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By F. L. Burchard, Lewis W. MacNaughton

The North Texas district, as herein defined, includes the counties of Archer, Baylor, Clay, Coolie, Foard, Hardeman, Knox, Montague, Wichita, and Wilbarger. This area covers generally the crest and south flank of a system of buried mountains known as the Red River uplift. The oil and gas accumulations along this feature are in traps, which, although localized by structures incident to the regional uplift, are usually modified by stratigraphic changes in the sediments. Excepting the fields in southeastern Baylor, southern Archer, and southwestern Clay Counties, all the fields within the district are on this Red River uplift. These exceptions, which have the same type of oil and gas accumulation as the other fields, are on the extreme north end of the Bend arch, which is a broad anticline plunging northward from the Llano uplift in central Texas to Archer County. The larger part of past oil and gas production has come from Pennsylvanian strata, with less important amounts from the Permian, and minor but increasingly important quantities from the Ordovician. DevELopments during 1941 Nearly 1600 wells were drilled in the district during 1941 as compared with more than 1700 in 1940. However, the ratio of successful drilling operations was higher and some 1200 oil wells were completed. Production held about even with the previous year, as did the number of producing oil wells. Known oil reserves increased slightly throughout exploration, which generally was carried on at greater depths than in former years. The average depth of discovery wells was 300 ft. deeper than in 1940. Although discoveries were evenly divided numerically between horizons above the base of the Strawn series and those below the Strawn, the deeper horizons, including the Bend series of the Pennsylvanian, the Mississippian limestone, and the Simpson and Ellenburger of the Ordovician, furnished most of the increase in oil reserves. The largest single addition to the reserves was in the Ellenburger formation in the K.M.A. field. During the year 112 wells were completed in this horizon, bringing the total developed acreage to some 4600 acres. The Straan series in K.M.A. also received considerable development in 1941, with 114 completions. K.M.A. Pressure Maintenance Satisfactory progress was made by the K.M.A. Pressure Maintenance Association in 1941. At the end of the year, 99 wells were being used for input and total monthly volume of gas returned to the reservoir reached a high of 340,548 M cu. ft. in December from a low of 208,853 M cu. ft. in February. Total volume of gas returned during 1941 was 3,306,052 M cu. ft. To the end of the year, 150 cu. ft. of gas had been returned for every barrel of oil produced from the reservoir while the input ratio for December was 397 cu. ft. Per

Jan 1, 1942

By J. P. Hirth, G. M. Pound

The flux of evaporation J from {loo) , {111), and (110) planes of silver single crystals and from poly crystalline specimens was measured at 744°C under a high vacuum using a time average weight loss method. The evaporation coefficient a was computed from the measured flux and vapor pressure data through the relationship J = aPe/21rmkT. The evaporation coefficients for the close packed planes and the poly crystalline specimens were found to be about 0.4 providing tentative confirmation of the theoretical limiting law for evaporation of metal crystals, a = 73(P/Pe) + % . The (110) planes faceted to form (111) planes, resulting in a greater evaporating area and larger a . The evaporation morphology of the plane surfaces and the surfaces of spherical single crystals is described in some detail. RECENTLY a detailed theoretical analysis of the mechanism and kinetics of metal crystal evaporation was made.1'2 A mechanism for vaporization involving the recession of monatomic ledges across a metal surface was deduced, and evaporation rate equations were derived by considering the dynamics of these ledges. In most metals, the process of evaporation is one of dissociation of atoms from ledges, surface diffusion, and desorption. The gross vaporization rate is controlled by the surface diffusion and desorption rates. It was shown that the monatomic ledges, under the action of surface diffusion gradients, tend to assume a terminal velocity and spacing. Further, it was shown that crystal edges and grain boundaries are a ready source for monatomic ledges. In the case of evaporation of large, perfect crystals with clean, low-index surfaces, the kinetic treatment1 leads to a limiting law for crystal evaporation: where J is the gross flux of vaporization, a is the evaporation coefficient, Pe the equilibrium vapor pressure, m the atomic mass, k Boltzmann's constant, T the absolute temperature, and P the actual pressure of vapor over the crystal surface. Imperfections such as grain boundaries, pores, cracks, and macroscopic steps should have the effect of causing positive departures from this limiting law. Such an imperfection is a source for monatomic ledges, which, near their origin, are closely spaced and thus give rise to higher evaporation rates there. However, under many experimental conditions,' this effect should be negligible due to the relatively low concentration of imperfections. In general, a more important cause of positive departure should be screw dislocations, and the effect of these has been considered in some detai1.2,3 Monatomic ledges emanate from points where the surface is intersected by a dislocation with a screw component normal to the surface. The dynamics of ledges arising from a screw dislocation are similar to those of ledges arising from a crystal edge. There is a perturbed region near the origin where the monatomic ledges are, under certain experimental conditions, closely spaced and the

Jan 1, 1960

By D. P. Morton

Since 1923, which closed the speculative era in the bituminous coal fields of the United States, there have been wide annual fluctuations in the national production of bituminous coal. These changes in annual output have been variously attributed to: (1) increased competition from petroleum products, natural gas and hydroelectric power; (2) lower unit consumption of coal; and (3) fluctuations in the general business level. The purpose of this paper is to measure, from a practical standpoint, the net effect upon the annual trend of bituminous coal production, and to give those who are interested a basis for estimating in advance the probable output of bituminous coal. It can readily be shown that changes in the level of general business affect the national production of bituminous coal more than does any other factor. Therefore it is necessary to use some standard measure of the relative business level for purposes of comparison. The Federal Reserve Board Index of Industrial Production offers the basis for such a measure.l This Index, a weighted composite of 81 different series, rests upon the averages of the years 1935 to 1939 as 100, and is presented graphically in Fig. I. Even a cursory examination of the chart will indicate a definite uptrend for industrial production over a period of years. This uptrend is due to at least two factors: (I) an actual increase in national population, and (2) a probable increase in the per capita consumption of goods. This means that there is no such thing as a fixed Normal, rather Normal is a variable, tending to increase from year to year. In order to measure the amount of annual increase in normal, the Index of Industrial Production must be studied in relation to its major components, Durable Goods and Nondurable Goods, Durable Goods are those made from the lasting materials such as iron, steel, other metals, lumber, stone, cement, clay, glass. Nondurable Goods are those for early consumption, such as foods, textiles, tobacco, chemicals, paper, gasoline, and goods made of leather and rubber. The purchase of Durable Goods may be postponed, but Nondurable Goods must be purchased currently unless the standard of living is lowered. The Federal Reserve Indexes of durable and nondurable goods are shown graphically, 1920 to 1939, on Fig. a (pp. 764-765 of ref. I). It is apparent that fluctuations in the production of nondurable goods are not nearly so wide as in the production of durable goods, and that the curve of Industrial Production (Fig. I) would fall between the two curves on Fig. 2. It would, however, seem logical that both curves should follow the same long-term trend, or that over a period of two to three decades the relative proportion of durable and nondurable goods, in periods of normal production, should be the same. It is neces-

Jan 1, 1942

By D. P. Morton

Since 1923, which closed the speculative era in the bituminous coal fields of the United States, there have been wide annual fluctuations in the national production of bituminous coal. These changes in annual output have been variously attributed to: (1) increased competition from petroleum products, natural gas and hydroelectric power; (2) lower unit consumption of coal; and (3) fluctuations in the general business level. The purpose of this paper is to measure, from a practical standpoint, the net effect upon the annual trend of bituminous coal production, and to give those who are interested a basis for estimating in advance the probable output of bituminous coal. It can readily be shown that changes in the level of general business affect the national production of bituminous coal more than does any other factor. Therefore it is necessary to use some standard measure of the relative business level for purposes of comparison. The Federal Reserve Board Index of Industrial Production offers the basis for such a measure.l This Index, a weighted composite of 81 different series, rests upon the averages of the years 1935 to 1939 as 100, and is presented graphically in Fig. I. Even a cursory examination of the chart will indicate a definite uptrend for industrial production over a period of years. This uptrend is due to at least two factors: (I) an actual increase in national population, and (2) a probable increase in the per capita consumption of goods. This means that there is no such thing as a fixed Normal, rather Normal is a variable, tending to increase from year to year. In order to measure the amount of annual increase in normal, the Index of Industrial Production must be studied in relation to its major components, Durable Goods and Nondurable Goods, Durable Goods are those made from the lasting materials such as iron, steel, other metals, lumber, stone, cement, clay, glass. Nondurable Goods are those for early consumption, such as foods, textiles, tobacco, chemicals, paper, gasoline, and goods made of leather and rubber. The purchase of Durable Goods may be postponed, but Nondurable Goods must be purchased currently unless the standard of living is lowered. The Federal Reserve Indexes of durable and nondurable goods are shown graphically, 1920 to 1939, on Fig. a (pp. 764-765 of ref. I). It is apparent that fluctuations in the production of nondurable goods are not nearly so wide as in the production of durable goods, and that the curve of Industrial Production (Fig. I) would fall between the two curves on Fig. 2. It would, however, seem logical that both curves should follow the same long-term trend, or that over a period of two to three decades the relative proportion of durable and nondurable goods, in periods of normal production, should be the same. It is neces-

Jan 1, 1942

By J. B. Bassett, E. S. Rowland

INTRODUCTION THE experimental work reported herein was inspired by the publication of a paper by Grange and Stewart,1 in which it was suggested that at low chromium contents the effect of this element on the [M,] point was greater than at higher chromium contents. It was argued that, if a small increase of chromium in solution in austenite caused a sharp lowering of the [M,] point, it might lead to an explanation of occasional unsolved stress cracking of SAE 52100 during heat treatment. Commercial hardening is carried out at temperatures of incomplete solution, leaving carbides available to enrich the austenite during any inadvertent increase in temperature. Such enrichment of the austenite in chromium content would lower the [ M,] point nearer room temperature where cracking is more likely to occur. Accordingly, it was decided to investigate the effect of chromium, in quantities between o and 2 pct, on the[ M,] point of commercial steels. Fig I summarizes the data available on chromium steels. For purposes of comparison, the [M, ] temperature values were corrected by means of the Grange and Stewart formula§ to (I) Hypoeutectoid compositions: 0.50 pct carbon and 0.80 pct manganese (2) Hypereutectoid compositions: 1.00 pct carbon and 0.35 pct manganese. Only the steels having compositions reasonably close to these corrected values were included, because large adjustments inevitably introduce increased errors such as are experienced in using the formula. The straight lines of Fig I were drawn by the authors. These data obviously do not settle the question of the effect of chromium on the [M,] point, particularly at low chromium contents. While it is fairly well established that chromium causes the [M,] to be lowered when present in quantities of I pct or more, Grange and Stewart1 have suggested that in small amounts (less than I. pct) it is more effective in lowering the[ M,] point, while Klier and Troiano2 have suggested that in small amounts it is less effective in lowering the []M,] point. Payson and Savage3 concur with Klier and Troiano and further suggest that the effect is not linear at these concentrations. Rose and Fischer4 report that small amounts of chromium actually raise the-[M,] point of a 0.20 carbon steel. MATERIAL Two series of 35 lb induction heats were melted for this work, the analyses of which are given in Table I. One series was aimed at 0.50 pct carbon and 0.80 pct manganese with chromium additions in 0.25 pct increments from o to 1.5 pct with a single heat at 2.0 pct Cr. This series was considered necessary because the commercial heat treatment of SAE 52100 does not generally introduce more than about 0.60 pct carbon in solution in the austenite. The high

Jan 1, 1948

By R. Al-Hussainy, H. J. Ramey

Previous gas well test analyses have been based mainly upon linearizations of ideal gas flow results, although a method for drawdown analysis based upon real gas flow results has been proposed. Linearizations based upon ideal gas flow require estimation of gas physical properties at Tome sort of average pressure, and implicitly involve the assumption that pressure gradients are small everywhere in the reservoir. A new real gas flow equation has been developed by means of a substitution which couples presTure, viscosity and gas law deviation factor. This sub-stitution has been called the real gas pseudo-pressure. Use of the real gas pseudo-pressure leads to simple equations describing real gas flow which do not contain pressure-dependent gas properties, and which do not require the assumption of small pressure gradients everywhere in the flow system. Equations required to determine flow capacity, well condition and static formation pressure from pressure drawdown and build-up tests with the real gas pseudo-pressure concept are presented. Also shown are applications of the real gas pseudo-pressure to back-pressure testing, the gas materials balance and rigorous determination of average gas properties for previous gas flow equations. Included are sample calculations for well test analyses. INTRODUCTION A recent study' of the flow of the transient flow of real gases in ideal radial systems showed that it is possible to consider gas physical property dependence upon pressure by means of a substitution called the real gas pseudo-pressure. The substitution has the advantage that it enables engineering solutions for steady and transient flow of real gases that are more accurate and general than those previously available. The solutions are particularly important for the case of gas flow in tight, high-pressure formations under large drawdowns. Even for more ideal flow conditions, the real gas pseudo-pressure concept leads to important rules for finding average gas physical properties pertinent for older well test analyses. Ref. I provides a detailed study of the theory behind the real gas flow correlations to be used in this paper. The purpose of this paper is to provide necessary engineering forms for use of the real gas flow results, and to illustrate applications. The following considers flow of real gases in an ideal radial flow system. It is assumed that: (1) formation thickness, porosity, water saturation, absolute permeability, temperature and gas composition are constant; (2) gas compressibility and density are functions of pressure as described by the gas law pv = znRT; (3) gas viscosrty is a function of pressure; (4) effective permeability to gas may be a function of pressure to account for liquid condensation; (5) condensate is immobile; and (6) the formation has no dip.

Jan 1, 1967

By Glenn R. Zellars, J. P. Morris

The carrier gas method was used to measure the vapor pressure of copper over liquid copper and Fe-Cu alloys. From these results, the activity of copper in the alloys was determined at 146°, 1550°, and 1600°C. Calculations of the activity of iron were made from the results for copper. The activities of copper and iron show strong positive deviations from Raoult's law. KNOWLEDGE of vapor pressures of liquid metals has both practical and theoretical value. Fuming of metal baths is directly related to vapor pressure, and the data should bc particularly important to the technology of vacuum metallurgy. Theoretical applications include determinations of heats of vaporization, heats of solution, and activity coefficients in alloys. Methods for measuring vapor pressures of metals have been reviewed by Speiser and Spretnak.' High-vacuum procedures, such as the Langmuir and Knudsen methods, have been used most widely in recent years. However, these methods are not applicable to vapor pressures greater than lo-' mm Hg and often cannot be used in the temperature range of greatest interest. The purpose of this investigation was to develop a procedure for measuring vapor pressures of pure metals and alloys that would be applicable to pressures greater than lo-' mm Hg. The transportation or carrier gas method has been used. Copper was chosen for the initial work because its vapor pressure has been established fairly well and the reliability of the technique could be ascertained. Applicability to alloys was studied by determining the vapor pressure of copper over liquid Fe-Cu alloys. Experimental Procedure The tests were carried out in a graphite-spiral resistance furnace. The charge consisted of 50 g of metal contajned in a covered sintered-alumina crucible 1/2 in. deep and 13/8 in. ID. Two sintered-alumina tubes led from outside the furnace to within the crucible, passing through close-fitting holes in the crucible cover and radiation shield. The arrangement of the crucible and the two alumina tubes is shown in Fig. 1. The small-bore tube (1/16 in. ID by 5/16 in. OD) served as the inlet for the carrier gas. The tip of this tube touched the metal surface and the flow of gas imparted a rippling motion to the metal. In this manner the gas was brought into close contact with the metal and became saturated with metal vapor. In most of the tests the flow rate of the carrier gas was 560 ml per min, measured at room temperature. Approximately half of this saturated gas was allowed to escape from the crucible through the second alumina tube (3/16 in. ID by 5/16 in. OD) and was discharged to the atmosphere through a

Jan 1, 1957

By E. Brunner, E. S. Mardock

A method of measuring oil saturations in cores or sand packs by neutron scattering is described. This method permits local SatUrations to be measured in a core enclosed in a steel pressure vessel without interrupting the flow. calibration data and a saturation distribution measurement obtained with the apparatus are included by way of illustration. Introduction In laboratory flow experiments designed to study the mechanism of oil production it is frequently necessary to measure the oil saturation in a core or sand pack containing Oil, gas, and perhaps brine. It is sometimes desirable that the saturation measurement refer to a relatively small portion of the core, so as to eliminate end effects; that it be made without interrupting the flow, and that it be applicable to a core enclosed in a steel Pressure vessel capable Of withstanding the Pressures encountered in petroleum reservoirs. None of the usual methods of measuring saturation meets all Of these requirements. To measure the gas saturation by observing the apparent compressibility of the gaseous Phase1 would require the interruption of the flow and would give an average saturation for the whole core. An electrical conductivity method is available for measuring brine saturations,2,3 but it is not applicable to oil. A radioactive tracer might be used if a suitable substance could be found that would dissolve in the oil, emit gamma radiation, and not be adsorbed on the sand, the steel core holder, or in an aqueous- phase. The large gamma-ray background from the mass of radioactive oil in other parts of the apparatus might, however, be undesirable. There remain for the saturation measurement methods involving the absorption or scattering of some penetrating radiation produced outside the apparatus. It might be possible to use X-rays or gamma rays; but these radiations would be so much less strongly absorbed and scattered by the oil than by the steel walls of the core holder and by the sand that it seems doubtful that much precision could be attained. In a beam of neutrons, however, there is a radiation that is very penetrating and, moreover, its scattering by substances containing hydrogen, such as oil, is qualitatively different from that occasioned by other materials. It would seem possible, and has proved to be quite practicable, to measure oil saturations accurately under the required conditions by means of neutron scattering. The first, to our knowledge, to suggest neutron scattering as a means of measuring oil saturation were F. Brans and ,. A. Bottema,4 of the Amsterdam laboratories of the Bataafache Petroleum Maatschappij, who made a few preliminary experiments to test the method while they were engaged in exploring the possibilities of neutrons for well-logging purposes. A comprehensive account of neutrons and their behavior will be found, together

Jan 1, 1946

By E. S. Mardock, E. Brunner

A method of measuring oil saturations in cores or sand packs by neutron scattering is described. This method permits local SatUrations to be measured in a core enclosed in a steel pressure vessel without interrupting the flow. calibration data and a saturation distribution measurement obtained with the apparatus are included by way of illustration. Introduction In laboratory flow experiments designed to study the mechanism of oil production it is frequently necessary to measure the oil saturation in a core or sand pack containing Oil, gas, and perhaps brine. It is sometimes desirable that the saturation measurement refer to a relatively small portion of the core, so as to eliminate end effects; that it be made without interrupting the flow, and that it be applicable to a core enclosed in a steel Pressure vessel capable Of withstanding the Pressures encountered in petroleum reservoirs. None of the usual methods of measuring saturation meets all Of these requirements. To measure the gas saturation by observing the apparent compressibility of the gaseous Phase1 would require the interruption of the flow and would give an average saturation for the whole core. An electrical conductivity method is available for measuring brine saturations,2,3 but it is not applicable to oil. A radioactive tracer might be used if a suitable substance could be found that would dissolve in the oil, emit gamma radiation, and not be adsorbed on the sand, the steel core holder, or in an aqueous- phase. The large gamma-ray background from the mass of radioactive oil in other parts of the apparatus might, however, be undesirable. There remain for the saturation measurement methods involving the absorption or scattering of some penetrating radiation produced outside the apparatus. It might be possible to use X-rays or gamma rays; but these radiations would be so much less strongly absorbed and scattered by the oil than by the steel walls of the core holder and by the sand that it seems doubtful that much precision could be attained. In a beam of neutrons, however, there is a radiation that is very penetrating and, moreover, its scattering by substances containing hydrogen, such as oil, is qualitatively different from that occasioned by other materials. It would seem possible, and has proved to be quite practicable, to measure oil saturations accurately under the required conditions by means of neutron scattering. The first, to our knowledge, to suggest neutron scattering as a means of measuring oil saturation were F. Brans and ,. A. Bottema,4 of the Amsterdam laboratories of the Bataafache Petroleum Maatschappij, who made a few preliminary experiments to test the method while they were engaged in exploring the possibilities of neutrons for well-logging purposes. A comprehensive account of neutrons and their behavior will be found, together

Jan 1, 1946

By R. S. Busk, E. G. Bobalek

THE relation between gases and metals has been a subject of increasingly active investigation during the past years, principally devoted to the study of metal-hydrogen systems. It has been found that hydrogen is soluble in most molten metals to an appreciable extent and somewhat soluble in most solid metals.1,2 In every known case there is a sudden decrease in solubility at the melting point. Thus a freezing mass of metal containing hydrogen in excess of the solid solubility must in some way expel that excess during the freezing process. This leads to internal blowholes, and such effects as pinhole porosity. Gas trapped in metal that is to be fabricated by a working process such as extrusion or rolling may be the cause of blisters. For some cases, notably in copper and iron alloys, the presence of hydrogen can lead to extreme embrittlement of the metal. The aluminum-casting industry has long recognized the importance of hydrogen in its techniques. Excess gas in molten aluminum alloys often leads to the formation of "pinhole porosity" in the solid casting.3 To prevent this hydrogen pickup it is necessary to avoid overheating the melt and to protect it from such sources of hydrogen as water. In spite of all precautions, it is sometimes necessary to extract hydrogen from the melt just before pouring by bubbling with a gas such as chlorine or nitrogen. Recently it has been found that somewhat similar effects are possible with magnesium alloys, in that the presence of hydrogen can induce or aggravate microporosity.4-6 This paper is primarily concerned with a presentation of some facts concerning the solubility of hydrogen in magnesium and its alloys, with some discussion of the significance of these facts in a practical sense. In any study of gas-metal systems it is important to bear in mind a clear distinction between adsorption on surfaces and absorption within the lattice.1 Considerable attention has been directed toward determining whether hydrogen is truly soluble in any solid metal, or whether the gas extracted from a sample was present at surfaces (external and internal) only.7 Most present day evidence supports the idea of true solution in addition to adsorption. A second important factor when dealing with gas solubility is the dependence of such solubility on external pressure. For diatomic gases such as H2, solubility in both liquid and solid metals apparently is proportional to the square root of the pressure, indicating a breakdown to a monatomic gas before diffusion into the lattice .2 For true equilibrium values of solubility, therefore, the pressure at the metal surface must be constant and, preferably, known. Very little has been published concerning the hydrogen-magnesium system. Winterhager has presented the most

Jan 1, 1946

By J. F. Myers, R. J. Tower

"THERE is nothing new under the sun." All over the world, mineral-dressing engineers are working at their problems, no two of which are alike. Each encounters equipment and process problems. Many devise simple ways and means of overcoming their difficulties. Many of these problems are quite common in the industry, yet, since no one human being seems capable of thinking of everything, these problems at some plants often are looked upon as necessary evils. The purpose of this symposium is to gather together, from competent engineers, devices and practices that have been useful to them. Most of the ideas contributed are not new, yet there is no plant operator, old timer or youngster, who will not find some idea herein that will give him a suggestion for improving his operation. Space does not permit a complete elaboration on all of the contributions offered. Each item is summarized, but this will be ample for those skilled in the art of mineral dressing. A list of contributors appears at the end of the paper, and the superior number at the end of each item identifies its source. GENERAL EQUIPMENT A signal light to show that a steel bin, containing relatively fine, moist ore, is full, can be made by suspending a copper rod in the bin to a sufficient depth to ensure ample contact with the ore. One wire of a 32-volt circuit should be attached to the rod and one to the side of the bin. Sufficient current will flow to make the signal light burn. A 110-volt circuit could be used, but 32 volts ensures safety.10 Fig I shows a circular bin for crushed ore. It is a concrete structure footed on the ground, using no supporting columns. Tailing from the sink-float was used for aggregate. Cross conveyors for discharging ore are not required, nor is a tripper for filling. Segregation is minimized by drawing from different gates. An exhaust fan on top of the bin eliminates condensation due to temperature of the ore.21 A beam with an adjustable point of suspension near the center permits rigging rolls for removal in a very few minutes. This makes unnecessary the lacing of the cable through the hub bolts on one side, around the shaft on the other, and the trouble of balancing the load.8 The ratchet handle on a Symons crusher may be replaced by a drum with a cable wound on it. When the cable is pulled by a crane or hoist it causes the drum to revolve and thus screws or unscrews the bowl. This reduces handwork and materially shortens the time required for the job.3 To spread ore feed from an apron feeder over a belt conveyor, place a heavy steel bar about midway between the top

Jan 1, 1947

By D. P. Morton

SINCE 1023, which closed the speculative era in the bituminous coal fields of the United States, there have been wide annual fluctuations in the national production of bituminous coal. These changes in annual output have been variously attributed to: (I) increased competition from petroleum products, natural gas and hydroelectric power; (2) lower unit consumption of coal; and (3) fluctuations in the general business level. The purpose of this paper is to measure, from a practical standpoint, the net effect upon the annual trend of bituminous coal production, and to give those who are interested a basis for estimating in advance the probable output of bituminous coal. It can readily be shown that changes in the level of general business affect the national production of bituminous coal more than does any other factor. Therefore it is necessary to use some standard measure of the relative business level for purposes of comparison. The Federal Reserve Board Index of Industrial Production offers the basis for such a measure.' This Index, a weighted composite of 81 different series, rests upon the averages of the years 1935 to 1939 as loo, and is presented graphically in Fig. I. Even a cursory examination of the chart will indicate a definite uptrend for industrial production over a period of years. This uptrend is due to at least two factors: (I) an actual increase in national population, and (2) a probable increase in the per capita consumption of goods. This means that there is no such thing as a fixed Normal, rather Normal is a variable, tending to increase from year to year. In order to measure the amount of annual increase in normal, the Index of Industrial Production must be studied in relation to its major components, Durable Goods and Nondurable Goods. Durable Goods are those made from the lasting materials such as iron, steel, other metals, lumber, stone, cement, clay, glass. Nondurable Goods are those for early consumption, such as foods, textiles, tobacco, chemicals, paper, gasoline, and goods made of leather and rubber. The purchase of Durable Goods may be postponed, but Nondurable Goods must be purchased currently unless the standard of living is lowered. The Federal Reserve Indexes of durable and nondurable goods are shown graphically, 1920 to 1939, on Fig. 2 (pp. 764-765 of ref. I). It is apparent that fluctuations in the production of nondurable goods are not nearly so wide as in the production of durable goods, and that the curve of Industrial Production (Fig. I) would fall between the two curves on Fig. 2. It would, however, seem logical that both curves should follow the same long-term trend, or that over a period of two to three decades the relative proportion of durable and nondurable goods, in periods of normal production, should he the same. It is neces-

Jan 1, 1941

By Harmon D. Nine

DISCONTINUITIES in the strain vs cycles to failure (S-N) fatigue curves have been reported for polycrystalline materials by Porter and Levy for copper,&apos; by Benham and Ford for mild steel,&apos; and by Williams and Stevens for 18/5 stainless steel.3 However, the considerable scatter of the points for polycrystalline materials have made a statistical analysis of the data necessary to confirm the discontinuities. By using oriented single crystals of high-purity material and low grown-in dislocation content, the reproducibility has been improved to a degree which makes statistical analysis unnecessary and clearly shows discontinuities in the S-N curves. A recent publication4 reports an abrupt change of slope in the S-N curve for ( 100) axially oriented copper single crystals fatigued in torsion. The reported discontinuities in the S-N curve, along with a different mode of failure in the two branches of the curve, have been interpreted as being due to two different amplitude-dependent mechanisms. Further work on copper single crystals of (111) axial orientation has now been completed which supports the existence of an amplitude-dependent change in the mechanism of fatigue. In the present study torsional-fatigue experiments were performed at room temperature in air on (111) axially oriented single crystals. The crystals were grown and prepared as reported in Ref. 4. Two different methods of growing the crystals also discussed in Ref. 4 produced crystals of two different perfections: Type I with dislocation density of >l06 per sq cm and Type I1 with dislocation density of <l05 per sq cm. In accordance with the accepted hypothesis that crystal flaws are primarily responsible for the scatter of fatigue lifetimes, particularly at low amplitudes, the values for the three lowest amplitudes for Type I crystal are believed to be uncertain. They are marked in braces in Fig. 1. On the other hand, at amplitudes above a surface shear strain (SSS) of *0.003, the data for both types of crystals are in agreement. Most remarkably the S-N curve for torsional fatigue of (111)-oriented single crystals is composed of three segments separated by rather large discontinuities, Fig. 1. Metallographic and X-ray measurements indicate that the lower branch corresponds to the low-amplitude (F) region of the (100) copper single-crystal results as discussed in Ref. 4, and the two upper branches correspond to the high-amplitude (H) region. The lower discontinuity in the (111) S-N curve and metallographic evidence give further support to the hypothesis that different mechanisms of failure operate for high and low strain amplitudes. Reference to the resolved shear stress diagram, Fig. 2, shows that the highest stressed systems in

Jan 1, 1965

By J. O. Betterton, W. M. Spicer

The solubilities of antimony in the a and ß-forms of zirconium were determined between 750" and 1300°C. The a-phase forms by a peritectoid reaction, and the a/(a + ß) and ß/(a + ß) phase boundaries rise in temperature with in- &apos; creasing antimony. Impurities in the 99.95 pct zirconium were sufficient to influence the phase boundaries and the variation reported is approximate. The restricted solid solubility of the terminal zirconium phases, which is especially characteristic of this system, is thought to result from the low free energy of the Zr2Sb phase. ZIRCONIUM-antimony alloys are important in zirconium alloying studies since antimony is one of the highest valent elements which can be used to make zirconium alloys. The dilute alloys are of further interest as they have somewhat better corrosion resistance&apos; than pure zirconium. The first investigation of the phase diagram was made by Russi and wilhelm2 who found a eutectic reaction, liquid (- 17.5 at. pct Sb) = ß zirconium (- 11 at. pct Sb) + Zr2Sb, at 1430°C&apos;. The Zr2Sb phase was of complicated hexagonal structure, and by thermal analyses of the relatively impure alloys then available, Russi and Wilhelm found evidence for the peritectoid formation of the a-phase. EXPERIMENTAL In the present work, the phase diagram was re-investigated in the region 0 to 5 at. pct Sb and 750" to 1300°C using iodide-zirconium alloys. Details of the procedure have been described earlier. Essentially the alloys were prepared by arc casting and were then examined by the annealing and quenching method. The times of annealing varied from 1 hr at 1300°C to 30 days at 760°C. As in other zirconium phase-diagram studies1"5 the impurities in the zirconium were still sufficient to affect the results, and the experiments will therefore be described in 3 parts. The results from the first 2 parts of the work are shown in Fig. 1. Here the ß/(ß + Zr2Sb) and a/(a + ZrzSb) phase boundaries were determined with alloys made from 99.9 pct zirconium,* and cast under such conditions that the Vickers hardness of a alloys extrapolated to 95 to 110 VPN at 0 at. pct Sb. Such alloys were not suitable for investigations of the (a + ß) region, and the results shown in Fig. 1 near the (a+ ß) and (a +ß + Zr2Sb) regions were determined with purer alloys. These alloys had an extrapolated hardness range of 75 to 85 VPN and were made from 99.95 pct zirconium. A deviation from binary equilibrium occurs in Fig. 1 as indicated by the (a + ß) region of pure

Jan 1, 1959

By O. L. Culberson, J. J. McKetta

INTRODUCTION The equilibrium constants for methane and for water, and for ethane and water have been calculated from experimental data for the two binary systems.2,3,11,12 These constants are for the two-phase systems for the temperature range of 100" to 340°F and the pressure range of 200 to 10,000 psia. The constants for ethane are greater than those for methane. Equilibrium constants for a natural gas from a natural gas-water system6 are about the same as those for methane. Equilibrium constants for water in all three systems are very nearly the same over the greater part of the range of temperatures and pressures studied. In ideal solutions, the vapor-liquid equilibrium constants for a component should be the same in all such solutions at a given temperature and pressure.5 Few solutions are ideal, and consequently the use of generalized constants often leads to error in situations where they do not actually apply. In decidedly non-ideal systems, it is desirable to have equilibrium constant data for the specific system. Vaporization equilibrium constants may be calculated either by thermodynamic methods or from experimental vapor-liquid equilibrium data. In the thermodynamic calculation. the equilibrium constant K may be shown to be" K = fP,/fl&apos;..........(1) where fPi is the fugacity of the pure component i at the given temperature and at the vapor pressure of the pure component, and fp is the fugacity of pure i in the gaseous state at the temperature and total pressure of the system. At best the thermodynamic calculation results in a K applicable to ideal solutions. Equilibrium constants calculated from Equation (1) have been found to have only limited agreement with experimental values, even though the solutions for which they were calculated approached ideality."&apos;" If the more volatile component is at a temperature above its critical, the accuracy of the equilibrium constant for the component is made more doubtful by the use of the vapor pressure term under such conditions. In order to make the thermodynamic calculation on a component above its critical temperature, one must resort to one of the empirical methods of extrapolation of the vapor pressure to conditions above its critical point.13 Application of the thermodynamic equilibrium constant then to the methane-water or the ethane-water systems would be risky since the systems are non-ideal, and the methane and ethane are above their critical in most petroleum operations. ETHANE-WATER SYSTEM In the temperature range of from 100° to 340°F and for pressures up to 10,000 psia, the vapor-liquid equilibrium data &apos;References given at end of paper. Manuscript received in the office of the Petroleum Branch March 16, 1951.

Jan 1, 1951

The object of crushing and grinding for leaching is obviously to permit contact of the solvent and mineral and subsequent removal of pregnant solution in a reasonable time. Heap leaching is the leaching of ores that have been mined and transported to prepared, relatively impervious pads for leaching by sprinkling or ponding, and percolation of the lixiviate through the ore. Dump leaching is the leaching of dumps or low-grade ore or overburden without the use of prepared pads under them. Run-of-mine material, e. g., low -grade ore from open pit stripping operations, may be leached without crushing, and a fairly high recovery made by heap leaching. An alternate method for better grade gold/silver ores is to crush to 9 to 13 mm (318 to112 in. ) size for pad heap leaching, as used by Smoky Valley Mining Company at Round Mountain, Nevada, on gold ore, and to 38 rnrn (1 -1 12 in.), which will be done by Candelaria Partners, at Candelaria, Nevada, on silver ore. Heap leaching of copper probably began at Rio Tinto, Spain, about the year 1752. This was done by the leaching of weathering piles of ore in the open air followed by iron cementation of the liquor that drained off the heaps. Its application to the low -grade southwestern United States copper ores was overlooked for many years, and low- grade ores from Sacramento Hill at Bisbee, Arizona, were the first to be heap leached in 1923. Site preparation used a half century ago is the same today. "The need for some form of waterproofing of the pad was evident. Before leaching ore was piled, the site was cleared of cactus and brush. After clearing a gentle sloping area, it was then covered with a blanket of rolled and tamped clay or slime tailing. When heaps are built, a layer of coarse fragments may be put down first to assist drainage. A second method of leaching without grinding, usually for higher grade ores, is by vat or tank leaching of material crushed to 9 to 13 mm (318 to 112 in.) size. Such a plant is considerably more expensive than a heap leaching installation but much less costly than grinding for agitation leaching, and a recovery higher than that obtained by heap leaching is to be expected. Vat leaching has been widely used by the copper industry on higher grade copper ores but has been used in only a few small operations on that size gold or silver ores. However, such a plant should be considered for a modest tonnage of a few million tons, 3 to 7 g per mt (0.10 to 0.20 oz per st), of Carlin-type leachable ores crushed to 9 mm (318 in.).

Jan 1, 1981

By J. J. McKetta, O. L. Culberson

INTRODUCTION The equilibrium constants for methane and for water, and for ethane and water have been calculated from experimental data for the two binary systems.2,3,11,12 These constants are for the two-phase systems for the temperature range of 100" to 340°F and the pressure range of 200 to 10,000 psia. The constants for ethane are greater than those for methane. Equilibrium constants for a natural gas from a natural gas-water system6 are about the same as those for methane. Equilibrium constants for water in all three systems are very nearly the same over the greater part of the range of temperatures and pressures studied. In ideal solutions, the vapor-liquid equilibrium constants for a component should be the same in all such solutions at a given temperature and pressure.5 Few solutions are ideal, and consequently the use of generalized constants often leads to error in situations where they do not actually apply. In decidedly non-ideal systems, it is desirable to have equilibrium constant data for the specific system. Vaporization equilibrium constants may be calculated either by thermodynamic methods or from experimental vapor-liquid equilibrium data. In the thermodynamic calculation. the equilibrium constant K may be shown to be" K = fP,/fl&apos;..........(1) where fPi is the fugacity of the pure component i at the given temperature and at the vapor pressure of the pure component, and fp is the fugacity of pure i in the gaseous state at the temperature and total pressure of the system. At best the thermodynamic calculation results in a K applicable to ideal solutions. Equilibrium constants calculated from Equation (1) have been found to have only limited agreement with experimental values, even though the solutions for which they were calculated approached ideality."&apos;" If the more volatile component is at a temperature above its critical, the accuracy of the equilibrium constant for the component is made more doubtful by the use of the vapor pressure term under such conditions. In order to make the thermodynamic calculation on a component above its critical temperature, one must resort to one of the empirical methods of extrapolation of the vapor pressure to conditions above its critical point.13 Application of the thermodynamic equilibrium constant then to the methane-water or the ethane-water systems would be risky since the systems are non-ideal, and the methane and ethane are above their critical in most petroleum operations. ETHANE-WATER SYSTEM In the temperature range of from 100° to 340°F and for pressures up to 10,000 psia, the vapor-liquid equilibrium data &apos;References given at end of paper. Manuscript received in the office of the Petroleum Branch March 16, 1951.

Jan 1, 1951

By A. G. Roach

THIS paper deals with a plant built under joint agreement between the Canadian and United States Governments to supply the strategic mineral, corundum, at a time when African production was dwindling and war demands still increasing. The operation began in September 1944, retreating the tailings from a former mill by gravity methods, and is still in production (Sept. 1946). In 1942, when it became apparent that South African production would be insufficient to meet mounting wartime requirements of corundum, a survey was made of Canadian sources of the mineral, at the request of the Foreign Economic Administration of the U. S. Government. The investigation1 indicated that the quickest and cheapest supply would be obtained by reworking the tailings deposit at Craigmont, Ontario. Sampling of the dump by Canadian Government engineers revealed that 125,000 tons of tailings, averaging 2.96 pct corundum, was available for retreatment. Ore-dressing tests on representative samples of the deposit were conducted by the writer in the laboratories of the Industrial Minerals Section of the Department of Mines and Resources at Ottawa; and gravity concentration on tables was indicated as the most suitable method of treatment. Decision to proceed with the project was deferred until May 9, construction was begun on May 18, and tune-up operation of the plant begun on Sept. 15, 1944. CORUNDUM-ITS PROPERTIES AND USES Corundum is an oxide of aluminum having the formula A1203. Its outstanding characteristic is its great hardness; 9 in the Mohs scale. In this respect it is second only to the diamond. It usually occurs in barrel-shaped crystals in nepheline syenites and other feldspathic rocks deficient in silica. It has a specific gravity of 3.95 to 4.1 and is insoluble and infusible. In color it ranges from white, through red and green, to black. Ruby and sapphire are gem varieties of corundum. Corundum is supplied to industry as closely graded grain.2 The coarser products (10 to 24-mesh) are used largely for snagging wheels in the steel-castings industry, while the finer grades (from 70-mesh down to flours) find a wide application in the polishing of lenses and for other uses in the optical trade. All sizes of corundum grain are in close competition with synthetic abrasives such as carborundum and alundum. In some fields of application the artificial product is superior to the natural grain but not in all. The shape of the particle and its behavior under conditions of actual use determine its sphere of employment. The United States is the largest consumer of corundum, annual consumption in peacetime approaching 3000 tons; during the war this figure was roughly doubled. During the years 1902 to 1913, the bulk

Jan 1, 1946

By Donald B. Hunter

The Ti-Be system up lo 10 wt pct Be with cortlmercialll&apos; pure titanium has been determined using metal-lographic techniques. Beryllium forms the p eutec-toid type of dinqarz with titanium; the eutectoid occurs at 0.5 xt pct Be azd 1500 F, while an eutectic is foritled at 1887°F containing between 5 and 7.5 rt pct Be. The solubility of beryllium in a titanium does not exceed 0.05 zvt pct and the maximum solubility of Beryllim in 0 titanium is 1 wt pet. PREVIOUS work on the Ti-Be phase diagram indicated that additions of beryllium to titanium resulted in a marked lowering of the melting point,&apos;&apos;&apos; and it was also observed that the solubility of beryllium in both a and p titanium was retricted.- With the limited data available, McQuillan and McQuillan constructed a partial hypothetical diagram of the Ti-Be system,= assuming that beryllium formed the 0 eutectoid type of system with titanium. Subsequently Bedford published a tentative diagram of the entire Ti-Be system: although he did not investigate alloys containing less than 10 wt pct Be. This diagram included several compounds described by other authorities.&apos;-l3 The following account describes work directed toward determining the form of the titanium-rich portion of the phase diagram up to 10 wt pct Be. MATERIALS AND METHODS Titanium sponge and a master alloy containing 25 wt pct Be were used in the formulation of the alloys; the chemistry of these materials is detailed in Table I. The alloys were prepared as 250-g compacts which were melted into buttons by arc melting under purified argon on a water-cooled copper hearth. Results of analyses for beryllium are shown in Table I but no determination of other elements was made at this stage. The alloys were hot-rolled at 1650°F to produce 0.1-in.-thick sheet. Alloys containing up to 1.5 pct Be were fabricated without trouble; samples containing 2 pct cracked initially upon hot rolling, but thereafter rolled satisfactorily to sheet. The 5, 7.5, and 10 pct were hot short and could not be rolled. Surface contamination was removed from samples by sandblasting and pickling in a 5 pct HF-35 pct HNOs solution. For metal log raphic examination, heat-treated specimens were mounted transverse to the rolling direction, ground on silicon carbide papers of increasing fineness to 600 grit, and electropolished at 20 v using a solution containing 600 ml of methanol, 60 ml of perchloric acid, 360 ml of butyl cellosolve, and 2 ml of Solvent "X". Difficulty was experienced in obtaining good electropolished surfaces with samples containing more than 1 pct Be, the degree of difficulty in-

Jan 1, 1967

By G. W. King, A. Bogrow, L. F. Marek

The purpose of this paper is to present the data and some interpretation of the results of a laboratory study of the reduction of iron ore and the deposition of carbon from the reducing gas mixtures in such reductions. One major object of the study was to determine the effect of gas pressures on these chemical processes. Effort was made to approximate the conditions of temperature, gas composition, linear and mass gas velocities, pressure range, and extent of reduction prevailing in commercial blast furnaces. The results show that the reduction of Fe203 proceeds by two steps, largely consecutive under the conditions used herein: reduction of Fe203 to FeO, and reduction of FeO to Fe. Unless the gas has a CO!CO, ratio greater than 2.1 only the first step occurs under these conditions (850°C) but the following generalizations apply to either step or to the combination. The rate of reduction of relatively fine ore particles .at any time is proportional to the mass rate of supply of CO (provided some of it is thermodynamically available): the rate therefore is proportional to the linear velocity at constant pressure, or to the pressure at constant linear velocity. Thus, the rate of reduction may be increased without increase in linear velocity of the reducing gas by increasing the mass velocity of the gas and increasing the pressure correspondingly to avoid any increase in the linear velocity. The rate "constants"—i.e., the efficiency of conversion of the "available" CO supplied— is not actually constant but decreases as the reduction proceeds, and is a function only of the state of the ore; i.e., of the amount of reduction already accomplished and hence of the amount of CO passed. The particle size of ore used in nearly all the experiments was relatively small (8 to 14-mesh). The rate of reduction in run 16 with 3 to 8-mesh ore particles is within experimental error the same as with the finer ore. Although this would indicate an absence of effect due to particle size in this range of ore particles, it is desirable to have more data on other ore sizes and on ore of different densities before arriving at any generalizations on this point. Although it is possible to extend the analysis of these results to consideration of the more detailed kinetics and mechanism of iron oxide reduction, such extension is beyond the scope of the present paper. From the experiments on carbon deposition, it was evident that if carbon deposition is increased at all by the application of pressures up to 10 psi ga., such increase appears to be less than the experimental and analytical error. It appears safe to conclude that at top pressures on the order

Jan 1, 1948