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By F. E. Steigert, A. H. Geisler

THE permanent magnet alloy comol, which contains 17 pct Mo, 12 pct Co, balance Fe, exhibits a precipitation reaction analogous to that at the iron end of the binary Fe-Mo system. The equilibrium precipitate, (P,), has a structure isomorphous with Fe,Mo, which is rhombohedra1 with parameters a = 8.97A and a = 3038.6&apos; according to the work of Arnfelt and Westgren.&apos; In the ternary alloy the parameters are a = 8.87A and a = 31°0.5&apos;. Oscillating crystal patterns of a single matrix crystal, M, in which P, was precipitated by slow cooling from 1300°C, showed that the orientation relationship of the two lattices is as follows: (110)P3 // (110)* (111)p3 // (110)m There are crystallites of P, in 12 different orientations in a single crystal of the parent solid solution. Microscopic examination shows that the crystallites are generally plate-like with their lateral dimensions parallel to (110) matrix planes. When precipitation in a supersaturated alloy quenched from 1300°C progressed isothermally at temperatures between 600" to 800°C, the evolution of the P, structure could be traced. Diffuse diffraction effects in Laue patterns provided early evidence of the precipitation process. Analyses of these by a previously described technique2 showed that they corresponded to rod-like elements parallel to <110> matrix directions in reciprocal space. With further aging to promote growth of the precipitate, the rod-like elements contracted to points in reciprocal space for normal Bragg reflection from the precipitate as shown by the left diagram in Fig. 1. Thus the diffuse scattering was attributed to the small thickness of the plate-like particles which was inadequate for sharp diffraction. When the precipitate particles were first thick enough to give normal diffraction their structure was different from that of the equilibrium precipitate, P,. The first structure, P1, presumably is a coherent transition struc-

Jan 1, 1952

By J. B. Dorsey, T. W. Brinkley

Performance of a high-pressure, vaporizing gas-drive project in a volatile oil reservoir is discussed. The project has been in operation for over 8 years. Present recovery from the over-all displaced portion of the reservoir is 40 percent, and an ultimate recovery of 60 percent is indicated. Calculations reflect an over-all displacement volume of 50 percent for the entire reservoir; therefore, ultimate oil recovery will be 30 percent of the entire reservoir oil originally in place. Laboratory vaporization tests conducted prior to project initiation also are presented and discussed, along with an analytical method of determining stock-tank oil production and gar injection requirements related to over-all volumetric displacement efficiency from these data. Introduction The Shoats Creek field is located in Beauregard Parish, La., in the extreme western part of the state (Fig. 1). Discovered in 1956, the field is productive in three Cockfield sand zones, ranging in depth from 8,000 to 9.000 ft. The upper two zones, 1st and 2nd Cockfield, are condensate-bearing gas reservoirs. The lowest zone, the 5th Cockfield, is a volatile-oil reservoir. Laboratory work conducted on crude oil from the 5th Cockfield zone shortly after field discovery demonstrated that, when contacted with dry gas, signidcant volumes of the oil could be vaporized at reservoir temperature and at an appropriately high reservoir pressure. Further study led to the conclusion that early initiation of a crude vaporization project in the 5th Cockfield zone would be superior economically to other methods of reservoir depletion. Consequently, the zone was unitized and gas injection operations started late in 1958. This paper discusses laboratory work performed in conjunction with the project, and project performance to the present. History of Development The 5th Cockfield zone in Shoats Creek is composed of a thin, very shaly, low-permeability sandstone. Oil accumulation is controlled by a structural trap bounded by faults along the north and west and by a water contact on the southern boundary (Fig. 2). The zone covers a productive area of 1,550 acres at an average depth of 9,000 ft. The net sand section is thin, having a maximum thickness of 10 ft and an average thickness of 5.5 ft (Fig. 3). Average reservoir rock properties, as determined from core analysis are presented in Table 1. Shaliness of the zone is illustrated by the typical electric log of the 5th Cockfield section in Fig. 4. Because of the thinness and poor quality of the sand, the 5th Cockfield was developed on a wide spacing. Eleven completions were made in the zone between 1956 and 1961 for an average density of 140 productive acres per completion, with the majority of wells being dually completed in the 2nd and 5th Cockfield. Average initial potential for producers in the 5th Cockfield was 130 BOPD. Oil from the 5th Cockfield has a stock-tank gravity of 50.5" API; with a bubble-point pressure of 3,515 psia, the oil was highly undersaturated at the original reservoir pressure of 4,675 psia. Pertinent properties of the oil as determined in the laboratory are presented in Table 2. Because of the volatile nature of the crude, laboratory studies of its susceptibility to vaporization, as well as a vapor-liquid phase study, were conducted in addition to a standard PVT analysis. The vaporization study was conducted in a visual cell; a stepwise illustration of this work and laboratory measurements are presented in Fig. 5. Field

Jan 1, 1969

By Pedro Bolsaitis, Paul M. Sullivan

The activities of zinc in liquid Zn-A1 alloys in the temperature range of 1000&apos; to 1160°K were determined by means of the isopiestic technique. The results are in reasonable agreement with the previous values determined by the radioactive tracer dew point method. Slightly negative excess entropies of mixing were found. The measured activities suggest that the a function for these alloys is not a constant, as has frequently been assumed, but is better represented by two straight line segments of different slopes. THE thermodynamic data of Al-Z alloys have been the subject of investigation by many authors. However, in the recent compilation of such data by Hult-gren et al.,5 the conclusion is reached that none of the previous measurements are reliable or consistent with each other. Since then two new sets of measurements have been reported,2, 8 both laying claim to good accuracies, yet showing very significant disagreement in the measured activity coefficients of zinc in Zn-A1 alloys and in the magnitude and sign of the excess entropies of mixing. Information on the thermodynamics of the system is of particular interest for interpreting results of the Bureau of Mines research on refining of zinc by distillation of die cast scrap. The present study was undertaken as an independent check on the recent values obtained from dew point measurements 8 and electromotive force measurements.&apos; The isopiestic method, first introduced by Herasy-menko,&apos; was chosen because it is one of the few thermodynamic techniques which, in principle at least, is carried out under perfect equilibrium conditions. The disadvantage of the method is that data are obtained at various random compositions and temperatures, which makes the interpretation somewhat cumbersome. The random errors arising from temperature gradients and fluctuations appear to be comparable to those of other techniques, as evidenced by the magnitude of the estimated uncertainties in the calculated integral thermodynamic quantities. An advantage of the method is that each run provides a relatively large amount of data; thus, it is less time consuming than those methods where samples of each composition must be measured individually. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The activities of zinc in liquid Zn-A1 alloys were measured by the isopiestic method which uses the principle of the tendency toward equilibrium of a series of samples at various temperatures under an imposed vapor pressure of the more volatile component (i.e., zinc, in this case). The basic apparatus is shown in Fig. 1. The small graphite crucibles that contained the metal samples were 15 mm ID and 13 mm deep with approximately 3 mm wall thickness. Each crucible was notched at the top and bottom to allow easy passage of vapor from one to another. At the beginning of an experiment each crucible was weighed on an analytical balance. Zinc and aluminum of spectrographic purity (99.999 pct) were then weighed into the crucibles. The amounts of each metal added were such that initial compositions varied above and below equilibrium values. One crucible contained only pure zinc. After weighing, the crucibles were stacked with the pure zinc on the bottom (corresponding to the lowest temperature in the furnace) and richest aluminum alloys at the top. The entire stack of crucibles was then placed in the silica glass container "E" which was then sealed under vacuum. Sixteen to twenty calibrated Chromel-Alumel thermocouples were attached by wire along the length of the silica tube, one or more adjacent to each sample.

Jan 1, 1970

Gach-Saran.—The most important development of 1937 has been the successful completion of initial exploratory wells in the Gach Saran (formerly known as Gach-i-Qaraghuli) field, about 125 miles southeast of Haft Kel. Two of these wells are rated at 33,000 bbl. per day at flowing pressures exceeding 800 lb. Drilling is proceeding with the object of delimiting the structure. Exploratory drilling is also being undertaken in several areas within the company&apos;s concession. In the producing fields the policy of controlled production has been maintained as in the past, and drilling has been limited to that required for maintenance of production and general control of the fields. Acid treatment to increase production when desired has continued to be successful in most cases. Table 1.—Crude Production in Iran Masjid-i-Sulaimana Haft Kel Total Year barrelsb Ton Barrelsb To Barrelab 1936 3,641,247 27,820,000 4,473,849 34,200,000 8,115,096 62,020,000 193P 4,375,112 33,110,000 5,693,849 43,480,000 10,068,961 76,590,000 * Net production; i.e., excluding surplus products re-injected to reservoir. 6 To nearest 10,000. " Correct to November, with an added estimated figure for December. Masjid-i-Su1aiman.—There have been no new developments in this field. The policy of returning, as and when necessary, surplus products to the reservoir has been maintained. Haft Ke1.—Drilling to explore deeper formations has been undertaken, but has not progressed far enough for conclusive results to be drawn. Gasoline retention in the crude by means of multistage pressure stabilization has been continued as in past years. Separation pressures are as follows: well-head separators, 500 lb.; central battery, 190, 85, 40, 20 and 10 lb. per sq. in., respectively. The stabilized crude is delivered to pipe line at atmospheric pressure, or ex the 10-lb. stage, in accordance with refinery requirements.

Jan 1, 1938

By A. H. Daane, W. J. Wunderlin, B. J. Beaudry

In an earlier study at this laboratory,&apos; the authors investigated the solid solubility of holmium in copper, silver, and gold, and also the melting point of the first eutectic on the noble-metal-rich side in these systems. In a more recent study of the solubility of rare-earth metals in gold at this laboratory. Rider, Gschneidner, and McMasters2 noted that the reported eutectic temperature in the Ho-Au system was lower than the corresponding eutectics in systems of dysprosium and erbium with gold. A redetermination of the eutectic temperature in the Ho-Au system with the same alloy used in the original study showed the eutectic temperature to be 810°C instead of 778°C as originally reported. (The eutectic temperatures in the Ho-Ag and Ho-Cu systems were also redetermined and were found to be 795" and 864°C compared to 787° and 868°C, respectively, which were reported originally.) Since this large change in eutectic temperature made the solubility data appear questionable, new alloys were prepared, heat-treated, and examined metallographically. The procedure of sample preparation and heat treatment used in the original work&apos; was followed except longer heat treatments were used ranging from 7 days at 600°C to 6 hr at 900°C. The results obtained are shown in Fig. 1. There is good agreement between the two studies in the maximum solubility of holmium in gold. Since the slope of the solvus is less pronounced in the present study, the extrapolation to 550°C shows a solubility of 1.6 wt pct Ho in gold compared with 1.0 wt pct in the original work. Since additional data were obtained and longer heat treatments were used in the present study, the larger value is believed to be more accurate. The authors wish to express their appreciation to P. Rider and K. A. Gschneidner. Jr., for bringing this discrepancy to their attention, and also to D. Thompson for assisting in the present study.

Jan 1, 1965

By Riki Kobayashi, Donald L. Katz

The dew point of natural gas which has been in equilibrium with gas hydrates has been reported to be lower than that obtained for natural gas in equilibrium with water1,? Hammerschmidt&apos; reports a lowering of the dew point of 13 F for a natural gas in equilibrium with hydrate at 380 F and 525 psi. Records and Seely2 likewise show that the dew point of gas leaving hydrate separators&apos; is as much as 150 F below the separator temperature. This paper presents the reasons for the observed differences between the equilibrium temperatures and the dew point temperatures. Descriptions of the dew point determination by the Bureau of Mines and ASTM tester3 indicate that the dew point is taken as the temperature at which liquid water droplets first begin to appear on the cooled mirror surface even though the temperatures involved are below that required for the formation of gas hydrates or ice. PRESSURE-TEMPERATURE DIAGRAM FOR METHANE-WATEK SYSTEM Fig. 1 presents a schematic pressure-temperature diagram for the methane-water system" for some constant pressure between the critical pressures of pure methane and pure water i.e., pressures frequently encountered in pipeline operations. The possible equilibrium relations are shown by the heavy solid lines. Curve AE represents the saturated water content or dew point of gas in equilibrium with a water-rich liquid solution while curve EF represents the dew point of gas in equilibrium with hydrates. In addition the dotted line DE labelled "metastable dew point" is introduced to explain the apparent discrepancy betwceen the dew point determination and gas-hydrate equilibria. Thermodynamics place certain restrictions on the location of line DE6, namely, that (1) the concentration of water along the line DE be greater than the concentration of water along EF or that the metastable line split the angle formed by the intersection of line GE and EF

Jan 1, 1956

By David Segura

THE Huitzuco mercury deposits have been described by C. W. Vaupell,1 therefore the general information such as location, history, production, etc. will not be repeated here. The present owners acquired the property when the deep levels of the Cruz mine were flooded, and it was believed that a relatively large tonnage of low-grade ore and fills would be encountered in the flooded section, because of the early mining methods used in the Cruz mine. The mine was partly unwatered and about 187,000 tons of fills was pit-sampled in the San Cayetano stope. These fills average 2.4 kg. Hg per ton. During the period of maximum production at Huitzuco, the ores were sorted in the mine and cobbed into 3-in. pieces, which were treated in Scott furnaces. Large pieces of raw ore are found in the sinter, and it is indicated that both recovery and costs were not very satisfactory. Recent practice has been to treat the ores in closed retorts made of 10-in. pipes. Because of the presence of combined antimony in the mineral livingstonite (HgS.2Sb2S3) and considerable native sulphur, little or no metallic mercury is recovered in the condensers and a second retorting of the condenser muds is necessary. This makes the treatment of the ores expensive and tends to low recoveries of mercury. The principal costs of retorting are, in their relative order: (1) fuel, (2) low recovery of mercury, (3) replacement of retort pipes, (4) labor. METHODS TESTED Three series of experiments have been made, with the object of reducing the costs of recovering mercury and antimony from the ores, by: (1) wet metallurgical methods, (2) bulk roasting in large mechanical furnaces, (3) concentration to reduce the bulk to be followed by roasting in some mechanical furnace. The wet metallurgical methods did not appear feasible because of the high cost of the alkaline solvents used, and investigations of these were not carried beyond the preliminary stage.

Jan 1, 1938

By Donald L. Katz

Charts for predicting the pressure to which natural gases may be expanded without hydrate formation have been prepared for gases of even gravity. Pressure-temperature curves for hydrate formation were established for gases having gravities from 0.6 to 1.0. These curves and the thermal behavior of the gases during free and adiabatic expansion were used to prepare the charts for estimating the permissible expansion of natural gases without hydrate formation. The problem was solved by L. F, Albright, W. T. Boyd, J. J. McKetta, G. Martin, P. Poettman. and A. P. Snyder.-, who are first-year graduate students in the department of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering at the University of Michigan. This paper is essentially a summary of their results. Prediction of Conditions for Hydrate Formation in Natural Gases Each natural gas under a given pressure will form solid hydrates at a corresponding temperature provided sufficient water is present.1-5 The temperature of natural gases below about 5000 lb. per sq. in. decreases when the gases are expanded freely.6,7 This decrease in temperature may cause the expanding gas to enter the region of temperature and pressure at which hydrates will form&apos; The final pressure to which a natural gas may &apos;be expanded without hydrate formation depends upon the initial temperature and pressure and the gas composition. This paper presents charts that give the final pressures to which gases of gravity 0.6 to 1.0 at given initial temperatures and pressures may be expanded without formation of hydrate. Hydrate-forming Temperatures and Pressures as a Function OF Gas -Gravity Experimental data of pressure versus temperature at which solid hydrate will form, provided sufficient water is present, are available for a series of gases.2,3 A method of predicting the pressure-temperature curve for a given gas composition has been reported.&apos; The solution to this problem requires that these curves relating pressure to temperature be established for gases of given gravities.

Jan 1, 1945

By Alexander L. Holley

THE 400-ton testing machine, ordered in June, 1875, by the United States Board appointed to test "iron, steel, and other metals," has lately been completed at the Watertown Arsenal, thoroughly proved and accepted by the Board. The excellence of the machine in every respect is more than satisfactory, and its accuracy is at first sight astonishing, although an investigation of its principles must show that if the weighing apparatus will weigh at all, it must do so with perfect accuracy, because all its movements are absolutely without friction. The proof experiments were numerous, and the effects of recoil after sudden ruptures at maximum loads, were watched with great care, but without much anxiety, because the weighing parts affected are by no means delicate in structure, and their motion is almost infinitely small. Among the tests were the following : A forged link of hard, wrought iron, 5 inches in diameter between the eyes, was slowly strained in tension, and broke short off with a loud report at 722,800 pounds. The diameter before breaking at the point of fracture was 5.04 inches; after breaking, 4.98 inches. In order to see if the weighing parts had been disturbed by the recoil, which was obviously near the greatest recoil the machine will ever suffer, a horse-hair was next tested ; it was 7-1000ths of an inch in diameter; it stretched 30 per cent., and broke at 1 pound. Other horse-hairs vary in tenacity between 1 and 2 pounds. Of course, the accuracy of the machine on such delicate specimens, and indeed on specimens having some hundreds of pounds tenacity, has been checked and proved by other weighing machines. A 5-inch round bar, turned down to 3 5/8 inches diameter along the centre, was pulled apart at 430,200 pounds tension. Then some more horse-hairs were tested ; also copper wires 19 1/2-1000ths of an inch in diameter, which averaged 25 pounds tenacity..

Jan 1, 1879

By W. F. Carew, H. D. Kessler, F. A. Crossley

AS part of a program on phase relationships and transformation processes of titanium alloy systems, the titanium-rich corner of the Ti-Mo-V system has been investigated. This region was surveyed primarily to supply information toward the development of a creep resistant, weldable alloy, with a minimum alloy content, for use in the 425° to 550 °C range. Specifically, the investigation was directed toward the development of a stable ß alloy with less total alloying additions than is found in the Ti-30 pet Mo alloy. A secondary objective was the development of a creep resistant, weldable a-ß alloy for application around 300°C. Molybdenum was selected as primary additive to titanium on the basis of an investigation1 which showed that the Ti-30 pet Mo alloy had promising elevated temperature tensile properties. Furthermore, aging studies1 showed no tendency for this

Jan 1, 1957

By R. E. Somers

1. INTRODUCTION 1. Location, Topography, and Climate The Burro Mountains are located in the southwestern part of New Mexico, in Grant County. The group is made up of two distinct moun-tain masses, known as the Little Burros and the Big Burros, the former lying about 6 miles southwest of Silver City-, and the latter about 9 miles farther in the same direction. They are separated by the valley of the Mangas River, a tributary of the Gila, and a stream only in name, except after a heavy down-pour of rain. . The Little Burros attain an elevation of 6,625 ft. above sea level, and the Big Burros 8,054 ft., with the surrounding country averaging about 6,000 ft. To the south of these mountains stretches the desert plain, while to the north are the more frequent elevations of the mountainous country.

Jan 5, 1915

By Warren Weaver

SOME of the advantages of the inductive method of electrical prospecting were emphasized in a paper by Dr. Max Mason.1 Since this emphasis was misunderstood by some to indicate a too exclusive interest in inductive methods, we are especially happy to help correct this impression by reporting on some of our work on surface potential methods. EARTH CURRENTS AND SURFACE POTENTIALS When two electrodes, A and B, are placed on the surface of the ground a distance d apart, and a 100-volt battery is connected across the elec- FIG. 1.-LINES OF CURRENT FLOW AND SURFACE POTENTIAL IN MILLIVOLTS IN THE CASE OF A HOMOGENEOUS EARTH. trodes, current flows from the positive electrode A to the negative electrode B. The current does not pass directly from A to B along the straight line joining these two points. In fact, a negligible amount of the

Jan 1, 1928

By Lawrence H. Van Vlack, Otto K. Riegger, Gerald I. Madden

The microstructural variations of periclase (MgO) in the presence of oxide liquids are examined under the steelmaking variables of: 1) temperature, 2) liquid composition, and 3) FeO additions under different oxidation levels. Attention is given to the distribution of the phases, both liquid and solid, and to the growth of individual crystalline grains. Silicate liquids penetrate more extensively between individual periclase grains than do liquids containing high percentages of Fe2O3 Higher MgO solubilities in the liquid and lower MgO contents of the solid favor more rapid grain growth. The presence of a second solid phase reduces the periclase grain growth rate and increases the amount of the solid-to-solid contact within the oxide microstructures at high temperatures. The service suitability of a refractory depends on many factors. Two are of major importance and include 1) the thermal resistance to melting, and 2) the mechanical resistance to loads at service temperatures. Neither is a simple consequence of the service temperatures because service conditions will alter compositions, produce partial melting, and induee phase changes. Consequently, the equilibrium phase relationships have been rather thoroughly studied and give a knowledge of the thermal resistance to melting, but do not give full information about the mechanical properties because two refractories with the same types and quantities of phase may have different microstructures. Although variations of microstructures with time, temperature, and composition have been subjects for extensive investigation in metals, only a limited amount of comparable microstructural work has been performed for refractory materials.&apos; This study was an attempt to evaluate some of the consequences of service parameters upon the microstructures of refractories so that bases may be established for the analyzing of high temperature mechanical properties. Periclase (MgO) was chosen as the refractory oxide; variables included those which are encountered under steelmaking conditions such as 1) temperature, 2) liquid composition, and 3) FeO additions under various oxidation levels. Specific attention was given to the distribution of the phases, both liquid and solid, and to the growth of individual crystalline grains. The most closely related work on microstructures of polyphase materials is that of Van Vlack and Rieg-ger2 on the microstructure of magnesiowüstite [(Mg,Fe)O] in the presence of silica. In that work which pertained to solid solutions with less than 40 pct MgO, most of the quantitative work was performed on FeO microstructures. The chief conclusions concerning these relatively low-melting oxide solids were as follows: 1) the rate of crystalline grain growth is inversely proportional to the grain diameter, 2) grain growth proceeds more rapidly at higher temperatures but is slightly retarded by additional liquid content, and 3) a Silicate-containing liquid penetrates as a film between the individual magnesiowüstite grains independent of time, temperature, amount of liquid, or the MgO/ FeO ratio. The above observations are in contrast to prior work3 on the microstructure of silica in the presence of iron oxide-containing liquids where the liquid does not penetrate as a complete film between solid grains. The phase relationships for the compositions of the present work are shown in Fig. 1 which is a summary of the work of several investigators.4 Of importance is the fact that CaO forms a more stable structure with SiO2 and Al2O3 than do either MgO or FeO. The oxygen potential has little effect on periclase unless iron oxide is also present. The iron oxide is ferrous at moderately low oxygen levels, changing to ferric as the Oxygen potential is increased so the spinels, magnetite, and magesioferrite are formed.5 These two phases are relatively stable in air at steelmaking temperatures. I) EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE ractory were made with reagent grade Oxides. The magnesium oxide used was 99 pct MgO after ignition, and the iron oxide raw material had a minimum content of 99 pet Fe2O3. The CaO, SiO2, and A12O3 were also reagent grade raw materials. After mixing, the required compositions were pressed into pellets at a minimum pressure of 5000 psi to insure compaction of the raw materials and prevent excess void content. A silicon carbide element tube furnace was used with thermocouple control for sin-

Jan 1, 1963

By L. D. Jaffe, H. C. Mann, E. L. Reed

It has been generally believed that fracture originates at a point and, if the stress is suficient, propagates across the material from this point. Evidence to the contrary is given in Fig 1. This micrograph shows an area close to the fracture of a steel containing The material had been quenched from 1675°F and tempered at 1150°F as a round about 10 in, in diam, and had a static tensile strength of 132,000 psi and a static yield strength of 105,000 psi. The steel was broken in 3000 cycles of reversed bending at a nominal max. fiber stress of 110,000 psi at a speed of 10,000 rpm. It was in the form of a standard R.R. Moore specimen with 45" V-notch, 0.015 in. radius and 0.220 in. diam at base of notch. The fractured edge in Fig 1 is part of the central portion of the specimen which broke during the final sudden fracture. Attention is directed to the short cracks which appear as dark lines within the specimen. Similar cracks were found in another specimen of the material, broken in 1,798,000 cycles at a nominal stress of 40,000 psi. The cracks were found in several areas close to the path of the final sudden fracture. This final fracture appeared microscopically to be wholly brittle and transcrystalline. Closer to the surface of the specimens, near the path of progressive fracture, which presumably advanced gradually during many cycles, there was microscopic evidence of some local deformation, but no microcracks. Neither were microcracks observed in areas distant from the main fracture path. The following explanation is offered: In the sudden fracture of the specimen, a crack propagates along a crystallo-graphic plane, with little or no plastic deformation of the adjacent material, until it reaches a grain boundary or a particle of carbide or inclusion which stops its advance. (The particle or boundary may be outside the plane of polish and not visible in the micrograph.) A stress concentration occurs about the end of the stopped crack. One or more new cracks are likely to start in the zone of this stress concentration. They may lie in the same grain as the first crack or in an adjacent grain. New cracks may occasionally start in a nearby but not adjacent grain whose orientation with respect to the stress leads to more ready fracture than does that of the grain between. Once started, these cracks propagate along crystallographic planes in their grains and the process repeats. This leads to discontinuous, branching chains of microcracks. As the process continues, microcracks probably tend to link up by fracture of intermediate material under the influence of increasing stress concentration. Occasionally, too, there may be a series of nearby grains of similar orientation so that there is a certain continuity of fracture across them. In either case the effective size of a crack is increased, resulting in greater stress concentration at its ends and a greater likelihood of further increase of size of the continuously-fractured region. When one continuous crack crosses the entire specimen, macroscopic fracture has occurred. The fractured edge of the specimen in Fig 1 represents a series of microcracks which became continuous across the entire specimen. The short, dark-appearing cracks in the figure did not become continuous over a large area. The row of microscopic stress concentrations at their ends may link up with those of the "main crack" outside the plane of polish. The above explanation does not imply that microcracks develop at the same rate in all portions of the specimen. They will develop most rapidly where the macroscopic tensile stress and macroscopic stress concentration are greatest. Viewed on a scale large compared to the grains, the fracture would appear to progress continuously across the specimen. Although Fig 1 shows a specimen broken in a fatigue test, it is believed that the microcracks discussed do not depend on the repetitive nature of the stressing used, since they are in the region where "sudden" fracture occurred, presumably in a single stress cycle. The whole process of microcrack propagation outlined above is thought to have occurred during this single cycle. It is believed that discontinuous crack propagation may be universal in brittle transgranular fracture of crystalline solids. Further experiments are under way.

Jan 1, 1950

By Douglas M. Smith

Silver-gold ratios were studied at the Tayoltita epithermal vein deposit using channel sample, channel sample line, stope, ore body, and vein sample populations. The ratios are highly variable among individual channel samples (25:1 to greater than 500: 1) with both high and low values randomly distributed within ore bodies and veins. Whole vein ratios for the 14 most important ore producing structures range from 44: 1 to 105:1, and show zonal distribution relative to two small granitic stocks, low values closest to the intrusives. The zoned nature of the deposit suggests that the stocks, apophyses of an underlying batholith of late Eocene age, were the heat engines which powered the hydrothermal system responsible for ore deposition.

Jan 1, 1980

By J. L. Wyatt

THE strain sensitivity, K, a property of metals defined as the unit change in electrical resistance per unit strain, was measured for commercial purity titanium wire to determine its usefulness as a strain gage material. A Kelvin double bridge, accurate to 0.000001 ohm, was used to make measurements from 0 to 1 pct total strain. A positive value of 0.17 for K was found. This compares with 2.15 for constantan and 3.5 for cold-worked invar, two of the more common strain gage materials. The effect of temperature also was determined. It was found that a change in temperature of 30°F caused the same resistance change as 1 pct strain. It is therefore concluded that titanium would have utility as a strain gage only if the thermal fluctuations in the specimen could be controlled to a high degree and in applications of very large total strain.

Jan 1, 1953

By S. N. Dixon

Sampling and assaying procedures were developed to obtain unbiased and reasonably accurate Au grade estimates in drill samples fm a coarse gold deposit. Gold grade comparisons were made by assaying 3 (1 assay ton) splits from each drill interval, then processing the entire reject thru a pilot plant for a blocked out zone. The result comparing the assay splits to the pilot plant results gave a ratio of 1 to 1.07. Another technique was developed to detect drill samples which has a coarse gold content by monitoring the varience. Testwork could be done on a 1 kg sample to improve the accuracy of the grade estimation if the variance was high for a drill interval.

Jan 1, 1984

By H. C. Chao, L. H. Van Vlack

Small MnS inclusions with known crystallographic orientations were placed inside powder compacts of low-carbon steel. After the metal was axially campressed with negligible end friction, the deformstions for the metal and the inclusions were compared. The MnS inclusions deformed more when the [100] direction was aligned with the compression axis than when the [111] direction was parallel to this axis. The deformations of the inclusions in the two principal radial directions were equal for each of the above orientations. Inclusions with [110] compression alignments did not deform with radial symmetry. The relative deformation of the inclusion and metal was closely dependent upon the relatiue hardness of the two phases. The relative deformation of the two phases was not sensitive to the rate of deformation. RECENT studies by the authors1.&apos; suggested that the plastic deformation of MnS in steel would probably be highly sensitive to the orientation of the inclusions and to the temperature of the metal. This paper reports an investigation of these factors upon MnS behavior within steel. Manganese sulfide (MnS) possesses an NaCl-type structure and typically has extensive (l10) {110} slip as a separate (noninclusion) crystal.&apos; A secondary slip system, ( l 10) { l l l}, has also been observed where the major slip system is restricted. In general, MnS inclusions must be rated as a highly deformable second phase.3 The amount of sulfide deformation varies, however, with several composition and processing factors. Some of these have been only partially assigned. For example, it is known that minor amounts (<0.01 pct) of silicon within free-machining steels will increase the amount of MnS deformation,4 but the mechanism of the added deformation can only be surmised at the present. Manganese sulfide and steel have sufficiently comparable deformation characteristics so that slip which is started in steel may be continued through the sulfide inclusions and back into the steel if the crystal orientations are favorable.5 A more detailed discussion of previous work on the plastic deformation of NaC1-type crystals and on the plastic deformation of inclusions within a metal is given in Chao&apos;s work.6 EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The manganese sulfide which was used in this study was prepared by previously described methods.&apos; Single crystals of MnS, both as cleavage cubes and as spheres, were oriented within steel powder compacts so that the desired crystal directions were parallel to the direction of axial compression. A four-stage hydrostatic compaction procedure was used and involved the following steps. In the first stage part of the powder was placed in a metal die 1 in. in diameter with a thick (1 in. OD, 5/8 in. ID) rubber liner which had one end plugged. The steel powder was hand-rammed, making it as dense as possible before placing a carefully sized MnS crystal (either as a sphere or as a cube) near the center. The crystal was oriented with the chosen direction vertical; viz., [001], [011], or [111], with the aid of a X10 microscope. A pair of tungsten wire threads 0.020 in. in diameter was inserted along the side of this (&apos;core compact" to locate the desired plane after the compression tests. After the crystal was positioned in the center of the die, more powder was added and carefully rammed by hand. The die was then capped with a rubber plug of the same hardness and thickness as that of the liner. The whole assembly as shown in Fig. 1 was compacted by a ram load of 54,000 lb (about 70,000 psi). In the second stage a smaller, 3/4-in, rubber-lined die was used to give a stress of approximately 120,000 psi. The above process was repeated with the initial compact serving as a core for a larger compact. The final product after sintering was a cylinder 1 cm long and 1 cm in diameter, having a density of 7.54 g per cu cm. This was close to the theoretical density since the metal contained a non-metallic phase. There was no evidence of MnS deformation during the hydrostatic compaction or subsequent sintering. Elevated-temperature hardness data were obtained by procedures previously described.2 Compression tests for inclusion deformation utilized the cylinders which were described above. The critical problem in these tests was the lubri-

Jan 1, 1965

By Eckhard Nembach

The phase diagram of the system Pb-In has been investigated between -27° and + 40°C, using nzainly X-ray dijfraction. In accordance with t her mo dynamic measurements by Heumann and Predel, a segregation occurs at low temperatures, though not in the form of a nziscibility gap. THE phase diagram of the system Pb-In has been the subject of extensive investigations,1&apos;1 but recently Heumann and prede13 concluded from their thermodynamic data that a new feature should occur below room temperature. These authors observed that the maximum values for the enthalpy and entropy of mixing, which occurred at a composition of 50 at. pct Pb, were +400 and —1.7 cal per g-atom deg, respectively. From this the authors estimated that a miscibility gap should occur below 30°C, centered at 50 at. pct Pb. Resistivity measurements seemed to support this view. These authors proposed the phase diagram outlined in Fig. 1. Three phases exist at 30°C: the tetragonal indium phase with c/a > 1, the tetragonal intermediate phase a, with c/a < 1, and the fcc lead phase. During an investigation of the superconducting properties of Pb-In alloys. it has been observed4 that aging a specimen with 50 at. pct Pb for 14 days at -18°C decreased the superconducting transition temperature about 0.13"K and tripled the transition width. In this paper, the results of an investigation of the Pb-In phase diagram in the temperature range from — 2T to +40°C are reported. Superconductivity and X-ray methods have been used. 1) SPECIMEN PREPARATION The materials were provided by the American Smelting and Refining Co. According to the manufacturer their purity was 99.999 pct. The weighed amounts of the constituents were sealed in quartz tubes under an atmosphere of 10 torr helium, mixed for 24 hr in a rocking furnace at 380°C, quenched in ice water, and homogenized at 20" to 30°C below the solidus line, established by Heumann and Predel. The annealing times were 144 hr for specimens containing Less than 30 at. pct Pb and 36 hr for the remainder. 2) SUPERCONDUCTIVITY EXPERIMENTS The specimens were quenched from the homogeniza-tion treatment into ice water and their superconducting transition temperatures T, measured. The procedure used has been described in Ref. 4. The transition was detected by the change of the mutual induc- tance of two coaxial coils containing the sample. T, was defined as the temperature at which 50 pct of the total change in inductance had occurred. The repro-ducibility with which T, could be measured was i0.002"K. Then the specimens with lead contents between 38 and 75 at. pct were aged for 7 days at temperatures between -30" and 40°C. If this treatment caused T, to change by more than 0.005"K or the width of the transition to increase by more than 0.002"K, it was concluded that the specimen had undergone a phase change and no longer consisted only of the fcc lead phase: as it did immediately after homogenizing. The result is shown in Fig. 2. From this one can estimate at what temperatures and concentrations phase changes occur. The X-ray measurements were based on these preliminary results. 3) X-RAY EXPERIMENTS Because of the softness of the material, relatively coarse powders. 75 p, had to be used, which were filed in a helium atmosphere from homogenized specimens. The powders were annealed at least 30 min at temperatures between 120" and 16OJC, depending on their concentration, and quenched in ice water. Then their X-ray patterns were taken at -178°C with a Picker diffractometer, model 3488K, and a cold stage. on which the specimen was in thermal contact with a liquid-nitrogen reservoir. In this way the following relation was established for the fcc lead phase: a = 4.697 + 0.00247C for 40 5 C 5 75 11 where n is the lattice constant (A) and C is the at. pct of lead. The coarseness of the powder made it impossible to use lines with 0 > 75 deg; therefore n was averaged from lines with 45 deg 5 0 5 75 deg. The results were reproducible to within i0.05 pct. Relation [I] is very similar to the one found by Heumann and Predel at room temperature. Following this, homogenized specimens with compositions between 15 and 56 at. pct Pb were aged for at least 10 days at temperatures between -27" and

Jan 1, 1970

By Regis M. N. Pelloux, N. J. Grant

Five or six alloys each in the systems Ni-C.v, Ni-Mo, and NL-W, spaced to cover the single phase areas as well as a part of the adjacent two-phase field, were prepared as uacuum-melted alloys. Tensile tests at room temperature and stress rupture tests at 1200° and 1500°F we.ve run for time periods to give fracture in 0.1 to 500 hr. Observations mere made of solid-solution and second-phase strengthening or uleakening, coupled with studies of ductility and the role of structure on the noted behavior patterns. THE development of stable creep-resistant alloys while broad and systematic is also highly empirical. A number of simple rules have been suggestedL-" but these are based on scant data. Whereas rules for low-temperature alloy strengthening can be applied with some success in more simple systems, the extension to behavior at high temperatures (greater than about 0.4 of the absolute melting temperature) is very poorly understood and has encountered important exceptions and deviations in terms of atom size or valency effects. In particular, the occurrence of both solid-solution weakening4,5 and second-phase weakening2 at high temperatures is of interest. MATERIALS AND PROCEDURE Nickel was chosen as the base material because of its important role in current high-temperature alloy applications, because of its freedom from a phase transformation, and because of wide solubilities for many elements of interest. The selected alloys were single- and two-phase structures in the Ni-Cr,6 Ni-Mo,7 and Ni-w 8 systems. The alloys were vacuum melted and cast, utilizing high-purity raw materials, in the form of 15 lb ingots. They were readily forged into 1/2-in. bar stock (except the two highest chromium alloys). The alloy compositions are shown in Table I. Typical impurity values are: Carbon: Max 0.03 pct (except for 30 and 35 pct Cr alloys which had 0.07) Nitrogen: Max 0.005 pct (except for two of the Cr alloys which had 0.05) Sulfur: Max 0.004 pct Silicon: Max 0.05 pct Each alloy was solution treated (air quenched) to produce comparable grain size. The two-phase alloys were then overaged in an effort to produce a stable structure for testing at 1200° and 1500°F, The results are summarized in Table 11. Following the heat treatments outlined in Table 11, the bars were machined to a gage section of 1.25-in. long by 0.250-in. diam. In addition to room-temperature tensile tests, stress-rupture tests were run at 1200" and 1500°F for time periods from 0.1 to about 500 hr. RESULTS Room-Temperature Mechanical Properties—The ultimate tensile strength, total elongation, and reduction of area values for all the alloys are plotted vs atomic percent of the solute element in Fig. 1. It can be seen that for the same amount of solute element the ultimate tensile strength increases in the order chromium, molybdenum, tungsten. Elongation increases (reduction of area decreases) with increasing amounts of solute for all the solid solution alloys, the values ranging from 50 to 70 pct. The ultimate tensile strength values for the two-

Jan 1, 1961