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By D. E. Ranta, M. W. Ganster, A. D. Ward

An ore zoning technique developed by Climax geologists during the past forty years has been used to contour drill-hole assay values on cross-sections for fourteen porphyry molybdenum deposits in western North America, including the Climax and Henderson orebodies. Detailed geological studies of these large, complex deposits are essential in determining ore controls, which are the factors most critical to the zoning of MoS2 and to conceptualizing geologic model s. The technique provides a detailed representation of the size, shape, grade distribution, and geologic continuity of the individual deposits. It demands a disciplined approach and adheres to rigorous rules while maintaining flexibility for adaptation to widely varying geologic conditions. By defining the limits that guide and control manual, computer-assisted conventional, and geostatistical reserve estimates, it exerts a strong geologic influence on the estimation process. A combination of ore zoning and geostatistical analysis of molybdenum deposits produces a significantly more accurate, precise, and defendable geologic reserve estimate than other methods.

Jan 1, 1984

By S. Vela, R. M. McKinley, L. A. Carlton

Johnson et al. have described a new well-testing technique that measures formation flow properties between wells.' The technique, called pulse-testing, requires a sequence of rate changes in the flow at one well and measzcrement of the re.rulting pressure changes at an adjacent well with a very sensitive differential pressure gauge. This paper describes an extensive application of the technique in a producing oil field. Pulse-tests on 28 of 45 possible well pairs in the field provided a picture of the areal distribution of reservoir hydraulic diffusivity, trans-missibility and storage. The primary objective in presenting these data is to demonstrate the potential of the methcid for reservoir description. A second objective is to show in three ways the qualitative and quantitative accuracy of reservoir parameters determined from pulse-tests: (I) pulse-test data show a nonuniformity in the field, closely correlating with the oil-water distribution as given by production data: (2) pulse-test values for permeability are comparable with core va1ue.s; and (3) perhaps most important, the field responds to a conventional interference test in the manner in which pulse-test data predict it should. The pulse-testing technique by Johnson et al.' is an ideal source of data for purposes of reservoir description, for it provides a measurement of formation storage S = +ch, hydraulic diffusivity 91 = k/+cp and transmissibility T — This paper describes an application of this method in a producing oil field. Results were analyzed to give numerical values for the parameters 7, T and S. These values were compared with oil-water production data (for the effect of fluid saturation), with core data and with data from an interference test. The reservoir in which the pulse-test survey was run is the result of a structural trap formed by a fault along the east side of a north-south trending anticline. A down-structure aquifer providcs a natural flank water drive for the pool. The producing formation is a dolomitic lime- stone having mainly vugular permeability; the formation oil has a gravity of 29" API with negligible dissolved gas. The field contains 19 wells, all on pump, arranged on 40-acre spacing along the top of the anticline. Fig. 1 shows the location of all these wells except two at the south end of the field. The dashed line on the right-hand side of the figure represents the approximate location of the fault with respect to well positions. Pulse-Test Survey and Analysis of Data A pulse-test requires a pulsing well and a responding well. In the field, changes were made in the rate of flow at the pulsing well by stopping and starting the pump periodically and measuring the corresponding pressure

Jan 1, 1969

By J. C. Yannopoulos, N. J. Themelis

Ah electronic thermogravirnetric balance was used to measure the veductioiz rule o single cirpric oxide particles suspended in a stream of hydrogen. Very jzne thermocouples embedded in lie center and at the surface of the sphere recorded the variation of terw perature during reduction. In contrast to iron oxide reduction, where in most instances the rate of interface reactiokl is controlling, the heat- and mass-transfer phenotnena play a predolrinant role in the reduction of cupric oxide. The correlation of experitnental data or tnass lransfev lhrough the boundary layer at Reynolds nunlber 0-4 50 was as jollocs: ThE reduction of cupric oxide by hydrogen is represented by the equation: It is a highly exothermic reaction and the amount of heat released varies only slightly with temperature (-21,430 cal per g-mole at 400°C). Most of the published studies on this system have been conducted at temperatures in the range of 34 to 280c.l-&apos; The concensus of opinion has been that at temperatures below 200°C the reaction is preceded by an induction period during which there is very little or no reduction. The length of this period diminishes as the temperature of the reaction is increased1l5 and aseawa found that at 280°C reduction starts practically immediately when the oxide is exposed to hydrogen gas. The existence of an induction, or incubation, period has led experimenters to believe that the reduction of CuO by hydrogen is catalyzed by metallic copper.&apos; Boldurev and rmolaev found that mechanical additions of powdered copper to oxide did not affect its reduction, although metallic copper produced during the reduction seemed to have a catalytic effect. At least three other authors2&apos;5&apos;7 have reported that addition of copper had no effect on the rate of reduction. Pease and alor&apos; observed that water vapor had a strong inhibiting effect on the reduction at 1503C, but its effect was greatly diminished at 200 C. Pavlychenko and Rubinchik5 studied this reaction at 159 to 235 C and found that, once the reaction had been initiated, there was no inhibiting effect due to the introduction of water in the hydrogen stream; at temperatures above 183°C there was no inhibiting effect due to water vapor, either before or during reaction. The same authors noted that the rate of reduction was independent of pressure in the range of 200 to 700 mm Hg. aseawa investigated the kinetics of the CuO-Hz system at 160 to 280°C and estimated the apparent activation energy at 14,000 cal per g-mole. A similar value (13,500 1200 cal per g-mole) was reported by ond&apos; in the temperature range 148 to 216°C. Bond also reported that there was no incubation period and that water vapor had no inhibiting effect on reduction at temperatures above 190 C. The above studies have been conducted at temperatures below 280°C and the physical configuration of the system under investigation has not been defined adequately. However, it is well-known that the mechanism of gas-solid reactions depends on a number of in series physical and chemical rate prcesses.&apos;&apos; It is, therefore, essential to include among the experimental factors the geometry of the solid system and the mass-transport characteristics of the reducing gas. Scott studied the reduction of packed beds of cupric oxide cylinders by Hz-He streams of very low hydrogen concentrations at temperatures 400 to 600 C, pressure of 10 to 30 atm, and gas velocity from 0.18 to 5.8 ft per sec (3 < Rep < 30). The reduction rate was found to be mainly controlled by diffusion through the boundary layer and through the pores of the reduced copper phase. The following correlation was proposed: Scott in an earlier work studied the reduction of fixed beds of cupric oxide wire and found that the rate of flow of the gas stream through the bed had a controlling effect on the rate of reduction. The same mass-transfer phenomenon was observed by Bond and clark13 on a similar reduction system. The analogy between mass and heat transfer through the boundary layer which exists between a solid surface and the bulk stream stems from the similarity of the differential equations representing these phenomena

Jan 1, 1967

By C. C. Mattax, J. E. Bobek, M. O. Denekas

ABSTRACT investigations in recent years have shown that rock wettability can exert a profound influence on the displacement of oil by water from oil producing reservoirs. Core analyses frequently show oil recoveries from preferentially water-wet rock to be significantly greater than those from preferentially oil-wet rock. Thus, an accurate prediction of water-drive or waterflood oil recovery is dependent on the evaluation of reservoir rock wettability. Laboratory and field studies have been undertaken to examine and develop methods which may be used to measure rock wettahililiy, to investigate factors which may alter the wettability of reservoir rock, and to determine the wettability of specific reservoirs. It has been found that measurement of the rate and volume of spontaneous imbibition of the wet-ting phase by a rock is a reliable and reproducible test for semi-quantitarive determination of preferential rock wettability. Laboratory tests have shown that the wettability of reservoir rock may depend on both the crude oil composition and the rock type. Field and laboratory tests have indicated that coring flulids and core handling techniques can cause significant changes in the wettability of rock surfaces. However, a few fluids, brine in particular, appear not to affect core wettability and may be used when coring to determine reservoir wettability. Core handling and packing procedures have been developed which preserve core wettability during storage and laboratory testing. The wetfability characteristics of six reservoirs have been evaluated by wettabilify tests performed in the field on fresh cores cut with brine or special water-base muds. The tests indicated that all six reservoirs are water wet; however, the de-gree differed from one reservoir to another. INTRODUCTION Although surface properties of reservoir rock and interfacial characteristics of rock, crude oil, and water systems have been discussed for many years, the full significance of these properties to the production of oil is still in the process of evaluation. It is known, however, that one surface characteristic—preferential wettability of the reservoir rock—-is of paramount importance when the reservoir is being produced by water-flood or water-drive mechanisms. The importance of rock wettability has been pointed out by several authors&apos;.&apos;,%* who have found that pref- erentially water-wet cores flood more efficiently than oil-wet cores; that is, more oil is recovered from water-wet cores in the early flooding stages than from oil-wet cores. Other authors&apos;," indicate that waterflood oil recovery from cores of intermediate wettability may be greater than that from either strongly water-wet or strongly oil-wet cores. These recent investigations emphasize that the true wettability of a reservoir must be known before the performance of waterflood or water-drive reservoirs can be accurately evaluated. When reservoir wettability is to be determined by core analysis, precautions must be taken to maintain the original wettability which can be altered readily during coring5 nd testing.&apos; In the coring operation the core may be partially or completely penetrated by the drilling fluid which, if it contains surface active materials, may drastically change the wettability of the core. Also, improper core handling during stcrage and testing may change its wettability because of evaporation of fluids or exposure to oxygen or surface active contaminants. One purpose of this paper is to discuss methods for obtaining, preserving, and testing cores without altering their original wettability. In addition, the results of wettability tests on fresh and preserved cores from six reservoirs are presented where special precautions were taken to obtain samples without altering their wettability during the coring operation.

By V. J. Kniazeff, S. A. Naville

The problem of unsteady-state condensate-gas flow through porous media leads to a set of second-order non-linear partial differential equations. Such a set of equations is numerically solved in the case of radial two-phase flow around a well, taking into consideration both the thermodynamical properties of the fluid and the mechanical properties of the reservoir. The fluid properties, reflecting the PVT relationship of the gaseous and liquid phases, are expressed by using the partial specific masses of the two main separator products in these phases. The flow properties of the reservoir rock are expressed by the generalized Darcy&apos;s law for the liquid phase and by a quadratic relationship between the rate of flow and the pressure gradient for the gaseous phase. The numerical solution of the equations for pressure and saturation US radius and time is worked out through programs written for a computer. The evolution of bottom-hole pressures, well productivities or- deliverabilities and effluent compositions with the depletion of the reservoir is easily derived. The application to the Saharian gas-condensate field Hassi R&apos;Mel led to a better understanding of the drainage mechanism. A zone of fairly high liquid saturation develops around the wells, reducing the effective permeability, and represents a loss of condensible products in addition to the PVT-like retrograde condensation. lnside this zone, near the well, the deviation from Darcy&apos;s law for the flow of the gaseous phase governs the well deliver-ability. A back-pressure test has been computed and correlates with the field results. INTRODUCTION Two-phase flow of volatile hydrocarbons, like condensate gas or light crude oil, may be treated as the flow of a binary mixture by an arbitrary division of the chemical components into two groups. This is translated into two equations of mass continuity, which constitute a set of relation- ships for the pressure and the saturations vs the space coordinates and the time. The equations contain the laws governing the composition and the motion of the phases. The problem so defined is solved with the assumption that the compositions of the phases at any pressure are respectively the same as those observed in a PVT measuring cell under differential liberation. In a first series of computations, it was assumed that the flow obeys the generalized Darcy&apos;s law. A satisfactory representation of the retrograde condensation around the well was thus obtained. In addition, the trend toward decreasing effective permeabilities was obtained, and the computed composition of the effluent checked the laboratory values. However, it has not been possible within this basic assumption to represent the non-linear relationship between the production rate and the bottom-hole pressure drawdown as observed for gas wells in the field. Following the advice of A. Houpeurt it was decided to consider the relative permeability to gas as a function of the velocity of the gas Phase.1 The necessary physical determinations were made by E. COstaséque using a method devised by A. Houpeurt and R. Iffly. As numerical processing of the equations progressed, several difficulties were encountered which were overcome through collaboration with the computer manufacturer. This mathematical model of two-phase flow in porous media had been primarily intended for and extensively applied to the case of the Hassi R&apos;Mel gas-condensate field, operated by SN Repal for SEHR, a joint subsidiary of SN Repal and CFP (A). The programs have also found their applications to forecast the behavior of several fields in the Sahara area containing light and volatile hydrocarbons. BASIC EQUATIONS We will consider a zone in the porous reservoir where the flow properties and the in situ composition of the fluids can be assumed to be uniform. A part of the equations of transient flow can be written with the specific gravity of the fluids being taken equal to the sum of the contributions due to the

Jan 1, 1966

By R. G. Ward, P. L. Sachdev

Using an improved maximum bubble pressure technique, the densities of iron silicates at 1400°C have been measured under nitrogen. At the wiistite composition the density has been measured by bubble-blowing experments with both argon and nitrogen and calculated from the measured volume of a known mass of melt under nitrogen. The densities under nitrogen are significantly different from those measured under argon for melts containing less than 28 wt pct SiO2. THE constitution of liquid slags is not well understood, largely because no single property or parameter can be measured which gives conclusive evi- dence of the types and packing of the ions present. Of the many property measurements which can provide information leading to a picture of the constitution of slags, density gives the most direct evidence and has been studied extensively. The work reported here is part of a program of study of densities in multicomponent melts in which the iron oxide-silica system is the solvent. These melts are important as they are fundamental to basic steelmaking, and they allow the study of basic silicate compositions which have hitherto been largely neglected. As considerable disparity exists

Jan 1, 1965

By W. D. Robertson, J. -P. Briant, M. Gell

The distribulion of dislocatiorls genevnted during the propagalion of hydrogen-induced cracks in Fe-Si cryslcrls was studied as a funclion of temperature f-110o lo 243°C) and silicorz conlenl (3.1 and 4.2 pct). It zoas found that the clislocntiotl densily and the size of the plctslic zone increased with increasing tempevalnre and decreasing silicon conlent. Furtheruvzove, there was a correlcrtion in the dislocalion patterns formed around cracks that propagated at different tempevattrt-es in cvyslals of diffevent silicon contents such that a 1 pcl itlcverise in silicon content was equivalent to a lemperaluore redziclion of approximately 120°C. The experimenlal YeSnllS were compaved with the results of an elastic-plastic wodel that relates the size of the pluslic .zone to the cvack length, internal pressure, and yield stress. it was found that the clzunges in the dislocctlion cryrays with lemperature and combosition can be e-kplaincd by the lemperatrnre and composilion dependence of the yield stress. An wmtsual feature of this study was the observation of low -temperature noncrystrrllogruphic cracks. PLASTIC relaxation can occur at the edge of a moving crack by the operation of pre-existing dislocation sources or by the creation of new sources in a region of perfect 1attice.l&apos;2 The amount of relaxation in a given crystal depends on the crack velocity and the temperature, and can determine whether a crack propagates in a brittle or a ductile manner.1-3 Tetelman and Robertson4 observed microcracks m Fe-3 pct Si single crystals that formed on (100) planes by the precipitation of hydrogen gas during electrolytic charging at 23°C. The plastic deformation accompanying crack propagation was observed in the form of dislocation etch pits and an extensive analysis has been made of the size, shape, and crystallography of the dislocation arrays5-7 This paper describes the effect of temperature on the plastic deformation generated around hydrogen-induced cracks in Fe-3.1 pct Si and Fe-4.2 pct Si single crystals. The observations are compared with the results of an elastic-plastic model for yielding around a crack containing an internal pressure. 1) EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES The composition of the materials used in this study are given in Table I. Single crystals of alloy A and the 4.2 pct Si alloy were grown by the strain-anneal method; crystals of alloy B and the 5.1 pct Si alloy were cut from an ingot grown from the liquid. he ~ingle-cr~stal metallographic specimens had a Cross section of 0.100 by 0.050 in. with a length of at least 3/8 in. Specimens were annealed for 3 hr at

Jan 1, 1968

By J. P. Hirth, G. M. Pound

The flux of evaporation J from {loo) , {111), and (110) planes of silver single crystals and from poly crystalline specimens was measured at 744°C under a high vacuum using a time average weight loss method. The evaporation coefficient a was computed from the measured flux and vapor pressure data through the relationship J = aPe/21rmkT. The evaporation coefficients for the close packed planes and the poly crystalline specimens were found to be about 0.4 providing tentative confirmation of the theoretical limiting law for evaporation of metal crystals, a = 73(P/Pe) + % . The (110) planes faceted to form (111) planes, resulting in a greater evaporating area and larger a . The evaporation morphology of the plane surfaces and the surfaces of spherical single crystals is described in some detail. RECENTLY a detailed theoretical analysis of the mechanism and kinetics of metal crystal evaporation was made.1&apos;2 A mechanism for vaporization involving the recession of monatomic ledges across a metal surface was deduced, and evaporation rate equations were derived by considering the dynamics of these ledges. In most metals, the process of evaporation is one of dissociation of atoms from ledges, surface diffusion, and desorption. The gross vaporization rate is controlled by the surface diffusion and desorption rates. It was shown that the monatomic ledges, under the action of surface diffusion gradients, tend to assume a terminal velocity and spacing. Further, it was shown that crystal edges and grain boundaries are a ready source for monatomic ledges. In the case of evaporation of large, perfect crystals with clean, low-index surfaces, the kinetic treatment1 leads to a limiting law for crystal evaporation: where J is the gross flux of vaporization, a is the evaporation coefficient, Pe the equilibrium vapor pressure, m the atomic mass, k Boltzmann&apos;s constant, T the absolute temperature, and P the actual pressure of vapor over the crystal surface. Imperfections such as grain boundaries, pores, cracks, and macroscopic steps should have the effect of causing positive departures from this limiting law. Such an imperfection is a source for monatomic ledges, which, near their origin, are closely spaced and thus give rise to higher evaporation rates there. However, under many experimental conditions,&apos; this effect should be negligible due to the relatively low concentration of imperfections. In general, a more important cause of positive departure should be screw dislocations, and the effect of these has been considered in some detai1.2,3 Monatomic ledges emanate from points where the surface is intersected by a dislocation with a screw component normal to the surface. The dynamics of ledges arising from a screw dislocation are similar to those of ledges arising from a crystal edge. There is a perturbed region near the origin where the monatomic ledges are, under certain experimental conditions, closely spaced and the

Jan 1, 1960

By T. V. Philip, R. E. Lenhart

When commercial silicon iron sheets of varying magnetic quality are isothermally annealed at high temperatures, extremely large grains develop in the material having good magnetic properties. These grains are of the (110) [001] orientation and are formed by secondary recrystallization. The primary driving force for this secondary recrystallization is grain boundary free energy. For the secondary grains, activation energies of 103 kcal per mole for nucleation, and of 75.5 kcal per mole for growth, were obtained. The activation energy for nucleation of the secondary grains is consistent with a model involving redistribution of a precipitate acting as the primary grain growth inhibitor. SINGLY oriented silicon iron sheet was first produced in 1935.1 The material as commercially produced today has a very highly developed preferred orientation or texture; up to 95 pct of the grains are crystallographically oriented with their (110) planes in the plane of the sheet and their [loo] directions parallel to the rolling direction. This texture, usually written as (110) [00l], is referred to as the "GOSS" or the "cube-on-edge" texture. Because the magnetic properties of this material are superior to those of the nonoriented sheets in the direction of rolling, the oriented silicon iron has acquired tremendous industrial importance especially in the manufacture of transformer cores and other electrical equipment. The commercially produced material is essentially an iron-silicon alloy containing about 3 1/4 pct Si with minor impurities totaling less than 0.15 pct. The silicon steel heat is melted in the open hearth or electric furnace. The ingots are hot rolled, with or without being slabbed, to strips of 0.100 to 0.080 in. thickness. They are then cold reduced to an intermediate thickness, recrystallized, cold reduced to final thickness, decarburized, and finally annealed at a high temperature. During this high-temperature anneal, extremely large grains with the cube-on-edge texture are produced in the sheet. Several papers have appeared in the literature2-10 relating to the production of the Goss-textured material. Most of these describe the textures produced on cold rolling and on subsequent annealing of single crystal or polycrystalline silicon iron. May and Turnbull11,12 have recently shown the necessity of a second-phase dispersed impurity in the material for the production of the Goss texture. However, none of these papers describes in detail the nucleation and growth kinetics of the (110) [001] grains during the final high-temperature anneal.* The present work, therefore, is an attempt to understand the nucleation and growth kinetics of the cube-on-edge grains in the silicon iron sheet during the final high-temperature anneal.

Jan 1, 1962

By Horace Mann

A FEW years ago, it was generally thought that from 15 to 18 per, cent. of zinc oxide was the upper limit of a workable lead blast-furnace slag. With slags above this zinc-oxide content, the furnaces gave so much trouble because of hearth, wall, and crucible accretions that the campaign was very short. The time lost in cleaning out the frozen furnaces, for it was seldom possible to blow them out, and blowing in was so great that it was considered uneconomical to attempt the running of high-zinc slags, even if this were metallurgically possible. It is true that there are, references to one or two slags much higher in zinc than the foregoing,1 but the average smelterman regarded these, as freaks and not to be considered for regular furnace work. One or two plants, notably the plant of the United States Smelting Co, at Canyon City, Colo., ran charges, higher in zinc. At this plant, the zinc-oxide content of the charge was frequently 20 per cent. and higher but the slags from these furnace&apos;s seldom ran over 10 to 12 per. cent. zinc oxide. The furnaces were run with a large volume of air under a relatively low pressure, a low smelting column, and a very hot top; as a result, a large amount of zinc was volatilized. Even with the low smelting column and hot top, accretions caused much trouble and barring, down was a daily occurrence. At the time most of the theories on lead blast-furnace work were promulgated or worked out, it was necessary to run a furnace with a cold top in order to avoid an excessive loss due to fines and fume. At the same time, the smelting conditions had to be such that the lead and silver would be reduced and would enter the bullion. The slag had to be liquid but the charge must not give excessive accretions either in the hearth or on the walls of the furnace. This forced the operators to run the furnaces with a comparatively low blast, which, in turn, caused a small fuel consumption per unit of time with the accompanying result of a low working temperature.

Jan 8, 1925

By Paul Billingsley

CERTAIN adequately developed mining districts give complete three-dimensional patterns of ore bodies as clusters rising from roots in basement rocks with details controlled by structure of cover rooks. Examples are Goodsprings, Tintic, Bisbee, Leadville, Hedley, Eureka, Ely and Goldfield. In these and others the controlling structures in both basement and cover rock are elements of the neighboring regional structure and have been produced by rock movements in harmony with continental adjustments, which are usually steep tear faults in basement and thrust crumples in cover. Invariably the structures and movements in the districts have long geologic history and result from intersecting or superimposed deformations of different ages. Salt Lake districts show intersecting Uinta and Cordilleran elements; Colorado dis-tricts show intersecting pre-Cambrian and Tertiary elements, and Bisbee shows Tertiary superimposed on final Paleozoic folding. Thus the position of districts has been determined by the patterns of North American orogenic belts, which make cross-roads in Rocky Mountains and blocks of superimposed deformation in Sierra Nevada, northwest Coast and Canadian Coast Ranges. Essential function of repeated deforma-tion is to strengthen rock, as from shale to slate to schist to gneiss, and thus make it competent to carry channels to depth with or without addition of intrusives. The essence of a mining district is the presence of such competent rocks with long-lived, deep, penetrating breaks reopened to permit passage of heat and associated products from depths to surface. It is suggested that melts such as magmas; metamorphism up to and including granitization; alteration, such as orthoclase-quartz or quartz-sericite or garnet, and also mineralization, may all be by-products of such heat escape along channels made by tectonic forces at specific foci.

Jan 1, 1939

By H. T. Clark, S. Feigenbaum

THE importance of measuring the temperature of molten steel in the open-hearth furnace has been recognized for many years. Poor temperature control may be costly to steelmaking operations and lead to a lowered quality of the steel. Low or excessive temperatures may shorten the life of the furnace, ladles and molds. Rates of reactions in the furnace and efficiencies of deoxidizers are known to change materially with a change in the temperature of the metal and slag. Ladle skulls and mold and stool stickers cause steel to be scrapped instead of being converted into useful products. Finally, the structure, segregation and surface condition of ingots are affected by the teeming temperature. Mill investigations of the effect of bath temperature upon steelmaking operations have been largely qualitative in character, based upon observations by practical melting men. The physical chemist has used the empirical information available and has reached reasonable and useful conclusions with respect to the various melting processes. The introduction of a reliable direct- reading pyrometer will permit accurate quantitative evaluation of the effects of temperature and should furnish a more rational basis for study of the thermo- chemistry of steelmaking. The problem is not merely one of making a small number of temperature measurements in the open-hearth furnace. This has been done by several methods to a degree of precision that was apparently satisfactory. Considerable effort by a number of investigators has been directed rather to the development of an open- hearth bath pyrometer that would be both accurate and practical for routine measurements. To be practical, the pyrometer should be inexpensive to operate; that is, the installation, operating and maintenance costs should be exceeded by the tangible benefits to the open-hearth operator. Temperatures from 2800° to 3100°F. are encountered in the open-hearth furnace. The surface of the molten metal is covered by several inches of slag, which prevents direct observation of the metal surface for optical or radiation measurements. Both slag and metal are highly reactive at these temperatures and will attack to a greater or lesser extent any material immersed in them. Adequate protection of thermocouples, which of necessity must be brought to the temperature of the bath, has generally resulted in a large, heavy assembly made up of .brittle materials, unsuited for handling on the open-hearth floor. The lie of the equipment was short and maintenance was an important consideration. EARLIER WORK Any one of a number of physical proper- ties of liquid steel could conceivably be used as a basis for temperature measurement. Efforts to the present time, however, have been confined largely to measuring either the thermal electromotive force generated between two dissimilar materials immersed in the steel or the intensity of radiation from the surface of the steel. These

Jan 1, 1946

By Samuel Daniels

THE Al-Cu-Ni-Mg alloy is much benefited by heat treatment and, in such con¬dition, is preferable to the Al-Cu-Fe-Mg alloy either as cast or as heat-treated, when both are reheated to temperatures of from 400° to 600° F. and compared, cold, with respect to strength and to hardness. The main differences between the alloys do not arise until the reheating temperature exceeds 400° F., above which they gradually soften. This softening is characterized metallographically by the appearance of intragranular precipitate. The Al-Cu-Ni-Mg alloy is weakest and least hard after being reheated at 600° F., the AI-Cu-Fe-Mg alloy at about 700° F. The former starts to reharden at 700° F., the latter at 800° F. There is a tendency for both alloys to lose strength and hardness with prolongation of time at the reheating temperatures of 500° and of 700° F. The Al-Cu-Ni-Mg alloy is considerably stronger and harder than the Al-Cu-Fe-Mg alloy when both are heat-treated and reheated for long periods of time at 500° and 700° F. Although the latter can be made harder initially than the AI-Cu-Ni-Mg alloy by suitable quenching and aging, heat treatment, in general, favors the retention of this initial (strength and) hardness after reheating to a much greater degree in the Al-Cu-Ni-Mg alloy. The percentage of elongation of the two materials in any condition is very small. CERTAIN aluminum alloys have been used for pistons and other parts operating at temperatures up to 650° F. because of their lightness, high thermal conductivity and specific heat, fair strength and hardness at elevated temperatures, excellent machineability, and moderate resistance o corrosion. In the piston, the inertia forces and the bearing loading and with this the vibration are decreased. The piston head functions at a lower temperature (about 200° F. below one of cast iron), so that, because of the lessened tendency toward carbonization and detonation, higher compression ratios may be used. On the other hand, the aluminum alloys do not have the wearing and bearing qualities of cast iron; also they have a large coefficient of expansion, allowance for which must be made in the design.

Jan 2, 1926

By E. J. Horwood

The varying physical character and large extent of the Broken Hill lode necesarily involve the employment of a variety of underground methods. The lode had its origin in an extensive fault plane traversing metamorphosed schists conformably, as a rule, with their beds of stratification. The underground waters carrying minerals in solution deposited their contents in the original cavities formed by the faulting action, and in the enlargements of these cavities due to dynamic forces brought to bear on the rocks, more especially on the hanging-wall side of the fault. This deposition was supplemented by metasomatic replacement of a portion of the original rock contents by the argentiferous sulphides of lead and zinc which form the staple products of the district. Although the orebody is practically continuous throughout the mines, its width varies greatly, ranging from a few feet to about 350 ft. The widest portions occur in conjunction with huge folds in the inclosing country rock, almost exclusively on the hanging-wall side. The ore in these folds pitches to the south in the southern half of the field, and to the north in the northern half; there are, however, undulations in these ore channels evidently due to compression of the rocks in the direction of the channels. In the earlier days, before the orebodies had been opened up, vertical cross-sections across these bulges in the hanging wall gave the lode the appearance of the "saddle formation," so well exemplified at Bendigo in Victoria; but subsequent development of the ore channels has long since proved that the formations in the two districts are entirely different. The depth reached by the zone of complete oxidation of the sulphides varies from about 259 to 550 ft, from the original outcrop, while partial oxidation extends in places below the 1,000-ft. level. The result of oxidizing influences has been the production of ore of every grade of cohesive-ness, from that of dry sand to that of hard compact rock. The methods of mining followed in this field, and even in individual mines, are varied in accordance with the character of the ore. The general practice of the field is to sink vertical shafts, generally on the foot-

Jan 1, 1916

By L. T. Leyson, U. C. Tainton

Some time ago, at ameeting of the Institute Prof. J. W. Richards1 said, "I take exception to the statement that all the factors in the production of electrolytic zinc were known long ago.... There is possible in my opinion an improvement of perhaps 50 per cent. in the new electrolytic processes." An examination of the literature of the subject will show the justness of Professor Richards&apos; contention. The work of the earlier investigators was carried on in the shadow of difficulties that, today, are hardly more than memories. We seldom hear now of zinc sponge, that bête noir of the electrolytic-zinc pioneers. Zinc sponge was the name given to a peculiar, soft, black, non-adherent form of zinc deposit that was utterly useless for melting into ingot form. At the big plant at Cockle Creek, New South Wales, in 1897, Edgar Ashcroft2 said that the solution in the plant would suddenly, and without ascertainable cause, go&apos; "bad" and begin to deposit spongy zinc. The most delicate, even spectroscopic, methods of analysis were unable to detect any difference between "good" solution and "bad" solution; either form might change to the other on being kept for a while. When it is added that an outbreak of this insidious disease (which appeared to be infectious, or at least contagious) could be dealt with only by discarding the solution and washing out all tanks and pipe lines, some idea may be gathered of the troubles of the zinc electrometallurgist in what may be spoken of as the "sponge age" of electrolytic zinc. Thanks to the efforts of a number of investigators, we are today able to diagnose with considerable certitude the nature of the malady that puzzled Ashcroft and his co-workers. The researches of Mylius and

Jan 1, 1924

As 1970 develops and industrial minerals stand at a crucial point in their progress, research and development programs appear to be the key needed to open up new uses for each mineral&apos;s future growth. Radically new processes are needed for making a host of new synthetic products from mineral raw materials which will more nearly meet the demanding specifications required for high performance in space, nuclear and defense applications. Consumer applications for high temperature environments will be needed and are important for continuing the nations economic mineral position. In addition, an acute materials problem limits the effectiveness of some of the newer concepts for controlling ail pollution. What is needed then, according to a report printed by the National Academy of Sciences, is the carefully planned development of a limited number of major centers at universities to provide for both basic research and training of personnel; the nurturing of interdisciplinary mechanisms for research and problem solving within these centers; the achieving of a better balance between physics and chemistry within research, emphasizing the chemical aspects of the material sciences; and the enhancement of a broader professional identity by unifying the various disciplines involved into a possible federation of existing societies which have an interest in the problems. [EE] presents its 1969 annual industrial minerals review, where individual authors evaluate the status of each industrial mineral and recount the major developments which occurred during the year.

Jan 1, 1970

By T. L. Joseph

It is a distinct privilege to participate in this meeting convened to honor the memory of Henry Marion Howe, a distinguished scientist and metallurgist. Many have added to our rapidly growing fund of metallurgical knowledge but few have made the unique contribution of formulating basic concepts essential to an over-all comprehensive view of the subject of metallography. Of those previously selected to deliver this lecture, several have added a personal touch to their discourse because they were able to refer to their associations with Dr. Howe. It was not my good fortune to know him or to enjoy his inspiring influence. Like most of you, my contact has been with his published works, which are outstanding in that they provide lucid, detailed expositions of the nature and behavior of metals and alloys. His deep understanding and clarity of expression have greatly accelerated our progress in metallography and in the use of metals. The degree to which a man&apos;s thinking, experimentation and writing contribute toward an understanding of basic laws and phenomena determines whether his life&apos;s work is of transitory or permanent value. This occasion appropriately recognizes the fundamental importance of Dr. Howe&apos;s pioneer work in the field of metallurgy.. On two former occasions, gray iron was selected as a subject for discussion. The fact that the production of pig iron has not been discussed before does not reflect any lack of interest on the part of Dr. Howe or former lecturers in the process that underlies the production of steel. Although Dr. Howe&apos;s work in his later years centered around metallography, his earlier publications show a considerable interest in the production of iron and steel. He recognized that in the ascending spiral of metallurgical advancement we are not winding a single thread but are weaving a complex fabric. Specific evidence of his interest in the production of pig iron may be found in his book&apos; on The Metallography of Cast Iron and Steel. In explaining why blast furnaces have been in constant use for about 600 years, he says: "The process is economical because it utilizes with extraordinary completeness the calorific power of the coke due to the thorough transfer of heat from the gaseous products of combustion to the charge." This emphasis on heat transfer, overlooked in many more extended and more recent discussions of the blast-furnace process, illustrates Professor Howe&apos;s ability to see the essentials. Other distinct advantages of the blast furnace, such as the removal of- much of the sulphur and practically all of the oxygen, were mentioned. It was also stated that although the blastfurnace process is complex in nature, its outward form is comparatively simple, thus permitting large-scale production at small labor costs. All who contemplate the production of metallic iron from its ores by any other process might well consider the

Jan 1, 1947

By T. L. Joseph

It is a distinct privilege to participate in this meeting convened to honor the memory of Henry Marion Howe, a distinguished scientist and metallurgist. Many have added to our rapidly growing fund of metallurgical knowledge but few have made the unique contribution of formulating basic concepts essential to an over-all comprehensive view of the subject of metallography. Of those previously selected to deliver this lecture, several have added a personal touch to their discourse because they were able to refer to their associations with Dr. Howe. It was not my good fortune to know him or to enjoy his inspiring influence. Like most of you, my contact has been with his published works, which are outstanding in that they provide lucid, detailed expositions of the nature and behavior of metals and alloys. His deep understanding and clarity of expression have greatly accelerated our progress in metallography and in the use of metals. The degree to which a man&apos;s thinking, experimentation and writing contribute toward an understanding of basic laws and phenomena determines whether his life&apos;s work is of transitory or permanent value. This occasion appropriately recognizes the fundamental importance of Dr. Howe&apos;s pioneer work in the field of metallurgy.. On two former occasions, gray iron was selected as a subject for discussion. The fact that the production of pig iron has not been discussed before does not reflect any lack of interest on the part of Dr. Howe or former lecturers in the process that underlies the production of steel. Although Dr. Howe&apos;s work in his later years centered around metallography, his earlier publications show a considerable interest in the production of iron and steel. He recognized that in the ascending spiral of metallurgical advancement we are not winding a single thread but are weaving a complex fabric. Specific evidence of his interest in the production of pig iron may be found in his book&apos; on The Metallography of Cast Iron and Steel. In explaining why blast furnaces have been in constant use for about 600 years, he says: "The process is economical because it utilizes with extraordinary completeness the calorific power of the coke due to the thorough transfer of heat from the gaseous products of combustion to the charge." This emphasis on heat transfer, overlooked in many more extended and more recent discussions of the blast-furnace process, illustrates Professor Howe&apos;s ability to see the essentials. Other distinct advantages of the blast furnace, such as the removal of- much of the sulphur and practically all of the oxygen, were mentioned. It was also stated that although the blastfurnace process is complex in nature, its outward form is comparatively simple, thus permitting large-scale production at small labor costs. All who contemplate the production of metallic iron from its ores by any other process might well consider the

Jan 1, 1947

By J. W. Bolton, S. A. Weigand

This paper discusses some fundamental metallurgical principles involved in production of sound cast bronze. In a previous paper the writers advanced the theory that "oxidation" in bronze castings is due to incipient shrinkage, and showed the effect of reducing melting atmospheres.&apos; In the present paper the effects of certain impurities and of actual oxidizing conditions are shown. The appendix deals with the appearance of various inclusions. For many years the prevailing opinion has been that unsoundness, dark colored fractures and other phenomena accompanying porosity and weakness in bronzes are due to oxidation. The actual troubles are caused by fissures of intercrystalline type, which are often mistaken for intercrystalline films. These weaken the metal and make it porous. Grave doubt regarding the accuracy of the oxidation theory appears when several research papers presented within the last 10 years are reviewed critically. In 1919, Comstock2 conducted metallographic researches, attempting to identify "oxides" in synthetically prepared metals. He found that oxides of tin, aluminum, zinc, etc. are different from the intercrystalline films (or cavities) to which porosity is due. Apparently he believed that these "oxide films" may be caused by volatile oxides of zinc or of phosphorus or by dissolved gases thrown out of solution during solidification of the metal. In 1923, Woyski and Boeck3 definitely questioned the accuracy of the oxidation theory and indicated the danger from reducing atmospheres. They say that "oxidation, gassing and shrinkage may produce effects very similar." In 1926, investigations by Iwasé4 showed marked change in absorp-tion coefficients for various gases in copper above and below the liquidus.

Jan 1, 1930

By Charles L. Mantell, George Ferment

This investigation determined the jeasibility of current-potential curves as an analytical tool for monitoving manganese electroicinning solutions for metallic impurities. Nine metallic impurities were studied: trickel, cobalt, silver, copper, zinc, molybdenum, catlmiun magnesium, and sodium. The individual effect of each metallic irzplrl,iLy on the standard point-izatiorr was determined for a range of &apos;concentration. Not all of Ihe impurities affected the polarization curve; correlation between transition current and cotrcetztration of impurity. Molybdenum had an uncorrelated effect on the polarization curie. The effects of binary mixtures of impurities were studied to see if the transition current of the mixture could be predicted. Interactions occurred between impurities which prei&apos;etzted the pvecliction the transition current of tile rrlisLitr.e by additive laws. The polarization curve was shown to be sensitive to metallic impurities which affect the current efficiency of a manganese cell. THE application of current-potential curves in manganese electrowinning is not new but played an important part in the conversion of an inoperative large-scale pilot plant into a continuous comnercial operation.1"" The effects of trace metallic impurities in manganese electrowinning solutions on cathode current-potential curves,5-19 specifically nine impurities (nickel, cobalt, silver, copper, zinc, molybdenum, cadmium, magnesium, and sodium) were studied for a range of concentrations. Cadmium, magnesium, and sodium had no effect. Nickel, cobalt, silver, copper, and zinc yielded a correlation between transition current and concentration of impurity: molybdenum had an uncorrelated effect. Binary mixtures of impurities were studied to de-termine if the transition current could be predicted from the values for the individual constituents. Interactions between impurities prevented the prediction of the transition current of the mixtures by an additive law. The polarization curve was shown to be sensitive to metallic impurities which affected the rurrent efficiency of a manganese cell. The electrowinning of manganese relies upon maintaining a high-purity electrolyte. Purification schemes were developed to remove all of the heavy metals, the magnesium and calcium. Concentration limits have been established for single impurities. With high-purity electrolytes, favorable cell efficiencies are consistently obtained; but with impure solutions there is a reduction in efficiency. With the rapid rise to commercial prominence of electrochemical processes, there has been a lag in developing rapid methods for determining whether an electrolyte is sufficiently pure for efficient electrolysis. The most sensitive test for impurities is the behavior of the electrochemical cell. Impure electrolytes will cause a serious reduction in cell efficiency, and in many cases metal deposition will be prevented or reversed. The effects of impurities are not usually evident until after long periods of electrolysis, resulting in a disruption of the process. A method which could predict the behavior of an electrolyte in terms of cell efficiency prior to reaching the commercial cell is needed. Van Arsdale and Maier," Allmand and Campbell,a1&apos;22 and others attempted to develop an electrochemical process for manganese,"3"29 but all met with some degree of difficulty. Jacobs et a studied the effects of metallic impurities in manganese electrowinning. Plant methods were based on a 2-hr plating in a small electrolytic cell. The final method was based on a 24-hr plating run, performed in a relatively large test cell. Here, current efficiencies were calculated with and without impurities in the electrolyte, and the critical concentration was established as the maximum amount of impurity that the electrolyte could tolerate before there was a serious loss in efficiency. The amount of impurity that could be tolerated decreased as the plating time increased, indicating deposition of the impurity. This test duplicated the conditions of commercial practire, and was sensitive to impurities. Small amounts of impurities significantly affect the hydrogen overvoltage at a metal surface, increasing or decreasing it depending upon the nature of the impurity. ockris established the limit for the onset of poisoning at 10-l moles per liter. The effects of impurities were studied by potential-time curves at a constant current density. The technique did not lend itself to rapid analysis in that several hours were needed to establish stable potential-time curves. Serfass and coworkers3&apos; developed calorimetric and spectrophotometric techniques for analyzing for trace impurities. Our method4&apos;" is based on current-cathode potential curves produced by continuously changing the cell voltage at a programmed rate. Starting with a clean stainless-steel cathode, the cell voltage was initially adjusted to yield zero current: the program was then started and the current was plotted as a function of the cathode potential. Fig. 1 is a typical current-potential curve. In initial region A the hydrogen-evolution reaction predominates and the polarization curve

Jan 1, 1967