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By Frank W. Cramer

THE operator's panel is the control center f or the operation of the electric-arc furnace. It contains the switches and meters that control and indicate the power supply and in a way gives a picture of what is going on during the meltdown and refining periods. Regardless of manufacture, these panels are very similar with respect to equipment and position of apparatus. A typical panel is shown in Fig I. The three lights at the top of the panel are connected from the electrodes to ground and give a visual measure of the voltage across each arc. The ammeters underneath the lights show the current passing through each electrode. Directly underneath are the voltmeter, the watt-hour meter and the wattmeter and under these the three current-adjusting rheostats. In the center of the panel is the master electrode-control switch, which controls the movement of all three electrodes, with the individual electrode-control switches directly underneath. Next from left to right is the six-position voltmeter switch, which can be positioned to show on the voltmeter above the voltage between phases and to ground, the tap-changer switch with its indicating lights, and the main circuit-breaker control switch.

Jan 1, 1947

By G. J. Wilson

Difficulties experienced in correlating vertical and lateral locations of subsurface features that are encountered in directional wells prompted critical review of the tangential method of computing directional surveys. Inherent discrepancies were indicated to cause small incremental but significantly large cumulative errors in computed vertical depth and horizontal departure. A radius of curvature method, developed for planning and analyzing directional wells, was studied as a means of more accurately calculating survey data. Errors incurred in the tangential method were not present in the radius of curvature method. Conflicting assumptions in calculating dog-leg severity by the tangential method were resolved by a new procedure that was derived from the radius of curvature method. Results of the investigation showed the radius of curvature method to be an improved method for computing directional surveys. Introduction Many improvements in directional drilling tools and techniques have been made in the past 10 years,' but the method of computing survey data has remained virtually unchanged. While use of computers greatly aids the process of calculation' and eliminates many human errors, manual and computer calculations are still made with the assumption that the wellbore consists of straight-line segments. This paper points out discrepancies in the method and presents an improved method in which the wellbore is assumed to be curved. Tangential Method The method presently used to calculate vertical depth, horizontal departure and direction coordinates with measured values of well depth, inclination angle and direction angle is termed the tangential method. This term stems from performing calculations with a series of straight-line segments, with each segment assumed to be tangent to the wellbore at a corresponding survey point. A segment is defined by inclination and direction angles measured at only the lower or deeper end. Consequently, a discrepancy or error is introduced for each segment. Errors are not of extreme magnitude, but cumulatively are significant due to the need to define as accurately as possible the vertical and lateral location of subsurface features such as pay tops, fluid contacts and fault cuts encountered in expensive directional well bores. In Fig. 1, the curved-line segment ab represents a portion of the actual borehole as viewed in the vertical plane. Points a and b are survey stations and +, is the inclination angle at point b. The curved-line segment ab is assumed to be the straight-line segment arb of a length equal to ab and tangent at point b to the curved-line segment. Lengths a'c' and c'b are equal to a'b cos +, and a'b sin +,, respectively. Point a already has been fixed by calcillations performed with survey data obtained at point a, and calculated lengths m'c' and c'b are projected as lengths from point a, rather than from point a'. Point b1 is thus fixed and assumed to represent the actual point b. Calculated length ac" is shorter than actual length ac, and calculated length c"bl is longer than actual length cb. Since b1 is the point from which the next deeper segment will be projected, errors are cumulative. Cumulative error continues to increase as long as the inclination angle continues to increase. When the inclination angle decreases (Fig. 2), calculated length ac" is longer than actual length ac, and calculated length c"bl is shorter than actual length cb. These errors also are cumulative, but differences between calculated and actual lengths are opposite in mathematical sign to differences demonstrated in

Jan 1, 1969

By W. A. Wood, W. H. Reimann, K. R. Sargant

A study is made of the microstructural changes produced in armco and pure iron subjected to alternating torsion at amplitudes above and below the knee of the S/N curve. The aim was to identify the basic mechanisms of fatigue and to find why they should give rise to a sharp S/N knee in contrast to the type of S/N curve shown by fcc metals. It is found that the basic structural change above the knee in the iron is a pronounced cell formation in the grains, which determines irregular micro-cracks, and below the knee a dispersion of fine slip that determines a dispersed pore formation in the grains. Comparison of these changes with those in fcc metals similarly tested shows that they do not include an intermediate structural change, a concentrating of slip in narrow bands with associated slip-band cracking, that characterizes the fcc metals and accounts for their different type of S/N curve. RECENT conferences on basic mechanisms of fatigue emphasize that fatigue damage takes many forms: for example, cracking in slip bands (Thompson1), at grain boundaries and inclusions (Hempel'), at precipitation zones in alloys (Han-stock, Forsythe), or at surface notch-peak effects, both hypothetical (Mott, cottrel16) and observed (Wood). Evidently it is not easy to see in this diversity a basic mechanism. At the same time the contributions suggest that some reconciliation may be possible if distinctions are drawn between three phases of the fatigue process: initiation of damage at nuclei, distribution of these nuclei, and the final macroscopic crack system. In initiation, the relevant features appear to be that nuclei may appear early, at least by 1/100th to 1/1000th of the life of a test specimen; that they may do so at many independent centers, appearing according to some observationsa as pores or voids; and that they are not necessarily self-propagating, damage spreading rather by their multiplication. In distribution, the relevant feature appears to be that they form preferentially in zones where the microstructure becomes abnormally strained (as defined more closely below). Now in these two phases the basic fatigue process should be systematic. But, at the same time, the "abnormal strains" in particular set the stage for considerable diversity in the final phase of macroscopic cracking, for where zones of abnormal strain develop will depend on what kind of fatigue deformation is applied and what kind of prior processing the test material has had. On this view it seems desirable to know what in

Jan 1, 1964

By C. R. Fast, George C. Howard

Laboratory and field testing of various squeeze cementing techniques and materials revealed that many improvements could be made in squeeze cementing operations. The use of a slow-pumping squeeze cementing procedure permitted the control of the quantity of cement displaced into a formation and aided in obtaining a high final squeeze pressure. Field testing indicated the desirability of obtaining high final squeeze pressures, the need for improved formation breakdown fluids, and the necessity of controlling the pressure differential during testing after a squeeze job. INTRODUCTION During the past few years, squeeze cementing operations have been investigated, both from the theoretical as well as the practical point of view, in an effort to arrive at some solution to the many and varied problems that arise with this type of operation. A review of well files indicated that in many instances, wells were being squeeze cemented four and five times before a satisfactory pressure buildup was obtained. There seemed to be considerable variation in opinion as to the proper method of squeeze cementing, as well as disagreement as to the proper breakdown agent, the quantity of cement that should be used, type retainer and length of WOC* time that was necessary. Consequently, it was deemed advisable to approach this problem theoretically, field testing each idea developed in hopes of eventually arriving at a squeeze cementing procedure that would give reasonable assurance of a successful job after one squeeze cementing operation. This investigation was. therefore, divided into two broad headings: (1) Preliminary studies, which include both theoretical and laboratory studies, and (2) Field investigations to determine the proper squeeze cementing methods. PRELIMINARY STUDIES Overburden Pressure Studies Squeeze cementing problems are so intimately related to the earth's overburden pressure that solutions to them are very difficult, if not impossible, without an understanding of the nature and magnitude of the overburden pressures encountered at the depths of producing wells. It was thus felt that the first approach to research on squeeze cementing should be made through a study of these pressures. Since there has been rather loose usage of a number of the terms related to overburden preasure by different writers, the terms to be subsequently used are defined here. Theoretical overburden pressure is the calculated pressure at any given depth exerted by the theoretical weight of overlying formations as calculated from the average rock density. Fluid displacement pressure is that pressure at which fluid can be injected into a formation after it has been broken down. It may be more or less than the theoretical overburden pressure. Formation breakdown pressure is that pressure at which a formation parts or breaks and is usually thought of as fluid displacement pressure plus rock strength. Breakdown agent is that fluid with which the formation is fractured. The first step in the study of the earth's overburden pressures involved a review of pertinent technical literature. The general opinion expressed was that the overburden pressure gradient of the earth's formations is roughly 1.0 psi per foot of depth, and that application of sufficient pressure to stratified formations. will cause them to part at or parallel to the bedding planes. The second step in the study of overburden pressures involved a study of available well data in an effort to obtain some definite information as to the actual values experienced in the field for the above mentioned terms. Data from 115 cement squeeze jobs in the Gulf Coast area and 46 cement squeeze jobs and acid jobs in the West Texas-New Mexico area were closely analyzed. The analysis of these data showed that the average formation breakdown

Jan 1, 1950

By M. C. Miller, M. R. Tek, D. L. Katz

Previous studies have shown the influence of geometric variations on the drawdown and buildup behavior of a well completed in a homogeneous, porous medium containing a single-phase fluid. Other papers have shown the influence of leakage across caprocks on drawdown tests on water wells and aquifers. This paper presents two additional cases: the influence of an adjacent, expansible source of fluid, and the effect of caprock leakage on the measured in situ permeability and compressibility. Methods are developed for evaluating the influence of these two deviations from a uniform aquifer upon the in situ permeability and compre.ssibility indicated by pump tests. INTRODUCTION In relatively uniform porous media, saturated with a single-phase fluid, the effective reservoir permeability and compressibility of the water porous bed system may be obtained from drawdown and build-up data on wells, such as the initial wells drilled in aquifer storage reservoirs (Homers and Katz et al.7). In considering the drawdown and build-up behavior of wells adjacent to storage reservoirs, or of wells in an aquifer adjacent to an unknown gas field, questions arise as to the quantitative effect of the presence of compressible fluid on the measured permeability and compressibility of the formation. The solution to this problem is presented, using a constant pressure line source at some distance from two wells, one of which is pumped and the other used as the pressure observation well. The solution is presented in terms of the geometry of the wells and their relationship to the constant pressure line. It is known that caprock leakage can interfere with the determination of an aquifer in situ permeability and compressibility (Mantush4, Hantush and Jacob3 and Witherspoon and Muellerll). This paper presents an added case of the effect of leakage through a caprock of known thickness and permeability on well tests starting with a reservoir of constant pressure above the caprock and contributing to the aquifer as a result of the pump test. Again, both a pumping well and an observation well are postulated. These two cases are presented together since both a compressible fluid nearby and. caprock leakage show similar deviations from expected in situ permeability and compressibility results, and the solutions are similar in form. EFFECT OF A NEIGHBORING CONSTANT PRESSURE SOURCE ON IN SITU MEASUREMENTS Bixel, Larkin and van Poollenl presented a paper showing the influence of a discontinuity of the properties of a fluid formation system on drawdown and build-up performance. Their case is related to the present study but may be distinguished from it in that their numerical work and resulting graphs relate only to the performance of the pumping well itself. Incorrect values for in situ reservoir properties may be obtained from pump test data if the skin effect of the well and after-flow are not considered. Analysis of this problem by the authors indicated that the more reliable method of evaluating the influence of an adjacent gas field or expansible source was to use one well for pumping and another well at some distance from it for observing the aquifer pressure performance. An expansible source of hydrocarbon near a pumping well may be approximated by a line of constant pressure for a pump test. Fig. 1 illustrates a pumping well and an observation well near a line of constant pressure. Pressure behavior of an observation well during a drawdown pump test near a line of constant pressure is given by the diffusivity equation:

Jan 1, 1967

By A. L. Labbe

SOON after the Cottrell treater was placed in operation in the Murray plant in 1918 to treat combined lead sinter and Wedge roaster smoke, it was noticed that the power flowing through the treater did not remain constant. This was indicated by the varying milliamperes and also by the total amount of power consumed by the rectifiers. At times, for then unknown reasons, the treater current fluctuated through a wide range of from 40 to 300 milliamperes. Fortunately, these variations in power did not affect the treater's overall recovery, as this installation consisted of three independent units in series, a feature which made the Murray Cottrell an outstanding installation over many years of operation. Water conditioning of the smoke as a means of improving recovery was already known, but was not adaptable to this installation for reasons of excessive corrosion, which had been the case with other treaters using water as a conditioner exclusively. Tests conducted on the smoke had proved conclusively that water vapor played no part in the fluctuation of power, and the same was true of the SO2 contents and dust burden of the smoke. Neither did temperature variations of from 150 to 400°F have any effect on the power. Finally it was noticed that the variation in power taken by the treater, and the efficiency of recovery, had some definite relation to the number of Wedge roasters operating, and particularly to the sulphur contents of the charge. This observation soon led to the discovery that free sulphuric acid was the conditioner for Murray smoke and that variations in acid contents of smoke accounted for fluctuations of treater power. Analysis of recovered dust revealed that only a few hundredths of a per cent free acid was necessary to maintain a very efficient recovery. Once this knowledge was available, the roaster charge was adjusted as to sulphur contents to produce the necessary acid conditioner. For a number of years this practice was followed, but with improvements in the field of flotation, excess pyrites were eliminated from the smelting picture, so with a change in metallurgical practice we were confronted with the problem of providing the deficiency in acid by some other means. The situation was aggravated and our problem of acid conditioning made more difficult by the increase in the lead contents of concentrates roasted resulting from better flotation methods. The first step towards introducing acid vapors into the smoke stream by accessory means was accomplished by boiling sulphuric acid in cast iron pots placed in an open fire box. Acid fumes evaporated from the pots together with the combustion gases from the fire box were discharged into the flue through a cast iron pipe. Capacity of the iron pots was quite limited because of the comparatively slow rate of evaporation and the use of lump coal as a fuel, which did not lend itself to practical temperature control. This method of firing resulted in frequent pot failures due to overheating. In spite of these incidental difficulties, encountered in any new venture, the pot evaporator demonstrated the practicability of fuming sufficient acid to make up the deficiency in that naturally evolved in the Wedge furnace operation. As time progressed, less and less high sulphur material was available for Wedge roasting, and the necessity for accessory acid conditioning reached a climax when the supply of this material was entirely eliminated. Since the cast iron pots could only evaporate a few hundred pounds of acid per day, and were costly to replace, the logical thought presented itself of spraying the acid in a heated chamber. This new type of acid evaporator was simpler and more economical to operate and had sufficient capacity to fume several thousand pounds per day. The attached fig. 1 presents the outstanding features of the new furnace. A is the vaporizing drum, which is heated by the combustion gases of coal stoker fire box, B. Acid is sprayed into the hot gas stream within the drum through a number of air-acid atomizers, C, and the acid vapor, together with combustion gases, is introduced into the smoke stream through two cast iron pipes extending to different points in the flue. The operation of this type of furnace requires control of temperature inside the drum to prevent overheating, which dissociates the acid vapor to SO, and eventually to SO2, with resulting loss of acid. The dissociation to SO, at elevated temperatures is comparatively high, and in some cases accounts for as much as 60 pct of the acid sprayed into the drum. To reduce the loss of acid, through dissociation, some Cottrell plants, where the rate of acid sprayed reaches at times 9 ppm, use two evaporating units. Fuming the acid into the smoke stream is only

Jan 1, 1951

By W. C. Hellyer, R. A. Campbell

In single-stage autogenous grinding, the buildup of a critical size fraction in the media can be corrected by removing this material through pebble ports, crushing it below the critical size range, and recycling the crusher product back to the mill. The rate at which the critical sire fraction is crushed affects the size distribution of the grinding media and this in turn affects the sire distribution of the grate discharge. This provides a means for controlling the grind produced by a single-stage autogenous grinding unit. The pilot-plant investigations on a very hard copper ore were carried out at the facilities of the Institute of Mineral Research, Michigan Technological University. In an autogenous grinding circuit in which feed at approximately 9 in. top size is reduced to a size suitable for subsequent processing, the build-up of a "critical size" fraction in the media causes problems. A "critical size" fraction has been defined as, "media too small to effect reduction by impact grinding of ore coarser than a quarter of an inch and too large to be broken by the largest size of media in the charge."' The buildup of a critical size fraction reduces the capacity of the mill, increases the grinding power requirements per ton of finished product, and generally produces a finer grind than is desired. It is general practice to overcome this problem by the addition of large-diameter steel balls to the grinding charge. This has certain disadvantages, such as 1) an increase in mill liner wear, 2) wear on the steel balls, and 3) some loss in flexibility in grinding circuit opera-tions resulting from difficulties in removing the steel balls by means other than by grinding out. A number of investigators' have suggested the use of a small crusher as an alternative to the use of large steel balls for control of a critical size fraction. With this technique the critical size fraction is removed from the mill continuously through suitable-sized pebble ports, crushed below the critical size range, and returned to the mill. An external crusher would cause no increase in mill liner wear, the wear on the crusher would be less expensive than the wear on the steel balls, and the flexibility of the grinding circuit operations would be enhanced since the crusher can be cut into and out of the circuit at will. This paper describes an autogenous grinding pilot plant investigation on a very hard copper ore, which led to the selection of an autogenous grinding flowsheet incorporating a crusher in the circuit as the preferred method for grinding this ore. Further development of the technique demonstrated that the crusher could be employed to control the product produced by an autogenous grinding unit. Description of Pilot Plant These investigations were carried out at the pilot-plant facilities of the Institute of Mineral Research, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Mich. The autogenous grinding unit was a 6-ft-diam by 2-ft-long Hardinge Cascade mill with %-in. slotted steel grates. Pebble ports cut into the grates allowed passage of pebbles having a top size of approximately 21/2 in. The grate and pebble-port discharge material passed over a 3/16-in, trommel screen with the trommel under -size being pumped to the classification device. DSM screens were employed for classification in the early investigations, but were replaced later by a small Dorr rake classifier. The trommel oversize material returned to the mill via scissor conveyors. When the crusher was incorporated into the circuit, the trommel oversize material passed to a double-deck vibrating screen fitted with 2-in. and 3/4-in. square mesh screen cloths. The $ 2-in. and the —2 +3/4-in. size fractions were combined and crushed to a nominal 1 in. in a 4 x 6-in. jaw crusher. The crusher discharge and the —3/4-in. screen undersize returned to the mill. In the final investigation, a flap gate fitted to the top deck of the screen directed the — 21/2 +2-in. size fraction to the crusher or back to the grinding mill. The flap gate operated manually on a 15-min cycle, with this material being crushed for so many minutes out of each cycle. This was found to be a more reliable method of controlling the amount of — 21/2 +2-in. material crushed than attempting to make a split of a small weight of material on a continuous basis. Operational Techniques: Each sample was sized into three fractions and the Cascade mill feed was reconstituted from these size fractions in the proportions existing in the original sample. Sufficient feed for 15 min operation was weighed out and fed by hand over a 15-min period. The gross mill power draft was recorded every 15 min, corrected for tare power and drive efficiency, and reported as net kilowatt-hours per ton. A recording kilo-watt-hour meter provided a continuous visual record of the power drawn by the mill. Pulp densities of the trommel undersize and the classifier overflow (or DSM undersize) were taken every 15 min. The classifier overflow was sampled automatically. Timed samples of the classifier sands were taken every 15 or 30 min, weighed, and returned to the circuit. After correcting for moisture content, the weights were converted into percent circulating load. Timed samples of the +2 in., the —2 + 3/4-in., —3/4-in. screen fractions, and the crusher discharge, were

Jan 1, 1971

By Howard L. Hartman

The past 15 years have seen rapid advances in the metallurgy of materials for drill machinery and bits, but rock drilling itself continues to be largely an art. Jet piercing, roller bit rotary drilling, and rotary percussion are all promising new techniques, but the percussion rock drill, still used for 90 pct of the blastholes in U. S. hard-rock mining, has under- gone no major modification since pneumatic machines were first used successfully in the 1860's. This singular lack of progress stems directly from ignorance of the nature of impact failure of rock and the fundamentals of rock penetration in general. For nearly three-quarters of a century, mining engineers did not know what went on at the bottom of a drillhole.

Jan 1, 1959

By H. R. Ogden, E. S. Bartlett, A. G. Imgram

Unmodified disilicide coatirigs were applied to sheet-tensile specimens ofCb-Dg3 and Mo-TZM veJractovy- metal alloys. Coating thickness, degree of coating-substrate interdiffusion, and specimen geonzetry (notched and plain were included in the variables studied. Tensile tests were made to determine the ductile-lo-brittle transition temperature. The disilicide coating modestly increased the transition temperatlre of TZM, but had no effect on 043. Neither material condition (recrystallized or stress-velieved) nor specimen geometry (notched or unnotched) significantly altered the effects of coatings on the transilion temperatures of. the alloys. Cracks in the brittle coatings did not propagate into the substrate, and fracture modes appeared to be the same for both un-coated and coated specimens. MOST potential structural applications for refractory metals and alloys involve exposures to oxidizing environments at elevated temperatures. The general lack of oxidation resistance of these metals will require protective coatings to allow fulfillment of their potential. Currently preferred coatings for the oxidation protection of refractory metals are brittle intermetallic aluminides or silicides. These are typically formed on the surface of the refractory-metal substrate by a diffusion reaction between the substrate and a gaseous or liquid medium that is rich in aluminum or silicon. Because of the brittleness of these coatings, they will sustain no plastic deformation at low temperatures. They are frequently cracked by cooling from the coating temperature because of the thermal-expansion mismatch with the substrate alloy. Even if they survive cooling intact, they crack rather than sustain deformation under load at low temperatures. Thus, when a coated refractory metal is strained beyond the elastic limit of the coating at low temperatures, the mechanical environment of the substrate would include both static and dynamic cracks. These might be expected to influence the flow and fracture behavior of the substrate. This could be manifested in an altered fracture mode and/or an increase in the normal ductile-to-brittle transition temperature of the refractory-metal substrate. This paper presents the results of a research program that was conducted to determine the influence of the presence of a brittle surface coating on the low-strain-rate tensile behavior of typical refractory metals at low temperatures. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES Material Preparation. Thirty-mil-thick sheets of molybdenum TZM alloy (Mo-0.5Ti-O.1Zr) and colum-bium D43 alloy (Cb-IOW-1Zr-O.1C) were obtained commercially. These alloys were selected as substrate materials representing two classes of materials important in current refractory-metal technology. The TZM was in the stress-relieved condition, and exhibited a heavily fibered grain structure. The D43 had been processed by the duPont "optimum" fabrication schedule,' and exhibited slightly elongated grains typical of this process. Tensile specimens of two geometries were prepared from these materials: 1) plain specimens with 0.2-in.-wide 1.0-in.-long gage sections; 2) specimens similar to above, but with a 0.06-in.-diam hole drilled in the center of the gage section, providing a stress concentration factor, Kt, of 2.5. The "notch" geometry was selected to represent a typical condition of a rivet hole or other geometric discontinuities as might be encountered in various applications. Machined specimens were degreased, with a final rinse in acetone, prior to the application of coatings. Specimens of each substrate and configuration were pack-siliconizedin a particulate mixture of 80 pct A1203, 17 pct Si, and 3 pct NaF. Specimens were embedded in this mix (contained in graphite retorts) and coated in an electrically heated argon-atmosphere furnace under time-temperature conditions to effect nominal 1- and 3-mil-thick silicide coatings: Coating Thickness, mils Thermal Treatment 0.6 to 1.4 24 hr at 982°C 2.4 to 3.2 48 hr at 1093°C Coating kinetics were similar for both the TZM and D43 substrates. These treatments had little or no visible effect on the substrate microstructure as determined by optical metallography. The coatings on TZM were essentially single-phase unmodified disilicides, while those on D43 showed substantial evidence of modification by proportionate reaction with the respective substrate elements or phases, as shown in Fig. 1. It was recognized that these coatings might not be particularly desirable regarding protective capability. However, it was desired to circumvent possible inter -ferring chemical interaction with the substrate by pack additives such as chromium, titanium, boron, aluminum, and other elements that typify the better protective coatings for these materials.' Thus, the results presented apply specifically to the simple silicide coatings investigated. They may not be rep-

Jan 1, 1967

By Wasyl Kunda

High grade jig and low grade flotation concentrates used in the following experiments, are produced from silver ore at the mine. The study was carried out to recover the silver and other metals from these concentrates by hydrometallurgical methods. The concentrates were subjected to two stage oxida¬tion leaches in a HNO3-H2SO4 medium. The dissolved metals were recovered by selective precipitation of: (a) silver chloride, (b) iron-arsenic-bismuth residue, (c) copper sulphide, (d) cobalt-nickel sulphide. The effluent solution contained only ammonium sulphate and ammonium nitrate. The silver chloride was further processed to the high purity silver powder by the AgCl ? Ag2S ? Ag2SO4 ? Ag° route. The recovery of silver from the concentrates was over 98% and other metals from 95 to 99%.

Jan 1, 1984

Jan 1, 1900

By Norman B. Pilling

The technical difficulties hampering the metallographic analysis of silicon steels are chiefly the result of the extreme corrodibility of these alloys. The addition of silicon to iron in increasing quantities, up to about 6 per cent., rapidly increases the susceptibility of the alloy to chemical attack, not only in acid solution, but in water. This renders the preparation of metallographic sections very difficult, because of a non-selective attack upon the finely polished surface by the water used as a lubricant in polishing. This water attack masks the true structural details revealed by suitable etching reagents. It is thus necessary to use alcohol as a polishing lubricant in the last stages of preparation and to avoid all etching reagents having an aqueous base. A specific reagent for the identification of iron carbide in ferrous alloys, and the one hitherto used almost' exclusively by metallurgists, is an alkaline aqueous solution of sodium picrate, which stains this constituent selectively. Its application to silicon steels has not proved successful, as its distinctive selective action is more or less completely hidden by the general attack of the aqueous solvent on the silico-ferrite, greatly accentuated by the fact that this reagent must be used at its boiling temperature (105' C.). Thus, a powerful metallographic aid to the study of the higher silicon alloys, such as transformer steels, is lost. A new reagent has been developed for the purpose of overcoming this difficulty. It is with some hesitation that the list of etching reagents, already overburdened, is increased, but the properties of this new reagent are advantageous in several ways and a definite field for it may be found in the metallography of ferrous alloys. The reagent consists of a dilute solution of nitric acid and methyl alcohol in nitrobenzol. It is a great advantage to secure an anhydrous solution, as a tendency toward acidic etching has been traced to small amounts of water. A convenient method of preparation is to make an anhydrous stock solution of nitric acid in methyl alcohol in the proportion 20 per cent. acid by weight (12.5 per cent. by volume). The alcohol can

Jan 1, 1924

By Albert J. Phillip

Jan 1, 1947

By Albert J. Phillip

Jan 1, 1947

By E. P. Pfleider

IT is generally believed that the amount of diamond drilling will increase appreciably in the next decade, as the search for minerals throughout the world becomes more difficult and intense. An attendant problem may be one of short diamond supply, resulting in higher bit and drilling cost. With this background, the U. S. Bureau of Mines1 and the School of Mines at the University of Minnesota2 have established comprehensive research programs in diamond drilling. One of the several aims is the design of a more efficient bit, which would lower diamond consumption and increase rate of advance, both essential in reducing drilling costs.

Jan 2, 1953

By H. Scott

Since Bohler discovered, in 1903, on cooling certain alloy steels, the phenomenon of a new and lower temperature transformation than the usual Ar 3-2-1 obtained by increasing the maximum temperature to which the material was heated, much has been published1 connecting this phenomenon with a large number of dissimilar steels of high alloy content. From the fact that the transformation divides itself, taking place at two widely separated temperatures, it has been called a "split transformation." The significant facts established by recent investigators2 are: that when the transformation occurs at the higher temperature Ar1, troostite or a decomposition product is formed, and that when the transformation occurs at the lower temperature Ar", the resulting structure is martensite. The terminology Ar' and Ar" adopted here is that of Portevin. Previous Investigations Reviewing the work on this subject published in a recent issue of Revue de Metallurgie and referring in particular to his statement that martensite is a solution of carbide in alpha iron, Le Chatelier says :4 "How then can a theory already 20 years old demand new investigations? The reason for it is that we have not succeeded in proving directly the real presence of the transformation of iron during the very short duration of the quenching. The fall of temperature takes place at the rate of several hundred degrees per second and the observation of

Jan 1, 1920

By J. Moore Samuel

Before the year 1909, no measurements of dust losses and flue gases had been made at the Copper Queen Reduction Works, at Douglas, Ariz. At that time the "unaccounted" loss of the smelter had reached a figure that drew attention to the possibility of large stack losses. The measurement of dust losses had not been studied much at that time, and estimates of dust losses, with a few exceptions, were the results of tests by what has been termed '(chemical methods," that is, the aspiration and filtration through cotton, wool or some similar medium of a few liters of gas, the dust being weighed on a chemical balance, and the volume of gas computed from the volume of aspirator water. The possible error of this method is enormous, and the probable error much too large for reliable results. Since the object of these tests was to discover not only the extent of the dust losses, but also the possibility of profitably reducing them, it was decided that the method adopted must have the following characteristics: 1. The sample of gas taken for filtration must be representative of the whole volume of gas, that is to say, it must have the same dust content. This condition will be fulfilled in all cases if the gas sample is drawn off without change of rate of flow. Then it will contain the same proportion of entrained or suspended particles of dust as the original gas. In the case of flue gases which contain only fume, at a temperature above or near the sublimation point, this condition need not be adhered to since the fume will not behave as entrained particles, but more nearly as a true gas. Consequently the gas sample in this case only may be drawn off at any rate of flow. 2. The gas sample taken must be large enough (a) to yield sufficient dust to permit of accurate chemical and physical examination; (b) so that the ratio of the total volume of gas passing through the flue to the volume of gas sample taken shall not be too large.

Jan 1, 1917

By R. J. Charles, G. Agar

Experiments on single particles show that the amount of material created during impact that is finer than any chosen size is proportional to the energy of the impact. As the underlying principle of comminution, it might be stated that each unit of energy input to a given comminution system tends to add to the system an identical assembly of new particles and subtract an equivalent volume of larger particles. Thus, two of the consequences of the fact that each unit of energy tends to add identical assemblies of new particles to the system are: 1) on continued application of energy the total charge in any batch comminution system tends to assume the characteristics of this assembly, and 2) the process of comminution may be described by a relationship such as E = Ak-a. Recently Schuhmannl presented a theory of comminution which puts rational perspective on the extensive controversy surrounding most of the existent theories of comminution. With hindsight the origin of controversy can be ascribed to a relatively simple circumstance. In general, a progressive shift of a size distribution curve towards finer sizes is observed as energy is added to a comminution system. It is also observed that, with continued grinding, the size distribution curves usually change and appear to approach some constant shape. Inves-tigators generally felt that an appropriate method of relating and generalizing such data would be to consider the hypothetical case where particles in the system were uniformly subjected to comminution such that each of these particles, receiving its proportion of input energy, was transformed into a number of smaller particles of uniform size. Since the changes in shape of the size distribution curves during size reduction were clearly associated with the coarse particles in the system, it was also assumed that these changes accounted for little of the input energy and one could deal solely with the equilibrium shape towards which the size distribution curves tended. Although the unrealistic nature of the foregoing points of view was realized some justification was felt for such treatments since, in most cases, the resulting mathematical formulae could, by the adjustment of at most two parameters, satisfactorily describe experimental observation. Difficulties arose, however, in that the formulae required a specific influence of the feed size on the comminution process. In actual fact, the application of a feed size term in fitting experimental data was often found to be unnecessary or contrary to the above formulae. Secondarily, much discussion arose concerning the appropriate energy number that would relate the size change of one particle to the amount of comminution energy it received. As has been previously shown3 all the above theories that treat comminution as a continuous process of size reduction may be related to a proposition of the following form: dE = -Cfn [1] where dE is the increment of energy, dx is the size change, x is the particle size, and C and n are constants. It is now clear, as pointed out by Schuhmann, that Eq. 1 is inapplicable to comminution processes, since comminution cannot be considered other than as a discontinuous mixing process in which the overall size distribution of the product results from mixing, in various proportions, finished material with unfinished, and sometimes untouched, material. A striking illustration of this mixing phenomena may be obtained by comparing the size distributions of grinds in a typical batch ball mill with size distributions calculated on the basis of mixing various proportions of feed material with a ground material which obeys a power law size distribution relationship. Figs. la and lb illustrate such a comparison and the similarity of these figures indicates that mixing plays an important role in determining the overall shape of the product size distributions. Figs. la and lb illustrate, additionally, the underlying basis of the comminution theory presented by Schuhmann.' In the preliminary grinding of relatively close sized feed particles in a batch ball mill, one may visualize that, when a successful encounter of a ball with a feed particle occurs, then the particle undergoes severe size reduction and the size range in which the resultant particles reside is far removed from the size of the feed particles. After a number of feed particles are reduced by independent but similar impacts and one examines the size dis-

Jan 1, 1961

By Samuel S. Wyer

1. The following is an abridgment of a recent report made by the author, covering an investigation of: (A) The necessary use of natural-gas compressors; (B) The effect of gas compressors on natural-gas field operating conditions in Ohio, with special reference to the working pressure relations of gas wells of one company discharging by natural rock-pressure flow without compressors, and adjacent wells of other companies, discharging into intake lines to gas-compressing stations. Tests were made at 107 different places in the counties of fairfield, Licking and Knox, Ohio, which required 7,000 miles of automobile driving, and consumed 6 months' time. 2. A proper conception of the necessary use and effect of natural-gas compressors in natural-gas production necessitates a clear understanding of certain fundamental definitions and judicial doctrines, which are given herein. 3. Gas is a fluid composed of a large number of molecules which are vehicles of energy continually in motion, and havingan inherent tendency to get farther and farther apart. The range of motion of the molecules is limited only by the volume of the closed containing vessel in which they constantly move to and fro. The most distinguishing characteristic of gas is its universal property of completely filling an inclosed space. 4. Gas pressure is the result of the combined efforts of all the moving molecules in the mass trying to get farther and farther apart, that is, a mass of gas inclosed in a vessel expands and fills it, and being restrained from further expansion, it exercises a pressure against the walls of the vessel. This pressure is the same in all directions on equal areas of surface, as shown in Fig. 1. With a given mass of gas, any increase in volume of containing vessel will give the molecules more range of motion, * The public's interest in the age and magnitude of the art of gas compressing and development of the law relating to the use of grs compressors in natural gas production is discussed in the preceding paper. Development of the Law Relating to the use of Gas Compressors in Natural Gas Production; see also Is It Feasible to Make Common Carriers of Natural Gas Transmission Lines, vol. xlviii, 471 to 480 (1914). Consulting Engineer.

Jan 1, 1916

By I. A. Ettlinger

THE formation that the writer has chosen to call "The Central Arizona Batholith" is included in the Globe, Miami, Ray, Pioneer, Troy, and Silver King mining districts. Its extension to the southeast is in the Banner mining field. Basing his argument on what is known of batholithic intrusions, the author offers reasons for considering all these granitic outcrops as parts of a single great mass of plutonic rock. The United States Geological Survey has subdivided this area into three -quadrangles-the Globe, the Ray, and the Florence. Of the first two, geologic atlases1 have been published, but of the last, the topographic map alone is available. These mining districts include such prominent present-day producers as Inspiration, Miami, Old Dominion, Arizona Commercial, Iron Cap, Superior and Boston, Magma, Belmont, and Ray Consolidated. Among those well known in the past are Silver King mine and Gibson mine. Fig. 1 is a geologic map of the Central Arizona Batholith region. F. L. Ransome's excellent work on The Copper Deposits of Ray and Miami, Arizona,' is of great value to all workers in those districts. His geologic map for the Ray and Globe quadrangles has been incorporated in Fig. 1, and the stratigraphic names employed are those first applied and defined by him in his pioneer work in this region. The purpose of this paper is to show that the ores are related to post-Carboniferous granitic intrusions; that while there does not seem to be any adequate explanation for the distribution of all the igneous stocks, a preexisting structure does appear responsible for at least the location of the largest igneous stock of the region; that the principal producing vein mines are located in the sedimentary rocks in the roof of this batholith, while the disseminated copper deposits are found bordering the lower portions of the batholith exposed by erosion; that primary zoning is illustrated not only on a broad (district) scale but also on a small (individual

Jan 1, 1928