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By S. H. Ash

Diesel locomotives, trucks, bulldozers, and other diesel-powered equipment are fast proving their superiority for mine transportation purposes. MORE than 100 minerals are mined and processed in the U. S. Management and labor have negotiated wage-scale agreements that have balanced wages and affected cost of labor in such a manner that comparisons can be made of transportation costs. Transportation of materials underground has become of vital importance.1"0 This report describes underground haulage methods and equipment, presents cost analyses, and discusses future plans for underground transportation in metal mines. It does not cover hoisting in shafts or slopes by cage, skip, or cars. Advancements have been made by the metal mining industry in lowering transportation costs in several mines, making it possible to mine orebodies or portions of orebodies not considered economically recoverable a few years ago.7,8 Wumerous reports have been written on transportation at metal mines; this report covers recent haulage at some representative mines throughout the U. S. The term metal mine is used to include all noncoal mines from which up-to-date information was obtainable. The best haulage equipment is subject to break- downs and accidents; but unless the rolling equipment, track, and signal systems are kept in good repair and are operated systematically, these breakdowns and accidents are likely to be frequent, destructive, and more costly than are necessary.10 Rail haulage crews using dependable rolling stock can move trips safely over grades low enough to be traveled without loss of control; this applies particularly if the track is straight and well maintained. Few accidents occur on main haulage lines if visibility and clearance are good and clear track is assured. One-way traffic underground is a recent development contributing to reduction of accidents and increased efficiency in mine haulage (Kelly mine, Anaconda Co., Butte, Mont., and Climax mine, Climax Molybdenum Co., Climax, Colo.)." Locomotives: Six types of mine locomotive used in recent years are trolley, storage battery, combination trolley and storage battery, diesel, compressed air, and gasoline. Electric haulage has been displaced by compressed air locomotives, which have been used successfully in certain instances, especially on dirty and wet tracks and steep grades." Maintenance cost is high, and operating efficiency, from a power standpoint, is low. Compressed air locomotives operate under self-contained power, and the absence of bare elec-

Jan 1, 1957

By J. R. Dunn

Planning quarry operations and control of the quality of rock materials at Hudson Cement Co. at East Kingston, N. Y., are special problems because of multiple uses for the stone and the great structural complexity of the rocks. Problems have been largely solved by detailed geologic work. These geologic studies have paid dividends in long and short range planning, in assessment of reserves, in vastly reduced cost of chemical analyses, and in reduced drilling costs. Limestones of the Hudson Valley outcrop along the Hudson River from Albany to Kingston. Old established cement companies are located just south of Catskill and just east and southeast of Hudson, N. Y. The new Atlantic Cement plant is being constructed at Ravena. Hudson Cement located at East Kingston, is a newcomer and is closest to the New York metropolitan area (Plate I).

Jan 11, 1961

By AIME AIME

THE quarters provided for the session on Milling Methods, Monday afternoon, Feb. 17, were filled to capacity. Galen H. Clevenger presided and notables, such as A. W. Fahrenwald, A. O. Gates, F. A. Thomson, W. L. Zeigler and others who had not graced a milling meeting in New York in recent years, or per- haps even never before, were actually present and spoke "in person." The first paper, by A. W. Fahrellwald (T. P. 275), entitled "Classifier Efficiency ; An experimental Study," was summarized by the author, who clearly showed the inconsistency of determining the efficiency of a classifier by means of sizing tests, especially where the material classified consists of a mixture of minerals of different specific gravities. In place of sieve analysis the procedure recommended involves the use of a glass settling-tube which is considered to give ideal classification and thus serve as a standard against which mill classification will be compared and relative efficiency calculated. This procedure sounds logical. Perhaps the greatest difficulty may lie in securing an ideal classifier acceptable to every one.

Jan 1, 1930

By W. M. Lehrer

RECENT development of high-temperature brazing alloys has required information regarding the eutec-tic temperature and composition of the Pd-rich section of the Pd-B system.. Literature on this subject was found to be scanty with no complete system yet determined. Buddery and welch1 report an inter-metallic compound occurring in the Pd-B system at 6.33 wt pct B (PdsBz). Another source, Sieverts and Bruning,2 indicates that after annealing at 700°C, a 1.6 and a 2.0 wt pct B alloy were two phase whereas a 0.75 pct B alloy was single phase. Recent work3 using a hot-stage microscope has proposed a eutectic temperature of 743OC. This method utilized the observation of the onset of incipient melting at grain boundaries. The eutectic composition, however, was not determined. METHODS AND PR0CEDURES Five alloys were prepared by triple inert arc-melting high-purity palladium (95.98 pct) with additions of 2 to 6 pct purified amorphous boron. The alloys were crushed within a hardened steel mortar with a steel pestle. The 2 pct alloy, however, was too tough to be crushed in the above manner so was crushed by successive reductions through a rolling mill. Approximately 17 to 18 g of the crushed alloy was used in the thermal analysis. The alloys were melted in pure quartz crucibles. The thermocouple protection tubes were also of quartz and fused along the inside wall of crucibles to prevent floating of the thermocouple. This was an expediency as centering of the thermocouple in the melt would have been preferable. Melting was done in a tube furnace with a slow flow of tank helium maintained as a protective atmosphere. Heating and cooling rates were maintained at 3.5OC per min through the critical temperature ranges by means of a synchronous motor hook-up to a furnace controller. All specimens were heated to 100°C over the indicated liquidus on heating prior to reversing to the cooling cycle. Specimens emerged from the furnace with mirrorlike brightness attesting to the protective quality of the helium atmosphere. Thermal arrests were detected by the differential thermocouple technique using chrome l-alumel couples and nickel as the reference specimen. Arrests were recorded on a Leeds-Northrup automatic X-Y recorder. The specimen temperature and temperature difference were read to + 7.5OC and ± 1.5OC, respectively. These readings were well within the sensitivity of the instrument amplifier. Chromel-alumel couples were used in lieu of Pt-Rh as very few arrests were contemplated in excess of 1200" to 1300°C, the approach of instability. No standardization was performed on these thermocouples subsequent to their use. RESULTS The thermal arrest temperatures obtained are plotted in Fig. 1 as a function of wt pct B. The composition function was obtained by chemical analysis of portions of the specimens after the thermal analysis was completed. The 2 to 6 pct nominal alloys were found to have 1.80, 2.35, 3.65, 4.18 and 5.90

Jan 1, 1960

By Arthur L. Christenson, Clarence E. Jackson

In the establishment of the relationship between weldability and hardenability, two methods have been employed in correcting for the grain growth produced in the heat-affected zone: first, the hardenability calculated from chemical composition* may be corrected to the grain size observed in an actual weld? or, second, a hardenability test may be made on the steel quenched from a temperature high enough to produce a grain size comparable to that found in the heat-affected zone.8 In order to obtain grain sizes in the end-quench hardenability bar comparable to those resulting in the base metal from the welding cycle, a quenching temperature of 2Ioo°F. has been used. In studies of the end-quench hardenability specimen quenched from 2Ioo°F. instead of from a lower temperature of I7OO°F., it is impor-TaiiT to ascertain The relative cooling rates for various distances along the bar. It is a question as to whether the cooling occurs at the same rate or whether there is any significant difference from the standard cooling-rate curve published by Jominy and confirmed by others.4,5 This paper reports experimental evidence concerning the effect of quenching temperature on the cooling rates in the end-quench hardenability test. The effect of quenching temperatures on cooling rates has been studied by a number of investigators.6'7 French has considered this effect from both theoretical and experimental aspects. In French's studies on complete quenching of spheres and rounds, an increase in the quenching temperature caused an increase in the cooling rate at 720°C. at the center of the specimen. The center cooling velocity also has been shown to be dependent upon the surface per unit volume for the type of specimens studied; the velocity of cooling increases with an increase in the surface per unit volume. Three methods of indicating the rapidity of cooling of a body of metal during a quenching operation have been propped: I. The time it takes for the metal to cool from the quenching temperature to a temperature halfway between the quenching temperature and the temperature of the quenching medium (half-temperature time): Grossmann, Asimow and Urban7 justify the use of this criterion by the fact that the half-temperature time includes the temperature and time of incubation as well as the zone of formation of pearlite and, further, the data so derived accord very closely with experimental values. 2. The time interval the metal remains in a given temperature range; for example,

Jan 1, 1944

By Arthur L. Christenson, Clarence E. Jackson

In the establishment of the relationship between weldability and hardenability, two methods have been employed in correcting for the grain growth produced in the heat-affected zone: first, the hardenability calculated from chemical composition* may be corrected to the grain size observed in an actual weld? or, second, a hardenability test may be made on the steel quenched from a temperature high enough to produce a grain size comparable to that found in the heat-affected zone.8 In order to obtain grain sizes in the end-quench hardenability bar comparable to those resulting in the base metal from the welding cycle, a quenching temperature of 2Ioo°F. has been used. In studies of the end-quench hardenability specimen quenched from 2Ioo°F. instead of from a lower temperature of I7OO°F., it is impor-TaiiT to ascertain The relative cooling rates for various distances along the bar. It is a question as to whether the cooling occurs at the same rate or whether there is any significant difference from the standard cooling-rate curve published by Jominy and confirmed by others.4,5 This paper reports experimental evidence concerning the effect of quenching temperature on the cooling rates in the end-quench hardenability test. The effect of quenching temperatures on cooling rates has been studied by a number of investigators.6'7 French has considered this effect from both theoretical and experimental aspects. In French's studies on complete quenching of spheres and rounds, an increase in the quenching temperature caused an increase in the cooling rate at 720°C. at the center of the specimen. The center cooling velocity also has been shown to be dependent upon the surface per unit volume for the type of specimens studied; the velocity of cooling increases with an increase in the surface per unit volume. Three methods of indicating the rapidity of cooling of a body of metal during a quenching operation have been propped: I. The time it takes for the metal to cool from the quenching temperature to a temperature halfway between the quenching temperature and the temperature of the quenching medium (half-temperature time): Grossmann, Asimow and Urban7 justify the use of this criterion by the fact that the half-temperature time includes the temperature and time of incubation as well as the zone of formation of pearlite and, further, the data so derived accord very closely with experimental values. 2. The time interval the metal remains in a given temperature range; for example,

Jan 1, 1944

By W. C. Knoblaugh

Rotary kilns are adaptable to many fuels, but this paper deals principally with the use of powdered coal. The observations and conclusions presented are based on rotary kilns used in the manufacture of basic refractories for steel furnaces. Solid fuels are pulverized for two principal reasons: (I) ease of control, and (2) rapidity of combustion. By the use of pulverized coal, the operator can increase or decrease the fuel supply by small increments and with very little time lag between the change of control and the resultant change in the flame. This is extremely important in this type of furnace, as the temperature range for maturing the clinker is very narrow. By fine grinding, it is possible to increase the rate of burning of the coal, thereby liberating great quantities of heat within a small space in a short time. Under given conditions, temperature is a measure of the heat liberated per unit of time. To attain the temperatures of 2950° to 3150ºF., which are encountered in the manufacture of various steel-furnace refractories, it is estimated that it is necessary to liberate 125,000 to 175,000 B.t.u. per cubic foot of the burning zone per hour. The manufacture of dolomitic refractories is a ceramic process and, as is true in most such processes, the material must be subjected to a certain critical temperature for a certain length of time in order to complete the reaction. If the time of reaction is reduced, the temperature must be increased; in other words, if the rate at which the material flows through the hot zone of the kiln is increased, the temperature of the hot zone must be increased to compensate for this shorter exposure to the flame. Firing with Pulverized Coal Fig. I is a line drawing of a rotary kiln with the attendant equipment indicated in their relative positions. The kiln proper consists of a sloping, refractory-lined steel tube rotating slowly about its longitudinal axis (0.75 r.p.m.), and is countercurrent in operation in that the raw feed is introduced at the stack end and gradually approaches the zone of highest temperature at the lower end, where the fuel is introduced. Before 1930, the usual method of firing a rotary kiln was to store the coal in the pulverized form and then feed from this storage to the kiln as needed. This proved unsatisfactory and dangerous because of dust explosions and the inability to obtain an even feed to the kiln caused by arching of the coal in storage and flooding of the coal feeders. In later years the practice has been to store the raw coal and grind it as it is needed. Such a layout is indicated in Fig. I. The coal is stored in bins, charged from the top and drawn from the bottom into recording scales and then into some type of unit pulverizer. There are a number of good pulverizers .on the market, each incorporating features that the manufacturer considers outstanding.

Jan 1, 1948

By W. C. Knoblaugh

Rotary kilns are adaptable to many fuels, but this paper deals principally with the use of powdered coal. The observations and conclusions presented are based on rotary kilns used in the manufacture of basic refractories for steel furnaces. Solid fuels are pulverized for two principal reasons: (I) ease of control, and (2) rapidity of combustion. By the use of pulverized coal, the operator can increase or decrease the fuel supply by small increments and with very little time lag between the change of control and the resultant change in the flame. This is extremely important in this type of furnace, as the temperature range for maturing the clinker is very narrow. By fine grinding, it is possible to increase the rate of burning of the coal, thereby liberating great quantities of heat within a small space in a short time. Under given conditions, temperature is a measure of the heat liberated per unit of time. To attain the temperatures of 2950° to 3150ºF., which are encountered in the manufacture of various steel-furnace refractories, it is estimated that it is necessary to liberate 125,000 to 175,000 B.t.u. per cubic foot of the burning zone per hour. The manufacture of dolomitic refractories is a ceramic process and, as is true in most such processes, the material must be subjected to a certain critical temperature for a certain length of time in order to complete the reaction. If the time of reaction is reduced, the temperature must be increased; in other words, if the rate at which the material flows through the hot zone of the kiln is increased, the temperature of the hot zone must be increased to compensate for this shorter exposure to the flame. Firing with Pulverized Coal Fig. I is a line drawing of a rotary kiln with the attendant equipment indicated in their relative positions. The kiln proper consists of a sloping, refractory-lined steel tube rotating slowly about its longitudinal axis (0.75 r.p.m.), and is countercurrent in operation in that the raw feed is introduced at the stack end and gradually approaches the zone of highest temperature at the lower end, where the fuel is introduced. Before 1930, the usual method of firing a rotary kiln was to store the coal in the pulverized form and then feed from this storage to the kiln as needed. This proved unsatisfactory and dangerous because of dust explosions and the inability to obtain an even feed to the kiln caused by arching of the coal in storage and flooding of the coal feeders. In later years the practice has been to store the raw coal and grind it as it is needed. Such a layout is indicated in Fig. I. The coal is stored in bins, charged from the top and drawn from the bottom into recording scales and then into some type of unit pulverizer. There are a number of good pulverizers .on the market, each incorporating features that the manufacturer considers outstanding.

Jan 1, 1948

By D. W. Fuerstenau, L. M. Berlioz

In 1957, Charles1 first presented an analysis of a relationship between the energy expended in comminution and the extent of size reduction achieved. Subsequently, Schuhmann extended and interpreted Charles' approach to comminution. According to their analysis, the energy, E, expended in comminuting unit mass of fairly uniformly-sized material is related to the size modulus of the product, k, by where a is the distribution modulus (slope of the log-log cumulative size distribution plot) and C is a constant, which is primarily determined by properties of the solid. If there is any fundamental basis for the E vs k relationship, E must necessarily be concerned with the useful work for the size reduction process and not necessarily the work input, as discussed in detail by Harris.3 Charles and numerous other investigators tested this equation only by relating k to the grinding time, assuming expended energy to be directly proportional to time, but never directly measuring power. In our laboratories, we recently constructed a special batch ball mill with which the power could be accurately determined with torque measuring apparatus.4 With this device, a direct test of the Charles relationship could then be made for ball milling. 5 EXPERIMENTAL A stainless steel mill, 11.5 in. long and 10 in. in inside diam, lined with eight low-silhouette lifter bars, was used for these experiments. The grinding media consisted of 30 kg of single sized, 1-in. diam, stainless steel balls, which occupied about 50% of the total mill volume under static conditions. The void fraction of the static ball load was approximately 0.4, and for the dry grinding conditions used, the corresponding interstitial volume was filled when about 3300 g of the dolomite feed material was present. The 7x9 mesh dolomite used as feed was obtained as a natural, uncrushed product thus as- suring a random distribution of feed particle shapes. Charge weights of 660, 1320, 1980, 2480, 3300, 3960 and 5280 g, which correspond to 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, l00%, 120%, and 160% of the interstitial load, respectively, were used. Grinding times of 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 150, 200 and 300 revolutions were considered, with the mill operating at 54 rpm (approximately 60% of critical speed). The tests were made sequentially, in that the size distribution obtained after a certain grinding interval was utilized as the feed for the subsequent period of grinding. Agreement with control experiments where the mill ran continuously for the entire interval was excellent. Torque measurements were made utilizing a Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton SR-4 torque pickup in the manner that has been described previously.3 Standard wet (to obtain the -400 mesh material) and dry sieving procedures were followed using the Tyler full screen series. RESULTS The Gaudin-Schuhmann size distributions obtained in all of these experiments are characterized by distribution moduli (slopes), a, of about 0.66 and are representative of normal dry batch ball milling of a material like dolomite. As an illustration of typical

Jan 1, 1968

By V. Runolinna, R. T. Hukki

Preliminary separation of precious metals by flotation can offer a simplification of the conventional method of treatment of anode slimes. Laboratory flotation experiments show that rich gold and silver concentrate can be obtained with excellent recoveries. THE purpose of this paper is to present the results of an investigation into the possibilities of separating precious metals from anode slimes by selective flotation. The work was carried out at the State Research Institute in Helsinki, Finland. The sample of anode slimes tested was submitted by the Outo-kumpu Co. in Finland. In 1947 the average assay of filtered and dried anode slimes in the Outokumpu refinery in Pori was as follows: Au, 0.50 pct; Ag, 9.38 pct; Cu, 11.02 pct; Ni, 45.21 pct; Pb, 2.62 pct; Fe, 0.60 pct; Sn, 1.00 pct; Sb, 0.04 pct; As, 0.70 pct; Se, 4.33 pct; S, 2.32 pct; SO,, 2.17 pct; SiO2, 2.25 pct. The daily assay naturally varies considerably from the figures presented above. The present conventional method of treatment of anode slimes consists of the steps shown in the flowsheet in fig. 1. As seen from this simplified flowsheet, the present method of treatment involves many steps by which the components of the anode slimes are removed one after another until the main products, gold and silver, may be separated. Due to the small scale of operations, the above procedure is carried out in small batches requiring considerable amount of manual labor. If, however, the anode slimes could be treated in

Jan 1, 1951

By V. Runolinna, R. T. Hukki

Preliminary separation of precious metals by flotation can offer a simplification of the conventional method of treatment of anode slimes. Laboratory flotation experiments show that rich gold and silver concentrate can be obtained with excellent recoveries. THE purpose of this paper is to present the results of an investigation into the possibilities of separating precious metals from anode slimes by selective flotation. The work was carried out at the State Research Institute in Helsinki, Finland. The sample of anode slimes tested was submitted by the Outo-kumpu Co. in Finland. In 1947 the average assay of filtered and dried anode slimes in the Outokumpu refinery in Pori was as follows: Au, 0.50 pct; Ag, 9.38 pct; Cu, 11.02 pct; Ni, 45.21 pct; Pb, 2.62 pct; Fe, 0.60 pct; Sn, 1.00 pct; Sb, 0.04 pct; As, 0.70 pct; Se, 4.33 pct; S, 2.32 pct; SO,, 2.17 pct; SiO2, 2.25 pct. The daily assay naturally varies considerably from the figures presented above. The present conventional method of treatment of anode slimes consists of the steps shown in the flowsheet in fig. 1. As seen from this simplified flowsheet, the present method of treatment involves many steps by which the components of the anode slimes are removed one after another until the main products, gold and silver, may be separated. Due to the small scale of operations, the above procedure is carried out in small batches requiring considerable amount of manual labor. If, however, the anode slimes could be treated in

Jan 1, 1951

By D. N. Seidrnan

In the present note we present thermal-analysis data for the liquidus curve from 0 to 76 at. pct Se and for the selenium-rich monotectic reaction in the Pb-Se system. We have previously reported that no expey-imental eviderzce was found for a lead-rich monotectic reaction, at -860°C with a monotectic composition of -20.5 at. pct Se, as found by Nozato and Igaki.&apos; Our additional data substantiated this earlier finding and extended the composition range studied. The alloys were prepared from semiconductor -grade lead and selenium purchased from the American Smelting and Refining Co. Both elements were 99.999+ wt pct pure as determined by the supplier. The impurities for lead were Fe (1 ppm) and Cu & ppm) while for selenium the impurities were Cu (< 1 ppm), As (< 1 ppm), Te (1 ppm), and C1 (<1 ppm). The general procedures used for thermal analysis were those specified by the National Bureau of Standards. A Pt/Pt-10 pct Rh thermocouple calibrated against the freezing points of zinc and copper purchased from the National Bureau of Standards and antimony (99.985 pct pure) purchased from A. D. Mackay, New York, was used for all the thermal analysis. The thermocouple electromotive force was measured with a Rubicon Type B potentiometer used in conjunction with a galvanometer with a sensitivity of 0.5 pV (mm) -&apos;. The absolute accuracy of this thermal-analysis system was *0.5"C. One-hundred-gram alloys of the desired composition were sealed in quartz crucibles, with a central thermocouple well, at a pressure of less than 10"1 Torr. The alloys were initially heated well above the liquidus curve and shaken vigorously to insure homogeneity. Cooling curves were then taken by the direct method at cooling rates ranging from -0.5" to 1.5"C (min)-&apos;. The phase diagram from 0 to 76 at. pct Se as determined by direct thermal analysis is shown in Fig. l.* An extrapolation of the selenium-rich portion of the liquidus curve to the monotectic reaction isotherm (678.3"C) gave a value of 76.1 at. pct Se for the monotectic composition. A tabulation of all the thermal-analysis data is given in Table I. As we previously reported no experimental evidence was found Fig. l—The partial Pb-Se phase diagram from 0 to 76 at. pct Se as determined by direct thermal analysis. For the sake of clarity the points for the 49.00 and 49.16 at. pct Se alloys were not drawn on this phase diagram, see Table I. for the lead-rich monotectic reaction found by Nozato and Igaki.&apos; This result was further substantiated by the fact that none of twelve lead-rich alloys, see Table I, examined for this monotectic reaction exhibited a thermal arrest in the temperature range (849" to 863°C) cited by Nozato and Igaki for the lead-rich monotectic reaction. Hence, our results tend to support the earlier qualitative work of ~elabon&apos; and Friedrich and ~eroux" in the 0 to 50 at. pct portion of the phase diagram, though the selenium-rich monotectic composition and reaction isotherm temperature were in agreement with the approximate values (75 at. pct Se and 672" to 680°C) given by Nozato and ~~aki. &apos;

Jan 1, 1967

By M. W. Clegg

The application of the Laplace transformation to problems in the flow of compressible fluids in porous media has provided a large number of exact solutions. For plane radial flow, however, these solutions are either complex integrals or infinite series and are of little value to the field engineer. In the case of production at constant well pressure, the available approximate solutions me valid for large times only. In this paper it is shown that an approximate inversion formula for the Laplace transform, developed for the solution of viscoelastic problems, is applicable to radial flow problems and provides simple analytical solutions to constant terminal pressure problems. The method may be used to obtain approximate solutions to many problems, including media with radial permeability discontinuities, multi-layer formations and pressure buildup in wells after shut-in. The results are compared with the few available computer solutions as well as the large time solutions, and it is shown that this approximate method greatly extends the time interval over which a simple analytical solution is acceptable. INTRODUCTION The study of transient problems in the flow of fluids through porous media has benefited greatly from the application of transform methods. The use of the Laplace transformation for solving parabolic equations has been widely discussed in the field of heat conduction and diffusion as well as in the petroleum literature. Removal of the time variable with the Laplace transformation generally reduces the problem to a boundary value problem which may be solved by standard techniques. A much more formidable problem then faces the engineer, however, for frequently the transform does not possess a simple inverse. The result is that the general inversion integral must be used and this leads to either an infinite integral or an infinite series, both of which are difficult to handle from a computational standpoint. Asymptotic approximations for the inverse have been known for some time and these yield approximate inverse functions that are valid for very large or very small times — but frequently the times of interest lie somewhere between these two extremes. Therefore, some acceptable approximation valid over a larger interval of time is desirable. During the past few years a number of methods for achieving this have been developed and some of these are discussed briefly in this paper. The relative merits of the various methods are not evaluated here, but some general conclusions reached by other authors are given. One of these methods has been applied to problems associated with the radial flow of compressible liquids to producing wells. In the case of production at constant well pressure, the method leads to simple analytical solutions for a number of standard problems; e.g., homogeneous formation, permeability discontinuities, pressure buildup. These solutions greatly extend the range of validity of the asymptotic ones (valid for large times only) and should be of value in studying the behavior of wells producing under constant pressure conditions. METHOD FOR THE APPROXIMATE INVERSION OF LAPLACE TRANSFORMS Much of the work that has been done on the approximate inversion of Laplace transforms has originated in viscoelastic problems. Apart from the asymptotic approximations,1 one of the first approximate methods was due to Alfrey.2 If (s) is the Laplace transform of f(t) defined by

By Richard W. Smith

THERE are three distinct varieties of phosphate rock, in Tennessee, known commercially as: (a) the "brown" rock, which is the residual pro- duct of the weathering and natural concentration of certain phosphatic Ordovician limestones; (b) the "blue " rock, which is an unaltered phosphatic stratum of Mississippian or Devonian age; and (c) the "white" rock, which is the result of chemical replacement and deposition. Before 1894, South Carolina and Florida had supplied most of the phosphate of the United States, South Carolina leading until that date and Florida from then until the present time. In December, 1893, the blue phosphate of Tennessee was discovered almost simultaneously on Swan Creek, in Lewis County, by two independent parties-by one as the result of a careful and systematic search for a workable deposit of the long known kidney phosphate, and by the other through mistaking it for a "bloom" of coal. Leases were taken and, with further prospecting disclosing other deposits in the region, the development progressed as rapidly as &apos;could be expected without railroad transportation

Jan 1, 1924

[PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR H. G. MOULTON3 NEW YORK, N. Y. PAST PRESIDENTS AND DIRECTORS - D. C. JACKLING1 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. DONALD B. GILLIES2 CLEVELAND, OHIO TREASURER AND DIRECTOR KARL EILERS3 SEA. CLIFF, N. Y.]

Jan 1, 1940

By L. A. Wilson, N. H. Harrison, R. R. Clay, R. L. Reed. D. W. Reed

Experiments have been performed in a linear near-adiabatic system for the purpose of extending data on reverse and forward combustion from atmospheric pressure to 1,000 psig. Results obtained from reverse combustion appear to conform qualitatively with the existing description of the process when reaction kinetics are suitably modified to account for the increase in pressure, i.e., increasing tbe pressure decreases the peak temperature and increases the combustion zone velocity. Forward combustion appears to be a fuel dominated process wherein peak temperature and combustion zone velocity are not very sensitive to changes in pressure. The moderate effects of pressure that do exist at low flux virtually disappear at high flux providing all oxygen is consumed. With this provision. increasing the pressure decreases the frontal velocity and increases the peak temperature. Results me shown graphicaIIy which demonstrate the effects of presswe on peak temperature, rate of advance, oil recovery, air/oil ratio, carbon oxides produced and temperature distributions. INTRODUCTION Numerous field tests of oil recovery using the technique of underground combustion are now in progress. Operating pressures used are always substantially in excess of atmospheric pressure. Nevertheless, the literature contains no laboratory data pertaining to the effects of pressure except for those of Martin, Alexander and Dew.1 Unfortunately, these data appear to reflect heat losses which may have obscured some of the effects of increased pressure. The underground combustion processes are exceedingly complex, and general concepts relating to them have necessarily been described in relatively simple terms. Particularly with regard to forward combustion, the interaction between multiphase fluid flow, heat transport and various rate mechanisms is so involved that to date a rigorous treatment is not available. In this paper a linear near-adiabatic system is described which was found capable of operating at pressures up to 1,000 psig and temperatures of at least 1,100 F. Using this equipment, experiments on both forward and reverse combustion were accomplished at elevated pressures and the data presented as a function of air flux or temperature. It will be assumed that the reader is familiar with the papers of Wilson, Wygal, Reed, Gergins and Henderson on forward combustion and that of Reed, Reed and Tracht3 on reverse combustion, so that it is not necessary to repeat the details of the two processes. EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURE It was decided to study the effects of pressure over the interval 0-1,000 psig using a near-adiabatic system. Since satisfactory operation of such a system requires very thin tubing walls, it proved necessary to insert the entire combustion tube and heater assembly into a high pressure jacket in such a way that the internal tube pressure could be counterbalanced by pressurizing the annulus. This meant that the numerous heater and thermocouple wires had to pass through gas-tight seals that required considerable effort to maintain effective. An unexpected difficulty arose in connection with the nature of the annulus pressuring gas. It turned out that the composition of this gas critically affected the functioning of the adiabatic control system. Operation of the equipment at elevated pressures was not particularly difficult. The problems that did arise were a direct consequence of the large numbers of connections and seals involved. EQUIPMENT The equipment consisted of the combustion tube which fitted within the pressure jacket. This jacket was in turn mounted on a wheeled carriage which facilitated movement and provided for rotation of the

By H. D. Outmans

A method has been developed for determining the relative water wet-tability (fraction of the surface wet by water) of porous media. This method involves the adsorption of methylene blue dye from an aqueous solution onto the solid surfaces of rock contacted by the injected dye solution. Experiments on Berea snndstone cores have shown that water-wet cores adsorb a large amount of dye from solution. In oil-wet cores, however, the injected aqueous dye solution is prevented from contacting the adsorptive surfuces by a film of oil and virtually no dye is adsorbed. This method was tested by experiments on mixtures of water-wet and oil-wet sand. Using the dye adsorption method, it was possible to determine quantitatively the fraction of water-wet and oil-wet sarzd in such mixtures. The dye adsorption test is readily applied to determinitrg the relative water wettability of fresh oilfield cores. The cores are not extracted before testing. Observed values of the wettability of field cores tested to date have varied from 100 to 6 per cent water wet. INTR OD UCTIO N Recent articles1 &apos; have emphasized the important role that wettability plays in almost all phases of reservoir rock behavior. It has been shown that wettability has a profound effect on the interstitial water saturation, residual oil saturation, capillary pressure, relative permeability, waterflood behavior, and resistivity index of oilfield cores. A quantitative investiga- tion of the effect of wettability on these core properties is severely handicapped by the lack of a simple technique for measuring the wettability of a porous medium. If such a technique were available, it would provide investigators with a means of gaining insight into the distribution of phases within a core. A number of qualitative methods of estimating wettability are known. These include contact angle measurements, flotation tests and studies of displacement pressure: imbibition7 and relative permeability data.&apos; Using these tests, it is usually possible to classify a core as water-wet, oil-wet, or some intermediate degree of wettability. One recently proposed method involving measurement of nuclear magnetic relaxatione offers promise of determining quantitatively the fractional wettability of cores. The equipment is rather elaborate and necessary treatment of the cores before testing probably alters the natural wettability. This latter point also applies to most of the cited qualitative methods. This paper presents a new technique for determining water wettability of cores; it is based on measurements of the dye adsorption capacity of the core. This method has the advantage of requiring relatively simple equipment and involves minimum handling of the core before testing. It is important to distinguish between the various concepts of wettability referred to in the literature. The term "wetting" is defined by Bartell as that phenomenon which occurs when a solid and liquid phase come in contact in any manner so as to form a solid-liquid interface. A preferentially water-wet solid is defined by Jennings in terms of the advancing contact angle in the solid water-oil systems. Brown and Fatt regard fractional wettability as the fraction of the total surface area that is preferentially oil-wet or water-wet. However, none of these definitions adequately describes the type wettability measured by the dye test. This calls for the introduction of a new term, "relative water wettability", which we define as the fraction of the total surface area of a core contacted by injected water. DESCRIPTION OF METHOD The ability of a porous medium (especially the clays) to adsorb large quantities of surfactants, dyes, etc., is well known. It is reasonable to assume that a substance can be adsorbed from solution onto a solid surface only if the solution contacts the surface. In this connection Shapiro" has shown by experiments on silica gel that completely dry gel will adsorb methyl red dye from a benzene solution. On the other hand, if a film of water more than several molecules thick is present on the silica gel, the adsorption capacity of the gel for the dye is drastically reduced. Thus, a study of the dye adsorption capacity of cores should give some clue as to the fluid distribution on the surface of the core. TEST OF METHOD As a qualitative check on this theory, dye adsorption tests were run on similar Berea sandstone cores (Table 1, Cores 1-5). Cores saturated initially with water and flooded with 0.01 per cent aqueous methylene blue adsorbed 0.58 mg dye/gm of core. Similar cores saturated initially with water, driven to irreducible water with oil, and then flooded with the same dye solution also adsorbed 0.58 mg dye/gm of core. Another core, treated with a 5 per cent Dri-Film solution, dried and saturated with oil (Soltrol) adsorbed no dye when the dye solution was injected. These tests confirm

By A. K. Bhasin

A. K. Bhasin, (Development Engineer, Marcona Corp., San Francisco, Calif)-The author suggests the use of the term "consistency" for apparent viscosity and accordingly calls his viscometer a "consistometer." However, he goes on to refer to "consistency" as a combination of plastic viscosity, yield stress, and stability (p. 104, col. 2, line 6). Unfortunately, such conflicting terminology is encountered too often in rheological

Jan 1, 1973

By J. P. Carson

The works of the Tula Iron Company are in the Republic of Mexico, State of Jalisco, twenty-eight leagues southwest of Guadalajara, ten leagues northwest of the town of Sayula, through which passes the projected line of the Mexican National Railroad. Its geographical position would be about: latitude, 20&apos; 10&apos; N., longitude, 40 35&apos; w. of Mexico City. The surrounding country is a rolling plateau, 6000 feet above the sea, enjoying the most magnificent climate in the world, the average temperature being about &apos;70&apos;. The works were commenced in 1850 by a company with very small capital, having not the least idea of the undertaking. They soon fell into the hands of the money-lenders, and after changing

Jan 1, 1879

By Robert H. Merrill, Raymond M. Stateham

Recently, the Denver Mining Research Center of the U.S. Bureau of Mines began tests to detect hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions in or around mines with infrared measurement devices. Among the many potential uses of infrared detection techniques are the location of misfires, underground mine fires, combustion in waste dumps, underground water courses and loose rock. However, the primary emphasis has been placed upon the detection of loose rock in roofs, pillars and faces in underground mines. The rock along the edge of an underground opening is subject to two temperature environments: the temperature of the air in the opening, and the temperature of the rock surrounding the opening. Assuming that the rock on the edge of the opening is solid, the rock will reach an equilibrium temperature that depends upon the temperature and flow of the air, the thermal conductivity of the rock and its ambient temperature. Presume that a loose rock exists among this solid rock; because there is a temperature barrier, to some extent, between the loose and the solid, the loose rock will be affected more than the solid rock by the temperature of the air. Therefore, depending upon the temperature differences between the rock and the air, the loose will be warmer or cooler than the solid.

Jan 1, 1970