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By C. M. Young

This is an attempt to bring together some of the knowledge of the coal-forming conditions obtaining during the Pennsylvanian period in the Western Interior Coal Province, to sketch briefly the present extent and character of the coals produced, and to show the beginning of correlation of beds over wide areas. Coals of later age than the Pennsylvanian are not included and, for reasons that will appear later, little attempt is made to cover the districts of eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas, and northern Texas is omitted entirely. Geological Conditions The conditions that made possible the formation of large coal beds in the United States were most favorable in the Pennsylvanian period, formerly known as the Upper Carboniferous. The geological conditions can be determined from the records, but not the reasons for them. Preceding the Pennsylvanian was the Mississippian, formerly known as the lower Carboniferous and still later as the sub-Carboniferous. During this time, large bodies of limestone were deposited and at the close of the Mississippian they were warped upward and for a long period were eroded. Then there began a period of subsidence, more or less interrupted at times, during which the Pennsylvanian strata were deposited (see table on next page). These consist of sandstones, limestones and shales, with occasional coal beds. At the beginning of the Pennsylvanian there was subsidence, which allowed the sea to extend over the eroded Mississippian surface to the north and east. It passed over eastern and central Texas, a large part of Oklahoma, with a projection into Arkansas, over Kansas and part of Nebraska, all the northern and western part of Missouri, a large part of Iowa except a strip in the north, most of Illinois, practically all of Kentucky, northern Tennessee, most of Indiana, all of the eastern part of Ohio, practically all of West Virginia, western Maryland, the west end of Virginia, and a large part of Pennsylvania. The Ozarks were already up and separated the main body of this sea, which covered the northern

Jan 1, 1936

By R. P. King

The two-phase distributed-parameter kinetic model for flotation has been wed as the basis for a digital simulation of flotation plants of arbitrary configuration. Ores that contain any number of minerals can be handled. The effects of incomplete liberation and particle-size distribution are specifically allowed for. The simulator allows the investigation of variations in throughput and in the slurry density of the feed, and of variations in stage volumes and aeration rates. It can handle cell behavior even under conditions of hindered flotation. The requirements for data preparation are completely documented so that the computer program is suitable for general-purpose use. The program is written in Fortran. The output from the simulator consists of the complete material flows in the plant, as well as the grade, recovery, and particle-size distribution in each stream.

Jan 1, 1976

By T. B. Counselman

AN iron blast furnace of 1000 tons daily capacity will produce about 100,000 cu; ft. per minute of blast-furnace gas. This contains about 25 per cent of carbon monoxide, and has a B.t.u. value of about 95. This gas-is used primarily for heating the stoves of the blast furnace, and secondarily, under boilers, for steam production. Occasionally it is also used in gas engines. The raw gas coming out of the furnace carries about 10 grains of flue dust per cubic foot of gas, under best operating conditions. With the furnace "rolling" or slipping, this quantity may temporarily be greatly increased. This dust would, of course, deposit on the checkers of the stoves, or plug the burners under the boilers; therefore the gas must be cleaned.

Jan 1, 1936

By J. Szekely, Robert J. Fisher

A formulation is Presented and solutions are given for the problem of transient heat conduction in a sphere that undergoes a spatially uniform radiative heat exchange with its environment. The solutions were obtained by the numerical integration of the appropriate Partial differential equation and are Presented in a graphical form by Plotting a dimensionless average temperature against the Fourier number with the radiation number as a paranreter, for various initial sphere and environment temperatures. In addition to these numerical results asymptotic analytical solutions are also given. PROBLEMS involving the transient heating or cooling of droplets and particles frequently arise and are of importance in metallurgical operations. Spray refining, vacuum degassing, high-temperature gas-solid reaction systems, and pebble heaters are but few of the numerous examples that may be quoted. The practical interest in these problems from a design or operational point of view is to evaluate the change in the particle temperature with the time given its physical properties, initial temperature, and that of the environment. At the high temperatures encountered the principal mode of heat transfer between the particles and their environment is by thermal radiation; in case of vacuum degassing due to the very low thermal conductivity of the gas space the convec-tive components are negligible and radiation is the only heat transfer mechanism. Although much work has been done on transient heat conduction problems, the special class mentioned here, in which thermal radiation is specified at the bounding surface, received little attention to date. One contributory factor to this situation may be the nonlinearity of the radiation term in temperature, which in general precludes the use of analytical techniques and requires numerical or analog solution of the appropriate differential equations. In fact the only solutions of general nature that are available at present pertain to semi-infinite media and slabs.'-3 The work on which the paper reports forms part of a program aimed at the theoretical and experimental study of transient radiative heat exchange between particles and their environment. The purpose of the present paper is to develop a formulation and solutions to the problem of transient heat conduction in a sphere that undergoes a spatially uniform radiative heat exchange with its surroundings. The solutions, obtained by the numerical integration of the appropriate differential equations, will be presented graphically, by plotting dimensionless parame- ters covering the range of variables relevant to metallurgical interests, thus affording a ready reference for design calculations. In addition to these results, approximate analytical solutions are also given which represent asymptotes, corresponding to extreme values of the variables mentioned. FORMULATION Consider a spherical particle of radius, a, initially at uniform temperature, Ti (T measured on the absolute scale), having a thermal conductivity, k, density, , specific heat, C, and thermal diffusivity, a. At time = 0 let this particle be exposed to an environment which is at a temperature T, and subsequently let there be a purely radiative heat exchange between the particle and the environment resulting in a spatially uniform heat flux at the surface. If in addition to the above we make the assumptions that the sphere is a gray body radiator, homogeneous, isotropic, and opaque, and that the physical properties are independent of temperature, conservation of heat in the sphere may be written as follows: The boundary condition contained in Eq. [3] states that the initial temperature of the sphere is considered uniform, equalling Ti, whereas Eq. [4] is readily obtained from symmetry considerations. Eq. [5] expresses the continuity of the heat flux at the surface of the sphere, or in other words the condition that the rate of heat exchange between the sur-

Jan 1, 1969

By M. B. Bever, A. B. Michael

The solidification of aluminum-rich aluminum-copper alloys was investigated for different solidification rates. The measured amounts of nonequilibrium eutectic were compared with the amounts calculated on the assumption of no diffusion in the solid. The morphology of the eutectic was studied and dendritic spacings were measured. Compositions of the cored primary solid solutions were determined by quantitative autoradiography after activation of the solute copper by neutron irradiation. CONSIDERABLE progress has been made in recent years toward an understanding of the solidification of metals. This is especially true for the factors involved in nucleation, the controlled growth of metal crystals from melts, and various aspects of the freezing of ingots and castings. Many features of the solidification process, however, are not understood adequately and much further work is required. In the research reported here the solidification of a series of aluminum-rich aluminum-copper alloys was investigated. Different degrees of deviation from the idealized case of equilibrium solidification were attained by varying the rate of solidification. Thermal analysis and microscopic examination were supplemented by lineal analysis and autoradiography. The latter required the use of radioactive tracers and was adapted to the quantitative determination on a microscale of concentrations of copper dissolved in aluminum. The tracers were produced in situ by activating the copper with neutrons. These techniques permitted a correlated interpretation of the temperature-time history, the amounts of nonequilibrium eutectic and the general morphology of the alloys, and yielded quantitative data on microsegregation. Nonequilibrium Solidification In the general case of the solidification of a solid solution in accordance with the phase diagram, the composition of the coexisting liquid and solid must change continuously. This change requires diffusion, which at best remains incomplete in the solid during solidification. The resulting inhomogeneity of the solid solution crystals is well-known as coring, dendritic segregation, or microsegregation. The generally accepted analysis of coring assumes that, 1—no diffusion occurs in the solid, 2—diffusion is complete in the liquid, and 3—the composition of the solid formed on cooling through any infinitesimal temperature interval is given by the solidus of the phase diagram. On this basis, In this equation m designates mass, x designates the concentration of solute and the subscripts L and S refer to the liquid and solid phases, respectively; the subscript o indicates the initial state, in which the liquid is identical with the entire system. Eq. 1 or its equivalent has been derived repeatedly'-7 and an analogous equation, known as Rayleigh's equation, has been used for distillation. The assumptions on which Eq. 1 is based do not include an infinitely fast cooling rate as sometimes stated. In fact, Olsen and Hultgren %ave shown by experiment that very high solidification rates suppress coring, presumably by preventing diffusion in the liquid and by the effect undercooling has on the composition of the nucleus. Coring thus occurs at rates of cooling which are too fast for a close approach to equilibrium in the solid and too slow to suppress diffusion in the liquid and to cause marked undercooling. If the liquidus and solidus approximate straight lines, Eq. 1 simplifies to The fraction of liquid present at any temperature during nonequilibrium solidification can be calculated from Eqs. 1 or 2. By the lever relation it is

Jan 1, 1955

By K. H. Coats

In tnany oil and gas fields, significant investments are required in piping networks for collection, injection and disposal of various fluids. This paper treats the problem of optimally locating the trunkline(s) for a given systet to nlinimize both the total length of piping connecting the individual wells or lease batteries to the trunkline and the length of the latter. Single and multiple trunklines, varying line sizes, and grouping of wells are considered. Some attention is paid to the case of a curved trunkline. A field case is treated and conclusions are that the problem of locating a single trunkline is relatively straightforward while the location of multiple trunklines requires further research. INTRODUCTION la many oil and gas fields, significant investments are required in piping networks for collection, injection and disposal of various fluids. A single field may concurrently require piping systems for gathering of oil, gathering of gas, injection of water or gas and disposal of salt water. Two problems arise in the consideration of any one of these networks. The first involves the sizing of the various segments of the network to minimize piping and compression costs. The second problem, treated herein, is that of optimally locating the trunkline(s) for a given piping system to minimize the total length of pipe connecting the individual wells or lease batteries to the trunkline. This minimization problem may arise in field automation if it involves replacement of individual lease batteries by a central field battery which will require trunklines and connecting pipelines to individual wells. The problem also arises in connecting a gas pipeline through a subsidiary trunkline to wells in a gas storage field. The first analysis given below treats the case of a single trunkline and of separate connecting lines for all field units.* The analysis is then extended to consider multiple trunklines and common connecting lines for groups of field units. Varying sizes, and therefore costs, of the connecting lines are taken into account. A simplified development is given to illustrate the manner in which line sizing calculations may be integrated with the line placement problem. This study is primarily directed toward the placement of straight trunklines, although for certain field shapes or well distributions curved trunk-lines might be preferable. Some mathematical consideration is therefore given to the placement of a curved trunk-line in a field. The determination of optimal locations for two or more trunklines involves some difficulties which are discussed below. The need for further research in this area is emphasized. The problem of a single trunkline is solved in relation to an actual oil field. The problem of optimally locating two trunklines in the same field is also treated and the results are compared to the single-trunkline case. All calculations reported were performed on an IBM 7072 digital compker. The importance of right-of-way, roads and terrain in locating trunklines and connecting lines is realized. The present analysis is advanced on the premise that in planning piping networks one should start with the optimal conditions whenever possible and proceed therefrom.

By N. T. Burdine

Formulas for calculating relative permeability from pore size distribution data are derived from basic laws of fluid flow ill porous media. The tortuosity factors that appear in the equation5 are described in. terms of the physical properties of tile medium and the saturations of the contained fluids. Procedures for calculating and methods for measuring the tortuosity factors are discussed. Values of relative permeability calculated by the formulas art: compared with results obtained by experimental measurements I INTRODUCTION Recently, several investigators have derived relative permeability equations from Darey's and Poisenille's Laws in which some, physical factor or factors describing the porous system appear. The factor that has caused the greatest amount of comment, and which is probably least understood, is the tortuosity of the fluid {lath ill the porous sample. Values of the tortuosity factors appearing in the equations range from a constant for all condition- of the fluid flow system to an inverse function of the pore radii. It is the purpose of this paper to compare wine experi~i~cntslly determined relative permeability curves with those calculated by a method which utilized capillary pressure infortmation. The capillary pressure data were obtained prefer.. ably from pore size distribution information as determined by mercury injection but. in some cases, in the absence of suitable mercury injection information. data were taken from measurements made by the porous semi-permeable diaphragm method. The physical significance of certain tortuosity concepts is inferred and the determinations of the tortuosity factors from pore size distribution data and by electrical measurements are discussed. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND In previously reported studies on pore size distribution in petroleum reservoir rocks. by the author and co-workers ail equation was derived relating specific permeability. k, to pore entry radii, R, porosity. . tortuosity factor. .,, and incremental pore volume. V. The equation is where being the "effective" length of the flow path in the porous sample. and L the length of the porous sample., The constant. 0.126. is a units conversion factor. (This definition of tortuosity factor X, = L L does not conform to all such definitions found in the literature. Fly similarity, in a two-phase system. the effective permeability of the wetting-phase.

Jan 1, 1953

By T. M. Geffen, H. N. Hall

One-third to one-half of the original oil is left in most reservoirs even after thorough gas driving or waterflooding. In contrast, essentially all of the oil contacted con be recovered by flooding with a solvent (a fluid miscible with the reservoir oil). It is not economical to fill a reservoir with solvent since the value of the solvent would very likely exceed that of the oil. A practical method would be to inject a small bank of solvent to displace the oil. This solvent bank in turn could be driven through the rock by a less valuable scavenging fluid, such as natural gas which is also miscible with the solvent. Such a method of oil recovery was studied in the laboratory using long (up to 95 ft) core systems. It was found that, as the solvent moves through the reservoir, the front end of the solvent bank becomes mixed with the oil and forms a relatively short mixing zone between undiluted crude oil and pure solvent. An engineering correlation was obtained which can be used to predict the length of this zone. Displacement of the solvent by natural gas can be achieved with complete miscibility (above the critical pressure of the gas-solvent system at reservoir temperature) or with partial miscibility at lower pressures. Under conditions of complete miscibility, it was found that the length of the gas-solvent mixing zone could be predicted from the correlation developed for the solvent-oil mixing zone. With partial miscibility, two phases exist and the solvent is displaced by a modified gas drive in which vaporization and condensation occur. Equations are developed to predict the performance of this type of displacement. Two plans are suggested for application of miscible fluid displacement. one for miscible displacement of the solvent and the other applying to lower pressures where partial miscibility occurs during solvent displacement. Calculations based on the laboratory tests indicated that a bank of solvent with a volume of less than 10 per cent of the hydrocarbon volume under consideration will generally be adequate to obtain high oil recovery from the portion of the reservoir contacted in miscible fluid displacement. INTRODUCTION The conventional methods by which oil is displaced from reservoir rock—solution gas drive, conventional gas drive, and waterflooding—are all processes in which the oil is expelled from the rock by direct displacement with a fluid immiscible with the oil. Because of the immiscible type displacement, complete recovery of the reservoir oil is not achieved. In economically successful flooding operations, as much as 50 per cent of the original oil may be abandoned in the reservoir as unrecoverable. The use of a solvent (miscible with oil, such as LPG) as an injection fluid does not have the undesirable displacement features common to the use of gas or water (immiscible with oil). It can be readily appreciated, however, that it would not be economically feasible to displace the oil and entirely replace it with a solvent. A process was therefore devised for use in field operations in which only a small volume of solvent would be required to obtain essentially complete oil recovery in the portion of the reservoir contacted. In this process, the solvent acts as a buffer between the reservoir oil and injected gas, allowing the natural gas to displace indirectly the oil with much greater efficiency than if the gas displaced the oil directly. DESCRIPTION OF OIL RECOVERY PROCESS The solvent oil recovery process will be described in

Jan 1, 1958

By David R. Mitchell, E. C. Carris

THE particular field of application of machines utilizing air currents as the primary separating medium is in the cleaning of fine sizes of bituminous coal. Approximately 18,000,000 tons of bituminous coal was cleaned by air machines in 1947, but such machines have not yet been applied in the cleaning of anthracite. This chapter is limited to a description of the processes in which the separation between coal and refuse depends mainly on a difference in specific gravity. Dry processes depending on differences in coefficient of friction, shape, or other property, are described in chapter 17. The possibility of using air for the separation of coal from refuse was recognized early by mining men and many attempts were made to develop commercial machines. Some of these early machines are described by Berrisford,1 Chapman and Mott,2 and Mitchell.3 Only two machines are extensively used today in the United States, the Stump air-flow jig and the American oscillating table. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AIR CLEANING MACHINES The principles of gravity concentration and the properties of air as a medium for separation were explained in chapter 9. It was pointed out that because of the low density of air a medium of sufficient density has to be built with the material itself. Hence there must be some device to impart to the bed the necessary mobility for proper classification. It was also noted that the compressibility of the air may cause "geysering" of the bed and disturbance of the hindered-settling classification if the correct balance of conditions is not maintained. Most devices use a vertical upward current of air through the bed of material. They differ by the method of imparting mobility to the bed and the method of removing the refuse. In general terms, the air machines can be divided into three types: 1. Pneumatic jigs where the air current is pulsated. 2. Pneumatic tables where the refuse is diverted from the direction of flow of the clean coal by a system of riffles fixed to the deck.

Jan 1, 1950

By Stanley Arnot

THE Mother Lode district in California is probably better known as the land of Bret Harte and Mark Twain than as a gold-producing district, although in this respect it holds an important place. The history of . quartz mining on the Mother Lode dates back to the '50s, when, after the first fever of the gold rush, men began to look for something more permanent, if not more lucrative, than the placers. Since that time,: the discoveries, shutdowns, and reopenings of the many mines, together, with the varying fortunes of their numerous operators, constitute an: interesting chapter in California history, but one too long to include in a description of mining methods. The district is well situated, so far as physical conditions are concerned. The Mother Lode extends along the western slope of the Sierra . Nevada Mountains, about half way between the crest and the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, the country traversed consisting of low rolling hills-typical foot-hills. The elevation varies from 1000 to 1800 ft. and the climate is most desirable. There is an abundance of water, timber is easily obtained from the higher foot-hills a few miles east, and: cheap hydro-electric power is generated practically on the Lode. These natural conditions are conducive to low costs in mining and have been the deciding factor in allowing profitable exploitation of the comparatively low-grade orebodies. Transportation facilities are, not bad. Five branch railroads, from the main trunk lines in the valley, tap the district at intervals of from 10 to 30 miles, the roads connecting these are fairly good for trucking purposes. Labor is made up of several nationalities, the principal ones being American, Spanish, Jugo-Slav, Italian, and Mexican. There were few Mexicans on the Lode prior to 1919, but the shortage of labor, experienced generally by the mining camps of the country in the years following the war, made necessary the hiring of some. The percentage of Mexican labor rapidly increased in 1920 and for a year or so thereafter, but it has now diminished until at most of the mines only a few Mexicans are working. Of the different nationalities, Americans are the most efficient and Mexicans the least.

Jan 9, 1925

By Peter J. Szabo

INTRODUCTION The time period from the detailed feasibility study to the post investment audity usually ranges from three to eight years depending upon the nature of the mining project considered. It is the only after the post investment audit that we know the adequacy of the assumptions made concerning operational risk assessment in the detailed feasibility or acquisition economics. The post investment audit results from numerous mining projects can best be described by a verse by John Greenleaf Whittier's Maaud Muller. It reads "For all sad words of tongue or pen the saddest are these 'It might have been!"' Dissecting the negative results of numerous mining projects we find faulty assumptions concerning markets, geology, capital investment and operational risk assessment. Although in hindsight many of these assumptions could have been considered impossible or impracticle to have forecast with any degree of certainty, we find that refined assumptions concerning operational risk assessment could have been made with only a modicum of additional "Due Diligence". Anyone who invests in a mining property should employ a much higher discount rate of future cash flow, (usually in the minimum range of 25%-30%), than he would expect from such safe investments as Treasury Bills or high grade Utility Bonds. The nature of this steep discount translates to a large uncertainty concerning the timing and actualization of assumptions contained in the detailed feasibility study. We must remember that when a project gets beyond 20 years, any contribution to the value of the project of cash flow is minimal due to the nature of the discounting process. Thus for each full or partial day lost in the development or early operation stage of a project, the financial impact will be greater than similar lost days later on in the project. Adequate operational risk assissment is particularly critical when bidding on competitive tenders for coal deposists in remote locations such as the Bowen Basin in Queensland, Australia. Because of the market attractiveness of these coal deposits for supplying end users in the Far East, Middle East and Europe, state governments require competitive tender biddings via the Authority to Prospect process. Front end bonuses and super royalty payments must be commited before the actual mining conditions are known. Time to submit firm offers from the actual request for proposal vary from 90 to 120 days. Thus any operational risk assessment must be detailed, realistic and reflective of the actual project. When one searches the literature, one finds limited qualitative data on operational risk assessment in valuation papers. Usually this facet of valuation takes a secondary role to such areas as reserves, markets, and environmental considerations. When one comes to the question of operational risk assessment more often than not one finds the use of "rules-of-thumb", such as tons per man shift, average production, average seam height, etc., are used to forecast results on which banks and other financial institutions are required to make investment decisions. Because of the extremely competitive environment of the 1970's and 1980's numerous financial institutions approved loans without adequate "Due Diligence", and are currently paying a steep price in terms of non performing loans and charge offs. One must always remember that each operation is unique with its own characteristic

Jan 1, 1985

By C. W. Ryan

THIS paper contains a brief sketch of the geology of soapstone in the Piedmont section of Virginia, in the southern portion of Nelson County; also a description of methods of prospecting, developing quarries, quarrying and and milling methods in that section. The paper is intended for those who have little information regarding soapstone; undoubtedly men of practical experience will find many points for criticism.

Jan 1, 1929

By S. Korman, S. B. Tuwiner

THE purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of agitation upon the flotation of chal-cocite. It is believed that the concentration of collector which is required to produce a water-repellent surface upon the mineral is determined among other things by the rate of collector diffusion through an impeding film of more or less stagnant fluid. Its thickness depends upon the intensity of agitation. In the first part of this study a method is developed for determining the thickness of the fluid film upon a polished surface of synthetic chalcocite. The film thickness is then determined as precisely as possible under three readily reproducible condi-tions of agitation intensity. These determinations serve as a quantitative evaluation of agitation. In Part 2 it is demonstrated that in solutions of lime at PH 10.5 and in the absence of air or dissolved oxygen the concentration of collector required to develop water-repellency upon the surface in any given time is a function of the fluid film thickness, and that after about 10 min the relation becomes linear. This points to the possibility that the collector ions may be involved in a diffusional process through the fluid film. In Part 3 it is shown that where air is present more collector is required to produce water-repellency than for the case in which air is excluded. Next, it is shown that for the latter case the most minute amount of sodium sulphide suffices to preclude development of water-repellency. Both oxygen and sulphide are in a sense, therefore, depres- sants for chalcocite in a lime solution at PH 10.5. When oxygen and sulphide are present simultaneously there is a region of minimum critical collector concentration for water-repellency which is very markedly lower than the concentration where oxygen alone or where sulphide alone is present. Moreover, this minimum appears to be identical with the collector concentration which is required where sulphide and oxygen are both excluded. This would appear to indicate that in certain ranges of concentration of oxygen and sulphide, each cancels the effect of the other. The range of concentration of solution for this effect in solutions saturated with oxygen is a function of the agitation intensity. Thus we are led to believe that a chemical reaction involving sulphide and oxygen occurs at the surface of the chalcocite. Part 4 of this study is a further development of this idea and some of its consequences from an electrochemical standpoint, while in Part 5 the disappearance of sulphide from pulps of several minerals is noted with an indication that both dissolved oxygen and the mineral are necessary, the reaction being catalytic or pseudocatalytic. Part 1. Determination of Fluid Film Thickness The Fluid Film Concept: The hindrance to the diffusion of collector to the surface of the chalcocite is a barrier of stagnant fluid in the vicinity of the surface. It is the same barrier that limits the rate of transfer of heat, the rate of solution of dissolving crystals, or any of the other rates pertaining to chemical engineering unit operations in which the film resistance to diffusion plays a principal role.' Fluid films are present upon the surface to an extent which varies with the geometry and intensity of agitation. They result from the fact that in the region within the fluid near a surface, motion is entirely parallel to it. From the standpoint of transfer to or away from the interface the effect is as though the fluid were stagnant. Outside of the film, movement of the fluid may be streamline or turbu-

Jan 1, 1951

By S. Korman, S. B. Tuwiner

THE purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of agitation upon the flotation of chal-cocite. It is believed that the concentration of collector which is required to produce a water-repellent surface upon the mineral is determined among other things by the rate of collector diffusion through an impeding film of more or less stagnant fluid. Its thickness depends upon the intensity of agitation. In the first part of this study a method is developed for determining the thickness of the fluid film upon a polished surface of synthetic chalcocite. The film thickness is then determined as precisely as possible under three readily reproducible condi-tions of agitation intensity. These determinations serve as a quantitative evaluation of agitation. In Part 2 it is demonstrated that in solutions of lime at PH 10.5 and in the absence of air or dissolved oxygen the concentration of collector required to develop water-repellency upon the surface in any given time is a function of the fluid film thickness, and that after about 10 min the relation becomes linear. This points to the possibility that the collector ions may be involved in a diffusional process through the fluid film. In Part 3 it is shown that where air is present more collector is required to produce water-repellency than for the case in which air is excluded. Next, it is shown that for the latter case the most minute amount of sodium sulphide suffices to preclude development of water-repellency. Both oxygen and sulphide are in a sense, therefore, depres- sants for chalcocite in a lime solution at PH 10.5. When oxygen and sulphide are present simultaneously there is a region of minimum critical collector concentration for water-repellency which is very markedly lower than the concentration where oxygen alone or where sulphide alone is present. Moreover, this minimum appears to be identical with the collector concentration which is required where sulphide and oxygen are both excluded. This would appear to indicate that in certain ranges of concentration of oxygen and sulphide, each cancels the effect of the other. The range of concentration of solution for this effect in solutions saturated with oxygen is a function of the agitation intensity. Thus we are led to believe that a chemical reaction involving sulphide and oxygen occurs at the surface of the chalcocite. Part 4 of this study is a further development of this idea and some of its consequences from an electrochemical standpoint, while in Part 5 the disappearance of sulphide from pulps of several minerals is noted with an indication that both dissolved oxygen and the mineral are necessary, the reaction being catalytic or pseudocatalytic. Part 1. Determination of Fluid Film Thickness The Fluid Film Concept: The hindrance to the diffusion of collector to the surface of the chalcocite is a barrier of stagnant fluid in the vicinity of the surface. It is the same barrier that limits the rate of transfer of heat, the rate of solution of dissolving crystals, or any of the other rates pertaining to chemical engineering unit operations in which the film resistance to diffusion plays a principal role.' Fluid films are present upon the surface to an extent which varies with the geometry and intensity of agitation. They result from the fact that in the region within the fluid near a surface, motion is entirely parallel to it. From the standpoint of transfer to or away from the interface the effect is as though the fluid were stagnant. Outside of the film, movement of the fluid may be streamline or turbu-

Jan 1, 1951

By James Herbert Bartlett

I desire, very briefly, to call the attention of the Institute to the iron trade of the Dominion of Canada. A wonderful development is now going on in Canada. The completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and the numerous extensions of the various railways all over the country, combined with the progress made in nearly every kind of manufacture, is drawing attention to the field offered in Canada for the profitable employment of capital, and specially to the opportunity there is for the manufacture of iron. In a paper presented to the Institute at the Halifax meeting,* the writer gave a review of the varions attempts to manufacture iron in Canada. The facts then presented were not such as to offer much encouragement to any one to embark in similar enterprises under the conditions then existing, but, happily, these conditions are now changed, and an early development may be anticipated. There are two reasons which make the present time an appropriate one to direct attention to the field offered for enterprise in this direction, the first being the very favorable reports of the experts who examined and reported on the exhibit of minerals at the Colonial and Indian exhibition, held in London, England, last year. The exhibits there of coal and iron attracted so much attention that at the request of the Iron and Steel Institute a paper on the " Ironmaking resources of our Colonies as illustrated by the Colonial and Indian Exhibition," was prepared and read at the last meeting of the Institute.? This report of 135 pages is very exhaustive, and the conclusion arrived at, so far as Canada is concerned, is, that she has in many parts of the country every natural facility for the manufacture of iron. The second and more important reason is the recent change in the Canadian customs tariff inaugurated in May last. The tariff is now generally two-thirds of the American tariff, in addition to which the Government, in order to encourage the manufacture of iron, grants a bounty upon pig-iron made in Canada out of Canadian ore.

Jan 1, 1888

By Laurence C. Hicks

Consideration of the past work on the subject of the diffusion of chromium into iron suggested that additional information might be given by the use of X-ray spectroscopy in following the concentration changes through the diffusion zone. Grube and Fleischbeinl packed rods of electrolytic iron in a mixture of alumina and chromium. These specimens were heated in an atmosphere of purified hydrogen for varying lengths of time. After treatment the specimens were examined metallographically and showed the usual structure, consisting of a border of radially oriented columnar grains ending in a sharp boundary line. Reference is made to the fact that etching with certain reagents will attack only the material inside the border of columnar growth and also to the fact that polishing seems to develop a ridge at the position of the boundary between the etched and unetched areas. By chemical analysis of thin layers turned off on a precision lathe, the authors were able to obtain depth-concentration curves. These curves, reproduced in Fig. 1, show that in most cases a pronounced change of slope occurs, corresponding to the position of the boundary of the columnar grains. In a laler paper Grube extends his work to other systems which show the same characteristics.~ He concludes that the reason for the break in the curve is that a hindrance of diffusion occurs at the place where the regularly oriented grains of the diffusion zone meet the random grains of the interior portion, on the assumption that the diffusion velocity in one direction in a grain may be greater than in another direction, and that the grains in the diffusion zone orient themselves so as to give the maximum diffusion rate. Kel1ey" points out that Grube has failed to note that the boundary line does not consistently cross all grains and

Jan 1, 1934

By J. Campbell

The negative pressure developed within a solidifying sphere of pure iron is investigated theoretically assuming an elastic-plastic model. The maximum hydrostatic tension attainable is shown to be an order of magnitude smaller than that required for the homogeneous muclealion of pores in the liquid cove, and four orders of magnilude smaller than that predicted from) a rigid shell model. It is well-known that liquids can withstand large hydrostatic tensile stresses, or negative pressures. The various experimental investigations of the tensile strengths (often called the fracture pressures) of liquids are reviewed by Dean,1 and the theoretical attempts at estimating fracture pressures are critically assessed by wakeshima.2 Using Fisher's3 quation, the fracture pressure of pure liquid iron is about -70,000 atm, which may be too large by as much as a factor of 4, but is certainly correct to within an order of magnitude.' In view of the great importance of the problem of the nucleation of shrinkage cavities in castings it is of interest to determine exactly what tensile stresses can exist in the residual liquid in a solidifying casting; it has often been assumed that, because of the very low strengths of solid metals near their melting points, no interior stresses are developed at all. Nussey4 has determined theoretically the pressure in the liquid core of a solidifying metal sphere assuming that the solidified shell does not deform (i .e., is perfectly rigid), so that because of the contraction accompanying solidification (a) (about 3 pct for most metals) the progressive deposition of solid onto the inner surface of the shell causes the remaining liquid to be expanded to make up this difference in volume. This leads to a relation between the pressure P in the liquid, the initial pressure, PO, the bulk modulus of the liquid, K, and the inner and outer radii of the solid shell, o and b, respectively:

Jan 1, 1968

By E. H. Greener, M. E. Fine

The internal friction (1/Q) of cobalt Fig. 1 (measured by an electrostatic dynamic method1) near 250°C begins to increase rapidly on heating and continues to increase until 560°C, the highest tem- perature measured. In the plot of log of 1/Q against 1/T, above 250°C the data nearly fit two straight lines intersecting at 400°C, approximately the temperature of the hexagonal-cubic transformation. The higher temperature branch corresponds to an effective activation energy of 6500 cal per mole, the lower temperature branch 11,000 cal per mole. Young's modulus Fig. 2 increases approximately

Jan 1, 1959

By T. E. Wayland

The general geology and mineralogy of bentonite, including pertinent technological details of clay minerals in the montmorillonite group, are summarized. Worldwide occurrences of bentonite deposits are reviewed, with emphasis on geologic methods and economic principles of evaluation. Active mining districts are described and areas with potential for current and future development are assessed. The production history of bentonite, principal producers, major consumers, and indicated trends are noted; also attention is directed to the hundreds of minor industrial uses of this versatile material, ranging from the manufacture of (A)cid neutralizers to (Z)eolite water softeners. Recent significant results of both basic and applied research are reported, with suggested lines of investigation for current and near-future consideration.

Jan 1, 1972

By Ward C. Smith

The industry of producing and processing boron compounds is called the borax industry because the chief product is borax, the decahydrate of disodium tetraborate. For the same reason, it is common to speak of borax mining. Reference to borate mining also is common, and while appropriate where it emphasizes the diversity of borate minerals that are mined in various countries, it is rather unsatisfactory where used in a general sense, because it seems to exclude the important production of borax from brine at Searles Lake, California, and of boric acid from steam vents in Tuscany, Italy. The terms "boron industry" and "boron mining" might seem more comprehensive, but are little used, and this is fortunate because they would be misleading-the element boron is manufactured only in small amounts for special uses, and it is not found free in nature. In most occurrences, boron is combined with oxygen and is in a borate or borosilicate material. The history of the modem borax industry starts with the introduction into Europe of borax from Tibet in the 13th century, about the time of Marco Polo, if not actually by him. The discovery that borax has unique value as a flux in metal soldering and ceramic glazing must have been made at some unknown time much earlier. As a rule, any mineral that has been used so long that its early history is lost must occur in deposits that are easily recognized and worked, and this is undoubtedly true of borax in Tibet. According to meager accounts,9 the borax occurs there in arid mountain basins as surficial crusts that coat the ground about thermal springs and seeps of mineralized water, and as coarser crystals in the bottom muds of shallow pools and lakes. Much the same essential features of surface exposures and minerals easy to recognize and recover characterize most of the deposits later found and worked elsewhere. The borax industry at the present time is faced with rising demands for its products, and consequently is increasing its productive capacity and appraising its borate resources.18 The areas that contain the known borate deposits are most likely to yield additional production, hence their distribution in the world is of interest, and is summarized later in this chapter. Mineralogy The mineral raw materials used by the borax industry include various borates mined in several countries, borax extracted from brines at Searles Lake in California, and boric acid extracted from the steam of vents in Tuscany in Italy. The hydrated borates[$] of chief commercial importance are listed in Table 1, which also shows their chemical composition. The properties of only the four most important borates are summarized here, but detailed descriptions of the borates and the minerals commonly found with them can be found in mineralogy textbooks.41 Ulexite generally forms clusters of silky fibers rather than large individual crystals. A

Jan 1, 1960