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By G. W. Nabor, A. S. Odeh

The effect of production history of a well on the results of two-rate flow tests, and conventional build-up analyses was investigated. The effect was examined by means of digital computers and an R-C network model, respectively, for wells with infinite and finite radii of drainage. For systems which behave as infinite, it was found that production history and the duration of production at constant rate prior to the initiation of the test have important effects on the results. During build-up time equal to about one-fourth of the stabilized time, correct permeability-thickness product calculations can be made. For wells with finite radii of drainage, the time was determined during which the straight line can be satisfactorily used for permeability-thickness product calculations in case of drawdowns and build-ups. On build-ups, the dimensionless time (based on the external radius) during which the straight line gives reliable results was detertriined to be about 1/12. This is one-fourth as long as that of the drawdown. The investigation was done theoretically, and subsequently was verified by R-C network model runs. General interpretive rules were formulated which, if not followed, could lead to serious errors. Moreover, a recommended testing procedure is reported. INTRODUCTION The method used by most reservoir engineers for estimating formation characteristics in a producing well is the analysis of pressure build-up data. The method originally devised by Horner' makes use of the point source solution to the diffusion equation. This solution is approximated by a logarithmic function and the superposition principle is employed to arrive at the well known pressure build-up equation:where q, the flow rate, is in reservoir B/D; ft is in cp; kh is in md-ft; At is the shut-in time; and t is the producing time. At and t are in any consistent time units. Ey. 1 is applicable to a well of unlimited drainage radius which produces at a constant rate q from zero to time t and is then shut in. Such a constant production rate seldom obtains in practice. Therefore. a correction term must be applied to Eq. I to account for the varying rate. Two theoretically accurate methods are available for treating the variable rate case. The first, originally derived by Horner,' is based on the application of the superposition theorem. It requires knowlege of production history of the well as a function of time and results in lengthy and laborious calculations. The second t*q* niethod is suited for short production tests and requires that the shut-in time be at least one and one-half times the production time. A third method which is not based on any theoretical justification and which was suggested by Horner as a "good working approximation" is the one used by the majority of reservoir analysts. especially when the well has been producing for a long time and the t*q* method is not practicable. The key to this method is in choosing or determining the t that appears in Eq. 1. Horner suggested using a corrected time t, in place of t. t, is calculated by dividing the total cumulative production by the last established rate. Therefore, a normal procedure of pressure build-up testing is to stabilize the well at a constant rate for at least 24 hours before shut in and to use the stabilized rate to calculate t,. The analysis is then made by plotting either or P. and examining the resulting plot for the expected straight line to calculate kh and the original reservoir pressure. Recently, Russell" proposed a method for determining formation characteristics from two-rate flow tests. His method reduces to pressure build-up if the second flow rate is zero. Russell uses the Horner simplified procedure for calculating a corrected t,. His method also requires the stabilization of the well at a constant rate q which is used to calculate t,. Theoretically, the above procedure is valid for a well with an unlimited radius of drainage or with a limited radius as long as the boundary effect has not been felt by the well. Several authors'' derived formulas which allow the estimation of time during which limited reservoirs behave as infinite ones and, thus, can be treated by unsteady-state mechanics. One equation derived by Swift and Kiel' terminates the application of unsteady-state theory when the drainage radius reaches one-half the reservoir radius. Thereafter, steady-state behavior obtains. Another equation derived by Jones'" initiates steady-state

Jan 1, 1967

By P. Hazebroek, M. Prats, E. E. Allen

Well locations in water floods frequently do not coincide with the ideal well locations associated with the flood pattern which is used. A question of importance is. "How much oil is lost because of this?". This is the problem treated in this paper. It is assumed that each pattern in a five-spot flood has the proper number of production and injection wells but that the wells may be off-pattern. The distance by which a well is off-patern is given in terms of the pattern spacing, defined as the length of one side of a five-spot. The influence of off-pattern wells on the performance of a five-spot flood has been investigated mathematically for unit mobility ratio. All production and injection rates are assumed to remain equal. The loss in recovery resulting from pattern irregularitie: has been calculated at a cumulative water injection corresponding to a 98 per cent water-cut in a regular five-spot. Displacing a single production or injection well by about one-third the pattern distance reduces the total field recovery by 4.4/N per cent of the recovery obtainable with regular spacing, where N is the number of five-spots in the flood (assumed large). When off-pattern wells are separated by at least one regular five-spot and are displaced by less than one-third the pattern distance, the total loss in recovery in a large-scale flood is, at most, 1 per cent of the recovery obtainable from that field with a regular five-spot pattern. However, much higher losses may occur if the off-pattern wells are not separated by a regular five-spot, if the rates are imbalanced, or if the mobility of the injected water is higher than that of the crude. Although the loss in oil recovery due to pattern irregularity often may be low, the off-pattern case will always require injection of more water to reach the same final water-cut. The volume of water injected per unit volume of oil displaced has been calculated for each five-spot adjacent to a five-spot containing a single 08-pattern well. The cumulative water injection at the time of 98 per cent water-cut may be increased by as much as 37 per cent when a production well is displaced one-third the pattern distance toward an injection well. The existence of differences between actual subsurface locations and the idealized well patterns used in secondary recovery operations is well recognized. However, the methods commonly used for predicting waterflood behavior ignore such differences, even when subsurface locations are known. The reason for this is simple. The idealized well patterns are highly symmetrical and, as such, the production history of the pattern (and even of the field) can be determined from that of a few production wells—usually from only one. Consideration of the many irregular well spacings found in a specific field would entail a large amount of work, and then the results would be applicable only to that specific field. In an attempt to provide an answer to the more general problem, this paper considers a water flood having an idealized well pattern, except for one well which is not at its regular location. When several off-pattern wells are present, their contributions are assumed to be additive unless the off-pattern wells are close to each other. Only four positions of the off-center well (at x, y. of Fig. 1) are considered in this paper. These are shown

By J. E. Johnson

The description of the machine which coilstitutes the subject of this paper is best iutroduced by a statement of the conditions which led to its construction, which may be briefly given as follows : The ore handled at the plant to be here described* is of the variety sornetimes called by those familiar with the brown ores of the South, " Mountain," as distinguished from the " Lime-

Jan 1, 1899

By D. W. G. White

The surface tension of zinc has been determined by the sessile-drop method in a progvam emphaszzing detailed experimental care. The surface tension oj. the pure metal was measured over a range of ternperature from the melting point (419.6"C) to 540°C. At the melting point, the suvface tension of zinc was found to be: 1) 99.99+ pct Zn - 757.0 5 dynes per cm 2) 99.999+ pct Zn - 761.0 5 dynes per CI 3) 99.9999 pct Zn - 76'7.5 5 dynes pev cna From experiments carried out in a closed, isothermal cell, the temperatuve coejyicient of the surface tension (6y/6T)p, , of zinc xas found not to be negative but to be postiue. A positive tenzperatre coefficient indicates a greater depee of order in the surface than in the body of the lquid. Houlezer, by delibevately inducing continuous zaporization, a temperature coefficient of su)face tension with a negative slope can be produced. The work reported herein was undertaken as part of a larger program of fundamental research on the properties of molten zinc and zinc alloys. This program grew out of a continuing interest at the Mines Branch in the behavior of liquid metals in the foundry and of a desire on the part of the zinc industry for reliable basic data. The work was originally begun in cooperation with the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co. Ltd., Trail, B.C., and was subsequently continued from 1960 to date in association with the Canadian Zinc and Lead Research Committee and the International Lead and Zinc Research Organization. Although the surface tension of liquid zinc has of course, been measured before, as Table I and Fig. 1 demonstrate, there is not good agreement among the existing values. Such disparities arise because sources of experimental error are insufficiently controlled. This situation places the reader in doubt. One result may be correct within narrow limits—even fortuitously—yet, because there is not agreement between several values, none can be accepted with conviction and all become suspect. It seemed, therefore, in the circumstances, that there was room for further work embodying considerable emphasis on experimental care in order that, within a small margin of error, an accurate value might be obtained. It was in this spirit that the work was undertaken. METHOD The sessile-drop method -as adopted for this work. In this method, when applied to liquid metals at elevated temperatures, the outline of the meridional section through a drop resting freely on a horizontal surface is recorded photographically. Certain parameters

Jan 1, 1967

By R. E. Sinke

Demerara Bauxite Co. in British Guiana has come a long way in tackling the problem of stripping and removing overburden. When the company started mining in 1917, overburden was hand-loaded into carts pulled by donkeys. Since then it has been recognized that overburden removal is one of the greatest problems. Over the past years a great quantity of equipment has been purchased, discarded as it became obsolete, and replaced with better and cheaper tools. The policy has kept the company's overburden removal costs within reason. Accurate records of costs per cubic yard and cubic yards per hour per unit have been kept for many kinds of equipment. Walking draglines and hydraulicking equipment are the key approaches to the current operation, but shovels, tractor-drawn wagons, self-propelled rubber tired scrapers, and tractor-scrapers still have limited applications. Mackenzie, operational headquarters of the Demerara Bauxite Co. Ltd., is on the Demerara River, 65 miles from Georgetown, British Guiana. Ore treatment and ship loading facilities are at Mackenzie, head of navigation for ocean-going vessels and the mines are located 7 to 40 miles farther upstream.

Jan 4, 1955

G. O. SMITH,* Washington, D. C.—This program is itself a demonstration of the widespread interest in the subject of more efficient development and operation of oil fields. The statements of fact already presented and the views expressed are sufficient evidence that the engineering and economic principles fundamental to the idea of unit operation are much more generally accepted than they were even one year ago. And real progress has been made in putting these principles to the test. No one realizes better than I that the fight against waste, whether physical or economic, must be waged in the front-line trenches: Washington at best is only an observation post. Yet viewed from this distance the advance made in the last few months has been notable and to a high degree encouraging. Five years ago the Federal Oil Conservation Board, in its first contacts with the industry, raised the question, "How can new pools be explored without exploitation until new production is warranted by the country's needs?" Three and one-half years ago the Board, in its first report to the President, paid largest attention, among what it listed as fundamental conservation measures, to "cooperative methods in sane development of new fields." A year ago, in its third report, the Board again endorsed as the essential factor in conserving the nation's reserves of oil, "full cooperation in unit control, whether by voluntary agreement or by state enforcement." The function of this federal agency has been purely fact-finding and educational. The Oil Conservation Board early declared that the major part of its task was to help the industry "formulate the broader by-laws in the sense of conservation." And now, after these five years of eventful history in the oil industry, may I size up the situation as I see it from the Washington point of view? First of all, and fundamental to a successful issue, I have observed in the industry a gradual acceptance of technical opinion as the guide to executive action; and this has at last led to some agreement as to what procedure offers most promise. Analyzed in more detail, this highly desirable progress has consisted in "self-restraint actuated by enlightened self-interest." We see emerging the general desire of oil producers for efficiency in operation, which means low costs and high recovery. As shown by facts presented at this meeting, competition in drilling is in direct opposition to efficiency in oil production, in that such competition increases costs and lowers recovery. The only route to conservation of this natural resource and also of the capital and labor involved in making it available is through unit control, which substitutes cooperative, well-planned action for competitive, unregulated activity, forced by the individualism of a small minority of landowners or perhaps by a single operator. Or, in terms of actual experience, development of an oil field and its subsequent operation under unit control means the substitution of majority rule for minority rule, yet the minority enjoys to the full the resulting economic benefits. So far as it affects the public interest, unit operation of oil properties deserves unqualified approval. It means more oil from the same area over a longer period

Jan 1, 1930

By Strathmore R. B. Cooke, Thomas E. Bam

The paper discusses the mineralogy, structure, and strength of magnetite pellets fired in air and in a neutral atmosphere at various temperatures. The information obtained from this investigation is used to explain the origin of the structures occurring in pellets produced by pilot-plant operation. MUCH experimental work has been performed on i-VL the mechanism of agglomeration and pelletiz-ing of moist ore and concentrates and on the process of firing agglomerates, but except for the work of Tigerschiold and Ilmonil much of the published information is empirical, and the literature contains no information concerning the structure of fired pellets. Results of a preliminary study of the micro-structures occurring in pellets produced both in the laboratory and on a pilot-plant scale are presented in this paper. Most of the results were obtained from pellets prepared from Mesabi magnetic taconite, but through the courtesy of the staffs of the Minnesota Mines Experiment Station and the Bethlehem Steel Co., fired pellets produced from limonite and hematite ores and from Lebanon magnetite have also been examined. The work has been restricted almost entirely to pellets produced without additives, the exceptions being those in which coal was added to the filter cake before rolling. Schwartz has described the microstructures occurring in ore sinters produced under reducing conditions.' Many of the structures and constituents he describes are common to fired pellets, but the constituents normally occur in markedly different proportions. His statement that "in all satisfactory sinter the amount of hematite is small, perhaps not over 2 or 3 per cent" is inapplicable to pellets produced by pilot plant operation or by any process in which air is not deliberately excluded. Pilot plant pellets contain over 90 pct by weight of hematite, and those produced in the smaller furnaces of the Minnesota Mines Experiment Station contain more than 80 pct of that constituent. Preparation of Specimens It is difficult to examine unfired pellets microscopically because of their insufficient coherency to withstand sectioning and polishing. Fired pellets sometimes lack coherency and frequently contain holes which are troublesome during polishing. Impregnation of both air-dried and fired pellets is readily accomplished by the use of methyl metha-crylate monomer." The dry pellets are covered in a test tube with excess monomer, to which a small amount of accelerator has been added. When the test tube is placed in a cooling bath and evacuated with an aspirator, most of the entrapped air is removed, and disruption of weak pellets by boiling of the monomer is reduced to a minimum. Polymerization is then effected by immersion of the test tube in a water-bath at about 45"C, this temperature being held for 4 or 5 days. The test tube may then be broken away from the solidified mass and the pellets sectioned by a carborundum wheel or a diamond saw. Where time is important, impregnation is carried out at a higher temperature by Meyer's method.' Air-dried pellets must be impregnated with especial care; otherwise swelling occurs and the solids are displaced. It is more important to be certain that the monomer forms a reasonably complete network throughout the specimen than that all entrained air is removed, and for this reason the vacuum technique may be omitted. Impregnated agglomerated products and pellets are extremely coherent, section well, and may be polished either by hand or by machine. Hand polishing is not satisfactory for the examination of conditions existing at the boundaries of grains, and for this machine polishing must be used. The Graton-Vanderwilt machine gives excellent results, provided that pressure on the specimen is considerably in excess of that recommended by the manufacturer. Mineralogy of Fired Pellets Only two opaque iron minerals, magnetite and hematite, have been recognized in pellets. The complete identity of, these artificial minerals with their corresponding natural counterparts is shown by their mineralographic characteristics and their X-ray structures. Wiistite has not been found. Slag is the most common transparent constituent of fired pellets. Occasionally conditions have been appropriate for the crystallization of fayalite from the slag, and at other times another crystalline sil-

Jan 1, 1953

By Strathmore R. B. Cooke, Thomas E. Bam

The paper discusses the mineralogy, structure, and strength of magnetite pellets fired in air and in a neutral atmosphere at various temperatures. The information obtained from this investigation is used to explain the origin of the structures occurring in pellets produced by pilot-plant operation. MUCH experimental work has been performed on i-VL the mechanism of agglomeration and pelletiz-ing of moist ore and concentrates and on the process of firing agglomerates, but except for the work of Tigerschiold and Ilmonil much of the published information is empirical, and the literature contains no information concerning the structure of fired pellets. Results of a preliminary study of the micro-structures occurring in pellets produced both in the laboratory and on a pilot-plant scale are presented in this paper. Most of the results were obtained from pellets prepared from Mesabi magnetic taconite, but through the courtesy of the staffs of the Minnesota Mines Experiment Station and the Bethlehem Steel Co., fired pellets produced from limonite and hematite ores and from Lebanon magnetite have also been examined. The work has been restricted almost entirely to pellets produced without additives, the exceptions being those in which coal was added to the filter cake before rolling. Schwartz has described the microstructures occurring in ore sinters produced under reducing conditions.' Many of the structures and constituents he describes are common to fired pellets, but the constituents normally occur in markedly different proportions. His statement that "in all satisfactory sinter the amount of hematite is small, perhaps not over 2 or 3 per cent" is inapplicable to pellets produced by pilot plant operation or by any process in which air is not deliberately excluded. Pilot plant pellets contain over 90 pct by weight of hematite, and those produced in the smaller furnaces of the Minnesota Mines Experiment Station contain more than 80 pct of that constituent. Preparation of Specimens It is difficult to examine unfired pellets microscopically because of their insufficient coherency to withstand sectioning and polishing. Fired pellets sometimes lack coherency and frequently contain holes which are troublesome during polishing. Impregnation of both air-dried and fired pellets is readily accomplished by the use of methyl metha-crylate monomer." The dry pellets are covered in a test tube with excess monomer, to which a small amount of accelerator has been added. When the test tube is placed in a cooling bath and evacuated with an aspirator, most of the entrapped air is removed, and disruption of weak pellets by boiling of the monomer is reduced to a minimum. Polymerization is then effected by immersion of the test tube in a water-bath at about 45"C, this temperature being held for 4 or 5 days. The test tube may then be broken away from the solidified mass and the pellets sectioned by a carborundum wheel or a diamond saw. Where time is important, impregnation is carried out at a higher temperature by Meyer's method.' Air-dried pellets must be impregnated with especial care; otherwise swelling occurs and the solids are displaced. It is more important to be certain that the monomer forms a reasonably complete network throughout the specimen than that all entrained air is removed, and for this reason the vacuum technique may be omitted. Impregnated agglomerated products and pellets are extremely coherent, section well, and may be polished either by hand or by machine. Hand polishing is not satisfactory for the examination of conditions existing at the boundaries of grains, and for this machine polishing must be used. The Graton-Vanderwilt machine gives excellent results, provided that pressure on the specimen is considerably in excess of that recommended by the manufacturer. Mineralogy of Fired Pellets Only two opaque iron minerals, magnetite and hematite, have been recognized in pellets. The complete identity of, these artificial minerals with their corresponding natural counterparts is shown by their mineralographic characteristics and their X-ray structures. Wiistite has not been found. Slag is the most common transparent constituent of fired pellets. Occasionally conditions have been appropriate for the crystallization of fayalite from the slag, and at other times another crystalline sil-

Jan 1, 1953

By W. J. Taylor, H. J. Mutz, A. F. Brock

THE International Kickel Co. of Canada Ltd. operates five underground mines and an open pit. Four of the mines, the Frood-Stobie, Creighton, Murray, and Garson, are on the south range of the Sudbury Basin, map above, within a radius of 10 miles of the city of Sudbury, Ontario. The fifth mine, the Levack, is on the north range of the Sudbury Basin, 30 miles to the northwest of the city. The open pit is operating on surface ores of the Frood-Stobie orebody. Two pits were opened at the Frood-Stobie mine; the Frood section was started in 1938 and the Stobie section in 1942. To meet the heavy demand for nickel during World War 11, open-pit production was accelerated until it constituted over 40 pct of Inco's total tonnage. As a consequence open-pit ore was depleted considerably alhead of schedule; the Stobie pit was completed in the summer of 1951, and it is expected that mining at the Frood pit will be completed in 1953. The major program launched 10 years ago to develop additional underground production as a replacement of open-pit tonnage thus had to be greatly speeded up. This conversion to all-underground mining will be completed within the next two years, and the underground mines will then have an annual hoisting capacity of 13,000,000 tons. One of the new mines in the underground expansion program, the Murray, was brought into production in 1950. Ore production from the new Stobie section of the Frood-Stobie mine was commenced on a limited scale in 1951 and will be increased as the program progresses. Delivery of ore to the new Creighton mill was started in the summer of 1951 from the caving project launched at Creighton mine. When mining was started in the Sudbury district 65 years ago the ore deposits were opened on a small scale and mining methods conformed to a general pattern of small open cast pits, followed by open stopes as mining was extended below the pits. The open stoping methods used were heading-and-bench and shrinkage. In certain cases a type of cut-and-fill mining was used with drywall tramways and dry-wall chutes in the fill. As the mines were deepened,

Jan 1, 1954

By Gerard Matthes

Only in recent years has any practical headway been made in the application of aerial photography to geological problems, and up to the present time its principal value to the geologist and mining engineer has been in "areal geology;" i. e., the study of formations as revealed at the surface. The object of this paper is to set forth briefly the principal advantages that may be derived from aerial photographic data in geological work and to serve in a measure as a guide to those who may be contemplating its use. Geophysical prospecting has for object the locating of mineral under the surface. Inasmuch as the geologist's chief complaint in life is a dual one—inability to see under the surface and inability to visualize comprehensively what he does see on top of the ground—geophysical prospecting coupled with aerial photography should do much to lessen his burdens. To what extent aerial photography can be made a useful adjunct to geophysical prospecting remains to be proved, but the inference drawn here is that it holds many alluring possibilities. To avoid disappointments, it should be stated at the outset that to the geologist or mining engineer an aerial photograph or mosaic is only a tool, the efficient use of which he must set out to master. Upon his skill and ingenuity in applying it to particular problems will depend largely the value of the results that he will obtain. Under the most favorable conditions an aerial mosaic, or even a few loose photographs, because of the exceptionally comprehensive oversight which they afford of field data, such as dips and strike observations at isolated outcrops, local indications of faulting, mineral and fossil finds, greatly facilitate study and correlation, save much tedious foot work, and may repay their cost many times. Even so, types of country may be found where the most skillful use of the best of pictures will produce results so meager as to render the cost of aerial photography entirely unwarranted. Between these two extremes will be found endless variations and possibilities. Hence no set rules can be promulgated. The safest procedure is to treat each case as a separate problem and to carefully weigh the relative advantages and shortcomings of aerial photography before embarking on its use.

Jan 1, 1928

By W. A. Backofen, G. Y. Chin, W. F. Hosford

The effect of machine stiffness on discontinuous flow and fracture of the 2024 aluminum alloy was studied in tension at 4.2OK. An increase of machine stiffness was found to decrease the amount of elongation and drop in load during discontinuous flow, thereby postponing fracture to larger strains and higher stresses. The possibility of utilizing stiffened tools in deformation processing to suppress shear fracture originating from unstable flow was indicated. The problem of nucleating discontinuous flow and the role of the effective mass of the system in discontinuous flow were also considered. AT low temperatures the plastic flow of metals is often discontinuous, with sudden load drops and elongations.1,3 Basinski1,4 has presented strong evidence that discontinuous flow, at least in aluminum alloys, occurs under nearly adiabatic conditions. During testing the load may drop suddenly and flow become localized when the thermal softening, due to heat generated in plastic straining, is greater than the strain and strain-rate hardening. This instability criterion is more easily satisfied at low temperatures because 1) the volume specific heat is reduced so that relatively large temperature increases are possible in straining, and 2) the flow stress is relatively temperature-dependent. The important role of adiabatic shear in ductile fracture processes has been emphasized,5-1 and consideration has already been given to the influences of thermal and mechanical properties on the tendency of a material to undergo adiabatic shear.17677 By focusing attention on how the mechanical loading system influences low-temperature discontinuous flow, additional insight into adiabatic shear and its effect on fracture may be gained. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Because of its low thermal conductivity, the 2024 aluminum alloy exhibits a highly consistent discon- tinuous-flow behavior at 4.2°K and was therefore chosen as the material for study. Machined specimens of 0.113 in. diam and 1.125 in. gage length were solution heat-treated at 490°C for 3 hr, quenched into cold water, and immediately immersed in liquid nitrogen until just before testing. Testing was done at 4.2°K by immersion in liquid helium at a crosshead drive rate of 0.03 in. per min. As normally used (hard-machine basis), the spring constant of the testing machine was k = 25,000 lb per in. By inserting beam springs in series with the specimen, this value could be lowered by a factor of about 100. Details can be found elsewhere.? As a result of variable machine stiffness, the actual strain rate ranged from about 3 x 10 5 to 3 x 10-4 per sec from one test to another, as well as within any one test. However, preliminary tests had established that the tensile curves were not altered significantly by this strain-rate variation. Fig. 1 shows a typical load vs plastic-elongation curve for a solution heat-treated 2024 aluminum alloy specimen pulled in the standard hard machine (k = 25,000 lb per in.) at 4.2"K. The elastic extension has been subtracted. Plastic flow proceeded smoothly from yielding at approximately 22,000 psi (load = 220 lb) to a strain of about 4 pct at which point the flow became discontinuous. The magnitude of the load drops as well as the plastic elongation per drop increased with increasing strain until the specimen finally broke abruptly. The load-elongation behavior of a sample tested with a relatively soft machine under otherwise identical conditions is given in Fig. 2. In general, there

Jan 1, 1964

By Christopher Haycocks, Lawrence P. Johnson, George M. Neall, James M. Townsend

No method of roof control yet devised has proven to be universally acceptable for the wide range of strata conditions experienced in U. S. coal mines. However, a relatively new innovation, the roof truss, has proven itself capable of preventing roof failures which both conventional and resin bolting could not. Presently, the economics of roof trusses are not favorable when compared to bolting due primarily to drilling and installation procedures, but this is expected to change with improved truss and equipment designs. To realize the full potential of this new method of roof control, design criteria are needed which can optimize the effect of the truss for varying strata conditions. A review of the literature reveals that some work has been conducted on the roof truss. Cambrell and Haynes1 (1970) showed that the roof truss is superior to angled roofbolts installed through a header. Sheorey, Verma, and Singh2 (1973) used statics to prove that the optimum angle of inclination should be greater than 45°. However, to date, no systematic attempt has been made to establish design criteria. In this paper, the problem was approached in three ways. First, model studies were performed to determine general trends of truss support as a function of a number of variables. This provided a better understanding of the support mechanism involved. Secondly, beam theory was employed to calculate the actual support capacity of a truss, realizing the many simplifications, assumptions, and shortcomings of this approach to such a complicated problem. Last, field testing will be utilized to test the hypotheses previously developed and provide hard data to further synthesize roof truss design criteria. Field testing has recently commenced and should be complete before mid 1977.

Jan 1, 1979

By Joshua I. Tracey, Mackenzie Gordon

THE bauxite deposits in central Arkansas were formed by weather¬ing, in early Eocene time, of fresh or kaolinized nepheline syenite above the water table in a subtropical climate of fairly continuous moisture. Four types are recognized: (1) residual bauxite deposits on kaolinized nepheline syenite, (2) residual deposits on kaolin and bauxite detritus, (3) alluvial deposits of sorted pebbles and pisolites of early Wilcox age, and (4) rubble deposits of later Wilcox age. All were invaded by kaolin and siderite during subsequent burial by Eocene sediments. PART I-FIELD RELATIONS OF THE DEPOSITS The Arkansas bauxite region for years has produced about 95 pct of the domestic supply of bauxite of the United States and it contains today reserves of more than 40 million tons-nine tenths of the known domestic reserves. During World War II, the Arkansas bauxite deposits were explored jointly by the U. S. Geological Survey and the U. S. Bureau of Mines. Some 6000 holes were drilled by rotary rigs under contract to the Federal Govern¬ment, which resulted in the discovery and delimiting of approximately 20 million tons of ore in place. Detailed study of the many sections cored through the bauxite, of data from a much greater number of drill holes made available by all the operating companies, and of the extensive mine faces exposed in the strip pits, has yielded valuable geologic information about the origin of the deposits. It is now possible to piece together a paleotopographic picture of the deposits and the now-buried land surface on which they formed. The bauxite region in the center of Arkansas (Fig 1) contains two producing districts: one in Pulaski County, just south of Little Rock, and the other in Saline County, about 15 miles to the southwest. The deposits in both districts are associated with hills of nepheline syenite, bosses of a large batho¬lith that was intruded into Paleozoic rocks and later buried beneath coastal plain sediments deposited during Cenozoic time. The folded Paleozoic rocks are exposed in the northwest half of the state and are covered in the southeast half by the nearly flat-lying coastal plain sediments. The older rocks were intruded by nepheline syenite, probably in Late Cretaceous time, and sub¬sequently were eroded so as to expose the top of the batholith. In Paleocene time, marine limestone and laminated black silty clay of the Midway group were deposited in an advancing sea, and covered all but the most elevated parts of the batholith. Erosion of the islands of nepheline

Jan 1, 1952

By I. N. Zavarine

THE observations presented in this paper were recorded during a study of the spheroidizing process. Spheroidization of cementite in steel is either brought about to develop a set of desirable mechanical properties or is an incidental result of mechanical and heat-treating manipulations. Physical properties of steel are materially influenced by the state of the cementite. Conversion of cementite from the lamellar to the spheroidal state is usually accom-panied by a decrease of hardness and of strength and by an increase in ductility. The spheroidized structure is usually considered as an ultimate step in the process of the softening of steel. The unorthodox hardening of a 3.5 per cent Ni steel (SAE No. 2330) after a heat-treatment that previously proved entirely suitable for a complete spheroidization of cementite in carbon steels led to the observa-tions that constitute the subject of the present paper.

Jan 1, 1939

By A. H. Larson, L. G. Twidwell

The influence which Au, Ag, Sb, Bi, Sn, and Cu have, both individually and collectively, on the activity coefficient of sulfur in liquid lead at 600"C zuas studied by circulating a H2S-Hz gas wlixture over a specific lead alloy until equilibrium was attained. Subsequently, the H2S concentration in the equilibrium gas mixture and sulfur concentration in the condensed phase were deterruined. The elements gold, silver, and antinzony (above 8 at. pct) increased the activity coefficient of sulfur. Bismuth had no apparent effect. Tin (above 3 at. pct) and copper decreased the coefficient. The influence of an individual element, i, on sulfur is best reported as the interaction parameter, riS, which is defined as The values o these first-order interaction zus are: ESzu = —55.0. These interaction parameters are used to predict the activity coefficient of sulfur in six fouv-component alloys and one seven-component alloy. Comparisons are made with direct experimental determinations. INTERACTIONS in dilute solution have been studied by many investigators. Most of the experimental work has been confined to solute-solvent interactions in simple binary systems and solute-solute interactions in ternary systems. Dealy and pehlke"~ have summarized the available literature on activity coefficients at infinite dilution in nonferrous binary alloys and have calculated from published data the values for interaction parameters in dilute nonferrous alloys. Interaction parameters are a convenient means of summarizing the effect of one solute species on another in a given solvent. Only a few investigators have studied interactions of the nonmetallic element sulfur in a metallic solvent. They are as follows: Rosenqvist,~ sulfur in silver; Rosenqvist and Cox,4 sulfur in steel; chipman, sulfur in alloy steels; Alcock and Richardson,% ulfur in copper alloys; Cheng and Alcock,' sulfur in iron, cobalt, and nickel; Cheng and ~lcock,' sulfur in lead and tin. The only reported work on the Pb-S system in the dilute-solution region is that of Cheng and Alcock.' Their investigation involved a study of the solubility of sulfur in liquid lead over the temperature range 500" to 680°C. The results may be summarized by the following relationship: S (dissolved in lead) + Pb(1) = PbS(s) log at. %S = -3388/T + 3.511 Experimentally, it was found that Henry's law was valid up to the solubility limit of sulfur in lead, i.e., at 600°C up to 0.43 pct. Their investigation did not include the study of sulfur in lead alloys. More accurate calculations could be made in smelting and refining systems if activity coefficients of solute species could be accurately predicted in complex solutions. One of the objectives of this study was to compare the experimental data with the values calculated from the equations derived from models for dilute solutions proposed by wagner9 and Alcock and Richardson. A temperature of 600°C was chosen as the experimental temperature to attain reasonable reaction rates and to minimize volatilization of the condensed phase. EXPERIMENTAL Materials. The Pb, Au, Ag, Sb, Bi, Sn, and Cu used for preparation of the alloys were American Smelting and Refining Co. research-grade materials. All were 99.999+ pct purity except the antimony and tin which were 99.99+ pct. The initial alloys prepared for this study consisted of twenty-one binary alloys, eleven ternary alloys, and one six-component alloy. The constituent elements were mixed for each desired alloy and were placed in a crucible machined from spectrographically pure graphite. The crucible was placed in a vycor tube which was evacuated with a vacuum pump and gettered by titanium sponge at 800°C for 8 to 12 hr. After the gettering was completed, the chamber containing the titanium was sealed and removed. The remaining sample chamber was placed in a tube furnace at 800°C for 2 hr and quenched in cold water. The final operation consisted of homogenization of the alloy for 1 to 2 weeks at a temperature just below the solidus for the individual system. The resulting master alloys were sectioned into small pieces and a random choice made for individual equilibrations. Cobalt sulfide (Cogs8) used to control the gas atmosphere in the circulation system was prepared by passing dried HzS for 24 hr over a Co-S mixture heated to 700°C in a tube furnace. This material was then mixed with cobalt metal to give a two-phase mixture which, when heated in hydrogen to a particular temperature, produced a desired H2S/H2 gas atmosphere in the circulation system. A Cu2S-Cu mixture also used in this study was prepared in a comparable manner. Apparatus for Equilibrium Measurements. The experimental technique of this study required apparatus

Jan 1, 1967

By Howard Willey

Mining operations of the Charcas unit at present are limited to the Tiro General mine at Charcas, in the State of san Luis Potosi, Mexico. The Tiro General mine was first operated during the Spanish occupation of Mexico for rich silver ores in an oxidized zone along the outcrop of the principal vein. In depth the ore is a complex sulfide with widely varying proportions of sphalerite, argentiferous galena and chalcopyrite ; and until recent years, it was economically impossible to carry on mining otherwise than irregularly in sections of the veins richest in galena and chalcopyrite. The advent of selective flotation brought the orebody as a whole within the field of economic interest, and a flotation mill of 650 metric tons daily capacity was constructed in the year 1925. The mining of partly worked-out sections of the mine, as well as the very heavy ground in most of the stopes opened in virgin ore, presented an unusually difficult problem. This paper describes the so-called "filled top slice" stoping method finally adopted as the standard system. Physical and Geological Conditions The principal orebody of the mine is an oreshoot about 1400 ft ng in a fissure vein striking about east and west and with an average lip of 70" to the north. The footwall of the orebody is fairly cleancu and regular both longitudinally and vertically and generally shows a dell-marked post-mineral slip. The footwall rock varies from a fairly strong limestone to a broken, metamorphosed limestone which requires heavy timbering. In some sections it is an altered, crumbly porphyry, which swells badly and necessitates frequent renewal of drift and raise tirnber. The hanging wall is irregular and frequently an assay wall. The stopina width ranges from a few feet up to more than 90 ft.; it averages about 30 ft. For the most part the hanging-wall rock is a shattered and altered monzonite porphyry, nearly aways requiring heavy timbering. The orebody is greatly fractured by post-mineral movement, which usually followed the footwall and left it as a smooth surface frequently covered with a slippery clay gouge. Two well marked transverse faults

Jan 1, 1931

By J. M. Clark

(Wilkes-Barre Meeting, June, 1911.) For some years past, those interested in the development of the increasingly important mining industry of Canada, have urged the adoption by the Dominion Parliament of a federal mining-law, which would have the force and stability of statutory enactment. At present, placer-mining in the Yukon Territory, is governed by the Yukon Placer Mining Act. All other mining under federal jurisdiction is governed by 'Orders in Council and Ministerial Regulations. In the earlier stages of development, it is perhaps a matter of necessity that these important matters should be so dealt with; but it is now felt that the time has come when mining-rights in the extensive regions under federal control should be put on a permanent basis, -and that any changes required from time to time should be made only after full and open discussion in Parliament. A short sketch will suffice to indicate how vast and varied the interests affected really are. When the Dominion of Canada was constituted by the Imperial Statute known as the British North America Act of 1867 (which came into force by proclamation on July 1 of that year), it comprised only the present Provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick; but provision was made for the inclusion of Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, British Columbia, Rupert's Land, and the North West Territories. Subsequently Rupert's Land and the North West Territories were acquired, the 'Crown Colonies of British Columbia and * SECRETARY'S NOTE.-Mr. Clark, an eminent Canadian lawyer, and joint author of the treatise on "The Law of Mines in Canada," has been requested by the Do¬minion Government to prepare a Federal mining-law, and presents this paper, by invitation of the Council, in order to obtain, if possible, useful suggestions from members of the Institute.-R. W. R.

Apr 1, 1911

By H. H. Campbell

Many attempts have been made to write a formula by which to calculate the strength of steel from its chemical composition, but most of these endeavors have failed because there were too many disturbing conditions. It is idle to collect from the pages of trade-papers, books, or the proceedings of scientific societies, a multitude of observations. The combination of such results will simply show that steel of the same composition will vary in tensile strength through wide limits—a fact that has been known for generations. That cold-working, overheating, and many another form of heat-treatment alter fundamentally the strength of steel, is ancient history, although it is only recently that the microscope has pointed out the road to an explanation of the phenomena. It mag be urged that the microscopic structure must betaken into consideration in any formula giving the ultimate strength, but from the standpoint of the present investigation this is unnecessary. We are trying to determine primarily, not what changes in ultimate strength may be made by variations in the condition of carbon, but what effect is produced by changes in the amount of carbon, when its condition remains constant. For such an inquiry, in order that the condition of the carbon should remain as nearly uniform as possible, it is essential that all testrpieces be made under the same conditions; and it is believed that the tests described in this paper satisfy that requirement. The investigations were made at the works of the Pennsylvania Steel Company, Steelton, Pa.; the ingots from which the tests were made were 6 in. square in every case; they were heated in the same furnace and forged at the same ham-

Jan 1, 1905

By James Gayley

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

Jan 1, 1893

By J. R. Campbell

A DOZEN years or so ago, the general superintendent of our company, now the president, Mr. W. H. Clingerman, detailed me to make a study of the coal-washing problem and collect data, which threw me into contact with the best washery men of the country. and took me to those districts where the washing of coal for metallurgical purposes is carried out. I investigated many kinds of coal-cleaning schemes, made numerous tests on them, and collected voluminous data, yet I confess frankly that I have had but little practical washery experience and that little has been at the Middlefork washery of the United States Fuel Co. at Benton, Franklin Co., Ill., which was put in operation last fall. While this wash-cry installation may not be the "last word," I am quite sure it embodies some long steps in advance over older designs and constructions. From the washery man's standpoint, the removal of pyrites, or marcasite, a disulfide of iron, is the one vital problem, and the one productive of the most beneficial results, so far as elimination of sulfur is concerned. Sulfates and so-called organic sulfur occupy quite a secondary -position and are generally lost sight of in coal washing: The elimination of sulfur in coal in the past has usually been accomplished by jigging in water, but lately the use of concentrating tables has been employed with good success, and some mention may be made of the flotation process on fine coal, though hardly considered practicable. Coal washing, is rapidly coming into its own, due to the depletion of low-sulfur coals for coking purposes, and before many years we predict as careful attention being given to the design and construction of coal washeries, ,as is now being given to byproduct plants and other allied industries. Heretofore, coal washing has been considered only as an incidental and a necessary evil-instead of the big problem it is one worthy of the most careful study by men well trained along technical lines and capable of delving into the fundamental principles.

Jan 9, 1919