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By J. P. Batcha, J. Robert Denny

Since 1964. Newmont Mining Corp. has been engaged in a systematic research and development of computer techniques for a variety of mine planning applications. The general objective of this effort has been twofold: first, to arrive at a viable near-optimum plan for mining a particular orebody and, second, to decrease the financial investment by reducing the man-hours required for mine planning. Three major phases in the evolution of Newmont's computer techniques for mine planning are discernible. In phase one, the computer's ability to duplicate manual drafting and contour mapping was developed. Obviously, all recognized geologic characteristics had to be included, and consequently the development of computer techniques for the proper incorporation of structure, stratigraphic trends, and other geological features was a significant aspect of phase one.

Jan 1, 1970

By H. Sigurdson, T. V. Cherian, C. H. Moore

The phenomenon of recovery of cold-worked metals is interesting not only because of its practical importance but also because of its fundamental significance in solid state reactions. Although extensive investigations1,2 have already been made in an attempt to discover the mechanics of the recovery process, many of the observations have not yet been satisfactorily correlated to provide a completely consistent model for the process. The wide differences in the recovery rates of various properties can be cited as a typical example of one of the difficulties that are encountered. Frequently, for example, the electrical resistance will have almost completely recovered before any recovery in tensile strength can be detected. Of course, such differences in the recovery rates of different properties might be explained by assuming that each property is a unique function of the work-hardened state, and consequently each property exhibits its own unique recovery rate. The assumption that different properties are uniquely related to the work-hardened state cannot be denied. On the other hand, the properties that recover at different rates often exhibit more or less parallel changes upon work-hardening. This suggests that the microstructural changes attending recovery are not exactly the reverse of the changes attending work-hardening. Several types of imperfections must be postulated in order to account for this apparent anomaly. The different recovery rates for various properties, then, are due to the different recovery rales of the type of imperfection to which each property is most sensitive as well as the unique dependence of each property on the cold- worked state. This concept assumes that a simple model of the work-hardened state consisting only of one type of imperfection, such as Taylor's type of dislocation patterns, is inadequate to cope with the diversified phenomena attending work-hardening and recovery. Although current models for the work-hardened state are not useful for describing all aspects of the recovery process, the general trends of the recovery of each postulated type of imperfection as a function of time and temperature should be at least qualitatively deducible from the rather well developed laws of kinetics of reactions in the solid state. Consequently, recovery data might prove useful for elucidating some aspects of the complexities of the work-hardened state of metals. A preliminary attempt to study work-hardening by investigating recovery rates of cold-worked metals is outlined in the following pages of this report. Experimental Procedure Many properties recover when cold-worked metals are annealed below their recrystallization temperature. Therefore, electrical resistivity, thermal electromotive force, X ray diffraction line widths, X ray diffraction line intensities, elastic spring back, density and other physical and chemical properties have been used to study the recovery process. Major interest, however, has generally been directed toward the recovery of the mechanical properties such as hardness, yield strength, and tensile strength. But a search of the literature suggests that the effect of recovery on the true stress-true strain curve has been neglected, in spite of the current recognition of the fundamental importance of such an investigation. An investigation on the effect of recovery treatment on the true stress-true strain curves in tension, therefore, was undertaken in the present study. Commercially pure aluminum (99. + pet Al) in the form of 0.100 in. thick rolled sheet of 2S-O aluminum alloy was selected as the material for this investigation because rather extensive correlatable data are already available on the recovery of some of its properties. Tensile specimens having a 6 in. long gauge section and a uniform reduced section width of 0.500 in. were machined from the sheet in accordance with a design that has previously been reported.3 All specimens were selected with their axes aligned in the rolling direction. In order to eliminate the effects of previous work-hardening and the effects of machining, the specimens were annealed for 15 min. at 750°F before testing. During tensile testing the loads were measured by means of a proving ring (sensitive to 1/2 lb) in series with the specimen.4 Strains were determined from the extension of a rack and pinion strain gauge sensitive to a strain of + 0.0001. The stress was recorded as the true stress, namely

Jan 1, 1950

By C. S. Barrett, C. T. Haller

Twinning in magnesium is known to occur profusely under certain conditions, and when it occurs in polycrystalline materials it brings about a partial or even a complete change in the preferred orientation. The amount of research on this subject, however, has not been in proportion to its importance as a mechanism of deformation and reorientation. Much of the research has been limited to twinning in single crystals. The present study1 concerns polycrystalline sheet, and is an investigation of the twinning produced by plastic deformation as a function of the following variables: 1. Direction and type of deformation. 2. Amount of deformation. 3. Speed of deformation. 4. Temperature of deformation 5. Composition and temper of the sheet. 6. Twins previously produced. 7. Twins previously produced, then annealed. By proper control of these variables it is shown that, on a laboratory scale, samples can be produced that are free from preferred orientations. The materials used were samples of commercial magnesium-alloy sheets with nominal compositions given in Table I. X-ray diffraction was used in most of this work to detect the twins and to estimate the amount of twinning. Since twinning on (102) planes causes a re-orientation of the crystal lattice by 86", it is very easy to study with X-ray diffraction patterns, particularly if one notices the diffraction ring from the basal plane— the 002 reflection. By properly directing the X-ray beam, it is possible to produce 002 reflections from twinned material at, say, the 6 and 12 o'clock positions on the 002 ring, with the untwinned material reflecting to 3 and 9 o'clock positions; and by judging the relative intensity of the arcs on the diffraction ring at these positions, it is possible to judge the amount of twinned material relative to the untwinned. This X-ray method of estimating the amount of twinning is generally superior to metallo-graphic observation, for it was found

Jan 1, 1947

By C. S. Barrett, C. T. Haller

Twinning in magnesium is known to occur profusely under certain conditions, and when it occurs in polycrystalline materials it brings about a partial or even a complete change in the preferred orientation. The amount of research on this subject, however, has not been in proportion to its importance as a mechanism of deformation and reorientation. Much of the research has been limited to twinning in single crystals. The present study1 concerns polycrystalline sheet, and is an investigation of the twinning produced by plastic deformation as a function of the following variables: 1. Direction and type of deformation. 2. Amount of deformation. 3. Speed of deformation. 4. Temperature of deformation 5. Composition and temper of the sheet. 6. Twins previously produced. 7. Twins previously produced, then annealed. By proper control of these variables it is shown that, on a laboratory scale, samples can be produced that are free from preferred orientations. The materials used were samples of commercial magnesium-alloy sheets with nominal compositions given in Table I. X-ray diffraction was used in most of this work to detect the twins and to estimate the amount of twinning. Since twinning on (102) planes causes a re-orientation of the crystal lattice by 86", it is very easy to study with X-ray diffraction patterns, particularly if one notices the diffraction ring from the basal plane— the 002 reflection. By properly directing the X-ray beam, it is possible to produce 002 reflections from twinned material at, say, the 6 and 12 o'clock positions on the 002 ring, with the untwinned material reflecting to 3 and 9 o'clock positions; and by judging the relative intensity of the arcs on the diffraction ring at these positions, it is possible to judge the amount of twinned material relative to the untwinned. This X-ray method of estimating the amount of twinning is generally superior to metallo-graphic observation, for it was found

Jan 1, 1947

By W. H. Craigue

THE scope of this article covers only the mathematical principles involved in discounting to present worth future expected profits and it is believed answers definitely two questions, which were raised at a recent meeting of the Committee on Methods of Valuing Coal Properties, as follows: 1. The accumulative effect of carrying charges on the value of coal mines showing definitely the number of years beyond which the coal may not be mined at a profit and subsequent to which the possession of any unmined coal will be a liability rather than an asset. 2. The effect on the valuation of coal mines, in the presence of the carrying charges described in question 1, of an increase in plant capacity and production. In general, in considering these questions, it may be stated that the consideration of an increase in plant capacity and production follows as a matter of course after a determination has been made of the year beyond which no profits are to be realized (giving the carrying. charges accumulative effect, or in other words capitalizing the carrying charges, as shown hereinafter). For example, if it is determined that any coal that is unmined after 45 years will have no value or less than no value, the question immediately arises as to whether or not a plant should be constructed that would result in a yearly production great enough to extract the entire tonnage in a time less than 45 years, and if so the number 'of years less than 45 years that would, from a financial stand-point, be the most desirable, all under the assumption that the market for the product or the transportation facilities are such that the yearly production can be increased to the desired amount.

Jan 1, 1933

By R. H. Frazier, C. H. Lorig, F. W. Boulger

THERE are both advantages and disadvantages in using semikilled steels in place of killed steels. One advantage of semikilled steels is they provide a higher ingot-to-product yield. This is especially important to shipbuilders in the time of national emergency. By using semikilled steel for hull plates, a greater number of ships can be built from the same ingot tonnage. Consequently, if semikilled steel plates are adequate for the service, the advantage of the higher product yield is of considerable importance. The performance of hull plates is closely associated with the ductile-to-brittle transition temperature, and this, in turn, is strongly dependent on the composition of the steel. A low transition temperature is desirable because it indicates that the steel is less likely to fail at low ambient temperatures. Killed steels are known to have lower transition temperatures than semikilled steels. It is believed that the better qualities of killed steels in this respect are due mainly to the low oxygen contents of the steel. The principal deoxidizers, aluminum, silicon, and manganese, lower the oxygen content. Fundamental studies1-0 have shown that the oxygen content remaining after the addition of one of these three elements is influenced by the residual amounts of the other two present. In the current study, therefore, various amounts of silicon and aluminum were added to steels containing different manganese contents for the purpose of studying the influence of silicon and aluminum on the notched-bar properties of hot-rolled steels. Eleven types of steels were studied. The temperature at which the plates were finish-rolled was care- fully controlled at 1850°F. All plates were rolled to ¾-in. thickness, and tested in the as-rolled condition. The total number of steels prepared in the laboratory for this study was 95. The charge consisting of ingot iron and ferrosilicon equivalent to 0.10 pct Si was melted in a 200-lb induction furnace under an atmosphere of argon to insure low, uniform nitrogen contents. After the charge was melted and the desired temperature was obtained, the melt was partly deoxidized with either silicomanganese or aluminum. Aluminum was used for this purpose in only those steels with very low silicon contents, where the finished steel was to contain some aluminum. This initial deoxidizing addition was made to obtain consistent recoveries of subsequent additions of ferro-manganese, ferrosilicon, and aluminum. Carbon, in the form of graphite, was added, either just prior to tap or to the final aluminum addition. The entire heat of 200 lb was poured directly into a 6x6-in. big-end-up mold. The ingots of semikilled steel were capped with a steel plate. The killed steels, on the other hand, were poured with a hot-top containing 14 pct of the total volume of the ingot. The ingots were processed by heating to 2250°F, followed by forging to slabs 1¾ in. thick and 6 in. wide. After reheating to 2250°F, the slabs were rolled to 0.9-in. gage, using reductions of approximately 1/6 in. per pass. The 0.9-in. thick plates were immediately recharged in a furnace held at 1850°F. After 30 min in the furnace at 1850°F, the plates were rolled to ¾ in. in one pass. Following the final pass, the plates were stacked on edge on a brick floor, with a brick separating one from another, where they were allowed to cool in air. Drillings for chemical analysis were taken from the plates at locations corresponding to the top and bottom of each ingot. Carbon, manganese, silicon, phosphorus, sulfur, and nitrogen contents of each sample were determined. The analysis of each steel was carefully controlled so that the contents of

Jan 1, 1957

By J. A. Jr. Church

I. EARLY FURNACES. . COPPER blast-furnace construction in America has long recognized a general standard in the rectangular water-jacketed shaft with separate forehearth. The details, however, and especially those relating to shaft dimensions, have had to meet a great variety of conditions, and show no uniformity whatever. Selecting a few of the present day Western plants, we find furnace lengths varying from 12.5 to 87 ft., widths at tuyere level from 42 to 84 in., and heights above tuyeres from 5 ft. 4 in. to 22 ft. 4 in. ; and comparing present designs with those of the past, we meet contrasts no less striking. Unlike its transverse section, the length of a furnace has come to depend rather on the size of unit desired than on the requirements of smelting ; and if the question of length be ignored, several of the various existing designs can be grouped together on the basis of a common transverse section. This section, having a width at tuyere level of 56 in. and a height above tuyeres of 18, ft., was developed at Great Falls, and the story of its development contains some interesting features. Ground was broken for the Great Falls works in the spring of 1891. About a year later, the concentrator was able to begin operation, followed within the next few months by the Brueckner, reverberatory, and converter departments, and in April, 1893, by the first blast fur-

Jan 7, 1913

By J. A. Jr. Church

I. EARLY FURNACES. COPPER blast-furnace construction in America has long recognized a general standard in the rectangular mater jacketed shaft with separate forehearth. The details, however, and especially those relating to shaft dimensions, have had to meet a great variety of conditions, and show no uniformity whatever. Selecting a few of the present day Western plants, we find furnace lengths varying from 12.5 to 87 ft., widths at tuyere level from 42 to 84 in., and heights above tuyeres from 5 ft. 4 in. to 22 ft. 4 in. ; and comparing present designs with those of the past, we meet contrasts no less striking. Unlike its transverse section, the length of a furnace has come to depend rather on the size of unit desired than on the requirements of smelting ; and if the question of length be ignored, several of the various existing designs can be grouped together on the basis of a common transverse section. This section, having a width at tuyere level of 56 in. and a height above tuyeres of 18 ft., was developed at Great Falls, and the story of its development contains some interesting features. Ground was broken for the Great Falls works in the spring of 1891. About a year later, the concentrator was able to begin operation, followed within the next few mouths by the Brueckner, reverberatory, and converter departments, and in April, 1893, by the first blast fur-

Jan 7, 1913

By Joseph A. Holmes

The public is already familiar with the general fact that the scope and the financial resources of the approaching St. Louis World's Fair are much larger than those of any of the preceding great expositions; and both the visitor and the exhibitor, when he comes to St. Louis in 1904, will find it to be a real World's Pair, with exhibits and visitors from every known country. Passing over the subject, as to the general Exposition, with this brief statement, I ask Sour attention to the consideration of a few important facts connected with the proposed mining exhibits at this Exposition. First of all, I may say that. reading- and writing-rooms and library facilities will be furnished in the Mines Building for miners and mining engineers, and it is expected that when they visit the Exposition they will make these rooms their headquarters, and give the Chief of the Department and his assistants an opportunity to extend to them such courtesies as may be possible. One of the exhibits in the Mines Department will consist of models and maps arranged to show the nature and extent of the mining operations in the United States at the time of the purchase of the Louisiana Territory in 1803, the event which

Jan 1, 1903

By Ivor Jenkins

PROCESSES employing controlled atmospheres in the heat-treatment of metals and alloys are now well established on an industrial scale, and the general principles involved and the advantages to be gained in the use of the technique have received considerable publicity over a period of years. During this time the greatest emphasis has been on the establishment of the process in industry, the main effort being devoted to development work on various types of atmospheres, their useful fields of application and the design of suitable heat-treatment furnaces in which they are to be used. The various types of controlled atmospheres are fairly well standardized, but there still remains a considerable field for the investigation of related problems, in connection with both the gas-generating equipment and the surface chemistry of the heat-treatment of metals, especially in complex controlled atmospheres. This paper describes certain investigations of this nature that were carried out in England up to 1939. The development of processes employing controlled atmospheres has been associated to a very large extent with the heat-treatment of steels, both because of the major importance of steel in industry and the many diverse and difficult problems of surface chemistry involved when steels of such a wide range of composition are heated in the presence of active gases Controlled atmospheres such as dissociated and burnt ammonia or charcoal gas are used in the heat-treatment of low-carbon and high-carbon steels, but from certain points of view a suitable atmosphere generated by the partial combustion of city gas is to be preferred. Both the ammonia derivatives are comparatively expensive, and even if the burnt ammonia is regenerated, thereby reducing operating costs, the capital expenditure of the gas plant may make it prohibitive for the smaller type of furnace installation. Charcoal-gas generators are not without their operating difficulties: especially those associated with the quality of the charcoal, clinker formation and the removal of carbon dust from the generated gas. City gas has the advantage of being comparatively cheap and "on tap" in most if not all industrial centers. The use of raw city gas as a protective atmosphere in the heat-treatment of steels has been described,1 but it presents certain difficulties because of its complex composition and its explosive nature when mixed with air. These factors, together with the tendency toward sooting at elevated temperatures, arising mainly from the hydrocarbon gases present, all militate against its use as a protective atmosphere in industrial furnaces. The following analysis, based on the analyses of city gas in different localities in Great Britain, indicates the wide limits existing

Jan 1, 1947

By Paul D. Merica, R. G. Waltenberg

Although nickel was discovered and isolated as early as 1750 and its valuable properties recognized, many years passed before it was used commercially for wire, sheet, rods, etc., in the pure form. This was due partly to its high cost at that time and partly to the fact that it was not possible to refine and cast nickel into ingots sufficiently malleable to be amenable to the usual forging, rolling, or drawing processes. So remarkable was this fact, and so different from the experience at that time with metals such as copper and iron, that it has left its impress on the nomenclature within the nickel industry. To this day, furnace-cast nickel produced in such a manner as to be suitable for rolling and forging is called malleable nickel to distinguish it from the ordinary pig and shot nickel of commerce. In 1878, the firm of Jos. Wharton, of Philadelphia (which later became The American Nickel Works, a constituent of The International Nickel Co.) exhibited at the Paris Exhibition specimens of rolled pure nickel strip and of drawn nickel wire. About this time, there was considerable activity in the study of the refining of nickel and several methods were described, some of which were patented, for the production of furnace-cast malleable nickel including the use of manganese (Boed-dicker,1 Selve and Lotter2), the use of potassium permanganate (Berns-dorfer Metallwarenfabrik3) and the use of phosphorus (Garnier4). By far the most efficient method was discovered by Th. Fleitmann in 1879;5 it consisted in adding to the molten nickel, just before pouring the castings, from 0.05 to 0.125 per cent. of metallic magnesium. This soon became the recognized final malleableizing treatment for furnace-cast nickel.

Jan 1, 1925

By Branko Ladanyi

In reviewing the current issues in rock mechanics, the author puts an' emphasis on problems related with the needs of extrapolation in scale and time, and of establishing proper conceptual models, especially in connection with the most recent large-scale and long-term projects such as underground disposal of nuclear waste. In such projects, where valid case histories will not be available for many years to come, the observational method can only be successful if combined with a proper framework approach, such as general rock mass classification systems and behavioral models.

Jan 1, 1982

By Vytas Svalbonas

Sophisticated computer analysis methods such as finite elements, finite differences, and numerical integration have become tools in the mineral processing industry for design of large mill shells. While use of such methods allows the analyst-designer to take new freedom with his designed structure, there are also pitfalls and dangers which must be recognized for the proper use of such sophisticated tools. One of the worst of these is treating any computer answers as "gospel truth." The present paper discusses the knowledge required by the analyst-designer for proper use of computer analysis, as well as explaining to the layman how to identify questionable areas in such structural analyses.

Jan 1, 1980

By Floyd C. Kelly

A. HUltgren, .Söderfors, Sweden (written discussion*).—From the results obtained in his own experiments as well as those of Austin and of Grube Mr. Kelley derives a general law, expressed tentatively in the following words: "whenever two metals are brought into intimate contact at a temperature at which diffusion takes place, a comparatively rapid, or abnormal, grain growth results." It is suggested that,, in order adequately to represent the facts, this definition should he restricted by the following qualifications: a and b are the two metals, b diffusing into a. A. At the temperature in question a should exist as phase a 1 having a limited solubility for b. B. The supply of b by diffusion should be sufficient, in view of the rate of diffusion into a 1, to increase the concentration of b above the saturation value in a 1 so as to cause a new phase a2 to form. (7. The phase a2 should have a range of solubility for 6, thus rendering continued diffusion possible. D. In order that the columnar grains may be preserved in the structure the phase a2 should, of course, not suffer transformation on cooling. The phenomenon thus defined may be described as progressive transformation by diffusion. Its mechanism would appear to he as follows: Fig. 17 shows a portion of the equilibrium diagram a-b, Fig. 18 the distribution of b in solution after various periods of diffusion, Fig. 19 represents the structure in cross-section of a cylindrical rod of a at the end of heating period 3. 1. The first effect of diffusion of b into a will be to establish a concentration gradient in phase a1 (1, Fig. 18). When the saturation value for the temperature of the experiment (m, Fig. 17) is reached at the surface, nuclei of, a2 of composition n will form here, and later develop into a continuous layer. Assuming that diffusion proceeds without irregularities and that transformation at any point sets in without lag—i. e., in the moment saturation is exceeded—the transformation a1-a2 will advance inwards on a cylindrical surface concentric with the surface of the rod. The discontinuity of composition at the transformation surface in the position it happens to have at the end of the treatment (3, Fig. 18) will be preserved at room temperature, if the cooling is not particularly slow, and be recorded in the structure as a marked, smooth line, in agreement with Grube's and the author's observations. The shape of the distribution curves in Fig. 18 is also corroborated by the analyses given by Grube. 2. During diffusion, since the secondary phase a2 is always in immediate contact with the saturated part of the primary phase a1, there should be very little lag in the transformation. This means that the first a2 grains formed should grow in preference to the formation of independent nuclei; in other words, columnar growth results. It does not seem necessary to assume, with Green,' whose conception of the phenomenon

Jan 1, 1929

By Floyd C. Kelly

A. HUltgren, .Söderfors, Sweden (written discussion*).—From the results obtained in his own experiments as well as those of Austin and of Grube Mr. Kelley derives a general law, expressed tentatively in the following words: "whenever two metals are brought into intimate contact at a temperature at which diffusion takes place, a comparatively rapid, or abnormal, grain growth results." It is suggested that,, in order adequately to represent the facts, this definition should he restricted by the following qualifications: a and b are the two metals, b diffusing into a. A. At the temperature in question a should exist as phase a 1 having a limited solubility for b. B. The supply of b by diffusion should be sufficient, in view of the rate of diffusion into a 1, to increase the concentration of b above the saturation value in a 1 so as to cause a new phase a2 to form. (7. The phase a2 should have a range of solubility for 6, thus rendering continued diffusion possible. D. In order that the columnar grains may be preserved in the structure the phase a2 should, of course, not suffer transformation on cooling. The phenomenon thus defined may be described as progressive transformation by diffusion. Its mechanism would appear to he as follows: Fig. 17 shows a portion of the equilibrium diagram a-b, Fig. 18 the distribution of b in solution after various periods of diffusion, Fig. 19 represents the structure in cross-section of a cylindrical rod of a at the end of heating period 3. 1. The first effect of diffusion of b into a will be to establish a concentration gradient in phase a1 (1, Fig. 18). When the saturation value for the temperature of the experiment (m, Fig. 17) is reached at the surface, nuclei of, a2 of composition n will form here, and later develop into a continuous layer. Assuming that diffusion proceeds without irregularities and that transformation at any point sets in without lag—i. e., in the moment saturation is exceeded—the transformation a1-a2 will advance inwards on a cylindrical surface concentric with the surface of the rod. The discontinuity of composition at the transformation surface in the position it happens to have at the end of the treatment (3, Fig. 18) will be preserved at room temperature, if the cooling is not particularly slow, and be recorded in the structure as a marked, smooth line, in agreement with Grube's and the author's observations. The shape of the distribution curves in Fig. 18 is also corroborated by the analyses given by Grube. 2. During diffusion, since the secondary phase a2 is always in immediate contact with the saturated part of the primary phase a1, there should be very little lag in the transformation. This means that the first a2 grains formed should grow in preference to the formation of independent nuclei; in other words, columnar growth results. It does not seem necessary to assume, with Green,' whose conception of the phenomenon

Jan 1, 1929

By John T. Norton, Robert W. Lindsay

A number of detailed investigations of the physical changes accompanying age-hardening have raised the question as to the possibility of some phenomenon preceding the actual process of precipitation. There is considerable evidence to indicate that in the first stages of the aging process there is a pronounced distortion of the crystal lattice. This is particularly marked in duralumin. It would be of considerable theoretical interest to know the nature of this distortion as compared with that produced in other ways and to find out whether, in supersaturated alloys, it is a necessary antecedent to the formation of a second phase by precipitation. It was believed that a study of the age-hardening char-acteristics of a normally aged alloy compared with one that had been mechanically distorted might supply some useful information on these points. In addition, information would be obtained regarding the effect of a mechanical distortion on any subsequent stage in the aging process. Duralumin was chosen as the material for this investigation because the various aspects of its aging behavior can be shown in detail by suitable variations of the aging temperature. Also, probably more work has been done on this class of alloys than on any other. In spite of the many published results, it was felt that the experiments would be significant only if all of the work were done on samples from the same source and if they were examined under identical experimental conditions. Previous Work The many studies of the mechanism of aging in duralumin have been more or less crystallized by a series of papers by Fink and Smith1~2~3 and a recent paper by Cohen.~ The former authors believe that a simple precipitation theory is adequate to account for the various phenomena

Jan 1, 1939

By John T. Norton, Robert W. Lindsay

A number of detailed investigations of the physical changes accompanying age-hardening have raised the question as to the possibility of some phenomenon preceding the actual process of precipitation. There is considerable evidence to indicate that in the first stages of the aging process there is a pronounced distortion of the crystal lattice. This is particularly marked in duralumin. It would be of considerable theoretical interest to know the nature of this distortion as compared with that produced in other ways and to find out whether, in supersaturated alloys, it is a necessary antecedent to the formation of a second phase by precipitation. It was believed that a study of the age-hardening char-acteristics of a normally aged alloy compared with one that had been mechanically distorted might supply some useful information on these points. In addition, information would be obtained regarding the effect of a mechanical distortion on any subsequent stage in the aging process. Duralumin was chosen as the material for this investigation because the various aspects of its aging behavior can be shown in detail by suitable variations of the aging temperature. Also, probably more work has been done on this class of alloys than on any other. In spite of the many published results, it was felt that the experiments would be significant only if all of the work were done on samples from the same source and if they were examined under identical experimental conditions. Previous Work The many studies of the mechanism of aging in duralumin have been more or less crystallized by a series of papers by Fink and Smith1~2~3 and a recent paper by Cohen.~ The former authors believe that a simple precipitation theory is adequate to account for the various phenomena

Jan 1, 1939

By H. N. Wolcott

Among the many cases of replacement of one mineral by another, that of quartz or silicates by pyrite, or even other sulphides, is not uncommon, but the reverse of this process does not appear to have been recorded, even if it has been observed. It seemed to the writer, therefore, that the case described below was worthy of record. Fig.1. GROUndALass of chalcopyrite (C) containing Rounded GRAINs of TYRITE (P) SHOWING DEFFERENT DEGREES OF REPLACEMENT BY QUARTZ (($), AND ALSO QUARTZ VEINLETS CUTTING THROUGH THE PYRITE. (PHOTOGRAPHED BY REFLECTED LIGHT.) The specimens described in this paper were obtained by R. B. Morton of Idaho Springs, Colo., from the Old Town mine, in Russell, Gulch, and ;re in the collection of Cornell University, where the writer studied them. In the rough, the specimens appeared to consist largely of chalcopy-rite. with some grains of tetrahediite. The polished surface of some of

Jan 1, 1918

By D. R. Franklin, L. L. Lien, C. W. Hoffman

The initial operation of a mining facility is a unique and often underplanned phase of the Project development process. The subject of this presentation is a detailed strategy to effectively and efficiently bring a mining facility to design production capacity. This plan has been applied successfully on projects. It addresses developing the initial operation organization, management of information and problem, putting an appropriate management system in place, developing operations and maintenance information, and effectively training personnel.

Jan 1, 1983

By G. W. Nabor, A. S. Odeh

The effect of production history of a well on the results of two-rate flow tests, and conventional build-up analyses was investigated. The effect was examined by means of digital computers and an R-C network model, respectively, for wells with infinite and finite radii of drainage. For systems which behave as infinite, it was found that production history and the duration of production at constant rate prior to the initiation of the test have important effects on the results. During build-up time equal to about one-fourth of the stabilized time, correct permeability-thickness product calculations can be made. For wells with finite radii of drainage, the time was determined during which the straight line can be satisfactorily used for permeability-thickness product calculations in case of drawdowns and build-ups. On build-ups, the dimensionless time (based on the external radius) during which the straight line gives reliable results was detertriined to be about 1/12. This is one-fourth as long as that of the drawdown. The investigation was done theoretically, and subsequently was verified by R-C network model runs. General interpretive rules were formulated which, if not followed, could lead to serious errors. Moreover, a recommended testing procedure is reported. INTRODUCTION The method used by most reservoir engineers for estimating formation characteristics in a producing well is the analysis of pressure build-up data. The method originally devised by Horner' makes use of the point source solution to the diffusion equation. This solution is approximated by a logarithmic function and the superposition principle is employed to arrive at the well known pressure build-up equation:where q, the flow rate, is in reservoir B/D; ft is in cp; kh is in md-ft; At is the shut-in time; and t is the producing time. At and t are in any consistent time units. Ey. 1 is applicable to a well of unlimited drainage radius which produces at a constant rate q from zero to time t and is then shut in. Such a constant production rate seldom obtains in practice. Therefore. a correction term must be applied to Eq. I to account for the varying rate. Two theoretically accurate methods are available for treating the variable rate case. The first, originally derived by Horner,' is based on the application of the superposition theorem. It requires knowlege of production history of the well as a function of time and results in lengthy and laborious calculations. The second t*q* niethod is suited for short production tests and requires that the shut-in time be at least one and one-half times the production time. A third method which is not based on any theoretical justification and which was suggested by Horner as a "good working approximation" is the one used by the majority of reservoir analysts. especially when the well has been producing for a long time and the t*q* method is not practicable. The key to this method is in choosing or determining the t that appears in Eq. 1. Horner suggested using a corrected time t, in place of t. t, is calculated by dividing the total cumulative production by the last established rate. Therefore, a normal procedure of pressure build-up testing is to stabilize the well at a constant rate for at least 24 hours before shut in and to use the stabilized rate to calculate t,. The analysis is then made by plotting either or P. and examining the resulting plot for the expected straight line to calculate kh and the original reservoir pressure. Recently, Russell" proposed a method for determining formation characteristics from two-rate flow tests. His method reduces to pressure build-up if the second flow rate is zero. Russell uses the Horner simplified procedure for calculating a corrected t,. His method also requires the stabilization of the well at a constant rate q which is used to calculate t,. Theoretically, the above procedure is valid for a well with an unlimited radius of drainage or with a limited radius as long as the boundary effect has not been felt by the well. Several authors'' derived formulas which allow the estimation of time during which limited reservoirs behave as infinite ones and, thus, can be treated by unsteady-state mechanics. One equation derived by Swift and Kiel' terminates the application of unsteady-state theory when the drainage radius reaches one-half the reservoir radius. Thereafter, steady-state behavior obtains. Another equation derived by Jones'" initiates steady-state

Jan 1, 1967