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By Paul Biggs

This Bureau of Mines report contains information on 63 water flood projects in Colorado. Water was injected in 10 formations located in 58 oilfields. Specific field data presented include location, discovery, development, water supply, fluid injection, oil and water production, oil reserves, and oil recoveries by primary and secondary methods. An estimated 3.5 billion barrels of water has been injected to recover approximately 533 million barrels of oil, a ratio of 6.57 to 1. Most of the injection water is from alluvial deposits, although produced water is used in many fields. Injection water treatment is not a major problem. Appraisal of project success or failure in this report is based on technical, rather than economic, information.

Jan 1, 1974

By A. F. Bridge

IN order to show the need for gas reserves, their control, and conservation, in California, it is necessary to describe briefly the local conditions under which gas is produced and marketed, to point out the lack of coordination between supply and demand, and to relate the history of efforts to prevent wastage. There are now 24 fields in California producing a surplus of gas over field fuel requirements. They are usually grouped geographically into three divisions, as follows: (I) Los Angeles Basin (Los Angeles and 0 r a n g e Counties), thirteen fields, all casing-head gas. Total daily gas available for sale 125,000, 000 ?cu.ft. (2) Coastal (Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties). Seven casine-head and one dry gas field. total-avail- able daily, 165,000,000 cu.ft. (3) San Joaquin Valley (Kern, Kings, Fresno, and San Joaquin Counties). Four casing-head fields, five dry gas fields, and two producing casing- head and dry gas from different zones. Total available daily pro- ducticon, 475,000,000 cu.ft. Total all fields, 765,000,000 cu.ft. daily.

Jan 1, 1936

By W. C. Smith, P. J. Hickey

After a short historical background of the process evolution, this article descvibes present-day plant facilities and operating techniques utilized for high-purity bismuth production. The plant is one of the world's largest, with an annual output of some one million pounds of refined bismutlz. PREVIOUS papers1 written by staff members of Cerro de Pasco Corp. have referred briefly to the production of refined bismuth. Since the Corporation is one of the world's foremost producers of high-purity bismuth, a detailed description of the process for extracting the metal may be of general interest. Following a short historical background of the development of the actual process, this presentation will trace the progress of bismuth from its entry into the primary smelting circuits to its concentration in electrolytic lead cell slimes. Our facilities for the treatment of anode muds will be described and the extractive methods given in some detail, with particular emphasis on the techniques which result in the production of refined metal. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Shortly after Cerro de Pasco began smelting operations at Oroya, Peru in 1922, it became apparent that the dust carried by copper converter gas contained appreciable amounts of bismuth. Although dust collection efficiency was poor prior to building of the 550-ft stack and installation of the central cottrells in 1938, a large stock of dust was accumulated during the intervening years, having the following approximate composition: Oz. per ton Ag - 11.0 Pct Sn — 0.5 Pct Pb - 49.0 Pct Zn - 6.5 Pct Bi - 2.0 Pct Insol. - 1.5 Pct Cu - 0.7 Pct Fe - 2.3 Pct Sb - 3.0 Pct S - 10.0 Pct As - 7.5 In the mid-1920's, experimental crucible melts of this dust with carbon indicated that most of the bismuth and silver, and some of the lead, could be reduced to a fairly clean bullion. Other products were a small amount of leady copper matte and a slag high in zinc, arsenic, antimony, and lead; this slag contained some tin but only small quantities of silver, bismuth, and copper. After the laboratory results had been confirmed by operation of a small reverberatory, a dust reduction furnace was constructed. The ±10 pct Bi-Pb bullion produced from this operation was stocked until 1930, when an Oroya-designed converter type furnace3 was installed for the elimination of arsenic, antimony, and some lead from the bullion. This process concentrated the bismuth from 10 to about 60 pct. By means of the bismuth process developed4 by W. C. Smith at East Chicago (1909-1914) and the discovery of a method5 for separation of lead from bismuth with chlorine gas in 1929, it became possible to begin production of refined bismuth. Unfortunately, bismuth deleaded with chlorine always contained residual chlorides, and the removal of the chlorides by caustic soda left a lead content of 0.02 to 0.04 pct. This final problem was solved6 by substitution of air-blowing for the caustic treatment, which effectively removed all excess chlorine and gave bismuth which was practically lead-free. In 1934, a pilot electrolytic lead refinery began operations at Oroya. Lead smelting was resumed in 1935 and two years later a 100-ton-per-day lead refinery was put into service. In conjunction with the latter, the present-day Anode Residue Plant was constructed. Until 1940, the plant treated both lead anode slimes and dust reduction bullion. The dust reduction furnace was shut down in that year, and all cottrell dusts (with the exception of the product from the arsenic cottrell) were mixed with pyrite and treated in a Wedge roaster to eliminate all possible arsenic. Calcine from this operation joined the sinter plant feed; hence the bismuth from the copper and lead circuits was collected in the lead bullion and subsequently in lead anode slimes from the electrolytic lead refinery. The latter source has been the only bismuth-bearing material of any consequence entering the Anode Residue Plant from late 1940 to the present. A copper refinery began operating in 1948, and the cell mud from this plant is mixed with lead slimes and processed through the same circuit, though only a small quantity of bismuth is present in electrolytic copper cell residues. BISMUTH INTAKE Present-day routes which are followed by the new bismuth feed from its entry into the primary smelting circuits to its arrival at the Anode Residue Plant are traced schematically in Fig. 1. As illus-

Jan 1, 1962

By Jay F. Colinet

Coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP), commonly known as black lung, is caused by the inhalation of respirable coal mine dust and is a disabling and potentially fatal lung disease with no cure. Historically, CWP has taken a tremendous human and financial toll in the US coal mining industry. Recent health surveillance data indicates that CWP continues to occur at elevated levels. Respirable coal dust exposure must be controlled to prevent the development of CWP. The Pittsburgh Mining Research Division of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducts laboratory and mine-site research to identify control technologies that can be used to successfully reduce respirable dust levels. Various technologies, using multiple methods of control, can be applied in order to reduce dust levels. An overview ofCWP’s impact and a general methodology for controlling respirable dust in underground coal mines are discussed in this paper.

Jul 30, 2020

By H. Yoshida, B. G. Liebmann, R. E. Green

In recent years considerable work has been undertaken in order to gain an understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the generation of recrystal- lization textures in face-centered-cubic metals. Two theories have been proposed, that of oriented growth1 and that of oriented nucleation,' and several attempts have been made to check these theories directly by recrystallizing deformed single crystals.3-5 Two groups, Graham-Cahn and Liebmann-Liicke-Masing, studied the orientation of recrystallized grains and their rate of growth, both using strained aluminum single crystals of commercial purity (Graham et al., 99.6 pct, Liebmann et al., 99.8 pct). Surprisingly, the results obtained by the two groups were completely

Jan 1, 1960

By E. W. Davis

This paper deals with the role of the Maintenance Department in a milling operation; specifically, the Mines Development, Inc., processing plant at Edgement, South Dakota. The goal of very maintenance department is the smooth and uninterrupted operation of the plant it serves, To achieve this goal, maintenance men adapt various features and procedures into a program designed to fit the characteristics of their particular plant operation. A few of the basic elements of a sound maintenance program are: 1, A periodic preventive maintenance schedule. 2, A systematic inspection and lubrication procedure. 3. A training program for maintenance personnel. 4 A good equipment-history file system, 5. A carefully planned spare parts inventory.

Jan 1, 1962

By George A. Roberts, Arthur H. Grobe

H. H. Hausner (Sylvania Electric Products Inc., Bayside, N. Y.)—I tested the 18-8 stainless steel powder described by Grobe and Roberts and the results were excellent. The powder was compacted and sintered in purified hydrogen to a very low density (approximately 20 pct and more porosity). Where the other powders show very little ductility when sintered to such a low density, the described stainless steel was surprisingly high in ductility. I would appreciate it if the authors could give us some data on a similar powder but without silicon and also data on 430 stainless steel powder. H. S. Kalish (Sylvania Electric Products lnc., Bay-side, N. Y.)—I should like to verify the excellent results obtained by Grobe and Roberts with their pre-alloyed stainless steel powder. It seems to me, however, that their data are conservative and that even better densities and higher tensile strength can be obtained with these powders by the selection of proper particle size fractions. The accompanying data were obtained by sintering compacts pressed from the powder made by Vanadium-Alloys Steel Co. to 0.8 in. in diam about % in. high in a cylindrical double action die without the use of lubricant. The compacts were sintered for 1 hr at 2370°F in hydrogen purified by passing it through a Deoxo unit (palladium catalyst) and a Lectrodryer. Even the density obtained using the as-received (—100 mesh) compacted at 40 tsi was quite high as was the hardness. This indicates that by increasing the sintering temperature slightly above 2350°F the coining and subsequent secondary sintering operation can be avoided. With the — 325 mesh fraction, however, very much higher density can be obtained and a high hardness. I have no tensile data to present, but I feel that it is not too optimistic to expect. that unusually high tensile strengths and good ductility can be obtained in this sintered material on the basis of the density and hardness data. The sintered stainless steel made by the above-described methods came out of the furnace very bright and clean. The purified hydrogen atmosphere is important in sintering stainless steel to reduce the oxide present in the powder. The result of such a sintering is good densification and good ductility of the sintered product. G. A. Roberts (authors' reply)—We are greatly indebted to Messrs. Hausner and Kalish for their discussions of our paper. Their encouraging remarks are greatly appreciated and their confirmatory data will do much to add to the value of the paper. At the present time it is impossible to provide complete data on a similar stainless steel powder without silicon, but we do know that, in general, the properties are slightly inferior. Data on such a powder and on other stainless steel types are to be published in the near future.

Jan 1, 1952

By Ross Cutts

As a public servant geotechnical engineer, I observed how costly and valuable geotechnical field explorations are to the success of every project. Often however, the field exploration is a long and complex process that is made less efficient by the difficulty of retrieving and utilizing nearby internal or external historic geotechnical datasets. As an employee of a public agency, we would often start our investigations for every project from scratch, given the difficulty of locating and utilizing historic geotechnical data. This is an ethical and technical failing of our profession. When we start subsurface explorations from scratch, not only do we often duplicate investigations, we are also likely defaulting to reapplying tradi- tional test methods that yield con- servative geotechnical parameters, resulting in overly conservative and potentially costly construction. To address this issue while working as a public servant, I started a research program with Yunfeng Zhang, Ph.D., of the University of Maryland, to build a tool that could compile internal historic geotechnical data and extract additional value from it, using machine learning. This tool was able to provide, upon request, nearby historic geotechnical data, estimated soil parameters and recommendations for geotechnical test methods best suited for a given project site. This prevented common field ex- ploration problems such as, requesting duplicate data, requesting test methods that were not applicable for the project geology, not realizing presence of karsts, missing permits for wetlands, private property and others. This tool allowed for more efficient field investigations with regards to time and money saved. There was one problem with this tool: it could only be used by internal employees of a single state's depart- ment of transportation (DOT) for which this data was compiled. I realized at that point that it would be of tremendous value to make this concept universally accessible to the geotechnical engi- neering profession. I left public service to devote time to building a platform that would host historic geotechnical data from publicly funded sources throughout the country. The tool I helped build as a public servant was the foundation of Geosetta, a nonprofit company dedicated to serving the geotechnical profession. The nonprofit structure was adopted to prevent acquisition by a for-profit company and to ensure that Geosetta remains an independent steward of our profession's valuable data. Geosetta provides a GIS (geographic information system) platform that enables users to view historic geo- technical data and extract value from it with machine learning-based predictions and visualization tools. This data is provided in an open and interchangeable format called DIGGS, which stands for Data Interchange for Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists, making it easy for users to integrate it into their workflows. Geosetta is collaborating with the American Society of Civil Engineers' Geo-Institute and other sponsors to extract public data at no cost to the agency and provide the profession with free access to the existing data and access to advanced tools through a subscription to support the nonprofit mission.

Nov 1, 2023

By E. D. Gardner

Ore and concentrate are transported on, the surface at western mining districts by (1) railroads, (2) surface trams, (3) aerial trams, (4) trucks, and (5) wagons, and (6) on the backs of animals. The daily and ultimate tonnage to be moved is the principal factor governing the selection of the method of transportation. Railroads are preferred when large tonnages are to be hauled over relatively long distances. The mine-haulage system may be extended or surface trams built to the mill or shipping point if a practical track grade is possible and if the distance is relatively short. Aerial trams have a special field of usefulness for transportation over steep or excessively rough terrain.

Jan 1, 1936

By Tianzu Yang, Weifeng Liu, Lin Chen, BOYI XIE, DUCHAO ZHANG, HUI XIAO

In this study, the oxygen-rich bath smelting process of copper dross was simulated using Factsage software. It was found that the two-step simulation results agreed better with the industrial data, especially in the speiss. Bismuth (Bi), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), arsenic (As) and copper (Cu) contents in the speiss by two-step simulation differed from the industrial data by 0.6, 0.8, 2.6, 7.2 and 8.6 weight percent, respectively. The two-step simulation results indicate that the speiss partitioning of Sb, As and Cu increased from 60.1, 32.3 and 27.5 percent to 81.6, 67.8 and 47.2 percent, respectively, with the smelting temperature increasing from 1,050 to 1,250 °C, while the metal partitioning of Sb and Cu increased from 0 and 2.7 percent to 15.2 and 13.3 percent, respectively, with the separation temperature increasing from 400 to 700 °C.

By C. L. Jiang

The role of iron ions (Fe2+ and Fe3+) in the flotation of both ore-and coal-pyrite with ethyl xanthate was comparatively investigated. The complete/partial depression of ore-and coal-pyrite in neutral to weakly alkaline solution is due to the formation of ferric dihydroxy ethyl xanthate between xanthate and the oxidation products of pyrite, ferric and ferrous ions. With xanthate as collector, coal-pyrite was found to be nonfloatable above pH6. In the presence of iron ions and between pH6-9.5, the flotation of ore-pyrite was significantly depressed. Ferrous ions have a stronger effect on pyrite flotation than ferric ions in neutral to weakly alkaline solutions.

Jan 1, 1996

By C. H. Elder, Maurice Deul

A 5-hole pattern was drilled from the surface at a site near Oak Grove, Jefferson County, Ala., to degasify the gassy Mary Lee coalbed in advance of mining. Gas and water production was monitored for 1 year, 4 months to allow gas flow to stabilize fully. A thickened water stimulation treatment was designed and applied in one hole of the pattern to evaluate this degasification technique for the Mary Lee coalbed. A gas production rate of 70,000 ft3 /day after stimulation treatment indicates that the use of vertical boreholes coupled with hydraulic fracturing in advance of mining the Mary Lee coalbed would provide for more rapid degasification and could provide a possible source of natural gas.

Jan 1, 1974

By W. Bonfield

A study has been made of the dislocation substructures produced in hot-pressed beryllium specimens strained to various levels in the range from 800 x 10-6 In. pev in. to fracture. A number of distinctive dislocation configurations were observed in this region which had not been noted at lower levels of strain. These included dislocation-dislocation interactions to form networks, dislocation "walls", subgrain boundaries and complex arrays, interactions between dislocations and large beryllium oxide particles, and the generation of dislocations from certain particles. The nature of these differences in substructure and their relation to the stress-strain characteristics of polycrystalline beryllium are discussed. In a previous study1 of the plasticity of commercial-purity, hot-pressed beryllium a transition was found in the deformation characteristics in the mi-crostrain region. The initial plastic deformation could be represented by a parabolic stress-strain equation, but above a critical stress there was a complete departure from this relation and a reduction in the strain-hardening rate. The dislocation configurations produced by various levels of micro-strain in this region were examined by transmission electron microscopy and a general correlation was established between the observed transition in deformation characteristics and the dislocation structure of the material. The two stages in the micro-strain region distinguished in these experiments were designated as Stage A' and Stage B'. Stage A' type deformation generally was noted up to a plastic strain of -80 x 10"6 in. per in. and Stage B' type from -80 x 10-6 to -800 x 10'6 in. per in. The discovery of two stages in the microstrain region naturally posed pertinent questions as to the existence of any further distinct stages in the subsequent plastic deformation. The purpose of this paper is to present a study of the dislocation configurations produced in similar beryllium specimens strained to various levels in the range from -800 x 10 in. per in. to fracture and to discuss the relation between substructure and the stress-strain characteristics. It is concluded that this region of strain can be considered as a distinct stage in the plastic deformation of polycrystalline beryllium. Tensile specimens of gage length 1 in. and cross section 0.18 by 0.06 in. were prepared from commercial-purity, hot-pressed QMV beryllium and then annealed at 1100°C for 2 hr. 2 followed by a careful chemical polishing procedure.3 The specimens were strained at a constant rate to various levels of strain in the range from -800 x 10-6 in. per in. to fracture (at 0.5 to 2 pct elongation), using the Tuckerman strain-gage technique1 to measure plastic and total strain. Thin foils were obtained from the strained and fractured specimens by chemical polishing3 and were examined using an RCA-EMU 3 electron microscope. Considerable care waS taken to avoid both accidental deformation during the preparation of the thin foils and excessive heating during their examination. Selected-area diffraction patterns were determined for each micrograph. Tilting experiments were also performed whenever appropriate to establish the dislocation zero-contrast position and hence determine the Burgers vector. This operation was sometimes not possible due to the rapid contamination of the foils which occurred in the electron microscope. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION To enable the distinctions between the dislocation arrays at high and low strain levels to be adequately made, the main characteristics of Stage A' and Stage B' deformation are briefly reviewed. 1) Stage A'. In the annealed starting condition there was a variable density (5 x 107 to 3 x 10' cm per cu cm) of isolated dislocations within a grain. The initial deformation in a tensile specimen was heterogeneous, with the dislocation density increasing in a few grains to 5 x 10g to 1.5 x 101° cm per cu cm. The deformation occurred exclusively on the basal plane by the movement of one or more 1/3 (1130) type dislocation systems. The dislocations were long and regular in form and nearly all the intersections exhibited a simple four-point node configuration. No interactions between glide dislocations and beryllium oxide particles were observed. 2) Stage B. In Stage B' there was a large increase in the number of grains exhibiting dislocation movement and also a change in the nature of the deformation, in which jogged dislocations and elongated loops became the characteristic feature. The splitting up of the elongated loops into smaller loops and the possibility of source action from the re-

Jan 1, 1965

By R. W. Fountain, W. D. Forgeng, G. M. Faulring

Precipitation of the phase Co3Ti (Cu3Au type) from a Co-5 pct Ti a11oy has been investigated using single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. Oscillation and transmission Laue patterns of specimens aged for short-time periods at 600" C indicate the formation of titanium-rich and titanium-poor zones coherent with the {100} matrix planes. Longer aging times at 600° C establish that the equilibrium phase also forms on the {100} matrix planes as platelets. These observations are corroborated by electron metallography; electron diffraction studies show the phase Co3Ti to be ordered. A probable sequence of the precipitation reaction is discussed. A previous publication by two of the present authors reported on the phase relations and precipitation in Co-Ti alloys containing up to 30 pct Ti.1 The results of this investigation established the existence of a new face-centered cubic inter metallic phase, ranging in composition from about 17.0 to 21.7 pct Ti at temperatures below 1000° C The decomposition of the fcc supersaturated solid solution was studied employing hardness and electrical resistivity measurements. The changes in hardness upon precipitation in alloys containing 3, 6, and 9 pct* Ti were found to be associated with an initial increase in hardness followed by a plateau and then a second, more pronounced hardness increase. Investigation of this behavior by electrical resistivity measurements suggested that two different kinetic processes were involved, which, when interpreted in terms of the kinetic relation,2-4 indicated that initial precipitation was in the form of thin plates. On continued aging, the plates impinged during the growth process. The general features of these findings have been confirmed by Bibring and Manenc,5 while, in addition, they report the phase to be ordered. The present investigation was undertaken to provide more definite information on the structural relationships between the precipitate and the matrix. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Single crystals of a (20-5 pct Ti alloy were prepared from the melt employing the Bridgman technique. Poly crystalline rod, 1/2 in. in diam, prepared from vacuum-melted material, was machined to 3/8- in. diam to remove any surface contamination that may have resulted from hot-working. The crystals were grown under a purified hydrogen atmosphere in high-purity alumina crucibles heated by induction. Considerable difficulty was encountered in attempting to grow monocrystals because of the high melting point of the alloy and the high solute concentration. However, one crystal about 6 in. long was obtained which was essentially a single crystal except for one or two very small grains around the periphery. The as-grown crystal was solution heat-treated for 24 hr at 1200°Cin a purified argon atmosphere and water-quenched. One-quarter-in. slices were taken from each end of the solution heat-treated crystal for chemical analyses, and the remainder of the crystal was mounted and oriented by the back reflection Laue Method. The chemical analysis of the crystal was as follows: Pct Ti Pct 0 Pct C Pct N Pct H Pet CO 5.29 0.08 0.004 0.002 0.0003 Balance By proper tilting of the crystal, it was possible to obtain slices 1/32 in. thick of [loo] and [110] orientation. The solution heat-treated crystal slices were sealed in silica capsules for the aging treatments, with titanium sponge placed at one end of the capsule to act as a getter. All slices were water-quenched from the aging temperatures, the capsules being broken under the water to ensure a rapid quench. Thinning of the slices for transmission X-ray studies was accomplished by a combination of mechanical and electrolytic techniques, the final thickness being about 0.1 mm. Laue patterns of the solution heat-treated crystal indicated that no strain was introduced by the thinning technique. ELECTRON METALLOGRAPHY After X-ray examination, the structural changes attending the precipitation were followed by examination of direct carbon replicas of polished and etched surfaces of the single-crystal slices and extracted phases. The earliest indication of significant structural change was observed after aging at 600°C The structure of a heavily etched, solution-treated crystal is shown in Fig. l(a). Aside from the etch pit pattern, no regularity of background structure is observed. On the other hand, in the background of the specimen heated for 500 hr at 600°C, the etching pattern shows a directionality indicating the influence of minute precipitate particles, Fig. l(b). On electrolytic dissolution of this specimen in 10 pct HC1 in alcohol, a large volume of very small, flattened cubes

Jan 1, 1962

By I. J. Gardescu

The production of petroleum in Rumania in 1932 totaled 52,560,000 bbl., an increase of 6.8 per cent over 1931. The average daily production rose from 123,000 bbl. at the beginning of the year to 173,000 bbl. at the end of the year, the production in the Gura-Ocnitzei field rising from 38,800 to 80,700 bbl. per day. This increase was due to competitive development during which time the percentage of total production of the various operating companies remained practically unchanged. Chief producers were: Concordia, 30.3 per cent; Unirea, 21.6; Romano-Americana, 13.5; Steaua Romana, 8.3. Boldesti, where production of the previous year was practically doubled, would have produced far greater quantities were it not for the fact that both Astra Romana and Romano-Americana curtailed drilling operations. Of the total daily production of 21,800 bbl. a day, the Astra Romana, Steaua Romana and Romana Americana, produced respectively 67, 25 and 8 per cent. The Moreni field showed a sudden drop in production from the preceding year, due primarily to reduced drilling activities. Its production of only 21,000 bbl. a day removes it from first position for the first time in many years. All the other fields showed a decrease in production, except Ochiuri, 3 miles west of Gura-Ocnitzei, and Ceptura, 12 miles east of Boldesti. Drilling1 During the first nine months of 1932, 116 wells were completed, 8 of which were dry holes. The Meotian (lower Pliocene) is the producing horizon in 73, the Dacian (upper Pliocene) in 31, and the Oligocene in 4 of the completed wells. Three of the Oligocene wells were drilled in the Bacau district and one at Grausor, near Campina. In addition, 47 wells were drilling on Oct. 1,1932. Of the total completions and drilling wells, 92 per cent employed rotary for a footage of 98.5 per cent of the total drilled. Power for rotary drilling was furnished to 105 wells by steam, to 38 by electricity, and to one by gasoline.

Jan 1, 1933

By W. Mckewan, W. M. Fassell

The oxidation rates of copper have been determined at temperatures from 600" to 900°C in oxygen from 14.7 to 400 psi total oxygen pressure. The oxidation rate of copper is unchanged by oxygen pressures within the range studied. The observed data extend Feit-knecht's conclusion concerning the pressure independence of copper from atmospheric pressure to 400 psi. All samples studied in the above-mentioned temperature and pressure range have both Cu2O and CuO present in the oxide film. NUMEROUS papers have been published on the oxidation of copper, some of which have noted the effect of oxygen pressure on the oxidation rate of copper. It must be noted, however, that no data on the oxidation rates of copper at pressure in excess of 1 atm have been reported in the literature. (Le Chatelier¹ reported that a black oxide of silver was formed at 300°C and 15 atm pressure.) This is likewise true for the other metals. This investigation was initiated to obtain experimental oxidation rate constants for pure metals at elevated temperatures and high oxygen pressure. Copper was selected as the first metal since probably more reliable data are available on its oxidation rates and related physical and chemical properties than for any other metal or alloy. As a general summary, the following conclusions appear well established for the oxidation of copper: 1—The oxide coating consists of Cu2O with a superficial coating of CuO providing the ambient oxygen pressure exceeds the equilibrium pressure for the coexistence of Cu2O and CuO.² The following sequence of phases is then Cu/Cu2O/CuO/O2 (gas). The Cu2O consists of large crystals that have no relation to the orientation of the metal crystals, except for a very thin layer adjacent to the metal." The CuO consists of very fine crystals randomly oriented. If the oxygen pressure is below the equilibrium pressure for the coexistence of Cu2O and CuO, the coating consists of Cu,O only. 2—The rate-determining factor in the parabolic oxidation of copper is the diffusion of Cu+ ions through the Cu,O layer.4,6,7 The Cu+ ions are accompanied by electrons to maintain electrical neutrality. The mechanism of the reaction at the Cu2O/CuO interface and the method of growth of the CuO is in some doubt. 3—On copper, there are three reported pressure effects: (a) At pressures below 0.3 mm Hg oxygen pressure, the oxidation rate increases directly with pressure.', ' .Vxygen starvation at the surface may account for this effect. (b) At oxygen pressures from 0.3 to 63 mm, the oxidation rate increases as the 7th root of the oxygen pressure providing the temperature is such that only Cu2O is present in the film. (c) At pressures from above the equilibrium pressure for the coexistence of Cu2O and CuO (varies with temperature) to atmospheric pressure, the oxidation rate is independent of the oxygen pressure.' Equipment In order to determine the oxidation rates of metals in an oxidizing atmosphere at pressures up to 400 psi, the equipment is somewhat different than for low pressure work as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A Leeds and Northrup Micromax recording controller (A) is used to control the temperature of the Ni-chrome furnace winding in conjunction with a Micromax electric drive unit. The drive unit adjusts a 20 amp Variac (variable transformer) to control the power input into the Nichrome furnace winding. Due to the "self heating" of the sample by oxidation, frequently encountered in oxidation rate studies, it is essential that the sample temperature be measured independently. This is done by means of a series of six chromel-alumel calibrated thermocouples located spirally around the oxidizing metal sample. Each thermocouple is partially shielded from the direct radiation of the furnace wall by

Jan 1, 1954

By C. N. Eze, C. K. Ezeh, O. Nnabuife, N. M. Ugwoju, S. C. Enemuor, V. Okechukwu

In this study, the efficacy of Providencia vermicola KUBT-1 in the leaching and beneficiation of Agbaja iron ore was evaluated under varying conditions of temperature, ore particle size, and pH. Agbaja iron ore is a Nigerian low-grade ore containing about 43%–52% iron and a high amount of gangue materials, including phosphorus (1.4%–2.0%) and sulphur (0.12%). The study was organised in triplicate in shake flasks with 48 samples. One millilitre of washed cells of Providencia vermicola KUBT-1 suspended in normal saline at 0.5 McFarland standard (108 cells ml-1) was introduced into each flask containing 50 g of sterilised ore in 100 ml of bioleaching medium, and the samples incubated at room temperature for eight weeks. The levels of upgraded iron, mobilised sulphur, and phosphorus were determined by atomic absorption and ultraviolet spectrophotometric analyses, respectively. Results showed that a particle size of 0.8 mm was optimal for iron upgrading and sulphur mobilisation while 1.0 mm ore size was optimal for phosphorus mobilisation. Up to 89.60% of the iron was upgraded while phosphorus and sulphur were mobilised, leaving residual values of 0.223% and 0.02%, in the ore, respectively. The organism produced best beneficiation results at a pH of 2.5 and a temperature of 3ºC. Correlation analysis with the Pearson’s correlation model showed a positive correlation between iron upgrading and sulphur-phosphorus removal (r =1.000, and r =0.967), respectively. These results present Providencia vermicola KUBT-1 as a promising candidate for large scale leaching and beneficiation of Agbaja iron ore.

Dec 15, 2025

By P. W. Conrad, C. Todd, N. A. Degerstrom, N. West, R. Kramer

"Surface subsidence caused by underground room-and-pillar mining operations and by solution mining operations have been studied separately but never in combination. In 2008, FMC Minerals began using solution mining at its Westvaco Mine as a secondary extraction method in an area that had been previously mined using the room-and-pillar mining method. Mining regulations require that subsidence associated with underground mining activities be monitored and measured annually. Using Salt_Subsid, a subsidence software package from the Solution Mining Research Institute, and ArcGIS, Esri's mapping platform, researchers at Montana Tech were able to develop a relationship between measured surface mine subsidence and solution mining that can be used at the Westvaco Mine to estimate the production of trona from solution mining operations. Project backgroundFMC Minerals has increased the production of trona from its Westvaco Mine near Green River, WY, using solution mining as a secondary extraction method in an area previously mined using the room-and-pillar method. The area of interest was mined until 2001 with the use of a borer miner at a depth of approximately 488 m (1,600 ft). Currently, FMC determines the amount of trona produced using its solution mining operations by measuring the dissolved solids pumped from the mine. This approach, however, does not account for the location from which the trona was removed.The location from which the trona is removed and the size of the cavern created by the solution mining operations are important to FMC’s mine planning. FMC believed that with proper investigation of the subsidence at the Westvaco test site, a correlation might be found between surface subsidence measurements and the amount and location of trona production from the solution mining activities. The primary goal of this project, conducted by Montana Tech, was to find relationships between the measured subsidence and the solution mining activities. The project attempted to develop an equation that could be used to predict solution trona production based on measured subsidence. The project attempted to model the relationship between the measured surface subsidence and solution mining production using Salt_Subsid, an existing subsidence software package from the Solution Mining Research Institute (SMRI, Clarks Summit, PA) to estimate the location, size and shape of the solution mining cavern. This study would determine the program’s usefulness for locating and developing the cavern created by secondary solution mining activities. The subsidence and production data sets used in this study were collected over a seven-year period from 2008 through 2014."

Jan 4, 2018

By Gennaro G. Marino

The Bureau of Mines and the University of Illinois investigated surface characteristics and damage to structures from mine subsidence over a room-and-pillar coal mine in Hegeler, IL. Data on three adjacent subsidence sags and associated structural damage were collected, summarized and evaluated. The subsidence sags developed over a 10-year period and took place above a modified room-and-pillar operation mining the Herrin (No. 6) coal at a depth of 130 to 135 ft. Surface vertical displacements of 3.0 to 3.5 ft resulted from extracting 6.1 to 6.4 ft of coal. Ground movements associated with sag formation severely damaged three houses and a radio station building, broke numerous utility lines, and structurally distorted three radio transmission towers. The radio station was remodeled and the towers repaired, but the three houses were subsequently demolished. Surface waters collecting in the subsidence depressions caused failure of radial ground transmission systems. The following subsidence profile characteristics were determined at the radio station and one of the houses, respectively: profile slopes, 0.02 and 0.07; maximum curvatures, 2.3 x 10-4 ft-1 and 3.0 x 10-4 ft-1; and angular distortions, 6.6 x 10-3 and 62.0 x 10-3. Although the house was more severely damaged than the radio station, both structures are classified as severely to very severely damaged.

Jan 1, 1986

By C. H. Samans, G. F. Tisinai, J. K. Stanley

The addition of nitrogen (0.10 to 0.20 pct) to Fe-Cr-Ni alloys of simulated commercial purity results in a real displacement of the u phase boundaries to higher chromium contents. The effect is small for the (Y + s)? boundary, but is pronounced for the (y + a +s)/(y + a) boundary. Although there is an indication of an exceptionally large shift of the n boundaries to higher chromium contents, especially in steels with nitrogen over 0.2 pct, the major portion of this apparent shift results from the fact that carbide and nitride precipitation cause "chromium impoverishment" of the matrices. The effect of combined additions of nitrogen and silicon to the Fe-Cr-Ni phase diagram is demonstrated also. Nitrogen can nullify the effect of about 1 pct Si in shifting the (y + o)/? phase boundary to lower values of chromium at all nickel levels from 8 to 20 pct. NItrogen can nullify this U-forming effect of about 2 pct Si at the 8 pct Ni level, but not at the 20 pct Ni level. The alloys studied were in both the cast and the wrought conditions. There are indications that the u phase forms more slowly in the cast alloys than in the wrought alloys if both are in the completely austenitic state. The presence of 6 ferrite in the cast alloys accelerates the formation of U. Cold working increases the rate of o formation in both cast and wrought alloys. THE major improvement in Fe-Cr-Ni austenitic alloys in recent years has been in the addition or removal of minor alloying elements to facilitate better control of corrosion resistance, sensitization, and heat resistance. One shortcoming of the austenitic Fe-Cr-Ni alloys, which never has been completely circumvented, is their propensity toward u formation. In the AISI-type 310 (25 pct Cr-20 pct Ni) and type 309 (25 pct Cr-12 pct Ni) steels, sufficient amounts of u phase can form, if service or treatment is in a suitable temperature range, to cause severe embrittlement. Also, there is a growing conviction that this phase may be contributory to some unexpected decreases in the corrosion resistance of certain of the 18 pct Cr-8 pct Ni-type steels. The present paper discusses the effect of nitrogen additions on the location of the (r+u)/d and the (y+a+u)/(y+a) phase boundaries in the ternary Fe-Cr-Ni system, for cast and wrought alloys of simulated commercial purity, and in similar alloys containing up to about 2.5 pct Si. The objective is to define compositional limits for alloys which will not be susceptible to u formation when used near 1200°F (650°C). An excellent review of the early studies of the u phase in the Fe-Cr-Ni system has been compiled by Foley.1 Rees, Burns, and Cook2 have determined a high purity phase diagram for the ternary system, whereas Nicholson, Samans, and Shortsleeve3 are- stricted themselves to a portion of the simulated commercial-purity phase diagram. Both groups of investigators show almost an identical position for the commercially significant (y+u)/y phase boundary. Further comparison of the work of the two groups indicates that, below the 8 pct Ni level, the commercial alloys have a decidedly greater propensity toward u formation than the high purity alloys. The two groups of workers agreed that both the AISI-type 310 (25 pct Cr-20 pct Ni) and the type 309 (25 pct Cr-12 pct Ni) steels are well within the (y+~) region and that the 18 pct Cr-8 pct Ni-type alloys straddle the U-forming phase boundaries. Nicholson et al.3 showed, in addition, that these boundaries shift toward lower chromium contents if greater than nominal amounts of silicon or molybdenum are added. The effect of nitrogen on the location of the s phase boundaries in the Fe-Cr-Ni system has not been known with any certainty. In 1942, an approach to this problem was made by Krainer and Leoville-Nowak,' but at that time they apparently were unaware of the slow rate of s formation in strain-free samples and aged their samples for insufficient times, e.g., 100 hr at 650°C (1200°F) and 800°C (1470°F). For this reason, it would be expected that their (y+ u) /y boundary would be shifted toward lower chromium contents (restricted ?-field) when equilibrium conditions were approximated more closely. Procedure for Studying the Alloys The alloys used were prepared in the following way: Heats of 200 lb each were melted in an induction furnace. A 5 lb portion of each heat was poured into a ladle containing an aluminum slug for de-

Jan 1, 1955