Search Documents

By W. L. Crentz, E. E. Donath, D. Doherty

IN 1948, the United States used nearly six million barrels of petroleum products every day. Although substitution of synthetic fuels for the natural petroleum product is not here yet, large quantities of special-purpose coal will be required in ever-increasing volume as the domestic production of oil from other sources fails to meet demand and the production of synthetic fuels begins. Petroleum economists do not agree as to when the shortages of domestic oil will appear; but the increasing per capita consumption of oil, coupled with a constantly growing population drawing on a potential domestic oil supply estimated to be 85 billion barrels, sooner or later will result in demand exceeding domestic supply. When this situation comes about, the excess demand will be either eliminated by curtailment of consumption or the demand met by increasing importation of foreign oil or by the production of synthetic fuels. The first recourse would definitely retard the heretofore unbroken rise in American living standards, while dependence upon a foreign oil supply during a war or other emergency would be dangerous. On the other hand, the enormous coal reserves in the United States, plus sizable deposits of oil shale, indicate adequate means of augmenting a diminishing domestic oil supply. Some idea of the impact of an expanding synthetic liquid fuels program on the coal-mining industry may be gathered when it is considered that to supply just half of our present-day petroleum needs synthetically from coal would increase the coal output by about 500 million tons annually, using an 11,900 Btu bituminous coal as the plant feed. If either a subbituminous coal or lignite were used, the quantity required would be materially increased. Synthetic Fuel Processes: The principal synthetic fuel processes using coal as a raw material are the Bergius, or coal-hydrogenation process, and the Fischer-Tropsch, or gas-synthesis process. These two processes not only produce different end products, but the preparation of the coal used in each presents its own individual problem to the coal-preparation engineer. The hydrogenation process brings together a mixture of dry, finely powdered coal, catalyst, and heavy oil to form a paste. Addition of hydrogen under rather high pressure and temperature conditions brings about transformation of the coal to a liquid product, from which a high-grade gasoline and other motor fuels may be obtained. The Fischer-Tropsch process requires the production of synthesis gas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. At the Bureau of Mines Louisiana, Mo., demonstration plant, this gas is being made by reacting dried pulverized coal with carefully controlled volumes of oxygen and superheated steam. After purification and in the presence of the proper catalyst and suitable conditions of pressure and temperature, the hydrogen and carbon monoxide components of the synthesis gas react to form motor fuel. The two processes are not competitive but rather com-

Jan 1, 1951

By E. E. Donath, W. L. Crentz, D. Doherty

IN 1948, the United States used nearly six million barrels of petroleum products every day. Although substitution of synthetic fuels for the natural petroleum product is not here yet, large quantities of special-purpose coal will be required in ever-increasing volume as the domestic production of oil from other sources fails to meet demand and the production of synthetic fuels begins. Petroleum economists do not agree as to when the shortages of domestic oil will appear; but the increasing per capita consumption of oil, coupled with a constantly growing population drawing on a potential domestic oil supply estimated to be 85 billion barrels, sooner or later will result in demand exceeding domestic supply. When this situation comes about, the excess demand will be either eliminated by curtailment of consumption or the demand met by increasing importation of foreign oil or by the production of synthetic fuels. The first recourse would definitely retard the heretofore unbroken rise in American living standards, while dependence upon a foreign oil supply during a war or other emergency would be dangerous. On the other hand, the enormous coal reserves in the United States, plus sizable deposits of oil shale, indicate adequate means of augmenting a diminishing domestic oil supply. Some idea of the impact of an expanding synthetic liquid fuels program on the coal-mining industry may be gathered when it is considered that to supply just half of our present-day petroleum needs synthetically from coal would increase the coal output by about 500 million tons annually, using an 11,900 Btu bituminous coal as the plant feed. If either a subbituminous coal or lignite were used, the quantity required would be materially increased. Synthetic Fuel Processes: The principal synthetic fuel processes using coal as a raw material are the Bergius, or coal-hydrogenation process, and the Fischer-Tropsch, or gas-synthesis process. These two processes not only produce different end products, but the preparation of the coal used in each presents its own individual problem to the coal-preparation engineer. The hydrogenation process brings together a mixture of dry, finely powdered coal, catalyst, and heavy oil to form a paste. Addition of hydrogen under rather high pressure and temperature conditions brings about transformation of the coal to a liquid product, from which a high-grade gasoline and other motor fuels may be obtained. The Fischer-Tropsch process requires the production of synthesis gas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. At the Bureau of Mines Louisiana, Mo., demonstration plant, this gas is being made by reacting dried pulverized coal with carefully controlled volumes of oxygen and superheated steam. After purification and in the presence of the proper catalyst and suitable conditions of pressure and temperature, the hydrogen and carbon monoxide components of the synthesis gas react to form motor fuel. The two processes are not competitive but rather com-

Jan 1, 1951

By H. R. Peiffer

Hardening of soft metals can be accomplished by dispersing finely divided hard particles in them. The dispersing of finely divided alumina in silver in the presence of oxygen yields a high strength material which is unusual in that its mechanical properties above the melting point of the continuous Ag-O alloy matrix are similar to other solids. The tensile strength is studied for two of these alloys, one of which contains 15 pct by weight alumina and the other 20 pct by weight alumina. The average fracture strengths above 960°C of these alloys were found to be 0.4 x106 dynes per sq cm and 3.8x106 dynes per sq cm respectively. The strengths appenred to be independent of temperature above 960° C. The creep behavior of the 20 pct alumina material was studied above 960°C. The initial creep rate, 6 , of this material can be represented by where s is the applied stress and E the activation energy for the process. This energy is of the order of 1.7 to 2.1 ev. HARDENING of soft metals by the addition of finely divided, hard particles has resulted in the production of materials with excellent creep resistance and with inhibited recrystallization.' It has been demonstrated that such composites have useful strength up to temperatures very near the melting point of the soft metals, but one might expect that the strengthening by the dispersed particles ceases to be of importance above the melting point of the softer phase. This, however, is not so.2 In this paper the strengthening of a liquid Ag-O solution by the presence of dispersed alumina is discussed and experimental data concerning the mechanical properties of such a material at temperatures above 960°C presented. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Specimens were prepared using powder metallurgical techniques. Finely divided silver oxide was mixed in the appropriate proportions with "Linde B" alumina. For these experiments the specimens contained 15 or 20 wt pct alumina in pure silver.* These alloys were used in these experiments since they were the ones that could be handled readily enough to yield experimental data. Silver oxide was used in preference to silver because it is readily available in a very finely divided form and because the presence of excess oxygen in the silver is important to the properties2 of the material. The powders were mixed wet, using alcohol as the medium, in an ordinary food blender until a uniform mixture was obtained. They were then dried and heated to reduce the silver oxide to silver. Only a fraction of the finely divided silver remains unoxi-dized upon removal from the oven since the finest particles of silver oxidize immediately upon contact with air. The remaining fine silver served as a binder during pressing. The mixture was then pressed at 20 tons per sq in. into shoulder-grip (reduced section 1/4 in. by l/4 in. by 1 1/4 in.) and rectangular bar specimens (l/4 in. by 1/4 in. by 2 in.). The green specimens were heated very rapidly in a globar furnace to 1000°C, held at temperature untic they had reached theoretical density and then furnace cooled. The strength of the two compositions at temperatures above 960 °C was determined by pulling shoulder grip specimens inside a furnace mounted on a tensile machine. Specimens were gripped by means of wires wrapped around the shoulders of the specimen. Temperatures were measured by means of a chro-mel-alumel thermo-couple placed in the vicinity of the specimen. Control of temperature (within ±°15C) was accomplished by means of a Weston Recorder-Controller. Before loading, specimens were held at temperature for approximately 15 min in order to insure uniform specimen temperature. The low loads were measured by a special load cell designed by Baldwin Lima Hamilton. All testing was performed on a FGT testing machine of the same com-pany. Creep studies were performed in bending utilizing rectangular specimens of the 20 pct alumina alloy. Specimens supported at both ends by knife edges of inconel were placed in a globar furnace, heated quickly to temperature, and the deflection of the beam measured optically as a function of time. The weight and size of the specimen were predetermined and the maximum stress on the beam calculated from

Jan 1, 1962

By R. J. C. Tait

INTRODUCTION Process Control at the Ecstall Concentrator begins in the open pit at the Kidd Creek Mine. While this paper, naturally, emphasizes the instrumental and technical features of the Process Control system within the concentrator itself, it would not be complete without some mention of the selective mining methods and grade control practices at the mine, and of certain features of plant design, which are simple, but highly effective, elements of the Process Control system. The success of the entire Process Control system, from pit to concentrate load-out, owes much to the high degree of cooperation and mutual understanding among all the operating departments at Ecstall Mining Limited and to the willingness of management to accept, from the start, an overall control philosophy based upon the inter-dependence of mining and metallurgical operations. INFLUENCES OF MINERALOGY AND METALLURGY ON MINE PLANNING AND PLANT DESIGN Mineralogically, the Kidd Creek ores are fine grained and mostly very complex. Because of complex mineral associations and extensive inter-locking, very fine grinding and regrinding of middling fractions are necessary and selective flotation requires a very delicate touch. Four separate concentrates are made for shipment to copper, lead and zinc smelters. The Process Control system is tailored to the metallurgical objectives of maximum recoveries of copper, lead, zinc and silver into concentrates of optimum quality, for maximum economic returns. For example, zinc and lead in copper con-

Jan 1, 1970

By Maurice B. Dusseault, Edo Nyland

Numerous consistent seismic signals are being generated in a pilot fireflood in a 750 m deep high permeability unconsolidated channel sand in Eastern Alberta. The pilot has a central air injection well, eight production wells on artificial lift, and two internally placed observation wells. Surface seismometers and a 12-hydrophone downhole string were deployed to detect seismics signals. Date were collected for 22 hours employing signal-triggered event detectors recording on cassette tapes. Monitoring during twelve hours of steady air injection at 625m3/s yielded a clear event frequency of about 50 events/h. The events were mostly clear compressional wave arrivals originating in the vicinity of the firefront. Stopping air injection caused a gradual drop in event frequency, and the rate was reestablished when air injection was reinitiated. Spectral frequency analysis and knowledge of material properties indicate that the events are shears of a stick-slip nature associated with the strain-weakening behavior of the over-compacted reservoir sands. The event amplitude indicates small-scale shearing, and different amplitudes suggest that planes re-shear with lower energy release levels. The triggering mechanism for shear rupture is high shear stress created by thermal expansion in the area of highest ther- mal gradient. Other enhanced recovery techniques may also produce useful signals for process control. In particular, steam flooding, hydraulic fracturing, and high-pressure injection operations likely generate mappable microseismic events which can be applied directly to production/ injection strategy.

Jan 1, 1982

By Leo Horvitz

PETROLEUM and natural gas are composed principally of the saturated hydrocarbons ranging from methane, the lightest, to nonvolatile liquids and solids containing approximately thirty-five carbon atoms. A technique for locating buried accumulations of these hydrocarbons before drilling obviously requires that some of the hydrocarbons leave the deposit and migrate toward the surface of the earth where they may be detected in their original form. Earliest attempts to link near surface hydrocarbons to petroleum at depth were apparently made by Laubmeyer1 in Germany and by Sokolov2 in Russia. These investigators collected samples of soil air from boreholes one to two meters deep and analyzed them for traces of hydrocarbons. They found that soil air over producing areas is richer in these constituents than is soil air over barren areas.

Jan 12, 1954

By T. P. Chen, F. W. Bowdish

Studies made with a captive bubble apparatus on the sulfidization and collection by amyl xanthate of true chrysocolla specimens have defined the ranges of pH value and sulfide concentration which permit contact between the bubble and the mineral surface. Titanium compounds were the most effective of the materials found to activate the sulfidization of chrysocolla. With titanium activation, the contact angles and the ranges of pH value and sulfide wncentration giving bubble contact were all increased. Chrysocolla ores were concentrated by flotation. Chrysocolla ores occur at many localities in grade and quantity sufficient to make mining and millin feasible, but no satisfactory method of concentratio has been found. Although chrysocolla may be leached with acid, only those ores without acid-consuming gangue may be leached economically. Because of its potential importance, a study of the conditions nece sary for flotation of chrysocolla has been carried ou The literature contains a few references to flotation of chrysocolla. Two methods were developed by the U. S. Bureau of Mines.1,2 The first consisted of a fatty acid soap and a high xanthate as collectors of chrysocolla from a synthetic ore, while the second involved the use of hydrogen sulfide and xanthate. Ludt and DeWitt3 demonstrated the difference in adsorptive powers of chrysocolla and quartz for bas triphenyl methane dyes and suggested the use of butyl, hexyl or octyl-substituted malachite green as collector. Jackel4 emphasized the effects of combin tions of reagents such as Aerofloat 31, pine oil, and Reagents 404 and 425 with sodium sulfide and zinc hydrosulfite as conditioning agents. Although he reported recoveries of 89% from a synthetic ore and 98% from a natural ore containing azurite, malachite, chalcopyrite and chrysocolla, careful application of Jackel's method to chrysocolla from Tyrone, N.M., failed to give a high recovery. MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUE Samples from Inspiration, Ariz., and Tyrone and Magdalena, N. M., were used for experimentation and verified as true chrysocolla by leaching tests, specific gravity tests and X-ray diffraction. Chrysocolla does not dissolve at pH 4, although malachite and azurite do. Chrysocolla is about half as dense as the copper carbonates. X-ray diffraction analyses by the powder camera method confirmed the samples as true chrysocolla. A captive bubble apparatus, which cast an enlarged image of the air bubble and the mineral surface upon a screen, was used to check on the character of the surfaces. The specimens were prepared by grinding a flat surface on a glass plate using fine abrasive; then they were washed and kept in distilled water until they were to be treated with reagents. Before each reagent treatment, the specimen was carefully checked for cleanliness in the captive bubble apparatus. It was assumed that the surface was clean if, after fine grinding and washing of the specimen, the bubble would not stick. Specimens were handled with glass forceps, and precautions were taken to avoid contamination of the mineral surfaces. Contact angle measurements were carefully made several times on each treated specimen to obtain reliable average values. EFFECT OF pH VALUE AND SODIUM SULFIDE CONCENTRATION In each experiment, a specimen with a freshly ground surface was immersed for 10 min in a solution of sodium sulfide, washed and immersed for 15 min in a solution containing 30 mg per 1 of potassium amyl xanthate. The specimen was then washed again in distilled water and tested for contact angle in the captive bubble apparatus while submerged in distilled water. In this series of experiments, the pH of the sulfidizing solution was varied from 3 to 7, and the concentration of sodium sulfide, containing 60% Na2S, was varied from 50 to 650 mg per 1. Many combinations of pH value and sulfide concentration resulted in no contact between the bubble and the surface, but over a limited range of conditions, contact angles varying from 24ºto 52ºwere obtained. The data in Fig. 1 show sulfidization conditions that lead to bubble contact and those that do not. The region of contact is surprisingly small, which may indicate why flotation of chrysocolla involving sulfidization has proven so difficult in practice. Several features of the system are illustrated in Fig. 1. In the region between pH values of 4 and 6 with sodium sulfide concentrations below about 350

Jan 1, 1963

By W. F. Kieschnick, Eugene Harrison, W. J. McGuire

W. J. McGuire, et al, are to be commended for their undertaking of a mathematical solution of a very difficult problem. Unfortunately, however, a mathematical approach requires the application of several assumptions. These assumptions appear to be unrealistic and lead to answers which do not describe what actually happens when hydraulically fracturing oil and gas wells. Considering laboratory confirmation of breakdown phenomena, the authors appear to have tested their theories only on cement specimens and on samples of Austin limestone, much too small to provide any fracture system. This work resulted in the formation of vertical fractures. If the authors had tried similar experiments on thick walled cylinders made from almost any sandstone cores, they would have found that, using crude oil as the breakdown fluid, horizontal fractures would almost always occur, and at pressures much lower than any calculated. They would also find that by confining the fluid to within the bore (using oil base mud for example) on similar samples, the pressures required to burst the cylinders would be considerably higher and most of the fractures would be vertical. This breakdown pressure behavior has been duplicated in wells in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and in Wyoming. Considering field data the phenomena of different breakdown pressures for different breakdown techniques can be further illustrated. Most production and service personnel will agree that a breakdown can be more easily obtained if injection into a formation can be established prior to the occurrence of the breakdown. This is true whether the formation being treated is completed as open hole or as a perforated interval. This is clearly illustrated by a Lakota well in Wyoming, completed open hole at a total depth of 7,358 ft. An attempt to vertically fracture this well failed when a bottom hole pressure of 10,326 psi was insufficient to break down the formation. A non-penetrating type fluid (oil base mud) was in the well at the time the breakdown was tried." The oil base mud was then cleaned out of the well and replaced by a 30" API gravity crude oil. With this oil in the hole the formation breakdown was easily accomplished at a bottom hole pressure of 3,607 psi. This large difference in fracture pressures would be impossible according to the theories presented by McGuire, et al. The authors have used as an example the breakdown pressures experienced when acidizing Permian Basin wells. During acid treatments of limestone and dolomite the "breakdown" (drop-off in pressure) seldom occurs until some injection of acid has been accomplished. In these cases the breakdown is most likely to result from the chemical reaction of acid and rock in already existing vugs and fractures rather than from making a new fracture by hydraulic pressure. If this is true, then results in the Permian basin should not be used to validate the authors' calculations. *** AUTHORS' REPLY to ROSCOE C. CLARK and HENRY F. COFFER The purpose of our laboratory experiments in which thick-walled rock cylinders were hydraulically fractured was to determine the validity of the "thick pipe" formula for brittle materials, and not to predict nor demonstrate directly the orientation of field fractures. Our conclusions concerning field results resulted from calculations involving the "thick pipe" relationship as well as considerations of overburden stresses, rock strengths, and the geometry and dimensions of the field system. Clark suggests that had the models been more porous or contained weak bedding planes, horizontal fracturing would have occurred. This is undoubtedly true provided external stresses similar to those in the earth's crust are nor imposed. However, if we were going to design experiments to represent directly the field case we would impose the proper stresses on the models. It is generally recognized that the vertical compressive stress in the earth's crust arising from the weight of the overburden is approximately 1 psi/ft of depth. Then, as an example, even though a horizontal bedding plane has zero strength, the formation cannot be separated to form a horizontal fracture unless the hydraulic pressure exceeds the stress due to overburden. And in those cases in which the stress resisting vertical fracturing is significantly less than that resisting horizontal fracturing, vertical fractures should result, notwithstanding horizontal plane weaknesses. We agree that breakdown pressure will be less if the fracturing fluid penetrates the formation. In Appendix HI of our paper it is shown that leak-off reduces the pressure necessary to initiate either a horizontal or vertical fracture. It would be difficult to attempt to

Jan 1, 1955

By John Bell

Aim of Rock-Crushing Experiments THE aim of the laboratory experiments described in this paper was twofold: 1. To measure as accurately, as possible the maximum amount of crushing that can be effected by 1 hp. acting for 24 hr., by the two proposed methods for measuring the amount of crushing, namely: (a) by Rittinger's method; (b) by Stadler's method, based on Kick's law. 2. To show, if possible, that by one of these methods, the amount of crushing produced by 1 hp. in 24 hr. is a constant amount throughout a wide range in the diameter of the piece crushed, and that by the other method, the amount of crushing is a variable quantity over the same range of diameter; or else show that neither of the proposed methods for measuring the amount of crushing indicates a fixed relation between power and crushing and consequently a new method for computing this amount will have to be found to permit the establishment of a law of crushing. Experimental Methods Testing machines, calorimetric methods and commercial. types of rock-crushing machines were considered with reference to their value for measuring power used in crushing. The following electrically driven crushing machines, installed and available in the McGill Ore-dressing Laboratory and which had been used in previous rock-crushing tests, on the whole seemed especially suited to the investigation: (1) Comet "A" crusher; (2) 7 by 9-in. Dodge crusher; (3) 10 by 16-in. rolls. In later tests a 3 ½ -ft. Huntington mill was used.

Jan 2, 1917

By E. B. Fitch

The operating behavior of liquid-solid cyclones is outlined, together with the nature and range of the process results obtainable, to serve as a background for engineers wishing to consider application of this new process tool.

Jan 3, 1953

By Charles H. Moore

When lime and magnesia are used as fluxes in the smelting of titaniferous ores fluid, digestible slags low in iron oxide and high in titanium dioxide are produced. The mineral phases present in such slags are (Fe,Mg)O.2TiO2, CaTiO3, and minor amounts of silicate glass (or its devitrification products). The flux additions are added to the ore in relative amounts to crystallize a ratio of (Fe,Mg)O.2TiO2 to CaTiO2, of near the eutectic proportions of 60 pct (Fe,Mg)0.2TiO2 and 40 pct CaTiO3. FeO-Ti02 (ilmenite) remains present in the slag until the FeO content is reduced to approximately 8 pct. Op- timum slag composition is obtained by reducing the FeO content to between 2 and 6 pct. Continued reduction shifts he (Fe,Mg) 0.2Ti02 to oxygen deficient structures classified as MgTi30e and MgTi204. Further reduction yields titanium oxycarbides and freezes the melts.

Jan 1, 1949

By G. C. Weaver, G. T. Harley

BEDS or lenses of potash and magnesium salts are found in a thick salt section (Salado) overlain by Rustler Red Beds in several members of which water is present and from one of which the refinery process water used by International is obtained. Most of the holes drilled are less than 1000 ft. deep, but some wildcat holes have exceeded 3000 ft. Cable or rotary tools are used to drill down to the salt. When samples of water are desired the cable rig is used, but when this is not necessary, and where caving material is present, the rotary rig has an advantage. The rotary rig has a further advantage in that only one machine is required to drill and core the entire hole, whereas the cable rig must be moved off to make way for the core drill. Casing is placed in the upper section of the hole as required to shut off water, and a 5 3/16-in. string is set in the top of the salt before coring starts. With the rotary rig drilling is often carried to the salt with no casing, as drilling mud seals off caving ground and water-bearing strata, and a string of 4-in, line pipe or 4-in. flush-joint casing is landed on top of salt. Several types of gasoline-powered core rigs have been used in the field and all recover a 2 1/2-in. core. More recently the Sullivan Model 37 rotary rig has been tried, and a Sullivan Model N has been adapted to use a rotary bit in the upper section. Core is recovered in 20 ft. sections with a double-tube core barrel, and the bit used is a bottom-discharge type set with diamonds. The drilling fluid must be a saturated brine to prevent solution and etching of the minerals present. Blowouts are apt to occur from nitrogen gas trapped under the several polyhalite beds, and some have been strong enough to blow the tools out of the hole. Core recovery is practically 100per cent. All holes are plugged after drilling, with cement through the salt section and opposite each water horizon, and mud through the remainder of the hole. Cores are carefully logged and preserved, and in sections containing potash and magnesium minerals they are quartered and analyzed. The correlation of ore beds between drill holes is briefly described.

Jan 1, 1946

By A. S. Eve

IN the spring of 1930, the question was raised as to the possibility of estimating the depth to which the pyrrhotite-nickel deposit at the Falconbridge mine extended in the earth. This body is 7500 ft. long, it dips at 80° to the north, and it is fairly straight with slight sinuosities. Dr. F. W. Lee suggested that it might be possible to solve the problem by measuring the vertical magnetic intensity, with a good magnetometer, both near the surface of the earth and also at a level a 'few feet higher in the air. The writer regarded this suggestion with some scepticism, but it was decided to put the scheme to a prac¬ tical test. In July, 1930, Dr. Lee, Dr. Keys and I ' the writer, with Mr. Joyce and Mr. Belloc as assist¬ ants, made a firm, light wooden platform (Fig. 1) E measuring 4 by 4 ft. on the top, which was 10 ft. above ground. This platform could be moved easily a few yards by four men, and carried across I country in a wagon or by motor truck. Some iron nails were used in its construction, but we were not able to detect their influence on the - Askania magnetometer. Nevertheless, in future work, the use of iron should be completely avoided. Readings were taken along a traverse at right L angles to the orebody, at several stations, both on FIG. 1.-VERTICAL the ground and on the platform. The excess read- ASKANIA MAGNETOM¬ ETER ings, over the dike, as compared with those about 10 ETER ON A FT. HIGH. PLATFORM 800 ft. away, are shown in Table 1. The largest reading, 6.8, is open to suspicion and should be rejected. The depth of the top of the orebody is known by electrical survey, and by actual drilling, to be about 112 to 123 ft., and the covering is sandy glacial drift. Similar readings were taken over a long straight magnetic diabase dike. These also are shown in Table 1. The magnetic vertical intensity is consistently less at the higher level, which is l0 ft. above the lower level.

Jan 1, 1931

By T. Busch, R. A. Dodd

The solubility of hydrogen in pure iron and pure nickel, and of nitrogen in pure iron, has been determined and agrees well with earlier data. Nitrogen is insoluble in pure nickel and cobalt. The solubility of nitrogen in Fe-Ni alloys also confirms earlier- work. The solubility of hydrogen in Fe-Ni alloys increases non-linearly with increase in nickel content, but the solubility of hydrogen in Ni-Co and Fe-Co alloys reaches a minimum at 75 and 50 at. pet, respectively. The solubility of nitrogen in Fe-Co alloys decreases approximately linearly with increase in. cobalt content. Nitrogen is insoluble in Ni-Co alloys. Determined interaction parameters are in good agreement with predictions of Gokcen and Ohlani. THE solubility of hydrogen and nitrogen in liquid iron and iron alloys has been studied by various investigators.'-l' The method of solubility measuremerit due to Sievertsl is usually preferred when the vapor pressures of the liquid components are sufficiently small, but other techniques such as sampling the equilibrated melt and then analyzing by vacuum fusion have been used quite often. Previously reported data on the solubility of hydrogen and nitrogen in ostensibly pure liquid iron are summarized in Table I; certain of the quoted results were obtained by interpolation of the published data. Agreement between the various investigators is only fair, indicative of the experimental difficulties involved in obtaining gas solubility data. The only report found on the solubility of hydrogen in pure nickel is that of Sieverts.2 The solubility of nitrogen in iron-nickel alloys has received some attention, 10, 11 the results indicating that the solubility decreases with increase in nickel content, becoming zero for pure nickel. There is no published information on the solubility of these gases in either pure cobalt or alloys containing cobalt EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Sieverts' method of solubility measurement was used throughout the investigation. The construction of the melting chamber is somewhat different from A. Optical pyrometer F. Alundum cover B. Vycor chamber G. Alumina crucible C. Furnace coils H. Alundum sand D. Glass water jacket I . Alundum thimble E. Chamber support J . Detachable vycor base sealed with de Khotinsky cement

Jan 1, 1961

By Dennis Peterson

INTRODUCTION The business arena has dramatically changed for most producers and consumers of commodities. International debt, currency shortages, political upheavals, etc., require corporations today to be sophisticated and flexible enough to change their purchasing and sales techniques in order to maximize returns. Many external factors, such as interest rates, trading partners, currency changes, and government edicts, can have an adverse effect on a company's bottom line. Totally out of a company's ability to control or predict, these. factors force the commodities based corporation to constantly re-evaluate its operating scope and domain. The principle of back-yard only operations and the laissez-faire with blinders style of management is no longer a viable way to run a business. The industrial world has been operating for the past 10 to 15 years as though there were no commodity nor raw material crisis. For developed countries the primary products sector has become marginal, whereas it was central in the first half of the century. A radical change in the method of doing business is necessary to offset a depression in the industrial economy. The risk of collapse may be heightened by a banking crisis caused by massive defaults on the part of commodity producing debtors, whether in the third world or in our own farm producing sector. The raw materials economy has become divergent with the industrial economy. This is a major change in the world economy with tremendous implications in both developed and developing countries for economic and social policies and economic theories. Basic competition issues, such as low labor costs, are likely to become less of an advantage in international trade. In developed countries these costs are going to account for a smaller portion of total costs. The total costs of automated processes are lower than those of traditional plants with low labor costs. Automation in the commodities sector eliminates the hidden but high cost of not processing at capacity created by poor quality, rejects and maintenance for product change-overs. The cost of capital will become increasingly important in international competition. Over the last ten years the U.S. has become the highest cost country in this area. Reversing the U.S. policy of high interest rates and costly equity capital should be a priority for management decision makers. In the rapid industrialization of this century, Japan developed by exporting raw materials, (principally, silk and tea), at steadily increasing prices. Germany developed by leap frogging into the high-tech industries, mainly in electricity, chemicals and optics. The United States did both. Both avenues are blocked for today's rapidly industrializing countries because (a) the deterioration of the terms of trade for primary products, and (b) it requires an infrastructure of knowledge and education far beyond the scope of a poor country. Many explanations exist for the explosion of international money flows. The shift from fixed to floating exchange rates in 1971 may have given initial impetus by inviting currency speculation. The surge in liquid funds flowing to petroleum producers after the oil shocks of 1973 and 1979 was definitely a major cause. There can be little doubt that the U.S. government deficit also played a big role. The American budget deficit has become a massive void, sucking in liquid funds from all over the world and making the U.S. the world's major debtor country. In reality, a trade and payments deficit is actually a loan from the seller of goods and services to the buyer, that is, to the U.S. From now on, the global ramifications of business will have to be treated in economic theory and business policy alike. Economic theory teaches that the comparative advantage factors of a real economy determines operative and financial policy. These comparisons -- labor costs, productivity, raw materials cost, energy costs,

Jan 1, 1990

R. E. Powers (Mellon Institute of lndustrial Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh)—Several of the processing methods at the Josephtown smelter might well be considered by plants producing iron blast furnace sinter. In making blast furnace sinter the objectives are much the same as at Josephtown: To produce a strong yet porous agglomerate which has a size consist in a preferred range. The emphasis however is on production rate rather than on the size or other quality characteristics of the sinter. Therefore the technique is entirely different. Blast furnace sinter plants attempt to make their product in one pass with a minimum recirculating load and without sizing treatment after the sinter leaves the machines. Many plants are beginning to feel that more attention paid to quality characteristics would make the product a more desirable blast furnace material. The pelletizing of very fine material before placing it on the bed is not deliberately done at iron sinter plants, although the installed equipment sometimes gives a simila; action. Such pelletizing seems to be a promising way of accommodating the down-draft sintering Drocess to very fine materials. he recirculating load at Josephtown is extremely high. Two plants' producing blast furnace sinter from raw material of comparable size have a recirculating load of about 100 pct of production. At Josephtown it is notable that the size and the rate of feeding of return fines are under control. This is not the case in most blast furnace sinter plants. The sinter slicer appears to be a worthwhile aid in effecting such control. It is similar in action to rakes and plows used at a number of plants, but it has the advantage that the sinter dislodged is positively removed and not left to the inefficient action of a stationary grizzly screen. Blast furnace size specifications for sinter are not at present so rigid as the Josephtown specifications. If the sizing of blast furnace sinter does become important, then the Josephtown crushing practice, in which a large recirculating load is maintained on the crusher in order that minimum fines be produced, may be of interest. H. K. Najarian (authors' reply)—We note that Mr. Powers appreciates some points that we tried to emphasize in our paper as being of importance in making zinc sinter of good quality and which may well be applied to iron blast furnace sinter. Fig. 2 shows the pelletized nature of the feed going on to a Dwight-Lloyd type sintering machine in our plant. Practically, the entire feed consists of more ,or less rounded particles which permit more uniform air passage through the charge, while the larger particles in the charge roll on to the surface of the grate, which helps to keep the grate openings from being clogged by excessive fines. An agglomerated charge of this character may preferably be made by rolling action while being mixed in a rotating drum and wetted by water sprays to bind the fine particles together and give the charge the desired moisture content. From our observations of several iron ore and blast furnace flue dust sintering operations, we believe that if the fines from the sinter discharged from the machines were to be recirculated and agqlomerated with the new feed, not only sinter of better quality but larger capacity from the machines may be realized.

Jan 1, 1952

By Masatsugu Taniguchi

Onoda Cement Co., Tsukumi is one of the largest limestone producer in Japan. From mines called Suisho and Ganji, it supplies limestone for cement plant, lime manufacture, iron and steel industries and for many purposes. The Suisho mine is highly productive, though it's operations are governed by the utmost regard for its impact on the surrounding environment. However, it became difficult to meet additional expanding demand and to assure continuity of high rate production. Present production rate 1s 6 million tons per year. The Ganji mine, some 2 km south west of the Suisho mine, began first-stage development In mid- 1973 and in january I976 started production. The capacity of major facilities is 9 million tons per year. Full production is predicted in 1979. Mining and milling methods of these mines under strict environmental considerations are discussed.

Jan 1, 1976

By Michael Hoch, Walter C. Wyder

The isothermul section of the Nb-Ti-Zr-O system at 1500°C was investigated using X-ray dzffraction and metallographic techniques. UP to 66.7 at. pct 0, the system contains nine four-phase regions. Tsopleths at 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 55 at. pct 0 weye constructed. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the general shape of the quaternary equilibrium phase diagram of niobium, titanium, zirconium, and oxygen at 1500°C. The system was truncated at 66.7 at. pct. O., PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS The Ti-Zr-O system was investigated in this laboratory.' The binary systems of interest have been compiled and discussed by anssen2 and Levin, McMurdie, and Ha11. Elliott4 has determined the Nb-O system by metallographic and X-ray diffraction techniques. He shows the existence of three oxides, namely NbO, NbO2, and Nb2O5. At 1500°C the solubility of oxygen in niobium is about 4 at. pct. No solid solubility region is shown for either NbO or NbO2. EQUIPMENT The same equipment as that for the study of the Ti-Zr-O system was used. The X-ray diffraction patterns were analyzed with the help of the ASTM card set5 and NBS circulars.6 MATERIALS The niobium powder (99 pct pure), the titanium powder (99.6 pct pure), the niobium pentoxide, and the zirconium dioxide used in this study were purchased from the Fairmount Chemical Co., Newark, N.J. The zirconium powder (99.4 pct pure) was obtained from the Charles Hardy Co., Inc., N.Y. Reagent-grade titanium dioxide was purchased from the Matheson Co., Inc., Norwood, Ohio. The oxides were dried in air at 700°C for 24 hr before use. Though the materials used were not "hyper-pure," the impurities present do not affect the results (lattice parameters, phase boundaries), within the experimental accuracy. PROCEDURE Samples of the desired compositions were made up, in mole pct, from the materials listed above. In some cases the intermediate binary compounds, such as NbO and TiZrO4 were prepared beforehand and used in the preparation of the samples. This technique enabled equilibrium to be reached from two sides. The components of each sample were mechanically mixed in a mortar and pestle and pressed into 3/16-in. diam pellets. The pressures used in compacting were of the order of 50 to 100 x 103 psi. Sintering was accomplished by heating the samples in a tungsten crucible (3/4-in. high, %-in. diam, 1/8-in. wall, lid with XB-in. hole). The pellets were separated from each other and from the crucible by means of small spiral coils of tungsten wire placed between the stacked pellets and on the bottom of the crucible. The sintering time was from 4 to 12 hr at 1500°C under a vacuum of 6 x 101-5 to 1 x 10-6 mm of Hg. All samples were reground after the first or second heating repressed, and reheated. In most cases: equilibrium was obtained after the first heating, as the X-ray diffraction pictures after each heating remained unchanged. Quenching of the samples from 1500°C was at first only possible by allowing the crucible and its contents to lose heat by radiation. The temperature dropped from 1500° to 900°c in approximately 1 1/2 min, which was considered adequate when compared to the times used by other investigators to reach equilibrium in the temperature range of 1000°c and lower. Later, a new technique for faster quenching of the samples was cleveloped. This technique involved the removal of the samples from the crucible, whereupon they were quenched by coming in contact with the water-cooled copper base of the furnace. This manipulation was performed without breaking the vacuum. The sample pellets were placed on a tungsten wire rack inside the crucible. The wire rack passed through the hole in the crucible lid, where it was connected to a small nonmagnetic chain. The chain was fed to the side of the furnace by means of a brass rack which fitted between the body and lid of the furnace. Suspended at the end of the chain, near the furnace wall, were three magnetic washers. With the use of a strong

Jan 1, 1962

By Joseph H. Allen

Commercial coke is made to-day in the United States chiefly from the Appalachian, the Illinois and the Colorado coal-fields. The measures of the great Appalachian coal-fields furnish by far the largest proportion, only about 1 per cent. coming from those of Illinois and Colorado. This is not due, however, to a corresponding difference in area. The Illinois field covers about 47,000 square miles in Illinois, Southern Indiana and Western Kentucky. The coal is high in both ash and sulphur, and on this account nearly all the attempts which have been made from time to time to coke it have resulted in failure, so far at least as the requirements of ironmasters are concerned. Nevertheless,. I am able to say from a practical knowledge of this field that the physical structure of the coke is perfect, and

Jan 1, 1893

For some years MINING ENGINEERING has published abstracts of the articles appearing in each issue and also of the Transactions papers published in the Quarterly. Beginning this month, a list of key words is being given with each abstract as an aid to indexing the articles for ease in retrieving them when they are needed. The value of a home or office system of indexing and retrieving technical articles is hard to over-estimate. How often is it that a technical problem comes up and someone says: "Oh yes, I've read something about that." Many hours can be expended tracing down that nebulous source. A modest indexing and retrieval system will save those tedious hours, and the person who is able to produce technical documents when they are needed will achieve an enviable status for being on the ball.

Jan 1, 1964