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By N. C. Fick, R. L. Rickett

Despite the large volume of literature on alloys of iron and silicon,' there is little published information dealing specifically with the constitution, at various temperatures, of the alloys containing less than 0.10 per cent carl~on and from 0.5 to 4.5 per cent silicon that are used extensively in the electrical industry. Because such information was needed by those engaged in the production of these alloys in sheet and strip form, the constitution nas determined of a series of commercial silicon steels containing 0.05 to 0.08 per cent carbon and 0.20 to 4.1 per cent silicon, over the temperature range 1300° to 1500°F. These alloys were all from regular production heats and of commercial quality. The results of the tests are given in Fig. I and for comparison the constitution diagram of iron-silicon alloys with 0.01 to 0.02 per cent carbon, taken from the literature, is also presented Material and Procedure All steels were hot-rolled to a thickness of 0.060 to 0.080 in. and used in this condition. Their chemical compositions, including over-all check analysis, and "center" analysis for carbon and silicon, are given in Table I. The so-called center analysis was determined on samples pickled to remove the outer surface and leave only the center third of the gauge thickness—the portion of the sample on which metallographic ratings were based. In most, but not all, of the alloys, slightly higher carbon was found at the center than when the whole strip was sampled; the two methods of sampling show relatively little difference in silicon. Two of the steels, A and E, contain relatively high phosphorus, while I and K are somewhat higher in manganese than the others. The procedure consisted essentially of heating specimens (about 1/16 by 3/8 by 3/4 in.), protected from oxidation or change in carbon content, at a temperature in the desired range and for a selected period, after which they were quenched in iced brine; the degree of transformation that had then occurred was determined by metallographic examination. The soaking periods were selected after preliminary investigation had shown that a con-

Jan 1, 1947

By Frank Foote, Eric R. Jette

In a recent article,1 the authors reported the results of an X-ray investigation on the range of solid solutions that occurs in the iron-oxygen system in the vicinity of the compound FeO, which frequently is called "wüstite." The object of that investigation was primarily to study the unusual type of solid solution phenomena involved in this range. Briefly summarized the results were: 1. The NaCl type of lattice found by earlier workers was confirmed. 2. The lattice dimensions decrease rapidly with decrease in iron content. 3. No alloy that was a homogeneous single phase was ever found at compositions beyond 76.80 per cent Fe, while the theoretical iron content of FeO is 77.73 per cent Fe. 4. Measurements of the densities and lattice constants led to the conclusion that the form of substitution was complex, an FeO group being replaced by oxygen. Such a substitution, of course, is equivalent to removing an iron atom (or ion). The ideal unit cell of FeO can be considered as containing four groups of FeO and, thus, when this type of substitution takes place, there remain in the unit cell three FeO groups and an oxygen, or a total of seven atoms with a gross formula of Fe3O4 instead of the original Fe4O4. 5. This was the only interpretation that would fit the experimental results and at the same time be consistent with (a) the previously determined fact that the FeO lattice is ionic (i, e., consists of Fe++ and O? ions) and (b) the chemical fact that as the oxygen content of the substance increases, ferrous iron becomes oxidized to ferric iron. The experimental results of this investigation are included in Fig. 1. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine the limits of this homogeneity range by means of the X-ray structure analysis. This method has been applied frequently to the study of solid solutions by Westgren and his coworkers as well as by other investigators. The principle is simple: if the change in lattice constant with composition is

Jan 1, 1933

By Y. A. Chang

Heat content values of tantalum monocarbide and tungsten monocarbide have been determined from 325" to 985°K by means of a drop-type diphenyl ether calorinzeter. Based on the values obtained in the present study and those available in the literature, best values lected and computed from 298. 15°K to temperatures close to their respectiue melting points. At temperatures higher than 1700°Kfor TaC and 27000 K for WC, values of Cp and related thermodynamic quantities were extrapolated based on the two Debye parameters: one corresponds to the metal sublattice and the other to the carbon sublattice. The contrzbutzon In the total specific heat due to lattice dilation was evaluated using the Nernst-Lindemann relalionship. The calculated values of Cp were in good agreement with the In view of their refractoriness, tantalum monocar-bide (TaC) and tungsten monocarbide (WC) are of con- experimentally determined ualues. Furthermore, the calculated values of the absolute entropies at 298.15"K were 5.03 and 4.15 in comparison to the experimental values of 5.05 and 4.15, all expressed in the unit of cal per degg-atom. Using the same Debye parameters, values of the linear coefficients of ther mal expansion for TaC and WC were calculated from absolute zero to their respective melting points using the Grüneisen equation. The calculated values are in excellent agreement with the experimental values available in the literature. Finally, the values of the bulk modulus of TaC from room tenzperature to temperature near its melting Point were also calculated using the equation recently derived by Anderson. No cot~ipari-son between the calculated and experimental values can be made due to lack of experimental data. siderable practical interest. In order to completely define these materials, it is necessary to know their thermal properties as a function of temperature. Tantalum rnonocarbide having a NaCl structure (B-1 type) melts congruently at 4250PK,1 while tungsten monoearbide with a simple hexagonal structure (Bh type) melts per itectically at 3049°K into melt and graphite.2 In the present study, the heat content values (from which

Jan 1, 1968

By B. V. P. Rao, H. L. Lovell, G. Simkovich

In the study described here, flotation tests were conducted on pure CaF2, on CaF2 doped at several concentration levels with either NaF or YF3, and on natural fluorite samples containing various amounts of impurities in an effort to extend previous knowledge of the influence of crystalline point imperfections on the flotation properties of solids. The results of these tests showed that although recoveries generally decreased as impurities increased, the differences in recovery were not nearly as striking as those detected in earlier experiments. A number of experimentalists have shown an interest in the way in which crystalline point imperfections affect the flotation properties of solids. As long ago as 1953, Welch hypothesized that it might be possible to control surface imperfections and thereby also control the flotation of solids.' A few years later, in some rather extensive work, Plaksin and his coworkers varied the surface imperfections of a number of compounds by oxidation or reduction processes and found that significant variations in flotation properties resulted.2-4 More recently, Simkovich showed that the recovery of both AgCl and PbS could be markedly varied by adding solid-solution impurities, which acted as doping agents, to these compounds.5 Then Mular studied the flotation of ZnO as a function of the doping agents Al2O3 and Li2O.6 Once again, it was found that these impurities, even in very low concentrations, had profound effects upon flotation recoveries. From an imperfection point of view, the defect structures of the compounds tested previously are as follows:7 PbS — amphoteric semiconductor with a Frenkel-type defect structure in the cation sub-lattice.8 AgCl - ionic conductor-Frenkel type defect structure? ZnO — n-type semiconductor, zinc ion interstitials and quasi-free electrons.10 All of these works undoubtedly bear some relation to the findings that the flotation properties of seemingly identical minerals from different ore deposits often exhibit extreme variation in flotation behavior, i.e., that small amounts of analytically undetectable impurities often have a great influence upon flotation

Jan 1, 1969

By Russell W. Mumford

LITHIA compounds have a place in pharmaceutical and other chemical industries and lithium minerals in glassmaking and ceramics. The metal, although rare, is used to a minor extent in alloys. During the nearly 50 years of production of lithium minerals in the United States, the silicate mineral spodumene has continued as the chief source of raw material for the manufacture of lithium salts. Although twice as much lepidolite, a lithium mica, has been mined, most of it has been used in the making of certain types of glass. Amblygonite has been an additional but minor source of lithium compounds. Triphylite, petalite, and zinnwaldite have also been utilized in the past. All of these commercial lithium minerals contain low percentages of lithium (Table 1). In 1938, a new raw material for manufacture of lithium compounds made its appearance. This product was crude dilithium sodium phosphate (Li2NaPO4), obtained as a by-product of manufacture of potash and soda chemicals from the brine of Searles Lake, California. Searles Lake, which is now dry, lies in the extreme northwest corner of San Bernardino County, California, and consists of a large mass of salts. It was estimated by the United States Geological Survey that the crystal body contained about 25 pct voids, which are filled with a saturated brine. The brine consists mainly of the sulphates, chlorides, carbonates, and borates of sodium and potassium. Several other acid radicals, including phosphates, are present. Lithium is present in the brine in an amount corresponding to 0.01 15 pct Li2O. In the course of evaporation of water from the brine, during the process of manufacture of sodium and potassium chemicals, dilithium sodium phosphate crystallizes out and is recovered by a flotation operation. The lithium concentrate is filtered and dried and is then ready for shipment. It analyzes from 19 to 21 pct Li2O and now constitutes the highest known grade of crude lithium material. It is and will continue to be a major source of lithium for manufacture of lithium products. The variation in lithia content of the commercial minerals as mined is due to replacement of the lithia by soda and potash, to partial alter-

Jan 1, 1949

By Charles S. Barrett, Robert F. Mehl

It is generally understood by workers in the field of the crystal structure of metallic alloys that terminal solid solutions are of two types, the substitutional and the interstitial. In reviewing the literature, the work of Weissl on the crystal structure of the alpha copper-tin alloys was encountered, in which a new type of terminal solid solution was proposed. In brief, Weiss' findings showed that the density of the alloys calculated from the side of the unit face-centered cube on the assumption of simple substitution—that is, with four atoms to the unit face-centered cell—was much higher than the density measured directly. It was suggested that the assumption of four atoms to the unit cube is not valid for these alloys, and that each unit cube contained less than four atoms; in other words, that one tin atom replaces more than one copper atom, leaving some atomic positions unoccupied. Such a structure, if verified, would have far-reaching significance in the study of the crystal structure of metallic alloys. It would indicate a complexity in terminal solid solutions not hitherto suspected and might encourage work leading to the discovery of other alloys of the same type, and perhaps to types intermediate between it and the two recognized types. It is of importance, therefore, to reinvestigate these alloys with respect to the type of solid-solution structure obtaining therein. Materials and Experimental Method The alloys were prepared from electrolytic copper cut directly from the cathode and the high-purity tin furnished by the U. S. Bureau of Standards for the calibration of thermocouples. No analyses for impurities of these materials or of the finished alloys were made, since such impurities as might be present could have only a wholly inappreciable effect upon the data obtained and the conclusions drawn. The alloys were made by melting the weighed copper charge in a graphite crucible under a KCl-LiC1 flux with later additions of NaC1, using induction heating. When the copper was melted the weighed portions of tin were

Jan 1, 1930

By Persifor Frazer

The rocks which cover the east flank of the South Mountain are chloritic schists typical in character. A specimen of this rock from near the Bechtel shaft, Hamilton Ban Township, Adams County, Pa., was selected and analyzed in my laboratory by Mr. C. Hanford Henderson, with the following results: Ignition,........2.740 CaO,..........7.040 SiO,,..........41.280 MgO,.......... 7.486 AI,O,,.........18.480 K,O,..........2.208 Fe,Os,.........9.440 Na,O,.........3.523 FeO,......... 8.200 100. As one penetrates the range by moving westvard, these schists are replaced either by epidotie quartz or by orthofelsite. In the former case, a belt of copper-bearing rock is traversed, but not in the latter case. Inasmuch as this junction of the chloritic schists on the southeast and orthofelsite on the northwest, separated by the epidotic quartz, is several times repeated, we find two or three copper belts arranged in general parallelism to the axis of the chain, because the copper horizon is generally at this junction. Thus, in going west from Fairfield, after entering the low spurs on the South Mountain, one is fairly within the chlorite measures. At the " Virginia Mills " a chlorite schist comes in with a dip of S. 1.5 E.-74 Half a mile up Middle Creek, large numbers of fragments of chlorite schist, decoruposed epidotic matter, and quartz are encountered. The former rock, where in place, dips E. 40" S.-57o. About 4000 feet west of the intersection of this road with the so-called Tape-Worm Railroad, near the house of one Singly, large masses of chloritie schist are found loose on the road. A hundred yards farther west, near a triangle in the road, the latter is less in quantity and much epidotic quartz appears, after which a very large display of orthofelsite succeeds on the left bank of Middle Creek. All these last-mentioned rocks, however, are in fragments. Crossing the stream again a few hundred yards farther On, the chlorite fragments at first preponderate, and then large numbers of both rocks

Jan 1, 1884

By E. I. Salkovitz, F. W. von Batchelder

AS Slawson1 and others have already shown, from a geometrical view twinning in the diamond structure may be considered as a reflection across a (111) plane or as a reflection across a (112) plane. An analysis by Ellis and Treuting2 showed that the twinning plane must be the (111) plane, but that a twin might have lateral boundaries along (112) planes. Earlier Slawson1 and Ellis3 had shown that only (111) twinning was present in diamond and germanium respectively. Since an ingot of silicon, 1 in. in diam and 1 1/2 in. long, prepared from Dupont silicon to which 0.2 pct Be had been added was available, it was examined for twinning. The ingot had been cooled slowly from the bottom. A section 1/16 in. thick was ground off from the bottom and then the ingot was sliced vertically through the center. Spectrographic analysis indicated only faint traces of iron and silver, in addition to the beryllium. The sample was first etched with a hot solution of 10 pct NaOH in water.and photographed. Back-reflection Laue patterns were made of the vertical and horizontal sections in the regions designated in Fig. 1. Orientations were obtained for each twin using the Greninger technique. Several regions of the same orientation were found; thus regions A and K were identical, similarly N and P, and C, G, J, and L. Knowing the angles between the traces of the twinning plane on the surface and the specimen axis, the indices of the twinning plane were deduced. In all cases the twinning plane was found to be (111); lateral boundaries, however, were found which were (112) such as the one indicated in Fig. 1. Therefore, as in the case of diamond1 and germanium' only (111) twinning occurs in silicon. We wish to thank Mr. Hino for the use of the ingot as well as for its metallographic preparation. References 1C. B. Slawson: American Mineralogist (1950) 35, p. 193. 2 W. C. Ellis and R. C. Treuting: Trans. AIME (1951) 191, p. 53; Journal of Metals (January 1951). 3W. C. Ellis: Trans. AIME (1950) 188, p. 886; Journal of Metals (June 1950).

Jan 1, 1953

By Orson Cutler Shepard

The term "electrocapillary amalgamation" is used in this paper to designate amalgamation processes that depend upon electrocapillary phenomenon; i.e., the action of an electric current upon the surface tension of mercury at the contact with aqueous solutions. Electro-capillary amalgamation is selected as a name for these processes because the electrocapillary phenomenon has been found to be the effective agent in the use of sodium amalgam, as well as in the various processes using an electric current from a source outside of the amalgam. Amalgamation processes that depend upon supplying an electric current to the amalgam from an outside source, such as batteries and generators, have previously been called electrical amalgamation processes. There has been a tremendous amount of experimental work done on amalgamation processes involving the use of an electric current, as shown by the large number of patents issued on these processes: the earliest in 1885 and the latest in 1934l. Regardless of all the experimental work, the fundamental principles causing the operation of electrocapillary amalgamation processes have not been described. The explanation usually given is that an electric current keeps the amalgam bright and clean. Patent No. 328532 states: It is well known that when amalgam plates are used for collecting gold and silver from their ores the surfaces of these plates are liable to become tarnished or sickened by certain substances contained in the ores or in the current of water which is employed to carry the ore over the plates, and that in this condition they are unfitted for amalgamating the particles of gold and silver. To prevent this and to keep the surfaces of the amalgamation plates always bright and in a better condition for catching and amalgamating the particles of gold and silver I employ electricity in the following manner: . . . A similar explanation is given 49 years later, in patent No. 1953364: The sodium (Na) ions lose their charge at the cathode becoming sodium atoms, which do not react with the electrolyte, but follow the grounded electrical current through the mercury body producing in their passage sodium amalgam and liberate themselves in the amalgamation compartment when brought in contact with the fed

Jan 1, 1939

By Orson Cutler Shepard

The term "electrocapillary amalgamation" is used in this paper to designate amalgamation processes that depend upon electrocapillary phenomenon; i.e., the action of an electric current upon the surface tension of mercury at the contact with aqueous solutions. Electro-capillary amalgamation is selected as a name for these processes because the electrocapillary phenomenon has been found to be the effective agent in the use of sodium amalgam, as well as in the various processes using an electric current from a source outside of the amalgam. Amalgamation processes that depend upon supplying an electric current to the amalgam from an outside source, such as batteries and generators, have previously been called electrical amalgamation processes. There has been a tremendous amount of experimental work done on amalgamation processes involving the use of an electric current, as shown by the large number of patents issued on these processes: the earliest in 1885 and the latest in 1934l. Regardless of all the experimental work, the fundamental principles causing the operation of electrocapillary amalgamation processes have not been described. The explanation usually given is that an electric current keeps the amalgam bright and clean. Patent No. 328532 states: It is well known that when amalgam plates are used for collecting gold and silver from their ores the surfaces of these plates are liable to become tarnished or sickened by certain substances contained in the ores or in the current of water which is employed to carry the ore over the plates, and that in this condition they are unfitted for amalgamating the particles of gold and silver. To prevent this and to keep the surfaces of the amalgamation plates always bright and in a better condition for catching and amalgamating the particles of gold and silver I employ electricity in the following manner: . . . A similar explanation is given 49 years later, in patent No. 1953364: The sodium (Na) ions lose their charge at the cathode becoming sodium atoms, which do not react with the electrolyte, but follow the grounded electrical current through the mercury body producing in their passage sodium amalgam and liberate themselves in the amalgamation compartment when brought in contact with the fed

Jan 1, 1939

By Orson Shepard

THE term "electrocapillary amalgamation" is used in this paper to designate amalgamation processes that depend upon electrocapillary phenomenon; i.e., the action of an electric current upon the surface tension of mercury at the contact with aqueous solutions. Electro-capillary amalgamation is selected as a name for these processes because the electrocapillary phenomenon has been found to be the effective agent in the use of sodium amalgam, as well as in the various processes using an electric current from a source outside of the amalgam. Amalgamation processes that depend upon supplying an electric current to the amalgam from an outside source, such as batteries and generators, have previously been called electrical amalgamation processes. There has been a tremendous amount of experimental work done on amalgamation processes involving the use of an electric current, as shown by the large number of patents issued on these processes: the earliest in 1885 and the latest in 19341. Regardless of all the experimental work, the fundamental principles causing the operation of electrocapillary amalgamation processes have not been described. The explanation usually given is that an electric current keeps the amalgam bright and clean. Patent No. 328532 states: It is well known that when amalgam plates are used for collecting gold and silver from their ores the surfaces of these plates are liable to become tarnished or sickened by certain substances contained in the ores or in the current of water which is employed to carry the ore over the plates, and that in this condition they are unfitted for amalgamating the particles of gold and silver. To prevent this and to keep the surfaces of the amalgamation plates always bright and in a better condition for catching and amalgamating the particles of gold and silver I employ electricity in the following manner:. . . A similar explanation is given 49 years later, in patent No. 1953364: The sodium (Na) ions lose their charge at the cathode becoming sodium atoms, which do not react with the electrolyte, but follow the grounded electrical current through the mercury body producing in their passage sodium amalgam and liberate themselves in the amalgamation compartment when brought in contact with the fed

Jan 1, 1936

By J. Gurland, A. Gangulee

The cracking of silicon particles embedded in an aluminum matrix occurs progressively over the range of plastic deformation of the composite specimen. The fracture probability of the particles increases with increasing particle size and decreasing silicon contents. The crack orientation tends to be perpendiculay to the direction of the maximum tellsile strain. An example of a direct association between matrix slip and particle cracking is shorn. ALUMINUM-SILICON alloys of commercial compositions fail by ductile fracture in three stages:' I) initiation of cracks in the silicon particles, 2) growth of cracks into cavities, and 3) rupture of the aluminum matrix separating the cavities. The present work is concerned with the first stage: the initiation of cracks in the silicon particles. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Aluminum samples with 2.8, 6.1, 9.6, and 13.2 vol pet Si, respectively, were cast from commercial al- loys. Machined tensile specimens (2 in. gage length) were annealed in air at 1000°F for 100 hr, and then pulled at a strain rate of 0.025 per min. The grain size (average linear intercept) of the aluminum matrix was 0.24 and 1.6 mm in the 6.1 and 13.2 pet Si alloys, respectively. The particle size of silicon in alloys of one composition (6.1 pet Si) was varied by either modifying the castings with 0.15 pet Na or prolonging the annealing time. The average particle size was measured by linear and planar analysis, assuming spherical particles of uniform size. The particle sizes and compositions of all samples are tabulated in Fig. 8, together with the identifying symbols used in the graphs. The respective numbers of broken and unbroken silicon particles were determined from metallographically prepared longitudinal sections by counting a total of approximately 2000 particles per sample. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS 1) Crack Initiation During Deformation as Function of Composition. Nominal stress-strain curves of four specimens of different compositions, but approximately equal particle sizes, are presented in Fig. 1. The fraction of broken particles, P (no. of broken particles/ total no. of particles), is shown in Fig. 2 as function of true stress and in Fig. 3 as function of nominal strain. The last point of each composition line in Fig. 2 rep-

Jan 1, 1968

By G. L. Kulcinski, R. D. Leggett

Irradiated uranium containing 635 ppm of carbon, mostly in the form of UC precipitates, was annealed at temperatures from 650" to 900°C under hydrostatic pressures of 0 to 1000 bars. Postirradiation examination revealed that the carbide particles are not stable in the r phase of irradiated material but are stable in unirradiated material annealed under identical conditions. The degree of carbide dissolution appears to be connected with the fission product concentration and independent of annealing pressure. THIS paper describes the change in appearance of carbide particles in irradiated uranium after the uranium has been postirradiation-annealed. It has been proposed by several investigators&apos;-5 that fission gas-induced swelling in irradiated uranium may be reduced by incorporating a fine dispersion of second-phase particles into the metal. Because of the low solubility of carbon in uranium6 and the apparent stability of UC precipitates at high temperatures,6-8 this system has received some attention. The stability of UC particles to low-temperature irradiation has been demonstrated many times, as well as their stability during postirradiation anneals in the high a or B phases.9 Unirradiated uranium containing UC particles has been annealed high in the r phase, and the solubility of carbon was found to be only -115 ppm at 1050ºC.6 Vacuum annealing of irradiated uranium to the same temperature produces a spongelike sample, due to the formation and growth of fission gas bubbles."14 This highly disrupted lattice has made any determination of the stability of UC at these temperatures impossible. Nevertheless, it has always been tacitly assumed that the UC particles were still present. Recently, postirradiation, high pressure-high temperature tests have been performed on irradiated uranium containing a secondary phase of UC. 14 Examination of these samples after 100-hr, 900°C tests revealed that the carbides are not stable, and the results of these tests are presented here. 1) EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The samples, high-pressure equipment, and subsequent analytical techniques are the same as those described elsewhere.14,15 Briefly, cylindrical samples of commercial-purity uranium that had been irradiated at <350°C to 0.37 at. pct B.U. were subjected to 90O°C, 100-hr anneals in NaK at pressures ranging

Jan 1, 1970

By Claudio Barsotti, Leonard C. Kitchener

INTRODUCTION The major mining operations of the Ontario Division of Inco Metals Company are located in the Sudbury Basin. Around the rim of this geo- logical formation and within thirty miles of the City of Sudbury are located eleven under- ground mines of the Company, two of which are on standby. In addition, there is one mine in Northwestern Ontario at Shebandowan, 1127 Km (700 miles) northwest of Sudbury. In 1980 ore production totalled 10.6 x 10 mt (11.7 million tons) from underground and open pit operations. Underground mining methods include blasthole, vertical retreat, sublevel caving, cut-and-fill and undercut-and-fill. Inco reduction operations in the Sudbury area include two concentrators, one smelter, one iron ore recovery plant, a copper refinery a nickel refinery and a high purity plate rolling mill. As well, an electrolytic nickel refinery is located on Lake Erie at Port Colborne, near Niagara Falls. In the Sudbury District, Inco employees total 14,278 of whom 6,490 are directly employed in the mining and milling operations. I T H DRILLING Background - The use of long blastholes in underground operations at Inco mines in the Sudbury district started more than 30 years ago at the Levack Mine. At that time, diamond drills were used to mine ore by open stoping and for pillar recovery. By the 1950&apos;s the concept had been extended to all mines. The heavy percussion drill was also developed by this time and led to the acceptance of the 11.43 cm (4% in.) piston diameter drifter for bar and arm and fan drill applications. The use however, of the nominal 5.08 cm (2 in.) diameter blastholes drilled radially from the level or sublevel causes overdrilling at the periphery. As well, the smaller holes are subject to hole deviation, are difficult to drill beyond 38.1 m (125 ft.) and require the need for several drilling horizons or sublevels. The need to improve blasthole stoping techniques and our experience with large diameter blastholes in open pit mining led to the trial of an I T H drill in 1962. The test was unsuccessful however, since button bits were not available at the time and the tungsten carbide cross bit experienced short life, gauge loss, and caused hole deviation and poor penetration rates. The successful application of the raise borer beginning in 1964 and the ability to drill 20.32 cm (8 in.) to 27.94 cm (11 in.) diameter pilot holes led to the development of smaller, more portable, rotary drills for blasthole mining. As a result, a mining method based on the use of 20 cm (7 718 in.) diameter, 60.1 m (200 ft.) long rotary blastholes was developed and tested successfully at our C.C.North Mine. Between 1972, when the method was first tested, and 1973 over 4572 m (15000 ft.) of large holes were drilled with rotary drills in the recovery of 175,960 mt (194000 tons) of primary stoping and pillar remnants. A new mining method was developed that made use of this large hole drilling equipment. Instead of longhole carbide drilling by bar-and-arm or fan drill set-ups at sublevels, the large diameter holes were drilled full stope height from the top sill, which substantially reduced development, drilling time and improved fragmentation. These drills however, were difficult to move and set-up, and had a high maintenance cost and low productivity. The capital outlay and extensive technical development required to improve these drills and reduce the high drilling costs however, was economically unattractive. New development in drills and button bits INTRODUCTION The major mining operations of the Ontario Division of Inco Metals Company are located in the Sudbury Basin. Around the rim of this geo- logical formation and within thirty miles of the City of Sudbury are located eleven under- ground mines of the Company, two of which are on standby. In addition, there is one mine in Northwestern Ontario at Shebandowan, 1127 Km (700 miles) northwest of Sudbury. In 1980 ore production totalled 10.6 x 10 mt (11.7 million tons) from underground and open pit operations. Underground mining methods include blasthole, vertical retreat, sublevel caving, cut-and-fill and undercut-and-fill. Inco reduction operations in the Sudbury area include two concentrators, one smelter, one iron ore recovery plant, a copper refinery a nickel refinery and a high purity plate rolling mill. As well, an electrolytic nickel refinery is located on Lake Erie at Port Colborne, near Niagara Falls. In the Sudbury District, Inco employees total 14,278 of whom 6,490 are directly employed in the mining and milling operations. I T H DRILLING Background - The use of long blastholes in underground operations at Inco mines in the Sudbury district started more than 30 years ago at the Levack Mine. At that time, diamond drills were used to mine ore by open stoping and for pillar recovery. By the 1950&apos;s the concept had been extended to all mines. The heavy percussion drill was also developed by this time and led to the acceptance of the 11.43 cm (4% in.) piston diameter drifter for bar and arm and fan drill applications. The use however, of the nominal 5.08 cm (2 in.) diameter blastholes drilled radially from the level or sublevel causes overdrilling at the periphery. As well, the smaller holes are subject to hole deviation, are difficult to drill beyond 38.1 m (125 ft.) and require the need for several drilling horizons or sublevels. The need to improve blasthole stoping techniques and our experience with large diameter blastholes in open pit mining led to the trial of an I T H drill in 1962. The test was unsuccessful however, since button bits were not available at the time and the tungsten carbide cross bit experienced short life, gauge loss, and caused hole deviation and poor penetration rates. The successful application of the raise borer beginning in 1964 and the ability to drill 20.32 cm (8 in.) to 27.94 cm (11 in.) diameter pilot holes led to the development of smaller, more portable, rotary drills for blasthole mining. As a result, a mining method based on the use of 20 cm (7 718 in.) diameter, 60.1 m (200 ft.) long rotary blastholes was developed and tested successfully at our C.C.North Mine. Between 1972, when the method was first tested, and 1973 over 4572 m (15000 ft.) of large holes were drilled with rotary drills in the recovery of 175,960 mt (194000 tons) of primary stoping and pillar remnants. A new mining method was developed that made use of this large hole drilling equipment. Instead of longhole carbide drilling by bar-and-arm or fan drill set-ups at sublevels, the large diameter holes were drilled full stope height from the top sill, which substantially reduced development, drilling time and improved fragmentation. These drills however, were difficult to move and set-up, and had a high maintenance cost and low productivity. The capital outlay and extensive technical development required to improve these drills and reduce the high drilling costs however, was economically unattractive. New development in drills and button bits

Jan 1, 1981

By L. E. PORTNER

INCREASING military demands on the petroleum industry have brought into bold relief the crude-oil reserves now available to meet combined military and civilian demands, emphasizing the necessity for a greater efficiency in recovery from what has been discovered than ever before, particularly in light of the absence of new discoveries. This situation-and the fact that the industry, as well as members of the Government charged with governing oil production, desire to meet all crude-oil demands made of the industry with the least loss in tangible reserves through production practices-paves the way for increasing application of sound principles of production engineering and conservation.

Jan 1, 1944

By Amitava Gangulee

A recent investigation has shown that solid solution hardening is almost absent in the quasibinary system SnTe-pbTe.1 The lack of solid solution hardening was attributed to the small difference of only about 3 pct between the atomic sizes of lead and tin, and to the fact that the formation of these solid solutions involved changes only in the sublattice occupied by the lead and tin atoms. The investigation reported here is concerned with the quasibinary system PbSe-PbTe which, similar to the SnTe-PbTe system, forms a continuous series of solid solutions2 and has the same NaC1-type (Bl) structure. The size difference between the selenium and tellurium atoms, however, is slightly larger than 7 pct. No indication of any ordering of the lead and tin atoms at. selected compositions had been found in the system SnTe-PbTe, which had been explained by the weak second-nearest-neighbor interactions between lead and tin atoms.&apos; The possible occurrence of an ordering transition in the system PbSe-PbTe was also investigated in the present work. Polycrystalline specinlens of PbSel-1-xTex (x = 0, 0.20, 0.25, 0.33, 0.50, 0.67, 0.75, 0.80, and 1.0) were prepared by melting appropriate amounts of 99.999 pct pure Pb, Se, and Te j.n evacuated and sealed Vycor capsules. The capsules were quenched in water. The solidified ingots were homogenized at 800°C for 14 days. Chemical analysis of the homogenized ingots showed that the deviations from the stoichiometric compositions were less than 0.1 at. pct for each component. Part of each ingot was ground to pass through a 75 g sieve and pressed into 25.4 mm by 12.7 by 2 mm briquettes. Duplicate sets of specimens, each containing at least one briquette and part of the ingot of each composition, were sealed in evacuated Vycor capsules. Both sets were annealed at 500°C for 7 days; one set was quenced in ice-water and the other was cooled to room temperature over a period of 14 days.

Jan 1, 1970

By Nelson W. Taylor

With the extensive deposits of potash minerals which have been discovered in the southwestern states, and their rapid development, a permanent American supply of potassium compounds is now assured. The 325-year history of the potash industry in this country has been told by H. I. Smith1, of the U.S. Geological Survey, and the more recent activities of the Survey and of American potash companies were described last year by the same author2. In fact, it may be stated that so great is the productive capacity that two mines in New Mexico and one in California are able to supply more than half a million tons of crude and refined salts over and above that produced for agricultural purposes. The era of scarcity has given way to an era of superabundance. This situatiori makes it desirable for the potash producer to look for other applications for his product, and it is with this in mind that the writer presents some information pertaining to present and possible future uses for potassium compounds in the ceramic industry. Ceramic Products Ceramic products are essentially solid materials containing one or more oxides such as SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, MgO, FeO, K2O, Na2O, TiO2, which are the oxides of greatest abundance in the earth&apos;s crust. The typical ceramic process is that of firing or burning the batch, and the product may be glassy, crystalline or mixed. In the glassy or vitreous group come glass, porcelain enamel and glazes; in the crystalline group, refractory materials such as silica brick, or chromite or magnesia; and in the mixed group, porcelain, chinaware, stoneware, tile, brick, etc., which contain both a vitreous and a crystalline phase, in variable proportions. The ceramic industry of the United States is a billion dollar industry, and is important not only because of its magnitude but also because of the key position occupied by certain ceramic products in the whole manufacturing structure. From the standpoint of use of potash, the field of refractories is of no great interest, since K2O lowers the melting point of a refractory oxide and

Jan 1, 1938

By Nelson W. Taylor

With the extensive deposits of potash minerals which have been discovered in the southwestern states, and their rapid development, a permanent American supply of potassium compounds is now assured. The 325-year history of the potash industry in this country has been told by H. I. Smith1, of the U.S. Geological Survey, and the more recent activities of the Survey and of American potash companies were described last year by the same author2. In fact, it may be stated that so great is the productive capacity that two mines in New Mexico and one in California are able to supply more than half a million tons of crude and refined salts over and above that produced for agricultural purposes. The era of scarcity has given way to an era of superabundance. This situatiori makes it desirable for the potash producer to look for other applications for his product, and it is with this in mind that the writer presents some information pertaining to present and possible future uses for potassium compounds in the ceramic industry. Ceramic Products Ceramic products are essentially solid materials containing one or more oxides such as SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, MgO, FeO, K2O, Na2O, TiO2, which are the oxides of greatest abundance in the earth&apos;s crust. The typical ceramic process is that of firing or burning the batch, and the product may be glassy, crystalline or mixed. In the glassy or vitreous group come glass, porcelain enamel and glazes; in the crystalline group, refractory materials such as silica brick, or chromite or magnesia; and in the mixed group, porcelain, chinaware, stoneware, tile, brick, etc., which contain both a vitreous and a crystalline phase, in variable proportions. The ceramic industry of the United States is a billion dollar industry, and is important not only because of its magnitude but also because of the key position occupied by certain ceramic products in the whole manufacturing structure. From the standpoint of use of potash, the field of refractories is of no great interest, since K2O lowers the melting point of a refractory oxide and

Jan 1, 1938

By C. P. Proctor

WESTERN Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, and Illinois are carrying out experiments wherein much more slate and other impurities are loaded with the coal in the mine and hauled to the surface preparation plant for removal. In general everything is sent to the cleaning plant although there may be some gobbing in the mine. No conclusions have been announced as to the effect of such a mining system on clean coal costs. Such factors as ability of the surface plant to handle the impurities, land and facilities for disposing of the impurities, and the transportation facilities underground should be considered.

Jan 1, 1942

By George H. Deike

DURING the past year a survey was conducted by the Committee on the Promotion of Student Interest in Coal Mining to determine whether the program as laid down in past years was operating effectively. It is a source of satisfaction and pleasure to be able to report considerable headway among operating companies in putting cooperative scholarship plans into operation. In previous committee reports the pioneer work along this line by Eugene McAuliffe, president of the Union Pacific Coal Co., has been cited. That Company now has in its employ, in responsible positions, three men who received their education under such scholarship plans. One student under a similar plan is now studying at the Colorado School of Mines.

Jan 1, 1942