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By Philip B. Bucky

WITH the exhaustion of the sections of iron ore bodies amenable to opencut mining the iron ore miners raise the question: "How can we mine the extensions of these ore bodies in depth with the same costs as obtained in opencut work?" This question brings to the fore the relationship between mineral exploration and research on mining procedures. The iron miners must either find new de? posits amenable to their known methods of mining or develop new mining methods for deep deposits. It is understood that the oil companies will spend $30,000,000 next year in the search for new oil fields. How much the metal mining companies will spend in the search for new ore bodies is unknown, but without doubt the amount will run into several millions of dollars. If the mining companies that concern themselves with metals, nonmetallics, and fuels will set aside a substantial sum for fundamental and applied research in mining methods, they can not only lower their costs but increase their reserves thereby. Any increases in mining efficiency automatically result in increased ore reserves at no cost.

Jan 1, 1947

The problem of surface support in coal mining is naturally divided into three branches: 1. Surface covered with improvements of such value as compared with the value of the underlying coal, or with such elements of danger to mining, that absolute support is essential. 2. Surface with improvements of less value than the underlying coal such that moderate settlement may be permitted, but destructive settlement must be avoided, either by reason of danger to human life or unwarranted property damage. 3. Surface of relatively small value as compared with the underlying coal where destructive settlement may be permitted. First Problem In the first case it is evident that the original support must be maintained either (a) by leaving ample pillars and confining the coal recovery to a very conservative first mining, (b) by so supporting less conservative first mining by filling or flushing that the gradual deterioration of the pillars may be prevented and subsidence avoided, or (c) by incompressible support as masonry either as an adjunct to insufficient pillars or in place of the original coal support. a. From tests made by the Scranton Engineers Club, it appears safe to figure on 2000 Ib. per sq, in. as the safe squeezing strength of coal pillars in place, provided that these are, as usual, not higher than their least horizontal dimension; and from this figure the percentage of pillar to be left for various depths may be easily calculated. For safety in this

Jan 1, 1930

The Library of the above-named Societies is open from 9 A.M. to 10 P.M., except on holidays. It contains about 70,000 volumes and 90,000 pamphlets, including sets of technical periodicals and the publications of scientific and technical societies. Members of the Institute, with few exceptions, are forced to spend a portion of their time in localities isolated from sources of information. To these the Library, through its Library Service Bureau, can render valuable service through correspondence; letters requesting information will receive especial attention. The Library is prepared to furnish references and photographic copies of articles on mining and metallurgical subjects; to determine the existence of mining maps, and to furnish general information on the geology and mineral resources of all countries. All communications should be made as definite as possible so that the information received may be what is desired and not include collateral matter which may not be of interest. The time spent in searching for such collateral matter will be saved, and the information will be sent more promptly and in more usable shape.

Jan 7, 1917

By Blandford C. Burgess

Mica is an orchid among minerals. It is formed in pegmatites, one of the most bizarre of igneous formations, and is exceeded by few other minerals in the perfection it may attain as to size, color, and cleavage. First used for window glazing, as an ornament and article of trade, it has become one of the most essential insulators of electricity, heat, and shock. Most internal combustion engines use mica condensers or capacitors and such machines of war as planes, tanks, and submarines are immobile without it. The original manuscript of this guide was written in April 1943 at the peak of war emergency. It was not used be- cause shortly thereafter a decision was made to buy on a one price basis eliminating differentials for both quality and size. This is now presented with the thought that from the standpoint of preparedness we can only consider an- other war imminent and every effort should he made to set up in usable form the experience gained during the Second World War. Colonial Mica Corp. was set up by Metals Reserve Co. as a wholly owned government agency to encourage production of domestic mica and to purchase it. It soon became the exclusive buying agency for such mica. The writer as Southern Manager called on all the private agencies buying mica to assist in formulating buying policies, methods, and prices.

Jan 1, 1949

By Lord Marley

ACTIVE participation by the United States in the war acted as a stimulant on the Annual Institute Meeting in New York rather than a retardant as feared. Attendance was about 10 per cent under the all-time high reached last year, but considering the number of men who could not possibly come because of active military service and the additional number who are devoting their whole time and effort to turning out vital war materials, the registration was really greater than might have been expected. But all in all the Institute put on a show that taxed the capacity of the Engineering Societies Building as well as the capacity of the visitors to find time to attend everything that promised to be of interest.

Jan 1, 1942

By B. J. Nelson, F. N. Rhinos

Studies upon the rates of oxidation of copper alloys containing small quantities of the alloying elementsl,2 have shown that steady growth of the scales at predictable rates is limited to a small concentration range and to oxidation at temperatures above 600°C., whereas unpredictable and erratic oxidation behavior is found with alloys containing larger additions and at low temperatures. The latter effect appears to be associated with modifications in the geometric disposition of the oxides. At low concentrations of the baser elements in copper, simple oxidation behavior is typified by the formation of two distinguishable zones of oxidation: (I) a subscale composed of discrete particles of the oxide of the alloying element embedded in substantially pure copper and (2) an external scale composed of cuprous oxide (with a very thin layer of cupric oxide on the outside) containing particles of the alloying element distributed throughout, but most profusely near the metal surface (see Fig. 2, top). Where this type of structure obtains, the process of oxidation is believed to be implemented, and its rate controlled, by the diffusion of the reacting elements through a' continuous matrix phase; i.e., through the alpha (metallic) phase of the subscale and alloy and through the cuprous oxide of the external scale. Copper is presumed to diffuse outward through the cuprous oxide layer to the external surface, where it reacts to form more cuprous oxide.3 Oxygen is delivered at the oxide-metal interface in the form of cuprous oxide, which may either react with the alloying element to deposit its oxide at the inner limit of the external scale or dissolve in the pure copper that remains at the surface of the metal after it has become depleted in its oxidiza-ble alloying elements. Both oxygen and the alloying element are pictured as diffusing through the metal, the oxygen inward and the alloying element outward. Where the two diffusion streams meet in sufficient concentration the oxide of the subscale is precipitated. If the oxygen pressure in the surrounding atmosphere is just below the pressure necessary to maintain cuprous oxide undecomposed, no cuprous oxide can be formed; some of the oxide of the alloying element may form upon the external surface, if its decomposition pressure is below that of cuprous oxide, and a normal sub-scale appears. This condition is achieved experimentally by enclosing the alloy with cuprous oxide together with an excess of copper. At temperatures from 600°C. downward, the precipitated oxides tend to accumulate at the grain boundaries of the alpha phase where a relatively small volume establishes a partial barrier to the diffusion of the reactants- Similarly, large volumes of Precipitated oxides tend to deposit in various patterns that may be expected to

Jan 1, 1944

By F. N. Rhinos, B. J. Nelson

Studies upon the rates of oxidation of copper alloys containing small quantities of the alloying elementsl,2 have shown that steady growth of the scales at predictable rates is limited to a small concentration range and to oxidation at temperatures above 600°C., whereas unpredictable and erratic oxidation behavior is found with alloys containing larger additions and at low temperatures. The latter effect appears to be associated with modifications in the geometric disposition of the oxides. At low concentrations of the baser elements in copper, simple oxidation behavior is typified by the formation of two distinguishable zones of oxidation: (I) a subscale composed of discrete particles of the oxide of the alloying element embedded in substantially pure copper and (2) an external scale composed of cuprous oxide (with a very thin layer of cupric oxide on the outside) containing particles of the alloying element distributed throughout, but most profusely near the metal surface (see Fig. 2, top). Where this type of structure obtains, the process of oxidation is believed to be implemented, and its rate controlled, by the diffusion of the reacting elements through a' continuous matrix phase; i.e., through the alpha (metallic) phase of the subscale and alloy and through the cuprous oxide of the external scale. Copper is presumed to diffuse outward through the cuprous oxide layer to the external surface, where it reacts to form more cuprous oxide.3 Oxygen is delivered at the oxide-metal interface in the form of cuprous oxide, which may either react with the alloying element to deposit its oxide at the inner limit of the external scale or dissolve in the pure copper that remains at the surface of the metal after it has become depleted in its oxidiza-ble alloying elements. Both oxygen and the alloying element are pictured as diffusing through the metal, the oxygen inward and the alloying element outward. Where the two diffusion streams meet in sufficient concentration the oxide of the subscale is precipitated. If the oxygen pressure in the surrounding atmosphere is just below the pressure necessary to maintain cuprous oxide undecomposed, no cuprous oxide can be formed; some of the oxide of the alloying element may form upon the external surface, if its decomposition pressure is below that of cuprous oxide, and a normal sub-scale appears. This condition is achieved experimentally by enclosing the alloy with cuprous oxide together with an excess of copper. At temperatures from 600°C. downward, the precipitated oxides tend to accumulate at the grain boundaries of the alpha phase where a relatively small volume establishes a partial barrier to the diffusion of the reactants- Similarly, large volumes of Precipitated oxides tend to deposit in various patterns that may be expected to

Jan 1, 1944

By A. L., Bailey

All who are even generally aware of the tremendous rate of increase in coal washing operations must realize the growing importance of the float-and-sink test. I believe it is conservative to estimate that, in the past decade, the dollar volume of float-and-sink testing has increased tenfold. It is a simple matter of economy, then, to examine the factors that determine the cost of adequate float-and-sink testing. When the Coal Preparation Section of the Bureau of Mines entered upon a greatly expanded program of such work in connection with the synthetic liquid fuels investigations, it seemed advisable to examine these factors experimentally. The principal consideration that differentiates float-and-sink test sampling from general purpose sampling, is that the original particle size must be preserved. Therefore, the total cost of the test will be directly affected by any standard that might be proposed to limit sample bulk reduction at any given particle size. For this reason, the relationship of sample size to variability of results was the first factor to be studied experimentally.

Jan 1, 1949

By Harold Vance

The Lafitte field, the largest oil reserve in South Louisiana, is in Jefferson Parish, some 25 miles due south of the City of New Orleans. The discovery well, The Texas Company's No. I, Louisiana Land and Exploration Co., in the southeast corner of sec. 19, T. 17 S., R. 24 E., was completed on May 15, 1935. The initial production of this well was 960 bbl. of 34.9º A.P.I, gravity oil per day, through 1/4-in. choke, with a tubing pressure of 1600 lb. per sq. in. Producing depth was 9558 to 9572 ft., the total depth being 9572 feet. The development of the field has been at the rate of three to eight new producing wells per year. Up to Jan. I, 1944, 60 producing wells and three dry holes had been drilled, while two of the original producing wells had been abandoned, Although the field is not unitized, The Texas Company was the sole operator in the field until the Lafitte Oil Co. completed its NO. I Jefferson Parish, near the center of the west line of the NW/4 sec. 20, T. I7 S., R. 24 E., on July 27, 1941. No additional wells have been drilled by the Lafitte Oil Company. Drilling and WeLl-completion Practices All drilling operations have been conducted with the steam-driven rotary equipment mounted on submersible barges. A canal is dug to the well location and the drilling unit is floated into position. The seacocks are then opened and the barge settles to the bottom. After the well is completed, seacocks are closed and water is pumped out of the barge. This procedure permits the barge, with drilling equipment still in place, to be floated and moved off the location. The conventional open-hole and the gun-perforation method of completing wells has been used in this field. Where possible, the initial completion is from the deepest 'sand and recompletions are made progressively up the hole, by plugging back with cement to the upper sand and gun-perforating opposite the new sand. The oil string usually is 7 5/8 in., 26 to 34-lb. casing. Three wells have been completed using 9 5/8-in. 44-lb casing set below 10.000 feet. Fig. I shows the completion and recom-pletion practices on one well in the field. This figure also shows the relative locations of the different producing sands as shown on the electric well log. Structure The structure is an elongated dome, cut by two north-south faults, which divides the field into three segments. The west segment is the highest structurally and contains most of the recoverable oil and gas. The center segment is less important and the east segment is of little value. Figs. 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 are depth contour maps on top of the five main producing sands in the field. These maps show the relative size of the five reservoirs and the

Jan 1, 1945

By W. T. Isbell

Although the pressure to meet the heavy demand for lead still took precedence over new metallurgical developments in the field of roasting, smelting, and refining of lead in 1948 there nevertheless has been considerable activity in the experimental development of new processes and improvements as well as plans for the modernization of many plants both here and abroad. Increasing labor and material costs have stimulated the trend to greater mechanization, revamping of flow sheets, and construction of larger units wherever possible. Although there have been many serious labor stoppages in the United States, Mexico, and Europe, labor supply has improved in most plants even if it has fallen off in efficiency.

Jan 1, 1949

By Walter McKee

WHEN mixed with common cast steel in quantities ranging from 11 to 13 ½ per cent. and properly treated, manganese increases the ductility of the metal and adds greatly to its toughness and resistance to abrasive action, which properties comprise the distinctive characteristics that make manganese steel so valuable for many purposes at the present time. Manganese steel has been manufactured for about 26 years. .It was first made in a small way in England and subsequently produced in the United States in 1892. At present the manganese-steel foundries of this country have an annual capacity of about 60,000 tons and most of the growth has occurred within the past 10 years. In the early days of the industry it was impracticable to make manganese castings weighing over a few thousand pounds, but at present crusher heads, rolling-mill pinions, and similar castings weighing up to 30,000 lb. each are produced, and it does not appear that the limit of weight has been reached by a considerable margin. Manganese steel is similar in analysis to ordinary first-class converter metal except that it is high in carbon and contains from 11 to 13 ½ per cent. of manganese. From one standpoint manganese steel is similar to malleable iron in that the casting as it comes out of the sand is hard and brittle and must be made ductile by a heat-treating process. The heat treatment is an essential part of the process of making manganese-steel castings and must be properly carried out to secure satisfactory results. The necessity for heat treatment limits the thickness of sections which may be made of manganese steel. Originally the annealing depth was comparatively small, but researches carried on during the past few years have resulted in an increase in the thickness of section up to 5 ½ in., which it is possible to treat successfully. Large castings are cored out to a minimum thickness of 5 ½ in., thus not only eliminating some of the internal stresses which are invariably set up in a very thick casting, but also reducing the weight and inertia of the piece, an

Jan 12, 1915

By AIME AIME

BUFFALO, Queen City of the Lakes, singularly accessible by land, water and air, will be the mecca for metallurgists throughout the United States and Canada during the week of the National Metal Congress, Oct. 3 to 7. Headquarters during the National Metal Congress will be the Hotel Statler and there on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 5 and 6, the Institute of Metals and Iron and Steel Divisions, A.I.M.E., will hold a series of technical sessions, the annual Science Lecture, a dinner and executive committee meetings. The American Society for Steel Treating, American Welding Society, Production Division of the Society of Automotive Engineers, the Iron and Steel and Machine Shop Practice Divisions of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Wire Association and the American Drop Forging Institute will present a carefully planned program extending throughout the week.\

Jan 1, 1932

By Maurice L. Pinel, Thomas T. Read, Thomas A. Wright

THE erroneous, but until recently widely prevalent, belief that iron castings were first made in Europe in the fourteenth century has been adequately refuted in a number of earlier papers;1,11,12 but except for an unpublished metallographic study by the late William Campbell, and a phosphorus analysis by T. A. Wright of the metal of the Han dynasty cast-iron stove described by Laufer,2 nothing was known of either the chemical composition or the metallographic structure of the metal of any ancient iron casting, although data on castings of recent manufacture are abundantly available. The metal of the stove, which had been buried in a grave for at least 15 centuries, was so corroded that it seemed inadvisable to publish the results on it until more and better specimens from other ancient castings could be obtained. During a journey through China, extending from Peking in the north to Canton in the south and Cheng-tu, Ssu-chuan, in the west, in the late summer and autumn of 1936, one of us (T. T. Read) was fortunate enough to obtain, and bring home for study, nine castings, all more than 1000 years old, of which the date of manufacture is precisely known because of inscriptions cast in them, another that lacks a dated inscription, but of which the date, as explained below, can be otherwise established, and a specimen from the largest iron casting ever made," which is also dated. The period covered by this suite of specimens extends from 502 to 1093 A.D. In addition, a sample was obtained from a casting of date unknown, but which was certainly cast before 1000 A.D. and possibly as early as the third century A.D. A detailed description of these specimens is as follows: 1. 502 A.D. A pair (right and left) of recumbent lions (Fig. 1). Base 7 ¼ by 14 3/8 in., height over-all 5 ½ in., weight 26 lb. each. The translation of the inscription on the base is: "Made on the twenty-fourth day of the seventh month of the third year of Ching Ming of Great Wei" (Sept. 11, 502 A.D.).

Jan 1, 1938

By George S. Rice

STUDIES of ground movement and subsidence caused by mining necessarily chiefly deal with causes and effects of making extensive excavations underground with spans beyond the strength of the un- supported or temporarily timbered roof or hanging wall. Perhaps no other phase of engineering is so de- pendent for results upon the assemblage of what may be called "experience data." That this is the case is cot surprising when one considers the number of variables involved in any at- tempted mathematical formula to determine the angle of draw or the angle of permanent slope of the rocks in any particular case. It is not like dealing with construction materials in which, through testing of. small specimens, in conjunction with the tests of large built- up specimens, relative stresses and strains may be deter- mined and formulas closely approximated for still larger constructions.

Jan 1, 1931

By Theodore Swann

DURING recent years, there has been a material increase in the use of ferrophosphorus in the steel industry. It has been observed, when rolling sheets, that those made of Southern iron did not have to be rolled at as high a temperature as the others and, consequently, did not stick together. The reason was found to be the phosphorus content of Southern iron. It was therefore thought that an addition of phosphorus to sheet steel of other than Southern origin would give the same result as the use of Southern iron. At first, this addition was made by intro¬ducing phosphate rock in the blast furnace and reducing it together with the iron ore; but, because of the necessity for only small quantities of this grade of iron, the process was not satisfactory. The manufacture of ferrophosphorus was then introduced, so that additions might be made to the open-hearth furnace or ladle. Ferrophosphorus was first manufactured in the blast furnace. This method, however, can only economically produce a grade of product up to about 20 per cent. To produce a higher grade, it would be necessary to charge a larger proportion of phosphate-bearing material; and as the rate of absorption by the iron is low, there would be an increased loss of phosphorus oxides. This feature makes the production of a higher grade ferrophosphorus in the blast furnace uneconomical. The use of high-grade ferrophosphorus in the steel requires a smaller addition and involves, besides the economies in handling, an additional economy in transportation. The alloy with a higher percentage than 20 per cent. can be made only in the electric furnace. In the ordinary operation of the electric furnace in the production of ferrophosphorus, an alloy may be produced containing 26 per cent. phosphorus; this is the limit, for it does not seem possible to produce a higher phosphorus alloy even if large excesses of phosphatic materials are used. The reasons for the difficulty in raising this percentage of phosphorus are not known. The compounds Fe3P, containing 15.6 per cent., and Fe2P, containing 21.7 per cent. phosphorus, have been studied and it appears as if the alloy produced, containing percentages of

Jan 10, 1924

By David Keys

THE object of this investigation was to determine with a vertical magnetic variometer the extent of the titaniferous ore deposit that occurs not far from Ivry in Terrebonne County, Quebec, about 70 miles north of Montreal. The Ivry mine, on lots 37 and 38 of range V, Beres-ford township, Quebec, is one of the largest and most accessible to transportation of the deposits of ilmenite in Quebec. The ore consists of an aggregate of ilmenite anhedra serving as host for numerous fine plaques of hematite. No magnetite is known from any occurrence near this lot, and in this way the deposit differs from many others that contain a large percentage of magnetite with the ilmenite. The deposit at Ivry thus has much lower magnetic susceptibility than those containing abun-dant magnetite, and a sensitive magnetometer was necessary for the work, although a body of magnetite with ilmenite about a mile from the Ivry mine was successfully prospected with a dip needle. The principal orebody is exposed in a quarry known as the Ivry mine, from which about 16,000 tons of ore have been shipped. Small exposures of ilmenite isolated by drift serve to show the presence at the surface of some of the bodies indicated by the magnetometer,- but most of the hill is covered with glacial till and second growth hardwood. At the lower levels the till gives place to fluvioglacial sands and gravels from which the forest has been cleared. The increasing thickness of the sand and gravel as the hill descends makes the tracing outward of the deposits from the rocky knob of anorthosite a difficult matter. Within the orebodies too, some masses of anorthosite persist, which may account for some local irregularities. Fig. 1 is a photomicrograph, taken by reflected light, of a typical specimen of the ore. The dark patches are hematite and the light parts are ilmenite. No trace of magnetite was found. Fig. 2 is a photo-micrograph of a thin section of the country rock showing the texture of the anorthosite. The mean of four analyses quoted by Robinson1 is: titanium, 19.26 per cent; iron 45:41 per cent.

Jan 1, 1936

By Charles B. Henderson

DESPITE the loss, by enemy conquest, of a high percentage of our normal sources of supply for tin, the position of this important metal is easier today than that of rubber and a long list of other strategic materials, many of which are produced in this country. Actually, there is no shortage of tin for essential war purposes, owing to a strict control of its use, to increasing considerably the amount of secondary tin available, and to the foresight of the Government in authorizing the Reconstruction Finance Corp., as early as June, 1940, to acquire and produce certain critical and strategic materials of which tin was one of the most important. The construction of the Longhorn Smelter on the Gulf Coast in Texas is an important part of this program.

Jan 1, 1943

By R. E. Hudrlik, G. W. Preckshot

The diffusion coefficients of silver from solid silver in molten lead were measured to within ± 0.8 pet in a columnar type diffusion cell ower, the temperature range of 326° to 530°C. Fick's law describes the process up to 530°C where the laminar mechanism appareltly breaks down. These is negligible resistance at the interface as shown by mathematical analyses. The diffusion coefficients are found concentration independent. IT would seem that diffusion in liquid metals would be free of such effects as molecular structure, dissociation. polarization. and compound formation. This view was taken by Gorman and preckshot in their study of diffusion of copper from solid copper into molten lead. They reported diffusion coefficients which were independent of the concentration over the range of 478° to 750°C. They found that the Stokes-Einstein equation with constant radius of the diffusing specie represented the diffusion data better than Eyring's rate theory equation and Sheibel's correlation. The radius of diffusion was found to be that of the doubly charged copper. There appeared to be no resistance across the solid-liquid boundary. In the present work the diffusion coefficients for silver in liquid lead were measured over a range of temperatures of 350° to 505°C. The solubility of silver in lead over the range of 303° to 630°C was also obtained. These results are compared with calculated or correlated values or with data in the literature. EXPERIMENTAL Procedure—The experimental equipment techniques and procedures were those reported in detail by Gorman and preckshot9 and will not be repeated here. Measured values of WT, Co, A. L were obtained for various diffusion times and the diffusion coefficient was computed for the case of no resistance at the interface9, 11 by: WT/CoAL = 1- 8/p2 n=1 1/(2n - 1)2 exp[-(2n - 1)2p2 Dt/4L2] [1] or where there was resistance at the interface by: WT = 1- ?n=1 2h2/ap2L [sxp [-Dan2t]/[(h2 + an2) L + h] The roots an are those of the transcendental equation3 tan (an L) = Iz/cun. The diffusion coefficient is that defined by Hartley and Crank.7 The total silver in the lead cylinder and equilibrium slug was determined by a cupellation technique' with proper correction for losses. Analysis of known samples showed that this method is surprisingly accurate. The amount of silver in the lead adhering to the silver cylinder was obtained in the same fashion as shown by Gorman and preckshot.9 The small errors involved in this determination are not critical since the silver in this adhering lead layer is only 3 to 15 pet of the total diffused. Materials—Electrolytic silver containing 99.9+ pet Ag obtained from General Refineries of Minneapolis, Minn. was used for all but runs 7 and 8. For the balance of the runs this silver was reduced with hydrogen at 1100°C and its oxygen content was found to be about 0.017 pet. For the runs. 7 and 8, phosphorous-reduced silver of the same purity was obtained from Handy and Harman Co. of Chicago, Ill. The densities of the phosphorus-reduced silver and the hydrogen-reduced electrolytic silver were 10.484 and 10.487 g per cm3, respectively. These values agree with those reported for pure silver. Silver which was reduced at 900 C had an average density of 9.998 g per cm3, indicating porosity. This silver was used for a number of runs which were not tabulated in Table I. These are indicated by crosses on Fig. 2. The 99.999 pet Pb was obtained from the National Lead Co. Research Laboratory of Brooklyn, New York. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS The diffusion and solubility results are reported in Table I for eleven runs using either phosphorus-reduced electrolytic silver or hydrogen-reduced silver at 1100° C. The solubility data shown in Fig. 1 show the excellent agreement with that reported by Heycock and Neville.8 The data of Friedrichs5 apparently are in error. The experimental solubility data of this work are reported to 0.3 pet. The experimental diffusion coefficients computed from Eq. [1] are reported within 1.2 pet of the mean and are plotted in Fig. 2. These are expressed within +0.8 pet of the experimental values over the entire temperature range by: D= 8.26 x 10 -5 e-1925/RT . [3] There appears to be little difference due to the

Jan 1, 1961

By Arthur S. Dwight

From the latest and best literature on lead-smelting, little can be learned concerning the present state of the art of mechanical feeding in the United States. H. O. Hofman, in his Metallurgy of Lead (5th ed., 1899), briefly describes the main features of the system in use at Pueblo, Colo., and later (p. 235) says " the only successful mechanical feeding, as far as the writer is aware, is that found at the works of the Pueblo Smelting and Refining Co." H. F. Collins, in his Metallurgy of Lead and Silver (London, 1899), covers American practice pretty thoroughly; but as to mechanical charging, he says: "The German plan of taking off the gases by means of a small iron pipe suspended in the center, and the plan of charging by means of cup and cone, as in iron blast-furnaces, have both been tried, but have not found favor, chiefly on account of the difficulty of obtaining free access to the furnace-shaft for barring, etc., with such devices."' . H. W. Hixon, in his Notes on Lead and Copper Smelting (3d ed., New York, 1900), gives a description and drawing of the Hixon feeding device, as originally installed at East Helena. Evidence that this system of feeding has passed its experimental stage, and deserves more serious consideration than it has heretofore received, is furnished by two large plants—the Pueblo and the East Helena—of the American Smelting and Refining Co., where mechanical feeding has been in continuous and successful operation for a considerable period; one new plant now erecting at Salt Lake City, Utah, and one old one belonging to the same company, the El Paso works, now being rebuilt after a disastrous fire, in both of which mechanical feeding is to be a prominent feature ; one new plant of an independent concern at Torreon, Mexico, which will adopt mechanical feeding; and a number of other smaller plants, among

Jan 1, 1902

By R. E. Heithecker

Almost every oil well drilled into limestone formations in Kansas is treated with hydrochloric (muriatic) acid upon completion: to increase potential capacity of well and thereby increase its "daily allowable" production; to shorten time required to produce recoverable oil; and to increase quantity of oil recovered ultimately from reservoir. Acid treating marked a forward step in the producing fields of Kansas; in fact, many old limestone fields that almost had reached their economic producing limit were "rejuvenated" with acid and their capacities to produce increased several times. It also caused a marked increase in the ultimate oil recovery of some old and nearly depleted fields of Kansas. The effect of the acid was due to the cleaning-out action by the acid at the face of the limestone, the enlargement of the small drainage channels, and the apparent penetration of the acid to previously undrained porous and saturated strata. Studies of the effects of acid were made in the Fairport field, three groups of wells in the El Dorado field and the Shutts field. Estimation of increased recoveries resulting from acid in these fields and groups of wells ranged from 1000 to 2400 bbI. per acre. Limestone structures that had been tested by drilling and found noncommercial were later completed as commerical oil-producing formations through the use of acid. The Kansas City formation, Valley Center field of Kansas, is an example. Increased oil production and revenue from the old fields justified the reconditioning of equipment, which in most cases had become in poor mechanical condition. The first treatment with hydrochloric acid of an oil well in Kansas was in October 1932, and by the end of 1937 almost 6000 wells had been treated. Many wells were treated more than once and the total number of treatments exceeded 8000 by the end of 1937. Approximately 12 3/4 million gallons of acid was required for these treatments. The report includes 15 illustrations and 16 tables.

Jan 1, 1939