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By G. R. M. Del Giudice, A. M. Sadler, Arthur F. Taggart, M. Hassialis

FLOTATION of sulphide minerals and native metals is no longer a practical difficulty. The underlying scientific principles of the method, although not explored in anything like complete detail, have been formulated with sufficient breadth so that the direction of attack on any specific case is clearly indicated. It has been known since the earliest days of flotation that certain of the nonsulphide nonmetal minerals-e.g., sulphur and graphite-would respond to flotation by oils as sulphides do; therefore they have been grouped with sulphides in many patents. But since the development of the chemical theory of collection, 1,2,3 this similarity in action has been one of the facts cited in disproof of the theory by opponents of the hypothesis. 4 5-1 Air levitationt of certain oxidized minerals, both metalliferoust and nonmetalliferous, and separation thereby from other oxidized minerals, is a recent development in practice, although the discovery of the method dates back 17 years .7 This paper presents evidence that the principles underlying the air levitation of the nonsulphide nonmetal minerals are the same as those utilized in the flotation of the sulphides and native metals. It will be apparent immediately to anyone with knowledge of mineral concentration that separation of air-levitated minerals in water from minerals not so levitated is a simple matter of water-gravity concentration, the separating device employed depending solely upon the size of the particles treated and the buoyancy differences effected by the levitation. The usual separating means employed are: (1) a flotation machine for fine, slimy and for well aerated granular material; (2) shaking tables for granular less aerated material. By using large quantities of oil, it is possible to form substantially air-free oil-bound masses or granules of nonsiliceous minerals and to

Jan 1, 1937

By A. F. Giamei, E. J. Freise

A discussion of the various factors affecting the accuracy of volume fraction determination by the direct comparison X-ray diffraction method is presented. To minimize errors introduced by nonrandomization effects such as preferred orientation and large grain size, as well as errors introduced by statistical effects, an iterative mathematical analysis is introduced. This analysis is applied to all observable diffractio~ spectra from a given specimen by means of computer techniques and is statistically superior to the standard direct comparison technique which utilizes only one or tm sets of intensity spectra. The computer program also presents a graphical interpretation of- the results which enables the investigator to visualize and readily assess the scatter in volume fraction estimates caused by deviations from randomness. Finally, the iterative analysis is applied to experimental data collected from a series of plain carbon steels in both the as-received and spheroidized conditions to determine the volume fraction of cemen-tite present in each case. The results show markedly good agreement with chemical analyses for all spheroidized specimens. In theory, quantitative X-ray diffraction is a power-ful analytical technique for precise determination of the volume fractions of various phases present in a multiphase poly crystalline aggregate. There are two generally used methods; both utilize the fact that the intensity of a diffraction line of a particular phase is a function of volume fraction of that phase present in the aggregate. The more common method is the so-called internal standard technique where a known amount of standard substance is mixed with the aggregate containing the unknown. The resulting ratio of the intensity of a particular diffraction line of the unknown to the intensity of a diffraction line from the standard is used to find the weight fraction of unknown material by reference to the intensity data obtained from a previously prepared set of standards containing the same amount of standard material. The details of this technique are outlined in standard works on X-ray diffraction.' The disadvantages of the technique are that it requires the use of powder specimens and that the powder mixture must be homogeneous near the surface to the maximum effective beam depth. The alternative technique is the direct comparison method in which the ratio of the intensity of a diffraction line of a phase in the aggregate to the intensity of a second-phase diffraction line yields the ratio of the volume fractions of each phase present. This method has been applied most extensively to the determination of the percentage of retained austenite in martensitic steels and to determining the amounts of hcp and fcc allotropic modifications in pure cobalt5 and the amounts of hexagonal and rhombohedra1 modifications in graphite.8 This method is applicable to bulk as well as powder aggregates and is the technique which will be considered in the following text. It is the purpose of the present communication to show that by combining the results of X-ray diffrac-tometry with the use of high-speed digital computers the results of the direct comparison quantitative X-ray analysis technique can be optimized by using all of the data available on a diffraction pattern. THEORETICAL DISCUSSION In optimizing any quantitative X-ray diffraction experiment, the problem of accuracy vs time to collect and analyze the experimental data arises. For any method to be practical, it is required that both experimental and analytical procedures are reasonably short. In most of the previous work performed by the direct comparison method, intensity data from only one or two sets of peaks were used to calculate the volume fraction of phases present in the aggregate. Consequently, rather long-time experimental measurements are required to assure that the intensity data are sufficiently accurate to justify the use of one or two sets of data. By using computer techniques to analyze the experimental data it becomes feasible to use all of the available data on a diffraction pattern. By so doing, the time spent in measuring any one diffraction maxima can be appreciably reduced. Although this results in poor counting statistics for any one maxima, the number of data points available for analysis is greatly increased. Based on the above discussion, it will be assumed that a continuous scanning counter-diffractometer technique will be used to collect intensity data from a two-phase mixture. The integrated intensity of the ith diffraction line from the a phase in the aggregate is given by:'" where is the volume fraction of the a phase, The various quantities in Eq. [la] are angular independent while those in [lb] depend on the hkl spectrum of a particular phase. The meaning of the individual quantities in Eqs. [la] and [lb] are given in Appendix 1. It is convenient at this point to outline briefly the factors which will affect the measured intensity of any one hkl spectrum. a) Extinction effects arise from two independent experimental conditions. Primary extinction arises from a high degree of crystal perfection and results in spectra having lower intensity than predicted by Eq. [I]. Any treatment, such as powdering, which reduces

Jan 1, 1968

By W. R. Hibbard

The increased strength of a polycrystal-line metallic aggregate compared with that of its individual crystals generally has been associated with complex stress distributions at the grain boundaries resulting from atomic irregularity between grains. This disregistry, together with the necessity for adjacent crystals to deform compatibly regardless of the single crystal crystallo-graphic strain mechanism, complicates this mechanism so as to increase the metal's resistance to deformation. Although Taylor1 has shown from purely mechanical considerations the requirement for at least five active slip systems to absorb the complexities during the homogeneous deformation of polycrystalline face-centered cubic metals, experimental studies by Barrett and Levenson2 indicate that this is feasible only in a qualitative sense because of deviations from homogeneous deformation. Seitz and Read in their review3 state: " Unfortunately . . . present knowledge of the grain boundary influence is not sufficient to complement the work in single crystals and provide us with a good foundation for treating polycrystals." The purpose of this investigation was to attempt to clarify the gap between single crystals and crystalline aggregates by an analysis of the effects of dcformational stresses. Some of the results were described by C. H. Mathewson in his 1943 Campbell Memorial Lecture.zl Previous Investigations Since the performance of single crystals deformed under pure stresses has been relatively thoroughly investigated, the most significant researches are concerned primarily with deviations from single crystal behavior of large grained specimens. Qualitative grain boundary effects involving the observed amount of slip werc reported by Carpenter and Elam5 in 1921. Individual crystals in a two or three grained aluminum specimen deformed by tension acted in the normal manner described by Taylor and Elarn4 except for marked modifications at the grain boundaries. There the power to withstand deformation was considerably increased, leaving a ridge on the specimen where decreased slip occurred, often noticeable yi in. from the boundary. Adcock,6 Yamaguchi,' Seumel, Hirstg and others have also reported this phenomenon as a qualitative trend. Yet attempts by O'Neill'o and Ljunggrenll to measure a difference in hardness at grain boundaries in undeformed specimens were unsuccessful. Miller12 measured quantitatively the reduction in slip near the boundary between the single crystal and polycrystalline areas of zinc specimens. These effects consisted of two parts: I. Next to the polycrystalline interface thc distribution of stresses was so altered

Jan 1, 1949

By K. E. Brown, F. W. Jessen

By utilizing an 8,000-ft experimental field well equipped with 10 gas-lift valves and 10 Maihak pressure recorders, gas-lift tests were conducted with port sizes ranging from 5/16 through I in. The well was equipped to provide accurate means of measuring surface pressures, temperatures, quantity of injection gas and fluid production. The tests were conducted in 2%-in. OD tubing, and the well was making 95 per cent water. A complete evaluation of gas-lift-valve port sizes shows the relationship of per cent recovery, gas-liquid ratios, minimum pressure created at the operating valve and horsepower requirements for each port. The length of time necessary for the fluid in the tubing to reach equilib.rium conditions after each cycle was recorded. Fallback of fluid at depths of 477, 969, 1,685, 2,493 and 4,290 ft was noted. For each port size, pressure loads of 2.50, 300, 350, 400 and 450 psi were lifted with a valve operating at approximately 550 psi at 6,000 ft. Gas-liquid ratios for each load were varied from excess gas to a gas volume per cycle whereby the load failed to reach the surface. Numerous curves are presented in evaluating the accumulated dara. The results show a 1-in. port to be the most efficient under all conditions. The production of intermittent liquid slugs against different-sized surface chokes was evaluated. These tests were conducted from a 7/16-in. ported valve at 4,072 ft. Tests indicate that, when possible, a %-in. in diameter choke or larger should be used at the surface. In the past few years most of the advancement in gas-lift operations has been made in continuous-flow operations. Yet, it is estimated that at least 70 per cent of the wells on gas lift in the United States are of the intermittent type. Since the term "slug flow" is sometimes used in both intermittent- and continuous-flow operations, it would be well to distinguish between the two types of flow. Continuous-flow gas lift is defined as a method whereby the fluids are produced at a continuous rate at the surface. This generally requires a continuous injection of gas through a surface choke; however, various other control devices sometimes are installed to eliminate freezing, to shut-off gas during natural flow periods, etc. The actual flow of fluids in the tubing may be of the slug type (one of many flow patterns known to exist in continuous flow). Intermittent flow is defined as a method of gas lift whereby the liquid is produced in separate piston-type slugs. Perhaps this type of flow could best be thought of as a ballistic-type flow where the liquid leaves bottom as a piston, propelled by a slug of expanding gas. Gas generally is injected through some type of control at the surface at predetermined intervals. However, the valve may have characteristics whereby gas can be injected through a small choke and still result in a ballistic-type flow. The purpose of the experimental work was to evaluate the most efficient port size to be used on the operating valve for the ballistic type of lift and, in addition, to establish the importance of utilizing a surface choke large enough to allow slugs to be produced without detrimental effects. This work is part of a compre- hensive study of both intermittent-and continuous-flow gas lift, representing a joint project conducted by the Ohio Oil Co., the Sun Oil Co., Otis Engineering Corp, and The U. of Texas. The problem of evaluating port sizes has been given little previous attention. Some work undoubtedly has been done which has not been published to date. Some tests were conducted when the wireline, mechanically-opened valve (Nixon) first came on the market. This valve was capable of utilizing full tubing area as its port size. It is known that this was a very efficient valve, but to the authors' knowledge the results of tests have never been published. EXPERIMENTAL EQUIPMENT These tests were conducted on an actual field well, the Ohio-Sun Unit Well No. 2-E, in the North Markham-North Bay City field, Matagorda County, Tex. The well incorporated 23/8-in. OD tubing and produced 95 per cent water. Since the running of equipment was to be quite elaborate and expensive, a well was selected in which both intermittent- and continuous-flow tests could be conducted. This particular well was capable of producing in excess of 1,000 B/D of liquid (95 per cent salt water), yet with a 3/64-in. in diameter bottom-hole choke, production was controlled to 82 B/D. Most of the intermittent tests were conducted at this low rate. Figs. 1 and 2 show all the surface and down-hole equipment. As can be seen, every attempt was made to insure that ample equipment was available for reliable testing procedures. Fig. 1 shows the surface testing equipment. The input gas was controlled first by a regulator, then

By Walter V. Knopp, Laurence Delisle

The aim of this work was the preparation of nickel-steels from elemental metal powders by powder metallurgy techniques. It was known that plain carbon steels could be made from a mixtufe of iron powder and graphite and that the effect of carbon on iron in powder form was of the same nature as that produced in fusion metallurgy. The problem in making nickel steels from elemental powders consisted therefore in finding out whether sufficient diffusion of the nickel and other incidental metals . normally present in such steels could be induced in the solid state to modify the properties of plain carbon steels made from powders and produce the beneficial effect of alloying. The composition selected originally was that of an S.A.E. 2330 steel. Metal powders, in the proportion correspending to that composition, were mixed with graphite, pressed, and heated at different temperatures for different periods of time, to produce bonding of the metal particles and mutual diffusion of the various elements without melting. Temperatures up to 1325°C and sintering periods as long as 6 hr were first investigated because it was expected.that such conditions would produce maximum diffusion with an accompanying improvement in the properties of the alloy. It was found that, although diffusion proceeded to a large extent under the conditions investigated, it would not be complete unless sintering were carried out at a high temperature for much longer than 6 hr. Relatively high temperatures and long sintering times are objectionable from a practical point of view, particularly when a low COSt material is to be produced, because they necessitate the use of special, costly equipment. Work could be done to improve the diffusion of iron and nickel by changing conditions other than the sintering temperature and time, that is, finer primary or alloy powders could be used. However, a marked change in the properties of the steel had been observed even with only partial diffusion. It was thought, therefore, that instead of trying to improve the diffusion, advantage might be taken of its incompleteness to produce a special structure consisting, in the unquenched condition, of a hard constituent, rich in nickel, dispersed in a tough pearlitic matrix. Steels with such a structure, not readily obtainable by fusion, should have desirable mechanical properties. Besides, it should be possible to prepare them from elemelltal powders under economical conditions. This latter alternative was therefore adopted for the second phase of this work. This report is divided into four parts: I. General Procedure. 2. Effect of Sintering Temperature. 3. Effect of Varying the Nickel Content. 4. Effect of Alloying Elements. General Procedure The general technique of cold pressing as used in powder metallurgy was applied.

Jan 1, 1949

By T. E. Leontis

The specific effect of various rare-earth metals on the room- and elevated-temperature properties of magnesium has been evaluated. Alloys containing didymium exhibit the highest tensile and compressive strengths at room and elevated temperatures. All the rare-earth metals increase the creep resistance of extruded magnesium at temperatures in the range of 400° to 600°F, but the degree of enhancement depends on the temperature and on the concentration of the added metal. THE effects of rare-earth metals on the properties of sand-cast magnesium were discussed in some detail in earlier paper by the author.' The present paper deals with the effect of the same alloying elements on the properties of extruded magnesium. This investigation also had as its aim the development of a wrought alloy having a better combination of room-temperature strength and ductility and elevated-temperature strength and creep resistance than is found in magnesium-Mischmetal-manganese alloys, which have been reported earlier.2-5 The only known attempt to study wrought magnesium alloys containing pure cerium instead of Mischmetal was made by Mellor and Ridley.6 They found that in the form of rolled bars there is a definite, optimum cerium content for creep resistance at 200 °C and that the creep resistance of these alloys at 200 °C is significantly Improved by heat treatment at 550" to 580"C. In the present investigation the compositional variation in mechanical properties of the following alloy systems is presented: I—magnesium-Misch-metal. 2—magnesium-cerium-free Mischmetal. 3— magnesium-didymium. 4—magnesium-cerium. 5— magnesium-lanthanum. Alloys containing predominately praseodymium are not included in this series because of the lack of this material. Experimental Procedures The alloying ingredients used in preparing the alloys described herein are the same as those reported in the earlier paper.' Cerium-free Mischmetal is the rare-earth mixture remaining when the cerium is removed from Mischmetal, which contains all the rare-earth metals as they occur naturally in mon-azite sand, the ore from which Mischmetal is produced. Removal of both cerium and lanthanum from Mischmetal leaves what is commonly called "didym-ium," consisting predominantly of neodymium and praseodymium. Although the composition of the particular batch of each metal used may differ somewhat from the analysis presented previously, these differences are not great enough to warrant repeat- ing the specific composition of each material. The electrolytic magnesium used as the starting material in these alloys has the same typical analysis as that given in the earlier paper.' The alloys were prepared in small laboratory melts applying all the necessary precautions for alloying rare-earth metals with magnesium described by Marande.' Most melts were large enough to cast one 3 in. diam billet 10 in. long. In a few cases, particularly the didymium-containing alloys, the lack of sufficient amounts of the rare-earth metal limited the size of the billet to 6 to 8 in. All billets were scalped to a diameter of 2 15/16 in. and faced to a length of 9 ¼ in. as limited by the size of the extrusion container. The alloys were extruded into ½ in. diam rod on a 500-ton direct-extrusion press using a 3 in. container. The details of the extrusion step are: billet preheat, 925°F (2 hr); container temperature, 900°F; die temperature, 900°F; extrusion speed, 10 ft per min; reduction ratio, 36:1; and percent reduction, 97.3. The lower melting point of alloys containing didymium' necessitated reduction of the extrusion speed to 5 ft per min in order to prevent hot shorting during extrusion. Adequate lengths were cropped from both ends of each extruded rod to assure that all the material used for tests was extruded under uniform conditions. Tensile and compressive properties at room temperature are reported in the several conditions of heat treatment. The ASTM designations are used to distinguish these conditions as follows: T5—Direct age at 400°F (16 hr) T4—Heat treat at 950°F (4 hr) for alloys containing didymium T4—Heat treat at 1050°F (4 hr) for all other alloys T6—T4 + age at 400 °F (16 hr) The lower heat-treating temperature for alloys containing didymium is necessitated by the lower melting point of these alloys. All heat treatments were conducted in electrically heated, circulating-air furnaces. A protective atmosphere containing 0.5 to 1.0 pct sulphur dioxide was used for the high temperature heat treatments. Tension and creep specimens 6 Yz in. long and compression specimens 1½ in. long were cut from the extruded rod. A reduced section of ? in. diam was machined on the tension specimens, whereas on the creep specimens a reduced section of 0.450 in. diam

Jan 1, 1952

By Philip Davidson, Wm. B. Price

The object of this paper is to present, a survey of some of the physical properties of sheet nickel silver when subjected to cold rolling and when annealed at temperatures extending from 350" C. throughout the coininercial annealing range.. A number of alloys were taken from stock and analyzed. Four of these, representing low nickel and high nickel both with and without lead, were chosen for the tests. The analyses were as follows: Alloy Copper, Lead. Iron. Nickel, ManGanese, Zinc, PeR Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. PEr Cent. A................ 64.68 Trace 0.194 6.73 0.06 remainder B................ 65.82 1.27 0.227 6.17 0.06 remainder C................ 65.44 Trace 0.345 17.83 0.08 remainder D................ 65.60 1.08 0.238 17.77 0.06 remainder These alloys were lolled in accordance with regular mill practice to approximately No. 6 R. & 6. gage. The bars (which were then coiled) were annealed together in a mill muffle and afterwards pickled in a 10 per cent. sulfuric-acid solution and cold rolled in stages of approximately one number (B. & S.) at a time to No. 18 B. & S. gage. After each stage, suitable samples were set aside for physical tests. Additional samples were chosen for tests after the bars were rolled to Nos. 8, 10, 12, and 14 gage. These samples were annealed together in the mill muffle and, after pickling, were finished on 0.050-in. gage, yielding a series of specimens 2, 4, 6, and 8 numbers hard for the subsequent annealing tests. Tensile test pieces 9 by 1 in. (22.9 by 2.5 cm.) were cut from both lots and the central portion was milled to give a test section 2 1/2 in. long by 1/2 in. wide. A distance of 2 in. was marked off on the edge of each specimen with light punch marks. In the case of the annealed alloys, Erichsen test pieces 4 by 235 in. were also taken.

Jan 1, 1921

By F. L. Bosqui

INTRODUCTION The history of the development of gold metallurgy in South Africa is divisible into two periods: That preceding the introduction of the cyanide process on a commercial scale in 1890; and the 24 years intervening between that important event and the present time. The period between the discovery of the banket reefs of the Witwatersrand and the year 1890 was one of phenomenally rapid progress in mining development, but of no special interest to the metallurgist. There were no strikingly original or distinctly local advances in the treatment of gold ores. Californian practice in stamp milling and amalgamation prevailed, in mills ranging in equipment between 5 and 50 stamps, operating within a wide range of efficiency, and under the trying conditions usually en¬countered in a new and isolated field. The somewhat incomplete records of gold output of that period show that in December, 1887, there were 20 producing companies in the Witwatersrand district, of which 10 had mills, the largest being of 20 stamps. The only official record of returns for May, 1887, was that of the Wemmer mine, whose modest achievement with a 5-stamp, mill was 100 tons crushed, producing 887 oz. 3 dwt. of gold. This is interesting in view of the .present-day output of this field, which in 1913 reached 8,430,998 oz. The rapid increase of production during this first period (May, 1887, to January, 1891) is shown by the following summary for the year 1890:1 Total tons crushed 702,828 Number of stamps in operation 1,046 Average number of tons crushed per stamp per day 2.36 Yield of gold, ounces 494,817 Yield per ton, pennyweights 13.36 The stamp duty ranged between 1 ½ and 4 tons per day, according to weight of stamp, fineness of screen, and operating skill available. The prevailing weight of stamp was about 900 lb., and the screen, 900 meshes to the square inch.

Jan 5, 1915

By M. R. Pickus

THE study of the plastic deformation and recrystallization of metals has been the subject of many investigations. In regard to the simple deformational processes, such as tension and compression, the early knowledge gained from studies of polycrystalline material has been supplemented by many significant researches on the behavior of single crystals. Unfortunately, this has not been true for more complicated deformational processes. As far back as 1927, G. I. Taylor1 wrote: It is impossible in the present state of knowledge to do more than give a possible reason why (face-centered cubic) crystals set themselves with a (110) direction in the plane of rolling, and at right angles to the direction of rolling. The explanation of why the orientation of the crystal axes round the transverse direction is what it is, must be left till the distortion of metals, and particularly single crystals of metals in the process of rolling, has been studied in greater detail. That this gap in the systematic study of deformation and recrystalliza-tion has not yet been filled was indicated by C. H. Samans,2 who wrote in 1934 that "only four investigations upon cold-rolled single crystals of any of the face-centered cubic metals have been reported in the literature." Of these four studies, only those of S. Tanaka3 and T. Sakao,4 both of whom worked with aluminum crystals, had quantitative significance. The other two, carried out by F. Wever5 and W. G. Burgers,6 were of a. qualitative nature. It is our hope that the present investigation may contribute some-thing to the knowledge necessary for a rationalization of the origin of rolling textures in terms of the known behavior of single crystals, and may add pertinent information concerning the recrystallization characteristics of deformed single crystals.

Jan 1, 1938

By E. P. Pfleider

DIAMOND drill research work was initiated at the School of Mines, University of Minnesota, in late 1949. The Drilling Symposium held in Duluth that spring highlighted the problem of high cost and core recovery and the need for controlled testing. An advisory committee made up of informed representatives of both mining companies and drilling companies was formed to suggest and advise on a program of drill research. A Hy-Mac hydraulic drill unit, see Fig. 1, especially designed for experimental testing, was obtained for this work by the School of Mines through the courtesy of the Carboloy Co. It is an extremely flexible unit, capable of exerting a forward thrust of about 1750 lb and turning at speeds from 650 to 2200 rpm. The feed arrangement is so designed that the advance can be set either at a constant rate or permitted to vary at a fixed pressure, see Fig. 2. The

Jan 1, 1952

By R. A. L. Black, J. E. Jennings

The problems of slope stability in open cast mines are examined. A criterion, the instantaneous stripping ratio, is suggested for use in the design of pit slopes and as an index of control at all stages of the exploitation of the orebody. This criterion may also be related to safety and to the maximizing of profits. Two approaches to safe design of slopes, one from the point of view of soil mechanics and the other from the point of view of rock mechanics, are described and critically compared. The effect on slope stability of the regional tectonic stress field is discussed. Explanation is given of the application of the Terzaghi effective stress concept to problems in both soil and rock environments, including possible effects when borehole deformation techniques are used to measure stresses in rock in situ. A company embarking on open cast mining is faced with two basic questions: 1) will the venture be profitable and 2) can it be carried out with safety? The two questions are obviously interrelated because both depend upon the slope angles adopted for the pit. The cost of open cast mining depends largely upon the stripping ratio, defined as the volume of overburden that must be removed to the volume of ore recovered. The steeper the slope angles, the more favorable the stripping ratio, but the stability of the slopes, and therefore the safety of men and materials in the pit, require that the angles be made relatively flat. Consequently, the design depends upon a compromise: the slopes must be steep enough to result in economical mining and flat enough to ensure safety. Today there is a world trend towards deeper mining by open cast methods. This is mainly due to the higher cost of underground mining and the lower cost of open excavation resulting from the introduction of large modern earth and rock-moving machinery. Deeper open cast mining has led to a very great increase in the volumes of wasted overburden, and much thought is being given to the considerable economic benefits which would result if pit slopes could be made steeper by even one or two degrees. The result has been an increasing interest in research into slope stability problems in the expectation that the application of scientific principles will provide solutions leading both to economies and to more predictable operation of the mines. In at least four places, the U.S., Australia, Western Germany and Southern Africa, comprehensive investigations are at present in progress, and it is the object of this paper to review some of the more important aspects of these programs. RELATION BETWEEN ECONOMY OF OPERATION AND SLOPE ANGLES The main object of any industrial enterprise in a free economy is to make a profit. In mining, where profits must be made from a wasting capital asset, a further definition of the profit motive is imposed, namely that the economic aim should be to maximize the total possible profit. But since profits deferred for a number of years are not as valuable as profits that are immediately available, it is usual to discount deferred profits at some rate of interest which reflects their current or present value in the hands of the investor. Thus, in mining the logical aim can be defined more closely still: to maximize the present value of the total future profits. In commercial terms the present value represents the market value of the operation as a going concern. Many factors enter into the forecast of current and future profits. They include the volume of production, the price of the salable product and the cost of production. Current profits can be estimated with reasonable accuracy by the operating engineers; but it is the task of economists and management to assess future trends in the mineral markets and in the economy as a whole, and together with the engineers, they can then estimate the future cost and profitability of the mining operations. In open cast mining, the rate of ore production once decided on remains a virtually constant factor unless a major change in the capital structure of the mine is made. But one factor over which the operator has a considerable measure of control is the ratio of the volume of ore mined to the volume of waste over-

Jan 1, 1963

By John D. Sullivan, Edwin J. Rogers, Chester R. Austin

THE problem of making a building unit combining the necessary physical and mechanical properties and good thermal insulation has been foremost in the minds of architects and ceramic and construction engineers for many years. This paper presents the results of studies on thermally expanding shales or clays to produce light-weight cellular products suitable for making building units. An expanded clay block suitable for building purposes should be large enough so that substantial savings may be effected in labor costs in laying the wall. The permeability should be low and it should have sufficiently good "dry-wall" characteristics to permit exposing the exterior surface to the elements, and to permit plastering directly the inside wall surface. The thermal conductivity should be low and the mechanical properties should be adequate. Obviously, a unit possessing satisfactory qualities for constructing an outside wall would be satisfactory for interior walls and for back-up purposes. The results of studies on bloating various shales or clays† and the properties of the expanded products are reported. In another paper1 basic factors involved in bloating of clays are discussed. Manufacturers of ceramic products, particularly structural clay, may encounter bloating of the ware during burning, and precautions must be followed to avoid this phenomenon. About 1927 the C. F. Burgess Laboratories, Madison, Wis., while carrying on an investigation for the American Face Brick Research Corporation, conceived the idea of intentionally bloating clay while holding it in a restrained condition, with the hope of producing a unitary cellular mass. Work was carried on until about 1931, when studies were terminated because of business conditions. These studies were continued later by The Western Brick Co., Danville, Ill., which developed a process of "inwardly expansive bloating." The major purpose of the latter investigation was to produce back-up tile to compete with concrete blocks made from Haydite or cinder aggregate. Haydite is a light-weight aggregate formed by heating certain clays or shales rapidly in a rotary kiln. While the investigations at the C. F. Burgess Laboratories or at Western Brick Co. were not carried far enough to lead to the commercial production of material for the construction of walls, particularly outside walls, they showed that certain clays could be thermally expanded and that it was possible to produce a material of low permeability with a large percentage of the total voids or cells closed. Commencing in 1939, the Ozark Chemical Co. sponsored a research program at Battelle Memorial Institute for the purpose of determining whether it is technically feasible to make thermally expanded building units, and specifically to get answers to the following questions:

Jan 1, 1942

Using 5-p Ni powder and 0.018 ,u A1203, oxide dispersion strengthened nickel alloys were prepared by mechanical mixing of powders, followed by compaction, sintering and extrusion. Processing variables such as cooling of the powder during mixing, electrostatic discharging, mixing time, amount of oxide, and so forth, were studied to determine the effects on room-temperature tensile and high-temperature creep-rupture properties and on the reproducibility of alloys. MECHANICAL mixing of metal and metal oxide powders provides one of the simplest and most inexpensive methods for preparing dispersion strengthened metal-metal oxide alloys;" however, because of large differences in specific gravity, powder particle diameters and other variables, difficulties have been encountered in reproducing alloys and alloy properties. Using 5-p Ni powder and 0.018 p A1203, the following variables were investigated: a) Blending techniques b) Blending time c) Volume fraction of oxide for the selected pow- ders d) Sintering of compacts before extrusion Cooling of Powders During Blending— Cremens and Grant had indicated that dry ball milling of the powder mixture gave superior results over other procedures. When ultra-fine metal and oxide powders became available and comminution was unnecessary or offered little gain, the use of dry mixing in a Waring Blendor gave optimum results.' In the current study, observations of the powder mixtures indicated that considerable heat was generated due to the high speed of the Waring Blendor (15,000 rpm). This heating appeared to produce some degree of clustering and pelletizing. To minimize such agglomeration, a Pyrex cooling coil was installed in the mixing vessel. A double coil, water cooled, proved to be quite satisfactory, providing a fair degree of cooling along with good erosion resistance. Discharge of Electrostatic Charge—Electron-microscopy showed that agglomeration was minimized by the cooling procedure but was not entirely eliminated. It appeared that some of the ag- glomeration had to be explained on the basis of an electrostatic attraction due to the high-speed blending operation. These charges had the effect of promoting the growth of alumina clusters. At the end of the blending procedure such clusters had an effective size which was as much as 50 times that of the individual powder particles and were very tightly bunched. Several methods were utilized to try to discharge the electrostatic forces to minimize the clustering. One successful method, utilized in alloy 17, involved continuous exposure during blending to a radium source of 50 millicuries at a distance of 1.5 ft from the container. A number of other methods were noted to work equally well. Fig. 1 shows the more open oxide structure which results from such a treatment, permitting the matrix metal to penetrate into the cluster more effectively. The combination of powder cooling and discharging led to noticeably improved structures. Fig. 2 shows a cross and a longitudinal section in alloy M-17, one of the best alloys, illustrating the marked decrease

Jan 1, 1961

By Frank W. Osterwald

Violent, spontaneous destruction of coal faces and ribs during, what are commonly called, bumps endangers and at times destroys life and property in mines of the Book Cliffs coalfield, Carbon County, Utah. Because these mines supply much of the coking coal for the West Coast steel industries, mining is necessary, although costs are high and operating conditions are very difficult at times. As operations continue, mining will go to greater depths, and the difficulties will increase. Whether or not mining can be continued successfully depends in part on whether or not incidence of bumps can be controlled successfully. For this reason, the U.S. Geological Survey, at the request of and in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Mines, undertook a study of the Sunnyside No. 1 mine to determine what geologic factors were related to the incidence of bumps. This report presents the preliminary results of that study and indicates that some observable geologic features in the mine may be related directly or indirectly to bumps, and that other features may be used to infer stress distribution around workings that will aid in design of roof support measures. Coal is mined in the Sunnyside No. 1 mine from depths as great as 2500 ft by room-and-pillar methods. The surface topography is rugged with many steep cliffs and deep canyons, hence the load on the coal varies greatly within short distances. Much of the Sunnyside coal is under high stress, and while being mined, it shatters continuously' and falls from the face. Continuous shattering (bumping) makes mining easy, but if the shattering is interrupted, greater stress is built up and violent bumps may result when the coal is mined.

Jan 4, 1962

By G. F. Comstock

A serious disagreement as to the effect of titanium on the hardenability of steel exists in published references to this subject. Kramer, Hafner and Toleman reported1 that acid-soluble titanium decreased the hardenability, with multiplying factors less than unity according to Grossmann's system for calculating hardenability from the composition. Crafts and Lamont, on the other hand, showed2 how titanium increased the hardenability, with multiplying fdctors up to nearly I.; for about 0.1 per cent titanium, though reducing the hardenability with higher titanium. Their data, however, were obtained almost exclusively from steels containing more than 1.4 per cent manganese, and thus should be considered as applying mainly to manganese steels. Likewise, the results of Kramer, Hafner and Toleman regarding titanium are subject to the limitation that although they eliminated the effect of the insoluble titanium compounds from their calculations, they did not make a similar correc- tion for the carbon that was combined with titanium and therefore occurred in a similarly ineffective form. It is suggested by the literature referred to that titanium may have different effects on hardenability, depending on the mode of its occurrence in the steel. The different effects on strength, ductility, etc., have already been discussed by the author.3 In the present discussion some comparisons, on the basis of hardenability as revealed by the Jominy end-quench test, are given between three titanium and two non-titanium steels heat-treated in the same ways, and between other titanium steels heat-treated in several different ways. Comparison of Plain-carbon, Vanadium and Titanium Steels The five steels used for these experiments were cominercially melted and rolled products received in the form of 1.5-in. rounds from three different mills. Their analyses are given in Table I. Steels 2, 3, and 4 are from the same basic electric heat1 containing 0.009 per cent of phosphorus and the same amount of sulphur. They were made by adding aluminum and low-carbon ferrotitanium to different ingots. No. I is a plain carbon

Jan 1, 1947

By G. F. Comstock

A serious disagreement as to the effect of titanium on the hardenability of steel exists in published references to this subject. Kramer, Hafner and Toleman reported1 that acid-soluble titanium decreased the hardenability, with multiplying factors less than unity according to Grossmann's system for calculating hardenability from the composition. Crafts and Lamont, on the other hand, showed2 how titanium increased the hardenability, with multiplying fdctors up to nearly I.; for about 0.1 per cent titanium, though reducing the hardenability with higher titanium. Their data, however, were obtained almost exclusively from steels containing more than 1.4 per cent manganese, and thus should be considered as applying mainly to manganese steels. Likewise, the results of Kramer, Hafner and Toleman regarding titanium are subject to the limitation that although they eliminated the effect of the insoluble titanium compounds from their calculations, they did not make a similar correc- tion for the carbon that was combined with titanium and therefore occurred in a similarly ineffective form. It is suggested by the literature referred to that titanium may have different effects on hardenability, depending on the mode of its occurrence in the steel. The different effects on strength, ductility, etc., have already been discussed by the author.3 In the present discussion some comparisons, on the basis of hardenability as revealed by the Jominy end-quench test, are given between three titanium and two non-titanium steels heat-treated in the same ways, and between other titanium steels heat-treated in several different ways. Comparison of Plain-carbon, Vanadium and Titanium Steels The five steels used for these experiments were cominercially melted and rolled products received in the form of 1.5-in. rounds from three different mills. Their analyses are given in Table I. Steels 2, 3, and 4 are from the same basic electric heat1 containing 0.009 per cent of phosphorus and the same amount of sulphur. They were made by adding aluminum and low-carbon ferrotitanium to different ingots. No. I is a plain carbon

Jan 1, 1947

By W. Philippoff, Donald E. Cadwell, S. R. B. Cooke

THE importance of contact angles in flotation has long been recognized, but little has been done to get quantitative relationships between the surface coverage of the mineral by the reagent, the length of the hydrocarbon chain, and the contact angle. It is well known that for a complete monolayer on the surface of a mineral the contact angle 8 is determined only by the reagent1 and principally by the chain length of the hydrocarbon radical. Although for flotation the monolayer usually is regarded as being complete, early experiments of Wark and Cox&apos; showed that at very small concentrations of potassium ethyl xanthate the contact angle on galena changed in a continuous way from 0&apos; to the equilibrium value of 60". Further, Gaudin and Vincenta showed a similar continuity using heptylic acid and sphalerite. This shows that with probably incomplete monolayers, 0 varies with the degree of surface coverage. At the time these experiments were made it was impossible to measure the actual amount of surface coverage, especially since the decrease of the collector concentration in the liquor could be influenced by chemical side reactions. Through the use of the radioactive tracer method for the measurement of the amount of collector adsorbed on the surface of the mineral, Gaudin and Bloecher&apos; were able to determine accurately the actual surface coverage of dodecylamine acetate on quartz, but they did not measure any contact angles. It is believed that the relationship between the surface coverage and the contact angle is extremely important in flotation, especially as Gaudin and Bloecher showed that a 95 pct recovery is possible with a coverage of only 5 pct. Theoretical Considerations The work of adhesion W is the energy bound (in ergs per sq cm) when an interface is formed. It is determined by the difference of the free surface energies (surface tensions) of the respective phases 7j and yZ before contact and the interfacial free surface energy y, after contact. The definition of the contact angle permits the elimination of the unknown surface energy of the solid and hence the calculation of W from the surface tension of the liquid y and the contact angle 8: W = y (1 + COS0) [1] Consider a surface consisting of two components, identified as 2 and 3, 1 being the liquid. The amount of 2 in the composite surface is x, where 0 < x < 1. The respective contact angles with 1 and air are 8, and 8.. The total work of adhesion of such a surface is the sum of the values of the components multiplied by their respective areas. A formal relation can be written: Wm = x-W2+ (l-x)-W, [2] in which W, is the work of adhesion of the composite surface. Eq 1 can be introduced into Wt and Wa, but in the case of W, some discussion is needed. If the two components are segregated, each component forming an integral part of the composite surface there is no physical meaning for a contact angle 8m calculated from W,, by using eq 1. If, on the other hand, the area of each patch of the components is small in comparison with, say, the diameter of the bubble used in measuring, it could be expected that 0m would have a physical significance, because of the action of the surface tension of the liquid-gas interface tending to smooth out sharp corners. How small these patches would have to be is difficult to predict, but by using composite surfaces with microscopically

Jan 1, 1953

By S. R. B. Cooke, W. Philippoff, Donald E. Cadwell

THE importance of contact angles in flotation has long been recognized, but little has been done to get quantitative relationships between the surface coverage of the mineral by the reagent, the length of the hydrocarbon chain, and the contact angle. It is well known that for a complete monolayer on the surface of a mineral the contact angle 8 is determined only by the reagent1 and principally by the chain length of the hydrocarbon radical. Although for flotation the monolayer usually is regarded as being complete, early experiments of Wark and Cox&apos; showed that at very small concentrations of potassium ethyl xanthate the contact angle on galena changed in a continuous way from 0&apos; to the equilibrium value of 60". Further, Gaudin and Vincenta showed a similar continuity using heptylic acid and sphalerite. This shows that with probably incomplete monolayers, 0 varies with the degree of surface coverage. At the time these experiments were made it was impossible to measure the actual amount of surface coverage, especially since the decrease of the collector concentration in the liquor could be influenced by chemical side reactions. Through the use of the radioactive tracer method for the measurement of the amount of collector adsorbed on the surface of the mineral, Gaudin and Bloecher&apos; were able to determine accurately the actual surface coverage of dodecylamine acetate on quartz, but they did not measure any contact angles. It is believed that the relationship between the surface coverage and the contact angle is extremely important in flotation, especially as Gaudin and Bloecher showed that a 95 pct recovery is possible with a coverage of only 5 pct. Theoretical Considerations The work of adhesion W is the energy bound (in ergs per sq cm) when an interface is formed. It is determined by the difference of the free surface energies (surface tensions) of the respective phases 7j and yZ before contact and the interfacial free surface energy y, after contact. The definition of the contact angle permits the elimination of the unknown surface energy of the solid and hence the calculation of W from the surface tension of the liquid y and the contact angle 8: W = y (1 + COS0) [1] Consider a surface consisting of two components, identified as 2 and 3, 1 being the liquid. The amount of 2 in the composite surface is x, where 0 < x < 1. The respective contact angles with 1 and air are 8, and 8.. The total work of adhesion of such a surface is the sum of the values of the components multiplied by their respective areas. A formal relation can be written: Wm = x-W2+ (l-x)-W, [2] in which W, is the work of adhesion of the composite surface. Eq 1 can be introduced into Wt and Wa, but in the case of W, some discussion is needed. If the two components are segregated, each component forming an integral part of the composite surface there is no physical meaning for a contact angle 8m calculated from W,, by using eq 1. If, on the other hand, the area of each patch of the components is small in comparison with, say, the diameter of the bubble used in measuring, it could be expected that 0m would have a physical significance, because of the action of the surface tension of the liquid-gas interface tending to smooth out sharp corners. How small these patches would have to be is difficult to predict, but by using composite surfaces with microscopically

Jan 1, 1953

By Kenneth A. Gutschick, Robert S. Boynton

Lime has become a general and loosely used term to denote almost any kind of calcareous material or finely divided form of limestone or dolomite, as well as burned forms of lime. However, according to Webster, lime is only calcined limestone (known as quicklime, unslaked lime, or calcium oxide). It also embraces the secondary product of quicklime, i.e., hydrated lime or slaked lime (calcium hydroxide). There are two basic types of limestone used for lime manufacture-high calcium and high magnesium (dolomitic). The dolomitic quicklimes and hydrated limes correspond to their "high calcium" counterparts. The only difference is that the dolomitic types are a combination of the elements calcium and magnesium, in varying percents, whereas high calicum limes contain less than 5% MgO down to 1/2%. In either case a pure form of limestone of at least 97% combined carbonate content is needed to make salable lime, barring a few exceptions. The calcination of both types is diagrammed chemically as follows: [ ] In the foregoing reversible reactions the limestone is burned (calcined) in lime kilns, with the carbon dioxide content of the stone expelled as a gas. The weight loss during calcination of pure high calcium limestone is 44%; with equimolecular dolomitic limestone, the weight loss is 48%. Since lime has a strong affinity for CO_, particularly if moisture is present, it will readily revert to its original carbonate form. This occurs when quicklime "air-slakes" and adsorbs CO.. from the air. Thus, quicklime is perishable and should be stored in dry, water-tight areas. Depending upon the type of kiln used and the physical structure of the stone, the size of the quicklime may range from sandlike granules to 8 in. lumps. However, pebble sizes ranging from 1/4 in. to 2 in. are the most common. Screened quicklime fines are also com¬pressed (pelletized) into 1 in. pellets. For some purposes ground or pulverized forms of quicklime are used, ranging from No. 10 mesh to dust. Generally a pebble of quicklime is about the same size as the pebble of limestone before calcination (perhaps shrinking slightly). A more stable form of lime is hydrated lime. This is obtained by adding water to quicklime, slaking it into a dry, fine, subsieve size white powder. Because its affinity for moisture has been satisfied, it is not vulnerable to further moisture like quicklime. However, it has the same strong affinity for CO_. The following reversible chemical reactions illustrate how hydrated lime when heated (or dehydrated) can revert to the original oxide form:

Jan 1, 1975

By E. S. Bumps, W. F. Craig, M. Baeyertz

Metallurgists have looked at fractures macroscopically for many years and have evolved a vocabulary in which such words as "cleavage," "brittle," "shear," "ductile," "granular," "fibrous," and "silky" are used to describe the appearance of the fractured surface; but the meaning of these words in terms of metal structure is not well established. Observations of the structural meaning of "brittle" and "ductile" fractures in plate steels have been made, notably, by Kramer and coworkers1 and by Tipper.2 Grossman3 has studied the fracture of tempered martensite and combinations of ferrite and martensite. Notwithstanding these and other less concerted attacks on the problem, present understanding of fracture rests more on assumptions and logic than on experiment. It is the purpose of this paper to add a little to the growing fund of experimental observations of the nature of fractures in steel. The particular fractures to be described were obtained in conventional impact testing of an ordinary structural steel shape. In impact tests of the Charpy type, the specimens fail in a characteristic manner that depends on the steel and the temperature of testing. With ordinary structural and many other steel products, an appropriate range of testing temperature will cause a considerable change in the energy absorbed before fracture. This change is known as the energy transition and is accompanied, more or less closely, by alteration in the appearance of the fracture. At testing temperatures below the transition, the terms "brittle," "cleavage," or "granular" are used to describe the fracture; above it, "ductile" or "shear" are often used. Within the transition, the fracture changes from "brittle" to "ductile" by a progression in appearance, wherein the "brittle" portion of the fracture becomes restricted to a smaller and smaller central area of the fracture, as the testing temperature is raised and the "ductile" type of fracture is approached. All this is well known to metallurgists. The specimens under consideration are of the conventional V-notch Charpy type. They were taken from a structural steel shape of the following analysis: C Mn P S Si 0.17 0.46 0.009 0.029 0.03 Both longitudinal and transverse specimens were tested and examined. Fig 1 shows the energy values plotted against testing temperatures in the usual way. The curves for both longitudinal and transverse specimens show an energy transition, although the maximum energy absorbed at testing temperatures above the transition is greater in the case of the longitudinal specimens. Fig 2 illustrates the changes in the macroscopic appearance of the fractures that are associated with the energy transitions shown in Fig 1. Macrographs of the fractured surfaces of the specimens have been identified with the fracture ratings at intervals on each fracture curve. The numerical fracture rating on the ordinate of Fig 2 indicates the percentage of the area of each fracture that was considered to be "brittle" on macroscopic observation. Such rating of the fracture type in impact tests is now customary in many laboratories. Hereafter the specimens will be identified by reference to Fig 2 as 90 pct "brittle," 80 pct "brittle," and so on, in accordance with this macroscopic evaluation of the appearance of the fractured surface. The discussion of the fractures is divided into three parts. The first two are concerned with the mode of fracture and its relation to general structural features. As the same metal-lographic features occur in both longi-

Jan 1, 1950