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Jan 1, 1925

By Joseph E. Pogue

The outstanding features of 1926 in the petroleum industry included the following: 1. Stocks of all oils (crude and refined) were reduced, making the first annual decline since 1918. 2. Domestic crude oil production increased steadily during the last 11 months of the year, accelerating during the fourth quarter, and ending the year at the highest level ever attained. 3. Three new major oil fields were developed—Panhandle, Spindle-top and Seminole. 4. Important advances were registered in production technique, tending to retard the declines of old wells and to maintain the flush periods of new wells. 5. The problem of gaining greater economic control of production through unit operations and gas conservation received growing recognition by the industry and the Federal Oil Conservation Board. 6. The rate of drilling was sharply increased during the second quarter of the year and suffered only a very slight retardation during the closing months. 7. The runs of crude oil to stills were maintained above normal throughout the year and underwent acceleration during the fourth quarter. 8. The gasoline situation was marked by a continuous and substantial increase in the rate of production of cracked gasoline, and by an improvement in the statistical position of the commodity. 9. Prices of both crude petroleum and its principal derivatives were characterized by more profitable levels and greater stability than for a number of years past; and, while showing declines during the fourth quarter, prices did not recede sufficiently to slow down materially either drilling or refinery operations. Change in Stocks The keynote of 1926 was a reduction in stocks of all oils to the extent of approximately 24,000,000 bbl., or 4.4 per cent., of which roundly

Jan 1, 1927

By C. W. Sherman, John Chipman

IN the mathematical statement of the law of mass action, the activity of each substance consumed or produced in a reaction is used to obtain a numerical constant which is characteristic of the equilibrium of that reaction at the given temperature. The activity in many cases is equal to, or proportional to, the concentration. If this is the case, any units denoting concentrations, such as weight percentage or mol fraction, may be substituted in the equilibrium expression. It is even permissible to use mixed units provided only that each unit is that used in defining the activity of the corresponding substance. The indiscriminate use of concentration units in writing equilibrium constants sometimes leads to very erroneous results. On the other hand, what appear to be contradictory results from similar investigations often might be resolved if the activity is the quantity that is used to determine the equilibrium constant for the reaction in question. De-sulphurization serves as an important illustration. Sulphur in lron and Steel The control of the sulphur content of the finished product is one of the oldest and broadest problems in the metallurgy of iron and steel. In general, this control must be exercised through the action of a slag, and for this reason experimental studies of the distribution of sulphur between slag and metal have assumed considerable importance. Under slags of the type found in the basic open-hearth furnace the ratio (% S)/[% S] does not in general exceed about 8. Under blast-furnace conditions, however, de-sulphurization ratios of 50 to 100 are readily obtained, and under laboratory conditions using similar slags, the ratio may be as high as 400. The fact that blast-furnace metal is much more readily desulphurized than is molten steel rests upon two distinct phenomena. The first of these is connected with the slag reaction. In the open-hearth furnace, the equilibrium in the following reaction places a definite limit on the sulphur content of the slag: S + 0-- = 0 + S- - where the symbols underlined indicate elements dissolved in the liquid metal, while slag constituents are represented as ions. The high oxygen content of the open-hearth bath prevents this reaction from proceeding far enough to effect good desul-phurization. In the blast-furnace process, however, the oxygen activity is limited by the presence of carbon in the metal and in the coke bed and the controlling reaction becomes: S_+O- + C_=S- + CO(gas) [2] The second phenomenon which contributes to the easier desulphurization of blast-furnace metal is the effect of high concentrations of other elements. These elements, notably carbon, silicon, and phosphorus, increase the thermodynamic activity of sulphur several fold. As a result of this increase, the escaping tendency of sulphur from the metal phase is increased and its removal facilitated. Previous Studies It becomes, therefore, a matter of importance to determine the effects of various elements upon the activity of sulphur in the melt. The experimental approach to this problem has been made through the equilibrium between sulphur in the melt and gaseous atmospheres containing hydrogen and hydrogen sulphide. The reaction and its equilibrium constant are written as follows: S + H2(gas) =H2S(gas);K1 = -- [3] Pn2 • as where the symbol a, represents the activity of the sulphur in solution in the metal. The understanding of the chemical behavior of sulphur in steel and pig iron rests on a firm knowledge of the binary system Fe-S. A number of studies of the equilibrium have given closely agreeing results from which the activity and free energy of the dissolved sulphur may be found. The recent paper by Sherman, Elvander, and Chipman1 includes a discussion and quantitative comparison of the results of several of the significant researchesr-" on dilute solutions of sulphur in iron. The results of this study indicate that the relationship between the ratio Ph,s/p+ and the percentage of sulphur in solution is not a linear one. This

Jan 1, 1953

By P. Lindstrom

Retreat mining, using yielding steel friction props, over a 7-year period has been successful at a uranium mine operated by Hecla Mining Co. in southeast Utah. The support system allows good roof control, maximum profit, complete extraction, and good ventilation. Unusual subsidence observations were made in that some of the surface was raised rather than lowered. Longwall mining, commonly practiced in European coal mines, has a potential of broader application because of mechanization possibilities and better roof control and ventilation at greater depths. The Radon mine was one of the first American metal mines to use yielding steel props for supporting the relaxed core of the pressure arch which is induced by retreating longwall mining. Full caving was induced. After more than 7 years of stoping experience, the method has proved very satisfactory for the conditions encountered. The mine and method have been described in references listed in the bibliography. U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular 8004 by Wilbert Dare and Philip Lindstrom gives the most information. Stoping experience at this mine indicates that there are many advantages to be gained by using yielding supports; such as in safety, timber cost, roof control, ventilation, ore dilution, and low cost per pound of metal produced. Subsidence measurements show that the surface will rise rather than slump in some areas over the mine. This appears to be an unusual observation and is presented as a new development in subsidence studies. The Radon mine is located 35 miles southeast of Moab, Utah in the north end of the Big Indian mining district in San Juan County. Hecla Mining Co. operated the mine from early 1955 to early 1964 through an operating agreement with Federal Resources, Inc. Development consisted of a 3-compartment, 690-ft shaft, 4 main levels driven on the ore horizon and a haulage level below the ore. Evaluation of physical and economic factors showed that this flat-dipping ore occurrence could be mined by a low-cost coal mining method. The value of the deposit was high and unusual premiums were possible by clean mining. Complete extraction without loss of ore pillars, minimum ore dilution and high production per man were obtained by longwall mining. The principle of working under the relaxed core of

Jan 1, 1964

By C. S. Matthews, J. L. Mahaffey, W. M. Rutherford

This paper gives results of an experimental study of the sweep efficiency of a miscible displacement in a five-spot. The study was carried out in a parallel-plate glass model in which effects of diffusion were scaled at or near the molecular diffusion level. The experiments show that very early breakthrough (25 to 35 per cent of pore volume (PV) injected) may be expected in miscible floods because of the unfavorable viscosity ratio. However after 1 PV of displacing fluid is injected, the sweep rises to a reasonable value (50 to 60 per cent). Photographs show that small slugs of less than 10 per cent of PV tend to dissipate before breakthrough. A minimum slug size of 15 per cent of PV would appear to be necessary even in a relatively homogeneous formation. Presence of a slug whose viscosity is inter-mediate between that of oil and gas increases the sweep efficiency of the oil-gas system. In a typical system the sweep at breakthrough rose from 26 to 37 per cent of PV for a 25 per cent slug. The increase in sweep brought about by use of a large slug could well pay for the extra deferment cost of the additional slug material. INTRODUCTION Most miscible displacement processes involve the displacement of oil with fluids of much lower viscosity and density. The displacement process at these adverse viscosity and density ratios is dominated by instability phenomena, i.e., viscous fingers and gravity tongues. These phenomena have highly adverse effects on oil recovery. Although a number of laboratory studies have been made to determine the effect of adverse viscosity ratios on five-spot sweep patterns,l,2 the scaling of diffusion effects is uncertain. In the series of scaled model studies reported herein, an attempt was made to scale diffusion. Model studies of miscible displacements in which molecular diffusion predominates are per-mitted by controlling the parallel plate spacing which reduces convective mixing to arbitrarily small levels. To decide how this scaling relates to any particular Geld displacement necessitates an estimation of diffusion effects for the natural rock being considered and conditions under which displacement will be conducted. The approach normally taken is to extrapolate data obtained from stable miscible displacements performed in the laboratory, such as those presented by Brigham et al.3 The validity with which such an extrapolation can be applied to an unstable flow system has yet to be established. If this approach is accepted, a family of oil recovery curves can be generated for a single viscosity ratio based on Brigham's observation that the magnitude of the dispersion coefficient is dependent, among other things, upon specific rock properties. Objective of our test was to define the lower limit of this range by presenting the case where dispersion effects were reduced to the molecular diffusion level in both the transverse and longitudinal directions.

Jan 1, 1967

By George Branner

THERE is no record of the commercial production of bentonite as such in Arkansas up to the present although fuller's earth has been. mined intermittently in the state1 from 1891 to 1922. Very nearly all of this was obtained from decomposed basaltic dikes.2 Recently three bentonite deposits of close stratigraphical relationship have been identified in the Coastal Plain region of southern Arkansas, which suggests that there may be a considerable quantity of commercial material available. LOCATION AND ACCESSIBILITY The three deposits are located respectively in the SE. ;1/4 SE. ;1/4 sec. 13, T.- 2 S., R. 13 W., Saline County, the SE. ;1/4 SE. 1/4 sec. 18, T. 5 S., R. 16 W., Hot Spring County, and in sec. 22, T. 12 S., R. 19 W., Ouachita County. The Saline County deposit is 14 miles by state highway 167 south of the city limits of Little Rock and 1 mile west by dirt road. This deposit is 12 miles south of Ward switch on the C. R. I. P. Railroad and 11 miles east of Vimy Ridge by dirt road. Vimy Ridge is also on the C. R. I. P. Railroad. The Hot Spring County deposit located in the SE. ¼ SE. ;1/4 sec. 18, T. 5 S., R. 16 W. is about 100 yd. north of Durian switch on the C. R. I. P. Railroad and on state highway No. 9, 5 miles southeast of Malvern. The Ouachita County deposit has not been accurately located but lies in sec. 22, T. 12 S., R. 19 W. It is approximately 2 miles by road from Chidester on the Missouri Pacific Railroad.

Jan 1, 1929

By David B. Reger

The substantial expansion of previously discovered gas pools was the principal feature of petroleum activity in West Virginia during 1940. At least one new gas pool was discovered and various other successful wildcat completions may prove to be gas-pool openers. Some slight extensions of oil pools were also made. The new productive territory, principally gas, added by these extensions was approximately 33,800 acres. ' In general, oil activity was slight because of unfavorable crude prices. Gas activity, on the contrary, increased considerably, although the price of gas did not materially change. The account of operations, as gathered from trade journals and other reporting services, shows that 709 new wells were drilled, resulting in 102 new oil wells with I055 bbl. of daily new produc-tion; 468 new gas wells with 633>g47,000 cu. it. of daily open flow; and 139 dry holes. Also, 91 old wells were drilled to deeper sands, with 143 bbl. and 44,833,000 cu. ft. of added production. On the new wells the oil average was 10.34 bbl, per well per day; and the gas average was 1,354,000 cu. ft. per well per day. On new wells the ratio of dry holes to completions was 19.61 per cent. On deeper drilling to other sands the ratio of failures was 12.I per cent. From an exploratory standpoint, one strictly new gas pool (Lorentz) was opened in Upshur County. Little forecast of its extent or reserve can now be made. The new extensions of various other previously discovered pools, however, give assurance of a new gas reserve that will equal approximately a year of gas demand. In addition to these definite supplies two widely separated Oriskany sand (L. Dev.) wildcats in Jackson County, one of which was completed late in 1940 and the other early in 194.1, may indicate two separate pools or may greatly extend known pools. In south-ern Kanawha County, also, an old Oris-kany-sand well deepened to the White Clinton sand (Sil.) showed a volume of 733,000 cu. ft. and rock pressure of 1800 Ib., giving rather clear assurance that this deep sand, in which only slight quantities of gas had previously been found, should eventually supply much new gas. On the other hand, various deep tests to the Oriskany sand in Harrison, Putnam, Randolph and Wood Counties were totally dry or gave only small volumes of gas, The principal oil wells completed, by counties, were: Calhoun, 15; Clay, Ir; Pleasants, 14; Ritchie, 15; and Roane, 7. Production for the year was estimated by the U. S. Bureau of Mines as 3,444,000 bbl., as compared to 3,684,000 bbl. in 1939. The leading counties in gas-well completions were: Boone, 36; Braxton, 17; Cabell, 25; Calhoun, 16; Clay, 22; Gilm.er, 47; Jackson, 38; Kanatvha, 77; Lincoln, 18; Putnam, 32; IGtchie, 40; and Wayne, 31, Production for the year is estimated by me as I70,000,000,000 cu. ft. as compared to I59,226,000,000 cu. ft.* in 1939. No long pipe lines were built but various gas-line extensions and cross connections,

Jan 1, 1941

By David B. Reger

The substantial expansion of previously discovered gas pools was the principal feature of petroleum activity in West Virginia during 1940. At least one new gas pool was discovered and various other successful wildcat completions may prove to be gas-pool openers. Some slight extensions of oil pools were also made. The new productive territory, principally gas, added by these extensions was approximately 33,800 acres. ' In general, oil activity was slight because of unfavorable crude prices. Gas activity, on the contrary, increased considerably, although the price of gas did not materially change. The account of operations, as gathered from trade journals and other reporting services, shows that 709 new wells were drilled, resulting in 102 new oil wells with I055 bbl. of daily new produc-tion; 468 new gas wells with 633>g47,000 cu. it. of daily open flow; and 139 dry holes. Also, 91 old wells were drilled to deeper sands, with 143 bbl. and 44,833,000 cu. ft. of added production. On the new wells the oil average was 10.34 bbl, per well per day; and the gas average was 1,354,000 cu. ft. per well per day. On new wells the ratio of dry holes to completions was 19.61 per cent. On deeper drilling to other sands the ratio of failures was 12.I per cent. From an exploratory standpoint, one strictly new gas pool (Lorentz) was opened in Upshur County. Little forecast of its extent or reserve can now be made. The new extensions of various other previously discovered pools, however, give assurance of a new gas reserve that will equal approximately a year of gas demand. In addition to these definite supplies two widely separated Oriskany sand (L. Dev.) wildcats in Jackson County, one of which was completed late in 1940 and the other early in 194.1, may indicate two separate pools or may greatly extend known pools. In south-ern Kanawha County, also, an old Oris-kany-sand well deepened to the White Clinton sand (Sil.) showed a volume of 733,000 cu. ft. and rock pressure of 1800 Ib., giving rather clear assurance that this deep sand, in which only slight quantities of gas had previously been found, should eventually supply much new gas. On the other hand, various deep tests to the Oriskany sand in Harrison, Putnam, Randolph and Wood Counties were totally dry or gave only small volumes of gas, The principal oil wells completed, by counties, were: Calhoun, 15; Clay, Ir; Pleasants, 14; Ritchie, 15; and Roane, 7. Production for the year was estimated by the U. S. Bureau of Mines as 3,444,000 bbl., as compared to 3,684,000 bbl. in 1939. The leading counties in gas-well completions were: Boone, 36; Braxton, 17; Cabell, 25; Calhoun, 16; Clay, 22; Gilm.er, 47; Jackson, 38; Kanatvha, 77; Lincoln, 18; Putnam, 32; IGtchie, 40; and Wayne, 31, Production for the year is estimated by me as I70,000,000,000 cu. ft. as compared to I59,226,000,000 cu. ft.* in 1939. No long pipe lines were built but various gas-line extensions and cross connections,

Jan 1, 1941

The meeting of the Board of Directors, on November 22, was attended by eight directors, the Secretary of the Institute, and eight guests. The proposed James Douglas Prize and Tablet was referred to a committee of eleven. Robert H. Richards was appointed representative of this Institute to attend the meeting of the Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education. J. V. N. Dorr was made chairman of the Finance Committee in place of George D. Barron, resigned. The sum of $200 was appropriated for the 1918 expense of the American Engineering Standards Committee; the question of an appropriation for 1919 was referred to the Executive Committee for study and report. The sum of $50 was appropriated to the Treasurer's clerk. The following representatives of the Institute were elected: W. L. Saunders to succeed himself as United Engineering Society Trustee; R. M. Raymond to succeed himself as member of Engineering Foundation Board; S. J. Jennings to succeed himself as member of Engineering Council; George F. Kunz to succeed himself as member of Engineering Council; C. F. Rand to succeed himself as member of John Fritz Medal Board of Award; E. Gybbon Spilsbury to succeed himself as member of the Library Board. To members of the Canadian Mining Institute residing in Canada or Newfoundland, the privilege was extended to subscribe to the Bulletin at the price of $5. An invitation was extended to the Mining and Metallurgical Society of America to consolidate with the American Institute of Mining Engineers. The appointment of Engineering Societies' Employment Bureau was reported. Thirty-nine members and ten associates were elected. Two members were reinstated. Extension of time for the payment of clues was granted to four members. Seventeen members on active duty at the front had their dues remitted.

Jan 1, 1919

By R. Philip Hammond

Monazite has had a Cinderella-like history. Although nearly go per cent pure rare-earth compound (rare-earth phosphate) it was sought at first not for the rare earths but for the sake of a minor constituent—thorium. The thorium, essential for the Welsbach gaslight mantle, was present in only small quantities and the principal constituents, the rare earths, were largely discarded. Gradually, however, the rare earths have developed uses of their own and today have left the thorium far behind in value. Occurrence Monazite was first produced commercially about 1886, in North Carolina, where it was collected in small sluices by farmers who found it in stream beds on their land. The deposits were later exploited on a larger scale, but were mostly abandoned in a few years, when monazite from Brazil came upon the market in far larger quantities. Domestic production ceased entirely in 1906. The Brazilian source is still active, together with Indian, Dutch East Indies, and Australian deposits. Several other localities in the United States have yielded monazite, but none of these has produced commercially as yet. Monazite occurs originally in pegmatite~ and gneisses, through which, unfortunately, it is scattered in highly dispersed form. All commercially useful deposits consist of transported monazite sands liberated by erosion and concentrated by the action of water, which has sluiced away lighter materials and concentrated the heavy (D = 5.0 to 5.2) grains of monazite, together with ilmenite, zircon, garnet, and other dense minerals. The Carolina deposits were in stream beds; most of the other deposits mentioned are on or near the seashore, where the action of the waves has served to concentrate the monazite. In most cases today, the sands are worked to obtain the ilmenite and zircon, as well as monazite. The minerals are separated by means of sluices, dry tables, and magnetic separators, and each is finally obtained nearly pure. No crushing or grinding is necessary. The concentrates are shipped in fiber bags. Composition of Monazite As Table I illustrates, monazite is the anhydrous orthophosphate of the cerium Table i.—Typical Analysis of a Monazite Sand (India). Per Cent Thorium oxide............................. 8.1 Cerium oxide.............................. 30.6 Lanthanum oxide........................... 15. 7 Neodymium oxide.......................... 10.5 Praseodymium oxide........................ 2. 9 Samarium oxide............................ 1.0 Europium. gadolinium, and terbium oxides.... 0.7 Yttrium oxide.............................. 0.4 Dysprosium, holmium, erbium. thulium, ytterbium. and lutecium oxides................. 0. 1 Silicon oxide............t................... 2.4 Calcium, aluminum, and iron oxides.......... 1.0 Uranium oxide............................. 0.3 Phosphorus pentoxide....................... 26. 2 a The values given for the rare earths following samarium are approximate. being based upon analyses of concentrated fractions derived from monazite. The composition given represents Travancore monazite carefully freed from other minerals. goup of rare-earth elements. A small amount of yttrium and terbium group phosphate is also present.* All the rare-

Jan 1, 1948

By R. Philip Hammond

Monazite has had a Cinderella-like history. Although nearly go per cent pure rare-earth compound (rare-earth phosphate) it was sought at first not for the rare earths but for the sake of a minor constituent—thorium. The thorium, essential for the Welsbach gaslight mantle, was present in only small quantities and the principal constituents, the rare earths, were largely discarded. Gradually, however, the rare earths have developed uses of their own and today have left the thorium far behind in value. Occurrence Monazite was first produced commercially about 1886, in North Carolina, where it was collected in small sluices by farmers who found it in stream beds on their land. The deposits were later exploited on a larger scale, but were mostly abandoned in a few years, when monazite from Brazil came upon the market in far larger quantities. Domestic production ceased entirely in 1906. The Brazilian source is still active, together with Indian, Dutch East Indies, and Australian deposits. Several other localities in the United States have yielded monazite, but none of these has produced commercially as yet. Monazite occurs originally in pegmatite~ and gneisses, through which, unfortunately, it is scattered in highly dispersed form. All commercially useful deposits consist of transported monazite sands liberated by erosion and concentrated by the action of water, which has sluiced away lighter materials and concentrated the heavy (D = 5.0 to 5.2) grains of monazite, together with ilmenite, zircon, garnet, and other dense minerals. The Carolina deposits were in stream beds; most of the other deposits mentioned are on or near the seashore, where the action of the waves has served to concentrate the monazite. In most cases today, the sands are worked to obtain the ilmenite and zircon, as well as monazite. The minerals are separated by means of sluices, dry tables, and magnetic separators, and each is finally obtained nearly pure. No crushing or grinding is necessary. The concentrates are shipped in fiber bags. Composition of Monazite As Table I illustrates, monazite is the anhydrous orthophosphate of the cerium Table i.—Typical Analysis of a Monazite Sand (India). Per Cent Thorium oxide............................. 8.1 Cerium oxide.............................. 30.6 Lanthanum oxide........................... 15. 7 Neodymium oxide.......................... 10.5 Praseodymium oxide........................ 2. 9 Samarium oxide............................ 1.0 Europium. gadolinium, and terbium oxides.... 0.7 Yttrium oxide.............................. 0.4 Dysprosium, holmium, erbium. thulium, ytterbium. and lutecium oxides................. 0. 1 Silicon oxide............t................... 2.4 Calcium, aluminum, and iron oxides.......... 1.0 Uranium oxide............................. 0.3 Phosphorus pentoxide....................... 26. 2 a The values given for the rare earths following samarium are approximate. being based upon analyses of concentrated fractions derived from monazite. The composition given represents Travancore monazite carefully freed from other minerals. goup of rare-earth elements. A small amount of yttrium and terbium group phosphate is also present.* All the rare-

Jan 1, 1948

By H. H. Kellogg, T. R. Ingraham

Three anhydrous zinc sulfates have been identified. They are: ZnSO,(a), stable below 1007°K; ZnS04(/3), stable above 1007OK; and ZnO.ZZnSO,. The decomposition pressure of each sulfate has been measured and the following relations calculated from the results: The measured data have been combined with the known themzodynamic properties of ZnS, ZnO, Zn, SO,, and SO, to yield univariant and bivariant phase diagrams for the system Zn-S-0. The application of these diagrams to problems of roasting zinc concentrates is discussed. PRESENT knowledge of the equilibrium chemistry of the system Zn-S:O, so essential to scientific control of zinc-blende roasting, is deficient in several respects. A basic sulfate of zinc has been reported by many investigators, but its composition is in doubt and its thermodynamic properties have not been measured. Our scanty knowledge of the properties of the normal sulfate at roasting temperatures is based on old and inexact studies. A crystal transformation in the normal sulfate, involving a sizable heat effect, has been noted by several investigators but has never been quantified. The studies reported herein were designed to fill these gaps in knowledge and to make possible a reasonably complete thermodynamic description of the system Zn-S-0 at roasting temperatures. The results make possible a far more exact understanding of zinc roasting chemistry than was hitherto possible. EXPERIMENTAL The principal experimental technique employed was the measurement of the total gas pressure developed from decomposition of either ZnSO, or ZnO2ZnS0, in a closed system. The apparatus employed was essentially the same as that described by Warner and lngrahaml and Flengas and tngraham.' The unusual feature is a flexible Pyrex bellows used to separate the reaction gas mixture (S03, SOz, and 02) from the mercury in the manometer and thus prevent corrosion of the mercury by SO3. The bellows operates without evidence of hysteresis and, barring accidents, may be used for several months. The response of the bellows varies from manometer to manometer, but is generally of the order of 0.6-cm displacement for a l-cm change in pressure. The response for all manometers has been linear over the range 0 to 1 atm. To prevent condensation and polymerization of sulfur trioxide, the bellows-manometer was maintained at 100.0" * 0.5" by a circulating bath of silicone oil. The connecting tubing between the manometer and the furnace was maintained at 100.0" * 0.2"* also, with a stirred air bath. The open end of the manometer was connected with a chamber which was maintained at a known pressure. The pressure could be varied so that readings of the height of the mercury column, measured with a cathetometer, could be made with both rising and falling mercury column. By using the average of the readings, any error due to sticking of the mercury column was minimized. The sample was placed in a 2-in.-long platinum boat formed into the shape of a half-cylinder. The sample was prepared as a fine powder and pressed against the inner wall of the platinum boat. A silica thermocouple well, covered with a platinum sleeve, was placed lengthwise along the center of the boat. The temperature of the sample was read on a calibrated Pt-10 pct Rh theirnocouple. The temperature profile of the furnace was constant within ± 0.2 C over the length of furnace occupied by the sample. The horizontal furnace used to contain the sample and the quartz reaction tube was electrically heated, with the control thermocouple placed 1/4 in. from the windings. A Brown Pyro-O-Vane temperature controller with a 3-sec response time was used to maintain the furnace temperature. Before beginning a run, the apparatus, including the bellows manometer, was thoroughly washed in sib with acid and distilled water to remove any

Jan 1, 1963

TWO recent developments in open hearth steelmaking have had a substantial impact on metallurgical practices and operating procedures. These are: (1) the use of oxygen roof lances for accelerating the refining reactions, and (2) the use of a spring-arch, basic roof for prolonging the life of the furnace. Although these practices can be used separately, they are generally used to complement each other in an effort to obtain minimum heat time consistent with an acceptable rate of wear of the refractory roof, walls and port ends. DECARBONIZATION BY OXYGEN INJECTION The use of oxygen to speed carbon elimination was perceived by Sir Henry Bessmer but its practical use in steelmaking could not be realized until processes were developed for the manufacture of low cost, tonnage oxygen. However, as early as 1922 Bigge1 obtained a patent covering the use of gaseous oxygen to speed decarbonization of a molten steel bath. At that time, oxygen was available only in bottles and at a cost of $240 per net ton. At the end of World War II the price of oxygen had dropped to $80 per net ton, and as a result, metallurgical oxygen (99.5 per cent began to come into widespread experimental use for decarbonization in open hearth and electric furnace shops.2-8 Even this price prevented oxygen's routine use for other than decarbonizing the bath in shops producing substantial quantities of steels containing less than 0.40 per cent carbon. Today, tonnage metallurgical oxygen can be manufactured for less than $15 per net ton, and commercial purity oxygen (95 per cent is reported to cost less than $5 per ton. Thus, it is not at all surprising to find many open hearth shops effectively using large quantities of oxygen to accelerate decarbonization. Equipment for Oxygen Injection. The oxygen may be injected by a lance pipe inserted through the wicket hole and pushed several inches into the steel bath, or by a water-cooled jet inserted through the back- wall, endwall, or roof, and immersed in the slag or set just a few inches above the slag. Oxygen at approximately 100 psi is piped directly to control stations adjacent to each furnace. The installations should include adequate safety devices such as fire checks and emergency valves,

Jan 1, 1964

By AIME AIME

General Local Committee.-John Fritz, Chairman; A. B. de Saulles, Vice-Chairman.; R. M. Bird, Treasurer; Henry S. Drinker, Secretary; Robert H. Sayre, E. P. Wilbur, Charles M. Dodson, Abraham S. Schropp, E. M. McIlvain Archibald Johnston, A. B. Fichter, C. G. Convers, W. A. Wilbur, Garrett B. Linderman, Frederick Conlin, George Pettiuos, Albert Brodhead, Garrett L. Hoppes, M.B. Cutter, H. J. Seaman, C. A. Matcham, B. F. Fackenthal, Jr., A. L. J. Queneau, Geo. R. Elder, Eldridge Wilbur, William H. Chandler, Mansfield Merriman, Joseph F. Klein, William S. Franklin, William Esty, Joseph AN'. Richards, Howard Eckfeldt, John D. Irving. Transportation Committee.-H. J. Seaman, C. A. Matcham, B. F. Fackenthal, Jr., A. B. Fichter, A. L. J. Queneau, Henry S. Drinker. Hotel Committee. -Garrett B. Linderman, Charles M. Dodson, W. A. Wilbur, Garrett L. Hoppes, Albert Brodhead. Steering Committee.-William S. Franklin, William Esty, John D. Irving, R. M. Bird, the members of the Tau Beta Pi Society of Lehigh University. Committee on Meetings - William S. Drinker, Joseph W. Richards, Howard Eckfeldt. Entertainmment Committee.-W. A. Wilbur, E. M. McIlvain, Archibald Johnston, A. B. de Saulles, G. G. Convers,.A. L. J. Queneau, Garrett B. Linderman, Frederick Conlin, George Pettinos, Garrett L. Hoppes, Henry S. Drinker, William S. Franklin, Eldridge Wilbur, Robert M. Bird, Secretary. The opening session was held at 8.30 p.m., Wednesday, February 21, 1906, in Gymnasium Hall of Lehigh University, which had been tastefully decorated with flags and bunting. Dr. Henry S. Drinker, President of Lehigh University, and Secretary of the General Local Committee, called the meeting to order, and welcomed the Institute to the Bethlehems, where its first meeting, after its organization in May, 1871, at Wilkes-Barre, was held in August, 1871.*

May 1, 1906

By M. C. Cheney

The active development of the vast East Texas oil field, the attendant effects of the rapidly increasing flow from its prolific wells and the efforts to bring order out of chaos precluded or dwarfed other oil development in Texas during 1931. In a paper by Dr. F. H. Lahee1 presented at the October, 1931, meeting, the early history of the East Texas oil field is described and the sequence of events in connection with its development and efforts to control its production up to Sept. 25 is narrated. At that time the Railroad Commission of the state reduced the production of the field to a maximum of 400,000 bbl. per day by restricting the allowable daily production per well to 185 bbl. By further reduction in the daily production per well to 100 bbl., the field was held below that maximum figure during the remainder of the year. Meanwhile, as a result of an injunction against the Railroad Commission, its authority in the field was superseded on Oct. 13 by the Governor of the state, and after that date production was controlled directly by his orders issued under authority of martial law. Suits to contest this authority were brought in the Federal courts and were pending at the close of the year. On March 5, 1931, as a result of the East Texas production, posted prices for Mid-Continent 40' A.P.I. crude slumped from $1.07 to $0.67. As East Texas production continued to mount, posted prices in East Texas were reduced to $0.37 on June 3 and $0.22 on July 8, although in that field most of the oil was sold for much less, bringing the producer and royalty owner as low as $0.025 per barrel. Northeast Texas To the information contained in Dr. Lahee's paper, it can now be added that the East Texas field has produced over 105,000,000 bbl. and registered about 3700 successful completions during 1931. There may be some merit to the recent prediction that a large part of the field will have passed its flowing period by the middle of 1932 unless

Jan 1, 1932

By Robert Baker

IT has been demonstrated in the laboratory by A. J. Phillips1 that a transformation or conversion from beta directly to alpha may take place in a brass of 61 to 62.5 per cent copper content. The completion of the transformation is dependent on a rapid rate of cooling from the all-beta field through the alpha + beta range to the alpha field. Phillips states that in a slowly cooled alloy containing 62 per cent copper and 38 per cent zinc the copper content of the beta is progressively decreased from 62 to 56 per cent by precipitation of alpha. Rapid cooling tends to prevent the separation of alpha with a copper content of more than 62 per cent by reducing to a minimum the time required for passing through the alpha + beta range. Upon crossing beyond the (alpha + beta.)/(alpha) boundary to the all-alpha region below, the material is transformed from beta to alpha. It is essential that there be no change in composition. Phillips obtained his results by quenching a 62:38 copper-zinc alloy from 850° C. in iced brine at -8° C. No reference to the occurrence of this transformation in a manufacturing process has been found in the literature. An investigation of the microstructures of a number of hot forgings made from leaded brass rods yielded one forging in which this striking conversion from beta to alpha had occurred. The purpose of this paper is to describe the transformation and certain conditions under which it may occur during the hot pressing of brass. The conversion was noted in a shape forged from a leaded brass rod, the composition of which was: Cu, 60.26 per cent; Zn, 37.86; Pb, 1.88. In this study the lead content was disregarded and the alloy was considered to be equivalent to an alloy of 61.40 per cent copper and 38.60 per cent zinc (98.12 parts = 100 parts). The possibility that the lead might obstruct or accelerate the precipitation of alpha was not studied. The lead appears as black globules in the photomicrographs and has a negligible solubility in the alloy.

Jan 1, 1931

By Ray W. Carpenter, Ralph Hultgren, Raymond L. Orr

Heats of formation of Au-Zn alloys of compositions Au3Zn and AuZn were rneasured at several temperatures by liquid tin solution calorimetry. The data for Au3Zn show that much smaller heat and entropy effects are associated with the a2- a1 transformation than for the a1 - a transformation. This result is consistent with reported X-ray diffraction studies which indicate that the a1 and (a2 phases have ordered structures which only slightly differ, whereas the a phase is disordered. The heat of formation of AuZn(ß') does not change significantly between 322o and 8000 K, confirming that the ß' alloy remains highly ordered to high temperatures. Not many measurements have been made of the energies of order-disorder transformations in alloy phases. In many cases these energies may be conveniently determined by measuring heats of formation as a function of temperature. Many alloy phases approximately obey Kopp's law of additivity of heat capacities; as a consequence their heats of formation do not change with temperature. In ordered alloys, however, a decrease in degree of order with increasing temperature will contribute an endothermic component to the heat of formation. Thus, for ordered phases where other anomalous contributions to heat capacity in the alloy or its pure components are absent, a measured change in the heat of formation may be attributed to the energy of disordering. A portion of the Au-Zn phase diagram1" is shown in Fig. 1. The composition AuZn(ß') has a well-ordered superlattice structure of the CsCl type at room temperature. The alloy is considered to remain ordered to its melting point,1 although, from X-ray diffraction data and electromotive force measurements of zinc activities, Terpilowski3 concluded that considerable disordering began at -673°K. The Au3Zn composition is a disordered fee solid solution (a) at high temperatures. Between 693o and 543oK, the ailoy orders to form the a1 phase, having a structure based on the L12(AuCu3) type, but with a regular distribution of ordering faults in the c direction, making it tetragonal. Below 543oK, the alloy orders further by means of slight atomic shifts, without diffusion, yielding a complex long-period orthorhom-bic superlattice structure, a2.4-7 Heats of formation of Au3Zn(a2) and AuZn(ß') were measured at 363°K by Biltz et al.8 by aqueous solution calorimetry. Heat capacities of several alloys between 14.9 and 38.4 at. pet Zn in the range from 373" to 723°K were measured by Iwasaki ef al.6 Stoichiometric Au3Zn, however, was not included in the alloys measured, the nearest composition being 26.1 at, pet Zn. Also, the heating rate used for the measurements, 2 deg per min, may not have permitted equilibrium to be reached in the neighborhood of the transformations. Heat contents of solid and liquid AuZn were measured between 488o and 1138°K by Kubaschewski.9 It was decided to determine the ordering energies of Au3Zn and to check on the possible disordering of AuZn by measuring the heats of formation of these alloys at several temperatures. The present paper reports measurements by liquid tin solution calorimetry of the heats of formation of the three phases of Au3Zn at temperatures within their regions of stability, and of AuZn at a low (322°K) and a high (800°K) temperature. EXPERIMENTAL Alloy Preparation and X-Ray Examination. Ten-gram ingots of Au3Zn and AuZn were prepared by melting weighed amounts of gold (99.95 pct Au) and zinc (99.99 pet Zn) together in sealed evacuated Vycor tubes at 1060°K, followed by rapid quenching. The resulting ingots were homogenized at 900°K for 10 days. The Au3Zn alloy lost no weight in preparation, the loss from the AuZn alloy was enough to introduce an uncertainty of only 0.1 at. pet in its composition. Filings for X-ray examination were taken from various parts of each ingot and strain-annealed at 723°K for 20 min in vacuo. The Au3Zn filings were quenched rapidly to retain the disordered phase. Diffraction patterns were determined with an X-ray dif-fractometer using copper Ka radiation.

Jan 1, 1968

By Sam Harlan

At intervals during the past several years the oil industry has been confronted with the problem of forestalling crises in its affairs. These crises have been reduced to periods of depression which, fortunately, the industry has been able to survive. Under the existing competitive practices which control the producing division of the industry it apparently has been proved that the best efforts logically to curtail development and producing operations are inadequate for effecting a true production balance and the consequent stabilization of prices. The industry is awakening to the fact that the situation warrants revolutionary thought and at this time it is looking for a permanent solution of its problem in a general plan for unit development and operation such as the one first proposed by Henry L. Doherty. Mr. Doherty's proposal was designed not only as a means for stabilizing the industry as a whole, but its principles involve very definite potential benefits for the average individual operator and royalty owner as participants in pooled projects. The benefits to these individuals would be derived from maximum recovery, the maximum utilization of natural energies, the minimization of development and operating costs, enhanced values of leases and royalties through improved efficiencies and ultimate yields, improved earnings through stabilized crude oil prices, etc. This plan was revolutionary to the industry's practices and at the time was rejected, but it now appears that the development and operating policies for new properties are continually approaching the ideal of the original plan. Oil companies are constantly extending their efforts to improve all factors that have a bearing on the costs and efficiencies of their operations. These efforts may, in some degree, be a normal outgrowth of the industry's progress, but the forced consideration of market conditions, the growing appreciation of the importance of regulating operations for maximum ultimate economies and the depreciation of the old principle of maximum flush at any cost, come from a new school of thought which has been stimulated by the immediate pressure of overproduction and

Jan 1, 1930

By Donald A. Dahlstrom

In 1961 it became increasingly more evident that significant technological changes must be made in minerals beneficiation. The status quo in technology in today's competitive markets will not be tolerated. Higher productivity, greater recoveries and newer and better products must be sought and incorporated with lower operating costs. In other words, "when you build a new mill, don't build an old mill." Recommended reading for proof of the vital necessity of new methods and techniques is in the September 1961 issue of MINING ENGINEERING. The article by one of MBD's cherished and true veterans, E. H. Rose, is entitled "Iron Ore: The BIG Picture". Because of new beneficiation methods for iron ores, nearly 47 million tons of plus 60% iron concentrates will be produced and another 40.1 million tons of capacity will be under construction or committed. Thus in a relatively short period, 87 million tons of this high-grade iron concentrate with record low silica will be available. As Mr. Rose also points out, "in gross tons, without allowance for better grade, this is the equivalent of almost exactly two-thirds of all iron ore used for all purposes in the U.S. and Canada in the peak years of 1953 or 1957." Needless to say, improved mineral beneficiation methods have had far more reaching effects than just the production of higher grade iron concentrate.

Jan 2, 1962

FOR twelve successive years Canada's mineral production has shown a steady increase, rising from a value of $0.5 billion in 1945 to $2.06 billion in 1956, and the outlook for the future is one of continued growth. A great deal of credit for this growth must go to Canada's tax policies, which recognize that mines are difficult and costly to find, and that once found, they are a wasting asset. These tax policies take form under the Income Tax Act, which provides a tax- free period of three years on initial production for new mines and, after that period is over, allows all proper expenses of operation to be deducted from mine revenue. These allowable expenses include write-off of plant and pre-production development expenditures. From the resulting profit figure after this procedure, a further deduction of one-third is allowed for depletion before net taxable income is arrived at. Tax rates of 20 pct on the first $20,000 and 47 pct on the excess are then applicable to the net taxable income.

Jan 12, 1957