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By Wolfgang Pietsch

Direct Reduced Iron is a product obtained during solid state reduction of iron oxides into metallic iron. General chemical and physical characteristics of all direct reduced iron materials result in a noticeable reoxidation tendency and a relatively low ignition temperature. As most of the chemical reactions are exothermic, normally heating occurs and if water is present hydrogen evolves. Dry direct reduced iron deactivates quickly in air but is still reactive if it comes into contact with moisture. Because of these characteristics, special requirements are necessary for safe storage, shipment, and handling. In an effort to improve this situation passivation techniques were and still are being developed. The paper discusses the properties of direct reduced iron, presents past experience with storage, shipment, and handling of MIDREX® Iron, a direct reduced iron material produced in the MIDREX® Direct Reduction Process, and evaluates benefits derived from different passivation techniques.

Jan 1, 1978

Jan 1, 1916

By G. H. Gronhovd, W. H. Oppelt

Complete gasification to produce synthesis gas for manufacture of synthetic chemicals and fuels offers possibilities for utilization of the vast lignite fuel deposits in the U.S. The design of a slugging, fixed-bed, pressure gasification pilot Plant is described. Results are presented for initial operation of the plant at moderate pressure and using low-temperature char as fuel. Gasification of solid fuels is becoming increasingly important in the future overall energy picture, both in this country and abroad. Snythesis gas from gasification of coal consists chiefly of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, and after suitable purification and modification this gas can be used in the production of synthetic ammonia, methanol, higher alcohols, and synthetic liquid fuels, or as a reducing gas in the metallurgical field.' Most synthesis gas used in this country is made from natural gas, petroleum oils, and refining tail-gases, but the direct gasification of coal will become more attractive as costs of petroleum oils and natural gas increase.' A gasification process designed for use with brown coal and lignite was developed by the German Lurgi Co. prior to World War 11. In this process a fixed bed of lump-sized fuel is gasified with steam and oxygen at pressures ranging from 370 to 440 psi. Effective heat exchange between the ascending high-temperature gases and the descending solid fuel results in low gas outlet temperatures, high thermal efficiency, and favorable oxygen consumption. Lurgi gasifiers are used commercially for the production of synthesis gas or as a substitute for coal gas in many countries, including Germany, Czechslovakia, Great Britain, South Africa, Australia and Pakistan.3-6 The chief disadvantage of the conventional Lurgi gasifier which operates under nonclinkering conditions is that large quantities of excess steam must be supplied with the oxygen-steam mixture to reduce the temperature in the fuel bed below fusion temperature of the ash. Most of the steam leaves the gasifier undecomposed with the product gas and, after cooling, produces large amounts of dilute liquor. Evaluation of fixed-bed gasification experiments using dry-ash removal indicated that by increasing the oxygen concentration in the oxygen-steam blast the temperature in the combustion zone could be raised high enough to operate under slagging conditions. 7-8 Operation of a fixed-bed pressure gasifier under slagging conditions would reduce the steam requirements and the volume of waste liquor and would increase the steam decomposition, the overall thermal efficiency of the process, and the rate of gas production per unit cross sectional area of the gasifier. Because the Lurgi gasification process, modified for slagging operation, offered possibilities for efficient gasification of American lignite, the Bureau of Mines decided to investigate the process on a pilot-plant scale at the Grand Forks, N. D., Lignite Research Laboratory. DESIGN Description of Pilot Plant: A flowsheet of the Grand Forks slagging gasification pilot plant is presented in Fig. 1. The gasifier unit consits of the coal lock, the gas generator, and the slag lock. The fuel, which is periodically charged to the coal lock, moves by gravity flow into the generator and is continuously gasified by an oxygen-steam mixture introduced at the bottom of the gasifier. Molten slag is formed at the hearth and flows through a central taphole into a water quench bath. The slag-water slurry is periodically discharged from the slag lock. Process steam is generated and superheated in separately-fired, oil-burning units. Oxygen is supplied to the gasifier from a gas storage bank located some distance from the pilot plant. The capacity of the oxygen storage bank is about 130,000 standard cu ft at 2200 psig. Liquid oxygen is delivered by truck and is converted to gas during the filling operation. The superheated steam and oxygen are metered separately, then mixed and fed to the gasifier tuyeres. The gas generator is surrounded by a water jacket. The steam formed is separated in the steam drum and then discharged to the gas offtake, thus equaliz-

Jan 1, 1961

By J. T. Ryan

SiR Humphry Davy's epoch-making treatise delivered on Nov. 9, 1815, before the Philosophical Society of London, first announced and demonstrated a flame safety lamp for detecting methane in mine air. Coal mining was known in England as early as 1180, more than 600 years before the advent of a safe lighting and gas-detecting appliance. Mining, no doubt, took place first in outcrop coal, and danger from gas did not become apparent until the workings became deeper and more extensive. Davy's lamp did much to increase the safety of miners, and a modified Davy lamp is still widely used for detecting the presence and approximate amount of combustible gas in mine air. No factor in coal mining has improved more rapidly during the past 15 years than safety measures. This progress came about not only as a result of the workmen's compensation laws now in force in most of the states of the Union, but because the research work of the U. S. Bureau of Mines had demonstrated some dangers incident to coal mining which were not considered to be serious matters prior to that time. Electric power and explosives are necessary but potential hazards in American coal mines. A general mechanization program is now under way, while the mines are growing deeper and more extensive. Consequently ventilation problems are more complex and a demand has been created for positive detecting devices for carbon monoxide as well as methane. Scientists and manufacturers, working hand in hand during the past 10 years, have invented and developed appliances which make systematic and effective examination of mine air possible. The object of this paper is to describe briefly the approved testing devices in use today, with the hope that they may lead to the saving of life. Two Groups of Dangerous Coal Mine Gases Dangerous coal mine gases may be placed in two groups: (I) those that are dangerous because of their explosive properties, and (2) those that are dangerous because of their toxic properties. Methane (CH4) is the important gas of the first group, and in so-called gaseous mines constantly exudes from the coal and rock; it may accumulate and form an explosive mixture. The explosive range of methane-air mixtures is well defined. The low limit is 5 per cent., the high limit 15 per cent., and the most explosive

Jan 1, 1927

By A. H. Dierker

Next to the metal itself, molding sand is the most important raw material used in the manufacture of steel castings. There are no accurate figures available but probably it would be safe to say that the average steel foundry uses approximately 1000 lb. of new molding sand per ton of castings produced. With untreated sands costing from two to four dollars (in some extreme cases it may run as high as eight or ten dollars) per ton delivered at the foundry siding, molding sand is an important item in the cost of making castings, and any information that may help to reduce this sand consumption should be of interest to the industry. Fundamental Considerations In a general way, molding sand in the average steel foundry passes through the cycle shown in Fig. 1. This diagram indicates that if all of the sand could be returned from the shakeout floor to the mixer no new sand would be required from the stock pile and molding costs would be reduced accordingly. Unfortunately, for reasons to be discussed later, it has heretofore been necessary to dilute the used sand constantly with new raw sand in order to maintain the properties that are essential to the production of satisfactory molds.

Jan 1, 1930

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Jan 1, 1946

By A. J. Lyon

The stability and permanence of any structural material used in aircraft are of paramount importance. The spontaneous hardening, or age-hardening, which takes place in some of the aluminum alloys under ordinary conditions of temperature and atmosphere, is accompanied by an increase in tensile strength and proportional limit and a decrease in elongation or ductility. Within the last few years the introduction of a number of strong and ductile casting alloys led to a study by the Materiel Division, Air Corps, of the permanence of the physical properties in several of these alloys. It has been found that even though some alloys have good properties directly after casting or heat treatment, they are not satisfactory for stressed parts that require a combination of strength and ductility. It has also led to the conclusion that all alloys that can be hardened by artificial aging—heating in a temperature range below 170" C. (340" F.)—will harden spontaneously if allowed to stand for a sufficient length of time. It follows that, in aircraft work where the factors of safety are limited on account of the necessity of keeping the weight of the structures as low as possible consistent with their safe operation, the properties of the alloys in the stable or final condition should be used as a basis for design rather than the properties obtained on the material directly after casting. The work of Wilm in Germany, Hanson and Gayler at the National Physical Laboratory in England, and Merica, Jeffries, and others in the United States, has shown that the spontaneous hardening is characteristic to a greater or less extent in all aluminum-base alloys in which the solubility in the solid state of the alloying constituents decreases with the temperature. It has been shown that, by heating to a temperature as near as possible to the melting point of the material and soaking at that temperature for a sufficient length of time and then quenching or cooling rapidly, a maximum amount of the soluble constituents can be retained in solution and the condition of maximum hardening effect upon aging can be obtained. Also, in ordinary sand and chill castings, without heat treatment, a sufficient amount of the alloying constituents is held in solution to cause important changes in the final physical properties.

Jan 1, 1929

By A. J. Lyon

The stability and permanence of any structural material used in aircraft are of paramount importance. The spontaneous hardening, or age-hardening, which takes place in some of the aluminum alloys under ordinary conditions of temperature and atmosphere, is accompanied by an increase in tensile strength and proportional limit and a decrease in elongation or ductility. Within the last few years the introduction of a number of strong and ductile casting alloys led to a study by the Materiel Division, Air Corps, of the permanence of the physical properties in several of these alloys. It has been found that even though some alloys have good properties directly after casting or heat treatment, they are not satisfactory for stressed parts that require a combination of strength and ductility. It has also led to the conclusion that all alloys that can be hardened by artificial aging—heating in a temperature range below 170" C. (340" F.)—will harden spontaneously if allowed to stand for a sufficient length of time. It follows that, in aircraft work where the factors of safety are limited on account of the necessity of keeping the weight of the structures as low as possible consistent with their safe operation, the properties of the alloys in the stable or final condition should be used as a basis for design rather than the properties obtained on the material directly after casting. The work of Wilm in Germany, Hanson and Gayler at the National Physical Laboratory in England, and Merica, Jeffries, and others in the United States, has shown that the spontaneous hardening is characteristic to a greater or less extent in all aluminum-base alloys in which the solubility in the solid state of the alloying constituents decreases with the temperature. It has been shown that, by heating to a temperature as near as possible to the melting point of the material and soaking at that temperature for a sufficient length of time and then quenching or cooling rapidly, a maximum amount of the soluble constituents can be retained in solution and the condition of maximum hardening effect upon aging can be obtained. Also, in ordinary sand and chill castings, without heat treatment, a sufficient amount of the alloying constituents is held in solution to cause important changes in the final physical properties.

Jan 1, 1929

By R. A. Esmonde

This paper describes the building and testing of a prototype welded aluminum truck body to a new design concept. The results of these tests are given along with an outline of further developments in the design and field application of aluminum bodies. The results of field service history are recorded with special reference to types of mining operations, service performance, wear, maintenance and economics of operation. Mention is made of current U.S. usage and predictions given as to future development of aluminum bodies in the mining industry. The use of aluminum for off-highway truck bodies in hauling rock for the mining and construction industries is by no means the novelty that it may seem. In 1932 an aluminum unit proved very satisfactory in service on the Hoover Dam project but at that time the only high strength aluminum alloys available were not weldable and with the high cost of construction, a sound economic case for an aluminum body could not be made. After World War I1 great advances in aluminum welding techniques, using the inert gas shield, combined with the development of high strength alloys with good welded properties and welding characteristics changed the whole picture. Welded aluminum bodies were rapidly developed and by 1958 attention was again focused on the use of aluminum for off-highway truck bodies. EARLY DEVELOPMENT WORK In 1959 Alcan, the Aluminum Co. of Canada, embarked on an extensive development program to prove the durability and economics of aluminum truck bodies for the mining and construction industries. The first step was to design a prototype aluminum body which took particular advantage of the fact that the modulus of aluminum is only one third that of steel. This means that within the elastic range, aluminum moves three times as much as steel which makes it more flexible and capable of absorbing much greater impact shocks. A body was built and mounted on a 22-ton truck and taken to the Jeffery Mine of Canadian Johns Manville Company at Asbestos, P.Q., Canada. Very little information was available as to the order of stresses that were set up in off-highway truck bodies and so it was therefore decided to carry out a test program to find out this information.

Jan 1, 1969

By Harold A. Linke

The following article presents notes and data compiled and computed by the writer for use in the determination of: size and slope of mill launders, details of junction boxes and downspouts, and distribution of pulp. It also includes pulp formulas, volume of discharge through bushings, paths of discharging streams, banking of turns and curves. In the design of a concentrating mill, the draftsman usually considers launders to the extent of providing ample "head" for transmission of pulp from one department of the mill to another. The superintendent of construction aims to build his launders wide and deep, and on a slope steep enough to ensure positive flow. So launders are laid generally on too steep a slope, with the result that the repair gang works to maintain launder bottoms and sides against the erosive action of the conveyed pulp. To this end many kinds of liners have been devised: concrete, mastic, white iron, glass, rubber. True, the reduction of slope to the point where a pulp will flow with minimum wear, will minimize labor and expense; but when the desired slope is not predetermined, the millman hesitates to readjust his launder slopes by cut-and-try methods. To the end that the desired size and slope may be found readily, the writer has: (1) conducted experiments with pulps of different specific gravity, screen analysis and dilution; (2) gathered a few graphic data from standard reference works (such as Peele's Mining Engineer's Handbook and Taggart's Handbook of Ore Dressing); (3) computed several tables; and compiled results that have proved dependable for Utah Copper ore. It is quite possible that the following tables and graphs may not be applicable to all ores, but it is hoped that they may prove helpful, even in slight degree, in alleviating a portion of the trouble and migraine of some other millman. Launder Slopes The main object in the study of launder slopes is to provide grade steep enough to prevent "sanding" by a safe margin, and to avoid

Jan 1, 1943

By Harold A. Linke

The following article presents notes and data compiled and computed by the writer for use in the determination of: size and slope of mill launders, details of junction boxes and downspouts, and distribution of pulp. It also includes pulp formulas, volume of discharge through bushings, paths of discharging streams, banking of turns and curves. In the design of a concentrating mill, the draftsman usually considers launders to the extent of providing ample "head" for transmission of pulp from one department of the mill to another. The superintendent of construction aims to build his launders wide and deep, and on a slope steep enough to ensure positive flow. So launders are laid generally on too steep a slope, with the result that the repair gang works to maintain launder bottoms and sides against the erosive action of the conveyed pulp. To this end many kinds of liners have been devised: concrete, mastic, white iron, glass, rubber. True, the reduction of slope to the point where a pulp will flow with minimum wear, will minimize labor and expense; but when the desired slope is not predetermined, the millman hesitates to readjust his launder slopes by cut-and-try methods. To the end that the desired size and slope may be found readily, the writer has: (1) conducted experiments with pulps of different specific gravity, screen analysis and dilution; (2) gathered a few graphic data from standard reference works (such as Peele's Mining Engineer's Handbook and Taggart's Handbook of Ore Dressing); (3) computed several tables; and compiled results that have proved dependable for Utah Copper ore. It is quite possible that the following tables and graphs may not be applicable to all ores, but it is hoped that they may prove helpful, even in slight degree, in alleviating a portion of the trouble and migraine of some other millman. Launder Slopes The main object in the study of launder slopes is to provide grade steep enough to prevent "sanding" by a safe margin, and to avoid

Jan 1, 1943

By Robert I. Jaffee, Bruce W. Gonser

RECENT work by the authors1 established the constitutional diagram of the gold-germanium system. Of particular interest in the simple euctectiferous system was the eutectic alloy at 12 per cent Ge, which melted at the very low temperature of 356°C. and had an unusually fine eutectic structure. It was of interest to investigate the effect of third components on the melting point, microstructure, and strength of this alloy, and in this work the effect of copper is discussed rather completely, with less complete data on the effects of silver, platinum, nickel, and zinc. No reference in the literature has been found on ternary systems with gold-germanium. MATERIALS AND ALLOYING As in the work on the binary system, gold-germanium, the germanium used in this investigation was the cyanide-reduced, 99.9 per cent product, produced by the Eagle-Picher Co. Fine gold sheet from Handy and Harmon, pure platinum sheet from the American Platinum Works, copper magnet wire from Anaconda, nickel wire assaying 99.6 per cent Ni, and electrolytic zinc were used for alloying. To make the alloys, charges of the pure metals were put in a graphite crucible and melted in an atmosphere of pure hydrogen. The temperature was brought up to about 1050°C., and the metal allowed to freeze in the crucible. Except with alloys containing zinc, melting losses were consistently less than a few milligrams. When zinc was a component, weight losses up to half the weight of the zinc present were incurred, and the alloy compositions were calculated by assuming the entire weight loss to be that of zinc. In all other cases the composition of the alloys could safely be taken as that of the charge. The ingots, as solidified, were segregated, the heavier primary phases being at the bottom and sides of the ingots and the lighter primary phases at the top, but by sectioning the entire ingot vertically for microscopic examination, this factor could be evaluated. Ingots for microscopic examination weighed one gram, and those for thermal analysis weighed three grams. THERMAL ANALYSIS In this work, the eutectic line composition and thermal arrests were desired, and, after microscopic exploration had established the position of the eutectic line at a given percentage of the third component, a thermal analysis was run at that composition. The method of thermal analysis used in the work on the binary Au-Ge system,1 a method particularly well suited for a small quantity of material, was used in this work. Clearly defined arrests were obtained, although with some alloys containing platinum

Jan 1, 1946

By John J. Stokes

Literature on the electrolysis of aluminum from cryolite melts and on the structure of these .melts is surveyed critically. Data on density, freezing point, and other properties are reviewed. Theories of the electrolysis are examined in the light of these data. Two theories are presented which account equally well for the observations. In the early days, the process was thought of as a simple one. The actual mechanisms must be tremendously more complex. This paper is devoted to a rather narrow part of the whole subject, namely, what ions are present in the bath, and by what mechanism the current is carried. Using cryoscopic data, Rolin has determined the following composition for molten cryolite. Na2,AlF 3Na + 3F + AlF [1] He postulates the following equation for the ioniza-tion of alumina at low concentrations Al2O3 Al + AlO2 +O. [2] At concentrations above 0.025M he supposes the ionization of alumina to proceed as follows Al2O3 AlO + AlO2. [3] Rolin's mechanism of electrolysis for the more concentrated solution in Eq. 3 is as follows. The AlO' ion migrates to the cathode. where it is dis- charged, giving metallic aluminum and 0' ions which migrate to the anode. The AlO2- ion migrates to the anode, where it is discharged, giving Al ions and oxygen which reacts with carbon to form CO2 In the case of the extremely dilute solution in Eq. 2 the Al ion migrates to the cathode and the AlO2-and 0 migrate to the anode as before. Another possible mechanism for the electrolysis follows. Ionization of Cryolite Na3AlF4 = 2Na + 2F + NaAlF, Na + AlF-AlF+Na + F [4] Addition of Alumina 2Na2AlF+ 2AL2O4 6Na + 3A12O3F4 [5a] Al2O2F 2AlOF2 [5b] Cathode Process AlF, + 3e+ 4F + Al. [6] Anode Process AlOF2 + 2F AlF1 + 1/20, + 2e or A12O2F + 4F-2A1F; + 0, + 4e. [7] Although both Rolin's and the present mechanism of the Hall process may be qualitatively satisfactory, present data are not adequate for quantitative tests of the theories.

Jan 1, 1959

Arizona Bureau of Mines and College of Mines and Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz. Lists of the maps and bulletins available will be sent upon request to G M Butler, Director, Arizona Bureau of Mines, Tucson, Ariz Bulletin 119, A resume of the geology of Arizona, by N. H Darton, is sold for $1, postpaid Fourteen other bulletins, any five of which may be had free of charge (additional numbers may be purchased for 10 cents each) are available as follows - 106, A geological reconnaissance of the Tucson and Amole Mountains, by Olaf P Jenkins and Eldred D Wilson, 114, Fluorspar, by M A Allen and G M Butler, 120, Gold and copper deposits near Payson, Arizona, by Carl Lausen and Eldred D Wilson, 122, Quicksilver resources of Arizona, by Carl Lausen and E D. Gardner, 123, Geology and ore deposits of the Courtland?Gleeson region, Arizona, by Eldred D Wilson; 125, The mineral industries of Arizona, by J B Tenney, 126, Asbestos deposits of

Jan 1, 1933

By Sylvain J. Pirson

The question of the interpretation of apparent resistivity curves is still a much disputed subject although the discussion has been going on for several years, mainly since Gish and Rooneyl made their first measurements on the Tidal Basin at Washington, D. C. As a first approximation, they interpreted the depth to a horizontal discontinuity in terms of the electrode spacing at which a maximum or a minimum occurs in the resistivity curve. Later on, Lancaster-Jones2 proposed a closer approximation of depth determination by evaluating the depth to a horizontal discontinuity as the two-thirds of the electrode spacing at which a point of inflection occurs in the resistivity curve. An accurate determination of the depth was recently proposed by Tagg3 for a two-layer problem. It is a graphic solution of the problem by means of charts calculated from the formula of the apparent resistivity based on the theory of electrical images. Tagg's method is theoretically sound but the fact that the layers have been assumed to be homogeneous and isotropic must not be overlooked. Abusive use of the method has been made by geologists who have failed to recognize the fact that nature offers only few cases where the conductivity of the rocks may be assumed to be the same parallel and perpendicular to the bedding plane. Actually the ratio of the two resistivities in those directions may take values ranging from one (isotropic medium) to three for shales. In such conditions Tagg's method leads to disappointments. A method recently advocated by Manhart4 and Tattam6 forces Tagg's method to give a solution where manifestly the case under

Jan 1, 1934

Coal was known in this county before 1819, but there is no record of its use before that year. In that year a furnace, the first one built in the northwestern countries, was put in blast on Bear Creek; it was built to use coke and its first blast was with this fuel, which was made in heaps, but the blast was too weak and the furnace chilled after two or three tons of iron had been made. Charcoal was then substituted, and this use of coal ceased.1 In November of the same year a resolution was adopted urging state aid for a road from Kittanning to. Hamilton, New York: "that this road will increase the trade and industry of the whole county, between Pittsburgh and the New York line; and that our soil will in consequence be better tilled, our mines of coal, of iron and of salt, be better wrought, etc."2 In 1828 an advertisement of lands situated near Freeport on the Allegheny River and contiguous to the canal nearly completed between the Kiskiminitas and Pittsburgh stated that they contained "large and never failing springs, Coal in abundance, and a great deal of Fine Timber."3 In 1830 there were said to have been 24 salt wells in this county producing 327,000 bushels of salt, chiefly on the Kiski and Allegheny Rivers. In 1837 there were a number of wells in the vicinity of Freeport. As all the salt works on the Conemaugh River, were using coal long before 1830,4 it is safe to say that a considerable tonnage of coal was used for some years in these plants. In 1837 a tract of land in Clarion Township having a new saw mill and abounding "in Stone Coal" was offered for sale,5 and also one in Toby Township having "an abundance of the best quality of iron ore and stone coal."' In 1839 an advertisement in the Pittsburgh Mercury said

Jan 1, 1942

By J. M. Avasthi

The DOE-funded (Contract No. DE-ACO3-77ET13108) Gulf Research & Development Co. (GR&DC) field tests of underground coal gasification in steeply dipping beds (UCG/SDB) were conducted in the North Knobs area, located 12.8 km (8 miles) west of Rawlins, WY. The site has a gently rolling, sparsely vegetated, semidesert terrain on the transition zone between a broad, flat basin (Great Divide Basin) to the west and the subdued mountains of the Rawlins uplift to the east. A comprehensive geotechnical program (Ahner et al., 1980) was essential to successfully complete the test program. Emphasis of the program was the subsurface characterization of the site and consisted of mapping, drilling and logging, core analyses, and hydrologic tests. The samples of lithologic units over- and underlying the G coal seam were tested in the laboratory for their modulus and strength. This program provided the required data necessary for designing surface facilities, input for permits, and ensuring correct placement of the process modules. The two UCG tests at the Rawlins site were conducted in the nominally 6.7 m (22 ft) thick G coal seam (rank-subbituminous B), dipping at 63°.

Jan 1, 1984

By George F. Weaton

Mining differs from the ordinary industry in that most industries and enterprises have an indeterminate life, apparently perpetual, and therefore, are not called on to replace the original investment. In mining, however, when the ore bodies are mined out, there is nothing left, The original capital investment must, therefore, be returned to the investor by the time that the profitable life of the mine is ended. When the operating company makes no provisions for perpetuating its life by investing a portion of its earnings in other properties, the usual procedure is to pay the investor, periodically, a dividend sufficiently larger than the risk return on his investment to enable him, if he reinvests this overplus at a safe rate of compound interest, to replace his original capital by the time the mine is exhausted. This overplus constitutes a return of invested capital. In estimating the value of a mining enterprise, the work leading to the final result may be divided into two parts. The first is the examination of the property to determine ore reserves, mining costs and profits, financial requirements and future prospects. Whatever conclusions are reached in this phase of the work depend on the experience, thoroughness and integrity of the examining engineers. The second is the calculations pursuant to the field examination.

Jan 5, 1973

By Alexander R. Troiano, Eugene P. Klier

SINCE the very early work on quenched structures, where the products of the martensite transformation had been recognized, this transformation has provoked much interest and study. Theoretically it was desirable to account for the extreme changes in physical properties resulting from the formation of martensite, as that information might lead to results of practical importance. Desirable information, therefore, was on the kinetics of transformation from austenite to martensite as well as on the physical constitution of the martensite. It has been known for years that certain steels quenched to room temperature will contain persistent austenite as well as martensite. Other important and now well- established features of the martensite reaction are the progress of the reaction on cooling only and the independence of Ar" with cooling velocities exceeding the critical velocity. These facts have been experimentally determined by various methods and investigators. Notable among the early investigators were Tammann and Scheill and Wever and Engel.2 Unfortunately, all investigators did not fully interpret their results, which, coupled with several investigations that yielded conficting results, caused a state of confusion that was not clarified until quite recently. X-ray investigations of martensite in steels3-6 indicate it to be a supersaturated solid solution of carbon in alpha iron. This supersaturation is evident from the appearance of a body-centered tetragonal structure with the addition of sufficient carbon. The dimensions of this tetragonal structure are alinear function of the carbon content within the limits of accuracy of the determinations. Slight tempering of tetragonal martensite leads to the destruction of the tetragonal structure, which is converted to a body-centered cubic structure. This phenomenon has precipitated a controversy concerning the nature and mechanism of the tempering of martensite. The facts in the case have been outlined by Epstein7 and more recently by Antia, Fletcher, and Cohen.8 The significance of Ar" on theoretical grounds is not clear, however, although considerable study has been devoted to its determination. The precise position of Ar" as a function of carbon content was first stated by Greninger and Troianos for steels covering a range of approximately 0.7 to 1.8 per cent carbon. The effect of alloying elements on Ar" has recently been the subject matter of investigation by various methods.

Jan 1, 1945

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Jan 1, 1938