Search Documents

By B. H. Bergstrom

The Gaudin-Meloy1 size distribution equation requires the evaluation of two constants, xo and r. The common log-log representation of a screen analysis as cumulative weight percentage passing versus size, readily yields the required constants as illustrated for curves A and B in Fig. 1. The 100% passing (y = 1.0) size is simply x,. If the straight portion of the curve be extrapolated to the 100% passing (y=1.0) abscissa, the intercept is the Schuhmann size modulus, k. The ratio of xo to the size modulus, k, is r as shown: The Gaudin-Meloy equation requires that the slope, a, of the size distribution approach unity in the finer sizes, as is the case for curves A and B. Often distributions are better characterized by slopes other than unity. The schuhmann2 equation is able to represent these distributions if the upper portions of the curves are ignored. Empirically, the Gaudin-Meloy equation can be modified to yield slopes other than unity by writing it as Here, a is the familiar Schuhmann slope, and xo is the 100% passing size. The value of r is still given by Eq. 2. Eq. 4 with its easily determined constants is more versatile than either the Schuhmann or the Gaudin-Meloy equations, since a wide variety of size distributions can be closely described. It is easier to fit than the Rosin-Rammler3 equation, and has the advantage that the top size, x,, is finite. REFERENCES A. M. Gaudin and T. P. Meloy: Model and a Comminution Distribution Equation for Single Fracture, AIME Transactions, 1962, Vol. 223, pp. 40 to 43. R. Schumann, Jr.: principles of comminution, I., size Distribution and Surface Calculations, AIME Technical Publication No. 1187, 1940. P. Rosin and E. Rammler: The Laws coverning the Fineness of Powdered Coal, J. Inst. Fuel, 1933. Vol. 7, p. 29.

Jan 1, 1967

By M. Van Weyenbergh, G. Van Esbroeck

THE copper mines of the Katanga region in the Belgian Congo lie along the same mineralized belt as those of Northern Rhodesia. There are two distinct types of deposits in that belt, the dolomitic and the quartzitic. In the dolomitic type the metallic minerals are found in a dolomitic limestone country rock. Through oxidation and enrichment,, large deposits of high-grade oxidized copper ores were formed, some of which are being worked by the Union Miniére du Haut Katanga. Such deposits are all in Katanga. The quartzitic deposits are found in Katanga and Northern Rhodesia. Here the primary mineralization occurred in sandstones and quartzites, in horizons stratigraphically lower than the dolomites. These rocks are not favorable to secondary enrichment and the oxidized zone is poorer than the sulphide zone, which alone contains the ore. There are also in Katanga a few ore-bearing veins. One of them is being worked in the Prince Leopold mine at Kipushi. PRINCE LEOPOLD MINE The Kipushi ore body fills a fault vein and invades the wall rocks more or less extensively by metasomatic replacement. The vein strikes north-northeast and south-southwest and dips to the west. The variable dip averages 60ºto a depth of 300 ft., and more uniformly 80º below 400 ft. In the upper section the average width is 200 ft. and below the width is about 150 ft. The length of the ore body is 2300 feet. The eastern side of the vein-the footwall-is dolomitic and contains irregular masses of ore sometimes extending 100 ft. or more from the main

Jan 1, 1939

By G. Van Esbroeck

THE copper mines of the Katanga region in the Belgian Congo lie along the same mineralized belt as those of Northern Rhodesia. There are two distinct types of deposits in that belt, the dolomitic and the quartzitic. In the dolomitic type the metallic minerals are found in a dolomitic limestone country rock. Through oxidation and enrichment, large deposits of high-grade oxidized copper ores were formed, some of which are being worked by the Union Miniere du Haut Katanga. Such deposits are all in Katanga. The quartzitic deposits are found in Katanga and Northern Rhodesia. Here the primary mineralization occurred in sandstones and quartzites, in horizons stratigraphically lower than the dolomites. These rocks are not favorable to secondary enrichment and the oxidized zone is poorer than the sulphide zone, which alone contains the ore. There are also in Katanga a few ore-bearing veins. One of them is being worked in the Prince Leopold mine at Kipushi.

Jan 1, 1939

By P. G. Sprang, S. Rosen

The Y-Al- C ternary phase diagram for the com -position range from 55 to 100 at. pct Y and for a temperature of 950°C has been constructed from metallographic and X-ray diffraction data. The significant features of the isothermal section which is presented are the small solubility of aluminum in the binary Y3C phase and the presence of a ternary carbide phase with a small homogeneity range around the composition Y3AlC. The similarity in structure and composition between these two carbide phases is discussed in the light of the misci-bility gap which exists between room temperature and 1300°C, which was the temperature range studied. THE occurrence and stability criteria of ternary T3BC, carbide phases having the L'12 structure and the general formula T3BCx have been discussed in detail by stadelmaier1 and more recently by the present authors., Stadelmaier found many representatives of these phases formed between the T metals Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni and the B metals Mg, Al, Zn, Ca, Ge, Cd, In, Sn, Hg, T1, and Pb. The present authors reported on a new series of iso-structural carbide phases formed between the T metals of the Sc group and the B metal, aluminum. These new phases are unique in that many of the Sc group elements form stable binary carbide phases which occur about the composition T3C and which crystallize with a structure similar to that of the T9BCx ternary carbide phases. Furthermore, these binary and ternary phases are found to coexist in equilibrium with each other. The similarity in structure and composition between, for example, Y3C and Y3AlC in the light of the mis-cibility gap which had been found to exist between these two phases indicated a need for a more thorough knowledge of the phase relations which occur in alloys based upon these compositions. Consequently, an investigation of the phase equilibria in the yttrium-rich portion of the Y-A1-C phase diagram was undertaken. The limiting Y-A1 binary diagram determined by Lundin and Klodt3 and the results of Spedding et al.4 governing the Y3C phase were used as guides in , constructing the diagram. EXPERIMENTAL Alloys weighing about 10 g were prepared by arc-melting powder compacts made from the various components on a water-cooled copper hearth using a tungsten electrode in a gettered argon atmosphere. Good homogeneity was obtained by melting the alloys three times. The purity of the yttrium used was 99.9 pct (0.07 pct rare earths). The purity of the aluminum and the carbon was 99.99 pct. The results of chemical analysis on five representative alloys showed that losses during the alloying process were predominantly carbon losses and that in no instance did the measured concentration of this component differ by more than 3 at. pct from the intended composition. For this reason the alloy compositions which are reported are those of the charges prepared for melting. Three alloys which were analyzed for copper, tungsten, nitrogen, and oxygen compositions showed that no contamination had occurred either during casting or during the subsequent annealing treatments. For the major part annealing treatments were carried out on specimens which were placed in

Jan 1, 1965

By L. E. Lynd

Ilmenite concentrates prepared from beach and dune sands of Florida, India, Australia, and other localities deviate to varying degrees from the theoretical composition of pure ilmenite, and generally contain more TiO2 than the formula FeTi03 would indicate, and some Fe2O3. This variation in composition is due to different amounts of altered ilmenite in the concentrates. (') The alteration has been shown to take place by oxidation and leaching of the iron in ilmenite, to yield residual products consisting of amaphous or very finely crystalline titanium dioxide and ferric oxide. Other studies(2) have stressed that ilmenite may alter first to an amorphous titanium-iron oxide, or to an amorphous mixture of titanium and iron oxides, with later alteration to crystalline titanium dioxide. There has been some speculation as to whether alteration of ilmenite is usually caused by weathering or by hydrothermal pr0cesses.(3,4,5 Three main methods of approach were used to study the mechanism and rate of ilmenite weathering. (1) Etch tests were used to learn the relationship between crystallographic orientation and the rate of chemical attack on ilmenite. (2) Altered ilmenites in New Jersey sands were compared with ilmenite in rocks of the area from which the sands were probably derived. (3) Experiments were carried out to determine at what rate, and by what agents, originally fresh ilmenite could be altered in the laboratory under simulated weathering conditions. ETCH FIGURES ON ILMENITE CRYSTAL PLANES A rather large ilmenite crystal from Sannidal, Norway, about 11/2 x 11/2 x 2 inches, bearing a few natural faces with imperfect surfaces, was prepared for etching by grinding and polishing crystal planes whose Bravais-Miller indices (referred to hexagonal axes) had been determined by X-ray methods to be 00.1, 10.0, and 10.2. Metallographic examination showed that the crystal was homogeneous, and uniform in orientation, except for the presence of twin lamellae which were oriented with their broadest surfaces parallel to the 00.1 planes of the large crystal. Since ilmenite is rather inert to standard etch reagents, strong solutions of hot sulfuric acid and cold hydrofluoric acid were used. Preliminary tests established that better etch figures were obtained using HF than with H2So4 solutions. The etch figures produced on 00.1 and 01.0 planes of ilmenite by etching 3 to 5 minutes in cold concentrated HF solution are shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3. The figures on 00.1 are "etch hillocks", rather than pits, and according to Honess(6), this phenomenon

Jan 1, 1961

By Sumner M. Anderson

Any discussion of outside support to Latin American mineral industries must concede at once the pre-eminent role of U. S. industry and business. American capital has developed the great copper resources of Chile and Peru, the lead-zinc of Peru and Mexico, the bauxite of Surinam and Jamaica, the petroleum and iron ore of Venezuela. American consumers have provided the market for their products. U. S. companies operating south of the border have trained Latin American geologists, engineers, chemists, and skilled labor—including metal, mineral, and fuel technicians—to new and greater competence. The industrial demands of World War II drastically altered world economics and concepts of U. S. foreign mineral requirements. In this country discovery of vital mineral resources fell far behind the alarming depletion rates, and there was new appreciation of the actual and potential importance of the world's less extensively explored areas. During the war and afterward, the task of supplying the nation's mineral requirements became greater than private industry could carry alone, and the Government assumed a position of continuing support. In Latin America, as elsewhere, this support applies in three categories: banking, procurement, and technical assistance. The first two are now generally accepted as necessary Government functions; the third has often been misunderstood and misinterpreted, although it has given rise to legitimate controversy. There have been major accomplishments in all three categories, as well as some errors of judgment. Since the beginning of World War 11, U. S. Government financing, procurement, and technical assistance have been applied on a large scale to a wide range of commodities and services throughout the free world. The present discussion—under the separate headings mentioned—will concern only the support related to a single industrial group in a single geographic area. During the War Federal banking was conducted on an emergency scale by temporary agencies created to meet the abnormal circumstances. Unfortunately, there are no readily available data on these activities that would permit evaluating loans and credits extended for mineral projects in Latin America. The only agency operating in this field since World War II is the Export-Import Bank, under its own authority and to some extent from credits authorized by the Office of Defense Mobilization. The Bank can offer more capital—on more favorable terms—than is available from most Latin American banks, and its staff of engineers evidently can appraise loan applications more favorably than commercial banks in this country are willing to do. The risks seem to be justified, as defaults have been well under 1 pct of total loans. From V-J day 1945 to the end of 1957, mineral loans to Latin America have been authorized for projects totaling $541.63 million in eight countries. In order of magnitude of credits, they have been made to Brazil, Peru, Chile, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Guatemala, and Bolivia. In order of magnitude by industries. they are for development and expansion of steel mills, copper, manganese, nitrate plants, iron ore, zinc plants, sulfur plants, cement plants, tungsten, coal, and lead. Loan Distribution: By far the largest loans have been $307.9 million for iron and steel projects in Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Argentina, and Peru: $100.4 for developing the great low-grade copper deposits of southern Peru; and $55.3 million for developing manganese deposits in the Territory of Amapa, Brazil. Others range from $20.8 million for a zinc smelter in central Peru to $19 thousand for iron-mine trucking equipment in Chile. It has been noted that 59 pct of the loans have been to foreign companies, 14 pct to companies of mixed foreign and American capital, and 27 pct to American mining companies. About 40 pct of the total authorizations has been disbursed so far. In addition to these amounts, the Strategic Materials Division of the Economic Cooperation Admin-

Jan 1, 1959

By E. A. Anderson, C. W. Siller, Gerald Edmunds

In the pressurc die-casting of zinc alloys it is customary to force the molten alloy under high pressure into a permanent steel die by means of a plunger moving in a bushing that has a clearance on the diameter of the order of 0.002 in. Successful operation of the plunger type of machine requires the presence in the zinc alloy of certain percentages of aluminum. Without these aluminum additions, the normal reaction of molten zinc on ferrous materials causes sticking of the plunger arid a complcte shutdown of the equipment. All of the zinc alloys used for pressure dir-rnsting today contain approximately 4 per cent of aLUminum, which is more than suffieient to make plunger opcration feasible. The clearancc bet,ween the plunger and its bushing is an important matter. As the space bccomes larger, there is a loss in effective metal pressure. Ordinary gray cast iron served fairly well and is still uscd in some machines. However, the rate at which the plunger c1earance. increases with this material is considered by many to be far too great. There is, therefore, a serious interest in finding new matcrinls more: capable of retaining the desired clearance during long periods of use. Today marly die casters are using special materials for plungers and bushings selected by the somewhat expensive and time-consuming test of actual experience. An analysis of the problem reveals two possible end points of plunger. operation: (1) the building up of zinc-alloy plunger-material reaction products in sufficient bulk to cause sticking and (2) rapid solution, wear or erosion, all of which will increase the clearance to an undesirable extent. If neither of these takes place, the pluriger will operatc for a long time, of course.. The authors have developed a laboratory apparat,us in which the action of a plunger moving in a bushing immersed in molten zinc alloy could be simulated closely. Such a machine made possible a more rapid and less expensive survey of the available construction materials and an analysis of the specific alloying reactions taking place in the clearance area.

Jan 1, 1940

By Gerald Edmunds, C. W. Siller, E. A. Anderson

In the pressurc die-casting of zinc alloys it is customary to force the molten alloy under high pressure into a permanent steel die by means of a plunger moving in a bushing that has a clearance on the diameter of the order of 0.002 in. Successful operation of the plunger type of machine requires the presence in the zinc alloy of certain percentages of aluminum. Without these aluminum additions, the normal reaction of molten zinc on ferrous materials causes sticking of the plunger arid a complcte shutdown of the equipment. All of the zinc alloys used for pressure dir-rnsting today contain approximately 4 per cent of aLUminum, which is more than suffieient to make plunger opcration feasible. The clearancc bet,ween the plunger and its bushing is an important matter. As the space bccomes larger, there is a loss in effective metal pressure. Ordinary gray cast iron served fairly well and is still uscd in some machines. However, the rate at which the plunger c1earance. increases with this material is considered by many to be far too great. There is, therefore, a serious interest in finding new matcrinls more: capable of retaining the desired clearance during long periods of use. Today marly die casters are using special materials for plungers and bushings selected by the somewhat expensive and time-consuming test of actual experience. An analysis of the problem reveals two possible end points of plunger. operation: (1) the building up of zinc-alloy plunger-material reaction products in sufficient bulk to cause sticking and (2) rapid solution, wear or erosion, all of which will increase the clearance to an undesirable extent. If neither of these takes place, the pluriger will operatc for a long time, of course.. The authors have developed a laboratory apparat,us in which the action of a plunger moving in a bushing immersed in molten zinc alloy could be simulated closely. Such a machine made possible a more rapid and less expensive survey of the available construction materials and an analysis of the specific alloying reactions taking place in the clearance area.

Jan 1, 1940

The income of the Institute is derived from dues, subscriptions to MINING AND METALLURGY and sale of publications. These sources are fortunately supplemented by the interest from invested funds now amounting to over $500,000, a considerable portion constituting endowments for especial purposes. Aside from the medal funds the principal endowments are the James Douglas Fund for support of the Library, the Rocky Mountain Fund and the Seeley W. Mudd Memorial Fund. The income from the two last named is available for the support of research and a variety of other purposes. It is allocated by the Board of Directors upon recommendation of standing committees in each case. An active effort is being made to increase the endowments of the Institute, it being felt that unusual opportunities exist for research and public and professional service through the organization and at a minimum of expense. J. V. W. Reynders is chairman of the Endowment Committee.

Jan 1, 1923

By Grafton Thrasher

For the proper discussion of this subject it is necessary to incorporate in this paper the substance of part of an article published by rite in Metallurgical and Chemical Engineering for January, 1915. CAST-IRON TEST PLUG, SHOWING LOW MOTTLED AND MOTTLED FRACTURES. Several years ago, while I was thief chemist for a malleable-iron company, it occurred to me that the mere regulation of silicon was not sufficient to produce the desired degree of chill. But only after repeatedly encountering this fact in befit open-hearth and air-furnace, as well as cupola metal, was I led to regard variation in the total carbon as the principal cause of disturbance; and I resolved to determine the total carbon as well as the sill on ill every heat, and by a carefully prepared test piece to gauge the approximate degree of chill. The test piece selected was a round plug, 2 in. in diameter and 12 in. long, cast on end

Jan 10, 1915

THE opening session of the Institute was held at the rooms of the American Society of Civil Engineers, No. 4 East 23d Street, Vice-President R. W. Raymond in the chair. After a short introductory address by the chairman, the following names were presented by the Council for election as members and associates of the Institute. They were unanimously elected : MEMBERS. Abbott, James W., - Lake City, Col. Abbott, J. J., Jr., - Lake City, Col. Bartlett, J. C., - Cambridge, Mass. Billings, G. H., - Boston, Mass. Blake, Frank C., - Lafayette College, Easton, Pa. Dewey, Fred. P., - Lafayette College, Easton, Pa. Douglass, Samuel T., - Ann Arbor, Mich. Emmons, S. F., - New York City. Engle, George U., - Philadelphia. Harrington, Dr. Bernard J., - Montreal, Canada. Hayden, Wm. B., - Columbus, O. Hill, Leslie C., - Capelton, Quebec, Canada. Land, W. J., - Atlanta, Ga. May, Wm. A., - Scranton, Pa. Mills, James E., - St. Louis, Mo. Moore, Charles W., - Montezuma, Ind. Page, William Byrd, - Lexington, Ky. Putnam, Douglas, Jr., - Ashland, Ky. Richards, Henry, - Dover, N. J. Roberts, Percival, Jr., - Philadelphia. Sackett, S. G., - Brooklyn, N. Y. Schley, Wm. S., - Atlanta, Ga. Setz, Gustav, - Mine La Motte, Mo. Talbutt, John H., - Lexington, Ky. Torrey, Herbert G., - U. S. Assay Office, New York City. Wernlitz, Fred. W., - Cartersville, Bartow Co., Ga. Wiestling, Geo. B., - Mont Alto, Franklin Co., Pa.

Jan 1, 1877

The opening session of the Institute was held at the rooms of the American Society of Civil Engineers, No. 4 East 23d Street, VicePresident R. W. Raymond in the chair. After a short introductory address by the chairman, the following names were presented by the Council for election as members and associates of the Institute. They were unanimously elected : MEMBERS. Abbott, James W.,.....Lake City, Col. Abbott, J. J., Jr.,...... Lake City, Col. Bartlett, J. C.,.....Cambridge, Mass. Billings, G. H.,.....Boston, Mass. Blake, Frank C.,.....Lafayette College, Easton, Pa. Dewey, Fred. P.,.....Lafayette College, Easton, Pa. Douglass, Samuel T.,. .. . Ann Arbor, Mich. Emmons, 9. F.,.....New York City. Engle, George U.,.....Philadelphia. Harrington, Dr. Bernard J.,. .. Montreal, Canada. Hayden, Wm. B.,.....Columbus, O. Hill, Leslie C.,.....Capelton, Quebec, Canada. Land, W. J.,......Atlanta, Ga. May, Wm. A.,.....Scranton, Pa. Mills, James E.,.....St. Louis, Mo. Moore, Charles W.,.... Montezuma, Ind. Page, William Byrd,.... Lexington, Ky. Putnam, Douglas, Jr.,.... Ashland, Ky. Richards, Henry,.....Dover, N. J. Boberts, Percival, Jr.,. .. . Philadelphia. Sackett, S. G.,......Brooklyn, N. Y. Schley, Wm. S.,.....Atlanta, Ga. Setz, Gustav,......Mine La Motte, Mo. Talhutt, John H.,.....Lexington, Ky. Torrey, Herbert G.,.... U. S. Assay Office, New York City. Wernlitz, Fred. W.,..., Cartersville, Bartow Co., Ga. Wiestling, Geo. B.,.....Mont Alto, Franklin Go., Pa.

By E. F. La Vigne

On Aug. 10, 1884, the Retsof Mining Co. began the sinking of an 18 by 12-ft. shaft at Retsof, N. Y. Rock salt was reached in 1885, in September, at 1008 ft. below the surface. The first salt was shipped in the fall of 1885. A timber breaker was built in 1886. In July, 1895, there was a consolidation of the Retsof Mining Co., the Greigsville Salt & Mining Co., the Livonia Salt Co., and the Lehigh Salt & Mining Co. These consolidated salt companies are now known as the Retsof Mining Co., a subsidiary of the International Salt Go. Eventually all of the mines were closed except the mine of the Retsof Mining Co., at Retsof, Livingston County, New York. On July 6, 1921, about 1/2 mile south of the original shaft arid plant of the Retsof Mining Co., a new 9 by 28-ft. concrete-liried shaft was started. The shaft is 1063 ft. deep from the top of the shaft collar to the bottom of the salt bed. At the same time a reinforced-concrete breaker and other buildings were erccted. This new plant began operations on Dee. 15, 1923. It was designed for a capacity of 3000 tons in 8 hours. Geology The workable rock-salt bed is 1063 ft. below the surface and 326 ft. below sea level, and varies in thickness from 9 to 10 ft. The total thickness is greater than that but is contaminated with shale above and below the pure mineral. The characteristics of the formation are shown in Tables 1 and 2. The bed dips uniformly 0.87 per cent to the south. Prospecting As the salt deposil in New York State is known, very little prospecting has been necessary. Before the sinking of the Retsof No. 1 shaft, a well was drilled to prove the existence of salt. No. 1 shaft was sunk where the well was located. The several salt wells drilled in Livingston Courlty proved generally the existence of salt throughout the county. (See U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 669: Salt Resources of the U. S.)

Jan 1, 1938

By E. F. La Vigne

On Aug. 10, 1884, the Retsof Mining Co. began the sinking of an 18 by 12-ft. shaft at Retsof, N. Y. Rock salt was reached in 1885, in September, at 1008 ft. below the surface. The first salt was shipped in the fall of 1885. A timber breaker was built in 1886. In July, 1895, there was a consolidation of the Retsof Mining Co., the Greigsville Salt & Mining Co., the Livonia Salt Co., and the Lehigh Salt & Mining Co. These consolidated salt companies are now known as the Retsof Mining Co., a subsidiary of the International Salt Go. Eventually all of the mines were closed except the mine of the Retsof Mining Co., at Retsof, Livingston County, New York. On July 6, 1921, about 1/2 mile south of the original shaft arid plant of the Retsof Mining Co., a new 9 by 28-ft. concrete-liried shaft was started. The shaft is 1063 ft. deep from the top of the shaft collar to the bottom of the salt bed. At the same time a reinforced-concrete breaker and other buildings were erccted. This new plant began operations on Dee. 15, 1923. It was designed for a capacity of 3000 tons in 8 hours. Geology The workable rock-salt bed is 1063 ft. below the surface and 326 ft. below sea level, and varies in thickness from 9 to 10 ft. The total thickness is greater than that but is contaminated with shale above and below the pure mineral. The characteristics of the formation are shown in Tables 1 and 2. The bed dips uniformly 0.87 per cent to the south. Prospecting As the salt deposil in New York State is known, very little prospecting has been necessary. Before the sinking of the Retsof No. 1 shaft, a well was drilled to prove the existence of salt. No. 1 shaft was sunk where the well was located. The several salt wells drilled in Livingston Courlty proved generally the existence of salt throughout the county. (See U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 669: Salt Resources of the U. S.)

Jan 1, 1938

By C. G. Cheriton

The Bathurst mining district is located near the town of Bathurst on the north shore of the province of New Brunswick in eastern Canada. This region is the northeasterly extension of the Appalachian mountain system. The area is heavily forested and covered with a fairly uniform layer of glacial gravels and boulder clay. The relief is low, increasing to a few hundred feet in the north west and several hundred feet in the extreme southwest. Thus, rock outcrops are scarce and occur mostly along streams and ridges. These factors made conventional prospecting difficult and resulted in the district becoming an excellent place for the application of regional geological studies, air photo techniques, airborne and gound geophysical methods and soil sampling. Late in 1952, The Brunswick Mining and Smelting Company discovered a very large base metal sulphide body presently known as their No. 6 orebody. Early in 1953, another and even larger sulphide body was discovered and is known as the No. 12 ore body. Mining exploration was very active thoughout 1953 and in 1954, The American Metal Company discovered the orebodies which have been developed into The Heath Steele 'Mines. The location of these deposits is shown on figure one. In the latter part of 1954, The Anaconda Company became interested in the district and decided to make a geological study of this new and promising base rrietal area. The following paper presents the story of the application of modern geological and geophysical techniques, leading to the discovery of a large sul-nhidp liodv. The Bathurst district is generally underlain by the Tetagouche group of Middle Ordovician rocks.

Jan 1, 1961

APPROXIMATELY 26 percent of the total ore production to date from the largest single deposit of copper-bearing material in the world was mined during the war years, 1942 to 1945, at Chile Exporation Company's great open-pit mine at Chuquicamata, Chile. About 18 percent of the total waste removed during the life of the mine was handled in the same period. The total of ore and waste represents approximately 24 percent of the total material that has been excavated from the pit. This is more than was removed in the first fourteen years of operation from 1914 through 1927. The pit at Chuquicamata is 17/8 miles long, 1/2 mile wide, and has a present vertical extent of 817 ft between the top of the highest bench and the lowest bench being worked. However, when

Jan 1, 1948

By Ian Wark

IN an earlier paper1 measurements of contact angles due to the effect of xanthates on mineral surfaces were reported. The solutions in which these measurements were made differed widely from those of modern flotation circuits. It is intended, however, by introducing, one at a time, the other principal reagents of flotation, to approach gradually the solu-tion composition of flotation liquors. The work now described is an attempt to determine the effect of one of the most important of these reagents-namely, sodium cyanide-on the establishment of air-mineral contact. The work has been carried out for the following companies: Broken Hill South, North Broken Hill, Zinc Corporation, Electro-lytic Zinc of Australasia, Mount Lyell Mining and Railway, and Burma Corporation. Since the effect of cyanide is inseparably connected with the alkalinity, the results cited below deal with the mutual effects of alkalis and cyanide. Alkalis alone exert a significant effect on the air-mineral contact but comparatively large amounts are required. Since the addition of a small amount of cyanide greatly decreases the degree of alkalinity necessary for the suppression of contact at surfaces of any of the minerals experimented with (except galena) and since alkalis are rarely used alone in practice, little attention has been paid to cyanide-free solutions. It was shown in the previous paper that, excluding the dixanthogen effect, whenever contact was practicable at all in an ethyl xanthate solution the angle of contact was 60°. There is, therefore, less necessity to measure equilibrium contact angles; in fact, the experiments herein described have generally been conducted with a view to determining whether contact is possible and not to measuring the actual value of the contact angle. The separations which have generally to be effected in dealing with complex sulfide ores are: (1) galena from sphalerite, pyrite, etc.; (2) sphalerite from pyrite and/or gangue minerals; (3) copper minerals from pyrite and gangue minerals; (4) pyrite from gangue minerals; (5) chal-

Jan 1, 1933

By J. J. Fritts, J. L. Patrick, T. L. Wright, C. O. Ensign, W. S. White, J. W. Trammell, J. C. Wright, D. J. Hathaway, R. J. Leone

The copper deposit at White Pine, Michigan, from which a little more than 5 per cent of United States primary copper currently is produced, is a large stratiform orebody, 4 to 25 feet thick and several miles across. The present ore column, containing about 1.2 per cent copper as chalcocite and native copper, is confined to the basal beds of the Nonesuch Shale. This upper Keweenawan (Upper Precambrian) formation is a distinctive gray siltstone unit, about 600 feet thick, overlying and overlain by thick red-bed sequences. All these rocks contain abundant volcanic debris, but the latest known igneous activity within 50 miles antedated the Nonesuch Shale. The rocks are unmetamorphosed and only moderately deformed, mainly by tilting and faults. Pyrite, presumably syngenetic, is the only prominent sulfide throughout most of the Nonesuch Shale. The basal beds of the formation, however, contain disseminated copper minerals instead of pyrite and constitute the cupriferous zone. On a regional scale, the top of the cupriferous zone cuts across bedding, and ranges from an inch or so above the base of the formation in some areas to more than 50 feet in others. However, within the cupriferous zone the distribution of copper shows remarkable stratigraphic control. Certain beds are copper-rich compared to the beds that lie between them and the differences persist throughout the White Pine region. Several darkgray thinly laminated beds in the lower 10 to 25 feet of the Nonesuch Shale are rich enough and sufficiently close enough together to constitute a mineable thickness where they lie within the cupriferous zone. Pyrite is the characteristic sulfide of the Nonesuch Shale as a whole. The principal sulfide mineral of the cupriferous zone at the base of the formation is chalcocite. The succession of minerals outward and upward from the center of the cupriferous zone is native copper-chalcocite-bornite-chalcopyrite- pyrite. The bornite and chalcopyrite are confined to a narrow fringe at the margin of the cupriferous zone. This pattern of mineral zones is believed to represent reaction between syngenetic pyrite and introduced copper. The main copper mineralization is independent of structure and apparently antedates deformation. Details of the geometry of the cupriferous zone indicate the possibility that copper was introduced from the underlying sandstone prior to lithification. The source of the mineralizing solutions and their copper is not known.

Jan 1, 1968

By H. D. Outmans

A method has been developed for determining the relative water wet-tability (fraction of the surface wet by water) of porous media. This method involves the adsorption of methylene blue dye from an aqueous solution onto the solid surfaces of rock contacted by the injected dye solution. Experiments on Berea snndstone cores have shown that water-wet cores adsorb a large amount of dye from solution. In oil-wet cores, however, the injected aqueous dye solution is prevented from contacting the adsorptive surfuces by a film of oil and virtually no dye is adsorbed. This method was tested by experiments on mixtures of water-wet and oil-wet sand. Using the dye adsorption method, it was possible to determine quantitatively the fraction of water-wet and oil-wet sarzd in such mixtures. The dye adsorption test is readily applied to determinitrg the relative water wettability of fresh oilfield cores. The cores are not extracted before testing. Observed values of the wettability of field cores tested to date have varied from 100 to 6 per cent water wet. INTR OD UCTIO N Recent articles1 ' have emphasized the important role that wettability plays in almost all phases of reservoir rock behavior. It has been shown that wettability has a profound effect on the interstitial water saturation, residual oil saturation, capillary pressure, relative permeability, waterflood behavior, and resistivity index of oilfield cores. A quantitative investiga- tion of the effect of wettability on these core properties is severely handicapped by the lack of a simple technique for measuring the wettability of a porous medium. If such a technique were available, it would provide investigators with a means of gaining insight into the distribution of phases within a core. A number of qualitative methods of estimating wettability are known. These include contact angle measurements, flotation tests and studies of displacement pressure: imbibition7 and relative permeability data.' Using these tests, it is usually possible to classify a core as water-wet, oil-wet, or some intermediate degree of wettability. One recently proposed method involving measurement of nuclear magnetic relaxatione offers promise of determining quantitatively the fractional wettability of cores. The equipment is rather elaborate and necessary treatment of the cores before testing probably alters the natural wettability. This latter point also applies to most of the cited qualitative methods. This paper presents a new technique for determining water wettability of cores; it is based on measurements of the dye adsorption capacity of the core. This method has the advantage of requiring relatively simple equipment and involves minimum handling of the core before testing. It is important to distinguish between the various concepts of wettability referred to in the literature. The term "wetting" is defined by Bartell as that phenomenon which occurs when a solid and liquid phase come in contact in any manner so as to form a solid-liquid interface. A preferentially water-wet solid is defined by Jennings in terms of the advancing contact angle in the solid water-oil systems. Brown and Fatt regard fractional wettability as the fraction of the total surface area that is preferentially oil-wet or water-wet. However, none of these definitions adequately describes the type wettability measured by the dye test. This calls for the introduction of a new term, "relative water wettability", which we define as the fraction of the total surface area of a core contacted by injected water. DESCRIPTION OF METHOD The ability of a porous medium (especially the clays) to adsorb large quantities of surfactants, dyes, etc., is well known. It is reasonable to assume that a substance can be adsorbed from solution onto a solid surface only if the solution contacts the surface. In this connection Shapiro" has shown by experiments on silica gel that completely dry gel will adsorb methyl red dye from a benzene solution. On the other hand, if a film of water more than several molecules thick is present on the silica gel, the adsorption capacity of the gel for the dye is drastically reduced. Thus, a study of the dye adsorption capacity of cores should give some clue as to the fluid distribution on the surface of the core. TEST OF METHOD As a qualitative check on this theory, dye adsorption tests were run on similar Berea sandstone cores (Table 1, Cores 1-5). Cores saturated initially with water and flooded with 0.01 per cent aqueous methylene blue adsorbed 0.58 mg dye/gm of core. Similar cores saturated initially with water, driven to irreducible water with oil, and then flooded with the same dye solution also adsorbed 0.58 mg dye/gm of core. Another core, treated with a 5 per cent Dri-Film solution, dried and saturated with oil (Soltrol) adsorbed no dye when the dye solution was injected. These tests confirm

By E. H. Herron, J. H. Perry

Mathematical simulation of reservoir behavior may be used to help understand reservoir processes and to predict reservoir behavior, thereby leading to the most economically desirable form of exploitation. In addition, simulation can be used as a tool for reservoir description to learn more about the physical nature of the reservoir and the mode of primary recovery. This use is essential in most reservoir studies and represents one of the more significant applications of simulation. Prediction of reservoir behavior provides information concerning displacement efficiency, optimum well locations, and the comparison of alternative producing processes. Since oil, water and gas all commonly occur in many reservoirs, a simulation that takes into account the simultaneous flow of three immiscible phases is a prerequisite for obtaining such information. Furthermore, a simulation that describes this flow in two dimensions provides the capability of evaluating combination gas- and water-drive reservoirs with either an areal or a cross-sectional description. Many reservoir problems require such a simulation. The objective of the research described here was to develop a mathematical model and associated computer program for accurate, efficient, and economical prediction of the reservoir flow of three phases in two-dimensional geometry. Several authors have discussed multidimensional reservoir simulation of two phases.l-3 Gottfried et al.' presented an analy- sis of three-phase simulation in one dimension. Fagin and Stewart" and Garrett6 have discussed the simulation of three-phase flow in two dimensions, but their solution techniques were different from the method discussed in this paper. In particular, previous models and computer programs have usually involved either fewer capabilities or inefficient and less rigorous descriptions resulting in limited applicability. In the following sections, we present a description of the model, an evaluation of the method, and the application to reservoir problems. Additional and supporting material is presented in the Appendix. The Three-Phase Model General Description The three-phase model consists of the mathematical description of the flow of oil, water and gas in a reservoir. Conceptually this description considers flow in all three space dimensions, but in the subject simulator it is assumed that no flow occurs in the third dimension. The model includes the effects on reservoir behavior of fluid and rock compressibility, viscosity, gravity, capillary pressure, relative permeability and gas solubility. Within the two-dimensional restriction, the reservoir considered may be completely heterogeneous and anisotropic. The differential equations governing multiphase, multidimensional flow in a reservoir are too complex to be solved analytically, so they are approximated by a system of finite difference equations and solved

Jan 1, 1970