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By E. N. Mazza, H. S. Kalish

The effect of sintering types 302, 3028, and 430 stainless steel powder compacts in hydrogen and dissociated ammonia was investigated. It was found that sintering in dissociated ammonia resulted in as much as 0.5 wt pct increase in the nitrogen content of stainless steel even though the dissociation of the gas was complete. Sintering in hydrogen, on the other hand, reduced the nitrogen content of the stainless steel to less than 0.01 wt pct. In the case of the 302-type stainless steel, the low nitrogen content resulted in a material that was largely ferritic, whereas the high nitrogen content rendered the material fully austenitic. Sintering in dissociated ammonia resulted in lower density, generally lower tensile strength, less ductility, and higher hardness than sintering under equivalent conditions in hydrogen. The reduction of oxides on both stainless steel and iron particles was found to be effected by hydrogen partial pressure in the sintering atmosphere. Compacting pressure was found also to effect oxide reduction during sintering. DISSOCIATED ammonia often is used as a substitute'.' for hydrogen in sintering and in annealing, since economic advantages sometimes can be obtained by such a substitution. In addition, anhydrous ammonia contains very little impurity. Thus, dissociated ammonia gas is very dry whereas tank hydrogen often must be freed of oxygen and water vapor prior to use in many applications. The sintering of stainless steel powder compacts as well as bright annealing is well recognized as requiring a hydrogen atmosphere and for the foregoing reasons dissociated ammonia is frequently substituted. It has generally been overlooked, however, that the nitrogen in dissociated ammonia might have an important effect on the sintering process and on the properties of stainless steel compacts. Considered an inert gas in many applications, nitrogen, on the other hand, is very reactive with cer- tain metals. Dissociated ammonia could not be used for hydriding zirconium or titanium. Nitrogen reacts with columbium, tantalum, chromium, uranium, thorium, and many other active metals. Iron and iron-base alloys are, for the most part, inert in nitrogen but there are many borderline cases. It has been reported that stainless steel stabilized with columbium or titanium should not be sintered in dissociated ammonia.3 olybdenum has been reported as reacting with dissociated ammonia to a minor extent.' Although most of the reactions with iron-base alloys are attributed to the action of un-dissociated ammonia and the action of nascent nitrogen, Uhlig4 showed how readily pure molecular nitrogen reacts with and diffuses into 18-8 stainless steel at 1150°C. He also pointed out how readily nitrogen diffuses out of 18-8 stainless steel when heated in pure dry hydrogen, and these thorough investigations on the subject show that commercial stainless steels are nitrogen-bearing, since they are melted in air. The effects of nitrogen in stainless steel, particularly the 18-8 Cr-Ni type, previously have received considerable attention." In 1926, it was pointed out

Jan 1, 1956

Jan 1, 1915

Executive Committee. ROBERT H. RICHARDS, Chairman. ALBERT SAUVEUR, Vice-Chairman. TIMOTHY W. SPRAGUE. HENRY A. WENTWORTH. AUGUSTUS H. EUSTIS, Secretary, 131 State St., Boston, Mass. The twelfth meeting of the Boston Section was held at the Engineers' Club, 2 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, on Monday evening, May 5, 1913, fifteen members and three guests being present. The meeting was called to order by Vice-Chairman Albert Sauveur, who introduced the speaker of the evening, Utley Wedge, of Ardmore, Pa. Mr. Wedge read his paper on the chloridizing roasting of copper ores, which he illustrated with a stereopticon, and which will be published in full by the Institute. After Mr. Wedge had closed his paper, which was received with great interest by all the members, the following discussion took place: Professor Hofman said that iron was formerly thought to ho essential to the Henderson process, but that it is not absolutely essential. Mr.Wedge said that, as far as he. knew, the presence of some sulphates was an abso¬lute necessity, and that line ores can be worked satisfactorily, although lime has an effect on the subsequent leaching. He added that the low fuel consumption of the latest Wedge furnace is a result of direct application of the combustion gases to the ore. Ten per cent. of fuel was needed with the muffle furnace. By direct firing he has been able to reduce the fuel needed to from 2 to 4 per cent. In the latest types of furnaces the gases from the upper hearth are not used. There is doubtless some temperature at which the loss. from copper chloride volatilization becomes serious, but in practice on Rio Tinto ores troublesome losses are not experienced. The copper apparently does not become volatile at. the temperatures where we would expect that it would. There are doubtless ores in which there would be serious danger from losses from this source. The latest furnaces do not use the high temperatures that were needed in the former single-hearth Wedge furnaces.

Jan 7, 1913

Executive Committee. ROBERT H. RICHARDS, Chairman. ALBERT SAUVEUR, Vice-Chairman. TIMOTHY W. SPRAGUE. HENRY A. WENTWORTH. AUGUSTUS H. EUSTIS, Secretary, 131 State St.., Boston, Mass. The twelfth meeting of the Boston Section was held at the Engineers' Club, 2 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, on Monday evening, May 5, 1913, fifteen members and three guests being present.. The meeting Was called to order by Vice-Chairman Albert Sauveur, Who introduced the speaker of the evening, Utley Wedge, of Ardmore. Pa. Mr. Wedge read a, paper on the chloridizing roasting of copper ores, Which lie illustrated With a stereopticon, and Which will be published in full by the Institute. After Mr. Wedge had closed his paper, Which was received with great interest by all the members. the following discussion took place: Professor Hofman said that iron was formerly thought to bo essential to the Henderson process, but that it is not absolutely essential. Mr. Wedge said that., as far as he knew, the presence of some sulphates Was an absolute necessity, and that lime ores can be worked satisfactorily, although lime has an effect on the subsequent leaching. He added that the low fuel consumption of the latest Wedge furnace is a result of direct application of the combustion gases to the ore. Ten per cent. of fuel Was needed with the muffle furnace. By direct firing lie has been able to reduce the fuel needed to from 2 to 4 per cent. In the latest types of furnaces the uses from the upper hearth are not used. There is doubtless some tem-perature at Which the loss from copper chloride volatilization becomes serious, but in practice on Rio Tinto ores troublesome losses are not experienced.. The copper apparently does not become volatile at the temperatures where we would expect that it would. There are doubtless ores in which there would be serious danger from losses from this source. The latest furnaces do not use the high temperatures that Were needed in the former single-hearth Wedge furnaces.

Jan 7, 1913

By C. J. Ramsburg

The construction and operation of by product coke-oven plants in America are essential to strong national defense and of the greatest importance to many widely diversified undertakings as well as to safety and health. Carbonization Process Coal used under a boiler or in a locomotive is consumed by combustion. Coal used in a by-product oven is distilled or carbonized, meaning that heat is applied to the coal, out of contact with air, causing a distillation that removes the volatile matter in the coal in the form of gas and vapor, leaving coke as a final product. From the gas and vapor distilled from the coal, many valuable substances can be secured, known as by-products. Hence the name "by-product oven." The simplest example of this principle can be shown by means of an ordinary clay pipe. If powdered coal is placed in the bowl of the pipe, the opening of the bowl is plugged with clay, and the bowl placed in a flame, the bowl will become hot, transferring the heat through the wall of the bowl to the coal within. When this coal attains a temperature of about 750°F., gas will begin to pour out of the pipe stem, and this gas may be lighted. A black liquid also will exude from the stem of the pipe, This is tar mixed with certain other products. What remains in the bowl after distillation is coke. A coke oven corresponds to the bowl of the pipe. A modern oven of the latest type is a refractory brick chamber approximately 42 ft. long and 14 ft. high, averaging 18 in. in width. The oven is filled with coal through closable charging holes in the oven top. Each end of the oven consists entirely of a self-sealing door, the removal of which permits the finished coke to be discharged by means of a power-operated pusher machine. The ovens are built in batteries, and the heating is effected by gas burned in vertical flues in the oven walls, each set of flues heating the walls of two adjacent ovens. Such ovens carbonize a charge of approximately 18 tons of coal in 18 hr., or have a daily throughput of 24 tons per oven, producing about 17 tons of coke. In times of need, the output may be increased by raising the temperature of flues, thus shortening the coking time. There is one great essential difference in principle between distillation in a clay pipe and in a coke oven. In the 18-in. oven, the distillation proceeds from two parallel walls held at a high temperature (over zooo°F.) and instead of all the coal being heated at once, the distillation is a progressive one creeping inward. The average travel of this heating is 35 in. per hour from each vertical wall, and as the volatile products are formed progressively they must push away from the interior toward the wall through the previously formed hot coke, then up the walls and Over the top of the coal charge, finally escaping through the outlet pipe. This results in a cracking of the components into many different and valuable substances not formed when the carbonizing temperature is low.

Jan 1, 1942

By Frederick V. Lawrence

Broadly speaking, fluxes are substances which promote wetting and spreading or enhance the fluidity and manipulative properties of materials in joining, fusion, and smelting operations. The term most strictly applies to substances used to facilitate soldering and brazing; but in the discussion which follows, the definition will be broadened to include materials used to promote fusion in arc welding and which aid in the smelting of metals. In each of the mentioned applications, the role of flux and its composition differs considerably; consequently in the discussion which follows, fluxes for soldering, brazing, arc welding, and smelting applications will be considered separately. Soldering and Brazing Fluxes Soldering and brazing are metallurgical joining processes in which a joint is formed using a filler metal of composition dissimilar to that of the joined pieces (base metal). The filler metal, solder or braze, is always of lower melting point than the base metal. Consequently with these processes there is no melting of the base metal. The successful creation of the joint depends upon the wetting and spreading of the solder or braze around or throughout the joint. The obstacles to successful soldering and brazing are contaminants and tenacious oxide films on the metal surfaces. In soldering and brazing applications, fluxes act to remove and exclude oxides and other impurities from the joint. There is no fundamental difference between soldering and brazing. The distinction between them is made on the basis of temperature. Join¬ing operations carried out at temperatures above 500° C are termed brazing. The higher temperatures used in brazing enable higher melting point filler metals to be used which generally provide stronger joints. The higher temperatures of brazing processes also require fluxes which are substantially different from those used in soldering and which will remain effective at high temperatures. Consequently the distinction between soldering and brazing can also be made on the basis of the fluxes used. Soldering Fluxes Even thoroughly cleaned and degreased, metal surfaces still possess tenacious oxide films which inhibit the soldering of the joint. The reactions which form these films increase with increasing temperature. The rate of oxide formation and the tenacity of the film varies with each base metal. Aluminum, magnesium, stainless and high alloy steels, aluminum and silicon bronzes when exposed to air form hard, adherent oxide films. These metals require highly active and corrosive fluxes to remove and prevent the reformation of oxide films during soldering. Metals such as copper and silver, on the contrary, form less tenacious films at a lower rate, so that mild fluxes are sufficient. Soldering fluxes must dissolve or remove oxides and promote rapid wetting and spreading of the solder. The flux removes the oxide film by loosening and floating it off into the main body of the flux. The oxide removal is often aided by the alloying of the solder with the base metal, undermining small areas of the oxide and detaching them (Anon., 1959). The flux coagulates and suspends the oxide particles which have been loosened. The flux forms a protective cover preventing the reformation of the oxides, permitting the spreading of the solder and the formation of a metallic bond between the solder and the base metal. Constituents of Soldering Fluxes: Soldering fluxes are commonly grouped into three categories: highly corrosive, intermediate, and noncorrosive. One normally would choose to use the least corrosive flux which will give satisfactory performance.

Jan 1, 1983

By C. J. Ramsburg

The construction and operation of by product coke-oven plants in America are essential to strong national defense and of the greatest importance to many widely diversified undertakings as well as to safety and health. Carbonization Process Coal used under a boiler or in a locomotive is consumed by combustion. Coal used in a by-product oven is distilled or carbonized, meaning that heat is applied to the coal, out of contact with air, causing a distillation that removes the volatile matter in the coal in the form of gas and vapor, leaving coke as a final product. From the gas and vapor distilled from the coal, many valuable substances can be secured, known as by-products. Hence the name "by-product oven." The simplest example of this principle can be shown by means of an ordinary clay pipe. If powdered coal is placed in the bowl of the pipe, the opening of the bowl is plugged with clay, and the bowl placed in a flame, the bowl will become hot, transferring the heat through the wall of the bowl to the coal within. When this coal attains a temperature of about 750°F., gas will begin to pour out of the pipe stem, and this gas may be lighted. A black liquid also will exude from the stem of the pipe, This is tar mixed with certain other products. What remains in the bowl after distillation is coke. A coke oven corresponds to the bowl of the pipe. A modern oven of the latest type is a refractory brick chamber approximately 42 ft. long and 14 ft. high, averaging 18 in. in width. The oven is filled with coal through closable charging holes in the oven top. Each end of the oven consists entirely of a self-sealing door, the removal of which permits the finished coke to be discharged by means of a power-operated pusher machine. The ovens are built in batteries, and the heating is effected by gas burned in vertical flues in the oven walls, each set of flues heating the walls of two adjacent ovens. Such ovens carbonize a charge of approximately 18 tons of coal in 18 hr., or have a daily throughput of 24 tons per oven, producing about 17 tons of coke. In times of need, the output may be increased by raising the temperature of flues, thus shortening the coking time. There is one great essential difference in principle between distillation in a clay pipe and in a coke oven. In the 18-in. oven, the distillation proceeds from two parallel walls held at a high temperature (over zooo°F.) and instead of all the coal being heated at once, the distillation is a progressive one creeping inward. The average travel of this heating is 35 in. per hour from each vertical wall, and as the volatile products are formed progressively they must push away from the interior toward the wall through the previously formed hot coke, then up the walls and Over the top of the coal charge, finally escaping through the outlet pipe. This results in a cracking of the components into many different and valuable substances not formed when the carbonizing temperature is low.

Jan 1, 1942

De la pirotechnia. Libri .X. dove ampiamente si tratta non solo di ogni sorte & diuersita di miniere, ma anchora panto si ricerca intorno á la prattica di quelle cose di quel the si appartiene á l'arte de la fusion ouer gitto de metalli come d'ogni altra cosa simile I questa. Composti per it S. Vanoccio Biringuccio]

Jan 1, 1942

By J. L. Huiatt, G. M. Potter, R. B. Tippin

The US Bureau of Mines and Great Salt Lake Minerals and Chemical Corp. have developed a froth flotation process for concentrating potassium salts from Great Salt Lake solar evaporites containing about 6% K2O. The crude evaporites, which were predominately halite (NaCl) with smaller amounts of kainite (KCl.MgS0, 2.7Hp0) and schoenite KeS0,MgS04.6H,0), were conditioned in a saturated brine solution., thus converting nonfloatable kainite to the floatable mineral schoenite. Schoenite was then selectively floated with a medium-molecular-weight fatty acid. Continuous small-scale pilot-plant testing indicated that 80% of the potassium could be recovered from the crude evaporites in flotation concentrates assaying about 13% K2O.

Jan 1, 1976

By M. Tanaka, S. Kita, Y. Jinnouchi, Y. Sawada

This paper generalizes the results of the recent theoretical and experimental investigations on the air-pulsated jigs in Japan. The pulsating mechanism is analyzed as a special vibratory system, and the jigging mechanism as a mass system subjected to the law of hindered settling. The results of investigations on the following items are reviewed: dynamics of the pulsating mechanism; pulsation in a practical TACUB jig development of a new type of air valve; uniform pulsation in a large Baum jig; motion and mobility of bed particles; separating speed in hindered conditions; and standard deviation in practical jigs.

Jan 1, 1985

By C. H. Mathewson, J. A. Collins

The process of plastic extension of face-centered cubic single crystalline rods is so well understood, since the notable studies of Taylor and Elam,1 that the change in orientation of any crystal by slip and rotation may be predicted from the measured elongation. It is customary to assume a very homogeneous deformation, wherein gliding lamellar arc free to rotate so that their slip direction continually approaches the axis of the rod, until a second slip system comes into operation; whereupon conjugate slip proceeds quantitatively to an end adjustment with the [121] direction in the axis of the rod. This process has been checked in malty face.-centered cubie materialsand and readily permits the preparation of specimens that have been subjtvted to various determinable amounts of shearing action. It is elearly of interest to study in such measurably strained speeimens the, development of a recrystallized structure on annealing and if possilble detect the source of nuclei from which the new crystals grow. Strain-:~nneali~ig experiments of this charactcr have been performed by others but not in detail sufficient to permit a study, for example, of the number of recrystallized grains vs. the amount of shear. In the experiments now reported, this was done with a wide variety of orientations covering nearly the entire range of slip on a single system and corresponding to amounts of shear (ratio of shearing distance to distance between lamellae at the conclusion of a test of from 0.08 to 0.57. A particular point wa-made of determining the crystallite rotation, or small angular range. assumed by the octahedral slip plane after these various amounts of shear. The, mechanism of reerystallization and the magnitude and effeet of recovery on the recrystallization process was investigated.

Jan 1, 1940

By J. A. Collins, C. H. Mathewson

The process of plastic extension of face-centered cubic single crystalline rods is so well understood, since the notable studies of Taylor and Elam,1 that the change in orientation of any crystal by slip and rotation may be predicted from the measured elongation. It is customary to assume a very homogeneous deformation, wherein gliding lamellar arc free to rotate so that their slip direction continually approaches the axis of the rod, until a second slip system comes into operation; whereupon conjugate slip proceeds quantitatively to an end adjustment with the [121] direction in the axis of the rod. This process has been checked in malty face.-centered cubie materialsand and readily permits the preparation of specimens that have been subjtvted to various determinable amounts of shearing action. It is elearly of interest to study in such measurably strained speeimens the, development of a recrystallized structure on annealing and if possilble detect the source of nuclei from which the new crystals grow. Strain-:~nneali~ig experiments of this charactcr have been performed by others but not in detail sufficient to permit a study, for example, of the number of recrystallized grains vs. the amount of shear. In the experiments now reported, this was done with a wide variety of orientations covering nearly the entire range of slip on a single system and corresponding to amounts of shear (ratio of shearing distance to distance between lamellae at the conclusion of a test of from 0.08 to 0.57. A particular point wa-made of determining the crystallite rotation, or small angular range. assumed by the octahedral slip plane after these various amounts of shear. The, mechanism of reerystallization and the magnitude and effeet of recovery on the recrystallization process was investigated.

Jan 1, 1940

By T. A. Rickard

In a previous paper (ante, p. 411) some description was given of the occurrence of the auriferous alluvium, extensive deposits of which lie among the highlands of the province of Otago, New Zealand. The present paper will describe some of the methods by which that alluvium is exploited. The alluvial mining of New Zealand is not yet hindered by " debris legislation." The mines are for the most part situated in a country of little agricultural value, and large rivers with rapid currents act as tailings conveyors. In time, however, steps will have to be taken to restrict the discharge into the Clutha of the tailings which are slowly raising the river-bottom. The methods of California have been followed in Otago with such alterations as peculiar local conditions require. The distinctive feature of the alluvial mining of Otago is the prominence given to the hydraulic elevator. The all-important factor in this form of mining is the control of an abundant water-supply at a suitable height above the level where it is to be utilized; and in this respect the gold-fields of the south island of New Zealand are most favora-

Jan 1, 1893

A LARGE attendance at the annual dinner of the Institute, to be held this year on Tuesday eve-ning of convention week, is already assured. Presentation of the Douglas, Hunt and Saunders medals will attract unusual attention since not only in Blaylock, Mathews and Hoover the Institute will be honoring men who have made notable contributions to the advance-ment of their profession, but as to one of them each person as he passes down the reception line will be won-dering whether in renewing acquaintance with our past-president and present Secretary of Commerce, he is not greeting the next president of the United States. Elsewhere in this issue accounts of the professional careers of these three men appear as also of the two younger men, Charles H. Herty, Jr., and P. H. Royster, who are to receive the Robert W. Hunt and the J. E. Johnson awards. Institute honors go for technical achievement, but the Institute will be proud and happy if the nation should later confirm its own judgment by placing larger responsibilities on one of its members. The medals are to be presented at the annual dinner following the President's reception and preceding the dance. There will be no. other speeches and since the occasion falls on Carnival Night a particularly gay evening is anticipated. The event will be at the Wal-dorf as usual, and members are urged to return prompt-ly the reservation cards sent them by mail. Other entertainment features will include a Smoker, Monday evening at 8.15, held at Mecca Temple and in charge of a new committee with Fred Kay of the Petro-leum Division as chairman. He promises that vocal music will not be allowed to interrupt conversation. Lunch will be served each day on the Fifth Floor of the Engineering Societies Building, and ten special luncheons and dinners have been arranged for particu-lar committees and groups as shown by the detailed program. The Woman's Auxiliary has laid out a gen-erous program including luncheons, teas, a theater party on the night the men folks go to the Smoker, visits to museums and, not the least important, a round of the leading shops. The Excursion Committee is arranging for an excur-sion sure to be of interest. The American Smelting and Refining Co. has opened its great Perth Amboy plant to the Institute, and on Thursday, Feb. 23, a party will be taken to it by bus traveling through the Holland Tunnel en route. Full opportunity will be afforded those interested to see the workings of the ventilation system of that great public work. If a sufficient number indicate interest, arrangements will be made for group excursions to other plants in the vicinity of the city.

Jan 2, 1928

By J. R. Long, E. T. Hayes, D. C. Root, R. S. Dean

THE U. S. Bureau of Mines has recently reported on the development of a process for preparing pure ductile titanium in substantial quantities' and on the physical properties that may be attained in the metal, when consolidated by powder metallurgy methods and fabricated by certain hot and cold-working procedures.2 The high physical properties (Table I), combined with excellent corrosion resistance and light weight, will lead no doubt to appropriate applications of the metal. In any application, methods of joining will be of considerable importance. The relatively high activity of the metal toward the common gases raises the question of weldability and conditions that might be required for successful welding. Since hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen embrittle the metal, it should be protected from these gases at elevated temperatures. This was demonstrated by a few preliminary trials of arc, gas, and resistance welding. In these trials only the resistance method proved to be immediately applicable. While atomic hydrogen welding of titanium may be successful in some instances, a considerable amount of development work will be required to prove its worth. In addition, it would be suited only to small assemblies that could be heated subsequently in a high vacuum to remove embrittling hydrogen. Heli-arc methods likewise would be limited to small assemblies, which could be completely protected by a helium atmosphere. It was quite apparent that titanium required more protection than was afforded by the normal flow of helium gas used for welding magnesium and aluminum. The hot metal is attacked by oxygen and nitrogen, and the rapid diffusion of the oxide into the metal prevents the formation of a protective coating and requires the helium atmosphere to be maintained until the weld has cooled nearly to room temperature. The preliminary work indicated that titanium could be successfully spot-welded without deterioration of the metal and that the microstructures of the welds were normal, exhibiting good bonding, and no oxidation. The high resistivity of titanium (53 microhms per cu. cm.) suggested that it would behave somewhat like stainless steel and allow considerable latitude in the several welding variables. The results reported here are intended to give a general picture of the effects of varying welding current, welding time, and tip pressure on single spot welds made on several different thicknesses of titanium sheet. The work was undertaken to demonstrate the feasibility of welding titanium rather than as an exhaustive study of spot welding. There are, therefore, a number of factors that will require further investigation to establish the specific controls required for actual applications.

Jan 1, 1946

By Walter Rose

Theoretical expressions are presented to describe wetting and non-wetting phase relative premeability relations. These expressions have then been compared with existing published data, the conformance noted being sufficiently good to satisfy the requirements of some engineering use. As a consequence, it may be supposed that relative permeability characteristics of porous media now can be inferred from basic core analysis data, in a manner more convenient (although less direct) than presently available methods of experimental evaluation. INTRODUCTION This paper presents a new approach to the problem of relative permeability evaluation. A classification of published discussions of relative permeability concepts which have appeared in the petroleum literature will show that previously emphasis has been placed on methods of experimental measurement, on the interpretation of the data so obtained with respect to the variable properties of the system, and on theoretical and practical considerations which relate relative permeability to gross fluid behavior in petroleum reservoirs. Essentially, no detailed examination has appeared which treats the fundamental factors controlling the quantitative features of the relative permeability relation*, although cer- tain references can be Cited where a qualitative awareness of their existence and nature is indicated. This condition is explainable in terms of the recognized complexity of the problem, and in order to provide some basis for theoretical development, the general emphasis has been placed in the past on experimental procedures of evaluation, the validity of which, in principle, could be confirmed by the analysis of well and reservoir performance. However, because of the experimental difficulties which have been encountered (notably, difficulties due to the so-called "end effects"), and because of the general unreliability of field performance tests required to study the applicability of the data, relative permeability phenomena continue to be incompletely understood and described.? In this paper is examined the possibility of predicting relative permeabilities entirely from fundamental considerations. In addition, attention is called to certain important factors, previously unemphasized in the published literature, which now can serve as a basis for the eventual experimental confirmation of this and similar theoretical approaches, as well as the experimental solution of the problem in general. Therefore, the analysis presented herein has the dual purpose both of orienting future experimental activity and also of providing an immediate solution for the relative permeability porblem, sufficiently adequate for some engineering use. It will be seen that the conclusions reached are supported by theoretical and intuitive considerations, and they are not contradicted insofar as gross features are concerned by existing concepts and interpretations of published experimental data, except as specifically noted. Darcy's law, expressed simply as: k dp q = k/u dp/dx .......(1) where q is linear rate of flow (assumed horizontal), k is the † The poor comparison usually obtained between laboratory and field gas-oil ratios (c.f.. Fig. 4 of paper by L. E. Elkins) is illustrative of conditions which dimcourage unqualified acceptance of the results of previous studies except as presently useful approximations. In this connection, Evinger and Muskat have discussed in detail the discrepancy observed between field well productivity values and values obtained from the analysis of laboratory flow data.

Jan 1, 1949

By Walter Rose

Theoretical expressions are presented to describe wetting and non-wetting phase relative premeability relations. These expressions have then been compared with existing published data, the conformance noted being sufficiently good to satisfy the requirements of some engineering use. As a consequence, it may be supposed that relative permeability characteristics of porous media now can be inferred from basic core analysis data, in a manner more convenient (although less direct) than presently available methods of experimental evaluation. INTRODUCTION This paper presents a new approach to the problem of relative permeability evaluation. A classification of published discussions of relative permeability concepts which have appeared in the petroleum literature will show that previously emphasis has been placed on methods of experimental measurement, on the interpretation of the data so obtained with respect to the variable properties of the system, and on theoretical and practical considerations which relate relative permeability to gross fluid behavior in petroleum reservoirs. Essentially, no detailed examination has appeared which treats the fundamental factors controlling the quantitative features of the relative permeability relation*, although cer- tain references can be Cited where a qualitative awareness of their existence and nature is indicated. This condition is explainable in terms of the recognized complexity of the problem, and in order to provide some basis for theoretical development, the general emphasis has been placed in the past on experimental procedures of evaluation, the validity of which, in principle, could be confirmed by the analysis of well and reservoir performance. However, because of the experimental difficulties which have been encountered (notably, difficulties due to the so-called "end effects"), and because of the general unreliability of field performance tests required to study the applicability of the data, relative permeability phenomena continue to be incompletely understood and described.? In this paper is examined the possibility of predicting relative permeabilities entirely from fundamental considerations. In addition, attention is called to certain important factors, previously unemphasized in the published literature, which now can serve as a basis for the eventual experimental confirmation of this and similar theoretical approaches, as well as the experimental solution of the problem in general. Therefore, the analysis presented herein has the dual purpose both of orienting future experimental activity and also of providing an immediate solution for the relative permeability porblem, sufficiently adequate for some engineering use. It will be seen that the conclusions reached are supported by theoretical and intuitive considerations, and they are not contradicted insofar as gross features are concerned by existing concepts and interpretations of published experimental data, except as specifically noted. Darcy's law, expressed simply as: k dp q = k/u dp/dx .......(1) where q is linear rate of flow (assumed horizontal), k is the † The poor comparison usually obtained between laboratory and field gas-oil ratios (c.f.. Fig. 4 of paper by L. E. Elkins) is illustrative of conditions which dimcourage unqualified acceptance of the results of previous studies except as presently useful approximations. In this connection, Evinger and Muskat have discussed in detail the discrepancy observed between field well productivity values and values obtained from the analysis of laboratory flow data.

Jan 1, 1949

I HAVE striven to demonstrate to you as well as possible the method of bringing the metals of your ores to their ultimate perfection. But one cannot always do with gold that is found in the ores what is done with the other metals, for gold is not always accompanied by fine silver nor is it

Jan 1, 1942

By Joseph Chalmers

The Petroleum Experiment Station of the U. S. Bureau of Mines at Bartlesville, Okla., has for the past three and a half years maintained a laboratory with the necessary personnel for conducting research on methods of increasing the recovery of oil. Some of the preliminary problems encountered in starting this work, with the data obtained, were discussed in A. I. M. E. Technical Publication No. 144, "Oil Recovery Investigations of the Petroleum Experiment Station of the U. S. Bureau of Mines," which was presented at the October meeting of the Institute at Tulsa, Okla., in 1928. Scope of Paper The following discussion gives some of the results of the more recent work at the Oil Recovery Laboratory. These experiments were conducted to obtain laboratory data pertaining to the relative merits or efficiencies of various pressure media in the recovery of oil from a sand reservoir. Two general types of experiments were conducted. In one the various pressure media were passed through an artificial body of sand partly saturated with oil at a constant input pressure; in the other the pressure media were passed through the body of sand partly saturated with oil at a constant volume rate. No attempt will be made to discuss the ramifications of economic problems which enter into the choice of a pressure medium. Apparatus and Materials The two 6-in. by 6-ft. flow tubes described in Technical Publication 144 were used in these experiments. They consist of 6-ft. sections of 6-in. casing with a blind flange at each end. There are three 1-in. well openings in each tube, spaced 2 ft. 4 in. apart, the end wells being

Jan 1, 1930

By W. M. Rust, W. D. Mounce

THE almost universal acceptance of electrical logging by the petroleum industry calls for a critical examination of the physical bases of the common methods. This is particularly needed for the natural potential log. The conventional explanations are based on the phenomena of electrofiltration and electro-osmosis. However, experimental data show that they fail to give a basis that is quantitatively sound. Moreover, they lead to interpretations of details of electrical logs that are erroneous. It was found experimentally that when a plug of shale is placed in a chain of dissimilar electrolytes, a current flow results. Experiments on oil-well cores and fluids similar to those existing in wells show that potentials are set up which are in reasonable agreement with those encountered in electrical logging. Doubt- less other sources of potential are important but this explanation not only accounts for much of the potential but also clarifies some fairly familiar examples of misinterpretations.

Jan 1, 1944