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By L. C. Brown, J. S. Kirkaldy

Measurements have been made of carbon diffuswn in the five ternary austenites Fe-C-Si, Fe-C-Ni, Fe-C-Co, Fe-C-Mn, and Fe-C-Cr in which the carbon (component 1) diffuses through interstitial sites and the ternary addition (component 2) diffuses substitutionally. Values of the diffusion-coefficient ratio, D12/D11 were determined for each system with finite couples using the transient equilibrium method. The effect of temperature and of concentrations of both the carbon and substitutional component upon D12/D was examined and was found to agree with the theoretical predictions. It is concluded that within an experimental uncertainty of 10 to 15 pct, it is possible to calculate the ratio D12/D11 from purely thermody-namic data. Difficulties of measuring the other off-diagonal coefficient, 4,, are discussed. Any quantitative attack on the fundamentals of the hardenability problem in steel must begin with the multicomponent diffusion formalism and with the accumulation of data pertaining thereto. In a recent paper Kirkaldy and purdy 1 employed the formalism derived from irreversible thermodynamics to treat the problem of diffusion in ternary austenites. In the latter solutions, carbon diffuses through interstitial sites and the substitutional component diffuses through the lattice. Examples were given of diffusion in the systems Fe-Mn-C and Fe-Si-C. In the present paper, we present new results on and discuss their agreement with the thermody-namic theory. Since the theory has been slightly modified from the original presentation of Kirkaldy and Purdy, their results on Fe-Si-C and Fe-Mn-C have been recalculated and are presented here for completeness. The flux of the interstitial component with respect to a fixed lattice framework can be written as a linear expansion in the independent concentration gradients, where X1 and X2 are the independent thermody-namic forces in the lattice fixed frame of reference. These forces can be obtained from the general statement for forces in a volume fixed frame2 if the partial molar volume of carbon atoms is set equal to zero and that of the substitutional component 2 is set equal to unity, viz where the are the chemical potentials and the N's are mole fractions. Introducing into [3] and [4] the function If, as suggested by statistical arguments, the off-diagonal interaction L12 is sufficiently small, [6] reduces to i.e., the coefficient ratio becomes purely thermo-dynamic. The activity of components 1 and 2 in a dilute ternary system (standard state at infinite dilution) may be represented by the expansion3

Jan 1, 1964

By J. H. Frye, C. P. Sun

A PRIMARY substitutional solid solution is a solution that has the same crystalline structure as the solvent metal, and in which solute atoms have replaced solvent atoms at random on the host lattice. This replacement usually results in an increase in hardness as measured by conventional penetration tests. The factors controlling this hardness increase have been investigated in some detail for copper and silver aneys.1-5 It has been shown that at least, four factors are involved: (I) concentration of solute, (2) row of the periodic table from which the solute is taken, (3) increase in lattice parameter of the solvent produced by the solute, and (4) work-hardening produced by penetration of the hardness indenter.2,4 The last factor is of the utmost importance. An investigation of the available data2.4 leads to the conclusion that the solutes that produce large hardness increases in copper or silver do so principally because they increase the rate of work-hardening. Furthermore, it is doubtful whether any solute produces appreciable hardening in the absence of plastic deformation and hence work-hardening. Thus it is clear that an understanding of the effect of solutes on rate of work hardening is essential to an understanding of the hardness of solid solutions. This effect of solutes is also important in forming operations such as rolling or deep drawing. The presence of elements that confer rapid rates of work-hardening will increase power consumption and may well decrease the amount of deformation possible between anneals. This paper is the report of an investigation of the factors that control rates of work-hardening in copper and silver solid solutions. The silver and copper alloys considered are those in which all solutes are from the B subgroups or second short period of the periodic table. Experience with hardness, with structure of alloys, and with electrical conductivity has proved that results of a fundamental nature are most likely to be obtained if alloys are made up on the basis of the positions of the constituent elements in the periodic table. In previous work, Meyer analysis data on high-purity copper and silver solid solutions were obtained through careful measurements with fully calibrated equipment and these data were corrected to correspond to a standard grain size. From these corrected Meyer analysis data rates of work-hardening have now been calculated. CALCULATION OF RATES OF WORK- HARDENING The Meyer analyses, on which this study of rates of work-hardening is based, consisted in determining impression

Jan 1, 1944

By A. F. Lucas

Belle Isle, located in the low sea marshes near Atchafalaya Bay, is the southeasternmost of the famous Five Salt Islands of Louisiana. Rising about 80 ft. (24 m.) above the level of the surrounding marsh and being some 800 acres (323 ha.) in extent, it constitutes a striking landmark on the low Gulf coast, and since the eighteenth century, when it played an important part in the operation of the buccaneers, it has been intermittently frequented by man. In 1897, the writer discovered the great mass of salt that underlies the island and shortly afterward published a brief account of the geology of Belle Isle and the neighboring salt islands.' In that paper he described principally the salt, but pointed out also the occurrence of petroleum and of sulphur in the strata above the salt. Since that time the island has been extensively explored by the drill, and the developments up to 1908 have been described by Veatch2 and Harris13 and Knapp.4 The writer's early conclusions as to the probable presence of sulphur in considerable quantity have been confirmed by the later drilling, some of the wells having found quantities of gas containing hydrogen sulphide and a number of sulphur-bearing strata as well. Under the stimulus of the present keen demand for sulphur for war purposes, a syndicate of New York capitalists was recently formed to explore the sulphur resources of the island in more detail. Under the writer's direction, six wells were drilled for this syndicate during the winter of 1916-17: The present paper presents briefly the results of this work and sums up the present knowledge of the geology of this highly interesting locality.

Jan 1, 1918

By Lester C. Uren

It is realized that the depth of fluid maintained in a pumping well is sometimes influenced by other considerations than the quantity of fluid that will enter the well: the prevention of sand incursion, prevention of waste of natural gas, and the maintenance of a suitable submergence for the pump, for example. These latter factors have an important influence on the productivity of the well, so that otherwise unwarranted fluid levels must sometimes be maintained to offset them; but where the handling of unconsolidated sands is not a problem of consequence and where water has been properly excluded, the principles developed here and the practices recommended should apply. The principal objective of the producer should be to produce the maximum quantity of oil in the shortest possible time. Any method or equipment that will increase the rate of production during the early years of the life of the well, when gas pressure is high, will greatly augment the ultimate production. The maintenance of a proper fluid level in the well at all times will go far toward accomplishing this desired result. For a given set of conditions surrounding the flow of oil into a particular well, in which the viscosity of the oil, the porosity and grain size of the sand, and the diameter of the well appear as constants, two variables determine the quantity of oil that will flow from the sand into the well. These are: the effective pressure behind or within the oil in the reservoir sand, and the fluid level maintained within the well. The former is the expulsive force that causes movement of oil from the sand into the well, while the latter determines the magnitude of a resisting force opposing such movement. The first of these factors is largely beyond the control of the oil producer, but it is in his interest to reduce the opposing force to the lowest economic limit.

Jan 1, 1925

By Newell Hamilton

Some years ago, in the manufacture of seamless tubing from an alloy steel containing 0.07 per cent maximum carbon, 18 per cent chromium and 8 per cent nickel, at the plant of The Babcock & Wilcox Tube Co., a peculiar type of piercing defect was noticed. This defect was definitely associated with certain heats of the alloy and was independent of any of the variables of mill operation and billet-heating condition. A thorough analysis of the defective material yielded but one clue to the reason for its abnormal behavior in piercing and that was its oxygen content as determined by the vacuum fusion method. The oxygen content of the defective 18-8 alloy was found to be from two to three times that of the material that had pierced satisfactorily, and this incited an active interest in the vacuum fusion method for the analysis of alloy steels. After a critical survey of the literature on this subject, and considerable experimentation, an apparatus and technique were evolved that gave a fairly rapid, simple and reliable method of analysis. Samples selected from six years of tube production of 18-8 and other corrosion-resistant alloys were analyzed by this method. This paper describes the procedure and gives a correlation of the oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen contents of a number of alloy steel samples representative of good and bad tube-piercing quality. The Apparatus Basically the apparatus used in this work was that of Jordan and Eckman,' employing a high-frequency induction furnace and the gravimetric method of analyzing the evolved gases, nitrogen being excluded from the determination. In addition, a magazine-type cap and a large-

Jan 1, 1934

By F. S. McNicholas, M. S. Walker, V. C. Rogers

During the year of 1944 and the first half of 1945, the Climax Molybdenum Co. made a study of some of the problems in block and panel caving, with the use of a scale model. The experiments dealt essentially with the type of rock and conditions at Climax, but some experiments were carried out to simulate conditions found in other mines. Most of the previous experiments on the caving characteristics of rock have dealt with sedimentary or broken igneous material. The series of experiments described here was designed to show the caving action of unbroken igneous rock. Con- siderable difficulty was experienced in duplicating unbroken material in the model. The results obtained are believed to be relatively correct, but verification must necessarily come from future mine operation. Observations in the mine and glory hole, together with statistical data, were used as criteria for creating similar conditions in the model. In 1913, George R. Lehman' experimented with broken material in a model for the Inspiration Consolidated Copper Co. and, more recently, P. B. Bucky2 experimented with broken material with a capping of mill tailings. Mr. Lehman's model represented a maximum ore height of 70 ft. capped by 55 ft. of waste. He varied the draw-hole spacing from 6¼ ft. to 8? ft. and 12½ ft. The material used graduated from fines to 30-in. maximum size. Some of his conclusions were: "(I) The less the distance between chute centers, the greater the extraction (Fig. I); (2) the higher the ore column, the greater the extraction; (3) the less the amount drawn at a time from each chute, uniformly, the greater the extraction of clean ore before the capping appeared, but not the greater the total extraction to a I per cent copper final product." (Fig. 2.) Professor Bucky concluded, in part: "(I) Drawing of ore may take place at any time from any finger and in any amount without affecting materially: (a)

Jan 1, 1946

By Roland D. Parks

CORUNDUM, little publicized as an industrial abrasive, has, in its small way, contributed greatly to the production of many specialized items vital to our war program and to our allies. Optical elements of the highest quality for range finders, bombsights, and scientific instruments; precision metal parts for torpedoes and airplane engines; quartz crystal plates for military radios; armorplate and malleable castings for tanks and guns; and eyeglasses for everyone; these are some of the products that corundum has helped to produce in the quantities needed and on time. Unlike metals and many other raw materials, corundum is not incorporated into any of these finished products. It is simply a grinding medium used to produce the desired finish or precision; an operating supply or tool, so to speak. With a Mohs' scale index of o, corundum ranks next to the diamond in hardness among the natural minerals and is superior to emery and garnet. The gem varieties of corundum, including the Oriental ruby and sapphire, are frequently more highly prized as jewels than the diamond. It is the intent of this paper to deal only with a description of the corundum industry, the administration of wartime control, and certain economic aspects as seen by the author. Several references are listed to assist anyone who wishes further information on the geological occurrence of the mineral. ORE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION For the past two decades, South Africa has been the world's sole producer of corundum ore. A possible exception is Russia, where, it is understood, there was considerable production during the thirties for domestic consumption but for which statistics are lacking. The United States is the world's principal consumer of corundum ore; imports for the period 1934 through 1940 averaging 3000 short tons per year. The years 1935 and 1936 were close to the 5000-ton mark, and imports during 1941, the last prewar year for which statistics have been released, were approximately 6000 short tons. Again lacking statistics on Russia, the United Kingdom ranks second, but far below the United States in consumption of ore. Historically, corundum has been found in some 35 countries throughout the world, but the principal deposits are in South Africa, Canada, Madagascar, Russia and the United States. Deposits are generally small and subject to rapid exhaustion. Thus, the United States was the principal world producer for the period 1870 to 1900, when operations ceased except for two years during World War I. India was a producer of ore from 1898 through 1921, with peak output in 1916 through 1918. Canada came into production in 1901 with substantial output of ore and finished grain until 1914; the production thereafter was smaller until 1921. Madagascar has produced ore since 1910 but has had important output in only a few scattered years. South African production started in 1912,

Jan 1, 1945

By H. C. Miller

The gas-lift method of flowing oil from wells is the outstanding feature of petroleum technology today. Its forerunner, the air-lift, was used successfully first, in the Baku fields of Russia, in 1899, and later in the Gulf Coast fields of Texas and Louisiana and the Kern River field of California. It is still used to a limited extent in certain oil fields. The use of compressed natural gas for lifting oil from wells has supplanted the air-lift method in a measure in those fields where a sufficient quantity of gas accompanies the oil to make the gas-lift possible, or where natural gas is plentiful and inexpensive. We find, therefore, in California, that natural gas is used at practically every well where a gaseous medium is employed to flow the oil. The use of natural gas has many advantages over that of air. It is possible to recover and save the gasoline from the gas that accompanies the oil to the surface. This gasoline would be wasted if air were used as the lifting medium. Also, certain proportions of air and gas form an explosive mixture that cannot be handled safely by compressors. Another advantage that gas has over air is that gas under pressure is more soluble in oil. Gas in solution in oil reduces the viscosity of the oil that is being produced and causes it to flow more readily through the tubing and flow lines. The gas-lift has made it possible to recover many thousands of barrels of oil from deep wells in California that could not have been produced otherwise. It would not have been economical, had it been mechanically possible, to produce such wells as the world's deepest producing oil well (Miley Athen's No. 6, Rosecrans field, California) by any other method of pumping known today. At this well, production is obtained from between 7305 and 7591 ft. and 11 months after completion of the well, production was being maintained on the gas-lift at approximately 2000 bbl. a month. The crookedness of the hole, or its diameter and depth will not prevent the successful application of gas-lift pumping when other conditions are favorable.

Jan 1, 1928

By Joseph W. Richards

This method of briquetting flue-dust, or flue-dust mixed with fine ores, or, in a few exceptional cases, coke-dust, has come into large commercial use in Europe, and a small plant is already in operation in the United States. It promisea to become of such great importance to the iron industry of the United States that the following description will certainly interest the majority of our pig-iron producers. Discovered in 1908, the process Tests upon the observation of Dr. Schumacher that blast-furnace flue-dust, while possessing of itself no binding or cementing properties, acquires strong cementing properties if mixed with a very small amount of certain salt solutions, the amount of which is so small that the resulting cementation appears to be rather by catalytic action of the salts added than by the mass-action of such chemicals. To be more specific, fresh blast-furnace flue-dust mixed with from 5 to 10 per cent. of its weight of magnesium chloride or calcium chloride solution—that is to say, with from 0.25 to 2 per cent. of its weight of magnesium chloride or calcium chloride—acquires the property of setting within a short time, from 15 to 60 min., and forming a hard cemented briquette. Alkaline solutions appear to have no action such as described, and they even interfere, if present, with the action of the magnesium and calcium solutions. When treated in this way the flue-dust briquette sets very hard, apparently from pure excess of cementing- and setting-power. It is, therefore, possible to mix with the flue-dust a considerable proportion of inert ore or like material, which has no setting-power by this process, and thus to make a compound briquette containing large quantities of ore mixed with flue-dust, but in which the flue-dust may be regarded as the cement or binding-material. A particularly strongly cementing flue-

Jan 1, 1913

By Howard Eavenson

THE mines of the United States Coal & Coke Co. are located in the Pocahontas coal field, in McDowell County, West Virginia. Twelve plants have been opened and equipped, of which, by reason of the present business depression, only nine are now in operation. These twelve plants serve eighteen mines; some of the plants having several openings, in either the same seam or in different seams, tributary to the same tipple. Only nine of these mines are now being worked at the plants in operation. Construction work was begun in 1902, and coal from the first three plants started was shipped in December of that year. An additional plant was opened in 1903, two in 1904, two in 1905, two in 1907 and the last two in 1908. On Jan. 1, 1915, the plants have been in operation an average period of 8.8 years. The rules of the company, which have been in operation since work was first begun, are similar to those in use by the H. C. Frick Coke Co. at its mines in Pennsylvania, in which "Safety First" was incorporated as early as 1907; and it has always been the policy of both companies to look carefully after the safety of their employees. Although the field is an extension of the old Pocahontas field, the mines, located upon a new branch railroad, are away by themselves, and, as is usual in such cases, the class of labor attracted at first was temporary in character. The rapid development of the mines required the employment of many new men and officials each year; and, while the accident record from 1904 to 1909 was as good as the average of the field, it was felt to be not as good as it could be made, and a determined campaign was inaugurated for preventing accidents of all kinds. Fig. .1 shows the tonnage of coal produced per fatality, both total and for inside accidents only, at our mines; the tonnage per fatality of all West Virginia mines, and of those in the Pocahontas field.

Jan 2, 1915

By F. W. McQuiston, L. J. Bechaud

3.2-1. Introduction. Much has appeared in the technical literature on theory of sampling (18, 37), weight of sample required in relation to particle size (28), probability of error in sampling (3), and statistical analysis of sample data (20). Each industry, whether it be copper, iron ore, or coal, has its own standards and methods. All of the rather extensive theoretical treatments appearing in published literature on sampling apply to material already on hand such as coal, iron ore, or copper concentrates in rail cars, or in moving streams such as on conveyor belts. The attempt usually is to apply statistical techniques in order to improve reliability and precision in sampling, and to reduce differences between the analyses of seller and buyer. In contrast to this type of sampling, very little has appeared in the literature on sampling a virgin deposit from the metallurgical point of view. Perhaps it would he more descriptive to designate this point of view as "Gm-metallurgical," since geology is inextricably interwoven with metallurgy in gaining an understanding of the complexities of a deposit, eventually leading to a definition of mineable reserves, with the development of a flowsheet and engineering criteria for the planning of a successful and profitable operation. The degree of cooperation between these two departments often determines whether the processing plant is a success at the inception of operations, or whether expensive changes and modifications must he made, with the plant finally reaching rated capacity at some later date. The first concern of the metallurgical department should be to establish proper accreditation of the samples which will be used in any ore-testing campaign. It should he made mandatory, as part of operating management policy, for the responsible metallurgist to he aware of the significance of the samples and to become intimately knowledgeable in all aspects of metallurgical behavior and response to treatment of all varieties of ore in the deposit under consideration.

Jan 1, 1968

By Luther Lennox

THE purpose of this article is not to compare one type of grinding machinery with another and to conclude from a series of tests that one particular machine is superior to all others. Neither is the reader asked to tire himself with the details of many tests to prove the statements herein made. The Chilean mill stands today almost, in outcast from the milling world. It ranks with the applicant for a job who has been given a trial along with others and condemned because he was not able to perform the definite task assigned as well as the others, and was forever eliminated. The judges did not tarry long enough to try this aspirant in a field of a slightly different nature. Even though it has been condemned, the writer contends that the published records will indicate that the trials were never shifted into the field of greatest efficiency for the Chilean mill. Those of us who cling to this outcast as a fine grinder in our milling operations do not wish, naturally, to be condemned along with the machine, and yet we feel that we are classed as behind the times, at least in this phase of our milling judgment. Hence there is considerable personal feeling in our efforts. During the last few years there have been published several papers on the relative merits of the various grinding machines. In two of these articles a comparison was made between Chilean mills and cylindrical grinders. In each case the Chilean mill came out second best from about all standpoints. The outstanding feature in these comparisons would seem to be the decided attempt to keep all conditions the same, so that each machine could be judged on its merit. As Mr. David Cole states, "We are inclined to regard a direct comparison of grinders arranged side by side, and making a product that affords as nearly as possible the same screen measure, as the Supreme Court in these grinding matters." The writer agrees that this is the very best method for true comparison between machines. The results in the two detailed tests should give the relative merits of the two grinders in doing the work assigned. And they probably do. The conclusion drawn in each case was adverse to the

Jan 9, 1919

By M. R. Louthan

The susceptibility of titanium to stress orientation of hydride precipitates was investigated. It was determined that, when hydride precipitation occurred in titanium under an applied tensile stress of 30,000 psi, the hydrides precipitated on the titanium habit plane oriented most nearly perpendicular to the stress axis. Stress orientation of the hydride platelets occurred because the precipitation of the lower density hydride phase perpendicular to the stress axis caused expansion of the matrix in a direction that tended to relieve the applied stress. The Ti-H system has received considerable study in recent years, mainly because of concern over the effects of hydrogen on the mechanical properties of titanium. The amount of hydrogen present in commercial titanium is now quite low and should have no appreciable effect on its mechanical properties; however, many titanium applications require ex- posure to hydrogenous atmospheres under conditions in which hydrogen pickup is likely. In such cases continued exposures may cause the hydrogen content to increase to the extent that titanium hydride does precipitate as a second phase. The hydride phase has been shown 1,2 to have an adverse effect on the mechanical properties, particularly the impact properties, causing reductions in strength and ductility. BACKGROUND The behavior of titanium is often quite similar to that of zirconium and zirconium-base alloys, and the technology developed on one metal can often be applied to the other. Marshall and Louthan3,4 have shown that Zircaloy is susceptible to stress orientation* of zirconium hydride platelets, and that the platelet orientation has a pronounced effect on the mechanical properties of Zircaloy. They showed that when zirconium hydride precipitated in Zircaloy under an applied stress the hydride platelets tended to be aligned parallel to a compressive stress and perpendicular to a tensile stress. They also showed

Jan 1, 1963

By J. B. Stubbins, D. F. Coates, K. L. McRorie

Twenty-two pit slides that occurred in two Canadian open pit mining properties are analyzed. Information on the results of laboratory tests of the rocks and a brief description of the geological environment are also presented. One deduction from the study is that slides seem to be predictable by using established theory. This corroboration indicates that, contrary to normal mining practice, the appropriate slope angle should vary with the height of the wall. In addition, if the general ground water level around an open pit can be reduced, the appropriate slope angles of the walls could then be increased by a determinable amount. The ultimate objective of these investigations is to determine the relationship between the percentage probability of failure of any slope designed with specific strength paraheters. With this relationship it would then be possible to determine optimum slope angles. Because of changes in various economic factors, open pits are now being mined to much greater depths than previously. The need to keep stripping ratios low without endanrrerine.-- lives and equipment provides a strong incentive to determine the maximum practicable wall slopes. Applied research work is currently being conducted to establish the methods for analyzing optimum slopes.

Jan 1, 1963

By W. J. Rooney, James Fisher, W. O. Hotchkiss

During the summer of 1927, the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism of the Carnegie Institution of Washington joined with the Michigan College of Mining and Technology in conducting a series of earth-resistivity measurements in the Michigan copper country. The geological structure in this section is quite varied and fairly well known. The purpose of the investigation was to discover the correlation between the variations in electrical resistivity of large masses of soil and rock in place and the geological structure below the surface. The work done may be roughly divided into two parts: (1) Measurement and study of the variations in resistivity with depth, or with volume, to establish such general relations as exist between the two; and (2) the determination of the specific resistivity of various formations in order to make available more fundamental data which may aid in the interpretation of the results of the former type of measurement. A report by Mr. Rooney, which gives in detail the measurements made and the results obtained, forms the basis for this article. Measurement and Study of Variations in Resistivity The possibility of applying data from measurements of the physical properties of earth material to the study of the geological structure has long been recognized, and a number of methods for determining the position and character of concealed rock strata by means of seismic, gravitation, magnetic and electrical measurements made on the surface are being used with varying degrees of success. One physical property which varies widely for different materials, and hence affords an opportunity for distinguishing between them, is their electrical resistance. Locations • were selected where the geological structures were well known and where the depths to the water level and bed rock had been determined by drilling. The problem was to determine the value of measurements of resistivity and its variations as indications of the geological structure below the surface.

Jan 1, 1929

By P. R. Kalischer

IN the production of alloys by powder metallurgical processes it is often necessary or desirable to include one or more components that tend to form very stable oxides. Included in this group of metals are aluminum, manganese, magnesium, silicon, and a few others. In many cases it is not necessary for the sintered compact to have full density and the other physical characteristics of a cast alloy and in that event no undue precautions need be taken. If, however, it is required that the sintered part be entirely homogeneous, and have maximum density and physical properties, some method must be found to reduce the surface films of oxide, which are always present on the metals, and for the metals mentioned above this is always extremely difficult, if not impossible. Since the production of high-density alloys is of particular interest to powder metallurgists, some experiments were undertaken to devise methods of reducing the refractory oxides. For this work, alloys of iron, nickel, and aluminum were chosen because aluminum oxide is one of the most stable oxides and because these alloys in the right compositions form excellent permanent magnets. All of the pertinent properties of the magnets could be accurately and delicately measured by density measurements and magnetic tests of sufficient scope to give a complete demagnetization curve. From such a curve the maximum coercive force, residual magnetism, and energy products could be obtained and compared with the same properties for a cast material. Any lack of homogeneity, density, or solid diffusion would be immediately apparent as a decrease in the magnetic properties. NATURE AND REMOVAL OF SURFACE BARRIERS The early work of the present investigation was based upon published processes.* In the published information it was claimed that by intimately mixing iron, nickel, and iron-aluminum alloy (50 per cent Fe, 50 per cent Al) powders, compressing such a mixture into the desired shape and size, and then sintering (heating to a temperature below the melting point of the component metals) in hydrogen at 1200°C. or higher, a sound, homogeneous article could be made having the desired physical size, shape, and strength, and good magnetic characteristics. However, this early work showed clearly that something in the powder compress was inhibiting diffusion and the process was almost entirely unworkable. In the initial phase of the investigation samples of iron powder, nickel powder, and iron-aluminum alloy powder were pressed into separate bars and sintered in hydrogen. Both the iron and nickel powders sintered

Jan 1, 1941

By H. H. Dievendorff, F. W. Hertel

The method of drilling deep wells into the earth for the recovery of oil and gas is beset with many hazards. This is especially true in the Ventura Avenue field, which has the distinction of being the hardest field in California in which to complete a deep well. The hard, shifting and squeezing formations must be penetrated to great depths in the face of tremendous gas pressures. This field presents problems that keep the operators abreast with all of the latest developments in oil-field tools and machinery and in oil-well drilling practices. Equipment must be strong, and adapted to deep-well drilling and the handling of long heavy strings of casing. High-pressure sands require the utrnost care and attention of the operators and no chances can be taken, since a serious blowout may cause the loss of a well that has cost months of labor and expense. Equipment must meet these requirements or be discarded. Although the deepest wells in the world are not in this field, nor hav:. the longest strings of casing been set, nevertheless, the consistency with which deep wells are drilled and long strings of casing are set places the Ventura Avenue field foremost, in this respect, among the oil fields of the world. The V'entura Avenue field dors claim the deepest commercial oil-producing well in the world, in the Shell Co. of California's "Edison" No. 18. This well was drilled 7015 ft. and came in flowing 3280 bhl. of oil per day. This field also claims the deepest average depth of producing wells in that its Ill producing wells average 5676 ft. in depth. Of these 111 producing wells, 50 arc 6000 ft. or deeper, and 16 are 6500 ft. or deeper. Also, of the 111 producing wells 100 arc flowing, and 11 arc pumping wells. This paper is intended to set forth the methods used in the drilling of deep wells with rotary tools and the handling of long heavy strings of casing in the Ventura Avenue field.

Jan 1, 1928

By K. A. Johnson, F. H. Ellinger, C. C. Land

The Pu-La alloy systenz has been studied by thertnal, tnzcrographic, and X-ray diffraction methods. It is churacterized by a liquid miscibility gap, a maximum solubility of about 20 ut. pct PM in y lanthunum and 19 at. pct PI* in 0 lanthanum, very little soluibility of lanthanum in the plulonium allotropes, and the absence of intermediate phases. THE existence of immiscible liquids in the Pu-La system has been reported by Schonfeld.1 A tentative phase diagram based on the results of thermal-analysis experiments has been constructed by Poole et a1 2 This diagram shows a liquid immiscibility loop with a monotectic at 77 at. pct La and 846°C. 7 lanthanum is shown to dissolve 20 at. pct Pu and to decompose by an inverse peritectic reaction (y La = L , + p La) at about 82 at, pct La and 833°C. The ß lanthanum solvus was not determined, but the thermal work indicated a maximum solubility of 16 at. pct Pu in ß lanthanum. The present investigation has defined the solubility limits of plutonium in y lanthanum and 0 lanthanum, and, with the exception of minor discrepancies, has verified the results of Poole et al. 1) EXPERIMENTAL The electrolytic plutonium melting stocks were better than 99.9 wt pct pure, the main impurities being 90 ppm Fe and 50 ppm W. The lanthanum melting stocks, supplied by Research Chemicals and the Cerium Metals Corp., were about 99 wt pct pure, the main impurity detected by our spectrochemical analysis being 2000 ppm Fe. The components for each alloy button (-5 g) were weighed on an analytical balance and were melted together in a conventional arc furnace. If no significant weight loss occurred during melting, the as-weighed

Jan 1, 1968

By E. A. Anderson

In another paper' the writer has shown that the low permissible maximum fiber stress in a loaded zinc sheet demands a much closer support spacing than is used for steel. The limiting fiber stress in 13-gage (0.032 in.) sheets having a 1-in. depth of corrugation was found to be about 5000 lb. per sq. in. on a 37-in. span under a load of 40 Ib. per sq. ft. Corrugated steel sheets are commonly laid with spans varying from 48 to 60 in. In order to increase the span in 13-gage zinc to 54 in. (a common spacing) the metal must be capable of withstanding, under long-continued loading, a maximum fiber stress of about 10,000 lb. per sq. in. This is known to be impossible with unalloyed zinc. In this paper the writer describes a series of experiments leading up to the development of an alloy capable of safely sustaining this fiber stress. The effect of alloying on the slow creep of zinc was studied by means of static tensile tests, accurate determinations of apparent elastic limits and finally by means of loading tests on full-size roof sections. Two industrial buildings roofed with alloyed zinc sheets on spans involving fiber stresses in excess of 10,000 lb. per sq. in. have been under observation for over two years without signs of sagging. Experimental Work Two methods of increasing the maximum permissible fiber stress in zinc were considered. Cold rolling, which' increases the stiffness and tensile strength, was found to decrease the resistance to slow flow. Alloying, therefore, provided the only feasible means of obtaining the desired result, It was recognized that the improvement secured by the solid solution of natural impurities was insufficient. A series of alloys was outlined, therefore, in which a number of metals were added separately and together. The sheets rolled from these alloys were tested under

Jan 1, 1930

By Harold S. Davis

SURROUNDING the nuclear core of an atomic energy plant there are usually one or more thick walls of concrete, as required to protect instruments and personnel from the harmful effects of nuclear radiations. Sometimes these massive walls are of ordinary concrete weighing about 150 pcf. To reduce wall thicknesses, concrete weighing 200 to 350 pcf may be used. Such high densities are obtained by using natural aggregate processed from heavy ore, or by using steel slugs or iron shot in concrete. Mix data for a number of high-density concretes are summarized in Table I.1 High density at low cost is of prime importance in shields designed to absorb gamma rays. On the other hand, biological shields located near the reactor core must attenuate neutrons as well as gamma rays. In general, a biological shield should contain: 1) heavy elements to slow down high energy neutrons and to absorb gamma rays, 2) either light elements or hydrogenous materials to moderate neutrons of intermediate energy, and 3) materials to absorb neutrons once they have been slowed down to thermal energies. Some shield materials, iron and water for example, are effective in one or more of the above ways. On the other hand, some otherwise excellent shield materials have certain undesirable radiation properties that limit the ways or number of places they can be used. For example, when iron absorbs neutrons it emits secondary gamma rays of high energy. On the other hand, boron absorbs neutrons avidly without producing high energy gamma rays. In spite of its high cost, boron is sometimes used in concrete to minimize production of secondary gamma rays. In some shielding applications it is necessary to avoid materials that become radioactive when subjected to neutron bombardment, continuing to give off high energy gamma rays for long periods after being removed from a neutron field.

Jan 5, 1957