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By Arcy, D&apos Banister

The productive potential of the Nation's principal active and inactive silver mining districts has been evaluated, using 1964 economic conditions and assumed silver prices ranging up to $3 per ounce. On this basis, the United States has an estimated 5 billion ounces of unmined silver, excluding minor byproduct silver in gold deposits. Approximately 3.5 billion ounces are contained in deposits requiring higher silver prices to be economically minable, and about 1.3 billion ounces are in currently operating mines. An analysis of silver consumption trends since 1954 indicates that the free world industrial market will climb to nearly 800 million ounces annually by 1985. U.S. industrial silver consumption has been projected to increase at an annual rate of 4 percent from 1965 to 1985. Average annual increase for the remainder of the free world has been 8.1 percent since 1953; this is expected to level off with an estimated average increase of 5 percent to 1975 and 4 percent from 1976 to 1985. Foreign silver production has, in the past, exceeded consumption, but in 1960 the supply deficit was over 100 million ounces. U.S. production, also traditionally exceeding demand, was suddenly overtaken at the start of World War II. By 1964 the annual deficit, excluding coinage, was over 84 million ounces. World coinage requirements of silver are fast declining and expected to total only 25 million ounces annually by 1985. In fact, coins are already becoming major short-term source of silver to fill the large deficit between industrial demand and current production. The larger, long-term deficit (to 1985, the limit of this study) must be balanced by silver from the hoards and new production from silver deposits. Eventually all of the deficit must be met by new production or silver prices will rise until consumption is greatly curtailed. To balance free world supply and demand, it is estimated that the free world must produce an additional 85 million ounces by 1975 and 375 million ounces by 1985. The estimated proportion expected from U.S. deposits is 17 million ounces by 1975 and 74 million ounces by 1985.

Jan 1, 1969

By Robert J. Willard

In its search for additional ways to increase understanding of rock behavior, the Twin Cities Mining Research Center has turned to the scanning electron microscope, an instrument rapidly finding application in research concerned with surfaces of materials. Since features indicative of the manner in which rocks fail may be recorded on the surfaces of fragments as disintegration proceeds, this microscope might be used as a tool for seeking and mapping these minute features. In pursuit of such features, we chose to scan a portion of the fracture surface from a quartzite disk compressively loaded to failure between two pins centered along the disk's axis. The resultant fracture appeared as a rough, diametric plane, and the fracture surface near one of the loading points was scanned with the microscope.

Jan 1, 1969

By Diessel C. F K, Ng N

The commonly used Stopes-Heerlen coal petrographic classification and nomenclature has over the years been subject to variable interpretations. This paper discusses the problem with specific reference to the inertinite maceral group. The effect of various interpretations of the Stopes-Heerlen system on maceral analysis is discussed and illustrated by means of comparative analyses conducted by a number of laboratories in Australia. An attempt is made to define the reflectance thresholds used by the authors to subdivide the inertinite group; the genetic and technological significance of these thresholds are compared. The difficulties of distinguishing structured and non-structured macerals of the inertinite group is discussed in terms of possible improvements to the present Stopes-Heerlen system by extending the classification to include transitional maceral types.

Jan 1, 1969

By Prakash C. Kapur

A principal first order and a minor summation term contribute to the solution of the discretized batch grinding equation when formulated in cumulative retained mode. Depending on the interrelationships between the selection and breakage parameters, the minor term may be advantageously modified in a number of ways. The reduced grinding equations thus obtained are solved by iterations to give relatively simple solutions which are tested against experimental data. The implications and advantages of the reduced grinding equations are briefly discussed.

Jan 1, 1969

The metals titanium and zirconium and their alloys occupy individually unique positions in the catalogue of metallic materials available for engineering applications. Because of the uniqueness of their usage in the aerospace industry, in the case of titanium, and in the nuclear industry, in the case of zirconium, the except- ional resistance of both the metals to the majority of corrosive media is often overlooked. The cost factor in the application of these more exotic metals has, in the past, been a major considerat- ion in the rejection of titanium and zirconium as constructional materials in areas of usage where their superior corrosion resistance strongly favoured them over more conventional metals and alloys. The cost differential, vis-a-vis austenitic stainless steels, for example, is not a trifling matter, being of the order of 6 : 1, when compared on a weight basis. However, if one considers the cost, for, say, sheet product on an area basis, the ratio is redgced to approximately 3.4:1. If one also takes into account the enhanced performance of the more expensive material and the sub- sequent increase in service life and decrease in plant down-time, the economics of the usage of materials such as titanium becomes much more attractive and, indeed, highly competitive,

Jan 1, 1969

By Hillary W. St. Clair

This report describes a mathematical procedure for analyzing size distribution data by the method of moments. The method was applied to Andreasen's data on a variety of grinding mill products. It was found that the observed size distributions could be represented by gamma and beta distribution functions over a wide range of sizes. A computer program, written in BASIC, is described for calculating moments, distribution parameters, and the weight fraction in any size range.

Jan 1, 1969

By Northcutt Ely

My topic today is our Nation's interest in the minerals beneath the oceans. I will state what I think should be our objectives, the means available to attain these objectives, and the obstacles to their accomplishment. It is possible that as early as this year of 1969 our country must make policy decisions on this subject, and that these, once made, will be almost irreversible. Two factors are hastening an. early decision. First, the 1958 Convention on the Continental Shelf becomes eligible for amendment after June 10, 1969, if the Assembly of the United Nations so decides. Second, the United Nations has created a permanent committee of 42 nations, which was preceded by an ad hoc committee of 35 nations, to study the question of the peaceful uses of the seabed "beyond the limits of national jurisdiction. While these measures purport to deal with the creation of a regime to govern mineral development on the deep sea floor beyond the limits of the jurisdiction of the coastal nations, it has become clear that the urgent issue is the extent to which this future regime shall acquire jurisdiction over the mineral resources of the continental margin, and receive royalties therefrom. This brings the proposal into potential collision with the interests of the coastal nations under the 1958 Convention on the Continental Shelf, including, of course, the United States.

Jan 1, 1969

The uptake of zinc, lead, and copper by the flora of the Tui Base Mine area near Te Aroha is described.Vegetation and soil samples were taken from two traverses across the Raukaka Lode. Results. after statistical analysis, indicated that Beilschmiedia tawa was a suitable species for biogeochemical prospecting for lead and that SchefJlera digitata was satisfactory for zinc.The tawa showed a negative anomaly for lead over the vein itself but not over the adjacent dispersion halo. It was concluded that lead concentrations greater than 230 p.p.m. in the wood ash of the tawa and zinc concentrationsgreater than 540 p.p.m. in the leaf ash of S. digitata denoted threshold values for anomalous mineralization in the soil beneath. Although both species contained copper, neither indicated a soil anomaly for this element.

Jan 1, 1969

By M. R. TECK, N. Rudd, L. K. Thomas, D. L. Katz

The authors are to be congratulated for presenting the first comprehensive paper on the theory and practice of threshold pressure determination in connection with underground gas storage. It is of particular value since most previous experimental work on this subject has been proprietary to the commercial laboratories engaged in such testing and to their clients. This dlscussion is presented in amplification of the subject paper, not in criticism, and is based upon our experience with approximately 5,000 threshold pressure determinations. Our comments are directed primarily to the experimental procedures as described by Thomas et al. It should be noted that, while clay mineral-rich lithologies are the most common caprock materials, the samples used (Table 1) include low permeability sandstones and carbonates, but do not include shales or other formations in which clav minerals exert a dominant effect. While our experience on samples analogous to those investigated by the authors generally confirms their findings, we have found that even more rigorous experimental conditions must be imposed where clay minerals are the controlling factor. These additional conditions result from the well-known molecular character of the clay minerals themselves in which water is interlaminated with, and bonded to, silicate sheets, thus becoming an essential component of the molecule. In many clay minerals the character of the intersheet bonding, and thus the dimension of the lattice, is strongly affected by variations in the identity and concentration of cations present in the intersilicate water. On a supermolecular scale, adsorbed water films on particle or "flakes" of shale provide much of the cohesive force necessary to maintain mechanical strength. The thickness of these films is variable and inversely proportional to intergranular pressure within the dimensional limits involved in caprock investigation. The thickness of the intersilicate water layers may also be subject to pressure under some conditions. These considerations are reflected in several necessary modifications of the experimental procedures described by the authors. Two of these are, in our judgment and experience, of such importance that they cast real doubt on the validity of data obtained on argillaceous materials without their application. The very careful resaturation procedures proposed by the authors should give good results in connection with the relatively "inert" lithologies used in their experiments. Our experience suggests, however, that they would create more problems than they would eliminate if applied to argillaceous materials. 1. Drying of the sample at the temperature and for the duration indicated by the authors not only will dessicate the sample with consequent shrinkage cracking, parting along bedding planes, and even total disassociation in the case of fissile shales, but it may also alter the character of the clay minerals themselves — in some cases irreversibly. 2. Prolonged evacuation to 2 microns Hg further dessicates the sample and is even more effective in reducing the intersilicate water content. 3. Resaturation with water differing in pH or chemical content from that existing originally in the sample also serves to alter the nature of the sample, particularly its structure and strength. 4. Our experience has been that, even with the thorough precautions proposed by the authors, complete resaturation of very fine grained materials is rarely obtained. Yet our experience confirms the

Jan 1, 1969

By Douglas A. Elkins

The unique characteristics of plasmas, their current applications, and ongoing research into new applications are described. Major technical and economic problems in application of plasma technology are discussed. Examples of potential applications of plasma in extractive metallurgy are described and evaluated. The report includes a selected bibliography of articles on plasma and related high-temperature technology.

Jan 1, 1969

By M. H. Richman, W. D. Sproul

THE indexing of a field-ion micrograph is in many cases similar to the indexing of the poles of a stereo-graphic projection.* If one has a standard projection as a guide, the task of indexing is relatively simple. In this way, field-ion micrographs of bcc and fcc wires have been oriented from projections available in most any text on X-ray diffraction. These books always illustrate the projections for the bcc and fcc structures and even for a particular hcp structure. There is no "standard" hcp projection because the angles between planes depend on the c/o ratio of the unit cell. In order to index field-ion micrographs of hcp metals, one must compute the angles between various planes—a rather laborious task. In recent work,, we have had to identify the structure and index the orientation of field-ion micrographs of the compounds WC and W,C. To overcome the problem of computing angles by hand or calculator, a program was written in Fortran lV for use on the IBM 360, Model 50 which will compute all angles between planeswith indices (hlklll) and (17,k,l2) in the range from (447) to (444) for any given c/o ratio. The program, which is more specific than that of Camp and clum, was so written as to take advantage of the multiplicity of the hexagonal system, and, for the limits defined above, only 26,649 values out of a possible 265,721 values had to be computed. This is a 90 pct saving in time (and cost) and was accomplished in the following way. Because the lattice parameters of the hexagonal crystal system are defined such that: a = b * c [1] the I index does not enter into the multiplicity (i.e., it cannot be transposed with the h or k indices), and all possible values of h and I, from 4 to 4 must be used—a total of eighty-one combinations. The index h2 varies the most—it must assume values from - Ill,: to 3Ihl. The indices kl and k2 are always equal and vary

Jan 1, 1969

By Floyd G. Anderson

This report reviews and summarizes information on prevention and suppression of dust in mining, tunneling, and quarrying published in the United States from 1961 through 1967. Unpublished pertinent data developed or assembled by the Bureau of Mines during this period also are included.

Jan 1, 1969

By C. J. Rosa, W. C. Hagel

An attempt is made to determine the diffusion coefficients of oxygen ions in hypostoichiometric zirconium oxide. A phenomenological theory is developed for three-phase, unidirectional volume diffusion of a gaseous species from a planar source. Knowledge about oxygen diffusion in a and ß zirconium and experimentally measured rates of movements of interfaces permit the evaluation of oxygen ion diffusivi-ties in ZrO2-x. The results conform to the relationship: sq cm per sec, for the temperature range of 875" to 1050° C. DIFFUSION coefficients of oxygen ions in stoichio-metric oxides have been studied by many investigators. The obtained results not only supplement the knowledge about the lattice-defect structures of oxides and conduction mechanisms but also provide information of technological importance. Rate processes such as oxide sintering, high-temperature creep deformation, and oxidation of metals and their alloys are directly dependent on diffusion phenomena. Unfortunately, diffusion coefficients obtained from studies on stoichio-metric oxides cannot be treated without restraints when applied to oxidation kinetics, if precise evaluations of oxidation rates are desired. Oxides formed on metals are usually nonstoichiometric and exhibit nonuniform distribution of either cation or anion vacancies across their thicknesses. Debuigne and Lehr1 extended Danckwerts'2 mathematical analyses and furnished a semitheoretical treatment for evaluating oxygen diffusion coefficients in zirconium oxide in terms of weight gain measurements during oxidation of zirconium in the temperature range 400° to 850°C. Their calculations are based on theoretical partitioning3 of the total amount of oxygen between a zirconium and its oxide phase. An inherent discrepancy appears to continue throughout their calculations. The amount of oxygen confined to the oxide phase should be corrected by multiplying the calculated oxide thickness by the inverse of Pilling-Bedworth ratio, if expansion of zirconium dioxide is taken into account. The purpose of the present investigation is to provide a new semitheoretical treatment for evaluating diffusion coefficients of moving species in hypostoichiometric oxide. The analyses are relevant to unidirectional volume diffusion. Although the presented method is quite general, its applicability will be discussed in terms of kinetic measurements from oxidation of zirconium at temperatures above the a/ß transition, for reasons stated in the later part of this paper. EXPERIMENTAL Pure, 99.93 wt pct, zirconium samples of approximately 2 by 1 by 0.35 cm were exposed to oxygen for various times at four temperature levels: 875°, 950°, 1000°, and 1050°C. High-purity, better than 99.9 vol pct oxygen was passed through a cold trap and columns containing anhydrous CaSO4 to remove residual water vapor. Before exposing to oxygen at a pressure of 500 Torr, specimens were subjected to wet abrasion on 200- through 600-grit Sic papers and polished with 1—p diamond dust. Prior to oxidizing, all zirconium samples were vacuum-annealed at 10-6 mm Hg for about 15 min at the test temperature. The temperature variation across the uniform heat zone was ±2°C from the preset value. Final polishing, for phase thicknesses measurements, was performed by using 8- and 1-p diamond dust and followed by vibrator polishing with 0.05-µ ? Al2O3 solution. Measurements of phase thicknesses were made by projection on a metallographic viewing screen. Conventional powder X-ray analyses for the oxide were employed. RESULTS Fig. 1 is an example of the cross section of oxidized zirconium. Designations of phases given below this figure are the same as those used in the three-phase diffusion system represented by Fig. 5 in the following section. Zirconium oxidized for longer exposure times showed two types of oxides: white oxide at the surface and an underlaying layer of gray oxide. X-ray powder patterns of these oxides at room tern-

Jan 1, 1969

By H. I. Aaronson, C. Laird

The kinetics of thickening and of lengthening of ?' plates in an Al-3.93 pct Cu alloy in the temperature range 203" to 300" C were determined by means of transmission electron microscopy. The rate of thickening was found to be less than that allowed by volume diffusion control at all temperatures, by amounts which increased with decreasing temperature, in agreement with the predictions of a general theory of precipitate morphology.1 Thickening was treated on the basis of the ledge mechanism. Ledges were deduced to spread across the broad faces of ?' plates at volume dzjrfusion-controlled rates, as anticipated from the disordered structure of their edges. Lengthening of 8' plates, on the other hand, took Place more rapidly than allowed by volume dzjrfusion. This occurred despite clear morPhological evidence of a bmrier to growth at the edges of these plates. It was concluded that the misfit dislocation structure comprising the barrier requires that lengthening take place by a jog mechanism. The tnisfit dislocations, however, also serve as diffusion short circuits, and allow high overall lengthening rates to be achieved. In Part I' it was shown that, within the range of aging temperatures and times studied, the broad faces of 8' plates formed in Al-4 pct Cu are fully coherent with the a, matrix. Virtually .all of the dislocations present in these faces were found to have developed as a result of plastic deformation in the a phase. Such dislocations are thus "intruders", rather than the more usual misfit-compensating variety. The edges of 8' plates were confirmed, by extension of the earlier studies of Mat-suura and Koda,3 to be made up of edge-type misfit dislocations, in sessile orientation with respect to lengthening of the plates. These interfacial structures should cause 8' plates to thicken and to lengthen at rates less than those allowed under the condition of volume diffusion control, such as would be expected if the interphase boundaries had disordered structures.' The narrow width of 8' plates, the reproducible crystallography of their broad faces, and the appearance of these plates in cross section as octagons rather than as circular discs2 provide qualitative support for these deductions. The present study of the rate of thickening and the rate of lengthening of 8' plates was undertaken in order to examine them on a quantitative basis. I) THICKENING KINETICS OF THE BROAD FACES OF?' PLATES A) Literature Review. The measurements now available on the thickening kinetics of single-phase precipitate plates consist of one plot of the thickening of a proeutectoid ferrite plate in an Fe-C alloy,' showing (as predicted) thickening rates less than those allowed by volume diffusion control. B) Experimental Procedure. Details of the preparation of the 4-3.93 pct Cu alloy used in this study have been previously reported.4 As in Part 1,' transmission electron microscopy was the observational tool employed. A general description of the apparatus and procedures of the electron microscopy studies is given in Section I of Part I. In thin foils, 0' plates tend to form at and parallel to the foil surface.' A direct investigation of the thickening process by means of hot-stage transmission electron microscopy was therefore not feasible. It was thus necessary to use the conventional method of aging individual bulk specimens for a wide range of different times at the various temperatures studied. In each specimen, the thicknesses of a number of plates were measured. Since thin foils prepared from "bulk-aged" material contain a large proportion of grains with orientations near (001) , it was relatively easy to find, near the edges of the foils, the characteristic multifold patterns of intersecting extinction contours which indicate regions where the foil is exactly at an (001) orientation. The thicknesses of large numbers of plates were measured along the (200) branches of the "stars" so that the 8' plates were precisely parallel to the optical axis of the microscope. Wherever possible, intersecting extinction contours were adjusted with the parameter s > 0 to improve the visibility of the plates in bright-field illumination. These precautions, in combination with taking the measurements at the thinnest parts of the foils, minimized the errors in the measurement of the thickness of the plates resulting from inexact parallelism to the electron beam. Since the plates were very thin, it was not easy to measure their thickness on the photographs. The techniques of enlargement and of microdensitometry were employed to minimize errors from this part of the measurement. A further source of possible error, that the plates can appear thicker because of contrast associated with mismatch normal to the plane of the plate, was also considered. The images of the plates were usually thinner than those of dislocations, however, and no anomalous changes in apparent plate thickness were observed when regions of foil containing plates were tilted through various diffracting conditions. Any error from this cause must therefore be small. Other sources contributing errors were: a) the microdensitometer traces per se and the subjective estimates of their peak limits, and b) slight fluctuations in magnification associated with small changes in the current of the objective lens of the electron microscope. The overall error probably amounted to no more than 5 to 10 pct. In order to obtain readily interpretable data on thickening kinetics, it is essential that the diffusion fields of adjacent ?' plates not be allowed to overlap. Calculations'-' showed that this condition is definitely not ful-

Jan 1, 1969

By E. P. Pfleider, W. G. Pariseau

This paper reports the theoretical and experimental results of an analysis of ore pass drawdown as a problem in soil plasticity. The method of analysis developed appears to be a promising technique of investigating the mechanics of fragmented materials. A reconstructed plasticity theory brings experiment and theory into reasonable agreement, and hence may provide the foundation needed for rational ore pass design. The gravity-induced movement of broken rock through ore passes is an economical method of transporting fragmented materials through large vertical distances in underground mines, provided the ore pass is well designed. Unfortunately, the design procedures now followed do not very often result in ore passes that function properly. On the one hand, the huge accumulation of empirical data pertaining to the movement of materials in gravel bunkers, storage bins, deep grain silos and other structures that have features in common with ore passes remains uncorrelated. On the other hand, there is a dearth of experimental data substantiating theoretical models of material behavior. Consequently, reliable generalizations encompassing the broad spectrum of problems involved have not been forthcoming. AS an initial step towards improving the situation, a detailed case study of two-dimensional ore pass drawdown was made. The mechanics of the process were analyzed theoretically as a problem in soil plasticity and tested experimentally through observations of a laboratory ore pass model. THEORY Taylor1 defines a soil as a "mass commonly considered to consist of a network or skeleton of solid particles, enclosing voids of varying size." Broken rock in an ore pass is such a material. In plasticity theory this material is replaced by an idealized substance that deforms elastically up to some state of stress at which slip or yield occurs,2 For com-pressive states of stress, the Mohr-Coulomb criterion is a satisfactory yield condition. After the yield point is reached, the ideal soil deforms in accordance with the concept of plastic potential.4 Under plane strain conditions the governing equations separate into a system of stress equations and a system of velocity equations.' Only stress variables appear in the stress system. The velocity system, however, contains a stress variable. The two systems are, therefore, coupled. Both systems are hyperbolic, and each has two real, distinct families of characteristic curves that coincide according to the classical theory of ideal soil plasticity. The

Jan 1, 1969

The Fraser Range is composed dominantly of basic pyroxene granulites derived from basalts, many of which appear to have been vesicular and pillowed. Acidic and basic garnet-bearing granulites are important in the west, and acidic granulites and narrow anorthosite layers are dominant in some regions east of the Fraser Range. An extensive flat-lying olivine gabbro sheet cuts the granulites, and in places has been converted to spineI-bearingmeta-gabbros and pyroxene granulites. The granulites of the Fraser Range (Proterozoic) are separated from the gneisses and schists of the goldfields regions (Archaean) by the Fraser Fault, over which there is a large gravity anomaly (gradient 20 milligals per mile). Some of the problems associated with the concentration of Cu, and Ni liberated from mineral lattices during metamorphism, and other principles of metal concentration in granulite terranes, are discussed. The recognition of vesicular and pillowed zones, even though highly metamorphosed, is of fundamental importance.

Jan 1, 1969

By B. Calver, D. J. M. Farnsworth

"As open-pit operations expanded at Pine Point, hydraulic aquifer evaluation was undertaken to establish the criteria necessary for the design of a feasible dewatering system.The extreme climate of this northern location dictated that the ore zone under extraction be rendered as dry as possible to minimize freezing effects. The design and implementation of such a system necessitated detailed hydraulic evaluation, and the problems that occurred are typical of those inherent in open-pit mining operations in northern areas.The paper describes the problem solution as approached from a mine engineering point of view, with particular reference to the practical aspects of operation and installation. The hydrological analysis used is simple and readily applicable to most open-pit dewatering problems."

Jan 1, 1969

By Thys B. Johnson

Operations Research techniques for determining optimal shipping schedules and production and product allocation are discussed. A hypothetical mining operation model is formulated by the Bureau of Mines, and optimal production and product allocation are determined. The technique of sensitivity analysis is discussed and is used to illustrate the effect of the variability in a mining operation on the optimal production and product market plan.

Jan 1, 1969

By A. J. Stapleton

"The Copper Mountain mine of Gaspe Copper Mines, Limited was brought into production in January, 1968.This paper describes the organization, scheduling and control of maintenance of large open-pit equipment, including 8-cu.yd shovels and 85-ton electric-wheel haulage units. The facilities for repair as well as maintenance are also described, including repair shops and field repair equipment. Maintenance costs are discussed and particular reference is made to tire inspection, records and costs."

Jan 1, 1969

By H. J. Ramey, I. S. Bousaid

Experimental results on the oxidation reaction kinetics in the forward combustion oil recovery process are presented. A total of 48 runs were made wherein a stationary thin layer of coked, unconsoli-dated sand was burned isothermally in a combustion cell. Individual runs were made at various temperature levels to permit determination of the effect of temperature upon the reaction. An expression was obtained for the burning rate of carbon as a function of carbon concentration, combustion temperature and oxygen partial pressure. The carbon burning rate for two types of crude oil indicated a first order reaction with respect to both carbon concentration and oxygen partial pressure. The effect of combustion temperature on the reaction rate constant matched the Arrhenius equation. The activation energy was similar for the two crude oils examined. The activation energy decreased for a porous media containing clay. The rate of oxidation of crude oil at reservoir temperature was found to be significant. Other significant findings included information on hydrogen-carbon content of fuel residues, fuel reactivity and the products of combustion. INTRODUCTION The production of crude oil by underground combustion has been studied in the laboratory by many investigators.1-5 Results of laboratory and field experiments have been reported in the literature describing the forward combustion process. But as yet, no qualitative or quantitative study of the kinetics of fuel combustion involved in this process has been reported. The fuel concentration and the rate at which fuel is burned at the front are important factors governing the air requirement in a forward combustion operation. Although the fuel is essentially unrecoverable crude, the air required to burn the fuel is an important economic factor in this process. Because fuel is burned, the heat transport associated with forward combustion is a key and unique feature of this new oil recovery method. Many investiga-tors5-9 have presented information on the heat transmission and fluid mechanics involved in forward combustion. Berry and Parrish10 demonstrated the utility of considering reaction kinetics in reverse burning. From differential thermal analysis, Tadema11 presented a qualitative discussion of the nature of reactions between oil and oxygen in combustion oil recovery. Although little quantitative work has been done on the reaction kinetics involved in forward combustion oil recovery, an extensive literature does exist on combustion of carbons and oils, and carbonaceous residues from cracking catalyst pellets. Dart, et al., 12 studied the combustion rate for oxidation of carbonaceous residues on clay catalyst pellets, and found the reaction to be second-order with respect to carbon concentration, and first-order with respect to oxygen partial pressure for carbon concentrations less than 2 weight percent of the catalyst weight. The reaction appeared to be first-order with respect to carbon concentration for concentrations greater than 2 percent. Metcalfe13 noted that other workers had found that aging of the fuel during the combustion process was responsible for changing coke properties, and it accounted for the apparent second-order carbon concentration effect found by Dart, et al. It appears that burning of residues from cracking pellets is first-order with respect to both carbon concentration and oxygen partial pressure. Dart, et al., also observed that hydrogen in the hydrocarbon residue appeared to react faster than the carbon. Lewis, et al.,14 studied oxidation of charcoal, coke and graphite in a fluidized bed. Gas velocities were high enough to partially lift and circulate the carbon particles. Their results indicated first-order reaction dependency with respect to both carbon concentration and oxygen partial pressure. One

Jan 1, 1969