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By William G. Pariseau

The flexure of geologic strata, a phenomenon of interest to geologists and mining engineers alike, is examined as a sheet bending problem in Coulomb plasticity. Fonnulae for the distribution of stress, strain, and displacement increments; volume change; change in the length of the central surface; and power of dissipation, as well as for the neutral surface shift are given. Strains of any magnitude are considered. The analysis shows that deeply buried strata may bend and develop "tensile" cracks under generally compressive states of stress. It is also shown that bed separation and high capacity props are desirable in mechanized longwall mining, a result in keeping with operating experience. Although speculative at this time, the analysis provides a rational working hypothesis as regards the problem of strata flexure and control. | he purpose of this paper is to present an analysis of the flexure of geologic strata as a problem in the bending of a sheet of material failing in accordance with a Mohr-Coulomb criterion. The flexure of strata has an obvious academic interest to the geologist concerned with the mechanics of folding. It is of interest to the economic geologist as it relates to the structural control of certain types of ore deposits. It has an intimate association with mine subsidence phenomena, and is of concern to the mining engineer. Strata flexure is also the dominant feature of roof behavior about longwall workings. An improved understanding of strata flexure through a rational mechanical analysis thus appears desirable not only from the academic view but from the economic one as well. In the field, the most commonly observed feature of folding, subsidence, and longwall roof behavior is the permanent and therefore inelastic nature of the strata movement. Fig. 1 illustrates the physical disposition of strata in the vicinity of a longwall face. Inasmuch as most rocks (with the possible exception of certain evaporites) do not exhibit significant viscoelastic behavior, at least not over time spans of engineering interest, a plastic analysis is indicated. The analysis is meant to apply to strata whose deformation is dominantly that of bending such as might be expected in the remote roof about a longwall face.

Jan 1, 1970

By J. M. Karpinski, R. O. Tervo

A method and equipment have been developed for measuring the impact strength of grains of brittle materials. It is shown that brittle materials develop a characteristic particle size distribution when fractured by impact. A simple mathematical model has been found to describe this distribution, and one of the parameters of the model has been designated the r value. The r value is directly proportional to impact energy and, for fixed impact energy, it becomes a useful criterion of grain strength. Data are presented on the variation of the r value as a function of sample history, initial size, energy input and number of impacts. The results are interpreted in terms of the flaw theory of brittle fracture. The view is now widely held that brittle materials comprise a strong matrix, throughout which flaws or points of weakness are scattered at random. Failure always starts at one or more of these imperfections, and planes of fracture are established by the geometry of the flaw distribution. This view has been developed extensively by Weibull 1,2 and experiments of a confirmatory nature have been reported.3,4 Thus the process of fracture or size reduction of brittle materials can be regarded as a process of elimination or creation of flaws, and the concept of strength is intimately connected with the size and history of the specimen tested. One consequence of the point of view described above is that brittle materials will fracture to yield similar size distributions, although the impact energy to produce a given amount of fracture may vary greatly from one material to another. Generally speaking, experimental investigations of brittle fracture in solids have been confined to two extreme experimental situations. On one hand, we have tests on single specimens of well-defined, but artificial, geometry and, on the other, empirical data have been obtained on the feed-product relation in a variety of mills. The first situation necessitates specimen preparation, which in the case of brittle materials is equivalent to a priori size reduction, while the second one suffers from the disadvantage that little knowledge is gained about individual fracture events. Also, the statistical significance of single specimen tests may be questioned. Our approach lies somewhere between these two extremes. We test a large population of sized specimens and yet subject each specimen to a single fracture event. In 1956 G.H. Fetterley of Norton Co., Chippawa, Ont., made the empirical observation that product size distributions obtained from impacting sized grits can be described by the following equation where R is the proportion by weight of the grain that remains on a screen having an opening x on a side, x, is a parameter having the dimensions of length, and r is a number. This equation has since been derived on a theoretical basis by Gaudin and Meloy.5 They identify x, with the initial size of the test piece and r with the number of flaws per unit length. As will be shown below, our experiments indicate that both x, and r are functions of energy and hence they should more properly be called the effective initial size and the effective number of flaws respectively. Also, our empirical data give us no basis for assuming that r represents the effective number of flaws per unit length, rather than per unit volume. METHOD AND MATERIALS The impact test machine has been designed to feed specimens, essentially one at a time, into an evacuated chamber, where they fall freely and are struck with random orientation by one or the other of a pair of flat steel vanes. The vanes are mounted at opposite ends of a steel bar, which rotates at a closely controlled angular velocity about a vertical axis. Fig. 1 shows the flat circular vacuum chamber with the cover removed, and the horizontal steel bar with the steel vanes at the ends. The cylindrical pot in which the grains are collected after impact appears at the left. Fig. 2 shows the equipment assembled for a test. The vacuum chamber occupies the central position with the variable speed drive below the table surface, the vacuum pump at the extreme left

Jan 1, 1964

By S. W. Miller

Most of the steel welding done at the present time is in material containing not over 0.3 per cent. carbon, and the tests here described were in similar material. These tests are not as yet completed but it is hoped that more results and more reasons for the conclusions may be presented at the meeting in February. From the time the author found the peculiar structure in electric welds referred to in a previous paper,' that is, needles or plates in the grains and similar material, in larger spots, at the grain boundaries, he has felt that these plates which may be iron nitride and probably contain some carbon, were at least partly responsible for the brittleness of electric welds. He has found but few traces of similar lines in oxyacetylene welds until the last 2 mo., he has since found large numbers under certain conditions. In the top of these welds, they are quite numerous. In the body of heavy oxyacetylene welds, they appear at times, but not nearly to the extent that they do in electric welds; the author has never seen them in the body of welds in material less than % in. (19 mm.) thick. They are shown in Fig. 82. The reason they were not noticed before is undoubtedly due to the fact that in making tests of welded pieces the weld was always ground off level with the plate, and as this structure only appears in the top 1/16 in (1-5 mm.) of the weld, they were removed by the grinding or machining; also, welds 3/4 in. thick had not been examined. It did not appear, in making bending tests, that this structure had much influence on the strength of oxyacetylene welds; while electric welds are noticeably brittle. Further, oxyacetylene welds made with certain special materials were exceedingly brittle even after the tops of the welds were removed; this was true in cases where there was no sign of the plates whatever and where the welds were remarkably free from oxide and the other usual defects. It appeared, therefore, that this brittleness did not depend on any variable that had been noticed so far, and it was decided to find where the rupture occurred in various kinds of welds made

Jan 1, 1920

By R. L. Templin

THE increasing use of aluminum and its alloys in commercial fields has demanded a better understanding of their machining properties. This fact is exemplified by problems that have arisen in the automotive and airplane industries, but many in other fields might be cited. As pure aluminum and its alloys in their various commercial conditions show appreciable differences in their machining properties, it is not surprising that quite divergent solutions have been offered for the machining problems encountered. However, if the fundamental requirements of the most suitable cutting tools for these metals are understood, these machining problems lend themselves more readily to satisfactory solutions. Since the machining of free cutting brass and mild steel is understood by most persons accustomed to working these metals, it may serve our purpose better to first make a general comparison of the tools more commonly used in machining these metals with the tools most suitable for machining aluminum, then proceed to a more specific discussion of the individual stools.

Jan 1, 1927

INTRODUCTION TO PROBABILITY THEORY The mathematical theory of probability provides the foundation for the interpretations and inferences that can be made from statistical techniques. Probability theory is a broad field of study in itself, and can only be touched on here in order to provide the necessary back- ground for a more complete understanding of statistical analysis. Probability is concerned with the outcome of random events. It had its beginnings in the theory of games of chance which were of great interest to European mathematicians during the last half of the 17th century. The outcome of a random process or experiment is defined as an event. The collection of all mathematical points associated with each event is called the sample space for an experiment. Consider a random experiment having a finite number, n, of possible outcomes, some of which have a characteristic A. What is the probability that A will result from a single

Jan 1, 1980

By Calvin Pierson, R. S. Dean, E. P. Barrett

MANY studies have been made of the properties of steel produced by adding varying amounts of sponge iron to the charges used in steelmaking furnaces.1-3 The results of these previous studies, however, have failed to disclose a reason for the belief of steelmakers that steel made in this way is definitely different from steel made entirely from scrap or iron melting stock. This paper deals chiefly with the structure of the sponge iron, of the wrought iron made by welding the sponge iron into blooms, and of the steel made by melting the forged and rolled blooms. It is believed that the structure of the final steel is inherited from the ore and that this inherited structure produces marked differences in the properties of the steel and explains the feeling of steelmakers which is based on their experience. Three kinds of sponge iron were used in this investigation: One made from a limonite ore reduced with natural gas, one made from a hematite ore reduced with natural gas, and one made from a magnetite ore reduced with charcoal. The sponge iron made by reduction with natural gas

Jan 1, 1935

By J. B. Knaebel, M. W. Von Bernewitz

OUTSTANDING FACTORS that have largely induced the current great interest in the reopening of old mines and the search for new deposits are the increased relative value of gold, the certainty of a market for it, and the decreased activity and poor profits in other lines of endeavor. It is easy to understand why a miner out of a job and unable to find any other means of livelihood would naturally take to the hills with his pan, pick, and shovel; but never before have inexperienced, would-be prospectors and placer miners materialized from the factories and farms, the haberdasheries, and the oil and gasoline supply stations, in such numbers as the last couple of years have witnessed, except when rich strikes of the proportions of a Klondike have been made. What, may one ask, has occasioned this condition? Unemployment has put these men in a receptive frame of mind, and newspaper and magazine articles have done the rest-- The Gold Miner of Los Angeles (a new weekly), The Mid- Week Pictorial (New York) for Sept. 3, 1932, and Popular Science Monthly for August, 1932, for instance. Even the Saturday Evening Post had an article on a promising part of Colorado. Stories that good wages may be had for the panning in nearly every western state have been featured by daily papers, popular "scientific" magazines, and quasi- technical journals. These tales have been eagerly grasped by thousands of people whose ignorance of mining has only served to increase their enthusiasm.

Jan 1, 1932

By AIME AIME

IN RESPONSE to a request from the president- elect of the Institution of Civil Engineers of Great Britain, Mr. Calvin W. Rice, secretary of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, prepared a brief history of the joint activities of engineering societies in the United States, from which we have taken the following facts. National Societies Our first joint activities were in collection with the celebration of the eightieth birthday of "Uncle John" Fritz in 1902, and it is of interest to note that two of the members of the original celebration committee, Messrk. . Ambrose Swasey and Jesse Merrick Smith, will be members of the official deputation to England in June. Mr. Rice, also,' was .a member, of the original committee.

Jan 1, 1921

INTRODUCTION Data available on prophyry copper occurrences in the Andean, Caribbean, Appalachian, and Cordilleran orogens may be categorized in a manner to suggest a hypothetical evolution for deposits that occur in the western hemisphere. A classification of de- posits is also suggested. A classification dependent on internal structure of a porphyry copper deposit would lead to two broad categories, breccia pipe and stockwork models. A classification of this type is examined herein but it is not universally accepted in the literature. Modeling based on igneous petrography as well as metasomatism attendant with the sulfide mineralization is more widely accepted by economic geologists whose evaluation of porphyry systems is influenced by the presence or absence of a phyllic zone. Lowell and Guilbert model deposits ordinarily include a phyllic zone, whereas those of the diorite model do not. Position of the phyllic zone in the alteration sequence is a significant ore guide. Should the phyllic zone be absent, dependence on alteration zoning to identify metallization is weakened. Presence or absence of the phyllic zone therefore is a significant parameter in the economic evaluation of a porphyry copper deposit (Hollister. et al., 1975). The Lowell and Guilbert (1970) model commonly includes a phyllic zone in quartz- bearing rocks. Parameters of both calc-alkalic and the quartz monzonite models mentioned elsewhere in this volume are sufficiently close to the Lowell and Guilbert (1970) model that it should be expanded to encompass them. The diorite model remains separate and distinct because deposits of this type are characterized by an absence of quartz in the pluton, commonly highly gold: copper ratios, low molybdenum content, and regular absence of sericite in the alteration zones. Therefore, for the benefit of those

Jan 1, 1978

By J. D. Grace

Screening by centrifugal force is a unique subject, for all vibrating screens, with but one exception, depend on gravity alone to pass material through a sizing mesh or screen cloth. Centrifugal screening is one of the greatest advancements made in screening since the development of vibrating screens. It makes possible sizing in a range previously im-practical by mechanical methods. The centrifugal screen is specially designed for fine sizing from No. 4 separations to finer than No. 100 separations. Centrifugal force provides a positive control of factors that make fine particle separation practical and effective as opposed to gravity which is a fixed force acting only in a fixed direction, The centrifugal screen provides a control of the force of material against the screening surface, and also controls the distance of departure of the material from the surface and its rate of return. The centrifugal screen has a rotating drum that becomes a natural fan blowing air outward through the material being screened and carrying float dust and fines through the apertures with it. Screening by centrifugal force is an unique subject, for with the exception of only one vibrating screen presently on the market, all vibrating screens depend upon gravity to pass material through a sizing mesh or screen cloth. This one screen that sizes by centrifugal force and utilizes gravity only to convey material along the screen, is the Symons V-Screen. The requirements of the industrial minerals industry to meet ever-increasing stringent fine sizing specifications by a practical mechanical method accentuates the weakness of gravity, a fixed force acting in a fixed direction, as a prime force for fine sizing. It was apparent a force other than gravity was needed. This led to the development of a centrifugal screen to meet modern demands for practical fine sizing operations. Gyratory-type screens in use today were originally designed in a day when a 1/4-in. separation was normally considered fine sizing and 1/8-in. separations were extremely fine sizing. Although gyratory-type screens are sometimes used for separating below 1/8-in., they are not practical screens for this purpose. They were not designed to do this type of work. A growing demand for a practical means of making positive mechanical separations in a range of from 1/8 in. downward led to the development of the vibrating screen. These screens utilize higher speeds and lower amplitudes of vibration than

Jan 1, 1967

APPROXIMATELY 90 per cent of the steel that is melted and refined in the United States and poured into ingots is made in basic open-hearth furnaces, as shown in Table 1-1. The annual ingot capacity of the steel industry reported January 1, 1950, by the American Iron and Steel Institute3* was 99,040,160 tons, of which the basic open-hearth process accounted for 85,896,580 tons, 86.7 per cent of the .total. The capacity of the individual furnaces varies over a wide range, a large majority falling within limits of 50 to 200 tons (Fig 1-1). Most of the units constructed [ ] since 1942 are in the larger size groups, between 175 and 225 tons capacity.

Jan 1, 1964

By C. C. Wright, T. S. Spicer, R. G. Bowman

In recent years considerable publicity has been given to the problem of atmospheric pollution by fuel-burning equipment. Legislation has been stimulated and smoke ordinances have been enacted, the provisions of which show a definite trend toward stricter control of the emissions not only from the stacks of industrial fuel users but also from the chimneys of domestic consumers. As a result of war conditions, some slackening in the enforcement of these ordinances may be noted, but this is only a temporary expediency caused by the changes necessary in the distribution of the nation's fuel supplies and difficulties in securing the necessary equipment. Previous trends may be expected to continue in the postwar period. Largely because of the consumer demand for automatic heat, but partly because of the legislation against smoke emission, there has been a marked increase in the use of domestic underfeed stokers with the past decade. When correctly adjusted and operated, these units reduce the smoke emission materially, so that even the high-volatile bituminous coals may be burned with little or no emission of objectionable smoke. Unfortunately, however, the use of the domestic underfeed stoker introduces another problem; namely, fly-ash. Production of Fly-ash The term "fly-ash" is a misnomer, since the fly material is generally a mixture of small carbonaceous particles varying from green coal to coke, and inorganic particles ranging from fluffy ash to small particles of fused clinker. For want of a more comprehensive name, however, the term fly-ash is used throughout this paper to include all the fly material. Even with hand-fired furnaces a certain amount of fly-ash is produced, which necessitates periodic cleaning of the boiler flues or furnace radiator, the smoke pipe, and occasionally the chimney itself. With stoker operations the amount of fly-ash is increased many fold, because of the higher velocity of air travel through the fuel bed. Frequently the amount of this fly-ash attains such proportions as to constitute a definite nuisance to the householder and his neighbors and distracts very materially from the otherwise automatic or semi-automatic performance of the stoker. Virtually all the boilers and hot-air

Jan 1, 1944

By T. S. Spicer, C. C. Wright, R. G. Bowman

In recent years considerable publicity has been given to the problem of atmospheric pollution by fuel-burning equipment. Legislation has been stimulated and smoke ordinances have been enacted, the provisions of which show a definite trend toward stricter control of the emissions not only from the stacks of industrial fuel users but also from the chimneys of domestic consumers. As a result of war conditions, some slackening in the enforcement of these ordinances may be noted, but this is only a temporary expediency caused by the changes necessary in the distribution of the nation's fuel supplies and difficulties in securing the necessary equipment. Previous trends may be expected to continue in the postwar period. Largely because of the consumer demand for automatic heat, but partly because of the legislation against smoke emission, there has been a marked increase in the use of domestic underfeed stokers with the past decade. When correctly adjusted and operated, these units reduce the smoke emission materially, so that even the high-volatile bituminous coals may be burned with little or no emission of objectionable smoke. Unfortunately, however, the use of the domestic underfeed stoker introduces another problem; namely, fly-ash. Production of Fly-ash The term "fly-ash" is a misnomer, since the fly material is generally a mixture of small carbonaceous particles varying from green coal to coke, and inorganic particles ranging from fluffy ash to small particles of fused clinker. For want of a more comprehensive name, however, the term fly-ash is used throughout this paper to include all the fly material. Even with hand-fired furnaces a certain amount of fly-ash is produced, which necessitates periodic cleaning of the boiler flues or furnace radiator, the smoke pipe, and occasionally the chimney itself. With stoker operations the amount of fly-ash is increased many fold, because of the higher velocity of air travel through the fuel bed. Frequently the amount of this fly-ash attains such proportions as to constitute a definite nuisance to the householder and his neighbors and distracts very materially from the otherwise automatic or semi-automatic performance of the stoker. Virtually all the boilers and hot-air

Jan 1, 1944

By Chester A. Rowland

INTRODUCTION Comminution is generally a feed preparation step for subsequent processing stages; exceptions being when a final product such as aggregates, specification sand, Portland Cement, and similar products is produced. Grinding, the fine product phase of comminution, requires a large capital investment and frequently is the area of maximum usage of power and wear resistant materials. Grinding is most frequently done in rotating drums utilizing loose grinding media, lifted by the rotation of the drum, to break the ores in various combinations of impact, attrition and abrasion to produce the specified product. Grinding media can be the ore itself (autogenous grinding -- primary and secondary), natural or manufactured non-metallic media (pebble milling) or manufactured metallic media -- steel rods, steel or iron balls. This chapter will discuss general mill design and the specific design and application of the following types of tumbling grinding mills. [Overflow Rod Mills Figure 1 Peripheral Discharge Rod Mills Figures 2 and 3 Compartment Mills Rod and Ball Figure 6 Ball Figure 6a Pebble Mill Figure 6b Overflow Ball Mills Figure 8 Diaphragm (Grate Discharge) Ball Mills Figure 9] I. GENERAL MILL DESIGN A. Liners The interior surface of grinding mills exposed to grinding media and/or the material being ground are protected from wear and corrosion by rubber, metallic, a combination of rubber and metallic, or non-metallic wear resistant materials. B. Drives Economics at the time of plant design and mill purchase determine the drive to be used. The simplest drive is the low speed synchronous motor with speeds in the range of 150 to 250 RPM connected to the mill pinion-shaft by either an air clutch or flexible coupling.

Jan 1, 1982

By Henry Rawdon

THE METHOD of demonstrating the structure existing in a metal or alloy at high temperatures, by etching a polished sample after it has been heated to the desired temperature, is quite familiar to metallographists. The usual procedure1,2 is to heat the specimen, previously polished for microscopic examination, to the desired temperature, in a neutral atmosphere (hydrogen or nitrogen), then admit the etching gas. (chlorine, hydrochloric acid or similar gas) for. a few seconds, and finally, after flushing out the etching gas with the neutral one, cool the specimen in the neutral atmosphere. The pattern produced by etching at a definite temperature is usually taken as a record of the microstructure prevailing at that temperature. It has frequently been pointed out that changes in composition of the surface metal occur during the preliminary heating in the neutral atmosphere, so that the appearance produced' by the etching at high temperature may not exactly represent the condition of the interior of the specimen. To overcome this uncertainty, the heating has sometimes been done in vacuo,3 the etching gas being ad-mitted when the desired temperature was reached, then pumped out and the specimen cooled in vacuo.

Jan 2, 1920

By G. W. Preckshot, N. G. DeLisle, C. E. Cottrell, D. L. Katz

MOST crude oils contain asphaltic substances that may be naturally or artificially precipitated. In the Greeley field, California, this asphaltic bitumen is precipitated during the flow of the oil from the reservoir to the stock tank. The mechanism of such precipitation is not well understood. This paper presents the progress that has been made by using the electron microscope as a new tool and by observing the effects of the streaming potential on the formation of bitumen particles. Crude oils at atmospheric pressure viewed in the electron microscope in very thin films under a vacuum showed no asphaltic particles. A technique of preparing slides of thin films by dilution of the oil with benzene and washing in petroleum ether was used at first, and these observations showed that the solvents caused the formation of the particles, varying from 0.01 to 0.2 micron in diameter. The electrical effects of fluids flowing through porous solid were studied, with emphasis on the formation of colloidal particles by the streaming potential. The streaming potential of crude oil flowing through sand was measured and was shown to be responsible for the formation of bitumen particles. These results bring out a new phenomenon, which may occur when crude oil flows through the porous oil reservoir.

Jan 1, 1942

By I. N. Zavarine

AUSTENITE is often defined as a solid solution of carbon or carbide in a nonmagnetic form of iron. Conversely, magnetic measurements are often used by investigators for the purpose of detecting the degree of austenite decomposition after an iron alloy has been subjected to certain thermal or mechanical treatments. Association of the magnetic state with the gamma-phase decomposition is often extended to the alloys of iron with elements other than carbon. Definition of austenite as a nonmagnetic solid solution cannot be accepted in the light of available information without certain reservations. The relation of magnetic transformations with the gamma-phase decomposition in the complex alloys of iron has never been rigorously proved. The present investigation deals primarily with the magnetic trans-formation that occurs in carbon steels during the quenching process. The work was further limited to a study of magnetic transformation in carbon steels quenched at such rates as are necessary to retain the product of austenite decomposition in a martensitic state.

Jan 1, 1934

E. P. Pfleider, University of Minnesota I would like to ask Bob Merrill whether he considers that horizontal concave curvature of a slope has any stabilizing effect, such as Jenike 1 suggested several years ago. R. H. Merrill, U. S. Bureau of Mines, Denver Federal Center The stabilizing effect is due to the restraint offered to radial movement by the curvature. We found in laboratory tests that if we constrained the rock with the same stresses as those measured in the pit then it would sustain a maximum stress about two or four times greater than when the same rock type was unconstrained. We are therefore definitely of the opinion that a constrained situation in a slope is favorable towards stability. G. A. Leonards, Purdue University I was interested in Mr. Lane's observations concerning the correspondence between rate of slide movement with rise of reservoir. Perhaps the most interesting feature is that the rate of movement at the time the rock slope failed was less than the rate at an earlier time when it did not fail. This is difficult to explain from current slope stability theory. K. S. Lane, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers I believe that reduced rate of movement is the result of the progressive type of failure, such as described by Patton and Deere. which occurs along the sliding surfaces. It is difficult to analytically define the progressive failure condition for inclusion in slope stability conditions, but its existence should be recognized in design. We should also realize that many apparently stable slopes undoubtedly contain overstressed regions. To design a slope with no overstressed region would be uneconomical and conservative. D. H. Deere I would pose the question-"What is the meaning of a factor of safety of one?" We were involved in the design of a large, irregularly shaped, underground cavity with an unsupported span of several hundreds of feet. Tests on rock specimens indicated a strength of 1300 lb per sq in. The RQD would have been between 90 to 100 percent indicating excellent structural continuity. In-situ stress determinations indicated an approximately hydrostatic state of stress at a level of 1400 lb per sq in. Calculation of stress concentrations at the walls indicated that the stresses there would be about 3000 to 4000 lb per sq in. Admittedly the rock is in a confined condition everywhere except at the very skin of the wall and the rock walls would thus on the average be somewhat stronger. Allowing for the effect of restraint the factor of safety was found to be less than 0.5 over a region several feet into the wall. Construction was started, using rockbolts only to support the walls. Failure around the immediate skin occurred after each

Jan 1, 1967

(Members are urged to send in for this column, any notes. of interest concerning themselves or their fellow-members.) The following members registered at Institute headquarters during the month of May: Emil Gathmann, Baltimore, Md. Philip Argall, Denver, Colo. Albert H. Fay, Washington, D. C. A. C. Hodge, F.R.G.S., St. Austell, Eng. Alfred E. Barlow, Montreal, Canada. S. M. Marshall, Johnstown, Pa. B. C. Yates, Lead, S. D. Miltiades Armas, Paris, France. Leonard S. Austin, Salt Lake City. Albert Sauveur, Cambridge, Mass. Henry A. Wentworth, Boston, Mass. G. A. Reinhardt, Cambridge, Mass. Frank M. Leland, Mackay, Idaho. Fred Crabtree, Pittsburg, Pa. W. N. Crafts, Cleveland, Ohio. T. A. Rickard, London, England. Louis Hasbrouck, Kingston, N. Y. F. Lynwood Garrison, Philadelphia, Pa. F. V. Desloge, Desloge, Mo. S. B. Christy, Berkeley, Cal. E. C. Templeton, Palo Alto, Cal. H. A. Buehler, Rolla, Mo. L. D. Ricketts, Warren, Ariz. F. W. DeWolf, Urbana, Ill. J. E. Johnson, Jr., Ashland, Wis. Howland Bancroft, Denver, Colo. A. O. Granger, Cartersyille, Ga.

Jan 6, 1913

By K. C. Ten Brink, Allen D. Garrison

A rrevious paper1 reviewed some of the properties of clays and shales and presented some data on the nature of the gelling phenomenon. It included a brief discussion of origin of clays and shales, their composition, structure, retention of water, ionization, base exchange, and the nature of the gelling of water suspensions. Other publications of the Institute2-8 have discussed the properties of clays and their relations to drilling-fluid behavior and control. It is the purpose of this article to present some new data obtained and arranged in a different manner and making possible a better understanding of the chemical reactions involved in the control of drilling-fluid characteristics during the normal drilling operations. Experimental Procedure The difficulties involved in the measurements of the flow characteristics of plastic fluids are too familiar to recite. The possible applications of some of the well-known instruments to this problem have been adequately discussed by Hobson9 and he has given an excellent bibliography. Although there are many viscosimeters of varied design, none of them appear to fulfill the most obvious demands of accuracy in the measurement of clay or shale suspensions. Since the fluid characteristics are dependent on the rate of flow of the fluid, and the viscosity usually falls off very rapidly as the rate is increased, it is clear that the first requirement is that the instrument shall be capable of a wide variety of speeds. The viscosity of the fluid at any fixed and constant rate of flow is also a function of time, so that the second demand is that the instrument shall be capable of a constant and continuous motion for a prolonged period of time.

Jan 1, 1940