Search Documents

By Dave H. Barnett, Brij M. Moudgil

The flotation technique as employed by Florida phosphate producing companies for the beneficiation of fine phosphate particles has been standardized over the years. Lower recoveries of coarse phosphate rock by froth flotation technique, however, led to the development of new methods based on skin flotation of phosphate agglomerates. Recent developments of floating coarse rock in large flotation machines have not yet convinced the rock producers of their higher separation efficiency. It is interesting to note that the selection of a particular machine is still based on equipment preference by an individual company as well as proven performance of a particular machine for upgrading a specific material. Various techniques which have been developed to beneficiate the coarse phosphate rock have been discussed. Performance of the individual techniques is presented.

Jan 1, 1980

By P. Barnes

The object of this paper is to make a brief comparison of the outlines of several forms of ports for steel-melting turnaces, in reference chiefly to the proper mixture; of the gas and air, and to the direction in which the flame is thrown down into the interior of the furnace. In the illustrations on the accompanying plate, Fig. 1 shows a form of port designed by M, Pernot, of St Chamond, France. This is used with the dome roof preferred by him fur the revolving bottom that bears his name. From No. 1 has been derived No. 2. This is shown on the plans of Mr. A. L. Holley, and from them three large furnaces have been built and put into operation by the Springfield Iron Company. Fig. 3 shows an outline proposed by Messrs. Richmond & Potts for the Pernot furnace. In this the ports are brought in under an arched roof of nearly the ordinary form, instead of over the top of the roof, as with the dome of M Pernot, Fig. 4 shows a furnace as built by Krupp of Essen, Prussia, for fluid refining, or " washing "-—to use the briefer French term. in this the gas and air come into contact in broad sheets one above the other, Fig. 5 shows the form used by Messrs. Richmond & Potts

Jan 1, 1881

By D. J. Wynnemer, G. W. Preckshot

Precise electromotive force measurements have been made on the zinc-cadmium system over the temperature range 700° to 900°C. Activity coefficients, partial free energies, enthalpies, and entropies have been determined .for the entire composition range. The integral heat of mixing is positive and compares favorably with calorimetrically determined values. Vapor-liquid equilibrium compositions were determined .for a total pressure of 1 atm and these agree well with previous values determined in other ways. The use of electromotive force measurements to obtain thermodynamic data for liquid metal systems is a simple and well-known method. Several reviews of the various experimental methods and results have been published.2,3,11 However, most of the past work using this technique was carried out at temperatures slightly above the melting point of the alloy system where alloy composition changes due to vapor transport and increased metal solubility in the electrolyte are not important factors. One advantage of extending the electromotive force measurements up to and including the normal boiling point of the alloy is that it is then possible to evaluate the vapor-liquid equilibrium of the alloy at various pressure levels up to 1 atm. A detailed discussion of the thermodynamics of reversible electromotive force cells can be found in most advanced physical chemistry or chemical thermodynamic textbooks. The expression stating the inter-relation of the electromotive force and the thermodynamic functions is the Gibbs-Helmholtz equation.

Jan 1, 1962

By Dave H. Barnett, Brij M. Moudgil

The flotation technique as employed by Florida phosphate producing companies for the beneficiation of fine phosphate particles has been standardized over the years. Lower recoveries of coarse Phosphate rock by froth flotation technique, however, led to the development of new methods based on skin flotation of phosphate agglomerates. Recent developments of floating coarse rock in large flotation machines have not yet convinced the rock Producers of their higher separation efficiency. It is interesting to note that the selection of a particular machine is still bared on equipment preference by an individual company as well as proven performance of a particular machine for upgrading a specific material. Various techniques which have been developed to beneficiate the coarse phosphate rock have been discussed. Performance of the individual techniques is presented.

Jan 3, 1979

A week-long educational program and two-day symposium on applying the fluidizing reactor to the minerals industry drew more than 100 engineers to the University of Arizona at Tucson several weeks ago. The educational program, intended for engineers who will work closely with the reactor, attracted registrants from all sections of the U. S. and Canada. Meeting at the College of Mines on February 23 for a full week of intensive classwork, the engineers ploughed in with enthusiasm. Eight hours daily of lectures and laboratory work were followed by a generous helping of homework supplied by Professor Sigmund L. Smith, who directed the course. The study program was completed on Friday and the following Monday marked the start of a symposium of technical papers covering a wide variety of operations and new ideas.

Jan 4, 1959

JOINT convention week has become a feature of the year with western mining men. The first was held at Denver in 1926, the second at Salt Lake City in 1927, and the third is about to take place at Los Angeles. Holding in the same city in one week the meetings of a number of related organizations has been .found to permit the development of a well-rounded program at the same time that it economizes time and money for the members, many of whom belong to several of the participating organizations. For the third time, the American Mining Congress, represented by its Western Division, of which Philip Wiseman is chairman, is taking the lead and assuming the main responsibility. The A.I.M.E. is furnishing the papers for two sessions and the California Development Association for one. The Southern California Section, Robert R. Boyd, chairman, is host for the Institute, but the Northern California, Nevada and Arizona sections have each contributed papers to the program, and will be represented at the meeting. It will be a real reunion of the mining men of the Southwest.

Sep 1, 1928

By T. C. Craig

During the year, there were 570 oil wells completed for a total daily initial production of 365,352 bbl. The daily oil potential of the field, effective Jan. 1, 1935, as established by the Texas Railroad Commission, was 306,102 bbl. with a daily allowable of 58,800 bbl., whereas, on Dec. 31, 1935, the potential was 587,376 bbl. with a daily allowable of 57,800 bbl. Because of the limited market demand, the allowable decreased although the potential increased. In August, the five-day test for determining the potential production of a well was replaced by a 24-hr. test. The reason for this change was that some of the oil-pur-chasing companies contended that too much oil in excess of the limited market demand was produced during the five-day tests. Dry Gas.—During July, the Texas Railroad Commission supervised the first complete and accurate field-wide test of open flows that has been made in this area. The total open flow as determined at that time was 16,426,085,000 cu. ft, There were 79 gas wells drilled in '935, with a combined open flow of 2,408,000,000 cu. ft. and 50 depleted oil wells were plugged back for gas with a total open flow of 529,800,000 cu. ft. The total new gas production for the year was, therefore, 2,937,800,000 cu. ft. The 17 natural-gas pipe lines drawing on the Panhandle supply of fuel gas withdrew a daily average of 420,497,507 cu. ft., or a total of 153,481,-590,000 cu. ft. for the year. The 44th Texas Legislature passed a statute known as House Bill No. 266, which was designed to prohibit waste and protect correlative rights by compelling the ratable production of gas. The part of the law relative to withdrawal of sweet gas became effective Aug. 1, 1935, and the part referring to withdrawal of sour gas became effective Oct. 1, 1935. Three of the major pipe line companies attacked the validity of the ratable production feature of the new law and a preliminary injunction was granted by the Federal District Court. The final hearing on the incrits of the case is scheduled for the early part of January. Natural Gasoline.—Forty of the 42 natural-gasoline extraction plants in the Panhandle operated throughout the year. One plant discontinued

Jan 1, 1936

By T. C. Craig

During the year, there were 570 oil wells completed for a total daily initial production of 365,352 bbl. The daily oil potential of the field, effective Jan. 1, 1935, as established by the Texas Railroad Commission, was 306,102 bbl. with a daily allowable of 58,800 bbl., whereas, on Dec. 31, 1935, the potential was 587,376 bbl. with a daily allowable of 57,800 bbl. Because of the limited market demand, the allowable decreased although the potential increased. In August, the five-day test for determining the potential production of a well was replaced by a 24-hr. test. The reason for this change was that some of the oil-pur-chasing companies contended that too much oil in excess of the limited market demand was produced during the five-day tests. Dry Gas.—During July, the Texas Railroad Commission supervised the first complete and accurate field-wide test of open flows that has been made in this area. The total open flow as determined at that time was 16,426,085,000 cu. ft, There were 79 gas wells drilled in '935, with a combined open flow of 2,408,000,000 cu. ft. and 50 depleted oil wells were plugged back for gas with a total open flow of 529,800,000 cu. ft. The total new gas production for the year was, therefore, 2,937,800,000 cu. ft. The 17 natural-gas pipe lines drawing on the Panhandle supply of fuel gas withdrew a daily average of 420,497,507 cu. ft., or a total of 153,481,-590,000 cu. ft. for the year. The 44th Texas Legislature passed a statute known as House Bill No. 266, which was designed to prohibit waste and protect correlative rights by compelling the ratable production of gas. The part of the law relative to withdrawal of sweet gas became effective Aug. 1, 1935, and the part referring to withdrawal of sour gas became effective Oct. 1, 1935. Three of the major pipe line companies attacked the validity of the ratable production feature of the new law and a preliminary injunction was granted by the Federal District Court. The final hearing on the incrits of the case is scheduled for the early part of January. Natural Gasoline.—Forty of the 42 natural-gasoline extraction plants in the Panhandle operated throughout the year. One plant discontinued

Jan 1, 1936

By A. J. Miller, G. R. Brophy

THE Grossmann principle1 for the calculation of hardenability of steel from composition is attractive because of its simplicity. It postulates that the hardenability of a steel for any particular grain size may be expressed in terms of an ideal critical diameter, which is the product of an ideal critical diameter for a "pure" iron-carbon base multiplied by a succession of factors for each element of composition contained, including the incidentals. It infers that the multiplying factor for a given quantity of an element is constant for all combinations of composition. Grossmann has stated that in the great majority of cases the experimental values of hardenability are found to be well within 10 per cent of the calculated values. The validity of the scheme has been confirmed in principle by Crafts and Lamont2,3 and by Kramer et al .4 Their results differ from the original in the magnitude of the effect of some elements but, since they accepted the product concept and followed its direction, it is to be expected that similar results would be obtained. Crafts and Lamont, in their second paper, recognized that the factor relations for manganese and nickel were not continuously linear, but beyond certain critical amounts increase sharply. Austin, Van Note and Prater5 demonstrated nonlinear relations between hardenability and alloy contents. Their curves for chromium, silicon, manganese and nickel were all convex upward to show decreasing incremental effects. They concluded that Grossmann's factors underevaluate the hardening effect of low percentage additions of these elements, and overevaluate the larger additions. [ ] More recently W. Steven6 has found that the factor method fails when applied to complex steels containing two or three principal alloying elements other than carbon. Multiplying factors derived from his results bear a complex relation to composition and are not constant for a given amount of an element as the base composition varies. C. A. Liedholm7 found that, using either the Grossmann or the Crafts-Lamont multiplying factor values, not only were

Jan 1, 1945

By Robert M. Yonco, Irving Johnson, Martin G. Chasanov

The thermodynamics of the cadmium-rich portion of the Pu-Cd system has been studied with a high-temperature galvanic-cell method. The partial phase diagram of the Pu-Cd system was determined. The existence of the intermediate phases PuCd11 (cubic BaHg11 structure, ao= 9.282) and PuCd6 (cubic, CeCd6 structure, a, = 15.59) was established. The existence of at least one other intermediate phase richer in plutonium was indicated. PuCd11 was found to peritectically decompose into PuCd6 and liquid at 406" * 2°C. The solubility of plutonium in liquid cadmium may be represented by the equations: (355' to 399°C) log (at. pct Pu) = 6.223 -4282T-1 (399° to 632°C) log (al. pct Pu) - 5.148 - 5277T-1 > 1.156 x 106 T-2 The free energy of formation values (kcal per mole) of the two intermetallic phases are given by the equations: (PuCd11), ?Gf= -45.9 + 35.7 x 10-3 T (PuCd6), ?Gf0- -39.27 + 25.86 X 10-3T The excess free energy (kcal per mole) of plutonium in liquid cadmium may be represented by the equation: -(-16.72 * 29.54 NPu) 10-3T in which Npu and Ned are the atom fractions of plutonium and cadmium. The thermodyanamics of the U- Cd and Pu-Cd systems are compared. THERMODYNAMIC information on systems of the actinide metals with low-melting metals, such as zinc and cadmium, is useful in the design of pyro-metallurgical processes for the purification of nuclear reactor fuels. The thermodynamics of the Pu-Zn,1 Th-Zn.2,3 U-Zn,4-5 and U-Cd6 systems have been reported. The present report on the Pu-Cd system concerns the liquidus composition in the cadmium-rich region, the characterization of the two most cadmium-rich intermetallic phases, and the thermodynamic properties of these intermetallic phases and dilute liquid solutions of plutonium in cadmium. EXPERIMENTAL Phase Studies. The liquidus composition was determined by analysis of filtered samples of the liquid phase withdrawn at a series of temperatures. The apparatus and procedure were identical to that used in the previous study of the Pu-Zn system.' Briefly. a sample of the melt was withdrawn into a tantalum tube fitted with a porous tantalum filter (30-µ pore). the entire sample dissolved in hydrochloric acid (to avoid errors due to segregation

Jan 1, 1965

By Fathi Habashi

Chalcopyrite can be readily leached with HNO3, but the recovery of elemental sulfur does not exceed 50% under the most favorable conditions. Preheating at 500°C in a slightly reducing atmosphere increases the recovery of elemental sulfur to about 65%. Chalcopyrite can also be treated with HNO3 in a pressure reactor at 110°C to solubilize selectively the copper while iron remains in the residue as an oxide. The recovery of elemental sulfur also improved when preheated chalcopyrite is treated in this way. Stainless steel should be an adequate material of construction.

Jan 1, 1974

By V. G. Leak, R. A. Swalin

The dilhsion of silver and trace concentrations of tin in liquid silver has been rrzeasured in the temperature range from about 975° to 1350°C. The difBsion dala. fil lhe following equations: fov self-diffusion of silver The ratio of DSn to DAg is found to be about 1.34. The higher diffusivity of tin is interpreted in terms of the coullombic repulsion which results from the fact that tin dissolved in silver has a valence of +3 relative to silver. THE phenomenon of diffusion has been well-described theoretically for hard-sphere gases and solids and found to be in good agreement with experimental data for certain gases and solids. Liquid-diffusion phenomena have not been well described theoretically and there is generally a lack of good experimental data. In this investigation self-diffusion and solute diffusion in liquid silver were studied. Silver was chosen as a solvent for two main reasons. First, silver is a noble metal and the atoms are considered to have a spherically symmetric charge field; hence the liquid may be considered to be a random array of approximate hard spheres. Mercury, gallium, and other lower-melting metals were eliminated from consideration since it appears possible that in their liquid states there is some residual long-range order and directional bonding. Second, silver behaves as a monovalent solvent and, while cadmium, indium, tin, and antimony all have nearly the same atomic size, they have chemical valences relative to that of silver of +1, +2, + 3, and +4, respectively. Slifkin, Lazarus, and coworkers1-5 investigated the diffusion of these solutes in solid silver and found that their diffusion rates increased with an increase of the excess valence of the solute. In the solid state the diffusion-rate increase was calculated to be due to a change in local modulus of the solvent caused by the excess valence of the solute.1"3 For the present investigation it was planned to determine the effect of valence upon solute diffusion in liquid silver. It was deduced that a coulombic repulsion between solute and solvent might be responsible for larger volume fluctuations in the vicinity of the solute thereby enhancing the diffusion of the solute atoms. Tin was the first solute investigated and was chosen for experimental convenience. If an excess-valence diffusion effect exists in the liquid state, the solute tin with its excess valence of + 3 might show a large enough effect to distinguish it from the self-diffusion of silver in silver. The silver self-diffusion data were obviously required as a base line for comparison. In addition silver self-diffusion was investigated with a view toward examining the data in connection with the Sutherland- Einstein: Coheen-Turnbull,7 and swalin8 theories of diffusion in liquids. I) EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES The diffusion coefficients for tin and silver in liquid silver were determined in separate experiments using the capillary-reservoir method of Anderson and saddingtono but following closely the experimental techniques outlined by Ma and Swa1in. The radioactive alloy bath was prepared by plating either tin-113 or silver-110 m isotope* onto 99.999 *Isotopes obtained from Oak Ridge National Laboratory. pct Ag rods.* The silver and isotope were melted *Silver obtained from Cominco Co. and mixed in a graphite crucible under a purified argon atmosphere, then outgassed for capillary filling. Some of the fused-silica capillaries were filled individually as reported by Ma and Swalin, but most were filled in a different manner. A long piece of capillary tubing was sealed off on one end and held in the system so that the open end was just above the surface of the molten alloy. The system was evacuated, the open end submerged into the alloy, and argon was admitted into the system up to atmospheric pressure. The molten alloy was forced up the capillary several inches where it solidified and was subsequently cut into segments of the proper length for diffusion annealing. The apparatus for diffusion annealing was the same as that used for capillary filling except that a Pt—Pt, 10 pct Rh therinocouple was placed in the solvent bath in order to accurately measure the temperature during the run. A diagram of the dif-

Jan 1, 1964

By R. C. Hall

We are pleased to confirm some of the mechanical data presented by Dr. Detert on the 18 pct Ni marag-ing steel.15 Bar 3 in. in diam and containing 0.02 wt pct C, 18.5 Ni, 8.9 Co, 5.1 MO, 0.55 Ti, 0.05 Al, and balance iron has been examined in our laboratory. Cylinders 0.5 in. high and 0.4 to 0.5 in. in diam were cold-compressed from 3 to 40 pct reduction in height. Table VI shows some typical data; deformation in-

Jan 1, 1968

By A. Ahmadieh, J. E. Dorn, Jack Mitchell

A detailed investigation of the disloccrtion mechanisms controlling prismatic, slip in a solid solutions of magnesium containing up to 15.9 at. pel Li revealed that low-temperature prismatic slip is controlled by the Peicrl's mechanism for all alloy compositions. At higher temperatures slip in the 7.9 at. pet Li alloy was found to follow the diclates of the cross-slip mechanism from basal to prism planes, while the higlier-lilhium alloys exhibited an athermal dejormation process which might be due COARSE-GRAINED polycrystalline aggregates of distilled magnesium exhibit very limited ductility at low temperatures.' The ductility of polycrystalline magnesium, however, is much improved by solid-solution additions in excess of about 8 at. pct to shot-range ordering. The major effect of lithium additions on the low-temperature Shear] stress. for prismatic slip appears to be due to its efftct in lowering the Peierl's stress whereas (1 increase in the shear stress with increased lithium conlent at higher temperatures might he due to short-range order strengthening. Additions rip to 7.9 (at. pel Li appear to have only minor effects on the slackiug-jaidt energy. Li.2 Although the relative amounts of basal slip and twinning are not materially altered by such alloying, a substantial change takes place in the relative amounts of prismatic slip. Whereas prismatic slip is negligible and limited to regions of high stress concentrations in the vicinity of the grain boundaries in pure magnesium, extensive prismatic slip over entire grains occurs in the higher lithium content alloys. Furthermore, as the lithium content is increased above 8 at. pct, the flow stress for polycrystalline aggregates decreases. Comparison of the single-crystal data on pure magnesium for basal slip by Sheely and Nash3 and those for prismatic slip by Flynn, Mote, and Dorn4 indicates that the critical resolved shear stress for prismatic slip is much above that for basal slip.

Jan 1, 1965

By S. H. Ash

Safety records in the mineral industry for 1954 will do well to hold their own as compared with 1953, because of the poorer rate in the coalmining branches, even without the recent mine explosion at the No. 9 mine of the Jamison Coal & Coke Co., Farmington, W. Va., that killed 16 persons. .The cause of that disaster has not yet been ascertained. The metal-mining branch appears to have improved its record over the last year, however. Health Diesel equipment continues to be favored in non-coal mines. Equipment includes locomotives, trucks, tractors, and muckers. Of major concern and interest is the establishment of a new threshold limit for oxides of nitrogen-5 ppm as compared with 25 ppm. This gas is the most harmful component of diesel-engine exhaust gas

Jan 3, 1955

By Frank C. Smith

THE following article covers the history of a metallurgical campaign, commenced in March, 1905, at the mines of the Socorro Gold Co., in the so-called desert region of Yuma county, Arizona. The results obtained were simply a function of necessity, as will be seen from the description of the local economic conditions and the character of the ores treated. The mines and mill of the Socorro Gold Co. are located near the small village of Harrisburg, about 60 miles from Congress Junction, Arizona, which, at the time this work was undertaken, was the nearest railroad station, and from which all supplies were brought by wagon through the desert, at a cost varying from $10 to $15 per ton in addition to the railroad freights. Wood, the only available fuel, cost $7 per cord. Water for all purposes was pumped to the plant from a well in the valley about 4 miles away. Under the Arizona law, a working-shift is 8 hr. Wages were $6 per day for foremen and mill-men, $4 per day for blacksmiths and engineers, $3.50 per day for miners, and $3 per day for shovelers and trammers. The ore consisted of quartz, in which, above the 250-ft. level, the iron-minerals were largely oxidized and some free gold was visible; below that level few traces of oxidation occurred, and pyrite constituted the principal mineralizer in the quartz, together with occasional pockets of galena and a few eccentric specks of covellite. The 20-stamp mill was equipped with plates for amalgamation, and three Standard tables for concentration. The tails from the tables were elevated by a centrifugal pump to a launder, by which they were conveyed to a 60-ton cyanide-mill for further treatment. The cyanide-mill was erected at so great a distance from the stamp-mill that a separate crew of workers and a separate power-plant were necessary. No arrangement had been made for the treatment of the concen-

Jan 1, 1907

THE decision of the lower court (United States District Court for the Southern District of New York) in the suit of the Dwight & Lloyd Sintering Co., vs. John E. Greenawalt has been affirmed by the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. In the original suit, infringement of seven patents was alleged, these covering the process of producing a sinter .out of finely pulverized metalliferous ores as practised in shallow pans operating intermittently in distinction to the Dwight 6: Lloyd continuous machine. The court found that the long delay in bringing suit precluded any recovery of profits from the defendant under the basic down-draft sintering patent, although Dwight & Lloyd are recognized as the inventors of this' contribution to the art and its .importance is acknowledged.

Jan 1, 1928

By J. S. Koehler, F. Seitz

THE dislocation theory of plastic flow originated in 1928, when Prandtl1 suggested that the internal damping of metals of plastic origin might arise from the motion of a crystalline imperfection. Following this, Dehlinger2 employed a similar imperfection in a theory of recrystallization. The first detailed theoretical discussions were those of E. Orowan3 and G. I. Taylor4 in 1934. The resulting theory was gen- eralized by J. M. Burgers5 in 1939. Mott and Nabarro, in England, and Seitz and Read,6 in the United States, started an extensive examination of the atomic theory of dislocations in the period between 1939 and 1941. However, this development was arrested by the mar and was not taken up again until after 1945. Since 1946, the field has been the object of very intense activity, particularly in the United States and England. Dislocations are beautiful and intricate imperfections; they are sufficiently complicated to account for the great variety of phenomena encountered in the field of plastic flow. Above all, the dislocation concept enables us to understand how a metal or other plastic solid can deform inelastically under very small stresses at temperatures far below the melting point. Suppose we attempt to shear a perfect crystal plastically. This can be done by sliding one entire atomic plane simultaneously through one atomic distance with' respect to the near-

Jan 1, 1954

By E. G. Woods, A. G. Comer

A mathematical model is presented and solved for determinution of the saturation distribution and pressure in a radial gas-storage reservoir. The model consists basically of two parts: (I) the growing gas-bubble core, and (2) the surrounding aquifer. Since the total pressure at the injection well is a function of the two-phase flow in the gas bubble and the unsteady single-phase flow in the aquifer, the resistance to flow in both zones was taken into consideration. The assumptions involved for both the radial equivalent of the Buckley-Leverett two-phase-flow equation and the injection-pressure equation are as follows: (I) the geometry is radial, (2) the gas bubble is free to expand or contract, (3) compression or expansion of the gas within the bubble may occur at the beginning of a time step, (4) the fluids are immiscible, (5) water is incompressible within the gas-storage region whereas it is compressible outside of this region, (6) a stable gas-water interface exists and (7) gas injection occurs at a constant rate or a series of constant rates. The mathematical model was solved numerically using an IBM 650 computer. A comparison is presented between the predicted results of the model, the results assuming steady-state flow and the actual initial injection-pressure history of an operating reservoir. Using the initial field pressure for a basis, the average deviation between the predicted pressure and the actual field pressure was less than 4.3 per cent. INTRODUCTION Underground storage of natural gas in abandoned oil fields, in abandoned coal mines, in caverns and in aquifers has had varying degrees of success. The lack of these first three facilities in the vicinity of most major gas marketing areas is leading more and more to storage in virgin aquifers. For the most part, this storage in aquifers has led to the study upon which this paper is based. Several excellent papers have been published discussing the problems involved in the underground storage of natural gas; however, to these writers' knowledge, none of them considered the two-phase flow of fluids in the gas bubble and the fact that the gas bubble will grow or shrink in size depending upon the injection and withdrawal history of the reservoir. Not only will both of these factors influence the required injection pressure, but also they will have a definite bearing upon the amount of water production occurring upon withdrawal from the storage area. To solve this problem on an IBM 650 computer, several simplifying assumptions were made. Only the drainage portion of the relative-permeability curve was considered, thereby neglecting any hysteresis effects introduced during an imbibition cycle. The quantity of gas withdrawn during the period of the field study was only a small percentage of the total gas in place; therefore, this assumption is justified. For the problem studied in this case, the combined effects of capillarity and gravity were assumed to be negligible. This assumption becomes less valid as the formation thickness or the average pore diameter increases markedly. The justification of these assumptions should be studied in each case. THEORY This mathematical model for the prediction of saturation distribution and pressure for a radial gas-storage aquifer is based upon the equations for radial two-phase fluid flow'.' and for radial, unsteady-state, single-phase fluid flow.' The two-phase flow is considered to take place in a "core" whose radius is equal to the maximum radius that the gas zone will attain, as indicated in Fig. 1. The injection-withdrawal history is approximated by a series of constant flow rates. Within the "core", gas is assumed to behave as a semi-compressible fluid; that is, the gas is assumed to have a constant density based on the average gas-zone pressure for the flow period. Between each constant-rate time increment, the gas density is allowed to change. This involves an iterative solution of the pressure equation. The liquid phase in this zone is considered to be incompressible, whereas it behaves as a compressible liquid outside of this region. The equations of incompressible flow in the "core" may be written for the gas phase

By C. E. Webber

The economical recovery of the valuable constituents from the effluent of gas-con-densate wells has developed into a problem of balancing the cost of recovery against the cost of compressing the residual gas back into the formation. A possible method of extracting the gasoline and distillate from the natural gas is by oil absorption at high pressures. In order to design and evaluate an absorption plant, fundamental data on the composition of the coexisting hydro- carbon vapor and liquid phases at various temperatures and pressures are essential. A review of the literature indicated that the necessary data for the design of such plants are lacking. The nearest approach to desired published data is that of Katz and Hackmuth,~ who experimentally deter-mined the composition of the coexisting vapor and liquid phases in a natural gas-crude oil system at pressures up to 3000 lb. per sq. in. and at temperatures from 40' to zoo°F. This paper presents the results of the experimental determination of the equilib-rium distribution of the hydrocarbons methane through hexane between natural gas and a typical absorber oil. The ranges of temperature and pressure chosen were from 33' to r8oUF. and from 100 to 5000 lb. per sq. inch. Materials The absorber oil was a typical naturally occurring, Straw-colored distillate that had previously been steam-distilled to an initial boiling point of 300 F. The physical and chemical properties, including the results of an Engler distillation, are presented in Table I. A large volume of this oil was obtained and it was used throughout the complete set of experiments. Table i.—Properties of the Absorption Oil Gravity .......................... . . 32.5' A.P.1. Molecular weight by benzene freezing- point depression.................. 183 Viscosity, poises; at 100°F........... 0.0a80 At 200°F...................... 0.0102 Composition, PeR Cent Aromatics........ 24.0 Naphthenes..... 36.7 unsaturates,Aromatics...... .I24.00.3 1 Parafins Naphthenes.....36.7 39.o EngLeR Distillation Per Cent /ncg. F. Per Cent Dez. P. Initial boilins rmint.. 300 I 60....... 523 5.................. 402 I 70....... 538 10.................. 421 180....... 557 20.................. 462 90....... 570 30.................. 480 1 95....... 623 40.................. 49 .................1 511 Residue, z .o per cent; loss, 0.3 per cent. See refrence I. The n-hexane was obtained from the Ohio Chemical and Manufacturing Co., Cleveland, Ohio. This liquid had a boiling range of from 149" to 152.6'F., with a density of 0.667 at 60°F. and a molecular weight of 85 by benzene freezing-point depression. The propane, isobutane, wbu-tane, isopentane and n-pentane were ob-ta,ined from the Philgas Department of the Phillips Petroleum Co. Certified analyses of these compounds showed their purity to be in excess of 99.5 per cent and they were riot further purified.

Jan 1, 1941