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By William Alden

A GREAT landslide occurred on June 23, 1925, in the valley of Gros Ventre River, about 35 miles south of Yellowstone National Park (Fig. 1). The relations of the north-easterly dipping rock formations of the slide scarp and of the dam formed by the slide are shown in the diagrammatic cross-section of the valley (Fig. 2). This generalized section is based on unpublished maps and notes by Eliot Blackwelder, in the files of the U. S. Geological Survey. FIG. 1.-MAP SHOWING SCARP AND DAM (LARGE DOTS) AND LAKE (CROSS-LINED) FORMED BY LANDSLIDE BLOCKING GROS VENTRE RIVER. (Scale 1, in. = 1 mile; contour interval 100 ft. From Grand Teton and Mt. Leidy topographic maps). Heavy rains and melting snow in the Gros Ventre Mountains had saturated clay layers in the Carboniferous strata, which dip toward the valley at angles of 18° to 21°, consequently an enormous mass of rock at the end of the north spur of Sheep Mountain became loosened and, on the afternoon of June 23, slid suddenly down into the valley. Within a few minutes this mass of debris-estimated as 50,000,000 cu. yd.-carrying

Jan 1, 1928

By A. J. Griest, P. D. Frost, H. A. Robinson

The flow characteristics and uniform elongation of alpha-beta titanium alloys in the solution-treated condition were shown to be markedly affected by the solution temperature. Two classes of alpha-beta alloys were distinguished, based on the effect of solution temperature on the uniform elongation. Martensitic alpha-beta alloys, which are relatively weakly beta-stabilized, showed decreasing values of uniform elongation as the solution temperature was initially increased. However, after solution-treatment at still higher temperatures in the alpha-beta field, the uniform elongation of these alloys was again high, and often attained its maximum value. Nonmartensitic alpha-beta alloys, which are more heavily beta-stabilized, showed a continuous decrease of uniform elongation with increasing solution temperature. The behavior was rationalized in terms of the alpha-beta ratio and the alloy content of the beta existing at the solution temperature. The data indicate that in commercial practice close temperature control may be required to get maximum uniform elongotion, and hence, maximum potential formability, in solution-treated sheet. Bend-test data also were obtained for the solution-treated conditions. A MOST important objective of current titanium research is the development of age-hardenable alloys with superior formability in the solution -treated condition. Alpha-beta titanium alloys have been shown to be amenable to high-strength aging treatments after solution-treatment in the alpha-beta field.' However, heat-treatment data on the properties of solution-treated sheet, such as uniform elongation, minimum bend radius, and flow properties, which have a bearing on the potential formability, have not been widely available. This paper presents only the most significant results of a research program conducted at Battelle for the Air Force in an effort to develop sheet alloys that can be formed readily as solution-treated and subsequently aged to very high strengths. Data for 10 compositions representative of the more than 25 alloys studied in this program are presented. A primary objective of the paper is to demonstrate the pronounced dependence of the flow characteristics and uniform elongation on solution-treatment temperature. This effect is believed to be vitally important in the commercial heat-treatment of age-hardenable titanium sheet alloys. Experimental Procedures Melting and Fabrication—The nominal and actual compositions, beta transi temperatures, and rolling temperatures of 10 of the 30 alloys studied are presented in Table I. Stock :€or two of the alloys, E (Ti- 8Mn) and J (Ti-6A1-4V) was obtained from commercial heats. The remaining heats, except D and I, were double melted as 10-lb heats in a consumable-electrode furnace. Melting stock was 120 Brine11 hardness sponge. The oxygen and hydrogen analyses spotted throughout the heats indicate the range of interstitial levels resulting from the melting practice used. Heats D and I were melted as 20-lb ingots with the same grade of sponge. These ingots were cut in half and one portion used in the present evaluation. The ingots, which were about 4 in. diam and 4 in. in height, were upset forged and drawn at 1750°F to sheet bar 5/8 in. thick by 2 1/2 in. wide in such a manner that the top of the ingot corresponded to the top of the sheet bar. Slabs of the sheet bar, 5 1/2 in. in length were scalped to 1/2 in. thickness and rolled at the temperatures indicated in Table I to approximately 0.055 in. sheet. Elongation during rolling took place at 90" to the original forged length. The fabrication procedure used is described in some detail since the experimental heats showed considerable directionality in mechanical properties. The rolling procedures for the commercial heats were unknown, but were such as to produce essentially isotropic properties. All heats, as rolled, showed microstructures typical of alpha-beta alloys worked in the alpha-beta field; that is, the structures consisted of equiaxed alpha particles in a beta matrix. Heat Treatment— The effects of solution and aging heat-treatments on the properties of the alloys were evaluated uSing longitudinal and transverse tensile and bend coupons sheared from the sheet. Two or three solution-treated conditions were evaluated for each alloy. In addition, the alloys were also tested after annealing at 1200°F for 4 hr and furnace cooling. The solution-treated and annealed conditions were those in which the alloys might be expected to

Jan 1, 1959

By David W. James, Howard Jones, George M. Leak

Conditions are described for producing, by primary recrystallization, a matrix suitable for the growth of large grains near (110)[001] orientation in silicon iron strip by secondary recrystallizaliun in a steep temperature gradient. The orientation distribution of these large grains is expressed in terms of rotational deviations about the cross-rolling direction, the rolling direction, and the normal to the sheet, the deviational spread increasing in that order. With the aid of cowplenientary published data on the orientation dependence of growth rate, it is shown that this observation is consistent with the oriented-growth theory of recrystallization lextures. It is conclutled that growth-rate and orientation-distribution data obtained in a steep thermal gradient should be used with caution to account for isothermally Produced recrystallization textures. SEVERAL authors have reported methods of growing large grains by re crystallization of a small-grained matrix in silicon iron 1- B and pure a cr The present study was a preliminary in the growth of single crystals and bicrystals for surface relaxation," grain boundary mobility, and grain boundary diffusion studies. The method was to control the growth of a seed crystal into a suitable primary re crystallized matrix by feeding through a steep temperature gradient. The driving energy for growth derived from the grain boundary energy released as the seed crystals grew into the matrix. Thus, stability of the matrix against normal grain growth was considered to be essential for success. It was known that the manganese sulfide dispersion present in commercial silicon iron performs this function during secondary recrystallization to the (110)[001.] texture.12 Hence commercial, rather than high-purity, material was used throughout. The paper describes the growth conditions for grains large enough to be used as seed crystals for further growth into single crystals. The orientation distribution of the seed crystals is analyzed and its significance for the theory of recrystallization textures is discussed. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Strip material was supplied by the Steel Co. of Wales, Ltd. The chemical analysis in weight percent was Si, 2.90; C, 0.015; Mn, 0.059; P, 0.011; S, 0.027; Ni, 0.032; 0, 0.009; Fe, balance. A gradient furnace of similar design to one described previously4 was loaned from B.I.S.R.A. It consisted essentially of a vertical water-cooled copper slot projecting downwards into the hot zone of a molybdenum furnace. Hydrogen was passed through the furnace to protect both heating element and specimen from oxidation. Strip specimens up to 8 cm wide and 0.2 cm thick were sealed into the furnace at the mouth of the copper slot. A coating of light oil on the strip surface maintained the seal during translation of a specimen. The maximum temperature gradient in the region just below the copper slot was 500°C per cm over 1 cm, with the hottest point controlled at 1175°C. Several large grains would usually grow by secondary recrystallization from the primary matrix when a specimen was immersed in the hot zone for about 30 min. A back-reflection X-ray camera was constructed to facilitate rapid and accurate orientation determinations of the large grains produced. It was possible to reproduce a standard geometry, with regard to strip and camera, without the tedium of careful alignment on each occasion. Specimens, typically 4 cm wide and 75 cm long, were cut with the longitudinal axis parallel to the rolling direction of the original strip. The surfaces were cleaned by immersion alternately in a hot aqueous solution containing 2 pct hydrofluoric acid plus 10 pct sulfuric acid and in cold 10 pct nitric acid. The nitric acid etch was just sufficient to reveal the grain structure. Rolling and annealing treatments to prepare the matrix (discussed below) were followed by growth of seed crystals in the gradient furnace. The matrix was transformed to a single crystal by growth of a selected seed crystal connected to the matrix by a thin neck. 4,5 Growth was promoted by controlled feeding into the gradient furnace. Several single crystals of controlled orientation were grown successfully from seed crystals by twisting the interconnecting neck in a reorien-tation jig.4 EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Growth Conditions. A suitable matrix for growth of large grains was prepared starting from primary re-crystallized strip 1.9 mm thick. This was cold-rolled in two stages each being followed by a recrystallization anneal at 800°C for a few minutes. Such treatment gave the required growth matrix only if the two cold-reduction stages were each performed in several passes and in the following ranges: the first, 30 to 70 pct; the second, 10 to 50 pct. Immersion in the temperature gradient otherwise resulted in an equiaxed

Jan 1, 1967

By Charles H. Grant

Some of the limiting factors relative to explosive crushing of rock and ways to overcome a few of these problems are presented. Relationships between borehole diameters, bench heights, and spacings, along with a review of the influence geometry has on energy as these are changed, are discussed. Efficiency in use of explosives and the decay of energy as it moves through rock and is absorbed and dissipated, is described, along with fragmentation as a function of spacings and energy zoning, etc. Communications are one of the major problems encountered. In an effort to provide a better understanding of the use of explosives, it is necessary to take a little different view of what explosives are, how to look at them as tools to fragment rock, and some of the problems encountered in doing so. First, take the explosive: although there are many factors involved, consider these as being reduced to only two — shock-strain imparted to the rock by the high early development of energy, and the gas effect which is a combination of heat, moles of gas formed, rate of formation of these gases which develop pressures, etc. First, consider shock energy by itself and assume there is no gas effect in the reaction. Fig. 1 illustrates a block or cube of rock, in the center of which is detonated an explosive charge which is 100% shock energy. Tensile slabbing would be seen on the surface and probably the cube of rock would generally hang together even though microcracks were formed. If the situation is reversed and an explosive whch has no shock energy and only gas effect (Fig. 2) is considered, the cube of rock would act as a pressure vessel and contain the pressure from the gas effect until it exceeded the rock-vessel strength; then the rock would break in a few large pieces. If these two kinds of energy are put together and the area of shock-strain around the explosive (Fig. 3) is considered, the two energies will be seen working together to furnish broken rock. The gas effect applies pressure to the microcracks formed from the shock energy to weaken the rock-pressure vessel and propagate these cracks to break the rock apart. It not only will be broken more finely, but will break apart at a lower pressure than the gaseffect case, since the shock energy has first weakened the rock vessel. Although tensile spalling from the shock-strain imparts momentum to the rock, the main source of displacement comes from the gas effect. The term "rock" is being used to mean any material to be blasted. These energies are absorbed by the rock in different ways. First, classify rock into two main categories: "elastic" and "plastic-acting." Elastic rock should be thought of as rock which can transmit a shock wave and is high in compressive strength, such as granite or quartzite. Since this elastic rock transmits a shock wave well, it makes good use of the shock energy from the explosive-forming cracks, etc., for the gas effect to work on. Plastic-acting rocks are rock masses which are relatively low in compressive strength and absorb shock energy at a much faster rate, thereby making poor use of the shock energy by not developing as extensive a cracked zone for the gas effect to work on. Rocks of this type are generally softer materials such as some limestones, sandstones, and porphyries. For the most part, the shockenergy part of the explosive reaction is wasted in plastic-acting rock, leaving most of the work to the gas effect. Since the ratio of gas effect to shock energy is different in different explosives, it is easy to understand why some explosives perform well in elastic rock and poorly in plastic-acting rock, and vice versa. Some of the most difficult blasting situations arise when mixtures of plastic-acting and elastic rock are encountered (Fig. 4). Fig. 4 shows an example of granite boulders cemented together with something like a decomposed quartz monzonite which is plastic-acting. The elastic granite boulders will transmit the shock-strain within itself, but when this shock tries to move through the monzonite to the next boulder, its intensity is absorbed by the monzonite and little shock-strain is placed on the adjoining boulder. In addition to this loss by absorbtion, shock reflection at the surface of the boulder will effect tensile spalling. The net effect is poor breakage of the boulders which do not have drillholes in them as they simply will be popped out with the muck. The same is true (Fig. 5) when layers and joints make

Jan 1, 1970

By Ralph W. Smith

DEVELOPMENT of the lime industry- in Ste. Genevieve County began in a crude way in 1840. According to information furnished by the Missouri Bureau of Geology, in the early days small vertical kilns built of stone were used, and wood was the fuel. Modern development began in 1904 when one company introduced steel shells lined with firebrick. Within a few years two more companies erected similar plants, and in 1925 a fourth company began operations. Thus there are today four lime companies at Ste. Genevieve, all operating at high capacity and with a gradually increasing production. GEOLOGY The limestone of Ste. Genevieve County, which has the chemical composition and purity required for lime burning, is the upper 80 or 90 ft. of Spergen formation. The Missouri Bureau of Geology, in its geological map of Ste. Genevieve County, gives the Spergen formation a total thickness of 160 ft., but only the upper portion is pure enough for lime burning, with an average raw-stone analysis of 98.7 per cent CaC03; 0.35 Si02; 0.3 R203; 0.35 MgCO3; 0.3 S03. The Spergen, one member of the Meramac group, Iowa series, of the Mississippian system, underlies an area approximately 12 miles long north and south, by 5 miles wide east and west (Fig. 1) in Ste. Genevieve County. The entire eastern two-thirds of Ste. Genevieve County is sedimentary, the formations dipping gently toward the east on an average grade of about 4 per cent, or 2 ½ º. Thus the outcrops of the various sedimentaries run approximately north and south. A line running west from Ste. Genevieve crosses the outcrops of the sedimentaries, ranging from the top of the Mississippian to the Ozarkian geological system in a space of 12 miles. Thus with the gentle dip of 2 ½ º the 160-ft. thickness of the Spergen formation stretches out in its outcrop so that it is approximately one mile

Jan 1, 1938

By H. S. Martin

ALTHOUGH it was known some years ago at the- Utah Copper Co. mills that fine grinding improved flotation recoveries, no accurate data were available until recently as to just how far the grinding could be carried economically. In 1923 the ultimate degree of fineness for flotation feed was supposed to be about 10 per cent. on 65 mesh, with approximately 55 per cent. through 200 mesh, which meant that most of the mineral would pass 100 mesh. At this time Garfield and Wilfley tables were used ahead of flotation and a good deal of the coarse mineral removed prior to the ball mill regrind. Shortly afterwards, mill-scale tests developed the fact that on a feed containing not over 10 per cent. +65¬mesh material flotation alone would give a copper recovery equal to that obtained by the combination of tables and flotation, but that on much coarser feed the recovery with flotation alone was lowered. This was at a time when all the sulfide minerals were floated if possible, so that the only requisite was to grind fine enough to free the mineral from gangue. EARLIEST USE op MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION OF TAILINGS As early as 1921, the writer had attempted to determine by chemical analysis the relative proportions of copper minerals in tailings from an ore that made extremely poor flotation results. Chemical analysis was not satisfactory or conclusive, and samples of these tailings were sent to the U. S. Bureau of Mines Station at the University of Utah for micro-scopic examination. The question at that time was to determine, if possible, which copper minerals had been lost and why, but R. E. Head, in his report, revealed other interesting data. He said in part: Briefly stated, the mineral particles or grains may be classified into separate groups as follows: 1. Free grains of pyrite, chalcopyrite, chalcocite and bornite, respectively, which contain no other included sulfides; 2. Grains in which all three of the copper sulfides are represented (the core may he of chalcopyrite, partially altered to bornite, these two minerals being entirely surrounded by a shell of chalcocite); 3. Grains composed of equal amounts of bornite and chalcocite or chalcopyrite and chalcocite.

Jan 1, 1929

By Morris Cohen

IT has been known for several years that in certain age-hardenable alloys precipitation of finely divided particles occurs simultaneously with the changes in physical properties; while, in other alloys, these changes take place prior to, or without any, precipitation. . The silver-copper alloys are generally considered to be the classical example of the first group, and the aluminum-copper alloys (duralumin) are typical of the second group. The two types of aging are explained by the precipitation theory and the knot theory respectively. ? It is well recognized now that these theories do not conflict with each other; the one used for a given aging system depends upon which way the alloy in question happens to age-harden. However, previous work on the aluminum-copper alloys1,2 has shown that if the aging temperature is raised sufficiently the hardening will be accompanied by actual precipitation. In fact, it is quite probable that all of the so-called knot-hardening alloys will harden by precipitation at elevated temperatures. Therefore, a combination of the knot and precip-itation theories is necessary to give a complete picture of the age-harden-ing of these alloys, and indicates that knot formation and precipitation are not independent processes. To test the generality of this concept, it is necessary to show that the alloys that commonly harden by precipitation will harden prior to precip¬itation if the aging temperature is sufficiently lowered. For this reason, it would be well to carefully re-examine the aging characteristics of the silver-copper alloys at aging temperatures somewhat below those used by previous investigators. If hardening can be detected prior to precipi¬tation in these alloys, it will lend great weight to the idea that knot forma-

Jan 1, 1936

By D. L. Katz, M. J. Rzasa

The derivations of three methods of computing the static pressure gradients in natural gas wells have been presented to show the assumptions made. Charts were developed from which the pressure gradients may be read when the well-head pressure, the well fluid gravity, depth, and the average well temperature are given. A chart for estimating the well fluid gravity from the condensate content and separator gas gravity is included. The effect of the increased average well temperature after flow on the calculation of the static pressure gradient is discussed. Introduction Reservoir pressures have been calculated from well-head pressures for gas wells for many years. As the pressure measurements become more accurate, the need for a reliable calculation of the static pressure gradient often arises. This paper will develop the several methods for computing the pressure gradient in gas wells and make a comparison between them. The method of calculating static pressure gradients in common use is Eq. I (ref. I) or its counterpart which includes a factor for the deviation of the gas from the ideal gas law. P2 - P1 = P1(e0.0000347GX _ I) Eq. [I] in which P1 = pressure at well head, lb. per sq. in. abs. PP = pressure at bottom of well, Ib. per sq. in. abs. G = gas gravity X = depth of well, ft. An alternate method is to compute the average density of the gas in the well and multiply by the well depth in a manner similar to that used for liquid gradients. Derivation of Formulas A static pressure gradient is a special case of the general fluid-flow equation. Consider a pound of fluid flowing in a vertical column from point I to point 2, Fig. I. By an energy balance for fluid flowing from I to 2: U1 + P1V1 + u12/2g + X1 + q = U2 + P2V2+ u22/2g+X2 +W [2] in which U = internal energy, ft-lb. per lb. P = pressure, lb. per sq. ft. V = volume, cu. ft. per lb. u = average linear velocity, ft. per sec. X = height above datum, fl. q = heat absorbed by fluid, ft-Ib. pcr lb. W = work done by system, ft-lb. per lb. An energy balance on the fluid itself gives: U = ?TdS - ?PdV + etc. [3] in which T = temperature, deg- R- S = entropy, ft-lb. per deg. R. per lb.

Jan 1, 1945

By A. R. Kaufman, P. Gordon

THE large-scale manufacture and use of uranium in conjunction with the atomic energy development during the war led to a need for knowing the equilibrium diagrams of uranium with various other metals. The alloys of uranium with aluminum and with iron were among the first that were studied for this purpose. Much of the work was done in the manner of a survey since it was necessary to determine the important features of the phase diagrams rather than to obtain completely detailed results. For this reason no attempt was made to locate exactly such features as liquidus lines, solid solubility limits and compound and eutectic compositions. It is believed, however, that there are no great inaccuracies in the diagrams reported here and that no important points were overlooked. Earlier work on alloys of uranium with aluminum and iron is almost nonexistent and in each case is considered to have been of little value by M. Hansen. It is interesting to note, however, that the compound UAl3 was first reported in 1902 by L. Guillet. Experimental Procedure Materials: The uranium used for making most of the aluminum alloys was obtained from material prepared by Metal Hydrides, Inc., and melted in vacuum at M.I.T. Because of the lack of an adequate supply of metal, it was necessary to use material from several different batches and hence it is impossible to state an exact analysis. However, a few results indicated about 0.01 to 0.03 pct iron and probably about 0.03 to 0.05 pct carbon. Toward the end of the work a small amount of metal was obtained from Brown University and from Iowa State College and this was used in determining the transformations in pure metal and in some dilute alloys. All of the aluminum used in this investigation came from a supply of high purity metal (greater than 99.9 pct aluminum) which was obtained through the courtesy of Dr. Mehl of the Carnegie Institute of Technology. The uranium used for making the alloys with iron was produced by the bomb reduction process which has been described by J. Chipman.² This metal, after vacuum melting, contained about 99.9 pct uranium by weight with carbon and iron as the chief impurities. Electrolytic iron containing about 0.012 pct carbon, 0.020 pct nickel and 0.009 pct copper was used in making the melts. Melting Equipment: The melting of the alloys went through a stage of development which culminated in the use of beryllia or beryllia-lined crucibles and in the use of high frequency heating in either vacuum or in an atmosphere of argon. It was found that uranium at a few hundred degrees above its melting point would pick up aluminum and to a lesser extent silicon from an alundum thimble while aluminum above 1000°C would extract silicon from the impure alundum. No reaction of either metal with beryllia was noted at temperatures as high as 1800°C. The distillation of aluminum from the aluminum-rich alloys was quite troublesome at temperatures above about 1300°C and was only partially avoided by the use of argon instead of vacuum. Melting in resistance furnaces,

Jan 1, 1951

By Elmars Ence, Harold Margolin

The titanium-aluminum system has been investigated in the composition region 0 to 34 pct Al in the temperature range 800" to 1450°C. The phases encountered in this region were: a,ß, TiAl3, The reactions observed are as follows: 13 ; L - 6T. A1, 0 (15 pct Al) + 6 (18 pct Al) - yTi Al (16.5 pct Al) at -1170°C andP (7 pctpct Al) + y (9.2 pet Al) - ah(9 pct Al) at - 1060°C. A eutectoid reaction: y — a +d belm 700°C is postulated. THE Ti-A1 system has been the sub.ect of a number of investigations. Several of these1-3 have indicated extensive solubility of A1 in both a and ß titanium. Ence and Margolin, as a result of work on the Ti-A1-0 system:'5 have shown that the a solubility ofalumi-num is considerably restricted, and found that a compound, Ti2A1 existed in the region formerly designated as Q a This structure was identified as hexagonal with c/a = 0.803. Pietrokowsky confirmed the existence of this phase7 and pointed out that the structure was isomorphous with Ti3Sn.8 Although the existence of Ti,A1 has been confirmed by others,9-12 there has been considerable disagreement regarding the composition and mode of formation. A detailed reinvestigation of the Ti-A1 system has been published by Sagel et al.13 The tentative diagram indicated two phases, a, and e, occurring in the former all a region. The a, phase has the same structure as Ti2A1 and was indicated as having a broad region of solubility. Epsilon, a tetragonal phase, was shown to form within the a, solubility region. AS a result of unpublished work,14 Ence and Mugy3 olin disagreed with the interpretation of Sage1 et al., although some common features existed. The present study was conducted in an attempt to clarify prevailing uncertainties. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Alloy Preparation—Alloys were prepared from iodide titanium (99.9 pct Ti with less than 0.01 pct Zr) or Bureau of Mines electrolytic titanium (BHN-73) and high purity aluminum (99.99 pct). Alloys were arc-melted in argon or helium atmosphere as 15-g buttons in the composition range up to 34 pct Al. Depending on need, alloys were made in increments varying from 0.25 to 2 pct Al. Up to five 15-g buttons of some compositions were made. Weight losses during melting did not exceed about 1 pct of the charge and chemical analysis revealed that both titanium and aluminum were evaporated. In general, nominal and analyzed compositions agreed within 0.5 pct and therefore nominal compositions were used in plotting the data. Unavoidably, some overlap of composition occurred, particularly where small increments of A1 were used. The small increments were primarily used to obtain alloys which would fall into the narrow a -, r region and this purpose was achieved. In general, the data obtained from Bureau of Mines base titanium and iodide titanium alloys were in agreement. Forging—Both as-cast and forged samples were employed. Samples were heated for hand forging by an oxygen-hydrogen torch to the region 1200" to 1300°C. A titanium anvil and cover plate were used to prevent any iron pick-up and consequent formation of a low melting point compound. Frequent reheating kept the temperature in the desired range. Under these conditions, alloys containing up to 15.5 pct could be successfully forged. To check on the depth of contamination, forged alloys were heated slightlybelow the ß transformation temperature. Metal was removed to a depth below the contaminated surface so revealed, and the subsequent results obtained from these samples agreed closely with those secured from as-cast material. Heat Treatment—Prior to heat treatment, all alloys were vacuum annealed to remove hydrogen. Samples

Jan 1, 1962

By J. A. Pusateri, M. A. Orehoski, N. R. Arant

Plant studies on commercial-size ingots and laboratory experiments with induction furnace heats have demonstrated that the major source of ingot cracks is associated with two conditions arising during top-pouring practice: 1—solidification during pouring, and 2—turbulence created by the impact of the stream. Methods of controlling the two factors were effective in eliminating or significantly reducing ingot cracks. BECAUSE the process of removing surface defects from hot-rolled product is so costly, the steel industry is striving constantly to develop methods of preventing, or at least decreasing, the occurrence of surface defects. Investigations have revealed steel-making and processing variables related to major surface defects, and controlling these variables has led to improvements in surface quality. However, the fundamental causes of major surface defects, such as ingot cracks, have not been determined; consequently such defects persist. At the Research and Development Laboratory of the United States Steel Corp. in Pittsburgh, a seam research program was initiated to determine the fundamental causes of certain major defects. As a part of the program, ingot cracks in killed, finegrained C1020 steel were selected for study. A cost survey indicated that, of the steels produced in sizable tonnages, carbon steels in the range of 0.18 to 0.23 pct C content require the most conditioning. Since this is particularly true of C1020, any im-provement of surface quality that might be effected from the study would be beneficial. Also, since the frequency of ingot cracks is exceedingly high for this grade, the steel would provide an excellent opportunity for a thorough study of the ingot-crack-ing problem. Why steels in this carbon range tend to exhibit more ingot cracks than do other steels was not considered in the investigation; the mechanism of ingot-crack formation was of paramount importance. Also, only the top-pouring practice was considered in the investigation, because this pouring procedure is used more extensively than others. In this study, ingot cracks are defined. as deep surface defects that sometimes are observed in an ingot prior to rolling but usually are observed during the initial stages of rolling on the primary mills. These defects may occur at any angle to the rolling direction but are most prominent in the transverse or nearly transverse direction. The appearance of ingot cracks on the rolled product varies with respect to their angle of formation and with the extent of rolling after their first occurrence. Ingot cracks are also termed "deep seams," "arrowheads," "irregular cracks," and "transverse cracks." Fig. 1 shows ingot cracks in a rolled bloom. This report summarizes: l—the exploratory investigation of commercial-size ingots; 2—the labor-atory investigations related to determining the source of ingot cracks and developing corrective methods; and 3—the plant evaluations of laboratory methods of decreasing ingot cracks. Exploration of lngot Cracks in Commercial Ingots Materials and Experimental Work: At the Du-quesne Works of the United States Steel Corp., five heats of killed, fine-grained C1020 steel were selected for the exploratory phase of the seam-research program. The heats were made by open-hearth practices that are considered most conducive to good surface quality. They were top-poured into 22x25 in. big-end-up hot-topped molds. One as-cast ingot and four other ingots rolled to the following cross-sectional sizes were set aside from each heat: 16x20 in.; 9 1/2x10 in.; 5x5 in.; and 2x2 in. The processing of the heats, from the time of charging in the open hearth furnaces to the end of the rolling operation on the primary mill, was observed carefully and recorded. The cast ingot and the four rolled ingots from each heat were examined for surface defects. The cast ingots were split longitudinally near the vertical center plane to expose the ingot structure beneath badly cracked regions. Also, a series of transverse sections was cut at about 1 in. intervals in a badly cracked area of one ingot. All sections were ground, polished, examined by sulphur printing and deep etching, and photographed. The rolled ingots

Jan 1, 1955

By O. F. Kammerer, W. E. Miller, D. H. Gurinsky, J. Sadofsky, J. R. Weeks

Zirconium and titanium inhibit solution mass transfer of steels by liquid bismuth, mercury, and lead. It is shown that in bismuth and mercury, these adsorb on the surface of the steels and subsequently react with nitrogen and possibly carbon from the steels to form inert, adherent surface layers of ZrN, TiN, or TiN + Tic. Data are presented which describe the condition under which thase deposits form. These inhibitors decrease the solution rate of iron into bismuth, and require a higher supersaturation for precipitation of iron from bismuth. USE of the low-melting heavy metals (bismuth, lead, mercury, and their alloys) as coolants has been limited because solution mass transfer of steels occurs in these liquids; i. e., iron dissolves in the hot sections of the heat transfer circuit and deposits in the colder sections. The rate of solution of iron and the temperature coefficient of solubility are sufficiently great to cause complete or partial stoppage by the deposition in the coldest section of a closed circuit in finite time, even though the actual solubilities are extremely low. In the development of the mercury vapor turbine by the General Electric Co., Nerad and his associates1 discovered that the addition of as little as 1 ppm Ti or Zr to magnesium-deoxidized mercury reduced the mass transfer of ferrous alloys by mercury to a negligible amount. Reid2 reported that titanium was detected chemically on the surface of steels contacted with this mercury alloy in amounts varying from 2.0 to 2.6 mg per sq in., the greatest amount being found in the hottest portion of the circuit. Reid stated that the titanium forms the intermetallic compound Fe2Ti by reaction with iron on the surface of the steels. This compound was presumed to be highly insoluble in mercury. More recently, El-gert and Egan3 have reported a greater than 100-fold reduction in the rate of mass transfer of a 5 pet Cr steel by liquid bismuth upon the addition of titanium (in excess of 50 ppm) and magnesium (350 ppm) in the liquid metal, during experiments performed in thermal convection loops* over the temperature differential 700° to 615° C. Also, Shep-ard and his associates' have reported that the addition of titanium to liquid bismuth and Pb-Bi eutec-tic produced a marked decrease in the rates of solution of both iron and chromium from type 410 steel capsules under static conditions. This inhibiting effect increased with repeated reuse of the capsules. Tests performed in this laboratory under carefully controlled conditions have shown that the addition of zirconium and magnesium, or titanium and magnesium, to liquid bismuth or lead greatly reduces the rate of mass transfer of chromium alloy steels and carbon steels in thermal convection loops with a maximum temperature of 550°C.5-9 The present paper will review the data obtained to date at this laboratory on the behavior of iron and steels in contact with liquid bismuth alloys containing titanium or zirconium, and will attempt to explain the role of the above additives in reducing solution mass transfer. Reaction between the Zirconium or Titanium Dissolved In Liquid Bismuth and an Iron or Steel Surface Reaction between Zirconium Dissolved in Bismuth and the Surface of Pure Iron-—A small pure iron crucible (analyzed by the supplier to contain 0.8 ppm N was contacted with bismuth containing approximately 0.1 pet Mg and varying amounts of a radioactive zirconium tracer. The crucible was then inverted at the temperature of contact. The thin residual layer of adherent bismuth was dissolved in cold, concentrated nitric acid. The crucible surface and the solidified bismuth were then analyzed for radioactive zirconium. An analysis of the activity loss on the crucible surface and the weight loss of the crucible during the nitric acid treatment showed that the acid treatment removed the zirconium that had originally been dissolved in the adherent bismuth, but not any zirconium that may have reacted with the crucible surface. The crucible was then pickled in warm aqua regia to remove all surface activity, hydrogen-fired at 600°C, and recontacted with a new liquid alloy. The results of the experiments contacted 1 hr at 450°C show, Fig. 1, a Langmuir-type adsorption with an adsorption free energy of approximately 17 keal per g atom Zr.5 This deposit was estimated to contain 1 atom of zirconium for each 7 to 8 iron atoms on the crucible surface, assuming a surface roughness factor of the pickled crucibles to be five. Increasing the temperature to 520°C caused consi-

Jan 1, 1959

By H. A. Jr. Koch, C. A. Hutchinson

Miscible phase displacement of oil from reservoirs has been emphasized in the past few years. The reason for this emphasis lies in the high oil recovery attainable by this process. Removal of capillary effects in the reservoir leads to recoveries approaching 100 per cent in the area contacted by the miscible phase. The miscible slug process is one means of obtaining a miscible displacement. Here a band or slug of I,PG is injected into the reservoir prior to gas injection. The idea is to maintain the band of LPG "wedged" between the gas and oil phases and thus achieve a miscible phase displacement. A second method lor achieving miscibility is through the injection of a gas which is not miscible with the reservoir fluid but which develops a zone of miscibility in [he reservoir through mass trans-ier with the reservoir oil.' This mass transfer results in either an enrichment of the lean injected gas by intermediates from the oil or an enrichment of the oil by intermediates from a rich injection gas or one that has been enriched on the surface by LPG addition. We are interested here in discussing the process in which miscibility is developed at the displacement front by the evaporation of interrnediatcs from the oil phase into the gas phase. This process "builds up" its own slug of miscible material at the displacement front and therefore does not require the injection of LPG to obtain miscibil-ily. Each process has its own area of applicability. Generally, the high pressure gas process is applicable only with reservoir fluids which con-!ain a high concentration of inter- mediates. If the high pressure gas process is technically feasible at pressures less than 4,500 psi, it is probably more desirable economically than the slug process. The slug process has broad applicability in the shallower reservoirs and with reservoir fluids which contain a relatively low concentration of LPG and natural gasoline constituents. This paper deals with some new concepts of the high pressure gas injection process where it is proposed that flue gas can be substituted for hydrocarbon gas without sacrificing our goal of miscibility. MECHANISM Introduction Considerable effort has been devoted to study of the mechanics ot the high pressure gas injection proc-one generalization result-ing from some of these studies was that the composition of the injected gas is relatively unimportant in establishing the miscibility pressure* for a given reservoir fluid. This generalization is correct for the composition range of gases typically encountered in the field. Two such gases are a gasoline plant tail gas containing 85 per cent methane and 15 per cent ethane, and a field separator gas containing 70 per cent methane and 30 per cent heavier components. The most important factor which sets the miscibility pressure in the operation is the reservoir fluid composition, particularly the concentration of LPG-natural gasoline constituents. The injected gas is the agent by which the LPG-natural gasoline constituents are concentrated at the displacing front to create a miscible displacement. Based on these results, it appeared feasible that some inexpensive gas, such as flue gas, might be substituted for hydrocarbon gas for use in the high pressure gas process. A re-examination of the phase relations of the high pressure gas injection process should clarify the principle behind using flue gas (essentially nitrogen) as an injection gas. Three Component Diagram The phase relations of the high pressure gas injection process have been illustrated by the use of the three component diagrams.'," In Fig. 1 we have arbitrarily represented the multi-component reservoir system by three components; methane, ethane through hexane, and heptanes plus. The solid curve ABC is the phase boundary curve. It represents the locus of compositions which have fixed saturation pressure at a fixed temperature; the lower branch AB shows bubble point compositions, the upper branch BC, the dew point compositions. Point B is the coniposition of the critical mixture at this temperature and pressure. The dashed lines (tie lines) connect vapor and liquid compositions which are in equilibrium. Let us consider Reservoir Fluid D which we wish to displace in 21 miscible manner by gas injection. Let us further restrict the discussion to the case where miscibility between an injection gas and the reservoir fluid at the displacement front is developed by gas enrichment in the reservoir. For this case, any gas whose composition lies between Points C and E on the right side of the three component diagram can be used to give a miscible displacement of Reservoir Fluid D. This is true because the more mobile injected gas moves faster than the displaced oil and is in continuous contact with virgin oil at the displacement front. This leads to a continuing enrichment 01' the gas at the displacement front by evaporation of the C, - C,

By E. C. Barfield, D. G. McCarty

Two-dimensional analyses offer considerable promise in providing the basic information required to effect more precise control of petroleum reservoir performance. This paper describes a method for conducting some engineering analyses of this type using a high-qreed digital computer. The general approach is to (I) develop a representative numerical model of the reservoir and (2) employ a suitable numerical technique to solve the basic equation of flow and to develop the required engineering information for the particular case represented by the model. This technique has been used to calculate pattern performance in connection with several field projects involving water injection into oil reservoirs. This type of analysis involves sequentially (I) calculating the pres-' sure distribution in the reservoir and (2) tracking the progress of the interface between the displaced and displacing fluids in a step-wise manner to provide a depletion history of the operation. The particular analysis presented in this discussion is subject to the restriction that the mobility of the displaced and displacing fluids be equal and assumes that the fluids are incompressible and that gravity and capillary pressure do not affect the shape of the flood pattern. Complete two-dimensional .flexibility is maintained with regard to definition of reservoir rock and fluid characteristics, placement of physical restrains and boundary conditions, investigation of flow characteristics in the reservoir, and movement of the displaced and displacing fluid interface. The results of these studies indicate that the highspeed digital computer is well suited for conducting reservoir performance studies in two-space dimensions and that dependable numerical techniques are available for making such analyses. INTRODUCTION One of the problems facing petroleum engineers is that of providing more precise engineering control over reservoir operations at all stages during the depletion cycle. The most direct approach to this problem is to simulate the reservoir with some type of physical or mathematical model and use the information developed from the behavior of the prototype to predict the performance of the actual reservoir. This principle is, of course, not new, and a variety of simulation techniques have been developed to provide information on the behavior of oil and gas reservoirs. One straightforward refinement of present reservoir analysis techniques is the progress from one-dimensional reservoir models to those where the reservoir can be represented in two- and three-space dimensions. Multidimensional reservoir analyses are desired in order to show not only what is happening in the reservoir but in addition to show where in the reservoir the various phenomena of interest are occurring. Thus far, two-dimensional analyses have been confined predominantly to potentiometric and electrolytic model studies. However, when large numbers of wells are involved and where large-scale models are required, such problems become very tedious and instrumentation problems become acute." It is possible through use of numerical methods and general purpose digital computers to avoid many of the instrumentation difficulties and to relax some of the restrictions of previous techniques. The purpose of this paper is to discuss some recent experiences with the use of high-speed digital computers for predicting pattern performance in fluid injection operations and to describe the numerical procedures which have been used for making such analyses. THE NUMERICAL MODEL The problem of representing the reservoir with an appropriate numerical model is composed of at least two important considerations. The first requires that an adequate description of the reservoir mechanism be formulated in the form of the basic differential equation describing the process. The second consideration is definition of the physical characteristics of the reservoir. The latter requires that representative basic data be obtained, examined, and interpreted to provide sufficient detailed definition of the pertinent physical properties throughout the system. The Differential Equation One of the basic assumptions made for the purpose of performing the two-dimensional studies being dis-

By Albert G. Zima

According to recently puhlished statistics, it is predicted that as much oil must be produced during the next 16 years as has been produced during the past 75, in order to satisfy the high rate of consumption of petroleum products. During 1934, over 17,000 oil wells were completed in the United States, and it is expected that over 20,000 additional wells will be drilled during the current year. Were it not for the remarkable progress made during recent years in the improvement of drilling technique and in the development of equipment used in the production phase of the oil industry, it is doubtful whether sufficient oil could be produced to meet present requirements. A few years ago, wells seldom were deeper than 3500 to 4000 ft., owing to the limitations of the drilling methods and equipment employed. Today, however, through the application of scientific drilling methods and the adaptation of modern equipment and improved materials, many wells range from 6000 to 8000 ft. in depth, and a few recent completions exceed 10,000 feet. Drill Tools Modern rotary drilling tools are the product of ingenious design and careful selection and adaptation of materials used in their construction. They must withstand terrific abrasion and, because of their compactness, must be designed to resist exceedingly high unit stresses. In bits, core drills and reamers, the bodies are made of either forged or cast alloy steels, heat-treated to develop a combination of high strength and toughness. To provide sufficient strength to the threaded portions and to protect the threads from distortion or damage, the box or pin sections of the tools are hardened to approximately 310 to 330 Brine11 hardness number. Drill and reamer cutters are generally of the movable type; i.e., serrated cones, cylinders or disks, which can readily be replaced when

Jan 1, 1935

By R. I. Jaffee, F. C. Holden, H. R. Ogden

The effects of ternary and quaternary additions of aluminum, oxygen, and carbon on the mechanical properties of high-purity titanium-molybdenum alloys were studied for several microstructural conditions. Heat treatments were designed to produce 1) ß-quenched, 2) equiaxed ß) transformed (acicular) and 4) stabilized -P microstructures. Tension, impact, and hardness tests were performed. Transformations from the ß phase were followed by hardness measurements and metallography. The ß-to-w transformation was slowed by aluminum additions; carbon and oxygen additions increased the transformation rate. In addition to solid-solution strengthening, these solutes may increase or decrease strength by altering the /3 transformation kinetics. Aluminum additions promote the formation of strain-induced martensite, and lower yield strengths at compositions near 12 pct molybdenum.. a-P alloys are more ductile with equiaxed than with transformed microstructures. High strength levels can be reached by aging in many cases. Strength levels of the aged specimens usually are lowered slightly by straining prior to aging. ALLOYS of molybdenum with titanium form an iso-morphous alloy system which has been the subject of several investigations. Additions of substitu-tional and interstitial -stabilizing elements provide means of improving mechanical strength and con- trolling the heat-treatment response of the binary alloys. The work reported here forms a part of a continued study of the effects of microstructure on the mechanical properties of high-purity titanium alloys. Previous papers have considered the various binary alloys (Ti-Mo, Ti-Al, Ti-C, and Ti-0) that form the bases for the ternary and quaternary alloys included here. The compositions were selected to correspond with the previous binary alloys. Further, the high purity of the alloying components was maintained, so that direct comparisons with earlier work can be made. The total research program included a large number of compositional, microstructural, and testing variables. The data reported here have been selected to provide a reasonably complete and representative summary of the results. The reader is referred to the original Air Force Report for a complete tabulation of the results. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES All the alloys used in this work were prepared from high-purity electrolytic titanium produced by the U.S. Bureau of Mines. A typical furnished analysis showed the following impurities in wt pct, balance This analysis is equivalent to that of iodide-refined titanium. In addition, hardness, tensile, and impact tests made using unalloyed electrolytic titanium showed it to have properties equivalent to those obtained with iodide titanium and suitable for these studies of high-purity base alloys.

Jan 1, 1962

By H. T. Clark, S. Feigenbaum

THE importance of measuring the temperature of molten steel in the open-hearth furnace has been recognized for many years. Poor temperature control may be costly to steelmaking operations and lead to a lowered quality of the steel. Low or excessive temperatures may shorten the life of the furnace, ladles and molds. Rates of reactions in the furnace and efficiencies of deoxidizers are known to change materially with a change in the temperature of the metal and slag. Ladle skulls and mold and stool stickers cause steel to be scrapped instead of being converted into useful products. Finally, the structure, segregation and surface condition of ingots are affected by the teeming temperature. Mill investigations of the effect of bath temperature upon steelmaking operations have been largely qualitative in character, based upon observations by practical melting men. The physical chemist has used the empirical information available and has reached reasonable and useful conclusions with respect to the various melting processes. The introduction of a reliable direct- reading pyrometer will permit accurate quantitative evaluation of the effects of temperature and should furnish a more rational basis for study of the thermo- chemistry of steelmaking. The problem is not merely one of making a small number of temperature measurements in the open-hearth furnace. This has been done by several methods to a degree of precision that was apparently satisfactory. Considerable effort by a number of investigators has been directed rather to the development of an open- hearth bath pyrometer that would be both accurate and practical for routine measurements. To be practical, the pyrometer should be inexpensive to operate; that is, the installation, operating and maintenance costs should be exceeded by the tangible benefits to the open-hearth operator. Temperatures from 2800° to 3100°F. are encountered in the open-hearth furnace. The surface of the molten metal is covered by several inches of slag, which prevents direct observation of the metal surface for optical or radiation measurements. Both slag and metal are highly reactive at these temperatures and will attack to a greater or lesser extent any material immersed in them. Adequate protection of thermocouples, which of necessity must be brought to the temperature of the bath, has generally resulted in a large, heavy assembly made up of .brittle materials, unsuited for handling on the open-hearth floor. The lie of the equipment was short and maintenance was an important consideration. EARLIER WORK Any one of a number of physical proper- ties of liquid steel could conceivably be used as a basis for temperature measurement. Efforts to the present time, however, have been confined largely to measuring either the thermal electromotive force generated between two dissimilar materials immersed in the steel or the intensity of radiation from the surface of the steel. These

Jan 1, 1946

By A. H. Daane, J. F. Haefling

The limits of miscibility in some of the uranium rare-earth alloy systems have been determined in the temperature range 1000°to 1250°C. The solubilities of lanthanum and cerium in uranium are greater than those of the remaining rare earths by a factor of more than two. The solubility of uranium is greater in cerium, braseodymium, and neodymium than in the other rare-earth metals studied. The values found in this study are in qualitative agreement with those which might be expected if the solubility rules of Hildebrand and Scott are applicable. AS interest in nuclear reactors intensifies, many new types of fuels are being suggested in attempts to improve the economics of some of the proposed reactor schemes. To remove some of the difficulties inherent in the use of solid-fuel elements and their reprocessing, many types of liquid-metal reactors have been suggested. One of the more attractive features of several of these reactor concepts is that they include a continuous or semicontinuous process for the extraction of fission products and "bred" fissionable materials from the fuel, utilizing immiscible metal extractants. This would enable a much higher burn-up of fissionable material to be achieved and would present a very attractive economic picture. Several studies have been reported on equilibrium systems in which there exists a high degree of immiscibility between uranium and another metal that might be used as an extractant in such a processing scheme.' Two of these systems in which a high degree of immiscibility exists are those of uranium with the two rare-earth metals, lanthanum, and cerium. Since the rare earths constitute a significant fraction of the fission products, their removal is of prime importance. It is reasonable to believe that this might be accomplished by equilibrating a rare-earth phase with the contaminated uranium fuel in the liquid state. In order to make a more complete study of those systems which would be of interest either as extractants in a liquid-liquid extraction process, or as fission products formed in the fuel, the alloy systems of uranium with lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, and samarium were studied in some detail in the temperature range 1000" to 1250°C; less detailed studies were made with the other rare earths. In addition to being of value to the reactor program, the data obtained in this study should be of help in making a study of the role played by the electronic structures of metals in determining the nature of metallic solutions. The unique electronic structures of the rare-earth elements make them particularly interesting in this respect. EXPERIMENTAL The usual procedure for a solubility determination was to seal equal volumes of uranium and the particular rare earth in a tantalum crucible under an atmosphere of helium; this crucible was then sealed in a stainless steel jacket in an atmosphere of helium. These samples were equilibrated by repeated inverting of the crucibles in a furnace for 15 min at the desired temperature, left in an upright position for 15 min to permit separation of the two phases, and then quenched under a stream of water. In some runs the temperature of the furnace was held 50' to 100°C above the desired quenching temperature while inverting in order to insure good mixing. However, it was found that above 1200°C the crucibles were subject to failure and for these runs the furnace temperature was not raised above the desired quenching temperature. A small amount of tantalum was dissolved in the uranium and the rare earths in these runs, a maximum of 3 wt pct in the uranium phase at 1250°C and up to 1 wt pct in the rare-earth phase at this temperature. On cooling, the major portion of this tantalum precipitated as primary tantalum crystals. Any residual tantalum would probably have a negligible effect on the mutual solubility of uranium and the rare earths in each other. Samples for analysis were cut from each phase with an abrasive cutting wheel; the region near the interface between the two metals was carefully avoided. In the case of the rare earths with melting points above 1250°C no solubility data were taken on the rare-earth phase since this phase could not have achieved equilibrium in a reasonable length of time. (For the same reason no data were taken on the uranium phase below its melting point of 1132°C.) Equilibrium appeared to have been reached in the uranium phase in these cases although the rare-earth phase had not melted. To verify this, samples were melted together in an arc furnace similar to that described by Kroll.2 These samples were sub-

Jan 1, 1960

By Frederic Becket

IN a recent article,1 which described the softening effect of columbium in plain high-chromium steels, the authors stated that their investi-gations had shown columbium to be also a particularly valuable inhibitor of intergranular corrosion in steels of the 18 per cent chromium, 8 per cent nickel type. It is the purpose of the present paper to record some of the results obtained through the introduction of columbium to the austenitic chromium-nickel steels. The damaging effects of this type of corrosion have become so widely known as to restrict considerably the applications of the steels under consideration, and therefore there is little question of the importance of the goal to be attained. Numerous contributions concerning the susceptibility of the aus-tenitic chromium-nickel steels to intergranular corrosion have appeared during the past few years, and among others who have dealt construc-tively with the subject are such well-known authors as Strauss and Houdremont of Germany, Hatfield of England, and Bain in the United States. Different theories have been propounded as to the cause of intergranular corrosion, and various remedial measures have been proposed, the majority of which involve the use of addition agents. Titanium is the addition agent at present most generally employed, as suggested by Houdremont and modified as described by Bain, Aborn and Rutherford.2 Little has been published on the effects of holding these steels for long periods at the relatively lower temperatures in the presence of

Jan 1, 1934

By William T. Folwell

The Lucky Friday mine east of Mullan, Idaho, is an outstanding example of a property in the Coeur dlAlene district where a small and insignificant-appearing silver-lead-zinc vein at the surface has changed at depth into a large vein of great importance. The Lucky Friday vein has little if any surface expression and above the 1200 level the ore shoots are small and discontinuous. Between the 1200 level and 2450 level, the lowest developed level, the main ore shoot has shown remarkable improvement on each succeeding lower level, and today the mine is one of the major lead-silver producers in the Coeur d'Alene district. History: The Lucky Friday property is on the north side of the South Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River in sections 25, 26 and 35, T. 48 N., R. 5 E., Hunter mining district, Shoshone County, Idaho. This is about one mile east of the town of Mullan, which serves the eastern portion of the Coeur d'Alene district. The southern part of the property is crossed by a branch line of the Northern Pacific Ry. and by U. S. Highway 10. This highway is the principal road crossing the panhandle of Idaho and connects the district with Spokane, Wash., on the west and Missoula, Mont., on the east. The main portal and surface plant of the Lucky Friday mine is at an elevation of 3365 ft, only a short distance above the valley floor and a few hundred feet from U. S. Highway 10. so the mine is readily accessible for year-round operation. The property is comprised of six claims, known as the Lucky Friday group, owned outright by the Lucky Friday Silver-Lead Mines Co. There are four patented claims, Good Friday, Lucky Friday, Northern Light, and Lucky Friday Fraction No. 2 (Mineral Survey No. 3028), and two unpatented claims, Hunter and Creek. In addition, Lucky Friday owns an undivided one-half interest in the Hunter Creek property. which adjoins the Lucky Friday group on the north: a 90 pct interest in the mineral rights in the Jutila Ranch (160A), which adjoins the Lucky Friday group on the east; and a 60 pct interest in the Lucky Friday Extension claim group, which adjoins the Lucky Friday group on the west. The company also has a long-term mining lease on the Hunter Ranch, which adjoins the Lucky Friday group on the west. The claims of the Lucky Friday group were located between 1899 and 1906. The Lucky Friday Mines Co. was organized in 1906 and did considerable exploration work by surface trenching and shallow underground workings, only to see the property sold by the Shoshone county sheriff to satisfy labor claims totaling $2000 in 1912. Another firm, Lucky Friday Mining Co., bought the claims in 1914 and spent 12 years driving what is now known as the tunnel level crosscut. This tunnel intersected a vein previously exposed in a higher tunnel, but it was only a few inches wide. The vein was followed a short distance westerly but was so unpromising that the work was discontinued in favor of extending the main crosscut tunnel several hundred feet north. No ore was found and all work was discontinued. The property was held in such low esteem by the firm that it let taxes amounting to less than $15 a year go delinquent for nine years. Then the property lay idle for two more years until in 1938 John Sekulic, a Mullan service station operator, took a lease, with a $15,000 purchase option, on the advice of an old miner who had worked in the mine. Sekulic re-opened the tunnel level crosscut and explored the vein with an easterly drift for about 200 ft. The vein was too narrow to be of commercial value but was believed interesting enough to warrant further exploration at depth. Lacking funds to explore the vein at depth, Sekulic tried to get the district's larger operating companies to take over his lease and option. They were not interested because of the lean tunnel level showing and the fact that the property lay between the White Ledge fault on the north and Osburn fault on the south, an area which geologists always considered unworthy of exploration. Sekulic then organized the present company and assigned his lease and option to it for stock. This was in 1939. Enough stock was sold locally to finance sinking of a shaft 100 ft from the tunnel level east drift. The vein at this additional depth still was not commercial but showed some improvement. Treasury stock was offered at 5 to 10C a share

Jan 1, 1959