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By J. W. Wolfe

The Benedict-Webb-Rmbin equation of state was used in digital computer programs to make rapid determinations of natural gas equilibrium phase compositions. Mixture components were the nine hydrocarbons, methane through heptane. Comparative tests were made with data from field separators, plant exchangers and literature sources. For most tests made, the B-W-R equations predrcted component K-vallles, mixture enthalpies and phase aensities within tile accuracy of available correlations for rune-component mixtures: significant deviations were noted when mixtures contained components heavier than heptune. INTRODUCTION Rapid, accurate methods for calculating the properties of hydrocarbon mixtures are needed for predicting the behavior of natural gas processes. For example, because of the common use of two-phase separation methods in gas proccssing, calculations must be made for the density and composition of equilibrium vapor and liquid phases. In addition, predictions must often be made for the temperature and pressure changes associated with the flow of single- and two-phase natural gas fluids through heat exchangers, chokes and turbines. The complex nature of non-ideal mixtures makes rigorous calculations for these natural gas properties difficult and time-consuming. Natural gas properties have conventionally been determined with generalized data correlations. These correlations, such as the K-values presented in the NGAA Equilibrium Ratio Data Book, are usually based on some average property of the mixture and have proven to give satisfactory estimates for the properties of most oil and gas systems. Digital computers, however, have not only increased the utility of these correlations, but also have made practical the use of equations of state for calculating the properties of natural gases. Potentially, if basic pure component data are available, all the desired thermodynamic properties of mixtures can be derived from a single equation of state describing the mixture. Currently. the best equation of state for describing the behavior of pure, light hydrocarbons over single-and two-phase regions, both below and above critical pressure, is that of Benedict. Webb and Rubin.' The equation contains eight constants which are determined by empirically fitting the equation to pure-component PVT data. Benedict and his co-workers presented the clevelopment of their equation as early as 1940.2 The B-W-R equation is a modification of the Beattie-Bridgeman equation of state and gives better PVT predictions than the Beattie equation at densities above the critical density. Benedict et al. made the equation applicable to mixtures by relating the mixture constants to composition and the constants for pure compounds. These authors, in a serics of articles in 1951,' showed the accuracy of the B-W-R equation when applied to light hydrocarbons and their simple mixtures, and demonstrated the equation's utility for making vapor-liquid equilibria calculations. Since its inception, the B-W-R equation has been the subject of many papers. Numerous additions and modifications have been proposed,'-',"'-':' the purpose of most being to improve the equation's ability to predict PVT properties of specific mixture systems. In 1959, Opfell, Pings and Sage summarized much of the work on the B-W-R equation in their book on equations of state." Since natural gases are primarily mixtures of light hydrocarbons, the B-W-R equation is a natural choice for an equation of state to compute both phase equilibria and thermodynamic properties of natural gases. Consequent-

Jan 1, 1967

By W. E. Howlett, R. L. Slobod

Jan 1, 1965

By Fred C., Fred C. Bond

Comminution energy is principally energy of deformation before breakage, which appears as heat. An empirical equation is presented which covers the entire comminution range. The new strain-energy theory considers comminution from the known principles of mechanics and the reduction ratio. Energy requirements according to the different theories are compared.

Jan 1, 1950

By Roland Blanchard

Recent discovery at Mount Isa of copper mineralization in commercial amount at a depth of 1000 ft., coinciding with downward termination of ore at about the same depth within the larger silver-lead-zinc lenses that have been the standby of Mount Isa's production to date, has been cited as an example in support of mineral zoning. A previous paper by the author and Graham Hall1 furnished a detailed description of the geology of the ore at Mount Isa as exposed up to that time, but necessarily dealt mainly with the silver-lead-zinc mineralization. Most of the geologic facts that constitute the first half of the present paper were set forth in the previous one in much greater detail, with full supporting evidence for the facts cited. The large amount of underground development (approximately 20 miles) and the extensive exploration carried out by diamond drilling (100,000 ft.) at Mount Isa, added to extensive microscope work conducted over a period of years, both by the company's staff and by others, had made possible the calculation within fairly close limits of mineralogical composition of the principal mineralized block of ground down to 1000-ft. depth, and had established closely the mineral succession, with reasons for deposition of the various minerals in the patterns now occupied by them. The geologic facts as outlined in the previous paper remain as stated; but because substantial development within the new copper ore body and further exploratory diamond drilling within the new silver-lead-zinc area (Racecourse) have taken place since that paper was written, statements and figures relating to those two areas in the present paper supersede those furnished in the previous one. The recent work likewise has established more clearly the paragenetic relationship between the chalco-pyrite and galena. Evidence confirming the relationship is furnished in the present paper. The facts of ore occurrence at Mount Isa show Accepted Zonal Succession Silver sulphantimonides Galena Sphalerite Tetrahedrite Arsenical sulphides Chalcopyrite Pyrrhotite Mount Isa Succession I In the main but prob- Silver sulphantimonides ably not wholly Tetrahedrite I contemporaneous Galena Pyrrhotite Sphalerite Arsenical sulphides They show further: (I) that instead of the silver-lead minerals yielding to increased zinc in depth, the zinc yields to increased silver-lead; (2) no dovetailing of the silver-lead-zinc sulphides into chalcopyrite takes place; (3) despite the large amount of pyrrhotite deposited in the district (estimated at upward of 100,000,000 tons), its deposition took place under moderately low temperature conditions; (4) no evidence has been found for increase in temperature of deposition, with depth, to deepest exploration in ore (1475 ft.). The anomalous condition at Mount Jsa, both as to the unorthodox mineral succession and the largely unorthodox patteru of mineral distribution, is explained in the present paper,

Jan 1, 1949

By D. W. Philips

The problem of strata control has of necessity been prominent in mining, and accounts of individual experience and research abound in the literature of most mining countries. Organized rescarch began in Britain by the formation of a committee, upon the recommendation of the Safety in Mines Research Board in 1923, to investigate methods of reducing accidents from falls of roof in coal mines. This committee examined current practice in supporting underground workings in the principal coal fields, and its findings have been published in the Board's publications.' - Toward the end of these investigations it was suggested by the Chief Inspector of Mines that committees of the several mining institutes be formed to examine the problem in their respective districts. The formation of these committees marked a new phase in research on strata control. The work, though being done in the separate coal fields, followed a scheme outlined by the chief Mining Engineer of the Research Board, and was coordinated by his office. FACTORS INVOLVED The subject is being considered in Britain from two aspects: 1. To provide. by supports, means to prevent falls of fractured ground. 2. TO develop methods whereby the strata can be maintained in the least broken condition and thus make falls less likely. The first aspect is the one that will most likely lead to immediate results from the accident standpoint. It depends largely upon the assimilation of already acquired knowledge regarding the properties of supports and their correct application. The second aspect is perhaps more fundamental, and involves also the properties of the strata and their behavior under the influence of the forces induced by mining. The problem involves many natural factors that cannot be controlled, such as depth, inclination and thickness of seam and nature of the rocks. Other factors, which may be considered to a certain extent controllable, cannot be varied readily and with sufficient frequency to facilitate easy investigation; some of these are: rate of advance of the working face, length of face, direction of the face with regard to cleat and inclination, system and arrangements of rock packing behind longwall faces. In any given case the very many factors present have a mutual influence upon the effects produced in the mine. For example, a study of the effects of rate of advance cannot be done without considering the effects of other factors such as nature of strata, direction of face and quality and arrangement of supports. Conversely, the length and direction of a working face

Jan 1, 1947

By G. Ansel, J. O. Betteron

THE PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER is to give a brief picture of present day magnesium rolling practice, to elaborate on laboratory and development rolling experiments; and finally, to discuss the possible Future rolling of magnesium. The present production practice is so varied between various mills that it can only he concluded that no single producer is now using a process that is outstandingly superior to others. In view of this, only the general features of present day production practice have been presented and attention is focussed on the results of laboratory find development rolling of magnesium-base alloys as indications of the Future trend of magnesium rolling. MAGNESIUM ROLLING LITERATURE The literature relating to magnesium rolling is divided into three groups: the deformation mechanisms of the hexagonal magnesium crystals, the metallurgical aspects and laboratory type experiments in rolling, and finally, the articles on production rolling methods. This literature was reviewed and is summarized below. In the first group of references, the existence of basal slip in magnesium single crystals was shown by Schiebold and Siebel1 and of {102} twinning by Mathewson and Phillips2, Schmid3 predicted and partially established {101} slip at hot working temperatures. Bakarian and Mathewson4 confirmed the above and eliminated {101} twinning as a probable deformation mechan-

Jan 1, 1948

By J. C. Griffiths, D. W. Bennion

A mathematical model, which does not assume a priori that stratification exists, but was designed to test for the stratification was developed. The model segmented the reservoir horizontally into areas of common variance, then divided it vertically into strata (if strata were present). Next, trend surface techniques were used to determine the lateral extent and variation of each stratum. The model was tested on two reservoirs (sandstone and limestone) using porosity as the reservoir rock property. The sandstone reservoir contained approximately 60,000 samples from 2,000 cored wells, while the limestone reservoir had approximately 24,000 samples from 430 cored wells. Within the areas of common variance tested, the model was able to distinguish four separate lithological units or zones in the sandstone reservoir, four in the Marly section and seven in the Vuggy section of the limestone reservoir. INTRODUCTION To accurately predict the movement and production of fluids from a reservoir rock, it is necessary that the reservoir engineer have a knowledge of the rock properties and their distribution throughout the reservoir. For this study, a reservoir rock is defined as a solid containing interconnecting holes or voids which occur relatively frequently and are dispersed within the rock in a regular or random manner. The fraction of bulk volume that these interconnecting voids occupy is called porosity. The rock must also possess sufficient permeability to allow fluids to move through it and it may be composed of one or more strata or lithological units. A stratum or lithological unit as defined in this study is a body or volume of reservoir rock whose properties are so distributed that its lateral and vertical extent can be traced throughout or through a portion of the reservoir. Operationally, the existence of strata are question- able unless the variance within strata is less than among strata. Within the past few years computers have been widely used as a tool for calculating movement and production of fluids from reservoirs. Most prediction models require some type of a mathematical description of certain reservoir rock properties. In the past, most of these models have been relatively simple. Some have assumed vertical variation but no lateral variation, while others have assumed lateral variation but no vertical variation. In general, most of these models have not used functional relationships to predict reservoir rock properties as functions of position. The object of this study was to develop a model which would predict lateral and vertical variations of reservoir rock properties. Since samples are usually available from only a small portion of the total reservoir rock, it seemed logical that if measurements from these samples were to be used to infer the properties of the actual reservoir, the data should be treated statistically as a sample from the total population (reservoir). Therefore, the model developed in this study to predict reservoir rock properties was a stochastic model. The model was tested using porosity (a macroscopic reservoir rock property) measurements from two reservoirs — the first, a sandstone reservoir from which 60,000 samples were obtained; and the second, a limestone reservoir with 24,000 samples. Several investigators have proposed methods to determine the vertical and areal variation of a reservoir rock property. Stiles: Dykstra and Parsons 2 and Suder and Calhoun3 have all developed waterflooding prediction techniques which assume vertical variation but no lateral variation. Stiles developed a method to segment a reservoir arbitrarily using frequency distribution. Law4 suggested that porosity has a normal frequency distribution and that permeability has a log-normal frequency distribution. Elkins and Skov 5 proposed that when a reservoir is segmented vertically, the

Jan 1, 1967

By Roland Blanchard

Recent discovery at Mount Isa of copper mineralization in commercial amount at a depth of 1000 ft., coinciding with downward termination of ore at about the same depth within the larger silver-lead-zinc lenses that have been the standby of Mount Isa's production to date, has been cited as an example in support of mineral zoning. A previous paper by the author and Graham Hall1 furnished a detailed description of the geology of the ore at Mount Isa as exposed up to that time, but necessarily dealt mainly with the silver-lead-zinc mineralization. Most of the geologic facts that constitute the first half of the present paper were set forth in the previous one in much greater detail, with full supporting evidence for the facts cited. The large amount of underground development (approximately 20 miles) and the extensive exploration carried out by diamond drilling (100,000 ft.) at Mount Isa, added to extensive microscope work conducted over a period of years, both by the company's staff and by others, had made possible the calculation within fairly close limits of mineralogical composition of the principal mineralized block of ground down to 1000-ft. depth, and had established closely the mineral succession, with reasons for deposition of the various minerals in the patterns now occupied by them. The geologic facts as outlined in the previous paper remain as stated; but because substantial development within the new copper ore body and further exploratory diamond drilling within the new silver-lead-zinc area (Racecourse) have taken place since that paper was written, statements and figures relating to those two areas in the present paper supersede those furnished in the previous one. The recent work likewise has established more clearly the paragenetic relationship between the chalco-pyrite and galena. Evidence confirming the relationship is furnished in the present paper. The facts of ore occurrence at Mount Isa show Accepted Zonal Succession Silver sulphantimonides Galena Sphalerite Tetrahedrite Arsenical sulphides Chalcopyrite Pyrrhotite Mount Isa Succession I In the main but prob- Silver sulphantimonides ably not wholly Tetrahedrite I contemporaneous Galena Pyrrhotite Sphalerite Arsenical sulphides They show further: (I) that instead of the silver-lead minerals yielding to increased zinc in depth, the zinc yields to increased silver-lead; (2) no dovetailing of the silver-lead-zinc sulphides into chalcopyrite takes place; (3) despite the large amount of pyrrhotite deposited in the district (estimated at upward of 100,000,000 tons), its deposition took place under moderately low temperature conditions; (4) no evidence has been found for increase in temperature of deposition, with depth, to deepest exploration in ore (1475 ft.). The anomalous condition at Mount Jsa, both as to the unorthodox mineral succession and the largely unorthodox patteru of mineral distribution, is explained in the present paper,

Jan 1, 1949

By C. B. Alcock, L. I. Cheng

By the use of radiochemical methods for the study of the gas-liquid equilibria at low temperature, and for the determination of the sulfur contents of metal beads which had been equilibrated with H2S/H2 mixtures of known sulfur potential, it has been possible to obtain the liquid solubility and the free energy of solution of sulfur in liquid tin and lead at temperatures between 500°and 680°C. THE gas-liquid equilibrium method has proved in the past to be most successful in the determination of the thermodynamic behavior of dilute solutions of sulfur in liquid metals.1,2 One of the basic requirements for success with this method is that the volatility of both the metal and its lowest sulfide should be small, otherwise sulfide will be deposited at the cool end of the furnace, where it may react with the outgoing gases to form either sulfur-rich lowest sulfide or higher sulfides. The resultant value of the apparent equilibrium constant will then be lower than the correct one. This argument applies even at sulfur potentials below that in equilibrium with a separate condensed phase of the lowest sulfide at the reaction temperature, T. The mass of sulfide which is deposited at the cold end of the furnace, and hence the extent to which further reaction occurs with the outgoing gases, depends on the time taken for equilibrium to be reached between metal and gas. Since this will depend principally on the bulk of the metal phase which is used, one should clearly attempt to uie as small metal samples as possible. These considerations are important in the study of dilute solutions of sulfur dissolved in liquid tin and lead which both have moderately high vapor pressures as metals and form volatile sulfides. The limit on the size of the metal samples which may be used is set chiefly by the difficulties of analysis for very small amounts of sulfur. The oxygen or carbon dioxide combustion method, followed by iodimetric determination of the sulfur dioxide which is formed,has been found to be successful for the determination of small amounts of sulfur in copper, iron, cobalt and nickel.4 This method was unsatisfactory for sulfur dissolved in tin and lead, mainly because the sulfur dioxide was to some extent absorbed by the copious tin or lead oxide deposits which were formed on the walls of the combustion tube. Furthermore some of the sulfur was found to segregate on the surface of the beads as flaky sulfide crystals which would easily be lost in the transfer of a bead from a boat in the gas equilibration apparatus to one in the combustion apparatus. Oxidation in aqueous media to sulfate ion followed by precipitation as barium sulfate was, therefore, adopted as the analytical procedure. The gas-metal equilibrium experiments were all carried out with radioactive sulfur and thus the analysis involved the counting of barium radiosulfate. Furthermore the use of the radioisotope meant that the approach to the gas-metal equilibrium could be followed continuously by gas counting.' The metal beads were held separately in glass crucibles during equilibration and were transferred from the furnace to the beaker for dissolution in nitric acid still in the crucibles, and thus the possibility of sulfur loss by detachment of the sulfide segregates was eliminated. The temperature range of this investigation was 500° to 680°C. EXPERIMENTAL APPARATUS AND METHOD The apparatus consisted of two furnaces placed in series in a gas recirculation system, Fig. 1. One furnace F1, which was vertical was used to heat the alumina crucible, A, holding six metal beads in separate glass crucibles. The beads weighed between 300 and 700 mg each. The crucible assembly was introduced and removed from the furnace mechanically under a stream of oxygen-free argon. The other furnace, F2, was horizontal and was used to heat a cobalt Co9S8 mixture, held in an alumina boat, and made with radiosulfur containing about 1/2 millicurie per g of sulphur. This mixture, which was finely powdered, was used as a source of known H2S/H2 mixtures6 for a given furnace temperature. The recirculation system also contained a gas re-circulation pump (P), an end window Geiger-Miiller counter (N)—placed downstream of F1 so as to monitor the H2S pressure in the gas leaving this furnace— a sample volume for chemical analysis of the gas phase (G), gas drying tubes (D), filling taps and other standard ancillary equipment. The gas sampling volume was principally used in the cali-

Jan 1, 1962

By D. W. Philips

The problem of strata control has of necessity been prominent in mining, and accounts of individual experience and research abound in the literature of most mining countries. Organized rescarch began in Britain by the formation of a committee, upon the recommendation of the Safety in Mines Research Board in 1923, to investigate methods of reducing accidents from falls of roof in coal mines. This committee examined current practice in supporting underground workings in the principal coal fields, and its findings have been published in the Board's publications.' - Toward the end of these investigations it was suggested by the Chief Inspector of Mines that committees of the several mining institutes be formed to examine the problem in their respective districts. The formation of these committees marked a new phase in research on strata control. The work, though being done in the separate coal fields, followed a scheme outlined by the chief Mining Engineer of the Research Board, and was coordinated by his office. FACTORS INVOLVED The subject is being considered in Britain from two aspects: 1. To provide. by supports, means to prevent falls of fractured ground. 2. TO develop methods whereby the strata can be maintained in the least broken condition and thus make falls less likely. The first aspect is the one that will most likely lead to immediate results from the accident standpoint. It depends largely upon the assimilation of already acquired knowledge regarding the properties of supports and their correct application. The second aspect is perhaps more fundamental, and involves also the properties of the strata and their behavior under the influence of the forces induced by mining. The problem involves many natural factors that cannot be controlled, such as depth, inclination and thickness of seam and nature of the rocks. Other factors, which may be considered to a certain extent controllable, cannot be varied readily and with sufficient frequency to facilitate easy investigation; some of these are: rate of advance of the working face, length of face, direction of the face with regard to cleat and inclination, system and arrangements of rock packing behind longwall faces. In any given case the very many factors present have a mutual influence upon the effects produced in the mine. For example, a study of the effects of rate of advance cannot be done without considering the effects of other factors such as nature of strata, direction of face and quality and arrangement of supports. Conversely, the length and direction of a working face

Jan 1, 1947

By J. L. Huitt, S. R. Darin

The use of a partial monolayer of propping agent to obtain a high flow capacity for a hydraulically induced fracture is discussed. From the results of laboratory work it was shown that a modified form of the Kozeny-Carman relation could be used to describe the flow in the partial monolayer propped fracture. With equations presented in the paper, the density pattern of the propping agent (number of particles per unit of fracture surface) that results in the maximum flow capacity for the fracture can be determined. The maxitnum flow capacity obtained with a partial monolayer is often an order of magnitude greater than the flow capacity obtained in greater width fractures containing multilayers of the propping agent. INTRODUCTION One of the predominant factors controlling the success of a hydraulic fracturing operation is the propping of the fracture. The trend in hydraulic fracturing recently has been an increase in the ratio of propping agent-to-fluid. The primary purpose of this increased ratio is to sustain a propped fracture of greater width. It was shown in a recent study' that for some formations low concentrations of propping agent would result in "closing" or "healing" of the fracture. In some cases, in an effort to insure sufficient propping agent concentration, the fracturing operation is designed to obtain a pack of the propping agent in the fracture. The placing of a pack of propping agent in the fracture provides a fracture of maximum width; however, the width alone does not control the flow capacity of the fracture. The flow capacity is dependent on the permeability of the fracture, as well as the fracture width. Thus, increasing the permeability to obtain larger flow capacities is as important as obtaining a greater width fracture. By increasing the concentration and particle diameter of the propping agent, fractures of sufficient flow capacities are obtainable for effective well stimulation in a number of formations. However, in some of the recovery techniques, the fracture capacity obtained by commonly used practices in fracturing is inadequate. One such recovery technique is gravity drainage via a horizontal fracture placed near the base of the productive zone. For this recovery technique, the fracture capacity desired is usually one to two orders of magnitude greater than the fracture capacity normally obtained in fractures propped with the size of sand commonly used (20-40 mesh). By the use of particles of larger diameter, the permeability of a pack2 is increased; however, even a multilayer pack results in a fracture flow capacity lower than that desired for some formations. For example, a fracture of 1/4-in. width, packed with 8-12 mesh sand of about 2,000 darcies permeability, would result in a fracture flow capacity (permeability X fracture width) of only 40,000 md-ft. If the fracture flow capacity needed is an order of magnitude greater than that cited in the example, an approach different from the formation of a pack in the fracture is needed. One approach is a partial monolayer of large-diameter propping agent. In working with this type of fracture system, it was found that the flow problems were unique to the system; therefore, the study discussed in this paper was made. THEORY AND RELATED STUDIES Previous studies, although related to that described in this paper, have not pertained directly to the flow in a fracture propped with a partial monolayer of propping agent. However, studies such as flow between parallel plates,' flow in packed columns,' fracture flow capacity' and flow in simulated fractures reduce the scope of this flow problem considerably. A fracture propped with a partial monolayer of dropping agent may be considered to be between two extremes — between an open fracture and a bed of particles packed In a conduit of fracture geometry. Thus, it seems appropriate to review the extreme cases.

By Rudolf Gahl

Page Tests Conducted in Small Test Mill................... 577 Demonstration Tests Conducted by Minerals Separation Co....... 577 Flotation Tcsts Conducted by Inspiration Co............. 577 Sampling of Orebody........................ 578 Other Results Obtained in Small Test Mill.............. 580 Tests Conducted in Large Test Mill................... 580 Flow Sheet............................. 580 Discussion of the Value of Preliminary Table Treatment......582 Callow Flotation Installation..................... 585 Flinn-Towne ~nstallation...................... 587 Cole-Bergman Installation...................... 588 Methods Followed in Competitive Tests................ 590 Advantage of Pneumatic Flotation Machines.............. 591 Pneumatic Machines of Minerals Separation Co............. 591 Float Skimming Device......................; 594 Experimental Inspiration Flotation Machine.............. 596 Arrangement of Callow Cells in Series ................ 598 Variations of Flow Sheet....................... 599 Coal Tar as Flotation Agent..................... 600 Experience with Primary Slime.................... 602 Influence of Iron on Flotation..................... 605 Influence of Chemicals on Primary Slime............... 607 Fineness of Crushing Desired.................... 607 Operation of Large Concentrator..................... 608 Flow Sheet of Callow Sections.................... 608 Flow Sheet of Inspiration Sections.................• 609 Inspiration Flotation Machine of Steel Construction.......... 610 Minerals Separation Section..................... 613 Filter Plant............................ 613 Results Obtained in Commercial Concentrator............... 616 Tonnage............................... 616 Air and Power Consumption...................... 616 Floor Space............................ 617 Water Consumption......................... 617 Recovery............................. 618 Oil Consumption.......................... 618 Operating Costs for Flotation..................... 620 Discussion of Results Obtained.................... 620 Prospects for Futurc Development of the Flotation Process......... 621 Porous-Bottom Experiments..................... 622 Raising the Grade of Concentrates.................. 624 Recovering Carbonates by Flotation................. 624 Recovery of Silicates by Flotation.................. 627 General Theory......................... 628 Conclusion............................... 630

Jan 1, 1917

By P. H. Wendland

Calculations are presented for the design of a silicon photodiode in which the incident light beam makes multiple passes between the detector surfaces. Total internal reflection is used for this "light-trapping" effect. By this means, the optical path length can be extended to several millimeters, while the electrode separation remains less than 102 cm, as required for nanosecond response time. Data are presented for a Schottky barrier photodiode constructed on a multiply reflecting silicon base wafer. It is shown that the long-wavelength response is considerably extended in such structures without a corresponding sacrifice in high-speed response. The development of efficient and powerful lasers at 1.06 p has stimulated interest in detectors which operate at this wavelength. In typical silicon photodiodes, for detecting 1.06 p radiation, the requirements for high speed and high sensitivity are mutually exclusive. Since the absorption coefficient is only 25 cm-', a lo-'-cm path length is required to absorb 92 pct of the incident 1.06 p radiation. If the electrode separation is greater than 10 cm, however, the carrier transit time will be greater than 1 nsec. This problem can be solved by allowing the incident light beam to make multiple passes between the electrodes. The optical path length can then be extended to several millimeters, as required for complete absorption, while the electrode separation remains less than 10' cm, as required for nanosecond response time. In a typical photodiode geometry, one ohmic contact and one rectifying contact are formed on the two opposite surfaces of a base wafer, and the wafer thickness determines the electrode separation. The objective of the multiple reflection design is to allow all 1.06 p radiation to enter the detector front surface and to form the back detector surface so that no 1.06 radiation can exit. Total internal reflection at the back detector surface is well-suited for light trapping of 1.06 p radiation because the relatively large dielectric constant of silicon leads to a critical angle of 16.5 deg for total internal reflection. LIGHT TRAPPING It is well-known that, as light passes from one medium such as air into another medium such as glass or silicon, the angle of refraction is always less than the angle of incidence. In the limiting case, where the incident rays approach an angle of 90 deg with the normal, the refracted rays approach a fixed angle +, beyond which no refraction is possible: this is called the critical angle. It follows from Snell's law that where = critical angle, n - index of refraction of air, n' - index of refraction of the medium. Applying the principle of reversibility of light rays, all internal angles of incidence greater than +, will produce total internal reflection and "light trapping". The index of refraction of silicon at 1.06 p is 3.5,' and the critical angle is thus 16.5 deg. Fig. 1 shows these relationships for silicon. This very small critical angle in silicon is significant because all incident angles between 16.5 and 90 deg will produce total internal reflection and "light trapping". This effect can be implemented with a "prismlike" geometry, so that incident light can be introduced into the sample without loss and "trapped". PHOTOSIGNALS A precise knowledge of the absorption coefficient at 1.06 in silicon is of critical importance to the design of fast and efficient silicon photodiodes for 1.06 radiation. Dash and newman2 show a value of 25 cm-l, and our measurements have corroborated this value. Assuming that the collection of photoinduced minority carriers is perfect, the quantum efficiency of a photodiode is dependent only on the absorption coefficient. It then follows from Lambert's law that where QE is the quantum efficiency in pct, a is the absorption coefficient, d is the optical path length, and the reflectivity at the surface is assumed to be completely suppressed by an optical interference layer. Fig. 2 gives the maximum quantum efficiency for 1.06p radiation of a silicon photodiode with optical path length d, using Eq. [2]. The ultimate response time of a fully depleted photodiode to an incident light pulse can be considered to be the arrival times of all photoinduced carriers at the contacts, i.e., the minority carriers at the junction interface and the majority carriers at the oppo-

Jan 1, 1968

By J. P. Lesley

The Pittsburgh coal-region, if we regard the greatness of its extent, the picturesque beauty of its scenery, the salubrity of its climate, its relative situation on the Continent, the fertility of its soil, its unrivalled mineral wealth, and its magnificent system of natural transportation, is, perhaps, the most valuable spot on the surface of the planet. Unlike the mythical Paradise inhabited by one man and one woman, it swarms with an abounding population, not living on the free gifts of nature without care and without toil, hut expending its energies in unremitting labor, reinforced by the most elaborate machinery, in the production of everything which mankinds needs or desires; and unlilte the Paradise of story from which flowed the four great rivers of the world in opposite directions, its own four rivers How from the surrounding world into it, to constitute by their union the great highway water-course which divides the Northern from the Southern States. These rivers are the Monongahela, coming from the south, the Yonghiogheny from the southeast, the Kiskiminetas from the east, and the Allegheny from the north. Uniting at the great city of pittsburgh, they constitnte the Ohio, which flows northwest and west, and then south and southwest, toward the Mississippi. The Monongahela has been made navigable by a system of dams and pools the Allegheny was navigable in its natural condition; the KisKiminetas was made navigable by a State canal which has been vacated ; and the Youghiogheny remains unnavigable. Railroads supplement the deficiencies of the rivers, follow their hanks, and share in the transportation for which the waters are not sufficient. Railroads and rivers concentrate at Pittsburgh; other railroads cross the highlands to the east and west; and branch roads ascend the side-valleys and ravines to the mines on the uplands. The whole region is a scene of life; towns and villages dot its surface in all directions ; hundreds of gangways open upon the sides of all the valleys, and deliver coal to trains of cars which move beneath them at water-level; furnaces and rolling-mills abound; hundreds of oil-wells furnish a flood of liquid fuel to pipe-lines

Jan 1, 1886

By C. S. Simons, G. Major-Marothy, M. A. K. Grice, D. A. Dahlstrom

The vacuum filter operating variables that influence cake moisture are discussed. The influence of temperature control, particularly through application of steam to the cake, is emphasized. Results of pilot plant studies on filtration of fine hematite concentrates are presented and discussed, and are shown to support the theoretically-derived conclusions. Results on fine magnetite concentrates are also used to support the argument. The relative merits of disc and drum filters from the standpoint of cake moisture are discussed. Moisture content has always been recognized as one of the most important properties of concentrates used as pellet plant feed. Most iron ore concentrates are produced by wet methods, and are finally de-watered on filters. Obviously, a real economic advantage accrues to the ability of control the moisture content of the filter cake within the range required for optimum pellet production. Another consideration, also, has been receiving increasing attention recently. Transoceanic shippers of concentrate cargoes are critically assessing the hazards of excess moisture. The nature and magnitude of these risks have been described, ' and it appears that their elimination may require that residual moisture be somewhat lower than the limit for proper pelletization. Coarse, very free-filtering materials, such as the products of spirals, are usually best handled on top-feed types of machines. The moisture content of the cake may be held at a specified value by proper design and operation, taking into account cake thickness, air-flow rate, and drainage time. Fine-grained concentrates, with which we will be concerned here, must be filtered on Drum or Agidisc machines. With many of these materials, it is possible, by proper design, to meet cake moisture requirements with a conventional filter station. The first installations to produce high-grade pellets from magnetic taconites fell in this class. In fact, the design criteria were developed in connection with operations of Reserve Mining Co. at Silver Bay, inn.,2 and these have been verified repeatedly in other mills. The trend today, however, is toward the production of more difficultly dewatered concentrates. This is due on the one hand to the increasing attention being given to non-magnetic ores, which tend to be far slimier, and therefore much more retentive of moisture, than the magnetites. On the other hand, the pressure to improve the grade of the magnetic ores is leading to finer grinds, which also are more difficult to dewater. In the latter case, the decision to improve grade in an existing operation by finer grinding for better liberation may lead to two unattractive alternatives: 1) substantially higher bentonite consumption, plus the risk of poorer quality pellets, from high cake moisture, or 2) installation of a thermal dryer. There is, however, a third alternative. In recent papers by two of the authors3,4 it was shown that for many materials a significant decrease in cake moisture can be obtained by applying live steam to the cake face during the drying part of the filter cycle. Further, this limited drying appears to have distinct economic advantages compared to thermal drying. It is the purpose of this paper to explore the third alternative. To do this, the results of an extensive pilot study of steam filtration of a hematite flotation concentrate will be critically examined. This study was sufficiently broad so that a number of alternate suggestions (besides steaming the cake) for reducing moisture content were tested, and comparative data for both Drum and Disc filters were obtained. The work was particularly interesting since the concentrate has a high Blaine surface, and is therefore particularly difficult to dewater to the levels required. FILTER CAKE MOISTURE The significant difference between concentrate filter cake as discharged from the filter, a cargo of that same filter cake during or after shipment, and a green ball formed from that filter cake is in the relative volume of voids, or porosity. In every case, the material is a collection of small solid particles held together by the cohesive forces of a liquid. The physical properties of the aggregate are determined by the

Jan 1, 1967

By R. J. Stevens

THE Roan Antelope Smelter commenced operations in October, 1931. As originally designed, its equipment consisted of one reverberatory furnace, 120 X 25 ft, two Peirce-Smith converters 12 X 20 ft, and one straight line casting machine. Since that time the following additions have been made: One reverberatory furnace 120 ft X 28 ft (1934) One reverberatory furnace 95 ft X 28 ft (1943) Two 12 X 20 ft Peirce-Smith converters (1934 and 1938) One 13 X 30 ft holding furnace 6 (1938) One straight line casting machine and 2 ladle tilting quadrants (1934) The metallurgy of the smelting process is comparatively simple. However, there are several features of operation which are uncommon to most copper smelters: (1) The high grade of concentrate treated; this has always been about 50 pct copper. (2) The high flux burden on the charge. This is necessary because of the deficiency of bases'in the concentrate and the high alumina content of the concentrate. (3) The frequent necessity of adding coal to the furnace charge to control the matte grade. (4) The high grade of matte produced. This has led' to unusual converter problems. From the commencement of operations, the ore mined has come from the Roan Basin orebody. The concentrate produced from this ore consists mainly of chalcocite and shale with small proportions of other copper minerals. As mining operations extend to the Roan Extension orebody, the proportions of bornite and chalcopyrite in the concentrate will increase with a corresponding decrease in the copper content of the concentrate. Because of the concentrate grade the capacity of the reverberatory . furnaces in terms of tons of copper produced per ton of coal burned is high.. This ratio is usually over 2.2, and on especially favourable runs has reached 2.6. Reference to Table , shows that the iron content of the concentrate is unusually low. Only part of this iron is available for slag formation, the balance going to the matte. To make up this deficiency in bases, limerock is added to the furnace charge. This flux ensures a slag that is of the correct silicate degree, is sufficiently fluid, of low specific gravity, and it counteracts the thickening effect of the alumina present. An ample supply of flux is obtainable from Ndola, 2 2 miles distant by rail. Although the reverberatory slag has a high copper content, the slag fall is low and the copper loss in the slag now rarely exceeds 1.0 pct of the total copper charged. The blister copper shipped is of such purity that only one fire refining operation has been necessary to produce a wirebar with properties comparable to electrolytic copper. Bismuth has always been the most troublesome impurity and consequently the problem of its control in the finished product has been of prime importance. Practically none is removed in the reverberatory furnace. The bulk of the elimina-

Jan 1, 1947

By Charles R. Stewart, William W. Owens

Reservoir performance predictions based on laboratory core test data assume that fluid flow is laminar for the laboratory test. A study has been made to determine the validity of this assumption for laboratory tests on various types of porosity found in producing limestone formation. Data are presented which show that turbulence and slippage can occur during laboratory tests on hetero-geneous-type porosity limestones, thus causing serious errors in measured single-phase permeabilities and two-phase relative permeability characteristics. In single-phase flow tests it is possible to eliminate turbulence and correct for slippage or to eliminate both factors by controlling test conditions. It is not always possible to control test conditions and thereby eliminate turbulence and slippage in two-phase .flow tests. A correction method is presented which can be used to calculate the true two-phase laminar flow relative permeability characteristic even though furbulence and slippage exist. .INTRODUCTION It is customary to make use of Darcy's law and modifications of this law, together with laboratory data on formation core samples to predict the performance of producing reservoirs. Such predictions are based on an assumption that fluid flow is in the laminar or streamline region for the laboratory test. It was the purpose of this inves- tigation to determine the extent to which turbulent flow may occur in laboratory fluid flow tests on hetero-geneous porosity limestones. Considering that turbulent flow conditions might exist in some laboratory fluid flow tests, additional emphasis was placed on the development of a method to correct for turbulence when laminar flow conditions could not be attained. FLUID FLOW CONCEPTS FOR POROUS MEDIA The Influence of Pore Geometry on Fluid Flow One of the more important factors influencing fluid flow in porous media is the geometry of the pore space which includes such characteristics of the pores as size, shape, distribution, roughness, uniformity, etc. In general, oil- and gas-producing formations can be divided into two broad types on the basis of pore geometry. One has been called sandstone-type porosity media, which is characterized by a small range in pore size, uniformity in shape of the pores, smooth pore surfaces and a regular and uniform distribution of pores. The other type has been called heterogeneous porosity media and is usually limited to the dolomites and limestones. This type is characterized by a wide variation in the size, shape, and distribution of the pores and rough, irregular pore surfaces. It is therefore apparent that conditions are much more favorable for turbulent flow* in heterogeneous-type porosity media than in sandstone-type porosity media. Interrelationship Between Turbulence and Gas Slippage In studying the problem of turbulent flow in laboratory tests on porous media, it is necessary to be aware of the interrelationship between slippage and turbulence for gas flow. As a result of slippage or the Klinken-berg effecta, apparent perrneabilities to gas are greater than the true value because there is no stationary layer of gas in contact with the walls of the flow channels. Gas slippage decreases as the mean free path of the gas molecules decreases. Since the mean free path of any gas decreases with increasing density, increases in static pressure result in lower apparent gas permeabilities. However, a reduction in gas permeability can also be due to turbulence. Therefore, in studying only turbulent flow in porous media, it is necessary to hold gas density, and slippage, constant or to reduce slippage to a negligible value by operating at high static pressures. Presentation of Laminar and Turbulent Flow Data A graphical relationship between permeability and a pseudo-Reynolds number, N,, will be used to show the two types of fluid flow, i.e., laminar and turbulent. The usual graphical method for such a description has been the use of friction factor-Reynolds number charts4. On such a logarithmic diagram, the laminar region appears as a straight line having a slope of 45 degrees. As the friction factor decreases and the Reynolds number increases, the turbulent region is reached and appears as a deviation from the 45-degree slope line. However, in petroleum engineering literature resistance of por-

By Edna A. Dancy, Gerhard J. Derge

The specific conductance of FeOx,-CaO melts in contact with iron was found to decrease from 200 ohm-1 cm-1 for FeO, to 40 ohm-1 cm-1 for a melt containing 26.3 pct CaO at 1400°C. The temperature coefficient was positive at all compositions, but became smaller at high CaO contents. Current efficiencies for electrolysis increased from 2.5 pct in FeOx to 17.3 pct at the high CaO composition, indicating a change from predominantly electronic conduction to conduction with a substantial ionic contribution. It was shown that Ca++ ions as well as Fe++ ions carry the ionic current. A subsidiary investigation on the apparent effect of atmospheres of argon, helium, and nitrogen on the electrical conductivity showed that this could be correlated with surface temperature losses, which varied with the thermal conductivities of the gases and resulted in precipitation of metal by the reaction 3 Fe++ = 2 Fe+++ + Fe. The work described in this paper is offered as a contribution to the general fund of knowledge concerning metallurgical slags. Measurement of electrical conductivity and electrolysis are comparatively trouble -free methods for investigating molten materials, but, although these methods had been used for complex slags, it was not until the work of Bockris et al.1 that the approach of examining simple binary slag systems was employed, and CaO-SiO2, MnO-SiO2, and Al2O3-Si9 were studied. Two groups have performed work of particular relevance to the present investigation. Inouye, Tomlinson, and chipman2 studied the conductivity of wustite as a function of temperature and of the addition of 5 mol pct of a number of oxides, including CaO. They concluded that molten FeOx in equilibrium with iron is a semiconductor. Simnad, Derge, and ceorge3 demonstrated the ionic nature of liquid iron silicate slags and also concluded that, although the conductivity of FeOx in equilibrium with iron is predominantly electronic in nature, there is a small ionic contribution. The work reported here on FeOx,-CaO slags consists of three main parts, namely, the determination of the specific conductance over a wide composition range, an investigation into the nature of the conductivity through current-efficiency measurements over the same composition range, and an attempt to identify the current-carrying ions, as well as a subsidiary investigation on the apparent effect of the nature of the inert atmosphere on the conductivity. EXPERIMENTAL Materials. The slags, varying in composition from FeOx to 27 pct CaO, were prepared by heating reagent- grade Fe2O3 in an ingot iron crucible with a suitable amount of CaCO3 and, in some cases, powdered iron, in air. This prefused material was then used for the runs. At the end of each run the cell was removed from the furnace and quenched by immersing the bottom half in water. After crushing, the slags were analyzed for calcium and total iron by the usual wet methods. The oxygen content was obtained by difference. Specific Conductance: Apparatus and Method. Fig. shows the experimental setup, with the conductivity cell and leads of ingot iron. The standard four-probe method for measuring high conductivities was used. In this, the potential drop across the unknown resistance is compared with the potential drop across a known resistance connected in series, i .e., same current through both resistances. Thus there are both current and potential leads to the center electrode and to the crucible, which acts as th other electrode. Both ac and dc circuits were available for the measurements; they have been described in earlier work performed in this laboratory.4,5 The geometry of the cell was such that the center electrode was equidistant from the bottom and sides of the crucible. This ensured that the current path was the same irrespective of the magnitude of the conductivity of the material in the cell. Cell constant were measured with KC1 or NaCl solutions, which have considerably lower conductivities (0.0013 to 0.25 ohm-' cm) than the slags, and this precaution in design made sure that the determined cell constants applied to the cells with contents of any conductivity. The cell-constant determinations were made with the ac measuring circuit to prevent polarization. The four-probe method eliminates lead resistance but not the resistance of those parts of the center

Jan 1, 1967

By James K. Stanley

When a plastically deformed mctal is heated to a certain temperature, it undergoes a complete change in microstructure, the consequence of which is a marked alteration of mechanical properties such as hardness, strength and ductility. This change in microstructure occurs by re-crystallization and is a process involving the formation and growth of strain-free nuclei in the deformed matrix. These nuclei continue to form with time and grow until a new grain structure replaces the cold-worked structure. The formation of the nuclei in the deformed sheet of I per cent silicon ferrite is illustrated in Fig. I. If a recrystallization is conducted iso-thermally, a nleasurement of the fraction of the matrix recrystallized plotted against time leads to an isothermal recrystallization curve, first established in 1942.1 Such recrystallization curves are shown in Fig. 4. These curves show that the recrystallization of a cold-worked metal is best considered as a rate process rather than a time independent process such as is suggcsted by the improperly named and misleading recrystallization diagrams involving deformation, temperature, and grain size.2-5 Any study of the rate of recrystallization resolves itself into a study of the component rates of nucleation and growth. The previous paper1 provided an account of the determination of the rates of nucleation; N, the number of nuclei formed per unit time per unit of unre-crystallized area, and growth, G, the radial growth in unit time, in the recrystallization of silicon ferrite (I per cent Si). A method was developed to furnish experimental data for evaluating the effect of the recrystallization variables on N and G. The mathematical analysis for the derivation of the isothermal recrystallization curve was developed for a two-dimensional case (in thin sheets where the diameter of the recrystallized grain is greater than the sheet thickness). The present paper is a continuation of the study of recrystallization of I per cent silicon ferrite begun in 1942.1 In this work the effect of the factors deformation, temperature, grain size, composition, and recovery is studied with respect to the rates of liucleation and grouth. At the same time it is shown how the cooperation of N and G affects the isothermal recrystallization curve. The study of these variables on N and G has a definite bearing on the mechanism of recrystallization and should lay a foundation for a rational theory on the subject. Procedure The procedure used in these experiments was essentially the same as that described previously but in certain details some changes were made in the interests of speed. With few exceptions, the procedure is the same for the study of all the variables. Where the procedure is different from standard manipulations attention is called to this fact.

Jan 1, 1945

By D. J. McAdam, R. W. Mebs

THE technical cohesive strength of a metal means, not the interatomic forces, but the technically estimated resistance to fracture. An example of such resistance to fracture is the so-called "true" breaking stress of a tension-test specimen, the breaking load divided by the sectional area at fracture, According to the prevalent view,8 the technical cohesive strength of a metal, in any particular state as regards prior mechanical treatment and heat-treatment, is determined by a limiting value of the algebraically greatest principal stress.? In two previous papers by one of the authors,14,15 evidence was presented to indicate that the technical cohesive strength of a metal cannot be represented by a single stress value, but that it comprises an infinite number of values corresponding to the infinite number of possible combinations of the principal stresses. The technical cohesive strength thus comprises an infinite number of technical cohesion limits, each representing a specific stress combination at fracture. In the same papers, evidence was presented that plastic extension causes a continuous increase in the technical cohesive strength. Such a variation is not in accordance with the prevalent view that plastic extension first increases, then decreases, the technical cohesive strength.8 In this paper, as in the previous papers,14,15 the algebraically greatest principal stress will be designated S1, the least principal stress will be designated S3, and the intermediate principal stress will be designated S2. The technical cohesion limit under polarsymmetric tension (S1 = S2 = S3) will be termed the "disruptive stress," and the cohesion limit under unidirectional tension (S2 and S3 = o) will be termed the "severing stress." 14,15 The yield strength of a metal, according to the generally accepted theory, may be represented by a constant value of the shearing-strain energy, and hence by a constant value of the sum of the squares of the three principal stress differences. In the second of the previous papers,"' however, evidence was presented that the limiting yield stress decreases with increase in the volume stress, the algebraic average of the three principal stresses.* This influence of the volume stress becomes prominent only in the field of triaxial tension. In the two previous papers, 14,15 diagrams were presented to show the variation of the technical cohesion limit, yield stress, and ultimate stress with the combination of principal stresses and with plastic extension. Those diagrams and the resultant conclusions are derived from experimental data obtained by other investigators. They are based chiefly on results of tension tests

Jan 1, 1943