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By H. Foster Bain

Jan 1, 1910

[FUQUA, H. B. and Thompson, B. E.: Oil and Gas Development and Production in North Texas for 1933, 107, 320; for 1934, 114, 417 Oil and Gas Development in West Texas 114, 438 FURMAN, W. F.: Heat and Corrosion-resisting Alloys. Printed in Oil & Gas Jnl., June 13, 1935 Furnace-bottom sand, uniformity, 73, 390 Furnace control, Isley apparatus, M27, 502 Furnaces (See also Holt-Dern; Blast Furnaces; Roasters; Wirebar, etc.): annealing: electric, 89, 424 gas-fired, 89, 425 gas vs. wood for nonferrous metals, 89, 422]

Jan 1, 1936

By J. C. Swartz

Measurements of the effect of precipitation stresses on the solubility of cementite (Fe3C) precipitates in a iron are reported. Solubilities were determined from measurements of the Snoek relaxation due to interstitial carbon after quenching from various equilibrium treatments. Stress-free precipitates were obtained by a spheroidizing treatment of vacuum-melted Fe 0.06 wt pet C. Subsequent equilibration treatments were designed to suppress nucleation of other precipitates. The results for stress-free cementite give a heat of solution of 14.8 i 0.2 keal per mole and an entropy change of 1.1 i 0.2 eu in the temperature range 400" to 715°C. Comparison with previous data indicates that the heat of solution increases about 6 keal per mole as temperature increases from 700" to 1000°C. Data on self-stressed cementite in quench-aged specimens of Fe 0.013 wt pet C indicate 1) an apparent heat of solution of 12.1 i 0.4 keal per mole in the range 280" to 690°C, 2) a strain energy of- 1.1 keal per mole Fe3C accompanying precipitation at 280°C, and 3') a gradual decrease in the strain energy of precipitation with increasing equilibration temperature. In com-parison with 2 and 3 the strain energy calculated for an isotropic model is 1.7 keal per mole Fe3C. The lower values obtained from the experiment indicated substantial stress velaxation by dislocation motion. WHEN a supersaturated solution of carbon in a iron is aged at temperatures in the range 200o to 700oC, the carbon clusters by interstitial diffusion and forms cementite (Fe3C) precipitate particles. Unstressed cementite has a volume per iron atom 9 pet higher than that of a iron;' hence, cementite precipitate particles are usually under pressure from the iron matrix. The pressure would tend to increase the solubility of cementite in iron.' This report describes anelastic measurements of the solubilities of self-stressed and stress-free cementite in a iron. Previous determinations of the cementite solubility are summarized in Table I. The method of cementite formation for each reference was studied to ascertain the state of stress of the cementite. The results judged to be for stress-free and stressed cementite are distinguished in the table. In the next section an estimate of the stress effect is obtained which is clearly too small to account for the large difference between the previous results in parts A and B of the table. THEORETICAL Let AGO be the standard free-energy change of the reaction Fe3C (eem.) = 3Fe (a) + C (in a) [1] in the absence of stresses. Since cementite precipitates appear to be rather pure10 and the carbon is so dilute in the iron,8 the cementite and iron of Eq. [ I] for the stress-free case have essentially unit activities and the activity of carbon equals its atom fraction xoC Then the stress-free equilibrium is expressed by RT In XoC = -?GO 121 To first approximation the change in the chemical potential of carbon due to the precipitation stresses equals the elastic strain energy W accompanying precipitation of a mole of cementite.2 Hence, in the presence of the precipitation stresses the equilibrium is described by RT In x sq = -?G° + W [3] where xsC is the mole fraction of dissolved carbon in the stressed case. An approximate value of W can be obtained from analysis of the inclusion problem in elasticity theory. The inclusion is a small portion of the matrix phase which has suffered a transformation while still imbedded in the matrix. In the absence of the constraint of the matrix the transformation would be equivalent to a uniform dilational strain eT. Both the matrix (a) phase and inclusion (0) phase are assumed to be homogeneous, isotropic materials. When the a and 0 phases have the same elastic moduli, which is approximately true for iron and cementite,11 the total strain energy per mole ß is12 2µVß(eT)2(3 +4 µx)-I [4]

Jan 1, 1968

By D. R. Parrish, V. J. Berry

Reverse combustion is one thermal method of recovering hydrocarbons from porous undergrortnd formations containing oil or tar. In applying this method, air is introduced via an injection well and the mixture of air and hydrocarbons is ignited in the production well. A combustion zone then recedes toward the injection well, counter-current to the air flow. If the combustion-zorie temperature is sufficiently high, the oil or tar irz place is distilled arid cracked. The hydrocnrhon flows as a vapor to the production well and subsequently is condensed at the surface. Maximum temperature and velocity of morcment arc the two dependent variubles defining the progress of the combustion zone. A theoretical analysis has been made of heat flow in the reverse-comhustion process as.srtrning linear flow in a homogeneous system. The differentirll equatious, which include the oxygen-hydrocar-hon rctrction rate, have been solved numerically. Rescllts indicate that the maximum temperature reached and he cornbustion-zone relocity both increase with an incrense in air-injection rote. Heat loss to surroundings has little effect on the maximum comhustion-zone ten?perature achieved, but it is reflected in a reduced com-bustion-zorzc, velocity. It is also predicted that an increase in the oxygen-hydrocarbon reaction rate results in a reduction in the maximum temperature reached. The calculated results are in agreement with results from reverse-combustion experinments using samples of a tar sand. INTRODUCTION Reverse combustion is one thermal method of recovering hydrocarbons from porous underground forma-tions containing oil or tar.' In applying this method, air is introduced into the underground formation via an in-jection well. In one or more adjacent production wells, the mixture of air and hydrocarbons is ignited at the sand face. The combustion zone thus formed recedes toward the injection well, counter-current to the air flow (Fig. 1). Under certain conditions, the rate of recession of the combustion zone is sufficiently rapid that only a small fraction of the hydrocarbon at any point in the formation is consumed by combustion. If the combustion-zone temperature is sufficiently high, the uncon-sumed oil or tar in place may be partially distilled or cracked. This material then can flow as a vapor with the gaseous combustion products to the production well and subsequently be condensed at the surface. Under other conditions, the combustion-zone temperature may be so low that little, if any, of the hydrocarbon is vaporized. Nevertheless, the viscosity of the hydrocarbon may be reduced enough so that other recovery methods subsequently can be applied to produce oil at attractive rates. The maximum temperature achieved in the combustion zone and the velocity of movement are the two dependent variables defining the progress of the combustion zone. Presumably. knowledge of these factors will permit estimates to be made of oil recovery efficiency, oil and gas producticn rates and average amount of injection air required per barrel of oil recovered. The maximum temperature and combustion-zone vclocity are, in turn, expected to be dependent upon air flow rate, heat losses to surrounding formations, physical properties of the rock and the hydrocarbon. the extent to which the porous formation is saturated with the hydrocarbon, the rate of oxidation of the hydrocarbon and the amount of heat released. It is desirable that the relative importance of each of these factors be understood so that the results of laboratory tests of oil recovery by reverse combustion can be properly interpreted in terms of expected field performance. It is particularly desirable to assess the importance of heat lcsses because these are difficult to control or eliminate

By W. H. Echols

An oil-emulsion mud, consisting of a mixture of oil-base mud and bentonitic water-base mud, has been used experimentally in drilling 8 of the 35 wells in the Sivells Bend field, Cooke County, Texas. Experience indicates the oil-emulsion mud can be controlled in much the same manner as a water-base mud, and the "drilling" functions of the two types of mud are comparable. The average water-loss for the oil-emulsion mud was 3.8 cu cm per well. When using oil-emulsion mud to drill the last 2000 ft of 7000 ft wells, the mud costs were approximately 2½ times that of water-base mud. There is nothing to indicate well productivities have been affected through the use of oil-emulsion mud. However, drilling time and bit footages were increased and the holes were maintained more closely to bit guage. The apparent advantages gained through the use of oil-emulsion mud in the Sivells Bend field do not appear to justify the increase in mud costs. Introduction until a comparatively few years ago most of the development of drilling mud was directed toward improving the functions of the mud as related to actual drilling operations. The industry has long recognized that one disadvantage of rotary drilling over cable-tool drilling is the possibility of injury to producing zones through the blocking effect resulting from the infiltration of water or mud into the sands. Recognizing this disadvantage, considerable attention has been diverted toward the development of muds that will improve the quality of well com-pletions through the reduction or elimination of water into the sands, but without sacrificing too many of their "drilling" functions and at a cost commensurate with the benefits derived from their use. This phase of mud research has already found practical application, for example, in the development of the Rangely field, Colorado, it appears the use of oil-base mud during drilling-in operations will contribute appreciably toward making this exploitation more profitable. Much of the discussion to follow will be better understood if a brief sketch of the Sivells Bend field is given. The Sivells Bend field, discovered by The Texas Co. in 1944 and still in the process of development, is in a large bend on the Texas side of the Red River about 85 miles north of Dallas. Geologically, the structure is an unsymmetrical anticline, with faulting having contributed to its development. The productive sands are of the Strawn series of Pennsylvanian age, the sands being lenticular in character and varying considerably in development from well to well. At Present there are 35 producing wells in the field, producing from seven different sand lenses. The productive sand lenses vary from 15 to 50 ft in thickness and the individual sands have average permeabilities of from 75 to 375 md. The presently productive sands are encountered at depths of from 6300 to 7300 ft, but testing has indicated that commercial production might be obtained from other sands as high as 5200 ft. Histories of older Strawn

Jan 1, 1948

By W. H. Echols

An oil-emulsion mud, consisting of a mixture of oil-base mud and bentonitic water-base mud, has been used experimentally in drilling 8 of the 35 wells in the Sivells Bend field, Cooke County, Texas. Experience indicates the oil-emulsion mud can be controlled in much the same manner as a water-base mud, and the "drilling" functions of the two types of mud are comparable. The average water-loss for the oil-emulsion mud was 3.8 cu cm per well. When using oil-emulsion mud to drill the last 2000 ft of 7000 ft wells, the mud costs were approximately 2½ times that of water-base mud. There is nothing to indicate well productivities have been affected through the use of oil-emulsion mud. However, drilling time and bit footages were increased and the holes were maintained more closely to bit guage. The apparent advantages gained through the use of oil-emulsion mud in the Sivells Bend field do not appear to justify the increase in mud costs. Introduction until a comparatively few years ago most of the development of drilling mud was directed toward improving the functions of the mud as related to actual drilling operations. The industry has long recognized that one disadvantage of rotary drilling over cable-tool drilling is the possibility of injury to producing zones through the blocking effect resulting from the infiltration of water or mud into the sands. Recognizing this disadvantage, considerable attention has been diverted toward the development of muds that will improve the quality of well com-pletions through the reduction or elimination of water into the sands, but without sacrificing too many of their "drilling" functions and at a cost commensurate with the benefits derived from their use. This phase of mud research has already found practical application, for example, in the development of the Rangely field, Colorado, it appears the use of oil-base mud during drilling-in operations will contribute appreciably toward making this exploitation more profitable. Much of the discussion to follow will be better understood if a brief sketch of the Sivells Bend field is given. The Sivells Bend field, discovered by The Texas Co. in 1944 and still in the process of development, is in a large bend on the Texas side of the Red River about 85 miles north of Dallas. Geologically, the structure is an unsymmetrical anticline, with faulting having contributed to its development. The productive sands are of the Strawn series of Pennsylvanian age, the sands being lenticular in character and varying considerably in development from well to well. At Present there are 35 producing wells in the field, producing from seven different sand lenses. The productive sand lenses vary from 15 to 50 ft in thickness and the individual sands have average permeabilities of from 75 to 375 md. The presently productive sands are encountered at depths of from 6300 to 7300 ft, but testing has indicated that commercial production might be obtained from other sands as high as 5200 ft. Histories of older Strawn

Jan 1, 1948

By R. G. Jones, W. L. Kinney, R. E. Schilson, R. S. Wilson, G. A. Clark, H. Suralo

This paper discusses the results of the Fry conventional or cocurrent in situ combustion test, which was conduct-ed in a 3.3-acre inverted five-spot. The depth of the formation was between 880 and 936 ft; the oil had a specific gravity of 28.6° APl and a viscosity of about 40 cp at the reservoir temperature of 65°F. Preceding the combustion test, air injection tests were conducted which, in conjunction with geological studies, were used to evaluate the characteristics of the reservoir. Combustion was initiated on Oct. 13, 1961, with ignition being accomplished by a 40 kw electrical heater. The test phase of the project ended on Oct. 1, 1963. During the test, the average air injection rate was 1,520.-000 scf/D. Throughout the test, production of all fluids— gas, oil, and water—was monitored. Cumulative oil production credited to the project was 100,586 bbl. The cumulative air-oil ratio was 11,500 scf/bbl oil, and the oxygen uti1ization efficiency was 87 per cent. INTRODUCTION The Marathon Oil Co. conducted a successful in situ combustion test, beginning Aug. 22, 1961, at the Fry unit, Crawford County, 111. The purpose of the project was to test the feasibility of cocurrent in situ combustion as a means of oil recovery in the Fry type reservoir. Interest in in situ combulstion as an oil recovery tool has been stimulated mostly by the existence of large reserves of heavy viscous crudes with low expected recovery, usually less than 10 per cent. These are the so-called unrecoverable reserves, and most combustion tests to date have been conducted in this type of reservoir.1-4 In contrast, the Fry combustion test was conducted in a reservoir with a relatively high gravity oil having a relatively low viscosity. This paper discusses the performance of the test. The geology of the reservoir and the field operations are discussed in separate papers.5 TEST SITE The Fry combustion test was carried out in a 3.3-acre inverted five-spot portion of a lenticular body of Robinson sandstone. Net sand was 50 ft thick, porosity averaged 19.7 per cent, oil saturation was 68 per cent of pore volume, and water saturation was 20 per cent of pore volume. The oil in place was estimated at 1,040 bbl/acre-foot, or 171,600 bbl within the 3.3-acre pattern. The water in place was 326 bbl/acre-foot, or 53,800 bbl. The oil has a specific gravity of 28.7° API and a viscosity of 40 cp at the reservoir temperature of 65°F. AIR INJECTION PERFORMANCE Air injection took place in two phases, the phases separated by ignition of the reservoir. In the pre-ignition phase, air injection tests were conducted in the summers of 1960 and 1961. These indicated that the Fry reservoir was confined, and a high return rate of injected air could be expected. This proved to be an outstanding characteristic of the project, as cumulative gas production was 95.3 per cent of the air injected. The difference between the cumulative air injected and the total gas produced can be largely accounted for by the quantity of air stored in the reservoir. An estimated 16 X 10 cf of air remained in the burned-out portion of the reservoir and an indeterminate amount of gas was stored in the unburned but pressurized reservoir. Hence, a complete material balance of gases would account for nearly 100 per cent of the air injected. At times during the test, the daily gas production rate was 98 per cent of the daily air injection rate. Fig. 1 presents the air injection history of the Fry com-

Jan 1, 1966

By Thomas C. Patton, Eric S. Cheney

L-D gold mine is 3 miles south of Wenatchee, central Washington. Recognition of locally mappable conglomerates, sandstones, and shales within the Paleocene (?) Swauk formation led to the discovery that the known epithermal gold mineraliza¬tion is limited to a previously unknown imbricate thrust zone of unknown displace¬ment cutting the open folds o f the area. Hypabyssal intrusions also are most nu¬merous along the trace of the thrust faults. Yakima basalt of Miocene age uncon¬formably overlies the Swauk formation, thrust faults, and the intrusions. The L-D mine is in a northwesterly trending imbricate fault block of nearly vertical strata. Microscopic native gold, electrum, and naumannite occur in quartz veins and as low¬grade disseminations in the well-silicified portions of arkosic sandstones. Fault gouge on the "footwall fissure" limits ore to the hanging-wall block of the fault. Epithermal mineralization and alteration are spatially related to the nearby intrusions. Right lateral north-south faults offset the ore a maximum of 300-400 ft along any one fault. From 1949 until January 1967, when the L-D mine closed, 1,036,572 dry tons of ore valued at $14,962,305 and averaging 0.396 oz Au per ton and 0.607 oz Ag per ton were mined. Recognition of the structural control of the mineralization and altera¬tion within the Swauk formation suggests several areas within and outside of the mine that warrant further exploration. For example, the high-angle faults, imbricate thrusts, and the intrusions of this area are on strike with similar features along the major Entiat fault zone 10 miles to the northwest. The L-D gold mine (previously called Squilchuck, Wenatchee, Golden King, Gold King, and Lovitt) is located in Squilchuck Canyon about three miles south of Wenatchee, Chelan County, Wash. (Fig. 1) on the eastern edge of the Cascade Mountains. The major stratigraphic unit in the area is the nonmarine early Tertiary Swauk formation, which is predominantly com¬posed of arkosic sandstone. The lack of laterally per¬sistent units and the paucity of outcrops heretofore have precluded all but the grossest subdivision of the Swauk.' As a result, the true significance of the open folds in the Wenatchee area was not recognized, and although the geology within the mine was known, the structural setting of the mine was virtually unknown. During the present investigation, several locally map¬pable units were discovered within the Swauk which, in conjunction with mine maps, indicate an imbricate thrust zone. The epithermal gold mineralization, most of the hypabyssal intrusions, and the zones of hydrother¬mal alteration are located within or near this thrust zone. The purpose of this paper is to: (1) to describe this structural setting, rather than the detailed mine geology already presented by Lovitt and Skerl,2 and (2) to sug¬gest that from an exploration standpoint, this struc¬tural setting may be repeated in areas inside and outside of the mine area. Stratigraphy and Structure of the Swauk Formation General: The Swauk formation contains three distinct lithologies. Typical Swauk sandstone is gray on fresh surfaces, poorly sorted, weathers tan, and is cross¬bedded; it consists of 40-60% quartz, 20-40% feldspar, and up to 10% muscovite and biotite 9 The typical shale is gray to dark brown, very soft, and interbedded with silty sandstones; sharp contacts exist between the

Jan 1, 1972

Jan 1, 1927

By R. H. Jacoby, M. J. Rzasa

Experimental equilibrium vaporization ratios (K values) were obtained for nitrogen, methane, carbon dioxide, ethane and hydrogen sulfide in two natural gas-absorber oil mixtures and in two natural gas-Elk Basin crude oil mixtures. For each mixture of constant over-all composition, data were obtained at 100°, 150° and 200°F and at various pressures in the range 200 to 5,000 psia. Some effects of composition on the K values were obtained to serve as a guide in choosing K's for engineering calculations on other mixtures. The pressure cell used to obtain the data is a new type and is described here for the first time. INTRODUCTION The phase equilibria of complex hydrocarbon mixtures such as natural gases, crude oils and their mixtures have been studied previously for the purpose of finding equilibrium vaporization ratios for the hydrocarbon constitutents. In a few cases, such non-hydrocarbon.: as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide were included in the mixture. studied because they occur. in the fluids obtained from petroleum reservoirs. The increasing occurrerce. of these non-liydrocarbon.; antl their growing economic importance. make it necessary to account for them more accurately in engineering calculation.: than is now possible using the meager published data. The available data for non-hydrocarbons may he classified into two groups: namely, binary mixtures of a hydrocarbon and a non-hydrocarbon. and mixtures containing three or more components, only one of which is a non-hydrocarbon. Amon: the former. phase analyses are available for two nitrogen-HC mixtures, tve carbon dioxide-HC mixtures and three hydrogen sulfide-HC mixtures. Data for more complex mixtures are available as follows: Nitrogen-Methane-Pentane'; Nitrogen-Methane-Hexane,'; Nitrogen-Methane-Heptane'; Carbon dioxide-Natural Gas-Natural Gasorline": Carbon dioxide-Natural Gas-Crude Oil". These data have been used generally lor engineering calculations, often with little regard for their precise applicability because data for the non-hydrocarbons in the complex mixtures being dealt with were not available. The use of K values from binary data for calculation:; involving complex mixtures is open to criticism because such K's are not a function of composition and very often show large differences from the K's for the same components in a complex mixture. Thus the effects of composition must be evaluated when obtaining K's for components in complex mixtures. Poettmann and Katz " varied the carbon dioxide content of their mixture.; from about five to ten mol per cent and found substantially no effect on the K values due to this change. This was not surprising since one might expect that changing a minor com-ponent by * three mol per cent would have little effect. It is more important to find the composition change which have the largest effect on the K values. For example. varying the methane or heptanes — plus compositions over a wide rangr may have a large effect on the K'. of all components in the mixture. Interesting data to this effect were obtained by Eilerts and Smith." It was toward these problems that the experimental data presented here were directed. EQUIPMENT The pressure cell used to obtain the data i:. somewhat dif-ferent from those which have been described in the past. Photographs of the equipment are shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 1 Shows. the front panel: from a .rated position at the right the

Jan 1, 1952

By A. Patton, F. N. Speller

The use of roll scale in the Bessemer process dates back, to the best of our knowledge, at least 20 years. It was first used by the Ohio Steel Go., Youngstown, Ohio (now the Ohio Works of the Carnegie Steel Co.) under the direction of Sam McDonald, Superintendent of the Bessemer Department at these works. Two 10-ton vessels and one blowing engine capable of blowing one heat at a time were employed. The object of using the scale was to shorten the length of the blow, or in other words, to increase the production with the same equipment. Various means were tried out for introducing the roll scale into the bath of molten iron: It was shoveled into the vessel before the heat was charged, so that the metal would flow over the scale; it was shoveled into the bath after the vessel was turned up; it was dumped into the empty iron ladle by the wheelbarrow-load, and at times was dumped on top of the molten metal in the iron ladle. But the practice of introducing the scale into the iron ladle had to be abandoned on account of danger from explosions and of skulling the ladles. It was soon learned that the proper place to charge the scale was in the empty vessel, so that when the molten iron was poured into the vessel it flowed over the scale, causing a considerabIe reaction to take place before the heat was turned up. Eventually, cylindrical chutes similar to those now in use were installed. Into these chutes the scale is dumped and carried into the empty vessel. Before this convenient means of introducing the scale was adopted, the Ohio Works had satisfactorily demonstrated that roll scale would increase production, by blowing 107 heats in one 12-hr. turn (1,087 tons) with one blowing engine, blowing one heat at a time; whereas, prior to the use of scale, the best practice at these works was about 80 heats under the same conditions. In using roll scale and other oxides of iron to facilitate and control the refining of pig iron in the converter, the Bessemer plant has borrowed one of the most active agencies used in the open-hearth process with, as would be expected, much the same results. The effect of such additions to the Bessemer charge may be discussed as to the influence of this practice on quality, production and cost.

Jan 1, 1917

By F. N. Rhines, B. H. Alexander

MUCH attention has been directed to the effects of grain size upon the properties of alloys, but there has been scant study either of the conditions that determine the pattern and dimensions of den-drites in metal systems, or of the influence of their shape and size upon the overall properties of cast-ings. The aim of the research that is about to be described has been to investigate the effect of vari-ous factors upon the mode of formation of dendrites in alloys by measurements of the distance between adjacent dendrite arms (dendrite spacing). Early investigators, including Grignonl and Tschernoff,2 showed that a metal dendrite is com-posed of a tree-like system of stalks and branches arranged in a simple geometrical pattern. North-cott and Thomas3 demonstrated that, in the face-centered cubic solid solutions of copper-base, these stalks and side arms all lie in (100) directions in the crystal. Several investigators, including Sauveur and Chou,0 Sauveur and Reed,' and Martin and Mar-tina have reported that the addition to steel of alloy-ing elements, such as nickel, chromium, and molybdenum, not only makes the dendrites easier to reveal by etching, but makes them coarser. The latter authors8 proposed that the coarsening of the dendrites is roughly proportional to the increase in the temperature range of freezing, caused by adding the alloying elements. Sauveur and Chou6 showed, in addition, that the dendrites are coarsened by a decreased rate of cooling of the casting. Measurement of Dendrite Arm Spacing Among the physical conditions that could be ex-pected to have an influence upon the dendrite arm spacing, that appears in a cast metal, are: composi-tion, rate of freezing, crystal structure, and type of constitution. The relationships obtaining between these variables and the dendrite dimensions have been examined, in the present research, by measur- ing the arm spacing in a wide variety of alloys, listed in tables II through VI. Alloy compositions are recorded in the tables by showing the symbol of the major metal followed by the percentage and symbol of the alloying agent; thus, "Al-10Ag" is an aluminum-base alloy containing 10 pct of silver. Although none of the alloys were analyzed, an im-pression of their degree of purity may be obtained from that of their component metals given in table I. Five hundred grams of each alloy was made by melting in small clay-graphite crucibles in an elec-tric muffle furnace. After alloying the temperature was adjusted to 50" to 75°C above the liquidus and the melts were poured into cast iron molds, at room temperature, the molds having a wall thickness of 1 in. and a cavity 11/2 in. sq in cross-section. Each ingot, thus cast, was sectioned at mid-height and the sectioned surface was polished and etched for metallographic examination. Dendrite spacing meas-urements were made at three positions, namely, ad-jacent to the mold wall, midway between the wall and the center of the ingot, and at the center (desig-nated e, m, and c respectively, in the tables). A typical series of microstructures is presented in fig. 1. For each measurement, the average was taken of the dendrite spacing of several grains covering a zone about 2 mm wide. Only those grains which had a major dendrite axis nearly in the plane of polish were selected in order to eliminate corrections for orientation differences from grain to grain. Although the dendrite spacings were measured to the nearest thousandth of a millimeter, the values listed in the tables are thought to be significant only to the nearest hundredth of a millimeter. The larg-est difference in readings found, when various ob-servers rated the same specimens, was 0.012 mm; the largest difference between corresponding meas-urements upon duplicate specimens was 0.027 mm.

Jan 1, 1951

Jan 1, 1955

By Tong Guangxu

INTRODUCTION Throughout the world, the caving mining methods of ore-draw under the overlying waste rock are sublevel caving in Sweden, block caving in U.S.A. and forced block caving and sublevel caving with sill-pillar in U.S.S.R. These caving methods are of high efficiency, low cost and large production (especially the block caving method) when compared to opencast mining. From the ore production of all under- ground mines, the largest annual production of underground metalliferous mines in the world is caving methods. The sublevel caving in Kiruna Iron Mine of Sweden has reached annual ore production over 20 million tons in 1974. The block caving in Climax Molybdenum Mine and San Manuel Copper Mine of U.S.A. both have produced about 40 thou- sand tons of ore per day in 1971. At the same time, the productivity of Kiruna was 12 thousand tons of ore per man-year, Climax 42.8 tons (48.3 short tons) per man-shift and San Manuel 29.01 tons (32.1 short tons) per man-shift. The main feature of this group of mining methods is the underground extraction of ore from beneath overlying caveable waste rock. Since the loss and dilution of ore are inherent (sometimes to a great extent), the control of ore-draw in these methods as com- pared with other methods is very important. Consequently, concerned Universities and Research Institutes have devoted great amounts of research on ore-draw theory and control management which has provided positive results to mine production, and has apparently promoted the development of the caving methods. During 1979 in China, metalliferous underground mines accounted for 15.22% of the total iron ore produced, while also accounting for 56% of total non-ferrous production. According to the mining methods, sub level caving in the principal underground iron mines counted for about 56.74% of total principal underground iron mine production, but only about 1% of total non-ferrous underground mine production. Relative to forced block caving and sublevel caving with sill pillar, the Chinese non-ferrous under- ground mines estimated about 35% of total non-ferrous underground mine production from these two methods, mainly from the latter. From the trend of development of underground metalliferous mines in China, the percentage of production in caving will be increased in the future, especially in block caving and forced block caving which have already been given great attention in the mining circle. In these types of mining methods the ore is drawn from the stope under a large area of overlying waste rock, which complicates the basic regulation and control of ore-draw, but provides lower loss and dilution than sublevel caving. Because of these reasons, the Kiruna Iron Mine in Sweden is intending to change its sublevel caving by testing a sublevel shrinkage caving method and considering a large area of ore-draw beneath the stope as an advantage. Therefore, the basic regulation and control management of ore-draw under a large area, as practiced in China, will be discussed in this paper. BASIC REGULATION OF ORE- DRAW FROM CAVING STOPE The aim of studying ore-draw under a large area of overlying waste rock is to se- cure a planned draw schedule that guarantees a certain plane of interface between ore and waste rock, and controls the change of its shape in spatial position for reducing ore loss and dilution during the draw process. Presently, the ellipsoid theory is comparatively near the actual attitude of ore-draw from the cave. 1. Ore Drawn Out from Single Drawpoint Laboratory testing and practical experience all show that after a certain amount of ore has been drawn out from a drawpoint, its original shape in the stope before drawing is more or less similar to an ellipsoid, hence the name "draw ellipsoid." This draw ellipsoid is cut at the bottom by a horizontal plane corresponding to the raise of the drawpoint, and its volume can be calculated by the following formula:

Jan 1, 1981

By Gerard Matthes

ONLY in recent years has any practical headway been made in the application of aerial photography to geological problems, and up to the present time its principal value to the geologist and mining engineer has been in "areal geology;" i. e., the study of formations as revealed at the surface. The object of this paper is to set forth briefly the principal advantages that may be derived from aerial photographic data in geological work and to serve in a measure as a guide to those who may be con-templating its use. Geophysical prospecting has for object the locating of mineral under the surface. Inasmuch as the geologist's chief complaint in life is a dual one-inability to see under the surface and inability to visualize comprehensively what he does see on top of the ground-geophysical prospecting coupled with aerial photography should do much to lessen his burdens. To what extent aerial photography can be made a useful adjunct to geophysical prospecting remains to be proved, but the inference drawn here is that it holds many alluring possibilities. To avoid disappointments, it should be stated at the outset that to the :geologist or mining engineer an aerial photograph or mosaic is only a tool, the effecient use of which he must set out to master. Upon his skill and ingenuity in applying it to particular problems will depend largely the value of the results that he will obtain. Under the most favorable conditions an aerial mosaic or even a few loose photographs, because of the exceptionally comprehensive oversight which they afford of field data, such as dips and strike observations at isolated outcrops, local indications of faulting, mineral and fossil finds, greatly facilitate study and correlation, save much tedious foot work, and may repay their cost many times. Even so, types of country may be found where the most, skillful use of the best of pictures will produce results so meager as to render the cost of aerial photography entirely unwarranted.

Jan 1, 1928

By W. J. Keep

Cast-iron, or pig-iron, is iron which contains all the carbon that it could absorb during its reduction in the blast-furnace. As is well-known to chemists, carbon exists in cast-iron in two distinct forms. In chemical union, as "combined" carbon, it cannot be discerned, except as it may increase the whiteness of the fracture, in so-called white iron, or carburetted iron (sp. gr. about 7.72). Carbon mechanically mixed with the iron as graphite is visible, varying in color from gray to black, while the fracture of the iron, according to the color and amount of graphite it contains, ranges from a light to a very dark gray. The specific gravity of graphitic iron is about 7.40. Silicon in cast-iron is evidently to some extent combined with the iron and the carbon ; but whether it exists also in a form corresponding with graphitic carbon, mechanically mixed with the remaining mass, is a question still in dispute, which we have not in this paper endeavored to answer. It has been the opinion of many writers on metallurgy, and many foundry men, that silicon is in every way injurious to cast-iron. Yet

Jan 1, 1889

By Donald A. Brobst

The minerals barite (BaSO4 barium sulfate) and witherite (BaCO3 barium carbonate) are the chief commercial sources of the element barium and its compounds whose many uses are nearly hidden among the technical complexities of modern industrial processes and products. Barite, the major ore mineral, is extremely vital to the petroleum industry which in 1973 consumed at least 80% of the world's produc¬tion of 4.4 million tons as a major ingredient of the heavy fluid, called mud, that is circulated in rotary drilling of oil and gas wells. The re¬maining 20% of the barite production was consumed chiefly in the manufacture of barium chemicals and glass and as a pigment, filler, and extender. Barite occurs throughout much of the world and is available from three major geologic types of deposits-vein and cavity fill¬ing, residual, and bedded-in sufficient quantity at competitive prices to meet current demands. The world's demand for barite is expected to increase, and geologic circumstances are favor¬able for the discovery of new deposits of com¬mercial value. Witherite is much less common and abun¬dant than barite, although it is more desirable in many ways as a raw material for the pro¬duction of barium chemicals. The United States has not produced witherite since about 1950; England is currently the chief producer of witherite. End Uses Most of the world's barite production since 1926 has been used as a weighting agent for the muds circulated in rotary drilling of oil and gas wells. The muds fundamentally are mixtures of water, clay, and barite in different proportions that vary according to local reservoir condi¬tions. Muds with a specific gravity as great as 2.5 are used. The mud is pumped down the hollow drill stem, passes through the bit at the bottom of the hole, and rises to the surface in the space between the drill stem and the wall of the hole. In the course of this circulation the drill bit is cooled, cuttings are removed, the drill stem is lubricated, the walls of the hole are sealed, and the hydrostatic head of the column of weighted fluid helps to confine high oil and gas pressures. The latter feature aids in prevention of gushers, thus reducing both environmental pollution and waste of oil and gas resources as well as conserving the natural reservoir pressure for greater production and rate of recovery of the products contained in the rocks. Barite is particularly well suited for drilling mud because it is clean, easy to handle, soft (nonabrasive), heavy, virtually inert chemi¬cally, and relatively inexpensive compared to many other available heavy materials. Barite is used in the manufacture of glass in continuous tanks. The addition of barite ho¬mogenizes the melt and gives greater brilliance and clarity to the finished glass. Ground barite, both unbleached and bleached by sulfuric acid, is a common industrial filler, extender, and weighting agent. The rubber in¬dustry is a major consumer of barite as a filler. Barite also is added to bristolboard, heavy printing paper, playing cards, rope finishes, brake linings, clutch facings, plastics, and li¬noleum, to name but a few uses. Bleached barite has long been an extender in white lead paint because of its weight. The low index of refraction of barite, however, makes its ability to cover marks poorer than some other sub¬stances, but its low capacity for absorption of oil is a good feature. Off-color or unbleached barite can be used as a filler in colored paints. In the construction industry, some lump barite is used in concrete aggregate to weight down pipelines buried in marshy areas and to shield nuclear reactors. Because barite absorbs gamma radiation well, its use reduces the amount of expensive lead shielding otherwise

Jan 1, 1975

By B. N. Whittaker, C. J. Bonsall

The paper gives an account of the factors influencing the stability of coal mining tunnels and goes on to examine various bases of support and lining design of such tunnels in relation to geological and mining conditions. The different types of coal mining tunnels are compared and comments made regarding the factors influencing their choice and basic design features. Foremost amongst design considerations is the design method and special thought has been given to the validity of different formulae as related particularly to UK Carboniferous geological conditions. Emphasis is placed on the role of the stress field in relation to tunnel stability. Shape of mining tunnel has been investigated and conclusions drawn regarding the merits of different commonly excavated geometries from a stability point of view. Detailed design aspects pertaining to determination of tunnel lining strength and resulting stability are critically examined and current design methods are compared. Data from UK mining tunnels are included as the basis for comparison of these design methods.

Jan 1, 1983

By H. D. Merchant

NUMEROUS publications have examined hot hardness of metals and alloys. Some have studied creep in long-time hardness tests, few of which, however, were tested under a spherical indentor. 1-3 The results of Mulhearn and Tabor' indicate a parabolic-type creep for indium and lead, whereas Moore and Tabor2 how a logarithmic-type creep for indium. Similar semilog relationships between hardness and time have been found by Goffard and wheeler3 for magnesium, aluminum, and their alloys. In this note, the elevated-temperature hardness of some complex alloys, shown in Table I, was examined to discover whether any basic information about the deformation behavior of the alloys could be obtained. One of the alloys, H-13 alloy steel, was tested for short-time creep tests to examine the hardness-time relationship at various temperatures. A standard Brinell Hardness Tester, mounted with an appropriate furnace and 99 pct A12O3 poly-crystalline indentor, was employed for the purpose. The alloys were tested at temperatures from room to 1400°F for 30 sec under 1500-kg load. The creep studies were conducted for about 8500 sec at 7l°, 500°, 1000°, and 1200°F. For constants A and B, a relationship of the type H = Aexp(-BT) [ll was obtained for all alloys between hardness, H, and temperature, T. In the semilogarithmic plot, the data points for each alloy were arranged into two groups, each group on a straight line with a specific set of A and B values. These results are in agreement with many such observations on hot hardness, notably those of Westbrook for pure metals,4 The thermal softening coefficient, B, and transition temperature, Tt, for various alloys are shown in Table I. The change in slope around the transition temperature suggests an apparent change in the mechanism of deformation, probably from the shear (below Tt) to the diffusion type of mechanism. At the temperatures above Tt, for constants A' and B, a relationship of the type was obtained between H and T, Fig. 1. The nature of the equation, where R is gas constant, suggests the possibility of a thermally activated mechanism of deformation above Tt. The constant B' may hence be defined as the apparent activation energy of indentation. The B' values of various alloys are shown in Table I. A plot of B vs B' gives a curvilinear relation shown in Fig. 2. The indentation-creep data for H-13 alloy steel is shown in Fig. 3. At 71" and 500°F, the creep initially follows the logarithmic time law. However, the indentation size stabilizes after 7 sec at 71°F, and after 10 sec at 500°F. Further increase in loading time has no effect on indentation size. The creep of 1000° and 1200°F follows the logarithmic time law for the first 1000 sec, after which the

Jan 1, 1964

William Kent, New York, N. Y.:—The Institute may congratulate itself on the opportunity of reading the splendid address of President Brunton. It is an admirable summary of the progress that has been made in the mining and metallurgical arts in recent years. The paper rightly gives the chief credit for this progress to the aid which has been rendered to these arts by the advances in mechanics, chemistry, and electricity. It is notable that most of the headings in Mr. Brunton's address refer to the work of the mechanical engineer, the electrical engineer, and the chemist, rather than to that of the specialist in mining-operations. It seems that the most successful mining engineer of the present day is the one who makes the most intelligent application of the inventions and designs of engineers and others who are not directly engaged in mining. A tabulation of the headings of the address, grouped as below, shows this most clearly. Work of the Mechanical Engineer—Rock-drills, hoisting-machinery, tramming, pumping, ventilation, dredging, Sampling, concentration, briquetting, fume-recovery. Work of the Electrical Engineer—Electric machinery for hoisting, pumping, tramming, lighting and signaling, electric transmission, electric smelting. Work of the Chemist and Metallurgist—Explosives, chlorina-tion, cyanidation, roasting, lead-smelting, and copper-smelting. Work of the Geologist—Economic geology. Work of the Mining Engineer—Mine-mapping, surface-mining, timbering, tunneling; and planning and supervision of the work in general. The mining engineer of the present day, who is in responsible charge of a large plant, finds his chief work not in doing those things he was trained to do as a specialist, but in making use of the knowledge of geologists, chemists, and electrical and

Jan 1, 1910