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By A. J. Boynton

THIS paper is not the result of recent research with regard to any particular feature of iron metallurgy, blast-furnace practice or mechanical engineering. It is rather a series of notes with regard to contemporaneous progress in blast-furnace construction and operation, together with some suggestions as to changes and improvements that seem to be desirable. On April 1, 1930, a committee of the Chicago District Blast Furnace and Coke Association presented to that association a rather ambitious study of blast-furnace equipment, together with recommendations for the design of construction of a complete blast-furnace unit for the production of 1000 tons of pig iron per day. This report represented the result of months of study by members of the committee, all of whom were actively engaged in operation or design of blast-furnace plants. It is natural, therefore, that comments on the present state of the art should take this 1000-tons furnace, as recommended by the Association, as a basis for comparison with corresponding features of construction or design. See Table 1. In looking through this report at the present time, the significant difference is in the nature of the gas-washing equipment that today would be specified. In other respects, the installation would remain generally very much as it was outlined in 1930. The change in furnace dimensions would be very slight and of no especial significance, except with respect to changes in stock-line diameter, of which more will be said hereafter. The high-efficiency stove as developed by various designers is thoroughly described within this report, and few changes have taken place since. Blowing equipment shows refinement and reflects the improvement in steam engineering. Hoisting and charging equipment and ladles for the conveyance of iron and slag remain, in general, as they were in 1930. In accordance with a general tendency

Jan 1, 1935

Jan 1, 1963

By J. Gordon Parr, D. H. Polonis

The formation and subsequent decomposition of metastable phases in Ti-Ni alloys containing up to 11 pet (atomic) Ni have been studied. The decomposition of a completely retained ß phase and of a completely transformed 8 phase in a 6 pet alloy has been followed by X-ray diffraction and metallographic methods and by hardness determinations made during the process. The possible mechanisms of the reactions are discussed. PREVIOUS investigations of the Ti-Ni system have usually been limited to phase diagram studies; but little attention has been given to metastable phases and tempering processes. These are important, however, since equilibrium conditions are rarely achieved—nor, perhaps, are they desired—in practice. Up to the present time the available transformation data for titanium alloys appear to be restricted to isothermal transformation curves for selected binary and ternary systems. No quantitative studies have been made of the mechanism by which equilibrium is approached. Several independent investigations have been carried out to determine the Ti-Ni phase diagram. Early work by Wallbaum' and later by Long et al.' produced tentative phase diagrams which were not representative of true binary conditions, since the alloys were contaminated with oxygen and nitrogen. The most recent diagram (Fig. 1) is due to Margolin et al.," and a slight modification of the a + ß/ß boundary (shown dotted) has been proposed by McQuillan.' The structure of the phase Ti,Ni was shown by Duwez and Taylor" to be face-centered-cubic, with 96 atoms per structure cell. The formation of a martensitic ß phase (close-packed-hexagonal) in Ti-Ni alloys has generally been observed when specimens of low nickel content are rapidly cooled from the 0 (body-centered-cubic) range. Margolin et al. reported an increasing tendency for P to be retained in lump specimens as the nickel content increases. McQuillan' has studied the effect on the microstructure of delay time in quenching, and has reported the formation of pro- eutectoid a precipitate in a quenched hypoeutectoid alloy. In a previous study of Ti-Fe alloys," experiments were made on powder specimens produced by filing alloy ingots. Techniques were devised for the preparation and heat treatment of alloys, and X-ray diffraction methods were used both for structure determinations and phase ratio estimations. A similar approach has been made in this study of Ti-Ni alloys. Experimental Methods Ten alloys ranging from 0.25 pet to 18 pet Ni* * All compositions are in atomic percentages unless otherwise stated. were prepared from iodide titanium bar stock (hardness Rf 72) and Johnson-Matthey spectrographic standard nickel by levitation melting.' As a check

Jan 1, 1957

By J. P. Smith

DURING the winter of 1946 to 1947 potash operations in Germany, France and Spain were visited by the author. The U. S. Department of Commerce, through its Field Intelligence Agency Technical, sponsored the inspection of German properties by representatives of the American Potash Industry. Vast deposits of potash salts occur in the above-mentioned countries, and the production and marketing of these salts are important in their respective economies. Germany An area of some ten thousand square miles of north central Germany is underlain by lenses of potash salts interbedded with greater thicknesses of sodium chloride or common salt. These salt measures are relict deposits from the evaporation of an arm of the Zechstein (Permian) Sea which formerly covered northern Europe. During the peak year of 1940, Germany produced salts containing 1,860,000 tons of K,O and, next to coal, potash is its most important mineral raw material. The German deposits are found in the synclinal areas flanking the Flechtingen, Hartz Mountain and Thuringian uplifts, and, to the north they lie beneath the plains of Hannover. The regional dip of the salt measures is to the north, hence, lenses of potash found at depths of 500 to 1000 m* in the Two general depositional provinces of potash concentrations are recognized: (1) the main basin, and (2) the subsidiary basin. The main basin embraces the producing districts of Stassfurt, Sud Hartz, Halle, and Hannover-Braunschweig. From J. P. SMITH, Member AIME, is Clzief Geologist, U. S. Potash Co., Carlsbad, New Mexico. New York Meeting, February 1948. TP 2621 H. Discussion of this paper (2 copies) may be sent to Transactions AIME before Feb. 28, 1950. Manuscript received May 26, 1948. 40 to 45 pct of the German production comes from this basin. The Werra-Fulda district, producer of 50 pct or more of the German potash, lies in the subsidiary basin. Salt Stratigraphy: Five commercial potash zones or beds are recognized. The three beds present in the main basin are: The Stassfurt bed that occurs near the top of the older salt, and the Ronnenberg and Riedel beds in the younger salt occurring 200 to 300 m, respectively, above the Stassfurt bed. The Stassfurt bed is found over the entire main basin, while the Ronnenberg and Riedel are restricted to the Hannover area. Two potash beds occur in the Werra basin. These are the Thuringian, or lower bed and the Hessen or upper potash bed that occurs 60 m above. These beds lie 210 and 150 m, respectively, below the position of the Stassfurt bed, and are restricted to the Werra basin. The upper bed is 2.5 to 11.5 m in thickness, and the principal ores are hartsalz with varying thicknesses of carnallite. The lower bed averages 3 m in thickness, and contains hartsalz. The upper bed is presently being mined, and the

Jan 1, 1951

By J. P. Smith

DURING the winter of 1946 to 1947 potash operations in Germany, France and Spain were visited by the author. The U. S. Department of Commerce, through its Field Intelligence Agency Technical, sponsored the inspection of German properties by representatives of the American Potash Industry. Vast deposits of potash salts occur in the above-mentioned countries, and the production and marketing of these salts are important in their respective economies. Germany An area of some ten thousand square miles of north central Germany is underlain by lenses of potash salts interbedded with greater thicknesses of sodium chloride or common salt. These salt measures are relict deposits from the evaporation of an arm of the Zechstein (Permian) Sea which formerly covered northern Europe. During the peak year of 1940, Germany produced salts containing 1,860,000 tons of K,O and, next to coal, potash is its most important mineral raw material. The German deposits are found in the synclinal areas flanking the Flechtingen, Hartz Mountain and Thuringian uplifts, and, to the north they lie beneath the plains of Hannover. The regional dip of the salt measures is to the north, hence, lenses of potash found at depths of 500 to 1000 m* in the Two general depositional provinces of potash concentrations are recognized: (1) the main basin, and (2) the subsidiary basin. The main basin embraces the producing districts of Stassfurt, Sud Hartz, Halle, and Hannover-Braunschweig. From J. P. SMITH, Member AIME, is Clzief Geologist, U. S. Potash Co., Carlsbad, New Mexico. New York Meeting, February 1948. TP 2621 H. Discussion of this paper (2 copies) may be sent to Transactions AIME before Feb. 28, 1950. Manuscript received May 26, 1948. 40 to 45 pct of the German production comes from this basin. The Werra-Fulda district, producer of 50 pct or more of the German potash, lies in the subsidiary basin. Salt Stratigraphy: Five commercial potash zones or beds are recognized. The three beds present in the main basin are: The Stassfurt bed that occurs near the top of the older salt, and the Ronnenberg and Riedel beds in the younger salt occurring 200 to 300 m, respectively, above the Stassfurt bed. The Stassfurt bed is found over the entire main basin, while the Ronnenberg and Riedel are restricted to the Hannover area. Two potash beds occur in the Werra basin. These are the Thuringian, or lower bed and the Hessen or upper potash bed that occurs 60 m above. These beds lie 210 and 150 m, respectively, below the position of the Stassfurt bed, and are restricted to the Werra basin. The upper bed is 2.5 to 11.5 m in thickness, and the principal ores are hartsalz with varying thicknesses of carnallite. The lower bed averages 3 m in thickness, and contains hartsalz. The upper bed is presently being mined, and the

Jan 1, 1951

By William P. Kimball, Morris Cohen

This paper deals with the calculation of the composition of the infinitesimal trace of alloy that transfers from the liquid to the solid state at each temperature during the equilibrium solidification of a binary solid solution, and which thereby enables the compositions of the coexisting liquid and solid phases to follow along the liquidus and solidus lines respectively during the cooling. A general expressioll for the composition (6) of the liquid-to-solid transfer at each temperature has been derived: , = Zlxl{xl - P) + ZsXsiP - xs) [I] Zl(xl -P)+ Zs{P - xs) where ZL and Zs are the slopes of the liquidus and solidus lines at the given temperature, xl and xs are the compositions of the stable liquid and solid phases at the same temperature, and P is the composition of the alloy under consideration. The d equation is valid for the process of equilibrium heating as well as cooling, and may be applied to vapor-to-liquid, vapor-to-solid, liquid-to-liquid, and solid-to-solid transfers if the corresponding equilibrium diagrams are known. The d-versus-temperature curves for two alloys P1 and P2 are shown in Fig. I. In each case, the liquid-to-solid transfer has the same composition as the stable solid phase only at the temperature of the beginning of solidification, and has the same composition as the stable liquid phase only at the temperature of the completion of solidification. At each intermediate temperature, the composition of the liquid-to-solid transfer differs by a finite amount from those of the two coexisting phases. Therefore, during equilibrium cooling. the transfers must merge into the solid phase from the liquid without forming a transition phase; otherwise the condition of equilibrium would be violated. At any given temperature during solidification, the composition of the liquid-to-solid

Jan 1, 1941

By Charles T. Baroch, Charles J. Baroch

In 20 years of commercial development, nuclear reactors have demonstrated that they are a safe, dependable, and economical source of power. Operating experience with commercial power reactors has firmly established nuclear power as a practicable source of energy. For both boiling-water (BWR) and pressurized-water (PWR) reactors, performances to date have generally met design predictions. Furthermore, it has become possible to analyze and understand the nuclear, chemical, and physical behavior of this class of reactors. The United Kingdom has had similar success with gas-cooled reactors. The Experimental Boiling Water Reactor (EBWR), the first United States experimental power reactor, began operation in 1956. It proved to be capable of supplying 4500 kw (kilowatts) of power. This reactor was followed in 1957 by the Pressurized Water Reactor at Shippingport, Pa. It was the nation's first full-scale central-station nuclear power plant and the first in the world designed exclusively for the production of civilian electric power. The Shippingport reactor was originally designed to produce 60 megawatts (MW) of electricity, and it was increased to 100 MW in 1964. In 12 years of operation, this reactor generated over 4.5-million MW-hr of electricity in spite of many shutdowns for experimental alterations. By 1969, a total of 15 central-station nuclear power reactors were operable in the United States with an aggregate electrical capacity of over 4200 MW. Early in 1964, Jersey Central Power & Light Co. announced plans for constructing a 515-MW nuclear plant at Oyster Creek, N.J., to be built without government financial assistance. The company stated that a nuclear plant had been selected competitively with fossil fuel. Their economic analysis stated that the plant would generate electricity at less than 4 mills per kw-hr, competitive with coal at 200 per million Btu (British thermal units). Coal cost in 1964 for that region averaged 26.00 per million Btu. The Jersey Central report created wide interest in public-utility circles; nevertheless, no other nuclear plants were announced in 1964. However, in 1965, six nuclear plants were announced by utilities, followed by 26 in 1966, 29 in 1967, and 10 in 1968. By Sept. 30, 1969, 97 reactors were operable, being built, or planned. The cost of these, all committed by electric utilities, was estimated at about $12 billion. When constructed, they will have an electrical capacity of 72,000 MW. The unprecedented surge in power reactors that started in 1965 tapered in 1968, and only seven reactors were announced in

Jan 1, 1976

By COREY C. BRAYTON

OUR first air travel began at Barranquilla on a trip to the platinum dredging-operations at Andagoya. The fare is based on a minimum weight of passenger, and I will have to admit that the minimum is too low. To make this trip by boat would have necessitated going back to the Canal, thence down to Buena Ventura, and up the San Juan river, which would have taken, counting delays, two or three weeks. The time by Scadta airplane was six hours. We stopped at Cartagena for a day to look over that historic city. The route from there lay along the north coast to the mouth of the Atrato river, then up this river, over the jungle, and over a divide some 300'ft. in elevation and down the San Juan river a few miles to Andagoya at the junction of the Condoto. The General

Jan 1, 1930

By Morris Cohen, William P. Kimball

This paper deals with the calculation of the composition of the infinitesimal trace of alloy that transfers from the liquid to the solid state at each temperature during the equilibrium solidification of a binary solid solution, and which thereby enables the compositions of the coexisting liquid and solid phases to follow along the liquidus and solidus lines respectively during the cooling. A general expressioll for the composition (6) of the liquid-to-solid transfer at each temperature has been derived: , = Zlxl{xl - P) + ZsXsiP - xs) [I] Zl(xl -P)+ Zs{P - xs) where ZL and Zs are the slopes of the liquidus and solidus lines at the given temperature, xl and xs are the compositions of the stable liquid and solid phases at the same temperature, and P is the composition of the alloy under consideration. The d equation is valid for the process of equilibrium heating as well as cooling, and may be applied to vapor-to-liquid, vapor-to-solid, liquid-to-liquid, and solid-to-solid transfers if the corresponding equilibrium diagrams are known. The d-versus-temperature curves for two alloys P1 and P2 are shown in Fig. I. In each case, the liquid-to-solid transfer has the same composition as the stable solid phase only at the temperature of the beginning of solidification, and has the same composition as the stable liquid phase only at the temperature of the completion of solidification. At each intermediate temperature, the composition of the liquid-to-solid transfer differs by a finite amount from those of the two coexisting phases. Therefore, during equilibrium cooling. the transfers must merge into the solid phase from the liquid without forming a transition phase; otherwise the condition of equilibrium would be violated. At any given temperature during solidification, the composition of the liquid-to-solid

Jan 1, 1941

By J. C. Trantham, J. W. Marx

From 1955 to 1958 the Phillips Petroleum Co. conducted a series of small scale counterflow combustion field tests in a tar sand about 60-ft deep and 6 to 12-ft thick near Bellamy, Mo. A total of seven different well patterns, including conventional five-spots and seven-spots plus a 15-well line drive pattern and a 10-well radial pattern, were employed. Electric heaters, gas burners and wellbore fuel packs were tested as counterflow ignition devices. Direct drive ignition followed by reversal to counterflow operation was not possible in this case because of formation plugging by the semi-solid tar during the direct drive phase. Sustained counterflow burning was achieved with wellbore fuel packs under conirolled conditions which permitted close correlation of fire front velocity, air velocity, air-oil ratios and yields for a wide variation in process parameters. The tar in place was about 10' APl with a reservoir viscosity greater than 500,000 cp. The composite oil prodlcct was 26' API with a viscosity in the range of 5 to 15 cp. Vertical sweep efficiency in the line drive pattern was essentially 100 per cent, with no evidence of gravity segregation. Original tar in place ranged between 800 and 1,000 bbllacre-ft, specific rock permeability averaged about 800 md before burning and effective air pemeability with residual oil and water in place (at the time of ignition) averaged 250 md. The volume of oil recovered during stabilized line drive counterflow burning represented about 67 per cent of the volume of tar originally in place in the burned out zones. A minimum was found when air-oil ratios were plotted against formation air velocities, and a limiting air velocity existed below which the counterflow fire front reversed and burned back over its own trajectory, using the residual coke left behind. INTRODUCTION Early in 1955 the Phillips Petroleum Co. began preparations to field test counterflow underground combustion as a method for producing oil from high viscosity hydrocarbon deposits, such as bituminous (tar) sands. At that time all published information on the use of underground burning io increase oil recovery was based on the direct drive process, in which the fire front moved through the formatim in the same direction as the injected air stream. Such direct burning is not applicable to many heavy oil sands or to most tar sands because the heat-thinned native hydrocarbon congeals in the cold rock ahead of the fire front forming a gas permeability block which smothers the combustion. Laboratory experiments first demonstrated that this permeability blocking would not occur if the fire front and the air stream moved in opposite directions. In this counterflow (reverse) burning process the heated heavy oil or tar is driven back through the combustion zone. Here thermal cracking produces relatively light hydrocarbon products which pass through the heated rock behind the fire front (largely in the vapor phase) and are incapable of causing a gas permeability block.' Exploratory wring revealed that consolidated bituminous sandstones with a combination of tar saturation, permeability, thickness and depth favorable for experimental field testing existed at several points in western Missouri. By the fall of 1955, a test site for determining technical feasibility of the counterflow process under field conditions had been selected near Bellamy, Vernon County, Mo. — about fifty miles north of Joplin. The pay zone was too thin and too shallow to constitute a commercial prospect, but these same factors permitted controlled experimental operation with a small compressor installation and with a large number of monitor wells. These were needed for adequate observation of the underground phenomena at reasonable cost. RESERVOIR CHARACTERISTICS The reservoir chosen for the experimental field tests was a 124 thick section of tar sand extending from 49 to 61 ft subsurface, with shale and siltstone laminations sealing the top and bottom. This section was part of a larger 30-ft thick tar sand deposit which extended both above and below the test zone. Core analyses showed that the 12-ft sand was effectively subdivided into two approximately equal sections, with the lower zone being consistently more permeable than the upper zone. The most significant laboratory core data are summarized in Table 1. The line drive test which is the principal subject of this report utilized only the lower 6-ft thick zone, with the upper zone regarded as part of the 55-ft overburden. WELL PATTERNS The over-all field test program involved a total of seven different well patterns, including conventional five-spots and seven-spots plus a 15-well line drive pattern and a 10-well radial pattern. In some of the tests the full 12-ft zone was employed; in other cases only the more perme-

Jan 1, 1967

By Henderson, Robert

A GOOD idea of the magnitude of the underground operations at Climax can be gained from the following figures. A little more than 43,000,000 tons has been drawn from the mine and of this amount, 40,500,000 tons has been drawn in the past ten years and 12,000,000 tons was drawn in two of the war years. The maximum daily average output over a period of one month was slightly more than 20,000 tons but during this period, production on certain days was 24,000 tons, and 9000 tons was produced in a single eight-hour shift. This production came chiefly from 260 draw points although all of them were never in operation at one time. The haulage system for these draw points is made up of 7.5 miles of 36-in.-gauge track, and 131,000 ft. of subsidiary drifts and 44,000 ft. of raises have been driven to develop the necessary broken ore reserves for this high production. Power consumption is often considered an index of operating efficiency. In 1943, the year of maximum production, the mine power consumption was 19,223,000 kw.-hr. or 3 kw.-hr. per ton; in 1945 it was 3.5 kw.-hr. per ton. To handle this amount of power, there are four transformer stations and one switch station in the mine. Mr. Garrabrant, the chief electrician, describes the electrical installation in this issue.

Jan 1, 1946

By John T. Eastlick

The Banner mining district is about 70 miles northeast of Tucson in the southern part of Gila County, Arizona. Production from the district, valued at about $26 million, is chiefly from copper-silver-lead zinc ores. The stratigraphic section consists of Precambrian conglomerates, quartzites, dolomites, and limestones, Cambrian quartzites; Devonian limestones; dolomites, and shales; Mississippian limestones; Pennsylvanian limestones and shales; and Cretaceous volcanic and sedimentary rocks. Deformation of these rocks presumably started near the end of the Cretaceous, and extended into the late Tertiary. The sedimentary rocks were folded, faulted, and intruded by fine grained diorite, quartz mica diorite, and dacite porphyry. At least four distinct stages of mineralization are recognized. In the first stage of contact metamorphism and the second stage of hydrothermal alteration, favorable zones were prepared for ore deposition. Metallization occurred in three of the mineralizing stages. Magnetite, pyrite, and hematite were deposited near the end of the second stage of hydrothermal alteration. The third stage included the main deposition of sphalerite, chalcopyrite, bornite, and galena. In the fourth and final stage, minor amounts of sulfide minerals were deposited with a late anhydrite and quartz gangue. The ore deposits in the form of veins and veinlets, pipes, irregular massive replacements, and bedded replacements are localized by the extent and distribution of metamorphic and hydrothermal alteration, by the proximity to the intrusive contacts, and by the effects of structural development. Oxidized ores of copper, lead, and zinc constituted the principal production of the district prior to 1940, but, for the most part, supergene enrichment was of minor economic importance. The ore bodies of the district are in the mesothermal class of deposits, occurring as normal metasomatic replacement and vein types.

Jan 1, 1968

By Robert Hunt

ONE of the most serious and important economic administrative problems facing American railway authorities to-day is that of their rails, and it is one to which much thought, is being given, not only by the executive officers of the railways and the manufacturers of the steel rails, but also by State and National commissions. It is realized by many and admitted by some that the present situation is one which cannot continue. The roadways of railways must be made more secure, or the weight of rolling stock and the speed of trains must be lessened; and the desired result must be attained with the minimum outlay of money, both in expenditure on plant and in cost of operation. If the investment per mile is too large, or through the lessening of tonnage and efficiency of equipment the cost of operation is too great, the desired and demanded cheap service cannot he rendered to the public. Therefore, the weight of equipment cannot be greatly reduced, and lessening the rapidity of service would be far from satisfactory; consequently, the safety of the roadway must be secured with the least practical outlay. It is imperative that the roadbed should be properly graded, with the fewest practically possible curves; that it should have good ballast, be well drained, have good ties properly spaced, and be laid with sound rails of suitable weight, efficiently joined together, and that the whole property be carefully and intelligently cared for. My province is to treat of the sound rails. During the last few years there has been renewed interest in and discussion of that question, and I know that many rail makers not only have been and are desirous of maintaining the highest standards of manufacture which they may have attained, but have been and are seeking to better their product, in several instances devoting much time and money to that end. At the same time, they realize that the cost of any improvement in quality which they may accomplish must be kept within certain commercial bounds; and that fact is as fully understood by their patrons as by themselves, and it should be kept in mind by all who discuss the question.

Jan 2, 1914

By Warren Smith

IT has been 5 years since the writer left the Philippine Islands and while in that country his chief work did not lie in this field, though he has visited all but one of the localities mentioned in this article. The principal field studies relating to oil were made by his colleague, Mr. Wallace E. Pratt. The writer's investigations dealt with the general stratigraphy and paleontology of the Philippines. With the exception of the investigations made by Mr. Pratt and the writer very little information on this subject is available. A number of geologists in the employ of large oil companies have visited the Islands from time to time but, following the general rule, the public has scarcely ever been permitted to learn anything of the results. The writer is indebted to the Bureau of Insular Affairs, Washington, for late information regarding recent legislation in the Islands relating to petroleum. All the known oil seeps, petroleum residues, such as ozocerite, and natural-gas emanations are associated with Tertiary sediments. The chief seeps and most promising prospects are located as follows: 1. Bondoc Peninsula (lower end), Tayabas Province, Southeast Luzon. 2. The west coast of the island of Cebú from Alegria north to, and perhaps beyond, Toledo. 3. Central Mindanao not far from Lake Lanao. 4. The ozocerite veins on the Island of Leyte in the northwestern part in the vicinity of the town of Villaba. 5. Natural gas from some deep wells in Tertiary shale formations on the eastern flank of the Cordillera and extending out under the plain on the island of Panay.

Jan 2, 1920

By G. M. Ault, G. C. Deutsch

The paper reviews the efforts made to utilize powder metallurgy to solve problems encountered when using alloys at high temperatures. The following subjects are discussed: comparison of wrought and sintered super alloys, sintered aluminum powder, porous materials for transpiration cooling, molybdenum, and cermets. TODAY, powder-metallurgy techniques are be-JL coming increasingly important, producing materials which at the present time cannot be made by any other method. Among these materials are high melting-point metals such as tantalum and tungsten, porous metals for filters and lubricant-containing bearings, electrical contacts and electrodes (i.e., tungsten-copper), cutting tools of the cemented carbides, and magnet alloys. In addition, the powder-metallurgy industry has grown because, through the application of its methods, shaped parts, such as gears, can be produced at tremendous rates with a low scrap loss in comparison with manufacture by casting or forging and machining. In the past few years, by utilizing powder metallurgy, several approaches to the problem of high temperature materials have been investigated. In this paper the authors will review some of the studies on application of materials having properties above 1350°F. Since their experience lies in the aeronautical field, possible uses of powder-metallurgy techniques in the production of aircraft en- gines will be emphasized. A large portion of the work is classified, but such a restriction has not eliminated any field from discussion, although limiting the amount of detail it is possible to present. The development of high temperature alloys from powders and porous metals for cooling will be discussed as well as research done on molybdenum and molybdenum alloys, cermets, and intermetallics. Some studies on the utilization of cermets will be considered along with special problems that have been revealed through these investigations. Special interest in certain factors of sintered aluminum powder (SAP) makes it desirable to discuss this material although its use temperature is below the 1350°F limitation set for this paper. High Temperature Alloys from Powders In general, components made from powders for room-temperature application have been investigated with the primary purpose of taking advantage of the high production rates and economies made possible by powder metallurgy. From the standpoint of properties, the ojective of the powder metallurgist has been to obtain a product comparable to the cast or wrought product that is to be replaced. Comparisons of the properties of alloys made by powder-metallurgy methods with those of similar compositions made by casting and forging are reported in the literature.12 In many cases equivalent

Jan 1, 1955

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 C. S. Anderson

Georgia, since 1829, has produced nearly $18,000,000 from her gold mines, but in late years the output has dwindled to insignificance. In view of present universal efforts to increase gold production, it seems pertinent to record some recent observations in that field, briefly review its past and weigh probabilities of reviving gold mining there. Little in this paper can be claimed as new or original, and it does not present results of a detailed or profound investigation of the whole region. The Allatoona gold mine was reopened in January, 1932, and explored at greater depth during the period from January to June of that year. A number of other abandoned mines were visited, but since the workings, in common with most such mines in Georgia, were flooded or caved, underground conditions could not be examined. For a wider knowledge of the subject, a search was made through available pertinent literature and statistics, a bibliography of which is appended hereto. To all the sources obligations are gratefully acknowledged. Production The discovery of gold in Georgia, in 1829, led to an influx of 6000 to 7000 miners and a production of over $200,000 in the following year. A branch of the United States Mint, established at Dahlonega in 1838, accounted for $6,115,569 up to the time of the Civil War. The output fluctuated greatly from year to year, with an all-time peak of $582,782 in 1843. In only one other year, 1845, was the half million mark exceeded. After the war mining began again, but 1883 is the last year for which an output of $200,000 is reported. Placers, always the main source of production, were yielding less and less, and in spite of increased quartz-mining activities the downward trend continued. The last year in which there was a production of $100,000 was 1902. In 1914, $16,270 came from 26 placers and 11 deep mines, with the latter reporting 1750 tons of $3 average value. In 1925, one placer and four lode mines that mined 8100 tons assaying $1.19 per ton produced $9500. One placer and one quartz mine, operating in 1930, reported a total output of $4194. Table 1 pictures the waning output.

Jan 1, 1934

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

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

By Robert Bosworth

THE liability for damages to the surface caused by subsidence is an ever present threat in all underground mining. In ordinary lode mining, this threat rarely materializes into an action, due to the method of mining metalliferous ores, the dip of the veins, and the nature of the ground itself. In the mining of coal, however, this threat is very real. The coal frequently lies close to the surface, in beds underlying large areas of land of which the surface is suitable for agricultural or urban development. Furthermore, the coal is generally mined by the "room and pillar " method and when the pillars of coal are removed, the subjacent support is destroyed. This question of the duty of surface support has now become a very live one in Colorado. What was waste prairie land a few years ago has become valuable agricultural land dotted here and there with growing towns. Frequent references will be made here to Colorado conditions and adjudicated cases, but those conditions and cases and the conclusions to be drawn therefrom are applicable to all coal-mining states. Briefly stated, the question is "Does the owner of the substrata or underlying mineral owe any duty of surface support to the owner of the superjacent strata or surface?" There is no absolute duty of support owed by the mineral owner and this assertion is made with full knowledge of numerous expressions to the contrary by courts of Pennsylvania, Illinois, Colorado and other coal-mining states. Whether or not any duty exists depends upon the circumstances surrounding each case, and since in the nature of things those circumstances are rarely identical, there can be no absolute rule.

Jan 1, 1928