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By C. Dirksen

This study investigates whether oxygen consumption during segregated forward combustion may be affected by natural convection. Linear theory indicates that thermal instability occurs in a horizontal porous medium when the modified Rayleigh number N 'Ra exceeds a critical value of about 40. Most experimental results, including those described here, indicate this value to be about an order of magnitude smaller. N ', is derived from "differential similarity" and the proper time scale factor is also obtained. The critical value of N'ra for a horizontal, water-saturated porous medium at atmospheric pressure subjected to a uertical temperature gradient was found to be about 3.0. The ambiguity in the value of N'R, arising when fluid properties cannot be assumed constant is indicated. Natural convection was observed for oblique systems below N 'Ra , while simultaneous horizontal flow did not affect N Racrit. The expected range of values for the various parameters pertaining to segregated forward combustion is indicated and the corresponding values of N 'Ra calculated. Only under very favorable conditions, such as high permeability, high pressure and low top temperature, can the critical value of N 'R, be exceeded. Thickness of the convection layer should not become too large, since the time required to obtain significant mixing is proportional to the square of the thickness. For an oblique combustion frant the conditions for significant mixing may be less strenuous. LNTRODUCTION Laboratory1,2 and field314 experiments have shown that a markedly upgraded oil can be produced by in situ forward combustion. Under certain conditions injected air may move through a high permeability, gas-saturated channel over the oil-saturated layer, while combustion takes place, exclusively, at the horizontal interface (Fig. 1). Such a channel may be a natural gas cap, or it may result from a forward combustion process in which injected air and combustion gases fingered through the top of the formation, causing a premature breakthrough at the production well. In this particular case of segregated forward combustion, the air stream moves parallel to the combustion front. Molecular diffusion and transverse mechanical dispersion will be insufficient to cause all the oxygen in the air stream to reach the combustion front. When the oxygen in the air stream is not completely consumed in the combustion process, it will reach the production well and create a serious fire hazard. In addition, the reduced efficiency may make the process economically unprofitable while also serious corrosion problems may be experienced in the production we11.3 This undesirable situation should, therefore, be prevented. However, in a situation as depicted in Fig. 1, an unstable temperature gradient exists in the gas phase. The combustion is taking place at the lower boundary at a nearly constant temperature that may be anywhere from 600 to 1,200F, depending on the conditions. The upper boundary of the gas phase is overlying, impermeable rock; its temperature might be around 100F, but may increase to 300F or higher due to conduction and convection as the combustion process continues. This represents a steep temperature gradient and it is conceivable that under those conditions free or natural convection will take place in the gas

Jan 1, 1967

By H. R. Ogden

The notch sensitivity of titanium alloys is affected by impurity content, microstructure, and heat treatment. Using notch tensile properties to evaluate notch sensitivity, three commercial titanium-base alloys were investigated over the temperature range of -320o to 390°F. The alloys studied were Ti-5Al-2.5Sn, Ti-6Al-4V, and Ti-2Fe-2Cr-2Mo. Six interstitial levels were studied for each alloy in four mi-crostmctural conditions. The ff- 0 alloys were studied in both the annealed and heat-treated condition. All tests were conducted using 1/4-in. diam round tensile samples. The notched samples had a 50 pct notch with a notch sharpness (a/r) of 53, corresponding to Kt 6.3. Notch sensitivity was increased by increased interstitial content, low temperature, and acicular-type microstructures. The heat-treated, high-interstitial content - 13 alloys were more notch sensitive than the same alloys in the annealed condition. In addition, minima in the notch tensile-temperature curves were observed at temperatures near 32°F. These minima became more pronounced with increasing interstitial content. 1 HE increaseduse of titanium alloys in high strength applications at subzero temperatures requires that a better under standing of the low-temperature behavior of the alloys be obtained. At low temperatures, metals generally exhibit increased strength with lowered ductility and tohness. Notch sensitivity and the factors which influence it become more important as the strength level is increased and the temperature is decreased. Some of the factor s which affect notch sensitivity in ti- tanium alloys are composition, interstitial content, microstructure, and heat-treatment condition. In this paper, the results of a study of these variables on the notch sensitivity of three titanium alloys at temperatures from —320o to 390o are reported. The notch geometry selected for this program was chosen to provide a severe test of notch sensitivity. The ability of the metal to flow without initiating fracture under these severe conditions is reflected in the notch-strength values. Since notch strength is, in part, determined by the constraint exerted by the combined tensile stresses, the behavior of notch specimens reflects the properties of the material under combined stresses. For example, a material with a high notch-unnotch strength ratio may be expected to withstand the biaxial stresses encountered in a pressure vessel better than a material with a low ratio of notch-unnotch strengths. This implies that maximum strength alone is not a sufficient criterion for applications of this type. It further may be concluded that the various conditions that promote poor notch behavior also will affect adversely the performance of materials under combined stresses. In the alloys studied, these included low temperatures, high interstitial levels, and hasformed microstructures. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES Three alloys, Ti-5Al-2.5Sn, Ti-6Al-4V, and Ti-2Fe-2Cr-2Mo, were purchased from commercial producers as 2-in.-dam rod stock. Oxygen and nitrogen were added to these alloys by remelting to obtain a variety of interstitial contents as shown in Table I. In order to Compensate for the much more potent strengthening effect of nitrogen compared with oxygen, an oxygen equivalent content is used to describe the total oxygen plus nitrogen contents studied. It has been suggested previously1 thatnitro-gen is approximately twice as effective in strengthening as oxygen, and carbon, to the extent it is in so-

Jan 1, 1962

By S. S. Marsden, S. A. Khan

Externally generated foam was injected continuously into short porous media. Both flow rate and pressure drop were measured. Liquid saturation was determined by electrical conductivity. Foam yuality I, expressed as the ratio of gas volume to total volume, was varied from 0.70 to 0.96. As measured with a modified fann VG Meter, apparent viscosity of this foam µa decreases with increasing shear rate but usually falls within the range of 50 to 500 cp. At a given shear rate, µa increases almost linearly with I-. When measured with a Bendix Ultraviscoson, kinematic pa is independent of V but absolute pa increases with T from about 3 to 8 cp. The effective permeability -apparent viscosity ratio ke/µa decreases almost linearly with V for porous media of high permeability, but the rate of decrease becomes less for tighter ones. The relative permeability-apparent viscosity ratio kr/µa us V data does not fall on a single line. The kr/µa ratio increases with liquid saturation in the porous medium and with surfactant concentration. Estimates of pa for foam in porous media vary from 30 to 100 cp. INTRODUCTION Although research on the development of a foam-drive, oil recovery process has been going on for almost a decade, most of the significant publications have appeared within the last several years. This illustrates well the rate at which interest in this process is accelerating. Bond and Holbrook 1 were the first to describe the use of foam to improve oil recovery in their patent of 1958. They proposed that an aqueous foaming agent slug be injected into the formation and that this be followed by gas to produce a foam in situ. Fried 2 studied the injection of foam into porous media which had already been subjected to conventional gas or water drives and found that gas could be used to drive a foam bank which would, in turn, displace additional oil in the form of an oil bank. He attributed the increased oil recovery to the high effective viscosity of foam flowing in porous media. His microscopic observations showed the importance of foam generation and regeneration within the porous medium. By injecting both air and aqueous surfactant solution, Bernard3 generated foams within the porous medium in which oil displacement was being studied. In a separate empirical test, he also measured the dynamic foaming characteristics of the same surfactants in water and/or oil. With some exceptions and for the seyen surfactants studied, there seems to be a qualitative relationship between the efficiency of liquid rlisplacrment and the dynamic foaming testtsed. This relationship was not consistent enough to eliminate the necessity of actual foam flood tests in porous media for surfactant selection. In a study basic to gas storage in aquifers, Bennett4 described the displacement of brine by foam in consolidated porous media. Among other things, he stated that the ability of a surfactant solution to foam is more important than the stability of its foam. The presence of a foam bank between the displacing air and the displaced brine improved both breakthrough and ultimate recovery. In a continuation of this work Kolb5 attributed the great reduction in surfactant solution production rate as displacement by air progressed to a decrease in relative permeability to gas. These several effects reported by both Bennett and Kolb can all be attributed to the high apparent viscosity of foam which was obviously flowing in the porous media. Bernard and Holm6 observed that gas permeability in the presence of foam was much less than in the absence of foam when both were measured at the same gas saturations. This reduction in permeability was proportionately greater for more permeable sands and sandstones than for the less permeable. Viscosities of the surfactant solution and air were used for their calculations rather than apparent foam viscosities. The foam stability increased with decreasing permeability, which was probably due to the natural regenerative properties of porous media, and the permeability reduction increased

Jan 1, 1967

By Frank V. Hicks

THE following paper-in no sense a technical paper-is a summary of a safety campaign instituted by a coal-mining company to improve an unfortunate safety record. The experience should be suggestive equally to coal and metal-mining companies. With few precedents to follow in the beginning, the course was charted by trial and error. The endeavor, often disheartening, finally resulted in the capture of the most coveted safety trophy in the mining industry, "The Sentinels of Safety," awarded by the Hercules Powder Co. of Wilmington, Del., through the U. S. Bureau of Mines. The period described covers the 10-year interval, 1924 to 1933, the year 1933 being that for which the award was made. The coal company considered has produced annually for a number of years an average of 2,750,000 tons of coal, employing at various times from 1.800 to 3000 men. Prior to 1924, the

Jan 1, 1935

By Edmund M. Warner

Any city dweller who has walked alone along a remote mine passageway has to be impressed by the eerie silence-the total absence of noise except for one's own breathing and scuffing of boots on the bottom. An underground mine can have tremendous contrasts, from complete silence to the ear piercing clatter of percussion drills working in the mine roof. Noise in underground mining machines is both useful and detrimental. Without characteristic noises that are recognizable to miners, operators would have a more difficult job operating their machines. Noise serves as a warning of approaching machinery, and changes in noise give indication that breakdowns may occur.

Jan 1, 1979

By J. J. Jakosky

A REVIEW of the progress in applied geophysics during the recent depression years reveals marked advances over the methods employed several years ago. Of late, geophysical work has been curtailed to a Con-siderable extent in the fields of oil and base-metal exploration, its especial domains a few years ago. Greater attention has been directed toward the use of geophysical technique in other engineering problems. Constantly maintained research programs have developed new instruments and per-fected better field, laboratory and interpretation techniques based on experience and skill acquired from years of application in the older geophysical field. During the past two years, geophysical methods have been employed in problems that required information on thickness of fill materials and subsurface bedrock contours. Considerable success has been attained, with subsequent drilling checking the predicted depths within one to five per cent. In general, these problems were similar as far as the fundamen-tal physical and geological conditions were concerned, but they have varied widely in specific detail and in engineering aspects. Character-istic of the different problems are: (1) yardage and bedrock profile in gold-placer mining; (2) water supply, involving underground drainage and storage conditions; (3) bedrock contours in dam-site and other structural investigations; (4) gravel and fill yardage, and other structural features along rights of way and in rock and gravel quarrying. Of particular interest, perhaps, to mining men are the problems of gold placer deposits and water supply. Geophysical work on gold placers is of especial interest because of the present expanded activity in all phases of gold mining. The development of a suitable water supply at an economical cost is often of prime importance in insuring a successful mining venture. Particularly is this true in the arid Southwest. How-ever, the use of geophysical work in water supply is not confined to the needs of mining development.

Jan 1, 1933

By E. W. Davis

The: mysterious Lake Erie price for iron ore, established each spring, determines the maximum price that will be paid during the following season for ore of Mesabi Non-Bessemer base grade. This price is important to the ore producers, hut since most of the ore in the Lake Superior district is owned or controlled by consuming interests, the really important question to them is not the price of ore but how much it will cost them to mine and transport their season's requirements to their furnace plants. However, a few million tons are actually sold each year, and considerable quantities are traded for mixing purposes, and the negotiations lor these sales and trades usually begin with some reference to the Lake Erie price. There is no difficulty with the Lake Erie price itself or with the manner in which it is established, but the system prescribed for determining the values of ores that are not exactly base grade is incomplete. The Lake Erie price takes into consideration only the iron and phosphorus contained in the ore, but when the ore producer is negotiating a sale or trade, he is confronted by the fact that his ore must he studied and the price adjusted, not only on the basis of the iron and phosphorus analyses, as specified by the Lake Erie price, but also on the basis of silica! alumina, manganese, structure, etc. The vague and unsatisfactory methods used in making these adjustments bear some relation to the manner in which the ore is supposed to act in the blast furnace. The ore producer may not understand all of the idiosyncrasies of the blast furnace, but if the smelting-plant operators have a system more accurate than the Lake Erie price method for determining the relative values of different ores, why not pass this information on to the ore producers, so that they can make use of it and perhaps modify their practice in such a manner as to benefit both themselves and their customers? There is a lack of understanding and appreciation between these two groups that may, to some extent, be unavoidable, but in the interests of efficiency and conservation rules that are more accurate and complete than the Lake Erie price method in use at the present time should be established for the guidance of the ore producers. Recently a paper was read before the Eastern States Blast Furnace and Coke Oven Association, by Mr. G. W. Hewitt, Manager Production, Blast Furnace and Coke Oven Department, Wheeling Steel Corporation, in which he explained how his company determines the relative values of different grades of Non-Bessemer ore. This is a very important paper, perhaps not so much on account of the actual calculation methods described as because of the fact that premiums and penalties are shown on Non-Bessemer ores for silica, alumina, phosphorus, and manganese. As pointed out by Mr. Hewitt, the premium and penalty system described may not apply without adjustments to other smelting plants. However, if the various ore

Jan 1, 1941

By E. W. Davis

The: mysterious Lake Erie price for iron ore, established each spring, determines the maximum price that will be paid during the following season for ore of Mesabi Non-Bessemer base grade. This price is important to the ore producers, hut since most of the ore in the Lake Superior district is owned or controlled by consuming interests, the really important question to them is not the price of ore but how much it will cost them to mine and transport their season's requirements to their furnace plants. However, a few million tons are actually sold each year, and considerable quantities are traded for mixing purposes, and the negotiations lor these sales and trades usually begin with some reference to the Lake Erie price. There is no difficulty with the Lake Erie price itself or with the manner in which it is established, but the system prescribed for determining the values of ores that are not exactly base grade is incomplete. The Lake Erie price takes into consideration only the iron and phosphorus contained in the ore, but when the ore producer is negotiating a sale or trade, he is confronted by the fact that his ore must he studied and the price adjusted, not only on the basis of the iron and phosphorus analyses, as specified by the Lake Erie price, but also on the basis of silica! alumina, manganese, structure, etc. The vague and unsatisfactory methods used in making these adjustments bear some relation to the manner in which the ore is supposed to act in the blast furnace. The ore producer may not understand all of the idiosyncrasies of the blast furnace, but if the smelting-plant operators have a system more accurate than the Lake Erie price method for determining the relative values of different ores, why not pass this information on to the ore producers, so that they can make use of it and perhaps modify their practice in such a manner as to benefit both themselves and their customers? There is a lack of understanding and appreciation between these two groups that may, to some extent, be unavoidable, but in the interests of efficiency and conservation rules that are more accurate and complete than the Lake Erie price method in use at the present time should be established for the guidance of the ore producers. Recently a paper was read before the Eastern States Blast Furnace and Coke Oven Association, by Mr. G. W. Hewitt, Manager Production, Blast Furnace and Coke Oven Department, Wheeling Steel Corporation, in which he explained how his company determines the relative values of different grades of Non-Bessemer ore. This is a very important paper, perhaps not so much on account of the actual calculation methods described as because of the fact that premiums and penalties are shown on Non-Bessemer ores for silica, alumina, phosphorus, and manganese. As pointed out by Mr. Hewitt, the premium and penalty system described may not apply without adjustments to other smelting plants. However, if the various ore

Jan 1, 1941

By Paul D. Merica, R. G. Waltenberg

Although nickel was discovered and isolated as early as 1750 and its valuable properties recognized, many years passed before it was used commercially for wire, sheet, rods, etc., in the pure form. This was due partly to its high cost at that time and partly to the fact that it was not possible to refine and cast nickel into ingots sufficiently malleable to be amenable to the usual forging, rolling, or drawing processes. So remarkable was this fact, and so different from the experience at that time with metals such as copper and iron, that it has left its impress on the nomenclature within the nickel industry. To this day, furnace-cast nickel produced in such a manner as to be suitable for rolling and forging is called malleable nickel to distinguish it from the ordinary pig and shot nickel of commerce. In 1878, the firm of Jos. Wharton, of Philadelphia (which later became The American Nickel Works, a constituent of The International Nickel Co.) exhibited at the Paris Exhibition specimens of rolled pure nickel strip and of drawn nickel wire. About this time, there was considerable activity in the study of the refining of nickel and several methods were described, some of which were patented, for the production of furnace-cast malleable nickel including the use of manganese (Boed-dicker,1 Selve and Lotter2), the use of potassium permanganate (Berns-dorfer Metallwarenfabrik3) and the use of phosphorus (Garnier4). By far the most efficient method was discovered by Th. Fleitmann in 1879;5 it consisted in adding to the molten nickel, just before pouring the castings, from 0.05 to 0.125 per cent. of metallic magnesium. This soon became the recognized final malleableizing treatment for furnace-cast nickel.

Jan 1, 1925

By Allen J. Johnson

With a realization of the rapidly increasing importance of automatic stokers as a medium for domestic heating, the Anthracite Institute Laboratory has conducted extensive investigations, over a period of several years, to determine the various outstanding characteristics of stoker design and performance. The purpose of this paper is to summarize these findings as a guide to current practices. Stokees Investigated One or more models of the underfeed stokers listed below were included in the various phases of this investigation: Beckley Gilkoal Burnwell Iron Fireman Combustioneer Motor Stokor Electric Furnace Man Norristown Super-stoker Erie Heat Generator Whitney Fire Ball (Tests Incomplete.) Fuel Saver Principles of Construction.—The operating principle of the leading makes of underfeed stokers is similar (Fig. 1). A plunger1 or slowly revolving worm2, conveys the buckwheat or rice sizes of anthracite to the center of a specially constructed tuyere pot where air is admitted to the coal through suitable ports of varying design. As the fuel burns, it is slowly forced to the outside circumference of the tuyere by the pressure of the incoming coal; eventually the ash falls over the edge of the pot, either entirely by gravity or aided by mechanical sweepers. In at least one model, the entire firepot revolves. While various special details have been included in the design of a number of stokers, they do not affect the general principles as described above, and therefore have not been included in this discussion.

Jan 1, 1936

By Allen J. Johnson

With a realization of the rapidly increasing importance of automatic stokers as a medium for domestic heating, the Anthracite Institute Laboratory has conducted extensive investigations, over a period of several years, to determine the various outstanding characteristics of stoker design and performance. The purpose of this paper is to summarize these findings as a guide to current practices. Stokees Investigated One or more models of the underfeed stokers listed below were included in the various phases of this investigation: Beckley Gilkoal Burnwell Iron Fireman Combustioneer Motor Stokor Electric Furnace Man Norristown Super-stoker Erie Heat Generator Whitney Fire Ball (Tests Incomplete.) Fuel Saver Principles of Construction.—The operating principle of the leading makes of underfeed stokers is similar (Fig. 1). A plunger1 or slowly revolving worm2, conveys the buckwheat or rice sizes of anthracite to the center of a specially constructed tuyere pot where air is admitted to the coal through suitable ports of varying design. As the fuel burns, it is slowly forced to the outside circumference of the tuyere by the pressure of the incoming coal; eventually the ash falls over the edge of the pot, either entirely by gravity or aided by mechanical sweepers. In at least one model, the entire firepot revolves. While various special details have been included in the design of a number of stokers, they do not affect the general principles as described above, and therefore have not been included in this discussion.

Jan 1, 1936

By T. A. Rickard

The earlier paper (Trans., xx., 463) describing this Victorian mining district, to which the present is supplementary, was mainly confined to the consideration of the "saddle-reefs," as scientifically the most interesting and economically the most important of the

Jan 1, 1893

By E. A. Lucero, H. E. Robbins, T. H. Dudley

EL Salvador mine of Andes Copper Mining Co., E subsidiary of Anaconda Co., is in northern Chile about 18 miles north of Potrerillos, 7825 ft above sea level. Initial production is planned for the first half of 1959. Plant capacity will be 30,000 tpd, and there are 308,835,000 tons of proven ore reserves, averaging 1.49 pct Cu. The Inca adit is being driven as part of the mine-to-mill haulageway. Because of the overburden it is planned to mine the deposit by block caving. Ore will be dropped from upper gathering levels through ore passes to the Inca adit, through which it will be transported out of the mine to the primary crushing plant located a half mile from the portal.

Jan 3, 1958

By D. Geoffry Minnes, Ray Blair, Stanley J. LeFond

Nepheline syenite is a silica deficient crystal-line rock consisting of albite and microcline feldspars and nepheline, together with varying but small amounts of mafic silicates and other accessory minerals. Nepheline-bearing rocks are widely distributed around the world but only in Canada, Norway, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and the United States are deposits worked commercially, Because of its low melting point and fluxing ability, nepheline syenite was investigated in the early 1900s by many students of glass and ceramics. Although the nepheline syenite deposits in Methuen Township, Ont., Canada, were discovered as early as 1897 it wasn't until 1935 that the first mill was erected to produce nepheline syenite products. In Canada, nepheline syenite deposits are worked by Indusmin Ltd. and International Minerals and Chemical Corp. (Canada) Ltd. who have combined production capacity in excess of 1800 stpd. Between 1935 and 1972 seven million tons valued at $78 million were produced from the Methuen Township deposits. In Norway, the Norsk Nefelin Div. of Elkem Spigerverket has produced nepheline syenite from a deposit on Stjernöy Island in western Finland since early 1960. Production has increased from 8 kt in 1961 to over 200 kt in 1980. Nepheline syenite has been under investigation in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) since at least 1928. In 1951 the first commercial alumina works was brought on stream at Volkhov, near Leningrad, utilizing nepheline concentrates from the Kola peninsula as mill feed. Since then two others have been completed and more are planned. Large quantities of portland cement, sodium carbonate, and potassium carbonate are produced in conjunction with the alumina. A material called nepheline syenite, but actually a pulaskite, is produced in Pulaski County, Arkansas, by the McGeorge Construction Co. for construction aggregates and by the 3M Co. for roofing granules. The Dome Fill Co. purchases the fines and uses them in the preparation of enclosed construction fill. Production is over 2,000,000 stpy. Chap. 16 on "Feldspar, Nepheline Syenite, and Aplite" in the 3rd ed. of Industrial Minerals and Rocks (Castle and Gillson, 1960) and Nepheline Syenite Deposits of Southern Ontario (Hewitt, 1960) contain excellent accounts of earlier commercial development of nepheline syenite as a glass and ceramic material. As in the 4th ed., this chapter deals mostly with the period since 1960 and with matters not previously reported in detail. An English monograph on Nepheline-Syenite and Phonolite (Allen et al., 1968) is a complete survey, at the time, of nepheline syenite which, with its very complete list of references, is an excellent source book. End Uses Nepheline syenite from the Canadian and Norwegian producers finds use primarily in the manufacture of glass and ceramics. One producer also makes several grades of nephellne syenite that are useful as extender pigments and fillers in paint, plastics, and rubber. In the Soviet Union nepheline is used in increasing quantities in the manufacture of alumina, alkali carbonates, and portland cement and to a lesser degree it is used in the manufacture of colored container glass.

Jan 1, 1983

By Wm. Reuben Webster

BRASS is an alloy of copper and zinc. The brasses (using this term to denote all useful proportions of the two constituents) are the most valuable and widely employed of all [ ] nonferrous alloys, because of their high resistance to ordinary corrosive agencies and the very wide range of properties that may be imparted to them by variations in the proportions of the constituents and by variations in mechanical treatment and heat-treatment. Fig. I shows the normal physical properties, as determined by standard tensile tests, of the series when in the annealed condition. Fig. 2 shows the effect of varying amounts of cold-working on an almost pure brass containing 70 per cent copper and 30 per cent zinc. Fig. 3 shows the effect of annealing at various temperatures on the same alloy. This effect is somewhat modi [ ] fled by the degree of cold-working to which a brass has been subjected, as shown by Fig. 4. A fourth test, which is empirical, has been found useful because of its simplicity -the hot hammer test. Samples Y2 in. in diameter and ¾ in. long are placed in a suitable furnace. These are withdrawn one at a time at successively higher tempera¬tures and are subjected to the blow of a drop hammer weighing 50 lb. with a drop of 4 ft. The percentages of' reduction in length of the cylinders are plotted against temperatures and give a comparative measure of plasticity at different temperatures. The results of this test on several

Jan 1, 1942

By George S. Rice

A problem of possible subsidence of the surface from mining operations, which might have had disastrous results, arose in 1913 at the Brier Hill mine, of the Penn Iron Mining Co., near Norway, Mich., now managed by Pickands, Mather & Co. for the Bethlehem Steel Co. A double track and sidings of the Chicago & North Western Railroad passed over part of the mine, and if subsidence had reached the surface it might have affected the stability of the tracks. The chief purpose of this paper is to record the facts disclosed by investigations of underground movement from 1913 to 1919, when the tracks were moved, and subsequently at intervals, as engineering data of value from mining carried on below the tracks in the steeply pitching lenses. A secondary purpose of this paper is to describe a novel method for determining the rate of speed of upward breaking above the mine excavations. This method was found effective and might be used elsewhere under similar conditions. The mine workings under consideration were developed from the Brier Hill shaft, which was circular, concrete-lined, 14 ft. in diameter and about 900 ft. deep. They extended about 800 ft. westward from the shaft, and nearly parallel to a corresponding length of the railroad tracks. The highest part of these workings was at a depth of 400 ft. below the tracks (Figs. 1 to 12). The mining company had the right to remove the ore, the railroad assuming that the surface would be supported. Finally, without legal controversy, an amicable adjustment was reached as to what should be done to lessen or obviate the hazard of subsidence. Method oF Mining Before the problem became acute, the mining company, to decrease the possibility of subsidence, had been mining the part of the orebody that lay under the tracks by a room-and-pillar system, back-filling with

Jan 1, 1934

By R. Wachtell

IN order to study better the phenomena at work in various phases of diffusion of the Fe/Si system when compounded and alloyed by powder metallurgy methods, several attacks have been planned. Electrical, hardness and other measurements have been discussed e1sewhere.l,2 The metallographic phenomena will be considered here. Concerning the metallography of the ferrosilicon alloys, some initial discussion is in order. As this laboratory discovered to its chagrin, there are many traps that lie in wait for even the experienced metal-lographer when he deals with alloys of high silicon content. Chief of these is probably the anomalous behavior of these materials under conventional etching techniques. We have before us, for instance, Corson's paper" of 1928, wherein is mentioned and illustrated (probably for the first time) the peculiar "barley shell" structure sometimes found in these alloys. Again in 19412 he same author reports the structure in 5-14 pct silicon irons. Houghton and Becker mention its presence' but make only tentative effort to explain it. In 1943, Hurst and Riley6 discussed the "barley shell" and declared it to be a false structure, resulting from the peculiar and characteristic film-forming propensities of the alloy. At about the same time, Wrazej7 proved correct the contentions of Hurst and Riley, establishing pretty well the mechanisms of formation and identifying the constituents involved. Hurst and Riley6 a1so describe in their paper (1943) a "cracked film" structure, also a pseudo-morph, the precise nature of which they do not suggest. Careful examination of such a film reveals that it not only cracks but begins to curl away from the surface of the metal and peel, much in the manner of flaking paint. The careful microscopist will be able to focus on the topmost edge of the flake, and, by optical sectioning, follow it down to the metal surface. We have been able, by oblique illumination of such specimens, to observe the raised segment of the film, the shadow that it casts, and the mating segment on the metal into which it fits. As late as 1946, Hurst and Riley8 found occasion to correct misinterpretation of this "cracked film" structure in a work by others on a 12 pct Si/Fe alloy. The "barley shell" and "cracked film" pseudo-morphs are not the only ones encountered in studies of these materials. A third pseudomorph, which may, however, have some structural significance is a fine striation of the surface. Closely spaced and parallel striae extend entirely across single grains. Each grain shows a different direction for the striae, and different closeness of the spacing. The regularity of this structure, and the fact that the striae do not cross from one grain to another, suggest that the structure is a film cracking controlled in some way by the crystal plane orientation of the surface being etched. In general it is wise for the metallographer dealing with these alloys to cultivate a feeling of uncertainty not only of the more complex questions of interpretation, but also of the basic question of whether that which he sees is indeed a true representation of the structure. We have taken, as a first test of the validity of a structure, its reproducibility "in situ" after repolishing and re-etching of the samples. Thus we knew the "barley shell" to be false (fig. 1) even before encountering the definitive works on the subject. The Metallography of Silicon Diffusion in Laminate Bars: As a first step in the study of the metallography of the diffusion process, we have pressed a series of laminate bars. These bars, or "sandwiches" as we have termed them, were pressed with covering layers of iron powder, and a "filler" of the Fe/Si master alloy under study. Bar dimensions were approximately %, x 3 x 1/4 in. The total

Jan 1, 1951

By M. E. Wadsworth

The chief value of a paper like this consists in its statistical tables, putting on record material useful to future inquirers. The data here given have been compiled from time to time as far back as 1874, and subsequently brought up to date. Much of the data could only be procured by personal inspection of the catalogues, as for example those relating to the Lawrence Scientific School, which were taken at that time from the catalogue of Harvard University, on file in the University Library, by the present writer, then an instructor in that institution. These tables of statistics were first prepared for publication by the present writer in 1888-1890 and published in his "Report to the Board of Control of the Michigan College of Mines " (Michigan Mining School) for 1886 to 1890. Later they were revised, enlarged and brought down to date in his reports to the same Board for 1890-92; and since that time they have been, at his request, revised, greatly enlarged and kept up to date by Mrs. Frances H. Scott, the efficient Librarian and Secretary of the Michigan College of Mines. Great credit is due to her for her devotion to this work and her untiring efforts to have the statistics complete as far as possible. The accompanying running commentary is given simply as a string to hold these statistics together, and in order to call attention to a few points. In compiling any tables like those accompanying this paper, one is confronted by serious difficulties, some of which render these results only approximate. In order to insure greater correctness and fullness in the statistics to be published the writer's reports for 1890-92 were sent to the president of every college, university, and technical school in the country, so far as known. Accompanying this was a personal letter which asked of each one his aid in correcting any errors, and in giving fuller statistics. But relatively few answers were obtained, and subsequently from one to many letters have been sent to each institution not formerly reply-

Jan 1, 1898

By Franklyn Oatman

IN order that the conditions which obtain in an oil well may be readily understood, a brief description of a typical California well and. a number of the phenomena accompanying same will be given. That the necessity for the exclusion of water be realized, the effects of water intrusion, a description of methods of prevention, and a discussion of causes of failure will be presented, followed by a summary and recommendations. Fig. 1 shows a section of a typical well which illustrates the relation of oil sands to overlying strata. It indicates a deep water sand separated from the oil sand by shale, and the proper place for the final shutting off of water. In this well a comparatively thick stratum of compact shale protected the oil from overlying water so that the operation of landing the water string was a simple matter. In some wells the protecting stratum may be only from 3 to 5 ft. thick and very careful operation is necessary in order to land the water string of casing properly and not puncture through to the oil sand. The cases just cited are common, but occasionally, after excluding overlying water, productive oil sands are drilled through in the expectation of finding more productive underlying sand, and a water-bearing stratum is tapped. In this case the problem is the reverse of the normal; water must be prevented from ascending rather than descending. A discussion of well-drilling methods is not within the scope of this paper, except such operations as pertain to shutting off of water. A brief outline of the several conditions which may accompany drilling follows. Some or all may be present in any particular case. The direct relation of these to prevention of intrusion will he discussed in detail further on. In drilling, the hole. becomes more or less irregular in shape, and rough, and as the casing follows the bit into the well it does not fit snugly against the walls. As a result, water may descend between the casing and walls of the well. If a circulation pump is not used during drilling, the hole is simply punched through and the pulverized material removed from the well by means of a bailer. If circulation is maintained there is a continual flow of water down inside the casing and up around the outside between the pipe and the walls of hole. This keeps an open. space around the pipe.

Jan 3, 1914

By Arne F. Westgren

X-ray analysis and single-crystal study have been utilized in recent years as a new means of following constitutional changes in alloys. If such transformations can be suppressed by rapid cooling, they can be followed at room temperature in a particularly convenient manner. In the following we shall consider changes in solubility and polymorphic transformations with particular reference to phenomena of the age-hardening type. Finally a thermodynamic viewpoint is developed for examining such transformations. Changes in Solubility 1. Determinations of solubility limits in the solid state which show decreasing solubility with falling temperature are made as follows: A series of alloys extending into the heterogeneous region is prepared and quenched fromas high a temperature as possible, whereupon their lattice parameters are determined. Then one or more alloys are quenched from temperatures at which they are heterogeneous and their lattice parameters likwwise determined. For the purpose of determining the parameter the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 has been very useful for it produces sharp films in a short time which can be accurately read. High-order reflections (interferences) from the object are recorded on a film which is placed exactly perpendicular to the X-ray beam. The specimen usually has the shape of a small round bar.l Fig. 2 shows a selection of such exposures of silver-rich Cu-Ag alloys, and Fig. 3 gives the measurements made from these films. Fig. 4 gives the solubility curve which results.2 This curve is shifted to lower concentrations than the curve that is obtained from metallographic or physical methods. The X-ray method unquestionably gives more reliable data

Jan 1, 1931