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By Robert L. Hoss

The application of Muskat's differential equations for predicting the performance of a solution gas-drive reservoir to the Fullerton field indicates that a recovery may be expected of 14,030 bbl per acre under primary depletion, and 15,910 and I7,190 bbl per acre, respectively, under the two pressure-maintenance programs analyzed. In this analysis it is assumed that fluid properties are the same throughout the reservoir, that the core data used are typical of the Clear Fork limestone in the locality, and that injected gas is completely diffused through the pay zones. The economic study of the three recovery programs considered indicates that the one in which 60 pct of the produced gas is returned to the formation is the most profitable. Introduction The purpose of this paper is to consider the effect of pressure maintenance by gas injection on the ultimate recovery of oil from a solution gas-drive reservoir. This prediction of reservoir behavior is the result of calculations based on the equations presented by M. Muskat in the Journal of Applied Physics, March 1945. Reservoir The reservoir analyzed is the Fullerton field in Andrews County, West Texas. It is situated on a broad anticlinal structure with approximately 330 ft of closure, and extends approximately eight miles north and south and five miles east and west. The areal extent is taken as 16,642 acres. The producing horizon is the Lower Clear Fork limestone of Permian age, occurring at depths from 6650 to 7350 ft. It is divided into four zones. For the purposes of this study, the fluid characteristics in all zones are assumed to be the same. Therefore an equivalent zone is assumed of thickness equal to the sum of the thicknesses of the four zones, or an average of 216 ft. The reservoir contains 3,586,991 acre feet of producing limestone, with an initial volume of stock tank oil in place of 918,-403,100 bbl. The average connate water saturation is 24.0 pct. The permeability ranges from 6.7 md. to 12.6 md., and the porosity ranges from 7.7 pct to 11.4 pct, except for occasional cavernous streaks. Based on these values, the limestone may be considered intergranu1ar.l Production histories and material-balance studies have indicated that the driving mechanism is solution gas. Water levels have been established. Theory It is possible to express mathematically the change in residual oil saturation with pressure decline in a solution gas-drive reservoir as being equal to the change in the physical properties of the fluids present in the reservoir as this pressure decline occurs. Essentially these equations, in differential form as presented by M. Muskat,2 express quantitatively the instantaneous net effect

Jan 1, 1948

By E. H. Rennhack

Phase equilibria of the zinc-rich portion of the Zn-Fe-A1 system containing up to 20.0 wt pct Fe and Al have been investigated at 600°C (1112°F), 450°C (842°F), and room temperature by metallographic and X-ray diffraction techniques. The phase relationships were found to involve only those phases present in the three binary systems. THE presence of small quantities of aluminum (approx. 0.2 wt pct*) in zinc galvanizing baths is known to suppress the formation of Zn-Fe alloy layers within the coating.' As part of an extended investigation of this suppression effect and the alloy reactions involved, the zinc-rich corner of the Zn-Fe-A1 equilibrium system containing up to 20.0 pct Fe and Al was determined at 600°C (1112°F), 450° F (842° F), and room temperature. The present paper reports the findings of this study. The constitution of the Zn-Fe system has been reported by Raynor2 based mainly on the work of Schramm3-3 and Truesdale et a1.6 The solid solubility of iron in zinc is extremely small and lies between 0.0009 and 0.0028 pct in the range 150° to 400°C (302°to752°F). Within the temperature and composition range of interest, a eutectic reaction involving nearly pure zinc, liquid = Zn+FeZn13, is observed at about 419°C (786° F) and 0.018 pct Fe along with a peritectic reaction, FeZn7+ liquid e FeZn13, at 530°C (986° F) and 6.2 pct Fe. The latter reaction is sluggish due to the large proportipn of solid phase involved in the transformation. Halla et al.,7 identified the compound FeZn13 as monoclinic with a = 13.68, b = 7.63, c = 5.07, and B = 128°44'. The structure of FeZn7 was reported by Bablik, et al.,8 to be of hexagonal symmetry, belonging to either the C6v = C6/m mc or D46h = C6/mc space group. Divensions of the unit cell are a = 12.81A and c = 57.6a. The Zn-A1 diagram as composed by Raynor9 and later Gebhardt10 is characterized by a eutectic decomposition, liquid 382°C (720°F) and 95.0 pct Zn and a eutectoid decomposition, at 275° (527°F) and 78.0 pct Zn. The eutectoid reaction cannot be suppressed permanently by quenching. Above 275° (527° F), a and a' co-exist in a closed miscibility gap between 31.6 and 78.0 pct Zn. Both phases are fcc and have nearly the same lattice parameter. The maximum solubility of aluminum in zinc (B) is approximately 1.0 pct at the eutectic temperature. PROCEDURE Materials. The experimental alloys were prepared from both massive and powdered material. Cast alloys were composed from three zinc-base master alloys containing 8.0 pct Fe, 16.0 pct Fe, and 50.0 pct Al which were made from C.P. zinc, Armco iron, and

Jan 1, 1962

By John Cobb

THE attempts of British investigators to arrive at definite knowledge concerning the nature of the nitrogenous constituents of coal have been mainly made through studies of the behavior of coal on carbonization and gasification. There have been carried out numerous determinations of ,the distribution of nitrogen in the products of carbonization under laboratory and large-scale conditions; and by a careful consideration of the extent to which nitrogen is liberated, say as ammonia, at different temperatures and under different conditions of operation as regards atmosphere, it has been possible to form some general notions as to the nature of the nitrogenous compounds present in the coal, and at the same time to arrive at clearer ideas as to what are the important operative factors in determining the ammonia yield under working conditions. This work has been spread over many years and is summarized below. The difficulties of connecting the results in such a way as to allow of the nitrogenous constituents of the coal being described in terms of specific organic structure are great. They arise, for example, in the carbonization process, because the phenomena of decomposition observed at any one temperature can only refer to compounds decomposing at that temperature, each of them with a previous history of chemical transformations occurring at lower temperatures. To put it in another way, the compounds occurring in the coke at any stage are not in the least likely to be those present in the original coal. The same difficulty, in a milder form, occurs when the method of differential solution is attempted. There is always the preliminary question, almost impossible to answer, as to how far the separation by the use of the solvent has involved some form of decomposition of the original compounds. In the following summary, an attempt has been made to bring together results obtained by British workers.

Jan 3, 1925

By John W. Cobb

The attempts of British investigators to arrive at definite knowledge concerning the nature of the nitrogenous constituents of coal have been mainly made through studies of the behavior of coal on carbonization and gasification. There have been carried out numerous determinitions of the distribution of nitrogen in the products of carbonization under laboratory and large-scale conditions; and by a careful consideration of the extent to which nitrogen is liberated, say as ammonia,. at different temperatures and under different conditions of operation as regards atmosphere, it has been possible to form some general notions as to the nature of the nitrogenous compounds present in the coal; and at the same time to arrive at clearer ideas as to what are the important operative factors in determining the ammonia yield under working conditions. This work has been spread over many years and is summarized below. The difficulties of connecting the results in such a way as to allow of the nitrogenous constituents of the coal being described in terms of specific organic structure are great. They arise, for example, in the carbonization process, because the phenomena of decomposition observed at any one temperature can only refer to compounds decomposing at that temperature, each of them with a previous history of chemical transformations occurring at lower temperatures. To put it in &other way, the compounds occurring in the coke at any stage are not in the least likely to be those present in the original coal. The same difficulty, in a milder form, occurs when the method of differential solution is attempted. There is always the preliminary question, almost impossible to answer, as to how far the separation by the use of the solvent has involved some form of decomposition of the original compounds. In the following summary, an attempt has been made to bring together results obtained by British workers.

Jan 1, 1925

By S. R. Mitchell, M. Weissman, J. H. Brown

It has been demonstrated that for fine grinding operations, the energy input (E) and the product size modulus (k) are related by an equation of the form E = Ak1-n (1) where "A " and "n" are constants.(1) Also, it was suggested that "A" is determined by the comminuting device and that "n" depends primarily on the rock. It was the purpose of this investigation to study these constants by determining the form of an energy-size reduction relationship over an extreme range of energy inputs, and at the same time, to evaluate the minimum particle size produced during grinding. The comminution system consisted of a stainless steel laboratory ball mill in which quartz was ground at 60% solids for times ranging from 1 minute to 700 hours. The mill which measured 10" diameter by 12" long was loaded with about 60 pounds of balls ranging in diameter from 3/8" to 1-1/8" and was driven at 55 r.p.m. Quartz was selected for the tests because it is a brittle material for which size distribution data were expected to show a constant distribution coefficient regardless of product size.(1) This permitted specification of product size by a size modulus alone. The quantities measured were the time of grind (measure of energy input) and the specific surfaces of the products. Since no accurate method is available yet for determining particle size directly in the very fine size ranges specific surface data were used for this purpose. The relationship between these two quantities may be expressed as where Cis a constant which includes a shape factor, p is the specific gravity of the solid,_S is the specific surface and D is an equivalent particle diameter. For a material in which the distribution coefficient does not change with size the term (l/S) may be substituted for k in equation L if the proportionality constant "A" is changed correspondingly. This substitution was made in this work but in addition, screen analyses were made on several products to verify the equivalence of the two methods of size specification. EXPERIMENTAL DETAIL QUARTZ Quartz from two sources was tested. One series of tests was made on a clear, high purity crystalline quartz from Brazil and Arkansas, and another series was run on massive quartz fromNewHampshire. Grinding charges of the high purity material consisted of 2000 gram samples of -3-8 mesh particles, while the charges of the New Hampshire quartz were 500 gram samples of a -35+48 mesh screen fraction. The difference in the sizes of these two series of charges was not significant in view of the extreme size reduction accomplished, and the New Hampshire samples were smaller to permit ginding to finer sizes in shorter times than required for 2000 gram lots. SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS Separate charges were ground for all tests in which the grinding times were less than one hour and for all tests on New Hampshire quartz since these products were difficult to sample accurately without affecting the entire charge. During the long time grinding tests the mill was

Jan 1, 1961

By Stephen Birch

The Chitina mining district of Alaska is located at the headwaters of the Chitina and Copper Rivers. At present, the only producing mining properties are the mines of the Kennecott Copper Corpn. and the Mother Lode Coalition Co., which are situated 196 miles from Cordova, the port of entry. The first claims, later acquired by the Kennecott Mines Co. and afterwards transferred to the Kennecott Copper Corpn., were discovered in 1900. The Copper River & Northwestern Ry., which connects the mines with tide water at Cordova, was completed in the spring of 1911. Contemporary with the construction of the railroad, aerial tram equipment was brought to the mines by pack train and a tramway, 3 miles long, connecting Bonanza mine with the proposed railroad terminal, was finished, enabling shipments of high-grade ore to be made immediately the railroad was completed. A mill to treat the lower grade ore was begun the same year. The Kennecott company's holdings consist of 111 mineral claims. The Mother Lode Coalition Mines Co., which is controlled by the Kennecott Copper Corpn., owns 73 claims adjoining the Kennecott holdings. All data on operations and geology refer equally well to the Mother Lode property. Geology The general geology of the district has been covered by the U. S. Geological Survey1 and the geological features of the mines have been carefully studied by A. M. Bateman, in his capacity as consulting geologist to the company.2

Jan 1, 1925

By Gregory Comstock

THERE is a growing interest in the possibilities presented by the manipulation of metal powders, which justifies an attempt to summarize their character and potential value. A summary of this kind presents an opportunity for making a classification of metal powder products into several general types. Our present knowledge of the finer and more abstract aspects of many of the principles involved in metal powder technique is extremely limited. Any conclusions as to the ultimate value of the process will, therefore, for the present at least, be of doubtful value unless they are substantiated by its products. The number of such products is increas-ing. A study of their diverse and unusual characteristics; an examination of the methods by which they ale made, and a consideration of the reactions that take place during their fabrication, in so far as we can define them, should afford as good an evaluation of this interesting development as it is possible to make at this time. A critical study of this kind results in a formidable list of special attributes, which apparently are characteristic of applied powder metal-lurgy. A comparison of these special effects with the end products and well defined limitations of the melting and casting process indicate that often they may very well be considered as being special advantages. They are subject, of course, to certain not as yet so well defined limita-tions of their own. Based on current products only, a necessarily con-densed summary of the more striking special attributes of the metal powder process follows.

Jan 1, 1938

By A. B. Cox, L. W. Wark

In the paper on the development of the flotation process at Broken Hill (Australia) prepared by the Broken Hill Branch of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and published in its Proceedings for 1930 (N. S. 80), it is stated that the concentration of ores by flotation has been established on a commercial basis in Australia since 1904 and that differential flotation was practised at Broken Hill in 1912. Since then, progress in flotation practice throughout the world has been rapid, and during recent years the knowledge of the reactions between comparatively modern so-called chemical promoters or collecting agents and the mineral surfaces has been broadened by the published accounts of many investigators, particularly those working in American universities. Because of the benefits the Australian mining industry has derived from the flotation process, it was felt that the industry should take some part in the efforts that are being made to extend the knowledge of the principles on which the flotation process is based. Accordingly, early in 1930, three Broken Hill mining companies—the Broken Hill South, the North Broken Hill, and the Zinc Corporation—together with the Electrolytic Zinc Co. of Australasia, Ltd., and the Mount Lyell Mining & Railway Co., established a laboratory in the chemistry department of the University of Melbourne for the purpose of investigating the principles underlying flotation. Subsequently, the Burma Corporation, Ltd., expressed a desire to cooperate. The two authors are directly employed and controlled by these six organizations, and the cost of the investigation is divided equally among them. The research has been carried out under the general direction and in close cooperation with Harry Hey, chief metallurgist for the Electrolytic Zinc Co. of Australasia, Ltd., and the authors desire to place on record their indebtedness to him for his ever willing help and constructive criticism. After an extensive search of the literature, it was decided to determine in a preliminary investigation whether the effect of chemical collectors could be evaluated quantitatively by the "contact-angle" method. This preliminary investigation showed that with the bubble machine of

Jan 1, 1935

By E. L. Bruce

The district of Patricia, in the province of Ontario, lies northwest of the Albany River and extends northward to Hudson Bay. Formerly this was the unorganized district of Keewatin, the southern part of which was divided in 1912 between the provinces of Manitoba and Ontario. The interprovincial boundary now runs north from Lake of the Woods for 275 miles and thence northeast 375 miles to Hudson Bay. This district is comparable in size to all the older part of Ontario south of the Canadian Pacific Railway east of Lake Huron—thus it is roughly one-third of the whole of the present provincial area. The central part of this great triangle is one of the least accessible parts of Canada. From it streams flow southward to the English River, southeastward to the Albany, northward to Hudson Bay and the Hayes River, and westward to Lake Winnipeg. None of the streams is large and canoe travel is not easy. The only industry it has ever had is the trade in furs. Until the development of the airplane on a commercial basis, the only means of travel was by canoe or dog-train. There is not a mile of railway in the whole district. The two areas to be dealt with lie in the southwestern part of Patricia. Red Lake is 50 miles east of the Manitoba boundary and 75 miles north of the transcontinental railway from Cochrane to Winnipeg. Woman Lake is 50 miles farther east and slightly farther north. The late Dr. D. B. Dowling, of the Geological Survey of Canada, visited Red Lake and spent some time there during his exploration survey from Lac Seul to Berens River in 1893. He also visited the Woman Lake basin during the same journey, but his examination of it was much less detailed, the great area covered by him during the one field season making it impossible to make more than a hurried reconnaissance. Some prospecting in the Red Lake district followed Dowling's exploration, but the distance from railway was too great for any systematic work to be done. In 1922, following the usual plan, the Ontario Department of Mines made a geological reconnaissance of the English River, following :in instrumental survey of that river and its lakes by the Department of Lands. A side trip was taken to examine the rocks of Red Lake described

Jan 1, 1928

By W. K. Hardy, H. H. Stadelmaier, L. J. Huetter

The ternary system Co-Sn-C was studied in the cobalt-rich region. The liquidus projection ulas established and two fonr -phase reactions were found. An isothermal section at 950°C was worked out. In the region studied the following phases were observed: cobalt-rich solid solution, graphite, binary compound y -cobalt-tin, and a ternary compound. As a result of the limited solubility of carbon in liquid cobalt-tin alloys, the investigation was limited to the cobalt-rich region. Tin contents up to 32 at. pct were studied. Cobalt of 99.99 pct purity, tin of 99.97 pct purity and synthetic graphite of 99.93 pct minimum purity prepare the alloys. Carbon determinations of all alloys were obtained by gas volumetric analysis. Samples were investigated microscopically and by X-ray diffraction using CoK, and FeK, radiation. Cooling curves were obtained with a number of alloys to determine the temperature of the four-phase reactions. The thermocouple was calibrated with the melting points of high-purity silver and copper. In the region studied the following phases were observed: Cobalt-rich solid solution (face-centered cubic) Graphite. Binary compound y (solidifies congruently at composition Cop~n)'. Ternary compound k which is face-centered cubic with superlattice and nonferromagnetic.' In Fig. 1 the fields representing the projections of the liquidus surfaces were determined by microscopic investigation and are labled by their primary phase. In the field labled C graphite is the primary phase. During solidification in this field much of the primary graphite was expelled through the surface of the melt. It could not always be established microscopically whether the remaining graphite was primary or purely eutectic. Therefore it was not possible to determine accurately the boundary curve which drops from the binary eutectic el at 1309 "~~ to the point of the four-phase reaction at F. The ter-nary carbide is the primary phase in the field labled k. To the right of this field the primary graphite is consistently nodular whereas flake graphite is observed at tin contents somewhat below F. The ternary carbide does not appear to solidify congruently. The graphite is attacked in a peritectic reaction along the boundary between k and C. Thus no graphite is observed in alloys in the k field. In alloys right of the boundary between k and C the graphite nodules are located in the center of the k crystallites, further documenting the peritectic nature of the reaction with the graphite. A four-phase reaction was found at F and 1120 &3"C. The most likely reaction is L+ CY-Co + C — k. Below the temperature of the binary eutectic ez at 1112" a second four-phase reaction was observed at E and 1100 lt3"C. It is the ternary eutectic L — CY-Co + k + y. Figs. 2(a ) to (e) show microstructures of the ternary alloys in the as-cast condition. Fig. 2(a) shows the eutectic a-Co + C (with some primary graphite) with the carbide k in the grain boundaries. Fig. 2(b) shows primary cobalt (dark areas) and the eutectic a-Co + k which is formed along F-E.

Jan 1, 1961

By T. W. Smoot

Bentonites are composed chiefly of montmorillonites which are clay minerals generally distinguished from other clay minerals by their surface activity and extremely fine particle sizes. The uses of bentonite are many and varied, depending principally on one or more of the following characteristics: 1) Thixotropy, 2) Dispersion, 3) Plasticity, 4) Swelling, 5) Surface area, activity, ab- and adsorbtive properties. Some of the major uses of bentonite are briefly reviewed as are the mineralogical and physical properties. The uses of X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis and other tests for physical properties are reviewed as to their uses in evaluation. In the past 40 years, the industrial uses of bentonite have grown to include many applications. The physical and chemical properties of bentonites are such that they can be used as catalysts, adsorbants, plasticizers, binders, drilling muds, and pelletizers. Not all bentonites, however, can be used for all of these purposes and some are probably of little or no value for any use. The purpose of this paper is to briefly review the mineralogical, physical, and chemical characteristics and variations of bentonites. The determination of these characteristics and their uses in industry are also reviewed so that these determinations can be used as guides for evaluation. DEFINITION OF BENTONITE The word bentonite, as used in this paper, refers to a clay material, usually (but not necessarily) the result of the in-place-weathering of volcanic ash. Its mineralogical composition is dominated by the clay mineral montmorillonite and generally carries other clay minerals and silica minerals as the major 'impurities'. For this discussion, such a definition is justified since most of the economic uses of bentonite~ depend upon the physical and chemical characteristics of the montmorillonite minerals involved. The terms montmorillonite and bentonite have been used almost interchangeably in industry although the latter is much more commonly used. Therefore, where montmorillonite is discussed, it should be understood that the major feature of a bentonite is the subject. STRUCTIJRE OF MONTMORILLONlTE The economic importance of bentonites is generally based on one or more of the following characteristics of montmorillonite: 1) high-thixotropy and easy dispersion in water, 2) high-plasticity, 3) swelling properties, 4) large surface area/unit mass, 5) high surface activity, and 6) adsorptive properties. To understand these properties, an appreciation of the structural scheme of montmorillonite is helpful. Montmorillonite IS one of the three-layer clay minerals composed essentially of hydrous aluminum silicates. The essential building blocks of these layered silicate:; are: 1) silica tetrahedron composed of a silicon atom surrounded by four oxygen atoms, and 2) aluminun (iron, magnesium, etc.) octahedral unit that, ideally, has one of these atoms surrounded by six hydroxal units. Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic sketch of the montmorillonite structure. In the montmorillonite structure, the tetrahedron are pointed inward and attached to the octahedral units so that the O= atoms replace the hydroxal units where they are bonded; hence two-thirds of the hydroxal units

Jan 1, 1962

By Benjamin Smith Lyman

It is a time-honored saying in the anthracite region that " under the conglomerate there is no coal;" and the adage is generally reckoned a sure guide in coal-exploration. Yet there are many places where conglomerate, even coarse conglomerate, occurs above important coal beds, and, among others, above the great Mammoth bed. One of the most striking of such occurrences is on the Shippen and Wetherill tract, half a dozen miles west of Tamaqua; and it illustrates remarkably the disastrous effect of a too unquestioning blind confidence in the sweeping literal truth of a broad generalization. Here there is a conspicuous crag formed by a twenty-foot bed of egg-conglomerate, dipping 60 degrees southerly, and jutting out boldly at the western end of a hill, where it is cut through by the small stream of Little Creek. The hill runs eastward for half a mile, with occasional exposures of pebbly rock along the western half of the crest. Eastward from the exposures lies the old Kentucky Bank mine, abandoned thirty years ago, where the Mammoth bed was worked down to water-level through a space of a mile and a quarter westward from the Palmer tunnel to the very edge of the

Jan 1, 1893

By J. H. Pratt

In a recent paper* on the origin of corundum associated with the peridotites of North Carolina, attention was called to the constant occurrence of the mineral, chromite, in these rocks. The field-data obtained during the preparation of that paper have been used largely in the present paper. During the past summer the general occurrences of chromite have been carefully studied, and those in North Carolina have been especially examined in the field. It is purposed to give, in this paper, the reasons why the chromite should be regarded as having been formed at the same time with the peridotites, having been held in solution by the molten mass of the peridotite, and crystallizing out among the first minerals as the mass began to cool. This theory is essentially the same as that advanced by me for the origin of the corundum associated with the peridotite rocks, and a similar line of reasoning has been used to substantiate the theory proposed. Investigations concerning the igneous origin of some of the ores have been materially aided, during recent years, by the skillful experiments of Morozewicz and Lagorio,§ and by researches that show us, more clearly, why we should regard a fused mass of rock as a liquid, having similar properties to an ordinary solution. These experiments have shown that a molten basic glass, similar in composition to the basic magnesian rocks, dissolves alumina readily, and that upon cooling, the first minerals to separate out are corundum and spinel.

Jan 1, 1900

By James Kemp

PostScript to a paper presented at the New York meeting, February, 1915, and printed in Bulletin No. 98, February, 1915, pp. 129 to 154. The writer looked over the quarry with care in the search for fossils, having in mind shells or corals of fairly large size. In the brilliant summer sunshine, none were observed on the glaring white ledges. The impression was gained that none were present and the statement to this effect was made in the edition of this paper published in the Bulletin' of the Institute for February, 1915, p. 136. On closer examination in the laboratory it has been discovered that the limestone itself is made up of minute organisms, which are clearly revealed by microscopic examination of thin sections. The principal component of the rock is a small foraminifer, 0.1 to 0.3 in. (2.5 to 7 mm.), of the genus Orbitoides, presumably an Oligocenic form. Figs. 1 and 2. illustrate it. The accompanying description has been kindly summarized by Marjorie O'Connell, M. A., Curator in Paleontology in Columbia University, who first detected the evidences of organisms in the rock. Orbitoides kempi O'CONNELL N. SP.1 The foraminiferan which makes up the Seboruco limestone is an Orbitoides of a Species new to North America. The only Orbitoides heretofore described from this country is 0. mantelli from the lower Oligocenic of the Gulf States. This form from Cuba, then, so different in all of its characteristics from the 0. mantelli, is of great interest as perhaps forming a basis of correlation over wide areas. The most closely related Species is 0. dispansa Sowerby, which occurs in the Nummulite limestone of the Eocenic of the Bavarian . Alps, in the Priabona beds of the lower Oligocenic of Massano, and elsewhere in Italy, as described by Gümbel.2 The age of the limestone in Cuba would thus Seem to be of upper Eocenic or lower Oligocenic age, probably the latter. The fossil has the form of a sphere Surrounded by a wavy rim of horizontal extent, the whole resembling two flat-brimmed, round-crowned hats placed base to base. The total extent of the Shell ranges up to 7+ mm., while the thickness of the central sphere is 2.5 mm. in one of the largest individuals. Like all of the other Species of Orbitoides, this form begins with a Single layer of chambers which multiply in one plane and assume a circular outline; but it is in the subsequent growth that the distinguishing specific characters appear, for the chambers at the central portion of the shell increase more rapidly than do those near the periphery and in consequence a Swelling is produced which finally gives the Spherical form which is so characteristic. The rim, on the other hand, shows little chamber-increase and remains thin. This is clearly Shown in the sections figured, where the central row of larger chambers forms the equatorial zone. Radiating from this row, in section, there appear, a number of solid cones alternating with broad reticulated ones. The solid cones mark the more dense structure forming the walls surrounding the reticulated or chambered cones. These appear upon the Surface as distinct pits, whereas the solid part appears as raised walls.

Jan 7, 1915

By L. Guttman

LESTER GUTTMAN* The question of whether classical thermodynamics alone imposes any lower limit to solid solubilities was raised during a discussion among various members of the Institute for the Study of Metals. Although our conclusions are not new,1 they may be worth reiterating, since confusion on this subject seems to persist. In a binary system (A,B), the conditions for equilibrium, at constant pressure and temperature, between a solid solution and a liquid solution are µAs = µAl [la] µBs = µbl [lb] Here µ denotes the chemical potential either of component A or B, as shown by the subscripts, and the superscripts s and l refer to the solid and liquid solutions, respectively. These two conditions are just sufficient to determine the compositions of both phases. Suppose, however, that the solid phase is found experimentally not to contain any of component B; then we cannot evaluate µbs, which is defined by Here nAs and nBs are the number of mols of A and B, respectively, in the solid, whose free energy is Fs. Eq lb cannot be used, but it is no longer needed: we stated at the outset that the solid has the composition "pure A," and only the liquid composition need now be determined, from Eq la. All the equilibrium properties of the system can be derived from Eq la rigorously and simply. Hence there is no purely thermodynamic reason to exclude phase diagrams which show precisely zero solid solubility. Marsh2 has objected to such diagrams as implying that even the transformation of pure A begins at the eutectic temperature. In any case, the user of the diagram must have a certain minimum knowledge of how to interpret it, and it would seem simpler to remember the general rule that eutectic temperatures have no significance for pure components, rather than to show, say, by broken lines, on a scale which will often be exaggerated, a hypothetical solid-solubility about which we know only that it is less than a certain amount. The case of an intermetallic compound in equilibrium with a binary liquid solution does not require a separate treatment since nothing in the foregoing was dependent on the nature of the components. Therefore, thermodynamics alone does not exclude the possibility that (intermetallic) compounds may exist with compositions always precisely those given by their chemical formulas. With the aid of extra-thermodynamic methods, one may conclude that the solubility of one solid in another is never exactly zero. On the other hand, one would generally expect that the solubility will be small unless the components resemble one another (as do the metals), or form weakly-bound crystals. Therefore, it is useful to know that when there is no direct evidence for solid-solubility, one may neglect it without violating thermodynamic principles.

Jan 1, 1950

By Hans Von Höfer

Apart from the hypothesis of a cosmic origin (which failed of acceptance because it was not adequately supported by facts), the only important controversy concerning the origin of petroleum has been, for a long time, between the advocates of inorganic and of organic origin respectively. Each of these theories has had a long history of development, and is still being perfected, under the influence of two causes: (1) the increasingly extensive and thorough study of the oil-fields (of which new examples are periodically discovered and opened); and (2) the progress of synthetic experiments devoted to this question. Moreover, the advance in our physical and chemical knowledge of the properties of this peculiar natural product has necessarily modified all criticism of conflicting views. I. The Hypothesis of Inorganic Origin That the nation of an inorganic origin of petroleum, first set forth by Berthelot in 1866, and afterward ingeniously developed and formulated by Mendelejeff, should thus have proceeded chiefly from chemists, is quite natural; for the question was one of possible chemical processes in the earth's interior, and of imagined chemical reactions to be verified by ex-periment. Hypotheses of this kind were suggested by many chemists, of whom two, P. Sabatier and J. H. Senderens, may be specially named by reason of their highly interesting chemical experiments. Among geologists, Mendelejeff's hypothesis was received at first with much interest and favor; for it rested on the assumption of a central terrestrial mass of iron carbide, and the geologists had good reasons for adopting that assumption. Yet comparatively few of them attempted to furnish geological proofs of the hypothesis: the majority either silently believed in it, or for one or another reason rejected it altogether. An apparently weighty support of Mendelejeff's view was furnished by the American, G. F. Becker, who found in the oil-regions of the United States important and abnormal disturbances of the isogons of terrestrial magnetism, and inferred that in these regions the central iron mass must

Jan 1, 1915

Geostatistics originated as an application of a classical statistical concept, multivariate linear regression, to the solution of a practical problem, estimation of reserves in the South African gold mines. In this respect, geostatistics should only be considered as one statistical method among many that can be used to evaluate mineral deposits. R.F. Shurtz has studied possible applications of power spectrum analysis to the same problem, and these studies may result in future improvements over the presently accepted geostatistical methodology. The intention of R.F. Shurtz's paper, as stated by the author, is to "relate geostatistical doctrine to classical statistical and mathematical concepts." However, in this comparison the "geostatistical doctrine" appears to include only the simplest among the geostatistical concepts advocated by G. Matheron, while "classical statistical and mathematical concepts" are limited nearly exclusively to power spectrum analysis. The author attempts to compare the two methods, and to prove the theoretical superiority of power spectrum analysis. Unfortunately, a number of errors and incorrect statements are made concerning both the theory and application of geostatistics, which invalidate the comparison and the conclusions drawn from it. The errors made in this comparison are understandable since few scientists can claim to have expertise in two theories as diverse as those compared here. In many respects, this paper is reminiscent of polemics which occurred 15 to 20 years ago when geostatistics and trend surface analysis were compared. Each method has its own merit and limitations, and none can claim absolute superiority. The most misleading statements found in R.F. Shurtz's paper are: The definition of the semivariogram given on page 1923 is incorrect. If the maximum difference between two assays is 1, the maximum value of the semivariogram is not 1, as stated, but 0.5. The comparison of geostatistics and linear regression made in the section entitled "Insufficiency of Classical Statistics?" is not valid. The semivariogram of the sample values given in Table 1 (page 1919) has a parabolic shape indicative of a linear drift. When such a semivariogram is observed, the simplest method of geostatistical estimation (linear kriging with unknown mean) is not applicable. Universal kriging must be used that takes trends into account. On page 1921 it is stated that the use of trends "is officially disparaged in geostatistics." Again on page 1924 mention is made to "Matheron's commitment to random process (intrinsic) models and his present categorical rejection of deterministic (trend) models for mineral deposit evaluation." Indeed, from articles published by geostatisticians in the 1960s one could infer that geostatistical methods are not compatible with the presence of trends. However, even the simplest

Jan 1, 1984

By Karl Sundberg

DURING the past few years Swedish geo-electrical prospecting methods have been described in several papers; namely, by us in a paper en-titled "Electrical Prospecting in Sweden," published by the Geological Survey of Sweden, 1925, and in a paper, "Electrical and Electro-Magnetic Prospecting," read by Hans Lundberg at the 1926 annual meeting of the A.I.M.E. In a written discussion on the latter paper, Theodore Zuschlag has made some observations, pub-lished in the Trans. Vol. LXXIV, which has just ap-peared. In this discussion the theories of the Swedish geo-electrical methods are criticized. The statements of Mr. Zuschlag are the reason for, our submitting the following information.1 In developing an art, such as electrical prospecting, the first thing to do, of course, is to make clear the fun-damental principles of electrical prospecting and then apply them to practice. This application cannot, in this case, be made by theoretical calculations only, because Nature is far too complicated to permit of exact theo-retical calculations on the phenomena involved in prac-tical electrical prospecting. Therefore, it is necessary to start with simplified cases, then turn to more and more complicated ones, and, finally, to test the applica-tion of results found, first in the laboratory and then in the field under known conditions.. Only in this way can results of practical value be obtained. This pro-cedure comprises three important parts: theory, the work in the laboratory, and the work in the field. In the papers mentioned above, we have briefly out-lined the work done in developing the Swedish geo-electrical methods, mainly giving some practical results, because these are most important and most likely to interest mining people. Possibly, because the discus-sion of theoretical considerations in our papers has been brief and sketchy, Mr. Zuschlag feels justified in in-ferring that the theories used as the foundation in Swedish electrical prospecting methods are not free from fundamental objections. His fundamental ob-jections are:

Jan 3, 1927

By A. B. Young

THE difficulties encountered in the preparation of. the lead smelter charge for the blast furnace and in the roasting and sintering of the ores, and the expert means taken for the preparation of these materials since the introduction of flotation concentrates into the lead smelter charge, have been described by W. H. Eardley1 and R. A. Wagstaff.2 FUNCTION OF ROASTERS AND BLAST FURNACES The lead smelter has first its roasters and its sintering devices, of which the primary object is the removal of sulfur from the ore or from the charge. The blast furnace follows; its function being the elimination of the gangue material left in the charge-the elimination of the insoluble, the iron, the zinc and the lime from the metallic lead. The secondary object is the separation of copper from the lead. A lead blast furnace is a sensitive apparatus. The materials composing the charge must be marshalled inn certain proportions before they will, make a fluid slag which will separate from the metallic lead. The silica, iron, lime and zinc must be put together in proportions that usually do not exist naturally in the ores, therefore fluxes are necessary. FUNCTION OF THE FLOTATION CELL The flotation cell-speaking from the standpoint of a lead concentrate-has taken over part of the work hitherto performed entirely by either gravity concentration or the lead blast furnace. It has eliminated gangue from the concentrate and separated waste products from the lead. In so far as it has done that, it has usurped some of the function of the lead blast furnace; and it is much cheaper to run a flotation cell than a lead blast furnace. The effect in Utah, and it will be similar to effects in other districts, has been to remove a great deal of the gangue by means of flotation, whereas in the old days it was eliminated by means of smelting. In this district, as in others, the insoluble content of the ores has been greatly out of proportion to the iron and lime content to make a proper slag

Jan 1, 1928

By M. R. Klepper, H. Landsberg

Many of the sedimentary rocks contain small amounts of radioactive constituents. These vary in quantity in different layers. Some recent deposits show rather high activity as; for example, the deep sea oozes and some lake deposits.lv2 Measurements made in boreholes have also shown considerable changes in activity from horizon to horizon. The first to publish data on this fact was Ambronn,3 and recently Russian geophysicists have shown remarkable variations of activity from one layer to the next in various wells. Spak4 felt even that he was able to line up horizons from data measured in two neighboring wells.‡ The measuring of radioactive radiation is fairly difficult. Large errors are possible by the circulation of gaseous emanations in the well and porous strata. It is, therefore, never certain whether the activity of the layer where the instrumental device or collector is located will be measured, or that of some adjacent layer. For this reason it seemed to be advantageous to take samples of rocks into the laboratory and test them there for their contents of radioactive material. Such a method has been followed in the past to distinguish radioactive ore from other rocks. Radioactivity of rocks, especially of the igneous type, was also determined in the laboratory by numerous authors for absolute age investigations.= Corresponding data from studies of sedimentary formations are scarce. Specimens taken from a core of the Bradford oil sandstone were tested by Landsberg and Ingham,7 with the results illustrated in Fig. 1, which shows that within relatively small vertical distances the differences of relative activity were considerable. If one assumes that the distribution of radioactive material is fairly uniform throughout a layer, measurements of radioactive radiation in various horizons would offer additional information for stratigraphic

Jan 1, 1940