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By Robert R. Brookshire

Brush plating has been thought of by many as black magic bordering on alchemy. Actually it is a science that uses both electro-chemical and mechanical engineering skills and technology. We are not sure when brush plating was first used or by whom. I do know that many times when we would put in for patents on things we thought of as new and innovative, we would find that someone had done it many years before. It took World War I1 to get brush plating off and running. Now at this point, someone may be asking just what is brush plating? And why are we plating brushes? One way of describing what brush plating is, is by telling what it is not such as tankless plating. Brush plating-is an electro deposition of an electro-platable element or alloy onto a conductive surface. To do this a source of direct current is required; this can vary widely. I prefer stepless voltage control from 0-35 volts with a capacity depending on the size job to be done. This can vary up to 500 amps for normal applications. In one case we have used 7500 amps.. In the beginning a brush was actually used with a wire in the middle of the bristles and a jelly-like paste made up from tank plating solutions. The bristles were saturated with the gunk and the spot to be plated was muddled with the concoction at a potential which was the same as the applied tank Voltage. Metal was deposited but only thin coats were achieved. Today we use graphite wrapped or covered with cotton to form a Q-tip type anode. By using graphite rather than a specific metal we are able to either plate, de-plate or strip, electro- mill, electropolish, or anodize--all with the same equipment. Only the electrolyte needs to be changed.

Jan 1, 1984

Christopher R. Corning was one of the ablest mining engineers and geologists in America and one whose name was well known also in Mexico, Cuba, South America and many European countries. He was educated at Zurich, Switzerland, and at the Bergakademie, Freiberg, where he was graduated in 1883 with the degrees of Markscheider and Bergingenieur. He continued his studies at Heidelberg until 1886, chiefly in chemistry, under Bunsen, and mineralogy and petrography under Rosenbusch. Although he received a Ph.D. in chemistry, he never used the title. During holidays of 1883-86, he traveled, seeing mines and studying geology in Spain, France, England, Italy, Germany, and Austria. In 1886, he returned to America and in 1887 he was in the Lake Superior iron ore country on the staff of John F. Stevens, then building the Duluth South Shore and Atlantic Railway. In 1889, Mr. Corning was at the Bunker Hill & Sullivan mines at Wardner, Idaho, with John Hays Hammond, and there met E. E. Olcott. Although Mr. Corning was not long connected with the Bunker Hill & Sullivan mines, he left the imprint of his ability and splendid personality upon the men and the property. That his friendship was cherished was manifested by the cordiality, hospitality and frequency of letters of good counsel and cheer. In 1897, Mr. Corning, with E. E. Olcott and Prof. Robert Peele of Columbia University, formed the firm of Olcott, Corning & Peele, consulting mining engineers. Pressure of university duties compelled Professor Peele to withdraw in 1904, and later Mr. Olcott was forced to retire by reason of other important business interests, but the friendship and high mutual regard of the three men continued undiminished. About 1902, Mr. Corning and Professor Peele translated into English Riemer's book on "Shaft Sinking under Difficult Conditions." Mr. Corning's knowledge of structural geology, mineralogy and ore deposits was extensive and accurate. He was a close and intelligent observer. When he became interested in a problem, no amount of trouble was too great in endeavoring to reach a satisfactory solution. He had professional experience in the West, notably in the Coeur d'Alenes, Mexico and South America, and several times was called on to attempt to straighten up mismanaged properties. In 1912, at the request of a large number of members, Mr. Corning headed the "Committee of FiveJ' that investigated the affairs of the American Institute of Mining Engineers and brought about beneficial changes in the organization and its policies. He was one of the organizers

Jan 1, 1924

By J. B. Austin, H. H. Pierce

In developing a consistent picture of the thermal expansion of the commercial chromium steels, which cover a range of carbon contents, it is desirable to know the expansion in the limiting case of the binary, carbon-free, iron-chromium alloys. We have, therefore, determined the thermal expansion of a series of five special alloys, ranging in chromium content from 3 to 10.5 per cent, with not more than 0.03 per cent carbon, over a temperature range extending beyond the transformation region; this low carbon content enables us to draw reasonably reliable conclusions as to the behavior of the carbon-free system. Moreover, the measurements serve to determine the beginning and the end of the alpha-gamma transformation; and they emphasize once more the fact that a transformation temperature determined by any method in which the specimen is cooled at an appreciable rate is apt to be seriously in error, particularly if the metal contains a transformation-retarding element such as chromium or managanese. The lag, or undercooling, observed at the ? — a transformation is explained in terms of the influence of temperature on transformation velocity; the rather unusual shape of the ? loop is attributed to a change with temperature and with composition of the distribution of chromium between the alpha-iron and gamma-iron solid solutions. The exact composition of the alloys, which were obtained through the courtesy of Dr. W. Rohn, of the Heraeus Vakuumschmelze A-G., is given in Table 1. Determinations of the linear thermal expansion and of transformation temperature were carried out in the vacuum dila-tometer previously described,' using a rate of heating and of cooling of 3.0" to 3.5" per minute unless otherwise stated. Magnetic susceptibility, which was measured in studying the rate of transformation, was determined with a magnetic balance, which also has been described.2 Results and Discussion Thermal Expansion Coeficients.—Numerical values for the linear expansion coefficient, derived from a smoothed curve based on at least

Jan 1, 1935

By H. H. Pierce, J. B. Austin

In developing a consistent picture of the thermal expansion of the commercial chromium steels, which cover a range of carbon contents, it is desirable to know the expansion in the limiting case of the binary, carbon-free, iron-chromium alloys. We have, therefore, determined the thermal expansion of a series of five special alloys, ranging in chromium content from 3 to 10.5 per cent, with not more than 0.03 per cent carbon, over a temperature range extending beyond the transformation region; this low carbon content enables us to draw reasonably reliable conclusions as to the behavior of the carbon-free system. Moreover, the measurements serve to determine the beginning and the end of the alpha-gamma transformation; and they emphasize once more the fact that a transformation temperature determined by any method in which the specimen is cooled at an appreciable rate is apt to be seriously in error, particularly if the metal contains a transformation-retarding element such as chromium or managanese. The lag, or undercooling, observed at the ? — a transformation is explained in terms of the influence of temperature on transformation velocity; the rather unusual shape of the ? loop is attributed to a change with temperature and with composition of the distribution of chromium between the alpha-iron and gamma-iron solid solutions. The exact composition of the alloys, which were obtained through the courtesy of Dr. W. Rohn, of the Heraeus Vakuumschmelze A-G., is given in Table 1. Determinations of the linear thermal expansion and of transformation temperature were carried out in the vacuum dila-tometer previously described,' using a rate of heating and of cooling of 3.0" to 3.5" per minute unless otherwise stated. Magnetic susceptibility, which was measured in studying the rate of transformation, was determined with a magnetic balance, which also has been described.2 Results and Discussion Thermal Expansion Coeficients.—Numerical values for the linear expansion coefficient, derived from a smoothed curve based on at least

Jan 1, 1935

By David P. Hale

THE Cartersville barite district is near Cartersville, Ga., in the southeastern part of Bartow County, about 43 miles northeast of Atlanta. The area over which active mining is being done extends about six miles in a northeasterly direction and is about three miles wide. Barite production in Georgia began about 1907,1but the existence of the mineral was known much earlier. At present four companies are operating washing plants and three other plants are operating on leases from those companies. The chief impurities in the ores are silica and iron oxide. The silica is easily washed and jigged out and gives little trouble. Any gravity separation between the iron and the barite is generally poor, owing to the slight difference in specific gravity. Two operators have turned to magnetic separation as the solution to the problem and have made remarkable improvements in the finished product. By very close sizing prior to jigging, the separation between iron and barite has been greatly improved. In some localities manganese occasionally appears as an impurity, but is fairly easy to eliminate by gravity methods. A considerable percentage of iron and silica is eliminated by being broken free in crushing. Until methods for the recovery of fine ore were introduced a minimum of crushing was done, but modern methods allow more than formerly. The depression years brought about the need for increased recovery of ore handled on the part of the producers and a demand for a higher grade of product on the part of the buyers. Improvements in milling and mining practice have had a far greater effect, however, than merely the production of a better grade of ore with greater recovery. They have opened for mining large areas that a few years ago were considered noncommercial deposits because of their inaccessibility and their high iron content. It is no exaggeration to say that the new methods have more than doubled present known reserves of barite ore of economic value.

Jan 1, 1938

By A. R. Kaufman, P. Gordon, C. H. Schramm

AS a part of the general program on alloys of uranium carried out at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under contract W-7405-eng-175 for the Manhattan Project during the recent war, it was considered desirable to investigate the boundary binary phase diagrams of the ternary alloy system uranium-tungsten-tantalum. Previous work on these alloys was practically nonexistent. A brief statement to the effect that tantalum and tungsten form a continuous series of solid solutions was found in a general paper on tantalum by W. V. Bolton1 but no information was available on the uranium-tungsten and uranium-tantalum systems. The research to be described in this paper has served to delineate the main features of the uranium-tungsten, uranium-tantalum phase diagrams and to check Bolton's work on the tungsten-tantalum diagram. Experimental Details Metals: The tungsten and tantalum used for preparing the alloys were 99.96 and 99.65 pct pure, respectively. The chief impurities in the metals were about 0.02 pct molybdenum in the tungsten, and 0.2 pct columbium, 0.05 pct tungsten, 0.02 pct barium and 0.01 pct silicon in the tantalum. The uranium used was 99.9 pct pure, with the main contaminants being iron and carbon. (An appreciable amount of magnesium was present in the uranium as received, but this distilled off during melting and so is not reported as an impurity.) The composition of specimens indicated in the subsequent figures and tables of this paper are the results of chemical analyses on the cast alloys except for the tantalum-tungsten alloys. For the latter, chemical analysis was not very reliable as a result of the difficulty of separating tungsten and tantalum chemically. Consequently, the nominal

Jan 1, 1951

By George Gardner

THE application of wet cleaning processes for the beneficiation of bituminous coal has created in some localities a problem in the recovery and disposal of fine solids in the washery water. The maximum allowable concentration of these solids in the washery circuit that is consistent with satisfactory operation of the cleaning units remains a controversial point. It has, however, been generally recognized for a number of years that some degree of control should be exerted over the concentration of such material. Early methods of control involved intermittent or continuous dis-charge of a portion of the plant slurry into near-by streams or settling ponds, and this persisted even after the adoption of settling tanks or cones. The practice is not always economical, for two reasons: first, because of the waste of coal, and, second, because it is sometimes difficult and expensive to obtain an adequate supply of water. The latter condi-tion often is aggravated by chemical treatment of the make-up water that is necessary to prevent excessive corrosion of plant equipment. The modern approach to this problem has been the adoption of continuous thickening devices. However, because such equipment occupies consid-erable plant space and is somewhat expensive to construct, the practice of loading these thickeners beyond their rated capacity is widespread, there-fore often the performance of such units is not altogether satisfactory. In recent years, European washeries have increased the rate of settling of the fine coal from the slurry by the addition of specially pre-pared starch solutions. These reagents cause flocculation of the solid particles and thereby increase the rate of sedimentation.

Jan 1, 1939

By George Gardner

THE application of wet cleaning processes for the beneficiation of bituminous coal has created in some localities a problem in the recovery and disposal of fine solids in the washery water. The maximum allowable concentration of these solids in the washery circuit that is consistent with satisfactory operation of the cleaning units remains a controversial point. It has, however, been generally recognized for a number of years that some degree of control should be exerted over the concentration of such material. Early methods of control involved intermittent or continuous dis-charge of a portion of the plant slurry into near-by streams or settling ponds, and this persisted even after the adoption of settling tanks or cones. The practice is not always economical, for two reasons: first, because of the waste of coal, and, second, because it is sometimes difficult and expensive to obtain an adequate supply of water. The latter condi-tion often is aggravated by chemical treatment of the make-up water that is necessary to prevent excessive corrosion of plant equipment. The modern approach to this problem has been the adoption of continuous thickening devices. However, because such equipment occupies consid-erable plant space and is somewhat expensive to construct, the practice of loading these thickeners beyond their rated capacity is widespread, there-fore often the performance of such units is not altogether satisfactory. In recent years, European washeries have increased the rate of settling of the fine coal from the slurry by the addition of specially pre-pared starch solutions. These reagents cause flocculation of the solid particles and thereby increase the rate of sedimentation.

Jan 1, 1939

By Donald L. Katz

The equilibrium constants developed by Souders, Selheimer and Brown1' have been very useful tools in predicting vapor-liquid equilibria during the past five years. Their equilibrium constants were computed by assuming ideal solutions and recognizing the deviations of vapors from ideal gas laws. The same fundamental concepts were used by Lewis and co-workers8 for predicting vaporization phenomena by means of fugacities. The equilibrium constant is defined by equation 1: y\x =K [1] in which K = equilibrium constant, y = mol fraction of a constituent in the vapor phase, x = mol fraction of the constituent in the equilibrium liquid phase. The equilibrium constants are a function of temperature and pressure and might be considered as replacing the ratio of the vapor pressure to the total pressure of Raoult's law. They may be used to compute the vapor or saturation pressure of a liquid or the dew point of a vapor for any pressure or temperature from the analysis of the mixture much as Raoult's law is used. Likewise, the quantity of a mixture that will vaporize at any equilibrium temperature and pressure and the composition of the vapor and liquid may be calculated. The purpose of this paper is to review the available equilibrium data of interest in petroleum production, to discuss the auxiliary physical properties of the hydrocarbons, and to present typical uses of the equilibrium constants. The particular applications chosen are the computation of the results of stage separation of crude oil and natural gas, the calcula: tion of a pressure-volume curve of a crude oil-natural gas mixture, and information gleaned from a consideration of reservoir equilibria.

Jan 1, 1938

Oceanographers are tooling up. Back of the build-up is Navy defense work and private business. Business is dipping toes in the ocean gingerly and not sure whether the motivation is based on logic or intuition. The problem is that new business opportunities in the oceans could explode rather than evolve. The question is when. At stake for earthlings are food supplies, mineral resources, oil and gas, weather forecasting, navigational systems, shore erosion control and sewage disposal, as primary targets. "Twenty years ago, offshore oil seemed a remote possibility for economic exploitation but today it is a reality. It became a reality largely because of the development of practical ocean seismic equipment and drilling platforms. Today the oil industry is looking at submerged-type drilling rigs. Mineral exploration in the sea is more expensive than on land now primarily because familiar land tools are being modified for sub- marine work." These were the ideas expressed by C. G. Welling of Lockheed Missiles & Space Co., at one of the many meetings that have taken place so far this year on development of marine resources. Welling's views indicate the rationale of companies that have already invested in the sea. Many companies, including those in mining, have observers who caution, "go slow." The continental shelfs and even the deep ocean floor represent to the mineral industries the age-old, enigmatic confrontation-is this the time to move? To no other industry, except Defense, are the results of correct timing so vital.

Jan 8, 1967

By William A. Longacre

In a previous paper the author discussed the problem described by the title of this paper, outlining and reviewing the Gish-Rooney method, with comparison and brief analysis of the interpretation techniques of Roman2 and Tagg.3 Some aspects of the simple type of two-layer system were reviewed from various sources.4, 5, 6 The Two-layer Problem For the configuration shown in Fig. I, and for any electrode separation A, the SurfAce of earth p, DepthH i P2 Infinite depth Fig. i.—Two-Layer system. apparent resistivity is a function of the relative depth the overburden resistivity pl, and a factor K defined by the equation P2 + P1 where p, is the resistivity of the lower bed. Thus, by the known theory of electrical images, p = pi [1+ */(*-7)] where The Multilayer Problem As the number of isotropic, homogeneous, horizontal layers increases, the difficulties of interpretation multiply. The theory becomes much more involved, and in view of the state of our knowledge, the general problem is virtually impossible of exact solution. However, certain types of multilayer problems can be worked out in terms of two-layer theory. Humme1,7 Pirson,8 Tagg,3 Watson,9 and others have pointed out the possibility of building up approximations of multilayer resistivity curves with suitable combinations of two-layer curves. Many three-layer curves can be constructed in this way to a good degree of accuracy, and special types of four-layer curves can be approximated. It is very likely that as the number of layers increases, the method of combination will not give good approximations except in very special cases. In the analysis of actual field data, the author has found that many obviously multilayer curves can be solved partially with a good degree of accuracy, using the theory that thin adjacent beds may be considered as one layer or zone, and applying two-layer theory to the extremities of the field curve. Modified Tagg Method of Interpretation Tagg's second method, though superior to his first, necessitates a large number

Jan 1, 1946

By William A. Longacre

In a previous paper the author discussed the problem described by the title of this paper, outlining and reviewing the Gish-Rooney method, with comparison and brief analysis of the interpretation techniques of Roman2 and Tagg.3 Some aspects of the simple type of two-layer system were reviewed from various sources.4, 5, 6 The Two-layer Problem For the configuration shown in Fig. I, and for any electrode separation A, the SurfAce of earth p, DepthH i P2 Infinite depth Fig. i.—Two-Layer system. apparent resistivity is a function of the relative depth the overburden resistivity pl, and a factor K defined by the equation P2 + P1 where p, is the resistivity of the lower bed. Thus, by the known theory of electrical images, p = pi [1+ */(*-7)] where The Multilayer Problem As the number of isotropic, homogeneous, horizontal layers increases, the difficulties of interpretation multiply. The theory becomes much more involved, and in view of the state of our knowledge, the general problem is virtually impossible of exact solution. However, certain types of multilayer problems can be worked out in terms of two-layer theory. Humme1,7 Pirson,8 Tagg,3 Watson,9 and others have pointed out the possibility of building up approximations of multilayer resistivity curves with suitable combinations of two-layer curves. Many three-layer curves can be constructed in this way to a good degree of accuracy, and special types of four-layer curves can be approximated. It is very likely that as the number of layers increases, the method of combination will not give good approximations except in very special cases. In the analysis of actual field data, the author has found that many obviously multilayer curves can be solved partially with a good degree of accuracy, using the theory that thin adjacent beds may be considered as one layer or zone, and applying two-layer theory to the extremities of the field curve. Modified Tagg Method of Interpretation Tagg's second method, though superior to his first, necessitates a large number

Jan 1, 1946

By Charles Baker

THE district of Catorce, San Luis Potosi, ranks among the first half-dozen silver-producing camps f Mexico. Mining has been more or less continuous there for 150 years. The large producing mines, Mapum, Mazapil, Palomas, Musquiz, Minas Virjas, now for the most part idle or abandoned, are grouped around the head of two valleys: one, which drains to the west, falls 2000 ft. (609.6 m.) in 4 1/2 mi. (7.2 km.) between the main Catorce and the western foot of the range and is characterized by steep canon walls; the other, east of the main town of Catorce from which it is separated by a high divide, heads in a number of steep tributaries above the basin in which lies the town of Potrero and flows nearly north for 10 mi. (16 km.) to the northern base of the range; below Potrero, it has for the most part gently sloping valley walls and a broad valley floor. The Sierra Catorce is the highest range of the region, the summits reaching altitudes of over 11,000 ft. With the exception of a few cliffs of the erosion escarpment of the lower limestone and the canon walls below the main town of Catorce, which is the highest town in Mexico, the gently rounded slopes are characteristic of a maturely eroded mountain range composed of folded sedimentary rocks. As is usual in desert regions, the heavy-bedded limestones are the most resistant to erosive forces. Folded into anticlines, they form the mountain ranges; and the intermontane valleys and basins, originally carved out of less resistant shales, clays, marls and sandstones, are covered by debris forming a mantle with surface gradually rising upwards toward the hills. In time, the debris buries, in deposits formed from their own ruins, all but the highest summits of the original mountains; some f this region has already nearly reached this stage. Most of the debris is firmly cemented by calcium carbonate (caliche). Solution f the limestone by meteoric waters afforded the supply of lime carbonate, which has been redeposited upon evaporation of the waters as a cement binding the boulders, pebbles, and finer detritus.

Jan 9, 1921

By John P. Hager, Adolfo R. Zambrano

The thermodynamics properties of the liquid Pb-Ag-Au system have been determined from galvanic cell measurments five pseudobinary systems of fixed XAg/XAu ratio. The galvanic cell employed a molten PbO-SiO2 electrolyte and was operated between 775" and 1030°C. The thermodynamics properties of lead were obtained directly from the experimental data, whereas the excess integral molar properties and the activities of silver and gold were obtained by means of the Gibbs-Duhem equation. The calculated proper -ties of the Ag-Au system agree well with the published properties. The liquidus surface of the Pb-Ag-Au system has been determined at 1200°K. In Parts I' and 11' the galvanic cell Mo,Pb(l)|(PbO-SiO2)(l) SiO2(s) |Pb(alloy)(l), Mo [I] was used to determine the thermodynamics properties of the Pb-Ag and Pb-Au systems, respectively. The use of cell I, in which a molten oxide electrolyte is employed rather than the classical fused-salt electrolyte, was shown to result in more accurate ther-modynamic measurements in that the displacement reaction at the alloy-electrolyte interface (l/Zb)B(alloy) + (I/za)A+Za = (1/Za)A(alloy) + (1/Zb)B+zb [1] was minimized. For the Pb-Ag system, where B = Ag(l), the error in the activity of lead (aPd) re-sulting from Reaction [I] was calculated to be less than 1 pct.l For the Pb-Au system the error in aPb was calculated to be less than 0.5 pct.2 Also, electro-transport measurements on the PbO-SiO2 electro-lyte1,2 established that the conduction was entirely ionic and that lead was present only in the divalent state. In the present study the experimental technique is extended to an investigation of the thermodynamic properties of the liquid Pb-Ag-Au system. Five pseudobinary systems of fixed X Ag/XAu ratio were selected. The experimental results were then combined with the previous measurements on the component binary systems Pb-Ag1 and Pb-AU2 to calculate, by means of the Gibbs-Duhem equation, the molar and partial molar mixing properties for the liquid ternary solutions.

Jan 1, 1970

By J. M. Lommel

DURING an investigation into the effect of heat-treatment on the creep properties of the magnesium alloy ZW1, (1 pct Zn, 0.6 pct Zr), the previously published methods of final polishing were found to be unsatisfactory. A new diamond-polishing technique has been developed to facilitate the study of fine precipitates in this and other magnesium alloys, and is described in this note. The sectioning and coarse grinding techniques are those of Fox and Hall,' and Hess and Cieorge.' Pre- liminary mechanical polishing is done with 6-µ, and 1-µ( grades of diamond compound on 'Microcloth' using a lubricant of 'Hyprez' oil. When the conventional technique is used with a 1/4- µ diamond wheel for the final polishing of magnesium alloys, scratching is likely to result from the abrasive action of the 'Microcloth' nap on the soft metal surface. This problem has been overcome by the use of a cream on the wheel in order to separate the specimen surface from the polishing cloth. To prepare this cream, a solution of 6-ml tri-ethanolamine in 75-ml water is stirred into 12.5 g stearic acid at a constant temperature of 80o to 90°C. The cream is allowed to cool, and is then 'whipped' to a smooth consistency with 100-ml 'Hyprez' oil. Before polishing, the diamond loaded 'Microcloth' is moistened with a few drops of 'Hyprez' oil, then a small amount of cream is worked into the nap. For the best results a wheel speed of 500 rpm should be used for polishing, and the specimen should be held by hand with a light pressure while being rotated in the opposite direction to the wheel. After polishing it is necessary to swab the specimen thoroughly in methylated spirits to remove residual cream and oil from the surface in order to avoid uneven etching and drying stains. Fig. 1 shows the surface finish obtained on a specimen by polishing on a 1/4- µ diamond wheel using the cream, and Figs. 2 and 3 the precipitate observed in ZW1 after polishing, and etching for two seconds in nitric acid 15 pct in ethylene glycol. This new diamond-polishing technique has made a valuable contribution to the programme of metal-lographic research on ZW1 and has become a routine laboratory practice for other low alloy content magnesium alloys.

Jan 1, 1961

By B. H. Caudle, L. G. Davies, I. H. Silberberg

This paper presents a method of predicting the recovery and performance of a five-spot steam injection project, in which a realistic approach to pattern sweepout efficiencies is made. Published methods for radial systems were modified for the five-spot pattern by approximating the stream lines with straight lines radiating from the injection well and then converging to the producing well. In each radial segment, the position of the steam front and the temperature profile ahead of the steam front were determined by heat balance equations, which included an estimation of heat losses to surrounding formations. The location of the saturations behind the cold water front was determined from a Buckley-Leverett solution to the material balance equation. Results from this program show steamflood recovery in a five-spot pattern to be considerably less than that predicted for true linear or radial flow systems. For a specific reservoir containing 900-cp oil, a steamflood in a purely radial flow system was predicted to recover more than 75 percent of the original oil in place when 2 PV of water had been injected as steam. A five-spot steamflood with otherwise identical properties was predicted to recover 10 percent of the original oil in place when 0.15 PV of water had been injected as steam and to recover almost no oil thereafter. A cold water five-spot flood in this system was predicted to recover approximately W percent of the oil in place with I PV of water injected. For a five-spot pattern in an example reservoir with 10-cp oil, steam injection similarly showed lower ultimate recovery than water injection but no improvement in recovery rule. Introduction The thermal recovery method considered in this study is steam injection in a five-spot pattern. Pattern steam injection has been given little attention in the past, possibly because of some rather obvious disadvantages. Unless steam temperature is maintained throughout the entire swept area, the process will revert to simple waterflood with all heat being lost prior to reaching the oil bank. Also, the oil viscosity reduction takes place near the steam front and not around the producing wellbore, so that low producing rates must still be endured. This is the reason for the success of the steam stimulation, or cyclic injection, in which the fluids are produced from the same well used for injection. On the other hand, steamflooding can offer some advantages. Oil displacement is by four methods: (1) mechanical displacement by the condensed water, (2) viscosity reduction of the crude oil, (3) swelling of the crude oil, and (4) distillation of the crude oil in the steam zone. Although dependent upon the crude, laboratory experiments have shown displacements up to 80 percent by steamflooding. In addition, steam is a good heat transport medium, since it is cheap and has a high heat content. Previous Investigations Previous publications have reported methods for predicting recovery in a steamflood for linear and radial systems. Since no pattern sweep efficiency is taken into consideration, the recovery even from a radial system must be greater than from more realistic geometries such as the very common five-spot patterns. Probably the broadest coverage is given by Willman who reported experimental results and offered a method of predicting recovery for a radial flow system. They concluded that both hot water and steam injection recover more oil than an ordinary waterflood, and that steam injection could yield recoveries "as much as 100 percent greater than by water flood." They also concluded that both the heat requirements for a reservoir and the residual oil remaining in the reservoir after steam injection were independent of the amount of oil originally in place, that short exploitation times were desirable, and that a high percentage of net sand in the reservoir with a high initial oil saturation was desirable. The method assumes that the flood occurs in three concentric cylindrical zones: (1) an inner steam zone, (2) a central hot water zone, and (3) an outer cold waterflood zone. Displacement in the steam zone is based on laboratory-determined residual oil saturations while the hot water and cold water zones use the conventional Buckley-Leverett equations. Although the results shown by Willman et al. are for a radial system flowing out from the well to an assumed external circular boundary, their equations did

Jan 1, 1969

By C. D. Stahl, S. M. Farouq Ali

This investigation attempts to describe and simulate the alcohol displacement process by means of a cell model, as employed in chemical engineering practice. The proposed model is more simple than previously proposed models. and utilizes parameters chosen on a theoretical basis. The model successfully reproduced the formation of the stabilized bank and the breakthrough of alcohol, the latter depending on one of the model parameters, which may be correlated with the length of the porous medium. Moreover, the effects of the phase behavior of the liquid system involved, as observed in experimental studies, were reproduced. Several variations of the basic model were devised and tested on a digital computer. These included the cases in which: (1) the actual value of fractional flow was used in cell-to-cell computations; (2) the number of cells was varied within the same run; and (3) incomplete rather than complete phase equilibrium was assumed within each cell. The proposed cell model clarifies the basic mechanism of the process. Detailed concentration profiles obtained for each cell, for instance, showed the mechanism of bank formation in relation to the phase behavior characteristics. The results obtained indicated a varying degree of phase equilibrium concommitant with changes in the velocities of the phases in an actual alcohol displacement. This condition was approximated by changing the number of cells during the simulation. Interesting information was obtained on the influence of path length on the efficiency of alcohol displacement, which has been the subject of some controversy. Certain limitations preclude the use of the proposed model as a substitute for experimental studies. The results obtained were, nevertheless, of value in interpreting the experimental results. INTRODUCTION During recent years considerable effort has been directed toward an understanding of alcohol displacement, the process whereby oil and water are recovered from a porous medium by the continuous injection of a solvent. The complex nature of the physical process involved has so far defied a complete mathematical treatment. Other methods of approach, amounting to an overall material balance, have been proposed, yielding useful information on certain aspects of the process.1-3 Taber et al, in particular, defined the displacement mechanism in terms of the phase behavior of the alcohol-oil-brine system invoIved.2 Wachmann reported a mathematical treatment of alcohol displacement subject to certain simplifying assumptions? Donohue proposed the use of a "cell model" for simulating alcohol disPlacement.5 The nature of the assumptions involved limited the utility of the model. The present work attempts to examine the variables involved in the simulation of alcohol displacement and discusses several possible versions of the basic cell model. Under certain conditions the model results are similar to the experimental results. In particular, the spontaneous formation of of the stabilized bank and the effects of the system phase behavior were successfully reproduced. PREVIOUS WORK ON CELL MODELS Cell models and the theoretical plate concept are often used in solving chemical engineering problems in which an explicit mathematical solution may be difficult or impossible to obtain. Examples of such applications occur in distillation, gas-liquid chroma tography,6 reactor technology, absorption, etc. In petroleum engineering, such a model was used by Attra7 to describe non-equilibrium gas drive, and by Higgins and Leigh ton8 to calculate sweep efficiency in water flooding. Aris and Amundsen pointed out the equivalence between the diffusion model and perfectly mixed cells connected in series.9 Deans proposed a three-parameter cell model to simulate two-component

Jan 1, 1966

Prof. H. S. Munroe, New York City : In his reference to cop per-dressing at Lake Superior, p. 325, Mr. Douglas says that " the .. concentration .. . has been carried out with greatest financial economy,... I do not say with the greatest economy of min eral." And again, on p. 344, referring to the same, " it would not pay to reduce the quantity treated, and increase hand-labor, in order to save a few hundredths of one per cent. of copper." Mr. Douglas probably has in mind the fact that the copper lost is all included copper, locked op in grains of sand. To save this, the rock must be crushed finer. If the mesh of the stamp-screens be reduced, the stamps will crush less; and thus we shall have to reduce the quantity treated in the mill per day, while the labor re mains the same per day, or is increased per ton, as he says. Submitting to the loss of copper, however, is not the only solution of the difficulty. A large quantity of rich sand is now collected by the jigs, and it would be easy to save so much of this material that the escaping sands would be quite poor. What is wanted at Lake Superior, and at many dressing-works in this country, is an efficient crushing-machine to treat the sands thus collected. Abroad, we have the Heberle machine and the Schranz mill for this purpose, the latter being the more successful. The Heberle grinder was tried at the Calumet and Hecla mill for crush ing these rich sands, with what success I do not know. I should like to ask Mr. Douglas if we have no American crushing-machine that will reduce jig-sands to a fine state of division

Jan 1, 1894

By J. F. Wolff, Anson A. Betts

The following correspondence relating to a paper bearing the above title, presented by J. F. Wolff, at the New York meeting in February, 1917, and published in the Transactions, Volume LVI, page 142, has passed between the author of the paper, and Mr. Anson G. Betts, and is interesting, although it was received much too late for incorporation in its proper place in Volume LVI. Anson G. Betts, Asheville, N. C.—1. I should like to ask Mr. Wolff if he finds from analysis of the iron formation and of the iron ore, and from the relative amounts of each in each unit area of the formation, unleached and after leaching, that the iron remains entirely insoluble and the total quantity still remains present; or whether he finds that some of the iron is removed, or possibly even added by deposition from the water passing through the formation. 2. The water that passed into the iron formation had to go somewhere; was it absorbed by underlying formations through hydration, or, after passing through the ore formation, did it come to the surface in springs at a lower elevation, or how did it escape from the ground? 3. I should like to ask Mr. Wolff whether he finds that the iron formation in the sedimentary series does not come next to the quartzites and generally between the quartzites and slates. J. I?. Wolff, Duluth, Minn.—1. In common with others, you appear to have some hesitancy in accepting the fact of the removal, by solution, of the enormous quantity of silica which has been leached out of portions of the Biwabik iron formation, thus forming orebodies of merchantable iron ore. I believe that even Dr. Waldemar Lindgren once hesitated to accept this fact. However, the evidence is so simple and absolutely conclusive that the fact is established beyond all question. At the contact of orebodies with their rock walls, the bands of iron ore in the orebody can be seen in contact with the corresponding bands of original iron oxide in the rock wall, and the chert layers in the rock wall can be seen to give place to fine granular material (fine silica and iron oxide) and pore space. This is especially noticeable where slumping at the rock walls has not been so great as to displace the layers in the orebody from their contact with their corresponding layers in the rock wall. Although complete analyses of the entire original rocks in the iron series have not been made in any place, to my knowledge, from the best data at hand as to the average analysis of the Biwabik series and the

Jan 1, 1920

By W. E. Gaby

THE form of dip chart here presented for the use of the profession was devised by the author when he was confronted with a particularly heavy job of geological section making and. did not have any of the usual tables or charts at hand. This was at the property of the Teziutlan Copper Co. in Puebla, Mexico, where the orebodies are much faulted and lie conformably with a slightly inclined and. much folded schist. Because of the low dip and the folding of the orebodies, the engineering, and geological data respecting them were best represented on vertical cross-sections quite closely spaced. A less finished form of the chart was published in the Mining & Scientific Press of Aug. 6, 1921, with an explanation of its use. I have checked the new drawing for accuracy against the calculated table given, and constructed an explanatory diagram beneath. As some geologists are accustomed to using the table, I have included it, since no advantage is obtained by mere interpolations from the chart to get the required angle, except as it gives a mental picture of this angle. The chart gives a more rapid and much easier solution when cases multiply so that it becomes desirable to eliminate the tedious manipulations of a separate protractor. In fact, using the parallel ruler as des-cribed, it is not even necessary to make note of the angle sought. It is brought out graphically, leaving the mind free to note the correlations. The chart itself may be made more convenient by reproduction on celluloid with a slot running on the zero line of the protractor.

Jan 9, 1922