Search Documents

By Nicholas J. Grant, Robert H. Kane, Bill C. Geissen

The platinum-rich section of the Ta-Pt Phase diagram was worked out by metallographic and X-ray techniques, using twenty alloys; solidus temperatures and solid solubilities were determined. Besides s phase, four intermediate stoi-chiometric phases were found: TaPt (high-temperatzrre phase, structure unknown); TaPt2 (ortho-rhomhic, new type); a TaPt3 (orthorhombic, TiCu3 type); ß TaPf3 (monoclinic, new type). TaPt2 and TaPt3 melt congmentlv; two eutectic, two beritec-tic, and one eutectoid reactions occur in the inuestigated range. THE Ta-Pt system was examined as part of a study of the phase diagrams and the intermediate phases of niobium and tantalum with Group VIII transition metals. Since the main scope of this work was the relation among the ordered close-packed phases occurring in the concentration range from AB to AB3 (A = Nb, Ta; B = Pd, Pt, and so forth), only the platinum-rich side of the diagram was worked out thoroughly, while spot checks were made to determine the approximate outline of the tantalum-rich portion. The system has not been thoroughly treated in the literature; Greenfield and Beck1 in their survey of refractory metal intermediate phases found a o phase between -18 and 37 at. pct Pt which coexists at higher platinum concentrations with an unidentified intermediate phase. Browning2 worked on the range between 55 and 100 at. pct Pt; however, this preliminary study did not cover temperatures >1500°C, and included no conclusive crystallo-graphic data. More recently, a study of the platinum-rich section of the Ta-Pt system has been carried out by Ray,3 while Hartley, Parsons, and steedly4 have studied the tantalum-rich section. The crystal structures of TaPt2, a TaPt3, ß TaPt3, and others have been reported in abstracted form by Giessen and Grant.5 EXPERIMENTAL METHODS The methods of alloy preparation and processing and of the metallographic and X-ray procedures follow very closely those described by Ritter, Giessen, and rant' for other refractory metal-noble metal systems, and will not be repeated except where significant differences exist. Starting materials were: tantalum rod of 99.95 pct purity, supplied by National Research Corp., and platinum sponge 99.9 pct, supplied by The International Nickel Co. An oxygen analysis of the tantalum rod showed 30 ppm O; other impurities were C, N, Si, Nb, Mo, none of these exceeding 50 ppm, and 100 ppm W. Homogeneous buttons were readily prepared as follows: ingots of 5 g were weighed and arc-melted under welding grade argon, followed by two remelts after inverting the button. Between 40 and 100 at. pct Pt, weight losses during the first melt rarely exceeded 0.1 pct, in which case the alloy was rejected, and were nil on subsequent remelts. Since the vapor pressure of platinum far exceeds that of tantalum, the small evaporation loss could be assumed to consist of platinum; therefore, a corresponding amount of platinum was added on the second melt. Since it was confirmed on pure tantalum samples that no weight gain through oxygen or impurity pickup occurs (see Ref. 71, it could be assumed that the uncertainty in the composition did not exceed ±0.1 at. pct for the range 40 to 100 at. pct Pt. For the four control melts from 0 to 40 at. pct Pt, an error of ±0.5 at. pct was calculated. Microscopic examination of the whole buttons after melting showed no inhomogeneity other than local coring. This was eliminated by a homogenization heat treatment. A total of twenty-three alloys were prepared. Heat treatments were carried out in a tantalum

Jan 1, 1965

By D. P. Harris

The construction of a model to associate probability of occurrence of some measure of mineral wealth with the geology for each subdivision (cell) of the area is postulated. The questions (1) are the observations made in reconnaissance geology sufficiently related to mineral wealth to distinguish the cells of high value from those of low value, and (2) can this geology be related mathematically to mineral wealth and probability are answered in a case study of 97,000 square miles in Arizona and New Mexico. Measurements on mineral wealth and geologic variables of 243 cells were made. The geologic variables, valued in counts, percentages and lengths, quantified the theoretical concepts of the model. It was found that multiple discriminant analysis and classification analysis by Bayesian statistics and multivariate normal probability function constitute a two-phase probability model that associates probabilities with geologic information and mineral wealth. The cells of explored area must be allotted the value class indicated by their cumulative production and estimate reserves (given well-defined geological relationships in a mineral wealth area), and a discriminant and classification analysis must be performed in which probabilities of the cell belonging to each of the value groups are generated as a function of the geologic variables. This determines whether high value cells can be distinguished from low value cells by their geology as well as indicating those cells misclassified by the model into a higher value group than warranted by their known mineral wealth. The second use of the model is for extrapolation. It is demonstrated how geologic information on an explored area can be utilized in guiding exploration in an unexplored area. Exploration decisions can be predicted on explicitly determined measures of uncertainty (the probabilities). SUMMARY This study postulates the construction of a model to associate probability of occurrence of some measure of mineral wealth with the geology for each subdivision (cell) of the area. Such a model will distinguish those cells deserving further exploration on the basis of their geology: The basic postulates of this study are as follows: v = Q(R,S,F,A) P(V) = G(R,S,F,A,V), where V = a measure of mineral wealth P(V) = the probability of occurrence of V R = age and type of rock F = rock fracturing A =age of igneous activity and contact relationships. There are really two questions to be answered: 1) are the observations made in reconnaissance geology sufficiently related to mineral wealth to distinguish the cells of high value from those of low value, and 2) can this geology be related mathematically to mineral wealth and probability? In order to answer these questions, an area of about 97,000 square miles situated chiefly in Arizona and New Mexico was selected as a case study. This case study area was divided into 243 cells, each 20 miles square, and measurements were made on mineral wealth and geologic variables. Crude geologic variables valued in counts, percentages and lengths are constructed to reflect the above postulated variables. These measurement variables thus provide quantified values defining the theoretical concepts of the model. It was found that multiple discriminant analysis and classification analysis by Bayesian statistics and the multivariate normal probability function constitute a two-phase probability model that associates probabilities with geologic information and mineral wealth. Given the availability of an area that is well explored and upon which the relationships of mineral wealth to geology can be adequately defined, there are two ways in which the analysis outlined in this paper can prove beneficial. First, the cells of the explored area must be allotted the value class indicated by their cumulative production and estimated reserves, and a discriminant and classification analysis must be performed in which probabilities of the cell belonging to each of the value groups are generated as a function of the geologic variables. Such an analysis determines whether cells of high

Jan 1, 1967

By S. G. Gibbs

A new method for predicting the behavior of sucker-rod pumping systems is presented. The pumping system is described by a flexible mathematical model which is solved by means of partial diflerence equations with the aid of computers. Polished rod and intermediate-depth dynamometer cards can be calculated for various bottom-hole pump conditions. The technique permits simulation of a wide variety of operating conditions, both normal and abnormal. The data generated with the new technique are useful in refining the criteria for design and operation of sucker-rod systms. INTRODUCTION Sucker-rod pumping systems are used in approximately 90 per cent of artificially lifted wells. In view of this wide application, it behooves the industry to have a fundamental understanding of the sucker-rod pumping process. Oddly enough, our understanding has been rather superficial. This is evidenced by the semi-empirical formulas which have been used as the basis for design and operation of sucker-rod installations. Thoueh- we have realized the limitations of our methods for many years, it has not been computationally feasible to use more refined techniques. With the advent and widespread use of digital computers, it is now possible to handle the mathematical problems associated with sucker-rod pumping. This paper summarizes a computer-oriented method which can provide greater insight into the sucker-rod pumping process. It is hoped that this technique, and techniques which may evolve from it, will prove to be the tool needed by industry to obtain the most efficient use of rod pumping equipment. THE MATHEMATICAL MODEL Prediction of sucker-rod system behavior involves the solution of a boundary value problem. Such a problem includes a differential equation and a set of boundary conditions. For the sucker-rod problem, the wave equation is used, together with boundary conditions which describe the initial stress and velocity of the sucker rods, the motion of the polished rod and the operation of the down-hole pump. Of these items, the wave equation, the polished rod motion condition and the down-hole pump conditions are of primary importance. Discussion of the mathematical model centers about these factors. ROD STRING SIMULATION WITH THE WAVE EQUATION The one-dimensional wave equation with viscous damp- is used in the sucker-rod boundary value problem to simulate the behavior of the rod string. This equation describes the longitudinal vibrations in a long slender rod and, hence, is ideal for the sucker-rod application. Its use incorporates into the mathematical model the phenomenon of force wave reflection, which is an important characteristic of real systems. The viscous damping effect postulated in Eq. 1 yields good solutions, even though nonviscous effects such as coulcomb friction and hysteresis loss in the rod material are present. Fortunately, the nonviscous effects are relatively small, so the viscous damping approximation used in the wave equation is adequate. The coefficient v is a dimensionless damping factor which is found in field measurements to vary over fairly narrow limits. For mathematical convenience the gravity term is omitted in Eq. 1. The effect of gravity on rod load and stretch can be treated separately, as will be noted later. Since Eq. 1 is linear, the legitimacy of this procedure is easy to demonstrate. POLlSHED ROD MOTION SIMULATION The motion of the polished rod is determined by the geometry of the surface pumping unit and the torque-speed characteristics of its prime mover. By determining the motion of the polished rod, we formulate an important boundary condition. From trigonometrical considerations it can be shown that the position of the polished rod vs crank angle 0 is given by (see Fig. 1) These equations are obtained from the general solution of the "four-bar" linkage problem and can be used to describe the kinematics of any modern beam pumping unit.' If prime mover speed variations are disregarded, the angular velocity of the crank is constant, and Eq. 2 can be used to predict the position of the polished rod vs time. However, the constant-speed condition leading to constant crank angular velocity is only approached in practice: hence, it is better to make provisions for prime mover speed variations in the mathematical model. The speed at which the prime mover runs is determined by its torque-speed characteristics and the torque imposed upon it. The torque that the prime mover "feels" is the net torque arising from the polished rod load and the opposing torque from the counterbalance effect. The

By L. R. Raymond, G. G. Binder

One primary purpose of hydraulic fracturing as a well stimulation technique is to overcome formation damage. The literature provides ways of designing fracture treatments and evaluating their results but not of incorporating formation damage in vertically fractured wells. Results of an investigation of this problem are presented in this paper. Prediction of stimulation ratios in vertically fractured, damaged wells is accomplished with a mathematical model relating stimulation ratio to relative conductivity of fractures whose lengths are not more than about half the drainage radius of the well. Comparison of results from the new model to results in published predictions verify its utility; these results also show that the range of stimulation ratios that can be predicted for undamaged wells is extended to include relative conductivities of less than 300. This extension is important when using fracturing to stimulate wells with high production rates and high native formation permeabilities. For example, large increases in daily oil production rate can be obtained with stimulation ratio increases as low as 1.25. The importance of complete fracture fill-up (uniform proppant packing) is shown through use of the mathematical model. If, at the mouth of a fracture, only a small fraction (1/2 percent) of the total fracture length is not packed with proppant, nearly all the polential stimulation increase is lost. Proppant crushing, compaction and embedment have been shown in laboratory studies to be responsible for low fracture conductivities in wells producing from highly stressed formations. Equipment and methods for testing the effect of stress (overburden) on conductivity of fructures in consolidated and unconsolidated sands are discussed in this paper. Laboratory tests with simlilated fractures in cores from both types of formations showed that crushing, compaction and embedment seriously affect conductivity. Results indicate that similar laboratory tests should be made when accurate knowledge of fracture conductivity is needed to assure good stimulation results for important wells. The chief factor in stimulation ratio reduction was found to be overburden pressure, but the size and type of proppant and the hardness of the formation have significant effects. Fracture conductivity reductions of up to 50 percent were observed with sand propping fractures in consolidated cores; a reduction of 83 percent was measured for an unconsolidated core. The range of effective overburden pressures for which conductivities were measured was from 100 to 5,000 psi. An example fracture design and evaluation problem indicates the usefulness of considering formation damage in planning well stimulation jobs. When damage exists, but its extent and the degree of permeability reduction are not estimated from diagnostic tests, the formation permeability used in planning the job may lead to under-designing. As the example shows, too low a target stimulation ratio can lead to much lower production rates (by half) than could be attained otherwise. Solutions of equations representing several special cases of the mathematical model are presented in graphical form and details of the derivations of the equations are given in the Appendix. INTRODUCTION Since its inception in 1947, hydraulic fracturing has proven to be an effective and widely accepted stimulation technique. In the past 18 years the ability to execute a successful hydraulic fracturing treatment has been substantially increased. The development of design and evaluation procedures1,2 has been one of the major contributions to this increased skill. However, as the art of hydraulic fracturing has moved closer to a science, new problems concerning the design and evaluation of the optimal hydraulic fracturing treatment have arisen. Three questions are pertinent to these problems. I. How is a fracturing job evaluated in a damaged well? 2. What is the effect on the stimulation ratio of not filling the fracture in the vicinity of the wellbore? 3. What is the effect of overburden pressure on fracture conductivity and, consequently, the stimulation ratio? A primary objective of fracturing a well is to stimulate production by overcoming wellbore damage. Presently. however, there is no rational basis for designing or evaluating the optimal fracturing treatment in a damaged well. All present fracture design and evaluation techniques assume that proppants can be uniformly placed in fractures. This assumption may be in serious error, particularly for the portion of a fracture directly adjacent to the wellbore. In this area, turbulence of the injected fluid can cause the proppant to be swept farther into the fracture. Also, loss of fluid from the fracture to the

By F. H. Wilson, M. L. Kronberg

The low temperature recrystalliza-tion of very heavily rolled copper produces a fine grained structure with a high degree of preferred orientation. Additional heating to within a few hundred degrees of the melting point may induce an abrupt and pronounced increase in the grain size, with the resulting crystals having new orientations. This behavior at high temperatures is commonly termed "secondary recrystallization." Several investigations have dealt with the phenomenon arid have served to bare many features of the beha~ior.1-4 In general,observations have been made on the sizes and shapes of the grains, and data have been presented showing the existence of an induction period in isothermal experiments. Although it has been well established that the orientation before the change is statistically (100) 10011, the so-called "cubically aligned" texture, there is no such agreement on the orientation after the change. For example, Dahl and Pawlek1 describe it as being equivalent to an approximately 30" rotation about the [l00] axis of the ideal cubic texture which is parallel to the rolling direction, the resulting orientation being near (210)[001]; and Cook and Richards2 find an orientation of approximately (110)[L12]. Since the completion of most of the work to be reported in this paper, Rowles and Boas3 have published their ver] illuminating paper on "secondary recrystallization," in which they present convincing evidence for a third orientation and show that their esperiments give no evidence for either of the other two orientations. The orientation is described as equivalent to an approximately 30° rotation about a [ 111] pole of the ideal cubic orientation. The existence of a variety of reported orientations is not unique for copper, for a similar state of affairs exists for other systems that have been studied— aluminum, nickel, nickel-iron alloys, and others. It seems therefore that the existence of this variety does not necessarily constitute a contradiction, but rather indicates that different experimental conditions yield different results. The fundamental nature of the phenomenon has not been elucidated. However, it has been generally recognized that the large grains could be the end product of growth of a few select grains already existing in the sample in minor amounts—too small to allow detection—or that entirely new ones could be formed by a process of nu-cleation and growth. Existing experimental evidence does not distinguish between these two most apparent possibilities. Nevertheless, the former has been more generally favored largely because our current understanding of the state of an annealed metal has not made it seem reasonable to expect a nucleation event to occur at temperatures above those required for the primary recrystallization. Observations on the Preparation and Heating of Twin-bearing Cubically Aligned Copper The starting material used throughout. the investigation was a bar of OFHC copper, forged and annealed at 950°C. Visual inspection showed the grain size to be around 0.5 mm, and did not disclose any preferred orientation. A chemical analysis showed the following composition: Cu + Ag— 99.99 Pct S — 0.005 pct 0 — <0.005 pct For the preparation of cubically aligned copper, ¾ in. thick slabs were cut from the bar, heavily pickled in concentrated HNO3 and cold rolled to sheets about 0.012 in. thick. The reduction in thickness was approximately 98.5 pct. Standardized annealing techniques were followed. Samples to be heated were lightly dusted with alumina in order to prevent sticking and then sandwiched between 1/16 in. copper plates. The resulting sandwich was heavily wrapped with copper sheet, and then annealed in air. The protection was such that only very thin films of oxide were formed. That the associated light oxidation of the samples had no specific effect on the recrystallization behavior was shown by the similar results that could be obtained on annealing in highly purified and dried hydrogen. Two methods were used in bringing samples to temperature: (1) by placing the package directly in the furnace at temperature and (2) by placing the package in the furnace at room temperature, and then slowly increasing the temperature. The corresponding heating rates are illustrated in Fig 1, and will be referred to as "rapid" and "slow," respectively. Unless specified otherwise, all anneals will be of the former type. Metallographic examination was made on samples prepared by electrolytic polishing and etching as described in the Metals Handhook.* STRUCTURES FOUND BEFORE "SECONDARY RECRYSTALLIZATION" OCCURS Annealing the rolled material for 1 hr at 400°C produced a heavily twinned, cubically aligned structure, the grain size being of the order of 0.03

Jan 1, 1950

By R. Costantini

A. Brebner (Chairman, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Queen&apos;s University, Kingston, Ont., Canada) — Under the heading of friction losses, the author, in Eq. 10, gives the relationship

Jan 1, 1962

By William J. Coulter

WITHIN the United States the problem of meeting maximum production by our metal mines has been solved by: (1) Conservation of man power by mechanization. (2) Increasing man-power efficiency as expressed in tons per man-shift by the adoption of new and more efficient methods. (3) Production from submarginal properties made possible by some form of government subsidy. (4) Selective mining of high-grade areas. (5) Drawing on broken ore reserves and reducing advanced development work to a minimum. (6) Making maximum use of available equipment. (7) Repairing equipment that normally would be replaced. (8) Working a seven-day week on a three-shift basis to get maximum use of equipment and man power. (9) Adoption of incentive plans to increase maximum efficiency and unit production. (10) Important advancement in metallurgy, resulting in larger recoveries. (11) Improvements in safety, health, and general working and living condi-

Jan 1, 1945

By E. A. Holbrook

AT the meeting of the Committee on Engineering A Education of the Institute at the New York meeting last February, it was brought out that the number of men graduating in mining engineering from our colleges at the present time is not sufficient to meet the ordinary needs of the mineral industries. Following the meeting, Samuel S. Wyer, consulting engineer of the Fuel-Power Transportation Educational Foundation of Columbus, Ohio, prepared a pamphlet called "Mining Engineering&apos;s Appeal to High School Seniors." Under the auspices of this Foundation the pamphlet is being sent to every high school in the United States. The pamphlet does not in any way paint glowing word pictures of the profession; rather it is a statement of the importance of mining engineering in our present-day civilization, together with the requirements in young men who are looking forward to an engineering career.

Jan 1, 1930

By JAMES J. DOUGHERTY

THIS paper is a general discussion of developments in our reverberatory smelting practice during the past five years. It deals briefly kith changes in furnace types ; changes in furnace feed ; de- crease in the amount of slag produced; relation of slag assays to copper loss in the slag; increase in the grade of matte and furnace capacities. The reverberatory is but one unit in the copper plant ancl &apos;any discussion of it must be considered with reference to the other units and to the plant as a whole. A change in the grade of concentrates at the concentrator puts an entirely new aspect on reverberatory smelting and, likewise, a change in the grade of matte at the reverberatory affects the rate and cost of converting. The introduction of differential flotation in 1927 had a very marked influence on all smelting operations and its effect will be noted

Jan 1, 1930

By J. L. Taylor, Pol Duwez

THE present knowledge of the Ti-Al system is limited to the portion of the diagram extending from pure aluminum to the intermetallic compound TiAl3&apos; A preliminary investigation of the titanium-rich Ti-A1 alloys revealed that the solubility of aluminum in titanium is quite extensive and that the transformation temperature of titanium is raised by alloying with aluminum. From an X-ray diffraction study of alloys containing up to 75 atomic pct Al (TiAl3), the phase boundaries at 750°C were located as follows: the a titanium solid solution extends from 0 to about 36 atomic pct Al, a two-phase region exists from 36 to 46 atomic pct Al, and an intermediate phase of varying concentration extends from 46 to 62 atomic pct Al. The purpose of the present paper is to describe the crystal structure of this new phase. The alloys were prepared by melting in a helium arc furnace on a water-cooled copper plate, using a furnace essentially the same as that described in ref. 2. The titanium metal was of the iodide type furnished by the New Jersey Zinc Co., and a piece of pure aluminum (99.99 pct) was obtained through the courtesy of the Aluminum Co. of America. After melting, the samples, weighing approximately 5 g, were sealed in evacuated fused silica tubes and homogenized for 4 hr at 1000°C. The specimens were then held for 10 days at 750°C and rapidly cooled to room temperature. Filings were then taken from each sample, sealed in evacuated vials, annealed at 750°C for 4 hr, and rapidly cooled to room temperature by quenching the vials in water. Powder diffraction patterns were obtained with a 14.32 cm diam camera, using K copper radiation filtered through a nickel foil. Structure Determination The X-ray diffraction patterns of the alloys containing 46, 50, 55. 60, and 62 atomic pct Al were identical, except for a slight shift in the positions of the reflections. The alloy containing 55 atomic pct Al was chosen far structure determination. The powder pattern contained 37 reflections and the a, doublets were well resolved in the back-reflection range. The relatively small number of reflections and the sharpness of the pattern were considered as an indication of a simple atomic arrangement in a relatively small unit cell of high symmetry, and an attempt was therefore made to solve the structure without single crystal work. A satisfactory fit was found on a large scale Hull-Davey tetragonal chart for an axial ratio of approximately 1.45. All the reflections were readily indexed and the tentative unit cell dimensions were computed to be a - 2.81 kX, c - 4.07 kX, and c/a = 1.448. The indices (hkl) and the values of d and sin2 A are given in Table I. The agreement between observed and computed sin2 is quite satisfactory. Once the unit cell was known, the details of the structure were readily found. First, it is obvious that the number of atoms per unit cell cannot exceed two, since more than two atoms would lead to a density greater than that of pure titanium. The next logical step is to assume that the two atoms occupy the corner and center of the cell. If this assumption is correct, the structure may be described as follows: space group D1, - P 4/mmm; one titanium atom in a: 000; one aluminum atom in d: 1/2 1/2 1/2: and no extinctions. Assuming this structure to be the correct one. intensities were computed by means of the usual equation: sin2 0 cos 0 where F is the structure factor; 8, the Bragg angle. and p, the multiplicity factor. The calculated values of intensities are compared in Table I with the visually estimated intensities. The agreement is quite satisfactory and the structure is therefore confirmed. The crystal structure of TiAl just described is the same as that of AuCu ordered. The AuCu ordered

Jan 1, 1953

By A. H. Tousley, C. L. Vickers

The author presents a history of the development of the Port of Long Beach from its beginning in 1905 to the present construction of a new bulk loading facility. In describing this new facility, emphasis is placed on such aspects as rail car and truck handling, gravity yard, rotary car dumping, bottom dumping, car dumping equipment, feeding and conveying, ship-loader-stockpiler, stockpiling and reclaim, dust control, and construction problems. Development of the Port of Long Beach, Calif. (see Fig. I), began in 1905. In that year private Long Beach interests acquired 800 acres of marshland in the Inner Harbor area and initiated a program of channel dredging and land reclamation. Efforts to establish a municipal port began a short time later and culminated in the opening of Pier 1 in 1911. An event of even greater significance to the port future also occurred in 1911. This was the tideland grant enactment by the state legislature that conveyed to the city of Long Beach all of the state&apos;s rights in the tidelands located within the city boundaries. The grant stipulated that all revenue produced from the tidelands be used for the development of navigation, commerce, and fisheries. During the next 15 years up to 1926, the port&apos;s commercial growth was steady, although relatively slow. During this period, several fundamental steps in the development of a major harbor were accomplished. These included the creation of the Board of Harbor Commissioners in 1917, the dredging of the Inner Harbor and entrance channel to accommodate deep draft vessels, and the correction of a serious silting problem through construction of the Los Angeles River Flood Control Channel. These efforts bore fruit during the ensuing 10 years in the establishment of more than $30,000,000 worth of industrial plants and private marine terminals in the Inner Harbor. Commerce over municipal wharves also increased more rapidly, and it became necessary to start the development of the harbor in a seaward direction. In 1936, oil was discovered in the harbor area, and the first Harbor Dept. well was brought in 2 years later. It soon became evident that the city of Long Beach would receive substantial revenue that, under the terms of the state grant of 1911, must be used in the development of the port. It was further realized that to properly guide and coordinate such development, a long range comprehensive plan was essential. The Board of Harbor Commissions contracted with G. F. Nicholson and J. F. Collins, consulting engineers, for the preparation of such a report that was completed in 1940. The Nicholson-Collins report proposed the development of an East Basin, between the entrance channel and the Los Angeles River, and a West Basin in the area now occupied by the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. Twenty full-size berths were to be provided in the East Basin and more than fifty berths in the West Basin. The report recommended extensive modern terminal facilities for handling waterborne cargo. Attention was given to improvement of the street and highway system to give better vehicular access and to avoid congestion within the port. To a large extent the recommendations of the Nicholson-Collins report were followed in the subsequent development of the East Basin. This development was greatly accelerated by World War 11, with its need for increased oil production and additional shipping facilities. The wartime and immediate postwar construction was largely concentrated on Pier A, with the development of Piers B, C and D following in more recent years. An important factor in the planning of these piers was their dual function as oil drilling sites and cargo piers. The Navy&apos;s acquisition of the West Basin area made it necessary to depart from the Nicholson-Collins plan and find other areas for future expansion. At the present time only one Inner Harbor Port-owned area having protected deep water frontage remains undeveloped. This is the property fronting on Channel 2 in the Inner Harbor acquired in December 1957, from Pacific Dock and Terminal Co. The growth of the port has been in a southerly direction since the construction of the Long Beach Naval Shipyard in the West Basin area. Recent extension of Piers F, G and J into the ocean follows typical port construction methods developed during the expansion of the Middle Harbor during the last 20 years.

Jan 1, 1963

By William F. Boericke

THERE was a time when the selection of fire brick was .left to the judgment of the head bricklayer of the plant, whose choice was not unaffected by a box of Christmas cigars from a friendly salesman. But the days are past when it was generally believed, with complacent philosophy, that bricks were bricks without much distinction, and should be bought on a price basis alone. Gone, too, is the belief that in certain types of industrial work the eventual failure of refractories was assured. Modern metallurgical practice, with its trend toward handling larger tonnages at higher temperatures, demands the use of refractories that cannot be supplied by random guess. The logical development is to inquire into the properties of the brick to be purchased, and this resolves itself into the use of specifications. In 1925, the General Refractories Co., with the active support and hearty cooperation of some of its larger customers, established a laboratory, at its Baltimore plant, for testing and research in refractories. This was the outgrowth of a growing appreciation of the value of research in the refractory field. Since then the work has become more involved&apos; and the aims more ambitious, so that the present laboratory now employs a staff of 11 men working, under the direction of trained refractory technologists, on problems of research as well as the routine control of manufacture. It is believed s that `this type of laboratory is a comparative novelty among refractory manufacturing plants. It handles the testing and research work for all the 15 plants of the organization. Being at one of the works has the advantage of making it possible to carry on large scale plant tests on new products after the preliminary laboratory tests have been successfully completed.

Jan 1, 1929

By AIME AIME

T HE new Secretary of the Institute has been asked to address the members through the medium of MINING .AND METALLURGY, and it is perhaps well that he should do this at the first opportunity after his election. The duty of the Secretary, as the present incumbent understands it, is that of attempting to carry on the functions of the Institute in a manner that &apos;will tend to make it serve its most useful purpose. What is its most useful purpose or purposes? This was concisely answered by Dr. Joseph W. Richards in the June issue of MINING AND METALLURGY under the title "Why is the Institute?" And yet its most useful purposes are not &apos;fixed ideals or definitely determined things, they vary from year to year, changing with the development of the nation, conforming to needs and anticipating future requirements. Many men of many minds cannot always see eye to eye. The ideas or ideals of one may seem trivial to another, an obvious necessity to one is an entirely useless activity to the minds of others. A number of the activities upon which the Institute is now engaged might have been looked won, a few years since, as uncalled for, unnecessary, and un- desirable. The participation in public affairs was one of these questions. The publication of three volumes in one year may have been a questionable thing to do, but it was an achievement. A monthly magazine that will pay for itself by carrying the Institute&apos;s message to its members has its detractors, and yet to many members it seems one of those things that are quite worthwhile. Fortunately, we have a large membership, and fortunately the majority of an intelligent body of such size is apt to have in common many ideas that are right and proper. If these ideas can be ascertained

Jan 1, 1921

By T. A. Rickard

The use of the verb in this mood is not as common as formerly: at the time, for&apos; example, when the Bible was translated and the plays of Shakespeare were written. Nevertheless it is an essential part of literary English. In editing the `Mining and Scientific Press&apos; I do not insist upon the use of the subjunctive in articles that are contributed from the outside, but it is deemed proper in all our editorial writing. To speak plainly, the subjunctive is I a mark of scholarship; it is ignored by those that are not particular in such matters, and unfortunately it is a source of perplexity to many that are entirely unfamiliar with the use of it. Therefore, as an editor, I think it well to allow the indicative mood to be used by contributors in sentences in which, to be strictly correct, the verbs .should be in the subjunctive mood. The fact that most subjunctives are indistinguishable in form from indicatives is another cause of trouble to the uninitiated.* For example, the verbs in such phrases as "Suffice it to say ", "So help me God ", and "God save the King" Fare in the subjunctive. One reason why the subjunctive is becoming uncommon is the growing habit of expressing the subjunctive meaning by aid of auxiliary verbs that are coupled with the infinitive; thus: "It will suffice&apos; to say" and "May God save the King". The subjunctive is common in subordinate clauses, and that is how it obtained its name, `subjunctive&apos;, meaning * The student is referred to `A New English Grammar&apos;, by E. A. Sonnenschein, published by the Clarendon Press, Oxford. This textbook (see pp. 60-71 in Part III) discusses the subject luminously.

Jan 1, 1931

By C. H. Mathewson

BeRyllium, magnesium, zinc and cadmium, together with mercury, constitute a coherent sub-group of the periodic system and these metals, excepting mercury, have been studied in sufficient detail by the new X-ray diffraction methods to prove their common adherence to the hexagonal close-packed type of crystal structure with a progressive increase in axial ratio as we pass through the group from beryllium to cadmium. The first four columns of Table 1 summarize the data on crystal structure of these metals reported in the International Critical Tables.&apos; The last two columns are based on results obtained in the present investigation. Twinning has often been observed in zinc and cadmium. The general aspects of this twinning are abundantly illustrated by photomicrographs, diagrams, etc., in the papers by Romig, and Mathewson and Phillips reported to this Institute in 1927.2 A determination of the composition

By Alfred E. Hunt, Geo. H. Clapp

The great advantage to he gained by a careful inspection of all materials used in construction, in regard to safety and permanency, and to accuracy of workmanship, has been longer recognized in Great Britain and on the Continent than in America. This is probably owing to the way in which great enterprises have been " rushed" in the United States. Time and cheap first cost, in too many instances, have been considered of more importance than absolute safety and durability; the structures being afterwards strengthened if this was found necessary. This has been most noticeable in railroads built through " new " country, where the object in view has been to reach the terminal point and get to work. These " loose " methods are now being very largely done away with, and a large proportion of the structures lately built are not only carefully inspected during the process of

Jan 1, 1891

By R. E. Somers

1. INTRODUCTION 1. Location, Topography, and Climate The Burro Mountains are located in the southwestern part of New Mexico, in Grant County. The group is made up of two distinct moun-tain masses, known as the Little Burros and the Big Burros, the former lying about 6 miles southwest of Silver City-, and the latter about 9 miles farther in the same direction. They are separated by the valley of the Mangas River, a tributary of the Gila, and a stream only in name, except after a heavy down-pour of rain. . The Little Burros attain an elevation of 6,625 ft. above sea level, and the Big Burros 8,054 ft., with the surrounding country averaging about 6,000 ft. To the south of these mountains stretches the desert plain, while to the north are the more frequent elevations of the mountainous country.

Jan 5, 1915

By B. F. Fackenthal

For the past year we have had in use at the Durham furnace a set of hollow pig-patterns made of iron, which have given such satis factory results that I think a description of them would be of interest to the members of the Institute. Before the introduction of these iron patterns, we used the ordi nary wooden patterns, made in the usual way with straps of iron along the sides to protect the corners from wearing off. The size and shape of these wooden patterns are shown in Fig. 1. When the patterns were new, the pigs weighed about 130 pounds each, and were uniform in size, and the moulding was clean. But constant use soon wore the patterns away; and at the end of a few months, the pigs had become, in consequence, so much lighter that the moulding, daily, of several additional beds was necessary to accommodate the same quantity of iron. As the patterns wear away, the moulding becomes ragged and the pigs rough. Moreover, wooden patterns are often destroyed by fire. I have known an entire set to be destroyed by a break-out of iron. The iron pattern which I have designed is free from all the objections to the wooden pattern, being not only more durable, but, in the long run, far cheaper. The iron pattern having the same shape and size as the wooden one, is made of the best flange-iron, of No. 13 gauge. After the sheets have been cut to the proper size, three heats are required for the flanging. At the first heat, each piece is stamped in a cast-iron form, which gives the proper shape to the bottom part of the pat-

Jan 1, 1889

By J. W. Gilbert

DuriNG the sinking of the Needmore shaft, on one of the leases of the Eagle-Picher Mining and Smelting Co north of Webb City, Missouri, a very strong flow of water was encountered at a depth of 140 ft. Because OF the speed at which the water rose in the shaft after pumping was discontinued, and in order to speed up sinking operations, a new type of shaft bar and drilling equiprnent was devised, which saved approximately one hour on each shift This bar is made of an ordinary scren type shaft bar with a common drill arm attached to the bar by clamps and welded Into place To this drill arm is attached an ordinary arm clamp with set collar below Through this clamp is attached another drill bar of ordinary length so constructed that it slides back and forth and rotates around the perimeter of the shaft on the set collar A tripod saddle with legs removed is welded to the rotating bar, which enables the drill operator to drill holes at any angle completely around the shaft and also, after an arm extension, permits the drilling of the corner holes without removal of the rig from the saddle Upon completion of the drilling of a shaft round, all that is necessary for the complete removal of the drill machine and shaft bar is to engage the hoist hook through a. ¾-in. eye provided for that purpose on top of the bar and disconnect the air and water lines from the machine, thereby making it possible to pull the whole apparatus out in one piece. At no time is it necessary to remove the machine from the saddle Screw jacks are installed on the vertical bar to further ensure the rigidity of the shaft and bar arm. The accompanying sketch illustrates the details and method of setting up.

Jan 1, 1946

By T. Sterry Hunt

THE essential principle of this new process, now in operation in Chili and in North Carolina, for the extraction of copper from its ores, is the dissolving of the oxides of copper by a hot solution of protochloride of iron and common salt. In the action which takes place, the protochloride of iron is converted into peroxide, while the oxides of copper are changed into protochloride and dichloride, the latter of which, though insoluble in water, is readily soluble in a hot strong brine. From the solution thus obtained, metallic iron throws down the copper in a metallic state, regenerating the protochloride of iron; which is then ready for the treatment of a fresh portion of oxidized copper ore. In the case of slimy ores, the contact of the bath with the ore is effected by agitation in tubs; but when the ores are granular, lixiviation in large vats is equally efficient and simpler. The hot solutions, charged with chlorides of copper, are digested in tanks with scrap-iron, or better, are made to flow through covered channels containing the scrap-iron, and in their passage lose the whole of their copper; the reaction at the same time evolving so much heat as to keep up the temperature of the liquid. In order to prevent a certain loss of chlorine, which otherwise takes place from the production of some basic ferric chloride in the reaction between the ferrous chloride and the oxides of copper (both protoxide and dinoxide being generally present in calcined ores), a portion of sulphurous fumes from the roasting is made to pass through the regenerated bath before adding it to fresh ore. This has hitherto been effected by injection, with the aid of a jet of steam.