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By William Kelly

I AM-glad to have the opportunity at this time to say that I consider it a very great honor to be elected President of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers. It fulfills the proudest hopes of my ambition. There is, ,however, one drawback to my personal gratification-a feeling of unworthiness to have my name placed on the list with former Presidents of the Institute, with the brilliant Raymond who guided our society for so many years, with the versatile and lovable James Douglas, my first employer and my friend, a most generous benefactor of our Institute, with the skilful Holley, who gave to the manufacture of steel in this country, its first great impulse, to mention only three of the accomplished men who have preceded me. I assume that the honor of my being elected President of the Institute is not merely a personal one but that it should be considered a tribute to the wonderful progress in the art of mining, both underground and in open pits, and in the beneficiation of native copper and iron ores, which have been shown in the Lake Superior District and also a recognition of our members there and elsewhere who are living at the mines and directing the operations, upon the success of which the whole mineral industry depends.

Jan 1, 1924

By J. M. Adams

It is my purpose to give some of the results obtained by an experience of nearly seven years in working ores by the method frequently called the Washoe Process, and in several mills of which I have had charge, but principally in the Owyhee Mill, at Silver City, Idaho, which had twenty 650-pound stamps, and sixteen pans. I shall discuss here merely the mechanical details for working ores generally, subdividing the subject as follows : 1. Preparation of the ore for the stamps; 2. The crushing in the battery; 3. The settling of sand or pulp in vats or tanks; 4. The treatment in the pans; 5. The results obtained in settlers, agitators, and concentrators; 6. The straining of quicksilver, cleaning of amalgam, and retorting; 7. The saving of slimes and their subsequent treatment; 8. The loss of quicksilver. For descriptions of the various kinds of orebreakers, stamps, tanks, pans, settlers, etc., I must refer to the various works on these subjects, prominent among which are the reports of the United States Commissioner of Mining Statistics,and the volume on "Mining Industry," the third volume of the United States Geological Survey on the Line of the Fortieth Parallel through the gold and silver bearing regions of the great West, undertaken under the able guidance of Clarence King, assisted by Mr. James D. Hague and others. In this discussion it will be assumed that the general arrangement of the quartz mill is understood; and the question will be treated how to secure, from such a mill, the greatest economy in working, combined with the largest results. This place seems fittest for a single preliminary suggestion—namely, that there should be double "floors" throughout the mill, so that nothing can sift through and be lost.

By Paul D. Merica, H. Hanemann

The application of other than mechanical methods to the study of the mechanical-physical properties of metals has become in the last few years a topic of investigation of ever-increasing interest, both from the theoretical standpoint and from that of the engineer and constructor. Besides the investigations which have been made of the magnetic properties of ferromagnetic metals, in their relation to the mechanical properties of these metals, which will be discussed more in detail below, there have been made studies of other phenomena in the same relation, and methods for the mechanical testing 'of metals have even been suggested; for example, the microscopic method of Tammann,' and the thermo-electric method of Turnera for determining elastic limits. The application of all such methods, which are based upon the dependence of some physical, crystallographic, or possibly chemical property, upon the mechanical state of the metal, must be preceded by close and careful correlation of these various "test" properties with the known mechanical state of the different metals or materials. It is with this view that the present work, as well as that of many previous investigators of, what may be termed in the interests of brevity, the mechanical-magnetic properties of ferromagnetic materials of construction, has been done. Previous Investigations of Mechanical Magnetic Properties The effect of mechanical stresses and of deformation, elastic or otherwise, oil the magnetic qualities of iron, steel, and other metals, has been studied by a number of investigators from the time of Joule (1841) to the present. It will, however, for the present purpose be sufficient to give an account only of the principal results obtained in the course of these investigations. It was early noticed (Villari, 1865) that if an iron wire is placed in a

Jan 1, 1916

Discussion of the paper of O. P. Hood, presented at the Pittsburgh meeting, October, 1914, and printed in Bulletin No. 94, October, 1914, pp. 2607 to 2611. R. V. Norris, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.-I have had a little experience with gasoline locomotives and I want to indorse very strongly Mr. Hood's point with regard to the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning. I think .the terrible danger is not fully realized. I was foolish enough some time ago, in investigating a gasoline locomotive, to attempt to walk out of the mine entry behind it, and for several days I felt very seriously the carbon monoxide effects. The use of gasoline locomotives ought to be confined to mine entries where there is a very large amount of air. One of the grave dangers is their great convenience and the temptation to run them into chambers for just a few moments to get a car or two. GEORGE S. RICE, Pittsburgh, Pa.-Apparently one of the great dangers is in the style of the gasoline engine. When my attention was. first directed to the type of gasoline locomotives which I saw in the foreign mines-France, Belgium, and Germany, I was most favorably impressed with them, and they have given no trouble on account of fumes, so far as I could learn. Large numbers of them were being used, but all were of small capacity, and of a kind in which the speed control is by a governor of the hit-or-miss type, the engine running continuously. Their power capacity was very low, if I remember correctly it was not over 4 or 5 h.p., but they were used under favorable conditions where the grades in the mines were slight, since the entries or tunnels bad a slight grade in favor of-the load, making about the same pull for the empties against the grade as for the load with the grade. I understand the hit-or-miss valve arrangement enables a setting that will give more perfect combustion than can be insured with the valve controlled by the operating man, as in the automobile type of valve and engine used in this country. Apparently the European type of locomotive does not have the capacity to permit use under the conditions existing in this country, where most of our entries or tunnels have variable grades and long heavy trips of mine cars are used.

Jan 4, 1915

By Irwin Politziner F. M. Townsend, L. S. Reid

Recently published data indicate that the water vapor content of a gas, as determined by dew point measurement, is inaccurate when the gas has been dehydrated with diethylene glycol. Water vapor contents and dew point measurements of gases dehydrated with triethylene glycol have been obtained in this investigation in order to determine the magnitude of a similar error, if one exists. Experimental data show a very low concentration of triethylene glycol vapor in gases dehydrated at atmospheric ternperatures and pressures ranging from 500 to 2,500 psia and that the accuracy of dew point measurements is not impaired by the presence of triethylene glycol vapor. INTRODUCTION Nearly all natural gas transported by pipe line to northern and eastern markets must be dehydrated to a low residual moisture content in order to assure maximum transmission efficiency and continuous delivery under peak load conditions. Without dehydration, water vapor often condenses in pipe lines in quantities sufficient to restrict the flow3 and. under low atmospheric temperature conditions, gas hydrates may form and plug gathering. transmission and distribution facilities. Gas may be dehydrated to pipe line specifications by a number of methods. The most widely used methods are (1) adsorption of water vapor on a solid dessicant such as activated bauxite, alumina or silica gel,' (2) by absorption of water vapor by either diethylene or triethylene glycol-water solutions of high glycol concentration,11,13 and (3) by simultaneous expansion-refrigeration of very high pressure gas in which gas hydrates are purposely formed and then quickly decomposed.'"" Of these three fundamental methods, the adsorption and absorption processes provide the bulk of the dehydrated gas moving to market at the present time. The expansion-refrigeration process. a relatively new development, is gaining in favor because of its simplicity but is sharply limited in its application by available differentials between source and gathering system pressures. Where gas sale or purchase contracts contain a maximum water vapor content specification, the water vapor content is usually determined by measuring the dew point of the gas at system pressure. Knowing he dew point temperature and the system pressure, the water vapor content of the gas is determined from a graphical correlation of saturation, or dew point, temperature us the water vapor content of the gas which is customarily expressed as pounds of water vapor per million cubic feet of gas measured at 14.7 psia and 60°F. Dew points are usually measured with the U. S. Bureau of Mines Dew Point Tester. shown in Fig. 1, which is well suited for use at temperatures lower than 120°F and at pressurei; ranging from atmospheric to 3,000 psi. A number of correlations of dew point temperatures vs water vapor content are available,3,5,15 the most recent of which is that by McCarthy et al.4 Where natural gas is dehydrated by absorhing contact with concentrated diethylene glycol-water solutions. considerable difficulty is experienced in observing water dew points due to condensation of liquid hydrocarbon and glycol films on the mirrored surface of the dew point tester. Riesenfeld and Frazierl2 report that the dew point method for determining the water vapor content of a dietllylene glycol-treated natural gas is in error due to the glycol content of the condensate formed on the tester mirror, and that the water vapor content of the gas tested is actually lower than that indicated by the standard' dew point-water vapor content correlation. Extensive experience in testing gases dehydrated by concentrated triethylene glycol-water solutions lias not revesled difficulties of the nature cited above for diethylene glycol. Water dew points are clear and sharp and condensation of

Jan 1, 1951

By T. A. Read, M. W. Burkart

The crystal geometry of the cubic-tetragonal interface after partial transformation of an indium-thallium alloy single crystal is described and a general theory is presented. The effects of applied stresses on this transformation are interpreted and the latent heat of transformation is obtained from observations of transformation under stress. A DIFFUSIONLESS phase transformation between face-centered cubic and face-centered tetragonal structures has been reported for the indium-thallium system by Bowles, Barrett, and Guttman1, 2 The transformation takes place at approximately 105 "C at 18 atomic pct Tl and 25°C at 23 pct Tl. In their study, Bowles, Barrett, and Guttman used poly-crystalline samples whereas in the present study single crystals were used to eliminate the transformation constraints imposed by adjoining grains. The use of single crystals made possible a comprehensive study of the effect of stress on the transformation. In the course of the work, it was possible to formulate a new method of analyzing dif-fusionless transformations (presented in this paper) which permits calculation of the geometry of the interphase interface from a knowledge of the crystal structures of the initial and final phases. The specimens were prepared from chemically pure thallium and 99.97 pct In which were weighed out to produce 3 to 4 grams of alloy of the desired concentration. The metal was placed in clean fused silica tubing, then melted, degassed and sealed under vacuum. (To obtain single crystals, it was found that both degassing and extreme cleanliness were essential.) Single-crystal specimens were grown by a modified Bridgman technique.8 pecimens were removed from the tube by dissolving the quartz in concentrated hydrofluoric acid which attacks the specimen very slowly. The specimen then was polished mechanically to produce four flat surfaces, electropolished, and annealed at 140°C for 48 hr. The electropolishing solution used was that described by Bowles, Barrett, and Guttman and the polishing was carried out on both the high and low temperature phases of the alloy. The high temperature polishing was done at 110°C with a stainless steel cathode. Visual Observation of the Transformation in Single Crystals A visual study of the transformation was made on specimens which had been electropolished in the high temperature phase. The specimens were supported on the stage of a metallograph by an electrically heated holder which contained an opening for observing the specimen. Visual evidence of transformation was found in the presence of an interface which separated the two phases. The interface plane defines the boundary of the phase undergoing transformation and manifests itself by the sharp change in angle between the surface of the specimen and the incident light at the juncture of the two phases. On slow cooling, well-annealed specimens transformed from the face-centered cubic structure to the face-centered tetragonal structure by the motion of a single plane interface which traversed the specimen from one end to the other. Upon heating, the interface moved back in the reverse direction. The interface could be started, stopped, or reversed at will. A temperature hysteresis of about 31/2oC was observed in the reversal of the interface. Holding an interface stationary caused it to disappear completely in most cases, whereas in other instances the interface became less distinct depending upon its orientation. The interface could be made to reappear by changing the temperature of the specimen. The low temperature tetragonal structure exhibits only the fine markings or subbands reported by Bowles, Barrett, and Guttman and is illustrated in Fig. 1. These subbands are twin-related. Back-reflection Laue patterns show the breakup of the cubic spots into pairs of spots corresponding to the twin orientations of the tetragonal phase.

Jan 1, 1954

By C. S. Smith, Chih-Chung Wang

TURNBULL and his collaborators1,2 have developed the theory of homogeneous nucleation as applied, inter alia, to solidification of liquid metals. Vonnegut³ and Turnbull4 have shown that if a liquid metal is subdivided into small droplets a vast majority of them will undercool very considerably before solidification, generally to as low as about 0.8 of the freezing temperature on the absolute scale. The nuclei effective at small degrees of supercooling in bulk metal seem to be internal or surface heterogeneities, relatively small in number. If the metal is subdivided, those droplets that happen to contain such nuclei will solidify at a temperature not greatly below the true freezing point, but only a small part of the whole volume will be affected and the majority of the drops will under-cool to the much lower temperature at which homo- geneous nucleation occurs as a result of fluctuations. It occurred to one of the authors that an appropriate subdivision to give effective freedom from random nuclei is produced during the solidification of many alloys that contain a minor amount of a phase of low melting point, and that one might then expect marked undercooling of the distributed phase. Experimental: The alloys selected for initial study were copper with minor amounts of lead and bismuth, and aluminum with tin. In all these alloys, the major component freezes at a temperature not much below that of the pure metal, and there is little further change in constitution on cooling until the lower melting point constituent freezes in an almost pure state. Cooling curves were taken using the controlled heat flow method permitting approximate specific heats to be obtained. Chromel-alumel thermocouples were used, with the standard emf tables, since extreme precision was not needed. The crucible (3/4 in. id, 5/16 in. wall) was made of B & W K-20 insulating brick. It held about 10 cc of the alloy being investigated. The cooling rate was 2.5" to 2.9°C per min under a controlled temperature difference of 20°. Approximate specific heats were computed from the inverse rate curves together with data from a blank run and from a standard run with a copper cylinder of known heat capacity. The alloys for investigation were made from high-purity metals (99.99+pct) and cast into graphite molds. The castings were machined to fit the crucible and to provide a hole for the inner thermocouple. Cooling curves were taken after heating to a temperature about 50" above the melting point of the minor, lower melting-point, constituent. Results The lead phase in an alloy of copper with 5 pct lead did not undercool more than 3" below the melting point of lead (327°C) either as cast or after annealing to produce a new dispersion of the liquid phase. A copper-zinc-lead alloy with 23.75 pct zinc and 5 pct lead undercooled more but showed no thermal effect below 319°C. A cast alloy of copper with 5 pct bismuth undercooled to 249°C (M.P. bismuth 27l °C), but once solidification started it was completed at the same temperature. This was anticipated, since the bismuth forms a nearly continuous phase between the grains of copper, and a solid crystal nucleated anywhere would rapidly* con- sume the entire network of liquid, unless the physical continuity of the liquid were broken through volume changes, inadequate fluidity, or gas evolution. Similar arguments apply in the case of copper-lead alloys, where the lead-rich liquid forms a network along grain edges, though not grain faces. In both cases there would be a few isolated particles

Jan 1, 1951

By L. S. Reid, Irwin Politziner F. M. Townsend

Recently published data indicate that the water vapor content of a gas, as determined by dew point measurement, is inaccurate when the gas has been dehydrated with diethylene glycol. Water vapor contents and dew point measurements of gases dehydrated with triethylene glycol have been obtained in this investigation in order to determine the magnitude of a similar error, if one exists. Experimental data show a very low concentration of triethylene glycol vapor in gases dehydrated at atmospheric ternperatures and pressures ranging from 500 to 2,500 psia and that the accuracy of dew point measurements is not impaired by the presence of triethylene glycol vapor. INTRODUCTION Nearly all natural gas transported by pipe line to northern and eastern markets must be dehydrated to a low residual moisture content in order to assure maximum transmission efficiency and continuous delivery under peak load conditions. Without dehydration, water vapor often condenses in pipe lines in quantities sufficient to restrict the flow3 and. under low atmospheric temperature conditions, gas hydrates may form and plug gathering. transmission and distribution facilities. Gas may be dehydrated to pipe line specifications by a number of methods. The most widely used methods are (1) adsorption of water vapor on a solid dessicant such as activated bauxite, alumina or silica gel,' (2) by absorption of water vapor by either diethylene or triethylene glycol-water solutions of high glycol concentration,11,13 and (3) by simultaneous expansion-refrigeration of very high pressure gas in which gas hydrates are purposely formed and then quickly decomposed.'"" Of these three fundamental methods, the adsorption and absorption processes provide the bulk of the dehydrated gas moving to market at the present time. The expansion-refrigeration process. a relatively new development, is gaining in favor because of its simplicity but is sharply limited in its application by available differentials between source and gathering system pressures. Where gas sale or purchase contracts contain a maximum water vapor content specification, the water vapor content is usually determined by measuring the dew point of the gas at system pressure. Knowing he dew point temperature and the system pressure, the water vapor content of the gas is determined from a graphical correlation of saturation, or dew point, temperature us the water vapor content of the gas which is customarily expressed as pounds of water vapor per million cubic feet of gas measured at 14.7 psia and 60°F. Dew points are usually measured with the U. S. Bureau of Mines Dew Point Tester. shown in Fig. 1, which is well suited for use at temperatures lower than 120°F and at pressurei; ranging from atmospheric to 3,000 psi. A number of correlations of dew point temperatures vs water vapor content are available,3,5,15 the most recent of which is that by McCarthy et al.4 Where natural gas is dehydrated by absorhing contact with concentrated diethylene glycol-water solutions. considerable difficulty is experienced in observing water dew points due to condensation of liquid hydrocarbon and glycol films on the mirrored surface of the dew point tester. Riesenfeld and Frazierl2 report that the dew point method for determining the water vapor content of a dietllylene glycol-treated natural gas is in error due to the glycol content of the condensate formed on the tester mirror, and that the water vapor content of the gas tested is actually lower than that indicated by the standard' dew point-water vapor content correlation. Extensive experience in testing gases dehydrated by concentrated triethylene glycol-water solutions lias not revesled difficulties of the nature cited above for diethylene glycol. Water dew points are clear and sharp and condensation of

Jan 1, 1951

By Oliver Bowles

While vast quantities of limestone and dolomite are used in metallurgy, the estimated production in 1926 being 23,860,000 tons, there are many problems connected with their use which have not received adequate study. The literature of metallurgy is notably lacking in comprehensive discussions of fluxing or furnace stone. Approximately 900 lb. of limestone is used for every long ton of pig iron produced in the blast furnace, but this important constituent of the charge receives little atten. tion compared with the intensive study that has been applied to ores and fuels, the other important constituents of the charge. In an effort to elucidate some of the doubtful points, the writer has made a wide review of metallurgical literature, and has had the disappointing experience of finding not more than a paragraph or two on metallurgical stone for each two or three thousand pages of literature reviewed. Furthermore, the limited information supplied is in some instances contradictory and even absurd. For example, a correspondent in a reputable metallurgical magazine classifies magnesia and silica together as impurities in flux " that must be melted and run off as slag." From the furnace operator's viewpoint it is desirable that as complete knowledge as possible be obtained concerning the effects of chemical composition and physical character of the stone on its action in the furnace and on the quality of the metal produced. A better knowledge of these features is advantageous also to the quarry operator in that it enables him to work more intelligently in producing stone that will best satisfy the metallurgists' requirements. The following pages comprise a brief compilation of data now available. Much of the information is well established and probably acceptable to most metallurgists. On some points there is room for debate, and the chief purpose in presenting a paper at this time is to arouse discussion which will throw more light on controversial points and thus assist the author in preparing a more comprehensive and accurate discussion of metallurgical limestone problems.

By R. H. Thurston

THE writer became convinced, many years ago, that the generally accepted values of the coefficient of friction for lubricated surfaces were not applicable to such heavy machinery as he had been called upon, in the course of professional work, to design, to construct, and to operate. Experience frequently seemed to indicate, also, a wide departure, in such cases, from the accepted "laws of friction." In the year 1869, or earlier, he invented an apparatus to redetermine these laws and these coefficients for a wide range of temperatures, pressures and velocities. The construction of the machine was delayed, however, some time, and no experiments were made for several years, when, finally, the construction of the apparatus was commenced in the workshops of the Stevens Institute of Technology, and experiments were begun in the Mechanical Laboratory organized by the writer in connection with the Department of Engineering. These machines have now been in use about five years, and have furnished an immense amount of valuable information. Those now in use are of two styles: one designed and built by the Class of 1877, Figs. 1 and 2; the other a much larger machine, Figs. 3 and 4. The first has been already frequently described,* and a working drawing of the second has been also published.† For convenience, engravings of both are herewith reproduced. In the “'77 machine,” a journal, F, is made on the overhung extremity of a shaft carried in the two bearings, B B'. This journal is grasped by brass boxes which are carried in a pendulum, II H. They are forced against the journal by a screw which compresses a coiled spring with a pressure which is read off on the scale, N H. A weight at the lower end of the arm, at I, gives it the necessary resistance to deflection. The angle of deflection is measured on the * In Scientific American, Railroad Gazette, Jour. Frank. Inst., Johnson's Cyclopaedia, Knight's Mechanical Dictionary, etc. † Railroad Gazette, Jan. 18th, 1878, p. 25.

Jan 1, 1879

By Howard N. Eavenson

The information contained in the following paper was collected at the request of the U. S. Coal Commission, and is published with the permission of that body and of the various companies furnishing the data. For obvious reasons, the names of the companies are not given. No data were obtained from states south of Virginia or west of the Mississippi River. The data about the amount of labor, in man-hours, required in producing a ton of bituminous coal have been collected with the idea of showing what is being done at some well-managed plants, and not to show the average amount required by all mines, which undoubtedly is considerably higher than the average of the figures shown.* Almost all of the figures were supplied by the various companies in reply to a questionnaire; when they were obtained from other sources the company was asked to verify them. On account of the amount of work required, the data were only requested for one or two months for each plant, and the figures represent in each case a month when the car supply was good and the work was practically steady. In the case of most of the West Virginia and Kentucky mines, these conditions were best met in May and June, 1922. The mines for which the figures are given are arranged by states and as to whether the mine operates under union or non-union or open-shop conditions. The union mines listed are generally considered to be as well-managed as are the non-union ones. The production per month in a few cases includes the amount of slate which is loaded and hauled out of the mine, as of course this requires nearly as much labor per ton as does the coal. These cases are noted. The number of days worked includes only the total time in which the tipple operated; not the number of days on which the mines operated. This makes the output per day appear slightly higher than it should be in

Jan 1, 1924

N/A

Jan 1, 1945

By Stirling Huntley

With the threatened falling off in production of the lighter oil pools of the Tampico embayment in Mexico, a general search of that country for oil-producing regions has resulted in renewed activity in the region of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, one of the first districts exploited in Mexico. Since the drilling of the first well in the San Cristobal section by the Pearson interests in 1902, drilling has been continuous, except during 1917-1921, when practically all development was stopped by the revolutionary activity. Early in 1921, a drilling campaign was inaugurated for the purpose of testing out the known salt-dome poolfi on the flanks of the salt masses, rather than on their tops where previous tests had been located. On Dec. 7, 1921, the Aguila Co., with which are consolidated the Pearson interests and which has been the only company active in developing this region, unexpectedly drilled into a sand horizon at 3015 ft. with its Conception well No. 18. The hole was unable to handle the production, as a 1400-ft. string of 121/2-in. casing was hanging in the hole, a salt-water horizon drilled through at about 800 ft., was not cemented off, and 3000 ft. of 4-in. drill stem with rotary bit was in the hole. This well's potential capacity was never determined, but it made 7000 bbl. of 25" Bé. oil through the bit and Pin. drill stem, in one of its sporadic flows before sanding up, and thus proved itself capable of the largest potential production of any well on the Isthmus. The well showed salt water before caving and sanding up with the drill stem still in the hole, and will probably never be used for production. Wells Nos. 22 and 23, drilled nearby, have proved disappointments after making good showings of oil. In the spring of 1922, Ixhuatlan wells Nos. 28 and 29, deep tests supposedly on the flank of the known salt cores in that field, went into solid salt; No. 28 at 2250 ft. and No. 29 at 2400 ft. No. 28 was continued in the salt for 1000 ft. before operations were stopped. Later comple-

Jan 1, 1923

By John R. Edwards

Introductory.—There are many interesting and important events connected with the petroleum problem. The remarkable men who conceived 'the thought of transporting petroleum by pipe line, conserving the byproducts of the commodity, and conducting extended investigation and research whereby the flash point of the oil was raised, its cost reduced and its supply assured, are deserving of the gratitude of this nation. It was primarily the success attained by Captain Lucas, after his comprehensive search for oil in Texas and Louisiana, that was the impelling cause which prompted the Navy Department to conduct the extensive series of liquid fuel-oil tests that were made from 1901 to 1903. The sensational discovery of oil at Spindle top made a deep impression upon Rear Admiral George W. Melville, then Engineer-in-Chief of the Navy, and the discovery of the vast oil field in Texas convinced him that, within a generation, if not within a decade, crude petroleum was going to play a very important part in warfare, and that the commodity might possibly develop into a necessary munition of war. The United States' Commanding Position as a Petroleum Producer.— In the study of the various problems relating to the world's production of crude petroleum, the position of the United States is one of commanding importance, whether viewed from the industrial or the military aspect. The present yield of this country is practically double that of the rest of the world, and, in view of the productive and prospective fields possessed by various countries, together with the comprehensive and exhaustive search that has been made throughout the world for petroleum, it is extremely probable that this lead will be maintained for the next decade. As regards the character of the crude-oil yield of different countries, America possesses the greater part of the supply that contains a paraffine base, and therefore a considerable portion at least of the American product produces the best illuminant. Of all the crude-oil distillates, kerosene is in many respects thc most important, and the Appalachian product for this purpose is favored, particularly in the Far East, above that of any other petroleum yield of the world.

Jan 1, 1915

By H. M. Warren, E. J. Powell, A. S. Biesecker

In the past, steam engines were used in practically all cases for driving the machinery in and about an anthracite breaker, and hence few or no accurate data were available as to the power requirements for starting and operating the individual machines, which make up the complete equipment. It was impossible to segregate the power necessary to drive each individual machine, first, because the equipment was driven in groups, and second, because it was impracticable to obtain graphic, integrated, or instantaneous records of the horsepower used. As a result of these conditions, it was found, when individual electric motors were applied to the various machines, that more accurate and complete data were needed in order to provide motors of the proper power and design for the particular services to be rendered. In order to obtain the desired information, the writers made and collected a number of tests, from time to time, on the individual motor drives in electrically operated breakers, and as these tests have been of great value, it occurred to them that a paper giving the results might be of service to other engineers interested in similar installations. Table I shows the results of these tests. All the motors tested were of the three-phase, 60-cycle, 440-volt, induction, squirrel-cage type, except a few, which, on account of size and starting conditions, were of the wound-rotor type. The instruments used in making these tests were: An integrating watt-hour meter, a graphic ammeter, and a graphic voltmeter. These instruments were connected in each motor circuit, and a record of a day's run of 9 hours was obtained from each machine. From these tests, the running light load, the average all-day load, and the instantaneous peak readings in amperes, volts, and kilowatt input, were obtained. By means of the characteristic curves obtained from these motors at the factory, the power factor, the efficiency, and the horsepower output were calculated for each particular test. Starting tests were made by the brake-arm method, in which the torque in pounds was measured directly on a spring balance.

Jan 1, 1916

By Stirling Huntley

With the threatened falling off in production of the lighter oil pools of the Tampico embayment in Mexico, a general search of that country for oil-producing regions has resulted in renewed activity in the region of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, one of the first districts exploited in Mexico. Since the drilling of the first well in the San Cristobal section by the Pearson interests in 1902, drilling has been continuous, except during 1917-1921, when practically all development was stopped by the revolutionary activity. Early in 1921, a drilling campaign was inaugurated for the purpose of testing out the known salt-dome poolfi on the flanks of the salt masses, rather than on their tops where previous tests had been located. On Dec. 7, 1921, the Aguila Co., with which are consolidated the Pearson interests and which has been the only company active in developing this region, unexpectedly drilled into a sand horizon at 3015 ft. with its Conception well No. 18. The hole was unable to handle the production, as a 1400-ft. string of 121/2-in. casing was hanging in the hole, a salt-water horizon drilled through at about 800 ft., was not cemented off, and 3000 ft. of 4-in. drill stem with rotary bit was in the hole. This well's potential capacity was never determined, but it made 7000 bbl. of 25" Bé. oil through the bit and Pin. drill stem, in one of its sporadic flows before sanding up, and thus proved itself capable of the largest potential production of any well on the Isthmus. The well showed salt water before caving and sanding up with the drill stem still in the hole, and will probably never be used for production. Wells Nos. 22 and 23, drilled nearby, have proved disappointments after making good showings of oil. In the spring of 1922, Ixhuatlan wells Nos. 28 and 29, deep tests supposedly on the flank of the known salt cores in that field, went into solid salt; No. 28 at 2250 ft. and No. 29 at 2400 ft. No. 28 was continued in the salt for 1000 ft. before operations were stopped. Later comple-

Jan 1, 1923

By Arcy A., J. G. Davis, D&apos Shock

Results of a pilot operation in the Carlsbad Basin are discussed. After hydrafracing between wells, a block of potash was removed by solution techniques. The distance between frac wells was about 200 ft, the thickness of potash mineralization, 5 ft. By proper manipulation, a feed of concentrate brine was obtained. The ex-periment showed that the thin-bedded potash could be removed by the solution techniques. The details of well construction, method of operation, and removal rates are discussed. Continental Oil Co.'s laboratory research on the fundamentals of potash solution mining has been expanded by means of a series of field tests, and subjects such as well completion and hydraulic fracturing were added to the investigation. Both single-well and multi-well systems were studied in the field work. Discussion Background: The current paper discusses one field test in which potash was solution mined by a two-well system from a thin sylvinite zone. The potential economic value of solution mining evolves from (1) the use of drilled holes and solution techniques instead of excavated shafts and caverns and (2) the ability to mine both land and marine deposits through any type of overburden geology and below conventional mining depths. Recent interest has been focused on potash' and other soluble minerals, such as trona. Solution extraction minerals, such as copper and uranium, are also worthy of important consideration. In addition, many of the techniques are directly applicable to the construction of horizontal underground storage carverns in salt. There are two general approaches to potash solution mining. The first is to mine on a single-well basis, in which the same well bore is used for both injection and production. This method is slow, and the areal extent may be quite limited in other than very thick ore zones. The second, and the preferred approach, is to mine on a multi-well basis in which the solvent is circulated between wells. This technique, if applied in a manner which allows the ore zone to be mined from the bottom upward, results in nearly all the solution taking place from the cavern roof. Salt removal rates, therefore, are very much higher than from a single-well system.l Wells can be interconnected into a multi-well pattern by several means. One is to join single-well caverns in the lower part of an ore zone. Another is to use the hydraulic fracturing techniques developed in the oil fields.' We preferred the fracture approach because of its potential for creating the greatest area of salt exposure. Test Site Description: The field tests were conducted in New Mexico's Carlsbad Basin, where the potash deposits are flat and uniform over reasonable distances. Here, 12 potash zones are present in the massive Salado Salt section. The specific target was the Third Ore Zone which is about 4 ft thick at our location and about 1150 ft deep. The test pattern was designed in the shape of an equilateral triangle with a fourth well located in the center, 200 ft from each of the vertex wells. This configuration allowed the ore zone to be hydraulically fractured from the center well with good assurance that the fracture would intersect the bore of at least one outside well. Several multi-well test patterns would be available if the fracture connected all wells. Well Completion: Surface casing was set in the top of the Salado Salt at 600 ft to shut off water flows from the surface sands, and the salt section was drilled and diamond-cored to a point below the Third Ore Zone. A drilling fluid made of diesel oil with a small amount of emulsified water was used to drill and core the salt. This fluid was highly successful in preventing enlargement of the drilled hole and in promoting good core recovery. The three outside wells were completed by setting 51/2-in. casing at the base of a streak of anhydrite about 20 ft above the ore zone. Pipe was set high so that the intersection point of the fracture could be detected even if the fracture migrated above the ore zone as it progressed outward from the center well. The center well itself was completed by cementing 51/2-in. casing through the Third Ore Zone. Cement bond logs run on the center well have shown excellent bonding. Fracturing Practice: A mechanical tool was used to cut a notch through the casing and into the salt at a point about 1 ft below the ore zone in the center well. The purpose of this notch was to fix the point of fracture entry into the salt. The fracturing was done with water at injection rtaes as high as 30 bbl per min. The salt parted at 1450 psi; and it required only 5 min for the fracture to reach the well which was 200 ft to the south. It took about 5 min more to reach the other two wells. Caliper surveys were run to locate the point of fracture entry in the three outside wells. The fracture appears to have drifted downward slightly, entering the outside wells at the top of a streak of carnallite 8 or 9 ft below the ore zone. A cross section of the wells selected for the multi-well test is shown in Fig. 1. The figure includes KC1 values based on core analysis and the trace of the fracture plane between the wells.

Jan 1, 1971

By W. F. Netzeband

Jan 1, 1927

By Louis V. Bender

AfteR investigating the work of coal-dust fired reverberatories of the Canadian Copper Co., at Copper Cliff, Ontario, the management of the Washoe Reduction Works decided to experiment with and ascertain the advantages of using coal dust as a fuel in their reverberatories. Consequently, during the month of June, 1914, reverberatory furnace No. 8 was changed in order to use powdered coal as a fuel. The results obtained by this method of firing are gratifying and show a decided saving in cost of smelting as compared to grate firing with lump coal. The furnace, as remodeled, is 124 ft. long by 21 ft. wide, and varies in height from 8 ft. 6 in. at the back end to 5 ft. 7 in. at the skimming end. The general construction of the furnace is similar to that of the other furnaces at this plant. There are no side doors to this furnace, as it was thought that with the present arrangement for feeding no "fettling" or "claying" would be required. The interior of the furnace can be inspected through the burner port holes, after shutting off the burners and giving a few seconds' time for the gases inside the furnace to clear away. The charging is done on either side of the furnace from longitudinal hoppers, extending a distance of 74 ft. from the back end of the furnace. Leading from the hoppers into the furnace are 6-in. pipes, spaced 191/4 in. apart, through which the charge is intermittently dropped. The charge is kept well above the slag line at all times; in this way the side walls are protected and no fettling is needed on this portion of the furnace. The remainder of the furnace requires fettling. After operating for three months, we found that the bricks were eaten into along each side wall from the skimming door back to the point where the charge had been dropped. The depth of this cutting away was 8 in. close to the front end and gradually tapered to zero at a distance of 50 ft., and was greatest on the side of the furnace having the larger flue connection. Hoppers will be put in for the entire length of furnace, from which fettling material will be dropped, to prevent this cutting. After the run of three months, the roof was in excellent condition. At the back of the furnace the bricks were not cut into at all; at 30 ft.

Jan 1, 1915

By Carls Benedicks

It is well known by every one who has had to deal with boiler tubes that these are often seriously affected by a sort of corrosion, occurring as a local pitting, that frequently causes a perforation of the tube in a rather short time. The characteristic appearance of this corrosion is shown in Fig. 1. A very similar corrosion occurs in condenser tubes (Fig. 2).l A study of the microstructure or local chemical composition of the metal (iron 70:30 brass) fails to reveal any cause for this pitting. Of course one might possibly assume the starting point to be some oxide particle, causing an electrolytic local action, but this in no way explains the continued corrosion, progressing even when the assumed oxide particle must have disappeared. By the excellent work done by the Corrosion Research Committee of the Institute of Metals, and communicated, in October, 1923, to the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Newcastle-on-tyne, stress was laid on the faot that a content of entangled air has a very obnoxious effect. In the following correspondence, Sir George Goodwin stated that "engineers have, for a long time past, regarded air as the big enemy to be fought against in all questions of corrosion'72 and Kenneth Fraser pointed out that the most vital point is "the avoidance or removal of possibly the chief cause of present day corrosion, i. e. entrapped air and gases brought out of solution."3 In their reply, however, the authors state that they had "never for a moment believed that entangled air was responsible for the beginnings of corrosion, and express the opinion that the gradual liberation of air could not account for localized corro~ion."~ On consulting the many textbooks on corrosion, as that

Jan 1, 1925