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By Joseph Hyde Pratt, Douglas B. Sterrett

Monazite is one of the minerals which, for a long time, was considered somewhat rare in its occurrence, but, upon a commercial demand arising for it, prospectors and engineers soon located large deposits of it in the Carolinas arid Brazil, and the supply has always been able to meet the demand. During 1908 further sources of supply of monazite have been discovered and developed in Idaho. North and South Carolina, however, are the only States that have thus far put any monazite on the market. Monazite is essentially an anhydrous phosphate of the rare-earth metals,ceriunl, lanthanum, and didymium,(Ce,La,Di)PO,. There is nearly always present a varying but small percentage of thoria, Tho2, and silicic acid, SiO2,, which are very probably united in the form of a thorium silicate, ThSiO4. Some mona-zites contain but a fraction of a per cent. of thoria, while others have been recorded that showed the presence of from 18 to 32 per cent.; but the majority contain from 3 to 9 per cent. of this oxide. It is the presence of the thorium oxide that gives the monazite its commercial value. The analysis occasionally shows also the presence of other constituents, as the yttrium and erbium oxides, zirconia, alumina, magnesia, lime, iron oxides, manganese oxide, and titanium oxide. Monazite is light-yellow, honey-yellow, reddish-, brownish-, or greenish-yellop. in color, with a resinous to vitreous luster, and is translucent to subtransparent. It is brittle, with a con-choidal to uneven fracture, and is from 5 to 5.5 in hardness, and from 4.64 to 5.3 in specific gravity. It crystallizes in the monoclinic system, and some crystals have been observed that werc 6 in. in length. The more perfect crystals are,-however,

Jan 1, 1910

By O. N. Carlson, H. A. Wilhelm, H. E. Lunt, J. M. Dickinson

On the basis of data obtained from microscopic examination, melting observations, cooling curves, X-ray analyses, and resistance measurements, phase diagrams have been proposed for the Th-Cb and Th-Ti alloy systems. Both are simple eutectic systems and have no terminal solid solubility or intermediate phases. The eutectic between thorium and columbium occurs at a composition of about 8 wt pct Cb and a temperature of 1435°C. The Th-Ti eutectic occurs at 1190°C at the composition 12 wt pct Ti. No change was observed in the transformation temperature of thorium in either system or in the titanium transformation. RECENT study of thorium and its alloys has been promoted because of the possibility of employing this metal in nuclear reactors. Their corrosion resistant properties, nuclear characteristics, and high melting points put columbium and titanium among the many metals being employed in the study of thorium alloys. Since a knowledge of the phase relationships would be important in the application of such an alloy, investigations were undertaken to propose phase diagrams for the Th-Cb and Th-Ti systems. Experimental Procedures Thorium metal sponge was specially prepared for use in this investigation. Carbon in a quantity less than 0.04 wt pct was the principal impurity. There was also less than 0.01 pct each of iron, calcium, zinc, aluminum, and nitrogen in the thorium. Columbium, both as a powder and sheet metal, was obtained from the Fansteel Metallurgical Corp. The manufacturer's specifications indicated that the metal contains less than 1 wt pct total impurities. An analysis of the metal showed approximately 0.18 pct C in the powder and less than 0.05 pct C in the sheet. The titanium used was commercial sponge, reported to be 99.5 pct Ti. An analysis showed that this metal contained 0.2 pct Fe. Preparation of Alloys—Since the metals used in this investigation are reactive and might become contaminated on melting in a refractory crucible, the alloys were prepared by arc melting. The titanium sponge was employed in the form of small lumps while the columbium additions were made either as pressed pellets of powder or as clippings from sheet. The alloying material and the thorium sponge were melted together under argon in conventional arc melting equipment employing a tungsten electrode and a water cooled copper crucible.

Jan 1, 1957

By F. Twyman

PART I.-QUALITATIVE, SPECTRUM ANALYSIS THOSE chemists (they are still greatly in the minority) who use the spectroscope, use it very often, and find it almost indispensable. As a means of detecting minute quantities of the metals it is unrivalled. A metal can be readily distinguished in the presence of any other element, compound, or mixture without the necessity of separation. The qualitative analysis of the metallic constituents of a substance, which, the spectroscope gives so easily, is a sure basis for planning a chemical analysis. As the determination of each element proceeds the purity of precipitates maybe checked as often as desired. If, possessing these advantages; the spectroscope has been neglected in general chemistry, it is not surprising that it was neglected in metallurgical chemistry; for many of the impurities which are of industrial interest, even when they are present in a metal or alloy in small quantities, are not then always easily detected by the examination of their visible spectrum. The history of the development of the art has been given in Bureau of Standards Scientific Paper No. 444.

Jan 1, 1928

By D. A. Woodford

In a constant-load creep test, if the density of nlobile dislocations is assumed constant for strains exceeding that corvesponding to the minimum creep rate, it is shown that the creep rate may be approximated by the equation where E is the nominal strain, o0. is the initial stress, and a' the stress fov unit dislocation velocity. The constant C contains the mean density of mobile dislocations and n is a measure of the stress sensitivity of dislocation celocity. This equation is shoum to be applicable to published data on an alloy steel and on nickel. The degree of plastic instability and hence the creep ductility is dependent on the calue of n for these materials. When instability becomes gross and local macroscopic necking occurs, the assumptions are no longer valid. On the basis of this equation, and the strain-time relation derived from it, a method of predicting the creep behavior at different stresses is suggested. MOst analyses of creep data have been concerned with time-dependent transient creep or time-independ- ent secondary creep in constant-stress tests. The far more widely used constant-load test has been neglected in terms of a mechanistic approach. In general, since the strains involved are usually small, the same laws for transient creep may be applied to both types of tests. However, there is no steady-state creep in a constant-load test since the stress increases continuously. Any apparent steady state observed on a strain-time plot is either fortuitous or illusory, and is generally revealed as a continuously varying creep rate on a carefully constructed strain rate vs time plot.* Transient creep may be understood in terms of a simple differential equation representing the change in mobile dislocation density with time:' where p is the density of mobile dislocations. The first term on the right is related to first-order kinetics of dislocation multiDlication and the second to second-order kinetics of exhaustion. On the basis of this equation, several authors2-4 have found good agreement with experimental transient creep curves for a number of materials. When k1p = k2p2, a steady-state creep

Jan 1, 1968

By Max Y. Seaton

THE scope of this paper will be limited to finished materials that contain a large preponderance (around 80 per cent or more) of magnesium oxide. The large and commercially important production of refractory dolomite and modified dolomites is not discussed here, and the production of magnesium basic carbonate for use as a heat insulator is barely mentioned. The discussion is confined mainly to magnesias produced in comparatively great quantity by direct processing of naturally occurring raw materials and hence excludes secondary or highly purified products such as pharmaceutical products or U.S.P. light and heavy calcined magnesias of commerce. NOMENCLATURE The nomenclature of the magnesia products that will be discussed is somewhat confusing, in that it is customary in the trade to designate as "calcined magnesite" the materials that result from the calcining of magnesite to temperatures that remove the contained carbon dioxide. The finished product, therefore, is not magnesite at all but simply a more or less pure magnesium oxide or magnesia. Furthermore, partly for statistical and partly for commercial reasons, it has been customary, during recent years, to classify as "calcined magnesite" products that result from the heat-treatment of magnesium hydroxide precipitated from magnesium-containing brines; products that, obviously, have no relationship whatever to magnesite. In the listing of magnesia-containing materials, tonnages of which are regularly reported by the Bureau of Mines, reports ordinarily are made under two headings: "caustic calcined" magnesite, in which all of the varieties of products treated at relatively low temperatures are lumped; and "dead-burned" magnesite, in which are included both high-purity and low-purity, and particularly both high-iron and low-iron, materials that have been so heat-treated that the magnesium oxide occurs predominantly as crystalline periclase-materials used almost entirely for refractory purposes. In 1940 the apparent domestic consumption of "caustic calcined" magnesite was approximately 17,000 tons, about 95 per cent of which was produced in this country. The apparent consumption of "dead-burned" magnesite was approximately 172,000 tons, some 82 per cent of which was domestically produced. In both total quantity and percentage of material produced within the United States, these figures are record highs for many years past. UTILIZATION As indicated by these figures, the major tonnage outlet for magnesia is the refractories industry, in which magnesia is employed principally in three ways: (I) as dead-burned grain magnesite for the construction and maintenance of the hearths or bottoms of basic open-hearth furnaces; (2) in the form of refractory magnesite bricks and shapes; and (3) as a chemical

Jan 1, 1942

By D. T. Novick, M. B. Bever, B. Roessler

Ordered and disordered specimens of the alloy CusAu were cold worked and then annealed at 2880, 310°, and 340°C, together with disordered unworked specimens. me resistivity decreased during annealing mainly as a result of ordering; the resistivity measurements suggest that in cold-worked specimens the growth of antiphase domains is impeded. The strength properties increased during annealing at 288 "C; in cold-worked specimens this increase was lo a level above that for cold-worked specimens which had not been annealed. X-ray diffraction showed that after annealing for a few hours at 288ºC, the long-range order increased to a constant value; additional annealing at 288ºC resulted in the growth of antiphase domains in which the degree of order was constant. Changes in peak breadth and particle size confirmed that in cold-worked specimens the major effects of cold work were not eliminated during annealing at 288 "C, although a slight recovery process occurred. When a specimen of the alloy Cu3Au is heated to a temperature below the critical temperature (388ºC), long-range ordering tends to occur in a specimen containing less than the equilibrium amount of order characteristic of that temperature Ideally, a specimen of Cu3Au contains no long-range order if it has been quenched from above the critical temperature. Long-range order is reduced by cold work. If cold-worked specimens are heated, restoration processes such as recovery and recrystallization may occur,

Jan 1, 1963

By H. Kenyon Burch

PaQe Introduction.............................................................. 708 Plant Sites................................................................ 709 Type of Construction...................................................... 710 Mine Plant............................................................... 710 Dual Arrangement.................................................... 711 Underground Haulage............................................. 711 Tipples........................................................... 712 Underground Pockets............................................. 712 Automatic Measuring and Loading Devices......................... 712 Shafts ............................................................. 716 Ore and Spillage Skips............................................ 716 Automatic Hoists................................................. 716 Man Elevator..................................................... 717 Crushing Plant....................................................... 718 Storage Bin........................................................... 720 Sampling Plant....................................................... 720 Motors and Other Equipment.......................................... 721 Compressor Equipment................................................ 721 Concentrator............................................................. 722 600-Ton Test Mill..................................................... 722 The 15,OO0-Ton Concentrator...................................... 726 Grinding Section.................................................. 726 Floor Arrangement........................................... 726 Marcy Ball Mills............................................. 729 Performance of Crushing Machines............................ 730 Flotation Section.................................................. 780 . Flow-Sheet with Callow Flotation Cells....................... 731 Flow-Sheet with the Inspiration Flotation hfachines............. 731 Flotation Air Supply.......................................... 733 Concentrates Filter Plant.......................................... 733 Drag Classifiers................................................... 733 Tailing Settling System........................................... 735 200-Ft. Dorr Thickener ...................................... 736 General Equipment and Supplies.......................................... 737 Water Supply......................................................... 737 Power Supply......................................................... 737 Transformer Stations.................................................. 738 Shops and Railroad Facilities.......................................... 739 Conclusion................................................................ 740

Jan 1, 1917

By R. S. Archer

The proper representation of equilibria involving graphitic carbon in the constitutional diagram of the iron-carbon system is admittedly an unsolved problem, the complete solution of which will probably require the establishment of more experimental evidence than is at this time available. The object of this paper is to present the author's observations on some of the phenomena in question and his interpretation of this and other recorded evidence. The chief of the recently disputed questions upon which the author has experimental evidence concerns the occurrence of graphitization at temperatures below the Al point. In a paper1 presented at the September, 1919, meeting of this Institute, the following is found: "the results given would seem to indicate that the graphite eutectoid lies at a smaller value of carbon content than has been previously supposed. At least this is true unless there is either a marked formation of graphite eutectoid at these rates of cooling, or a decomposition of pearlite into graphite, both rather unlikely suppositions, but not impossible ones." In a discussion of this paper, H. A. Schwartz2 takes the position that the possibility of graphitization occurring below the A1 point is an open question, but that complete graphitization (to less than 0.10 per cent, combined carbon) commonly occurs above this temperature. Another opinion from the malleable castings industry is found in a recent paper3 by Touceda: "Also the carbide of iron can be broken up into its two soft constituents at the temperature referred to. This temperature is called the critical temperature, or critical range, and for air-furnace hard-iron castings it is in the vicinity of 1440" F. It is the

Jan 1, 1922

By Comfort Adams

WHEN this country went into the war, but two concerns, The Bethlehem Steel Co. and The Midvale Steel and Ordnance Co., knew how to make steel fit for great cannons and at these concerns there were relatively few men who knew the whole art. Fortunately, certain of these men put their knowledge at the service of the Government, and proceeded to instruct the metallurgists at the arsenals and at various steel works. The then chairman of the Engineering Division of the National Research Council, Doctor Howe, suggested that this work might be facilitated, and the number of effective gun-steel makers thereby increased, if a detailed description of the best practice could be written, giving the reasons for the various steps, and issued with the endorsement of a committee composed of those who were evidently the most competent authorities. It was thought that something would be gained by clarification of the subject, and something by the eminent authority' of the members of the committee. To that end, the Engineering Division appointed-a committee, consisting of the gentlemen whose names follow, to mention only those who retained their connection with it. At, this time there were serious difficulties in the manufacture for the Government, of aircraft and high-speed engine crankshafts, of certain ordnance forgings, and of shells for both the Army and Navy. This Committee was asked to study and report upon these, with a view to betterment of practice. There were indications that the source of some of the difficulties went back to the melting of the steel and the production of the ingot. Hence, the committee first studied steel melting and ingot production, in order to guide the wartime manufacturers to an even larger percentage of useful production from the steel initially melted.

Jan 1, 1922

By William Fink

THE investigation of the phase relations of high-purity aluminum-base alloys is a part of the fundamental research program of the laboratories of the Aluminum Company of America. The results of a number of binary and ternary systems have previously been published in the transactions of this society. The aluminum end of the binary aluminum-titanium system has been studied. This system has received relatively little attention. To the authors' knowledge, there are two previous papers on this subject. E. van Erckelens1 determined the constitutional diagram reproduced in Fig. 1. .According, to this diagram, the liquids represents the separation of TiAl4 (Ti = 30.7 per cent.). He concluded that this is the composition of the compound, because in his work the eutectic horizontal terminated at 30.7 per cent. titanium and the metallographic examination of a sample of this composition revealed only one phase. According to the constitutional diagram developed by W. Manchot and A. Leber,2 reproduced in Fig. 2 from data given in their article, the liquidus represents the separation of the compound TiAl3 (Ti = 37.2 per cent. ). The composition of the compound was derived in a manner similar to that utilized by van Erckelens. Moreover, Manchot and Leber confirmed the composition of the compound by analysis of the constituent left as a residue after dissolving the alloys in weak sodium hydroxide solution. Although these are the only publications describing the constitution of the system, other investigators have studied the composition of the titanium compound. L. Wöhler3 says that there is a compound TiAl3 which was later confirmed by W. Manchot and P. Richter4 and by

Jan 1, 1931

By F. R. Hensel

THE absorption of oxygen by molten metals is a quick and convincing method to determine the metallurgical characteristics of various types of furnaces.1 The investigation was restricted to the use of coreless induction furnaces. A major variable in induction furnace practice is the frequency and its influence was studied by comparing melts made in a 5000-cycle and a 60-cycle induction furnace respectively.2 The authors are not aware that such a comparative study has been made before and therefore present this paper in the belief that the results will be of general interest. ANALYTICAL METHODS FOR DETERMINATION OF OXYGEN IN NICKEL An analytical procedure for determining NiO by a quick and simple, laboratory method has been worked out in collaboration with Dr. Herty, of the Pittsburgh Station of the Bureau of Mines. It was found that Dr. Herty's aluminum method as used for the. determination of FeO in iron and steel was very suitable for use with nickel if instead of hydrochloric acid a 10 per cent solution of nitric acid is used for bringing the metal into solution. Essentially this method involves deoxidizing the nickel-oxygen alloy with aluminum (2Al + 3NiO = Al203 + 3Ni) and determining the resulting Al203 by a residue analysis. The original oxygen content can then be calculated from the amount of Al-20,. The method as suggested by Dr. Herty3 is referred to in the present paper as method B. A slight modification of method Bled to the application of method A, a description of which is given below according to F. W. Beiter?:3

Jan 1, 1932

By W. L. Eaton, S. H. Ash

A barrier pillar in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania is a portion of the bed that is left unmined along the property line or lines of adjoining mining properties, or between mines, or between parts of mines. Barrier pillars perform important functions in anthracite-mining operations. Their principal function is to act as dams to prevent water that accumulates in a mine from suddenly breaking into an adjacent mine or into adjacent mine workings and causing loss of life, property, or both. More than 83 billion gal of water is impounded in II; underground water pools in anthracite mines.1,2 These pools are confined by a system of barrier pillars which separate adjacent mines. The principal factor that threatens to cut short the life of the anthracite industry, to curtail production, and to affect the economic structure of the people and business dependent on anthracite for their livelihood is the inundation of anthracite mines.l,2,4,13,29 To obtain a clear picture of the anthracite mine-water problem, it is necessary to understand the part played by the barrier pillars that separate adjoining mines. Purpose of Report The purpose of this report is to show the methods of determining the size of barrier pillars in the anthracite region, to present the hazards that exist because of the lack of sound engineering being applied to the size of many existent barrier pillars, and to suggest a method whereby barrier pillars can perform the function for which they are intended. The Barrier-pillar Problem Article 111, section '10, of the Anthracite Mining Laws of Pennsylvania reads thus: It shall be obligatory on the owners of adjoining coal properties to leave, or cause to be left, a pillar of coal in each seam or vein of coal worked by them, along the line of adjoining property, of such width that, taken in connection with the pillar to be left by the adjoining property owner, will be a sufficient barrier for the safety of the employees of either mine in case the other should be abandoned and allowed to fill with water; such width of pillar to be determined by the engineers of the adjoining property owners together with the inspector of the district in which the mine is situated, and the surveys of the face of the workings along such pillar shall be made in duplicate and must practically agree. A copy of such duplicate surveys, certified to, must be filed with the owners of the adjoining properties and with the inspector of the district in which the mine or property is situated. Mining practices with regard to barrier pillars have varied greatly since mining began. In many anthracite mines the barrier pillars have been weakened or punctured. As a consequence, the condition

Jan 1, 1949

By Robert W. Fullerton, Donald T. King

INTRODUCTION AND THEORY by Robert W. Fullerton In coal preparation plants, as in any industrial operation where raw materials are handled, nuisance problems arising from the generation of dust are inevitable. Devices for the control or collection of dust are there- fore essential components of the plant process equipment. The general term "aerosol" is applied to small particles suspended in a gaseous medium, usually air, whose velocity under the force of gravity is small enough that the particles remain suspended for a reasonable length of time. Aerosols can be classified as dust, smokes, fumes, mists or fogs. Dust includes particles originally formed by pulverization of materials by such processes as crushing, grinding, drilling, blasting and abrasion. Smoke includes particles formed from the burning of organic materials. Fumes are particles formed by processes such as condensation and sublimation, usually at high temperatures. Mists or fogs are particles formed by the condensation of water or other vapors on some nuclei. The size of aerosol particles is generally designated in units of microns, there being 1000 microns to a millimeter and 25,400 microns to an inch. Particles of about 10 microns or above are visible to the naked eye. Table 14-1 shows size characteristics of the general classifications of particles discussed above and includes typical examples of particles commonly en- countered. Table 14-1 also shows the relationship between micron size and standard screen mesh sizes. Smoke and fume are usually in the range of 0.01 to one micron, dusts are in the range of one to 400 microns, mists are in the range of 0.1 to 100 microns, and fogs are in the range of one to 100 microns. For purposes of dust control, particles greater than 10 or 20 microns in size are considered large, particles one to 10 microns are considered fine and particles below one micron are ultrafine. Sources of Dust Because coal is relatively friable, the mining and subsequent handling operations break part of the coal into dust that can be readily carried by currents of air. In a coal preparation plant mechanical handling operations such as unloading, transferring from one belt to another, screening, cleaning, and crushing in a dry state result in the generation and release of varying amounts of additional dust. The dust problem, of course, is much less serious in plants employing entirely wet processing. In addition to dust from handling operations, thermal drying of the fine coal product frequently presents another dust collection problem. Most coal driers are

Jan 1, 1968

By AIME AIME

BORN a Chicagoan, on Aug;. 31, I879. Oscar Johnson lived in that city until young manhood. As a youth delivering newspapers he set his sight on the l university of Chicago and at sixteen years of age he began working summer vacations in the foundry of the Pullman Company. Misfortune came to his family during the summer of 1898 when tuberculosis took his only sister and brother. His mother, apprehensive of Oscar's health, urged him to try the West at least for awhile. So late summer found Oscar in Salt Lake City, employed by the Trent Engineering & Machinery Co. At that time it was busy building equipment for use in the war with Spain. Though he did not know it then, Oscar war was laying the groundwork for his present membership on the Mining Equipment Industry Advisory Committee of the W.P.B., a post which keeps him commuting between Denver and Washington.

Jan 1, 1944

By Cyril Wells, Robert F. Mehl

The diffusion of carbon in gamma iron plays an essential role in many metallurgical processes. In carburizing, in graphitizing, in homogenizing, in the formation of pearlite from austenite, and in other processes, migration of carbon in gamma iron occurs.1'2 A full understanding of the rate at which these processes occur obviously requires a knowledge of the rate of diffusion of carbon. In carburizing, for example, the depth of carbon pentration is determined by the carbon concentration in solid solution at the surface, and by the rate of diffusion inward of the carbon. Until reliable data on the rates of diffusion of carbon are available it is unlikely that a full quantitative description of this process will be obtained. In the formation of pearlite from austenite, the segregation of carbon and alpha iron from the austenite obviously requires the diffusion of carbon; the rate at which pearlite nodules grow is evidently controlled at least in part by the rate of diffusion of carbon; it is unlikely that we shall understand the factors that determine the rate of growth unless data on rates of diffusion of carbon, and the variation of these with composition, grain size, and temperature are available. Accordingly it was decided: (1) to determine, more accurately than hitherto, the diffusion coefficients of carbon in austenite over a wide temperature and a wide concentration range, (2) to study the influence of grain size and impurities on this diffusion coefficient, and (3) to study the effect of manganese and nickel on the rate of diffusion of carbon in the austenite of manganese and nickel steels, respectively; the influence of carbon on the rate of diffusion of manganese and of nickel will be made the subject of later papers. The rate of diffusion of carbon in gamma iron has been studied by Runge3 by Tammann and Schonert4, by Bramley and co-authors,5-14 and

Jan 1, 1940

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 Daniel J. Martin, James L. Martin

The dendritic pattern of steels shown by deep etching is used extensively as a guide in the inspection and control of the great majority of steels used in ordnance construction and for many applications in industry. The value of macroexamination lies in the fact that it enables a qualified observer to make deductions concerning the general quality of relatively large pieces of metal. Not the least of these general characteristics is the nature and extent of the dendritic segregation in the steel, either in the cast condition or after mechanical or thermal treatments. Previous Work Detailed methods for macroetching were outlined by Yatsevitchl and have been standardized by the American Society for Testing Materials. A comprehensive study of the occurrence, origin, and the chemical and crystalline nature of the dendritic structure was given by Keshiam2 The marked persistence of dendritic segregation in nickel steels is fully recognized and has been discussed by Sauveur and Reed3 and by others. Very little, however, has been written on the effect of the various elements on the macrostructure of steels, and the purpose of this report is to submit evidence concerning the influence of chromium, nickel and molybdenum on the macrostructure of some 4 by 4-in. ingots cast and treated under closely controlled conditions. Methods and Results The ingots to be described were made in a 60-lb. high-frequency induction furnace at the Watertown Arsenal. Heats were made from a single lot of materials; were molten for the same length of time; tapped at approximately the same temperature into a standard mold preheated in each case to 150º ± 10º C.; and stripped and buried in ashes after 10 min. in the mold. Transverse disks were taken from the same location in

Jan 1, 1939

By Max Y. Seaton

The scope of this paper will be limited to finished materials that contain a large preponderance (around 80 per cent or more) of magnesium oxide. The large and commercially important production of refractory dolomite and modified dolomites is not discussed here, and the production of magnesium basic carbonate for use as a heat insulator is barely mentioned. The discussion is confined mainly to magnesias produced in comparatively great quantity by direct processing of naturally occurring raw materials and hence excludes secondary or highly purified products such as pharmaceutical products or U.S.P. light and heavy calcined magnesias of commerce. Nomenclature The nomenclature of the magnesia products that will be discussed is somewhat confusing, in that it is customary in the trade to designate as "calcined magnesite" the materials that result from the calcining of magnesite to temperatures that remove the contained carbon dioxide. The finished product, therefore, is not magnesite at ali but simply a more or less pure magnesium oxide or magnesia. Furthermore, partly for statistical .and partly for commercial reasons, it has been customary, during recent years, to classify as "calcined magnesite" products that result from the heat-treatmerit of magnesium hydroxide precipitated from magnesium-containing brines; prod- ucts that, obviously, have no relationship whatever to magnesite. In the listing of magnesia-containing materials, tonnages of which are regularly reported by the Bureau of Mines, reports ordinarily are made under two headings: "caustic calcined" magnesite, in which all of the varieties of products treated at relatively low temperatures are lumped; and "dead-burned" magnesite, in which are included both high-purity and low-purity, and particularly both high-iron and irow-iron, materials that have been so heat-treated that the magnesium oxide occurs predominantly as crystalline periclase— materials used almost entirely for refractory purposes. In 1940 the apparent domestic consumption of "caustic calcined" magnesite was approximatcly 17,000 tons, "bout 95 Per cent of which was produced in this country. The apparent consumption of "dead-burned" magnesite was approximately 172,000 tons, some 82 per cent of which was domestically produced. In both total quantity and percentage of material produced within the United States, these figures are record highs for manY Years past. Utilization As indicated by these figures, the major tonnage outlet for magnesia is the refractories industry, in which magnesia is employed principally in three ways: (1) as dead-burned grain magnesite for the construction and maintenance of the hearths Or bottomS of basic open-hearth furnaces; (2) in the form of refractory magnesite bricks and shapes; and (3) as a chemical

Jan 1, 1942

By P. de Vitry, Oliver Bowles

The conventional wire saw, introduced in the slate district of Pennsylvania by the Bureau of Mines in 1927, and used thereafter with remarkable success, consists of a three-strand steel cable having a diameter of 93/16 or 54 in. The equipment, methods used, and accomplishments have been described in previous reports.'-I Similar wire saws have been used extensively in Europe, in quarries and in shaping blocks and slabs. During the period 1932-1937, competition in European marble quarries was keen, prices were declining, and orders were not abundant. When orders were received, there was generally an urgent call for speedy delivery. Because of the diversification of demands, it was impossible to maintain in stock marbles of the color, size, and thickness called for, therefore the material generally had to be fabricated after the order was received. The wire saw enabled stone mills to fill such orders promptly. With skillful handling, 7/8-in. slabs could be cut accurately and rapidly with this equipment. It was found, however, that, as the three-strand wire became worn, the cutting speed dropped rapidly and the cut became less accurate. To overcome these difficulties the junior author of this paper, after much experimentation, developed a new type of wire consisting of a single ribbon-shaped strand, twisted as shown in Fig. I. To ensure straight sawing, the twist of the ribbon is reversed from right to left and vice versa every 25 ft. The reversal of the twist is shown in Fig. 2. This is not a new feature; it has been used to advantage with the three-strand wire both in Europe and America for several years. However, some difficulties arise in splicing the three-strand reverse-twist wire, and the claim is made that cutting is less accurate as the wire becomes worn. To make an endless belt, the ends of the single-strand wire are brazed together with Pyrophyllite is a hydrous aluminum silicate (A1²Si4O10(OH)²)1 that, occurs in both the foliated and the massive forms. The foliated variety resembles talc in that it has a greasy feel, a pearly luster, perfect basal cleavage, and usually is white, although in some deposits apple green, gray, brown, russet, and nearly black specimens may be found. The massive deposits of pyrophyllite yield pearl gray to light tan aggregates, some of which are so friable that they may be crushed with the hands into a fine gritty powder. Frequently specimens of the massive variety are studded with crystals of radial structure. The mineral has a specific gravity of about 2.7 and a hardness of 1 on Mohs' scale.' The chemical composition of commercial pyrophyllite reflects the mineralogy of the deposits, which, according to Stuckey12 contain pyrophyllite and quartz, together with chloritoid, sericite, and a few other minerals of negligible importance. The latter, he says, ('are noticed in but small quantities to the extent they might occur as accessory constituents of an igneous rock or as products of regional metamorphism or weathering. . . . Quartz is abundant everywhere except in the very best grades of pyrophyllite." Analyses of specimens from several deposits are listed in Table 1, showing that the silica content varies from 57 to 73 per cent and the alumina from 22 to 33 per cent. Oxides of iron and the alkaline metals are collectively present, with one exception, to an extent of about 1 to 1.5 per cent. Sources At present, North Carolina is the only commercial source of pyrophyllite, although the mineral has been found in small quantities in many parts of the world. The North Carolina deposits are in the "Carolina Slate Belt," which traverses the center of the state in a southwesterly direction. This belt varies from 8 to 50 miles in width. Two major deposits of pyrophyllite lie along its eastern boundary, in what is known as the Deep

Jan 1, 1942

By D. B Kibler

The Florida hard-rock field extends from Suwanee and Columbia Counties in northwest Florida to south of Croom, Florida, in Hernando County. This area is approximately 100 miles long and varies from 2 to 30 miles in width. Florida hard-rock phosphate was discovered at Hale Springs, about one mile northwest of the town of Dunnellon, Marion County, in the year 1888, by Alber-tus Voight, who lived within a few hundred yards of the spring. Soon after this discovery there was a great influx of land speculators and wildcat operators into the vicinity of Dunnellon. A few years later phosphate was found in Alachua, Levy, Citrus and Hernando Counties, and a great number of small crude plants were built from Newberry, Alachua County, all the way to Croom, Hernando County. Phosphate was found in many places as "outcrops." Looking for outcrops was the first method used by the early prospectors in searching for deposits. Several years passed before any systematic method of prospecting was used. Early Mining The early method of mining hard-rock phosphate was with picks and shovels, wheelbarrows, mules and wagons. The pick-and-shovel method was used altogether until about 1900, when some of the larger operators began to use railroad-type steam shovels of from ½ to I-yd. capacity Picks and shovels, with negro labor loading the phosphate ore (called "matrix") into wooden side-dump skip-cars, was continued until about 1907. From the discovery of hard-rock phosphate until approximately 1905, overburden was removed with mules and scrapers. At some places, the overburden was loaded into side-dump skip-cars by negro laborers and the cars were then pulled up an incline with a steam hoisting engine. The maximum depth of overburden that could be economically removed by hand labor, mules and scrapers was approximately 15 feet. About 1905 one of the companies erected a producer-gas power- I house near Dunnellon and generated its own electricity and about the same time the larger companies began using hydraulic methods for the removal of overburden. From the year 1888 through the year 1939 approximately 75 companies were operating at one time or another in the hard-rock territory, on approximately 500 locations. The hard-rock deposits are more irregular and have higher mining costs than the pebble-rock deposits, therefore 1 they have not been competitive in the domestic market, but because of the higher grade of the hard rock it is in demand for I the export trade. Discovery of phosphate outside of the United States has made it increasingly difficult in recent years for the hard-rock companies to survive, so today i only three companies are operating. These

Jan 1, 1942