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By M. S. King

In the design of foundations for large structures and of safe mine openings in rock, the results of laboratory and small-scale in-situ tests are often used to predict the behavior of the material as a whole. For reasons of simplicity in these analyses, the rock is usually treated as an ideally elastic, isotropic material. It has been observed, however, that most rocks are neither isotropic nor ideally elastic. This observation is particularly true for rocks subjected to low confining pressures. It is therefore necessary to investigate further the effects of anisotropy and nonlinearity on the mechanical behavior of rocks. When small differences in stress and strain only are involved, the rock may be treated as an elastic material. The elastic constants for such a material subjected to a particular confining pressure can be calculated from the classical theory of elasticity for different degrees of anisotropy. There are two experimental methods by which this can be done: first, from measurements of static stress-strain relationships; second, from elastic wave velocities measured in the rock. The former yields the static elastic constants, and the latter, the dynamic constants. The static constants will be equal in magnitude to the corresponding dynamic constants only if the rock is ideally elastic. Walsh and Brace1 have reviewed theoretical studies of the elasticity of rock considered as a material containing pores and cracks. They re- ported that the presence of sharp, narrow cavities at low confining pressures strongly influences the mechanical properties of a rock. A considerable reduction in magnitude of elastic moduli is associated with the presence of inhomogeneities such as cracks or joints. The elastic properties appear to approach those of the uncracked material in magnitude as the cavities are closed by higher pressures. Walsh and Brace

Jan 1, 1970

By P. E. Hildebrand, S. W. Mao, C. N. Crain

Hydrologic and economic criteria figure in many obvious ways in water resources development, but they are rarely linked quantitatively, and most of the applications are pertinent only to the case in point. In the preparation of a regional plan for the massive program of groundwater development in the Punjab, situations have arisen where the choice among two or more alternatives was made by analyzing the economic implications of critical hydrologic parameters. Two of these situations which are of more or less general interest are described herein. The first involves basic development policy, i.e., the question of whether groundwater development should be based on the demand of the economy, or the conservation concept of safe yield. The analysis demonstrated that mining of groundwater is clearly indicated for areas where alternative supplies are unavailable. The second problem involves integrating hydrologic data into an economic model to determine optimum well design. From an analysis of all pertinent factors, a simple nomograph was derived for determining well specifications on site during construction. The nomograph can be modified for use in any alluvial terrain. In the Northern Zone of the Indus Plains —the region known as the Punjab- Pakistan is proceeding with integrated development of water and land resources on a scale never before contemplated. The heart of the development plan is a massive program of groundwater development to supplement canal irrigation supplies and to provide drainage relief to the irrigated lands. By the close of 1966 about 2500 high-capacity wells were in operation and furnishing the water supply and drainage requirements for nearly two million irrigated acres. The development plan calls for the construction of a total of nearly 30,000 wells with an aggregate capacity of 120,000 cfs by 1980. This is part of an integrated program eventually affecting over 20 million acres of irrigated lands. [This development program is administered by the West Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) for which the firm of Tipton and Kalm-bach, Inc. serves as regional planning consultant for the Northern Zone. The material presented herein is derived from planning studies which have been made in connection with the preparation of a regional development plan for the Northern zone.] Pakistan is proceeding with this large-scale development of land and water resources at a time when she is at the threshold of an almost calamitous population growth. Furthermore, she is attempting this development at a time when most of her usable land is already occupied and her food demands exceed current production. Here in the Northern Zone is one of the largest continuous areas of irrigated land in the world, easily irrigated, with a warm, dry climate and ample potential supplies of surface water and groundwater. Except for an abundance of land and labor, other primary resources are lacking or in very limited supply. The agriculture sector so dominates the economy that only by means of an effective development of the agricultural resources can other sectors grow and contribute to a viable economy. Because of inadequate irrigation, farming here has not effectively participated in the twentieth century revolution in agriculture, and only by means of massive development of potential supplies can Pakistan catch up. Capital for any kind of mass development must come from the outside. But the overriding restraint to development of the land and labor resources is the availability of water. ECONOMICS OF DEVELOPMENT The decision-making process in planning regional development becomes increasingly complex as the various sectors of the economy become more highly developed. Where, as in this case, one sector dominates the economy and its development can be considered the key to development of other sectors, the decision-making process is simplified and it is easier to identify alternatives and to trace the prob-

Jan 1, 1970

By H. C. Miller

THE gas-lift method of flowing oil from wells is the outstanding feature of petroleum technology today. Its forerunner, the air lift, was used successfully first, in the Baku fields of Russia, in 1899, and later in the Gulf Coast fields of Texas and Louisiana and the Kern River field of California. It is still used to a limited extent in certain oil fields. The use of compressed natural gas for lifting oil from wells has supplanted the air-lift method in a measure in those fields where a sufficient quantity of gas accompanies the oil to make the gas lift possible, or where natural gas is plentiful and inexpensive. We find therefore in California, that, natural gas is used at practically every well where a gaseous medium is employed to flow the oil. The use of natural gas has many advantages over that of air. It is possible to recover and save the gasoline from the gas that accompanied the oil to the surface. This gasoline would be wasted if air were used as the lifting medium. Also, certain proportions of air and gas form an explosive mixture that cannot be handled safely by compressors. Another advantage that gas has over air is that gas under pressure is more soluble in oil. Gas in solution in oil reduces the viscosity of the oil that is being produced and causes it to flow more readily through the. tubing and flow lines. The gas lift has made it possible to recover many thousands of barrels of oil from deep wells in California that could not have been produced otherwise. It would not have been economical, had it been mechanically possible to produce such wells as the world's deepest producing oil well (Miley Athen's No. 6, Rosecranz field, California) by any other method of pumping known today. At this well, production is obtained from between 7305 and 7591 ft. and 11 months after completion of the well, production was being maintained on the gas lift it approximately 2000 bbl. a month. The crookedness of the hole, or its diameter and depth will not prevent the successful application of gas-lift pumping when other conditions are favorable.

Jan 1, 1927

The Raymond Memorial Volume, which the Members of the In-stitute have been so anxiously awaiting since the beloved man's death, is nearly ready for publication. It will contain about 45,000 words and some illustrations and a frontispiece portrait. This book promises to fill every expectation of the contributors to the volume and the host of admirers of the genius who so long guided the destiny of the Institute. It will contain one of Doctor Raymond's best stories, entitled "James and Jim;" his famous article on "Job on Mining;" and one of his poems entitled "The Grand Canyon." A biography of Doctor Raymond has been written by his daughter, who is the wife of a member of the Institute. The memorial addresses delivered by Dr. Henry F. Drinker and T. A. Rickard at the annual meeting in New York in 1919 will be included. There will also be very interesting reminiscences by H. M. Howe, A. S. Dwight, C. W. Goodale, R. W. Hunt, Lyman Abbott, J. F. hemp, T. A. Rickard. The volume has been edited by T. A. Rickard, which promises all that can be wished for the volume from a literary standpoint. The edition will he limited so that it is very desirable that orders for this volume be sent in to the Institute as promptly as possible. The price will be $5.00.

Jan 12, 1919

By J. F. Abel

It can be concluded that rock mechanics instrumentation, geologic mapping, and operations research in combination will produce an accurate estimate of tunnel support requirements for establishing a steel-set load prediction model. This estimate can be used to increase safety and to reduce tunneling costs. Unnecessary supports can be eliminated; overloaded or insufficient supports can be replaced on a more scientific basis than previously possible. Only a limited number of measurements are required to develop a steel set load prediction model. The results of this study can be applied generally; but, every tunnel must be considered as a separate problem. The construction and geologic variables which were found to be significant in the prediction of rock loads in this tunnel were: steel section modulus, set blocking points, percentage of alteration, relative degree of faulting, relative water condition, distance to the nearest fault, and average joint spacing. INTRODUCTION A combined engineering geology and rock mechanics program was performed throughout the Straight Creek tunnel pilot bore in Colorado in order to develop a technique for estimation of steel tunnel support loads. The technique involves the construction of a statistical model from measured steel set loads, geologic and construction factors. The aim of the investigation was to produce a set of charts, based on these factors, which could be used by a trained man equipped with a hand lens and measuring tape, to specify a safe and economical steel size and set spacing. In order to be of practical value the measured parameters had to be rapidly measurable and capable of quantification. It was apparent from the beginning that quantitative values for many of the geologic factors would have to be arbitrary. It was impossible to ascertain in advance which of the readily determi-nable geologic and construction factors significantly affect steel set loading. As the investigation progressed the number of observations was systematically reduced in order to determine the minimum amount of data which would be necessary for a significant mathematical model. This paper presents an analysis of all the variables measured at each instrumented steel set. The statistical significance of the measured variables was determined. On the basis of this determination, a mathematical model was constructed and charts were prepared to select and space the steel tunnel supports at any given point in the tunnel. Once the effect of geologic and construction factors on set loading is sufficiently established, it is possible to exert close control over the selection of steel tunnel support size and spacing. The magnitude of this rock mechanics program can be appreciated when it is known that there were 44 instrumentation stations for which steel set loads were measured. For each of these sets there were three construction variables recorded, and nine geologic parameters determined (Table I). A rough approximation of the cost for both the collection and reduction of the data would be $50,000. This is in addition to the cost of geologic mapping.

Jan 1, 1967

By H. E. Stauss, G. Sandoz

THE purpose of this note is to draw attention to the possibility that a melt may be contaminated by a material not in direct contact with it by means of gaseous intermediate agents. In recent years silicon has assumed a position of importance because of its use in rectifiers and transistors and close attention has been required to control of both purification and contamination during all stages of preparation.' This note reports the observation that a graphite heater may have contaminated silicon ingots without direct physical contact through reactions that developed gaseous products. Several ingots made with the equipment of Hino and Stauss,2 using a graphite heater in a dried helium atmosphere, were found to have a small amount of a very hard substance on the free surface. X-ray analysis by F. W. von Batchelder showed the sub- stance to be Sic. Similar contamination was not found when the heater was tantalum, indicating that the carbon had not come from an original impurity in the silicon powder. One source of the carbon could have been volatile matter released from the graphite heater. This heater had been used about ten times at the time of the observations. A second source of carbon could have been a direct reaction between the quartz crucible and the graphite heater to form CO, or an indirect reaction involving a crucible-melt interaction and volatile SiO as an intermediate product. Such reactions should have developed Sic on the heater; and in fact a yellow powder did form on the inside of the graphite heater although its composition could not be determined. References 'H. C. Torrey and C. A. Whitmer: Crystal Rectifiers (1948) Chapter 10. New York. McGraw-Hill Book Co. 2 J. Hino and H. E. Stauss: Trans. AIME (1952) 194, p. 656; Journal of Metals (June 1952).

Jan 1, 1954

By William L. Russell

A new instrument for measuring bulk and grain vol-urnes is described, and compared in accuracy with two modifications of Nutting's method, All three methods are reasonably fast, and in all three the probable error in the determinations of bulk volume can be kept down to about 0.1 to 0.2 per cent. INTRODUCTION The new pycnometer described in this paper is designed to give speed without sacrificing accuracy. Some time ago Russell1 described a somewhat similar appa-ratus; however, the instrument described in the present paper is more accurate. Nutting' designed the pycnom-eter shown in Fig. 1 (A and B), and Pirson3 has shown points like those of Fig. 1-D. The procedure described in this paper for using Nutting's pycnometer has been modified from that used by Nutting. CHOICE OF LIQUIDS The best liquids for measuring grain volumes are hydrocarbons or chlorinated hydrocarbons which evaporate slowly. Trimethylbenzene or mesitylene, triethylben-zene, carbon tetrachloride, and tertalin have been used for this purpose. Any of these liquids or mercury may be used for measuring bulk volume. PREVENTING ERRORS DUE TO INVASION OF LIQUID Errors due to the invasion of the porous, permeable bulk samples by the liquid of measurement may be prevented or greatly reduced by using mercury, by applying an impervious coating, or by soaking the bulk samples in the liquid of measurement until bubbles cease issuing from them. Errors are produced only by the invasion of the samples which occurs between movement when the samples are weighed in air and the moment the weight of liquid displaced by the sample in the pycnometer is determined. No error is produced by varying degrees of filling of the pore space of the samples by the liquid of measurement. The excess liquid should be wiped from the samples immediately before the weight in air W1, is determined, and they should be placed in the pycnometers immediately. OPERATION OF NEW INSTRUMENT The new pycnometer is shown in Fig. 2. It consists of two glass parts which fit together at a ground glass joint. The spaces J and D are connected by fine glass tubes E, and the space J must be larger than the space D by at least the volume of the largest sample to be tested. The projections H afford a grip for twisting when the two parts tend to stick together. The position of the sample in mercury is shown by I, and in other liquids by M. F is a permanent mark on the glass, and G is a tem-Some marker. In order to determine the position at which G should be placed, invert the instrument so that A is at the bottom, and fill space D. Place the cub K

Jan 1, 1958

By Beverley S. Randolph

While our coal-mining practice, in regard to hauling on main roads, has advanced very rapidly in recent years by means of compressed air, electricity and ropes, that of gathering from rooms or working-places has remained almost stationary. Few large mines are without some method of mechanical haulage on main roads, but the gathering from working-places is still done almost entirely by means of animals or men. An effort to improve this has been made recently by the Consolidation Coal Company, under the direction of the writer, at its mines in the Georges Creek region. The seam worked is the Pittsburg bed, known locally as the " Big Vein." It is from 8 to 12 feet thick. Immediately overlying the coal there is from 5 to 6 feet of " rashings," consisting of thin alternating beds of shale and coal, which disintegrate rapidly on exposure to the air, and making a very treacherous roof. Rooms are driven from 12 to 15 ft. wide, with a single track close to one side. A line of posts is placed just far enough from this side to leave a clear space for the mine-car with a driver at the brake. This brings the post not far from the middle of the cross-bar, and provides more effectual support than if placed at the end. The tracks in these rooms are usually of 4 in. x 4 in. oak scantling, though of late years, owing to the advance in the price of lumber and the reduction in steel rails, more of the latter are being used. This track is laid by the miner. His pay for the work is included in the price per ton for mining. It is therefore, as a rule, unskillfully and often carelessly laid, and cannot be relied upon to carry safely any weight materially greater than the loaded mine-car. Compressed air was already in use on the main roads, driving motors weighing 30,000 pounds each, which were used to. bring the mine-cars that had been assembled from the rooms

Jan 1, 1904

By Norman D. Fitz Gerald

THE growth of domestic requirements for motor fuel has been phe-nomenal, rising year after year in a fashion almost unique among com-modities, resisting depressions and forging rapidly ahead in times of prosperity. Consumption advanced from 226 millions of barrels in 1925 to 522 millions of barrels in 1938; or 130 per cent. The economic influ-ences generating and sustaining this demand are of vital concern to the petroleum industry. The general factors affecting utilization of motor fuel are well known but it is the purpose of this paper to employ the recently developed technique of economic dynamics to describe them mathematically. Such problems in economic analysis are complicated by the freedom of all the variables to fluctuate, their mutual interdependence, changing incidence upon one another, and the nonquantitative character of some of them. Economic quantities and relationships, unlike those of the physical world, are continuously changing and this dynamic characteristic is both a distinguishing and confusing feature in economic research. The com-plexities of the problems require application of the analytical devices of mathematical statistics to uncover the probable relationships between factors. The procedure employed is to formulate a logical relationship linking the dependent to the independent variables, and then simul-taneously, rather than sequentially, determine their separate effects by multiple correlation. This transformation of common knowledge to quantitative terms makes it possible to measure the probable effects of changing conditions upon requirements, assisting in the sound interpreta-tion of economic policies. The utility of the results of such dynamic analysis is in sharp contrast to the sterility of the trends and other simple empiricisms of descriptive statistics. It is not intended in this study to throw light on the reasons why any motor fuel at all is consumed; but to discover relationships explaining why more was consumed at one time than at another. Specifically the prob-lem is confined to the measurement of the influences of statistically

Jan 1, 1940

Abbott, Franklin E. Adgate, Frank Aertsen, G. Aid, Kenneth Albert, H. I. Alexander, D. B. W. Allan, Wm. G. Allen, R. 0. Allen, Roy H. Aller, Mr. and Mrs. F. D. Altmayer, Maurice Ambler, Harry A. Ambrose, A. WV. Ammon, Mark A. Ammon, Mr. and Mrs. Robt. Anderson, George H. Anderson, Mr. and Mrs. L. D. Andros, S. 0. Appleby, W. R. Archer, R. S. Armitage, Paul Arobb, Alden D. Arthur, Walter Ashman, A. 0. Atkinson, R. H. Aupperle, J. A. Austin, D. F. Avery, G. E.

Jan 11, 1919

By J. J. Ormsbee

Attempts at coal-washing have been made in the southern states during the last twenty years; but it is only within the last four or five years that the practice has become at all general. It might perhaps be claimed as one of the blessings derived from our departed " booms;" for, during their sway, the supply of coal of all qualities, good and bad, could not equal the demand; but, with the subsidence of the inflated demand, came imperative calls for fuels of better quality; and washers, previously regarded as luxuries, became necessities. Among those now in use in this section are representatives of the following types or classes: the trough washer; the jig washer; the percussive table; and those washers in which a constant upward current of water effects the separation. Without having full statistics, it is safe to say that there are in successful operation in the South more washers of the last class than of any of the others. The purpose of these notes is to present data with regard to the constructiOn, operation, and results of one of these current-washers, based mainly on the plant at No. 2 Slope, Pratt Mines, Alabama. The coal is mined from the well-known Pratt seam, having here an average thickness of 3 feet 6 inches. It has distinct cleavage-planes, and breaks in cuboidal lumps; is bright black in color, firm in structure, and air-slacks only after considerable exposure. It burns freely, leaving a gray or buff-colored ash. The lump- and nut-coals are used for domestic and steampurposes (chiefly, however, for locomotive firing), and the slack for making coke. The specific gravity is 1.272. Analyses of Pratt Coal. I. 11. 111. IV. Min. Resources Authority. Phillips. McCalley. of U. s.,1892. Lupton. Fixed carbon,. . 67.90 61.600 64.30 63.82 Volatile material,.. 29.80 31.480 32.08 31.85 Moisture,.,...... 1.508 1.07 1.02 Ash,.... 2.30 5.416 2.08 3.31 Sulphur,. .. 0.83 0.918 0.47 0.70

Jan 1, 1896

By Oscar A. Glaeser

The purpose of this paper is to present specific applications of the fundamental principles of mine ventilation and the means that are at our disposal to accomplish the task of maintaining a healthful atmosphere in small mines and prospect openings. Need for Ventilation The range between the maximum oxygen content of normal air and the minimum safe content is extremely narrow, approximately 5 per cent. Furthermore, normal air must not be contaminated with irrespirable gases beyond definite limits, and mineral dusts are equally dangerous, although health impairment is slower. Tables 1 and 2 present the more common respiratory hazards encountered in mines. Adequate ventilation is the most effective means available to reduce or eliminate these hazards. Mechanical ventilation has reached varying stages of perfection in coal mines and in many large metal mines. The small mines and prospects rarely have a definite plan of ventilation. As a consequence underground workers are frequently exposed to health and accident hazards. The annual reports of fatalities in mines in the Western States record yearly many deaths due to asphyxiation and deaths caused by men falling down shafts and raises after being overcome by gas. At times mining operations are slowed up because there is no means of driving out the gas after blasting. For that reason only one shift is worked, or men wait from one to several hours for the "smoke" to clear out. Methane gas in varying quantities is widely distributed throughout California. It has been encountered in explosive concentrations in the coast range. It has been found on the Mother Lode and in quicksilver mines near the coast. Methane explosions have not been uncommon in underground operations and in tunneling jobs. These conditions and records indicate that there is room for improvement in mine-air conditions.

Jan 1, 1937

By E. A. Anderson

IN another paper1 the writer has shown that the low permissible maximum fiber stress in a loaded zinc sheet demands a much closer support spacing than is used for steel. The limiting fiber stress in 13-gage (0.032 in.) sheets having a 1-in. depth of corrugation was found to be about 5000 lb. per sq. in. on a 37-in. span under a load of 40 lb. per sq. ft. Corrugated steel sheets are commonly laid with spans varying from 48 to 60 in. In order to increase the span in 13-gage zinc to 54 in. (a common spacing) the metal must be capable of withstanding, under long-continued loading, a maximum fiber stress of about 10,000 lb. per sq. in. This is known to be impossible with unalloyed zinc. In this paper the writer describes a series of experiments leading up to the development of an alloy capable of safely sustaining this fiber stress. The effect of alloying on the slow creep of zinc was studied by means of static tensile tests, accurate determinations of apparent elastic limits and finally by means of loading tests on full-size roof sections. Two industrial buildings roofed with alloyed zinc sheets on spans involving fiber stresses in excess of 10,000 lb. per sq. in. have been under observation for over two years without signs of sagging.

Jan 1, 1929

By Rex W. Woods, Morris Muskat

A leastmsquare analysis procedure has been developed and applied for the study of the deviations in estimations of oil in place as given by the material-balance equations. The data used were those obtained from field observations on the Jones sand in the Schuler pool, Arkansas, and the Monroe dolomite in the Reed City pool, Michigan. Possible effects of water intrusion were taken into account by expressing the cumulative water influx in terms of various functions previously proposed in the literature. Formulas were developed and values calculated for the minimum deviations and minimal percentage deviations in the calculated volumes of oil in place from the average values, as could be obtained by suitable choice of the water encroachment and initial gas-cap volume parameters. The results show that the fluctuations in these calculated volumes are very insensitive to the values chosen for the rate of water intrusion and initial gas-cap volume, and hence cannot be safely used in discriminating between spurious values for these parameters and such as actually pertain to the producing reservoirs. Moreover, the exact form of the water-intrusion function seems to have but little effect on the fluctuations in the computed oil in place. Accordingly, it is concluded that the material-balance method does not of itself provide a satisfactory criterion for determining the basic physical unknowns of producing reservoirs or in making conclusive decisions regarding the production mechanism, unless independently established geological control data are available for eliminating unreasonable values for the reservoir parameters, even though they may still satisfy the material-balance formulas. If, however, from core or logging data the initial oil in place and the gas-cap volume can be established in advance, the material-balance formulas can be inverted to find the water intrusion. Moreover, by determining by such calculations the water-intrusion coefficient, the iuture production performance can then be predicted by the aid of the materiaI-balance formulas for specified operating conditions. This type of application may be of particular value in predicting the results of Pressure-maintenance operations. Introduction The evaluation of the forces acting upon an oil reservoir is a problem of considerable interest to the operator as an aid in determining the proper method of operation for the reservoir to obtain an optimum recovery of oil. In many pools, the nature and magnitude of the forces acting upon the reservoir remain unknown until an appreciable amount of ultimate recovery is obtained. To be of value to the operator, a reliable interpretation of reservoir performance should be available in the early life of the pool to permit an optimum plan of operation. Progress has been made in an understanding of reservoir behavior and the importance of the different factors involved. The material-balance method of estimating oil in place has been proposed as a tool in analyzing reservoir-performance problems.l The solution of such problems by this method ordinarily involves two or more unknown values relating to the nature of the reservoir, and the results

Jan 1, 1945

By C. C. Martin, M. C. Fuerstenau, R. B. Bhappu

Experiments revealed that quartz could not be floated in conductivity water at any pH with a long-chained sulfonate as collector. Various cations, Fe+++, Al+++, Pb++, Mn++, Mg++, Ca++, are shown to function as activators when the pH is such that the cation hydrolyzes. As the solubility product of the various cation-sulfonates was exceeded at the concentrations involved, precipitated cation-hydroxy-sulfonates, e.g. Fe (RSO3)2OH must be functioning as the collector in these systems. A number of interesting and important phenomena were revealed during a study of the response of beryl to sulfonate flotation.' Perhaps the most important observation is the effect of various cations on flotation response. Experiments showed that in the vicinity of pH 3.0, about three ppm Fe+++ increased recovery of leached beryl from about 60 pct to 100 pct, whereas about four ppm Ca+ + reduced the recovery from 60 pct to 2 pct. With the exception of ferric iron, all of the other cations investigated reduced flotation recoveries drastically at this pH. As postulated in the paper Sulfonate Flotation of Beryl,' even with low concentrations of polyvalent cations and sulfonate (on the order of one ppm), cation-sulfonates are precipitated immediately in solution. That is, blueish-white clouds were noted to form after given additions of salts to known solutions of sulfonate. Furthermore, it was also shown that one-hundred-fold more ferric iron than necessary to form the precipitated cloud had to be added to effect complete flotation. In other words, some form of solid ferric sulfonate was found to function as the collector in these systems. The form of the compound was suggested to be Fe(RCO3)2OH and that bonding to the surface occurs through the hydrogen of the hy-droxyl. As the form of this compound was shown to be dependent on the extent of hydrolysis of ferric iron, it is to be expected that ferric iron will be unique in some pH region. Further, if the presence of hydroxyl in the neutral precipitated compound is of primary importance, then other cations should function similarly but at different values of pH, since they will hydrolyze at different concentrations of hydroxyl ion. To determine whether the premise of hydrolysis is correct, the study was extended to quartz systems in the presence of various cations at various values of pH. EXPERIMENTAL MATERIALS AND METHOD Sodium alkyl aryl sulfonate was chosen as the collector for the experimental work. The reagent, sup plied as a courtesy sample by the Shell Chemical Co., has the following physical properties: Physical form Solid — Finely ground Sulfonate content, pct wt 95 to 97 Molecular Weight 450 to 470 Number of carbon atoms in hydrocarbon chain 25 to 30 Melting Point, OF 250 to 260 Solubility Soluble in water with gel formation at concentrations higher than 25 pct by weight sulfonate This particular reagent was chosen because of its high active sulfonate content, long-chain length, and solid form. With the exception of the frother and sulfonate, all other chemicals were of reagent grade quality. Conductivity water was used in the experimental work. This water, made by passing distilled water through an ion exchange column, had an average measured conductivity of one micromho. Experiments were conducted at room temperature in a small glass flotation cell with the following procedure: 1) A redetermined amount of water and salt solution (e.g. CaC12 . 2H2O) were combined and the pH adjusted to a given value. 2) A given amount of sulfonate was added so that final solution volume was 130 cc. 3) One drop of Dow 250 frother was added. 4) Five g of quartz were added and the system conditioned for five minutes. 5) The pH of the system was measured (termed flotation pH).

Jan 1, 1963

By M. L. Hammond, G. M. Bowers

Silicon dioxide films have been prepared on silicon wafers by the oxidation of SiH, near 400°C. Results previously reported by Goldsmith and Kern7 have been qualitatively corrobovated using a system of different geometry, and significantly greater deposition rates have been achieved. The deposition rate is independent of thickness and nearly independent of the O2/SiH, ratio over a wide range; however, the rate is strongly temperature-dependent. The structure of the deposit depends upon the cleanliness of the substrate, and the electrical field strength of the deposited oxide depends upon the nature of the electrodes. MULTILEVEL interconnects in integrated circuits using aluminum metallization require an insulator that can be deposited at low temperature. Because the A1-Si eutectic is only 577°C, the maximum deposition temperature must be below about 500°C to prevent reaction of the aluminum with the silicon and with other materials in the integrated circuit. Many methods of depositing insulating films of SiO, and other dielectrics have been reported'-6 but the technique described by Goldsmith and Kern7 offers the simplest method of preparing SiO, films. The technique involves the reaction of SiH, and 0, to form SiO, films in the 300" to 500°C temperature range. Previous work using this gas system has been reported8 and the initial development work at Philco Microelectronics was done at the East Coast R&D Laboratories. 9 This paper corroborates some of the results of Goldsmith and Kern,7 shows that much higher deposition rates can be obtained than previously reported, and presents some observations on the structure of deposited SiO, films. EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS Fig. 1 is a schematic drawing of the apparatus used in this study. It differs from that of Goldsmith and Kern in that 1) the gases are mixed before they enter the reaction chamber, 2) there is no fritted glass diffuser, and 3) the wafers are stationary during deposition. The control thermocouple was in a well located 0.06-in. from the substrate, and three gas supplies were used: 1 pct SiH4 in N 2, O 2, and N 2. Water vapor must be excluded from the plumbing to prevent the formation of colloidal SiO, and the SiH4 must be diluted with an inert gas because SiH4-0, mixtures are extremely flammable above about 4 pct SiH The wafer temperature was determined by attaching a thermocouple to a test wafer and the temperature was maintained to +5 C. The conditions used in this investigation are listed in Table I. The temperature range was chosen for compatibility with the A1-Si system. The volume ratio of 0, to SiH4 is the actual volume of 0, delivered to that of SiH4, taking into account the initial dilution of the SiH4. This ratio, which was used by Goldsmith and Kern,7 is a useful indicator of the experimental conditions. The active/inactive ratio is the ratio of the volume of active gases, SiH4 and O2, delivered to the volume of dilution gas. The active/inactive ratio is an important parameter to specify for deposition rate determinations since it determines the amounts of reactants that arrive at the sample per unit time. Fairly high dilution ratios were necessary to achieve uniform deposits of SiO,. Most of the process characterizations were performed on the polished (111) face of 3 to 5 ohm-cm, n-type silicon wafers which were 0.009 in. thick; but the data approximately apply to deposition of SiO, on thin films of aluminum. It is difficult to obtain accurate deposition rate data over aluminum films because of coarsening the aluminum surface during exposure to 300" to 400°C. The deposited SiO, film fol-

Jan 1, 1969

Truman H. Aldrich '78 W. S. Ayres '73 Andrew A. Blair '75 Walter M. Brodie '72 H. M. Chance '74 Fred'k G. Corning '77 Ralph Crooker '81 A. W. Crookston '80 George M. Davidson '81 W. B. Devereaux '80 H. S. Drinker Founder

Jan 1, 1929

By R. B. Rosene, G. L. Foster, A. R. Hendrickson

he properties of some of the common fracturing oils, such as sand-falling rate, fluid loss and viscasity, are a function of the three major constituents of the oil. These are: asphaltic material, parafin waxes and a base oil. The base oil can be either high or low viscosity. Asphaltic material increases viscosity by thickening the oil, decreasing the rate of fall of sand through the oil. at temperatures up to 200" F. When large arnorrnts of parafin wax are present, much of the wax i.s not dissolved, but is present in the form of rnicroscopic crystals. 7'his, of course is limited to temperatures below the melting points of waxe.s. As a result, parafin waxes clo not function primarily as thickener.7, but rother as bullting materials. The functiori of wax, without asphaltic material, in a low viscosity base oil is uniquely unlike that of wax with asphalt coexistent in the oil. The resulting difierence in wax crystal size governs the sand-falling rate to a large extent. An ideal type of fracturing oil is one containing neither asphalt nor waxes. In such cases, the viscosity and resulting low sand-falling rate are apparently due to soluble resin- ous hydrocarbons, which are compatible with formation oils. INTRODUCTION Since the introduction of hydraulic fracturing as a method of stimulating production from oil and gas wells, a variety of fluids have been employed to open the fractures and carry the propping agent. Such fluids include gels, emulsions, and oils. In the latter category, the use of refined oils has increased tremendously, and it is probably safe to assume that such oils represent more than one-half of the total fluid used in fracturing. The general acceptance of refined oils for fracturing can be accounted for on the basis of their relatively low cost and general applicability. To minimize transportation costs, such refined oils are generally obtained within the local areas of operation. As a result there are several kinds of oil used in different areas, with a wide variation in the basic composition. These types may vary from a fair grade of lubricating stock to a highly viscous cut-back asphalt. or road oil. Originally, little attention was paid to the composition of the oils used for fracturing, and any oil which would carry sand was considered satisfactory. Recently, however, service companies and well operators have become more concerned with the type of oils used for fracturing. With this in mind, the present work was undertaken to evaluate and compare many widely used fracturing oils to determine which constituents were most desirable for fracturing purposes. Some of the important properties of fracturing fluids are sand-falling rate, viscosity, and fluid loss. Other properties, that are actually of no less importance, include flash point, pour point, emulsifying tendencies with formation brines, and compatability with the formation oils. This discussion has been limited, however, to the first mentioned properties in order to give some idea of the general composition of the refined oils, how they function, and why. PROPERTIES OF FRACTURING OILS The properties of fracturing oils are a function of the three major constituents of the oil. These may be designated as: (1) asphaltic material, (2) paraffin waxes and (3) a base oil, which may be of either high or low viscosity. The asphaltic material clas-

Jan 1, 1956

By H. C. Miller

The gas-lift method of flowing oil from wells is the outstanding feature of petroleum technology today. Its forerunner, the air-lift, was used successfully first, in the Baku fields of Russia, in 1899, and later in the Gulf Coast fields of Texas and Louisiana and the Kern River field of California. It is still used to a limited extent in certain oil fields. The use of compressed natural gas for lifting oil from wells has supplanted the air-lift method in a measure in those fields where a sufficient quantity of gas accompanies the oil to make the gas-lift possible, or where natural gas is plentiful and inexpensive. We find, therefore, in California, that natural gas is used at practically every well where a gaseous medium is employed to flow the oil. The use of natural gas has many advantages over that of air. It is possible to recover and save the gasoline from the gas that accompanies the oil to the surface. This gasoline would be wasted if air were used as the lifting medium. Also, certain proportions of air and gas form an explosive mixture that cannot be handled safely by compressors. Another advantage that gas has over air is that gas under pressure is more soluble in oil. Gas in solution in oil reduces the viscosity of the oil that is being produced and causes it to flow more readily through the tubing and flow lines. The gas-lift has made it possible to recover many thousands of barrels of oil from deep wells in California that could not have been produced otherwise. It would not have been economical, had it been mechanically possible, to produce such wells as the world's deepest producing oil well (Miley Athen's No. 6, Rosecrans field, California) by any other method of pumping known today. At this well, production is obtained from between 7305 and 7591 ft. and 11 months after completion of the well, production was being maintained on the gas-lift at approximately 2000 bbl. a month. The crookedness of the hole, or its diameter and depth will not prevent the successful application of gas-lift pumping when other conditions are favorable.

Jan 1, 1928

By M. J. Coolbaugh

Mining potash at depths of 3000 ft or more beneath thick water-bearing sediments in Saskatchewan presented a unique challenge to the North American mining industry. Potash is known to flow under pressure, but the knowledge of its flow characteristics at great depths was inadequate for safe design of mine workings and for assured protection from water above the salt formations. At the 3000-ft. depth of the Canadian mines, the potash is stressed beyond its elastic limit, and therefore mining design must deal primarily with its behavior as a plastic material. Recognizing that careful study would be required in order to assure safety and stability of mine workings in deep potash, IMC initiated an extensive rock mechanics investigation of structural properties of potash and salt under high-stress conditions. This presentation consists of a brief review of the development of some methods of testing potash in the laboratory and in the field; some of the rock mechanics concepts and principles derived; and their application to potash mine design. The mining of potash more than 3000 ft beneath the water-bearing sediments in Saskatchewan presented the unique challenge of designing stable mine workings and assuring protection from overhead water in a material that was believed to flow plastically, but whose behavior as a plastic material was not sufficiently known. Under the stress conditions ordinarily encountered in mining, most rocks behave as elastic materials; that is, they compress slightly under pressure, and rebound when the pressure is released. Salt and potash, however, are different. Even under the relatively low pressures encountered at shallow depths, these materials become slightly plastic and yield to stress by flowing.* The plastic properties become more pronounced at greater depth and pressure, and the question arises as to whether or not the plastic flow will be rapid enough and exert enough pressure to destroy underground structures or interrupt the mining process. It was found, however, that not only was there an insufficiency of information about the behavior of potash and salt, but conventional methods of testing these materials, such as determining the modulus of elasticity, Poisson's ratio, and uniaxial compressive strength, were inapplicable because of the high stress conditions prevailing at the 3000-ft depth. Potash under high pressure, for example, has practically no modulus of elasticity, its stress-strain relationship varies with time, and its compressive strength depends upon the degree of confinement. Elasticity and Stress/Strain Relationship: Fig. 1 shows a standard stress/strain chart for potash as made by the Department of Mines in Canada. Typically, when stress is applied to a hard-rock specimen, the specimen contracts, then expands to its original shape when the stress is withdrawn. This chart illustrates, however, that potash under stress yields to the stress by flowing, and does not expand when the stress is withdrawn. When the applied stress was held constant for 30 min, beginning at points A and C, the strain continued to increase and the potash flowed to points B and D, respectively. Points B, D, F, and H show that the potash did not return to its original shape when the stress was released. Thus it can be observed that potash has practically no elasticity and that the amount of strain depends upon the length of time that the stress is applied. Compressive Strength: The conventional method of determining the compressive strength of hard material is to find the maximum pressure that long slender specimens of the material can withstand without failing. As illustrated in Fig. 2,* line B, a standard 2-in. cube of potash subjected to a conventional type of uniaxial compressive test will exhibit a strength of about 5000 psi. However, the compressive strength exhibited can be made to change by changing the conditions under which the test is made. For example, if teflon plates lubricated with graphite are inserted between the press and the specimen, thus minimizing end constraint, the compressive strength is only about 2500 psi, shown in line A. If a specimen is cut in half, changing the width-to-height ratio to 2 : 1 instead of 1:1, and then tested without lubri-

Jan 1, 1968