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By Carl G. Hogberg

DURING recent months, the acute shortage of steel scrap has necessitated the use of higher percentages of hot metal in the open-hearth charge. With these higher percentages, the sulphur content of hot metal has become an increasingly important factor in the control of the quality of steel. Thus, the blast-furnace operator is faced with a demand not only for more output but for a higher quality of product. More than go per cent of the sulphur charged into the blast furnace is contained in the coke. With the tremendously increased demand, the trend of coke quality has been toward higher sulphur, higher and more variable ash, and poorer physical characteristics. This has been brought about by less selective coal mining, increased production rates in coke plants and resumption of operations of many beehive ovens. In a single month last year, one blast-furnace plant in the Pittsburgh district operated with coke obtained from 52 sources. The effect of variability and quantity of coke ash on blast-furnace operation is well known. The improved results obtained with furnaces operating on coke made from washed coals compared with results on coke made from raw coals is ample proof of the effectiveness of low and uniform ash. Coal-washing plants, however, require a large capital expenditure, and are impractical for most of the large number of small producers, whose operations are confined chiefly to periods of abnormally high demand. Furthermore, not all coals are physically adaptable to washing. PRINCIPLES OF IRON DESULPHURIZATION IN FURNACE Although investigations of the blast-furnace process have not clearly revealed the detailed mechanism of iron desulphurization within the furnace, they have been sufficiently extensive to permit a postulation of the following general principles: I. Iron, in its travel from furnace top to hearth, continues to pick up sulphur until it has reached tuyere level. The zone of iron desulphurization is relatively narrow, being confined to a vertical distance extending approximately from tuyere level to the iron-slag interface in the hearth.1 2. Combustion of coke is confined to spherical zones extending approximately 40 in. from the nose of each tuyere.2 Coke ash is released as the coke burns in these combustion areas. 3. With a constant amount of sulphur in the charge, the sulphur content of the metal product is a function of hearth temperature, final slag analysis, slag viscosity, and slag volume. Both hearth temperature and slag analysis affect slag viscosity. For a slag of constant analysis, viscosity always decreases with an increase in temperature;

Jan 1, 1943

By Henry J. Joesting

During the past year and a half, the Territorial Department of Mines in Alaska has conducted a modest experimental program for the purpose of determining the extent to which magnetic and resistivity methods can be used in interior Alaska in connection with prospecting, mining and geological studies. Since little information is available concerning previous work,l,2 and since conditions differ considerably from those in most other regions, it was considered advisable to make a general study of the possibilities and limitations of the two methods, rather than a detailed study of any single problem. Problems One of the most serious handicaps to prospecting and geological study in interior Alaska, especially in the mature regions, is a cover of unconsolidated deposits ranging in thickness from a few feet to several hundred feet. These deposits, some of which are permanently frozen, consist of silt with varying proportions of vegetation and windblown material in the valleys and of residual deposits on the hills.3'4 The problems treated here are caused by the existence of this overburden: I. Location of buried placers. 2. Determination of depth and areal distribution of permanently frozen and of thawed unconsolidated deposits. 3. Location of water-bearing beds under unconsolidated deposits. Instruments and Methods Magnetic and direct-current resistivity methods were used because they are relatively simple, rapid and inexpensive and because generally they are well suited to the study of the problems indicated. The instruments used were a vertical Schmidt-type magnetometer and a direct-current resistivity instrument similar to those used by the Geophysical Branch of the U. S. Geological Survey. For placer surveys with the magnetometer, a sensitivity of about 25 gammas per scale division was found suitable. For resistivity studies of frozen and thawed overburden and of underground water, the Lee partitioning method6 was found to be most generally suitable. In the Lee method a central potential electrode is placed midway between the two potential electrodes of the Wenner four-electrode configuration.7 Nonpolarizable electrodes were made from unglazed porcelain pots about 10 cm. high and 5 cm. in diameter. In order to retard evaporation of the electrolyte the sides of the pots were glazed, inside and out, with clear Duco lacquer. For resistivity work in cold weather, a nonfreezing electrolyte consisting of equal parts of ethylene glycol and a saturated water solution of copper sulphate proved satisfactory. Stainless steel rods of 3/4-in. diameter made excellent current electrodes because their bright finish enabled good ground contacts to be made.

Jan 1, 1946

By Henry J. Joesting

During the past year and a half, the Territorial Department of Mines in Alaska has conducted a modest experimental program for the purpose of determining the extent to which magnetic and resistivity methods can be used in interior Alaska in connection with prospecting, mining and geological studies. Since little information is available concerning previous work,l,2 and since conditions differ considerably from those in most other regions, it was considered advisable to make a general study of the possibilities and limitations of the two methods, rather than a detailed study of any single problem. Problems One of the most serious handicaps to prospecting and geological study in interior Alaska, especially in the mature regions, is a cover of unconsolidated deposits ranging in thickness from a few feet to several hundred feet. These deposits, some of which are permanently frozen, consist of silt with varying proportions of vegetation and windblown material in the valleys and of residual deposits on the hills.3'4 The problems treated here are caused by the existence of this overburden: I. Location of buried placers. 2. Determination of depth and areal distribution of permanently frozen and of thawed unconsolidated deposits. 3. Location of water-bearing beds under unconsolidated deposits. Instruments and Methods Magnetic and direct-current resistivity methods were used because they are relatively simple, rapid and inexpensive and because generally they are well suited to the study of the problems indicated. The instruments used were a vertical Schmidt-type magnetometer and a direct-current resistivity instrument similar to those used by the Geophysical Branch of the U. S. Geological Survey. For placer surveys with the magnetometer, a sensitivity of about 25 gammas per scale division was found suitable. For resistivity studies of frozen and thawed overburden and of underground water, the Lee partitioning method6 was found to be most generally suitable. In the Lee method a central potential electrode is placed midway between the two potential electrodes of the Wenner four-electrode configuration.7 Nonpolarizable electrodes were made from unglazed porcelain pots about 10 cm. high and 5 cm. in diameter. In order to retard evaporation of the electrolyte the sides of the pots were glazed, inside and out, with clear Duco lacquer. For resistivity work in cold weather, a nonfreezing electrolyte consisting of equal parts of ethylene glycol and a saturated water solution of copper sulphate proved satisfactory. Stainless steel rods of 3/4-in. diameter made excellent current electrodes because their bright finish enabled good ground contacts to be made.

Jan 1, 1946

By Wilbert G. McBride

Two Also 3 1/2-ton motor trucks were used by Young Bros. while operating at the Mammoth Collins mine at Shultz, Ariz. One was equipped with an oil tank holding 1,075 gal. and was used for the transportation of "tops." The other was fitted with a stake body and used to carry machinery, wood, rails, pipe and all classes of miscellaneous supplies. The bodies were made of oak with maple flooring and were attached to the frame of the chassis by U-bolts, to avoid drilling the main members of the frame. Most of the hauling was done from Tucson, a distance of 47 1/2 miles. During the first 3 months, part of the road was in very bad condition and the tire cost was excessive. After this part was repaired the road was in fair condition, but never good. There were no excessive grades or bad sand, but wagon ruts, too narrow for the truck wheels and of a different gage, caused heavy tire loss; while chuck holes, sharp curves and stones, both imbedded and loose, were objectionable features. During wet weather the trucks could not get sufficient traction to climb some of the hills and were likely to stick in the mud in certain places, so that no attempt was made to run them unless they were on the' road when the rain started. This lost time amounted to about 5 per cent. of the total, but, whenever possible, it was utilized in making minor repairs. The price of gasoline was from 17 to 21 c. per gal. Rubber tires were used throughout. Drivers were said $4.50 to $5 per shift, and a return trip to Tucson was counted as two shifts even when made in one day. Drivers were provided with a room in Tucson and were paid for a11 time lost due to causes beyond their control. Trucks were loaded one way only. Speedometers were placed on both trucks but the excessive vibration soon caused them to fail. For this reason, and because no account was taken of the distance covered in picking up a miscellaneous load or in other minor ways, the mileage given is under the actual distance traveled. Some of the weights had to be estimated, but care was taken to have the number of ton-miles low rather than high, to avoid underestimating the costs. The cost of hauling from Tucson to the mines was $12 per ton

Jan 1, 1917

By Benny J. Nelson

To obtain information on the effect of gallium upon the corrosion of magnesium alloys, tests were made on the commercial alloy AM52S (Mg-3 pct Al-1 pct Zn-0.2 pct Mn) and experimental

Jan 1, 1957

By W. Rostoker

LAVES and Wallbaum1 and more recently Duwez and Taylor' have reported on the occurrence of a family of intermediate phases having the composition Ti2X, where X may be Cu, Ni, Co, Fe, or Mn.

Jan 1, 1953

By W. T. Bishop, G. A. Crowe

While the literature in the United States on general polarographic technique is extensive, very little appears to be directly applicable to the analysis of flotation tailings. For this reason, it seemed worth while to present a few polarographic methods of ore analysis that have been in constant use in the laboratories of the Hercules Experiment Station for the past few years. At the time of our initial investigation of the polarographic method, there was little or no mention of its specific application to flotation tailings. It was therefore necessary for us to establish suitable conditions for the analysis of our flotation tailings and to consider possible interfering constituents. The polarograph, or dropping mercury electrode, method was discovered in 1925 by J. Heyrovsky and M. Shikata,1 of the Charles University, Prague. This method has since received extensive development and the literature contains many articles on the use of the polarograph for the quantitative determination of metals as well as anions, oxygen in solution, and reducible organic compounds. Kolthoff and Lingane,² by the publication of their book, "Polarography," in 1941 did much to advance the knowledge and use of the polarograph. In chapter 25 of that book, methods for the polarographic analysis of brass, steel and iron products, alloys, and zinc ore are given. Aluminum,³ cadmium,³,4 cobalt,4 cop-per,³-9 gold,10 iron,3,11 lead,³,l2,l³ molybdenum,14 nickel,4,8,9 tin," and zinc³,4,5,7 in ores have been analyzed by the polarograph. However, most of the work on tailing samples has been published in Russian journals and translations are not yet readily available. In this paper we will describe the method that was developed and used in our laboratory for the determination of copper, zinc, and lead in flotation tailings. Principle OF the Method The polarograph is an instrument for applying a potential to a mercury pool and a dropping mercury electrode separated by a solution, and for measuring the resultant electrical current. The procedure is essentially a small-scale electrolysis, in which the voltage required to reduce or oxidize the material identifies it qualitatively and the current measures the concentration quantitatively. Different constituents in a sample may often be determined simultaneously provided they reduce at sufficiently different voltages. An example is the determination of copper and zinc in the same solution. The reduction potentials are quite far apart, as shown in Fig. I. The polarographic method is particularly useful in the range of concentration between those normally determined by spectographic and chemical methods. In

Jan 1, 1947

By G. A. Crowe, W. T. Bishop

While the literature in the United States on general polarographic technique is extensive, very little appears to be directly applicable to the analysis of flotation tailings. For this reason, it seemed worth while to present a few polarographic methods of ore analysis that have been in constant use in the laboratories of the Hercules Experiment Station for the past few years. At the time of our initial investigation of the polarographic method, there was little or no mention of its specific application to flotation tailings. It was therefore necessary for us to establish suitable conditions for the analysis of our flotation tailings and to consider possible interfering constituents. The polarograph, or dropping mercury electrode, method was discovered in 1925 by J. Heyrovsky and M. Shikata,1 of the Charles University, Prague. This method has since received extensive development and the literature contains many articles on the use of the polarograph for the quantitative determination of metals as well as anions, oxygen in solution, and reducible organic compounds. Kolthoff and Lingane,² by the publication of their book, "Polarography," in 1941 did much to advance the knowledge and use of the polarograph. In chapter 25 of that book, methods for the polarographic analysis of brass, steel and iron products, alloys, and zinc ore are given. Aluminum,³ cadmium,³,4 cobalt,4 cop-per,³-9 gold,10 iron,3,11 lead,³,l2,l³ molybdenum,14 nickel,4,8,9 tin," and zinc³,4,5,7 in ores have been analyzed by the polarograph. However, most of the work on tailing samples has been published in Russian journals and translations are not yet readily available. In this paper we will describe the method that was developed and used in our laboratory for the determination of copper, zinc, and lead in flotation tailings. Principle OF the Method The polarograph is an instrument for applying a potential to a mercury pool and a dropping mercury electrode separated by a solution, and for measuring the resultant electrical current. The procedure is essentially a small-scale electrolysis, in which the voltage required to reduce or oxidize the material identifies it qualitatively and the current measures the concentration quantitatively. Different constituents in a sample may often be determined simultaneously provided they reduce at sufficiently different voltages. An example is the determination of copper and zinc in the same solution. The reduction potentials are quite far apart, as shown in Fig. I. The polarographic method is particularly useful in the range of concentration between those normally determined by spectographic and chemical methods. In

Jan 1, 1947

By Shiou-Chuan Sun, R. F. Wesner, J. D. Morgan

0. C. Ralston and F. Fraas—Dr. Sun and associates have presented an interesting paper not all of which is comprehended by us. The data assembled measure the deflections of particles in an electrostatic field as a function of a number of independent variables and some dependent variables that are not sharply differentiated. These data are all based on a Johnson type machine of definite, well-described geometry, something not often done in electrostatic separation literature. One new fact brought out by this technique is the effect of coal dust on admixed pyrite and quartz. The effects are opposite in character, as should be expected and we do not agree with the authors that these effects are negligible. Fraas' also used a multiple cell "distribution analyzer" and gives in fig. 5 of his paper a straight line plot with no humps or curves. This is not necessarily at variance with Sun's results because Fraas used a larger gap between electrodes and had no evidence of particles adhering to or dropping off the charged electrode. The section of Sun's paper on effect of surface conductivity contains a speculation that the dielectric constant "represents more or less the electrical conductance of the bulk body instead of the surface of the mineral particles." A simple picture of the meaning of the dielectric constant is that it is the specific inductive capacity of a dielectric when used as the dielectric between the plates of a condenser. It is at once evident that the above speculation confuses capacity with conductance—two definitely independent variables. We ask the authors to state in what group or subdivision their garnet belongs; what method and units were used in calculating the data of col. A, table I and their meaning; what was the temperature of the carrier roll and, finally, has any effort been made to investigate the effects of particle shape on distribution in the electrostatic field? S. B. Hudson—I have read this article with great interest. We have been engaged in research work on the principles of electrostatic separation in this laboratory for some time now, and our findings agree with those of the authors in many respects. The article shows evidence of careful and valuable research in the field of electrostatic separation. A "distribution analyser," very similar to that described in an earlier article by one of the authors," was incorporated in an inclined plate-type electrostatic separator designed and built in the Melbourne University laboratory in 1948 for investigation purposes.22 The actual splitting edges were machined from y! in. per-spex, and the paper hoppers were supported on linen thread immediately below the perspex dividers. These dividers fitted into machined slots in a framework to give accurate Yz-in. spacings. The hoppers (staggered) fed directly into a rack of test tubes, which is supported on a vertical pantograph arrangement. The rack was positioned with guides on the horizontal pantograph stand, and this ensured positive alignment when replacing the rack after making weighings. In later work, when much heavier feed rates were used, of the order of 30 to 40 Ib per in. per hr a rack fitted with rectangular metal containers and similarly aligned was used. Some work was done here on comparing the distributions of minerals when passed separately and when passed as a mixture, and it was found that there was quite an appreciable difference in the two results.= However, in our separator the particles do not pass down the plate in a single layer, and this difference is probably caused by collisions of one mineral particles with the other mineral particles. In most of the investigational work here, the change of the center point of the distribution is measured to establish the effect of a variable, such as voltage. Two minerals (zircon and rutile) have been studied rather exhaustively, and it was found that their distributions are very nearly normal. Owing to the sharpness of the distribution curves, the usual method of obtaining the mean or median was inaccurate, and was not used; instead the mean (also the median), calculated on the assumption of a normal distribution, was used to locate the center point of each distribution and proved satisfactory. The effect of polarity becomes very apparent in the plate-type separator where frictional charges play a very important part when using highly resistive minerals such as zircon. With rutile, a comparatively conductive mineral, polarity of the electrode has little effect. On the other hand, the magnitude of the voltage has a far greater effect on conductive than on resistive minerals. Shiou-Chuan Sun (authors' reply)—Thanks are extended to Drs. Ralston and Fraas for their keen interest in this paper. Their questions concerning coal dust,

Jan 1, 1951

By Shiou-Chuan Sun, R. F. Wesner, J. D. Morgan

0. C. Ralston and F. Fraas—Dr. Sun and associates have presented an interesting paper not all of which is comprehended by us. The data assembled measure the deflections of particles in an electrostatic field as a function of a number of independent variables and some dependent variables that are not sharply differentiated. These data are all based on a Johnson type machine of definite, well-described geometry, something not often done in electrostatic separation literature. One new fact brought out by this technique is the effect of coal dust on admixed pyrite and quartz. The effects are opposite in character, as should be expected and we do not agree with the authors that these effects are negligible. Fraas' also used a multiple cell "distribution analyzer" and gives in fig. 5 of his paper a straight line plot with no humps or curves. This is not necessarily at variance with Sun's results because Fraas used a larger gap between electrodes and had no evidence of particles adhering to or dropping off the charged electrode. The section of Sun's paper on effect of surface conductivity contains a speculation that the dielectric constant "represents more or less the electrical conductance of the bulk body instead of the surface of the mineral particles." A simple picture of the meaning of the dielectric constant is that it is the specific inductive capacity of a dielectric when used as the dielectric between the plates of a condenser. It is at once evident that the above speculation confuses capacity with conductance—two definitely independent variables. We ask the authors to state in what group or subdivision their garnet belongs; what method and units were used in calculating the data of col. A, table I and their meaning; what was the temperature of the carrier roll and, finally, has any effort been made to investigate the effects of particle shape on distribution in the electrostatic field? S. B. Hudson—I have read this article with great interest. We have been engaged in research work on the principles of electrostatic separation in this laboratory for some time now, and our findings agree with those of the authors in many respects. The article shows evidence of careful and valuable research in the field of electrostatic separation. A "distribution analyser," very similar to that described in an earlier article by one of the authors," was incorporated in an inclined plate-type electrostatic separator designed and built in the Melbourne University laboratory in 1948 for investigation purposes.22 The actual splitting edges were machined from y! in. per-spex, and the paper hoppers were supported on linen thread immediately below the perspex dividers. These dividers fitted into machined slots in a framework to give accurate Yz-in. spacings. The hoppers (staggered) fed directly into a rack of test tubes, which is supported on a vertical pantograph arrangement. The rack was positioned with guides on the horizontal pantograph stand, and this ensured positive alignment when replacing the rack after making weighings. In later work, when much heavier feed rates were used, of the order of 30 to 40 Ib per in. per hr a rack fitted with rectangular metal containers and similarly aligned was used. Some work was done here on comparing the distributions of minerals when passed separately and when passed as a mixture, and it was found that there was quite an appreciable difference in the two results.= However, in our separator the particles do not pass down the plate in a single layer, and this difference is probably caused by collisions of one mineral particles with the other mineral particles. In most of the investigational work here, the change of the center point of the distribution is measured to establish the effect of a variable, such as voltage. Two minerals (zircon and rutile) have been studied rather exhaustively, and it was found that their distributions are very nearly normal. Owing to the sharpness of the distribution curves, the usual method of obtaining the mean or median was inaccurate, and was not used; instead the mean (also the median), calculated on the assumption of a normal distribution, was used to locate the center point of each distribution and proved satisfactory. The effect of polarity becomes very apparent in the plate-type separator where frictional charges play a very important part when using highly resistive minerals such as zircon. With rutile, a comparatively conductive mineral, polarity of the electrode has little effect. On the other hand, the magnitude of the voltage has a far greater effect on conductive than on resistive minerals. Shiou-Chuan Sun (authors' reply)—Thanks are extended to Drs. Ralston and Fraas for their keen interest in this paper. Their questions concerning coal dust,

Jan 1, 1951

By Bruce W. Gonser

TIN is not yet classed as a rare metal, but it has taken a long stride in that direction in the last ten months. It is now in Group 1 of the War Production Board's critical list, along with such company as magnesium aluminum, and nickel. This is in sharp contrast with the position a year ago when the supply well exceeded demand, and tin was used when feasible in place of really scarce metals. The geographical sources of tin production in recent years are shown in Table 1. Preponderance of former production in southeastern Asia, particularly Malaya and the Netherlands Indies (but all now controlled by the Japanese). is entirely too marked to be funny. Of the 1940 known world production of 237,000 long tons nearly all was controlled by the United States, Great Britain, and their friends. Now their supply is from countries that produced only 28 per cent of that amount. This excludes China and Australia, which because of shipping difficulties and local consumption, cannot be expected to export much tin. In spite of some expected increase in production, therefore, the supply is, and will continue to stay for at least several years, way below that desired for even normal uses. Although deliveries to consumers in the United States alone

Jan 1, 1942

By ANDREW CARNEGIE

Although the noble building provided in New York City by Mr. Carnegie for the United Engineering Society has been pushed to about half-completion, the ceremony of laying its corner-stone was not performed until Tuesday afternoon, May 8, 1906. The stone lies just back of the southeast corner of the building, on the north side-of West 39th Street. Among those present were Mr. and Mrs. Carnegie, Miss Whitfield, the sister of Mrs. Carnegie, Ralph W. Pope, Secretary of the Institute of Electrical Engineers, Frederick R. Hutton, Secretary of the. Society of Mechanical Engineers, Rossiter W. Raymond, Secretary of the Institute of Mining Engineers, Charles H. Haswell, the first Chief Engineer of the United States Navy (1836-1851), now in his ninety-seventh year, John Fritz, of the Bethlehem Steel Company, William H. Fletcher, President of the Engineers' Club, E. E. Olcott, President of United Engineering Society, and other interested friends. After an inspection of the interior of the building, the group formed about the corner-stone, which had been draped with the American flag. The exercises were opened by Mr. Olcott, who appropriately welcomed Mr. Carnegie, and briefly expressed the essential value of the building, saying, in part " The societies to be housed underneath this roof have as their aim the pre¬serving and putting in tangible form of the records of scientific accomplishments so as to avoid the repetition of mistakes. The possibility of finding the records of these results all at one center, so near the great Public Library of our city, will be an inestimable advantage to all professions. It is an occasion of no ordinary moment, therefore, when we can welcome Mr. Carnegie and have him lay for us the corner-stone of this great building which his liberality has provided." Mr. Carnegie responded in happy vein, thanking the committee for their greeting, and expressing his pleasure. in being able to do what he had done to further so worthy a cause. Among other things, he said

May 1, 1906

By M. Prats

The effect of a sand-filled vertical fracture of limited radial extent and finite capacity (fracture capacity is the product of the permeability and width of the fracture) on the flow behavior of a cylindrical reservoir producing an incompressible fluid through a centrally located well has been investigated mathematically. The shape of the lines of equal pressure near the fracture is essentially independent of the size of the reservoir, provided that the field radius is of the order of the fracture length or larger. For reasonable values of production rates and of fluid, reservoir and fracture properties, the total pressure drop between the end of the fracture and the well is gelrerally negligible compared with the pressure drop in the reservoir. With regard to production response, the effect of vertical fractures can be represented by the production response of an equivalent or effective well radius. For a high-capacity fracture, the effective well radius is a quarter of the total fracture length, decreasing with the fracture capacity. When invasion effects are simulated by decreasing the width of the damaged zone with distance from the well, the effect of formation damage around a fracture on the production response is not so seriolls as indicated by the literature. This suggests that frac fluids with a conventional filter-loss response are better than high-spurt-loss frac fluids, provided the effective permeability of the damaged zone is the same. INTRODUCTION This paper considers the effect of the fracture capacity, as well as the formation damage which can result from fracture treatments, on the productive capacity of vertically fractured wells. Other publications, notably those of van Poollen,l,2 consider these same effects. In addition to providing more general results for vertical fractures than are available from the liter- ature, the present paper gives the equivalent well radius of fractures having different lengths and capacities and, also, includes pressure distributions in and around the fractures. The effect of a damaged zone around a fracture on the production response was not found to be so great as that reported by van Poollen. 2 This difference probably stems from the fact that we consider a damaged zone which is widest (but is still small) near the well and thins out toward the extremities of the fracture, whereas van Poollen considers a damaged zone having a uniform width for the entire fracture length. Simple, but adequate, equations which describe the effect of these variables on production response are presented (in Appendixes A and B). Thus, results can easily be extended to values of the variables not specifically considered here. IDEALIZATION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE FRACTURED SYSTEM It is assumed that a horizontal oil-producing layer of constant thickness and of uniform porosity and permeability is bounded above and below by impermeable strata. The liquid is incompressible. It is assumed that, after the well is fractured, the cylindrical outer "boundary" is at a uniform potential, provided that it is not too near the fracture. The fracture system is represented by a single, plane, vertical fracture of limited radial extent, bounded by the impermeable matrix above and below the producing layer (reservoir).3 Fig. 1 indicates the general three-dimensional geometry of the fractured reservoir described above. If gravity effects are neglected, the flaw behavior in the reservoir will be independent of the vertical position ill the oil sand. This means that the flow behavior in the fractured reservoir can be described by the two-dimensional flow behavior shown in the horizontal cross section of the reservoir, Fig. 2. PARAMETERS The effect of a fracture on the pressure distribution in the fracture itself and in an otherwise undamaged (no skin) reservoir indicates that the pressure distribution is a function of three parameters.

By W. V. Green

The creep-rupture behavior of commercial powder-metallurgy tungsten rod is reported for temperatures of 2250°, 2500°, 2700°, and 2800°C, stresses up to 7000 psi, and times up to 4 hr. The temperature dependence and the stress dependence of creep rates are evaluated. Rupture time is fitted to the Larson-Miller parameter and compared to lower-temperature and higher stress results reported by pugh.4 THE tensile strength of single-crystal wire1 and of polycrystalline wire2 have been measured by Goucher. More recently Bechtold3 and pugh4 have studied the mechanical properties of tungsten rod between room temperature and 1200°C. Since tungsten has the highest melting point of all metals, it should retain useful strength to very high temperatures, and should find many applications in missiles, rockets, and so forth. Therefore, the mechanical usefulness of polycrystalline tungsten rod was investigated in the 2250" to 2800°C temperature range by short-time creep-rupture tests. MATERIALS TESTED Creep specimens were machined from 1/2-in. round commercial tungsten rod which was manufactured from powder by cold pressing, sintering, and hot swaging. Purity reported by the vendor was 99.95 pct W. Spectrochemical analyses showed "traces" (less than 0.01 pct) of silicon, iron, and titanium, and "faint traces" (less than 0.001 pct) of calcium and manganese. Carbon content was 30 ppm and nitrogen content was 70 to 110 ppm. No oxygen analysis was obtained. Room-temperature stress-strain tests on the as-received tungsten gave badly scattered results. Threaded end specimens broke at the threads. When these specimens were retested using shoulder grips, the specimens broke at the shoulders. No fractures occurred in the gage lengths. The fracture stresses were: 127,000; 137,000; and 154,000 psi for three specimens which fractured at the shoulders. The microstructure of the as-received tungsten rod is shown in Fig. 1. SPECIMENS USED Fig. 2 shows the two types of creep specimens tested. The threaded-end type specimen, which was used in most tests, had a 3/4-in. gage length and 1/4-in. gage diam. The cone-end specimen, which was used primarily to investigate the effects of a smaller gage diameter and the practicability of the modified grips and specimen, had a 3/4-in. gage length and a 1/8-in. gage diam. In both cases, the gage length terminated at 0.005-in. high shoulders which served as fiducial marks for optical strain measurements. Surface finish on the gage length was 16 µ-in. rms. Creep rates and rupture times were not significantly different for the two types of specimens and were not affected by electropolishing the specimens before testing. TESTING PROCEDURE The constant-load creep-testing machine used has been described by Smith, Olson, and Brown.5 In it the specimen is held vertically by grips of similar material and on the axis of a cylindrical tungsten or tantalum heater-tube. The specimen is loaded by means of the specimen grips, a pull rod (which is sealed to the chamber lid by a vacuum-tight bellows), a mechanical lever system, and hanging dead weights. Both specimen and grips are heated by radiation from the heater-tube, which is heated by its own electrical resistance. An optical system views the incandescent specimen through slits in the radiation shielding and heater-tube. The optical system projects an enlarged image of the specimen gage length on a ground-glass screen. Periodic gage-length measurements are made on this image with two cathetometers. Thorium oxide coatings on the specimen threads or conical end surfaces completely prevented diffusion-welding of specimens to grips, and were used

Jan 1, 1960

By J. Nutting, D. H. Kirkwood

The oxidation of lead sulfide in air between 200° and 350°C has been investigated by electron diffraction from thick sulfide films and from galena surfnces. It has been demonstrated that sulfate is the stable reaction product up to 570°C. Sulfate is HAGIHARA has investigated' single crystals of galena roasted in air by the reflection electron-diffraction technique, which owing to the very limited penetration of the beam into the crystal gives information of the nature of the surface only. He has shown that up to 280°C the first oxidation product is lead sulfate, followed by lead mono-oxysulfate (PbO . PbS04). At longer times and higher temperatures more complex patterns appeared which could not be analyzed. All of these patterns were of streaks or spots arising from crystals oriented on the galena surface, and it is probable that these crystals are lead compounds whose structures have not been determined, such as the other oxysulfates (2Pb0 • PbS04 and 4Pb0 . PbS04) or a number of oxides. Certain lead sulfide films, formed chemically, give ring patterns in transmission electron diffraction2 because they are polycrystalline, and should also give ring patterns of the products after oxidation. It was thought that a diffraction study would reveal the sequence of phases produced in the reactions at different temperatures, since X-ray powder patterns are available for many lead compounds. PREPARATION OF FILMS The films were prepared by passing H2S over a saturated solution of lead nitrate in water. Once a silvery film had formed on the solution surface, no further thickening was apparent. The films were transferred by a gauze to a bath of distilled water for washing and pieces of film were caught on small discs on which they were dried. The discs were formed initially on galena up to temperatures of 300°C, followed by oxide and oxysulfates in turn at longer times. The appearance of- these phases is believed to result from an inadequate rate of supply of sulfur to the top surface 01. the crystal. standard Siemens mounts, made of platinum alloy, and had seven 20-p apertures drilled through them. The parts of the film which had dried onto the disc surface were light blue in color, which is the interference color of a film about 600A in thickness. A strong pattern of lead sulfide was obtained in transmission electron diffraction through the apertures but slight broadening indicated a crystallite size of around 200A. Tilting a sulfide film in the beam produced arcing of the rings, increasing the intensities of the (Ill), (3111, and (222) rings and reducing (200) and (220). This arises from preferred orientation in the film, a [loo] direction of the crystallites being normal to the plane of the film. These specimens were oxidized in an oven maintained at the required temperature. The reported times include that taken to heat the film to the reaction temperature. STABLE PHASES FORMED IN OXIDATION The conditions in which various oxidation products of lead sulfide are stable have been considered by the authors in a previous paper.3 It was shown that in a normal atmosphere, taken as containing lo-' atm of SOs, lead sulfate would be stable up lo about 570°C. This was confirmed by oxidizing thin films of sulfide for several days, and the analysis of the transmission-diffraction pattern is given in Table 1. The fit with the patt$rn from X-rays is good, except for the missing 3.62A ring. Some disagreement in intensities of reflections given by X-rays and electrons is to be expected. Up to 570°C a spotty pattern of sulfate was still obtained, indicating grain growth, but above this temperature the film disintegrated. Probably this is associated with the decomposition to PbO . PbS04. It needs to be emphasized that the atmosphere

Jan 1, 1965

By W. S. Hyler, W. L. Bruckart

The powder metallurgy and arc-cast types of wrought molybdenum stock were studied in rotating beam fatigue. Endurance ratios of unnotched specimens after 5x10 cycles were found to be 0.74 and 0.81, respectively. Fatigue notch factors (K,) of 1.36 and 2.05, respectively, were obtained on V-notched specimens having a theoretical stress-concentration factor Kt = 3.1. MOLYBDENUM and its alloys are rapidly gaining importance as engineering materials of construction for high temperature applications. AS a wrought material, molybdenum and its alloys are outstanding above 1800°F. It is necessary, however, with molybdenum to provide elevated temperature oxidation protection. This is currently being studied by a number of investigators. Thus far, there have been no published data on the fatigue behavior of molybdenum either at room temperature or at elevated temperature. The knowledge of fatigue behavior, particularly notched fatigue behavior, becomes increasingly important as the engineering importance of a material increases, especially from the design standpoint. The work described here was directed toward determination of the notched and unnotched rotating beam fatigue characteristics of molybdenum at room temperature. Also, it was desired to learn whether any difference exists between wrought molybdenum of the powder metallurgy and the are-cast types. Fabrication History of Bar Stock For this work, bar stock was procured from Climax Molybdenum Co. (are-cast type) and from Westing-house Electric Corp. (powder metallurgy type). The processing histories of these materials are listed in Table I. The first lot of are-cast molybdenum was deoxidized by aluminum additions. The second lot was deoxidized by carbon." Both lots of the powder Microstructure A microscopic examination of these materials, as received, revealed the powder metallurgy molybdenum to be free of inclusions and to be finely fibered. On the other hand, the are-cast C molybdenum possessed numerous carbide inclusions, and the arc-cast A appeared to have coarse grained fibers. These are shown in Fig. 1. Owing to the large apparent difference in fineness of fiber between the are-cast A and the powder product and are-cast C, a check was made of the recrystallized grain sizes to determine whether these differences persisted. A series of recrystallization anneals revealed mixed grain sizes in both the are-cast A and the powder product. Variations in grain diameter of as much as 50 times were found after full recrystallization at 1200°C for 30 min. There was no distinction between the two. Arc-cast C was not checked. Room Temperature Mechanical Properties Prior to subjecting the materials to fatigue tests, room temperature mechanical properties were determined. These data, together with the tensil: strength of the notched bars, data,togetherare listed in Table tensil: There were no significant differences in the tensile strengths of the two types of molybdenum. However, the powder metallurgy material was generally more ductile and yielded at a somewhat lower stress than the arc-cast material. Tensile strengths of the notched specimens indicated a slightly greater notch strengthening effect in the are-cast C than in the powder product, lot 2. Room Temperature Fatigue Properties Sample Preparation: Specimens were prepared for use in R. R. Moore rotating beam fatigue machines. These specimens had a continuous radius test section with a minimum diameter of 0.260 in. The specimens were prepared by grinding to shape and polishing to produce a smooth unworked surface. Polishing consisted of rotating a disk in the continuous radius section on which were attached, successively, emery belts of 240, 400, and 600 grit. The specimens were slowly rotated during the operation. The belt speed was high, and rotation was such that polishing scratches were longitudinal. Unnotched Fatigue Properties: Unnotched fatigue data were obtained from a number of specimens of each of the four lots of molybdenum. The results of the tests are presented in Fig. 2. From this figure,

Jan 1, 1956

By F. Weinberg

In developing a mechanism for the solidification of metals from the melt, it has been proposed that solidification proceeds by the growth of platelets parallel to close packed planes. The evidence for this is based primarily on observations of decanted interfaces of lead1,2 and tin on which platelets 1 to 10 µ thick4 were observed. In recent observations of decanted eutectic alloys, 5,6 it was found that the eutectic structure on the decanted surface was markedly different than that of the bulk material, with the surface structure extending approximately 10 µ behind the interface.' This suggested that, at least for these experiments, a residual liquid layer 10 µ thick had been left on the decanted interface, which solidified subsequent to decanting. If a similar thickness of residual liquid was left on the decanted surfaces in the lead and tin observations referred to above, then it is questionable to what extent the observed platelets can be related to the solid-liquid interface before decanting. The purpose of the present investigation was to measure the thickness of the residual liquid layer on a decanted surface of tin, using relatively standard decanting procedures. The technique used was to add approximately 200 ppm of Tl204 (PI) to the melted portion of a high purity (99.999 pet) bar of tin, which was being progressively melted from one end, and then decant during melting. Since only the melt contained the radioactive tracer, the activity emanating from the decanted surface could be used as a measure of the thickness of the residual liquid layer. Progressive melting was carried out in the same fashion as single crystal growth, namely, in a horizontal graphite boat, in an argon atmosphere, using a moving furnace. The decanting was done in two ways; 1) removing the furnace and suddenly dropping the melt end of the boat, and 2) suddenly jerking the solid away from the liquid by the action of a falling weight (estimated peak acceleration 3 x 105 cm per sq sec), using a split graphite container. In all cases the melt was vigorously agitated by bubbling argon through it. The activity of the decanted surface was measured through an aperture 1.5 cm by 0.5 cm in a lead shield with an Anton tube geiger counter. Assuming that the active layer on the surface had the same concentration of Tl204 as the decanted liquid, the thickness of the layer could be determined from the measured activity of the decanted material, and the relationship between activity and material thickness. The latter was determined by rolling some of the decanted material into foil and measuring the activity of multiple layers of the foil. The activity At of material of thickness t (in mm) was determined to be A, = Ao(1 - e-22.5t) where Ao is the activity of the bulk material. The results of the measurements of the thickness of the residual liquid layer for six decants are given in Table I. The variation in t is attributed to variations in the decanting procedure and the rate of melting, the latter being difficult to control because of the vigorous agitation of the liquid. The rate of melting was in the order of 2 cm per hr, estimated from the position of the solid-liquid interface during melting. The results indicate that a residual liquid layer of the order of 10 µ in thickness is left on the decanted interface in agreement with the observation on eutectic alloys referred to above. If the mixing of the liquid during melting is not complete, as was

Jan 1, 1962

By Fred H. Poettmann

An equation has been derived for use in calculating the sandface pressure of flowing gas wells in which the variation of the compressibility factor of the gas with pressure is taken into consideration. This variation due to compressibility has been put into both graphical and tabular form. Comparison of calculated results with field measured results were made on 20 dry gas wells from a given field and 11 distillate wells from different fields. The agreement between calculated and observed results is good. In addition to their use in the calculation of sandface pressures of flowing wells, the factors can be used in the direct calculation of the static bottom hole pressure of gas wells, the capacity of gas transmission lines, and in the calculation of the theoretical isothermal horsepower necessary to compress a natural gas. Examples demonstrating the use of various equations are given. INTRODUCTION Many of the equations used to calculate the sandface pressures of flowing gas wells from well head data do not take into consideration rigorously the deviation of the natural gas from ideal gas behavior. For low pressure wells this error is not serious. For high pressure wells flowing at high rates this error call be serious. Sandface pressures are used to determine the producing capacity of gas wells as shown in the U. S. Bureau of Mines' Monograph 7.' An equation has been derived for use in calculating the sandface pressure of flowing gas wells in which the variation of compressibility of the gas with pressure is taken into consideration. This variation due to compressibility has been put into both graphical and tabular form. In addition to their use in the calculation of sandface pressures, these "factors" can also be used to give a direct solution in the calculation of the static bottom hole pressure of gas wells, the calculation of the capacity of gas transmission lines, and the calculation of the isothermal horsepower necessary to compress a gas. CALCULATION OF SANDFACE PRESSURE OF FLOWING GAS WELLS The starting point in the derivation of any specific flow equation is an energy balance on the fluid flowing between any two points in the system. This energy balance based on one pound of flowing fluid is expressed by the well known general flow equation: jp~- vdP+ Ah + -— + wt + r. = o . . (i) P, 2 g. where V = specific volume of flowing fluid in cu ft/lb P = pressure in Ib per sq ft ah = difference in height above datum plane in, ft ------ = kinetic energy change of one lb of flowing fluid, v equals velocity in ft/sec and g. = 32.174 Ws = Work done by fluid while in flow (similar to shaft work in driving a turbine) W, = Znergy losses due to the irreversibilities of the flowing fluid This equation contains no limiting assumptions and can be made the basis of any fluid flow relationship by limitations or substitutions. The energy units are usually expressed in term* of foot-pounds of energy per pound of mass. Considering the vertical flow of gas through tubing or annu-lus, the external work W, done by the gas is zero. Let us also assume that the value of the kinetic energy function is small and can be neglected. Equation (1) is reduced to: /P: VdP + Ah+Wt = 0 .......(2) Pi The energy loszes PI can be expressed in terms of the well known Fanning equatinn: 4/Lf: rf = —— ............(3) 2g,D where L = the integrated average velocity in ft/sec of vertical flow in a uniform flow string -~h = L v = the integrated average velocity in ft/sec / = dimensionless correlating function

Jan 1, 1951

By P. T. Bail, J. E. Bobek

In reservoirs containing soft shales interbedded with oil-producing sands, it is possible to have water movement from the shales into the sands during reservoir depletion. This paper presents the results of scaled flow-model tests performed to investigate the efficiency of oil displacement by this vertical influx of water into oil-producing sands. In these model tests, the effects of rate of influx and rock wettability were considered. Oil recoveries by shale-wafer influx and by water flooding were cornpared after 0.4 hydrocarbon volume of water entered the producing sand. This comparison was made for water-wet and oil-wet systems. In water-wet sand, shale-water influx produces slightly less oil than conventional water flooding; in oil-wet sand, shale-water influx produces about one-half as much oil as conventional water flooding. In another type of comparison, it was found that shale-water influx followed by water flooding recovers less oil than water flooding alone. This is true for both water-wet and oil-wet sands. A comparison of tests run at different rates of shale-water influx shows that oil recovery is insensitive to rate in water-wet sand; in oil-wet sand, oil recovery decreases with decreasing rate of influx. INTRODUCTION Localized subsidence of the earth's surface has accompanied the depletion of some oil reservoirs, particularly in California,1, 2 along the Texas Gulf Coast,3 4 and in the Bolivar Coastal fields of Venezuela. Subsidence occurs when fluid withdrawals reduce the pressure in the reservoir. The reasons for subsidence accompanying a reduction in reservoir pressure are not known with certainty.10° However, there is considerable evidence that compaction of soft shale beds adjacent to producing oil sands can be a major cause of this subsi-dence.3, 6, 10-12 When the shales compact, a limited amount of water moves from the shales into the producing sands. A schematic illustration of this oil-producing mechanism is shown in Fig. 1. As the pressure in the sand declines due to oil production, a predominantly vertical pressure gradient develops at the sand-shale boundary. This causes water to move from the shale into the sand as indicated by the solid arrows. This paper reports the results of scaled flow-model tests to investigate the efficiency of oil displacement by the vertical influx of shale water into producing sands. The model tests were not performed with the aim of duplicating the recovery behavior of any specific reservoir. The primary purpose of the tests was to obtain a better understanding of oil displacement by shale-water influx. A knowledge of the oil- and water-production characteristics of even a simplified reservoir system should be of value to engineers estimating the performance of reservoirs where shale-water influx is occurring in conjunction with other production mechanisms. The following limitations and assumptions apply to the model work. 1. The sand of the prototype reservoir is homogeneous and horizontal. 2. The shale-water influx is uniformly distributed along the top and bottom of the sand member being studied. 3. No effects of edge-water drive or dissolved-gas drive that might accompany shale-water influx are considered. PROTOTYPE RESERVOIRS Scaled-model tests were performed to study oil displacement from three prototype reservoir sections. The reservoir sections modeled consist of single sand layers out of a sequence of -sand and -shale layers, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Each prototype represents a homogeneous, high-permeability, unconsolidated sand layer. In the field, the prototype is oriented in such a manner that one end is at the radius of drainage of a producing well and the other end is pointed toward the producing well (Fig. 2). The sand and fluid properties and the dimensions of the three prototypes are given in Table 1. The capillary pressure relationships for the three prototypes are presented in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The oil-water per-

By Fred H. Poettmann

An equation has been derived for use in calculating the sandface pressure of flowing gas wells in which the variation of the compressibility factor of the gas with pressure is taken into consideration. This variation due to compressibility has been put into both graphical and tabular form. Comparison of calculated results with field measured results were made on 20 dry gas wells from a given field and 11 distillate wells from different fields. The agreement between calculated and observed results is good. In addition to their use in the calculation of sandface pressures of flowing wells, the factors can be used in the direct calculation of the static bottom hole pressure of gas wells, the capacity of gas transmission lines, and in the calculation of the theoretical isothermal horsepower necessary to compress a natural gas. Examples demonstrating the use of various equations are given. INTRODUCTION Many of the equations used to calculate the sandface pressures of flowing gas wells from well head data do not take into consideration rigorously the deviation of the natural gas from ideal gas behavior. For low pressure wells this error is not serious. For high pressure wells flowing at high rates this error call be serious. Sandface pressures are used to determine the producing capacity of gas wells as shown in the U. S. Bureau of Mines' Monograph 7.' An equation has been derived for use in calculating the sandface pressure of flowing gas wells in which the variation of compressibility of the gas with pressure is taken into consideration. This variation due to compressibility has been put into both graphical and tabular form. In addition to their use in the calculation of sandface pressures, these "factors" can also be used to give a direct solution in the calculation of the static bottom hole pressure of gas wells, the calculation of the capacity of gas transmission lines, and the calculation of the isothermal horsepower necessary to compress a gas. CALCULATION OF SANDFACE PRESSURE OF FLOWING GAS WELLS The starting point in the derivation of any specific flow equation is an energy balance on the fluid flowing between any two points in the system. This energy balance based on one pound of flowing fluid is expressed by the well known general flow equation: jp~- vdP+ Ah + -— + wt + r. = o . . (i) P, 2 g. where V = specific volume of flowing fluid in cu ft/lb P = pressure in Ib per sq ft ah = difference in height above datum plane in, ft ------ = kinetic energy change of one lb of flowing fluid, v equals velocity in ft/sec and g. = 32.174 Ws = Work done by fluid while in flow (similar to shaft work in driving a turbine) W, = Znergy losses due to the irreversibilities of the flowing fluid This equation contains no limiting assumptions and can be made the basis of any fluid flow relationship by limitations or substitutions. The energy units are usually expressed in term* of foot-pounds of energy per pound of mass. Considering the vertical flow of gas through tubing or annu-lus, the external work W, done by the gas is zero. Let us also assume that the value of the kinetic energy function is small and can be neglected. Equation (1) is reduced to: /P: VdP + Ah+Wt = 0 .......(2) Pi The energy loszes PI can be expressed in terms of the well known Fanning equatinn: 4/Lf: rf = —— ............(3) 2g,D where L = the integrated average velocity in ft/sec of vertical flow in a uniform flow string -~h = L v = the integrated average velocity in ft/sec / = dimensionless correlating function

Jan 1, 1951