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By Charles Frey

TIE fundamental principle of resistance thermometry lies in the determination of temperatures by the measurement of an electrical conductor subjected to various temperatures and the translation of the resultant changes, in ohms, into temperature equivalents. Such resistance measurements can be made with maximum precision by the use of a standard Wheatstone bridge and a reflecting galvanometer of high sensitivity. Under such conditions, results are obtainable that may be accurate within 0.1 or even 0.01 per cent., and the "idiosyncrasies" of heated electrical conductors can be studied with advantage and profit, even if the latter is not of a financial nature. The chief requisites for producing a serviceable -commercial instrument may be enumerated as follows: First, there must be a resistor or "bulb" that can stand the maximum temperature without deterioration and which has a pronounced temperature coefficient. Second, there should be constructed an "even" bridge, having two fixed arms of equal values, in ohms. Third, a rheostat, the maximum resistance of which will be equal to the total change in the resistance of the bulb, between temperature extremes, is required. Fourth, there must be a sensitive galvanometer which is aperiodic, or nearly so. Finally, there should be a fairly steady source of direct current. The general scheme of this type of apparatus, in its simplest form, can be readily understood by reference to Fig. 1. Resistors A and B are constructed of manganin, therlo, or some other resistance wire having a negligible temperature coefficient. The sensitive D'Arsonval galvanometer G has its zero in the center. R is a rheostat and X is a resistor or bulb made of insulated platinum wire, or else of nickel, copper, or some alloy, according to requirements. K is a battery, but a direct-current service line is often used instead, with sufficient ballast in series to properly reduce the current.

Jan 8, 1919

By H. R. Hendricks

The ore of the Iron King mine, being very hard and having a very fine crystalline structure, presents many problems in milling that are not present in ordinary lead-zinc ores. This very fine crystallization causes much interlocking of minerals and is most prevalent between the gold and pyrite and the sphalerite and pyrite. The recovery of gold is extremely important in the economic value of the ore and therefore constitutes a large part of the metallurgical problem to be solved. All of the gold is free but it has not been observed in any of the mill products except under very high magnification. Some of the gold is tarnished, and this condition also makes recovery difficult. The gold values have been determined to be highest in association with chalcopyrite and arsenopyrite. The silver occurs mostly in association with galena and tennantite. A small amount of native silver has also been observed occasionally. The galena, being softer than the other minerals, frees much better in grinding. Some oxidation of galena is present in the ore, as the non-sulphide lead content amounts to approximately 10 pct of the total lead. Some oxidation of sphalerite is also present in the ore. Microscopic examination of the zinc concentrate shows many grains in the minus 325-mesh to be half pyrite, together with the fact that some of the zinc is marmatite, makes production of a high-grade zinc concentrate very difficult unless recovery is sacrificed. In the grinding, it has been determined that the flotation feed must be maintained at 85 pet minus 200-mesh to free the minerals sufficiently to make the best economic recoveries. Table I illustrates the effect of fine grinding. It shows that the bulk of the recovered minerals is in the minus 325-mesh size and is the part of the minerals that is more readily freed. The pyrite concentrate is not given in the table because it contains practically no minus 325-mesh. Development of Present Flowsheet and Milling Practice The first milling operation started in 1938, with a mill capacity of 140 tons daily, producing a bulk gold-silver-lead concentrate. After several stages of expansion and changes of the mill flowsheet, the mill is currently treating 380 tons of ore daily and three separate concentrates are produced. In order of their importance and value, these are: (I) lead concentrate, (2) zinc concentrate and (3) pyrite concentrate. The present average grade of mill heads is: gold 0.11 oz, silver 4.00 oz, lead 2.50 pet, zinc 7.60 pct, copper 0.22 pct, iron 22 pct and 30 pct insolubles. Specific gravity of the ore is 3.8. During the period when bulk flotation mas practiced, the flowsheet was very simple. The ore was ground fine enough to liberate as much gold, silver and lead as possible. Necessary collectors and frothers were added in sufficient quantity

Jan 1, 1949

By E. Seidl

THE basic material for testing aluminum, copper and zinc is a cast metal, principally in the form of wire bars (Figs. 1 to 3) and plates for the produc- tion of sheets or strips, (Figs. 4 to 7). Experience has proved that the chemical and crystallographic proper-ties of such cast metal exercise a certain influence when it is being worked, which is usually done while the metal is hot. In a chemical sense the slight impurities, which even the purest industrial metal contains, have a disturbing effect. They settle either along the outside limits of granulation, as in the case of aluminum and copper, or else in the interior of the crystal, as in the case of zinc; but frequently are also found accumulating at certain points (formation of the blowholes and skin) (Fig. 7). The crystallographic character of the metals is either that of uniformly fine granulation, or else there occurs a certain distinct casting texture marked by sharply defined cooling conditions and consisting of crys-tals of a pronounced stalk-like or blade form. Since we generally distinguish between a crystal texture and a crystal structure, the term crystal texture is used here for the arrangement of the crystals relative to each other and their microscopic composition; crystallic structure is used to mean the radioscopically ascertain-able structure of the crystal. The influence of the impurities and of the crystalline character on the working of the metals has been fre-quently pointed out in practice as well as in science.

Jan 11, 1927

By J. H. Moran, E. E. Finklea

The pressure build-up technique is a recognized method of determining permeability from conventional drillstem tests. In this paper an effort is made to extend such techniques to the interpretation of data obtained from the wireline formation tester. Such a study is necessary because of the differences, for this case, in the magnitude of the flow parameters (rate of flow, amount of recovered fluids) and in the flow geometry (flow through a perforation vs flow across the face of the wellbore, etc.) involved in the solution of the equations of flow for compressible fluids. The perforation is replaced by a spherical hole, and the effect of the borehole is neglected, so that the flow can be considered to be radial in a spherical co-ordinate system. Arguments are presented to justify this idealization. Assuming single-phase flow, general relations between pressure and flow rate are developed for a homogeneous medium. The study is then extended to permeable beds of finite thickness. It is shown that the early stages of pressure build-up tend towards spherical flow, while the later stages tend towards cylindrical flow. The thinner the bed, the more quickly flow approaches the cylindrical model. The prevalence of thin beds in practical work makes this analysis quite important. Cases involving permeability anisotropy are treated. INTRODUCTION From wireline formation tester operation, two types of data are obtained: (1) the nature and amount of recovered fluids, and (2) the pressure history recorded during the test. A number of papers have been written dealing with the interpretation of formation production on the basis of the recovered fluids.'.' In general, the methods described have been quite accurate for both high- and low-permeability formations. The present paper will deal with an analysis of the pressures observed. An analysis of the pressure build-up curves obtained in hard-rock country has already been attempted on the basis of the formula proposed by Hor-ner. Although this approach has met with success in many instances, some questions have been raised as to its validity. It is the aim of the present study to place the analysis of pressure build-up in the formation tester on a firmer basis, from which more detailed methods of interpretation can evolve. Because of the great differences between the operation of the wireline formation tester and the conventional drillstem test, modifications are necessary in the interpretation. The major difference relates to the flow geometry. Once the flow geometry has been established other features such as multiphase flow, skin effect, afterflow, etc., well described in the literature, can be introduced. It will be assumed that the mechanical operation of the formation tester is already known to the reader.6 t will suffice here merely to state that the tester provides the means for taking a relatively small sample of the fluid immediately adjacent to the borehole, and for recording the subsequent pressure response. In comparison with conventional drillstem tests, the time required for a satisfactory pressure build-up response is much shorter, because of the relatively small quantity of fluid withdrawn by the wireline tester. This feature is highly desirable in the case of low-permeability formations. For an analysis of the pressure response within the formation, three simple flow geometries are considered— linear, cylindrical and spherical. The spherical and cylindrical flow geometries are most pertinent to the formation tester; therefore, they will receive the major emphasis. Since the configuration of the borehole and the perforation made by the tester complicate the flow geometry, it is necessary to allow for them in the drawdown response. However, because of the volume of formations contributing to the pressure-response, the details of the perforation shape are unimportant in the build-up period. Since relatively small amounts of fluid are withdrawn from the formation, in contrast to a conventional drill-stem test, a study of the "depth of investigation" and the significance of drawdown as well as build-up data will be included. Because the "depth of investigation" will be shown to be rather large, the effect on the build-up curves of the finite thickness of the permeable bed is considered. It is this consideration that leads to the importance of cylindrical flow geometry. Also included is a discussion of permeability anisotropy and its effect on the interpretation of the tester results. The pressure curves recorded by the formation tester will follow two general patterns, depending upon whether the formation is of high or low permeability. Fig. I (a and b) schematically illustrates these two responses. In Fig. 1(a), the high pressure recorded during fill-up of the tool is essentially the pressure differential across the choke in the system. In Fig. l(b), the flow rate is

By Benjamin Talbot

(New York Meeting, February 1913.) THE problem of segregation and cavities in steel ingots is a subject which has given and is still giving metallurgists, en¬gineers, and operators matter for serious consideration.. This question has come more into prominence lately in the United States, clue largely to the desire of railroad engineers to secure a better rail than they have obtained in the past, as the service they demand is increasing in severity; and no doubt manufacturers will be able to meet what is required of them. The rails here are as good as those made in other countries, but the conditions of service and the extremes of climate are more severe and consequently more breakages occur. Various reasons have been advanced to explain why rails may not be as good in quality to-clay as in the past. Some engineers consider that modern methods of manufacturing, designed chiefly to obtain large output, tend to reduce the standard of excellence of more deliberate methods. Others think that 4-ton ingots are worse than those of 2 tons. Again, it is .stated that the 100-ton heat in one ladle is too large, and is a :step in the wrong direction in casting. My experience upon the question of the size of the ingot is that in rolling rails of from 85-to 100-lb. sections, the range of ingot is only practically such that the difference in the size does not help in the question of segregation, cavities, or blow-holes.

Jan 4, 1913

The pressure of the gas in equilibrium with sphalerite has been determined in the temperature range of 680' to 825°C, using the Knudsen orifice method. A comparison of these experimental pressures with those calculated from thermal data and from other equilibrium measurements shows that the vapor above sphalerite is predominantly dissociated ZnS. Equations have been given for correctly calculating dissociation pressures using the Knudsen orifice method. It has been shown that the experimentally determined pressure is the same, whether the zinc sulphide is sphalerite or not, or a mixture of wurtzite and sphalerite. CONFLICTING points of view appear in the literature on the constitution of the vapor in equilibrium with solid zinc sulphide in the vicinity of 800°C. By comparing the dissociation pressure calculated from thermodynamic data and the vapor-pressure determination of ZnS by Veselovski,1 Lumsden2 has concluded that the vapor consists largely of dissociated ZnS. Sen Gupta,' however, concludes from his spectroscopic determinations that the vapor is largely ZnS molecules. In view of the fact that the thermodynamically calculated' dissociation pressure is higher than that experimentally measured by Veselovski, it seemed in order to repeat Veselovski's measurements. Experimental Procedure The method used for the determination of the pressures in this papel- is the Knudsen effusion cell. The apparatus and procedure were described in a previous paper- from this laboratory on the determination of the vapor pressure of silver. The only difference is that the Knudsen cell in this work is made from platinum and there is no external cover around the cell. The cell is an ordinary platinum crucible of 2.2 cm top diameter with a capsule cover. It was thought that platinum might stand up at these temperatures to the solid and gaseous ZnS, since it was found that the weight of the platinum cell itself did not change appreciably on heating ZnS in it at the working temperatures. To insure that reaction of the zinc sulphide with the cell was not giving' a false value, a stabilized zirconia cell was employed for check runs. Fig. 1 shows the comparison, which is satisfactory. Veselovski previously had measured the vapor pressure of ZnS using a silica Knudsen effusion cell. On repeating his experiment in this laboratory, it was found that ZnS at-tacked the silica cell, giving it a marked frosty appearance. This led to the belief that Veselovski's result:; may be in error. Also, he was operating at pressures above the range ordinarily considered safe for the Knudsen method. The effusion rate was measured by weighing the cell before and after each run. The weight loss during heating to temperature and cooling down was measured and subtracted from the weight loss during the actual run. The zinc sulphide used in this investigation was from two sources: Fisher cp grade, and a sample of pure sphalerite supplied by Mr. E. A. Anderson of the New Jersey Zinc Co. Before and after the series of runs with Fisher ZnS, X-ray analysis showed that both wurtzite and sphalerite were present. However, the ratio of sphalerite to wurtzite increased. All measurements were made below the transition temperature which has been reported" to be 1020°C. The data obtained in this investigation are tabulated in Table I. The pressure was calculated by the usual Knudsen formula" on the assumption that ZnS molecules were effusing. From these data, using pure sphalerite in the platinum Knudsen cell, the vapor pressure of ZnS, in mm of Hg, as a function of temperature is given by the solid line in Fig. 1. The best straight line, as determined by the method of least squares, is given by 14405 logpzns =-14405/T +11.032. A comparison of these results with Veselovski's shows that his results are about 50 pct lower. Discussion The vapor in equilibrium with solid zinc sulphide in the temperature range of this study will consist of Zn, S2, and ZnS mol, since other species of zinc and sulphur' are relatively unstable. The question to be settled is whether or not ZnS is largely dissociated. The derivation8 which follows gives the method of calculating the pressure of zinc and sulphur over solid ZnS, assuming complete dissociation, from Knudsen cell data. The free energy of the reaction 2 ZnS(solid) ? 2 Zn(gas) + S2(gas) is given by ?F?° = -RT In K = —RT In p12p2 where p1 is the zinc pressure and p is the sulphur pressure. If dissociation occurs in a closed system,

Jan 1, 1955

By Richard I. Petritz

A brief review of today's processing of integvated circuits is given. The major trends in the development of advanced integvated electronics are identified as 1) the broadening of the integvated circuit concept to a large class of circuit function, 2) the processing of more complex circuits within relatively small chips of silicon, and 3) the processing of very large electronic functions on complete slices of silicon. This latter trend, called array technology, is then developed in detail. Emphasis is given to defining the key tech-nological problems. Current progress being made is illustrated. THIS paper will endeavor to identify the major trends in advanced integrated electronics technology. One of these, array technology, will be developed in some detail. The array technology discussion will identify the key problem areas. Since it is the scope of the entire meeting' to present specific progress in the science and technology of integrated electronics, we shall indicate general directions being explored rather than discuss comprehensively solutions to the problems. In order to set the stage for the discussion of future trends in integrated-electronics technology, let us briefly compare the processes by which circuits are fabricated through discrete-device technology with that of integrated circuits technology. The reader is referred to the December 1964 issue of Proceedings of IEEE2 for a comprehensive review of integrated electronics. The article3 by Jay Lathrop is an excellent discussion of integrated-circuits technology. A discussion of the history of semiconductor technology is contained in Ref. 4. A) Current Status of Integrated Electronics. Fig. 1 (top) shows the process by which circuits are constructed from discrete devices. Key points are: 1) Slices containing large numbers of transistors or diodes are processed separately. 2) The slices are scribed into small chips (on the order of 15 mils on a side is about as small as can be conveniently handled) each chip containing one transistor. 3) Each device is specified separately—circuit -function specs are derived largely from device specs. 4) Circuits are formed by connecting together the discrete devices. 5) The number of circuit connections required is approximately equal to the number of devices. 6) There are potentially many more discrete devices per inch2 of semiconductor—only our lack of ability to handle them in discrete form prevents us from going to several orders of magnitude higher density iin Fig. 1, 400,000 transistors are discussed at 1.5 mils on a side). The bottom part of Fig. 1 illustrates the integrated circuit process. Key points are: 1) On the same slice of silicon, transistors, diodes, and resistors are processed grouped to do a complete circuit function. 2) While still in slice form, the components are interconnected into circuit functions by an evaporation process, eliminating the need for separate interconnection steps later. Dramatic improvements in cost and reliability are realized. With a simple flash of metalization thousands of interconnections are reliably made. 3) The slices are scribed into chips which contain complete circuit functions. 4) The circuit functions are specified-not each component in the circuit. This important point was missed by some of the early opponents to integrated circuitry. They argued that, with device yields at x pct, integrated circuit yields would be pct, where n is the required number of devices to make a circuit. This argument leads to extremely low yields for integrated circuits. The fallacy of the argument is that in integrated circuits each device is not specified separately. Furthermore, since a device is forever integrated into a specific circuit function, it need meet only the requirements for that particular function. Discrete devices, on the other hand, are tightly specified so that they can be applied to a variety of circuit functions. 5) Extremely high packing densities are achievable because one need only make the basic devices as large as the circuit demands. Their size is not dictated by handling requirements. A current example

Jan 1, 1967

By W. W. Coblentz

THE constants in question pertain to the total radiation and the spectral radiation of a uniformly heated enclosure, or so-called black body. These constants have been determined for the range within which temperatures can be measured with thermocouples. Conversely, using these constants and suitable instruments, such as an optical pyrometer, for example, it is possible to determine temperatures far above the range attainable with the most refractory thermocouples. The formula of Stefan Boltzmann for expressing the total radiation of a black body is R = kT4 in which k is the coefficient or "constant" under discussion. In view of the fact that total radiation pyrometers are usually calibrated on an arbitrary scale, there is no great demand for an exact value of the coefficient of total radiation in absolute value. However, it is intimately connected with the constant of spectral radiation; hence, an accurate determination of the constant k gives a check on the constant of spectral radiation. The distribution of radiation in the spectrum of a black body is represented by Planck's equation, E? = C1?-5 (e c/?T - 1)-'. The spectral radiation constant c, in this formula, is useful in optical pyrometry and in establishing a high temperature scale. The numerical value of the constant c has been determined in the range of temperatures measurable with thermocouples and, also, by extending the temperature scale to higher temperatures by means of total radiation measurements.

Jan 8, 1919

By Gilbert E. Doan

IN a technical civilization, that is. one whose major difference from past civilizations is its enormous development of technology, in transportation, communication, labor saving, centralized control, and mass production, it is natural that the most critical problems should be those that arise out of technologic advances; it is natural also that a. man who understands these advances should be chosen as the leader to meet these problems. This was done in the selection of Herbert Hoover as President of the United States. Mr. Hoover was a good, and perhaps a great President. But he was not a great politician and that ensured his defeat when a crisis came.

Jan 1, 1939

THERE has been a lot of talk about the shortage of engineers and we have done our share of it; but recently we heard a spot radio commercial-between broadcasts-urging high school seniors to study engineering. We think this is going too far. Engineering is an exacting profession requiring the highest personal qualifications. Publicity for the purpose of interesting capable young people in choosing courses in engineering should emphasize qualification. The opportunities for a career in a great constructive profession which is the basis of our high standard of living should be properly evaluated. Although there is a need for more engineers today, nobody knows what the employment potential is going to be four years hence. The profession may do itself a grave disservice by attempting mass recruitment in the face of an unpredictable national economy. The mining and metals industries are in a special position as fewer engineers are needed in these fields. Only 10 pct of all engineers are mining and metallurgical engineers. Today's shortage is not so much in recent graduates, but in trained practicing engineers. The shortage has served the profession to good effect because it directed the talents of engineers into more productive channels. In some areas high school graduates have been put into routine jobs such as, surveying. If there is one thing the mining profession does not want, it is an oversupply of graduates which would relegate college men to years of work and discouragement in routine jobs. The public has a clear cut picture of the legal and medical professions and thus the respect knowledge imparts. But the engineer is variously thought of as a man who pulls the throttle lever on a locomotive, tends a furnace, or builds a bridge. The term engineer is too loosely used. For instance we have heard of "crowd engineers" and "exterminating engineers." In some unions an engineer designation has been established to describe a person doing routine checking or other control job. We do not disparage these positions but they are different from the work done by the man qualified by years of experience and study. Many of these so-called engineers are not engineers at all. The engineering profession has cooperated closely on a program of recruiting high school graduates for engineering study. It should start a cooperative public relations program to enlighten the public on the accomplishments and work of engineers. This type of publicity need not be of the bombastic type. It can be educational and dignified. Radio, television, and the periodicals can be used to convey information. It is time that laymen and interested young people learn to make a distinction between the true engineer and the technician. Such a program would instruct parents and high school students and thereby interest the right type of people in the engineering profession. The Centennial of Engineering sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers is a step in the direction of instructive public relations. This fine start should not be allowed to remain as a one pass venture. The engineering profession as a whole should follow this exposition with a sustained, well directed effort to inform the public of the engineer's work and the possibilities it holds for a constructive career.

Jan 1, 1952

By B. Fitch

This paper deals with the behavior of sedimenting suspensions. More particularly, it treats, in as organized a manner as possible, the body of knowledge, theoretical or empirical, by which one predicts the behavior of miscellaneous swarms of particles in suspension. Such knowledge is necessary for precise and economical design of equipment. While the behavior of a single spherical particle settling through an infinite sea of quiescent fluid is well understood, practical sedimentation processes are almost always concerned with particles of assorted sizes, densities, and shapes, in such concentration that there is profound particle interaction. Such swarms of particles are observed to settle in any of four markedly different manners. Which one they follow is governed by particle interaction. It is determined largely by the dilution of the suspension, and the relative tendency of the particles to cohere. TYPES OF SEDIMENTATION The relationship between the different modes of sedimentation is shown paragenetically in Fig. 1. The left side of the diagram represents particles having little tendency to cohere; the right side represents particles for which interparticle cohesion is large compared to the settling force. The vertical axis represents dilution. As seen in the diagram, sedimentation is divided into three broad fields or regimes. At high dilutions there exists a regime here named 'clarification.' Particles in clarification may settle either individually, or by collecting into separated floccules. Thus there are two different possible modes of settling in the clarification regime. It is characteristic c~f this regime that there will be no clear line of demarcation between settling suspension and a supernatant. Faster particles settle out ahead of slower ones. In batch tests there develops a gradation of both particle sizes and pulp density due to progressive depletion of the largest particles from any given pulp level.

Jan 1, 1962

By Earl Oliver

Dean Roscoe Pound, of Harvard Law School, in addressing the A.I.M.E. Petroleum Division on Feb. 22, 1934, said, "When you are able to work out a program that is mechanically feasible, that is economicaIly advisable, and which seems in your judgment, which is just as good as that of anyone, to be politically wise, you will not have very much trouble in the end in inducing the courts of today to find that it is legally sound." The purpose of this paper is to show: first, legal conditions necessary to promote conservation and stabilization; and second, to suggest operating procedure when those legal conditions are established. The proposal is mechanically feasible and economically advisable. A growing public understanding should make it politically wise. The disappointing progress in the development of conservation and stabilization can be attributed to the lack of two legal concepts as integral parts of oil and gas law; i.e., (1) a practical substitute for the capture rule, (2) collective ownership control for the individual oil and gas pool. When these two concepts are established on an equitable basis, conservation and stabilization procedure will become a comparatively simple process, more or less automatic in its adaptation and operation. Establishing these concepts is the function of the law-making agencies and might well be left to them for discussion except that the mechanical processes that give them form and substance must first be developed by the engineer. A Substitute for the Capture Rule Much has been written on these subjects, but the most concrete statement that has come to the attention of this writer is the following from an article by Charles G. Haglund in the Kentucky Law Journal of May, 1934: The Oxford1 case is not only authority for the proposition that it is competent for the legislature to modify the old property law of capture with respect to oil and gas but that it may also delegate such authority to a subordinate body.

Jan 1, 1935

By P. D. Southgate

VIBRATION, both ultrasonic and sonic, can affect the course of a variety of metallurgical processes. Reports of work on this subject have appeared at intervals over the last twenty years and a thorough review has been made by Hiedemann,' who gives a full list of references. It has been established that both refinement of structure and outgassing of the melt can be produced in most metals with sufficiently intense vibration. Many of the experiments in this field have been carried out using alloys of direct commercial interest in production- type casting equipment. Here a different approach is adopted, and simple binary alloys which exhibit different types of structure are used to facilitate examination of the effects produced under well-controlled conditions. Results from this kind of experiment should enable the basis of larger scale experiments with similar types of materials to be better substantiated. The alloys selected for this work are: 1) aluminum of 99.2 pct purity, the principal impurity being iron, near 0.4 pct; 2) A1-1.8 pct Fe, which is near eutectic composition; 3) A1-4 pct Fe—the second phase, of composition FeAl3, forms distinct acicular crystals; and 4) A1-12 pct Si—although this is of eutectic composition, the silicon normally appears in the form of large plates. Experimental Method There are three practicable methods by which acoustic vibration can be transferred to liquid metals: a) vibration of the whole of the container; b) electromagnetic induction; and c) insertion of a vibrating probe into the liquid. Method c is chosen here, and a frequency of 8 kc per sec is used. The end of the probe is electrically heated so that the metal near it will be the last to solidify. This ensures that vibration is transmitted directly to the liquid metal without passing through any solidifying and pasty intermediate region, which would attenuate acoustic waves severely. In addition, the heating prevents solid metal adhering to the probe, with consequent detuning. The transducer assembly is shown in Fig. 1. A stack of Permendur laminations 30 cm long acts as a half-wave vibrator and a winding along its length carries polarizing and energizing currents. It is joined by a half-wave coupling bar to a mild steel exponential horn, which tapers from 3.8 to 1.1 cm diam. A stainless steel stub 3 cm in length is welded on the free end. The assembly is supported by a plate located at the node of the coupling bar. Acoustic radiation losses are minimized by allowing the free end of the transducer to protrude above the surface of the cooling water. The exponential horn serves the function of matching the acoustic output impedance of the transducer to the radiation resistance of the probe into the melt. Electrical drive is provided by a 1 kw generator. Measurements of probe vibration amplitude during melt treatment are obtained from a gramophone pick-up with the needle attached to the wide end of the horn. This device is calibrated with a microscope before use. Liquid aluminum is very actively erosive and solution of materials with which the molten metal comes into contactcauses difficulties. Erosion of the probes in particular can be severe since it is greatly accelerated by the vibration. Tests of various acous-

Jan 1, 1958

By T. D. Murphy

The element silicon, with its usual partner, oxygen, plays the same role on this planet relative to inorganic materials as carbon and hydrogen play with respect to living organisms. The crystallographic structure of silicon dioxide (SiO,) consists of one atom of silicon well-nigh inseparably bonded to four contiguous atoms of oxygen, a gas of but slightly more than half its atomic weight, forming a three-dimensional network of SiO, tetrahedra (Dietz, 1968). This wispy arrangement is the fabric of the mineral quartz which is one of the harder, more abrasive, and chemically stable raw materials to be found in Mother Nature's cupboard. Most of us are vaguely familiar with the observation that nearly 60% of the lithosphere to an approximate depth of 10 miles is composed of these two elements, which proportion actually rises to about 75% if the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere are included (Parker, 1967). Elemental silicon is a brittle steel-gray metalloid with a density of 2.42 and does not occur in nature. In its limited commercial form, which is still brittle and metallic in appearance, its density drops to 2.33. It combines with oxygen to form the gaseous oxide SiO, or the solid dioxide SiO, (analogous to its congener carbon in CO and CO,); a tetrachloride SiCl, (analogous to CC1,); or, combining with oxygen and one or more metal ions, forms the largest rock-making family of all, the silicates. Further, next to the feldspars, quartz is the most abundant known mineral and, in some form or another, accounts for roughly 12% of surficial terrestrial rock. It is this so-called "free silica" to which your attention is chiefly directed in this chapter. In any such consideration of silica, its several crystalline phases with their attendant differing physical properties appear worthy of delineation. Alpha quartz is the only one of this interesting polymorphic family that is thermodynamically stable at normal pressures and temperatures up to about 573°C. The low phases of tridymite and cristobalite can exist in the so-called metastable state below 117°- 200°C but seldom occur in nature in these two different crystal forms (Sosman, 1965). Opaline silica, now considered by most researchers to be a variety of cristobalite, occurs in abundance and is the only exception. The three remaining polymorphs, keatite, coesite, and stishovite, also are metastable under ambient conditions. Keatite, however, is not known to occur naturally and has only been synthesized in the laboratory. The other two have been identified in submicron sizes and in microscopic amounts, occurring naturally as a result of high order shock-wave pressures generating quite elevated temperatures-such as might accompany the impact of a large meteorite on a hard sandstone terrain (Chao, et al., 1962). An intriguing characteristic of these silica minerals, and one which has very practical applications, is their extremely variable densities. The classic 2.65 specific gravity of alpha quartz drops to 2.20 in tridymite, cristobalite, and lechatelierite (natural silica glass), as well as in many man-made glasses of commerce which are merely noncrystalline or amorphous solids in the form of super-cooled liquids which can no longer change their shapes (Pauling, 1950). It rises again to 2.50 and 2.93 for keatite and coesite, respectively, and finally becomes a reported 4.35 for stishovite-nearly a 50% range in density for the known physical combinations that silica naturally assumes (Frondel, 1962; Konnert, et al., 1973; Pecora, 1960).

Jan 1, 1975

Discussion of the paper of N. V. Hansell, presented at the Cleveland Meeting, October, 1912, and published in Bulletin No. 72, December, 1912, pp. 1497 to 1,517. C. Q. PAYNE, New York (communication to the Secretary*) :-Mr. Hansell has presented in his paper a very interesting and valuable summary of the various methods of enriching iron-ores which have been developed during recent years. Particularly striking in this connection is the high degree of enrichment of the concentrates from magnetic iron-ores which is now commercially feasible. Magnetic concentrates containing from 6 7 to 139 per cent. of metallic iron, showing an efficiency of 90 and even 95 per cent. in. their separation, are not now uncommon. Such results exceed those obtained by gravity methods of treatment of all copper-, lead-, and zinc-ores, and are only equaled in the cyaniding of gold-ores and in the flotation treatment of certain copper-ores. It is of interest to note that the-type of magnetic field which is employed in securing these results, in the Gröndal (wet) and the Ball & Norton (dry) systems of treatment is the same in each case : viz., a field of alternating north and south poles. The credit for developing this simple and useful field, which has found so wide an application both in this country and abroad, is due to two American inventors and engineers, Clinton M. Ball and Sheldon Norton. At the same time, it should be noted that part of the improvement in the grade of the magnetic concentrates, especially in the case of the wet treatment of finely mineralized ores, is due to a well-devised scheme of mill-treatment, whereby a rough concentrate is usually obtained as an intermediate product, which is then recrushed and reseparated in obtaining final clean products.

Jan 3, 1913

By ALEX. S. THOMAS

HOWEVER good a furnace may be in regard to design, etc., or however excellent in the quality of the gas used, a suitable heat for the successful working of the metal cannot be obtained unless the melt be coated with a proper quantity of slag. This coating may be excessive or it may be deficient in quantity. The right degree of heat is the essential condition of successful working, for the quality of the steel made is never very good when the metal is allowed to simmer in the furnace for an excessive period, and this heat cannot be obtained if the metal is not protected by a proper covering of slag. This is not only to prevent the metal being over-oxidized and wasted, but also to prevent the metal being chilled when exposed with only a thin covering of slag. The slag may be obtained in either of two ways : 1, naturally, by the presence of sufficient silicon in the iron used, to unite with iron oxide to form a staple slag ; or, 2, by the addition of slag or free silica. In the first case the slag is formed naturally by the action of the oxygen in the flame - i.e., the oxidizing atmosphere of the furnace-on the silicon in the metal when melting. The charge then melts, as it is termed, "thick," and protects the banks from being cut. If too much silicon be present, however, and an excessive quantity of slag be formed, it will be found to be rather infusible, and unless care be taken to add the oxides quickly and follow the furnace up-thus rendering the slag more fusible by the extra iron oxide-the furnace bottom is liable to be pulled up. In such cases the author has frequently been able to warn

Nov 1, 1906

By Henry Fay

LAWRENCE ADDICKS, New York, N. Y., (communication to the Secretary *).-There are two points regarding gun erosion on which I want to say a few words: The first is about the analogy to hardening of wire by drawing and the second the possible role played by thermal conductivity of the metal. The ductile metals do not necessarily become brittle when cold-worked as it is possible to draw copper from 3. in. in diameter soft rod down to the finest hair wire without annealing. This results, as stated in the paper, informing a hardened core with a very hard skin. The electrical conductivity is depressed some 3 per cent. and the tensile strength nearly tripled. A soft copper wire 0.08 in. in diameter and 6 in. long may be twisted 150 or more turns before the wire will snap under torsion. A hard-drawn wire will break after perhaps a dozen twists, the skin breaking down at one spot. Just wiping the wire with a cloth clamp with dilute nitric acid has a remarkable effect in increasing the number of twists without appreciably lowering the tensile strength, showing the skin to be very thin. On the other hand, pickling the rod, from which the wire is to be drawn, in dilute nitric acid also greatly increases the number of twists which can be applied to the resulting wire. This indicates that the copper oxide scale produced when the wire bar is rolled hot is more or less rolled into the rod and may have much to do with the skin effect. We also know that if the conditions of drawing are not correct, the heat of deformation in the die may produce quite an annealing effect. The application of this analogy to what occurs in a gun to produce the effects noted offers some difficulty. The second point is that as the temperature of the surface of the gun bore has undoubtedly a great deal to do with the amount of erosion, one natural remedy would be to conduct the heat away fast enough to keep this temperature within desired limits. This brings up the question of the thermal conductivity of the metal of which the gun is made. We know that the conductivity of pure metals is greatly altered by alloying and that the alloy is usually, though not always, lower in conductivity than the metal before alloying. This is interesting when it is considered that the high-nickel and manganese-steel alloys show greater erosion as stated. Would it not be instructive to study the question from the point of view of heat conducted away from the eroded surface?

Jan 3, 1917

By H. Hooykaas

A few years ago Marsal published a method of predicting oil recovery as a function of time for an edge-water-drive reservoir with several rows of wells.' The method is based solely on oil- and water-production data obtained during a short period for the first row of wells and the gross productions (past and future) of all wells. This paper presents a streamlined version of the original publication and experimental evidence showing the reliability of this version. For this purpose scaled experirnents were performed in a large model (750 X 500 X 23 cm, 24.4 ft X 16.2 ft X 8.9 in.) in which edge-water-drive reservoirs with three rows of production wells were simulated. From the results of the experiments it is concluded that the method gives a fairly accurate prediction of the future production behavior of the reservoir and enables us to select the most profitable production plan. Results obtained with the method were always slightly conservative. INTRODUCTION The calculation method developed by Marsal aims at forecasting future reservoir behavior.' It can be applied to floods in which a number of down-dip wells are rapidly going to water. Essentially it is a method for predicting the future behavior of the up-structure wells on the basis of the observed behavior of the down-structure wells. As such, the method is especially useful for predicting behavior of edge-water drives toward several rows of wells. The requirement to be met for justifying the approach is identity of production mechanism in all regions of the reservoir. The attraction of the method then lies in the fact that it applies even when we have no complete description of the prevailing production mechanism. The original publication was in the German language and for this reason, perhaps, did not attract widespread attention. In our opinion it deserves to do so because it does offer in a simple way results which are in fair agreement with observed data. The aim of the present paper is to bring the method to the attention of a wider audience. The method in its most simplified form is reviewed and experimental data in support of it are presented. PRINCIPLES To show Marsal's principle. we will first write the continuity equation for very simple conditions, linear flow (in the positive x-direction) in an incompressible porous body [cross-section A(x), porosity +(x)], saturated with incompressible fluids (oil saturation S). When the oil in this formation is displaced by water, injected at x = 0 (inlet face), we get where q(t) is the total gross displacement rate and f the fractional oil flow. The equation can be solved if we make the assumptions: (1 ) that the fractional oil flow (f) is a univalent function of saturation (S); and (2) that the function is the same throughout the porous medium. Then: f = f(S) Solving this equation with the method of characteristics, we obtain

Jan 1, 1966

By Henry P. Ehrlinger, James C. Bradbury

Tripoli is a naturally occurring, very finely divided form of silica found chiefly in some midwestern and southeastern states and used commercially as fillers and abrasives. Definitions Tripoli is a microcrystalline, finely particulate, more or less friable form of silica that appears to be the product of leaching of siliceous limestone or calcareous chert. The term was originally applied to a deposit near Seneca, MO, that resembled material of that name found near Tripoli In North Africa (Hovey, 1894). The two deposits were subsequently found to have different physical characteristics -the North African tripoli, now called tripolite, is a diatomite, composed of the siliceous skeletons of microscopic marine plants called diatoms; the Missouri tripoli contains no diatom remains. The term tripoli, however, continued to be used for the Missouri material and is now applied in a general way to most silica deposits similar to it in characteristics and geologic origin. In commercial trade tripoli is commonly understood to designate material from the Missouri-Oklahoma field; silica from southern Illinois, the other major producing area, is referred to commercially as amorphous silica. Each term, however, may be used commercially for material, regardless of place of origin, that has the characteristics or uses commonly ascribed to the material from one or the other major producing area. For example, in the commodity price listings, Engineering & Mining Journal routinely lists under Tripoli, prices "f.o.b. Elco, IL" and "f.o.b. Seneca, MO, and Rogers, AR," and under Silica, amorphous, prices "f.o.b. IL," and "f.o.b. bierks, AR." Amorphous silica, the commercial designation given to southern Illinois tripoli, is, like the term tripoli, a misnomer. Mineralogically, the southern Illinois deposits are composed of microcrystalline quartz, and no amorphous material has been detected during X-ray and scanning electron microscope investigations (Leamnson, Thomas, and Ehrlinger, 1969; Thomas et al., 1970; Keller, 1978). Soft silica is another term that has been applied to Illinois and Tennessee tripoli, presumably to distinguish it from the more compact Missouri material. It has also been used in the ceramic trade to distinguish tripoli from "hard" silica, or silica flour, produced by pulverizing silica sand (Heinz, 1937). Rottenstone, produced commercially in Pennsylvania, is similar to tripoli in that a major constituent is finely particulate silica, and its uses are much the same as those of Tripoli-as abrasives and fillers. The origin of rottenstone also is similar to that of tripoli-decomposition of a siliceous sedimentary rock. The parent rock is defined as a siliceous limestone (Gary, McAfee,, and Wolf, 1972; Thrush, 1968) or as shale. Heinz (1937) quotes a brief statement describing the Pennsylvania deposits -"a black impure shaly limestone grading into black shale"-but does not identify the source of the statement. For convenience, rottenstone is included with tripoli in the reporting of production statistics in US Bureau of Mines (USBM) Minerals Yearbooks. Other materials that have been called tripoli include siliceous deposits in San Bernardino County, California (USBM Minerals Yearbooks, 1934-1941) and in Nevada (Chandler, 1960). These, however, differ in composition and/or origin from tripoli and, therefore, should not be identified by the name tripoli.

Jan 1, 1983

By Godfrey T. Vivian

Very often important discoveries are made in one industry that may be used to advantage in another, but, owing to the rarity that men step out of one industry into another, these discoveries remain unknown outside of the trade or profession in which they are made. The present paper is written solely with the object of bringing to the notice of mining and metallurgical engineers a centrifugal ore-concentrator which eventually may have a great application. Ore- Grading. Fig. 1 represents the action which takes place when solids of different dimensions are stirred up in a box and allowed to settle as minerals of the same size but of different specific gravity. This principle is applied practically in grading china-clay and in enriching tin-slimes. In the latter case the slimes are stirred around in a tub with water and allowed to settle while at the same time the side of the tub is struck with a hammer. The colloidal slimes are then poured off and various slices taken off horizontally. The great drawback of this process is that the particles are deposited horizontally and all the colloids are lost. Fig. 2 represents the action in which the particles are deposited side by side. Here the drawback is the great length of the box needed in order to prevent excessive loss. The alternative to lengthening the box is to increase the force of gravity. Centrifugal force may be regarded practically as the force of gravity augmented. Fig. 3 illustrates the Gee centrifugal machine for grading ores. The drum, A, fitted with a box, B, is mounted on a shaft or spindle, C, the whole being suspended from a ball-bearing of special design at D, supported between girders, E. Rota-

Jan 1, 1913