Search Documents

By H. J. Mutz

THE International Nickel Co. of Canada Ltd. operates five underground mines and an open pit. Four of the mines, the Frood-Stobie, Creighton, Murray, and Garson, are on the south range of the Sudbury Basin, map above, within a radius of 10 miles of the city of Sudbury, Ontario. The fifth mine, the Levack, is on the north range of the Sudbury Basin, 30 miles to the northwest of the city. The open pit is operating on surface ores of the Frood-Stobie orebody.

Jan 1, 1953

By Hsun Hu, R. S. Cline

The formation of annealing textures during the course of recrystallization in 2 pct Al-Fe crystals rolled in the (111) [112], (112) [111], and (112) [Till orientations has hem studied in detail. When the rolling texture is composed of both (111) [121] and (001)[110] components, the annealing texture consists of mainly (110) [001] and (113) [332] components. As the (001) [110] component diminishes from the surface to the interior of the rolled crystal, the relative concentration of the (113) [332] component in the annealing texture decreases accordingly, whereas that of the (110)[001] component increases with the (111)[112] component in the rolling texture. Such dependence of the annealing texture on the composition of the rolling texture is in accmdance with the oriented growth mechanism. Grain-growth characteristics during recrystallization, hence the annealing texture, can he considerablv different in (112) [111]-type crystals depending sensitively on the initial orientation of the crystal. In a previous publication,' the formation of rolling textures in 2 pct A1-Fe single crystals with initial orientations of approximately (1ll)[112], (112)[111], and (112)[111] was studied in detail. The deformation texture of these crystals consisted of either a single (111)[112] or a combination of (111)[112] and (001)[110] components in various concentrations. For the (lll)[112] crystal, the deformation texture was a single (lll)[112] up to 70 pct rolling reduction, but it became (lll)[112] plus (001)[110] after -90 pct reduction. For the (112)[113.]-type crystals, the relative concentration of the (111)[ 112] and (001)[110] components varied with the depth below the surface of the crystal, as well as with the amount of deformation. These series of specimens, having deformation textures with a range of concentration of the (111)[112] and (001)[110] components, could therefore be used for a thorough investigation of the effect of deformation-texture components on the formation of annealing textures. In a study of rolling and annealing textures in Si-Fe crystals, Dunn and Koh3 noted that the addition of a (001)[110] component to the (111)[112]-type deformation texture had practically no effect on the recrystallization texture.* According to the ori- ented growth mechanism for the formation of annealing textures, nuclei related to the deformation texture by approximately 30-deg rotation around a common [110] axis have the highest rate of growth and the resulting annealing textures generally have such an orientation relationship with respect to the deformation textures.314 It was reasoned by Dunn and Koh3 that if the oriented growth mechanism operated the recrystallization texture developed from a deformation texture containing both (111)[112] and (001)[110] components should be strongly centered around (113)[332], because (113)[332] is approximately midway between the (111)[112] and (001)[110], and is related to both of these two orientations by [110] rotations of 25 to 30 deg. Hence, nuclei of (113)[332] orientation should have a high rate of growth in the deformed matrix. However, their results were not in accord with this prediction. It was felt by the writers that a detailed study was needed to clarify the effect of deformation-texture components on annealing-texture formation. For this reason, the present investigation was conducted. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Specimens used for the present investigation were taken from the crystals rolled previously for deformation-texture studies.' In order to follow the progress of annealing-texture formation during the course of recrystallization, a single specimen was taken from each rolled crystal and its textural changes examined after successive anneals until recrystallization was complete. The specimen was carefully cut from the rolled strip with a jeweler's saw. Prior to annealing, the sawed edges were etched to remove distorted metal, while both faces of the specimen were protected from the etching solution by acid-proof plastic tape. After annealing, the specimen was etched from the "bottom" face only (the reference or "top" face of the specimen was protected by plastic tape) to one half of its original thickness, so that the texture at the surface and at the central section of the strip could be determined by the reflection technique. The

Jan 1, 1965

By Y. Shimomura, M. Serizawa, Y. Takahashi, K. Miyagawa

The "semi-pellet" sintering method developed and currently being used at the Fuji Iron & Steel's Hirohata Works is discusssd. It is shown that the method makes fine-sized material easily sinterable and increases sinter production. The operation can be incorporated readily into conventional sintering plants. Sintering plant raw materials currently being used in the Hirohata Works consist of 40 pct pyrite cinder, 40 pct fines resulting from crushing and screening of imported ores, and 20 pct others, such as mill scale and iron sands. Pyrite cinder, a major component in the sinter feed, has been getting finer since 1952, due to the increased grinding required for the improvement of the results in the iron sulfide flotation and to the adoption of FluoSolid roasters in sul-furic acid plants; some fines pass 100-mesh sieve almost completely. Increased use of the fine-sized pyrite cinders in the sinter raw mix resulted in such difficulties as decreased bed permeability, uneven firing conditions, and low yield. In an attempt to study the cause and to find a remedy for this problem, a series of experiments were made, using an 80-kg experimental sintering pan. As a result it was established that, by rolling the fine-sized pyrite cinders into small balls of 10 to 3 mm diam (hereafter called semi-pellets) and mixing them into the sinter raw mix, the bed permeability was improved, the sintering time shortened, and the yield and production rate increased. It is proposed that this new method be called the semi-pellet sintem'ng. In recent years the pelletizing process has taken the spotlight in the agglomeration field for treating fine-sized ores here in Japan as well as in the U.S. and Europe. This process produces pellets suitable for the blast furnace charge as such, and consists of three major operations: fine grinding, balling, and firing. With regard to the firing technique, some problems still appear unsolved. In the semi-pellet sintering, however, several ad- vantages can be claimed: the balling operation is relatively simple because only small-sized balls are shown to be acceptable and the operation can be readily incorporated into the conventional sintering plant, since only balling, not grinding or firing, equipment is needed. Basic test work on the process was initiated in 1954 and favorable results were obtained. Accordingly a pilot plant was built in 1955 and the test work was continued. The semi-pellets thus prepared in the pilot plant were tested further by USing them in the actual sintering pan and their beneficial effects ascertained. In late 1956 a drum-type balling machine (2.4X4 m) was installed and it went into operation in April 1957 in conjunction with the Greenawalt sintering plant (8 pans having dimensions of 7.2 m in length, 3 m in width, and 0.3 m in depth). In October 1958 a cone-type pelletizer, with a 2.2 m diam, and later a disk-type pelletizer were further added in the plant. In the DL sintering plant (2000 tpd), newly built in July, 1960, four disk-type pelletizers (3.2 m diam, 10 tph capacity) were installed. By mixing the semi-pellets thus prepared with the feed, the sintering operation was found to be greatly improved. The results of the basic test work, and the equipment and operation of the semi-pellet sintering operation at the Hirohata Works will be described. ON THE SINTERING CHARACTERISTICS OF FINE SIZED PYRITE CINDERS To ascertain the effect of addition of fine-sized pyrite cinders on the sintering characteristics, a series of measurements on bed permeability was carried out by varying the size distribution of pyrite cinders. The composition of the raw mix used in the tests was fixed at 50 pct pyrite cinder, 20 pct Larap magnetite fines, 30 pct sinter return, and 5 pct coke; only the size distribution of the pyrite cinder was varied. Also the moisture content was changed at each size distribution. The results are given in Fig. 1. For all pyrite cinders tested the bed

Jan 1, 1961

By C. M. Marquardt

The minerals industry in general should bow in homage to the uranium milling industry. Those in the uranium milling industry have "spark- plugged" more progress in the application of instrumentation and control in the last 5 years than has been made in 50 years by the industry in general. Part of this real progress in the application of instrumentation and control has been born of necessity because milling processes are more complex. A lot of the impetus for instrumentation and control has come from the fact that the industry is new, the processes are new, and there are no hide-bound conventions to overcome. Part of it comes from the fact that much of processing is more chemical than metallurgical and the thinking of the process chemist has carried over into the plants. One need not elaborate on what instrumentation has done for the process chemical industries. Each new mill that is constructed, if of appreciable size, seems to employ more instrumentation than the previously completed plant. Plant A makes a break-through in the application of instrumentation to a particular part of the process and Plant B accepts this and goes one step farther, while Plant C, anticipating Plant B, makes two or three more steps before Plant B is entirely leveled out.

Jan 9, 1958

By H. C. Miller

THE gas-lift method of flowing oil from wells is the outstanding feature of petroleum technology today. Its forerunner, the air lift, was used successfully first, in the Baku fields of Russia, in 1899, and later in the Gulf Coast fields of Texas and Louisiana and the Kern River field of California. It is still used to a limited extent in certain oil fields. The use of compressed natural gas for lifting oil from wells has supplanted the air-lift method in a measure in those fields where a sufficient quantity of gas accompanies the oil to make the gas lift possible, or where natural gas is plentiful and inexpensive. We find therefore in California, that, natural gas is used at practically every well where a gaseous medium is employed to flow the oil. The use of natural gas has many advantages over that of air. It is possible to recover and save the gasoline from the gas that accompanied the oil to the surface. This gasoline would be wasted if air were used as the lifting medium. Also, certain proportions of air and gas form an explosive mixture that cannot be handled safely by compressors. Another advantage that gas has over air is that gas under pressure is more soluble in oil. Gas in solution in oil reduces the viscosity of the oil that is being produced and causes it to flow more readily through the. tubing and flow lines. The gas lift has made it possible to recover many thousands of barrels of oil from deep wells in California that could not have been produced otherwise. It would not have been economical, had it been mechanically possible to produce such wells as the world's deepest producing oil well (Miley Athen's No. 6, Rosecranz field, California) by any other method of pumping known today. At this well, production is obtained from between 7305 and 7591 ft. and 11 months after completion of the well, production was being maintained on the gas lift it approximately 2000 bbl. a month. The crookedness of the hole, or its diameter and depth will not prevent the successful application of gas-lift pumping when other conditions are favorable.

Jan 1, 1927

By C. C. Henning

IN any line of human activity logical handling requires an amount of attention to each phase that is in keeping with the importance of that phase. In the complex and rapidly changing field of modern ferrous metallurgy it is difficult to allot the proper degree of attention to the various subjects, and it is not surprising that one or more subjects of major importance should for a time be neglected. Bessemer steel is a good example of a neglected subject. It is largely taken for granted, inferior physical quality is assumed for it, and there is a lack of interest in its technical development and commercial application. Availability of supply is limited. In spite of this technical indifference, limited source and lack of commercial exploitation, bessemer steel con-stitutes a large volume of tonnage in daily use. There is a fairly prev-alent idea even among technical people that bessemer steel survives mostly because of low cost and by reason of a dwindling residue of applica-tions sufficiently common to permit of its use. The difference in cost between bessemer and open-hearth steel is governed largely by the relative cost of manufacture of pig iron and the market price of steel scrap. During the past four years there have been long periods of time during which the price of steel scrap was low enough so that open-hearth steel was considerably lower in manufacturing cost than bessemer. As to application, it may be pointed out that thousands of tons of this material in the form of bessemer screw steel are applied for moving parts in automotive and other equipment. Some forging work and considerable heat treating, particularly carburizing, is performed on this grade.

Jan 1, 1935

By Francis H. Crockard

DURING the past five years we have probably witnessed greater technological advances than in any similar period. Industry and science have steadily marched ahead. The makers of iron and steel products have watched with great interest the development of stream-lined trains, faster and safer airplanes, the entirely new science of air-conditioning and the widespread use of stainless steels. Since 1930, we have witnessed the erection of the world's largest suspension bridge, the largest and fastest ocean liner and the spectacular Boulder Dam, while even greater things are planned in these particular fields. Other industries, too, have been moving ahead rapidly. This advance in a few years has been caused primarily by the fierce competition of the depression. Now, more than ever, is the emphasis placed upon quality and service. Makers of southern merchant pig iron have been no exception and have been confronted with increasingly strict chemical specifications and with much greater stress on physical characteristics than ever before. For example, sulfur in the iron must be held very low, competition demanding that it be in the 0.020's and low 0.030's; silicon content must be held within a very narrow range, and definite requirements of phosphorus and manganese are an essential part of the specifications. Physical characteristics are becoming of increasingly greater importance. The introduction of triple-skimmed, slow-cooled iron several years ago was the first step in this direction. Now there are a few customers who buy iron by chemical analysis and physical appearance, having found that the analysis alone is an insufficient guide to their requirements.

Jan 1, 1935

By Warren E. Wilson

PRESENT-DAY design of launders is essentially an art depending to a marked degree upon the experience of the designer, whose problem is that of determining the dimensions of a conduit that will transport the pulp within the physical limitations of the plant and in the most economical manner. This paper has been prepared in an effort to place launder design upon a more scientific basis. A method is developed from elementary principles and presented in a form that may be used directly by the designer in determining launder dimensions.. The equations that are developed are believed to represent an advance over older ones, in that they give due consideration to all the pertinent variables, either including them in the analysis or showing that they may be neglected within the limits of applicability of the equations. Experimental data from several sources are used in evaluating the coefficients that are not determined in the mathematical analysis. On the basis of the material presented, it is concluded that launders may be designed with a much greater degree of accuracy than previously believed possible, when due consideration is given to all the factors involved in the problem. However, a great deal of work still remains to be done in the laboratory before a complete answer to all the questions in launder design can be made available. HISTORY OF LAUNDER DESIGN Among the references1-11 are cited accounts of many experiments that have been conducted in an effort to advance the knowledge of the flow of liquid-solid mixtures in flumes and pipes. With three notable exceptions, this work was carried on in such a manner that the results have limited value in solving the general problem, since not all the pertinent variables were measured and controlled. The exceptions are found in the works of Blue,6 Gilbert,7 and Blatch,11 who exercised great care in controlling and measuring all the significant quantities involved in the experimentation. It is notable that much of the work done by men directly connected with the mineral industries1-4 lacks somewhat in completeness, owing apparently to preconceived notions concerning the factors that determine the flow. For example, many measurements on flow in pipes and flumes carrying liquid-solid mixtures determined only the slope and percentage of solids, with no mention of size of particles, depth of flow, roughness of channel or specific gravity of solids. Material in current handbooks8,9 and textbooks is based largely on the experimental work cited above. Although most discussions of the topic-include statements that the results to be obtained by using the data presented are limited by the fact that all variables have not been considered, it is

Jan 1, 1943

By Herman F. Kaiser, Charles S. Barrett, Robert F. Mehl

The copper-silver system presents several points of special interest in the study of segregate structures. The system is simple eutectic, with limited solid solutions terminal with the pure component metals. The extent of solid solubility decreases with decreasing temperature for both the copper-rich and the silver-rich alloys, thus offering a possibility for the formation of Widmanstätten figures and also a possibility for aging after quenching. In contrast to the structures studied previously the structures in this system are unique in their origin, for one terminal solid solution will precipitate the other, and vice versa. In most of the other systems for which crystallographic data on the precipitation (or transformation) process arc available, either intermetallic compounds or intermediate phases partake in the decomposition process; the absence of such phases thus distinguishes this system. The lattice structures of the two solid solutions are identical in type, differing in lattice spacing by approximately 10 per cent; because of this it seems difficult if not impossible to predict on the basis of present theory either the outward form of the precipitate or the lattice orientation relationships between matrix and precipitate. The eutectic temperature in the copper-silver system' is 779" C. At this temperature copper dissolves 4.3 atomic per cent (7.0 weight per cent) of silver in solid solution; this solid solubility decreases to zero at room temperature.² Silver at the eutectic temperature rctains 14.0

Jan 1, 1935

By Charles S. Barrett, Herman F. Kaiser, Robert F. Mehl

The copper-silver system presents several points of special interest in the study of segregate structures. The system is simple eutectic, with limited solid solutions terminal with the pure component metals. The extent of solid solubility decreases with decreasing temperature for both the copper-rich and the silver-rich alloys, thus offering a possibility for the formation of Widmanstätten figures and also a possibility for aging after quenching. In contrast to the structures studied previously the structures in this system are unique in their origin, for one terminal solid solution will precipitate the other, and vice versa. In most of the other systems for which crystallographic data on the precipitation (or transformation) process arc available, either intermetallic compounds or intermediate phases partake in the decomposition process; the absence of such phases thus distinguishes this system. The lattice structures of the two solid solutions are identical in type, differing in lattice spacing by approximately 10 per cent; because of this it seems difficult if not impossible to predict on the basis of present theory either the outward form of the precipitate or the lattice orientation relationships between matrix and precipitate. The eutectic temperature in the copper-silver system' is 779" C. At this temperature copper dissolves 4.3 atomic per cent (7.0 weight per cent) of silver in solid solution; this solid solubility decreases to zero at room temperature.² Silver at the eutectic temperature rctains 14.0

Jan 1, 1935

By F. P. Peterson

The manufacture of gasoline by extraction or precipitation from the natural gases in which it is found, the present status of the industry, its past development and future extensions, offer a subject which is so broad that to handle it in its entirety would require a voluminous paper. The writer will, therefore, attempt to concentrate the essential matter of the subject for a general presentation, giving some of the most interesting details of the factors that are important to the industry. This industry has drawn liberally on the principles of physics and chemistry, and, to a large extent, has had to adapt such information as is most useful—not from data recorded with reference to petroleum, but from data recorded with reference to general treatment of other materials. Because of the complex character of the petroleum series of hydrocarbons and the fact that data, such as solubilities, 'vapor pressures, etc., . of the different petroleum compounds have not been determined, we are still working by rule of thumb in some essential phases of the industry. Furthermore, the difficulties of determining such data are almost insurmountable. We have not one, but two butanes to deal with—not one, but several, pentanes, hexanes, heptanes, and, as we ascend in the series the complexity and multiplication of isomers increases at such a rate as to make the task of isolating and studying their physical characteristics almost beyond the hope of possible attainment. The industry is the connecting link knitting the interests of oil producers and refiners into a much closer relationship than ever existed prior to its inception and development. The relation between the producer and the refiner of petroleum prior to 1910 was a rather antagonistic one in a commercial sense. It was to the interest of the producer of crude petroleum to sell it for a maximum consideration; the refiner's interest was to obtain the same product for a minimum consideration; therefore, each side of the business transaction retained within his own hands as far as possible the trade secrets of his business. Each side maintained an attitude of cold-blooded business sympathy only for the other. Cas-

Jan 1, 1918

By W. D. Robertson, Raymond C. Boettner

A study was made of the change in density during the first (transient) and second (linear) stages of the creep curve of polycrystalline copper as a function of 1) stress, 2) temperature, 3) plastic strain, 4) impurity and atmosphere effects, and 5) structure, including single crystals. Voids were not observed in single crystals strained 15 pct at 500°C, or in a polycrystal-line aggregate produced by recrystallizing a single crystal, within the limit of sensitivity, Ae/e = 1 x 10-4. It appears that voids are heterogeneously nucleated at grain boundaries by an insoluble phase, or phases, which can be removed by directional solidification. The principal controlling mechanism of void growth appears to be condensation of vacancies at grain boundaries. Vacancies are transported to a boundary and condense as a consequence of the tensile stress component across the boundary, which depends on the orientation and configuration of the boundary plane and on boundary shear across ledges and other irregularities. The ultimate source of vacancies is the free surface and diffusional transport is by way of the boundary plane. PREVIOUS investigations have dealt with the nucle-ation of voids at grain boundaries under creep condition~'-~ and with the connection between grain boundary voids and subsequent brittle fracture.5-7 Growth of voids during the creep process, particularly in the transient and linear stages of creep, has not been studied with the same intensity. Therefore, it seems pertinent to investigate the process of void growth with respect to the related creep curve, and the morphology of growing voids with respect to the structure.

Jan 1, 1962

By R. I. Jaffee, F. C. Holden, H. R. Ogden

The effects of ternary and quaternary additions of aluminum, oxygen, and carbon on the mechanical properties of high-purity titanium-molybdenum alloys were studied for several microstructural conditions. Heat treatments were designed to produce 1) ß-quenched, 2) equiaxed ß) transformed (acicular) and 4) stabilized -P microstructures. Tension, impact, and hardness tests were performed. Transformations from the ß phase were followed by hardness measurements and metallography. The ß-to-w transformation was slowed by aluminum additions; carbon and oxygen additions increased the transformation rate. In addition to solid-solution strengthening, these solutes may increase or decrease strength by altering the /3 transformation kinetics. Aluminum additions promote the formation of strain-induced martensite, and lower yield strengths at compositions near 12 pct molybdenum.. a-P alloys are more ductile with equiaxed than with transformed microstructures. High strength levels can be reached by aging in many cases. Strength levels of the aged specimens usually are lowered slightly by straining prior to aging. ALLOYS of molybdenum with titanium form an iso-morphous alloy system which has been the subject of several investigations. Additions of substitu-tional and interstitial -stabilizing elements provide means of improving mechanical strength and con- trolling the heat-treatment response of the binary alloys. The work reported here forms a part of a continued study of the effects of microstructure on the mechanical properties of high-purity titanium alloys. Previous papers have considered the various binary alloys (Ti-Mo, Ti-Al, Ti-C, and Ti-0) that form the bases for the ternary and quaternary alloys included here. The compositions were selected to correspond with the previous binary alloys. Further, the high purity of the alloying components was maintained, so that direct comparisons with earlier work can be made. The total research program included a large number of compositional, microstructural, and testing variables. The data reported here have been selected to provide a reasonably complete and representative summary of the results. The reader is referred to the original Air Force Report for a complete tabulation of the results. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES All the alloys used in this work were prepared from high-purity electrolytic titanium produced by the U.S. Bureau of Mines. A typical furnished analysis showed the following impurities in wt pct, balance This analysis is equivalent to that of iodide-refined titanium. In addition, hardness, tensile, and impact tests made using unalloyed electrolytic titanium showed it to have properties equivalent to those obtained with iodide titanium and suitable for these studies of high-purity base alloys.

Jan 1, 1962

By AIME AIME

NO ADEQUATE salary scale, at the present time, can ignore the increase in the cost of commodities 'during the last few years or- afford to assume that this increase is merely temporary. A study of the change in prices and wages during and after the Civil War is of interest in connection with changes that have taken place from 1913 to 1919. The curves on the accompanying figure, based on reports of the War Industries Board and Department of Labor, show these changes. During the Civil War retail prices rose to 164,2 per cent. of the prices of 1860, during the next 8' or 10 years. It is interesting to note that the rise in wages during the Civil War was almost simultaneous with the rise in the prices of commodities. During the World, War, the rise in wages has lagged about a year behind the rise in prices. Furthermore, in the period immediately, following the Civil War, wages continued to rise after prices started to fall, The present price level is not considered merely temporary by such of our Government agencies as the Department of Labor and the Federal Reserve Board or by such economists as Irving Fisher' and J. S. Holden.2 Sub-

Jan 1, 1920

By Robert C. Stephenson

LARGE deposits of titaniferous magnetite occur associated with anorthosite and gabbro in the Lake Sanford area, Essex County, New York. The ore, gabbro, and anorthosite show consanguineous relations. Anorthosite grades through gabbroic anorthosite into gabbro but is locally intruded by gabbro. Structural and petrographic evidence suggests that gabbro was differentiated from anorthosite by filter pressing. Field and laboratory study of ore occurrences indicates that an ore residuum concentrated in the gabbro through magmatic segregation by normal crystallization and flowage. Ore occurs as bands which grade into gabbro, and also as large masses which replace anorthosite. Ore in the gabbro is finer grained and richer in ilmenite than ore in anorthosite.

Jan 1, 1945

By Stuart H. Ingram

DEFINITION THE term lightweight aggregate implies material which may be substituted for the usual rock, sand and gravel commonly used as the major part of concrete, but distinguished by being much lighter in weight. BACKGROUND The art of making and using concrete is old and well developed. Research and experience have pretty well determined the qualities necessary in its constituents, and time has tested theories and applications. Elaborate specifications and tests have been devised and generally adopted governing all phases of concrete work, from selection of material, through engineering design and down to mixing and placing. Standard practices have become routine to executives and laborers, and operations have been simplified and costs lowered. Though many lightweight aggregates meet the basic specifications necessary for usefulness, their physical qualities are so different that they frequently will not pass standard tests, and some of them cannot be mixed and placed with the usual formulas for water and slump. As a rule their use produces a concrete with a lower modulus of elasticity which requires design change, and being produced in much smaller quantities than ordinary aggregate, production costs are higher. This latter works in a vicious circle to restrict their use and maintain prices that are not competitive, except as against each other. INCREASED DEMAND In spite of such handicaps consumption has grown steadily for the past two decades and is apparently growing even faster today. It is evident that lightweight concrete must have better qualities, and be sufficiently better to overcome the higher cost and the other difficulties and disadvantages pertinent to the use of a new and different material in an old industry. Hence the study of its main ingredient should be of interest to all engineers. Our group has a double interest in the subject since most of the materials which have been used as sources of lightweight aggregate are either mined, or are by-products of mining operations. We are directly interested in their production as well as their use, and since available supplies of materials suitable are limited, the increasing use, and rising demand, make the discovery of new sources, or the development of processes to adapt other natural materials to this use, a promising field; and one in which our profession should take an active part. RECENT DEVELOPMENT Descriptions of ancient work contain references to the use of spalls of tuffs or pumice in concrete masonry, but it is only since the nineteen twenties that serious attempts have been made to produce and market lightweight aggregates. A period of rapid advance in theory and practice in cements, mortars and con-

Jan 1, 1947

By L. C. Uren, E. J. Bradshaw

This paper presents the results of a group effort by a number of University of California students and faculty members, and the authors attach their names primarily in the capacity of editors and interpreters of the data thus assembled. In addition to the writers, the following individuals have made substantial contributions in time and effort in the conduct of this research: Dr. A. J. Carlson, Associate Professor of Petroleum Engineering; J. E. Gosline, University Research Assistant; C. F. Bedford, G. W. Mikulasek and H. S. Conder, senior and graduate petroleum engineering students; H. Bachman, G. Spencer and G. W. Gard, mechanicians in the Department of Mining and Metallurgy. Acknowledgment is also due the Research Board of the University, the Department of Mining and Metallurgy, and Prof. F. H. Probert, Dean of the College of Mining, for continued cooperation in securing mechanical assistance and funds for the purchase and assembly of apparatus. Significance of the Pressure Gradient The expulsion of petroleum from its reservoir sand doubtless is due to expanding natural gas intimately associated with the oil, to the hydrostatic pressure of encroaching edge waters, and to gravitational influences. These forces may operate independently or collectively. In any case they subject the fluids stored within the reservoir sands to elevated pressures, thus causing movement of oil and gas through the productive formations toward the lower pressure of the well outlets. This movement is opposed by pore friction, capillarity and adhesion: resisting influences brought to bear by the reservoir sand on the moving fluids. The magnitude of the resisting force is influenced directly by the viscosity, surface tension and density of the oil, as well as by the properties of the gas. The more rapid the rate of flow, the greater will be the resistance offered, and the greater will be the energy consumed.

Jan 1, 1932

By Robert R. Abbott

The practice of carbonizing steel for the purpose of case-hardening has assumed great commercial importance within the past 10 years. Formerly, case-hardened steel was held in more or less contempt, since it was considered a cheap substitute for tool-steel. This is no longer the case. The development of the motor-car industry, and coincidentally that of modern alloy-steels, has resulted in overcoming many difficulties formerly experienced in case-hardening. This result has been accomplished by increased knowledge regarding the analysis of the steel which would respond most readily to case-hardening, and by more careful methods of treatment of the carbonized steel. The ordinary method of carbonizing consists in packing the steel with the carbonizing-material in cast-iron boxes and placing them in a furnace at a temperature of from 1,500° to 1,900° F. for a time sufficient to give the required depth of " case." The steel is then either quenched directly from the box, or is allowed to cool without unpacking, and finally given a single hardening-heat, or, for special work, two or three heats. During the year 1911, more than 100,000 tons of carbonizing-material was sold in the United States, at an average price of probably $55 per ton. More than 85 per cent. of this material consisted of granulated bone. Within the past four years, many manufactured compounds have been placed on the market, consisting largely of some form of carbon or carbonaceous material, with or without the addition of chemicals. Steel will absorb carbon placed in contact with it at the temperature of the atmosphere. The reaction is exceedingly slow, but increases rapidly with increasing temperature. Below

Jan 1, 1913

By Harvey T. Kennedy, Erasmo T. Guerrero

In this investigation, the effects of the surface tension of brine and the interfacial tension between oil and brine on the recovery of oil by water flooding of Woodbine sand were studied. Variation of the surface forces was obtained by the addition of small amounts of commercially available chemicals, which did not appreciably change the surface tension of the oil. Fourteen surface-active agents, which were found to be effective in lowering the surface and interfacial tensions, were further investigated to determine the extent of their adsorption by the Woodbine Sand cores. It was found that adsorption was sufficient in all cases to prevent any substantial concentration of chemical at the flood front. The flow system was, therefore, brought to equilibrium with definite concentrations in the flood water by circulation before each test. The data thus have no relation to the results obtainable by using the chemicals in full-scale water floods, but should be helpful in predicting the performance of surface-active chemicals which are not lost by adsorption, if such can be found. Flow tests were made on various concentrations 01 six chemicals selected from the 14 investigated for surface activity and adsorption, with and without the presence of gas in the core. It was found that lowering the interfacial tension had a tendency toward reducing the recovery of oil and that the reduction of the surface tension of the brine had little or no effect. A substantial beneficial effect, however, resulted from the presence of gas in the cores. INTRODUCTION The movement and distribution of crude oil in a porous medium are governed by such factors as surfacc and interfacial tensions, viscosity of the oil, pore size configuration, and wetting characteristics of the medium. The knowledge of the part played by each of these factors is limited. If the oil is assumed to be distributed in droplets whose movement is restricted only by the pore openings, the following equation may be applied: ?P= 2r(1/r1-1/r2) .......(1) In this equation ?P is the pressure drop necessary to force an oil droplet through the construction, r is the oil-brine interfacial tension, r1 is the radius of curvature at the forward and smaller end of the deformed droplet, and r2 is the larger radius. This equation neglects the effects of viscosity, as a static or near static condition is assumed. It would apply equally well for a bubble of gas in liquid if r were taken as the surface tension of the liquid. This relation shows that droplets can be more easily displaced if the interfacial tension is decreased. The displacement of oil from the surface of a sand particle may also be considered from the basis of selective wetting assuming that the oil droplets are smaller than the pore constructions and that the sand surfaces may be considered as planes. A relation of the forces involved can be derived from Dupre's equation to give: Wos = row (1 +Cos?)........(2) where Wos = Work of adhesion between the sand and the oil row = Oil-water interfacial tension 0 = Contact angle ros = Oil-solid interfacial tension This equation would indicate that the displacement of oil from a sand surface is more readily obtained when the water-oil interfacial tension is reduced provided the contact angle remains constant. Evidently. however, the values of Cos 0 may vary along with the water-oil interfacial tension due to changes in the other surfaces of the system. The above theoretical considerations suggest that perhaps even the static behavior of a dispersed oil phase in a porous medium is considerably more complex than may be inferred by the simple systems

Jan 1, 1955

By Richard A. Mullins, James J. Merle

Systematic sampling and analysis in coal-washing plants results in product control and economical operation. A well-organized laboratory system reduces operating costs and increases sales if the operating and sales companies make full use of information it supplies. The operating cost of a control laboratory is less than 1 pct per ton of coal produced. THE system of laboratory control as practiced by the Ayrshire group of mines was begun with the construction and organization of the first laboratory in conjunction with the completion of its first wash-ery in 1941. The primary purpose of this laboratory was to maintain a check on the quality of the coal produced from the washing plant. The laboratory was equipped to determine proximate analyses, float-and-sink tests, and screen analyses, and was staffed by a chemist. an assistant. and a technician. Members AIME, are Assistant Preparation Manager and Chief Chemist, respectively, Ayrshire Collieries Corp. and Subsidiaries, Danville, Ill. Joint AIME-ASME Fuels Conference. French Lick. October 1949. TP 2855 F. Discussion (2 copies) may be sent to Transactions AIME before June 30, 1950. Manuscript received Aug. 22, 1949. Soon it became apparent (1) that product control could be accomplished, (2) that a substantial reduction in operating costs could be effected by close control of coal losses in the rejects, and (3) that information furnished by the laboratory was of continuous value to the operating and sales companies. Consequently the laboratory function was expanded to supply them with additional data as required. As the parent company expanded and new mines were added, control laboratories were established at each mine equipped with washeries, and a central laboratory was maintained at one of the mines that was located equally convenient to all of them. A well-planned control laboratory assures production of a uniform, high-quality product. Whenever coal of substandard grade is loaded inadvertently, the sales company can be informed and the proper channel of distribution made. Conversely only constant and strict laboratory supervision can insure proper production of the various grades. Knowing the product, the producer can keep out of many customers' arguments that may be both awkward and expensive. Double checking between customers and mine laboratories have solved many disputes' Some nager insist On buying coal On the analysis basis only, with penalties for substandard coal and premiums for coal above normal quality. A substantial percentage of the coal sold by the Ayrshire group is of this nature. The usual procedure is for the customer to sample and analyze the coal as it is unloaded at the plant, and the mine laboratory samples it as it is loaded at the mine for subsequent analysis by the central laboratory. Only the unloaded moisture is considered, rather than the average of mine and plant moisture, and the buyer sends duplicate samples to the central mine laboratory for this determination. The average of the two analyses determines the price of coal at the mine. In this particular case, the laboratory plays an important part in increasing realization for two reasons: (1) every attempt is made to maintain plant efficiency and product quality as high as possible, (2) check on analyses and sampling by the buyer or seller.

Jan 1, 1951