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By J. S. Kirkaldy, D. G. Fedak

The extra degree of freedonz introduced by a second independetzt concentration in a tenzary system gives rise to the possibility of unstable planar phase interfaces in semi-infinite diffision layer couples. Diffusion paths which pass continuously in and out of too-phase regions of the phase diagram but which are not coincident with tie-lines give rise to super saturated zones which may be either adjacent to or isolated from planar phase interfaces, with corresponding nonisolated or isolated precipitates. Nonisolated precipitates are equivalent to morphological development of the interface. Selected couples in the ternary systems Fe-Ni-Cr and Cu-Zn-Sn have been examined nzetallographically and ifz the latter case both isolated and uo~zisolated precipitates have been observed. The diffusion path in one of the couples showing interface morphological developtnent has been examitled using electron probe microanalysis. IGNORING the spurious effects of preferential grain boundary diffusion and anisotropic crystal growth7 it can be unequivocally stated that it is impossible for a binary isothermal diffusion couple constructed of two unsaturated phases to sustain a nonplanar phase interface. Consider for demonstrative purposes the schematic phase diagram of Fig. l(a). Given an initial flat phase interface, semi-infinite boundary conditions and the internal boundary condition fixed by the constitution diagram, xB = xB(T), the unique solution of the diffusion equation requires a persistent flat interface. No other solution is possible. If, however, we anticipate the involvement of surface tension, then the internal boundary condition must be written xB = xB (T,Y) where r is the radius of curvature of a hypothetical nonplanar interface. The introduction of a new parameter such as r can be equivalent to the release of an internal constraint, so that a stable nonplanar interface may be possible after all. Consider a perturbation to the interface as indicated in Fig. 1(b). According to the Ostwald-Freundlich equation: which is applicable to a system of this constitution, the solubility of A in the matrix ß ,xB (Y), at a point of curvature r is given by where Va is the molar volume of the a-phase, R is the gas constant, and a is the interfacial tension. Since the right hand side is positive, xB(r) >xB cm, as indicated in Figs. 1(a) and 1(c). Accordingly, the perturbation will carry the interface concentration in a direction which is opposite to that which would sustain local equilibrium. Such a perturbation is necessarily moderated and the system is returned to its initial condition. This result is general for all binary couples since we can regard an interfacial perturbation as an attempt to precipitate within un-

Jan 1, 1962

By A. A. Jr. Smith, J. S. Smart

The controlled amounts of phosphorus, arsenic, sulphur or selenium found in commercial coppers perform a variety of highly useful functions. Indeed, a large segment of modern copper technology is essentially dependent upon the presence of one or more of these elements. Consequently, the literature contains many references to their effects but the scope is broad and has been only partly covered. New data are presented herewith directed toward a better understanding of the basic behavior of these elements in copper, with particular emphasis on the composition range o to 0.05 per cent. These data are a part of a general program of research on the effects of impurities on the properties of oxygen-bearing and oxygen-free copper, other portions of which have been reported previously. Schematically, the behavior of individual elements is determined from measurements of conductivity and softening temperature,'v2 and the binary alloys employed are synthesized from high-purity copper in order to eliminate interference from the effects of extraneous impurities. Alloys of selected composition were first prepared in the oxygen-free form by continuously casting the melts in the form of %-in. diameter rod. Oxygen was added subsequently to portions of the alloys, either by remelting or by diffusion at 8jo°C. from a surface scale. Test wires wcre drawn one B. and S. number per pass, using four 30-min. 600°C. anneals at 0.3125, 0.257, 0.204 and 0.162 in., and a final cold reduction of 75 per cent to 0.081 in. Oxygen-bearing slugs made by remelting nere hot-rolled to 4ia in.. drawn to 0.162 in., annealed for 30 min. at 6o0°C. and cold-drawn 75 per cent to 0.081 inch. The alloys containing phosphorus, having been compounded very early in the program, were prepared in the form of 3i6-in. rod, and processed to wire with only the last three intermediate anneals listed above, all of these having been conducted in commercial nitrogen. In addition, the conductivity anneals on these alloys were also performed in the same atmosphere, and the small amount of oxygen present as an impurity in the gas resulted in some loss of accuracy at temperatures of 700' to 8o0°C., as will be shown later. Subsequently, the anneals for all oxygen-free alloys were conducted in hydrogen to prevent oxidation, and purified nitrogen was employed only for oxygen-bearing samples. All conductivity anneals wcre of one hour duration followed by a rapid quench in 10 per cent HZSO*. Effect of Phosphorus The widespread use of phosphorus as a deoxidant has resulted in universal appreci-

Jan 1, 1946

By Walter Fuchs

It is now generally conceded that coal is the product of deposition and transformation of debris of forests and swamps.29 Ample data are available to illustrate the metamorphosis of biochemical substances through biological action; other data show the progressive regional metamorphism existing in coal beds;25 and numerous examples of change effected by intrusion of igneous dikes into coal deposits have been established.23 However, often the relative importance of the biological and the geological factor in determining the character of the various natural coals is a debatable question. Since both biological and geological factors are ever present in nature, the problem, at first glance, would appear to resemble certain probability problems: specifically the simultaneous toss of two coins, with the biological factor as heads and the geological as tails. The probability is 2:I for the combined effect of both factors, as compared to the exclusive effect of either one, if the a priori probability is the same for each factor. This condition can be analyzed by a thermodynamic treatment of data, which may be obtained from a consideration of pertinent biological, chemical, geophysical and geological facts. Synopsis of Biological and Chemical Facts The biosphere is not sterile; i.e., microorganisms are always present. Microor- ganisms have been established in the ocean deep, under the ice of the polar regions, in the sand of the deserts, and in swamps far below the surface. The various biological media may be acid, neutral, or alkaline, and they may or may not be readily accessible to air. Microorganisms are encountered almost everywhere, except where the temperature is not within the range tolerable by microbial life. Of course, with changing conditions, the type of microorganisms will change. All chemical products of life—proteins, fats, carbohydrates, lignins, waxes, resins— may serve as a habitat of microorganisms. In the decomposition of a medium, some microorganisms macerate organic matter mechanically and remove certain constituents for their own nutrition; others decompose a large part of the organic matter but may leave certain constituents undecomposed. Some attack only certain specific ingredients of the organic matter. All of them build up cell substance. The nitrogen content of the medium largely determines the degree of decomposition. Below 1.7 per cent nitrogen, growth of microorganisms and hence decomposition of organic material is retarded; consequently organic material will accumulate.17,32 Such accumulations of organic material may give coal eventually. Coals differ in type and rank. The nature of the original vegetation and the conditions attending the transformation of the accumulated debris determine the type of coal such as bright, splint, cannel, and algal or boghead coals. Chemical analysis of representative samples of a given type of

Jan 1, 1942

By M. G. Arthur

This paper is a theoretical analysis of fingering of water and coning of water and gas in homogeneous sand. Investigation of this idealized case illustrates the relative magnitude of the factors involved in actual conditions. The body of the report presents equations, example calculations, and charts that facilitate solution of such problems. Derivation of the equations introduced in this paper and a discussion of previously published equations are included in the appendix. Introduction Production of water from oil wells as a result of the pressure gradients established by flow of fluids through oil-~roducing sands is a common occurrence, which influences the cost of oil production, the degree of depletion and the efficiency of expulsion of oil from naturally occurring reservoirs. Control of water production and encroachment are important both in primary and secondary phases of of exploitation in order to produce oil and gas at lowest cost and in order to achieve the greatest ultimate recovery of the oil in the reservoir. Although many actual oil reservoirs present a multitude of variables that influence fingering and coning of water and gas, an inspection of the relationship and magnitude of the forces involved in the case of a homogeneous sand may indicate satisfactory methods of controlling water production. Application of equations relating the variables may indicate the geometric type of drainage that exists in a particular reservoir or in the vicinity of a particular well. A homogeneous sand body is assumed within the portion of the reservoir influenced by the well. Two geometric types of drainage are considered theoretically. The first is water fingering into an oil sand that is relatively thin compared with the lateral extent of the sand. This sand may represent the entire oil-producing reservoir or it may represent one interval in an oil reservoir, which is separated from other producing intervals by competent lithologic barriers to flow of fluids. For the condition of complete penetration of a well in such a sand body, it may be assumed that no flow occurs across bedding planes. A mathematical relation is developed between the limit of approach of a water finger to the well without being drawn into the well and the corresponding operating pressure drawdown. The second condition considered is that of water or gas entry into an oil well as the result of coning through bedding planes. The theory and graphical solution developed by Muskat' for the limit of approach of a water or gas cone to a well, without its entry into the well, related to the corresponding maximum pressure drawdown, is reviewed and amplified, Charts are presented, which facilitate graphical solution of the problem. A method is presented for the extension of this type of graphical solution to the case where gas and water coning occurs simultaneously~

Jan 1, 1944

By M. G. Arthur

This paper is a theoretical analysis of fingering of water and coning of water and gas in homogeneous sand. Investigation of this idealized case illustrates the relative magnitude of the factors involved in actual conditions. The body of the report presents equations, example calculations, and charts that facilitate solution of such problems. Derivation of the equations introduced in this paper and a discussion of previously published equations are included in the appendix. Introduction Production of water from oil wells as a result of the pressure gradients established by flow of fluids through oil-~roducing sands is a common occurrence, which influences the cost of oil production, the degree of depletion and the efficiency of expulsion of oil from naturally occurring reservoirs. Control of water production and encroachment are important both in primary and secondary phases of of exploitation in order to produce oil and gas at lowest cost and in order to achieve the greatest ultimate recovery of the oil in the reservoir. Although many actual oil reservoirs present a multitude of variables that influence fingering and coning of water and gas, an inspection of the relationship and magnitude of the forces involved in the case of a homogeneous sand may indicate satisfactory methods of controlling water production. Application of equations relating the variables may indicate the geometric type of drainage that exists in a particular reservoir or in the vicinity of a particular well. A homogeneous sand body is assumed within the portion of the reservoir influenced by the well. Two geometric types of drainage are considered theoretically. The first is water fingering into an oil sand that is relatively thin compared with the lateral extent of the sand. This sand may represent the entire oil-producing reservoir or it may represent one interval in an oil reservoir, which is separated from other producing intervals by competent lithologic barriers to flow of fluids. For the condition of complete penetration of a well in such a sand body, it may be assumed that no flow occurs across bedding planes. A mathematical relation is developed between the limit of approach of a water finger to the well without being drawn into the well and the corresponding operating pressure drawdown. The second condition considered is that of water or gas entry into an oil well as the result of coning through bedding planes. The theory and graphical solution developed by Muskat' for the limit of approach of a water or gas cone to a well, without its entry into the well, related to the corresponding maximum pressure drawdown, is reviewed and amplified, Charts are presented, which facilitate graphical solution of the problem. A method is presented for the extension of this type of graphical solution to the case where gas and water coning occurs simultaneously~

Jan 1, 1944

By R. S. Busk, E. G. Bobalek

The relation between gases and metals has been a subject of increasingly active investigation during the past years, principally devoted to the study of metal-hydrogen systems. It has been found that hydrogen is soluble in most molten metals to an appreciable extent and somewhat soluble in most solid metals.l,2 In every known case there is a sudden decrease in solubility at the melting point. Thus a freezing mass of metal containing hydrogen in excess of the solid solubility must in some way expel that excess during the freezing process. This leads to internal blowholes, and such effects as pinhole porosity. Gas trapped in metal that is to be fabricated by a working process such as extrusion or rolling may be the cause of blisters. For some cases, notably in copper and iron alloys, the presence of hydrogen can lead to extreme embrittle-ment of the metal. The aluminum-casting industry has long recognized the importance of hydrogen in its techniques. Excess gas in molten aluminum alloys often leads to the formation of "pinhole porosity" in the solid casting.= To prevent this hydrogen pickup it is necessary to avoid overheating the melt and to protect it from such sources of hydrogen as water. In spite of all precautions, it is sometimes necessary to extract hydrogen from the melt just before pouring by bubbling with a gas such as chlorine or nitrogen. Reccntly it has been found that somewhat similar effects are possible with magnesium alloys, in that the presence of hydrogen can induce or aggravate micro-p~rosity.4-6 This paper is primarily concerned with a presentation of some facts concerning the solubility of hydrogen in magnesium and its alloys, with some discussion of the significance of these facts in a practical sense. In any study of gas-metal systems it is important to bear in mind a clear distinction between adsorption on surfaces and absorption within the lattice.' Considerable attention has been directed toward determining whether hydrogen is truly soluble in any solid metal, or whether the gas extracted from a sample was present at surfaces (external and internal) only.7 Most present day evidence supports the idea of true solution in addition to adsorption. A second important factor when dealing with gas solubility is the dependence of such solubility on external pressure. For diatomic gases such as H², solubility in both liquid and solid metals apparently is proportional to the square root of the pressure, indicating a breakdown to a monatomic gas before diffusion into the lattice.= For true equilibrium values of solubility, therefore, the pressure at the the surface must be constant and, preferably, known. Very little has been published concerning the hydrogen-magnesium system. Winterhager has presented the most

Jan 1, 1947

By Thomas Fraser, H. F. Yancey

Prior to the war just ended, Germany was the greatest coal producer in continental Europe. In 1943 the production of coal, bituminous and higher in rank, together with brown coal calculated to the equivalent amount of bituminous coal, is estimated to have been about 240 million metric tons, according to the War Department. Before the war production in Germany exceeded consumption. No other country in continental Europe except Poland had a large surplus. However, England's surplus was the largest in Europe as a whole. Before World War II the Ruhr Basin normally supplied about 70 pet of the total production of high-rank coal, the Saar and Aachen about 6 pet each, Upper Silesia about 14 pet, and Silesia and Saxony the remainder. Nearly one third of the brown coal was produced in the Rhineland, a little less than one half in central Germany nest of the Elbe River, and about one fourth east of the Elbe. Bituminous coal and brown coal together constituted by far the most important energy resources of the old German Reich. Bituminous coal furnished nearly 70 pet of the total energy requirement, brown coal supplied about 25 pet, and water power, wood, petroleum and alcohol together aggregated only 7 pet. Because it was the most important single mineral resource of Germany, an excess of coal enabled the Reich to import nearly all the other mineral products that she lacked, such as iron ore from Lorraine. The area adjacent to the coal fields was supplied with gas from an interconnected grid. Similar electric grids are based on brown coal with the power stations at the mines. Coal tar provided the foundation for the development of the extensive German chemical industries as exemplified by the I. G. Farbenindustrie. For almost a century, German scientists have been adequately supported both by the State and by industry in studying improved methods of utilizing coal. In Germany the mineral rights were reserved by the State and ordered eatraction of coal was enforced. Each lease comprised a relatively extensive area. which accounts for the generally large size of the mines and mining companies In 1938 there were 160 mines in the Ruhr, with a total output of 125 million tons but 90 pet of the production was controlled by 20 companies. By far the largest single coal-mining company in Germany was the Gelsen-kirchener Bergwerke A. G., which produced nearly 27 million tons in the Ruhr in 1937. Second was Saargruben A. G. a State-owned company operating in the Saar, which produced 'lore than '3 million tons. Third was Bergwerksgesellschaft Hibernia A. G., with 10 million tons, also in the Ruhr. Briquettes are made from both bitumillous coal and brown coal, but in 1938 some 44 million toils of brown-coal bri-

Jan 1, 1947

By Simon D. Strauss

COPPER In terms of mining activity, copper is the leading nonferrous metal. It is true that in recent years the volume of aluminum consumption in the non-Communist world has exceeded the volume of copper consumption, but virtually the entire primary aluminum supply is derived from bauxite. On the average, only four tons of bauxite need be mined to produce a ton of aluminum. By contrast, the highest-grade, large-scale copper mines now in operation (those in the Congo) must mine at least 20 tons of ore to produce a ton of copper. In the United States an average of 150 tons of ore must be mined to produce a ton of copper. This does not take into account the huge amounts of waste overburden that must be stripped from the open-pit mines to account for their steadily rising share of the world's copper output. Copper epitomizes the economic problems of the mining industry in many ways. Its price is highly volatile, considering its great economic importance. It has been a tool of mankind longer than any other of the base metals-the dawn of history has been classified as "The Bronze Age." World Copper Production Although copper is mined in many countries, in recent years 70% of the non-Communist world production has come from six countries. Two of these are industrialized countries and are large consumers-United States and Canada. The other four are developing countries with very small domestic requirements-Chile, Zambia, Zaire, and Peru. Heavily dependent on copper exports to sustain their domestic economies, these countries find themselves oscillating between prosperity and depression with the changing levels of copper prices. In an effort to control their own destiny, in 1968 they formed an organization of copper exporting countries (CIPEC) which was designed to study copper markets and possibly to intervene actively in these markets. (When this chapter was being prepared, no actual steps along such lines had been taken.) Many of the leading industrialized nations are wholly dependent on imports for their primary copper supplies. These include West Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and many others. Japan, now the non-Communist world's second largest copper consumer, produces only 10 to 15% of its requirements from domestic mines. Although the bulk of the copper output is smelted in the country where it is mined, there is a limited international trade in copper concentrates. Canada, the Philippines, Australia, and Papua-New Guinea are significant exporters of copper concentrates; Japan, Germany, the United States, and Sweden are importers. However, this trade accounted for only about 10% of the non-Communist world production of copper during the decade of the 1960s.

Jan 1, 1976

By Ray Hammond Misener

THE purpose of this paper is to describe the installation of the pumping station on the 3314-ft. level of the Carlos Francisco mine of the Sociedad Minera Backus y Johnston del Peru, at Casapalca, Peru. However, so much preliminary work was necessary before the actual installation could be started that some of that work will be described briefly, in order to clarify the discussion of the main subject. The Sociedad Minera Backus y Johnston del Peru, a subsidiary of the Cerro de Pasco Copper Corporation, owns and operates a group of mines in the Casapalca district, of which the most important are the Carlos Francisco and the Aguas Calientes. These two mines, one mile apart, are connected on their 2100 and 2700-ft. levels. These are motor-haulage levels, equipped with 3 ½ -ton Baldwin-Westinghouse locomotives operating from a 260-volt d.c. overhead trolley. A 38-cu. ft. hopper-bottom car is used. Each mine has a 2 ½ -compartment, inclined (70°) winze shaft. The Aguas Calientes shaft, operating between its 2100 and 2900-ft. levels, is used only for men and materials; whereas the Carlos Francisco shaft, between the 1700 and 2700-ft. levels of that mine, is the main operating shaft for the district. All the ore from the Carlos Francisco and the Aguas Calientes mines is hoisted through the Carlos Francisco shaft. The ore produced in these mines is by-passed to the 2700-ft. level, where it is gathered by the electric trains, taken to the Carlos Francisco shaft and dumped into an ore pocket in front of the shaft. The ore is hoisted to the 1700-ft. level in 2-ton self-dumping skips and emptied into a 150-ton loading pocket. There it is loaded into electric trains and despatched to the concentrator through the Backus and Johnston tunnel, which is the main entry from Casapalca to all the mines in the Backus and Johnston group. DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM In 1934 the following development program was outlined for the Carlos Francisco and the Aguas Calientes mines: (1) to deepen the Carlos Francisco shaft from the 2700 to the 3400-ft. level, (2) to deepen the Aguas Calientes shaft from the 2900 to the 3300-ft. level, and (3) to connect the two shafts on the 3300-ft. level with a motor-haulage crosscut. Each mine was to be developed also on intermediate levels (2900 and 3100). The three levels were to be spaced 54 meters (177 ft.) floor to floor, measuring from the 2700-ft. level along the incline of the shaft. The Carlos Francisco mine, together with the section between it and the Aguas Calientes mine, produces 10,000 gal. of water per minute. A fault to the north

Jan 1, 1943

By A. G. Roach

THIS paper deals with a plant built under joint agreement between the Canadian and United States Governments to supply the strategic mineral, corundum, at a time when African production was dwindling and war demands still increasing. The operation began in September 1944, retreating the tailings from a former mill by gravity methods, and is still in production (Sept. 1946). In 1942, when it became apparent that South African production would be insufficient to meet mounting wartime requirements of corundum, a survey was made of Canadian sources of the mineral, at the request of the Foreign Economic Administration of the U. S. Government. The investigation1 indicated that the quickest and cheapest supply would be obtained by reworking the tailings deposit at Craigmont, Ontario. Sampling of the dump by Canadian Government engineers revealed that 125,000 tons of tailings, averaging 2.96 pct corundum, was available for retreatment. Ore-dressing tests on representative samples of the deposit were conducted by the writer in the laboratories of the Industrial Minerals Section of the Department of Mines and Resources at Ottawa; and gravity concentration on tables was indicated as the most suitable method of treatment. Decision to proceed with the project was deferred until May 9, construction was begun on May 18, and tune-up operation of the plant begun on Sept. 15, 1944. CORUNDUM-ITS PROPERTIES AND USES Corundum is an oxide of aluminum having the formula A1203. Its outstanding characteristic is its great hardness; 9 in the Mohs scale. In this respect it is second only to the diamond. It usually occurs in barrel-shaped crystals in nepheline syenites and other feldspathic rocks deficient in silica. It has a specific gravity of 3.95 to 4.1 and is insoluble and infusible. In color it ranges from white, through red and green, to black. Ruby and sapphire are gem varieties of corundum. Corundum is supplied to industry as closely graded grain.2 The coarser products (10 to 24-mesh) are used largely for snagging wheels in the steel-castings industry, while the finer grades (from 70-mesh down to flours) find a wide application in the polishing of lenses and for other uses in the optical trade. All sizes of corundum grain are in close competition with synthetic abrasives such as carborundum and alundum. In some fields of application the artificial product is superior to the natural grain but not in all. The shape of the particle and its behavior under conditions of actual use determine its sphere of employment. The United States is the largest consumer of corundum, annual consumption in peacetime approaching 3000 tons; during the war this figure was roughly doubled. During the years 1902 to 1913, the bulk

Jan 1, 1946

By Walter Fuchs

IT is now generally conceded that coal is the product of deposition and transformation of debris of forests and swamps.29 Ample data are available to illustrate the metamorphosis of biochemical substances through biological action; other data show the progressive regional metamorphism existing in coal beds;25 and numerous examples of change effected by intrusion of igneous dikes into coal deposits have been established .R3 However, often the relative importance of the biological and the geological factor in determining the character of the various natural coals is a debatable question. Since both biological and geological factors are ever present in nature, the problem, at first glance, would appear to resemble certain probability problems: specifically the simultaneous toss of two coins, with the biological factor as heads and the geological as tails. The probability is 2:I for the combined effect of both factors, as compared to the exclusive effect of either one, if the a priori probability is the same for each factor. This condition can be analyzed by a thermodynamic treatment of data, which may be obtained from a consideration of pertinent biological, chemical, geophysical and geological facts. SYNOPSIS OF BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL FACTS The biosphere is not sterile; i.e., microorganisms are always present. Microorganisms have been established in the ocean deep, under the ice of the polar regions, in the sand of the deserts, and in swamps far below the surface. The various biological media may be acid, neutral, or alkaline, and they may or may not be readily accessible to air. Microorganisms are encountered almost everywhere, except where the temperature is not within the range tolerable by microbial life. Of course, with changing conditions, the type of microorganisms will change. All chemical products of life-proteins, fats, carbohydrates, lignins, waxes, resinsmay serve as a habitat of microorganisms. In the decomposition of a medium, some microorganisms macerate organic matter mechanically and remove certain constituents for their own nutrition; others decompose a large part of the organic matter but may leave certain constituents undecomposed. Some attack only certain specific ingredients of the organic matter. All of them build up cell substance. The nitrogen content of the medium largely determines the degree of decomposition. Below 1.7 per cent nitrogen, growth of microorganisms and hence decomposition of organic material is retarded; consequently organic material will accumulate.17,32 Such accumulations of organic material may give coal eventually. Coals differ in type and rank. The nature of the original vegetation and the conditions attending the transformation of the accumulated debris determine the type of coal such as bright, splint, cannel, and algal or boghead coals. Chemical analysis of representative samples of a given type of

Jan 1, 1941

By Thomas Fraser, H. F. Yancey

Prior to the war just ended, Germany was the greatest coal producer in continental Europe. In 1943 the production of coal, bituminous and higher in rank, together with brown coal calculated to the equivalent amount of bituminous coal, is estimated to have been about 240 million metric tons, according to the War Department. Before the war production in Germany exceeded consumption. No other country in continental Europe except Poland had a large surplus. However, England's surplus was the largest in Europe as a whole. Before World War II the Ruhr Basin normally supplied about 70 pet of the total production of high-rank coal, the Saar and Aachen about 6 pet each, Upper Silesia about 14 pet, and Silesia and Saxony the remainder. Nearly one third of the brown coal was produced in the Rhineland, a little less than one half in central Germany nest of the Elbe River, and about one fourth east of the Elbe. Bituminous coal and brown coal together constituted by far the most important energy resources of the old German Reich. Bituminous coal furnished nearly 70 pet of the total energy requirement, brown coal supplied about 25 pet, and water power, wood, petroleum and alcohol together aggregated only 7 pet. Because it was the most important single mineral resource of Germany, an excess of coal enabled the Reich to import nearly all the other mineral products that she lacked, such as iron ore from Lorraine. The area adjacent to the coal fields was supplied with gas from an interconnected grid. Similar electric grids are based on brown coal with the power stations at the mines. Coal tar provided the foundation for the development of the extensive German chemical industries as exemplified by the I. G. Farbenindustrie. For almost a century, German scientists have been adequately supported both by the State and by industry in studying improved methods of utilizing coal. In Germany the mineral rights were reserved by the State and ordered eatraction of coal was enforced. Each lease comprised a relatively extensive area. which accounts for the generally large size of the mines and mining companies In 1938 there were 160 mines in the Ruhr, with a total output of 125 million tons but 90 pet of the production was controlled by 20 companies. By far the largest single coal-mining company in Germany was the Gelsen-kirchener Bergwerke A. G., which produced nearly 27 million tons in the Ruhr in 1937. Second was Saargruben A. G. a State-owned company operating in the Saar, which produced 'lore than '3 million tons. Third was Bergwerksgesellschaft Hibernia A. G., with 10 million tons, also in the Ruhr. Briquettes are made from both bitumillous coal and brown coal, but in 1938 some 44 million toils of brown-coal bri-

Jan 1, 1947

By Walter Fuchs

IT is now generally conceded that coal is the product of deposition and transformation of debris of forests and swamps.29 Ample data are available to illustrate the metamorphosis of biochemical substances through biological action; other data show the progressive regional metamorphism existing in coal beds;25 and numerous examples of change effected by intrusion of igneous dikes into coal deposits have been established.23 However, often the relative importance of the biological and the geological factor in determining the character of the various natural coals is a debatable question. Since both biological and geological factors are ever present in nature, the problem, at first glance, would appear to resemble certain probability problems: specifically the simultaneous toss of two coins, with the biological factor as heads and the geological as tails. The probability is 2:I for the combined effect of both factors, as compared to the exclusive effect of either one. if the a priori probability is the same for each factor. This condition can be analyzed by a thermodynamic treatment of data, which may be obtained from a consideration of pertinent biological, chemical, geophysical and geological facts. SYNOPSIS OF BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL FACTS The biosphere is not sterile; i.e., microorganisms are always present. Microorganisms have been established in the ocean deep, under the ice of the polar regions, in the sand of the deserts, and in swamps far below the surface. The various biological media may be acid, neutral, or alkaline, and they may or may not be readily accessible to air. Microorganisms are encountered almost everywhere, except where the temperature is not within the range tolerable by microbial life. Of course, with changing conditions, the type of microorganisms will change. All chemical products of life-proteins, fats, carbohydrates, lignins, waxes, resins may serve as a habitat of microorganisms. In the decomposition of a medium, some microorganisms macerate organic matter mechanically and remove certain constituents for their own nutrition; others decompose a large part of the organic matter but may leave certain constituents undecomposed. Some attack only certain specific ingredients of the organic matter. All of them build up cell substance. The nitrogen content of the medium largely determines the degree of decomposition. Below 1.7 per cent nitrogen, growth of microorganisms and hence decomposition of organic material is retarded; consequently organic material will accumulate. l7,32 Such accumulations of organic material may give coal eventually. Coals differ in type and rank. The nature of the original vegetation and the conditions attending the transformation of the accumulated debris determine the type of coal such as bright, splint, cannel, and algal or boghead coals. Chemical analysis of representative samples of a given type of

Jan 1, 1941

By Walter Fuchs

It is now generally conceded that coal is the product of deposition and transformation of debris of forests and swamps.29 Ample data are available to illustrate the metamorphosis of biochemical substances through biological action; other data show the progressive regional metamorphism existing in coal beds;25 and numerous examples of change effected by intrusion of igneous dikes into coal deposits have been established.23 However, often the relative importance of the biological and the geological factor in determining the character of the various natural coals is a debatable question. Since both biological and geological factors are ever present in nature, the problem, at first glance, would appear to resemble certain probability problems: specifically the simultaneous toss of two coins, with the biological factor as heads and the geological as tails. The probability is 2:I for the combined effect of both factors, as compared to the exclusive effect of either one, if the a priori probability is the same for each factor. This condition can be analyzed by a thermodynamic treatment of data, which may be obtained from a consideration of pertinent biological, chemical, geophysical and geological facts. Synopsis of Biological and Chemical Facts The biosphere is not sterile; i.e., microorganisms are always present. Microor- ganisms have been established in the ocean deep, under the ice of the polar regions, in the sand of the deserts, and in swamps far below the surface. The various biological media may be acid, neutral, or alkaline, and they may or may not be readily accessible to air. Microorganisms are encountered almost everywhere, except where the temperature is not within the range tolerable by microbial life. Of course, with changing conditions, the type of microorganisms will change. All chemical products of life—proteins, fats, carbohydrates, lignins, waxes, resins— may serve as a habitat of microorganisms. In the decomposition of a medium, some microorganisms macerate organic matter mechanically and remove certain constituents for their own nutrition; others decompose a large part of the organic matter but may leave certain constituents undecomposed. Some attack only certain specific ingredients of the organic matter. All of them build up cell substance. The nitrogen content of the medium largely determines the degree of decomposition. Below 1.7 per cent nitrogen, growth of microorganisms and hence decomposition of organic material is retarded; consequently organic material will accumulate.17,32 Such accumulations of organic material may give coal eventually. Coals differ in type and rank. The nature of the original vegetation and the conditions attending the transformation of the accumulated debris determine the type of coal such as bright, splint, cannel, and algal or boghead coals. Chemical analysis of representative samples of a given type of

Jan 1, 1942

By R. S. Busk, E. G. Bobalek

The relation between gases and metals has been a subject of increasingly active investigation during the past years, principally devoted to the study of metal-hydrogen systems. It has been found that hydrogen is soluble in most molten metals to an appreciable extent and somewhat soluble in most solid metals.l,2 In every known case there is a sudden decrease in solubility at the melting point. Thus a freezing mass of metal containing hydrogen in excess of the solid solubility must in some way expel that excess during the freezing process. This leads to internal blowholes, and such effects as pinhole porosity. Gas trapped in metal that is to be fabricated by a working process such as extrusion or rolling may be the cause of blisters. For some cases, notably in copper and iron alloys, the presence of hydrogen can lead to extreme embrittle-ment of the metal. The aluminum-casting industry has long recognized the importance of hydrogen in its techniques. Excess gas in molten aluminum alloys often leads to the formation of "pinhole porosity" in the solid casting.= To prevent this hydrogen pickup it is necessary to avoid overheating the melt and to protect it from such sources of hydrogen as water. In spite of all precautions, it is sometimes necessary to extract hydrogen from the melt just before pouring by bubbling with a gas such as chlorine or nitrogen. Reccntly it has been found that somewhat similar effects are possible with magnesium alloys, in that the presence of hydrogen can induce or aggravate micro-p~rosity.4-6 This paper is primarily concerned with a presentation of some facts concerning the solubility of hydrogen in magnesium and its alloys, with some discussion of the significance of these facts in a practical sense. In any study of gas-metal systems it is important to bear in mind a clear distinction between adsorption on surfaces and absorption within the lattice.' Considerable attention has been directed toward determining whether hydrogen is truly soluble in any solid metal, or whether the gas extracted from a sample was present at surfaces (external and internal) only.7 Most present day evidence supports the idea of true solution in addition to adsorption. A second important factor when dealing with gas solubility is the dependence of such solubility on external pressure. For diatomic gases such as H², solubility in both liquid and solid metals apparently is proportional to the square root of the pressure, indicating a breakdown to a monatomic gas before diffusion into the lattice.= For true equilibrium values of solubility, therefore, the pressure at the the surface must be constant and, preferably, known. Very little has been published concerning the hydrogen-magnesium system. Winterhager has presented the most

Jan 1, 1947

By C. D. King

THE key to maximum production of ingots for the war effort is maximum production of pig iron. For any given furnace and ore, the most important single influence on blast-furnace production is the quality of the furnace coke. It is generally recognized that undoubtedly deterioration of Pittsburgh coking coals will be accelerated by the depletion of some of the better grades of coal; the extension of mine mechanization, with attendant degradation of coal quality; and the opening of new coal fields, some of which are known to be fairly high in sulphur. All of these factors, contributing as they do to higher ash and sulphur, and not infrequently to inferior quality of coke, made it desirable that an extensive study be undertaken to determine the effect of washing some coals that closely approximate the average chemical composition of coking coals to be expected in the future by the subsidiaries of the United States Steel Corporation in the Pittsburgh district. It was deemed advisable to study the improvement obtained by washing such coals and to determine the need for supplementing the existing coal washery at Clairton to assure continued maximum production of pig iron from presently available furnace stacks. The existence of the coal washer at Clairton made it possible to conduct tests on coals used in raw form and on similar coals after washing. This study covers an investigation of the quality of furnace coke as affected by washing coking coals, and is confined to the use of IOO per cent high-volatile Pittsburgh seam coals from Fayette and Greene Counties in the manufacture of furnace coke. It covers the improvement in chemical and physical properties as well as the degree of uniformity in coke obtained by washing these coals, and includes the effect on blast-furnace production and practice. The test period involved is four months; the plants, Clairton by-product coke plant, and the Carrie No. I and No. 2 blast furnaces at Rankin, Pa., Carnegie- Illinois Steel Corporation. Clairton By-Product Coke Plant And Coal Washer The Clairton by-product coke plant carbonizes 30,800 net tons of coal daily in 22 batteries containing 1482 ovens. Three oven sizes are used, commonly known as wide, medium, and narrow types, recognizing the difference in oven width. These ovens also differ in height and length. The present coal washer has a daily capacity of approximately 14,000 tons, leaving 16,800 tons to be carbonized in raw form. Washed coal is used on all the narrow ovens and on three of the six batteries with ovens of medium width, raw coals being used on all the remaining ovens. The customary arrangement is

Jan 1, 1944

By W. L. Phillips

The plastic properties of lithium fluoride and magnesium oxide under compression were investigated in the temperature range 25° to 1000°C. At the higher test temperatures, the critical resolved shear stress and the rate of work-hardening of both materials decreased. At the same time, the number of stress lines decreased and the individual stress lines became wider. The density of dislocations decreased for a given strain the higher the test temperature for lithium fluoride. The decrease in the critical resolved shear stress as a function of temperature could be fitted by the equation 7 = Toe-KT. THE influence of temperature on the stress-strain curves of a variety of metal single crystals has been studied for a wide range of temperature.1"5 In general, it has been found that both the critical resolved shear stress and the rate of work-hardening decrease rapidly with increasing temperature and fall to a value of essentially zero well before the melting point is reached. AS the test temperature is increased, the density of slip lines has been found to decrease, while the width of the individual lines increases. Recently, Gallagher,' Graf et al.,7 and Pate1 and Alexander8 have found that single crystals of germanium and silicon, which have a covalent bond, can be plastically deformed at elevated temperatures. In compressing germanium it has been found that the strain-hardening coefficient decreased very rapidly as the temperature was increased. The coefficient did not tend to zero, however, as the melting point was approached. The plastic properties of ionic crystals at elevated temperatures have not been extensively investigated. In the only work previously reported Tamman and salge9 and Theile10 have shown that the yield point of sodium chloride single crystals tested in tension and compression decreased slowly with increasing temperature, falling to zero at the melting point. As the temperature was increased, they found a substantial increase in the amount of plastic deformation that could be sustained before fracture; and at temperatures above 400°C in tension tests there was an obvious necking which produced local extensions of up to 3000 pct. The purpose of the present work is to extend the knowledge of high-temperature deformation to the ionic crystals, lithium fluoride and magnesium oxide. The following were investigated: 1) The gross shape of the stress-strain curve at several temperatures. 2) The change in the critical resolved shear stress as a function of temperature. 3) The appearance of slip bands and the density of dislocations as a function of strain and temperature. EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES The lithium fluoride and magnesium oxide used in this investigation were purchased from the Harshaw

Jan 1, 1961

Discussion of the paper of C. W. WASHBURNE, presented at the Pittsburgh meeting, October, 1914, and printed in Bulletin No. 93,. September, 1914, pp. 2365 to 2378. ROSWELL H. JOHNSON, Pittsburgh, Pa.-It seems to me rather important to bear in mind one thing which is sometimes lost sight of, that the marine sedimentary rocks are laid down in water. We have to start with an initial charge of water. That being so, and the surface tension between the water and the -oil being as slight as it is, as referred to by Mr. Washburne,. the phenomena of capillarity are bound to be most important as between the liquid surface and the gas surface. So far as the liquid-gas surface is concerned, capillarity, in my opinion, is of the utmost importance, and it seems to me this paper of Mr. Washburne's is of great value to us for that reason. Starting out as we have, with our attention concentrated upon gravitational sorting, we have had to wait for the discussion of movement furnished by Munn, and this discussion of capillarity by Washburne, for a more balanced view of the situation. It seems to me that in the accumulation of oil and gas we have a problem of the interworking of gravitational sorting, capillarity, viscosity, immiscibility, and movement. All five things seem to me to be important. I would have expected Mr. Washburne to have given a fuller treatment of the relation of movement to capillarity. In my own experiments I find that gravitation and capillarity alone seem remarkably impotent when everything is at rest, but if I furnish a little movement, gravitation and capillarity step in and accomplish a great many results that one would not expect. Take a horizontal tube and fill a portion at the middle with an ordinary sand saturated with oil, and then put water and sand in each end, and the tube may remain at rest a very long time without that oil distributing itself along the top of the tube. But with a little motion that oil will gradually work up to the upper side. So gravitation and capillarity alone are rather impotent unless they get this element of movement. It would not be necessary to have very extensive movement, but some degree of movement is essential. Now if natural gas, in addition to the method of origin by the action of bacteria on organic matter in mud, may also arise by pressure at great depth, as the overburden is added, a great deal of motion may result. I think more motion is produced in this way than by the descent of meteoric waters.

Jan 4, 1915

By M. C. Leverett

Knowledge of the theory underlying the behavior of mixtures of fluids in reservoir rocks is essential to the proper solution of certain types of problems in petroleum production, but is as yet incompletely developed. The object of this paper is to show the application of well established thermody-namic and physical principles to these problems, and thus to assist in the development of the basic theory. For convenience the problems to be considered here may be divided into two groups: 1. Static problems, involving only the static balance between capillary forces and those due to the difference in densities of the fluids; i.e., gravitational forces. 2. Dynamic problems, involving analysis of the motion oi mixtures of immiscible fluids in porous media under the influence of forces due to gravity, capillarity, and an impressed external pressure differential. Capillary Equilbrium in Sands Under this heading the static type of problem will be discussed and the results of experimental investigations on the capillary properties of unconsolidated sands will be presented. Although the discussion of this section is, in a sense, prefatory to the treatment of problems of mixture flow, the concepts developed here have considerable intrinsic importance apart from their ap-plication to flow problems. For, it is reason-able to postulate that the reservoir fluids are, owing to their long existence in undis- turbed mutual contact prior to exploitation, in substantial equilibrium. It follows that their distribution in the reservoir at the time of tapping should be entirely predictable from the theory of capillary equi librium, provided certain experimentally measurable properties of the reservoir rock are known. Knowledge of the distribution of the several fluids in the reservoir is, ol course, helpful in the estimation of reserves and in other problems. It is to be emphasized that throughout the discussion of capillary statics it is assumed that the fluids are in equilibrium from the capillary standpoint. Thus, water, where it is referred to as being in a reservoir, will be understood to be interstitial water, present at the time of drilling the reservoir, commonly termed "connate" water. The theory developed here is perfectly general for any porous solid, whether a carefully prepared unconsolidated sand or a natural sandstone from an oil reservoir. At present, however, only problems involving clean, unconsolidated sands can be made to yield numerical solutions, since only such sands have been adequately investigated experimentally. Experimental evaluation of the pertinent properties 01 natural reservoir rocks will permit the extension of the numerical treatment to problems involving these materials. We shall now consider in some detail the static equilibrium of fluid mixtures in porous solids: that is, the manner in which the reservoir fluids are distributed vertically whell the Forces due to capillarity are just balanccd by those due to gravitation.

Jan 1, 1941

By C. D. King

The key to maximum production of ingots for the war effort is maximum production of pig iron. For any given furnace and ore, the most important single influence on blast-furnace production is the quality of the furnace coke. It is generally recognized that undoubtedly deterioration of Pittsburgh coking coals will be accelerated by the depletion of some of the better grades of coal; the extension of mine mechanization, with attendant degradation of coal quality; and the opening of new coal fields, some of which are known to be fairly high in sulphur. All of these factors, contributing as they do to higher ash and sulphur, and not infrequently to inferior quality of coke, made it desirable that an extensive study be undertaken to determine the effect of washing some coals that closely approximate the average chemical composition of coking coals to be expected in the future, by the subsidiaries of the United States Steel Corporation in the Pittsburgh district. It was deemed advisable to study the improvement obtained by washing such coals and to determine the need for supplementing the existing coal washery at Clairton to assure continued maximum production of pig iron from presently available furnace stacks. The existence of the cog! washer at Clairton made ii possible to conduct tests on coals used in raw form and on similar coals after washing. This study covers an investigation of the quality of furnace coke as affected by washing coking coals, and is confined to the use of IOO per cent high-volatile Pittsburgh seam coals from Fayette and Greene Counties in the manufacture of furnace coke. It covers the improvement in chemical and physical properties as well as the degree of uniformity in coke obtained by washing these coals, and includes the effect on blast-furnace production and practice. The test period involved is four months; the plants, Clairton by-product coke plant, and the Carrie No. I and No. 2 blast furnaces at Rankin, Pa., Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation. Clairton By-product Coke Plant and Coai, Washer The Clairton by-product coke plant carbonizes 30,800 net tons of coal daily in 22 batteries containing 1482 ovens. Three oven sizes are used, commonly known as wide, medium, and narrow types, recognizing the difference in oven width. These ovens also differ in height and length. The present coal washer has a daily capacity of approximately 14,000 tons, leaving I6,800 tons to be carbonized in raw form. Washed coal is used on all the narrow ovens and on three of the six batteries with ovens of medium width, raw coals being used pn all the remaining ovens. The customary arrangement is 7

Jan 1, 1944