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By S. H. Cathcart

Price, production and drilling operations exceeded any year since 1930. A top price for crude of $2.55 was maintained from May 1 to November 6 and increased activity about coincides with that period. The average crude price for the year was: Bradford, $2.46; Kane-Butler, $2.34; Southwest Pennsylvania, $2.13. Production for the year exceeded 15 million barrels, an increase of about 2 million barrels over 1933. That this increase was more than justified by market demand is indicated by a reduction of 892,000 bbl. in stocks for the year. Two classes of data appear on Table 1, which are differentiated by footnote references. Where possible the .figures were obtained from individuals and companies that, from long acquaintance and varied contacts, are most capable of supplying an estimate where an estimate is necessary. The remaining data represent a rather careful compilation from all available published records (see p. 378). Drilling operations and production as summarized by the Oil City Derrick are as shown on Table 2.

Jan 1, 1935

By David Cole

The appearance of the Wilfley table in 1897 marked an epoch in the art of concentration of ores. The table has merited and received an almost unprecedented measure of public approval, lasting through its whole patent life. It has been very little improved in itself, or improved upon by competitors. The new machines bidding for popular favor have been of the Wilfley family, but without ability to do markedly better work than the parent machine, or to do more work except by the use of superimposed decks, the latter having obvious disadvantages. During the past three years there has been developed at Morenci a new type or arrangement of riffles applicable to the Wilfley type of concentrating table which corrects many of the objectionable features or limitations of the older system and obviates most of the difficulties encountered with it, particularly when handling ores having a low ratio of concentration. The new type is known as the Butchart1 riffle system, and its general arrangement is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The old system accomplished stratification satisfactorily but has

Jan 1, 1915

By Karl Cohen

The question of attainment of competitive nuclear electric power is of interest to uranium producers because the rate of attainment of this goal determines the date when there will be a solid, non-political, domestic uranium market. It is a burning question to those of us in the civilian nuclear power business, because our entire business future hinges on how well, and how soon, we can make electricity from nuclear reactions at prices comparable to electricity from coal. For an idea of the magnitudes involved, consider that the first fuel load of the Dresden (Illinois) nuclear power station, plus spares, will be about 90 tons of 1.5 pct UO2. This requires about two-and- a-half times as much natural uranium oxide feed to the diffusion plant, or 225 tons. This, in turn, represents about a month's production from the nearby Uranium Reduction Co. mill. Note also that the 180,000 kw electric output of the Dresden station will be about 0.1 pct of the national electric generating capacity in 1960.

Jan 12, 1958

By Rupert Spivey

Kennecott Copper's Chino mine is one of the oldest copper mines in the United States, having been operated by the Spaniards as early as 1800. At that time haulage methods were indeed primitive. Indians brought the ore up on "chicken ladders" in leather buckets. It was then melted into crude bars and hauled to Chihuahua by mule train. There are still remnants of the old trails near the present pit where the mule hooves cut grooves in solid rock. The mines were worked as underground operations off' and on until open-pit mining was started in 1910 by John Sully and Daniel C. Jackling. Since that time many haulage methods have been used: mule carts, steam and electric trains and finally large haulage trucks, now believed to be the best method for this mine. The general shape of the pit is oval with dimensions of 1% miles by 1% miles. Working benches are 50 ft high, with the bottom bench at 5750 ft and the top at 6450 ft above sea level.

Jan 1, 1964

By R. G. Carlson, F. E. Westermann

HOT pressing of powder particles has gained importance recently, since it affords a method in which high densities are rapidly attained. In a recent study on hot pressing of alumina powders, Mangsen, Lam-bertson, and Best1 have shown within the limits of their experiment, the validity the rate equation for densification in hot pressing, originally proposed by Murray, Livey, and Williams.2 i.e., where D = fraction of theoretical density, t = time, P = pressure and 77 is the viscosity, all in appropriate units. This equation was derived from earlier work of Shuttleworth and Mackenzie3 which is based on the closing of spherical pores under the action of surface tension. The integrated form of this equation yields a straight-line relation between log (1 - D) and t. Such conditions were found by Felten4 to be true only after extended periods of pressing. In an endeavor to quantitatively evaluate the exactitude of this equation in the initial sintering stage, i.e., prior to sealing of the pores, spherical anti-

Jan 1, 1962

By T. D. Yensen, N. A. Ziegler

The elements aluminum,' arsenic,2 silicon,3 tin2 and vanadium,~.~ when used in relatively small amounts as alloying elements, seem to have a beneficial effect on the magnetic properties of iron—i. e., they increase the maximum permeability and decrease the coercive force—whereas there are definite indications that boron,5 carbon,6 nitrogen: oxygen," phosphorus16 sulfur6 and titaninum,~ as well as the metals of and adjacent to the ferromagnetic group, nickel,~ cobalt,1° copper," and manganese,% have a detrimental effect on these properties. The effects of calcium4 and magnesium4 are small, if any, while the effect of chromium12 in small amounts is unknown and in large amounts is generally detrimental. WeveR's Classification13 All chemical elements may be divided into three classes based on their effect on the allotropic transformation points of iron. Class 1 contains the nonmetallic elements (except phosphorus) and these lower the A3 point and raise the A4 point. Class 2 contains the common metals and

Jan 1, 1931

By V. C. Allen

THE Tri-State Zinc, Inc., Galena, Ill., was confronted with the problem of securing ore from a deposit because the hoisting shaft was several thousand feet from the mill. The orebody is several thousand feet long, averaging 200 ft in width and 60 ft in height and opened up by vertical shafts some 300 ft deep. Mining is by the room-and-pillar method. During the initial operation the ore was loaded by conventional electric 1/2 -yd boom-and-dipper shovels and hauled to the shaft by 8-ton diesel trucks. This underground ore loading and hauling was well adapted to the conditions and productive of low costs per ton. However, with the mill situated as mentioned, a triple handling of all broken rock was necessary: 1-from the stope to the shaft by truck, 2-up the shaft by skip or can into the surface hopper, and 3-by truck from the surface hopper to the crushing plant at the mill. In addition to the repeated handling, serious troubles were encountered during the winter because of freezing in the shaft hopper.

Jan 6, 1951

By E. I. Salkovitz, F. W. von Batchelder

AS Slawson1 and others have already shown, from a geometrical view twinning in the diamond structure may be considered as a reflection across a (111) plane or as a reflection across a (112) plane. An analysis by Ellis and Treuting2 showed that the twinning plane must be the (111) plane, but that a twin might have lateral boundaries along (112) planes. Earlier Slawson1 and Ellis3 had shown that only (111) twinning was present in diamond and germanium respectively. Since an ingot of silicon, 1 in. in diam and 1 1/2 in. long, prepared from Dupont silicon to which 0.2 pct Be had been added was available, it was examined for twinning. The ingot had been cooled slowly from the bottom. A section 1/16 in. thick was ground off from the bottom and then the ingot was sliced vertically through the center. Spectrographic analysis indicated only faint traces of iron and silver, in addition to the beryllium. The sample was first etched with a hot solution of 10 pct NaOH in water.and photographed. Back-reflection Laue patterns were made of the vertical and horizontal sections in the regions designated in Fig. 1. Orientations were obtained for each twin using the Greninger technique. Several regions of the same orientation were found; thus regions A and K were identical, similarly N and P, and C, G, J, and L. Knowing the angles between the traces of the twinning plane on the surface and the specimen axis, the indices of the twinning plane were deduced. In all cases the twinning plane was found to be (111); lateral boundaries, however, were found which were (112) such as the one indicated in Fig. 1. Therefore, as in the case of diamond1 and germanium' only (111) twinning occurs in silicon. We wish to thank Mr. Hino for the use of the ingot as well as for its metallographic preparation. References 1C. B. Slawson: American Mineralogist (1950) 35, p. 193. 2 W. C. Ellis and R. C. Treuting: Trans. AIME (1951) 191, p. 53; Journal of Metals (January 1951). 3W. C. Ellis: Trans. AIME (1950) 188, p. 886; Journal of Metals (June 1950).

Jan 1, 1953

By AIME AIME

The following persons have been proposed for election as members or associates of the Institute during March and April, 1908. Their names are published for the information of members and associates, from whom the Committee on Membership earnestly invites confidential communications, favorable or unfavorable, concerning these candidates. A sufficient period (varying in the discretion of the Committee, according to the residence of the candidate) will be allowed for the reception of such communications, before any action upon these names by the Committee. After the lapse of this period, the Committee will recommend action by the Council, which has the power of final election.

Jan 5, 1908

By John B. Campbell, George G. Binder, Loren H. Jenks

Conventional methods of producing crude oil generally leave in the depleted reservoir 1 to 3 bbl of oil for every barrel brought to the surface. This paper describes a field test which explores the possibility of using gas-driven liquid propane to improve oil recovery efficiency. Laboratory theoretical and experimental studies leading to the field test indicated that low residual oil values could be obtained using limited amounts of propane driven by gas. The field test involved (I) repressuring the reservoir to the vapor pressure of liquid propane, (2) injecting the liquid propane, and (3) injecting dry natural gas to drive the propane and oil to the producing wells. Considerable preliminary work, including new drilling, work-overs, and a pressure survey was necessary. During the test, oil production rates have averaged about nine times the final primary rates. The field average GOR is still below the pre-test value. Oil recovery to date is 112,000 STB. About one-third of the 143,-000 bbl of propane injected has been produced to date. Results of the C-2 block test are encouraging and larger, more definitive field projects ore indicated. INTRODUCTION The cost of finding new crude oil reservoirs continues to increase. Today the oil industry is drilling more and deeper wells and making fewer big discoveries. Nevertheless, the demand for oil and oil products increases each year. It is natural that oil companies, faced with this situation, concentrate on recovering more of the oil existing in our known crude oil reservoirs. There is room for much improvement. For every barrel of oil brought to the surface by present day methods of producing crude oil, generally 1 to 3 bbl are left behind in the depleted reservoirs. The "unrecoverable" oil in petroleum reservoirs is largely "trapped" by capillarity. Since flushing with a solvent is exceedingly effective in combatting oil loss due to capillarity, much effort in this direction has been made in recent years1,2,3,4,5. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has been suggested as a relatively inexpensive. abundant, easily recoverable solvent for crude. Some operators have observed striking responses in oil recovery at production wells offsetting input wells in LPG storage reservoirs6,7,8. In spite of the low unit cost of LPG, however, it is uneconomic in general to inject a volume of LPG into a reservoir to remove a like volume of oil. A modification of solvent flushing in which a limited quantity of liquid propane is gas driven through a reservoir appears capable of recovering much more than 1 bbl of oil per barrel of propane injected. Also, most of the propane injected should be recoverable for sale or re-use. Since such a process could well have widespread and profitable application, The Carter Oil Co. is making an extensive evaluation of the technique's possibilities. Laboratory development of the gas-driven propane recovery technique was sufficiently encouraging to justify testing in the field. Since 1952, the Production and Research Departments of The Carter Oil Co. have cooperated in a field test in the C-2 Block leases of the

Jan 1, 1958

By Klaus Detert, Joseph Ziebs

The progress of primary recrystallization has been studied in alloys of nickel with 0.01, 0.1, and 1.0 at. pct Ta. It can be shown that in one particular alloy containing 0.1 Ta and 0.02 02 a large grain structure (0.5 mm diameter) could he developed by primary recrystallization in thin sheetswhich were cold-worked to 97.5 pct reduction in thickness. Electron transmission microscopy demmstrates that this phenonmena was linked to the occurrence of fine precipitates at subboundaries. A discussion of how fine precipitates can exert under certain circumstances a rather distinct retarding effect on nucleation rate is included. IN a former investigation, the recrystallization and texture formation in a series of binary nickel alloys including pure nickel were studied.' Nickel alloys with some tantalum added displayed peculiarities during primary recrystallization which have been studied in more detail by the present investigation. The alloys were prepared by powder-metallurgy techniques similar to the previous investigations.' Pure metal powders were thoroughly mixed to obtain alloys with 0.01, 0.1, and 1.0 at. pct Ta, referred to as alloy A, B, or C, respectively. The metallic impurities were kept below 0.005 at. pct except iron and cobalt with slightly higher values, by using highly purified nickel and tantalum powders.' The mixtures were pressed into bars and sintered at a temperature of 1300°C. The sintering atmosphere was either high vacuum, dry hydrogen, or wet hydrogen. The sintered rectangular bars were rolled 60 pct to a thickness of 3 mm, then annealed under dry hydrogen at 1000°C and again cold-rolled to about 97.5 pct reduction of thickness. After this heavy deformation, the sheet thickness was 0.07 5 mm. In order to study primary recrystallization which occurred in measurable times between 400" and 600°C, samples of the rolled sheets were annealed in a salt bath at various temperatures for various times in order to study the progress of recrystallization by hardness measurements and microscopic examination. For optical observation, the samples were polished and etched in a solution of 65 cu cm HNO3, and 18 cu cm acetic acid in 20 to 100 cu cm H2O, depending of the particular sample and annealing treatment. For transmission electron microscopic observations, thin foils were prepared by the combined window and Bollmann techniques.273 The electrolyte consisted of 23 pct perchloric acid and 77 pct acetic acid held at 15°C. Polishing was performed at a current density of 0.4 amp per sq cm. The examination of the thin films was accomplished by a Siemens Elmiscope-type electron microscope operating with an accelerating voltage of 100 kv. RESULTS The progress of primary recrystallization was very accurately followed in these alloys in order to establish the time when recrystallization started and ended during an isothermal anneal. Table I gives some of the data obtained by these studies. The time for beginning is a mean value, where somewhat less than 5 pct of the matrix has recrys-tallized. The end of recrystallization is the time when at least 95 pct of the matrix has recrystal-lized. Listed are three different B alloys, with 0.1 Ta distinguished by different sintering atmospheres which influence the rate of primary recrystallization. By the above method, the state of the grain structure when primary recrystallization was completed, but grain coarsening had not started, could be clearly defined. The average grain diameter of the recrystallized matrix is also given in Table I. The grain size did not depend on the temperature of the isothermal anneal. With one exception the grain size of the primary recrystallized matrix was found to be rather fine

Jan 1, 1965

By P. S. Kotval, H. Hahell

PRECIPITATION of M23C6 carbides at grain boundaries in austenitic steels and nickel base superalloys has received considerable attention. Hatwell and Berghezan,1 in a study using carbon extraction replicas, observed that dendritic growth of the M23C6 carbide phase occurred at grain boundaries in austenitic steels. Merrick and Nicholson2 have observed that in thin foils of "Nimonic 75" alloy the precipitation of M23C6 carbide was discontinuous at grain boundaries. Lewis and Hattersley3 have suggested that the type of M23C6 precipitation observed in Ni-Cr austenites represented the early stages of discontinuous precipitation. In a more recent study, Singhal and Martin4 have concluded that grain boundary M23C6 precipitation involves the migration of an austenite grain boundary by a mechanism very similar to that proposed by Tu and Turnbull.5 Tu and Turnbull's suggestion essentially involves grain boundary migration under the driving force arising from the difference between the surface free energies of the opposite sides of the plate. Thus, Singhal and Martin's observation4 implies that the first stage of discontinuous precipitation has taken place and that the grain boundary has provided a diffusion short circuit for the sub-stitutional solute atoms (principally chromium) which assist the preferential growth of the M23C6 plate in contact with the grain boundary. However, no evidence of the characteristic cellular morphology typical of discontinuous precipitation was found in Singhal and Martin's studies. Presumably, this is due to the low volume fraction (i.e., low supersaturation of solute) of the precipitating carbide reported by Singhal and Martin.4 Recently, Raymond6 has studied precipitation of the M23C6 carbide in Incoloy alloy 825 and shown that the growth of this phase is perpendicular to grain boundaries at 1400°F and in the plane of the grain boundary at 1700°F. The former aging condition resulting in discontinuous or "cellular" precipitation. Raymond has suggested an explanation for this behavior based on the relative rates of chromium diffusion by volume and grain boundary diffusion at the two different aging temperatures. In the course of a recent investigation on precipitation behavior in several ' strengthened superalloys, precipitation of M23C6 carbide at grain boundaries was studied. Under conditions of a high degree of supersaturation, the M23C6 carbide precipitates in the discontinuous or cellular morphology in Waspalloy (Ni-18.51 Cr-2.0 Fe-3.53 Mo-1.16 Al-2.78 Ti-0.09 C). This note presents electron microscopy observations of this mode of precipitation and its effect on mechanical properties. Specimens of Waspalloy after "solution" heat treatment at 1950°F show essentially single phase matrix with a few residual particles of "primary" MC carbide. In normal commercial heat treatments, precipitation of Ni3(Al,Ti) ordered fcc r' phase occurs throughout the matrix and M23C6 precipitates as globular particles at the grain boundaries. In these commercial heat treatments the degree of supersaturation during precipitation is low. However, if specimens of Waspalloy are quenched from the solution heat treatment temperature of 1950°F and then aged at an aging temperature where the degree of supersaturation is high, discontinuous precipitation of M23C6 occurs. Figs. 1 and 2 show thin foil micrographs of Waspalloy, solution heat treated at 1950°F, water quenched, and aged at 1292° and 1598°F, respectively, for 500 Fig. 1—Thin foil of Waspalloy, solution heat treated at 1950°F for 1 hr, water quenched, and aged for 500 hr at 1292°F. Magnification 15,500 times. Fig. 2—Thin foil of Waspalloy, solution heat treated at 1950°F for 1 hr, water quenched, and aged for 114 hr at 1598° F. Magnification 13,000 times.

Jan 1, 1970

By Che, C. W. Spencer, C. A. Steidel, Yu Li

Grain boundary grooving as it occurs in a 5.5-deg simple-tilt nickel bicrystal immersed in a saturated Ni-S liquid has been studied. A 1/3 (t= time) dependence for the depth of the groove indicates that the rate -controlling meckanism for groove developvnent is volume diffusion in the liquid. The activation energy for the diffusive process is estimated at 15 kcal per mole. Using an extended form of W. W. Mullins&apos; analysis for grooving reactions, a computer is employed to fit the appropriate diffusion equation by a numerical method. From the analysis a possible method of measuring L.S. the solid-liquid interfacial tension is demonstrated. WHEN a polycrystalline solid is heated in equilibrium with a saturated fluid phase, grooves will form at the intersections of the grain boundaries and surface. The equilibrium root angle of these grooves is determined by the balance between the grain boundary and solid-fluid interfacial tensions. The grooves deepen and widen with time due to a difference in chemical potential between the flat interface and the curved interface of the groove. In this investigation solid-liquid interaction at a grain boundary is studied, with the object to determine the mechanism of grain boundary grooving in the presence of a saturated liquid. Extension of Mullin analysis then permits the estimation of the solid-liquid interfacial tension. Herring has demonstrated by dimensional analysis that the quasi-steady state change of the dimensions of a small particle during sintering is proportional flow, evaporation-condensation, volume-diffusion, and surface-diffusion mechanisms, respectively, if geometric similarity of consecutive configurations of the particles holds. Mullins has extended this analysis to grain boundary grooving. In the case of shallow grooves he solves the diffusion equations for evaporation-condensation, volume-diffusion, and surface-diffusion mechanisms, and obtains the same time dependence for any linear dimension of a groove as Herring found for the change in dimension of small particles. In Mullins&apos; analysis2&apos;3 grain boundary grooving of a bicrystal by volume diffusion in the presence of a saturated fluid phase was considered. Several assumptions were made prior to the analysis: 1) the solid-fluid interfacial tension is independent of crystallographic orientation; 2) the Gibbs-Thompson equation relating curvature and chemical potential is applicable at the solid-fluid interface; 3) the relaxation time of the diffusion field is small compared with the time for appreciable changes in the curvature of the groove, so that the diffusion is divergence-less; and 4) the groove has a small slope relative to the initial flat interface. Usually this last condition is fulfilled only for solid-gas systems. The solution of the diffusion equation under the above conditions produces a t1/3 dependence for any linear dimension of the groove in the case where volume diffusion is rate-controlling. The t1/3 dependence is valid because geometric similarity of the grooves exists for all time. EXPERIMENT In the experiment a 5.5-deg nickel bicrystal of <100> simple-tilt orientation was used.4 Grooving was studied in the presence of a saturated Ni-S liquid alloy as a function of time at 750°, 800°, 850°, and 900°C. A low-angle bicrystal was chosen for study to insure that 2L.S. > .b., where l.s.

Jan 1, 1964

By Eugene F. Broome, Hugh A. Walls

Self-diffusion coefficients were measured using the modified shear cell technique over a temperature range from 31" to 401°C. These data agree within experimental error with those of Petit and Nachtrieb, which were determined from 30°to 99°C. LIQUID self-diffusion behavior in gallium has been studied previously by Petit and Nachtrieb&apos; using their shear cell technique.&apos; Data were obtained in that investigation over temperatures ranging from 30.6 to 98.7"C, and these comprise the only published data for liquid gallium. In the work reported here, diffusion data were obtained from 30.8 to 400-9.Cusing a shear cell technique different from that of Petit and Nachtrieb. This modified shear cell method and the mathematical analysis for diffusion in a finite capillary geometry have been previously described.3 PROCEDURES AND ANALYSIS The segments of the modified shear cell were fabricated from types 304 and 316 stainless steel. No corrosion problems with gallium were encountered until attempts were made to obtain data at 500°C. The diffusion capillary diameter was 1.59 mm and capillary lengths for the four sets of cell segments used are given in Table I. Gallium with a purity of 99.999 wt pct was obtained from Var-Lac-Oid Chemical Co. The gallium-72 isotope used to measure the self-diffusion coefficients was produced from this inert gallium by irradiation in The University of Texas Reactor Facility, and was checked for radiochemical purity. Following a period of isothermal diffusion controlled to within 0.0l°C, the contents of each capillary section were emptied into a counting planchet, weighed to assure that gallium had not been lost during handling, and the radioactivity determined by windowless gas-flow proportional counting. Great care was taken to obtain a reproducible counting geometry for the samples. Diffusion coefficients were obtained from the solu-tion3 to the diffusion equation for the modified shear cell problem, viz.: in which B2= C2(t)Li + L2)- CSL1-COL2 P* (C0-Cs)(L1+ L2) and L, and L2 are the capillary segment lengths. The step-function initial concentration distribution was expressed as C(x,O) = C, for -L1 = x < 0 and C(x,O) = Co for 0 < x 5 L?. Also, C2(0 = ^- fcix,t)dx Computation of the diffusion coefficients was done numerically as described in our earlier paper.3 Because of the short half-life of gallium-72 (14.1 hr) and the relatively long counting times taken to give a precise value of the diffusion coefficient, it was necessary to account for the radioactive decay both during the actual count and between counts for different samples (before and after diffusion). Thus, the average count rate Cz(t) for a second sample counted from times t3 to t4 can be made consistent with the average rate Co determined for a first sample counted from times t1 to t2 by the relationship: N(e-»i-e-M») , , C2(f) " &-«,)(*-«.-«-»«) [21 in which N is the total number of counts taken and is the decay constant. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The self-diffusion coefficients determined in this investigation are listed in Table 11. Values of the parameters used to calculate the coefficients are given in the table, as are values of the random counting error &apos; for the concentration ratio pz and the corresponding expected random variation AD in the diffusion coefficient. The quantity is calculable from: &apos;Cg — C2(t)} , „ ,2 .-„¦, M co-csl(ACs)J W in which AC is the error in the individual count rate. The mean values of the diffusion coefficients within each temperature group are also given in Table 11. Such temperature groupings of data are reasonable because of the small variations between the temperature~.~

Jan 1, 1970

By D. B. Robinson, J. Lukacs

A knowledge of the equilibrium water content of hydrocarbon systems under pressure is important to the natural gas industry. The information available on the solubility of water in hydrocarbon, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon dioxide systems is reviewed in this paper and the influence of the more important variables such as temperature, pressure and molecular structure on solubility in liquids and gases is discussed. A suitable cbromatographic technique has been developed for determining low concentrations of water. Tailing of the water peaks has been elim inated by adding water to the carrier gas stream The method is applicable for both gas or liquid samples and is effective in the presence of hydrogen sulfide. The experimental study of water solubility in methane-hydrogen sulfide systems at a temperature of 16oF has shown that the presence of hydrogen sulfide causes only a modest increase in water content at pressures up to 1,400 psia. Theoretical considerations and data on pure hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide suggest that the effect of both these compounds will be greater at higher pressures and in the liquid phase. INTRODUCTION Before transporting or processing natural gases and gas condensates, it is usually necessary to dry them using suitable dehydration equipment. The design and operation of this equipment requires a knowledge of the amount of water present in the fluid at the reservoir and operating conditions. This is influenced by temperature, pressure and composition, particular1y when certain non-hydrocarbon components are present. Field experience indicates that hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide, for example, alter the usual water solubility relationships appreciably. However, an extensive search of the literature does not reveal any quantitative data on such systems. For sweet natural gases, generalized empirical correlations such as the one proposed by Katz, et al,6 can be used to predict water solubility with confidence at most temperatures and pressures of interest. However, existing theoretical relationships do not permit a calculation of the deviation from these curves when polar substances like hydrogen sulfide are present in the system. Thus one must resort to an experimental approach to obtain the necessary information. The fact that laboratory experimental methods frequently involve the use of mercury which reacts with hydrogen sulfide in the presence of water, and that hydrogen sulfide interferes with many chemical reactions specific for water has contributed to the difficulty of studying water solubility in systems containing hydrogen sulfide. In this investigation the water content of a limited member of methane-hydrogen sulfide mixtures was determined using a special technique with gas chromatography. REVIEW OF PUBLISHED DATA Experimentally determined water solubility data have been reported for methane, 14 ethane, 15 propane, 9 n-butane, 16 1-butene, 11 hydrogen sulfide 18 and carbon dioxide. 19 These studies report the effect of pressure, temperature and molecular structure on water solubility in single component gases and liquids. Fig. 1 compares experimentally determined water solubilities in several hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide at l00F as taken from this

By F. H. Wilson

Copper base alloys containing various amounts of aluminum and silicon are of considerable commercial interest. In particular the alloy containing 7 pct aluminum and 2 pet silicon shows an attractive combination of high strength with excellent, machinability. Since there is no evidence ill the literature that this ternary system has been studied since the recognition by Smith1 and Anderson2 in 1939 of the kappa phase of the binary copper-silicon system, the determination of the equilibrium phase relationships in the copper corner of the ternary diagram has been undertaken to provide a fundamental basis for understanding the behavior of these alloys. Phase boundaries have been determined by the micrographic examination of quenched samples while points on the liquidus surface have been obtained by thermal analysis. The results, of sufficient precision to serve their major purpose of providing a guide for the control of the manufacture of alloys in the region covered, are presented in a series of both isothermal and vertical sections of the diagram. Alloys StVdied For a rough survey of the copper corner of this ternary system the compositions listed in Table I (Series A) were employed. The results of examinations of these alloys indicated that the compositions listed in Table 2 (Series B) would further clarify regions of greater complexity. All alloys were prepared as 1200 g heats, the copper being melted under charcoal, and then first silicon and then aluminum were added. An excess of 0.05 pet silicon was allowed to cover deoxidation losses. Two small bars 5/8 by 1 1/4 by 5 1/4 in. were cast using Durville type casting equipment. Ailalyses were made on all alloys using material which was hot-rolled at 800 or 850°C and annealed 17 hr at 650°C. All analyses were found to be within 0.05 pet of the nominal composition. Since the precision of analysis is not much better than this, the points of both isothermal sections and vertical sections at fixed aluminum and silicon contents have been plotted at the compositions indicated by the nominal composition.

Jan 1, 1949

By John Croston

IN the closing months of 1936 the copper industry gave every evidence that it was at last on the threshold of an improved era. At the beginning of the year prices stood at 9 1/4¢, which in itself was a great improvement over prices prevailing for the three previous years. Industry generally was showing signs of moving forward in this country, and business was definitely good in certain foreign quarters. The threat of war and prep-arations for rearmament in Europe and Asia acted as a further stimulus purchasing. By midsummer the situation had so improved and stocks to been so reduced that the cartel of foreign producers (including American producers with foreign mines) decided to increase the produc-tion quota to 75 per cent on Aug. 1. Large-scale buying gave continued strength to the price and by Oct. 1 the quota was increased to 80 per cent, and again on Oct. 15, to 85 per cent. Notwithstanding this the price of copper continued its advance and on Nov. 1, with stocks declining con-tinuously, the cartel increased operations to 95 per cent, then to 105 per cent on Nov. 5. In the meantime the domestic producers, because of the great increase in home consumption, had increased their production by nearly one-half. At the close of the year copper sold at 120 per pound, and since the turn of the present year has reached 170. This rapid increase has not been wholly justified. Much of the increase was due to the legitimate demands of recovering industry, but rearmament orders plus accumulation of reserve stocks in case of war, purchases in anticipation of labor strikes and purely speculative activities on the London Metal Exchange accounted for the balance. Certainly in view of the state of industry and the general world price level, it appears unnecessarily high. Talk of a copper shortage is sheer nonsense, the recent condition in the market being created by overbuying, leaving but a small volume for speculative supplies. It takes some months for an increase in mine output to reach the market, but production is again overtaking apparent consumption, stocks have begun to increase, and this, together with the reopening of many small

Jan 1, 1937

By J. D. Braun, C. W. Powell

Diffusion between gold and indium at two temperatures below the melting point of indium (155.4oC) was investigated. The major, component of the diffusion zone was determined to be AuIn2; the other, intermediate phases in the system occur in much narrower layers In order of decreasing layer width these are: Au9In4, AuIn, Au4In. Inter diffusion coefficients of the four intermediate phases and the terminal solid solutions lie in the range of 2.4 x 10-l3 to 1.8 x 10-11 sq cm per sec. WHEN two metals which do not form a continuous series of solid solutions interdiffuse, each phase in equilibrium at the diffusion temperature should appear as a separate layer in the diffusion zone. In the Au-In system, diffusion plays a significant part in many commercial applications, particularly where indium alloys are used as solders for electrical contacts with very fine gold wire, for estab- lishing electrical contact to thin metallic films, and for mounting metal-coated piezoelectric crystals. A knowledge of the number, extent, and type of phases which form at diffusion temperatures below the melting point of indium, 155.4oC,1 and the diffusion constants for the system would be useful for these practical applications. Of more basic significance, additional information on polyphase diffusion in a system not previously investigated would be gained. The phase relationships in the Au-In system were determined primarily by Kubaschewski and Weibke1 and are based on thermal, microscopic, and X-ray analysis, Fig. 1. There are five intermediate phases in the system having approximate compositions corresponding to the formulas: Au4ln (ß)—80.0 at. pet Au; Au3In (?)— 75.0 at. pet Au; Au9In4 (d)—69.2 at. pet Au; AuIn—50.0 at. pet Au; AuIn2—33.3 at. pet Au. Solid solubility of indium in gold at 700°C is reported as 12.64 at. pet and at 406°C as 10.36 at. pet. No solid solubility of gold in indium is reported.

Jan 1, 1964

By H. Landsberg

IN a previous report1 it was pointed out that a successful attack on roof troubles has to be preceded by extensive scouting. As Lord Kelvin once said, scientific progress can be made only if accurate data are available: "unless you measure, you do not know.? THE CONVERGENCE RECORDER For the observation of roof movements in mines the convergence recorder has shown that it will enable us to get some of the necessary information. Results with convergence recorders were first published by Winstanley and other English investigators for rapidly moving longwall faces. In their investigations the speed of work and the heavy over-burden produced a considerable amount of absolute values of convergence in a short time. Under the conditions frequently encountered in our investigations in Central Pennsylvania, under shallow, overburden and in mines with slowly proceeding extraction, the movements observed were much less in absolute value, for an equal interval of time. This was partly because the mines in which our studies were carried on frequently had idle days, sometimes four or five in succession. Therefore continuous records were not employed and a simple convergence gauge was built. In its first models, it consisted only of two telescoping tubes pressed against roof and floor by a coil spring. At the side of the lower tube a rule divided into 1/-mm. divisions was fixed and a knife-edge, which was attached to the upper tube, was slid over the scale in case of convergence between roof and floor. While the larger motions could be read on this device, it seemed to be desirable to increase the accuracy by inserting between the two tubes a dial meter reading in 1/1000 in. Such a gauge was first built in April 1937 and installed for experimental purposes in a bituminous coal mine in Pennsylvania (Fig. 1). It was read at least once daily, 24 hr. apart, and if feasible at shorter intervals. After several months of experience it can be said that this type of gauge answers the scientific as well as the practical needs. It is easier to handle than the recorder; no clock is used, there are no pen troubles. The price of

Jan 1, 1938

By N. R. Pillai, T. R. Anantharaman

THE striking alterations in the constitution and structure of cast A1-Si alloys brought about by addition of small quantities of some elements, particularly sodium, have been extensively investigated. Many theories&apos; have also been propounded to explain this so-called lLmodification" process, but their main concern has been more to throw light on the action of sodium than to arrive at general criteria underlying this interesting as well as intriguing phenomenon. Such theories have generally dealt with one or more, but not all, factors that seem to have a direct or indirect influence on the cast structure of A1-Si alloys, e.g.., formation of ternary eutectic, removal of oxides, hydroxides, and so forth, by fluxing, morphological changes in silicon, and inhibition of growth of silicon grains through colloidal action, compound formation, preferential adsorption, or reduction of surface tension. Kim and Heine2 were the first to study the modification of A1-Si alloys in a systematic as well as comprehensive manner and to list the important characteristics of a satisfactory modifier. According to them, an important property of the modifying element is its capacity to form a stable compound with silicon in the appropriate temperature range. Other subsidiary requirements are that the element should get adequately dispersed in the melt at the inoculating temperature and also must not form stable compounds with aluminum. The alkali elements, with the exception of lithium, fulfill these requirements most satisfactorily and have been shown to be successful modifiers by these workers. Sodium is the most effective of these and seems to be in a class by itself for various reasons noted by earlier investigators.37 None of the other elements tried by Kim and Heine, viz., Mg, Ca, Cd, Zn, In, Pb, P, As, Bi, S, and Se, showed any significant modifying action. We wish to report here briefly on substantial modifications in cast eutectic A1-Si alloys brought about by some V group elements, which do not comply with the Kim-Heine requirements. Aluminum and silicon used in the present work were indigenous and had purities of 99.8 and 99.5 pct, re-

Jan 1, 1969