Search Documents

By R. J. Lutton

Empirical data from 91 rock excavations have been used to construct a family of slope curves on a chart relating excavation height and inclination. The highest and steepest slopes from each excavation are plotted and connected by a line. The 31 1ines appear to establish one or two geometrical slope fields through which the curves are projected. The curves apparently represent a lumped eflect of many factors too complex to be considered individually. Important factors such as geological structure or ground-water conditions can dominate the picture, but where these factors do not overshadow others, the slope chart should be useful for estimating or checking optimum inclination. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USAE) has been engaged since 1962 with the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission in a joint research program to develop nuclear excavation technology. The Corps is responsible for collecting the requisite data on engineering and construction problems associated with nuclear excavation. The ultimate objective is to develop a capability to use nuclear explosives as a construction tool on public works projects such as harbors and canals. The present study on empirical inclination-height curves for conventionally excavated slopes is an outgrowth of an investigation' sponsored by the USAE Nuclear Cratering Group on applicability of data from existing excavations in establishing guides for engineering judgment in crater excavation. Data were generously contributed by over 50 mining companies among other organizations. Inasmuch as several companies preferred that their contribution be anonymous, all data are treated so here. Some Factors Affecting Stability Many factors affect or are suspected of affecting the stability of excavated slopes, e.g., adverse structural orientation, degree of structural ordering, ground water, climatic conditions, mechanics of excavation, and plan-profile configuration. Such factors are lumped together in developing a slope chart. Obviously geological structure and ground water can overshadow all other factors. Where such is the case, the simplification of slope charts may give an erroneous picture (not conservative enough). A further complication results from the fact that the concept of stability may vary according to the use of the excavations. For example, slope adjustments that would be regarded as failure in a powerhouse excavation, might be tolerable in a mining operation. Mine slopes are continually being modified by further excavation, and instability that would develop in a similar permanent excavation slope over a period of years might not have time to develop in a mine. Inclination vs. Height Charts Charts of inclination vs. height for particular formations or conditions have been used in the past as an aid for designing excavation slopes. Some of these have been based upon empirical analyses of collections of data and experience. MacDonald" and Lane have presented slope tables and charts for excavated and natural slopes in relatively weak sandstone and shale. Coates' has shown an inclination-height chart for slopes in incompetent rock. Most organizations have developed slope design criteria which relate bench widths, heights, and inclinations to use in various rocks. Slope data collected in present studies can be similarly used to develop inclination-height charts; however, a plot of all slopes on such a chart shows very little because of the wide spread of the data. Reasons for the dispersion of points are: (1) many slopes are not carried at optimum inclination, particularly in mines where maintaining roadways and following irregularities of ore bodies are more important than achieving steep inclinations; (2) many engineers and geologists with varied backgrounds and viewpoints have been involved in designing these slopes; and (3) each slope is characterized by a unique combination of factors affecting stability and in turn optimum inclination. Significant curves can sometimes be constructed where the points can be grouped into related clusters from the same excavation. The essence of this approach appears when only two slopes from each excavation are considered—the highest slope and the steepest slope, connected by a line segment (Fig. 1). This reduces considerably the usable data because in many cases only one of these two slopes is available. Nevertheless, the concession seems justified. Construction of Slope Curves Ninety-one pairs of points and connecting line segments were assembled in this study. The line segments were assumed to approximate a geometrical slope field (Fig. 2), and a family of curves has been visually projected through to represent the slope field. It should be

Jan 1, 1971

By F. H. Vitovec, D. W. Hoeppner

Pusk-pull fatigue tests were conducted on copper tricrystals of 99.988 pct purity to ascertain the role of grain boundaries in the initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks. Significant differences in behavior were found for specimens which possessed different transverse-boundary misorientation. In speciwens with low boundary angles cracks initiated within the transverse boundary, while higher angles led to transcrystalline fatigue failure. It is suggested that at low angular misorientation moving dislocations may interact with dislocations of the boundary or dislocations present in adjacent pains on favorably oriented glide planes, thus initiating a fatigue crack. MANY fatigue studies have been concerned with fatigue-crack initiation within grains and the mechanism causing initiation and propagation1-3 Although the initiation of fatigue cracks in or near grain boundaries of pure metals has been observed and reported in the literature, the mechanism of this phenomenon has received little attention.4"11 EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM Testing Procedure. To investigate the role of grain boundaries regarding initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks, copper tricrystals were tested in push-pull. Axial-stress tests were used to avoid the stress gradients introduced by stressing of some other nature. Copper was selected as the most suitable test material since extensive work has been done on the formation of fatigue-induced slip in copper. Tricrystal specimens were used to provide a grain boundary geometry with one boundary transverse to the principal stress axis and one or more boundaries nearly coincident with the direction of maximum resolved shear stress. The boundary energy and the slip characteristics in the vicinity of the transverse boundary depend on the relative orientations of grains across the boundary. Testing was done at room temperature, at a frequency of 700 cpm, in an atmosphere of either air or argon. It is known that the incidence of grain boundary cracking increases with increasing temperature and decreasing frequency.4 The fatigue machine applied a uniaxial tension-compression load to the specimen by a flat spring which was actuated by an adjustable eccentric. Use was made of an adjustable head and a load cell which had strain gages mounted at 120-deg intervals around its periphery, thus providing a means for eliminating any detectable superimposed bending moment. A clip gage was mounted between the gripping heads to record the cyclic strain amplitude applied to the specimen. Each specimen's hysteresis characteristics were recorded by supplying the load and strain signals to an oscilloscope. Microstructural changes were observed and recorded with an optical microscope which was mounted on the fatigue machine. Immediately prior to insertion in the machine, each specimen was chemically polished. Extreme care was exercised while inserting the specimen in the test machine to avoid either bending the specimen or introducing a mean load. Each specimen was stressed in the tensile direction first and subsequently the load was reversed. Specimen Preparation. Tricrystal fatigue specimens of 99.988 pct Cu were grown from the melt using a modified Bridgman technique. Ingots about 1 in. high were grown to the configuration shown in Fig. 1. Upon sectioning the resultant ingot, several specimens were provided with an identical shape and grain boundary orientation. Except for plane sectioning and final polishing, this method eliminated machining the specimens. The apparatus used for growing the tricrystals is shown in Fig. 2. A spectrographically pure graphite mold, Fig. 3, was inserted in a vycor tube which was mounted on a vertical zone-refining table. Prior to insertion in the tube the mold was assembled as follows. The insert and graphite rods were fixed in position in the mold. The copper was then placed in the mold and the entire mold assembly was positioned in the vycor tube, Fig. 2. At this point the tube was sealed, evacuated, purged with helium gas, and finally placed under a slightly positive helium pressure. The heating coil was then adjusted to melt the copper charge, after which it was raised at a speed of 4 in. per hr. It is also possible to use

Jan 1, 1964

By A. Lubinski, J. L. Logan, W. S. Althouse

A4ost gas twells and flowing oil wells are completed and treated through a string of tubing and a packer. Changes in temperature and in pressure inside or outside the tubing will: (I) if free motion of the tubing inside the packer is permitted, increase or decrease the length of the rubing; or (2) if free motion is prevented, induce forces in the tubing and on the packer. If pressure inside the tubing is greater than outside, the tubing may buckle helically even in the presence of a packer-to-tubing tension. The tubing will always buckle, and much more severely, if free motion is permitted. The buckling may be prevented by pulling the tubing in sufficient tension. The prediction of these forces and tubing movement has here to fore been based upon calculations that did not inciude helical buckling. This paper preseitts means with which these length or force changes can be calculated while taking into account the effect of helical buckling. To avoid damaging formations, failure of remedial operations, or damage to the tubing or packer, application is made to practical problems involving calculations of the required length of seals, amount of sluckoff or tension, and prevention of permanent corkscrewing. INTRODUCTION Leakage of a packer may result in costly failures of such operations as squeeze cementing, hydraulic fracturing, etc. To avoid such failures, the authors are often asked questions pertaining to the length of necessary seals, the amount of necessary slackoff, etc. Published work' does not take into account helical buckling of tubing. Investigation of helical buckling was prompted by the fact that allowance must be made for this phenomenon in order to provide relevant answers. In the past, theoretical work on helical buckling was confined to conditions for which such buckling does not The mathematical treatment of behavior in a buckled condition, given in the Appendix, is novel. Assumptions upon which this investigation is based are listed and discussed in a special section. The following are a few of the many kinds of problems which may be solved with this paper. 1. Consider a packer in which tubing may move. Such movement will occur after pressures and temperature are changed. The paper provides means for: (a) calculating the amount of such movement and, therefore. the required length of seals; and (b) calculating the necessary amount of initial slackoff, for which there is no danger of unsealing the packer, if the length of seals is given. Such calculations, as well as those which follow, tully take into account the fact that part of the movement ib due to elastic helical buckling of the lower part of the string. This buckling may occur even in tubing under tension. Insufficient initial slackoff for a given length of seals, or insufficient length of seals for a given slackoff, may result in costly failures. A field case of such a failure will be given further in this paper. 2. In the case in which tubing cannot move in the packer, changes of pressure and temperature result in tubing-to-packer forces and forces in the tubing above the packer, both of which may be calculated. This knowledge is important because, if these forces are too large, the) could damage the packer or the tubing. 3. For wells in which wireline tools are to be run through the tubing, the paper provides means to keep the tubing from buckling, thereby permitting free passage of tools. 4. In deep wells, mainly in the presence of large casing, tubing may become "corkscrewed", i.e., take a permanent helical set. A field case is described further in the text. Using this paper, one may calculate in advance conditions under which permanent corkscrewing would occur, and then take preventive steps. HELICAL BUCKLING Consider a string of tubing, freely suspended in the absence of any fluid inside casing, as shown in Fig. I(a). Now consider an upward force F applied at the lower end of this tubing. This force compresses the string; and if the compression is large enough (which is always the case in actual problems), the lower portion of the string will buckle into a helix, as shown in Fig. 1 (b). The lower end of the tubing is subjected to a compression F. This compression decreases with the distance from the bottom and becomes nil (neither compression nor ten-

By T. E. Davidson, A. P. Lee

It is known from the early work of Bridgman that the two lowest-pressure transitions (I-II and II-III) are accompanied by substantial and abrupt changes in resistivity and Volume. However, unlike the temperature -induced allotropic transformations observed in such elements as lithium, cobalt, tin, and so forth, there is little actually known about many of the characteristics of the pressure-in&ced transitions. This current work involves an examination of the structural and transformation characteristics of the bismuth I-II and II-III transitions under hydrostatic pressures. The relationship of initial structure to the transformation pressure, rate, resistivity change, and resultant structure is discussed. It is shown that the transition pressure and transformation rate are independent of the presence of grain boundaries and associated anisotropy-induced deformation. An observed hysteresis in both the I-II and II-III transitions is shown. BISMUTH is one of the most interesting of the elements exhibiting pressure-induced polymorphs since it undergoes several allotropic transformations at pressures below 90,000 atm. It is known from the early work of bridman1,2 that the two lowest-pressure transitions (1-11 and 11-111) are accompanied by substantial and abrupt changes in resistance and volume. However, unlike the temperature-induced allotropic transformations observed in such elements as lithium, cobalt, tin, and so forth, there is little actually known about many of the characteristics of these pressure-induced transitions. It is the purpose of this work to examine some of the structural and transformation characteristics of the bismuth 1-11 and 11-111 transitions under hydrostatic pressures. Another interesting characteristic of bismuth is that, in its polycrystalline form, hydrostatic pressures of sufficient magnitude will induce severe progressive plastic deformation in the region of the grain boundaries.3 This deformation, which has also been observed in several other metals, is attributed to the high degree of anisotropy in the linear compressibility of bismuth, resulting in shear stresses in the grain boundaries when it is exposed to hydrostatic pressure. Most thermally induced allotropic transformations in metals, whether of the diffusionless ather-ma1 (martensitic) or isothermal nucleation and growth types, are dependent upon structure and prior history,4 viz., grain boundaries, deformation, and so forth. One logically wonders then whether the transformation characteristics of the pressure-induced polymorphs in bismuth might also depend upon initial structure, particularly with respect to the presence of grain boundaries and associated plastic deformation. In this investigation, the role of grain boundaries and plastic deformation on the characteristics of the bismuth I-II and 11-111 transitions will be established. The rather unique residual microstruc-tural changes associated with these transitions will be presented and discussed. The occurrence of a measurable hysteresis in both the I-II and 11-111 transitions will be demonstrated. The type of transformation mechanism based on the observed transformation rate will be discussed. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE A) Apparatus. The hydrostatic pressure system utilized in this investigation is similar to that previously reported by Bridgman' and Birch and Robertson,5 and has been previously described.3 For the purpose of this work, the pressure medium utilized was a 1:l mixture of pentane and isopentane. Pressure measurement was by means of a manganin coil in conjunction with a Foxboro Recorder. The manganin coil was mounted in the bottom closure and inserted inside the pressure cavity. Based on calibration against a controlled clearance piston gage at approximately 10,000 atm, the estimated error in the pressure measurement was +2 pct. Assuming the nonlinearity in the pressure coefficient of resistivity between 10,000 and 28,000 atm to be not greater than 1 pct, then the estimated error in the range of the I-II and 11-111 transitions was +3 pct. B) specimen Material and Preparation. The bismuth utilized throughout this investigation was of

Jan 1, 1964

By K. A. Grace

Reserves are the basic foundation of any mining enterprise, but a lack of understanding of the concept of resources and reserves is still a frequent cause of failure in mining ventures. A review of the development of the resource-reserve concept emphasizes the necessity for a common language, and the classification system as set out by the US Geological Survey and Bureau of Mines is advocated as the basis for this. Because of its strong economic connotation, the term reserves should be severely restricted in its use, and should encompass mining and processing factors. Modifications to the basic definition of reserves to accomplish this are proposed. Caution must be used in the quantification of undiscovered or hypothetical resources, particularly in juxtaposition with known resources data.

Jan 1, 1985

By George Rice

SINCE my earliest recollection, the coal business has been in a state of unrest. It has always been a matter of bewilderment to the serious thinking, the instability of this most important industry; second only to agriculture in its effect on the great development of this country, and even more important in certain aspects, because without fuel railroads could not run, agriculture could not get its products to market, nor would the great manufacturing enterprises have been possible. I will not attempt to discuss the present serious -labor dispute or similar disagreements of the past; in the settlement of which more or less successful attempts have been made to equalize, temporarily at least, natural conditions through "joint agreement" as to prices paid labor; but will confine my views to the general underlying conditions of which the disputes are symptoms, and try to show how these must be remedied before there can be any hope of stabilizing conditions.

Jan 5, 1922

By J. R. Finlay

THE other day, I fell into conversation with two gentlemen who desired to improve the condition of the people; so that the talk was semi-political. They seemed to agree that I was inclined to be "con-servative," "reactionary," perhaps an "evolutionist," looking upon "reform" with suspicion. Finally I rejoined somewhat in this manner: "You attach to me phrases that I have heard all my life but which convey no meaning to me. It is quite true that I do not make a fetish of terms like reform, liberty, democracy and so forth; neither do I worship the idea that `things are good enough as they are,' `leave well enough. alone' and so forth. There is more satisfaction in building something up than in tearing something down, or in just maintaining something that is already built. Progress is a popular word; but what is progress? In my opinion it is comprised, so far as public welfare is concerned, of two elements: Improvements in production of goods and knowledge; improvements in keeping order." This substitute for politics, economics, reform, pro-gress, conservatism, radicalism, democracy, socialism, monarchism and all the phrases of public welfare may seem over-simple; perhaps it is, but at least it defines something. It seems to me to be at least worth attention.

Jan 4, 1922

By H. Kazemi

An ideal theoretical model of a naturally fractured reservoir with a uniform fracture distribution, motivated by an earlier model by Warren and Root, has been developed. This model consists of a finite circular reservoir with a centrally located well and two distinct porous regions, referred to as matrix and fracture, respectively. The matrix has high storage, but low flow capacity; the fracture has low storage, but high flow capacity. The flow in the entire reservoir is unsteady state. The results of this study are compared with the results of the earlier models, and it has been concluded that major conclusions of Warren and Root are quite substantial. Furthermore, an attempt has been made to study critically other analytical methods reported in the literature. In general, it may be concluded that the analysis of a naturally fractured reservoir from pressure transient data relies considerably on the degree and the type of heterogeneity of the system; the testing procedure and test facilities are sometimes as important. Nevertheless, under favorable conditions, one should be able to calculate in-situ characteristics of the matrix-fracture system, such as pore-volume ratio, over-all capacity of the formation, total storage capacity of the porous matrix, and some measure of matrix permeability. INTRODUCTION The analysis of flow and buildup tests for obtaining in-situ characteristics of oil and gas reservoirs has received considerable attention in the past decade. Most of the available techniques result in reliable conclusions in macroscopically homogeneous reservoirs or in the homogeneous reservoirs with only certain types of induced and/or inherent heterogeneity (such as wellbore damage, etc.). In general, the greater the degree of heterogeneity, the less the reliability of the information deduced from the pressure transient data. A commonly encountered heterogeneous system is a naturally fractured reservoir where two types of distinct porosities occur in the same formation. The region containing finer pores may have high storage and low flow capacities. This is called the matrix. The remaining region may have high flow capacity with low storage. The latter region is generally the set of interconnecting fractures and fissures of the rock, and for this reason it is called the fracture. Ordinarily, we wish to obtain the permeability and porosity of each region and perhaps the frequency of the fracture distribution in a reservoir. Such information is necessary for reservoir engineering. Other information, such as wellbore damage, will be useful in evaluating possible remedial work for such fields. Few authors have suggested theories to aid in calculating the in-situ characteristics of a naturally fractured reservoir similar to what we have described above. Pollardl suggested that a naturally fractured reservoir contained three distinct regions: a damaged or an improved region surrounding the wellbore, and the two remaining regions the same as described earlier. He suggested that the flow was taking place from the tight matrix into the highly conductive fractures, then into the we wllbore region and finally into the well column. He concluded that the average pressure buildup in each of these distinct regions can be expressed approximately in terms of an exponential decay function of time. He also hypothesized that the decay coefficients for each of these functions were significantly different from each other; consequently, each of these functions became dominant in turn, in the process of pressure buildup. Thus, by a proper graphic plot of the logarithm of wellbore pressure differences vs buildup time, each of these functions could be determined (see Fig. 1). Pollard suggested methods of determining the wellbore damage and fracture volume. Later Pirson and Pirson2 extended

Jan 1, 1970

By C. N. Schuette

The material presented in this paper has been gathered by the writer during a long and varied experience on matters pertaining to the quicksilver industry. During the past 18 years he has visited practically all of the quicksilver mines of the United States and has had occasion to review the literature on quicksilver mining the world over. In a previous publication1 the conclusion was expressed "that the greatest opportunity for increasing the economy in quicksilver production lies in giving more attention to the geology of the deposits ... " The present paper is a contribution toward that end. Due to a lack of correlation of the observed facts, a great deal of confusion exists in the views of various writers concerning the mode of occurrence of quicksilver ores. This paper attempts to show that certain common factors underlie the formation of all quicksilver orebodies. It attempts to present a framework on which to marshall the observed facts and thus make clear the interrelation of various observations which at first sight appear to be contradictory. The material presented is fragmentary in many respects and it is hoped that readers familiar with the deposits mentioned may supply the deficiency. The reader is asked to refer to the publications cited for maps and additional information on the individual orebodies, as this review, in covering so much territory, must necessarily confine itself to a bare outline of the facts concerning each occurrence. The writer hopes that this paper will elicit comment and criticism from the many competent men interested in the quicksilver industry and to all of them he would express his indebtedness for the many courtesies that they have extended to him at various times in the past. Theory op Primary Concentration The mode of occurrence of any given orebody presents an individual problem to the miner engaged in exploiting it. No two orebodies are exactly alike in their geological relationships, therefore an understanding, in detail, of the geology is necessary if the orebody is to be exploited in the most economic manner.

Jan 1, 1931

By J. A. Fulton, A. B. Foote

Gold was discovered in the Sierra Nevada by J. W. Marshall on Jan. 2, 1848. The town of Grass Valley soon sprang up and contained several stores in 1849; but the population of the town has always reflected the fluctuations in quartz mining. Gold-bearing quartz was found on Gold Hill in September 1850, and in the next two years most of the quartz-bearing veins in the vicinity were located. At first, the quartz was crushed in mortars with spring poles; the IIuff Co. took out $20,000 in this manner during the winter and spring of 1851. The first mill was put up in January, 1851. In 1866, there were in Grass Valley 248 stamps, crushing 71,420 tons of ore with an average yield of $30 to $35; in Nevada City, there were 142 stamps, crushing 14,200 tons, with an average value of $25. Rut in 1918, only two properties in this region, the Empire and the Korth Star, were producing Since then, there has been a revival of mining in the district and the following properties are being opened up: The Golden Center. Grass Valley Gold Mines Co.. Idaho-Maryland Mines Co., while the Su1tana is kept unmatered and work is going on in a half dozen mall propertics Mining Claims At the first meeting of miners in Grass Valley, Jan. 13. 1851, a plot :30 by 40 ft. was allowed for a claim, the boundaries in all cases being perpendicular. In 1852, the quartz miners in Nevada County deeided that "each prospector shall hereafter be entitled to 100 ft. on a quartz ledge or vein and the discoverer shall be allowed 100 ft. additional. Fach claim shall include all the dips, angles, and variations of the vcin." This rule was in force until replaced by the Federal mining laws of 1872; these allowed quartz claims to be 1500 ft along the vein, with all the dips, spurs, and angles, and to have a width of 600 ft. The holdings of the principal companies consist of these early patented mining claims; standard claims, as authorized by the Act of 1872, both patented and unpatented; agricultural tracts, both patented and

Jan 1, 1927

By Hermann Wedding

I ASK your permission to speak about a matter which is not of a specifically scientific nature, but more of a general-I might even say of an international-nature, and the international character which this city now presents must be my justification for introducing it. The Germans, very often, are thought to be an exceedingly warlike people, but I come to-day in the capacity of a peacemaker. Our German language is an original language; it is, therefore, a language in which it is impossible to change the meaning of a word at will. It may be, perhaps, easier in a combined language, as the English, to associate and to exchange meanings. Now, a word which we hear a great deal at the present day, is "Stahl," in English, "steel." This word means, in the German language, a substance which can be hardened. As the German literature, in relation to metallurgy, is the oldest of the modern world, this circumstance may give the German a right to ask for consideration. But I think, now, when the four languages, German, Swedish, French, and English, compete in rich metallurgical literature, it is very necessary to have uniformity in the nomenclature of iron, which would prove not only useful for science, but equally so for trade. For that purpose I propose to make the divisions of iron so that the word steel shall comprise a subdivision and not a primary division as formerly. Nature furnishes us iron mostly in the state of oxides, and if in any other condition, we must convert the ore into oxide before we can make iron. The oxides are always mixed with certain earthy substances called rock or gangue. The extraction of iron involves, therefore, the twofold process of the reduction of the iron, and im¬parting to it the amount of carbon necessary for technical purposes, and the separation of the reduced and carburized iron from the gangue. The reduction is always effected by carbon or carbonaceous substances (coke, anthracite, carbonic oxide, etc.), and the result is, according to the degree of heat employed, either malleable iron or a non-malleable iron. The process of making malleable iron in this way is called, generally, the direct process-in German, Rennarbeil. It produces the iron in a solid state with a fluid cinder. By this process our ancestors made all their iron, and it has been revived in various ways in modern times up to the process of Mr. Blair, so far as I know, always without commercial success. The

Jan 1, 1877

By Hermann Wedding

I ask your permission to speak about a matter which is not of a specifically scientific nature, but more of a general—I might even say of an international—nature, and the international character which this city now presents must be my justification for introducing it. The Germans, very often, are thought to be an exceedingly warlike people, but I come to-day in the capacity of a peacemaker. Our German language is an original language; it is, therefore, a language in which it is impossible to change the meaning of a word at will. It may be, perhaps, easier in a combined language, as the English, to associate and to exchange meanings. Now, a word which we hear a great deal at the present day, is "Stahl," in English, "steel." This word means, in the German language, a substance which can be hardened. As the German literature, in relation to metallurgy, is the oldest of the modern world, this circumstance may give the German a right to ask for consideration. But I think, now, when the four languages, German, Swedish, French, and English, compete in rich metallurgical literature, it is very necessary to have uniformity in the nomenclature of iron, which would prove not only useful for science, but equally so for trade. For that purpose I propose to make the divisions of iron so that the word steel shall comprise a subdivision and not a primary division as formerly. Nature furnishes us iron mostly in the state of oxides, and if in any other condition, we must convert the ore into oxide before we can make iron. The oxides are always mixed with certain earthy substances called rock or gangue. The extraction of iron involves, therefore, the twofold process of the reduction of the iron, and imparting to it the amount of carbon necessary for technical purposes, and the separation of the reduced and carburized iron from the gangue. The reduction is always effected by carbon or carbonaceous substances (coke, anthracite, carbonic oxide, etc.), and the result is, according to the degree of heat employed, either malleable iron or a non-malleable iron. The process of malting malleable iron in this way is called, generally, the direct process—in German, Rennarbeit. It produces the iron in a solid state with a fluid cinder. By this process our ancestors made all their iron, and it has been revived in various ways in modern times up to the process of Mr. Blair, so far as I know, always without commercial success. The

By S. K. Tarby, W. O. Philbrook

The rate of FeO and MnO reduction from silicate and aluminate slags by carbon-saturated iron is dependent on both slag composition and temperature. Owing to variable stirring rules during- the course of reaction, the reduction processes occur in two stages in stationary graphite crucibles. In the first stage the slirring caused by CO evolution results in forced convection conditions in the slag. As the boiling action subsides during reduction, the flow conditions within the system become those defined by natural convection. Analysis of the data by an unsteady-state penetration model indicates that the rate of reduction is controlled by the rate of cocur-rent flow of' cations and anions from the bulk slag to the interface during both stages of reduction. The hearth reactions of the blast furnace have been extensively investigated from the viewpoint of equilibrium by deductions from controlled laboratory experiments. However, the literature contains relatively few studies that have been directed toward the area of slag-metal reaction kinetics, and the majority of these have been concerned with the rate and mechanism of sulfur transfer between iron and slag. More recently, attention has turned to the kinetic factors in the reduction of oxides from liquid slags. One of the first investigations in this field was conducted by Dancy1 on the reduction of pure liquid FeO and pure liquid Fe3O4 by carbon-saturated iron. The integrated form of the rate equation indicated that the reduction of FeO was of the first order up to 80 pct reduction. Over the initial 30 pct of reduction, the magnetite reaction was also interpreted as a first-order process. The rates of reaction were extremely rapid as indicated by a 30 pct reduction of the liquid magnetite in a time interval of about 1 to 2 sec. Phil-brook and irkbbride' studied the reduction of FeO from a lime-alumina-silica slag by carbon-saturated iron and solid graphite in stationary crucible assemblies. With the use of the differential form of the rate equation, the rate of the reduction reaction was found to be proportional to the second power of the concentration of the reactant FeO for both the slag-metal and slag-graphite reactions. These authors presented a number of comments in an effort to explain the difference between the molecularity of the above reaction and the observed second-order relation. One such argument, recently extended by Wagner,3 was that the rate-limiting step may well be one of transport control. A complete discussion of the proposed mass-transport control mechanism of this reduction reaction will be presented in a later section of this paper. Kinetic studies of the reduction of other oxide species, namely chromous oxide, titania, and silica, have also been reported. McCoy and philbrook4 used rotating crucible assemblies to investigate chromium reduction from Ca0-SiO2-A12O3 slags. First-order kinetic law was obeyed for the slag-metal reduction reaction as determined by the integration method of data analysis. Due to scatter of the data, any dependence of the rate constant on temperature or slag composition was obscured. Concentration-time data for the reduction of titania from blast-furnace type slags under reducing conditions were obtained by Delve, Meyer, and Lander.' The data were too few, however, for a formal kinetic interpretation. Kinetic data for the very slow reaction of silica reduction have been observed by McCoy and Philbrook6 and Fulton and chipman.7 The former experimenters found the reaction-rate constant for silica reduction by carbon-saturated iron to be 20 to 60 times less than the rate constant for chromium reduction. In their work on the reduction of SiO2 in mechanically stirred systems, Fulton and Chipman also found small values for the specific reaction rate and derived a high value for the energy of activation for the reaction. In both of these investigations, the reduction process was assumed to follow first-order behavior. schuhmann8 proposed that the rate-limiting step in this reaction is the diffusion of oxygen from the interface through a boundary-layer film to the bulk metal phase, and Rawling and Elliott9 have reported experimental confirmation of this hypothesis for temperatures below 1600°C. Turkdogan et a1.10 have also concluded that the rate of reduction of silica is a slow process and controlled by the diffusion of oxygen in the metal, but only in the absence of carbon monoxide bubbles at the slag-metal interface. In the presence of bubbles, achieved either by injecting carbon monoxide at the slag-metal interface or by blowing it through the metal and slag, these investigators found a rather rapid reduction of silica which appeared to be controlled by an interfacial reaction involving the de-sorption of silicate ions from the slag-metal interface to the metal phase as silicon and oxygen atoms. In view of the unresolved nature of the kinetics of FeO reduction and the lack of kinetic data for the manganese reaction,

Jan 1, 1968

By Edgar Kidwell

To any one acquainted with the practical conditions surrounding the mining engineer and mine-manager, especially in this country, the presentation to the American Institute of Mining Engineers of a paper on the above subject will need no explanation. The members of this profession are continually called upon to design and erect, both above and underground, structures which involve the use of beams. Not to mention the various buildings connected with large mining operations, I need only refer, in support of this statement, to trestles, derricks, headworks, etc., on the surface, and to timbered stations and other spaces of large span in the mine-workings. Notwithstanding the rapidity with which iron and steel are replacing wood in the construction of large buildings, there will always be cases in which the use of metal will be unadvisable. Especially will this be true in districts remote from large cities. Works of temporary character will continue to use timber. High freight-charges, the liability of delays in delivering iron, and the temporary character of many of the structures, will for many years to come make it advantageous for the mines west of the Mississippi and on Lake Superior to construct their buildings almost exclusively of wood. The timber-resources of the country are decreasing so rapidly that already the engineer finds difficulty at times in obtaining beams of large size. This difficulty will steadily increase, and will force the constructor to resort more frequently to built-up beams, such as have long been used in Europe, owing to the difficulty of obtaining there such large sizes of timber as have

Jan 1, 1898

By R. P. Alger, J. S. Wahl, C. W. Johnstone, J. Tittman

To overcome the problems of mudcake and hole irregularities, the new compensated formation density logging device employs two detectors spaced at different intervals from the source. The detector at the shorter spacing is particularly sensitive to the density of material immediately adjacent to the face of the pad. The contribution of this material, which includes mudcake and minor wall irregularities, affects the response of each detector to a different degree. The signals from both detectors are combined to give automatically a density correction which is added to the uncompensated density information from the detector at the longer spacing. Both the compensated density measurement and the amount of compensation are then recorded on the log. With the unwanted borehole effects removed, the measurement is recorded directly in terms of bulk density on a linear scale. INTRODUCTION Formation density is a very useful and diagnostic parameter for formation evaluation. When the matrix lithology is known, porosity is accurately and readily computed from density data.'-" hen the density measurements are used with other porosity-responsive measurements, such as Sonic and Neutron logs, both lithology and porosity may be defined with good accuracy."'" In the past, however, application of density logs was complicated by the need for corrections to obtain true formation densities from the log values. Mudcakes on permeable formations and roughness of the borehole walls have been particularly troublesome since, in each case, the device was prevented from direct contact with the formation. ~ttempts have been made to correct for such conditions by making a simultaneous caliper log, estimating pad standoff, and assuming knowledge of the composition of the intervening materials. While such corrections are frequently accurate, they are not always reliable because of uncertainties in the pad standoff and material composition. A further complication was the necessity for manual conversion of log counting rates to density. The newly introduced compensated formation density logging device (FDC) automatically corrects for mudcake and minor wall irregularities, and provides a log that is scaled directly in bulk density. The purpose of this paper is to discuss briefly the equipment, to explain the theoretical considerations involved in the compensation, and to present field examples of this new log. COMPENSATED FORMATION DENSITY EQUIPMENT The FDC tool incorporates two major advances over previous density logging devices: a second detector, spaced closer to the gamma ray source to provide increased sensitivity to material close to the pad; and the automatic derivation of a corrected formation density from the two counting rates. The arrangement of the source and detectors is shown in Fig. 1. The longer spacing detector is at the same spacing from the source and gives the same response as the single detector in the previous uncompensated device. By appropriate combination of the outputs of the two detectors, the FDC tool is able to compensate in large measure for effects of mudcake and hole rugosity. This is achieved, as will be described later, without specific knowledge of either the thickness or the nature of material between the pad and formation. To obtain corrected formation density, the two count rates are automatically processed by an analog computer in the surface panel. More specifically, the computer derives a value of uncompensated formation density from the long-spacing counting rate, computes a density correction p using both the long and the short spacing count-

Jan 1, 1965

By S. G. Epstein

Electromigration has been measured in dilute liquid alloys of lead in antimony and antimony in lead. In these alloys antimony migrates with the electron current; lead migrates in the opposite direction. These results, which contradict the mass criterion, were predicted by the electron drag model for electromigration in liquid alloys. The existing experimental data are shown to correlate with the difference in electrical resistivities of the alloy components. FOR many years investigators have attempted to relate observed electromigration phenomena in liquid alloys to the physical properties of the alloy components. The most successful correlation was found by Angus et' al.,1 who in 1959 proposed an empirical criterion for predicting the relative direction of motion of the components of a liquid alloy in an electric field: the component with the smallest atomic mass concentrates at the cathode. While this criterion is obeyed in nearly all the alloy systems which had been investigated, the physical basis for such an effect was not understood. It was also disturbing that the mass criterion predicted the wrong sign for the Haeffner effect; observations with pure liquid metals revealed that in every instance the lighter isotope was transported to the anode.2 Klemm3 explained these isotopic separations by suggesting that the lighter isotopes were more mobile and more easily carried to the anode with the electron stream. Additionally, several deviations from the mass criterion have been found in liquid alloys, notably involving transition metals such as chromium, nickel, palladium, and zirconium, which migrate to the anode in liquid bismuth.4'5 Recently, a model has been proposed6 in which electromigration in liquid alloys is attributed primarily to the interaction between the electron stream and the metal ions. In essence, this model predicts that the component with the greater electron-ion scattering cross section will be preferentially transported to the anode, displacing the other component to the cathode. The electrical resistivity of each pure component at its melting point is taken as the measure of its scattering cross section. This model was developed from the results of systematic studies with various solutes in liquid mercury,7'8 bismuth,9 and sodium.10 In every alloy, the component with the greater resistivity has centrates at the anode. Coincidentally, in every instance the component with the greater resistivity has also the greater mass, apparently satisfying the mass criterion. In order to differentiate between electron-ion coupling and atomic mass as the relevant physical prop- erty influencing electromigration, measurements were made with Pb-Sb alloys. Lead has an atomic mass nearly twice that of antimony, but lead has an electrical resistivity of 91 microhm-cm while antimony has a value of 113.5 microhm-cm at their respective melting points. The mass criterion predicts that in an alloy of the two antimony will concentrate at the cathode; the electron drag model predicts that antimony will concentrate at the anode. EXPERIMENTAL To conclusively determine the relative motion of lead and antimony in each other, solute electromigration was measured in dilute liquid alloys of antimony in lead and lead in antimony. Both starting materials were 99.999+ pct pure. The measurements were made with the same capillary-reservoir technique previously used for measuring electromigration in liquid bismuth alloys.11 Several changes in the experimental apparatus were necessary, however, to accommodate liquid antimony, which has a higher melting point than bismuth. The modified apparatus is depicted in Fig. 1. In each experiment four quartz capillaries were filled with the molten alloy. A direct current was passed through two of the capillaries; the electrode in one of these capillaries was made the cathode, and the electrode in the other was made the anode. The remaining two capillaries sampled the alloy in the reser-

Jan 1, 1969

By E. H. Bronson

PROPERTY of Malartic Gold Fields Ltd. is situa-ated in the great clay belt in the northern part of the Province of Quebec. This belt represents the floor of the glacial lake Barlow-Ojibway. The clay blanket has a gently rolling, almost flat surface, with here and there projecting knobs and ridges that outline the large irregularities of the surface on which the clay was deposited. At irregular intervals glacial eskers dominate the landscape. The ore-bearing country rock is covered by strata of clay, sand, and silt to a depth varying to 40 ft. There are serious structural problems when it is necessary to place loads of unequal intensities on this surface to support buildings and machinery for a modern mining plant. Earlier mining companies and their engineers paid little attention to the science of soil mechanics, partly because they believed it unnecessary and partly because they knew little of the subject. The results are evident in some of the tottering structures in older camps. Careful analysis of soil problems is well worth-while, since cost of foundations may vary from 20 to 50 pct of the final cost of a structure. Low operating and maintenance costs can be achieved only in this way. If it is definitely established that a plant will be in operation for only a few months, this limited time factor will probably influence the design of the foundation, and rightly so. If sensitive and complickted equipment is to be mounted on these foundations and the plant is to operate for several years, there should be a thorough study of foundations and a very careful design. A familiar problem is presented by the difficulty of operating a permanent plant originally designed for a few months' work. The engineer must beware of these hazards and disassociate himself from them if he cannot prevail on the promoter to spend the proper amount for a thorough foundation study. Laws of certain provinces and states hold the engineer equally responsible with the contractor for any 'damage that may be caused to building through inadequate study-ignordnce of the facts is no excuse in the eyes of the law. Types of Soil: The engineer should be familiar with such terms as silt, clay, peat, and varved clay, as well as perpafrost, especially if he is to work in the far northern reaches of the country. He should also be familiar with soil attributes such as porosity, texture, consistency, permeability, compressibility, consolidation, and shearing resistance. The design of any foundation requires an accurate knowledge of the physical properties and location of the soils involved. Older textbooks on the subject outline various empirical methods to determine the carrying power of soil. Tables are given in reference books. The modern ehgineer should be wary of these modes of thinking. He should analyze his problem carefully, calculate to what depth of soil the loads may be transmitted, and then check the bearing value of all soils to that or greater depths. If the strata are water-carrying, he must determine the possibility of this water being accidentally re-

Jan 1, 1958

By A. J. Griest, A. P. Young, P. D. Frost

A study was made of the effect of ß grain size on the tensile ductility of a-ß titanium alloys haet treated to strengths in the range 165,000 to 180,000 psi. It was concluded that the primary cause of $ embrittlement is the large grain size which is obtained so rapidly in many a-ß titanium alloys when heated into the ß field. It was also found that grain-boundary a and acicular intragranular a in the microstructure are not necessarily detrimental to the tensile ductility if the prior ß grain size is sufficientlv fine. BETA embrittlement occurs in a-ß alloys when the finish hot-working or stages of the subsequent heat treatment have been done at temperatures in the ß field. In order to avoid this embrittlement, for-gings must be finished at temperatures under the ß transus. For better workability, it would be desirable to forge at temperatures in the ß field. For this reason, research has been conducted to determine the cause of ß embrittlement. Although ß grain size has been considered as a possible contributing factor to ß embrittlement, only limited research has been done to evaluate its effect. The effect of addition elements on ß grain growth in unalloyed titanium has been studied by Liu.' Complete mechanical property data, however, were not obtained for correlation with grain size. Ogden and coworkers2 have investigated the effect of both a and ß grain size and grain shape in Ti-Cr-Mo alloys. Their data indicated that tensile ductility was relatively insensitive to ß grain size at annealed strength levels (140,000 psi ultimate). No study has apparently been made to determine the relationship between ß grain size and ß embrittlement in a-ß alloys heat treated to high strength (180,000 psi ultimate). The high-strength condition is that in which ß embrittlement is particularly severe. Beta grain size is not easily varied through the use of a range of annealing times and temperatures in the ß field, because of the rapidity with which ß grain growth occurs. Short-time heating techniques are needed to obtain the smallest ß grains. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE In this research, the experimental procedure was as follows: 1) Tensile and microimpact specimen blanks were resistance heated to produce a range of ß grain sizes. 2) The tensile and microimpact blanks were then solution-treated in the a-ß field and aged to produce predetermined ultimate tensile strengths in the range 165,000 to 180,000 psi. Tensile and impact ductility were then correlated with a grain size for constant strength levels. Materials—The alloys Ti-6A1-4V, Ti-4A1-4Mn, and Ti-16V-2.5Al are representative of the heat-treatable a-ß types in which ß embrittlement can be severe. The compositions and ß transi of the heats studied are given in Table I. The Ti-16V-2.5Al heat was melted and fabricated to 1/4 in. round at Battelle; the other alloys were obtained as 1/4 in. round rolled from commercial heats. The micro-structures of the as-rolled alloys were fine a-ß mixtures. This structure is typical of titanium alloys hot-worked extensively in the a-ß field. Resistance-Heating Treatments to Establish ß Grain Size—For direit resistance heating, a 1/4-in.-diam s~ecimen was heated with a 3000-watt transformer rated for 1000 amp with adjustable secondary voltage. The apparatus included a spray quench fixture. Both heating and quenching periods could be automatically controlled. For temperature measurements, 28-gage Chromel-Alumel wires were tack-welded to the specimen at its midpoint. A high-speed recorder-controller was used to control the heating cycle.

Jan 1, 1960

By R. W. Raymond

THE absence of a convenient glossary of terms connected with mining and metallurgy has long been felt by the general public. It is to meet this want, not to furnish a technical manual for experts, that the following glossary has been prepared. It originated in an attempt on my part to revise for publication the manuscript of a compilation prepared from the appendix of Yale's work on Mining Titles and one or two other sources, to serve as an appendix to a new work on mining law, about to be published by Mr. H. N. Copp, of Washington, D. C. This revision soon assumed, contrary to my original intention, the proportions of a reconstruction; and with the consent of Mr. Copp, and for the purpose of receiving from my fellow-members valuable aid, I presented my still incomplete work as a paper at the Lake Superior meeting of the Institute, inviting from any quarter suggestions of new terms or better definitions to be incorporated in the glossary before its final publication. This invitation was so widely and generously responded to, that I cannot undertake to make in this place individual acknowledgments to those members of the Institute, and professional colleagues outside of it, who have favored me with assistance and advice. The labor bestowed upon this paper since its presentation at the Lake Superior meeting has considerably exceeded that of its first preparation, as may be inferred from its great increase in length, as well as the numerous alterations which it has undergone. It could certainly be still further enlarged and improved; but I think a comparison of it with any of the glossaries of the same class now in print will show, at least, that it is an advance upon what has hitherto been accomplished. 1 shall be grateful, however, for further criticisms and suggestions; and I purpose at some future time to incorporate in a supplementary paper the results of such additional collections or corrections as I may obtain. To avoid too great prolixity, I adopted at the outset the following general principles: 1. To include the most important technical words and phrases used by American miners and metallurgists, or occurring in English books and periodicals.

Jan 1, 1881

By A. C. Halferdahl

DURING a study of reactions involving iron sulfides, it became desirable to know approxi-mately the heat of decomposition of pyrite. The values given for the heats of formation of pyrite and ferrous sulfide are 35,500 calories and 23,070 calories respectively. For the reaction 2FeS2= 2FeS+S:, the heat effect would be-24,860 calories. But pyrite gives sulfur and pyrrhotite upon heating and the latter is a solid solution of sulfur in ferrous sulfide. The only meas-urements of this decomposition are those of Allen and Lombard1 of the Geophysical Laboratory who have measured dissociation pressures of both covellite and pyrite and have carefully reviewed the literature. They give a table of values for covellite as determined by Preuner and Brockmoller2 and by Wasjuchnowa3 and compare these values with their own measurements. The conclusion is that the measurements of Preuner and Brockmoller are seriously in error, while Was-juchnowa's values fit in well with those of Allen and Lombard. Wasjuchnowa's measurements were made by a dynamic method, while Allen and Lombard em-plowed a static method on both covellite and pyrite. Tables I and II reproduce the measurements of Wasjuchnowa and of Lombard and Allen on covellite and pyrite.

Jan 11, 1927