Search Documents

By H. H. Lowry

SCIENCE attracts the attention and interest of an individual or an industry in general only in proportion to the apparent direct application to its immediate welfare or benefit. Engineering accomplishments, as applied science, therefore receive more recognition than the scientific discoveries on which they are based. Even self-evident truth needs endless repetition before recognition: engineering as applied science cannot advance beyond the science on which it is founded. Scientific research, and discovery, is sometimes forced by the limitations recognized by those active in its development for the use of society and industry and sometimes results from an apparently superficially illogical curiosity about natural phenomena. Research has received inadequate support except in industries born in the laboratory, the chemical and electrical industries, from which many lessons might well be drawn by their elder associates. The rapid growth of these industries has been largely due to close cooperation of scientists and engineers. Most rapid advance is made when the research worker and the engineer keep in close touch with each other's ideas and problems. Many of the developments of modern industry are based on dis-coveries buried for years in scientific journals because the "time was not ripe" at their discovery. The situation with regard to utilization of coal is quite the opposite. The fundamental facts in regard to the scientific aspects of the problem of developing the energy from coal are scarcely known. The engineer, without much scientific cooperation, has accom-plished much in increasing the number of kilowatt-hours per pound of coal from 0.31 in 1919 to 0.69 in 1934, in increasing the 1000 gross ton-miles of freight hauled from 6.1 to 8.3 per ton of coal in the same period, in fuel economy in production of coke, and in developing the production of motor fuel in Germany and England by hydrogenation of coal. This lack of scientific research on the utilization of our most important natural resource, coal, has been due undoubtedly in large part to the reluctance of investigators to study the interrelationships involved in, the complicated processes in which coal is used. These complexities are made

Jan 1, 1936

IT will be recalled that the first professor of metallurgy in the United States, appointed in 1855, never really gave any instruction in metallurgy and gradually turned into a professor of mineralogy. Metallurgy was included with mining in the early curricula, two students who took the B.S. in mining engineering from the Polytechnic College of Pennsylvania in 1863 wrote their graduation theses on the metallurgy of copper and zinc, respectively. Even after Columbia School of Mines established, in 1868, a separate curriculum leading to the Ph.B. degree in metallurgy, very few students elected it,* preferring to take the mining degree, since they received in its curriculum nearly all the metallurgical instruction they would have in the metallurgical curriculum. For many years a large proportion of the men who attained prominence in metallurgical enterprises had taken mining rather than metallurgical degrees. METALLURGY Clifton Sorby's study of thin sections of rocks under the micro- scope, beginning in 1850, and its subsequent development by Zirkel and others, had made microscopic petrography a recognized department of, geological research as early as 1873. It was inevitable that the idea of studying polished metal surfaces under the microscope by reflected instead of transmitted light would occur to investigators. Sorby himself did it in 1864, and Adolph Martens and Floris Osmond may be especially named ', among the many European workers who, by the late eighties, had so developed the necessary techniques that they were able to photograph polished metal surfaces at magnifications as high

Jan 1, 1941

By R. D. Gibbs, C. C. Taylor

The gas-lift, or circulation of gas for the production of crude oil, now includes the gas operator in field production activities to a greater extent than ever before. It is the purpose of this paper to show the scope of his activities and to discuss the various means of handling and treating the large quantities of gas which are now of a somewhat different nature than formerly. The extent of the stripping action of circulating gas on oil must be discussed, as this can be governed somewhat by the method of treatment of the recirculated gas. Change in Gas-decline Curve under Circulation Before the advent of the gas-lift, the gas-production curve of a field showed a peak during the flush production with a rapid decline as the wells were put on the pump and then a long steady decline curve of a relatively small volume of rich gas for the life of the field. Under the gas-lift method of production, instead of having the sharp decline at the end of the flush production period, sufficient circulating gas to keep up the required total gas-oil ratio would be turned to the wells. The gas-production curve then assumes a long gradual decline, giving a large volume of gas for treatment for several years to come. The gas-decline curve will not follow that of the oil, as the lowering of the rock pressure by the steady production of oil and gas from the sand will make it necessary to continue using the large tubing and to circulate large volumes of gas in order to keep the back-pressure against the sands as low as possible. A Complicated Distributing System In tracing the flow of the gas from the time it leaves the well until it again enters through the casinghead, under high pressure, we get a very good idea of the complex distributing and regulating system that must be installed and the large treating and compression plants that are necessary (see Fig. I). Gas traps must be large enough to efficiently separate large quantities of gas and oil and should be elevated sufficiently to enable the oil, if

Jan 1, 1928

By C. C. Griggs

From its inception, a limestone quarry or mine should be under the direction of a capable engineer. Before it becomes a reality, he should outlinc the future results, plan the most economical methods for moving the materials and the most efficient equipment, and pilot the undertaking along the narrow pathway of success, avoiding the pitfalls of uneconomical production and the precipitous walls of scanty profits. Inspection of successful limestone properties shows that all have had difficult engineering problems, the solution of which have required keen engineering ability. In approaching a subject of this nature, it is logical to follow the progress of the limestone operation from its inception to the end, as reflecting the engineering required. There are four major divisions: Investigation, equipment, development, and operation. Investigation On the reliability of the engineer's estimates and the soundness of his judgment depend the success or failure of the enterprise. When one visits a prosperous concern, realizes that the limestone is of a constant chemical composition, sees the mechanical devices installed, and watches the output leave the plant in trains of railroad cars or fleets of vessels, he may overlook the fact that in the remote past this great creation was born in some man's brain and evolved through competent engineering. Many factors must be considered before a promoter could procure the money necessary to launch such an enterprise, for a conservative banker will only recommend a successful producer while the promoter must provide funds on his own and his engineer's judgment. An engineering investigation must be made preliminary to expenditure for actual operation, which, for a limestone deposit, would' naturally embrace such subjects as : ' Readily available. 1. Tonnage available........ Possibly available. Chemical analysis.

Jan 1, 1925

By Howard L. Hartman

6.1-1. Introduction. Of necessity, the first of the unit operations conducted during the exploitation phase in surface mining is production drilling. It precedes blasting, with which it is associated as the two unit operations employed to break or fragment consolidated material (usually rock) in place. The purpose of production drilling is to provide the cavity for placement of the explosives. So far, no alternative to blasting has been devised for fragmenting very resistant rock in situ, although some forms of excavation (ripping, bucket wheel) are suitable without prior blasting for softer rock, such as weathered shale or mudstone, decomposed sediments, etc. For the vast majority of surface mines, however, drilling and blasting are pre- requisite to excavation and essential to the production cycle. Drilling is also used in surface mining for purposes other than providing blastholes. It finds application during exploration for obtaining samples and during development for drainage, slope stability, foundation testing, etc. Only in the exploitation phase of surface mining, however, are unique or specialized drilling methods and equipment employed; and the discussion in this Section is directed primarily to that application of drilling. Drilling is the most common means of rock penetration, the operation of placing a directed hole in rock. Closely akin to drilling for exploitation purposes is the cutting or freeing of dimension stone in quarrying. This operation, usually termed channeling or sawing, also takes the form of directional penetration of rock; but instead of producing a cylindrical hole, it yields a kerf or cut. The material thus freed from the solid is both a shaped and sized product, an objective of vital importance in the dimension stone industry. In sawing, holes are sometimes drilled to insert tools, but this drilling is a minor part of the sawing operation and employs conventional methods. Cutting, as a unit operation for freeing stone in quarrying, may be considered equivalent in purpose to drilling and blasting in other forms of surface mining.

Jan 1, 1968

NEW YORK SECTION ALLEN H. ROGERS, Chairman, H. C. PARMELEE, Vice-chairman, FOREST RUTHERFORD, Vice-chairman, W. S. DICKSON, Secretary, 71 Broadway, New York, N. Y. J. E. JOHNSON, JR. . F. T. RUBIDGE, Treasurer, P. G. SPILSBURY. The annual meeting of the New York Section, for the election of officers and other business, was held at the Machinery Club on May 23,

Jan 8, 1918

By David H. Browne

One of the most difficult problems in the chemistry of iron-ore, and one, the solution of which, so far as I am aware, has never been attempted, is the distribution, throughout a given vein, of Bessemer ore, and its relation to the formation of the deposit. In those hematite-mines in which both Bessemer and non-Bessemer ore occur, the sorting of the ore as it lies in the deposit becomes a problem of much economic as well as scientific interest. It would seem, from a superficial examination. or, indeed, from any examination not conducted for this especial purpose, as if high- and low-phosphorus ores were mixed in inexplicable confusion ; and a mining-chemist is very apt to fall into a system of adventitious analyses, taking first-class ore wherever he can find it, and overlooking its relation to the formation and position of the vein. I hope that a few notes which I present on this subject may be found worthy of consideration, as throwing a new light upon this obscure topic. During the last three years, while acting as chemist of the Lumberman's Mining Co., I have made some 3000 analyses of iron-ore from the Ludington mine at Iron Mountain, Michigan. These analyses were necessary in order to separate Bessemer and non-Bessemer ore which occurred intermixed in the deposit. During the last year, I attempted in several ways to find some reason or method in the distribution of phosphorus, and have finally become cognizant of the arrangement herein outlined. I have been obliged to confine my attention to our new mine, and, in that, to that portion wherein

Jan 1, 1889

By D. A. Bailey, F. L. Kadey

During recent years, expanded perlite has found extensive use in a wide variety of commercial applications. Specifications for a range of uses call for aggregates having different physical properties and requiring various types of processing. The mitre scopic examination of expanded aggregates in specially prepared thin sections has yielded important information regarding internal structure and can be a useful aid in evaluation of the product. Perlite is an acid volcanic glass containing from 2 to 5 pct combined water. When crushed and rapidly raised to a temperature of 1500° to 2100°F, the volatilization of the combined water, coincident with softening of the siliceous glass, causes the particles to expand or pop. Expansion of perlite to densities as low as 1-1/2 lb per cu ft has been achieved, although the normal range is from about 2.5 to 10 lb per cu ft. Low-density materials of this nature have found application in cryogenic insula- tions, insulating tile and board, plaster and lightweight concrete, soil conditioners, filter aids after comminution, and a host of other uses. The expansion of perlite may be controlled by a number of variables. Some of these are ore milling, furnace design, expanding temperature, use of preheating techniques, screen size distribution, and feed rate of the crude. For the specific intended uses, the art of perlite expanding has developed to the point that much is known about the effect of these variables on the end product. The requirements, however, for an aggregate to be used in plaster are different from those for an expanded perlite to be used in lightweight concrete or for cryogenics. In the study of perlite, many practical questions remain unanswered. One of the most important is, "why do some perlites make hard aggregates while others cannot resist crushing or compaction?" The usual tests and methods for evaluation of nonmetallic substances have been tried and have contributed their share to our knowledge. But chemical analyses, compaction resistance tests, screen analysis, etc., will reveal only a limited amount of information. The answers to these complex questions may well be found in an examination of the intemal structure of the expanded particle. Such questions and the ex-

Jan 1, 1962

By H. E. Lee, A. W. Edelen

The Teziutlan copper-zinc deposit is supposed to be of late Cambrian or early Paleozoic age. The country rocks are a series of schists or phyllites, flat lying and in the form of a plunging anticline. The ore deposit occupies a single horizon in the schist for a known horizontal extent of 1200 meters. Along its strike occur four large lenses or ore bodies. These ore bodies occupy positions along the flank and extend to the crest of the anticline. The primary mineralization is in the form of quartz, pyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite and galena, with a few scattered silver anti-monides. Quartz and pyrite form the mineralization between the ore lenses. Ill the ore lenses the sulphides appear as a massive, very fine-grained intergrowth of minerals. The intergrowth suggests a contemporaneous deposition of the heavy sulphides. The grain size, usually under 0.09 mm., makes the separation difficult and fine grinding important. The ore bodies were formed at great depth by solutions probably originating in the same basic magma that gave rise to the dolerite sills that are so common in their vicinity. Introduction The Teziutlan copper-zinc deposit is distinctly different from other ore deposits of Mexico in age and type. Previously stated to be pre-Cambrian in age, it is now quite generally supposed to belong to the late Cambrian or to the early Paleozoic period. Also, in contrast to the usual shallow-vein zone type of mineralization in Mexico, there is here exemplified an intermediate vein zone deposit of copper and zinc. So far as is known, the Tezintlan vein is unique in the history of Mexican geology and in a class by itself, its closest counterpart probably being the copper veins of the pre-Cambrian of Canada. The Teziutlan district is in the extreme northwestern corner of the State of Puebla, Mexico. Teziutlan, the terminus of a branch line of the National Railways from Mexico City, is connected to the mine at Aire Libre by a 17-km. narrow-gauge railroad owned and operated by the Teziutlan Copper Co. Owing to excessive grades on this short linc, Shay-geared locomotives arc used for the transportation of concentrates and supplies.

Jan 1, 1941

By Ralph H. Sweetser

AT the joint session of Blast Furnace and Open Hearth Committees, April 7, 1937, at Birmingham, the subject of the quality of basic open-hearth pig iron was so well presented and discussed from so many different viewpoints that it was the general opinion that progress had been made and that such meetings were conducive to the advancement of the art of making pig iron of the right quality for the open-hearth man to produce the most satisfactory quality of steel. It was agreed that there is a decided differentiation between the chemical analysis of pig iron and the "quality" of pig iron. Paul J. McKim said that open-hearth furnace operators frequently make reference to certain types of iron as "bad iron," "dirty iron," "cold metal," etc., claiming that when using these irons, although they are within specified chemical analysis, it is impossible to produce quality steel. Mr. McKim gave a list of the suggested causes of those "certain types" of bad irons that have a thoroughly respectable analysis but a thoroughly disreputable character. Another open-hearth man, P. A. MacIsaac, of Nova Scotia, said that The effects of iron that is below standard in analysis or in that mysterious property called quality, are well known to all open-hearth operators. It has been shown that iron of this type results in the production of steels on which the rejections of finished product run high. What is to be done about it? I would say that the burden of producing high-quality iron should be placed squarely on the shoulders of the blast furnace man, even as that of making good steel is shouldered by the open-hearth man. It is the purpose of this paper to bring out into the open this "mysterious property called quality"; that is, in those "certain types" of basic pig iron that make it impossible to produce quality steels; and at the same time to point the way for the blast-furnace man to be able to shoulder the burden that Mr. MacIsaac and all other open-hearth men and foundry-men have placed upon him. Silicon, sulphur, phosphorus and manganese are not the guilty elements because these are known, specified and usually kept within the

Jan 1, 1938

By J. M. Lommel

DURING an investigation into the effect of heat-treatment on the creep properties of the magnesium alloy ZW1, (1 pct Zn, 0.6 pct Zr), the previously published methods of final polishing were found to be unsatisfactory. A new diamond-polishing technique has been developed to facilitate the study of fine precipitates in this and other magnesium alloys, and is described in this note. The sectioning and coarse grinding techniques are those of Fox and Hall,' and Hess and Cieorge.' Pre- liminary mechanical polishing is done with 6-µ, and 1-µ( grades of diamond compound on 'Microcloth' using a lubricant of 'Hyprez' oil. When the conventional technique is used with a 1/4- µ diamond wheel for the final polishing of magnesium alloys, scratching is likely to result from the abrasive action of the 'Microcloth' nap on the soft metal surface. This problem has been overcome by the use of a cream on the wheel in order to separate the specimen surface from the polishing cloth. To prepare this cream, a solution of 6-ml tri-ethanolamine in 75-ml water is stirred into 12.5 g stearic acid at a constant temperature of 80o to 90°C. The cream is allowed to cool, and is then 'whipped' to a smooth consistency with 100-ml 'Hyprez' oil. Before polishing, the diamond loaded 'Microcloth' is moistened with a few drops of 'Hyprez' oil, then a small amount of cream is worked into the nap. For the best results a wheel speed of 500 rpm should be used for polishing, and the specimen should be held by hand with a light pressure while being rotated in the opposite direction to the wheel. After polishing it is necessary to swab the specimen thoroughly in methylated spirits to remove residual cream and oil from the surface in order to avoid uneven etching and drying stains. Fig. 1 shows the surface finish obtained on a specimen by polishing on a 1/4- µ diamond wheel using the cream, and Figs. 2 and 3 the precipitate observed in ZW1 after polishing, and etching for two seconds in nitric acid 15 pct in ethylene glycol. This new diamond-polishing technique has made a valuable contribution to the programme of metal-lographic research on ZW1 and has become a routine laboratory practice for other low alloy content magnesium alloys.

Jan 1, 1961

By William P. Blake

The numerous and copious reports of geological surveys made in the lead and zinc region of Wisconsin leave, perhaps, but little room for any original work, or for descriptive details of the nature and origin of the deposits not already given in the exhaustive memoirs of Percival, Whitney, and Chamberlin and their associates. HOWeyer, since the completion of the last survey, in 1879, much more attention has been given than before to the exploration of the ores of zinc, especially of late years, since the region has been better opened up by railways and the zinc industry of the country has assumed large proportions, giving a constantly increasing demand for zinc-ores. A residence of more than a year in the region, and the active direction during that time of mining operations over a considerable area, have familiarized me with the forms and peculiarities of many of the deposits; and it appears probable that some observations upon them, especially from the mining and commercial standpoint, may interest the members of the Institute. A few notes on the structure of the deposits from the mineralogical and chemical standpoints have already been presented by me to the Wisconsin Academy of Arts and Sciences." The presence of lead-ore in the soil at many points along the Mississippi river was well known to the aborigines, and early attracted the attention of the frontier traders, who purchased from the Indians the ore and even lead smelted out by the squaws. The demand for the lead-ore soon increased, and it became one of the early and potent factors determining the settlement of southwestern Wisconsin, and the development of its mining and agricultural resources. The mines of that section, together with those of Missouri and the Mississippi valley, may be said to have been the cradle of mining in the western United States. The deposits of ore being at or near the

Jan 1, 1894

By J. J. Gilman

WHEN a cleavage crack that is moving through a crystal intersects a screw dislocation, a jog is created in the crack front. As the crack continues to move, the jog leaves behind a cleavage step. This mechanism was proposed by Amelinckx and Votava,' Pratt, bnd Gilmanh t about the same time. At that time the evidence for the mechanism was largely indirect. Other evidence has been presented by Low, Bilby and Smith,5 and Forty.' It is the purpose of this paper to present more direct evidence of this mechanism and to show that observations of cleavage steps can be used to detect screw dislocations. Experimental Lithium-fluoride crystals that were purchased from the Harshaw Chemical Company, as well as natural mineral crystals and metal crystals, were used in the experiments. Although cleavage steps can be observed on transparent crystals with a metallurgical microscope, the contrast is poor. Marked improvement in the contrast is obtained by depositing thin (1000A) films of silver or aluminum onto the surfaces. The contrast also can be improved by using a phase-contrast microscope, but the simpler silvering method gives just as good results. Tolansky interferometric microscopy, and electron microscopy were used to measure the heights of cleavage steps. The etching techniques developed by Gilman and Johnstonh ere used to detect dislocations in the LiF crystals. Results The dislocations that create cleavage steps can originate in three ways: a) They can be grown into crystals b) They can be introduced by plastic deformation prior to cleavage c) They can be formed just in front of the tip of a propagating cleavage crack.' These three situations will be considered in turn. Grown-in Dislocations—It is not possible to see the individual monomolecular cleavage steps that emanate from isolated screw dislocations in crystals.

Jan 1, 1959

By C. M. Nickerson

The possibility of deeper production in the Buena Vista Hills was first considered in 1933. At that time, however, the heavy state curtailment program served to deter any operator from drilling test wells, which, if successful, might upset the proration schedules. Because most of the acreage was held by several major operators and the remainder by substantial independents, the adoption of a plan of cooperative development was considered desirable. Such a plan was formulated for the development of any deeper oil and gas horizons that may be found to exist. This plan, which was signed by the Secretaries of the Navy and of the Interior on behalf of the United States on July 9,1936, is now effective for the development of lands within the area shown on Fig. 1. Unlike most unit plans, the present cooperative development plan permits each operator to drill and produce his own wells. For the purpose of this plan the Buena Vista Hills field is divided into two pools. The present production is classed as the " old pool,"' while any future production below a certain marker which roughly coincides with the bottom of the Santa Margarita formation is included in the "pool" to which the provisions particularly apply. Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 2 lies within the area and constitutes the major portion of the Federal leases subject to the plan. There are 39,040 acres and 27 operators within the area. Twenty-six operators controlling 99.5 per cent of the acreage have signed the agreement. Geology oF the Buena Vista Hills The Buena Vista Hills consist of a low range in the southern portion of the San Joaquin Valley, and are roughly parallel to the adjacent Temblor range to the south. The Elk Hills oil field parallels the Buena Vista Hills a few miles to the north. The subsurface structure is a re-entrant anticline upon the major Midway-Sunset monocline. This anticline is divided into two minor

Jan 1, 1937

By Frank L. Antisell

Certain physical and chemical properties of copper are so intimately related that a change in variation of the physical properties indicates a certain chemical change. The standard specifications of copper of the American Society for Testing Materials are based upon physical characteristics with one exception, namely, the copper contents. The physical standard includes electrical properties, defects in the "set or casting," variation in dimensions, weight, etc. Paragraph 4 of the specifications states, " Wire bars, cakes, slabs and billets shall be substantially free from shrink holes, cold sets, pits, sloppy edges, concave tops, and similar defects in set or casting." Shrink holes and concave tops indicate both physical and metallurgical defects; cold sets, sloppy edges, etc., indicate physical defects only; small pit holes may be indicative of either or both physical and metallurgical defects, depending on conditions under which they originated. To the refiner, a copper casting, no matter how made, is known as a "shape," irrespective of whether it is wire bar, ingot, cake, slab, billet, etc. As practically all shapes are cast in an open mold, that is a mold without cope, the surface of the shape cools in contact with the atmosphere and has a coating of oxide. Certain phenomena of the surface indicate the adaptability of the metal for forging or rolling. The writer believes that it is much simpler to produce shapes that are metallurgically correct than those that are mechanically satisfactory. When copper is to be rolled into thin sheets or drawn into very fine wire, the slightest physical defect becomes evident. It is, therefore, of the utmost importance to consider every characteristic of the shape and ascertain the physical and chemical relationship. Pitch and Set.—The appearance of the surface of the copper when cooled is considered as to its "pitch," or the general contour of the surface of the shape (which may vary from a concave to a convex); and the '" set,"' or the detail appearance of the surface of the shape (the wave-like structure). When the shape presents a concave surface, it is known as "low pitch;" a convex surface is known as "high pitch" or "tough pitch;" and a level surface is called "flat pitch." The set of the copper is, in a very large measure, directly related to the pitch; and so intimately are

Jan 1, 1921

The ventilation of metal mines is becoming more of a fundamental requirement than it was 10 or even 5 years ago. There are many reasons for this, and in general they are based on economy or efficiency rather than health or safety, yet the latter enters into the picture in at least some instances. One Montana metal mine which had installed mine fans and a general ventilating system shut down the fan when there was a period of cessation of work; within a few weeks it was found that the underground timbers were becoming so covered with fungus that the fans were put into operation and thereafter continued in operation whether the mine was worked or not. The fungus soon disappeared and the cost of operating the fans was held to be far less than would be the numerous losses from timber decay which quickly started when cessation of air flow was encountered. A large iron ore mine in Michigan had much difficulty in holding men in a slicing region due to foul air under certain surface conditions as to direction of wind. Upon the placing of a moderate sized fan on the surface with some doors, stoppings and regulators underground, not only was the bad air condition removed but there was found to be a decided increase of tonnage per man per shift and timber decay was retarded to a very considerable extent. This particular mining company was rather inclined to be angry when I called attention to some of the what I considered very bad working conditions underground, and the mine superintendent for about a year and a half was on anything but friendly terms with me. Later on when the effect of the placing of the fan was found (the fan had been placed over his protest), that, man came through very nicely with a letter and congratulated me on the recommendation made and congratulated himself and the company on the conditions obtained after the installation of the fan. Poisonous Fumes after Blasting A copper mine in the Southwest with an ore of a high sulfide content has much difficulty due to poisonous fumes after blasting, and the, fan installation is as elaborate as those of many of the most nearly up-to-date coal mines, and coal mine splitting and regulating practices are being

Jan 1, 1927

The opening session was held on Tuesday evening, June 28th. Mr. F. S. Witherbee, of Port Henry, a member of the Local Committee, welcomed the Institute as follows: Mr. President and Gentlemen and (if I my also add) Ladies of the Institute: In the absence of the Chairman of our Local Committee it is my pleasant duty to give you a cordial welcome once more to the shores of Lake Champlain. I think some fourteen years have passed by since we last had the pleasure of receiving you at a meeting in this vicinity ; but the pleasure of that meeting still lingers in our memory; and the profit which we derived from your discussions and from your presence with us has made us heartily desirous to have you here again. If the truth must be known, we were for a time much embarrassed by the difficulty of providing adeqriate and comfortable shelter for the large number of friends whom we hoped (and, as this assembly indicates, had good reason for hoping) to receive. But the liberality and zealous co-operation of the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company and its hotel manager, in offering to open Hotel Champlain, at no little inconvenience, before the usual time, presented a solution of this difficulty, provided the date originally proposed for the meeting could be changed to a week later. This change was duly authorized; .and I think you will all agree with us that it was wise.. At all events, I am sure, I now need offer no apologies for the roof which covers yau. During the fourteen years which have elapsed since your last visit to us, great strides have been made in the industrial development of this country. The meetings of the Institute, held from one end of the land to the other, have permitted you to witness the transformation of small hamlets? like Birmingham, Ala., into populous and thriving industrial centers. You have seen the Minnesota and the

Jan 1, 1893

By R. A. Liddle

Intermitt'en'I'ly during the past 10 years showings of oil and gas in tests drilled in the eastern part of Texas have stimulated the search for production. Tests on the flanks of the long-known salt domes, principally Keechi and Butler, have found oil in small quantity in the Woodbine formation of the basal part of the Upper Cretacrous. In the central part of Cherokee County, Colliton et all in 1926, in their Clapp No. 2 found a good showing of 37" B6. oil at about 3500 ft. Several wells were drilled in 1926 and 1927 as a result of this showing. On Jan. 22, 1927, Humble Oil & Refining Co. wildcatting on Carey Lake salt dome, obtained commercial production in its Clark No. 1. This inaugurated intensive exploration both for salt domes and for other types of structure. As a result several new domes and a few promising structures of other types have been discovered. Development in East Texas durinG 1927 Carey Lake Dome Location.—On the Neches River in Anderson and Cherokree counties, 10 miles west of Jacksonville, Cherokec (lounty. (Fig. 1.) date of Discovery.—During 1925 geologisls of the Humble Oil & Refining Co. working in the Neches River valley discovered slight surface fracturexs, cratic dips, and slickensided clays and sands in green-sands of the Mount Selman formation north of Carey Lake. A number of core tests were drilled by the Humble Oil & Refining C'o. during 1925 and 1926, some more than 1500 ft. deep, to check their surface obsuvations of faulting, and the possibilities of a salt dome. On May 16, 1927, solid rock salt was reached at 2142ft. in the first deep test on the prospect. Surfacc Indications.—Surface indications of the Carey Lake dome, though not as evident as manifestations at the previously known domes of Palestine, Keechi, Butler, Grand Saline, Steen and Brooks, are more noticeable than on any of the domes discovered in 1927. F. E. Poulsen, of the Pure Oil Co., who examined the area before the deep tests were drilled, noted the alignment of erratic surface dips which suggested faulting, especially in conjunction with slickensiding, and the local deflec-

Jan 1, 1928

By S. Fisher Morris

The New River coal-field embraces that portion of the Appalachian coal formation which lies on the waters of the New River, principally in Fayette and Raleigh counties, West Virginia, covering a strip of territory about forty miles in length along the line of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad from Quinnimont to Kanawha Falls, where the New River empties into the Kanawha, the railroad following the banks of the river the whole distance. (See map.) Between Kanawha Falls and the Valley of the Ohio lies the great Kanawha region, and these two coal-fields possess a greater variety of coal than can be found in any other portion of the country, enabling them to furnish the best fuels for any of the various demands of manufacture or domestic use, the Kanawha region possessing many varieties of gas, hard splint, and cannel coal, and the New River region bituminous and semi-bitnminous, steam and coking coal. The New River, in its westward course towards the Kanawha, has cut its way entirely through the Sera1 conglomerate or No. XII of the Pennsylvania Reports, the Umbral red shales of No. XI appearing at the foot of the mountains at the eastern end of the region at Quinnimont, one of the upper ledges of the Conglomerate forming the summits; while at the western end, at Kanawha Falls, the top of the Conglomerate is nearly down to the level of the river, a portion of the " Lower Productive Measures" forming the greater portion of the mountains. These mountains rise abruptly from the banks of the river to a height of from 800 to 1200 feet, leaving only here and there narrow strips of bottom land, a few acres in extent; and as the measures consist principally of hard sandstones, shales, and conglomerates lying ill a nearly horizontal position, the mountain-sides are very precipitous, with many long and high cliffs, which, with the great height of the mountains, give the country a very rugged appearance. Along the sides of these mountains fronting on the New River and its many tributaries there are exposed the outcroppings of several veins of bituminous and. semi-bituminous coal, varying in thickness from a few inches to over four feet, five of them being workable, or

Jan 1, 1880

By John E. Sherborne

Much valuable scientific research has been performed in recent years on the subject of phase behavior of hydrocarbons.l-11 Engineers employed in petroleum production are interesting themselves in this work as well as in methods of applying the fundamental data available to the solution of their various problems. Recently a number of papers have been published in which applications of phase behavior have been made to specific cases pertaining to critical phenomena.l2-16 Little effort, however, has been made in the literature to show the relation between changes occurring in the critical region and the more common phase behavior, therefore it is believed that a presentation of the fundamentals of phase behavior with reference to hydrocarbons is timely. Study of phase behavior is not new. In the metallurgical field, knowledge of heterogeneous equilibria has advanced tremendously, particularly with reference to solid-solid and solid-liquid behavior. Much is known about vapor-liquid equilibria too, but few engineers are familiar with this subject. Definition of Terms In a discussion of this sort, a definition of terms used is most important. Such terms as "pressure," "temperature" and "volume" need little definition other than mention of the units in which they are considered. Pressure is expressed in pounds per square inch absolute. Temperature is usually expressed as degrees Fahrenheit or degrees Rankine. In considering thermodynamic and phase behavior, the use of the absolute, Rankine, scale is desirable. Volume is expressed as specific volume, such as cubic feet per pound. This will be recognized as the reciprocal of the specific weight. In considering systems composed of more than one component, it is sometimes desirable to consider molal

Jan 1, 1940