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By Edward F. Fitzhugh

QUANTITATIVE appraisal of the chances of finding various tonnages and grades of ore clarifies any exploratory development proposal. Ways are discussed of appraising chances in conformance with probability principles, and graphs are suggested to show tonnages, grades and the corresponding judged expectancies.

Jan 1, 1947

By F. C. Sturges

[CONTENTS PAGE ................. Introduction-Grouting in Mines. By F. C. STURGES. I Use and Technique of Pressure Grouting in the Construction Industry. By V. L. MINEAR . 3 Technique of Pressure Cementing in the Petroleum, Mining, and Construction Industries. By WY. D. OWSLEY and R. E. MOELLER. ..................... 9 An Example of Controlled Pre-grouting in Shaft Sinking. By R. H. ALLEN and J. W. GALPIN. 15 ........ Solidifying Mines and Shafts Areas by Pressure Grouting. By B. H. MOTT 17 .............. Grouting in Southeast Missouri District. By W. W. WEIGEL 20] Introduction-Grouting in Mines By definition the word "grout" means a thin mortar, or a kind of plaster or cement, and "grouting" means to fill up or finish with grout. The words "cement," "plaster" and "mortar" mean a substance that is used in a soft state which subsequently hardens. Thus, grouting is the filling of void space with a substance that hardens. Construction cements are the most common substances used, either by themselves or in mixtures, but the term grouting is applied quite correctly when other substances such as plastics and certain chemicals are used. Also, the use of the term grouting to cover the filling of voids with materials that do not actually become hard, such as the flotation tailings used in grouting in the southeast Missouri lead district, should be considered correct, as some stiffening does take place and, anyway, it is a better descriptive term than any substitute. Engineers are interested in grouting because some of the materials with which they must work contain voids, and certain conditions can be improved if these voids can be filled with something solid and permanent. Grouting is done to accomplish several purposes: I. To stop the passage of fluids and gases, 2. To cement materials together to make them stronger, and 3. To prevent consolidation of materials by filling void space with something solid as a replacement for the air and water that could be forced out under load. The construction industry uses grouting extensively for all three purposes. Grouting is used to stop water percolation under and around dams. It is used to control water flow in tunnel driving and in shaft sinking. It is used to improve foundation conditions under civil engineering structures by permanently filling void space and thereby reducing settlement, or by cementing broken rock together and increasing its supporting strength. The oil and gas industry does a lot of grouting, primarily to stop the passage of gases and fluids. The search for oil at increasingly greater depths has meant greater investment per well, and the oil industry has spent large sums on development of improved drilling methods. This

Jan 1, 1947

By A. D. Schwope, L. R. Jackson, A. M. Hall

IN the course of an extensive investigation of the comparative properties of several types of copper, data were obtained on the cold working and subsequent recovery and recrystallization of the copper. In this paper, relations between the degree of cold work and the course of recrystallization are developed. In particular, it is shown that the course of recrystallization over long periods of time and at low temperatures can be predicted with reasonable accuracy from short-time high-temperature recrystallization data. MATERIALS USED IN THE INVESTIGATION Three types of copper were used in this investigation; these were tough pitch, OFHC, and OFHC copper with 15 oz per ton of silver added identified herein as Lots C, D, and F, respectively. The material was supplied by the American Metal Co. Ltd., and processed by the Rome Cable Co. The analyses of the three types of copper are given in Table 1. Originally, it started as wire bars 4 X 4 X 54 in. These bars were heated to 871°C in air and hot rolled to 3/8 in. rod. This rod was cold drawn to 0.204 in. rod (70 pct reduction) in three passes and annealed at 427°C for 4 hrs. A portion of the 3/8 in. rod was saved for more detailed cold-drawing experiments. Starting with the annealed 0.204 in. rod, hard-drawn wires were produced by cold drawing to 0.081 in. wire in 7 passes (84.4 pct reduction in area). Half-hard wires were made by cold drawing the 0.204 in. rod to 0.102 in. wire, (75 pct reduction) in 6 passes and annealing at 427°C for 4 hrs. This annealed wire was then drawn to 0.081 in. wire, (37.1 pct reduction) in 2 passes. Square rod was made by hot rolling wire bars to 9/16 in, rod in 8 passes. This rod was then cold drawn to 0.445 in.-diam rod and annealed for 3 1/2 hrs at 538°C. It was then cold drawn to 0.325 in. rod and again annealed at 538°C for 3 1/2 hrs. Hard square rods were then made by cold rolling this material to 0.257 X 0.257 in. rod, a reduction in area of 20.5 pct. Half-hard square rods were made by cold rolling to 0.268 X 0.268 in. square, annealing for 332 hrs at 538°C and cold rolling to 0.257 X 0.257 in., a reduction of 8.5 pct. Soft wire or rod was made from all types of copper by annealing the hard-drawn material at 343°C for 3 hrs in steam. The grain size of the annealed 0.081 in. wire varied slightly among the three lots: from 0.015-0.025 mm in the silver-bearing OFHC to 0.035-0.045 mm in the OFHC copper. The annealed 0.257 in. wires were more uniform in grain size, averaging about 0.035-0.045 mm. Representative structures are shown in Fig I. EFFECT OF COLD DRAWING AND TENSILE STRAIN ON STRENGTH OF COPPER Conventional tensile tests were performed on the three types of copper in the various degrees of hardness described above. Results of these tests are tabulated in Table 2. The results in Table 2 are

Jan 1, 1947

By Frederick C. Hull

THE grain size of a metal or alloy is one of the most important factors determining its properties. In steels, for example, grain size affects hardenability, toughness and machinability; in brasses, grain size is related to hardness and deep-drawing quality. In the field of heat-resistant alloys, grain size has a marked effect on ductility, creep and endurance strength. In order to determine these effects, as well as to control the properties of materials, many accurate and rapid measurements of grain size must be made. This paper presents a new and improved method for the estimation of grain size. USUAL METHODS of EVALUATING GRAIN SIZE A frequently used method of estimating grain size is that of comparing the image of a polished and etched specimen on the ground-glass screen of a metallographic microscope with standard grain-size charts. Several types of standards are available for use with different classes of microstructures. Geometric Grids.-The Metals Handbook1 has a series of hexagonal grids ranging in size from ASTM No. I to 8. Idealized Grain Networks.-Idealized grain-boundary networks for ASTM grain sizes I to 8 are included in the American Society for Testing Materials Tentative Standard E19-39T. Standard Micrographs.- The Metals Handbook and ASTM Tentative Standard EI9-39T contain micrographs of hypoeutectoid and hypereutectoid steels ranging in grain size from No. I to 8. The grain size of annealed brass (diam¬eter of the average grain in millimeters) is obtained by comparison with 10 micrographs of varying grain size in ASTM Tentative Standard Es-39T. A handicap to accurate evaluation of grain size by this method is the fact that it is difficult to compare photographs in a dimly lighted room with the image on the ground-glass screen, or, if the general illumination is increased so that the printed standards may be clearly seen, the contrast of the image of the unknown is decreased. It is easier to estimate grain size by comparing a micrograph of the unknown with the grain-size standards. However, photographing every specimen on which the grain size is desired is too costly in time and materials to be practicable. For hardened steels, the Shepherd or Jernkontoret fracture grain-size standards are very accurate and useful, but this method obviously cannot be applied to ductile alloys such as brass, stainless steels and austenitic heat-resistant alloys. Jeffries' method for grain-size measurements consists of counting the number

Jan 1, 1947

By J. R. Long, T. R. Graham, R. S. Dean

FOLLOWING the development of elec¬trolytic manganese production by the Bureau of Mines, an extensive program was planned to study the character of this high-purity product and its possible utilization in various alloy combinations. Previous work reported in the literature concerning alloys containing substantial amounts of manganese dealt largely with material prepared from relatively impure grades of the metal, and in many instances the impurities thus introduced did not permit true evaluation of manganese as an alloying element. One phase of the Bureau's program included a general review of the system and the establishment of the physical properties of copper-manganese-zinc alloys, using electrolytic manganese, and with particular emphasis directed to com¬positions within the alpha solid solution area. A number of reports of the work on alloys in this system, giving specific data concerning the equilibrium system and some of its alloys, have already been published. One study1 established the alpha solid solution area at various temperature levels and composition ranges up to 50 pct manganese. Other investigation reports presented the properties of selected alloys; namely, a 65 pct copper, 10 pct manganese, 25 pct zinc alloys' a sensibly white manganese brass composed of 70 pct copper, 20 pct manganese, 10 pct zinc,3 and a series of alloys with a constant copper content of 60 pct and 5 to 25 pct manganese, balance zinc.4 In these reports tensile properties as influenced by cold-working and subsequent annealing were given in detail. Additional data are now available on other alloys of the alpha region up to 50 pct manganese, and these, together with previously published information, are sufficiently complete to establish the relationship between properties and composition for this portion of the ternary system. The present report is a summary of the tensile properties of wrought alloys in the form of sheet and rod stock. The summary is necessarily limited to data for only one condition of cold-work and a single annealing temperature, since a complete exposition of all the data available would be too extensive for this presentation. Nevertheless, it is possible to make a reasonable approximation of the tensile properties in other conditions of cold-working and annealing by a correlation of the data previously presented on specific alloys and the data given here.

Jan 1, 1947

By Frank R. Milliken

SCOPE THIS paper is a running commentary on metallurgical problems and developments, stressing ilmenite flotation, since the start of operations five years ago, at the mill of National Lead Company, Titanium Division, Maclntyre Development, Tahawus, New York. [ ] GENERAL In early 1941, when, world conditions threatened to cut off the supply of ilmenite (obtained largely from India) to this country, the National Lead Company started to develop and bring into production their Maclntyre Development. This operation supplied the bulk of the ilmenite used during the war period for the manufacture of the much needed titanium pigments. Maclntyre Development is at Tahawus, New York, on the headwaters of the Hudson River in the center of the scenic Adirondack Mountains. A general description of the operation was given in the Adirondack Issue of Mining and Metallurgy for November 1943. Operating tonnages and production have increased since 1943, however. Nearly 10,000 tons of ore and waste is broken and loaded daily in the open-pit mine. About half of this tonnage is ore, from which is produced nearly 800 tons of ilmenite concentrate and 1600 tons of magnetite concentrate daily. ORE-TYPES From an ore-dressing standpoint, there are five rather distinct ore types and two waste-rock types in the mine. The ore types are shown in Table 1. The anorthosite waste is a coarse-grained white rock, largely labradorite feldspar. The gabbro waste is generally finer grained, and contains, in addition to feldspar, 35 to 75 pct iron silicates such as hornblende, pyroxene, garnet and biotite. A minor mineral mineralogically, but important metallurgically, is apatite. A few calcite

Jan 1, 1947

By Kenneth C. Vincent, A. M. Gaudin

In a study1 of the action of amyl xan-thate on chalcocite in water suspension, it was found that if the xanthate is added in relatively large quantity the xanthate group can be accounted for in three forms: (1) as xanthate ion remaining in water, (2) as benzene-soluble cuprous xanthate on the chalcocite, (3) as a benzene-insoluble coating on the chalcocite. Reduction in the amount of xanthate added leads to disappearance of form I then of form 2. With minute quantities of added xanthate, substantially all the reagent is of the "unleachable" kind. Yet this unleach-able xanthate can be dissolved by pyridine to form a soluble cuprous xanthate complex, and it is sufficient in effectiveness to make chalcocite flotable even if insufficient in quantity to form a complete mono-molecular film on the mineral. In that study it was also found that chalcocite abstracts cuprous xanthate from benzene so1ution, in what may (or may not) be a case of molecular adsorption. It seemed desirable, therefore, to study further the "unleachable" xanthate on the chalcocite, and particularly to ascertain whether it is formed as a result of the benzene leach or is actually formed during the conditioning of chalcocite in aqueous xanthate solution. A 'splendid tool to make such studies has recently been perfected; that is, the use of radioactive spies or tracer atoms. With this tool, it was thought possible to answer the problem stated above, but, unfortunately, this did not prove to be true. Answer to the flotation question was clouded by the existence of rapid and selective diffusion of copper atoms in the solid mineral—a phenomenon that was totally unexpected yet remains interesting and perhaps important. Method of Radioactive Spies The method of radioactive spies is discussed in many places. Two convenient references are the article by Evans2 and the book by pollard and Davidson.3 The method was first developed by van Hevesy and paneth in 1013, when only natural radioactive isotopes were available. These isotopes are few in number, and so the method remained limited in scope. Recently the synthesis of over 350 active isotopes of all the known stable chemical elements4 has opened widely expanded possibilities for the method, A fundamental tenet of the method is that a radioactive atom and a nonradio-active atom are exactly alike until disintegration of the radioactive atom. Then, by its sudden death, the spy reveals its location. The relative abundance of spies at various locations makes it possible to ascertain the relative abundance of the corresponding nonradioactive atoms at the same times and locations. A second fundamental tenet of the method of radioactive tracers is that the radioactivity lies in the nucleus of the atom: transfer of radioactivity from one

Jan 1, 1947

Jan 1, 1947

By J. Rogers, K. L. Sutherland

The relationships between collector and mineral, activator and mineral, and activator, collector and mineral will be considered herein. We propose to criticize current theories of flotation but we will not repeat the many pertinent arguments presented by Wark and Cox28 in 1937 in which the "chemical" or more strictly the "solubility" theory proposed by Taggart and co-workers22 is shown to be untenable. Recently Taggart, Arbiter and Kellogg24 have studied the long-chain aliphatic amines as collectors and have attempted to resuscitate the solubility theory for these particular collectors. Dean and Ambrose3 have felt that "we stumble over words" when we distinguish different mechanisms of adsorption. Our view is that nothing is more stultifying to the development of a science than attempts to force widely different phenomena into one classification. This oversimplification leads immediately to difficulties in the interpretation of results. Experimental Procedure The response of minerals to activator and collector was determined by "captive-bubble" tests. The methods of preparation of specimens26 and of testingin have been previously described. Results from captive-bubble tests were confirmed by flotation tests in glass-stoppered cylinders.26 The full lines shown in the figures relating solution composition to contact (flotation) distinguish solutions in which contact (flotation) is possible from those in which it is not. The curve is derived by successive approximation and the accuracy is ±o.2 pH units and ±5 mg. per liter of collector or depressant. Solution compositions for which it was shown experimentally that contact or flotation is possible are marked by a circle, those for which it is not possible by a cross and those for which it is doubtful by a cross within a circle. It is assumed that at all other solution compositions within (without) the curve, contact or flotation is possible (not possible). After testing in the collector solution, the mineral was removed, washed, and tested by the captive-bubble method in water, or floated in a cylinder with frother only. In this way the composition of solutions in which a mineral was conditioned but in which properties of the collector solution prevented contact or flotation can be defined. The composition of solutions in which conditioning was possible lie between the full and broken curve, the experimental results being indicated on the figures by a square. The curves show the limits of composition of solution in which flotation in a cell would be possible. Many factors other than those considered in these tests determine recovery or grade of a given mineral in practice.

Jan 1, 1947

By Howland Bancroft, Louis S. Cates

WE have come a long way since the order of the day was the chance discovery of mineral deposits, breaking rock with fire and water, melting metals in open fires in holes in the ground or in primitive furnaces, digging pits to collect. oil seepages, burning eroded coal outcrops to develop heat, and so on. During the past 5500 years, gradual improvements in methods and equipment have come about, explosives have been developed and used, steel has been used in increasing quantities and effectiveness as its physical and chemical characteristics, and composition have been altered and made to serve specific ends, hand equipment has given way to almost completely mechanized operation Thus, by the aid of mechanical equipment, one person is now able to move several thousand times as much material as one person was able to move a relatively few years ago. When this Institute was formed 75 years ago, the Suez Canal had been open to traffic but three years. It had taken ten years to complete and was built under the direction of French engineers by workers of whom many were girls. During the first four years of construction, these workers dug up the sand with their fingers, threw it into rush baskets, carried the load a hundred feet or so and dumped it 2 (With the termination of forced labor, dredgers completed the digging of the channel.) At the present time there is in use in the United

Jan 1, 1947

By Henry Schaefer

Solution by electric analogy of performance problems of reservoirs containing oil and gas has heretofore depended upon a process of successive approximations based on material-balance calculations, because of variation in fluid compressibility. By the addition or subtraction of electric condenser capacity, the analogy network can be adjusted automatically for changing compressibility due to evolution of gas in the reservoir. The addition of a condenser is accomplished by an electronic circuit, which is described; subtracting a condenser is done by merely opening the electrical circuit by means of a relay. Introduction V. Paschkis and H. D. Baker1 first developed in this country a method of applying the analogy of flow of electric current in noninductive circuits to solution of heat-flow problems and suggested its application for certain other problems, such as flow of fluids or mass transfer and chemical diffusion. Necessary details for applying the analogy to flow of fluids in porous media were developed by IV. A. Bruce;= he classified3 the types of analysis and predictions that can be made by the analogy in class I, when the reservoir contains oil but no gas for the period under consideration; in Class 2, when both oil and gas exist in the free state in the reservoir sometime during the period under consideration. Duplication of bottom-hole pressure history and predictions for class I reservoirs can be obtained directly by electric analogy. Until now, the solution of problems pertaining to reservoirs in class 2 was obtained by successive approximations along with material-balance calculations. The object of this paper is to present a method for simplifying the application of electric analogy to class 2 reservoirs, resulting in a solution of these problems as direct as is possible for class I reservoirs. This is accomplished by an electronic control circuit, which adjusts the analogy network for changing compressibilities of fluids contained in the reservoirs. Analogy Network In electrical phenomena the analogy to two-dimensional fluid flow in a porous media is that of current flow through an ideal conducting sheet. This sheet, perfectly insulated on both sides, has resistance and capacitance uniformly distributed throughout its area but is of negligible inductance. The need for having the surface boundaries perfectly insulated is that good correspondence may be had with a permeable fluid-conducting stratum bounded above and below by impermeable media. 111 actual application the ideal conducting sheet, which has distributed parameters, is replaced by a network having lumped values of resistance and capacitance—the resistances are series elements and the capacitances are shunt elements. The larger the number of lumped

Jan 1, 1947

By Low J. R., Gensamer M., W. T. Lankford

The problem of sheet metal formability is one which has received a vast amount of attention during recent years. In spite of the great amount of study and experimental work which has been devoted to this problem, many of its fundamental aspects are still not well understood. No generally satisfactory test has been developed which is capable of providing a reasonably adequate evaluation of sheet metal formability, particularly in borderline cases. Anomalies persistently arise in which a lot of supposedly satisfactory material exhibits excessive breakage when formed. This lack of suitable technological tests greatly hinders the design of new parts and the substitution of new materials in parts of existing design, frequently necessitating considerable costly trial and error experimentation on an actual production basis. When, at the beginning of World War 11, it became apparent that mass production methods of forming would bc required in the aircraft industry if the large numbers of military aircraft needed were to be supplied, renewed attention was focussed on the problem of sheet metal formability. It was widely recognized that the formability requirements placed on sheet metals had been steadily increasing in severity through the years, especially as greater and greater emphasis was placed on streamlined designs with the resultant freer application of doubly curved surfaces. The recent advent of several new high strength aluminum alloys of more limited formability than some of the older alloys also served to emphasize the need for new approaches to the problem. It seemed evident that progress in the technology of sheet metal forming would depend to a great extent on the development of more reliable criteria for the evaluation of formability. Although the problem is admittedly very complex, the most logical approach appeared to be through studies of the fundamental material properties of sheet metals, especially under complex stress conditions simulating those prevailing in actual forming operations. Most previous investigations have failed to make full use of existing knowledge of fundamental material properties, and in many instances have attempted correlations with properties which are now recognized as being ambiguous in nature. This investigation was undertaken, therefore, with the aim of developing methods for the study of the flow and fracture of sheet meta1s under combined stresses, and of making use of such methods as might be developed in

Jan 1, 1947

By E. W. Davis

About a year ago several carloads of magnetite ore from New York state were sent to the Mines Experiment Station at the University of Minnesota for grinding and concentration tests. The flowsheet used minus ½-in. ore as feed to a 3 by 3-ft. overflow cylindrical ball mill operating at 37 r.p.m. in closed ciruit with a vibrating screen. The screen oversize was returned to the mill for further grinding and the screen undersize was concentrated magnetically. Several different screens, between 8 and 35 mesh, were used and it was desired to determine the capacity of the ball mill operating in closed circuit with each screen. From earlier tests using this flowsheet and equipment, it was known that when comparatively coarse screens were used it was necessary to increase the grinding dilution in the mill beyond that ordinarily used when grinding in closed circuit with classifiers. It was also known that after the circulating load had passed about 100 per cent of the original feed it tended to increase rapidly in amount, and grinding conditions appeared to become unstable. These conditions may be peculiar to this small ball mill but they were very marked in this series of tests. If conditions were not right, the mill would suddenly "go dead," and it was found desirable to operate so that the occasional rattle of balls against the lining of the mill could be detected. As the test proceeded, it was found that the cure for almost any difficulty that developed in the grinding circuit was to add more water to the mill feed. To begin with, the mill was operated at pulp densities of from 60 to 65 per cent solids but gradually it was found that with higher dilutions grinding conditions were more stable and the ball-mill power per ton of screen undersize decreased. Actually, the most satisfactory operating conditions were secured with a pulp density of about 40 per cent solids. The ore was hard but it was possible to grind ½-in. feed so that all would pass an 8-mesh screen with a power expenditure in the ball mill of less than 2½ kw-hr. per ton and with a circulating load of less than 50 per cent. With so high a dilution in the feed to the mill, it was feared that steel wear would be very high. However, the mill was not noisy, and in order to find exactly the grinding conditions, a special test was made at the end of the main series of tests. After the mill had been in operation for several hours and grinding conditions had become balanced, the power to all the equipment was shut off at a given signal. The ball mill made about one revolution after the power was turned off, and just as soon as the mill stopped, a spout was placed at the discharge trunnion and all of the pulp that flowed out of the mill was caught in tanks. The manhole in the mill was then opened and the whole mill charge dumped into other tanks. Both of these products were weighed, dried, and weighed again. The balls were screened out and weighed, and the dry solids were sized. In this way it was possible to determine the nature of the pulp and the ore within the mill under actual grinding conditions.

Jan 1, 1947

By Willard L. Thorp

AFTER the first session which Secretary Marshall had with the Foreign Relations Committee, the members of the press asked what he had said His only comment, in summarizing his two-hour conference was, "The world is in a very critical condition " Undoubtedly he had many different aspects of the world in mind, but I wish to underline today the truth of the statement with reference to the economic field V-E day was 22 months ago, V-J day was 19 months ago The hoped-for world of peace and plenty gives signs of attaining the peace, but the plenty seems tragically remote For great areas in the world, the present level of economic activity is very, very low Men are not working, goods are not being produced, whole areas of activity suffer from economic paralysis We in this country do not fully appreciate the situation because the United States is above prewar levels in economic activity We are the exception The same cannot be said for the world in general There are still large areas where industrial activity is not more than half the prewar level

Jan 1, 1947

By Edward C. J. Urban

THE nature of certain pernicious dusts commonly encountered in the removal of iron ore from the underground mines of the Lake Superior district is recognized, and appropriate measures for the protection of individuals subjected to these dusts have been applied in most mines for more than to years. Undoubtedly the principal concern has been demanded by dusts that contain as a constituent silicon dioxide in its free or uncombined state, the mineral we all know as quartz or chert. Investigators1 agree that among the factors that determine injurious exposure are: the composition of the dust, the concentration suspended at the breathing level and the duration of the exposure. We have on hand data that describe the experience of several underground iron-ore mines in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and Wisconsin in regard to these factors, which in a large measure also reflect the general experience of the other mines of the area. We believe that a discussion of these data will indicate the effectiveness of the dust-control methods that have been considered good practice and that have been employed over a long period of time. A silicosis-prevention program was ini¬tiated by the iron mines of the Upper Peninsula in 1934 and records of mine dustiness are available from that date to the present time. For dust conditions previous to 1934 the results of observations conducted in other industries can be utilized together with local information pertaining to the development and initial application of rock-drilling equipment. DEVELOPMENT OF ROCK DRILLS The earliest percussion rock drill that later had any industrial use was patented in this country in 1851.2 This machine was later modified and improved in many respects but its piston-type design remained standard for drilling equipment in most mines for the next 63 years.3 The piston drill was operated either by air or by steam. It employed a solid drill steel, fastened directly to the reciprocating piston. The drilling was done dry except in holes directed at an angle below the horizontal. For these water was manually injected into the hole and the pumping action of the rod expelled the sludge. The dry cuttings from drillings inclined above the horizontal fell from the hole by their own weight. A development of major importance from the standpoint of dust generation and control occurred with the invention by J. G. Leyner of a hammer-type rock drill that embodied the essential feature of a drill steel with a hollow core. His patent was secured in 1897. The machine was a radical departure in drilling method. The steel was held loosely in a chuck while

Jan 1, 1947

By Richard Paul Seelig

THE following review covers published information on pressing of metal powders at room temperature. Only those operations are considered which occur between the time the powder is filled into the cavity and the compact is ejected from the die. Thus, this review does not concern hot pressing, coining or sizing feed or flow problems, commercial presses nor designs. It was also necessary to disregard to a large extent the effect of pressing on subsequent operations and on properties after sintering. The pressing operation is considered independently in its function to compact loose metal powder into useful shapes which can subsequently be handled. There are some comments by the writer in connection with a few of the findings quoted in the literature in order to stimulate thought and discussion. The selection of references quoted in the text is in some cases arbitrary although an attempt was made to favor papers containing novel ideas, techniques or results which may stimulate future research. In order to enable the reader to check further into the subjects mentioned, the original, rather extensive, bibliography is appended even though not all the references are touched on in the printed version of this review. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH The equipment used by various workers, for example a die design created by Bridgman,22 is very interesting. The die insert has a conical external surface. The vertical pressure exerted on the punch transmits itself to the die which in turn is pushed harder into its tapered retainer. Thus, the higher the pressure exerted on the punch, the higher also the pressure exerted inwards on the die inserts. In as much as this pressure counteracts the internal pressure from the compact the two stresses balance each other so that it is possible to obtain tremendous pressures without breaking the die. The die collar was made from an oil hardening tool steel, heat treated to a tensile strength of some 300,000 psi. The die was closed at the bottom by a plug made from special tool steels. Bridgman found that there is no steel which will withstand a compressive stress of 700,000 psi without continuous slow flow or immediate fracture. Therefore, the only material suitable for use in the pressing punch was sintered carbide. In view of the ingenious design it was possible to use special tool steel as die material. Jones22 raises the question whether this method of pressing has practical application in powder metallurgy. Al- though these tremendous pressures cannot readily be utilized without many special precautions, the tapered die and retainer idea is believed to be useful even for lower pressures. Bridgman, himself,8 calls attention to the fact that the properties

Jan 1, 1947

By J. H. Hollomon, J. C. Fisher

The fundamental problem concerning the fracture of both crystalline and noncrystalline solids is the divergence between the actua1 and the theorcticallY computed fracture stresses; the stress required for fracture, computed from the forces between atoms, is many times that actually observed with commcrcinlly available materials. Computatiolls have been made,,2 indicating that the theoretical fracture stress should be from 100 to 1000 times that actually observed. There are other incidental problems that have arisen, perhaps the most importallt of which is the problem of size effect often observed in the measurement of the fracture stress of non-metallic solids, such as glass. Another effect conccrns the relation between deformation and the stress required for fracture, Experiments recently made with pearlitic steels indicate that the tensile fracture stress increases with increasing tensile deformation and decreases with increasing prior com-pressive deformation, This marked ani-sotropy of the effect of deformation on the fracture stress is in contrast with the essential isotropy of the flow stress. Early experiments on rock salt crystals by Joffe, et al.3 have illustrated the effect of tensile strain in increasing the tensile stress required for fracture. A consistent theory must be constructed that will explain not only the divergence, of the measured fracture stress from the theoretical value, the size effect, and the ergence of deformation; but will also explain and predict the effects of combined stress, of temperature, of strain rate, and of metallurgical structure. With respect to this last variable, it has now been relatively well established that the carbide particle is the clement of structure controlling the fracture of steels. In steels carbide particles vary in shape from plates to spheroids. It has been found that not only docs the magnitude Of the Fracture stress depend upon the size and shape of these particles. but also its dcpendencc upon strain is affected by changes in 'hap' an' size Or the particles. The precipitate resulting from the age hardening Of duralumin also modifies the fracture stress of this alloy. Nonmetallic inclusions greatly lower the fracture stress of all metals. The magnitude of the lowering depends 0' the size and shape of the included particles. In glass, the major source of the low fracture stress has been fairly conclusively demonstrate' by Griffith4 '0 arise from real flaws or cracks present in the material. He showed that the stress concentration at the end of a defect was of suficient magnitude to raise the stress at this location to a value comparable with the theoretical strength Of the material. If the cracks were reduced in size, Griffith showed that the observed fracture slrength the by virtue Of the decrease in stress concentration. He also pointed out that cracks disposed perpendicularly to the applied tensile stress would be more effective in lowering the fracture

Jan 1, 1947

By Fred C. Bond

The Standard method of determining the crushing resistance of rocks consists of crushing prepared shapes under slow compression, and expressing the ultimate crushing resistance at the load causing failure in pounds per square inch of cross-sectional area perpendicular to the crushing force, with the height approximately equal to the diameter. One-inch cubes or cylindrical drill cores are commonly used. Cubes and drill cores are cut by a highspeed steel disk with diamond dust embedded in the edges, and running under a water spray. such a saw will cut one square inch or more of hard stone per minute. An oiled, spherical, swivel compression block of small diameter should be used to equalize the pressure. Each sample is crushed between sheets of cardboard or blotting paper extending about one-half inch beyond the edges of the stone. A cloth is wrapped around it to prevent dangerous explosive shattering. It is probably preferable to place the swivel block below the specimen, with either a rigid head or another swivel block above. Whatever the arrangement, the conditions should be selected that will develop the maximum crushing strength of the specimen, even though its top and bottom planes may not be precisely parallel. The cardboard pads may be dispensed with if the ends of the specimens are polished smooth. The use of lead pads was discontinued because of the observed tendency to split the material. The samples are weighed and measured before breaking, and the density is calculated. Cubes that contain bedding lanes or veinlets are usually placed with these vertical and parallel to the crushing force, in order to develop the maximum resistance possible. A number of compression tests were made on Canadian ores, by Forrest Nagler, of the Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing CO., and are listed alphabetically in Table I. These tests were made on one-inch cubes or on diamond-drill cores approximately one inch in diameter and One inch long. The drill cores represent virgin rock, while the cubes may have been previously weakened by explosives. compression tests have been made in the Allis-Chalmers Milwaukee Laboratory on a number of ores and other materials. These are listed alphabetically in Table 2. In test NO. 1339, on limestone from the Hanna Coal Co., comparison was made between 2 by 2-in. diamond-drill core segments and one-inch cubes cut from the cores in the same strata. Results for the cylinders are tabulated directly below those for the cubes. The bedding planes were normal to the compressive force in breaking the cylinders and parallel in breaking the cubes, which accounts for the lower strength obtained from the cylinders. The percentage of net linear compression at the ultimate pressure was measured in test No. 1055 for Fontana TV A quartzite as 0.30 for cube A, and 0.37 for cube D.

Jan 1, 1947

By Stuart H. Ingram

DEFINITION THE term lightweight aggregate implies material which may be substituted for the usual rock, sand and gravel commonly used as the major part of concrete, but distinguished by being much lighter in weight. BACKGROUND The art of making and using concrete is old and well developed. Research and experience have pretty well determined the qualities necessary in its constituents, and time has tested theories and applications. Elaborate specifications and tests have been devised and generally adopted governing all phases of concrete work, from selection of material, through engineering design and down to mixing and placing. Standard practices have become routine to executives and laborers, and operations have been simplified and costs lowered. Though many lightweight aggregates meet the basic specifications necessary for usefulness, their physical qualities are so different that they frequently will not pass standard tests, and some of them cannot be mixed and placed with the usual formulas for water and slump. As a rule their use produces a concrete with a lower modulus of elasticity which requires design change, and being produced in much smaller quantities than ordinary aggregate, production costs are higher. This latter works in a vicious circle to restrict their use and maintain prices that are not competitive, except as against each other. INCREASED DEMAND In spite of such handicaps consumption has grown steadily for the past two decades and is apparently growing even faster today. It is evident that lightweight concrete must have better qualities, and be sufficiently better to overcome the higher cost and the other difficulties and disadvantages pertinent to the use of a new and different material in an old industry. Hence the study of its main ingredient should be of interest to all engineers. Our group has a double interest in the subject since most of the materials which have been used as sources of lightweight aggregate are either mined, or are by-products of mining operations. We are directly interested in their production as well as their use, and since available supplies of materials suitable are limited, the increasing use, and rising demand, make the discovery of new sources, or the development of processes to adapt other natural materials to this use, a promising field; and one in which our profession should take an active part. RECENT DEVELOPMENT Descriptions of ancient work contain references to the use of spalls of tuffs or pumice in concrete masonry, but it is only since the nineteen twenties that serious attempts have been made to produce and market lightweight aggregates. A period of rapid advance in theory and practice in cements, mortars and con-

Jan 1, 1947

By L. L. Newman

As soon as the Congress recognized the alarming rate at which our domestic oil resources were being depleted during the war, it took action to step up the rate of research and development which the Bureau of Mines had been conducting for several years on the production of synthetic liquid fuels from coals. Under Public Law 290, approved April 5, 1944, funds were authorized for the Bureau to proceed with research, development, design and construction of demonstration plants for the hydrogenation of coal, the synthesis of oil from carbon monoxide and hydrogen, and the distillation of oil from shale. During the latter part of 1944, when it became evident that the collapse of Germany was near, a Technical Oil Mission was organized to study the German techniques of synthetic oil production. Since the cost of hydrogen or synthesis gas is one of the major factors of expense in the operation of hydrogenation or synthesis gas processes, the Bureau of Mines considered it of prime importance to include on the mission gas engineers whose instructions were to examine closely the methods employed by the Germans in solving the problem of providing low-cost hydrogen or synthesis gas for their very extensive operations on synthetic liquid fuels. The Solid Fuels Mission and the Utilities Mission, as well as the Army and Navy Missions, also included teams for the study of German gas production. Although their objectives naturally differed from those of the Technical Oil Mission and from each other, it was recognized that there was considerable overlapping of their fields of investigation. Duplication of effort, however, was largely avoided through the close cooperation between the group leaders of these missions. For example, although I went to Europe as a member of the Technical Oil Mission, my first Gcrman assignment was actually made by Dr. Harry F. Yancey, leader of the Solid Fuels Mission— to investigate the brown-coal gasification methods in central Germany. The art of gasification in the United States and England, and to a large extent in the proximity of the coking-coal regions of Germany and the rest of continental Europe, depends essentially on two stages of operation; namely, carbonization and intermittent water-gas generation. As far as the United States is concerned, complete gasification in a single stage of operation is rarely practiced, except in gas-producer operations where the product is a relatively lean gas consumed close to the point of manufacture, and for water-gas production with anthracite as a generator fuel. Complete gasification of bituminous coal has been the subject of numerous investigations. Many relatively simple modifications of the water-gas generator have been tried to permit the direct gasification of low-cost bituminous coal instead of high-cost coke and anthracite for the production of water gas. Although varying degrees of Success have been achieved and the water gas produced generally has been higher in

Jan 1, 1947