separate the alumina phase from cordierite. Quenching was carried out by heating the catalysts in an electric furnace of different temperatures followed by rapid soaking into cold water. It was found that the phase boundary between alumina and cordierite was broken in the quenching and selective separation (detachment) of alumina from the cordierite could be achieved in the following surface grinding. The effect of quenching was checked by microscopic observation, hardness measurement, and chemical analysis. This paper figures out the stress formula of the quenching process, which is largely connected with layer thickness and temperature gradient by using an FEM (Finite Element Method) simulation and clarifies the mechanism of crack generation in the quenching process. Keywords: automobile catalyst, PGM, quenching process, FEM

Sep 1, 2012

By R. W. Bartlett

DISILICIDE coatings, MeSi2, on refractory metals are usually grown by a solid-state diffusion reaction similar to the parabolic oxidation of metals. Two or more silicide compounds occur in each of the binary silicon-refractory metal systems. When an adequate source of silicon is available during the coating process, the lower silicide compounds are usually not formed.1 However, during service application of the coated refractory metal, continued heating causes further diffusion and growth of the lower silicides. A study of the growth kinetics of the lower silicides in the molybdenum and tungsten binary systems with silicon was previously reported.2 The present study is concerned with the growth kinetics of Ta5Si3 and Cb5Si3, formed as conjugate layers between TaSi2/Ta and CbSi2/Cb diffusion couples, respectively. Diffusion couples consisting of disilicide-coated tantalum and columbium sheet coupons were subjected to diffusion heat treatments, cross-sectioned, and scanned by an electron-microprobe analyzer to determine the relative X-ray intensity profiles. These profiles correspond closely to concentration profiles for the constituents, and were used to identify phases and locate phase boundaries. The analysis of a single specimen after a diffusion-anneal provides only one value for the Me5Si3 phase thickness, corresponding to the time and temperature of the diffusion treatment. Consequently, each isothermal curve showing the rate of accumulation or depletion of silicide phases required several samples with identical diffusion temperatures but different diffusion times. The disilicide coatings were prepared by pyrolizing commercially pure silane in a hydrogen carrier gas. The hydrogen was purified by passage through a palladium membrane. Commercially pure tantalum and columbium sheet metal coupons, 0.005 by $ by 2 in., were used. All of the coated specimens for each system were prepared together in a single group in order to minimize coating variations among individual specimens. During pyrolysis, the brightness temperature was maintained at 1200°C. With suitable flow rates at this temperature, only the disilicides of tantalum and columbium were formed in detectable amounts. Coated specimens were subjected to diffusion an-neals in a tube furnace with automatic proportional control within ±10°C. A H2-Ar mixture, deoxidized and dried over anhydrous magnesium perchlorate, was used to prevent oxidation during the diffusion anneal. Diffusion couples were cross-sectioned, polished and examined with an A.R.L. electron-microprobe X-ray analyzer. Both metal constituents in each specimen were simultaneously scanned using a 1-p beam spot size and either 1- or 2-µ steps. Analyses were performed using the Ka radiation of columbium and silicon, and the La, radiation of tantalum. For all specimens, an acceleration voltage of 30 kv was used, and integration was made against the specimen current. LiF and A DP monochrometers were used to isolate characteristic radiations. Three or more traverses were made on each specimen. The intensity scales were adjusted using the constituent metals and standard samples of the silicide compounds which had been verified by X-ray diffraction. The relative intensity profiles were used directly, in conjunction with the standard samples, to identify compounds and phase boundaries. The stoichiometries differ considerably between the silicide compounds in both systems, and the homogeneity range for these silicide compounds is narrow. These characteristics result in marked differences in relative intensities of the fluorescing elements—differences which permit ready identification of phases and phase boundaries. Projections of both electron back-scattered images and characteristic

Jan 1, 1967

By Sunny Schoone, Maximilian Getz, Felix Leaman, ELISABETH CLAUSEN

Hydraulic transport is commonly used in mining for moving particles or ore concentrates in pipes over long distances with a water stream. Control and monitoring of this process require sensor technology that can obtain relevant characteristics of the two-phase flow. This work investigates the acoustic emission (AE) technology for monitoring a hydraulic system with different sand concentrations, showing the strong relationship between friction behavior in the pipe and the measured AE signals.

Apr 1, 2023

By C. Musingwini

The South African mining industry continues to be a major source of employment at a time when at least 25 per cent of the working age population is unemployed. At the same time the industry faces a skills shortage in many of the disciplines necessary for its future health. The University of the Witwatersrand, University of Pretoria, University of Johannesburg, and University of South Africa have historically produced mining graduates for the South African mining industry with any shortfall being met by the recruitment of overseas graduates. More recently, the global shortage of engineers and other mining industry professionals has seen a reversal of this trend and a very significant emigration of well-educated and highly skilled personnel. The traditional career path for mining graduates is in production and mine management. However, there is the parallel (and possibly more pressing) need for specialized skills in such fields as ventilation, rock engineering, mine planning, mineral resource evaluation, and mineral asset valuation. Chronic shortages in these essential areas continue to hamper the development of the industry and may well frustrate its ambitions to be safe, healthy, and profitable into the future. The permeability of skills across sectorial boundaries within the mining industry requires that skills shortages in the platinum sector are not looked at in isolation, but within the context of the entire industry. This paper reviews the efforts being made by the universities, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, to meet the needs of the South African mining industry in terms of the required numbers and the range of specialized skills.

Jan 1, 2013

By J. D. Miller, C. L. Lin

In general, x-ray computed tomographic (CT) techniques are able to provide 3D images of the internal structure of opaque materials in a nondestructive manner. The unique cone beam geometry allows acquisition of all 2D projections with only one rotation of the sample thus providing for fast data acquisition and better x-ray utilization, as a complete 2-D detector array receives the cone-shaped flux of rays. Thus, an isotropic 3D volume can be reconstructed without the mechanical translation and the stacking of sequential slices as is the case for more conventional CT scanners. In this regard, a state-of-the-art, custom designed xray microtomography facility to provide very detailed 3D spatial analysis of multiphase particles has been installed and is in operation at the University of Utah. The reconstructed 3D tomographic volume allows for an adjustable spatial resolution from 5 to 20 microns for sample dimensions from 10 to 40 mm in diameter, respectively. Utilization of this custom designed cone-beam x-ray microtomography system is discussed. Applications described include: coal washability analysis for the design and operation of coal preparation plants, liberation analysis for evaluation of grinding practice and separation efficiency, mineral exposure analysis for prediction of the ultimate recovery from heap leaching operations, and analysis of the pore structure network of packed particle beds for simulation of flow through such porous structures as encountered in filtration and heap leaching.

Jan 1, 2003

Objective To develop a passive, inexpensive technique for monitoring explosion overpressures within sealed areas in underground coalmines. Background From 1994 to 2000, seven explosions of methane and/or coal dust occurred within the worked-out, sealed areas (gobs) of underground U.S. coal mines. These explosions, believed to have been started by lightning, destroyed many seals and caused much damage external to the sealed area. One gob explosion went undetected until the mine operator reopened the sealed area and discovered the damage. Fortunately, these gob explosions did not cause any fatalities or injuries. Because lightning occurs in just about all mining areas, several questions arise. Could gob gas explosions be occurring in other sealed areas and going undetected? If so, what is the magnitude of the resulting explosion overpressures? The Pittsburgh Research Laboratory (PRL) of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) undertook a study to identify and evaluate passive measuring devices to monitor and quantify the overpressures associated with such explosions. This work was done in parallel with full-scale explosion experiments for evaluating the strength characteristics of seals used for isolating areas in underground coal mines. Approach Evaluation studies were done in PRL's 20-liter explosion test chamber and in the full-scale Experimental Mine at Lake Lynn Laboratory to evaluate the response and accuracy of various commercially available automobile tire pressure gauges to overpressures generated from gas and dust explosions. The first series of tests was done in the 20-liter chamber, which is used to study the explosibility and inerting of fuel dusts and gases. Data from the tire pressure gauge tests were compared to the pressure-time data obtained from the 20-liter chamber 's traditional electronic strain gauge pressure transducer recorded on a high-speed data acquisition system. To evaluate the tire pressure gauges, the valved inlet (tip) of the candidate pressure gauge was removed and the body of the gauge was cemented with epoxy into a 0.25-in pipe elbow and attached to the outside of the test chamber. A second series of tire gauge evaluation tests was done at Lake Lynn during explosion-resistance testing of seals used in underground coal mines. Full-scale seals (20 ft wide by 8 ft high)were constructed as one wall of a 2,000-ft3 chamber and exposed to a series of methane explosions. Average overpressures ranged from20 to 80 psi. The seals were built with various strength materials ranging from 7 to 48 in thick. The modified tire gauges are attached on the outside of the chamber to a 0.25-in NPT pipe that extends into the chamber (figure 1). The axis of the gauge is mounted at a right angle to the plane of the seal to minimize the coupling of any seal movement to the stem of the gauge that may cause inaccurate readings. The internal explosion pressure history is recorded with a strain gauge pressure transducer mounted inside the chamber. Methane is injected into the chamber, mixed with air, and ignited with an electric spark located at the geometric center of the chamber. Maximum explosion overpressures are recorded and compared with the tire gauge pressure.

Jun 1, 2001

By C Jincheng, L. Liang, L. Wenjun

"Considering overgrinding in a grinding process, the grinding characteristics of comminuted hematite products using a HPGR and a conventional CC were comparatively studied. The major properties including particle size, grinding kinetics and grinding technical efficiency (Et) were investigated. Individual size distributions (ISDs) of -2.0mm in a HPGR product showed a more significant “double-peak” characteristic than a CC product. As a result, HPGR products were finer and had a wider full-size distribution because of the greater proportion of fines. The parameters m and zi in m-th order grinding kinetics were analyzed by the partial-derivative method and the critical time tc(tc = exp (1/ zi)) was obtained. zi mainly affected the breakage rate when t < tc; otherwise, m mainly affected the breakage rate. In these tests, tc was considerably higher than the grinding times, and HPGR products yielded a higher zi-value than the CC product for the same sieve size. This indicated that HPGR products had a higher breakage rate and needed a shorter grinding time for a certain grinding fineness. Et was calculated by simulating the size distributions of batch grinding products. HPGR products gave a lower Et at a decreasing rate than the CC products for -2.0 mm feed and -0.5mm feed, and then showed a slightly higher Et for -2.0+0.5 mm feed. This indicated that overginding in HPGR full-size products was more serious under the condition of coarse grinding, whereas the efficiency was higher and overgrinding weakened significantly in HPGR coarse products because of screening-out fines. Based on the above research, a new process of “ultra-crushing in HPGR – classified grinding” was advanced, reducing ores tonnage into first stage ball mill significantly, improving grinding efficient and weakening overgrinding in the whole grinding process.INTRODUCTIONIn mineral processing, comminution accounts for a substantial portion (approximately 60~70%) of the energy consumed in plants. As an ultra-fine crushing equipment,the application of the HPGR for industrial comminution has been paid close attention because of its low specific energy, low steel consumption, high capacity and high ratio of reduction, among others (Schonert, 1998; Norgate & Weller, 1994; Fuerstenau & Kapur, 1995). HPGRs comprise two counter-rotating rolls that draw feed material into the roll gap. One roll is fixed to the mainframe, while the other movable roll is mounted on slides and positioned by hydraulic rams. The specific pressing force (SPF) (i.e., total force divided by projected roller area) is typically in the range of 3~9 N/mm2 depending on the application, while pressures of up to 1000 N/mm2 have been measured within the operating gap (Maxton , Morley, & Bearman , 2003)."

Jan 1, 2016

By J. S. Fulton

THOSE who live in steel-mill towns are so accustomed to the sight of flames spouting from the mouth of a Bessemer vessel that they seldom pause to think of the amazing process behind it. Actually cold air is being blown through a hot liquid and, instead of cooling it, raises the temperature of the liquid. When coffee is too hot to drink, we know that blowing on it will cool it, so it was no wonder that when Henry Bessemer (or William Kelly, as your patriotism chooses) first proposed this cycle of steel production, he was considered mad. When Bessemer and Kelly started their investigations around 1852, there was not much practical knowledge of metallurgy and, in consequence, there was wide variation in the product made by their process. It was appreciated that the silicon, carbon and iron were all potential fuels, but not until Mushet discovered the beneficial effects of having manganese in the pig iron did the process really become commercial. Bessemer&apos;s patent of 1855 covered a crucibleful of liquid iron into which a refractory tuyere was lowered and the blow started. Since that time virtually every conceivable form of vessel, bottom arrangement, tuyere size and location have been suggested or tried. There have been stationary vessels with fixed bottoms, that were side, top or bottom blown; tilting vessels with two sets of side tuyeres at different elevations; vessels like a three-compartment septic tank; vessels of a cylindrical form supported on the long axis with tuyeres along the side submerged by a partial rotation of the vessel (this type continues in copper refineries) ; portable vessels to make the blow in a ladle over a mold in a foundry; a combination of a cupola and converter in one shell, and various other arrangements. But in all these experiments, compressed air for the blast was presupposed and there was little discussion of the quantity or quality of the air delivered to the tuyeres. At one time or another various practices that now are forgotten have been tried or suggested: for instance, the use of inert gas at the end of the blow; the addition of fuel to the blast; the use of hot-blast stoves; the drying of the air to a minimum moisture in the blast. Except in the last-named method little attention was paid to the quality or quantity of the air blown. PHASES Of the many papers published on various phases of the Bessemer process, nearly 170 according to one bibliography, over go per cent were concerned with the metallurgical phase and less than 10 per cent discussed various sections of the pneumatic phase. Since the two phases are coincidental, apparently nine times as much thought has been given to the result as has been given to one of the causes of the Bessemer process. Is it not possible that if more attention had been paid to the pneumatics so many papers would not have had to be written on the troubles in the metallurgical phase? A study of published papers and conversation

Jan 1, 1941

By Lester E. Sutton

The past three years have been the most difficult period in the modem history of the barge line industry. Having withstood the fuel cost run ups of the late 1970s and the imposition of inland waterways system user fees, the industry has struggled more recently with an overcapacity problem of unprecedented proportions. In responding to these challenges, the industry is undergoing important long-term structural changes, with the various individual barge lines pursuing an array of divergent long-term business strategies. This paper discusses these strategies in terms of their probable impact on the industry as a whole, and argues for the survival of a competitive number of large, national, independent barge lines as the outcome most in keeping with the long-term interests of the mining and minerals industry.

Jan 1, 1986

By A. Cabañas

"In this paper, geostatistical techniques are applied to forecast the annual copper price in the short and medium terms (from one to five years ahead). These techniques allow the incorporation of monthly and multivariate information in the analysis and provide more accurate results than traditional approaches, especially as far as the one-year forecast is concerned.A second advantage of geostatistics stems from its ability to assess the uncertainty associated with the unknown future prices, thanks to estimation variances or confidence intervals, depending on the technique used. Such an assessment has a crucial importance in decision-making, from both macroeconomic and microeconomic points of view. IntroductionThe copper price traded in the London Metal Exchange is a relevant parameter for defining macroeconomic policies of producing countries like Chile. It is also a key factor for the mining companies, since fluctuations in the sell price affect the expected financial flows. Due to the amount of money involved in decision-making, it is necessary to have accurate forecasts of the future copper prices and to quantify the uncertainty associated with such prices.This paper focuses on the annual copper price estimation in the short and medium terms, i.e., from one to five years into the future. Henceforth, the word “estimation” will be used as a synonym of “forecast,” according to the geostatistical jargon (Matheron, 1989).Two main approaches, based either on statistics or econometrics, are currently used to forecast commodity prices, but both of them are not very accurate when applied to copper. First, the main methods are briefly reviewed, then the geostatistical formalism will be presented. So far, the latter approach hardly has been used to estimate commodity prices, although it may reconcile both statistics and econometrics via (1) the use of a stochastic approach and (2) the handling of ancillary variables related to the copper market. Another advantage of geostatistical techniques is the ability not only to forecast the copper price, but also to measure the uncertainty associated with it."

Jan 1, 2004

By George A. Roberts

The development of an alloy system, high-speed steel, is used as an example of the progress of physical metallurgy. Tracing the history of men and their thoughts as they studied and invented and modified these materials, the story of high-speed steel since the 1890&apos;s is seen to be a long, slow, but steady progression of achievements. Today&apos;s multiplicity of high-speed steels are the result. Data are presented on quantitative metallography of carbides in high-speed steel with high vanadium content using the QTM instrument. Grindability as well as mechanical properties are related to the content of excess MC and M6C carbides in a series of high-speed steels and the newer matrix steels. These emphasize the present state of knowledge and show the current stages of thought that may affect the development in succeeding years. It is a great thrill for me, an ex-research metallurgist and ex-practicing metallurgical engineer, to speak to an audience currently engaged in both pursuits on the occasion of the 43rd Howe Memorial Lecture before the Iron and Steel Division of the AIME. I shall not review Henry Marion Howe&apos;s distinguished career, so adequately reviewed in Maxwell Gensamer&apos;s contribution in the 1965 AIME History of Metallurgy, except to point out that, while leading the life of an intellectual, he worked as a practicing research metallurgist and a practicing metallurgical engineer for significant periods of time and contributed greatly in both areas. For those of you who believe, as I do, that in the intellectual activity of metallurgy we are blessed with an intimate mixture of science and engineering (see Mehl&apos;s 1960 Howe Lecture), we might recall that Howe, while pursuing a life of writing and teaching in later years, served as the first Chairman of the Division of Engineering of the National Academy of Sciences. That metallurgists were called upon then to lead an engineering recognition movement is perhaps related to the strong part played by the AIME and its members in the recent establishment of a National Academy of Engineering and to the fact that a metallurgist is its head, 47 years after Howe served. I stress these engineering aspects for I wish to talk about a metallurgical engineering subject today. Alloy systems, physical metallurgy, and steel blended with an historical perspective and a report on new techniques to improve the old will, I trust, be of sufficient interest to bring these lectures back to the physical-metallurgy banner from which they have departed for 4 years. Those process metallurgists, open-hearth fiends, and physical chemists among you will just have to be patient. The development of an alloy system is the engineering application of scientific thought and fact. There are many interesting alloy systems, developed to a high degree of technology and sophistication over the past 40 to 70 years. These systems are bound together and related by a similar set of characteristics. For example, stainless steels are a system in which the members are related by a high chromium content which gives a corrosion-resistant characteristic. A subfamily in this system would be austenitic steels

Jan 1, 1967

By P. W. Jeran, M. C. Irani, D. H. Lawhead

The Beckley mine is one of five new mines in a heretofore unmined portion of the Beckley coalbed. The remoteness of these new mines from prior mining and their greater overburden preclude applying methane emission experience obtained in the old mines. Four sections of the Beckley mine were monitored. The data gathered show that variations in methane emission cannot be explained by variations in coal production. Although overburdens varied by as much as 30 pct, no correlation with methane emissions could be determined. The rib emissions increase with increased length of rib from a section advancing into virgin coal and do not decline over a prolonged idle period (32 days) whereas some decline has been measured for a section not mining into virgin coal. The indication is that degasification prior to mining will reduce the hazard of methane emissions in this area of the Beckley coalbed.

Jan 1, 1977

By G. Barbery

A review is given of the present applications of random sets and integral geometry in fragmentation and liberation models of ores and minerals. Although attempts have ben made in the past to apply such mathematical techniques to the comminution of solids, it is shown that it would not result in major progress. In liberation modelling, it is demonstrated that the approach can lead to fruitful results. Following a recent paper by Davy (1984), a model of liberation prediction is developped, which can be calibrated far ore texture and breakage using image analyzers. The model is demonstrated for the case of a Poisson polyhedra ore texture and monodisperse fragment size. The model enables to predict the complete composite particle distribution, and is thus valuable for integration of ore breakage models with minerals separation models.

Jan 1, 1985

By A. J. de Witte

It has been observed that upon invasion of a sand containing oil or gas and connate water by mud filtrate the hydrocarbons are more rapidly flushed by the filtrate than is the connate water.&apos; In time, it appears that the following displacement pattern emerges: oil (or gas) is being swept ahead by connate water which, in turn, is pushed by invading fluid. Eventually the connate water may have "banked up" sufficiently to form a zone of appreciable thickness leading the invading front. In the extreme case, Fig. 1 shows how the situation will develop.&apos; Immediately adjacent to the borehole (radius r) there is a zone, the invaded zone proper, where the connate water has been flushed out completely and which contains only residual oil or gas and mud filtrate. This zone (extending out to a radius ri) grades more or less abruptly into the next (thickness A), which contains only residual hydrocarbon and connate water. Beyond it, again more or less sharply bounded, extends the virgin formation with the original interstitial water saturation Sw. The various saturations are indicated in Fig. 1. The three zones generally will be marked by resistivity contrasts owing to their different fluid contents. As the connate water is usually more saline than the invading fluid, the second zone having a high connate water saturation forms a concentric cylindrical ring or annulus of low resistivity R, around the borehole.&apos;,&apos; It will be referred to as the "low zone." Fig. 1 shows schematically the resistivity profile. It is clear that the phenomenon of a low zone could not occur in invaded water sands. The presence of a low zone, therefore, would be a qualitative indication of a hydrocarbon-bearing formation. Granted that the phenomenon is real, if it were pronounced enough to be detected, one might thereby have a means of locating oil or gas in the ground. This is the aim of the "displacement logging" method.&apos; In any case, the presence of a low resistivity zone will affect the reading of electric logs. Using conventional log interpretation techniques, one must be aware of this and, if necessary, correct for it. Whether correction or detection should be the goal will depend primarily on the magnitude of the effect. The type of log which is likely to be affected most is the induction log. The current pattern of an induction log is concentric with the borehole. Any concentric ring of low resistivity, therefore, will tend to become crowded by current lines. This zone of maximum current density will obscure the relative contributions to the current conduction by other portions of a bed making, for instance, the contribution of the virgin formation less significant and thus detracting from the value or the induction log as an R, reading device. The present note is intended to ascertain the maximum possible effect of a low zone in the extreme case portrayed by Fig. 1 on three commercially available types of induction logs, sc., 5 FF 27, 5 FF 40 and 3 F 60. Type 5 FF 27 or 5 PF 40 is currently run in conjunction with a 16 in. normal and SP log. This combination is gradually replacing the regular electric survey (two normals and one lateral) as a standard log in many areas. On the basis of the scheme of Fig. 1 (sharp boundaries between successive zones), the thickness of the low zone may be computed for various amounts of infiltration measured by the ratio of invaded zone diameter to hole diameter D,/d. Referring to Fig. 1, we can set up a material balance for the water displaced from the invaded zone proper and the water present in the low zone. The volume of connate water displaced from invaded zone upon flushing by mud filtrate is: V1 = e p (r2 - r2) ? Sw . where c = bed thickness ? = porosity Su, = original connate water satu-ration. The volume of water finally accu-mulated in the low zone is: Vz = e p [(r1 -?)2 - r2 4] ? Sw . where SW1 = 1 — Sor = "water" saturation in the invaded and low zones both. The volume of water originally present in the low zone is:

Jan 1, 1958

By O. P. Arora, M. Metzger, G. R. Ramagopal

The rates of grain boundary and general corrosion were surveyed by an approximate method. Quantitative differences between their variations with the strength or cupric ion content of the acid yielded large variations in their ratio, highly selective intergranular attack being observed only under specific chemical conditions. The boundary corrosion rate increased with the copper content of the aluminum; this was attributed to an autocatalytic effect similar to the one shown for general corrosion. High- purity aluminum in hydrochloric acid exhibits striking intergranular corrosion and other structure-dependent corrosion phenomena of fundamental interest. The behavior is highly sensitive to the metallurgical and chemical conditions, the significance of many of which has not been established. The features of the intergranular-corrosion phenomenon, first described by Rohrman,l are summarized in the remainder of this paragraph. Strong attack normally occurs only at high-angle grain boundaries.&apos; Usually 15 to 25 pctHCl is used to obtain a high rate, but this has also been obtained with weaker (7 to 15 pct) acid either by adding cupric or ferric ion to the acid3-5 or by passing an anodic current (-0.1 ma per sq cm).2,3,5,6 The two latter corrosion conditions produce strong attack of low-angle boundaries after certain heat treatments 2-4,5,7 The susceptibility of high-angle boundaries is influenced by the grain-boundary segregation of iron atoms; this increases the slow (µ per month) attack in 10 pct HCl8 but diminishes the rapid (mm per month) attack in 20 pct Hc14 (the present and most previous investigations deal with rapid attack). That segregation of elements other than iron affects intergranular corrosion has not been demonstrated, although analysis of data for iron alloys indicated that at least one other element must be considered.9 Intergranular attack occurs over a wide range of purity although it begins to become obscured above several hundred parts per million (ppm) total im- purities by the severe general corrosion which accompanies the higher iron contents and which is associated with the presence of a second phase or an inhomogeneous distribution of the dissolved iron.4,6,10 The variation of intergranular-corrosion rate with heat treatment1&apos;3-6&apos;"10 can be explained in some cases in terms of the distribution of the iron impurity but is not in general adequately understood. The present work dealt with two questions not previously considered in detail. The first proceeded from the view that the extent to which a special behavior is associated with the boundaries is indicated not by the intergranular corrosion rate alone but by the ratio of the intergranular to the general corrosion rate. A comparison of the two rates was therefore made for one lot of aluminum in acids of varying strength and metallic ion content. The second question was the effect of the copper content of the aluminum. For general corrosion, it has long been known that copper ions introduced into the acid by corrosion of the solid solution are reduced on the aluminum as patches of elemental copper which enhance the corrosion rate by providing cathodes of lower hydrogen overvoltage than were originally present.&apos;&apos;-&apos;3 Since the copper patches remain themselves unchanged, their action is "catalytic", and since they are products of corrosion, the effect is "autocatalytic." This phenomenon is significant at copper levels much lower than previously suspected, even at those typical of high-purity aluminum, as the authors have shown in a previous paper.l4 The present work shows that copper content affects intergranular corrosion. With polycrystalline specimens, truly quantitative rate measurernents are not readily made for intergranular corrosion or for general corrosion in the presence of rapid intergranular attack, and previous work in this field has tended to be qualitative. The present study made use of a simple procedure which provided fair approximations to the quantitative corrosion rates and fitted the purpose of surveying the behavior over % wide range of conditions and displaying certain large effects. The approximations involved in this work were usually outweighed by the experimental scatter, which tends to be substantial in a system as sensitive as this one. I) EXPERIMENTAL A. Material. The material procured, Table I, represented three low copper (1 to 3 ppm) lots, two of "normal" copper content (21 and 22 ppm), and two

Jan 1, 1962

The Bureau of Mineral Resources has been engaged in regional geological and geophysical field work in the Alligator River and Cobourg Peninsula area since 1971, following the discovery of major uranium deposits. Geophysical work commenced with a regional airborne magnetic and radiometric survey which was followed up by some helicopter and ground work in August 1973. The interpretation of the earlier radiometric work is presented in conjunction with the results obtained from the follow-up work. Analyses of 100 outcrop and drill core samples collected have provided basic information on the physical properties and concentrations of uranium and thorium in various rock types. The uranium determinations were made by X-ray fluorescence and delayed neutron analysis, good agreement being obtained between the two methods. X-ray fluorescence was the main analytical technique used because of its ability to produce both uranium and thorium determinations.

Jan 1, 1975

By Jay Black

In the thiosulfate gold leaching process gold is oxidized to Au+ by a copper(II) ammine catalyst and complexed by thiosulfate. Copper(I) complexes, formed during gold oxidation, are reoxidised to Cu(II) complexes by oxygen. In this study, we present the results of a spectrophotometric study of the Cu(I)-NH3-Cl system, which follows on from our recent investigations of speciation in the Cu(I)-Cl and Cu(I)-S2O3-Cl systems and is part of a detailed study of copper(I) speciation associated with the gold leaching process. Formation constants for Cu(I)-NH3-Cl complexes have been determined by modeling the systematic changes in the UV spectra that occur as the concentration of the components is varied. The analysis of the data indicates that three Cu(I)-ammonia complexes are present, i.e., [Cu(NH3)2]+, [Cu(NH3)Cl2]- and [Cu(NH3)2Cl] and their respective log Kf values are 11.13, 8.33 and 10.79 at 25°C. Investigations of the oxidation of Cu(I)-NH3-Cl solutions by oxygen in the atmosphere are also presented. These experiments indicate that the reaction of copper(I) complexes progresses through various intermediates. The presence of many copper(I) and copper(II) complexes in ammonia thiosulfate solutions complicates the task of determining optimal conditions for gold leaching. Further studies are needed to identify the complexes and chemical processes that are important in the Cu(I)-NH3-S2O3-Cl system.

Jan 1, 2003