Search Documents

By G. S. Derrickson, R. A. Golobic

Any type of agitation within a confined vessel is primarily concerned with two parameters: a level of agitation describing the homogeneity of the constituents (whether it be suspension or mixing), and the energy efficiency with which this level of agitation is accomplished. The following is an attempt to present a solution to the problem of adequately defining and optimizing these properties. A discussion is included of the application of good design practices to the determination of a mechanically efficient shape to the blade elements of the propeller. These practices, excluding several appropriate modifications, have been known, but not well understood, in aircraft fluid mechanics for a number of years. Having optimized the direct impartation of energy to the medium being agitated, attention is turned to one of the more perplexing phenomena of multi-phase systems - definition and prediction of agitation levels. The result of recent study and testing is a method of scaling that the authors believe provides a lucid understanding of governing physical parameters within the agitator itself, allowing one to scale up and down with confidence.

Jan 1, 1985

By Charles Wright

AT most mines where large tonnages are handled, "bulldozing" or secondary blasting is an important and costly operation. To reduce the large blocks from primary blasting operations or stoping so that they will be small enough to pass through the chutes into the cars at the haulage level, and not too large for the crushing plant, requires blasting. Often this is done by placing a few sticks of dynamite on top of a block with or without a capping of mud, but to consume less dynamite and to promote safety, most secondary blasting is now done by blockholing, or the drilling of holes 6 to 12 in. long in the blocks, using only a part of a stick of dynamite per hole. Regardless of the method of blasting, however, the term "bulldozing chamber" is applied to the room where this work is done. Bulldozing chambers permit secondary blasting at all times in a safe place without disturbance to the other mining operations. The chambers are usually high above the haulage level and well below the stope level or open-pit floor. In most instances the material is passed through a grizzly in the bulldozing chamber, but sometimes no grizzlies are used. One to four raises extend from the chamber to the stope floor and one or two from the haulage level to the chamber floor. Occasionally large slabs of ore or rock choke the raises above the bull-dozing chamber, and these have to be blasted by attaching a bundle of dynamite sticks on the end of a long pole and placing them up in the raise between the pieces causing the choke. This is called "chute-blasting." To give a picture of the progressive developments in the use of the bulldozing chamber, a few typical mines that show the application of this method to both metal and limestone mines have been selected for description here. Limestone mines have been included because many metal miners do not realize to what extent the nonmetallic, or rock, miners are now applying metal-mining methods successfully in their operations. The bulldozing chamber is the "neck of the bottle" for some mines.

Jan 1, 1935

By N. V. Melnikov, L. N. Marchenko

The latest theoretical and experimental study of physical processes initiated by explosions in solid media have made it possible to obtain a deeper insight into the mechanism of the energy transfer to ambient rock from char es of explosives interspersed with various air gaps. As shown in (17, high explosive action causes excessive fragmentation of medium in the vicinity of the charge, while expansion of the process into the massif is negligible. A theoretical outline of a more rational application of explosion energy was given with a view of obtaining more uniform fragmentation of rock convenient for loading and transportation. The proposed idea proven by experimental study consisted of the possibility of explosion control based on redistribution of explosion energy. Practical realization of the above idea was proposed (1) involving charges with air gaps for rock fragmentation. Since the Rolla Symposium on Mining Research (USA, 1961) (2), borehole charges with air gaps have become common practice. This method of rock blasting is applied in open cast and underground mines working the hardest and viscous, hard, medium hard and soft rocks (ore, quartzites, granites, 1 imes tones, sandstones, coals, etc.) as well as at enterprises for extraction of building materials and raw chemical minerals of any strength. Application of charges with air gaps results in an increase of the degree and uniformity of fragmentation (up to 94 percent of the blasted rock mass consists of fragments not exceeding 400 mm), the average fragment size decreases by 1.5-2 times and the amount of lumps is reduced by 2-10 times (in some cases there are no lumps at all ). Besides, the amount of operation for filling boreholes with tamping material is reduced, the specific consumption of explosives

Jan 1, 1971

By John W. Sweeney

Florida is blessed with some of the worlds greatest phosphate rock deposits, and doubly blessed in that those deposits are uraniferous. Until recently, the uranium con¬tained in phosphate rock had been ignored, but spot mar¬ket prices in the $40-per-pound range have spurred actions which will soon transform the state into a major uranium supplier. In 1978, two plants in Florida and one in Louisiana went it on- stream to recover uranium oxide from phosphoric acid, and construction began on three other extraction facilities. Together, these six plants will be cap¬able of recovering 1940 t/y (2140 stpy) of yellow cake from Florida phosphate in the early 1980s, equivalent to 15% of the projected US requirement. By the year 2000, Florida phosphates will have produced a projected 49 000 tons (54,000 st) of uranium oxide to fuel the nation's nuclear reactors.

Jan 9, 1979

By Gifford E. White

Explanations of the basic procedure for making earth-conductivity studies by the Eltran method have already appeared in several placeS. 1,2,3 In its essentials, this method consists of applying step functions of voltage to one pair of earth grounds and measuring the transient potential resulting at a separate pair of ground points. As previously pointed out,' the transient potential resulting from a suddenly applied steady voltage is the indicia1 transfer function of Carson1 6 which has been extensively studied in network theory. The discussion here, with one special exception, will ignore the problem of how the physical configuration of the earth affects the transient response voltage; it appears that this phase of the problem has been solved in only a few special cases having any direct bearing on the prospecting problem. Entirely distinct from the potential-theory aspect of the conductivity problem is the interesting material that can be had from studying the well-known network relations between cause and effect in linear circuits, and thus deducing criteria for the application of the several experimental methods available. To do this, only one assumption need be made about the nature of the earth. The earth is to be considered a linear conductor within the tolerance of ordinary measurements. The discussion will be restricted to collinear electrode configuration like that of Fig. I, since this is the only type of spread practical for use with driving currents that vary with time. Here one pair of grounds carries the driving current, and in line with these and external to them is a RECORDING Fair of potential probes. The problem will be to consider the relation between the different voltages appearing between the potential circuit terminals when various types of driving voltage sources are inserted in the current circuit. Suppose that the grounding points G, and G2 make good contact with the earth, and that a battery of sufficient voltage to produce one ampere of direct current is introduced into the current circuit by the closing of a switch. The potential transient response to such a voltage can be measured by taking an oscillogram at the potential Directors terminals, giving the time function that has been called A(l).4 This time function has been solved for analytically in the case of a homogeneous earth,"' and the

Jan 1, 1946

By Gifford E. White

Explanations of the basic procedure for making earth-conductivity studies by the Eltran method have already appeared in several placeS. 1,2,3 In its essentials, this method consists of applying step functions of voltage to one pair of earth grounds and measuring the transient potential resulting at a separate pair of ground points. As previously pointed out,' the transient potential resulting from a suddenly applied steady voltage is the indicia1 transfer function of Carson1 6 which has been extensively studied in network theory. The discussion here, with one special exception, will ignore the problem of how the physical configuration of the earth affects the transient response voltage; it appears that this phase of the problem has been solved in only a few special cases having any direct bearing on the prospecting problem. Entirely distinct from the potential-theory aspect of the conductivity problem is the interesting material that can be had from studying the well-known network relations between cause and effect in linear circuits, and thus deducing criteria for the application of the several experimental methods available. To do this, only one assumption need be made about the nature of the earth. The earth is to be considered a linear conductor within the tolerance of ordinary measurements. The discussion will be restricted to collinear electrode configuration like that of Fig. I, since this is the only type of spread practical for use with driving currents that vary with time. Here one pair of grounds carries the driving current, and in line with these and external to them is a RECORDING Fair of potential probes. The problem will be to consider the relation between the different voltages appearing between the potential circuit terminals when various types of driving voltage sources are inserted in the current circuit. Suppose that the grounding points G, and G2 make good contact with the earth, and that a battery of sufficient voltage to produce one ampere of direct current is introduced into the current circuit by the closing of a switch. The potential transient response to such a voltage can be measured by taking an oscillogram at the potential Directors terminals, giving the time function that has been called A(l).4 This time function has been solved for analytically in the case of a homogeneous earth,"' and the

Jan 1, 1946

By G. A. Croes, N. Schwarz

This paper reports the results of a series of model displacement experiments carried out for measuring the efficiency of the water-drive process. This series forms a continuation and extension of that described by Engel-herts and Klinkenberg. Detailed information has been obtained on the influence of the oil/water viscosity ratio. The results are represented in the form of a diagram from which both the oil recovery and the water/oil ratio can be easily read off as a function of the total production (oil plus water) for all values of the viscosity ratio M between I and 500. These resu1ts are viewed in the light of the two existing theories on water flooding, viz. that of Buckley and Leverett and that of Dietz. It is shown that if the Buckley-Leverett theory applies, the relation between the relative permeability ratio and saturation, which plays a major role in this theory, (.an be calculated with a high degree of accuracy from the results of the model experiments. Dietz's theory is found to be in agreement with the experimental results in a certain range of circumstances. A discussion of the physical background of the Buckley- Leverett and Dietz theories makes it clear why the latter fails to agree with some of the experimental results. INTRODUCTION For an economical exploitation of oil fields both a rational control of natural (primary) recovery processes and a proper application of artificial (secondary) recovery methods are essential. These require detailed information upon the dependence of the relevant flow processes on the variables by which they are governed. Three methods are available for obtaining this information: (1) (statistical) analysis of actual field data; (2) appropriately scaled model experiments; and (3) mathematical analysis of the physical problem. If sufficient data were available, the first method would, in principle, be the most reliable one, although it has the drawback that the basic relationships between the variables involved are to a large extent obscured by the natural inhomogeneities of most reservoirs. The most profitable procedure seems to be: (a) determining the fundamental relations for idealized reservoirs by methods (2) and (3); (b) checking the consistency of the results obtained by these two methods; and (c) establishing the range of applicability of these methods to actual reservoirs by comparison with the data accumulated under (1). In this paper items (a) and (b) are dealt with for the case of homogeneous loose sands initially saturated

Jan 1, 1956

By Michel Dupuy, Daniel Calais

The study of self-diffusion of plutonium in E phase has been carried out by the welded couples method. The tracer used was puZ4O which is detected by its X-ray emission (conversion lines of uranium which are computed between 13 and 21 kev). Intensities were measured with a scintillation counter. Each layer was removed in a direction parallel to the original interface with a grinding machine and a thickness measured with a pneumatic comparator. The concentration-penetration curves obtained were corrected for the effect of heating time from room temperature to annealing temperature and for the expansion due to phase transformations of plutonium. They were analyzed by the generalized Gruzin method. Self-diffusion of plutonium in E Phase is very fast cm per sec between 500" and 620°C) and the diffusion zones are 2 to 3 mm wide for annealing times ranging from 30 min up to 10 hr. The Arrhenius law gives the temperature dependence in the form: From the point of view of self-dqfusion, PUE phase falls into the anomalous bcc metals category (Tip , Hfp, Zrp, Uy) with a low-frequency factor and an activation energy lower than those provided by standard correlations. No theory proposed hitherto to explain these anomalies (influence of dislocations, of extrinsic vacancies bonded to inlpurities, of bi-vacancies) can clearly explain the self-diffusion coeffzcients of plutonium. DIFFUSION in bcc metals is a present-day problem. A recent symposium (Gatlinburg, 1964), followed by a book,' has been devoted to it. A great many experiments seem to show that diffusion in certain bcc metals obeys unexpected laws. The activation energies measured are sometimes strangely low (B hafnium, y uranium). For certain metals (0 zirconium, p titanium) the curves of log D (D = diffusion coefficient) as a function of 1/T (T = absolute temperature) are not linear. The frequency factors Do, which are of the order of 1 sq cm sec-' in fcc metals, vary from 1 to 10~6 sq cm sec-'. Various theories have been put forward to explain these anomalies; none is yet satisfactory. We wished to introduce a new experimental result by studying the self-diffusion in c plutonium. This allotropic phase, stable from 475°C up to the melting point (640°C), is in fact bcc. Unfortunately, nothing is known of the characteristics of the point defects in this phase, which limits the scope of the hypothesis which can be made about the mechanism(s) of self-diffusion in plutonium. 1) EXPERIMENTAL METHODS 1) Principle. We used the welded couple method. The two pellets of the couple initially have different 240 isotope contents (X emitter). After diffusion, the concentration/penetration curves are drawn up by the generalized Gruzin method. 2) Gamma Spectrography. The metal used in our study is plutonium, either low in puZ4O (isotopic content 1 pct) or high in puZ4O (8 pct). The latter also contains plutonium 241 (-1 pct) and 300 ppm of ameri-cium produced by the reaction Pu2U-AmM1 + 8-. The emission spectra of these two plutoniums placed in leak-tight vinyl bags have been studied by y spectrograph~. The detector is a thin crystal of thallium-doped sodium iodide. The activity of the plutonium rich in 240 is about twice that of the plutonium low in 240 in the energy band of 17 kev (L conversion lines of uranium); this band was used in these measurements. 3) Preparation and Examination of the Diffusion Couples. Diffusion couples were made from plutonium with a high and low PU"' content. Pellets (6 6 mm. thickness 3 mm) mounted on a polishing disc with ground parallel faces were polished mechanically on both sides. In this way, pellets with two parallel faces were easily obtained. The polished pellets were joined by a 6 phase anneal (420°C, 1 hr) in a small screw press (pressure of 20 kg per sq mm cold); a centering ring enabled the two pellets to be pressed coaxially. The couples then were subjected to the diffusion treatment by annealing in the E phase in sealed silica ampules in argon at atmospheric pressure. The annealing temperatures and times are given in Table I. The couples were encased in a mild steel ring, the joint interface being thus parallel to the ground face of the ring. The diffusion couple/ring assembly underwent successive abrasions by means of a magnetic plate grinder. The thickness of the abraded layer was measured with a Solex pneumatic comparator when it was less than 0.1 mm (accuracy 0.2 p) or with a mechanical micrometer (accuracy 3 p) for passes of the order of 0.2 mm. All these operations were done in glove boxes, as plutonium is particularly toxic. After each abrasion we determined the emission spectrum of the ground face. The emissive surface is defined by means of a diaphragm 3 mm in diam. We noted more particularly the X activity in the 17-kev

Jan 1, 1969

By M. C. Fuerstenau, W. F. Cummins

The flotation response of quartz in the presence of calcium chloride and various fatty acids is presented. Flotation is not effected with lauric acid until calcium laurate is precipitated in solution, while flotation is obtained with the 9, 10, and 11-carbon members before precipitation of the calcium carboxylate. The active species responsible for flotation is suggested to be a basic aqueous complex, e.g. Ca(OH) (RCOO) (aq), and a possible mechanism of adsorption is given. Most of the previous work on activation in non-metallic flotation systems has involved the use of high molecular weight collectors, such as oleic acid or alkyl aryl Sulfonate.1-7 In these studies the levels of addition of collector and activator required for flotation were much above the concentrations necessary for precipitation of the metal-collector salt. In fact, Clemmer, Clemmons, Rampacek, Williams, and Stacy1 have stated, "Our experiments on a variety of materials have demonstrated that the metal salts which react with anionic collecting agents, as soaps and alkyl sulfates, to form relatively insoluble compounds may be employed as activating agents provided an optimum quantity is used at a proper pH." On the other hand, Gaudin and chang8 obtained flotation with additions of barium and lauric acid below the level required for barium lautate precipitation.

Jan 1, 1968

By L. J. Ebert, G. Sachs, W. F. Brown

Isothermal transformation, or "aus-tempering," of a carbon-containing aus-tenite at elevated temperatures yields so-called "intermediate products." Their structure and properties are, for a given hardness, rather different from those of "tempered martensite" obtained on conventional quenching and tempering.' Several investigators2,3 have found that for high carbon and slightly alloyed steels the intermediate products formed at temperatures close to that of the martensite reaction possess strength properties superior to those of tempered martensite. The structure of these low temperature, intermediate products is generally acicular (bainite) but clearly different from that of martensite. However, at higher austempering temperatures, between 1000 and 1300°F (540 and 700°C) carbon steels were found to exhibit a rather low ductility.4,5 Thus notch bar tensile tests showed the ratio between notch strength and regular tensile strength to decrease with increasing austempering temperature. For ductilities below a few percent this notch strength ratio is a measure of ductility, according to investigations on low alloy steels.637 Furthermore the presence of intermediate products formed unintentionally on quenching was considered as responsible for the low ductility and impact energy of some heat treated steels,8 These intermediate products could result from partial transformation at the so-called "nose-temperature" where the rate of the transformation is a maximum. Tempering improved such mixtures of martensite and intermediate products, their properties approaching those of tempered martensite of equal hardness. The following investigation constitutes an attempt to determine certain strength properties of a partially austempered and subsequently quenched low alloy steel, namely, a chromium steel (SAE 5140) The structures formed by such a treatment should consist of a mixture of intermediate products formed on austempering and a martensite formed on oil quenching from the austempering temperature. It was intended, by varying the austempering time, to vary the quantity of the intermediate products between zero and 100 pct. The austempering temperature of 860°F was selected after extensive preliminary tests close to the nose-temperature. Austempering at this temperature yielded an acicular intermediate product. .Additional tests under less exacting conditions were made for an austempering temperature of 950°F where the intermediate product appeared to be very fine pearlite. To determine the effects of tempering on structures containing various amounts of

Jan 1, 1949

By G. Sachs, L. J. Ebert, W. F. Brown

Isothermal transformation, or "aus-tempering," of a carbon-containing aus-tenite at elevated temperatures yields so-called "intermediate products." Their structure and properties are, for a given hardness, rather different from those of "tempered martensite" obtained on conventional quenching and tempering.' Several investigators2,3 have found that for high carbon and slightly alloyed steels the intermediate products formed at temperatures close to that of the martensite reaction possess strength properties superior to those of tempered martensite. The structure of these low temperature, intermediate products is generally acicular (bainite) but clearly different from that of martensite. However, at higher austempering temperatures, between 1000 and 1300°F (540 and 700°C) carbon steels were found to exhibit a rather low ductility.4,5 Thus notch bar tensile tests showed the ratio between notch strength and regular tensile strength to decrease with increasing austempering temperature. For ductilities below a few percent this notch strength ratio is a measure of ductility, according to investigations on low alloy steels.637 Furthermore the presence of intermediate products formed unintentionally on quenching was considered as responsible for the low ductility and impact energy of some heat treated steels,8 These intermediate products could result from partial transformation at the so-called "nose-temperature" where the rate of the transformation is a maximum. Tempering improved such mixtures of martensite and intermediate products, their properties approaching those of tempered martensite of equal hardness. The following investigation constitutes an attempt to determine certain strength properties of a partially austempered and subsequently quenched low alloy steel, namely, a chromium steel (SAE 5140) The structures formed by such a treatment should consist of a mixture of intermediate products formed on austempering and a martensite formed on oil quenching from the austempering temperature. It was intended, by varying the austempering time, to vary the quantity of the intermediate products between zero and 100 pct. The austempering temperature of 860°F was selected after extensive preliminary tests close to the nose-temperature. Austempering at this temperature yielded an acicular intermediate product. .Additional tests under less exacting conditions were made for an austempering temperature of 950°F where the intermediate product appeared to be very fine pearlite. To determine the effects of tempering on structures containing various amounts of

Jan 1, 1949

By David W. Kennedy, Stephen P. Harrison

In the past few years, a new system has been developed for ventilating longwall panels in some gassy coal mines in the Northern West Virginia area. This system utilizes a five or six foot diameter air shaft to ventilate a group of three or more longwall panels dependent on conditions. This shaft exhausts all the air needed to, ventilate the active longwall and adjacent gob areas. By law, this bleeder fan can handle double the maximum methane concentration allowed in a normal return air course. As a result, the methane that must be diluted by the primary ventilation circuits is reduced. This new ventilation system was first conceived by mine management as a means of coping with a sudden shift in production mode that occurred a few years ago. Formerly, production often consisted of room and pillar mining with continuous miners. The high methane liberation rate was handled by driving entries around a large block of coal prior to mining. This isolated the future mining area from the adjacent coal seam and allowed a major portion of the trapped in situ methane to bleed off. Also, these bleeders served to exhaust return air from the mining area. Once the bleeders were established, productive mining could start. When the decision was made to shift production mode from continuous miners to longwall mining, some of the bleeders did not encompass large enough unmined areas under the old ventilation system to initiate longwall production. Also, many other established continuous miner section bleeders were either improperly positioned or too restricted for longwall ventilation. Unfortunately, standard bleeder development can take up to two years' time. In order to eliminate the old style bleeder system and maintain or increase the margin of safety for ventilation, the bleeder shaft system was conceived. With this system, the only entries developed are those necessary for the longwall, significantly reducing the production delay. In this area, the Pittsburgh #8 coal seam dips to the northwest. As a result of this dip, the bleeder shaft is constructed in the northernmost set of tailgate entries. In this manner, groundwater accumulations can be pumped to the surface and bleeder entries kept dry. During the initial longwall entry development, the bleeder fan can be used to ventilate entries adjacent to virgin coal where significant methane liberation often occurs. Once longwall production starts, the bleeder shaft exhausts the entire air quantity necessary to safely ventilate the longwall. As the bleeder entries deteriorate, the air quantity and pressure characteristics must be increased. The extreme flexibility of the centrifugal fan used at the surface allows the air quantity and pressure to be adjusted without stopping the fan. This improves safety by decreasing the possibility of a methane buildup resulting from the fan being out of service. The bleeder shaft system of ventilation, developed by mine management in Northern West Virginia, can provide a safe means for effectively ventilating longwall panels in excessively gassy mines. This system should be considered where mining conditions are comparable.

Jan 1, 1982

Discussion of the paper of CLARENCE A. WRIGHT, presented at the St. Louis meeting, October, 1917, and printed in Bulletin No. 130, October, 1917, pp. 1565 to 1591. H. A. WHEELER, St. Louis, Mo.-This paper by Mr. Wright is one of the most thorough and exhaustive studies that has been made of the milling practice in the Joplin district. Mr. Wright spent about two years there, in behalf of the U. S. Bureau of Mines and the Missouri Geological Survey, and this paper, which is the result of his work, will, repay careful reading by any student of ore dressing and is invaluable to an operator in that district.

Jan 1, 1918

By B. M. Larsen

In endeavoring to put the art of the steelmaker on a more scientific basis, as a means of securing closer control of the product, we must be severely critical of the basis of any theory we use. In particular, we must be careful to distinguish between factors that are primary and those of only secondary impartance. The concentration relations that determine the slag-metal equilibria, which are usually more or less closely attained, are of course of primary significance, but a, dear picture of the whole process requires that the actual rates of the several reactions be taken properly into account. At the high temperature of the steelmaking furnace, all reactions might be thought to be very rapid, but some of them in fact are not; the essential causes of this condition are important to a proper understanding of the process. This paper aims to present, and to justify, the viewpoint that the most significant reaction is the oxidation of carhon in the metal, the progress of which determines the oxygen pressure levels in slag and metal and produces stirring effects, all of which influence the course of the process as a whole. Reaction Rates at Steelmaking Temperatures General experience in reaction rates makes it almost certain that at steelmaking temperatures equilibrium is attained practically instantaneously when the reactants are well distributed in a single liquid phase —that is, in the so-called homogeneous reactions. The actual slowness of some of the reactions in the open-hearth furnace must therefore be attributed to a relatively slow rate of diffusion within the slag or metal phase, which limits the rate at which the reactants can meet each other in the liquid steel or at its surface. That the reactions can be made to go with great rapidity, by proper mixing and stirring of the reacting phases, is indicated by the following illustrations: 1. In the Bessemer process there is intimate contact between air and the whole mass of metal, and the reactions are complete in a few minutes. 2. Perrinl has demonstrated that by pouring liquid steel into slag contained in a deep ladle, and thereby producing almost a slag-metal emulsion, the phosphorus or oxygen content of the steel is adjustcd immediately. 3. Barret, Holbrook and Wood2 observed a quite rapid rate of desulphurization when powdered calcium carbide was stirred vigorously into liquid iron. 4. When a spoonful of liquid steel is poured into a. mold containing aluminum wire, the formation and precipitation of alumina occurs in the fraction of a second required to freeze the surface layer of the tiny ingot. The first three examples all show that any means of increasing the effective surface between slag and metal and promoting intimate mixture of the reacting phases, thereby obviating the limitation imposed by diffusion, will enhance the speed of the steelmaking process.

Jan 1, 1941

By B. M. Larsen

In endeavoring to put the art of the steelmaker on a more scientific basis, as a means of securing closer control of the product, we must be severely critical of the basis of any theory we use. In particular, we must be careful to distinguish between factors that are primary and those of only secondary impartance. The concentration relations that determine the slag-metal equilibria, which are usually more or less closely attained, are of course of primary significance, but a, dear picture of the whole process requires that the actual rates of the several reactions be taken properly into account. At the high temperature of the steelmaking furnace, all reactions might be thought to be very rapid, but some of them in fact are not; the essential causes of this condition are important to a proper understanding of the process. This paper aims to present, and to justify, the viewpoint that the most significant reaction is the oxidation of carhon in the metal, the progress of which determines the oxygen pressure levels in slag and metal and produces stirring effects, all of which influence the course of the process as a whole. Reaction Rates at Steelmaking Temperatures General experience in reaction rates makes it almost certain that at steelmaking temperatures equilibrium is attained practically instantaneously when the reactants are well distributed in a single liquid phase —that is, in the so-called homogeneous reactions. The actual slowness of some of the reactions in the open-hearth furnace must therefore be attributed to a relatively slow rate of diffusion within the slag or metal phase, which limits the rate at which the reactants can meet each other in the liquid steel or at its surface. That the reactions can be made to go with great rapidity, by proper mixing and stirring of the reacting phases, is indicated by the following illustrations: 1. In the Bessemer process there is intimate contact between air and the whole mass of metal, and the reactions are complete in a few minutes. 2. Perrinl has demonstrated that by pouring liquid steel into slag contained in a deep ladle, and thereby producing almost a slag-metal emulsion, the phosphorus or oxygen content of the steel is adjustcd immediately. 3. Barret, Holbrook and Wood2 observed a quite rapid rate of desulphurization when powdered calcium carbide was stirred vigorously into liquid iron. 4. When a spoonful of liquid steel is poured into a. mold containing aluminum wire, the formation and precipitation of alumina occurs in the fraction of a second required to freeze the surface layer of the tiny ingot. The first three examples all show that any means of increasing the effective surface between slag and metal and promoting intimate mixture of the reacting phases, thereby obviating the limitation imposed by diffusion, will enhance the speed of the steelmaking process.

Jan 1, 1941

By H. R. MacMichael

IN the Chihuahua district of Mexico the first smelting was that inaugurated by the early Spaniards for the production of silver bullion. The ores treated were high in silver and lead. Silver-lead bullion was first produced and the lead then cupelled to waste, with the slag produced running from 5 to 10 per cent in lead and about 25 to 40 per cent silica. The ore was mined by peon labor, often being carried out of the mine on the backs of the men, and then transported by burros. Furnaces were of primitive construction, adobe or rock being used in the earlier period and some iron later when it became available. Blast was originally supplied by bellows manually operated. Such smelting was carried on to a greater or lesser extent until the latter part of the last century, and so extensive was it that many hundred thousand tons of leady slag remained to be treated in modern furnaces. In 1908 a smelter was placed in operation at Chihuahua by the American Smelting & Refining Co. At that time the ore was practically all oxidized and by a little selection, self-fluxing mixtures could be made, but with an average lead content usually under 10 per cent and sometimes as low as 7 per cent. The bullion produced would carry from 150 to 300 oz. silver per ton. The slag made approximated 30 per cent SiO2, 42 per cent FeO, 21 per cent CaO, and perhaps 3 per cent Zn. The ores varied from hard, coarse material which was passed through a crusher, to a considerable quantity of fines which had to be smelted as it came, as crushing the coarse was the only preparation for smelting.

Jan 1, 1933

By J. M. Flaitz, A. S. Parks

OF the various methods of sampling gas-condensate wells, a method that secures a continuous representative sample of the well stream is desirable. Such a method, consisting of a sampling tube introduced into the well tubing, has proved satisfactory. The method is sufficiently accurate for operating and engineering problems A portable testing apparatus can be used with the sampling tube to obtain data useful in studying the economic and technical aspects of the development and operation of gas-condensate properties. Introduction The recent discovery and development of gas reserves that contain hydrocarbons that condense with reduction of temperature or Pressure, or both, to form a product known as condensate, has brought many new problems to the oil and gas industries. With further discovery of deep, high-pressure fields it is presumable that many more gas fields of this type will be added to the steadily increasing number. Such gas reserves are found either associated with oil as a gas cap or in separate formations. There seems to be no positive correlation between the physical or geological nature of the reservoir, and the chemical composition or phase characteristics of its contents. Knowledge of the chemical make-up and phase behavior of gas-condensate reserves is needed to cope with many problems. A knowledge of the chemical composition and phase characteristics of the reservoir material is necessary to properly design a gasoline or recycling plant, to estimate natural gas and condensate reserves, to enable the operator to study the economic and technical aspects of various methods of operation and development, and to carry Out the plan of operating subsurface and surface lease equipment. This information is often useful in questions of mineral ownership, proration, legal position, and taxation. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss methods used by the writers to determine the chemica1 composition and phase characteristics of the fluids produced from a condensate well. The scope of the paper includes a discussion and description of the method of sampling, the results of tests on the accuracy of the sampling method, a description of a portable testing apparatus used to examine the phase characteristics, typical results of tests on wells from several condensate fields, and some of the applications of these data to production problems. References to previous work on this subject are cited at the end of the paper. The Problem At reservoir conditions of temperature and pressure, the fluids produced from a condensate well exist in a homogeneous vaporous condition. The consequent reduction of temperature and pressure that occurs as this gas enters and flows up the well tube results in condensation of some of the hydrocarbon material to form a liquid. The relative amount of liquid condensed at any point in the flowing system

Jan 1, 1942

By J. M. Flaitz, A. S. Parks

OF the various methods of sampling gas-condensate wells, a method that secures a continuous representative sample of the well stream is desirable. Such a method, consisting of a sampling tube introduced into the well tubing, has proved satisfactory. The method is sufficiently accurate for operating and engineering problems A portable testing apparatus can be used with the sampling tube to obtain data useful in studying the economic and technical aspects of the development and operation of gas-condensate properties. Introduction The recent discovery and development of gas reserves that contain hydrocarbons that condense with reduction of temperature or Pressure, or both, to form a product known as condensate, has brought many new problems to the oil and gas industries. With further discovery of deep, high-pressure fields it is presumable that many more gas fields of this type will be added to the steadily increasing number. Such gas reserves are found either associated with oil as a gas cap or in separate formations. There seems to be no positive correlation between the physical or geological nature of the reservoir, and the chemical composition or phase characteristics of its contents. Knowledge of the chemical make-up and phase behavior of gas-condensate reserves is needed to cope with many problems. A knowledge of the chemical composition and phase characteristics of the reservoir material is necessary to properly design a gasoline or recycling plant, to estimate natural gas and condensate reserves, to enable the operator to study the economic and technical aspects of various methods of operation and development, and to carry Out the plan of operating subsurface and surface lease equipment. This information is often useful in questions of mineral ownership, proration, legal position, and taxation. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss methods used by the writers to determine the chemica1 composition and phase characteristics of the fluids produced from a condensate well. The scope of the paper includes a discussion and description of the method of sampling, the results of tests on the accuracy of the sampling method, a description of a portable testing apparatus used to examine the phase characteristics, typical results of tests on wells from several condensate fields, and some of the applications of these data to production problems. References to previous work on this subject are cited at the end of the paper. The Problem At reservoir conditions of temperature and pressure, the fluids produced from a condensate well exist in a homogeneous vaporous condition. The consequent reduction of temperature and pressure that occurs as this gas enters and flows up the well tube results in condensation of some of the hydrocarbon material to form a liquid. The relative amount of liquid condensed at any point in the flowing system

Jan 1, 1942

By Charles L. Mantell, George Ferment

This investigation determined the jeasibility of current-potential curves as an analytical tool for monitoving manganese electroicinning solutions for metallic impurities. Nine metallic impurities were studied: trickel, cobalt, silver, copper, zinc, molybdenum, catlmiun magnesium, and sodium. The individual effect of each metallic irzplrl,iLy on the standard point-izatiorr was determined for a range of 'concentration. Not all of Ihe impurities affected the polarization curve; correlation between transition current and cotrcetztration of impurity. Molybdenum had an uncorrelated effect on the polarization curie. The effects of binary mixtures of impurities were studied to see if the transition current of the mixture could be predicted. Interactions occurred between impurities which prei'etzted the pvecliction the transition current of tile rrlisLitr.e by additive laws. The polarization curve was shown to be sensitive to metallic impurities which affect the current efficiency of a manganese cell. THE application of current-potential curves in manganese electrowinning is not new but played an important part in the conversion of an inoperative large-scale pilot plant into a continuous comnercial operation.1"" The effects of trace metallic impurities in manganese electrowinning solutions on cathode current-potential curves,5-19 specifically nine impurities (nickel, cobalt, silver, copper, zinc, molybdenum, cadmium, magnesium, and sodium) were studied for a range of concentrations. Cadmium, magnesium, and sodium had no effect. Nickel, cobalt, silver, copper, and zinc yielded a correlation between transition current and concentration of impurity: molybdenum had an uncorrelated effect. Binary mixtures of impurities were studied to de-termine if the transition current could be predicted from the values for the individual constituents. Interactions between impurities prevented the prediction of the transition current of the mixtures by an additive law. The polarization curve was shown to be sensitive to metallic impurities which affected the rurrent efficiency of a manganese cell. The electrowinning of manganese relies upon maintaining a high-purity electrolyte. Purification schemes were developed to remove all of the heavy metals, the magnesium and calcium. Concentration limits have been established for single impurities. With high-purity electrolytes, favorable cell efficiencies are consistently obtained; but with impure solutions there is a reduction in efficiency. With the rapid rise to commercial prominence of electrochemical processes, there has been a lag in developing rapid methods for determining whether an electrolyte is sufficiently pure for efficient electrolysis. The most sensitive test for impurities is the behavior of the electrochemical cell. Impure electrolytes will cause a serious reduction in cell efficiency, and in many cases metal deposition will be prevented or reversed. The effects of impurities are not usually evident until after long periods of electrolysis, resulting in a disruption of the process. A method which could predict the behavior of an electrolyte in terms of cell efficiency prior to reaching the commercial cell is needed. Van Arsdale and Maier," Allmand and Campbell,a1'22 and others attempted to develop an electrochemical process for manganese,"3"29 but all met with some degree of difficulty. Jacobs et a studied the effects of metallic impurities in manganese electrowinning. Plant methods were based on a 2-hr plating in a small electrolytic cell. The final method was based on a 24-hr plating run, performed in a relatively large test cell. Here, current efficiencies were calculated with and without impurities in the electrolyte, and the critical concentration was established as the maximum amount of impurity that the electrolyte could tolerate before there was a serious loss in efficiency. The amount of impurity that could be tolerated decreased as the plating time increased, indicating deposition of the impurity. This test duplicated the conditions of commercial practire, and was sensitive to impurities. Small amounts of impurities significantly affect the hydrogen overvoltage at a metal surface, increasing or decreasing it depending upon the nature of the impurity. ockris established the limit for the onset of poisoning at 10-l moles per liter. The effects of impurities were studied by potential-time curves at a constant current density. The technique did not lend itself to rapid analysis in that several hours were needed to establish stable potential-time curves. Serfass and coworkers3' developed calorimetric and spectrophotometric techniques for analyzing for trace impurities. Our method4'" is based on current-cathode potential curves produced by continuously changing the cell voltage at a programmed rate. Starting with a clean stainless-steel cathode, the cell voltage was initially adjusted to yield zero current: the program was then started and the current was plotted as a function of the cathode potential. Fig. 1 is a typical current-potential curve. In initial region A the hydrogen-evolution reaction predominates and the polarization curve

Jan 1, 1967

Jan 1, 1930