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By P. Greenfield, P. A. Beck

RECENT work by J. Darby, Jr. in this laboratory has shown that the reported vanadium-rich limit of the s phase in the Co-V system at 1200°C is in error. The appearance of a second phase in s actually is restricted to alloys containing over 68 atomic pct V. The error in the original value is due apparently to a reaction that takes place along the numerous cracks in the s specimens between the alloy and the impurities present in the He + 8 pct H atmosphere in the annealing furnace. Such a reaction and the consequent appearance of a second phase can be suppressed if the alloys are sealed under vacuum in Vycor tubing. The new value of 68 atomic pct V for the vana-dium-rich limit of the s phase in the Co-V system effects slightly the s compositions calculated from average values of N, and N,. for various s phases. The standard deviation between experimental mean compositions and those calculated from the assumption that s is characterized by a constant number of 3d + 4s electrons per atom (N,), is slightly reduced from 9.1 to 8.8 pct. The maximum divergence for the V-Mn s phase is reduced from 15.5 to 14 atomic pct. The standard deviation calculated from constant electron vacancy numbers given by N.. = 4.66 (Mo + Cr + V) + 3.2 (Mn) + 2.2(Fe) + 1.71(Co) + 1.6(Ni) is now greatly reduced, as the maximum divergence for this correlation previously occurred in the V-Co system. This maximum divergence is reduced from 7.6 to 2.3 pct, and the standard deviation for all s- phases is reduced from 4.1 to only 2.9 pct. The correlation for electron vacancy numbers given by N. 5.66 (V when with Ni or Co) + 4.88 (V when with Mn or Fe) + 4.66 (Cr + Mn) + 3.3 (Mn) + 2.66 (Fe) + 1.71 (Co) + 0.61 (Ni) is made slightly worse, and the standard deviation increases from 2.8 to 3.9 pct. These changes, however, do not affect the conclusions of the paper.' The deviation between calculated and experimental s compositions is much less for either one of the electron vacancy correlations than for the correlation with the number of 3d + 4s electrons.

Jan 1, 1955

||Abad, Leopoldo F, College of Min, Univ of California Berkeley, Cal '23 ||Abarquez, Ramon F, Met, Bureau of Science Manila, P I '24 ||Abbey, Robert Graham, Student, Case School of Applied Science Cleveland, Ohio '21 Abbott, A N , Mines Supt , Mazapel Copper Co , Ltd Concepcion del Oro, Zacatecas, Mexico '23 Abbott, Clarence E, Gen'l Supt, Iron Mines Div, Tenn Coal, Iron & R R Co, 1405 Minnesota Ave, Bessemer, Ala '04 Abbott, Louis Benjamin, Chief Engr, Consolidation Coal Co, Elkhorn Div 'Jenkins, Ky '15 Abbott, Robert R , Met Engr, Peerless Motor Car Co Cleveland, Ohio '12 ||Abbott, Wells Osborn, Ray Consolidated Copper Co Hayden, Ariz '23 Abeel, George H, Jr, Cons Min Engr 4612 W 17th St, Los Angeles, Cal '18 Abel, Albert E, Asst to Pres, Valley Mould & Iron Corpn Sharpsville, Pa '19 ?Abeloff, Miran S Address Wanted '21 Abernathy, G E, Kansas State Teachers College Pittsburgh, Kans '20 Abey, Hiroshi, Min & Met Engr, Takata & Co, 2 Yeirakucho, Nechome, Kojimachi-ku,

Jan 1, 1923

By Robert H. Richards

OF the several professions-the chemist, the civil engineer, the mining engineer, the mechanical engineer-the courses of instruction, as arranged at the scientific schools, differ considerably as to the amount of practical information which the student is able to gain. The analytical chemist has facility for a very thorough review of the processes which he will be called upon to perform. The student in civil engineering by his field practice learns the use of his tools and the art of taking field-notes. The mechanical engineering student is in the vicinity of machine-shops, which he can visit, and at which he can work. The student in mining engineering has no such advantages. The mines are at a distance, and the railroad fare to get to them is oftentimes an insuperable difficulty. The aim of these laboratories is essentially to give to the student in mining and metallurgy a chance to study on a small scale the practical parts of his profession. We cannot, in a small laboratory, build a mine to timber, to work, and to survey; we cannot make artificial quicksands and other impediments to mining. In short, we cannot study exploration; but we can study the mechanical preparation and the subsequent smelting of ores. Before presenting the plan of these laboratories it may be interesting to indicate the progress of the idea from its beginning. During the summer of 1870 President Runkle visited the mines of Colorado, and while there, conceived the idea of making an expedition with the mining students to some of the Western mining regions. He talked over the scheme with many railroad and mining men, and everywhere received encouragement. In the summer of 1871 the Institute party visited the mines of Colorado, and spent six weeks in taking notes of them. President Runkle here conceived the idea of building up a mining and metallurgical laboratory ; and by the aid of Booth & Co. of San Francisco, a stamp-mill was obtained, with the Washoe silver-working apparatus. During the year

Jan 1, 1873

By J. A. Herbst

During the last decade it has been established that conventional mineral-processing control strategies based on classical control theory result in significant increases in plant throughput and operating-cost savings. It has, however, also been recognized that conventional strategies have important limitations for complex multivariable mineral-processing systems. These limitations center around the fact that single-input/single- output control linkings often result in highly undesirable interactions between controllers. During the last few years new and promising approaches to solving this problem have emerged. These approaches are based on the use of on-line dynamic models to make predictions which are useful for control decision-making. This paper presents a brief summary of the state-of-the-art for mineral-processing control in 1984. This summary is followed by a review of recent developments in model-based control strategies including those in optimal control, self- tuning regulators and decoupling control. Expected trends for the future in the control of mineral-processing operations are discussed.

Jan 1, 1984

By Edward H. Robie

SEPTEMBER usually being a fine month for motoring, we set out with our better half at the end of August in our Studebaker for points West. A combined business trip and vacation. The first night found us 392 miles away, at the Statler Hotel in Buffalo, and the next morning we revisited Niagara Falls for the first time in some forty years. The cataracts were as impressive as ever and certainly worth a day of any vacationist's time, instead of the half hour we could spare before going on to Chicago. The Centennial of Engineering, the hundredth anniversary of the founding of the ASCE, no doubt attracted the greatest gathering of engineers in history but still the attendance was disappointing to most of the forty or fifty societies that participated. Perhaps the time-the two weeks following Labor Day-was unfavorable. Few could afford to spend ten days away from home and business at that time of the year. Fall meetings of the AIME normally attract far more than the 300 that registered in Chicago. The technical program, however, was excellent, especially that arranged by the Minerals Beneficiation and Industrial Minerals Divs. The mineral industry papers of a more general nature that were presented as a part of the Centennial program on Monday and Tuesday of the following week were of high quality and offered by top names but had a meager audience. Undoubtedly the celebration brought engineers and engineering to the attention of millions of people. The pageant at the Museum of Science and Industry proved continuously interesting, showing the progress of engineering following the first use of fire. The show continued for many weeks. A special stamp was issued by the Government, which engineers might well use on their Christmas cards or other mail this year. After six days in Chicago we set out north, first visiting Fairbanks Morse in Beloit and Allis-Chalmers in Milwaukee. Will Mitchell's Basic Industries Research Laboratory is doing interesting work and being installed in more comfortable quarters. The next day at Ishpeming, C. W. Allen arranged for luncheon with a local group of AIME members and we then looked over the new surface plant of the Mather B mine, a model of modern functional design. Then on to a small dinner meeting at Calumet following cocktails at Endicott Lovell's attractive summer home on the lake at Point Mills. The new Memorial Union Bldg. at Houghton, where we were domiciled for the night through the courtesy of Roy Drier, is a beautiful modern addition to the college, a model of its kind.

Jan 1, 1952

By E. H. Griswold, C. E. Beecher

DURING 1931 the petroleum industry has faced the most hazardous periods of its existence, caused by large potentials, overproduction, and demoralized markets. Two state governors actually resorted to the use of the militia in an effort to restore a semi-stabilized condition within the industry, to prevent waste of the states' natural resources, and to restore prices to a level that would yield the states a reasonable tax revenue. These conditions have made it necessary to put into effect most. stringent economies and have produced a spirit of cooperation between companies to an extent that never before existed. The necessity for unified action on such matters as proration and the advantages to be gained by unit operation are being realized by the oil industry as a whole. Fewer wells have been drilled and wildcat operations almost eliminated: development and operation costs have been greatly reduced and more attention is being paid to efficient recovery methods. The net work of oil pipe- lines has grown rapidly especially in the area of East Texas. The construction and operation of natural gas and gasoline pipelines into areas far distant from the source of supply has been one of the outstanding accomplishments. Refining efficiency has continued to increase and the public is being supplied with a better grade of gasoline at a lower price. The unreasonable tax which state politicians have succeeded in placing on gasoline has encouraged tax evasion and unfair competition by un- scrupulous dealers and has misled the public as to the true price of gasoline.

Jan 1, 1932

JOINT convention week has become a feature of the year with western mining men. The first was held at Denver in 1926, the second at Salt Lake City in 1927, and the third is about to take place at Los Angeles. Holding in the same city in one week the meetings of a number of related organizations has been .found to permit the development of a well-rounded program at the same time that it economizes time and money for the members, many of whom belong to several of the participating organizations. For the third time, the American Mining Congress, represented by its Western Division, of which Philip Wiseman is chairman, is taking the lead and assuming the main responsibility. The A.I.M.E. is furnishing the papers for two sessions and the California Development Association for one. The Southern California Section, Robert R. Boyd, chairman, is host for the Institute, but the Northern California, Nevada and Arizona sections have each contributed papers to the program, and will be represented at the meeting. It will be a real reunion of the mining men of the Southwest.

Sep 1, 1928

By H. G. Doll

A new logging method, called induction logging, is described; it measures the conductivity, or resistivity, of the strata traversed by a bore hole. The apparatus, which is briefly described, comprises a coil system coupled with the ground by induction, so that there is no need for direct contact with the mud, or with the formations. For that reason, the method is particularly useful in oil base mud, and it was first applied to that case. A discussion concerning the respective contribution of each region of ground in the vicinity of the coil system is given. Through the concept of a geometrical factor, it is demonstrated that the total signal, which measures the apparent conductivity, is the summation of the partial products — geometrical factor by conductivity — for the different regions of the ground under consideration. It is thus possible to establish, for each type of coil arangement, investigation characteristic as well as departure curves and correction charts for beds of various thicknesses. This should greatly facilitate the quantative interpretation of the field logs, even in cases where such interpretation would have been difficult on electric logs taken with electrodes. It is also shown that focussing combinations of coils can be used, which give, directly on the recorded log, a value close to the true conductivity, even for fairly thin beds, thus eliminating in most cases the need for corrections. These focussing systems also give a sharper definition of the boundaries between successive strain.

Jan 1, 1949

By H. G. Doll

A new logging method, called induction logging, is described; it measures the conductivity, or resistivity, of the strata traversed by a bore hole. The apparatus, which is briefly described, comprises a coil system coupled with the ground by induction, so that there is no need for direct contact with the mud, or with the formations. For that reason, the method is particularly useful in oil base mud, and it was first applied to that case. A discussion concerning the respective contribution of each region of ground in the vicinity of the coil system is given. Through the concept of a geometrical factor, it is demonstrated that the total signal, which measures the apparent conductivity, is the summation of the partial products — geometrical factor by conductivity — for the different regions of the ground under consideration. It is thus possible to establish, for each type of coil arangement, investigation characteristic as well as departure curves and correction charts for beds of various thicknesses. This should greatly facilitate the quantative interpretation of the field logs, even in cases where such interpretation would have been difficult on electric logs taken with electrodes. It is also shown that focussing combinations of coils can be used, which give, directly on the recorded log, a value close to the true conductivity, even for fairly thin beds, thus eliminating in most cases the need for corrections. These focussing systems also give a sharper definition of the boundaries between successive strain.

Jan 1, 1949

By H. W. Immolz

The Palo Pinto limestone pools of Jones and Shackelford Counties were defined and almost fully developed during the year. A new Palo Pinto limestone pool was apparently discovered when the K. B. Nowels NO. 1 Pardue, S.F.I. and W. survey, south central Haskell County, was completed for a small well in Palo Pinto limestonc at 3395 to 3421 feet. In Haskell County, Amerada Petroleum Corporation's C. J. Kleiner, J. M. Cass survey, drilled to the Ellenburger with a total depth of 5607 ft., where it was abandoned. A Bluff Creek sand field of undetermined size was discovered by the Fain-McGaha No. 1 Dawson-Conway, P. G. Holcomb survey, which was chompleted for 37 bbl. at 1496 feet. The Cook field was extended by the Roeser-Pendleton B-113 Cook in sec. 113, E.T.R.R. Co. survey, the well being completed for 510 bbl. from Cook sand encountered at 1545 to 1568 feet. Several shallow pools of minor importancc mere also discovered in Shackelford County during the year. In Jones County the Lewis and the Steffens fields, in block 15, T. and P.R.R. Co. survey, were further developed during the year but the limits of the Steffens field were not definitely defined. The most, important discovery in Jones County was the Guitar field, where most of the wells that had been producing from the Cook sand were deepened to the Hope limestone, a new producing horizon. In Taylor County, the Bowles field, see. 28, B.A.L. survey, was defined arid proved to he of minor importance. The Goldsboro and Novice area, ill northwest Coleman County, continued to hold considerable interest because of the developments near the town of Novice, where new Ieases continued to be opened for production. Nolan County was placed in the ranks of the producing counties when the S. B. Owens No. 1 Tipton, sec. 43, block 19, T. and P.R.R. Co. survey,

Jan 1, 1940

By H. W. Immolz

The Palo Pinto limestone pools of Jones and Shackelford Counties were defined and almost fully developed during the year. A new Palo Pinto limestone pool was apparently discovered when the K. B. Nowels NO. 1 Pardue, S.F.I. and W. survey, south central Haskell County, was completed for a small well in Palo Pinto limestonc at 3395 to 3421 feet. In Haskell County, Amerada Petroleum Corporation's C. J. Kleiner, J. M. Cass survey, drilled to the Ellenburger with a total depth of 5607 ft., where it was abandoned. A Bluff Creek sand field of undetermined size was discovered by the Fain-McGaha No. 1 Dawson-Conway, P. G. Holcomb survey, which was chompleted for 37 bbl. at 1496 feet. The Cook field was extended by the Roeser-Pendleton B-113 Cook in sec. 113, E.T.R.R. Co. survey, the well being completed for 510 bbl. from Cook sand encountered at 1545 to 1568 feet. Several shallow pools of minor importancc mere also discovered in Shackelford County during the year. In Jones County the Lewis and the Steffens fields, in block 15, T. and P.R.R. Co. survey, were further developed during the year but the limits of the Steffens field were not definitely defined. The most, important discovery in Jones County was the Guitar field, where most of the wells that had been producing from the Cook sand were deepened to the Hope limestone, a new producing horizon. In Taylor County, the Bowles field, see. 28, B.A.L. survey, was defined arid proved to he of minor importance. The Goldsboro and Novice area, ill northwest Coleman County, continued to hold considerable interest because of the developments near the town of Novice, where new Ieases continued to be opened for production. Nolan County was placed in the ranks of the producing counties when the S. B. Owens No. 1 Tipton, sec. 43, block 19, T. and P.R.R. Co. survey,

Jan 1, 1940

By J. E. McDonald, J. G. Eberhart

A model is discussed from which the work of adhcslon .tor liquid transition metals on aluminum oxide surfaces can he calculated, A close-packed (00011 oxygen surface on A12O3 is assumed with two different types of surface sites: one type involving metal-oxygen bonds and the other man der Waals into actions. The work of adhesion is thus expressed as the sum of these two bonsding free energies. Calculated works of adhesion for nickel, titanium, chromium, and zirconium on sapphire agree well with the experimentally determined quantities. The model is extentled to the calculation of the work of adhesion and shear stress required to remove a thin metal film from a sapphire substrate and is in good agreement with experimental values. The obsewed dependence of the work of adhesion on the free energy of oxide formation of the metal is shown to also provide an interpretation of the tittle dependence of thin-film adhesion. THIS paper presents a model for the type of bonding which occurs across a metal-A12O3 interface. The model is used to explain the results of two types of experiments in which such an interface exists: 1) the adhesion of thin metal films on Al2O3 substrates and 2) the wetting of A12O3 by liquid metal drops. The adhesion of thin films to various substrates has been the subject of a variety of investigations.'-' Benjamin and weaver3 and Bowie,6 using the scratch test developed by Heavens,10 studied the adhesion of metallic films to glass substrates. Their observations for noble-metal film adhesion agree well with an adhesion model involving a van der Waals type of bonding between the film and the substrate. For films of metals whose free energy of oxide formation. ?F°f, has a negative value. Benjamin and weaver3 and Bowie6 found a time-dependent adhesion with an initial value that can be interpreted in terms of van der Waals interactions but a larger terminal value which was related to ?F°f, Karnow-sky and Estill7 deposited films on sapphire at elevated temperatures and noticed no time dependence of film adhesion but a similar correlation with ?F°f. Because of the kinetic problems associated with thin-film adhesion it is desirable to examine adhesion in an equilibrium system. The wetting behavior of liquid-metal drops on Al2O3 provides such a system. Systems of this metal-ceramic type have been studied extensively.11 Humenik and Kingeryl2 have measured the wetting of A12O3 (and other substrates) by several metals and have pointed out that the wetting ability of these metals increases with increasing values of -?F°f. It is thus seen that thin-film adhesion and metal wetting on A12O3 are both related to the tendency of the metal to react with the surface oxide ions of the Al2O3 substrate and, because of this, both phenomena should be explainable by an appropriate model for the metal-Al2O3 interfacial bonding. In the sections that follow, wetting and adhesion data on A2O3 are reviewed and a model is presented by which these phenomena can be interpreted. ANALYSIS OF WETTING EXPERIMENTS In an equilibrium system involving a liquid-metal drop on a solid Al2O3 substrate, the work of adhesion, WAD, is defined by the Dupre, equation as WAD = ?s + ?L -?sL [1] where ?s and ?L are the surface free energies of the solid substrate and the liquid drop, respectively, and ?sL is the interfacial free energy. The work of adhesion is the work required to separate a unit area of the solid-liquid interface into two surfaces. The work of adhesion is usually determined from a sessile-drop experiment in which yL and the contact angle, ?, are measured. The Young-Dupr6 equation is then used to calculate WAD Wad = ?L (1+ cos ?) [2] The literature of this subject has been examined and Table I shows work of adhesion data for various liquid metals as measured on A12O3 substrates. The standard free energy of oxide formation of the metal at the temperature of the wetting experiment, ?F°f . is also tabulated in kcal per g-atom of oxygen. The data is grouped according to the gaseous atmos-

Jan 1, 1965

By C. E. Sims, G. A. Lillieqvist

The following presentation is more a summation of observations made and conclusions drawn over a period of three to four years than a report of experiments made with a definite objective. Tests were made, of course, to verify hypotheses, but the large mass of data was collected incidental to other work. Lack of space forbids the presentation of more than a few of those data. On the other hand, it is unfortunate that some of the most illustrative examples are not available. The work is admittedly incomplete but is presented in the hope that it will stimulate further work along a similar line. The answers to many of the questions left unanswered by this paper will be found only after long and painstaking study, such as is scarcely possible in a commercial laboratory where problems of immediate importance consume most of the time. It is also hoped that this study will in some measure throw light on some of the dark spots of steelmaking, and help to clarify some of the annoyingly vague references to "good practice." Only cast steel was studied and the conclusions apply to cast steel, but it is the authors' opinion that the quality of rolled or forged steel is largely dependent on the quality of the ingot, which is a casting. Although this discussion deals almost entirely with inclusions, it is important that the reader understand that only those natural inclusions which owe their origin to the solubility of certain materials in steel and to the chemical reactions of steelmaking are considered. Accidental inclusions, such as entrapped particles of slag, nozzle, runner, or mold arc outside its province and are not considered. Such accidental inclusions are always dangerous and should be carefully avoided. Relation between Ductility and Nonmetallic Inclusions In September, 1928, an acid electric furnace was put into operation at the Indiana Harbor plant of the American Steel Foundries. Following the usual practice, aluminum additions were made in order to obtain sound castings. Immediately the problem of low ductility arose. Previous to that time, only open-hearth steel was produced, and, aluminum being used rarely in that steel, there had been practically no trouble with low ductility in the lower carbon range.

Jan 1, 1932

By M. A. Whiting, H. Kenyon Burch

One of the advantages presented by electric drive in many classes of work is the ease with which the electric motor can be controlled automatically. In a large number of cases certain features of the control are automatic—for example, the rate of acceleration may be limited automatically or the equipment may be stopped automatically at the limit of travel—but the equipment is started and ordinarily is stopped by hand. In other cases the motion of the machinery is utilized to start, control the speed, and stop the motor automatically, independently of any operator. A considerable proportion of the large mine hoists now in use have certain automatic features, particularly protective devices against overwinding, and, in some classes of electric hoists, devices for preventing excessive acceleration or retardation. The large automatic hoists discussed in this paper, however, are completely automatic, i.e., capable of making their trips without the presence of an operator at the control levers. According to circumstances, various advantages may be obtained . by automatic control, chief of which are decreased power consumption, increased precision and safety of operation, and decreased cost of attendance. The first step in the analysis of a prospective automatic mine hoist is to determine whether automatic operation is feasible at all. If men are to be hoisted, or levels changed, the attention of an operator is required for these purposes; but under some conditions it may be entirely practicable and advantageous to build the equipment so that, while provision is made for hoisting men or changing levels, ore can be hoisted automatically from any one level. If, however, an operator's attention is required every few minutes for changing levels, handling men or drills, or other work requiring hand control, it is obvious that automatic operation between times will not be of any practical benefit.

Jan 1, 1917

By Louise Barton Freeman, Coleman D. Hunter

The total production of oil in Kentucky during the year 1943 reached 7,010,776 bbl., which is more than at any time since 1930. Of this total, 5,287,659 bbl. was produced from the counties west of the Cincinnati arch, 692,359 bbl. from the 18 new pools opened during the year, and 3,260,765 from the Smith Mills pool, which was discovered in August of 1942. This is an important increase in western Kentucky in spite of the low price of crude, and demonstrates effectively the desire of the industry to cooperate in meeting the increased demands made by the war. Western Kentucky Two deep tests were drilled in the Kentucky portion of the Mississippi Embayment this year. Both were drilled to test the St. Peter. One well, drilled in Marshall County by the Adams Oil and Gas Co., did not encounter any St. Peter sandstone but drilled 650 ft. of formation below the position of the St. Peter and above the true Knox dolomite. The other well, in Ballard County, was reported to have tested the St. Peter and to have been temporarily abandoned at 3069 ft. At this depth the well probably was stopped in about the same formation as the Marshall County well. No accurate information is available on the Ballard County well. Several new producing areas were added to the list of fields in the western Kentucky coal basin, in Daviess, Henderson, McLean, Ohio, Union and Webster Counties. The Smith Mills pool was enlarged and production was found in the McClosky (Ste. Genevieve) in addition to the Cypress sandstone from which much of the earlier production had been obtained. There was some interest during the year in testing the Devonian and Silurian formations in the area south and east of the western Kentucky coal basin. In the fall of 1943, a 15 to 20-bbl. well was drilled in Allen County and two more wells are now being drilled. The production was obtained from within a few feet of the base of the Chattanooga black shale, probably in the upper Silurian. One well in Simpson County was drilled completely through the Silurian section before it was abandoned. Several wells were drilled in Logan, Todd and Christian Counties to test the Devonian where it is thinned by removal of the upper formations before deposition of the Chattanooga shale. None of these wells was successful but several other locations are now being tested. The Silurian thins in like manner on the eastern flank of the coal basin as the crest of the Cincinnati arch is approached, and it is along this thinning edge that such fields as the LeGrande, Logsdon Valley, Magnolia, Bowling Green and the Barren County pools were developed. A number of wells were drilled around these old pools in an effort to extend them, some of which were successful. The wells listed this year in Larue, Hardin, Barren, Hart and Warren Counties were drilled in the search for other such fields.

Jan 1, 1944

By Louise Barton Freeman, Coleman D. Hunter

The total production of oil in Kentucky during the year 1943 reached 7,010,776 bbl., which is more than at any time since 1930. Of this total, 5,287,659 bbl. was produced from the counties west of the Cincinnati arch, 692,359 bbl. from the 18 new pools opened during the year, and 3,260,765 from the Smith Mills pool, which was discovered in August of 1942. This is an important increase in western Kentucky in spite of the low price of crude, and demonstrates effectively the desire of the industry to cooperate in meeting the increased demands made by the war. Western Kentucky Two deep tests were drilled in the Kentucky portion of the Mississippi Embayment this year. Both were drilled to test the St. Peter. One well, drilled in Marshall County by the Adams Oil and Gas Co., did not encounter any St. Peter sandstone but drilled 650 ft. of formation below the position of the St. Peter and above the true Knox dolomite. The other well, in Ballard County, was reported to have tested the St. Peter and to have been temporarily abandoned at 3069 ft. At this depth the well probably was stopped in about the same formation as the Marshall County well. No accurate information is available on the Ballard County well. Several new producing areas were added to the list of fields in the western Kentucky coal basin, in Daviess, Henderson, McLean, Ohio, Union and Webster Counties. The Smith Mills pool was enlarged and production was found in the McClosky (Ste. Genevieve) in addition to the Cypress sandstone from which much of the earlier production had been obtained. There was some interest during the year in testing the Devonian and Silurian formations in the area south and east of the western Kentucky coal basin. In the fall of 1943, a 15 to 20-bbl. well was drilled in Allen County and two more wells are now being drilled. The production was obtained from within a few feet of the base of the Chattanooga black shale, probably in the upper Silurian. One well in Simpson County was drilled completely through the Silurian section before it was abandoned. Several wells were drilled in Logan, Todd and Christian Counties to test the Devonian where it is thinned by removal of the upper formations before deposition of the Chattanooga shale. None of these wells was successful but several other locations are now being tested. The Silurian thins in like manner on the eastern flank of the coal basin as the crest of the Cincinnati arch is approached, and it is along this thinning edge that such fields as the LeGrande, Logsdon Valley, Magnolia, Bowling Green and the Barren County pools were developed. A number of wells were drilled around these old pools in an effort to extend them, some of which were successful. The wells listed this year in Larue, Hardin, Barren, Hart and Warren Counties were drilled in the search for other such fields.

Jan 1, 1944

NEW MEMBERS The following list comprises the names of those persons who became. members during the period Sept. 10, 1918, to Oct. 10, 1918. ADDISON, HERBERT, Vice-pres. and Mgr., Big Horn Collieries Co., 412 Colorado Bldg., Denver, Colo. ALLAN, .ANDREW, JR A. Allan & Son, Harrison, N. J. AMI, HENRY M., Charge of War Metals and Minerals, British Embassy, Washington, D. C. ALTHAR, HOMER C., Mill. Engr., The Lorain Coal & Dock Co., Bridgeport, Belmont Co., Ohio. BASER, JOHN T Pres., J. T. Baker Chemical Co., Phillipsburg, N. J. BARBA, W. P., Lieut. Colonel, Ordnance, U. S. A., 2301 Connecticut Ave., Washington, D. C. BENSON, JOHN PATS Min. Engr., Aurora Cons. Mines Co., Aurora, Nev., BOSWELL, H. F Resident Inspector, Southern Railway System, St. Louis, Mo. BRAUCHER, PETERS., Foundry Mgr., Philadelphia & Reading Ry. Co., Sixth & Perry St., Reading, Pa.

Jan 11, 1918

By J. D. Price, G. V. Woody

MANY producers of by-product coke have spent considerable time and given considerable thought to the use of a substitute for low-volatile coal as an admixture with high-volatile coking coal for charging high-temperature by-product coke ovens. Generally speaking, there are two principal reasons for this, one being occasioned by the lack, in certain localities, of low-volatile coal delivered at a cost sufficiently low to permit its use, and another being the desirability of finding a substitute product with a delivered cost lower than the cost of the low-volatile coal. It was for the first of these reasons that the Colorado Fuel and Iron Corporation was particularly interested in this subject. This paper deals with the experimental work and the results obtained by that company in producing and using low-temperature char. OVERCOMING DEFECTS IN COKE FROM COLORADO COALS Colorado coking coals are all of the high-volatile type and were all laid down during he Cretaceous period, which makes them something like 80 million or so years younger, geologically, than eastern coals. They behave, when coked alone, something like the Pittsburgh-seam coals. They make a very brittle, highly cross-fractured, fingery coke of fair shatter value but quite low in resistance to abrasion. Mixed with a low-volatile coking coal such as Pocahontas or certain Oklahoma coals, they make a coke that is equal to virtually any of the eastern cokes. The inferior quality of Colorado coke has long been recognized, and a considerable amount of time, effort and money has been spent upon investigations of means for improving its physical properties. While it has been found that some improvement in quality of coke can be secured by the adjustment and control of such variables as pulverization, moisture content, oven temperature and bulk density of charge, and through the addition of certain inert materials such as pulverized coke breeze, pitch, high-volatile noncoking or semicoking coal, the benefits so gained have been comparatively small. There are no low or medium-volatile coking coals available within a reasonable freight-cost distance. Therefore a substitute for low-volatile coal was developed through low-temperature carbonization-or, more correctly speaking, through the partial devolatilization-of high-volatile coals. The blending of this lower volatile char with the high-volatile coking coal distinctly improves the quality of coke made from Colorado coal. There is nothing especially new about this idea. In 1908 a Japanese patent was taken out by Kotaro Shimomura, whose claim was: The method of making a nonfingery coke out of bituminous coals, without using natural coals of low-volatile matter; according to which a certain coal is heated at a temperature between about 300°C. and about 600°C. so as to leave about 15 to 25 per cent volatile matter in the coal; this coal is mixed with the

Jan 1, 1944

By J. L. Huitt, B. B. McGlothlin, J. J. Day

Laboratory tests were made with pure minerals and actual reservoir rock samples to study the effects of hydrothermal (steam m hot water) treatments on reservoir rock properties. These tests showed that hydro-thermal treatment of many reservoir rocks can result in significant rock softening. The softening was attributed primarily to the partial destruction of dolomite and kaolinite and the synthesis of montmorillonite in the presence of excess silica. In many cases, the softening was great enough to cause considerable healing of propped fractures; therefore, a serious reduction in welt productivity could result. In other tests it was found that the addition of ammonia to a hydrothermal treating fluid in a concentration as low as 0.013 Ib/lb of water not only could prevent rock softening but could cause rock hardening. The results of X-ray diflraction analyses of rock samples showed that when ammonia was added to the treating fluid, ammonium-mica and analcite were formed instead of montmorillonite. No significant permeability damage was observed in the sandstones that were subjected to the ammonia-hydro-thermal environment; in some sandstones, permeabifity improvements resulted. INTRODUCTION As the use of steam or hot water becomes more prevalent in well stimulation methods. the need for information on the effects of such treatments on reservoir rock properties becomes increasingly apparent. Several works have been published on high-temperature changes in rock properties,',' but these are more applicable to in situ combustion operations than to steam or hot water injection processes. The mineralogical literature contains many publications which report on the changes occurring with various pure minerals in hydrothermal systems. A review of this literature denotes the ease with which entirely new, crystalline mineral phases can be synthesized from other minerals in hydrothermal environments at temperatures, pressures and residence times typical of those encountered in oilfield thermal recovery or stimulation processes. Discussions of many of these experiments are given by Deer et al. Grim,' Roy et al., Zen\ and Hawkins.' One of the most significant of these pure mineral studies is the hydrothermal synthesis work of Levinson and Vian" in which montmorillonite was synthesized from naturally occurring minerals; i.e., kaolinite, quartz and carbonate minerals (particularly dolomite). These reactions occurred at 575F in only 2 days and at 300F in 5 days. These results may be applicable to petroleum reservoir rocks since the minerals studied were those which are commonly found in sandstones. Furthermore, the environmental conditions imposed in the studies were very similar to those involved in thermal stimulation of petroleum reservoirs, e.g., steam or hot water injection. Other studies have suggested that weak rocks could be hardened by "electrochemical induration", a process in which an electric current is applied to a clay-containing rock body. These tests can be regarded as hydrothermal treatments since they were conducted in some instances with aqueous solutions and since clay temperatures during the electrical treatment reached a maximum of about 100C. Although a number of studies of the reaction of pure minerals have been reported, very little has been published on the reactions of petroleum rock-hydrothermal systems. No work has been reported on preventing the more detrimental rock changes in rock softening which might occur during the injection of steam or hot water into reservoirs. The studies described in this paper were conducted to provide such information. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH The laboratory tests included studies of the effect of hydrothermal treatment on core samples from several different reservoirs. The hydrothermal treatments (simulated steam treatments) were conducted with distilled water at 575F, for the most part, for periods of 2 to 6 days. This temperature level was selected because it represented that temperature which would probably prevail in several cases under consideration for steam injection projects. The core samples, as well as the pure mineral samples, were contained in high-pressure stainless steel, autoclave-type pressure vessels. The effects of the hydrothermal treatments were evaluated by measuring the penetrometer hardness, formation rock embedment strength and permeabilities of the core samples before and after the treatments (Fig. 1)'" In addition, the mineralogical changes in the specimens were studied by X-ray diffraction. Concomitant with the core sample studies, the mineralogical changes were studied in greater detail by conducting hydrothermal synthesis experiments with pure minerals at similar temperature levels and residence times. For the most part, samples of finely-crushed pure dolomite.

The meeting of the Institute at St. Louis brought together many members of the Women's Auxiliary, and Mrs. Philip N. Moore, who was nominated as the Director for the St. Louis Section, took the occasion formally to inaugurate the organization in that district. A meeting was held at the Planters Hotel, anti after discussion as to, the aims and objects of the. Auxiliary, officers were nominated for the' Section; the meeting then adjourned for two days, to he resumed in Joplin.. Here a very successful meeting was held, at which the Vice-Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer were elected. A great deal of interest was arouse under the able directorship of Mrs. Moore the St. Louis Section is likely to become a large and active organization. The president of the Women's Auxiliary, in opening the meetings, told the ladies present of the inauguration of-the-Society in February, 1917, and of the work which had been accomplished up to date. She told how the Society devotes itself to patriotic and humanitarian work along lines acceptable and interesting to the Mining Engineer, standing always alongside and behind the men of the profession. The Central Welfare Committee of the organization has three Sub-Committees: Foreign Relief, Emergency, and Americanization, and under one or other of those heads most of the work of the' Society has been done. Mr. Hoover was responsible for the inception of the Foreign Relief Committee, as its first work was the collection of funds for the supplementary meals for the Belgian Children. Under the energetic administration of Mrs. H. Knox, this sub-committee raised $12,100 in the period between the February meeting and the Declaration of war by the United States, when our government took over the entire duty of feeding starving Belgium. The organization of the Belgian Relief Committee, as it was styled, still remains, but the members are now asked to take up the question of relief in France. The President, Mrs. S. J. Jennings suggested at the St. Louis meetings that one way of working for the foreign relief alight be that all the members of the Auxiliary should, during the period of the war, forego all giving' and receiving of Christmas presents, except those they have been accustomed to give to the poor or in charity, and those they would give to the men in the services of the United States; that the money usually spent on the Christmas gifts should be put into a fund to be sent abroad for the fatherless children of France, as a gift from the families of the Institute. A good deal of discussion followed this proposal, as some of the ladies felt that children should have their Christmas gifts as usual. The Director of the Section emphasized the truth that the Christmas spirit was the .spirit of giving and sacrifice, and that no sacri-

Jan 1, 1918