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By J. R. Kyte, V. O. Naumann, C. C. Mattax

Imbibition and waterflooding tests at reservoir conditions show that conventional tests at room conditions sometimes lead to recovery estimates that are too low. Core samples which are of intermediate wettability at normal test conditions may be strongly water-wet at reservoir conditions. This was found to be true for samples from two of three reservoirs investigated. For the other reservoir, less difference was observed between the wettability of samples at normal test conditions and at reservoir conditions. Samples which became more water-wet at reservoir temperature and pressure also water flooded more efficiently at reservoir conditions. These results show that core analysis tests on intermediate wettability samples should be performed at reservoir conditions to obtain representative data. INTRODUCTION Throughout the oil industry, core analysis tests normally are performed using refined oils and at room temperature and pressure. This procedure has always been subject to question because the possibility is generally recognized that the reservoir environment may influence displacement behavior. Burkhardt, et al,' have performed waterflood tests at reservoir conditions on East Texas cores. They found little difference between results obtained at reservoir conditions and results of conventional flooding tests at room conditions. As they pointed out, however, this situation might not be general since they obtained data on only one rock and crude-oil system. This paper presents data which demonstrate that it is sometimes necessary to perform core analysis tests in a simulated reservoir environment to properly represent the reservoir wettability and displacement characteristics. The work is specifically concerned with reservoirs which were thought to be of intermediate wettability on the basis of conventional test results at room conditions, i.e., core samples imbibed only small amounts of either oil or water and exhibited no decided preferential wettability characteristics. Tests were performed on cores from three such reservoirs to determine their behavior in the reservoir environment. lmbibition and waterflood tests were used to demonstrate the effect of reservoir environment on reservoir rock wettability and displacement characteristics. Results of tests performed at reservoir conditions were compared with results from conventional tests. Imbibition tests were performed on samples from all three reservoirs. Waterflood tests were performed on samples from only one reservoir. Fluid properties for the three reservoirs studied are shown in Table 1. Tests at reservoir conditions were performed using bottom-hole crude oil at reservoir temperature and pressure. The aqueous phase used in these tests was a synthetic brine approximating the reservoir brine composition. Conventional tests were performed at room conditions with refined oils and synthetic reservoir brine. The oil-to-water viscosity ratios were adjusted to the reservoir values. The cores used in all the tests were taken from the reservoirs using either brine alone or a bentonite-car-boxymethylcellulose mud without additives as coring fluids. Previous tests show that these fluids have no significant effect on the wettability of reservoir rock samples.1 The cores were preserved in brine at the wellsite to prevent wettability changes during shipment and storage. Wellsite imbibition tests have been performed on fresh samples from several reservoirs (including Reservoir A) and compared with later laboratory imbibition tests on samples preserved in brine. The comparison showed that the wettability of the preserved cores was the same as that of fresh, surfaced cores at the wellsite.2 IMBIBITION TESTS Conventional imbibition tests were performed on preserved cores using the apparatus and procedures described by Bobek, et al.2 A sketch of the apparatus for imbibition tests at reservoir conditions is shown in Fig. 1. The preserved samples were first centrifuged to expel excess water and then placed in a stainless-steel container which served

By Michael J. Messel

The critical shortage of asbestos fiber in the world today brings to the foreground the question of locating and developing new deposits. The object of this paper is to discuss some of the more important factors which should be considered in the examination and valuation of a new asbestos enterprise. Some of the more important uses of asbestos fiber are for textiles, heat insulators, building materials, filters and a series of other uses. The properties of this mineral, such as fibrous structure, color, strength, silkiness and flexibility, coupled with resistance to fire, certain chemical action and decay make its application unique for certain industrial uses which consume over 500,000 tons annually. These same unique properties which make this mineral so valuable also make a deposit one of the most difficult to appraise accurately, because of the many undeterminable and varying factors which must be considered before a deposit can properly be termed commercial. The majority of the asbestos fiber today, having the above mentioned properties, is sold by grades which are based on fiber length. Present day fiber prices vary over a wide range from $800 to $225 for crude fibers and $300 to $20.00 per ton for milled grades. For valuation purposes a careful study should be made of existing fiber prices and markets. Examination of Deposits In carrying out prospecting and examination of a deposit, considerable caution is required to get the necessary information in the form that will have the most value for the final determination. There are two main classes of asbestos fibers, chrysotile and the amphiboles, the chrysotile being, by far, the most important both in abundance and uses. This paper will stress mainly chrysotile deposits, however, the amphiboles have many important uses, especially amosite and crocidalite. Their valuation presents special problems as other factors may be involved, especially as they are not graded according to any well defined and adopted standard but usually according to the use for which they are being supplied. Most chrysotile deposits occur in two main types of rock, (I) mainly in basic igneous, such as dunite and peridotite, (2) to a lesser extent in sedimentary rocks, such as dolomite and limestone. All of these require a certain degree of metamorphism to be favorable to asbestos formation. Approximately 90 pct of the asbestos deposits are derived from serpentinization of dunite or peridotite, whereby the magnesium-silicate olivine was altered to hydrous magnesium-silicate serpentine. Under certain favorable geological conditions, this serpentine takes a fibrous form having a definite crystal structure, probably due to molecular rearrangement, and is known as chrysotile. The fiber veins are usually ir-

Jan 1, 1948

By C. R. Taylor, John Chipman

THE study of chemical reactions of liquid steel and basic open-hearth slag involves a complex slag system of at least eight important components, and often a number of others. In initiating an experimental program on the equilibrium relationship of slag and metal, it became evident that but little progress could be expected in the interpretation of the complex slags until an understanding had been gained of the simpler liquid systems composed of a limited number of slag constituents. The simplest system that in any way resembles open-hearth slag must contain lime, silica and iron oxide. Attempts to produce in an induction furnace slags containing only these constituents have met with serious limitations because of the solubility of refractories in the slag. Thus in acid-lined furnaces the slag is always saturated with silica and consequently contains between 48 and 63 per cent of this component. In basic-lined furnaces an undesired additional component, magnesia, is introduced to the extent of some 3 to 15 per cent, depending upon the acidity, sometimes with disastrous results to the furnace. Thus in a magnesia-lined furnace, Fetters and Chipman1 found it impossible to prepare slags in which the ratio (CaO + MgO)/SiO2 was less than that corresponding to the metasilicate (approximately 0.8: I). Between this composition and that of the true acid slags lies a field of composition about which very little is known and which cannot be explored by any ordinary means. This circumstance, as well as the desire to study the more basic slags in the absence of magnesia, calls for the development of a method by which slags may be brought into equilibrium with molten metal without coming in contact with refractory. Such a technic has been provided by the rotating induction furnace developed by Barrett, Holbrook and Wood.2 Three modifications of the rotating furnace were described by these authors. The first was essentially a rotating refractory cylinder containing the magnesia crucible, which was itself heated by a graphite crucible. In the second, only the magnesia crucible rotated, the cylindrical graphite heater being stationary. In the third, the coil and crucible revolved, and the metal was heated directly by induction. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD Furnace The furnace used in this investigation differed from previous designs and may be considered a fourth modification of the original rotating furnace. Its essential features are shown in Fig. I. The outer case A is a fire-clay flue liner for control of the atmosphere. The top B and base C are alberene stone. The coil supports D are of "Formica," a material formed from phe-

Jan 1, 1942

By F. W. Jessen, F. W. Rols-Hausen

It is the purpose of this paper to present data on brines occurring in the Frio formation of the Texas Gulf Coast, and to show how their composition varies, (1) with depth below the surface, (2) with depth below the top of the formation, and (3) along the approximate strike. The brines vary in chloride content from 3,180 to 73,000 p.p.m., though the average salinity of the salt waters is shown to vary with total depth; the concentration being 35,000 to 40,000 p.p.m. at 3500 to 5500 ft., slightly less than 50,000 p.p.m. chloride at 5500 to 6500 ft. and average 38,000 to 40,000 below 6500 feet. From the analyses available, it appears that the highest concentration of salts occurs in the upper 300 ft. of the formation, while lower salinity is found with increasing depth below this point. The salt waters from wells in Starr County show less concentration of dissolved salts than in any other group of wells farther north along the strike. In all, 116 analyses from 63 fields and 14 wildcats, from depths ranging from 1300 to 11,400 ft. below the surface and from z to 3240 ft. below the top of the Frio, are recorded. Introduction Brines have been studied for many Years in an attempt to solve some of the geologic and production problems associated with the production of oil and gas. One practical application of study of . water analyses is the correlation of waters occurring above, in, or below the producing sand in the same field or throughout the same formation. The Frio formation, the series of sands and shales occurring below the Marginulina zone and above the Vicksburg, is one of the major oil and gas-producing formations in the Texas Gulf Coast. Fossils are rare or absent in the upper Frio throughout most of the area. When available, cuttings and cores, and electric logs were used to determine the top of the Frio. A change in lithology was used to determine this point in most of the wells, and fossils were used in some of the deep wells. It is realized that a change in lithology is not perfect for correlation purposes over long distances and some of the trends may be influenced by the inability to differentiate between the nonfossiliferous Marginulina zone and the Frio. It underlies virtually all the area shown on the accompanying map (Fig. I). Although it is not productive in the updip facies, it has been explored to a limited degree below I2,000 ft. Further more, toward the coast line future drilling to deeper depths should encounter this formation. Although thousands of wells have penetrated or drilled entirely through the formation, very few water samples have been secured from the many sands occurring in this formation and analyzed. Previous Investigation No previous published study has been made of the chemical composition and concentration of waters from the Frio formation. However, one water analysis

Jan 1, 1944

By G. W. Healy, D. C. Hilty

MAJOR considerations in the production of stainless steel are the utilization of stainless steel scrap and the recovery of chromium and other metallic values from the initial furnace charge. The decarburization of a bath of molten chromium steel with gaseous oxygen is usually accompanied by a considerable amount of metallic oxidation. Since recovery of this metal from the slag may require substantial expenditures of time and materials for slag reduction, holding metallic oxidation to the minimum consistent with good operating practice is generally desirable. The important role of temperature in minimizing metallic oxidation is illustrated by Fig. 1, taken from the results of Hilty, Healy, and Crafts,' who established the quantitative relations connecting the amounts of chromium, manganese, and iron oxidized during the oxidizing period of chromium steel heats with the composition of the initial charge and the temperature and composition of the molten bath after oxidation. Higher temperatures after the oxygen blow result in lower metallic oxidation. Although high temperatures are desirable for minimizing metallic oxidation, practical operating considerations limit the degree to which they can be employed. Excessively high temperatures or prolonged operation at moderately high temperatures may cause serious damage to the furnace refractories, so that a compromise must be effected. The problem, therefore, is one of controlling the oxidizing period of chromium steel heats to the shortest time at the highest practical temperature. The most effective tool the steel melter has for attaining high temperature while decarburizing a chromium steel heat is now commonly considered to be the oxygen lance with an adequate supply of gaseous oxygen. In order for the tool to be effective, however, the heat resulting from the oxidation of carbon, chromium, silicon, manganese, and iron in the bath must exceed the heat losses from the furnace. General recognition, of this principle has stimulated a trend toward faster injection of oxygen. For example, Pachaly2 proposed a high temperature at the start of the oxygen blow or a high rate of oxygen input as a means of obtaining the desired carbon level with high chromium recovery. On the other hand, limited understanding of the specific effects of oxygen input rate has hampered development of optimum practices. As part of a broad study of the metallurgy of chromium steel melting, therefore, the Linde Air Products Co. and the Electro Metallurgical Co. at their Metals Research Labo-ratories have evaluated the heat-balance during the oxidizing period in terms of oxygen input rate. The evaluation has then been related to factors such as temperature increase, metallic oxidation, oxygen Utilization, etc., and extrapolated to include a wide

Jan 1, 1958

By Eric R. Morgan, J. C. Shyne

STRAIN aging is the name given to time-dependent changes which occur in the properties of cold-worked metals and alloys during storage. These changes are best observed through a study of mechanical properties, as illustrated in Fig. I for low-carbon steel. The effects of strain aging are usually regarded as being detrimental, particularly in deep-drawing steels. For example, an increase in yield strength and loss in ductility lead to buckling and tearing during drawing. At the same time the return of the yield point results in the formation of Luders bands or stretcher strains during the pressing operation. As a result of these effects many attempts have been made to eliminate strain aging from low-carbon steel. The problem still remains, however, because all known methods of preventing strain aging result in a more costly steel. The present work is an assessment of the situation in terms of theoretical, practical, and economic factors and suggests a new solution to the problem. Previous Work According to the Cottrell theory,' strain aging in a-iron may be regarded as the migration of interstitial atoms to free dislocations and the anchoring of dislocations by the resulting atmospheres. It may be concluded that the important factors which will govern the degree of strain aging are the diffusivity, the effective amount of interstitial element in solution, and the time of aging. The diffusivities and effective amounts of carbon and nitrogen in solution in low-carbon rimming steel are such that significant aging occurs in a few hours' storage at room temperature. Strain aging in deep-drawing steels cannot be controlled by controlling the time of aging because in commercial practice this is determined by economic factors concerned with inventories and may be several weeks. The diffusivity of nitrogen is twice that of carbon at room temperature but the diffusivities can be controlled by controlling the storage temperature. The retardation produced by only a 25 °C drop in temperature is significant but the cold storage of large steel inventories is an impractical solution to Table I. Analysis of Base Materials Alloy Pet C Yet 0 Pet N Vac 0.0037 0.052 0.0003 H 0.0044 0.013 0.0008 C 0.06 0.0014 0.0001 the problem. By far the most simple and effective ways to control strain aging are through control of the amount of carbon and nitrogen in solution. This may be effected through alloying, controlled precipitation, or by eliminating the carbon and nitrogen. Consider first the control of the amount of carbon in solution. The simplest approach would be alloy -ing in which strong carbide-forming elements are added. Examples of this approach are the additions of titanium' and niobium9 0 steel. These elements also combine with nitrogen and oxygen and when added in sufficient quantity result in a completely killed and non-aging steel. They are, however, impractical additions because they result in a costly steel. Carbon and nitrogen are often removed from iron on a laboratory scale by annealing in wet hydrogen, but because of cost this process has never been adopted on a commercial scale. In practice the amount of carbon in solution is controlled by the rate of cooling from the annealing temperature (710°C or 1310°F). In commercial box

Jan 1, 1958

By J. W. Halley

THE effects of tin on steel have become increasingly important because of the necessity of using poorly detinned scrap, tin cans, and terne plate, in the open hearth. Since a tin can contains about 1.5 per cent tin, it would be possible to have up to 0.75 per cent tin in steel made with a 50 per cent scrap charge. In order to use tin-containing scrap, it is necessary to know the effect of tin on various grades of steel. The following investigation is by no means comprehensive but covers a number of steels in which tin content is important. PUBLISHED WORK A number of investigations of the effects of tin on rolling quality and physical properties have been published. It has been found that tin increases strength and hardness and reduces ductility and notched impact resistance. The decrease in ductility and notched impact resistance becomes more marked as the carbon decreases. McKimm1 found no change in Olsen ductility, Rockwell hardness, yield strength, tensile strength or elongation in cold-reduced strip containing up to 0.124 per cent tin. A tin content of 0.15 per cent gave difficulties in rolling and increased the hardness but 0.21 per cent tin showed no change in properties from material containing very little tin. No explanation of this contradiction is offered. Andrew and Peile2 investigated steels containing 0.10 to 0.25 per cent carbon and up to 0.63 per cent tin. They found an increase in tensile strength 0f from 100 t0 200 lb. per sq. in. for each 0.01 per cent tin on normalized samples. The elongation and reduction of area were decreased and the notched impact resistance was reduced markedly. Quenched and drawn samples did not show embrittling if water-quenched from the draw temperature of 1148°F. (620°C.). They could find no evidence of tin under the microscope. Whitely and Braithwaite3 investigated the effect of tin on rail steel containing 0.55 to 0.60 per cent carbon. They found that 0.08 per cent tin caused a marked decrease in elongation, notched impact resistance and the degree of bend. The tensile strength was increased in some tests and not in others. Bolsover and Barraclough4 investigated the effect of tin up to 0.50 per cent on a 0.35 per cent carbon steel and on several alloy steels with from 0.30 to 0.40 per cent carbon. They found a comparatively uniform decrease in notched impact resistance with increasing tin on quenched and drawn samples. If the samples were quenched from the drawing temperature or reheated to the drawing temperature and quenched, the embrittling was much less severe. Steels containing molybdenum suffered much less embrittlement than other steels. EXPERIMENTAL WORK Effect of Tin on Low-carbon Rimmed Steel Increasing quantities of tin were added to four ingots of a heat of the following ladle analysis: carbon, 0.08 per cent; manganese, 0.39; phosphorus, 0.009; sulphur, 0.025.

Jan 1, 1942

By J. L. Jernegan

In the summer and fall of 1875, the author was present during a short smelting campaign at the Hall Valley works, and having had occasion to make a number of chemical analyses of the ores, fuel, and fluxes, deems that the results of the same, and also an account of the smelting operations, may be found of interest to members of the Institute. The mines and reduction works of the Hall Valley Silver—Lead Mining and Smelting Company (limited) are situated at Hall Valley, Park County, Colorado. The smelting works are located about half way from the mouth to the head of the above-named valley, and the mines high up on the mountains, near its head. The three principal mines of the company are the Whale, Leftwick, and Coldspring. They are all on different veins, running parallel to one another, with a general trend from southwest and northeast. The

By Mark Malamphy

DURING colonial times, Brazil was famous for the richness of her alluvial gold deposits. Paul Ferrand has estimated that the gold produced during the period from 1700 to 1820 was the equivalent of some 64 million pounds sterling. Since that time, most of the more prolific alluvial deposits have been exhausted. A few gold mines are still func-tioning, notably the Morro Velho mine, which is one of the deepest mines in the world. Today, the gold production of Brazil is insignificant when compared with world figures, but there are still many gold-bearing regions and it is probable that in at least some of them profitable returns would result from an exploitation program taking advantage of all the most modern innovations in gold mining and ore treatment on a large scale. In order to demonstrate the value of some of these abandoned pros-pects and stir up interest in increasing the national gold production, the government has stimulated research. Experimental plants have been and are being established in various places, and tests on large quantities of ores are being carried out on a semicommercial basis. The Geological Survey of the State of Minas Geraes is very active in this line and the Federal Institution is also showing an increased interest in the matter.

Jan 1, 1934

By David R. Maneval, Sylvester Lemezis

All acid mine drain waters, regardless of source, share certain characteristics; but they do differ in exact chemical composition, degree of acidity, and total solids content. Any serious program to treat such waters must recognize these differences and apply to each specific case the technique which offers the best promise of each specific case the technique which offers the best promise of technical and economic success. The Pennsylvania Dept. of Mines and Mineral Industries has originated and funded studies of many different treatment means. Neutralization with lime is now being used on 200 different polluted streams in Pennsylvania, and multistage flash evaporation has been selected for a particularly large and troublesome outfall near Wilkes-Barre, Pa. A 5 x 106 gpd plant for this latter site is now being designed by Westinghouse Electric Corp. which developed a concentration process based on multistage flash evaporation as part of the State's research program.

Jan 1, 1973

By John S. Crandall

Occurrence: small crystals in alluvial sands from the eroding Belt Series mica schists. Flowsheet: dragline, trommel screen, jigs, drier, crusher, screens. Value: ground, $2.50 per cu yd, garnet sand gross $60. per ton. Costs: production and sales $48. per ton. Uses: blasting sand in aircraft plants, monumental works, foundries. Efficiency comparison: superior to silica sand. Future: possibilities only touched upon, research continuing.

Jan 1, 1950

By Stanly A. Easton

SEVEN years ago there was installed in the hospital of the Bunker Hill & Sullivan Mining & Concentrating Co. at Kellogg, Idaho, an ultra-violet ray quartz lamp, the standard equipment which is found everywhere in the offices of physicians and among usual hospital equipment. The use of this lamp was con- fined largely to treatment of pathological cases, still treatment of under-nourished children, run-down anemic people, both men and women, and, as a general tonic, was part of the routine hospital procedure. At the latitude of the Ceur d'Alene district and especially because of the position of the towns in deep canyons, with much overcast and cloudy weather, sunshine is not plentiful at any time of the year; for many of the winter months there is scarcely any. Underground workers, particularly during the winter, have little sun- shine; it is not unusual to have none at all for weeks at a time. Treatment by the ultra-violet ray lamp in the hospital has resulted in many extraordinary benefits but the use of the lamp is expensive and limited. Some weeks ago attention was directed to the automatic solarium equipment of the Burdick Corporation. The doctors strongly recommended the increased use of the ultra-violet lamp for its curative powers and tonic effects, urging that it be made accessible to all employees. Real interest was . . also displayed by employees with the possibility of securing ultra-violet ray treatment for themselves and families under better conditions than it was possible to have by the limited use of the lamp at the hospital. This resulted in the installation of the so-called sun room or automatic solarium as an adjunct to the mine change-house. An annex was built to the change-house, with dressing rooms for women, children and men from other departments, and the outfit put into use on Sept. 5, 1929. The installation consists of an escalator, or

Jan 1, 1929

By Arthur Notman

IN VIEW of the wide publicity given to the charges by the Couzens Committee of the United States Senate of discrimination by the Bureau of Internal Revenue in favor of the copper companies, it becomes a matter of interest to consider the basis for these charges. The point to be determined is whether they rest on a foundation of fact or are purely and simply matters of opinion. The whole question boils down to the purpose of the Tax Law as applied to mines, which is to afford the same protection to them as provided for all other taxpayers, namely: that they were to be allowed to pay back as depletion to their owners the values of their properties as they existed or were estimated to exist on May 1, 1913, free from tax. To determine these valuations it was? necessary to select from a wide range of possibilities a set of values for a number of essential factors.

Jan 1, 1925

By Jose J. Alvarez

INTRODUCTION Three major plant processes control the operation of an uranium in-situ mining plant. The three pro- cesses can be categorized under the headings termed - loading, elution, and precipitation. All other plant processes can be subcategorized under the three. In summary, the major plant processes in an in- situ mining plant are: 1. Loading - The pregnant lixiviant from the production wells flows through anion exchange resin. The loading of the uranium on the resin is controlled by various factors, such as ionic strength, valence, functional groups, etc. 2. Elution - The uranium-loaded resin is eluted or regenerated by a high ionic strength solution. The effluent from this process is de- fined as the pregnant eluate. 3 . Precipitation - The pregnant eluate is chemically treated to attain the ideal conditions for the selective precipitation of uranium. Hydrogen peroxide is an ideal precipitating agent under URI conditions. This paper will focus on two of the major processes: Elution and Precipitation. For the most part this relatively young industry has grasped the theory of liquids in continuous flow for the operation of the plant processes. Likewise, URI initially operated the two processes of interest with the continuous flow concept. Through laboratory experiments, URI has abandoned the flow concept and operates the eluting and precipitating stages with the concept of "batch" processes, whereby only one container, filled to a specified liquid level, is chemically processed. In the proceeding sections, each of the two pro- cesses will be discussed in detail, from their original concept to the present operation. Only minor modifications were made to the existing circuits for the conversion with results revealing a greater level of efficiency. ELUTION The elution of the loaded anion exchange resin can be achieved by different high ionic strength solutions. The selection of constituents is dependent on both chemical and economic considerations (i .e., efficiency and operating/restoration factors). The regenerant presently used is a pH 9.5 solution containing 7.5% NaCl and a mixture of Na2C03/NaHC03. expressed as 2.5% NaHC03.

Jan 1, 1980

By Vincent T. Ricca, Kurtis Chow

When dealing with acid mine drainage as to treatment levels, costs, and evaluation of abatement schemes, predictions of the quantity and quality of the discharges are needed. An acid mine-drainage model is presented in this paper. In essence, the model is a hybrid of computer programs for stream flow simulation and acid mine drainage. Two major aspects of the model are discussed: mine-water generation and acid-load production. The former is based on hydrologic concepts and the latter on pyrite oxidation kinetics and oxidation product removal. The total model is programmed for the high-speed digital computer. The major inputs are: climatological, basin characteristics, and mine characteristics data. By the use o f the hydrologic model the amount of water that flows through the pyritic system is determined. From this information, acid loads removed by leaching, inundation, and gravity diffusion are then predicted. The outputs from the total model are: average daily mine-water discharge, the associated acid concentration or load, plus the average daily flow in the receiving streams or at basin outlets. The capabilities of the separate models have been tested individually and the joint model has been applied to a small drift mine in southeastern Ohio.

Jan 1, 1975

By C. M. Loeb, A. M. Gaudin, J. H. Brown

THE object of most size reduction operations in the mineral industry is to liberate the grains of valuable minerals in the ore from those of the gangue. This is usually accomplished by crushing and grinding the entire mass of ore until there is only a small probability that any single particle contains more than one mineral. During this size reduction only limited control exists over size or composition of the particles exposed to the breaking action, and there is no control over the paths followed by cracks generated during the operation. This lack of control usually results in overgrinding and in production of large quantities of very fine material. The first detriment, overgrinding, is costly in itself, but when combined with the second factor it is doubly so. Not only is the fracture of a free particle unnecessary-the fracture of these particles may also make subsequent separation operations difficult, inefficient, and wasteful. It has been pointed out' that if the object of size reduction is to liberate the valuable mineral component of the ore then, ideally, fracture should follow intergranular paths to the exclusion of trans- granular ones. This would result in liberation of the valuable minerals with as little size reduction as possible. This ideal comminution operation is referred to as intergranular comminution, and it was the object of the investigation to determine the extent to which it could be developed by heat treatments.

Jan 4, 1958

By A. S. Learoyd

THE Anthracite Division, Bureau of Distribution, of the United States Fuel Administration, came into existence about Oct. 20, 1917. There had been no definite policy determined upon and the distribution had been carried out by the producers and distributors of this fuel as under normal conditions. The domestic sizes had been shipped from the beginning of the coal year on Apr. 1 in about their usual proportions to the various sections of the anthracite consuming territory of this country, which, in a general way, extended as far west as Nebraska and Montana, and in the south along the Atlantic seaboard to Florida. With the advent of cold weather, about the middle of November, acute shortages commenced to develop all over the northeastern section of the country, due to largely increased demand by the public in general, to enormously increased population in centers where industrial war activity was concentrated, and by the needs of the war industries themselves. Commencing with the early part of December, this demand was aggravated by extreme low temperatures and heavy snow; and the production decreased for the same reasons. From that date until the change in the weather, about the latter part of February, it was simply a question of getting coal into communities as emergencies occurred, to take care of individual cases. No definite plan of distribution could be followed. The coal mined between Apr. 1 and Nov. 1 had been distributed as mined and, therefore, only current production was available for distribution. The Anthracite Division, during this period, consisted of a Director, two assistants, together with an office force of seven or eight clerks and stenographers.

Jan 8, 1919

By Robert J. Linney

Reserve Mining Co. produces 5 million tons of iron ore pellets per year. The finished product runs about 65.50 pct Fe, with 7.75 to 8.00 pct SiO2. Less than 12 pct arrives at the blast furnaces smaller than 3/8 in. This plant was originally designed to produce 3.75 tons annually-not 5 million. To handle the increased tonnage a fifth fine crushing line was added, and some very minor changes were made.

Jan 9, 1959

By R. I. Parsons, M. B. Standing, E. N. Lindblad

The recovery of the heavier components from a gas cap or retrograde pool is shown to be the greatest when the sand is cycled with a dry gas at a low pressure. This conclusion is in direct opposition to the belief that the most efficient production program is pressure maintenance and cycling at or near the dew point. The results are calculated from: (I) constant volume, variable composition pressure-volume-temperature tests on a mixture of trap gas and liquid from a producing well; (2) published equilibrium constant data and the measured composition of the dew-point material; and (3) the fact that in a sand section of homogeneous permeability, injected gas displaces reservoir gas nearly, quantitatively. The results are based on the simplifying assumption that variable permeability systems may be defined by the ratio of two statistical parameters, and that gas injected into an actual sand will behave as though the sand were composed of many layers, each of constant permeability. Introduction Pressure decline in gas-condensate type reservoirs is accompanied by the formation of a liquid phase throughout the reservoir. Over the past ten years the processing of the material from these types of reservoirs for the heavier hydrocarbon components and the return of the light fractions to the reservoir ("cycling") has become increasingly popular. It has often been stated that the purpose of such a program is to prevent the loss of the retrograde liquid phase formed in the reservoir. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of laboratory tests and computations concerned with several possible methods of producing a gas cap or condensate type of reservoir. The results show that the recovery of heavier hydrocarbons for this type of reservoir is not a maximum under conditions of cycling at or near the dew-point pressure. Instead, variations in permeability and the ability of the dry injected gas to revaporize condensate, point to cycling at a considerably reduced pressure as the optimum production-method. In addition the paper suggests a way of evaluating sands for their permeability variation. The calculations presented in the following sections of the paper are in terms of the production of the butanes and heavier fraction from the gas cap of a field which had an original pressure of approximately 3000 psi. Specifically, the calculations show: 1. To what extent the condensate formed in the reservoir after pressure decline can be recovered by the cycling of a dry absorber-plant gas through the sands. 2. Whether there would be greater recovery of hydrocarbons if cycling were instigated at the original reservoir pressure.

Jan 1, 1948

By A. S. Yue

Small-angle tilt boundaries have been observed in a lamellar eutectic structure. These boundaries are morphologically similar to a theoretical till boundary originally proposed by Burgers. The production of a small-angle tilt boundary in the lamellar eutectic structure is attributed to the formation of an indentation on a planar solid-liquid interface during growth. Constitutional supercooling due to the accumulation of impurity atoms ahead of the interface is primarily responsible for the generation of an indentation. The distance between two faults of like sign, designated as lamellar fault distance, is calculated by the Burgers equation for small-angle boundaries. It was found that the lamellar fault distance decreases exponentially and the tilt angle increases exponentially with freezing rate. SMALL-ANGLE tilt boundaries have been observed in many crystals in the as-grown states by etching techniques. However, a detailed substantial proof for revealing the presence of dislocations in the form of etch-pits was recently accomplished by Vogel. These boundaries are described as an array of dislocations of like sign. The angle of tilt associated with a boundary is treated theoretically by Burgers3 and is given by 0 = b/D for small tilt-angle where b is the Burgers vector of the dislocations and D is their average spacing. During the course of experimentation on the solidi fication of the lamellar Mg-32 wt pct Al eutectic a microstructure which was strikingly similar to a dislocation tilt boundary was observed. An example of the type of microstructure is given in Fig. 1, which shows a combination of transverse and top sections of the lamellar eutectic structure. The lamellae of the top section on one side of the apparent tilt angle are not parallel with those on the other side. Consequently, some lamellae must be terminated somewhere. Fig. 1 shows that the termination of lamellae is analogous to a dislocation tilt boundary in a crystal lattice originally proposed by Burgers. This work represents a closer look at such structures. The factors governing the production of the small-angle tilt boundary are discussed in terms of the freezing condition and impurity distribution in the melt. The effect of freezing rate on the distance between two faults, designated as lamellar fault distance, and the tilt angle is also described. In addition, the lamellar fault distance is determined by means of the Burgers equation for small-angle tilt boundary. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The slightly impure Mg-32 wt pct Al eutectic rods, 5/8 in. in diam and 12 in. long, were made from 99.99 wt pct Al and 99.98 wt pct Mg and were cast in a high-purity graphite mold. Some of these rods were purified by zone-refining the eutectic using direct-radiation helical-coil furnaces5 A molten zone about 2 in. long was passed through the cast rods at a speed of 5.3 x 104 cm per sec for ten passes of the molten zone. Before the freezing experiment was begun, 2-1/2 in. of the material from the head and tail ends of the zone-refined eutectic were removed from the rod to eliminate any impurity. The freezing experiments were carried out under controlled conditions,8 using a protective atmosphere of purified argon. At the end of each run, observation of the tilt boundary was made throughout the entire length of the rod with a light microscope on the top, longitudinal, and transverse sections (three mutually perpendicular sections) of the lamellar eutectic solid. The experimental data used for the determination of interlamellar spacing and tilt angle were taken from the middle portion of

Jan 1, 1964