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THE 143d* meeting of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers was held in New York, Feb. 19-22, 1934. It consisted of the annual business meeting, 45 technical sessions at which 217 papers were presented (more than ever before), two sessions of the Board of Directors, two meetings of Section delegates, three formal lectures, luncheon Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for members and guests, three group dinners and five group luncheons, eight committee meetings, the annual reception and dinner dance, an informal dance, a smoke-dinner and the annual meeting of the Woman's Auxiliary. Attendance showed an improvement over the previous year, as follows: Total, 1534 in 1934, and 1475 in 1933; dinner dance, 543 and 426; smoker-dinner, 425 and 394; informal dance, 295 and 250; women's registration, 160 and 133; luncheons, 1034 and 734. The Coal Division held a general session and three sessions on Coal classification. It also met jointly with the Committee on Ground Movement and Subsidence. At the general session, John B. Dilworth presented a report of the Committtee on Methods of Valuing Coal Proper- ties and R. H. Sweetser a report of the Committee on Evaluation of Coal for Blast-furnace Coke. C. B Huntress, Executive Secretary of the National Coal Association, was the principal speaker at a luncheon on Monday, at which Eli T. Conner, Chairman of the Division, presided H. N. Eavenson, newly elected President of the Institute, and Edward W Parker, Secretary-Treasurer, of the Anthracite Institute, also spoke. The Executive Committee of the Division met Tuesday afternoon. The Sectional Committee on Classification of Coal met on Thursday morning and the Technical Committees on Scientific and Use Classification of Coal on Thursday afternoon. The Committee on Mining Methods held two general sessions, one for presentation of a half-dozen interesting papers on strictly mining subjects, the other on Aerial Transportation. It also participated jointly in a session on ground movement and subsidence with the committee of that name and the Coal Division The Institute's Standing Committee on Aviation had its inception at the session on Aerial Transportation

Jan 1, 1935

THE morning session on mining methods with R. M. Raymond as chairman was devoted mainly to papers on explosives and the discussion of these papers. A paper on the numerical index of the re-sistance which rocks offer to the penetration of a drill bit was also read. The first paper, "Relation Between the Oxygen Bal-ance and Propulsive Strength of Eight Gelatin Dynamites" by G. St. J. Perrott, N. A. Tolch and J. E. Crawshaw, was presented by Mr. Perrott, super-intendent of the Pittsburgh Experiment Station of the U. S. Bureau of Mines. In this paper which is the beginning of a series of publications on explosives, Mr. Perrott stated that the attempt was made to put down in quantitative form the facts which have been known to explosive engineers for a long time. Eight samples of 40 per cent gelatin dynamite, with oxygen content varying from + 15 to - 36 per cent of the theoretical amount necessary to form complete combustion with all of the combustible elements were tested. The experimental work showed that a bal-anced explosive did not give the greatest propulsive strength-but the most favorable range was from - 8 to - 25 per cent oxygen. The experimental work also brought out the fact that the wrapper of a stick of dynamite enters quite completely into the explosive reaction, and gelatin dynamites from which the wrapper had been removed developed less strength than the a same explosive with the wrapper. The second paper, "Effect of Oxygen Balance of Gelatin Dynamites on the Gaseous Products of Det-onation," by G. W. James and G. St. J. Perrott, was also presented :by Mr. Perrott. The first portion of this paper is given over to a discussion of the relative merits of different types of apparatus for testing and analyzing the combustion products of dynamites. Three types were used (1) the Bichel gage, (2) the Crawshaw-Jones apparatus and (3) the Hercules tank. All three of these types were used in testing dynamites whose oxygen balance varied from-35 to + 6 per cent.

Jan 3, 1928

By O. D. Sherby, J. L. Lytton, C. R. Barrett

Randomly oriented polycryslalline copper of 99.995 pcl was tested in tension at temperatures of 626o, 496o, and 406o. The gvain-size mnge investigated was from 0.03 to 0.7 mm. Grain sizes were produced by two techniques: 1) varying the amount of prior cold work and the amealing time at constant annealing temperature so as to obtain various vecrystallized grain sizes with minimum grain growth, and 4 holding the prior cold work constant while varying the annealing time or temperature so as to obtain varying grain sizes by grain growth. Polycrystalline samples (grain size of 0.03 mm) with a strong. [001](100) texture were also studied. The relationship between the steady-state creep rate, Es, and pain size was found to be the same indepentent of the technique used to prepare the various grain sizes. For specimens with grain diameters above about 0.1 mm ea zuas esse)ztiallj~ independent of grain size, while for smaller grain diameters Cs increased slightly with decreasing grain size. Strongly textured polycrystalline copper, which contained low-angle grain boundaries, exhibited steady-state creep rates that were slightly lower than those observed in randomly oriented copper, of the same gain size. The results are explained by conside?%ng- the contribution of grain boundary shearing to the total strain and the effect of grain size on the resulting creep substructure. EXPERIMENTAL observations concerning the influence of grain size on steady-state creep rates are varied and oftentimes conflicting. Numerous early investigators found that an increase in the grain size resulted in a decrease in the high-temperature steady-state creep rate, i,.'-" Other workers have foundthat ef decreases with increasing grain size up to some optimum grain size and then increases with a further increase in grain size.'- '' It has been suggested that es, decreases with an increase in grain size only because the range of grain sizes studied normally lies to the left of the grain size for optimum creep resistance. However, sherbyl2 and Feltham and his co-worker13, 14 have found that even for small grain sizes 2, does not always decrease with an increase in grain diameter but may be proportional to the square of the grain diameter. A possible explanation for the different creep rate-grain size relationships which have been observed is that in most experimental studies different grain sizes have been prepared by annealing at various temperatures. For metals in which the impurity concentration is high (greater than about 0.1 at. pct) this type of

Jan 1, 1968

By Cyril Stanley Smith, W. Earl Lindlief

A study of the mechanical properties of the alloys of copper and silver led to the discovery that the solubility of silver in copper was greatly different from that generally supposed, therefore some work was done to determine the solubility with greater accuracy than had previously been achieved. After the work had been completed, two papers were published' giving solubility figures which agreed closely with one another and with the work described herein. A detailed comparison of that work with the present will be given later. Preparation of Allots The copper used in making the alloys was electrolytic ingot of high purity. The silver was prepared by precipitation as chloride from nitric acid solution, followed by fusion of the washed precipitate with sodium carbonate and potassium nitrate. This method gives metal containing at least 99.99 per cent silver. The copper was first melted under charcoal in a small electric resistance furnace and the silver added as pure silver, it being unnecessary to make any intermediate alloys. After thorough stirring the metal was poured into a mold of suitable form. The alloys contained between 0.008 and 0.015 per cent of oxygen. Small amounts of oxide were visible under the microscope, but it is not believed this would have much effect on the results. Copper-silver alloys are notorious for segregation, consequently a few experiments were carried out to find a form of casting with as little segregation as possible. A mold 6 in. long and 1/2-in. dia. was first used, and an alloy nominally containing 5 per cent silver was cast in it, while some of the same alloy was poured directly into water to obtain the maximum rate of cooling possible. Analyses were made both on this sample and on turnings from the top and bottom of the 1/2 in. dia. cast-ing, the turnings being separated into three parts according to the position

Jan 1, 1932

Robert Carl Sticht, member of the Institute since 1886, an American metallurgist of world-wide reputation, died in St. Margaret's Hospital, Launceston, Tasmania, on April 30, 1922, after an illness of eleven months, against which he fought with the highest courage and characteristic fortitude. The news of his passing came as a great shock to a host of his friends and former associates here, but on account of his long absence from the United States, exact biographical details have been heretofore lacking. Throughout Tasmania, the expressions of public sorrow were many and impressive, and the flags were flown at half-mast in Queenstown, Zeehan, and the entire Mt. Lyell district, in honor of the man who had won his place in the community as a great captain of industry and a man universally admired and loved. Sticht had been connected with the Mt. Lyell Mining & Railway Co. in Tasmania throughout its entire productive period. He had originally been induced to go to Tasmania through the good offices of the late Dr. E. D. Peters, then professor of metallurgy at Harvard University, who after personally examining the undeveloped Mt. Lyell properties, recommended Sticht as the best possible man to work out the complex metallurgical problem which that great orebody presented. Sticht had already made himself the leading authority on pyritic smelting, having taken up the idea as suggested and partly worked out by Lawrence Austin and carried it through to a certain degree of perfection in the case of limited tonnages of special ores. After studying the situation at Mt. Lyell, Sticht found the conditions there to be almost ideal for pyritic smelting, and he had the courage to adopt as the basis for a permanent, and eventually successful, solution of the metallurgical problem, a process that was then little more than a theoretically interesting possibility. The thorough studies and remarkable results attained at Mt. Lyell were published as chapters in Doctor Peters' various publications on the metallurgy of copper, Doctor Peters giving full credit to Sticht for their authorship. These chapters by Sticht practically constitute the: best literature of the art of pyritic smelting. The accuracy of observation,

Jan 1, 1923

Robert Carl Sticht, member of the Institute since 1886, an American metallurgist of world-wide reputation, died in St. Margaret's Hospital, Launceston, Tasmania, on April 30, 1922, after an illness of eleven months, against which he fought with the highest courage and characteristic fortitude. The news of his passing came as a great shock to a host of his friends and former associates here, but on account of his long absence from the United States, exact biographical details have been heretofore lacking. Throughout Tasmania, the expressions of public sorrow were many and impressive, and the flags were flown at half-mast in Queenstown, Zeehan, and the entire Mt. Lyell district, in honor of the man who had won his place in the community as a great captain of industry and a man universally admired and loved. Sticht had been connected with the Mt. Lyell Mining & Railway Co. in Tasmania throughout its entire productive period. He had originally been induced to go to Tasmania through the good offices of the late Dr. E. D. Peters, then professor of metallurgy at Harvard University, who after personally examining the undeveloped Mt. Lyell properties, recommended Sticht as the best possible man to work out the complex metallurgical problem which that great orebody presented. Sticht had already made himself the leading authority on pyritic smelting, having taken up the idea as suggested and partly worked out by Lawrence Austin and carried it through to a certain degree of perfection in the case of limited tonnages of special ores. After studying the situation at Mt. Lyell, Sticht found the conditions there to be almost ideal for pyritic smelting, and he had the courage to adopt as the basis for a permanent, and eventually successful, solution of the metallurgical problem, a process that was then little more than a theoretically interesting possibility. The thorough studies and remarkable results attained at Mt. Lyell were published as chapters in Doctor Peters' various publications on the metallurgy of copper, Doctor Peters giving full credit to Sticht for their authorship. These chapters by Sticht practically constitute the: best literature of the art of pyritic smelting. The accuracy of observation,

Jan 1, 1923

By C. R. Watts

The feasibility of producing composites containing nickel or molybdenum fibers in a beryllium matrix was inrestigated. The composties studied were jabricaled by powder mallurgical techniques. The 1-mil-diarr nickel fibers reacled completely below 900°C, converling the fibers .from nickel to Ni5Be2,. As the /LO/-pressing temperalure as raised above 1110oC, tlie nickel diffused outward from the beryllide fibers. The solid solubility of nickel in beryllium was clboul 20 wt pet at the 1100°C pressing temperature a1 the zone-fiber interface. The 1.5-mil-diam molybdenum fibers slzolred no evidence of reaction and little evidence of diffitsion after pressing at 900°C. Between 1000° and 1050°C pressing conditions, the fibers began lo react , producing 1ayers of MoBe2 and MoBe12, respectively surrounding the molybdenurn core. The struture remained the same at 1100°C with no evidenre of solid solubility of the molybdenum in the berylium or vice versa. In recent years a considerable amount of attention has been devoted to the determination of methods for improving the mechanical properties of materials through the use of fiber or whisker reinforcement. Previous work with metal matrix composites indicates that the study of the chemical compatibility of the fiber and matrix is an area requiring greater understanding. The metal-metal or ceramic-metal interface is frequently subject to chemical reactions that may result in the formation of hard brittle intermetal-lic compounds and/or low melting point eutectic compositions. The reaction products may reduce both the low-temperature and elevated-temperature strength of the composite by weakening the fiber-matrix bond, producing premature failure at the interface. It is well-known that most metal-metal systems and many metal-ceramic systems of interest for structural composites are thermodynamically unstable,'-" particularly at elevated temperatures. If, however, the rate of reaction under the conditions of fabrication is sufficiently low. composites can be fabricated that can be used efficiently for indefinite periods at low temperatures and for short periods at elevated temperatures. This paper presents the results of a series of tests to determine the compatibility of nickel and molybdenum fibers with beryllium at various hot-pressing temperatures. Nickel was selected as a candidate fiber material primarily because the relatively ductile fibers might be useful as crack arresters in applications such as ballistic impact where crack growth can result in catastrophic failure. The high density and the reactivity of nickel were primary factors detracting from its selection as a possible reinforcement. Molybdenum with a modulus of elasticity of 52 Xlo6 psi is one of the few metallic materials having a modulus higher than beryllium (42 X lo6). Its high modulus, coupled with its refractory characteristics, made molybdenum an attractive candidate for a relatively stable fiber reinforcement for beryllium. Its density, being higher than that of nickel and over five times that of beryllium: detracted from its other characteristics. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The specimens were prepared from beryllium powder with a dispersed phase of fibers by powder metallurgical techniques. P-20 grade powder, Table I, from Berylco was used as the matrix material. Short lengths of 0.001-in.-nominal-diam nickel fibers supplied by the Sigmund Cohn Corp. and 0.0015-in.-nominal-diam molvbdenum fibers obtained from the General Electric Co. were used as the dispersed phase. The composite constituents were combined under an argon atmosphere by mechanically mixing the powders and fibers. The compositions used were nominally 1 vol pct fibers. After mixing. the composites were hot-pressed into a-in.-diam pellets under an argon atmosphere at 900°, 1000". 1050". and 1100°C at a pressure of 6000 psi with no hold time at these temperatures so that a comparison could be made between the resultant microstructure and hot-pressing temperature. The billet was heated at a rate on the order of 30°C per min to the desired temperature and then cooled at a somewhat slower rate. The microstructure obtained should be considered as characteristic of the integrated time-temperature history of the sample, as well as the maximum temperature attained. Upon removal from the hot-pressing dies. the specimens were cut. mounted. and polished by standard procedures. No etchant was used in specimen preparation. Photomicrographs, electron microprobe scans, and electron back-scatter pictures were made. X-ray dif-fractometer patterns were made of several of the specimens. but only the lines for beryllium could be resolved. Specimens for optical and electron microprobe examination were selected partially for the roundness of the cross section. A round cross section was taken to indicate that the body of the fiber was approximately normal to the surface and that therefore effects due to fiber material immediately below the surface could be neglected. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The microprobe scans indicated that nickel reacted as low as 900°C, converting the entire fiber cross section to NisBe21. Fig. l(a). There was no evidence of further reaction from the optical or the back-scatter pictures, Figs. 2(n) and 3(a).

Jan 1, 1970

By Richard N. Hunt

Bingham has produced 6 per cent. of this country's copper. In total production, it ranks fourth among the copper camps of North America, the order being Butte, Michigan, Bisbee, and Bingham. In its annual production, it held that same rank until 1919, when its production was exceeded by the combined production of the Globe-Miami district of Arizona. Bingham has also been a lead camp of the first order. Utah ranks third among the lead-producing states, and its production comes largely from three camps which, in the order of their productivity, are: Bingham, Tintic, Park City. Bingham's silver production is important, but it does not rank high as a silver producer. Utah owes its rank as first among the silver-producing states to Tintic, a camp 40 miles due south of Bingham. The United States Mineral Resources reports a total production from Bingham for the period 1865-1920 having a gross value of $528,043,432. History of the Bingham District Bingham is on the eastern flank of the Oquirrh range 30 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, from which it can be reached in an hour by auto, or by the Denver & Rio Grande or the Bingham & Garfield railroads. The automobile route is a paved road across the floor of Great Salt Lake Valley, through farming country. The Bingham & Garfield railway leaves the level of Great Salt Lake at the northern end of the Oquirrh range, and in 20 miles it climbs 2100 ft., and deposits the traveler upon a shelf cut in the side of Bingham Canyon below most of the mines, which are farther up Bingham Canyon and its tributary Carr Fork. Below lies the town, a narrow ribbon running for a couple of miles along the bottom of a canyon 2000 ft. deep—an almost impossible site for a community numbering, in prosperous times, 5000 to 7000 inhabitants drawn from all quarters of the globe. Up the canyon and down, and beneath the steep slopes nearby, and beneath the town itself, are the mining operations of over half a century. During the past two decades one mine, the Utah Copper, has become so gigantic an operation as to dominate all other activity in the camp. It has become the greatest copper mine on the continent in production,

Jan 1, 1924

By Frederic Lahee

THE total production of crude oil in Texas during 1924 was said to be 133,613,985 bbl. as compared with 125,991,628 bbl. in 1923.1 Subtracting from these figures the yield of the Gulf Coast fields, there remains, for the other part. of Texas, a yield of 106,272,573 bbl. in 1924, as compared with 101,931,595 bbl. in 1923. This represents an increased, production of over 4,250,000 bbl. for all of Texas outside of the Gulf Coast or Salt Dome fields. Within this same region, in 1924, there were 3624 completions, of which 2352 were oil or oil and gas wells, 7 were gassers, and 1265 were dry holes. Thus, nearly 35 per cent. of the completions were dry holes. In 1923, there were 4134 completions, with 2853 oil or oil and gas wells, 2 gas wells, and 1279, or 31 per cent. of the total, dry holes. Outside of the Gulf Coast region, six major pools were discovered and developed in 1924.; two pools, previously discovered, were extended far beyond their limits at the end of 1923, and many smaller pools were opened. The major pools were the Big Lake field, in Reagan Co., the New Richland field, in Navarro Co., the Harmel, Carey, and Ragle pools, in south Archer County, and the Wortham field, in Freestone and Limestone Counties. Fields that were notably extended were the Panhandle producing area and the Luling field. Many wildcat wells have been drilled; most -of these were failures, but several opened .pools and several have had sufficiently favorable results to. lead to further drilling. The activity of the operators in searching for new production was very intense during 1924, and indications point to as feverish a campaign during the coming year. This will be stimulated by rising prices for crude oil. There are good reasons for believing that new pools will be discovered along the Mexia fault zone, in Archer, Young, Baylor, and Throckmorton Counties, in the great central region of Texas where we now have the Mitchell County and Reagan County pools, and very likely in the eastern Red River Counties including Cooke and Grayson. On the other hand, with the opening of the year, there is no new big pool in sight. An outstanding feature of the production end of the business is the increasing reliance placed on geological work and geological recommendations. Not in five or six years has there been such a demand for first-class geologists.

Jan 3, 1925

By Basil B. Zavoico

Production of crude oil in the U. S. S. R. during 1939 is estimated at, 226,111,000 bbl., as compared with 219,778,000 bbl. in 1938, an irlcreasc of 2.88 per cent but some 6.00 per cent under the planned output. During the past year a major readjustment took place in Russian oil fields, with the Grozny district falling into the third place, its former place having been taken by the fields of the Maikop-Kuban area of northwestern Caucasus. Production continued to grow in the Ural-Volg:t district and further large increases in this province in the coming years are certain. The drilling operations continued to be most unsatisfactory, falling far behind the plan, possibly as much as 25 per cent undvr the set objectives, and thereby interfering with the production plans, mora particularly since the Soviet oil industry is still based primarily upon the production from the naturally flowing wells without any proration whatsoever rather than upon stabilized production from either prorated oil wells or those operated with various mechanical lifts. The year 1939 started with the fulfillment of the drilling programs to the extent of about 90 per cent, but the situation rapidly deteriorated arid by the second half drilling programs were being fulfilled only to the extent of 60 per cent or less. Such breakdown in drilling operations was possibly due to poor equipment, which has not been able to stand increasing demands upon it, and this is substantiated by the rccent orders plaeed in the United States by the Soviet Government for some 60 drilling rigs of the latest design. Production Baku District.—-The fields of the Apshcbron Peninsula (Baku district) made a notable progrress during the past year and were able slightly to increase their production, to 166,000,000 bbt. as compared with 164,692,-000 bbl. during 1938. The c.rnphasis of production in the Baku district remained on the flowing wells, about 20 per cent of the total number of wells flowing about 70 per cent of production. During 1939 some 550 wells were complr.tcd in the Baku district with active rigs averaging

Jan 1, 1940

By Basil B. Zavoico

Production of crude oil in the U. S. S. R. during 1939 is estimated at, 226,111,000 bbl., as compared with 219,778,000 bbl. in 1938, an irlcreasc of 2.88 per cent but some 6.00 per cent under the planned output. During the past year a major readjustment took place in Russian oil fields, with the Grozny district falling into the third place, its former place having been taken by the fields of the Maikop-Kuban area of northwestern Caucasus. Production continued to grow in the Ural-Volg:t district and further large increases in this province in the coming years are certain. The drilling operations continued to be most unsatisfactory, falling far behind the plan, possibly as much as 25 per cent undvr the set objectives, and thereby interfering with the production plans, mora particularly since the Soviet oil industry is still based primarily upon the production from the naturally flowing wells without any proration whatsoever rather than upon stabilized production from either prorated oil wells or those operated with various mechanical lifts. The year 1939 started with the fulfillment of the drilling programs to the extent of about 90 per cent, but the situation rapidly deteriorated arid by the second half drilling programs were being fulfilled only to the extent of 60 per cent or less. Such breakdown in drilling operations was possibly due to poor equipment, which has not been able to stand increasing demands upon it, and this is substantiated by the rccent orders plaeed in the United States by the Soviet Government for some 60 drilling rigs of the latest design. Production Baku District.—-The fields of the Apshcbron Peninsula (Baku district) made a notable progrress during the past year and were able slightly to increase their production, to 166,000,000 bbt. as compared with 164,692,-000 bbl. during 1938. The c.rnphasis of production in the Baku district remained on the flowing wells, about 20 per cent of the total number of wells flowing about 70 per cent of production. During 1939 some 550 wells were complr.tcd in the Baku district with active rigs averaging

Jan 1, 1940

By John B. Myers

Vermiculite is the commercial name used to describe a micaceous mineral that expands appreciably when heated. This process, called exfoliation, results in a light weight material. The light weight material is also called vermiculite, or more exactly, expanded vermiculite. Practically all uses of vermiculite are for the expanded material. Composition and Properties Vermiculite, in its natural state, has the characteristic micaceous habit and a perfect basal cleavage and readily splits into thin laminae, which are soft, pliable, and inelastic. The monoclinic crystal faces are often marked by triangular lines at 60° and 120°. The hardness varies from 1.5 to 2 or more, depending on the composition. The specific gravity varies from 2.2 to 2.7; specific heat 0.2; fusion temperature 2,000° to 2,500°F; luster pearly to greasy; color amber, bronze, brown, dark green, and black. Feel is like talc and sometimes soapy when wet. When heated quickly at elevated temperatures, vermiculite exfoliates by expanding at right angles to the cleavage into long wormlike pieces (the name vermiculite is from the Latin vermiculari, to breed worms). This important characteristic of expansion is believed to be a mechanical separation of the layers when the contained water is converted to steam. The increase in bulk volume of commercially prepared material is 8 to 12 times, but individual flakes may expand as much as 30 times. There is no expansion parallel to the cleavage. Vermiculite may also be expanded by several chemical processes such as soaking in hydrogen peroxide, weak acids and other electrolytes. The color changes during expansion. Heat-treated material changes to a light golden bronze or cream color depending on composition. The conditions of heating affect color. Heating in an oxidizing atmosphere produces reddish colors and heating in a reducing atmosphere produces dull gray colors. The iron is generally not oxidized during chemical expansion. Vermiculite is hydrated magnesium-aluminum silicate. Although there has been much research on the chemical and structural composition, there is not yet complete agreement on the exact formula and composition. This is to be expected since vermiculite is not a mineral of fixed composition and different workers have examined different varieties. It has been proposed that vermiculite is not a single species but a family of related minerals. This has also resulted in many names for the particular vermiculite found in a certain deposit. All of this difficulty arises from the very nature of its crystal chemistry. Unlike most minerals, certain crystal structure properties and the chemical composition can be changed by the ordinary forces of nature or in the laboratory. This would suggest that vermiculite be thought of more as a variable mineral rather than a group of related species. It was stated on page 261 of this volume in the chapter on Clay Minerals by H. H. Murray of the Georgia Clay Co., that vermiculite is an equidimensional, expandable clay mineral. Gruner (ref. 14, Chap. 12) showed that the structure consists of a layer made up of two silica tetrahedral sheets with a central magnesium, iron octahedral sheet separated by two layers of water molecules and adsorbed magnesium and calcium ions. Mathieson and Walker,2a in a recent publication, agree that vermiculite must be regarded as a true clay mineral. The characteristic properties of the mineral, such as high cation ex-

Jan 1, 1960

By Kendall E. Born

Production of crude oil in Tennessee during 1942 was approximately 8600 bbl., a decrease of 6500 bbl. from the production of 1941, and the lowest since 1934. As usual, the greater part of the production was from the Mississippian limestone pools in Scott and Morgan Counties. Some half dozen wells in Fentress and Clay Counties pumped intermittently produced about 1000 barrels. Natural gas was marketed from wells in Morgan and Fentress Counties for consumption in the Sunbright and Jamestown areas respectively. Figures are not available for the Morgan County production but 7,378,000 cu. ft. of natural gas was produced in the Jamestown gas field from six wells. The production of oil by counties is shown in Table I. Developments Drilling activities reached the lowest ebb since 1933. Only 10 wells were spudded during the year, one of which was drilling on Dec. 31, 1942. Of the nine completions, two were gas wells in the proven area south of Jamestown in Fentress County and seven were dry holes. The total footage drilled during the year was 14,198 ft.; the average depth of wells was 1578 ft. The completions are listed in Table 2. The distribution of tests according to physiographic divisions is given in Table 3. East Tennessee.—One well was drilled to 4219 ft., the second deepest well in the state, in Campbell County. The test was in the highly disturbed Valley and Ridge Province, an area long considered the most unfavorable in the state for the accumulation of oil and gas. Cumberland Plateau.-—There were no completions in the Cumberland Plateau area, although an old well drilled deeper found oil from 935 to 965 ft. in the Mississippi lime. This test has created a considerable amount of interest in the area and an active leasing campaign was underway early in 1943. Eastern Highland Rim.—Five completions on the Eastern Highland Rim brought in two small gas wells in Fentress County, which will be used to augment the supply for Jamestown. The producing horizons are shaly limestones of Ordovician (Trenton) age. Two wells in this area were drilled to the upper part of the Knox dolomite group. The most significant test during the year was the Stanolind Oil and Gas Company's test in Putnam County. This well, on a well-defined surface structure, was abandoned in the upper Knox dolomite group at 2130 ft. A show of oil was logged in the Knox at 1653 to 1661 ft. Northern Highland Rim.—Three tests widely separated in the Northern Highland Rim were dry.

Jan 1, 1943

By Kendall E. Born

Production of crude oil in Tennessee during 1942 was approximately 8600 bbl., a decrease of 6500 bbl. from the production of 1941, and the lowest since 1934. As usual, the greater part of the production was from the Mississippian limestone pools in Scott and Morgan Counties. Some half dozen wells in Fentress and Clay Counties pumped intermittently produced about 1000 barrels. Natural gas was marketed from wells in Morgan and Fentress Counties for consumption in the Sunbright and Jamestown areas respectively. Figures are not available for the Morgan County production but 7,378,000 cu. ft. of natural gas was produced in the Jamestown gas field from six wells. The production of oil by counties is shown in Table I. Developments Drilling activities reached the lowest ebb since 1933. Only 10 wells were spudded during the year, one of which was drilling on Dec. 31, 1942. Of the nine completions, two were gas wells in the proven area south of Jamestown in Fentress County and seven were dry holes. The total footage drilled during the year was 14,198 ft.; the average depth of wells was 1578 ft. The completions are listed in Table 2. The distribution of tests according to physiographic divisions is given in Table 3. East Tennessee.—One well was drilled to 4219 ft., the second deepest well in the state, in Campbell County. The test was in the highly disturbed Valley and Ridge Province, an area long considered the most unfavorable in the state for the accumulation of oil and gas. Cumberland Plateau.-—There were no completions in the Cumberland Plateau area, although an old well drilled deeper found oil from 935 to 965 ft. in the Mississippi lime. This test has created a considerable amount of interest in the area and an active leasing campaign was underway early in 1943. Eastern Highland Rim.—Five completions on the Eastern Highland Rim brought in two small gas wells in Fentress County, which will be used to augment the supply for Jamestown. The producing horizons are shaly limestones of Ordovician (Trenton) age. Two wells in this area were drilled to the upper part of the Knox dolomite group. The most significant test during the year was the Stanolind Oil and Gas Company's test in Putnam County. This well, on a well-defined surface structure, was abandoned in the upper Knox dolomite group at 2130 ft. A show of oil was logged in the Knox at 1653 to 1661 ft. Northern Highland Rim.—Three tests widely separated in the Northern Highland Rim were dry.

Jan 1, 1943

By P. R. Smith, R. A. Walters

Borates have been mined in the desert areas of California and Nevada for more than 100 years. To about 1890, playa surface mining provided the chief sources of boron minerals. Underground mining of colemanite and later of borax and kernite was predominate until about twenty years ago. Open pit mining of the large deposits of borax and kernite near Boron, California has been most significant for the past twenty years. Mining of colemanite in the Ryan, California area, near Death Valley, began in 1907. Following the discovery of the large deposits in the Boron area (about 1957), mining in the Death Valley area became nearly nonexistent. Only small tonnages were mined for special uses. Little mining was done in the Boraxo area near Ryan. The first claim was made in about 1915. In 1960 the area became the property of the Kern County Land Company, which was acquired by Tenneco Oil Company in 1967. In 1976 the various boiate properties and claims in this region were acquired by American Borate Corporation. The open pit mine is now approximately 122 m (400 ft) deep, 910 m (3000 ft) long and 305 m (1000 ft wide). The borates in the Boraxo pit consist primarily of three minerals. These are about 50% colemanite (CB6011 5H20), about 40% probertite (NaCaB50g 5H20), and 10% ulexite (NaCaBgOg 5H20). The colemanite, along with boric acid and high-grade colemanite ore from Turkey provide the only sodium-free borates for production of textile grade fiberglas. When heated to its decomposition temperature, colemanite decrepitates to a fine powder, which is the basis for the concentration process. The gangue minerals in this deposit are primarily calcite and clays, including bentonite. The ore body has a very low arsenic content, which is a desirable feature. Test work had been done with samples prior to the results discussed herein. This paper will discuss results of test work which were the basis for erection of a plant, and the subsequent plant operations. Laboratory Calcination and Air Tabling Tests Laboratory calcination tests showed that substantial upgrading of the borate could be accomplished by calcining followed by screening of the calcined material. Removal of the + 28 mesh calcine resulted in borate losses of less than 10% with a rejection of 40 weight % or more of the calcine. The minus 65 mesh calcine generally met the requirement of containing 48%, or more, B203. The minus 28 plus 65 mesh material contained an intermediate quantity of borate and would require additional treatment. Testing demonstrated that ore would not have to be reduced to a size finer than 19 mm (3/4 in.) prior to calcination. A temperature range from 400 to 455OC (750 to 850°F) was apparently satisfactory. Calcination at a temperature of 48Z°C (900°F), or higher, was unsatisfactory due to fusion. All laboratory calcination tests were static tests conducted by placing small covered charges in a laboratory furnace for 40 min. In all tests vapor issues from the furnace for 5 to 7 min. Following this period the ore could be heard "popping," due to decrepitation of the colemanite. The reaction generally continued for approximately one-half hour. Various size fractions of the calcination products from laboratory tests were subjected to laboratory air tabling tests, usually after removing the plus 28 mesh material. Laboratory air tabling tests were conducted employing a Whippet V-80 model air table manufactured by Sutton, Steele and Steele Co. now known as Tripple S Dynamics. Variables include both end and side-tilt, speed of vibration, and quantity of air rising through the deck. In addition to the variables in the machine itself, the feed rate is also a rather critical variable. Testing demonstrated that all - 28 mesh size fractions of the calcine could be successfully concentrated to 48% F2O3 or greater. For the finer material recoveries into the concentrate were between 85 and 90% of the borate. With the coarser material a substantial amount of middling was produced which required cleaner tabling. Laboratory calcination and air tabling tests indicated a process whereby the borate could be concentrated to about 50% B203 with borate recoveries approaching 90%. Moreover, the iron content of the concentrate was well below the required specification of 0.3% Fe2O3. Pilot Plant Calcination Following the laboratory test work described above, pilot plant testing was conducted to prove the process, provide data for engineering studies, and provide product for a prospective purchaser. The kiln used was 0.9 m-diam (3 ft) by 9.0 m (30 ft) long and had a belly section 1.2 m-diam (4 ft) by 2.74 m (9 ft) long near the discharge end. The kiln was operated at a speed of 0.7 rpm. Gas was fired into the kiln at an average rate of 27.1 m3/hr (958.4 cu ft per hr). The air to gas ratio used was 10:1. The ore was fed to the kiln countercurrent to the flame and discharged through a hopper into a screw conveyor which discharged to a 1.2 m (48 in.) Sweco separator. The separator had 28, 65, and 150 mesh screen cloths, with the plus 28 mesh fraction being discarded. The minus 28 mesh fractions were later subjected to air tabling. The exit gases, containing some calcine dust, were swept through two cyclones to recover the dust. The gases then were scrubbed in a Ducon scrubber; very little dust reported past the first cyclone. The dust from the first cyclone was also saved in drums. In addition to the gas rate, the flue gas velocity, after

Jan 1, 1981

By George L. Reiter, George B. Clark

Commercial strip mining of coal was first begun in the state of Illinois in 1911.l The annual tonnage of coal produced from coal strip mines in the state was very small until 1924, when the strip mines shipped 1.68 pct of the total state shipping mine tonnage. Since then, strip mines have gradually come into their own by producing a sizable percentage of the coal produced in the state. Table 1 shows the coal tonnage shipped from both underground and strip coal mines in the state of Illinois for selected years. The table illustrates the major role that strip mines play in the state's coal industry. Today, strip mining is generally conducted in areas where the coal seams lie so close to the surface of earth that a stripping method of mining the coal seam is cheaper than an underground method. Strip mining not only recovers 100 pct of the coal deposit, but may also be used as a method of mining large acreages of coal abandoned by the closing of underground mines. Open cut or strip mining is a very highly mechanized method of producing coal and is carried on in three distinct and separate operations. The first of these is uncovering or exposing the coal seam so that the coal is made available for mining. The second operation is that of actually mining the coal. The third operation is the washing, crushing and grading of the coal according to the producer's market. Description of Shovel The Marion 5560 power shovel is used in the first of these three operations. The large electric-powered shovel works forward and back across the coal deposits, removing the overburden of dirt, rock, and clay in successive cuts of 30 to 60 ft deep and 40 to 80 ft wide. The shovel has a maximum cutting height of 95 ft, but around 60 ft is considered to be the maximum economical cutting height by the operators. The smaller the depth of cut, the more economically the shovel will operate until a minimum cut of 15 ft is reached, below which the efficiency decreases rapidly. The Marion shovel may be used in tandem stripping in excessive depths of overburden. The other type of excavating equipment used in the tandem team is generally a dragline with a long boom of about 180 ft. In tandem stripping, the dragline is used to remove the upper portion of the cut and to place it at a maximum dumping radius from the place of removal. The Marion 5560 power shovel is then used to remove the overburden left above the coal seam and to deposit it at the shovel's maximum dumping radius. The Marion 5560 power shovel is of gigantic proportions. It has a 102 ft 6 in. boom and 32 cu yd dipper and is

Jan 1, 1950

By L. C. Glenn

In the preparation of this paper the writer has drawn freely upon the writings of Orton, Munn, Shaw, Mather, Miller, Hoeing, St. Clair, Jillson, and others, as well as upon his own personal knowledge of the fields of both states. It is to be regretted that certain data gathered by him and his assistants last fall are not available for publication. Oil in Tennessee A few wells drilled for brine for salt making in Tennessee between 1820 and 1840 obtained oil, but no definite search was made for oil until just after the close of the Civil War. Active drilling was then begun in Overton and counties southwest of it on the eastern half of the Highland Rim. A number of strikes were made at shallow depths in the basal part of the Mississippian but the wells were soon exhausted and abandoned. Drilling was revived, about 1892, when the Spurrier district in Pickett County was developed and was followed by the Riverton district in the same county in 1896. A pipe line was laid from the Wayne County, Ky., fields and about 60,000 bbl. of oil were run before a very heavy slump in the production, a failure to find an extension of the field, and excessive local taxation caused the removal of the pipe line in 1906. There was then no production in Tennessee until the discovery, in 1915, of oil near Oneida, Scott Co., at about 950 ft. (289 m.) in fissures in the Newman or St. Louis limestone. This field, however, soon failed and was abandoned. In 1916, oil was found at Glen Mary, Scott Co., in the Newman limestone at a depth of 1232 ft. (375 m.) A number of wells have since been drilled there, some of which were dry while others, close by, were produccrs. The largest one yielded, at first, about 340 bbl. per day and produced for several months, when it suddenly went dry. Several of the first wells began at 6 or 8 bbl. per day and are still maintaining that output. Production is from a fissured part of the limestone and varies greatly in accordance with the size and extent of the ramification of the

Jan 1, 1921

By Persifor Frazer

IN his “Final Report," Vol. II, part second, p. 763, Prof. Rogers sums up the metalliferous veins of the mesozoic sandstone by remarking that these are not associated with dykes or trap-rock, but are independent metalliferous injections. But singularly enough, in enumerating the different kinds of ores, no mention is made of

Jan 1, 1877

By W. C. Maurer

A study of bit-tooth penetration, or crater forniation. under simulated borehole condirions has been made. Pressure conditions existing when drilling with air, water and mud have been sirnulated for depths of 0 to 20.000 ft. These crater tests showed that a threshold bit-tooth force must he exceeded before a crater is .formed. This thresh old force increased with both tooth dullness and diflerenrial pressure between the borehole and formalion fluids. At low differential pressures, the craters formed in a brittle manner and the cuttings were easily removed. At high differenlial pressures, the cunings were firmly held in the craters and the craters were formed by a pseudoplas-tic mechanism. With constant farce of 6,500 16 applied to the bit reeth, an increase in differential pressure (sitnulated mud drilling) from 0 to 5,000 psi reduced the crater volumes by 90 per cent. A comparable increase in hydrostatic fluid pressure (simulated water drilling) produced only a 50 per cent decrease in volutne while changes in overburden pressure (simulated air drilling) had no detectable effect on crater volume. Crater tests in unconsolidated sand subjected to differential pressure showed that high friction was present in the sand at high pressures. Similar friction belween the cuttings in craters produces the transition from brittle to pseudo plastic craters. INTRODUCTION The number of wells drilled below 15,000 ft increased from 5 in 1950 to 308 in 1964. Associated with these deep wells are low drilling rates and high costs. High bottom-hole pressures produce low drilling rates by increasing rock strength and by creating bottom-hole cleaning problems. This paper describes an experimental investigation of crater formation under bottom-hole conditions simulating air, water and mud drilling. Although numerous investigators have studied bit-tooth penetration (cratering) at atmospheric pressure conditions, only limited work has been done on cratering in rocks subjected to pressures existing in oil wells. Payne and Chippendale2 have studied cratering in rocks subjected to hydrostatic pressure using spherical penetrators. Garner et aLJ conducted crater tests in dry limestone by varying overburden pressure and borehole fluid pressure independently and using atmospheric formation-fluid pressure Gnirk and Cheathem4,5 have studied crater formation in several dry rocks subjected to equal overburden and borehole pressure and atmospheric formotion pressure. Podio and Gray studied the effect of pore fluid viscosity on crater formation using atmospheric borehole and formation-fluid pressurc and varying overburden pressure. Although these studies have provided useful information on crater formation under pressure, they were limited in that the three bottom-hole pressures could not be varied independently and, therefore, that many drilling conditions could not be simulated. The prersure chamber used in this study allowed visual observation of the cratering mechanism and independent control of the borehole, formation and confining pressures. By using different fluids in the chamber, pressure conditions existing in air, water and mud drilling to depths of 20,000 ft were simulated. The mechanisms involved in cratering at these different pressure conditions were studied for teeth of varying dullness and at different loadins rates. High-speed movies (8,000 frames/sec) and closed-circuit television were used to visually study the crater mechanism under pressure. EXPERIMENTAT PROCEDURE PRESSURE CHAMBER The Pressure chamber in Fig. I was used to simulate bottom-hole pressure conditions. This chamber has been pressure-tested to 22,500 psi and is normally operated at pressures up to 15,000 psi. The chamber contains four lucite windows' used for illuminating and observing the crater mechanism under pressurc. A closed-circuit television and a Fastax camera (8,000 frames/sec) have been used in these studies. Cylindrical rock specimens (8-in. diameter X 6-in. long) were subjected to three independently controlled pressures simulating overburden, borehole fluid and formation-fluid pressures. Overburden pressure, which corresponds to the stress induced by the overlying earth mass, was applied by exerting fluid pressure against a rubber sleeve surrounding the rock. Borehole pressure, which is the pressure exerted by the column of mud in the wellbore, was simulated by applying pressure to the fluid overlying the rock in the chamber. Formation pressure was simulated by applying pressure to the water saturating the rock. The borehole and formation pressures were equal except when mud was used in the chamber, in which case the differential pressure between these fluids acted across the mud filter cake.

Jan 1, 1966

By W. A. Dickinson, H. F. Hendershot

THIS paper is a brief discussion of the past and present methods employed by the Huntington Works of The International Nickel Co., Inc., in the production of nickel and high nickel alloy seamless tubing. The various operations for both hot and cold processing will be considered in their natural sequence, together with the processing characteristics of the high nickel alloys and some descriptions of the equipment used. The tools and lubricants currently in use will be described. This discussion will relate primarily to nickel, Monel,† and Inconel,† since these are the most common of the many alloys processed into tubing at the Huntington Works. The nominal compositions of the materials are shown in Table I. CONVERSION FROM SOLID BILLETS TO TUBE SHELLS History The commercial production of seamless nickel and high nickel alloy tube shells is a comparatively recent development, the first nickel shells having been produced in 1922, Monel in 1930, and Inconel in 1931 on rotary-type piercing mills. Rolled or forged billets, ranging from 3 ½ - to 7 ½ in. diam, were pierced to produce shells ranging' in size from 4 3/8 in. OD X 0.180 in. wall to 8 3/8 in. OD X 1.0 in. wall. After piercing, the shells. were further processed by hot rolling, reeling, and sizing. Subsequent to these operations the shells were either supplied to the trade as "hot finished" tubes, or were processed by cold drawing to smaller sizes at the Huntington Works of the International Nickel Co. The extrusion of nickel and high nickel alloys also may be classed as a relative newcomer to the field of hot-forming methods, for it was not until 1928 that the commercial extrusion of these alloys was begun on a 600 long ton vertical extrusion press installed at Zenith Works of Henry Wiggin and Co., Ltd., Glasgow, Scotland. This press did considerable pioneer work and the results were so favorable that in 1937 a -2200 long ton horizontal press was installed. The quality of the inside surface of the tubing produced on this press was superior to that produced by piercing on a rotary-type mill and, as a result of this experience, a 4000 ton horizontal extrusion press was installed at the Huntington Works in 1943. Billet Preparation The first step in the extrusion, process is the selection of ingots with good hot malleability, as indicated by the test described by Martin and Bieber.1 Ingots then are forged into rough rounds which are machined to the desired billet diameter on a "bar peeler." This machine consists of a rotary head which carries the cutting tools and is driven by a 200 hp, dc motor. The feed mechanism consists of hydraulically driven input and output carriages on the respective sides of the cutter head. The diameter of the forgings used and the machined size or "billet diameter" that corresponds to the four different sizes of

Jan 1, 1951