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By Chester O. Ensign

Many publications to date have advocated under- seas mining operations, optimistically overlooking the paucity of information on mineral distribution and the ocean environments in which minerals occur. Such articles (smattered with opinion, as is this article) are herein tempered by my more conservative views on the economics of mining under the seas. For purposes of this paper, underseas mining refers only to the deeper surficial deposits of the continental shelf and the deep sea floor, i.e., the deposits of phosphorite and manganese nodules.

Jan 9, 1966

By Christopher J. Bise

Introduction In August 1977, the federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act was signed into law. It stated that: "The Congress finds and declares that because of the diversity in terrain . . . and other physical conditions in areas subject to mining operations, the primary governmental responsibility for developing. authorizing, issuing, and enforcing regulations for surface mining and reclamation operations subject to the Act should rest with the States." Section 516 of Title V (Control of the Environmental Impacts of Surface Coal Mining) of the Act deals with the surface effects of underground coal mining operations. "Each permit issued under any approved State or Federal program pursuant to this Act and relating to underground coal mining shall require the operator to adopt measures consistent with known technology in order to prevent subsidence. causing material damage, to the extent technologically and economically feasible, maximize mine stability, and maintain the value and reasonable foreseeable use of such surface lands, except in those instances where the mining technology used requires planned subsidence in a predictable and controlled manner: Provided, that nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit the standard method of room and pillar mining." This section raises many questions. Precisely what is the "reasonably foreseeable" future as far as land use is concerned? And what is the "standard method of room and pillar mining"? The first part of the paragraph seems to rule out longwall mining, but isn't longwalling a "predictable" manner of "planned subsidence"? Does the Act take into account variations among mining methods in differing regions or coal seams? With these questions and the need to comply with the Act's provisions in mind, many states may turn to the Pennsylvania Bituminous Mine Subsidence Act of 1966- the only comprehensive subsidence act passed by any state-as a model for their own programs. Thus, it is very important to evaluate Pennsylvania's Act to see whether its basic assumptions can accommodate national application. This paper will note the Subsidence Act's provisions and guidelines, briefly analyze the current state-of-the-art in subsidence damage prevention and control, and list several recommendations for altering the Act's application guidelines for different mining areas.

Jan 1, 1982

By P. K. Weimer

Coinpletely integrated thin-film circuits inco?,porating more than 1000 active and passive elements have been fabricated reproducibly in the laboratory by evaporation of- all components. A 180-stage modified shift register comprising 540 CdSe TFT's, 360 resistovs, and 180 capacitors was deposited upon a glass substrate during one pump-down of the vacuum systeitl. Experimental units have been operated for more than 5000 hr at temperatures uP to 85°C without failure of any slages. The present pupper reviews the charvactevistics of evaporated thin-film transistors (TFT's) and discusses their application to integrnted circuils. INTEGRATED circuits most widely used today are based upon silicon technology, with the circuits formed on the surface of a block of single-crystal silicon1 or on a block of sapphire 2,3 upon which a thin layer of silicon has been deposited. Transistor patterns and interconnections are defined by photographic procedures using photoresist masking. Large groups of transistors are produced in batches which undergo many processing steps, some of which are carried out at elevated temperatures. Passive elements are formed by treatment of the semiconductor surface or are deposited by evaporation alongside the active elements. The size and complexity of the circuits are limited by defects in the devices and by the size of the available single-crystal chips. Capacitative coupling to the semiconducting substrate may also limit useful size and frequency response of the circuits. An alternative approach to integrated circuits is based upon the deposition by evaporation of all circuit components upon a noncrystalline, insulating substrate such as glass.4 Thin-film field-effect transistors,1'6 known as TFT's, can be deposited in large arrays on glass or plastic substrates at the same time the associated passive elements are being deposited. Although still in the research stage the all-evaporated approach is expected to offer certain advantages for many applications. In particular, the use of thin films upon a noncrystalline substrate offers the prospect of producing complex, large-area circuits not now feasible with single-crystal silicon. Important applications of this type include memory arrays for computers and imaging devices for television. The ease with which the evaporated TFT's can be deposited may permit continuous, automated production methods not possible with high-temperature batch processing. Recent advances7'8 in the fabrication of thin-film transistors have led to greatly improved reproduci-bility and life of the TFT's. Experimental circuits having over 1000 active and passive elements deposited upon a common glass substrate are currently being produced in the laboratory. The present paper reviews recent progress in the development of the TFT and in its application to integrated circuits. I) DESCRIPTION OF THE THIN-FILM FIELD-EFFECT TRANSISTOR The TFT is a field-effect transistor of the type having the control gate separated from the semiconductor by a thin insulating spacer. Although its operation resembles that of the silicon MOS transistorg its construction is based entirely on thin-film techniques. Fig. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an evaporated TFT deposited upon a glass substrate compared with a silicon MOS transistor deposited upon single-crystal sapphire.3 The semiconductor in the TFT is a poly crystal line layer, of a material which can be readily evaporated, such as cadmium sulfide, cadmium selenide,l0 or tellurium." Silicon monoxide layers have usually served as the gate insulator, but other oxides, sulfides, and fluorides may be used. Film thicknesses range from a few hundred to a few thousand angstroms. The source, drain, and gate electrodes in the TFT are of metal. Qpical source-drain gap dimensions are 0.0003 x 0.030 in., with a gate strip whose width slightly overlaps the source and drain. The source and drain electrodes should make low impedance contacts to the semiconductor. With cadmium sulfide films, gold is a satisfactory material for underlying electrodes, while aluminum is preferable for overlying electrodes.12 Considerable variation in design of the TFT is permissible, with the electrodes being

Jan 1, 1967

By Robert A. Rapp, Jan E. Verfurth

From the measurement of internal-oxidation band widths in Ag-In and Cu-A1 alloys, products for the solubility No and the diffusivity Do of oxygen in silver and apparent NODo products in copper have been obtained over a range of temperature. The NODO products for silver are in agreement with the product of the individually determined No and Do values of Eichenauer and Müller. Although interstitial diffusion of oxygen in silver is expected, the temperature-independent factor Do of the diffusion coefficient does not agree well with the theory of Wert and Zener. For Cu-A1 alloys internal oxidation does not follow the expression derived for ideal kinetics, since the apparent NODo product calculated from internal-oxidation measurements is a function of the alloy content in the specimen. Thus, unequivocal values for No or DO or even the product NODO in copper are not available from the literature. RELIABLE values for the saturation solubility NO and diffusivity DO of oxygen in fcc metals are lacking and difficult to determine, partially because internal-friction measurements are not applicable. Permeability experiments and Sieverts7-type adsorption -desorption methods3 have met with difficulty; however, Eichenauer and Müller4 have recently reported on the solubility and diffusivity of oxygen in silver as determined by the latter technique . Rhines, Johnson, and Anderson,5 and independently Meijering and Druyvesteyn,' introduced the possibility of deriving values for the product NODO in a metal from measurements of the widths of internal-oxidation zones (subscales) formed during the internal oxidation of alloys. In addition to these authors, several other investigators7-9 have made such measurements in various silver and copper alloys at various temperatures, mostly using me- chanically polished specimen surfaces. The purpose of this investigation was to determine over a range of temperature the calculated products NODO in silver and copper from systematic measurements of the widths of internally oxidized zones in Ag-In and Cu-A1 alloys, using specimens with electro-etched surfaces. Consider the internal oxidation of a dilute solid-solution alloy in which the base metal is not oxidized. If diffusion of oxygen is the rate-controlling step, then the depth 5 of the internal-oxidation zone is given by where y is a dimensionless parameter and t the oxidation time. Based on the solution of the diffusion equation, wagnerl0 has shown that under certain conditions several mathematical simplifications may be used in the evaluation of y, so that Eq. [I] may be expressed for the case that y « 1, and y(Do/DB) 1, where N(so)the is the equilibrium solubility (mole fraction) of oxygen in the solvent metal for the given oxidizing atmosphere, is the mole fraction of the solute metal in the bulk alloy, 4 is the diffusivity of the solute in the base metal, and v is the ratio of oxygen atoms to solute atoms in the precipitated oxide BO,. Rearranging Eq. [2] Maak' has derived an expression analogous to Eq. [3] for the case that an external-oxide scale, in addition to an internal-oxidation zone, is formed. For this combined external and internal oxidation for the case that 5/2 where 5 is the distance of the internal-oxidation front from the original external s.urface, and X is the distance of the external oxide/metal interface from the original external interface. The function F is defined by the expression

Jan 1, 1964

By U. K. Custred, E. W. Long, V. R. Degner

In 1973, the United States production of marketable phosphate rock set a record in excess of 42 million tons. This production rate is expected to continue to increase, due to the growing international requirement for fertilizer, at a rate exceeding 5% per year well into 1977. One approach towards increasing plant production capacity to meet the growing demand is through large-capacity flotation cells, provided they achieve metallurgical performance comparable to existing smaller cells. A 9-month evaluation test program recently completed at the Haynsworth mine at Bradley, Fla., demonstrated the feasibility of achieving economically acceptable concentrate grade and recovery levels using large, high-capacity flotation cells. The composition of the feed to the Haynsworth beneficiation plant is a typical Florida pebble phosphate matrix composed of phosphorite pebbles ranging in size from approximately 1-1/2 in. down to 150 mesh and intimately associated with a mixture of clay and sand (essentially silica). The feed contains approximately 22 to 28% phosphate reporting as tricalcium phosphate, Ca3 (PO,) 2, or "bone phosphate of lime" (BPL). The flotation section utilizes the double-float procedure typical of Florida plants. The phosphate is first floated away from the silica in the rougher circuit, using crude fatty acid, ammonia, and fuel oil or kerosene. Rougher conditioning is accomplished at 60 to 70% pulp solids with sufficient ammonia added to raise the pH to 9 to 9.5. Following coarse and fine rougher flotation, the concentrate (overflow) streams are joined and conditioned (sulfuric acid cleaned and washed) prior to entering the cleaner circuit where an amine float (cationic reagent and kerosene added in the feed box; pH 7.3 to 7.8) is employed to float the silica. The feed to the coarse rougher circuit averages 29% +35 mesh while the fine rougher feed averages 10%+35 mesh. Primary attention was directed toward the large rougher cell performance (recovery and grade) on coarse feed during the Haynsworth evaluation program. Flotation Cell Test Program A row of three No. 120 size (300 cu ft) WEMCO flotation cells was installed in parallel with an existing air-cell row. The total installed volume of the large cell circuit was 900 cu ft and required a floor space of 306 sq ft. This compared to the air-cell total volume of 200 cu ft and 152 sq ft floor space. (Both floor areas include feed and tails hoppers but exclude walkways.) Fig. 1 is a schematic cross section of the large flotation cell showing the relative location of key mechanism elements. In operation, the rotor generates a fluid vortex extending up along the walls of the standpipe and creating a sufficient vacuum within its core to ingest air into the standpipe/rotor cavity through the air inlet duct. The ingested air mixes with the pulp, which has been recirculated through the false bottom and draft tube, in the rotor. Further mixing occurs as the air and pulp move radially outward from the rotor, finally passing through the disperser into the flotation cell. Flotation is accomplished outside the disperser, where phosphorite laden air bubbles rise and the remaining pulp recirculates down along the cell wall to the false bottom and draft tube. Large-flotation-cell performance is influenced by the ability of the mechanism to (1) circulate, or suspend, the solids in the pulp; (2) ingest air into the rotor cavity; and (3) mix the air and pulp effectively. The proper balance between pulp circulation and air ingestion is a key consideration in achieving good recovery in a course feed application. Large-flotation-cell pulp circulation and air transfer characteristics are significantly influenced by rotor speed and rotor submergence; therefore, these two operational parameters can be used to "optimize" a particular mill application. Fig. 2 maps the hydraulic performance of the WEMCO No. 120 size flotation cell. This map can be used to relate the cell operational parameters which influence metallurgical performance. At a given rotor speed, power intensity (i.e., pulp circulation) is seen to increase, and airflow decrease, as rotor submergence is increased. The inverse relation between power and airflow is due to the two-phase air-liquid mixture density reduction accompanying the increased airflow rate. For any fixed rotor submergence, the power intensity (i.e., fluid circulation) and airflow both increase as rotor speed is increased. The selection of these two mutually related operating conditions (i.e., rotor speed and submergence) was a key consideration in the Haynsworth evaluation program.

Jan 1, 1976

By Kim C. Harden

INTRODUCTION The purpose of the following discussion is to present the state of the art of solution mining. Since the economics of a mining method ultimately determines its applicability and viability this presentation shall revolve around the costs of in- situ solution mining. First the assumed physical characteristics of the hypothetical ore body are described, followed by the appropriate operating assumptions. Then after a brief discussion on the type of surface plant to be used, the assumed project time tables and costs for Texas and Wyoming are presented. Finally, the economics of in-situ uranium leaching are analyzed through the use of discounted cash flow rate of return analysis. ORE BODY CHARACTERISTICS The assumption of the ore body characteristics is probably the most variable portion of this discussion. The characteristics that have been used are based mainly on state of the art technology, however, consideration of the most common depths of ore, ore thicknesses, and permeabilities also influenced these assumptions. In addition, it is assumed that these assumptions are equally applicable to Texas and Wyoming. The average grade of the ore is assumed to be .09% U308 with no apparent disequilibrium. The average thickness of ore is 2.29 m (7.5 ft) which results in an average grade-thickness (GT) of .675. The assumed depth to the top of the ore is 121.92 m (400 ft), the ore density is placed at 1.78 gm/cc (18 cu ft/ton), the porosity is estimated to be 28% and the permeability 1 darcy. These assumed ore body characteristics are shown in Table I. In addition, it is specified that the costs to be later discussed are based on a minimum GT cut-off of 0.15. It is more common to use GT cut-offs of 0.30 to 0.50 but GT cut-offs as low as 0.15 in conjunction with a minimum grade of 0.05% U308 have been used in the past with success and is considered state of the art. The ultimate percentage of uranium recovered from the ore is left to the discretion of the reader since the costs and economics are based on pounds recovered by the surface plant. OPERATING AS.SUMPTIONS An annual production rate of 200,000 lbs U308!yr was chosen for this example. In order to maintain this production rate, based on the ore body characterized above, a flow of 4731 liter/min (1250 GPM) with a recovery solution grade averaging .039 gm U308/liter is assumed. A regular 5 spot well field pattern is used with a well spacing of 21.5 m (70.7 ft) between like wells and 15.24 m (50 ft) between unlike wells. This well spacing gives each well an area of influence equal to 232.25 sq m (2500 sq ftl. An excess wells factor of 1.17 is used to estimate additional monitor wells and well field boundary wells. Each production well is expected to yield an average flow rate of 37.85 liter/min (10 GPM). In addition it is assumed that the ore body has a good shape in that it is not tenuous and narrow but has at least an average width of 200 ft. The process chemistry required for this ore body is assumed to be based on the sodium carbonate System- Oxygen is the chosen oxidant. Sodium chloride elution followed by precipitation with hydrogen peroxide makes up the remaining portion of the process. A fluidized up-flow ion exchange system is specified. The operating assumptions are listed in Table II. Restoration of the ore body shall be assumed to be accomplished through the use of ground water flush. Other methods may be considered as having to fall within the costs estimated for a ground water flush in order to be economic. In Texas it is assumed that a high capacity disposal well (200 GPM +I is required and in Wyoming evaporation ponds covering approximately 35 acres are to be used. No specific cost has been given to restoration. Instead only the additional capital investment for restoration equipment is given. Then, one year of restoration operating expense is estimated and included as the operating expense for one year beyond the last pound of U308 produced. It is also assumed that restoration will be pursued in the mined out areas of the ore body contiguous with ongoing production.

Jan 1, 1980

By Reaves. M. J.

The title of my talk, "What Happened to the Uranium Boom?" is old news. Certainly it is for this group. All of us that make our living in uranium know that the boom of the last half of the 1970's is over. U.S. production has been exceeding consumption by more than two to one. Mines and mills are closing and yellowcake prices have been dropping for over 20 months. The gloomy outlook for the industry in the near term has been well documented by soothsayers of various descriptions, your daily newspapers, and in the Nuexco Monthly Reports. I'd like to attempt to describe the next upturn in the market (speculate, really) based upon the clues we're seeing now. In order to do that, I'd first like to go over briefly, some of the market factors that contributed to the recent price drop and resultant production cutbacks, and then hypothesize on the way these factors are changing and will change. Market prices are greatly affected (maybe even entirely determined) by buyer perceptions. This is particularly true with uranium, because of the long lead times associated with nuclear plant construction and also with conventional mine/mill development. Before the price rise (say, 1975) utility uranium buyers believed that: 1) U.S. producers would have difficulty expanding to meet U.S. demand. 2) Australian and Canadian production was essential to avoid shortages in the early 1980's. 3) Uranlum prices would continue to rise as demand exceeded supply. 4) Enrichment capacity would become inadequate. It was thought necessary, therefore, to build enriched inventory in the early 1980's for use in the late 1980's. Artificially accelerated expansion of the uranium producer industry was necessary to accommodate anticipated enrichment demand. Current perceptions are largely the opposite. These are the beliefs that were held most of this year and late last year as prices dropped. 1) U.S. production is far in excess of domestic need. Contraction of the U.S. production lndustry is necessary. 2) Canadian and Australian supply is optional and not essential. Producers in those countries are expanding mainly by displacing higher cost production and not because they fill a void, 3) Prices may be essentially stable for some time. 4) Enriched uranium is in excess supply. That is 1981. 1982 is shaping up to look like this: 1) Prices will have bottomed out. (That is not Nuexco's opinion necessarily, by the way, but it is my opinion.) 2) There will still be substantial utility inventories, but fewer spot sales. 3) Canadian and perhaps Australian sellers will have made substantial sales in the U.S. and will be aggressively seeking more. 4) U.S. production will have been dramatically curtailed. U.S. utilities that wish to con- tract long term will have difficulty in finding domestic sellers. Concern will develop about the availability of U.S. production capability. Virtually all long term con- tracts signed will be with non-U.S. sellers. 5) An awareness will begin to develop among U.S. buyers that we are approaching a period of dependence upon foreign uranium (which will be true). The history of the uranium market has been one of dramatic changes and overreaction to those changes. The rapid price rise of a few years ago generated excess U.S. production capacity and the rapid price drop of the last two years will almost certainly result in too little capacity. It will soon be difficult for U.S. buyers to buy domestic material except on the spot market. The question is, "will they care?" The lack of demand, of course, is the underlying reason for the current poor health of the uranium industry. In 1972, 1973 and 1974 collectively, there were 105 nuclear reactors ordered in the U.S. That ordering rate was expected to continue and accelerate throughout this century. In 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, and 1980 altogether, there were 56 more reactors cancelled than ordered. The net growth of our only customer since 1974 has been a negative 56. TO put this in perspective, if these 56 reactors were operating now it would more than double present U.S. uranium consumption. Underlying lack of demand is something that is simply not going to change in this decade. Time is going to be required. The NRC indicates that the maximum feasible number of new reactors that can be licensed each year is six. That would increase uranium consumption by only 10% per year. New reactors, if ordered tomorrow, would not generate new uranium demand until after 1990. Even so, United States' consumption of uranium will rise from the 1980 level of 18 million pounds per year, to

Jan 1, 1982

By D. O. Hobson

Zirconium single crystals of various specific orientations were fabricated by rolling or drawing. The resulting textures were determined and are discussed with respect to the deformation modes that produced them. The crystals deformed in a predictable manner by combinations of up to third-order twinning with three twinning modes and by slip. Twinning was found to play a major role in initial texture formation. Texture changes produced by slip occurred only at the higher reductions. The twinning sequences that produced each intensity peak during the initial reductions could be identified. Schmid factor criteria were found useful in predicting which deformation modes to expect for each crystal orientation and fabrication procedure. The possible application of these data to poly-crystalline material is discussed. PREFERRED orientation or texture has a significant effect on the properties of most materials, causing anisotropy in fabricated cubic metals and enhancing the natural anisotropy of noncubic metals. This study evaluates the effects of several fabrication methods on the textures formed from specific starting orientations of zirconium single crystals and, it is hoped, gives an insight into the effects of the same operations on poly-crystalline material. BACKGROUND In fcc and bcc metals, texture changes take place by gradual lattice rotations caused by the operation of one or more slip systems. Deformation twinning plays an insignificant role in the deformation of such metals. In zirconium and its alloys, however, and in many other hep metals the ability to twin allows very rapid texture changes to be made with very small amounts of deformation. The deformation systems found in zirconium and its alloys are prism slip and three twinning modes.1 Slip occurs on the {1010}< 1120) system. There is little or no appreciable basal slip in zirconium. The twinning planes, illustrated in Fig. 1, are {1012}, {ll2l}, and {1122}. Two twinning modes, the {1012} and the {ll2l} operate for a tensile stress along the basal pole. A compressive stress parallel to the basal pole is required for {ll22} twinning. These twinning operations cause a 35- to 85-deg reorientation of the basal pole. The {1012} twin is the predominant tensile twin at room temperature. The twinning shears, S, are shown in the figure. A criterion for predicting which deformation system will operate when a grain is subjected to a known stress state is the Schmid (orientation) factor. This factor gives the fraction of the applied stress that computer program was written2 to calculate the Schmid factors for the four deformation modes in zirconium. It assumed three orthogonal stress axes and considered ninety-one different orientations of the basal pole in one octant of this stress space. At each basal pole position the Schmid factors were calculated for seven positions of rotation at 10-deg increments of the unit cell about the basal pole. Schmid factors were determined for a total of 637 orientations and for twenty-four deformation systems in each orientation. The program listed the Schmid factors for uniaxial stress parallel to each axis and, to approximate rolling, or-thonormal biaxial stress was also considered. Fig. 2 shows the range of orientations over which the various types of deformation would tend to predominate in biaxial plane strain with the stresses, equal magnitude. The exact boundary position between regions of different deformation modes depends, however, on the relative values of the critical shear stress for each deformation mode. Fig. 2 is drawn on the assumption that they are equal and it therefore may be only approximately correct. It is also recognized that the biaxial stress analysis may not be applicable in certain crystal orientations. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Single crystals of zone-refined zirconium, produced by Wilson of this Laboratory,3 were electrical-discharge-machined to form specimens for rolling, tube-drawing, and rod-drawing studies. Specimens were rolled at room temperature on 2-|--in.-diam hand-powered rolls from three different starting orientations: 1) the basal plane parallel to the rolling plane and the [1120] in the rolling direction, (0001)[ll20]; 2) the (1120) plane parallel to the rolling plane and the basal pole in the rolling direction, (1120)[0001]; and 3)_the (1120) plane parallel to the rolling plane and the [1100] in the rolling direction, (1120)[ll00]. Drawing specimens were cut with the [0001] direction as the drawing direction in the tube blank and [1120] as the drawing direction in the rod specimen. The drawing

Jan 1, 1969

By L. H. Van Vlack, T. Y. Tien, R. J. Martin

The phase relationships of the MnTe-MnS system were studied by DTA procedures. There is an eutectic at 810°C with about 10 mole pct MnS-90 mole pct MnTe. An eutectoid occurs at about 710°C with approximately 7 mole pct MnS where the MnTe(NaCl) solid solution dissociates on cooling to MnTe(NiAs) and MnS. There is very little solid solubility of MnTe in MnS. ALTHOUGH MnS may exist in three different crystal forms,&apos; only the NaC1-type phase is stable.2 Above 1040°C, MnTe also has the cubic NaC1-type structure. Below that temperature, MnTe changes to the NiAs-type structure.3 This phase transition is rapid for both heating and cooling. As a result the high-temperature crystal form of MnTe cannot be retained at room temperature. Because MnO, MnS, and MnSe are all stable with the NaC1-type structure, and MnTe has this structure at high temperatures,4 solid solution formation could be expected among these compounds. It is interesting to note, however, that a complete series of solid solutions exist only in the MnS-MnSe system,&apos; and that the solid solution is quite limited in the MnO-MnS system.&apos; The MnSe-MnTe system possesses a complete series of solid solutions at high temperatures with separation at lower temperatures.7 Although ion size may be critical in the miscibility of MnO-MnS, it is quite possible that the bond type plays a more important role with the miscibility of MnSe-MnTe. This would permit us to speculate that the miscibility gap would be extensive in the MnTe-MnS system. EXPERIMENTAL Preparation. The samples were prepared by mixing and compacting MnTe and MnS powders. The MnS was previously prepared through the sulfur reduction of Mnso4.8 The MnTe had been prepared by mixing and compacting double vacuum distilled metallic manganese and high-purity tellurium in stoichiometric ratio modified with 1 wt pct excess tellurium. The compacted powders were put in a graphite crucible which was sealed in an evacuated vycor tube. The free space in the vycor tube was made minimal to reduce the loss of tellurium. The sealed assembly was then heated slowly to about 500° C where the free manganese and tellurium reacted vigorously, melting the MnTe which formed. Only one phase, MnTe, was detected by X-ray powder patterns and metallographic techniques. Each compact of MnTe-MnS was placed in a graphite crucible and then sealed in an evacuated vycor tube. The samples were heated at 1250°C for 4 hr and furnace-cooled. Microscopic examination revealed no third phase beyond MnS and MnTe. A typical microstructure is presented in Fig. 1. Identification. X-ray powder patterns were obtained using 114.6 mm Debye-Scherrer camera and Fe-Ka radiation. Mixtures of cubic MnS and hexagonal MnTe were observed in all of the compositions prepared. No lattice parameter change was noticed among different compositions, indicating no solid solution could be retained at room temperatures between these two end-members. A lattice parameter of 5.244Å for MnS was obtained by the Nelson and Riley9 extrapolation method using the diffraction lines of (h2 + k2 + 12) equal 12, 16, 20, and 24. The values, a = 4.145Å and c = 6.708Å, for hexagonal MnTe were obtained from the (006) and (220) lines in the back-reflection region. These values agree well with the values reported by Taylor and Kag1e.10 Differential Thermal Analysis. A differential thermal analysis procedure was used to determine phase relationships since the high-temperature equilibrium conditions could not be retained for examination at room temperature, even when the sealed samples (~0.5 g) were quenched in water. The samples were sealed in an evacuated 4 mm vycor tube with a recess in the bottom to accept a thermocouple. An Al2O3 reference was similarly prepared and the two placed within a piece of insulating fire brick to dampen spurious temperature changes within the furnace. The furnace was controlled by a mechanically driven rheostat which increased the temperature at a rate of about 15°C per min. Known phase changes in the Pb-Sn system1&apos; and the a-to-ß quartz inversion12 were used for calibration

Jan 1, 1969

By V. Steve Reed, Ed L. Reed

The in situ leach mining process generates a waste stream that is high in sulfates, total dissolved solids, and radium 226. During the mining phase, the volume of the waste stream is relatively low and consists primarily of the bleed stream. During the restoration phase, larger volumes of waste water are generated. These waste streams require environrnentally sound disposal. The low net evaporation rate in the Coastal Bend area precludes pond evaporation as a feasible disposal alternative. Reverse osmosis is a practical method of reducing the volume of the waste water handled, but the concentrated waste stream from the reverse osmosis unit must be disposed properly. Deep well injection into highly saline reservoirs is considered a sound method of disposing of the liquid waste generated by in situ mining in the Gulf Coast uranium district. Thirteen injection wells have been permitted to serve the disposal needs of the leach mining industry in Texas. Of these 13, 11 have actually been drilled. Seven applications are pending. The injection zones for the permitted wells range from depths of 3050 to 6200 feet. Pressure limitations imposed on these wells range from 500 psi to 1350 psi. The following criteria are used to determine the desirability of a disposal well site: 1. A minimal number of nearby, improperly plugged borings which penetrate the disposal zone; 2. Minimal crustal disturbance; 3. Sufficient salinity of the water contained in the disposal zone; 4. Protection of oil and gas producing zones; and 5. Sand of sufficient permeability and areal extent to handle the desired volume without fracturing the reservoir. 1. Improperly plugged borings: During the early part of the century, oil wells, gas wells and test holes were drilled using cable tool equipment, often with a minimum amount of surface casing. Production casing, when it was set, was often partly removed when the holes were abandoned. Thus, wells drilled prior to 1940 frequently have less than 100 feet of surface casing and either no production casing or the upper part of the production casing removed. Additionally, these holes are often plugged only with mud. The close proximity of these holes to an injection well location are a concern in that they can provide an avenue for injection-depth fluids to migrate up the bore hole and jeopardize shallower fresh water reservoirs. Usually, where there are more than 6 or 8 poorly plugged borings in a 2 1/2 mile radius of the well site, it is preferable to examine deeper zones for disposal well potential. The deeper zones are especially attractive where the borings are not in a cluster, which renders monitoring more difficult. Often, even the deeper disposal zones are penetrated by a few improperly plugged borings. When this condition arises, the potential for leakage through the borings can be addressed in the following ways. a. Demonstration that the static head in the boring is higher than the anticipated increase in bottom hole pressure generated at the boring by the disposal well. A 100 psi differential between these two pressures is recommended. The calculated increased pressure at a boring caused by injection should be refined using annual bottom hole pressure measurements in the disposal well. Figure 1 illustrates an injection pressure map which can be overlain on the oil well map to determine the anticipated increase in pressure expected at each oil, gas or abandoned hole. b. Shallow ground water monitoring. A shallow monitor well is drilled next to the boring and both pressure and quality measurements are made periodically in the shallow well. c. Disposal zone monitoring. Recently there has been a tendency for regulators to require disposal depth monitor wells instead of shallow well monitoring. We consider disposal depth monitoring to be a less effective method of monitoring because it provides only indirect evidence of potential problems. Assumptions have to be made for the unplugged borings, such as mud weight, that are not addressed by the disposal zone monitoring program. There is little improvement with this system to that discussed in "a" above. A shallow zone monitoring program, however, yields direct evidence of a developing problem with an unplugged boring. Leakage by the boring will be detected quickly by an abnormal increase in pressure in the shallow well. Quality monitoring will detect upward migration of poor quality fluids. The pressure data provide an early warning of impending leakage; the quality monitoring will detect actual fluid migration.

Jan 1, 1980

By O. R. Wagner, R. O. Leach, H. W. Wood, C. F. Harpke

PAN AMERICAN PETROLEUM CORP.TULSA, OKLA. CASPER, WYO A field test has been made in which additional oil recovery was obtained from a previously-waterflooded "oil-wet" sandstone reservoir. This recovery improvement was accomplished by adjusting the reservoir wettability through chemical treatment of the flood water. The test was made in the Muddy sand of the West Harrisburg Unit, Neb. The chemical used, sodium hydroxide, was injected as a slug of dilute caustic solution through a water-injection well. The natural wettability of the reservoir and the chemical requirements for reversing wettability were determined in the laboratory from contact-angle studies using field water and oil samples. Laboratory flood tests with a synthetic system had shown that reversing the wettability of an oil-wet consolidated core would lead to improved oil recovery. The field performance indicates that the mechanism by which increased oil retovery is obtained in the field is the same as that observed in the lahoratory. Laboratory studies indicate that higher ultimate recoveries and decreascd water-injection requirements result when the adjusting agent is added early in the life of the flood. However, a previously waterflooded area was intentiorzally chosen for the field test so that unambiguous conclusions could be made about the effects of chemical injection on wettability and the extent of oil-recovery improvernent afforded by wettability reversal. Forces existing at the fluid-solid and fluid-fluid interfaces in a porous medium have an important effect on oil recovery during a water flood. Modifying these interfacial forces in the reservoir to improve oil recovery has been the object of much research. Several papers&apos; &apos; have discussed the use of surfactants to lower the water-oil interfacial tension. This paper describes work concerned with improving oil recovery by modifying the forces at the fluid-solid interfaces— that is, by changing the preferential wettability. An earlier paper: presented evidence to show that some reservoir systems could be changed from preferentially oil-wet to preferentially water-wet by the action of simple chemicals added to the water to increase waterflood oil recovery. The process was attractive for further study because it used only inexpensive chemicals and because it called for a gross "wettability reversal" rather than for a precise adjustment. The present paper is an extension of the earlier work. Laboratory flow tests were made using treated water and oil in a consolidated core to determine the amount of additional oil recovery and the producing performance which might be expected from reversing the wettability of an oil-wet reservoir during a flood. A contact-anglc study using water and oil from the Muddy "J" sand of the Harrisburg field, Banner County, Neb., indicated the reservoir to be preferentially oil-wet and susceptible to wettability reversal through chemical injection. Based on these studies, a field trial of wettability-reversal water flooding was initiated. in the Harrisburg field. The primary purpose of the trial was to determine if wettability-reversal flooding would improve oil recovery in an actual field situation. The field trial was also an important test of the laboratory tecnique used to determine the effect on oil recovery of certain wettability manipulation, as well as a test of the contract-angle method of determining reservoir wetra-bility. The paper is presented in two parts. The first part covers the laboratory experiments leading up to the field trial, and the second part covers the field trial. PART I—LABORATORY STUDY The laboratory experiments consisted of displacement tests using an idealized fluid system and of a contact-angle study with crude and water from the Muddy "J" sand of the West Harrisburg Unit, Banner County, Neb. The displacement tests were designed to determine the effects of a particular wettability manipulation, oil-wet to water-wet, on oil displacement in a water flood. The contact-angle measurements were made to determine the natural wettability of the reservoir and to determine if beneficial wetting changes could be brought about by a chemical addition to the flood water. PROCEDURE DISPLACEMENT TESTS The displacement tests were perfornled in a consolidated sandstone core using a refined oil and water. The wetting properties of this system could

By Klaus Schwerdtfeger

Activities of lead in Pt-Pb and Pd-Pb melts in the temperature range of 800° to 1200°C have been detev-mined from electromotive-. force measurements 202th the cells Both systems display strong negative deviations from Raoult&apos;s law. The data obtained with cell [1] were combined with available data on the activity of PbO in silica-satuvaterl PbO-SbO2 melts to calculate the standard free cnergy of formation 01- liquid PbO. FREE energies of formation of oxides and activities of components in metal and oxide melts can be determined with galvanic cells consisting of a metal phase, an electrolyte containing the oxide of one of the components of the metal phase, and an oxygen electrode. This technique has been used previously to measure the standard free energy of formation of solid sio2, 1 and activities in Fe-si, CO-si,2 Ni-Si,2 and CaO-P2O5 3 melts. The present paper reports activities in Pt-Pb and Pd-Pb melts as measured with the same experimental technique. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD General Considerations. The following cells were used: Pbl (PbO-SiO2)liquid, SiO2 Pt-Pb 1 (PbO-SiOz)liquid, SiO2solidO2 [2] Pd-Pb (PbO-SiOz)liquid, SiO2solid O2 [3] Liquid alloy and&apos; oxide melt were contained together in a silica glass crucible of essentially the same design as described previously.1&apos;2 The PbO-SiO2 melts are ionic conductors.&apos; During the experiment, the silica glass crystalizes in a layer adjacent to the electrolyte. The electrolyte equilibrates with solid silica and hence attains the composition of the Si02-liquidus curve in the system PbO-SiO2 at any particular temperature. Molybdenum wires were used to establish contact with the liquid metal. The oxygen electrode, which reaches the surface of the PbO-SiO, electrolyte from above, consists of a platinum wire inserted into a ceramic tube and provided with a 2-mm-diam platinum bead at its end. Gas of known oxygen partial pressure (pure oxygen of 1 atm: air, or N2 with 1.04 pct 0,) is blown through the ceramic tube onto the surface of the electrolyte. The cell reaction is Pb (metal) + 1/2O2 (gas) = PbO (electrolyte) [4] No oxidation of platinum or palladium ("displacement reaction") occurs. This is to be expected from the noble character of platinum and palladium, but was also shown experimentally, as described in the next section. The galvanic electromotive force of the cell is given by where AG is the change in free energy for Reaction [4], E(=2) is the number of electrical equivalents necessary to form 1 mole of PbO, and F is the Faraday constant. Formula [5] is valid only if no junction potential exists within the electrolyte. Junction potentials occur only when the compositions of the electrolyte are markedly different at the electrodes. Such differences are negligible in the PbO-SiO, electrolyte, as shown in the next section. Since molybdenum contact leads are used, appropriate corrections were made on the measured electromotive forces to account for the thermoelectric effect of the Mo-Pt couple. The thermoelec-tromotive forces were measured separately with a Mo-Pt couple, and were found to vary linearly from 19 mv at 740°C to 40 mv at 1310°C with molybdenum being positive and platinum negative (cold junction at 25°C). Extrapolation of these values to higher temperatures yields values which are in satisfactory agreement with those obtained previously in the temperature range 1440° to 1630°c.1,2 The change in free energy for Reaction [4] is expressed as where chemical potentials of the species. The value of constant for a given temperature because the slag composition is fixed. Inserting [6] into [5] and using appropriate expressions for upb and uO2 the relation

Jan 1, 1967

By N. E. Brown, F. L. Versnyder

THE apparent dependency of the electrical characteristics of hexagonal crystalline selenium on microstructure has aroused much interest in microscopical studies of selenium. Microscopic observations on the crystallization of selenium have been made by Escoffery and Halperin,&apos; P. H. Keck,&apos; and other investigators. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss the microstructural changes observed on polished cross-sections of single layers of selenium after various heat treatments. Observations were also made on crystallization of the free-surface layer of these deposits. In general, all of the transformations studied were either transformations of the vitreous selenium to hexagonal selenium or micro-structural transformation of the hexagonal selenium itself. Procedure The selenium used in this work was obtained from the American Smelting and Refining Co. and was approximately 99.96 pct pure. An intentional impurity of 1 part per 2,000 of bromine was added to the material prior to evaporation. A thickness of approximately 0.002 in. of this selenium was vapor deposited on an aluminum base plate. The maximum plate temperature during the vacuum vapor deposition was 140°C. Mounting of the cross-sectional specimens for metallographic study could not be done in plastic mounting media, as is customary, since temperatures in excess of 50°C would cause unwanted transformations. Consequently, a simple clamp-type device was used to mount the specimens for preparation. All grinding operations were then done carefully by hand in order that the specimen not become heated during this operation. Wet polishing was done on the conventional metallographic polishing laps, using successively finer grinding powders. An extremely careful polish is necessary, since observation and micrography of the specimens are done in the unetched condition under polarized light. The two observations of crystallization made on the free surface of vitreous selenium deposits (Figs. 4 and 5) were made on surfaces which were perpendicular to the cross-sections studied. These free-surface layers were examined directly, i.e., no pre- vious metallographic preparation, as obtained from the vacuum vapor deposition. Microscopic Observations A study was made of polished cross-sections of the vitreous selenium as-deposited. It was noted that in all cases there was columnar crystallization adjacent to the base plate, which appeared to occur during the vacuum deposition process. This observation has also been made by Keck? It also was observed that vagrant spherulitic crystallization occurred in the vitreous selenium. The term "vagrant" is used, since these spherulitic grains appear to crystallize at random throughout the vitreous selenium during the vacuum deposition process. Columnar crystallization at the A1-Se interface and a typical spherulite observed in a polished cross-section of "as-deposited" vitreous selenium may be seen in Fig. 1. Cross-sectional samples of vitreous selenium studied after heat treating individual samples for 20 min in 10" steps from 80" to 220°C revealed that crystallization—in this case, columnar crystal growth —proceeds from the aluminum base plate to the surface of the specimen (Fig. 2). Crystallization was microscopically observed to be complete after the 130°C heat treatment. Visual examination of the free surface of the specimen after the 130 °C heat treatment revealed the readily recognizable grey appearance of the completely crystallized selenium, in corroboration of the microstructural observations. No microstructural transformations then appeared to take place between 130" and 190°C. At 190°C the beginning of recrystallization appeared and proceeded until the columnar grain structure had been completely transformed to equiaxed grains between 210" and 220°C (Fig. 3). Naturally, the grain size of the recrystallized grains at the lower temperatures (190" to 210°C) was smaller than is illustrated in Fig. 3. In addition, polished cross-sections of deposits heat treated at 140°C for 10 min to cause complete crystallization and, subsequently, heat treated in 10" steps from 80" to 220°C for 20 min were studied. As expected, no microstructural transformations took place until the beginning of recrystallization was observed at 190°C. A comparison with the previously studied specimens revealed that recrystallization proceeded almost identically in the two experiments although in the first case the deposits were vitreous prior to the series of heat treatments and in the second case they had been crystallized by a previous heat treatment. By heat treating for longer times (180 min) at lower temperatures, the

Jan 1, 1956

By J. O. Edstrom, G. Bitsianes

Parabolic rate constants were determined for the formation of wiistite by the solid state reaction between magnetite and iron. The reaction was diffusion controlled and inert marker studies indicated that the mass transport through the wiistite layer was accomplished by means of iron migration. Relationships between rate constants and self-diffusivities are discussed. The transport capacity for iron through dense wustite layers was found to be sufficient to carry on reduction, even in gaseous reduction processes. REDUCTION of iron oxides has been the subject of many investigations. Most of the work, however, has been done on rather crude material and there have been difficulties in correlating the data on a quantitative basis. The reverse process of the oxidation of iron has been studied more thoroughly and usually by starting from the pure metal. As a result, the mechanisms of oxidation are now fairly well known.It has generally been found that the oxidation of metals follows the so-called parabolic 1aw;Q hat is, when the oxides are formed as dense layers, their thicknesses are proportional to the square root of the reaction time. This parabolic law follows directly from Fick&apos;s first law of diffusion The flux, J, is defined as the quantity of diffusing substance passing per unit time through unit area of a plane at right angles to the direction of diffusion. This flux is proportional to the concentration gradient of the diffusing substance, and the factor D, known as the diffusion coefficient, is introduced as the proportionality factor with dimensions of (length)&apos;/time. If the flux is measured as the increase of thickness of the oxide layer (Ax) per unit time (t) and the assumption is made that the concentrations of the reactants at the phase boundaries of the layer are independent of time, Eq. 1 reduces to Integration of this expression yields the parabolic function ax = k . t. [31 The product of the diffusion coefficient and the concentration difference across the oxide layer is included in the constant k. When iron is exposed to a highly oxidizing atmosphere, the oxide phases are formed normally in a topochemical fashion, i.e., the interfaces between the phases maintain parallel positions to the original surface of the specimen. Above 570°C, the phases are orientated usually in the order of iron, wiistite, magnetite, and hematite, a condition in conformance with the requirements of the Fe-0 system. Below 570°C, the wiistite phase is unstable and has not been found as a normal constituent in the oxidation products of iron. There is a strong probability that continuous layers of the solid oxides are formed as the specific volumes of the phases increase in direct order from iron to hematite.&apos; , &apos; Regarding mass transport through dense solid oxide layers, Wagner&apos; has postulated that diffusion in oxides generally may be interpreted as migration processes of ions and electrons. There must be normally a concentration gradient across the growing oxide layer for diffusion to occur. This condition requires that there be deviations from the ideal stoi-chiometric composition of the oxide and accordingly deviations from the strict order of an ideal lattice. Such "lattice defects" include interstitial ions, cation and anion vacancies, quasi-free electrons, and electron holes and are decisive for all migration processes.&apos; Cations, anions, and electrons all may have some mobility in the oxides but the movement of one of the particles generally far exceeds that of the others. Previous work&apos;, 1,2,7 has shown that during the oxidation of iron the migration through the wiistite layer, and probably also the magnetite layer, is confined to the movement of iron ions. Migration through hematite, however, has been found to take place by oxide ion movement. These behaviors are in direct agreement with the type of vacancies present in the respective oxides. Reduction of Iron Oxides The gaseous reduction of iron oxides, like the oxidation of iron, takes place in a topochemical fashion at distinct interfaces between the appearing phases."-&apos;" Porosities might be expected in these reaction products, since their specific volumes are less than that of the starting material. Frank and van Der Merwe" have shown, however, that it is theoretically possible for nonporous layers to form if the degree of misfit in specific volume is less than about 15 pct. These aspects on porosity formation

Jan 1, 1956

By T. C. Poulter, B. M. Caldwell, D. E. Brink

The flash X-ray has been used more than a decade to study the configuration of the jet from a shaped charge. The high-speed, rotating-mirror smear camera has provided time-distance graphs of detonations and shock fronts in transparent materials, and the high-speed framing camera has given pictorial representations of the progress of explosive phenomena. Adequate means for measuring the paths and velocities of all parts of the shaped-charge cavity Iiner during the collapse phase have not existed heretofore. A technique enabling the single-lens framing camera to make stereoscopic photographs of the cavity liner while it is collapsing has been developed. Analysis of this photographic record gives the directions and velocities of various parts of the Iiner surface, permitting direct quantitative measurement where this has previously been impossible. Significant improvements in shnped-clrarge design are expected to result. INTRODUCTION The familiar oilwell jet perforating charge, generally referred to as a "shaped charge", is related to the Mun-roe charge first described by C. E. Munroe in 1888 and later by Neumann in 1910. It differs in construction from the Munroe charge in that its cavity is lined with some inert material (usually metal)&apos;, and it differs in performance by projecting a fast jet of dense liner material against the target instead of a stream of expanding detonation products. Fig. 1 represents a typical shaped charge in axial cross section. The charge is circularly symmetrical about its longitudinal axis. The cavity at the right is lined with metal, usually copper; and, with the exception of air, the liner is otherwise completely empty. High-explosive material is intimately in contact with the convex surface of the liner and extends in the other direction to the booster. This is a pellet of high explosive having somewhat different characteristics and serves to couple the detonator to the main charge. When the detonator is fired, a small hemispherical reaction zone of very high temperature and pressure occurs at its output end. The booster responds, adding its own latent energy to the reaction, thereby initiating the main charge. The reaction progresses throughout the main charge at a velocity of 7 to 8 mm/microsecond until all the explosive material has reacted. With a reaction pressure of about 160,000 atm, the surrounding material is moved rapidly away from the high-pressure zone. As the detonation proceeds along the cavity liner, moving from apex to edge, the liner is collapsed toward the axis of the cavity, where liner material from all parts of the concave surface converges. A zone of extraordinarily high pressure results. with only one escape path—outward along the axis. The particles from the liner, thus, become a jet of very high velocity, with a density characteristic of the material from which the liner was made. The kinetic energy of the jet, concentrated in a small area of the target, has great penetrating power. It overcomes the strength of any target, and the target material crumbles or deforms plastically to escape from the path of the jet. An unlined cavity charge, on the other hand, projects a turbulent body of hot gaseous material against a target and erodes the exposed surface. With equal quantities of explosive, the penetration effectiveness of an unlined charge is a small fraction of that of a lined charge. Given an explosive charge with a detonator at one end and an axially symmetrical metal-lined cavity at the other, one has a perforator of considerable potency. To maximize the penetrating and other desirable effects,

By J. T. Norton, N. J. Grant, A. R. Chaudhuri

MOST of the recent work to establish the mech-anism of creep in metals at high temperatures has utilized aluminum as the experimental material. It was thought desirable to initiate an investigation of a hexagonal close-packed metal, because of the relatively simple slip system, and compare the observed deformation characteristics with those that have been observed for the face-centerd cubic metals. High-purity magnesium was chosen for this purpose, first, because its strength and other mechanical properties are similar to those of aluminum in the same temperature range, and second, because the existing equipment was ideally suited to observe magnesium during creep. It is proposed in this paper to present a pictorial and qualitative account of the changes that high-purity magnesium undergoes during creep at 500°F. The characteristics of deformation of aluminum described below have been observed by various workers and accounts of these may be obtained from the papers of Chang and Grant.&apos;- These characteristics are: slip, subgrain formation, grain boundary sliding and migration, fold formation, deformation bands, and kink bands. It is well known that in a flat magnesium specimen, slip on the basal plane (0001) in the [1120] direction results in the formation of straight bands on the surface of the specimen. Schmid and co-workers&apos; have shown that this system is operative in the temperature range of -185" to 300°C (-300° to 572°F). They have also shown that a second system, slip on the pyramidal planes {1071} or {1012} in the [1120] direction, is operative at temperatures higher than 225°C (437°F). Between 225° and 300°C (437" to 572°F), therefore, deformation by both these systems is expected. Bakarian and Mathewson5 confirmed the occurrence of pyramidal slip on the {1011} plane and found that it resulted in irregular markings on the surfaces of their specimens. Burke and Hibbard6 obtained evidence of pyramidal slip in single crystals of magnesium deformed at room temperature. Bakarian and Mathewson5 suggested that the irregular appearance of these bands was due to slip on both of the pyramidal planes occurring simultaneously but in the same direction, the close angular relationship between the planes making this process possible. Furthermore, since neither of these planes is close enough to the basal plane, slip on the latter does not exhibit the irregular appearance of slip bands resulting from pyramidal slip. Experimental Procedure High-purity magnesium, supplied by the Dow Chemical Co., was used in these experiments. The analysis was as follows: Al, 0.0002 pct; Mn, 0.0018; Fe, 0.0024; Cu, 0.0002; Sn, 0.001; Ca, 0.01; Ni, 0.0003; Zn, 0.01; Pb, 0.0005; Si, 0.001; and Mg, 99.972. The magnesium was supplied in the form of 1/2 in. diam rods. The specimens had an overall length of 21/4 in., the round ends being threaded to fit the specimen holders. The previously round 3/16 in. diam gage section of the specimen had two parallel flats machined on opposite sides for microscopic observation, yielding a test zone having the dimensions of lx3/16x7/64 in. The specimens were electrolytically polished (without prior mechanical polishing of the machined flats), in a solution composed of 375 ml of ortho-phosphoric acid and 625 ml of ethyl alcohol.&apos; The cathode was a stainless steel sheet bent so that the specimen was completely surrounded. The voltage for successful polishing was 1.5 v at 100 to 300 milli-amp current. Electropolishing for about 45 min sufficed to obtain a good metallographic surface on the specimens after they had been machined. The creep tests were performed under constant load, and two types of equipment were used. In the first, designed by Servi and Grant,V he specimens were beam-loaded, and a furnace could be lowered to surround the specimen. As the microstructural changes could not be observed during the course of the test, the tests had to be interrupted periodically by removing the specimen for microscopic examination. The second unit was a high temperature microscopy furnace designed by Chang and Grant.&apos; The furnace was fitted with an optically flat quartz window having area dimensions 1.25x0.5 in., so that the whole test portion could be viewed through it at magnifications up to x240. The metallurgical microscope had three mutually perpendicular axes of motion, and, in addition, it was possible to measure angular displacements by rotation of the eyepiece. It was thus possible to make precise observations of the specimen during creep, and micrographs could be taken by attaching a camera to the eyepiece of the microscope. The average grain size of the specimens that were tested was about 1 to 3 mm. This grain size could

Jan 1, 1954

Jan 1, 1951

By AIME AIME

TWO papers, "Calcium, Strontium, and Barium Metals," by Charles Hardy and Paul M. Tyler, and "The Mining of Gems and Ornamental Stones by American Indians," by Sydney H. Ball, were presented before the Rare Minerals and Metals group at its session Tuesday afternoon in the Auditorium. Donald M. Liddell, chairman, presided. Mr. Tyler summarized the first paper, outlining the uses, history, occurrence, manufacture, production and trade, markets and prices of the three metals. In discussion, in response to the chairman&apos;s query on "what are they doing in Russia with calcium, strontium, and barium," Guy C. Riddell replied that nothing is being done on a production basis. The great rare metals plant in Moscow is active, however, on other elements. "They are making radium chloride, uranium oxide, vanadium, cadmium, tungsten, molybdenum, selenium, antimony compounds; and mercury, nickel and arsenic are under production at interior plants. The rare metals plant is busily conducting research on beryllium, rhenium, lithium, bismuth, strontium and zirconium. These are the main rare metal activities. Much hard-alloy work. for cutting and facing, is under way:

Jan 1, 1933

By AIME AIME

T HE Executive Board of the American Engineering Council held its fourth meeting at St. Louis on the first anniversary of the organizing conference which met in Washington on June 3,1920. Representatives of a number of the leading engineering organizations in the vicinity of St. Louis were present by invitation. The members of the Executive Board were guests of the Associated Engineering Societies of St. Louis. They were given a delightful ride about the city and were entertained at the Glen Echo Country Club at dinner. The special committee that had been appointed to draft resolutions to Mr. Hoover submitted the following, which were adopted : WHEREAS, our President, Herbert Hoover, has been appointed Secretary of Commerce in the Cabinet of the President of the United States, and WHEREAS, in consequence of his acceptance of this high public office, he has deemed it necessary to tender his resignation as President of The Federated American Engineering Societies.

Jan 1, 1921

By H. R. Cooper, T. S. Mika

T. S. Mika (Department of Mineral Technology, University of California, Berkeley, Calif.) - Dr. Cooper&apos;s attempt to establish a correlation between process behavior and operational variables on the basis of a statistical analysis after imposing a reasonable process model is a very commendable improvement on the use of standard regression techniques. However, it must be recognized that the imposition of a model has the potential of yielding a poorer representation if its basic assumptions or mathematical formulation are invalid. It appears that at least two aspects of his treatment require some comment. First, the limitations on the kinetic law where xta represents a hypothetical terminal floatable solids concentration (cf. Bushell1), should be mentioned. Most current investigations2-9 appear to utilize the concept of a distribution of rate constants rather than a single unique value, k, to describe flotation kinetics. A distributed rate constant is certainly a more physically meaningful concept than that of a terminal concentration. The study of Jowett and safvi10 strongly indicates that xta is merely an empirical parameter, whose actual behavior does not correspond to that expected from a true terminal concentration. Rather than being a strictly mineralogical variable, as Dr. Cooper&apos;s treatment implies, it apparently represents the hydromechanical nature of the test cell as well as the flotation chemistry. The extension of batch cell kinetic results to full-scale continuous cell operation is a suspect procedure if the effect of such nonmineralogical influences on x,, remain unevaluated. There is evidence that introduction of a terminal concentration is necessitated by the inherent errors which arise in batch testing and are eliminated by continuous testing methods.&apos; Possible lack of validity of the author&apos;s use of Eq. 1 is indicated by two unexpected results of the statistical analysis of his batch data. The first is the apparent corroboration of the assumption that the rate constant, k, is independent of particle size, i.e., of changes in the size distribution of floatable material. This assumption directly contradicts numerous results 2,4,11-l8 for cases where first order kinetics prevailed and ignores the phenomenological basis for the analysis of flotation in terms of a distribution of k&apos;s. It must be recognized that, if the rate constant is size dependent, the lumped over-all k would be time dependent; Eq. 1 would then no longer be valid. Cooper&apos;s x,, is determined by batch flotation of a distribution of sizes for an arbitrary period of time. If the size dependence of k is artificially suppressed, x,, will become a function of the experimental flotation time used in its determination. Upon reviewing the rather extensive literature concerning batch flotation kinetics, there appear to be few instances where constant k and x,, adequately adsorb variations in floatability due to particle size. The second surprising result is the low values of the distribution modulus, n, determined. Contrary to Cooper&apos;s assertion, most batch grinding (ball or rod mill) products yield values of n > 0.6, which increase as the material becomes harder.&apos;&apos; It is likely that the values of n = 0.25 and n = 0.42 for Trials 1 and 2, respectively, are completely unreasonable, and even the value n = 0.54 obtained for Trial 3 is unexpectedly low. Possibly, this indicates inherent flaws in the three trial models considered, in particular the assumed particle size independence of the rate constant, k. The above does not necessitate that Eq. 1 (and the terminal concentration concept) is invalid; it could constitute a good first approximation. However, the qualitative arguments used by Dr. Cooper in its justification are somewhat frail and require verification, particularly since much of the flotation kinetics literature is in opposition. Apparently, no effort was made to test these hypotheses on the actual data; in fact, since they pertain to a single batch test time, his data cannot be utilized to evaluate the kinetics of flotation. To evolve a control algorithm on the basis of this infirm foundation seems a questionable procedure. Another difficulty in his analysis arises in consideration of the froth concentrating process. As Bushel1 &apos; notes, for Eq. 1 to be valid it is necessary that the rate of recycle from the froth be directly proportional (independent of particle size) to the rate of flotation transport from the pulp to the froth, a restrictive condition." Harris suggests that it is more realistic to assume that depletion occurs in proportion to the amount of floatable material in the pertinent froth phase volume (treating that volume as perfectly mixed).12,21,22 The physical implications of

Jan 1, 1968