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By N. E. Truitt, D. G. Russell

The transient pressure behavior of a well which produces a single compressible fluid through a singte-plane wrticat fracture has been investigated mathematically. The fracture is assumed to possess infinite flow capacity, to be of limited mdial extent, and' to penetrate the producing formation completely in the vertical direction. Previous studies of vertically fractured wells have been concerned primarily with production rate performance or semisteady-state pressure behavior. This study was undertaken to ascertain the influence of vertical fractures on transient pressure tests such as pressure build-ups and flow tests. In a vertically fractured system, flow in the region nearest the fracture is practically linear, whereas farther away from the fracture essentially radial flow prevails. Thus, transient pressure analyses based on radial flow theory are somewhat inaccurate. As fracture penetration increases radially, kh values calcutated from pressure build-up and flow test curves become increasingly larger than true values. Failure to consider the effect of fracture penetration also introduces inaccuracies into the catculation of fracture length from the apparent skin factor and into the determination of average reservoir pressure. If the total length of the fracture is 20 per cent, or greater, of the drainage radius of the well, corrections must be made to pressure build-up and flow test results. Methods for correcting such results are discussed in this paper. For wells with prefracturing pressure build-up or flow test data, it is possible to estimate fracture length by comparison with postfracturing build-up or flow test results. In new wells or wells without prefracturing build-up or flow test data, fracture length must be estimated to correct the values obtained from analysis of pressure tests after fracturing. Fracturing efficiency calculations should be made whenever possible to provide an estimate of fracture length. Tables of the dimensionless pressure drop as a function of time and fracture penetration are included in this paper. Using these values should permit analysis of other types of transient pressure behavior in vertically fractured wells. INTRODUCTION Hydraulic fracturing has been used quite successfully for over a decade as a completion and stimulation technique in oil and gas wells completed in low-permeability reservoirs During this period a considerable amount of theory has evolved on the performance of hydraulically fractured reservoirs and on more efficient means of artificial fracturing. Although theory has been developed, no rigorous investigation has been made of pressure build-up and flow test behavior in such wells. Prats et al.1 first discussed the performance of vertically fractured reservoirs for the case of a compressible fluid. Their work was primarily concerned with production performance at constant flowing pressure. These authors also considered large-time (semisteady-state) constant production rate behavior for vertically fractured wells; however, transient pressure behavior at constant rate was not investigated. McGuire and Sikora10 and Dyes, Kemp, and Caudle2 employed an electrical analog to investigate the influence of artificial vertical fractures on well productivity and pressure build-up. They found that fractures which extend beyond 15 per cent of the drainage radius away from the well alter the position and slope of the straight-line portion of the build-up curve. They concluded that these effects must be considered both in the determination of the effective permeability of the formation and in any calculations of final build-up pressure. Although these authors did not undertake an exhaustive study of the influence of vertical fractures on pressure build-up performance, their limited results were quite interesting from the standpoint of the effects they demonstrated. In a more recent paper, Scott- reported the results of an investigation of the effect of vertical fractures on pressure behavior, which was conducted with a heat flow model. Scott's results appear to be consistent with those reported in Refs. 1 and 2. However, the effects of different fracture lengths on performance were not investigated. Pressure build-ups and transient flow tests are among the most diagnostic tools available to the reservoir engineer or production engineer. Since a very high percentage of present-day well completions incorporate the hydraulic fracturing technique, a definite need exists for information on the effect of fractures on transient pressure performance. For these reasons we have undertaken a rigorous study of pressure build-up and flow test behavior in vertically fractured reservoirs. The objectives of this study were (1) to obtain synthetic pressure build-up and flow test

Jan 1, 1965

By F. W. Jessen, G. F. Sears

Cavities in massive salt for the purpose of storage of liquid hydrocarbons have assumed a prominent position in recent years. This paper describes a program to facilitate leaching operations for the formation of specifically shaped storage cavities. Various forms and sizes of cavities may be possible through use of the techniques developed. INTRODUCTION The creation of large under ground storage facilities for natural gas and liquified petroleum gases has been practiced for many years. Use of cavities obtained through solution of salt for this purpose is a fairly new and novel approach, but has gained increasing importance due mainly to the economics of this type of mining operation opposed to hard rock mining or surface and pit storage.1 The idea of controlling the shape of any cavity dissolved from massive salt has not been a prime consideration of companies engaged in the formation of storage space. This has been due mainly to an insufficient knowledge of the mechanics of the leaching process and a dearth of published information dealing with both the desirability and ease of control possible for this type of operation. Two distinct advantages are readily ascertainable. From a stability standpoint (i.e., the ability of the completed cavity to withstand stress imposed by overburden pressure and lateral tectonic stresses) a controlled cavity may be generated which will yield the most favorable attitude to these external forces and remain in operable use for longer periods of time.2 A second advantage is that for a given volume, a sphere (which is one controlIed shape possible) represents the minimum surface area exposed. This may become more important in the future when dealing with refrigeration and product losses in underground cavities. The basic solution mining process, without regard for controlling the final shape, is quite simple in that the equipment and materials required to dissolve a cavity in a salt dome or layered salt section are a source of fresh water, a circulating pump, several strings of tubing and a means of disposal of the return brine. To add control measures involves the use of an inert blanket material above the position at which solution proceeds. Initially the annulus of the largest wash pipe is filled with this blanket down to the top of the proposed cavity. The bottom of the proposed cavity is determined by the depth of the original drilled hole or a blanking plug. The blanket material is added incrementally in stages and displaces the water in the enlarging cavity downward. Where the blanket material has displaced the water, no further solution takes place. The rate at which to add this controlling blanket material so as to be able to form specifically shaped cavities of any particular size is of considerable importance. THE PROBLEM It is desirable to have as much information as possible as to the behavior of the mining operation since visual observation obviously is impossible. It would be advantageous, for example, to have a step-by-step program showing how much salt is to be removed, at what rate and the time required. This type of program would facilitate procurement of surface equipment and provide for proper management of manpower requirements, as well as yield a host of intangible benefits. As mentioned earlier, only rule-of-thumb estimates were available until recently and made this type of pre-planned operation haphazardous at best. Recent work3-' has done much to clear up the ambiguities and inaccuracies attendant to solution mining of salt and has helped to place the operation on a more scientific basis. This study attempts to correlate much of the information thus far developed into a complete mining program; to extend the idea of controlled solution mining to include not only spheres, but solid conic sections of the ellipsoidal variety; and to refine the computation of the rate of removal of salt during the various stages of mining. Dommers3 and IIemson4 made extensive laboratory

Jan 1, 1967

By G. W. Leney

Iron ores occur in such a wide variety of forms that nearly every kind of prospecting, geological knowledge, and geophysical technique has some application in the search for them. The type of orebody that is considered desirable depends on political and economic considerations, on transportation and markets, on the characteristics of the orebody, on the metallurgy of the ore, and on its comparison with other available ores. In North America, materials that can be efficiently processed into high grade concentrates and pellets are now the object of most exploration work. These are usually shallow, relatively unoxidized, metamorphosed iron formations that are particularly suitable for geophysical methods of exploration. Magnetic surveys are used for the direct discovery of new orebodies, for mapping stratigraphy and structure, and at times to locate oxidized zones in magnetic iron formation. Gravity mapping provides supplementary information, indicates gross tonnages, is useful in regional studies, and can discover non-magnetic orebodies. Electrical methods have not been fully exploited but self-potential, resistivity, applied potential, electromagnetic and perhaps induced polarization surveys all have restricted but highly useful applications. The use of all geophysical techniques promises to increase as the number of exposed easily discoverable orebodies decreases. A high consumption of steel, and consequently of iron ore is the chief characteristic of an industrial society and this consumption has been increasing at an average rate of about 35% every ten years for the past century. To supply this demand, iron ores and iron bearing materials in a wide variety of forms have been exploited on every inhabited continent and in nearly every country. Nearly every kind of prospecting, geological knowledge and geophysical technique has some application in the search for them. The type of orebody that is con-

Jan 1, 1964

Long range expansion plans begun in 1966 by The International Nickel Co. of Canada, producer of over 50% of the free world supply of the white metal, are so mammoth as to give rise to the speculation that something might have to burst at the seams. From an annual level of capital expenditure of $35 to $70 million, the company jumped in 1967 to $145 million in new capital investment and will come close to $200 million in 1968. Inco expects to spend $700 million in the next five years, beginning in 1968, for new mines and surface facilities in Canada. The program involves the opening of nine new mines within the next 3 1/2 years, expansion of producing mines, and construction of new plants and modernization and expansion of established ones to process the increased ore production. Beyond this, the company is committed deeply in developing new sources of nickel abroad. Any one of these new projects, if proven economic, would necessitate expenditures of about $100 million or more. For Inco, the economic strain was relieved without a rupture this spring when Henry S. Wingate, company chairman, reported' at the stockholders annual meeting that $150 million had been raised by the sale of bonds. This marked the first time in 32 years that the company had gone into debt.

Jan 10, 1968

By J. F. Myers, S. E. Sharp

The safety data presented in this paper are based upon replies to a Questionnaire sent out to representative mining companics. The authors feel that it is a fair cross section of the milling industry, in that the 17 companies, of the United States and Canada, reporting on 22 mills, are scattered from the Hudson Bay to the Mexican border and from coast to coast. These data concern the accident records of the various plants from 1939 to 1944, inclusive and the six years are divided into two periods. The first period (1939, 1940 and 1941) represents something of a normal operating condition. The second period (1942, 1943 and 1944) represents the period of time that was most affected by war conditions. During the second period there was a high labor turnover, inexperienced workers were numerous, women replaced men in many kinds of work, a labor shortage existed more or less throughout the industry, and supervision was pushed for peak production. All of the companies reporting compiled their accident experiences for these six years in accordance with the standards set up by the American Standards Association (New York, N. Y.), consequently the tabu lated data presented herein are comparable. The authors of this paper feel that the industry as a whole is greatly indebted to the personnel of the companies that furnished these data, which make this study possible for presentation. This survey covers a total exposure of 74,528,880 man-hours, with 105,471 man-days of lost time from 870 accidents. Safety Records In Table I, the safety record is shown of the various mills reporting. The severity rate is usually conceded to be the most vital statistical figure in safety parlance, therefore the participating companies are listed in order of their severity rate for the combined six-year period, under size of organizatiori. The table also shows the frequency rate as well as the frequency-severity ratio (F/S). As noted in Table I, most of the companies suffered an increase in both severity and frequency rates during the second period; only six of the 22 enjoyed an improvement. From correspondence with the various plants, it seems that a few had very little labor shortage or turnover, and these were not greatly affected. A few plants, anticipating the situation, strengthened their training facilities and actually were able to show a better experience during the second period. This gives great credence to the value of organized training in any safety program. The frequency-severity ratio (F/S) shown in the last column of Table I offers

Jan 1, 1947

By S. E. Sharp, J. F. Myers

The safety data presented in this paper are based upon replies to a Questionnaire sent out to representative mining companics. The authors feel that it is a fair cross section of the milling industry, in that the 17 companies, of the United States and Canada, reporting on 22 mills, are scattered from the Hudson Bay to the Mexican border and from coast to coast. These data concern the accident records of the various plants from 1939 to 1944, inclusive and the six years are divided into two periods. The first period (1939, 1940 and 1941) represents something of a normal operating condition. The second period (1942, 1943 and 1944) represents the period of time that was most affected by war conditions. During the second period there was a high labor turnover, inexperienced workers were numerous, women replaced men in many kinds of work, a labor shortage existed more or less throughout the industry, and supervision was pushed for peak production. All of the companies reporting compiled their accident experiences for these six years in accordance with the standards set up by the American Standards Association (New York, N. Y.), consequently the tabu lated data presented herein are comparable. The authors of this paper feel that the industry as a whole is greatly indebted to the personnel of the companies that furnished these data, which make this study possible for presentation. This survey covers a total exposure of 74,528,880 man-hours, with 105,471 man-days of lost time from 870 accidents. Safety Records In Table I, the safety record is shown of the various mills reporting. The severity rate is usually conceded to be the most vital statistical figure in safety parlance, therefore the participating companies are listed in order of their severity rate for the combined six-year period, under size of organizatiori. The table also shows the frequency rate as well as the frequency-severity ratio (F/S). As noted in Table I, most of the companies suffered an increase in both severity and frequency rates during the second period; only six of the 22 enjoyed an improvement. From correspondence with the various plants, it seems that a few had very little labor shortage or turnover, and these were not greatly affected. A few plants, anticipating the situation, strengthened their training facilities and actually were able to show a better experience during the second period. This gives great credence to the value of organized training in any safety program. The frequency-severity ratio (F/S) shown in the last column of Table I offers

Jan 1, 1947

By Charles H. Snow

The engineer has often to penetrate difficult or unknown regions. Mineral, irrigation, boundary and railway problems frequently necessitate journeys through, or long residence in, localities whence sustenance cannot be drawn. The selection and conveyance of provisions, outfit and implements thus become a matter of the first importance. Scientific skill, even of the highest order, is powerless unless supported by the proper appliances and foods. The advance of civilization favors the engineer, in that it is constantly enlarging his facilities and thus reducing his difficulties. Notwithstanding this fact, many are yet brought face to face with the problems considered in this paper. Distinction must be made between parties which are to be in constant or even occasional touch with a base of supplies, and those which will be for a long time dependent on their original outfit. Again, the requirements of a party on the march are different from those of a fixed camp. The district, season, cliinate, size and personnel of party also influence the character of the outfit. A party that is to be detached from its base of supplies for some time requires a greater variety of food than if it is to be gone for a short time. Much less in proportion need be taken where the journey is not long, so that privation is confined to a limited period. The ability to establish a fixed camp permits a larger outfit than would be possible if the camp mere to be moved from day to day. Transportation, climatic and other conditions are thus so varied that lists prepared for one work could hardly be applied to any other without some modification. Lists that have proved successful in some instances may, however, serve as bases to be added to, or otherwise altered, for the case in hand. The mistake usually made is in providing too large an outfit. Every emergency cannot be provided for; so that it is well to take, not what may be needed, but what cannot be spared.

Jan 1, 1900

Jan 1, 1907

By A. Bauer, P. Calder, N. H. Carr, G. R. Harris

Smallwood mine is part of the Iron Ore Company of Canada's Carol Lake operation and is situated in Labrador, 240 miles north of Sept-Iles, Quebec. Last year, 15 million tons of crude ore were crushed to yield 6.3 million tons of concentrate and pellets. This year the figures will be 17 million of crude and 7 ¼ million tons of concentrate and pellets, which is the full plant capacity. Carol Lake ores consist primarily of specularite and magnetite mixed with quartz. Since both rotary and jet piercing drills are used, it is often desirable in planning to know in which regions of the orebody, or new orebodies, a particular drill will be most economic. This makes it necessary to establish a correlation between drillability and pierceability and some physical rock property. For the rotary drills a good correlation was found with penetration rate and grinding factor index. The jet piercers were found to have a reciprocal relationship in the sense that the best rotary ground was the worst jet ground and vice versa. It is also indicated how an economic comparison could be made using these penetration rate versus grinding factor index curves, the hole size distribution curves for single pass and chambered holes, and the mine distribution curve for grinding factor index.

Jan 9, 1965

By E. Alan Haley

Accurate and economic control of line and grade on long tunnels, large structures, excavations and waterways has been a problem to surveyors and engineers for decades. The conventional method of surveying, incorporating a level, transit and a number of surveying technicians, has proven to be a very expensive and time-consuming operation. Now, however, engineers have adapted the laser to help ease the problems of surveying, at the same time increasing the efficiency of such operations. The laser, which projects a continuous, narrow red beam of brilliant light, provides a constant alignment reference that does not interfere with personnel or equipment. A complete laser alignment system, specifically designed for and suited to a variety of mining and tunneling operations, has been developed by the Perkin-Elmer Corp. The engineering significance of this development can be fully realized when it is noted that, aside from potentially tremendous economic advantages in terms of labor savings, the laser beam provides a system of alignment that is at least ten times more accurate than presently used optical systems. The new laser system provides accuracies within 10 microinches per foot (1 x 10-5in.) when used with an accessory centering detector. In one of its first field trials, the laser was used for alignment of a two-mile tunnel which showed a total deviation of less than 5/8 in.

Jan 4, 1968

By Gerald Edmunds

CASTINGS of pure metals and many alloys usually have a coarse-grained structure characterized by long columnar grains throughout the main body of the casting. Frequently, the surface exhibits finer, some-times nearly equiaxed grains, and such grains may also compose other parts of the casting. This paper deals primarily with determinations of the grain-orientation textures of the columnar and surface grains of polycrystalline zinc castings. It includes some results upon a cadmium casting and a magnesium casting. A hypothesis is devel-oped to account for the observations on columnar grains and to use as a basis for predicting orientations in other cast metals. A general description of the position of the columnar grains in castings is that their long axes are approximately parallel to the direction of the thermal gradient during crystallization. Thus, in cylindrical castings the columnar grain axes tend to be radial, and in large flat castings where most of the cooling is through one or both of the large mold surfaces they tend to be perpendicular to the mold surfaces. At the edges and corners the direction of heat flow and there-fore the position of the grains is more com-plex. Actually observation shows that even in castings made in flat molds the cooling seems to be somewhat irregular, since columnar grains tend to emanate from certain areas of the cooling surface, indicat-ing that thermal contact was better there than in neighboring areas.

Jan 1, 1940

By David P. Hale

The Cartersville barite district is near Cartersville, Ga., in the southeastern part of Bartow County, about 43 miles northeast of Atlanta. The area over which active mining is being done extends about six miles in a northeasterly direction and is about three miles wide. Barite production in Georgia began about 1907,' but the existence of the mineral was known much earlier. At present four companies are operating washing plants and three other plants are operating on leases from those companies. The chief impurities in the ores are silica and iron oxide. The silica is easily washed and jigged out and gives little trouble. Any gravity separation between the iron and the barite is generally poor, owing to the slight difference in specific gravity. Two operators have turned to magnetic separation as the solution to the problem and have made remarkable improvements in the finished product. By very close sizing prior to jigging, the separation between iron and barite has been greatly improved. In some localities manganese occasionally appears as an impurity, but is fairly easy to eliminate by gravity methods. A considerable percentage of iron and silica is eliminated by being broken free in crushing. Until methods for the recovery of fine ore were introduced a minimum of crushing was done, but modern methods allow more than formerly. The depression years brought about the need for increased recovery of ore handled on the part of the producers and a demand for a higher grade of product on the part of the buyers. Improvements in milling and mining practice have had a far greater effect, however, than merely the production of a better grade of ore with greater recovery. They have opened for mining large areas that a few years ago were considered noncommercial deposits because of their inaccessibility and their high iron content. It is no exaggeration to say that the new methods have more than doubled present known reserves of barite ore of economic value.

Jan 1, 1942

By David P. Hale

The Cartersville barite district is near Cartersville, Ga., in the southeastern part of Bartow County, about 43 miles northeast of Atlanta. The area over which active mining is being done extends about six miles in a northeasterly direction and is about three miles wide. Barite production in Georgia began about 1907,' but the existence of the mineral was known much earlier. At present four companies are operating washing plants and three other plants are operating on leases from those companies. The chief impurities in the ores are silica and iron oxide. The silica is easily washed and jigged out and gives little trouble. Any gravity separation between the iron and the barite is generally poor, owing to the slight difference in specific gravity. Two operators have turned to magnetic separation as the solution to the problem and have made remarkable improvements in the finished product. By very close sizing prior to jigging, the separation between iron and barite has been greatly improved. In some localities manganese occasionally appears as an impurity, but is fairly easy to eliminate by gravity methods. A considerable percentage of iron and silica is eliminated by being broken free in crushing. Until methods for the recovery of fine ore were introduced a minimum of crushing was done, but modern methods allow more than formerly. The depression years brought about the need for increased recovery of ore handled on the part of the producers and a demand for a higher grade of product on the part of the buyers. Improvements in milling and mining practice have had a far greater effect, however, than merely the production of a better grade of ore with greater recovery. They have opened for mining large areas that a few years ago were considered noncommercial deposits because of their inaccessibility and their high iron content. It is no exaggeration to say that the new methods have more than doubled present known reserves of barite ore of economic value.

Jan 1, 1942

Discussion of the papers of DAVID H. BROWNE, Louis V. BENDER, and R. E. H. POMEROY, presented at the New York meeting, February, 1915, and printed in Bulletin No. 97, January; 1915, pp. 49 to 60, 73 to 81, and No. 98, February, 1915, pp. 445 to 453, respectively. E. P. MATHEWSON, Anaconda, Mont.-After hearing about the success of D. H. Browne with his furnaces, we in Anaconda decided we might venture into the field of pulverized coal for reverberatory smelting. We sent a delegation of investigators to see Mr. Browne and his work, and they returned, filled with enthusiasm, and said they would recommend it strongly. We thereupon asked for an appropriation, and after some delay obtained the same and fitted up one furnace to use pulverized coal. We copied Mr. Browne's practice and his selection of machinery for drying and pulverizing coal; and we also copied the burner he used, which was a standard article on the market. We got an expert coal-dust machinery man to design our plant, and were very glad we did so as we avoided some of the unpleasantness that had been experienced at other plants through fires and minor explosions.

Jan 5, 1915

By H. R. Green, D. M. Lamb, A. D. Taylor

The design of slurry launders has usually been based on strictly empirical concepts. An examination of the most common procedures reveals that they do not account for many of the variables that are recognized as significant for slurry transport. These may include flow rate, volume concentration of solids, solids specific gravity, solids size distribution, particle shape, launder geometry, and roughness of the wetted surface. It was decided to develop a design procedure, which would accomplish two things: First: Take into consideration most of the known significant variables and systematize the procedure to assure consistent results. Second: Provide a rational basis for examining and utilizing operating data to refine and improve the system. To accomplish this, it was necessary to develop a basic design concept. This concept has been developed through a complex development history, and yet still appears workable and technically sound. That concept may be outlined as follows: First: The solids transport velocity is the fundamental basis for slurry launder design. Second: The stream configuration, hence the launder size, is integrated with the solids transport velocity so that the actual stream velocity exceeds the solids transport velocity. Third: The launder slope is that which will achieve the

Jan 1, 1979

By Henry D. Hibbard

At the beginning of a Henry M. Howe lecture it seems fitting to refer to Howe's great contributions to steel metallurgy, and particularly to the literature thereof. Most of my predecessors in this role have been able, from their association with him, to give direct testimony as to his great services; but although connected with him for years in a business way, I am less familiar with what might be called his academic side, except as it is embodied in his utterances, written and oral. Howe was adept in his genial way in extracting information in any line which, at the time, was of interest to him. In a technical lecture one expects as a rule new knowledge—something about recent advances relating to the subject. On this occasion, however, I will ask you to go back with me to the primary department of steel lore, as the title of my lecture shows, to review the more fundamental features in that field for the purpose of seeking some gaps which we can fill and so give the subject renewed interest. In thus going back one must inevitably repeat many familiar facts, but that seems to be necessary in order to reach a clear understanding of the unrecorded matters. The full interpretation of a steel analysis is at present unattainable, though much progress toward that end has been made. The ultimate analysis, giving the percentages of the five commonly determined elements, does indeed usually give a fair idea of what the steel is, and is ordinarily enough, with knowledge of its history and physical condition, to enable it to be assigned to some purpose or use for which it is reasonably suitable. But discrepancies arise. Every maker and every user of steel knows, from at least occasional examples in his own experience, that the ultimate analysis is insufficient by itself to enable one to tell positively, from its interpretation, either the mechanical properties of the steel or its adaptability to the purpose for which it was made. Further, if, while having the specified composition, it is abnormal or unsatisfactory, why it is so. Good, bad and indifferent steels may have substantially the same ultimate analysis.

The John Fritz Medal was awarded in January, 1916, to Dr. Elihu Thomson, "For -Achievements in Electrical Inventions, in Electrical Engineering, and in Industrial Development, and in Scientific Research." The medal will be presented to Dr. Thomson at a meeting, to be held in Boston on Friday evening, Dec. 8, 1916, in the Central Lecture Hall of the new buildings of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The program of the evening will include adresses by John J. Carty, Chairman of the Presentation Committee of the Board of Award, E. W. Rice, Jr., President, General Electric Co., and Dr. Richard C. Maclaurin, President, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The presentation will be made by Dr. Charles Warren Hunt, Chairman of the Board at the time the award was made, and the ceremonies will conclude with the response of Dr. Thomson. The John Fritz Medal is awarded from time to time for notable scientific or industrial achievement, and was provided for in a fund subscribed in memory of the great engineering pioneer, John Fritz. The award of the medal is made by a permanent board composed of four members from each of four American National Engineering Societies, namely, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Institute of Mining Engineers and the American Institute of Electrical Engineers. The members of the 1916 Board are: CHARLES WARREN HUNT, Representing the A. S. C. E., JOHN A.. OCKERSON, GEORGE F. SWAIN, CHARLES D. MARX. JOHN R. FREEMAN, Representing the A. S. M. E., AMBROSE SWASEY, JOHN A. BRASHEAR, FREDERICK R. HUTTON. ALBERT SAUVEUR, Representing the A. I M. E., E. GIBBON SPILSBURY, CHARLES F. RAND, CHRISTOPHER R. CORNING.

Jan 12, 1916

By Raymond Ward

IN the past few years several papers have appeared dealing with different aspects of the oxidation of dilute alloys, especially with respect to the formation of internal oxides or subscales. Subscale has been defined1 as that layer or zone of oxide particles precipitated in a matrix of metallic metal in which the oxide particles are dispersed uniformly and occur by diffusion of the oxygen inward from the metal surface. Alloys composed of a solvent metal more noble than the alloying elements are subject to subscaling or internal oxidation. In these alloys the solute must be present in such quantities that if the alloy is exposed to an oxidizing atmosphere at elevated temperatures, the rate of diffusion of the oxygen into the metal will be greater than the rate of diffusion of the solute outward. There is a composition range of the iron-silicon system that falls into this classification. Knowledge of the nature and rates of oxidation of iron-silicon alloys is of great commercial importance, but very little information of this nature is available. Darken2 recently has made calculations to show the limits of concentration of silicon for which subscales are produced in iron-silicon alloys; however, the main thesis of his paper was to analyze and to explain the already existing data. The purpose of this paper is to present the effect of com position, temperature, time, and atmosphere on the type of scale-metal layer obtained and to give some qualitative indication of the effect of these variables on the rates of oxidation. Since this paper is a study of silicon steels that are available commercially, extremely low-silicon and high-silicon alloys are not included. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The alloys used in the experiment were taken from heats of silicon steel that ranged in analysis from 0.70 to 5.8 per cent silicon. This composition range takes in most of the commercial silicon steels. In Table I are listed the compositions of alloys used. Other than iron and silicon, the alloys normally contained approximately the following impurities: carbon, 0.03 per cent; manganese, 0.07; phosphorus, 0.008; sulphur, 0.02; copper, 0.07; tin, 0.01, and from nil to a trace of chromium, nickel and copper. All of the alloys used were melted in open-hearth furnaces, except where otherwise noted, and were hot-rolled to 0.100-in. plate. Samples approximately 1/2 in. square were then cut from these materials. So that the surface conditions of the samples used for oxidation would be standardized, each sample was ground through 000 emery paper immediately before oxidation. Two different techniques were employed in carrying out the oxidizing treatments. One consisted simply of heating the samples with free access to air. In this treatment the samples were set on edge on a refrac-

Jan 1, 1945

By A. M. Ross

DEURING the past year the uranium milling industry has seen the installation and initial operation of solvent extraction circuits in the Climax Uranium Co. mill at Grand Junction, Colo.; the Kerr-McGee Oil Industries mill at Shiprock, N. M.; and the AEC pilot plant at Grand Junction, operated by National Lead Co. Inc. The Vitro Uranium Co. mill in Salt Lake City is converting to solvent extraction, and the new Union Carbide Nuclear Co. mill to be constructed at Rifle, Colo., will also employ this method. Solvent extraction circuits will be incorporated in two mills now under construction -the Texas Zinc Minerals Co. mill at Mexican Hat, Utah, and the Gunnison Mining Co. mill at Gunnison, Colo. In Canada the expansion of the Eldorado mill at Port Radium includes installation of a solvent extraction circuit. Solvent Extraction Process: In simplest terms, the organic solvent is mixed with leach liquor and then the organic and aqueous phases are allowed to separate. By this contact the solvent selectively extracts uranium from the liquor, leaving a raffinate, or barren leach liquor, which may be discarded. The pregnant solvent is stripped of its uranium by con- tact with a stripping solution, such as aqueous sodium carbonate, which has a greater affinity for uranium than the solvent does. The barren solvent from the stripping step is available for further leach liquor extraction, and the pregnant stripping solution, which usually contains 30 to 60 g U3O8 per liter, is ready for precipitation of a final product, or uranium concentrate.

Jan 9, 1957

By Charles Maier

IT has long been supposed that when crystalline materials are com-minuted the energy used in the production of increasingly smaller grain sizes is not entirely dissipated as heat but that a certain portion is "stored" as a part of the internal energy of the material. This portion usually has been called the "surface energy" of the particles. The practical interest of the Bureau of Mines in this subject in connection with the energy requirements of crushing processes has led to the author's attempt to measure the "stored" energy in finely divided calcite by heat-of-solution methods1. The experiments on calcite showed that "storage" of energy could not be proved for this material, because fine grinding caused a lack of chem-ical homogeneity evidenced by loss of carbon dioxide and subsequent adsorption of water on the surfaces of the calcite particles. When thermochemical correction was made for composition changes the cor-rected heat of solution was less for fine material than for coarse. Con-tinuation of the experimental work into the problem of comparing work and heat in the deformation of metallic crystals, where the calorimetric difficulties were less, showed, however, that in the case of copper and aluminum a real discrepancy between work and heat could be shown. similar results had previously been obtained by Farren and Taylor2 and Hort3 and more or less simultaneously with the author's work by

Jan 1, 1936