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By Charles S. Barrett

The experiments reported in this paper have been fruitful in disclosing the mechanism of the deformation of iron in compression. They have established the nature of "deformation bands," "etch bands," or "X-bands," that have been a recognized but little understood feature in the structure of cold-worked metals since the early days of metallography, and have shown the role of the bands in the development of preferred orientations by cold-working. The work has also shown the relation of the orientation of individual grains to the preferred orientation of the aggregate. Some of the methods previously used in the determination of the indices of slip planes and slip directions are shown to be untrustworthy in the presence of deformation bands. The conclusion is reached that many slip planes and slip directions must operate during each stage in the compression of a single crystal, and that theories failing to take account of this require revision. In conducting the experiments a method of compression has been used by which extreme reductions can easily be reached, even to the limit set by the metal's capacity to deform without fracture. The work is a portion of a research program on the plastic properties of iron and steel. It is being used as a foundation for studies of orientntions resulting from recrystallization and is being extended to other metals and other types of deformation. Previous Work The previous experiments are few and have given confusing results Onol compressed a polycrystalline alpha-iron specimen between two flan plates of a testing machine and found that severe deformation oriented the crystals into a duplex preferred orientation, one set of crystallites having a cube diagonal of the body-centered cubic lattice parallel to the compression axis, and another set having a cube axis parallel to the compression axis. We shall speak of this structure as a double fiber texture of the type [111] + [100]. Wever2 also made an X-ray determination of the texture

Jan 1, 1939

By Charles S. Barrett

The experiments reported in this paper have been fruitful in disclosing the mechanism of the deformation of iron in compression. They have established the nature of "deformation bands," "etch bands," or "X-bands," that have been a recognized but little understood feature in the structure of cold-worked metals since the early days of metallography, and have shown the role of the bands in the development of preferred orientations by cold-working. The work has also shown the relation of the orientation of individual grains to the preferred orientation of the aggregate. Some of the methods previously used in the determination of the indices of slip planes and slip directions are shown to be untrustworthy in the presence of deformation bands. The conclusion is reached that many slip planes and slip directions must operate during each stage in the compression of a single crystal, and that theories failing to take account of this require revision. In conducting the experiments a method of compression has been used by which extreme reductions can easily be reached, even to the limit set by the metal's capacity to deform without fracture. The work is a portion of a research program on the plastic properties of iron and steel. It is being used as a foundation for studies of orientntions resulting from recrystallization and is being extended to other metals and other types of deformation. Previous Work The previous experiments are few and have given confusing results Onol compressed a polycrystalline alpha-iron specimen between two flan plates of a testing machine and found that severe deformation oriented the crystals into a duplex preferred orientation, one set of crystallites having a cube diagonal of the body-centered cubic lattice parallel to the compression axis, and another set having a cube axis parallel to the compression axis. We shall speak of this structure as a double fiber texture of the type [111] + [100]. Wever2 also made an X-ray determination of the texture

Jan 1, 1939

By R. V. Horrigan

High purity ZrC14 (25 to 200 ppm of metallic impurities) can be readily prepared in simple apparatus by thermal decomposition of alkali chlorozirconate fused salts at 500° to 600°C and at atmospheric pressure. Suggested phase diagrams for the systems NaCI-ZrC14 and KCI-ZrCI, are presented. ALKALI chlorozirconate compositions — anhydrous fused mixtures of ZrCl4, NaC1, and KC1— are manufactured commercially and are used by the magnesium industry to introduce zirconium into magnesium alloys. Zirconium refines the grain size and improves the physical properties of many important magnesium alloys. In the course of working with chlorozirconate compositions of high ZrCl4 content, it was noticed that these salts decomposed progressively itwaswith increasing temperature to yield considerable amounts of a ZrCl4 sublimate of high purity together with a solid chlorozirconate residue. Further research led to: 1—improvements in the

Jan 1, 1956

The Victorian State Government recognises that the extensive brown coal deposits in Victoria are one of the State's key competitive strengths for economic development. The unique properties of the coal, together with the ease of open cut mining, make it suitable for a variety of new applications. Research and development activities are centred around applications which take advantage of the natural attributes and unique properties of the coal. The high reactivity and low ash content of the coal led to its selection for the Japanese brown coal liquefaction pilot plant currently operating in the Latrobe Valley, with support from the Victorian Government and the Coal Corporation of Victoria. Research and development of new brown coal based products together with many other areas of applied and fundamental research are being conducted in Victoria by Government research organisations, tertiary insti- tutions and private industry, with the objective of establishing new indus- trial developments based on Victoria's vast brown coal resource.

Jan 1, 1989

By Robert Mehl

THE Widmanstätten figures found in the steels have been long recog-nized and in some aspects carefully studied,1 especially as they occur in cast hypoeutectoid alloys. Aside.from the practical importance of the structures obtained in the steels by various heat treatments, a study of the characteristics of these figures is interesting because of the rich opportunity the system affords, to, obtain new data on the mechanism of segregation from solid solutions. This opportunity is twofold: first, by changing composition within the austenite range the proeutectoid precipitate may be changed from that of ferrite to that of cementite, thus offering the same opportunity for changing the type of precipitate while maintaining the same basic lattice as that afforded by the Cu-Zn alloys;2 and second, the eutectoid inversion leads upon drastic quenching to the formation of martensite, a Widman-stätten figure of unique interest from ;the crystallographic viewpoint, particularly in comparison with those formed on-slow cooling.3 We have, therefore, two types of structure to study: that formed on slow cooling of hypoeutectoid and hypereutectoid alloys, and that formed on quenching hypoeutectoid, eutectoid, and hypereutectoid alloys. For each of these types of structure we require the crystallographic plane in the mother austenite along which the precipitate forms (we shall see that the precipitates in these alloys are invariably platelike in form), and also the orientation of the precipitate upon this plane. Some of these

Jan 1, 1933

By D. E. M. Plaumann

"The wet grinding of asbestos has attracted the attention of engineers for many years as a means of improving fibre liberation from the ore. Today, added impetus for wet grinding has resulted from a need to minimize worker exposure to asbestos dust in conventional dry mills using air, as well as a need to provide a cleaner, technically superior fibre for use by product manufacturers. However , high viscosities of asbestos slurries create transport and grinding difficulties which have been a factor impeding use of a wet grinding process.Laboratory evaluation of reagents to reduce viscosities of asbestos slurries found that one reagent, XFS-4272.00, reduced the viscosity of a 35% (by weight) slurry by 75%. The impact of XFS-4272.00 on actual grinding parameters were evaluated using a pilot plant rod mill. Slurries containing 78% solids and XFS-4272.00 were successfully milled and asbestos fibres from that milling compared favourably in liberation and relative surface area to asbestos fibres obtained from milling a 4% slurry without additives.IntroductionAlthough the use of asbestos has been declining over the last few years, the large deposits of chrysotile in eastern Canada (Quebec in particular) remain very important. Asbestos production in Canada stands ninth in volume for mineral production with over 740 000 tonnes produced in 1985. Of this quantity, 722000 tonnes were exported with a value of $446 million . Canada is second in world production of asbestos behind the U.S.S.R ."

Jan 1, 1988

By Richard M. Bennett

Twelve linear test foundations were constructed over an advancing longwall panel in southern Illinois, six were located along the centerline, and six in the maximum tension zone. One footing in each set was a control foundation constructed according to conventional practice. It suffered severe damage. Footings with reinforcing bare and post-tensioning had much smaller elongations, with the post-tensioning preventing cracking of the footing. Footing-soil interface treatments of plastic-on-sand and plastic-on-soil served to reduce damage. The addition of steel fibers to the footing had about the same effect as an interface treatment. Sill plate construction (butt-jointed versus lap-jointed) appeared to significantly affect the behavior.

Jan 1, 1986

By Moussa Wone, V. Nasri, F. Guimbal, D. Andre

The Magenta underground station was constructed in the heart of Paris in saturated soft soil and at shallow depth. To investigate the surface settlement and the deformation of the concrete liner, innovative techniques combined with a vast campaign of monitoring were applied. The monitoring data and a simple three-dimensional ?nite element analysis were used to assess the accuracy of the two-dimensional ?nite element model originally utilized in the design of the station. The deformation of the concrete liner was monitored using vibrating wire extensometers. Their performance was validated by the data obtained from monitoring and also by a simpli?ed ?nite element analysis.

Jan 1, 2003

Formed in 1965 to investigate the bauxite deposits on the Gove Peninsula, in the Northern Territory of Australia, Nabalco Pty. Limited undertook to determine the feasibility of establishing a mining operation and alumina plant of at least 500 000 tonne/year capacity. The drilling programme undertaken and the analytical methods, assumptions and criteria used to define practicably extractable bauxite are described. The ore characteristics and the interpretation of results used to evaluate the reserves are detailed. The operating techniques developed in mining ten per cent of the reserves and variations experienced between indicated and actual mining are examined and discussed.

Jan 1, 1979

By Rao Pothini

Measurement of pressure distribution under the base plate of the Hemscheidt 2-leg 800-ton shield was performed underground for two shifts using 12 pressure cells installed in two rows, one each under each split base plate. Pressure distribution was uneven depending on contact condition. In general the highest base pressure occurred at 1/3 of the base plate contact length from the rear edge. The resultant was near vertical, and the pressure under the tail side split base plate was always higher than the head side. For comparison, pressure distribution on the canopy and under the base plate was also measured under controlled conditions at the USBM's Mine Simulator Testing Facilities in Pittsburgh, PA. A total of 45 tests were conducted under several simulated contact conditions. The results showed that the actual contact area is highly dependent on the compliance of the immediate roof and floor due to the sloped canopy tip and a base lifting device under the base tip. The loading distribution tends to change in magnitude and profile as the leg pressure increases. The base lifting device exaggerates the high toe loading on the base plate characteristics of this type of shield support. This paper describes in detail the testing methods, data analysis results obtained, and recommended changes.

Jan 1, 1992

By Paul L. Tyrna

The Fola Coal Co., LLC No 2 surface mine, located in Nicholas and Clay Counties, WV, exploits up to nine coal seams by contour, highwall, and mountain top removal mining methods. After encountering faults, areas of highly fractured coal, and subsidence failures. the mine requested a lineament analysis from the Mine Safety & Health Administration's (Pittsburgh Safety and Health Technology Center) Roof Control Division. The 31 km2 study area was viewed on a LANDSAT-5 band 4 (near infrared, 0.76-0.90 µm wavelength) satellite image with ERDAS Imagine 8.4 software. The software allows image examination under artificial sun azimuths and elevations, resulting in variable tonal characteristics. The study area image was viewed in 45° azimuthal increments from 000° to 315° at artificial sun angles of 10°, 30°, 50°, and 70°, yielding 32 separate images. The interpretation process developed by MSHA Roof Control personnel identified 16 northeast-striking and one northwest-striking lineament that intersected mine property. Faults and areas of roof instability corresponded well with lineaments identified in the study. Successful lineament identification prompted mine management to incorporate lineament analysis as a mine-planning tool for adjacent property, thereby identifying in advance areas that could adversely affect safety and production.

Jan 1, 2001

This paper will describe the exploration project which led to the discovery of the La Escondida porphyry copper deposit in northern Chile and will serve as companion paper to the description of the geology of Escondida being presented by J M Ojeda. The author would like to express his appreciation to Robert Hickman, Chairman of Minera Escondida, for permission to present this paper.In July 1978, a proposal was made by J D Lowell to Robert Wheaton, then Exploration Manager of Utah International, that Utah fund a "grass roots" program exploring for porphyry copper deposits in northern Chile. Wheaton expressed interest, and it was agreed that Getty Oil Co also be invited to participate. A joint venture agreement for the Atacama Exploration Project was signed January 1, 1979, between Utah, Getty and Lowell. The project was managed by Lowell who reported to a management committee which through most of the project consisted of Lowell, Francisco Ortiz, Robert Wheaton, Maurice Young, Sigfried Muessig and Louis Rove. Oliver Warin and Jim Bratt participated in the committee in the last phase of the contract. Special thanks are due Louis Rove of Getty and Maurice Young of Utah who made contributions throughout the course of the project. Francisco Ortiz was resident manager through most of the project.

Jan 1, 1990

By S. Vogely, J. Trescot, D. Connor, F. Beloy

In 2001, the Minntac Division of US-Steel retrofitted one of their Grate-Kiln Iron Ore Pelletizng lines with a Ported-Kiln Air Injection System (PKAIS) the first of it’s kind in the world for oxide pellets. The Ported Kiln System injects air under the bed of pellets in the rotary kiln, causing rapid oxidation of the magnetite pellets. This rapid oxidation allows for lower kiln temperatures, reducing fuel demand; less heat load on the annular cooler; and higher pellet quality. Both the process and the equipment are patented developments by Metso Minerals. This paper discusses the process, the key equipment, and the benefits to the pellet plant and the downstream blast furnace operations.

Jan 1, 2004

By C. A. Heiland

A. INTRODUCTION (C. A. HEILAND) I. PRINCIPLES OF TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION IN MAGNETIC INSTRUMENTS The principle underlying the majority of magnetic intensity variom-eters is a comparison of the force to be measured with another force of known magnitude. The known force may be (a) of a magnetic nature, such as magnetic fields produced by magnets or coils, or (b) of a mechan-ical nature, such as (1) the elastic forces of wires, or (2) the force of gravity, such as employed in bifilar magnetometers and magnetic balances. In instruments of such type, usually a magnetic system is employed, free to move about either a horizontal or vertical axis, on some sort of a suspension. If the earth's magnetic field alone were present, such a system would adjust itself into the direction of the field or that of its components. Owing to the simultaneous action of the comparison force, however, the magnetic needle assumes a position that differs from the direction of the magnetic force; for all such instruments, the angle of deflection a is given by tan a = F/X, where F is the known and X the unknown earth magnetic force component. In other words, the magnetic system merely serves as an "indicator" for the position of balance of the two forces. Considering the matter from this point of view, it is not immediately obvious why the temperature of such a magnetic system should modify the results. In magnetic instruments, we may distinguish two different effects of temperature: (1) a magnetic effect and (2) a mechanical effect. The first is due to the fact that the magnetic moment of a magnet drops with an increase in temperature. This drop is characterized by the temperature coefficient of the magnetic moment µ (see equation 1). The second effect is due to the change in the .torsion of suspension wires with temperature or to the expansion of lever arms of masses acting on magnetic balances.

Jan 1, 1932

By Arcy A., J. G. Davis, D&apos Shock

Results of a pilot operation in the Carlsbad Basin are discussed. After hydrafracing between wells, a block of potash was removed by solution techniques. The distance between frac wells was about 200 ft, the thickness of potash mineralization, 5 ft. By proper manipulation, a feed of concentrate brine was obtained. The ex-periment showed that the thin-bedded potash could be removed by the solution techniques. The details of well construction, method of operation, and removal rates are discussed. Continental Oil Co.'s laboratory research on the fundamentals of potash solution mining has been expanded by means of a series of field tests, and subjects such as well completion and hydraulic fracturing were added to the investigation. Both single-well and multi-well systems were studied in the field work. Discussion Background: The current paper discusses one field test in which potash was solution mined by a two-well system from a thin sylvinite zone. The potential economic value of solution mining evolves from (1) the use of drilled holes and solution techniques instead of excavated shafts and caverns and (2) the ability to mine both land and marine deposits through any type of overburden geology and below conventional mining depths. Recent interest has been focused on potash' and other soluble minerals, such as trona. Solution extraction minerals, such as copper and uranium, are also worthy of important consideration. In addition, many of the techniques are directly applicable to the construction of horizontal underground storage carverns in salt. There are two general approaches to potash solution mining. The first is to mine on a single-well basis, in which the same well bore is used for both injection and production. This method is slow, and the areal extent may be quite limited in other than very thick ore zones. The second, and the preferred approach, is to mine on a multi-well basis in which the solvent is circulated between wells. This technique, if applied in a manner which allows the ore zone to be mined from the bottom upward, results in nearly all the solution taking place from the cavern roof. Salt removal rates, therefore, are very much higher than from a single-well system.l Wells can be interconnected into a multi-well pattern by several means. One is to join single-well caverns in the lower part of an ore zone. Another is to use the hydraulic fracturing techniques developed in the oil fields.' We preferred the fracture approach because of its potential for creating the greatest area of salt exposure. Test Site Description: The field tests were conducted in New Mexico's Carlsbad Basin, where the potash deposits are flat and uniform over reasonable distances. Here, 12 potash zones are present in the massive Salado Salt section. The specific target was the Third Ore Zone which is about 4 ft thick at our location and about 1150 ft deep. The test pattern was designed in the shape of an equilateral triangle with a fourth well located in the center, 200 ft from each of the vertex wells. This configuration allowed the ore zone to be hydraulically fractured from the center well with good assurance that the fracture would intersect the bore of at least one outside well. Several multi-well test patterns would be available if the fracture connected all wells. Well Completion: Surface casing was set in the top of the Salado Salt at 600 ft to shut off water flows from the surface sands, and the salt section was drilled and diamond-cored to a point below the Third Ore Zone. A drilling fluid made of diesel oil with a small amount of emulsified water was used to drill and core the salt. This fluid was highly successful in preventing enlargement of the drilled hole and in promoting good core recovery. The three outside wells were completed by setting 51/2-in. casing at the base of a streak of anhydrite about 20 ft above the ore zone. Pipe was set high so that the intersection point of the fracture could be detected even if the fracture migrated above the ore zone as it progressed outward from the center well. The center well itself was completed by cementing 51/2-in. casing through the Third Ore Zone. Cement bond logs run on the center well have shown excellent bonding. Fracturing Practice: A mechanical tool was used to cut a notch through the casing and into the salt at a point about 1 ft below the ore zone in the center well. The purpose of this notch was to fix the point of fracture entry into the salt. The fracturing was done with water at injection rtaes as high as 30 bbl per min. The salt parted at 1450 psi; and it required only 5 min for the fracture to reach the well which was 200 ft to the south. It took about 5 min more to reach the other two wells. Caliper surveys were run to locate the point of fracture entry in the three outside wells. The fracture appears to have drifted downward slightly, entering the outside wells at the top of a streak of carnallite 8 or 9 ft below the ore zone. A cross section of the wells selected for the multi-well test is shown in Fig. 1. The figure includes KC1 values based on core analysis and the trace of the fracture plane between the wells.

Jan 1, 1971

By Edgar A. Manker

"Today's market for columbium has only developed in the last two decades, and in this sense it is ""newer"" than molybdenum, vanadium and most other steel alloying elements. In this short period, it has assumed a very important role in steel alloying and in superalloys. From a few hundred thousand pounds of columbium in 1960, consumption has grown to nearly 30 million pounds per year, with a market value approaching two hundred million dollars.To assess the outlook for columbium, we will first consider the historical development of consumption and supply, particularly noting that all of today's major mines were developed during the last two decades. From current production, we will attempt to reasonably project the future. This future may well include new producers, particularly some producing columbium as a co-product with tantalum.The growth of current applications, and emerging new applications, will be considered with regard to future consumption and in relation to future trends in pricing.IntroductionThe nineteenth century was a busy time for the discovery and naming of new elements. Among those discovered were columbium in 1801 and niobium in 1844. Although it was later shown that columbium and niobium are the same element, the two names are still used today. Niobium has been pronounced the ""official"" name by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, but columbium is still widely used in commercial practice, and we have chosen to use columbium in this paper."

Jan 1, 1981

By S P. Young, K R. Monro

Reducing metal prices have forced mining operations to become more efficient and innovate in order to do more with the existing base. Much of this effort has focused on improving the efficiency of load and haul operations. The key to this is to understand and quantify where delays and missed opportunities exist. Metrics such as utilisation of availability, efficiency utilisation and asset availability are helpful indicators of performance; however, uptime-based time usage models and performance analysis tools using productive operating time models help to identify additional improvement opportunities.Phu Kham is a copper-gold mine operated in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos) since 2008 by PanAust Limited. The mine is a single large open pit of 450 m depth, running a fleet of 51 100 t class rigid dump trucks and 300 t and 200 t shovels controlled with the aid of a fleet management system in order to achieve ex-pit material movements of 56 Mt/a.Commencing in late 2014, a range of initiatives were implemented in order to improve the efficiency of the mine haulage fleet. These include hot seating of all operator changeouts via changeout ramps, split shifting of crews to minimise queuing delays, maximising blast volumes and minimising blast event days to reduce blast exclusion delay events including opportune refuelling of equipment during blasting events, inspections of trucks during refuelling events, implementation of a dedicated haul road services team to help reduce wet weather related delays and infrastructure development for haul path efficiency improvements.These and other initiatives have allowed the mine haulage fleet utilisation of availability (UofA) to be sustainably increased from 85 per cent to 97 per cent (see Figure 1), efficiency utilisation to increase from 85 per cent to 90 per cent, and productive operating time (POT) to increase from 73 per cent to 84 per cent. The corresponding increases in efficiency of the haulage fleet has allowed an equivalent reduction of eight haul trucks from the fleet to meet continuing life-of-mine production requirements.CITATION:Monro, K R and Young, S P, 2016. Truck haulage improvements at the Phu Kham mine – the journey to 97 per cent utilisation of availability, in Proceedings International Mine Management Conference, pp 339-346 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jun 22, 2016

By R. E. Moore

The lining systems currently in use in BOF furnaces, certain steel ladles, and the slag line of electric are furnaces were developed during the late seventies through the mid-eighties using a trial and error method of combining aggregate, carbon sources, additives and binders. They are currently based on magnesia, graphite, metal additives and resin binders, the selections of each being tied to the anticipated intensity of the use conditions. The general functions of the respective constituents are well appreciated, however, there is still a great deal that is not known about how the socalled antioxidants protect the graphite nor how impurities from the graphite and the aggregate enter into the wear processes. In a simplified assessment of wear processes, it appears that if the deoxidized layer can be kept very thin, less than 810 mm in depth, and if the viscosity and quantity of the matrix glassy phases can be controlled to resist erosion of the deoxidized layer, lining life can be maximized for the various applications. This paper will discuss the characteristics of the starting materials systems currently being employed for applications requiring a deoxidation function to realize extended wear. It will not attempt to explain all the complex interrelationships between the respective constituents but will point to the potential for improvements through the use of improved constituents.

Jan 1, 1991

By R. F. Favreau, G. E. Larocque

The objective of the study is development of an analytic process based on rock and explosive properties which allows the prediction of the stress distributions and fracture zone around explosive charges. A computer program has been written for this purpose, using a finite difference approximation to the momentum equation, to describe the motion of the surrounding rock by step-wise integration. Its application provides ground motion data such as stress components, displacement and particle velocity as a function of position and time with respect to a spherical charge. The effect of tensile and shear failure on these ground motion parameters can be included. The analytic procedure contained within this program has been used to predict peak stress as a function of distance in rock for rock-explosive combinations for which field data exists to determine peak stress levels directly. Two methods have been used for the spherical charge which in the analysis replaces the actual cylindrical charges: instantaneous application of peak pressure to a charge having a radius equivalent in contained volume to a charge having a length to diameter ratio of 1, and gradual pressure build up to peak pressure with a charge radius equivalent in contained volume to the total charge used in the field test. The agreement with field data would appear best with the latter treatment. The peak stresses obtained are in closer agreement with field measured peak-stress and a better approximation to field stress wave duration exists in the case of gradual pressure build up. One of the assumptions made in the analysis is that, in the case of cylindrical charges, the explosion pressure rather than the detonation pressure of an explosive establishes the peak stresses in the

Jan 1, 1971

By Raymond Ward

IN the past few years several papers have appeared dealing with different aspects of the oxidation of dilute alloys, especially with respect to the formation of internal oxides or subscales. Subscale has been defined1 as that layer or zone of oxide particles precipitated in a matrix of metallic metal in which the oxide particles are dispersed uniformly and occur by diffusion of the oxygen inward from the metal surface. Alloys composed of a solvent metal more noble than the alloying elements are subject to subscaling or internal oxidation. In these alloys the solute must be present in such quantities that if the alloy is exposed to an oxidizing atmosphere at elevated temperatures, the rate of diffusion of the oxygen into the metal will be greater than the rate of diffusion of the solute outward. There is a composition range of the iron-silicon system that falls into this classification. Knowledge of the nature and rates of oxidation of iron-silicon alloys is of great commercial importance, but very little information of this nature is available. Darken2 recently has made calculations to show the limits of concentration of silicon for which subscales are produced in iron-silicon alloys; however, the main thesis of his paper was to analyze and to explain the already existing data. The purpose of this paper is to present the effect of com position, temperature, time, and atmosphere on the type of scale-metal layer obtained and to give some qualitative indication of the effect of these variables on the rates of oxidation. Since this paper is a study of silicon steels that are available commercially, extremely low-silicon and high-silicon alloys are not included. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The alloys used in the experiment were taken from heats of silicon steel that ranged in analysis from 0.70 to 5.8 per cent silicon. This composition range takes in most of the commercial silicon steels. In Table I are listed the compositions of alloys used. Other than iron and silicon, the alloys normally contained approximately the following impurities: carbon, 0.03 per cent; manganese, 0.07; phosphorus, 0.008; sulphur, 0.02; copper, 0.07; tin, 0.01, and from nil to a trace of chromium, nickel and copper. All of the alloys used were melted in open-hearth furnaces, except where otherwise noted, and were hot-rolled to 0.100-in. plate. Samples approximately 1/2 in. square were then cut from these materials. So that the surface conditions of the samples used for oxidation would be standardized, each sample was ground through 000 emery paper immediately before oxidation. Two different techniques were employed in carrying out the oxidizing treatments. One consisted simply of heating the samples with free access to air. In this treatment the samples were set on edge on a refrac-

Jan 1, 1945