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Until the end of 1960, the small primary aluminum industry in Australia was run by the government. The entire operation was at Bell Bay on the north coast of Tasmania. It consisted of an alumina plant and smelter, owned jointly by the Commonwealth and the State of Tasmania. Apparent domestic demand that year was about 48,000 long tons; 11% thousand came from Bell Bay; the rest was imported. By March 1964, Australia had two fully integrated aluminum companies. The government has stepped out of the picture and the key word of the industry from bauxite to metal is "growth." Present annual capacity of the two companies for making aluminum metal totals 92,000 long tons a year. Australian demand is about 60,000 tons. By 1968 Australian consumption should be 90,000 tons and by 1970 it is expected to reach 107,000 long tons per year. Export markets for bauxite, alumina and metal are developing.

Jan 10, 1964

By E. A. Smith, E. R. Parker

Metallurgists and engineers have always been interested in the mechanism of high-speed deformation because metals are rapidly deformed in various applica-tions and manufacturing processes. The deformation of metals by impact loads has recently engaged the attention of a number of investigators. Many of their results have not been disclosed but some of the published investigations1-8 have shown that the tensile strength, yield strength and elongation generally increase with increasing strain rate. The investigation reported herein is an attempt to determine the reason for this increase in strength and elongation. found to depend upon the strain rate. In the bars broken at high speeds, the slip bands appear to be more numerous. This might account for the higher strength as well as the greater elongation. Experimental Procedure Single crystals of copper (approximately 99.98 per cent) were made in graphite molds by the conventional method of lowering the mold out of the hot zone of a hydrogen furnace at a rate of one inch per hour. Solidification progressed from the bottom upward, forming a single crystal. The crystals were about 0.30 in. in diameter and 4 in. long. They were

Jan 1, 1944

By J. S. Ll. Leach, M. B. Bever

THE system copper-nickel exhibits complete solid and liquid miscibility1 The thermodynamic properties of such a system would not be expected to deviate greatly from ideality. Although the evidence is conflicting, anomalies in the composition dependence of various physical properties of solid copper-nickel alloys suggest that mixing may not be ideal.' From measurements of the Hall coefficient it has been concluded that clustering occurs in these alloys. ' Considerations involving the phase diagram of the ternary system copper-nickel-chromium have led Mei-jering3 to predict a positive heat of formation for solid copper-nickel alloys. An electrochemical investigation of the activity of nickel in copper-nickel alloys showed unexpectedly large positive deviations from ideality.4 wagner5 has proposed that if the entropy can be considered ideal, these measurements would yield the following equation for the heat of mixing at 700°C H" = 3380 x,vl (l-xVi) cal per g atom [I1 The heat of formation at 722°C of solid copper-nickel alloys of the equiatomic composition has been measured in a reaction calorimeter as 540 cal per g atom. This note reports calorimetric measurements of the heat effects on dissolution of some copper-nickel ndon: in tin. These measurements were preliminary to a larger investigation, which was later discontinued. From them the heats of formation of the alloys can be calculated, if certain assumptions are

Jan 1, 1960

By J. F. Emig

The Burns Harbor Plant was designed to produce and process large ingots into plate, hot rolled sheet, cold rolled sheet and tin plate. Rimmed ingots, in particular, are poured 96" to 106" high and weigh up to 85,000 lbs. During the latter part of 1970, a quality problem was encountered involving white line "sliver" defects on the surface of cold rolled, low carbon, rimmed steel sheet. Sheets containing these defects are not desirable for exposed automotive items because of the possibility of opening during forming or becoming more apparent after forming. Metallographic work located and identified two basic types of inclusions within the white line defects: (1) complex oxides consisting largely of iron and manganese oxides and (2) scale-type iron oxide. The presence of these oxides strongly suggested that the-white line defects were resulting from an unsound, unclean rim zone.

Jan 1, 1972

FRIENDS of the late Charles F. Rand presented in 1930 a sum of money from which the income is available to support various phases of the work of the Institute in which Mr. Rand was so deeply interested. At present the fund amounts to $10,400. The specific terms of the deed of gift are as follows: "The fund collected to establish a memorial to the late Charles F. Rand shall be placed in the custody of the Board of Directors of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, to be set up as a trust to be known as the `Charles F. Rand Foundation,' the income of which shall each year be applied to a distinct purpose to be decided upon in that year by vote of the Board of Directors. This purpose shall be such as to promote the general welfare of the Institute and to constitute a permanent memorial of the usefulness of Mr. Rand, who for many years gave unstintingly of his time and talents in its service. "It shall be within the discretion of the Board of Directors to establish a medal to be known as the Charles F. Rand Memorial Medal to be awarded at such a time and under such rules as may be determined by the Board of Directors, for Distinguished Achievement in Mining Administration." The establishment of this medal was announced at the annual meeting in February, 1932, the term "mining" being defined in its broad sense to include metallurgy and petroleum. Robert Linton is chairman of the Charles F. Rand Foundation Award Committee.

Jan 1, 1944

By Leo Ranney

ANY years ago a prospector came to a Nevada town and built himself a shack. Day after day he searched the hills for gold -but he found none. He closed his shack and hurried north, where a strike had been made. Next he tried to trap the flour gold that floats down the Snake River. He panned the black sands along the Oregon coast. He ranged over the mountains and up the gulches of far-off Alaska. At last, broken in health, six years ago he came back to his old home in Nevada. There his shack still stood-nobody wanted it. One day he started a garden in the rocky soil that he owned. His spade turned up a chunk of quartz, and in that quartz were stringers of gold. He had found a rich gold vein, running right under his own house. You gas producers who have hurried to Oklahoma, Louisiana, East Texas, South Texas, West Texas, even to California to drill wildcat holes a mile or two miles deep-why not, like the old gold prospector, have a look in your own back yard? Some of your coal seams contain 20,000,000 cu. ft. of natural gas per acre.

Jan 1, 1943

By C. R. Kuzell

GEOGRAPHICAILY the industry of reducing and refining of copper continued to migrate from the .United States during 1931. While this country is losing the predominant position of its copper industry, our engineers still enjoy their pre-eminent position as leaders in the design and operation of the new plants being brought into production in the four quarters of the globe. Progress in the art, as indicated by the construction of the recently completed works, has not been revolutionary. Standard methods have been followed, augmented by novel features in flow-sheets demanded by the results of progress in the art of ore-dressing, and by reason of problems incidental to the peculiarities of the new ores being treated. Design and construction progress has likewise been orderly and without radical departure from less recent practice; new features in primary and secondary equipment being logical developments to provide for special conditions to keep abreast of improve¬ments in accessory apparatus. The new plants are being rapidly brought in without hazardous novelties and for the purpose of yielding the principal ingredient, copper, in as large a volume as it will he possible to market; the old United States procedure. In the meantime the domestic plants are shut down or operating at a very low capacity, threatened with untimely demise unless the metallurgist can extract and develop other valuable products from the ores. International agreements .and tariff protection may be a temporary reviving stimulant, but for many mines the days of profit will be numbered unless the ores can be made to yield as values the ingredients now being discarded. Invisible progress in this direction has been made during the past year, and it is to he hoped that time will prove that the outstanding progress of 1931 was in the development of processes for the ultimate recovery of by-products from copper ores, perhaps even relegating the value of the copper yield to secondary importance.

Jan 1, 1932

By Frederick Bacorn

THE paper of Reno H.. Sales on Ore Deposits at Butte, Mont.,' is a careful and painstaking work, an important contribution to the literature of the subject. As is almost inevitable in a work of such magnitude, a few misstatements occur; and some of these I shall endeavor to point out. Mr. Sales has also fallen into error, as I think, in the application of his theory of ore deposition; and while the modification which I venture to suggest is a minor one geologically, it is of great economic importance. I refer to Mr. Sales's idea of an outward migration of mineralizing solutions from a supposed central copper zone. In order that I may make myself plain, I must first epitomize the theory as a whole, which I understand to be this: All of the Butte ore deposits (save those along the Continental fault, not herein considered) are derived from solutions of magmatic origin, which, at the beginning of their ascent from a great depth, were, acid in reaction, hot, and were carriers of copper, zinc, manganese and other metals. As they departed from their point of origin they lost heat, and, because of reactions with the wall rock, became more and more alkaline. The metal deposited from these solutions in their hot condition was principally copper; and, as they cooled, they deposited less and less copper and more and more manganese and zinc, until the copper practically disappeared. With this theory in general I have no fault to find, nor have I, it must be stated, the qualifications necessary to enable me to pass upon it critically; but it seems to me to be reasonable and probable, and is one which I am quite willing to accept.

Jan 8, 1914

By W. E. Brigham, P. W. Reed, J. N. Dew

By J. E. Johnson

Charcoal-iron is quantitively so unimportant compared with coke-iron, that its qualitative importance for many industrial purposes is entirely unkriown to many coke-furnace-men, and to the great majority of the inembers of this Institute. To explain this qualitative importance, and explain some of the fact,ors that affect the quality, are the objects of this paper. A brief review of' the commercial conditions governing the charcoal-iron industry is a necessary preliminary to any adequate treatment of the subject. The advent of coke-iron, which transformed the whole iron industry commercially, left intact a limited production of charcoal-iron in the East and South, which has been conducted almays on the basis of high cost and high quality, with correspondingly high selling-price. In the Northwest, particularly in the Lake Superior district, the development has been along totally different lines, for which the close proximity of the great iron-ore deposits and the great forests of that region mere responsible. When the great white-pine forests were removed there were left behind large areas of hardwood and hemlock, to which little attention was paid in the prosperous years of the white-pine industry. But when the latter declined, the demand for lumber, and the presence of lumber-men, probably more skilled than any others in the world, caused the gradual introduction of these woods into commercial use. It was a matter of ancient knowledge that hardwood made an excellent charcoal, and to utilize the cordwood left after the saw-logs were removed, by converting it into charcoal and using it to smelt ore from the adjacent mines, mas an obvious step. In some cases the establishment of the furnace occurred in-

Jan 1, 1913

By W. C. Winegard, C. Elbaum, T. Ojala

NONOCTAHEDRAL slip was observed in poly- crystalline aggregates of aluminum by Boas and Ogilvie.&apos; These authors indicate that the non-octahedral slip takes place on (100) or (110) planes. Ogilvie2 studied the continuity of slip lines across grain boundaries in polycrystalline aluminum. Non-octahedral slip was observed by him, but it was not reported to occur in the continuous slip lines across the grain boundaries, which were identified as octahedral slip in all cases. The present note reports the observation of non-octahedral slip in the grain boundary region of an aluminum bicrystal and tricrystal, both deformed in tension at room temperature. An analysis is made, which leads to a probable identification of the non-octahedral slip planes as (110) and (331). The specimens used were of rectangular cross section, approximately 5x10x200 mm. They were prepared by growth from the melt, using aluminum reported by the manufacturer to be 99.994 pct pure. The grain boundaries were in a plane perpendicular to the wider face and parallel to the long dimension of the specimens. The axis of tension was also parallel to the long dimension of the specimen. The orientations of the specimens studied were determined by the Laue back-reflection method and are given in Fig. 1. The nonoctahedral slip was first observed after about 6 pct extension in the bicrystal, and after about 2 pct extension in the tricrystal. The micrograph, Fig. 2, of the grain boundary region of the bicrystal shows two active slip planes throughout each of the two crystals, with a third plane active at the grain boundary in each crystal. Two major sets of slip traces observed in grain No. 1 are consistent with the operation of the slip systems (ill) [oil] and (111) [011]. The nonoctahedral slip takes place on a plane belonging to a <111> zone, as determined by drawing trace normals. Assuming that slip will take place only in the <110> direction, the planes in the <111> zone, which do not contain that direction, need not be considered. Among the remaining prominent planes of that zone, the (011) plane has a common slip direction—the [011]—with the (111) plane, which acts as one of the octahedral slip planes. In grain No. 2, a similar situation to that in grain No. 1 is observed. As indicated previously, the (oil) plane in the <111> zone, to which the nonoctahedral slip plane belongs, has a common [Oil] slip direction with the acting (ill) slip plane. Also, the orientation of the (oil) plane in grain No. 2 almost coincides with the orientation of the acting (111) slip plane in grain No. 1. Similarly, the orientation of the (oil) plane in grain No. 1 almost coincides with the orientation of the acting (111) slip plane in grain No. 2. It is, therefore, possible that the nonoctahedral slip was induced, in both cases, by octahedral slip in the neighboring grain. It is important

Jan 1, 1957

By R. B. Porter, R. P. Porter, R. A. Lothrop

Changes became necessary in dredging methods employed in Idaho through passage of the Dredge Mining Protective Act (1954). Among other provisions, the law requires dredge operators to construct settling ponds of sufficient capacity and character to reasonably clarify the water used in the mining process before such water is discharged into the stream. Porter Bros. Corp., a placer mining company with many years operating experience in Oregon and Montana, became interested in strategic mineral placers in Idaho in 1950 when it was learned that prospectors had discovered a radioactive mineral deposit in Bear Valley Creek, 95 miles northeast of Boise. The company acquired mining leases and proceeded with exploration and development work on the property. After extensive research had resulted in the determination of successful separation processes, contracts were negotiated with the federal government and deliveries of columbium-tantalum and uranium concentrates commenced in 1956. The mining operations are located in a primitive area of Idaho among salmon spawning grounds and crystal-clear mountain trout streams. To avoid involvement in a very controversial issue, it appeared advisable for the company to develop water treatment procedures exceeding those requirements stated in the Idaho Dredge Mining Protective Act. Operation: The company operates one 6 cu ft continuous bucketline dredge and one 4 1/4 cu ft continuous bucketline dredge on the property. The dredges are jig-equipped, with feed being screened to 3 in. by trommels. The screening and gravity concentration methods satisfactorily separate the heavy minerals from companion clays, sand, and gravel. However, this separation of the heavy minerals requires water from the dredge pond with a minimum content of silt and colloids; therefore, water for dilution is added continuously to the dredge pond to suppress solids buildup. Discharge of this highly turbid water to maintain the proper pond level would ultimately result in an excessive silt load in Bear Valley Creek. To prohibit the turbid pond water from flowing directly into Bear Valley Creek, it was necessary to isolate the dredging area. Main by-pass canals were constructed along each side of the dredge pond and numerous secondary canals were dug for diverting seepage and snow runoff. One by-pass canal, extending more than two miles along the west side of the valley, diverts the main stream as well as tributaries entering from the west; a canal east of the dredge area diverts streams entering from that direction. At the beginning of operations in 1956, the dredge pond effluent was filtered through tailings and settled by use of coagulents in a series of lagoons. The filtrate was then discharged directly into the stream. Although this procedure gave satisfactory results in conformance with the state law, ice buildup and lagoon freezing hindered the efficiency of the process during periods of low temperature. For this reason, testing began in 1956 on a water treatment process that would operate efficiently under the extreme weather conditions encountered in Bear Valley. Development of Water Treatment System: Porter Bros. Corp. established the following requirements for effective continuous treatment of dredge pond effluent to the stream which, at low flow conditions, effluent to the stream which, at low flow conditions, would not result in a turbidity exceeding 25 ppm in the stream, 2) produce a sludge sufficiently dense to minimize disposal area requirements, 3) be semi-portable to follow dredge movements, 4) be capable of operating at low temperatures, and 5) be capable of handling a variety of capacities and turbidities.

Jan 1, 1961

By H. I. Meyer, D. F. Searcy

INTRODUCTION The analysls of our previous paper&apos; on the behavior at two immiscible fluids separated by gravity into two dlstinct saturated zones in the porous medium was shown to be theoretically valid only if one of the two fluids was immobile. The practical problems associated with flow of both phases have so far been impossible of solution by these analytic methods. We, therefore, decided to resort to a simulator study to answer the following pertinent questions: 1. If the lighter fluid is produced from a point above the fluid-fluid interface, how long will it take for the heavier fluid to come up to the point where production of both fluids is taking place? 2. After steady-state two-phase production is established, what is the relative production rate of each phase, on what physical variables does this depend, and what are the boundary conditions at the outflow face? 3. A third question was at least partially answered in the course of this investigation: that of the shape of the interface under flow conditions. These questions are of fundamental importance in the fields of hydrology and the reservoir mechanics of oil and gas production. In order to simplify equipment used and still retain a fair physical representation of these phenomena, it was decided to use a Hele-Shaw type of analogy in which the flow took place between two vertically mounted pieces of plate glass. The advantage of this system is that it eliminates any surface effects between the matrix of the porous medium (e.g. packed sand) and also allows equilibrium conditions to be established more quickly. The principle disadvantage (apart from the obvious one of being one more step removed from the prototype) is that our equipment limited us to two dimensional flow studies. In spite of these limitations answers to the questions were obtained which seem adequate for our purposes. We would like to see more work of this nature done to verify and to improve our conclusions. DESCRIPTION OF EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURE A drawing of the equipment used in this study is shown in Fig. 1. Fluid flow takes place between the two 36 in. x 12 in. pieces of plate glass held apart at the long edges by two spacers of cellulose acetate sheet (Kodapac IV) which is available in several thicknesses. This sandwich was clamped together by small c-clamps whose stress was distributed by long pieces of 3/8-in. keystock. Accurate spacing was obtained by tightening these clamps as indicated by micrometer measurements on the outside of the glass. At the upstream end of the plates a piece of 6-in. diameter pipe simulated an infinite reservoir, while at the downstream end a 2-in. Lucite cylinder with a small hole near the top of the flow region served to drain the fluid. Sealing was achieved by O-rings, the whole system being tightened by pressure on the Lucite tube provided by set screws (not shown in the drawing). The total head

Jan 1, 1957

By F. E. Harris

IT has been said that carbon is "ubiquitous" with reference to iron alloys. Certainly at temperatures where carbon and iron form the solid solution, austenite, it may be readily added to, or removed from, steel surfaces. Differences in concentration potential are the sole requirements for carbon flow. To measure the rate of carbon flow, a proportionality factor, D, is arbitrarily expressed in units of (length)2 X (time)-1. If the term used for carbon concentration is weight pct C, as is customary, then a factor must be found, changing this term to one of weight per unit volume when the diffusion coefficient, D, is used in flow formulae. The determination of D values for carbon is complicated since D varies with the concentration itself. The Matano method has often been employed for systems involving a variant D. This method expreses an evaluation of unsteady flow whereby .0 is given a relationship with the numerical value of C-X slopes. The author contends that this solution is incorrect, except when D is invariant. The primary purpose of this paper is to support this contention. Here diffusion is controlled under two conditions of flow. The first part deals with the steady state; the second part considers unsteady flow under definite restrictions. Beginning with the fundamental concept, the development is continued until equations for C-X curves are obtained. The solution is then subjected to experimental data. It is realized that a great amount of reliable data is required for a rigorous proof. No such research is claimed. Instead an attempt is made to set forth the physical significance of the diffusion mechanism, and particularly to express the factors which influence the flow of carbon in austenite. Of equal significance is the implication that gaseous media may be employed with reasonable accuracy in making these determinations. THE STEADY STATE DIFFUSION OF CARBON IN AUSTENITE The fundamental experiment defining diffusion in solid metals may be readily performed for carbon in gamma iron.1 For this experiment a thin plate of medium carbon steel is chosen. The surfaces of this plate may be taken as two parallel planes which may be considered infinite for points well in the center of the planes. These two planes are held at different concentrations of carbon at a constant temperature. This temperature, 1700°F for example, is one where the single phase, carbon in solution with gamma iron, exists. When these conditions are held for a sufficient time the concentration of carbon of the different points of the solid settles down towards its steady state value. At points well removed from the ends, the concentration will remain the same along planes parallel to the surfaces of the plate.

Jan 1, 1947

By F. A. Crossley

The additions: o, Sn, Zr, Cb, Mo, and V were studied for their effects on the a/a + Ti3A1 boundary of Ti-A1 base ternary alloys. These additions were chosen because of their importance to commercial titanium alloy practice—oxygen as the major impurity (in terms of influence on mechanical properties) and the others as major alloying additions. The composition and temperature ranges of investigation varied according to the system as shown in Table I. The principal means of investigation was light-microscopy. The basis of the ternary studies was the recently determined titanium-rich end of the Ti-A1 system.&apos; MATERIALS, METHODS, AND PROCEDURES Ingots were prepared in 15 g size for all alloys except those of the Ti-Al-Mo and Ti-A1-V systems which were prepared in 20 g size. These alloys were prepared from high-purity, electrolytically refined titanium obtained from the Bureau of Mines, Boulder City Metallurgical Laboratory, Boulder City, Col., and Chicago Development Corp., Riverdale, Md., for the 15 g and 20 g ingots, respectively. The alloying additions were obtained from commercial sources, and were at least of 99.9 pct purity, except the V-15 wt pct A1 master alloy for vanadium additions. This alloy was of 98.2 pct purity; the major impurities were 0.37 wt pct Fe and 0.38 wt pct Si. The ingots were prepared by multiple melting in a nonconsum-able-electrode arc furnace. The ingots were covered with Markal coating "CR-T22" (Markal Co., Chicago) to protect them from scaling. Markal coating is applied as a slurry of solids in a volatile carrier liquid. The coated article is air dried. Upon heating to the hot working temperature the coating fuses to form a glassy, protective film. The ingots were heated to 1000°C and rolled to 0.16 in. thickness, reheating after each pass. The glassy film was removed by sand blasting. Ten mils were removed from all surfaces by grinding and/or pickling (3 pct HF, 30 pct HN03, balance water). Grinding was always followed by pickling to remove traces of the grindmg medium. Hydrogen removal was accomplished by vacuum annealing at 1000°C for 2 hr to a final pressure of about 0.02 µ Hg. This was followed by annealing in evacuated Vycor bulbs (800°C, 2 hr, ice brine quenched (IBQ)) in order to maximize ductility. The materials were then lightly pickled and cold rolled to 0.12 in. thickness or cracking, whichever occurred first. After rolling, 1/2 by 1/4 in. specimens were cut for the equilibration anneals given in Table 11 and carried out as previously described.1 Final polishing of the specimens for metallographic examination was done by electrolytic means. Specimens were first examined without etching under bright field and polarized light illumination, for this is the only means of detecting the "two-phase" phenomenon.1,2 The term "two-phase syndrome" refers to Ti-A1 al-loys which appear on the bases of their chemical, phys-ical, and mechanical properties, to be two-phase, but are actually single phase and inhomogeneous in composition. Since processing and heat treatment of the alloys of the first group were completed before the two-phase syndrome was discovered, a number of the specimens were found to exhibit this phenomenon—80 pct of those of the Ti-Al-Zr system, 5 pct of those of the Ti-Al-Sn system, 30 pct of those of the Ti-Al-Zr system. The affected specimens were homogenized by heating above the ß transus temperature and quenching. The heat treatment and working schedules to accomplish this are given in Table 111. After rolling, specimens were pickled (3 pctHF, 30 pct HNO3 in water) to remove 1 to 2 mils from the

Jan 1, 1970

By Ralph W. Marsden

The natural iron ores of the Lake Superior Region in the United States are being replaced by iron-ore concentrates produced from magnetite- or hematite-rich horizons in the Precambrian cherty iron formations. The production of natural ores will soon be less than one-half of the total ore shipped annually. The tonnage of natural ore produced will continue to decline until it is a minor percentage of the ore shipped. The natural ores include (1) soft ore, (2) hard ore, ( 3) conglomerate ore and ( 4) siliceous ore. The soft ores are the important ore type and are sometimes termed "Lake Superior type ore". These ores are in situ deposits of hematite and limonite formed by the leaching of silica and other gangue materials in the iron formations. The leaching is believed to have been done by downward moving surface waters. In deep ore deposits, generally over 1000 feet below the present surface, circulation and leaching action may have been assisted by hydrothermal activity. Hard ore deposits occur on the Vermilion and Marquette ranges where hematite or magnetite has replaced the silica (and possibly some silicates) in cherty iron formation. These ores commonly occur in structural situations favorable for the movement of hydrothermal waters. The ores are believed to be the result of hydrothermal action with iron, possibly from the iron formation, transported by hydrothermal waters to areas favorable for the replacement of silica by iron oxides. Certain stratigraphic horizons of the Lake Superior Precambrian cherty iron formations contain sufficient iron as magnetite or hematite, with a grain size and texture that will give adequate mineral liberation, to yield an ore-quality product after grinding and concentration. The magnetite-rich deposits are termed magnetite taconites. These ores occur on the Mesabi, Gogebic, and Marquette ranges. Magnetite taconite ores are unenriched cherty iron formation and are the result of the sedimentary deposition of the iron formation and the metamorphic history of the rock. The commercial quality hematite-rich iron formations in Michigan are termed jasper ores. The jasper ores are being mined on the Marquette and Menominee ranges. These ores are composed of specular or granular hematite associated with quartz and iron silicates. The jasper ores appear to be recrystallized iron formations in which iron, prior to recrystallization, occurred as hematite.

Jan 1, 1968

By E. L. Vickers

Over the years, the pure theorist in economic analysis has accumulated a formidable array of facts in bringing his subject matter under control. Business managers and mining engineers are aware of the theorist&apos;s weapons, but the question of applying them to the mastery of practical problems seems hardly feasible, especially in view of the almost innumerable variables plaguing the everyday scene in the mining enterprise. One such sophisticated tool of long-standing in the theorist&apos;s arsenal is marginal analysis. Equally long-standing for the operating company and valuation engineer is the problem of defining the cut-off grade the point below which a mineral re- source ceases to be economically amenable to extraction. In other words, what part of a mineralized body of rock is ore and what is waste?

Jan 6, 1961

By S. B. Casey

[ ] IN 1880, an electric arc was struck over metal for the first time to experiment with controllable melting. The glare of this arc has reflected on the stacks of the steel industry and continued to light the path of steelmakers in their never ending quest -for faster, more economical, and better ways of producing steel. William Siemens is credited with first employing the electric arc to melt metal in a closed hearth and produce basic metallurgical reactions. By the turn of the century, an Italian, named Stassano, was experimenting with ore reduction by the electric arc. In 1899, Dr. Paul Heroult, in France, used the direct arc principle for producing ferro-chromium. His experiments quickly led him to develop a dosed-top arc furnace for the production of steel, and his first commercial shipment was recorded in December, 1900. American steelmakers, quick to sense the possibilities of this method of melting, invited Heroult to our shores, where, in 1905, he was responsible for installing the first arc furnace on the North American continent. This furnace, at Sault Ste. Marie, was built for ore reduction. But Charles Holcomb, founder of Holcomb Steel. Co. of Syracuse, N. Y. contacted Heroult in 1905 and contracted for the first American direct-arc electric furnace for steelmaking. On April 5, 1906, the first heat was tapped from this 3-ton unit. The furnace was basic lined and powered by a single-phase, 500 kw generator, -producing high amperage at low voltage. It is interesting to note that, although the first few heats were made with cold charges, subsequent heats were duplexed. R. H. Bully, first superintendent of Holcomb Steel, persuaded the directors to purchase the unit to effect a more economical and efficient means of making tool steel by duplexing prime melting in a combustion fired furnace, and transfer of hot metal to the arc furnace for temperature adjusting, refining, and adding carbon and alloying elements. Today, duplexing is foreseen by some as the steelmaking process of the future. The promise shown by America&apos;s first arc furnace for ingot production quickly led to the purchase of a similar unit by The Firth Sterling Steel Co., in 1909, and to the purchase of the first arc furnace for production of steel castings, by the Treadwell Engineering Co., in 1911. From its humble start in 1906, production of arc furnace steel has never ceased to increase its yearly percentage of total steel production in the U. S., although certain other methods have declined or almost disappeared. By its ability to be used intermittently, the arc furnace gained favor and enhanced its reputation during depression days. When the attack on Pearl Harbor plunged us headlong into the long days of World War II, the arc furnace stood ready, flexible enough to be overburdened hearth wise 30 pct and power wise 25 pct, pouring its endless flood of alloy for the guns, tanks, ships, and planes which ultimately brought victory. During the post war boom, the now, proven virtues of low initial cost, faster installation, better yield, improved availability, and lower operating cost, enabled industry-particularly the small, new, independent producers-to locate strategically and profitably to meet the demand of an America that had been starved for new homes, appliances, cars, and highways. In the Korean police action, the arc furnace again proved itself by providing the latest alloys metallurgists could develop to meet the demands that the jet age and the innovations of guided missiles required. In today&apos;s peacetime prosperity, the arc furnace is continuing to provide the economic flexibility required to meet an ever increasing demand for better steel in the face of mounting costs, scrap shortages, and pressure toward decentralized location of industry.

Jan 1, 1961

By J. E. Ostberg, G. Phragmen, A. Hultgren, S. Wohlfahrt

Detailed study was made of a number of rimming ingots, both low and high carbon, and especially upon effects of superimposed air pressure. Requirement to suppress core bubbles is between 10 and 15 atm; at 6.5 atm freezing was in semikilled manner and at 3 atm, steel was of rising type. Probable mechanism of freezing under various conditions is discussed. AN earlier paper&apos; reported an investigation made by a committee for studying rimming steel ingots appointed by Jernkontorets in Stockholm. The present paper is the outcome of some further work done by the same committee. Since the characteristics of ordinary rimming steel are connected closely .with the amount of gas liberated during freezing and since this amount of gas is governed by the pressure, it was considered of interest to ascertain in what manner and to what extent definite pressures applied to the top of the liquid steel in the mold would affect the solidification process and the consequent structure of a rimming steel of ordinary composition. The experiments were made at the Domnarfvets Steel Works. The steel was made according to normal practice in a 4-ton Rennerfelt electric furnace. Ferromanganese was added in the furnace; no aluminum was added, with one exception. Analyses of the four heats are given in Table I. The top-poured ingots measured about 12 in. sq x 48 in. and weighed about 1300 lb. One or two ingots of each heat were allowed to solidify under pressure, using a special device for admitting compressed air to the upper closed part of the mold, as shown in Fig. 1. A heavy plate sealed with asbestos was bolted to the top of the mold. The plate had a tapered aperture for pouring. Immediately after pouring the hole was closed by a wedged plug, and compressed air was admitted through a hole in the plug. Because of some delay in applying the plug, full pressure was not reached immediately. The pressure was adjusted to the desired value as indicated by a manometer. In order that the interior of the ingot might have the benefit of the pressure, the freezing of the top crust was delayed by a refractory lining applied to the top part of the mold, Fig. 1. Ingots were also cast from each heat without applied pressure, and with and without refractory lining at the top. Axial sections of ingots were cut either of the whole ingot or of some part of it of special interest; sections were polished and usually etched.&apos; To facilitate description of structures the following terms may be used for different types of ingots solidified under gas evolution: 1. Box-hat or boot-leg ingot: Abundant gas evolution during casting and during rimming; no rim holes. 2. Normal rimming ingot: Lively gas evolution during rimming; usually rim holes in lowest part of

Jan 1, 1952

By Clyde E. Williams

MUCH has been said recently concerning the depletion of the Lake Superior iron ore re- serves. Estimates given indicate a total life of the present known reserves of twenty to thirty years. Some argue that there is no need to concern ourselves about the possible depletion of the Lake Superior iron ore supply because foreign ores can be brought in to this country at a lower price than rich agglomerated ore can be produced from the lean domestic ores. Some fear, as a result of this, a displacement of the steel business from present districts to the Atlantic seaboard. Others show that foreign ores will be brought to interior points via the projected Great Lakes-St. Lawrence waterway. Others believe that the South, given better freight rates, will extend its iron and steel market into northern territory.

Jan 1, 1931