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By T. D. Yensen

I. INTRODUCTION IT is safe to say that of all the different materials that go to make up electrical machinery, iron is the most important. Upon its -magnetic and electrical quality depends not only the efficiency of the machine but, to a very large extent, the cost. Aside from the mechanical strength, there are three characteristics of iron that are of importance in this connection, viz., magnetic hysteresis, electrical resistance, and magnetic permeability. In the homopolar machine, where the magnetic flux is unidirectional, permeability is the only important factor, but in all other machines the flux is reversed in one or more parts and causes losses due to hysteresis and eddy currents. The eddy-current loss depends largely upon the electrical resistance of the iron; the higher the resistance the lower the loss, under otherwise identical conditions. These hysteresis and eddy-current losses cause heating of the machine, and as they depend upon the magnetic density in the iron, this density must be regulated so that the heating shall not be excessive. If the hysteresis and eddy-current Josses and the permeability of the magnetic circuit will permit an increase in the magnetic density, or, in other words, a decrease in the amount of iron, this in turn will mean a decrease in the amount of copper needed, with a consequent decrease in the copper loss. It is thus seen that; indirectly as well as directly, the above characteristics have an important bearing on both the efficiency and the cost of electrical machinery. In general, it may be said that iron for electrical machinery should have the following characteristics: (1) low hysteresis loss, (2) high electrical resistance, and (3) high permeability. These are the characteristics that investigators have been striving to attain since electrical machinery first came into use.

Jan 2, 1916

By Dale A. Vaughan, Oliver M. Stewart, Charles M. Schwartz

Solid-solubility limits at 1500°, l000q and 500°C for carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen in high-purity tantalum were determined by X-ray lattice-parameter methods. For carbon, the solubility was found to be 0.17 at. pct at 1500°C, and less than 0.07 at. pct at 1000°C. A nitrogen solubility of 3.70 at. pct at 1500° C decreases linearly with temperature to 2.75 at. pct at 1000°C, and 1.8 at. pct at 500°C. In the case of oxygen, the solubility was found to be 3.65 at. pct at 1500°C, 2.95 at. pct at 1000°C, and 2.5 at. pct at 500°C. The phases Ta2C, the low-temperature modification of Ta205, and Ta,N of unknown composition but which has a superlattice structure based upon the original bcc tantalum lattice have been identified as the initial precipitates in the respective systems. Metallographic methods were employed to verify the X-ray analyses. The etching behavior of Ta is discussed in terms of lattice i?rzperfections and precipitate phases. The excellent fabricability, high melting point, and nuclear properties of tantalum are responsible for interest in this refractory metal. Data on the solid solubility of the interstitial elements (oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon) in tantalum and on the precipitate phases are somewhat limited. The significant contributions are discussed below. Because the purity of electron-beam melted tantalum (only recently available) is considerably higher than that used in previous studies, the present investigation was initiated. Gebhardt et all-3 have investigated the tantalum-oxygen and tantalum-nitrogen systems with particular reference to the changes in physical properties and to the rates of reaction between these gases and the metal. The solubility of oxygen in tantalum was reported2 to be 3.7 at. pet at 1500°, 2.3 at. pet at 100O°C, and 1.4 at. pct at 750°C. Schonberg4 reported that several oxide phases (Ta40, Ta,O, TaO and Ta,05) exist while X-ray studies by Gebhardtl showed only two oxides, Ta,05 and an unidentified phase which was associated with a platelet-type precipitate. La-gergren and Magneli,' however, questioned the existence of compounds other than the two allotropic modifications of Ta,05 for the tantalum-oxygen system. In the case of nitrogen, the solubility was estab- lished by Gebhardt3 to be of the order of 7 at. pct at 1800°c. The solubility was reported to decrease rapidly with temperature, and, although no limits were established, a precipitate phase was observed by Gebhardt except when the high-nitrogen specimens were cooled very rapidly from the reaction temperature of 1800c. He reported the initial precipitate phase to be a tetragonal distortion of the bcc tantalum lattice while Schonberg6 reported the phase lowest in nitrogen Jo be a cubic super-lattice with a cell size of 10.11 A. Two other nitride phases, Ta,N and TaN, were reported; these appear to be isomor-phous with the carbides of tantalum. The tantalum-carbon system was investigated by Ellinger7 and by Lesser and Braurer. Two compounds, Ta,C and TaC, were reported to exist, each with a range of composition. The solubility of carbon in tantalum was found to be practically nil at all temperatures. Thus, of the interstitial elements which are present in small amounts in high-purity tantalum, carbon might be expected to form precipitates. The present investigation was initiated to obtain additional data on the solid-solubility limits of these interstitials at 1500°, 1000°, and 500' with particular emphasis on the distribution and the identification of the precipitate phases. EXPERIMENTAL WORK AND RESULTS In the present investigations of the solid solubility and of the precipitate phases in the systems tantalum-nitrogen, -oxygen, and -carbon, high-purity tantalum was reacted with high-purity gases, homogenized at 1800°c, and annealed at and quenched from 1500°, 1000,

Jan 1, 1962

By C. J. Bier, J. F. O?Keefe

THIS study was carried out with copper because it represents the simplest form of sintering, in that but one metal is involved and all reactions occur in the solid state. [ ] The present work will cover three variables affecting the sintering process; namely, briquetting pressure, sintering temperature and time in hot zone. Although strength and dimensional changes were observed, this is primarily a metallographic study of the sintering process in copper. The term "sintering" should be understood to mean the process by which the metal powder particles of the compact become united into one body. MATERIAL USED The copper powder used was made from reduced copper oxide, and is typical of a grade used for the mass production of parts formed of metal powders. The screen analysis of the powder was as follows: [ ] The minus 325-mesh analysis was made by using a Roller Air Analyzer.1,2 The apparent density is here defined as the weight per cubic centimeter of the [ ] loose, unpacked powder as measured with the Hall flowmeter. The value for the powder used was 2.57 grams per cubic centimeter.

Jan 1, 1944

By A. J. Bowie

Jan 1, 1879

By Irwin Roman

PART I. INTRODUCTION THE literature of geophysics as applied to the discovery of mineral deposits has been very extensive during the past few years, but there seem to be few references to the use of the method of least squares for obtaining better interpretations of the observed data .2 There seems to be a general reluctance among geologists and. engineers to acquire the technique of least squares, in spite of the fact that a thorough knowledge of the theory is not necessary for the use of the method.

Jan 1, 1931

By Carle R. Hayward

SulphuR has long been one of the banes of the steel manufacturer and often no effort and expense have been spared in order to reduce it to a small per cent. in the finished product. This condition is due to a general conviction that in many cases where steels have failed in service, sulphur has been the cause. But there has been a growing feeling in recent years that the verdict against sulphur has been unnecessarily severe. In cases of segregation it was present in. augmented amounts along with other impurities, but it had not caused the segregation. High sulphur in pig iron is caused by poor furnace conditions and the sulphur is merely one indication of an iron that has not been properly reduced. No amount of subsequent treatment under oxidizing conditions in the open-hearth furnace can remedy the defects, although the per cent. of sulphur may be considerably reduced. In other words, the causes of bad steel can frequently be traced back to bad pig iron, and sulphur is merely one indication that the pig iron is bad. The writer recently visited a steel plant where a mass of evidence had been accumulated which substantiated this fact, and the superintendent was emphatic in stating that high sulphur was not harmful provided the steel was not otherwise poor due to insufficient reduction in the blast furnace. The presence of a moderate amount of sulphur is desirable from the standpoint of the man who machines the steel. The low-sulphur material drags and the production of a smooth surface is very difficult. A slight increase in sulphur enables the machinist to produce a smooth surface without difficulty. Since, therefore, such large quantities of steel are subjected to machining, it becomes highly important that the sulphur controversy should be settled, and if its presence is proved to be harmless the ban on it should be lifted. Among the recent papers on the effect of sulphur on steel is one by Dr. J. S. Unger, Manager of the Central Research Bureau, Carnegie Steel

Jan 1, 1917

By R. W. Fountain, W. D. Forgeng, G. M. Faulring

Precipitation of the phase Co3Ti (Cu3Au type) from a Co-5 pct Ti a11oy has been investigated using single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. Oscillation and transmission Laue patterns of specimens aged for short-time periods at 600" C indicate the formation of titanium-rich and titanium-poor zones coherent with the {100} matrix planes. Longer aging times at 600° C establish that the equilibrium phase also forms on the {100} matrix planes as platelets. These observations are corroborated by electron metallography; electron diffraction studies show the phase Co3Ti to be ordered. A probable sequence of the precipitation reaction is discussed. A previous publication by two of the present authors reported on the phase relations and precipitation in Co-Ti alloys containing up to 30 pct Ti.1 The results of this investigation established the existence of a new face-centered cubic inter metallic phase, ranging in composition from about 17.0 to 21.7 pct Ti at temperatures below 1000° C The decomposition of the fcc supersaturated solid solution was studied employing hardness and electrical resistivity measurements. The changes in hardness upon precipitation in alloys containing 3, 6, and 9 pct* Ti were found to be associated with an initial increase in hardness followed by a plateau and then a second, more pronounced hardness increase. Investigation of this behavior by electrical resistivity measurements suggested that two different kinetic processes were involved, which, when interpreted in terms of the kinetic relation,2-4 indicated that initial precipitation was in the form of thin plates. On continued aging, the plates impinged during the growth process. The general features of these findings have been confirmed by Bibring and Manenc,5 while, in addition, they report the phase to be ordered. The present investigation was undertaken to provide more definite information on the structural relationships between the precipitate and the matrix. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Single crystals of a (20-5 pct Ti alloy were prepared from the melt employing the Bridgman technique. Poly crystalline rod, 1/2 in. in diam, prepared from vacuum-melted material, was machined to 3/8- in. diam to remove any surface contamination that may have resulted from hot-working. The crystals were grown under a purified hydrogen atmosphere in high-purity alumina crucibles heated by induction. Considerable difficulty was encountered in attempting to grow monocrystals because of the high melting point of the alloy and the high solute concentration. However, one crystal about 6 in. long was obtained which was essentially a single crystal except for one or two very small grains around the periphery. The as-grown crystal was solution heat-treated for 24 hr at 1200°Cin a purified argon atmosphere and water-quenched. One-quarter-in. slices were taken from each end of the solution heat-treated crystal for chemical analyses, and the remainder of the crystal was mounted and oriented by the back reflection Laue Method. The chemical analysis of the crystal was as follows: Pct Ti Pct 0 Pct C Pct N Pct H Pet CO 5.29 0.08 0.004 0.002 0.0003 Balance By proper tilting of the crystal, it was possible to obtain slices 1/32 in. thick of [loo] and [110] orientation. The solution heat-treated crystal slices were sealed in silica capsules for the aging treatments, with titanium sponge placed at one end of the capsule to act as a getter. All slices were water-quenched from the aging temperatures, the capsules being broken under the water to ensure a rapid quench. Thinning of the slices for transmission X-ray studies was accomplished by a combination of mechanical and electrolytic techniques, the final thickness being about 0.1 mm. Laue patterns of the solution heat-treated crystal indicated that no strain was introduced by the thinning technique. ELECTRON METALLOGRAPHY After X-ray examination, the structural changes attending the precipitation were followed by examination of direct carbon replicas of polished and etched surfaces of the single-crystal slices and extracted phases. The earliest indication of significant structural change was observed after aging at 600°C The structure of a heavily etched, solution-treated crystal is shown in Fig. l(a). Aside from the etch pit pattern, no regularity of background structure is observed. On the other hand, in the background of the specimen heated for 500 hr at 600°C, the etching pattern shows a directionality indicating the influence of minute precipitate particles, Fig. l(b). On electrolytic dissolution of this specimen in 10 pct HC1 in alcohol, a large volume of very small, flattened cubes

Jan 1, 1962

By Mayumi Someno, Kazuhiro Goto, Masahiro Kawakami

The apparent rates of decarburization of liquid alloys of Fe-C, Fe-C-S, Ni-C, and Co-C systems and the rate of oxidation of solid graphite with pure carbon dioxide gas and with gas mixtures of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide have been measured in the temperature range of 1000° to 1600°C. The cotnposition of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide gas at the reaction surface has been measured by oxygen concentration cells with the ZrO,-CaO solid electrolyte. 1) The apparent rates of the carbon removal are essentially the same for all the cases of solid graphite, Fe-C, Fe-C-S, Ni-C, and Co-C systems under the same experimental conditions. 2) The apparent rates are independent of the carbon content in the high carbon concentration range but very much affected by the flow rate and the gas composition of the CO-CO2 reactant gas mixture. The ratio of the gas consumed by the reaction to the total quantity of the supplied gas is very large under the present experi~nental conditions. 3) There is a concentration gradient of' carbon dioxide in the vicinity of the reaction surface and the content of CO, becomes extremely small at the reaction surface. 4) A large time fluc-tuation of the gas composition was observed. This jluctuation implies the presence of unstable flow in the gas phase in the vicinity of the reaction surface. THE decarburization of molten steel by an oxidizing gas or by slag may be one of the most important chemical reactions in steelmaking processes. Nevertheless, the kinetics of this heterogeneous chemical reaction do not seem to be well-solved even with the previous studies. Although the conditions for the reaction in steelmaking processes are quite different from those in the laboratory scale, some critical experiments may give information on the mechanism of the decarburization. From the previous work,'-' it is known that the rate of the decarburization is independent of the carbon content in liquid iron with more than about 0.2 wt pct C when the oxidizing gases are supplied to the surface of liquid Fe-C alloys on a laboratory scale. Two rate-controlling steps have been proposed for the decarburization of liquid iron with the high carbon content: one is the surface reaction control proposed by Swisher and Turkdogan;' the other is that the rate is controlled by the gaseous diffusion through the gaseous stagnant layer. proposed by Baker. Warner, and Jenkins.7 and also by .Ito and Sano.2 In the present study, some experiments have been carried out for the evaluation of these rate-controlling steps in the decarburization of liquid iron with high carbon content. The apparent rate of decarburization of liquid iron has been compared with the rates of carbon removal of liquid Ni-C, Co-C, and solid graphite under the same experimental conditions. The composition of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide gas at the reaction surface has been measured by oxygen concentration cells. I) EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Fig. 1 shows the schematic diagram of the reaction chamber. Solid graphite and liquid metals were contained in an alumina or magnesia crucible of 32 mm ID and 35 mm in height. The samples were heated by high-frequency induction and the temperature was measured by the calibrated optical pyrometer. The temperature was held constant to within 10°C. The re-actant gases were supplied to the surface of the samples through the quartz tube of 8.0 mm ID. The distance from the end of the quartz tube to the surface was 20 mm. The block of high-purity graphite was cut and shaped to the inner profile of the crucible. The height of the shaped graphite was 18 mm, which corresponded to the depth of the liquid iron of 100 g. About 100 g of Fe-C alloy (4.20 to 4.40 pct C), Ni-C alloy (1.84 pct C), Co-C alloy (1.85 pct C), and Fe-C-s alloy (4.35 pct c, 0.5 or 1.0 pct S) were melted in the crucible. The reactant gases were pure CO, and gas mixtures of CO-CO,: the flow rates were controlled by capillary flowmeters with bleeders.

Jan 1, 1970

By D. Harker, M. J. Murphy

THE mechanism by which age-hardening takes place is still not completely understood. The principal theories range from the extreme of "precipitation-hardening" to that of "order-hardening," with many intermediate gradations. In the hope of obtaining new data on which to base a choice among the many theories, the authors have made electron micrographs of formvar replicas taken from metallic specimens at various stages of age-hardening. The results so obtained on an alloy of 2 per cent beryllium in copper and one of 20 per cent molybdenum in iron will be described in the following pages, as well as the technique used in preparing the replicas. PREPARATION OF FORMVAR REPLICAS OF METALLIC SPECIMENS This section is concerned with the techniques that have proved successful in preparing formvar replicas for studying the microstructure of metals with the electron microscope. Because of its simplicity and accuracy, the formvar replica1 method developed in the General Electric Research Laboratory has been used exclusively, since it is much simpler than the silica replica method of Heidenreich and Peck2 and produces as good results. The formvar method to be described requires a technique acquired only by practice, and no foolproof set of rules can be given. It is a rapid method and a replica can be obtained in less than five minutes under favorable conditions. This does not mean that perfect replicas can be produced every five minutes, but rather that one can well afford to take several strippings* in order to produce a replica of high quality. The metallographic technique required for replica work-very fine polishing and etching with very dilute solutions-is described here. It can be said, in general, that almost any surface that has been carefully prepared for a photomicrograph at 1000 or more diameters can be used to obtain a replica for the electron microscope. PREPARATION OF METALLOGRAPHIC SPECIMENS The preparation of the metallographic specimens is somewhat more exacting than that usually given to samples to be used for inspection under the light microscope. After much experimentation, it was concluded that the best method consists in polishing the metal through to the coarse cloth, then etching and repolishing on final cloth until the layer of distorted metal is removed. After this procedure has been completed, a dilute etch-to approximately the depth necessary for a micrograph at 1000 diameters-usually produces a sur-

Jan 1, 1945

By F. H. Wilson, R. M. Brick

WITH the papers of Palmer and Smith1 and of Burghoff and Bohlen,2 published in 1942, understanding of the problem of the development of ears on deep-drawn brass cups was brought to the point where, from a practical standpoint, producers of brass sheet could keep earing under control. However, these very practical results raised questions concerning the reasons for the observed behavior. Since plastic deformation is fundamentally a function of crystallographic slip, these reasons must be considered in the light of the textures to be found in the annealed sheet. Various attempts have been made to interpret the mechanism of ear formation by correlation with the preferred orientation and the anisotropy of the sheet. However, none of these has satisfactorily explained why ears are usually found in the rolling and transverse directions for copper but at 45° to these directions for brass. This paper offers additional data on these two related subjects and has been divided into two sections. The first section provides a survey of the recrystallization textures of brass as affected by annealing temperatures and prior reductions, and an account of the earing behavior which accompanies these textures. The second section reports new data on the anisotropy that accompanies a characteristic texture for brass and endeavors with partial success to establish the factors that account for the difference in earing behavior between copper and brass. EARING BEHAVIOR OF BRASS Review of Textures The recrystallization texture of severely rolled brass was first reported by Bass and Glocker.3 The preferred orientation to which this texture, obtained from metal annealed at 500°C., was most akin was (113)[112]. This texture has been confirmed by Bauer, von Göler and Sachs;4 Brick;* Brick, Martin and Angier;6 and Cook and Richards7 who, in general, used annealing temperatures under 500°C. Bass and Glocker3 also reported the recrystallization texture at 850°C. to be the same as at 500°C. They analyzed their textures by means of single photograms obtained with white radiation. The photograms for both temperatures are reproduced in their paper, and there is a strong similarity between the two. However, for the latter temperature, the number of spots registered on the film was remarkably large for the grain size to be expected, and the authors made no mention of using a technique that would integrate a large enough area of the specimen to produce so many spots. The only other attempt to determine textures resulting from high temperature

Jan 1, 1945

By C. H. Mathewson, Robert Maddin, W. R. Hibbard

A SATISFACTORY mathematical relationship between shear, elongation and change of orientation in the axial straining of a single crystalline rod or wire may be based on a simple model in which blocks, representing glide lamellae, glide over one another and rotate so as to maintain the original fixed position of the axis as the wire elongates.1 Obviously such a model gives no information concerning strain-hardening or the atomic adjustments at the sliding surfaces and their influence on the internal structure of the blocks. Moreover such an operation could be conducted with rigid blocks only by using self-aligning grips or a flexible attachment which would permit the adjacent blocks to freely assume their changing orientations. There are many unsolved problems (see Andrade2) concerning the manner in which nature departs from the simple model in permitting the essentials of slip, rotation and elongation to occur along with strain-hardening and the appearance of glide lamellae of various dimensions and special characteristics, not fully appreciated at the present time. This paper describes part of an extensive investigation on the development and characteristics of glide ellipses in single crystalline alpha brass rods and is especially concerned with the observation of cross-slip in crystals oriented wholly within the range of slip on a single system according to the generalizations first presented by Taylor and Elam in 1923.3 EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Half inch rods of alpha brass (nominally 70 pct Cu, 30 pct Zn) * were converted into single crystals by melting and gradual solidification in a graphite mold according to the Bridgman method.' In order to remove any coring, the crystals were homogenized at 800°C for 16 hr and tested by etching with a 50 pct nitric acid solution. The back-reflection Laue technique as described by Greninger5 was used for determining the orientations of the crystals. Standard stereographic operations were employed to locate the specimen axis in a triangle of the Taylor and Elam3 projection so that the slip plane and direction could be predicted. The lineage structure reported by Buerger6 was present in the crystals used in this investigation. However, only crystals were used in which the internal differences in orientation did not exceed two degrees. Very little is known concerning the effect of the presence of a lineage structure on the detailed mechanism of plastic deformation.

Jan 1, 1948

By Heinrich Ries

Jan 1, 1907

By Paul M. Tyler

Mineral raw materials, because they are essential to our industrial prosperity and military strength, must be made available in substantial quantities regardless of cost. Variations in the cost of procuring minerals, as compared with the cost of obtaining other commodities, and changes in the cost of production of different minerals relative to one another, will naturally influence the quantities of a given mineral item that can be marketed readily. However, in the last analysis, the cost of winning minerals from the ground usually constitutes only a small fraction of the value of the end-use products and services derived from them. The miner's share of the cost of a typewriter, telephone circuit, or even a modem office building, is almost insignificant. Far more important to the ultimate consumer, therefore, than any minor saving in cost is the assurance of ample supplies of the minerals needed to aliment our expanding economy. To create a successful metal mining operation involves (1 ) the discovery and systematic development of a mineral deposit, (2) extraction of the ore, (3) the mechanical and metallurgical processing to eliminate worthless or harmful impurities, and (4) the profitable disposal of the product. The fist step of the technological process belongs chiefly in the realm of the geologist, the second is a mining engineer's job, the third is mainly up to the millmen and extractive metallurgists; whereas the fourth and equally important step poses a commercial problem that has aspects in common with the marketing of other products. Ore finding is far from being an exact science. There is no mathematical criterion for evaluating the efficiency of prospecting and exploration. Lady Luck shares the honors or assumes part of the blame along with the prospector and geologist. Marketing like- wise involves factors that seemingly defy engineering analysis. Although the other steps can be measured with some degree of mathematical accuracy, even they tend to vary so widely in basic principle, as well as in

Jan 1, 1964

By G. R. Fitterer

NonmEtallic inclusions in steel have received much attention by metallurgists during the past few years. Many investigators have been emphatic in stating their belief that these impurities are the chief causes of steel failures, while others think that their effects are negligible. One of the main reasons that definite information on the effects of these impurities is lacking is that no reliable method has been developed for the exact determination of the amounts of these different impurities in steel. Some valuable new information has been brought out by a reliable method for nonmetallic inclusions which has been developed at the Pittsburgh Experiment Station of the U. S. Bureau of Mines, in cooperation with the Carnegie Institute of Technology and the Metallurgical Advisory Board. This procedure satisfactorily extracts some of the more common inclusions from steels, thus enabling the investigator to correlate steel failures with inclusion content. Although the data given herein are the first to be published on the subject of the electrolytic extraction method, the interest in the subject is evidenced by the fact that it is already being used by some 20 to 30 steel companies for their various purposes. Some of the comments received from these laboratories indicate that the method is highly satisfactory: the unfavorable comments, when traced to their sources, have been found to be based on some small mistake made in either installation or operation. The chief discrepancy seems to have occurred in attempts to apply the method to the extraction of inclusions from alloy steels. The procedure can be used only for the plain carbon steels and for such low alloy steels as those containing the usual amount of copper (0.2 to 0.3 per cent). Steels containing the carbide-forming alloys such as chromium, tungsten, etc., present far too many difficulties for the accurate determination of inclusions. Luckily, the iron and manganese carbides do not offer any difficulties and no contamination of the oxide-sulfide residue results, It is highly probable that some modification of the following

Jan 1, 1931

By J. M. Hodge, M. A. Orehoski

tions to which it will be subjected, and this premise is probably the most important reason for hardenability control. However, the criterion of hardenability [ ] ture after quenching should consist wholly of martensite; and that transformation of austenite to intermediate-temperature products during quenching will have a deleterious effect upon the physical properties, particularly the toughness, of the tempered material. This implies that, in order to obtain the optimum physical properties from a given steel, its "hardenability" should be high enough to suppress all transformation except that to martensite under the heating and quenching condi- IT is now generally conceded that if a steel is to develop optimum physical properties in the conventionally quenched and tempered condition, the microstruc- [ ] that at present is most widely accepted and used is based on a microstructure of 50 per cent martensite. This criterion, which was suggested by Grossmann,1 does have considerable justification. It may be readily measured by a fracture or etch test and, since it represents the point at which the hardness is changing most rapidly with variations in cooling rate, it may be determined empirically from a hardness-depth curve by determining the point of steepest slope (the inflection point. Furthermore, in plain carbon steels or in steers of low hardenability, the difference in hardenability expressed in

Jan 1, 1945

By H. W. Weart, S. Sarian

The effect of temperature, impurities, and capillarity on the morphology of solid particles in a liquid matrix is investigated. For the NbC-liquid iron system, at least, it is found that those particles which are dissolving will assume a spherical shape; all others will take the equilibrium shape. An aniso-tropic-isotropic transition in the interfacial tension is observed at about 1725°C and is believed to be due to cooperative roughening of the interface on an atomic scale. The presence of boron as an impurity lowers the transition temperature. It is the purpose of this paper to present some observations on the shape of particles in a system consisting of solid particles of nonuniform size in a liquid matrix and to propose an explanation for these observations. Although qualitative only, these observations, which were made largely in the course of a study of particle-growth kinetics,' are presented separately to draw attention to them. They reveal the effect of particle size, temperature, and surface-active impurities on particle shape in the solid NbC-liquid iron system, and are unique in demonstrating for the first time the reversible effect of temperature and impurity concentration on the anisotropy of the energy of the solid-liquid interfaces involved. Some of the changes are readily demonstrated with the few particles whose shapes can be clearly shown in a single photomicrograph, but others are more subtle, and their recognition depends upon some experience and the study of a much larger sample. For this reason, a certain amount of judgment must be acknowledged to underlie their detection, but every effort was made to maintain proper scientific objectivity in evaluating the observations. The observations will be presented first, and then an explanation rationalizing them will be offered. Brief reminders of the relevant theories will be inserted into the discussion at the appropriate points. EXPERIMENTAL The observations were made of the shape of NbC particles dispersed in liquid iron. All specimens were prepared by pressing NbC powder and car- bony1 iron powder treated according to standard powder-metallurgical procedures. Except as noted, all specimens were heated to 1900°C for 1/2 hr. In investigating the effect of temperature, specimens were quenched from 1900°C to various lower temperatures, and held long enough (48 hr) to allow shape changes to be completed. Boron, in the form of amorphous powder, and oxygen, in the form of niobium oxide powder, were added as impurities to some specimens. Nitrogen was introduced into some specimens as an impurity by heat treating the samples under a partial pressure of nitrogen gas. Effect of Temperature. It was first observed that increasing temperature had a marked effect in rounding the corners and edges of the particles. At 1900°C the particles are all very nearly spherical and remain so even when the holding time is extended to 48 hr. As can be seen from Fig. 1, there is virtually no evidence of the presence of low-index planes. At 1300°C, however, most of the particles are prismatic with very slightly rounded edges and corners, Fig. 2. (In making these shape comparisons, attention should be focused on the larger particles, even though the smaller ones would be expected to be the first to change shape, owing to the shorter diffusion distances involved. The cause of the mixed particle shape will be explored later.) It was established that these structures are re-

Jan 1, 1965

By P. Chiotti, J. T. Mason

Metallographic, thermal, X-ray, and vapor-pressure data were employed in establishing the Ce-Zn phase diagram. Nine compounds and three eutectics were observed. The eutectic compositions in weight percent zinc and temperatures are 10 pct and 495"C, 37 pct and 795°C, and 56 pct and 810°C. Three of the compounds, CeZn, CeZnn, and CeZne.5, melt congru-ently at 825°, 87.505°, and 980°C, respectively; the other six compounds, CeZns, CeZns.67, CeZn4.5, CeZn5.25, CeZn,, and CeZnll, decompose peritectically at 820°, 840°, 870°, 885", 960°, and 795"C, respectively. The compound CeZn5.25 is an AB5 type with a small range of composition which lies on the zinc-rich side of the 1 to 5 stoichiometry. Zinc vapor-pressure data obtained by the dewpoint method were employed in calczilating the thermodynamic properties of both the liquid alloys and solid compounds. The data for the A critical review of the information available on the Ce-Zn system up to 1960 has been given by K. Gschneidner, Jr.' Of particular interest is the work by J. schramm2 who investigated the region between 55 and 100 wt pct Zn and reported a CeZn,, compound which decomposes peritectically at 785"C, a CeZn, compound which melts congruently at 972"C, and five temperature horizontals at 79@, 817", 840", liquid alloys were fitted to the relation from which the relation was obtained by integration. In these relations F XS is the excess partial molal free energy, N is atom fraction, and the constants c and d have the values c = (-22,000 + 7.0T) and d = 6171,000 + 74.0T). Relations for the standard free energy of formation for the solid compounds were derived from the data. At 973°K the enthalpy in kilocalories per gram-atom z)aries from —11.3 for CeZnz to —8.21 for CeZn~l and the free energy in the same units varies from —7.1 joy CeZn, to -3.82 for CeZn11. and 942°C in the region between 55 and 75 wt pct Zn. No attempt was made to identify other features of the system. I. Johnson and R. yonko3 used a fused-salt cell to measure the electromotive force between pure cerium and an alloy consisting of zinc-rich liquid in equilibrium with CeZnll. Solubility data for cerium in zinc has been reported by J. Knighton et u1 .4 Johnson and Yonko give the following equa-. tions for the mole fraction of cerium in zinc and the standard free energy of formation of CeZnll:

Jan 1, 1965

By J. Sharshall Grasty, Thomas L. Watson

The users of barite in the United States derive their supply partly from the domestic production and partly from the imports from foreign countries. According to the Mineral Resource division of the U. S. Geological Survey, the domestic production of barite in 1913 was 45,298 short tons, valued at $156,275, or $3.45 a ton, and the imports of crude barite were 35,840 short tons, valued at $61,409, or $1.71 a ton. These figures clearly show a decided advantage in cost of the foreign over the domestic barite to users in the United States. The difference in cost is the only advantage to the consumer of foreign barite, for there are large reserves of the mineral in the United States of good grade. The production of many of the operating mines is capable of decided increase, and it is believed that the operating mines together with the large reserves of undeveloped deposits of barite are entirely adequate to meet the demands of the users in the United States. Deposits of barite are known in California, Idaho, Nevada, and Alaska, but most of them are undeveloped because there is, apparently, no market for the material in that region. The domestic production is derived from Missouri .and the Appalachian States, the greater part being obtained from Missouri. Following the outbreak of war in Europe many users of foreign barite in the United States have been forced to seek their supplies at home. It seems opportune at this time, therefore, that a general review be given of the barite industry in the Appalachian States, one of the two areas from which the domestic supply of the mineral is derived, and that attention be directed to the undeveloped deposits in the region. Briefly, then, this paper reviews the barite industry in the Appalachian States, and describes the occurrence, preparation, and uses of the mineral. General Character Barite, known commercially as barytes or heavy spar, is barium sulphate (Baso4), containing when pure BaO, 65.7 per cent., and S03, 34.3 per cent. The specific gravity is 4.3 to 4.6, and the hardness 2.5

Jan 1, 1915

By N. S. Greensfelder

The firing of explosive charges by electricity dates back to 1745 when a Doctor Watson is said to have used an electric spark for igniting gunpowder. His method failed in practical application because, to ignite blasting powder, heat must be applied for a period longer than the duration of an electrostatic spark; Wheatstone found that this does not exceed 1/24000 sec. The usual result, therefore, of an electrical discharge in gunpowder is to scatter the grains, without igniting them. Benjamin Franklin partly overcame this difficulty by confining the powder and crushing grains that lay in the line of discharge. In 1822, after the primary cell had been discovered by Volta, Robert Hare, professor of chemistry at the University of Philadelphia, noticed the heating of a short piece of wire placed in the circuit of a voltaic battery. Later work by Oersted, Faraday, Wheatstone, and Henley resulted in the developmcnt of the magneto blasting machines. Fulminates of gold and silver are thought to have been discovcrcd by Cornelius Drebbel, about 1600. Pepys, in his diary for November 11, 1663, recounts a conversation with Doctor Allen, who told him about aurium fulminans "of which a grain ... put in a silver spoon and fired, will give a blow like a musquett and strike a hole through the silvel spoon downward, without the least force upward.'ll This fallacious belief that explosives act downwards only is still held by many who should know better. Fulminate of mercury was discovered by Howard in 1799. J. Shaw of Philadelphia is said to have invented a fulminate-of-mercury cap in 1814; his idea was later adopted by gunmakers in England and France. The principal advantages of mercury fulminate for use in detonators are the simplicity of exploding it and the great shock developed by its explosion.

Jan 1, 1923

By N. S. Greensfelder

The firing of explosive charges by electricity dates back to 1745 when a Doctor Watson is said to have used an electric spark for igniting gunpowder. His method failed in practical application because, to ignite blasting powder, heat must be applied for a period longer than the duration of an electrostatic spark; Wheatstone found that this does not exceed 1/24000 sec. The usual result, therefore, of an electrical discharge in gunpowder is to scatter the grains, without igniting them. Benjamin Franklin partly overcame this difficulty by confining the powder and crushing grains that lay in the line of discharge. In 1822, after the primary cell had been discovered by Volta, Robert Hare, professor of chemistry at the University of Philadelphia, noticed the heating of a short piece of wire placed in the circuit of a voltaic battery. Later work by Oersted, Faraday, Wheatstone, and Henley resulted in the developmcnt of the magneto blasting machines. Fulminates of gold and silver are thought to have been discovcrcd by Cornelius Drebbel, about 1600. Pepys, in his diary for November 11, 1663, recounts a conversation with Doctor Allen, who told him about aurium fulminans "of which a grain ... put in a silver spoon and fired, will give a blow like a musquett and strike a hole through the silvel spoon downward, without the least force upward.'ll This fallacious belief that explosives act downwards only is still held by many who should know better. Fulminate of mercury was discovered by Howard in 1799. J. Shaw of Philadelphia is said to have invented a fulminate-of-mercury cap in 1814; his idea was later adopted by gunmakers in England and France. The principal advantages of mercury fulminate for use in detonators are the simplicity of exploding it and the great shock developed by its explosion.

Jan 1, 1923