Search Documents

By Arthur C. Spencer

(Glen Summit Meeting, June, 1911.) THREE great deposits of iron-ore, in Camaguey and Oriente Provinces, Cuba, are well known to me through careful field-examinations executed in the years 1901 and 1907. In 1901 I visited the Cubitas iron-ore district, which lies about 12 miles distant from the city of Camaguey in a northerly direction, and the Mayari district, which includes the Sierra Nipe, lying opposite Nipe bay on the north side of Oriente Province. In 1907 I again visited the Cubitas district, and also made a sojourn of several days in the Moa district, where the extensive deposits of iron-ore were observed and studied. The observations of 1901 were made under the auspices of the then Military Governor of Cuba; Gen. Leonard Wood, and my conclusions concerning the value of these deposits were incorporated in a report.1 The examination of certain denouncements of iron-ore in the Moa district in 1907 was made in behalf of iron-masters operating in the United States, to whom I reported the existence of large amounts of easily-workable limonitic iron-ore, properly designated " brown iron-ore " in the terminology now current among iron-ore producers in the United States. In 1908 I published a paper entitled Three Deposits of Iron Ore in Cuba, outlining the occurrence and origin of the surficial ores existing in the Cubitas, Mayari, and Moa districts.2 . 1 A Geological Reconnoissance of Cuba, by C. Willard Hayes, T. Wayland Vaughan and Arthur C. Spencer, printed as a part of the report of the Military Governor of Cuba for the year 1901, vol. i. 2 Bulletin No. 390, U. S. Geological Survey, pp. 318 to 329 (1908).

Mar 1, 1911

By C. R. Wohrman

A melt of pure electrolytic iron with about 0.4 per cent. sulfur and 7 per cent. manganese was prepared in connection with a study of inclusions in iron. The alloy darkened rapidly when etched with a 10 per cent, alcoholic solution of nitric acid, and microscopic examination revealed the presence of a semimartensitic, semi-Widmanstättian structure (Figs. 1 and 2) closely resembling the structures found by Benedicks in his artificially prepared "meteoric iron."' The structures found by Benedicks were readily explained by the presence in his alloy of the two well-known iron-nickel solid solutions, taenite and kamacite, and of their eutectoid (?) aggregate, plessite. By analogy, one would infer the existence of similar phases in the iron-manganese alloy just described, such an inference being strengthened by the similarity displayed in many ways by nickel and manganese in their effects on iron. Iron-manganese Alloys are Regarded as Homogeneous Heterogeneity of iron-manganese alloys has not been recognized heretofore, judging from the data of standard metallographic books and those of original papers. In fact, iron and manganese are quite generally regarded as completely miscible in the solid state. Dr. Rosenhain,2 for example, writes: Alloys of group (a), of which those of gold-silver, iron-manganese, and copper-nickel are examples, when allowed to crystallize sufficiently slowly to attain their condition of final equilibrium, present a microstructure exactly similar to that of a pure metal—the homogeneous character of the molten solution is in that case so completely maintained that the microscope cannot detect the presence of any second constituent. Guillet and Portevin3 refer to the iron-manganese system as an example of the "case of metals completely miscible in the solid state."

By Waldemar Dyrssen

I CANNOT agree with the results obtained by the committee. The gas obtained per pound of coal is too high in calorific value and the amount of gas is too large. It should require about 190 cu. ft. of oxygen per 1000 cu. ft. of gas and not 75.14 cu. ft. as is given on page 35 of the report, or about 2.5 as much. Calculating the calorific value per pound of coal from the coal analysis given on page 34, according to Dulong's formula, the gross and net calorific heat are about 12,890 and 12,430 B.t.u., respectively, which is about 18,600 and 17,900 B.t.u., respectively, per pound of carbon in the coal. This is an unusually high figure, as ordinary bituminous coal has less than 18,000 gross B.t.u. per pound of carbon. Assuming, however, that the calorific values calculated are correct, the following results are obtained. On page 35, the net calorific heat in the gas per pound of coal is given as 12,856 B.t.u. and calculation for the gross value shows it to be about 13,950; in other words, the gas contains (13,950 - 12,890) ÷ 12,890 = 8.2 per cent. more heat than the coal on a gross basis and (12,856 - 12,430) ÷ 12,430 = 3.4 per cent. more on a net basis. The calculated amount of carbon in this gas per pound of coal gasified is about 0.688 lb., or nearly the same as in the coal (0.6972) and the gross and net calorific heat per pound of carbon in the gas are 20,300 and 18,710 B.t.u. which are 9.1 and 4.5 per cent. more than for the carbon in the coal. These calculations show that the results given in the report cannot be correct. There must always be some heat losses in the gasification of coal, in radiation from the producer, and in sensible heat in the gas; there must be some loss of carbon in ashes and in soot, and there are always tarry vapors in the gases that are condensed and do not appear in the fixed gases. From the excessive heat in gas per pound of carbon contained therein, it can also be concluded that the percentage of hydrogen in the gas is too high, from which it follows that the moisture decomposed is too high and that more free oxygen must be used.

Jan 11, 1924

By Cleland N. Conwell

APPLICATION of seismic methods to the location of buried channels in placer mining is fairly common knowledge, yet some of the facets of seismic refraction surveys have remained obscure in their application to mining. This description by a member of the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation team investigating bedrock at the Oso Dam site, may offer a lead to wider application of the method for bedrock determinations in engineering of mine and mill plants, tailing disposal, and water supply. It may also offer assistance in planning geological exploration in areas covered by overburden. Pertinent, and perhaps more than passingly significant, is that the seismic survey of the Oso dam site started at noon and was completed the afternoon of the next day. Location Oso dam site is on the Navajo River, Archuleta, County, Colo., 30 miles southeast of Pagosa Springs, Colo., 10 miles northwest of Chama, N. M. Bedrock at the proposed dam site is Mesa Verde Formation, Cretaceous age sandstone. The nearest good sandstone exposure is about 5/8 of a mile upstream from the location of the seismic determinations. The material above bedrock is sand and gravel with sandy loam soil covering benches above the river. The site appeared favorable, after a geologic and topographic reconnaissance, but overburden thickness was unknown. Exploratory drilling was not contemplated in the near future so a short seismic investigation was selected as the most suitable method of determining depth to bedrock. Field Procedure Geophysically, a seismic depth investigation is simply the measurement of depth from ground surface to the top of a layer which transmits seismic waves at a higher velocity. In this case the high-velocity seismic layer tentatively correlates with the Mesa Verde sandstone. Field procedure required a seismic explorationline or "spread" with 12 geophones set at measured intervals. Explosive charges were buried at few feet in the ground and detonated at shotpoints near the ends of the spread, and at intermediate points. The time of travel of the seismic waves from the shotpoints through the ground to each of the geophones along the spread was measured and recorded photographically with equipment housed in a field truck. The seismograph on each spread provided a time-travel graph. From it were computed the speed of seismic waves in various layers below the surface and depth to each different seismic layer below the shotpoint. In the case of the Oso dam site it was possible, in addition, to determine the depths below certain geophones, because there were only two seismic layers involved. Interpretation In seismic exploration waves are refracted from the top of layers which often correspond to divisions between subsurface formations. When drill holes are available the geologic logs offer a means of correlating stratigraphic breaks with seismic layers, improving reliability of seismic interpretation in terms of depth to bedrock or other geologic terms. There were no drill holes available in the case of the work at the Oso dam site. Geologic conditions appeared favorable for seismic technique because of excellent contrast in seismic wave velocity between the overburden and the Mesa Verde formation. The upper layer had a velocity of approximately 2500 fps and was interpreted as overburden, the lower layer had a velocity of approximately 9000 fps and was assumed to be the sandstone. These velocities are of the order expected in these materials. The seismographs obtained at the Oso dam site were excellent. The energy from the shot came in strongly at each geophone, giving an easily read record. Time-travel graphs plotted from wave arrival times were uniform and made interpretation comparatively easy. In Spreads 1 and 2 near the river the lower velocity layer was 12 to 15 ft deep. For the spreads on higher ground, or the bench south of the river, it was from 15 to 29 ft deep.

Jan 1, 1952

By G. K. Manning, E. R. Stein, E. E. Underwood

Columbium, carbon. and nickel additions were made to iron-base alloys with 20 pct CY. The effects on microstructure, precipitation-hardening characteristics, and High-temperature properties were investigated by means of metallographic, hot-hardness, and magnetic measurements. An austenitic alloy consistilzg of Fe-20Cr-14Ni-0.8C-2.5Cb had higher hot-lzaciness at 1700°F than the other alloys investigated. Its favorable standing is attributed to an enhanced interaction of Cb and Cr4C particles dispersed within a stable austenitic matrix. FOR the past 20 years, cobalt- and nickel-base alloys have been used for the more stringent high-temperature applications because of their excellent creep resistance. Although their performance is quite satisfactory, other base materials must be considered for large tonnage, low-cost applications such as for the automotive gas turbine. Iron-base alloys are also used extensively, but at somewhat lower temperatures, primarily because of the instability of particles or because precipitation occurs at relatively low temperatures. Since unusual stability has been reported for Fe-Cb and Cb-C compounds.1-3 it was hoped that effective amounts of these compounds could be taken into solution at temperatures just below the melting range, then precipitated upon reheating. Actually, strengthening was found to occur by both precipitation hardening in some alloys and by phase transformations in others. Among the alloys investigated, that with the best high-temperature properties owes its strengthening to a combination of carbide particle interaction and a relatively stable austenitic matrix. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES Small preliminary melts of about 100 g were made in a vertical Glotube furnace, using alundum crucibles and an argon atmosphere. Alloys weighing 35 lb were melted in a basic-lined induction furnace, also under argon. The compositions of the alloys are given in Table I. The nickel-free alloys were usually ferritic, while those containing nickel were generally austenitic. Depending upon the particular heat treatments, or the combination of alloying elements, two-phase alloys of ferrite and austenite could be obtained. In the following text, however, the nickel-free or nickel-bearing alloys are referred to simply as either ferritic or austenitic alloys respectively. The small ingots were swaged at 2000°F, in steps, to rods of approximately 3/16-in. diam. The large ingots were forged at 2100°F to 1-in. sq bars. No difficulties were encountered in swaging or forging any of the alloys to as much as 90 pct reduction in area. For heat treating at temperatures above 2000°F, specimens were sealed in quartz tubes under a partial pressure of helium. No special precautions were found to be necessary at lower temperatures. Intermetallic compounds in the preliminary alloys were identified by means of X-ray diffraction measurements. Correlation of these results with micro-structural characteristics (such as color, shape, size, and location) of the compounds aided in their identification. Magnetic susceptibilities were also obtained at room temperature with a Magne Gage instrument after the various heat treatments. To

Jan 1, 1962

By G. K. Manning, A. R. Elsea, A. B. Westerman

A considerable number of high-tem-perature alloys, that is, alloys which have load-carrying ability at elevated temperatures, have been developed on an empirical basis. In order to determine why these alloys possess this particular ability, a project was started at Battelle Memorial Institute on the fundamental factors promoting high-temperature strength of alloys. .4t the time of inception of this study, the cobalt-base alloy, Vitallium, was widely used because of its good high-temperature properties. One phase of this study was to include an investigation of the structures observed in vitalliurn after various heat treatments. Howcver, before investigating the structural features of Vitallium, it appeared logical to examine the phase diagrams of the related binary systems in order to develop information as to which phases might be present in Vitallium. A preliminary survey of the pertinent alloy systems was made, with particular emphasis on the cobalt-chro-mium system, which is the base for the Vitallium series of alloys. The early work of Lewkonja and Guertler2 indicated that cobalt and chro-mium are completely miscible in the liquid state, and, within a narrow temperature range, in the solid state; that the liquidus shows a minimum; and that the alloys containing 45 to 85 pct chromium undergo a transformation at [zoo to 12 50 c More recently, Wever and Haschimoto,3 Wever andLange,4and Matsunaga5 carried Out experimental work which led to the diagrams shown in Fig I and 2. Both diagrams are based on thermal analysis, metallogra~hic, magnetic, and dilatation data; in addition, X ray diffraction results were used by Wever and Haschimoto, and electrical resistance measurements by Mat-SUnaRa. It is apparent from a comparison of the two diagrams that there was a difference of opinion as to the locations of the boundaries of the various phases, and as to the existence of a phase containing approximately 47 pct chromium. With these excep-tions noted, it might be pointed out that the two diagrams are similar, and that, in general, any particular reaction which is shown on both diagrams occurs at a lower temperature on the Matsunaga diagram than on that of Wever-Haschimoto-Lange. Thus, in view of the gaps in the data arid the questionable features in the published diagrams, it appeared desirable to start the fundamental study of Vitalhum by deter-mining the diagram for the cobalt-chro-mi~m system- Experimental Work For the convenience Of the reader, the diagram as determined by the present investigation is presented in Fig 3. The liquidus and solidus data for the low-chromium alloys were taken from the work of Wever and Haschimoto,3 while the melting point for pure chromium is the

Jan 1, 1949

By L. O. Howard

What was perhaps the first attempt at basic converting in the Southwest was made by the late Charles F. Shelby at Cananea early in 1907, when he removed the acid lining from one of the 8 by 12-ft. barrel-type converters then in use at the reduction works of the Cananea Consolidated Copper Co. and substituted a lining of one course of magnesite brick. In this shell, he blew 21 taps (about 180 tons) of matte to white metal before the brick gave out along the tuyhre line. In every case, the white metal so made was transferred and blown to copper in other converters. The cost of the lining was $700 and Mr. Shelby gave up the experiment as impracticable. No further serious effort to bessemerize copper mattes in a vessel having a more or less permanent lining of basic brick was made by any of the large copper smelters in the Southwest until some months after Messrs. Peirce and Smith had brought the question permanently before the public, and had proved it to be a metallurgical and financial success by their work at Baltimore and Garfield. Early in 1911, the Cananea Consolidated Copper Co. had in operation at its reduction works at Cananea, Mex., several 8 by 12-ft. barrel-type converters lined with magnesite brick which had previously been operating with acid linings. In the 18 months following, these converters produced 50,000 tons of copper. In June, 1912, this company installed the first of its new equipment of six stands of electrically operated 12-ft. Great Palls type converters, and shortly afterward discontinued the use of the smaller shells. In September, 1911, the Consolidated Kansas City Smelting & Refining Co. had installed at its El Paso plant two 10 by 26-ft. Peirce-Smith converters. Later, in March, 1913, one standard Great Falls type converter was added. About the time the Peirce-Smith converters were going in at El Paso, the Calumet & Arizona Mining Co. was experimenting with basic linings in 7-ft. by 10-ft. 6-in. barrel converters at its plant in Douglas, Ariz. These efforts were sufficiently successful to enable the plant to "handle the total output of copper in these small shells until the standard Great Falls converters were substituted in June, .1914.

Jan 1, 1917

By John W. Langley

In the summer of 1888 it was the fortune of the writer to present the subject of the desirability of establishing a set of samples of steel, which should be analyzed with extreme care, in order that they might become standards to which scientific and commercial analyses of iron and steel could be subsequently referred; also, that greater uniformity in the results of analyses might be brought about, since these standards would bear towards analytical methods somewhat the position which the original units of weight and length, the gramme and meter, or the pound and yard, preserved in Paris, London, and Washington, do to the mechanical arts. The plan met with hearty co-operation, with the result that com mittees were appointed in Sweden, Germany, France, England, and America, to receive the material and to see that the necessary au alyses were executed. In England, the British Association for the Advancement of Science appointed a committee, which subsequently published a plan

Jan 1, 1891

By David R. Mitchell

THE mineral pyrite (or marcasite) occurs in coal beds as balls, lenses, veinlets and bands. Several million tons are wasted annually on the refuse dumps from coal mining and coal-preparation activities. Sporadic attempts have been made in the United States to recover this pyrite for manufacture of sulphuric acid but only a few plants have succeeded in recovering it on a commercial scale. Several chemical companies in the East became concerned about supplies of pyrite early in 1943, but by late summer of that year the situation had eased. If for no other reason than national security and self-sufficiency during war-time, methods of recovering pyrite from coal-mine refuse should be worked out and made available to coal-mine operators who are potential producers of pyrite. Eastern sulphuric-acid plants are particularly likely to have their sources of raw material blocked by war conditions, so that special studies to determine where supplies of pyrite can be obtained for these plants from inland sources are desirable. Davis's1 summarization of conditions during World War I gives the following facts: During those years, the shortage of pyrite became acute. Shipments of hand-picked pyrite were made from a number of coal mines in Illinois, Indiana, western Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania. A mechanical concentrating plant for separating pyrite from picking-table refuse was built at Danville, Ill., and operated for several years, and a small pyrite-concentrating plant treating washery refuse near Gillespie, Ill., operated for several months in 1918. The Consolidation Coal Co. of Fairmont, W. Va., constructed and operated a sulphuric-acid plant using pyrite recovered from coal-mine refuse. The U. S. Bureau of Mines during 1917-1919 made a comprehensive survey of pyrite-production possibilities from coal mines and estimated that there was a potential yearly production of 435,000 tons from Ohio and Pennsylvania and 928,000 tons from Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana mines. This estimate included only mines that could produce one per cent or more of their coal production as pyrite containing a minimum of 40 per cent sulphur. PYRITE PRODUCTION According to the Minerals Yearbook,2 approximately 660,000 long tons of pyrite was produced in the United States in 1941, with an average sulphur content of 42 per cent. The average value f.o.b. mines was $3.09 per long ton. Spanish pyrite, 48 per cent sulphur minimum, was quoted at 12 cents a unit c.i.f. U. S. ports, equal to $5.76 a ton for shipments of minimum sulphur content. Most of the pyrite produced in the United States is obtained as a by-product in the dressing of copper and zinc ores. Metal mines in the East making pyrite concentrate for the market or use in company-operated sulphuric-acid plants

Jan 1, 1944

By F. M. Stewart, F. H. Callaway, R. E. Gladfelter

In this paper oil initially in place is calculated by the various methods commonly used for analysis of water drive fields using data available as time progresses. Rate and pressure are predicted by means of the same methods using data available at the end of two years' history. These predictions are then compared with subsequent performance permitting an evaluation of the methods, which are Modified Schilthuis, Simplified Hurst, van Everdingen et al (1952), and the Electric Analyzer. INTRODUCTION Several variations of the material balance equation, differing in the term used to evaluate water influx, are in common use for estimating oil in place, predicting rate and volume of water influx, and forecasting producing rates and reservoir pressure in water drive reservoirs. The electric analyzer with an electrical network set up to simulate the oil reservoir and aquifer and their contained fluids may be used for the same purpose. Examples of the application of one or another of these methods have appeared in the literature. The accuracy and reliability of the material balance for calculating oil in place have been covered.' However, there have been few articles in which more than one method has been applied to an actual field allowing a comparison. It is felt that a field example, simple in nature, where the Modified Schilthuis, Simplified Hurst, van Everdingen et al (1952), and the Electric Analyzer have been applied would be of benefit in providing an evaluation of these methods as to their comparative usefulness and reliability in calculating initial oil in place and predicting performance. The Torchlight Tensleep reservoir is a small field in a large aquifer. The reservoir oil is greatly under-saturated, having a bubble point of only 55 psi and 2 cu ft/bbl of gas in solution. Changes in the reservoir volume factor in the range of pressures encountered are small, meaning little error in converting production to reservoir conditions. The pressure has declined from 1,618 psi initially to 137 psi during the first four and one-half years. Water production has been negligible. For Torchlight, the material balance equation as discussed later is considerably simplified by the omission of terms having to do with free gas. Thus with simpler equations, less variables to consider, the large pressure drop, the absence of a gas phase, and rapid pressure-rate adjustments, which mean an unusual amount of history in a short time, the reservoir appears suitable for comparing the methods listed above. GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE FIELD The Torchlight field is located on the eastern side of the Big Horn Basin, Big Horn County, Wyo., approximately 3 miles east of the town of Basin. The Tensleep reservoir was discovered in September, 1947. It lies at a depth of about 3,000 ft and produces oil of 35" API gravity. A total of five wells have been completed in the Tensleep, but only four are now producing. The reservoir is well defined in areal extent in that a total of 13 wells have penetrated the Ten-

Jan 1, 1955

By John M. Bostwick

Bitumen is a general term for a group of materials composed of mixtures of hydrocarbons that are fusible and soluble in carbon disulfide. Included in the group are petroleum, asphalts, asphaltites, and mineral waxes. Asphalt is a dark-colored, cementitious solid or semisolid, which generally softens on heating and resumes a more viscous or solid state when cooled (personal communication). It is found in native form in fissures and pore spaces in rocks and as lakes. It is also obtained from the residues produced in petroleum refining. Asphaltites are black, naturally occurring solid bitumens. They are generally shiny and break with a conchoidal fracture. Common asphaltites are gilsonite (uintahite), grahamite, and glance pitch. Mineral waxes are solid or semisolid, relatively nonvolatile bitumens of various colors, having an unctuous feel and waxy luster. Of the native waxes, ozokerite is the best known. Montan wax is also classed as a natural wax, although it never occurs in the pure state and must be extracted from lignite or cannel coal (Ladoo, 1920). Mineral waxes may also be obtained by pyroprocessing of petroleum, lignite, and peat. Pyrobitumens are dark-colored, solid hydro- carbons that are infusible and relatively insoluble in carbon disulfide. They are so-called because they will yield liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons only when heated. Asphaltic pyrobitumens are defined as "substantially free of oxygenated bodies" and include wurtzilite (elaterite), albertite, and impsonite (Thrush, 1968). Nonasphaltic pyrobitumens contain oxygenated bodies; examples are coal and peat. The nonasphaltic type will not be discussed further. Petroleum Asphalts Asphalts refined from crude petroleum have almost completely replaced the native types. Refineries can produce asphalts in every desirable grade more economically and in greater quantity than the native types and with a variety of properties that meet the requirements of the various manufacturers using them. For all practical purposes, it is estimated that more than 95% of the asphalts consumed in the United States are refined from crude petroleum (private communication).

Jan 1, 1975

By A. Lawley, H. W. Schadler

TWINNING has long been recognized as a possible mode of deformation in crystalline solids and has been studied in a wide variety of crystals.&apos; Recently, deformation markings which have the topographical characteristics of twins have been seen in tungsten" and the body-centered cubic alloys of tungsten and molybdenum with rhenium.3-7 These markings have been identified as twins because: 1) they are visible after polishing and etching;2,3 2) their formation is accompanied by an audible click and a drop in load;4 and 3) the habit plane is {112}, the plane which has been identified as the twinning plane for several body-centered cubic metals.&apos; However, there has been no published evidence for the specific determination of the twinning direction in rhenium alloys of tungsten and molybdenum, because usually the deformation twins were not broad enough to be detected with a conventional X-ray beam. Consequently, [111] is inferred as the twinning direction since the latter must lie in a plane of symmetry perpendicular to the twinning plane (112). As Sims and Jaffee3 and Lawley and Maddin4 have shown, the addition of rhenium to molybdenum and tungsten increases the ductility of the alloy over that of the pure metal, but twinning is much more profuse in these alloys than in the pure elements, particularly at Mo-35 pct Re*and W-30 pct Re. Since twinning is often associated with brittle fracture in iron8 and the silicon-irons,9 direct experimental proof that the deformation markings in tungsten and molybdenum alloys of rhenium are twins seemed to be needed. Using the Laue back-reflection technique, the deformation markings in a Mo-35 pct Re alloy are shown to be deformation twins. The twins have a (112) habit plane and the twinning direction is <111>. The Mo-35 pct Re specimen used was taken from a 0.060-in. zone-refined single crystal deformed 6 pct in tension at 78°K. The Laue back-reflection technique, with a film to specimen distance of 2 cm, and white radiation from a copper target were used.

Jan 1, 1962

By John P. Huger

me phase diagram for the system Ag-Si has been established by thermal analysis. The diagram is a simple eutectic type with a eutectic at 3.0 pct Si and 840°C. From the liquidus curve and with the aid of regular solution theory, the thermodynamic properties of the liquid Ag-Si system at 1420 °C have been determined. Silicon exhibits positive deviations from Raoultain behavior at all compositions, while silver exhibits both positive and negative deviations. MEASUREMENTS of silicon activities in liquid iron alloys by means of distribution studies between the immiscible liquids silver and iron have been reported by Chipman, Fulton, Gokcen, and caskey.&apos; The applicability of this technique is dependent, however, on the accuracy of the silicon activity values in the Ag-Si alloys, particularly in the dilute silicon region. Darken and Gurry2 have shown that log ?si/(1-xSi)2 is approximately linear with composition, but uncertainty exists in the extrapolation to dilute solutions. Their calculations are based on the old Ag-Si phase diagram of Arrivaut3 and any variation in the position of the liquidus curves will strongly influence the extrapolation. The purpose of this study is to redetermine the Ag-Si phase diagram and calculate the associated thermodynamic properties. EXPERIMENTAL The Ag-Si phase diagram was determined by thermal analysis of liquid alloys. The alloys were contained in a 35 mm alumina crucible under a protective stream of purified argon. The crucible was placed inside a 64 mm alumina tube fitted with a gas-tight, water-cooled, copper head. The tube and assembly were heated in a manually controlled globar furnace. The temperature was measured with a Pt, Pt + 10 pct Rh thermocouple in a high-temperature porcelain protection tube. The thermocouple calibration4 was checked against the melting point of pure silver at the start and during the course of the experiments, and against both gold and silver at the completion of the experiments. The alloys were prepared from granular silver analyzing 99.95 pct Ag and powdered silicon analyzing 99.88 pct Si and 0.026 pct Fe. Approximately 150 g of alloy were used for each run. The composition of the alloy was determined by withdrawing samples of the liquid alloy with a vycor tube-aspirator bulb device. Analysis of solidified samples agreed, for alloys containing less than 23 pct Si, within ±0.3 pct Si of the calculated composition. Duplicate samples showed a variance within 50.05 pct Si of the mean analysis. The alloy was heated to 100&apos; to 20pC above the estimated liquidus temperature and then the furnace was adjusted to give an average cooling rate of 2" to 7°C per min. A cooling curve was obtained by taking potentiometer readings at 15-sec intervals. Several analyses were made by recording the thermocouple output on a high-speed, Stip-chart recorder, with the exception of run NO. 11, a minimum of two thermal analyses were made for each alloy and the cooling curves then obtained duplicated the liquidus and eutectic temperatures to about 1°C. RESULTS The results of the thermal analysis are given in Table 1, and are represented as the Ag-Si phase dlagram, Fig. 1. The eutectic composition was found

Jan 1, 1963

By S. Korman, S. B. Tuwiner

THE purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of agitation upon the flotation of chal-cocite. It is believed that the concentration of collector which is required to produce a water-repellent surface upon the mineral is determined among other things by the rate of collector diffusion through an impeding film of more or less stagnant fluid. Its thickness depends upon the intensity of agitation. In the first part of this study a method is developed for determining the thickness of the fluid film upon a polished surface of synthetic chalcocite. The film thickness is then determined as precisely as possible under three readily reproducible condi-tions of agitation intensity. These determinations serve as a quantitative evaluation of agitation. In Part 2 it is demonstrated that in solutions of lime at PH 10.5 and in the absence of air or dissolved oxygen the concentration of collector required to develop water-repellency upon the surface in any given time is a function of the fluid film thickness, and that after about 10 min the relation becomes linear. This points to the possibility that the collector ions may be involved in a diffusional process through the fluid film. In Part 3 it is shown that where air is present more collector is required to produce water-repellency than for the case in which air is excluded. Next, it is shown that for the latter case the most minute amount of sodium sulphide suffices to preclude development of water-repellency. Both oxygen and sulphide are in a sense, therefore, depres- sants for chalcocite in a lime solution at PH 10.5. When oxygen and sulphide are present simultaneously there is a region of minimum critical collector concentration for water-repellency which is very markedly lower than the concentration where oxygen alone or where sulphide alone is present. Moreover, this minimum appears to be identical with the collector concentration which is required where sulphide and oxygen are both excluded. This would appear to indicate that in certain ranges of concentration of oxygen and sulphide, each cancels the effect of the other. The range of concentration of solution for this effect in solutions saturated with oxygen is a function of the agitation intensity. Thus we are led to believe that a chemical reaction involving sulphide and oxygen occurs at the surface of the chalcocite. Part 4 of this study is a further development of this idea and some of its consequences from an electrochemical standpoint, while in Part 5 the disappearance of sulphide from pulps of several minerals is noted with an indication that both dissolved oxygen and the mineral are necessary, the reaction being catalytic or pseudocatalytic. Part 1. Determination of Fluid Film Thickness The Fluid Film Concept: The hindrance to the diffusion of collector to the surface of the chalcocite is a barrier of stagnant fluid in the vicinity of the surface. It is the same barrier that limits the rate of transfer of heat, the rate of solution of dissolving crystals, or any of the other rates pertaining to chemical engineering unit operations in which the film resistance to diffusion plays a principal role.&apos; Fluid films are present upon the surface to an extent which varies with the geometry and intensity of agitation. They result from the fact that in the region within the fluid near a surface, motion is entirely parallel to it. From the standpoint of transfer to or away from the interface the effect is as though the fluid were stagnant. Outside of the film, movement of the fluid may be streamline or turbu-

Jan 1, 1951

By S. Korman, S. B. Tuwiner

THE purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of agitation upon the flotation of chal-cocite. It is believed that the concentration of collector which is required to produce a water-repellent surface upon the mineral is determined among other things by the rate of collector diffusion through an impeding film of more or less stagnant fluid. Its thickness depends upon the intensity of agitation. In the first part of this study a method is developed for determining the thickness of the fluid film upon a polished surface of synthetic chalcocite. The film thickness is then determined as precisely as possible under three readily reproducible condi-tions of agitation intensity. These determinations serve as a quantitative evaluation of agitation. In Part 2 it is demonstrated that in solutions of lime at PH 10.5 and in the absence of air or dissolved oxygen the concentration of collector required to develop water-repellency upon the surface in any given time is a function of the fluid film thickness, and that after about 10 min the relation becomes linear. This points to the possibility that the collector ions may be involved in a diffusional process through the fluid film. In Part 3 it is shown that where air is present more collector is required to produce water-repellency than for the case in which air is excluded. Next, it is shown that for the latter case the most minute amount of sodium sulphide suffices to preclude development of water-repellency. Both oxygen and sulphide are in a sense, therefore, depres- sants for chalcocite in a lime solution at PH 10.5. When oxygen and sulphide are present simultaneously there is a region of minimum critical collector concentration for water-repellency which is very markedly lower than the concentration where oxygen alone or where sulphide alone is present. Moreover, this minimum appears to be identical with the collector concentration which is required where sulphide and oxygen are both excluded. This would appear to indicate that in certain ranges of concentration of oxygen and sulphide, each cancels the effect of the other. The range of concentration of solution for this effect in solutions saturated with oxygen is a function of the agitation intensity. Thus we are led to believe that a chemical reaction involving sulphide and oxygen occurs at the surface of the chalcocite. Part 4 of this study is a further development of this idea and some of its consequences from an electrochemical standpoint, while in Part 5 the disappearance of sulphide from pulps of several minerals is noted with an indication that both dissolved oxygen and the mineral are necessary, the reaction being catalytic or pseudocatalytic. Part 1. Determination of Fluid Film Thickness The Fluid Film Concept: The hindrance to the diffusion of collector to the surface of the chalcocite is a barrier of stagnant fluid in the vicinity of the surface. It is the same barrier that limits the rate of transfer of heat, the rate of solution of dissolving crystals, or any of the other rates pertaining to chemical engineering unit operations in which the film resistance to diffusion plays a principal role.&apos; Fluid films are present upon the surface to an extent which varies with the geometry and intensity of agitation. They result from the fact that in the region within the fluid near a surface, motion is entirely parallel to it. From the standpoint of transfer to or away from the interface the effect is as though the fluid were stagnant. Outside of the film, movement of the fluid may be streamline or turbu-

Jan 1, 1951

By H. N. Hall

Reservoir and producing characteristics can govern the decision to use either a one-, two- or three-dimensional model for making predictions for gravity-drainage reservoirs. Examples of conditions requiring one-, two- and three-dimensional calculations are given. In 1961 the author presented a method for predicting one-dimensional gravity-drainage performance. This work has been exrendcd to obtain a three-dimensional model, which is described and for which a sample problem is presented. Introduction Many papers on gravity drainage or gas-cap drive&apos;-3 have been presented for conditions where the reservoir is treated as a single areal segment so that, in effect, only one-dimen-sional flow is considered. Other authors&apos;-Q ave given evidence showing that the one-dimensional concept would be unsatisfactory to predict reservoir performance for certain types of reservoirs. Experience has indicated that specific reservoir and producing conditions govern whether one-, two- or three-dimensional concepts must be used as a basis for reliable reservoir performance predictioils. Previously the author presented a paper outlining a method for predicting the performance of gravity-drainage reservoirs.&apos; That paper treated the reservoir as a single areal segment so that it was applicable for only one-dimensional flow. The work has been extended to obtain a three-dimensional model that can be used to predict performance of gravity-drainage reservoirs. Although capable of being three-dimensional, it can be used equally well for one- and two-dimensional predictions. This paper discusses those reservoir and producing conditions governing the choice of model, and also describes a three-dimensional model suitable for predicting reservoir performance in the more complex situations. Discussion The Choice of Model To predict reservoir performance, it is necessary to represent the reservoir by a physical model. A mathematical model, based on the assumed physical model, then is used to predict the movement of oil and gas within the reservoir. The word "model" is used here to connote the combination of both a physical model and a mathematical model based on the physical model. Certain types of reservoir situations may be predicted suitably with a one-dimensional model, whereas two- and three-dimensional models may be required for other situations. This section illustrates reservoir conditions associated with the use of a specific type of model. Many types of reservoir structures are such that gravity drainage possibly could be an important factor in oil production. Production practices, as well as the nature of the structure. can influence the type of model that should be used. obviously, it is impossible to discuss all combinations of reservoir structure and production practices that might be encountered in gravity-drainage reservoirs. The following are typical examples of conditions where a choice must be made among a one-, two- or three-dimensional model to predict reservoir performance satisfactorily. Conditions Requiring a One-Dimensional Model Fig. la shows contours for an asymmetrical anticline in which gravity drainage might be expected to be important. Fig. Ib depicts a cross-section along Line A-A in Fig. la. Existence of a gas cap is a good clue that gravity drainage will be an important factor in producing oil from this type of reservoir. However, it is not essential since a gas cap will form as oil is produced from the reservoir. If the proper combination of reservoir permeability and withdrawal rates is present, the reservoir will behave like a

Jan 1, 1969

THE International First-Aid and Mine-Rescue con-test, under the auspices of the U. S. Bureau of Mines, was held at Butte, Mont., on Aug. 20, 21 and 22. As usual, the first-aid elimination contests were held the first day, the finals the second, and the mine-rescue contest the third. While the number of teams entered was not as great as at some previous contests held nearer the coal-mining districts of the East, the atten-dance was much larger than usual, due to the great interest in first aid, rescue work, and accident preven-tion that has been created by the effective support and constructive policy of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co. toward them. The winner of the first-aid contest was the Great Falls Zinc Mill team of the Anaconda company, of which Fred Erickson is captain. Second place went to the Baton Rouge team of the Standard Oil Co. of Louisi-ana, and third to the Great Falls Furnace Refinery team of the Anaconda company.

Jan 9, 1928

By W. P. Ward

I desire ho put on record a fact in relation to the effect of man ganese on pig iron which I have never seen in print, and which may, perhaps, not have been observed by anyone except myself. In 1875, while experimenting on the production of ferroman ganese in a blast furnace, I had burdened the furnace with a charge which I calculated would produce a 15-per cent. spiegel. The fur nace was very hot, having been running for a couple of days on a very light burden, and making a burnt iron, preparatory to the experiment I proposed to make to produce a high grade of spiegel. I calculated that the charge would begin to work in the fur nace in about twelve hoars after it was put on. After the -lapse of that time I commenced to watch the furnace carefully, but found little or no change in the appearance of the metal, although there was a very decided change in the cinder, showing that the man ganese ore had come in work. The iron was quite gray and very tough. The character of the cinder was good for a spiegel cinder, and 1 could not imagine where the manganese was going to, as it (lid not appear to be in either metal or cinder in anything like the quan tity indicated by the charge. The next morning things were still in the same condition. The furnace was very hot, the cinder good, and the iron very gray. I was then sorely puzzled. I had never heard of a gray iron with over 4 or 6 per cent. of manganese, and had no notion that an iron with more manganese could be gray and tough. With great difficulty a piece for chemical test was broken from a pig. Not less than a hundred blows from a heavy sledge were required to break it off, I took the specimen to the shop and directed that some borings from it should be brought to the laboratory, as soon as possible, whither I myself at once repaired to put things in readi ness for a rapid manganese determination. In about half an hour the machinist came in with the iron specimen in one hand and about a dozen blunted and broken steel drills in the other, saying that it mas impossible to drill the iron. There were several little depressions in the iron, which was malleable enough to be indented by the point of the drill, but not a chip had been cut from it. The metal was never subjected to further physical tests. A chip broken from

Jan 1, 1882

By W. W. Stephen, J. P. Walsted, W. J. Kroll

FOR the production of carbides, various furnace types are available, especially those using arc, resistance, and high-frequency heating. Selection of a specific means of heating depends primarily on the material to be treated and the physical properties of the carbide produced. In the present case, zirconium carbide had to be prepared on an industrial scale as a raw material for the production of anhydrous zirconium chloride. Considering that a rather expensive pure oxide was to be used, the arc-furnace treatment recommended for zircon sands in a previous publication&apos; was ruled out because of the considerable volatilization and dust losses caused by the blast of the arc. For this reason, either high-frequency or resistance heating seemed to offer more promise. Since there was not enough capacity of the former available, resistance heating was chosen. It was first thought that the Acheson silicon carbide furnace would be suitable for the present purpose, but the voltage in such a furnace, in which the current passes through the batch, varies from 220 to 75 v from the start to the end of a run. This variation is so great that a special tap transformer would have been required. Trouble was also expected by local melting of the carbide. Pure zirconium carbide melts at about 3527°C, but the melting point is brought down to 2427°C, according to Agte,2 when an excess of 6 pct C is present in the carbide. This we found confirmed by experiments in a high-frequency furnace. Excess carbon is needed in the batch to obtain a complete reduction. Fusion of the charge would cause great difficulties in an Acheson-type furnace because of the good electrical conductivity of the carbide as compared with that of the loose batch. Also, fused carbide is much more difficult to chlorinate than the spongy product that can be made in the radiation furnace described below. It was apparent that, to obtain a good-qual-ity zirconium carbide, the heat input would have to be well-controlled. The hairpin-resistor principle seemed to offer possibilities in this regard, and a furnace of this type was therefore developed. The advantages of the hairpin-resistor radiation principle have been discussed in previous publications, and a split-tube graphite-resistor furnace," now increasingly used in various laboratories, as well as a centrifugal quartz melting furnace4 of this type, has demonstrated the usefulness of this heating method. The hairpin-heater element has the following definite advantages over a straight resistor of the type used, for instance, by Georges:5 Its resistance is four times greater; it can expand freely; it is sturdier because of the larger diameter, and it has a larger radiation surface; there are no hot contacts that might wear out or overheat; only one clamp is used which permits assembling all electrical leads at one side of the furnace, making the other sides easily accessible to the operator. The shorter element and its larger diameter permit greater concentration of heat. The furnace developed is shown in fig. 1. The box (I), made of 2 1/2-in. graphite plates, has inside dimensions of 23x17x16 in. It contains the briquet-ted batch (2). The box is embedded in lampblack (3) up to the cover plate. The cover plate contains an opening for the gas escape (4) and for the observation hole (5), which permits measuring the temperature with an optical pyrometer. The cover plate is embedded in charcoal (6). The lampblack is contained in the insulating brick lining (7), held in the 1/4-in. sheet steel box (8). The graphite box is set on two rows of triangular graphite bars (9). The hairpin-heater element (10), the dimensions of which are given below the main drawing, extends horizontally in the graphite chamber and radiates freely on the batch. A graphite tube (11) keeps the lampblack from falling into the slot. The split electrode, which in reality is turned 90" against the drawing, is so arranged that the slot is vertical. The water-cooled packing gland (12) is insulated by an airgap from the heater element. A thin pipe (13)

Jan 1, 1951

By AIME AIME

PRODUCTION of nickel in Cuba, a new source of this metal, has been started by the Nicaro Nickel Co., subsidiary of the Freeport Sulphur Co. Construction of the Nicaro plant in Oriente Province, Cuba, and of a refinery at Wilmington, Del., has been "substantially completed," according to Langbourne M. Williams, Jr., president. The initial rate of output is less than capacity operation, which will be reached when "the customary problems incident to the commencement of full- scale production are eliminated." The plant in Cuba for the treatment of the extensive nickeliferous ores of that region, and the refinery, were built by Nicaro for the account of the Defense Plant Corp. construction has been under way for eighteen months. The plants, when operating at capacity, are expected to increase America&apos;s sup-

Jan 1, 1944