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By D. O. Noel, E. B. Gebert, J. D. Shaw

It is, of course, expected that manufacture of the various metal powders should involve numerous methods adapted to the specific characteristics of the metals themselves. Several methods for powdering a particular metal may be available, but the physical characteristics of the powder as produced by the several methods may be quite different. In the final analysis, the application of the metal powder dictates the physical properties that the metal powder must possess, and this, to a very large extent, will determine which of several possible methods of manufacture is adopted. Sometimes powder of the same metal is produced by more than one method, each powder having specific characteristics that make it particularly suitable for its application. For purposes of classification, the various methods of powdering metals can be grouped as follows: 1. Machining. 2. Milling (by ball mills, stamps, attrition mills, etc.). 3. Shotting (pouring molten metal into water, air, etc.). 4. Granulation (by stirring molten metal while solidifying). 5. Atomizing (disintegrating by steam, compressed air, etc.). 6. Condensation of metal vapor. 7. Reduction of oxide powders. 8. Chemical precipitation. 9. Electrolytic deposition. 10. Sintering (for producing alloy powders). 11. Formation of an alloy followed by dissolving or otherwise removing one of the alloying constituents. Machining Turnings, cuttings, filings, etc., are, of course, produced as by-products in machine work of various kinds, and find certain applications as metal powders. For example, iron powder so produced is used extensively as a reducing or precipitating agent and as a constituent in certain hard-finish cements.

Jan 1, 1938

By R. S. McCaffery, R. G. Stephenson

The statistical analysis of blast-furnace data was undertaken to determine some of the relations which exist between the variables involved in furnace operation, and particularly to show the effect of variation of slag composition on such economically important factors as coke consumption, daily tonnage of pig iron and sulfur elimination. It' was desired to correlate the results obtained in commercial practice with those predicted from a study of the quaternary system lime-alumina-silica-magnesia. This paper presents the results of a preliminary study of blast-furnace daily operating reports, and is intended to indicate the suitability of our method of attack and something of the results that may be expected from an extended statistical examination of such data. It has been shown that blast-furnace slags are not composed of oxides, as reported by chemical analysis, but are actually composed of several compounds, each made up of two or more of the oxides present.' These compounds persist in the liquid state, and the properties of a slag are the properties of a mixture of these compounds, and not of a mixture of the ultimate oxides. The oxides lime, alumina, silica and magnesia make up 94 to 96 per cent. of the usual blast-furnace slag, and assuming that we may neglect the remainder of the components, we may determine the minerals present, and their relative proportions, from a study of the quaternary system involving these four oxides. Operating reports from 15 furnaces were available for this investigation. Complete slag analyses for one slag per day were available, per-mittling the calculation of the mineral composition of the slags used. Basic, malleable and foundry irons, with silicon varying from 0.75 to 4.50 per cent. were included in the reports for this examination.

Jan 1, 1931

By C. H. North, L. E. Lynd, W. W. Anderson, H. Sicurdson

Since the composition and structure of the beach sand concentrates correspond so closely to what would be expected of ilmenites that have been altered by oxidation and leaching, there is no reason to postulate the existence of the hypothetical compound, arizonite, to account for the composition of titaniferous beach sand concentrates. The four concentrates studied are examples of the different products that can result from various degrees of alteration of primary ilmenite. CONSIDERABLE uncertainty is revealed in the literature regarding the nature of the titanium minerals which make up the bulk of the heavy, opaque fractions of numerous beach sand deposits of the world. An investigation was made, therefore, of beach sand concentrates of North Carolina, Florida, Brazil, and India. Magnetic concentration, X-ray, and microscope data were obtained which show that these concentrates consist essentially of ilmenite and its alteration products. The alteration, brought about by oxidation and leaching of iron values, has resulted in upgrading the ores to a range of 56 to 64 pct TiO², as compared with 52.7 pct in ilmenite of theoretical composition. Conclusions drawn regarding the nature of the dominant titanium-bearing mineral in beach sand deposits have been based mainly on chemical composition, specific gravity, and petrography. This material has usually been referred to as ilmenite or weathered ilrnenite.: It has also been referred to as arizonite because in chemical composition it resembles an Occurrence in in which was described by Palmer' in 1909. The chemical composition of Palmer's arizonite corresponded closely to the formula Fe²O³ . 3TiOs. From approximate measurements of crystal angles on a large imperfect crystal with rounded faces, the

Jan 1, 1955

INCREASING realization that pouring and ingot-mold practices involve many factors of fundamental importance to ingot quality and general steel-mill operations has caused these phases of steelmaking to become major concerns of operators and metallurgists engaged in control of quality and costs. Methods of pouring steel from the ladle into the ingot molds have some direct effects on ingot quality. The mold itself governs solidification and dimensions of the ingot and in so doing exerts some very tangible influences not only on ingot quality but also on product yields and general steel-mill processing. In addition, practices are employed' in the handling of molds during daily open-hearth operations that are important to quality and production costs. Therefore, pouring and mold practices must be considered highly specialized and important steps in steel-mill operations. MOLD DESIGN Mold design is difficult to discuss in a precise manner because it varies greatly throughout the industry, both in theoretical concepts and practical application, and few well developed data are available. Most ingot molds are designed to meet conditions peculiar to a given plant wherein quality standards are dictated by end-use requirements, which may differ considerably, even for the same grade of steel. The mold designer must also consider the equipment available to process ingots and the product obtained from them. Such equipment, used for stripping, heating, blooming and finishing operations, is seldom, if ever, exactly the same in any two steel plants. Thus, pronounced contrasts in mold designs can be expected to continue, even among plants making strictly comparable types of product, particularly because some producers are just beginning to realize the benefits possible from specialized designs. Certain fundamentals are used in mold design but even these

Jan 1, 1951

By Edgar Bain

THE results are presented of an investigation to discover the fundamental atomic conditions existing in Corson's high-copper alloys hardenable by means of silicide solution and reprecipitation. The study attracted the writer because it offered a very convenient example of the general type of hardenable alloys exemplified by duralumin, Sykes' iron-tungsten and iron-molybdenum alloys and the hardenable lead antimony. SUMMARY OF RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS In brief, the investigation shows that very perfect crystallinity exists in the solid solutions prepared at high temperature to contain as much dissolved silicide as possible. The lattice parameter of copper is altered very little by the amount of cobalt, nickel or chromium, and silicon dissolved. The hardening by drawing at a temperature to initiate precipitation of excess silicon and metal produces a remarkable change in the atomistics of the solid solution. The old perfection of crystallinity in the solid solution is destroyed and the new atomic spacings are of variable magnitude even in one grain, and a condition in a measure resembling that found in martensite is observed. Were no particles whatever precipitated by the drawing action, still ample causes for hardness would be in evidence in the solid solution alone. The lack of plane continuity in the crystal grains would oppose slip in a very effective manner. Complete annealing restores the crystalline perfection in large measure. In these alloys even the most sensitive methods failed to reveal the characteristic pattern of the silicide precipitated by the anneal, but this was largely to be expected as the amount is relatively small.

Jan 1, 1927

By Richard Smith

After a brief history of the phosphate industry of Tennessee, the distribution and origin of the phosphate rocks are described. Then the mining and treatment, together with costs of production, and the uses of the rocks are given. THERE are three distinct varieties of phosphate rock, in Tennessee, known commercially as: (a) the "brown" rock, which is the residual product of the weathering and natural concentration of certain phosphatic Ordovician limestones; (b) the "blue" rock, which is an unaltered phosphatic stratum of Mississippian or Devonian age; and (c) the "white" rock, which is the result of chemical replacement and deposition. Before 1894, South Carolina and Florida had supplied most of the phosphate of the United States, South Carolina leading until that date and Florida from then until the present time. In December, 1893, the blue phosphate of Tennessee was discovered almost simultaneously on Swan Creek, in Lewis County, by two independent parties-by one as the result of a careful and systematic search for a workable deposit of the long known kidney phosphate, and by the other through mistaking it for a "bloom" of coal. Leases were taken and, with further prospecting disclosing other deposits in the region, the development progressed as rapidly as could be expected without railroad transportation. In January, 1896, Judge S. Q. Weatherly, who was interested in the development of the blue phosphate, while riding along the road south of Mt. Pleasant, noticed some slabs of a brown rock in place above the limestone. He took samples, and had them analyzed, thus discovering the high-grade brown phosphate of this district. This discovery was kept a secret until July, 1896, when mining was started at the village of Mt.

Jan 9, 1924

By P. V. Roundy, G. R. Mansfield

PUBLIC lands in Florida were first withdrawn from entry by President Taft on July 2, 1910, as a conservation measure because of their possible phosphate content. The reserve thus established was subsequently modified by further withdrawals and by restorations, so that on Jan. 1, 1934, it contained 66,796 acres, of which only a small part had been definitely classified. The reserved land was in scattered parcels, ranging from less than 40 acres to 320 or more, distributed in many counties. For administrative purposes and for final disposal of any of the numerous parcels, mineral classification of the land is legally necessary. In 1934 and 1935 the United States Geological Survey, under two successive grants from the Public Works Administration, prospected some 83 tracts of these lands in Polk County, comprising in all about 3300 acres, and six tracts comprising 240 acres in Citrus and Marion Counties. The tracts in Polk County were all in the so-called land-pebble field and the others in the hard-rock field. The Survey field party was under the direction of P. V. Roundy, from whose unpublished report the material in this paper is largely taken. The foreman of the prospecting crew was J. H. Wingate of Zephyrhills, Fla. The individual tracts were identified through the cooperation of the General Land Office, by transitman Hugh B. Crawford. This prospecting work fitted well the classification adopted for Public Works projects in general: it could not be done on any considerable scale under the Survey's usual appropriations; it gave employment to unemployed labor; and it may be expected ultimately to repay the Government in royalties more than the cost of the exploration. COMMERCIAL PROSPECTING METHODS Commercial methods of prospecting for phosphate in Florida have been briefly described by Mansfield.1 In the hard-rock field, where the floor of the phosphate deposit is extremely irregular, it is customary to drill as

Jan 1, 1937

By John C. Loretta

INTRODUCTION Organizations that regularly use project management services will almost certainly have their own views on the preferred systems and procedures. This chapter, therefore, describes Project Management for the personnel of groups not familiar on a regular basis with project management and deals with the basic questions that these groups can be expected to ask, such as: - What is project management? - Why is it needed? Project Management is the planning, implementation and monitoring of the Engineering, Procurement and Construction activities that are necessary to complete the project in the most economic manner. In the case of a crushing and grinding plant, completing the project would mean bringing it into full operat ion. Engineering is the design work for the purpose of producing drawings and technical specifications for Construction together with technical specifications and quantities for Procurement. Procurement is the arranging of con- tracts so that equipment, material and labour are brought as required to the construction site. Construction covers the on-site activities that bring together the components of Engineering and Procurement so as to arrive at a finished plant. Need & Cost Benefits Project Management systems are needed to allow progress and expenditures to be monitored so that any significant deviations from the plan can be identified and the appropriate corrective action taken. In this way, Project Management is able to give continual updated answers to the Owners broad questions. - What am I getting? - What will it cost? - When will it be ready? The need for Project Management is not always immediately apparent, a common belief being that the existence of the three components -Mining Company - Equipment Supplier - Construction Company - is sufficient to get the job done without a formal project management group. This trio

Jan 1, 1982

By J. H. Allport, C. Garnsey

During the latter part of 1916 and the early months of 1917, due to war activities, there was a threatened shortage of coal which resulted in panic among consumers and a rush to obtain coal at once at any price. As a result of this insistent demand for immediate delivery, prices were bid up by the consumers to unprecedented heights; spot coal which had previously been selling at from $1.50 to $2 per ton was bid up to $5, $6, and, in exceptional cases, as high as $7.50 or more per ton. Then when the April, 1917, contract period arrived, contracts could be made only at prices ranging from $3 up to $5 and $6 per ton for the year's delivery. This condition caused such a demoralization of the business, and SO much complaint, that some action to regulate prices was considered essential by the National Administration. Lane-Peabody Agreement In May, 1917, a committee under the chairmanship of F. S. Peabody, of Chicago, was appointed by the Council of National Defense, through Mr. Lane, to consider the whole question of bituminous coal. This committee, with the Secretary of the Interior, Mr. Lane, after numerous meetings and long negotiations with the operators throughout the country, announced on June 29 an agreement between the Committee and the producers, fixing a tentative maximum price for bituminous coal throughout the country at $3 per net ton f.o.b. mines, to which was added 25 c. for selling commission to wholesalers. This plan was based on the idea of fixing a maximum price, high enough to greatly stimulate production, with the expectation that the laws of supply and demand would, with ample production, operate to maintain fair and just prices for coal throughout the country.

Jan 1, 1920

By George W. Sargent

For the experiments here described a rod was used, 0.75 in. in diameter, and rolled from one ingot. Analyses of the ingot and rod showed them to have the following composition respectively: C. Mu. Si. P. 8. Percent. Percent. Percent. Percent. Percent. Ingot,. .. 1.150 0.328 0.223 0.020 0.016 Rod,. .. 1.033 0.327 0.223 0.020 0.016 Pieces 4 in. long were heated to various temperatures in a closed porcelain tube, within a gas furnace, and allowed to cool with the same; they were then turned, threaded, and subjected to physical tests in a Riehlé testing-machine. The elastic limit was determined by the drop of the beam. The elongation was measured in two inches. From the threaded ends of the testrpieces, disks were cut, and prepared by combined polishing and etching, using parchment stretched over a wooden block and moistened with a 2-per cent. solution of ammonium nitrate. The structure, as thus developed, and the fractures, were magnified and photographed. A cooling-curve was constructed, and the critical point was located at 675º-680º C. A thermo-electric pyrometer was used to make the measurements of temperature. The micro-constituents of steel have been so frequently and thoroughly described by others that I need only say here that the theoretical micro-structural constituents of this steel were : pearlite, 95 ; ferrite, 0 ; cementite, 5 per cent. The quenched metal would be expected to consist almost entirely of martensite—provided, however, the quenching be done at or near the proper temperature. Rapid quenching from a high temperature would give rise to austenite.

Jan 1, 1902

By T. S. Spicer

The relationship of coal characteristics to the principal types of firing equipment has been known to the coal combustion engineer, but is not as familiar a subject for purchasing agents, salesmen, consumers, and executives of coal-producing and consuming companies. This general survey of characteristics determined by standard laboratory tests, of major types of combustion techniques, and of the relationships between the two is directed toward the latter audience. It will also serve as a review for those actively engaged in the combustion of coal. Although the relationship of coal characteristics to the principal types of firing equipment is well known to the experienced coal combustion engineer, apparently there is need for a summary article on this subject. The author has received numerous requests for such a paper from purchasing agents, coal salesmen, coal customers and executives of coal-producing and consuming companies. Consequently, the scope of this paper will be directed to this audience, with the hope that it may serve also as a review to others actively engaged in the combustion of coal. The magnitude of this subject is so great that only a brief general treatise is possible. The author realizes that because there are so many special cases and exceptions to the generalities which follow, he is in jeopardy of contradicting himself. It is the hope, however, that the many references cited will prove valuable to those who wish to study the details excluded by necessity, due to space and time limitations. Hence, the characteristics of coals as determined by standard laboratory tests will be discussed; the major types of combustion techniques reviewed; and then the characteristics and firing will be related. CHARACTERISTICS OF UNITED STATES COALS The coals of the United States range from lignite to anthracite and each has its own general characteristics. The extensive coal fields of the U. S. are shown in Fig. 1 and the estimated reserve according to rank for each state is illustrated in Fig. 2. Coals may be classified according to rank as shown by Table I from the ASTM Standards on Coal and Coke, D-338-38.1 The basis of this classification is ac- cording to fixed carbon and heating value (Btu per pound) calculated to a mineral-matter-free basis. The high-rank coals are classified according to fixed carbon on the dry basis; and the low-rank coals according to Btu on the moist basis. Agglomerating and slacking (weathering) indices are used to differentiate between certain adjacent groups. While rank is not itself a characteristic it does signify certain characteristics that accompany a class of fuel. Anthracite, for example, immediately implies a hard, free-burning, smokeless coal of low volatile matter, usually having an ash of high fusibility. Coals may also be classified according to grade as described by ASTM Designation D-398-37.1 This quality classification is determined by size, calorific value, ash, ash-softening temperature, and sulfur. This type of classification is not used as extensively by the industry as the rank classification. Fig. 3 shows the heat value of different ranks compared to proximate analyses. Coals may also be classified by sizes, as shown in Tables IIA and IIB, and sizes can be on both top and bottom limits. If this is done, then the coal is called double screened; otherwise, either top or bottom sizes can be specified as a limit. Bituminous coal sizing varies from field to field and depends upon the market demand. The common sizes and their main uses are outlined in Table IIA. Anthracite is usually available in many sizes at the colliery, and Table IIB summarizes standard sizes and names. Although rank, grade, and size designations help identify and describe a coal in question, there still remain other characteristics such as indicated by moisture, free swelling index, grindability tests, etc. A bituminous coal information chart Table III) suggested for use in studying the available coals in a region, lists origin and chemical and physical characteristics. Even this more comprehensive list does not completely spell out all the characteristics of a heterogenous material like coal. For example,

Jan 1, 1961

By Henry Hibbard

AT THE beginning of a Henry M. Howe lecture it seems fitting to refer to Howe's great contributions to steel metallurgy, and particularly to the literature thereof. Most of my predecessors in this role have been able, from their association with him, to give direct testimony as to his great services; but although connected with him for years in a business way, I am less familiar with what might be called his academic side, except as .it is embodied in his utterances, written and oral. Howe was adept in his genial way in extracting information in any line which, at the time, was of interest to him. In a technical lecture one expects as a rule new knowledge-something about recent advances relating to the subject. On this occasion, however, I will ask you to go back with me to the primary department of steel lore, as the title of my lecture shows, to review the more fundamental features in that field for the purpose of seeking some gaps which we can fill and so give the subject renewed interest. In thus going back one must inevitably repeat many familiar facts, but that seems to be necessary in order to reach a clear understanding of the unrecorded matters. The full interpretation of a steel analysis is at present unattainable, though much progress toward that end has been made. The ultimate analysis, giving the percentages of the five commonly determined elements, does indeed usually give a fair idea of what the steel is, and is ordinarily enough, with knowledge of its history and physical condition, to enable it to be assigned to some purpose or use for which it is reasonably suitable. But discrepancies arise. Every maker and every user of steel knows, from at least occasional examples in his own experience, that the ultimate analysis is insufficient by itself to enable one to tell positively, from its interpretation, either the mechanical properties of the steel or its adaptability to the purpose for which it was made. Further, if, while having the specified composition, it is abnormal or unsatisfactory, why it is so. Good, bad and indifferent steels may have substantially the same ultimate analysis.

Jan 1, 1928

By E. B. Phillips, A. E. Miller

The title assigned to this paper permits a discussion of one of the most interesting chapters in the history of the American petroleum industry. Nature was kind to man when she prepared crude oil for him in commercial quantities in the hills of Northwestern Pennsylvania. Most of the refining operations we are now accustomed to apply were either not needed or had been carried out by earth processes ages ago. Such technology as was applied dealt with the physical separation of the valuable components in the crude oil and intermediate products and did not need more than mild refining treatments to bring them to marketable quality. • The pioneer refiners were concerned principally with distilling, dewax-ing and decolorizing operations. The products produced were limited in number and the uses to which they could be put were few. Natural products from the very high grade crudes, then plentiful, supplied the domestic demand and no other markets were open. As time passed, other producing fields were discovered and crude oils of lower natural quality were made available. To refine these grades to a quality expected by buyers, refinery practice had to be changed and new methods found. At the same time the accidental discovery that crude residues could be cracked by dry distillation at atmospheric pressure to produce a much larger amount of lamp oil than had been customary, opened a new vista for the industry. Export kerosene soon became the leading revenue product for all refiners and considerable new technic was added to refinery practice. High sulfur crude oils from Ohio next made their appearance, causing the development of the first commercial desulfurizing process, the sodium plumbite treating method for "sour" lamp oil stocks and the application of fine earth for the removal of "flock." Some improvements in methods of handling lubricating oils and cylinder stock fractions of crude were worked out, but in general, it can be said that the closing decade of the last century found the industry in a stabilized condition. Typical refinery operations of 1900 were simple and were conducted with the single purpose of producing as much export kerosene as possible Light naphthas and fuel oils were a drug on the market and every means

Jan 1, 1928

By H. A. Schwartz, W. Kenneth Bock

In this paper it is shown that when the tensile strength of a given steel in various states of heat-treatment is plotted against its elongation, a straight line results. The equation of this straight line can be computed with considerable accuracy from its chemical composition. The appropriate equations are given. The logarithm of the slope of the tensile-strength locus is shown to be proportional to the cumulative effect of the total alloy addition and the vosition of the line to be directly proportional to the cumulative effect of the alloy content. It is further pointed out that heat-treatment is more effective than composition in determining yield ratio. The latter enters mainly by its effect on hardenability, which is briefly discussed. Reduction of area and Brinell number are given some incidental attention. The data are applicable only to steels that have been normalized and/or quenched. The steels, if normalized, may or may not have been tempered. If quenched they must have been tempered at or above 4oo°C. (75o°F.). Introduction Cast steels vary in composition and frequently are used in various states of heat-treatment. It is obviously important to be able to predict the compositions that might accompany specific engineering properties by suitable selection of heat-treatments. For cast steels, which are of necessity produced heat by heat in accordance with the particular requirements of the castings to be poured, there has been, happily, much less tendency to standardization than for rolled products, whose destination is not necessarily known when particular ingots are made or rolled. It is of distinct advantage to the steel foundry-men to be able to make steel of given properties, using alloys that can be recovered from scrap, or most conveniently or cheaply bought, rather than a particular formula adopted in the interest of standardization. The heat-treatment appropriate to securing a given result in a given steel is well known to be closely related to composition. For example, molybdenum steels are not much softened by tempering except at rather high temperatures. Highly alloyed steels are "air-hardening," and on cooling in air behave like carbon steels that have been quenched. With these matters, we do not concern ourselves in this paper, although we recognize their importance. The entire picture evidently will be very complex and can be brought within accurate understanding only if our knowledge of test results can be coordinated in terms of general principles.

Jan 1, 1944

By M. van Swaay, C. E. Birchenall

Palladium has a large capacity for the dissolution or occlusion of hydrogen; the gas also diffuses very rapidly through the metal. Palladium thimbles are widely used in the laboratory for purification of hydrogen by diffusion. The use of palladium filters could be extended to several large-scale applications if greater stability of the permeation process could be attained. In this paper a number of aspects contributing toward this goal are discussed, and new data on solubility and diffusivity are given. Palladium sheets of 0.005, 0.010, or 0.020 in. thickness were prepared by three procedures: casting and rolling, sintering palladium powder, and sintering palladium powder to which 0.1 pct thorium oxide had been added. Half-inch diam circular specimens were cut and clamped in a stainless steel holder provided with knife edges to seal the palladium sheet with soft copper gaskets. The seals were tested for leaks at l0-5 mm Hg. No difficulties from this source were encountered even after many temperature cycles in the system. The holder was silver-soldered to Kovar-glass seals and attached to the system through glass ball joints. Each joint was sealed with Apiezon wax and was adjacent to a cold trap. In several experiments the holders were fused directly into the system, eliminating the ball joints, to show that the wax did not affect the filter. Three filter holders were supported in holes in a stainless steel cylinder, which also acted as a temperature equalizing block inside the resistance wound furnace. The measuring thermocouple was inserted in one of the holders. A potentiometric controller with control thermocouple on the furnace heater winding maintained ± 0.2oC. Electrolytic hydrogen was purified and stored as shown in the flow diagram, Fig. 1. It could be admitted to either or both sides of the palladium specimens. Only a mechanical pump was used, for even high pumping speeds would not bring the pressure on the off-gas side of the filter below 10 to 50p Hg owing to the rapid hydrogen flow through the filters. A series of steady-state permeability studies allowed identification of several conditions of permeability loss. A constant fore pressure was maintained while the low-pressure face was pumped. After enough time had elapsed for a steady flow to be established the pump was cut off, and the rate of pressure increase in a thermostated bulb was measured to determine the flow rate. The time delay method of Daynes1,9 was adopted since it offered the possibility of determining solubilities and diffusivities. For each measurement both sides of the filter were evacuated for 15 min, which gave about 10-4mm Hg residual pressure. Hydrogen was admitted to one side or the other of the filter at a fixed pressure. The pressure on the off-gas side was observed as a function of time. A

Jan 1, 1961

By L. J. Howell, R. C. Sommer, H. H. Kellogg

WORK described herein was undertaken with the aim of determining some of the physical-chemical properties of electrolytes suitable for the electrodeposition of pure zirconium metal. In this paper the phase diagram, vapor pressure, and activities in the melt are considered. In a companion paper,' the electrolytic conductivity of some of these melts is reported. The melts studied were mixtures of NaCl and/or KC1 with ZrC1,. Chloride melts were chosen for study because 1) if the electrolyte is to be useful for industrial electrodeposition of zirconium, the chlorides will be preferred to the relatively costly bromides and iodides; 2) fluoride melts were being studied in another laboratory (Horizons Inc., Cleveland); and 3) melts containing oxygen, in any form, are unsuitable for preparation of pure zirconium, because of the great affinity of this metal for oxygen. Unlike electrodeposition from aqueous solution, the fundamental behavior of fused-salt electrolysis is poorly understood. In most cases, such basic electrochemical information as the phase diagram of the melt system, activities in the melt, conductivity, the nature of the current-carrying ions, the equilibrium electrode potentials, and the overvoltage behavior of the electrodes is unknown to the researcher who would develop a new electrodeposition process employing a fused salt. This research project was designed to supply information about some of these basic physical-chemical properties so that an intelligent choice of electrolyte for electrodeposition studies could be made. Experimental The experimental difficulties-encountered in this work result from the properties of zirconium metal and ZrC1,. ZrC1, is a solid which sublimes at 334°C. It is rapidly hydrolyzed by moist air to HC1, ZrOCl,, and ZrO,. Unusual precautions were exercised in this work to prevent hydrolysis of ZrC1, and rigidly to exclude oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and carbon from the melts under study. These elements are known to react with and contaminate zirconium metal. All melts were studied in vacuum systems, i.e., in the presence of ZrC1, vapor only. Transfer of ZrC1, to or from the melts was accomplished entirely by vacuum sublimation. In this way, neither the melts nor the ingredients thereof were permitted to

Jan 1, 1958

By H. A. Wheeler

That lead and zinc deposits are the result of prolonged,, slow deposition is the idea of most students of ore deposits, and in many cases, where the ore-bearing solutions have been very weak or the precipitating conditions have been very feeble, the ore accumulations have undoubtedly taken a long period of time. As these two vital conditions have been subject to great variations in the different mining camps, the following example is highly interesting in showing that deposition can be very rapid under favorable conditions, geologically speaking, and also extremely recent. In fact, the writer is inclined to regard most, if not all, of the Mississippi Valley deposits of lead and zinc as probably being very young, at least not older than Tertiary, if not Quarternary, in age. The extensive Joplin lead and zinc district, in southwestern Missouri, which is about 60 years old and has numerous mines that were abandoned from 1 to 50 years ago, shows that the lead and zinc today are in an active condition of solution and redeposition, although these two metals occur in the predominant form of sulfides. The mine waters from the older and more or less abandoned portions of the district are frequently so acid, mainly from the oxidation of associated pyrite, as to necessitate the use of wooden pipes and pumps. The first boom in the Oklahoma zinc fields, which is the southwestern extension of the Joplin district, occurred when ore was accidentally struck in drilling a water well. Among the mines then opened up was the Mission mine, at Lincolnville, Ottawa County, Okla. This mine was opened in 1903 in lean "sheet ground," or a flat blanket formation of chert carrying disseminated zinc blende, or "jack," and galena. Theore-body was very free from iron pyrites and the concentrates were very high grade, the "mineral," or lead concentrates, assayed 80 to 85 per cent. lead and the jack, or sphalerite, assayed 60 to 65 per cent. zinc. The orebody was very shallow, occurring at a depth of 76 to 95 ft. (22 to 28 m.) and very wet, requiring three or four pumps to handle the water. The mine was operated until 1914, when it was closed by litigation and immediately filled with water. The second Oklahoma boom, five years ago, opened up the large, active camps of Picher, Tar River, and Century, which are located 2 to 5 mi. west of Lincolnville. They are considerably deeper, being farther down on the westwardly dipping monocline that emanates from the Ozark

Jan 1, 1920

By E. T. Turkdogan, P. Grieveson

It is shown experimentally that, by making use of the coupled S-O reaction in ionic melts, it is possible to transfer slclJur or oxygen from a lozv to a high chemical potential through an ionic nzenzbrane. This uphill transfer of sulfur is accompanied by a counter downhill transfer of oxygen and vice versa. The Materials balance shows that the amoulits of sul -fur and oxygen lost or gained by one system are the same as those gained or lost by the other systenz — the two systejns being separated by an iofzic membmne. The systems used in these experi?nents were solid Mn-MnS-Mno and liquid Fe-S-0. Sufficient results were obtained Lo study the kinetics of the transfer and the indications are that the counter diffusion of sulfide and oxide iojzs in the membrane is the rate controlling process. WHEN an ionic oxide-melt reacts with an atmosphere containing sulfur and oxygen-bear ing gases the following reaction occurs: 1/2 S2 (gas) +O2- (melt) = S2- (melt) + 1/2 0, (gas) [1] Under the restrictions that i) electric conductance in the melt is purely ionic and ii) each constituent element in the melt does not change valence, the solution of an atom of sulfur in the melt will result in the evolution of an atom of oxygen, so that the electric neutrality is maintained. For a given temperature and melt composition, the equilibrium concentration of sulfur in the melt is determined by the ratio, po2 /ps2 , in the gas phase and not by the individual partial pressures of oxygen and sulfur. This has been demonstrated by a number of investigators, for example by Richardson and withers', Fincham and Richardson,la by St Pierre and Chipman,' and by Turkdogan and Darken.3 In his Howe Memorial Lecture for 1961, Darken discussed the possibility of uphill pumping of sulfur through an ionic membrane at the expense of oxygen. TO test the validity of this concept associated with coupled reactions, experiments were carried out in the following manner. A presintered mixture of Mn-MnS-MnO and prefused mixture of Fe-S-0, contained in platinum and iridium crucibles, respectively, and separated by a thin layer of soda-glass (to act as an ionic membrane), were placed side by side in an evacuated silica capsule and sealed. This was then kept at 1400°K for a required time to allow Reaction [11 to occur via the ionic membrane. When partial equilibrium is reached, the ratios Po2 /pS2, for systems on either side of the membrane, are equal and the flux of sulfur and oxygen through the membrane becomes zero, although the individual partial pressures po2 andp,, in these two systems may differ considerably.

Jan 1, 1962

By D. L. King, B. A. Schepman

A number of unique thickener mechanism designs with the operating results achieved in various installations are discussed. These unusual designs include new types of raking arms, lifting devices, and feed-wells employed to obtain higher underflow densities and minimum operator control or improved overflow clarity. Several installations of large thickeners in which the underflow lines pass upward through the center to eliminate tunnels are reviewed. The location of the lines and pumps with the maintenance and operating records are included. Several types of automatic lifting device controls are used to provide storage in the thickener. Some of the installations employing underflow density controls are achieving excellent operating results. Thickeners or sedimentation basins are used in minerals beneficiation plants for three basic purposes. These are 1) Concentration, or to raise the density of a liquid-solids slurry. 2) Clarification, or removal of finely divided solids from a slurry. 3) Hydroseparation, or removal of a specific fraction of solids from a slurry. The concepts that control the size and configuration of basins used for these purposes are different. Likewise, different equipment is properly employed to accomplish these various objectives. The pattern of liquid and solids flow in the clarification zone of a sedimentation basin used for thickening or raising the density of a pulp normally is not critical. That is, the solids normally will drop or plunge to the bottom quite readily, and the liquid separates itself from these solids so as to overflow the basin in a relatively clear condition. When clarification or removal of finely divided particles is to be accomplished, the flow patterns in the basin are extremely important. The velocity of the incoming stream must be dissipated and the liquid flow distributed ]In the tank so that the feed is not divided into streams that flow directly to the overflow carrying the fine:ly divided solids that are to be removed. Similarly, the configuration of the arms that provide the raking and thickening of the pulp is not as important in basins primarily devoted to clarification. In thickening, the design of the arms and the manner in which the pulp is moved or worked, can contribute appreciably to the thickening process and achievement of a higher density underflow. THICKENING As the grade oi ore bodies throughout the world generally decreases, and chemical processes, hydro-metallurgy, and other more refined methods of minerals beneficiation are required, problems in thickening become more acute. Difficult operating conditions, previously encountered only occasionally in thickening metallurgical slurries, or clarifying process streams in the mill, are now the rule rather than the exception. Fig. 1 illustrates some of the different types of raking arms that are successfully achieving the desired goals in pulp thickening. The conventional raking arms consist of a relatively simple truss with the blades attached to the bottom chords. This design provides proper Concentration of many 'normal' slurries. A modificaiion of this design as shown in the center is being used with excellent results on large thickener basins where it is desirable to have a

Jan 1, 1962

By Herbert H. Kellogg

IN 1930, Taggart, Taylor and Knoll1found that addition of various electrolytes to suspensions of ground minerals resulted in the stopping or starting of Brownian movement of the suspended particles. On the basis of the many new facts found, they rejected the "classical "[t] theory of Brownian movement and proposed an "ionization" theory. This new theory was further supported in later publications by Taggart.3,4 The acceptance of the ionization theory by men in the field of flotation may be judged by the mention given this theory in Gaudin's "Principles of Mineral Dressing,"5 Wark's "Principles of Flotation,"6 as well as in a recent paper by Fitt, Thomas and Taggart.7 The proponents of the ionization theory have gone further than the mere statement of the new theory. A parallelism between the Brownian movement of mineral particles and their behavior in flotation was reported.1,3,4 Likewise, the correlation between flocculation-dispersion of mineral particles and the Brownian movement of these particles has been investigated.7 Bankoff15 has suggested that "slime-coating" can also be directly correlated with the Brownian movement of the slime particles. In each of the instances mentioned it is the ionization theory of Brownian movement that has been used to "explain" the correlations that were found. The essential conflict between the kinetic theory and the ionization theory can be understood best by a brief description of each. The kinetic theory* proposes that Brownian movement is caused by the impacts of liquid molecules against the solid particles. At any instant of time, the molecular impacts on all sides of the solid particle will not balance, and the particle will receive a push in some direction. According to this theory, all particles suspended in a liquid are in Brownian movement. However, if the particle is very large, the impacts on all sides will very nearly balance and the motion will not be noticeable. Another factor, besides the size of the particle, that affects the magnitude of the Brownian movement is the viscosity of the liquid-the greater the viscosity, the less the displacement of particles by Brownian movement. This theory has been verified experimentally by measurement of the velocity of Brownian movement, and by measurement of the compacting of suspensoid particles under the influence of gravity.2 The originators of the ionization theory found that the addition of various electrolytes to slime pulps caused cessation or commencement of Brownian movement, depending upon the chemical nature of the particle and the electrolyte. The Brownian movement of quartz particles was observed to stop upon the addition of certain electrolytes, where the conditions of the experiment prevented flocculation

Jan 1, 1945