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By L. S. Allen, R. L. Caldwell, W. R. Mills

Borehole models used in the study of nuclear well logging are reviewed and the merit of heterogeneous us homogeneous formation simulation is discussed. .A heterogeneous model for simulating sandstone formations of variable porosity is described. Simulation adequacy was checked by steady-state and pulsed-neutron measurements. INTRODUCTION In the course of developing new methods of nuclear well logging, the problem of testing new logging instruments under controlled conditions always arises. This testing is usually done in wells of known lithology, porosity and fluid saturation, or in laboratory test facilities which simulate the borehole environment. Although the former approach is possibly more satisfying, it is frequently difficult or inconvenient to find wells with enough variation in the cited parameters for a truly comprehensive study, On the other hand. laboratow- test facilities can simulate a wide variety of formation and borehole conditions if care is exercised to maintain adequate simulation under all conditions. Workers concerned with the development of nuclear well logging methods have reported several types of research facilities in the past. Tittle, et a1 used cubical tanks filled with Ottawa silica sand to study the steady-state behavior of thermal and epithemal neutrons in simulated sandstone logging environments.1 In addition to the effects of fresh vs salt water, a wide variety of casing sizes and compositions were investigated. Tittman also used a large tank of Ottawa sand to measure the slowing down length of sio2;2 for making the same measurement in CaCO3, however, an assembly of solid Vermont marble blocks was used. More recently a very useful and carefully planned test pit for nuclear logs was constructed under the auspices of the API.3 This facility consists of three massive limestone sections, each 6-ft thick and more than 5 ft in diameter. The blocks are buried, one on top of the other, in a concrete- lined pit having a total depth of 24 ft. Each section is made of a different limestone to achieve porosity variation, the selection being Carthage (2 per cent), Indiana (19 per cent) and Austin (26 per cent). The blocks are traversed by a 7 7/8-in. diameter borehole and are saturated with fresh water. Great care was taken to insure total saturation of the stone. Homogeneous mixtures and materials have not been used exclusively for simulating earth formations. Tittle, et a1 4 showed that a heterogeneous lattice of water and graphite could be used to simulate Liquid furfural with very little effecton measured thermal and epi thermal neutron distributions. Subsequently, a lattice-type model for simulating limestone earth formations was designed and built by Berry This limestone model was constructed of 7/8- x 11/4- x 36411. marble rods glued together with a plastic resin to form a 36-x 42- x 42in. cube. The cube was honeycombed vertically with 7/8- x 7/8- x 3641-1. holes for porosity and had a 111/2-in. diameter hole in the center to serve as the borehole. Lower porosities were simulated by placing marble rods in the square holes. The finished cube was used with the borehole vertical and set in a tank to hold liquid for filling the holes in the rock matrix. A second type of heterogeneous borehole model has been proposed by Kukharenko, et a1.6= In this concept the model is composed entirely of solid material. The hydrogen equivalent of formation fluids is simulated by making the model of alternating layers of dense rock and celluloid. Additional hydrogen is included by drilling vertical holes in the rock sections and filling them with solid forms of hydrogeneous material. The volume of the holes is equal to the volume of the celluloid layers, so an axial and radial dispersion of the hydrogeneous material is thus obtained. One such model was composed of alternate 50 mm-thick sand layers and 2 mm-thick celluloid sheets. Approximately 200 appropriately spaced plastic tubes were used in each sand section. The plastic tubes were filled with paraffin for additional hydrogen concentration. This arrangement yielded a model with a water-equivalent hydrogen concentration of 10 per cent. Experimental data taken in this model and in a model consisting of the same material but homogeneously dispersed showed that the heterogeneous system adequately

Jan 1, 1966

By L. A. Roe, John Jan

Iodine is a soft, lustrous, grayish-black nonmetallic element with a density of 4.9. It is the least active of the four members of the halogen family. The other members are, in order of increasing activity, bromine, chlorine, and fluorine. Iodine is a solid at ordinary temperatures, while bromine is a liquid and chlorine and fluorine are gases. Iodine melts at 113°C and volatilizes at 184.4°C to a blue-violet gas with an irritating odor. It occurs in nature only as iodates and iodides or other combined forms. It was discovered by Bernard Courtois in France in 1811, who noticed its presence as an unknown substance in crude soda ash obtained from burning seaweed. Gay-Lussac recognized it as a new element and named it iode, from the Greek word "ioeides or iodes" for violet color (MacMillan, 1970). The world production is not known with any great certainty, but it is probably between 25 and 35 million lb per year, of which about 30% is consumed in the United States. Geology and Mineralogy Iodine compounds occur as a minor constituent as a mineral in the Chilean nitrate deposits and in solution in brines and seawater. According to the US Geological Survey, it is the 47th most abundant element in the earth's crust. The minerals lautarite, Ca (I03)3 (calcium iodate), and dietzeite, Cat (103)2 (CrO4), (calcium iodate-chromate) are found in Chilean nitrate deposits which are located in Antofagasta and Tarapaca provinces on the eastern slope of the coast range in a desert area. Various brines contain iodine compounds. Seawater contains about 0.05 ppm of iodine and some seaweeds will extract and accumulate it up to 0.45% on a dry basis. Some coals in West Germany also contain iodine compounds. The known and potential sources of iodine reported in 1968 are given in Table 1. Table 2 lists estimated world iodine reserves. Iodine has been recovered from brines in Java, Indonesia, France, England, and the USSR. Iodine has also been recovered from seaweed in Ireland, Scotland, France, Japan, Norway, and the USSR. The indicated reserves and future resources of iodine are large but have never been adequately measured. Analysis Iodine as the free element can be detected by the characteristic blue color it gives to a starch solution. Quantitatively it is determined as the free element by titration with standard thiosulfate solutions using starch as an indicator. Colorimetric methods are also applicable. Markets and Prices Iodine and its compounds are generally marketed in the form of: iodine, crude; iodine, resublimed; calcium iodates; calcium iodide; potassium iodide, sodium iodide, and numerous organic compounds. Product Specifications Crude iodine, World market: 99-99.5% 12. Crude iodine, US produced, average: 99.8% 12. Crude iodine, USP XVII Specs: not less than 99.8% percent I2. Resublimed iodine is usually 99.9% and ACS specifications call for not over 0.005% total bromine and 0.020% nonvolatile materials (Anon., 1971). Prices, c.i.f. United States, for iodine have been steadily increasing from $1.18 per lb of crude in 1967 to $6.37-7.27 in January 1981 (Anon., 1981). In 1980 the price of iodine increased by 50%.

Jan 1, 1983

By W. E. Foreman, James A. Redding

INTRODUCTION Screening is a mechanical process that separates particles by size. Modern coal preparation is made possible by efficient sizing. Sizing of coal is defined in terms of the opening through which an individual particle will or will not pass, or as two openings, the larger of which passes the particle and the smaller of which retains the particle. Screening accomplishes sizing by passing coal of a wide range of sizes through a series of screens, each of a decreasing size. The individual screen discharges are then directed into different screen products for subsequent sale or processing. Screening in modern preparation plants is done for the following reasons: 1 ) Removal of fine coal before a size reduction step. 2) Size separation of the coal into a coarse and fine fraction for sized products or processing in coarse and fine coal circuits. 3) Recovery of heavy media from heavy media coal cleaning circuits. 4) Dewatering. 5) Rock and trash removal by handpicking on a screen. Fig. 8-1 is a generalized flowsheet of a plant showing the use of screens in the coal preparation process. Table 8-1 shows the vibrating screen equipment utilized in Fig. 8-1

Jan 1, 1979

By Fred A. Anderson, George B. Wallace, Edward J. Slebir

Auburn Dam will be a thin, double-curvature concrete arch dam about 685 ft high. With a crest length of about 4000 ft, it will be the world's longest single-arch dam. The site is located on the North Fork of the American River about 40 miles northeast of Sacramento, Calif. Construction is scheduled to get under way in 1970. In planning for the design and construction of Auburn Dam (see artist's conception), the foundation material, with its various discontinuities, is being investigated and the structural characteristics of the rock mass evaluated. The investigation and testing programs will aid in defining the pertinent geologic features and their individual and cumulative influence on the foundation. The work includes geologic surface mapping, surface trenching, core drilling, geophysics, tunneling, excavating shafts and raises, performing in-situ tests, and conducting laboratory tests on core and block samples. Competent amphibolite is the predominant material in the foundation, but significant bodies of chloritic, talcose, and metasedimentary rocks, a strongly developed jointing pattern, faults, and shear zones also affect the deformability of the rock mass. A comprehensive rock mechanics program, closely coordinated with geologic investigations as well as the engineering studies, therefore is required The rock mechanics work is a combination of many analytical studies and experimental investigations. The experimental work includes laboratory tests on core samples from holes drilled for geological studies of the entire foundation and in-situ tests performed in selected areas. The laboratory testing program evaluates the general properties of all important rock types and aids in correlating many of the key structural features encountered within the foundation. To derive maximum benefit from the field tests, they are conducted in materials which represent a

Jan 1, 1970

By S. J. Leach

The possible solution of some of the problems raised in H. L. Hartman's article "Determining Ventilation Requirements for Continuous Miners," which appeared in the March 1962 issue of MINING ENGINEERING, is offered by recent investigative work done at the Safety in Mines Research Establishment, Ministry of Power, Sheffield, England. Highlights of this research are outlined here. Accumulations and layers of methane form in a mine roadway because it is difficult to mix methane with air beneath it by turbulent diffusion. Such mixing involves work contrary to buoyancy forces. In specifying requirements for good ventilation it is not, therefore, sufficient to state that the airflow must be turbulent in the absence of methane. Fundamental work at SMRE on the behavior of methane roof layers has led to the formulation of rules for controlling methane roof layers which specify the ventilation velocity needed to ensure adequate mixing in terms of the rate of flow of methane into the layer (V = cu ft per min) and the airway width (D = ft). A "layering number" for methane and air has been defined by [U37/V/D] where U is the mean ventilation velocity in ft/min in the upper half of the airway. In a horizontal airway there is no mixing by turbulent diffusion for values of the layering number less than about 2, resulting in extensive roof layers. But with a layering number of 5, the layer is "brought under control"-i.e., a further increase in the layering number will shorten the length of the layer only slightly, and a small decrease in the layering number will cause only a small increase in the length of the layer. In a sloping roadway with uphill ventilation, higher values of the layering number are needed to achieve this "controlled" condition; the values range from about 5 at small slopes to about 8 at a slope of 1: 10. In downhill ventilation it is possible for layers to "back" against the ventilation, i.e., to flow uphill. The critical condition for preventing backing can also be expressed in terms of the layering number. Backing will be prevented if layering numbers are about 3 for small slopes and about 4.5 for large slopes; these values for downhill ventilation also give good control of the layer.

Jan 10, 1962

By David Cornell

Back pressure test data on natural gas wells are short time test data of unsteady state nature. Performance curves from which unsteady state effects have been eliminated, called stabilized performance curves, are necessary for understanding the behavior of gas wells and for scheduling gas fields for periods up to 20 years. A calculation procedure has been developed whereby three day, seven day, 30 day, or other duration stabilized performance curves may be calculated from back pressure test data. Such curves are essential for correct gas deliverability calculations and gas field scheduling. I NTRODUCTION The manner in which a back pressure test is made will affect the slope of the back pressure curve because the radius of drainage changes with the length of time that the well is allowed to flow. The reciprocal of the slope of the back pressure curve is defined as n in Equation 1 and varies from 0.5 to 1.0. If the flow is viscous and the radius of drainage constant, n will have a value of 1.0. Because of turbulence in the formation near the wellbore, the pressure drop is usually greater than the viscous flow pressure drop and the exponent n is frequently less than 1.0. In addition, since the radius of drainage moves away from the well-bore during the test, the gas flows a greater and greater distance as the test proceeds, with a resulting increased pressure drop at the high flow rates, and, again, n for the test tends to be less than 1.O. The effect of the changes in the radius of drainage may be calculated and the results used in preparing stabilized performance curves for fixed values of the radius of drainage. Such curves can be made for a defi- nite time period, such as three day, seven day, or 30 day stabilized performance curves. These cukes will show the effect of turbulence near the wellbore and can be used to predict the performance of the gas well at any flow rate or for any production period. In order to discuss the importance of the radius of drainage quantitatively, it should be defined. Muskat" defines the radius of drainage as follows: "... the radius of drainage gives the distance from the well to which the approximately steady state condition has been established ... it being assumed that no gas is removed from any point until the radius of drainage has passed that uoint." An eauivalent definition of the radius of drainage is that radius at which the extrapolated portion of the steady state portion of the pressure gradient gives a pressure equal to the shut-in reservoir pressure. This definition is also implied in the back pressure equation. The radius of drainage is, then, the distance into the reservoir from which the gas appears to originate at any time. It is, however, only a useful concept and does not actually exist. Fig. 1 illustrates the definition of the radius of drainage. At the end of each flow period the radius of drainage may depend on three factors: (1) the duration of each flow period; (2) the rate of gas production; and (3) the rate and duration of the previous flow periods. In general, back pressure tests are conducted with various lengths of production time and at various flow rates. Each individual back pressure test, therefore, requires an individual analysis. The calculations of the change in the radius of drainage have been made, however, for the case of equal flow periods for all four production rates and several sets of increasing flow rates. Fig. 2 illustrates the results of such calculations made by the method of Cornell and Katz2 for the case of 8, = 50,000 and the flow rate increasing in the ratio 1.0:2.0:3.0:4.0 for each flow period. The increase in the radius of drainage during the test is apparent.

Jan 1, 1956

By Eliot Blackwelder

For the purposes of this paper, the boundaries of China and Siberia will be taken as they stood about 1907. Except in the Caspian region, it is doubtful if all the oil ever produced in these countries would equal one day's flow of a good Texas well. Considering the vastness of the regions and the variety of strata, it seems strange that these two countries should have made so small a showing in the petroleum industry. No doubt the condition is caused partly by lack of prospecting and of modern methods of development; in larger measure, however, it is evidently because of unfavorable geological conditions over nearly all of east-central and northern Asia. CHINA The known oil occurrences in China are very few. For many years, perhaps a barrel a day has been obtained by primitive methods from wells near the city of Yenchang in the northwestern province of Shensi. A like amount was obtained from wells bored for salt water in the vicinity of Kiating in southwestern Szechwan. The little oil was separated from salt water by allowing it to stand in jars. The salt wells yield also considerable natural gas, which is used to evaporate the salt and also for domestic purposes. There is evidence that wells were bored in this part of China before the third century. It is said that more than 1200 wells have been sunk in that district to depths of 1600 to 2000 ft. (485 to 610 m.) in connection with the salt industry. The scarcity of petroleum in China may be ascribed to three general geologic conditions: First, China contains practically no marine sediments of Mesozoic or Cenozoic age; second, the Paleozoic sediments are not for the most part of the types that generally contribute petroleum; third, the rocks of nearly all ages have been strongly folded, faulted, and more or less intruded by igneous rocks in all parts of China except certain areas in the west and northwest.

Jan 7, 1922

By C. S. Smith

QUANTITATIVE methods were used to good effect in the earliest days of metallography1-3 but they mysteriously passed into virtual disuse until the important paper4 by Howard and Cohen in 1947. Various devices for the measurements of integrated linear intercepts have been constructed, primarily by petrographers. The hydraulically operated stage designed by the writer5 was satisfactory, but prolonged use caused air bubbles to become entrapped, which introduced back-lash. A new stage has been constructed which avoids this defect and provides better integration when measuring directional structures. This utilizes a circular traverse, and integration is achieved by counting electrical pulses produced by a photocell and a light chopper.* The stage is shown diagramatically in Fig. 1 and in photograph, Fig. 2. It is of simple construction. Mounted on a plate with clamps to fit the stage of a standard metallurgical microscope is a worm and 100-tooth worm gear, the latter supporting the specimen to be measured. The worm is manually actuated by a knob which contains inside it three

Jan 1, 1961

By James W. Shaffer

Aluminum is the most abundant metallic element of the earth's crust and is a constituent of nearly every type of rock (Clark, 1924, p. 13). The sources of aluminum and aluminous material most commonly used by modern industry are the bauxitic raw materials consisting of bauxite, bauxitic clay, and aluminous laterites. These are mixtures of hydrated aluminum oxide minerals and mineral impurities. End Uses Bauxite is used as an aluminum ore and in the manufacture of refractory products, aluminous chemicals, and abrasives. Other raw materials are used for aluminum ores, but their use is minor compared to bauxite. Refractory products made from bauxite are synthetic mullite, high-alumina fire bricks, castables, monoliths, cements, and ramming mixes used by the iron, steel, and cement industries. Chemicals made from bauxite are aluminum sulfate and sodium aluminate for water treatment and aluminum chloride used in refining crude petroleum. Among the abrasive products made from bauxite are coated abrasives, sharpening stones, and grinding wheels. Special grades of bauxite are used in the decolorization and clarification of raw sugar and lubricating oils. Bauxite has been used for road surfacing but mainly because other material was not more readily available. Perhaps the oldest use of bauxite and aluminous laterite is for a building stone. Ancient temples and more recent structures in India have been made from these and some varieties are suitable for decorative stone. Geology Mineralogy and Properties – Bauxite is a mineral raw material composed principally of one or more hydrated aluminum oxide minerals and impurities of silica, iron oxide, titania and elements in minor or trace amounts. The hydrated aluminum oxide minerals are gibbsite, boehmite and diaspore. Corundum is not included as a bauxite mineral although it does occur in some bauxite deposits. Boehmite and diaspore are both alumina mono-hydrates and have essentially the same composition, but diaspore has a greater hardness and a higher specific gravity because of a more tightly bonded and compacted atomic structure. Gibbsite is an alumina trihydrate mineral. Properties of bauxite minerals are shown in [Table 1].

Jan 1, 1975

By A. Becker, J. A. Slankis

Equipment has been developed to utilize natural 8 Hz electromagnetic fields to measure rock resistivities. Telluric and magnetotelluric surveys have detected resistivity variations associated with geological contacts and metallic sulfide deposits. The fundamenfa1 premises of these methods are illustrated by the results of surveys across a Pleistocene-Precambrian contact in the Ottawa Valley and a near-surface sulfide deposit in Northern Quebec. Such interfaces are characterized not only by variations in apparent resistivity, but also, unexpectedly by the spatial anisotropy of the electric fields and the presence of a strong vertical magnetic field component in their vicinity. Standard geophysical electrical and electromagnetic methods (Heiland, 1940) for the determination of the electrical properties of the ground and the search of good electrical conductors necessitate the use of a transmitter and receiver which are coupled galvanically or inductively through the ground. The electrical properties of the ground are deduced from either the transfer function, or the impulse response, of the transmitter — ground — receiver system. Where deep penetration is desired these methods require powerful transmitters whose weight and size increase the cost and reduce the speed of operation. It is possible however, to resort to another class of electrical prospecting methods which employ ambient, natural electromagnetic fields in place of a transmitter.'-' In the audio and subaudio frequency ranges, these fields are generated by thunderstorm activity. At some distance from the seat of the disturbance, the e.m. fields propagate as plane waves with a horizontal magnetic field component. The incident wave, of course, induces currents in the ground. Where the ground is homogeneous the relation between the horizontal magnetic and horizontal electric fields vectors is particularly simple:' /E/ = \[SpT/H/ (1) where: /E/ = magnitude of horizontal electric field in millivolts/kilometer (RMS) /H/ = magnitude of the orthogonal inducing magnetic field in milligammas (RMS) p = rock resistivity in ohm-meters i = frequency of measurement in c/s In practice, the ground is seldom an homogeneous half space, lateral conductivity variations exist, (in the case of base metal prospecting these are the features actually sought) and the two field vectors are no longer simply related. The ratio of E to H is still useful, however, for the determination of an "apparent" ground resistivity. From a theoretical view point, the general problem of a two dimensional fault or dyke anomaly can be separated into two distinct cases. In the first case, where the e.m. energy propagates in a direction normal to the strike, the horizontal magnetic field remains constant and is oriented along the strike of the formation.3 As shown by d'Erceville and Kunetz," all the information about the anomaly is contained in measurements of the electric field component. In fact, away from the interface, the electric fields are proportional to the square roots of the resistivities:

Jan 1, 1970

By Arthur Boynton

IN THE preparation of this paper the writer has been influenced by the fact that descriptions of various means of cleaning blast-furnace gas have been published and that further descriptive treatment of the subject will probably be less interesting than a statement of conclusions with regard to preferable methods which have been reached by him as a result, of experience and observation in this country and also as a result of somewhat detailed investigation of the subject made toward the end of the year 1927 on the Continent of Europe and particularly in. Germany. Owing to various circumstances, including a cost of fuel that is extremely high in relation to the wages of labor, the German iron and steel industry has accumulated experience in gas washing which is as yet in part lacking in the United States of America. The paper begins with a statement regarding the economics of the use of blast-furnace gas, then considers the principle's and practices employed in its purification. USES OF BLAST-FURNACE GAS For many reasons having to do with the utilization of coke-oven and blast-furnace gases in steel manufacture and with the use of hot metal, the blast furnace is now usually a part of a steel-producing unit, which also includes coke plant and rolling mill. Therefore both blast-furnace and coke-oven gas are usually applicable to any of the iron and steel-making processes, including the generation of power, and their allocation in any given works should be considered as a single problem. The uses to which blast-furnace gas, either alone or mixed with coke-oven gas may be put, include the following: Regenerative Heating of Air for the Blast Furnace.-This is the oldest and metallurgically the most important of all uses. It is universally performed with unmixed blast-furnace gas and under proper conditions should require not over 23.5 per cent. of the total gas generated for a blast temperature of 1350° F. For Steam-raising Purposes.-This is almost universally done with unmixed blast-furnace gas. From the standpoint of quantity used, it is at the present time the most important application in American steel-works practice.

Jan 1, 1928

By Arthur J. Boynton

In the preparation of this paper the writer has been influenced by the fact that descriptions of various means of cleaning blast-furnace gas have been published and that further descriptive treatment of the subject will probably be less interesting than a statement of conclusions with regard to preferable methods which have been reached by him as a result of experience and observation in this country and also as a result of somewhat detailed investigation of the subject made toward the end of the year 1927 on the Continent of Europe and particularly in Germany. Owing to various circumstances, including a cost of fuel that is extremely high in relation to the wages of labor, the German iron and steel industry has accumulated experience in gas washing which is as yet in part lacking in the United States of America. The paper begins with a statement regarding the economics of the use of blast-furnace gas, then considers the principles and practices employed in its purification. Uses of Blast-furnace Gas For many reasons having to do with the utilization of coke-oven and blast-furnace gases in steel manufacture and with the use of hot metal, the blast furnace is now usually a part of a steel-producing unit, which also includes coke plant and rolling mill. Therefore both blast-furnace and coke-oven gas are usually applicable to any of the iron and steel-making processes, including the generation of power, and their allocation in any given works should be considered as a single problem. The uses to which blast-furnace gas, either alone or mixed with coke-oven gas may be put, include the following: Regenerative Heating of Ail. for the Blast Furnace.—This is the oldest and metallurgically the rnost important of all uses. It is universally performed with unmixed blast-furnace gas and under proper conditions should require not over 23.5 per cent. of the total gas generated for a blast temperature of 1350" F. For Steam-raising Purposes.—This is almost universally done with unmixed blast-furnace gas. From the standpoint of quantity used, it is at the present time the most important application in American steelworks practice.

By W. C. Lilliendahl, H. W. Highriter

The method developed and used in this laboratory for the production of metallic uranium of such purity that it is ductile and can be cold-worked to fine wire or thin sheet by rolling has already been described1. It consists, briefly, in the electrolysis of potassium uranous fluoride (KUF5) in a molten bath composed of equal parts of sodium and calcium chlorides. The bath is contained in a graphite crucible, electrically heated to about 775° C., the crucible serving as the anode for electrolysis. The uranium deposits in finely divided form mixed with salts upon a molybdenum cathode suspended axially in the crucible. Upon completion of the electrolysis the cathode is removed and cooled, the deposit broken and leached to remove salts. The metal powder is washed with water and dilute acetic acid and dried in vacuo to reduce oxidation. Suitable amounts are then prcssed into pellets and heated in vacuo by high-frequency induction, using a thoria crucible. The uranium melts and flows away from the pellet, leaving a shell, which is largely oxide. In general, this method produced a satisfactory metal, although at times tile uranium was not ductile. The investigations recorded here were made to find the cause of this embrittlement. It was known that the metal generally contained carbon, derived from disintegration of the graphitc crucible in which electrolysis is conducted, in amounts dependent upon the thoroughness of washing the metal powder. Accordingly, analyses of several samples, both ductile and brittle, were made by combustion and absorption of CO² in Ascarite, using air instead of oxygen to reduce the temperaturc and rate of oxidation. Several of these metals were made with special precautions to reduce carbon content. The results show no relationship between ductility and carbon content in the range investigated (Table 1). Microscopic examination of ductile and brittle metals disclosed the presence in the latter of an intergranular constituent, harder than the matrix and less easily oxidizable, which was absent from the ductile material. Rough estimates of the volume of the hard constituent

Jan 1, 1935

By W. C. Lilliendahl, H. W. Highriter

The method developed and used in this laboratory for the production of metallic uranium of such purity that it is ductile and can be cold-worked to fine wire or thin sheet by rolling has already been described1. It consists, briefly, in the electrolysis of potassium uranous fluoride (KUF5) in a molten bath composed of equal parts of sodium and calcium chlorides. The bath is contained in a graphite crucible, electrically heated to about 775° C., the crucible serving as the anode for electrolysis. The uranium deposits in finely divided form mixed with salts upon a molybdenum cathode suspended axially in the crucible. Upon completion of the electrolysis the cathode is removed and cooled, the deposit broken and leached to remove salts. The metal powder is washed with water and dilute acetic acid and dried in vacuo to reduce oxidation. Suitable amounts are then prcssed into pellets and heated in vacuo by high-frequency induction, using a thoria crucible. The uranium melts and flows away from the pellet, leaving a shell, which is largely oxide. In general, this method produced a satisfactory metal, although at times tile uranium was not ductile. The investigations recorded here were made to find the cause of this embrittlement. It was known that the metal generally contained carbon, derived from disintegration of the graphitc crucible in which electrolysis is conducted, in amounts dependent upon the thoroughness of washing the metal powder. Accordingly, analyses of several samples, both ductile and brittle, were made by combustion and absorption of CO² in Ascarite, using air instead of oxygen to reduce the temperaturc and rate of oxidation. Several of these metals were made with special precautions to reduce carbon content. The results show no relationship between ductility and carbon content in the range investigated (Table 1). Microscopic examination of ductile and brittle metals disclosed the presence in the latter of an intergranular constituent, harder than the matrix and less easily oxidizable, which was absent from the ductile material. Rough estimates of the volume of the hard constituent

Jan 1, 1935

By Donald M. Liddell

From a commercial standpoint, the only beryllium mineral warranting attention is beryl, 3Be.Al2O3.6SiO2, which is of fairly widespread occurrence. The chief deposits are in Brazil, Argentina, India, Canada and Portugal. When pure this contains about 14 per cent of beryllium oxide. The mineral richest in beryllium is phenacite, (BeO)2SiO2, or beryllium orth-osilicate, which contains 45.55 per cent beryllium oxide when pure, and if anyone is ever fortunate enough to discover a large deposit of it, it will revolutionize beryllium metallurgy. Gadoljnite, zBe0.Fe0.2Yz0~.zSi0~, is also often referred to as a beryllium mineral, though the occurrences are comparatively scant and it is of more interest as a source of yttrium than it is of beryllium. There has been a good deal of talk recently regarding some occurrences of helvite in the United States. Helvite is a complex manganese-iron beryllium silicate and, apart from difficulties that would arise in its treatment because of its compo-sition, the beryllium content of the known deposits is not high. Early Metallurgy The elemcnt beryllium was first isolated by L. N. Vauquelin in 1797.~ He crushed and heated beryl, having the idea that this heating made it more readily amenable to attack by chemicals, and then mixed the mineral with three times its weight of caustic potash and fused the mixture. The melt after cooling was dissolved in hydrochloric acid: dehydrated, and again taken up with hydrochloric acid and filtered to separate the silica. The filtrate was treated with an excess of potassium carbonate and the precipitate after draining was leached with a solution of caustic potash, which dissolved the alumina. The undissolved material was, in Vauquelin's own words, "une terre nouvelle." He dissolved the precipitate with nitric acid and evaporated it to dryness, took up with hydrochloric acid and threw the iron out with potassium hydrosulphide, though he found that to make a complete separation of the iron involved a second treatment. The solution, after throwing out of the iron, had a pronounced sweet taste, and though Vauquelin always speaks of working on "terre du beril" he suggests that the new element should be known as "glucine" (glucinum) from the Greek word for sweet, because of this outstanding property. Vauquelin did considerable work on the comparison of aluminum and beryllium, working out a separation of most of the aluminum based on its precipitation as alum. His work is reviewed at some length, since ordinarily his procedure is incorrectly stated. It will also be recognized by those who have studied beryllium metallurgy that a good many technicians have followed his ideas since, including preheating the beryl before treatment. The fusion with

Jan 1, 1944

By W. K. Godfrey

The highest compressive strength cement has the highest bond strength in tests in which the cement is subjected to a confining pressure. After perforating, the bond strength is reduced to nearly zero when the pipe is supported by weak cement. Perforating does not affect the bond strength, however, when the pipe is supported by strong cement. Pipe supported by weak cement is damaged by perforating with expendable capsule jets, but is not damaged by perforating with the hollow carrier gun. High strength cements are recommended for oil wells that are to be perforated. Introduction The purpose of this work is to determine the effect of jet perforating on the bonding strength of oilwell cement at simulated down-hole conditions. Bond strength is a good criterion for determining the effectiveness of cement in performing its main function, i.e., that of isolating zones. According to the literature on the subject, the optimum cement strength for perforating is low and should not exceed 2,000 psi compressive strength. This conclusion was based on the appearance of bullet and jet perforations in neat and gel cements largely done in the absence of a confining pressure more than 15 years ago. Discussion Literature A relatively weak cement has been recommended in the literature as having optimum properties for perforating. In 1947, Oliphant and Farris tested bullet perforating of neat cements at various curing times.' Some of the tests were made at down-hole conditions. They reported that the optimum cement strength for perforating was about 2,000 psi compressive strength. Enlarged holes occurred when strength was too low, and the cement shattered and cracked when the strength was too high. In 1951, Morgan and Dumbauld tested bullet and jet perforating of neat and gel cements at surface conditions.' They reported that optimum cement has a compressive strength less than 2,000 psi. In their tests at atmospheric pressure, high strength cement shattered and cracked when perforated. Thus, the optimum cement strength was based on the appearance of neat and gel cement after perforating. In 1953, Clark showed a relation between cement strength and fluid shutoff.' He concluded that a 500 psi compressive strength is required for good fluid shutoff and that maximum bonding ability is developed at approximately 1,000 psi compressive strength. In 1964, Bell and Shore invalidated most of the conclu sions by the previous authors when they demonstrated that atmospheric pressure tests cannot be used to determine casing deformation and damage that will result from perforating under down-hole conditions.' They showed that the higher the hydrostatic pressure, the more restricted will be the expansion of gases generated by the charge. Less casing deformation and damage occurs under down-hole conditions than at atmospheric pressure. In recent work, Bearden et al. reported that jet perforating at surface pressure with the hollow carrier gun caused the cement sheath to shatter and crack.' The perforating, however, did not seriously affect the pressure required to leak past the casing cement bond. Only three cementing mixtures were tested, and presumably they had strengths in excess of 2.000 psi. Bearden et al. also reported that the hydraulic bonding strength increased as the compressive strength increased. Their hydraulic test showed that approximately 1,000 psi pressure is sufficient to break the casing cement bond for a well aged neat Portland cement sheath. Unfortunately, the tests were not run with a confining pressure, so Bearden et al. were merely measuring the strength of their outer 8%-in. casing. In our investigation, we measured the hydraulic bond strength of cement to pipe under a confining pressure and found that the bond strength was not limited to 1,000 psi. Cement Bond The bond strength is a good criterion for measuring the effectiveness of cement in performing its main function, that of preventing interzonal communication of fluids behind the casing. Measuring bond strength after perforating should be a good quantitative method of determining optimum cement properties, and should be a better method than that used by previous investigators,11 ' who simply observed the appearance of the cement after perforating.

Jan 1, 1969

By Thomas. B. D.

GRAVITY concentration is a general term designating processes for separating and sorting granular material by means of forces that depend on the density, size and shape of the particles. When these forces are applied to the particles the latter are caused to move, those of a given density along one path and those of a different density along another, until ultimately they are sufficiently separated to be removed from the operation of the process. The forces producing this separation are in general complex and, unfortunately, no completely rigorous analysis of them has as yet been devised. The science of the hydrodynamics of viscous fluids deals with , the little that is known about the problem. Every observer of nature is familiar with the fact that an object moving in a fluid encounters a force of resistance. We have only to walk against a brisk wind or stir a cup of coffee, or observe the slow fall of a grain of sand in water, to experience directly the fact that such forces exist. The exchange of force between an object and a fluid in which it is moving operates on the fluid as well as on the object. Thus a sailboat may be set in motion by the force exerted by the wind on the sail; but the sail also deflects the wind-furthermore, the water in which the boat floats is set in motion by the force exerted by the boat as it cleaves through the water, The wind is thus enabled to do work on the water through the intermediary of the boat. In general, an object moving through a fluid encounters a force that opposes the motion and also acts to change the motion of the fluid. In gravity concentration we are dealing with this force of resistance acting on the granular particles that are to be separated. Furthermore, the motion induced in the fluid by a particle will in turn affect the motion of a neighboring particle. This effect will be reciprocated and in consequence there will be an exchange of forces between all the particles in the material. These effects are complex and the most that can be expected is that we may be able to determine in a qualitative way how they operate. In gravity concentration, then, the following types of forces may be distinguished as acting on the particles:

Jan 1, 1943

By R. Ellerman

The hydrometallurgical processing of an impure zinc oxide fume is described. Flowsheet includes roasting for fluorine elimination and countercurrent leaching to produce a neutral sulphate solution. This solution is combined with zinc sulphide leach solution for subsequent purification and electrolysis. Novel to the neutral leach step is the use of automatic pH control. THE electrolytic zinc plant of the Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Co. Ltd. was erected in 1929-1930 to process zinc sulphide concentrates produced from ore mined at Flin Flon, Manitoba. Since 1930, production of high purity slab zinc has been continuous. In May 1951, construction of a fuming plant was completed and operations were started to recover zinc from copper smelter reverberatory slag. A second zinc-bearing material in the form of an impure zinc oxide fume was then made available for treatment. Coincident with the construction of the fuming plant, additions were made to the electrolytic zinc plant to recover the zinc in the fume as slab metal. The original plant capacity of 70 tons of slab zinc per day was steadily increased up to May 1951, at which time the daily production averaged 130 tons. With the advent of the fuming plant and the processing of zinc oxide fume, production was stepped up to the present capacity of 190 tons per day. Of this, approximately 48 pct is contributed by the processing of zinc oxide fume. This additional source of raw material has allowed a 20 pct cutback in mining and milling operations, thereby adding considerably to the life of the Flin Flon mine. Zinc sulphide concentrates are treated by the usual hydrometallurgical method. Details of this operation and plant were described by Carr and Reikie in 1935' and Kent in 1951.8 The impure fume is treated in two operations. First, it is roasted to eliminate fluorine. Next, it is subjected to a countercurrent leach with spent electrolyte to extract the zinc as a neutral zinc sulphate solution. During this leaching step, soluble impur-

Jan 1, 1956

By Gloyd M. Wiles

Since D. C. Jackling was famous for his adeptness at organizing and training teams of operating personnel, the subject of mine management is particularly appropriate for a Jackling Lecture. In fact, it is doubly appropriate because in very basic ways Jackling's career changed the nature of the tasks and challenges facing a mine manager. Management of mines, of course, is the art of finding and winning minerals economically from the earth's crust, and it involves the use of all the engineering sciences. But also of prime importance is a skill which is not yet a science-the area of management often referred to as human engineering. Since expenditures on staff and labor may well involve more than 50% of the direct costs of operating a mine, ability at human engineering is just as important as the ability to plan and put into effect the most efficient operating procedures.

Jan 5, 1962

By Joshua E. Clayton

THIS remarkable gold and silver bearing district is situated on the middle fork of Boise River, in Alturas County, Idaho Territory, about eighteen miles north of Rocky Bar, and sixty-five to seventy miles, as the crow flies, east of Boise City, the capital of the Territory. This district lies in the very heart of one of the most wild and mountainous regions of Idaho. For many miles in every direction nothing can be seen but bold granite mountains, with deep narrow gorges cutting into their sides in every direction, rendering them almost inaccessible except to the hardy mountaineer and adventurous prospector. The mountain sides are covered, in most part, by dense forests of pine, fir, and spruce timber. In every canon there are clear streams of pure running water that empty into the principal forks of Boise River. The only line of approach to this mountainous region at present is from the southwest, by way of Rocky Bar, the county seat of Alturas County, to which place there is a good wagon-road. From thence to Atlanta City, eighteen miles, the road, or pack-trail, passes over the high, steep range that separates the south and middle forks of Boise River. During severe winters this line of approach is closed up by deep snows for months at a time, thus leaving the district isolated, in the bosom of the grand old mountains. The geological formation is granite, of a coarse, friable texture, and in many places is traversed by numerous dikes of syenite, and three or four varieties of porphyry, which cut through the granite in easterly and westerly directions. The metal-bearing veins also have an easterly and westerly trend, but are occasionally intersected by the dikes. The largest number of the gold and silver lodes are confined to a

Jan 1, 1877