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By H. W. Schadler

The superplastic behavior of low carbon and manganese bearing steels has been evaluated. The results of elevated-temperature stress-strain rate and elongation tests are reported which indicate that high strain rate sensitivity (>0.5) and adequate elongations are achievable in ultrafine-grained steels 1 to 2 p, but at strain rates which are not commercially attractive. It has been demonstrated that the fine grain size is retained after long times and high strains if the temperature is kept within the range of the two-phase (a + ?) field. INTEREST in superplasticity has been stimulated by the desire to: 1) understand the origin of, and mechanisms responsible for, the large uniform elongations observed, and 2) exploit this property for commercial advantage in metal forming operations. Although the Zn-22 wt pct Al alloy presently being studied as a model material1-5 may find application in sheet forming and extrusion, the potential of super-plasticity should best be realized in large tonnage materials, such as steel and aluminum alloys. The degree of superplasticity in low-carbon and manganese-bearing steels has been evaluated. The results of elevated-temperature stress-strain rate and elongation tests on ultrafine grain size material are reported. Avery and Backofen6 and Hart7 have shown that geometrically stable flow leading to extensive uniform elongation in the tension test is associated with high values of the strain rate sensitivity, m, defined: Lozinsky had reported that titanium and zirconium experience permanent deformation if subjected to a constant load and cyclic heating through the temperature range of the phase transformation. Although strain rate sensitivities in excess of about 0.2 had not been reported previously for steel, permanent deformation had been observed11-13 in a wide variety of steels subjected to a constant load and cyclic heating through the temperature range of the a-? phase transformation. Thus by analogy, steel could be expected to exhibit high strain rate sensitivity but only in the a + ? condition. High strain rate sensitivity has been observed at 650°C (a + Fe3C), but not reported as such, by Bailey, Dickenson, and pearson14 in 1931 at a strain rate of about 10-9 per min. It then remained to determine whether high tensile elongations would be observed in a rate-controlled test at constant temperature and at what strain rate strain rate sensitivity values greater than 0.5 would be observed. Since previous experience8 had indicated the importance of fine grain size to realizing high m at reasonable strain rates, it was first necessary to produce an ultrafine grain size and then keep the grains from growing during the test. The results of this investigation show that fine grain size can be readily produced16 and maintained by restricting the temperature of testing to below the ? transus. Further, superplasticity (high m and large uniform elongation) is observed. However, the strain rate range is only marginally useful for commercial forming operations with the finest grain size produced. MATERIAL The material investigated initially was a 1.9 wt pct Mn, 0.42 wt pct C, hot-rolled bar previously used by Low and Turka1015 and available in the laboratory. The 0.500-in. round was cold-rolled to a 0.090-in. flat, annealed for 4 hr at 850°C in argon, air-cooled, and cold-finished to 0.050 in. Subsequently, four additional steels of the compositions given in Table I were investigated to explore the effects of manganese, carbon, and test temperature on the observed stress-strain rate behavior. These steels were melted under argon, cast to 0.75 by 2 by 5 in. slabs, hot-rolled at 850°C, surface-finished to 0.13 in., and cold-finished to 0.050 in. Sheet tensile specimens 0.200 in. x thickness with 1- or 2-in. gage length were cut parallel to the rolling direction. Table I also includes the nominal transformation temperatures for the AISI 1340 and the four experimental steels. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Production of Fine Grain Size. Ultrafine grain size (1 to 5 p) was considered essential for this studv. Grange16 has described two techniques for producing

Jan 1, 1969

By L. D. Mullins, E. B. Elfrink, W. L. Wahl

In the past few years several articles and papers presenting results of solution gas-drive depletion calculations have appeared in the lit-erature. Such calculations are of interest to the oil industry, for investment decisions must often be made before much is known about a reservoir. At other times, an estimate of the possible benefits to be realized from alternate production methods is desirable, and theoretical depletion calculations can serve as a floor or reference level from which to work. In any case, an estimate of ultimate oil recovery based upon engineering data is commonly required. An engineer confronted with the problem of obtaining, for a specific reservoir system, an estimate of ultimate oil recovery by solution gas-drive depletion usually will be forced to perform the calculations himself. This is despite the quantity of data in the literature. Rarely will either experience or the literature provide results from a reservoir system similar in all important respects to the one under consideration, and calculated results are not so plentiful that satisfactory interpolation procedures can be devised. Performing the calculations, however, is a tedious, time-consuming task unless an electronic computer is available, and, in practice, time and manpower are not always available for this purpose. A quick, simple, consistent method was needed for reducing the uncer- tainty in estimated oil recovery from solution gas-drive reservoirs when only minimum information about the reservoir system is available. PROCEDURE Method of Calculation The usual requisite assumptions were made so that the material balance equation could be used to calculate data for the charts. The following assumptions were made: (1) the reservoir is homogeneous and isotropic; (2) oil recovery is due entirely to solution gas drive and neither a gas cap nor a water drive nor gravity drainage is present; (3) the initial reservoir pressure is the bubble-point pressure of the reservoir fluid; (4) initial total liquid saturation is 100 per cent of pore space; (5) interstitial water saturation remains at the initial value as the reservoir pressure declines from the bubble-point pressure to atmospheric pressure; (6) equilibrium gas saturation is 5 per cent of pore space; and (7) oil and gas saturations are uniformly distributed throughout the reservoir at all times. There are no saturation gradients due to a wellbore, nor is the geometry of the reservoir system considered. The material balance equation was written in the form of a differential equation' which was integrated to determine the change in oil saturation for an assigned pressure drop. Formal integration was not possible, so recourse was made to the Runge-Kutta method' of numerical integration. All computations were performed on IBM equipment. Numerical integration yielded the change in oil saturation within the reservoir as the pressure. declined from the bubble-point pressure to atmospheric pressure. The initial oil saturation minus the change in oil saturation yielded the oil saturation at atmospheric pressure. The oil originally in place was obtained by dividing the initial oil saturation by the initial formation volume factor (differential liberation) while the oil in place at atmospheric pressure was obtained by dividing the final oil saturation by the formation volume factor at atmospheric pressure. U1timate oil recovery, expressed as a percentage of the initial oil in place, was obtained by dividing the difference between the oil initially in place and the oil in place at atmospheric pressure by the oil initially in place and multiplying by 100. PVT Data Charts were based upon 135 solutions to the material balance equation. PVT properties of the reservoir fluids were variables in this equation and had to be known as functions of pressure. The required PVT data might have been obtained from either actual reservoir fluid systems or correlated data. However, correlated PVT data were developed and employed in the calculations for the following reasons: (1) it is doubtful that 135 sets of PVT data could have been obtained for the values of variables investigated in this study, and (2) results of recovery calculations from randomly obtained PVT data could not be correlated as well as rssults from selected PVT data. The PVT data used to develop the

By J. C. Shyne, T. D. Gulden

The steady-state creep behavior, in compression, of indium containing a dispersion of atomized glass particles was studzed over a range of temperature, stress, and composition. The observed behavior was not consistent with a simple model of dislocation climb over dispersed particles. From room temperature to about 100°C the temperature dependence could be described by an activation energy about one and a half times that of self-dijfusion in indium while at higher temperatures a much higher ternperature dependence was observed. THE value of dispersion-hardened and precipitation-hardened alloys has long been recognized. The mechanism of hardening, however, is not completely understood, especially at elevated temperatures where dispersed particles increase creep resistance. Following the suggestion of Schoeck1 that the rate of creep in dispersion-hardened materials is controlled by dislocation climb over second-phase particles, Ansel and weertman2 derived steady-state creep equations for dispersion-hardened materials. Their derivation was based on dislocation climb over non-deformable spherical particles in a metallic matrix. For low stresses they predicted a linear relation between applied stress and steady-state creep rate. For stresses large enough to cause dislocations to pinch off around the precipitate particles, the theoretical creep rate was shown to be proportional to the fourth power of stress. For very high stresses an exponential stress dependence was predicted. In all cases the theoretical creep rate is linearly proportional to the diffusion coefficient. This provided the primary temperature-dependent factor. Subsequently, Ansel and Lenel3 reported some experimental data on SAP, a composite of aluminum and aluminum oxide, that was in good qualitative agreement with the above theories. Their experimental creep rates, however, were four orders of magnitude less than the theory predicts. This was attributed to a low density of active dislocation sources in the material; somehow the dispersed particles inactivated the dislocation sources instead of merely interferring with dislocation motion. Meyers and sherby4 have recently reported on the creep behavior of SAP. Their results were inconsistent with a simple dispersion-strengthening model and led them to conclude that a continuous network of oxide controls the high-temperature mechanical characteristics of SAP. Because of the rather complex mechanical behavior of SAP and the lack of agreement about the morphology of its oxide phase, it appeared desirable to study the creep of a dispersion-strengthened material of controlled morphology. For the present work a dispersion of spherical glass particles imbedded in a matrix of indium was chosen. The microstructure of this material was similar to the idealized uniform dispersion of hard spheres in a deforming matrix assumed by Ansel and Weertman in their theoretical treatment. SPECIMEN PREPARATION For experimental convenience, it was decided to use a low melting-point metal in this investigation. It was necessary that the metal not be oxidized readily up to its melting temperature and that it wet the second-phase particles. It was desired that the material chosen for the dispersed phase be available as a fine powder with closely controlled size and shape. The material chosen to satisfy these requirements consisted of a matrix of indium metal containing a dispersion of atomized particles of a soft soda-lime-silica glass ranging from 5 to 30 µ in diam. The glass particles had a highly regular spherical shape. The composite was made by stirring the glass powder into liquid indium maintained at a temperature just above the melting point of indium, 156°C. The creep specimens were prepared by a hot pressing operation. Five to ten g of the mixture were placed in a steel die and pressed at 125°C for 5 min under a pressure of 30,000 psi. The resulting specimens were cylinders about 3/8 in. in diam and ranged from 0.4 to 0.7 in. high. By following this procedure a uniform dispersion was obtained in the creep specimens. Typical microstructures of specimens containing twenty and forty volume percent glass powder are shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Unfortunately, grain size could not be determined by the metallo-graphic techniques used. CREEP TESTING PROCEDURE Creep tests were performed in compression under constant stress. The specimens were placed in

Jan 1, 1963

By K. H. Kilgren

At high formation pressures the distillate produced from a gas-condensate reservoir may be black in color. In this event the dense gas phase existing above the dew point is correspondingly dark. Volumetric phase data and an analysis of a reservoir fluid exhibiting these characteristics, together with a description of the visual equilibrium cell in which these observations were made, are presented in this paper. INTRODUCTION Previously the author, like many others in the oil and gas industry perhaps, tacitly assumed that the expressions black or dark oil system, crude oil system and bubble-point system were synonymous. Crude oil reservoir fluids are bubble-point systems and yield a black or dark stock-tank oil of relatively low API gravity. Conversely, a clear or amber colored trap distillate of high API gravity is assumed indicative of a dew point system or a gas-condensate reservoir fluid. This broad classification appears satisfactory for shallow reservoirs, but as the following study demonstrates, may be misleading when applied to deep reservoirs. Theoretically, there is no reason to exclude the possibility of producing a dark, low-gravity distillate from a gas-condensate reservoir. At sufficiently high values of pressure and temperature, heavy, dark-colored hydrocarbons may exist in the vapor state of a multi-component system. If enough dark-colored components are present in the reservoir vapor phase, the resulting condensate will be dark. The reservoir fluid investigated in the present study supports this contention. Stock-tank production was black in color and measured 29" APT gravity. From outward appearances, the liquid closely resembled a medium gravity crude oil. Experimental measurements proved the reservoir fluid was in reality a gas-condensate system. Volumetric phase data for this high-pressure system and a description of the visual cell in which the study was conducted successfully are presented in this paper. THEORY Phase behavior of a reservoir fluid can be predicted accurately with reference to a pressure-temperature phase diagram. If the reservoir temperature is lower than the critical temperature of the hydrocarbon fluid in place, bubble-point behavior will be observed. If the reservoir temperature lies between the critical and cricondentherm temperature, dew point behavior and retrograde condensation will occur. For reservoir temperatures above the cri- condentherm, only a single gas phase can exist in the reservoir regardless of pressure. Providing the composition of the reservoir fluid were known, it would be possible to predict the critical temperature and estimate the phase behavior from equilibrium relationships. However, the usual practice is to obtain a sample of reservoir fluid, subject it to varying pressures at the reservoir temperature and observe the phase behavior experimentally. The latter method was used to obtain the data reported here. WELL AND TRAPPING INFORMATION A summary of pertinent data for the well from which the reservoir fluid was sampled is presented in Table 1. This well is located offshore Louisiana. Except for the pressure which substantially exceeds hydrostatic pressure, the information does not appear unusual. Prior to the sampling program, the well was produced for 22 hours at a stock tank oil rate of 139 B/D. Average trapping conditions and gauging data for the six-hour test period that followed are summarized in Table 2. Samples of the first-stage trap gas and liquid were obtained during the latter portion of the test period. Ambient temperature remained 5 to 10F below trap temperature and presented no problem for sampling. Surface wind and moderate foaming of stock-tank oil presented some difficulty in obtaining accurate stock-tank gauges. SAMPLE ANALYSIS Compositions of the gas and liquid samples are shown in Table 3. The trap gas was analyzed by isothermal chromatography which revealed only a trace of heptane in the stream. The trap liquid was initially analyzed by low-temperature fractional distillation, yielding a bottom product of heptane and heavier components. Specific gravity of this fraction was measured and the mol weight was determined by freezing point depression. The hexane and lighter overhead gas collected during distillation was

Jan 1, 1967

By S. Feuerstein, L. Rice

The effect of low pressures on the flow and fracture behavior of molybdenum is described. For poly crystalline samples, room-temperature tensile tests indicate greater ductility under 10 Torr than under intermediate pressures up to and including atmospheric pressure (760 Torr). In addition, tests conducted at 760 Torr under atmospheres of air, dry nitrogen, and purified argon exhibited no apparent difference in mechanical properties. Critical tests involving baking in situ as well as those involving single-crystal deformation further imply that the ductility effect is a pressure-dependent phenomenon related only to the fracture process. This dependency is discussed in terms of adsorption and diffusion contributions. THE effect of very low pressures on material properties has heretofore been presumed to be important only for substances possessing relatively high vapor pressures at ambient temperatures. Research has therefore been concentrated primarily on organic solids and liquids, and in some instances on metals such as zinc and cadmium. Most vacuum-effect studies' on the mechanical behavior of metals have been performed under conditions of either cyclic loading or creep rupture at elevated temperatures, i.e., over extended time periods. These studies were not restricted to high vapor pressure materials but also encompassed such metals as gold, copper, and nickel. Very little concern, however, was placed upon the importance of a vacuum environment on the mechanical behavior of metals subjected to a simple unidirectional deformation at ambient temperatures. A tension test is generally of short duration as compared to a creep test, and at room temperature vacuum effects if any would be expected to be surface-limited. In early 1963, Kramer and podlaseck2 reported a change in the bulk flow behavior of aluminum single crystals during room-temperature tension tests. The deformations were performed under pressure conditions of 760 to 3.4 X 10-8 Torr and indicated for the first time a vacuum surface effect contributing to the bulk tensile behavior of metal specimens. As a consequence, an experimental program was initiated in this Laboratory to study the effects of ultrahigh-vacuum conditions on the mechanical behavior of metals. The results of a preliminary study on poly-crystalline molybdenum3 revealed, unlike Kramer's observations of changes in the stress-strain behavior, only an increased ductility under ultrahigh vacuum. Flow behaviors were nearly identical for all tests re- gardless of pressure. This paper presents comprehensive results obtained in this area of research. 1) EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Three material categories were used in this study: sintered and are-cast polycrystalline molybdenum of nominal purity 99.93+ pct and single-pass electron-beam zone-refined molybdenum single crystals having a nominal purity level of 99.99+ pct. The interstitial levels (weight percent) as determined by the Materials Testing Laboratories, Division of Magnaflux Corp., were as follows: sintered molybdenum (C— 0.005, H—0.0004, O—0.015, N—0.008); and arc-cast molybdenum (C-0.0038, H-0.0003, O-0.015, N-0.023). Single-crystal molybdenum obtained from Materials Research Corp. had a typical interstitial analysis of C-0.0015, H-0.00007, O—0.00045, and N-0.0001. Tensile specimens having a 5 mm diam by 50.8 mm length were prepared from these materials. An average grain diameter of 0.059 mm was obtained for the sintered specimens following a 4-hr, 1600°C heat treatment. Grain sizes from 0.019 to 0.149 mm were obtained in the arc-cast specimens following heat treatments from 1100° to 1600°C for 1 hr. This series of specimens was used exclusively for the grain-size effect studies. All samples were electrolytically polished in 97 pct sulfuric acid solution prior to testing. Experiments were performed at room temperature in an ion-pumped ultrahigh-vacuum system positioned in an Instron tensile machine, Fig. 1. A constant strain rate of 4.2 x 10-4 sec-1 as derived from crosshead displacement was assumed for the deformations. Starting vacuums ranged from 2 to 0.5 X 10-10 Torr. These pressure measurements were made using corrected values4 of an NRC Redhead gage. Comparative readings were also made against a G.E. triggered dis-

Jan 1, 1967

By M. M. Mebta, G. W. Dean, W. H. Somerton

With the advent of underground heating operations, interest has developed in the alteration of rock properties by high-temperature treatment. In the present work a number of sandstones were heated to temperatures in the range of 400°C to 800°C under both atmospheric and simulated reservoir pressures. Pertneabilities increased by at least 50 per cent and sonic velocities and breaking strerlgths decreased by an equivalent amount. Differential thermal expansion and other reactions of constituent min-era1 grains are the causes of these alterations. INTRODUCTION In the underground combustion of petroleum reservoirs, temperatures of the order of 600C are reported to have been reached in the combustion zone.' At this temperature rocks are subject to extensive thermal alteration. Temperatures of this magnitude and higher may also occur in subsurface formations when subjected to bottom-hole heating, thermal drilling operations, and underground nuclear explosions. Temperatures of this magnitude might also be generated by conventional rock drilling methods at points of bit-tooth contact. In earlier work, the permanent deformation of rocks resulting from heating was reported. Major structural damage of rocks occurs due to differential thermal expansion of mineral constituents. A number of mineral alterations including crystal inversions, loss of water of crystallization and dissociation, may also contribute to changes in physical structure and properties of rock. In the present work, samples of three typical sandstones were heated to several temperatures up to a maximum of 800C and then allowed to cool to room temperature. Heating was done under both atmospheric pressure and simulated reservoir pressure conditions. Physical properties of the samples were measured before and after heating and comparisons made. Measured properties included permeability, sonic velocity, breaking strength and fracture index. Changes in physical properties were compared to changes in mineralogical characteristics as determined by thin-section. X-ray diffraction and chemical tests. EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURE Two outcrop sandstones (Bandera and Berea) and one sub-surface sandstone (St. Peter) were selected for the tests. These samples have a wide ranee in composition and physical properties as shown in Table 1. The first series of tests was made on 2-in. diameter by 5-in. long test specimens. Test specimens used in all later work were 3/4-in. diameter by 1 1/8-in. long, this being the specimen size required for heating at simulated reservoir pressures. After careful washing, the cores were oven dried at 100 ± 5C for a minimum of 24 hours before the tests were run. Test specimens were heated in an electric furnace at a constant rate of temperature increase of 3C per minute. When maximum temperature of the run was reached, the sample was allowed to soak for one hour. The furnace was then cooled to room temperature at the same rate of 3C per minute. The entire heating operation was designed for reproducibility without subjecting the test specimens to excessive thermal shock. For samples heated under simulated reservoir pressures, a pressure cell designed by Dean was used (Fig. 1).3 The core sample was inserted into a thin-walled (0.006 to 0.01-in.) copper cup which was then mounted in a high-pressure cell. Provisions were made for the application of internal pore pressure as well as confining pressure. Tests showed that the thin-walled copper cup closed tightly around the core and satisfactorily transmitted confining pressure to the core. The core was heated by placing the entire cell into the electric furnace. The heating program was the same as that used in the atmospheric pressure runs: tempera-ture rise of 3C per minute to maximum temperature of the test, soaking at maximum temperature for one hour, and cooling at a rate of approximately 3C per minute. The cell was designed to withstand 5,000 psi at 1,000C. However, since it was considered likely that repeated heating and cooling would in time weaken the steel, 2,000 psi at 850C was set as a working limit. In the present series of tests, the pore pressure was held constant at 750 psi and the confining pressure at 1.500 psi. The pressure source was a high-pressure nitrogen tank. The two pressures were controlled manually but are accurate well within ± 50 psi.

Jan 1, 1966

By R. D. West

Miscible displacenzent recovers all oil in the area contacted by the injected .fluid, whereas water or immiscible gas drives usually leave substantial amounts of oil as residual. However, the Door mobility ratios associated with a gas-driven miscible displacement cause the sweep pattern efficiency to be much lower than that obtained with water flooding. One way in which the sweep eficiency in a miscible displacement process can be increased is by decreasing the mobility behind the flooding front. This can be achieved by injecting water along with the gas which drives the miscible slug. This water reduces the relative permeability to gas in this area and thus lowers the total mobility. The main operating conditions for the simultaneous injection -vrocess are that a zone of gas exists between the miscible slug and the leading edge of the water and that a su,@cient amount of gas be injected with the water to form the pas volume which is being left in the water zone. Laboratory model studies have shown that the ultimate sweep pattern efficiency can be as high as 90 per cent for a five-spot flooding system. If gar alone is used as the driving medium an ultimate sweep-out efficiency of about 60 per cent would be obtained in the same system. I INTRODUCTION The miscible displacement processes are a step towards total oil recovery. Conventional gas or water drives usually leave 25 to 5.0 per cent of the oil as residual in the swept portion of the reservoir. This residual can be eliminated if the oil is driven by a fluid with which it is miscible. At some reservoir conditions natural gas will become miscible with the oil. This is the "high pressure gas process".' More often, the oil does not contain enough light hydrocarbons to cause the gas to become miscible with the oil at reasonable pressures. In these cases a small band of fluid which is miscible both with the oil and gas must be kept between them2. Less than 2 per cent of the reservoir volume of the slug material is needed to keep the displacement miscible. Both processes work in the same manner, recovering all of the oil in the portion of the reservoir contacted by the injected fluids. The only difference is the manner in which the miscibility between the oil and the injected gas is obtained. Previous publications have contained detailed descriptions of these processes.1,2,3,4 However, total displacement of the oil in the swept region does not guarantee an efficient recovery process. The amount of oil to be recovered is also determined by the fraction of the reservoir contacted by the flood. This fraction is largely determined by the mobilities of the fluids. (The fluid mobility is the permeability of the rock to that fluid divided by the fluid's viscosity, k/p). This. dependence of the fraction swept on the mobility ratio has been shown in previous studies. Fig. 1 shows the ultimate fraction swept in a five-spot system as a function of the mobility ratio. The small drawings show the location of the areas left unswept for two different mobility ratios. The ultimate fraction of the reservoir swept is here considered to be attained when the producing stream contains less than 5 per cent oil at reservoir conditions. THE GAS-DRIVEN MISCIBLE DISPLACEMENT Since there is no oil left in the swept region after miscible displacement the mobility in this region is very high. It is often 50 times the mobility in the unswept regions. This means that the fraction of the reservoir contacted by the injected fluid will be less for a gas-driven miscible displacement than for a conventional water or gas drive. For a five-spot injection system, water would contact the entire reservoir volume, and the low pressure gas would contact about 90 per cent of this volume, while a gas-driven miscible displacement would only contact about 65 per cent of the reservoir. This poor sweep efficiency often offsets the benefits obtained through miscible displacement. Fig. 2 shows what the recovery curves for the three processes might look like for a five-spot system. The curves show the fraction of the in-place oil recovered as a function of reser-

By John E. Hockett

The need for basic information about the relationship between resistance to dejormatim (flow stress), temperature, strain, and strain rate, for the solution of metal-fovming problems, is pointed out. Some early attempts to satisfy the need are mentioned. A brief description of a machine called a Cam Plastome-ter is given, including the processing of results of testing in the machine. Next, a program of testing aluminum in compression over a wide range of constant true-strain rates (0.1 to > 200 sec-1) and a modevately broad range of temperatures (223° to 673°K) is described. The results of this program are presented in the form of true-stress us true-strain cuvves. The data in these curves are presented in the form of relationships between true stress and true-strain rate in sermilogarithmic and log-log form, as functions of temperatures—for several true strains. Finally, true stress, for a given true strain, is displayed as a function of log true-strain rate and absolute temperature, i.e., a surface. SINCE the publication of Hill's book1 on plasticity theory, increasingly rapid advances have been made in analytical solutions to forming problems. Methods in common use are the slab method, the uniform deformation energy method, the limit analysis method, the slipline field method, and the semiexperimental method called "visioplasticity". These approaches, and examples of their use, are covered in detail by Johnson and Melloor2 and by Thornsen, Yang, and Kobayashi.3 unfortunately, practically all of the above work has had to rely upon a number of basic assumptions, e.g., homogeneous deformation and Coulomb (sliding) friction; and virtually no dependence of the mechanical behavior of the deforming metal, upon temperature, strain, and strain rate, has been included. It is with this dependency that this paper is concerned. Loizou and sims4 looked at the above relationship for lead using both a constant compression-speed Cam Plastometer and a constant true-strain-rate Cam Plastometer designed by Orowan.5 Alder and Phillips8 investigated the relationships for aluminum, copper, and steel in the same constant true-strain-rate Plastometer. cook7 tested twelve steels at temperatures ranging from 1170° to 1473°K in the same Plastometer over a range of true-strain rates of 1.5 to 100 sec-'. The writer tested commercially pure aluminum at room temperature and depleted uranium at temperatures from 573" to 873°K at strain rates from 10-3 to 1.0 sec-1 in a Cam Plastometer designed and built at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory.8 During the past few years the Cam Plastometer at Los Alamos has been used for a number of relatively minor experiments on brass, mild steel, duralumin, Armco iron, and depleted uranium. In this time the machine has been continually modified and improved. It was decided to utilize fully the wide range of strain rates now available with the machine by testing a material about which some information was already in the literature. Prior work on commercially pure aluminum6 appeared to deserve confirmation and expansion. So it was decided to explore the resistance to compression of this material over the currently available range of constant true-strain rates and a convenient range of temperatures. This paper is a report of that exploration. I) EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURE The principal item of equipment is, of course, the Cam Plastometer, the working part of which is shown in Fig. 1. In this figure, an aluminum specimen may be seen between two tungsten carbide platens, in position for a room-temperature test. Above the upper carbide platen is a load cell. Output from the load cell is amplified and applied to a galvanometer in a recording oscillograph. Auxiliary equipment includes the oscillograph, the control console, a counter, and a time-mark generator. The counter is first used in adjusting the time base. Then it registers the count, of sixty pips per revolution generated by the rotating cam, in each second. These pips and the time base are also applied to galvanometers in the oscillograph. Thus, load, time, and cam position are recorded simultaneously. Heating of a specimen prior to compression is done

Jan 1, 1968

By W. K. Godfrey

The highest compressive strength cement has the highest bond strength in tests in which the cement is subjected to a confining pressure. After perforating, the bond strength is reduced to nearly zero when the pipe is supported by weak cement. Perforating does not affect the bond strength, however, when the pipe is supported by strong cement. Pipe supported by weak cement is damaged by perforating with expendable capsule jets, but is not damaged by perforating with the hollow carrier gun. High strength cements are recommended for oil wells that are to be perforated. Introduction The purpose of this work is to determine the effect of jet perforating on the bonding strength of oilwell cement at simulated down-hole conditions. Bond strength is a good criterion for determining the effectiveness of cement in performing its main function, i.e., that of isolating zones. According to the literature on the subject, the optimum cement strength for perforating is low and should not exceed 2,000 psi compressive strength. This conclusion was based on the appearance of bullet and jet perforations in neat and gel cements largely done in the absence of a confining pressure more than 15 years ago. Discussion Literature A relatively weak cement has been recommended in the literature as having optimum properties for perforating. In 1947, Oliphant and Farris tested bullet perforating of neat cements at various curing times.' Some of the tests were made at down-hole conditions. They reported that the optimum cement strength for perforating was about 2,000 psi compressive strength. Enlarged holes occurred when strength was too low, and the cement shattered and cracked when the strength was too high. In 1951, Morgan and Dumbauld tested bullet and jet perforating of neat and gel cements at surface conditions.' They reported that optimum cement has a compressive strength less than 2,000 psi. In their tests at atmospheric pressure, high strength cement shattered and cracked when perforated. Thus, the optimum cement strength was based on the appearance of neat and gel cement after perforating. In 1953, Clark showed a relation between cement strength and fluid shutoff.' He concluded that a 500 psi compressive strength is required for good fluid shutoff and that maximum bonding ability is developed at approximately 1,000 psi compressive strength. In 1964, Bell and Shore invalidated most of the conclu sions by the previous authors when they demonstrated that atmospheric pressure tests cannot be used to determine casing deformation and damage that will result from perforating under down-hole conditions.' They showed that the higher the hydrostatic pressure, the more restricted will be the expansion of gases generated by the charge. Less casing deformation and damage occurs under down-hole conditions than at atmospheric pressure. In recent work, Bearden et al. reported that jet perforating at surface pressure with the hollow carrier gun caused the cement sheath to shatter and crack.' The perforating, however, did not seriously affect the pressure required to leak past the casing cement bond. Only three cementing mixtures were tested, and presumably they had strengths in excess of 2.000 psi. Bearden et al. also reported that the hydraulic bonding strength increased as the compressive strength increased. Their hydraulic test showed that approximately 1,000 psi pressure is sufficient to break the casing cement bond for a well aged neat Portland cement sheath. Unfortunately, the tests were not run with a confining pressure, so Bearden et al. were merely measuring the strength of their outer 8%-in. casing. In our investigation, we measured the hydraulic bond strength of cement to pipe under a confining pressure and found that the bond strength was not limited to 1,000 psi. Cement Bond The bond strength is a good criterion for measuring the effectiveness of cement in performing its main function, that of preventing interzonal communication of fluids behind the casing. Measuring bond strength after perforating should be a good quantitative method of determining optimum cement properties, and should be a better method than that used by previous investigators,11 ' who simply observed the appearance of the cement after perforating.

Jan 1, 1969

By AIME

TO say that Milton Fies has been active in promoting the Southern Research Institute is a masterpiece of understatement. He is a director and trustee who was in on the ground floor when plans were first made for the Institute and since it became an actuality early in 1945 his interest and efforts continue. He talked about it at the last regional meeting of the Birmingham Section of the A.F.A. and has talked all over the South-and when he makes a speech he has really prepared it. He does not try to rival a political spellbinder, but his careful, concise English is always well thought out and to the point. Southern Research might be called his present hobby as it has been for the past two or three years. Another major interest has been his encouragement and training of engineering students. Active in the formation of the Student Chapter of the A.I.M.E. at the University of Alabama, for several years he saw to it that the students had a prominent engineer at each monthly meeting, usually taking them down to Tuscaloosa from Birmingham in his own automobile. He has also been keenly interested in the mining engineering activities at Tuscaloosa, both in the Bureau of Mines and the University.

Jan 1, 1946

By D. Hawington

HEALTH and safety in the mining and allied industries of the United States have unquestionably been progressing, particularly during the past three or four years, even though the progress has been anything but great in some branches of these industries. Statistical data to support this statement are readily available as to safety, but similar health data are unfortunately not available. In coal mining the rate of occurrence of fatal accidents per million tons of coal produced for the ten-year period 1911.20 inclusive was 4.27; this rate was 3.84 in 1930, .3.31 in 1931, 3.36 in 1932, and 2.69 (tentative) in 1933. In metal mining, the-rate of occurrence of fatal and- non-fatal injuries per .thousand 300-day workers (calculated) was 224.36 for- the same ten-year period. This fell slowly until after 1929 when it was 203.14, dropping to 170.78 in 1930, to 142.09 in 1931, to 138.46 in 1932, and to 155.13 in 1933. Here, again,-the real progress began in 1931 though the rate in 1930 was not particularly bad. For the same ten-year period, the rate of those killed and injured: in: quarrying per thousand 300-day workers (calculated)

Jan 1, 1935

The Editor, with the full realization of his own forgetfulness of political duties until it is brought to his attention perhaps by some unfavorable election already. consummated, wishes to remind the thinking men who compose the body of the membership of this Institute that never before in the history of the country has it been so important that we should be represented at Washington, and in our State Legislatures, by men of vision, high character, courage, broad experience in the more important affairs of life, and undoubted loyalty. Let us all endeavor to secure the nomination and election of this type of man, and let us, each in his own district (which collectively will represent practically every important locality in the Union) carefully scrutinize all candidates for election and work for the-best one who seems to have any chance of being. successful. Let its place ourselves in communication with political leaders, newspaper men of prominence, and public men generally, strengthening our own appreciation of the importance of the election at this time and cooperating for the purpose of obtaining candidates of the highest character. Upon the men of intellect depends chiefly the burden of wise selections at this time. Congressional elections will occur this Fall in the following states:

Jan 8, 1918

By Bruce A. Kennedy

If it had not been for the persistent cold wind, the sun blazing out of a cloudless blue sky would have made it one of those warm, idyllic early spring days which attract the socalled "snowbirds" to Northern Mexico for a vacation at this time of year. At a drill site perched on top of a rather exposed mountain we were installing a number of borehole extensometers in diamond drill holes. A Threading Problem For the uninitiated in geotechnical instrumentation, a borehole extensometer is a series of anchors installed at various depths in a borehole, each anchor being independently connected by a tensioned wire to a measuring device set in the collar of the hole. Any movement of the rock at depth is detected by the anchors and transmitted by the wires to the measuring device. Flexible plastic tubing is used as a spacer between the anchors and the measuring wires are run up the inside of the tube. At this particular site we were installing an instrument string nearly 1000 ft in length. Threading wire only 0.041 in. in diam through 1000 ft of plastic pipe is almost as difficult as getting the proverbial camel through the eye of a needle.

Jan 1, 1971

By J. C. Fisher

C. S. Smith has described a method for measuring the relative values of different solid-solid and solid-liquid interfacial tensi0ns. When a polyphase alloy is held at an elevated temperature, individual particles of each phase adjust their shapes and minimize the interfacial energy. Wherever three interfaces meet, the dihedral angles are such that the three interfacial tensions, considered as forces, are in equilibrium. When the angles between three forces in equilibrium at a point are known, it is possible to determine any two in terms of the third. In this way ratios of interfacial tensions have been .obtained. The value of a given interfacial tension ratio was found to be independent of the alloy system from which it was determined. Smith also has employed the method when one of the phases is liquid. When equilibrium is reached with respect to In the course of work on grain growth in high purity aluminum a simple optical method was developed for detecting the presence or absence of preferred orientation in annealed specimens. The specimens were prepared by grinding, polishing and "deep etching." The etching reagent used for high purity aluminum has been described.* The resulting etch pits produced selective

Jan 1, 1949

By O. C. Wheeler

There was a marked increase in the investigation of undeveloped areas in Colombia during 1936. The Shell company commenced geological and geophysical investigations on an intensive scale in the Upper Magdalena Valley and at the end of the year had several geological and geophysical parties working in that area. These investigations were supplemented by aerial photography and it is understood that negotiations are under way for having this work continued. The Shell is reported to have acquired some options and leases on private properties in the Upper Valley region and in the western part of Cundinamarca. The Socony Vacuum was making preparations to begin seismograph work on its property north of the Sogamoso River, acquired in 1934 from Sefior Luciano Restrepo. This company will probably start drilling on the property during 1937. The Richmond Petroleum Co. (Standard of California) is said to have renewed geological investigations in the Upper Magdalena Valley above Honda. Local Colombian interests took an active part in applying for concessions on nationally owned lands in the area between the Carare and Magdalena Rivers. The application of the Sociedad National del Carare for a concession in this area was granted during the year. Subsequently an agreement was reached between this

Jan 1, 1937

URANIUM is commonly recovered by either column ion exchange (IX) or basket ion exchange (RIP) from solutions resulting from sulfuric acid leaching of uranium-bearing ores. In both operations a solid state ion exchanging resin is used, the major difference being that practically clear uranium pregnant solutions are required for passage through resin columns whereas in RIP, leach slurries from which only the sands have been removed are caused to flow through ion exchanging resins contained in baskets. The solvent extraction process as used for recovering uranium from acid leach solutions is also an ion exchanging process, but one in which the ion exchanging medium is a liquid rather than a solid state resin. For this reason, SX is often referred to as liquid ion exchange, although liquid- liquid extraction is probably more accurate. Uranium in its sulfuric acid leach solutions exists in an equilibrium that may be visualized as follows: [ ] Because of an equilibrium of this nature, uranium may be recovered on either cation exchanging or anion exchanging resins and then concentrated during the resin eluting operation. Similarly, solvent extraction processes may utilize either anion ex- changing or cation exchanging liquid organic phases, which capture the uranium and permit its subsequent concentration when the organic phase is stripped.

Jan 9, 1957

POSITIONS VACANT Position as superintendent of all-sliming cyanide plant in Montana will he open in spring. Thoroughly experienced man wanted. No. 6. Position as engineer for iron-mining company in Virginia is open. Single man with experience in underground surveying preferred. No. 7. ENGINEERS AVAILABLE (Under this heading will be published notes sent to the Secretary of the Institute. by members or other persons.) Member, 34 years old, married, nine years responsible position in South America, excellent knowledge of Spanish, Latin-American people and customs, with present employer seven years, six years as manager and legal representative of a mining company, desires to make a change April, 1914. Prefers position requiring energy, executive ability, business tact and practical knowledge dealing with political and legal authorities, rather than strictly technical position. No. 35. Technical graduate, married, with four years' experience in assaying, surveying, sampling,. and mine supervision in Utah and Mexico, open for engagement. No. 37. Member, aged 28, desires opening on engineering or sales force of machinery house, or manufacturing concern. Twelve years' experience, in smelters, cyanide plants, concentrators and gold dredges, steam, gas and electric machinery and mechanical drafting. At present foreman for a silver-lead company. No. 40.

Jan 1, 1914

By Frank C. Greene

Drilling for oil and gas in Missouri continued at a slightly lower rate than has been prevailing. A summary of operations for the past few years as compiled and published by the Missouri Geological Survey and Water Resources is as follows: Two oil pools are being developed in Cass County. Neither area has been drilled completely, and detailed descriptions will not be given at this time. In the Endicott pool in the southern part of T. 44 N., R. 33 W., oil is found in the Warrensburg sand, which is now considered to be the Big Lake sand of eastern Kansas. The top of the sand is about 125 ft. below the Herthalimestone. The best well is reported to have made 14 bbl. per day for the first four days. The oil is 30" to 32' BB. gravity. This is the only pool in the state, aside from the older areas on the east and west edges of Lees Summit, Jackson County, that is producing oil from the Warrensburg sand. Drilling continues in the Knoche pool in the central part of T. 46 N., R. 33 W., where the oil is found in the Squirrel sand. The oil produced by both these pools is sold by truck in Kansas City.

Jan 1, 1937

By R. H. Wightman, G. H. Adams

H. C. WEED*—Referring to the use of "dummy fuse" for checking the shots in chute blasting operations, I believe that an even better practice is to blast the chutes with no delay electric blasting caps. Permanent wires can be strung through the grizzly lines and the lead wires from the shots attached to these lines. Using this method, no time is lost in spitting the individual fuses. The possibility of a fused charge becoming dislodged by previous shots and falling into the chute below is eliminated and there is no chance of a man walking back into his own blast. A small hand twist blasting machine or a radio "B" battery can be used to fire the shots if the lines are fired individually. If so desired the entire area can be blasted at once by a switch at the manway or in the drift below. providing a sufficient source of electricity is available. In case a switch is used, proper precaution for locking the switch must be provided. R. H. WIGHTMAN (author's reply) —We do use electric blasting when the number of shots is large; but we have found it more satisfactory to use fuse and caps for individual shots on the grizzly.

Jan 1, 1950

THE fall meeting of the Petroleum Division of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers will be held in Fort Worth on Oct. 19 and 20. The Texas Hotel will be headquarters. for this meeting, the technical sessions being held in the ball-room of the hotel. During the evening of the nineteenth a smoker will be held at the Fort Worth Club. In working out the program for this meeting, J. B. Umpleby, vice-chairman for production engineering, considered it especially desirable to offer as complete a discussion as possible of the subject of air-gas lift, its theory and practice, and its relationship to gas-oil ratios. The entire first day will be devoted to sessions on this subject. One session of the second day will be devoted to the use of electricity in oil-field operations and the second to the handling of congealing oils and paraffin. In addition to this program there will be one or more sessions when petroleum engineering research problems will be discussed. This meeting of the Division is primarily devoted to production engineering, as will be seen from the pro-gram. During one of the sessions, however, a brief review with forecasts of the production situation will be presented.

Jan 8, 1927