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By Ralph V. Higgins

The present methods of appraising the long-range performance of oil reservoirs are based upon physical properties of the crude oil and the permeability of the reservoir rock. By means of these methods the performance of a reservoir may be estimated throughout its entire life. Before these methods were used, the future performance was estimated mostly by extrapolating pressure-decline curves -a method that is satisfactory for extrapolating only for a short period into the future. One factor that affects satisfactory long-range prediction of reservoir performance is the extent to which small changes in the physical properties of the oil and differences in the choices of relative permeability influence the calculated oil recovery. Selection of the physical properties of the samples to represent those of the oil and rock for the entire reservoir is difficult. This report is concerned with the error in calculated recoveries that may result from these inherent difficulties.

Jan 1, 1956

By R. R. McLellan

The Brown Derby pegmatites are in Gunnison County, Colo., about 18 miles east of Gunnison. Approximately 860 tons of lepidolite concentrates, with smaller amounts of microlite and beryl, was produced from 3 dikes of the Brown Derby group from 1943 through 1947. No mining was done from 1948 until December 1950, when production of lepidolite and beryl was resumed by the Poston Mining & Milling Co. Mining was intermittent during 1951 and 1952. The dikes were mapped and studied by the Federal Geological Survey during the field seasons of 1942 to 1944, and in May 1950 the Bureau of Mines initiated a diamond-drilling project to test the three dikes for lepidolite and beryl. After being recessed twice, the project was terminated indefinitely July 1951. Seven drill holes were completed for a total of 1,841.6 feet of drilling.

Jan 1, 1956

By Manuel Gomez

A lignite from Milam County, Tex., has been oxidized by air at temperatures from about 27° to 300° C. for varying lengths of time. The oxidized coal was carbonized at 500° C. in a laboratory assay unit, and the products of carbonization were measured and analyzed. The data presented suggest that, as lignite is progressively oxidized, tar yields are decreased and gas yields are increased in a ratio approximating 1:1. It is surmised that tar-yielding structures in the nonoxidized coal produce gas, principally, when the coal is oxidized. Char-yielding structures of the nonoxidized coal give rise to additional water of decomposition after oxidation and pyrolysis. As lignite is subjected to greater oxidation, the gaseous product evolved on pyrolysis becomes almost entirely carbon dioxide. Tar yields decrease with an increased degree of oxidation, so that the reduction in tar yield may be used as a qualitative measure of oxidation. Pilot-plant drying and carbonization, where air is used as the transport gas and where some air is included in the drying and carbonizing gases, induces some oxidation of the coal particle. The short residence time in a fluidized system with reference to the oxidation environment limits the oxidation.

Jan 1, 1956

By E. G. Erspamer

Laboratory investigations were made by the Bureau of Mines on ore containing the sulfides of both mercury and antimony to develop a method or methods for the economic recovery of mercury metal and the concurrent recovery of antimony as metal or salts,. If standard mercury-recovery techniques are applied to such ores, the antimony content interferes with the effective production of mercury metal; further-more, the antimony is lost. This report presents the results of tests on a sample of cinnabar-stibnite ore from the Red Devil mine near Sleitmute, Alaska. Red Devil ore was chosen for the investigation because it is purported to be typical of ores of the Kuskokwim River area, which, in their aggregate, constitute large potential reserves of mercury and antimony. Studies included petrographic, spectrographic, and chemical analyses, gravity-separation tests, bulk flotation of mercury and antimony sulfides, differential flotation, leaching, and furnacing of crude ore and of flotation concentrate.

Jan 1, 1956

By E. W. Stewart, G. P. Conard, J. F. Libsch

The effects of several additives upon the reduction characteristics of hydrogen-reduced ferrous formate are described. The various additives inhibit sintering of the reduced iron particles by apparently different mechanisms. The magnetic properties of the low density compacts produced from the resulting ultra-fine iron powders were improved markedly. THE permanent magnetic characteristics of ultra-fine iron powder prepared by various means have been a subject of considerable interest and experimentation in the past few years. When such particles are small enough to show single domain behavior, they possess' 1—permanent saturation magnetization, and 2—high coercive force. In the absence of domain boundaries, the only magnetization changes in a particle occur through spin rotation which is opposed by relatively large anisotropy forces. With decreasing particle size, the coercive force tends to increase to a maximum and then decrease because of the instability in magnetization associated with thermal fluctuations. Kittel' has calculated the critical diameter at which a spherical particle of iron can no longer sustain domain boundaries or walls to be approximately 1.5x10-' cm. Stoner and Wohlfarthr in England and Neel4,6 in France have shown from purely theoretical calculations that the high coercive force expected from single domain particles is dependent upon crystal anisotropy, shape anisotropy, or strain anisotropy contributions. Further work by Weil, Bertaut,' and many others has contributed much to the understanding of fine particle theory. Neel and Meikeljohn" have demonstrated that a decrease in particle size below a critical value of approximately 160A leads to a quite rapid decrease in coercive force because of the prevention of stable magnetization by thermal agitation. Lih1, working with powders prepared by the reduction of formate and oxalate salts of iron, has shown the marked influence of powder purity upon magnetic properties. Maximum coercive force was obtained in powders of approximately 65 pct metallic iron content while the maximum energy product, (BxH) occurred in powders of 85 pct metallic iron content. Careful consideration of the preceding theoretical considerations and experimental results has led to the manufacture of permanent magnets from ultra-fine ferromagnetic powders by powder metallurgy techniques. Such work has been done by Dean and Davis," the Ugine Co. of France, and Kopelman." The aforementioned work of Kopelman and the Ugine Co. was concerned somewhat with the effect of various additives upon the properties of hydrogen-reduced ferrous formate. Virtually no work, however, has been published on the effects of additives on the reduction rates of metal formates, although unpublished work by Ananthanarayanan16 howed promise of improved energy product in ultra-fine iron compacts prepared by the hydrogen reduction of a coprecipitated mixture of magnesium and ferrous formate. After consideration of the preceding information, it was hoped that a better balance between the metallic iron content and particle size of the reduced iron powder could be accomplished by a prevention of the attendant sintering of the partially reduced iron powder during the reduction reaction. It appeared possible that magnesium oxide might interpose a mechanical barrier between adjacent iron particles and prevent their sintering together, while metallic cadmium and metallic tin would interpose a liquid barrier which might accomplish the same purpose. The degree to which these materials were effective in accomplishing the foregoing objective and the experimental details associated with the work are reported in the following sections of this paper. Experimental Procedure Preparation of Formate and Oxide Mixtures: To obtain ferrous formate of reproducible reduction characteristics, a slight modification' was made in the technique of Fraioli and Rhoda." A supersaturated solution of ferrous formate was mixed with an equal volume of 95 pct ethyl alcohol and the formate crystals precipitated by stirring and screened to —325 mesh. These crystals were in the shape of elongated hexagons, approximately 4x10 micron in dimension. Various preparations of such ferrous formate, designated as lot 111, were reduced for 2 hr, yielding ultra-fine iron particles of exceedingly reproducible size, metallic iron content, and magnetic properties. The magnesium and cadmium formates were prepared by the reaction of dilute formic acid with their respective carbonates, while the tin formate was prepared by the reaction of dilute formic acid with stannous hydroxide. To evaluate the effect of metallic formate additives in intimate mixture with the ferrous formate, varying amounts of magnesium, cadmium, and tin formates were coprecipitated with the latter. The designations of these materials and their chemical compositions are given in Table I. Due to the differing solubilities of the various formates in aqueous media,

Jan 1, 1956

By R. L. Smith, I. G. Greenfield

The binary system Ga-Sb has been investigated by thermal, X-ray, and metallo-graphic methods. 'The intermetallic compound GaSb melts at 705.9OC and forms a eutectic with antimony at 11.8 atomic pct Ga. This eutectic melts at 589.8OC. A eutectic appears to be formed at 29.8°C but is too close to the composition of pure gallium to be detected. IN the course of an investigation of the semiconducting properties of the intermetallic compound, GaSb, the phase equilibrium between gallium and antimony has been investigated. Recently, the phase diagram of similar systems, such as In-Sb,' In-AS,' and Bi-As3 have been determined. These diagrams have the same general appearance in that an intermetallic compound is formed at 50 atomic pct and a eutectic is formed on both sides of the intermetallic compound. Jenny,& who has been investigating the semiconducting properties of intermetallic compounds, has concluded from thermal data of several alloys that the phase diagram of the Ga-Sb system resembles those mentioned previously. This paper represents a more detailed study of the Ga-Sb equilibrium. Experimental Procedure The gallium that was used to prepare the alloys was obtained from A. D. Mackay Inc. and the Aluminum Co. of America; the latter reported the purity as 99.95 pct. The antimony was obtained from Bradley Mining Corp. who specified a purity of 99.997 pct. Since the intermetallic compound of GaSb was prepared primarily to be used for further studies of the semiconducting properties, additional purification by a standard zone-melting technique under an atmosphere of hydrogen was performed. Hall-effect measurements on this material indicated an impurity content of less than 3 ppm.5 The antimony also was purified by zone melting and used in conjunction with the compound GaSb to make the necessary alloys for the determinations of the antimony-rich side of the phase diagram. The antimony-rich alloys were chill cast in Vycor tubes which were evacuated to a pressure of less than one micron. Since these alloys expand on freezing, precautions were taken to prevent oxidation of the ingot in the event the tube fractured. To insure homogeneity, the brittle alloys were ground and then placed in the furnace for the thermal-arrest determinations. Since the cost of gallium is high, the experimental procedure was complicated somewhat because of the necessarily limited sizes of the melts. In order to economize, the gallium-rich side of the diagram was determined by using a 35 g ingot of pure gallium initially and adding increasing amounts of antimony in order to obtain additional alloys. The furnace used in the determination of the cooling curves is illustrated in Fig. 1. A 2¼ in. quartz tube, sealed at one end, was fitted with a brass flange which was attached with DeKhotinsky cement. The brass collar was water cooled to prevent the cement from softening. An "0" ring was used to provide a seal between the brass collar and the furnace cover. Nichrome ribbon was wound around a 2 ½ in. asbestos-covered copper core which was used to reduce the thermal gradient in the furnace. The insulation consisted of alternate layers of asbestos and aluminum foil surrounded by sil-o-cel refractory and

Jan 1, 1956

By W. A. Griffith

Fractional replication of factorial design, a general method for planning experimentation and for analysis of data obtained, is described as applied to a flotation investigation. This method leads to determination of optimum process conditions with minimum experimental effort. Its advantages over simple factorial design are demonstrated. A METHOD for planning experimentation and for analyzing the data secured will be demonstrated. This method, termed fractional replication of factorial design, employs a relatively small number of individual experiments to determine which of a large number of process variables are controlling, to determine which combination of levels of these variables is most likely to produce optimum results, and also to predict what results will be obtained with a particular combination of conditions not already tested. Although the general method is not new, having been developed by Finney in 1945,' the extent to which it can improve the effectiveness of applied research generally has not been recognized by metallurgists. The fractional replication procedure is particularly useful in flotation experimentation and an example from such an investigation will be used in the paper. However, it has equal value in any investigation in which similar experimental difficulties are encountered. In developing a flotation process for a particular mineral separation, the investigator is inevitably confronted with the following difficulties: 1—There are a large number of potentially important process variables. 2—Results of individual experiments are not highly reproducible, due in part to the difficulty in precisely controlling all the variables. 3—Considerable effort is expended in conducting individual experiments. 4—There are practical limits on the number of individual experiments which can be made. In situations of just such a type, modern statistical methods of planning experimentation and analyzing data have their greatest value. Applications of one such technique, called factorial design, to problems of this type have been described by Dorenfeld and others.'-' The simple factorial design is an efficient procedure when the investigator hopes to provide a comprehensive understanding of the effects and interrelationships of a small number of variables over a limited range. In applied research, this is seldom the main objective. Rather, the investigator usually wishes to determine which of the many potentially important variables are in fact controlling, which levels of the controlling variables will provide opti- mum metallurgical results, and what these results will be at optimum conditions. Interest in detailed trends is limited to the controlling variables and to levels in the region of optimum conditions. Simple factorial design has serious deficiencies for such objectives and is not the most efficient method of experimental design. Deficiencies of Factorial Design In a simple factorial design, an experiment must be made at every possible combination of each level of every variable, once these have been chosen and the levels of each to be included have been decided upon. As the number of variables or levels of each increases, the experimental program quickly reaches prohibitive size. For example, an investigation of only four variables, each at four levels, requires 256 individual experiments. Often upon completion of such an extensive program, it is found that one or more of the variables has metallurgically unimportant effects or that a poor estimate has been made as to the appropriate range of levels to be investigated. The result is that only a small proportion of the data obtained falls in the range of real metallurgical interest. Indeed, it frequently can be anticipated that certain combinations of levels of variables will not produce results of interest, but they still must be included so that the essential balance, or orthogonality, of the design will be retained. It may be true that factorial design will provide the greatest amount of information from a given number of experiments, but it does not necessarily follow that it will lead to the desired information with a minimum number of experiments. Much of the information provided may be of little value. Advantages of Fractional Replication The disadvantages of simple factorial design are overcome to a great extent by a modification known as fractional replication. This is a technique for sampling systematically the potential data of a full factorial experiment, that is, the data which would have been obtained if the complete factorially designed program had been completed. Only a fraction of the total array of experiments is made, but the experiments are chosen in such a way that the important advantages of factorial design and the accompanying analysis of variance are retained. The data obtained from the first group of experiments are used to determine which of several variables are controlling and which levels of these variables are most likely to produce the desired result. Unimportant variables and levels of variables then may be

Jan 1, 1956

By W. F. Stowasser

Robert E. Hagen (Oliver Iron Mining Div., U. S. Steel Corp.)—Mr. Stowasser and his associates are to be congratulated on their achievements in developing the design of a pilot agglomerating plant, based on information obtained from experiments made in a laboratory sinter pot, and subsequently constructing and successfully operating this plant. In his Transactions article, May 1955 (vol. 201) Mr. Stowasser stated that the output of his heat treating strand was about 2 Lt per sq ft of grate area per day and that the fuel consumption was 0.7 to 0.8 million Btu per Lt of product. If it is assumed that the burning zone extends from the back of the ignition furnace to the beginning of the recuperation windbox, only about 1/3 of the grate area over the windboxes is utilized for burning pellets, and the actual rate at which partially dried pellets are burned is about 6 Lt per sq ft of grate area per day. It may be interesting to compare the above operating data with that obtained at the Extaca plant, where taconite concentrate is treated on a conventional sin- tering machine using limestone or hydrated lime additives with no recuperation of heat. The entire windbox area is used for burning, and a production rate of 2.5 Lt per sq ft of windbox area per day has been attained at a fuel consumption of 1.8 to 2.0 million Btu per Lt of product, the latter being considerably in excess of that reported by Mr. Stowasser, partly because a circulating load of returns amounting to 28 to 30 pct of the machine feed is used and because no attempt is made to recuperate heat from the waste gases. With the high capital and labor costs prevailing today, it seems that future development of the downdraft grate pelletizing process should be directed toward taking advantage of the high burning rate of predried pellets and increasing capacity, perhaps at the expense of fuel economy, by decreasing the proportion of grate area utilized by ancillary functions. For example, eliminating the cooling zone and using this area for burning would increase the proportion of grate area available for burning from 33 to 50 pct of the total windbox area, and a proportionate increase in capacity would result.

Jan 1, 1956

By R. B. Rosene, G. L. Foster, A. R. Hendrickson

he properties of some of the common fracturing oils, such as sand-falling rate, fluid loss and viscasity, are a function of the three major constituents of the oil. These are: asphaltic material, parafin waxes and a base oil. The base oil can be either high or low viscosity. Asphaltic material increases viscosity by thickening the oil, decreasing the rate of fall of sand through the oil. at temperatures up to 200" F. When large arnorrnts of parafin wax are present, much of the wax i.s not dissolved, but is present in the form of rnicroscopic crystals. 7'his, of course is limited to temperatures below the melting points of waxe.s. As a result, parafin waxes clo not function primarily as thickener.7, but rother as bullting materials. The functiori of wax, without asphaltic material, in a low viscosity base oil is uniquely unlike that of wax with asphalt coexistent in the oil. The resulting difierence in wax crystal size governs the sand-falling rate to a large extent. An ideal type of fracturing oil is one containing neither asphalt nor waxes. In such cases, the viscosity and resulting low sand-falling rate are apparently due to soluble resin- ous hydrocarbons, which are compatible with formation oils. INTRODUCTION Since the introduction of hydraulic fracturing as a method of stimulating production from oil and gas wells, a variety of fluids have been employed to open the fractures and carry the propping agent. Such fluids include gels, emulsions, and oils. In the latter category, the use of refined oils has increased tremendously, and it is probably safe to assume that such oils represent more than one-half of the total fluid used in fracturing. The general acceptance of refined oils for fracturing can be accounted for on the basis of their relatively low cost and general applicability. To minimize transportation costs, such refined oils are generally obtained within the local areas of operation. As a result there are several kinds of oil used in different areas, with a wide variation in the basic composition. These types may vary from a fair grade of lubricating stock to a highly viscous cut-back asphalt. or road oil. Originally, little attention was paid to the composition of the oils used for fracturing, and any oil which would carry sand was considered satisfactory. Recently, however, service companies and well operators have become more concerned with the type of oils used for fracturing. With this in mind, the present work was undertaken to evaluate and compare many widely used fracturing oils to determine which constituents were most desirable for fracturing purposes. Some of the important properties of fracturing fluids are sand-falling rate, viscosity, and fluid loss. Other properties, that are actually of no less importance, include flash point, pour point, emulsifying tendencies with formation brines, and compatability with the formation oils. This discussion has been limited, however, to the first mentioned properties in order to give some idea of the general composition of the refined oils, how they function, and why. PROPERTIES OF FRACTURING OILS The properties of fracturing oils are a function of the three major constituents of the oil. These may be designated as: (1) asphaltic material, (2) paraffin waxes and (3) a base oil, which may be of either high or low viscosity. The asphaltic material clas-

Jan 1, 1956

By E. H. Mulligan

THE ERRINGTON B-I mine is located on the Errington orebody of Steep Rock Iron Mines, Limited, at Steep Rock Lake, Ontario. In 1946, this orebody entered the shipping lists of the Lake Superior iron ranges as an open-pit operation. During the period 1946 through 1953, the mine produced a total of 9,000,000 tons of iron ?ore. In 1950, as the mine approached the economic limits for open-pit operations, ground was broken for an underground development to exploit the deposit at depth. The mine is designed for an ultimate production of 1,500,000 tons per year by the block-caving system of mining. The initial shaft is 1,200 feet deep and will produce or-e from the 700 and the 900 levels. The 1,100 level will be used as a drainage level and as a haulageway for waste rock, which is hoisted to surface by skip. Ore from the two production levels moves by a system of ?ore passes to a crushing plant located below the 900 horizon and is hoisted from this point to surface by conveyor belt. At the present time, all material handling on the levels is by tramming, but as tram distances increase conveyor haulage will probably be installed. The initial stage of the Errington B-1 development is expected to produce 6,000,000 tons of ore over a period of four years. The second stage will require deepening of the shaft and development of lowe1? production levels. The conveyor hoisting plant will be extended to serve these new levels. We visualize the mining of this orebcdy down to 2,500 feet by these methods.

Jan 1, 1956

By H. A. Watson

This circular, which is a revision and combination of two previous publications,3 4/ presents information on the different types of equipment that may be used to analyze mine atmospheres, with particular reference to the application and limitations of each type. Such information is frequently requested by mining companies, State mining departments, and other agencies concerned with safety in mining who wish advice regarding methods of analysis of mine atmospheres and the equipment necessary for establishing laboratories for that purpose. Since the Haldane-type apparatus is particularly applicable to the accurate determination of carbon dioxide, oxygen, and combustible gases such as methane in mine atmospheres, that apparatus and the method of operation are described in detail. The circular presents results of a critical study of the accuracy attainable with the Haldane-type apparatus in the determination of methane in concentrations of the order of 0.25 percent, by volume. Analytical procedures involved in the other methods discussed are presented in publications referenced in this circular. Information is given also on the various accessory equipment needed in a laboratory for the analysis of mine atmospheres, and suggestions on laboratory design are included. INTRODUCTION 'The analysis of mine atmospheres plays an important part in promoting safety and maintaining safe conditions in mining operations, particularly in coal mining, where the flammable gas methane presents a continuous hazard in Nome mines and may be encountered unexpectedly in others.5/ Methane has been encountered also, often unexpectedly and with disastrous results, in noncoal mines and in tunnels under

Jan 1, 1956

By G. K. Manning, W. E. Few

WORK on the effect of vacuum heat treatment of 0.040 in. diam sintered and wrought molybdenum wires has been sponsored by the Office of Naval Research at Battelle for the past several years. An electrical resistance furnace' capable of maintaining a vacuum of less than 0.1 micron of mercury at temperatures as high as 4000 °F was used for heat treating the wires. Early in the work, it was found that the introduction of a few microns pressure of oxygen into the furnace resulted in a rapid increase in the oxygen content of the wire specimens and the appearance of a discrete oxide phase. Subsequent elimination of the oxygen atmosphere caused the disappearance of the oxide phase. This was used to determine the solid solubility of oxygen in molybdenum over the temperature range of 2000" to 3000°F.2 It was observed that, with the disappearance of the oxide phase, the wires regained some ductility. Single-phased wires possessed from 5 to as much as 40 pct elongation in 2 in. Later, attention became centered on determining the cause of this wide range in ductility. Wires containing less than 0.002 pct C, less than 0.0007 pct 0, less than 0.0005 pct N, and less than 0.00003 pct H exhibited the erratic ductility noted above. These percentages represent approximately the limit of accuracy of presently available methods of analysis and thus it became apparent that chemical analysis would be of little help in the study. A number of possible explanations for the wide range in ductility were suggested during the course of the work. It was first suspected that variations in the grain size of the recrystallized wire specimens might be responsible. Wire from several lots of material was available. One of these lots tended to develop very large grains when recrystallized, the others all developed an ASTM grain size of 3 to 4 when heated above 2700°F. No correlation between grain size and ductility could be found. It was thought that back diffusion of oil from the diffusion pump might cause contamination of the wire, principally with carbon, but when wires were treated without cooling the cold trap in the pumping system,

Jan 1, 1956

By G. A. Croes, N. Schwarz

This paper reports the results of a series of model displacement experiments carried out for measuring the efficiency of the water-drive process. This series forms a continuation and extension of that described by Engel-herts and Klinkenberg. Detailed information has been obtained on the influence of the oil/water viscosity ratio. The results are represented in the form of a diagram from which both the oil recovery and the water/oil ratio can be easily read off as a function of the total production (oil plus water) for all values of the viscosity ratio M between I and 500. These resu1ts are viewed in the light of the two existing theories on water flooding, viz. that of Buckley and Leverett and that of Dietz. It is shown that if the Buckley-Leverett theory applies, the relation between the relative permeability ratio and saturation, which plays a major role in this theory, (.an be calculated with a high degree of accuracy from the results of the model experiments. Dietz's theory is found to be in agreement with the experimental results in a certain range of circumstances. A discussion of the physical background of the Buckley- Leverett and Dietz theories makes it clear why the latter fails to agree with some of the experimental results. INTRODUCTION For an economical exploitation of oil fields both a rational control of natural (primary) recovery processes and a proper application of artificial (secondary) recovery methods are essential. These require detailed information upon the dependence of the relevant flow processes on the variables by which they are governed. Three methods are available for obtaining this information: (1) (statistical) analysis of actual field data; (2) appropriately scaled model experiments; and (3) mathematical analysis of the physical problem. If sufficient data were available, the first method would, in principle, be the most reliable one, although it has the drawback that the basic relationships between the variables involved are to a large extent obscured by the natural inhomogeneities of most reservoirs. The most profitable procedure seems to be: (a) determining the fundamental relations for idealized reservoirs by methods (2) and (3); (b) checking the consistency of the results obtained by these two methods; and (c) establishing the range of applicability of these methods to actual reservoirs by comparison with the data accumulated under (1). In this paper items (a) and (b) are dealt with for the case of homogeneous loose sands initially saturated

Jan 1, 1956

By C. L. Brown

Coal has been transported by belt conveyors in mines for many years; however, only since the beginning of the general mechanization period have complete transportation system of this type been employed. Aside from my complete belt-conveyor transportation systems, belt conveyors are frequently used in conjunction with other transportation. Many early installations, for the most part, were made without standards as a guide. As a result, some States have outlined certain requirements based more or less on experience following mine fires. Correlation of these regulations should result in more uniformity in connection with standardization of regulations. The National Electrical manufacturers Association has published standards for mining-belt-conveyor installations2/ that should be helpful to the coal-mining industry generally. Bureau of Mines Schedule 2F3/ requires certain controls for permissible-belt- conveyor drives, and similar requirements are listed in Bureau of Mines bulletin 514.4/ Committees of the American Mining Congress have prepared much valuable information concerning operation of belt conveyors, and a subcommittee on fire-resistant belting has been active. 5/

Jan 1, 1956

By P. L. De Bruyn, R. J. Charles

The transfer of kinetic energy of translation into other forms of energy by impact is a fundamental process in most crushing and grinding operations. During and after the impact process the original source energy may be accounted for in any of the following possible forms: 1) Kinetic energy of translation of both the impacted and impacting objects. 2) Kinetic energy of vibration of the components of the impact system. 3) Potential energy as strain energy of the components of the system or in the form of residual stresses. 4) Heat generated by internal friction during plastic deformation or during damping of elastic waves. 5) New surface energy of fractured materials. At any instant during the impact process only the strain energy of the components of the system can contribute directly to the brittle fracture process. If fracture is the desired result, as in comminution, it would seem advantageous to choose or arrange the conditions of impact so that a maximum amount of the original kinetic energy could be converted to strain energy at some moment during a single impact. The present work deals with determination of these desirable conditions for a simple case of impact and application of the principles involved to general cases of impact.

Jan 1, 1956

By A. M. Gaudin, D. W. Fuerstenau

By streaming potential techniques, the zeta potential of quartz has been measured as a function of the concentration of dodecylammonium salts at different pH values. These experiments indicate that adsorption of dodecylammonium ions takes place as individual aminium ions until a certain critical concentration is reached in the double layer, at which point the adsorbed collector ions begin to associate into patches of ions, called hemi-micelles. Because of its effect on the surface potential of quartz, pH controls the adsorption of dodecylammonium ions. The value of cooperating agents and nonionized constituents of flotation systems is discussed. A PREVIOUS investigation' of the role of pH in the flotation of quartz with anionic collectors is here extended to an inquiry of how the cationic collector, dodecylammonium acetate, is adsorbed at the quartz-solution interface. The equilibrium amount of this collector adsorbed by quartz has already been measured as a function of concentration and pH.2,3 The weight of prior evidence has suggested that two mechanisms are involved in the adsorption of this collector by quartz, but with existing adsorption measurements alone it is not possible to determine what the mechanisms are. Gaudin and Bloecher2 postulated that a polymolec-ular adsorption coating begins to form before the first monolayer has been completed. Gaudin and Morrow4 indicated that a similar situation might exist in the film of dodecylammonium ions on hematite. A study of electrokinetic potentials at the quartz-solution interface provides some detail toward a fuller understanding of the adsorption mechanism. Experimental Results The zeta potential at the quartz-solution interface was calculated from streaming potential data measured with the apparatus described in detail in a thesis by Fuerstenau5 and briefly in a paper by Gaudin and Fuerstenau.1 The quartz used in these experiments was a 48/65-mesh fraction prepared in the manner described previously.' Zeta potential of quartz was obtained for various amounts of the amine salt at pH 4, 7, 10, 11. In

Jan 1, 1956

By F. W. Luerssen, J. F. Elliott

F LUSHING the early slag from a stationary open Fhearth having a high percentage of hot metal in its charge is necessary in order to remove silica from the system. The flush slag is strongly oxidizing and is somewhat acidic. It has, however, considerable capacity to extract phosphorus from the bath and it also removes considerable manganese. It seems probable that factors which control the distribution of phosphorus and manganese between slag and metal in the refining period also should be dominant in the flush and postflush periods. Several studies, as summarized elsewhere,1,2 support the viewpoint that conditions closely approaching equilibrium for these elements are rather readily established during the refining period. Over the years these studies have repeatedly demonstrated that 1—high slag v01ume, 2—low bath and slag temperature, 3—basic slag, and 4—strongly oxidizing slag favor rapid elimination of phosphorus from the bath to the slag. They also show that the following conditions favor retention of manganese in the bath: 1—low slag volume, 2—high bath and slag temperature, 3— basic slag, and 4—minimum oxidizing power of slag. When it is considered that the flush slag often carries as high as 75 pct of the manganese charged and only 25 to 60 pct of the phosphorus charged, it is evident that in removing silica much manganese is sacrificed but phosphorus removal is far from conplete. Because of overriding circumstances, this is accepted in most operations and actually it is considered to be inevitable. This may account for the fact that little attention has been paid to conditions affecting the elimination of phosphorus and manganese in the flush slag. A recent study of the behavior of various charge oxides has developed considerable information on the flush and postflush periods. Because the data are felt to be of general interest, they have been brought together and Presented in this paper. The object is to show the various factors in the flush and postflush periods which influence elimination of phosphorus and manganese. Physical Conditions During and After Flushing Physical conditions existing during the flush vary from plant to plant, from shop to shop, from furnace to furnace, and even from heat to heat. They are strongly influenced by the physical and chemical character of the charge oxide which is ordinarily necessary to provide sufficient oxidizing power early in the heat. Invariably the period is characterized by a vigorous reaction between the principal re-actants: the hot metal being added and the charge oxide. During the flush, it is probable that the slag acts to some extent as an oxidizer; but, because of the critical influence of the behavior of the charge oxid'e on flushing action, it seems apparent that the oxide itself is the dominant oxidizer. Fig. 1 shows the course of two heats which were selected as being typical of the group studied. Heat A was charged with 55 pet hot metal, based on the total metallics charged, and heat B had 57 pct hot metal. As indicated in Table I and Fig. 1, the melt-down slag, which is not usually voluminous and which is principally FeO, expands greatly in volume and will show rather high levels of SiO2, MnO, and P2O5 very soon after the beginning of the hot metal addition. Simultaneously, large volumes of CO are liberated which cause violent mixing of slag and metal. It is of interest to note that the time required to bring carbon down to a low level is very much longer than that required for the removal of silicon, manganese, or phosphorus. At the end of flush, carbon in the bath is still approximately 2 pct. When strongly reducing hot metal is brought into contact with strongly oxidizing conditions within the furnace! it is probable that the rate of mass transfer to the slag (and atmosphere) of silicon, manganese, phosphorus, and carbon initially depends principally on the rates at which the two participating phases are brought into contact That is, it depends on the nature of the various reactions. Later in the flush period, when the scrap is virtually all dissolved and the action of the bath has settled down to a steady and somewhat gentle boil, it is likely that other factors, such as the transfer of oxygen across the slag-metal interface, become dominant. The temperature of the slag-metal system is far from uniform. Heat is being driven by the flame down through the slag. Bubbling and surging of the metal also frequently brings portions of the bath in contact with the flame. At areas of contact between the ore and liquid metal, or slag and liquid metal, the oxidizing reactions generate much heat. On the other hand, scrap is being melted which tends to absorb large quantities of heat. Because the liquid bath is high in carbon, the steel scrap is brought into solution rapidly. This can proceed at a rather low temperature; and until much of the scrap has been taken into solution, the bath temperature would not be expected to increase appreciably. Consideration of these factors leads to the conclusion that during the flush period the slag should be rather hot and the bath relatively cold. Both observation and temperature measurements bear this out. Experimental Data The extended program of charge oxide evaluation permitted study of the widely varying conditions existing during the flushing period. Slag and metal analyses and bath temperatures reported herein (Tables I and 11) were obtained toward the latter portion of the work. Four different types of charge oxide, sinter, two types of hydraulic cement-bonded soft ores, and a pyrobonded agglomerate were used in the study. Although the heats reported were from only one 205 ton furnace, they show variations in flush slag analyses all the way from 25 pct FeO, which is typical with the use of a hard natural charge ore, to 45 pct FeO which resulted when a very poorly agglomerated fine ore was used. The physical behavior of the flushes showed a correspondingly wide variation from well controlled reactions to violent surges following periods of inac-

Jan 1, 1956

Before presenting this address I desire to express my appreciation of the honour which has been conferred on me by my election as iPresident of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. At this stage it might not be out of place to recall that Broken Hill was the birthplace of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, originally formed as the Australasian Institute of Mining Engineers in 1893.In selecting for my address the topic of "The Broken Hill Mining Industry and its Contribution to the Economy of Australia" I realise it is impossible to cover fully every aspect of the nation's economy which owes all or part of its origin to the Broken Hill field. Nevertheless, I feel that some attempt should be made to give credit to the Broken Hill mining industry for its part in the progress which Australia has made over the past seventy years.. If we care to reflect for a moment it soon becomes apparent that, not only is the Broken Hill mining industry an important producer of base metals for domestic and overseas consumption, but its profits have provided the means whereby many of Australia's leading secondary industries have been established or built up. Examples which come to mind are the founding of the iron and steel industry by the Broken Hill Proprietary Company; the establishment of plants at Port Pirie in South Australia, and at Risdon in Tasmania, for the production of metallic lead and zinc; and also at Port Kembla for the smelting of copper ores. From profits derived from operations at Broken Hill, capital has also been provided to assist other new essential...

Jan 1, 1956

By T. E. Howard

The western phosphate field, comprising parts of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Utah, contains one of the world's largest known reserves of phosphate rock. Although phosphate-rock deposits of good-grade have been known since before the turn of the century and production has been recorded since 1906, real development of this important field did not begin until immediately after World War II. Since then fertilizer-manufacturing facilities using western phosphate rock have been expanded, and three electric-furnace plants for producing elemental phosphorus have been installed, resulting in a rise in mine production from 323,955 long tons2/ in 1945 to 1,653,916 long tons3/ in 1953. Interest in the field is increasing, and it is reasonable to expect that the western phosphate industry will continue to expand. Before 1945 all western production was from underground mines. In that year the first strip mine in the field was started near Montpelier, Idaho,~ and in sub-sequent years a number of other open-pit mines were opened in southeast Idaho and western Wyoming. At present the major part of the production comes from surface mines. Underground mining has continued, and new underground mines have been opened in the field, but recent exploration by operating companies has been aimed primarily at developing additional deposits suitable for low-cost surface mining. Preliminary reserve estimates by the Federal Geological Survey5/ indicate that only a very small part of the total resource may be recovered by surface methods and that the industry eventually must depend largely on underground mining. Because one function of the Bureau of Mines is promoting the conservation and development of the Nation's mineral resources, it is appropriate that research be conducted to develop low-cost maximum-recovery underground mining methods applicable to western phosphate-rock deposits.

Jan 1, 1956

By W. D. Forgeng, R. L. Folkman, D. C. Hilty

The solubility of oxygen in molten Fe-Cr alloys has been determined at 1550° , 1600°, and 1650°C for alloys containing up to alloyshasbeenabout 50 pct Cr and found to decrease as chromium increases to 6 pet and then to increase gradually. Phase relations in the Fe-Cr-0 system at steelmaking temperatures have been evaluated and two previously unreported oxides have been identified. OPERATIONS in the melting and refining of chromium steels are dependent to a major degree on the reactions of chromium and iron with oxygen and are primarily directed toward controlling and modifying these reactions to secure maximum advantage in the utilization of chromium. Although fairly effective practices have been developed empirically, understanding of the specific reactions is limited. Moreover, the ability of molten steel to dissolve oxygen that subsequently precipitates as oxide inclusions during solidification is well known, so that clarification of the effect of chromium on the nature and mechanism of formation of these inclusions is desirable. Study of the problem indicated that increased knowledge of the fundamental Fe-Cr-0 system is essential to further technical and economic improvement. Consequently, an investigation of the influence of chromium on the solubility of oxygen in molten iron and of phases and phase relations in the Fe-Cr-0 system was undertaken at the Metals Research Laboratories of the Electro Metallurgical Co. as part of a general program on the effective utilization of chromium in chromium steel production. Experimental Procedure All of the experimental runs made during this investigation were carried out in the rotating crucible induction furnace which has been described in detail in a previous publication.' In review, the principle underlying this furnace is that rotational forces in the crucible cause the molten metal to assume a concave shape in such a manner that the slag is contained in the molten metal cup, thereby minimizing slag/crucible contact and subsequent reaction. Practically all of the heats were melted in commercial-quality magnesia crucibles of the type usually furnished for laboratory induction furnaces. All of the runs were made under an argon atmosphere after the furnace chamber had been degassed. Bath temperatures were controlled by Pt—Pt-10 pct Rh thermocouples. The basic furnace charge consisted of a premelted 12 to 15 lb electrolytic iron slug which had been cast to a shape convenient for fitting into the rotating furnace crucible. A typical analysis of the electrolytic iron slugs is given in Table I. For certain runs, it was desirable to melt down charges containing high initial chromium contents. In these cases the chromium was added to the electrolytic iron during the premelting operations. Chromium was added to the rotating furnace bath in the form of electrolytic chromium of the analysis given in Table 11. In all of the constant temperature runs, the standard procedure was to melt down the electrolytic iron or alloy slug under vacuum, admit argon to slightly greater than atmospheric pressure, and adjust rotational speed to develop a well formed "cup" on the bath surface. The melt was then saturated with oxygen by an addition of ferric oxide and the temperature of the bath adjusted to within +5°C of the desired level. At this point the heat was permitted to come to equilibrium prior to sampling or further addition. This time interval was varied from 15 min to 2 hr but generally was about 20 min. After sampling, the desired chromium addition was made and the bath again equilibrated prior to subsequent sampling. This cycle of addition and sampling continued for the duration of the run which lasted from 4 to 8 hr. At the end of this period, power was shut off and the bath allowed to solidify in the furnace. Quenched metal samples were taken from the equilibrated melts by means of the "Taylor sampler" which has been described by Taylor and Chipman.' Before being submitted to chemical analysis, all samples were carefully examined for surface slag occlusions and cold shuts. Later in the study, each sample was radiographed and examined metal-lographically in cross-section to determine the presence of internal defects. On the basis of these examinations, sound and apparently clean specimens were selected from the Taylor samples for chemical analysis.

Jan 1, 1956