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By S. B. V. Stewart, W. W. Forsyth

"Since the Mathew's method for open stope design was first proposed by Golder Associates in 1980 it has been applied at a number of mine sites in Canada. The initial hypothesis was based on a relatively small amount of data and the intervening period has allowed the collection of a significant amount of new data to test the validity of the method.This paper examines a brief history of the evolution of rock mass classification systems to provide background and emphasize their empirical and non-rigorous approach. It also presents the new data which appear to indicate that the initial hypothesis was reasonably good. The modification to the original graph proposed by Potvin is discussed as well as the applicability of the method to predicting the onset of caving. The original graph has been updated and has been subdivided into four zones described as ""stable""; ""potentially unstable""; ""potential major failure""; and ""potential caving"". The method is recommended as a useful open stoping design tool provided it is recognized that it is not a rigorous design method.Finally the paper proposes a recommended approach for application of the method by would-be users and addresses some typical pitfalls that may be encountered."

Jan 1, 1995

By P. K. Koh, H. A. Lewis, H. F. Graff

New data on the distribution of silicon between slag and carbon-saturated iron at 1600Oand 1700OC are presented which, in combination with previously published data, permit the determination of silica activities over a broad range of compositions in the CaO-Al2O3-SiO2 system. The distribution of silicon between graphite-saturated Fe-Si-C alloys and blast furnace-type slags in equilibrium with CO has been described in previous publications.1"3 In this past work the silica-silicon relation was established at temperatures of 1425" to 1'700°C for slags containing up to 20 pct A12O3. This paper presents the results of additional studies at 1600" and 1700° C which extend the silicon distribution data at these temperatures for CaO-A12O3-SiO, slags over a range from zero pct Al2O3 to saturation with Al2O3, or CaO.2Al2O3. The upper limit of SiO2 is set by the occurrence of Sic as a stable phase when the metal contains 23.0 or 23.7 pct Si at 1600" or 1700°C, respectively. The activity of silica over the expanded range is determined directly from the distribution data.3 Recently4-7 other investigators have studied the activities of SiO, and CaO, principally in the binary system, using different methods and obtaining somewhat different results. EXPERIMENTAL STUDY The experimental apparatus and procedure have been fully described in previous publications.1, 3 Six new series of experimental heats have been made, four at 1600° and two at 1700°C. Master slags of several fixed CaO/Al203 ratios were pre-melted in graphite crucibles, and these were used with additions of silica to prepare the initial slag for each experiment. Slag and metal were stirred at 100 rpm and CO was passed through the furnace at 150 cc per min. The initial sample was taken 1 hr after addition of slag at 1600°C or 1/2 hr after addition at 1700°C. The run was normally continued for 8 hr at 1600°C or 7 hr at 1700°C, and the final sample was taken at the end of this period. Changes in Si and SiO2 content indicate the direction of approach to equilibrium, and in a series of runs where the approach is from both sides this permits approximate location of the equilibrium line. Fig. 1 shows the results of such a series of 15 runs at 1600°C for slags of CaO/Al,O3 = 1.50 by weight. Figs. 2 and 3 record other series at 1600°C and Fig. 5 a series at 1700°C with fixed CaO/Al0 ratios. The results of the experiments at 162003°C have been reported in part in a preliminary note.3 In the experiments recorded in Figs. 4 and 6, the slags were saturated with A12O3 (or with CaO.2A12O3 within its field of stability) by suspending a pure alumina tube in the melt during the course of the run. The final slag analyses were used to establish the liquidus boundaries8 in the stability fields of CaO.2Al2O3 and of Al20,. ACTIVITY OF SILICA The free-energy change in the reaction has been calculated by Fulton and chipman2 from recent and trustworthy data including heats of formation, entropies, and heat capacities. The more recent determination by Olette of the high-temperature enthalpy of liquid silicon is in satisfactory agreement with the values used and therefore requires no revision of the result which is expressed in the equation: SiO2 (crist) + 2C (graph) = Si + 2CO(g.) [1] &F° = + 161,500 - 87.4T The standard state for silica is taken as pure cristobalite and that of Si as the pure liquid metal. Since the melts were made under 1 atm of CO and were graphite-saturated, the equilibrium constant for Eq. [I] reduces to K1 = asi /asio2. The value of this constant is 1.77 at 1600°C and 16.2 at 1700°C. Through K1, the activity of silica in the slag is directly related to the activity of silicon in the equilibrium metal.

Jan 1, 1960

By Ted J. Williams

Underhand cut and fill mining methods are used at the Lucky Friday, Stillwater, and Galena mines in the western US in an effort to safely mine in difficult ground conditions and as a primary mining method where access below the ore is limited. The method has evolved at each mine to meet the unique situations associated with their milling procedure and mine layout. Details of the operational aspects of the backfilling and mining cycles at each mine are presented in this paper, accompanied by a summary of the mechanical properties of the backfill and its in-situ geomechanical behavior.

May 1, 2007

By J. C. Cook

In solution-mining of underground salt and similar minerals, using drilled wells for access, it is desirable to monitor the lateral growth pattern of the resulting fluid-filled cavern. Therefore, a process of seismic surveying from the surface of the ground has been conceived in which the amplitudes of waves reflected from and transmitted through the soluble formation are measured. The large acoustic impedance contrast between solid and fluid should produce striking amplitude anomalies, especially if shear waves are employed, since thick fluid bodies are opaque to shear waves. Horizontally-polarized (SH) shear waves are best for preventing conversion to P waves at the numerous horizontal interfaces in the ground. Field tests to date have shown that a truck-mounted, half-ton hammer striking horizontally against the end of a trench produces usable SH-wave energy at lateral distances up to about 850 ft. Horizontally-directed explosive wave sources were effective to about 2000 ft. Conventional magnetic-tape recording and processing were used, but with the detecting geophones oriented to favor SH waves. An irregular solution cavity in bedded salt at 500-ft depth has apparently been located by SH-wave and SV-wave reflections. Further field work is planned to corroborate and extend this result. The Brine Cavity Research Group, an association of 11 chemical and salt producing companies, is supporting this work. Major deposits of salt in tabular beds lie beneath some 300,000 sq miles of land in the central and northeastern U.S. This salt is a basic source of soda ash and chlorine, and has been extracted as brine from drilled wells for about a century. During the past two decades, the U.S. solution-mining industry, following the lead of European operators, has greatly improved the extraction process through the application of engineering and science.' In 1957, the Brine Cavity Research Group, an association of 11 chemical and salt producing companies, was formed. This group proceeded to attack certain common problems through the support of research. An outstanding problem has been that of determining the shape and location of the growing solution cavities in the underground salt, so that measures can be taken to maintain operating efficiency. The problem has been partially solved by the Dowel1 sonar mapping service, which employs a pulse-echo device lowered into the cavity through the well.2 However, the working range of this equipment is at present insufficient for large cavities, and echoes are not returned from highly sloping walls nor from behind such obstructions as rock debris. Therefore, an independent means of mapping the cavity, for example, from the surface without interfering with operation of the well, would be desirable. THEORY OF THE METHOD Seismic waves are the only physical agent known to be capable of sufficient resolution and penetration to define typical solution cavities from the surface of the ground. The geometry is unfavorable: cavity widths are generally less than half their depths below the surface; resolution and lateral location of boundaries and channels to within 50 ft at depths of 500 to 3000 ft is desirable. Conventional seismic surveying, as used for petroleum prospecting, is probably not the answer: isopach mapping, for example, is not thought accurate enough to define the cavity by the slight additional delay time it would introduce (of the order of 0.005 sec for a 50 ft-thick cavity in hard Paleozoic rocks). Refraction surveying has also been considered, but seismic specialists see little promise in it for this problem. In 1957, in correspondence with industry personnel, the writer suggested a seismic method based upon careful measurement of reflection amplitudes. As Table I illustrates, seismic reflection coefficients r for typical brine-rock interfaces are considerably higher than those for typical interfaces between different kinds of solid rock. This fact can be utilized in two ways, illustrated in Fig. 1: 1) If the cavity roof is reasonably flat (which it may sometimes be since the unsaturated top brine will be in contact with an insoluble rock stratum), extra-strong seismic reflections will be received from the salt stratum where the solid has been replaced by liquid.

Jan 1, 1964

By James Paone

Subsidence movements have damaged houses, schools, streets, and public utility lines in some undermined sections of Belleville and Maryville, Ill. In cooperation with local officials and the State of Illinois, the Interior Department's Bureau of Mines is sharing experience in backfilling abandoned coal mines to demonstrate that bituminous coal mine workings in south-western Illinois can be successfully backfilled and subsidence-prone areas stabilized. Subsurface investigations revealed that mine workings are dry and underlain by underclay deposits susceptible to instability upon wetting. Backfilling will therefore be accomplished by pneumatic injection instead of the hydraulic methods used in previous subsidence-control projects.

Jan 1, 1977

By Yuanping H

There is a practical method of handling methane in a fully mechanized high output coal face when the methane outflow rate from the face is too high to be handled by ventilation alone, a combined method would be adopted. Before adopting this method, above all, the sources of methane outflow, which can be divided into methane in the intake airflow and methane emitted from the working seam and from the worked-out area, are determined by air-methane measure- ments in the tail gate and intake conveyor gate or by air-methane measurements in the working space of the coal face. Then, in

Jan 1, 1988

By L. H. Banning

Recent dry-top electric smelting tests at the Northwest Electrodevelopment Experiment Station, Albany, Oreg., indicate that a high-titanium slag and a good grade of pig iron can be produced from alluvial Idaho ilmenite. A total of 120 tons of concentrates were smelted during this investigation, to yield an average of 0.5 ton of slag and 0.3 ton of pig iron per ton of ilmenite. Power consumption averaged 1,400 kv.-hr. per ton of ilmenite, at a feed rate of 400 to 500 pounds per hour, when operating at an electrical energy input of 290 to 370 kilowatts. The optimum operating voltage appeared to be 110 volts, phase-to-phase. Graphite electrode consumption averaged 15.6 pounds per ton of ilmenite smelted. Magnesite furnace refractory withstood the corrosive action of the hot metal and slag better than carbon refractory.

Jan 1, 1955

By Anders Lagerkvist, Agne Rustan, Tommy Edeskar

Landfills containing house hold waste produces methane gas during its decomposition. This gas can be recovered and used for heating purposes or as fuel for vehicles. Gas drainage pipes are installed in the landfill and connected to a central suction point. Methane gas is produced over several years until the slots in the drainage pipes are clogged by black mud. And the bottom of the vertical drainage pipe are filled with mud and water. The hypothesis tested in this paper is if blasting in the drainage pipes could activate the production and flow of methane. In the first part of the paper we have studied what maximum linear charge concentration could be used in different size of PE-pipes place vertical on surface and surrounded by air. The results show that the maximum linear charge concentration for single blasts varied between 5-10 g/m, depending on the diameter of the pipe (90, 100 and 160 mm). Maximum charge concentration for the repeated blast varied between 2-5 g/m. In the second part of the paper we study what maximum linear charge concentration could be used in situ for full scale blasting tests in a special prepared test area which later on was dug out after the blastings. Up to 40 g/m could be used without damaging the top of the 160 mm diameter pipes. The increase in methane flow was so low so it could not be measured c4.5 m3/h. The conclusion therefore is that the stimulation of methane flow by explosives is not enough.

Jan 1, 2000

By O. C. Wheeler

During 1938, Colombia witnessed greater activity in oil prospecting and development than in any previous year in its history; more wells were drilled, more potential production established, more geological and geophysical work was accomplished, and more leases and concessions were acquired. Many companies, including the Texas, Socony Vacuum, Richmond (subsidiary of the Standard Oil of California), the Shell, and Tropical, contributed to this activity. Probably the most noteworthy development was in connection with the Barco Concession, which forms part of the Maracaibo Basin in eastern Colombia, adjacent to the Venezuelan frontier. There a great deal of preparatory work was accomplished in addition to camp and other construction, 20 producing wells were drilled and work was begun on the construction of a 12-in. pipe line to transport the oil to the port of Covenas, a distance of 260 miles. It is reported {hat 58,000 bbl. daily initial production was established during the year and is awaiting an outlet through this pipe line. Leasing and exploratory operations in Colombia continued active throughout the year; applications were made for concessions covering more than 1,100,000 acres of national lands and, in addition, leases were taken up on large areas of privately owned lands. Under Colombian law

Jan 1, 1939

By O. C. Wheeler

During 1938, Colombia witnessed greater activity in oil prospecting and development than in any previous year in its history; more wells were drilled, more potential production established, more geological and geophysical work was accomplished, and more leases and concessions were acquired. Many companies, including the Texas, Socony Vacuum, Richmond (subsidiary of the Standard Oil of California), the Shell, and Tropical, contributed to this activity. Probably the most noteworthy development was in connection with the Barco Concession, which forms part of the Maracaibo Basin in eastern Colombia, adjacent to the Venezuelan frontier. There a great deal of preparatory work was accomplished in addition to camp and other construction, 20 producing wells were drilled and work was begun on the construction of a 12-in. pipe line to transport the oil to the port of Covenas, a distance of 260 miles. It is reported {hat 58,000 bbl. daily initial production was established during the year and is awaiting an outlet through this pipe line. Leasing and exploratory operations in Colombia continued active throughout the year; applications were made for concessions covering more than 1,100,000 acres of national lands and, in addition, leases were taken up on large areas of privately owned lands. Under Colombian law

Jan 1, 1939

By G. M. Wali Ullah, Micah Nehring, MEHMET KIZIL, PETER KNIGHTS

In operations that use the sublevel stoping mining method, production scheduling takes into account factors — including ore reserve envelopes, ore grade averages, equipment capacity, feed controls to the mill, and geotechnical restrictions — across the scheduling horizon. Mathematical programming is one of the most effective methods for enhancing the decision-making process in regard to the most viable production schedule in light of a given set of limitations. The majority of research on sublevel stope mining focuses primarily on a single objective of optimization, which is to maximize the net present value (NPV). Environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations are becoming more prevalent in the mining industry. This includes aspects relating to deforestation, land disturbances, gas emissions, community relations and water usage, among many others. Institutional and other kinds of investors are becoming more interested in the work that resource companies do regarding their ESG obligations. This review article identifies the gap in the existing literature and proposes to simultaneously optimize the production schedule around three objectives. Two of these relate directly to ESG aspects

Jul 1, 2024

By K. Narayan Prabhu, W. D. Griffiths

"Heat transfer during the unidirectional solidification of a cast iron alloy against cast iron chills was investigated using an inverse modelling approach. Chills of thickness 100 mm and 10 mm were used, to simulate gravity die cruiting conditions and the use of chills in sand moulds. In both cases transient heat transfer, measured by the interfacial heat flux and heat transfer coeffieient; declined from initially high values in the first few seconds of solidification, to values about an order of magnitude lower which persisted for the remainder of the experiments. In the case of the thin chill it became saturated with heat until it was no longer in a position to extract further heat from ·the casting. These results were interpreted by studying the resistance to heat transfer from the casting offered by the ·casting-chill interface and the chill itself for example, the thermal resistance of the casting-chill interface can be influenced by the deformation of their respective surfaces and their subsequent relationship.IntroductionDie casting cast iron offers several advantages such as energy savings, higher mould yield, and better surface quality over the sand casting process1 • The process is· environmentally' friendly because of the elimination of the sand. However the design and construction of metallic moulds is expensive and a faulty die design may result in a defective casting: A simulation based process design of die castings would enable die designers and solidification modellings to try better designs of dies on the computer and arrive at a cost effective solution more quickly. This has numerous benefits for the die caster, as he would be able to produce sound castings with very short lead times.The success of a solidification model to predict accurately the thermal history and the location of hot, spots inside a solidifying casting depends to a large extent on the heat transfer data prescribed at the metal/mould interface. Many measurements of the heat transfer coeffident (or the heat flux) between a solidifying aluminum alloy and a chill have shown that the heat transfer coefficient is a function of most of the variables of the casting process2 - 8. However heat transfer studies during the solidification of ferrous alloys are rather limited. The high temperatures involved suggest that the contribution due to radiation heat transfer cannot be neglected."

Jan 1, 2000

By J. E. Elliott, K. O. Miller

Solubility studies were carried out to establish the phase distributions for various Fe-Ni-Pb-C alloys at temperatures where the metallic components exist as liquid solutions. Temperature us composition diagrams for the Ni-Pb, Fe-Pb, Fe-Ni-Pb, and Ni-Pb-C systems are derived by employing various approximations in conjunction with the data. Results are summarized for 1550°C in a quaternary phase diagram of the Fe-Ni-Pb-C system. BECAUSE surprisingly little information has been published on the phase diagrams of the Ni-Pb, Fe-Pb, Fe-Pb-Ni, and Fe-Ni-Pb-C systems, a study of these systems was undertaken to ascertain the important phase relationships in the temperature range of 1300" to 1550°C. Measurements were also made on the carbon-saturated systems in the hope that they would assist in the interpretation of the systems without carbon. This paper reports the results obtained from the simple equilibration of the various liquid and solid phases. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The experimental technique involved holding appropriati quantities of the metals in an alumina crucible, or in a graphite crucible when saturation of the melt with carbon was desired, for sufficient time at the desired temperature to ensure equilibrium. Then a sample of each liquid phase presen was drawn into a small-bore silica tube. This sample was withdrawn quickly from the furnace, cooled, and sent to the chemical laboratory for analysis. The cell assembly used is shown in Fig. 1. Durin the work on the Fe-Pb-Ni system, it was placed in a furnace wound with 20 pct Rh-80 pct Pt wire. This furnace eventually failed and subsequent studies were carried out between 1350" and 1475°C in a tube furnace heated by silicon-carbide resistance elements. A protective atmosphere of argon with approximately 10 pct hydrogen was supplied to the cell assembly at a gage pressure of 1 in. of water. Hydrogen was passed over palladized alumina and then anhydrous calcium chloride for purification. Argon was purified of oxygen and water vapor by passing it over copper gauze at 550°C and then through a calcium chloride drying column. The gases were mixed and redried before they entered the equilibration cell. Temperature was measured by calibrated Pt/Pt-10 pct Rh thermocouples and a Rubicon Type B potentiometer. The thermocouples were standardized against the melting points of pure nickel

Jan 1, 1961

By William Y. Mo

This report presents preliminary results of a study undertaken to investigate quantitative characteristics of the demand for steel mill products and its major end-use components. The major end uses included in the study are the steel mill products used in construction, in automobiles, in producer durables, and in consumer durables. The main objectives of the research underlying this study are as follows: (1) To formulate and estimate the empirical demand relations for steel and the four major end uses in the United States; (2) to measure and calculate the responsiveness of the U.S. per capita steel consumption with respect to the changes of the steel and other nonferrous metals prices; (3) to determine and quantify the relative importance of the underlying demand explanatory factors in contributing to the average year-to-year increases (or decreases) of the U.S. per capita steel consumption; and (4) to adapt and use the estimated demand relations in making projections of the U.S. future demand for steel and the major end-use components. After extensive preliminary investigation, three versions of simple linear demand relations are selected and estimated by means of ordinary least squares (OLS) method. The annual data for the period 1947-65 are used in the estimation. Direct and cross price elasticities of demand are computed for each of major end uses. The relative importance of demand explanatory factors in contributing to the average year-to-year changes of U.S. per capita steel consumption are also calculated. For making projections, a simple autoregressive time trend model is used in estimating the future values of independent variables. Since the estimated demand relations are valid for projections only if the estimated parameters can be assumed to be unchanged in the future, and consequently, the projections derived in the study should be interpreted accordingly.

Jan 1, 1970

By J. A. Madonna

Universities and colleges in three countries, Australia, Canada and the United States, recognized the need to establish and/or reorganize geoscience programs at the vocational and two-year technical levels. To accomplish this goal, a cooperative study with industry in one state or province from each country was initiated. These include 1) Tasmania, Australia, 2) British Columbia, Canada and 3) Alaska, United States. Over one hundred mineral industry organizations cooperated in the study by providing information regarding their specific training needs for support personnel. The data gathered has been used to identify training areas for semi-skilled, skilled and technical personnel in geochemical mineral exploration, including, but not limited to, geological skills, geochemical skills, environmental skills and computer skills. With the areas of major educational need defined for geochemical exploration, an educational field skills model has been developed for the three levels of training. The depth of each level of education and the training objectives for the work force at each level will be discussed.

Jan 1, 1993

By S. J. M. van Leeuwen, R. Feenstra

The effect of jets on bit penetration has been investigated by means of a 50-ton drilling machine and 8½-in. commercial jet bits, drilling under representative bottom-hole conditions. The conclusions apply to the drilling of impermeable rock only. Penetration rate is in all cases primarily hampered by a differential pressure effect, known as dynamic hold-down. Jet action can reduce this slightly. Major gain in penetration rate, up to 25 or 50 per cent, is already ohtained at medium-high jet power. At high bit load, penetration by soft to medium-hard-formation bits is further hampered by bit-balling. Its alleviation requires intensive tooth scavenging, which is best performed by slanted nozzles with trailing, high-velocity, high-volume jets, hitting bottom in front of the teeth. Penetration may then improve by a 100 per cent. At high bit load, bottom-balling limits the penetration of insert-type bits. In this case bottom scavenging is required, which is most effectively performed with high velocity jets from nozzles extended close to bottom. As a result of this measure, penetration may improve 70 per cent in non-friable rock, and less in friable rock. This will make the insert-type bit more versatile. Toothed hard-formation hits suffer at high bit load from both bit- and bottom-balling. Slanted nozzles, possibly much extended, with high-velocity, high-volume jets then have best prospects. INTRODUCTION For years the use of jet bits in oil well drilling has been increasing, in conjunction with ever greater hydraulic horsepower. To the same extent, the need for efficient use of the horsepower has grown.' This paper, it is hoped, will contribute to an understanding of how effective jet action may be obtained. It deals with the effect of jets on phenomena that are known' " to hamper bit penetration. To study this effect, laboratory drilling tests were performed with 8½-in. commercial bits under bottom-hole pressures representative of deep wells. The investigation has been restricted to the drilling of practically impermeable rock. In the following sections, the increase in bit penetration rates due to jetting is discussed for conditions which made the troublesome phenomena stand out one at a time. A brief definition and interpretation of these phenomena is given in Appendix A. Appendix B gives the results of measurements of fluid velocities along the hole bottom, performed in stationary flow tests. Descriptions of equipment, bits, rocks and mud are collected in Appendix C. Unless otherwise mentioned, drilling conditions were kept standard as given in Table 1. CUTTING TRANSPORT TO THE ANNULUS Jet action was for some time believed to merely improve the transport of cuttings from bottom to annulus, resulting in a clean hole bottom. Flow tests performed in 1954 at the Battelle Memorial Institute6 showed, however, that jet velocities of the order of 40 ft/sec sufficed to clear even large (0.4-in.) chips from bottom in the time between two successive tooth actions. In the field, optimum jet velocities are appreciably higher, indicating that other effects must be involved. This much is confirmed by the results of our drilling experiments in soft rocks performed under atmospheric pressure, i.e., in absence of pressure-differential effects. Fig. 1 shows that variation in the nozzle velocity from 40 to 330 ft/sec had no effect on penetration rate, unless the bit penetrated more than 7 mm per revolution, which is about half the tooth height. At such high rates—150 ft/hr at 100 rpm—cuttings would be caught in the tooth cavities, leading to bit-balling, which was noticed on inspection of the bit. The jets thus assisted in keeping the tooth cavities clean. This is just perceptibly reflected in the penetration-rate curves of Fig. 1: Much the same results were obtained in hard rocks with hard-formation three-cone bits. The conclusion is that transport of loose cuttings towards the annulus does not require a powerful jet action. In the following sections we shall see that in deep-well drilling other phenomena are of greater importance. DYNAMIC HOLD-DOWN It is generally accepted that, in deep-well drilling, bit penetration is hampered primarily by the existence of a difference in pressure between the fluid in the hole and that in the rock at the depth of cutting.2-5 In the drilling

Jan 1, 1965

By J. N. Sicking, F. H. Brinkman

A new method for obtaining equilibrium vaporization ratios (K-values) for reservoir fluids has been developed and tested. By application of the method, complex experimental measurements of liquid and vapor phase compositions are eliminated. This simplified technique reduces the cost of experimental equilibrium-ratio data for reservoir studies of condensates and volatile crude-oil systems. The method is designed for systems of constant composition and, therefore, is best suited for depletion studies where compositional changes at high pressures are minor. The basic data required, in addition to the composition of the initial reservoir fluid, are the relative vapor-liquid volumes and densities at reservoir temperature and variom reservoir pressures. Tests demonstrated that the method predicts equilibrium ratios accurately for condensates. A single test on a crude oil was not conclusive; further testing will be necessary before the accuracy of the method can be determined for crude-oil systems. In addition to determining equilibrium ratios, the calculation method provides information on the physical properties of the "plus" component in the vapor and liquid phases. The "plus" component is that mixture of components heavier than the least volatile fraction analyzed. This information is useful in studies of both natural depletion and cycling operations for condensate reservoirs where the heptanes-plus component in the gas phase is produced from the reservoir. INTRODUCTION As more volatile oil and condensate reservoirs are found, the use of phase behavior techniques to predict their performance is increasing in importance. These techniques have long been used for condensate fields and have more recently been applied to crude-oil fields containing oils of medium-to-high volatility. In these phase behavior methods, equilibrium ratios (K-values) are used to predict compositional changes in the reservoir fluids—thereby accounting for the recoverable oil that exists in the gas phase. The reliability of the predictions depends to a large extent on the equilibrium ratios used. These values must be obtained for each component for the entire pressure range being investigated. Unfortunately, because of the complex nature of hydrocarbon mixtures, accurate K-values are hard to obtain. The equilibrium ratios for a particular component will vary not only with the temperature and pressure, but also with over-all composition of the system. The importance of composition is quite critical at elevated pressures, but becomes negligible at pressures below about 300 psia. Therefore, because most phase behavior problems involve the high-pressure region, each fluid system becomes a special case. Experimental programs to determine characteristic K-values are quite difficult and time-consuming. Thus, it is often necessary to resort to approximations of the K-value data. Charts giving K-values for various mixtures and classes of mixtures are available in the literature. However, there are two major difficulties in using them: (1) the K-values of the "plus" component (that mixture of components heavier than the last one analyzed) must be obtained by extrapolation from the K-values of the other components; and (2) the K-values obtained must finally be adjusted by trial and error to agree with observed volumetric data. To eliminate these difficulties, a new method of determining equilibrium ratios was developed. Briefly, after the composition of the system as a whole has been analyzed, the method uses empirical correlations and the gross fluid properties of the system (relative vapor-liquid volumes and densities) to calculate K-values. Because the calculative procedure is long, it is best solved on a digital computer. About one hour of machine time on an IBM 650 computer is required to develop a K-chart for the fluid being examined. DEVELOPMENT OF THE METHOD OF OBTAINING K-VALUES Equilibrium ratios are defined as the ratio of the mole fraction of a component in the vapor phase to its mole fraction in the liquid phase. This statement is expressed in Eq. 1. A typical plot of equilibrium ratios for a particular system is shown in Fig. 1. It should be noted that, at pressures near the saturation pressure, the K-values appear to converge to a common point. This apparent convergence point is called the convergence pressure and is a characteristic of the system involved. Various empirical correlations of K-values have been noted. It has been observed that an isothermal plot of

By Esher Hsu

On July 5, 1997, Environmental Protection Administration of Taiwan publicized the recycling regulation of waste home appliances that include four items, namely, television, refrigerator, washing machine, and air conditioner. It is believed that this regulation pioneers the law enforcement of waste home appliances in the world. The objective of this study is to provide helpful base for amending recycling rates of waste home appliances. This study investigates the collection and recycling costs of waste home appliances in accordance with these newly established routes and facilities, respectively. Cost survey was conducted among collectors and recycling plants of waste home appliances; consequently, the collection and recycling costs were analyzed, correspondingly. Results provide some suggestions regarding recycling route, recycling system, recycling rates paid by manufactures and importers, recycling subsidies to collectors and recyclers. Those suggestions may provide useful policy implications to EPA for the future decision-making regarding the recycling of waste home appliances.

Jan 1, 2003

By D. R. Wilburn

This summary of international mineral exploration activities for 2012 draws upon information from industry sources, published literature and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) specialists. The summary provides data on exploration budgets by region and mineral commodity, identifies significant mineral discoveries and areas of mineral exploration, discusses government programs affecting the mineral exploration industry and presents analyses of exploration activities performed by the mineral industry. Three sources of information are reported and analyzed in this annual review of international exploration for 2012: 1) budgetary statistics expressed in U.S. nominal dollars provided by SNL Metals Economics Group (MEG) of Halifax, Nova Scotia; 2) regional and site-specific exploration activities that took place in 2012 as compiled by the USGS and 3) regional events including economic, social and political conditions that affected exploration activities, which were derived from published sources and unpublished discussions with USGS and industry specialists.

May 1, 2013

By Jin Yu, Fang-Qiu Zu, Yun Xi, Li-Na Mao

"According to the behaviors of resistivity-temperature of Cu-Sb70 melt, which suggests a partly reversible temperature-induced liquid structure transitions (LST) could occur in this alloy, in this paper, we investigated the dependence of solidification on the liquid state. Both resistivity and temperature were measured to track solidification process. The results show that the nucleating undercooling of the melt which experienced the LST increased and the solidified time decreased. Meanwhile, the solidified microstructures refined evidently, with the microscopic pattern of primary phase changes from disordered pillarlike dendrites into homotaxic ones. Moreover, it is verified that the microstructures would be different if the reversible part of the LST was restrained. The new phenomena and results reflected in this paper suggest that grasping the rules of melt structure change with temperature before material processing will give help for controlling the solidification more effectively and finally resulting in more ideal microstructures.IntroductionThe structure and quality of liquid alloys have a direct and important influence on the structure, performance and quality of the solidified ones. In recent years with in-depth study of liquid structure, researchers have found that some liquid structure transitions (LST) could occur on dependence of the temperature or pressure [1-5]. And the article [6] reported that a pressure-induced reversible LST was found in liquid triphenyl phosphite, which further confirmed the authenticity of the existence of the LST. Furthermore, in our earlier studies of Sn-based melts using resistivity method, some abnormal structure changes induced by temperature have been found at hundreds of degrees above liqiudus, and these LSTs are partly reversible[7]. This phenomenon has been discussed and it is suggested that the reversible LST in Sn-based melts are related to the short-range ordering (SRO) structures of Sn, which are tetrahedron structure with covalent bonding. However, does this reversible LST exist in other melts too?"

Jan 1, 2012