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By Michael A. Toole, O&apos

INTRODUCTION The tremendous capital investment required to produce a low grade ore deposit demands a reliable answer to the question: "How much does it cost to drill a well to produce the uranium that geologists have indicated is there in the ground?" However, you will find the answers given will be many and varied, depending on whether they come from the operating company, the drilling contractor, a geologist, a reservoir engineer, purchasing agent, or whoever. Each generally considers only a limited area of the total operation. The operating company usually depends upon the drilling contractors, service companies, and consultants to supply expertise. Because it is often difficult to see the "whole picture" or even to agree upon what the "whole picture" is, planning a well program and its costs is often done piecemeal. Frequently, costs "saved" in one area of the program are needlessly spent in another, because the effect of one area upon the other was overlooked. Since the drilling fluid is such an influential part of the drilling program, it should be given utmost consideration when planning the overall program. As W. D. Lacabanne wrote in 1954: "The drilling fluid system is understandably called the heart of the rotary oil drilling rig. Any other type of rotary rig.... should benefit by the incorporation of mud fluids in the drilling scheme." And G. R. Gray mentions that "The driller recognizes the drilling fluid as one of the useful tools available to solve drilling problems." However, in minerals drilling, only in recent years has the drilling fluid been considered as more than a tool to get through special problem areas. Although there are many similarities between drilling for oil and gas and drilling for minerals, the differences in the drilling equipment used justifies designing specific fluids for the minerals drilling industry. NL Baroid/NL Industries, Inc. has been a leader in introducing such fluids and in providing technical know-how to the minerals drilling industry. The purpose of this paper is: (1) to discuss the selection of drilling fluids to meet specific drilling conditions during both exploration and production and (2) to show the interrelationship among factors present in the exploration and production phases that influence total well costs. DRILLING FLUIDS FOR DRILLING PROBLEMS The drilling fluid is a tool that can be used to improve drilling performance by improving hole cutting, cleaning, stability, and formation productivity. Properly formulated and maintained drilling fluids enable the drilling operation to be carried out with increased efficiency and lower total (overall) costs. However, it should be noted that not all drilling problems can be solved by even the most carefully prepared and maintained drilling fluids. Of the many possible drilling problems encountered in a well before reaching target depth, this paper will discuss only those most likely to be present in the shallow [61 to 610 m (200 to 2000 ft)] drilling operations in South Texas. LOST CIRCULATION Loss of circulation is the most common problem encountered in drilling. Because the losses occur under varied conditions, it is often difficult to determine the exact causes. "Lost circulation" or "lost returns" means the partial or complete loss of drilling fluid to voids in the formation. "Loss of water" while drilling with water may take place into any permeable section and should be distinguished from "water loss" or filtration of fluid through the filter cake of mud solids laid down on a permeable formation. "Loss of water" can frequently be stopped by the addition of colloidal sized clay particles such as high yield bentonites, whereas "water loss" may be controlled with organic polymers. Subsurface conditions that lead to loss of circulation can be classified as: (1) natural fractures, (2) induced fractures, (3) unconsolidated or highly permeable formations (loose gravel), and (4) cavernous formations (crevices and channels). Loss of circulation may occur whenever the borehole pressure exceeds the formation pressure. The greater the differential pressure, the more likely it is that circulation may be lost. To stop loss of whole mud, voids must be bridged so that a filter cake can be laid down on the permeable section. The plugging material must be of the proper size and shape to offer greater resistance to the fluid flow around it than the flow up the annulus. A plugging composition that satisfies these requirements may not be able to be handled by the small rig pump available.

Jan 1, 1979

By Max Mason

IN 1923 a Western mining company was experimenting with the device of an inventor designed to locate buried ores by radio. Because the progress was slow and the results were confusing, the company began to doubt the usefulness of the method and invited me to review the whole question of the application of physics to ore detection. I was fortunate in securing the cooperation of several physicists who had worked with me during the war on the problem of submarine detection. This group has been increased and has been studying the problem of physical exploration for ores since that time. It was evident that the problem is a big one, with many angles of approach. Its general features may be set down, in rough outline, as follows: The soils, rocks and ores hidden beneath the surface differ one from another in many respects. These differences may be made to furnish a clew for the physicists working from the surface. To bring these differences into action the physicist creates some kind of an effect which penetrates into the ground and is distorted and reflected when it meets boundaries between different sorts of underground structure. In other words, he sends a message down, and the rocks and ore send back signals in reply. In picturing this process, we should not regard the ground as dense and impenetrable. The kind of messages used pass through the earth about as readily as a sound wave travels the air. If, then, the fundamental procedure is to shout down questions in the hope that an orebody will hear and answer back to us, it is clear that a large part of the expert's study must relate to the kind of questions best suited to the temperament and intelligence of orebodies. It will be easier for the ore to reply to some of our questions than to others, and it is for us to find the right questions. In certain cases, we are spared the necessity of using a messenger; because nature has already provided one. For example, we already have a terrestrial magnetic field which auto-matically and continually conveys messages from underneath. We also have available the earth's gravitational field. which furnishes us

Jan 1, 1927

By Dennis E. Stover

Grade control for in situ uranium leaching is maintaining, at desired levels, the uranium concentration in the pregnant lixiviant which feeds the extraction (ion exchange) circuit. This differs from grade control in conventional mining in that in situ grade control is imposed subsequent to rather than prior to leaching without the direct observation and control possible in conventional mining and milling. Grade control is a necessary engineering task through the entire project life, beginning with preliminary evaluation and design and ending only when the final wells are shut in. More specifically, this task is associated with designing the initial well field, maintaining productivity during well field operations, and planning well field expansions to compensate for the depletion of existing wells. Our aim during each of these phases is to maximize uranium productivity while ensuring that we are developing information necessary for future phases. Throughout this task, we remain cognizant of the fact that uranium productivity is a function of both the complex geologic and operational parameters of the project. A minimum list of significant geological factors must include the following: . Host formation mineralogy . Uranium mineralogy . Permeability . Ore quality (grade and thickness) Our concerns are not limited to average or general descriptions of these factors. The interactions among the factors as well as localized variations among them are far more important in obtaining high productivity from a deposit. For example, an ore body may display an average permeability of one darcy but have its high grade ore confined to regions with permeabilities less than 500 millidarcies. This relationship between ore grade and permeability must be understood early in the project life if the operation is to be successful. Similarly, the fundamental operating parameters for the well field include those items which enable us to distribute the lixiviant within the ore as well as the chemistry which will dissolve the uranium minerals. A minimum list of such factors will include: . Well design . Well efficiency . Well bore damage . Pattern size and shape . Oxidant type and concentration . Complexing agent concentration - pH The interactions between these variables and the complex geological variations create a situation which often defies quantitative analysis. Hence, we have adopted a statistical approach when correlating production history with these parameters and the quality of the correlations improves as the number of wells operated increases. However, the correlations are often specific to an ore body. We find that we must tailor the process to meet the unique geologic parameters of each ore body. PHASE 1: INITIAL WELL FIELD DESIGN Designing the initial well field is perhaps the most difficult phase because we have the smallest data base from which to predict performance. We will have conducted numerous laboratory tests and, perhaps, field pilot tests to select the lixiviant system and to characterize the geologic parameters. However, we will learn a great deal more about the deposit and its productivity during actual commercial scale operation. Fully acknowledging its limitations, we will, as a starting point, assume that uranium productivity will be directly proportional to the quality and quantity of recoverable reserves. Future deviations from this assumption will be plentiful and result from our limited understanding of the aforementioned interactions between and among the operational and geological factors. However, in planning the initial field, estimation of the quantity of leachable uranium present at levels above the economic grade and grade-thickness limitations is a priority task. (The concentration of uranium in the ore, the ore grade, is expressed in units of weight percent. The grade-thickness of the ore is the product of the average grade and ore thickness expressed in units of percent-feet.) These parameters provide a direct indication of the quality and quantity of ore. They are determined from gamma logging of closely spaced drill holes (50 to 100 foot centers being typical) accompanied by uranium core analysis or direct uranium assay logging. Gamma- logging measures gross gamma radiation which emanates from uranium decay products and indicates only the possible presence of uranium. Direct uranium assays are necessary to confirm this presence and the true location and quality of the reserve. From this information, an estimate of the in-place uranium reserve is formulated. Utilizing the above data, we begin to assess the quantity and quality of the leachable reserve. Analysis of self-potential and resistivity logs in conjunction with uranium logs will identify those zones which contain uranium and display apparent high permeabilities. Similarly, zones with extensive calcite cementation or dense clay sedimentation are located and uranium within such zones is excluded. (Interpretation of these logs should be confirmed

Jan 1, 1980

By M. Herman, G. J. London

A series of dilute Fe-Co alloy specimens were prepared from zone-melted iron. The iron used was given ten floating-zone passes in purified hydrogen. Alloying was accomplished by plating a gradient of metallic cobalt onto a 1/4-in.-diam bar of material from a pure plating bath. The deposit was radioac-tively tagged by a small addition of co80 to the plating bath. Alloy homogenization was accomplished by passing an additional floating-zone pass through the plated section of the bar. The final concentration gradient achieved was from residual to about 1000 ppm (0.1 pct) added Co. After homogenization, the bar was swaged to 0.057 in. wire and cut to tensile specimen blanks 1-1/16 in. long. Each specimen was counted in a well-type scintillation counter. The concentration of cobalt was computed by combining the normalized specimen counting rate with the known weight (measured to the nearest 0.01 mg) of cobalt added during plating. Fig. 1 shows the cobalt gradient obtained, exclusive of residual cobalt which was estimated by neutron-activation analysis to be approximately 50 ppm. Results of recrystallization for 1 hr at 750°, 700°, 650°, and 600°C with specimens containing 40, 170, 470, and 870 ppm added Co are shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5. Recrystallization was accomplished in a dynamic vacuum of less than 1 x 10 torr. The specimens were mounted and polished parallel to the swaging direction. The recrystallization re- sults show a radical coarsening of structure with increasing cobalt concentration. The coarsest structure obtained was at the 470-ppm level (at all recrystallization temperatures) with a slight grain refinement at the 870-ppm level shown. A more normal solid-solution effect is seen in Fig. 5 (60OoC, 1 hr) where the only specimen completely recrystallized is the one containing 47 ppm Co. Since the possibility existed that some atmosphere-contamination phenomenon might be responsible for the observed results the recrystallization series was repeated using sealed quartz capsules. These were filled with purified argon which was gettered during heat treatment on metallic titanium included in the capsules. The results obtained were essentially the same as shown. Another identical alloy was made using a 5-mm-diam bar of Westinghouse Puron. Specimen preparation and recrystallization treatment were also as described. The results obtained (see Table I) were somewhat erratic. Some coarsening in structure does appear at the highest cobalt concentrations. There is no apparent relationship between the coarse, columnar, directionally solidified structure of the as-melted bars and any of the recrystallized grain structures observed, all of which are much finer than the former structure. A recrystallization process can be most simply described as one of homogeneous nucleation of recrystallized grains in a cold-worked matrix followed by more or less uniform growth of the strain free grain into the cold-worked material.' An impurity element may influence one or both of these processes. Aust and utter' have shown that impurities strongly influence grain boundary mobility in lead. Moreover, definite recrystallization textures are produced by small concentrations of tin,3 while additions of silver or gold4 produce large boundary in-

Jan 1, 1964

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 -4s 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 I050 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,' 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 Vasily P. Muravjev, Gennady I. Razgildeev

The theory of reliability is a powerful mathematical tool for determining optimum selection of components and application of electrical power to coal mines. In order to make this tool useful, statistical material on equipment life must be gathered and all failures carefully recorded. Statistical data can be applied to new apparatus design and can be used to determine optimum configuration of network and maintenance to reduce costs. Reference is made to underground power systems in the USSR. Technical progress in the last few years has occurred in the design and application of highly productive coal mining and transporting machinery. One of the most important problems facing mining engineers is to increase the availability of the machine to obtain higher productivity. However, machine failures and breakdowns of electrical power supply components cause serious delays in the coal-winning processes. In spite of the fact that electrical equipment and the power supply contribute only a small percentage of direct mine costs, electrical failures as well as power supply delays can result in severe indirect losses. It is necessary, therefore, to consider reliability and safety in the application of electrical equipment underground. To obtain the best results, it is necessary to investigate and evaluate the reliability of the electrical mining components (starters, breakers, motors, cables, etc.) and optimal methods for minimizing maintenance, the desired result being equipment which is efficient and safe. Electrical equipment reliability directly influences economics: the lower the reliability the more frequently failures occur, causing serious working delays and possibly huge economic losses. By the same token, while increasing the number of preventive maintenance calls per unit time might result in fewer failures, thus reducing delays, the cost of making more frequent maintenance inspections will increase; this is one aspect to be discussed in detail. Obviously, failures of identical types of electrical equipment (starters with the same current and voltage, etc.) are influenced variably by different working conditions, environments, quality of the apparatus, maintenance procedures (personnel, frequency, quality), load, and other factors. Hence, the lifetime of identical types of equipment will vary depending upon usage in terms of the foregoing factors. Thus for a given type of electrical component, these factors must be considered quantitatively; the interaction of all these factors are evaluated quantitatively by a statistical method using probability theory. Equipment reliability must be quantitatively determined from a study of equipment life, since no one laboratory test can reproduce all working conditions and environmental effects. Nevertheless, reliability theory applied to electrical mining equipment is a very powerful mathematical tool for selecting as well as evaluating certain parameters. It is necessary to select several reliability parameters so that one can obtain an expression for the total overall economic situation in terms of cost, taking into consideration damage caused by electrical equipment failure and cost of maintenance. To accomplish this result, such characteristics as apparatus lifetime, breakdown idle time, and losses (damages) can be determined quantitatively on a statistical basis. For identical electrical equipment working under similar conditions, the previously mentioned reliability factors are random variables and therefore can be characterized readily by a probability density function. Investigations carried out by the authors in the Kuznetsk Basin (Kuzbas) in West Siberia, USSR, show that the reliability factors of electrical mining equipment are well described by the exponential, normal, or Erlang's distribution in most cases. Mining electrical equipment life is well-described by the exponential law. The distribution of lifetime density is

Jan 1, 1971

By Lars Thomassen, Ernest Kirkendall, Clair Upthegrove

THE amount of research done in the last few years on the subject of diffusion in solid metals is significant of the importance of this problem. To review the literature dealing with diffusion is unnecessary here. Desch1 in 1912 reviewed the work that had been done on diffusion in solids and gave a bibliography of the literature published before that time. Mehl's paper in 19362 is an excellent review of diffusion in metals and contains a large bibliography. Of importance also for its review and bibliography is an article by A. I. Krynitsky.3 While considerable material has appeared in the literature on diffusion in brass, the amount of information is not great compared to that pertaining to some of the other alloys. Most of the information published is of a qualitative nature; that which is quantitative varies considerably. Thus the quantitative determination of the rates of diffusion of copper and zinc in alpha brass by a new method appeared worth while. In the present investigation the rate of diffusion of zinc in approximately the same composition alpha brass has been determined at three temperatures. PROCEDURE The method used consisted of plating copper on a beta brass, heating it to allow diffusion to take place, and measuring the concentration of copper by determining the lattice constant of the alloy. This method is unique in that it uses a beta brass of such a composition that at the temperature at which diffusion takes place the beta brass is saturated with copper. Thus, while the beta brass supplies the zinc, no diffusion takes

Jan 1, 1938

By Norman P. Goss

It is generally agreed that cold-working mechanically refines the grains into smaller fragments and with continued working these are oriented with certain crystallographic directions bearing a relation to the direction in which the metal is worked. Some of the energy expended on the metal during plastic deformation appears in the form of heat, but a very small portion remains in the metal as stored energy. The entropy, specific heat capacity, temperature at which recrystallization will just begin, density, ductility, elasticity, tensile strength, and resistance to corrosion are affected. These properties have been studied extensively and some of the changes in the physical properties due to cold-working were attributed to lattice distortion.l-8 The broadening of the Ka lines on the X-ray diffraction diagrams of plastically deformed metals is believed to indicate lattice distortion, and consequently the existence of internal stresses. The evidence supporting this theory rests solely upon the observed experimental fact that the diffraction lines are broadened and the Ka doublets are completely diffused. Elam9 has reviewed the matter of lattice distortion in relationship to the hardening of metals by plastic deformation. The X-ray diagrams of plastically deformed metals differ in general from annealed metals. The hardening of a metal was believed due to lattice distortion.9 The resolution of the doublet is lost when a metal is cold-worked and the Laue spots are elongated. At one time this elongation was thought to indicate the elastic bending of the crystal planes. However, more careful work showed that the asterism was due to new orientations developed within the fragmented grains during plastic deformation. Some theories attributed the hardening to fragmentation of the grains into smaller units. Jeffries and Archer,ll after carefully considering the problem of work-hardening from many angles, came to the conclusion that cold-working mechanically refines the grains into smaller crystal fragments, some of which at least differ in orientation from the parent grain. The increase in

Jan 1, 1940

By L. G. Jones

An approximate method of calculation is developed in this paper which allows duplication of radial unsteady-state gas flow computer results where Darcy's law applies, such as those reported by Aronofsky and Jenkins and Bruce, Peaceman, Rachford, and Rice. Moreover, the new calculation method can be used to obtain results for radial unsteady-state gas flow obeying the quadratic flow law proposed by Duwez and Green. Means are discussed for predicting well behavior at single or superimposed flow rates in finite or infinite reservoirs, determining reservoir rock properties from well-test data, reproducing and interpreting back-pressure test data, and determining the radial extent and reserves of gas reservoirs from well-test data. Example calculations are presented for gas flow following both Darcy's law and the quadratic flow law. INTRODUCTION Since the publishing of U. S. Bureau of Mines Monograph 7,1 most gas-well testing methods have been based on the equation q = y (pl2 - pw2)a, where q = production rate, pl and pw, are formation pressure and sandface pressure, respectively, and y and a are constants to be obtained from test data. These methods, used for predicting both deliverability and "open-flow" capacity of gas wells, have been useful and accurate in many cases but unsatisfactory in others. Even at best, however, they do not supply information about the formation or lead to an understanding of nonsteady-state gas flow in porous media. Many theoretically based studies2-4 of gas flow obeying Darcy's law have been made.' Since the partial differential equations which result from combining Darcy's flow law with the continuity equation are nonlinear, most of the published research consists of either numerical solutions or analytical solutions for linear approximating equations. Such solutions have been of limited value in field work due to their unhandy form and their failure to correlate most field data. There is evidence5,6 which indicates that Darcy's law is inadequate to describe gas flow at some flow rates of practical interest. A quadratic flow law: which reduces to Darcy's law at low rates, is more successful in accounting for experimentally observed behavior. This flow law has been applied successfully to a few hypothetical reservoir cases in work which has recently been published.10 However, these numerical solutions of the equations involved have been successful only on a special analog computer. Routine applications to field cases would be awkward and have not been attempted. The present paper describes an approximate method for computing nonsteady-state gas flow solutions which has been completely successful in predicting the results for both Darcy flow and quadratic flow obtained by elaborate numerical methods. The new calculation method allows determination of the observable variables in gas-well testing at constant rates. It is similar to the scheme of using a succession of steady states suggested by Muskat7 in that it makes use of steady-state and material-balance equations. It also is similar to the work of Aronofsky and Jenkins2 in that the new method includes Aronofsky and Jenkins' stabilized flow equation as a special case. It improves upon both of these calculation schemes in that it accurately describes all portions of reservoir history and suggests means of determining reservoir rock properties from well-test data. This paper deals only with production from a reservoir, in which case the rate is defined as being negative. The reservoir studied here is a homogeneous, disk-shaped porous body of uniform thickness, with all boundaries sealed except the inner radial boundary of the well.

By Thomas C. Wilder

ALTHOUGH there is an abundance of thermodynamic information available in the literature today, no experimental data on the standard molar properties of formation of zinc oxide have ever been reported for the temperature range 419.5" to 908°C. This is the temperature range for which zinc metal is a liquid. so that the formation reaction is: Data have been reported for Reaction [I] where zinc is a solid or a gas. Maier. Parks, and nderson' measured the electromotive force of the cell: in order to obtain the free energy of the reaction: over a limited temperature range. With the known properties of H2O, those of ZnO were calculated. These workers found that t;j of ZnO is -75,930 ± 150 cal per gfw and Mtf is-83,000 300 cal per gfw at 25°C. akolkin made similar measurements to obtain ilF7 and AH; of -75,870 and -82,540 cal per dw respectively at the same temperature. Truesdale and arirlg and Kitchener and 1gnatowicz4 measured the equilibrium of the reactions: respectively, in order to determine Ff of ZnO from the known values of CO, CO2, and H/X The thermodynamic properties of ZnO, presumably taken from the above investigations, are tabulated by Kubaschewski and vans' and Wicks and Block" The latter reference also gives values for the range where zinc is a liquid. These numbers are probably acquired from the known extremities of the range plus Cp data of the components. In the present work the electromotive force of the cell: was measured in order to calculate the properties of ZnO from the well known values of NiO for the temperature range where zinc is a liquid. In Cell [B] the cathode reaction is: and at the anode: The overall reaction is: for which the free energy change is: where is the electromotive force in volts of cell [B] after correction for the Pt-Ta thermocouple. The standard molar free energy of formation of NiO is very well known as a function of temperature. Kiukkola and agner's data are used in most tabulations. The error is probably less than I00 cal per gfw, The latter authors were the first to use solid mixed oxide electrolytes in galvanic cells. Their work with NiO and other oxides was performed with cells similar to Cell [B] using a variety of reference electrodes of fixed oxygen potential. There may be a small composition range for which either NiO, ZnO or both exist. If nonstoichiometry does exist for these oxides, then the properties described herein are those for the metal saturated compositions. The simple cell design was the same as described elsewheres except that the molten metal electrode was about 125 g of pure zinc including a small (0.25 to 0.50 g) amount of ZnO. The mixture of pure nickel and NiO powders making up the reference electrode was contained in a tube of the ZrOl + CaO electrolyte which was immersed in the molten zinc. A platinum contact was made to the reference electrode; tantalum to the zinc. A refractory cement plug was necessary at the open end of the electrolyte tube in order to prevent zinc vapor from contaminating the reference electrode. Experimental details such as the vessel containing the cell, furnace, temperature control and measurement, and electromotive force determinations of the cell have all been outlined previously. The temperature was varied randomly in the range between the freezing and boiling points of zinc. After each temperature change, time was allowed for the drift at the new temperature to be less than +;"c whereupon a series of three cell readings was taken at least 10

Jan 1, 1970

By J. W. Hickman

Most of the electron diffraction studies of oxide films which form on metals and alloys have been carried out by oxidizing the specimens in an auxiliary furnace, cooling down to room temperature and then inserting the sample in the camera and taking a diffraction photograph. Prior to the investigations at the Westinghouse Research Laboratories, no systematic study of the oxidation of any metal or alloy had been made over a wide temperature range with photographs taken at elevated temperatures except the investigation of iron by Jackson and Quarrell.' In order to interpret the electron diffraction patterns of the oxides which may form on alloys, it seemed advisable to make a comprehensive study of the oxidation of the purest metals available in the bulk form. Thus far studies have been completed on iron,2 cobalt,~ nickel,= chromium,= copper,z tungsten,s molybdenum,3 beryllium,' uranium,' thorium,' titanium6 and zirconium6 while investigations are in progress on tantalum and columbium. The next step in the study is concerned with the investigation of the oxides which form on binary alloys. Some of the alloys consist of a single phase while others contain more than one phase. The identification of the oxides on the surface of a binary alloy may be more difficult than on the metals since oxides containing both metals as well as those of each metal separately may form. Furthermore, it is possible that solid solutions of the various oxides may occur. In these cases the electron diffraction method may not be able to identify the oxidation products unequivocally. Examples of solid solutions which may present difficulties are MOO* and WOp, Fe304 and FeO.CrnOa since the diffraction patterns are so similar. Since electron diffraction can determine only the structure of the oxide, the chemical composition must be inferred from the diffraction data based upon X ray diffraction investigations of specimens of known composition. It is possible in some cases to decide whether a given solid phase reaction can occur on the surface of an alloy by a study of available thermodynamic data. Table I lists the equations for the formation of most of the oxides from the elements together with values of loglo Kg for the several temperatures. AF"B = -RT In KR AF°R and KR are the free energy and equilibrium constant of the reaction. Calculations may be made using the the given in I 1 to determine whether a given solid phase reaction is possible thermodynamically. For example, a solid phase reaction should occur between aluminum and chromium oxide to form

Jan 1, 1949

By T. P. Floridis, J. H. Young

The need for close control of the phosphorus content of steels has led to numerous investigations on the equilibria of the dephosphorization reactions. Winkler and chipman1 have established the general conditions for effective dephosphorization of steel. They are high slag basicity, high oxygen potential, and low temperature. Other investigators have made additional contributions to the understanding of the dephosphorization process. The current status of the understanding of the dephosphorization of steel is concisely presented by Bodsworth2 and by Ward. The investigation reported in this communication was undertaken with the purpose of establishing the effect of additions of barium oxide and calcium fluoride on the dephosphorizing capacity of slags. Esin and Gel'd4 proposed that barium oxide, being more basic than calcium oxide, should cause an increase in dephosphorizing capacity when added to steelmaking slags, or when used as a substitute for calcium oxide. Derge5 has also proposed that in the future conventional slags might be replaced by BaO-Al2O3 slags. There is, however, no experimental evidence confirming the effect of barium oxide on the dephosphorizing capacity of slags. The effect of calcium fluoride on the dephosphorization of steel is not clearly understood. It is generally recognized that additions of calcium fluoride are beneficial. It is not clear, however, whether calcium fluoride affects the equilibrium of the dephosphorization reaction, or whether it simply causes an increase in the fluidity of the slag and, consequently, faster approach to equilibrium. The experimental procedure consisted in equilibrating synthetic molten slags with liquid copper at 1550°C under a gas stream containing argon, hydrogen, and water vapor. In all experiments the argon to hydrogen ratio was approximately 4:1, and the hydrogen to water ratio was 5.42:l. Molybdenum crucibles were used as containers for the slag and metal. Under the above-described conditions of temperature and composition of atmosphere, there was no observable attack of the crucibles by the metal, slag, or atmosphere. Copper was used instead of iron, because iron attacks molybdenum. The equilibration was made in a tubular furnace consisting of a recrystallized alumina tube. The alumina tube was heated by electrical resistance. A Pt-40 pct Rh wire winding was used for most runs. A silicon carbide tubular resistor was also used for some runs. Temperatures were measured with a Pt-Pt-Rh (10 pct Rh) thermocouple and kept constant within ±5°C. Equilibrium was approached from both sides, i.e., by adding the phosphorus either as oxide in the slag or as a phosphorus-rich alloy of phosphorus and copper. The holding time at the equilibrium temperature was 6 hr. At the end of each run the crucibles were rapidly cooled and removed from the furnace. The slag and metal were separated and analyzed. The experimental results are shown in Table I. The phosphorus content of the slag is expressed both as percent phosphorus pentoxide and as percent phosphorus. The basicity ratio is computed by dividing the number of moles of basic oxides-oxides of barium, calcium, magnesium, and sodium—by the number of moles of acidic oxides- oxides of aluminum, phosphorus, and silicon. Calcium fluoride is not included in the computation of the basicity ratio; i.e., calcium fluoride is assumed to be neither basic nor acidic. The distribution ratio of phosphorus—percentage of phosphorus in the slag divided by the percentage of phosphorus in the metal- is plotted in Fig. 1 against the basicity ratio. The results indicate that slags containing barium oxide have greater dephosphorizing capacity than slags containing calcium oxide. The high dephosphorizing capacity of slags containing sodium oxide and the low dephosphorizing capacity of magnesia-containing slags which already have been reported in the literature2 are confirmed by the results of this investigation. It appears that calcium fluoride has a beneficial effect on the distribution of phosphorus between slag and metal in acid slags only. Although the obtained distribution ratios between the phosphorus contents of slag and copper are not directly applicable to the dephosphorization of steel, they are sufficient for evaluating the effect of slag additions on the dephosphorizing capacity of slags in general. An increase in the ratio of distribution of phosphorus between slag and metal indicates lowering

Jan 1, 1968

By C. F. Pascoe, H. J. Roast

The object of this investigation was to compare the arsenical antimony-lead alloy with some of the regular bearing-metal alloys. With this end in view, the following tests were made: 1. Chemical analyses to show the composition. 2. Thermal analyses. 3. Macroscopic examination of fractures. 4.Microscopic examination. 5. Tensile tests. 6. Crushing tests. 7. Scleroscope tests.' 8. Brinell tests, at temperatures from 80' to 400' F. Tests 3 to 8 were conducted on both sand-cast and chill-cast specimens. For the purposes of this paper the alloys have been numbered from 1 to 6; their composition is as follows: Lead. ' Antimony, Tin, CoppeR ARSEnic, NumBeR PeR CENT. PER CENT. PeR Cent. PeR CeNt. PeR Cent. 1 82.64 12.95 4.40 0.01 none 2 27.54 9.04 59.87 2.65 none I 3 none- 0.13 ------------1.47 4 82.95 16.85 none 0.20 none 5 83.78 15.35 none 0.05 0.82 6 0.15 7.87 . 84.13 7.85 none The analysis, in the case of the antimony, was made by solution in sul-furic acid and titrated with permanganate. For tin, the ferric-chloride method was used; for copper, the alkaline separations, and the thio-cyanate methods; for arsenic, volatilization of arsenic and titration with iodine. The lead, with the exception of alloy 6, was taken by difference. With the exception of No. 5, the alloys were taken as received from the manufacturer. About 40 lb, were melted in a graphite crucible and recast into small ingots to insure uniformity of composition; samples

Jan 1, 1923

By Benjamin Petkof

The mineral mica, which has been known to man since ancient times, has played an impor¬tant role in the development of our modern industry. In the latter part of the 19th century sheet mica began finding use as a dielectric insulating material in the newly developing electrical industry. Later, when modern elec¬tronics began to develop, it became a vital insulating and dielectric material for use in electronic equipment. Both the electrical and electronic industries were greatly dependent on some form of natural mica. The manufacture of electric motors of varying sizes, electronic tubes, and other electronic items was dependent on an adequate supply of sheet mica. During World War II this material was so vital to national defense that special efforts were made to mine it in the United States as well as to obtain it from overseas mica-producing areas. However, advancing technology has successfully begun the progressive development of man-made mica-based and non-mica-based materials that can replace mica for many uses. In addition, developing technology has dictated changes that have made sheet mica unnecessary for some uses. As the demand for sheet mica declined, the demand for scrap and flake mica has continued to increase. In fact, today the domestic production and use of scrap and flake mica far outshadows the necessity for good¬quality sheet mica in this country. Historically the United States has always been dependent on foreign sources of material for good-quality sheet mica and imports practically its entire requirement. In the case of scrap and flake mica, the United States is the dominant world producer and consumer. End Uses Sheet mica (Chowdhury, 1941; Rajgarhia, 1951; Skow, 1962) is available in many com¬mercial forms, but these forms can be broadly classified into manufactured and unmanufac¬tured mica. Manufactured mica consists of mica that has been shaped, punched, or other¬wise processed into some form, suitable for a particular end use. Unmanufactured mica con¬sists of partially hand-trimmed or processed material that has not been prepared for any particular end use. Unmanufactured mica is broken into two commercial classes consisting of sheet mica and scrap and flake mica. These classes of mica differ greatly in their ultimate end uses and marketed forms. Sheet muscovite mica can be classified by color, degree of prep¬aration of the crude material, thickness, size, visual appearance, and electrical quality. In addition, phlogopite mica is also classified by its thermal stability. Scrap and flake mica consist of mine, trimming shop, and factory scrap that occurs as remnants from mining, processing, and manufacturing operations, and small particle size mica that is available from the beneficiation of pegmatites, clays, schists, or other mica-rich host rock. The end uses for sheet mica vary so greatly from those of scrap and flake mica that it is necessary to discuss them separately. Sheet Mica Sheet mica consists of relatively flat sheets of material which have been mined as naturally occurring books or runs of mica. These sheets are hand-trimmed to remove any imperfections and are punched or stamped into specified shapes for industrial use. Sheet mica can be further processed and is described or specified as block, film, or splittings based on thickness. Block mica is not less than 0.007 in. thick with a minimum usable cross-sectional area of 1 sq in. Film mica is split from the better quali¬ties of block mica to specified thickness groups ranging from 0.0012 to 0.004 in. Splittings are sheets of mica with a maximum thickness of 0.0012 in. and a minimum usable area of 0.75 in. Other small sized, lower quality block mica

Jan 1, 1975

By B. H. Caudle, A. B. Dyes

In a recent publication' it was shown that wells with a free surface in a homogeneous gravity-drainage reservoir have a hyperbolic decline with index n '. This paper reports efforts to extend this theory to practical field cases. As a first step in making the extension, a large number of lease production curves from gravity-drainage fields in the stripper stage were fitted with the general hyperbolic decline equation, q/q, = 1/(1 + y) y and n in each case being determined by statistical methods. It was found that this equation is reliable for decline curve extrapolation for periods up to at least 25 years. The resrilts obtained were disturbing in the sense that values for the index, n, were often smaller than one, which fact leads to the prediction that a well would produce all infinite amount of oil in infinite time. A theoretical investigation based on the results of the previous paper provides a suitable explanation for these low values of n. It suggests that these are obtained if production occurs from two or more layers of diflerent permeabilitv and thicktress or two lnyers having different skin effects. It is predicted that as the more permeable layers are exhausted, the index of decline, n, will rise from a value smaller than 2, to n = 2. A practical method is given for fitting the general hyperbolic decline Eq. 6 to production decline data. When this method is used, the index of decline observed in gravity-drainage reservoirs in the stripper stage when wing only data over early years 01 decline usually agrees quite closely with that determined using data over 25 years or more. This indicates that the hyperbolic decline equation is reliable for predicting behavior of such reservoirs. A method is also suggested for taking into account any changes in the value of the index INTRODUCTION As a result of both experimental work with models and theoretical deductions, it was recently concluded' that wells having a free surface in a homogeneous reservoir producing by pure gravity drainage should have a hyperbolic decline with n = 2. The present report details efforts to extend this work on ideal homogeneous reservoirs to actual field cases. It should be remembered that both the previous work and the present extension are based on the assumption that the reservoir is at very low pressure, and hence, nearly all the potential available for driving fluid to the well is the gravity head. Attempts to apply conclusions of this study to reservoirs which have considerable pressures supplementing the gravity drive may lead to difficulty. WELLS WITH NO FREE SURFACE In a dipping gravity-drainage reservoir such as that shown in Fig. 1, some of the down-dip wells have no free surface. The previous study' showed that the up-dip wells, which have a free surface, should follow Eq. 1. The following approximate analysis, of a type which was justified experimentally for up-dip wells in the work just mentioned, leads to results for the down-dip wells.

By H. W. Weart, D. J. Mack

SINCE the first recognition of eutectic solidification as the simultaneous formation of 2 solids from one liquid,1 many complex structures thus produced have been observed. Despite many attempts to ascertain it, however, the detailed mechanism by which these structures develop remains obscure. In an attempt to clarify the origin of eutectic structures, the study described in this paper was undertaken. The broad objective of the study was to investigate the effect of different solidification conditions on the structure of single eutectic grains. It was expected that the eutectic structure would thereby be isolated for study, but preliminary experiments revealed another structure within each grain. When a literature surveye revealed only 1 previous mention of the subgrain structure,' it was decided to determine the origin of the structure and to study its response to various growth conditions. Before presenting the details of the investigation, it is apropos to distinguish carefully among the 3 structures produced during eutectic solidification. This is especially desirable in view of the apparent confusion existing in the literature concerning the structures in a eutectic specimen. The confusion is due largely to the existence of the subgrain structure noted above which is easily mistaken for the grain structure. In the following paragraphs, an effort is made to distinguish the 3 structures by briefly describing their origin during solidification, even though the results are thereby anticipated slightly. The 3 structures produced during eutectic solidification are the grain structure, the colony structure, and the eutectic structure, each one contained by the one preceding it. The grain structure is analogous to the polycrystalline structure of a metal or inle-phase alloy in that each grain grows from a single nucleus. A somewhat broader interpretation is needed here, however, because of the presence of 2 phases in each grain. Since in most eutec-tics particles of 1 phase are dispersed in a matrix of the other, a grain may be taken to be the region in which the matrix phase is monocrystalline.*

Jan 1, 1959

By P. K. Koh, G. C. Dunn

Si-Fe single crystals in a number of selected orientations were cold rolled 70 pct and analyzed to obtain quantitative (110) pole figures. Stable end orientations were ddetermined, and the effect of orientation on deformation behavior was investigated. WHEN single crystals are cold rolled sufficiently, they rotate into end orientations that are stable or unchanged in position with additional deformation. The end orientations of heavily cold-rolled iron crystals, positioned in holes in copper to limit lateral flow and to simulate polycrystalline conditions during deformation, were determined by Barrett and Levenson.' They found that the sum of the end orientations, a pole figure for all the crystals studied, reproduced the essential features of the cold-rolled texture of polycrystalline iron. In. an investigation of Fe-Si alloys, Barrett, Ansel, and Mehl' observed little effect of silicon content on the textures of heavily cold-rolled samples. Since alloys with less than 4 pct Si are known to have the same slip systems as iron," it seems logical to expect that they would also have the same end orientations as those for iron. Whereas Barrett and Levenson in their study of single crystals were interested in the problem of the origin of the cold-rolled texture of polycrystalline iron, the present authors are more interested in the final cold-rolled textures of single crystals of Si-Fe from the point of view of their relationship to subsequent recrystallization phenomena which will be reported in another paper. Nevertheless, such points as the tendency of an end orientation not to rotate (stability), the tendency of a pole concentration to spread out, and the tendency of the crystal to widen during cold rolling become interesting separately when the initial orientations are selected already in end orientations. Also the initial orientations having a [I101 axis parallel with the transverse direction, which include the two end orientations (111) [Ti21 and (001) [110], comprise a series that needs further clarification regarding the way such crystals rotate during deformation. Finally the present use of quantitative pole figure methods* represents an advance over the X-ray photographic method employed by Barrett and Levenson in their work on end orientations. The present investigation provides information on the cold-rolling behavior of two groups of Si-Fe crystals: 1-—crystals initially oriented in recognized end orientations for iron crystals with a [I101 direction parallel with the rolling direction, and 2— crystals initially oriented with a [I101 direction 90" to the rolling direction and in the rolling plane. For the second group, there is a 90" range between the (001) [110] orientation and the (110) [001] orientation. Since the 35" portion of this range from (110) [OOl] to (111) Di2] was included in a previous investigation," only the remaining 55" portion from (111) fii2] to (001) [I101 needs further consideration. Also, since both (111) [xi21 and (001) [I101 are end orientations for iron crystals,' there might be a critical orientation* or orientation range be- • W. W. Martin and C. G. Dunno noted that (112) [Till was such a critical orientation. tween them such that early in the deformation an orientation within this critical range splits into two orientations. Upon further deformation, these two orientations rotate to produce a final texture consisting of (001) [1101 and (111) [?i2] components. The end orientations obtained are discussed in connection with the work of Barrett and Levenson, while the observed tendency for lateral flow of crystals in these orientations is treated in terms of the theory of Hibbard and Yen.' Lateral flow according to the theory increases with deviation of the plane containing the rolling direction and the slip direction from a position perpendicular to the plane of rolling. Experimental Procedure Single crystals in sheet form with preselected orientations were prepared by methods that have been described elsewhere." Three lots designated A, B,

Jan 1, 1956

By G. S. Cole, G. F. Bolling

ThE exact type of fluid flow which occurs in a solidifying ingot is important in determining subsequent grain structure. This has been shown in studies of natural Convection" and of forced stirring or other disturbances of the melt."16 We shall explicitly argue that a complement to the existing natural flow in an ingot should be more effective than other types of flow in promoting the columnar-to-equiaxed transition. The ultimate effects of fluid flow upon structure is one of the topics of solidification that we have investigated in the alloy system Pb-Sb, under conditions simulating casting. In Fig. 1, the essential features of a bidirectional growth apparatus are shown; horizontal freezing from water-cooled faces within a low-thermal-conductivity lavite boat is a reasonable simulation of an ingot section. Details such as the furnace and thermocouples are omitted in order to show the location of four permanent. magnets, each with a pole separation of 21 in. providing a central field of about 1000 Gauss. When coupled with a dc current imposed through appropriate connections made at the cooled faces, a flow of fluid is produced as shown schematically. This technique described by Pfann and ~orsi" is ideal for our purpose since the flow indicated is the same as that we observe to occur naturally in this system. Components of 99.999 pct purity were used for study and all due precautions were taken in alloy preparation to avoid contaminants. Sections of the specimens were taken to ensure results representative of the interior as well as the surface of specimens. All proportions of equiaxed and columnar regions were measured by tracing the etched grain structures onto graph paper and simply counting squares. Four alloys were examined at superheats of 40" * 5°C and 100" * 9°C. Preliminary tests had shown that no appreciable enhancement of structure was obtained with magnetic field alone, so that this condition is not reported; it should nevertheless be noted that other configurations of magnetic field will reduce convection and thus enhance columnar growth.'8 For the tests reported the magnetic field was applied to a specimen by bringing the four preassembled magnets to a position 2 mm from an outer tube immediately after the ingot was poured. The dc current of 30 amps passed through the sample throughout the entire solidification cycle, resulting in a power dissipation of 9 w per sq cm of interface. This may be compared to the evolution of latent heat of approximately 18 w per sq cm. Table I contains the results of this experiment in terms of the total area ratio, equiaxed/columnar grains, as a function of the field interactions, solute concentrations, and superheats employed. The total structure of the ingot is seen to be most influenced when both the field and current are applied simultaneously; when current acts separately, little effect may be noted in spite of the heat supplied. In addition, the change in structure from the no field-no current case to the field-current condition is more pronounced at the higher superheat, and the higher the concentration of antimony. An example of the grain refinement, as well as the increased equiaxed zone, is shown in Fig. 2. It is now important to prove that there is indeed an increase in fluid flow due to the presence of the field-current interaction; this is done by temperature measurements in the liquid metal. Let us consider a bidirectional casting in which heat is applied to and removed from the system, in such a way that rate of solidification is zero.* When a sensitive thermocouple

Jan 1, 1967

By R. M. Goldhoff, J. W. Spretnak

IN connection with establishing the mechanism by which boron enhances the hardenability of heat treatable steels, this research work has been undertaken. Spretnak and Speiser1,2 indicated the need for studying high temperature effects in boron steels and, chief among these, the possible nonhomogeneous distribution of boron in iron grains. The occurrence of this effect may be of significance in explaining the mechanism of enhancement of hardenability by boron as well as in explaining some of the observed characteristics of boron steel behavior. Primarily, then, this work was undertaken a) to establish whether or not boron is adsorbed in ? solid solutions, b) to determine the nature of any such adsorption effects, i.e., whether it is positive or negative as well as its temperature coefficient, and c) to establish the magnitude of any such effect. While past literature on this specific subject is rather sparse, a number of authors have postulated that the observed temporary loss of hardenability as well as the occurrence of the characteristic boron constituent in these steels is due to the nonuniform distribution of boron in austenite.3-0 Experimental Techniques Attempts to obtain direct evidence of grain boundary effects in boron steels have been unsuccessful, both by using the technique of Chalmers' in which small concentrations of solute made radioactive by irradiation are detected by autoradiographic means, and by means of studying cleavage fractures with the electron microscope.8 The present study attempts the design of experiments to measure the effect of boron on properties which might be subject to variation because of grain boundary effects. A study of the theoretical aspects of grain growth indicates that such studies may be pertinent. Another valid type of experiment involves the measurement in polycrystalline materials of properties whose values depend on the bulk of the grain, being negligibly influenced by grain boundaries. One such property is the lattice parameter measured by X-ray diffraction. The value of the lattice parameter reflects the average conditions which obtain over a relatively large number of atoms in a fixed crystalline lattice, and is therefore mainly dependent on bulk grain material. Measurement of lattice parameter variation over the austenite range of temperature in iron with and without boron should give evidence of concentration variations in the bulk grain material if adsorption effects are significant. Finally, use is made of the Grange and Garvey3 metallographic test for boron in which a characteristic boron constituent can be developed in austenite grain boundaries. The very occurrence of this phenomenon suggests grain boundary enrichment of boron and a study of the occurrence of this constituent and its varation with austenitizing temperature should help to detect grain boundary effects. Materials One lb ingots of pure iron, an Fe-B alloy, an Fe-C alloy, and an Fe-C-B alloy were prepared. The melting technique included an initial melting of electrolytic iron under vacuum followed by remelting under hydrogen and, finally, by melting under argon with the addition of alloying elements. Each ingot was surface machined between meltings. A quantitative spectrographic analysis was obtained on the pure ingot and, in addition, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon were determined by the vacuum fusion method. The results of these analyses are given in Table I. Semiquantitative spectrographic analyses were performed on the alloy ingots, while quantitative determinations of the alloy additions were obtained. These analyses are shown in Table 11. The cast ingots were subjected to the following sequence of fabrication treatments: forging to 5/8 in. bars, swaging to 0.300 in. rounds, drawing to 0.025 and 0.010 in. wire. Portions of each ingot were retained in the swaged condition for experimental use. For certain portions of the work typical commercial steels were used. These materials were supplied by the Republic Steel Corp., Canton, Ohio, and correspond to AISI 8640 and AISI 86B40 compositions.

Jan 1, 1958

By Wilfrid R. Foster

The industrial importance of the sillimanite group of minerals depends upon the beneficial properties exhibited by porcelains and refractories in which substantial amounts of these minerals are utilized as raw materials. The presence of "sillimanite" (now known to be the closely related mineral, mullite) in conventional porcelains and refractories has been known since before the turn of the century. As early as 1906 German investigators observed a direct correlation between the "sillimanite" content of a porcelain and its electrical and mechanical properties. Acting upon this discovery, U. S. Bureau of Standards investigators during World War I developed improved pyrometer tubes and spark plug porcelains, by increasing substantially the amount of "sillimanite" at the expense of quartz. The success of these experiments, first reported in 1918, at once aroused a lively interest in the location of natural sources of sillimanite and its related minerals. As a result of diligent search, the large andalusite deposits in California were discovered in 1919. Within the next several years large deposits of kyanite and sillimanite in India and kyanite in the United States had been reported. The search for these minerals in quantity, by both private and governmental agencies, has continued unabated during the ensuing forty years. A number of domestic deposits of kyanite have been worked during the past 30 years. Of these, only the Virginian and South Carolinian deposits are currently in substantial production. The only commercial andalusite production in the United States has been in California and Nevada. A dumortierite deposit in Nevada, known since 1917 but ignored for want of a commercial use, began production in 1925. A topaz occurrence in South Carolina has yielded a small production since about 1940. Domestic production of andalusite, dumortierite and topaz had virtually ceased by 1950. There has never been any commercial development of domestic sillimanite deposits. Kyanite has been mined almost continuously in India since about 1922. The remoteness of the large deposits of Indian sillimanite had caused it to be neglected until 1949. In that year sillimanite production began, and it has continued to the present. South African andalusite has been marketed from the 1930's until the present time. From 1944 to 1955 Kenya, British East Africa, was an important producer of kyanite. Commercial deposits of kyanite in Ontario, Canada should soon be in production. The first production of kyanite in Europe began in Austria in 1953. No commercial deposits of mullite are known anywhere in the world. It is of interest to note that synthetic mullite, which as "sillimanite" first elicited interest in the A12O3-rich aluminosilicate refractories, has enjoyed a marked increase in production in recent years. This is a result of the gradual depletion of known deposits of high-quality kyanite and related minerals."' Composition The sillimanite group includes kyanite, andalusite, and sillimanite, all having the same chemical composition (A12O3•SiO2) but different physical properties. Two other minerals, dumortierite and topaz, are also included in

Jan 1, 1960