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By A. Kenneth Schellinger, O. Cutler Shepard

Overgrinding, Or the breaking of ore particles into sizes smaller than required for liberation, is a first-magnitude problem in grinding for concentration processes. The conventional ball mill-classifier circuit used in commercial grinding produces mineral particles that are all ground to pass an upper size limit, while the proportion of very fine sizes, or slimes, is uncon rolled. Calculations based on measurements made in commercial plants which were grinding ore for flotation concentration indicate that about go pct of the energy used in grinding is consumed in useless overgrinding.1 In addition to accounting for the consumption of a large amount of energy, over-grinding is detrimental to the flotation process. Overground slime coats larger partitles and inhibits selective action by the flotation reagents on particles which by themselves could be separated very well. A further difficulty is that extremely finely ground minerals do not respond satisfactorily to flotation-collecting reagents, and both selection and recovery decrease markedly with particles finer than 5 to 10 microns.2 conventional classifier-ball mill circuits inherently tend to overgrind the valuable minerals more than the gangue minerals because most valuable minerals are of higher density and are softer and more friable than the gangue minerals. The rem- edy to this situation would seem to be a separating mechanism which would separate free valuable mineral particles regardless of size and density considerations and a mechanism which would operate in the grinding mill so that valuable mineral grains would be removed from the grinding machine as soon as they are freed. A consideration of these ideas led the authors to the conception of a simultaneous grinding and flotation mechanism. So far as the authors are aware, such a machine has never been tried, even on a laboratory scale. Development oF Apparatus and Experimental Method Apparatus development went through several stages before a really workable machine was devised. Work was started with a large cast-iron mortar 7½ in. in diameter and 8 in- deep. A cast-iron disk Was mounted on the end of a vertical shaft SO that it fitted loosely into the bottom of the mortar. On top of the disk four radial cleats ¼ in. high were bolted to agitate the ball charge as the disk, or impeller, rotated. The vertical shaft was driven at 100 rpm by a mechanism improvised from an old coffee-mill type of grinder. A hole was drilled into the bottom of the mortar through which compressed air was introduced for frothing. In operation, more charges of Ore which had been crushed to pass an 8-mesh screen were placed in the bowl along with water and suitable reagents. The impeller was then started and the compressed air turned On so that the ore was ground while being exposed to air bubbles. Mineralized froth was

Jan 1, 1949

By P. G. Meikle, C. T. Holland

The effect of the condition of friction upon the ultimate unit compressive strength as determined between the compressed faces of precisely machined coal specimens and specially prepared testing platens has been examined. Reductions of 30 to 40% in the ultimate unit compressive strength of these model coal pillars have been verified when lubricants areused between the faces as compared to non-lubricated faces. Increase in unit compressive strength due to confinement at each of three levels of friction appears to follow generally the widely accepted "1/2 power law", i.e. S - C (L/T)1/2 where S is the unit ultimate strength, C is a constant dependent on the coal being tested and the coefficient of friction acting at the compression surfaces and L and T are the least width and thickness of the specimen, respectively. Results suggest that the surface condition of both the specimen and platens should be mentioned in detail in conjunction with compression testing, for although the term (L/T)1/2 is adequate for all practical purposes, the coefficient C is directly dependent on the condition of interfacial friction, all else remaining constant. One phase of the investigation of the confining effect of friction on the ultimate unit compressive strength of small coal specimens has recently been completed at the School of Mines of West Virginia University. The efficient control of ground is of fundamental importance to successful mining operations and the design of support pillars has always presented the mining engineer with a difficult and intriguing engineering problem. Since about the turn of the century, many investigators have performed extensive laboratory tests on small coal specimens in efforts to solve some of the perplexing problems of strata control and pillar action in coal mines. A detailed review of this work would serve no purpose here, but a brief mention of the more significant contributions is in order. Muller16 was perhaps the first to illustrate the effect of confining pressure on the strength of coal specimens in compression. His work has recently been more carefully expanded by the experiments of Murrell17 in Great Britain. Rice and Enzian l9 observed that as the size of cubical test specimens increased, the unit compressive strength decreased. These observations were later supplemented by Lawall and Holland, 13 by Greenwald4,5 et a1 at the U. S. Bureau of Mines, by Gaddy3 as well as by Steart,22 Millard15 et a1 and Evans2 et al. Gaddy3 seems to have been first to quantify this relationship with his equation: S = K/vd , where S - ultimate unit compressive strength (psi), K = a constant dependent on the coal, and D =edge dimension (in inches). Holland7 concluded that the strength of coal as affected by lateral dimensions and thickness could be expressed as where K = a coefficient dependent upon the coal, L = least width of pillar (in.) and T = thickness of pillar (in.). Data supplied by this formula have been compared to the estimated stresses in pillars that had been standing for long periods in coal mines and in the cases so far studied the results indicate that the formula predictions are sufficiently accurate for engineering purposes (Holland11 ). This equation therefore is believed to be the simplest and most accurate tool available at the present time for approximating the strength of a coal pillar (over a specified range of L/T) in situ. However, Holland7,9 has indicated that friction between the coal pillars and the top and bottom rock

Jan 1, 1965

By S. T. Wlodek

The surface and subscale oxidation reactions were followed by means of continuous weight-gain and metallographic techniques over the range 1600" to 2200°F (871° to 1204 °C) for up to 400 hr. Full identification of all scale and subscale reaction products was obtained by electron and X-ray diffraction. At or below 1800°F (982°C) a linear rate of reaction (QL = 46.0 kcal per mole) governed the oxidation process, extending for up to 100 hr at 1600°F (871 "C). During linear oxidation the surface scale consisted of an amorphous SiO2 film overgrown with Cr 2O 3 and NiCr204. This initial linear process was followed, and above 1800°F completely replaced, by two successive parabolic rate laws (Qp = 60 and 57 kcal per mole). This parabolic reaction involved the formation of a complex scale consisting of Cr2 O3 and smaller amounts of NiCr2O4. Parabolic oxidation appeared to coincide with the disruplion of the silica film present during linear oxidation and was followed by subscale (internal) oxidation of crystobalite and NiCr2O4. The balance between the subscale and surface oxidation reactions controls the oxidation of this commercial alloy. The amorphous silica film appears to result in the linear rate and diffusion through Cr2O3 is the more likely rate-limiting step during parabolic oxidation. THE oxidation of a multicomponent composition is a complex phenomenon not presently amenable to a rigorous classical interpretation. Nevertheless, even a qualitative understanding of the scaling and subscale reactions that occur in a commercial composition can illuminate the reactions that limit its high-temperature stability in an oxidizing environment. This study of the oxidation of Hastelloy Alloy X presents the first of a series of studies with the above approach in mind. Hastelloy X exhibits one of the best combinations of strength and oxidation resistance available in a wrought, solution-strengthened, nickel-base alloy. Although during long time exposure some precipitation of M6C and M23C8 carbides as well as a complex Laves phase occurs, the amounts are probably small enough to have no appreciable effect on the chemistry of the matrix. Radavich has identified the oxidation products on Hastelloy X oxidized for 5 min to 10 hr at 1115°F as NiO and the NiCr2O4 spinel. Oxidation for 5 to 15 min at 1500°F produced a scale of spinel, NiO, and a rhombohedra1 phase, probably Cr2Os. Sannier et 2. have reported continuous weight-gain data for Hastelloy X at 1650" and 2010°F and internal-oxidation measurements after 150 hr at 2010°F. In addition, much of the data on binary Ni-Cr alloys recently reviewed by Kubaschewski and okins' and Ignatov and Shamgunova4 as well as studies of binary Ni-Mo alloys5 are also pertinent to the oxidation of this composition. EXPERIMENTAL Continuous weight-gain measurements and metallographic measurements of subscale reactions were the main experimental techniques used in this study. X-ray and electron diffraction backed up by a limited amount of electron-microprobe analysis served to characterize the nature of the scale- and subscale-reaction products. Two heats of commercial sheet of the composition given in Table I and identified as A and B were used in the bulk of this study. Internal-oxidation measurements were made on a third heat of material in the form of a 0.5-in.-diam bar. In order to assure homogeneity, all heats were reannealed 4 hr at 2175°F prior to sample preparation. weight-Gain Measurement. All specimens (1.5 by 0.4 by 0.03 in.) were abraded through 600 paper, electropolished, and lightly etched in an alcohol-10 pct HCl solution. An electrolyte of 150 cu cm H,O, 500 cu cm HsPO4 (85 pct conc), and 3 g CrO3 at a current density of 0.9 amp per sq cm or a solution of 10 pct HaW4 in alcohol used at 4 v and 0.3 amp per sq cm was used for electropolishing. The resultant surface exhibited a finish of 3 ± 1 p rms. Continuous weight-gain tests were made at 1600°, 1700°, 1800°, 1900°, 2000", and 2200°F on auer' type balances capable of recording a total weight change of 110 mg with an accuracy of k0.1 mg. All tests were made in air dried to a dew point of -70°F and metered into the 2-in.-diam reaction

Jan 1, 1964

By Magnus Troilius

The importance of having methods for the rapid and accurate determination of manganese in modern steel manufacture cannot be overestimated. The method adopted in the laboratory of the Midvale Steel Works is very satisfactory, and I think it will be of interest to some of the members to give a description of it. Before giving the more detailed account of the manipulations, a review of some well-known methods and chemical facts may not be out of place. The " bromine and ammonia" process, as fully described in the tenth volume of the Transactions of this Institute, was certainly an improvement on the methods in which fixed alkaline salts were used, as these gave invariably too high resnlts, as generally carried out. But the separation of all the iron before the manganese was, in both methods, a source of great inconvenience and delay.

Jan 1, 1884

By John T. Ryan

DEFINITE improvement in its accident fatality rate in the coal-mining industry was recorded during 1941, based on preliminary figures for the period from January through October. Total production during this ten-month period was approximately 91 percent of the total production in all of 1940. The ten-month accident rate for both bituminous and anthracite mining in 1941 was 2.15 killed per million tons of coal mined, compared with a rate of 2.66 for the full year of 1940. The bituminous rate decreased from 2.55 in 1940 to 1.99 in ten months of 1941, and the anthracite rate from 3.62 to 3.53 in similar periods. The decrease is more apparent for the bituminous branch of the industry, as the high figure in 1940 was due to seven major disasters which brought death to 276 men. The same number of major explosions during ten months of 1941 caused only 64 lives to be lost. The severity of the explosions has been lower this year but a definite need still exists for reduction in this type of accident.

Jan 1, 1942

By C. E. Cottrell, G. W. Preckshot, N. D. Delisle, D. L. Katz

Most crude oils contain asphaltic substances that may be naturally or artificially precipitated. In the Greeley field, California, this asphaltic bitumen is precipitated during the flow of the oil from the reservoir to the stock tank The mechanism of such precipitation is not well understood. This paper presents the progress that has been made by using the electron microscope as a new tool and by observing the effects of the streaming potential on the formation of bitumen particles. Crude oils at atmospheric pressure viewed in the electron microscope in very thin films under a vacuum showed no asphaltic particles. A technique of preparing slides of thin films by dilution of the oil with benzene and washing in petroleum ether was used at first, and these observations showed that the solvents caused the formation of the particles, varying from 0.01 to 0.2 micron in diameter. The electrical effects of fluids flowing through porous solid were studied, with emphasis on the formation of colloidal particles by the streaming potential. The streaming potential of crude oil flowing through sand was measured and was shown to be responsible for the formation of bitumen particles. These results bring out a new phenomenon, which may occur when crude oil flows through the porous oil reservoir. mechanisms. Asphalt has been the subject of widespread investigation but, owing to the complexity of the substances being considered, progress has been slow. Investigators working primarily with the asphaltic substances have treated the subject from the colloidal standpoint and have developed theories that picture the asphaltic particles as surrounded by adsorbed materia1s.14,15,17,24 The deasphaltization of lubricating oil by the use of solvents treats the subject primarily from the standpoint of liquid-liquid equilibria.'' A complete understanding of asphaltic substances would make possible the following of the material from its initial state in the crude oil through precipitation processes to the final plastic stage, the most common form of which is used in asphaltic pavements. Since these asphaltic particles are very small, it appears 'hat the electron microscope4 might be a useful tool in studying the precipitation processes. Specimens are examined by the electron microscope in a vacuum and as very thin films, requiring special techniques in preparation of samples. A brief description of the electron microscope and its operation will bring out the difficulties and advantages of its use for this problem. The first work was done with crude oils that had been diluted with solvents for the preparation of the film to be examined. Later a technique was developed by which the undiluted oil film could be made thin enough for direct examination. These two techniques show vastly different results Asphaltic particles have been precipitated from crude oils by a variety of

Jan 1, 1943

By G. W. Preckshot, C. E. Cottrell, D. L. Katz, N. D. Delisle

Most crude oils contain asphaltic substances that may be naturally or artificially precipitated. In the Greeley field, California, this asphaltic bitumen is precipitated during the flow of the oil from the reservoir to the stock tank The mechanism of such precipitation is not well understood. This paper presents the progress that has been made by using the electron microscope as a new tool and by observing the effects of the streaming potential on the formation of bitumen particles. Crude oils at atmospheric pressure viewed in the electron microscope in very thin films under a vacuum showed no asphaltic particles. A technique of preparing slides of thin films by dilution of the oil with benzene and washing in petroleum ether was used at first, and these observations showed that the solvents caused the formation of the particles, varying from 0.01 to 0.2 micron in diameter. The electrical effects of fluids flowing through porous solid were studied, with emphasis on the formation of colloidal particles by the streaming potential. The streaming potential of crude oil flowing through sand was measured and was shown to be responsible for the formation of bitumen particles. These results bring out a new phenomenon, which may occur when crude oil flows through the porous oil reservoir. mechanisms. Asphalt has been the subject of widespread investigation but, owing to the complexity of the substances being considered, progress has been slow. Investigators working primarily with the asphaltic substances have treated the subject from the colloidal standpoint and have developed theories that picture the asphaltic particles as surrounded by adsorbed materia1s.14,15,17,24 The deasphaltization of lubricating oil by the use of solvents treats the subject primarily from the standpoint of liquid-liquid equilibria.'' A complete understanding of asphaltic substances would make possible the following of the material from its initial state in the crude oil through precipitation processes to the final plastic stage, the most common form of which is used in asphaltic pavements. Since these asphaltic particles are very small, it appears 'hat the electron microscope4 might be a useful tool in studying the precipitation processes. Specimens are examined by the electron microscope in a vacuum and as very thin films, requiring special techniques in preparation of samples. A brief description of the electron microscope and its operation will bring out the difficulties and advantages of its use for this problem. The first work was done with crude oils that had been diluted with solvents for the preparation of the film to be examined. Later a technique was developed by which the undiluted oil film could be made thin enough for direct examination. These two techniques show vastly different results Asphaltic particles have been precipitated from crude oils by a variety of

Jan 1, 1943

By H. C. Chao, L. H. Van Vlack

Small MnS inclusions with known crystallographic orientations were placed inside powder compacts of low-carbon steel. After the metal was axially campressed with negligible end friction, the deformstions for the metal and the inclusions were compared. The MnS inclusions deformed more when the [100] direction was aligned with the compression axis than when the [111] direction was parallel to this axis. The deformations of the inclusions in the two principal radial directions were equal for each of the above orientations. Inclusions with [110] compression alignments did not deform with radial symmetry. The relative deformation of the inclusion and metal was closely dependent upon the relatiue hardness of the two phases. The relative deformation of the two phases was not sensitive to the rate of deformation. RECENT studies by the authors1.&apos; suggested that the plastic deformation of MnS in steel would probably be highly sensitive to the orientation of the inclusions and to the temperature of the metal. This paper reports an investigation of these factors upon MnS behavior within steel. Manganese sulfide (MnS) possesses an NaCl-type structure and typically has extensive (l10) {110} slip as a separate (noninclusion) crystal.&apos; A secondary slip system, ( l 10) { l l l}, has also been observed where the major slip system is restricted. In general, MnS inclusions must be rated as a highly deformable second phase.3 The amount of sulfide deformation varies, however, with several composition and processing factors. Some of these have been only partially assigned. For example, it is known that minor amounts (<0.01 pct) of silicon within free-machining steels will increase the amount of MnS deformation,4 but the mechanism of the added deformation can only be surmised at the present. Manganese sulfide and steel have sufficiently comparable deformation characteristics so that slip which is started in steel may be continued through the sulfide inclusions and back into the steel if the crystal orientations are favorable.5 A more detailed discussion of previous work on the plastic deformation of NaC1-type crystals and on the plastic deformation of inclusions within a metal is given in Chao&apos;s work.6 EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The manganese sulfide which was used in this study was prepared by previously described methods.&apos; Single crystals of MnS, both as cleavage cubes and as spheres, were oriented within steel powder compacts so that the desired crystal directions were parallel to the direction of axial compression. A four-stage hydrostatic compaction procedure was used and involved the following steps. In the first stage part of the powder was placed in a metal die 1 in. in diameter with a thick (1 in. OD, 5/8 in. ID) rubber liner which had one end plugged. The steel powder was hand-rammed, making it as dense as possible before placing a carefully sized MnS crystal (either as a sphere or as a cube) near the center. The crystal was oriented with the chosen direction vertical; viz., [001], [011], or [111], with the aid of a X10 microscope. A pair of tungsten wire threads 0.020 in. in diameter was inserted along the side of this (&apos;core compact" to locate the desired plane after the compression tests. After the crystal was positioned in the center of the die, more powder was added and carefully rammed by hand. The die was then capped with a rubber plug of the same hardness and thickness as that of the liner. The whole assembly as shown in Fig. 1 was compacted by a ram load of 54,000 lb (about 70,000 psi). In the second stage a smaller, 3/4-in, rubber-lined die was used to give a stress of approximately 120,000 psi. The above process was repeated with the initial compact serving as a core for a larger compact. The final product after sintering was a cylinder 1 cm long and 1 cm in diameter, having a density of 7.54 g per cu cm. This was close to the theoretical density since the metal contained a non-metallic phase. There was no evidence of MnS deformation during the hydrostatic compaction or subsequent sintering. Elevated-temperature hardness data were obtained by procedures previously described.2 Compression tests for inclusion deformation utilized the cylinders which were described above. The critical problem in these tests was the lubri-

Jan 1, 1965

By J. F. Ednie

SCRAP metals to the value of more than a billion and a half dollars were recovered in the United States in 1939 for further use in industry. Few people have any true conception of the magnitude of the secondary-metal industry as related to that engaged in the production of the primary, or virgin, metals; of its importance, particularly when a shortage of primary metals exists, as at present; or of the advance that has been made in standardizing and improving the quality of its products. Of the iron and steel produced in the United States in 1939 (the data used in this article are largely taken from Bureau of Mines reports for that year) just over 50 per cent came from scrap and slightly less than 50 per cent from ore. Of the principal nonferrous metals-aluminum, anti-mony, copper, lead, nickel, tin, and zinc-63 per cent came from domestic ores and 37 per cent from scrap. Fig. 1 presents graphically the relative tonnage and value of primary and secondary production of ferrous and nonferrous metals. In this chart only purchased secondary metals are considered, the figures being exclusive of "home" or "plant" scrap which amounts to rather large figures in the iron and steel industry. Incidentally, the chart shows that from the tonnage standpoint the iron and steel industry is some twenty times larger than the nonferrous industry, though with regard to the value of the product the ratio drops to about two to one.

Jan 1, 1941

By L. Yarborough, L. R. Smith

This paper presents results of a laboratory study of retrograde condensate recovery by revaporization into dry injection gas. Flow tests were performed in 10.6-ft long sand packs at 100F and 1,500 psi. In three runs methane revaporized the liquid from a n-pentane-methane mixture in the presence of immobile water. TWO of these tests were water-wet, and the third was totally oil-wet. In the three runs n-pentane recovery was complete after 2.5 hydrocarbon PV of injection. There was no significant performance difference between the two wettability extremes. In a fourth experiment, a methane-hydrogen sulfide mixture revaporized a synthetic light, sour condensate. No water saturation was present. Equilibrium compositions and volumetric data were obtained for the four-component condensate. The heavy component, n-beptane, was removed after 6 PV production. Comparison of the effluent fluid compositions with known equilibrium data shows that the flowing fluid was equilibrium vapor and that the mixing zone between equilibrium vapor and dry injection gas was short. Data indicated that complete recovery of retrograde liquid occurred after it was contacted by a sufficient quantity of dry gas. INTRODUCTION When pressure declines below the fluid dew point in a gas condensate reservoir, a liquid phase forms. In this process, referred to as retrograde condensation, the quantity of liquid formed is frequently small enough that the liquid is not a flowing phase. To prevent loss of valuable retrograde liquids, the process of dry gas cycling has been employed for several years as a more or less standard practice. In this procedure the reservoir pressure is maintained above the fluid dew point so that the liquid components may be produced as vapor and then separated at the surface. Although full pressure maintenance by gas cycling seems ideal in terms of preventing liquids loss, several factors can reduce the atuactiveness of such an operation. From a study of a condensate reservoir in Alberta, Canada, Havlena et a1.1 con-cluded that cycling under conditions of declining pressure leads to economic advantages and to a high recovery of hydrocarbon liquids. This study considered effects of volumetric sweep efficiency, retrograde behavior of the original wet gas and revaporization characteristics of the retrograde liquid when contacted by dry gas. The first major work concerning revaporization of liquid in a gas condensate system is that of Standing et a1.2 Calculations based upon the PVT behavior of a recombined gas condensate fluid indicated that all retrograde liquid can be recovered if it is contacted by a sufficient quantity of dry gas. The paper considered the effect of variable permeability upon the recovery of retrograde liquid. Standing et al. concluded that recovery of heavier components in the retrograde liquid is greatest if reservoir pressure is allowed to decline below the dew point prior to dry gas injection. Since the work of Standing et al., several laboratory studies have been reported which show that recovery of hydrocarbon liquids by vaporization into dry injected gas can contribute to increased recovery above that obtained by ordinary production practices. Vaporization from retrograde condensate,3 conventional oil4-7 and volatile oil8 reservoirs has been considered. There is little work that deals with revaporization recovery from condensate reservoirs. This study demonstrates that vapor-liquid equilibrium exists when a dry gas is injected into a porous medium containing retrograde condensate; investigates the effect of wettability on revaporization of retrograde condensate; and provides an indication of the amount of dry gas necessary to

Jan 1, 1969

By W. H. Herrnstein, F. H. Beck, M. G. Fontana

Sulfur solubility in a iron was measured in the 750 to 890°C temperature range and was found to be insensitive to ferrite purity within a limited composition range. The permeability of sulfur in ferrite was determined from the internal sulfidation of Fe-Mn alloys. From the solubility and permeability results, the diffusivity of sulfur in ferrite could be calculated. These results are summarized as follows: Dissolved sulfur decreased the lattice parameter of ferrite. The effect of dissolved sulfur on the tensile properties of ferrite at low temperatures was also determined. SINCE sulfur is an important residual impurity in commercial irons and steels, effects associated with the presence of sulfur as a solute in iron are of considerable practical interest. Unfortunately, certain basic information relative to the Fe-S system appears to be lacking in the literature, e.g., the effect of dissolved sulfur on the lattice parameter and mechanical properties of ferrite. In addition, discrepancies exist in previously reported results for the solubility of sulfur in ferrite. These discrepancies raise questions regarding the sensitivity of sulfur solubility to the purity and microstructure of iron. This study was undertaken primarily in an effort to obtain reliable data on the solubility of sulfur in ferrite. Additional objectives included determination of the permeability and diffusivity of sulfur in ferrite by the internal sulfidation method and determination of the effect of dissolved sulfur on the lattice parameter and tensile properties of ferrite. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD Three grades of iron, encompassing a range of impurity levels, were employed in the study. The grades were designated VME (vacuum-melted electrolytic), SPZR (single-pass zone-refined), and MPZR (multipass zone-refined). The composition of each grade is given in Table I. Poly crystalline and single-crystal strip specimens were employed in the solubility experiments. Uniform grain size strip (ASTM 3 to 5) of 0.005 to 0.020 in. thickness was obtained by alternate cold reductions of 60 thickness 60 to 80 pct and recrystallization at 650°C for i hr in pure, dry argon. Single-crystal specimens were produced in 0.010-in.-thick SPZR iron strip by the strain-gradient anneal technique. Recrystallized strip 0.25 in. wide was strained until a Luders band or bands had propagated over the length of the strip; the strip was then annealed by drawing it through a 150°C per in. gradient (890°C peak temperature) at 1 in. per hr in an atmosphere of pure, dry argon. Laue photographs of the crystals produced exhibited no discernible asterism. Specimens were equilibrated with H-H, atmospheres at temperatures between 750" and 890" by one of two methods, each of which makes use of the reaction: The encapsulation sulfurization method was employed in the majority of the solubility experiments. A strip

Jan 1, 1969

By William A. Johnson

THE fundamental role of diffusion in many reactions occurring in solid metals has long been recognized, and there have been careful measurements of rates of diffusion in numerous alloy systems, but our understanding of the atomic mechanism by which diffusion occurs is scarcely in an advanced state 1-3 It is doubtful that this mechanism can ever he directly ascertained, rather, all imaginable mechanisms must be examined and the one that is in best accord with such data as can be obtained from suitably chosen experiments should be selected Because of its relative simplicity, diffusion in a system containing only one kind of atomic species-commonly called self-diffusion-is of considerable theoretical interest It may be expected that diffusion theory will not be advanced appreciably until a wide variety of diffusion experiments-of which diffusion in a chemical concentration gradient and self-diffusion are two important types-are carefully performed and inter-compared Aside from the purely theoretical interest in self-diffusion measurements, such studies will be of considerable engineering importance The rate of any process in a pure metal requiring the movement of atoms, of which recrystallization and creep are two familiar examples, will be understood more readily with the aid of self-diffusion data † Self-diffusion implies the diffusion of something into its exact counterpart, the detection of such a process is patently impossible, and it is-necessary to substitute for it the diffusion of one isotope (in this case radioactive) into another isotope (in this case stable) of the same chemical element There is, however, no reason to suppose that a radioactive atom will not diffuse at the same rate as its stable isotope, for all of the isotopes of the same element have exactly the same chemical properties, neither the difference in nuclear energy nor the difference in mass would be expected to exercise an important influence in this phenomenon In this sense, self-diffusion may be thought of as the diffusion of radioactive atoms down a radioactivity concentration gradient, just as usual diffusion is the diffusion of one kind of atone down its chemical concentration gradient The first measurements of self-diffusion ii ere made by von Hevesy4-6 using the radioactive lead isotope thorium B in ordinary lead The recent development of means for producing artificial radioactive elements has made possible similar measurements on gold,7,8 copper,2,9 and zinc 10 11 Many of the data that have been obtained are rather poor, and no adequate reason has been given for their poorness, it appears, however, that the unsatisfactory results are characteristic of the particular experimental procedure employed, and not of self-diffusion measurements in themselves The experimental technique that has yielded the poorer results is the deposition of a thin layer of radioactive atoms on the surface of a specimen and the determination of the rate of inward diffusion

Jan 1, 1941

By FORTUNATO PEREIRA

(San Francisco Meeting, October, 1911.) I. GENERAL DESCRIPTION. The Department of Narino (formerly included in the Department of Cauca) is a narrow band about 170 km. (100 miles) wide in the southern part of the Republic of Colombia, FIG. 1.-SKETCH-MAP OF THE SOUTHWESTERN PART OF COLOMBIA. near the boundary of Ecuador, as shown in the sketch-map, Fig. 1. Its capital is Pasto, a small city of 25,000 inhabitants; the principal towns are Túquerres, Cumbal, Ypiales, Barbacoas, and Tumaco. The port on the Pacific ocean is Tumaco, and traffic in the interior is carried partly on the Patia river (steam navigation to the fluvial port of Barbacoas), and afterwards overland over poor roads by human bearers or on mule-back.

Aug 1, 1912

By V. V. Valleroy, A. J. Cornelius, B. T. Willman, G. W. Runberg, L. W. Powers

This paper reports the results of an investigation into the use of steam as a recovery agent. High oil recoveries by steam, as much as 100 per cent greater than by water flood, were demonstrated in laboratory linear cores. The principal mechanisms responsible for the additional oil have been identified as (1) thermal expansion of the oil, (2) viscosity reduction and (3) steam distillation. Although the first two also enhance recovery by hot water flood, they are effective with steam injection at lower volumes of produced fluids. Steam-zone residual oil saturation is independent of initial saturation. Recovery by steam is greater for lighter oils because they contain a greater fraction of steam-distillable components. Equations for the steam-zone advance in a radial homogeneous system are presented; these show the effect of reservoir parameters. The displacement in the hot liquid region moving ahead of the steam front can be estimated by a calculative procedure which is suggested. The method which takes account of the temperature gradient is applicable also to a regullar hot water flood. INTRODUCTION Considerable industry interest in the application of heat to petroleum reservoirs as a means of increasing oil recovery has been evident in the past few years. Three thermal methods which have attracted interest are (1) the injection of saturated steam, (2) the injection of hot water and (3) the injection of air into a formation to support combustion within the reservoir. Much has been published in recent years on underground burning, and there have been several papers on hot water injection. Although there are several early reports1,2 on steam injection, no recent experimental studies have been published on this recovery method. In our early thermal methods research, a marked improvement was found in oil recovery by steam injection compared with recovery by water injection in the same system. An investigation subsequently was undertaken to obtain quantitative information from which to evaluate steam injection as an oil recovery method. In addition, it was desired to investigate the recovery mechanism of hot water as compared with that of "cold" water and steam injection. An understanding of the mechanisms by which these processes operate would generally define favorable field conditions for their successful application. This paper reports the results of the laboratory study and suggests calculative approaches to estimate the field behavior of the steam-injection process. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD EQUIPMENT A schematic diagram of the equipment used for the displacement tests is shown in Fig. 1. Essentially, it consisted of a core with suitable means for recording temperatures, a feed system for injecting steam or cold or hot water, and a receiving train for condensing, cooling and measuring produced fluids. For the steam experiments, air-free saturated steam was piped from the boiler to the core face in insulated lines that were provided with steam traps and bleeds to remove any condensate formed in the lines due to heat losses. A 12-in. section of the line immediately ahead of

By Gilbert Thiessen

THE use of a pneumatic process for removing fine material (usually less than 48-mesh) is increasing in, the preparation of stoker-size coal. The fine material, produced as a byproduct, is known as dedusting-plant dust. Since fusain is the most friable ingredient in bituminous coal (it may readily be rubbed to an impalpable powder with the fingers), it tends to accumulate in this byproduct. While studying the properties of cokes produced by blending Illinois coals with other materials, considerable quantities of fusain were required. Dedusting-plant dust suggested itself as a-convenient supply. It became necessary, therefore, to determine how much fusain was contained in a measured sample of dust, how the fusain was distributed with respect to size and specific gravity in the sample, and whether or not it would be feasible or desirable further to concentrate or to recover the fusain from, the dust before using it in the blends to be coked. The results obtained indicate the possibilities of production of a high-fusain material.

Jan 1, 1936

By G. P. Hulst

THE Parkes process lead refinery of the International Lead Refining Co., at East Chicago, was built by the International Smelting & Refining Co. to treat the lead bullion produced by its Tooele plant, at Tooele, Utah. The plant was designed and constructed under the direction of the writer. Ground was broken Apr. 16, 1912, and exactly six months later the plant was in operation and lead was being cast. The capacity of the plant, running 25 days per month, is 5,000 tons. The four products of the plant are common lead, corroding lead, antimonial lead, and Doré bullion. The site is an area, 64 acres in extent, lying north of 151st Street, between McCook Avenue and the Canal. The Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad, Baltimore & Ohio Chicago Terminal, and Pennsylvania Railroad enter, the yard at the plant. There are five, storage tracks and space for storing 100 cars in the yard. The main lead to the storage tracks passes over a 100-ton track scale on entering the yard...

Jan 8, 1914

By I. J. Lin, A. Mitzmager

This paper describes a series of experiments conducted to determine how the physicochemical properties of the suspending fluid affect the size reduction of quartz in a ball mill. Particular attention was directed toward the differences in rate of grinding and particle size distributions when either polar or non-polar fluids were the suspending liquids. Grinding was performed with water, carbon tetrachloride and methylcyclohexane as the liquids, and also in nitrogen for comparative purposes. From the results ob- tained, the authors have concluded that the presence of water greatly enhances efficiency in the grinding of quartz. Comminution is generally regarded as a purely physical process in which fragmentation of a solid is obtained by the application of suitable forces. In 1944, however, Rehbinder et al.1 pioneered the idea that the interfacial forces between the solid and the media plays an important role in comminution. Since then, a number of researches have shown conclusively that comminution is affected by surface chemical phenomena,2-5 and Gaudin went as far as to compare comminution to a chemical reaction.6 The effect of the viscosity and the density of the fluid media in grinding was also investigated, but

Jan 1, 1969

By Caudle B. H., Cooper H. E. Jr., O. K. Kimbler

The results of studies of areal sweepout behavior in nine-spot injection patterns are presented in this paper. The ratio of the production rates of the two types of producing wells in a nine-spot pattern is considered in its effect on breakthrough. A model study was used to develop a method to predict the production histories of both side and corner wells and to develop the production history of the pattern or the field. INTRODUCTION The importance of areal sweepout behavior in injection operations has been recognized for a number of years. We now know that the fraction of a reservoir which will be reached by an injected fluid is a function of the geometric arrangement of the production and injection wells and of the mobility ratio of the fluids. Of these two, the mobility ratio (which is a measure of the relative ease with which the oil and the injected fluid can move through the reservoir) appears to have the greatest effect on recovery. The effect of mobility ratio on production history has been reported for most of the dispersed injection patterns (i. e., five-spot, staggered and straight-line drives).4-6 ere has been very little published on the nine-spot injection pattern. This may be because the two types of producing wells in the nine-spot pattern can—and sometimes should —be produced at different rates. This adds a second variable (the fist being mobility ratio) to be covered in a study of the nine-spot flooding network. Muskat1 has reported the sweep pattern efficiency at breakthrough for a mobility ratio of one at various ratios of producing rates for the two types of wells. For these conditions he found maximum oil production at breakthrough to occur when the corner well (the producing well farthest from the injection well) is produced 10.7 times as fast as the side well. Other investigatorsa2,3 have studied a few of the many possible operating conditions possible with this injection pattern. This paper presents the results of studies which are strictly applicable to a nine-spot injection pattern surrounded by other nine-spots in a homogeneous reservoir and which has no flowable gas present (no oil bank is formed). Although the full ranges of the variables mentioned above have not been covered, the results reported here should allow reasonable estimates of field operations to be made. EXPERIMENTAL The well spacing geometry of the nine-spot pattern is shown in Fig. 1. Here we see that each injection well is surrounded by eight production wells arranged in a square. Four of these producing wells are located at the corners of the square; the other four are in the midpoints of the four sides. These two types of producing wells are called "comer wells" and "side wells" respectively. It is the ratio of the producing rates of these two types of wells that affects the breakthrough recovery, as calculated by Muskat.&apos; This ratio is defined as the total producing rate of a corner well divided by the total producing rate of a side well. The model used in this study represented one-eighth of a nine-spot pattern, as shown in Fig. 1. It contained the equivalent of one-fourth of a side well, one-eighth of a comer well, and one-eighth of an injection well. Because of these proportions, the actual producing rate ratios in the model were one-half of the ratios of producing rates as

Jan 1, 1965

By H. Le Chatelier

An evident connection exists between chemical and calorific phenomena: the most important, of our sources of heat, the combustion of coal, is nothing else than a chemical reaction. Not satisfied with this indefinite statement, investigators have attempted to establish a more precise correlation between these two orders of phenomena, and have questioned whether there be not a necessary connection between the possibility of a chemical reaction and the algebraic sign of the quantity of heat which it would call into play (i.e., liberate or absorb). This question possesses the highest interest for metallurgical chemists. But the study of it by experimental methods only could not completely elucidate it. To arrive at a definite solution, it was necessary to appeal to a science much more general than chemistry,—namely, that of energetics, which embraces all the physical sciences. We can place absolute confidence in its conclusions, because they rest upon a proposition which can scarcely be denied, namely, the impossibility of The main facts in the history of the development o‡ this field of Triassic coals have been already set before the Institute in the papers of Mr. Oswald J. Heinrich, a former member of the Institute and the superintendent of the mines at Midlothian. † From these and other references to the field, it appears that coal was known to exist here as early as 1701; for on the 10th of May that year Colonel Byrd reported to the Colonial Council of Virginia the discovery of coal. Coal was mined from 1770 to 1780; but the amount shipped is unknown. It was much used in Richmond at this early date for gratefires. In 1789 shipments were made to northern ports. During the first half of the century just passed, mining operations attained in this field their greatest development, the number and extent of the collieries and the tonnage of coal raised per annum being greater for that period than for any similar period since. The maximum annual output exceeded 100,000 tons, while in two years only since the Civil War has the amount of coal raised exceeded 50,000 tons. This field covers about 150 sq. in. Its outline and the position of the strata in which the coal-outcrops occur are shown on the accompanying map, reproduced from the latest survey by the U. S. Geological Survey. Mining has been carried on along the margins of the area, often in the primitive manner in vogue at the beginning of operations, by means of shafts and slopes, usually too small in cross-section to permit the proper working of the beds. Most of the output has been won from

Jan 1, 1902

By J. L. Carne

ORE control is a matter of planning and supervision based on a foreknowledge of the content and distribution of ore. The Inspiration orebody is predominately a copper-sulphide blanket, overlain by an oxidized zone of copper silicates, copper carbonates, and barren capping. Most of the ore is treated by leaching, and the optimum requirement of this method is the goal toward which the mining schedule is aimed. Both open-pit operations and underground mining are used. The problems of ore control at Inspiration are: I—maintenance of metallurgical balance, 2—conservation of oxide ore, and 3—mining out of the orebody at an average grade which parallels that of the reserve figure. Prior to the fall of 1926 all of the Inspiration division ores were treated by flotation, but the mixed ores of the Live Oak—Keystone section carried too large a proportion of copper in the form of chrysocolla for satisfactory flotation. For this type of mixed ore the leaching process now in use had been worked out, and the plant was put into operation in the fall of 1926. The process is known as the ferric sulphate leach, and the leaching solvents contain both ferric sulphate and free sulphuric acid. Sulphide copper in the form of chalcocite is leached by the ferric sulphate, and the oxidized copper minerals are dissolved by the sulphuric acid. From the beginning of operations to the present time the plant has treated some 67 thousand tons of ore having an average copper content of 1.142 pct, of which 0.605 pct has been in the form of oxidized copper minerals. The plant is currently being operated at the rate of 11,500 tons per day, 7 days per week. However, this tonnage is produced in 6 days of mine operation. The average current grade is approximately 1 pct copper, of which about 50 pct is present as oxidized or acid-soluble copper. Close control of metallurgical procedures is a vital factor in operation of the plant and is in turn dependent upon careful regulation of feed. An excess of sulphide copper requires the presence of more ferric sulphate in the leaching solvents. On the other hand, an excess of ferric sulphate in the presence of a low sulphide feed seriously reduces the efficiency of electrolytic precipitation in tank house operations. This condition must be avoided at all costs. An additional factor must be considered. It is known that the sulphide content is predominant in the ore which remains in the reserve. To maintain the necessary sulphide-oxide proportion, so that the entire reserve will mine out at both a grade and a sulphide-oxide ratio that will be permissible throughout the remaining life of the property, it is obvious that the oxide reserve must be currently preserved to as great an extent as possible. Fortunately much of the oxide reserve is found in the open-pit operation. This happy circumstance adds flexibility to the procedure and makes it possible to maintain the close regulation necessary to insure best overall results, both mining and metallurgical. The two ore streams from the pit and underground operations join at the coarse-crushing plant, and proper control must be exercised before the ore reaches this point. The open pit is currently providing about 55 pct of the ore and underground operations the balance of production. Both operations are under a single superintendent so that the closely interrelated problems may be more readily controlled. The least flexible of the two producing units is the underground mine, where the mining method is block caving. Although a block of ground may be undercut and developed, characteristics of the material determine its caving action. The ore in the chutes must be drawn. The area currently mined from underground is in a zone predominately sulphide and is generally

Jan 1, 1953