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By J. M. Gaines, C. H. Herty

It is a matter of frequent record in the literature that manganese will desulfurize molten iron under proper conditions. Particularly has much been written with regard to this action in the mixer, and numerous reports have been published describing experiments in which advantage was taken of this phenomenon in order to obtain a purer iron for the open hearth. The question of sulfur elimination in the ladle has, however, received comparatively little attention. The reaction by which sulfur is removed is considered to be: FeS + Mn = MnS + Fe. The manganese sulfide, being but sparingly soluble in the iron, and of a lower density, will rise from the body of the metal and collect as a slag on the surface. It is therefore an action taking place solely in the metal, and independent of interaction between slag and metal. As will be shown later the presence of slag on the metal tends to offset the effect of manganese elimination. It is this fact which distinguishes desulfuriza-tion in the ladle from desulfurization in the mixer, for it has been shown1 that the amount of sulfur eliminated in the mixer is closely tied up with the composition of the slag. Experimental Procedure In order to ascertain the extent of and the factors controlling this elimination in the ladle, several casts were sampled carefully at the blast furnace and again when the ladles were being emptied, either at the mixer, open hearth, or foundry. If the sulfur content varied from ladle to ladle at the blast furnace the average sulfur content of each ladle was obtained by integrating the curve "sulfur vs. time " for the cast under

Jan 1, 1927

By B. J. Steblay

Roof bolts are the primary means of supplemental support in coal mines and are widely used in other mines. Presently, post installation loads are measured infrequently on only about 10% of the bolts by using standard torque wrenches that limit accuracy to about ± 30%. Because mine roof bolts are long, slender, non-uniformly sized, roughly forged, placed in a difficult environment, and subject to severe bending on installation, researchers have been unable to use ultrasonic reflection techniques to measure strain. A complete measurement system has now been assembled by the US Bureau of Mines, Denver Research Center. Obstacles such as bolt preparation, transducer mounting, reliable reflection, and calibration have been dealt with. The seemingly simple concept of measuring the time of flight of an ultrasonic pulse to a reflector is actually complex due to the need to measure to 0.0025 mm (0.0001 in.) accuracy, the sensitivity of velocity to temperature, and stress, and the stability required to make measurements over several years.

Jan 1, 1986

By O. E. Kiessling

Viewed from the standpoint of an economist, the task which faces the petroleum producing industry is one of intelligent adjustment so that technology can perform the job of efficient exploitation, while at the same time the interests of producers and consumers remain adequately protected. The crux in the task of making this adjustment lies in the difficulty of arranging the instrumentalities of production to accord with the physical characteristics of oil. For example, oil is exploited under a competitive economic system based on private ownership and contract, with the hope that profits will attract capital and enterprise, and with competition supposedly acting as the regulative factor. Whether such a scheme of industrial organization works is partially dependent upon the ability of the producer to withold or produce his commodity as he sees fit, in accordance with market demand. But in the oil industry, the enterpriser does not have complete control over the expansion and contraction of production, for, because of the decisions of the courts that ownership in oil depends upon its possession, desire for immediate output becomes the controlling force in production. Consequently, the theoretical commands and restraints of free enterprise are not operative because there is no security of property, and the result is loss due to the following economic maladjustments: (1) Production not completely responsive to price control. (2) Production at excessive cost. (3) Loss of oil, a highly exhaustible natural resource. If economic maladjustments are to be eliminated, there should be a change in the organization of production so as to provide efficient exploitation of the oil and at the same time to insure individual property interests. The latter is necessary if economic considerations are to become primary factors in regulating production. To attain these ends, the entire pool should be developed as one big engineering project and some scheme

Jan 1, 1928

By R. L. Klueh, W. W. Mullins

During the course of a study on the periodic precipitation (Liesegang phenomenon) of water vapor bubbles in solid silver, some interesting observations were made concerning the formation and growth of these bubbles. Under certain conditions it was found that the bubbles which formed in the single crystals led to the formation of large blisters ad cracks, and when poly crystalline specimens were used grain boundary cracking was observed. These two phenomena were examined in some detail, and it was found that an important step in the formation of the blisters and grain boundary cracks was the impingement of neighboring bubbles. DURING the study of Liesegang precipitation in solid silver,' some interesting observations were made concerning the formation and growth of water vapor bubbles. The bubbles were formed by annealing oxygen-saturated silver in hydrogen. Because of the similarity of this phenomenon to the hydrogen embrittlement of tough pitch copper,' it is known in the literature" as the hydrogen embrittlement of silver. In some respects it appears that the hydrogen embrittlement of silver is similar to the processes of hydrogen attack of steel5 and blister formation.' Hydrogen attack results from the high-temperature reaction of hydrogen with dissolved carbon or carbides in the steel to form methane (usually at grain boundaries). Blister formation occurs in steel and other materials as a result of hydrogen produced by corrosion, pickling, and so forth. Because of these similarities, some speculations were made concerning these other processes. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Water vapor bubbles were formed in 99.999+, 99.99+, and 99.9 pct Ag by annealing in a partial pressure of oxygen (pq) until saturated and then in a partial pressure of hydrogen (pH,). The hydrogen diffuses into the silver and reacts with the dissolved oxygen to form water vapor which precipitates in the form of bubbles. The specimens were then sectioned, silver-plated, mounted in cold-setting plastic, ground and polished through a preliminary polishing, and finally chemically polished.' The bubbles were visible without etching.

Jan 1, 1969

By Oscar Johnson

WITH capacities of milling plants expanding from a few hundred tons per day to many thousand, replenishment of grinding media is an important phase of mill operation. Information on this aspect of milling procedure, solicited from several mining companies, is summarized here. At International Nickel's Copper Cliff concentrator the normally strenuous job of changing rods is considerably simplified by the use of the Garrow rod charging machine, Fig. 1. The overhead crane, Fig. 2, brings a bundle of rods, weighing four to a ton, to the loading platform of the machine, positioned in front of the mill. The rods roll one by one down the slight incline of the platform onto a conveyor which sends them into the mill.

Jan 6, 1954

By J. R. Mihalisin

THE application of electron-microscopic techniques to the study of high-temperature alloys has met with considerable success.' This is due, in part, to the submicroscopic nature of the phases present in this type of alloy making high resolution methods necessary. Among the newer electron-microscopic techniques, the extraction replica technique' has proven to be of great value. This method allows phases to be examined in situ in the microstructure and permits their identification by means of electron diffracticn. This technique eliminates the main disadvantage in using electrolytic extraction of residues as a means of phase identification; that is, the uncertainty of relating constituents identified in the residue to what is observed microscopically. In the course of work relating microstructure to physical properties in high-temperature alloys, it was found that the formation of grain-boundary carbide phases and intragranular precipitation of an age-hardening phase greatly influence strength and ductility at high temperature. In particular, it was found that the formation of a unique type of precipitate in Nimonic "80" (a nickel-chromium-aluminum-titanium type superalloy), termed cellular or discontinuous precipitate, at grain boundaries generally results in poor ductility at high temperature. However, this mode of precipitation can be avoided by proper heat-treatment. It was assumed that this precipitate was either a carbide or age-hardening type of phase. Using various etching procedures with the extraction-replica technique, it was found to be possible to extract the carbide and age-hardening phases preferentially in this type of alloy. Previous work has shown that the age-hardening phase can be extracted from superalloys merely by

Jan 1, 1959

By O. B. Hopkins

Essentially all production for Peru came from the three established fields in coastal northwestern Peru (Fig. 1). These fields are known as La Brea-Parinas, Lobitos, and Zorritos, in order of importance. Together they produced 13,496,880 bbl., as compared with 15,838,605 bbl. in 1938. Zorritos Field.—Of the total production shown on Table 1, the Zorritos field was responsible for a relatively negligible amount estimated at 40,000 bbl. This small field, which is over 50 years old, was purchased by the Peruvian Government in the spring of 1939 from the Piaggio interests. The Government operated this field along with its near-by National Reserve areas, largely under supervision of Department of Mines officials, and the total production rate for both old and newa-areas was estimated to have increased by Oct. 1 to 166 bbl. per day. as compared with the 1938 average of 110 bbl. per day. Construction is said to have begun on a refinery that is to have a capacity of 1000 bbl. per day and is to include a gasoline-extraction plant, and on a pipe line to bring fresh water 20 miles from the Tumbes River. Lobitos Fields.—The Lobitos fields, some 70 miles south of Zorritos, produced approximately 2,650,000 bbl., or almost the same amount a* in 1938. La Brea-Parinas.—The International's La Brea-Parinas property, immediately south of the Lobitos property, produced 10,806,880 bbl., or 80 per cent of Peru's production. During the year 73 wells were drilled on the Estate, mostly in the semiproved area: 44 by rotary, 13 by cable and 16 by star rigs, as compared with 34 by rotary, 11 by cable and 20 by star in 1938. The most important of the several semiexploratory wells sunk was No. 3075, which late in December was brought in at a depth of 4500 ft. with an initial production of 1500 bbl. per day, based on

Jan 1, 1940

By O. B. Hopkins

Essentially all production for Peru came from the three established fields in coastal northwestern Peru (Fig. 1). These fields are known as La Brea-Parinas, Lobitos, and Zorritos, in order of importance. Together they produced 13,496,880 bbl., as compared with 15,838,605 bbl. in 1938. Zorritos Field.—Of the total production shown on Table 1, the Zorritos field was responsible for a relatively negligible amount estimated at 40,000 bbl. This small field, which is over 50 years old, was purchased by the Peruvian Government in the spring of 1939 from the Piaggio interests. The Government operated this field along with its near-by National Reserve areas, largely under supervision of Department of Mines officials, and the total production rate for both old and newa-areas was estimated to have increased by Oct. 1 to 166 bbl. per day. as compared with the 1938 average of 110 bbl. per day. Construction is said to have begun on a refinery that is to have a capacity of 1000 bbl. per day and is to include a gasoline-extraction plant, and on a pipe line to bring fresh water 20 miles from the Tumbes River. Lobitos Fields.—The Lobitos fields, some 70 miles south of Zorritos, produced approximately 2,650,000 bbl., or almost the same amount a* in 1938. La Brea-Parinas.—The International's La Brea-Parinas property, immediately south of the Lobitos property, produced 10,806,880 bbl., or 80 per cent of Peru's production. During the year 73 wells were drilled on the Estate, mostly in the semiproved area: 44 by rotary, 13 by cable and 16 by star rigs, as compared with 34 by rotary, 11 by cable and 20 by star in 1938. The most important of the several semiexploratory wells sunk was No. 3075, which late in December was brought in at a depth of 4500 ft. with an initial production of 1500 bbl. per day, based on

Jan 1, 1940

By Alfred E. Hunt

In a paper written for the Boston meeting of February, 1888 (Trans., xvi., 693), on "Some Recent Improvements in OpenHearth Steel Practice," the writer described the reducing agent used by the Carbon Iron Company as "a peculiar graphite from Cranston, near Providence, R. I." Upon an application pending at that time, a patent has since been issued as number 259,795, to Mr. Matthew Graff, for the use of solid carbonaceous matter in the form of coke, charcoal, gas carbon, bituminous or anthracite coal, ground to the size of coarse sand and then coated with a mash of lime, magnesia, clay, or other material of a like character, as an agent to reduce metallic oxides. An amount of this prepared carbonaceous matter equal to from 25 to 30 per cent. of the weight of the ore treated is required to perform the complete reduction. The idea is that the carbonaceous matter is protected against rapid combustion by a suitable coating of some inert material, so that, in effect, its action as a reducing agent will be similar to that of the Cranston graphite previously used, allowing the solid carbon to remain without combustion in intimate mixture with the iron oxide at a temperature sufficiently high to reduce the ore and in some cases to melt the matrix in which the iron is held. In the present practice of the Carbon Iron Company, the use of graphite, except for the formation of bottoms of the reverberatory furnaces in which the reduction is performed, has been entirely abandoned, and " retarded coke," as it is called at the works, has taken its place. Five hundred and fifty pounds of Connellsville coke is ground in a pan to 16-mesh fineness, or is taken in the form of ordinary coke-dust, and made into a hollow basin on the mixingfloor ; and seven bucketfuls of a wash composed of equal parts of lime and fire-clay, mixed in water to the consistency of thin cream,

Jan 1, 1889

By C. M. Young

BITUMINOUS coal piled in heaps or bins frequently undergoes a process of spontaneous heating as the result of the absorption of oxygen. It seems probable that the first absorption of oxygen by coal which has not previously been exposed to the air may occur as a condensation or a combination of oxygen in some form which does not result in the production of carbon dioxide, but slow combustion soon begins. The absorption of oxygen is accompanied by an increase of temperature, and this by in increased rapidity of absorption; hence the dangerous condition proceeds from bad to worse, until the kindling point is reached, unless the process is interrupted. A dangerous rise of temperature can be prevented by excluding oxygen, by increasing the bulk of coal in proportion to its surface exposed, or by circulating enough air to dissipate the heat produced. The storage of coal, in practice, varies from almost complete exclusion of oxygen, by storing under water, to such freedom of access as exists when the coal is stored in open piles. Oxygen available for absorption by coal is supplied by the air in the interstices between lumps and by additional air which may enter the pile through circulation. The size, of the coal largely affects both of these supplies; for if the fragments a re small the spaces between them constitute a small percentage of the total volume, and little oxygen will be available unless the circulation of air brings in a fresh supply, while with large fragments the percentage is relatively large; circulation also is much easier through a pile of coarse lumps. In the case f lump coal, although a large amount of air may be present, the exposed surface is comparatively small and there is little opportunity for the absorption of oxygen to so rapid as to cause dangerous heating. Attempts have been made to prevent heating by allowing a sufficient circulation of air to carry off the heat generated; obviously this method cannot be applied to fine sizes nor mixed sizes.

Jan 2, 1918

By Thomas D. West

A short time ago, I had occasion to cast iron plates 1 in. thick, direct from metal containing Si, 0.51; 8, 0.045; Mn, 0.75; and P, 0.094 per cent. Much to my astonishment, I found that there was no trouble in planing them; whereas, if cupolaimetal of like composition had been used,*the planing would have been a difficult operation. I have often noticed a greater fluidity or " life " in furnace-metal, as compared with the cupola-product. Iron can be seen flowing down the furnace-runners from 50 to 100 ft., and reaching the last pig-bed in satisfactory condition, while cupola-metal might have solidified before it had flowed so far. I have seen Bessemer iron, which, on account of its low phosphorus-content, does not have the " life " of ordinary foundry-iron, held in a 30-ton ladle for nearly an hour and a half; and after skimming off the coke-dust, it still had to be cooled off' considerably before being cast. As a general proposition, it is known that the lower sulphur-content and the frequently higher temperature of direct-metal, compared with the same iron remelted in the cupola, has much to do with its greater life; yet some problems connected with this phenomenon seem to call for further study. For instance, furnace-metal containing more than 1 per cent. of silicon holds carbon, which is separated later as "kish." This separation does not take place to any great degree while the metal is very hot; but during its gradual cooling, at times, the kish is given off in such large quantities as to cover the ground from 20 to 30 ft. around the ladle. In making castings of direct-metal, especially with a high content of silicon, the separation of kish becomes an annoyance. Perhaps this throwing out of the excess of carbon makes the life of the metal shorter, after it has been remelted in a

Jan 1, 1905

By C. H. North, L. E. Lynd, W. W. Anderson, H. Sigurdson

CONSIDERABLE uncertainty is revealed in the literature regarding the nature of the titanium minerals which make up the bulk of the heavy, opaque fractions of numerous beach sand deposits of the world. An investigation was made, therefore, of beach sand concentrates of North Carolina, Florida, Brazil, and India. Magnetic concentration, X-ray, and microscope data were obtained which show that these concentrates consist essentially of ilmenite and its alteration products. The alteration, brought about by oxidation and leaching of iron values, has resulted in upgrading the ores to a range of 56 to 64 pct TiO2, as compared with 52.7 pct in ilmenite of theoretical composition. Conclusions drawn regarding the nature of the dominant titanium-bearing mineral in beach sand deposits have been based mainly on chemical composition, specific gravity, and petrography. This material has usually been referred to as ilmenite or weathered ilmenite. It has also been referred to as arizonite because in chemical composition it resembles an occurrence in Arizona which was described by Palmer1 in 1909.

Jan 8, 1954

By Philip Wilson

THE Province of British Columbia covers 382,000 sq. mi., about 250,000 sq. mi. of which have not been prospected. In fact, the coast country and the islands are so heavily timbered and the surface covered with so thick a mantle of soil, muskeg, and, over broad areas, glacial drift, that prospecting, and even trail breaking are extremely difficult. It is only along the coast or stream channels, or above the timber line, or where snow or rock slides have scoured the surface that rock outcrops can be found. Glaciers nestle in many of the cirques and fill the valleys in the higher ranges. Great ice sheets and perpetual snow persist in certain localities, thus reducing the exposed areas worth prospecting. Almost the entire country has been subjected to intense glaciation, so that the conspicuous oxidized outcrops of orebodies typical of the south-western United States and Mexico do not exist and surface bodies of enriched or oxidized ore are rare. With few exceptions, the mines1 of the Province are working primary ore. Developments have proved that some of these orebodies are large and important, although usually comparatively low in grade. Besides the few mines that have produced most of the minerals, there are many small mines, but their total output is unimportant. Considering the number of mines and prospects and the widespread mineralization, it is strange that no really great mines, comparable in size and richness with those in the western United States have been found.

Jan 8, 1922

By P. D. Wilson

The genesis of some orebodies has been explained by the mingling and chemical interaction of water solutions of different compositions and the consequent precipitation of the mineral load of one or both solutions at their confluence. While this process can be proved in the laboratory, rarely can a positive demonstration be found in nature, for the conditions at the time an ore deposit is being worked are usually entircly differcnt from those that existed when the orebody was formed. For this reason, the present deposition of copper carbonate in the southern end of the Briggs mine of the Calumet and Arizona Mining Co. near Bisbce, Ariz., is of great interest. The developed orebodies in the Calumet and Arizona mines are roughly confined to two broad parallel zones separated at the north by a wedge of Copper Queen ground and at the south by an undeveloped block of Calumet and Arizona ground about 2000 ft. (610 m.) wide. The more westerly zone includes the Irish Mag, Oliver, P. and D., and Cole mines, none of which has been operated since 1919. Much of the water from this division is carried from the 1400-ft., or bottom, level at the southern end of the Cole mine in a long water drift through the undeveloped block to the 1300-ft. level of the Briggs mine at the southern end of the more easterly zone. Most of this water comes originally from outlying areas in the P. and D. mine, passing through parts of the lower. levels of the Cole mine, which are heavily mineralized with iron and copper sulfides. This sulfide zone has been opened up and slowly oxidizing for years. Originally a pure, potable water, the analyses of which are shown under A- in Tables 1 and 2, on its way through the mineralized area in the Cole mine it gathers copper, calcium, magnesium, iron, and aluminum sulfates, a load of dissolved mineral salts almost four times as great as that which it formerly carried; analyses B

Jan 1, 1923

By E. T. Dumble

For many years there have been occasional reports of the discovery of gold from a belt of the coast country of Texas which is underlain by deposits belonging to the lower Eocene. For the most part they have been treated as newspaper reports and no examination or record of them has been made. Among such, it may be mentioned that in 1896 there was a flurry over reported gold-discoveries west of Luling and elsewhere in this belt, and in 1903 some prospect-shafts were sunk on the Gon-zales branch of the Galveston, Houston & San Antonio railway, 3 miles below Harwood. During 1912, further discoveries have again brought the matter to our attention, and it may be of interest to record the facts as we have found them. Some years ago specimens were sent me, which were said to have been taken from certain beds on Gazley creek, and concentrated by washing in a rocker. In them were several particles of gold sufficiently large to be visible to the eye. Under the microscope they showed to be, with few exceptions, sharp cornered, and not rounded as is usual with placer-gold. They were not filings, however, but their sharpness seemed rather to be due to a recent freeing from their matrix. One or two grains were rusty, and one copper-hued, but the most of them were tolerably bright. On examining the material of the samples small grains or fragments were found, of a yellowish brown color, which seemed to be of a finely-granular structure—possibly a sandstone. In these fragments I found particles of gold, one of them being large enough to be visible without a lens. Gazley creek empties into the Colorado river just north of Smithville, and for a few miles north of that place its banks show, beneath the deposits of more recent materials, the sands and clays of the Lignitie division of the Eocene, with lignite, shells of iron, etc.

Jan 1, 1913

By P. D. Wilson

The genesis of some orebodies has been explained by the mingling and chemical interaction of water solutions of different compositions and the consequent precipitation of the mineral load of one or both solutions at their confluence. While this process can be proved in the laboratory, rarely can a positive demonstration be found in nature, for the conditions at the time an ore deposit is being worked are usually entircly differcnt from those that existed when the orebody was formed. For this reason, the present deposition of copper carbonate in the southern end of the Briggs mine of the Calumet and Arizona Mining Co. near Bisbce, Ariz., is of great interest. The developed orebodies in the Calumet and Arizona mines are roughly confined to two broad parallel zones separated at the north by a wedge of Copper Queen ground and at the south by an undeveloped block of Calumet and Arizona ground about 2000 ft. (610 m.) wide. The more westerly zone includes the Irish Mag, Oliver, P. and D., and Cole mines, none of which has been operated since 1919. Much of the water from this division is carried from the 1400-ft., or bottom, level at the southern end of the Cole mine in a long water drift through the undeveloped block to the 1300-ft. level of the Briggs mine at the southern end of the more easterly zone. Most of this water comes originally from outlying areas in the P. and D. mine, passing through parts of the lower. levels of the Cole mine, which are heavily mineralized with iron and copper sulfides. This sulfide zone has been opened up and slowly oxidizing for years. Originally a pure, potable water, the analyses of which are shown under A- in Tables 1 and 2, on its way through the mineralized area in the Cole mine it gathers copper, calcium, magnesium, iron, and aluminum sulfates, a load of dissolved mineral salts almost four times as great as that which it formerly carried; analyses B

Jan 1, 1923

BECAUSE you cannot always proceed by the ordinary pathway since you sometimes find yourself in a place where you cannot have all that you might need or wish, it often happens that it is necessary to know how to recognize and understand your materials well, in addition to having them well disposed, and to know how to use your, ingenuity in arranging a mould., Furthermore, things have a great diversity among themselves, and it is not possible to give a particular rule for all. But if you have a certain broad fundamental knowledge when you have need of many things, the ingenuity awakens and supplies its needs by imitation. Now, because I have thought that you had not hitherto had the slightest shadow of knowledge of what I have described in this treatise of mine, I have expanded and narrated things in greater detail than perhaps I might have done. For this reason I have also decided that I wish to tell you of several methods that can be used if you wish to mould, especially in making an intaglio* for a relief, t or in making another intaglio in bronze from either an intaglio or a relief. And I will tell how every relief reduces, itself from convex to concave and also how the relief is made from the intaglio. These works are first made of plaster or pastes or some other liquid thing that is soft when moulded and becomes hard either by drying out with heat or by shrinking with cold, such as tragacanth, plaster of Paris, sulphur, lead, wax, or similar things. And, in conclusion, we describe the method of making an intaglio from a solid. In making an intaglio you must first consider whether it is a large or small thing, figure or foliage, whether it is in demi- or bas-relief, and whether it is a thing that projects from the mould wholly or in part.

Jan 1, 1942

By J. C. Uy, A. A. Burr

A quantitative relationship between the allotropic phase boundaries of zirconium-base binary systenzs and the solute metallic valence is shown through an intermediate thermodynamic parameter. A simplified equation relating this parameter to the phase boundaries is briefly reviewed, and data from the literature are used to show the relationship of this parameter to the solute metallic valence. It has been reported that the solute metallic valence can be used as an index of phase stabilization in zirconium-base binary alloys.' It was shown that the algebraic sign of the slopes of the hcp/bcc phase boundaries of zirconium alloys correspond to the algebraic sign of the metallic valence of zirconium minus the metallic valence of the solute, or, in other words, a solute whose metallic valence is higher than that of the solvent tends to stabilize the high-temperature phase while one whose metallic valence is lower than that of the solvent tends to stabilize the low-temperature phase. Further analysis of the zirconium binary systems has revealed a quantitative relationship between the solute metallic valence and the relative slopes of the two-phase allotropic boundaries. This relationship involves a thermodynamic quantity whose significance can be seen in the following section. PHASE-STABILIZATION PARAMETER Let Qb be the difference between the partial molar heats of mixing of a given solute in the two allotropic phases of the solvent which are in equilibrium with each other at a given temperature, thus A relationship between this term Qb and allotropic phase boundaries has been employed by several au-thors'-= in the evaluation of phase diagrams, and can be briefly derived as follows. Referring to Fig. 1, consider the general case of two allotropic phases, each having a small mole fraction (Xa,Xb) of the solute, in equilibrium at temperature T and atmospheric pressure as represented by the reaction. solute in ß phase =solute in a phase If now a reaction occurs such that an infinitesimal amount of the solute is removed from the ß phase and added to the a phase, there would be a partial molar

Jan 1, 1967

By David Donoghue

Efforts made in the year 1930 and in previous years restricted production in most of the fields of Texas to a point that was satisfactory, at the beginning of 1931, to the majority of producers and buyers. In the Panhandle, North Texas and West Central Texas districts, a few operators with refinery affiliations or contracts either ignored, or by virtue of injunction suits, did not comply with the Railroad Commission's orders, and there was some oil sold at less than posted prices, which, with the Oklahoma City difficulties, caused the first general price reduction. More could have been done perhaps to help the situation on the Gulf Coast and in the Laredo district, but natural advantages are not readily surrendered. East Texas Proration troubles in 1930 were insignificant when compared with those of 1931. In January, 1931, efforts were begun to convince the producers and citizens of East Texas of the necessity of curtailment. Opposition quickly developed and meetings were held in the towns of the region and proration denounced vigorously. Notwithstanding a strenuous campaign for additional legislation waged by many producers, the regular session of the State Legislature refused to strengthen the conservation laws and passed only the Marginal Well Bill, designed to prevent the Commission from prorating small wells. The Railroad Commission held a heated hearing on East Texas in the latter part of March. During April the Commission issued three orders based on the Yates plan for the proration of the East Texas field. Each succeeding order raised the allowable for the field. In June the opposition held more mass meetings at which a plan based on acreage was endorsed. Apparently on the theory that any plan was better than none, the Commission issued an order on July 2 embodying some of the features of the proposed plan, limiting production to 250,000 bbl. per day, and dividing the producing area into 20-acre units participating equally in the outlet. Owing to the bringing in of many wells and the many violators of the Commission's orders, production increased to such an extent that prices went as low as 5c per barrel.

Jan 1, 1932

By F. C. Sturges

By definition the word "grout" means a thin mortar, or a kind of plaster or cement, 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, 1949