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By C. Ernest Birchenall

AS a basis for further progress in several branches of metallurgy, particularly the study of physical properties of solid solutions and the kinetics of solid-solid reactions, a more complete understanding of the structure of solid solutions and the nature of the metallic bond is- necessary. Any investigation contributing to this understanding should be of primary interest to the metallurgist. Since the metallic bond is characteristic of an assemblage of atoms, it can be studied only where this assemblage exists. One of the most promising approaches to this study of the interactions in metals is through the general problem of binary metallic solutions. Although crystal structures of many solid metallic solutions have been determined and solubility limits for many systems are given in phase diagram studies, progress beyond this is irregular. Electromotive force and vapor pressure determinations have provided thermodynamic activity data for small concentration and temperature ranges in the amalgams and a few other systems.' In two systems, however, copper-zinc and iron-carbon, data are available for the calculation of activities over wide ranges of temperature and concentration. This activity data for the brass system is summarized in the preceding paper.= A detailed study of the solubility and distribution of carbon in iron is given by Smith and Darken.3 Their treatment of interaction energies is applicable only to dilute interstitial solutions. The objectives here will be to derive from activity gats given in the previous paper for the brasses and structural considerations as much new and detailed information as possible about the interactions between copper and zinc in metallic solid solution and the effect of these interactions in determining the short range structure of the equilibrium phases; that is, we shall investigate the energy of interaction between pairs of atoms of the same and different kinds, the deviations of the distribution of nearest neighbors from complete randomness, and show that the conclusions found are consistent with the observed behavior of the brass system. The method of treatment is fairly general for substitutional metallic solid solutions and will be applied to other systems. The determination of vapor pressures of the components of alloy systems is being undertaken in this laboratory to supply more data for this purpose. The information obtained from solid solutions may be extended by careful analogy to liquids as long as the metallic type of bonding is preserved. Since it will be necessary to employ the language of thermodynamics, a brief summary defining the terms used extensively in solution theory is given below. Solution Theory4 An ideal solution is one in which the vapor pressure of the constituent molecules

Jan 1, 1947

By J. J. Scott

INTRODUCTION Rock mechanics theory needs to be applied to solve ground control problems, but in the final analysis the mining method and equipment which is used will be those which solve problems in a practical manner. Equipment and its inherent productivity and safety as supplied as "off the shelf" items by manufacturers often dictate the size of mine openings. Operators may tolerate falls of ground and associated hazards if productivity and safety problems are not too severe. In this whole process the costs of mining finally dictates just what system will be employed and what equipment will be used. True solutions to ground control problems sometimes require that the mine operator step back and totally rethink his problems. The true cost of accidents are often missed and hidden in overhead costs. Losses in production and accompanying profit are not fully considered, false economics, such as using inappropriate roof support devices, are undertaken at times when using the most expensive devices to totally eliminate accidents may be the best overall solution. Automation to remove the worker from the hazard area is often over- looked as the initial capitol expense to apply it may be high. Cooperation between mine engineers, mine operators, safety personnel, equipment suppliers, and government inspectors, both state and federal, is required to reach workable solutions that best meet the goals of all parties.

Jan 1, 1983

FRENCH steel makers are ready to support the Schuman plan. Pierre Ricard, vice-president of the French Steel Chamber syndicate, announced the industry's readiness to cooperate with the plan, which is aimed toward giving Europe an integrated steel industry. Steel men appear to have decided in favor of the plan because of its promise to unify the continent. Behind approval is the emphasis placed by French steel plant operators on continuation of the Franco Saar economic union. The French have an, abiding fear of German steel production potential. France is currently producing at an annual rate of 11 million tons, while Western Germany is producing 15.5 million tons of steel. The Saar output is placed at 3 million tons. French industrialists feel that as long as the marriage of French and Saar steel production continues, France can compete reasonably well with Germany. If Saar production should suddenly become part of the Western Germany total, it could result in an unequal competitive situation, giving Germany a production level of 18.5 million tons of steel annually, or 60 pct more than France.

Jan 1, 1952

By D. A. Kinneberg, J. W. Donaldson, N. J. Themelis

In the Kennecott Converter Smelting process (KCS), copper concentrate pellets are smelted and converted to high-grade matte in a modified Peirce-Smith converter using oxygen-enriched air and fuel. A high-grade matte bath is produced and maintained in the converter. Periodically, the slag layer is skimmed, slowly cooled, and its copper content is recovered by milling. Ladles of matte are transferred and finished to blister copper in another converter. The gases from the Kennecott Converter contain the SO2 products of the smelting and converting processes and can be treated in an acid plant, eliminating the problem of low-concentration gases associated with the operation of the reverberatory furnace. Pilot tests at Utah Copper Division were followed by a full-scale prototype converter test at the Chino Mines Division of Kennecott Copper Corporation. The concepts of the process and the results of this campaign are presented.

Jan 1, 1976

By Howard M. Wells

The investment worth of a mineral deposit can only be realistically evaluated in relation to specified engineering design criteria which fully detail the proposed method of exploitation. The operational design of a mine falls essentially within the technical discipline of the mining engineer, under the constraint that the technical design should be aimed at optimizing the financial attractiveness of the project. In the case of a marginally viable proposition it becomes vitally necessary to identify the best set of design parameters which together will add up to an optimum investment proposal. This paper examines some fundamental logic of optimization for a "wasting asset" type of investment such as a mine, with special reference to the rate of annual production and the strategy of selective mining.

Jan 1, 1979

By Leroy U. Gardner

EVERY reader of this paper is well aware of the fact that the prolonged inhalation of large amounts of free silica dust results in fibrosis of the lungs, and that other inorganic dusts, except those of asbestos and the mineral poisons, are thought to be relatively harmless. But probably few have had opportunity to visualize the effects of silica, asbestos and other minerals upon living tissues. The ideal demonstration would be based upon sections of lungs from human beings that had inhaled com- parable concentrations of different dusts for a unit period of time. Such material is generally difficult to obtain and in some instances is of questionable value because the subject has been exposed to more than one kind of dust. A demonstration could be prepared from the lungs of animals. However, so many months or even years are required to complete the exposure to each kind of dust that enough material has not been accumulated. For a general survey of the action of different types of dust, I am therefore compelled to use the tissues of animals that have been injected with suspensions of dust particles. The injection method offers certain advantages. The quantity, the particle size and the state of dispersion can be controlled with sufficient accuracy so that the tissue responses to different minerals can be accurately compared. The method insures contact between the tissues and the mineral particles; protective mechanisms, which may prevent the inhalation of certain types of foreign body, never come into play. If the pathway of injection be one that minimizes nonspecific injury, the tissue responses may simulate those produced by inhalation but they develop somewhat more rapidly. It should always be remembered that injection methods merely demonstrate the capacity of various kinds of minerals to provoke reaction in the tissues; whether the same substances are inhaled from atmospheric suspension and accumulate in the lungs in dangerous quantities can be demonstrated only by inhalation. The reactions that I shall discuss first took place not in the lungs but in the liver. For the purpose in hand this is quite immaterial for we are merely seeking to discover whether these minerals are capable of produc-

Jan 1, 1938

Adolph Thies, Haile Gold-Mine, S. C.: I have little to add to what my friends Messrs. Nitze and Wilkens have said on this subject. What I have done in mining during the last fortyone years, partly in this country and partly in South Africa (though not, as to Africa, in the diamond- or the gold-fields,

Jan 1, 1896

By W. G. Fischer

Basic laboratory tests on trona and the surrounding shales initiated the Rock Mechanics program. The stress-strain curve, modulus of elasticity, Poisson's ratio, the uniaxial rock strength, Mohr's envelope, the biaxial stresses at failure, and creep were investigated. A series of underground problems were then approached using this information and various field measuring devices, most of which were developed by the Bureau of Mines. Initially, stress concentrations near mine openings were evaluated using the stress relief technique. This required an accurate determination of the pre-mining stress field. Later, stress concentrations associated with the cave line were studied. After about 30 stress reliefs over an appropriate time interval the effects of one type of mining could be compared against another. The microseismic technique was used to investi- gate a possible application of warning devices near the cave line. A study of mine reorientation was made. Problems related to the shape and size of pillars and barriers were studied. The effectiveness of roof bolting patterns was examined. Control of roof stresses was attempted. A new system of mining in heavy ground has been developed using the information secured in the Rock Mechanics program. Without this system, mining in more than one instance would have been next to impossible. Indeed, from this one discovery alone, the Rock Mechanics program has paid off in improved safety as well as in dollars. The Westvaco trona* mine is located near the town of Green River in the southwestern corner of Wyoming. It is owned and operated by FMC Corp. on land leased from the US Government, the State of Wyoming, and the Union Pacific Railroad. A conventional room and pillar system is being used, (Fig. 1) with complete removal of the pillars during final mining. Return air bleeders surround

Jan 1, 1964

By N. O. Johnson

The Hog Mountain mine is a pyritic-gold property in the north central part of Tallapoosa County, Alabama, at an elevation of 800 ft. in the southern Appalachian region. It is 13 miles by a good secondary road from Alexander City, a station on the Central of Georgia Railroad. Since its discovery in 1839, the mine has been worked intermittently. The records of past operations are few and are scattered over a long period of time; however, available information indicates a production of approximately 12,000 oz. of gold prior to the present company's activities, which started in 1933. Additional 7844 oz. has been produced under the direction of the present management. The ore from stopes has averaged 0.200 oz. gold per ton; the ore from development, 0.136 oz. gold per ton. Silver, copper, iron and sulphur are also present but to date are of minor importance. The grade of ore in comparatively narrow veins makes necessary extreme vigilance in the methods of mining. Geology Wall Rock.—Hog Mountain consists of a quartz-diorite intrusion approximately 5000 ft. long by 1200 ft. wide. Its resistance to weathering, as compared to the surrounding schists, has led to the formation of a conspicuous ridge rising 400 ft. above the adjacent country. All the mining operations are confined within the limits of this quartz-diorite formation. Except where there is excessive shearing, either parallel or at flat angles to the quartz veins, all the walls of the stopes within the limits of the veins are strong enough to make timbering unnecessary. Where shearing exists, there may be a sloughing off of the walls, especially in the process of drawing the ore. When this occurs, stulls are placed in the stope, either while the stope is advancing, or while ore is being drawn from a completed stope. In general, very little timber is required. Veins.—The quartz veins have been deposited along fracture planes in the quartz diorite. There are 20 principal veins, all of which are roughly parallel and strike at right angles to the long axis of the formation.

Jan 1, 1937

By Amos Bowman

In the last two years I have had an opportunity to study the conditions of gold-mining in the far northwest of the Pacific coast —in Cariboo district, British Columbia. That country joins Alaska

Jan 1, 1887

By Don H. Baker

THE need for new or improved refractory materials has caused metal phosphides to be given renewed scrutiny. Some metal phosphides show high-temperature inertness, are exceptionally hard, and exhibit a marked resistance to chemical attack. Various metal phosphides have been prepared for study by direct combination of the elements,'-' by reaction of metal or metal compounds with phosphine or phosphorus trichloride,'"' by thermal decomposition of a metallic phosphate or phosphite,"-'8 and by molten salt electrolysis.19 Electrolytic preparation of phosphides of titanium, manganese, and chromium from their oxides is reported in this paper. An externally heated 3-in.-ID by 6-in.-deep graphite cell, that served as the anode as well as a container for the electrolyte, was used in these investigations, and a suspended, centrally positioned graphite rod served as the cathode. A closely fitting silicon carbide furnace liner minimized atmospheric oxidation of the crucible. Electrolyses were performed for predetermined periods and current settings. Preliminary research had indicated the more efficient current and potential settings that could be used. Upon completion of the deposition period, the deposit was hot-stripped from the cathode. The mass of crystalline deposit, plus occluded and adhering salt, was crushed to minus 10 mesh and hot-leached in dilute hydrochloric acid. The leached crystalline material was water-washed, dried, and sampled for analysis. Products were identified by X-ray diffraction and standard analytical procedures. Electrochemical studies were initiated to establish the optimum conditions necessary to produce manganese phosphide (MnP), titanium phosphide (Tip), and chromium phosphide (CrP). Among the factors studied were the operating temperature, the imposed current, and the electrolyte system. If the temperature, or imposed current, was too high, deposition of phosphorus resulted, and if either were too low, partially reduced lower oxides were deposited. The operating conditions established for repetitive high-quality production of metal phosphides of the MP structure are presented in Table I. The metal phosphide crystals varied in size, but all had a definite metallic appearance. Typical are the crystals of CrP shown in Fig. 1. Evaluation data and analysis of the crystals are presented in Table 11. Efforts to measure resistivity of these three compounds over the temperature ranges of 250o to 400°K were hampered by the small physical size of the crys-

Jan 1, 1968

By James W. Baxter

Underground mining of limestone is becoming increasingly practicable in Illinois. Most quarries are near rivers on the western and southern borders where competition for land use is intensive. Increasing demands for stone can be met by expanded mining with access by adits in existing quarries and by inclines and shafts at downdip sites. Geologic, hydrologic, and engineering conditions indicate that deep mines in the Ste. Genevieve, Salem, Ullin, and basal Burlington limestones of Mississippian age and in the Moredock member of the Dunleith formation of Ordovician age are particularly feasible, but development will require prudent exploration and planning to ensure that the product will be of good quality.

Jan 1, 1981

Jan 1, 1916

By G. Pizzi, G. M. Ciucci, G. L. Chierici

The use of the material balance equation to estimate the volume of hydrocarbons originally present in a reservoir, whose producing mechanism is partly due to water drive, has been discussed in the literature by several authors. There is no general agreement upon the possibility of obtaining reliable results by this method. Gas reservoirs in contact with an active aquifer are considered in this paper. Theoretical considerations based on the cybernetic principle of uncertainty (which states that the internal structure of a system cannot be uniquely determined from its observed external behavior) lead to the conclusion that the volume of gas originally present in a reservoir of this type cannot be uniquely determined from its past history. The range of values which encompasses the actual value of the reserves varies from case to case and must be determined by either numerical or analogical methods. Results obtained for six gas fields are reported. All these fields were produced with small fluctuations in their production rates, as is common practice for gas reservoirs; no gas storage fields were considered. Results obtained show that reserves values in a range of 1 to 2, associated with appropriate aquifers, allow the matching of the reservoir past history with mean-square deviations less than the experimental errors involved in pressure and produclion measurements. Similar results have been found in several other partial water drive gas reservoirs. From these results it is concluded that gas reserves cannot be uniquely determined from the past performance of partial water drive reservoirs, at least in cases where the reservoir has been submitted to small fluctuations in the production rates, and pressure data of normal accuracy are available. INTRODUCTION A number of authors have analyzed the problem of estimating the reserves originally present in a partial water drive reservoir from its past pressure-production performance. Literature which deals with this subject can be grouped, according to their conclusions, as follows. 1. A reliable value for the reserves can be obtained even if reservoir data (pressure and cumulative production) are affected by errors within the normal range.'-' 2. A reliable value for the reserves can be obtained only if reservoir data are very accurate'- or if past production performance has been subjected to abrupt variations in the production rate."' 3. No unique value for the reserves can be obtained from reservoir past production performance. This conclusion has been based upon theoretical considerations" and verified in several field cases. The purpose of this paper, which deals only with partial water drive gas reservoirs, is to test the above conclusions against actual field cases. Some theoretical considerations on this problem are also presented. THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS As the behavior of a gas reservoir communicating with an aquifer depends on both the aquifer and the reservoir characteristics, the physical system to be studied is the combined gas reservoir plus aquifer. The information which is available for studying the performance of such a system is the well production rates and bottom-hole pressures, all given as functions of time. The external behavior of the reservoir-aquifer system is therefore described by 2n input variables (Gp, Wp,) and n output variables (p,), n being the number of wells in the reservoir. In reservoir engineering it is common practice to consider the reservoir as a whole, disregarding the internal distribution of pressures and of producing wells. This practice is equivalent to substituting the above multi-variable system with a single-variable system, where the average reservoir pressure is the only output variable and the cumulative production G,(t) and W,(t) are the input variables. The internal structure of such a system, defined by initial gas reserves G, aquifer shape and dimensions, boundary conditions and petrophysical parameters distribution throughout the aquifer, is unknown. Therefore, from a cybernetic point of view the system is a "black-box It has been demonstrated" that for a blackbox the indetermination principle holds. Accordingly, the number of different internal structures (or set of parameters) which can account for the observed external behavior is infinite. As a consequence, the initial reserves cannot be uniquely determined from the reservoir past performance. When W,(t) is known, the determination of G from

By D. L. Douglas

The ß decomposition of Zr-U-O alloys was studied during an interrupted quench from the a + ß region. Decomposition was more rapid than in binary Zr-U alloys of the same uranium content or qf equivalent ß composition. The rapid transformation has been ascribed to the presence of the primary a phase which provided nucleation sites and which permitted preferential partitioning of oxygen to the a phase and of uranium to the COMMERCLAL heat treatments are designed to produce certain strength and toughness character- istics by controlling the microstructure of an alloy. A desired distribution of microconstituents is achieved in practice by treating an alloy under the correct time-temperature conditions. A knowledge of the phase equilibria in any alloy system is essential in outlining heat treatments, but in addi-

Jan 1, 1961

By C. A. WARNER

AN OIL and gas mining lease contract, as entered A into by and between 'the lessor and the lessee, contains certain express covenants stipulating, in part at least, the exact performance thereof; it also contains certain implied covenants, among which may be included that of protection of the leased premises against drainage by the drilling of necessary offset wells. In the drilling for, and production of, oil and gas, however, it not infrequently happens that the lessee, acting in good faith, does not deem it prudent to, drill a test thereon even though the location for such test is offset by a producing well on an adjoining lease. Such conclusion, on the part of the lessee, is generally construed by the lessor as constituting a breach of the implied covenant mentioned above, and he may take proper action to secure satisfaction therefor. The action against the lessee is generally for cancellation or relinquishment of the lease, together with, or apart from, claims for damages allegedly sustained through failure to properly protect against drainage of the leased premises.

Jan 1, 1931

By A. C. England, William F. Haney, Paul B. Crawford, Bobby L. Landrum

The creation of unsymmetrical vertical or horizontal fractures in a producing well will result in a unique distortion of the normal shut-in pressures existing at the four surrounding wells. An electrical model study has been made to show how the shut-in pressures at the wells surrounding the fractured producing well may he used to estimate the size and orientation of vertical or horizontal fractures. The pressure differences at the four surrounding wells are recorded during production from the fractured well. The resulting pressure dato are matched from a table of several hundred possible fracture combinations. The table refers to the figure showing the effective size and orientation of the commercially created fracture. INTRODUCTION The creation of commercial fractures about oil and gas wells has led to considerable speculation as to the size and shape of the fractures. It is important that the size and shape be known in certain instances, especially when pressure maintenance programs are to be initiated. It was shown that if knowledge of a vertical fracture could be found that such information may be utilized in planning a waterflooding or gas cycling program and that in some cases the fractures might be utilized very effectively.' Other work showed that it may be desirable to create "pancake" fractures in certain reservoirs but that they should exist in a desirable range.' If the fractures are too large, they should be plugged prior to initiating a pressure maintenance program. If an irregular shaped "pancake" fracture is created, it is desirable to know the orientation of this fracture because similar but unreported studies have shown that "pancake" fractures may or may not substantially affect the sweep efficiencies and performance of the flooding or cycling program. Consequently, it may be desirable in some instances to estimate the effective size and orientation of the fracture. ANALOG An electrical model was used in making this study. The electrical model consisted of a circular reservoir approximately 8 in. in diameter, 1 in. thick and was filled with a dilute salt solution. A copper band formed the periphery of the reservoir. A vertical fracture was simulated by a copper strip soldered to the wire well located in the center of the reservoir. Vertical copper strips of various lengths and orientation were soldered to the wire well to represent vertical fractures in the reservoir. In studies reported here on vertical fractures it was arbitrarily assumed that two fractures originated at the well and extended out into the reservoir. An electrical potential was imposed between the wire well and the periphery of the tank. Plots of the iso-potentials are shown in Figs. 1 through 9. This model provides the steady-state isopotentials existing in a uniform, homogeneous circular reservoir having a vertically fractured well at its center. The permeability of the fracture is much greater than the permeability of the matrix proper. The effects of gravity are neglected. In preparing Tables 1 and 2, four symmetrically located unfractured wells were assumed to exist around

Jan 1, 1956

By J. B. Scott, J. S. Nelson, G. H. Kruse, W. S. Johnson, K. L. Zerneke

The economics of pressure tunnel design emphasize the utmost utilization of the least expensive pressure-resisting material available, namely, the rock surrounding the tunnel. A major difficulty in the design is the problem of transferring internal hydraulic pressure to the rock through a tunnel lining or membrane provided to maintain watertight conditions. The lining is necessary not only to prevent water loss, but to prevent the diffusion of water at high pressure through joints and fractures beyond the confines of the tunnel, an occurrence which could ultimately affect the stability of the rock mass through which the tunnel passes. Because of its toughness and ability to bridge localized areas of weakness, steel is used for a lining material whenever high internal pressures are involved. The steel lining is coupled to the surrounding rock mass through an annular ring of concrete backfill. It is paradoxical that the steel lining, needed primarily to assure water tightness, must of necessity be incorporated into the structure as a major pressure-resisting component, not to augment the bearing capacity of the concrete and rock, but to limit the strain for the safety and preservation of the steel lining itself. With the deformation modulus of the steel so much greater than that of the rock, the liner approaches its yield strength before the load capacity of the rock can be fully mobilized. An economical determination of plate thickness for steel liners is therefore dependent upon measurement of the properties of the surround-

Jan 1, 1970

By Frederick W. Bacorn

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

Jan 1, 1915

By N. S. Keith

No one of the live subjects of the day, to which the attention of the mining engineer and metallurgist should be turned, is of greater practical interest to him than electricity in its applications to various mechanical, chemical, and metallurgical operations.. The object of this paper is to call the attention of my fellow-members and associates of the Institute to various new, as well as comparatively old, developments in the science and art of electricity which seem to promise results of advantage. Too many of the comparatively old applications have been neglected by the mining engineer, which, if he had given them a place among his appliances, would have assisted him greatly. The telegraph may be noticed as one. Its use is, however, confined to a person having skill in the manipulations of the key, the reading of the alphabet, and familiarity with the sounder. One of the simpler forms—the call-bell—has a range of application far greater as to distance and convenience than the old wire-pull, or the hoarse voice of the windlass-man or the bucket-dumper. A few Leclanche cells, two or more electric bells, and a mile or more of mire judiciously placed will put the superintendent, at his office, in communication with the foremen of his mills and mines, so that by the aid of a code of signals, great advantages may be gained without necessitating a knowledge of the Morse alphabet, or of the mechanical voice of the sounder. The telephone furnishes a means of communication be-

Jan 1, 1882