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By C. E. Shoenfelt

Wildcat drilling in the Rocky Mountain region did not suffer as large a decline in 1942 as was anticipated. The drilling program laid out by the Government at the beginning of the year stressed wild-catting operations and called for reduction of drilling in proved fields. The increased wildcatting campaign did not yield a great many new discoveries, nor important extensions to old fields. Several interesting wildcat wells were drilled in Colorado in 1942 but no new fields were discovered. The Wilson Creek field was extended and about 400 acres added to its reserves. In Montana two new oil fields and two small gas fields were discovered. The developments in the marketing situation had improved, however, making the prospects especially bright for 1943, as will be shown presently in the section on Montana in this report. In New Mexico eight wells were completed, which constituted discoveries ol either oil or gas but none of these was of major proportions. In Wyoming one new oil field and one new gas field were discovered, and one old oil field and one old gas field were extended. Most important was the disco-very of prolific oil producers in deeper sands in three old oil fields, of which one at least, Elk Basin, probably is of major proportions. Government Action On Dec. 26, 1942, President Roosevelt signed the O'Mahoney bill, calling for a flat 12.5 per cent royalty on lands in the public domain. It is expected that the enactment of this bill will encourage wildcatting in the public land states. Opportunity for a full discussion of the problems of reserves and production was afforded at the hearings conducted on the O'Mahoney bill by the minerals subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Public Lands and the statements submitted at these hearings last fall placed the situation, its causes and the logical remedy, clearly on record. It was established at the hearings that for several years the volume of oil discovered per wildcat well drilled has steadily declined; new fields discovered have not been of major proportions; drilling costs have advanced rapidly; a sharp decline in exploratory drilling took place in 1942, while the proportion of dry holes increased; the inescapable conclusion is that to find new reserves the search for oil must be intensified and much more wildcat drilling ' must be done. To ensure an adequate drilling campaign, the Petroleum Industry War Council, the Interstate Compact Commission and other representative oil organizations have voiced by resolution their opinion that an upward revision of crude prices is necessary to provide an incentive to the prospector to undertake the hazards of wildcat drilling, since statistics prove that only ope in five or six wells drilled results in actual production. Former Price Administrator Henderson rejected the recommendations for price increases and declared himself unalterably opposed to a general price advance, On the ground that such advances would contribute to inflation. Now that Mr. Hender-

Jan 1, 1943

By RAYMOND M. LARSEN

The area covered by this paper is the same as that covered in 1944. Colorado, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming are included in the discussion and statistics, and brief mention is made of activities in the adjoining states, except Nebraska and New Mexico, which are considered separately (see pp. 187-189). The other adjoining states, North and South Dakota, Arizona, Nevada, and Idaho, have had virtually no oil or gas production, except in the gas field of Cedar Creek. Montana, which extends into North Dakota; the Pierre field in South Dakota, where gas is produced and separated in gas-water wells, and the abandoned Payette area in western Idaho. Seven gas wells were drilled in North Dakota, but no wildcatting was reported. Several unsuccessful wildcats were drilled in South Dakota, and some were continuing at the end of the year. Activity in Idaho and Nevada was negligible.

Jan 1, 1946

By J. B. Morgan

The mechanical behavior of MgCu2 from 20 o to 725°C has been determined by "brittle-ring" tensite-test techniques, axial compression, and bending experiments. Compressive ductility begins at 450°C (0.65 T/Tm) and slowly increases with increasing temperature white the tensile ductility is characterized by an abrupt brittle-ductile transition at 600°C (0.8T/Tm). The compressive strength increases eightfold from room temperature to 400°C with a "normal" decrease as the temperature is further increased. The tensile strength goes through a rather abrupt threefold increase above 600°C with a subsequent decrease at higher temperatures. The slip system is (111)[110] and the twinning system is (111)[112]. At high temperatures MgCu2 is quite rate-sensitive, and dynamic yield points are observed that are extremely orientation-dependent. The high-temperature creep behavior under constant load is characterized by an increasing strain-rate with time. The general characteristics of the mechanical behavior make it possible to classify MgCu2 with those materials in which initial mobile dislocation density and the dislocation velocity-stress dependence are significant in determining mechanical response. Mgcu2 is the C15 prototype of the cubic Laves phase. Its range of homogeneity extends from 32.8 to 35.5 at. pct Mg at 500°C and narrows at lower temperatures. The lattice parameter is reported to vary from 7.02 to 7.05A,1 and the compound is completely ordered to the melting point of 819°C. MgCu2 has a brassy metallic appearance, is extremely brittle, and many of its physical properties are intermediate between those of the constituent elements: the electrical resistivity is 3.5 x 10-6 ohm-cm, Young's modulus is 10x 106 psi, the shear modulus is 6 x l06 psi, and the thermal coefficient of expansion is 18.7 x 10-6 cm per cm per "C from 20" to 250°C. Usually, properties of intermetallic compounds as functions of temperature have been determined by hardness, compression, or impact behavior, and almost all of these experiments have been performed on polycrystalline materials. Tammann and Dahl,2 for instance, determined the onset of ductility in a series of binary intermetallics by ball-hardness measurements and found the onset to range between 0.71 and 0.96 T/T,. Lowrie's3 investigations included some tensile properties, and he found ductility beginning around 0.65 T/Tm for most materials examined. His work did include some data on polycrystalline, nonstoichiometric MgCu2, however. The present work is an attempt to extend the examination of the particular compound MgCu2 in single-crystal form in order to aid the formation of general concepts about mechanical be-

Jan 1, 1965

By H. I. Aaronson, H. A. Domian, G. M. Pound

The thernodyna,nics of I the Proeutectoid ferrite re-action ha1.e been investigated on the bases of three diifevent descviptions of the statistical thernzodynamics of interstitzal solid solutions. Especially at low ternperatures, substantial dijeretzces are found in the valltes of the extrapolated y/y + a and cr/a + y equilibriurn curls, and in the To- co7nposilion metastable eqliilibriunz curl-es thus co,npited. Although neither actiztity nor phase-diagram date are able to distingrish udeqiutely among the various descviptions, the statustics of Lacher, Fouller, and Guggenheinz provide the ?nost conplete epresentation az3ailable of the single carbon-ctrbon interaction energy (w) nzodel of an intevstitiril solid solution, and the relationships deduced frojrl then2 are accordingly pre.ferred. The findings tlzut w in austenite 'aries significu?ztly uith tenpevntrue and that phase-diagawr data arc not accurately con?palible usith eqcrctions deduced on the basis of actility infoation indicate, hou'e13er, that a wzore cornplex nlodel of the uustenite , und pvobably of the .feyrite, solirl solutions will have to forn the basis of f4tuve statistical t1.eat1nents. Some suggestions for such a ruodel arc advanced. Althoug11 w represents a vepltlsio energy in austozite, it was found to corvcsporzd in ferrite to a binding energy, in qualitatit.e accord zc,itlz the internal-friclion results of Keefer and wert. ThE transformation of austenite to proeutectoid fer-rite is becoming recognized as an exceptionally useful vehicle for quantitative studies of the kinetics of phase transformations.'" Reasons for this popularity include well-characterized microstructures which develop on a convenient scale with acceptable kinetics within a considerable temperature-composition region, the absence of great sensitivity to common impurities, and, especially. the availability of a unique wealth of the ancillary information indispensable for the quantitative interpretation of kinetic measurements, including phase diagram,3 crystallographies diffusivity,5 inter-facial energy,=17 elastiit," specific vlume, ''' and ativity'-' data. Development of considerable amounts of additional thermodynamic information from activity data is of particular importance with respect to kinetic studies, since much of this information is needed in temperature-composition regions not directly accessible to presently available techniques for the measurement of equilibrium properties. A generally useful approach to the thermodynamics of solid solutions, which is of especial value in this situation, is based upon the formulation of the free energy of such solutions as a function of temperature and composition. The free energy of solid solutions has been resolved into many components. Particularly in the case of interstitial solutions, with which we shall be concerned in the present study, however, only the positional entropy component has been intensively studied. The other components are conventionally taken into account by fitting equations for the activity of the interstitial species or the temperature-composition path of phase boundaries, derived principally from positional entropy considerations, to experimental information on these quantities through adjustment of one or more constants in the equations. A number of studies of the thermodynamics of interstitial solid solutions have been made primarily on this basis,'"25 but only Kaufman, Radcliffe, and cohenZ2 (hereafter KRC) and ener''% ave applied the results of such studies to develop relationships for the thermodynamic quantities of interest in the austenite —- proeutectoid ferrite transformation. KRC made use of a model developed by cheil'' (on the basis of a previous study by ohansson'), and subsequently rede-rived correctly by Speiser and retnak,' in which a carbon atom is considered to inhibit occupancy of a certain number of its nearest-neighboring interstitial sites. schei120 determined the number of sites in austenite thus excluded by matching calculated and experimentally measured curves for the variation of carbon activity with the mole fraction of carbon. zener17 used a different approach. He assumed that the positional entropy of carbon is ideal both in austenite and in ferrite (i.e., no excluded interstitial sites), and included all other contributions of carbon in a temperature-independent "free-energy change" accompanying the transfer of 1 mole of carbon between the two phases. This quantity was determined by "pinning" an equation derived for the boundaries of the a + y region to experimental data on the compositions of these boundaries at a single temperature. In the present investigation, three different approaches to the thermodynamics of the proeutectoid ferrite reaction are examined comparatively: I) the method of Zener; 2) the model employed by KRC and predecessors; and 3) the more detailed statistical thermodynamic treatment of the same model developed by acher and Fowler and uenheim, ' in which the problem of overlapping regions of influence of individual interstitial atoms is resolved. In order to make these comparisons, it is necessary to undertake an extension of one aspect of Zener's method; since the Lacher- Fowler -Guggenheim (LFG) treatment has not been previously used in the present context, the necessary thermodynamic "superstructure" for this treatment will be developed in parallel

Jan 1, 1967

By A. E. Wheeler, H. Y. Eagle

The copper industry in the Province of Katanga, in the Belgian Congo, which is now controlled and operated by the Union Minére du Haut Katanga, had its inception many years ago in the vision of a Scotsman, Robert Williams, now Sir Robert Williams, Baronet. He it was who personally negotiated the mineral concession with King Leopold of Belgium, sent in the prospecting parties who located most of the present mines of the company, later arranged for the Belgian participation from which the present company was formed, and has been its active mentor ever since. The idea back of his efforts was the establishment of an industry on the Congo-Zambezi divide, of sufficient importance to draw up to it the head of the Cape to Cairo Railroad, the dream of Sir Cecil Rhodes, and the consummation of which he had left as a legacy to Mr. Williams, his successor. The reports of the prospecting expeditions showed that copper in profitable quantity was there, but many difficulties lay in the way of the establishment of the infant industry. The isolated location of the mines, various tribal wars, the Boer War, and many other factors contributed to making progress very slow. However, in spite of these difficulties the railroad was finally built and a blast-furnace plant erected at Lubumbashi, near Elisabethville, the capital of the Province. Operations of this plant were started in 1911, treating high-grade oxidized ores and producing pig copper by a reducing smelting. Production has been continuous since that time and the company has grown so that at present it ranks as the largest individual copper producer in the industry. It is a fitting monument to the foresight, optimism and driving force of its founder, and the progressive policies of his Belgian colleagues. In January, 1914, the Union Miniere du Haut Katanga engaged as its consulting engineer, Archer E. Wheeler, metallurgical engineer, at that time general superintendent of the Great Falls plant of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co. Mr. Wheeler was commissioned by the Board of Directors to proceed into Katanga, and make all necessary investigations to enable him to report on a comprehensive development program, and to recommend a scheme of treatment particularly for their low grade

Jan 1, 1934

By W. H. Furlonge

WHILE fulfilling professional engagements, my travels over this portion of the Transvaal have been quite extensive—always on horseback however, so that anything like a thorough investigation of the ground passed over has been necessarily impossible; still, the more minute examination of certain small areas, coupled with general observations, has enabled me to form some idea as to the prominent geological features of the country as a whole. Anything like a complete or comprehensive description is indeed out of the question, as there are no proper maps of the country and the facilities for observation are limited. A large plateau, called the "High Veldt," stretches from east to west across the Transvaal. It is generally level, or gently rolling, and has an average elevation of 6000 feet above the sea; it is destitute of timber, and in fact greatly resembles the western prairies of North America. Rock-outcrops are not common in it. It terminates very abruptly to the east and northeast, the descent of 2000 or 3000 feet into the mountainous country that occupies its borders being made in a

Jan 1, 1890

By W. P. Sykes

THIS investigation was undertaken primarily to establish the relations existing between temperature and mechanical properties in molybdenum, nickel, and an aluminum-copper alloy. Molybdenum (m.p. 2500° C.) was chosen because it is partly similar to tungsten and partly similar to the common ductile metals. Also it is known to furnish, by proper treatment, a desirable material to use in studying relation of grain size and physical properties. The molybdenum used was of the quality that is drawn into wire 0.003 in. in diameter for use as filament supports in incandescent lamps; chemical analysis shows less than 0.1 per cent. of impurities. Nickel belongs to the same class as iron. Its melting point is 1450° C. and an allotropic change at about 370° C. results in a loss of magnetism above that temperature. This feature made nickel doubly valuable for the purposes of these tests. The nickel used was obtained from the Driver-Harris Co. as 0.090 in. (2.3-mm.) wire, annealed; analysis showed 99.8 per cent. nickel and 0.150 per cent. iron. Aluminum is one of the low melting-point metals. Some tensile tests at elevated temperatures have been reported by Bengough but the possibility of learning more with the low temperature and sensitive apparatus available recommended this metal. The samples marked Al are an aluminum-copper alloy; they contained 3 per cent. copper, 0.42 per cent. iron, and 0.21 per cent. silicon. The presence of the copper somewhat complicates the analysis of the results; but the action of copper in aluminum has been studied so that its influence might have been foretold, in part at least. The material and analyses were furnished by the Aluminum Castings Co. The nickel wire, which was deformed at 400° C., was drawn under a bath of molten lead and through a die, which also was immersed in the bath. A thermocouple was suspended in the molten metal to indicate

Jan 1, 1921

By J. W. Rutter, K. T. Aust

The temperature dependence of the rate of grain boundary migration was measured in bicrystals of zone-refined lead containing from 20 to less than 1 ppm by wezght of tin. The apparent activation energy in the temperature range from 320" to 200oC is markedly dependent upon the solute tin concentration and upon the orientation relationship of the grains adjacent to the grain boundavy. The quantitative experimental observat~ons are compared with the predictions of various theories of grain boundary migration. In previous work.&apos;?&apos; the mobility of individual grain boundaries was studied as a function of impurity concentration and type of boundary. Grain boundary migration occurred at the expense of dislocation arrays which were introduced into the specimen during solidification. Boundary mobility in zone-refined lead at 300°C was markedly decreased by small additions of tin. 0.004 wt pct being sufficient to decrease the rate of grain boundary migration by a factor of 1000. The mobility of grain boundaries having polar orientation relationships near 38 and 22 deg about <Ill>, and 28 deg about <100>, was much less sensitive to tin concentration in the range studied. As a result, these boundaries have relatively high mobilities. The present paper is a continuation of the above study. Data are now presented on the temperature dependence of the motion of individual grain boundaries in zone-refined lead as a function of solute tin concentration and orientation relationship of adjacent grains at the grain boundary. The experimental observations are compared with the predictions of a number of theories of grain boundary migration3-8 which, prior to the present experimental investigation, could not be critically evaluated. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The striation or lineage structure of melt-grown single crystals of zone-refined lead, containing various additions of tin, was utilized to provide a driving force for grain boundary migration, as previously described.1,2 Each grain boundary under study separated the striated single crystal from another grain which was introduced by localized plastic deformation and recrystallization of a small region of the sample. The speed of migration of grain boundaries in dilute alloys of tin in zone-refined lead was investigated as a function of 1) tin concentration from < 0.0001 to 0.002 wt pct, 2) temperature in the range of 200" to 320°C, and 3) orientation relationship of the adjacent grains at the grain boundary. The substructure driving energy available for grain boundary migration was estimated to be about 4000 ergs per cu cm, within a factor of two, from specimen to specimen.&apos; The specimen dimensions, and growth and alloying procedures for the preparation of striated single crystals of lead of known tin composition, were as described previously.&apos; Each bicrystal was carefully wrapped in aluminum foil, and annealed in a well-stirred salt bath consisting of 50 pct NaNO2 and 50 pct KNO3, for known periods of time at a series of constant temperatures (*2°C). The grain boundary positions, before and after each anneal, were determined by etching lightly in a solution of 5 pct nitric acid in methyl alcohol, in order to follow the motion of the boundary and determine its rate of migration. Thus, the rate of motion of the grain boundary in a single specimen was measured at various temperatures. The above procedure was carried out for each grain boundary in seventeen different bicrystal specimens.

Jan 1, 1960

By Fred N. Kissell, Natesa I. Jayaraman

Introduction This paper describes a recent Bureau of Mines research project that resulted in a simple procedure for reducing the dust exposure of longwall shearer operators. This project involved the development and testing of a water spray and passive shield system to hold dust against the face and away from the shearer operators. This system is known as the Shearer- Clearer.

Jan 1, 1981

By H. F. A. Hergt, K. L. Sutherland, J. Rogers

In 1938 Ralston4 reviewed the many attempts to find a satisfactory collector for the separation of cassiterite from its ores and in 1944 Dean and Ambrose2 summarized some further attempts. Generally, soaps and amines are effective but nonselective collectors. We have discovered that reagents containing either the polar group — SO4- or — SO3- are excellent collectors for cassiterite and promise to be selective. The response to these reagents of cassiterite and of minerals commonly associated with it was studied, using the captive-bubble technique. Using these fundamental data, the practicability of separation and concentration of tin was investigated by flotation tests in a 2000-gram Denver cell. Experimental Methods Reagents All inorganic reagents were of Analar grade. The preparation and purification of sodium cetyl sulphate, cetyl trimethyl-ammonium bromide, laurylamine and cetylamine have been previously described.5 The other collectors were commercial surface-active agents, which were used without purification. Tests Captive-bubble Tests and Cylinder Flotation Tests have been previously de- scribed.5,10 The full lines shown in the figures relating solution composition to contact (flotation) distinguish solutions in which contact (flotation) is possible from those in which it is not. The curve is derived by successive approximation and the accuracy is ±0.2 pH units and ± 5 mg. per liter of collector or depressant. Solution compositions for which it was shown experimentally that contact or flotation is possible are marked by a circle, those for which it is not possible, by a cross, and those for which it is doubtful by a cross within a circle. It is assumed that at all other solution compositions within (without) the curve, contact or flotation is possible (not possible). After testing in the collector solution, the mineral was removed, washed, and tested by the captive-bubble method in water, or floated in a cylinder with frother only. In this way the composition of solutions in which a mineral was conditioned but in which properties of the collector solution prevented contact or flotation can be defined. The composition of solutions in which conditioning was possible lie between the full and broken curve, and the experimental results are indicated by a square. The curves show the limits of composition of solutions in which flotation in a cell would be possible but many factors other than those considered in these the determine recovery and grade of a given mineral in practice. Flotation Tests in 500 and 2000-gram Denver SUbmachines,—Melboume tap water, containing 12 parts calcium, 6 parts

Jan 1, 1947

By J. Rogers, H. F. A. Hergt, K. L. Sutherland

In 1938 Ralston4 reviewed the many attempts to find a satisfactory collector for the separation of cassiterite from its ores and in 1944 Dean and Ambrose2 summarized some further attempts. Generally, soaps and amines are effective but nonselective collectors. We have discovered that reagents containing either the polar group — SO4- or — SO3- are excellent collectors for cassiterite and promise to be selective. The response to these reagents of cassiterite and of minerals commonly associated with it was studied, using the captive-bubble technique. Using these fundamental data, the practicability of separation and concentration of tin was investigated by flotation tests in a 2000-gram Denver cell. Experimental Methods Reagents All inorganic reagents were of Analar grade. The preparation and purification of sodium cetyl sulphate, cetyl trimethyl-ammonium bromide, laurylamine and cetylamine have been previously described.5 The other collectors were commercial surface-active agents, which were used without purification. Tests Captive-bubble Tests and Cylinder Flotation Tests have been previously de- scribed.5,10 The full lines shown in the figures relating solution composition to contact (flotation) distinguish solutions in which contact (flotation) is possible from those in which it is not. The curve is derived by successive approximation and the accuracy is ±0.2 pH units and ± 5 mg. per liter of collector or depressant. Solution compositions for which it was shown experimentally that contact or flotation is possible are marked by a circle, those for which it is not possible, by a cross, and those for which it is doubtful by a cross within a circle. It is assumed that at all other solution compositions within (without) the curve, contact or flotation is possible (not possible). After testing in the collector solution, the mineral was removed, washed, and tested by the captive-bubble method in water, or floated in a cylinder with frother only. In this way the composition of solutions in which a mineral was conditioned but in which properties of the collector solution prevented contact or flotation can be defined. The composition of solutions in which conditioning was possible lie between the full and broken curve, and the experimental results are indicated by a square. The curves show the limits of composition of solutions in which flotation in a cell would be possible but many factors other than those considered in these the determine recovery and grade of a given mineral in practice. Flotation Tests in 500 and 2000-gram Denver SUbmachines,—Melboume tap water, containing 12 parts calcium, 6 parts

Jan 1, 1947

Meeting of Feb. 16, 1915.-The Committee on Membership was appointed with the following personnel: John H. Janeway, Chairman; Karl Filers, Lewis W. Francis, Louis D. Huntoon, and Thomas H. Leggett. President Saunders announced the appointment of the Committee on Increase of Membership, as shown on p. xxviii of this Bulletin. The reproduction by the anastatic process of 100 copies of Volume IX of the Institute Transactions was authorized. The sum of $50 and the exchange of the Bulletin. was awarded to the commission publishing the Annual Table of Constants. The sum of $49.07 was contributed to the expense of the John Fritz Medal Board of Award for the year 1914, and the Institute agreed in the future to share the annual expense for the John Fritz Medal Board of Award not to exceed one-quarter of $500 in the year. Upon the recommendation of the Committee on Membership, 36 Members, 1 Associate, and 13 Juniors were elected. The resignations of 26 members were accepted. L. D. Ricketts was elected a Vice-President of the Institute to serve the unexpired term of W. L. Saunders. George D. Barron was elected a Director to serve the unexpired term of L. D. Ricketts.

Jan 4, 1915

By H. B. Pulsifer

THIS paper outlines a method for rapid production of flat, granular surfaces on many of the medium hard- alloys. Grinding wheels and fabrics on wheels are not used; the purpose is accomplished by rubbing on emery papers and on fine abrasives heaped on hand boards. The advantages of chromic acid in the solutions for etching nickel and copper alloys are explained. Steels may require an additional step in the mechanical smoothing owing to the lack of an ideal etchant. Chloric acid is a. rapid etchant for steel. Thirty-six photomicrographs illustrate the steps in smoothing and the clearness with which structures can be rapidly exposed. New structures in low-carbon steels are announced. After a little practice, many materials can be finished within two or three minutes. CUPRONICKELS In the previous papers on the metallography of copper and magnesium which the author has presented to this Institute there has been an attempt to demonstrate the advantages of minimizing the mechanical work of surfacing and depending more on chemical means; the present paper continues the research into a still wider field. It is obvious that the success of a chemical method for smoothing and etching depends almost entirely on the use of a suitable reagent. The etchant must remove the surface granulations and outline the structures. A very special type of reaction between reagent and metal must be displayed. Promiscuous corrosion or the intensification of the attack about local couples -formed by impurities or components must not be in evidence. There are several reagents that etch highly polished nickel and copper alloys very well. Acidified ferric chloride solutions, concentrated and dilute nitric acid solutions, and nitric and acetic acids in acetone have -been used to good advantage for the purpose. However, if they are expected to etch rather deeply-that is, smooth as well as characterize-the results may be far from satisfactory.

Jan 1, 1928

By S. Leber, R. F. Hehemann

Diffusion coefficients for the Cb-W system were measured using couples prepared from poly crystalline, commercially pure metals. The diffusion coefficients, measured in the temperature range between 1700° and 2300°C, decreased exponentially as the tungsten concentration was increased from 0 to 50 at. pct, then decreased abruptly at higher concentrations. A decrease of two orders of magnitude was observed over the entin? compositional range. The diffusion coefficients were in the range defined by the self-difiusion coefficients of the individual elements, indicating their general validity. An activation energy of 60,500 cal per mole was measured for the 20 pct W composition. Such low values, when compared with energies over 100,000 cal per mole for the pure constituent elements, indicated that transport mechanisnzs more rapid than volume diffusion were contributing substantially to inter dijfusion. Difference should, therefore, be expected between these data and the intrinsic diffusion coefficients. These differences should be significant in the kinetics of &apos;transport phenomena in practical systems. CONSIDERABLE attention has been devoted in recent years to the mechanical behavior and other properties of the refractory metals and their alloys. The Cb-W system has been of special interest as a base for the development of more complex compositions of commercial interest. In spite of the importance of mass transport to all aspects of elevated-temperature behavior, and especially to the production of alloys by powder-metallurgy techniques, little attention has been paid to diffusion in the Cb-W system. Results from a previous study of this system1 appeared to be anomalously high. The present investigation is, therefore, an attempt to obtain more accurate diffusion coefficients in this system. Intrinsic diffusion coefficients, of primary importance from the theoretical viewpoint, can only be obtained accurately from studies utilizing compositional gradients approaching zero. However, many practical problems involve diffusion under significant concentration gradients. The diffusion coefficients determined in this investigation were, therefore, obtained from couples prepared from elemental metals. The data obtained should be of value in the analysis of problems such as homogenization during powder-metallurgy alloying or reactions between base and clad in coated structures. In this vein, the investigation was conducted on poly crystalline materials of commercial purity. PROCEDURE Diffusion couples were prepared by sandwiching a columbium sheet between two sheets of tungsten. The composite was welded around all edges, the tungsten forming a protective can for the columbium. The composite was soaked for 4 min at 1600°C in a hydrogen-atmosphere furnace, quickly forged to 40 pct reduction in thickness, and then rapidly cooled to room tempera-

Jan 1, 1967

By R. Hadfield

Last year this institute was good enough to accept some remarks by the writer regarding sound steel, entitle Plant for Hadfield Method of Producing Sound Steel Ingots…

Jan 1, 1915

By R. F. Mehl, B. Lustman

The formation of intermediate phase layers in cementation processes has been subjected to extensive qualitative investigation though to relatively little quantitative study; this work has recently been fully summarized by F. N. Rhines.&apos; It is necessary here only to cnumerate the general conclusions drawn concerning the kinetic laws governing the growth of intermediate layers and to state what is known concerning the structural changes accompanying the generation of phase layers. I. When the intermediate phase is protective in type—i.e., when its density is less than that of the base metal, so that a continuous coating is formed and maintained—the isothermal growth of the phase follows a simple parabolic equation: X2 = kt [i] where X is the thickness of the alloy layer, k thc reaction rate constant, and t the time. The applicability of this equation to diffusion processes is tested by plotting the square of the thickness versus time, or by plotting the thickness versus the square root of time; the resultant achievement of a straight line in such a plot has been considered sufficient proof of the validity of this equation. Exceptions have been found where liquid phases are involved in the reaction, where the diffusion layer is cracked,2 and where thin semimetallic oxide and sulphide coatings are formed on metals.$ In the first two cases the thickness increases linearly with time, and in the latter it is a logarithmic function of time. 2. The rate of thickening varics with temperature according to the Arrhenius equation: k = Ae-Q/RT [2] where k is the parabolic rate constant of Eq. I, or some other rate-descriptive function, A is the action constant, e the base of natural logarithms, Q the heat of activation, R the gas constant, and T absolute temperature. This equation has been found to be generally valid except when transformations occur during reaction in either the base metal or in the reaction layer; in such instances Eq. 2 is still applicable with different values for the constants A and Q above and below the transformation temperature. 3. Ali phases that are stable at the temperature at which diffusion occurs will appear in the interdiffusion of two components. In some cases certain of the phases may be too thin to be observed and identified easily. Nonequilibrium phases have never been noted in thick reaction layers; i.e., layers of a thickness that may be discerned microscopically. The relative thickness of each phase in a diffusion layer is proportional to the concentration gradient and to the rate of diffusion in that phase.4 The reaction layers tend to have a

Jan 1, 1942

By R. F. Mehl, B. Lustman

The formation of intermediate phase layers in cementation processes has been subjected to extensive qualitative investigation though to relatively little quantitative study; this work has recently been fully summarized by F. N. Rhines.&apos; It is necessary here only to cnumerate the general conclusions drawn concerning the kinetic laws governing the growth of intermediate layers and to state what is known concerning the structural changes accompanying the generation of phase layers. I. When the intermediate phase is protective in type—i.e., when its density is less than that of the base metal, so that a continuous coating is formed and maintained—the isothermal growth of the phase follows a simple parabolic equation: X2 = kt [i] where X is the thickness of the alloy layer, k thc reaction rate constant, and t the time. The applicability of this equation to diffusion processes is tested by plotting the square of the thickness versus time, or by plotting the thickness versus the square root of time; the resultant achievement of a straight line in such a plot has been considered sufficient proof of the validity of this equation. Exceptions have been found where liquid phases are involved in the reaction, where the diffusion layer is cracked,2 and where thin semimetallic oxide and sulphide coatings are formed on metals.$ In the first two cases the thickness increases linearly with time, and in the latter it is a logarithmic function of time. 2. The rate of thickening varics with temperature according to the Arrhenius equation: k = Ae-Q/RT [2] where k is the parabolic rate constant of Eq. I, or some other rate-descriptive function, A is the action constant, e the base of natural logarithms, Q the heat of activation, R the gas constant, and T absolute temperature. This equation has been found to be generally valid except when transformations occur during reaction in either the base metal or in the reaction layer; in such instances Eq. 2 is still applicable with different values for the constants A and Q above and below the transformation temperature. 3. Ali phases that are stable at the temperature at which diffusion occurs will appear in the interdiffusion of two components. In some cases certain of the phases may be too thin to be observed and identified easily. Nonequilibrium phases have never been noted in thick reaction layers; i.e., layers of a thickness that may be discerned microscopically. The relative thickness of each phase in a diffusion layer is proportional to the concentration gradient and to the rate of diffusion in that phase.4 The reaction layers tend to have a

Jan 1, 1942

By R. V. Whetsel, Valentin R. Garfias

Mexican petroleum production for 1928 was approximately 50,000,-000 bbl., the lowest in 12 years, showing a decrease from 1927 of over 14,000,000 bbl. The steady downward trend for the past 7 years has allowed Russia to outrank Mexico by a wide margin for third position and if the expected decline continues during 1929 it should place Persia ahead of Mexico as fourth in rank. The year 1928 was characterized by a continuation of the reentrench-ment previously begun by the oil industry in Mexico in an attempt to adjust itself to the adverse conditions caused by the steady depletion of the fields, the rapidly increasing competition from Venezuela and the United States and the as yet unsettled petroleum legislation and taxation situation. With the exception of the Isthmus of Tehuantepee, drilling in proved fields was considerably curtailed and although the number of wildcats completed exceeded those of the previous year, no extensive drilling programs were undertaken. Practically without exception, the major companies reduced personnel and operations to a point where they could meet existing conditions and mark time while awaiting a more stable basis for the future testing of unexploited regions. Many terminal and transportation facilities were abandoned during the year. Development Only 371 wells were completed during 1928, as against 583 in the previous year and 808 during 1926, and although the percentage of producers in 1928 was 34 per cent., compared to 26 per cent. in 1927, the initial production of -wells was considerably lower than during the previous year, a great number of the wells showing salt water and becoming "strippers" from the time they started to flow. Development is summarized in Table 1. Drilling in the Northern fields did not prove any new pools of importance, the most successful wells being located in the old producing areas of Cacalilao, Panuco and Topila. (Fig. 1 Very few of the producers made more than 1000 bbl. daily, and a great many less than 300 bbl. a day.

Jan 1, 1929

By Robert Henderson

SEVERAL very interesting articles have been written on the caving system of mining, but most of these papers have dealt separately with the slusher system or the chute and grizzly system. In this paper, a comparison will be made of the two methods, both of which are being used at the Climax mine. The mine is on the Continental Divide, in central Colorado, at an altitude of approximately 11,500 ft. above sea level. The long, cold winters, characteristic of the high Rockies, create a number of operating problems not usually found in other mining areas. THE ORE BODY The Climax ore body is just east of the Mosquito fault. This structural deformation has brought the granite on the east against the sedimentary rocks on the west. The ore occurs in an intensely altered granite and schist around a silicified granite core. The ore is in a highly fractured zone of moderate silicification. The principal mineral, molybdenite, is found in these fractures. Barren dikes of granite porphyry cut through the ore body and core with no apparent regularity. The grade of the ore is fairly uniform and gradually decreases toward the footwall core and also into the hanging-wall granite. The footwall and hanging wall are determined entirely by assays. The ore body is roughly dome-shaped, with the apex truncated at the surface. It is covered to varying depths with talus. A horizontal section of the ore body on the Phillipson level appears as an annular ellipse surrounding the footwall core. The ring of ore varies in width from 300 ft. to as much as 800 ft. The north-south axis of the core is about 1200 ft. and the east-west axis is about 1800 ft. In the ore zone, the rock is sufficiently strong to maintain reasonably large openings, and openings larger than haulage drifts usually have to be supported. The ore is cut by a great many fractures and shears and breaks into rather large blocks when caved, necessitating considerable secondary blasting. The waste that overlies the ore body breaks relatively fine in comparison with the size of the blocks of the caved ore and tends to run through the broken ore in the cave, causing dilution unless the draw is carefully controlled. MINING SYSTEMS For several years the ore was mined by the chute and grizzly system, a system that differs from that used in other caving mines only in the size of openings and equipment. In the chute and grizzly system, main haulage laterals were driven along the footwall core and also along the

Jan 1, 1944

By P. Pollard

A method has been developed for evaluating acid treatments in fractured limestone fields by breaking down pressure drawdown into three component parts: (I) pressure differcntial across "skin" near the borehole face, (2) pressure differential due to flow resistance in the coarse communicating fissures and (3) pressure differential between the fine voids and the coarse fissures. It is apparent that in most successful acid treatments the first term, skin resistance, has been reduced or eliminated. Further, it is often possible to estimate the volume of coarse fissures associated with the second term, coarse fissure flow resistance. In cases where this volume is comparable with practical acid volumes it seems likely that this resistance also may be attacked with a suitably retarded acid. INTROD UCTION Acid treatment has been successfully applied as a general practice in the limestone wells in the Mara/ Maracaibo districts of Venezuela for some 10 years. At the same time the need has been felt for a more precise method of: (1) evaluating the effect of an acid job and (2) selecting wells which should benefit from an acid treatment. The following method, based on an analysis of build-up curves for wells producing from fractured limestone, provides a means of forecasting the effect acid will have on a well and in many cases the probable order of production rate increase which may be expected. In certain cases it is also possible to calculate the fissure volume through which the acid has to be displaced for best results. Various approximations are introduced in the method, but within the limitations of these the analysis gives an indication of how a well, whether previously acidized or not, may be expected to respond to acid treatment. Suitable build-up curves cannot be obtained on "tight" wells which do not give sustained production and the method is not applicable to such wells. Figs. 1 through 7 illustrate various types of build-up curves obtained from limestone wells in Western Venezuela. Curves are included showing (1) both skin and coarse fissure resistance, (2) skin resistance only, (3 and 4) reduction of skin resistance by acidization, (5) fissure resistance only, (6) reduction of coarse fissure resistance by acidization, and (7) acidization failure. This theory has been successfully applied for over three years during which 22 acid treatments have been carried out specifically to reduce skin resistance and three treatments to reduce coarse fissure resistance. The method has been found to be a useful aid in the selection of wells for acidization.