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By AIME AIME

THIS year the Chairman of the Institute's Iron and Steel Division is THIS William Anderson Haven, better known to the membership generally as Bill Haven. The Division Chairman is an individual endowed with a broad perspective of the ferrous metal industry he result of his earlier experiences as a successful operating man in the working and management of blast furnaces and his later experiences as an engineering-consulting executive concerned with the design and erection of and steel works throughout the world. William A. Haven was born to iron steel in the Pittsburgh district on ;. 1, 1888, and in due time--or in 1909 graduated from Penn State with a Bachelor degree in industrial chemistry.

Jan 1, 1944

By F. W. Bloecher, A. M. Gaudin

H. H. Kellogg—There is one point that the author has failed to emphasize sufficiently in his paper. What is commonly called the equilibrium contact-angle (the author's "maximum contact-angle") can have only one value on a smooth, flat, homogeneous surface under a given set of conditions. The equilibrium contact-angle is defined, for such a system, as the angle between the solid-liquid and liquid-gas interfaces, measured through the liquid. The value of the equilibrium contact-angle is uniquely determined by the value of the interfacial energies of the three intersecting interfaces and is independent of other forces in the system. When the liquid-gas interface intersects the solid at an edge—as was the case for all the experiments reported in this paper—the orientation of the solid-liquid interface is indeterminate or varies through 90" for a right-angle edge. Mr. Morris has called the angle between the horizontal and the liquid-gas interface for this edge condition a "static contact-angle." I feel that this term is unnecessarily misleading. In the first place, "static contact-angle" sounds too much like "equilibrium contact-angle." In the second place, the magnitude of the "static contact-angle," which I would prefer to call the "supporting angle," is determined by the forces in the system other than those derived from the interfacial energies, hence "contact angle" is misleading. If Mr. Morris had said that the "supporting-angle" is variable and depends on the weight of the particle and size of the bubble and that it has a maximum possible value equal to the equilibrium contact-angle, his discussion would have been more accurate. T. M. Morris (author's reply)—Mr. Kellogg puts forth a reasonable criticism of some of the terminology used in the paper. I agree that the term "static contact angle" may be misleading. Substitution of the term "supporting angle" or "vector angle" may be more suitable. F. X. Tartaron—In this paper the author presents a very interesting mathematical development of the forces present when a mineral particle adheres to an air bubble. Excellent concordance is obtained between mathematical formulation and experimental results. It is the writer's understanding that when the mineral surface presented to an air bubble is greater than the area of contact, the maximum contact angle is obtained. However, this contact angle represents distortion of the bubble, the normal shape of which is spherical or in cross-section, circular. This distortion produces a force that acts in opposition to the force of adhesion between the bubble and particle. Hence, at maximum contact angle, the force of adhesion between bubble and particle is at a minimum for static conditions. However, when the size of bubble is increased, the size of particle remaining the same (and all other conditions remaining the same), the contact angle decreases, the distortion of the bubble decreases and the force in opposition to adherence of bubble and particle also decreases. Thus, there is stronger attachment between bubble and particle. When this situation is applied to actual flotation conditions, it is doubtful that it has any significance. The reason is that the bubbles are normally so much larger than the particles, that in substantially all cases, it is probable that negligible distortion of the bubble takes place. In table IV, the author makes computations for bubbles from 0.50 to 2 mm diam. This is from 0.02 in. to 0.08 in. Certainly the bubbles generated in a flotation machine are far larger than this. The surfaces of the author's bubbles range from 0.79 to 12.6 sq mm. The area of contact of the glass rod (0.15 mm diam) is 0.017 sq mm. Thus, ratio of bubble surface to mineral area of contact ranges from 47 to 741 in round numbers. If we take a %-in. diam bubble and a 65-mesh (0.208 mm) particle of cubical shape, the ratio of bubble surface to mineral area of contact is 2931. Mineral particles do not readily become attached to air bubbles. Taggart has shown that in pneumatic flotation machines collector-coated particles are only temporarily attached to bubbles. They keep falling off and down in the froth but at a delayed rate as compared with gangue. Spedden and Hannan's motion pictures confirm the difficulty of attaching particles to air bubbles. In the agitation froth process, according to Taggart, air is precipitated from the water selectively on to the collector-coated particles and these

Jan 1, 1951

By F. W. Bloecher, A. M. Gaudin

H. H. Kellogg—There is one point that the author has failed to emphasize sufficiently in his paper. What is commonly called the equilibrium contact-angle (the author's "maximum contact-angle") can have only one value on a smooth, flat, homogeneous surface under a given set of conditions. The equilibrium contact-angle is defined, for such a system, as the angle between the solid-liquid and liquid-gas interfaces, measured through the liquid. The value of the equilibrium contact-angle is uniquely determined by the value of the interfacial energies of the three intersecting interfaces and is independent of other forces in the system. When the liquid-gas interface intersects the solid at an edge—as was the case for all the experiments reported in this paper—the orientation of the solid-liquid interface is indeterminate or varies through 90" for a right-angle edge. Mr. Morris has called the angle between the horizontal and the liquid-gas interface for this edge condition a "static contact-angle." I feel that this term is unnecessarily misleading. In the first place, "static contact-angle" sounds too much like "equilibrium contact-angle." In the second place, the magnitude of the "static contact-angle," which I would prefer to call the "supporting angle," is determined by the forces in the system other than those derived from the interfacial energies, hence "contact angle" is misleading. If Mr. Morris had said that the "supporting-angle" is variable and depends on the weight of the particle and size of the bubble and that it has a maximum possible value equal to the equilibrium contact-angle, his discussion would have been more accurate. T. M. Morris (author's reply)—Mr. Kellogg puts forth a reasonable criticism of some of the terminology used in the paper. I agree that the term "static contact angle" may be misleading. Substitution of the term "supporting angle" or "vector angle" may be more suitable. F. X. Tartaron—In this paper the author presents a very interesting mathematical development of the forces present when a mineral particle adheres to an air bubble. Excellent concordance is obtained between mathematical formulation and experimental results. It is the writer's understanding that when the mineral surface presented to an air bubble is greater than the area of contact, the maximum contact angle is obtained. However, this contact angle represents distortion of the bubble, the normal shape of which is spherical or in cross-section, circular. This distortion produces a force that acts in opposition to the force of adhesion between the bubble and particle. Hence, at maximum contact angle, the force of adhesion between bubble and particle is at a minimum for static conditions. However, when the size of bubble is increased, the size of particle remaining the same (and all other conditions remaining the same), the contact angle decreases, the distortion of the bubble decreases and the force in opposition to adherence of bubble and particle also decreases. Thus, there is stronger attachment between bubble and particle. When this situation is applied to actual flotation conditions, it is doubtful that it has any significance. The reason is that the bubbles are normally so much larger than the particles, that in substantially all cases, it is probable that negligible distortion of the bubble takes place. In table IV, the author makes computations for bubbles from 0.50 to 2 mm diam. This is from 0.02 in. to 0.08 in. Certainly the bubbles generated in a flotation machine are far larger than this. The surfaces of the author's bubbles range from 0.79 to 12.6 sq mm. The area of contact of the glass rod (0.15 mm diam) is 0.017 sq mm. Thus, ratio of bubble surface to mineral area of contact ranges from 47 to 741 in round numbers. If we take a %-in. diam bubble and a 65-mesh (0.208 mm) particle of cubical shape, the ratio of bubble surface to mineral area of contact is 2931. Mineral particles do not readily become attached to air bubbles. Taggart has shown that in pneumatic flotation machines collector-coated particles are only temporarily attached to bubbles. They keep falling off and down in the froth but at a delayed rate as compared with gangue. Spedden and Hannan's motion pictures confirm the difficulty of attaching particles to air bubbles. In the agitation froth process, according to Taggart, air is precipitated from the water selectively on to the collector-coated particles and these

Jan 1, 1951

ON Oct. 5, 1926, the day before the general ses-sions of the fall meeting of the American Insti-tute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers at Pittsburgh, a round table conference on the combus-tibility and testing of coke was held at the Bureau of Mines Experiment Station. There were about fifty present, with A. C. Fieldner, chief chemist of the Bureau of Mines, as chairman. The following organi-zations were represented: American Institute of Min-ing and Metallurgical Engineers, American Society for Testing Materials, American Gas Association, Eastern States Blast Furnace and Coke Oven Association, Gas and Fuel Division of, American Chemical Society, and Southern Ohio Pig Iron and Coke Association. In opening the proceedings, Mr. Fieldner explained that the meeting had been called at the suggestion of several members of the Institute and members of other organizations. The subject is of interest to the pro-ducer and the user of coke whether it be in a blast furnace, cupola furnace, house-heating furnace, open grate, gas producer, or in a water-gas generator. There has been much confusion on this subject largely because there is no common definition of combustibility. Does the blast-furnace superintendent, the coke-oven operator, and the fuel engineer have the same under-standing of the term "combustibility"? If a common understanding can be reached, many differences of opinion will disappear. COMBUSTIBILITY OF COKE R. H. Sweetser of Columbus, Ohio, disagreed with the statement of P. H. Royster, T. L. Joseph, and S. P. Kinney in Reports of Investigations, Serial No. 2524, of the Bureau of Mines, in which it was stated that the coke-oven op-erator cannot change coke combustibility by modifying oven practice. Mr. Sweetser held that the coke-oven man can change the combustibility of coke. Blast-furnace men know that coke that will burn easily with low pressure and will. come down in the regular way in the furnace can be pro-duced from a given mixture of coal. His idea of the combustibility of coke is the rate of flow through the com-bustion zone of the blast furnace. If the coke does not pass through in normal manner it is highly incombustible. H. J. Rose of the Koppers Co., Pittsburgh, objected to being pinned down so closely on this phase of the com-bustibility and incombustibility of coke. Coke-oven men are frequently obliged to change oven conditions to make a coke which gives blast-furnace men what they want. The size of the coke and the screening have an important bear-ing on combustibility, and there are many cases on record where by simply changing the different sizes of the coke, everything worked smoothly, and that is a much more combustible coke.

Jan 1, 1927

By H. C. Johnson, J. K. Elliott

One of the primary requirements for successful operation of an enriched gas-drive project is to control the composition of injection gas. This can become a serious and difficult problem, particularly in cases where the enrichment material is being furnished from a number of field -produced gas streams. It is possible to effect control of the injection gas composition through frequent or continuous sampling; however, this can be extremely costly and, in many cases, impractical due to laboratory requirements of time. Another alternative would be to provide a calculation technique which would be flexible and sufficiently accurate to predict composition of the liquid and gas streams of interest at any point in the system. The purpose of this paper is to discuss a technique that was used successfully on an operating enriched gas-drive project for developing information which could be used for controlling composition of the injected gas. FIELD OPERATIONS The particular field (hereafter called Example field) in the example operation being discussed is composed of four oil reservoirs (A. B, C and E) and one gas condensate reservoir (D). Casinghead gas from the oil reservoirs and gas from the gas condensate reservoir are gathered through a field gathering system as shown in Fig. I for injection into Reservoir C. The gas mixture which is recovered from the five reservoirs for injection purposes is composed of gases liberated in 19 individual separators, each operating at a separate temperature and pressure. PROPOSED CALCULATION TECHNIQUE It is well known that vapor-liquid equilibrium calculations in general use throughout the petroleum industry can be used to predict reliably the phase behavior of hydrocarbon mixtures, particularly at pressures less than 1,000 psig. It is then a simple matter to account for the material on a ComPonent basis by m''ing flash and material balance calculations at each separation point in a hydrocarbon system. Accordingly, it was proposed to use vapor-liquid equilibrium and material balance cal- culations with a medium-sized electronic digital computer as a basis for developing a control procedure for use in controlling injection gas composition in the enriched gas-drive project. Although the approach is a simple one, the numerous vapor-liquid equilibrium calculations involved make the problem laborious; in this particular case, it would have been impractical to make sutficiently complete analysis without the aid of digital computing equipment. SAMPLING AND VERIFICATION OF CALCULATION PROCEDURE To obtain representative gas and liquid stream samples and to provide a quantitative measure of overall system Performance for comDarative purpLses, a thorough test of the field and plant system was conducted in the summer of 1957. Oil production at each battery was sta-

By M. A. Mallinger

A series of laboratory tests was conducted to determine the limits of practicability in regulating the weights of various cement slurries. It was found that slurry weights of 12 to 19 lb per gallon could be obtained by adding bentonite to decrease the weight and barytes ore to increase the weight. It was also found that barytes ore was not usable in all cements. LIGHTWEIGHT CEMENT SLURRIES INTRODUCTION During the drilling and completion of oil wells the magnitude of the hydraulic pressures exerted on certain formations is critical. In many cases considerable care must be exercised to prevent drilling mud weights from becoming too high, and in those wells where loss of circulation is a problem, the use of normal weight cement slurries will generally result in lost returns during casing cementing operations. While mud weights can easily be controlled, it is necessary to exercise care in the selection of weight reducing additives for cement slurries in order that slurry weights may be reduced sufficiently to prevent the loss of a large portion of the cement to the thief formations without seriously affecting the setting properties of the cement. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS An extensive search revealed that a large number of materials .that might have been otherwise practicable as a weight reducing additive were not acceptable for use with oil we cements because the imposition of pressure on the slurries caused the additive being tested to be compressed or to absorb water from the slurries, resulting in negligible decrease in the slurry weight. This search for lightweight additives disclosed that bentonite, a material very commonly used for reducing the weight of drilling muds and cements, produced the best results without undue harmful effects on the properties of oil well cements. It was found that there was a limit to the amount of benton-

Jan 1, 1950

By R. F. Domagala

SOME of the results of a program designed to study the kinetics of transformation and related mechanical properties of prototype Zr-X binary alloys systematically are presented here. The object of this program was to provide a sound basis for a scientific approach to the realization of optimum properties in binary zirconium alloys. Alloys of Zr-Mo (eutectoid), Zr-Sn (peritectoid), and Zr-Ti (a and ß isomorphous) were prepared and studied. The data herein are confined to a presentation of the results of studying the eutectoid prototype alloys. The Zr-Mo phase diagram has been determined.&apos; A definitive metallographic study of isothermaily annealed samples prepared from high purity elements served to position a sluggish eutectoid reaction, ß?a + ZrMo2, at 780°C. The compositions of the phases involved in this reaction are: ß, 7.5 ±1 pct Mo; a, <0.18 pct Mo; and ZrMo2, 67.8 pct Mo. Inasmuch as a lower purity sponge zirconium was used in this work boundary placements were rein-vestigated with the less pure alloys. Materials and Procedures Hafnium-free sponge zirconium was used to prepare all ingots. The arc melted hardness of a small button of this zirconium was found to be Vpn 168. Chemical analyses conducted at Armour Research Foucdation are shown in Table I, High purity molybdenum sheet was used as the alloy addition. A typical analysis is shown in Table I. Several 200-g Zr-50 pct Mo alloys were made by arc melting. Crushed granules of this material were used to ensure inqot homogeneity Ailoy ingots were prepared by double melting techniques. First, three 5-lb ingots of each alloy composition were are melted in 2 nonconsumable electrode arc furnace. After melting. the ingots were ground to remove surface defects. A subse-

Jan 1, 1958

By Zay Jeffries

IT has been known for a number of years that certain aluminum alloys could be hardened by quenching from a temperature of about 500° C. Immediately after quenching the total increase in hardness is not marked, but the hardness increases gradually so that after about 4 days, it has reached a maximum. The actual increase in hardness probably continues for weeks or even months, but in order to detect the differences after 4 days, it is necessary to make tests at rather long intervals. So far as is known to the authors, Alfred Wilm was the first to discover these properties in aluminum alloys.1 The aluminum-copper alloys are amenable to this treatment and the addition of magnesium makes the heat-treatment effect more pronounced. Until recently heat treatment of aluminum alloys has been confined to the worked alloys in the form of sheet or extruded products. The alloy that has been most used in this connection is known commercially as duralumin and has about the following composition: copper not exceeding, 6 per cent.; magnesium not exceeding, 2 per cent.; manganese not exceeding, 1 per cent.; commercial aluminum,2 balance. A typically good alloy in this range consists of: copper, 4 per cent.; magnesium, 0.5 per cent.; manganese, 1 per cent.; commercial aluminum, balance. This alloy can be rolled into sheets or extruded; and in this condition it can be heated in the ordinary furnace atmosphere to a temperature near 500° C. and quenched in water. After about 4 days it will have the following physical properties: tensile strength 55,000 to 60,000 lb. per sq. in. (3866 to 4218 kg. per sq. cm.); elongation in 2 in., 15 to 20 per cent. No harmful effects of the furnace gases or even the air, if the heating is affected in an electric furnace in an air atmosphere,

Jan 9, 1919

By Carl R. Davis, J. L. Willey, S. E. T. Ewing

The first tube-mill on the Rand was put into operation in May. 1904, at the Glen Deep Mine. From that time onwards, tube-mills were added to various plants, although little was known regarding the capacity of a given tube-mill when working on banket ore. Within a few years, however, the so-called standard size (length of shell, 22 ft. 0 in.; diameter, 5 ft. 6 in.) was generally used until the last year or two. Practically the only exceptions were about 30 tube-mills having a length of 16 ft. and a diameter of 6 ft., and a few open-end mills of the roller-supported type. Most of the information obtained during the last 15 years has been obtained with mills of the standard dimensions. The adoption of the tube-mill as an accessory to the stamp mill was rapid; and where 3 tube-mills were working on the Rand at the end of 1904, 244 were in use seven years later.&apos; By 1910, good practice provided 1 tube-mill for 20 stamps of 2000-lb. falling weight. The horsepower of the motors driving the tube-mills had increased from 80 to 100 and then to 125 at this date. Broadly speaking, current practice at that date aimed at a ha1 product of which 60 per cent. was suitable for sand treatment and 40 per cent. for slime. The sand grading was +60 mesh, 6 per cent.; +90 mesh, 25 per cent.; — 90 mesh, 69 per cent.; and the slime grading +200 mesh, 2 per cent.; —200 mesh, 98 per cent. It was recognized comparatively early that the tonnage of — 90-mesh product produced by a tube-mill per 24 hr. was a convenient measure of

Jan 1, 1925

By Charles Willis

THE time is no longer when a man can act as an independent unit; the appreciation of the interdependence of one man upon another has emphasized the importance of the social unit. Epidemics have made us recognize that even a man&apos;s health is not distinctly his own to control as he pleases. The physical examination of workmen previous to employment started with an effort to prevent the spread of tuberculosis, for tuberculosis may be .detected in its early stages and cured. But it was soon found that many other diseases were detected and the saving of lives made possible. The physical examination does not mean the elimination of the unfit-on that basis it would utterly fail- but rather the measuring of a man&apos;s physical fitness and placing the man where he can do the best for himself, his fellow worker, and the company. Industry as a whole cannot expect to live up to the standard of physical examination set for the army, nor should it expect to do so, for in all branches of industry there are types of work that do not require -the same amount of endurance as does army work, and the placing of men with physical limitations in the work for which they are&apos; capable permits a higher average of physical fitness for the work requiring physical excellence.

Jan 7, 1919

By Richard J. Lund

Stock piling-and by that I mean well-organized stock piling on a substantial scale-is almost as old as the hills themselves. It was back in early Biblical times, as recounted in the Book of Genesis, that Joseph was charged by Pharaoh with the responsibility of stock piling food during the seven years of plenty to guard against the seven subsequent years of famine that were revealed by the Pharaoh&apos;s dream. And this same policy of storing up food or materials to provide for future anticipated emergencies can be traced repeatedly down through the ages. So our own efforts are anything but new. Our modern concept of stock piling-the purchase and storage of strategic materials to assure supplies needed in time of some future war- stems from our experience in World War I. In 1920, the War Department was charged by Congress with the responsibility of procuring all War Department supplies and mobilizing industry in the event of another war. During the two decades that followed there were many authoritative studies made of our deficient mineral problem, all of which pointed out the urgent necessity of stock piling certain strategic materials as a reserve against future war. One such study, made in 1925 through the combined efforts of the Mining and Metallurgical Society and the AIME, was done at the ex- press request of the War Department. Eight years later another more de-

Jan 1, 1949

By John Gillie

PRioR to the year 1902 electricity was used in the Butte district only for lighting, for the tramming of ores on the surface, and for the electrolytic refining of copper. In that year the Canyon Ferry hydro-electric plant on the Missouri river, with a transmission line to Butte and Anaconda, was completed, and enabled the mining operators to purchase electric current in large quantities at reasonable rates, and its application and use in the various mining operations and reduction works proceeded rapidly. The principal applications of electric current in metal mining may be listed as follows: Compressing air for hoisting. Compreeaing air for rock drills and pneumatic tools. Pumping. Ventilating. Lighting. Tramming. Compressing air for blast furnaces and converters Running shop and miscellaneous motors. Compressed Air for Hoisting. The Anaconda Copper Mining Co. operates 22 mine shafts and plants at Butte. Of these, 15 are large plants and hoists, through which most of its ores are hoisted. In 1912 this company commenced using compressed air in place of steam, in operating a number of its large hoists, and at this date has 10 main hoisting engines and 10 auxiliary hoists driven by compressed air. The compressed air is furnished from a central plant containing six compressors, each having a capacity of 7,500 cu. ft. of free air per minute compressed to 90 lb. pressure in large receivers, and conducted by suitable pipe lines to the various hoists, the air being reheated before passing to the engines. Each of these compressors is driven by a 1,200-h.p. synchronous motor, directly attached to the drive shaft, and takes electric current at 2,200 volts. Two additional compressors are being installed,

Jan 1, 1914

By W. D. Donnelly, M. L. Rudee

THE crystallography and morphology of ?-Al3Fe precipitates in an A1 + 0.5 wt pct Fe alloy have been studied by transmission electron microscopy. The alloy was cast in cylindrical ingots, 15 cm in diameter and 60 cm in length, and cooled slowly. The measured composition was 0.527 wt pct Fe, 0.001 wt pct Mg, and 0.003 wt pct Cu. Spectrographic analysis revealed no additional trace impurities. Thin slices were cut from the ingot and reduced by more than 95 pct by rolling to a thickness of 0.1 mm with no intermediate annealing treatments. These thin sheets were then vacuum-annealed for 1 hr at 612°C and air-cooled in their capsules. Thin foils for examination in the electron microscope were prepared by electropolishing. The precipitate is found in the form of oval platelets on the (110) planes of the matrix. The major axes of the platelets are parallel to the (110) directions of the matrix, and vary in length from 1/2 to 2 p. The thickness is about 1/10 µ. Examples of platelets, both in the plane of the foil and normal to the foil, are shown in Figs. l(a) and l(b), respectively. lack&apos; found that ?-A13Fe (more correctly Al13Fe4) belongs to the monoclinic system. Using Black&apos;s structural data and simultaneous electron-diffraction patterns from the matrix and precipitates, the habit planes and directions were determined to be: (001)? 1 (110)Al [100]?|| H [001]Al The orthogonal crystallographic axes of the precipitates are accurately in the habit plane, while the measured coincidences of the directions are only within 10 deg. The major axis of the platelet is parallel to [010] in the 0. This orientation corresponds to the direction of nearest registry of the lattices.

Jan 1, 1964

By Maxwell Adams

CONSIDERABLE interest has recently been developed in sage-brush oil because of its possible utilization as a flotation agent in the mining industry. A list of some of its physical properties, together with the method used in its extraction, may prove of interest at this time. Something over a year ago, a study of the essential oils in desert plants was begun in the Chemical Laboratory of the University of Nevada. None of the oils so far studied possess properties of special interest to engineers, except the oil of sage, Artemesia tridentate, which has exceptional power as a flotation agent. This plant, known as common sage brush, also called black sage, is widely distributed over the semi-arid West, being found quite generally on most of the dry plains and mountains west of Missouri. The method of extracting the oil followed in these experiments is very simple. The leaves, twigs and small branches are placed in an airtight drum, having a capacity of about 27 cu. ft. Steam is admitted through a number of small openings at the bottom of the retort, and the pressure maintained at 20 to 25 lb. per sq. in. for 3 hr. The escape of the steam from the retort is regulated by allowing it to pass through a stop-cock into a condenser. The water in the receiver is drawn off from time to time and the oil, which is insoluble and floats upon the water, is thus collected. At the end of 2 hr. most of the oil has been driven out, though traces continue to come over for a much longer time. By raising the pressure, the time required could probably be shortened and the yield increased, but the lack of laboratory equipment has prevented the carrying out of this experiment.

Jan 9, 1916

By A. D. David

The object of this paper is to reduce to the simplest possiblc discussion the recent developments in refinery technology without resorting to detailed technical descriptions of the various items. During the year 1929, the most noteworthy tendencies have been towards the installation of more flexible plants, more unified operations, more balanced performance and greater fuel economy. In no other year in the history of petroleum refining has the industry witnessed to as great a degree the crystallization of so rnany developments in almost every phase of the art. Economic pressure has been the controlling factor, supplemented however by a market demand for more volatile anti-knock gasoline and higher quality of lubricating oils, resulting from the extended use of high-compression motors. Catalytic Hydrogenation Possibly the outstanding achievement during the year has been the beginning of construction of plants by the Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey for the catalytic hydrogenation of the so-called heavier and inferior petroleum oils to produce therefrom not only high yields of anti-knock gasoline, but also lubricating oils equal in quality to the best grades obtainable. It is reported that the plants will operate at a pressure of 4000 lb. or higher and temperatures in excess of 900" F. will be used. The hydrogen required for the conversion will be produced from refinery gases. This type of processing will doubtless be an important factor in balancing future operations; in other words, it can be used to eliminate present waste products and permit production of high-grade products from low-grade crude. Improvements in Lubricating Oils Another important development during the past year has been the extended use of vacuum stills, making possible the production of lubricating oils from what was formerly classed as "fuel-oil crude," or crude from

Jan 1, 1930

By John W. Cloud

In 1877 the Pennsylvania Railroad Company removed an old bridge from its line at Duncannon, Pa., built intermediate piers and erected shorter spans of the Pratt truss type, which had previously been in use on another portion of the road. The design of this truss would not admit of diagonals larger than 19 inches diameter, and in order to stiffen the bridge somewhat steel rods were introduced for the main diagonals in the first and second panels, 19 inches and 18/8 inches diameter respectively. These rods were threaded without upsetting, and by the ordinary formulae the strains were of the same intensity upon both, viz., 16,000 pounds per square inch with the maximum loading. The other main diagonals in the truss are 19 inches diameter, and of iron. It was specified for the steel rods: Elastic limit,.......46,000 Ibs. Tensile strength,. .. ,. .. 80,000 lbs. Elongation,,.,.,. 20 per cent. The steel was procured without difficulty, and it allowed a factor of safety of 23/4 at elastic limit, while a similar factor of 2½ had for a long time been successfully used for iron. In the course of three years, from time to time, six of these steel rods broke, three of them being 18 inches in diameter, and three 19 inches in diameter. The broken rods were tested, and three of them analyzed at Altoona to ascertain the cause of failure, and what modifications should be made in the steel for such service. Examination showed that all the rods were broken in detail close under the nut. The threads were well cut and properly rounded at the root. testing the rods micrometer screws, reading to .0001" with c bell to signal the contact, were attached to the test pieces, and by this means the modulus of elasticity and elastic limit accurately obtained.

Jan 1, 1881

By R. P. McLaughlin

EXACT information as to performance of the gas lift from the mechanical engineering standpoint is hard to obtain. Several hundred wells are now producing in California fields by means of the gas lift, and a survey of results shows that the gas lift has increased production at these wells by approximately 60 percent. Similar or even larger figures describe results in Mid-Continent fields. Such an increase in output of oil is so satisfactory, to the average oil producer, that it may not encourage investigation looking to more efficient operation. The cost of lifting oil by compressed gas varies from 3 c. to 15 c. per bbl. of oil, depending upon the efficiency of the gas lift. A difference of 10 c. or 12 c. per bbl. of oil is immediately noticed by an oil operator and the cost in production is as real to him as is the price of his product. Therefore, the efficiency of gas-lift process deserves more consideration than it has been given in some quarters. It has been found that there is a wide variation between different operators and at different wells in the amount of gas used per barrel of oil lifted. Some of the most efficient operations show oil being lifted with only slightly over 400 cu. ft. of gas per bbl. of oil.1 On the other hand, wells are being flowed and using as high as 3000 cu. ft. per bbl. of oil. The cost of compressing gas to 300 or 400 lb. varies from 3 c. to 5 c. per 1000 cu. ft. of free gas. This figure has been obtained from a number of sources and as a matter of fact is the basis of actual business transactions involving gas compression. The cost of lifting oil with compressed gas is thus determined.

Jan 12, 1926

By William Kranz

THE increased service demands on some of the products of the National Malleable Castings Co. prompted it about eight years ago to investigate the electric furnace, both in America and in Europe. The process bad&apos; already been sufficiently developed in Europe to lead us to believe that the electric furnace would most nearly meet our requirements. After further investigation and consultation with the highest authorities on the subject, we decided upon the Heroult type as the simplest and most practicable. In 1910, we built a furnace of this type, of 300 lb. capacity, for experimental purposes, and although it was crudely constructed the quality of the material we were able to make justified the installation of a 6-ton Heroult furnace in 1912. This furnace has three electrodes, 17 in. in diameter, uses three-phase, 60-cycle current, and is equipped with Thury regulators, which give us good regulation and a uniform load on the line even when cold melting. The power factor of the furnace is 94 per cent. Since July, 1912, the furnace has been in continuous operation, producing up to the present time, over 20,000 tons of both carbon and alloy steels of varying analyses and of exceptional quality. Both cold-and hot-metal charges have been used, with a power consumption of about 150 kw-hr. per ton in the case of hot-metal charges and from 500 to 600 kw-hr. per ton in the case of cold charges. The electric energy consumed varies according to the final analysis of the steel and the amount of refining required. Too much cannot be said about the refining possibilities of the electric furnace, for no other method of steel manufacture can compete with the electric in this respect.

Jan 5, 1915

Discussion of the paper of BENJAMIN F. TILLSON, presented at the NEW York meeting, February, 1915, and printed in Bulletin No. 9S, February, 1915, pp. 505 to 528. T. E. STURTEVANT, * New York, N. Y.-Mr. Tillson&apos;s paper on hammer drills is of much interest to me. Early in 1909 I was invited to make tests of our drills at the Franklin mine of the New Jersey Zinc Co. The first drill that we tested gave very poor results. This was a drill having a hammer piston 1¾ in. in diameter and 3 ¼ -in. stroke, the hammer piston weighing about 6 1b., the 1 ¾ in. diameter being exposed to pressure at either end. Although this drill has given excellent results as a sinking drill, its performance as a stoping drill was poor. This was one of the surprises of the limestone as spoken of by Mr. Tillson. This led me to further investigation, and a second drill was developed, with a much lighter piston and a somewhat longer stroke, that gave better results. In the design of this drill, no attention was paid to the cost of construction, our whole attention being given to the increase in drilling speed and reduction of the quantity of air used. The first drill of this type had a piston weighing about 2 ½ lb. and a stroke of 3 ¼ in. The piston was made with a hammer-bar extension, and the cylinder was made with two diameters of the bore, one in which the hammer-bar extension moved and the larger one in which the piston head moved. The air was taken in at either end of the larger bore, thus giving a greater area to the

Jan 5, 1915

By R. V. Vines, E. M. Wise

It is known qualitatively that the recrystallization behavior of platinum is dependent upon the amount and particularly the nature of impurities present, the amount of prior cold-work and the annealing time and temperature, but published data are limited. A study of the effects of cold-work and annealing temperature on the hardness of a sample of very pure platinum was undertaken to supply part of this information. Conclusions 1. The platinum used in the experiments had a probable platinum content of 99.99+ per cent, and had the following mechanical properties in the completely softened condition: Vickers hardness number, 39.4; ultimate tensile strength, 19,340 lb. per sq. in.; proportioilal limit, very low; elongation, 37.5 per cent in 2 inclles. 2. The effect of cold-rolling on the hardness is shown in Fig. 1. The hardness increases rapidly up to 10 to 15 per cent reduction and more slowly up to about 75 per cent reduction, beyond which it increases more rapidly. 3. The recrystallization temperatures for a 15-min. anneal, after cold-rolling 19, 39.5, 50.8, 66, 80.5 and 89.5 per cent reduction in thickness, are approximately 765°, 700°, 635°, 600°, 545&apos; and 425°C., respectively. 4. The recrystallized grain size of this platinum is a function of the percentage of cold reduction, being larger the lower the percentage of cold-work. 5. Little or 110 grain grourtll resulted from subjecting recrystallized samples to higher temperatures or annealing for longer times. Prior Work As already mentioned, data on the recrystallization of platinum are scarce. Gmelin&apos;sl handbook, which summarizes data published earlier than August 1938, lists values ranging from 400&apos; to 810°C. for the minimum temperature of recrystallization of samples with rather indefinite

Jan 1, 1940