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

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

Jan 1, 1971

By HILLARY W.

THAT colleges and technical schools constitute a vital factor in our industrial system is being realized more and more of late years. Consequently it is desirable that there should be a constant interchange of ideas between the 'school and the industries and that there should be a more intimate contact between the student and his future employer. Business and industry demand certain proficiencies and qualifications of the student and he, in turn, sees certain rewards and advantages in the industry. . In a meeting of this kind, whose primary purpose is to promote a greater intimacy between the students and those men who are active in the mining profession, it is quite fitting that each state his demnds upon the other in order to establish a common understanding. It is probable that a student, not being conversant with actual conditions in the industry, may be unfair in what he asks of his employer. Therefore criticism, constructive or other- wise, is not only accepted, but is invited.

Jan 1, 1930

By C. van Dijk

In Sept., 1960, a steam-drive project was started in the solution-gas drive area of the Schoonebeek field. A part(ern of three five-spots and one four-spot was selected covering an area of 65 acres. The pay in the project area has good lateral continuity and dips slightly to the northeut; it is about SO ft thick and permeability increases from 1,000 and at the bottom to approximately 10,000 md at the top. The oil originally in place was 12.6 X 10' bbl. The oil has an in situ viscosity of about 180 cp. At the start of the steam drive the cumulative primary production due to. solution-ga.7 drive amounted id 4 Percent of the oil originally in place. Reservoir pressure had dropped about 120 psi and no significant primary re-.serves remained. Some 11.3 million bbl of steam (all steam quantities are expressed in barrels of water vaporized) have been injected, resulting in production of an additional 4.1 X I0 9bl of oil, or 33 percent of the oil originally in place. This corresponds to a cumulative oil-stearn rario of 0.37 bbllbbl. It appears that the steam preferentially moves r updip while liquids are produced mainly from downdip wells observations indicate that tile steam flows through only the upper part of the formation. The lateral steam distribution in the pattern is satisfacrory since several prodriction wells hardly reacted and, hence, cori tributcd little to the oil production. Production performance and results from material balance calcutlations agree satisfactorily with the results of large-,scale laboratory experiments. On the basis of these experirmental results the .steam drive, together with a cold water follow-up. is expected to bring ultimate recovery to a value of crt leas: 50 percent of the oil originally in place. No serious production problems have been encountered. However, due to mechanical fuilure, two old prodriction wells and one injection well had to be replaced. An extension of the. steam drive in this area is under connstruction. Introduction The Schoonebeek oil field, discovered in 1943 and developed after World War 11, is situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. The main oil reservoir in this field is the Valanginian sand. A completely sealing fault divides this reservoir into two areas (Fig. 1): the southwestern part of the sand body where primary production is ob- tained by means of a solution-gas drive, and the remain. der where edge-water drive is the production mechanism. In the greater part of the field the reservoir consists of a single, unconsolidated sand body. The net thickness ranges from 30 to 100 ft and the top is between 2,400 and 2,800 ft below sea level. Formation permeability varies from approximately 10,000 md at the top to values of the order of 1,000 md at the bottom, and porosity is about 30 percent. The reservoir contains a paraffinic oil of 25" API gravity with an in situ viscosity of 160 to 180 cp. Initial oil saturation was high (85 to 90 percent). The relatively large quantity of oil in place (more than 10' bbl), and the low ultimate primary recoveries expected from this field — approximately 15 percent stock-tank oil initially in place (STOIIP) for the water-drive area and 5 percent STOIIP for the solution-gas drive area — clearly indicate ample scope for secondary recovery. Because ies-ervoir and crude characteristics made this field suitable for thermal secondary recovery, a hot-water drive project was started in the water-drive area about 10 years ago. A few years later a steam drive and an in situ combustion project were started in the solution-gas drive area. This paper deals with the performance of the steam-drive project, which was started in Sept., 1960, and which is still in operation. Design of Steam-Drive Project, An experimental investigation of the steam-drive process carried out by schenk in 19561 indicated that under schoonebeek conditions steam injection could be an attractive secondary recovery method. the findings and encouraging results of a pilot test in the Mene Grande field in venezuela,i led to the design of a steam-drive project in the schoonebeek field, Pruject Site and Pattern In 1958 the reservoir pressure in the solution-gas drive area had decreased to about 120 psi, and oil production rates of wells in this area had dropped to 7 to 10 B/D. The cumulative primary production was about 4 percent STOIIP, leaving an oil saturation of approximately 85 percent. In view of the large amount of oil left behind in the reservoir, the solution-gas drive area was selected for the planned steam-drive project. The area in the vicinity of Well S1 3 (Fig. 2) was considered to be suitable since it is at least partly isolated from the rest of the field by faults and the sand is relatively thick (about 80 ft).

Jan 1, 1969

By F. H. Froes, D. H. Warrington

Electron microscope evidence which indicates that TaC may precipitate at random sites in the matrix is presented. Initially the particles are almost spherical and coherent with the matrix. However, as they grow in conditions in which there are insufficient vacancies to relieve lattice strain, the particles rapidly lose coherency in two directions and continue to grow as plates with approximately the full lattice mismatch strain present perpendicular to the plane of the plate. The necessary relief of strain comes from dislocations loops which do not become visible until the later stages of aging. The rapid decrease of apparent strain to low values of appoximately 1 pct at small particle sizes arises not from a complete incoherency but from applying a model wrong for the particle shape and strain distribution. PREVIOUS work has shown that MC-type carbides may precipitate intragranularly in austenitic stainless steel on dislocations,1&apos;2 in association with stacking faults,3&apos;4 and randomly through the matrix,5-7 In investigations of the matrix precipitate by thin-foil electron microscopy, considerable lattice strain has been found to occur around the precipitating phase.7&apos;8 Attempts have been made to evaluate the amount of lattice strain by using the methods developed by Ashby and brown.9,10 Values of the linear strain, much less than the 17 pct theoretical mismatch (for TaC), have been reported; it has been suggested that this is due to either a loss of coherency1&apos; or vacancy absorption which occurs during either the initial nucleation or growth of the precipitate." This report is an extension of earlier work7 that dealt with the precipitation of TaC from an 18Cr/12Ni/ 2Ta/O.lC alloy after it had been quenched from 1300°C and aged between 600" and 840°C. In particular, the shape of the precipitate particles and the amount of strain in the matrix, due to the precipitate, have been studied. The work described here is part of a wider investigation of factors that affect carbide precipitation in austenitic stainless steel," details of which are to appear elsewhere. RESULTS The present investigation can be conveniently split into two aspects of the strain-fields surrounding the matrix particles: 1) information derived from the strain-field which indicates the shape and habit plane of the precipitate particles and 2) the magnitude and sign of the strain-field. The Shape and Habit Plane of the TaC Precipitate. In the early stages of aging twin lobes (normally black F. H. FROES, formerly at the University of Sheffield, Sheffield, England, is Staff Scientist, Colt Industries, Crucible Materials Research Center, Pittsburgh, Pa. D. H. WARRINGTON is Lecturer, Department of Metallurgy, University of Sheffield. Manuscript submitted November 1, 1968. IMD on white background, i.e., for the deviation parameter, S > 0) that indicate the strained region of the matrix define the position of the particles by bright field transmission electron microscopy. The actual particles were not detected until they were approximately 120Å diam; below this size they were too small to be imaged in the electron microscope. This meant that particle growth that had occurred before this stage had to be inferred from the matrix strain-field contrast. In all cases when diffraction effects were observed from the precipitate particles, a cube-cube orientation relationship (i.e., (llO)ppt Il<llO>matrix and {1ll }ppt {III} matrix) existed between the precipitate and the matrix. From the matrix precipitate particles lying along edge-on {111} planes (e.g., at A, Fig. I), the precipitates are seen to be plate-like with their diameter being roughly 18 times their thickness after 5000 hr at 650°C. However, the exact shape of the particles cannot be determined because of the masking effect of the strain-field contrast. If a dark-field micrograph, using a precipitate reflection, is studied, Fig. 2, a number of the projected images of the TaC particles [on the (110) foil surface] apear to have straight edges parallel to projected f111) planes. Thus, it appears that in the later stages of aging the TaC particles are plate-like with some tendency for the edges of the plate to be bounded by the matrix close-packed {ill} planes (though the general shape of the particles in the plane of the plate is circular and thus the "diameter" of the particles has a real physical significance). It should be noted that the bands of fine discrete particles observed in Figs. 1 and 2 are not the matrix precipitate discussed in this paper but are precipitates associated with extrinsic stacking faults3j4 occurring on (111) matrix planes. **£** ****** \ *x 23 Fig. 1—18/12/2~a/0.1~ alloy. Solution treated at 1300°C for 1 hr, water quenched, and aged 5000 hr at 650°C. The (112) directions shown are the traces of the e&e-on (111) planes. Foil normal [110]; operating reflection (331); bright field micrograph.

Jan 1, 1970

By Arnulf Muan, Klaus Schwerdtfeger

Equilibrium ratios C02/C0 of a gas phase coexisting with selected phase assemblages of the system Fe-Mn-0 have been determined in the temperature range 1000" to 1300°C. The oxygen pressure for the "hfnO" +hfn30, equilibrium and for the "(Fe,hTn)O" + (Fe,Mnh 0* equilibrium at high manganese contents has been determined by electromotive force measurements using stabilized zirconia as a solid electrolyte. The notstoichometry 01&apos; "hTnO" and of "(Fe, iM1z)O" solid solutions has been determined by ther-mog-/avi?netry and by wet-chemical analysis. The data obtained are used to derive activity-composition relations in "(Fe,hfn)O" and (Fe,Mn),O4 solid solutions. WUSTITE "FeO" and manganosite "MnO" form a continuous series of solid solution at high temperatures,&apos; and so do magnetite Fe304 and the high-temperature, cubic modification of Mn304 (Ref. 2) (high hausmannite, -1170). The oxides "FeO" and "MnO" are cation-deficient phases.495 The nonstoi-chiometry of "(Fe,Mn)O" solid solutions has been studied by Engell and ~ohl&apos; at two selected C02/C0 ratios at 1250°C. The two oxide end members of the spinel solid solution, FesO4 and Mn,04, however, are known to be close to stoichiometric under the experimental conditions used in the present investigation.&apos;&apos;&apos; The oxygen pressures of "(Fe,Mn)07&apos; solid solutions in equilibrium with iron have been determined by Schenck and coworkers,8 by Foster and welch," and by ~n~e1l.l&apos; The two former groups equilibrated the condensed phases in C02-CO atmospheres of lmown compositions, whereas Engell" used a galvanic cell with stabilized zirconia as a solid electrolyte. The results of these investigators are not in good agreement. Activities of FeO in manganowiistite as calculated from the results of Foster and Welch show ideal behavior, those of Engell yield a pronounced positive deviation, and those of Schenck et 01. show a moderate positive deviation from ideality. In the present work oxygen pressures for the iron + manganowiistite and manganowustite + spinel equilibria and the nonstoichiometry of manganowiistites have been measured. The data were used to calculate activities in the manganowiistite and spinel solid solutions. EXPERIMENTAL METHODS The COz/CO ratios at which manganowustite and iron are in equilibrium were determined by thermo-gravimetric and quenching methods. Experimental details are described in a previous publication.&apos;2 In the thermogravimetric technique, incipient reduction of manganowiistite pellets to metallic iron was observed as a break in the weight vs log COZ/CO curve. In the quenching technique, manganowiistite samples were partially reduced to metallic iron, or the metallic iron of manganowustite + metallic iron mixtures was partially oxidized to manganowustite, in atmospheres of constant C02/CO ratios. After quenching the composition of the oxide phase was determined by X-ray lattice parameter measurements and comparison with a standard curve obtained from oxide solid solutions of known compositions. The nonstoichiometry of "MnO" and "(Fe,Mn)07&apos; solid solutions was determined by chemical analysis of samples equilibrated in C02-CO atmospheres and quenched to room temperature, as well as thermo-gravimetrically by reducing (Fe,Mn),04 or Mn304 to manganowiistite or manganosite. The equilibrium between manganowiistite and (Fe,Mn),04 was measured thermogravimetrically by reducing (Fe,Mn),04 solid solutions having composition in the range of %„ l(NFe +NM) from 0 to 0.63. No experiments could be performed with this technique at higher manganese contents, because the equilibrium C02/C0 ratios are too large for accurate control. An additional difficulty arises at the higher manganese contents due to the strong increase in oxygen content of the manganowustite phase with increasing log Py near the manganowiistite-spinel boundary. Consequently a sharp break in the weight loss vs log C02/CO curve cannot be observed at the phase boundary. At high manganese contents of the manganowiistite, e.g., (NMn/(NF~ + NMn) > 0.9, electromotive force measurements with stabilized zirconia as a solid electrolyte were made to determine the equilibrium oxygen partial pressure. Experimental details are described in a previous paper.* Mixtures of "(Fe,Mn)O" and (Fe,Mn),04 were pressed to pellets, and the oxygen pressure of the equilibrated samples was compared to that of Ni + NiO mixtures in the cell The composition of the manganowiistite in the equilibrated two-phase mixture was determined by lattice parameter measurements and comparison with known standards. The oxygen pressure for the Ni + NiO equilibrium was taken from available data.l3~l4 No reliable results were obtained with the electromotive force technique on iron-rich oxides. The electromotive force drifted strongly with time in this composition range. An additional difficulty arises from the partial de-

Jan 1, 1968

By Carl J. McHargue

Mechanical twins were produced in electron-beam melted columbium by high-speed impact at room temperature and by slow or fast compression at -196°C. The composition plane of the twins was { 112} and the shear direction was <111>. Notches in the twin bands often corresponded to traces of {110) of the matrix and appeared to be untwinned regions. Markings within the twin bands were interpreted as resulting from {110} slip in the twins. THERE has been much work in recent years concerning plastic deformation by glide, and the dislocation theory relating to glide has reached a relatively high degree of development. On the other hand, there have been fewer studies of deformation by mechanical twinning, and understanding of this process is far from satisfactory. This method of deformation is of interest for at least two reasons. First, it provides a mechanism in addition to glide for the relief of stresses, and, in the bcc and hexagonal close-packed metals may result in significant amounts of plastic flow. Secondly, there is the possibility that twins may act as barriers for dislocation movement, resulting in pile-ups which could nucleate cracks. As might be expected, the bulk of the literature on mechanical twinning in the bcc metals is concerned with iron. A good summary of the work done prior to 1954 is contained in the book by all.&apos; Recently the refractory bcc metals have become increasingly important. Limited studies have shown that tantalum,2,3 molybdenum,4,5 vanadium,6,7 tungsten,&apos; and columbium9-11 deform by mechanical twinning under some conditions. Alloys of molybdenum with rhenium and tungsten with rhenium show extensive deformation by twinning at room temperature.I2-l4 Most of these studies have dealt primarily with mechanical properties at low temperatures or have shown the existence of twins, and there is only a small amount of information concerning the conditions under which they form. The subject of the present paper is the formation of twins under stress in columbium with a consideration of their morphology. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The material used for these studies was taken from an ingot of columbium which had been melted twice by the electron-be am-method. The analysis of the ingot was (in ppm): B < 1, C = 10, Fe < 100, The cast ingot contained very large grains, and it was possible to obtain single-crystal prisms which measured from ¼ to 3/4 in. on a side. A few experiments were conducted on polycrystalline plate which was prepared by rolling material from the same ingot at room temperature and annealing at 1000 in a dynamic vacuum of 10-6 mm Hg. This gave a plate in which the grains had an average diameter of 3 mm. After the specimens were cut from the ingot, the six faces were metallographically polished and elec-tropolished to remove all traces of cold work. Most of the observations were made on the surfaces of the deformed specirllens without further treatment. Occasionally, etching after deformation was desirable. In these cases, an etchant of the composition 50 parts H2O, 5 parts HNO3 25 parts HF, and 10 parts H2SO4 was found to delineate the twins very well. Unless considerable care was taken to ensure the removal of all disturbed metal left by the mechanical polishing, etching failed to reveal many of the features discussed in this; paper. The specimen&apos;s were deformed either by impact or slow compression at 77°K (liquid-nitrogen coolant), 198°K (dry ice and acetone coolant), and 298°K. The impact load was delivered by a hammer except in one case where the load was delivered by a bullet. Slow compression was carried out on a hydraulic testing machine equipped with a chamber to hold the coolant. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS It has been generally believed that the conditions favoring the formation of deformation twins are large grains, low temperature, and impact loading. In fact, Barrett and Bakish2 found twins in tantalum only after impact deformation at 77°K, and Adams, Roberts, and Smallman10 observed twins in columbium only at 20 For these reasons, the initial experiments of this study used impact loading. Hammer blows caused many bands resembling twins in single crystals a.t 77" but not at 198°K. Only a few slip lines were observed on any of the single-crystal specimens of this study—essentially all the deformation occurred by twinning. The appearance of the twins on the as-deformed surface is shown in Fig. 1. Although both Figs. 1(a) and l(b) are photomicrographs of twins taken at the same magnification and from the same crystal, they are startlingly different in appearance. Fig. 1(a) was taken from the crystal face approximately perpendicular to the shear direction, whereas Fig. 1(b) was taken from

Jan 1, 1962

By J. J. Mulligan

Introduction Coal is found in every major geographic region through-out Alaska and in two offshore areas. Since about 1852, more than 100 small mines have opened and closed. In 1981 and 1982 production was almost entirely from one mine in central Alaska. Clearly, the utilization of Alaska&apos;s abundant coal resources presents political, economic, and technical problems that are far from solution. Location and Physical Features Figure 1 illustrates the geographical and geological similarity between Alaska and the western US. Alaska&apos;s Arctic region generally resembles Wyoming and the Dakotas. The Brooks Range is an extension of the Rocky Mountains. The central region of Alaska between the Brooks Range and the Alaska Range bears a general resemblance to the basin and range country of the western US. The southcentral and southeastern regions have a similar resemblance to the Sierra Nevadas and the West Coast. The Arctic, the central, and the southcentral regions have major coal fields. The southeast region has scattered occurrences. The topographic, climatic, and economic characteristics of each are different. These differences have a large effect on practical mining methods. Description of Alaskan Coal Coal deposits known in Alaska are almost all of Cretaceous or Tertiary age, much younger than the Carboniferous coal deposits of eastern and midwestern states. Consequently, most Alaskan coals have a higher moisture content and a lower heat value. Most Alaskan coals also have a much lower sulfur content. Low volatile bituminous, and anthracite coals occur in Alaska, but most Alaskan coals range downward in rank from high volatile bituminous to subbituminous and lignite. Alaskan coals are similar to coals of the northern Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains. Arctic Region Northern Alaska Coal Fields Northern Alaska coal fields are by far the largest group of coal deposits in Alaska (Fig. 2). Coal-bearing rocks extend from the foothills of the Brooks Range about 160 km (100 miles) northward to within about 80 km (50 miles) of the Arctic coast. The principal known occurrences are between the Colville River and the western coast. However, coal has been found eastward almost to the Canning River and westward under the Arctic Ocean. The northern Alaska coal fields are in a series of Cretaceous rocks that suggest a deltaic depositional environment. The beds tend to occur in series of up to eight or nine beds totaling 6-9 m (20-30 ft) of coal. However, beds 6-12 m (20-40 ft) thick have been reported, and beds 1-3 m (3-10 ft) thick seem to be relatively common. Including thin seams, coal in some places makes up about 10% of the stratigraphic section. However, no area has been explored in sufficient detail to block out any large body of reserves or to make reliable estimates of the total resource. Observation points in drill holes and along river and stream banks are few and far between. Coals in northern Alaskan fields tend to range in rank from bituminous, where moderately folded and faulted in the foothills, to subbittuminous in the gently folded rocks under the coastal plain. Coals toward the eastern extremities of the coal fields may be of Tertiary age and lower in rank, but the same general correlation between degree of folding and increase in rank can be expected. Some higher rank coals in the foothills belt are known to have coking properties but most, and possibly all, require

Jan 1, 1984

By E. R. Morgan, J. C. Shyne, V. F. Zackay

NITROGEN used as an alloying element in steel has received increased attention in recent years. Its merit as an austenite stabilizer and hot strengthener has long been recojinized, particularly by European investigators.&apos; Recent work&apos; indicates that nitrogen contents of 1/2 pet or more allow the addition of several percent of ferrite-forming hot strengtheners, such as molybdenum, without subsequent austenite decomposition at elevated temperatures. The room temperature properties of such alloys are characterized by high yield and tensile strengths with excellent ductility, even after cold working, as shown in Tables I and 11. The 1350°F creep-rupture properties of Cr-Mn-Mo-N steels are comparable to those of commercial alloys such as Timken&apos;s 16-25-6, containing 16 pct Cr, 25 pct Ni, and 6 pct Mo, as shown in Table 111. Cr-Mn steel containing 1/2 pet N must be made under pressure if ingot gassing is to be avoided. However, there are difficulties attendant to this practice. Pressure melting restricts the ingot size, and the equipment required is costlier and more complicated than comparable air melting facilities. An effort was made, therefore, to determine more economical methods of adding nitrogen. The pressures generated in centrifugal casting usually range from 5 to 10 atm and are sufficient to prevent the gassing of high nitrogen Cr-Mn steels. A centrifugal casting was made of an alloy containing 16 pct Cr, 18 pct Mn, 2 pct Mo, and 0.73 pct N. A risk, 8 in. diam and 11/2 in. thick, was cast at 1000 rpm. It has been calculated that a pressure of 9 atm was developed at the periphery of the disk at this speed. Metallographic inspection of specimens taken from the disk revealed no gas holes or other defects. The elevated temperature properties of radial and circumferential specimens taken from this casting are given in Table IV. The creep-rupture life of this cast nickel-free austenitic steel was equivalent to that of the wrought Cr-Mn-Mo-N steels. Although centrifugal casting appears to lend itself to the manufacture of high nitrogen austenitic steels, its applicability is limited to relatively small sizes. A process applicable to the production of large ingots of high nitrogen steels is suggested by low carbon rimming steel practice. Gas holes formed during ingot solidification are not detrimental so long as they weld shut during hot rolling. An economic advantage of gassing ingots is the increased ingot-to-slab yield, especially if the ingots are mechanically capped. Also, it is probable that higher nitrogen levels can be achieved with mechanically capped ingots than with hot-topped ingots. A series of gassy heats was made under both atmospheric and higher pressures, as indicated in Table V. Several of the air melted ingots were mechanically capped by chilling the molten ingot tops with a steel plate. The ingots were allowed to freeze in steel molds without hot-tops unless otherwise indicated. A comparison of Table 111 with Table V shows no significant difference in the creep-rupture properties of the gassy and the nongassy ingots after hot work- ing nor between the gassy ingots produced under different conditions. References 1 F. Rapatz: Application of Stainless and Heat Resisting Steels Alloyed with Nitrogen. Sinhl and Eisen ( 1941) 61, pp. 1073-1078. &apos;V. I?. Zackay, J. F. Carlson, and P. L. Jackson: High Nitrogen Austenltlc Cr-Mn Steels. Trans. ASM 119551 48, PP. 509-523.

Jan 1, 1957

By B. C. Craft, Murray F. Hawkins, John R. Rayne

A reservoir mechanism of sulfur recovery by the Frasch process is presented. Improving the economic, of recovery appears to be largely a well, rather than a reservoir problem. A most important factor is the limitation of the lateral extraction of .sulfur about the wells due to the almost vertical .flow of the injected hot water. Model studies are described which confirin the mechanism of sulfur recovery by presently used methods. Studies on a five-spot system indicate improved econo171ics regarding recovery, recovery rate, therinal efficiency, and well spacing. INTRODUCTION Sulfur mining by the Frasch process is one of the most important methods of sulfur production. Developed by Herman Frasch in 1894, it enjoyed a rapid growth and presently supplies 40 per cent of the world&apos;s sulfur and about 80 per cent of the U. S. sulfur." The Frasch process of mining the underground native sulfur deposits involves melting the sulfur in place by introducing super-heated water into the sulfur bearing formations, and producing the sulfur as a liquid. Many problems are encountered in mining these native sulfur deposits, and sulfur production depends chiefly upon the nature of the sulfur deposit and the underground thermal efficiency of the heat transfer system. THE RECOVERY MECHANISM Sulfur is typically found in salt dome cap rock as crystal aggregates occurring within the cavities, seams, and pores of limestone and gypsum formations.&apos; Sulfur-bearing limestone is typically cavernous, vugular, and fractured. Porosity averages about 20 per cent and sulfur saturation averages approximately 25 per cent by weight.1,15 Vhe sulfur bearing formations are very heterogeneous in nature and physical characteristics vary widely within small distances. Total cap rock thickness may vary from 50 to more than 1,000 ft, and net productive thicknesses from a few feet to a few hundred feet. In most cases the upper portion of the limestone formation is barren of sulfur, varying from 5 to 200 ft in thickness.1,15,33 The immediately overlying sediments and the underlying dense anhydrite formation provide permeability barriers to the flow of water from the cap rock section.&apos;" Sulfur wells are drilled with conventional oilfield drilling rigs. Fig. 1 illustrates the casing program of a completed sulfur well. The cap rock sections are drilled with core bits and continuous core logs are recorded. After coring, the cap rock section is underreamed to a diameter of 9 7/8 in. The bottom of the 8-in. casing is welded closed and rests on the bottom of the drill hole, which extends through the cap rock to a few feet above the bottom of the sulfur-bearing formation. The 8-in. pipe contains 5 ft of 3/4-in. perforations on 6-in. centers and 15 ft of 1-in. perforations on 1-ft centers. The 20-ft perforated section is set opposite the lower 20 ft of the sulfur-bearing formation. The 4-in. sulfur pipe is set inside the 8-in. water line on a seat ring at the top of the 5-ft section of 3/4-in. perforations. The mining water, heated to about 330°F under a pressure of 250 psi, is forced down the annulus between the 8-in. and 441-1. pipes and through the 1-in. perforations to the sulfur-bearing formation. Compressed air, at 400 psi pressure, is supplied through a 1-in. air line near the bottom of the well to provide air-lift of the liquid

Jan 1, 1957

By M. Yokoi, K. Yoshida, T. Ishihara

The solubility of aluminum in cryolite melts has been determined by measuring the weight loss of aluminum submerged in melts contained in closed silicon nitride crucibles. The solubility in pure cryolite has also been checked with radioactive isotopes. The solubility decreases with increasing A1203 concentration, decreasing temperature, and decreasing cryolite ratio. The change of aluminum solubility in pure cryolite with the activity controlled by using Al-Ag and A2-Cu alloys supported the assumption that aluminum would dissolve in the form of monovalent ions according to the reaction 2AI + A1&apos; —3 A1&apos;. DURING the electrolytic production of aluminum, the electrodeposited metal redissolves in the bath in some form and is subsequently oxidized back to the former ionic state. This dissolution is believed to cause a decrease in current efficiency. Reported data on the solubility of aluminum in cryolite melts are scattered. The mechanism of the dissolution has not yet been determined, although certain tentative interpretations have been proposed. Many previous studies were performed under different test conditions. Studies were performed in open Systems and closed systems,&apos;o and some were apparently not given sufficient time to Saturate." The solubility can be determined either analytically or gravimetrically. The analytical determination involves measurement of hydrogen gas evolved when frozen cryolite bath saturated with aluminum is treated with sodium hydroxide or hydrochloric acid. The gravimetric determination, adopted by many investigators,&apos;-37&apos;3>14 involves measurement of weight loss of the metal after equilibration with a known amount of salt. It appears that the former technique yields much smaller values of solubility than the latter technique. This large difference in results strongly suggests that the dissolved metal in the cryolite melt is no longer in the metallic state. In the present study, the solubility was determined by the gravimetric technique at various activities of aluminum using A1-Ag and Al-Cu alloys. An attempt was also made to determine the ionic (or atomic) state of the dissolved metal from the solubility data. 1) EXPERIMENTAL Apparatus. Preliminary tests demonstrated that silicon nitride was suitable as a container material since it is compatible to both the fluoride melts and molten aluminum. Crucibles were made from silicon powder nitrided with Nz gas at 1600°C. The good compatibility between crucible and melts is due to the near perfect nitrogenation of silicon. Only small amounts of silicon were found in the aluminum metal after the experiments. The crucible dimensions were 90 mm inside height, 38 mm ID, 105 mm outside height, and 50 mm OD. Close-fitting lids made of silicon nitride were also prepared. The crucible was placed in a close-fitting graphite crucible heated by a vertical Kanthal furnace, Fig. l. The lid and crucible are fastened tightly together by the condensation of vaporized bath in the narrow gap between them. The temperature was measured in the wall of the graphite crucible and controlled within * 5°C. The temperature difference between the measuring point and the interior of the melts was initially determined. Materials. The materials used were: Greenland cryolite (impurities CaF,, 0.5 pct; AlzO3, 0.2 pct; high-purity aluminum metal (purity 99.99 pct); A1203 and AlF, (provided by Nippon Light Metal Co., Ltd); reagent-grade NaF and CaF2; and 99.9+ pct Ag and Cu. Powdered reagents were carefully dried before use. A1-Ag and A1-Cu alloys were prepared before the experiments; their composition was checked by analysis

Jan 1, 1969

By R. Wang, N. J. Grant, B. C. Giessen

By crystallographic and X-ray methods, the existence and isonzorphism of Ti3Rh5 and Hf3Rhs were confirmed. Both phases are of the orthorhombic Ge3Rh5 type; lattice parameters and refined positional parameters are given. The structure is related both to the filled-up NiAs-B8 and Cu-AI types. An analogous phase with zirconium does not exist; the effect of ternary substitutions for titanium ad hafnium suggests a size factor limit to be active. A recent survey of phase diagrams of the T4 metals titanium, zirconium, and hafnium with the T, noble metals rhodium and iridium indicated the existence of the A3B5 phases Ti3Rhs, ZrsRhs, and HfsRhs. Ti3Rhs and Hf3Rh5 were found to be isostructural, based on the line-rich powder patterns which had not been analyzed. Zr3Rh5 was considered to have a substructure of the NbRu type (orthorhombically distorted B2-CsCl type).&apos; Because, in combinations with other transition metals, hafnium and zirconium are generally more likely to form isostructural phases than hafnium and titanium (with the significant exception of the Ti2Ni-"E93" type phases based on T4 metals2), the reversal of this relation for the A3B5 phases was of interest. As shown in the following, the nonexistence of Zr3Rhs has been established, the structures of Ti3Rh5 and Hf3Rh5 have been worked out, and crystal chemical relationships and stability criteria are reported. EXPERIMENTAL METHODS AND RESULTS Alloy Preparation and Phase Diagram Work. Alloys were prepared from high-purity (99.99+ pct) elements by arc-meltin3,4.Heat-treated alloys were annealed in a vacuum of 3 x X torr for 24 hr at 1300DC. Metal-lographic samples were etched electrolytically in concentrated HCl with 5 v ac for 5 min.3 X-ray diffraction powder patterns were taken on a GE XRD-5 dif-fractometer with Cum radiation at low scanning rates (0.2 deg per min for 28). It was confirmed that Ti3Rhs and Hf3Rh5 have similar diffraction patterns, and that an alloy with the composition Zr3Rhs has a different pattern. Six Zr-Fh alloys with 59 to 69 at. pct Rh were therefore prepared and investigated in the as-cast state by X-ray diffraction and metallography. Alloys at 59 and 61 at. pct Rh were found to be a single phase, with the distorted B2-CsC1 type structure typical for the off-stoichio- metric region of the phase (Zr,-,Rh,)Rh. This phase forms a eutectic with ZrRhs at about 66 at. pct Rh: accordingly, alloys between 61 and 69 pct at. pct Rh consisted of two phases. There is no evidence for the existence of Zr3Rh5. Based on the results in Rafs. 1 and 5, on the present work on Zr-Rh, and on several additional alloys investigated, the portions between the AB and AB3 stoi-chiometry for Ti-Rh, Zr-Rh, and Hf-Rh are as follows: Further, several ternary alloys near Ti3Rhs and Hf,Rhs were prepared in which it was attempted to replace titanium and hafnium partly by zirconium, niobium, tantalum, and germanium. The results will be discussed in a later section. Structure Determination of Ti3Rh5. Since Ti3Rh5 and Hf3Rh5 are isostructural, the following discussion will largely deal with the former. Although the powder pattern of TisRhs is complex, as found previously,1 it could be indexed by comparison with other structures of A3Bs stoichiometry. Ti3Rh5 was found to be isostructural with Ge3Rh5, whose orthorhombic structure had been elucidated by Geller.9 As both the sizes and atomic numbers of germanium and titanium are comparable, the unit cell volume and the peak intensities could be expected to be similar; however, significant differences exist in the atomic positions, as will be shown. All lines in the powder patterns of Ti3Rh5 and Hf3Rhj could be indexed with primitive orthorhombic unit cells with the lattice constants: The fractional errors are 10 The low-angle portion of the indexed powder pattern of Ti3Rh with sin2 8 < 0.30 is listed in Table I. The extinction laws Okl only with k = 2n and hOl only with h - 2n are compatible with the space group Pbo2 and the more symmetrical space group Phnm of Ge3Rh5. Finally, the positional parameters of Ti3Rh5 and HfsRhs were refined under the assumption that titanium and hafnium occupy the germanium positions in Ge3Rh5. Integrated intensities were obtained from the diffraction patterns by planimetry. Intensities of overlapping reflections were separated by an iteration process incorporated into the least-squares positional refinement program according to a method described previously. The intensities of Ge3Rh5 were used in the first separation cycle, while the atomic parameters of Ge3Rh5 were used as starting values in the first refinement cycle. Absorption due to specimen

Jan 1, 1970

By L. F. Mondolfo

R301 is a clad aluminum alloy, composed of a core of a duralumin-type alloy clad with a magnesium silicide alloy. It differs from other well-known clad alloys in that the cladding and the core respond to the same heat-treatments. and therefore the cladding contributes appreciably to the mechanical properties of the material. In Table I are reported the compositions of the core and cladding alloy for the material used for the experiments. Table i.—Chemical composition of R~OI Used for the Experiments Element Core Cladding Cu........................ . 0.01 Fe......................... . 0.42 Si......................... 0. 0.71 Mg........................ . 0.99 Mn ........................ . 0.54 In clad aluminum alloys where the core contains copper and the cladding does not, at elevated temperatures the copper tends to diffuse from the core through the cladding. This fact is well known and many investigations have been conducted to determine the features of this diffusion. Most of those investigations cover materials clad with pure aluminum; the present investigation covers a material clad with an alloy. Since the cladding thickness on R~OI varies with the gauge, as shown in Table 2, several gauges were investigated. Material and Procedure he material used was sheet of the following gauges: o.o2~, 0.040, 0.064, 0.102, 0.170 Cut in pieces approximately 3 by 5 in., it was in the cold-rolled state and was soaked for increasing times at the following temperatures: glo°F., 940°F., 970°F. A Lindberg cyclone furnace was used for the experiments. The procedure was as follows: The furnace was started empty with controlling pyrometer set at the determined temperature. After the furnace had reached that temperature, it was run for some 20 to 30 min. empty, in order to allow the temperature inside to become stabilized. Then the first samples were introduced. A load thermocouple, with recording pyrometer, was connected with the sample of the heaviest gauge. About 10 min. was required for the material to reach temperature and the soaking time was counted from that point. After zoo min. soaking, the second group of samples was introduced without stopping the furnace. After 200 min. more, the third group of samples was introduced, and so on, until the last sample had been introduced. Every time the furnace was opened and new samples were added, a drop of temperature was registered by the thermocouple connected with the material

Jan 1, 1946

By L. F. Mondolfo

R301 is a clad aluminum alloy, composed of a core of a duralumin-type alloy clad with a magnesium silicide alloy. It differs from other well-known clad alloys in that the cladding and the core respond to the same heat-treatments. and therefore the cladding contributes appreciably to the mechanical properties of the material. In Table I are reported the compositions of the core and cladding alloy for the material used for the experiments. Table i.—Chemical composition of R~OI Used for the Experiments Element Core Cladding Cu........................ . 0.01 Fe......................... . 0.42 Si......................... 0. 0.71 Mg........................ . 0.99 Mn ........................ . 0.54 In clad aluminum alloys where the core contains copper and the cladding does not, at elevated temperatures the copper tends to diffuse from the core through the cladding. This fact is well known and many investigations have been conducted to determine the features of this diffusion. Most of those investigations cover materials clad with pure aluminum; the present investigation covers a material clad with an alloy. Since the cladding thickness on R~OI varies with the gauge, as shown in Table 2, several gauges were investigated. Material and Procedure he material used was sheet of the following gauges: o.o2~, 0.040, 0.064, 0.102, 0.170 Cut in pieces approximately 3 by 5 in., it was in the cold-rolled state and was soaked for increasing times at the following temperatures: glo°F., 940°F., 970°F. A Lindberg cyclone furnace was used for the experiments. The procedure was as follows: The furnace was started empty with controlling pyrometer set at the determined temperature. After the furnace had reached that temperature, it was run for some 20 to 30 min. empty, in order to allow the temperature inside to become stabilized. Then the first samples were introduced. A load thermocouple, with recording pyrometer, was connected with the sample of the heaviest gauge. About 10 min. was required for the material to reach temperature and the soaking time was counted from that point. After zoo min. soaking, the second group of samples was introduced without stopping the furnace. After 200 min. more, the third group of samples was introduced, and so on, until the last sample had been introduced. Every time the furnace was opened and new samples were added, a drop of temperature was registered by the thermocouple connected with the material

Jan 1, 1946

By S. M. Moos, R. E. Dugger

In reviewing available vacuum filtration equipment in this paper, several types of filters have been included which are probably not familiar to operators in the mining industry. However, it was felt that these units might be of interest in the event that an application should arise for the filtration of a product in the future that does not exist today. In addition, exposure of our industry to equipment used in other industries might have a tendency to be thought provoking and perhaps lead to the development of equipment and/or applications in our industry which do not necessarily exist at this time. Most innovations in filtration equipment have been confined to the improvement or design change of components and accessories, particularly reflecting the availability of materials of construction that have been developed. Recent developments in the application of horizontal belt filters have been innovative. The application of this unit as a substitute for or an adjunct to thickeners in a CCD circuit can certainly be innovative and perhaps provide a basis for reduction in capital and operating costs in this area. For example, mill tails are generally pumped at the highest possible density that will adequately flow. Tailings ponds and dams with their attendant design requirements are based upon this estimated water volume. Availability of a much dryer, non-flowing filter cake opens up several new options for disposal. Considerable cost savings could result in the design and planning of disposal areas for containing dryer material. No attempt has been made in this paper to provide a manual for the operation of all of the many types of equipment that are available. Rather, the paper tries to present an overview. Fundamentals of Vacuum Filtration Filtration may be defined as the separation of solids from a liquid effected by passing the liquids through a porous medium. If the filtrate is induced to flow through the medium by hydrostatic head, we refer to it as gravity filtration. If we utilize super-atmospheric pressure upstream of the medium we call it pressure filtration and if sub-atmospheric pressure is applied downstream of the medium we call it vacuum filtration. Centrifugal filtration occurs when a centrifugal force is applied across the medium. Centrifuges will not be discussed in this paper. The process goal of filtration may be the production of dry solids where the cake is the valuable product, clarified liquid

Jan 1, 1980

By L. D. Jaffe Hollomon, Hollomon John H.

For many steel parts it is desired to obtain the maximum toughness consistent with the strength required by the mechanical design. It is generally recognized that the greatest toughness at any given strength is found in steels having a tempered martensitic structure.&apos; and is virtually independent of the composition of the steel2 (except for carbon). The choice of the composition of a steel for the parts in question should be based, therefore, on hardenability considerations and on manufacturing facility and economy. In a recent paper3 the concept of hardenability was discussed and a somewhat new approach to the problem was suggested. The hardenability was defined in terms of the cooling conditions (speed of cooling) required to avoid the pearlite and the bainite reactions. Since all the alloying elements do not have the same effects on the two reactions, the bainitic and pearl-itic hardenabilities must be considered separately. In order to design a steel for a given part, it is necessary to design a composition that has both sufficient pearlitic and sufficient bainitic hardenability. However, this requirement does not fix the combination of alloying elements to be used; an infinite number of steels would have the required hardenabilities. Other considerations limit the choice. For example, decreasing the carbon content increases the toughness at a given hardness, and for this reason low-carbon steels are often desired. Limitations or requirements of refining, casting, or forming practices often affect the level of some of the alloying elements. Price considerations enter. Frequently, however, it is very desirable to minimize the tendency toward quench-cracking while maintaining the necessary hardenability. This paper is concerned with suggesting a method for choosing compositions that will have the required hardenability together with minimum tendency toward quench-cracking. Quench Cracking Since only the case in which the entire part will transform to martensite in the particular quench employed is being considered, the analysis of the quench-cracking problem is somewhat simplified. Quench-cracking arises from the temperature gradients existing throughout the piece during cooling. Because of these temperature gradients, the contraction arising from the decreasing temperature and the expansion arising from the austenite-martensite reaction do not occur uniformly over the parts, and stresses are set up that tend to cause cracking. The temperature gradients can be reduced by decreasing the severity of quench. This, however, requires that the hardenability be correspondingly increased by increasing the carbon or alloy content. An

Jan 1, 1947

By Hollomon John H., L. D. Jaffe Hollomon

For many steel parts it is desired to obtain the maximum toughness consistent with the strength required by the mechanical design. It is generally recognized that the greatest toughness at any given strength is found in steels having a tempered martensitic structure.&apos; and is virtually independent of the composition of the steel2 (except for carbon). The choice of the composition of a steel for the parts in question should be based, therefore, on hardenability considerations and on manufacturing facility and economy. In a recent paper3 the concept of hardenability was discussed and a somewhat new approach to the problem was suggested. The hardenability was defined in terms of the cooling conditions (speed of cooling) required to avoid the pearlite and the bainite reactions. Since all the alloying elements do not have the same effects on the two reactions, the bainitic and pearl-itic hardenabilities must be considered separately. In order to design a steel for a given part, it is necessary to design a composition that has both sufficient pearlitic and sufficient bainitic hardenability. However, this requirement does not fix the combination of alloying elements to be used; an infinite number of steels would have the required hardenabilities. Other considerations limit the choice. For example, decreasing the carbon content increases the toughness at a given hardness, and for this reason low-carbon steels are often desired. Limitations or requirements of refining, casting, or forming practices often affect the level of some of the alloying elements. Price considerations enter. Frequently, however, it is very desirable to minimize the tendency toward quench-cracking while maintaining the necessary hardenability. This paper is concerned with suggesting a method for choosing compositions that will have the required hardenability together with minimum tendency toward quench-cracking. Quench Cracking Since only the case in which the entire part will transform to martensite in the particular quench employed is being considered, the analysis of the quench-cracking problem is somewhat simplified. Quench-cracking arises from the temperature gradients existing throughout the piece during cooling. Because of these temperature gradients, the contraction arising from the decreasing temperature and the expansion arising from the austenite-martensite reaction do not occur uniformly over the parts, and stresses are set up that tend to cause cracking. The temperature gradients can be reduced by decreasing the severity of quench. This, however, requires that the hardenability be correspondingly increased by increasing the carbon or alloy content. An

Jan 1, 1947

By Edward D. Peters

IT frequently occurs in the establishment of reduction works, in an entirely new and untried mining district, that the metallurgist in charge finds considerable difficulty in determining the process best adapted to the ores which he receives for treatment. At the first glance it would seem easy enough to decide what style of furnace is best adapted for beneficiating any one class of minerals. If the ore possessed a quartzose gangue and was comparatively free from base metals, while salt could be obtained at a reasonable price, one would naturally resort to a chloridizing roasting, and pan or barrel amalgamation for the extraction of its silver contents. If galena or carbonate of lead was the prevailing mineral, and charcoal could be obtained at moderate figures, the blast-furnace would beneficiate the ores most advantageously. But if, as is usually the case in Colorado, the ores consisted of an intimate mixture of galena, zinc-blende, copper-pyrites, and noble silver minerals, associated with an overwhelming mass of siliceous heavy spar, or limestone gangue, the common reverberatory furnace can be used to the greatest advantage; and, although the product is only a copper matte, I do not hesitate to affirm that it can be treated, and the silver, gold, and copper produced at nearly the same price for which silver and lead can be separated. In Germany, blast-furnaces are frequently used for this same purpose, both for argentiferous and non-argentiferous copper ores ; but any one who will take the trouble to examine the statistics of smelting at Fahlun, the Oberharz, and other Continental works of this description, will see that the expenses are far too great, and the production much too small to think of employing this method in our mining districts, where only the softest and most miserable kind of charcoal is obtainable. I propose in this paper to give an accurate account of the expenses incurred at the Mount Lincoln Smelting Works in treating the same kind of ore, and producing the same end-product in both blast and reverberatory furnaces. I have taken for comparison a favorable campaign of the blast-furnace, and a good average month&apos;s running of the reverberatory. In the blast-furnace estimate I have included the calcining and concentration of the matte produced during that campaign, as I always, when possible, concentrated the regulus made

Jan 1, 1874

By J. P. Newell, R. W. Storey

AUGER mining is a form of continuous mining in that it completely replaces with a one-cycle operation the older conventional cut, drill, shoot, and load method of mining. Relatively new, having been utilized only within the last few years, it is even more continuous in its production of coal than some other forms of continuous mining being practiced in this country today. There are at present coal recovery .augers in operation working along strip-mined highwalls from the outside. This paper will deal with underground mining, specifically with an experiment which was carried out with a machine developed for this purpose. The location of this experiment was in Pike County in eastern Kentucky in the upper split of the No. 3 Elkhorn seam. Coal height was 32 in. and roof conditions were very bad, with 10 in. of soft draw slate coming down with every cut in conventional mining. The coal is high-grade bituminous, excellent for metallurgical coking. Underground auger mining fills a need for a method of recovering coal in thin seams, under bad roof conditions or in split seams. In many cases it might save money by eliminating the handling of excessive quantities of rock. In fact, if the coal can be recovered, as in the case of this experiment, without mixing with any impurities outside the seam, it may be possible to load or ship a satisfactory product with little or no preparation or cleaning expense. The need for some economical method for recovering coal from thin seams is becoming more pressing as the more profitably mined seams are exhausted. Basic Principles of Auger Mining The principles of the auger, or screw conveyor, have long been used in drilling small diameter holes for blasting and other purposes. These same fundamentals apply to large diameter drilling. However, considerably more attention was given to designing a cutting head that would not pulverize the coal and consequently would require a minimum of power to drive it. The head, as designed for this job, consists of a cylinder 25 in. in diam with steel bits set in 3 positions spaced around the forward rim. A conventional coal drill bit, at the head of a bursting cone in the center of the cylinder, trails the forward rim slightly, see Fig. 1. The bursting cone and auger connections are anchored to the cutter barrel by 3 arms spaced at 120 This head design proved to be very satis-

Jan 1, 1952

By Barnabas Bryan

During the boom period of 1928 and 1929, several oil companies took advantage of high security prices to sell stocks, thereby securing money for the company very cheaply. Few if any of those companies realized that the money received was not at all cheap in view of the fact that it was for investment in fixed assets at inflated prices. Suppose a company borrowed twenty millions of dollars to expand its marketing facilities during the boom. It diluted its capital and acquired fixed property which could not earn its interest requirements during the following deflation and therefore consumed income from other company activities. The company also had to stand the deflation in the capital value of all the property it bought. Since the mistaken expansion during the boom accelerated the decline in net income during deflation, the financial position of the company was harmed in proportion to the amount of that expansion. Thus the company was unable to get money to buy fixed assets in the depression when all property is cheap. The same condition holds for the company that sold common stock for the purpose of developing potential production in a newly discovered oil field. Regardless of what the ultimate value of the new field may be, potential production does not increase the net income of the company. The difficulty of meeting the enlarged dividend requirements due to the increased number of shares outstanding impairs the financial position of the company during deflation in some relation to the probability of decreased dividends. This company also is not in a position to expand during the depression when properties and companies can be bought for a fraction of their real value. Expansion of fixed assets during boom times has been the ruin of many otherwise good companies. Some of those which most extensively bought property during the post-war boom have not yet recovered. A number of cases could be cited in sugar, leather, fertilizer and wool. This does not seem to be governed by the quality of the property bought, for examination shows the assets to have been of individual high quality in many cases. When recovery is long deferred it is likely to be true, as in sugar or textiles, that the industry has a large "potential" capacity for overproduction.

Jan 1, 1931

By John O. Farmer

The wire-line tubing perforator is a mechanically operated tool that is run on an ordinary steel measuring line into the tubing of a well, under pressure, to drive into the wall of the tubing, and securely lock in place, a tapered, cylindrical insert containing an orifice. Use of the perforator obviates the necessity of pulling and rerunning the tubing to install jet collars or flow valves, reduces the cost, and simplifies the task, of placing an oil well on gas-lift operation. More important, however, is the use of the tool with a removable check valve and stop, to provide a means of washing drilling mud from the annulus between the tubing and casing, and to complete the well for gas lift operation without exposing the producing formation to the mud column and without moving the tubing string. This paper discusses the origin, development, and mechanics of the wire-line perforator, the various purposes for which the tool was designed, and the method of selecting orifice sizes for any depth, and gives the results obtained thus far in practical application. Origin and Development Several years ago, a tool that could be lowered on an ordinary steel measuring line into the tubing of a well under pressure was designed and constructed for the purpose of punching a hole in the tubing walls above a shale bridge that had completely plugged the tubing of a well in the Long Lake field, East Texas. The well was in a low, swampy area, which excessive rainfall had caused to be in- accessible by car or truck for about four months. The only equipment at the well site consisted of an ordinary steel wire line that had been carried there to measure the depth of the bridge. Since a pulling unit could not be moved to the well site, and as the pressure on the casing was 2100 lb. per sq. in., it became apparent that the only way out of the predicament was to make a perforating tool that could be lowered into the tubing on a measuring line and operated under Pressure. Thus, the first wire-line tubing perforator was designed and built as an expedient, and was not used extensively until it had been redesigned to meet more frequent and increasingly urgent needs. Until recently, it was necessary to pull the tubing to install jet collars or flow the when a well was to be placed On gas lift. Because most companies either maintained or had access to pulling units and crews for this work, little or no thought had been given to eliminating or even simplifying this task. When the manpower and steel shortage became so acute, however, many operators suddenly found themselves without facilities to equip their wells for gas lifting. The wireline tubing perforator already had been tried and proved successful, therefore operators immediately requested its use to punch gas-jet holes in the tubing, to eliminate the pulling and running of tubing strings. The first deficiency revealed by more general use of the perforator lay in the inability to regulate the size of the hole punched through the tubing. The size could not be controlled to any degree of

Jan 1, 1946