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By Ashok K. Sinha

During the course of an in~*estigation into the occurrence of ordered AB3 structures, the following new phases have been found —CrRh3 (AuCu3 type), CrCo3 (MgCd3 type), HfCo4 (Ths Mn23 type), and WPt, MoPh type). The composition of the TiPt3-x phase (TiNi, type) is close to Ti23Pl77. The alloy chenzistry of transition rnetal AB3 structures is rezliewed in the light of electron concentration correlations of hex-agonality recently obtained for quasi-binary alloys. The relatizte colurne contraction in the AB3 structures increases with increasing difference in volume of the conzponents. A family of ordered close-packed layered structures is formed by stacking identical layers of composition AB, in various sequences, such that the coordination is twelvefold throughout and there are no A-A contacts. Previous work' on quasi-binary AB3 alloys has led to the conclusion that the stacking sequence of the AB, structures changes with increasing radius ratio RA/RB from a purely cubic, through different mixtures of hexagonal and cubic stacking to a purely hexagonal stacking. However. for binary AB3 alloys, a correlation between the type of the crystal structure and the position of the components in the various volumns of the periodic table has been noted.2-5 It has been noted6 that this correlation appears to hold even though the radius ratio RA/RB may vary over a considerable range with the location of the components in the three long periods. Another study7" of several quasi-binary systems led to the conclusion that an increase in hexagonality of the stacking is associated with increase in the electron concentration e/a. as defined by the average per atom of the total number of electrons outside the inert gas shells. In apparent conflict with this conclusion, it is known that seven binary alloy structures isotypic with TiNi3 which is 50 pct hexagonal occur at a higher electron concentration (e/n = 8.5) than that (e/a = 8.25) for the 100 pct hexagonal MgCd3 type structure present in seven binary AB3 alloys. Table 111. In the present work, an investigation into the occurrence of binary AB3 structures in transition metal alloys was made, and a survey of binary AB3 structures is presented. EXPERIMENTAL The starting materials were pure metals of 99.9 wt pct purity. The alloys were arc-melted under partial pressure of argon and annealed in sealed silica capsules lined with molybdenum foil under argon at- mosphere. The total weight loss upon melting and subsequent annealing was always less than 1 pct and hence the alloys will be referred to by their intended (unanalyzed) compositions. Wherever the constitution permitted. the alloys were given a homogenizing treatment at 1200°C (3 days) prior to annealing. Unless otherwise stated all alloys were annealed at 900°C for 1 week and water-quenched. Sometimes the final annealing treatment was carried out on powders to accelerate the attainment of equilibrium. X-ray powder patterns were taken using a Guinier-de Wolff focusing camera (CuK, radiation) or an asymmetrical focusing camera (Co or CrK, radiation). For lattice parameter determination. internal silicon standards were employed. The intensity calculations were made using a Fortran IV program written by Jeitschko and parthe.9 RESULTS Twenty AB3 and three AB4 alloys were investigated. Table I lists the crystallographic data on some of the intermediate phases encountered in the present work. Table II contains the X-ray data for HfCo, (Th,,Mn,, type). The positional parameter, x. was assumed to be 0.378. the value for Th6Mnn2310 The X-ray pattern of ZrCo, was very similar to that of HfCo, and the previous structure determination of ZrCo, by Kuzma el al." was confirmed. Ordering in the alloy CrCo could be ascertained by the presence of only one weak super lattice line (101). the others being too weak presumably owing to the small difference in the scattering powers of chromium and cobalt. This line was observed in the X-ray pattern of powder from the massive sample annealed at 830°C (7 days) after the powder had been reannealed at 600°C (24 hr). The diffraction pattern of the powder similarly reannealed at 830°C (24 hr) contained only the lines due to a mixture of hcp and fcc Co(Crj solid solutions. Therefore, it appears reasonable to assume that O2 and/or N2 contamination which would be less likely to occur during the 600°C anneal was not responsible for the observed weak reflection. Also. this reflection cannot be identified with any of the strong lines of the neighboring s phase which is present in the Co-Cr system at higher chromium contents. The composition corresponding to the TiNi3 structure observed by Raman et al.12 in the two-phase alloy Ti,zt,, has been established in the present work as being between There was satisfactory agreement for the low-angle lines (up to d = 1.997A) between the observed diffraction pattern of TiCua and that calculated assuming the ZrAu, structure. as recently proposed by Pfeifer-et a1.I3 However. some of the superlattice lines. e.g., at d = 1.937 and 1.919A. predicted by the ZrAu, structure were not actually observed eve? though neighboring lines. at d = 1.947 and 1.986A. of comparable calculated intensity were present. The ZrAu

Jan 1, 1970

By J. L. Moriarty, Irving Johnson, H. M. Feder

The crystallization of ternary alloys has been studied as a coprecipitation phenomenon by measuring the substitutional carrying of trace metals with CeCd11 precipitating from liquid cadmium. The Doerner-Hoskins logarithmic distribution law has been found to apply in all cases; the coprecipitation coefficients obtained were: 1.48 (La), 1.06 (Th), 0.63 (Pr), 0.24 (Gd), 0.17 (Sm), 0.13 (U), 0.10 (Er), 0.09 (Sr). Li, Na, K, Ba, Y, Sc, and Zr were not measurably carried. It has been observed that coprecipitation was most extensive for those tracers which form with cadmium an intermetallic compmdnd isostructural with CeCd11 or closely related thereto. For these tracers an inverse relation between Solubility in cadmium and coprecipitation coefficient was noted. THE partition of impurities between the liquid and solid phases of a metal or a congruently melting intermetallic compound has been extensively studied by the methods of zone melting.' However, when the composition of a liquid alloy and of the solid phase crystallizing from it differ grossly, partition of an impurity cannot be investigated in this manner. Partition of the impurity under equilibrium conditions may be studied by investigation of the appropriate phase diagram and partition under nonequi-librium conditions may be studied by observation of coring in the solidified alloys.2 The nonequilibrium case is of special interest in metallurgical practice because many complex alloys are cooled too rapidly to permit the uniform diffusion of impurities throughout the crystallizing phase(s). With this in mind, the present study was undertaken to obtain quantitative data on the phenomenon of coprecipitation via substitutional solid solution in certain metallic systems. It will be noticed that rather than adopting metallurgical ter- minology we have chosen to refer to the partition of impurities during alloy crystallization as coprecipitation.3 In the terminology of coprecipitation the impurity is referred to as the tracer and the precipitating phase as the carrier. From aqueous solution, coprecipitation may occur as a result of adsorption on the surface of the carrier, by occlusion of the liquid within the crystals, or by solid solution of the tracer in the carrier. By slow cooling of liquid metallic solutions it is relatively easy to form large, regular crystals of the carrier; the effects of adsorption and occlusion may be minimized and the influence of substitutional solid-solution formation may be made to predominate. Previous studies of the crystallization of some intermetallic compounds4 and of copper, silver, and gold5 have shown that the coprecipitation or partition behavior of trace metals is entirely analogous to that observed in aqueous systems when ionic substitution occurs, e.g., coprecipitation of Ra++ with BaSo4. The precipitation of CeCd11 from liquid cadmium was chosen for study. This choice was influenced by the following consideration. If the relative atomic sizes of the tracer atom and the atom for which it substitutes determine the tendency to coprecipi-tate, then a lattice having a substitutional site of well-defined size would be desirable. In CeCd116 (structure type cubic BaHg117) the cerium atom is completely surrounded by a cage of twelve nearly equidistant cadmium atoms. Thus, atoms much larger or much smaller than cerium should be poorly accommodated in this cage. The choice of a lanthanide central atom allowed the testing of the size hypothesis with a number of lanthanide tracers which differed in size but not in valence or electro-negativity. EXPERIMENTAL The general technique of this investigation was to prepare a slightly undersaturated solution of carrier in liquid cadmium to which a tracer was added. The concentration of tracer was always so low that saturation over the entire temperature range investigated was never exceeded. The solution was cooled in a stepwise fashion. After each step a por-

Jan 1, 1964

By F. R. Scauzillo

Equilibrium data which should be useful in the design and/or evaluation of glycol dehydration units were prepared from an analysis of various published data and the correlation of these data by the use of the thermo-dynamic equilibrium ratio. The equilibrium ratios of water are used to solve the glycol absorber problem; such solutions are necessary to define the number of trays and the glycol circulation rate needed to meet drying requirements. Activity coefficients were obtained which relate directly to the equilibrium ratios of water in the water-TEG-natural gas system. These activity coefficients have been used to calculate the equilibrium dew points for aqueous TEG concentrations of 60 to 99.9 weight per cent for the temperature range of 40° to 120° F. They also provide a means of calculating equilibrium ratios for water in the water-TEG-natural gas system; this applies to any desired TEG concentration and to the temperature range from 40° to 120°F. INTRODUCTION During the last several years, the drying of natural gas with aqueous triethylene-glycol (TEG) solutions has become very prominent. Most users of TEG as a drying agent have been satisfied with the performance of TEG solutions at the conditions used; however, there always has been some discussion of the drying ability of TEG solutions at conditions not commonly encountered such as temperatures below 50° or 60°F, but more particularly temperatures above 100°F, and pressures above 1,000 psia. Today, when higher wellhead temperatures such as 120°F are more commonly encountered many are skeptical of TEG's ability to dry sufficiently well to provide dew points around 32°F, which is generally the maximum tolerable when attempting to dry a gas to contract specifications of 7 Ib/MMscf. These views probably have evolved to some extent from the days when suppliers would not guarantee dew-point depressions in excess of 65° to 75 °OF. Also, the feelings about TEG drying may have arisen from the lack of information about the equilibrium relation of water in the drying operations. Porter and Reid' have reported equilibrium data for a 95 per cent TEG solution, while Townsend2 reported equilibrium data for 95, 98 and 100 per cent TEG solutions. Townsend also presented a calculational method which obtains activity coefficients in the liquid phase and, subsequently, the equilibrium water content of a saturated gas over glycol from published3 atmospheric dew points. Wise, Puck and Failey' presented activity data for the water-TEG system at atmospheric pressure. In the past, the equilibrium ratios published for water in a 95 per cent by weight aqueous TEG solution have been used indiscriminately by many for all concentrations of TEG encountered in gas drying operations. Since essentially all such gas operations require the use of more concentrated TEG solutions, a study was undertaken to correlate the existing equilibrium data for aqueous TEG and gas systems and to provide some means of calculating the equilibrium ratio of water in the natural gas-water-TEG system where TEG concentrations were other than 95 per cent. The data presented herein consider only the equilibrium drying ability of the TEG solutions and do not consider the effect of temperature and pressure on the tray eficiency of contactors. In other words, this paper is concerned primarily with the development of the equilibrium relationship between water in the dried natural gas and the water in the lean TEG entering the top tray of the absorber. BASIC EQUILIBRIUM RELATIONS A relationship which relates the K value of water in the natural gas-water-TEG system to the vapor pressure of water at the system temperature, the total pressure of the system and the activities of the liquid and gas phases has been evaluated. It is well known that, for any component of a mixture at equilibrium between a gas phase and a liquid phase,

By G. R. Speich, S. A. Kulin

The isothermal formation of martensite at subzero temperatures has been studied in an austenitic stainless steel. The amount of martensite formed isothermally in a given time was found to follow a C-curve behavior with decreasing temperature. Since isothermal rnartensitic transformation occurs at temperatures above the true M. temperature of the olloy, the observed M. temperature is dependent on the cooling rate. It is believed that a general martensite theory must include the basic concepts of the strain embryo theory, and also the important role of thermal fluctuations. UNTIL recently the isothermal component of the martensitic transformation had been considered as a trivial effect in theoretical considerations of this type of transformation. One of the postulates used in defining a martensitic transformation was that the reaction was temperature dependent but not time dependent. Cohen and his associates1'2 were the first to report the isothermal formation of mar-tensite. They obsel-ved the time dependency of the martensite reaction at room temperature in plain carbon steels and certain tool steels. They found that a small amount of additional transformation occurred after the specimen reached the quenching temperature and that the rate of this isothermal transformation decreased rapidly with time. These authors considered this phenomenon to be a "tailing-off" of the main athermal reaction. Kurdjumov and MaksimovaL 5 studied the isothermal formation of martensite at subatmospheric temperatures in steels containing 0.6 pct C-6 pct Mn, 1.6 pct C, and in an iron-base alloy containing 23 pct Ni and 3.4 pct Mn. In each case it was found that both the initial rate and the total amount of isothermal transformation exhibited sharp maxima with decreasing temperature. They stated that it was possible to completely suppress the martensitic transformation in the 0.6 pct C-6 pct Mn steel by drastic quenching in liquid nitrogen. They interpreted their results in terms of a thermally activated process. The maximum in the rate of nucleation vs. temperature curve was assumed to be a result of the temperature dependence of the rate of growth of the martensite plates. It has been demonstrated," however, that martensite plates can form with great rapidity even at temperatures approaching absolute zero. In addition," attempts to confirm the reported suppression of the martensitic transformation by rapid cooling of a 0.6 pct C-6 pct Mn steel have proved unsuccessful. On this basis, and on other theoretical grounds, the validity of some of Kurd-jumov's results and conclusions is open to serious question. Cohen, Machlin, and Paranjpe' have proposed a theory of martensite formation based on the nucleation of strain embryos and a growth mechanism involving cooperative atomic displacements. According to this theory thermal fluctuations can make a strain embryo supercritical and thereby produce martensite isothermally. Das Gupta and Lement' have investigated the isothermal formation of martensite in a 17 pct Cr-0.7 pct C steel at temperatures below the ambient. They found that partial suppression of the martensitic reaction occurred on quenching into liquid nitrogen. That part of the reaction which can be suppressed is taken to correspond to the isothermal rather than the athermal part of the rnartensitic transformation. The initial rate of isothermal transformation for this steel was found to go through a maximum with decreasing temperature. This is in conformity with the findings of Kurdjumov and Maksimova for the steels used in their investigation. Das Gupta and Lement conclude that isothermal martensite formation occurs by the nucleation of new plates and is always preceded by some athermal transformation. An iron-base alloy containing 14 pct Cr-9 pct Ni was used in this investigation to study further the kinetics of the austenite to martensite transforma-

Jan 1, 1953

By P. Pietrokowsky, T. E. Tietz, J. E. Dorn

The amount of solid solution hardening in aluminum alloys was found to be dictated by two factors: the lattice strain, and the change in the mean number of free electrons per atom of the solid solution. To obtain this correlation it was necessary to assume that aluminum contributes two electrons per atom to the metallic bond. WHEN the modern scientific method of analysis was first being formulated, Francis Bacon recorded in his "Essays" (circa 1600) that "an alloy . . . will make the purer but softer metal capable of longer life." During the intervening centuries voluminous data have been reported which demonstrate that the additions of alloying elements do in fact increase the hardness and strength of the pure metals. Nevertheless, the significant details of this problem on the unique effect of each element toward enhancing the mechanical properties of alloys only recently have been subjected to systematic scientific scrutiny. The major objective of this investigation is to determine how minor additions of alloying elements affect the plastic properties of polycrystalline aluminum alloys. By means of such studies it is hoped to provide not only data on the solution strengthening of aluminum alloys, but also a body of facts which will supplement the knowledge already available on the factors responsible for solution hardening in general. A review1"10 and analysis1' of the existing data on the effect of solute elements on the plastic properties of solid solutions reveal that our current knowledge on solid solution hardening is somewhat meager, inconsistent, and inconclusive. Many of the inconsistencies are undoubtedly attributable to the influence of unsuspected factors, such as purity; or uncontrolled factors, such as grain size, on the plastic properties of alloys. Nevertheless the following conclusions might be tentatively accepted: 1. Addition of solute elements invariably increases the yield strength, tensile strength, and hardness of the host element. 2. The rate of strain hardening, in general, increases with the concentration of the alloying element. 3. The strengthening effect in ternary alloys is the sum of the individual strengthening effects of the two solute elements as measured in their binary alloys. 4. The lattice strain is one factor that affects the strengthening of the alloy but it is not the only factor. 5. A second factor might be the difference in valence between the solute and solvent metals. All of the available evidence is in complete agreement with the first conclusion; the remaining conclusions, however, are not in agreement with all of the published data, but, in each case, the major weight of the existing evidence favors these deductions. Additional investigations will be required before most of these tentative conclusions can be accepted without reservation. In the following report an extensive investigation of the plastic properties of binary aluminum alloys is described. This work was undertaken in an attempt to shed more light on the general problem of solid solution hardening. Materials for Test: Aluminum was selected as the solvent metal for the present investigation on the effect of solute elements on the plastic properties of alloys. This choice was made for several reasons: (1) There appears to be little fundamental data in the published literature on the effect of solute elements on the properties of high-purity aluminum alloys. In view of the ever increasing economic importance of aluminum, such data would be of basic interest to the metallurgists concerned with the development of new aluminum alloys. (2) Aluminum is thought to be only partially ionized in the metallic state1' and consequently it might provide more complex relationships of the mechanical properties with the concentrations of the solute elements than more simple fully ionized solvents would reveal. (3) The data on aluminum alloys will provide a broader basis for correlations between the mechanical properties of metals in general and the concentration and atomic properties of the solute elements than is now available. Some complications, however, attend the selection of aluminum: The solubility of the various elements in the alpha aluminum phase are quite restricted, and not always well known. Consequently, only dilute solid solutions are available for study. This, however, may be somewhat advantageous because the dilute solution laws presumably are simpler than those applying to concentrated solutions. In addition, strain-hardened pure aluminum is known to recover at atmospheric temperatures. Very likely its alloys exhibit slower recovery rates. Thus, the secondary factor of effect of alloying elements on recovery might complicate the data. Such compli-

Jan 1, 1951

By F. L. Wolf

THERE is a tendency on the part of practical foundrymen to accept with reluctance the results of tests on sands, binders, and. such materials made in the chemical laboratory alone. They feel that such tests frequently emphasize and measure properties that are of minor importance and fail to take account of characteristics that are important in determining the value of the material in actual practice. Experience seems to indicate that the most thorough and conclusive, test for any new foundry material is an actual run in the foundry alongside of a standard material of known value. Such a test, however, involves certain difficulties and necessitates certain precautions. It is not always easy to obtain a fair trial for a new material. We all have certain prejudices, which unconsciously affect our judgment to a marked degree. A practical test frequently involves so many workmen, each of whom reacts in a different manner to the test, that; the personal equation becomes very, complex and the true results of the test are obscured. There are times, too, when a thorough experimental trial of a material would interfere too much with the rush of work in a department or would hazard the quality, of the product to such an extent as to make it inadvisable. Under such conditions a laboratory test is advisable before the material is sent into the foundry. These tests should be made as practical as possible and so closely related to foundry practice as to give a true index to the value of a, product for the purpose desired. Core sands and molding sands are as numerous "as the sands of the sea" and vary as much in quality. Old sources of supply are continually failing and new ones must be opened, so that we must continually search for new and better grades of sand. During the past year, the Ohio Brass Co. has developed tests for sands', cores, and binders which bear a close relation to the particular use to which these materials are put in

Jan 9, 1920

By G. A. Koehler

The Hiawatha mine, a producer of iron ore, is near the City of Iron River, in Iron County, Michigan. This mine, operated by The M. A. Hanna Co., has been chosen by the author as a typical iron mine in this district that is using the cut-and-fill mining system. General Geology The Hiawatha ore body lies along the steeply dipping north limb of a syncline that closes around on the east end to form a bathtub-shaped structure. Throughout this major structure there are very many smaller wrinkles or folds, which vary the direction as well as the thickness of the ore body. The total length of the ore formation with minor interruptions so far developed is about 3600 ft. The ore body throughout the entire present depth of 2000 ft. has averaged approximately 40 ft. in thickness; it is somewhat narrower at the upper levels and shows a marked increase in thickness on the bottom levels. This increase in thickness probably indicates that the bottom of the trough is near or that a major monoclinal fold has been encountered, which flattens the ore and gives apparent horizontal thickening. The footwall of this ore body is generally a black, graphitic slate, very rich in iron sulphides, quite combustible when exposed to air, and very treacherous to handle during mining operations. The hanging wall, in most places, is a cherty, fairly hard iron formation, and in general stands quite well ill open stopes. There are places, however, where black slate is found in both the hanging wall and the footwall, which makes mining difficult, as the black slate tends to slough off after being exposed to air. In these places it becomes necessary to leave a scale of ore 5 to 6 ft. thick on both hanging wall and footwall, which is not recovered. Fig. I shows a typical vertical cross section through the Hiawatha ore body. Type of Stoping Because of the size and shape of the ore body and the hard, dense structure of the ore, sublevel stoping has been an efficient and economical method of extracting the ore. This method, with various minor changes, has been used since the mine was opened in 1893. There have never been any stope-filling operations, however, until recent years, when crushing of pillars and black-slate fires forced the issue and methods were arrived at to fill all stopes. Development of Deeper Levels Shaft sinking to deeper levels in development operations has been done successfully by two methods without interference or hindrance to production. These systems are: I. Sinking an auxiliary winze a short distance from the shaft, then drifting back to the shaft location and putting up a pilot raise through to the bottom of the shaft. This raise is always in the manway compartment of the shaft, so that no work is ever done under a cage or skip. A 20-ft.

Jan 1, 1946

ON FEBRUARY 4, 1952, the Phelps Dodge Corporation signed Contract GS-00P(D)-12068 with the United States Government. This interesting document dealt with the "Bisbee East" project as part of the Government's program to increase the supply of needed copper by encouraging private enterprise to expand production. The ore deposit involved was a relatively small body of low-grade ore lying east of the remnants of the old Sacramento Hill deposit that was exploited with indifferent success from 1923 to 1931, as related in THE PORPHYRY COPPERS. Planning for the entire enterprise had been directed from the start by Harrison M. Lavender, who in 1945, succeeded Percy G. Beckett as vice-president and general manager for all of Phelps Dodge's Western mines and smelters. The untimely death of Mr. Lavender in 1952 prevented him from seeing his plans brought to fruition; but in his honor the mine was fit- tingly named "The Lavender Pit" and was so dedicated on August 7, 1954. The Copper Queen Branch operates under- ground mines at Bisbee (production in 1955 was 28,000 tons) ; but, as this volume is concerned only with Porphyry operations, this chapter deals only with the Lavender Pit project, or as the Government knows it, Bisbee East. My reason for going into some detail regarding the floor-price contract is that it is fairly typical of contracts made by the Government in connection with a half-dozen other copper-expansion projects; and, incidentally, with various projects involving other strategic metals. Phelps Dodge did not seek a loan or other financial aid. The only encouragement asked consisted of (a) the privilege of a five-year write-off (commonly called rapid tax amortization)

Jan 1, 1957

By L. L. Brundred

The major portion of the production of the Gulf Coast area, represented by South Texas and South Louisiana, comes from the flanks of well-defined salt domes. This oil, containing an excellent lubricating stock, ranges from 17° to 28° Be. gravity. Some lighter oil is encountered but the life of such fields is, in general, an open question. In fact, there are few light-gravity fields which have proved of much value. In all of the fields water encroachment, or, more properly, water produced with the oil, is a vital factor. After the first head of high-pressure gas is removed, ever-increasing percentages of water appear, and naturally the life of the wells is materially affected thereby. The sands are, as a rule, extremely fine, very soft, and must be carefully excluded from the hole by the use of fine screen to prevent sanding up. All sands are tipped at such extreme angles as to make coring essential for the location of water strata, oil-bearing sands and important shale. beds. Even with modern coring, the correlation of logs is a difficult problem. Due to the fact that the bulk of the oil is refined for its lubricating properties, little attention has been paid to losses by evaporation in the field. This is largely influenced by the fact that the major companies have set a price schedule, showing but two grades, "A" and "B." The average oil company, therefore, does not attempt to use the gas-lift but relies primarily on the air-lift and then only on wells considered to be particularly adapted to its use, namely those capable of producing large quantities of fluid and yet not having sufficient "kick" to flow. Furthermore, as the gas contained in the reservoirs is mostly ricthane such gas being very quickly vaporized and produced in large quantity in the early life of the fields, there is little gas left after the first flush flowing period of the wells. In fact, it is very generally conceded that gas is a precarious fuel to depend on in any of the coastal fields. This situation largely accounts for the fact that air, as the lifting medium, is almost universally used. In the average field, wells are drilled on the flanks of the domes in close proximity to one another, largely on account of the extreme dips of the formation and "town lot" leases, and space to set up machinery and

Jan 1, 1928

By F. R. Pyne

The following notes are presented in an endeavor to point out the disadvantages attending the use of chrome brick in reverberatory furnaces in which are conducted the treatment of materials of such a nature that absorption by the brick is of too great value to be wasted, and these values must be recovered, if possible, in order to prevent metal losses that can not be tolerated. Several years ago one of the large Eastern copper refineries decided to utilize basic material in place of siliceous material in the walls of their reverberatory furnaces for the treatment of very foul blister copper, as the latter rapidly corroded the siliceous linings. It was also expected that there would be less slag formation, with a consequent decrease in the cost of treatment and a reduction in the metal losses. Magnesite brick were first used, but while the corrosive action of the foul material was greatly reduced, and the amount of slag formed was very much less, the magnesite proved to be unsatisfactory in certain parts of the furnace, because of its tendency to crack and spall badly when subjected to the alternate heating and cooling that takes place in a reverberatory refining furnace. This made many repairs necessary, and consequent frequent interruption in the operation of the furnace, which, together with the high price of the magnesite brick, ran up the cost of maintenance to an unreasonable amount. It was, therefore, decided to substitute chrome brick for magnesite brick in the parts of the furnace affected. The results, as far as the reverberatory furnace was concerned, were very satisfactory. The corrosion due to the action of the foul blister was small and the amount of slag formed was no greater than when using magnesite, and the tendency to crack and spall shown by the magnesite was eliminated. Gradually the use of chrome brick was extended to all furnaces, those treating blister copper as well as those melting cathodes, and the results were so satisfactory that the siliceous roofs were replaced by roofs of chrome brick except in certain places where experience showed a more satisfactory performance on the part of the silica brick. It was immediately recognized, for both the magnesite and the chrome brick, that the metal absorption was very heavy, but it was felt that the

Jan 1, 1918

By Linda Lee, R. E. Reed-Hill, C. R. Smeal

Four fcc metal surfaces, etched to make them responsive to polarized light, have been studied with an electron microscope. Jones'prediction that these surfaces are grooved has been verified. Optical-goniometer measurements made on commercially pure nickel indicate that the groove walls are poorly defined (100) facets. Surface mientations close to either 4001 or {ill).- show no extinctions on the polam'zid-light microscope. An explanation is offered for this orientation dependence. It has also been deduced that polarized-light extinctions on a grooved cubic-metal surface should not be used directly in crystallographic-orientation determinations. The nature of the etching solutions that produce these surfaces is considered. A cubic-metal surface may be made responsive to polarized light in two basic ways."' In one, an anodic film, believed anisotropic, is formed on the surface. A plane-polarized-light beam, at normal incidence, should be reflected from this type of film with an ellipticity that varies with grain orientation. Under crossed polarizers of a polarized-light microscope, each grain may be distinguished from its neighbors by a difference in reflected-light intensity. An alternate treatment,' more generally applicable to cubic metals and of principal concern here, involves etching of grain surfaces. The characteristic features of this surface were first deduced by Jones3 from light-microscope observations. She concluded that, in general, grain surfaces were furrowed so that light was reflected from two parallel sets of etched facets. A grooved surface produces elliptical polarization of a plane-polarized beam because the beam does not strike groove walls at normal incidence. Jones also observed that the furrows must have faces inclined to each other by approximately 90 deg, since the light returns along the incident path, and that a grooved surface should show four maxima and minima of reflected-light intensity during a 360-deg stage rotation of the polarizing microscope. Positions of maximum extinction were predicted to occur when groove axes were parallel to either polarizer or analyzer vibration directions. Because of the limited resolving power of Jones' optical microscope, her deductions were primarily indirect. Proof of the correctness of her conclu-sions, as demonstrated by the electron microscope, will be given as well as evidence concerning the crystallographic nature of the etch furrows and the types of etching solutions that produce them. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE During a comprehensive study of hot plastic deformation in nickel and nickel alloys, an etch was evolved that produced a surface with an excellent polarized-light response on Nickel 200 ("A" Nickel). The etching solution and associated metal-lographic procedures are given in Table I. In evaluating this etch, a study was made of the topological features of the etched surface and their relation to the underlying crystalline structure. As part of this investigation, large crystals (2 mm average diameter) were grown in a 1-cm-sq Nickel 200 specimen. After the surface was etched, the crystallographic orientations of ten grains were determined by the standard back-reflection Laue technique of Gren-inger.4 Maximum extinction positions during a microscope stage rotation were also measured for the ten grains. Groove-wall positions on the surfaces of the ten grains were measured with a two-circle optical goniometer. The technique was essentially that of Barrett and Levenson.5 Several grain surfaces were photographed with a Philips Model 100A electron microscope. All specimens were replicated with collodion, or collodion backed with formvar and chromium shadowed at 18 to 20 deg. The basic material was Nickel 200. However, an electron-micrographic study was also made of surfaces developed by polarized-light etches on other fcc metals (90-10 a brass, Monel 400, and lead). All etching procedures are given in Tables I and 11. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS Fig. 1 shows typical electron micrographs of three different fcc metal specimens and an optical micrograph of a fourth. All photographs show a grooved structure corresponding closely to Jones'3 predictions. Also, as noted by Jones, extinctions were always observed when groove axes were either parallel or perpendicular to the microscopes' vertical cross hair. The symmetry of the grooves, with respect to the twin boundaries in Fig. 1, implies that furrows have a crystallographic basis. The coarse-grained Nickel 200 specimen was used to study this basis. Facet Orientation. The poles of the ten Nickel 200

Jan 1, 1964

By R. E. Reed-Hill, W. H. Hartt, W. A. Slippy

An unusual form of double kinking has been observed at the ends of {1121} twins in deformed zirconium. These kinks lie partly outside of the twin and partly inside. While they are undoubtedly closely associated with accommodating the twinning shear into the matrix, they are apparently closely related to other important aspects of twin growth. A mechanism is proposed for {1121} twin growth involving interactions between 1/3 (1120) dislocations in the bend planes and twinning dislocations. It is also shown that boundaries without long range strain fields develop at the tapered ends of the twins. The {1121} twins can, therefore, grow without forming high-energy noncoherent twin boundaries containing large numbers of closely spaced twinning dislocations. NUMEROUS investigators have indicated that slip is often closely associated with deformation twinning. An example is twin accommodation kinking,1-3 where dislocations form bend planes and permit accommodation of a twinning shear within the parent crystal. Another is the incorporation of slip dislocations into twins, as proposed by Sleeswyk and verbraak4 and Ishii and Kiho5 for iron and ß-tin, respectively, and observed in hcp metals by Price.6 In addition, it has been shown that shear discontinuities exist at the points of twin intersections in zinc,7 magnesium,8 titanium,9 ß-tin,10 and bismuth," where the continuity conditions for twin intersections, originally proposed by cahn,12 are not satisfied. A similar situation occurs for zig-zag (1121) twins in zirconium13 and ?-phase silver-aluminum alloys,14 where the twinning shears of the two component twins are not parallel. In all these latter cases additional deformation by slip is believed to accommodate the twinning shear discontinuity. The present paper is concerned with a newly observed aspect of the slip and twinning interrelation, in which two kinks, one inside the twin and the other external to the twin, are formed. These kinks, observed in conjunction with (1121) twinning in zirconium, form to accommodate the twinning shear. A model has been constructed explaining the growth and accommodation of (1121) twins in terms of these kinks. This mechanism may be significant since it is concerned with an important twin mode, which occurs not only in zirconium but also in titanium and hafnium. The practical significance of (1121) twinning has been adequately demonstrated. At 77° K the high ductility of zirconium containing a large number of grains unfavorably oriented for slip is primarily due to (1121) twinning.'5 Also, (1121) twins nucleated at 77°K may grow during further deformation at room temperature. This growth can greatly increase the transverse ductility15 as well as produce large mechanical hysteresis effects.= EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Arc-melted, sponge zirconium plate previously described17 was prestrained 0.65 pct at 77° K by cold-rolling to introduce {1121} twins into the structure. Tensile specimens were cut with axes normal to the plate rolling direction. These specimens were pulled in tension to near the point of failure in an Instron machine at room temperature at a cross-head speed of 2 x10-2 in. per min. This additional deformation caused growth of the twins nucleated by prestrain. Deformed specimens were then prepared for metallo-graphic examination. This included an anodizing treatment18 that made the surfaces sensitive to polarized light, permitting small lattice rotations to be revealed. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS Nature of the Twin-Kink Band Structure. Fig. 1 is a photomicrograph of a typical specimen after prestrain at 77° K. The structure is characterized primarily by long, narrow, parallel sided (1121) twins which norma1ly traverse the entire grain. Fig. 2 shows several (1121) twins after additional straining at room temperature. These lie near the center of the polarized light photomicrograph and are inclined upward to the right. It is evident that this latter deformation has resulted in appreciable twin growth. The dark regions extending from the ends of these twins are accommodation kinks. The difference in reflected light intensity indicates the

Jan 1, 1969

By Earl Oliver

THE term oil property, in this discussion, includes any type of easement or grant under which petroleum might be produced; it ranges from the mere right to drill on undeveloped wildcat acreage up to a fully developed oil property. The values of an oil property, as thus defined, vary widely according to the use for which it is intended, whether it is from the viewpoint of the speculator, the fraudulent stock promoter, the refiner and pipe-line owner, or the oil producer. The market value of a property is usually a combination of some two or more of these influences, and occasionally a combination of all of them, but we prefer to treat each viewpoint as distinct from the others, allowing the reader to make his own combination in such proportions as his inclination and property seem to require. This paper will treat the subject from the viewpoint of the oil producer. However, the other influences have such bearing on the cost of property to the producer and on the price he might obtain by its sale as to warrant brief discussion of them. Speculation, particularly lease speculation, is a parasitic growth on the oil industry, healthy enough, but of no economic value. The class of property usually dealt in for this purpose is the undeveloped lease. Its speculative value may have some relation to its probable productive value, but most frequently this value is the product of temporary excitement due to local development. The lease speculator, seeking out the trend of development or securing early information regarding a proposed test or a new discovery, immediately secures leases whose market value will be increased when the existence of such development becomes more widely known. His profits are purely unearned increment. Not proposing to spend money in exploration, he can afford to compete in purchase with the operator, who, in addition to bonus paid, must spend large sums in testing out his own acreage and that of the nearby speculator as well. It has a tendency to compel unduly high bonuses.

Jan 2, 1920

By James Harding

THE usual method of sampling mineral deposits is to drill holes and assay the sludge or core. Though the results thus obtained may not represent the true average value of the deposit, it is on these results that estimates of practically all large orebodies are made. In a large number of cases, the results of exploitation fall far short of the estimated value of the orebody. The standard method of making these estimates is to find the cubic contents of triangular prisms, in the apexes of which the drill holes are placed, .by multiplying the surface area by the average depth of the ore in the three drill holes and then multiplying the cubic contents by the specific gravity of the ore or rock to find the tonnage. The assay value is found by dividing the sum of the products of the depth of ore in each hole and the corresponding assay value by the sum of the depths of the ore in the three holes. As the latter part of this method is subject to many mathematical errors, it should not be depended on.. Some engineers, therefore, use a discount factor, but as this factor is either arbitrarily selected or is obtained by obscure methods, the results are no better than guesswork. The standard method is correct when the drill holes are so laid out that the triangular prisms are equilateral in cross-section. But as ore deposits cannot always be drilled into at regular intervals and because of the human factor, if many holes are drilled, triangular prisms of all degrees of angularity are produced. In such cases, it is necessary to assume that the influence of the different holes is not the same in all directions, which assumption of course is absurd.

Jan 1, 1921

By R. T. Keyes, R. B. Clay, L. L. Udy, V. O. Cook, M. A. Cook

Based on compressibility and stress wave velocity in rock, initial explosive loading conditions, the thermochemistry of the explosive and reasonable description of the pressure-distance relations behind the shock front, the distribution of energy between the products of detonation and the burden are estimated as a function of time for various loading conditions. These include 'powder factor', loading density A (fraction of borehole occupied by explosive), and the explosive itself. Factors responsible for rock fragmentation are discussed in terms of: 1) 'release wave fracturing', 2) 'shear wave fracturing', and 3) 'release of loading fracturing' or 'rock bursting'. Release wave fracturing appears to occur only in the immediate vicinity of free faces, and shear wave fracturing only adjacent to the borehole under normal blasting conditions. Rock bursting is thus considered to be the most important means of rock fracturing in blasting. Means for maximizing it are considered. The most important factors to consider include maximum available energy A, explosive density p1, loading density A and 'powder factor'. Maximum efficiency is attained in general by maximizing the A . p1 product. This is achieved by using high density explosives at a loading density of unity (A = 1.0). Ways for achieving this condition are discussed. The bulk-handled aluminized slurry blasting agents have the desired properties for achieving optimum conditions for high blasting efficiency based on the theory outlined herein. Factors considered most important in the blasting of rock are: 1) The maximum available energy A, determined by the heat of explosion Q and the mechanical efficiency ?, a factor intimately associated with the mode of application (A = Q at highest gas concentrations). 2) The 'borehole pressure', pb, or the maximum pressure developed in the borehole after passage of the detonation wave and before the burden has had time to move or become compressed appreciably. (Owing to the short duration of the detonation wave at any particular point in the borehole, the fact that the explosive may not always fill the borehole completely and the further fact that the burden may not actually see the detonation pressure, the borehole pressure is considered more significant than the detonation pressure p2 as a performance factor in borehole blasting.) The borehole pressure is determined by the explosion or adiabatic pressure, p3 , and the loading density, A, or the fraction of the borehole filled by explosive. 3) The physical conditions important in the application of the explosive are: a) The 'powder factor,' (We/Wr), or the ratio of the wt of the explosive to that of the rock being blasted expressed as lb per ton or more generally in lb/cu yd. b) The bulk density, p1 ?. c) The 'burden' or 'line of least resistance,' the spacing between boreholes, the geometry of the borehole pattern and sequence of firing. d) The physical and chemical properties of the rock, most significant of which are possible heterogeneties, such as faulting, prefracture, and greater than micro-scale chemical heterogeneities. (This factor is not considered here but deserves a great deal of careful consideration.) All of these factors need to be carefully considered in the most economical engineering of a blast. Here is considered firstly an outline of the present status of dynamic rock mechanics, particularly as it pertains to blasting. The factors pertaining to the most efficient application of blasting agents are also considered, followed by a discussion of methods of application to achieve optimum explosives performance. ROCK MECHANICS Dynamic rock mechanics is currently a rapidly developing science contributing greatly to a better understanding and consequently the more effective application of explosives in blasting of rock.1-22 Basic to the development of the science of dynamic rock mechanics were the advances of Goransen23 and the Los Alamos and NOL groups24-28 concerning rock and stress wave phenomena and the transmission and reflection characteristics of stress waves at interfaces between different media. Basing considerations on this new knowledge as well as new experimental methods of study (ultra-high speed streak and framing cameras and electronic timers) the theory of fracture and failure of solids under impulsive loading by stress waves developed rapidly.14,16,27-29 Also the

Jan 1, 1967

By J. Winlock

To have been chosen by you to give the Howe Memorial Lecture is the greatest honor I have ever had and I should like to have you know that I appreciate it deeply. Many years ago I had the privilege and the pleasure of working with Professor Howe in the private laboratory which he had established in his home at Bedford Hills, New York. Without doubt he was one of the world's greatest metallurgists and so you can imagine what a difficult task it has been for me to live up to his teachings. Every morning Professor Howe would outline the work he wanted done and the recollections of those conferences are clear to me to this day. Sometimes he would ask me to ride in his automobile and the chauffeur had full instructions to go no more than fifteen miles an hour. If he did so, Professor Howe was sure to rap upon the man's shoulder with his cane. I assure you, however, Professor Howe's thinking was not at that rate. His homely advice, his patience and his perfect control of the English language still impress me. Many times I heard him dictate a complicated paper on metallurgy and never find it necessary to change a single word. There are no better words to describe the character of Professor Howe, in my opinion, than those used by Professor Sauveur when he presented the John Fritz Medal to him in 1917: "Lover of justice and humanity Public servant and public benefactor, Master of the English Language, Loyal and devoted friend, Untiring and unselfish worker in an important field of science." I hope you will bear with me with the same patience and understanding which he used to give to me. The peculiar behavior of steel at the yield point has long been known and has been the subject of much research, both in this country and abroad.',' Many theories, including some of mine and my colleagues, have been suggested, but none of them, in our opinion, fully explains to our satisfaction why the phenomena occur. Of particular importance has been the work of Nadai,3 Siebel and Pomp,' Sachs and Fiek,5 Rawdon,0 Kenyon and Burns,' Gensamer," Gensamer and Meh1,0 Davenport and Bain,'" Fell," Deutler,12 Brinkman,13 MacGregor,14 Hollomon,15 Cot-trell,16 and Palm." The question of what is occurring during this singular behavior is not only of interest from an academic point of view, but is of great practical importance for at least two reasons: 1—The highly localized plastic flow which occurs during the deep drawing of light-gage steel gives rise to surface markings which seriously mar its appearance, Fig. 1. If the forces causing the deformation are primarily tensile forces, these surface markings occur as depressions in the surface. Whereas, if the forces causing the deformation are primarily compressive, irregular lines of elevations occur. These surface markings are known as Luder's lines, Hartmann lines, the Piobert affect, and, in the shop, as "stretcher strains." 2—The steel is in the most suitable condition for deep drawing after the yield point phenomena have been removed. When this is done, the steel may be deep drawn more easily and to a greater extent.' It should be mentioned that steel is not the only metal which shows this peculiar behavior at the yield point. Stretcher strains occur, also, during the deformation of some copper-nickel-zinc alloys." The purpose of this paper is not an attempt to describe what causes the steel to behave in this peculiar manner, but an attempt: l—to describe what is taking place at the yield point; and 2—to show the influence of the rate of deformation on the tensile properties of some plain carbon steels. As is well-known, there are two methods of deforming a metal in tension: 1—by actually hanging an increasing amount of dead weight on the metal; or 2—by deforming the metal at some given rate or rates by means of oil pressure cylinders, screws, etc. With the first method, the load is always present and, clearly, no drop in load can ever occur while the steel is deforming. With the second method, the registered load is the resistance of the steel to the deformation being imposed upon it. The second method is the one most widely used, and is the one referred to throughout this paper. In order to describe clearly what is occurring at the yield point in steel, it will help, I believe, if a description is first given of what occurs when alumi-

Jan 1, 1954

By A. H. Bell

DEEPEST hole in the earth, and deepest producing oil well in the world-such is well No. K.C.L. A-2, of the Continental. Oil Co., completed on April 12 in the San Joaquin valley about four miles west of Wasco, Calif. It penetrated the earth's crust to a depth of 15,004 ft.- almost three miles-a depth that exceeds by over 2200 ft. that of the previous record holder in western Texas. It is now producing oil from sands at a depth from 13,092 to 13,- 175 ft., which is about 1500 ft. deeper than the record formerly achieved in Louisiana. Continental's new well was bottomed in what is possibly Domengine-Avenal Eocene sand, and is producing from the Middle Miocene equivalent to the Rio Bravo sand.

Jan 1, 1938

By Herbert A. Stein, John B. Murdock

AN analysis of perlite expansion furnaces must be based upon one consistent theory which explains how and why perlite does expand when heated. There is more than one such theory, so to establish a basis for the rest of this paper, the authors will outline one theory and the data that support it before going into the construction details of different furnaces. JOHN B. MURDOCK, Associate Member AIME, is President, and HERBERT A. STEIN is Secretary, of the Perlite Corp., Phoenix, Arizona. San Francisco Meeting, February 1949. TP 2736 H. Discussion of this paper (2 copies) may be sent to Transactions AIME before Feb. 28, 1950. Manuscript received Jan. 3, 1949. Why Perlite Expands: Perlite is known to contain some dissolved or combined fluid, probably water, which is lost when the material is heated to fusion. It is generally agreed that when particles of this volcanic glass are heated to fusion in such a way that vaporization of this water into steam takes place at the same time as the glass becomes soft, the steam puffs up each particle into a mass of glass foam. It is a simple matter to expand perlite under a blow torch for demonstration purposes, but in commercial installations, the problem is made more complicated by the necessity of making efficient use of both raw material and fuel, and producing an expanded aggregate conforming to close specifications for size distribution and density, using many different types of perlite rock. The ability of a given operation to fulfill these requirements depends upon the proper handling of four variables. They are: (1) the nature of the perlite rock used, (2) the heating time taken to get the perlite particle up to its highest temperature, (3) the size of the particle, and (4) the maximum temperature the particle reaches. Types of Perlite Rock: Perlite may be classified in many ways, but the characteristics most easily correlated with its behavior in furnaces are its softening temperature, its effective water content, and its "liveliness." Actually there is a close correlation among these three characteristics so it is possible to describe a perlite using any one of them. Lively perlites always have low softening temperatures and high effective water contents, whereas the deader perlites have higher softening temperatures and lower effective water contents. These softening temperatures run from 1400°F to above 2000°F and the effective water contents run from over 2 pct down to 0.2 pct. Included in the category of lively glasses are the green pitchstone from the Edgar claim in Superior, Ariz., the red pitchstone on the Animas highway south of Lordsburg, N. Mex., and a gray glass from Beatty, Nevada. Examples of intermediate perlites (in order of decreasing liveliness) are the Guzman-Lobb perlite with obsidian

Jan 1, 1951

By Herbert A. Stein, John B. Murdock

AN analysis of perlite expansion furnaces must be based upon one consistent theory which explains how and why perlite does expand when heated. There is more than one such theory, so to establish a basis for the rest of this paper, the authors will outline one theory and the data that support it before going into the construction details of different furnaces. JOHN B. MURDOCK, Associate Member AIME, is President, and HERBERT A. STEIN is Secretary, of the Perlite Corp., Phoenix, Arizona. San Francisco Meeting, February 1949. TP 2736 H. Discussion of this paper (2 copies) may be sent to Transactions AIME before Feb. 28, 1950. Manuscript received Jan. 3, 1949. Why Perlite Expands: Perlite is known to contain some dissolved or combined fluid, probably water, which is lost when the material is heated to fusion. It is generally agreed that when particles of this volcanic glass are heated to fusion in such a way that vaporization of this water into steam takes place at the same time as the glass becomes soft, the steam puffs up each particle into a mass of glass foam. It is a simple matter to expand perlite under a blow torch for demonstration purposes, but in commercial installations, the problem is made more complicated by the necessity of making efficient use of both raw material and fuel, and producing an expanded aggregate conforming to close specifications for size distribution and density, using many different types of perlite rock. The ability of a given operation to fulfill these requirements depends upon the proper handling of four variables. They are: (1) the nature of the perlite rock used, (2) the heating time taken to get the perlite particle up to its highest temperature, (3) the size of the particle, and (4) the maximum temperature the particle reaches. Types of Perlite Rock: Perlite may be classified in many ways, but the characteristics most easily correlated with its behavior in furnaces are its softening temperature, its effective water content, and its "liveliness." Actually there is a close correlation among these three characteristics so it is possible to describe a perlite using any one of them. Lively perlites always have low softening temperatures and high effective water contents, whereas the deader perlites have higher softening temperatures and lower effective water contents. These softening temperatures run from 1400°F to above 2000°F and the effective water contents run from over 2 pct down to 0.2 pct. Included in the category of lively glasses are the green pitchstone from the Edgar claim in Superior, Ariz., the red pitchstone on the Animas highway south of Lordsburg, N. Mex., and a gray glass from Beatty, Nevada. Examples of intermediate perlites (in order of decreasing liveliness) are the Guzman-Lobb perlite with obsidian

Jan 1, 1951

By C. S. Simons, G. Major-Marothy, M. A. K. Grice, D. A. Dahlstrom

The vacuum filter operating variables that influence cake moisture are discussed. The influence of temperature control, particularly through application of steam to the cake, is emphasized. Results of pilot plant studies on filtration of fine hematite concentrates are presented and discussed, and are shown to support the theoretically-derived conclusions. Results on fine magnetite concentrates are also used to support the argument. The relative merits of disc and drum filters from the standpoint of cake moisture are discussed. Moisture content has always been recognized as one of the most important properties of concentrates used as pellet plant feed. Most iron ore concentrates are produced by wet methods, and are finally de-watered on filters. Obviously, a real economic advantage accrues to the ability of control the moisture content of the filter cake within the range required for optimum pellet production. Another consideration, also, has been receiving increasing attention recently. Transoceanic shippers of concentrate cargoes are critically assessing the hazards of excess moisture. The nature and magnitude of these risks have been described, ' and it appears that their elimination may require that residual moisture be somewhat lower than the limit for proper pelletization. Coarse, very free-filtering materials, such as the products of spirals, are usually best handled on top-feed types of machines. The moisture content of the cake may be held at a specified value by proper design and operation, taking into account cake thickness, air-flow rate, and drainage time. Fine-grained concentrates, with which we will be concerned here, must be filtered on Drum or Agidisc machines. With many of these materials, it is possible, by proper design, to meet cake moisture requirements with a conventional filter station. The first installations to produce high-grade pellets from magnetic taconites fell in this class. In fact, the design criteria were developed in connection with operations of Reserve Mining Co. at Silver Bay, inn.,2 and these have been verified repeatedly in other mills. The trend today, however, is toward the production of more difficultly dewatered concentrates. This is due on the one hand to the increasing attention being given to non-magnetic ores, which tend to be far slimier, and therefore much more retentive of moisture, than the magnetites. On the other hand, the pressure to improve the grade of the magnetic ores is leading to finer grinds, which also are more difficult to dewater. In the latter case, the decision to improve grade in an existing operation by finer grinding for better liberation may lead to two unattractive alternatives: 1) substantially higher bentonite consumption, plus the risk of poorer quality pellets, from high cake moisture, or 2) installation of a thermal dryer. There is, however, a third alternative. In recent papers by two of the authors3,4 it was shown that for many materials a significant decrease in cake moisture can be obtained by applying live steam to the cake face during the drying part of the filter cycle. Further, this limited drying appears to have distinct economic advantages compared to thermal drying. It is the purpose of this paper to explore the third alternative. To do this, the results of an extensive pilot study of steam filtration of a hematite flotation concentrate will be critically examined. This study was sufficiently broad so that a number of alternate suggestions (besides steaming the cake) for reducing moisture content were tested, and comparative data for both Drum and Disc filters were obtained. The work was particularly interesting since the concentrate has a high Blaine surface, and is therefore particularly difficult to dewater to the levels required. FILTER CAKE MOISTURE The significant difference between concentrate filter cake as discharged from the filter, a cargo of that same filter cake during or after shipment, and a green ball formed from that filter cake is in the relative volume of voids, or porosity. In every case, the material is a collection of small solid particles held together by the cohesive forces of a liquid. The physical properties of the aggregate are determined by the

Jan 1, 1967