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By Leonard C. Grimshaw

The idea of bonding two dissimilar ferrous metals, and making use of both, is an old one. Tips have been brazed onto tool shanks for many years. The bonding of larger pieces to form whole bars and sheets has also been accomplished, but has received little attention in the technical literature, although a number of patents have been issued covering various methods for its accomplishment. There are three main motives behind the manufacture of composite steels. One is that the physical properties of one steel may supplement those of another; a useful, but at the same time, hard, brittle steel may be backed by a soft ductile one, or a stainless steel may be backed by a steel possessing greater strength. Another motive is direct lowering of cost; an expensive steel may be backed by a less expensive one, bringing down the cost of the piece as a whole. The third motive is an indirect lowering of cost, as when a useful steel is backed by a steel that is easier to machine, so that machining cost on a finished product is lowered considerably. Often more than one of these motives lead to a decision to use a composite steel. Previous Methods There are two methods in use that result in tolerably good bonds between ferrous metals: (1) the casting method, and (2) what we shall call the "heat-pressure" method. This "heat-pressure" method covers processes in which the bond is made between two prepared surfaces by heating them and then applying pressure. Usually sufficient pressure must be used to produce appreciable spread and elongation, or else we arc merely brazing and not truly welding. Casting methods for welding together ferrous metals have been used more than 74 years, and are described in the technical literature as applied

Jan 1, 1936

By Anson Hayes, John Chipman

THE quality of sheet and strip products made of rimming steel is closely related to the structure and chemistry of the ingots. The variation in composition throughout the ingot, as affected by segregation, is of great importance, as are also the form and distribution of the voids that result from the gases evolved. It is because of this importance that the considerable literature in this field has accumulated. No attempt is made in the present paper to compile a bibliography of the excellent work that has already been done, as this has been adequately covered in the many excellent reports on the heterogeneity of steel ingots prepared by a joint committee and published by the British Iron and Steel Institute.1 From time to time, in any field of investigation new tools and new technique are developed, which make further progress possible. In the field with which this paper is concerned, this is true. The development of the vacuum-fusion method as a means of following oxygen segregation, and a technique for obtaining the volume and composition of the gases evolved during solidification, have opened the way to obtaining data by means of which some considerable progress has been realized in developing more of the detailed mechanisms of solidification and segregation in rimming-steel ingots. GENERAL THEORY OF SEGREGATION The basic cause of segregation lies in the fact that the impurities are less soluble in solid than in liquid iron. The solid that forms from the impure liquid is more nearly pure than the liquid itself. If solidification proceeds slowly enough, or if the liquid and solid phases are maintained in contact with one another for a sufficient time, a condition of equilibrium is set up, which may be represented by a phase diagram. Portions of the

Jan 1, 1938

By Wilbur C. Helt, Joseph J. Yancik

Throughout the history of mankind, the principal use of coal has been to produce heat through combustion. The heat is used in many ways: to warm air space for our comfort; to provide heat or energy to power industrial processes, such as cement and steel production ; and to produce electricity. Because it is our nation's most abundant fossil energy fuel, coal in the late 20th century is on the threshold of becoming a significant source for synthetic liquids and gas energy fuels for this country. This is made possible by conversion processes which can change solid coal into various synthetic gases and liquids. These coal-derived fuels are nearly identical to the processed fuels and chemicals provided by natural gas and crude oils, which presently provide almost all the petrochemical feedstocks and energy fuels needed for the residential, light commercial, and transportation markets. A revolution is beginning to take place, not only in the United States, but in many other countries with a return to a coal-based energy economy. Also, new combustion and conversion technologies which are compatible with national health and environmental goals are rapidly emerging. These technologies will allow coal's use to be expanded not only in its traditional markets, but also to supply markets held by natural gas and crude oil. With the worldwide decline in natural gas and crude oil reserves, coal is being looked upon to meet the energy demand. Because of these new coal conversion technologies, coal will no longer be only a combustion fuel, but a valuable raw material for production of a variety of clean fuels and chemicals. MARKETS FOR COAL: PAST AND FUTURE A simplified diagram of the marketing network for coal is shown in Fig. 1. As shown in this figure, coal is transported to its traditional

Jan 1, 1981

By C. C. Furnas, T. L. Joseph

It is well known that particles of different sizes are not distributed evenly throughout the average charge in an iron blast furnace. Just how great the disparity in particle size in different parts of a single plane in a furnace may be is indicated by the results of some recent investiga-tion1,2 conducted by the Bureau of Mines on a furnace operating on Lake ores. The wide variations found in gas velocity, gas composition, and temperature from the periphery to the center of the upper charge column were caused by the great variation in particle size of the raw materials used and were also greatly influenced by the methods of charging. This paper summarizes the results of an investigation of the influence of different methods of charging and of the treatment of raw materials upon the size distribution of the solid particles in the blast furnace. A more complete report will appear later as a Bureau of Mines technical paper. Importance of Gas-solid Contact One of the authors has pointed out in a previous report? that the operation of the blast-furnace process is entirely dependent on contact between the gas stream and the solid particles in the stock. The gas stream carries the necessary heat as well as the carbon monoxide molecules that do the work of rednction. In the parts of the furnace in which there is little or no contact between the gas stream and the solids there can be little work of reduction. Obviously, the part of the apparatus that is not doing the work for which it is intended is inefficient; the ideal condition is one in which all portions of the stock column are

Jan 1, 1929

By Wilbur C. Helt, Joseph J. Yancik

Throughout the history of mankind, the principal use of coal has been to produce heat through combustion. The heat is used in many ways: to warm air space for our comfort; to provide heat or energy to power industrial processes, such as cement and steel production; and to produce electricity. Because it is our nation's most abundant fossil energy fuel, coal in the late 20th century is on the threshold of becoming a significant source for synthetic liquids and gas energy fuels for this country. This is made possible by conversion processes which can change solid coal into various synthetic gases and liquids. These coal-derived fuels are nearly identical to the processed fuels and chemicals provided by natural gas and crude oils, which presently provide almost all the petrochemical feedstocks and energy fuels needed for the residential, light commercial, and transportation markets. A revolution is beginning to take place, not only in the United States, but in many other countries with a return to a coal-based energy economy. Also, new combustion and conversion technologies which are compatible with national health arid environmental goals are rapidly emerging. These technologies will allow coal's use to be expanded not only in its traditional markets, but also to supply markets held by natural gas and crude oil. With the worldwide decline in natural gas and crude oil reserves, coal is being looked upon to meet the energy demand. Because of these new coal conversion technologies, coal will no longer be only a combustion fuel, but a valuable raw material for production of a variety of clean fuels and chemicals. MARKETS FOR COAL: PAST AND FUTURE A simplified diagram of the marketing network for coal is shown in Fig. 1. As shown in this figure, coal is transported to its traditional

Jan 1, 1981

By Oscar A. Glaeser

The purpose of this paper is to present specific applications of the fundamental principles of mine ventilation and the means that are at our disposal to accomplish the task of maintaining a healthful atmosphere in small mines and prospect openings. Need for Ventilation The range between the maximum oxygen content of normal air and the minimum safe content is extremely narrow, approximately 5 per cent. Furthermore, normal air must not be contaminated with irrespirable gases beyond definite limits, and mineral dusts are equally dangerous, although health impairment is slower. Tables 1 and 2 present the more common respiratory hazards encountered in mines. Adequate ventilation is the most effective means available to reduce or eliminate these hazards. Mechanical ventilation has reached varying stages of perfection in coal mines and in many large metal mines. The small mines and prospects rarely have a definite plan of ventilation. As a consequence underground workers are frequently exposed to health and accident hazards. The annual reports of fatalities in mines in the Western States record yearly many deaths due to asphyxiation and deaths caused by men falling down shafts and raises after being overcome by gas. At times mining operations are slowed up because there is no means of driving out the gas after blasting. For that reason only one shift is worked, or men wait from one to several hours for the "smoke" to clear out. Methane gas in varying quantities is widely distributed throughout California. It has been encountered in explosive concentrations in the coast range. It has been found on the Mother Lode and in quicksilver mines near the coast. Methane explosions have not been uncommon in underground operations and in tunneling jobs. These conditions and records indicate that there is room for improvement in mine-air conditions.

Jan 1, 1937

By Bevan Presley

THERE has been developed at Latouche a rather unusual system of mining which, for want of a better name, has been called the "Latouche system of mining." It is a modified form of shrinkage stoping applicable to orebodies of large or fairly large size where the ground is such that timbering would not be required in stoping. Mention has been made of this method of mining by Birch,1 who gave no details as it had been in use only a short time and the final outcome undetermined. The system, however, has proved to be entirely successful and it is thought that a paper covering it might be of general interest. Before proceeding with a detailed description of the "Latouche system" a brief description of the property and the various mining methods previously used will be given. LOCATION The Beatson mine of the Kennecott Copper Corp. is situated on the west coast of Latouche Island-, in Prince William Sound, Southwestern Alaska, 45 miles east of Seward, the coast terminus of the U. S. Government Railroad. It is a regular port of call for ships on the Southwestern Alaska run. The island is about 12 miles long and 3 miles wide. A ridge of mountains runs the entire length with a maximum elevation of 2500 feet. CLIMATE Latouche has to contend with possibly the greatest amount of precipitation on the North American continent. The annual average precipitation for the past 4 years has been 188 in., with 248 in. for the year 1926. A rainfall of 4 in. per day is not uncommon. In the winter the thermometer rarely falls below +20° F. and the snowfall is usually heavy during the months of March and April.

Jan 1, 1927

By B. Ladanyi, G. Archambault

It is generally recognized to date that a rational stability analysis of slopes and foundations in rock masses is a desirable but still rather remote goal of rock mechanics.1 In principle, a slope analysis is possible provided the original state of effective stress in the ground is known and the shear strength of the earth material can be clearly defined. In a macroscopically continuous earth medium such as soil, the two basic ingredients of the stability analysis in most cases can be assessed with sufficient approximation. A much less favorable situation exists when the slope is composed of a macroscopically discontinuous medium such as rock mass containing one or more sets of geological planar structures. In such a case, both the original effective stresses and the overall shear strength of the mass are much more difficult to determine. As for the former, it is only recently that certain calculation methods and solutions concerning the stress distribution2 and the seepage forces3 in a discontinuous medium have been proposed. As the strength behavior of the rock mass is concerned, much valuable effort has been made in recent years toward reaching a proper understanding of the phenomenon of rock mass failure under stress. Probably one of the most complete investigations of the problem to date has recently been made at the University of Illinois. The study resulted in establishing a first useful working hypothesis of the shear behavior of a regularly jointed rock mass, proposed by Patton in 1966.4 The main purpose of the work described in this chapter is to establish a more general framework for the shear behavior of rock mass, one that would be directly related to some basic rock parameters and would also

Jan 1, 1970

By Harold L. Hinds

The Homestake Ledge or Lead was discovered by Fred and Moses Manuel on April 9, 1876. They recovered a small amount of gold from the quartz outcrop, but, unfortunately, they were prospectors not hardrock miners. Their claim was sold to a group of experienced California mining men in 1877. These mining men incorporated their holdings as the Homestake Mining Company. This was the beginning of one of the greater gold mining enterprises of the Western World. Metallurgical operations progressed over the years from an eighty- stamp grinding circuit using amalgamation for recovery to the more complex circuit of today. The Homestake Mine, today, is an underground mine with the deepest winze reaching the 8,000-foot level. The ore is hoisted to the surface by two primary shafts, the Ross Shaft and the Yates Shaft. See Figures 1 and 2. It is crushed in three-stage crushing plants located in the headframes. From here, it is trammed to the mill fine- ore bins by electric locomotives. The Lead grinding plant milling circuit, known as the South Mill, receives ore from the crushing plant at minus 112 inch (Figure 3). This material is dumped into overhead fine-ore bins from five- ton rail cars. The fine-ore bins have a live capacity of about 3,700 tons. The South Mill bins can also be fed by a conveyor system which reclaims ore from an 80,000-ton capacity stockpile. This stockpile is built up from peak mining production periods and available surface low grade material. It is then reclaimed during low mine production periods. The grinding circuit at the South Mill consists of four rod mills in open circuit followed by four ball mills in closed circuit. Three of the rod mills are 6-foot by 12-foot Marcy's. The other is

Jan 1, 1983

By Rodney P. Smith

The rate of motion of the boundary between a single-phase a-iron region and a two phase a-iron plus ?-iron, or a-iron plus cementite region has been measured on decarburization at several temperatures between 500" and 865°C. These data, together with data for the carbon content of a-iron at the boundary, yield the diffusivity of carbon in a-iron. The activation energy for carbon diffusion is 19.8 kcal per mole for the temperature range —50° to 150°C and increases to an average value of 23.0 kcaL per mole for the temperature range 727" to 865°C. AS part of an investigation of the diffusivity of carbon in iron using a steady-state method,' the diffusivity of carbon in a-iron was determined at the temperatures 802" and 851°C. The diffusion constant thus obtained was larger, by nearly a factor of two, than that predicted from the combined results of stanley2 and of Wert.3 It seemed desirable, therefore, to continue the investigation. Since the temperature range in which the steady-state method can be conveniently used is limited, we have chosen a decarburization method, based on the laws of diffusion in metal accompanied by a phase change.4,5 If the initial carbon content of the Fe-C alloy is such that two phases coexist at the decar-burizing temperature* and decarburization is car- ried out such that the surface is maintained at substantially zero wt pct. C, the carbon distribution after a time, t, will be as shown in Fig. 1. The boundary between the single-phase and two-phase regions moves from y = 0 to y = x in the time, t, where x is proportional4 to tl". If the initial carbon (content of the sample is Ci, and CB is

Jan 1, 1962

By Alwyn Birchmore Cox, Ian William Wark

Different parts of the world in which mineral separation by flotation is practiced experience vastly different natural temperatures, and in some districts there is a big difference between summer and winter temperatures. It will be shown in this paper that the temperature is of considerable importance where it is desired to separate pyrite or arsenopyrite from other minerals. It is probable that some of the differences obtained in the flotation of these minerals at plants working under otherwise similar conditions are due to temperature variations. The influence of temperature on the flotation of galena, chalcopyrite and sphalerite by xanthates is less marked than its influence on pyrite flotation. Experimental Method The methods used have been described previously.l-4 In each test the clean mineral specimen was immersed in a solution prepared by adding the reagents in the following order: (1) sodium carbonate and hydrochloric acid as necessary to buffer the solution and to give approximately the pH value desired, (2) sodium cyanide, (3) copper sulphate, (4) ethyl xanthate, followed by (5) a final adjustment of pH value. After ½ hr. the mineral was tested for a xanthate film by bringing a bubble of air into apparent contact with the submerged polished surface. If true contact (spreading) was not obtained within ½ min. and after cleaning the surface by wiping with a small linen pad, it was concluded that the adsorption of a xanthate film had been prevented. Following the method already described (ref. 2), curves have been constructed such that for a solution composition corresponding to any point below the curve, contact between mineral and air is possible, whereas for a solution composition corresponding to any point above the curve, contact is impossible.

Jan 1, 1939

By Ian William Wark, Alwyn Birchmore Cox

Different parts of the world in which mineral separation by flotation is practiced experience vastly different natural temperatures, and in some districts there is a big difference between summer and winter temperatures. It will be shown in this paper that the temperature is of considerable importance where it is desired to separate pyrite or arsenopyrite from other minerals. It is probable that some of the differences obtained in the flotation of these minerals at plants working under otherwise similar conditions are due to temperature variations. The influence of temperature on the flotation of galena, chalcopyrite and sphalerite by xanthates is less marked than its influence on pyrite flotation. Experimental Method The methods used have been described previously.l-4 In each test the clean mineral specimen was immersed in a solution prepared by adding the reagents in the following order: (1) sodium carbonate and hydrochloric acid as necessary to buffer the solution and to give approximately the pH value desired, (2) sodium cyanide, (3) copper sulphate, (4) ethyl xanthate, followed by (5) a final adjustment of pH value. After ½ hr. the mineral was tested for a xanthate film by bringing a bubble of air into apparent contact with the submerged polished surface. If true contact (spreading) was not obtained within ½ min. and after cleaning the surface by wiping with a small linen pad, it was concluded that the adsorption of a xanthate film had been prevented. Following the method already described (ref. 2), curves have been constructed such that for a solution composition corresponding to any point below the curve, contact between mineral and air is possible, whereas for a solution composition corresponding to any point above the curve, contact is impossible.

Jan 1, 1939

By Henry W. Edwards

Concrete is not a new, nor even a modern substance. Important structures built by the old Romans before the commencement of the Christian Era are to-day sound and solid— for example, the dome of the Pantheon in Rome, 142 ft. in diameter. I do not propose, therefore, to discuss the durability of the material, as in the mining and metallurgical business, structures, as a rule, are not calculated to endure for two thousand years. I do wish to urge, however, that much of the stone masonry around mines and smelters would have given better results if concrete had been used in place of stone. Concrete looks better; is stronger, cheaper, more durable, more quickly built, and above all requires no skilled labor, except that of the carpenter, who, like the poor, is always with us. Well proportioned concrete, that is to say, having well proportioned ingredients, may be safely relied upon to withstand a compressive or crushing strength of 50 tons per square foot. In most American cities, however, the building laws limit it to the absurdly low figure of 16 tons. This restriction is probably due to the political influence of the building-trades unions, which object strongly to its too free use, undoubtedly owing to its not requiring the services of skilled workmen. I hope to show that quite important construction work may be' undertaken without the aid of the gentleman with the trowel. In some of the isolated districts of the West and Southwest this is no mean advantage. The weight of good concrete, dry, is from 130 to 160 lb. per cubic foot. Ingredients of Concrete. Concrete is composed of four ingredients; viz., 1. Crushed Stone; 2. Sand; 3. Cement; and 4. Water.

Jan 1, 1905

By Yap Chu-Phay

Although chronologically the Sb-Bi system was the first one studied by the writer, the theoretical basis of the equations used in this paper is fully discussed in the writer's paper on the iron-carbon system,' because he believed that many would be more interested in the iron-carbon alloys. He suggests, therefore, that the reader consult that paper to familiarize himself with the theoretical aspect of the thermodynamic treatment outlined herein. This paper is divided into two parts: Part 'I deals with the Sb-Bi system and Part II deals with the lead-rich side of the Sb-Pb system. Although the former system has not much practical interest now, it has great theoretical interest in that it is the one system that for a long time was thought to have (and under specific conditions still has) an anomalous solidus, which no amount of physical investigation could adequately account for. The latter system, of course, is particularly interesting in the lead-rich end. It will be shown that the thermodynamic method is capable of predicting reliably the equilibrium position of the solidus, and thus acts as a check on the experimentally derived solidus. PART I.—THE ANTIMONY-BISMUTII SYSTEM In connection with his studies in thermoelectric phenomena,-the writer was naturally interested in the system Sb-Bi. In consulting the International Critical Tables2 he found the constitutional diagram shown in Fig. 1 (not including Ôtani's solidus), essentially after Cook,³ who investigated the system carefully by thermal analysis. Note the isothermal crystallization of alloys varying in composition from about 48 per cent, (by weight) to pure Bi. This is anomalous, because, according to the phase rule, in a binary system when only two phases coexist, there is univariant equilibrium; that is, the composition changes with the tempera-

Jan 1, 1931

By J. E. Warren

To clarify the specific questions raised by J. E. Warren's discussion, the following remarks are offered. 1. It is correct that stratification is assumed in the application of the statistical zonation technique, but this does not constitute a limitation. If, in fact, the reservoir is not stratified the zonation technique will show it. The reservoir is then considered as one zone with a particular distribution of permeabilities. 2. The statistical zonation technique was intended as wells may not be an adequate measure of the lateral permeability changes; e.g., if the data presented in Table A-4 of the subject paper are evaluated on the basis of two crossed classifications with interaction, the variation between zones is significant with a probability greater than .99; however, the variation betwen wells is also significant with a probability greater than .87. It is apparent that the technique suggested by the author can be generalized to provide a powerful method for describing petroleum reservoirs. This generalization can be achieved by treating the core data as a two-way classification to determine the between-zones and the between-wells variations; then, the build-up permeabilities can be analyzed, perhaps on at least-squares basis, to establish the probable distribution of the permeabilities within the zones associated with the individual wells. an additional tool for the reservoir engineer to use together with other techniques and all available information. If pressure build-up permeabilities are available, they should certainly be included. Pressure build-up tests were not available for the reservoir considered in the paper. 3. The proposed correlation of zones between adjacent wells was the best of the techniques that I examined. It is not so much a "measure" as an indication of lateral permeability changes, regardless of whether they are seemingly random or form an obvious trend.

By Fred A. Krafft

The time allotted to this paper will permit only the sketching of general principles and practice as generally employed in the industry to maintain and preserve the physical well-being of the miner and his family. Let it be emphasized on behalf of the industry that coal opera- . tors, individually and collectively, have given primary consideration to the appointment of a mine or community physician who is charged with the responsibility of caring for the sick and injured. However, it too frequently happens that with the selection or appointment of the camp doctor many operators wash their hands of further responsibility toward the health and the working efficiency of their employees. The coal industry is so organized in most of the coal-producing areas that not only is the health of the individual miner an important production problem but the collective health of the entire mining community is a fundamental operating problem. This is particularly demonstrated when epidemics of communicable diseases attack entire communities, with resultant loss of life and production and general community distress. The problem and responsibility of maintaining high health standards among miners and their families should be given as much consideration as safety, economical production and efficient distribution are given in the successful operation of coal mines. Company Policy In the inauguration or administration of a medical program for a large mining operation or for an individual mine, the first question to be solved is what the company policy is to be with respect to the following factors pertinent to a medical program: 1. On what basis will the company and the employees finance the program ? 2. Should a contract doctor or a full-time doctor on salary be employed ? 3. What measure of service is to be rendered the employee and his family in return for his monthly contribution to the medical program?

Jan 1, 1936

By Fred A. Krafft

The time allotted to this paper will permit only the sketching of general principles and practice as generally employed in the industry to maintain and preserve the physical well-being of the miner and his family. Let it be emphasized on behalf of the industry that coal opera- . tors, individually and collectively, have given primary consideration to the appointment of a mine or community physician who is charged with the responsibility of caring for the sick and injured. However, it too frequently happens that with the selection or appointment of the camp doctor many operators wash their hands of further responsibility toward the health and the working efficiency of their employees. The coal industry is so organized in most of the coal-producing areas that not only is the health of the individual miner an important production problem but the collective health of the entire mining community is a fundamental operating problem. This is particularly demonstrated when epidemics of communicable diseases attack entire communities, with resultant loss of life and production and general community distress. The problem and responsibility of maintaining high health standards among miners and their families should be given as much consideration as safety, economical production and efficient distribution are given in the successful operation of coal mines. Company Policy In the inauguration or administration of a medical program for a large mining operation or for an individual mine, the first question to be solved is what the company policy is to be with respect to the following factors pertinent to a medical program: 1. On what basis will the company and the employees finance the program ? 2. Should a contract doctor or a full-time doctor on salary be employed ? 3. What measure of service is to be rendered the employee and his family in return for his monthly contribution to the medical program?

Jan 1, 1936

By E. G. Leonardon, C. Schlumberger, M. Schlumberger

The authors give a definition of the various types of corrosion that may affect a metallic conductor buried in the ground, namely: 1. The metallic conductor may be attacked by the surrounding soil. This phenomenon is purely local and is called by them soil corrosiveness. 2. The metallic conductor may connect two regions of the ground when the electrolytes have a different composition. An electrical current will then be generated and certain zones of the conductor will be oxidized. This is autogalvanic corrosion. 3. Stray current may flow in the ground and enter the conductor in certain sections and leave it in others, thus causing oxidization in certain zones; this is electrolytic corrosion. The soil corrosiveness has been studied extensively by the United States Bureau of Standards and the authors give a summary of the work carried out and results obtained along this line. In autogalvanic corrosion it has been shown, by the investigation of buried pipes, that the zones of corrosion are associated with the zones of egress of the electric current (anodic zones). The location of these zones can be determined by measuring at the surface of the ground the difference of potential that exists along the path of the pipe. This work is performed easily and quickly with the apparatus invented by the authors for the exploration of conductive orebodies. The problem of electrolytic corrosion is a difficult one because it is a question of stray current which may vary in direction and intemsity at every instant. Therefore the components of the electrical field must be known at a given station and compared with the components of the clectrical field at another station, at the same moment. This is achieved by a rccording apparatus that will register the variations of the intensity of the electrlc current along two rectangular directions, during several minutes

Jan 1, 1934

By R. P. McLaughlin

EXACT information as to performance of the gas lift from the mechanical engineering standpoint is hard to obtain. Several hundred wells are now producing in California fields by means of the gas lift, and a survey of results shows that the gas lift has increased production at these wells by approximately 60 percent. Similar or even larger figures describe results in Mid-Continent fields. Such an increase in output of oil is so satisfactory, to the average oil producer, that it may not encourage investigation looking to more efficient operation. The cost of lifting oil by compressed gas varies from 3 c. to 15 c. per bbl. of oil, depending upon the efficiency of the gas lift. A difference of 10 c. or 12 c. per bbl. of oil is immediately noticed by an oil operator and the cost in production is as real to him as is the price of his product. Therefore, the efficiency of gas-lift process deserves more consideration than it has been given in some quarters. It has been found that there is a wide variation between different operators and at different wells in the amount of gas used per barrel of oil lifted. Some of the most efficient operations show oil being lifted with only slightly over 400 cu. ft. of gas per bbl. of oil.1 On the other hand, wells are being flowed and using as high as 3000 cu. ft. per bbl. of oil. The cost of compressing gas to 300 or 400 lb. varies from 3 c. to 5 c. per 1000 cu. ft. of free gas. This figure has been obtained from a number of sources and as a matter of fact is the basis of actual business transactions involving gas compression. The cost of lifting oil with compressed gas is thus determined.

Jan 12, 1926

By M. Amsterdam, F. Rothwarf, L. Muldawer

SILVER-cadmium near the composition AgCd shows three equilibrium phases. As with 13 brass, the high temperature phase is disordered body-centered cubic (8) and the low temperature phase has the ordered CsCl structure . However, there is an intermediate temperature phase which is hexagonal close-packed ((). In a recent paper, Speich and Mack' report on a study of the Ag-Cd eutectoid near the AgCd composition. Unfortunately, the phase diagram upon which they base some of their conclusions is incorrect. That diagram is taken from the Metals Handbook' and the error is that the 0 and ( phases have been interchanged. The Handbook gives the low temperature phase as hexagonal (designated 5) and the intermediate temperature phase as cubic ordered (designated . The error may be typographical or it may be one of confusion resulting from the use of 5, ,, and 0 for the intermediate phase in various papers. A careful search of the literature reveals that a number of authors have indicated the correct relative positions of the 13, 5, and 0 phases. The comprehensive work of Fraenkel and Wolf clearly stated that the high and the low temperature phases are either identical or are very similar. olander,' on the basis of electrochemical measurements, showed that the 13 phase is disordered and the 1 phase (designated 8" in his paper and in refs. 3 and 5) is ordered. Further work by Durrant5 using thermal and metallographic analyses provided a more precise phase diagram. A summary of these works was given by Hansen6 and shows the correct relative positions of the phases. Owen, Rogers, and Guthrie7 located correctly the upper two phases by X-ray diffraction. Their failure to find the low tem-

Jan 1, 1954