Search Documents

By Klaus Schoenert

In the analysis of comminution processes, it is necessary to have a detailed knowledge of such subprocesses as: transportation of the particles to the zone where they are stressed; the stressing of particles to a level high enough for breakage; removal of the fragments that are smaller than the limit size from the grinding zone; and prevention of agglomeration of the fine fragments. Breakage phenomena of particles is the most difficult subprocess to understand. It can be understood only by applying the principles of fracture physics to obtain information about the stress-strain field in particles which are loaded either by compression or by impact, and by using this theoretical knowledge to interpret experimental results obtained from single particle crushing studies. Two important features of the "Science of Communition" are discussed: the fracture physics and crushing under controlled conditions with special reference to single particle crushing, packed bed crushing, measurement of energy needed for fracture, fragment size distribution, and new surface area produced. The important features of these aspects are detailed, namely, energy balance of a crack, influence of environment, specimen size problems, and energy utilization in single particle crushing.

Jan 1, 1973

By R. B. Schluter, M. M. Fine

Development of a process for winning copper from pelletized chalcocite concentrate is underway at the Bureau of Mines, Twin Cities Metallurgy Research Center. The new route from concentrate to metal by which the Bureau seeks to eliminate matte smelting and converting includes a two-stage fluid bed treatment. In the first stage, pelletized concentrate containing 32%Cu and 7% S is first desulfurized to less than 1.0% S in an oxidizing atmosphere. In the second stage, the calcine is metallized by reduction with hydrogen. Thereafter, the reduced product plus 10% CaO is routed to a smelting furnace which separates metallic copper from the gangue. Recovery and Cu content at this point are in the 97-98% range. This product must be refined to remove sulfur and iron so the metal is suitable for making wirebar copper. An important feature of the process is fine concentrate pelletization prior to fluid-bed treatment. This permits a shorter reaction time, a decrease in dusting and easier subsequent processing. In a broad sense, sulfide copper pyrometallurgy is a batch sequence in three separate vessels, i.e., a reverberatory furnace to yield matte copper, a converter to produce blister copper and another reverberatory furnace to produce fire-refined copper. Matte-smelting has remained relatively unchanged since it became a universal practice some 50 to 60 years ago. It is now serving a wide range of smelter feed materials, but many concentrates are not immediately amenable to the process. There are abundant copper resources which lack sufficient sulfur and other elements lo sustain the full chemistry involved in matte-smelting. This necessitates adding sulfur to make the product fit the process, and usually none of the sulfur is recovered. From the standpoint of pollution alone, the development of a smelting technique for low-sulfur concentrates not requiring the addition of sulfur would be a significant gain.

Jan 1, 1970

By H. P. Allen

The Achotla mill of the Cia. Minera de Penoles is of special interest in that it is one of the few still employing the chloridization process. The ore milled comes from the Suriana mine and consists of both oxide and sulphide, from neither of which can the gold or silver be extracted by a simple cyanide treatment. The mill was built in 1927, after several years of study in the development of the process1, and operated from December of that year until October 1930. Operations were resumed in February 1935, and have been continuous since, treating approximately 5000 tons per month, while the mine is getting up to full tonnage of 6500 tons per month. Transportation of Supplies The property is in Guerrero, Mexico, some 175 km. by airline southwest of Mexico City. The mill site is at Temisco (Fig. I), 8 km. from the Balsas River and 4.8 km. by aerial tram from the mine. At Temisco are the general office, shops, warehouses and laboratory serving both mine and mill. Here sufficient water is available either from a small creek running through the property or from the Balsas River, also convenient and ample storage space for the tailings. With the exception of the mine timber and a few native building materials which may be obtained locally, all supplies for both mine and mill are brought down the Balsas River from Balsas, the terminal of a Mexican National Railway line out of Mexico City. The method of transportation on the river is interesting. Rapids with very fast water are numerous, prohibiting the use of mechanically propelled boats. Those used resemble large, flat-bottomed rowboats some 22 ft. long by 8 ft. wide (Fig. 2). They are manned by two oarsmen sitting in the bow, each handling one large oar, and usually another man in the stern who, with his oar, assists in steering the boat, especially when the rapids are run. From 3 to 7 tons of freight are carried on each boat, depending upon the stage of the water, which governs also the time

Jan 1, 1939

By H. P. Allen

The Achotla mill of the Cia. Minera de Penoles is of special interest in that it is one of the few still employing the chloridization process. The ore milled comes from the Suriana mine and consists of both oxide and sulphide, from neither of which can the gold or silver be extracted by a simple cyanide treatment. The mill was built in 1927, after several years of study in the development of the process1, and operated from December of that year until October 1930. Operations were resumed in February 1935, and have been continuous since, treating approximately 5000 tons per month, while the mine is getting up to full tonnage of 6500 tons per month. Transportation of Supplies The property is in Guerrero, Mexico, some 175 km. by airline southwest of Mexico City. The mill site is at Temisco (Fig. I), 8 km. from the Balsas River and 4.8 km. by aerial tram from the mine. At Temisco are the general office, shops, warehouses and laboratory serving both mine and mill. Here sufficient water is available either from a small creek running through the property or from the Balsas River, also convenient and ample storage space for the tailings. With the exception of the mine timber and a few native building materials which may be obtained locally, all supplies for both mine and mill are brought down the Balsas River from Balsas, the terminal of a Mexican National Railway line out of Mexico City. The method of transportation on the river is interesting. Rapids with very fast water are numerous, prohibiting the use of mechanically propelled boats. Those used resemble large, flat-bottomed rowboats some 22 ft. long by 8 ft. wide (Fig. 2). They are manned by two oarsmen sitting in the bow, each handling one large oar, and usually another man in the stern who, with his oar, assists in steering the boat, especially when the rapids are run. From 3 to 7 tons of freight are carried on each boat, depending upon the stage of the water, which governs also the time

Jan 1, 1939

By O. D. Sherby

In 1938, Kanter' revealed that the steady-state creep rate of low-carbon iron alloys could be correlated by an activation energy expression, where the activation energy for creep, Qc, was found equal to about 90.0 kcal per mole for most of the alloys investigated. He suggested that creep at high temperatures might be controlled by some sort of solid self-diffusion process since the value of Qc was about equal to the known value for self-diffusion, Qd. Correlations were not further attempted along these lines until many years later, when new evidence2-8 was presented suggesting that Qc = Qd for many metals. This equality now appears to be established for ten metals (Al, Pb, Ni, Mg, Cd, In, a Fe, y Fe, Cu, and Au). This experimental fact prompted several investigators to postulate various mechanisms of dislocation motion which would yield an activation energy for creep equal to that for self-diffusion.7-9 Possibly the most accepted theory is that based on dislocation climb7 where a dislocation is envisioned to surmount a barrier by an atom-vacancy exchange process, thereby "climbing" from one slip plane to another. Such a model would suggest that the steady-state creep rate, i, should be directly proportional to the rate of self-diffusion, D, for a given creep stress. In order to more clearly reveal the relationship between creep and diffusion, and to eventually determine the correct model, it would be desirable to obtain data showing correlations between i and D, rather than with a comparison of the temperature coefficients, Q. It has been known for some time that the self-diffusivity of iron atoms is greatly decreased when body-centered-cubic (a) iron transforms to face-centered-cubic (y) iron. This has been ascribed to the more close-packed structure of y iron. The diffusivity ratio at the transition temperature is Da/Dy =350. Correlations of creep data for a and y iron5 reveal that the creep rates under a given stress at the transition temperature differ by about the same ratio (ea/ey 2 200). It would be difficult to reconcile these results on any other basis than that the diffusivity of atoms probably controls creep of iron in some very direct way. No other published data on other allotropic metals appear currently available for further checking such a possible correlation between i and D. Thallium transforms from a hexagonal close-packed (a) structure to a body-centered-cubic (ß) structure at 230°C (503°K) and the self-diffusivities of the two structures have been determined by shirn.10 His results are plotted in Fig. 1 where it will be noted that Dß/Da = 25 at the transition temperature. It would appear desirable, therefore, to determine the creep rates of polycrystalline a and ß thallium at the transition temperature, as well as determine

Jan 1, 1959

By Julian M. Avery

In its dual role of pig-iron smelter and gas producer, the blast furnace is a remarkably satisfactory and efficient apparatus. Many metallurgists and engineers have pointed out, however, that since the primary function of the blast furnace is to produce pig iron at the lowest possible cost, its function as a gas producer should be subordinated to this primary purpose. During the past 10 years or more, improvements in blast-furnace technique and economy have, in fact, been directed primarily to increasing efficiency in the use of the reducing power of the gases produced by combustion of coke at the tuyeres, to reduce iron ore within the furnace. The net over-all result is a decrease in the fuel value of the top gas per unit of volume, and per ton of pig iron, which is evidently more than offset in value by the corollary saving in coke and the possibility of increased furnace capacity, for otherwise there would be no point in making such improvements. The purpose of the present paper is to suggest that, while progress has been made in this direction, there is another approach to the problem of increasing the chemical and thermal efficiency of the blast furnace in its primary role as a pig-iron smelter, which appears to offer possibilities of improvement in over-all ecorlomy of a different order of magnitude than results thus far obtained by the use of other expedients. The present argument is based in large part upon the hypothesis that the efficiency and economics of pig-iron smelting are seriously and adversely affected by the phenomenon known as "solution loss," and that the problem of solution loss call be successfully attacked by increasing the over-all pressure; i.e., the "top prcssure" under which the furnace is operated. It is indicated that pressure operation may also be expected to result in concomitant benefits, which may be summed up as generally improved operating conditions, together with a substantial saving in fuel and/or a substantial increase in furnace capacity. In a broad sense, the suggestion of pressure operation of the pig-iron blast furnace is not new, for operation under moderately increased over-all pressure was suggested as early as 1871, by no less an authority than

Jan 1, 1938

By Julian M. Avery

In its dual role of pig-iron smelter and gas producer, the blast furnace is a remarkably satisfactory and efficient apparatus. Many metallurgists and engineers have pointed out, however, that since the primary function of the blast furnace is to produce pig iron at the lowest possible cost, its function as a gas producer should be subordinated to this primary purpose. During the past 10 years or more, improvements in blast-furnace technique and economy have, in fact, been directed primarily to increasing efficiency in the use of the reducing power of the gases produced by combustion of coke at the tuyeres, to reduce iron ore within the furnace. The net over-all result is a decrease in the fuel value of the top gas per unit of volume, and per ton of pig iron, which is evidently more than offset in value by the corollary saving in coke and the possibility of increased furnace capacity, for otherwise there would be no point in making such improvements. The purpose of the present paper is to suggest that, while progress has been made in this direction, there is another approach to the problem of increasing the chemical and thermal efficiency of the blast furnace in its primary role as a pig-iron smelter, which appears to offer possibilities of improvement in over-all ecorlomy of a different order of magnitude than results thus far obtained by the use of other expedients. The present argument is based in large part upon the hypothesis that the efficiency and economics of pig-iron smelting are seriously and adversely affected by the phenomenon known as "solution loss," and that the problem of solution loss call be successfully attacked by increasing the over-all pressure; i.e., the "top prcssure" under which the furnace is operated. It is indicated that pressure operation may also be expected to result in concomitant benefits, which may be summed up as generally improved operating conditions, together with a substantial saving in fuel and/or a substantial increase in furnace capacity. In a broad sense, the suggestion of pressure operation of the pig-iron blast furnace is not new, for operation under moderately increased over-all pressure was suggested as early as 1871, by no less an authority than

Jan 1, 1938

By Henry J. Kaiser

A few months ago I had the honor of addressing the Society of Mining Engineers annual banquet in Sun Francisco. I have since been asked to amplify some of the remarks I made at that time concerning the management policies of the Kaiser organization and various aspects of our corporate thinking. This is a difficult task for an insider like myself. I look at the different companies, and the men who run them, and it is hard to think of these men in terms of policy or procedure. Actually I prefer the term management philosophy to either policy or procedure. My father, Henry J. Kaiser, is not only the founder but the guiding spirit of our organization. His philosophy, and in turn that of the organization, centers around two concepts, service and accomplishment.

Jan 1, 1960

By C. J. Bauer

WHEN the pipe lines from the Middle East to the Mediterranean are completed, the Middle East supplies will relieve the strain on Western Hemisphere petroleum resources, part of which are now shipped for Eastern Hemisphere use. A sketch of the world petroleum situation as it appears today and in the immediate future will help in understanding the future place of Middle East oil supplies. Anticipated 1951 world demand is slightly under four billion barrels. To meet this requirement, crude output and refinery runs throughout the world (including Russia) must be increased about two million barrels per day above the average of 1947. This increment, together with pipe lines, tankers, and other facilities, will require in excess of ten billion dollars of new capital in the next four years. We are, therefore, looking forward to the greatest expansion program in the history of the industry.

Jan 1, 1948

By C. C. Furnas, S. P. Kinney

The efficient operation of a blast furnace depends primarily upon efficient contact between the descending streail1 of solid materials and the ascending stream of gas. A program of research dealing with the interior of the present-day furnace is being carried by the U. S. Bureau of Mines along two lines: (I) observations on commercial furnaces and (2) experiments in the laboratory. Through the courtesy of the officials of the Illinois Steel Co. it was possible to make a detailed investigation of the interior of the shaft of NO. 4 furnace at the company's South Works, South Chicago, Ill. The experimental work is reported in a IT. S. Bureau of Mines bulletin' which will include the results of several thousand observations on the interior of the shaft of this furnace. Such of the data as are presented later in this paper constitute only a brief summary. The second part of the work has been conducted in the laboratory. Only one phase of the laboratory investigation has been completed at the present time, namely, the flow of gases through beds of broken solids." The object of this papcr is to correlate the results of the two different lines of research and to present a. more or less complete picture of the condition of the interior of a blast furnace by giving approximate, quantitative data of the actual size-distribution of solid particles in a typical furnncc, and of the efficiency of contact between the gas and solid phases. With such data before him the operator or the experimenter not only has a much better idea of the actunl conditions inside a furnace, hut he also knows in what direction to look for possible improvement. The discussion which follows presents only a few of the items studied and reported; those persons who are particularly interested in all the result's of this investigation must refer to the aforementioned publication.

Jan 1, 1929

By R. K. Hopkins

For a great many years fusion welding has been used in and around petroleum refineries, but it is only within six or seven years that the more important pressure vessels have been constructed by this process, because before that time the properties of fusion welds would not withstand such rigorous service. Since the adoption of fusion welding for the construction of this equipment, the refiner has required pressure vessels suitable for operation over a very wide range of conditions. On the one hand, vessels must operate at extremely high temperatures, in the range of 950" to 1000° F., and on the other vessels must be suitable for operation at sub-zero temperatures down as low as —75" F. Also, vessels are required suitable for operation at pressures upwards of 1000 lb. per sq. in., and as low as a 29-in. vacuum. In addition, vessels are required to withstand the attack of very corrosive mediums. It has been a rather difficult task for the fabricator to meet all of these requirements, but as a result of the extensive research carried on by steel manufacturers and several fabricators of class I vessels, practically all of these demands have been met. In order to meet the refiners' requirements for this wide range of conditions, the fabricator has worked closely with the metallurgist. This has enabled him to choose the proper base metal for each service condition, but it has been the fabricator's problem to develop a welding rod and welding technique, as well as a heat-treatment, that would produce in the welded vessel characteristics in and around the weld comparable to those in the base metal. Where corrosion is not a serious problem, and where the operating temperatures are not too high, ordinary carbon steel has served very well. But, when corrosion is serious, and/or when the temperatures are either very high or very low, it is necessary to use some form of alloy steel to give satisfactory service. A great deal of credit is due to the members of the Boiler Code Committee and also to the members of the Joint A.P.I.-A.S.M.E. Committee, who have formulated codes that insure the safety of the

Jan 1, 1935

By R. K. Hopkins

For a great many years fusion welding has been used in and around petroleum refineries, but it is only within six or seven years that the more important pressure vessels have been constructed by this process, because before that time the properties of fusion welds would not withstand such rigorous service. Since the adoption of fusion welding for the construction of this equipment, the refiner has required pressure vessels suitable for operation over a very wide range of conditions. On the one hand, vessels must operate at extremely high temperatures, in the range of 950" to 1000° F., and on the other vessels must be suitable for operation at sub-zero temperatures down as low as —75" F. Also, vessels are required suitable for operation at pressures upwards of 1000 lb. per sq. in., and as low as a 29-in. vacuum. In addition, vessels are required to withstand the attack of very corrosive mediums. It has been a rather difficult task for the fabricator to meet all of these requirements, but as a result of the extensive research carried on by steel manufacturers and several fabricators of class I vessels, practically all of these demands have been met. In order to meet the refiners' requirements for this wide range of conditions, the fabricator has worked closely with the metallurgist. This has enabled him to choose the proper base metal for each service condition, but it has been the fabricator's problem to develop a welding rod and welding technique, as well as a heat-treatment, that would produce in the welded vessel characteristics in and around the weld comparable to those in the base metal. Where corrosion is not a serious problem, and where the operating temperatures are not too high, ordinary carbon steel has served very well. But, when corrosion is serious, and/or when the temperatures are either very high or very low, it is necessary to use some form of alloy steel to give satisfactory service. A great deal of credit is due to the members of the Boiler Code Committee and also to the members of the Joint A.P.I.-A.S.M.E. Committee, who have formulated codes that insure the safety of the

Jan 1, 1935

By R. C. Gifkins, A. Gittins

A. Gittins and R. C. Gifkins (University of Mel-houvne)— Evidence from somewhat similar experiments to those described in this paper has led us to the conclusion that possibility 2) of the four listed on p. 319 is a description of what happens in grain boundary sliding. That is, sliding is limited by accommodation deformation, it being necessary to the Continuance of sliding that this accommodation should take place. An example of such accommodation, though probably not the most important, is fold formation at triple points. The evidence and arguments for this point of view are set out in Refs. 14 to 16. In particular, an experiment with a lead bicrys-tall5 seems to support point 2) rather than 3). In creep of this specimen it was found that at least 90 pct of the extension of a zone 0.3 mm wide at the boundary was supplied by sliding at the boundary. The sliding was localized in a region at the boundary very much smaller than 0.3 mm, in fact, in a region too narrow to resolve optically. In poly crystalline Specimens&apos; there appears to be a surface effect, as found by Rachinger," but it appears that this may not manifest itself at low strains. "Low strains" means <10 pct for a Pb-TI alloy, <2.5 pct for magnesium or "Magnox" A12 alloy, or <40 pct for a 0 brass. Up to this extension the sliding, measured by the mean vertical step at boundaries, is proportional to extension. We are able to say this with some confidence, since the error bars on our points are statistically derived. Our results would lead us to think that the error bars on other work, including that of Mullendore and Grant, are much too large at low strains to show this

Jan 1, 1963

By Francis L. Vinton

THE eccentric theodolite I exhibit is one constructed by the Stack-poles of New York, from drawings, considerably modified, of Combes&apos;s theodolite. The telescope is on one side of the horizontal limb, and the vertical circle is opposite to the telescope; thus they nearly balance each other, making already the construction lighter than in the instrument of Combes, where the telescope and vertical circle are together on the same side, and are both balanced by a considerable weight. The instrument stands upon three levelling screws or feet, an improvement upon the old or general style of mounting a transit on four feet-for indeed the instrument is easier levelled, and, more-over, stands more stable on three than on four points of support. The general advantage of an eccentric theodolite is evident, namely, that it can measure any and all vertical angles, from 0 to 360, without being interfered with by the horizontal limb as is the transit; besides this advantage, it needs no preparatory adjustment or correction for eccentricity ; on the other hand, however, that correction

Jan 1, 1873

By Francis L. Vinton

THE eccentric theodolite I exhibit is one constructed by the Stack poles of New York, from drawings, considerably modified, of Combes&apos;s theodolite. The telescope is on one side of the horizontal limb, and the vertical circle is opposite to the telescope ; thus they nearly balance each other, making already the construction lighter than in the instrument of Combes, where the telescope and vertical circle are together on the same side, and are both balanced by a considerable weight. The instrument stands upon three levelling screws or feet, an improvement upon the old or general style of mounting a transit on four feet for indeed the instrument is easier levelled, and, moreover, stands more stable on three than on four points of support. The general advantage of an eccentric theodolite is evident, namely, that it can measure Any and all vertical angles, from 0 to 360, without being interfered with by the horizontal limb as is the transit; besides this advantage, it needs no preparatory adjustment or correction for eccentricity; on the other hand, however, that correction

By J. J. Taber, I. S. K. Kamath, R. L. Reed

Alcohol floods of consolidated sandstone cores have shown the process to be strongly dependent on the phase behavior of the particular alcobol-oil-water system used. This means that in many cases the mechanism does not conform to the idea of a piston-like displacement. Instead, it is found that by changing the alcohol it is possible to change the relative velocities of the oil and water and, in fact, the entire mechanism of the process. The effects of rate, viscosity, initial saturation, distance travelled and hysteresis of relative permeability on the alcohol flooding mechanism are discussed. INTRODUCTION Reasons for interest in the use of alcohol to miscibly displace oil and water from a porous medium appear in the existing literature.l-7 The mechanism of the displacement has been considered and the apparent implications formulated into a theory which presumably would enable one to predict the essential features of the process.6 Unfortunately, most of the reported experiments have been performed with unconsolidated or artificially consolidated sands. With these systems some of the noteworthy facets of the process are obscured and resulting data appear uncertain. It is the purpose of this paper to show how the use of consolidated sandstones has led to revision of the mechanism and, hence, the theory of alcohol flooding. The practical result is increased pessimism toward the possibilities of commercial application of the simplest form of the alcohol-slug process. However, elucidation of the mechanism has made it possible to define the essential characteristics of a system of slugs which will behave in a nearly piston-like fashion and, thus, yield the best possible result. EQUILIBRIUM PHASE BEHAVIOR Fig. 1 is a diagram of the ternary system isopropyl alcohol (IPA)-Soltrol-calcium chloride brine. Brine was used to prevent plugging of the core and calcium chloride was used because sodium-chloride brine exhibits a solid phase with Soltrol and IPA. If alcohol is added in increments to the immiscible mixture of water and oil represented by Point A, the path followed by the successively equilibrated samples will be on the Line ABC and pass from the immiscible region to the miscible region by crossing the binodal curve at B. Consider the intersection D of this path with the tie Line EF. The quantity of oleic phase is proportional to the Segment ED and the quantity of the aqueous phase is proportional to DF. Compositions of the two phases are specified by Points E and F. It is clear that in the case shown the oleic phase is diminishing and entirely disappears when miscibility is achieved. Such will

Elected Died 1882 *ABBOTT, ARTHUR V 1906 1903 * ADAMS, CHARLES C. 1905 1884 *ADDY, MATTHEW 1896 1894 *ALLFN R B 1896 1874 *AMIOT, H 1892 1886 *AMSLER, CARL 1894 1895 *ÅNGSTROM, CARL 1901 1895 *ARMSTRONG, JOHN F 1898 1882 *ARNOLDS, HUGO 1886 1875 *ASHBURNER, CHARLES A 1889 1872 *ASIIBURNER, WILLIAM 1887 1883 *ATKINS, C M , JR 1885 1897 *AYERS, WILLIAM 1898 1885 *BABCOCK, GEO H 1893 1884 *BAILEY, EDWARD 1889 1880 *BAILEY, JACKSON 1887 1900 *BALLOU, FRANKLIN 1903 1886 *BARNES, F W 1892

Jan 1, 1910

By R. T. DeHoff

A theoretical development is presented which reformulates Fick&apos;s first law for diffusion in the solid state. The diffusion flux of component i in a multi-component system, Ji, is related to its local concentration, ci, and local jump frequency, ri : where a is a geometric factor and d is the jump distance. The product, ciri , is defined as the local concentration of atomic jumps for component i. The analog to Fick&apos;s second law is also derived. A solution to this equation is presented, which permits the experimental determination of the variation of atom jump frequency with composition in multicomponent systems. HISTORICALLY, the description of diffusion in the solid state has been presumed to be best approached as an application of more general diffusion laws, known as the phenomenological equations. These equations relate the flux, Ji, of the various components, expressed in atoms, grams, or volume, to the driving force involved, expressed as either a compositional or chemical potential gradient, sumption that the flux is simply proportional to the driving force is the foundation of this approach. The phenomenological equations take the form: where the concentration gradients are assumed to be the driving force, and: if the chemical potential gradient is taken as the driving force. The coefficients Dij in Eq. [1.] are the "diffusion coefficients"; the elements of the corresponding matrix in Eq. [2], the Mij, are called the "mobilities". Eqs. [I] and [2] may be considered to be definitions of these phenomenological coefficients. A formidable body of literature has been generated about these equations; this literature dates back to their original formulation for the simplest case of binary diffusion in a fluid, by Adolf Fick, in 1855.&apos; This description has been shown to be self-consistent. However, the "constants of proportionality", the Dij or ,Mij, are not constant: they vary with composition in all but the simplest systems. Even in the case of tracer diffusion, wherein it can be shown that the diffusion coefficient is constant, the mobility, which is considered in irreversible thermodynamics to be the more physically meaningful quantity, varies with the concentration of the tracer involved.&apos; In more complex systems, it is necessary to evaluate the entire matrix of phenomenological coefficients, as a function of composition, in order to describe diffusion locally. Further, in order to determine this matrix experimentally, it is necessary to produce diffusion couples that have different sequences of compositions; the matrix may be evaluated only at points where these "composition paths" cross.* Finally, and perhaps most

Jan 1, 1969

By W. H. HOWARD

Discussion of the paper of W. H. HOWARD, presented at the Salt Lake meeting, August, 1914, and printed in Bulletin No. 92, August, 1914, pp. 2029 to 2046. EDGAR M. DUNN, Anaconda, Mont.-Mr. Howard&apos;s contribution to the literature on the Cottrell, method. of electrostatic precipitation of flue dust and fume at Garfield has been read by us with peculiar interest for the reason that we have been experimenting with the same process at Anaconda for the past eight or nine months, with a view to adapting it, under the direction of Dr. Cottrell and the supervision of J. 0. Elton. and D. R. Kellogg, representing the Anaconda Smelter Commission, to the treatment of very large volumes of gases, using large pipe treaters and various forms of electrodes, with about 150,000 volts rectified current. For the amount of gas to be treated here the 5-in. pipe means a cost for installation that is practically prohibitive, clue to the tremendous number of pipes required, and we have been trying to cut installation costs by increasing the size of the pipes. All of our work is still in the experimental stage, but we have obtained good clearance on our mixed roaster and converter gases with a 3-ft. pipe treater 20 ft. long, and with 5 ft. velocity therein; and with a discharge electrode of a single No. 29 nichrome wire set in the middle of the 3-ft. pipe, with. a consequent electrode spacing of 18 in. The current used has been 150,000 to -160,000 volts, .and of course there have been troubles galore, relating particularly to insulation and rectifying. Blast-furnace gases did not give so good clearance, probably due to relative poverty in moisture and S03 content of blast gases to roaster-converter gases; making the blast gases the poorer in conductivity. Our experience has been so satisfactory that in our next experimental plant-built on a somewhat larger scale-we shall attempt a 4-ft. treater with greater electrode spacing, and a somewhat higher voltage-up to 220,000. As to fractional precipitation, mentioned by Mr. Howard, this idea was tried out at Anaconda last year (1913). Formerly our furnaces (Bruntons) roasting flue dust for the recovery of white arsenic, passed so great an, amount of dust to the settling kitchens that refining of this arsenical product was necessary to eliminate the 5 to 20 per cent. dust contained therein. Consequently the manufacture of As203 was effected in two stages, with a reverberatory roast of the first .product to obtain the final 99.5 per cent. As203. -

Jan 11, 1914

By Arnulf Muan, Hobart M. Kraner

Ferromanganese alloys react with aluminu-silica brick in blast furnace hearths and cause the formation of new phases with low refractoriness and consequent failure of the refractory lining. The nature of these reactions is explained on the basis of petrographic observations, thermodynamic data, and Phase equilibrium considerations. Animproued hearth design resulted from these findings. The production of ferromanganese in blast furnaces presents many problems which are not encountered in the production of iron in the same furnaces. One of the most serious of these problems is the rapid failure of refractories caused by their reaction with the ferromanganese metal. The present paper describes such a "hearth attack", its symptoms, causes, and cure. Following an introductory discussion of operating practice in ferromanganese blast furnaces, results are presented of a petrographic examination of samples from a furnace which had to be shut down because of refractory failure. The causes of this failure are then analyzed on the basis of petrographic observations combined with thermodynamic and phase equilibrium data available in the literature. The latter type of data were subsequently used as a guide in recommending improvements in hearth designs which have since proven themselves successful in practical operations. I) FERROMANGANESE BLAST FURNACE PRACTICE It is considered good practice to blow in a furnace on iron and operate it in this way for a period of time preliminary to producing ferrornanganese. During this time, iron generally penetrates the bottom refractories six or more feet below the original working surface of the hearth. Not only does this metal pervade the joints to these depths, but the pores of the refractories are usually also filled by molten iron. The high throughput of the iron furnace provides ample heat to maintain a high temperature in the hearth refractories. This, together with a high ferrostatic pressure, causes porous clay brick of the hearth to shrink. During subsequent use of such a furnace in ferromanganese production, the iron in the pores of hearth brick if; replaced to some extent by ferromanganese. The replacement is usually not complete. This is probably due to the lower metal throughput and lower prevailing temperatures resulting from this in the brick of the hearth bottom. When the ferrornanganese furnace is banked—or when the temperature in the furnace falls due to a furnace delay—-manganese oxidizes even though the atmosphere is largely CO. Considerable expansion accompanies this oxidation of manganese from metal to oxide. The hearth refractories are then subjected to the disintegrating forces of the volume expansion. These forces may in extreme cases be large enough to lift the furnace off its mantle supports as was described in a previous paper.&apos; When cooling takes place slowly, however, and the temperature remains at a fairly high level, the refractories undergo fluxing action by the MnO. This latter reaction and the reduction of SiO2 of the clay brick is the general subject of the present paper. The observations to be described herein were made on a ferromanganese furnace located at the Johnstown plant of Bethlehem Steel Co. The furnace was lined entirely with clay refractories and had operated on iron for 266 days and on ferromanganese for 96 days prior to being taken off because of a hearth wall failure. II) PETROGRAPHIC EXAMINATION AND CHEMICAL ANALYSIS The photograph reproduced in Fig. 1 shws a cross section of the upper part of an 18 by 9 by 4-1/2 in. bottom block removed from the blast furnace. This brick came from a depth of approximately 6 ft below the original working face of the bottom. It will be noted that the 4-1/2 in. dimension is almost the same as when the brick entered the furnace. Three characteristically different zones marked I, II, and III on the print of Fig. 1 are apparent. Results of chemical analyses of the original brick and samples from each of these zones are listed in Table I. Petrographically the various zones were characterized as follows: The central zone marked I was essentially un-reacted brick. The microstructure consisted of fine needles of mullite, and the pores in this entire area were filled with iron. This is characteristic of

Jan 1, 1962