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By Walter Miller

With returning prosperous conditions in all industries, oil-refinery engineering has found opportunity for the more extensive application of improvements developed during the several years of depression. The year has brought out little of an entirely new nature, but much in wider application of previous worth-while developments. The greatest volume of work done has been in modernizing the distillation and cracking units of existing refineries, particularly by substitution of combination skimming and cracking units for older equipment, and the installation of cracking plants in smaller refineries where formerly only skimming was practiced. A number of entirely new refineries were installed during the year, two of the most important being the 20,000-bbl. refinery by the Atlantic Refining Co., at Atreco, Tex., and a 12,000-bbl. plant by the Wilshire Oil Co., at Norwalk, Calif., these two embodying some of the latest developments in cracking and treating. Total refining capacity for the United States is now reported as being something over 4,000,000 bbl. per day, but a movement is on foot looking to a complete revision of these figures, as experience has indicated not only some overstatement of capacity of equipment but that considerable equipment is included which because of obsolescence and location will probably never be run again. The 3,000,000-bbl. figure which the industry reached during the year's high consuming period required the operation of probably 95 per cent of the country's efficiently usable capacity. Cracking and Polymerization There were no new outstanding developments in the cracking field, progress being made largely in the further refinement of known principles. Improvements in furnace design and operation have been largely in permitting closer control of the heating curve through the cracking-tube system, assisting in more uniform yield and in the lessening of coke deposition, and permitting longer trouble-free operating time as well as reduction in furnace-maintenance cost. Actual operating polymerization capacity has been increased little during the year, but a number of projects have been started, some nearing completion, the production from which will be available during 1937.

Jan 1, 1937

By Frank Alfred Fahrenwald

Discussion of the paper of FRANK ALFRED FAHRENWALD, presented at the New York meeting, February, 1916, and printed in Bulletin No. 109, January, 1916, pp. 103 to 149. F. A. FAHRENWALD, Cleveland, Ohio (communication to the Secretary*).-Since the publication of my paper in the January Bulletin, (which was largely a metallographic treatise), I have been questioned regarding two points referred to therein. One of these is that which deals with the application I have made, p. 119, of the equation for melting pressures which correspond with different working temperatures. The other refers to the statement, p. 137, that "Prolonged heating at relatively low temperatures gave fewer and larger crystals and crystals of different sizes, while a flashing at higher temperatures gave a very fine and uniform crystalline structure, which was much' to be preferred." Especial emphasis was not placed upon either of these two factors, for each seemed perfectly logical and obvious. As they do not seem to be self-explanatory, I will supplement with those portions of my notes which were purposely omitted from the manuscript submitted for publication. A few practical illustrations may serve as evidence in support of the first of these, but it must be understood that in this work the "amorphous theory" is considered as being sound, and that it is assumed that metals allow of distortion, without fracture, by virtue of the formation of slip surfaces, accompanied by the transformation of crystalline material to the, amorphous phase. Effect of Pressure.-In all forging, rolling, and drawing operations, it is known that specimens of small cross-section may be worked at a lower temperature than can be used for the same material in much greater mass and sectional area. In -the larger pieces the maximum pressure is brought to bear upon the material near the surface, so that the interior is not subjected to great pressure, but to, a stress more nearly tensile, or shearing, so only the surface is subjected to the critical melting pressure. In the case of wires which draw hollow, the center is subjected to practically a tensile stress which breaks it, while the surface skin draws perfectly, due to the enormous "flowing" pressure exerted upon it by the surface of the draw-plate.

Jan 5, 1916

By William R. Webster

The unusual interest taken in the papers on steel at the New York (1922) meeting showed that the time is ripe for the renewal of the general discussion of the physics of steel, on the same lines that wete used formerly and produced such good and lasting results. The curves shown in Figs. 1 to 4 and the appendix were added to my paper1 after the February meeting, but, unfortunately, Figs. 1 and 3 were transposed; the curves on page 252 are for bessemer steel and belong on page 254; while those on page 254 are for open-hearth steel and belong on page 252. These errors are evident at once on referring to the data in Tables 1 and 2, pages 227 and 228. The curves for each 0.05 per cent. of carbon and manganese in basic open-hearth steel are given in Figs. 1 and 2; these lines for the lower carbons and manganese are comparatively uniform. Figs. 3 and 4 give similar lines for carbon and manganese in bessemer steel. The large break in the carbon lines from 0.55 per cent. to 0.60 per cent. is caused by much higher silicon in the steels of 0.60 per cent, carbon and over that are used for springs, etc. The estimated ultimate strength of pure iron, and the increase in strength by carbon, phosphorus, and manganese, with the different views regarding the same, were given and diseussed. All of this can be considered as an introduction to the practical use that is now being made of such data in selecting the heats of steel best suited to give the required physical tests called for in the finished rolled material. The chemical composition of the steel, of course, tells only a part of the story, as many other factors that have an influence on the physical properties of the steel must be considered, and controlled as far as is possible. Some of these have already been referred to, but there are other important ones to be considered and discussed.

Jan 1, 1923

By W. D. Bennett

AN interesting effect has been observed in the vacuum etching of titanium in the high temperature ß phase. Using a high vacuum annealing furnace, operating at less than 2x10-6 mm with a tubular titanium liner, it has been found possible to etch polished metallographic specimens at different temperatures between room temperature and 1000°C without contamination or increase in hardness.' Heat etching of titanium has been reported by other workers,' but the following example is of interest as an experiment under high vacuum in the absence of any contamination. Two polished specimens of iodide-processed titanium are placed at different positions along the axis of the furnace corresponding to temperatures of 900" and 800°C above and below the a-ß transus. The specimens are then raised to these temperatures and annealed simultaneously for 3 hr under the same high vacuum conditions. After cooling and withdrawing the specimens, their surfaces are photographed without further treatment. Figs. 1 and 2 show the results for the 800" and 900°C specimens, respectively. Fig. 1, corresponding to a vacuum etch in the a region, shows a typical equiaxed structure with what appears to be a slight shift of grain boundaries. Fig. 2, corresponding to a vacuum etch in the ß region, shows an equiaxed type of structure with the growth of striations in certain grains. The striations are only superficial, as a light polish and chemical etch restores the clean equiaxed structure. The vacuum etch, occurring as it does above the a-ß transus, records the state of the metal in the ß phase by means of the surface relief produced by the selective evaporation of metal from different grains; the metal itself reverts to the equiaxed a on cooling. The nature of the ß etch" (Fig. 2) suggests that, in transforming from the close-packed-hexagonal a to the body-centered-cubic ß lenticular-shaped laminae are formed parallel to common planes of the two structures. This would explain why some grains appear to be unaffected by the etch. The technique has interesting possibilities in the investigation of the mechanics of high temperature transformation. Acknowledgment This note is published by permission of the Deputy Minister, Dept. of Mines and Technical Surveys, Ottawa, Ont., Canada.

Jan 1, 1956

By N. J. Grant, W. R. Opie

THE amount of hydrogen that will dissolve in lead has been considered negligible. However, a limited number of measurements made recently using apparatus built for determining hydrogen solubility in aluminum alloys' indicate that liquid lead will hold a small but appreciable amount of hydrogen in solution. The apparatus used was similar to that developed by Sieverts.' This consists of a bulb to hold the molten metal, a gas burette for introducing a measured quantity of gas into the bulb and a manometer for measuring the gas pressure in the bulb. Measurements are made by introducing enough of an insoluble gas (helium) to fill the system at a given temperature and pressure, thereby determining the hot volume of the bulb. This gas then is pumped out and hydrogen is introduced until the same pressure is reached, the metal being maintained at the same temperature while in contact with each gas. The difference between the volumes corrected for pressure is then the hydrogen solubility. A more detailed account of the procedure can be found in refs. 1 and 2. The lead was melted in an alundum crucible by induction heating to provide uniform temperature and an important stirring effect. The metal was the purest obtainable, 99.999 + , prepared especially by the research department of the American Smelting and Refining Co. Measurements were made by approaching the equilibrium value from high and low temperatures during the constant pressure runs, and from high and low pressures when the temperature was held constant. Thus a number of measurements were made on each of two large samples which weighed 336 and 398 g. The gases were purified as .described in ref. 1. The effect of temperature on the solubility was studied with the pressure held constant at 760 mm of Hg. To show the effect of pressure, solubility measurements were taken at two constant temperatures, 600" and 900°C. Results The effect of temperature on hydrogen solubility is shown in Fig. 1. The curve representing the data is parabolic, as are plots of hydrogen solubility vs. temperature for other metals and alloys (aluminum,' copper," and iron,& for example). Fig. 2 shows the relationship that exists when the solubility is

Jan 1, 1952

By Jerome Alexander

IT is an outstanding fact of Nature that many of the practical properties of substances are dependent, not on their ultimate chemical composition, but on the kind and degree of aggregation of their constituent particles. Thus, a granite boulder is unmoved by wind or water, but if reduced to a fine dust it will be blown about by the wind and washed away by the rain. Carbon in one crystalline state of aggregation (diamond) is the hardest known substance, whereas in another crystalline state (graphite) it is so soft that it is used as a lubricant. Laying too much stress on the mere chemical analysis of substances is apt to obscure the fact that the nature of the aggregation of their particles is always a factor of importance, and sometimes the most important factor. Colloid chemistry deals with matter in. a very fine state of subdivision; its sphere begins with particles just a little smaller than a wave length of light-and extends clown until they blend into molecular dimensions. With particles of this size; such phenomena as surface tension and adsorption, which depend on the development of free surface, become enormously magnified. Thus a cube of 1 cm. edge has a surface of only 6 sq. cm.; but if it is reduced to colloidal dimensions by being cut up into cubes each having an edge of 0.01 , (0.00001 mm.), it will yield one million, million, million (1,000,000,000,000,000,000) such cubes, having a combined area of 600 sq. in., or 21,274 sq. ft. The tiny force with which a drop of rain clings to the window pane becomes a. factor to be reckoned with, if the surface involved is increased millions of times. From the colloid-chemical viewpoint, metals and alloys may be regarded as jellies or sponge-like structures, the viscosity or stiffness of which at ordinary temperatures is exceedingly great; and like all jellies their properties are dependent on the composition and degree of dispersion of their constituent phases. These, in turn, depend on chemical composition, mutual solubility, speed of chilling, subsequent mechanical and heat treatment, etc In fact, in preparing metals and

Jan 2, 1919

By Thomas M. Drown

I DESIRE to communicate to the Institute the results of a few analyses which bear on the condition of carbon in gray and white iron. These analyses were made in the course of an investigation, now in progress, of the chemical composition of "chilling" irons. It will be remembered that Bell says he found no material difference in the amount and condition of carbon in gray and white pig iron made at the Clarence furnace, in England, and he therefore refers the difference in color and appearance in these two varieties of iron to the size of the particles of graphite. I quote from his "Chemical Phenomena of Iron Smelting:" "The inference I would draw from the information afforded by these analyses is, that the condition of iron in respect to its so-called 'richness' is, within certain limits, entirely independent of its chemical constitution.. .. In the fluid state, I conceive the carbon, so taken up, confers upon the iron the property of fusion much below the temperature at which the pure metal melts, and the carbon itself may be regarded as dissolved in the iron. If, during the process of manufacture, the pig metal has been formed at a low temperature, consolidation, I imagine, takes place under such circumstances that the crystals are so minute, and the carbon which is separated assumes the uncombined or graphitic form in particles so minute as to be invisible, and, in consequence, the iron is white. If, on the other hand, the furnace is working at a very high temperature, the intensely heated iron crystallizes with large facets, upon which the extruded carbon assumes the condition of distinct plates or flakes. Should the temperature be less intense, these crystals are of smaller dimensions, and the separated carbon is less conspicuous, and, as the temperature of the furnace declines, the crystals decrease in size, as do the flakes of carbon, until both disappear in white iron.. .. Returning, then, to temperature as the cause of differences in quality of pig iron, the 'chilling' of gray metal, and its conversion into white, may be regarded as the effect of preventing, by rapid cooling, the formation

By C. M. Young

THE safety lamp is the most common and convenient apparatus for detecting inflammable gases in mines, the presence of gas being shown by a blue flame, called the cap, if the wick has been lowered to suppress the luminous flame. The height of the cap increases with the proportion of gas and with the temperature of the lamp flame. Lamps of the Wolf type, the fuel of which is benzine, have a hotter flame than lamps in which vegetable oils are used, such as the Davy, and the Clanny, and are more sensitive than the latter and their many modifications. The Piehler alcohol lamp gives a still higher cap while the Clowes hydrogen lamp is most sensitive of all. While the effect of the temperature of the source of ignition is well known, the writer knows of no previous attempt to correlate the change of this temperature with change of the height of the cap produced. In order to determine the height of the cap at various temperatures, it was necessary to have a source of ignition the temperature of which could he accurately controlled over a considerable range. This condition was met by a coil of wire of high fusing point heated by an electric current controlled by a variable resistance. The use of a coil offered the further advantage of freedom from complications due to the flame of a burning fuel. Such a flame, being itself of variable height, would to some extent raise or lower the elevation of the base of the cap and therefore add to the difficulty of determining the height of the cap. Besides this, the presence of a small cap from the lamp fuel, commonly known as the "fuel cap, " would interfere with the observation of small gas caps. After some experiment, a coil was made of platinum wire, No. 26, diameter 0.016 in. The coil was 17/64 in. (6.746 mm.) in outside diameter and had eight full turns in a length of ½ in. (12.69 mm.). This was connected to an electric circuit through an adjustable resistance, as shown in

Jan 8, 1919

By Thomas M. Drown

I DESIRE to communicate to the Institute the results of a few analyses which bear on the condition of carbon in gray and white iron. These analyses were made in the course of an investigation, now in progress, of the chemical composition of "chilling" irons. It will be remembered that Bell says he found no material difference in the amount and condition of carbon in gray and white pig iron made at the Clarence furnace, in England, and he therefore refers the difference in color and appearance in these two varieties of iron to the size of the particles of graphite. I quote from his "Chemical Phenomena of Iron Smelting:" "The inference I would draw from the information afforded by these analyses is, that the condition of iron in respect to its so-called `richness' is, within certain limits, entirely independent of its chemical constitution... . In the fluid state, I conceive the carbon, so taken up, confers upon the iron the property of fusion much below the temperature at which the pure metal melts, and the carbon itself may be regarded as dissolved in the iron. If, during the process of manufacture, the pig metal has been formed at a low temperature, consolidation, I imagine, takes place under such circumstances that the crystals are so minute, and the carbon which is separated assumes the uncombined or graphitic form in particles so minute as to be invisible, and, in consequence, the iron is white. If, on the other hand, the furnace is working at a very high temperature, the intensely heated iron crystallizes with large facets, upon which the extruded carbon assumes the condition of distinct plates or flakes. Should the temperature be less intense, these crystals are of smaller dimensions, and the separated carbon is less conspicuous, and, as the temperature of the furnace declines, the crystals decrease in size, as do the flakes of carbon, until both disappear in white iron. . . . Returning, then, to temperature as the cause of differences in quality of pig iron, the `chilling' of gray metal, and its conversion into white, may be regarded as the effect of preventing, by rapid cooling, the formation

Jan 1, 1875

By Carl Keuffel

THE manufacture of optical glass is a new industry in this country. In 1914, after the war started, the supply of optical glass from Europe was cut off, but as there was a fairly large stock of glass on hand, it was not until the end of 1915 that the optical instrument makers made serious efforts to produce their own glass. These early attempts were generally made by practical glass men and, due primarily to the fact that very little scientific help was used, the first attempts were unsuccessful. It was not until the whole problem was attacked by technically trained men who used advanced methods of research that good results were obtained. These researches proved that the accurate control of the temperature was a most important factor in the manufacture of optical glass. The early glass maker judged temperatures with his eyes; later, Seger cones were introduced into the furnace at various stages of the melt. Then radiation, indicating and recording pyrometers with rare-metal thermocouples were introduced. Now, in addition to these, an optical pyrometer every hour or so is sighted right into the pot and on the molten glass. Figs. 1 and 2 show how pyrometers are used to control the melt. InFig. 2, Y is the clay pot in which the batch is melted to glass within the furnace X. The rare-metal thermocouple S, protected by a clay tube, extends through the wall and about 4 in. into the furnace. This couple is connected to an indicator T and a recorder U so that a complete record of the furnace temperatures is obtained. The section of the curve ABCD, Fig. 1, shows how gradually and carefully the clay pot must be heated to get rid of moisture AB and during the calcining at CD. The stem of an expansion pyrometer R is extended through a hole in the door Z of the furnace and into the pot in order to more closely follow the temperatures of the clay pot itself during the burning process, that is from A to D. After the pot is calcined, the temperature can be rapidly raised to E (about 1430° C.); from E to F this temperature is much higher

Jan 9, 1919

By Geoffrey Purcell

For anyone contemplating flotation research with only a very limited amount of mineral available for testing, the choice of suitable experimental equipment is by no means obvious. Hallimond's original and delightfully simple cell1 has been modified by subsequent investigators2to give quantitative and reproducible results on small samples. However, the modifications have necessarily compromised its simplicity, and the services of a skilled glass blower are required to duplicate the cell. Vacuum flotation tests3 at best qualitative and may, under certain conditions4, be quite impracticable. A hundred years ago, Thoreau observed that "our life is frittered away by detail," and his advice was to "simplify, simplify," The success of the simple cell described below, which was developed by the author and differs somewhat from Hallimond's original, suggests that Thoreau's advice still has merit a century later. CELL CONSTRUCTION The cell [Fig. 1 (a) and 1 (b)] consists essentially of a 25-ml pipet from which has been cut the con- stricted top. The length cut off is not critical since this merely determines the final volume of the cell. Cell volume may be varied in this way from 20 to 50 cc. A pyrex extension tube, equal in diameter and approximately half the length of the cut pipet, is attached to the top of the pipet by means of 2 ½ in. of close-fitting tygon tubing. When assembled, the two pyrex tubes should be spaced about ½ in. apart. Another length of tygon tubing is added to the extension piece for sealing purposes. A ¾ -in. disc of porous material (teflon cloth is ideal), secured in place over the pipet tip with another piece of shaped tygon tubing, completes the cell assembly. Tygon tubing may be shaped by pushing it over the pipet tip or some similar form and heating carefully over a low flame. For flotation [Fig. 1 (c) 1, the pyrex extension tube is rotated approximately 70º from the vertical and held in position by a wire hook and eye. Floated material, after reaching the free surface, falls and rests on this inclined plane. The barrier formed by the bent tygon tubing ensures that floated material does not slide back and return to the vertical portion of the cell.

Jan 11, 1965

By Hanlu Xie, Liang Yu, Ping Wang, Yuanchi Dong

"The leaching process is the first step when recycling BF slag as raw material for some other products. While studying the kinetics of the BF slag leaching process, a fractal phenomenon was found, which indicated some interesting mechanism in the process. The result suggested a new understanding of the leaching process in detail which useful for the industrial applicationIntroductionTypical composition (wt. %) of blast furnace slag varied in a pretty wide range: SiO2 30–40, Al2O3 10–20, CaO 30–40, MgO 5–10.The ground granulated slag is commonly used as base of roadway (mixed with natural inert for paving, soil stabilization, etc.) or one of the resources of Portland cements because of its good hydraulic activity [1]. To recycle the slag economically, the selective recovery of some components of the slag may be considered. As main components exist in the slag, silica [2, 3 and 4] and alumina [4] recovery was first considered.While recovering of silica from the slag, silica gels are recovered selectively from the leaching solution deriving from the treatment of the slag with waste sulfuric acid. After separation of the exhausted solid of leaching, the silica gel is precipitated from the solution at pH 3.2. Although the silica gels obtained by this procedure contain many impurities and need some more work afterward, it is the first and important step for the process.In the prior work [5], silica extraction using blast furnace slag had been investigated, focused on the pH value of selectively silica extraction. In the present work, kinetics of the leaching process was focused. It is important to design an economical process.ExperimentalThe composition of the slag and the calcined gels has been determined by a LINK860 (Oxford Instruments, Oak Ridge, TN) energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) in conjunction with a CAMBRIDGE S250-M2 (Cambridge Instrument Ltd., Cambridge, U.K.) scanning electron microscope(SEM). The leaching of slag and the precipitation of silica gels have been conducted at atmospheric pressure in a stirred reactor placed at temperature controlled by a heated water bath."

Jan 1, 2008

By F. Leclerc, V. Rebeyrolle, M. Revil-Baudard, A. Jardy, M. Založnik, H. Combeau

"Since the quality of Vacuum Arc Remelted ingots is linked to their chemical homogeneity and metallurgical structure, a modeling study of the solidification during VAR has been undertaken. It is based on the solution of the coupled transient heat, momentum and solute transport equations during the remelting of a cylindrical ingot. Solidification mechanisms implemented in the model include a full coupling between energy and solute transport in the mushy zone, and accounting for nucleation and finite diffusion of solutes at the microscopic scale, in both solid and liquid phases. This modeling can be applied to actual multi-component alloys. In this paper, the macrosegregation in Zircaloy 4 ingots is investigated. To validate the model, one single melt of a homogeneous electrode has been specifically performed. The comparison between the predicted macrosegregation and the experimental results shows the importance of accounting for solutal convection to forecast properly the macrosegregation in remelted ingots.IntroductionVacuum Arc Remelting of zirconium alloy ingots is a key step in the manufacturing process of fuel assembly components in nuclear reactors. The control of the chemical homogeneity is indeed fundamental to ensure the quality and the in-reactor performance of the final products. Despite the use of electromagnetic stirring to homogenize the liquid melt composition, chemical heterogeneities develop in the mushy zone during the solidification stage. One of the main challenges for zirconium producers, as well as titanium producers, is to master the VAR process in order to control the macrosegregation in remelted ingots. Macrosegregation results from the association of microsegregation and transport phenomena. The latter are primarily due to the flow in the liquid and mushy parts. It is now well established [1-4] that the hydrodynamics of the melt pool in a VAR ingot depends on the combined action of the followings: thermal and solutal buoyancy, self-induced electromagnetic force and the periodic centrifugal force caused by the angular movement generated by the stirring. However, for zirconium alloy ingots, the effects of thermal and solutal buoyancy forces on macrosegregation through their influence on the flow in the mushy zone have not been clearly identified."

Jan 1, 2012

By George Hallerman, R. J. Gray

In the customary method of studying age hardening, the process of aging is interrupted by cooling the specimen and measuring its room-temperature hardness. However, the aging process may be conveniently measured while it is occurring at an elevated temperature by a series of hardness measurements at suitable time intervals. The latter method gives data void of complications that might result from processes occurring during the quench, and the data may be more indicative of the alloy's properties at elevated temperatures. The elevated-temperature hardness tester1 used in the present study employed a dead-weight loading system with a synthetic sapphire Vickers-type in-denter mounted in a molybdenum holder. The tests were performed in a vacuum of l0 to 10 torr. Hardness impressions were made by applying a 2-kg load for 15 sec. Although the hardness impressions made in the tester at elevated temperatures were measured at room temperature, the correction for thermal contraction during cooling was insignificant and therefore neglected. The two methods of obtaining age-hardening data were compared using eighteen samples of Haynes alloy No. 25* which had been annealed for 2 hr at 2250°F (1232°C). The test surfaces of the 1 by 1 by 1/4-in. samples were ground and then polished on vibratory polishers2 prior to testing. Three groups of five samples were aged at 1400°, 1650°, and 1800°F (760°, 899", and 982°C) for 4, 16, 32, 64, and 100 hr and then water-quenched. Room-temperature hardness as a function of aging time for these samples is shown in the broken lines of Fig. 1. Only one sample for each of the three temperatures was necessary to determine the hardness of the alloy at the aging temperatures with the elevated hardness tester. The specimens were heated isothermally and hardness impressions were made after various time intervals up to 100 hr. The results of these determinations were represented by solid lines in Fig. 1. Comparison of the two sets of curves shows, as expected, the hardness values determined at the aging temperatures are lower than the room-temperature hardness of the quenched specimens and the hot-hardness values reflect a strong tempera-

Jan 1, 1964

By W. H. Adams

I DOUBT if many of our engineers know of the existence of coal-fields extending over hundreds of miles of territory bordering on and lying contiguous to the Rio Grande River in Mexico. Essential as these facts are to those contemplating the starting of industrial works along our frontier, I have not been able to learn that any surveys or examinations have been made of these deposits, and I trust the preliminary and unofficial investigations lately made by myself may be found of interest, especially to those of our members whose experience has been with poor fuel, or in districts remote from railway facilities. While it is true that Northern Mexico is generally bare of charcoal-making timber, yet no greater mistake can be made than to condemn the light, quick-growing woods found in profusion, and which cannot be excelled in flame or heat-producing qualities for boilers, reverberatory furnaces, or hearths. No country could be surer of a full supply of wood if wise legislation in regard to irrigation and preservation of young timber were adopted and enforced, but the beneficiation of the low-grade ores of Mexico demands a more dense fuel for furnace work, and, fortunately for metallurgists, who will hereafter make this frontier a base of operations, there have been disclosed, near the surface, seemingly inexhaustible beds of semi-anthracite and bituminous coals. No extensive openings have as yet been made, and my own workings at the Cedral mines are all that can yet be said to prove the quantity and quality of the coal, other openings furnishing only corroborative evidence. Our location (one hundred and ten miles west of the Rio Grande River) is on the western line of the depository basin, as it has existed since the period of activity along the volcanic line. The region farther inland I have not examined, but the elevations, as a rule, are much greater, though from the nature of the formation, they are not necessarily barren-ground. Beginning at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains (location of the Cedral mines), we find very interesting breaks in the foot-hills, disclosing the stratified rocks from the volcanic centres to the valleys.

Jan 1, 1882

By S. W. Parr, T. E. Layng

The low-temperature carbonization of coal involves the carrying out of the coking process under conditions wherein neither the coal mass nor any of the passageways through which the volatile products pass are heated above 700" or 800" C. For convenience in this discussion, the single number 750" will be used to designate the maximum range. This temperature is not selected arbitrarily; it is the result of certain natural conditions that are inherent in the substances involved. Two of these conditions arc sufficiently pronounced to suggest a line of demarcation at this point as follows: (1) Below 750°, all the heavy hydrocarbons are expelled, which means that, at these lower temperatures, the illuminants, the gases of high calorific value, and the condensible oils are discharged; above 750") there are given off the lean, non-illuminating gases consisting for the most part of hydrogen and marsh gas and having no condensible constituents present. (2) Below 750") there is substantially no secondary decomposition; above 750") the volatile products are readily decomposed, forming tars, naphthalene, free carbon, etc. It is not intended to maintain that no secondary decompositions occur below 750". Many recent studies have demonstrated the practicability, especially in the presence of catalytic substances, of cracking certain of the hydrocarbon compounds; but at these lower temperatures the step is a moderate one, as, for- example, from xylene to toluene or from toluene to an anthracene. These changes are moderate in amount. Not only do the reactions proceed slowly but they are subjected to the decomposing . conditions for only a short time. This is evident when it is recalled that at these initial temperatures the decomposition of the coal is very rapid and, if anywhere near a neutral pressure is maintained, the movement of the evolved gases is lively and reduces, correspondingly, the time for the retention of the gases in the passageways where these milder decomposing conditions exist. It is acknowledged that the maintenance of these temperature conditions at the present time has only an ideal and not a practical status. Actual operations under these conditions, as a? industrial accomplish-

Jan 1, 1920

THE increased demand for titanium alloys with improved high-temperature creep strengths has stimulated interest in silicon as an alloying addition to titanium. Silicon is a potent solid-solution strength-ener and, if added in sufficient concentration and properly heat-treated, can also dispersion-strengthen titanium by eutectoid decomposition.' However, better understanding of the nature and distribution of the resulting silicide dispersion in more highly alloyed titanium matrices is necessary for the development of useful titanium alloys which utilize the latter strengthening mechanism. This note describes the chemical and crystallographic characteristics of the silicide phase as it occurs in a typical high-temperature near-a titanium alloy matrix. Several Ti-6A1-3Sn-3Zr a11oys containing various amounts of silicon ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 pct were melted as 10- to 20-lb ingots and processed into 1/2-in.-diam bar stock. The microstructures of specimens annealed at various temperatures were conveniently summarized by the (Ti-6Al-3Sn-3Zr)-Si pseudobinary phase diagram illustrated in Fig. 1. Comparison with the Ti-Si equilibrium diagram indicates the substitutional solutes (Al-Sn-Zr) increase the eutectoid temperature and decrease the a terminal solubility. Annealing at temperatures sufficiently high to dissolve the silicon in a ß solid solution and cooling rapidly enough to preclude coarsening generally produced a uniform dispersion of fine silicide particles, whereas annealing at temperatures near but below the ß transus produced relatively coarse silicide particles. Annealing in the limited a, plus 3 region produced a duplex coarse and fine silicide array. Several a-annealed specimens were examined by X-ray diffraction to determine the crystallographic identity of the precipitate phase. Copper Ka X-ray diffraction patterns of bulk specimens which contained 0.5 and 0.8 pct Si were virtually identical to that of the silicon-free Ti-6Al-3Sn-3Zr base alloy except for a slight shift in some of the high-angle diffraction lines. Apparently the silicide volume fraction was too low to be detected in bulk specimens. X-

Jan 1, 1969

By B. L. Dunic, Terkel Rosenqvist

rr has long been suspected that sulphur has a small but finite solid solubility in iron, but up to the present more accurate data have been lacking. The survey given by Hansen' illustrates the divergence of data and opinions. Solubilities between 0.01 and 1.5 pct have been suggested, and opinions vary regarding the effects of temperature and phase transformations in iron on the sulphur solubility. The extent of solid solution and its variation with temperature might be expected to be an important factor in the occurrence of hot shortness in steel. Therefore, the object of the present investigation was to study this problem more systematically. It was furthermore hoped that solubility data for sulphur might contribute to an understanding of the factors which determine solid solubilities in general. Experimental Procedure The present work was based on the measurement of the chemical activity of sulphur in the solid solution by means of equilibrium with a mixture of hydrogen and hydrogen sulphide. When the solid solubility limit is reached, the sulphur activity in the iron becomes equal to that in the coexisting sulphide phase. A gas mixture of a controlled H,S/H, ratio was passed over pure metallic iron heated to a temperature in the range 900" to 1500". The amount of sulphur absorbed by the iron was determined by analysis, and from a plot of percentage of sulphur vs. gas composition the sulphur activity and the solubility limit were determined. As the rate of diffusion of sulphur in solid iron is very small, often several days were needed to be sure that equilibrium conditions had been established. To produce a gas flow with less than 1 pct H,S of constant composition for several days, was in itself a problem. The most satisfactory arrangement was obtained by a continuous synthesis of hydrogen sulphide from the elements. This was done in the part of the apparatus shown to the left in Fig. 1. The hydrogen used was first purified in tank batches by passage through activated charcoal cooled in liquid nitrogen under a pressure of 150

Jan 1, 1953

By d&apos, Alton AJ, Rigden DT

Modern petroleum refining offers a complexity of environments, each requiring different metals for the satisfactory performance of-the various sections of the refinery, and this paper first outlines the varied enva.x¦on-ments thus met.It follows that the metal types in use will also vary to suit each particular environment, and the paper' consequently covers the use of ferrous-metals, ranging from plan carbon steels to the high alloy types and the non-ferrous metals, particularly copper and its alloys.The failures of some,of these metals and alloys are then illustrated by experiences it Kwinana. These failures are duo to (a) corrosion, (b) erosion, (c) faulty welding, and (d) mechanical defects,' of which the first is by far the most prevalent. The protective measures taken to prevent subsequent failures are then given under one or other of the following headings :(1) alterations in process conditions, (2) the use of alternative ,alloys,(3) suitable heat treatment, (4) redesign of the failed section, (5) cathodic protection, and (6) use of corrosion inhibitors.Reference is then made to the use of specialised metals and alloys.Metals, generally in the form of oxides or salts, are also used as catalysts in refining processes. Activated alumina is used, combined with silica .forScracking' of heavy oils, and as a support -for platinum, cobalt, molybdenum, nickel and similar metals, which catalyse hydro-genation and dehydrogenation-processes. .In the final formulation of petroleum products metallic compounds may be added. Reference is made to the large quantities of lead used by the petroleum industry and to the use of metallic soaps and detergents in the formulation of lubricating oils and greases.

Jan 1, 1962

By George Young

DURING the spring of 1910 I visited a number of open-pit brown-coal mines and underground workings in the vicinity of Halle, Halberstadt, Leipsic, Cologne and Bonn. The notes which I took and the observations which I made at the time have been condensed and make up the principal part of this paper. Certain supplementary information has been taken from several sources which are given in the paper. The mining of brown coal is one of the important industries of Germany. The coal varies in color from dark brown to almost black and is soft like loam. Pieces of wood and strips of bark and, even parts of tree trunks are frequently encountered in the excavation although the coal for the most part consists of a pulverulent, more or less matted mass of small particles of vegetal matter. It is a product between peat and lignitic coal. An analysis, taken from Coal Resources of the World shows the approximate composition of the material: Moisture, 53.73 per cent.; ash, 4.98; fixed carbon, 18.08; volatile carbon, 23.31 per cent. The principal characteristic is the amount of moisture. This seldom runs less than 48 per cent. The ash is usually low and ranges from 5 to 10 per cent. The sulphur content is usually less than 0.5 per cent. The heating effect of the fuel ranges from 2,000 to 2,500 calories.

Jan 2, 1916