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By J. S. Billheimer, B. H. Sage, W. N. Lacey

A restricted ternary system made up of n-pentane, tetralin, and a purified bitumen was investigated at 70, 160, and 220 °F. Most of the experimental observations were at atmospheric pressure or at 200 psi." However, some experimental measurements were carried out at a pressure of approximately 8000 psi. It was found that the purified bitumen was precipitated from its solution or dispersion in tetralin by the addition of n-pentane and that the separation occurred at lower weight fractions of n-pentane at the lower temperatures. The bitumen-tetralin solutions show some colloidal characteristics at temperatures below 160 °F when near compositions at which the bitumen separates as a solid phase. At states remote from the phase boundaries and at temperatures above 160 °F these characteristics become less evident. Under these latter circumstances the mixtures tend to follow the behavior of true solutions, particularly in regard to the approach to heterogeneous equilibrium. An increase in pressure appears to increase the solubility of bitumen in tet-ralin-n-pentane solutions. This effect is more pronounced at temperatures above 160 °F than at lower temperatures. INTRODUCTION Asphaltic phases of plastic or solid nature have appeared in numerous instances during the recovery of petroleum from underground reservoirs. Such depositions occurring underground appear to have caused adverse production histories for particular wells or zones. Because of this field experience, it is desirable to understand the factors which influence the formation or separation of the asphaltic phases from petroleum. The problem is unusually complex because the number of true components involved is very large and the details of the phase behavior encountered are difficult to ascertain experimentally. The literature relating to asphalts, asphaltines, and bitumen is voluminous and widespread.' Only those references which are directly pertinent to the work at hand are cited. The separation of an asphaltic phase, hereinafter called bitumen? from naturally occurring hydrocarbon mixtures has been the subject of several investigations.2'3'4'5'6 It has been found that as many as four phases4 may be produced from a crude oil by the solution of a natural gas and propane at a pressure of 1500 psi and a temperature of 70 °F. The separation of bitumen from such naturally occurring mixtures results in at least one liquid phase which is substantially free of high molecular weight components.³ The influence of the solution of lighter hydrocarbons on the separation of bitumen from a Santa Fe Springs crude oil has been investigated. The results indicate that in the case of the methane-crude oil system, the quantity of plastic or solid phase separated reaches a maximum between 0.14 and 0.19 weight fraction methane and then decreases until negligible at higher weight fractions of methane. Similiar behavior was encountered in the case of mixtures of ethane and crude oil. The decrease in the quantity of the solid phase with an increase in the weight fraction of the lighter component appears to result from the formation of an additional liquid phase6 in which the bitumen is relatively soluble. The formation of this additional phase probably occurs at a weight fraction of methane close to that at which the quantity of separated solid reaches a maximum. A comparison of the deposition of bitumen in the field with the separation of asphalts from lubrication oil has been made' and apparently the phenomena are similar. The phase behavior of bitumen also appears to be comparable to that of coal tar."' The chemical and physical characteristics of asphalts and bitumen have been the subject of extended investigations which have been reviewed in some detail by Katz.¹º The conclusion was reached that the dispersion of bitumen in a number of organic liquids was not entirely colloidal since it was impossible to isolate individual dispersed particles even with the electron microscope. However, the evidence appeared to indicate that at states close to phase boundaries the extent of the dispersion of the phases influenced the equilibrium to a greater extent than is encountered in many simpler systems. From earlier study of field samples it became apparent that the phase behavior of bitumen-hydrocarbon systems was unusually complex. It was difficult to characterize in detail the phase behavior involved in naturally occurring hydrocarbon systems, even after a relatively extended investigation. For this reason, the study of a somewhat simpler system which still behaved in a similar manner became desirable. Three major constituents were necessary as-follows: a bituminous solid, a liquid constituent which was a reasonably good solvent, and a constituent in which bitumen was largely insoluble. A sam-

Jan 1, 1949

By W. N. Lacey, B. H. Sage, J. S. Billheimer

A restricted ternary system made up of n-pentane, tetralin, and a purified bitumen was investigated at 70, 160, and 220 °F. Most of the experimental observations were at atmospheric pressure or at 200 psi." However, some experimental measurements were carried out at a pressure of approximately 8000 psi. It was found that the purified bitumen was precipitated from its solution or dispersion in tetralin by the addition of n-pentane and that the separation occurred at lower weight fractions of n-pentane at the lower temperatures. The bitumen-tetralin solutions show some colloidal characteristics at temperatures below 160 °F when near compositions at which the bitumen separates as a solid phase. At states remote from the phase boundaries and at temperatures above 160 °F these characteristics become less evident. Under these latter circumstances the mixtures tend to follow the behavior of true solutions, particularly in regard to the approach to heterogeneous equilibrium. An increase in pressure appears to increase the solubility of bitumen in tet-ralin-n-pentane solutions. This effect is more pronounced at temperatures above 160 °F than at lower temperatures. INTRODUCTION Asphaltic phases of plastic or solid nature have appeared in numerous instances during the recovery of petroleum from underground reservoirs. Such depositions occurring underground appear to have caused adverse production histories for particular wells or zones. Because of this field experience, it is desirable to understand the factors which influence the formation or separation of the asphaltic phases from petroleum. The problem is unusually complex because the number of true components involved is very large and the details of the phase behavior encountered are difficult to ascertain experimentally. The literature relating to asphalts, asphaltines, and bitumen is voluminous and widespread.' Only those references which are directly pertinent to the work at hand are cited. The separation of an asphaltic phase, hereinafter called bitumen? from naturally occurring hydrocarbon mixtures has been the subject of several investigations.2'3'4'5'6 It has been found that as many as four phases4 may be produced from a crude oil by the solution of a natural gas and propane at a pressure of 1500 psi and a temperature of 70 °F. The separation of bitumen from such naturally occurring mixtures results in at least one liquid phase which is substantially free of high molecular weight components.³ The influence of the solution of lighter hydrocarbons on the separation of bitumen from a Santa Fe Springs crude oil has been investigated. The results indicate that in the case of the methane-crude oil system, the quantity of plastic or solid phase separated reaches a maximum between 0.14 and 0.19 weight fraction methane and then decreases until negligible at higher weight fractions of methane. Similiar behavior was encountered in the case of mixtures of ethane and crude oil. The decrease in the quantity of the solid phase with an increase in the weight fraction of the lighter component appears to result from the formation of an additional liquid phase6 in which the bitumen is relatively soluble. The formation of this additional phase probably occurs at a weight fraction of methane close to that at which the quantity of separated solid reaches a maximum. A comparison of the deposition of bitumen in the field with the separation of asphalts from lubrication oil has been made' and apparently the phenomena are similar. The phase behavior of bitumen also appears to be comparable to that of coal tar."' The chemical and physical characteristics of asphalts and bitumen have been the subject of extended investigations which have been reviewed in some detail by Katz.¹º The conclusion was reached that the dispersion of bitumen in a number of organic liquids was not entirely colloidal since it was impossible to isolate individual dispersed particles even with the electron microscope. However, the evidence appeared to indicate that at states close to phase boundaries the extent of the dispersion of the phases influenced the equilibrium to a greater extent than is encountered in many simpler systems. From earlier study of field samples it became apparent that the phase behavior of bitumen-hydrocarbon systems was unusually complex. It was difficult to characterize in detail the phase behavior involved in naturally occurring hydrocarbon systems, even after a relatively extended investigation. For this reason, the study of a somewhat simpler system which still behaved in a similar manner became desirable. Three major constituents were necessary as-follows: a bituminous solid, a liquid constituent which was a reasonably good solvent, and a constituent in which bitumen was largely insoluble. A sam-

Jan 1, 1949

By S. P. Kinney, C. E. Wood, T. L. Joseph

In connection with its investigations of the blast-furnace process, the Bureau of Mines, in cooperation with the Minnesota School of Mines Experiment Station, developed a 6-ton experimental furnace. Such a furnace was needed to determine the feasibility of producing ferroman-ganese from Minnesota manganiferous iron ores, a problem of national importance because of the present need for manganese in the steel industry and our small reserves of ferro-grade ores. Furnace operators are reluctant to use new or untried raw materials or to make decided innovations in practice on account of the financial hazard of experimenting with full-scale equipment. A small furnace which can be operated at a relatively low cost is particularly adapted for testing new raw materials and for determining the feasibility of decided innovations in practice. Laboratory experiments, plus whatever information may be available, are valuable but often do not indicate the net result of changes in an operation involving a large number of interrelated variables. From time to time the cooperation of the Bureau of Mines is solicited in connection with problems involving departures from normal procedure. Under these circumstances some sort of a practical demonstration is a desirable forerunner to full-scale operations which appear feasible after small-scale tests. The Aluminum Co. of America was interested in knowing the practicability of smelting a charge of bauxite, iron ore, and limestone, of proportions that would produce slag of the following composition: A1203, 47 to 48 per cent.; CaO, 41 to 42 per cent.; SiO2,4 to 5 per cent.; TiO2, 2 to 3 per cent.; FeO, 1 percent., and MgO, 1.8 percent. In addition to determining whether it was feasible to operate a blast furnace on slag approaching the composition given above, a quantity of slag was needed for a series of experiments that would show the relative ease and cost of extracting alumina from slag which could be made in the blast furnace, as compared to extracting it from raw bauxite. The value of the slag as a raw material

By H. I. Young

Inasmuch as there has been a great deal of activity in this district recently, a paper of this kind should treat of all the various phases of mining, namely, prospecting, developing, and operating. Prospecting .. Where ore is found at a depth of 100 ft. (30 m.) or more, the prospect work is done by churn drilling. Several makes of churn drills are used in this work, both steam- and gasoline-driven machines being used. The drilling is usually started with a 6-in. bit, and the size of the bit is reduced, if necessary, as the hole is advanced. It is general practice to drill from 100- to 400-ft. holes, but this is governed entirely by the location and formation of the ground. In drilling sheet ground, close spacing of drill holes is unnecessary, but in narrow orebodies, the holes are spaced from 15 to 50 ft. (4.6 to 15 m.) apart. Ten years ago, very few assays were kept of the drilling, but during recent years records have been kept very accurately, showing the location, elevation, assays, and also the vertical section of the hole. After the orebody is reached, cuttings are taken every 2 or 3 ft. (0.6 to 0.9 m.) samples being sometimes taken by pouring the water off the cuttings and taking a portion of the coarse material for assay. It has been found, however, that very often the sludge material poured off with the water contains high mineral values. To overcome this, cuttings from each 2 or 3 ft. are put in a container, and, after the water is evaporated, sample for assay is taken by means of Jones samplers. Permanent records of cuttings showing various formations are kept in glass jars or glued on large cards. Drilling at present is costing from $1.25 to $1.50 per foot. In pre-war times, the drilling costs ran from 75c. to $1 per foot. Development After proving property by drilling, shafts are put down to the ore-body. These are usually vertical shafts, either single or double compart-

Jan 1, 1918

By Clarence S. Ross

INTRODUCTION THIS chapter on the rô1e of physical-chemical processes in ore deposition presents unusual difficulties because it attempts to discuss the theory of processes that are very imperfectly under- stood, but which are among the most fundamental problems now before the student of ore formation. It is generally believed that a great variety of ore deposits are in some way derived from igneous rocks; but we desire to know the mechanism of their splitting off from the parent magma, the physical and chemical character of the material that acts as a medium for transfer from magma to the point of deposition, the manner of deposition, and the methods of replacement and removal of the invaded rocks. This problem is difficult for the field geologist because it concerns forces that for the most part have long since ceased to act. It involves a complex system of which the time for completion extends from the first development of the parent magma through its intrusion, its slow cooling and crystallization, and the final escape of its last residuum, a time probably represented by millions of years. In space the processes extend from profound depths of the abyssal magma which can never be directly observed, through the horizons characterizing deep-seated igneous rocks and ore deposits; those formed at moderate depths; and ends with surficial ones and surface thermal springs. The geologist usually can study the effect at but one of these horizons: he must attempt to fit his puzzle together while seeing but a few parts at a time. Thus he must deal with many isolated phenomena, as if they were the result of many physical and chemical systems; when in fact his problem involves a single exceedingly complex system, and will only be understood when that entire complex system is understood. The geophysicist is handicapped because he must attempt to interpret an extraordinary complex system, involving physical and chemical conditions which he can never hope to duplicate fully, through the study of many exceedingly simple systems.

Jan 1, 1933

By W. A. Schaeffer, M. Albertson

The Yates field is situated in northeastern Pecos County, Texas. Its productive area is about 15,000 acres. Production is chiefly from limestone of Permian age. Depths of wells vary from 1100 to 1800 ft. Initial productions range from a few barrels to 8000 bbl. per hour. The field outlet has always been prorated. Gas-oil ratios originally varied from less than 100 cu. ft. up to 8000 cu. ft. per barrel at allowable production rates. The average ratio was about 500 cu. ft. Fig. 1 shows the structure of the field and the location of the Tippett lease, on which the original experimental tubing work was done. Before the latter part of the year 1929, little actual effort in practice had been given to determination of the conditions under which the highest efficiencies may be realized in naturally flowing wells. For the preceding few years attention had been given to gas-oil ratios and their possible reduction by maintenance of back-pressure by choking at the well head. Some attempts had been made toward reduction of ratio by bottom-hole choking. In late 1929, the Shell Petroleum Corp. started the experimental installation of specially designed flow columns adapted to high-pressure flowing conditions in the Yates field. The objectives in view were the attainment of low gas-oil ratios at low rates of flow and the maintenance of high bottom-hole pressures. All naturally flowing wells should be provided with a suitable eductor string immediately upon completion of the well, so that the benefits of efficient flow will be derived from the beginning. This paper presents a method of tubing for efficient flow and a discussion of some complex factors which influence well behavior. Factors Influencing Gas-oil Ratios Many factors influence the production of gas from naturally flowing wells. The writers believe that in some instances gas control is effected mainly in the reservoir itself, in others in the well bore, and in still others both sets of factors may be significant. Some wells apparently have penetrated productive zones in which practically all of the gas is closely associated with, and mostly dissolved

Jan 1, 1932

By Francis Foley

FROM the point of view of the metallographist, the adaptation of x-rays to the study of the crystal structure of metals is of the greatest importance. While one may hardly consider the findings resulting from x-ray study as revolutionary, their positive nature, compared with the deductions we have been forced to accept from the work that had gone before, gives firmer ground on which to build and furnishes new fields for speculation. Prior to the advent of the crystallogram, the best work on the crystal structure of steel was that of Osmond and Cartaud.1 They concluded, from their investigation with percussion figures formed at various temperatures, that alpha, beta, and gamma irons belonged to the cubic system and that they showed well-marked specific characteristics and could not have the same internal structure. What the internal structures were, they had no direct method of determining; but from a consideration. of the fact that the 001 plane (that parallel to the cube face) is a plane of perfect cleavage and minimum hardness in alpha iron and that the 111 (octahedral) plane is by far the most important in the crystallography of gamma iron, they were led to suggest the simple cubic arrangement as that of alpha and the face-centered cubic arrangement as that of gamma iron. They suggested the body-centered cubic arrangement as that of beta iron. The atomic arrangement of the various crystal forms of iron has been quite definitely determined in recent years by means of x-rays and the work of Westgren2 and Westgren and Phragmèn3 has been rather conclusive. They not only determined the atomic arrangement of alpha, beta, and gamma iron but also that of the high-temperature modification delta.

Jan 10, 1925

By J. E. Pogue, F. G. Coqueron

This paper describes the sources of funds required by the petroleum industry to finance capital expenditures and also presents a discussion of the effect of rising construction costs on these expenditures. The petroleum industry obtains its capital funds from several sources: (I) internal, from retained cash earnings; and (2) external, from borrowings and the sale of securities to the public. The upward trend of capital expenditures of the petroleum industry is caused in the main by the influence of two powerful factors: (I) the physical growth in the demand for oils; and (2) the rising cost of drilling wells and constructing refineries, pipe lines, and other facilities. The segregation of these factors is accomplished by deflating the actual capital expenditures so that they are shown in terms of 1939 costs and then subtracting the adjusted series from the actual figures to yield a set of data representing the expenditures made on account of higher costs. Rising costs affect prices and the portion attributable to this factor had to be generated from the cash earnings of the industry, which called for higher oil prices. Introduction Capital may be defined as "wealth employed in or available for production." All production requires capital. Expanding industries require more capital than static ones, and technological industries employ more capital than. those in which little equipment is needed. The petroleum industry is both rapidly growing and highly technological, and, being a large industry, its capital requirements are prodigious, amounting to about one-seventh of the total of all American business, excluding agriculture.* Capital formation may be defined as the method by which the wealth or capital needed in the productive processes is created. There are various ways in which capital funds may be obtained but there is only one way in which capital can be created—out of production in excess of consumption, that is, savings. The physical realities are simple, but the monetary concepts are complicated because the mechanism of credit can draw upon future savings. Source of Capital Funds An industry, such as the petroleum industry, can obtain its capital funds from

Jan 1, 1949

By C. Ernest Birchenall, Gerd M. Rosenblatt

The pressure and molecular weight of the antimony vapor over solid solutions of tin in antimony, containing 97.4, 94.9, 93.0, and 90.7 at. pct Sb, have been measured from 445° to 545°C by the torsion-effision method. The vapor is all Sb, within experimental error. A solidus curve which differs somewhat from the accepted curve has been calculated using the measured antimony activities. Metallographic examination of additional annealed alloys substantiates the accepted solidus. The solid solutions, which show negative deviations from ideality, probably do not deviate greatly from regular solution behavior. HANSEN' considers the Sb-Sn phase diagram to be well established with the exception of the boundary of the (Sb) phase.* Although there have been no pre- Their data can be combined with data for the solid alloys to calculate the solidus curve of the (Sb) phase. This paper presents measurements of the pressure ant1 molecular weight of antimony over Sb-Sn solid solutions containing 97.4, 94.9, 93.0, and 90.7 at. pct sb. Measurements were made by simultaneous use of the volmer3 torsion and Knudsen, effusion methods. The results of these measurements have been combined with the vapor pressure of pure antimony5 to obtain the activity of antimony in the primary solid solutions. The solidus curve calculated from these data differs somewhat from the accepted curve and is rather uncertain. Metallographic examination of Sb-Sn alloys was carried out to clarify the position of the solidus of the (Sb) phase. EXPERIMENTAL The apparatus and technique have been described previously.5 The measurements were made with the same effusion cells and torsion wire used in the measurements on pure antimony. The torsion measurements were calibrated with mercury at 30" using a mercury vapor pressure of 2.96 x 10-3 mm Hg determined by concurrent, absolute, weight-loss experiments. As in the measurements on pure antimony, an extraneous vapor was observed to distill off during the first run after the cell had been loaded with A fresh sample of alloy and during the first minute or two of every run. The change in composition after a series of runs with one sample was of the order of 0.1 at. pct and thus completely negligible in the calculation of the thermodynamic properties. The alloys were prepared from pieces of Merck antimony and Matheson, Coleman, and Bell reagent-

Jan 1, 1962

By T. S. Lundy, R. E. Pawel, F. R. Winslow, C. J. McHargue

The volume-diffusion coefficients of Nb-95 and Ta-182 in niobium have been measured over the temperature range 878° to 2400°C. High-temperature specimens (T 21500°C) were sectioned by conventional lathe and grinding techniques while low-temperature specimens were sectioned by an anodizing and stripping technique previously described. Over a range of more than ten orders of magnitude in diffusivity, the self-diffusion data is well-represented by the equation: D = (1.1+ 0.2) exp [- (96,000 * 900)/RT ] cm2/sec Upward deviations from this line are explained by short-circuit diffusion in combination with the loss of resolution of the sectioning techniques. Oxygen contamination within the range 100 to 450 ppm was found to have little or no effect on the self-diffusivitj 01 niobium. In a limited number of measurements, the diffusivity of Ta-182 in niobium was found to be about half that of Nb-95 in niobium. These data may be described by D = (I.0+0.90.5)exp [- (99,300 * 2400) /RT ] PREVIOUSLY reported studies of self-diffusion in niobium were by Resnick and Castleman1 and Peart, Graham, and Tomlin.2 The data of Resnick and Castleman over a temperature range 1585" to 2120°C show considerable scatter but. can be represented by D = (12.4 *0.8) exp [-(105,000+3OOO)/RT] cm2/sec The limited data of Peart, Graham, and Tomlin follow the equation D = 1.3 exp (-95,00O/RT) cm2/sec In view of recent diffusion data for ß zirconium3 and 0 titanium4 in which Arrhenius-type plots do not yield straight lines and of the potential high- temperature uses of niobium and its alloys, we thought it important to investigate the diffusion behavior of this bcc refractory metal over a large temperature range. This has recently been done for molybdenum,5 chromium,6 vanadium,"" and tantalum.9 Niobium was a particularly suitable material for this study largely because of the development of an anodizing and stripping sectioning technique which enables diffusivities as small as l0-19' sq cm per sec to be determined accurately.10 In addition to self-diffusion data, data were obtained for the diffusion of Ta-182 in niobium and for the effect of varying oxygen content on self-diffusion. I) EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Materials. The niobium was obtained from three sources: 1) melting stock from Shieldalloy Corp., 2) electron-beam melted single crystals, 1/2 in. diameter, from Semi-Elements, Inc., and 3) oxygen-doped, electron-beam melted single crystals from Materials Research Corp. The melting stock was electron-beam melted and specimens 5/8 in. diameter by 1/2 in. long were machined from the center of the bar. The analysis supplied by the vendor and an interstitial analysis of one of the specimens are given in Table I. The single crystals (type 2 above) were cut with a jeweler's saw to specimens about 3/8 in. long. The interstitial analysis of this material is given in Table 11. This material was used

Jan 1, 1965

By C. A. Pierce

STUDIES of roof and floor movement are of interest to those actively engaged in mining. This is especially true in the case of an entirely new area where there is no precedent for guidance. The potash deposit being mined is in the southeast corner of New Mexico, about 20 miles east of Carlsbad. The deposit was formed by the land-locked, shallow, Permian Sea that extended through parts of western Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, southeastern Colorado, and eastern New Mexico. The saline deposits vary from 500 to 4000 ft. thick. Neither of the companies operating in this area has delimited its com-mercial ore bodies. As all production so far has been from Federal and State leases, the Department of the Interior and the State of New Mexico have a direct interest in the development and extraction of these ore horizons. The ore is composed of an intimate mechanical mixture of sylvite (potassium chloride) and halite (sodium chloride). It lies generally in a horizontal bed varying from 5 to 12 ft. in thickness, and has a cover of approximately 1000 ft., consisting of about 500 ft. of salt beds and 500 ft, of sediments. The immediate mine roof for several feet is principally salt with some potash and clayey material. The next 500 ft. above, from the standpoint of structure, may be considered rock salt with a few inter-bedded potash members. The upper 500 ft. is of sedimentary (Permian and Triassic) origin and contains several water-bearing formations with flows varying from 10 to 500 gal. per minute. This water intensifies the interest in convergence problems as the ore and surrounding for-mations are water soluble. Potash salt (sylvite) and rock salt (halite) are plastic minerals. Plasticity is defined as a "property of solids by virtue of which they hold their shape permanently under the action of small shearing stresses but are readily deformed, worked, or molded under larger stresses."1

Jan 1, 1938

By W. H. Ashby, R. W. Cassingham, C. R. Blomberg, J. B. Justins

The Brookhaven field is one of several Basal Tuscaloosa reservoirs located in south-central Mississippi. It is a standstone reservoir, of erratic deposition and with several faults, having an approximate subsea depth of 9,800 ft. A large variation in permeability exists with a weighted average being 256 md. Estimated average interstitial water saturation is 45 per cent. The undersaturated reservoir fluid exhibits marked differences in physical properties with measured saturation pressures ranging from 733 to 2,255 psi. Early rapid decline in reservoir pressure caused the operating interests to unitize the field and initiate a program of pressure maintenance by gas injection. At the time gas injection was commenced, the reservoir pressure had fallen to nearly half of the original pressure with only 4.5 Per cent of the original oil in place produced. The reservoir pressure has since been maintained at approximately 2,750 psig, and cumulative production to date is 17 per cent of original oil in place. An analysis of field performance during gas injection is presented in detail. The program of pressure maintenance by gas injection is considered to be a success, since the expected ultimate recovery has been increased and the current production rate is in excess of 2 per cent of original oil in place per year. Performance has been better, anticipated ultimate recovery is larger, and total production costs are lower than for a similar Basal Tuscaloosa reservoir nearby, even though that field appears to have a more effective natural water drive. INTRODUCTION The history of the Brookhaven Unit is a testimonial for unitization and for the application of engineering techniques in the operation of an oil field. The operating and royalty interests in this field have mutually benefited from their early recognition of the need for unitization and pressure maintenance and from the forthright manner in which these were accomplished. The tangible benefits accruing to the participants in the Unit are: (1) income from gasoline plant products, (2) reduced lifting and operating costs from those of competitive operation, (3) maintenance of high levels of current income by mitigation of the inevitable decline in production rates inherent to natural depletion, (4) an increase in ultimate recovery of about 40 per cent over natural depletion operations. This paper should properly be considered a progress report; however, the performance of the field after five years of pressure maintenance clearly indicates that the ultimate success of the project is assured. LOCATION AND GEOLOGY The Brookhaven field is located in south-central Mississippi, about six miles from the town of Brookhaven. Production at Brookhaven

Jan 1, 1955

By Robert H. Richards, Richard W. Lodge

A great deal of speculation, as well as actual experiment, has been devoted to ascertaining the changes in the materials (luring their descent in an iron blast-furnace, affecting (1) the chemical constitution, (2) the mechanical condition, and (3) the arrangement of the materials. With a view to throw some light upon the third question, we constructed a model and tried experiments which are here described. Our model is a vertical section of a furnace, with the lines of the Edgar Thomson furnace D of 1885 for the use of which we arc indebted to Mr. Gayley. The model is 40 inches high, and made to scale (1/2 inch equals 1 foot), and the horizontal section of the space through which the charge falls at any point in the descent is 11/2 in. x d, d being the diameter of the furnace at that place. We are unable to say just where the idea of making this model came from ; perhaps, partly from The Principles of the Manufacture of Iron, and Steel, 1884, I. Lowthian Bell, p. 124 ; partly, also, from

Jan 1, 1888

By R. E. Reed-Hill

Recently Levine applied the Conrad-Wiedersich17 equation where H is the activation enthalpy, v the activation volume, T* the effective shear flow stress, T the absolute temperature, and ? the strain rate, to an analysis of titanium single-crystal data. The activation energy as a function of testing temperaturs obtained from specimens oriented for single (1010) prismatic slip is shown in Fig. 12. This diagram indicates a different linear dependence of H on T in the temperature interval from 220° to 300°K than from 0° to 220°K. Levine interpreted the break in this curve as indicating a change in the thermally activated mechanism controlling the flow stress. The purpose of this communication is to point out that the data in Fig. 1 is not consistent with the concept of a flow stress controlled by a simple thermally activated mechanism between 220° and 300°K. The Conrad-Wiedersich relation assumed that the strain rate can be expressed by:

Jan 1, 1968

By Philip D. Wilson

The mines of the Calumet & Arizona Mining Co. are situated in the Warren Mining District, Cochise County, Arizona, between Bisbee and Warren and adjoin those of the Copper Queen Consolidated Mining Co. and the Shattuck Arizona Copper Co. Paleozoic 1imestones.of considerable thickness have been intruded by granite porphyry. A great stock of the intrusive outcrops boldly near the city of Bisbee and is known as Sacramento Hill. From this central core the porphyry has tongued out into the limestone for many thousands of feet as dikes and sills of irregular shape and variable dimensions. Churn drilling has recently developed a large tonnage of secondarily enriched copper ore in the main porphyry mass of Sacramento Hill. While some ore has been found in porphyry in other parts of the district, it is relatively unimportant compared with that which occurs in the Paleozoic limestone as irregular lenses replacing favorable beds near porphyry contacts or associated with well-marked fracture zones often many hundreds of feet away from the intrusive. In a zone extending from Sacramento Hill for a distance of from 1,500 to 3,000 ft., the limestone has been extensively metamorphosed and in this contact metamorphic zone the ore occurs through a known vertical thickness of upward of 900 ft. and individual orebodies often show extension in a vertical direction of over 200 ft. At a greater distance from the intrusive stock, the ore occurs as lenses of greater horizontal than vertical dimensions with an average thickness of approximately 30 ft. An exception to this rule is found in the occasional steeply dipping mineralized fractures, almost true tabular veins, which are found long distances a way from the zone of contact metamorphism. The copper was probably introduced during or slightly later than the porphyry intrusion in the form of chalcopyrite and bornite. These primary copper minerals are always associated with pyrite and often occur as rich lenses in a huge mass or shell of pyrite carrying an insignificant percentage of copper. In many instances the copper-bearing solutions were preceded by siliceous solutions and these latter, often persisting during the period of mineralization, have thoroughly indurated the ore-

Jan 1, 1917

By A. R. Troiano, E. A. Steigerwald, F. W. Schaller

D. N. Williams(BatteZle Memorial Institute)-The authors have presented an extensive collection of arguments pertaining to the role of stress in hydrogen embrittlement. The basic assumption of these arguments is that stress is essential as a driving force for diffusion of hydrogen. However, in view of the rapid diffusion rate of hydrogen in steel at low temperatures as evidenced by the ability to alloy with hydrogen by electrolytic charging, it seems unlikely to me that stress acts in this manner. Instead, I would like to suggest that stress may be essential for the nucleation of hydrogen in steel. I believe that such an assumption would equally well satisfy the experimental data presented by the authors. I should also like to comment on the interpretation of the data presented in Figs. 5 and 6. Fig. 5 shows the effect of hydrogen content on ductility in a rupture test. The curve as drawn by the authors indicates an abrupt transition from ductile to brittle behavior at about 0.001 amp per sq in. (5 ppm). The data points would equally well support a gradual transition from ductile to brittle behavior extending over the range from 0.0008 to 0.02 amp per sq in. (4 to 8 ppm). A gradual transition would be the ex-

Jan 1, 1962

By L. T. Larson, M. L. Picklesimer

The relationship between the apparent angle of rotation of monochromatic plane polarized light and the tilt of the basal pole from the surface normal has been experimentally determined for zirconium over the wavelength range of 500 to 655 mp. This relationship allows the determination of the spatial orientation of the basal pole of an individual grain in a polycvystal-ling zivrconium specimen to within ±3 deg by three simple tneasurements with a polarized-light metallurgical microscope. The method of measurement is discussed in detail. THE optical anisotropy of materials having noncubic crystal structures has long been used to reveal features by polarized-light microscopy. Petrographers have used measurements of certain optical properties to identify and classify transparent or translucent minerals. More recent work (i.e., Cameron1) has extended such measurements to opaque minerals in reflected light. Few attempts have been made to make similar measurements on noncubic metals. Couling and pearsall2 have reported that a sensitive tint plate can be used in a polarized-light metallurgical microscope to determine the position of the basal-plane trace in a grain of polycrystalline magnesium. Reed-Hill3 has reported that the same technique can be used for zirconium. We have found that the precision of measurement can be increased to about ±0.5 deg by using a Nakamura plate4,5 to determine the exact extinction position after the sensitive tint plate has been used to locate approximately the basal-plane trace. This report describes a method for measurement of another optical property, the apparent angle of rotation. This measurement permits determination of the angle between the basal pole of a grain of a hcp metal and the normal to the surface of the specimen. When the two measurements are combined, the orientation of the basal pole in space can be determined from three simple measurements on a single surface. One to two hundred such determinations will permit plotting of a basal-pole figure for the polycrystalline material with reasonable accuracy. When normally incident, monochromatic, plane-polarized light is reflected from the surface of an optically anisotropic material, the light may be converted to elliptically polarized light, the plane of vibration may be rotated, or both may occur. The el- lipticity, the angle of rotation, and the reflectivity can be related to the indices of refraction and the absorption coefficients of the material.6,7 Ellipticity values can be determined with an elliptical compensator, but not with the ease and precision desirable for the present purposes. Measurement of the angle of rotation requires only the determination of the angle from the crossed position (90 deg to the polarizer) that the analyzer must be rotated to obtain extinction when the trace of the optical axis in the surface is at 45 deg to the vibration direction of the polarizer. The angle of rotation of the analyzer is approximately 6/5 that of the true angle of rotation of the light as reflected from the specimen because there is a small amount of additional rotation produced during the passage of the reflected light through the mirror of the microscope. Since we are presently interested only in determining the tilt of the basal pole, the angle of rotation of the analyzer (the apparent angle of rotation of the light, i.e., uncorrected) can be used. Precision of the measurement can be increased substantially by the use of a Nakamura plate4,5 in determining the extinction position. In an optically uniaxial material (hcp or tetragonal crystal structure) the angle of rotation depends only on the optical properties of the material and the orientation of the optical axis of the grain relative to the plane of incidence of the plane-polarized light.7,8 Thus, in a metal such as zirconium, the apparent angle of rotation at the 45-deg position in any given wavelength of light is a direct measure of the tilt of the basal pole from the normal to the surface. If the optical properties vary with wavelength, the apparent angle of rotation for any given tilt of the basal pole will vary. None of the required information exists in the literature for zirconium nor for any other non-cubic metal. MEASUREMENTS ON SINGLE-CRYSTAL ZIRCONIUM A single-crystal sphere of zirconium 9/16 in. in diam was spark-cut from a single-crystal rod grown from iodide bar by an electron-beam zone-melting process.9 The damaged surface was removed by chemical polishing in a 45/45/10 mixture (by vol) of water, concentrated HNO3, and HF (48 pct) and then electropolishing at 50 v in a bath1' of methyl alcohol and perchloric acid (95/5 by vol) at -70-C. The single-crystal sphere was mounted in a five-axis goniometer stage having a removable eucentric X-ray diffraction goniometer head for the two inner orientation axes. The basal pole of the single-crysta sphere was aligned parallel to a third axis of the goniometer stage by using the sensitive tint method to determine the basal-plane trace at several rotational positions of the sphere. The alignment was then checked by removing the sphere and eucentric gonio-

Jan 1, 1967

By W. B. Phillips

The earliest mention of the sulphur deposits in what is now Culberson County, Texas, seems to be contained in " Explorations and Surveys for a Railroad Route from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, United States War Department, 1853-54." Captain John Pope (he was not commissioned Captain until 1856) had charge of one of the divisions of the Survey. In his report on the geology of the route, William P. Blake noted the analysis of a greenish earthy powder from the bed of Delaware Creek, at the springs, which contained 18.28 per cent. of free sulphur. The report states: "From the chemical examination of the waters of the spring, by Dr. Booth, it appears that chloride of sodium is the principal solid ingredient, but considerable quantities of sulphide of sodium are present. ***** The waters from the springs examined by Dr. Booth were alkaline, but it is possible that some of the springs are acid; and in this case the precipitation of sulphur would ensue on the mixture of the acid waters with those charged with alkaline sulphurets and the origin of the deposits of sulphur would be thus explained." This is the first reference to the existence of sulphur in that region, the first mention of the character of the water found there and the first suggestion as to the origin of the deposits. The possibility of the existence of acid waters was confirmed by E. M. Skeats, nearly 50 years later.' In this publication, Skeats says that the water from the sulphur deposits in Section 11, Block 114, Township 6, contains 79.08 grains of free sillphuric acid per gallon. This locality is about 13 miles (21 km.) south . of Delaware Creek and about 35 miles (56 km.) east of the Delaware Springs. The next published reference to the existence of sulphur in Trans-Pecos. Texas is in the Pirst Annual Report of the Geological Survey of Texas, 1889, page 226, where W. H. von Streeruwitz mentions that sulphur is found in that region, but gives no further information. In the

Jan 1, 1918

By Joseph W. Leonard

Partition (Tromp) curves, as used in diagnosing problems in coal cleaning equipment, are discussed and classified using five arbitrarily chosen types to represent, on a scale from one to five, system performance. Causes of unsatisfactory Tromp curves for various cleaning units, ranging from operational inadequacies to problems best corrected by the equipment builder, are analyzed.

Jan 1, 1982

By Berke L. Thompson

INTRODUCTION Purpose of Wall System There were 2379.88 m (meters) of tied back wall along Interstate 77 in the Capitol Complex area in Charleston, West Virginia. The main purposes of this wall system was for aesthetics, reduction of excavation, saving the forested slopes, and control of sloughage of the back slopes onto the Interstate. Failure At 1 PM on Thanksgiving Day, 1982, 3 wall panels fell from the insitu position onto the interstate in a matter of seconds. See Fig. 1. The total length of wall that fell was 29.25m. The height of the three panels varied from 10.06m to 10.36~1 and each individual panel had a length along the highway of 9.75m. These were abutting panels that were approximately in the middle of a section of wall 165.81m long. The panels separated from the remainder of the wall at 2 expansion joints that occur at the ends of every 3rd panel. The reinforced portland cement concrete panels were designed on a 76.2mm (millimeter) batter. See Fig. 2 for Wall Dimensions. The footer for these panels was lm wide, was keyed into sandstone bedrock 0.30m and was approximately 1.52m below the portland cement concrete pavement and shoulder. Thirteen of the 17 panels in this section of wall were tied to the sandstone bedrock behind the wall by either 25.4mm or 34.93mm hollow rock bolts. Two panels on each end of the wall were cantilever type walls. The panels that failed had 25.4m hollow rock bolts. A portion of each panel adjacent to both sides of the failure was pulled out from the rock face and appeared to be in imminent danger of also failing. All of the 21 rock bolts in the panels that fell were separated either at the backface of the wall, in the extension from the wall to the rock face or at the rock face. None of the rock bolts had been pulled out of the bond length in the sandstone bedrock. After considering the condition of the wall and

Jan 1, 1984