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Extractive Metallurgy Division - Continuous Ion ExchangeBy R. McNeill, D. E. Weiss, E. A. Swinton
In a continuous countercurrent exchange process, an alteration in any one of the operating conditions has a complex effect on the others, which can only be predicted by employing the transfer unit or the theoretical stage theory on a basis of trial and error. A simple method is described for illustrating diagrammatically the behavior of a counter-current system, the equations being simplified by means of a concept the maximum hypothetical exchange performance. An example based on a typical metallurgical system is given, in which a divalent metal is recovered from a dilute solution, the resin being regenerated continuously by a monovalent ion. Useful conclusions are drawn from a study of the theory. Practical methods for performing continuous ion exchange are discussed, and the development of equipment based on modified ore dressing jigs is described. A swinging sieve jig contactor is evaluated experimentally. DURING the last decade, the new synthetic ion exchange resins have been applied extensively in industries outside the field of water treatment, but there is no record of a continuous counter-current process operating on an industrial scale. Attempts have been made to devise a satisfactory process but many problems remain to be solved. The basic principles of continuous processes will be outlined, as well as the major problems in their operation and the progress made in the CSIRO laboratories toward the development of satisfactory industrial techniques. In the metallurgical field ion exchange resins can be used for various applications such as the recovery and concentration of valuable metals from mine waters,' the regeneration of pickling and plating liquors," the prevention of pollution by waste effluents and the recovery of the constituents from them," and the purification of valuable metals such as the rare earths by chromatographic fractionation on columns of ion exchange resins.7,8 . Turther applications undoubtedly will be found in the field of hydrometallurgy where the use of ion exchange resins would enable direct extraction of the desired metal ion from the filtered leach liquor or the leach pulp. For example, an ion exchange process has been described recently for the extraction of gold from a cyanide leach pulp." A continuous process would have advantages in many applications over the usual process employing a fixed bed and intermittent cycle. In a recovery process, it would yield a product stream of steady purity and concentration, it would waste less water in rinsing, and if the contacting apparatus were efficient less resin would be used, since each portion of the resin would be cycled as soon as it was loaded instead of lying idle until the whole bed was ready for regeneration. A very major advantage is that it would be simpler to control automatically. It is probable that continuous operation will be the key for really large scale applications of ion exchange. The flow sheet of a continuous ion exchange recovery-concentration process is illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 1. Dilute liquor containing the valuable ion flows through the stripping section countercurrently to a moving bed of resin and leaves after a final contact with freshly regenerated resin. The resin leaves the unit almost in equilibrium with the incoming liquor and then flows to the regenerating unit where it is treated by a slow countercurrent flow of concentrated regenerant solution. The adsorbed ion is displaced from the resin and appears in the concentrated product stream. The resin then must pass through a rinse unit or section where regenerant entrained by the resin is washed back into the regeneration section by water. The regenerated and washed resin is then recycled back to the stripping section. I. Theoretical Operating Behavior of Continuous Ion Exchange Stripping System The simple theory of continuous ion exchange is analogous to that of solvent extraction and other diffusional transfer operations and is governed by the equilibrium relationship, the mass balance, the rates of mass transfer, and the contacting efficiency of the unit. Equilibrium Relationship—The relative affinity of two ions A and B, for a particular resin immersed in their solution, can be expressed by plotting compositions of the solution against compositions which exist in resin in equilibrium with those solutions, i.e. C/Co vs q/a where C, is the total normality of the solution, C is the normality of ion A in the solution, a is the total exchange capacity of the resin in gram equivalents
Jan 1, 1956
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Henry Krumb - Director and Vice-president, A.I.M.E.By AIME AIME
PROBABLY no man has been of greater service to the Institute and has kept more in the background than Henry Krumb. A Vice-President continuously) for the last eleven years, apparently neither his picture nor a biographical sketch ever have adorned these pages and were he forewarned in the present instance he would order us to "forget it." He is a Columbia School of Mines man, Class of '98. He worked underground at Rossland, B. C. for a time, then for a year and a half a. chief engineer of the famous Camp Bird at Ouray, Colo. For three wars he was examining engineer for the Guggenheims and since 1901 has been an independent consulting engineer with experience throughout the Americas.
Jan 1, 1939
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Metal Mining - Primary Blasting Practice at ChuquicamataBy Glenn S. Wyman
CHUQUICAMATA, located in northern Chile in the Province of Antofagasta, is on the western slope of the Andes at an elevation of 9500 ft. Because of its position on the eastern edge of the Atacama Desert, the climate is extremely arid with practically no precipitation, either rain or snow. All primary blasting in the open-pit mine at Chuquicamata is done by the churn drill, blasthole method. Since 1915, when the first tonnages of importance were removed from the open pit, there have been many changes in the blasting practice, but no clear-cut rules of method and procedure have been devised for application to the mine as a whole. One general fact stands out: both the ore and waste rock at Chuquicamata are difficult to break satisfactorily for the most efficient operation of power shovels. Numerous experiments have been made in an effort to improve the breakage and thereby increase the shovel efficiency. Holes of different diameter have been drilled, the length of toe and spacing of holes have been varied, and several types of explosives have been used. Early blasting was done by the tunnel method. The banks were high, generally 30 m, requiring the use of large charges of black powder, detonated by electric blasting caps. Large tonnages were broken at comparatively low cost, but the method left such a large proportion of oversize material for secondary blasting that satisfactory shovel operation was practically impossible. Railroad-type steam and electric shovels then in service proved unequal to the task of efficiently handling the large proportion of oversize material produced. The clean-up of high banks proved to be dangerous and expensive as large quantities of explosive were consumed in dressing these banks, and from time to time the shovels were damaged by rock slides. As early as 1923 the high benches were divided, and a standard height of 12 m was selected for the development of new benches. The recently acquired Bucyrus-Erie 550-B shovel, with its greater radius of operation compared to the Bucyrus-Erie 320-B formerly used for bench development, allowed the bench height to be increased to 16 m. Churn drill, blasthole shooting proved to be successful, and tunnel blasts were limited to certain locations where development existed or natural ground conditions made the method more attractive than the use of churn drill holes. Liquid oxygen explosive and black powder were used along with dynamite of various grades in blast-hole loading up to early 1937. Liquid oxygen and black powder were discontinued because they were more difficult to handle due to their sensitivity to fire or sparks in the extremely dry climate. At present ammonium nitrate dynamite is favored because of its superior handling qualities and its adaptability to the dry condition found in 90 pct of the mine. In wet holes, which are found only in the lowest bench of the pit and account for the remaining 10 pct of the ground to be broken, Nitramon in 8x24-in. cans, or ammonium nitrate dynamite packed in 8x24-in. paper cartridges, is being used. This latter explosive, which is protected by a special antiwetting agent that makes the cartridges resistant to water for about 24 hr, currently is considered the best available for the work and is preferred over Nitramon. Early churn drill hole shots detonated by electric blasting caps, one in each hole, gave trouble because of misfires caused by the improper balance of resistance in the electrical circuits. Primarily, it was of vital importance to effect an absolute balance of resistance in these circuits, the undertaking and completion of which invariably caused delays in the shooting schedule. Misfires resulting from the improper balance of electrical circuits, or from any other cause, were extremely hazardous, since holes had to be unloaded or fired by the insertion of another detonator. The advent of cordeau, later followed by primacord, corrected this particular difficulty and therefore reduced the possibility of missed holes. After much experimentation, the blasting practice evolved into single row, multihole shots, with the holes spaced 4.5 to 5 m center to center in a row 7.5 to 8 m back from the toe. Sucti shots were fired from either end by electric blasting caps attached to the main trunk lines of cordeau or primacord. The detonating speed of cordeau or primacord gave the practical effect of firing all holes instantaneously. Double row and multirow blasts, fired instantaneously with cordeau or primacord, proved to be unsatisfactory in the type of rock found at Chuquica-
Jan 1, 1953
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Metal Mining - Primary Blasting Practice at ChuquicamataBy Glenn S. Wyman
CHUQUICAMATA, located in northern Chile in the Province of Antofagasta, is on the western slope of the Andes at an elevation of 9500 ft. Because of its position on the eastern edge of the Atacama Desert, the climate is extremely arid with practically no precipitation, either rain or snow. All primary blasting in the open-pit mine at Chuquicamata is done by the churn drill, blasthole method. Since 1915, when the first tonnages of importance were removed from the open pit, there have been many changes in the blasting practice, but no clear-cut rules of method and procedure have been devised for application to the mine as a whole. One general fact stands out: both the ore and waste rock at Chuquicamata are difficult to break satisfactorily for the most efficient operation of power shovels. Numerous experiments have been made in an effort to improve the breakage and thereby increase the shovel efficiency. Holes of different diameter have been drilled, the length of toe and spacing of holes have been varied, and several types of explosives have been used. Early blasting was done by the tunnel method. The banks were high, generally 30 m, requiring the use of large charges of black powder, detonated by electric blasting caps. Large tonnages were broken at comparatively low cost, but the method left such a large proportion of oversize material for secondary blasting that satisfactory shovel operation was practically impossible. Railroad-type steam and electric shovels then in service proved unequal to the task of efficiently handling the large proportion of oversize material produced. The clean-up of high banks proved to be dangerous and expensive as large quantities of explosive were consumed in dressing these banks, and from time to time the shovels were damaged by rock slides. As early as 1923 the high benches were divided, and a standard height of 12 m was selected for the development of new benches. The recently acquired Bucyrus-Erie 550-B shovel, with its greater radius of operation compared to the Bucyrus-Erie 320-B formerly used for bench development, allowed the bench height to be increased to 16 m. Churn drill, blasthole shooting proved to be successful, and tunnel blasts were limited to certain locations where development existed or natural ground conditions made the method more attractive than the use of churn drill holes. Liquid oxygen explosive and black powder were used along with dynamite of various grades in blast-hole loading up to early 1937. Liquid oxygen and black powder were discontinued because they were more difficult to handle due to their sensitivity to fire or sparks in the extremely dry climate. At present ammonium nitrate dynamite is favored because of its superior handling qualities and its adaptability to the dry condition found in 90 pct of the mine. In wet holes, which are found only in the lowest bench of the pit and account for the remaining 10 pct of the ground to be broken, Nitramon in 8x24-in. cans, or ammonium nitrate dynamite packed in 8x24-in. paper cartridges, is being used. This latter explosive, which is protected by a special antiwetting agent that makes the cartridges resistant to water for about 24 hr, currently is considered the best available for the work and is preferred over Nitramon. Early churn drill hole shots detonated by electric blasting caps, one in each hole, gave trouble because of misfires caused by the improper balance of resistance in the electrical circuits. Primarily, it was of vital importance to effect an absolute balance of resistance in these circuits, the undertaking and completion of which invariably caused delays in the shooting schedule. Misfires resulting from the improper balance of electrical circuits, or from any other cause, were extremely hazardous, since holes had to be unloaded or fired by the insertion of another detonator. The advent of cordeau, later followed by primacord, corrected this particular difficulty and therefore reduced the possibility of missed holes. After much experimentation, the blasting practice evolved into single row, multihole shots, with the holes spaced 4.5 to 5 m center to center in a row 7.5 to 8 m back from the toe. Sucti shots were fired from either end by electric blasting caps attached to the main trunk lines of cordeau or primacord. The detonating speed of cordeau or primacord gave the practical effect of firing all holes instantaneously. Double row and multirow blasts, fired instantaneously with cordeau or primacord, proved to be unsatisfactory in the type of rock found at Chuquica-
Jan 1, 1953
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Reservoir Engineering- Laboratory Research - Determination of Chemical Requirements and Applicability of Wettability Alteration FloodingBy H. R. Froning, R. O. Leach
In wertability alteration flooding, a chemical agent is rnoved through a reservoir by the flood water to increase oil recovery by decreasing the degree of wetting of the rock by the oil. Substantial amounts of the chemical may be lost during movement through the reservoir. The extent of the loss, and therefore the economics of the process, depends in some cases on factors which are difficult to reproduce in the laboratory. Therefore, a short-duration, low-cost field test method is needed to permit evaluation of chemical requirements under actual field conditions. This paper describes a small scale rest conducted at a single well for measuring chemical requirements, thereby giving a more reliable evaluation of this important factor in the applicability and economics of the process. In the rest a small wafer slug containing the chemical agent and a nonadsorbed tracer is displaced into the reservoir by a known volume of wafer. The well is then placed on producrion. Chemical loss per barrel of pore volume contacted is calculated from [he fractional recoveries of the agent tested and the nonadsorbed tracer. The method has been used to determine within the actual reservoirs the chemical requirements for both a sandstone and a dolomite reservoir. Several chemical agents are potentially available for wettability alteration flooding, although none is universally applicable. For some applications of the method, chemical costs per barrel of additional oil recovered can be substantially less than one dollar. INTRODUCTION Wettability alteration flooding provides a means of increasing oil recovery from reservoirs by decreasing the degree of wetting of the rock by the oil and increasing the displacement efficiency of the flood water. Earlier studies demonstrated a relationship between oil recovery during waterflooding and the degree of wetting of a rock surface by an oil. The application of wettability alteration flooding to the Harrisburg field of Nebraska provided a field test' of this recovery process. Subsequently, additional laboratory and field tests have developed additional procedures for evaluating wettability alteration flooding, and have indicated where the process may be applicable. Applicability of this process to specific reservoirs is determined by a progression of tests to determine sus- ceptibility of the reservoir to alteration of its wettability, to indicate the degree of recovery improvement and to estimate the amount of chemical required to process the reservoir. The economics of applying improved oil recovery processes depends not only upon the degree of improvement in oil recovery achievable by the process but also upon the process costs and the timing of the income and the investment. Emphasis in this paper is on the expenditure aspects of the process. The work reported in this paper indicates that the chemical investments required for wettability alteration flooding are substantial. For evaluating the economics of a potential flooding application it is imperative that a sound estimate of the chemical requirements be made for the reservoir. Generally, true reservoir conditions are not adequately simulated in laboratory chemical propagation tests. Because of wide well spacings, many years might be required to obtain chemical propagation data from conventional pilots or inter-well tests. Consequently, n short-duration, low-cost method is needed to determine chemical requirements in the field. The potential applicability of wettability alteration flooding is discussed, as well as the economics of wettability alteration with respect to the inherent and imposed restrictions on the timing of income and investments. DETERMINATION OF CHEMICAL REQUIREMENTS In the process of moving a chemical bank through reservoir rock, some of the chemical agent lags too far behind the flood front to be effective or is otherwise lost to the reservoir system. The extent to which these losses occur overshadows the reductions in chemical concentration due to diffusion and to mixing with the reservoir fluids. Experience indicates that almost without exception, chemicals which induce a wetting change undergo either sorption reactions or chemical reactions with mineral constituents of the pore surfaces. Other reactions may occur between the added chemical and the reservoir oil and water. Even in limiting consideration to reactions of the relatively inexpensive inorganic salts, bases and acids, the reactions may be exceedingly complex. Reservoir pore surfaces consist of more than silica in sandstone reservoirs, and more than calcite or dolomite in carbonate reservoirs. Many mineral species are present, each exhibiting specific tendencies to react with an injected chemical. The reactions which occur can consume enough of the agent to have an important effect on economics. These reactions can cause a change in pH of the chemical bank, or may remove some of the active chemical by precipitation, adsorption or reaction to form a new chemical which may or may not be effective in
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Primary Blasting Practice At ChuquicamataBy Glenn S. Wyman
CHUQUICAMATA, located in northern Chile in the Province of Antofagasta, is on the western slope of the Andes at an elevation of 9500 ft. Because of its position on the eastern edge of the Atacama Desert, the climate is extremely arid with practically no precipitation, either rain or snow. All primary blasting in the open-pit mine at Chuquicamata is done by the churn drill, blasthole method. Since 1915; when the first tonnages of importance were removed from the open pit, there have been many changes in the blasting practice, but no clear-cut rules of method and procedure have been devised for application to the mine as a whole. One general fact stands out: both the ore and waste rock at Chuquicamata are difficult to break satisfactorily for the most efficient operation of power shovels. Numerous experiments have been made in an effort to improve the breakage and thereby increase the shovel efficiency. Holes of different diameter have been drilled, the length of toe and spacing of holes have been varied, and several types of explosives have been used. Early blasting was done by the tunnel method. The banks were high, generally 30 m, requiring the use of large charges of black powder, detonated by electric blasting caps: Large tonnages were broken at comparatively low cost, but the method left such a large proportion of oversize material for secondary blasting that satisfactory shovel operation was practically impossible: Railroad-type steam and electric shovels then in service proved unequal to the task of efficiently handling the large proportion of oversize material produced. The clean-up of high banks proved to be dangerous and expensive as large quantities of explosive were consumed in dressing these banks, and from time to time the shovels were damaged by rock slides. As early as 1923 the high benches were divided, and a standard height of 12 m was selected for the development of new benches. The recently acquired Bucyrus-Erie 550-B shovel, with its greater radius of operation compared to the Bucyrus-Erie 320-B formerly used for bench development, allowed the bench height to be increased to 16 m. Churn drill, blasthole shooting proved to be successful, and tunnel blasts were limited to certain locations where development existed or natural ground conditions made the method more attractive than the use of churn-drill holes. Liquid oxygen explosive and black powder were used along with dynamite of various grades in blasthole loading up to early 1937. Liquid oxygen and black powder were discontinued because they were more difficult to handle due to their sensitivity to fire or sparks in the extremely dry climate. At present ammonium nitrate dynamite is favored because of its superior handling qualities and its adaptability to the dry condition found in 90 pct of the mine. In wet holes, which are found only in the lowest bench of the pit and account for the remaining 10 pct of the ground to be broken, Nitramon in 8x24-in. cans, or ammonium nitrate dynamite packed in 8x24-in. paper cartridges, is being used. This latter explosive, which is protected by a special antiwetting agent that makes the cartridges resistant to water for about 24 hr, currently is considered the best available for the work and is preferred over Nitramon. Early churn drill hole shots detonated' by electric blasting caps, one in each hole, gave trouble because of misfires caused by the improper balance of resistance in the electrical circuits. Primarily, it was of vital importance to effect an absolute balance of resistance in these circuits, the undertaking and completion of which invariably caused delays in the shooting schedule. Misfires resulting from the improper balance of electrical circuits, or from any other cause, were extremely hazardous, since holes had to be unloaded or fired by the insertion of another detonator. The advent of cordeau, later followed by primacord, corrected this particular difficulty and therefore reduced the possibility of missed holes. After much experimentation, the blasting practice evolved into single row, multihole shots, with the holes spaced 4.5 to 5 m center to center in a row 7.5 to 8 m back from the toe. Such shots were fired from either end .by electric blasting caps attached to the main trunk lines of cordeau or primacord. The detonating speed of cordeau or primacord gave the practical effect of firing all holes instantaneously. Double row and multirow blasts, fired instantaneously with cordeau or primacord, proved to be unsatisfactory in the type of rock found at Chuquica-
Jan 1, 1952
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Storage of Sulfide-Bearing Tailings Ontario, CanadaBy R. D. Lord
The search for the best practical means of storing sulfide bearing tailings, where there is no residual excess of carbonate material is discussed in this paper• Usually the sulfide content decomposes, with the aid of bacterial action, and the resulting sulfuric acid escapes, along with any heavy-metal solutes, through embankments that are usually porous to some degree• The problem is typified in the tailings of the uranium operations of Elliot Lake, Ont., where mining started some 20 years ago• The approach to tailings disposal paralleled the practice for other hydrometallurgical plants treating gold and base-metal ores• Impoundment areas were designed to retain solids, and a clear and neutral overflow was considered satisfactory practice• Now experience has shown that these areas, some of which have been idle for over a dozen years, release acids in seepage and overflows to an unacceptable degree• To protect natural water courses, neutralizing plants are operated wherever required• Lime slurry is fed continuously into the tailings outflows in a quantity sufficient to raise the pH to 8•5 and precipitate heavy metals that may be in solution• The objection to this procedure is that the plants will require servicing indefinitely, unless a better remedy is found• The problem differs only slightly from that common to base-metal concentrators in that here the ore has been leached with sulfuric acid for the recovery of uranium• Any native content of calcareous material has been digested, and only that added for final neutralization is available to maintain a pH unfavorable to bacterial activity• Chemical oxidation slowly lowers the pH and when this reaches a level of 4•5 or less, bacteria become active and greatly accelerate the formation of acid. The bacterial process is probably at least ten times as fast as the chemical oxidation• Location and Processing The operations referred to, uranium and one copper mine, are located at approximately 46°N and 82°W longitude• This is typical Canadian Shield country, a land of lakes, deeply glaciated and rocky, with sparse soil which supports mixed forest cover• Drainage is to Lake Huron, 25 miles to the south• Average temperature is 45°F, ranging from -40° to +95°F• Annual precipitation is 38 in•, about half of which is snow• The ore is Precambrian, quartz-pebble conglomerate, with mineralization in the matrix• From 5 to 10% pyrite is present• All known means of pre-concentration have been tested, but a bulk sulfuric acid leach has proved the most efficient. Tailings have from the outset been neutralized before release• Current practice is to add ground limestone to bring the pH to 4•5, and then lime to raise the value to 10•5• Environmental regulations have recently been increased and the foregoing meets the new standards• Separate measures are taken to precipitate radium• Remedial Measures Since the outstanding environmental problem is the oxidation of pyrite by bacterial action, the solution is to contain the products, or arrest the process• Given the ambient temperature, favorable half of the time, four items are essential to the activity• 1) Pyrite• 2) Moisture pH < 4•5. 3) Oxygen• 4) Bacteria• Removing any one of these out of the range of tolerance will bring the reactions under control• A variety of proposals considered, and a number tested for the arrest of the process, are: (a) render embankments impermeable, (b) provide an impermeable cover, (c) cover with an oxygen absorbing layer, (d) provide a vegetative cover, (e) flood the site, (f) remove pyrite from current tailings, (g) add excess limestone to current tailings, (h) poison the bacteria• Bank Seal-On existing impoundment areas, where the embankments are several thousand yards in length, it is believed that any program of injecting sealants can have small chance of success• However, a moisture barrier is an indicated specification for future construction, and this can be highly expensive• Surface Seal-Depending on the configuration of the deposit, the downward travel of water should be prevented, and oxygen excluded• Burying a plastic membrane just below the surface has been considered, as has the application of a liquid sealant that would penetrate the surface. The objection to these remedies is the excessive cost of dealing with large areas and the expectation of only temporary benefit as a result• Frost penetration is over 4 ft, and frost action breaks up asphalt paving and all but heavy concrete in a few years• Organic Layer-An oxygen-absorbing layer, such as bark fines from paper mills has been proposed as a surface treatment• Cultivated into the tailings such material might be expected to arrest subsurface oxidation for some years• Estimates are 100 tons per acre of bark fines, or 35 tons per acre of sawdust, and these enormous quantities do not so far give assurance of providing a long-term remedy• Vegatative Cover-Several obvious benefits would result from a good growth of grass or other vegetation on abandoned tailings• While restoring the natural green of the tract the growth would prevent wind-blown dust and reduce erosion• Subsurface oxidation should be reduced, as well as the upward movement of ground moisture as occurs in dry weather. To this end, considerable research and field testing has been carried out to arrive at a formula - a prescription which will provide a self-sustaining growth on the tailings surface, or at least one that would survive with reasonable maintenance attention. Many test plots have been run with different combinations of surface treatment and seed mixtures. Generally, by addition and close cultivation of limestone, lime, and fertilizers, technical success has been demonstrated• Plants with a high tolerance for acid soil seem the more hardy, and a pH above 3 is indicated so that nutrients can be absorbed• Recommendations are for 12 to 15 tons of
Jan 1, 1977
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Institute of Metals Division - Stacking-Fault Energy and the Interfacial Energy of Coherent Twin Boundaries in Copper and Brass (TN)By Carlos G. Valenzuela
The value generally accepted for stacking-fault energy, of copper has been approximately 40 ergs per sq cm based on Fullman's2 value for the coherent twin-boundary energy and the assumption that is twice the twin boundary energy However, Thornton and coworkers8 determined that the lower limit of for copper is approximately 60 ergs per sq cm, based on measurements of dislocation-node radii. They suggested that the assumption of = 2t is invalid. It is the purpose of this note to present results which indicate that the values of obtained by measurement of twin-grain boundary intersections and the values obtained by measurement of dislocation-node radii are actually compatible. The most reliable values for of the a brasses, based on electron-microscope observation of dislocation nodes, are probably those values reported by Smallman and Green6 who applied the Siems correction (1961) to data obtained by Howie and Swann.3 These values shown in Fig. 1 give an extrapolated value of approximately 70 ergs per sq cm for pure copper. In the present work, Fullman's method for determining the stacking-fault energy of copper was extended to the a brasses. High-purity copper (99.999 pet) and high-purity zinc (99.999 pet) were mixed in proportioned amounts and melted in sealed and evacuated quartz tubes. The alloys were homogenized for a week at 750°C and chemically analyzed by means of X-ray fluorescence. These alloys, along with a specimen of pure copper, were rolled to 98 pet reduction and a thickness of 0.009 in., resealed, and annealed for 40 hr at 715°C. Values for the ratio of twin-boundary energy to the grain-boundary energy, it gb, were obtained from measurements of dihedral angles formed at the intersections of twin boundaries and grain boundaries by using Fullman's2 mechanical analogy of surface tensions acting at the intersection of an annealing twin and a grain boundary. The angles between the twin traces and the grain boundaries were measured for a large number of twin-grain boundary intersections at a magnification of X500 using a rotating mechanical stage on a Reichert metallograph. The rotary stage has a calibrated angle scale with vernier so that measurements can be made to 0.1 deg. The mean twin-grain boundary energy and standard deviation were calculated for copper and each of the brasses by the use of an IBM 7072 computer. It was found that the mean value of gb stabilized after approximately 100 twin-angle measurements. This was determined by plotting the mean against the number of angles measured. Since the measured angles deviate from true dihedral angles, a correction factor for grain orientation, discussed below, was applied. The stacking-fault energy was then calculated from these values and the values of grain-boundary energy derived by Taylor.7 The data obtained are tabulated in Table I. Values for stacking-fault energy are plotted in Fig. 1. The value of gb for the specimen of 1.03 pet Zn is close to the value obtained by Fullman2 for OFHC (99.98 pet) copper, 0.045. It is believed that the purity of the copper affects gb significantly. The 99.999 pet purity Cu used in this investigation yielded a value of yt/ygb, 0.76, which is much higher than that obtained by Fullman. Additional evidence suggesting that the purity of
Jan 1, 1965
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Extractive Metallurgy Division - Separation of Copper from Zinc by Ion ExchangeBy A. W. Schlechten, Ernest J. Breton Jr.
Experiments on the separation of copper and zinc ions by selective action of ion exchange resins showed the carboxylic type to be more effective than the sulphonic resins. The latter demonstrated a greater capacity over a wider pH range. Data show the effectiveness of resins as a means of concentration. IN recent years the restrictions of stream pollution laws and the high price of metals have created an interest in ion exchange as a means for metal recovery. Some applications have proved successful. In Germany during World War 11, 17 tons of copper per day were recovered from rayon mill wastes by means of ion exchange resins;' and for some time in this country a large ion exchange unit has been in operation for the recovery of copper from rayon waste water. The possibilities of applying ion exchange to the recovery of metals occurring in plating rinse water is particularly promising. In most of these applications only the metal being recovered occurs in the waste. The ion exchange resins act merely as a means of concentrating the metals to a point where they can be recirculated. It would be highly desirable to use ion exchange as a means of not only concentrating but also of separating metals. With the exception of the impressive separations accomplished in connection with the atomic energy program, very little has been done on metal separations.' Therefore, an investigation was undertaken at the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy to determine if either of the two main types of ion exchange resins could be used to separate metal ions in solution. The selective removal of copper ions from a mixture of copper and zinc on carboxylic and sulphonic-type resins was investigated as a function of flow rate, pH, copper-zinc ratio, and concentration. It was shown that zinc can be separated from copper and that very large ratios of concentration can be obtained using ion exchange resins. Since ion exchange is relatively new to the field of metallurgy, a brief review of the subject will be included. Theory of Ion Exchange A comprehensive theory for ion exchange has not been developed as yet, but the mechanisms are analogous to metathetical reactions: R Na + Cu++ *=? K(SO3)2 Cu + 2Na+ R is the designation for the ion exchange resin. If a copper solution is passed over a resin bed in the sodium form, two ions of sodium will be released for every ion of copper removed. For the most part this reaction follows the laws of mass action and of electrical neutrality. Consequently, if an excess of sodium ions is passed over a bed containing copper, the reactions will be reversed, and the resin will be regenerated to its original form. A few empirical rules governing the exchange reaction have been set forth: 1—In general ions with a high valence will replace ions with a lower valence. 2—Ions having higher activity coefficients have a higher replacement potential. 3—In a series of mono-valent ions, those with the smallest radii of hydra-tion will tend to replace those having larger radii of hydration. 4—Where ions are similar in most respects, those with the higher atomic weight sometimes will take precedence. This last rule is not as definite as some of the others. These rules apply to rather dilute solutions at moderate temperatures and assume all ions to be present in about equal concentrations. Higher concentrations and temperatures may in some cases reverse the normal exchange reactions. Ion exchange materials are unique in that their efficiency increases as the concentration of the solution decreases. For many exchangers, most efficient operation is obtained at concentrations in the order of one thousandths of a percent. Most applications, though, are made in solutions containing considerably higher concentrations than this. Coste9 as shown that ion exchange resins will remove aluminum and iron effectively' from solutions of up to 10 pct chromic acid. Ion Exchange Resins Ion exchange resins are insoluble, porous, resinous structures to which active groups have been attached. Active groups such as (—SO,,)- and (COO)- pick up cations; hence structures saturated with groups such as these are called cation exchangers. Structures saturated with groups such as (—NH,)' which pick up anions, are referred to as anion exchangers. The resinous structure of necessity is resistant to strong acids, bases, oxidizing, and reducing agents, and most of the common organic solvents. An idea of the stability can be gaged from the fact that resins last for many years under constant use without detectable chemical or physical breakdown. The ion exchange reaction is not confined to the surface of these synthetic resins. Its porous structure permits active groups in the center of a particle as well as those on the surface to remove ions. A high capacity resin such as Amberlite IR-120 will remove up to 3.3 lb Cu per cu ft of resin. In this investigation several approaches to the problem of separating copper from zinc by ion exchange were considered. First, if a reagent could be found which would complex one of these metals and not the other, then by passing this reagent through a bed of exchanger containing copper and zinc, the
Jan 1, 1952
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Producing-Equipment, Methods and Materials - Two Bottom-Hole Pressure Instruments Providing Automatic Surface RecordingBy R. H. Kolb
A long term project at Shell Development Co.'s Exploration and Production Research Laboratory has been the improvement of the accuracy and the ease of BHP measurements. As a result of these efforts, two complete and separate systems have now been built for the automatic logging of BHP variations. The first of these is a small-diameter instrument suitable for running through production tubing on a single-conductor well cable. During the development of this instrument, as much emphasis was placed on providing a high degree of usable sensitivity and repeatable accuracy as on obtaining the advantages of surface recording. The second system combines the benefits of automatic, unattended recording with the convenience of a permanently installed Maihak BHP transmitter.' THE CABLE INSTRUMENT For many years the standard instrument for BHP determination has been the wireline-operated Amerada recording pressure gauge or one of several other similar devices. This gauge records on a small clock-driven chart carried within the instrument, and although relatively precise readings from the chart are possible, they are difficult to ob-tain. a Both the maximum recording time and the resolution of the time measurements are limited by chart size, and when a slow clock is required for long tests, the precision of the time measurement is often inadequate. Since it is impossible to determine the data being recorded until the gauge has been returned to the surface, wasted time often results when a test is protracted beyond the necessary time or when it is terminated too soon and must be re-run. Clock stoppage or other malfunctions which would be immediately apparent with surface recording remains undetected with down-hole recording; the test is continued for its full term with a consequent loss in production time. As new uses for subsurface pressure data evolved, the shortcomings of the wireline instrument became increasingly apparent, and the concurrent development of a surface-recording pressure gauge and the associated high-pressure well cable service unit' was undertaken. Description of the Instrument Because of its ready availability and advanced degree of development, the Amerada bourdon-tube element was chosen as the basic pressure-sensing device. This element converts a given pressure into a proportional angular displacement of its output shaft, and a suitable telemetering system was designed to measure accurately the extent of this displacement and to transmit the measurement to the surface and record it. The telemetering system furnishes a digital record printed on paper tape by an adding machine-type printer. The present arrangement provides a resolution of one part in 42,000 over the angular equivalent of full-scale deflection, giving a usable sensitivity of better than 0.0025 per cent of full scale. An additional refinement simultaneously records on the tape the time or the depth of the measurement, also in digital form. When the instrument is placed in operation, an adjustable programer can be set to initiate a read-out cycle automatically at selected time intervals. When subsurface pressures are changing rapidly, readings may be recorded as frequently as once every 10 seconds; when pressures are more nearly stabilized, the period between readings may be extended to as much as 30 minutes. Because the instrument is surface-powered as well as surface-recording, the maximum period of continuous logging is (for all prac. tical purposes) unlimited. The subsurface instrument is a tubular tool, 1 1/4-in. in diameter and 6.5 ft in length, operating on 12,000 ft of conventional 3/16-in. IHO logging cable. The transmitting section, mounted above the bourdon-tube element in place of the regular recording mechanism, contains no fragile vacuum tubes or temperature-sensitive transistors. This unit has been laboratory-tested to 1 0,000 psi and 300°F and has performed dependably during a number of field operations. The down-hole transmitting arrangement can be fitted to any standard Amerada pressure element, regardless of range and with no modification of the element itself. Calibration To obtain a repeatability commensurate with the sensitivity and resolution of the instrument, it was necessary to develop a special calibrating technique. The manufacturers of the Amerada recording pressure gauge claim an accuracy of only 0.25 per cent of full scale, which is a realistic figure for normal calibrating and operating procedures. An exhaustive investigation was made of the errors inherent in the bourdon-tube element, itself, independent
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Research on Phase Relationships - Behavior of Binary, Ternary and Multicomponent Systems at States Similar to Those Encountered in Condensate FieldsBy B. H. Sage, W. N. Lacey
The growing background of experimental information concerning the volumetric and phase behavior of binary and ternary hydrocarbon systems is used as the basis for a comparison of these systems with naturally occurring hydrocarbon mixtures under conditions representative of underground petroleum reservoirs. The qualitative and semiquantitative similarities and differences between the two types of systems are considered in reference to the possibilities and limitations of using experimental data on binary and ternary systems for predicting the volumetric and phase behavior of naturally occurring hydrocarbon mixtures of low molecular weight. The possible influence on such phase behavior of water, hydrogen sulphide, nitrogen, and components of relatively high molecular weight is discussed. INTRODUCTION During the past two decades much effort has been devoted to the study of the volumetric and phase behavior of pure paraffin hydrocarbons and of binary and ternary mixtures of these compounds. Many of these studies were carried out with the direct objective of utilizing a knowledge of the detailed characteristics of binary and ternary mixtures of the lighter paraffin hydrocarbons for predicting the behavior of more complex mixtures. The ability to make such predictions with accuracy would be of great value in petroleum production and refining. Although the behavior of the methane-propane system' served at one time as a qualitative illustration of the probable characteristics of the more complex hydrocarbon mixtures found in nature, it' fell far short of requirements for quantitative predictions. The present paper endeavors to indicate the relation of the more recently accumulated information concerning the behavior of binary and ternary hydrocarbons to this problem. In discussing binary and ternary systems as examples pointing toward the behavior of multi-component systems no effort is made to present new methods of predicting the characteristics of natural hydrocarbon mixtures. Preliminary proposals have been made elsewhere for the prediction of volumetric phase equilibrium and thermodynamic data for multicomponent mixtures, utilizing as a basis the behavior of binary and ternary systems. Numerous other proposals have been made. That based upon the concept of a pseudo-critical state" has proved to be of value to the petroleum industry. Concurrently with this study of binary and ternary systems investigations have been made of natural hydrocarbon systems. Of the many publications reporting such experimental information only a few examples will be mentioned. A number of studies of black oil and natural gas have been made and much attention has been directed to extended and detailed investigations of the behavior of fluids in condensate fieldS 16,17,18,19,20. This work has been supplemented by some studies of the separation of bitumen from natural hydrocarbon liquids The over-all behavior of such systems has been used in predicting the volumetric and phase behavior of naturally occurring mixtures This background of experimental and correlated information concerning the behavior of multicomponent hydrocarbon systems also permits a direct comparison of the characteristics of binary and ternary aliphatic systems with those materials produced from underground reservoirs. PRESENTATION OF DATA The primary limitation encountered in using binary and ternary aliphatic hydrocarbon mixtures as examples of the characteristics of the fluids encountered in underground reservoirs lies in the existing lack of knowledge of the quantitative effect upon behavior of the presence of several important constituents, notably hydrocarbons of high molecular weight, water, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, and nitrogen. The presence of substantial quantities of hydrocarbons of fairly high molecular weight serves to increase the complexity of the phase behavior of natural systems. No simple systems yet studied give adequate guidance in this regard. The influence of such materials of high molecular weight was indicated earlier",?' to an extent which serves to show that definite limitations now exist in the correlation of simple and complex systems. However, significant progress is being made in filling gaps in the information. For example, similarities in the behavior of fluids in condensate fields with that of binary and ternary systems are becoming more systematically evident. A few studies of the behavior of water in paraffin hydrocarbon systems have been made Results of investigations of mixtures of carbon dioxide and the lighter hydrocarbons also are available Limited work has been reported con-
Jan 1, 1949
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Research on Phase Relationships - Behavior of Binary, Ternary and Multicomponent Systems at States Similar to Those Encountered in Condensate FieldsBy W. N. Lacey, B. H. Sage
The growing background of experimental information concerning the volumetric and phase behavior of binary and ternary hydrocarbon systems is used as the basis for a comparison of these systems with naturally occurring hydrocarbon mixtures under conditions representative of underground petroleum reservoirs. The qualitative and semiquantitative similarities and differences between the two types of systems are considered in reference to the possibilities and limitations of using experimental data on binary and ternary systems for predicting the volumetric and phase behavior of naturally occurring hydrocarbon mixtures of low molecular weight. The possible influence on such phase behavior of water, hydrogen sulphide, nitrogen, and components of relatively high molecular weight is discussed. INTRODUCTION During the past two decades much effort has been devoted to the study of the volumetric and phase behavior of pure paraffin hydrocarbons and of binary and ternary mixtures of these compounds. Many of these studies were carried out with the direct objective of utilizing a knowledge of the detailed characteristics of binary and ternary mixtures of the lighter paraffin hydrocarbons for predicting the behavior of more complex mixtures. The ability to make such predictions with accuracy would be of great value in petroleum production and refining. Although the behavior of the methane-propane system' served at one time as a qualitative illustration of the probable characteristics of the more complex hydrocarbon mixtures found in nature, it' fell far short of requirements for quantitative predictions. The present paper endeavors to indicate the relation of the more recently accumulated information concerning the behavior of binary and ternary hydrocarbons to this problem. In discussing binary and ternary systems as examples pointing toward the behavior of multi-component systems no effort is made to present new methods of predicting the characteristics of natural hydrocarbon mixtures. Preliminary proposals have been made elsewhere for the prediction of volumetric phase equilibrium and thermodynamic data for multicomponent mixtures, utilizing as a basis the behavior of binary and ternary systems. Numerous other proposals have been made. That based upon the concept of a pseudo-critical state" has proved to be of value to the petroleum industry. Concurrently with this study of binary and ternary systems investigations have been made of natural hydrocarbon systems. Of the many publications reporting such experimental information only a few examples will be mentioned. A number of studies of black oil and natural gas have been made and much attention has been directed to extended and detailed investigations of the behavior of fluids in condensate fieldS 16,17,18,19,20. This work has been supplemented by some studies of the separation of bitumen from natural hydrocarbon liquids The over-all behavior of such systems has been used in predicting the volumetric and phase behavior of naturally occurring mixtures This background of experimental and correlated information concerning the behavior of multicomponent hydrocarbon systems also permits a direct comparison of the characteristics of binary and ternary aliphatic systems with those materials produced from underground reservoirs. PRESENTATION OF DATA The primary limitation encountered in using binary and ternary aliphatic hydrocarbon mixtures as examples of the characteristics of the fluids encountered in underground reservoirs lies in the existing lack of knowledge of the quantitative effect upon behavior of the presence of several important constituents, notably hydrocarbons of high molecular weight, water, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, and nitrogen. The presence of substantial quantities of hydrocarbons of fairly high molecular weight serves to increase the complexity of the phase behavior of natural systems. No simple systems yet studied give adequate guidance in this regard. The influence of such materials of high molecular weight was indicated earlier",?' to an extent which serves to show that definite limitations now exist in the correlation of simple and complex systems. However, significant progress is being made in filling gaps in the information. For example, similarities in the behavior of fluids in condensate fields with that of binary and ternary systems are becoming more systematically evident. A few studies of the behavior of water in paraffin hydrocarbon systems have been made Results of investigations of mixtures of carbon dioxide and the lighter hydrocarbons also are available Limited work has been reported con-
Jan 1, 1949
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Institute of Metals Division - Crystal Structure of TaCr2 and CbCr2By Howard Martens, Pol Duwez
IN two papers published in 1949, alloys of chromium with the refractory metals tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum, and columbium were investigated in view of their possible use as high temperature resisting materials. For the Cr-Ta system, a partial phase diagram was presented and the only intermediate phase was identified at Ta2Cr3. A phase of the same composition was also observed in the Cb-Cr system. The X-ray diffraction data presented in these papers, however, were insufficient for crystal structure determination. It is shown in the present study that the only intermediate phase in both the Ta-Cr and the Cb-Cr systems corresponds to the ideal stoichiometric ratio TaCr2, or CbCr2. Both structures are cubic, MgCu, type. At high temperature, however, TaCr2 has a hexagonal MgZn, type structure, which can be retained at room temperature by fast cooling. The alloys were prepared by melting in a helium arc furnace on a water-cooled plate. The design of the furnace was essentially the same as that described in ref. 3. Some alloys were also obtained by sintering compacts made of the mixed powders pressed at 80,000 psi. The sintering was carried on for 4 hr at 1375°C. The tantalum and columbium powders were supplied by Fansteel Metallurgical Corp., North Chicago, 111. The tantalum powder was the reagent grade, with a particle size smaller than 400 mesh and a total impurity content less than 0.1 pct. The columbium powder was smaller than 325 mesh and contained approximately 0.1 pct C and traces of Fe, Ti, and Zr. The electrolytic chromium powder from Charles Hardy, Inc., New York, was smaller than 300 mesh and contained about 0.1 pct Na, 0.05 pct Ca, and traces of Cu, Al, Mg, Si, and Co. Powder diffraction patterns were obtained with a 14.32 cm camera, using copper Ka radiation filtered through nickel foil. The powder pattern of the TaCr2 alloy obtained by sintering at 1375'C was different from that obtained on the same alloy rapidly cooled from the melt. Contrary to this result, the powder pattern of CbCr2 was the same, whether the alloy was made by sintering at 1375°C or by melting, and was similar to that of the TaCr, sintered. It was also found that the structure of the TaCr2 specimen obtained by melting was retained after heating for 4 hr at 1590°C, but transformed into the structure found in the sintered specimen after heating for 4 hr at 1375°C. Hence, the structural change of TaCr2, appears to be a reversible polymorphic transformation. CbCr2 and ToCr2 Structure, Low Temperature Form By using large scale Hull-Davey charts, the powder pattern of CbCr, and of the low temperature form of TaCr2 were readily interpreted on the basis of a face-centered cubic lattice with a parameter of approximately 6.95 kX. The indices of the reflections together with the values of sin' 0 are given in Tables I and 11. From this list of observed reflections, it appears that the (200), (600), (024), (046), and (028) reflections are missing. The lack of (h00) reflections for h 4n indicates a four-fold screw axis. The missing (Okl) spectra for k + 1 An indicate the existence of a diamond glide d. The combination of these symmetry elements can be found in the O— Fd3m space group, which is therefore the most probable one. After having determined the approximate density of TaCr, by the immersion method, the number of molecules per unit cell was calculated and found to be nearly eight. This information, added to the fact that the most probable space group is O leads to the consideration of a structure of the MgCu2 type, in which the atoms have the following positions: 8 magnesium in a and 16 copper in d. On the basis of this structure, intensities were computed by means of the usual formula: 1 cos'20 I a sin2 cos where F is the structure factor; 8, the Bragg angle: and p, the multiplicity factor. As shown in Tables I
Jan 1, 1953
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Geophysics and Geochemistry - Isotopic Dating of Arizona Ore DepositsBy R. L. Mauger, P. E. Damon, B. J. Giletti
This report includes the lead isotopic dating of a suite of galenas from Arizona and an application of the K-Ar method to the dating of a Laramide porphyry copper deposit, the Silver Bell Mining District. The lead isotopic data supports prior age assignments based upon geologic inference. The Silver Bell study illustrates the necessity of correlative geologic and petrographic investigations for the interpretation of the results of potassium-argon dating. LEAD ISOTOPIC DATING OF GALENAS FROM ARIZONA ORE DEPOSITS A group of galenas from Arizona ore deposits have been analyzed for lead isotope ratios. The results were used to calculate model ages by the. method of Russell, Stanton and Farquhar,l6 in which the age is calculated directly from the Pb206/Pb207 ratio. The use of Pb206/Pb207 ratios eliminates the errors inherent in measuring the abundance of Pb204. The Holmes-Houtermanns model is the other model commonly used for calculating model ages. Both models assume that any lead sample is composed of primeval and radiogenic components and the calculated age is the time at which the lead was extracted from its source area. Using the Holmes-Houtermanns model, a lead is ordinary if its isotopic ratios lie on an isochron. The growth curve that passes through the experimental point determines the U/Pb ratio in the source area. The RSF model assumes the source area for conformable leads is the mantle, that this has a uniform U/Pb ratio, and thus all ordinary leads must lie on a single growth curve, having a mantle U/Pb ratio. The definition of an ordinary lead differs between the models, and differences in age arise mainly from the assumptions made to evaluate parameters in the model equations. These assumptions depend on the hypothesis chosen to explain ore genesis. In the RSF Model, the Pb206/Pb207 ratio is derived as a function of time. The equation contains three undetermined parameters which are evaluated by assuming three known points lie on the curve. These are the following: 1) Primeval lead from the Canyon Diablo and Henbury meteorites, 2) Modern conformable leads which lie on Patterson's zero isochron, 3) Lead from the Bathurst, New Brunswick base metal deposits. The Bathurst deposits are postulated to be examples of "conformable base metal deposits", as proposed by Stanton.l9 A conformable deposit has a particular genetic history and, as a result, the orebody conforms to stratigraphic layering in the host rock. The metals are brought to the surface in volcanic rocks which originated in the mantle. Weathering products of these rocks, including sulfur and metals, accumulate in areas undergoing sedimentation. The formation of sulfide ion in the sediments by the action of sulfate reducing bacteria causes fixation of iron as pyrite. If the pyrite becomes concentrated in favorable stratigraphic horizons, any base metal deposit eventually formed by replacement of pyrite will have a strata bound character. Compaction and expulsion of pore water from the sediments at depth result in upward mobility of solutions containing soluble base metal chlorides. The strata with high pyrite content act as chemical traps for the base metal ions and replacement occurs. An important result of this general evolutionary model is that, if complete separation of lead and parent isotopes occurred during accumulation of the sediments, any ore deposit formed solely of metals derived from those sedimentary rocks will contain "conformable" lead. This would be true even if the actual ore deposit were formed at a later date by some epigenetic process. In this case, mineralization would be controlled by local conditions, and need not conform to stratigraphic layering. Also, any ore deposit containing lead derived from a mantle or mantle-like source, even though not conformable in Stanton's sense, will fall on the curve for conformable ores and thus give a meaningful model age. Model ages for Arizona galena deposits are listed in Table 1. Fig. 1 is a location map. Jerome-Humbolt District: Galenas from the United Verde mine at Jerome and the Iron King mine at Humbolt give model ages of 1750 m.y. and 1640 m.y. respectively. Both deposits are massive sulfide bodies in a host rock of older Precambrian
Jan 1, 1965
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Part IV – April 1969 - Papers - The Dependence of the Hardness of Cartridge Brass and a Leaded Brass on Grain SizeBy R. W. Armstrong, P. C. Jindal
The hardness dependence on grain size for polycrys-talline cartridge brass and a leaded brass has been measured by Brine11 and Rockwell B testing. In each case, the hardness, H, depends on the average grain diameter, 1, according to: H =Ho + kHl-1/2 where Ho and kH are experimental constants. Diamond pyramid hardness values have also been measured as a function of the indentation size and grain size to give additional information on the nature of the hardness test and the dependence of hardness on micro-structure. The hardness of polycrystalline brass depends on its grain size. Bassett and Davis' demonstrated this as early as 1919 by making Brinell hardness measurements on cartridge brass. Since then, the hardness of this type of material has been measured as a function of grain size by making Rockwell,2'3 Vickers,4 and Brinell5 tests. he hardness dependence on grain size has also been measured for other materials. Angus and summers6 investigated the grain size dependence of the Brinell hardness of polycrystalline copper and a Cu-4.5 pct Sn bronze. In other studies, nickel,? Armco iron,Big an Fe-0.07 pct C alloy,I0 and an 0.39 pct C-12.45 pct Cr stainless steel" have been investigated. In some of the preceding cases, the hardness results have been analyzed to show that the hardness varies with the average grain diameter, 1, according to an l-l\4, l-1/4 or I-2 dependence,11-13 The studies of the influence of grain size on hardness have not been based on any theoretical model. This may be because the hardness of a material is itself a complicated property. However, attempts have been made to correlate, experimentally and theoretically, the hardness of a material with its unidirectional stress-strain behavior.14-l6 On this basis, Hall" proposed that the polycrystal hardness dependence on grain size might follow directly from the Hall-Petch18,19 relation for the grain size dependence of the yield stress. Thus, the hardness-grain size relation was given as: H = Ho + kHl-1/2 [1] where Ho and kH were taken as experimental constants. The relation was applied to the measurements on brass,' copper,6 bronze,= and Armco iron.' More recently, this relation was shown by Armstrong and jindal20 to adequately describe the measurements on cartridge brass made by Bassett and Davis' and Babyak and Rhines.5 In this case, the relationship was taken a step further by independently relating the values of Ho and kH to the values of oyand ky, previously reported by Armstrong, Codd, Douthwaite, and petch21 from measurements of the yield stress dependence on grain size for this type of material. In the present investigation, new Brinell and Rockwell B hardness measurements have been made as a function of grain size for a cartridge brass and a leaded brass. In addition, diamond pyramid hardness values were measured as a function of the indentation size. All these results are applied to a further analysis of the hardness dependence on grain size. MATERIALS AND EXPERIMENTAL METHODS Cartridge brass and a leaded brass were selected for this investigation for two main reasons: it was anticipated 1) that these materials could be cold-worked and recrystallized to a wide range in grain size and 2) that the results to be obtained on these typical industrial materials could be usefully compared with previous investigations. The chemical analyses of the actual materials which were employed are given in Table I. The as-received 1/2- and 3/4-in.-thick plates were given various reductions in thickness by cold rolling. The rolled material was heat-treated at various temperatures between 330" and 850°C for differing time periods from 5 min to 9 hr to achieve a variation in the average grain diameter between 0.0339 and 0.000543 cm.22 During heat treatment, the brass was protected from zinc loss by packing it in chips or foils of the same composition material. Reasonably equi-axed grain structures were obtained in each case. The metallurgical grain sizes of the specimens were determined from measurements of the average linear intercept on a random line. Annealing twin interfaces were not counted along with grain boundaries. The
Jan 1, 1970
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Natural Gas Technology - Evaluation of Underground Gas-Storage Conditions In Aquifers Through Investigations of Groundwater HydrologyBy P. A. Witherspoon, R. W. Donovan, T. D. Mueller
The use of petroleum-barren aquifers for underground storage has become extremely important to the natural-gas industry. A critical problem in assessing the feasibility of a specific aquifer for such use is the permeability determination of the caprock over the proposed storage project. The approach used here is to conduct both static and dynamic field tests on the aquifer being analyzed. Valuable information on the possibility of communication between the storage aquifer and any other aquifers above can be obtained by measuring hydrostatic water levels and water analyses. Significant differences in such data give evidence of the lack of communication between the intended storage reservoir and other horizons. The dynamic approach requires that one well be pumped in the storage aquifer, and changes in fluid levels recorded in both the aquifer and its caprock. The interpretation of the data from such pumping tests involves the solution of nonsteady radial flow in an infinite aquifer and the influence on such flow of a leaky caprock. A finite-difference model has been used to investigate this problem, and the transient behavior has been solved numerically with a digital computer. It has been found that the pressure transients in the storage aquifer are not affected significantly by moderate caprock leakage. The pressure behavior of the caprock is a much better indicator of the degree of leakage, and generalized solutions for this behavior are included. Field data are presented to demonstrate both the static and dynamic approach. If is concluded that appropriate investigation of the groundwater hydrology in an aquifer-type gas-storage project can provide much valuable information for determining the effectiveness of the caprock to hold gas. INTRODUCTION Underground storage of natural gas in the United States has been developing at a rapid rate over the past few years. In 1955, the total gas-storage capacity was about 1.6 trillion cu ft; by 1961, this figure was almost 3.2 trillion cu ft, an increase of 100 per cent in six years.' This trend un- doubtedly will continue because the economics favor the development of gas storage, as opposed to the construction of new pipelines, to meet the inherent cyclic demand for fuel in the metropolitan areas of this country.' About 15 per cent of the current underground gas storage has been developed in petroleum-barren aquifers, i.e., geological domes or anticlines in which no commercial quantities of oil or gas had been produced prior to the storage operations. The necessity for using barren aquifers outside many metropolitan areas of this country has been due to the lack of depleted oil or gas fields that were near enough and large enough to meet the demands of such consuming areas. Pipeline companies have developed aquifer storage along their transmission lines to meet the fluctuating needs of their complex systems. Considerable thought has also been given to the problem of storing gas in a structureless aquifer, both in this country' and in the Soviet Union outside the city of Leningrad.'," Conditions such as these have led to the development of aquifer gas-storage projects in many parts of the U. S. Most of these developments have centered in the Mid-Continent area, and the greatest amount of activity has been concentrated in Illinois.6 Thus, the use of petroleum-barren aquifers for gas-storage purposes has become extremely important to the natural-gas industry. There are three basic problems in developing aquifer-type storage: (1) finding an adequate geologic structure, (2) finding a suitable storage reservoir within the structure and (3) determining the tightness of the caprock over the intended storage zone. The first two problems can be solved by applying conventional methods of exploration geology, but once these problems are solved, the question arises as to why no oil or gas is present in an otherwise favorable setting. Two situations are possible: (1) an adequate source bed was never present, or (2) a source bed was present but the petroleum seeped away because of a leaky caprock. Determining the tightness of the caprock is one of the most critical problems in assessing the feasibility of a specific aquifer for storage purposes. In attacking this problem, one usually takes cores of the caprock and subjects them to a rigorous investigation. Such core data are desirable, but they only detail the matrix properties and cannot be expected to reveal the gross characteristics of the caprock. Several gas-storage projects in the U. S. have had considerable leakage where
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Metal Mining - A Graphic Statistical History of the Joplin or Tri-State Lead-Zinc DistrictBy John S. Brown
IN 1925 the writer undertook a detailed statistical study of all producing areas in the Joplin district as a basis for evaluating programs and measuring objectives. For this purpose, the published figures in the yearly volumes of Mineral Resources were used, supplemented for earlier years by publications of the Missouri Geological Survey and other local and less official sources. When all else failed, the available data were projected backward to hazard a reasonable guess as to the unrecorded early output of important areas. Fortunately, the proportion of such prehistory production is not a large factor in any of the totals. These results were used during the next few years to measure the relative importance of various producing areas and to predict the peak period of development of the all-important Picher field. For the purpose of this review, the charts have been completed to the end of 1950. During World War 11, the U. S. Bureau of Mines became interested in a similar study and issued comprehensive statistical tabulations of data up to 1945 ( Info. Circular 7383), which have been checked against the figures used herein. This tabulation, however, does not include all the earlier data used by the writer nor does it offer any estimates of the wholly unrecorded era in the beginnings of the earlier camps. The area covered in this study is shown in Fig. 1 on which are indicated the relative location and approximate outlines of the principal producing camps. This also shows the approximate yield to date of each major camp in terms of combined lead and zinc concentrates. The output of zinc concentrates is roughly seven times that of lead. Hence, the economy of the district has depended primarily on the price of zinc, with lead as an important byproduct. Over much of the productive period, lead concentrates averaged about twice the value of zinc concentrates per ton, and in certain mines or areas the proportion of lead to zinc was substantially above average. The Joplin district is largely flat prairie but is partly moderately dissected, partially wooded land with a relief generally less than 100 ft. The rocks are almost flat-lying, nearly parallel to the surface, and the chief ore formation is the Mississippian Boone limestone, including its cherty phases. This formation either outcrops in the producing areas or is covered by a thin veneer of Pennsylvanian shales. Virtually all the ore occurs within 400 ft of the surface, and a large part at less than 300 ft in depth. Most of the land was divided into small farms or town lots before mineral development; tracts seldom exceeded 160 acres, and averaged considerably less. Mineral rights followed the surface ownership, segregation was rare, and a system of leasing for mineral development became well established early in the region's history, many landowners deriving small to sizable fortunes from royalties. Because of the shal-lowness of the ore and other factors, prospecting and mining was cheaper than in almost any comparable mining district in the United States. This situation, coupled with the widely divided land ownership, offered a fertile field for promoters and speculators and led to the rise of many small mining concerns. Only in its later history, under stern economic compulsion, has control tended to centralize in a few companies. Under these conditions, any important new discovery or successful development had much the effect of a gold rush or an oil boom. Every property in the area was leased quickly, promptly drilled, and, if ore was found, it was soon on the market. Many companies and individuals participated, and the average producing lease-hold probably was about 40 acres in extent. Any important field thus was attacked by anywhere from 10 to 100 or more producers. Production zoomed, eventually steadied or wavered, and ultimately subsided, leaving a desolation of tailings mountains, cave-ins, empty housing, and wreckage. The object of this paper is to depict the pattern of this process, so far as metal production is concerned, and to note the way in which it reacted to economic and political pressures. Production Charts In Fig. 2 is charted the production record, in tons of lead and zinc concentrates combined, of eight of the principal camps, which together account for approximately 99 pct of the total district production, over the years from 1870 to 1950. This period covers all but the very minor beginning of mining history. Two important camps are divided by state lines; hence, it has been necessary to combine production records for the two portions, based on estimates that may be slightly in error. Certain camps are sub-dividable into important units for which separate figures are available in whole or in part and have been charted as fractions of the major unit. The corresponding price of zinc is shown above all the charts. Three camps, Aurora, Neck City, and Galena, show a remarkably symmetrical graphic pattern, which is interpreted as the norm. The curves rise steeply to a peak, level off for an irregular interval, and then drop sharply to zero on a slope corresponding roughly to that covered by the initial rise. The three portions of these charts seem appropriately characterized by the designations of youth, maturity, and decline. On the whole, with some irregularities, the production in each of the three periods seems to be almost equal. A fourth camp, Granby, fails to conform to the normal pattern. It exhibits a very long period of reasonably uniform, stabilized production corresponding to maturity, followed by a rather precipitate decline. Its youth is hidden in the era of prehistory. This habit of steady, long-continued production at an even keel is attributable to the fact that this camp, more than any other, was controlled largely by a single principal owner at any given period over most of its history and this permitted the imposition
Jan 1, 1952
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Technical Notes - Titanium-Manganese PhasesBy H. Margolin, E. Ence
Two versions of the Ti-Mn binary diagram have been published recently.' , -0th diagrams show two compounds in the region between 40 and 70 wt pct Mn, but disagree as to the reaction in which these compounds are involved. The investigation of the manganese-rich portion of the Ti-Mn binary diagram was undertaken at New York University as part of an investigation of ternary systems with titanium and manganese in order to determine which of the proposed diagrams is correct. A number of alloys between 31 and 70 pct Mn were prepared in a manner similar to that described by Cadoff and Nielsen; except that low currents (110 amp in argon atmosphere) and long melting times (up to 20 min) were used to prepare the alloys. Compositions were determined from weight-loss data, assuming all loss as due to manganese. Heat treatments were carried out with relatively large pieces, since there was a tendency for manganese to be lost during heat treatment. When X-ray diffraction data was to be obtained, the central parts of heat-treated specimens were used to make filings or powders which were not heat treated. Specimens were heat treated from the as-cast state. Heat-treatment times were as follows: 1150°C, 1 day; ll00°C, 2 days; 1000°C, 5 days; and 900°C, 15 days. It should be noted that equilibrium was not attained at 900°, 1000°, and in one case, at 1150°C. Metallographic specimens were electrolytically polished and strain etched by a technique described elsewhere.' At least four, and possibly six, phases were found in the region investigated. On the basis of information available at this time, a completely self-consistent diagram cannot be constructed, and therefore data are presented only for those phases which have been identified by both X-ray and microstruc-ture. Of the compounds detected, the one highest in manganese is the Laves phase, TiMn,, which is hexagonal with a MgZn, type of structure.V he diffraction data for TiMn2 from a 70 pct Mn alloy annealed at 1150°C are shown in Table I. The c/a ratio and parameters of TiMn2 agree well with those of Wall-baum hnd Rostoker et al. The values obtained here are c/a = 1.641, a = 4.825A. Another compound is the y-phase which is estimated to contain about 60 pct Mn. The y-phase has a structure which is identical to that of TiMn, with c/a = 1.639, a = 4.906Å. The fact that y has a Laves-type lattice would suggest that TiMn, has a range of solubility which extends from the composition of TiMn2 (69.6 Mn) to that of y (60 pct Mn). However, this could not account for microstructures which, in the 60 to 70 pct Mn region, show several phases in both the as-cast state and after annealing at 1150°C. Fig. 1 shows a two-phase structure of a 60 pct Mn alloy annealed at 1150°C. The phases present are y (white) and e (dark). If y were TiMn, then, according to Rostoker et al.,' the second phase of Fig. 1 should be P-Ti. The diffraction data for the 60 pct Mn alloy of Fig. 1 are shown in Table I. The starred d-values are from the e-phase and these lines do not correspond to those of &Ti. Comparison of as-cast and 1150°C microstructures of the 60 pct Mn alloy indicates that e precipitated from y. Since y has a
Jan 1, 1955
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Reservoir Engineering–General - Transient Interfaces During Immiscible Liquid-Liquid Displacement in Porous MediaBy H. D. Outmans
In steady vertical flow, the interface of an immiscible liquid-liquid displacement is horizontal for any flow rate below the critical. In nonvertical flow, however, the shape of the interface in the steady state does depend on the flow rate, and the purpose of this paper is to calculate the unsteady interfaces during the transition of one steady state of flow to another. A knowledge of these transient interfaces is of considerable importance in reservoir engineering where the calculation of breakthrough recovery depends on the instant the interface reaches the producing wells and on the shape of the interface at that time. Although the emphasis is put on transient interlaces, which eventually approach stable equilibrium, it is shown that if the displacement exceeds a critical rate no equilibrium is possible. The interface is then unstable and viscous fingers are formed during the displacement. The critical rate and the shape of the transient and equilibrium interfaces are affected by the effective interfacial tension; but since this effective interfacial tension appears in the calculations only in combination with the inverse square of the thickness of the medium, its effect in the reservoir would appear to be negligible compared to its significance in model experiments. INTRODUCTION Stability criteria and the early growth of interfacial disturbances in a plane parallel to the boundaries of a dipping formation in which oil is displaced by an incompressible fluid were described in a previous paper.l This type of instability is significant in thin reservoirs. However, if the reservoir has appreciable thickness, then interfacial stability in vertical planes, normal to the upper and lower boundaries, also becomes important (the displacement is supposed to be parallel to these vertical planes). The difference between the two stability problems is that, in the first case, the intersections of the interface with planes parallel to the boundaries are normal to the direction of the displacement; in the second case, the intersections, this time with vertical planes, are not normal to the displacement. Instead, they are tilted at an angle which depends on the displacement rate. The tilt of steady interfaces was calculated by Dietz2 who also determined the critical rate of displacement for stability in the vertical plane by assuming that this rate would coincide with an interfacial tilt equal to the dip of the formation. The critical rate thus calculated is the same as has been found for thin reservoirs (see Eq. 1.1 of Ref. 1 and of the present paper). Dietz's calculation of the stable tilt was verified by laboratory experiments and the agreement was found to be fairly good.3 It is doubtful, however, that stable tilts actually exist in the reservoir because a change in production rate is not followed by an instantaneous adjustment of the interface to the new rate but, rather, by a transition period during which the interface changes from one equilibrium tilt to the other. The principal objective of this paper has been to describe these transient interfaces without putting any restrictions on the flow conditions or the shape of the interface, as had been done previously. The second objective was to compute the critical velocity, taking into account capillary effects, and the third was to evaluate, at least qualitatively, the shape of the front at rates above the critical, again without making the simplifying assumptions introduced by previous investigators.2,3 In the following sections two examples are given of the calculation of interfacial motion. The first describes this motion for an initially horizontal interface in a dipping layer, and the second for a vertical interface in a horizontal layer. The mathematical formulation of the problem is nonlinear in the boundary conditions, and this prohibits its solution in closed form. Instead, the solution is obtained in the form of higher-order approximations. 1 Before proceeding to a description of the mathematical model, however, we define two quantities
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Institute of Metals Division - The Determination of the Geometric Properties of Aggregates of Constant-Size Particles from Counting Measurements Made on Random Plane SectionsBy R. T. DeHoff
A general method for determining the geometric properties of structures composed of particles which are all the same shape and size is presented. The application of the method requires a knowledge of' the qualitative shape of the particles in the structure, ad a maximum of three simple counting measurenzents, which are made on a representative plane section taken through the structure. It is also shown that the number of different kinds of measurements necessary JOY the complete description of the structure can be decreased if some independent information about individual particles is available. The geometric properties that can be determined quantitatiz~ely from counting measurements for susch structures are size, shape, number, surface area, vlolume, ad such extensive properties as volume Mction and surface area per unit volume. THE simplest kinds of measurements that may be made on a metallographic section are counting measurements. There are three such simple counting measurements, which are determined by sampling the microstructure with a point, a line, and an area. The first of these, the point count, is probably the most familiar among metallographers. The second count, the number of intersections a test line makes with particle outline, is somewhat more recent in its origin and application. The third counting measurement, the number of particle sections observed in unit area of the plane of polish, has long been used in the estimation of grain sizes. The real utility of these three counting measurements lies in the fact that they are rigorously and unambiguously related to certain extensive geometric properties of the three-dimensional structure of which the metallographic section is a sample. These relationships will be reviewed briefly below. Of somewhat secondary importance to the fundamental relationships is the observation that, if some simplifying assumptions about the geometry of the three-dimensional structure are introduced, manipulation of the counting measurements gives a more complete description of the structure. Specifically, in addition to the extensive properties which these measurements rigorously estimate, the number of particles, their size, and their shape may be determined. The purpose of the present paper is to explore the consequences of introducing the assumption of constant size and shape. A later paper will deal with the estimation of geometric properties of structures which may be characterized by a two-parameter size distribution. It should be mentioned that the introduction of this simplest of assumptions, while clearly not generally justified in metallurgical structures, is not without precedent. For example, many estimates of the number of particles per unit volume of structure, based upon a single counting measurement, are scattered throughout the literature.13 Virtually all of these developments assume a constant particle shape, e.g., spherical or polyhydral, and constant size. That such an assumption is necessary is evident from the fact that, for more general structures, more than a single parameter is required to describe the three-dimensional structure, so that the determination of a single parameter on a section would be insufficient to specify the structure. Similar developments for the estimation of particle size from a single counting measurement, e.g., routine grain-size determinations, make the same very limiting assumption,435 but have nonetheless proven of practical value. The present paper embodies a generalized approach to the development of relationships among the two-dimensional counting measurements and the three-dimensional geometry of the structure, subject to the assumption of constant particle size and shape. It is the hope of the author that by presenting the relationships and the assumptions involved in dealing with this approximation, in a single, unified treatment, the reader may be impressed with the usefulness of the counting measurements, may be guided in their application to the estimation of details of the geometry in specific structures in which he may be interested, and may be moved to apply the results, with understanding, to new structural problems. Several authors6, 7 have demonstrated independently that it is possible to obtain unbiased estimates
Jan 1, 1964