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By J. A. Younkins. J. P. Proctor, E. D. Hummer

Comparatively little has been published relating practical experience with the control of the solid content of washery water systems that must be "closed." A "closed" system is one that for some reason may not be cleaned by the emission Of any effluent Of high ''lid 'content to be rep1aced by 'lean water in Order to hold the solid content of the waste water within reasonable bounds for efficient washing. It is the Purpose of this Paper to describe practical experience with such a water system and to present data that it is hoped may be of some use to those who are faced with a similar problem. The washery clarification system described comprises three thickeners and three filters, and although it is admitted that each of the fields of water settling and thickening and filtration offers a wide scope for investigation, the authors are not attempting to present the answers to these problems but to set down the results of some experience along these lines, making no claims as to the ultimate solution of the problems in hand. The subject of water clarification has vast ramifications; for example, the science of flocculation as applied to water settlillg and filtering opens up fields of wide possibilities of which as yet little is known. A comparatively recent entry into the field of water treatment, which may offer possibilities of practical application, is the use of "wetting" agents such as "Aerosol." General Arrangement of Water System So that the reader may obtain a comprehensive picture of the factors concerned in the control of a closed water system, it is necessary to give a brief description of the washing plant that is serviced by the water system to be described in the following pages. As we are not primarily concerned with the washing plant in detail, only a brief description of the flow of coal as it relates to the water system will be given here. For a more detailed account of this type of washer, the reader is referred to earlier papers,1,2 The washer, which handles o to 4-in, raw coal (750 tons per hour) is an American Rheolaveur plant of two complements; the coarse coal or sealed discharge plant and the fine coal or free discharge plant. The sealed discharge plant (Fig. I) consists of twin 48.in. primary launders, each having two washing boxes, supplemented by one 32-in. rewash launder, which also has two washing boxes. "Push" water for washing and conveying coal in these launders is supplied from a constant-head tank under pressure head of 10½ ft. at the point of introduction at the feed end of the launder. This tank also supplies water for upward or vertical currents used in the Rheolaveur or washing boxes. Each box discharges into a sealed boot elevator (Fig. I).

Jan 1, 1942

By J. E. Gruzleski, O. Knacke, M. J. Meixner

The evolution of CO from small specimens of solidifying steel was investigated using a thermobalance technique. Gas evolution begins in the temperature range between 1400" to .1450°C. This behavior is independent of the initial carbon content and the cooling rate. At a constant temperature above 1220°C, the rate of gas evolution is temperature independent. Out-gassing of the specimen is thought to proceed through small channels formed by the coalescence of bubbles between dendrites. LIQUID metals have a higher solubility for gas than the solid. During freezing, these gases form bubbles which may either escape or remain trapped in the solid. Recent work1 on the evolution of oxygen from solidifying silver showed that the gas is not liberated until a large fraction of the melt has solidified, and that the gas is evolved in an almost explosive manner. Because of the commercial importance of CO evolution in solidifying steel, a similar investigation was undertaken to study the mechanism of gas liberation in steel. EXPERIMENTAL The thermogravimetric method of Knacke and eixner1 to follow gas evolution by weight changes was employed. Weight differences of 0.1 mg could be reproducibly measured on specimens weighing 2.5 g. These specimens were taken from alloys with varying carbon contents from <0.01 to 0.11 wt pct and <0.01 wt pct of each of silicon, manganese, and aluminum. Specimens contained in 8 mm ID magnesium alumi-nate crucibles were heated to 1550°C under 1 atm of very pure (99.995 pct) CO with a tungsten resistance furnace. The specimen temperature was measured with a Pt-Pt/Rh thermocouple located directly beside the crucible. It is felt that the temperature thus measured was within 5" to 10°C of the specimen temperature since on fusion the weight of the specimen increased due to uptake of CO, and this weight increase was always observed to begin within the temperature range of 1530" to 1540°C. Even after 3 hr there was a small weight increase with time indicating that the molten specimen was not completely saturated with CO. Therefore, complete saturation was not attempted, and all specimens were simply held for 3 hr at 1550°C before cooling. Two types of cooling experiments were performed. One consisted of continuous cooling at linear rates from 5°C to 20°C per min down to 1020°C. The second type of experiment involved continuous cooling at 10°C per min to a predetermined temperature, and then holding the specimen at this temperature for a certain time. During all of these experiments, the sample weight was recorded as a function of time and temperature. OBSERVATIONS Continuous Cooling Experiments. No gas evolution was detected above 1450°C. The initial weight decrease always occurred between 1400" and 1450°C with the average at 1430°C. With further cooling, gas evolution continued to about 1150°C. Between this temperature and 1020°C no further outgassing was observed. This behavior did not seem to depend on the initial carbon content nor on the cooling rate in the range investigated. Typical patterns of gas evolution are shown in Figs. 1 and 2 for different initial carbon levels and cooling rates. The total amount of gas liberated during solidification varied with the rate of cooling. The total weight change on continuous cooling at a rate of 10°C per min

Jan 1, 1970

By R. L. Huntington, Frank P. Vance, George F. Russell, Robert Thompson

With the advent of higher pressures in the operation of natural-gas transmission lines, the removal of water vapor from the gas has become increasingly important in order to prevent condensation or formation of gas hydrate from slowing down or stopping the flow of gas. Intelligent design of these dehydration or gas-drying plants has been hampered through the Iack of experimental data on the water vapor content of natural gas at elevated pressures. In view of this need, this present investigation was sponsored by the Southern Natural Gas Co. in the Chemical Engineering laboratories at the University of Oklahoma Research Institute. Experimental results were obtained on the water-vapor content of natural gas up to 2000 lb. per sq. in. at atmospheric temperatures. The water content at 2000 lb. is approximately two thirds as much as it is at 1000 Ib. Deviations from the ideal gas laws vary directly with pressure and indirectly with temperature. Introduction The removal of water vapor from natural gas is an important operation in connection with the production and transportation of this commodity because: I. Liquid water accelerates internal corrosion of a pipe line. 2. Accumulation of water at low points in a pipe line reduces markedly its capacity. 3. Gas hydrates, icy snowlike growths, form readily under high pressure in the presence of the lower hydrocarbons and water, often plugging up the pipe line. In order to design dehydration plants for stripping the gas of its water content, it is essential that the engineer. have a knowledge of the saturated or equilibrium water-vapor content of the gas to be processed. With the gradual increase of operating pressures around gas-producing wells and pipe lines, it was observed that the quantity of water recovered from dehydration plants or condensed in colder lines was considerably greater than had been expected from calculated contents, based on vapor-pressure data taken from steam tables. This observation prompted a number of investigators, for instance, Laulhere,3 Dea-ton,l and Hammerschmidt2 to carry out experimental work at pressures up to 600 lb. per sq. in. in order to determine quantitatively the water content of various gases. Sage, Lacey, et al.4,5 have recognized more recently the need for such data at higher pressures, but their work was done at temperatures of 100ºF, and higher. Since hydrate formation usually, if not entirely, occurs at temperatures below 100ºF., the present investigation was confined to the . lower temperature range at pressures from 600 to 2000 lb. per sq. in. gauge.

Jan 1, 1945

By Raymond E. Byler

THE challenge of unprecedented need for more metals to meet present-day re-armament and domestic requirements is being met with minerals beneficiation projects of great number and variety, and with new and improved methods, techniques, and. equipment. Iron Range Developments Much attention has been given during the year to the tremendous program for beneficiation of taconites and intermediate iron ores which is progressing through large pilot-plant tests preparatory to full-scale production operations. The greatest activity has been directed toward concentration of magnetic taconites on the Mesabi Range. The Reserve Mining Co. has let $75 million in construction contracts for the 2 ½ million-ton-per-yr project (concentrates) at Beaver Bay, Minn., and is building a 300,000-ton-per-yr pilot plant to prove up the magnetic separation and pelletizing operations. Oliver Iron Mining Co. has a pilot plant under construction near Mountain Iron for concentrating magnetic taconites, and is operating experimentally a sintering and nodulizing plant on fine ore screenings and concentrates at Virginia to fully develop agglomeration technique. The Erie Mining Co. plant at Aurora continues its production of concentrates from magnetic taconites which was begun three years ago. No plans have been announced to treat the Mesabi Range nonmagnetic taconites, but F. D. Devaney, Pickands Mather and Co., is studying a new process for magnetically roasting lean ores to make them amenable to low-intensity magnetic concentration. W. R. Van Slyke, Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Co., calls attention to several noteworthy developments in the field of intermediate ores, perhaps the most significant of which has been the first commercial operation of a Dutch State Mines (DSM) cyclone plant at the Buckeye mine of the M. A. Hanna Co. The plant concentrates the +1/4 in. fraction by means of conventional heavy-media treatment after suitable crushing, screening, and washing. The -1/4 in. +65 mesh material is treated in two 12-in. cyclones, the -65 mesh fraction being sent to tailing storage. The plant is operating successfully on feed rates up to 120 tons per hr, and indicates that successful treatment of the fine fractions of Mesabi intermediate ores is imminent. Another commercial-size DSM plant was placed in operation late in the year by Cleveland-Cliffs at the Holman mine, and two additional ones are expected to be in operation next year. Various other methods are also in use at different plants for treatment of the fine fractions, including classification, abrasion milling followed by classification, jigging, and Humphrey spirals. Where it can be economically justified, it seems at present that heavy-media treatment of the -1/4 in. fine fraction will also come into increasing use on the intermediate ores. During 1951 a one-unit, heavy-media plant to treat hematitic crude ore was erected at the Ohio mine on the Marquette Range by Cleveland-Cliffs and plans for another plant at Humboldt to produce 2000 tons of concentrates annually is contemplated, as is also the construction of a plant for agglomera-

Jan 1, 1952

By V. V. Valleroy, A. J. Cornelius, B. T. Willman, G. W. Runberg, L. W. Powers

This paper reports the results of an investigation into the use of steam as a recovery agent. High oil recoveries by steam, as much as 100 per cent greater than by water flood, were demonstrated in laboratory linear cores. The principal mechanisms responsible for the additional oil have been identified as (1) thermal expansion of the oil, (2) viscosity reduction and (3) steam distillation. Although the first two also enhance recovery by hot water flood, they are effective with steam injection at lower volumes of produced fluids. Steam-zone residual oil saturation is independent of initial saturation. Recovery by steam is greater for lighter oils because they contain a greater fraction of steam-distillable components. Equations for the steam-zone advance in a radial homogeneous system are presented; these show the effect of reservoir parameters. The displacement in the hot liquid region moving ahead of the steam front can be estimated by a calculative procedure which is suggested. The method which takes account of the temperature gradient is applicable also to a regullar hot water flood. INTRODUCTION Considerable industry interest in the application of heat to petroleum reservoirs as a means of increasing oil recovery has been evident in the past few years. Three thermal methods which have attracted interest are (1) the injection of saturated steam, (2) the injection of hot water and (3) the injection of air into a formation to support combustion within the reservoir. Much has been published in recent years on underground burning, and there have been several papers on hot water injection. Although there are several early reports1,2 on steam injection, no recent experimental studies have been published on this recovery method. In our early thermal methods research, a marked improvement was found in oil recovery by steam injection compared with recovery by water injection in the same system. An investigation subsequently was undertaken to obtain quantitative information from which to evaluate steam injection as an oil recovery method. In addition, it was desired to investigate the recovery mechanism of hot water as compared with that of "cold" water and steam injection. An understanding of the mechanisms by which these processes operate would generally define favorable field conditions for their successful application. This paper reports the results of the laboratory study and suggests calculative approaches to estimate the field behavior of the steam-injection process. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD EQUIPMENT A schematic diagram of the equipment used for the displacement tests is shown in Fig. 1. Essentially, it consisted of a core with suitable means for recording temperatures, a feed system for injecting steam or cold or hot water, and a receiving train for condensing, cooling and measuring produced fluids. For the steam experiments, air-free saturated steam was piped from the boiler to the core face in insulated lines that were provided with steam traps and bleeds to remove any condensate formed in the lines due to heat losses. A 12-in. section of the line immediately ahead of

By C. Gatlin, C. E. Nemir

A common cure of lost circulation is the introduction of granular bridging agents into the mud system. Many materials, such as ground nut shells, are used for this purpose. If the trouble causing void (fracture, fissure, vug, etc.) is not too large, the granular agent forms a "bridge" across or within the opening. Successively smaller particles in the mud stream then accumulate on and/or within this bridge until normal filtration is finally established. The efficiency of many bridging agents has been studied in the laboratory using various slot testers.&apos;,&apos; Many investigators have remarked that a granular bridging material should have the proper particle size distribution. With the exception of the broad range specified in the patent of Goins and Nash,3 here is apparently no definition as to what this distribution should be. A bridge may be initiated when several particles of lost circulation material lodge against each other in a fracture or other void. Smaller particles then may bridge the openings between the larger, previously bridged particles. This process continues until the voids become quite small and the problem becomes one of filtration. It would seem logical that an optimum particle size distribution exists, i.e., one containing the proper quantity of properly sized material to fill the successively smaller voids of the bridge. The filtration characteristics of drilling fluids may be subject to a similar analysis. It has been clearly demonstrated by many workers that the filtration behavior of various muds can be altered by particle size control.&apos;.&apos; Slusser, et al, divided filtration into three periods and showed that particle sizes affecting a given period did not necessarily affect other portions of the filtration curve. An analagous problem is the proper sizing of gravel, liner slots and screen sizes in various sand-exclusion problems. Here the situation is reversed in that a proper "void" size, rather than the size of the bridging agent, is sought. The classic work of Coberly 9 forms the quantitative basis for most sand-exclusion processes. It is interesting to note that, in general, Coberly&apos;s work has been overlooked by most drilling-mud researchers. Other investigators have made various studies of the effect of particle size distribution .on drilling-mud properties. As a part of their studies, Fancher and Oliphant reported 30-minute filtration loss of a variety of mixtures of particle sizes.&apos;&apos; Gates and Bowie noted an effect of particle size distribution on filtration, as well as on other physical properties.&apos; MAXIMUM DENSITY THEORY A maximum density mixture has been mentioned as the possible solution for both lost circulation and mud filtration problems. Furnas 12 derived mathematically a method for obtaining maximum density of beds of packed solids, having either a given number of component sizes or a continuous gradation of sizes. This work was verified experimentally by Anderegg.13 or mixtures having a continuous grading of sizes, the interval between sizes is taken as successive screen sizes of interval 2 The ratio of the quantity of each size and the next smaller size is given by the equation Fig. I, number of size intervals of ratio 2 taken from Furnas&apos; paper, gives the value of n + 1 for any given values of + and K, where K is the ratio of the diameter of the smallest particles to the diameter of the largest particles. Measurement by weight assumes, of course, constant density for all particle sizes. Choosing the quantity of the smallest particle size as a unit weight, the required weights of the successively larger interials are then r1 r2 r3 . ®1,2,3. Thus, the grading curve of a maximum density mixture represents a geometric pro gression of ratio r.

By A. W. D. Hills

This paper describes the development of a generalized integral-Wofile method for the analysis of heat transfer dwing solidification. The method is extremely flexible, and can be applied to a wide range of situations. This flexibility has been achieved by characterizing the solid metal layer in terms of two parameters, and by developing two simultaneous nonlinear differential equations for these parameters in terms of the heat fluxes crossing the boundaries of the solid layer. The use of these equations is illustrated in a series of examples which involve the solidification of pure metals at zero superheat cooling under different conditions. The simplicity with which the method can be extended to treat more complicated jwoblems is illustrated in a further example which involves natwal convection effects in the liquid metal. ThE rate at which molten metal solidifies in an industrial casting process, and the structure of the cast product, are both controlled by the rate at which heat can be removed from the casting. A knowledge of heat transfer rates is thus essential to the control of the process and to the control of the structure and soundness of the final casting. Heat transfer rates during real solidification processes cannot be predicted by formal mathematical techniques, however, because nonlinear boundary conditions are involved. Approximate methods are normally used, and these have included electrical and hydraulic analogue techniques, finite difference methods, and the integral-profile method. Considerable effort has been devoted to the development of the first two techniques, but the integral-profile method has been used very little so far. This is unfortunate because the method is capable of providing relatively accurate solutions for the heat transfer equation during solidification without involving large amounts of computer time. A further advantage of the method is its flexibility, although this is not apparent from the integral-profile solutions that have been developed to date. These solutions have been derived for the solidification of molten metal at zero super-heat under cooling conditions involving either a constant heat flux from the cooled surface;&apos; a constant heat transfer coefficient at the surface,&apos;-3 or a specified variation in the surface temperature.4,5 A generalized integral-profile method is presented in this paper which can be used to predict unidirectional solidification rates under a very wide range of more realistic cooling conditions. The use of the method is illustrated in a series of problems involving pure metals, or skin forming alloys, solidifying at zero super-heat. However, the principal advantage that this method has over the previous integral-profile methods is the ease with which it can be extended to treat more complicated solidification problems. This is illustrated by considering a problem in which super-heat is liberated from the liquid metal by natural convection during the solidification process. In the final section of the paper the generalized method is compared with previous methods used to predict solidification rates and its extension to more complicated solidification problems is briefly discussed.

Jan 1, 1970

By B. F. Oliver

A levitation zone melter is described which has the necessary characteristics for processing metals of controlled purity. No crucible is required; control of the solidification variables is stable; the environment of the charge is chenzically controlled. Rotation of the solidifying interface and mixing in the liquid by the magnetohydrodynamic stirring produce an eight-fold increase in freezing velocity over former melting units with better resulting solute redistributions. The smooth appearance of processed specimens, resistivity ratios as a hnction of position, as well as a segregation curve, are presented as evidence of smooth continuous solute fransport over distances in excess of ten zone lengths. THE difficulties of the floating zone-purification of higher density metals in large quantities under conditions of lowered surface tension are well known and have hindered fundamental research programs for some time. The inordinate amount of time required to obtain a small reproducible yield of high-quality metal has excluded the use of such material for many important material research programs. However, with the use of controllable induction levitation forces&apos; to accomplish stable liquid zones with nearly flat solidifying interfaces, and with good physical and chemical control of the processes involved, these difficulties can be overcome. A zone melter that is to be used for both high-purity and controlled composition work in metal systems must have the following three characteristics: 1) The process must avoid the use of containers. 2) Physical control of the solid-liquid interface and of the mixing within the liquid phase must be stable. 3) The chemical environment of the melt chamber must be controllable. A description of an apparatus that accomplishes these objectives follows.* APPARATUS One of the basic features that is necessary for good process control of large sections is that the charge, the coil, and the motion mechanisms be within the same chamber. This arrangement permits a close coupling between the work coil and the load, which then provides a good flexibility for adjustments of coil dimensions, for controlling the amount of levitation needed for stable operation at a given power level. An overall view of the melter is shown, with the melt-chamber door open, in Fig. 1. The radiation shields surrounding the single-turn induction coil are of water-cooled copper. The chamber is stainless steel, as are most of the components within the chamber. The control panel for the scanner is located at the immediate lower right of the melt chamber. This panel controls the operation of the scanner. The operations controlled are the interface rotation rate, the stretch-squeeze or diameter control, the up and down scanning speeds, and the induction power. All of the drive motors are constant-torque variable-speed motors. The scanning speeds are set with precision helipots and continuously observed with the voltmeter on the control panel and checked with a mechanical indicator within the melt chamber. The rotation rate is also set with a precision helipot. The up-scanning speeds are 2 to 300 in. per hr.

Jan 1, 1963

By A. L. Barnes

A number of reservoirs have been partially invaded by bottom water. Water flooding such reservoirs can be especially inefficient if the oil has a high viscosity because injected water will under-run the oil and emerge at producing wells without having displaced much oil. A possible means of improving water sweep efficiency would be to precede the water flood with a slug of water purposely thickened with a chemical additive. This possibility has been studied with a scaled laboratory flow model. The investigation was carried out on a model representing a 20-acre five-spot with one set of reservoir condition~. Displacements were performed with water, with viscous-water slugs of 10 and 25 per cent of the pore volume followed by water, and with all viscous water. Displacement tests were made at several rates of injection. For all cases, compared at the same producing water-oil ratio, an increase in rate resulted in an increase in volumetric sweep. The larger the quantity of viscous slug injected, the greater the crossflow of oil ahead of the displacing front and, thus, the lower the WOR during that period of a displacement. This investigation indicates that the injection of aqueous viscous slugs in this type of system would give some additional benefit over conventional flooding by (I) reducing the life of the flood, (2) reducing lifting costs and (3) increasing ultimate recovery. The benefits of a viscous-slug displacement would warrant its use if the viscous water could be created for a few cents per barrel. INTRODUCTION The most appropriate method for water flooding oil reservoirs which have been partially invaded by bottom water has been a problem of considerable interest. Such reservoirs, having good vertical permeability and unfavorable mobility ratios, are difficult to produce efficiently under normal waterflood procedures. Even though the injection wells have been plugged back above the oil-water contact and the water zone has been squeezed off, injection water will enter the formation and not only displace oil, but also much of it will displace the bottom water, thus creating a high producing water-oil ratio at the start of a flood (see Fig. 1). Since the rate of injection and the viscosity of the displacing fluid are the more easily controlled physical parameters of the reservoir, it is quite natural to study their effects on the volumetric sweep of the oil zone and on the producing water-oil ratio. Increasing the viscosity of the displacing fluid has two disadvantages—it reduces the maximum rate of injection into the reservoir, and it costs more than water. It was thought that the injection of a viscous-fluid slug, followed by water, would minimize these two disadvantages, increase the volumetric sweep of the oil zone and reduce the producing water-oil ratio. Water with an additive to increase viscosity would probably be the most effective. The primary purpose of this investigation was to determine the feasibility of injecting viscous-water slugs followed by water to improve or hasten oil recovery while reducing the producing water-oil ratios. The effect of injection rate upon recovery was also investigated. A laboratory model, scaled to a 20-acre five-spot prototype with one set of reservoir conditions, was constructed. Laboratory studies of displacements with (1) water, (2) viscous-water slugs of 10 and 25 per cent of the pore volume followed by water and (3) all viscous water were performed at several rates of injection. THEORY OF SAND MODEL SCALING There are two conventional means of determining scaling criteria. These are dimensional analysis and inspec-tional analysis. Determining scaling criteria by dimensional

By Arthur Hockman, Howard W. Jaffe, Howard F. Carl

THE problem of establishing practical techniques for evaluating natural corundum ores arose from the desire to improve the existing purchase specifications for crystal corundum procured by the Federal Government for stockpiling. Such purchase specifications had been developed for a large number of products, including minerals and ores considered to be critical and strategic because of the country&apos;s dependence on foreign sources of supply. It will be apparent to anyone considering the subject of purchase specifications that the determination of whether or not a submittal meets the specifications is a prime consideration. Consequently satisfactory specifications for minerals should not only incorporate physical, chemical, and mineralogical requirements that are practical but should also establish the means by which both buyer and seller can be assured that materials meet stated requirements. The Munition Board&apos;s Material Purchase Specification for corundum, dated February 1954, covered two grades of crystal corundum intended primarily for abrasive use. It established limits of size and of composition: Grade A, at least 95 pct +3 mesh and 92 pct alumina (Al2O3); Grade B, at least 95 pct +7 mesh and 90 pct alumina. It also specified that "of each lot of material, not less than 95 percent shall have a hardness equal to or exceeding nine (9) on Moh&apos;s Scale." These specifications were unsatisfactory for several reasons. They did not allow the purchase of lower grades of corundum being used by industry. Neither did they specify exactly what a corundum ore actually was, except that it should contain so much alumina and have a certain scratch hardness. Nothing was said about the abrasive qualities of the material that was to be purchased primarily for abrasive use. During the period 1946 to 1948 supplies of the two grades defined in the then current specifications continued to decrease. Early in 1949 industry recommended that the finer sizes of corundum known as "crystal corundum concentrates," ¼-in. to 16-mesh material, be added to the stockpile specifications and that lower grades of crystal corundum also be included. In the spring of 1949 the National Bureau of Standards and the Bureau of Mines were asked by the Munitions Board to cooperate in developing more practical specifications for grading natural corundum ores. The National Bureau of Standards indicated that it would investigate physical test methods for determining abrasive characteristics of corundum, and the Eastern Experiment Station of the Bureau of Mines at College Park, Md., stated that it would consider the mineralogical aspects of the problem. Members of these two agencies, in consultation with representatives of the Office of Materials Resources of the Munitions Board and of the Federal Supply Service of the General Services Administration, and with the cooperation of industrial suppliers and consumers of abrasive corundum, developed, in a fairly short time, more practical specifications for six grades of corundum ores. The new specifications, issued January 1951, were for corundum, natural crystals, as by this time high-purity synthetic corundum was available and widely used. Nevertheless, for certain specific applications the natural product was preferred over the synthetic material. It has been extensively used in forming snagging wheels. It breaks into more or less cubical particles, whereas artificial corundum fractures into splintery shapes. These produce irregular cuts in glass, while the more symmetrical shape produces a more uniform ground surface. For this reason natural corundum has been preferred for certain types of lens grinding. Pure corundum is clear, colorless alpha alumina (A12O3), but it is rarely found in nature in this form. The most important gem varieties include the blue and yellow sapphires and the ruby. Minute impurities of titanic oxide impart a blue color,

Jan 1, 1955

IN the footnote on the first page of Prof. Stoek&apos;s paper, as printed in vol. xxviii. of the Transactions, I alluded to him, under an erroneous impression, for which he was in no way responsible, as " the present Director of the Scranton Schools." This incorrect statement placed him in a false position, as possibly having authorized the use of a title to which he had no claim. In fact, Prof. Stoek has never had any official connec-

Jan 1, 1900

By L. W. Holm, G. G. Bernard

Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the effect of foam on gas flow in porous media. Previous studies have indicated that foam may be applicable as a restrictive agent in influencing underground gas flow. Foam was found to be exceedingly effective in reducing the permeability of porous media to gas. Consolidated and unconsolidated sands with specific permeabilities of 100 to 146,000 md had, in the presence of foam, gas permeabilities that were less than 1 per cent of the specific permeability; in many cases the gas permeability was practically zero. Foam reduced the gas permeability of loose sand to a much greater degree than that of a tight sand. For example, the permeability of a 125,000-md sand was reduced to 3 md while the permeability of a 4,000-md sand was reduced to 7 md. This effect should cause, to some degree, selective plugging of high permeability channels in various oil displacement processes. The presence of oil in a porous medium decreased the effectiveness of foam in reducing gas permeability; apparently oil acts as a foam depressant. However, it was found that certain foaming agents were very effective in reducing permeability even. in the presence of oil. Also, continuous injection of other foaming agents increased their effectiveness, when oil was present. The effect of foam on permeability of porous media to gas was studied as a function of foaming agent concentration and injection rate, absolute permeability, total pressure, pressure gadient, length of porous system, brine concentration and time. INTRODUCTION The use of surface active agents in flood water to increase the recovery of oil has been studied in the laboratory and in the field for decades, with rather limited success. In recent years a new approach to the problem was proposed. Instead of using an aqueous solution of surfactant as an oil recovery agent, Bond and Holbrook2 proposed that the oil recovery agent be a mixture of surfactant solution and gas. In their method, a water-soluble surface active agent with foam-producing characteristics is injected into an underground formation as an aqueous slug. This slug is followed by gas to produce a foam within the rock. Foams are defined as "agglomerations of gas bubbles separated from each other by thin liquid films&apos;! A foam is fundamentally an unstable system. The foam process for oil recovery has since been studied by other investigators. Fried 1 has shown that foam can displace from porous structures oil that normally is unrecoverable by conventional water or gas drives. This superior oil displacing action is believed to be the result of several factors: (1) foam introduces into the reservoir many resilient interfaces of various sizes and curvatures, which increase the probability that a proper combination of forces for oil displacement will be created; (2) foam has appreciable viscosity which improves mobility ratio and contact efficiency; (3) foam accentuates the trapped gas effect because high gas saturations are possible without producing high gas/oil ratios. Deming4 studied the effect of various foam properties on the displacement of liquid. He found that (1) high foaming ability favors high displacement efficiency; (2) high foam stability is not necessary for high displacement efficiency; (3) displacement efficiency decreases with increase in plasticity of foam and (4) displacement efficiency is unaffected by surface tension of foaming agent solution. One of the important aspects of this oil recovery process is the effect of foam on gas permeability. The simultaneous flow of gas and liquid in porous media has been studied by numerous investigators and a large amount of literature exists on the subject. In this previous work, gas and liquid have generally been considered as essentially independent phases, whose flow characteristics are related through the saturation parameter. Foam, however, is a material with properties that are considerably different from those of its components; for example, the viscosity of a foam is greater than either of its components. Gas flow in a porous medium in the presence of foam should be considerably different

Jan 1, 1965

By R. A. Graham, R. W. Rohde, J. R. Holland

In a shock wave compression study of a martensitic Fe-30 pct Ni alloy, Graham, Anderson, and Holland&apos; found a region of unusual compressibility extending from a few kilobars up to about 20 kbars. This region was characterized by a continuously decreasing shock wave velocity with increasing stress. In this note, we report the results of a study initiated to determine the source of this unusual compressibility. In earlier shock-loading experiments on martensitic Fe-30 pct Ni, Loree et a1.&apos; determined that a phase change occurred at about 80 kbars. Subsequently, Bowden and elly found that samples of a similar material shock-loaded at about 100 kbars experienced a martensite-to-austenite transition. Their crystal-lographic analysis showed the transition was a direct reversal of the established martensite system to the austenite phase. The shock loading in the present experiments was accomplished by precisely controlled plane impact between two discs of the sample material. This configuration created a state of uniaxial strain in the two the front of a projectile which was accelerated to various velocities. Planarity between the impacting discs was controlled to 5 x 10-4 rad, and impact velocities were measured to 0.5 pct. From a knowledge of the Hugoniot relationships of the material and the impact velocity, the shock-wave stress can be calculated. Samples were shocked at 18, 50, 70, and 100 kbars. The specimen discs shocked at 18 and 50 kbars were instrumented with quartz gages to observe the stress time profile. A more detailed description of the experiment has been given previously.4 The shock-loaded specimens were recovered intact by decelerating them in a catcher filled with soft wood. Discs of Fe-30 pct Ni nominally 12.7 mm thick and 64 mm in diam were cut from bar stock. Chemical analysis of the material provided the following composition in weight percents: 29.5 Ni, 0.50 Mn, 0.21 Si, and 0.10 C, with traces of Cr, Cu, Mo, Al, and Co. The discs were austenitized at 650° C for 2 hr at a pressure of less than l0-&apos; torr, and furnace-cooled. Martensite was then produced by quenching the discs at -196" and holding 168 hr. The initial martensitic structure formed is shown in Fig. l(a). Typical microstructures of samples shock-loaded at 18 and 100 kbars are shown in Figs. l(b) and l(c). The banded structure with the austenite regions running parallel to the shock propagation direction was characteristic of samples shock-loaded at all stresses. No such banding was found in samples that were not shock-loaded. Comparison of Figs. l(b) and l(c) shows that, although under the optical microscope the two microstructures are quite similar, the martensite plates of the specimen shocked at 100 kbars etched in a distinctly different manner. This unique etching behavior of martensite in samples shock-loaded above the 80 kbar transition point has also been observed by Leslie el al.&apos; These investigators determined from X-ray and electron microscope studies that fcc martensite, similar in appearance to normal bcc martensite, had been formed under shock loading. A quantitative determination of the amount of austenite present after shock loading was made by X-ray techniques. Both the methods of Lindren&apos; and Miller&apos; were utilized. The results are shown in Table I. The error limits are those experimentally observed from two independent analyses of each sample and represent the precision of the experiment. The absolute error, which should be similar for each sample, is believed to be about 10 pct. It is seen that as the shock stress increases the amount of austenite present also increases. On the basis of the X-ray and microscopic observations, we conclude that shock loading below the 80 kbar ersal will initiate a martensitic reversal: the amount of reversal that occurs increases with in-

Jan 1, 1969

By J. P. Hammond, C. J. McHargue

The wire textures for cold rolled and recrystallized iodide titanium and the sheet textures for this material produced by cold and hot rolling, and recrystallization at a series of temperatures were determined. &apos;The effect of the a + ß transformation on the sheet texture was noted. UNTIL recently it was believed that all hexagonal close-packed metals deformed by slip on the basal plane, (0001), and that rolling should tend to rotate this slip plane into the plane of the rolled sheet. The pole figures of cold rolled magnesium&apos; are satisfactorily explained on this basis. There is a tendency for the <1120> directions to align parallel to the rolling direction, and the principal scatter is in the rolling direction. Zinc% as a rolling texture in which the hexagonal axis is inclined 20" to 25" toward the rolling direction. Twinning is believed to account for the moving of the basal plane away from parallelism with the rolling plane. The texture of beryllium3 places the basal plane parallel to the rolling plane with the [1010] direction parallel to the rolling direction, and the scatter from this orientation is primarily in the transverse direction. Cold rolled textures reported for zirconium&apos; and titanium5 how the [1010] directions to lie parallel to the rolling direction and the (0001) plane tilted by approximately 25" to 30" to the rolling plane in the transverse direction. Rosi has recently reported that the mechanisms for deformation in titanium are distinctly different from those commonly reported for hexagonal close-packed metals. The principal slip plane is the prismatic plane, {1010), with some slip also occurring on the pyramidal planes, (1011). However, there is no evidence for basal slip. The slip direction is reported to be the close-packed digonal axis, [1120]. In addition to the twin plane commonly reported for metals of this class, {1012), Rosi found the twin planes (1122) and {1121), with the dominant twin plane being (1121). Information regarding the recrystallization and hot rolling textures of hexagonal close-packed metals is limited. Barrett and Smigelskas report that rolling beryllium at temperatures up to 800°C and recrystallization at 700°C produce textures not differing from the cold rolled sheet texture.3 McGeary and Lustman find that hot rolling at 850°C produces the same basic texture in zirconium as rolling at room temperature.&apos; These investigators also report that the texture for sheet zirconium recrystallized at 650 °C differs from the cold rolled orientation inasmuch as the [1120] direction, instead of the [1010] direction, is parallel to the rolling direction. In the case of titanium, it is not possible to deduce which direction is preferred in the recrystallized state from the pole figures presented by Clark." The purpose of this paper is to report an extensive investigation of the preferred orientations in iodide titanium. Since the deformation mechanisms for titanium are different from those commonly given for hexagonal close-packed metals, it is not surprising to find distinct differences between the textures of titanium and other metals of this class. Materials and Methods This investigation was carried out on iodide titanium obtained from the New Jersey Zinc Co. with an analysis as follows: N2, 0.002 pct; Mn, 0.004; Fe, 0.0065; A1, 0.0065; Pb, 0.0025; Cu, 0.01; Sn, 0.002; and Ti, remainder. The crystallities of titanium were broken from the as-deposited bar and melted to form 20 g buttons on a water-cooled copper block in a vacuum arc-furnace. Hardness tests conducted on the material before and after melting differed by only two or three Vickers Pyramid Numbers, indicating no or insignificant contamination. The buttons were hot forged, ground, and etched to sizes and shapes suitable for the rolling schedule, and vacuum annealed at 1300°F. Specimens for determination of the wire textures were reduced 91 pct in diameter to 0.027 in. in 24 steps using grooved rolls. In order for the orientation of the central region to be studied, portions of these wires were electrolytically reduced to a diameter of 0.005 in. using the procedure described by Sutcliffe and Reynolds.&apos; The sheet textures were determined on titanium cold rolled 97 pct to a thickness of 0.005 in. A reduction of approximately 10 pct per pass was used, and the rolling direction was changed 180" after each pass. Specimens used for determination of the recrystallized textures were annealed in evacuated quartz tubes at 1000°, 1300°, and 1500°F. The grain size of the 1000°F specimen was sufficiently small to give satisfactory X-ray patterns with the specimen stationary. However, it was necessary to scan the surface of the other recrystallized specimens. The microstructure of each annealed specimen was that of a recrystallized material. The diffraction rings all showed the break-up into spots typical of recrystallized structures.

Jan 1, 1954

By W. F. Kieschnick, Eugene Harrison, W. J. McGuire

W. J. McGuire, et al, are to be commended for their undertaking of a mathematical solution of a very difficult problem. Unfortunately, however, a mathematical approach requires the application of several assumptions. These assumptions appear to be unrealistic and lead to answers which do not describe what actually happens when hydraulically fracturing oil and gas wells. Considering laboratory confirmation of breakdown phenomena, the authors appear to have tested their theories only on cement specimens and on samples of Austin limestone, much too small to provide any fracture system. This work resulted in the formation of vertical fractures. If the authors had tried similar experiments on thick walled cylinders made from almost any sandstone cores, they would have found that, using crude oil as the breakdown fluid, horizontal fractures would almost always occur, and at pressures much lower than any calculated. They would also find that by confining the fluid to within the bore (using oil base mud for example) on similar samples, the pressures required to burst the cylinders would be considerably higher and most of the fractures would be vertical. This breakdown pressure behavior has been duplicated in wells in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and in Wyoming. Considering field data the phenomena of different breakdown pressures for different breakdown techniques can be further illustrated. Most production and service personnel will agree that a breakdown can be more easily obtained if injection into a formation can be established prior to the occurrence of the breakdown. This is true whether the formation being treated is completed as open hole or as a perforated interval. This is clearly illustrated by a Lakota well in Wyoming, completed open hole at a total depth of 7,358 ft. An attempt to vertically fracture this well failed when a bottom hole pressure of 10,326 psi was insufficient to break down the formation. A non-penetrating type fluid (oil base mud) was in the well at the time the breakdown was tried." The oil base mud was then cleaned out of the well and replaced by a 30" API gravity crude oil. With this oil in the hole the formation breakdown was easily accomplished at a bottom hole pressure of 3,607 psi. This large difference in fracture pressures would be impossible according to the theories presented by McGuire, et al. The authors have used as an example the breakdown pressures experienced when acidizing Permian Basin wells. During acid treatments of limestone and dolomite the "breakdown" (drop-off in pressure) seldom occurs until some injection of acid has been accomplished. In these cases the breakdown is most likely to result from the chemical reaction of acid and rock in already existing vugs and fractures rather than from making a new fracture by hydraulic pressure. If this is true, then results in the Permian basin should not be used to validate the authors&apos; calculations. *** AUTHORS&apos; REPLY to ROSCOE C. CLARK and HENRY F. COFFER The purpose of our laboratory experiments in which thick-walled rock cylinders were hydraulically fractured was to determine the validity of the "thick pipe" formula for brittle materials, and not to predict nor demonstrate directly the orientation of field fractures. Our conclusions concerning field results resulted from calculations involving the "thick pipe" relationship as well as considerations of overburden stresses, rock strengths, and the geometry and dimensions of the field system. Clark suggests that had the models been more porous or contained weak bedding planes, horizontal fracturing would have occurred. This is undoubtedly true provided external stresses similar to those in the earth&apos;s crust are nor imposed. However, if we were going to design experiments to represent directly the field case we would impose the proper stresses on the models. It is generally recognized that the vertical compressive stress in the earth&apos;s crust arising from the weight of the overburden is approximately 1 psi/ft of depth. Then, as an example, even though a horizontal bedding plane has zero strength, the formation cannot be separated to form a horizontal fracture unless the hydraulic pressure exceeds the stress due to overburden. And in those cases in which the stress resisting vertical fracturing is significantly less than that resisting horizontal fracturing, vertical fractures should result, notwithstanding horizontal plane weaknesses. We agree that breakdown pressure will be less if the fracturing fluid penetrates the formation. In Appendix HI of our paper it is shown that leak-off reduces the pressure necessary to initiate either a horizontal or vertical fracture. It would be difficult to attempt to

Jan 1, 1955

By W. A. Griffith

Fractional replication of factorial design, a general method for planning experimentation and for analysis of data obtained, is described as applied to a flotation investigation. This method leads to determination of optimum process conditions with minimum experimental effort. Its advantages over simple factorial design are demonstrated. A METHOD for planning experimentation and for analyzing the data secured will be demonstrated. This method, termed fractional replication of factorial design, employs a relatively small number of individual experiments to determine which of a large number of process variables are controlling, to determine which combination of levels of these variables is most likely to produce optimum results, and also to predict what results will be obtained with a particular combination of conditions not already tested. Although the general method is not new, having been developed by Finney in 1945,&apos; the extent to which it can improve the effectiveness of applied research generally has not been recognized by metallurgists. The fractional replication procedure is particularly useful in flotation experimentation and an example from such an investigation will be used in the paper. However, it has equal value in any investigation in which similar experimental difficulties are encountered. In developing a flotation process for a particular mineral separation, the investigator is inevitably confronted with the following difficulties: 1—There are a large number of potentially important process variables. 2—Results of individual experiments are not highly reproducible, due in part to the difficulty in precisely controlling all the variables. 3—Considerable effort is expended in conducting individual experiments. 4—There are practical limits on the number of individual experiments which can be made. In situations of just such a type, modern statistical methods of planning experimentation and analyzing data have their greatest value. Applications of one such technique, called factorial design, to problems of this type have been described by Dorenfeld and others.&apos;-&apos; The simple factorial design is an efficient procedure when the investigator hopes to provide a comprehensive understanding of the effects and interrelationships of a small number of variables over a limited range. In applied research, this is seldom the main objective. Rather, the investigator usually wishes to determine which of the many potentially important variables are in fact controlling, which levels of the controlling variables will provide opti- mum metallurgical results, and what these results will be at optimum conditions. Interest in detailed trends is limited to the controlling variables and to levels in the region of optimum conditions. Simple factorial design has serious deficiencies for such objectives and is not the most efficient method of experimental design. Deficiencies of Factorial Design In a simple factorial design, an experiment must be made at every possible combination of each level of every variable, once these have been chosen and the levels of each to be included have been decided upon. As the number of variables or levels of each increases, the experimental program quickly reaches prohibitive size. For example, an investigation of only four variables, each at four levels, requires 256 individual experiments. Often upon completion of such an extensive program, it is found that one or more of the variables has metallurgically unimportant effects or that a poor estimate has been made as to the appropriate range of levels to be investigated. The result is that only a small proportion of the data obtained falls in the range of real metallurgical interest. Indeed, it frequently can be anticipated that certain combinations of levels of variables will not produce results of interest, but they still must be included so that the essential balance, or orthogonality, of the design will be retained. It may be true that factorial design will provide the greatest amount of information from a given number of experiments, but it does not necessarily follow that it will lead to the desired information with a minimum number of experiments. Much of the information provided may be of little value. Advantages of Fractional Replication The disadvantages of simple factorial design are overcome to a great extent by a modification known as fractional replication. This is a technique for sampling systematically the potential data of a full factorial experiment, that is, the data which would have been obtained if the complete factorially designed program had been completed. Only a fraction of the total array of experiments is made, but the experiments are chosen in such a way that the important advantages of factorial design and the accompanying analysis of variance are retained. The data obtained from the first group of experiments are used to determine which of several variables are controlling and which levels of these variables are most likely to produce the desired result. Unimportant variables and levels of variables then may be

Jan 1, 1956

One of the newest and most modern surface mining operations in the East is gathering steam at Mapco Inc.&apos;s Martiki mine in anticipation of yielding 2.7 million tons (3 million st) of coal annually.

Jan 10, 1977

By Robert H. Richards

Jan 1, 1883

By L. K. ARMSTRING

ANYONE doubting prosperity in the mining industry should visit the Kootenays of British Columbia where the West Kootenay Power & Light Co. is kept busy running new power lines and connecting mines and mills with lines already in service. Quoting from an inspired statement "The four hydro-electric plants of the West Kootenay Power & Light Co. on Kootenay River have been in continuous operation." At the recent 35th annual meeting of the Eastern&apos; British Columbia Boards of Trade held in Nelson, a two-day session indicated unusual activity. The following information was obtained through personal contact, through the press, and by hearsay. Much of it has been checked and proved accurate. Reversing the order of the flowsheet. Secretary J. R. Hunter reported as fol¬lows regarding the value of the 1934 production of the Consolidated Mining & . Smelting Company&apos;s metallurgical, plants at Trail and Tadanac:

Jan 1, 1935

By Hobart M. Kraner

THE mineralogy of blast furnace sinter is of interest because its mineral content is one of the important factors contributing to its character. There are so many other factors affecting the properties of the sinter, however, that it is well to mention them here. The proportion and character of the raw materials, that is, raw ores, concentrates, returns, and fuel, as well as the mixing and the water content, all have a marked effect on the physical properties of the product and the degree to which sintering action can be carried on. The process of sintering is a relatively fast operation. In as much as appreciable time is required to carry on processes of fusion in such masses of low thermal conductivity, large lumps of hematite ore frequently remain unfused and partly unchanged in state of oxidation in the sintering process. The kind, the grain size, and the amount of fuel used affect both the completeness of the fluxing reaction and the prevailing atmosphere. The rate of reduction in laboratory tests is not only dependent upon the state of oxidation of the sinter but also upon the sizing and porosity. Atmosphere and temperature affect the state of oxidation of the iron oxide, and the atmosphere alone may determine the ferrous minerals that finally develop. The rate and extent of cooling, the type of coolant, the subsequent handling, and screening all have serious effects upon the type of sinter that eventually enters blast furnace bins. The degree to which actual fusion or fluxing takes place in the sintering operation has a marked effect upon density. A sinter which has been extensively fused by high content of fuel in the batch will no doubt have a higher weight on the bulk basis than one which had a lower fuel content. As high temperatures are required to do this job, the iron oxide under these conditions will be largely magnetite. Sintering at low temperatures to produce larger proportions of hematite means a decrease in the amount of liquid formed and a much more sensitive bonding process. In this case the liquid must be distributed more uniformly and thereby used more efficiently than would be the case where higher temperatures were permitted to prevail more or less indiscriminately. Where coarse ore particles are used in a sinter mix it is not expected that any particles coarser than 1/4-in. can be fused and incorporated in the system to such an extent that the gangue contained within these lumps will have been converted or fused by the sintering process. It is for this reason that coarse ore, returns, or both, in a sinter usually result in a sinter which breaks easily and at the same time may contain some of the original minerals of the lump, such as quartz and hematite. In examination of sinters at Bethlehem Steel Co. minerals such as quartz and corundum have been found, none of which are considered normal associ- ates of wustite or magnetite. Some degree of heterogeneity or lack of equilibrium is not unusual in the sintering process. The differences in specific gravity between hematite and magnetite might be ample reason for poor strength in a not very well sintered mass containing coarse particles of. ore or returns. The shrinkage taking place in a lump of hematite in its conversion to magnetite by temperature and/or atmosphere is appreciable. Sintering of ores as it is carried out is crude chemistry, for the grain size is relatively coarse, the application of heat is certainly not uniform, and the time factor is inadequate for other than partial completion of reactions. Coarse lumps of coke or coal cause local heating around these centers, and fuel which is too fine may result in such slow burning that sufficiently high temperatures are not always obtained. High temperatures are essential to the work required. The Swedish practice of sintering is established on the basis of producing an easily reducible product high in hematite. This is achieved through uniformity of grain size in the sinter mix and close control of the temperature through careful regulation of fuel and sintering rates. This produces a sinter which is very tough in character and which has a high degree of porosity. Although the hematite content is not produced upon cooling by drawing air through the mass, there would be greater possibility of accomplishing this reaction with this type of sinter than is the case in American practice. In the latter, the temperatures are so high that temperature alone converts most of the mass to magnetite. The grains are so coarse in the final product that together with the fluxed condition it would be difficult to reoxidize them to hematite upon cooling. An examination of the iron-oxygen diagram&apos; shows that hematite does not exist above 2651°F. It also shows that there is no liquid in the pure magnetite-hematite system until 2881°F is reached. On the other hand, in the system magnetite-wustite liquids exist at considerably lower temperatures than this. It will be seen, therefore, considering only the iron oxides, that the bonding action obtained in America in sinters comes about through considerable temperature and/or reducing conditions that produce compositions containing even less oxygen than is contained in magnetite or than results from the fusion of silicates. The bonding obtained from the iron oxides is encouraged by the reducing conditions that prevail in the vicinity of the fuel particles in a mass of this sort, where temperatures are above 2600°F. As magnetite and wustite are opaque, they do not lend themselves to petrographic study by transmitted polarized light. The silicates found in sinter and the glass that has not crystallized transmit light and can be studied by these methods in which indices of refraction and other optical properties of anisotropic crystals lead to their definite identification. The index of refraction is the only property that can be measured in glass under the microscope, and this is a clue to its probable approximate composition.

Jan 1, 1954