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By D. K. Crampton, H. l. Burghoff, J. T. Stacy

The study of copper alloys of the age-hardening type has received considerable attention, and, among the alloys which the authors have, considered, those containing small amounts of nickel and phosphorus as essential constituents seem especially interesting. Such alloys have attractively great capacity for being hardened and also have relatively high electrical and thermal conductivity in the hardened state. In addition, it has been found that the increase in hardness and strength imparted by aging can be greatly augmented by cold-working, so that excellent combinations of conductivity and strength are obtainnble. In view of the possible importance of the alloys, it was considered desirable to investigate the solubility relationships in the copper-rich portion of the copper-nickel-phosphorus system. This paper present's some of the results obtained in this investigation to date and also gives propertics of typical alloys that appear to be of commercial interest,. Review of literature Copper-nickel System,.—The binary coppcr-nickcl system has long been known to consist of a series of simple solicl solutions, copper and nickel being miscible at all tempcrat'ures and concentrations. This was establisl~cd by Guertler arid Tammannl in 1907 and confirmed by Tafel2 in 1908. Copper-phosphorus System.—The copper phosporus system has been studied by numerous investigators, so that the copper-rich portion is now definitely known. As most recently determined by Lindlief," his system has a cutectic at 8.38 per ccnt P, cuteetic temperature being 714° C. Components of the cutectic are Cu3P and alpha solid solution. Solid solubility of phosphorus in copper, according to Mertz arid Mathewson decreases from a maximum of about 1.75 per cent at 714' C. to about 0.6 per cent at 300' C.

Jan 1, 1940

By P. Nelson, K. L. Gunsallus, A. R. Ingraffea, J. F. Beech

INTRODUCTION Fracture toughness, KIC, is an intrinsic material property and is a measure of the energy required to create new surface area in a material. Fracture toughness measurements can be made for a wide range of rock types (Ouchterlony, 1980). As a measure of energy of comminution, fracture toughness might be used for more sensitive predictions of Tunnel Boring Machine (TRM) performance than are possible with other index measures in current use. This paper describes part of an ongoing, comprehensive, analytical/experimental program aimed at evaluation of KIC in such a role. The program includes efforts to: 1. Provide a firm analytical basis for a test specimen geometry: the core-derived short-rod. 2. Develop simple, inexpensive testing equipment and techniques. 3. Evaluate the accuracy of the above by testing rock and other materials and comparing the measured fracture toughness with those obtained by other methods. 4. Measure fracture toughness of a substantial number of different rocks from three ongoing TBM projects. 5. Compare fracture toughness results with other strength measures. 6. Compare all test results with observed TBM performance in the three projects. Presented here are summaries of all but the last of these efforts. Comparative evaluation of KIC as a more senstive rock property for TBM performance prediction will be the subject of the oral presentation and a subsequent paper.

Jan 1, 1982

By W. R. Crane

Mining of the red iron ores of the Birmingham district has been carried on energetically during the past 60 years, and their development has created a large iron and steel manufacturing center, the only important one in the South. The district produces approximately 10 per cent. of all the iron ore of the United States (80 per cent. of the Alabama ore mined is red ore); also, 40 of the 400 blast furnaces of the country are in the district tributary to Birmingham. The rapid growth of the district has been made possible through investigations that resulted in radical changes in furnace practice, and a still greater impetus will come from the study of the low-grade, high-silica ores, as a result on which they will be made amenable to treatment by concentration. Mining practice in this district has been comparatively simple because of the occurrence of the ore; but with the rapid extension of the workings and the disturbed condition of the ore bed at some distance from the outcrop, more difficult conditions are encountered and the tendency is toward worse rather than better conditions. Should the high-silica ores of the lower bench of the Big Seam become available through beneficiation, mining practice will have to be modified to meet the new conditions, which will be rendered more difficult by the increased weight of cover that will exist at considerable distances from the outcrop. Support of workings will require greater attention and the efficient and economical operation of the mines will depend largely on the successful solution of the problems of working and handling the ore. History and EaRly Development The first explorers of the coal and mineral lands of Alabama were blacksmiths and mechanics mustered out of the army after the war of 1812. These men recognized the red rock of the Birmingham district as iron ore, and utilized it in making cooking utensils and farm implements. The first blast furnace was built and operated at Russellville in 1818, where also was a foundry and rolling mill. Soft ore was used at that time, but, in 1864, the first red hematite ore of Red Mountain was smelted, near Irondale. Birmingham was founded in 1871, and the successful use of coke in making pig iron in 1876 was the beginning of

Jan 1, 1925

By F. R. Morral

In 1964, mining education in the United States will celebrate a 100th anniversary-that of the founding of our first school of mines at Columbia University. Prior to that, curricula leading to degrees in mining and metallurgical engineering were offered in 1853 by the Polytechnic College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. But the New World's earliest achievements in mining and metallurgical education were those of the Spanish in what is now Mexico. American metallurgy probably goes back to Father Jose de Acosta, who in 1590 described the metallurgy of silver and mercury in the New World.' The Spanish priest and metallurgist Don Alvaro Alonso Barba Toscano (1569-1662), in his hook The Art of Metals, published in 1640, stated a need for a school of mining and metallurgical education in the New World. (The latest translation of this book was made by R. E. Douglas and E. P. Mathewson and published by J. Wiley & Sons, New York, in 1923.)

Jan 1, 1963

By R. Maddin, S. K. Tung

SUCCESS of the dislocation theory in formulating the transitional lattice theory proposed by Har-greaves and Hill in 1929' is well established for low angle grain boundaries. The theoretical work of Burgersa and Read and Shockley,3 together with the experimental observations of Aust and Chalmers4 and Parker and colleagues,6 leaves little doubt as to the structure of grain boundaries with differences of orientations up to between 15" and 20". Beyond these angles, the structure of the boundary is not so clear, and is still a matter for conjecture. There have been notable experiments devised from which the data could be used to calculate energetics for possible arrangements of atoms in forming a large angle boundary.6 Most of these experiments deal with diffusion through and along the grain boundary. The recent work of Rhines and Cochart7 and Rhines, Bond, and Kissel18 was concerned with the relative movement of grains in aluminum bicrystals under constant tensile loads with their boundaries aligned at 45 " to the tension axis. The gliding along the grain boundary was cyclic and began after an incubation period. The velocity of gliding increased with the sum of the angular difference, 8, between the operative slip direction in the conjugate crystals and the angular difference between the active slip planes as measured between their traces upon the grain boundary. The initial gliding rate varied with temperature, and the logarithm of the average gliding taken over a considerable period was a linear function of the reciprocal of the absolute temperature: the slope gave an activation energy of 11,000 ±1,000 cal per mole. Since the rate of grain boundary shear is sensitive to the misorientation of the grains themselves, as shown by several workers,7,8 it is suggested that further work of this type might be fruitful in adding information regarding the behavior of boundaries under stress. The techniques devised by Chalmers" added impetus to the facility for observing grain boundary behavior, in that they provided a simple means for producing bicrystals of predetermined orientation so that the angle of the boundary could be controlled,

Jan 1, 1958

By Sherwin F. Kelly, Bela Low, William B. Creagmile

Electrical methods and instruments for geophysical exploration have been almost exclusively applied, during these years of development of the art, by a few companies specializing in this field. The control of patents, the cost of the instruments and the general lack of published information on details of field procedure and office interpretation have given these owners a monopoly in carrying out electrical surveys. The development of the Megger Ground Tester1 seems likely to change this situation, and to enable mining engineers and geologists, without special training in geophysics, to carry out simple reconnaissance electrical surveys. Nevertheless, the need for such special training and experience in planning surveys and interpreting their results remains, and probably i always will remain, indispensable for a successful outcome. The unique thing about, the Megger Ground Tester, which gives rise to this hope for its general use, is its simplicity of operation. The four binding posts of the instrument are connected by insulated wires to four stakes driven into the ground at appropriate points. The crank of the Megger is then turned, and the resistance of the ground between the two inside stakes is read directly, in ohms, by the deflection of a pointer over a scale. The apparatus is shown in Fig. 1. Fundamentally, the principle of operation is that of determining the resistance of a four-terminal conductor, as applied by Frank Wenner to the measurement of earth resistivity. "A four-terminal conductor is a conductor provided with two terminals to which current leads may be connected and two terminals to which potential leads may be connected. The resistance of such a conductor is the difference in potential between the potential terminals divided by the current entering and leaving

Jan 1, 1932

By A. Satter, J. M. Campbell

Reported herein are the results of a careful and detailed study of the non-ideal behavior of pure gases and their mixtures. Included are: (1) new data on five ternary systems composed of methane, ethane and H2 S; (2) a simple compressibility factor correlation that is inherently superior to present correlations, particularly for gases containing H2S and CO2; and(3) a detailed study of combination rules and the effect of system composition on the choice thereof. This study makes use of the rather large mass of data already available in the literature. A complete re-examination of the data and ideas presented in the last 25 years was considered desirable as a prelude to our basic concern — the effect of diluents on gas behavior. A consideration of both the macroscopic and microscopic properties of gases provides a better insight which, in turn, gives a firmer basis for improved correlation techniques. Such a study has shown that expressing the compressibility factor Z as a function of acentric factor w, as well as reduced temperature and pressure, yields a correlation that is broader in scope. The study of various combination rules has shown that better results are obtained by "tailoring" the rule used to the system composition. To do so improves the basic reality of results by overcoming some of the anomalies often found when using Kay's rule alone. Tentative recommendations are made regarding the most reliable combination rule for use with a given class of gas. The data presented are useful for estimating the direction and magnitude of the expected deviation when using a given rule. Although more work is needed, particularly around the critical region and with CO2 mixtures, the advantage of the classification scheme proposed is apparent. INTRODUCTION When one attempts to write a PVT equation to fit the data for actual gases, greater precision is obtained by the use of a multiple number of empirical constants. This has lead to multiple-constant equations such as Benedict-Webb-Rubin, Beattie-Bridgman, Keyes, etc., which are capable of yielding very precise results for pure gases in a range for which data to get the constants are available. As a matter of practicality, though, the use of such equations for gas mixtures is limited. Because of the infinite number of gas analyses available, any attempt to compile the constants needed requires a prohibitive amount of experimental data. This could be overcome by the use of a combination rule, but there is no real advantage in doing so because the end result offers no practical impovement over the Z factor correlation. The most widely used method of predicting the volumetric properties of pure gases is based upon the "theorem of corresponding states". According to this theorem, "all pure substances have corresponding molal volume at corresponding temperature and pressure if the reference point of correspondence is the critical point". Generalized compressibility charts for gases were prepared first by Cope and associates1 in 1931 and later by Brown and co-workers2 in 1932. However, the most commonly used charts are those of Dodge,3 Nelson and Obert,4 Hougen and atsson: and Standing and Katz.6 The work of Katz and co-workers has provided us with basic data for the hydrocarbons most widely used today. Their original chart6 was compared with a relatively large amount of multi-component data for gases consisting almost entirely of normal paraffin hydrocarbons. A deviation of only + 1.2 per cent was obtained.39 In the 20 years following publication of this work it has been found that the behavior of most mixtures of paraffin hydrocarbons could be predicted by this correlation within at least 5 per cent. Where difficulty has been encountered it has largely involved one or more of the following circumstances: pressures above 4,000 psig, mixtures containing large amounts of heavy ends and/or aromatics, systems in the critical region and mixtures containing polar compounds and/or CO2. The abnormal error sometimes found with such gases, not too unexpected for this method, is

By A. U. Seybolt

The solubility of oxygen in a iron has been determined in the range between 700° and 900°C. The solubility is a function of temperature and varies from about 0.008 pct oxygen at 700°C to atureandabout 0.03 pct at 900°C. The heat of solution is approximately +15,500 cal per mol. AS pointed out in a recent paper by Kitchener et al.,1 there has been a lack of agreement among many investigators even as to the order of magnitude of the solid solubility of oxygen in the various forms of iron. This lack of agreement is attributable in large part to the difficulties in the determination of a small oxygen solubility; but because the problem has remained so long unsettled, it also indicates a lack of interest which is rather surprising when the demonstrated importance of small amounts of soluble nonmetallic impurities in iron is considered. The work of Kitchener et al. apparently leaves the solubility of oxygen in iron in a satisfactory state, but no attempt was made to investigate the solubility in a iron. The solubility of oxygen in a iron is actually of greater interest, since it is in this form that iron and mild steels are employed ordinarily. That the effect of oxygen in iron is of more than theoretical interest has been well established by Fast,' and more recently by Rees and Hopkins," who demonstrated that oxygen in the range between 0.0008 and 0.27 wt pct has a pronounced effect upon the mechanical properties. Previous Work and Methods Used To report in detail the literature relating to the solubility of oxygen in a iron would require an inordinate amount of space. For those interested in reviewing this work, a bibliography4-13 of the more significant papers is appended. In general, two methods of studying this problem have been used. One is the gas-metal equilibrium method where the H2O-H2-Fe or the CO2-CO-Fe equilibria have been used. The other is the more direct approach of the oxidation of thin strips of pure iron by packing in mill scale or by air or gaseous oxygen at some desired temperature. In this method oxygen is allowed to oxidize the surface and then to diffuse inward until saturation is obtained. In the gas-metal equilibrium method the oxygen dissolved in solid iron at a given temperature is proportional to the ratio of the water vapor-hydrogen pressures or the CO2-CO pressures over the sample for small ratio values. If the ratio becomes higher than a critical value, then an oxide phase makes its appearance (the solution becomes supersaturated). In principle, it is possible to use a series of H2O/H2 or CO2/CO ratios and to find by analysis the corresponding amounts of oxygen in solid solution at constant temperature. At the point where a very small increase in the gas ratio (increase in oxidizing powder) produces a large increase in oxygen content, the solid solubility limit is reached. Alternately, if the critical ratio is known, it is possible to use the procedure of Kitchener et al.1 and to use a ratio which is near but below the critical one. The solubility corresponding to this lower ratio will not be the saturation solubility at the temperature employed, but the saturation solubility can be calculated by multiplying the measured solubility by the critical ratio over the ratio used. However, in the case where oxygen gas is the oxidizing medium, the saturation solubility is not a function of pressure, providing the pressure exceeds the dissociation pressure of FeO in equilibrium with iron. This is 1.2x10-16 mm at 800 °C, according to Dushman." As pointed out by Darken17 in discussing the FeO phase diagram, most of the possible errors tend to yield high values of oxygen solubility. For example, one circumstance which evidently caused the reporting of many high values was the use of finely divided or powdered iron in the gas equilibrium method. Because of the large surface area of such a sample, and the likelihood of some surface contamination if only by exposure to air, the results tended to be high. The direct oxidation method which was used in this work has the advantage in that it is simple and direct, but it suffers from one disadvantage: equilibrium can only be approached from the low oxygen side. The important factors to be kept under control are the following: 1—use of high purity iron to avoid internal oxidation (oxidation of readily

Jan 1, 1955

By O. N. Cole, R. E. Davis, T. D. Brotherton

Pvfoperties of rubidium and cesium are compared with those of other alkali metals. Methods for the preparation of rubidium and cesium metal are reviewed briefly, ad hazards and safety precautions required in handling rubidium and cesium metal are described. SimPle methods for handling laboratory quantities of elemental rubidium ad cesium under oil and under argon are illustrated. CESIUM and rubidium were both discovered by Bunsen and Kirchoff in the years 1860 and 1861. Cesium was discovered while Bunsen and Kirchoff were making a spectrographic study of spring water from Durkheim, Germany. It was the first element discovered by this technique. The element was given the Latin name "caesius" for sky blue because of the color it imparted to flames. Elemental cesium was first prepared by Setterberg in 1881 through electrolysis of a molten mixture of cesium and barium cyanides.' In 1861, Bunsen and Mirchoff discovered rubidium while making a spectrographic study of the alkali content of lepidolite ore from Saxony. Two prominent dark red lines appeared in the spectrum and so the element was named "rubidius" or dark red. In 1861 Bunsen and Kirchoff first prepared elemental rubidium through the electrolysis of molten rubidium chl~ride.~ The alkali metals are very similar in their chemical and physical properties. They are the most active metals, and all exhibit a single oxidation state of one. They are so reactive that they are never found in nature in the elemental state. The reactivity of he metals increases with atomic number. Rubidiurn and cesium ignite spontaneously in air and react explosively with water. This extreme reactivity makes necessary special equipment and techniques for the safe preparation and use of the metals. The cation: of Group IA can be separated from the metallic cations of other groups with relative ease, but the separation of the individual alkali cations is much more difficult because of their close chemical similarity. This close chemical and physical similarity of alkali metals can be inferred from the atomic radii, oxidation numbers, and ioni-zation potentials shown in Table I. A difficult but the most practical physical method of separating the elemental alkali metals from one another is by distillation. Only lithium has a boiling point sufficiently far-removed from the boiling points of the other alkali metals to make this method of separation feasible without elaborate and expensive equipment. This method is not used, however, for lithium because it possesses sufficient chemical dissimilarity from the other alkalies for it to be separated relatively easily as lithium hydroxide monohydrate or as lithium carbonate. Francium, the last member of the group, has no known stable isotopes. The naturally occurring

Jan 1, 1962

E. A. Peretti (University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Ind.)—Mr. Deitz and Professor Halpern are to be congratulated on a fine piece of work which adds to our knowledge of precious metal—cyanide-solution reactions. I should like to offer the following comments: The authors state, "the rate plots were always linear, indicating a zero order reaction rate." This appears to conflict with the data of Fig. 6 which clearly show the rate to vary with the NaCN concentration. It seems to me that the rate curves are linear because of the experimental setup. The volume of solution is so large that over a three-hour period the change in NaCN concentration is very small. A rough calculation for the experiments of Table I where the initial NaCN strength was 0.0096 mol per liter show a change of NaCN concentration of about 0.0009 mol per liter at the end of three hours. In short, over the period of time that the experiment was in progress, the NaCN strength was practically constant; hence the rate of dissolution remained practically constant. Eq. 10, as written, specifies that 1 mol of H202 and 2 mol of hydroxyl ion are formed when 2 mol of silver react. Is this true? The effect of H,O2 on the rate was made in solutions having an oxygen pressure of 4.8 atm. Were any tests made in solutions containing hydrogen peroxide, but no oxygen? G. M. Willis (University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia)—The authors have shown that, under their experimental conditions of high O2 concentrations, the rate of solution of silver in aqueous cyanide solutions is controlled by diffusion of O2 or CN- to the metal surface. With diffusion control, it is generally not possible to obtain further information about the mechanism of a process.

Jan 1, 1955

By Rudolf K. Berkhard

Static soil investigations with more or less heavy loads and extensive borings do not always have efficient results; also, they are very expensive. The new geophysical method of dynamic tests described herein is simple and cheap and avoids several disadvantages of the routine investigation, thus forming a useful supplement to the older methods and even at times replacing various static tests. The fundamental principle of dynamic soil tests consists in the application of artificial vibration. The technique employed is essentially geophysical in nature and in some respects is akin to seismic studies. Artificial vibration may be excited by centrifugal forces resulting from eccentrically supported rotating masses. The reactions of soil and structures caused by these vibrations may be measured. Their dynamic constants, such as amplitudes, phase speeds, damping, reflection, and interference effects, can be investigated. This geophysical method has been used for several years with increasing success. The results of these tests, summarized at the end of the paper, indicate that this method opens a new field for the pkactical engineer in investigating soils (capacity and formation), foundations, dams and structures, and especially buildings that must withstand earthquakes. Methods Static Method.—The first and oldest tests to investigate the bearing capacity of the soil were carried out by static weights. The penetration of these weights, however, depends not only on the soil but also on the size and the form of their lower surface. The length of time the load acts is also important. To imitate actual field conditions, heavy weights and lengthy tests are required, both of which are expensive. Furthermore, the influence of static weights affects only the surface and does not penetrate into deeper strata, therefore substitutes and supplements for static tests have to include the time factor and consequently lead to dynamic investigations. Such dynamic investigations also affect

Jan 1, 1940

By Rudolf K. Berkhard

Static soil investigations with more or less heavy loads and extensive borings do not always have efficient results; also, they are very expensive. The new geophysical method of dynamic tests described herein is simple and cheap and avoids several disadvantages of the routine investigation, thus forming a useful supplement to the older methods and even at times replacing various static tests. The fundamental principle of dynamic soil tests consists in the application of artificial vibration. The technique employed is essentially geophysical in nature and in some respects is akin to seismic studies. Artificial vibration may be excited by centrifugal forces resulting from eccentrically supported rotating masses. The reactions of soil and structures caused by these vibrations may be measured. Their dynamic constants, such as amplitudes, phase speeds, damping, reflection, and interference effects, can be investigated. This geophysical method has been used for several years with increasing success. The results of these tests, summarized at the end of the paper, indicate that this method opens a new field for the pkactical engineer in investigating soils (capacity and formation), foundations, dams and structures, and especially buildings that must withstand earthquakes. Methods Static Method.—The first and oldest tests to investigate the bearing capacity of the soil were carried out by static weights. The penetration of these weights, however, depends not only on the soil but also on the size and the form of their lower surface. The length of time the load acts is also important. To imitate actual field conditions, heavy weights and lengthy tests are required, both of which are expensive. Furthermore, the influence of static weights affects only the surface and does not penetrate into deeper strata, therefore substitutes and supplements for static tests have to include the time factor and consequently lead to dynamic investigations. Such dynamic investigations also affect

Jan 1, 1940

By Henry R. Joesting

DURING the past year and a half, the Territorial Department of Mines in Alaska has conducted a modest experimental program for the purpose of determining the extent to which magnetic and resistivity methods can be used in interior Alaska in connection with prospecting, mining and geological studies. Since little information is available concerning previous work,1,2 and since conditions differ considerably from those in most other regions, it was considered advisable to make a general study of the possibilities and limitations of the two methods, rather than a detailed study of any single problem. PROBLEMS One of the most serious handicaps to prospecting and geological study in interior Alaska, especially in the mature regions, is a cover of unconsolidated deposits ranging in thickness from a few feet to several hundred feet. These deposits, some of which are permanently frozen, consist of silt with varying proportions of vegetation and windblown material in the valleys and of residual deposits on the hills.3,4 The problems treated here are caused by the existence of this overburden: I. Location of buried placers. 2. Determination of depth and areal distribution of permanently frozen and of thawed unconsolidated deposits. 3. Location of water-bearing beds under unconsolidated deposits. INSTRUMENTS AND METHODS Magnetic and direct-current resistivity methods were used because they are relatively simple, rapid and inexpensive and because generally they are well suited to the study of the problems indicated. The instruments used were a vertical Schmidt-type magnetometer and a direct-current resistivity instrument similar to those used by the Geophysical Branch of the U. S. Geological Survey.5 For placer surveys with the magnetometer, a sensitivity of about 25 gammas per scale division was found suitable. For resistivity studies of frozen and thawed overburden and of underground water, the Lee partitioning method6 was found to be most generally suitable. In the Lee method a central potential electrode is placed midway between the two potential electrodes of the Wenner four-electrode configuration.7 Nonpolarizable electrodes were made from unglazed porcelain pots about 10 cm. high and 5 cm. in diameter. In order to retard evaporation of the electrolyte the sides of the pots were glazed, inside and out, with clear Duco lacquer. For resistivity work in cold weather, a nonfreezing electrolyte consisting of equal parts of ethylene glycol and a saturated water solution of copper sulphate proved satisfactory. Stainless steel rods of 3/4-in. diameter made excellent current electrodes because their bright finish enabled good ground contacts to be made.

Jan 1, 1941

By T. S. Lovering

GEOCHEMICAL prospecting extends the age-old method of searching out lodes with a gold pan and rationalizes the prospector's hunch that certain plants are associated with ore. It uses sensitive but cheap and rapid analytical methods to find the diagnostic chemical variations related to hidden mineral deposits. Exploration geologists can gain tremendous assistance from this new tool, although its optimum use is not simple. To bring out the geochemical pattern that reveals the presence of a hidden ore deposit with a minimum number of samples requires a combination of shrewdness, chemical knowledge, and exploration geology. The use of sensitive analytical methods for prospecting had its start in the 1930's in northern Europe, where Scandinavian and Russian geologists had some success in these early efforts. Very little geochemical prospecting was carried on in the United States at this time, and no sustained interest was manifest until the close of World War 11, when geochemical investigations were started by the Mineral Deposits Branch of the U. S. Geological Survey. The purpose of these investigations was to apply geochemical principles and techniques to surface exploration for mineral deposits. Both the research on analytical methods and the routine trace analyses for field investigations were at first conducted by a single group, but it later became apparent that the trace analyses could be done by men of less experience than that required for successful research on methods. For the past several years there have been two groups of chemists, and although their functions overlap, three of the chemists are chiefly concerned with research, while four to six other men make the trace analyses for field projects. The chemical investigations, as well as the field projects of the Geochemical Exploration Section, concern only those phases of the subject that are appropriate to a government organization; every effort is made to help private industry, but not to compete with it, in finding orebodies. The chief aim of the Section, therefore, is to develop new analytical techniques and publish the results promptly, to carry out field investigations of the fundamental principles of geochemical dispersion, and to field test promising- techniques under controlled conditions. Some routine geochemical exploration work is carried on in connection with DMEA loans, and in district studies where the project chief wishes geochemical information on certain areas for his report. It should be emphasized, however, that geologists of the Geochemical Exploration Section are primarily concerned with fundamental principles underlying the distribution, migration, and concentration of elements in the earth's crust. To facilitate the use of geochemical methods the USGS has published much information on its methods of analysis and has provided opportunities from time to time for qualified professional personnel to study these methods, to work in the USGS laboratory, or to attend demonstrations of the analytical techniques at the Denver Federal Center. Typical of the research carried on are the problems now being investigated: 1) Development of rapid and sensitive analytical methods suitable to the determination of traces of metals and other minor elements in various materials, such as rock, soils, plants, and water. At the present time attention is being concentrated on U, Bi, Cr, and Hg, and satisfactory rapid trace analytical methods are virtually perfected for U and Bi. Good methods are also available for: Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Co, As, Sb, W, Mo, Ag, Nb, Ge, V, Ti, Fe, Mn, S, and P. 2) The relation of geochemical anomalies in plant materials to the geochemical distribution of elements in soils surrounding the plant. 3) A study of the dispersion halos in transported sedimentary cover such as glacial drift and alluvium over known orebodies. 4) A study of the behavior of ore metals in the weathering cycle. 5) A study of the behavior of the ore metals during magmatic differentiation. This requires a study of the distribution of minor metals in fresh igneous rocks and their component minerals in a well established differentiation series and in adjacent country rock. 6) A study of the dispersion of metals in primary halos in the wall rock surrounding orebodies. 7) Regional and local studies of the metal content of surface and groundwater in mineralized and barren areas. Many field projects of the Mineral Deposits Branch also require the services of USGS chemists during their investigation of the geochemical environment of ore deposits. From the work that has been done certain general principles have emerged. Concentrations of an element that are above the general or background value of barren material are called positive geochemical anomalies or simply an anomaly, whereas values less than background are called negative anomalies. The anomalies most commonly investigated in geochemical prospecting are those formed at the earth's surface by agents of weathering, erosion, or surficial transportation, but more and more attention is being given to primary anomalies found

Jan 1, 1956

By R. H. McLean

Jet impingement produces two mechanisms to clean the bottom of a borehole during jet-bit drilling operations. One is an impact-pressure wave in the immediate area of jet impingement. The other is crossflow, which spreads across the bottom away from the pressure wave. Measurements of the vertical distribution of the cross-flow at several positions beneath a 4 3/4-in. tricone jet bit in a laboratory model show that the maximum velocity in the crossflow is directly proportional to the square root of the product of the rate of flow and the velocity of the jets through the nozzles (QV). Other measurements in the laboratory model show that gradients in the impact-pressure wave are directly proportional to the jet QV if the diameters of the nozzles are held constant. Consistency of the basic relationships through changes in the Reynolds numbers of the jets from 31,000 to 93,000 suggests that the laboratory results should be representative of typical flow in field operations having higher Reynolds numbers. Estimates of the impact-pressure waves under conditions other than those in the jet-bit model may be made by comparison with a less complex model—impingement of a jet against an unrestricted flat surface normal to the jet. Equations derived from current jet technology describe the wave in this simple system for a wide range of conditions. INTRODUCTION The efficiency of rotary drilling operations is strongly linked to the efficiency with which cuttings are removed. Cuttings remaining on the bottom of the borehole will impede further penetration by the bit until they are removed. Wasteful regrinding is prevented if the fluid circulated past the bit removes cuttings as rapidly as they are made. Most investigations of bottom-hole cleaning under bits have been concerned with the rate-of-penetration effects of bit type, nozzle configuration, fluid properties, pressure gradients and utilization of hydraulic horsepower. These investigations have shown that drilling muds, weighted to keep the pressure in the borehole greater than in adjacent formations and carrying material which forms a filter cake, apparently plaster cuttings against the bottom, making them difficult to remove. In addition to a demonstration of the factors causing poor cleaning, the most significant result of these previous investigations has been the increased use of jet bits accompanied by better hydraulic programs and better selection of drilling fluids. Undoubtedly, these practices have improved bottom-hole cleaning, but rates of penetration when drilling with muds are still often lower than would be expected with perfect cleaning." Although there is general agreement with the concept that increasing hydraulic energy at a jet bit often increases the rate of penetration by improving cleaning, research workers have differed as to the best criterion for evalyating hydraulics. Some lean toward maximizing the product of the rate of flow and the velocity through the nozzles (QV) others prefer to maximize the hydraulic horsepower at the bit;'"-' "till another says that neither criterion is universally suitable."' This controversy shows that conclusive field evidence has not established the superiority of either of these criteria. Analysis of the fluid flow which cleans the bottom should contribute to resolving the controversy. Impinging jets clean the bottom by creating two mechanisms capable of dislodging cuttings. One is the impact from the momentum of the jet and the other is the flaw parallel to the bottom away from the area of impingement. The impact force appears in the form of a pressure wave on the bottom and, in this paper, is called the impact-pressure wave. The flow parallel to the bottom is called crossflow. Fig. 1 illustrates these two mechanisms. This paper describes crossflow and the impact-pressure wave beneath jet bits and relates them to controllable parameters. Through these relations, criteria for use in designing hydraulics to achieve maximum use of the mechanisms of cleaning are derived. PROPERTIES OF CROSSFLOW CONCEPTS DEVELOPED IN PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS Concepts of scavenging the bottom by crossflow have been well discussed by Bobo, et al." They examine the means by which crossflow may create forces on cuttings and conclude that the cleaning action of crossflow can be increased by increasing the velocity of the flow stream close to the bottom. Using boundary layer theory, they indicate that a reduction in the viscosity of the drilling

Jan 1, 1965

By John T. Eash

DURING the course of the war the supply of tin in this country has steadily decreased and a continued effort has been made since the beginning of the emergency to use alloys that are either tin free or contain appreciably lower quantities of it. Even with the use of emergency materials, the tin supply has become particularly acute, and it is estimated that after recovery of the far eastern mines probably one to two years will be required before our normal annual supply is attained. One of the major tin-consuming fields is the bronze industry. Recommendations were made several years ago by the War Production Board toward the use of bronzes of lower tin content and manganese bronze and yellow brass for the customarily used tin-bronze alloys. The substitution of 88-5-5-2 copper-nickel-tin-zinc for composition G received considerable attention before the war, and consequently this alloy and modifications of it have been adopted for some current structural and pressure castings requiring high mechanical properties. Another of the commonly used bronzes is the 10 per cent tin, 10 per cent lead copper alloy for heavy-duty bearings. It has been known for some time that about 2.5 per cent nickel could be substituted for an equal amount of tin with retention of equivalent casting and tensile properties; however, it was desirable that a still greater conservation of tin be made. Consequently the present paper deals with the development of an alloy of low tin content that could be used for bearings. SELECTION OF COMPOSITION While the final criterion of the suitability of an alloy for a bearing must 0f course be determined by practical applications where all the ramifications of service conditions are encountered, certain short cuts in the initial selection of compositions are necessary to avoid an extensive and time-consuming investigation. The present program has been to match certain metallurgical properties of the 80-10-10 bronze that have been shown by previous investigations to be related to good bearing qualities. Such properties as microstructure, hardness, compressive yield strength, ductility, and castability have been considered, and certain simple wear tests have been made. Of the readily assessed characteristics desired in a good bearing alloy, one can be certain that a uniform distribution of lead is required in a leaded bronze. It has generally been found that segregation of lead is one of the chief difficulties with this type of material. Tin has a powerful effect on lead distribution, and with 10 per cent present produces a random distribution of chunky particles, such as are shown in Fig. I. In addition, the tin bronze contains the hard alpha + delta eutectoid constituent distributed through-

Jan 1, 1945

By A. L. Pranatis, G. M. Pound

Changes in length of copper foils of varying thickness and grain size were measured under such conditions of low stress and high temperature that it is believed that creep was predominately the result of interboundary diffusion of the type recently discussed by Conyers Herring. The surface tension of copper was calculated and results confirmed previous work within the limits of experimental error. Under the assumption of viscous flow, viscosities were calculated as a function of temperature and grain size. Predictions of the Nabarro Herring theory of surface grain boundary flow were borne out fully and the Herring theory of diffusional viscosity is strongly supported. ONLY a relatively few techniques for obtaining the surface tension of solids are presently available. Of these, the simplest and most straight forward is the direct measurement of surface tension by the application of a balancing counterforce. Thin wires or foils are lightly loaded and strain rates (either positive due to the downward force of the applied load or negative if the contracting tendency of surface tension is sufficiently greater than the applied stress) are observed. By plotting strain rates against stress, the load which exactly balances the upward pull is found and a simple calculation yields a value for the surface tension. The technique is of comparative antiquity, and solid surface tension values were reported by Chapman and Porter,' Schottky; and Berggren" in the early part of the century. Later, the filament technique became fairly well established as a method for determining the surface tension of viscous liquids, and Tammann and coworkers,'. " Sawai and co-worker and Mackh howed good agreement between the values of surface tension for glasses and tars obtained by the filament technique and by more conventional methods. With the increased confidence in the technique gained in these experiments, the method was applied to solid metals and the first reliable values of surface tension of solid metals were reported by Sawai and coworkers10' " and by Tammann and Boehme." More recently, Udin and coworkersu-'" have reported the results of experiments with gold, silver, and copper wires. Similar experiments with gold wires were carried out by Alexander, Dawson, and Kling.'" The excellent review articles of Fisher and Dunn" and of Udinl@ should be referred to for detailed criticism of the foregoing work and for discussion of underlying theory. In all the foregoing calculations, it is assumed implicitly that the material contracts or extends uni- formly along the length of the specimen and also that it flows in a viscous fashion, i.e., that strain rates are proportional to stress. For an amorphous material, such as glass, tar, or pitch, the assumptions are quite valid and good agreement is obtained with values of surface tension measured by other techniques. The values reported for metals, however, are occasionally regarded with misgiving, since it can be argued that, because of their crystalline nature, true solids can not deform in a viscous fashion. If this is true, then the results reported for solid metals over a long period of years are of only doubtful value. Thus it is clearly necessary that a mechanism be established that would explain both the viscous flow and the uniform deformation that has been assumed. Such a mechanism has been proposed by Herring."' Briefly, he suggests that, under the conditions of the experiment, deformation takes place by means of a flow of vacancies between grain boundaries and surfaces. This is a direct but independent extension of the theory proposed by Nabarro" in an attempt to explain the microcreep observed by Chalmer~.In a condensed form the Herring viscosity equation is TRL there 7 is the viscosity, T the absolute temperature, R and L grain dimensions, and D the self-diffusion coefficient. In its complete form, all constants are calculable and it includes such factors as grain shape, specimen shape, and degree of grain boundary flow. When applied to existing data, good agreement was obtained between predicted and observed flow rates. The theory received provisional confirmation from the work of Buttner, Funk, and Udin" who observed viscosities in 5 mil Au wire much higher than those in the 1 mil wire used by Alexander, Dawson, and Kling.'" More significant were the completely negligible strain rates found by Greenough" in silver single crystals. Opposed to these observations were those of Udin, Shaler, and Wulff'" who found indications of viscosity decreasing as grain size increased. Thus, complete confirmation of the theory was lacking in that the data to which it could be applied contained only a limited number of grain sizes. Hence, it was proposed that a series of experiments be carried out with thin foils of varying grain size up to and including single crystals, where, according to the Herring theory, deformation would occur only at almost infinitely slow rates.

Jan 1, 1956

By Henry Faul

Measurement of radioactivity of rocks and ores has developed into a complete method of geophysical exploration. The problem falls into three natural categories: (1) surface radiation measurement in the field and underground; (2) radioactivity logging of drillholes; and (3) laboratory analysis of samples. Portable counters are used in the field for tracing radioactive formations and for quanti tative estimates of radioactive content of surface rock. Wartime advances in battery design make it possible to construct small precision counters that can be carried easily. Even the smallest conventional diamond drillholes can be logged, and actual content of the radioactive element can be measured. The exact grade of very thin active layers or veins can be estimated only approximately. Samples may be analyzed for their alpha, beta or gamma activity, and beta assaying is the best suited to rapid routine operation. Simple calibration with standard samples is sufficient for rough work, but a density correction is necessary when greater precision is required. Samples with high emanating power should be fixed and stored for three weeks to reestablish the radium-radon equilibrium prior to precision assaying. Carno-tite can be fixed by sintering or molding with plastics. Among the important new developments, a low-voltage Geiger tube has been 'designed recently, and crystal scintillation counters hold great promise for high-efficiency gamma-ray measurement. Introduction During the last few years we have witnessed an unprecedented rise in the demand for radioactive minerals, coming as a direct consequence of the discovery of nuclear fission and subsequent developments, the full impact of which is by no means in sight even now. It remains certain, however, that radioactive minerals, and especially those which can be used as ores of uranium and thorium, will continue to be of great interest not only to the prospector and mine operator but also to the various inspection parties envisioned by most of the schemes advanced for the control of nuclear energy on a world-wide basis. It is clear, therefore, that the measurement of radioactivity in rocks in the field as well as in samples in the laboratory has become a method of geophysical exploration of some importance. If we consider the recent technological advances in the general fields of nuclear physics and electronics it seems proper to review the present status of the methods and procedures of radiological exploration. General Considerations Equilibrium If we take a fixed amount of uranium that has just been purified, some of it will immediately start decaying into its first daughter element which in turn decays into its own daughter and so on down the line until the last daughter is reached—a stable isotope of lead. The rate at which a radioactive element decays is frequently expressed as the half-life, which is the length of time required for the decay of half the atoms in a given amount. The half-life is inversely proportional to the decay constanl X which is defined as the number of atoms which decay in one unit of time divided by

Jan 1, 1949

By Henry Faul

Measurement of radioactivity of rocks and ores has developed into a complete method of geophysical exploration. The problem falls into three natural categories: (1) surface radiation measurement in the field and underground; (2) radioactivity logging of drillholes; and (3) laboratory analysis of samples. Portable counters are used in the field for tracing radioactive formations and for quanti tative estimates of radioactive content of surface rock. Wartime advances in battery design make it possible to construct small precision counters that can be carried easily. Even the smallest conventional diamond drillholes can be logged, and actual content of the radioactive element can be measured. The exact grade of very thin active layers or veins can be estimated only approximately. Samples may be analyzed for their alpha, beta or gamma activity, and beta assaying is the best suited to rapid routine operation. Simple calibration with standard samples is sufficient for rough work, but a density correction is necessary when greater precision is required. Samples with high emanating power should be fixed and stored for three weeks to reestablish the radium-radon equilibrium prior to precision assaying. Carno-tite can be fixed by sintering or molding with plastics. Among the important new developments, a low-voltage Geiger tube has been 'designed recently, and crystal scintillation counters hold great promise for high-efficiency gamma-ray measurement. Introduction During the last few years we have witnessed an unprecedented rise in the demand for radioactive minerals, coming as a direct consequence of the discovery of nuclear fission and subsequent developments, the full impact of which is by no means in sight even now. It remains certain, however, that radioactive minerals, and especially those which can be used as ores of uranium and thorium, will continue to be of great interest not only to the prospector and mine operator but also to the various inspection parties envisioned by most of the schemes advanced for the control of nuclear energy on a world-wide basis. It is clear, therefore, that the measurement of radioactivity in rocks in the field as well as in samples in the laboratory has become a method of geophysical exploration of some importance. If we consider the recent technological advances in the general fields of nuclear physics and electronics it seems proper to review the present status of the methods and procedures of radiological exploration. General Considerations Equilibrium If we take a fixed amount of uranium that has just been purified, some of it will immediately start decaying into its first daughter element which in turn decays into its own daughter and so on down the line until the last daughter is reached—a stable isotope of lead. The rate at which a radioactive element decays is frequently expressed as the half-life, which is the length of time required for the decay of half the atoms in a given amount. The half-life is inversely proportional to the decay constanl X which is defined as the number of atoms which decay in one unit of time divided by

Jan 1, 1949

By A. S. Venkatadri, H. B. Bell

The equilibrium sulfur distribution between molten iron and Ca0-Mg0-Al203 slags containing iron oxide was investigated at 1550°C. The results were used to derive the iron oxide activities at low iron oxide concentrations in the slag by combining the sulfide capacity data obtained from gas-slag work with the free energies of both the sulfur solution in iron and the iron oxide formation in slag. The derived ferrous oxide activities were compared with values based on Tem-kin's kin's and Flood's ionic models. One difficulty in using these models is that the nature of the aluminate ion in slag is uncertain. Nevertheless, such indirect methods, in particular, those described in the present paper, are of value because of the difficulty of measuring small amounts of oxygen in liquid iron in equilibrium with slag. It is shown that these methods confirm the consistency of thermodynamics data on liquid iron and slags. It is well established that decreasing the iron oxide activity in the slag increases the desulfurization of molten iron at constant slag basicity. This effect is most pronounced at the very low iron oxide activities, characteristic of blast furnace slags. Yet a precise quantitative determination of the significance of low iron oxide contents in slag in blast furnace desulfuri-zation is not possible for the following reasons: a) difficulty of separation of iron "shots" from the slag, and b) errors in chemical analysis of small amounts of iron oxide in slags. In view of these obstacles, one must resort to indirect methods of calculating iron oxide activities. EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUE The apparatus for providing the sulfur equilibrium data has been described previously1 and was similar to that used by ell' in connection with the study of slag-metal manganese equilibrium. The procedure consisted of: a) melting about 50 g of Armco iron in a magnesia crucible in a platinum furnace, b) adding a mixture of about 15 g of lime-alumina slag and varying amounts of Fe2O3 and CaS, and c) maintaining the temperature at 1550°C for more than an hour in an atmosphere of argon to enable the sulfur equilibrium to be attained. Several melts were made using lime-alumina slags with basic composition 55, 50, and 45 pct lime. During the experiment the temperature was controlled manually using a Pt/10 pet Rh-Pt thermocouple. After the experiment, the Power was shut off and the flow rate of argon was increased to freeze the melt as quickly as possible. The analysis of sulfur in the metal was carried out by the oxygen combustion method3 using uniform drillings from the top and bottom of the metal button. After crushing and grinding and removal of any iron particles with the aid of a hand magnet, the slag was analyzed for sulfur by the CO2 combustion method.4 The E.D.T.A. method was employed for the analysis of lime5,6 and magnesia,= the ceric sulfate method7 for the analysis of slag iron oxide, and the perchloric acid dehydration method5 for the analysis of silica. The remaining amount was taken to be Al2O3 precipitation with ammonium hydroxide in several preliminary melts had confirmed the propriety of using this simple procedure. RESULTS The activity of iron oxide in binary, ternary, and more complex slags has been the object of numerous investigations, and the two experimental methods for its determination are: 1) Equilibrating the metal with the slag in question and measuring the oxygen content of the metal. The ferrous oxide activity is then given by aFeO L%OJSat where [%0]sat is the oxygen content of the metal in equilibrium with pure iron oxide slag. This method was used by Chipman et al.8,9 2) Equilibrating the slag in iron crucibles with known partial pressures of H2/H2O or CO/CO2 mix-tures.10-12 This method is limited to temperatures between 1265" and 1500°C. The very low oxygen content of the melts in this investigation made it impossible to derive the ferrous oxide activity by the first of these methods. Therefore, the iron oxide activities were computed by means of: Sulfide capacity data from the gas-slag work" Temkin's concept14 Flood's approach15 a FeO from Sulfide Capacity. The method of calculating the aFeO involves the sulfide capacity of the slag (c,), the sulfur distribution coefficient (Ls), the free energy of dissolution of sulfur in iron, and the free energy of formation of iron oxide in the slag. Bell and Kalyanram13 have investigated the sulfur absorption characteristics of lime-alumina slags containing magnesia by the Carter-Macfarlane method16 (based on comparing the sulfide capacity of the slag in question with that of a standard slag of unit lime activity) and have derived lime activity values. The relation between sulfide capacity and their lime activity a'CaO is given by: Cs= 3—: Xa'CaO at 1500°C

Jan 1, 1970