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By K. H. Hiller

A rotational viscometer has been designed which perrnits the measurement of the rheological properties of drilling muds and other non-Newtonian fluids under conditions equivalent to those in a deep borehole (350F, 10,000 psi). The important mechanical features of this instrument are described, and its design criteria are discussed. The flow equations for the novel configuration of the viscometer are derived and the calibration procedures are described. The data and their interpretation, resulting from measurement of the flow properties and static gel strengths of homoionic montmorillonite suspensiom at high temperatures and pressures, are presented. Data are also presented for the flow behavier of typical drilling fluids at high temperatures and pressures. The pressure losses in the drill pipe and the annulus depend critically upon the flow parameters of the drilling fluid. This work demonstrates the need to measure these parameters under bottom-hole conditions in order to obtain a reliable estimate of the pressure losses in the mud system. INTRODUCTION The rheological properties of drilling fluids are affected by temperature and pressure, but the extent of these effects on the dynamic flow properties is not well known. Measurements of changes of the flow properties of clay-water drilling muds with temperature have been reported by Srini-Vasan and Gatlin.1 The temperatures reported did not exceed 200F, a limitation imposed by the apparatus used by these authors. The rheological properties of clay suspensions were measured at temperatures up to 100C by Gurdzhinian.' Neither the nature of the exchange ions in the clay suspensions nor the degree of purity were defined in his work, nor were the measurements extended to currently used drilling fluids. The lack of systematic measurements of dynamic flow properties at high temperatures and pressures seems the more surprising since during the last decade the importance of the control of the hydraulic properties of drilling fluids has come to be widely recognized. Very good mathematical treatments of the friction losses in drill pipe and annulus have been developed.3 4 These treatments are based on the assumption that drilling fluids behave as Bingham plastic fluids. Quite often this assumption is justified, while in other cases a power law equation pro- duces better fit than the Bingham model does. For convenience in applying viscometer data to pressure-drop calculations, the Bingham plastic flow equation is preferable and, therefore, has been applied to the data reported in this paper, although other equations may fit these data more accurately. In a Bingham plastic fluid the relationship between the shearing stress 7 and the rate of shear D is given by the following equation: where is the plastic viscosity and 4 the yield point. If 4 = 0, the equation for simple Newtonian flow, 7 = pD, is obtained. Two empirical constants are required for the description of laminar flow of a Bingham plastic fluid, and calculations of the flow behavior at high temperatures and pressures cannot be better than is permitted by the accuracy with which these constants are known. For this reason a high-pressure, high-temperature rhe-ometer has been designed to measure the plastic viscosity the yield point +, and the static gel strength S, at pressures up to 10,000 psi and temperatures up to 350F. The important features of its design will be described. The results of measurements on homoionic clay slurries will be discussed insofar as they are relevant to an understanding of the general flow behavior of clay-water drilling fluids. The results of measurements on some typical drilling fluids will be presented also, and their practical implications will be briefly discussed. DESCRIPTION OF EQUIPMENT MECHANICAL FEATURES A viscometer designed to measure the plastic viscosity, yield point and gel strength of non-Newtonian fluids must permit the measurement of the shearing stress t at any given rate of shear D. This is possible only if t and D are approximately uniform throughout the entire sheared sample. A Couette apparatus is the most convenient method of realizing this condition, as has been pointed out by Grodde." The "high-pressure, high-temperature rheometer" described in this paper is basically a rotational Couette viscometer that is immersed in a cell in which pressure and temperature can be controlled over the range of interest. Fig. 1 shows schematically the important features of the pressure cell and associated equipment. The heart of the instrument is the rotating cup. It is shown more clearly in Fie. 2. which revresents the lower one-third of the pressure cell (below the input drive shaft shown in Fig. 1), and it is shown in detail in Fig. 3. For measurements of dynamic flow properties, the rotating cup is driven by a 1/2-hp electric motor, which operates through a Vickers

By A. L. Holley

The intention of this paper is not to discuss this important subject in all its bearings, but merely to point out why mechanical tests of steel, as ordinarily made, are not, alone, of any special value to engineers—certainly not to general mechanical engineers. The agents of the Barrow Hematite Steel Company, one of the largest and most successful Bessemer establishments in England, have recently distributed a report, made by Sir William Fairbairn,

By Klaus Schwerdtfeger

Activities of lead in Pt-Pb and Pd-Pb melts in the temperature range of 800° to 1200°C have been detev-mined from electromotive-. force measurements 202th the cells Both systems display strong negative deviations from Raoult's law. The data obtained with cell [1] were combined with available data on the activity of PbO in silica-satuvaterl PbO-SbO2 melts to calculate the standard free cnergy of formation 01- liquid PbO. FREE energies of formation of oxides and activities of components in metal and oxide melts can be determined with galvanic cells consisting of a metal phase, an electrolyte containing the oxide of one of the components of the metal phase, and an oxygen electrode. This technique has been used previously to measure the standard free energy of formation of solid sio2, 1 and activities in Fe-si, CO-si,2 Ni-Si,2 and CaO-P2O5 3 melts. The present paper reports activities in Pt-Pb and Pd-Pb melts as measured with the same experimental technique. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD General Considerations. The following cells were used: Pbl (PbO-SiO2)liquid, SiO2 Pt-Pb 1 (PbO-SiOz)liquid, SiO2solidO2 [2] Pd-Pb (PbO-SiOz)liquid, SiO2solid O2 [3] Liquid alloy and' oxide melt were contained together in a silica glass crucible of essentially the same design as described previously.1'2 The PbO-SiO2 melts are ionic conductors.' During the experiment, the silica glass crystalizes in a layer adjacent to the electrolyte. The electrolyte equilibrates with solid silica and hence attains the composition of the Si02-liquidus curve in the system PbO-SiO2 at any particular temperature. Molybdenum wires were used to establish contact with the liquid metal. The oxygen electrode, which reaches the surface of the PbO-SiO, electrolyte from above, consists of a platinum wire inserted into a ceramic tube and provided with a 2-mm-diam platinum bead at its end. Gas of known oxygen partial pressure (pure oxygen of 1 atm: air, or N2 with 1.04 pct 0,) is blown through the ceramic tube onto the surface of the electrolyte. The cell reaction is Pb (metal) + 1/2O2 (gas) = PbO (electrolyte) [4] No oxidation of platinum or palladium ("displacement reaction") occurs. This is to be expected from the noble character of platinum and palladium, but was also shown experimentally, as described in the next section. The galvanic electromotive force of the cell is given by where AG is the change in free energy for Reaction [4], E(=2) is the number of electrical equivalents necessary to form 1 mole of PbO, and F is the Faraday constant. Formula [5] is valid only if no junction potential exists within the electrolyte. Junction potentials occur only when the compositions of the electrolyte are markedly different at the electrodes. Such differences are negligible in the PbO-SiO, electrolyte, as shown in the next section. Since molybdenum contact leads are used, appropriate corrections were made on the measured electromotive forces to account for the thermoelectric effect of the Mo-Pt couple. The thermoelec-tromotive forces were measured separately with a Mo-Pt couple, and were found to vary linearly from 19 mv at 740°C to 40 mv at 1310°C with molybdenum being positive and platinum negative (cold junction at 25°C). Extrapolation of these values to higher temperatures yields values which are in satisfactory agreement with those obtained previously in the temperature range 1440° to 1630°c.1,2 The change in free energy for Reaction [4] is expressed as where chemical potentials of the species. The value of constant for a given temperature because the slag composition is fixed. Inserting [6] into [5] and using appropriate expressions for upb and uO2 the relation

Jan 1, 1967

By C. H. Bowen

Industry needs a generally applicable means of defining average grain sire and grain size distribution. Students of sediments have explored this field, employing methods that might also prove useful in engineering problems. Before attempting to solve specific problems it is well to review the derivation of commonly used grade scales and the reasons for their selection. This aspect of the problem seems largely to have been lost, and a review of basic factors may suggest causes for failures in using size analysis data.

Apr 1, 1956

By W. S. Row

This mine is operated at 4000 to 4500 tons daily through a single shaft, with one rock hoist and one service hoist. Latest shaft construction is concrete with wooden dividers. Economics of drifters and air-leg drills are compared, as well as costs of shrinkage and sub-level stoping. Economy of large haulage equipment and underground crushing is shown.

Jan 3, 1953

By D. C. Holloway

Ceramic projectiles made from 94% to 99% alumina with a nominal mass of 3.1 gms were fired into granite blocks. The average compressive strength of the ceramic was 800 MPa and that of the rock was 135 MPa. Flat, ogive, conical and pyramidal nose shapes were evaluated at velocities ranging from 450 to 1400 m/sec. It was found that the conical and pyramidal nose shapes at the higher velocities did a significant amount of damage to the rock. On the average, they removed 10 5mm3 of rock and were six and ten times better than the flat and ogive nose shapes. It was also observed that increases in volume occur in discrete steps. This process is highly dependent on the ability of the projectile to penetrate the rock.

Jan 1, 1984

Jan 1, 1936

By William P. Blake

The literature of the occurrence of quicksilver-ore in the United States does not contain, so far as the writer is aware, any mention of the locality herein described. In the preliminary report * upon the resources of the transPecos region of Texas, von Streerwitz gives a long list of minerals observed as occurring there, but cinnabar is not mentioned. In the second report upon the same region † mention is made of the reported existence of cinnabarite in one of the mountain ranges north of the Sierra Carrizo and the Bofecillos, but the author adds: " In spite of my careful examination of the float, I have not yet found any traces of this metal (quicksilver) up to the present time." Prof. Dumble, also, in * Geol. Surv. of Texas, E. T. Dumble, 1889, p. 225 (first report). † Geol. Surv. of Texas, E. T. Dumble, 1890, p. 713 (second report)

Jan 1, 1896

By Christopher Haycocks, Lawrence P. Johnson, George M. Neall, James M. Townsend

No method of roof control yet devised has proven to be universally acceptable for the wide range of strata conditions experienced in U. S. coal mines. However, a relatively new innovation, the roof truss, has proven itself capable of preventing roof failures which both conventional and resin bolting could not. Presently, the economics of roof trusses are not favorable when compared to bolting due primarily to drilling and installation procedures, but this is expected to change with improved truss and equipment designs. To realize the full potential of this new method of roof control, design criteria are needed which can optimize the effect of the truss for varying strata conditions.

Jan 6, 1978

By Brahm Prakash, R. Schuhmann

Chemical conditions for flotation and nonflotation of cassiterite and fluorite with oleic acid as collector and with alizarin dyes as modifying agents were studied by means of small-scale, vacuum-flotation tests. Artificial cassiterite was prepared for these tests by high-temperature methods, especially by crystallization from borax melts.

Jan 5, 1950

By Haydn H. Murray

Although alumina constitutes about 15% of the earth's crust, it is expensive to separate and purify for the production of aluminum with the exception of the alumina in bauxite. The United States has a variety of nonbazurite resources that could substitute for bauxite, including high alumina clays, alunite, dawsonite in oil shale, anorthosite, and nepheline venite. Each of these resources is discussed from the standpoint of geology, geography, processing, and potential recovery. Potential byproducts include alica from clays, potash and sulfuric acid from alunite, soda ash from dawsonite, and soda ash and potash from anorthosite and nepheline syenite.

Jan 1, 1983

Jan 1, 1936

By D. M. Waldorf

Steam permeability measurements have been made in the laboratory on several samples of natural reservoir materials. The steam temperatures and pressures were selected to simulate conditions which might exist in a reservoir during the injection of steam. For each sample tested, the experimental permeability to superheated steam was comparable to that measured with air and no evidence of plugging was detected. Some samples were exposed to water at various temperatures and plugging was found to occur in materials which contained significant quantities of monmorillonite clay. Temperature had little effect on the degree of plug-ning between 75 and 325 F. The measured pemeabilities tended to increase slightly with temperature, but the changes were small compared with the initial loss of per~neability on wetting. Sequential pemzeability measurements were made on two samples using air, water, steam, water and air, in that order. Both samples were water-sensitive and plugged extensively after the initial injection of water. Upon exposure to superheated steatm the samples dehydrated and their permenbilities to superheated steam were comparable to those initially measured with air. The remaining measuretnetzts with water and air confirmed that the water plugging was reversible and that the samples were not seriorrsly damaged during the tests. INTRODUCTION The swelling of water-sensitive clays during water floods has long been recognized as a potential source of reservoir damage. The recent extensive application of steam injection and stimulation has compounded this problem since both hot water and steam (as well as fresh water at reservoir temperatures) are, at sume time, in contact with the producing zone adjacent to the bore of a steam injection well. The purpose of this paper is to present data which compare the sensitivity of some natural sedimentary rock samples to water at various temperatures, and to super-heated steam. Some properties of montmorillonite clay are briefly reviewed, and comparisons are drawn between empirical data and the predicted behavior of the montmorillonite known to be present in the samples. PROPERTIES OF MONTMORILLONIT E CLAY Water initially adsorbs on dry N a -montmorillonite clay in discrete layers in the interlaminar space between clal platelets. The platelet spacing, which is 9.6 A (angstroms) for a dehydrated clay, has been observed to expand in discrete steps to 12.4, 15.5, 18.4 and 21.4 A spacings, indicating the formation of four discrete layers of regularly oriented water molecules.' The first two layers are easily formed by hydrating a dry sample to equilibrium in an atmosphere with carefully controlled humidity. The formation of the higher layers is more difficult. The usual X-ray diffraction patterns of the more highly hydrated samples indicate a gradual increase in the average spacing betwcen 15.5 and 19.2 A, followed by a discontinuous expansion to 31 A when the weight ratio of water to dry clay is between 0.5 and 1.2.' Platelet expansion above 31 A proceeds monotonically as the moisture is increased and no regular arrangement of the platelets ib observed. Water-sensitivity in sedimentary rocks is usually associated with Na-montmorillonite clay when it is in the noncrystal-line state. Mering3 found that the average lattice spacing of sodium montmorillonite hydrated at 68 F and 70 per cent relative humidity was 15.5 A, and that the spacing, at 92 per cent humidity was 16.5 A. The water adsorbed at the higher humidity has the same free energy as liquid water at 65.6 F. Kolaian and Low' used a tensiometer to measure the thermodynamic properties of water in diffuse suspensions of montmorillonite clays relative to pure water. They observed that water in suspensions as dilute as 6 per cent clay became partially oriented when left undisturbed. The bonding associated with this orientation was not extensive because the free energy difference between the water in suspension and pure water was only a few millicalories per mole. They also found that the measured free energy difference decreased rapidly with temperature and became negligible above 100 F. This evidence indicates that montmorillonites contained in sedimentary rocks would dehydrate to a crystalline structure when exposed to superheated steam, and that the rock permeability measured with steam would be equivalent to that measured with air. The effect of elevated temperatures on the swelline of montmorillonite clays in aqueous suspensions has not been investigated. The Gouy-Chapman diffuse-ion-layer theory has been used to predict the swelling pressure of clay suspensions in dilute salt solutions at room temperature with reasonable success. theory also correctly predicts the direction of the thermal response of Na-mont-morillonite swelling pressures in dilute salt suspensions, 9 Over the temperature range of 33 to 68 F, an increase in

Jan 1, 1966

By E. E. Bauer

Technical data describing the critical points for selection of the proper hammer and of the boom and power pack for mounting on mobile gyratory crusher installations are presented. Charts describing typical rocks with breakability indexes for hammer selection are included. Comparative data of representative available hammers along with criteria for evaluating hammer selection are also presented. Factors affecting the selection of the boom and the power pack, as well as optional features for ease of operation and improved safety are described.

Jan 1, 1986

By R. M. Schuster, F. M. Benavides

A plan is prepared to develop and operate a four mine complex over a 30-year period. The mining complex is in the vicinity of two existing processing plants and the most economical means of transporting the raw minerals to either or both of these processing plants is sought. The mines and processing plants are all within a radius of 5.6 km (3.5 miles). Existing transportation facilities consist of county and state roads and federal highways as well as haul roads in some areas. A navigable river meanders through the area under study and there are two railroad systems servicing the area. The analysis shows the economic and operational feasibility of using an overland conveyor in lieu of other means of transportation.

Jan 1, 1983

By Petri Bryk, John Ryselin, Rolf Malmstrom, Jorma Honkasalo

THE theoretical possibilities for the realization of flash smelting have been known for a long time. Calculations concerning the same can be found in previously published literature,1 and suggestions for its accomplishment in practice are described in patents on the subject. Likewise a smaller number of practical test results are known. Autogenous smelting is closely connected with flash smelting, since in flash smelting techniques it is possible to use the heat evolved by oxidation of the sulfides for the smelting process to such an extent that under certain conditions smelting can proceed without additional fuel. However, in the event that insufficient heat is available from the oxidation of the sulfide concentrates, then additional heat may be supplied by preheating the air, using oxygen enriched air, on burning additional fuel with the concentrate.

Jan 6, 1958

Merritt: Karl, you are a native New Englander, having been born in St. Albans, Vermont, in 1885. How did you decide on becoming a mining engineer? Twitchell: While I was attending St. Albans High School, my uncle, who had been the American Consul in Kingston, Ontario, for many years, told me of the excellent mining school there. He also introduced me to a Canadian mining engineer who sparked my interest in mining by noting the possibility of achieving personal success without always being under salary. Well, that appealed to me, so I applied to the Kingston School of Mines at Queen's University.

Jan 9, 1965

By Dave H. Barnett, Brij M. Moudgil

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

Jan 3, 1979

By Michael W. Roper

McDermitt mine is located southwest of McDermitt, Nev., ½ mile north of the old Cordero mine. Geologic structure of the district is that of a Miocene age collapse-type caldera in a region of Basin and Range normal faulting. The McDermitt ore body possess a tabular, gently dipping configuration within 150 ft of the surface over an area 2200 x 2500 ft. Indicated ore reserves are 3 million tons at 10 lb Hg per ton. The ore zone averages 20 ft in thickness and consists of cinnabar (HgS) and corderoite (Hg3S2Cl2) deposited parallel to bedding in argillized Miocene age tuffaceous lacustrine sediments. The ore body is localized above a silicious sinter-silicified lake-bed breccia. This "opalite" breccia unit possesses a gently dipping, apronlike configuration, striking northeast, parallel the trend of the Cordero deposit, and thinning to the north and northwest.

Jan 1, 1977

By Paul C. Merritt

For more than 100 years, British Columbia has been considered a mountainous mining province, rich with potential but relatively poor in actual production. Times have changed. Today, Japanese interests and money have altered the difficult, if not once impossible, economic conditions and market factors which until recently precluded any great growth of the British Columbia mineral industry. The mining boom now underway in British Columbia has carried the total value of mineral production in the Province to a record height in 1962 as it rang up a 27% increase over that of 1961. Breaking the $200 million barrier for the first time, total value of British Columbia's mineral output reached $229- 276,385. Of this amount, metals accounted for 70%; industrial minerals, 6 %; structural materials, 9 %; and fuels, 15%. The substantial increase is attributed to the record production of copper, iron, asbestos, natural gas and petroleum, in addition to the continuing high production rate and favorable prices of other mineral commodities.

Jan 12, 1963