Search Documents

By J. S. Aronofsky, J. P. Heller

This paper presents a mathematical analysis of the fluid mixing which occurs during flow through porous media. The analysis is based on the well-known diffusion equation with mass transfer term. It is pointed out that the use of this equation is justified by a single general assumption which does not specify any particular mechanism for the mixing process. Formulas are given for tracer fluid concentrations for two different boundary and initial conditions. Calculated numerical values compare closely with some published results of experiments in which no viscosity or density difference existed between displaced and displacing fluids. INTRODUCTION A phenomenological theory of the mixing and diffusion process is presented for the flow in a porous medium of two miscible liquids of equal viscosity and density. This is based on the classical diffusion equation which has been used to explain such processes as Brownian motion and heat conduction. More recently, this same differential equation has been derived (in a manner analogous to the work in this paper) for the problem of heat transfer during fluid flow in porous media.' The purpose of this paper is to show that the available experimental evidence justifies the use of this simple diffusion equation. The recent data of Koch and Slobod' and of von Rosenberg' are used to test this diffusion model by comparing concentration curve shapes and calculating "effective diffusion coefficients". The same differential equation for miscible displacement, as well as some experimental confirmation, has been published in Japan by K. Yuhara,4 and recently in this country by Day.5 Yuhara arrives at his con-clusions through analogy with turbulent diffusion, de- scribing the microscopic velocities in terms of "eddy motion" — although unlike the ordinary eddies of hydraulics. Day proceeds directly from Scheidegger's6 concept of the dispersion of velocities. After a very clear description of Scheidegger's theory, he applies it to calculate the motion first of a drop and then of a thin layer of brine into a bed of sand. For the latter case, Day derives and solves the same differential equation as Eq. 1. In our presentation no detailed assumptions are made as to the mechanism of displacement. In fact, several microscopic processes may well be involved—the only general assumption made is that their cumulative microscopic effect may be described by the addition of a second-order term to the differentirl equation of continuity. DERIVATION OF EQUATIONS Let us consider the displacement in one spatial dimension of Liquid A from a sample of porous media by Liquid B. A and B are assumed completely miscible and of the same viscosity and density. Both fluids are also assumed to be incompressible and it is specified that the total flow is the same for any cross section. It is evident that the rate at which Liquid B would be carried across such a section would be given by the product of the fluid velocity, u, and the concentration, C, of B in the fluid mixture assuming the constancy of u and C over the cross section. Since the volume of Fluid B is conserved, this leads to the one-way wave equation - u ?C/?x = ? ?C/?l where x increases in the direction of u—the "Darcy velocity", Q/A (or velocity flux per unit area), and 9 is the fractional porosity. Consider the case where fluid B is displacing Fluid A and the concentration distribution is represented by a step funcLon (with a vertical discontinuity). The solution of Eq. 1 predicts no mixing

Jan 1, 1958

By Raymond C. Voige

"The use of current electronic technology in the design of new underground mine communications equipment is providing improved and expanded voice communications which can, in turn, contribute to improved productivity and safety. A review of equipment that is now available or under development Includes the following categories:WIRED SYSTEMSI.Pager phones with selective calling, audible and visual alerting and message indicator.2. Mufti-conversation pager phones that use multiwire cable ormultiplexing techniques.WIRELESS SYSTEMSLow-and medium-frequency inductive systems utilizing ""near"" magnetic fields for both vehicular and personal communications.Wired SystemsCommunication systems in underground mines have evolved slowly in many parts of the world. For many years, magnetotype telephones were the only means of communication from one mine level to another and to the surface. These units were located near the shaft and communications to the working areas were limited."

Jan 1, 1981

By M. J. Saarivirta

A high-purity copper-zirconium alloy system was imesti-gated. The zirconium content of the alloys studied varied from 0.003 to 0.23 pet. The solid solubility of zirconium in copper and some physical and mechanical properties of the alloys have been determined. By proper heat treatment, Cu-Zr alloy can develop a high electrical conductivity and resistance to softening at temperatures up to 500°C (930°F). This combination of desirable properties makes this alloy superior, to other com-merzcrrl copper base alloys for- use in the electrical conductor field. DEMAND for high conductivity copper alloys that retain their mechanical properties at elevated temperatures is growing rapidly. At present, copper-base alloys such as copper-silver and copper-chromium are used where these characteristics are required. As an example, commutators in electric motors are often made of these alloys. However, the life at elevated temperature of commutators made of copper-silver alloys is much shorter than the life of the same part made of copper-chromium and copper-zirconium alloys. Copper-silver alloys are subject to creep and subsequent failure when the service temperature exceeds several hundred degrees centigrade. Use of copper-chromium alloys has been known for the past several years, but little information is available in the literature concerning the properties of alloys in the copper-zirconium alloy system. Some work had been directed toward determining the solubility of zirconium in copper as well as determining properties of the Cu-Zr alloys. These investigations have revealed the superior high-temperature and electrical conductivity properties of copper-zirconium alloys over copper-chromium alloys. The United States Metals Refining Co., Carteret, N. J. has recently produced OFHC R copper-zirconium alloys for experimentation and evaluation. Because OFHC R copper contains no appreciable oxygen, no harmful oxides are formed and the full benefit of Zr as an alloying addition is obtained. This paper describes the results of this work. It contains room-temperature and some high-temperature data which have been obtained after various processing techniaues. Actual elevated temperature properties are being determined and will be reported in a separate paper. Preliminary results obtained at elevated temperatures suggest that the Cu-Zr alloy is superior to other high conductivity copper-base alloys. WORK PROCEDURE The high-purity oxygen free (OFHC R) copper-zirconium alloys with zirconium content ranging from 0.003 to 0.23 pct were cast into 4-by 4-in. wirebars by both continuous casting and conventional casting methods. Zr was added in the form of a master alloy containing 30 pct Zr and 70 pct Cu. Castings were analyzed for zirconium and nine bars containing various amounts of zirconium were selected for this study. The results of analyses and the sample numbers are given in Table I. Typical analyses of OFHC R copper are also shown. The following properties were studied: A) Solid solubility of zirconium in copper. B) Effect of zirconium on properties of copper. C) Effect of combined working and heat treating on properties of Cu-Zr alloys. The solid solubility of zirconium in copper was determined by metallographic techniques. Specimens for this phase of the investigation were hot rolled at 900oC (1650oF) to 0.250-in. rod. The rolled rods were cut into 2/3-in. long specimens and solution annealed at 950 °C (1740°F), 980°C (1795 °F). and 1020 °C (1870 °F) for 6 hr and quenched in water. In order to find the solid solubility limits at lower temperatures, the homogenized specimens were reheated at various temperatures for 1 hr and quenched. The physical and mechanical properties were determined on 0.250 in. rod, 0.132- and 0.081-in. wires. The wires were cold drawn from the 0.250-in. rods after they were solution annealed at 980 °C (1795°F) and quenched in cold water. Mechanical and electrical properties were determined on cold drawn and

Jan 1, 1961

By M. Jarvis, D. B. Dreisinger, T. Hitchins

Mineral carbonation (MC) has been extensively researched all over the world since it was found as a natural exothermic process to permanently and safely sequester CO2. In order to accelerate the natural process, various methods for carbonation of Mg-/Ca-silicate minerals and other industrial wastes have been studied. It has been found that the MC efficiency will increase with an increase of CO2 pressure, retention time, temperature, mass ratio of Mg or Ca to Si in minerals, specific surface area, and the slurry concentration in a specific range, and with the introduction of an effective catalysts, for example, 1M NaCl and 0.64M NaHCO3 or carbonic anhydrase. However, there still is not a successful industrial application because of high economic cost and slow reaction rate. It is not economic to exploit Mg- and Ca-silicate minerals deposits or tailings to sequester CO2 by MC, due to the cost of grinding and heat pre-treatment and in some cases the whole sequestration process may result in more CO2 emissions than the amount of CO2 sequestered, due to the requirements of energy inputs. The process however, may be profitable as a whole (with carbon credits). It is suggested to combine MC with recovery of valuable metals from ore deposits in order to reduce the cost for MC by cost sharing for mineral recovery.

Jan 1, 2017

By M. M. Papic

"This paper describes the Sasol coal liquefaction process, as used in South Africa. It covers coal supply, coal gasification, gas purification, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, the major utility systems involved and the economics of the process.IntroductionThe Sasol coal liquefaction process is based on Fischer-Tropsch synthesis of liquid fuels from carbon monoxide and hydrogen, which are in turn obtained by gasification of coal with steam and oxygen. The process is shown schematically in Figure I.The first step in the process is coal preparation, in which the coal is crushed and screened to a 3-50 mm size for gasification on one side and to -3 mm size for steam and power production on the other. Oxygen needed for coal gasificatoin is produced in the air separation plant.Coal is gasified under pressure by steam and oxygen in the Lurgi gasification plant, where raw, impure gas is produced . The raw gas is first washed in a scrubber with a circulating gas liquor, heat is then recovered from it in a waste heat recovery boiler and the gas is further cooled for purification. Water-insoluble materials (tar oils) in the gas liquor are separated from aqueous solution and sent to tar refining for the recovery of tar products. The aqueous portion of the gas liquor goes to a Phenosolvan solvent extraction process, where phenols and ammonia are recovered. Water then proceeds to the effluent treatment plant.The scrubbed and cooled raw gas goes to a Rectisol gas purification plant, where all components other than hydrogen, carbon monoxide and methane are removed as completely as possible by absorption in refrigerated methanol. The acid gases (CO2, H2S) stripped from the methanol in the Rectisol unit are processed in a Stretford plant for recovery of sulphur. Regenerated methanol is returned to the process. The purified synthesis gas is passed to the fluidized-bed Synthol reactors, where Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reactions take place.The synthesis products are recovered in a product recovery unit as separate streams of decant oil containing higher-molecular- weight hydrocarbons, light oil comprised of lower-molecular- weight species, the aqueous stream containing water solubles, a C3/C4 stream, a C2 stream , a methane stream and a hydrogen-rich stream. Most of the hydrogen is recycled to the Synthol reactors; a major portion of the methane is reformed to hydrogen and carbon monoxide for recycle; the C2 fraction goes to an ethylene plant; and liquid streams proceed to the product refinery.The product refinery is used to upgrade and purify the Synthol products to specification fuels and chemicals.Sasol l, the first coal liquefaction plant in South Africa , was built in 1955. It is still operating and has a product output of about half a million tonnes per year. The Sasol II plant is in a commissioning stage and will be in full operation in 1981. It is about five times the size of Sasoll. It uses over 12 million tonnes of coal and produces more than 2 million tonnes of saleable products annually (1,2,3). The Sasol llI plant, which is a mirror image of Sasol II, is under construction and scheduled for completion in 1983."

Jan 1, 1981

By V. Koump, T. F. Perzak, R. H. Tien

A series of experiments were carried out in which the rates of propagation of the liquidus and the eutectic fronts Mere measured during essentially one-dimensional freezing of Al-Cu alloys. The dimensions of the ingots were 3 by 5 by 6 in. Three different alloys containing 0.1, 4.5, and 17 pct Cu were used in these experitments. For each alloy the rate of heat removal was varied to give a total jreezing time in the range 3 to 30 min. The results of these measurements cowlpared favorably with the theoretical model of freezing of binary alloys with time-dependent surface temperature. IN engineering analysis of solidification of commercia1 steels and nonferrous alloys it is a common practice to assume that an alloy freezes by propagation of an isothermal solidification front, i.e., essentially as a pure metal. In two recent theoretical investigations'j2 the present authors explored the possibility of a more realistic approach to the problem of solidification of alloys. In the proposed model the freezing of an alloy is assumed to take place by propagation of two isothermal fronts, i.e., the liquidus front and the solidus (or eutectic) front. The region between the two fronts contains both liquid and solid and is referred to as the solid-liquid region. The width and the solid content of the solid-liquid region vary with alloy type, solute concentration, and cooling rate. For a given alloy system, initial concentration of solute, and the mode of heat removal, the proposed model yields the temperature distribution within the solid skin, temperature, solid fraction, and concentration distributions with the solid-liquid region, and the rates of propagation of the liquidus and the solidus fronts. This model is obviously of considerable practical importance in engineering analysis of solidification processes, since it gives a more realistic estimate of skin strength during solidification and a better estimate of the total freezing time. Before the new model can be used with confidence, however, it is necessary to test this model experimentally. The experimental testing of the proposed model is a relatively simple matter since the effects to be measured are large and a relatively simple experiment will suffice. The theoretical model predicts, for example, that during freezing of an alloy containing substitutional type solute (negligible diffusion in the solid during freezing) the solid-liquid region occupies an appreciable portion of the ingot, even at low concentration of solute.' Another prediction of the theo- V. KOUMP, formerly with U. S. Steel Corp., is now with Research and Development Center, Systems and Process Division, Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, Pa. R. H. TlEN is Senior Scientist, Fundamental Research Laboratory, U. S. Steel Corp., Research Center, Monroe ville, Pa. T. F. PERZAK, formerly with U.S. Steel Corp., is now with Fiber Industries, Greenville, S. C. Manuscript submitted March 6, 1968. IMD retical model, easily verifiable by experiment, is that the rate of propagation of the solidus (or eutectic) front increases as the solidus front approaches the center of the slab. This prediction is contrary to well-known behavior of the solidification front during freezing of pure metals, where the rate of propagation of the solidification front decreases with time and freezing is completed at the lowest rate. A rather severe test of the proposed model is provided by comparison of theoretical predictions and experimental measurements of the effects of cooling rate and composition on the rates of propagation of the liquidus and the eutectic fronts. In order to test the soundness of the formulation and the method of solution of the problem of solidification of alloys a series of experiments were carried out in which the rates of propagation of the liquidus and the eutectic fronts were measured during essentially one-dimensional solidification of A1-Cu alloys. The A1-Cu system was chosen strictly as a matter of convenience. Three different alloys containing 0.1, 4.5, and 17 pct Cu were used in these experiments. For each alloy the rate of heat removal was varied to give the total freezing time in the range 3 to 30 min. The results of these measurements are compared with the predictions of the theoretical model of solidification of binary alloys, with time-dependent surface temperature.' Before the experiments described in this paper were undertaken, a serious attempt was made to utilize the measurements of previous investigators to test the theoretical model. In the course of this preliminary study a careful review was made of experiments of Pellini and coworkers3 and Doherty and Melf~rd.~ The measurements in Pellini's work were carried out using a steel containing at least four major components. Evaluation of the solid fraction-temperature relation for this steel (required in the theoretical model) is difficult and uncertain. Doherty and Melford, on the other hand, measured the solid fraction-temperature relation experimentally, but did not give sufficient data to explore the effects of composition and the cooling rates on solidification. Hence it was not possible to utilize these measurements to test our theoretical model. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD The experimental technique used in this investigation differs somewhat from the more conventional techniques employed in solidification studies. This technique was developed primarily to eliminate con-vective mixing in the molten metal caused by pouring of molten metal into the mold. In our experiments A1-Cu alloys were melted directly in the mold. The mold assembly used in solidification experiments is shown in Fig. 1. The mold was fabricated from *-in. stainless-steel sheet. The dimensions of

Jan 1, 1969

ERRATA-AUTHOR'S REPLY IN SEPTEMBER, 1970, JOURNAL: PAGE 52 I. Left half of the page, 4th paragraph, fifth line from the bottom: for 22 / 5 1/2 %, read 22 / 5 1/2 %. 2. Right half of the page, fifth paragraph from the bottom, third line from the bottom: for N(l - p), read N(1 - p)x. 3. Right half of the page, fourth paragraph from the bottom, second line: for: at time t after time zero, read: at time x after time zero. NOTICE TO ALL STUDENT MEMBERS OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY The Institute offers each year for competition among Student Members of the Institute a prize, or prizes, should entries so warrant it, of up to the value of R100 to be awarded to the Student Member or Members who submit the best paper or dissertation on a topic appropriate to the interests of the Institute. In the case of Student Members who are in full time study at a university the dissertation or thesis which they may have to write in part fulfilment of their university curriculum may be accepted provided it is presented in a manner and on a topic suitable for publication in the Journal. The closing date for the receipt of papers shall be 31st December each year.

By White B

A novel approach is suggested for the solution of planning and development problems in the coal, mining industry. The formation of coal measures depends to a significant extent on sequential geological processes and events which are probably best defined in a "system of processes and responses." The great number of variables in such a system is a characteristic feature of geological environments. Research work over the past two decades, in particular, has successfully established analytical procedures for the identification and definition of relevant and irrelevant variables for mining developments in specific geological situations. Such situations are typifiable within the regional geological setting of coal deposits. Scale gaps can be bridged by reliance on common symmetrical attributes and pervasive geometric features. Depositional processes and their resulting attributes are responsible for the development of mechanically significant rockmass "defects" and anisotropies; such features have to be identified and assessed for the selection of colliery design criteria. It is suggested that the procedural frame- work of systems engineering analysis is a most appropriate tool for the assessment of those geological features that can influence the mechanical behaviour of the "floor-seam-roof" system in "high technology" mining operations of the future. It is anticipated that the overall emphasis of future mining systems will be toward the use of larger scale more highly productive methods and machines, with higher capital outlay but

Jan 1, 1987

By S. D. Dahlgren

ORDERED G.P. zones having the cesium chloride structure were found to exist in the bcc iron-rich grains of an Fe-Au-Cu alloy that had been supersaturated with approximately equal atomic percentages of gold and copper, and aged at 400° and 350°C. Streaks and superlattice spots in electron diffraction patterns revealed the presence of the ordered zones in the aged material. The ordered Ll2 structure is commonly found for precipitates in fcc metals (e.g., Ni3A1 in nickelL7') but it is uncommon to find precipitates in bcc metals having the cesium chloride structure. The formation of the G.P. zones caused age hardening of the grains. Samples containing 3.8 at. pct each of gold and copper (with the remainder being iron) were annealed at 95@ or 1125°C in quartz capsules and were quenched by breaking the capsules under water. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed two solid solutions in the quenched samples. One solid solution was bcc and the other was fcc. The microstructure consisted of iron-rich grains of 0.3 mm diam surrounded by a yellow gold-copper-rich grain boundary network. The Au-Cu phase diagram %hows continuous solid solubility of gold and copper with ordered phases forming below 410°C. None of the ordered Au-Cu phases have the cesium chloride structure. Both Fe-Au and Fe-Cu phase diagrams3 show extended miscibility gaps and only terminal solid-solution phases. Consequently, it is reasonably certain the iron-rich grains consisted of an a-phase terminal solid solution, and the grain boundary network consisted of a gold-copper-rich terminal solid solution. Lattice parameters of the quenched solid solutions were consistent with the suggestion that the quenched phases were terminal solutions. The lattice parameter of the bcc phase (2.879A) obtained upon quenching from 950°C was higher than that (2.866A) for pure iron. The fcc phase in this sample had a lower lattice parameter than that for a 50 at. pct Au and 50 at. pci Cu solid solution, i.e., 3.866 compared to 3.877A. The lattice parameter for the 50 pct Au and 50 pct Cu solid solution was interpolated from data for Cu-Au solid solutions.4 More gold and copper were soluble in iron at 1125°C than at 950°C as indicated by a 0.012A increase in the bcc lattice parameter for a sample quenched from 1125°C. After the alloy had been quenched from 950° and 1125°C, the bcc lattice parameters were 2.879 and 2.891A1 respectively G.P. zones having the cesium chloride structure-which formed during low-temperature aging—were detected by electron diffraction and observed with electron transmission microscopy. In Fig. 1, the asymmetrical streaks parallel to ( 100) directions indicate that platelike G.P. zones had formed parallel to (100) planes of the matrix. The direction of streak asymmetry shows that the bcc unit cell of the G.P. zones was larger than the bcc cell of the matrix. The ordered cesium chloride structure is indicated by low-intensity superlattice spots at 010 positions which are nonallowed for bcc structures. The superlattice spots are streaked; therefore they are from the G.P. zones and are not caused by rel-rod effects of a thin matrix phase. The appearance and size of the zones observed in electron transmission microscopy and the appearance of the asymmetrical streaks in the electron diffraction patterns for the Fe-Au-Cu alloy were the same as those observed for a similarly treated Fe-Au alloy.' Ordered G.P. zones were detected also for an Fe-Au-Cu sample aged only at 400°C. The production of the ordered cesium chloride structure zones by low-temperature aging of super-

Jan 1, 1968

By K. H. Singh

The addition of new data and corrections can be made under the control of a simple editing session. All programs for this system are written in FORTRAN and executabe "MACROS".. After the addition of new data, the whole file Is reinitialized to update the binary file and cross-reference tables. Updating the binary file involves rerunning the initializing program. The creation of graphic plots like cross sections and plan views is menu-driven from a terminal and very user-friendly. Small files containing not more than 10,000 entries (survey and assay points) are suitable for this setup, particularly for computers with less than 2 Megabytes of real and virtual memory. The largest file processed contained 35,000 lines of survey and assay information and required 4 megabytes of virtual memory. Working with this size file slows down the time for the creation of plots and cross sections. Another independent system is more akin to a financial type of data base. It was installed in one Anaconda mine as part of the operation's inventory, warehouse, day-pay payroll, and purchasing data bases. It is a highly hardware-dependent system, in particular, IBM's CICS/VS (Customer Information Control System/Virtual Storage). This is a true relational data base that optimizes storage requirements, supports online inquiry, update, data entry, and data security. While this system has been tested and proven in accounting applications, it requires programming expertice in PL/I and other CICS utility programs. It is well suited for huge data bases (like the 35,000 lines of data), but cumbersome for small engineering files.

Jan 1, 1985

By J. Gordon Parr, D. H. Polonis

High purity alloys of titanium and iron, made by a technique of levitation melting, have been investigated with particular reference to martensite formation and decomposition in the hypoeutectoid range. A preliminary study has been made of the occurrence of the phase corresponding to the structure Ti2Fe. MANY of the previous investigations of Fe-Ti alloys have been made using Kroll sponge as a source of titanium; and the subsequent heat treatments to which alloys have been subjected has, on occasion, led to further contamination. Worrier,',' who suggested a part of the equilibrium diagram for the binary system, and Wallbaum and coworkers,3-5 who worked largely with iron-rich alloys, all used Kroll sponge. Van Thyne, Kessler, and Hansen,6 in their determination of the equilibrium diagram, used iodide titanium for alloys up to 30 pct Fe. Duwez,7 who measured the M. temperature of titanium binary alloys with many solute elements, used iodide titanium in all cases except in his work on Ti-Fe alloys for which he used Kroll sponge. The investigation of the supposed phase Ti2Fe by Rostoker8 nvolved the use of iodide titanium. A section of the constitutional diagram, after Van Thyne et al., is reproduced in Fig. 1. Frequently too much stress is placed on the effect of contaminants in equilibrium and nonequilibrium systems, but there is no doubt that titanium alloys are extremely susceptible to interstitial atoms. Consequently, the main purpose of the work to be described was to determine those features of phase transformations in pure Ti-Fe alloys that were considered of importance in commercial heat treatments. For, although commercial alloys may not be of high purity, the investigation of a system uncomplicated by traces of impurity is a desirable starting point. Another incidental feature, the occurrence of Ti2Fe, was also investigated. The entire study was carried out using powders obtained from alloy ingots, for diffusion reactions are often more rapid in small particles than in bulk specimens. The frequently adopted practice of ascertaining phase constitutions by X-ray analysis of powders, and relating these to the microstructures and mechanical properties of bulk specimens, is considered by the authors to be open to criticism. In the martensite reactions in the Fe-Mn system, for example, it has been shown- hat similar phase distributions in solid and powder may result in different hardness values and appearance under the microscope; and it is possible that similar anomalies might occur in the Ti-Fe system. Consequently, in order to

Jan 1, 1955

Vein swarms in metamorphic terranes such as the Otago Schist Belt, New Zealand provide evidence of past hydrothermal flow systems leading to fault initiation and reactivation. A major episode of hydrofracturing and fluid redistribution occurred during early Cretaceous exhumation of the schist belt. As a result, presently exposed lower greenschist facies greyschists in NW Otago are pervaded by abundant quartz-filled hydraulic extension fractures with associated normal faults hosting quartz¦scheelite¦gold mineralisation. Once the effects of Cenozoic folding have been removed, a regional subhorizontal schist foliation contains an aligned array of subvertical hydrofractures striking NNW, striking parallel to a set of low-slip conjugate normal faults; the array extends over an area >1500 km2 and over a depth interval >5 km. The hydrofracture array comprises a mesh of interlinked extensional-shear and pure extension veins. These veins show mutually cross-cutting relations. Extensional hydrofracturing apparently preceded the development of major throughgoing normal faults. Low-displacement normal faults are infilled with laminated quartz (¦ scheelite) veins (

Jan 1, 2002

By T. Schmidt, H. Assadi, F. Gartner, H. Kreye

Among all spraying processes, cold spraying has attracted a special attention in recent years, both as a coating - and more recently - as a rapid manufacturing technique. The interest in this process is mainly because of the fact that the deposition of spray material takes place at moderately low temperatures, and thus, oxidation and unfavourable microstructural changes can be alleviated. In this process, a highly compressed gas, flowing through a de Laval nozzle, accelerates the particles of the spray powder to high velocities of up to 1200 m/s. Although there is no melting of particles prior to impact on the substrate, cold-sprayed deposits can be denser and more tightly bonded as compared to the equivalent deposits produced by conventional thermal spraying methods. The present contribution focuses on this unique aspect of cold spraying. Modelling of particle impact, combined with various experimental observations, is employed to illustrate that bonding of particles and hence material deposition occurs through shear instability - associated with severe plastic deformation and localized heat generation - at the interacting surfaces of particles and substrate. The results of modelling also provide an insight to the influence of material and process parameters on the critical velocity and on the microstructural properties of cold-sprayed deposits.

Jan 1, 2006

By William Watson

Coal production in the United States in 2010 increased to a level of 960 Mt (1,085.3 million st), according to preliminary data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), an increase of 1 percent, or 9.43 Mt (10.4 million st) above the 2009 level of 975 Mt (1,074.9 million st) (Table 1). In 2010, U.S. coal consumption increased in all sectors except commercial and institutional, while total coal stocks fell slightly for the year. Coal consumption in the electric power sector in 2010 was higher by 4.5 percent, while coking coal consumption increased by 37.9 percent and the other industrial sector increased by 7.1 percent. The commercial and institutional sector, which prior to 2008 had been called the ?residential and commercial? sector and is the smallest of all the coal-consuming sectors, declined by 3.1 percent in 2010. (Note: All percentage change calculations are done at the short tons level.) U.S. coal exports increased from the 2009 levels due mostly to higher demand for metallurgical coal, while coal imports decreased for a third year in a row. The increase in coal consumption for electric generation during the year was the consequence of improving domestic economic conditions further bolstered by a cold winter and warm summer in important coal-consuming regions. Preliminary data show that total generation in the electric power sector (electric utilities and independent power producers, including useful thermal output) in the U.S. increased in 2010 by 4.2 percent. Coal-based generation also increased, resulting in a 38-Mt (42-million st) increase in coal consumed in the electric power sector. Coal use in all the sectors other than the electric power sector increased by 13.9 percent to a level of 65.9 Mt (72.7 million st).

Jan 1, 2011

By M. M. Fine

Development of a process for winning copper from pelletized chalcocite concentrate without matte smelting and converting is underway at the Twin Cities Metallurgy Research Center, Bureau of Mines. The new route from concentrate to metal includes 2-stage fluid-bed treatment; pelletized concentrate (33 percent Cu, 7 percent S) is first desulfurized (to about 0.5 percent S) in an oxidizing atmosphere, and in the second stage the calcine is metallized by reduction with hydrogen. Thereafter, the reduced product plus 10 percent CaO is routed to a smelting furnace to separate metallic copper from the gangue. Recovery and the Cu content of the product at this point are in the 97-98 percent range. The metal must be refined to remove sulfur and iron to make wirebar copper. An important feature of the process is the pelletizing of the fine concentrate into mini-pellets prior to fluid-bed treatment, which has permitted shorter reaction time, decreased dusting, and facilitated subsequent processing.

Jan 1, 1970

By R. Havens, B. K. Shilber

"INTRODUCTION In the course of the investigation of the occurrence of manganese deposits in the western United States, ore-dressing tests were made on three samples procured by Bureau of Mines engineers from two properties in southeastern Juah County, Utah, each of which is known by the name Black Jack. To avoid confusion, the tests will be described under the names of the owners Kendall-Duvall and the Empire Mines.None of the samples were amenable to ore dressing for the production of high-grade manganese sinter.Ores from the Kendall-Duvall deposit represent an interesting metallurgical phase of low-grade manganese occurrence, as the occurrence of manganese as silicate (braunite) automatically governs the extent to which they can be beneficiated by mechanical methods of treatment. As less than 50 percent of the total manganese was recoverable by complex methods of treatment in a 40- percent-manganese sinter, attempts were made to recover most of the manganese in a low-calcite, intermediate-grade product that might be acceptable for subsequent metallurgical treatment. By selective flotation of calcite and manganese, up to 68 percent recoveries were obtained in plus 20-percent manganese products..No encouragement can be given for successful ore-dressing of Empire ores as represented by samples received for testing, as no products were obtained that would meet minimum marketing specifications. Empire ore contained only 1 percent lime and might be high enough in grade (19 percent manganese) for direct hydrometallurgical treatment."

Nov 1, 1947

By M. Schussler, J. S. Brunhouse

Arc-melted and electron-beam melted tantalum in the cold-worked and the recrystallized conditions showed high strength, good tensile ductility, and excellent notch toughness down to 321°F. Arc-melted material, containing moderate amounts of interstitials, possessed better short-time strength than higher purity electron-beam melted material up to 2000°F. Cold-working substantially strengthened arc-melted tantalum, whereas electron-beam melted material exhibited a low work-hardening rate and possessed better formability characteristics. With identical compositions and microstructures, the mechanical properties of melted tantalum and uacuum-sintered tantalum should be similar. TANTALUM metal usage is increasing rapidly in a number of applications. The outstanding chemical corrosion resistance of tantalum accounts for its applications in chemical processing equipment for severe service conditions and for surgical uses in the medical field. The largest present requirements for tantalum are in the electronics industry, where its special properties are useful in capacitors. The high melting point (5425°F) and inherent ductility of tantalum also suggest that tantalum and tantalum-base alloys might offer an excellent combination of high strength at very high temperatures and good fabri-cability. Pure tantalum has been used in significant amounts in parts requiring high-temperature strength, such as heating elements, reflectors, and heat shields in high-vacuum high-temperature furnaces and in electronic tubes. A few very promising tantalum-base alloys have been developed and are being investigated extensively. The possibilities for tantalum as a high-temperature structural material, either unalloyed or alloyed, will become better defined when more extensive mechanical property data are known. pughl measured the tensile properties of vacuum-sintered tantalum in sheet form for the temperature range of 78" to 1500°K (-321' to 2240°F), and Bechtold reported data obtained at low temperatures.' Drennen3 determined creep and stress-rupture properties of both vacuum-sintered and arc-melted tantalum sheet at 1200 °F. Some additional data on the mechanical properties of tantalum at temperatures up to 5000 °F have been summarized elsewhere.4'5 It is probable that large structural shapes of tantalum, either unalloyed or alloyed, can most readily be produced from ingots prepared by melting. Consequently, the present investigation was undertaken to determine more extensive short-time mechanical properties of tantalum metal consolidated by melting. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Melting and Fabrication—Two tantalum ingots were utilized in this study to obtain information on the effect of interstitial elements on mechanical properties. Both ingots were melted from Union Carbide Metals Co. tantalum dendrites.

Jan 1, 1961

By Elmars Ence, Harold Margolin

The partial isothermal section of the Ti-Cu-Zr system at 750°C has been studied. The crystal structure of Ti2Cu has been detevnlined as tetragonal and when expressed as face-centered tetragonal, a = 4.164, c = 3.611 A, and c/a = 0.867. TITANIUM systems in which ß-titanium decomposes eutectoidally into a and a compound rather readily are known as active eutectoid systems. Recently in active eutectoid alloys based on the Ti-Cu system, and containing additionally A1 and Zr, it has been found that zirconium may produce both moderate weakening and marked strengthening at elevated temperatures.' In order to obtain some insight into the behavior of zirconium, an attempt was made to determine whether compounds of the type Tix Zr and TixZryCu exist. Only results of the Ti-Zr-Cu studies are reported here since data on Ti-Zr alloys will be presented in a separate publication. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Alloys were nonconsumably arc melted in argon atmosphere as 15-g buttons, prepared from materials of the following purities: Bureau of Mines electrolytic Ti — Bhn 63 OFHC copper Reactor Grade Zirconium Bhn .C 150 Prior to alloy preparation the electrolytic titanium was premelted to avoid excessive spattering of the charges during melting. The weight losses during melting did not exceed 1 pct of the total weight of the charge. The alloys prepared are listed in Table I together with analyzed compositions. in cases where they were determined. Specimens for heat treatment were wrapped in molybdenum sheet, annealed in argon-filled quartz capsules, and quenched by breaking the capsules under iced brine. About 1 to 2 sec are required to remove the capsule from the furnace, drop it into the iced brine and break it. Because of the insulation effect of the quartz, this delay in quenching should not produce a large drop in temperature. In many instances, no difference or little difference has been detected between the same specimen quartz capsule quenched or directly quenched in vacuum by an impinging stream of water.' Ti-Cu-Zr alloys were homogenized for 48 hr at 825°C prior to annealing at 750°C. Annealing for 5 days at 750°C produced the same results as 11 days at temperature and it was therefore assumed that 5 days was sufficient to establish equilibrium. Titanium-copper alloys were homogenized for 40 hr at 900°C prior to heat treatment for 6 days at 750°C. Specimens for metallographic examination were electropolished and etched with the following solution:

Jan 1, 1962

By Zhanjun Wang, Yongqi Sun, Mei Zhang, Zuotai Zhang, Min Guo

The role of fluorine on the viscous and crystallization behavior of CaO-SiO2-MgO-Al2O3-FetO-P2O5-(CaF2) slags were explored using the rotating cylinder method, non-isothermal differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. It was found that the viscosity slightly decreased with increasing CaF2 content. It was also found that CaF2 addition can promote the primary phase transformed from MgFe2O4 spinel to Ca3(PO4)F, which was beneficial to the enrichment of phosphorus. Additionally, the structure of the slags explained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and magic angular spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR) were further analyzed, which was well in accordance with the above analysis.

Jan 1, 2016

By B. C. Raynes

IN the early part of 1952, under the auspices of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission, Horizons Inc. undertook an investigation dealing with the preparation of high purity thorium metal in order to develop an economically competitive production process for this metal based on a recovery of the metal by a fused salt electrolysis, since a survey of the literature of thorium chemistry indicated that electrolytic methods had not received much attention, despite the consideration that electrochemical production methods often offer attractive commercial potentialities. Thorium metal has been prepared by methods which fall into four general categories: 1) reduction of halides or double halides; 2) reduction of the oxide; 3) thermal decomposition of halides; and 4) electrolytic methods. Some of the important results obtained by various investigators since about 1900 in recorded attempts to prepare pure thorium metal are summarized in Table I. A bibliography of pertinent literature is included in this paper. Thorium is strongly electropositive and possesses a great affinity for oxygen and nitrogen. As a result the prospects for the production of high purity thorium from aqueous media or oxygen bearing compounds are remote. The most promising and profitable area of investigation for production of thorium metal lies in fused salt electrolysis. Thorium has been produced previously by this technique from halide salts in fused alkali chloride eutectic mixtures. Until recently, however, the lack of known large uses for thorium has inhibited the investigation of these methods. The basic problem in an investigation into fused salt production methods for thorium is to develop a suitable fused salt system for the economic preparation of thorium. The first portion of the work in these laboratories was a small scale investigation of the electrolysis of potassium thorium fluoride, KThF5, under a variety of conditions. High purity thorium was prepared in this manner, but the process did not appear to offer the simplest and most attractive continuous commercial operation. The work reported here relates to an all-chloride system employing thorium chloride as the cell feed. ThCL4 was produced as an anhydrous material stabilized in molten sodium chloride. This product, further diluted in NaCl, was subjected to electrolysis. The electrolytic process has been studied in cells capable of holding up to 50 lb total salt charge. Ductile, pure thorium metal has been reproducibly obtained in this operation. Considerable experimentation was carried out in the preparation of ThCL as a cell feed free from moisture, oxides, and other impurities. Thorium was cathodically deposited as a coarsely crystalline powder interspersed with residual bath salts. Aqueous procedures for separating and recovering the metal were developed. The thorium metal powder obtained has been evaluated with respect to its hardness, chemical purity, and certain other physical properties. Preparation of ThC1,—Thorium chloride, and the chlorides of some other metals (aluminum, beryllium, tantalum, zirconium, etc.) cannot be obtained from aqueous solution by direct heating and evaporation. Evaporation and heating of a solution of thorium chloride yields a hydrated salt or partially hydrated salt, and finally Tho,. Anhydrous thorium chloride is obtained by forming a hydrated ammonium chloride complex salt in acidified water solution, dehydrating this compound, and finally decomposing the double salt and subliming the ammonium chloride component. Various methods for the preparation of anhydrous thorium chloride, in accordance with this concept, were investigated as indicated in Table I1 from hydrated thorium chloride (ThCl, . 3H2O), and from thorium oxycarbonate (ThOCO,). In the method found most satisfactory for this work, thorium oxycarbonate was dissolved in an excess of concentrated HC1 to give a clear yellow solution. At least 2 mol NH,Cl were added to the solution per mol of contained thorium. Ammonium thorium chloride hydrate was crystallized from solution by cooling and saturation with HC1. The resultant complex, (NH,Cl),ThCl;xH,O, was dehydrated by evaporation at 130° to 150°C and thoroughly dried at about 250°C. The dried ammanium thorium chloride was then mixed with sodium chloride in proportions to form NaThCL or to produce a ThCL4-NaCl mixture with a given thorium content. The ammonium chloride was sublimed off at temperatures above 500°C in an inert atmosphere furnace to give an anhydrous chloride source electrolyte, essentially free of Tho, and of NKC1.

Jan 1, 1958