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By R. E. Cook

This work presents the development and application of equations of the form developed by Martin1 to describe gravity segregation performance during natural depletion. One-dimensional depletion analyses are applied to several hypothetical reservoirs. Considerable attention is given to the changes in saturation distribution in the dip direction resulting from depletion at various rates. Vertical gas saturation distribution within a sand having vertical permeability is studied to illustrate conditions which provide For low gus-oil ratio production from wells selectively completed away from sand tops, as observed from well performance. Results of performance calculations are shown graphically and illustrate the rate sensitivity of the gravity segregation mechanism and the influence of reservoir geometry and withdrawal distribution. It is shown that for sufficiently high depletion rates gas saturation distribution in the dip direction is characterized by the formation of two discontinuities, or saturation "fronts"; the updip front being the gas-oil contact of the secondary gas cap and the downdip front occurring at a position dependent upon the reservoir depletion rate, withdrawal distribution and reservoir geometry. The gas saturation in the region between fronts is shown to continually increase with time, while that downdip from the lower front remains very low and relatively stable. The effect of increased depletion rate is to reduce the region of stable gas saturation and thus enlarge the portion of the reservoir producing with continually increasing gas saturation. Special attention is given to the performance of reservoirs having sufficient vertical permeability to permit liberated gas to segregate vertically within the sand section before proceeding in the updip direction. It is shown that reservoirs of this type are far less sensitive to depletion rate due to the mechanical control of producing gas-oil ratios afforded by selective well completions away from sand tops. It is shown that gravity segregation performance is adversely af- fected by decreasing reservoir cross-section area in the updip direction. It is also shown that down-dip withdrawal concentrations can restrict gas segregation rates in the dip direction. INTRODUCTION The natural depletion performance of several large producing reservoirs in Western Venezuela has unmistakably shown the significant role that gravity forces play in governing the gas-oil ratio behavior of individual wells and the over - all pressure-production performance of the reservoirs. Analysis and prediction of the natural depletion performance of these reservoirs is of great importance in determining the economics of pressure maintenance operations. In 1957, a method for the analysis of pressure maintenance performance was presented by Martin1 which, in the original and more general form of the equations involved, provides a physically sound basis for the analysis of one-dimensional gravity segregation performance during natural depletion. The work reported herein is an application and extension of Martin's outstanding developments to a series of hypothetical reservoirs in an attempt to explain the general behavior of the gravity segregation mechanism and the influence of such parameters as depletion rate, reservoir geometry and withdrawal distribution. The study considers two types of flow: "distributed flow", where vertical permeability in the reservoir is zero and fluids flow only in the dip direction while uniformly distributed over the sand thickness; and "segregated flow", where vertical permeability is sufficient to permit gas to segregate against the sand top before proceeding updip. This latter type of flow has been recognized as an important mechanism active in the massive sand reservoirs of Western Venezuela. ANALYSIS OF ONE-DIMENSIONAL DISTRIBUTED FLOW SYSTEMS For an inclined reservoir having zero vertical permeability, the velocities of oil and gas flow at any point in the reservoir can be derived from Darcy's equations as

By NEWTON B. KNOX

THE Guianas region is a geological unit, consisting of the northern lobe of the Brazilian Shield, but political accident and the fact that rivers act as the principal means of transportation have divided the region between five separate sovereignties. Brazilian and Venezuelan Guiana have already been considered. The French, Dutch, and British colonies consist of a coastal plain some fifty miles wide, which, together with the lower reaches of the principal rivers, support the greater part of the population. Inland from this tidewater region is a wide area of low, forest-covered hills, under-lain by gneisses, schists, granites, and pegmatites of the Shield. As in Venezuelan Guiana, these rocks are overlain by a thick series of horizontal continental sediments intruded by moderately basic magmas. Gold, bauxite and diamonds have been the principal products of the colonies. The first metal is quite widespread in the hill country. The quartz mines are small, though occasionally rich; probably the greater number of veins remain undiscovered because of the thick mantle of decomposition product that covers the schists and gneisses. The greater proportion of the gold, therefore, is derived from placers which are exploited in all three colonies. Some geologists claim that they occur in two belts parallel to the coast; whether this feature has its origin in the location of the primary mineralization or in the gradients of the rivers is not clear. In some instances the river gravels grade into auriferous laterite. The laterites are well developed in the Guianas and represent the weathering products of the more basic rocks.

Jan 1, 1946

By Sydney H., Ball

ONE of the important mineral discoveries of the eighteenth century was , that of the Minas Geraes, Brazil; diamond fields. The production of this and of .other diamond discoveries in neighboring states made Brazil the premier producer of diamonds, succeeding India; its 140 years of supremacy finally passed to- South Africa- 60 years ago. Three times have diamonds contributed heavily to Portugal's somewhat checkered financial history; first in the sixteenth and seventeenth- centuries when the diamond trade of India was controlled by its citizens residing in ,Goa, later in the late eighteenth and the first 75 years of the nineteenth century when the Brazilian fields were the world's source of diamonds, and now, when the Angola diamond mines are the principal source of revenue of its colony, Portuguese West Africa. Certain phases in the history of the administration of the Brazilian field are sufficiently curious to warrant description.

Jan 1, 1929

By N. K. Chen, R. Maddin, R. B. Pond

A METHOD has been described by Andrade' for obtaining very rapid grain growth so that single crystals of high melting point metals could be made with comparative ease. The furnace construction was essentially a very thin wire through which was passed an electrical current so that "a high uniform temperature" was maintained. The wire was surrounded by a fused quartz tube from which the air had been evacuated. Andrade applied this method to the growth of single-crystal wires of alpha iron, and Tsien and Chow2 prepared single crystals of molybdenum 0.25 mm diam in this way. In the present report a method is described in which the basic idea of the Andrade furnace is utilized. However, modifications are employed so that large single crystals of molybdenum or of any refractory metals can be grown. Furnace The modified Andrade furnace is shown in Fig. 1, and the detailed drawing of its construction can be seen in Fig. 2. The furnace proper consists of a 2'/2-in. diam fused silica tube, 20 in. long, which is evacuated continuously at the bottom. Two water-cooled copper electrodes hold the specimen by means of collets held in place in the electrodes by set screws. These electrodes serve also to transmit power to the specimen. The lower electrodes can be clamped to the stand, while the upper electrode is fastened in place to the bellows which in turn is further connected to one side of the lever arm, flexibly supported at the top. After the specimen is mo;nted- and the vacuum is secured, the lever arm is adjusted by means of the counter weight so

Jan 1, 1952

By W. J. Taylor

FURNACE-MEN who have not taken advantage of the use of dynamite in certain blast-furnace troubles, as explained by Mr. Witherbee in his valuable papers read before the Institute some years since, cannot appreciate the quick relief and great advantage that may be derived at times from its judicious employment. Before giving my experience in the use of high explosives in blastfurnace troubles of certain kinds, I will record a method I have used with marked success in " blowing down." Had I not understood, however, the use of powder, I would have " salamandered " effectually the first time I tried it. Early in my straight-furnace experiments, last summer, at the Chester, N. J., Furnace, I wanted to blow down to within 3 or 4 feet of the tuyeres. To do this with a down-comer not lined, and without putting in any limestone to keep the gases cool enough to do no harm, was not an easy task. We could keep the bell and hopper cool by filling them with water, say 12 inches deep; but before we got the stock down 15 or 20 feet the pyrometer in the gas-flue on top mas up to 1300°, and the clowncomer was red-hot, with the heat still rising. In this emergency my assistant, Mr. N. M. Langdon, urged the trial of a plan lie had often advocated, viz., the introduction of water in some way under the bell in the proper quantity, in order that its evaporation might absorb and reduce the heat of the escaping gases to a point where it would not do any harm. He thought the bell

Jan 1, 1885

F. J. DE WILDE, Galena, Ill. (written discussion *) .-As it is impossible to spare the time for a lengthy discusson of this excellent paper, I am dwelling only on points where either the information is not clear or opinion differs radically from that of the authors. On page 1218, relative to oil rock, the authors state that the presence of oil rock is always taken as a favorable indication of proximity to ore. As thick, highly carbonaceous, oil rock has been found quite often in isolated patches outside of the district proper, the mere presence of oil rock is not always an indication of the propinquity to ore deposits. Regarding glass rock, I agree with the authors, that, generally speak-ing, sphalerite in the glass rock is spotty; however, they fail to mention that nearly all mines contain more or less ore in the glass rock, the usual location being near the toe of the pitch. On page 1220, they say that disseminated deposits are only found in, or close to, the oil rock. To refute this statement, I refer them to a typical disseminated deposit situated at the Adam and Eve shaft of the Frontier Mining Co. This deposit is located in the central horizon of the Galena dolomite, that is, in those sedimentaries containing flint nodules. Perfect crystals of sphalerite are found disseminated through-out the rock, and are commonly known by the miners as strawberry jack. I believe all top runs, or upper deposits as described above, should be classed as disseminated; physically the ore makes its occurrence in just such a manner.

Jan 11, 1919

By H. N. Hall

Various factors must be considered in an engineering evaluation of gravity-drainage reservoirs. Among these are: (1) the effect of producing rate on total oil recovery; (2) the effect upon well productivity and ultimate recovery of the pressure level maintained during the producing life of the reservoir; (3) the economic advantage of full or partial pressure maintenance; and (4) estimate of the rate of gas production and injection and the possible purchase of gas under conditions of full pressure maintenance to ascertain compressor facilities needed. All of these factors can be evaluated only when a reliable method is employed for determining reservoir performance in gravity-drainage reservoirs. The purpose of this paper is to present a general method for calculating the performance of a gravity-drainage reservoir. This method is applicable for conditions of complete pressure maintenance, partial pressure maintenance and normal pressure depletion. Provisions are made to take into account variations throughout the reservoir of reservoir configuration, changes in permeability and fluid composition. Based on the method presented in this paper, an IBM 650 computer program has been developed. The past performance of an actual gravity-drainage reservoir producing under conditions of declining pressure and no gas injection was duplicated using this program. INTRODUCTION In tilted reservoirs the production of oil is influenced by drainage of oil from upstructure to downstructure locations. When this downstructure drainage of oil is sufficient to cause effective segregation of the gas and oil in a reservoir, the reservoir is usually classified as a segregation drive or gravity-drainage reservoir. (Discussion will be restricted to gravity-drainage reservoirs which have no encroachment of edge water.) The important feature in gravity-drainage reservoirs is the density difference between reservoir oil and gas. These phases tend to segregate in the reservoir with the result that in the gas cap the oil saturation is maintained at a higher level by drainage of oil from the gas-cap area. Oil can be produced from the oil zone at a low gas-oil ratio and reservoir energy is thereby conserved. The standard material balance in not adequate for predicting gravity-dramage reservoir performance because it does not take into account the difference in saturation above and below the gas-oil contact. Several authors'.' have presented methods for calculating the performance of gravity-drainage reservoirs in which reservoir pressure is maintained constant by gas injection into the gas cap. Using some simplifying assumptions, these methods can be employed with a desk calculator to give acceptable results. The problem of predicting the performance of gravity-drainage reservoirs under the conditions of declining reservoir pressure is many time more complex than that of constant pressure. fierefore, attempis to develop a method suitable for desk calculation have required excessively simplified assumptions. In the past several years, highspeed digital computers have become more widely available for reservoir engineering problems. These corn puters are well suited to problems such as the prediction of the performance of gravity-drainage reservoirs with pressure decline. Many of the simplifying assumptions necessary for hand computation can be eliminated so that a realistic approach to the gravity-drainage process can be made. CONCEPTUAL PICTURE OF OIL MOVEMENT IN GRAVITY-DRAINAGE RESERVOIRS Before attempting to develop an analytical treatment for conditions occuring in a gravity-drainage reservoir, a concept should be formed concerning the movement of fluids in the reservoir as oil is produced. A review of the literature'.' shows that it is customary to classify gravity-drainage operations into two categories—(1) with complete pressure maintenance, and (2) with declining pressure. The same line of reasoning will be followed in presenting the concept of the movement of fluids in the reservoir because it is easier to visualize the movement of fluids under conditions of complete pressure maintenance. After discussing complete pressure maintenance, an analogy will be made between that and the case of declining pressure. It should be kept in mind throughout that the final aim for the problem of solving gravity-drainage performance with digital computers will be to develop a general program for any kind of gravity-drainage reservoir. COMPLETE PRESSURE MAINTENANCE One feature which is generally common in gravity-drainage reservoirs is a gas cap located at the top of the structure. This is shown in Fig. 1(a). Fig. l(b) shows oil saturations that might occur through the reservoir. In the gas cap, oil saturation is lower than

By Donald L. Everhart

SOONER or later intelligent exploration for uranium leads to these questions: Where did the metallic ions that formed the orebodies come from? What processes and geologic factors were involved in ore replacement? These matters, of course, make a big difference in how best to look for orebodies. Before these questions are discussed it might be well to point out other factors bearing on the subject. The whole business of uranium exploration is only a little over ten years old, participation by the public is only about six years old, and real interest and activity by more than a few large mining companies has arisen only in the past two or three years. Throughout this short period, uranium exploration has been affected by the unique influences of necessary security measures and by division of the over- all job into individual projects by a large number of specialists in diverse fields. This has meant that a normal interchange of information on the nature of uranium deposits has really only just begun. Com- pared to the vast amount of published studies on iron, copper, lead, zinc, and gold deposits over the past 50 to 75 years, current knowledge of uranium deposits is in its infancy and much of the pertinent information is still scattered about in a number of unpublished sources. The volume of reports on all phases of uranium exploration is now beginning to mount at a remarkable rate, and geologists with widely varying specialized backgrounds in uranium geology are engaging in spirited debates over the origin of uranium and the relative importance of geologic controls of various deposits.

Jan 9, 1954

By James J. Bean

Although determining and controlling specific gravity of operating medium in a heavy-media plant manually presents no problem, there are advantages to automatic recording and control. The two installations discussed employ the usual method of measurement. Pneumatic control with band control and reset features is used to regulate dilution water and hence specific gravity. Difficulties have been mechanical in nature and associated with obtaining a proper I sample and maintaining tight air connections in bubble-tube piping:

Jan 1, 1950

By M. J. Duggin

Structural similarities between the E, X, and iron carbides are illustrated. Experimental evidence regarding phase transformations occurring during ternpering reactions in finely divided carbides, thin-film carbides, and carbides which occur in steels is considered and possible mechanisms for the E — x and x — 9 transformations proposed. HOFER1 has shown that within the appropriate temperature ranges carbon monoxide will react with finely divided a iron to form either iron carbide or x iron carbide. He has shown that at an elevated temperature the E iron carbide will transform to the x iron carbide (Hagg carbide) which, upon further elevation of temperature, will transform to 9 iron carbide (cementite). Jack,2,3 using X-ray diffraction methods, has observed that during the tempering reactions occurring in steel the E iron carbide formed in the first stage of tempering passes into two-dimensional platelets of 0 iron carbide during the second stage of tempering. The three-dimensional form of the 0 carbide is formed during the third stage of tempering. Jack suggested2 that the two-dimensional platelets of 0 carbide could be related to the faulted x iron carbide. Okada and Arata4 investigated a Swedish steel containing 1.05 wt pct C and approximately 1.0 wt pct Mn using permeability measurements at low field strength. A Curie point of 360°C was observed in the quenched steel, which indicated the presence of E iron carbide. On tempering at 400°C the specimen developed a Curie point at 230°C, indicating the presence of x iron carbide, and on tempering at 700°C the specimen developed a Curie point at 190°C which was assigned to 0 iron carbide. The carbides were extracted electro-lytically and the use of X-ray diffraction techniques4r5 indicated the carbide with a Curie point of 230°C to be x iron carbide. The Curie points of the carbides are 10 to 22°C lower than the accepted values which is probably due to the presence of manganese in the carbides, since it has often been observed (e.g., Ref, 6) that a partial substitution of manganese for iron in cementite will lower the Curie point of this carbide. Hofer' summarizes additional evidence of the tempering reactions in steel in which E iron carbide, formed during the first stage of tempering, transforms to x iron carbide during the second stage of tempering. During the third stage of tempering, the x carbide disappears as the 0 carbide is formed. By carburizing thin iron films in a CO gas stream, ~a~akura' has been able to produce the E, X, and 0 iron carbides. He found that below 250°C the E iron carbide was formed; between 250" and 350°C the x iron carbide was formed and above 350°C the 0 iron carbide was formed. He has shown that the E iron carbide transforms to form x iron carbide at 380" to 400°C and that the x ir°n carbide transforms to form the 0 iron carbide at approximately 550" C; both of these phase transformations are irreversible. Hofer' presents a review of evidence to show that the sequence of reactions occurring during tempering processes subsequent to the formation of E iron carbide formed by the direct carburization of finely divided a iron is the same as the sequence of reactions which occur during the tempering processes subsequent to the formation of E iron carbide in steel during the first stage of tempering. It is evident from Nagakura's work that identical tempering reactions are found in thin films of iron which have been carburized to form iron carbide. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the structural similarities between the E, X, and 0 carbides and to suggest a possible mechanism by which regions of the E carbide, formed during the first stage of tempering, may transform to the x carbide during the second stage of tempering. For the finely divided or thin film carbides a mechanism will be proposed for the transformation of the x carbide to the 0 carbide during the third stage of tempering, although it will be suggested that there is evidence that such a transformation may not occur in steels. STRUCTURAL DATA OF THE E, X, AND 0 IRON CARBIDES € Iron Carbide. It is evident from X-ray diffractions and electron diffraction', investigations that the metal atoms in the E iron carbide form an hcp structure with lattice constants ah = 2.752A, ch = 4.3534, using electron diffraction, reports the lattice paramet$rs of the superlattice cell to be a = 4.767A, c = 4.354, c/a = 0.9134. He finds that the carbon atoms occupy the octahedral voids in the metal atom structure so as to form a hexagonal stacking sequence with its basal plane parallel to that of the metal atoms. Considerable long-range disorder occurs in the positioning of the carbon atoms, however, which is in agreement with the possible range of composition Fe2C-Fe3C discussed by Hofer.' Barton and ale" have made X-ray diffraction measurements on a sample of E iron carbide extracted from a catalyst in an organic process. Although there were few reflections recorded on the obtained X-ray powder diffraction pattern, they have proposed that the structure could belong to one of the three possible space groups p3m1, P63/mmc, or Pbcn if one assumed the composition to be Fe2C. Nagakura, using electron diffraction data, suggests a space group of P 6322 for a specimen of c iron carbide of apparent composition Fez.&. x Iron Carbide. The x iron carbide has been studied by Duggin and Hofer" and by Jack and wild,' who

Jan 1, 1969

Allan Gibb, Mount Perry, Queensland, Australia (communication to the Secretary):—In drawing conclusions from his observations, Mr. Van Liew has apparently overlooked the reduction in weight that takes place in the content of the converter. The percentage-compositions of the matte, etc., are not directly comparable for determining the rate of elimination of the impurities; and, in the absence of exact weights (which in such an operation could not be obtained), it is necessary to determine the relation between the impurities and the copper with which they are combined at various stages, in order to get data that are comparable. Owing to a portion of the copper being removed in the slag, etc., the weight of copper in the converter is not a fixed quantity, but.it is sufficiently approximate to permit very reasonable comparison. The analytical data given by Mr. Van Liew, reduced to this basis (a ratio between the impurities and the copper with which they are combined), are shown in the table on page 958. From this table it will be evident that Mr. Van Liea's conclusions as to the source of heat at digerent stages are not quite correct. During the first 10 minutes, no iron is scorified, the heat being derived from the oxidation of the sulphur, of which 7 per cent. of the total is removed in this time. Prom

Jan 1, 1904

By Albert Smith

THE creep properties of metals have as-sumed increasing importance in recent years and many investigations have been made on various phases of the problem. In the past year the annual lectures of the Insti-tute of Metals Division1 and the Iron and Steel Division2 were concerned with this subject, and are excellent reviews. For many years the creep properties of lead and lead alloys have been investigated at the Central Research Laboratories of the American Smelting and Refining Co., and it is hoped that the present paper will contribute knowledge of some of the factors that influ-ence creep. Lead, being a metal that recrys-tallizes readily at room temperature, is an excellent material upon which to investi-gate creep phenomena because of the sim-plicity of the apparatus needed, and it might be expected that results would apply to some extent to elevated-temperature tests of other metals.

Jan 1, 1940

By Joseph B. Story, John T. Clarke

A modification, of the Kelvin bridge using an inductor was used to measure the conductivities of molten sodium chloride, calcium chloride, and mixtures thereof. A capillary-type four-lead fused quartz dipping cell was constructed. The effect of a small amount of potassium chloride on the conductivity of the melt was determined. IN the electrowinning of sodium and chlorine from sodium chloride in Downs cells, calcium chloride is added to the sodium chloride in an approximately equimolar amount to permit cell operation at a lower temperature. This lower temperature improves current efficiency and ease of operation, but decreases voltage efficiency by decreasing the electrical conductivity of the melt. A knowledge of the electrical conductivity of the Downs cell melt is necessary to the understanding of Downs cell operation, for the IR voltage drop across the melt is responsible for a significant part of the electrical power consumed by the cell. The work of previous investigators on fused sodium chloride-calcium chloride mixtures was reviewed from the standpoint of consistency with the results of others on the conductivities of the pure constituents. The electrical conductivity of pure fused sodium chloride has been established with accuracy by Van Artsdalen and Yaffe,1 by Edwards, Taylor, Russell, and Maranville,2 and by Lee and Pearson.3 It has also been studied by a number of other investigators.4-13 The best values for calcium chloride are believed to be those of Lee and Pearson,3 since the sodium chloride and potassium chloride conductivity values given by them check the best literature values. A number of other investigators have also reported values for calcium chloride.'-"."' Electrical conductivity data for fused sodium chloride-calcium chloride mixtures have been reported by Sandonnini,12 Vereshchetina and Luz-hnaya,18 Ryschkewitsch,11 Barzakovskii,5 and Alaby-shev and Kulakovskaya.15 Sandonnini reports no data at temperatures lower than 850°C. The conductivity values reported by Vereshchetina and Luz-hnaya, by Ryschkewitsch, and by Barzakovskii for pure sodium chloride and for pure calcium chlor- ide vary somewhat from the literature values believed to be best and the sodium chloride-calcium mixture data of these authors and of Alabyshev and Kulakovskaya (who give no data for the pure compounds) show significant variations. In view of these facts, it seemed that an investigation of the electrical conductivities of fused sodium chloride-calcium mixtures would be worthwhile. Apparatus Bridge System—The bridge used,in this investigation is diagrammed in Fig. 1. In general, the elaborations of this bridge over the simple Wheatstone bridge were for the purposes of a) eliminating lead resistances or making them accurately measurable, and b) eliminating major capacitative and inductive effects or balancing them against each other. Lead resistances in the lower arms of the bridge were kept as low as possible by making the leads short and of low resistance wire. This could not be done in the cell arm of the bridge because of the remoteness of the cell from the other bridge components and because of the high-resistance nickel or chrome1 wires used in the cell. Since maximum sensitivity is attained when the resistances of the four arms of the bridge are equal, 50-O resistors were used in the lower arms of the bridge when fused salt conductivities were being measured, and 1000-O resistors were used when the cell was being calibrated with normal aqueous KCl solution. The cell resistance was of the order of 50 ohms with fused salts and of the order of 1000 ohms with normal aqueous KC1 solution. The resistors used were non-inductive and accurate to 50.05 pct (General Radio Co. Types 500-C and 500-H). The lead resistance between point A in the cell and point E at the measuring resistor was eliminated by using the kelvin bridge principle; that is, the voltape drop across the lead from point A to point E was divided between the cell arm of the bridge and the measuring arm of the bridge in proporation to the resistaxes in the lower arms of the bridge.

Jan 1, 1958

By J. R. Low, M. Gensamer

During the course of an investigation into the drawability of automobile-body sheet steel, it became apparent that certain advantages would be possessed by a deep-drawing steel with a very low yield strength, but almost normal tensile strength, provided a reduction in yield strength could be accomplished without sacrifice of ductility and fine grain size. It would also be desirable to have this steel free from strain-aging; that is, free from the tendency for the yield point to return after it had been eliminated by straining. It was known that, wet hydrogen treatment acted to eliminate aging, but as carried out by other investigators, at relatively high temperatures, this treatment resulted in grain coarsening. It has been established by some of the experiments reported in this paper that all of these objectives can be accomplished by treatment in wet hydrogen at a low temperature, in the neighborhood of 72o°C. The time of treatment is relatively short (about 3 hr, to completion with 20-gauge sheet) if the water content of the hydrogen atmosphere is made fairly high, say aimost 30 per cent by volume. At this temperature. the grain size remains fine in the time required. After this treatment sheet reduced the usual amount by cold-rolling has a grain size of about A.S.T.M. No. 7. The yield point is completely eliminated, and the yield strength is reduced to a very low value, in the neighborhood of 15,000 lb. per sq. in. The stress-strain curve departs gradually from the straight-line elastic part after the fashion of nonferrous deep-drawing alloys. This elimination of the yield point is accompanied by a verv low indentation hardness; for example, 32 Rockwell B or even lower. There is no aging as measured by increase in the yield strength upon aging at room temperature or for 3 hr. at 200°C., after stretching about 10 per cent in tension. Tensile strength is only slightly less than the box-annealed sheet, seldom dropping much below 40,-ooo lb. per sq. in. Elongation is practically unchanged, or increased slightly. The term yield point, as here used, refers to the phenomenon of heterogeneous deformation occurring at a substantiallv constant load, observed principally in annealed low-carbon steels. If such a steel is loaded in tension, the load increases steadily with elastic strain, suddenly falls, fluctuates slightly about some constant value for a time and then begins to rise again as deformation proceeds. The maximum initial load before the sudden drop is generally called the "upper yield point"; the value of the load where deformation proceeds at a

Jan 1, 1944

By J. R. Low, M. Gensamer

During the course of an investigation into the drawability of automobile-body sheet steel, it became apparent that certain advantages would be possessed by a deep-drawing steel with a very low yield strength, but almost normal tensile strength, provided a reduction in yield strength could be accomplished without sacrifice of ductility and fine grain size. It would also be desirable to have this steel free from strain-aging; that is, free from the tendency for the yield point to return after it had been eliminated by straining. It was known that, wet hydrogen treatment acted to eliminate aging, but as carried out by other investigators, at relatively high temperatures, this treatment resulted in grain coarsening. It has been established by some of the experiments reported in this paper that all of these objectives can be accomplished by treatment in wet hydrogen at a low temperature, in the neighborhood of 72o°C. The time of treatment is relatively short (about 3 hr, to completion with 20-gauge sheet) if the water content of the hydrogen atmosphere is made fairly high, say aimost 30 per cent by volume. At this temperature. the grain size remains fine in the time required. After this treatment sheet reduced the usual amount by cold-rolling has a grain size of about A.S.T.M. No. 7. The yield point is completely eliminated, and the yield strength is reduced to a very low value, in the neighborhood of 15,000 lb. per sq. in. The stress-strain curve departs gradually from the straight-line elastic part after the fashion of nonferrous deep-drawing alloys. This elimination of the yield point is accompanied by a verv low indentation hardness; for example, 32 Rockwell B or even lower. There is no aging as measured by increase in the yield strength upon aging at room temperature or for 3 hr. at 200°C., after stretching about 10 per cent in tension. Tensile strength is only slightly less than the box-annealed sheet, seldom dropping much below 40,-ooo lb. per sq. in. Elongation is practically unchanged, or increased slightly. The term yield point, as here used, refers to the phenomenon of heterogeneous deformation occurring at a substantiallv constant load, observed principally in annealed low-carbon steels. If such a steel is loaded in tension, the load increases steadily with elastic strain, suddenly falls, fluctuates slightly about some constant value for a time and then begins to rise again as deformation proceeds. The maximum initial load before the sudden drop is generally called the "upper yield point"; the value of the load where deformation proceeds at a

Jan 1, 1944

By J. H. Wernick, D. Dorsi, K. E. Benson

A LTHOUGH a considerable number of experi--ti mental investigations dealing with the roasting of sulfide minerals have been reported in the past,'"" the behavior of the single roasting particle does not appear to have received the attention it perhaps deserves. This is understandable in that the natural sulfide counterpart of the slab or sheet of metal normally used in high temperature oxidation studies is difficult to obtain and prepare, and is, in most cases, virtually impossible to maintain in one piece at roasting temperatures. The employment, on the other hand, of static aggregations of small particles in masses great enough to permit evaluation of the roasting reactions by means of thermobalances or gas analyses introduces other complications, such as localized overheating, sintering, and variable gas-solid contact. In this investigation a compromise between the above extremes was attempted. Closely sized (e.g., 30 to 40 mesh) particles of natural sulfide minerals were isothermally roasted, out of contact with one another, in an air-swept system. The progress of the roasting reactions was followed by examination in polished section of the treated particles and by X-ray and chemical analysis of their residual sulfide kernels. In this way some conclusions respecting the mechanism of roasting reactions were drawn. Roasting Furnace—The vertical tube furnace used for roasting the sulfide particles had a heated zone 10 1/2 in. long in which four retractable light gage stainless steel trays were suspended. Each tray, and an accompanying baffle, was mounted on a 2 in. iength of 3/8 in. stainless steel tubing. These assemblies were axially suspended on a 30 in. length of in. stainless tubing, by means of which they could be lifted from the hot zone to a water-cooled brass chamber at the top of the furnace. Since each tray unit could slide freely on the 30 in. tube, any desired number of the trays could be retained in the cooling chamber by the manipulation of a horizontal plunger during a momentary withdrawal of the four trays from the hot zone. Although three heating coils, each equipped with variable external resistance, were employed, it was found impossible to avoid a drop of 10O to 15OC between the temperature at the top tray and that of the lower three. Consequently, only the bottom three trays were used for roasting. Temperature readings inside the furnace were made by means of a thermocouple inserted down the tray support tube at tray levels, and a separate thermocouple, inserted adjacent to the middle heating coil, was connected to a Micromax temperature control unit. Experimental Method—The sulfide minerals were obtained in a form as free as possible from gangue and contaminating sulfides, and were crushed and screened to the required particle size range. The tray assembly was kept inside the furnace during the heating-up period and, when a steady temperature had been reached, the trays were withdrawn. Each tray was sprinkled with from 200 to 500 mg of the sulfide grains, and the assembly was lowered into the furnace without delay in order to minimize the time required to achieve the operating temperature. The furnace top was then clamped into position and the thermocouple inserted down the center tube to the required level. It was found that, when this procedure was used, the trays achieved their former temperature within 2 min, after which time the flow of dry air was begun at a rate of 1 liter per min, and timing of the run was started. At the required intervals of time the trays were successively withdrawn from the hot zone and stored in the cooling chamber by means of the retention plunger. On completion of the run the treated particles were removed from the trays to be set aside for examination. The roasted particles were mounted in Lucite on a Buehler press operating at a temperature of 146°C

Jan 1, 1958

By B. J. Shaw, R. Kossowsky, W. C. Johnston

High purity (99,95) Ni-51 wt pct cr eutectic alloy was unidirectionalty solidified at rates of 0.1 to 8 in. per hr. The resulting material was characterized by large grains, approximately 0.5 mm in cross section and extending through almost the entire length of the specimen, parallel to the growth axis. The eutectic structure of specimens the growth at -1/3 The per hr consisted of a continuous nickel-rich phase and chrome -rich lamellae approximately 2 thick, spaced about apart. Specimens were tested in compression at temperatures ranging from —196 to 850"C over which range the 0.2 pet yield strength dp -creased from 160,000 p si to 35,000psi, respectively. Swaging to 40 pet reduction in area, followed by a 30-min anneal at 1000c to remove residual cold work, increased the 0.2 pet yield to 260,000 psi at -196°C, dropping to 35,000 psi at 850°C. The increase in strength was attributed to a residual cell structure. The strength of the alloy could be rationalized by the simple rule of mixtures if one assumed that additional strength is derived front a size effect characterized by is petch equation IN recent years there has been increasing interest in dispersion and second phase strengthening in materials needed for high-temperature applications. inm role of structure on the mechanical The of such alloys has been well established of such some extent accounted for theoretically. and to of how the strengthening mechanisms due to fibers and lamellae operate has been reduced to its fibers form by the fabrication of composites of strong rods unidirectionally aligned in a From work on tungsten-fiber-reinforced copper, for example, it was established that the "Rule of Mixtures" could explain the strengthening.12 " some what more sophisticated technique for introducing strong fibers into copper matrix was used by Hertzberg strong Kraft3 who unidirectionally solidified the copper-chromium eutectic. The use of unidirectionally fied eutectics has advantages in that there are no matrix-fiber wetting problems and fine fibers are automatically aligned and uniformly fiber However, one Is restricted to a specific volume fraction of the second phase. Nevertheless, even though the volume fraction is fixed, the rod or lamella thickness, , can be varied by controlling the freezing interface velocity. Alternatively, the grown material may be worked down by swaging or rolling. Embury and Fisher, " using this approach, drew down pear lite in iron and studied the mechanical properties iron and that the yield strength, oy, was properties.proportional They that d was the wire diameter. It could be inferred that was also proportional to but the work hardening had to be taken into consideration at the same time. By varying the growth rate of the cadmium-zinc lamellar eutectic, Shaw'1 showed that was proportional to without the introduction of work hardening and suggested that the lamellar interface itself contributed to the strengthening of the composite. In this investigation we have evaluated the mechanical properties of the unidirectionally solidified fec-bec eutectic Ni-Cr. This eutectic was selected because it presented the possibility was selected beca temperature, and high corrosion resistant alloy, and also represented a hard-soft phase combination with two completely different slip systems. Specimens were tested in compression and tension up to 850°C and a detailed study of the micro structure as a function of plastic strain and temperature was carried out by light and electron microscopy. It was shown that the composite strength tested in compression can be accounted for by the simple rule of mixtures if one allows for an additional term representing the effect of Intereprese EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE 1) Unidirectional Solidification. Fig. 1 is a schematic drawing of the apparatus used to produce 0.2 in. diam by 12 in. long alloy ingots. The crucible tube is alumina, containing the charge which has been is swaged, or machined to 0.195 in. diam. The lower end of the tube is immersed to 0 .195in in.d iam. The upper end is supported by a 10 mil nichrome wire which lowers the crucible mil nic hr the] wire at a prescribed rate. Surrounding the furnace is a graphite susceptor into which a control thermocouple is inserted. The furnace is insulated with fiberfrax and enclosed in a quartz tube. There is a sliding seal at the bottom around the crucible and one on the top so that an atmosphere may be used for the sample and suscep tor. The power for the furnace is supplied from a 10-kw, 450 kc generator. The skin depth (the skin depth at which the field falls to l/e of its value at the outer surface) for graphite (p = 10 (j-ohm-cm) is 0.1 in. at this fre-

Jan 1, 1970

By Robert D. Pehlke, Arden L. Bement

A mass transfer coefficient for the removal of hydrogen from liquid aluminum by inert flush degassing has been determined experimentally at 700°C. A mathematical model has been derived, assuming transport control, which adequately describes the experimental data. The removal of hydrogen is shown to increase with decreasing bubble size, and with increasing flow of flushing gas. The presence of hydrogen in liquid metals in amounts which exceed the solid solubility at one atmosphere hydrogen pressure is highly undesirable, causing unsound ingots or castings, or resulting in difficulties during further fabrication. The removal of hydrogen from liquid metals can be accomplished by several methods, the principal two being vacuum treating and inert flush degassing. The design of a process involving either of these techniques is based on the mass transfer coefficient for hydrogen between the liquid metal and a hydrogen-dilute gas phase. In an effort to extend our knowledge in this area, an investigation of the rate of removal of hydrogen from liquid metals by inert gas flushing was undertaken. In view of the difficulties encountered with gas porosity in the casting of aluminum and aluminum alloys, and because of certain experimental advantages, liquid aluminum was selected for the study. PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS The removal of gases from liquid metals, particularly steel, has received considerable attention in recent years, The first definitive work of a theoretical nature was presented by Geller1 who considered the case where equilibrium exists between purging gases and metal bath during flushing, and also deviations from this ideal case. Hulme2 has surveyed a number of experimental studies and discussed some of the practical limitations of removing dissolved gases from molten metals. More recently a number of studies have been reported on degassing of steel melts by flushing with an inert gas.3'4 Considerable work has also been reported on aqueous and organic liquid-gas systems, and an excellent summary prepared by Hovis.5 The treatment of liquid aluminum by a flushing gas to remove dissolved hydrogen has been known for several decades.6 A number of gases have been used for this purpose, including nitrogen, argon, and chlorine, or mixtures of these gases. Tikkanen and Erkko7 have studied the relative density changes of aluminum castings poured from melts degassed with chlorine, nitrogen, and mixtures of the two gases. Their

Jan 1, 1962

By R. C. Gifkins, A. Gittins

A. Gittins and R. C. Gifkins (University of Mel-houvne)— Evidence from somewhat similar experiments to those described in this paper has led us to the conclusion that possibility 2) of the four listed on p. 319 is a description of what happens in grain boundary sliding. That is, sliding is limited by accommodation deformation, it being necessary to the Continuance of sliding that this accommodation should take place. An example of such accommodation, though probably not the most important, is fold formation at triple points. The evidence and arguments for this point of view are set out in Refs. 14 to 16. In particular, an experiment with a lead bicrys-tall5 seems to support point 2) rather than 3). In creep of this specimen it was found that at least 90 pct of the extension of a zone 0.3 mm wide at the boundary was supplied by sliding at the boundary. The sliding was localized in a region at the boundary very much smaller than 0.3 mm, in fact, in a region too narrow to resolve optically. In poly crystalline Specimens&apos; there appears to be a surface effect, as found by Rachinger," but it appears that this may not manifest itself at low strains. "Low strains" means <10 pct for a Pb-TI alloy, <2.5 pct for magnesium or "Magnox" A12 alloy, or <40 pct for a 0 brass. Up to this extension the sliding, measured by the mean vertical step at boundaries, is proportional to extension. We are able to say this with some confidence, since the error bars on our points are statistically derived. Our results would lead us to think that the error bars on other work, including that of Mullendore and Grant, are much too large at low strains to show this

Jan 1, 1963

By S. G. Proctor, D. L. Baaso, W. V. Conner

A double crucible system was developed for I-g scale plutonium reductions. The equipment consists of an inner MgO crucible, an outer MgO crucible, and a stainless steel pressure vessel. The reduction charge is PIaced in the inner crucible and the annulus between the inner and outer crucibles is filled with a mixture of calcium and iodine. The exothermic reaction between the calcium and iodine in the annulus supplies the heat required for complete reaction of the reduction charge ana&apos; good metal coalescence. Metal yields of 80 to 85 ,pct were obtained from I-g scale reductions and yields as high as 97.5 pct were obtained from 0.5-g scale reductions. The system was used to reduce charges containing as little as 0.1 g of Pu resulting in metal yields up to 90 Pct. THIN metal foils of highly enriched plutonium isotopes are used as targets for cross section and other measurements. The isotopes are separated in the calutrons at Oak Ridge and are very expensive to prepare. Often, only 1 or 2 g of material are available thereby emphasizing the need for a method of preparing these small quantities of metal. Procedures for 1-g scale plutonium reductions have been described, but these procedures require elaborate or expensive equipment. For example, the procedure described by Anselin et al.1 requires an inert atmosphere glovebox and induction heating equipment. The procedure described by Baker2 also uses induction heating equipment to obtain the recommended heating rates and liner temperatures. Baker&apos;s procedure also requires high purity PuF4 with very little PuO2 present. The procedure described in this paper resulted from a search for a simple and inexpensive method for making 1-g scale plutonium reductions. EXPERIMENTAL Equipment. The equipment required for the double crucible system consists of a pressure vessel, two MgO crucibles, a MgO crucible lid, and a resistance-heated, vertical crucible furnace. The crucibles were slip cast from high purity MgO and were supplied by the Coors Porcelain Co. and the Norton Co. The pressure vessel and lid were fabricated from 316 stainless steel. Materials. The PuF4 used for this study was obtained from the P1utoniu:m Metal Production Department at Rocky Flats. The PuF4 was prepared in a con- tinuous hydrofluorinator by reacting Pu02 with HF at 650°C. The isotopic composition of the plutonium was approximately 93 pct 239PU, 6 pct 240PU, and 0.5 pct 241PU. Some of this PuF, contained less than 1 pct Pu02 (Batch No. 6 and 7), while other batches contained up to 15 pct Pu02 (Batch No. 3). The chemical analyses of all the PuF4 used for this study is given in Table I. The calcium was 99 pct pure, AEC grade, and only that fraction which would pass through a 20 mesh screen was used. The I2 was USP grade re-sublimed I2 which was ground before being used. Procedure. Various charge compositions and methods for loading the double crucible system were tested. The optimum conditions for 1-g scale reductions are described below. The double crucible system was loaded as shown in Fig. 1. The outer crucible was placed in the pressure vessel and the annulus between them was filled with MgO sand. The inner crucible was placed in the outer crucible, supported by a layer of MgO sand in the bottom of the outer crucible. A mixture of 5.2 g of Ca and 25 g of I2 was placed in the annulas between the two crucibles. The upper portion of the annulas was filled with MgO sand. Next, a layer of a mixture of calcium and I, equal to 20 wt pct of the calcium and I2 used in the main charge was placed in the bottom of the inner crucible. The PuF, to be reduced was mixed with a 30 pct excess of calcium and 1 mole of I2 per mole of Pu and this mixture was placed in the inner crucible. The charge was topped with a layer of a mixture of calcium and I2 equal to 20 wt pct of the calcium and I2 used in the main charge. The pressure vessel was sealed with a flat copper gasket and was purged by alternately evacuating and filling with argon. The purge valve was closed and the vessel was placed in a vertical crucible furnace which was preheated to 950°C. The furnace was turned off after 20 min of heating and the vessel allowed to cool. Experience has shown that. this amount of heating is sufficient to assure complete reaction of the charge. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The double crucible system has been used to produce plutonium metal on a 0.1- to 1-g scale. Reduction

Jan 1, 1970