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By Samuel S. Wyer

The following abbreviations hare been used in the text: Am. Mfr. and Iron World. American Manufacturer and Iron World, Pittsburg, Pa. Can. Min. Rez;. Canadian Mininy Review, Ottawa, Can. Cuss. Mag. Cassier's Mayazine, New York, N. Y. Col. Eng. Colliery Engineer, Scranton, Pa. Col. Guard. Colliery Guardian, London, Eog. Eng. and Min. Jour. Engineering and Mining Journal, New York, N. Y. Eng. News. Engineering News, New York, N. Y. Engr. Engineering, London, Eng. J. I. and 8. I. Journal of the Iron and Steel Institute, London, Eng. Jour. W. Soc. of Engrs. Journal Western Society of Engineers, Chicago, Ill. Lond. Eng. The Engineer, London, Eng. Mines and Min. Mines and Minerals, Scranton, Pa. North of Eng. I. M. E. North of England Institute of Mining Engineers, Newcastle-on-Tyne, England. Oester. Zeitsch f. Berg u. Hüt. Oesterreichische Zeitschrift für Berg-und Hittenwesen, Vienna, Austria. Pract. Engr. Practical Engineer, London, Eng. Proc. I. C! E. Proceedings Institution of Civil Engineers, London, Eng. Trans. A. I. M. E. Transactions American Institute of Mining Engineers, New York, N. Y. Trans. A. S. M. E. Transactions American Society Mechanical Engineers, New York, N. I!. Duns. Fed. I. M. E, Transuctions Federated Institute Mining Engineers, Newcastle-on-Tgne, England. Trans. L 31. E. Transactions Institute Mining Engineers, Newcastle-on-Tyne, England.

Jan 1, 1907

By G. Carman Ridland

In conjunction with a geological investigation of the silver-bearing veins at Contact Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada, a survey was made with a Geiger-Miiller counter of the gamma-ray emissions from the rocks in the vicinity of the mine workings. Discontinuous pitchblende veins have been encountered occasionally in the silver-bearing fissures, and the geophysical survey was undertaken with the hope that abnormally high gamma-ray intensities, if detected, might lead to larger and more continuous pitchblende discoveries. Before the instrument was used at Contact Lake, preliminary tests were made, first with laboratory specimens at Princeton University, and later over known pitchblende deposits at the Eldorado property, LaBine Point, N.W.T. The Geiger-Müller counter, as adapted for field use, is described; the technique of transporting and operating the instrument is outlined; and the general precautions to be observed are discussed. The results obtained at Great Bear Lake show that the instrument is capable of detecting not only a pitchblende ore shoot in a shear zone, but also the mildly radioactive "host rock" at a considerable distance from the ore body. Hence, use of the Geiger-Müller counter is urged, not just for the detailed search for an ore body in a shear zone, but for the detection of possible radioactive "host rocks" in large-scale reconnaissance surveys of unexplored regions made by prospectors and members of federal geological survey parties. Location.—Along the rocky eastern shores of Great Bear Lake, in the Northwest Territories of Canada, lies one of the world's great radium-producing areas. The Eldorado mine, owned and operated by the Eldorado Gold Mines, Ltd., is at LaBine Point; while the Contact Lake mine, operated by Bear Exploration and Radium, Ltd. (B.E.A.R.), lies 9 miles to the southeast of LaBine Point and 2 miles south of Echo Bay, an indentation in the eastern shore line of Great Bear Lake. Geology.—The Eldorado company obtains its radium by the mining of the mineral pitchblende, which is found associated with a complex variety of metallic and nonmetallic minerals1 in quartz-carbonate veins occurring in metamorphosed pre-Cambrian sediment aries. Most of the pitchblende is intimately associated with a brown quartz and belongs to an early hydrothermal stage of mineralization during which safflorite-rammelsbergite and minor cobalt-nickel minerals were also deposited. Some pitchblende occurs with a group of minerals belonging to a later stage of mineralization in which the gangue is mainly dolomite and sometimes ferruginous rhodochrosite. Associated with this group are native silver and lead-zinc-copper sulphide minerals. The Contact Lake property owes its existence to the mining of rich, native silver ore shoots, which are

Jan 1, 1946

By G. Carman Ridland

In conjunction with a geological investigation of the silver-bearing veins at Contact Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada, a survey was made with a Geiger-Miiller counter of the gamma-ray emissions from the rocks in the vicinity of the mine workings. Discontinuous pitchblende veins have been encountered occasionally in the silver-bearing fissures, and the geophysical survey was undertaken with the hope that abnormally high gamma-ray intensities, if detected, might lead to larger and more continuous pitchblende discoveries. Before the instrument was used at Contact Lake, preliminary tests were made, first with laboratory specimens at Princeton University, and later over known pitchblende deposits at the Eldorado property, LaBine Point, N.W.T. The Geiger-Müller counter, as adapted for field use, is described; the technique of transporting and operating the instrument is outlined; and the general precautions to be observed are discussed. The results obtained at Great Bear Lake show that the instrument is capable of detecting not only a pitchblende ore shoot in a shear zone, but also the mildly radioactive "host rock" at a considerable distance from the ore body. Hence, use of the Geiger-Müller counter is urged, not just for the detailed search for an ore body in a shear zone, but for the detection of possible radioactive "host rocks" in large-scale reconnaissance surveys of unexplored regions made by prospectors and members of federal geological survey parties. Location.—Along the rocky eastern shores of Great Bear Lake, in the Northwest Territories of Canada, lies one of the world's great radium-producing areas. The Eldorado mine, owned and operated by the Eldorado Gold Mines, Ltd., is at LaBine Point; while the Contact Lake mine, operated by Bear Exploration and Radium, Ltd. (B.E.A.R.), lies 9 miles to the southeast of LaBine Point and 2 miles south of Echo Bay, an indentation in the eastern shore line of Great Bear Lake. Geology.—The Eldorado company obtains its radium by the mining of the mineral pitchblende, which is found associated with a complex variety of metallic and nonmetallic minerals1 in quartz-carbonate veins occurring in metamorphosed pre-Cambrian sediment aries. Most of the pitchblende is intimately associated with a brown quartz and belongs to an early hydrothermal stage of mineralization during which safflorite-rammelsbergite and minor cobalt-nickel minerals were also deposited. Some pitchblende occurs with a group of minerals belonging to a later stage of mineralization in which the gangue is mainly dolomite and sometimes ferruginous rhodochrosite. Associated with this group are native silver and lead-zinc-copper sulphide minerals. The Contact Lake property owes its existence to the mining of rich, native silver ore shoots, which are

Jan 1, 1946

By AIME AIME

TEXAS not only produces millions of barrels of petroleum daily, but supplies the oil industry with an asset infinitely more valuable than liquld gold. That asset is leadership. The oil industry was built from its humble beginning a few decades ago into a potent force in world economy by human hands and human brains. One of these great leaders in the busy world of oil is Wallace Pratt, of the Humble company, who has been called to a position as director and member of the executive committee of the Standard Oil of New Jersey. So reads the Houston Post of June 3, 1937.

Jan 1, 1944

By E. S. Machlin

THE function of this paper is to present certain results based on the fact that the strain energy arising from the solution of out-of-size solute atoms into the solid matrix is free energy and not internal energy, and that this strain energy is almost wholly shear strain energy as Zener1 pointed out. One natural consequence of this fact is an expression for the excess entropy of mixing due to the strain energy. Also, a derivation of the integral molar free energy of mixing partitioned to strain energy will be made using the model of Lawson2 and thermodynamics. This derivation has the advantage of showing in a simple way the assumptions involved in Lawson's treatment. The excess entropy of mixing partitioned to strain energy can be derived in two ways. The first way makes use of the fact that the strain energy is almost wholly in the form of shear strain energy. In this case, as Zener1 pointed out, the change in entropy due to the addition of shear strain energy is to a first approximation given by ?S/?? p,T = - ?lnµ/?T p,? Hence, the excess entropy of mixing partitioned to strain energy will be given by Sx ? = ?S/?? p,T Gx ? = - ?lnµ/?T p,? Gx ? where, Gx ? is the relative integral molar free en- ergy partitioned to strain energy; S is the entropy; is the shear strain energy; µ is the shear modulus; T is the absolute temperature; p is the pressure; and ? is the shear strain. Zener,1 as well as others, has pointed out that the shear strain energy stored in a compressible isotropic solid due to the insertion of an off-size incompres-sible sphere into a spherical hole in the solid, is approximately given by 2/3 µ/O (O°I - O)2 where a is the volume of spherical hole and no , is the volume of sphere. If we now consider the introduction of one mol of such spheres into an infinite volume of solid, then the relative partial molar free energy excess due to strain energy alone is GM ? = 2/3 µ/v (v ° 1 - v)2 where v is the molar volume of solvent and v°1, is the molar volume of pure solute type 1. Let us consider that these spheres are the two types of atoms in a binary solution, then there will be a similar relation for solute 2. The total relative integral molar free energy excess due to strain is then, to the approximations stated above GM ? = GM ? x1 + GM2 ? x2 = 2/3 µ/v [(v ° 1 - v)2 x1 + (v ° 1 - v)2 x2]. Lawson's relation for the strain energy can be de-

Jan 1, 1955

By Klaus Schwerdtfeger

The rate of formation of silicon monoxide from silica spheres has been measured at 1500°C in H2, H2-H2O, H2-He, H2-Ar, and CO-CO2 gas mixtures. Indications are that in the hydrogen-containing gases the reaction rate is mainly determined by convective diffz~sion. In the CO-CO2 mixtures the rate approches a constant value which is independent of sphere diometer (and gas velocity). This suggests that a surface reaction becomes rate controlling in CO-CO2 gas. WHENEVER silica is exposed at elevated temperature to a strongly reducing atmosphere there occurs, inevitably, a volatilization of silica by the formation of gaseous silicon monoxide. Because of the importance of this reaction in metallurgical processes and laboratory experiments, its kinetics were studied in the present work. EXPERIMENTAL The spheres made of vitreous silica were suspended by a molybdenum wire in the hot zone of a gas-tight high-purity recrystallized alumina furnace tube of 3.1 cm internal diam and 100 cm length. Molybdenum wire resistance heating was used. A purified H2, H2-H2O, H2-He, H2-Ar, or CO-CO2 gas mixture was passed through the tube, from top to bottom. The amount of silicon monoxide formed was determined by weighing the silica balls before and after the experiments. The silica balls were made from commercially available translucent fused quartz glass. In experiments with hydrogen-containing gases the silica stayed vitreous during the experiment, whereas in experiments with CO-CO2 mixtures, which were performed over longer times, the balls were always crystallized to cristobalite (as determined by X-ray examination) at the surface. Constant-pressure head capillary flowmeters were used to control the composition of H2-He, H2-Ar, and CO-CO2 gas mixtures. The oxygen and water vapor were removed from the gases containing hydrogen by passage through columns containing platinized asbestos (450°C) and an-hydrone. The CO was purified from O2 and CO2 by passing it through activated copper (200°C) and through ascarite. The H2-H2O gas mixtures were prepared by passing purified Hz through a mixture of oxalic acid dihydrate and anhydrous oxalic acid held at a constant temperature in a water bath. The equilibrium water vapor pressures of oxalic acid dihydrate-anhydrous oxalic acid mixtures were taken from the available data.1 The furnace system was checked for sufficient gas tightness at regular intervals. As an additional check, the H2O and CO2 contents were measured in the exit gas and were found to agree closely with the metered contents when H2-H2O or CO-CO2 mixtures were used. When purified H2 was used, H2O pressures found in the exit gas were always below 0.1 mm Hg. These contents originate either from an incomplete reoxidation of silicon monoxide in the cold part of the furnace or from small leaks which cannot be avoided. If the latter is the case, such small uncontrolled H2O contents decrease the partial pressure of SiO in equilibrium with SiO2 by less than about 7 pct, which is considered small in comparison to other experimental uncertainties. The temperature of the furnace was controlled automatically in the usual manner. The reported temperature was measured with a Pl-Pt/l0pct Rh thermocouple and was accurate to ± 5°C. TRANSPORT-CONTROL LED RATE OF REDUCTION The gaseous convective diffusion from the surface of a sphere can be predicted from the semiempirical relationship obtained by Ranz and Marshall2 in a study of the evaporation of water and benzene drops in air. The following equation applies:

Jan 1, 1967

By J. W. Fuller

During the last 20 years, experimenters have sought to utilize pulverized coal in boiler plants, but refractory and slag troubles have usually overbalanced any gains in efficiency that were obtained. These troubles were caused largely by lack of knowledge of the proper methods of coal preparation and lack of a furnace design that would be adaptable to pulverized-coal firing. When this information was obtained the results were so much more satisfactory that within the last 5 years approximately 80,000 boiler hp. have been installed in plants ranging from 1000 to 20,000 boiler hp. rated capacity, which are operating at an average of 174 per cent. of rating. The first commercial installation for burning pulverized coal under boilers was made at the Parsons shops of the M. K. & T. railroad in 1916. Of eight 250-hp. water-tube boilers thus fitted, six were operated continuously for 3 yr., when oil was obtained at such a low price as to warrant its use. Since then, this plant has been operating alternately on pulverized coal and oil, depending on prevailing prices. Recently gas has been discovered within 20 mi. of this plant, so that this fuel may also be used. No change in furnace design was made when changing from pulverized coal to oil or gas firing. One of the principal advantages of this method of firing is its ability to utilize, with maximum efficiency, all kinds of coal, irrespective of quality or physical characteristics. In fact, quite a number of the present pulverized-coal installations were made for the purpose of utilizing coal that could not be marketed or used in any other way. The Pacific Coast Coal Co., at Black Diamond, Wash., formerly hand fired the boilers, using approximately 125 tons of prepared steam-size coal daily. The Black Diamond steam coal is the best quality of coal for steaming purposes mined in that section of the country, and there is a market for all that can be produced. By installing a pulverizing plant, it was possible to substitute coal of a size and quality that had no commercial value, so that 125 tons daily of the best steam coal formerly used at the mines is now marketed. This company made a similar installation, at its New Castle, Wash., mine with approximately similar results. Each of these two plants has a

Jan 1, 1922

By Michael D. Martin

Pima Mining Co., managed and 50% owned by Cyprus Mines Corp., with Union Oil of California and Utah Construction and Mining Co. sharing equally in the remaining 50%, is a medium-sized open pit copper mine situated in the very active Twin Buttes mining district, 22 miles southwest of Tucson, Ariz. In 1965, a three-part paper described Pima's growth from 3,000 tpd (tons per day) in 1957 to 18,000 tpd nine years later. Within months of the completion of the last stage of this sixfold expansion, studies were being wound up on a further major expansion, this time to 30,000 tpd. This expansion is now a reality. Details of the enlargement of the crushing and concentrating plant have already been covered in a recent paper, and the present paper will cover pit engineering studies, equipment selection, and current operating practices. Key factors in top management's decision to go ahead with the latest expansion were: (1) a substantial increase in ore reserves coupled with an appreciable decrease in grade, (2) a generally favorable outlook for copper prices, and (3) better than expected performance by mine and mill equipment purchased for the expansion to 18,000 tpd. For the pit design studies, particular attention was paid to pit stability, a problem area at times in the past, and to the location and grades of the final ramp systems. In drawing up the long-term mining schedule, the attitude of the ore, with the higher grade material lying deeper, was a critical factor and considerable stockpiling of lower-grade material in the early years had to be accepted in order to keep the annual grades close to the average of the orebody. The expansion called for major purchases of mine equipment in order to gear up the mine for delivery of 30,000 tpd to the concentrator. In general, equipment chosen was of types already proven at Pima, al- though there were some exceptions to this practice. One of these excep-

Jan 1, 1969

By John C. Branner

Shales rich in oil are found at several places along the coast of Brazil. The material has been prospected at several places, and samples have been examined and reported upon by competent authorities. So far as I am acquainted with them, these oil-bearing beds are of Tertiary age. A glimpse at the distribution and character of the Tertiary rocks of the region should give us some idea of the possible distribution of these oil-bearing shales. Tertiary rocks skirt the northeast coast of Brazil from the northern part of the State of Espirito Santo almost or quite to the Amazon valley. Here and there this narrow strip is cut in two by the encroachment of the sea, and the underlying gneisses, granites or other crystalline rocks are exposed upon the beach. In other places, the Tertiary belt widens out until it is 80 kilometers or more in width. Fig. 1 is a sketch-map of a part of the coast-area referred to. Along the coast from Prado, in the State of Bahia, northward to Natal, there is a line of bluffs from 15 to 90 meters high, interrupted here and there by stream-valleys. As seen from the sea, these bluffs are rather conspicuous and highly colored yellow, brown, red, white, black, and purple. These colors are often so mingled as to give the beds a mottled or parti-colored appearance. Fig. 2 shows a characteristic bit of the coast in the State of Parahyba do Norte. In some places, especially in the southern part of the State of Sergipe, and in the northern part of Rio Grande do Norte, the immediate coast is covered with sand-dunes. Here and there these sanddunes have been carried inland over the top of the Tertiary beds, and the subsequent encroachment of the sea has exposed the Tertiary rocks again, where they form the bases of the bluffs. This is well shown in Fig. 3, from a photograph taken at Bahia Formosa, on the coast of Rio Grande do Norte.

Jan 1, 1901

By K. A. Svanstrom, W. R. Opie

Problems associated with deposition of titanium infused chloride baths using TiCl4 as a feed material are reviewed. A potentially workable cell design using Alumdum diaphragms is discussed. Problems inherent to diaphragm-type cells are emphasized and experiments described which led to the development of a cell without a diaphragm. INVESTIGATORS assigned the problem of developing a commercial electrolytic process for making titanium metal have found that they are faced with the difficulty of overtaking rapidly improving magnesium and -sodium reduction processes. The ultimate goal must be a simple process that can be conducted with low-cost raw materials in equipment that is inexpensive to build and operate. This paper deals with some work of a preliminary nature conducted by personnel of the Research Laboratories, National Lead Co., Titanium Division. Many others have reported on the general subject of depositing titanium from fused salt electrolytes. A partial bibliography is attached. PRIMARY CONCEPTS Anyone attempting to deposit titanium metal from fused chloride electrolytes using TiC14 as a source material is faced with at least the following problems: 1) Getting the titanium into solution in the bath. 2) Controlling oxidation and reduction reactions associated with multiple valency of titanium, which result in low electrical efficiency. a) Prevention of dichloride oxidizing to trichloride and trichloride to tetrachloride at the anode. b) Prevention of trichloride from being reduced only to dichloride at the cathode. 3) Prevention of metal formation away from the cathode thru disproportionation of titanium dichloride to satisfy the equilibrium. 3 TiCl2 == 2 TiCl3 Ti [I] 4) Protection of reduced chlorides in the bath from reaction with oxygen from the bath container or air. 5) Removing from the bath the deposited metal formed without allowing it to become contaminated with oxygen or nitrogen. 6) Selecting cell materials of construction which will not contaminate the metal product or cause cell inefficiencies. EARLY EXPERIMENTS The initial attempts made to electrodeposit titanium from fused chloride baths using TiCl4 as a source material indicated that TiCl4 was essentially insoluble in molten chlorides of alkali and alkaline earth metals. If, however, the TiCl4 was introduced close to a nickel cathode some metal could be formed and appreciable quantities of reduced chlorides would be present. These reduced chlorides reacted with any oxygen present in the atmosphere above the bath and would also diffuse quickly to the anode (graphite) where they would react with chlorine and be evolved as TiCl4. The net electrolytic efficiency of such a cell is essentially nil. The TiCl4 evolves from the anode at almost the same rate that it is introduced in the vicinity of the cathode although a small amount of titanium metal can be formed on the walls of the cathodic pipe. It becomes apparent from the operation of such a cell that: metal can be deposited on the cathode, although of small particle size and a nonadherent nature, and when reduced chlorides are present in the electrolyte, TiCl4 can be absorbed, probably by the following reactions: TiCl4 + TiC12 - 2 TiCl3 [21 2 TiCl3 + 2 faradays - 2 TiC12 + C12 [31 DIAPHRAGM CELLS These facts encouraged the development of cells containing diaphragms to prevent migration of reduced chlorides from the cathode area to the anode. Small-scale cells for process development are described by Alpert, Schultz, and Sullivan.20 A larger brick-lined cell incorporating internal heating by passing ac through the bath is shown in

Jan 1, 1960

By R. Grierson, L. J. Bonis

The high-temperature Strength oF TD nickel has been observed to be dependent upon the previons thermal and mechanical history of the material. Variations in both the level and the anisotropy of strength have been observed. 01 this paper- these variations are correlated with the storing of annealing resistant elastic strain energy in the matrix of the TD nickel. An x-vay line -broadening tecknique is used to measure the maLrTis elastie strain. THE inclusion of a finely dispersed second phase into a ductile matrix has long been recognized as an extremely effective method of strengthening the matrix both at high and at low homologous temperatures. It has been found, however, that the factors which determine the high-temperature strength are not the same as those which are important at low temperatures. Below 0.5 Tm the size and distribution of the second phase particles are of prime importance in determining the strength,')' while above this temperature the strength is mainly dependent upon the previous thermal and mechanical history of the alloy,3-7 This paper is primarily concerned with explaining the response of the high-temperature mechanical strength of one of these alloys (DuPont's TD nickel) to various thermo-mechanical treatments. It will be shown that this response is not associated with the occurrence of any form of dislocation substructure within the matrix of the alloy. It has been found, however, that a correlation does exist between the elastic strain level in the matrix and the previous thermomechanical history of the alloy and that the observed changes in elastic strain level parallel the measured changes in high-temperature strength. It therefore must be concluded that variations in high-temperature strength are a direct result of the variations in elastic strain level. MATERIAL TD nickel contains approximately 2 vol pct of Tho2 in an unalloyed nickel matrix. It is formed, as a powder, by a chemical technique and this powder is compacted to form ingots which are then extruded to give 21/2-in.-diam rod. Rod of smaller diameter is prepared from the as-extruded rod by swaging. In the studies reported in this paper, 1/2-in.-diam rod was used. This rod received an anneal of 1 hr at 1100°C prior to being used in any of these studies. EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES Two methods were used to examine the structure of the nickel matrix of the TD nickel. These were: 1) transmission electron microscopy; 2) the analysis of the position and profile of X-ray diffraction lines obtained using the nickel matrix as the diffracting media. To prepare thin foils for electron-microscopical examination, slices of TD nickel approximately 0.050 in. thick were cut from the as-received 1/2-in.-diam rod. These were then chemically polished down to 0.045 in., rolled to 0.009 in., given a predetermined heat treatment, and thinned, using a modified Bollman technique, to provide the foils for observation. All observations were carried out at 100 kv, using a Hitachi HU-11 electron microscope. Specimens of the undeformed rod were prepared by grinding down the 0.050-in.-thick slices to approximately 0.015 in. and then thinning chemically and electrolytically to give the thin foils. The X-ray specimens were prepared by rolling 0.375-in.-thick rectangular blocks down to 0.075 in. The surfaces of the rolled material were ground flat, chemically polished to remove the layer disturbed by the grinding, and given a predetermined anneal in an inert atmosphere. They were then ground lightly to check their flatness and given a final chemical polish prior to being examined. The X-ray diffraction line profiles were measured using an automated Picker biplane diffractometer. A special specimen holder was built to allow a more accurate and reproducible positioning of the specimen. The line profiles were determined by carrying out intensity measurements at intervals of either 1/30 deg or 1/60 deg over a range of 3 deg on either side of the nickel peaks of interest. A piece of pure nickel which had been recrystallized to give a large grain size was used as a standard to give the X-ray line profile generated by a strain-free matrix. The analysis of the X-ray diffraction line profiles is a modification of that due initially to Warren and Aver-bach8and has been described elsewhere.3 This analysis gives a measurement of two parameters associated with the structure of the nickel matrix. These parameters are: 1) the size of the coherently diffracting domains within the nickel matrix; 2) the magnitude of the elastic strains in these domains. Both of these parameters are first determined in terms of a Fourier series. These series are obtained from other Fourier series which describe the measured profile of the X-ray diffraction lines. Thus, for both the coherently diffracting domain size and the elastic strain level, it is possible to plot Ft (the Fourier coefficient) against t (the term in the Fourier series), where t can be expressed in terms of a distance L and the Fourier coefficient Ft(S) (associated with elastic strain level) can be expressed in terms of the root mean square strain (e2)1/2. Thus a plot of (F 2)1/2 vs L can be obtained. Plots of this type are shown graphically in Figs. 6 and 8. Interpretation

Jan 1, 1968

By AIME

BILL BREWSTER was a natural for the steel business. His family lived at Iron Mountain, Mich., when Bill was born on June 14, 1889, so that he had iron in his blood. Always he has looked toward the finished product, rather than the raw material, so that it was a fore-gone conclusion that he should work toward the steel end of the business. After preparing for college at Hotch-kiss Academy he entered the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale University from which he graduated in 1910 with the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy. No reunion of his class would be complete without Bill Brewster. Unlike many of us who try several jobs before settling down, Bill shot straight for the mark. After a summer's work at Iron Mountain, making sure of his background in the production of the raw iron ore, he entered the employ of Wisconsin Steel Works of the International Harvester Co. in September 1910 and has been there ever since. It wasn't much of a job to start with, just a laborer in the billet dock department, but soon there was an opening in the blast-furnace department, where he started as superintendent's clerk in December 1910.

Jan 1, 1946

By Dwight K. Smith

A new pozzolanic composition has been developed for cementing oil wells where moderate to high temperatures prevail. This material is an entirely different concept to other oil well cementing materials, such as portland cements, cements containing additives, or liquid resins. Its characteristics are such that it is not, at present, recommended for use at temperatures less than 140º F. It can he either accelerated or retarded across a wide range of well conditions. This new cement is composed of a pozzolanic material, hydrated lime, and a chemical activator to give it early initial strength. This material can be used in wells from 6,000 to 18,000 or more feet where temperature conditions are similar to those along the Gulf Coast. This cement, when set, has no soluble portion subject to leaching or any compounds that should be attacked by sulfate waters or brines. For this reason, it should be permanent when placed adjacent to formations carrying any type of fluid. The compressive strengths in 24 hours are more than adequate for wells where temperatures are 140°F and higher. These values ore in excess of many other types of cementing composition presently in use in the field. This pozzolanic composition does not retrogress in strength at high temperatures as do some other types of cementing materials. The slurry weights of this material will vary slightly according to the specific gravity and water requirements of the pozzolnn itself. The materials covered herein will mix from 13.5 to 14.3 lb/gal, and will have a waiting-on-cement time comparable to other materials used under the same conditions. Economically speaking, this composition is less expensive than either portland cements or retarded cements presently being used under deep well conditions. INTRODUCTION Pozzolans are siliceous material which, though not cementitious in themselves, contain constituents which at ordinary temperatures will combine with lime in the presence of water to form compounds which have a low solubility and possess cementing properties. The use of pozzolanic materials dates back many hundreds of years and both the ancient Greeks and Romans were aware that certain volcanic deposits, if finely ground and mixed with lime and sand, yielded a mortar which possessed special properties. Generally, the early strengths of such materials were rather weak and were considered insufficient for modern commercial usages. Pozzolanic materials have been used extensively with portland cement in mass concrete to obtain special properties. In recent years, large quantities of certain pozzolanic materials have been used successfully admixed into portland cements for oil well cementing. Pozzolans, being reactive silicates, will combine with the free lime that is an inherent component of set portland cements and thereby. becomes cementitious themselves. POZZOLANS FOR OIL WELL CEMENTING There are many types of pozzolans, some of which are more reactive than others. The quality of the pozzoIan depends on the degree of reactivity, chemical composition, fineness, and other less well understood factors. Some of the more widely accepted pozzolans are those classified as fly ashes, while others are certain materials of volcanic origin. pozzolans which require large vol-

Jan 1, 1957

By G. Borelius

ABOUT the turn of the century, Gibbs' thermo-dynamic theory of heterogeneous equilibrium, on the one hand, and the experimental methods of thermal and microscopic analysis, on the other, gave to the physical metallurgist his first scientific tool, the equilibrium diagram. The classical equilibrium diagram of a binary alloy system shows the boundaries between ranges of homogeneous and heterogeneous equilibrium in their dependence of concentration and temperature. A homogeneous solid sohtion which on cooling passes such a boundary is assumed to precipitate, forming a mixture of two phases with different concentrations. The equilibriunl diagram and the equilibrium theory, however, give no information about the time scheme of the process or the intermediate states passed during precipitation. For this reason it satisfies neither the practical need of the metallurgist nor the curiosity of the physicist. As a matter of fact, in the heat treatment of alloys for technical use the objective very seldom is the equilibrium state. Thus good mechanical properties of construction material are connected, for the most part, with some intermediate state. As these intermediate states are thermodynamically unstable, there is, from a theoretical point of view, always to be expected a decay of the good properties with time; and it is a matter also of practical interest to know whether this natural life time of a material is of the order of, say, ten or thousands of years. Thus, for many reasons, there is a current demand to complete our knowledge of equilibrium through knowledge of the kinetics of the precipitation phenomena. From the point of view of the physicist, the most interesting question in this case is whether there are any general laws governing the kinetics. According to a generally accepted view, precipitation is ruled by two more or less independent phenomena, the formation of nuclei of a new phase and the growth of these nuclei. It is also commonly accepted that there is a tendency for the velocity of growth to increase with increasing temperature because of the increasing mobility of the atoms. There is also a tendency for the velocity of growth to decrease in the neighborhood of the two-phase boundaries. So far, however, very little is known quantitatively about this fundamental phenomenon in the case of solid metallic systems. In our laboratory attention has been directed especially toward the nucleation phenomena, and a series of measurements have been carried out with the guidance of a work- ing hypothesis (based on experiences from previous work on order-disorder transformations in alloys) about the influence on the nucleation of thermo-dynamic potential barriers. However, before discussing the experiments, the theoretical ideas will be considered. In a binary solid solution the arrangement of atoms on the lattice points approaches with increasing temperature a state of full randomness, as illustrated by the ball model of Fig. 1, that might represent a [111] plane of a face-centered alloy with 30 pct "black" and 70 pct "white" atoms. In reality the atoms are changing places continually with their neighbors so that the picture should rightly have been a moving one. On account of this thermal motion the concentration of black atoms within a certain group of, say, a hundred or a thousand lattice points fluctuates with time around the bulk concentration of 30 pct in a manner governed by statistical laws. With decreasing temperature two independent changes in this state grow more and more important. First, the mobility of the atoms decreases, and second, the forces between the atoms will have an increased influence on the fluctuations. In alloys with a tendency for precipitation, which are the concern of this lecture, the distribution function of concentration fluctuations will broaden, so that the relative probability of great local variations from the bulk concentration increases. Fig. 2 gives an example of such a fluctuation. When the alloy is supercooled below the solubility limit into the range of two-phase equilibrium, the fluctuations will now and then at some point give rise to a state that resembles the equilibrium state and thus will form a stable nucleus that is capable of growing by diffusion processes. In discussions with colleagues and in the literature, I have often encountered the idea that three or four atoms of the dissolved metal could form a nucleus of the new phase. A look at the ball model might be enough to indicate that this cannot be true. If it were true, there should be nothing but nuclei, whereas we know from experiment that nucleation must be a rather rare occurrence. In fact we have, as will be mentioned later, certain reasons to believe that the nuclei are formed by fluctuations containing some hundreds of atoms, which should be the order of the number of black balls in the fluctuating group of the figure, if it were extended into three dimensions. As a working hypothesis we have assumed that the fluctuations producing nuclei, though large and rare, still are ruled by the distribution laws of fluctuations of the supercooled solid solution in its initial state. Thus the probability of nucleation will be connected to the thermodynamic properties of the solid

Jan 1, 1952

By James Gayley

The lining of the hearth and bosh of a blast-furnace has naturally come to be considered its weakest part, being subject not only to abrasion, but also to intense chemical action. In order to provide against rapidity of wear, it was formerly customary to build the lining from the mantle to the top first, and to put in afterwards the hearth and bosh, drawing the latter into a recess that had been reserved for it in the upper lining. At some works this practice still prevails ; but through the progressive development of cooling-devices, it has become possible to protect the bosh so well as to make it the most durable part of the furnace. The main question now is, by which one out of several methods the best economy results can be obtained. The plain bosh-jacket, made of wrought-iron or steel, and frequently called the air-cooled jacket, was a great improvement over the crinoline-construction formerly in vogue; but it was difficult in many cases to persuade furnace-managers, that in order to secure its best effects, they must discard the thick bosh-walls and put in comparatively thin ones. Mr John M. Hartman, who did more perhaps than any one to extend the use of these jackets, invariably contended for a 13-inch wall, the thin wall being an essential part of this construction. Later, a coil of pipe was placed just inside the jacket, through which water, circulating freely, contributed further to the proper maintenance of the walls. Undoubtedly much better results have been obtained in practice where the iron jacket has been supplemented by a coil in this way. It is safe to say that this combination of water-coil and jacket is much better than external sprays on the jacket; but it does not prevent the brick-work from cutting entirely away, which enlarges the bosh to that extent and interferes with the economy and output of the furnace. In case of leakage or stopping-up of the pipes, they cannot be replaced. A leading blast-furnace manager who is now using this construction

Jan 1, 1893

By Edwin F. Nelson, Charles Wirth, Gustav Egloff, C. D. Maxutov

The treatment of emulsified crude oils has been a problem for years in the petroleum industry. Until comparatively recently various methods of settling with and without chemicals have been used with indifferent success. Since wells have been acidized, emulsified crudes have been produced, which add considerably to the need for improved methods of treatment. The presence of large quantities of salts in the oils from acidized wells has presented several new problems to the industry. The use of hydrochloric acid in well treatments has caused the formation of sodium, magnesium, and calcium chlorides by interaction with the dolomitic limestones. These salts dissolve readily in the water normally present in the oil, and they are therefore incorporated in the emulsified oil. The crystalline salts have also been found in the oil, prevented from settling by protective films such as asphalt, resins and petrolatum. In some instances, free hydrochloric acid has been found. The salts may be present in crude oil in amounts ranging from a few pounds to over 1000 lb. per 1000 bbl. of oil. The transportation of these crude oils through pipe lines has led to erosive and corrosive effects, which are a tremendous cost to the petroleum industry. During 1937, more than 1,200,000,000 bbl. of crude oil was transported through pipe lines. Of this quantity approximately 10,000,-000 bbl. was water, and considerably more than 50,000,000 lb. was salts. If the crude oils were treated at the producing wells to remove the salts and water, an appreciable saving would be possible. The treatment would not be difficult, since it has been found that these oils are more easily treated at the time they are produced than after the aging and more stable emulsification that occur before they reach the refinery. Since great costs are involved in the use of these salty crudes at the refinery, treated oils essentially free of salts would naturally command a premium. The real added costs lie in refining salt-containing crude oils. Severe corrosion of refinery equipment in both topping and cracking installations has appeared in many refineries. Chemicals such as ammonia, lime and

Jan 1, 1938

By Theodore P. Holt

The Mines Operating Co.'s plant at Park City, Utah, was designed to treat the low-grade fillings in the old stopes of the Ontario mine. These fillings carry 6 to 14 oz. of silver, 1 to 2 lb. of copper, 0.01 to 0.015 oz. of gold, and a small percentage of lead and zinc. The treatment consists in mixing the crushed ore with coal dust and salt and then roasting in a new type of furnace by combustion of the contained fuel. The roasted ore is leached with an acid salt solution to dissolve the silver, gold, copper, and lead. At present these metals are precipitated together on scrap iron and the product sold to a refinery. The only new feature of importance in this scheme of treatment is the roasting process, which makes possible the chloridizing of ores without any loss of the valuable metals, and at a very low cost. History of the Development of the Process The roasting process- had its beginning in connection with research work at the Utah State School of Mines. N. C. Christensen, Jr., who held one of the School of Mines' fellowships, was engaged in some experimental work on blast roasting. At the same time I was doing some work on the insoluble gold in Mercur base ores. Mr. Christensen roasted some of this base gold ore in his pot furnace, and found that when he mixed a sufficiently low percentage of fuel with the ore, it did not sinter but roasted to a leachable product. We considered this a new application of blast roasting, and proceeded to test out a large number of ores in several different types of small roasters which we constructed.. This experimental work continued well into the summer of 1911. In August, 1911, the Consolidated Mercur Gold Mines Co. installed a small roaster of our design, which we proposed to operate on the counter-current principle, feeding mixed ore continuously on top, and at the same time drawing off the roasted ore from the bottom. By proper adjustment we hoped to maintain a permanent roasting zone near the center of the column, the ore moving downward as roasted. However, we

Jan 1, 1915

By R. C. Gould, A. M. Skov, L. F. Elkins

Comparison of long term decline in oil production during cyclic waterflooding or pressure pulsing of part of the Driver Unit with steady injection-imbibition flooding in the Tex Harvey area led to large expansion of flood in the Driver Unit on the steady injection basis. While the flood has been successful, the major problem has been attainment of satisfactory oil production rates in most of the wells. Large volume fracture treatments of low capacity wells were unsuccessful in achieving sustained increases in production. A two-section area in the Driver Unit has already recovered 620 bbl of oil per acre by waterflood but other areas have not performed so well. Sun Andres water containing 300 to 500 ppm H,S is sweetened to 0.5 to 1 ppm H,S by extraction with oxygen-free flue gas. This prevents contamination of gas produced in the area and apparently it has reduced corrosion in minimum investment, thin-wall, cement-lined water dktribution systems. Cement-lined tubing in injection wells has mitigated corrosion as effectively as thick polyvinyl chloride films have, and at less cost. Introduction As reported in the literature the Spraberry field of West Texas has presented unusual problems for both primary production and waterflood ing. Earlier information from the Spraberry Driver Unit included conception and evaluation of cyclic waterflooding or pressure pulsing in a nine-section pilot test as an aid to extraction of oil from the tight matrix rock and as a boost to normal capillary imbibition forces An additional 5 years' operation in that area, and performance of expanded steady injection water-flood, now covering a total of 68 sq miles, are reported herein. In addition, since the Driver Unit is one of the largest waterfloods in areal extent in the U. S., many operating experiences are presented for the benefit of engineers concerned with operation of other Spraberry floods or with other waterfloods where this reservoir technology and/or water handling technology may be adaptable in part. These include: (1) attempts to improve producing well capacity through large volume fracture treatments, (2) long-term performance of water treating plants utilizing oxygen-free flue gas to extract H,S from sour San Andres water, (3) performance of thin-wall cement-lined pipe in water distribution systems including comparison between those sections carrying raw San Andres water and those carrying treated water, and (4) comparison of performance of various lining materials and subsurface equipment in water supply and water injection wells. These experiences are reported without regard to whether results are good, bad or indifferent. Since the operations reported are limited to the techniques, materials, and equipment actually used in the Driver Unit, no comparison is possible with results of other approaches used in other Spraberry floods or in waterfloods generally under different conditions. However, an attempt is made to quantify these experiences as much as possible in the space available to permit other engineers to select those parts applicable to eheir problems. Background The Spraberry, discovered in Feb., 1949, is a 1,000-ft section of sandstones, shales and limestones with two main oil productive members—a 10- to 15-ft sand near the top and a 10- to 15-ft sand near the base, having permeabilities of 1 md or less and porosities of 8 to 15 percent. Extensive interconnected vertical fractures permitted recovery of oil on 160-acre spacing from this fractional-millidarcy sandstone, but they made capillary end effects dominant. Primary recovery by solution gas drive is less than 10 percent of oil in place, with most wells declining to oil production of a few barrels per day when reservoir pressures are still in the range of 400 to 1,000 psi. Partial closing of the fractures with declining reservoir pressure is believed to be the cause of such low production rates at these relatively high reservoir pressures. In 1952 Brownscombe and Dyes proposed that displacement of oil by capillary imbibition of water from the fractures into the matrix rock might significantly increase oil recovery from the Spraberry, overcoming otherwise serious channelling of water through the fractures." A pilot test conducted by the Atlantic Refining Co. during 1952 through 1955 indicated technical feasibility of the process; but low oil production rates averaging I5 to 20 bbl/well/D failed to create significant interest in large-scale waterflooding at that time." Humble Oil & Refining Co. conducted a highly successful 80-acre pilot test during 1955 through 1958 with

Jan 1, 1969

By Bailey Willis

It is proposed to present some of the results of observation of the geologists of the Appalachian division during the past seven years, and of experimental study during the past three years, on the subject of structural geology in the Appalachian Province. The article must be brief, even at the risk of obscurity; but a more complete and fully illustrated paper will appear in the Thirteenth Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey. Certain Facts. The following facts are first to be taken account of: From the Cambrian age to the Carboniferous there existed a conti nent stretching southeast from the present range of the Blue Ridge, covering what is now eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, eastern Vir ginia, North and South Carolina and eastern Georgia, with some un known part of the present Atlantic ocean-bed. Northwest from this continent lay a sea, reaching to the west and north of the Mississippi. Sedimentary deposits derived from the land accumulated with or ganic remains, in the sea; the greater part fell in a narrow zone along the shore, the remainder spread in a comparatively thin sheet over the bottom of the Mediterranean of North America. The resulting strata measure, near Mauch Chunk, Pa., 30,000 feet; over much of Pennsylvania, 20,000 to 25,000 feet; over eastern Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama, but 10,000 to 15,000 feet. The stratified mass, considered with reference to its broad physical char acters, consists of three members: A base of shale and sandstone ; a middle of limestone, 2500 to 6000 feet thick—a stratum probably not equalled in the world for uniformity of character and massive ness; and a top of shale and sandstone, 5000 to 23,000 feet thick. This mass has been folded. In a zone 900 miles long and 50 to 125 miles wide, the strata exhibit such attitudes and relations as could result only from a force of compression acting from north west or from southeast, or from both directions. Our problem is :

Jan 1, 1893

By V. F. Parry, E. O. Wagner

This paper summarizes investigations during 1949 on three pilot plants for drying low-rank fine coal by entrapment in hot gases. Detailed operating results on processing seven coals having moisture ranging from 24 to 62 pet, formulas and data for calculating performance of large units, and general conclusions on the problem of drying fine coal are presented. THIS paper presents a summary of investigations by the Coal Branch of the Bureau of Mines during 1949 on the removal of internal moisture from low-rank coals by processing them in the entrained and fluidized state. A paper on this subject, giving a summary of the early work, was presented at the 1949 AIME annual meeting1 and gave a the- oretical discussion of the time and heat required to dry various sizes of low-rank coal. The investigations on two pilot plants were presented in the foregoing paper. During 1949, three additional pilot plants were built to study phases of the drying problem and to investigate different techniques of handling fine coal in the entrained and fluidized state. The present paper gives operating data on the new units and presents detailed data on the drying of seven coals having bed moisture ranging from 62 to 24 pct. The problem of removing surface moisture from fine coal is principally one of heat exchange and dispersion of the coal particles so that heat can reach the liquid moisture to permit evaporation, and it does not involve the factors of size and time of contact to any great extent. If enough heat can reach the surface of the particles at temperatures higher than 250°F, moisture evaporates almost instantly, and the factors of time and size are of secondary importance compared with the factors of heat balance and dispersion of the coal. Therefore, it does not appear to be necessary to employ a fluidized bed when removing surface moisture, and the most efficient process would be one in which the coal particles are entrained in a hot gas stream of optimum temperature traveling at a velocity that causes the particles to disperse into a low-density phase. When low-rank coals are dried, the fluidized bed is necessary to provide control of time of contact. This is done by adjusting the superficial velocity which controls the density or dispersion of the particles. The density of beds having fluidized properties suitable for drying low-rank coals appears to range from about 5 up to about 15 lb per cu ft. When the density is below 5 lb per cu ft, which represents a low-density phase, optimum conditions for removal of surface moisture should be found, and this requires superficial velocities of about 15 fps. The problem of removing bed moisture from low-rank coals involves consideration of size of coal, temperature, mass flow, heat balance, pressure, time of contact, and method of dispersing the coal in the heating mediums. The experimental work presented here gives data on these factors. Coal sizes up to 1/2 in. x 0 were dried with hot gases having initial temperatures ranging from 1900° to 2400°F. Coal

Jan 1, 1951