Search Documents

By H. H. Alexander

PRIOR to 1915, numerous attempts were made to treat tin concentrates in the United States, but for various reasons they were unsuccessful. Tin ore is said to have been found in nearly every state, but none of the deposits have proved to be of commercial importance. The only domestic production is in Alaska, but only a few hundred tons annually have been produced; hence any considerable production of tin in the United States must be from foreign ores. The most promising occurrence of tin was found in the Black Hills, S. Dak.; in the early development stage, it was called the Cornwall of America. Associated with the tin is tungsten. The story is told that an exceedingly fine specimen of the Black Hills ore was sent to England to encourage stock promotion; the desired effect was produced until a skeptic chipped off a small piece, which the analysis showed to be wolframite. FIRST ATTEMPTS AT SMELTING One of the first promising attempts at tin smelting in the United States was made by R. T. White at Bayonne, N. J., in 1903. Mr. White, after spending some time in England studying the methods of tin smelting, organized a company called the International Tin Co., and erected a plant to treat tin concentrates from the Straits of Malacca. About the time the plant was completed, the English Government placed an export duty of 40, per cent. ad valorem on tin .concentrates exported to other than British smelters, which duty made it impossible to operate this plant so the enterprise was abandoned. As this export duty is still effective, the only source of tin-ore supply for 'the United States is the Bolivian concentrates.

Jan 3, 1924

By F. D. Dietiker

After determination of the requirements for a given application, proper selection of a belt conveyor is made from tables and formulas commonly used by conveyor designers. Belt conveyors, which are universally accepted as a means of transporting bulk materials, also perform the important functions of stockpiling and reclaiming.

Jan 1, 1978

By T. Sterry Hunt

The deposit of rock-salt which is known to exist along the eastern shore of Lake Huron, in the province of Ontario, has lately been more completely explored than before, by a boring with a diamond drill, put down by Henry Attrill, Esq., of New York City, and the results obtained are so important in every way that I make no apology for presenting them to the Institute of Mining Engineers. I may be permitted to preface an account of this remarkable exploration, and of its results, with a historical sketch of the discovery and development of this salt-region. It was in December, 1865, that a boring was begun near the town of Goderich, in the hope of finding petroleum. In this the adventurers were disappointed, but, after passing through about 800 feet of limestone, they encountered a series of variegated marls, in which, at a, depth of 964 feet from the surface, a bed of rock-salt, 30 feet in thickness, was met with in May, 1866. The boring was carried to a depth of 1010 feet, ending in hard rock, and yielded, by pumping, a very pure saturated brine when examined by me in August of the same year. In the report of the Geological Survey of Canada for 1863-66, published early in 1867, I described this salt-well, with many geological details, and gave an analysis of the brine. In the next three years a considerable number of wells was sunk in and around Goderich, and numerous trials were made in various other parts of the region. Salt was found at Kincardine, thirty miles north-northeast from Goderich, at a depth of about 900 feet, and also at Clinton, thirteen miles southeast, at 1180 feet. Records of these wells, with analyses of the brine from them, were given by myself in a subsequent report of the Geological Survey, 1866-69, published in 1870 (pp. 211-244), together with accounts of various unsuccessful borings in the neighborhood, analyses of the brines from the various wells (including one analysis by Dr. Goessmann), with many details of the salt-manufacture at Goderich, at Syracuse, New York, and at Saginaw, Michigan. The geological character of the region was there discussed at length, and it was shown that the salt here occurs in the Onondaga or Salina formation, which

By T. Sterry Hunt

THE deposit of rock-salt which is known to exist along the eastern shore of Lake Huron, in the province of Ontario, has lately been more completely explored than before, by a boring with a diamond drill, put down by Henry Attrill, Esq., of New York City, and the results obtained are so important in every way that I make no apology for presenting them to the Institute of Mining Engineers. I may be permitted to preface an account of this remarkable exploration, and of its results, with a historical sketch of the discovery and development of this salt-region. It was in December, 1865, that a boring was begun near the town of Goderich, in the hope of finding petroleum. In this the adventurers were disappointed, but, after passing through about 800 feet of limestone, they encountered a series of variegated marls, in which, at a, depth of 964 feet from the surface, a bed of rock-salt, 30 feet in thickness, was met with in May, 1866. The boring was carried to a depth of 1010 feet, ending in hard rock, and yielded, by pumping, a very pure saturated brine when examined by me in August of the same year. In the report of the Geological Survey of Canada for 1863-66, published early in 1867, I described this salt-well, with many geological details, and gave an analysis of the brine. In the next three years a considerable number of wells was sunk in and around Goderich, and numerous trials were made in various other parts of the region. Salt was found at Kincardine, thirty miles north-northeast from Goderich, at a depth of about 900 feet, and also at Clinton, thirteen miles southeast, at 1180 feet. Records of these wells, with analyses of the brine from them, were given by myself in a subsequent report of the Geological Survey, 1866-69, published in 1870 (pp. 211-244), together with accounts of various unsuccessful borings in the neighborhood, analyses of the brines from the various wells (including one analysis by Dr. Goessmann), with many details of the salt-manufacture at Goderich, at Syracuse, New York, and at Saginaw, Michigan. The geological character of the region was there discussed at length, and it was shown that the salt here occurs in the Onondaga or Salina formation, which

Jan 1, 1877

WASHINGTON, D. C. HERBERT C. HOOVER, Chairman H: FOSTER BAIN, Vice-chairman DAVID WHITE, Vice-chairman HARVEY S. MUDD, Secretary-Treasurer, Room 2114, Dept. of Interior Bldg. J. F. CALLBREATH HENNEN JENNINGS E. W. PARKER T. T. READ An inspiring meeting of the Washington, D. C., Section was held at the Cafeteria of the Interior Building on Friday evening, Dec. 6, 1918. One-hundred and thirty-five members and guests attended, and Vice-chairman H. Foster Bain presided. The Committee on Nominations reported: for Chairman, Herbert Hoover; for Vice-chairmen, Frederick G. Cottrell, and F. L. Ransome;

Jan 1, 1919

By T. E. SCHTVARZ

THE publication of the report by Mr. F. L. Ransome was welcomed by many engineers who had mined in the heart of the Sail Juan country, braved its long and snowy winters, climbed its lofty peaks, run the gauntlet of its snow-slides, and studied its problems of geology, while making dividends for their English or American clients. This report helps one to understand why the bonanzas occurred, and why the inevitable borrasca presents itself where least expected. The Red Mountain district of Ouray county, a very productive section from 1884 to 1893, occupies considerable space in the report mentioned.. The character of the ore-occurrence, being distinctive and presenting many features not existing elsewhere, has been deserving of special study. It is to be regretted that Mr. Ransome was .unable to observe the conditions underground, as all the principal properties, many of which I opened and developed, were closed at the time of his investigation: It has been my privilege to have contributed a few brief papers recording my observations in developing these properties ; and it is the object of the present paper to present certain sections of the Yankee Girl mine, which throw additional light on the geology of the section and make the available data more complete. The main Yankee Girl chimney or " stock" was the most productive for the first 500 ft. in depth of any chimney in the district.

Mar 1, 1905

By Frank Van Horn

IT is customary to ascribe two general modes of occurrence to natural gas, namely shale. gas which, as the name indicates, is found in' shale, and reservoir gas, which occurs ill sandstone, conglomerate and dolomitic limestone. Both of these types are found in the Cleveland district. The shale gas has been produced on a small scale for a long period of years, probably dating back as far as 1883. Shale gas is a low-pressure gas, small in volume with variable pressure, and is limited to no definite horizon. It is generally independent of oil, may last for a long time, and is not dependent to any great extent on the structure of the rocks. There are many such wells in the district which range from 400 to 1,840 ft. in depth, although most have been completed at about 800 ft. This indicates that the wells pass through the Cleveland and Chagrin shales into the Huron or Portage shale of the Upper Devonian. During the last 2 years great interest has developed in a deeper-seated reservoir gas. What is commonly called reservoir gas is generally a high-pressure gas occurring in large volume at a definite horizon. Oil may, or may not, be associated with the gas, and in most regions in which reservoir gas is found, the geological structure is of great importance. This type of gas occurs in all large fields such as those of West Virginia which have been supplying Cleveland until the recent discovery of local gas at great depths in commercial amounts.

Jan 1, 1917

By H. Landssberg

Subsidence caused by mining operations has been a matter of interest for the mining engineer for just 111 years, since the Belgian committee for study of subsidence in the city of Liege submitted its first report in 1825. This interest is fairly expressed in the enormous amount of literature that has since appeared on this subject. A bibliography, probably far from being complete, which preceded this study as a preliminary survey, comprises more than 800 titles. In spite of this fact the problem remains today as acute as it has ever been. The questions of as good a recovery as possible of the national resources, the safety of the operations, and the protection of private and public property are the important angles from which to look at the problem. The Problem To systematize an investigation regarding the effects of mine excavations two different aspects have to be dealt with: (1) the subsidence of the immediate roof above the workings, affecting the safety of the workers and the progress and efficiency of the operations; (2) the subsidence of the surface, which is also, from the point of time, the second event. The immense importance of surface subsidence as regards the impairment of surface structures of every kind in a mining area is self-evident. Both effects result from reactions of the strata overlying the excavations and they depend mainly on the extent of the excavations and the structure and geological condition of the strata. It has been stressed repeatedly, in this country principally by G. S. Ricel,† that for the understanding of the phenomenon of subsidence accurate surveys are the most urgent necessity. In the past, however, at least in the normal course of mining operations, these surveys have been very crude. The control of the roof in the mine is left to the observation of the behavior of the timber, warning cracks and sounds in roof and walls and to the general judgment and experience of the worker and his supervisors. In any given case this may or may not be sufficient to prevent fatalities but certainly it does not give any accurate information as to what is happening in roof and strata. On the surface, principally in endangered areas, surveys have been conducted more frequently, but also in this case usually weeks or even

Jan 1, 1936

By H. Landssberg

Subsidence caused by mining operations has been a matter of interest for the mining engineer for just 111 years, since the Belgian committee for study of subsidence in the city of Liege submitted its first report in 1825. This interest is fairly expressed in the enormous amount of literature that has since appeared on this subject. A bibliography, probably far from being complete, which preceded this study as a preliminary survey, comprises more than 800 titles. In spite of this fact the problem remains today as acute as it has ever been. The questions of as good a recovery as possible of the national resources, the safety of the operations, and the protection of private and public property are the important angles from which to look at the problem. The Problem To systematize an investigation regarding the effects of mine excavations two different aspects have to be dealt with: (1) the subsidence of the immediate roof above the workings, affecting the safety of the workers and the progress and efficiency of the operations; (2) the subsidence of the surface, which is also, from the point of time, the second event. The immense importance of surface subsidence as regards the impairment of surface structures of every kind in a mining area is self-evident. Both effects result from reactions of the strata overlying the excavations and they depend mainly on the extent of the excavations and the structure and geological condition of the strata. It has been stressed repeatedly, in this country principally by G. S. Ricel,† that for the understanding of the phenomenon of subsidence accurate surveys are the most urgent necessity. In the past, however, at least in the normal course of mining operations, these surveys have been very crude. The control of the roof in the mine is left to the observation of the behavior of the timber, warning cracks and sounds in roof and walls and to the general judgment and experience of the worker and his supervisors. In any given case this may or may not be sufficient to prevent fatalities but certainly it does not give any accurate information as to what is happening in roof and strata. On the surface, principally in endangered areas, surveys have been conducted more frequently, but also in this case usually weeks or even

Jan 1, 1936

By C. D. Rugen

Ground raw material as fed to the cement kiln generally is a mixture of two to four components, each of which may have widely varying physical and grinda-bility characteristics. Chemically similar materials found in the same or different deposits may also differ appreciably in physical properties, depending on their crystalline structure. The calcareous or principal cement raw material may vary from a soft chalky limestone or friable cement rock at one plant to a hard limestone or oyster shell at another plant. Argillaceous materials include clays, shales and granulated slag. Siliceous and/or iron-bearing material, including sand, iron ore and cinders, may also be required in addition for certain types of mixes. Frequently differences in grindability characteristics are not given the attention they deserve in comparing grinding results at one plant with those at another or in selecting suitable circuits or equipment. Many types of crushing and grinding units are used, with numerous open and closed circuit arrangements. Both wet and dry processes are used successfully. When rebuilding or installing a new grinding department, the choice of process or circuit in some cases may be dictated by the nature of the materials being ground but in other cases it may be the result of good salesmanship or a compromise. An over-all evaluation of wet process vs. dry process grinding should not be made without considering the effects on all other producing departments in the plant. In general, the more recent grinding installations, both wet and dry, have employed closed circuits, but many older open circuits are still in successful operation. In our experience, closed-circuit raw grinding pays, because of lower power consumption and less operating labor per ton of product. However, some dry open-circuit mills with improved equipment and operating methods compare favorably in performance with dry closed-circuit units. Character of Ground Raw Mix (Kiln Feed) Grinding in the cement plant in general requires a considerably her product than in most ore-grinding operations. A distinction between fineness of kiln feed and of cement may be made in that kiln feed preferably should be ground to a limiting size,whereas finished cement should include a range of size fractions including sufficient fine flours to give a product with satisfactory physical qualities. Grinding raw mix for kiln feed therefore is more comparable to ore grinding, although the limiting size is smaller. Most kiln feeds are ground from 85 to 95 per cent passing 200-mesh, depending on mix composition. Some cement chemists believe that raw materials cannot be too he, since finer particles theoretically combine more readily and intimately in the kiln. However, there are certain definite practical objections to extremely fine kiln feed, such as loss of kiln dust, unstable material flow through the kiln and greater dificulty in control of chemical composition due to dust loss, and the disproportion of fines from the more easily ground component. Our

Jan 1, 1947

By C. D. Rugen

Ground raw material as fed to the cement kiln generally is a mixture of two to four components, each of which may have widely varying physical and grinda-bility characteristics. Chemically similar materials found in the same or different deposits may also differ appreciably in physical properties, depending on their crystalline structure. The calcareous or principal cement raw material may vary from a soft chalky limestone or friable cement rock at one plant to a hard limestone or oyster shell at another plant. Argillaceous materials include clays, shales and granulated slag. Siliceous and/or iron-bearing material, including sand, iron ore and cinders, may also be required in addition for certain types of mixes. Frequently differences in grindability characteristics are not given the attention they deserve in comparing grinding results at one plant with those at another or in selecting suitable circuits or equipment. Many types of crushing and grinding units are used, with numerous open and closed circuit arrangements. Both wet and dry processes are used successfully. When rebuilding or installing a new grinding department, the choice of process or circuit in some cases may be dictated by the nature of the materials being ground but in other cases it may be the result of good salesmanship or a compromise. An over-all evaluation of wet process vs. dry process grinding should not be made without considering the effects on all other producing departments in the plant. In general, the more recent grinding installations, both wet and dry, have employed closed circuits, but many older open circuits are still in successful operation. In our experience, closed-circuit raw grinding pays, because of lower power consumption and less operating labor per ton of product. However, some dry open-circuit mills with improved equipment and operating methods compare favorably in performance with dry closed-circuit units. Character of Ground Raw Mix (Kiln Feed) Grinding in the cement plant in general requires a considerably her product than in most ore-grinding operations. A distinction between fineness of kiln feed and of cement may be made in that kiln feed preferably should be ground to a limiting size,whereas finished cement should include a range of size fractions including sufficient fine flours to give a product with satisfactory physical qualities. Grinding raw mix for kiln feed therefore is more comparable to ore grinding, although the limiting size is smaller. Most kiln feeds are ground from 85 to 95 per cent passing 200-mesh, depending on mix composition. Some cement chemists believe that raw materials cannot be too he, since finer particles theoretically combine more readily and intimately in the kiln. However, there are certain definite practical objections to extremely fine kiln feed, such as loss of kiln dust, unstable material flow through the kiln and greater dificulty in control of chemical composition due to dust loss, and the disproportion of fines from the more easily ground component. Our

Jan 1, 1947

By T. L. Joseph

IN connection with its investigations of the blast'-furnace process, the Bureau of Mines, in coöperation with the Minnesota School of Mines Experiment Station, developed a 6-ton experimental furnace. Such a furnace was needed to determine the feasibility of producing ferromanganese from Minnesota manganiferous iron ores, a problem of national importance because of the present need for manganese in the steel industry and our small reserves of ferro-grade ores. Furnace operators are reluctant to use new or untried raw materials or to make decided innovations in practice on account of the financial hazard of experimenting with full-scale equipment. A small furnace which can be operated at a relatively low cost is particularly adapted for testing new, raw materials and for determining the feasibility of decided innovations in practice. Laboratory experiments, plus whatever information may be available, are valuable but often do not indicate the net result of changes in an operation involving a large number of interrelated variables. From time to time the coöperation of the Bureau of Mines is solicited in connection with problems involving departures from normal procedure. Under these circumstances some sort of a practical demonstration is a desirable forerunner to full-scale operations which appear feasible after small-scale tests.

Jan 1, 1928

By Henry Fay

THE CHAIRMAN (ALBERT SAUVEUR, Cambridge, Mass.).-In forcing us to face and to discuss the important question of erosion of steel guns, Prof. Fay is performing a public service. His investigation has been fruitful and his results illuminating and suggestive. It is not in a spirit of adverse criticism, therefore, that I venture a few remarks suggested by his paper, but rather to add my mite to the discussion in the hope that it may not be entirely without value. Prof. Fay considers it conclusively demonstrated that the hard layers forming in the inside of guns of large calibers after they have been fired a number of times consist of martensite. Still, he admits that he never was able to detect in the hard layers the structural characteristics of martensite. This leads him to conceive the existence of amorphous martensite. We may well hesitate before accepting this theory on the strength of the evidence offered. Martensite, as we know it, is essentially a crystalline condition assumed by a close association of iron and carbon, possibly if not probably of the nature of a solid solution. Lacking this crystalline character we are hardly justified in calling it martensite on the ground, merely, of its being very hard.

Jan 4, 1917

By Clarence E. Jackson, George G. Luther

THE ever increasing array of information concerning the measurement of the effect of the welding process on the properties of a steel is an indication of the tremendous effort that is being expended in this field. The methods that have been considered may be divided into two groups: first, those that measure directly the effect of welding on the ductility of a steel, and, second, those that observe the change in some property, such as the hardness of the heat-affected zone, and assume a direct correlation between this change and the resultant ductility. The nick-bend test is a direct method designed for studying the effect of welding on the ductility of a steel. The test specimen (Fig. I) consists of a bar cut from a plate with a bead weld on the surface. The specimen is prepared with a saw-notch placed so as to restrict deformation to the heat-affected zone under the bead weld when tested as a static bend. Failure is caused by rupture of the low-ductility metal in the heat-affected zone. The angle at maximum load is used as an index of the effect of the welding process on the material. In the development of the nick-bend test considerable scatter was noted in some of the results, although the agreement of duplicate specimens welded at the same time and tested consecutively was excellent. Upon further investigation it was found that the change in ductility was dependent upon the interval of time between the welding operation and the testing of the specimen. For the six steels of Fig. a, the angle at maximum load in four cases was doubled and in one case was tripled. All steels that have been studied show an improvement in the angle of bend for longer intervals between welding and testing. This same behavior has been found in weldability tests using the Navy T-bend

Jan 1, 1945

By Persifor Frazer

(Read at the Wilkes-Barre Meeting, May, 1877.) A CLASSIFICATION of natural objects is usually based either upon some fundamental and permanent attribute of the thing itself (as in the case of scientific classifications), or it embraces one or more generalizations convenient for use in ordinary life. Thus, it suffices for the statistician to, know that so many tons of fish are annually taken by our fishermen, and that they realize so many thousands of dollars, whereas to the student of natural history the anatomy, habits, and relationships of the animals are of chief interest, as settling their respective places in the scale of animate nature. Many different classifications of coals have been attempted, as one would naturally anticipate from the immense extent of the coal trade, and the different localities whence the supply was derived. The English divisions were prevalent up to the date of the publication of the last geological survey of the State, except so far as they were modified by local designations. Indeed, Rogers' classifications made very little alteration in the English nomenclature, as may be seen by comparing. the tables given below. To commence with the different kinds mentioned in Ure's Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines of 1845 " 1. Cubical Coal.-Black, shining, compact, moderately hard and easily frangible. Comes out in rectangular masses, of which the

Jan 1, 1878

By P. A. Larssen, P. R. Gage, R. W. Bartlett

The kinetics of formation of intermediate sili-cide compounds from MoSi2/Mo and WSi2/W couples were studied using a cylindrical sample configuration. Concentration profiles of the constituent metals were deter mined from electron-microprobe analysis of cross-sectioned samples after isotlzernzal diffusion annealing. These data also yielded hand widths of phases. Growth of intermediate phases depends on diffusionin them and obeys a parabolic rate law. The rates of formation of the intermediate phases decrease in the order Mo5Si3 > W5Si3 > Mo3Si. Crowth rates. for the isomorphous phases Mo5Si3 and W5Si3 had the same activation energy. 43 kcal per mole. SILICIDE coatings employed to protect refractory metals from high-temperature oxidation are usually formed by a diffusion process requiring concurrent transfer of silicon to the refractory metal surface. For a simple binary system and a coating thickness of one or two mils, the coatings on molybdenum and tungsten are primarily the disilicides WSi2 and MoSi2, respectively. During use of the coated re- fractory-metal system at high temperatures, in the absence of the silicon source, further diffusion causes growth of lower silicide compounds and depletion of the disilicides. Recent investigations have shown that the lower silicides are less effective than the disilicides in forming a glassy oxide film which impedes oxidation.' Consequently, failure of coatings at high temperatures may coincide with complete conversion of the disilicide phase. The purpose of this part of the study is to investigate the growth kinetics of the intermediate compounds in the W-Si and Mo-Si systems. There are three intermetallic compounds in the Mo-Si system: MoSi2 with a tetragonal structure

Jan 1, 1964

By G. L. Oldright

THE economic manufacture of sulfuric acid by the ordinary chamber process usually involves production on a large scale and a plant that is costly to construct. The nature of sulfuric acid makes it costly to transport any great distance. For these reasons, the metallurgist has not found it feasible, at times, to beneficiate ores amenable to leaching, and a. need exists for a local process that will produce acid cheaply on a small or large scale. To leach ores containing residual sulfides, an oxidizer, such as ferric sulfate, is needed in solution. Precipitation with scrap iron is one of the cheapest methods of removing some metals from solution, giving a plant of low first cost and supplying a source of cheap ferrous sulfate. The other ingredient needed for the process is SO2 roaster gas; the addition of which, as, described below, will give both ferric sulfate and sulfuric acid. Where roaster gas is a waste or obnoxious, product, the expense. for materials is still further lessened. The use of ferric sulfate and sulfuric acid as a solvent lends itself, well to the utilization of scrap iron as a precipitant, and the stages of the process fit in well together as an economic whole.

Jan 8, 1925

By James T. Gow, Oscar E. Harder, Anton de S. Brasunas

This paper deals with the results obtained and the techniques employed in determining: 1. Liquidus and solidus temperatures of the HH and HT type heat-resistant alloys. 2. The relation of true temperatures (thermocouple) to apparent temperatures (optical pyrometer) for the molten HH and HT type alloys. This work was the outgrowth of needing to know something definite about these temperatures in order to study the effect of pouring temperatures, shake-out times, and heat-treatments on the properties of some heat-resistant alloys. The information developed is thought to be of interest to industry for guidance in foundry practices and the industrial heat applications of the alloys. This paper is based upon work that has been done for the Alloy Casting Institute at Battellc Memorial Institute. Liquidus and Solidus Temperatures of HH and HT Type Alloys Experimenta1 Procedures Temperature-time curves were obtained during the cooling and solidification of several HH and HT type alloys. The metal was melted in an Ajax high-frequency, induction furnace and poured into a core-sand mold for cooling. The temperature measurements were obtained by means of a platinum, platinum-rhodium thermocouple contained within a fused silica sheath, which was extended through the side wall of the dry core-sand mold to a point at about the center of the mold cavity, which was 3 in. in diameter by 5 in. deep. The cold junction of the thermocouple was kept in an ice bottle, and the temperature was recorded automatically on a direct-reading potentiometer recorder. Through a switching arrangement, the temperature recorded was checked occasionally with a portable Leeds and North-rup potentiometer indicator. Less than a 5°F. variation in the two instruments was always found. This is within the limit of accuracy of readings. The thermocouple used was checked for accuracy against a standard couple, both before use on this work and after completion of the work, by the instrument laboratory. Temperature-time Cooling Curves Fig. I is an enlarged reproduction of a part of one of the cooling curves over the temperature range of 2600' to 2200°F. for an alloy of the HT type with 0.45 per cent carbon, 16 per cent chromium, and 36 per cent nickel. This is a typically shaped cooling curve as obtained for the alloys. It will be noted that two temperatures "re shown on Fig. I for the liquidus temperature. It is thought likely that the higher temperature, A, at the point at

Jan 1, 1945

By C. A. Heiland

The Eötvös torsion balance permits the measurement of certain second derivatives of the gravity-potential, which are known as the gradients of gravity and the curvature values for an equipotential plane of gravity. These quantities are influenced on level ground by the configuration of the masses underneath. Hence, the torsion balance has gained great importance for the location of geological structures and thus indirectly for the discovery of oil and other mineral deposits. If the ground is not level, however, the measurements become more difficult, because the superficial mass-irregularities also produce more or less considerable disturbances. It is necessary, therefore, to determine the shape of the surrounding topography by leveling as well as by consulting topographic maps and to compute its influence upon the torsion balance. The correction thus determined is called, in general, the topographic correction; it is composed of two constituents, the terrain correction and the cartographic correction. The terrain correction would be that part of the topographic correction as derived from the direct leveling of the area surrounding the station, whereas the data for the computation of the cartographic correction are obtained from a topographic map, usually beginning with a radius of LOO meters, as under most circumstances it is difficult to level along a arger concentric circle about the station. Principle of Topographic Correction The principle of all topographic corrections is to assume a homogene-ous compositon of the masses around the station in regard to specific gravity as well as a mathematical shape of the topography. The results become the more accurate the closer this mathematical shape is to the actual configuration of the terrain, but naturally the amount of necessary computation also increases. If a standard correction with fixed dis-ances is adopted, the middle error of this method will, therefore, increase as the irregularity of the terrain. Hence, the application of the torsion balance in mountainous areas may be successful only if the disturbances due to heavy masses underneath the surface are so large as to exceed onsiderably the increased middle error due to rugged topography, or,

Jan 1, 1929

By D. B. Carson, D. L. Katz

Natural gases under pressure form crystalline hydrates with water. Experimental data are reported on four-phase equilibrium for the methane-propane-water, methanc-pentane-water, and methane-hexane-water systems. Temperatures and pressures for equilibrium between gas, water-rich liquid, hydrocarbon-rich liquid, and hydrate were measured, as well as the percentages of methane and propane in the hydrate. The data indicate that natural gas hydrate behaves as a solid solution and that pentanes and heavier hydrocarbons do not enter into the solid phase. Vapor-solid equilibrium constants are presented that permit the approximation of the conditions for hydrate formation, from the composition of a gas. Introduction Natural gas hydrates have been the object of considerable research in recent years, because of the trouble they have caused in the natural-gas and natural-gasoline industries. Natural gas hydrates are white crystalline compounds of water and gas, which, under pressure, exist at temperatures considerably above the freezing point of water. Because of the relatively high temperatures at which the hydrates exist, they become a nuisance in high-pressure gas operations where water is present, since their formation causes partial or complete plugging of valves and pipes. From a practical standpoint, the trouble incident to hydrate formation has been solved by dehydration of the gas before it enters the plant or pipe line, or by other remedial measures. Extensive work on gas hydrates in the latter part of the nineteenth century, by Villardl and others, gave data on methane hydrate and on ethane hydrate. Schroeder summarized these theoretical studies2 Hammerschmidt3 introduced the information on gas hydrates to the gas industry and Dcaton and Frost4-6 gathered a considerable number of data on the behavior of natural gas hydrates. Recent papers7,8 have extended both the data and the theory of these hydrates. At present, data are available on tem-peraturcs and pressures of hydrate forma. tion for pure methane, ethane, propane, n-butane, methane-ethane mixtures, meth-ane-propane mixtures, methane-butane mixtures, and some Is natural gases, all- in the Presence of excess water. However, up to the Present time no method has been available for predicting the temperature at given pressures or the pressure at given at at which natural gases will form hydrates if hydrates with water. 'This Paper Presents data on the methane-propane-water, methane-pentane-water and methane-hex-""e water systems in four phases, one of which is the hydrate. he application of the phase rule to the methane-~ro~ane-water data Proves that hydrates behave as solid solutions. The data of this paper and those in the literature were used to develop vapor-solid. equilibrium constants,8 which permit prediction of conditions of hydrate formation from the analysis of a natural gas.

Jan 1, 1942