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By John A. Putnam, Morrough P. O’Brien

DATA on the physical and thermodynamic properties of hydrocarbons have been made available in recent years but the formal method of applying these data to flow in porous media appears not to have been fully developed. By making usual thermodynamic assumptions and employing existing data on permeability to two-phase flow, Darcy's law may be applied to obtain the flow characteristics for representative combinations of flowing medium and geometry. The numerical examples presented herein are based on hydrocarbons for which complete physical and thermodynamic data are available under equilibrium conditions. INTRODUCTION Thermodynamic data are obtained in the laboratory under equilibrium conditions and their application requires the assumption that equilibrium also exists during flow. This assumption is at least usual in engineering analyses, though not easily justified in many instances, and will be followed here. In regard to hydrocarbons, laboratory experience in determining the pressure-volume-temperature relationships indicates that gas-liquid mixtures must often be stirred vigorously for periods of 15 to 20 min. before reaching equilibrium. On the other hand, boiling and condensation are known to occur on solid surfaces and the large surface exposed to the flowing substance by a porous medium may bring about rapid approach to equilibrium. For the purpose of providing at least a guide to experimentation and a standard for later comparison with experimental results, it will be assumed that the phases present in cross sections perpendicular to the direction of flow are in thermodynamic equilibrium. Another assumption usually made in the solution of problems of flow in porous media is that the fluid remains at a constant temperature; i.e., isothermal flow. This assumption is arrived at by considering the porous medium and surroundings to be an infinite heat source and the rate of heat flow to be infinite at a boiling front. Its validity depends in large measure upon the character of flow, the number of components, and the physical and thermodynamic properties of the fluid. However, the assumption of isothermal flow represents a limiting case. The other limit can be represented by the assumption that the fluid is thermally isolated; i.e., irreversible adiabatic. The thermodynamic process characterizing the actual flow of a given fluid system probably lies somewhere between these two limiting cases and might be thought of as a flow system in which the confining walls are maintained at a constant temperature. For isothermal flow the solid material of the porous media is considered as the infinite heat source capable, without loss in temperature, of giving up heat to the fluid as the latter tends to cool by expansion. For the thermally isolated system, the solid material is considered to give up no heat to the fluid. In the intermediate case the impervious walls confining the porous media are at constant temperature from which heat is transferred along various paths, solid and fluid, throughout the porous media. It would appear that an actual petroleum-

Jan 1, 1941

By Henry A. Ley

Oklahoma produced about 40,000,000 bbl. less crude oil in 1930 than it did in 1929, but developed the largest initial production from current well completions ever recorded in its history. The output of this year would have exceeded all previous years had it not been for state-wide production curtailment. The record initial production of 5,911,982 bbl. from new oil wells completed during the year is accounted for entirely by the rapid development of the Oklahoma City field. Completions declined to the lowest levels since 1909, as a result of a marked reduction in number of dry holes incident to reduced wildcat exploration. Leasing was most active in western and northern counties of the state west of Oklahoma City, but on a much smaller scale than in the preceding year. Geological and geophysical surveys were likewise most active in this western territory. The urge to deeper objectives resulted in the discovery of oil on the Cement fold. Changing economic conditions have created a distress situation among the marginal operators in northeastern localities of the state. Elsewhere in the state production records and successful exploitation of new supplies have been eclipsed by a new social concept of the industry in accord with natural economic developments. Many of the producers of crude oil have organized for a voluntary stabilization of the industry by regulating the output of wells. To enforce their measures these operators have sought for and secured the support of the state. Consequently, the current position of the crude-oil producer is not unlike that of the natural-gas producer—withdrawal of supplies in accordance with market needs. And while the industry as a whole is artificially stabilized by these measures individual operators and some of the integrated concerns suffer hardships. Oil Developments and Production The early operations in Oklahoma were confined to northeastern and eastern localities, beginning in 1885. The first commercial oil wells were completed in 1894, near Chelsea in Craig County, from Cherokee sands in the lower portion of the Pennsylvanian section. Scattered

Jan 1, 1931

By Cornelius Kelley

I HAVE been asked to pay a tribute to the mining industry. It is appropriate to this occasion that a word upon this subject should be spoken to this assemblage; but to pay a tribute to the mining indus-try, one that would be worthy of its traditions and its accomplishment and that would outline what it has meant to the economic and social development of this nation, would carry me far beyond what must be the brief confines of this address. I wonder how many there are who have ever paused to reflect how different might have been the current history of the world had it not been that for nearly eighty years a never-interrupted stream of wealth has flowed from the storehouse of treasure in the mines of the West into the commercial and economic life not only of this nation but of the world. Truly it was a historic day that Marshall discovered in the runway at Sutter's mill the glistening particles that proved to be gold. That event was one of the most momentous events in its consequences that ever happened in the history of mankind. Without its occurrence this nation undoubtedly would have grown; it would have reached a position; of economic and social soundness; but certainly it could not have achieved the splendid and immediate results that have become our proudest heritage and established our unrivaled posi-tion in the industrial world. As the primal cause that led to one of the great migratory movements of man it stands alone, unequaled, without any precedent in the annals of history, comparable in its effect on the imagination, on the movement, and on the devlop-ment of a people. Nearly three-quarters of a century had passed since the banners of the Revolution had been furled and a new nation had come into existence. Beyond the boun-daries of the original colonies, and through the passes of the Alleghanies, hardy frontiersmen had cut their way, and the process of establishing what have become -great states in the Valley of the Mississippi was under way. An empire of virgin land beckoned to the home-seekers of the world; but scarcely had its occupation been begun when, true to the instinctive urge that meant the ultimate destiny of the nation, there began the movement to carry the Stars and Stripes westward to the Pacific. Within the boundaries of what was then Mexico, Americans fought and died in the Alamo, and the banner of the Texan had been raised in eager ex-pectancy that its Lone Star might be added to the grow-ing constellation on the American banner.

Jan 5, 1928

By Edward S. Cook

For several years past, dating particularly from the days of serious "ore-dirt" complications at the Warwick furnace, I have been desirous of providing some safe, quick and easy method of relieving the tuyeres of slag, when the cinder- and iron-notches are chilled through loss of heat in the clucible or when, from dropping or jumping of stock, the molten slag is forcibly driven into the bellyand leg-pipes. Various methods were proposed, but objections of one kind or another always presented themselves, and the subject was postponed to a more convenient season. In the summer of 1887, while running on anthracite alone, 1 found the various expedients in use to be so utterly valueless, that the importance of a practicable tuyere slagging-valve impressed me more forcibly than ever. The holes left in the cast-iron jacket at one side of the bottom of the water-blocks were found to be of no value whatever. The swinging or hinged cap on the elbow of the belly-pipe, while convenient to permit the removal of lag after the belly-pipe was partially or wholly filled, could not be adapted to discharge the slag before solidifying, except at great risk to the men and loss of time just when the constant running of the engine and the keeping of blast on the furnace was of the utmost importance. By removing keys from the caps and holding them in place with props, the slag could be discharged through the tuyeres and belly-pipes, with the engine running, by knocking the props away at a given signal. This method is extremely hazardous to life and limb, and I have always hesitated to make use of it. When the furnace is in such condition as to require the adoption of some method of the kind, the stoppage of the engine, cooling the blast and the contents of the crucible, always aggravates the trouble. When the caps are blown open and the slag is discharged by removal of the props, it is necessary to stop the engine to replace them. An hour or more will elapse before this can be done, as the slag must be partly removed before the tuyeres can be approached by ordinary mortals, and the caps handled and fastened in place again. Any movement of the stock is liable to burn the workman, as he stands, securing the cap in front or at one side of the open belly-pipe.

Jan 1, 1889

By W. H. Kantner

IN this paper, no attempt will be made to theorize on subsidence. Only known data and actual facts will be given, with a few exceptions noted where other factors and outside influences tend to change sub-sidence directly resulting from porphyry caving. The area under observation is known as the Southeast Extension of the East orebody. The orebody is irregular in outline and dips to the south and the east, extending in depth from about 425 ft. below the sur-face to 1050 ft. below the surface. In the upper horizon, the orebody is about 400 ft. long and 150 ft. wide. At 720 ft. below the surface, the ore outline is approximately 450 by 170 ft.; 70 ft. below this, it is 500 by 110 ft., with an extension at the north end to the east 270 by 120 ft. From this elevation to about 900 ft. below the surface, the ore spreads out to the east and south, being about 700 by 500 ft. between these vertical limits. Below this it pinches out and at 1060 ft. below the surface is only 100 by 100 ft. The nearest point of the orebody-which is on the northwest side-is 600 ft. southeast of the Sacramento shaft. The country rock is all porphyry. Fig. 1 is a vertical east-west section showing orebody and original surface. The surface over the orebody was fairly regular and in this area and adjacent to it were portions of the surface plant, roads, and the main plant railroad to the concentrator. Fig. 2 is a map of the surface over the porphyry area. Caving operations started in April, 1925, at the approximate top of the orebody. The first lift was on the 600-ft. level; the ore was extracted by means of the Morenci timbered slide method and was from 425 to 455 ft. below the surface over an area of about 22,000 sq. ft. This lift was finished in May, 1926. The second lift, on the 650-ft. level, was already in production by May, 1926, so extraction of ore was continuous. This lift was 48 ft. high and covered an area of about 30,000 sq. ft. The ore from this lift was extracted by means of a modified Morenci timbered slide method. This lift was finished in March, 1927. The direction

Jan 1, 1934

By Gerhard Derge

The extension of metallurgical control of steelmaking processes has always made it desirable to have some quick method for determining the oxygen content of molten steel. To meet the practical demands of the steel industry, this method must also be simple enough so that the sampling can be done by the regular furnace crew. This requirement was kept in mind continually in the work to be described. An oxygen value is required for proper control, whether it be of a rimming steel or of a fully killed steel. However, two factors have discouraged the development of such direct methods: i. The reaction C + FeO Fe + CO is rapid enough to make the correct sampling Of the bath a difficult problem. The most generally accepted means of circumventing this difficulty have been the aluminum-killed bomb test of McCutcheon and Rautiol and the aluminum-killed spoon test of Herty.2 The theory of these tests is that all of the oxygen in the iron is converted to Al2O3, which can then be determined by chemical methods. Even when simplified so that the analysis is made by a measurement of turbidity, this method is too slow to be used in routine control. Furthermore, the results obtained have never been entirely satisfactory, and some of the reasons for this will be discussed later in this paper. z. The ordinary chemical methods of analysis for oxygen in steel are not reliable. The only analysis that seems to possess sufficient dependability to be of value is vacuum fusion,3 and the apparatus and technique developed for this have been too complex and slow for routine work. Indirect Methods Indirect methods of estimating the oxygen have been resorted to in mill practice. Generally these depend upon the chemical equilibria involved. The oxygen in the bath is related to other components in the slag or metal that can be analyzed the readily. These methods have many difficulties in common. Steelmaking processes involve a complicated set of interrelated reactions, all of which tend to approach equilibrium at varying rates. The degree to which any particular equilibrium is approached is not well established. Moreover, a proper use of theoretical equilibrium constants requires a more extensive knowledge of the activities of the con- than we now have. This is well illustrated by the irregularities observed when trying to determine the oxygen in the metal by its ratio to the iron oxide in the slag. Equiliblium relations may be used mole readily if they are evaluated by plant experience, but the extent of approach to equilibrium remains an undetermined variable and lack of an entirely satisfactory mean, of determining oxygen for the calibration is felt keenly, For example, the statistical analysis of the relation between carbon and oxygen4.6 illustrates that even iia a single plant wide variations exist under llormal conditions of operation. Never. theless, this is one of the best methods now

Jan 1, 1943

By Gerhard Derge

The extension of metallurgical control of steelmaking processes has always made it desirable to have some quick method for determining the oxygen content of molten steel. To meet the practical demands of the steel industry, this method must also be simple enough so that the sampling can be done by the regular furnace crew. This requirement was kept in mind continually in the work to be described. An oxygen value is required for proper control, whether it be of a rimming steel or of a fully killed steel. However, two factors have discouraged the development of such direct methods: i. The reaction C + FeO Fe + CO is rapid enough to make the correct sampling Of the bath a difficult problem. The most generally accepted means of circumventing this difficulty have been the aluminum-killed bomb test of McCutcheon and Rautiol and the aluminum-killed spoon test of Herty.2 The theory of these tests is that all of the oxygen in the iron is converted to Al2O3, which can then be determined by chemical methods. Even when simplified so that the analysis is made by a measurement of turbidity, this method is too slow to be used in routine control. Furthermore, the results obtained have never been entirely satisfactory, and some of the reasons for this will be discussed later in this paper. z. The ordinary chemical methods of analysis for oxygen in steel are not reliable. The only analysis that seems to possess sufficient dependability to be of value is vacuum fusion,3 and the apparatus and technique developed for this have been too complex and slow for routine work. Indirect Methods Indirect methods of estimating the oxygen have been resorted to in mill practice. Generally these depend upon the chemical equilibria involved. The oxygen in the bath is related to other components in the slag or metal that can be analyzed the readily. These methods have many difficulties in common. Steelmaking processes involve a complicated set of interrelated reactions, all of which tend to approach equilibrium at varying rates. The degree to which any particular equilibrium is approached is not well established. Moreover, a proper use of theoretical equilibrium constants requires a more extensive knowledge of the activities of the con- than we now have. This is well illustrated by the irregularities observed when trying to determine the oxygen in the metal by its ratio to the iron oxide in the slag. Equiliblium relations may be used mole readily if they are evaluated by plant experience, but the extent of approach to equilibrium remains an undetermined variable and lack of an entirely satisfactory mean, of determining oxygen for the calibration is felt keenly, For example, the statistical analysis of the relation between carbon and oxygen4.6 illustrates that even iia a single plant wide variations exist under llormal conditions of operation. Never. theless, this is one of the best methods now

Jan 1, 1943

By Harry H. Power

While the attention of all engineering branches is focused today on changes and improvements in the several curricula, we are concerned here with the many questions arising in industry and college concerning the preparation for the petroleum engineering profession. The succession of problems confronting the petroleum engineer demands a degree of versatility not ordinarily encountered in other professions. As a consequence, the student cannot acquire mastery of all the several engineering branches represented in field practice, and as an alternative, he has learned to appreciate the value of thorough training in the basic or fundamental sciences as a Preliminary foundation for professional work. While our attention is directed primarily to the training of engineers in educational institutions, it is necessary that the ultimate education of the professional engineer be kept in mind. It is apparent that his success as an engineer is limited not only by his educational and job experience, but by his native endowments: mentality, Personality and health. The engineer's lack of job experiences often proves as much a handicap as the lack of adequate college training. If the final product proves to be satisfactory, both industry and technical institutions are to be congratulated. However, if the Product is found wanting, the one most responsible should For the most part, students of engineering colleges have had their interests in applied science awakened at a relatively early age. Manyof them entered college as a convenient means of acquiring a technical education, but undoubtedly would have had better prospects in a shorter program offered by institutions of non-college grade. The activating motive of practical interest is also strong in students suitable for college training, but in many cases an intellectual interest must be awakened in order that it may survive graduation. Numerous engineers believe that this progressive process of selection and determination of career aims is one of the essential services rendered by the engineering colleges. Industrialists, who are more inter. ested in quality than quantity of petroleum engineering graduates, have pointed out the good that should result if more emphasis were given to the work of eliminating the misfits. They also point out the protective measures that have been taken by other professions for the betterment of professional standards. Mention has been ,de of the beneficial results to be obtdned by collective determination of the market for the products of engineering schools, particularly in that the students unsuited to the profession would have an opportunity to prepare themselves for employment more suited to their personalities and other qualifications. In the event that such a system of coordinated personnel direction is developed by the

Jan 1, 1941

By H. J. Hager, P. H. Haskell

For the past 20 years Alabama has probably led all other coal-producing districts in the proportion of coal prepared by wet washing. All rail mines, with one exception, and a high percentage of truck mines now wash all coal under 3 or 4 in. Most of this coal has been cleaned by jigs, though within the past few years one or more wet-table plants have been installed for cleaning some of the coal from practically all the major seams. These tables supplement either single or multicell jigs usually for one of the following purposes: (I) to wash the finer sizes of raw coal, (2) to rewash the finer sizes of washed coal after they leave the jigs, (3) to re-treat jig middling products. The main purpose of this paper is to present cleaning data and operating factors involved in the preparation by tables of the finer sizes of raw coal. The specific information and data pertain to the Mary Lee seam of coal as extracted at three of the mines of the Alabama By-Products Corporation, which produces coal for both byproduct coke-oven consumption and the general steam market. The Mary Lee seam has long been recognized by coal-preparation authorities as presenting a very difficult ash-reduction problem. Washing characteristics and physical structure of the seam vary widely. Its thickness ranges from 32 in. with no rock parting to 100 in. with from one to three partings. Over the entire field the bed contains bands of bone and rash. These are distributed throughout the seam cross section. A portion of this bone or bony coal occurs as definite bands I in. or more thick; however, some bone is interlocked as layers within the coal and consequently breaks into flakes when the coal is broken. This material is relatively high in ash and its specific gravity varies widely. It has been observed that in most cases in the washing of Mary Lee coal from 10 to 18 per cent of the raw coal is within +0.10 specific gravity of the attempted point of separation. Therefore with the average wet jig, only with extreme difficulty can a low-ash product be obtained without loss of much marketable coal in the refuse. Without entering into the controversial question as to whether modern washing equipment can efficiently handle simultaneously all sizes up to a given maximum, suffice it to state that the comparatively old-type jigs in service at the Alabama By-Products Corporation's mines could not clean the he sizes satisfactorily. Therefore, in 1931 that company installed six diagonal-deck tables at the Barney mine, which were installed as an addition to a complete plant cleaning all coal below minus 3 in. The primary washed product is shipped as steam coal and another portion may be prepared as washed nut for domestic trade. These tables are washing 9 tons per hour of raw coal sized to ¼ in. to o. The washed table coal is mixed with the 3 to ¼-in. jig product to constitute a 3 in. to o steam coal.

Jan 1, 1942

By H. K. Livingston

A technique has been developed which makes it possible to determine the spreading pressure of liquids and solids, for simple systems. Data for surface tensions, interfacial tensions, spreading pressures, and contact angles for water, heptane, and silica are tabulated.' These results can be applied to the evaluation of capillary rise and displacement pressure in a petroleum reservoir. Appropriate equations are presented and the application of these equations is discussed. The presence of surface-active components affects both capillary rise and displacement pressure and also seems to influence the rate of fluid flow. The purpose of this paper is to supplement and bring up to date the last article on the subject of the surface chemistry of petroleum reservoirs, that of Garrison in the 1935 Oil and Gas Journa1.1 A discussion of the "adhesion tension" concept used by Garrison has been presented in another publication,2 together with the reasons for the recommendation that the term "adhesion tension" be abandoned. In view of the fact that some of the data used by Garrison have been superseded by more recent work, it seemed advisable to call attention to this fact and present the more important data currently believed to be correct. In the earlier paper, Garrison set up the equations that 'relate solid-oil and solid-water interfacial tensions to each other, and applied data from Bartell and Miller3 to these equations. However the adhesion tension measurements made by Bartell and Miller involved a confusion of symbols, so that they did not actually measure the spreading pressure, ?s — ?sf.2 The spreading pressure is a convenient method of indicating the amount by which the surface energy of a solid surface is lowered on immersion in a liquid or vapor. Since the initial value of the free surface energy is represented by the symbol ?s and the final value is ?sF, the spreading pressure is ?s — ?SF. A technique has now been developed4 that makes possible the determination of ?s — ?sF for simple systems. This method would be very difficult to carry out with a multicomponent system such as exists in the petroleum reservoir. However, already results have been obtained for ?s — ?sF for water and heptane in contact with silica and graphite. These values will be of the same order of magnitude as those in the petroleum reservoir. Accordingly, it is possible for the first time to discuss the surface-energy relations of the petroleum reservoir on a semi-quantitative basis. Preliminary Generalizations A petroleum reservoir may contain the following four phases: gas, hydrocarbon liquid, aqueous liquid, and solid. The three fluid phases are dispersed through the solid reservoir rock. If gravity were the only force acting, it is obvious that the

Jan 1, 1943

By H. K. Livingston

A technique has been developed which makes it possible to determine the spreading pressure of liquids and solids, for simple systems. Data for surface tensions, interfacial tensions, spreading pressures, and contact angles for water, heptane, and silica are tabulated.' These results can be applied to the evaluation of capillary rise and displacement pressure in a petroleum reservoir. Appropriate equations are presented and the application of these equations is discussed. The presence of surface-active components affects both capillary rise and displacement pressure and also seems to influence the rate of fluid flow. The purpose of this paper is to supplement and bring up to date the last article on the subject of the surface chemistry of petroleum reservoirs, that of Garrison in the 1935 Oil and Gas Journa1.1 A discussion of the "adhesion tension" concept used by Garrison has been presented in another publication,2 together with the reasons for the recommendation that the term "adhesion tension" be abandoned. In view of the fact that some of the data used by Garrison have been superseded by more recent work, it seemed advisable to call attention to this fact and present the more important data currently believed to be correct. In the earlier paper, Garrison set up the equations that 'relate solid-oil and solid-water interfacial tensions to each other, and applied data from Bartell and Miller3 to these equations. However the adhesion tension measurements made by Bartell and Miller involved a confusion of symbols, so that they did not actually measure the spreading pressure, ?s — ?sf.2 The spreading pressure is a convenient method of indicating the amount by which the surface energy of a solid surface is lowered on immersion in a liquid or vapor. Since the initial value of the free surface energy is represented by the symbol ?s and the final value is ?sF, the spreading pressure is ?s — ?SF. A technique has now been developed4 that makes possible the determination of ?s — ?sF for simple systems. This method would be very difficult to carry out with a multicomponent system such as exists in the petroleum reservoir. However, already results have been obtained for ?s — ?sF for water and heptane in contact with silica and graphite. These values will be of the same order of magnitude as those in the petroleum reservoir. Accordingly, it is possible for the first time to discuss the surface-energy relations of the petroleum reservoir on a semi-quantitative basis. Preliminary Generalizations A petroleum reservoir may contain the following four phases: gas, hydrocarbon liquid, aqueous liquid, and solid. The three fluid phases are dispersed through the solid reservoir rock. If gravity were the only force acting, it is obvious that the

Jan 1, 1943

By H. J. Hager, P. H. Haskell

For the past 20 years Alabama has probably led all other coal-producing districts in the proportion of coal prepared by wet washing. All rail mines, with one exception, and a high percentage of truck mines now wash all coal under 3 or 4 in. Most of this coal has been cleaned by jigs, though within the past few years one or more wet-table plants have been installed for cleaning some of the coal from practically all the major seams. These tables supplement either single or multicell jigs usually for one of the following purposes: (I) to wash the finer sizes of raw coal, (2) to rewash the finer sizes of washed coal after they leave the jigs, (3) to re-treat jig middling products. The main purpose of this paper is to present cleaning data and operating factors involved in the preparation by tables of the finer sizes of raw coal. The specific information and data pertain to the Mary Lee seam of coal as extracted at three of the mines of the Alabama By-Products Corporation, which produces coal for both byproduct coke-oven consumption and the general steam market. The Mary Lee seam has long been recognized by coal-preparation authorities as presenting a very difficult ash-reduction problem. Washing characteristics and physical structure of the seam vary widely. Its thickness ranges from 32 in. with no rock parting to 100 in. with from one to three partings. Over the entire field the bed contains bands of bone and rash. These are distributed throughout the seam cross section. A portion of this bone or bony coal occurs as definite bands I in. or more thick; however, some bone is interlocked as layers within the coal and consequently breaks into flakes when the coal is broken. This material is relatively high in ash and its specific gravity varies widely. It has been observed that in most cases in the washing of Mary Lee coal from 10 to 18 per cent of the raw coal is within +0.10 specific gravity of the attempted point of separation. Therefore with the average wet jig, only with extreme difficulty can a low-ash product be obtained without loss of much marketable coal in the refuse. Without entering into the controversial question as to whether modern washing equipment can efficiently handle simultaneously all sizes up to a given maximum, suffice it to state that the comparatively old-type jigs in service at the Alabama By-Products Corporation's mines could not clean the he sizes satisfactorily. Therefore, in 1931 that company installed six diagonal-deck tables at the Barney mine, which were installed as an addition to a complete plant cleaning all coal below minus 3 in. The primary washed product is shipped as steam coal and another portion may be prepared as washed nut for domestic trade. These tables are washing 9 tons per hour of raw coal sized to ¼ in. to o. The washed table coal is mixed with the 3 to ¼-in. jig product to constitute a 3 in. to o steam coal.

Jan 1, 1942

By W. T. Bishop

For many years pine oil has been used extensively as a frother for the flotation of minerals, particularly sulphides, yet the published information available to the average user on its composition, chemical and physical properties, has been rather meager. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss these points and their relationship to the frothing properties of pine oil used in flotation processes. Pine oil, as the name implies, is a liquid obtained from the processing of wood of the longleaf and other southern pines. It is a complex mixture of naturally occurring terpene derivatives, primarily alcohols, and a smaller amount of terpenes, which has found many uses in various industries. Its use as a frother in flotation processes was the first large-scale application in industry and today the mining industry still consumes large quantities of pine oil but the textile and disinfectant industries consume comparable volumes. Much is used in soap manufacture and laundry operations. The surface-active properties of pine oil are in a large degree responsible for this versatility. History The name "Naval Stores" goes back to the days when pine tar and pitch were used to caulk leaky ships and 'Oat their ropes and rigging. Today this term is still used to include not only the oleoresinous products of the pine tree—rosin and turpentine— but other products such as pine oil, pine tar, and the many terpene and resinous compounds obtained by extracting the pine wood or tapping the tree. That part of the industry known as "wood naval stores" dates from about the beginning of this century and today produces a large part of the country's rosin and turpentine by processing pine wood. In addition, all of our natural pine oil is supplied by the wood naval stores industry, as tapping of the live tree gives only rosin and turpentine. This latter phase is known as the "gum naval stores " industry. The first successful commercial operation of the steam and solvent process of the wood naval stores in industry was carried out by Yaryan at Cadillac, Mich., in 1909.1 This operation did not prove profitable, so Yaryan went south to utilize the longleaf pine, and built a plant at Gulfport, Miss.2 Soon after, another plant was built at Brunswick, Ga., which is still in operation, and in 1914 was reported to have processed about 500 tons of wood per day.' In 1921 Hercules Powder Co. acquired the Yaryan interests, at which time the production of pine oil was only 3 to 5 million pounds per year and flotation was the largest customer. As time went on, technological advances were made, other companies entered the field, and the production of pine oil increased many fold. The growth of the industry was especially marked during the past 10 years, and in

Jan 1, 1947

By R. P. Carreker, J. G. Leschen, J. H. Hollomon

The external appearance of a crystal which has undergone plastic flow suggests that adjacent blocks of the crystal have glided bodily past one another along the slip planes. However, the great discrepancy between the shear stresses calculated to effect such a movement and those actually observed has for many years stimulated searches for more satisfactory interpretations of the slip process. Appreciable success in these efforts has been realized by assuming the presence in the crystal of various sorts of imperfections and by considering the consequences of the presence of these flaws when stress is externally applied. The theory that has received the most attention recently—that of dislocations—postulates the occurrence of small, mobile imperfections or dislocations which move through the crystal along the slip direction, each dislocation being attended by a local shear displacement of one interatomic distance. Thus only that portion of the crystal through which the dislocation has passed may be said to have slipped. Since each dislocation produces a displacement of only one interatomic distance, an avalanche or train of many dislocations would be necessary to account for the observed displacements of several hundred or thousand interatomic distances. The salient point of the theory of dislocations is the concept that a slip band does not suddenly appear in its entirety. On the contrary, it grows progressively across the slip plane as the individual dislocations successively appear and advance in a train through the crystal. However, the concept of growth is not intrinsic only to the theory of dislocations, since atomistic mechanisms other than that postulated by the dislocation theory can quite probably also describe the growth of a slip band. For instance, a slip band might resemble a disc-like interface that appeared and then grew continuously from a small size, producing a displacement that increased with the size of the disc. Whatever the precise mechanism, the concept of growth is in itself consistent both with the observed low values of critical shear stress and with the experimental observation that slip bands frequently do not traverse the entire crystal. The likelihood that slip bands grow implies that they must first be nucleated and that the initiation of slip can therefore be analyzed in terms of the general concepts of nucleation. Indeed, this suggestion was advanced1 several years ago, but the matter does not appear to have been further pursued. Recent advances in the theory of nucleation 2,3,4 have encouraged such a treatment of the slip process. As will presently be demonstrated, this approach to the problem not only accounts successfully for the incubation periods that have been observed 5,6 to precede slip but also predicts certain transient effects in the deformation process. The existence of these transients apparently has not hitherto

Jan 1, 1949

By W. G. Pfann

The problem of forming points on wires that were from 0.002 in. to 0.010 in. in diam arose in the recent appearance of silicon and germanium point contact rectifiers as elements in microwave radar.' In these devices a pointed tungsten wire makes a delicate contact with the surface of a semiconductor. Because the quality of such rectifiers is largely determined by the nature of this contact, considerable attention has been given to the formation of the metal point. Reproducibility of contour and freedom from burrs and even microscopic irregularities are considered essential. The operations involved must be simple and rapid enough for mass production. Previously tungsten wircs had been provided with conical points by a grinding method which involved rotating a wire about its axis and causing it to bear at an oblique angle against a spinning abrasive disc. This was later complemented with an electrolytic polishing treatment which removed irregularities from the ground point and also rounded it off at the tip—a desirable feature. Finally, these operations were supplanted by the electrolytic pointing method described here. Mechanism of Point Formation The wires to be pointed are partially immersed in an electrolyte in a vertical position whereupon they are provided with smooth rounded points entirely by electrochemical action. The process is independent of the depths to which the wires penetrate the electrolyte because the points are formed at the surface level. It may be used to point a single wire or many of them simultaneously and is applicable to wires of different diameters within a limited range. Solution of the immersed portion of a tungsten wire is accomplished by making it the positive electrode in an electrolytic cell, as shown in Fig I. While the wire is maintained at constant voltage the current through the cell falls continuously, principally because of the decrease in wetted area which results from solution of the tungsten. This increase in resistance occurs in a reproducible manner and is used as a control in the process. As thc immersed portion of the wire dissolves, it remains cylindrical in shape except for the short section which is wetted by the meniscus. Here the rate of solution is lower and decreases as the top of the meniscus is approached. The result is the formation of a tapered section inside the meniscus. As solution continues, the cylindrical section either dissolves entirely or drops off just before complete solution, leaving only the taper which is now sharply pointed. Further action causes this point to become rounded and then quite blunt, until finally the end of the wire is almost plane. Fig 2 shows the stages in this development. Contour PF is most representative of those used in point contact rectifiers. Thus a variety of point

Jan 1, 1949

By R. C. Thompson

The lead-zinc mill of Phelps Dodge Corporation, Copper Queen Branch, Mines Division, Bisbee, Arizona, is about 3 miles from the main hoisting shafts of the Junction and Campbell mines at Lowell. All the ore treated in the mill is obtained from these two mines. The mill was designed for an all-flotation treatment of 450 tons of lead-zinc ore per day, and has been operated at that capacity since the start of milling operations on Nov. 17, 1945. An expansion program is underway whereby the mill capacity will be doubled, but this article describes only the original program and presents results of the 450-ton operation. General Description The milling plant consists of an ore-receiving bin and three steel-constructed buildings housing, respectively, the primary crushing equipment, the secondary crushing equipment, and the ore-storage bins, grinding, flotation, and filtering equipment. The mill site is the one that was used for a previous copper-concentrating plant, which was operated over a period of years and then dismantled. There remained from this operation some milling equipment, a reservoir for mill-water supply, railroad tracks, tailings-disposal ponds, and a steel-constructed building, all of which were incorporated in the design of the present lead-zinc mill. The location plan of the plant layout is shown in Fig I. The flowsheet of the mill is based on the conventional scheme for lead-zinc treatment, however, several innovations were made necessary in order to utilize the existing building. Placing of equipment also was governed by the design of the building; thus making the mill unique in many respects. The following brief description of the mill building as adapted to the flowsheet points out the compactness of the installation and some of its unusual features. The first floor (Fig 2) houses the grinding equipment, with connecting conveyors for ore feeding, also an air compressor, two vacuum pumps, bins for lead and zinc concentrate storage with individual conveying systems for loading the two kinds of concentrates. Filtering of concentrates is done on the second floor, the concentrates discharging directly into the concentrate-storage bins. On this floor are the lead and zinc filters, two diaphragm pumps, sample-filtering equipment, sample-preparation room and a change room for the mill employees. The flotation machines are on the third floor, at elevations allowing a gravity flow of the lead and zinc concentrates to the thickeners. The annex to the building contains a freight elevator and provides space for all reagent mixing and feeding, also storage of reagents and grinding balls. All the water used for milling purposes is pumped from the Junction mine and

Jan 1, 1949

By O. W. Bilharz

INTRODUCTION ACID mine-water drainage is a serious problem with many mines in the Tri-State zinc and lead mining district. Particularly is this true when large volumes must be considered in unwatering old mines that have refilled with water which has dissolved the products of oxidation and has become chalybeate in character. The experiences discussed in this paper have to do specifically with the unwatering of a comparatively small area west of the town of Baxter Springs, Kans., where the pumping job was complicated by water of this type and where the extremely high sulphate content particularly effected that phase of mine drainage having to do with stream pollution. LOCATION, GEOLOGY AND HISTORY The Baxter Springs area of the Tri-State mining field is situated just west of the town of Baxter Springs and is a northeasterly extension of the main mineralized zones of the Oklahoma part of the district (Fig I). The mining area is traversed with well defined shear zones which provide easy circulation of ground waters and the ore bodies are found along these shear zones as localized enrichments wherever the structural conditions are favorable (Fig 2). The ore-bearing strata is Mississippian with an overlain capping of shale of Pennsylvanian age. This shale strata carries much pyrite and marcasite at its base and undoubtedly was a contributing factor to the subsequent high iron content of the water. The area originally contained a sulphide water which discharged as an artesian flow in springs within the town and gave Baxter Springs its name. These springs were famed for many years for their mineral water. This original sulphide water was first removed about 1917 and active mining was carried on west of the town during subsequent high metal price periods. Many small mines were opened, with each localized enrichment becoming a separate mine. During the depression mining ceased and all mines in the west Baxter area were allowed to flood. No serious effort was made to again unwater until higher prices caused from the demand for metal for World War II once more focused attention on this part of the field. ORIGINAL MINING RESULTS IN OXIDATION As plans for unwatering progressed, it soon developed that the mine-water pools had become strongly acid in character and carried large amounts of sulphates in solution. This occurred in the following way. When the original sulphide water was removed, shafts sunk, and mining carried on over a number of years, ferrous sulphate was formed by the spontaneous oxidation of the pyrite beds in contact with air admitted through churn-drill holes and mine openings. These products of oxidation can be seen today in the old mines of the district as crusts of crystalline sulphates

Jan 1, 1947

By Nathaniel Arbiter, Arthur F. Taggart

THE fact that the floatability of minerals with fatty-acid collectors changes as the pH of a pulp varies was utilized in the early days of flotation, when sulphuric acid was used with oleic acid to float sphalerite and galena from gangues which themselves float with fatty acids in alkaline pulps. Gaudin1 showed that this difference in floatability is a regular function of the extent of the change in pH. The present paper offers an explanation of the phenomenon, and on the basis thereof sets up recommendations for control of soap-flotation operations. EXPERIMENTAL Parallelism between floatability of a mineral in a given environment and its contact angle in that environment is so well established,' and the contact angle is so readily and rapidly measurable, that contact angles have been used throughout the experimental work to indicate relative floatability. Experiments comprised contact-angle measurements on a number of representative minerals and metals, and a variety of subsidiary tests designed to check and to amplify the contact-angle indications. Contact-angle measurements were made by the method described in detail by del Giudice.3 Sequence of procedure for determination of the points of Fig. I was: 1. Polish specimen. Most specimens yielded zero contact angle after polishing; a few showed a slight "cling." Cling is characteristic of specimens that pit on polishing; it is due to a residue of organic contamination, originally on the particle surface, which persists in the pits. The cling did not change total contact angle after conditioning, and is not, therefore, additive in the upper part of the curves of Fig. I. It may have broadened the bases of the curves for the affected minerals slightly. 2. The specimen was next conditioned in soap solution for 5 minutes. 3. The conditioned particle was transferred, under conditions that precluded surface drying, to an aqueous solution of the pH desired and contact angle determined. 4. The particle was thereupon transferred, again without surface drying, to water. The confirmatory tests will be described at the places pertinent in the argument. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS Gaudin and Vincent4 have shown that contact angles with heptoic acid as a collector decrease for a given specimen when the concentration of collector present falls below a certain value. A similar reduction in angle occurs with collector-conditioned particles that are visibly slime-coated, and varies roughly with the extent of coating. Since in the last case the reduction in angle is certainly due to reduction in the proportion of total conditioned mineral surface presented to the bubble, the authors believe that the same condition prevails in the first case cited, and that similar reduction in angle and floatability will occur whenever starvation quantities of collector are present, whether

Jan 1, 1943

By W. T. Bishop

For many years pine oil has been used extensively as a frother for the flotation of minerals, particularly sulphides, yet the published information available to the average user on its composition, chemical and physical properties, has been rather meager. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss these points and their relationship to the frothing properties of pine oil used in flotation processes. Pine oil, as the name implies, is a liquid obtained from the processing of wood of the longleaf and other southern pines. It is a complex mixture of naturally occurring terpene derivatives, primarily alcohols, and a smaller amount of terpenes, which has found many uses in various industries. Its use as a frother in flotation processes was the first large-scale application in industry and today the mining industry still consumes large quantities of pine oil but the textile and disinfectant industries consume comparable volumes. Much is used in soap manufacture and laundry operations. The surface-active properties of pine oil are in a large degree responsible for this versatility. History The name "Naval Stores" goes back to the days when pine tar and pitch were used to caulk leaky ships and 'Oat their ropes and rigging. Today this term is still used to include not only the oleoresinous products of the pine tree—rosin and turpentine— but other products such as pine oil, pine tar, and the many terpene and resinous compounds obtained by extracting the pine wood or tapping the tree. That part of the industry known as "wood naval stores" dates from about the beginning of this century and today produces a large part of the country's rosin and turpentine by processing pine wood. In addition, all of our natural pine oil is supplied by the wood naval stores industry, as tapping of the live tree gives only rosin and turpentine. This latter phase is known as the "gum naval stores " industry. The first successful commercial operation of the steam and solvent process of the wood naval stores in industry was carried out by Yaryan at Cadillac, Mich., in 1909.1 This operation did not prove profitable, so Yaryan went south to utilize the longleaf pine, and built a plant at Gulfport, Miss.2 Soon after, another plant was built at Brunswick, Ga., which is still in operation, and in 1914 was reported to have processed about 500 tons of wood per day.' In 1921 Hercules Powder Co. acquired the Yaryan interests, at which time the production of pine oil was only 3 to 5 million pounds per year and flotation was the largest customer. As time went on, technological advances were made, other companies entered the field, and the production of pine oil increased many fold. The growth of the industry was especially marked during the past 10 years, and in

Jan 1, 1947

By Harry H. Power

While the attention of all engineering branches is focused today on changes and improvements in the several curricula, we are concerned here with the many questions arising in industry and college concerning the preparation for the petroleum engineering profession. The succession of problems confronting the petroleum engineer demands a degree of versatility not ordinarily encountered in other professions. As a consequence, the student cannot acquire mastery of all the several engineering branches represented in field practice, and as an alternative, he has learned to appreciate the value of thorough training in the basic or fundamental sciences as a Preliminary foundation for professional work. While our attention is directed primarily to the training of engineers in educational institutions, it is necessary that the ultimate education of the professional engineer be kept in mind. It is apparent that his success as an engineer is limited not only by his educational and job experience, but by his native endowments: mentality, Personality and health. The engineer's lack of job experiences often proves as much a handicap as the lack of adequate college training. If the final product proves to be satisfactory, both industry and technical institutions are to be congratulated. However, if the Product is found wanting, the one most responsible should For the most part, students of engineering colleges have had their interests in applied science awakened at a relatively early age. Manyof them entered college as a convenient means of acquiring a technical education, but undoubtedly would have had better prospects in a shorter program offered by institutions of non-college grade. The activating motive of practical interest is also strong in students suitable for college training, but in many cases an intellectual interest must be awakened in order that it may survive graduation. Numerous engineers believe that this progressive process of selection and determination of career aims is one of the essential services rendered by the engineering colleges. Industrialists, who are more inter. ested in quality than quantity of petroleum engineering graduates, have pointed out the good that should result if more emphasis were given to the work of eliminating the misfits. They also point out the protective measures that have been taken by other professions for the betterment of professional standards. Mention has been ,de of the beneficial results to be obtdned by collective determination of the market for the products of engineering schools, particularly in that the students unsuited to the profession would have an opportunity to prepare themselves for employment more suited to their personalities and other qualifications. In the event that such a system of coordinated personnel direction is developed by the

Jan 1, 1941