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By E Rubio, N Morales

A common practice in the mining industry is to decompose the planning process into different tasks, so the overall process and specific schedules can be constructed easily. Nevertheless, currently there are some adverse effects, such as not capturing the real value of a project by not taking into account the construction of several underground drifts and general infrastructure. Then the common practice is to compute mining sequence and cut-off grade profiles over the life of the mine without constitutively integrating the development schedule as a means to measure the constructability of a given mine design and sequence. Thus, the investigation summarised in this paper shows a novel, integrative way of treating an underground mine sequence and production schedule while considering drift development scheduling. Moreover, it is thought that, because of this original model, the whole underground production scheduling exercise must concentrate on combining the development and the production scheduling to compute a robust and a feasible production schedule.In order to quantify the effect of the conventional way of viewing the planning, the concept of the building information model (BIM) needs to be used, which was postulated by Charles Eastman and has been used extensively since the late 1970s. BIM takes other aspects of a project into account, considering at the same time the spatial relationships, quantities and properties of building components, but especially some kind of model visualisation, which is the advantage to be incorporated. This paper presents the basis for an optimisation model that allows for defining the sequence of the mining development so that the production plan can be achieved. For this, the model considers the space dimensions, time, pattern or strategy, cost or benefit, precedence and resources available. Tests were performed considering a block caving and sublevel open stoping method. Finally these tests showed the main conclusion, that production sequence changes when the building capacity is considered.

Sep 26, 2011

By G. J. Kipouros, W. Judge

"The prevalent metal extraction processes for most reactive metals are fused salt electrolysis and metallothermic reduction. The feed material for both of these processes is the anhydrous chloride of the metal under consideration. Dehydration of the feed material is then a critical step in the production of most reactive metals and requires rigorous thermodynamic analysis. Thermodynamic data for most of the reactive metal chloride hydrates have not been measured. Improper dehydration of the metal chloride may lead to a prohibitive amount of hydroxychloride, oxychloride, and oxide. To prevent hydrolysis a certain pressure of hydrogen chloride is required. An estimation and prediction model is presented for the vapour pressures of reactive metal chloride hydrates in an attempt to deduce the conditions necessary for dehydration to proceed without hydrolysis. Thermodynamic data including heat capacities, standard entropies, and standard enthalpies are estimated/predicted for all conceivable intermediate hydrate compounds. Estimations are based on published data as well as trends proven in similar systems. The thermodynamic estimations and predictions are presented for the magnesium, neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium chloride hydrates. INTRODUCTIONThe high reactivity of metals such as the alkalis, alkaline earths, and lanthanides prevents their reduction by traditional pyro- or hydrometallurgy. In their elemental form, these metals are raw materials in the manufacture of intermediate products such as alloys and electronic components. Currently the only two viable metal production methods are fused salt electrolysis and metallothermic reduction. Various feed materials have been proposed for these processes. Using the chloride of the metal as a feed material offers advantages in separation and purity of the final product, as well as lower energy input. Chlorides, however, are hygroscopic and must be dehydrated before use. Improper dehydration will lead to a prohibitive amount of oxychloride which will lower efficiencies and contaminate the final product.Optimum conditions for proper dehydration of MgCl2•6H2O to produce pure MgCl2 without hydrolysis have been calculated from existent thermodynamic data and have been reported previously (Kipouros, 1987; 2001). Calculations were also performed for the case of production of pure anhydrous NdCl3 from NdCl3•6H2O (Roy, 1997)] and the mechanism of dehydration was elucidated. Some thermodynamic studies on the dehydration of chlorides of the rare earths have also been conducted (Sundstrom, 1997; Hong, 1997; Aschcroft, 1968; Haeseler, 1965; Ukraintseya, 1989)."

Jan 1, 2012

By J. F. Myers, S. E. Sharp

THE safety data presented in this paper are based upon replies to a Questionnaire sent out to representative mining companies. The authors feel that it is a fair cross section of the milling industry, in that the 17 companies, of the United States and Canada, reporting on 22 mills, are scattered from the Hudson Bay to the Mexican border and from coast to coast. These data concern the accident records of the. various plants from 1939 to 1944, inclusive and the six years are divided into two periods. The first period (1939, 1940 and 1941) represents something of a normal operating condition. The second period (1942, 1943 and 1944) represents the period of time that was most affected by war con¬ditions. During the second period there was a high labor turnover, inexperienced workers were numerous, women replaced men in many kinds of work, a labor shortage existed more or less throughout the industry, and supervision was pushed for peak production. All of the companies reporting compiled their accident experiences for these six years in accordance with the standards set up by the American Standards Association (Engineering Societies Building, New York, N. Y.), consequently the tabulated data presented herein are comparable. The authors of this paper feel that the industry as a whole is greatly indebted to the personnel of the companies that furnished these data, which make this study possible for presentation. This survey covers a total exposure of 74,528,880 man-hours, with 105,471 man-days of lost time from 870 accidents. SAFETY RECORDS In Table I, the safety record is shown of the various mills reporting. The severity rate is usually conceded to be the most vital statistical figure in safety parlance, therefore the participating companies are listed in order of their severity rate for the combined six-year period, under size of organization. The table also shows the frequency rate as well as the frequency-severity ratio (F/S). As noted in Table 1, most of the companies suffered an increase in both severity and frequency rates during the second period; only six of the 22 enjoyed an improvement. From correspondence with the various plants, it seems that a few had very little labor shortage or turnover, and these were not greatly affected. A few plants, anticipating the situation, strengthened their training facilities and actually were able to show a better experience during the second period. This gives great credence to the value of organized training in any safety program. The frequency-severity ratio (F/S) shown in the last column of Table I offers

Jan 1, 1946

By David C. Benson

This Bureau of Mines report is an update of IC 8725 and comprises tables listing the name, location, and other pertinent data concerning certain fuel-related projects. The tables include information on projects involving the proposed or planned development of fuel resources, as well as the development of storage, transportation, and conversion facilities; the report covers the 26 States east of the Mississippi River. Of the total 535 projects for which information is provided, 429 concern coal mines and electric generating plants (including Energy Supply and Environmental Coordination Act (ESECA) coal conversion notices).

Jan 1, 1978

By Y. Tanaka, M. Maeda, S. Suzuki, C. Tokoro, T. Kato, K. Muto

Boron (B) co-precipitation was investigated with ettringite to establish a cost efficient method of removing B from acid mine drainage. For 25 mg/L of B solution, most appropriate pH for B removal was pH 11.5. The most appropriate amount of reagent for B removal within Japanese effluent standard (10 mg/L) was B:Al:Ca:SO4 = 1:3:9:4.5, which corresponds to the composition of Ettringite (Al:Ca:SO4 = 2:6:3). The effect of silicate, carbonate and temperature on efficiency of B removal is important as groundwater and hot spring water are often contaminated. When silicate and carbonate are present, more Al and Ca salts are needed for B removal since some aluminum and calcium precipitate with silicate and carbonate as kaolinite and calcium carbonate. These precipitates do not contribute much to B removal. As the temperature raised, the most appropriate pH for B removal decreased. B removal became less efficient as monosulfate precipitated more rapidly as ettringite.

Jan 1, 2015

By Clyde DeRossett

Surface fractures, sometimes of significant size, are observed in eastern Kentucky over high extraction areas. Field observations were correlated with mine maps and a regional subsidence prediction computer model. The opening of large fractures is attributed to the presence of a pre-mining joint system, which exists near outcrop in the eroded Appalachian plateau. Lithological composition of the overburden influences the process of fracture opening. No correlation was found between the areas of the predicted maximum horizontal extensions and the actual location of fractures. In this paper a mechanism of fracture formation as a result of the high extraction mining is presented, with recommendations for mine planning to minimize surface damage.

Jan 1, 1993

By Eivind Grøv

"INTRODUCTION Tunneling and underground excavation is related to handling of uncertainties, risks associated with geological conditions are significant and ‘unexpected geological conditions’ often claimed. This fact was brought to the table long ago, and ITA (the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association) published its 25 Recommendations on Contractual Sharing of Risks in 1988 (Ref. 1). This public-cation constitutes an important asset to the tunneling industry in terms of being a guideline for those working with contractual issues, even today almost 30 years after being published. A more recent document is the ITIG code of practice for risk management of tunnel works from 2015 (Ref. 9). Various countries or geographical regions have their own view and tradition on risk sharing and tunnel contracts. In Scandinavia unit rates contracts are most commonly used with bid-build model, it shares risk between owner and contractor, owner retains the risk for geological conditions while contractor carries risk for performance efficiency. Rock strengthening is determined assessing rock mass quality encountered at tunnel face. Grouting is applied to stem water. Actual quantities may differ from the contract’s BoQ but a flexible contract with remuneration is installed to enable adjustment of actual quantities. Variations of quantities involve a clause to adjust construction time. Unit price contracts deals with expected and foreseen still ‘unexpected geological conditions’, if the ‘unexpected’ element results in variations in quantities. Work activities have quantities and ‘standard capacities’ for regulation of construction time. Variations in quantities are expected in tunnelling and hardly deserve the term ‘unexpected’. If truly unforeseen geological features necessitate work not included in the BoQ, then the contract must be supplemented and can be said to be inappropriate. Fixed price contracts may not provide the intended predictable cost and is as such also inappropriate in the view of a risk sharing principle, once the geological baseline proves to be incorrect. ‘Adjustable fixed price’ contracts, combining unit rate and fixed price, may prove suitable."

Jan 1, 2016

By Garnsey R. G T, Wenk G. J, Toop A, Sowerby B. D

A bulk mineral analyser (BMA) suitable for the determination of Cu or Ni in bulk ore samples has been developed at the Lucas Heights Research Laboratories. This analyser, which uses the nuclear resonance scattering technique, is highly specific to the wanted element. The technique has previously been extensively field tested for copper at Mount Isa, Queensland.The present paper discusses the field trial in 1982 of a commercial prototype BMA for nickel. The trial was undertaken at the lateritic nickel mine at Greenvale, Queensland. The BMA and its shielding, together with a laboratory spectrum analyser, were sited in the sample shed adjacent to the workings. Two hundred and thirty-eight ore samples taken directly from the mine blastholes were assayed by the BMA. The average mass of sample was 12 kg, metal contents varied from 0.2 to 3.5 wt/per cent Ni and 4 to 43 wt/per cent Fe and free moisture varied from 11 to 55 wt/per cent. A measurement took 10 min to complete, although this time could have been reduced at the higher nickel grades. The r.m.s. deviation between BMA and chemical assays was 0.09 wt/per cent nickel. Iron and bulk density were also determined by the BMA, r.m.s. deviations being 1.7 wt/per cent and 0.03 g/cmJ respectively. Similar results could be expected from a BMA in routine industrial use at other nickel mines.

Jan 1, 1983

By W. A. Vine

Next year, in 1964, Butte will celebrate its Centennial. It was in May, 1864, that the first recorded mining activity took place. During that summer, several rich placers were found on Silver Bow Creek and its tributaries, and a gold rush followed. As placer mining proceeded in the creek beds, the quartz lodes on the hillsides were located and the veins were prospected. Mining in Butte entered its second phase when the rich silver mines, the Alice, Moulton, and Lexington, were opened. The silver boom lasted until the decline in the price of silver in the early 1890's forced the closure of many of the mines. An indication of the beginning of the copper mining era in Butte was in 1866 when it was noticed that green copper carbonate discolored some of the, lode material. It was not until ten years later, however, that the Anaconda and St. Lawrence claims were located by Michael and Ed Hickey. The claims were sold in 1880 to Marcus Daly and in 1881, Daly obtained financing and organized the Anaconda Silver Mining Company to exploit the vein The silver venture was a failure because of the predominance of copper which diluted the bullion to only 400 fine.

Jan 1, 1963

By R. Bruce Sheibach

The Picher Mining District, located principally in north-eastern Oklahoma, was one of the world's largest lead-zinc mining areas during its 55 year life. The field covers an area of approximately 72 square miles (186 km.-); an estimated 1.6 x [103 yds3 of material (1.22 x 103m3)] worth in excess of one billion dollars, has been mined. Mining activities were typified by surface exploratory drilling identifying ore distribution and extension of underground workings to the lead and zinc deposits outlined. Exploration holes were either left unplugged or plugged at the surface with a section of a telephone pole. Low grade ore and waste rock were discarded in mined out portions of drifts. These waste piles containing pyrite and marquisette were left underground and oxidized during the many years of active mining. Upon cessation of mining activities in the mid-1960's, the drifts and shafts of the abandoned workings began to flood as the cone of depression filled in, leading to the dissolution of the oxidized sulfides and the formation of large volumes of acid mine water in the mined out openings. The resulting poor quality water, with high concentrations of cadmium, iron, lead and zinc, began discharging at the surface in 1979. Contamination of the underlying aquifer supplying local residents was first detected on a localized scale in 1980. The present surface water and ground water contamination have lead to the area being classified as one of the top ten hazardous waste sites in the U.S. by the EPA under the superfund program.

Jan 1, 1982

By Chao Du, Xiaohui Ning, Hongmin Zhu, Qiuyu Wang, Shuqiang Jiao

"TiCxOl-x solid solutions were synthesized by sintering a mixture of titanium carbide and titanium monoxide at 1600 °C. The corresponding structures and morphologies of the TiCxOl-x solid solutions were characterized by XRD and SEM. A series of tests has been performed on the electrochemical dissolution behavior of TiCxOl-x solid solutions in NaCl-KCl molten salt. The influences of synthesis time and electrokinetic parameters on the anodic dissolution behavior were also investigated. The results showed that TiCxOl-x solid solutions can dissolve as Tin+ into alkali chloride melt. Titanium ion species dissolved from TiCxOl-x solid solutions changes between Ti2+ and Ti3+ depending on the applied potential. The tail gas on the anode was monitored by a mass spectrometer. It was found the synthesis time significantly affects the components of the anodic gas.IntroductionTitanium and titanium alloys have been desired greatly because of their many uses. The critical factor that restricts the range of uses for Ti is its high cost of extraction. The primary titanium metal, sponge titanium, is still produced industrially worldwide by a process invented by Dr. Kroll in the 1940s[1] •Since the early 1970s, the research focus of the titanium industry has been directed towards developing a continuous process to produce high purity titanium at low cost. [2-10] Of the many alternative methods that have previously been investigated, the electrolytic process has been considered a promising method for titanium metallurgy [4-10]. Recently, several electrolysis and related methods such as the PFC-Cambridge process[11-15], calciothermic reduction[16-18], USTB [19,20] and MER[21] process were extensively investigated.The USTB process is a new approach where the pure titanium can be directly obtained by the electrolysis with an anode of titanium oxycarbide in molten salts[19, 20]. The titanium oxycarbide was produced by carbothermal reduction of titanium dioxide under vacuum at a temperature"

Jan 1, 2011

By Steven G. Grannes

The Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of the Interior, has developed a computer image processing algorithm to determine the size distribution of moving taconite (iron ore) pellets. This algorithm interprets line-scan images to measure pellet diameters. Pellet edge detection with a peak light intensity constraint is the basis of this technique. Preliminary error analysis indicates a normally distributed experimental error with a standard deviation of 0.09 and 0.15 for pellet diameters of 0.4 and 0.9 cm, respectively. System accuracy was independent of moving pellet speed below 50 cm/sec. Computer image-based size distributions were found to be in close agreement with standard sieve analysis.

Jan 1, 1986

By Juan J. Monsalve, AMAN SONI, ALEX PFREUNDSCHUH, Nino Ripepi

Ground control failures are one of the main causes of accidents in the underground stone mining industry. Some of the fundamental tools for rockfall hazard identification are related to rock mass characterization and geotechnical discontinuity mapping. Recent technological advances in these methods are related to remote sensing techniques and point cloud processing software for automated discontinuity mapping. Remote sensing techniques, such as LiDAR and photogrammetry, generate multimillion point clouds with millimetric precision, capturing the structure of the rock mass. The automated point cloud processing tools offer alternative algorithm-based methods to characterize and map these discontinuities. However, their applicability is constrained by multiple factors such as site specific conditions of the rock mass and the parameters used within the mapping algorithms. This paper evaluates the performance of automated discontinuity extraction software compared with manual virtual discontinuity mapping. Sampling windows from laser-scanned sections in an underground limestone mine are defined and mapped using discontinuity set extractor (DSE). Results from the virtual discontinuity software are compared with manually extracted fractures from I-Site based on reviewing orientation, trace length, spacing, number of extracted discontinuities, and processing time. The analysis determined that the automated mapping algorithm was able to identify the same discontinuity sets that had been manually mapped. The automated mapping software mapped an excessive amount of smaller fractures, which caused the comparison of both mapping techniques to be unsuccessful in terms of trace length and spacing.

Mar 19, 2021

By E. W. Johnson, M. L. Hill

Cold working of iron-carbon alloys was found to increase greatly the hydrogen solubility and to decrease the diffusivity at temperatures up to 400° C. These effects are increasing functions of both the carbon content and the degree of deformation. The hydrogen behavior is consistent with the idea that cotd working creates "traps", which are concluded to be microcracks in which the hydrogen is chemisorbed. Hydrogen embrittlement is explained by the Petch theory of metal crack surface energy loss due to hydrogen adsorption. HYDROGEN embrittlement of steel has been studied for many years and has been the subject of an extensive literature, but the mechanism of the effect has not been completely understood. The embrittlement is unusual in that the ductility loss is not accompanied by an increase of the yield strength, being primarily a decrease of the fracture strength alone. The loss of fracture strength is usually most severe in the temperature range between 0°and 100°C. Here the solubility of hydrogen in the iron lattice at ordinary H2 pressures is extremely low while the diffusivity is still quite high. From the relationships between the ductility and the hydrogen content, test temperature and strain rate, it is apparent that the hydrogen atoms causing the ductility loss difbse to and concentrate in small regions of the metal which are especially susceptible to the initiation and propagation of fracture. This hydrogen segregation apparently occurs after plastic straining has begun. Below 0°C the ductility loss persists only at low strain rates in confirmation of the view that the embrittlement is diffusion .controlled. The tendency of the embrittlement to disappear above 100°C can be explained by the increasing lattice solubility of hydrogen with rising temperature. A common view of hydrogen embrittlement of steel is that the hydrogen initially dissolved in the metal lattice diffuses to structural discontinuities and there precipitates as H2 gas at very high pressures which assist the external stress in causing premature failure.1,2 The idea of a high H2 pressure in equilibrium with ordinary amounts of hydrogen in steel at room temperature is due to observations of hydrogen behavior in fully annealed material, for which the Sieverts' law constant relating solute concentration to H2 pressure is extremely small. Hydrogen-embrittled steel, however, is always plastically deformed to some extent, and therefore it is important that hydrogen embrittlement be explained primarily in terms of hydrogen behavior in plastically deformed material. Such an explanation is attempted in this paper. Previous studies of hydrogen in cold-worked steel have shown that both the solubility and the diffusion rate are significantly chaned when the steel is cold worked. Darken and Smith discovered that the amount of hydrogen absorbed from acid by cold-rolled steel at 35°C is many times greater than that absorbed by hot-rolled steel. They found also that the hydrogen permeability of the steel is unaffected by cold working. Keeler and Davis4 confirmed the high apparent solubility of hydrogen in cold-worked iron-carbon alloys at temperatures up to and even beyond the recrystallization temperature. They also found that this solubility increase accompanying cold work is a sensitive function of the carbon content, being absent when no carbon is present. The present experimental study was undertaken primarily to obtain an improved understanding of the behavior of hydrogen in cold-worked steel. Data were obtained on the effects of temperature, H, pressure, carbon content, and degree of cold work on the hydrogen solubility and diffusivity in iron-carbon alloys. These data have been helpful in elucidating the nature of the cold-worked steel structure as well as in providing information on the mechanism of hydrogen embrittlement of steel. EXPERIMENTAL Cylindrical specimens for hydrogen absorption and diffusion rate measurements were prepared from three iron-carbon binary alloys and a commercial SAE 1010 steel. The iron-carbon alloys were prepared by vacuum melting electrolytic iron with graphite in a magnesia crucible. The alloys were cast in vacuum as 2 1/2-in. sq ingots weighing about 20 lb each. The ingots were hot rolled (above 1900°F) to 5/8-in.-diam round bars and then cooled in air to room temperature. The resulting metallographic structure consisted of islands of fine pearlite surrounded by free ferrite. Chemical analyses of the materials are given in Table I. The 5/8-in. diam bars were turned to diameters such that cold reduction to the desired final specimen diameters would result in either 30 or 60 pct reduction in area (RA). The machined bars were then cold worked by swaging at room temperature

Jan 1, 1960

By Pengfu Tan

A thermodynamic model of KIVCET lead smelting process has been developed. The model has the capability to predict the distribution behaviors of Pb, Zn, Fe, S, O, As, and heat balance in KIVCET direct lead smelting furnace. The compositions of lead bullion, matte, slag and gaseous phases, and heat balance are calculated. The effect of the ratio between oxygen and feed on the chemistry of the smelt and heat balance of the coke checker has been simulated and discussed. The thermodynamic model also helps to understand the tapping issue of the lead bullion. In this paper, some applications of this model in the industry have been presented.

Jan 1, 2006

By L. J. Cabri

A gold sample assaying 11.4 g Ault was selected for this study. Approximately 99% of the gold in this sample occurs as discrete gold minerals; the balance occurring as invisible gold in pyrite (determined by SIMS analysis). The sample was coarsely ground and sieved, yielding -38, 17, 22 and 22 wt.% in the -400+160 um, -160+80 um, -80+40 µm and -40 µm size fractions. Assays of the size fractions gave a gold distribution of -32, 20, 21, and 27% respectively. Processing with the hydroseparator (model HS-02) gave two tailings products and one concentrate from each size fraction. Assays of the concentrate from each size fraction gave gold recoveries of -7, 7, 24, 19%, respectively. Polished sections were prepared from each hydroseparation product and studied by image analysis to automatically search for gold minerals. Calculations were done using the surface area of the grains of gold minerals found on the polished sections.

Jan 1, 2005

By Edward S. Hsia

Pluor Utah has been closely associated with the engineering and construction of earth bottom thickeners for porphyry copper operations, for the counter-current decantation circuit of a gold cyanide plant and similar applications in mineral processing. During the past 13 years, some 18 of these thickeners have entered service and the bottoms have proved to be watertight structures with no particular problems encountered. In the course of this work, technological advances have been realized in the procedures for engineering and construction of these units to assure watertight basins and achieve all possible economies in construction. This paper describes the successful application of engineering and construction techniques for a number of these thickeners.

Jan 1, 1977

By Cory J. E. Yacyshyn

Anchored steel pipe piles are being used more frequently in British Columbia for shoreline projects such as public ferries, cruise ship docks, containership terminals and locally in the expansion of the Vancouver waterfront convention center. While a 36? diameter driven pile may provide adequate compression loads it will not always achieve enough penetration to provide the required tension loading. That is why bundles of threaded anchors or strands are drilled through the center, past the pile tip, and anchored into the underlying strata. Drilling up to 250 feet deep through the piles in variable water bearing strata presents challenges. Southwest Contacting Ltd. (SWC) recently completed the three largest anchored pile projects in BC; Vancouver Port and Convention Center Expansion, Vanterm Container Terminal and the new Prince Rupert Cruise Ship Terminal. This paper will present the separate challenges encountered drilling the anchors. At Prince Rupert, the recently completed Northland Cruise Ship Dock ultimately required a cased system to drill and install triple thread bar anchors. When 200 foot long steel pipe piling was unable to penetrate the highly fractured gneiss/schist bedrock to obtain a seal and consolidation grouting was unsuccessful, a modified cased system was advanced deep enough into the rock to eventually seal. The 3-#20 bars were changed to 12-strands since the bars wouldn?t fit through the smaller cased hole. The options were limited because each dolphin only had enough room for a small hydraulic drill rig that wouldn?t have the power to fully case the holes. The Canada Place Pier Extension in Vancouver?s Harbor led to the development of an innovative tip design used later at Vanterm. The 36? diameter steel pipe piles were driven closed end but modified to permit drilling through a concrete plug at the base. The driving of the piles at Canada Place often knocked out the plug so we were faced with 50 feet of sand up inside the pile when the drilling started. This led to discussions on how to safely remove the sand, solidify the tip, and continue drilling to get past the tip without undermining the pile. Finally, Vanterm Berth Extension was completed with a unique drilling system because the pile tips stopped in hydraulic sands, as opposed to the native till. We were faced with advancing the casing to the till without undermining the base of the pile. With 100 psi water pressure at the pile base after we broke through the concrete plug, the trick was to prevent charging the sand with our 250 psi air which liquefies it and forced it up our drill casing. And of course, it has to happen just before Christmas holidays!

Jan 1, 2004

By T. -M. Guo, M. J. Braun

"This paper presents an experimental and numerical study of melt flow near the solid-liquid interface and its effect on the interface curvature in a horizontal unidirectional solidification system with succinonitrile. Melt flow is introduced by increasing the ampoule channel thickness. Visualization techniques are employed to observe the flow field and the solid-liquid interface curvature. A numerical model is also developed to simulate the heat transfer, melt flow and phase change in the system. Quantitative information on the flow and temperature fields is generated. A good agreement is achieved between the experimental observations and model predictions. The results could be used for the study of the effect of the melt flow on interface morphology during solidification.IntroductionClassic unidirectional solidification experiments of transparent alloys are conducted with thin film samples sandwiched between two glass slides to investigate the development of interface morphology during solidification [1]. Samples with small channel thickness are usually used to suppress any melt flow due to natural convection and solidification in the channel would then be in the diffusive regime so that the solidification theory can be significantly simplified [2, 3]. Effects of melt flow, in particular due to natural convection, on solidification have also been studied extensively in those systems with large geometrical dimensions [4-6]. These studies indicate a strong effect of the melt flow on interface curvature during solidification [5, 6]. Only limited efforts were made to address the effect of the melt flow on interface morphology in horizontal unidirectional solidification, in particular for the cases when the channel thickness is not thin enough to suppress completely the natural convection [7]."

Jan 1, 2004

By G. R. Speich

The interlarnmelm spacing, growth rate, and degree of segregation that accompany cellular precipitation in four Fe-Zn alloys containing 9.7, 15.2, 23.5, and 30.5 at. pct Zn have been determined in the temperature range 400" to 600°C. The chemical free-energy change for the reaction was calculated from the available thermodynamic data and the known compositions of the phases. The fraction of the chemical free-energy change for equilibrium segregation that is converted into interfacial free energy decreases from 0.43 to 0.08 as the magnitude of this free-energy change increases from 35 to 270 cal per mole. At constant temperature the cellular growth rate is proportional to the cube of the dissipated free energy. At 600°C newly 100 pct of the equilibrium segregation is achieved during cellulm precipitation whereas at 400°C only 85 pct of the equilibrium segregation is attained. During cellular growth, mass transport of zinc occurs by grain boundary diffusion; excess zinc remaining in the a! phase after the completion of growth is removed slowly by volume diffusion. A modified Cahn theory of cellular precipitation predicts the observed interlamellar spacing within a factor of two. In cellular precipitation reactions such as pearlite formation or discontinuous precipitation, the basic problem is to predict the variation of growth rate G, interlamellar spacing S, and degree of segregation P with composition and temperature. To accomplish this we need three independent equations relating these quantities. One of these equations comes from the diffusion solution. To obtain two additional independent equations, some assumptions must be made. cahnl has suggested recently that two plausible assumptions are 1) that growth rate is proportional to the dissipated free energy and 2) that the spacing which occurs is that which maximizes the dissipated free energy. According to the first assumption, this spacing also maximizes the growth rate and the rate of decrease of free energy per unit area of cell boundary. The present work was undertaken to test these assumptions. To test the first assumption it is necessary to study a cellular reaction over a wide range of supersatura-tions to establish a relationship between G and the dissipated free energy at constant temperature. This is possible only in discontinuous precipitation reactions since in pearlite reactions constituents other than pearlite form if the composition of the parent phase deviates even slightly from the eutectoid composition. The Fe-Zn system was chosen for study because 1) discontinuous precipitation proceeds to completion over a wide temperature and concentration range, 2) the degree of segregation within the cell can be measured by lattice parameter measurements,2 and 3) the thermodynamics of this system have recently been determined by Wriedt.3 In this system the cells consisting d alternate lamellae of a and r phases form from supercooled iron-rich a phase. The a phase within the cells is bcc as is the original a phase, cia, but has a different orientation and a slightly lower zinc content than the original a phase. The r phase has a zinc content of about 70 at. pct and a crystal structure isomor-phous with T brass. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Four Fe-Zn alloys with 9.7, 15.2, 23.5, and 30.5 at. pct Zn were prepared from carbonyl-iron powder (400 mesh, 99.8 wt pct Fe) and zinc powder (200 mesh, 99.99 wt pct Zn). The powders were ball-milled together and cold-pressed under 60,000 psi to discs $ in. thick by $ in. diam. The cold-pressed discs of the alloys with 9.7 and 15.2 at. pct Zn were sealed in evacuated silica capsules and heated slowly to 1100°C over a period of 1 week (3 days at 600°C, then 3 days at 80O°C, then 1 day at 1100°C). The alloys with 23.5 and 30.5 at. pct Zn were treated similarly except that the final homogenization temperatures were 1000" and 85O°C, respectively, to prevent melting. The alloys were quenched in iced brine from the final homogenization temperature. Specimens of each alloy were subsequently aged in salt pots at temperatures of 400°, 450°, 500°, 550°, 600°, and 650°C for times that varied from a few minutes to several hundred hours. At a late stage of this work, an alloy containing 11.2 at. pct Zn was prepared by vapor-impregnation of iron foil with zinc vapor at 890°C. This alloy proved useful for electron microscope studies because it was free of porosity. The homogenization and aging conditions were based on the recent Fe-Zn phase diagram of Stadelmaier and Bridgers4 rather than the earlier diagram of ansen.5 They consist of a homogenization heat treatment in the homogeneous a field followed by an aging treatment in the two-phase a + r field. The aged specimens were metallographically polished and etched in 2 pct nital and the radius of the largest cell in the microstructure determined. This radius plotted vs time gave a straight line whose slope is the boundary migration rate or growth rate G of the cell. To determine the interlamellar spacing, specimens were examined by surface-replica and thin-section electron microscope techniques. Because of the irregular nature of the lamellae within the cell, the average interlamellar spacing S .of the cell was measured by the method of Cahn and Hagel,6 where S is defined by:

Jan 1, 1969