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By H. A. Shaw, H. G. G. Whitton

This paper describes the use of the electric-arc furnace for the production of tough-pitch, horizontal cast copper shapes and the production of copper anodes from tank house anode scrap. This installation is the only one of its kind in the United States. SINCE the initial use of electric-arc furnaces for refined copper melting on a commercial scale at Copper Cliff in 1936, this type of melting has been of extreme interest to everyone in any way connected with copper casting and fabricating. Early in 1948, Kennecott Copper Corp. decided to build an electrolytic copper refinery at Garfield, Utah. One of the major decisions to be made at that time was the type of furnace to be used for melting cathodes for casting into refined copper shapes and for melting anode scrap for the production of anodes. Based on the results obtained from arc furnaces by the Tnternational Nickel Co. of Canada, at Copper Cliff, and by the American Smelting and Refining Co., at Baltimore, coupled with certain important economic factors such as having an adequate amount of relatively cheap power available at the Magna Central Power Plant, high cost of poles and oil in the Salt Lake District, and the lack of natural gas at that time, the final decision was to install electric-arc furnaces rather than the standard type of rever-beratory furnaces. Experience has shown certain parts of the original installation to have been inadequate or in need of modification. Although the present status of arc-furnace melting at the Utah Refinery is far from perfect, nevertheless substantial progress has been made. At the Utah refinery, copper is melted in three 15-ft diam, size "M" Lectromelt furnaces, two of which are used for melting cathodes and one for remelting anode scrap. Each furnace is energized from a 13,800-225 v, 3-phase, 60-cycle, 6000-kva (at 40°C rise) oil-immersed water-cooled transformer. Auxiliary equipment for each refined copper furnace includes a charging machine, launders, ladle, 40 ft diam Walker-type casting wheel, bosh, and inspection conveyor. The anode furnace differs in that it is charged by hand from an elevated platform and the anodes are picked off the 24-ft diam casting wheel by a takeoff hoist and loaded directly into specially designed trailers, Figs. 1 and 2. Electrical Equipment Electric power to operate the arc furnaces is generated at the Kennecott-owned Magna Central Power Station two miles distant and transmitted to the Refinery outdoor substation at 44,000 v. At this point it is stepped down to 13,800 v and carried through concrete-lined underground tunnels to the switchgear and then to the primary side of the furnace transformers. The power is conducted from the Y-connected secondary bus bars of the transformer to the electrode arms by means of 22 flexible copper cable conductors per phase. Each cable has a cross-sectional area of 1,750,000 circular mils, giving a total area of 38,500,000 circular mils per phase. The power is carried from these cables to the three individual electrode holders by means of water-cooled copper bus tubing. The electrode clamps are incorporated in the electrode holders and are released by air pressure working against a spring in the clamp control cylinder. The movement of the electrode arms is either automatic or manual. The automatic control is used during melting and is regulated by three Westing-

Jan 1, 1954

By Charles L. Guettel

The temperature coefficients of electrical resistance of 31 alloys in the nickel-rich corner of the Ni-Cr-Fe system were determined. The results indicate that a range of binary Ni-Cr alloys has lower temperature coefficients than a specific region of Ni-Cr-Fe alloys which has been reported and quoted by others as providing the lowest coefficients in the ternary system. DESIRABLE properties of resistivity and temperature coefficients of resistance have been the basis for the successful commercial application of various Ni-Cr and Ni-Cr-Fe alloys. In particular, low or negligible temperature coefficients of resistance are necessary for wire used in precision wire wound resistors and potentiometers involved in closely controlled electrical and electronic circuitry. Alloys most successfully applied to this purpose basically have not been ternary Ni-Cr-Fe alloys but rather heat-treated Ni-Cr alloys in the region of approximately 73 to 79 pct Ni and 20 pct Cr with significant additions of other elements such as aluminum, silicon, iron, copper, manganese, and cobalt. While the addition elements play a vital role in the nature and control of the temperature-resistance curve of any one of these alloys, the inherent relatively low temperature coefficient of the binary Ni-Cr base composition itself in the approximate region of 80 pct Ni and 20 pct Cr contributes fundamentally to the eventual negligible temperature coefficient obtained with the applied alloys. W. A. Dean 1 has reported mean temperature coefficients (20' to 100oC) of as-cast samples for the Ni-Cr-Fe system, the nickel corner of which is given in Fig. 1. Dean had to use as-cast samples because alloys from a considerable region of the system were unworkable. Dean refers to the work of Hunter and sebast2 who used annealed wire samples to show that, for chromium contents of 10 to 25 pct, the temperature coefficient increases as the iron content is increased at the expense of nickel. Although the data of Hunter and Sebast were limited in the nickel-rich areas to eight samples of 60 to 91 pct Ni with only four samples containing iron, the possibility that no Ni-Cr-Fe alloy has a lower temperature coefficient than certain binary Ni-Cr alloys should have been given serious consideration. However, Dean's work has been referred to by J. S. Marsh,3 who, quoting Dean, states that for the temperature coefficients "the smallest values-about 0.0001 per oC (100 ppm)—were found for alloys containing about 55 pct Ni and 20 pct Cr" (balance iron). A region such as that reported by Dean would be significant to those trying to develop alloys for the applications described. Therefore, a series of three-pound laboratory open-air induction melts of Ni-Cr and Ni-Cr-Fe alloys were melted, conventionally processed to 0.005 in. diam wire, and continuously strand annealed at 1900° F. The basic Ni-Cr compositions, with balances essentially iron other than usual minor impurities, and the corresponding temperature coefficients of resistance and resistivities are given in Table I. The resistivities are approximate and are not to be considered as a basis for relating them to their position of composition in the ternary system. The wire diameters were determined with a micrometer, and not by weight and density measurements which would be required for accurate resistivity values. However,

Jan 1, 1963

By J. D. Forrester, Erich Sarapuu, T. C. Cheasley

John G. Tripp-—The concept of converting fuel deposits in-situ to useful forms of energy and chemical raw materials has important possibilities as a means of stretching out our fuel resources. The authors have worked in this field for years and in fact are among the pioneers in developing in-situ techniques based on underground electrocarbonization. Their efforts have aroused great interest in this subject and their contributions will undoubtedly gain even more significance as time goes on. The 4 to 5 billion tons of petroleum are proved reserves, that is, they are completely defined and could be produced economically with present methods of recovery. Reserves of coal, tar sands, and oil shale shown in Table I are not equivalent to proved reserves as the term is used in the oil industry. Incidentally, the 4.3 billion tons of oil shown in the tabulation is equal to about 28 billion barrels of oil and, therefore, presumably does not include reserves of natural gas liquids estimated at about 5 billion barrels. The relative comparisons would be more complete if these liquids together with the reserves of natural gas were included in the tabulation. It is stated in the report that production costs of the order of 10c per million Btu's could be expected from a large industrial electrocarbonization installation. The authors state that the operation probably could be operated successfully and at a profit. I would like to express my view that for the operation to be profitable extremely favorable conditions would have to prevail. For example, the coal seam would have to be thick and close to the surface in order to minimize drilling costs; the deposit should be dry and so situated that there would be little, if any, inflow of ground water; and the seam would have to be relatively gas tight to avoid excessive gas leakage. Notwithstanding the tremendous strides that have already been made, it is my hope that the authors plan to continue their development work. Experiments on underground electrolinking and initial carbonization at Gorgas, Ala., indicate a need for improved control over the operation. Subsequent examination of the underground system at Gorgas has shown that the gasification zone did not always follow a direct path between the electrodes. Undoubtedly the control of the in-situ thermal processes can be improved by further development work. With respect to the electrocarbonization of oil shale it may be well to point out that the cost of mining oil shale is estimated to be 50c to 60c per ton. These are low mining costs as compared to coal. Thus it would appear that there is less economic incentive for applying in-situ thermal methods to oil shale than there is for applying these methods to coal. As is the case with in-situ methods for petroleum, the product from the shale having the most economic interest would be liquid oil rather than gas. The authors point out that for distances up to several hundred miles it is cheaper to transmit energy as electricity than it is to ship energy as coal. This is a very important point, and with coal shipping rates rising periodically, it could prove increasingly important in the future. I believe that the authors deserve great credit for their outstanding work on underground electrocarbonization. The knowledge resulting from their efforts is of great value to our fuels technology. James L. Elder—The experimental work conducted by the authors on the electrolinking-carbonization of carbonaceous materials in situ is of great interest. The method is of great importance in the development

Jan 1, 1955

By F. von Gemmingen, E. J. Fasiska, L. Zwell

EARLIER studies of the dependence of creep on structure1 and of the dependence of creep rupture on creep behavior2 did not include detailed discussion of the phases present in the specimens under examination. It is of interest to determine the nature and amounts of such phases present since it is well known that these are dependent on composition, heat treatment and creep conditions.3 This investigation has therefore been undertaken to identify these constituents and to determine their relative amounts. This report presents the results of this investigation and describes an improved "extraction replica" technique developed in the course of the work. The composition of the Type 316 austenitic stainless steels studied in this investigation is given in Table I. The specimens were solution treated at 2000°F for 1/2 hr and water quenched. Those specimens subjected to prestrain at room temperature Methods for extracting precipitate particles from materials for electron and X-ray diffraction analysis have been described by Fisher,4 Smith and Nutting: and Booker and coworkers.6'7 Electrolytic extraction methods have been described by Andrews and Hughes.8 The first two methods have been used at this Laboratory, but have not proved satisfactory for many problems requiring X-ray diffraction analysis. It has been difficult to remove the replicas or to avoid tearing them during removal. These difficulties are overcome by backing the replica with a water-soluble plastic such as Dupont 51-05 Elvanol (polyvinyl alcohol). The backing increases the thickness of the replica so that it can be mechanically stripped from unloosened particles without folding or tearing. This procedure eliminates the stripping of wet replicas, which usually have a low tear strength. By stripping replicas after drying, it is possible to extract partially loosened particles which otherwise would remain imbedded in the metal. The modified method is as follows: after the specimen is polished, it is etched for 60 min in modified glyceregia consisting of 30 ml glycerol, 7 ml nitric acid, and 4 ml of hydrochloric acid. The sample is then washed, air dried, and coated with a 20 pct Baker and Adamson 1611 collodion (85 pct amyl acetate by volume) film. After the collodion film is dry (about 15 min), the sample is again etched in the modified glyceregia for 50 min, washed with isopropyl alcohol (to prevent dissolving the collodion) and air dried. A very thick coat of polyvinyl alcohol (about 50 pct solution "Elvanol Dupont 51-05" in water) is poured over the sample and is permitted to dry for about 24 hr. The composite film containing the precipitates is then stripped from the specimen and floated, polyvinyl alcohol side down, in water (at about 50°C) until the polyvinyl alcohol dissolves. This usually takes about 15 min. Should any of the polyvinyl alcohol remain on the replica, it does not give a crystalline diffraction pattern and therefore does not hinder identification of the precipitates. The extraction replica, floating in water, is picked up on a glass fiber and mounted in the Debye-Scherrer camera for X-ray diffraction analysis. Concentration of the etchant, and also etching time, had to be increased for several of the samples. Fig. 1 shows two extraction replicas taken from different areas of spec. M74-37; X-ray analysis showed a strong diffraction pattern of M23C6 and a medium one of u phase. A

Jan 1, 1962

By Stanley L. Lopata, Eric B. Kula

The problem of preferred orientation has been considered in quantitative phase analysis by X-ray diffraction techniques. The average intensity of a diffraction peak can be obtained by integration over the whole pole figure, or by random rotation of the specimen in the X-ray beam, or by a combination of both. For rod or wire, where the pole figure shows rotational symmetry, the intensity is measured along a radius of the pole figure. Where no symmetry is present, rotational symmetry is imparted by rapid rotation of the sheet around its surface normal during measurement. These methods are applied to the determination of aus-tenite in an Fe-31 pct Ni rod and Fe-28 pct Ni sheet. X-RAY diffraction techniques are frequently used for quantitatively determining the relative amounts of two or more phases present in a structure.1,2 Briefly, the method requires a measurement of the intensity of a Bragg reflection for each phase. The method is based on the principle that the intensity of a Bragg reflection, IA, is directly proportional to the volume fraction of the given phase present, CA: T KRACA/2µ [1] where K is a constant independent of the diffracting phase, RA can be calculated and depends on the Bragg angle ? and the particular reflection measured, and µ is the linear absorption coefficient of the mixture.' For a mixture of two phases A and B, IA = RAcA [2] IA/IB=RAcA/Rbcb and CA+ CB = 1 [3] This allows the volume fraction of a phase to be calculated directly from the measured integrated intensities of the two phases present. This method is frequently used for quantitatively determining retained austenite in steels, but can be used for the quantitative determination of in titanium alloys, as well as phases in other alloy systems. The intensities are generally measured by diffracting only from planes whose normals are perpendicular to the specimen surface, with the implicit assumption being made that this intensity is typical of reflections from planes whose normals lie at other angles to the surface. If the specimen contains a texture or preferred orientation of the crys- tallographic planes by virtue of previous mechanical working, however, this measured intensity is correct only if the intensity level fortuitously is one times random. Examination of pole figures for actual rolled sheet shows that the intensity level at the center of the figure is seldom at the random level, and can very easily differ by a factor of five or more, leading to a commensurate error in the calculated amount of the phases. Textures have been commonly found in materials which are cold-rolled or recrystallized after cold rolling. This problem is becoming of greater importance since structural materials in use today, such as the high-strength stainless steels, frequently are further strengthened by cold rolling, and hence contain textures. Although high-strength carbon-containing alloy steels generally do not contain textures, some of the newer thermomechani-cal treatments will impart a texture even in these cases. In the case of hexagonal metals, such as titanium, probably every wrought sample will show some anisotropy. Since the standard X-ray techniques are inapplicable in all these cases, there is a clear need for some method of taking this anisotropy into account. The specific problem is to obtain the integrated intensity of a Bragg reflection for each phase, averaged over all orientations of the sample with respect to the X-ray beam. This can be done either by purely mechanical means or by a mathematical averaging. Mechanically, a small spherical speci-

Jan 1, 1965

By David C. N. Cockburn

INTRODUCTION This paper analyses certain of the financial considerations which will commonly apply in relation to the following questions: - what equity structure or project vehicle should be adopted for the exploration and/or exploitation of a project by more than one unrelated participant? - what vehicle should be adopted by a participant for its participation in a multiparty project? Due to local, politically motivated laws in certain jurisdictions, or due to the overriding requirements of a dominant participant, there may be little choice of the underlying multiparty structure which may be adopted for the exploration, appraisal and/or development phases of a project. Nevertheless, even in such circumstances, attention should be given, at least in the preparation of the related documentation, or in considering methods of participating or funding the project, to certain of the points discussed below. This discussion of financial considerations in the context of the more commonly adopted multiparty structures concentrates primarily on fiscal, financial accounting, financing and funding aspects. TYPES OF PROJECT VEHICLE FOR MULTIPARTY INTERESTS The well known types of vehicle adopted for the participation in a project by more than one participant (assuming that the participants are effectively unrelated) are as follows. Joint Venture (unincorporated joint venture) By far the most commonly adopted structure for mining ventures, a joint venture is usually defined and documented in terms to distinguish it from a partnership for important tax and legal reasons. In essence, this is a contractual association of more than one participant to carry out a specific commercial project or purpose. The relationship between the separate participants and their respective rights, interests, obligations and liabilities are agreed between the participants in one or more contracts (viz Joint Venture Agreements or Joint Operating Agreements together with ancillary documentation). Unlike other project vehicles of participation, in most jurisdictions there is no specific body of law governing joint ventures. The participants thus enjoy contractual freedom to negotiate whatever deal they may wish between themselves. Jointly-Owned Project Company (corporate joint venture) A very familiar vehicle, this is a separate and distinct legal and tax entity incorporated under the company laws of the place of incorporation to undertake specific objects, and granted specific powers, in relation to the Project. Although certain rights, interests and obligations may be circumscribed in the governing corporate instruments by the promoter participants, the corporation laws of the relevant place of incorporation, and the selection of such governing laws (assuming freedom of choice) and future political changes in such corporate laws, should be carefully considered. The use of a company in a multiparty structure may be peripheral to the project itself as a specific purpose vehicle (for example, a joint sales agent or marketing company or a joint borrowing vehicle) or it may form a central function such as in the case of a tolling company which will own the project for legal and taxation purposes and raise financing with the backing of the shareholder participants commonly by the adoption of take-off, throughput and/or user agreements. Partnership This is a legal relationship, subject to the often wide-sweeping restrictions of the relevant local partnership laws, under which the participants have agreed to carry on a business venture together with a view to profit. The effect of the relevant partnership laws, as well as the various types of partnerships and the

Jan 1, 1985

By John R. Caldon

INTRODUCTION Leasing has become a major industry in many countries because of the advantages it affords. Whilst the accounting, legal and tax treatment of leasing varies from country to country, there is far more similarity than difference. The general approach to the subject is largely the same. This paper looks to the basic financial considerations in the decision to lease or buy. TYPES OF LEASES Before embarking upon the subject, it would seem appropriate to define a "lease". A lease may be defined as: "an agreement granting one party the right to use, for a specified period of time, property owned by another party in return for a series of payments of rental by the user to the owner''. Ownership, of course, generally entitles the owner to unrestricted use of the asset over its useful life in contrast to a lease which gives the lessee use over a limited period. The distinction between the status of owner and a lessee often is fairly small. In this case we are dealing with what is generally termed a "finance lease". A finance lease is one which substantially transfers the risks and benefits of ownership from the legal owner to the lessee. For example, a finance lease would exist where the lessee enters into a lease of an asset for most of its useful life and has an option to buy the asset at the end of the lease for a price which takes cognisance of the rentals already paid. Where a lease does not substantially transfer the benefits and risks of ownership to the lessee, i.e. those benefits and risks remain with the owner and lessor, the lease is termed an "operating lease" and is an agreement for the renting and usage by the lessee of an asset owned by the lessor for a limited period. An example of an operating lease might be where a tenant leases a building for a defined period say 6 years with the rent and occupancy subject to renegotiation at the end of the lease term. The economic consequences of the distinction between a finance and an operating lease is very important. With a finance lease, the lessee has a de facto economic interest in the asset and the alternative to a finance lease is some form of purchase; with an operating lease, the lessee does not have a basic economic interest in the asset and consequently a comparison with a purchase option involves far more than simply a funding comparison. Some of the principal differences between finance and operating leases can be summarised as follows: (a) finance leases: -the risks and benefits of ownership are substantially transferred to the lessee; -the lessor normally recovers his investment during the term of the lease; -the lessor in entering into the transaction is relying more on the creditworthiness of the lessee than the underlying value of the asset; - the lease is either non-cancellable or a large penalty will apply for unilateral cancellation by the lessee; (b) operating leases -the risks and benefits of ownership remain essentially with the lessor; -the lease rental income would not normally cover the recovery of the lessor's investment; -the lessor evaluates his risk in terms of the underlying value of the assets;

Jan 1, 1985

By S. A. Hovanessian

Analytical solutions are obtained for calculating the pressure distribution in rectangular fields due to injection and/or producing wells located anywhere within the field. The field is assumed to be homogeneous with either constant pressure or no-flow boundaries. These solutions are extended to include the calculation of average reservoir pressure and permeability from pressure build-up curves. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the application of equations to practical problems. INTRODUCTION Pressure distribution analyses are of considerable importance in the field of reservoir mechanics. A number of papers dealing with this subject have appeared in the petroleum literature. perrinel in 1956 presented a summary of the methods available for pressure build-up calculations and discussed the applicability of each in some detail. More recently (1958), Hazebroek, et a1,2 discussed a theoretical method for obtaining pressure distribution in a radial field. Also in 1958, Nisle3 gave a theoretical solution of the pressure distribution in a field extending to infinity with a partially penetrating line source at the origin. Mathews, et a1,4 applied the method of images to existing solutions for pressure distribution in radial fields and obtained expressions for calculating pressures in bounded reservoirs. However, a literature survey revealed that a general analytical solution for the pressure distribution in a rectangular field, with injection and/or production wells located anywhere within the field, was not available. Such a solution could be used to approximate the pressure distribution in a field the shape of which is nearly rectangular. Furthermore, it could be applied to pressure calculations pertaining to a single well taken from a system of wells which were drilled in a rectangular pattern. In this case the boundaries of the well drainage area are considered to be the perpendicular bisectors of the lines joining the well and its nearest neighbors. The basic problem considered in this paper consists of a rectangular field with either constant-pressure 01 no-flow boundaries and with either an injection or production well located anywhere within the field. The physical properties of the rock and fluids present are considered to be constant. Analytical expressions are obtained for the pressure distribution within the field during the production or injection periods. These expressions, which are infinite series, can be used to evaluate pressure at any point within the field as a function of time and position. For fields containing more than one well (production and/or injection), the solutions for each well acting independently are superposed. That is, at any point in the field, the pressures due to each injection 01. production well acting alone can be algebraically added to give the pressure resulting from all wells acting simultaneously. Evaluation of the series solutions given in this paper is readily accomplished by means of an electronic digital computer; and, in most cases, sufficient accuracy is obtained by setting the upper limits of summation at 20. These solutions are extended to include the calculation of average reservoir pressure and permeability from build-up data. A number of numerical examples are given to illustrate application of the solutions to actual field problems. ANALYTICAL SOLUTIONS The partial differential equation representing the pressure distribution in a homogeneous rectangular field (see Fig. I.), having a single source or sink of strength (2, can be written*

By Albert S. Trube

Increasing emphasis is being placed on the necessity for obtaining reasonably accurate estimates of the physical properties of reservoir fluids well in advance of more accurate laboratory data. One such factor is the isothermal coefficient of expansion of an undersaturated hydrocarbon liquid which may be contained in a particular reservoir. This coefficient, or liquid "compressibility", has often been assumed to be relatively insensitive and nearly constant. Although this assumption may be nearly correct in the case of high specific gravity liquids, it cannot apply in the case of medium to low specific gravity liquids. Any treatment of the nature of liquid compressibilities must give consideration to the variable nature of the isothermal expansion coefficient and the fact that it can be both pressure sensitive and temperature sensitive. The isothermal coefficient of expansion, or compressibility, of a substance is defined as -c = 1/V (?V/?p)T......(1) The value of Eq. 1 may be approximated for a finite pressure change by using the well-known relation, c = V1 - V1/Ve (p2-p1), ........(2) in which p1 > p1 and V2 > V2 and V1 + V2/2. The instantaneous compressibility may also be estimated from the slope of a curve on which log V is plotted vs pa. In this instance, it has been shown that c = In V1/V2/p2-p1 ...........(3) Eq. 3 may be used for variable compressibilities by plot-ting V vs p on semi-log paper. In this case, the instan-taneous or point compressibility is c = 2.303 m.......... . (4) in which m is the slope of the curve at a point in log cycles per psi. ISOTHERMAL COMPRESSIBILITY OF UNDERSATURATED LIQUID In the case of gases, the compressibility has been defined by Muskat' and others as Co = 1/p - ?z/z?p ..........(5) This was later generalized through application of the theorem of corresponding states' to co = 1/pr - (?z/z?pr) T8 ........(6) in which c, is defined as the pseudo-reduced compres-sibility and is numerically equal to (c.p,) and the sign is arbitrarily changed for mathematical convenience. Eq. 6 is general and applies to gases and liquids. In the case of liquids, c. = c1,pe, but if Eq. 6 is used, values of z and ?z/?p, must be determined for the liquid in question. The difficulty of obtaining accurate values of ?z/?p,, particularly in the region where T, is approaching 1.00, was pointed out in the previous paper'. This method of approach is unreliable for extension into computations of liquid compressibilities. On the other hand, c, can also be defined as follows: - Cr = 1/Vr (?Vr/?pr) Tr ......(7) and from which, Cr = 1/pr (?pr/?pr) Tr .....(8) In accordance with the theorem of corresponding states, Vr = V/Vr, p, = p/pr and pr = p/pr. Ref. 2 pro-vides an excellent source of reduced density, reduced pressure and reduced temperature data for a wide variety of fluids. For the purpose of this investigation, the set of fluids2 having ze = 0.27 was chosen because it in-cludes most of the heavier hydrocarbons usually found in those complex mixtures loosely defined as "reservoir oils". Data on undersaturated liquids in Ref. 2 were rearranged to conform with Eq. 8. To simplify the computation of cr, the isothermal p, data were plotted vs the log of pr, in which case for any straight line or tangent cr = 1/M pr pr .....(9)

Jan 1, 1958

By B. F. Buie

For over 200 years meerschaum has been a significant item of trade between the Near East and countries to the west. Best-known for its use in making smoking pipes and cigar and cigarette holders, it is also used in making a variety of decorative and ornamental items. It is easily carved, and is given an attractive, lustrous finish by rubbing. No published specifications are known, but compact form, purity, uniform whiteness or light color, and uniform, porous texture appear to be requisites. Fig. I a shows the appearance of a piece of crude meerschaum from Turkey; Fig. lb a carved item; and Fig. lc, d, and e show the fibrous and porous texture as revealed by the scanning electron microscope. Neither a major industrial mineral nor a precious stone, meerschaum nevertheless holds a record of long-and continuing-association with art and personal affairs of man. It is also a mineral to which modem methods of exploration and production probably could be profitably applied. An interesting account of the preparation and use of meerschaum in the early part of this century is given by Sterrett (1907). Geology and Mining Mineralogy Meerschaum is recognized now to be the compact variety of sepiolite, the claylike variety of which is one of the minerals included in the chapter on clays. The word meerschaum, from the German meaning "sea foam," was in earlier times used synonymously with sepiolite, a word of Greek origin suggestive of the resemblance of the compact variety-then the only variety known-to cuttlefish bone. At one time meerschaum was used as the commercial name, and sepiolite for the scientific name. However, to think of meerschaum as the name by which sepiolite is known commercially is no longer valid, in view of the recent emergence of the earthy variety as a competitor of bentonite and other clay materials. Present tendency is to restrict the term meerschaum to the compact variety, and to use the term sepiolite as a more general name to include both the compact and earthy varieties. This is the terminology followed in this publication. Meerschaum typically is white to light gray, has a hardness of 2 to 2 ½ , conchoidal to irregular fracture, and specific gravity varying with porosity from about 2 to less than 1. The composition is somewhat variable,- but is near that determined by Schaller (1936) for sepiolite as 2MgO.3SiO2.4H2O. A more modern for mula based on X-ray determination of the crystal structure is given by Caillére and Henin (1961) as (Site) (Mg9)030(OH)6(0H2)46H20. The reason for the firm, compact nature of meerschaum, in contrast with the earthy variety of sepiolite, is not fully understood. It may be due to the presence of a very minor amount of some bonding material such as silica. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) photographs of a specimen from Turkey (Figs. lc-le) indicate that the meerschaum is composed predominantly, if not entirely, of crystalline fibers which merge into sheetlike forms in a complex, intertwined mass. Detailed X-ray and crystal structure data, as well as some data on thermal stability range, are given by Caillère and Hénin (1961) for the sepiolite family of minerals. Mode of Occurrence and Origin Most authors have attributed the origin of meerschaum to alteration of serpentine or other magnesian minerals. The occurrence in alluvium and other surficial deposits does not necessarily indicate that the alteration was supergene. In fact, hydrothermal origin appears more likely for some deposits, though not for all.

Jan 1, 1983

By J. R. Kyte, C. C. Mattax

Previous workers have developed differential equations to describe oil displacement by water imbibition, but have not explicitly defined the relationship between recovery behavior for a single reservoir matrix block and its size. In the present work, imbibition theory is extended to show that the time required to recover a given fraction of the oil from a matrix block is proportional to the square of the distance between fractures. Using this relationship, recovery behavior for a large reservoir matrix block is predicted from an imbibition test on a small reservoir core sample. The prediction is then extended to analyze recovery behavior for fractured- matrix, water- drive reservoirs in which imbibition is the dominant oil-producing mechanism. Experimental data are presented to support the basic imbibition theory relating matrix block size, fluid viscosity level and permeability to recovery behavior. INTRODUCTION Imbibition has long been recognized as an important factor in recovering oil from water-wet, fractured-matrix reservoirs subjected to water flood or water drive. l-3 Recently, two approaches have been published which might be used to predict imbibition oil-recovery behavior for reservoir-sized matrix blocks. Graham and Richardson4 used a synthetic model to scale a single element of a fractured-matrix reservoir. lair,' on the other hand, used numerical techniques to solve the differential equations describing imbibition in linear and radial systems. This latter method requires auxiliary experimental data in the form of capillary pressure and relative permeability functions. These two approaches, i.e., synthetic models and numerical techniques, have been used to study a variety of reservoir fluid-flow problems. One pur- pose of this work is to present, with experimental verification, a third method for predicting imbibition oil recovery for large reservoir matrix blocks. This method uses scaled imbibition tests on small reservoir core samples to predict field performance. The imbibition tests are easier to perform than the capillary pressure and relative permeability tests required to apply the numerical method. Furthermore, when suitably preserved reservoir-rock samples are used, the properties of the laboratory system are the same as those of the field. This offers an important advantage over the use of synthetic models because there is usually some question as to how accurately reservoir-rock properties can be duplicated in such models. Based on the recovery behavior for a unit matrix block, an analysis is presented to predict oil recovery for a fractured, water-drive reservoir made up of many such unit blocks. In the analysis, it is assumed that the flow resistance and the volume of the reservoir fracture system are negligible compared with that of the porous matrix. These assumptions are generally consistent with observed characteristics of many fractured-matrix reservoirs, and have been employed in previous studies.2,3,6-8 further assumed that the effect of gravity on flow in the matrix blocks is negligible. On first thought, the latter assumption might appear to seriously limit application of the method. However, in a fractured reservoir, the effect of gravity on flow in a matrix block will be restricted by the height of the block. Furthermore, matrix permeabilities are often very low (10 md or less) in such reservoirs. This means that capillary or imbibition forces will be large, thus tending to minimize the relative importance of gravity. For these reasons, imbibition should be the dominant oil-recovery mechanism in many fractured-matrix, water-drive reservoirs. The predictive method presented in this report is applicable to such reservoirs. SCALING IMBIBITION THEORY The "scaling laws" applicable to the operation.

By N. J. Grant, C. F. Flo, F. B. Cuff

An investigation of the Ti-Cr system has shown the presence of a complete series of solid solutions in the ß phase, with a minimum in the solid us near 50 pct Cr. An intermetallic compound, TiCr2, forms during cooling from the ß solid solution. There is a eutectoid reaction at the low chromium side of the system. IN view of the recognition of the potentialities of titanium and its alloys as important structural materials there has arisen a need for a systematic investigation of various titanium binary diagrams. Of these, the Ti-Cr system was of particular interest because of the improved properties imparted to titanium by small chromium additions. A literature survey disclosed a partial constitution diagram that had been suggested by Vogel and Wenderott,¹ This diagram, shown in Fig. 1, is the result of work done on the Fe-Cr-Ti ternary system. Alloys containing less than 43 pct Cr were not investigated. In addition to this, a study of alloys in the Ti-Cr system was reported by McPherson and Fontana.² Adenstedt3 furnished a number of dilato-meter curves obtained from specimens containing 5, 10, and 15 pct Cr. Very recently, McQuillan4 submitted a proposed diagram covering the complete range of compositions between titanium and chromium. This diagram was in general agreement with the one described here. Experimental Procedure Sponge titanium (99.7 pct) and electrolytic chromium (Bureau of Mines analysis: 99.03 pct Cr, 0.40 pct Fe, 0.53 pct O2) were used for the initial determination of the system. Subsequent refinement of points, particularly for the low chromium side of the diagram, was accomplished by using iodide titanium and high purity chromium (National Research Corp. analysis: 0.050 pct C, 0.045 pct O2). The Ti-Cr alloys were prepared by melting 25 g charges in an enclosed, water-cooled copper crucible using a movable tungsten electrode. The atmosphere was helium, prepurified by first passing it through a drying agent and then through sponge titanium heated to 850°C. Particular care was taken to avoid any large scale segregation resulting from insufficient mixing of the components. Each charge was melted and kept molten for approximately 1 min, allowed to cool, inverted, remelted, and kept molten for an additional minute. In order to ascertain the amount of impurity pickup (oxygen and nitrogen) during the melting procedure, three iodide titanium specimens were melted in sequence and then checked for increased hardness. The specimens in the as-cast condition showed a relatively large hardness increase over the hardness of the as-received iodide titanium. The scattering on these readings was large. However, after the specimens had been homogenized at 840 °C for 2 hr and slowly cooled, the measured increase in hardness over the as-received titanium was small with a corresponding decrease in scatter. The reason for this hardness change is that in heat treating these specimens below the transformation temperature (885°C) there was a conversion from the as-cast structure to the more nearly equilibrium structure of the annealed specimen. The alloys were analyzed for chromium content and although the actual percentage was invariably low the deviation from the nominal composition never exceeded 0.6 pct Cr.

Jan 1, 1953

By B. H. Kear

Clustering of slip bands in different systems has been observed in both ordered and disordered Cu3Au crystals compressed in the <110> orientation. Certain features of the slip band patterns are explained in terms of reactions between dislocations with Burgers vectors at 120 deg; in a few rare cases, the slip band evidence suggests that the Products of such reactions form diffuse tilt boundaries between the differently slipped regions of the crystal, similar to the known behavior of ionic crystals, but not nearly so well defined. WHEN crystals with orientations favorable for multiple slip undergo plastic deformation, slip may occur in different systems in localized regions, so that clusters of slip bands are developed. This phenomenon has been observed in fee1-4 metals and also in ionic crystals having the sodium chloride structure.5-8 In the ionic crystals, the boundaries formed between the differently slipped regions of the crystal assume characteristic orientations and are associated with macroscopic tilts that are plainly visible on the sides of the crystal. Recently, this interesting feature was explained in terms of the formation of diffuse low-angle boundaries as a result of interactions between families of glide dislocations in the different systems meeting in the boundaries.9 This paper describes an attempt to obtain similar evidence for boundary formation in an fee crystal. The alloy Cu3Au was chosen for the present study simply because this material is currently being used in a general study of differences in deformation behavior of the ordered and disordered phases of this alloy, which will be described elsewhere. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The two specially oriented compression specimens used in the present study were prepared from a melt-grown single crystal by careful cutting, grinding and polishing. The finished specimens were about 6 mm by 2 mm in cross section by 6 mm tall, with their ends parallel to (101) and sides parallel to (111) and (121); the broad faces of the specimens were made parallel to (711). Both specimens were annealed in an evacuated quartz tube at 850oC for several hours, slowly cooled to 500°c, and then quenched into water in order to obtain the disordered state for the alloy. One of the specimens was partially ordered (with S- 0.8) by reannealing at 350oC for 100 hr. After these annealing treatments, both of the specimens were electropolished. 10 Finally, the specimens were compressed in the [loll orientation and their stress-strain curves were recorded. The deformation was carried out in increments of a few percent strain. At each stage in the deformation the specimens were unloaded, removed from the compression jig, and examined optically for slip bands. Before reloading, the specimens were repolished, so that the observed slip band patterns were characteristic of a particular stage in the deformation. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS Fig. 1 show!; the stress-strain curves for the ordered and disordered specimens and also indicates the stages 1, 2, and 3 where the deformation was interrupted for examination of slip bands. The curves show marked differences in flow stress and in work hardening rate in the two specimens, as observed by previous workers.11,12 Also, it was found, in agreemement with the observations of Taoka and Sakata,&apos;3 that the plastically deformed disordered alloy showed the characteristic coarse slip bands of alloys, whereas the ordered alloy exhibited a fine slip band structure similar to that of pure metals. Slip Band Observations. In what follows, the description of the slip band patterns, with accom-

Jan 1, 1962

By Paul J. Bennett, James E. Castle

The sillimanite family of minerals, including kyanite, sillimanite, and andalusite, are anhydrous aluminum silicates with the formula A12O3-SiO2. Dumortierite and topaz are also included in this group because they are closely allied in composition and thermal behavior. However, neither are mined commercially today. They are typical metamorphic minerals which are found in metamorphic rocks on every continent. Sillimanite minerals are prized chiefly for their refractoriness and are important components in a broad range of acid refractory products, especially in mortars and castables. World production of sillimanite minerals is currently about 400,000 tpy and has been increasing at the rate of 3 to 8% a year for many years (Anon., 1972). While these minerals have widespread occurrence, the consumption of sillimanite minerals is concentrated in the relatively few highly industrialized areas where refractories are manufactured, and which in turn are typically close to the major iron and steel producing regions of the world. Thus northern Europe,. England, the United States, and Japan are the principal consumers of refractories and sillimanite minerals. Of these countries only the US is a significant producer. Uses of Kyanite The following specifications are typical for the domestic kyanite industry: Raw Kyanite Concentrates Chemical Analysis 56% AI2O3 min 0.1% CaO max 42% SiO2 0.1% MgO max 1% Acid soluble 0.3% combined Fe2O3 alkali max 1.2% TiO2 max Available Sizes 35, 48, 100, 200, and 325 mesh The largest use for domestic kyanite, both raw and calcined, is in the manufacture of refractory mortars, cements, castables, and plastic ramming mixes. In these applications kyanite constitutes from 10 to 40% of the mixture, the balance being refractory clays and coarser grog materials. A certain proportion of raw kyanite is used to offset the shrinking of the clay binder, whereas the calcined kyanite is used in the coarser sizes for body. Certain high grade refractory shapes and kiln furniture are composed chiefly of graded sizes of calcined kyanite bonded with a little ball clay. In most applications, however, kyanite is used only to fortify the mix or as a minor ingredient. Some manufacturers of mullite brick use domestic calcined kyanite for the fine-grained portion of the brick, but seldom in quantities exceeding 10% by weight. Kyanite is used by ceramic manufacturers of wall tile and sanitary ware to offset shrinkage and cracking after firing. Indian kyanite has traditionally been used to make the coarse grog sizes needed for the manufacture of mullite brick, and for the grog portions of mortar, cement, and castable mixes. It has been largely replaced, however, by synthetic mullite, high fired flint, and diaspore clay or calcined bauxite for other applications. Indian kyanite has been available in lump as well as in granules and concentrates, as are sillimanite materials from India and South Africa. Andalusite is available as 8 mesh granules and as fines with chemical analyses not unlike those of domestic kyanites. From time to time and from place to place minor amounts of other aluminum silicate minerals such as dumortierite, topaz, and pyrophyllite have been made available at various prices and specifications, but have not been significant factors in the refractory industry. A mixture of kyanite and sillimanite of relatively fine grain-size and of low iron content was at one time offered to the molding sand industry by the Du Pont Co. as a byproduct from their deposits of heavy

Jan 1, 1983

By Spencer S. Shannon

The lanthanide elements from lanthanum (atomic number 57) to lutetium (71) plus yttrium (39) are called the rare-earth elements; scandium (21) is chemically similar to yttrium and the lanthanides, but differs in occurrence. The rare-earth metals were divided into three categories by the chemist, Berzelius, in the early 1800s; however, modern usage defines only two groups. The cerium group is named after the most abundant -element and comprises lanthanum (57), cerium (58), praseodymium (59), neodymium (60), promethium (61), samarium (62), europium (63), and gadolinium (64). Traces of natural promethium were discovered in apatite in Finland (Erametsa, 1965). The yttrium group, also named after its most abundant representative, comprises terbium (65), dysprosium (66), holmium (67), erbium (68), thulium (69), ytterbium (70), and lutetium (71). Yttrium most closely resembles holmium in chemical properties, and occurs most commonly with the heavy lanthanides. The rare-earth minerals may be divided into cerium-group, yttrium-group, or mixed-group classes. A number of rare-earth minerals contain thorium and uranium, but these are variable in content and are not essential to the composition of the minerals. In monazite, a mineral that is a principal source of rare earths, the worldwide average content of thorium oxide is 7.2 % ; however, varieties of monazite contain as little as 0.001% and as much as 31.5% thoria. Monazite is the chief ore of thorium and, until recently, thorium has been the main product; the rare-earth metals were in fact byproducts. However, because of the great demand for rare-earth metals by the petroleum refining and the iron and steel industries since the early 1970s, the roles have been reversed so that thorium is now the byproduct. Uses A 9 to 1 mixture of yttrium and thorium oxides is used for high-intensity incandescent lamps and for high-temperature-resistant windows and lenses. Yttrium oxysulfide and orthovanadate, doped with europium oxide, are used in color television tube phosphors. Yttrium, as well as cerium, praseodymium, and samarium, is alloyed with cobalt to form strong permanent magnets. It hardens magnesium alloys and retards the oxidation of iron-chromium alloys. Yttrium-iron garnets are used for transmitting low microwave frequencies. Yttrium-aluminum garnets are used as host crystals for lasers and as artificial gems. Yttria also forms strong, stable, high-temperature refractories. Gadolinium-gallium garnets are used in substrate wafers on which bubble-memory films are deposited. Rare-earth chlorides, particularly of lanthanum, neodymium, and praseodymium, are used as catalysts for petroleum cracking. Mischmetal is used for lighter flints and to improve the ductility and impact strength of iron and steel alloys. Mischmetal also reduces the fatigue resistance of magnesium and aluminum alloys. Rare-earth oxides are used for polishing glasses and lenses. Individual or specific combinations of high-purity oxides are used as additives in glass to maintain or change its color, dispersion, or refractive index. High-purity oxide combinations are also used to color tile and to opacify porcelain enamel. Rare-earth fluorides and oxides are used in carbon-arc electrodes to provide incandescent white light. Lanthanum or gadolinium oxysulfide phosphors, activated with terbium, are used as x-ray screen intensifiers. Hydrogen can be stored by sorption on lanthanum-nickel alloys (Anon., 1979). Thorium232 is bombarded with slow neutrons in breeder reactors to create fissionable thorium233 for nuclear fuel cells. The 330-MW, high-temperature gas-cooled reactor at Fort St.

Jan 1, 1983

The following resolution was prepared, by the War Minerals Committee and was submitted by it to the Board of Directors of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, asking that it be passed by the Board and used to the best advantage to secure the end desired. WHEREAS, the steel industry of the United States is almost entirely dependent on the importation of foreign manganese ores, the consumption of which for the year 1918, it is estimated, will exceed 850,000 tons; and WHEREAS, the ships now engaged in transportation, especially from Brazil, are needed with ever increasing urgency for supplying our Army and Navy forces abroad; and WHEREAS, much shipping may be spared from manganese transportation and the domestic sources of manganese may be utilized, provided the steel manufacturers of the United States will cooperate to this end by taking advantage of the possibility, in open-hearth and Bessemer practice, of so called "residual" manganese, and by using spiegeleisen instead of ferromanganese, thereby following the example already set by three large and prominent steel producers; BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Directors of the American Institute of Mining Engineers urges the steel manufacturers of America, for patriotic reasons, to give immediate consideration to the development and utilization of domestic manganese ores; to use no ferromanganese, except for the manufacture of grades of steel below 0.15 per cent. carbon, to use domestic ores whenever possible in place of the high-grade imported ores; and to urge their associates and colleagues in this and other possible ways, to vie with one another in releasing ships for importation of any materials that cannot be secured or produced in this country.

Jan 1, 1918

National Society of Professional Engineers has thrown its full sup- port behind pending legislation to appropriate $500 million for national conversion efforts that would provide employment opportunities for engineers, scientists, and technicians who are currently unemployed because of the decline in defense and aerospace programs. Known as the Davis-Giaimo bill, the proposed legislation would raise total Federal investment in science and technology to an adequate annual spending level and keep it proportionally equal to the growth in the GNP. If passed, the bill would increase and maintain Federal obligations for civilian-oriented research and development activities to a parity level with similar obligations for defense research development. U. S. Bureau of Mines has cataloged and placed on open file an inventory of U.S. coal deposits which can be economically strip mined at today&apos;s production costs. The costs include charges for reclaiming the mined land as required by 21 states. The report claims that some 46 billion tons of bituminous coal and lignite can be strip mined under present economic conditions, and that 32 billion tons of the total is classified as having less than 1% S. The report reviews strippable coal deposits by state, by county, by coal seam, by coal-seam thickness and by sulfur content. The report also gives an up-to-date summary of state laws on surface mine reclamation. Open-file copies of "Strippable Reserves of Bituminous Coal and Lignite in the U.S." may be consulted in Washington, D.C., at the Department of the Interior library and at U.S. Bureau of Mines offices in Pittsburgh, Denver, San Francisco. Dallas. Spokane, and Douglas Island, Juneau. Alaska.

Jan 1, 1971

Editors of engineering periodicals usually read the advertising pages. It may be hard&apos; for some men, let alone engineers, to understand what value there is in reading "dry advertisements." Yet it is a fact that valuable suggestions have been obtained from these so-called "dry advertisements" which have been the means of securing greater efficiency in the performance of some undertaking and consequent saving of time and money. It seems to be an editorial practice to look to the advertisements for suggestions for the reading pages. It is a fact that some of the most appreciated descriptive articles were suggested by advertisements. Every undertaking is limited to that point where tools and machinery for its successful performance and completion may be purchased or manufactured. No work can he planned without having in mind such limitation, and the technical journals may be relied upon to furnish descriptions, both editorially and through the advertising pages, of methods and plant used in successfully performing various tasks. This being so, why should not the reader or subscriber to a magazine or periodical avail himself of such a fountain of knowledge? Such perusal proves of value to the up-to-date engineer or man occupying a -position. of responsibility where initiative is essential. Authorities agree that advertisements are on a par with technical articles for their educational value, and this Is as it should be. Also, most subscribers to a publication realize that a, successful advertising medium means a continuance of advertising patronage, which in turn enables the publisher to turn out a better and larger volume of reading matter.

Jan 6, 1915

By Albert Hahn

ABOUT three years ago John Hays Hammond took over the control of the Eureka Metallurgical Co., at Salt Lake City, Utah. Funds were advanced for investigating the process invented by R. V. Smith, for concentrating oxidized lead ores. A great deal of laboratory work was done and a reagent was developed by C. M. Nokes of Salt Lake, which was found to be particularly suitable for oxidized copper ores, refractory manganese silver ores, and oxidized gold ores. After sufficient laboratory work had been performed to demonstrate the fundamental principles of these inventions, a test mill, having a capacity, of 20 tons of ore daily, was erected at Murray, Utah. In this test mill approximately 1200 tons of various types of ores have been concentrated by means of the above-mentioned process and reagents, and this large-scale work as well as laboratory work is being continued at present. Details of these mill tests are given in Table 1, and a representative group of laboratory tests are shown in Table 2. The process requires no special machinery or appara-tus. Its success depends entirely, on the method of preparing the pulp and its subsequent flotation in clean water, as outlined in the Smith patent. The reasons for the success of the Nokes special reagent are not definitely known. The outstanding feature, which seems to be of extreme importance, is that when the concentrates are examined under the microscope, each particle of mineral appears to have a particle of paraffin, attached to it. This paraffin-mineral combination seems to be particularly suitable for flotation and it follows that any coating oils readily attach themselves to the paraffin-mineral combination.

Jan 9, 1923

By Alan U. Seybolt

UNLIKE its sister elements, columbium (niobium) and tantalum, vanadium has not been available until recently in fabricated form. While Vanadium Corporation of America has offered the metal in fairly pure form for sale for many years in small lots for research purposes, this grade of vanadium has been brittle, probably because of a high oxygen content. Hence, when in 1950 the announcement1 was made that wrought vanadium was available as a commercial material, this represented a large step forward in the metallurgy of vanadium. While vanadium is generally regarded as a rare metal, data on its occurrence in the earth&apos;s crust show it to be as abundant as copper, zinc, and lead combined. Vanadium is widely distributed, but it does not seem to occur in massive deposits except in a few localities, principally in Colorado, Utah, and Arizona, where it is found in sandstone formations, and in Mina Ragra, Peru. Only in Colorado or Peru are ores mined solely for the vanadium content. Ores in the United States are principally carnotite and roscoelite; the former is of particular interest because of its uranium content. It is a uranium-potassium vanadate containing approximately 52 pct of UO2 and 18 pct of V2O5. Production in the United States during the war years averaged around 2000 tons a year, but dropped to 636 tons in 1946. In recent years, ferrovanadium has been selling for about $2.80 per pound of contained vanadium. This suggests that the price of the pure metal will never be as low as $2.80 per pound, but it could

Jan 1, 1953