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By Carl H. Beal

The most important factors that should be given consideration in the valuation of oil lands are: (1) the amount of oil the property will produce; (2) the amount of money this oil will bring (based upon the future prices of oil); (3) development and production costs; (4) the rate of interest on the investment; (5) the retirement or amortization of invested capital; and (6) the salvage or "scrap" value of the equipment when the property is exhausted. These factors are of varying importance and some of them may not enter all valuation problems, but most of them should be given consideration in any valuation even though only a rough estimate of the value of the property is desired. The value of a property may be changed over night by the completion of important test wells, by the sudden water flooding, or by a change in the price of oil. The best a petroleum engineer can give is the value of the property under the conditions existing at the time the appraisal is made with a fair forecast of future action of the wells and of the price of oil. Our experience in the scientific valuation of oil lands is not broad and there is very little published information on the subject; it, therefore, becomes necessary in studying such problems to form comparisons with the factors involved in the valuation of mines—the closest parallel. One of the reasons for the lack of substantial progress in oil-land valuation methods has been the necessity of making an estimate of the future production of the oil property to be valued. Oil men and accountants have not generally conceded that such estimates could be made with any degree of accuracy. It has been shown, however, in several recent publications that with certain data available reasonably close estimates can be made. The accuracy of an appraisal depends chiefly on the accuracy of the estimates of future production and of the future price of oil. The accuracy of the former is sometimes necessarily based on geological inferences. Geology is not an exact science and geological data in connection with oil production cannot always be mathematically evaluated.

Jan 1, 1921

By Russell W. Mumford

LITHIA compounds have a place in pharmaceutical and other chemical industries and lithium minerals in glassmaking and ceramics. The metal, although rare, is used to a minor extent in alloys. During the nearly 50 years of production of lithium minerals in the United States, the silicate mineral spodumene has continued as the chief source of raw material for the manufacture of lithium salts. Although twice as much lepidolite, a lithium mica, has been mined, most of it has been used in the making of certain types of glass. Amblygonite has been an additional but minor source of lithium compounds. Triphylite, petalite, and zinnwaldite have also been utilized in the past. All of these commercial lithium minerals contain low percentages of lithium (Table 1). In 1938, a new raw material for manufacture of lithium compounds made its appearance. This product was crude dilithium sodium phosphate (Li2NaPO4), obtained as a by-product of manufacture of potash and soda chemicals from the brine of Searles Lake, California. Searles Lake, which is now dry, lies in the extreme northwest corner of San Bernardino County, California, and consists of a large mass of salts. It was estimated by the United States Geological Survey that the crystal body contained about 25 pct voids, which are filled with a saturated brine. The brine consists mainly of the sulphates, chlorides, carbonates, and borates of sodium and potassium. Several other acid radicals, including phosphates, are present. Lithium is present in the brine in an amount corresponding to 0.01 15 pct Li2O. In the course of evaporation of water from the brine, during the process of manufacture of sodium and potassium chemicals, dilithium sodium phosphate crystallizes out and is recovered by a flotation operation. The lithium concentrate is filtered and dried and is then ready for shipment. It analyzes from 19 to 21 pct Li2O and now constitutes the highest known grade of crude lithium material. It is and will continue to be a major source of lithium for manufacture of lithium products. The variation in lithia content of the commercial minerals as mined is due to replacement of the lithia by soda and potash, to partial alter-

Jan 1, 1949

By William B. Harris, Leonard Greenburg, Gustav Werner

Haulage in tunneling operations generally has been done with electric locomotives. As a rule, on short hauls the source of electricity is a storage battery mounted on the locomotive, which, of course, must be removed and recharged periodically. Where the distance from the recharging point to the tunnel face is very long, and where loads are heavy, trolley-driven locomotives are used. Diesel engines have been used in mining and tunneling operations in Europe for a number of years. The recent reports of studies in Belgium1 and by the Bureau of Mines in this country2-4 have indicated the potentialities of this form of power for haulage, mucking, bulldozing and many other underground operations. The hazards attending the use of Diesel engines in more or less closed spaces have long been known. The exhaust constituents that may create a harmful or objectionable environment are carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen and sulphur, carbon dioxide, aldehydes and smoke. Lack of precise information regarding the concentration of these gases and the ventilation requirements to reduce them to safe levels has to some extent suppressed their general acceptance in tunneling and mining work. Not until the work of the Bureau of Mines referred to above, and certain experience gained in the construction of the Delaware Aqueduct, ‡ has there been available the requisite information regarding the conditions under which their use may be permitted. This paper concerns itself with the successful operation of Diesel engines underground in the construction of certain parts of the Delaware Aqueduct, and describes the conditions under which Diesel engines have been found to operate with a minimum production of noxious gases. The test data reported were obtained during the operation of Diesel engines over a period of two years.* Studies by the New York State Department or Labor Exhaustive tests were made by the Division of Industrial Hygiene, of the composition of the exhaust gases given off by a Diesel engine mounted on a test block. These tests showed that certain' quantities of the gases are discharged from the exhaust. On the basis of these figures, preliminary requirements of design and control

Jan 1, 1943

By L. W. Kempf, K. R. Van Horn

DURING the recent development of aluminum alloys for free-cutting screw-machine rod, it became desirable to know something of the solubility of lead and bismuth in liquid aluminum and in some aluminum alloys. The literature is not particularly helpful in supplying this information. These portions, therefore, of the constitutional relationships of aluminum-bismuth and aluminum-lead alloys were investigated by thermal analysis and by chemical analysis of samples taken from aluminum-rich melts in equilibrium with precipitated lead or bismuth. The solubility of lead and bismuth in some liquid aluminum-copper alloys was also investigated. Some consideration was also given to the solubility of these elements in solid aluminum. Among the earliest investigators of the aluminum-lead and aluminum-bismuth systems was Wright,1 who reported that melts of aluminum and lead formed two layers indicating limited liquid solubility. Under his conditions, the aluminum-rich layer was reported to contain 1.91 per cent Pb and the lead-rich layer, 0.07 per. cent Al. Subsequently, Pecheau2 found that in aluminum-rich alloy melts with more than 10 per cent Pb three layers were distinguishable. He reported that the middle layer contained from 3 to 10 per cent Pb. He also found that the melting point of aluminum appeared to be lowered slightly by the addition of lead. Gwyer3 investigated these alloys and found evidence of a slight lowering of the freezing point of aluminum by the addition of either lead or bismuth. He found no evidence of solid solubility in either case and made no attempt to determine the liquidus curves. Hansen and Blumenthal4 reported that the addition of lead distinctly lowered the solidification point of aluminum. They also found that bismuth lowered the melting point of aluminum. Guillet5 reported almost complete mutual immiscibility for the aluminum-bismuth alloys in the liquid state. Bohner6 examined the effect of various concentrations of lead and bismuth on the electrical conductivity of aluminum. He found decreases in conductivity on annealing at 500° C. as compared with the conductivity of the same alloys on annealing at 300° C.

Jan 1, 1938

By E. V. Foran

TheRe are many factors which control the ultimate production of oil and gas from a producing formation and the rate at which this production is obtained from any of the producing wells in the formation. The most important of these, and the one over which the greatest control can be exercised, is the differential pressure existing between the formation and the well bore. In producing any well by means of the gas-lift, it may be possible to change the flow tubing in a number of ways or vary the volume of circulating gas or air used for flowing the well, but if these operations, regardless of their magnitude, do not change the differential pressure between the producing sand and the well bore, they will in no way change the production of the well. If this statement is accepted as a fact, then all gas-lift or air-lift installations should be designed with but one object in view; namely, a means by which we can economically control very wide ranges of differential pressures between the formation and the well bore. Factors of Production In gas-lift production from any given formation, there are four major factors which govern the magnitude of the differential: (I) the depth of the well; (2) type and size of flow tubing; (3) volume of the circulating air or gas, and (4) physical properties of the oil-gas mixture after it has reached the well. The first of these factors is uncontrollable and does not vary. The other three are controllable within certain limits. The degree to which the last three factors can be controlled will cntircly govern the length of life of the well while on the lift, the lifting cost, and the daily production. It will also govern to some extent the ultimate production from the wells or leases producing by this method. These four factors will be discussed in detail in another part of this paper. Before proceeding further, a review of the present general practice in Texas, elsewhere than in the Gulf Coast region, will be given.

Jan 1, 1928

By Robert Warner

The growing importance of screening makes an accurate measure of the quality of a sizing operation desirable. Screen efficiency is considered equal to the percentage of true undersize in the feed obtained as undersize from the screen. This method is unreliable, as it gives the same credit for removing minus 200-mesh material as for removing material just able to pass the aperature of the screen. A more accurate measure of screen efficiency is to consider only the work done on the "difficult" grains, that is, those grains of which the intermediate diameters closely approach the screen aperture.. The application of this method is given, together with the derivation of formulas and an example of their use. Is AN accurate measurement of the efficiency of a screen under a given set of operating conditions valuable? If so, what is the efficiency; of, a screen and how can it be measured? Sizing, especially of the finer sizes of material, has increased in importance in the development of flow sheets as a result of the perfecting of the rapid vibrating screens. More consideration should be given screens in the preparation of ball-mill feed, where they permit the admission of a dryer feed than, the classifier. Where possible, the introduction of a screen ahead of the primary ball-mill, and the diverting of ore below, say, 4 mm. to a secondary mill, might result in a greater overall economy because of the thicker feed and the better, adjustment of crushing media and mill operation to the reduction demanded. With the present trend back toward a combination of gravity methods and flotation, rather than flotation alone, the accurate, economical sizing possible with the new screens makes fine jigging a method to be considered. W. 0. Borcherdt1 and John Bland2 discuss the screening problem and also the value of close sizing in the concentration of some of the rare-metal ores. If a screen is to be used, it should be selected in competition with others; other things being equal, that screen which makes the cleanest oversize should be preferred. The quality of the screening and the tons

Jan 1, 1924

By Gustav Werner, Leonard Greenburg, William B. Harris

Haulage in tunneling operations generally has been done with electric locomotives. As a rule, on short hauls the source of electricity is a storage battery mounted on the locomotive, which, of course, must be removed and recharged periodically. Where the distance from the recharging point to the tunnel face is very long, and where loads are heavy, trolley-driven locomotives are used. Diesel engines have been used in mining and tunneling operations in Europe for a number of years. The recent reports of studies in Belgium1 and by the Bureau of Mines in this country2-4 have indicated the potentialities of this form of power for haulage, mucking, bulldozing and many other underground operations. The hazards attending the use of Diesel engines in more or less closed spaces have long been known. The exhaust constituents that may create a harmful or objectionable environment are carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen and sulphur, carbon dioxide, aldehydes and smoke. Lack of precise information regarding the concentration of these gases and the ventilation requirements to reduce them to safe levels has to some extent suppressed their general acceptance in tunneling and mining work. Not until the work of the Bureau of Mines referred to above, and certain experience gained in the construction of the Delaware Aqueduct, ‡ has there been available the requisite information regarding the conditions under which their use may be permitted. This paper concerns itself with the successful operation of Diesel engines underground in the construction of certain parts of the Delaware Aqueduct, and describes the conditions under which Diesel engines have been found to operate with a minimum production of noxious gases. The test data reported were obtained during the operation of Diesel engines over a period of two years.* Studies by the New York State Department or Labor Exhaustive tests were made by the Division of Industrial Hygiene, of the composition of the exhaust gases given off by a Diesel engine mounted on a test block. These tests showed that certain' quantities of the gases are discharged from the exhaust. On the basis of these figures, preliminary requirements of design and control

Jan 1, 1943

By Tracy Jarrett

IN making gold alloys possessing certain physical properties, such important factors as corrosion resistance, color, hardness and melting points must be considered. All of these requirements depend directly upon the composition. It is possible to obtain the same colored gold alloy by using different compositions, but in doing so one may bring in some undesirable property. Other investigations have been carried on in this field by F. E. Carter,1 E. M. Wise,2 and L. Sterner-Rainer.3 To make a complete study of the effect of composition upon these properties, a systematic investigation was carried on involving a range of copper content from 85 to 65 per cent. Elements such as zinc, silver and nickel were used to replace in part the copper content. The gold content in all the alloys remained constant. Only 10-karat gold alloys of those containing 41.6 per cent gold will be considered. All of the alloys were made in an induction furnace. Each alloy was cast in a 3 by ¼ by ¾ -in. ingot. The method of obtaining the melting points and making color determinations was described in a previous paper.4 The Rockwell B scale with the ball and 100-kg. weight was used for all hardness determinations. The submersion of test pieces in concentrated nitric acid is one of the standard corrosion tests used in the optical trade. A test piece in the 50 per cent cold-worked condition, ½ by 2 by 0.043 in., is blanked from a strip using a. die, and the weight, loss per square inch of surface is taken as a means of comparison. The time for this test is 2 ½ hr. of actual sub-mersion of the test piece in the acid. This standard test was applied to all of the 10-karat gold alloys discussed in this paper. The tensile tests were made upon strips of the dimensions shown in Fig. 1. The test pieces after blanking were annealed at 1300° F. for 20 min. and cooled in air. The "drop of the beam" method was used in determining the yield point, as there was a very marked "drop" when the yield point was reached.

Jan 1, 1939

All the TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS and CONTRIBUTIONS published in 1938 are available at Institute headquarters, unless otherwise noted. They are also on file in many public, university and technical libraries and, when so indicated in the list, may be found in the TRANSACTIONS. TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS in Classes A-Metal A-Lining, B-Milling and Concen-tration, H-Industrial Minerals, and I-Mining Geology are distributed in MINING TECHNOLOGY, which is issued every other month. Technical Publications in Classes C-Iron and Steel Division, D-Nonferrous Metallurgy and E-Institute of Metals Division are distributed in METALS TECHNOLOGY, which is issued twice quarterly. TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS ill Class G-Petroleum Division are distributed in PETRO-LEUM TECHNOLOGY, which is issued quarterly. TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS in Classes F-Coal Division, .l-Mineral Industry Education Division, K-Mining Administra-tion, and L-Geophysical Methods of Exploration are issued as separate pamphlets. All Institute member is entitled to one copy of any TECHNICAL PUBLICATION or CON-TRIBUTION. Copies of TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS listed have been mailed to members of the Institute according to their registration by classes. CONTRIBUTIONS and other TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS will he sent upon request. A member may purchase an additional copy of a TECHNICAL PUBLICATION or a CONTRIBUTION at one cent. a page; in minimum charge, 256. If the TECHNICAL PUBLICATION has been published in METALS TECHNOLOGY, MINING TECHNOLOGY or PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY, the number of either magazine containing it will be supplied at the sae cent a page (minimum charge, 25¢) rate for the particular TECHNICAL PUBLICATION requested. Nonmembers may purchase any CONTRIBUTION or a TECHNICAL PUBLICATION Of the F, J, K, or L classes at the same rate, butt the nonmember price per copy for METALS TECHNOLOGY, MINING TECHNOLOGY or PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY is $1. TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS (Separate pamphlet form), $2 per annum; Canadian and foreign postage 50 cents extra. METALS TECHNOLOGY, $7 per annum; Canadian and foreign postage 50 cents extra (Iron and Steel Division and Institute of Metals Division ferrous and nonferrous papers). MINING TECHNOLOGY, $6 per annum; Canadian and foreign postage 50 cents extra (metal mining, milling and concentration, Industrial Minerals Division, and mining geology papers). PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY, $4 per annum; Canadian and foreign postage 50 cents extra.

Jan 1, 1938

By John Vanderwilt

THE value of molybdenum as a ferroalloy has been known for many years. For a long time, however, the metal was used only on a small scale in the iron industries, because the known source of supply appeared inadequate and the cost to the consumer was not stabilized. The world's production of molybdenum prior to 1914 was only a few thousand pounds per year and even during the war period annual production was only about 800,000 lb. Production during 1929 and 1930, however, was over 4,000,000 lb. per year and that of 1931 promises to be of the same order of magnitude. This remarkable increase in production is due primarily to the development of a large molybdenite deposit at Climax, Lake County, Colo., which has accounted for 80 per cent of the world's production of molybdenum during the past two years. Based on conservative esti-mates, the deposit at Climax has the capacity to maintain its 1929 and 1930 rate of production for 100 years or more. The production of molybdenum ores has been established on a new basis-in recent years as compared with the period during and before the world war. During the earlier period, production came from small deposits and the cost to the consumer fluctuated. At present, production comes from a few large deposits and the price is not only lower but also fairly constant. In recent years the price of molybdenum has consistently dropped as consumption increased. The present price is $0.95 per pound of molybdenum in ferromolybdenum and $0.80 for molybdenum in calcium molybdate. Before and during most of the war, Australia, Norway, and a few other foreign countries were the chief producers, while at present the United States is producing over 90 per cent of the world's production. With molybdenum available at a moderate cost, the steel industry has been adopting more and more the use of molybdenum as an alloy addition. A relatively small demand for molybdenum exists in the chemical and electrical industries, but the recent large increase in con-sumption has in large part been by the iron and steel industries, which

Jan 1, 1932

. F. W. SPERR, JR.,* Pittsburgh, Pa.--Mr. Malcolmson states that the Carbocoal process produces ammonium sulfate in excess of that normally recovered in the ordinary byproduct coke process. Table 3 indicates that 20,000 to 25,000 lb. of sulfate of ammonia are obtained in carbonizing 1000 tons of Clinchfield coal. This is a high-grade coal and yields from 26 to 28 lb. of ammonium sulfate per ton in a modern byproduct coke oven. On the next page, 21 lb. is stated as the yield of ammonium sulfate per short ton of raw coal; this is less than the average production from any well operated byproduct coke-oven plant treating coal of the character usually coked, in Pennsylvania and Ohio. The statement as to the comparative yields of light oil is somewhat misleading in view of the results obtained during the past year or two by the more modern byproduct coke plants. The plants put in operation by the H. Koppers Co., during the past two years, are producing about 3.5 gal. of light oil per short ton of coal, and several of these plants are producing more than 4 gal. per ton. The yield of pure toluene runs from 0.45 gal. to 0.55 gal. per ton. .The quality of the light oil .obtained from the Carbocoal process is of much greater importance than would be inferred by one not closely familiar with the subject. The presence of paraffins in the benzol and toluol fractions seriously detracts from their commercial value; the benzol and toluol fractions derived fro in the Carbocoal process contain about 50 per cent, of paraffins. It should be thoroughly understood what these paraffins are. They are simply hydrocarbons that go to make up ordinary petroleum, and if a successful method for the removal of paraffins from benzol and toluol has been developed, this can at once be applied to several well known processes by which benzol and toluol can be made directly from petroleum, which have as yet been total failures on account of the contamination of these products by paraffins.

Jan 11, 1918

By B. M. Loring, W. H. Baer, G. M. Carlton

It is a well known fact that age-hardening alloys remain in a supersaturated, or partially supersaturated, condition only for limited periods of time at temperatures below the solvus. In order to develop optimum properties by subjecting the quenched alloy to precipitation or age-hardening treatment at a specified temperature, it is necessary that the cooling rate be sufficiently high to maintain the required degree of supersaturation of the solid solution. In practical applications the size and shape of the specimens obviously have considerable influence on the rate of cooling and there is need for more information on the effects of various rates of cooling. Cooling rates of quenched aluminum alloys generally have been established by the type of quenching medium, the temperature of the medium and the dimensions of the specimen. Except for the work of Roth3 little quantitative information is available on the measurement of cooling rates of aluminum alloys and the significance of the influence of various cooling rates upon the mechanical properties. The purpose of the present investigation was to study the use of the Jominy test for aluminum alloys (Table I). The material for this investigation consisted of extruded rods 1 1/4 to 136 in. in diam. The chemical compositions were as follows: The modified L-type Jominy specimen with dimensions shown in Fig I was selected as the most convenient means for obtaining a wide range of cooling rates. The standard Jominy specimen was not satisfactory because its cooling rate was not sufficiently high. The four flat surfaces machined at right angles along the length of the L-type specimen to a depth of 0.015 in. facilitated the hardness measurements. The specimens were machined from the extruded stock with no intermediate forging. New specimens were used for each aging experiment. The specimens were given solution treatments of 2 hr duration at recommended temperatures in a Hoskins furnace (Table 2). The temperature of the furnace was maintained constant to 3°C. No protective atmosphere was necessary because the thin film of oxide that formed on the surface of the specimens had no effect on the hardness measurements. AT

Jan 1, 1949

By J. Versluys

WHEN a well strikes an oil-bearing layer, the oil has a pressure which is generally sufficient to enable it to rise to near the surface (sometimes above the surface). As soon as a well begins to produce, however, the liquid moves through the pores of the reservoir bed and the pressure in the well becomes much lower than the pressure originally prevailing there. At some distance from the well, however, the pressure in the reservoir bed remains unaltered; thus the pressure of the oil has not only to lift the oil, but also to overcome the friction resistance in the pores. The fact that so many oil wells are gushers is a consequence of the energy accumulated in the gas. In gushing the well acts as a gas-lift. A mixture of liquid and gas (the latter partly dissolved in the former) rises vertically from the oil¬bearing layer through a cylindrical casing to the surface. In time conditions alter and the well ceases to gush regularly, then the gushing can be further promoted by inserting a narrower tube in the well and connecting the top of the oil string to the tubing. If the action in time becomes irregular, the gushing can be kept up for a further period by forcing gas between the two tubes. In the oil fields the term "gas-lift" is used actually only where extraneous gas is applied, as in the last of the stages mentioned. The action, however, is just the same whether the gas exclusively originates from the formation, or is partly applied artificially. Thus by gas-lift we simply mean a vertical tube in which the energy of gas under pressure, and of dissolved gas, is utilized for raising a liquid. In gushing oil wells the pressure is frequently very high and the absorption coefficient 0.4 (expressed in vol. ratio) of the coexisting gas is not particularly high, so that in reality it should be assumed that a considerable portion of the gas, at any rate at the bottom of the gas-lift, is dissolved in the oil. For water-producing wells this is not usually of such importance.

Jan 1, 1929

By Duncan MacVichie

The iron fields described here are located in the Iron Springs and Pinto mining districts, Iron County, Utah. This region is in southwestern Utah, about 260 miles south from Salt Lake City, and is reached by the Los Angeles & Salt Lake railroad of the Union Pacific system. The iron fields lie at an elevation of 5500 to 7500 ft. above sea level, and are essentially desert in character. They are covered with a light growth of sage brush, piñon pine, and scattered cedar. Weather conditions are unusually favorable for all-year mining operations, the winters being mild with little or no snow; and the summers not excessively hot, the temperature rarely rising to 100 during the day, while the nights are invariably cool. The iron-ore bearing area extends from the Iron Springs district to the Iron Mountain mining district, being approximately 25 miles long in a northeast-southwest direction, and from 1 to 3 miles wide in a northwest-southeast direction. In the Iron Springs and Pinto mining districts, the ore occurs at various points around three sides of Granite Mountain and Iron Mountain. This is readily understood by reference to Figs. 1-4. These mountains are composed of andesite, which has been forced up through the surrounding sedimentary formation, in the form of laccoliths. An extensive report on the geology of these districts was made by Leith and Harder,' who state: The three dominating geological features of the district are three large andesite laccoliths which constitute the Three Peaks, Granite Mountain, and Iron Mountain; lying in a northeast-southwest line across the area in question. Three unconformable sedimentary series, aggregating 4000 ft. in thickness, outcrop in successive rings around these laccoliths, dipping outward asymmetrically, very steeply at the contact, less steeply farther away. Still farther from the laccoliths, lava-flows 2000 ft. thick rest in nearly horizontal attitudes on the tilted sedimentary rocks. These general relations are modified by faulting. All of the rock formations of the district are more or less covered on the middle and lower slopes by unconsolidated and partly consolidated erosion debris, both aqueous and subaerial, which spreads out on the lower ground to make the deserts.

Jan 1, 1927

By H. Q. Golder

INTRODUCTION The stabilization of slopes is not a design problem. A slope is designed before it is made. For a slope to be stabilized it must already exist. The basic problem has existed for a long time. It started with cuts in soil and rock made in the 18th century during the construction of the canals which were developed at that time, and continued into the 19th century with the development of the railways, and in the 20th century with motor roads and lately open pit mining. It is not difficult to stabilize a slope, but certain questions must be asked and answered. These are: i) How much stability is required? ii) For how long is it required? iii) How important is the cost? These three questions indicate the basic problem of Civil Engineering, which is that the solution to any problem is a compromise between safety, cost and time. Stabilization of slopes is no exception. If the slope exists why is stabilization a problem? There are many possible reasons, for instance, a neighbouring and similar slope may have failed, or it may be necessary to change the conditions of the slope, steepen it, increase its height, put weight at the top, or construct a building at the foot in which case added security is required, or guarantee its stability for a longer time. MECHANISM OF FAILURE In order to pick the correct method of stabilization the mechanism of failure must be understood and the immediate cause of failure known. Often to remove the cause is the best remedy. The mechanism of failure has been studied over a period of many years in landslide problems. Pit slope failures are very similar to some types of landslides. (1) (2) (3) (4) In one sense there are many causes of landslides. Terzaghi lists 19. This means that there cannot be a standard solution to a stabilization problem. In another sense, it can be said that there is only one cause, which is gravity. This is a constant, never failing force which cannot be

Jan 1, 1971

By B. M. Bird

ONE of the problems studied by the U. S. Bureau of Mines in cooperation with the University of Washington has been the re-treatment of table middlings. Hydraulic classification has given the best results. Instead of using the classifier to prepare the feed to the tables, as has been the practise for many years in ore dressing, it is used to separate part of a middling product that cannot be re-treated successfully on the table. Middlings are desirable in a table plant because the separation according to specific gravity is incomplete; that is, in the products of the table there is always an overlapping of free particles of coal and refuse that can be distinguished with heavy liquids such as are used in the float-and-sink test. The causes of this overlapping may be divided into two groups, those outside the table separation itself and those inherent in the table separation. The first of these groups includes, among other causes, the following: (1) poor adjustments of the table, (2) overloading or underloading the table, (3) irregularities in the quantity and quality of the feed, (4) irregularities in the power and water supply, and (5) a vertical danc-ing motion of the table deck due to weak foundations. These causes of overlapping are largely unnecessary in a properly designed and constructed plant; but whenever they are present they materially affect the character of the middling product, and hence the problem of re-treatment. The other group includes three additional causes: (6) small differences in specific gravity between coal and impurities, (7) a size-specific-gravity relationship of the coal and refuse particles in the table feed such that the sizing action of the table opposes the separation according to the specific gravity, and (8) shapes of particles that prevent a separation. The sixth, small differences in specific gravity, may be a very important reason for an incomplete separation. The change in specific gravity from coal to shale is always gradual and the designation of one part as coal and another part as refuse is arbitrary. If some specific gravity, such as 1.45, is chosen as the dividing point between washed coal and refuse,

Jan 1, 1928

By D. G. Westlake, E. S. Fisher

The habit planes for zirconium hydride precipitation in crystals of a zirconium have been determined at various hydrogen concentrations. The (10 • 0)planes are the predominant habit planes; some (10 • 5) and (10 -1) planes were observed after charging conditions which pevmitted formation of a surface layer of hydride. No platelets zrlere observed parallel to any of the twinning planes. Mechanisms for em-brittlement due to hydride precipitation are discussed. LANGERON and Lehr1 found, in 1956, that zirconium hydride precipitates in zirconium in platelets lying parallel to (10.0) slip planes. In 1960, Kunz and Bibbz reported observing the platelets in three different families of twinning planes, (10.2) {11.1), and {11.2), but never in the slip planes. The present study was undertaken to ascertain the cause of these seemingly contradictory results. EXPERIMENTAL Two specimens of iodide zirconium were used in the experiments. Specimen I was a single crystal, while specimen II contained three grains. Grain growth was accomplished by the technique of Lange-ron and Lehr. Three faces were ground on specimen I; the first was 2 deg from the (00.1) basal plane, a second was 2 deg from the (10.0) prism plane, and a third was 4 deg from the (12.0) plane. One face was ground on specimen II such that the poles of the surfaces of crystals A, B, and C were as shown in Fig. 1. After the faces were ground on 600 grit silicon carbide paper, they were chemically polished by dipping in a solution of 8 parts hydrofluoric acid, 50 parts nitric acid, and 50 parts water. This removed all cold worked metal from the surface. The samples were charged to various levels of hydrogen content by heating in hydrogen gas which had been purified by reaction with uranium powder. The various charging conditions are shown in Table I. Specimen I was heated to the reaction temperature at the indicated hydrogen pressure and allowed to react until essentially all the hydrogen was used up. Then the temperature was raised for homogenization. Specimen II was charged by making periodic addi-

Jan 1, 1962

By F. D. Rosi

IN the production of single crystals by the Bridg-man method of solidification from the melt in vacuum at a crucible lowering rate of 0.25 in. per hr, a cellular structure was frequently observed in copper and copper-base alloys at the terminal surface of the as-cast crystals (i.e., the surface representing the last portion of the crystal to solidify). The geometrical form of this structure varied from crystal to crystal, but, in general, could be classified as either hexagonal or quadrilateral. Fig. 1 shows examples of this cellular structure, which is similar to that reported by Buergerl and, more recently, by Pond and Kessler&apos; and Rutter and Chalmers. In the micrographs of Figs. lb and c, the cubic structure in the alloy crystals is obscured somewhat by excessive surface evaporation in the final stages of solidification. X-ray orientation studies indicate that the traces outlining the various geometrical forms correspond to octahedral planes, which are the planes of greatest reticular density in the face-centered cubic lattice. It would appear from this that the view first propounded by Bravais,4 that the surface energies and normal growth velocities of the different crystal planes are inversely proportional to their reticular densities, applies to this cellular structure, since those surviving are the planes of greatest atomic density. Thus, the observed variation in the geometrical form of this structure in crystals of different orientation is readily understandable from the distribution of the (111) planes in the standard {111}, (1101, and (1001 stereographic projections. Depending upon whether the crystal axis (i.e., the direction of crystallization) coincides with a <111>, <111>, or <100> direction, the cellular structure viewed from a surface perpendicular to the crystal axis will consist of a network of regular hexagons, skewed hexagons (with interfacial angles of 110" and 125"), or cubes, respectively. It follows, moreover, that off-orientations from these principal directions will yield modifications of these three basic geometric configurations. In this connection, it is interesting to note that the bounding planes of the hexagonal structure observed in tin by Rutter and Chalmers3 showed no preferred orientation.

Jan 1, 1954

By Stirling Huntley

With the threatened falling off in production of the lighter oil pools of the Tampico embayment in Mexico, a general search of that country for oil-producing regions has resulted in renewed activity in the region of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, one of the first districts exploited in Mexico. Since the drilling of the first well in the San Cristobal section by the Pearson interests in 1902, drilling has been continuous, except during 1917-1921, when practically all development was stopped by the revolutionary activity. Early in 1921, a drilling campaign was inaugurated for the purpose of testing out the known salt-dome poolfi on the flanks of the salt masses, rather than on their tops where previous tests had been located. On Dec. 7, 1921, the Aguila Co., with which are consolidated the Pearson interests and which has been the only company active in developing this region, unexpectedly drilled into a sand horizon at 3015 ft. with its Conception well No. 18. The hole was unable to handle the production, as a 1400-ft. string of 121/2-in. casing was hanging in the hole, a salt-water horizon drilled through at about 800 ft., was not cemented off, and 3000 ft. of 4-in. drill stem with rotary bit was in the hole. This well&apos;s potential capacity was never determined, but it made 7000 bbl. of 25" Bé. oil through the bit and Pin. drill stem, in one of its sporadic flows before sanding up, and thus proved itself capable of the largest potential production of any well on the Isthmus. The well showed salt water before caving and sanding up with the drill stem still in the hole, and will probably never be used for production. Wells Nos. 22 and 23, drilled nearby, have proved disappointments after making good showings of oil. In the spring of 1922, Ixhuatlan wells Nos. 28 and 29, deep tests supposedly on the flank of the known salt cores in that field, went into solid salt; No. 28 at 2250 ft. and No. 29 at 2400 ft. No. 28 was continued in the salt for 1000 ft. before operations were stopped. Later comple-

Jan 1, 1923

By G. E. Steudel

The study of the possibility of effecting a lower cost in the manufacture of pig iron reveals the importance of the ever present question of slag chemistry and volume. Factors that determine slag chemistry and volume are the impurities in the ore available, the ash-sulphur content of the coke, and a flux material necessary to promote removal of sulphur. Of these, the ores present by far the major source of impurities and what may prove to be the lowest practical slag volume with desired chemistry in one locality may be considered low or high in some other center of iron manufacture. The Chicago district is not only blessed with ores of high quality, but with excellent coke and flux materials as well. It is the intent of this paper to discuss slag problems at the South Works only, where burdens consist of Mesabi ores, Michigan stone, and coke ranging from 7 to 9 per cent ash and containing an average of 0.57 per cent sulphur. Early in the development of modern blast-furnace practice, the consideration of slags was secondary to the many adjustments of mechanical difficulties, such as furnace lines, stock distribution, stove design for obtaining higher blast temperatures, improved chemical segregation and size of raw materials. Furnace operators, after making these improvements, turned their attention to the study of other refinements in practice, of which slag chemistry appeared to be the most important. It is only within the last two decades that operators have become familiar with the various aspects of slag compositions. The industry, while rather slow in its recognition, is indebted to such investigators as Rankin,1 Wright,1 Feild,2 Royster,2 McCaffery,3 Kinney,4 Holbrook,5 and Joseph,5 whose researches concerning the elimination of sulphur within the blast furnace and the effect of slag composition upon melting point, viscosity, and desulphurizing power have established criteria for the selection of slags of the requisite quality. Large slag volumes result in higher coke consumption and cost of disposal. Any attempt to lower slag quantity must be accomplished

Jan 1, 1940