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By T. S. Spicer, C. C. Wright

A CHARACTERISTIC property of bituminous coal is that upon being heated the coal becomes plastic, evolves volatile gases, and finally solidifies into coke This fundamental characteristic is of utmost importance and is utilized in the production of the high-temperature coke upon which the steel industry is so dependent, but from the standpoint of operation in the domestic underfeed stoker this coking tendency seriously interferes with efficient combustion When the coke formed has too strong a structure, certain difficulties result, such as low rate of burning, slow response to heat demand, and, in extreme cases, extinction of fire The plastic mass prevents uniform distribution of air through the fuel bed and, With strongly coking coals, large dense pieces of coke are produced which have much less reacting surface thin was possessed by the original coal In both ignition and combustion of solid fuels, the extent of the reacting surface is an accelerating factor Poor combustion permits a surplus of fuel to accumulate in the furnace because the rate of feed and the rate of combustion are not in equilibrium, and this produces an unbalanced condition detrimental to continued) automatic service In order to burn strongly coking coals satisfactorily in a conventional stoker during the three requisite types of operation continuous, intermittent and hold-fire, frequent attention is necessary Domestic stokers are defined by the industry as residential stoker heaters that burn 60 lb of coal or less per hour With a few exceptions, these units employ the underfeed principle of combustion in which both air and coal move in the same direction up and through the fuel-bed Domestic combustion equipment has difficulty in meeting the problems presented by the several variations in ash and volatile matter, in ash-clinkering tendencies, in coking properties, and in the particle size of bituminous coals The work of Bituminous Coal Research Inc at Battelle Memorial Institute has shown that, of these, coking characteristics and the clinkering tendencies have the greatest effect upon the operation of the conventional clinkering type of stoker Typical coke formations in a clinkering type of underfeed domestic stoker are illustrated in Fig. I, which shows (A) the ideal fuel bed obtained with a noncoking or free-burning coal, (B) the type of fuel bed formed -with, a coal that produces a weal coke, and (C) the type of fuel bed obtained with a strongly coking coal C is characteristic of the fuel bed developed when the average Pennsylvania bituminous coal is ,burned in an underfeed stoker of conventional type It is apparent from these pictures that the formation of coke trees will seriously interfere with the efficient automatic combustion of Pennsylvania bituminous coals

Jan 1, 1942

By N. G. W. Cook

When an excavation is made underground the original rock stresses are removed from the surfaces of the excavation. These surfaces converge to partially close the excavation and the superincumbent rock mass moves down towards the excavation. If the convergence of the surfaces of the excavation were controlled, energy generated by their motion against the controlling forces could be extracted. Since the total forces in the rock mass are not significantly affected by the excavation, stress concentrations arise around the excavation, which compensate exactly for those stresses no longer transmitted through the excavation. These phenomena give rise to two general principles which provide the basis for analyzing the effects of making any underground excavation. The first of these is that the total force resulting from the stresses across any plane in the rock, including any plane through the excavation, must be the same before and after the excavation is made. The second of these is that energy must necessarily be released as a result of making an underground excavation. It is instructive to consider the implications of these two principles for two extreme cases of material behavior between which the actual behavior of rock must lie, namely, the behavior of a fluid and the behavior of an elastic solid. For the purpose of analysis in this paper, an underground excavation is defined as an excavation in which the smaller horizontal dimension of any open void at a particular horizon is less than the depth of that horizon below surface. In the case of a fluid, any unsupported excavation would fill immediately, as a fluid cannot sustain shear stresses. For the same reason, stress concentrations could not arise and the forces across any plane would necessarily be the same before and after excavation. If the filling of the excavation were controlled by forces applied to the surfaces of the excavation, an amount of energy equal to the product of the fluid pressure

Jan 1, 1967

By J. W. Galpin, V. L. Minear, F. C. Sturges, B. H. Mott, R. H. Allen, W. W. Weigel, Wm. D. Owsley, R. E. Moeller

By definition the word "grout" means a thin mortar, or a kind of plaster or ce¬ment, and "grouting" means to fill up or finish with grout. The words "cement," "plaster" and "mortar" mean a substance that is used in a soft state which subsequently hardens. Thus, grouting is the filling of void space with a substance that hardens. Construction cements are the most common substances used, either by themselves or in mixtures, but the term grouting is applied quite correctly when other substances such as plastics and certain chemicals are used. Also, the use of the term grouting to cover the filling of voids with materials that do not actually become hard, such as the-flotation tailings used in grouting in the southeast Missouri lead district, should be considered correct, as some stiffening does take place and, anyway, it is a better descriptive term than any substitute. Engineers are interested in grouting because some of the materials with which they must work contain voids, and certain conditions can be improved if these voids can be filled with something solid and permanent. Grouting is done to accomplish several purposes: I. To stop the passage of fluids and gases, 2. To cement materials together to make them stronger, and 3. To prevent consolidation of materials by filling void space with something solid as a replacement for the air and water that could be forced out under load. The construction industry uses grouting extensively for all three purposes. Grouting is used to stop water percolation under and around dams. It is used to control water flow in tunnel driving and in shaft sinking. It is used to improve foundation conditions under civil engineering structures by permanently filling void space and thereby reducing settlement, or by cementing broken rock together and increasing its supporting strength. The oil and gas industry does a lot of grouting, primarily to stop the passage of gases and fluids. The search for oil at increasingly greater depths has meant greater investment per well, and the oil industry has spent large sums on development of improved drilling methods. This

Jan 1, 1948

By John Wulff, R. Buehl, H. Hollomon

Although the main features of the transformations occurring in 18-8 have been published already, certain conclusions merit questioning and discussion. The questions may be summarized as follows : 1. If ferrite is formed by cold-working austenite, what happens to the carbon with which the ferrite and austenitc are both presumably supersaturated? 2. What is the nature of the alpha-ferrite formed at grain boundarices by chromium-carbide precipitation at these boundaries?

Jan 1, 1940

By R. Buehl, John Wulff, H. Hollomon

Although the main features of the transformations occurring in 18-8 have been published already, certain conclusions merit questioning and discussion. The questions may be summarized as follows : 1. If ferrite is formed by cold-working austenite, what happens to the carbon with which the ferrite and austenitc are both presumably supersaturated? 2. What is the nature of the alpha-ferrite formed at grain boundarices by chromium-carbide precipitation at these boundaries?

Jan 1, 1940

By M. A. Orehoski, J. M. Hodge

It is now generally conceded that if a steel is to develop optimum physical properties in the conventionally quenched and tempered condition, the microstruc- ture after quenching should consist wholly of martensite; and that transformation of austenite to intermediate-temperature products during quenching will have a deleterious effect upon the physical properties, particularly the toughness, of the tempered material. This implies that, in order to obtain the optimum physical properties from a given steel, its "harden-ability " should be high enough to suppress all transformation except that to martensite under the heating and quenching conditions to which it will be subjected, and this premise is probably the most important reason for hardenability control. However, the criterion of hardenability that at present is most widely accepted and used is based on a microstructure of 50 per cent martensite. This criterion, which was suggested by Grossmann,' does have considerable justification. It may be readily measured by a fracture or etch test and, since it represents the point at which the hardness is changing most rapidly with variations in cooling rate, it may be determined empirically from a hardness-depth curve by determining the point of steepest slope (the inflection point). Furthermore, in plain carbon steels or in steels of low hardenability, the difference in hardenability expressed in

Jan 1, 1947

By J. M. Hodge, M. A. Orehoski

It is now generally conceded that if a steel is to develop optimum physical properties in the conventionally quenched and tempered condition, the microstruc- ture after quenching should consist wholly of martensite; and that transformation of austenite to intermediate-temperature products during quenching will have a deleterious effect upon the physical properties, particularly the toughness, of the tempered material. This implies that, in order to obtain the optimum physical properties from a given steel, its "harden-ability " should be high enough to suppress all transformation except that to martensite under the heating and quenching conditions to which it will be subjected, and this premise is probably the most important reason for hardenability control. However, the criterion of hardenability that at present is most widely accepted and used is based on a microstructure of 50 per cent martensite. This criterion, which was suggested by Grossmann,' does have considerable justification. It may be readily measured by a fracture or etch test and, since it represents the point at which the hardness is changing most rapidly with variations in cooling rate, it may be determined empirically from a hardness-depth curve by determining the point of steepest slope (the inflection point). Furthermore, in plain carbon steels or in steels of low hardenability, the difference in hardenability expressed in

Jan 1, 1947

By I. R. Dunlap, R. F. Burdyn, F. D. Patchen

The composition and properties of a new type of cementing mixture are discussed. In these compositions, API Class A or C cements are added to n stable water-in-oil emulsion instead of the crsual water. The cement disperses in the oil phase and remains out of contact with the water under normal conditions of mixing and storage. At higher temperatcrres, such as those encountered down-hole during placement, the emulsion breaks and cement hydration can then proceed. An extremely low filtration rate is obtained; the major part of the filtrate is oil. Thickening times of the mixture may be increased to meet the 18,000-ft casing cementing schedule by varying the amount of emzilsifier. As in conventional Portland cement mixtures, high-temperature strength retrogression can be overcome by addition of silica flour. Results of several field app1ication.r show that mixing presents no diffculty if emulsion blenders are used and the emulsion is prepared beforehand. INTRODUCTION Water-in-oil emulsions., in which oil is the continuous or external phase and in which water exists as discrete droplets, have for some time been used successfully in drilling muds to reduce filtration loss.1,2 Applied to cement slurries, the same results are obtained; i. e., the fluid-loss is greatly reduced. In addition, thickening times may be extended, lower densities and strengths obtained, and water-base borehole fluids more easily displaced without contamination of the cement. A low filtration rate is often a desirable property in oil well cements since loss of fluid increases placement difficulties and may also cause damage to water-sensitive producing formations.' In the casing cementing operation where the cement slurry is pumped into the narrow annulus between open hole and casing, rapid loss of fluid to a porous formation can cause the slurry to thicken and plug the annulus before the desired fill is obtained. Where a casing or a liner is cemented against a productive formation and the well completed through perforations, the fluid lost between the time the cement first contacts the formation and the time a set is obtained may invade the zone past the depth of the perforations. If the sand contains a material which will swell upon contact with cement filtrate, permanent damage may result. Previous methods for reducing the fluid-loss of cements have employed bentonite4 as an additive, usually with a lignosulfonate as a dispersant, or a derivative of some naturally occurring polymeric material such as cellulose ether." Oil emulsion cements have also been proposedv or fluid-loss reduction, but these have been of the oil-in-water type. Bentonite cements have been used most widely and have been successful in reducing incidence of premature setting of cement attributable to loss of water by filtration. It is the purpose of this paper to describe preparation and properties of a water-in-oil emulsion cement and to relate procedures followed and results obtained in several field applications. DESCRIPTION OF SYSTEM AND MECHANISMS A water-in-oil emulsion cement is prepared by adding an API Class A or C cement to a stable water-in-oil emulsion. Fig. 1 is a photomicrograph of this emulsion before addition of cement. Here the droplets are water and the surrounding medium is diesel oil. High emulsion stability is indicated by the small droplet size [1-5 microns], and by their uniformity.' To form a stable water-in-oil emulsion as illustrated, several conditions must be met. A predominantly hydrophobic emulsifier must be present in sufficient concentration to produce a strong interfacial film; initially, the phase volume ratio (the water-to-oil ratio) must be low;

By J. R. Finlay

Every business man who has reached the age of forty, or perhaps even thirty, must know from his own experience that there are occasional periods of "good times'' and others of "bad times "-booms and panics. Those who give to business some complexion of science have invented a semiscientific name for these alternations-the business cycle-indicating that it is a normal phenomenon which by its own nature repeats itself. The longer one lives and the more one enlarges his own experience by the study of history, the more of these cycles he knows and the more disposed he becomes to take their recurrence for granted. If these alternations can be put into the category of common- places, why not treat them as such? We are in a sharp depression right now, why worry about it? Is there not a certain average value for business that can be depended upon in spite of depressions? By way of rejoinder one might answer that war is the great commonplace of history, but when we get into one we generally find it worthy of attention. In the present case, many a man has lost two-thirds of his income, and he is extremely nervous about finding it again. The Southern Pacific Railroad earnings have dropped 75 per cent in the past year; Pennsylvania, 60 per cent; United States Steel Corp., about the same. The drop in current earnings is

Jan 1, 1932

By Chester R. McKee, Robert W. Terhune, Merle E. Hanson

The relationships describing the enhancement of permeability by firing explosives in boreholes have been derived and combined to yield permeability enhancement as, [ ] or the case in which the stress decays asymptotically as a power law kc and nc represent permeability and fracture density at the edge of the pulverized region near the cavity wall, f is a geometric attenuation factor, m is the dissipation due to real material effects, ko is the original permeability and rd is the scaled radius. This relationship has been compared with available measurements from the American nuclear shot "Hardhat", the French nuclear events in Hoggar granite and the chemical explosive shot in coal near Kemmerer, Wyoming. Significant correlation between this theory and the experimental measurement is observed. A comparison between single and multiple detonations shows that permeability enhancement falls off steeply near the shot; however enhancement can be considerable midway between two shots spaced 10 cavity radii apart. The degree to which enhancement, can be significant depends on material properties and fracture density. Porosity distribution from the explosive 1s the dominate parameter in permeability enhancement. Existing theories of permeability enhancement have also been reviewed.

Jan 1, 1976

By E. Gilpin

The Nova Scotian gold fields have yielded so little in comparison with those of the United States, that a lengthy description of them would almost appear unnecessary. However, not only are they interesting from a geological point of view, but experience has shown

Jan 1, 1886

By R. I. Lahring, C. G. Inks

A surfactant waterflood, using a block copolymer of ethylene and propylene oxide (PLURONIC L64*), wa., started in 1956 in Kansas to determine the commercial feasibility of such a process. The production formation was the Bartlesville sand at a depth of 1,400 ft. Leares in the test area had attained both primary and secondary production peaks, and were on a normal decline when the tests were initiated. The injection wells were taking water at a reasonable pressure and none of the operating conditions were particularly unusual. The leases were selected primarily because of normal operating conditions, and not because of any serious problems demanding remedie>,. Oil production and water injection data were recorded during the 10-year test period, and their compilation indicates that the surfactant resulted in an increase of about 9 percent in secondary oil production. Other benefits derived from the surfactant injection were lower injection pressure that resulted in reduced power consumption and reduced erosion of the pumps; and lower calcium scale buildup. These fringe benefits more than offset the cost of the surfactant used. Introduction During the past several decades, considerable research has been carried out on secondary recovery of crude oil that remains in the producing formation despite the most efficient, current primary production practices. Methods are constantly sought of increasing recovery of oil, while at the same time improving the economic efficiency of operations. One method that has received intensive study over the years is the use of a surfactant as a waterflood additive. Laboratory tests show conclusively that dilute solutions of surfactants remove considerably more oil from uncon-solidated sand cores than does water alone.'- The loss of surfactant by adsorption at solid-liquid interfaces has caused serious doubt that surfactants can be used economically as waterflooding additives. This is especially true with anionic and cationic surfactants, and to a lesser extent with nonionic surfactants. This work was undertaken to determine the effectiveness in increasing oil production by injecting water containing small quantities of a nonionic surfactant. The surfactant selected was PLURONIC L64*, a block copolymer based on ethylene and propylene oxide, having the following structure The selection of the test site, a typical shoe-string sandstone type of field located at Batesville pool, Toronto District of Woodson County, Kans., was made because of its normal primary and secondary recovery operating conditions, and not because of any serious operating problems. When the tests were begun, the field was experiencing the customary post-peak production decline of a waterflood. Using for the tests a field that was on a normal production decline, while maintaining constant all variables other than the addition of the surfactant. was of varamount importance if success or failure was to be attributed to a particular cause. It was reasoned that if a surfactant was added to the injection waters and nothing else was done to influence the oil production or injection of water, the effects of the surfactant on the flood could be determined precisely. Production History The first well in the tested field was drilled in 1935. Gas repressurization began immediately, but it was not until Aug., 1938, that the major portion of the field was developed. During the period of repressurization, 1,700 MMcf of gas was injected. As can be seen from the curves of Fig. 1, the production peak from gas injection was attained in 1937 and a normal production decline followed. Early in 1942, water injection wells were drilled and injection of water Was initiated. The amount of water injected increased as more injection wells were drilled until a peak injection rate of 2,700 BID was reached in

Jan 1, 1969

By Raymond S. Weimer

Of the several characteristics of a coal that influence its suitability for use in a given piece of burning equipment, the clinkering and slagging characteristics of the ash of the coal are highly important. They determine the maximum rate at which the coal may be burned on a stoker or in pulverized form without difficulty from damage to metal parts, from erosion of refractory walls, or from stoppage of gas passages by accumulation on the tubes. They also determine the minimum rate at which a slag-tap furnace may be operated without difficulty in removal of the ash in fluid form. Need for a Better Criterion In common with other producers and users of coal, the Northern Illinois Coal Corporation has long used the available methods for the measurement of the clinkering characteristics of coal ash, chemical composition and fusion temperature of the ash, as criteria for the selection of coal that would suit the particular requirements of its customers. These two available criteria have greatly helped in the problem of selection but it is unnecessary to dwell upon the fact that they are not completely adequate for the purpose. The composition of the ash and its clinkering tendency vary widely over the company's mining area. In a certain period, some years ago, an unusual amount of severe clinkering of the ash of coal shipped made extremely acute the need for a better criterion of the clinkering that might be expected. It was also desirable that the criterion result from a reasonably rapid method, so that the clinkering characteristics of the coal would be known before shipment. Complaints on the severe clinkering of the ash came from only a fraction of the output of the mine but the occurrence of the clinkering seemed quite unpredictable. Attempts to relate the chemical composition of the ash and the fusion temperatures to the clinkering were unsuccessful. Coal from the area of the mine in which the fusion temperature of the ash was the lowest gave the least trouble from clinker-ing. Chemical analysis of the ash from that section giving the most trouble showed high contents of iron and low contents of silica, but frequently these were not greatly different from those of coals that gave little trouble from clinker. Aside from the clinkering difficulty, the coal was quite satisfactory. The ash content was normal and high rates of burning could be obtained, but again and again such severe clinkering would occur that the furnace would be shut down because of the accumulation of clinker. Examination of the clinker from the customers' plants showed that the clinkers that adhered to the grates and fouled the fuel beds were hard, flat, dense, and usually dark in color. Coal that was satisfactory gave clinkers that were softer, bulky rather than flat, of low density, and usually lighter in color.

Jan 1, 1944

By Raymond S. Weimer

Of the several characteristics of a coal that influence its suitability for use in a given piece of burning equipment, the clinkering and slagging characteristics of the ash of the coal are highly important. They determine the maximum rate at which the coal may be burned on a stoker or in pulverized form without difficulty from damage to metal parts, from erosion of refractory walls, or from stoppage of gas passages by accumulation on the tubes. They also determine the minimum rate at which a slag-tap furnace may be operated without difficulty in removal of the ash in fluid form. Need for a Better Criterion In common with other producers and users of coal, the Northern Illinois Coal Corporation has long used the available methods for the measurement of the clinkering characteristics of coal ash, chemical composition and fusion temperature of the ash, as criteria for the selection of coal that would suit the particular requirements of its customers. These two available criteria have greatly helped in the problem of selection but it is unnecessary to dwell upon the fact that they are not completely adequate for the purpose. The composition of the ash and its clinkering tendency vary widely over the company's mining area. In a certain period, some years ago, an unusual amount of severe clinkering of the ash of coal shipped made extremely acute the need for a better criterion of the clinkering that might be expected. It was also desirable that the criterion result from a reasonably rapid method, so that the clinkering characteristics of the coal would be known before shipment. Complaints on the severe clinkering of the ash came from only a fraction of the output of the mine but the occurrence of the clinkering seemed quite unpredictable. Attempts to relate the chemical composition of the ash and the fusion temperatures to the clinkering were unsuccessful. Coal from the area of the mine in which the fusion temperature of the ash was the lowest gave the least trouble from clinker-ing. Chemical analysis of the ash from that section giving the most trouble showed high contents of iron and low contents of silica, but frequently these were not greatly different from those of coals that gave little trouble from clinker. Aside from the clinkering difficulty, the coal was quite satisfactory. The ash content was normal and high rates of burning could be obtained, but again and again such severe clinkering would occur that the furnace would be shut down because of the accumulation of clinker. Examination of the clinker from the customers' plants showed that the clinkers that adhered to the grates and fouled the fuel beds were hard, flat, dense, and usually dark in color. Coal that was satisfactory gave clinkers that were softer, bulky rather than flat, of low density, and usually lighter in color.

Jan 1, 1944

By J. C. Konopka, S. A. G. Poppen, E. K. Roesner

Many shafts have experienced stability problems during shaft sinking because the designer failed to fully appreciate the conditions he would encounter. Some shafts have failed during construction because the ground supports provided to compensate for the expected conditions were inadequate despite the most careful investigations and analyses. To design a ground support which is ultimately safe to achieve stability during shaft sinking would be too costly and impractical and, therefore, many shafts would simply not be constructed. The design of a ground support for shaft sinking based on an intimate understanding of the expected ground behaviour and stress development during excavation combines the art of mining with the science of geotechnical engineering. Where no historical design data is available, the designer of the ground support must: 1. classify the rocks and soils and assess their behavioural characteristics; 2. calculate the primary and secondary stresses; 3. design and/or select a ground support system which will ensure stability of the excavation during shaft sinking.

Jan 1, 1983

By Floyd C. Kelley

The literature of the last decade is rich with information relating to the cause and means of control of grain growth in pure metals, but is deficient concerning the role diffusion plays in grain growth, although during this period many new products that depend on diffusion for their properties and success have been developed. Among these are cementation products, produced by calorizing, chromizing, and carbonizing, or by mixing, pressing, and sintering powdered metals such as Syke's iron-molybdenum die material, Genelite, and Elcon Metal (copper, tungsten) etc. This is a fertile field for new developments, but before it can be utilized to the fullest extent there must be a thorough invest,igation of the processes by which diffusion and grain growth take place. Grain growth plays no small part in the process and certainly the physical properties of these products depend largely on the grain size and state of equilibtiuni produced. The field of investigation does not end here, but may be extended to the effect of diffusion on impurities, segregations and dendrites in the broad field of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy. A number of years ago the author investigated several of these cases and noted, with striking regularity, the pronounced effect of diffusion in promoting recrystallization and grain growth. An example of this phenomenon is given in his paper on chromizingl which contained photomicrographs of large radial or columnar crystals produced by diffusion of chromium in the solid state. Another manifestation of this effect was discussed by Austen,2 who showed the part hydrogen plays in the decarburization of steel and the effect of diffusion upon the grain structure. Diffusion of Metals in Iron It seems to be a general law, whenever two metals are brought into intimate contact at a temperature at which diffusion takes place, that a comparatively rapid, or abnormal, grain growth results. The grains

LOCAL SECTIONS (There are 60 Local Sections in the United States, 4 Foreign ) ADIRONDACK Established June 18, 1952 Paul W Allen, Chairman William Webb, Vice-Chairman Edwin Briggs, Secretary-Treasurer National Lead Company Mac Intyre Development Tahawus, New York Paul W Allen, Section Delegate R G Fleck, Alternate Section Delegate

Jan 1, 1954

LANS are underway for the annual meeting of AIME, to be held in New York, February 17 to 21. The technical program includes meetings of all divisions of all three branches, Mining, Metals, and Petroleum. The bulk of the technical sessions will be held at the Statler Hotel, and the annual banquet will be held at the Waldorf-Astoria, Wednesday evening, February 20. The technical program of the Mining Branch activities is included in this issue. While it is not complete in every detail, it shows general interest groupings as well as subjects to be discussed. The program for each division is shown separately to facilitate following the activities of these special interest groups. Then, after a full scale and possibly somewhat strenuous technical meeting, a post-meeting feature will appeal to many of the members. A restful cruise to Bermuda and Nassau is offered at special rates to AIME members and friends. The schedule is a 3:00 pm departure from New York on the Queen of Bermuda on Saturday, February 23; arrival at Bermuda at 7:00 am Monday, February 25; arrival at Nassau at noon, Wednesday, February 27; and the trip ending again in New York at 9:00 am, Saturday, March 1. Rates begin at $202.10 per person, with higher rates depending upon accomodations desired. The base rate includes outside room with private bath and all meals, as well as Federal, Bermuda and Nassau taxes. Reservations for the trip should be made immediately through Leon V. Arnold, 36 Washington Square West, New York 11, who is in charge of arrangements.

Jan 1, 1952

By George A. Morrison

THE Columbia Chemical Division of the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co. is at Barberton, Ohio, 35 miles south of Cleveland. For many years large tonnages of limestone have been brought to the Barberton plant from distant points. The stone is here burnt in vertical kilns, the resultant product then hydrated and the hydrated lime used in chemical processing. To eliminate the expense of these shipments, the company decided to investigate a limestone bed known to exist on company property at Barberton, where the stone is used. The bed lay at a depth of more than 2000 ft. and was known locally as the "Deep Lime." Chemical analyses of sludge from churn-drill holes made some years ago proved that the limestone was of sufficient purity to warrant diamond-drill exploration. Four diamond-drill holes were put down at well-spaced intervals, to represent fairly an area of four miles by one mile. Cores logged as to chemical and physical conditions were found to compare closely, and to corroborate the earlier evidence that the limestone was of superior quality for chemical use. A plant of 300 tons per hour was subsequently decided upon. SITE The yard at the chemical plant was already so congested that location of the projected mine within its area could not be considered. Eventually a site was selected 2 miles northwest of the plant, near the main line of the Erie Railroad. Here 412 acres were owned outright by the company and stone rights were obtained on 250 additional acres. This location required a transportation line of nearly 2 miles (8800 ft.), crossing two major highways, and to avoid interruption of deliveries to the plant, overpasses were planned. GEOLOGY The limestone in the immediate vicinity lies about 2200 ft. below the surface. Geologists* identify this stone as Delaware of Devonian age. It is overlain by 18 ft. of unconsolidated (sand and gravel), 100 ft. of water-bearing sandstone, and finally 2080 ft. of shale into which sandstone in thin layers is interbedded. The contact of shale and limestone is abrupt, flat-lying and very pronounced. Berea sandstone, often found at 520 ft., is absent, but Euclid sandstone was encountered, together with a seepage of oil and a small amount of methane gas. The limestone bed itself is 345 ft. thick, and overlies 200 ft. of gypsum. The lower part becomes dolomitic as it approaches the gypsum. A detailed study of the drill cores indicates that the upper 50 ft, are highest in lime and reasonably low in silica. The physical make-up shows several separating cherty layers. These occur at definite horizons and cause distinct partings, which become horizontal planes of

Jan 1, 1943

By R. J. Teitel

The Pb-U system has been investigated by X-ray, thermal, and microscopic analyses. Two pyrophoric intermetallic compounds were found; UPb3 and UPb. The crystallographic structure of UPb3 is reported. A phase diagram was drawn for the system showing three eutectic and one syntectic reaction. AS a result of the interest in uranium metallurgy, the Pb-U system has been investigated. Practically no quantitative data appears in the literature concerning this system. Chips were machined from bars of high-purity uranium obtained from Ames Laboratory and the lead was 99.9 pct high-purity grade from Bel-mont Smelting & Refining Co. The chips were pickled in a dilute solution of nitric acid, washed in water and then alcohol, and dried prior to use for alloy preparation. The lead was simply sheared from the pig with no chemical treatment. Lead and uranium were placed in graphite crucibles and loaded into an induction furnace. In order to insure good alloy formation, the lead was loaded above the uranium to wash the uranium chips into the melt. After the charge was held at the desired preparation temperature for 15 to 30 min, it was allowed to cool in the crucible. The entire melting operation was accomplished in an atmosphere of helium (double charcoal refined grade with no further treatment). The procedure was to outgas the furnace by first evacuating it to 10-% m Hg, admitting helium to 8 psi gage and sealing the furnace off. An optical pyrometer focused on the charge through a hole in the crucible cover was employed for thermal measurements. Usually a 50° to 70°C correction had to be added to the instrument value. The most suitable alloy preparation temperature range was found between 1220° and 1280°C. The reason for this is explained by the phase diagram, Fig. 7. Above this temperature range two liquids separate preventing alloy formation upon cooling at a reasonable rate. On the other hand, below this range the uranium was coated with a layer of both compounds and the rate of reaction was diminished by diffusion processes. The fastest reaction rate occurred in this narrow range of temperature because only UPb coats the uranium and it evidently does not protect the uranium as well as UPb,. Apparatus and Procedures The development of apparatus and techniques was determined by the peculiar properties of the alloys. All the alloys were pyrophoric, and, consequently, the alloys had to be protected from oxidation by handling them in a dry box or inert atmosphere furnaces. Other operations performed outside of this equipment had to be done as quickly as possible. Thermal analyses were conducted in a furnace and arrangement similar to that described by the author.' Graphite crucibles having a thermocouple well in the bottom were used to contain the prepared alloy, while a helium atmosphere protected the melt from oxidation. The furnace was outgassed by pumping a 10-3 mm Hg vacuum until the furnace had been heated to 400°C. Then helium was admitted and the furnace sealed under 8 psi gage pressure. Chromel-alumel thermocouples were used for thermal analysis and the accuracy of thermal measurements was judged to be k 5°C. At first, an attempt was made to use platinum-platinum-rhodium thermocouples, but evidently lead vapors attack it at high temperatures forming low melting alloys. These lead vapors had direct access to the thermocouple because the graphite crucible was porous. A differential temperature control was used to regulate thermal analyses. The thermal gradient across an alundum tube placed between the windings and the crucible was maintained constant by a controller.

Jan 1, 1953