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By M. H. Cullender

The performance characteristics 01 gas wells producing from formations which fail to stabilize within a relatively short period of time are obscured by the interrelation of the coefficient (C) and the slope "n" of the conventional back-pressure curve q = C(P2 f- p2s)n An empirical method is presented whereby the characteristic or true slope (11) of the back-pressure curve may be determined for a particular gas well. For those gas wells which do not stabilize within a relatively short period of time, the coefficient (C) is considered as a variable with respect to time and as a constant only with respect to a specific time. Thus, the back-presrure performance of such a well is presented as a series of parallel curve5, each curve representing the performance of the well at the end of a given time interval. Through use of the method presented, a simple presture gradient is developed and maintained within the drainage area around a producing gas well during the test period in order that the variation of the coefficient (C) with respect to time does not obscure the true value of the lope. INTRODUCTION The back-pressure method of testing gas wells as set forth by Schellhardt and Rawlins1 is dependent upon the requirement that a series of flow rates and corresponding pressure data be obtained under stabilized conditions. These data arc then plotted on logarithmic coordinates of flow rate (Q) vs difference in squared pressures (P2f — P2s) in order to determine the constants (C) and (n) for Equation 1. With respect to this method of presenting the performance characteristics of a gas well, it should be pointed out that although Equation 1 is an empirical relationship, the form of the equation was justified to a considerable extent by an independent development by Muskat and Botset.2 This development was theoretical in nature; however, certain assumptions with respect to the type of flow existing (viscous vs non-viscous) were madc which may or may not be correct. As the use of the method presented by Schellhardt and Rawlins spread through the industry, it became evident that the method of testing was applicable for those wells which approached stabilized prbducing conditions within a relatively short period of time. Performance characteristics could not be determined by this method, however, for wells which approached stabilized protlucing conditions slowly over a considerable period of time. This characteristic of "slow stabilization" has generally been associated with gas wells producing frorn reservoirs of low permeability. As the demand for natural gas continued to grow through the years, a great number of wells were completed in reservoirs of low permeability which exhibited "slow stabiliz:~tion" characteristics. Consequently, the problem of determining the true performancc characteristics of these wells became more apparent. It is with this problem in mind that the isochronal performance method of determining the flow characteristics of gas wells is presented.

Jan 1, 1956

By W. R. Crane

MINING of the red iron ores of the Birmingham district has been carried on energetically during the past 50, years, and their development has created a large iron and steel manufacturing, center, the only important one in the South. The district produces approximately 10 per cent. of all the iron ore of the United States (80 per cent. of the Alabama ore mined is red ore) ; also, 43 of the 419 blast furnaces of the country are in the district tributary to Birmingham. The rapid growth of the district has been made possible through investigations that resulted in radical changes in furnace practice, and a still greater impetus will come from the study of the low-grade, high-silica ores, as a result of which they will be made amenable to treatment by concentration. Mining practice in this district has been comparatively simple because of the occurrence of the ore; but with the-rapid extension of the work-ings and the disturbed condition of the ore bed at some distance from the outcrop, more difficult conditions are encountered and the tendency is toward worse rather than better conditions. Should the high-silica ores of the lower bench of the Big Seam become available through beneficiation, mining practice will have to be modified to meet the new conditions, which will be rendered more difficult by the increased weight of cover that will exist at considerable distances from the outcrop. Support of workings will require greater attention and the efficient and economical operation of the mines will depend largely on the successful solution of the problems of working-and handling the ore.

Jan 9, 1924

By Thomas H. Sheldon

In the zeal for opening up new ore-bodies, or for extracting the ore from attractive bodies already opened up, we very often lose sight of the fact, that, after all, the operation of a mine is a business proposition, pure and simple, and, for the best working-results, should be treated upon a strict business basis. Of course, in every mine of consequence, a record is kept of expenditures and receipts, and such glittering generalities as " gross receipts," " net receipts," " mining expenses," and a per cent. profit," can be told to the cent; but does this record show economy of management, as compared either with the same record of other months, or with the record of other mines of the same class ? Moreover, if such a record shows that the cost of mining is high, does it in any way enable the manager to put his finger on the leakage ? Does it necessarily follow that a mine which makes a profit of, say, 40 per cent. on 25-dollar ore, is doing less economical mining than one which saves 60 per cent. on 80-dollar ore ? Of course the figures in the latter case look the more attractive; yet when it comes to the point of saving everything which can be saved, and of cutting down expenses to the lowest possible cost of operation, the former mine is doubtless on the firmer and more economical financial basis. But as to the relative merits of the system of mining in the two cases, nothing could be decided without a basis of detailed comparison ; if one system is more economical than the other, why is it so, and wherein does the advantage lie ? This can be shown only by keeping accurately the cost of each mining operation. And no matter how dissimilar two mines may be in character and operation, yet there are a few general heads common to all mining operations. In the first place, it is necessary to break the ore from the solid ground;

Jan 1, 1907

By T. W. Guy

DuRing recent years, tremendous strides have been made in the economical use of coal. This has resulted in, and to some extent has been a result of, making the fuel specifications more and more rigid. For this reason, all producers have found it necessary to improve their preparation materially, both as to sizing and the elimination of impurities, either by more effective preparation underground or at the tipple and cleaning plant, or both. This cause and its effect in all producing fields seem likely to continue for several years at least. The splendid inherent qualities of the Pocahontas and New River coals are known all over the world, but their good reputation is only partly due to inherent qualities, and to natural conditions which generally favor loading coal comparatively free from impurities; it is due in large measure to the care and skill used, either with or without the aid of mechanical devices, to ship products consistently low in ash. The first coal from the West Virginia smokeless fields was mined and shipped near Quinnimont, on New River, in 1871, while the first shipments from the Pocahontas field were in 1883. The development of both fields progressed rapidly. At first activities followed the main lines of the Chesapeake & Ohio and Norfolk & Western railroads, and were extended later as branch lines were built from these roads. The Virginian R. R., about 1907, opened up the Winding Gulf territory, which has since become a large producer of smokeless coals from the Pocahontas and the New River measures. Early Cleaning Methods In the early days, the tipples were simple wooden structures, with bar screens for separating the fines from the lump coal. All cleaning was done by the miners at the face, or by pickers in the railroad cars. Gates were provided in the chutes by which the flow of coal could be stopped when necessary while the pickers raked the surface of the coal in the car and picked out the impurities. A large percentage of the fine coal or slack was used for making coke at the mines in beehive ovens. The

Jan 1, 1932

By M. A. El-Aouar

Drilling muds are complex colloidal systems. In an effort to analyze the physical properties that affect their performance at high temperature, an investigation was made of the hydrothermal stability of the monoionic hydrogen, calcium and magnesium forms of montmorillonite and attapulgite. Samples were heated to 400°1F in a simple autoclave and analyzed for cation exchange capacity, c-axis X-ray diffraction spacing and pH factor us sodium hydroxide titration dependence. Out of the six monoionic clay minerals tested, calcium montmorillonite and magnesium attapulgite showed the least base exchange capacities and were relatively unaffected to heat. It is concluded that, of the six clays studied, these two clays were the most suitable forms for use in drilling fluids. INTRODUCTION The drilling of deep wells is dependent upon the drilling mud, and problems frequently arise concerning the effect of mud temperature and prolonged heating. Drilling muds are complex colloidal systems. In an effort to analyze their behavior in deep, hot boreholes, it was thought desirable in this investigation to study suspension of pure, monoionic montmorillonite and attapulgite clays before and after hydrothermal heating. Chemically, clays are hydrated aluminum silicates, such as montmorillonites and attapulgites. The structure of montmorillonite is composed of units made up of two silica tetrahedral sheets with a central alumina octahedral sheet. Attapulgite consists of double silica chains running parallel to the c-axis with the chains linked together at their longitudinal edges. The apexes of the tetrahedrons in successive chains point in opposite direc-tions.4,7,10 One of the most important characteristics of clay minerals is their property of sorbing certain anions and cations and retaining them in exchangeable state. The property of exchange capacity is measured in terms of milliequivalents (meq) per 100 gm of clay. The cation-exchange capacities are taken at pH 7 from titration curves which show the relation between pH and milliequivalents of added NaoH.9,11 The following are causes of cation exchange: (1) broken bonds around the edges of the silica alumina units would give rise to unsatisfied charges, which would be balanced by adsorbed cations; (2) substitution within the lattice structure of trivalent aluminum for quadrivalent silicon in the tetrahedral sheet and of ions of lower valence; and (3) the hydrogen of exposed hydroxyls may be replaced by a cation which would be exchangeable. The primary techniques employed to study the effects of hydrothermal treatment were titration curves and X-ray diffraction analyses. Titration curves were useful in characterizing the nature of the clay mineral surface and the stability of the various samples to attack by acid or alkali before and after hydrothermal treatment. X-ray diffraction analyses were used to determine changes in the nature and crystal structure of the minerals present and to determine the cations in exchange positions on the montmorillonite samples. EXPERMENTAL PROCEDURE PREPARATION OF SAMPLES Selected samples of Wyoming bentonite and attapulgite clay from mines along the Georgia and Florida border were purified by centrifugation to remove all particles larger than 2 microns. In preparing magnesium attapulgite, first a 1.00-normal solution of magnesium acetate was prepared. The pH of the solution was adjusted to 7.0 by adding magnesium oxide. One hundred grams of attapulgite clay were mixed in a blender for 30 minutes with the magnesium acetate solution. The attapulgite solution was left overnight, and then filtered in a Buchner funnel. The suspension was leached with further quantity of magnesium acetate solution and then washed with distilled water for 20 days, after which the filtrate was free from magnesium ions. The concentration of magnesium attapulgite in the clay slurry was adjusted and determined quantita-

By N. J. Grant, A. W. Mullendore, Y. Ishida

Creep tests were performed at 500°F on polished specimens of A1-3 pct Cu at stresses of 2000, 4000, and 6000 psi. The effects of the size and distnbution of the second phase were studied in connection with the mechanisms of deformation, especially grain boundary sliding. Although the amount of grain boundary sliding varied considerably for the different heat treatments, yestriction of grain boundary sliding is not due primarily to precipitate on the grain boundary. NUMEROUS prior investigations of grain boundary sliding, notably those of McLean, 1 Rachinger, 2 Rhines, Bond, and Kissel, 3 and Brunner and Grant,4 have established the importance of this phenomenon in the deformation of pure aluminum and its solid-solution alloys at elevated temperatures. An extension of this kind of study to the case of a simple two-phase structure is an important step towards understanding the deformation behavior of more complex alloys. A two-phase A1-3 pct Cu alloy was selected for this study. The creep behavior of alloys in this system has been studied by Sully and Hardy,5 by Underwood, Marsh, and Manning,' and by Pelloux, Chaudhuri, and Grant.7 In these studies, the prior heat treatments were such that some precipitation took place during the tests in most cases. Pelloux, Chaudhuri, and Grant7 studied the creep of A1-2 and 3 pct Cu alloys in the overaged condition. Their results indicated that the structure most effective in promoting high-temperature strength consisted of a fine, closely spaced grain precipitate and large, widely spaced particles on the grain boundary. The present work consists of quantitative meas- urements of grain boundary sliding during creep of an A1-3 pct CU alloy with four different precipitate distributions. The aims were to quantitatively define the role of the second phase on grain boundary sliding, and to obtain information regarding the mechanism of grain boundary sliding. MATERIALS AND PROCEDURE A high-purity A1-3 pct Cu alloy, kindly supplied by Alcoa, was used in this investigation. The composition of the alloy in weight percent was as shown in Table I. This composition is such that A12Cu exists as a second phase at temperatures below 850°F. A homogeneous grain size of 0.6 to 0.8 mm was obtained by annealing the machined test bars for 5 min at 1000°F, furnace cooling to 930°F, and homogenizing for 5 hr. Following the recrystalli-zation and homogenizing anneal, four different heat treatments shown in Fig. 1 were utilized. The F7 and F5 treatments utilize a furnace cool to the aging temperature while Q7 and Q5 have a water quench from the homogenization temperature before aging. Figs. 2 to 5, and Table 11, show the size and shape of precipitate dispersions obtained with the above heat treatments. The heat treatments produce variations in the dispersion both in the grains and along the grain boundaries. Precipitate particles along the grain boundaries are rounded and large (about 1.5 p diameter) in the F5 and F7 structures (Figs. 3 and 5). The grain boundary precipitate was somewhat smaller (0.9 p diameter) in the Q7 structure and no grain boundary precipitate was detected in the Q5 structure using light microscopy. The pre-

Jan 1, 1964

By B. Chalmers, L. Bäckerud

The growth temperature of dendrite tips has been measured in a binary alloy system, Al-Cu, as a function of rate of formation of solid phase. Metallographic examination has rerealed the dendritic structure dereloped during different stages of the freezing process and factors influencing the undercooling, such as solute buildup, surface tension, and kinetic effects, have been estimated. Practical implications of the results are discussed. THE development of a dendritic growth pattern during the solidification of metals and alloys has an influence at least equal to that of grain size on the properties of the casting or ingot being produced. and consequently much interest has been devoted to the study of this phenomenon. A review of the knowledge gathered up to 1964 has been given by Chalmers.' Among recent publications in the area the works of Jackson et al 2 and Flemings and his coworkers3,4 are of special interest. This work is an experimental study of the factors which influence the development of a dendritic pattern during the solidification of a typical binary alloy system, A1-Cu, when there is no heat source in the liquid. This means that the temperature and the temperature gradient are controlled by the heat extraction from and latent heat evolved by the growing crystals. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Samples were prepared from a master alloy made up of aluminum, 99.995 pct, and copper. 99.99 pct, of the concentrations given below and of sufficient size to fill cylindrical graphite molds of 35 mm ID and 35 mm height. Bottom. wall. and lid of the graphite molds were all of 6 mm thickness, Fig. 1. Thin ceramic thermocouple shields could be introduced at different positions in the sample through holes in the lid. The assembly was heated in a small vertical resistance furnace to a suitable temperature. 700° to 720°C. which is well above the melting point of the sample. It was thereafter taken out of the furnace and chilled at selected rates, and the temperature changes in the sample were recorded. For high sensitivity in the temperature recordings, a reference thermocouple was held in a solidifying pure aluminum melt. which was very well insulated and therefore was at a constant temperature. 660°C, for nearly half an hour. The thermocouples were connected so that the difference voltage was fed into the recorder of which the most sensitive range was 1 mV. Temperature variations could be read to within 0.l°C. The thermocouples used were of the Chromel-Alumel type (28- or 38-gage wires) and the recorder a two-pen Moseley strip chart recorder. The different rates of chilling were obtained in the following way. a) The graphite crucible was wrapped in one or two layers of an insulating. feltlike material (Fiberfrax paper from the Carborundum Co.). The drop in temperature per unit time after complete solidification could thereby be varied from 8" to 18°C per min. This corresponds to a rate of heat extraction in the given samples from 0.08 to 0.17 cal cm-' sec-I. 6) The bare graphite mold was placed free on a piece of firebrick. The measured temperature drop was around 50°C per min (-0.5 cal cm-" ' sec- I). c) By blowing compressed air through a tube with many holes surrounding the mold in a ring shape. the rate of heat transfer could be raised to 150' to 200°C per min (-1.7 cal cm-3 sec- I). d) Cooling rates around 1000 C per mill (-9.4 cal cm-3 sec-l) were obtained by substituting the air in the device used in c by water. The range of cooling rates used in these experiments correspond to technical casting processes from slow solidification as obtained in sand molds to very rapid freezing which occurs in some continuous casting and welding processes. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS The A1-Cu system was chosen for the experiments: the relevant part of the phase diagram is reproduced in Fig. 2. Observation of the Center Temperature. When a thermocouple is inserted in the center of the melt. the type of cooling curves obtained at slow solidification rates differs little from numerous published curves from similar systems. and the solidification pattern

Jan 1, 1970

By Arthur O. Gates

RittingeR's law of the energy expended in crushing is, as roughly stated by Profcssor Richards,' that the work of crushing is proportional to the reduction in diameter; or, as I have more fully expressed it: "The work done in crushing is proportional to the surface exposed by the operation; or, better expressed for this purpose, the work done on a given mass of rock is proportional to the reciprocal of the diameter of the final product—assuming that all the mass has been reduced to one exact sine, which is only theoretically possible."² Kick's law is stated by H. Stadler as follows :3 "The energy required for producing analogous changes of configuration of geometrically similar bodies of equal technological state varies as the volumes or weights of these bodies." In other words, the energy expended is proportional to the volume reduction, instead of the diameter reduction. That these two laws would give widely different results may be shown by a simple imaginary case. A ton of 16-in. cubes is broken to 1-in. cubes at the first operation, and these are broken to 1/16. cubes at a second operation. Since the first operation produces only one-sixteenth as much new surface as the second, the ratio of energy expended in the two operations would be by Rittinger's law as 1 to 16. By Kick's law, since the volume-reduction ratio is the same in both cases, the ratio of energy would be 1 to 1. This discrepancy is great enough to challenge a test by actual experiment, of which there has been, hitherto, but little compared with the amount of argument. The present paper is the record

Jan 1, 1916

By B. H. Kear, S. M. Copley

A dynamic theory of precipitation hardening in alloys containing cohevenl, stvess-.free, ordered particles is developed. The yield stvess is predicted from the stress dependence of the plastic strain vale, which is related to a derived dislocation velocity-stress function. The theory is shown to predict the magnilude and temperature dependence of the yield stress of a commercial nickel-base superalloy as well as many details of its slip structure. GLEITER and Hornbogen have developed a theory of the yield stress in alloys hardened by coherent, stress-free ordered ptrticles based on the observation that dislocations (b = a/2 (110)) glide in pairs.' When a dislocation pair shears through an ordered particle, the glide motion of the leading dislocation is impeded since it must create antiphase boundary (APB), whereas the motion of the trailing dislocation is assisted because it annihilates APB produced by the first one. Taking into account the APB energy, the size, and spacing of the particles, G-H predict the observed yielding behavior in Ni/18.8 Cr/6.2 A1 alloys composed of a matrix phase y '(nickel-solid solution) and particles of y' (basically Ni3A1). The G-H theory, as well as all previous theories of hardening by coherent ordered particles, do not include the details of dislocation motion; the present dynamic theory is an attempt to overcome this limitation. In the dynamic theory, the yield stress is predicted from the stress dependence of the plastic strain rate, which is related to a derived dislocation velocity-stress function. This function can be evaluated if the structure of the alloy, the APB energy of the ordered phase, and the characteristic drag or frictional stresses of the matrix and precipitate phases are known. The theory is shown to account for the observed temperature dependence of the yield stress in a commercial nickel-base superalloy. 1) NICKEL-BASE SUPERALLOYS Although their compositions are complex, the nickel-base superalloys have remarkably simple structures. A detailed examination of the commercial superalloy

Jan 1, 1968

By W. R. Finlay, W. R. Jr. Hibbard

The key feature of the lattice coherency theory of precipitation hardening1 is the forced coherence between matrix and precipitate which elastically strains both lattices and is believed to be the major source of strengthening in precipitation hardening. In systems exhibiting age hardening, the atom movements leading to precipitation are not at all extensive and are such as to require the minimum amount of energy to produce the interface; that is, the new lattice forms in such a way as to be as nearly as possible a continuation of the old with a matched, coherent plane at the interface at least during the initiation of the precipitation. The crystallographic sequence whereby regions of the matrix change to the precipitate lattice usually can be resolved into a set of shearing operations.6'6 Conversely, the perhaps novel speculation is made that solution of a second phase is accompanied by shearing movements which are possibly the reverse of the precipitation shearing movements. A basic premise of the investigation reported in this paper is that precipitation and solution shearing movements constitute structural weaknesses which might cooperate with applied stresses to facilitate plastic deformation. Another basic premise of the investigation is that the application of hydrostatic pressure to a precipitation hardening system will significantly alter the degree of disregistry across the matrix-precipitate interface and thereby significantly affect the course of age hardening. Two binary precipitation hardening systems were investigated: rz pct zinc in aluminum which undergoes transformations, both precipitation and solution, by a simple crystallographic mechanism; and 4 pet copper in aluminum which undergoes a complex transformation in precipitating and dissolving a second phase. The effects of the application of uniaxial tensile creep stress during elevated temperature aging of both systems and of hydrostatic pressure during the elevated temperature aging of 12 pct aluminum-zinc were then investigated. Previous Investigations Van Wert in 1935,~ studied the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the room temperature age hardening of a few precipitation hardening systems. The latter were rather unfortunately selected since none is known to exhibit any marked volume change on aging and the majority were complex commercial alloys the precipitation mechanisms of which are not known. Jenkins, Bucknall and Jenkins~n,~ in 1944, applied tensile creep stresses to a complex copper. nickel-silicon alloy at various temperatures. The complexity of the alloy and the industrial objective of the work did not permit an appreciable addition to the theoretical understanding of either deformation or precipitation hardening.

Jan 1, 1949

By D. Roberts

SUMMARY In order to accommodate a new plant in a limestone quarry in the Mendip Hills, it became necessary to excavate a potentially unstable disused face of the quarry. A simple two-dimensional graphical method was used to analyse a failure, which occurred during a period of exceptionally heavy rain in 1968, and the results of this analysis were used in estimating the stability of the proposed excavation. The presence of water in vertical fissures and tension cracks was found to be a dominant factor in determining the stability of these faces. The results of this approximate analysis were used as a guide in deciding upon the final slope design and the purpose of presenting this example is to illustrate how the various factors involved in arriving at this design were weighed to arrive at a compromise between theoretical recommendations and practical considerations. INTRODUCTION The successful outcome of a geological and geochemical survey to prove adequate re- serves of high quality limestone, suitable for producing burnt lime, led to planning for the installation of the necessary plant at Amalgamated Roadstone Corporation's Batts Combe Quarry at Cheddar in Somerset. Topographic and property boundary limits added to restrictions which were likely to be imposed by any forthcoming planning consents and restricted the choice of plant location to one site. The particular site is, in fact, the main floor area of the original quarry which, like many hillside quarries, had been worked with just one face. Before a benching scheme had been introduced on higher ground, the original face had attained a height of 230 ft. and sloped at angles of 58º to 64º. Fig. I shows the present configuration of the disused quarry face and the present working area above. The floor area below the disused face accommodates the existing crushing, conveying, and screening plant. The new facilities for lime burning are to be in addition to the existing main line business of producing roadstone and concrete aggregates and, although a new aggregate production plant would be included in the new installation, no disturbance of current production was to be contemplated.

Jan 1, 1972

By F. Paredes, W. R. Holman, R. W. Crawford

The diffusion coefficient for hydrogen in the ß titanium alloy containing 13 pct V, 11 pct CY, and 3 pct A1 was measured over the temperature range 20° to 500°C. Results fit the expression: D= 1.58 x lgs exp-------==-----) cm2,sec THE diffusion coefficient for hydrogen in the metastable ß-phase titanium alloy containing 13 pct V, 11 pct Cr, and 3 pct A1 was measured as part of an investigation of the effects of hydrogen on the mechanical properties of titanium alloys. Several theories on the mechanisms of hydrogen embrittle-ment include diffusion of hydrogen at ambient temperature as an important step in the embrittling process.'-5 In hydrogen-contaminated a-ß titanium alloys, it has been postulated that the rate-controlling step may be the rate at which hydrogen diffuses from the ß phase to stress- or strain-nucleated brittle hydride platelets at the a-ß interface.' However, embrittlement of the all-ß alloy investigated in this work may proceed by a different mechanism, since this alloy can be embrittled without the formation of detectable hydride platelets.6 Troiano has suggested that in this case the mechanism of delayed failure or embrittlement is similar to that proposed for high-strength steel, i.e., repeated crack initiation caused by a decrease in bonding energy as hydrogen diffuses to points of high tri-axial stress at the root of a notch. In both types of alloy the rate of embrittlement is believed to be controlled by diffusion of hydrogen in the ß phase. Accurate hydrogen-diffusion data in the vicinity of room temperature should therefore be of some assistance in understanding the mechanisms of embrittlement in these two classes of titanium alloys. Diffusion of hydrogen in pure titanium has been studied by Wasilewski and Kehl7 at temperatures above 500°C. Their measurements on diffusion in the ß phase were extended below the ß-a transformation temperature (882°C) to approximately 600°C. This was possible because of the 8 stabilizing effect of hydrogen. No results at lower temperatures have been published and there are no data in the literature on hydrogen diffusion in the ß -phase alloy used in this program. Hydrogen diffusion in metals is generally investigated by measuring the rate of transport of hydrogen past a solid-gas interface, i.e., by absorption, permeation, or degassing-rate measurements. These methods produce accurate diffusion data when bulk diffusion is the rate-determining step in the over-all process. However, at the lower temperatures of interest in hydrogen-embrittlement studies or under conditions where surface films are present, the measured rates may be surface-controlled and the calculated diffusion coefficients will be in error. Surface effects were eliminated in the present work by using a modification of the common welded-couple technique m which two bars with uniform but different compositions are joined before the diffusion anneal." The same type of step change in the initial concentration vs distance curve was produced by electrolytically hydrogenating thin-strip specimens which had been electrically insulated over half of their length. Concentration vs distance curves were determined, after appropriate diffusion-annealing treatments, by vacuum-extraction analyses of transverse samples sheared from the strips. Diffusion coefficients were calculated by the methods of Grube.M This technique was feasible because of the large concentrations of hydrogen which can be charged into p -phase alloys without the formation of hydrides15'16 and because of the extremely low degassing rates observed when hydrogenated titanium alloys are heated in air. EXPERIMENTAL WORK The diffusion couples were cut from a 0.022-in.-thick mi ll-annealed sheet.* Strips 8 in. long by 1/2

Jan 1, 1965

By W. O. Philbrook, H. W. Hosking, N. B. Melcher

A simple and inexpensive mercury-tracer method has been develohed to study rates and Patterns of gas flow in blast furnaces. A Pulse of mercury is injected into the hot blast, and its arrival at the sampling Point is recorded by an electronic circuit that measures resonant absorbtion of ultraviolet light by mercury vapor in the gas aspirated .through the detecting. cell. A rapidly developing interest in blast-furnace technology in recent years has created a strong demand for precise knowledge of the rates and patterns of gas movement through the stock column. Classical fluid-flow theory cannot supply the desired information because the complexity of the blast-furnace situation precludes the accurate determination of many of the parameters required for solution of the equations. In fact some of the terms employed in fluid-flow treatments become almost meaningless under blast-furnace conditions. The void fraction of the stock column, for example, varies widely from place to place and is affected by the segregation of charge materials, attrition of lumps during descent, and channeling. Gas density varies with changes in local pressure, temperature, and composition, while viscosity varies with temperature and composition. Even if mean values for these functions were acceptable, they would be either impossible or extremely difficult to determine with a high degree of accuracy since the value of the mean for all gas properties would depend upon the flow distribution itself. Attempts to study gas movement by the pitot-tube determination of kinetic pressures have met with little acceptance. Reproducibility of results is extremely difficult to achieve in a situation where alignment of the tube orifice with respect to the flow direction in tortuous channels cannot be guaranteed. Because of these difficulties it would appear that progress can be achieved only with a direct method of measuring gas velocities and determining the shape of flow paths through the stock. The establishment of such a method is described in this paper. SELECTION OF METHOD Direct measurement suggests the use of a tracer by means of which the progress of a "parcel" of gas can be followed through the furnace. Several requirements must be met before any selected material can be considered a suitable tracer. First of all, it must be a substance not normally present in blastfurnace gas or dust; otherwise its presence in a gas sample will have little significance. It should be volatile at temperatures normally existing within the furnace, to ensure that it will travel with the gas, as a gas. It should possess special properties enabling its presence in the gas to be detected readily, and it should not undergo exchange reactions with any material normally present within the furnace, including refractories and coke as well as all components of the metal and slag. Radioactive materials naturally are considered because their radioactivity renders them susceptible to detection. However, of the many radioactive materials available, almost all are eliminated from final consideration by their unsuitability in terms of other properties. Radioactive silicon, carbon, calcium, phosphorus, and many others have been considered and discarded, either because they are not volatile over the whole range of significant temperatures, or because they could be expected to undergo exchange reactions with burden or refractory materials. Others which might be suitable in terms of these properties are eliminated because of a low activity, short half life, or the necessity for fragile counting apparatus. Of the many elements available in radioactive form, perhaps radon is the only one suitable for blast-furnace gas-flow studies. This has been used in several investigations1-4 with considerable success. The use of radiotracers has certain inherent disadvantages. One is the cost. An appreciable sum must be allowed for materials each time a test is made. Also, special methods of handling must be employed, and very often the progress of an investigation must be governed by the availability of isotopes and the delivery arrangements that can be made for them. An advantage is immediately gained if the tracer material can be a substance which can

Jan 1, 1960

By W. J. Parton

The efficient recovery and preparation of small sizes of anthracite called No. 4 Buckwheat (3/32 by 1/32 in.) and No. 5 Buckwheat (1/32 in. by 0), pre-sent a difficult problem to the anthracite operators. In many instances preparation of these sizes, particularly No. 5 anthracite, is extremely inefficient. In many of the older preparation plants, inadequate facilities, and often none at all, were provided as an integral part of the plant for cleaning this fine anthracite. Consequently, much of the material smaller than 3/32 in. was discarded. As the demand for these sizes increased, facilities for preparing the fine sizes were often crowded into existing structures with consequent sacrifices of capacities and efficiency. In addition to this condition, the methods of preparing the finest sizes are being developed in an attempt to improve their efficiencies. Because the demand for small sizes of anthracite still is increasing, many operators would benefit by investigating and improving the cleaning equipment employed on these sizes. The object of this paper is to de- scribe a stationary screen device from which the underflow is restricted by orifices, called a launder screen, along with operating results of several applications of this screen; a settling tank in which two classified products are produced by the installation of a cylindrical partition of smaller diameter than the original tank, one product being recovered from the small tank created by the partition and one product from the space between the inner and outer tank walls; a small pocket classifier or hydraulic trap for use in removing high ash particles from a sludge flow; the classification or segregation of sludge solids occurring in a 16 in. diam pipe flow by analysis of samples procured at different zones; and the operating results of a Fahrenwald sizer, as well as the performance of the concentrating tables handling the classified products. These simple devices were employed at the collieries of the Lehigh Navigation Coal Company Incorporated, Lansford. Pa., in order to improve preparation results on the fine sizes of anthracite. Launder Screens The launder screen is a screening and dewatering device which probably could be used advantageously in the flow diagram of many fine coal plants. Fig 1 shows that it consists of a stationary screen constructed by placing 6 in. high partitions every 6 in. along a launder. Holes are then drilled on 6-in. centers across the bottom of the launder to receive pipe bushings of the desired diameter. The screen cloth is tacked on top of the partitions. When water and solids are fed to the screen, only a small portion of the total water is removed through the orifices in each compartment so that the water in the feed is distributed evenly over the whole length of the screen. The screening action which results is very efficient because the solids are kept in a fluid condition for the full length of the screen. Blinding of the screen can be minimized by the use of screen cloth

Jan 1, 1950

By Robert L. Llewellyn

Preparation of coal begins at the face in underground mines or in the pit with surface mines. Impurities in raw coal can be in the seam itself or in extraneous material taken in mining from the roof or bottom. Raw coal is prepared only to the extent that is necessary to make the product salable. Over 60% of all coal production is processed to some extent in cleaning plants. For underground mines the proportion cleaned is 72% as compared to 42% from surface and 15% from auger mines. Coal supplied for coking purposes is nearly all upgraded by washing, while for the largest market, electric power generation, a high proportion is shipped as a raw product with processing, in whole or in part, only as necessary when excess impurities are mined with the coal. This chapter will deal primarily with plants that process or wash coal to some extent and only incidently with mines shipping raw run-of-mine coal crushed to a top size of, usually, 2 to 4 in., with little, if any, other treatment. ECONOMICS OF COAL PREPARATION During the past decade, major changes have occurred affecting the market, profit, and long-rang planning of the coal industry. Mining companies have become "partners" with consumers at many new and some old mines, both for steam and metallurgical coals. Coal properties have become "assigned" tonnages at mutually agreed upon conditions and prices. Lower unit-train tariffs have been instrumental in helping coal markets to compete against oil and atomic energy. Cod prices for power plants are still on a Btu (British thermal unit) basis but with more emphasis on sulfur content. For metallurgical coal, the lower and medium volatile coals are in demand and the price rises, generally, as the volatile percentage is lower. Moisture affects the Btu value of coal almost the same as ash content, but dusty conditions during loading and unloading are no longer accept-

Jan 1, 1973

By Earl S. Greiner, Bradley Stoughton

As a part of the systematic study of the alloys of iron under the auspices of the Engineering Foundation, and preliminary to the commencement of comprehensive work on this larger subject, the authors have undertaken an investigation of the available literature dealing with the alloys of iron and silicon. The purpose is to collect all the data in English and foreign languages and present them in two monographs, one of a more scientific and the second of a more industrially useful nature. Of course, a great deal of information upon the constitution of the iron-silicon alloys was found specificially upon the changes of phase in the equilibrium diagram and the different phases present, such as solid solution, chemical compounds (iron silicides), etc. While no extended research was contemplated in the particular study undertaken, nevertheless the data collected proved to be so contradictory in many respects that a simple study of some of the outstanding problems involved in the constitution and equilibrium diagram was undertaken. Because research was not a primary object of the work, and also because of the extreme industrial importance of the silicon alloys between 0.80 and 14 per cent. silicon, and finally because of the unsatisfactory state of knowledge existing as to these alloys, the experimental investigation was limited entirely to alloys with less than 10 per cent. silicon. Discussion oF Continuous Series It has often been said in print that the iron-silicon alloys form a continuous series of solid solutions from 0 to 15 per cent. silicon. This claim the authors are inclined to doubt: first, because the alloys from 0 to 4.25 per cent. silicon are ductile and malleable at atmospheric temperature, while those with 5 per cent. or more of silicon are comparatively hard and brittle. Furthermore, the alloys with more than 4.25 per cent. silicon are comparatively hard and low in ductility at atmospheric temperature, but become much more ductile when heated slightly. It is well known, for example, that the alloy containing 4.75

Jan 1, 1930

By Gregory L. Gullord

In September, 1975, production was begun at the new milling facility of ASARCO Incorporated, the Young Mill. The mill is located adjacent to the Young Mine 35 km (22 miles) east of Knoxville, Tennessee. The Young Mill replaced the obsolete Mascot Mill which had been operating since 1913. The basic flow sheet of Mascot was retained for the construction of the Young Mill, with a 20% increase in capacity included in the design. The Young Mill is capable of processing 7710 - t/d (8500 stpd) of crude ore from three underground mines (Young, Immel and Coy) yielding 300 - t/d (330 stpd) of 63% zinc concentrate. The Young Mill is unique in that 92.5% of the ore milled is recovered as saleable products, including zinc concentrate, construction aggregate, sand and agricultural limestone. Processing at the Young Mill is divided into five basic stages: two-stage crushing, heavy media separation, grinding-flotation, concentrate filtering and drying, and limestone by-products recovery. The ore bodies are located in the Knox formation, which consists of primary dolomite, secondary dolomite and limestone with silicas in the form of chert and jasperoid. The zinc mineralization occurs as an exceptionally pure sphalerite. The ore contains an occasional abundance of pyrite and traces of fluorite and barite. TWO STAGE CRUSHING Ore enters the crushing section from two points. The Young Mine ore is hoisted into a 816 ton (900 st) bin which feeds a 1.52m (60 in) conveyor via a 1.52 m (60 in) vibrating feeder. The Immel ore is trucked 10 km (6 miles) by an independent contractor and weighed on automatic recording truck scales at the entrance to the property.

Jan 1, 1977

By D. S. Tomalin, D. F. Stein

The effect of reducing oxygen to low concentrations on the fracture of high-purity iron single crystals has been examined at 78° and 20°K. It is found that iron single crystals grown by the strain-anneal method usually contain a few occluded grain boundaries which may become embittled in the presence of oxygen, thereby nucleating cleavage fractures. High purity with respect to interstitial elements was found to inhibit twinning and evidence is presented for an orientation dependence of the resolved yield stress. Deformation occurred by slip rather than twinning at both temperatures of testing with elongations of as much as 9 pct at 20°K. THE fracture properties of iron single crystals have been observedl-3 to be a function of temperature, orientation, and purity. Allen, Hopkins, and McLennan1 demonstrated that at 78°K iron single crystals became increasingly brittle as the tensile axis approached the (001) pole of the stereographic unit triangle. Iron crystals with the tension axis near a (001) pole were completely brittle and orientations near the (011)-(111) boundary were very ductile, achieving a 100 pct reduction in area prior to fracture. Later work of Biggs and pratt2 and of Edmondson3 demonstrated that by reducing the carbon content of the single crystals the transition between brittle and ductile failure at 78°K could be shifted to orientations nearer the (001) pole. Ed-mondson went further and pointed out that any mechanism which tended to increase the yield strength of the iron (i.e., carbon addition, pre-strain) also increased the tendency for brittle behavior at 78°K. Thus by a reduction of carbon content Biggs and Pratt were able to obtain ductile behavior to within 20 deg of the (001) pole, and Ed-mondson was able to obtain ductile behavior to within 26 deg of the (001) pole. Edmondson's material had a total interstitial content (carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen) of approximately 60 ppm and, although Biggs and Pratt reported no analysis, indications were that their iron contained comparable impurities. Stein, Low, and seybolt4 purified iron single crystals to a total carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen content of approximately 20 ppm. They observed a lowering of the yield stress with this increased purity, and thus one might have expected an observation of increased ductility. Although they tested specimens of orientations which the previous workers had indicated should be ductile, the crystals failed at a 78°K in a brittle manner with little elongation. Stein noted,' however, that about 90 pet of the failures could be traced in origin to occluded grains. Allen et al.1 and Edmondson3 do not report examination of their cleavage surfaces, but Biggs and pratt2 reported that microscopic examination of the cleavage surfaces of many of their specimens revealed the presence of small occluded grains. Honda and cohen6 and Keh7 have also observed the initiation of fracture at occluded grains in iron single crystals. Therefore, the additional complication of occluded grains must be considered in studying the properties of iron single crystals and the origin of fractures determined if the ductility exhibited by the crystals is to be considered meaningful. Various investigators8-12 have studied the effects of impurities on grain boundaries in high-purity polycrystalline iron. Rees and Hopkins10 showed that the addition of oxygen to low-carbon (0.002 pet) iron weakened the grain boundaries, causing a shift from transcrystalline to intercrystalline fracture and a progressive decrease on the brittle-fracture stress with increasing oxygen content. In addition, it has been shown by Low and Feustel11 that the addition of carbon to polycrystalline iron containing oxygen eliminated grain boundary brittleness. Thus, oxygen can embrittle grain boundaries in high-purity polycrystalline iron, but the addition of an appropriate amount of carbon can eliminate the oxygen-induced brittleness. The oxygen content (19 ppm) of the iron "single crystals" employed by Stein el al. was large enough to suspect impurity effects at the occluded grain boundaries. Allen et al.1 Biggs and pratt,2 and Edmondson3 may have masked any occluded grain problem in their specimens considering the relatively high carbon levels they employed. stein13 demonstrated that the addition of as little as 0.9 ppm C to previously purified (less than 5 x 10-3 ppm C) "single crystals" would increase the elongation from a few percent to more than 20 pet at 78°K and the fracture was not associated with grade boundary initiation.

Jan 1, 1965

By E. S. Burnett, R. V. Higgins, H. C. Miller

Information obtained from subsurface pressure and ,temperature measurements in oil wells now is recognized as invaluable to geologists, engineers, and operators of oil properties. Available only during the past few years, data resulting from subsurface-pressure surveys in oil wells already have found widespread application in the estimation of reserves and in the planning of comprehensive oil-field development programs. Subsurface pressure and temperature data, together with measurements of fluid volumes produced by individual wells and specific gravities of the fluids, also are included in the fundamental information essential in studying the movement of oil, gas and water through reservoir sands to wells. Heretofore, laboratory findings were relied upon almost entirely for information pertaining to the mechanics of flow of fluids through porous media, because there was no way to check laboratory results with actual performance in underground formations until subsurface pressure and temperature instruments were developed. Laboratory and field experiments now lend themselves to closer correlation—a fact that will accelerate the interpretation of many phenomena that occur when oil and gas flow through reservoir rocks, thousands of feet below the surface of the earth. This paper summarizes the results obtained thus far in a Bureau of Mines study of certain data pertaining to subsurface pressures and production of wells producing oil and gas (and water). For wells that have been studied, flowing naturally under volumetric or hydraulic control, a simple relation has been found between the mass rate of fluid (oil, gas and water) production and the corresponding drop in pressure in the reservoir sand. The equated relation embodies a productivity factor or "index" expressed in terms of mass rate of fluid production per pound drop in pressure through the sands. The equation as developed is an expression of the ability of a well to produce, which permits comparison on a uniform basis of the productivities of different wells. The study shows also that over the range of observed data a productivity factor

Jan 1, 1937

By M. A. Mayers, J. A. Thompson

In recent years, the problem of damage to coke-oven walls by expanding coal charges undergoing carbonization has engaged great attention on the part of research workers in this field, and has led to the development of many devices for estimating these pressures.l-14 Only in Russell's method" and in the Koppers ovens7 are conditions quite similar to those in commercial ovens. Tests even in these ovens are empirical because no information has been published to permit an evaluation of "scale effects." Owing to the relatively large wall area in these test ovens, the average wall pressure determined may be lower than that existing in localized areas. This factor may be compensated for in part by the testing of coal charged into the test oven at a bulk density that is as high as the highest that is believed to exist in commercial ovens. Both of these lacks might be filled by the development of an adequate gauge for the direct measurement of wall pressure exerted by the charge in commercial coke ovens in normal operation. Previous attempts to elaborate such instruments7,15 have resulted in units which, because they had to be water-cooled, probably produced changes in the conditions of carbonization, and which had to be removed from the oven before carbonization was complete, to avoid their destruction. Late in 1941 the Coal Research Laboratory undertook to develop such a gauge, in which gas pressure was balanced against the charge pressure and which thus would not require water cooling, on a suggestion made in 1937 by one of the present authors and William B. Warren, a former member of the Laboratory staff. The gauge heads themselves were to be simple and cheap enough so that they might be discarded after each run if seriously damaged. This would permit them to be left in place throughout the carbonizing period, when they could be pushed out with the coke. The basis of the design, of which the latest exemplification is shown in Fig. I, was that as the internal gas pressure within a flexible metal envelope was increased, the flexible wall would move away from a stop when the gas pressure just overbalanced the charge pressure. If the stop were an insulated electrical contact, the point of balance could be indicated by the breaking of an electric circuit. It was anticipated that, while the instrument must operate at high temperature, the presence of a strongly reducing atmosphere throughout the carbonizing period would so reduce the danger of scaling that mild steel could be used for the gauge. This expectation has been justified. Danger of attack on silica oven walls by the steel gauge body can be eliminated by cementing asbestos paper or an alundum or silica plate to the back of the gauge body. The gauge head itself has a relatively heavy mild-steel body, A, into which standard ¼-in. pipe B is screwed to conduct gas and electrical leads. The body is closed by a single bellows C, consisting of two annuli of 0.011-in. (o.a8-mm.) cold-rolled shim-steel spot-welded together at their outside edges. The lower one is

Jan 1, 1944