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By Walter Miller

Hundred-octane aviation gasoiine, toluene for T.N.T. production, high-quality lubricating oils for the needs of aviation and the armed forces, and synthetic chemicals for rubber manufacture again commanded the top priorities of the petroleum refining industry in 1944, the third year of America's active participation in the war. The objective continued to be to produce more and more of these materials—to keep up with increasingly greater requirements. By the end of the year all of the new installations projected before 1944, with the exception of possibly two or three that will tail over into January or February of 1945, had been completed and put into operation. And with the completion and putting into operation of these various units and the consequent lessening of construction responsibilities and problems, the industry was put into position to concentrate on the new operations and devote much more of its time and effort looking toward maximum output, both as to quantity and quality from the new facilities. Aviation Gasoline Making high-octane aviation gasoline continued to be the prime requisite of refining activities during 1944 as it was in the two previous war years, with the sights at the end of the year set to still higher figures than those which had been previously projected. About July I the daily output had been raised to 400,000 bbl., with some few large plant installations still to be completed and put into operation. Indications were that by December production would be up to all requirements, with good inventories. However, although by the end of the year the industry was turning out something over 500,000 bbl. a day, the estimated requirements of the armed services had been raised by a considerable figure, owing to the greatly increased aerial activities both in the European and Far Eastern combat areas. By the end of the year, therefore, the picture had changed, with the prospect for a much longer continuation of the European war, so that even with the completion and putting into operation in the United States by January 1945 of the last two or three 100-octane units authorized prior to 1944, it was evident it would be necessary to make still greater efforts to increase output of existing facilities to keep safely ahead of the game. Efforts of the industry and the Petroleum Administration for War as well as the Technical Advisory Committee and other research and development groups are concentrated therefore on methods and means of further augmenting the produc. tion of all existing refinery facilities engaged in making 100-octane aviation gasoline and components entering into it. The goal will be reached.

Jan 1, 1945

By H. M. Chance

Recent research work has shown that coal can be produced, at reasonable cost, from almost all coal-mining districts containing not more than 3 to 8 per cent. of ash. From coal so produced, an abundant supply of coke, suitable for blast-furnace operation, can be made containing from 12 down to 6 per cent. or less of ash. These statements apply broadly to the Appalachian coal belt, including most of the mining districts in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama. The exceptions will generally be found among those coals carrying a prohibitive percentage of sulfur. Any gravimetric heavy fluid method of separation will effect a reduction in the percentage of sulfur, but this reduction may not be sufficient to produce, from coal unfit for metallurgic use, a product that can be so used. When a large part of the sulfur is in the form known as "organic sulfur, "or is present as very finely disseminated and homogeneously distributed pyrite, possibly it cannot be eliminated from the low-ash coal produced. When the sulfur exists as pyrite in distinct layers, bands, or nodules, or when it is finely disseminated but is irregularly distributed, often a low-ash coal low enough in sulfur to make good metallurgic coke can be produced from relatively impure coals. It has generally been assumed that the quality of coke on which blast furnaces must be operated depends on the geographic location of the furnace, and that the grade of coke on which a blast furnace must operate is that produced from the best coal obtainable by careful mining; or if the coal is prepared by washing, hand picking, or other means by which the foreign impurities are removed, that the grade of coke on which the furnace must operate depends on what has been termed the "inherent ash" of the particular coal. The term "inherent ash " is generally understood to mean the percentage of ash present after all removable (free) impurities, slate, fireclay, high-ash bony coal, and pyrite have been removed, and is usually applied to the percentage of ash present in run-of-mine coal from any mine after these impurities have been removed. Perfect washing, or perfect preparation, is understood to be attained when the percentage of ash in the washed coal is reduced to the percentage of inherent ash; that is, of ash that cannot be removed by the washing processes in common use. Wash-

Jan 1, 1924

By Wilbur Stout

IN Ohio, the annual output of coke made from native coals has averaged not more than 70,000 tons, or about enough to run a 200-ton blast furnace. Raw coal locally mined from the Sharon, or No. 1, bed was used for iron smelting in Mahoning furnace at Lowellville, Mahoning Co., as early as 1846. This practice was continued in the Youngstown district until the coal became scarce and the Connellsville coke more popular. At present, the Sharon bed contributes a part of the fuel for the production of ferrosilicon iron at Jackson, Jackson Co. About one-third native coal and two-thirds soft coal are used. In this state, coke, on a commercial basis, was first made in Jefferson County probably about 1861 or 1862. The coals used were the Steubenville Shaft, or Lower Freeport, and the Strip Vein or Middle Kittanning. The practice, however, was discontinued before 1880 because of the competition of superior foreign cokes. Beehive ovens, later built at Leetonia, Columbiana Co., were operated for only a few years; the coal used at this place is the Lower Kittanning or No. 5. In a desultory way, slack from the Pittsburgh coal has been coked at a few places in eastern Ohio, and attempts, either for experimental or for commercial purposes, have been made in other parts of the State. Small quantities of coke were made from the Upper. Freeport coal at Salineville, Columbiana Co., and near Nelsonville, Hocking Co.; the results were poor. Tests were made of the Middle Kittanning coal near Zanesville, Muskingum Co., at Moxahala Furnace, Perry Co., and at Washington Furnace, Lawrence Co.; the cokes were all high in sulfur and ash. Attempts were made to coke the Clarion coal at Vinton Furnace, Vinton Co.; a small battery of molding ovens and a pile of high-sulfur coke yet remain to tell the story. The Pittsburgh coal was coked on a commercial scale at Utley and at Lathrop, Athens Co.; but the operations were not successful and were soon abandoned.

Jan 9, 1919

By William F. Ward

One often reads of the rich placer gravels in many of the citnoe-trav-elqd rivers of South America. The apparent richness of these gold-bearing gravels impresses the traveler, and in fact he may see batea after batea showing enough colors to figure over a dollar per cubic yard. These workings are called "playas" from the Spanish word playa, meaning shore or beach. Many workings have been reported in tropical rivers, but to my knowledge no dredge has made a success in such deposits. Investigation generally shows that the area of richness is limited and especially that the depth of the rich concentration is hardly ever more than a few inches. The Cauca river in Colombia, South America, is noted for its many rich playas. This river rises near .Popayan in the southern part of Colombia, flows north through a narrow valley between parallel mountain ranges and empties into the Magdalena river near Maganque. , The airline distance between source and mouth of this river is only about 500 miles. The rainfall is large and the lower Cauca appears to be about the size of the Missouri river in the United States. From its mouth up to Valdivia, in the State of Antioqua, it is navigable. Above Valdivia is a narrow gorge, above which the river is again navigable for some distance. The part of the Cauca where the play a panning is most noticeable is from Valdivia down to where the Nechi river enters the Cauca, a distance along the river of about 100 miles. The current in this part is swift, so that the stern-wheel river steamers make the trip with some difficulty. In the course of my work in this section of Colombia I have had the opportunity to make a study of several of these play a workings and will give in detail the conditions observed. The Island"Playa" The richest of the island playas is about 40 miles below Valdivia and a little below the old town of Caceres. The shape of the river and the location of the deposit are shown in Fig. 1, which indicates the condition at low water. The river at this place is about 600 ft. wide and the island about 75 ft. wide by 300 ft. long. The island is made up of coarse pebbles, some of which are as big as a man's head. In times of high water this island is under several feet of water and in a swift current. When the river lowers the current is still fast enough to prevent sand or silt from covering the coarse pebbles.

Jan 1, 1915

UNDER the same justification that I spoke to you in the preceding chapter on crystal and some other gems, I can now speak much better and with much greater reason of glass, since it is one of the effects and peculiar fruits of the art of fire. Every product that is found [41v] in the interior of the earth is either stone or metal or one of the semiminerals, and glass, as is seen, resembles them all, although in all respects it is dependent upon art. Therefore it seems to me that before coming to the discussion of the arts themselves, I must treat of this very beautiful composition created by art and number it with the semiminerals. Thus in this chapter I shall speak to you of glass, not as a proper semimineral, nor yet as a metal, but as a fusible material that is almost made mineral by art and by the power and virtue of fire, born from the speculation of good alchemistic savants, through whose efforts it imitates. the metals on one hand and the transparency and splendor of gems. on the other. Certainly it is a very beautiful thing and one that should not be left buried in silence, in consideration first of how great a thing art has been, able to discover, and then because its beauty makes it such a pleasing thing for making drinking. glasses and an infinite number of other ornamental things that satisfy the desires of man. I shall begin, then, by telling you, to the credit of the alchemists, how I believe that this thing was found through their desire to make gems; for when they could not bring them to perfection (as also happened with the metals) they made this beautiful and attractive product, glass. However, Pliny says that it was found by chance in Syria at the mouth of the Belus River by certain merchants who were driven there by the fortunes of the sea and forced to stop and disembark there for a time in order to eat. In cooking the food they saw the rocks of that place converted into a flowing, lustrous material. And as they thought about this, it seemed beautiful to them, and when they went away they carried some stones and plants with them. Thus they gave beginning to glass making. But now leaving this discussion it does not matter how it may have been discovered, whether by merchants or by ingenious alchemists. Art is that which has given it being, through many experiments and by addition

Jan 1, 1942

By Ezequiel Ordonez

MOST spectacular of Nature's contributions to the making of the postwar world is the Paricutin volcano, in Mexico, which I described in the July issue of this magazine last year, a few months after it was born. Now, after more than a year of continuous eruption, it is still and perhaps will remain a comparatively small though no less interesting volcano. The cone on April 1 had an altitude of nearly 1200 ft. above the level of the small flat field from which it began to grow on Feb. 20, 1943. This cone is now almost entirely surrounded by the lava flows that poured out at different dates, from its base or from outlets on the slopes near its base. To the north and northwest these lavas were

Jan 1, 1944

By Philip E. LaMoreaux

Fluoride, generally less than 0.5 ppm, is present in ground water from rocks of Paleozoic age and older, in northern and eastern Alabama. Some of the water-bearing formations in the Coastal Plain area of the State yield water with as much as 6.8 ppm fluoride.

Jan 1, 1950

By J. P. Newell, R. W Storey

This paper describes the development of a continuous float-and-sink process to produce coal low enough in ash content to be suitable for production of electrodes. The cleaned coal had a combined iron and silicon content of 0.239 pct. The efficiency of recovery was 84 pct. AUGER mining is a form of continuous mining in that it completely replaces with a one-cycle operation the older conventional cut, drill, shoot, and load method of mining. Relatively new, having been utilized only within the last few years, it is even more continuous in its production of coal than some other forms of continuous mining being practiced in this country today. There are at present coal recovery augers in operation working along strip-mined highwalls from the outside. This paper will deal with underground mining, specifically with an experiment which was carried out with a machine developed for this purpose. The location of this experiment was in Pike County in eastern Kentucky in the upper split of the No. 3 Elkhorn seam. Coal height was 32 in. and roof conditions were very bad, with 10 in. of soft draw slate coming down with every cut in conventional mining. The coal is high-grade bituminous, excellent for metallurgical coking. Underground auger mining fills a need for a method of recovering coal in thin seams, under bad roof conditions or in split seams. In many cases it might save money by eliminating the handling of excessive quantities of rock. In fact, if the coal can be recovered, as in the case of this experiment, without mixing with any impurities outside the seam, it may be possible to load or ship a satisfactory product with little or no preparation or cleaning expense. The need for some economical method for recovering coal from thin seams is becoming more pressing as the more profitably mined seams are exhausted. Basic Principles of Auger Mining The principles of the auger, or screw conveyor, have long been used in drilling small diameter holes for blasting and other purposes. These same fundamentals apply to large diameter drilling. However, considerably more attention was given to designing a cutting head that would not pulverize the coal and consequently would require a minimum of power to drive it. The head, as designed for this job, consists of a cylinder 25 in. in diam with steel bits set in 3 positions spaced around the forward rim. A conventional coal drill bit, at the head of a bursting cone in the center of the cylinder, trails the forward rim slightly, see Fig. 1. The bursting cone and auger connections are anchored to the cutter barrel by 3 arms spaced at 120". This head design proved to be very satis-

Jan 1, 1953

By A. T. Beckwith

The Lehigh Navigation Coal Company Inc. operates steep-pitch, relatively deep mines in the Panther Creek Valley, at the eastern end of the southern anthracite coal field. Commercially minable coal beds are the Mammoth,† Primrose, Orchard, and Buck Mountain;‡ their respective thicknesses average 50, 15, 10 and 12 ft. Sand slates immediately overlie and underlie these beds, though in some locations sandstone or conglomerate beds occur. Underground operations extend to a depth of 1200 ft. below the surface, and comprise a bulk of virgin work on the lower levels, and a small amount of remining on the upper levels. With increase in depth, ventilation has become a more important factor. Development In early days slopes or drifts were driven in the outcropping coal on the hillsides. Subsequent development was by water-level tunnels, with portals above high water in Panther Creek. These tunnels have been maintained because they intercept and drain much water that enters the mined-out portion of the bed and otherwise would follow down to the deep workings+ Below these tunnels, the coal was customarily developed by slopes. Muleways, which are zigzag chutes easy to travel, were also driven to connect lower openings with the water levels. When it became necessary to go still deeper, the slopes were abandoned, and vertical multicompartment shafts were sunk from the surface. Levels have been at vertical intervals of from 175 to 250 ft. Recent practice has been toward the latter spacing, splitting the total lift, however, by starting to mine from chutes extending halfway up to the level above. Chutes customarily are spaced at 50, 60 or 70-ft. centers along the gangways. At some mines, additional shafts have been sunk from the surface to the level containing the main pumping station, and these carry the discharge lines from the pumps. As the mines are ventilated by the exhausting system, both the hoisting and so-called water shafts serve as intakes. The main fan is always on the surface, and is connected with the return airways from the various levels by an air hole or a vertical shaft. For economy, when the present deepest levels were developed, and return-air shafts or air holes were not extended to the new level, but connections were made from the new level to that above by two or more holes. It is doubtful that this method will be continued, as complications in the system, increased resistance to flow, and other difficulties undoubtedly will counterbalance any economies this provision may afford. During the early years of mining, when operations were at no great depth, all development headings were driven in the coal bed. As mining progressed downward, increased ground pressures slowed develop

Jan 1, 1942

By F. C. Oliphant, George H. Fancher

Two samples of drilling mud from the Hastings oil field, Texas, were tested, and the solids in each were separated into small fractions of a limited range in particle size. The mineral composition of each fraction by X-ray analysis is reported, and the results are interpreted in relation to other measured quantities, such as the physical properties of the original samples and the density of the various fractions. It was found that only 7 to 8 per cent by weight of the solids was of colloidal dimensions and that neither of the samples contained montmorillonite but did contain illite. Considerable calcite was also found. These data should be useful to the geologist interested in the origin and history of sedimentary strata as well as to the petroleum engineer. Introduction The questions, What is good drilling mud? What constitutes bad drilling mud? are pertinent, because the proper use and control of drilling fluids has been a factor of great importance in the successful drilling and completion of oil wells since the days of Captain Lucas. Adequate control of the characteristics of drilling fluids has assumed greater significance comparatively recently because of the problems introduced by caving formations in deep wells, costly blowouts and impressive mud bills. Much is known about the solution of some of the problems but, despite extensive research directed toward a better understanding of the physical and chemical properties of clay suspensions, it is difficult to define precisely a drilling mud, and much more difficult to say what constitutes a good mud. It is generally believed that the smaller particles of a drilling mud greatly affect its physical properties. In fact, it is customary to blame the colloids in a mud for nearly everything that goes amiss, because colloidal properties have effects out of all usual proportion on viscosity, filtration rate and reaction to electrolytes. It is germane to know whether drilling muds possess colloids and if so, the quantity and kind. Source oF Samples Two drilling muds from the Hastings oil field, Brazoria County, Texas, were selected because it is generally agreed that in this oil field good natural muds made solely from formations penetrated by the drill can be used until the well is nearly ready for completion. Customary drilling procedure in this field is to spud in with water, set a protective string of pipe, drill to 2500 ft. and set the surface casing. Drilling is continued to 5500 ft. with no treatment of the drilling fluid other than addition of water to

Jan 1, 1943

By W. C. Krumbein

Geological problems are approached from a geometrical (space relations) viewpoint, a kinematical (time sequence) viewpoint, or a dynamical viewpoint. The first two require sound training in conventional geology and in field methods. The third approach requires a solid foundation of chemistry, physics, and mathematics. Modern training for geologists should include close integrltion of basic sciences with geological principles. Introduction Our knowledge of the earth has increased tremendously during the last half century. We know more about its surface configuration, the distribution of its natural resources, the proccssion of living forms that inhabited it in the past, the chemical composition of its oceans, the areal distribution of its surface rocks, the movements of its atmosphere, and so on. Not only do we know more facts about the earth, but we have a better understanding of the processes that take place on and within it, such as the nature of earthquakes, the thermodynamics of the atmosphere, the chemical equilibria involved in the formation of igneous rocks, the mechanics of stream flow, the dynamics of the earth's origin, and so on. Many sciences contributed to the sum total of this knowledge, including such established disciplines as geology, geography, physics, chemistry, astronomy, biology. Out of this accumulation of new knowledge grew also a group of new sciences, such as seismology, oceanography, meteorology, volcanology, hydrology. Collectively these latter are known as the geophysical and geochemical sciences, and to a large extent they began as branches of geology. Until the turn of the century, for example, the study of earthquakes (seismology) was a part of geology, although as early as 1846 Mallet, a physicist, had suggested that the subject could be investigated by elastic-wave theory. Comparatively little progress was made along these lines until the seismograph was developed near the turn of the century; since then, additional earthquake data have accurnul~ted rapidly, but more important, the interpretation of these data essentially has kept pace with their accumulation. In similar fashion, meteorology was generally considered a branch of geology as recently as one or two decades ago. Considerable progress had been made in such aspects as weather forecasting, but the science dates its recent rapid rise from the year 1911, when Bjerknes first applied the principles of dynamics to the analysis of air masses. The rapid development of such disciplines as oceanography, volcanology and hydrology was due in part to the application of principles of chemical equilibrium, of dynamics, and of thermodynamics to earth problems, by men who were essentially physicists or chemists by training. The last half century, therefore, and particularly the last two decades, saw the influx of numerous chemists and physicists into the realm of the earth sciences. In the meantime the main body of geology itself showed a marked growth, and

Jan 1, 1946

By M. S. Burton, H. H. Kranzlein, G. V. Smith

The influence of up to 2 at. pct of Ni and Pt on the yield strength of mono- and polycrystalline high-purity iron has been evaluated at temperatures from + 25° to -196°C. Current theories of solid -solution strengthening fail to explain the experimental observations. The temperature dependence of yield stress was found to be less in the alloys than that in high-purity iron. The room-temperature yield stress increased with alloy content, but at —78°C the yield strength first decreased with increasing a1loy content. AS a result of many studies, a number of theories have been proposed for solid-solution strengthening. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate these theories, as applied to the solid-solution strengthening observed in Fe-Ni and Fe-Pt alloys. Of various theories of solid-solution strengthening, those of Cottrell,1,2 Fisher,3 Suzuki,4 and Mott and Nabarro5 are most prominent, and have been discussed widely in the literature.'-' Of the recent concepts of solid-solution hardening the work of Fleischer9 is notable. Each of these models has been applied to particular alloy systems with some success, but in general none has proved generally applicable. In many of the previous studies to assess the effects of alloy additions in ferrous systems, lack of adequate control of the purity and grain size of the materials has obscured strengthening effects, so that few comprehensive data relating composition, temperature, and change of lattice parameter have been determined. In the present investigation an attempt was made to obtain data which would be meaningful in evaluating the theories of strengthening. Materials of high purity were used to minimize extraneous impurity effects, and both single crystals and polycrystalline materials were studied to evaluate the effect of grain boundaries. Nickel and platinum were chosen as alloy additions, because both belong to the same chemical group and have the same crystal structure and valence, with markedly different atomic diameters. It appeared that some conclusions regarding atomic size effect on strengthening might be made. MATERIALS AND PROCEDURES Fe-Ni and Fe-Pt alloys containing 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 at. pct alloy additions were prepared from high-purity materials. The iron was supplied by the American Iron and Steel Institute from a stock of 99.98 pct zone-refined iron prepared by Battelle Memorial Institute. The minimum purity of the nickel and platinum used for alloying was 99.98 and 99.999 pct, respectively. Alloys were prepared by levitation melting, cast into cylindrical copper molds, and cooled, all under a partial pressure (0.3 atm) of purified helium. Samples were 0.375 in. in diameter and weighed 20 to 25 g. Chemical analyses of the alloys are given in Table I. A sample of unalloyed iron also was cast as a control specimen.

Jan 1, 1965

By John B. Campbell, George G. Binder, Loren H. Jenks

Conventional methods of producing crude oil generally leave in the depleted reservoir 1 to 3 bbl of oil for every barrel brought to the surface. This paper describes a field test which explores the possibility of using gas-driven liquid propane to improve oil recovery efficiency. Laboratory theoretical and experimental studies leading to the field test indicated that low residual oil values could be obtained using limited amounts of propane driven by gas. The field test involved (I) repressuring the reservoir to the vapor pressure of liquid propane, (2) injecting the liquid propane, and (3) injecting dry natural gas to drive the propane and oil to the producing wells. Considerable preliminary work, including new drilling, work-overs, and a pressure survey was necessary. During the test, oil production rates have averaged about nine times the final primary rates. The field average GOR is still below the pre-test value. Oil recovery to date is 112,000 STB. About one-third of the 143,-000 bbl of propane injected has been produced to date. Results of the C-2 block test are encouraging and larger, more definitive field projects ore indicated. INTRODUCTION The cost of finding new crude oil reservoirs continues to increase. Today the oil industry is drilling more and deeper wells and making fewer big discoveries. Nevertheless, the demand for oil and oil products increases each year. It is natural that oil companies, faced with this situation, concentrate on recovering more of the oil existing in our known crude oil reservoirs. There is room for much improvement. For every barrel of oil brought to the surface by present day methods of producing crude oil, generally 1 to 3 bbl are left behind in the depleted reservoirs. The "unrecoverable" oil in petroleum reservoirs is largely "trapped" by capillarity. Since flushing with a solvent is exceedingly effective in combatting oil loss due to capillarity, much effort in this direction has been made in recent years1,2,3,4,5. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has been suggested as a relatively inexpensive. abundant, easily recoverable solvent for crude. Some operators have observed striking responses in oil recovery at production wells offsetting input wells in LPG storage reservoirs6,7,8. In spite of the low unit cost of LPG, however, it is uneconomic in general to inject a volume of LPG into a reservoir to remove a like volume of oil. A modification of solvent flushing in which a limited quantity of liquid propane is gas driven through a reservoir appears capable of recovering much more than 1 bbl of oil per barrel of propane injected. Also, most of the propane injected should be recoverable for sale or re-use. Since such a process could well have widespread and profitable application, The Carter Oil Co. is making an extensive evaluation of the technique's possibilities. Laboratory development of the gas-driven propane recovery technique was sufficiently encouraging to justify testing in the field. Since 1952, the Production and Research Departments of The Carter Oil Co. have cooperated in a field test in the C-2 Block leases of the

Jan 1, 1958

By W. T. Lankford, Edward Saibel

During the course of an investigation of the plastic flow of aluminum aircraft sheet under combined loads, several problems arose in which analyses of the conditions leading to unstable plastic flow were needed. In order to provide these analyses, and in the hope of attaining a better understanding of the general problem of unstable plastic flow, the present study was undertaken. It is well known that unstable plastic flow is associated with a form of mechanical instabi!ity frequently observed during the plastic deformation of ductile metals. This instability is characterized by the fact that, at its onset, plastic straining mill proceed at a constant magnitude of the externally applied forces. It is further typical that the resulting unstable flow is generally accompanied by the formation of a neck, a local bulging, or some other form of heterogcneous deformation. Perhaps the most familiar example of unstable plastic flow to the metallurgist is the formation of the neck in the ordinary tension test. It is well known that in this test most metals exhibit a maximum in the externally applied load, followed by the process commonly referred to as "necking down." Instability in the simple tension test has been frequently discussed and numerous investigators1'2'3'12 have derived the criterion for instability in terms of a critical rate of strain hardening. It is the purpose of the present study to extend the criterion for unstable flow to the more general case where the body undergoing flow is subjected to combined loads. It is hoped that the problems considered will provide a more consistent picture of the general features of this important form of mechanical instability. The most practical implications of instability in plastic flow arise in connection with sheet metal forming operations. In the formation of a great many sheet metal parts, the deformations are produced primarily by stretching. If the conditions which lead to unstable flow are fulfilled in such a formation, and if the resultant instability leads to a pronounced localization of flow, then the useful limit of ductility of the material will have been reached. It i; also essential that the effects of instability be taken into consideration in any study of the plastic flow and rupture of metals under combined stresses. In general, when unstable plastic flow is initiated, straining becomes localized, the geometry of the test splecimen changes, and the state of stress in that portion of the specimen undergoing plastic flow is no longer under external control. In many past studies of the effects of combinetl Metals On flow and rupture) account has not been taken of the fact that, although a given test may be started under constant

Jan 1, 1947

By H. W. Graham

AS these annual occasions in honor of Henry Marion Howe continue through the years: there is progressively less likelihood that the lecturer will have had personal knowledge of Dr. Howe. The present speaker is one of those who unfortunately had no opportunity to come under the inspiring presence of this great metallurgist. A review of Howe's work shows it to cover a comprehensive range of interests and to evidence an impressive richness of detail. Not only was Howe at home in the laboratory, but he was familiar with the processes of iron and steel making and had a real understanding of them. His writings include much that is descriptive of processes with a wealth of material that is becoming of increasing historical value. He recorded his studies of the theoretical aspects of processes and published at least two process classifications, one in 1890 that was lengthy and somewhat theoretical, and a second in 1906 that was more of a practical listing. Wide as Howe's field of interest was, it is significant of the circumstances of his time that he gave- little consideration to raw materials or to their effect on iron and steel making processes. In 1933, Waterhouse, Howe lecturer for that year, presented a descriptive summary of the major steel making processes, and in 1946 Joseph discussed the blast furnace process. Otherwise Howe lectures have not dealt with processes as major subjects. In today's lecture, with no effort to describe the mechanical arrangements of iron and steel making facilities, it is proposed to examine the essential technological elements of the processes, to explore the inter-relation of these elements, and particularly to seek recognition and understanding of those factors which determine why certain processes are or are not used. The discussion of this lecture will deal with the major well-known large tonnage processes, with only such attention to processes of minor tonnage and special character as may be warranted for explanation by contrast. Subject to the errors of generalization and the shortcomings of condensation involved in presentation limited to a single hour, it is proposed to examine broadly but intensively those operations which convert raw materials into steel. It is an innovation for a Howe lecturer to discuss the raw materials of the iron and steel industry, but the changing circumstances of passing years intensify the influence of raw materials on processes and require the metallurgist to be alert for the process adjustments that may become advisable or mandatory. For a half century the metallurgical processing of iron and steel has followed a surprisingly straight path, but this does not necessarily mean that there are no curves in the road ahead. Ages ago primitive man came to know iron in its metallic form, not only by the

Jan 1, 1948

By L. J. Dijkstra, R. J. Sladek

IN earlier work the effect of manganese on the general behavior of nitrogen in iron was the subject of a careful examination by Fast.' Part of the investigation was made, in collaboration with one of the present authors (L.J.D.), by using the internal friction method. This technique, which has been described elsewhere,' showed some significant changes in the properties of Fe-N alloys by the addition of a small amount of manganese namely: 1—Under standard conditions the maximum of the nitrogen peak in pure iron appears around 20 °C and the half width is about 27 °C. By addition of 0.5 atomic pct Mn a general broadening of the internal friction peak occurs. The half width is increased by about 9°C. Moreover, a shift of the maximum of about 5°C toward a higher temperature takes place, Fig. 2. 2—The precipitation of nitrogen from the supersaturated solution, measured, e.g., at 200 °C, was inhibited by the addition of the amount of manganese given in effect 1. The broadening of the nitrogen peak was confirmed in more recent work3 on samples which were prepared from Westinghouse Puron iron. The effect of manganese on the rate of precipitation, however, was much less striking than in the earlier work' based on Philips high purity iron. Theory To explain the first change in properties just referred to, effect 1, the following two assumptions were made:' First, every manganese atom in sub-stitutional solid solution creates around it six interstices located between an iron and a manganese atom, as is evident from Fig. 1. These interstices, conveniently called Fe-Mn interstices, have for nitrogen a free energy level which is AG* lower than the normal Fe-Fe interstices between two iron atoms. For such low concentrations of manganese as 0.5 atomic pct, the possibility that two manganese atoms will be nearest neighbors can be disregarded. Second, it is assumed that in addition to the normal relaxation time TFe at least one new relaxation time, Mn, Fe, enters in the phenomena which is associated with the elementary diffusion jumps between a Fe-Mn interstice and an adjacent Fe-Fe interstice. Fig. 1 gives schematically the free energy for a nitrogen atom as a function of its position along the line ABC. A tentative analysis of the nitrogen peak in a 0.5 pct Fe-Mn alloy based on these assumptions has been made in Fig. 2. The dotted curve with a maximum at 22°C is caused by jumps between Fe-Fe interstices, the dotted curve with maximum at 32°C by jumps between an Fe-Mn and an Fe-Fe interstice. The two effects added together give the dash-dot internal friction curve for the alloy. In the following these two components will be referred to as the normal peak at 22°C and the abnormal one. (The small secondary peak at

Jan 1, 1954

By E. D. Gardner

Introduction Oil shale deposits have been exploited in various countries throughout the world, but generally with government aid. The oil-shale industry of Scotland perhaps is the oldest and best-known; the largest was conducted in Manchuria by the Japanese during World war 11 as a source of liquid fuels for military uses. In general, foreign oil-shale deposits that have been exploited are much lower grade than those in the western United States. Considerable interest began to be shown in western oil shales in 1916; the peak of activities was in 1923. The catlin operation, near Elko, Nevada, perhaps was the nearest approach in this country to an oil-shale enterprise on a commercial scale. Over 100 companies were formed, ostensibly for exploiting the oil shale; a large number of them, however, proved to be stock promotions only, which gave the embryo industry a black eye. The Bureau of Mines operated an experi-mental oil-shale retort plant near Rifle, Colorado, from September 1926 to June 1927 and again from April 1928 to July 1929, after which the plant was dismantled. By this time the East Texas oil fields had come ill and the country lost interest in substitute liquid fuels. During World War II the Nation again became concerned about the magnitude of its petroleum reserves. Congress (April 1944) directed the Bureau of Mines to build and operate demonstration plants to produce synthetic liquid fuels from coal, oil shales, and agricultural and other products; a five-year Program was authorized. *' a part of this program the Bureau of Mines has built, at Anvil Points near Rifle, Colorado, a retort plant and develOped an experimental mine to supply the plant with oil shale. An important part of the mining work at Rifle is to devise methods and select practices for mining the oil shale on a commercial scale at the lowest practicable cost. The product to be mined has a relatively low value, a fact that must be kept in in mind. The combined aim of those in charge of the mining and those in charge of retorting is to demonstrate that the shale oil can be produced at a cost per barrel corresponding to the current quotation for crude petroleum —or at least very close to it. Plans call for an uninterrupted flow of broken oil shale from the lace in the mine, through crushers, through the retorts and thence to the disposal dump. The disposal of the spent shale in the Ride area should present no unusual problem. Mining research has consisted so far of Paper studies of the general phases of the probleml determination of the widest Span that the roof Stone will stand safely unsupported, and drilling problems. underground development has not proceeded far

Jan 1, 1949

By J. P. Newell, R. W. Storey

This paper describes the development of a continuous float-and-sink process to produce coal low enough in ash content to be suitable for production of electrodes. The cleaned coal had a combined iron and silicon content of 0.239 pct. The efficiency of recovery was 84 pct. AUGER mining is a form of continuous mining in that it completely replaces with a one-cycle operation the older conventional cut, drill, shoot, and load method of mining. Relatively new, having been utilized only within the last few years, it is even more continuous in its production of coal than some other forms of continuous mining being practiced in this country today. There are at present coal recovery augers in operation working along strip-mined highwalls from the outside. This paper will deal with underground mining, specifically with an experiment which was carried out with a machine developed for this purpose. The location of this experiment was in Pike County in eastern Kentucky in the upper split of the No. 3 Elkhorn seam. Coal height was 32 in. and roof conditions were very bad, with 10 in. of soft draw slate coming down with every cut in conventional mining. The coal is high-grade bituminous, excellent for metallurgical coking. Underground auger mining fills a need for a method of recovering coal in thin seams, under bad roof conditions or in split seams. In many cases it might save money by eliminating the handling of excessive quantities of rock. In fact, if the coal can be recovered, as in the case of this experiment, without mixing with any impurities outside the seam, it may be possible to load or ship a satisfactory product with little or no preparation or cleaning expense. The need for some economical method for recovering coal from thin seams is becoming more pressing as the more profitably mined seams are exhausted. Basic Principles of Auger Mining The principles of the auger, or screw conveyor, have long been used in drilling small diameter holes for blasting and other purposes. These same fundamentals apply to large diameter drilling. However, considerably more attention was given to designing a cutting head that would not pulverize the coal and consequently would require a minimum of power to drive it. The head, as designed for this job, consists of a cylinder 25 in. in diam with steel bits set in 3 positions spaced around the forward rim. A conventional coal drill bit, at the head of a bursting cone in the center of the cylinder, trails the forward rim slightly, see Fig. 1. The bursting cone and auger connections are anchored to the cutter barrel by 3 arms spaced at 120". This head design proved to be very satis-

Jan 1, 1953

By V. L. Minear

This paper presents some of the problems encountered and solved by the construction industry during recent years while pressure grouting the foundation rock of dams. Pressure grouting has become "Standard Operational Procedure" and consequently many hundreds of thousands of bags of cement have been used for that purpose. There is nothing weird, mystical, or even particularly difficult about the basic idea. Holes are drilled in the rock and grout is pumped into them. This procedure is used to shut off the flow of water under the dam and to reduce the uplift on the dam. Like most other engineering and construction problems, the fundamental principle is simplicity itself, but some of the "minor details" are rather complex. When faced with the problem of actually forcing the grout into the rock, or keeping it there once it has been injected, an engineer frequently has need for all of the ingenuity and initiative that he has at his disposal. It is proposed to discuss these minor details at length, even at the risk of boring the reader. The difference between success and failure in a grouting program can well hinge upon some such detail that may not be fully understood. Pressure grouting is a method used to make good foundations from bad ones by plugging actual or potential passages within the rock through which water might escape and thereby diminish or even destroy the usefulness of the dam. In some special cases, pressure grouting has been used for the purpose of consolidating broken rock to increase its bearing power. Lacking this useful method, many of the dams constructed during recent years could not have been built. Most of the really excellent dam sites in this country have been utilized long ago. Consequently it becomes necessary to find methods of utilizing the less desirable sites. Pressure grouting plays a vital role in the methods developed. Engineers have learned the hard way, that the term "solid rock" is a misnomer. Solid rock does not exist to any considerable extent in nature. Practically all rock contains imperfections such as shrinkage cracks, bedding planes, joints, solution channels, folds, shear zones, crush zones, and the like. All these imperfections are weaknesses through which ground water is likely to flow. The function of rock grouting is to rectify these imperfections and make the rock as nearly "solid" as practicable. The location, direction, depth and number of grout holes to be drilled are important. Clearly, a hole must pierce fractures in order to serve a useful purpose, for grout cannot be forced into the rock itself. Were it possible to determine the pattern and extent of the cracks within the rock, it might be feasible to drill two or three strategically placed holes so as to make practicable the grouting of the whole integrated network of cracks from them. Such is not the case. While a study of the geology, surface indications, and drill cores is helpful in gaining an idea of subsurface conditions, in the final analysis, the seams must be located by trial and error methods. There can be no doubt that the closer the

Jan 1, 1949

By Edward Saibel, W. T. Lankford

During the course of an investigation of the plastic flow of aluminum aircraft sheet under combined loads, several problems arose in which analyses of the conditions leading to unstable plastic flow were needed. In order to provide these analyses, and in the hope of attaining a better understanding of the general problem of unstable plastic flow, the present study was undertaken. It is well known that unstable plastic flow is associated with a form of mechanical instabi!ity frequently observed during the plastic deformation of ductile metals. This instability is characterized by the fact that, at its onset, plastic straining mill proceed at a constant magnitude of the externally applied forces. It is further typical that the resulting unstable flow is generally accompanied by the formation of a neck, a local bulging, or some other form of heterogcneous deformation. Perhaps the most familiar example of unstable plastic flow to the metallurgist is the formation of the neck in the ordinary tension test. It is well known that in this test most metals exhibit a maximum in the externally applied load, followed by the process commonly referred to as "necking down." Instability in the simple tension test has been frequently discussed and numerous investigators1'2'3'12 have derived the criterion for instability in terms of a critical rate of strain hardening. It is the purpose of the present study to extend the criterion for unstable flow to the more general case where the body undergoing flow is subjected to combined loads. It is hoped that the problems considered will provide a more consistent picture of the general features of this important form of mechanical instability. The most practical implications of instability in plastic flow arise in connection with sheet metal forming operations. In the formation of a great many sheet metal parts, the deformations are produced primarily by stretching. If the conditions which lead to unstable flow are fulfilled in such a formation, and if the resultant instability leads to a pronounced localization of flow, then the useful limit of ductility of the material will have been reached. It i; also essential that the effects of instability be taken into consideration in any study of the plastic flow and rupture of metals under combined stresses. In general, when unstable plastic flow is initiated, straining becomes localized, the geometry of the test splecimen changes, and the state of stress in that portion of the specimen undergoing plastic flow is no longer under external control. In many past studies of the effects of combinetl Metals On flow and rupture) account has not been taken of the fact that, although a given test may be started under constant

Jan 1, 1947