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By J. S. Bryner

In the study of metallographic specimens in the electron microscope, there is need for a method of locating the same field in both the light microscope and the electron microscope. This need arises chiefly from the fact that in the electron microscope the magnification and degree of resolution are so much higher, and the field so much smaller than in the light rnicroscope that it is often difficult, if not impossible, to identify positively what is being observed. The difficulty is increased by the fact that, because a transparent film replica of the metal surface must be used in the electron microscope, micro-constituents can be identified not by their color but only by their texture and contours. For these reasons it is desirable to obtain a series of photographs showing the same field in both microscopes in order that the appearance of common microstructures and micro-constituents in the electron microscope may be identified and catalogued for future reference. The need for a method of locating the same field in both microscopes arises also when it becomes desirable to enlarge in the electron microscope for more detailed study a particular interesting structure observed in the light microscope. Using the standard polystyrene-silicalJ replica technique, in which the silica film replica is fished from the ethyl bromide on a 1/8 in. diam zoo-mesh specimen screen, the possibilities of locating a particular area on the film in the electron microscope are rather remote. The desired structure may be obscured by the wires of the specimen screen or unrecognizable at the high magnification. A solution to the problem would be provided if a specially designed specimen screen, containing an opening which could be absolutely identified and quickly located in the electron microscope, could be fastened to the silica film replica in such a position that the desired field on the specimen would be located at the identifiable opening in the specimen screen. The design for such a specimen screen, a method for producing it, and a technique for fastening it to the silica film replica are described below. Description OF Method The Specimen Screen A simple design for a specimen screen containing an opening easy to identify and locate in the electron microscope is one with two lines of openings at right angles in the form of a cross. Such a screen is shown in Fig I. The opening at the center of the cross is identified easily and can be located quickly in the light microscope and in the objective image of the electron microscope. The specially designed specimen screens for this work were produced in quantity by electroforming. On both sides of a polished strip of copper I X 3 X 1/8 in., twenty patterns of the cross of openings were punched with a diamond point micro-hardness tester, using a load of magnitude

Jan 1, 1949

By E. J. Valyi

The purpose of the continuous casting processes is twofold: As the name implies, they aim at performing a heretofore intermittent operation continuously; in this respect, they tend to satisfy the appetite of the beast that modern extrusion plants and rolling mills have grown to be. The effort invested in the development of these methods bore rich dividends in economy and in the improvement of technical characteristics. The other purpose of many continuous casting methods is to reduce the number o-f operations mushrooming between the liquid alloy and the finished mill product, essentially by substituting adequate chill in comparatively small cross sections for one or more "breakdown" steps. It is this second tendency of continuous casting that justifies description of the Soro process within the frame of our symposium: although not continuous, the Soro method constitutes a means of converting molten metal into a nearly finished mill product. The Process The name, Soro, is a composition of initials and abbreviations, with no particular technical significance. The process originates in Switzerland; it was adopted by numerous European plants between 1937 and 1940 and is now being installed in this country. It is applicable to ferrous and nonferrous alloys of an exceptionally wide range of composition. It is capable of producing rod from 1/2 in. to approxi- mately 4 in. in diameter, or other simple solid shapes of corresponding cross-sectional area. , Fig. I shows schematically the succession of operations involved. A ring is cast in a two-part centrifugal-casting metal mold. The cross section of the ring may be round, hexagonal, rectangular or some other solid shape, with the exception of any contour that is undercut with reference to the mold parting line. As cast, the ring has a riser along its inner periphery, which is removed in the next operation, so as to leave the ring with a dean cross section. Following the removal of the riser, the ring is severed at one point and one end is bent outward, leaving a slight clearance between the two ends. The next step is straightening of the ring in a special device, forming a bar with a slight bend; this is followed by any one of the conventional finishing operations that are necessary to obtain forging rod, screw-machine stock or strip. The outstanding features of this procedure are: I. The cross section cast is the same or within a few per cent of the cross section of the finished product (except for fabricating into strip and wire). 2. All operations following casting of the ring are performed cold. Equipment The equipment required is simple and inexpensive. The casting machine is a conventional horizontal-shaft mold assembly, similar to those found in centrifugal-casting foundries. Fig. 2 shows a battery of three machines- with their protecting hoods .swung open. One of these machines,

Jan 1, 1945

By G. B. Walker, S. J. Swainson, S. A. Falconer

DURING the past few years much interest and attention has been focused on a relatively new method of ore concentration, which utilizes the principles of sink and float and employs as the heavy medium a suspension in water of a finely ground solid, such as galena or ferrosilicon. Although a relatively recent development, much progress has already been made in applying heavy-media separation processes to a considerable number of ores. Eight plants in this country and abroad -are now treating approximately 10 million tons of ore annually by heavy-media separation (sink-float) processes, including lead-zinc, lead, iron, garnet, tin and tungsten. At the annual meeting of the A.I.M.E. in 1941, three interesting papers (unpublished) dealing with heavy-media separation (sink-float) processes of ore concentration as practiced in four commercial units in the United States were presented by Victor Rakowsky, Grover Holt, Elmer Isern and Robert Ammon. These papers gave an excellent exposition of the principles of sink and float, as well as the operating practice in two iron-ore-beneficiation plants, the Harrison and the Merritt, of Butler Brothers, in Minnesota; the Central mill of the Eagle Picher Mining and Smelting Co.; and the Mascot mill, of the American Zinc, Lead and Smelting Co. Augmented by pictorial descriptions and a working model demonstrating the processes, these papers evoked a great deal of interest and discussion. In fact, in reporting the high lights of the meeting in the April 1941 issue Of MINING AND METALLURGY, Professor Taggart made the statement that "preconcentration by heavy suspension was Miss A.I.M.E. 1941 so far as milling is concerned." Although to date the greatest application of heavy-media separation from the tonnage point of view has been for the treatment of lead, zinc and iron ores, these processes have a much wider field of usefulness. In this regard, it is to be noted that recently new heavy-media separation plants for treating cassiterite ore and garnet ore have been placed in successful operation. Moreover, numerous other types of ores have been found to respond well to these processes when tested on a semi-commercial scale, and it is expected that in the near future a considerable number of new plants will be erected. In view of the fact that heavy-media separation processes offer such attractive possibilities, particularly now, when the mining industry is being called on for an even larger production than ever before has been attempted, despite shortages of labor and supplies, it was felt that a description of some of the successful separations that have been worked out during the past year in the Ore Dressing Laboratory of the American Cyanamid Co. on a variety of ores of strategic importance would be of interest. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to present the essential data relating to investigations of heavy-

Jan 1, 1943

By John Mullen

Impingers TWO types of midget impinger apparatus are used at Climax. The Mine Safety Appliances Company's midget impinger (MSA) and the Climax Molybdenum Company's midget impinger (CMC) (Fig. I). The Leiman Brother's No. 25, positive displacement pump is used in the CMC impinger instead of the four-cylinder radial pump that is used in the MSA impinger. With the MSA apparatus it is possible to obtain the proper vacuum by adjusting the needle valve on the vacuum chamber, while with the CMC impinger the proper vacuum is obtained by varying the rate at which the pump is cranked. The Leiman Brother's No. 25 pump is built to displace 0.1 cu. ft. of air per min. when operated at 145 r.p.m. In the CMC impinger this pump is so geared that the required crank speed is approximately 59 r.p.m. Both types of impinger apparatus are equipped with a water gauge mounted on top of the case and they are calibrated and operated in reference to the gauge. The MSA impinger flasks and nozzles are used with both types. Calibrating Impingers A calibrated precision Sargent wet-test meter (Fig. 2) is used in calibrating the impinger apparatus. The apparatus is set up as for taking a sample in the field, except that the hose from the outlet side of the meter is attached to the impinger nozzle. One revolution of the large hand of the meter indicates 0.1 cu. ft. of air displaced. The impinger pump is cranked for one minute, therefore, at a rate that will cause the large hand of the meter to make one revolution. The gauge reading is noted, then the impinger is cranked at this rate for 10 min. and is checked for error. If the meter indicates that more or less than I cu. ft. of air has been displaced, the impinger must be cranked—ither slower or faster according to the error—for another 10 min. and again checked for error. This operation is repeated until the proper gauge reading for a sampling rate of 0.1 cu. ft. per min. has been determined. This gauge reading is used in all sampling operations until the impinger is again calibrated. An impinger is calibrated at least twice each week. MlCROPROJECTOR A Bausch and Lomb model B micro-projector is used (Fig. 3). It consists of a substantial metal base supporting the light source and a microscope. Illumination is provided by a Bausch and Lomb 4.5-amp. arc lamp with mechanical feed. A glass water cell filled with a heat-absorbing and color-filter solution is placed between the arc lamp and the microscope. Two types of solution have been found satisfactory— a 2 per cent solution of copper sulphate or a 2 per cent solution of picric acid and distilled water. This percentage may be varied to give the desired color to the light reflected upon the screen. Any standard microscope may be used. A Bausch and Lomb microscope with

Jan 1, 1946

By G. W. Jones, G. S. Scott

Economic waste caused by mine fires may become considerable,l5 especially if a fire is allowed to spread or temporarily to get beyond control. It is important, therefore, to act promptly whenever a fire is suspected and to make every action count. To contribute toward its extinction effectively it is necessary to know at the earliest possible moment, and continuously thereafter, what is happening at the seat of the fire, which may be in a remote or inaccessible area, and also to recognize what may be expected as a result of any proposed combative measure. In combatting a fire the mining engineer and the chemist should cooperate, first deciding upon the course of action to be taken and then drawing upon the mining engineer's intimate knowledge of the physical structure of the fire area, the cost and time required to carry out proposed operations, and the probable efficiency with which these operations could be performed, and upon the chemist's knowledge for the results to be expected therefrom. After the initial steps to be taken have been decided, it devolves upon the mining engineer to see that they are carried out and upon the chemist to evaluate the results and to keep the mining engineer continuously informed in regard to a variety of matters—such as the composition and toxic or asphyxiating properties of the atmosphere in which the men may be working, whether the fire is increasing or decreasing in intensity and its probable temperature, the quantity of air leakage and the explosion hazards of the fire area. The purpose of this paper is to discuss what the chemist can and cannot contribute as a member of the fire-fighting personnel. The technical literature contains several hundred papers relating directly and indirectly to mine fires, and this fact alone is testimony to the complex nature of the phenomena involved in the birth, life, and final demise of a fire. A fire may be stopped (I) by preventing oxygen from reaching the coal or (2) by removing the conditions necessary for the rapid reaction of coal with oxygen; i.e., decreasing the temperature. All methods of prevention or control necessarily must be based upon one or the other, or both, of these two principles. The chemistry of a fire may be understood readily if the low-temperature oxidation of coal is considered as a starting point; then oxidation at higher temperatures (or combustion); and with these, the composition of the solid and gaseous products resulting from the oxidation or from the effects of the heat liberated. This discussion refers particularly to Pennsylvania anthracite, although much of the material applies equally well to coals of lower rank. Oxidation of Coal Oxidation of coal fundamentally is confined to the surface; that is, the rate at which oxygen penetrates into the interior of a solid block of coal is so slow that it may be ignored."16 Oxidation starts when a fresh surface is exposed, and the rate is

Jan 1, 1942

By G. S. Scott, G. W. Jones

Economic waste caused by mine fires may become considerable,l5 especially if a fire is allowed to spread or temporarily to get beyond control. It is important, therefore, to act promptly whenever a fire is suspected and to make every action count. To contribute toward its extinction effectively it is necessary to know at the earliest possible moment, and continuously thereafter, what is happening at the seat of the fire, which may be in a remote or inaccessible area, and also to recognize what may be expected as a result of any proposed combative measure. In combatting a fire the mining engineer and the chemist should cooperate, first deciding upon the course of action to be taken and then drawing upon the mining engineer's intimate knowledge of the physical structure of the fire area, the cost and time required to carry out proposed operations, and the probable efficiency with which these operations could be performed, and upon the chemist's knowledge for the results to be expected therefrom. After the initial steps to be taken have been decided, it devolves upon the mining engineer to see that they are carried out and upon the chemist to evaluate the results and to keep the mining engineer continuously informed in regard to a variety of matters—such as the composition and toxic or asphyxiating properties of the atmosphere in which the men may be working, whether the fire is increasing or decreasing in intensity and its probable temperature, the quantity of air leakage and the explosion hazards of the fire area. The purpose of this paper is to discuss what the chemist can and cannot contribute as a member of the fire-fighting personnel. The technical literature contains several hundred papers relating directly and indirectly to mine fires, and this fact alone is testimony to the complex nature of the phenomena involved in the birth, life, and final demise of a fire. A fire may be stopped (I) by preventing oxygen from reaching the coal or (2) by removing the conditions necessary for the rapid reaction of coal with oxygen; i.e., decreasing the temperature. All methods of prevention or control necessarily must be based upon one or the other, or both, of these two principles. The chemistry of a fire may be understood readily if the low-temperature oxidation of coal is considered as a starting point; then oxidation at higher temperatures (or combustion); and with these, the composition of the solid and gaseous products resulting from the oxidation or from the effects of the heat liberated. This discussion refers particularly to Pennsylvania anthracite, although much of the material applies equally well to coals of lower rank. Oxidation of Coal Oxidation of coal fundamentally is confined to the surface; that is, the rate at which oxygen penetrates into the interior of a solid block of coal is so slow that it may be ignored."16 Oxidation starts when a fresh surface is exposed, and the rate is

Jan 1, 1942

By Marie L. V. Gayler

Without diffusion taking place in liquid metals and alloys, no castings could be made; it is therefore the most important factor affecting the structure of metals. Diffusion involves the interchange of atoms, a process which takes place during the life history of an ingot. In the liquid, atoms are in a state of high thermal agitation, but this thermal vibration is reduced in amplitude with falling temperature. When solidification sets in, the atoms arrange themselves on an ordered space lattice and the changes in structure which take place in the solid are due to the interchange of atoms on this space lattice. The rate of atomic interchange—e.g., of diffusion—is most rapid at temperatures close to the melting point and decelerates as the temperature is lowered. At room temperature, the rate of diffusion is practically negligible in most alloys, and any change in structure can only be brought about by using methods which will accelerate the rate of diffusion. The rate of diffusion depends on three factors (I) temperature; (2) concentration gradient and (3) activation energy. The growth of grains and particles in the solid alloy also depend on these factors and are therefore intimately associated with diffusion. The rate of homogenization in a cast alloy depends on several factors, such as: (I) rate of solidification, which involves grain and particle size which, in their turn, depend on diffusion: (2) the nature of the constituents; (3) the temperature interval between the melting point of the metal or alloy and the temperature at which it is being heat-treated. It is well known that coarse, cast structures are extremely difficult—if possible— to homogenize, and the finer the grain size and particle size, the more readily solid solution will take place. The rate of diffusion depends, also, largely on the nature of the constituents; for instance, copper and magnesium form solid solutions with aluminum quite readily but nickel and iron do not; neither do certain intermetallic compounds, such as alpha and beta FeSi. Furthermore, the actual formation of intermetallic compounds may be a very slow process, particularly when they are formed in the solid state as equilibrium products. For example, BFeSi is formed in the solid as the result of the reaction aFeSi + A1 —+ PFeSi. The particles of aFeSi become surrounded with a reaction ring of PFeSi. This layer is formed as the result of diffusion of atoms taking place between the aluminum matrix and aFeSi. As the amount of aFeSi surrounding the core of aFeSi increases the concentration gradient becomes low and so the rate of diffusion of atoms also decreases until it practically ceases. This occurs after a comparatively thin layer of ßFeSi has been formed. It follows that when intermetallic compounds of this type are formed in the solid, as the result of diffusion, it is generally impossible ever to attain equilibrium, since the forma-

Jan 1, 1944

By Marie L. V. Gayler

Without diffusion taking place in liquid metals and alloys, no castings could be made; it is therefore the most important factor affecting the structure of metals. Diffusion involves the interchange of atoms, a process which takes place during the life history of an ingot. In the liquid, atoms are in a state of high thermal agitation, but this thermal vibration is reduced in amplitude with falling temperature. When solidification sets in, the atoms arrange themselves on an ordered space lattice and the changes in structure which take place in the solid are due to the interchange of atoms on this space lattice. The rate of atomic interchange—e.g., of diffusion—is most rapid at temperatures close to the melting point and decelerates as the temperature is lowered. At room temperature, the rate of diffusion is practically negligible in most alloys, and any change in structure can only be brought about by using methods which will accelerate the rate of diffusion. The rate of diffusion depends on three factors (I) temperature; (2) concentration gradient and (3) activation energy. The growth of grains and particles in the solid alloy also depend on these factors and are therefore intimately associated with diffusion. The rate of homogenization in a cast alloy depends on several factors, such as: (I) rate of solidification, which involves grain and particle size which, in their turn, depend on diffusion: (2) the nature of the constituents; (3) the temperature interval between the melting point of the metal or alloy and the temperature at which it is being heat-treated. It is well known that coarse, cast structures are extremely difficult—if possible— to homogenize, and the finer the grain size and particle size, the more readily solid solution will take place. The rate of diffusion depends, also, largely on the nature of the constituents; for instance, copper and magnesium form solid solutions with aluminum quite readily but nickel and iron do not; neither do certain intermetallic compounds, such as alpha and beta FeSi. Furthermore, the actual formation of intermetallic compounds may be a very slow process, particularly when they are formed in the solid state as equilibrium products. For example, BFeSi is formed in the solid as the result of the reaction aFeSi + A1 —+ PFeSi. The particles of aFeSi become surrounded with a reaction ring of PFeSi. This layer is formed as the result of diffusion of atoms taking place between the aluminum matrix and aFeSi. As the amount of aFeSi surrounding the core of aFeSi increases the concentration gradient becomes low and so the rate of diffusion of atoms also decreases until it practically ceases. This occurs after a comparatively thin layer of ßFeSi has been formed. It follows that when intermetallic compounds of this type are formed in the solid, as the result of diffusion, it is generally impossible ever to attain equilibrium, since the forma-

Jan 1, 1944

F. WEIMER,* Washington, D. C. (written discussiont).-For electrical measuring instruments, especially those types that involve the Wheat-stone bridge or potentiometer principle and standards of electrical resist-ance, there has been, for a considerable time, a need for better resistance materials. For a satisfactory resistance material, much depends on the purposes for which it is to be used. For potentiometers and Wheatstone bridges, such as are in more or less general use, and the more common forms of resistance standards, a good quality of manganin answers fairly well. However, it should not be presumed that manganin is considered ideal for the purpose, for in measuring instruments and resistance stand-ards, there is still much to be desired. An experience of more than 10 years in the study of the resistance standards and resistance apparatus shows that manganin resistances change with time in a way that is very annoying and the maintenance of the unit of resistance to the desired accuracy requires an excessive amount of work or may be said to be prac-tically impossible. The changes in resistance are generally most rapid and erratic in resistances of very low and very high values. In resist-ances of low value, the resistance material is often in the form of thin sheets so that the surface is large and usually more or less unprotected from the atmosphere, or the oil in. the case of oil-immersed standards. In resistances of high value, the resistance material is in the form of fine wire and, therefore, the surface is large compared with the cross-section. In resistances of medium value, the surface is less, compared with the cross-section, or better protected, usually by a silk wrapping impregnated with shellac. This suggests that one of the difficulties with manganin is slow surface action or oxidation, even when an effort has been made to protect the surface from such action However, the changes observed cannot all be accounted for on this basis. There are, presumably, also some internal changes in the resistance material even when it has been annealed. Further; the changes in manganin resistances seem to be more or less independent of its electrical properties. In other respects, too, manganin is not ideal.

Jan 11, 1919

By James M. Stapleton

IT has long been recognized by blast- furnace men that correct top distribution of materials is very important in efficient and economical furnace operation. Thousands of experiments on top design, filling, sizing, and other operations have been carried out to improving furnace performance by securing uniform distribution. Many of these experiments have worked out satisfactorily and have been passed along to the industry. Many of them have been discarded and forgotten. It has been the custom to judge the results of such experimentation by the results shown in improved or lowered furnace efficiency. While the effect on furnace practice will have to continue to be the final criterion of experimental changes, it has always been a desire of blast-furnace men to ascertain the reason for failure or success. Efficiency in the blast furnace approaching the maximum can be measured in several ways: (I) by actual operating results as revealed in the coke rate and tonnage figures, and (2), in the degree to which the top gas approaches the limiting ratio of CO/C02 for the reduction of iron oxide by CO gas. This ratio is shown in the equilibrium curve in Fig. I for the system Fe-O-C and CO2-CO-C. The closer the top gases approach this limiting ratio (set at 1.08 by Martin1 because of the effect of limestone calcination) the more efficiently we may expect a furnace to operate. The fact that low CO/C02 ratios parallel eficient operating performance caused us to investigate the cause of good or poor distribution and the effect of filling and other changes on furnace operation. Heretofore it has been possible to take a sample of furnace gas (usually from the dust catcher) and from it determine how closely the reducing gases were to the ideal or limiting value as set by the equilibrium diagram. However, to find just where in the top area the distribution was distorted and the top-gas CO/CO2 ratios were distant from equilibrium values has been a difficult and expensive investigational procedure. In an effort to overcome this difficulty, apparatus was designed to take gas samples and temperatures across the top radius of the furnace. It was hoped that with the aid of this apparatus traverse sampling of the ascending gases could be simplified, and the cost of sampling substantially lowered. Routine experimenting could then be maintained and results checked with furnace operation. It must be emphasized that a traverse sampling is necessary for a true picture, as single samples at any one point are unreliable. This statement can be verified by an examination of Tables 3 to 6, showing results obtained at our furnaces in a large number of tests. APPARATUS The design of the equipment for taking the samples was governed by the need for providing a simple, routine test that could be performed fairly quickly without adversely affecting normal furnace operation.

Jan 1, 1943

By M. E. Nicholson

IT has been suggested by a number of investigators, I including Hume-Rothery and Raynor,' that certain intermediate phases in metal systems take on interstitial crystal structures because of an appropriate ratio of radii of the two atoms. If the size factor is an important parameter in determining whether or not an intermediate phase will have an interstitial structure, then it would appear reasonable that the relative sizes of interstitial atoms should have a direct relation to their solubilities in interstitial compounds. It was on such a basis that Petch,' in his discussion of the cementite structure, concluded that nitrogen is the only possible element which could replace carbon. Recent X-ray studies by Jacka indicate that the solid solubility of nitrogen in cementite is negligible. If this is the case, then on the basis of size factor it would not be expected that any element can replace carbon in FeaC, since according to Schwarzkopf and Kieffer4 the covalent atomic radii of nitrogen, carbon, and boron are 0.71, 0.76, and 0.87A, respectively. Nevertheless, Vogel and Tammann in 1922 indicated that a quasi-binary relation exists between the interstitial compounds FeaC and Fe2B and that the solid solubility of boron in FeaC at approximately 1150°C is 1.4 pct B by weight. Because of the apparent disagreement between theory and experiment, the solid solubility of boron in FeaC has been reinvestigated. In addition, the influence of boron on the saturation magnetic moment (per gram) and Curie temperature of cementite was determined. Experimental Procedure A series of Fe-B-C alloys which varied in boron content from 0 to 5.4 wt pct B were prepared by arc melting a 50-g ingot using carbonyl iron, Ache-son AUC graphite, and Cooper grade A boron for starting materials. The composition of these alloys is listed in Table I and shown graphically in Fig. 1. The samples represented by the solid circles were used for X-ray analysis and Curie temperature measurements; by the squares, samples used for quantitative metallography; and by the triangles, samples used for saturation magnetic moment measurements and Curie temperature measurements. After arc melting and subsequent quenching from 1000°C, so that all phases in the resulting microstructure were brittle, one half of the 50-g ingots were pulverized until a powder was obtained which was less than 100 mesh. These powders were then homogenized in evacuated Vycor capsules at 1000°C for 24 hr and water quenched. Although the homogenized powder had sintered somewhat, it was suitable for saturation magnetic moment and Curie temperature determinations, for which the 60 to 100-mesh fraction of the powder was used. For X-ray analysis the homogenized powder was crushed again until a 300-mesh powder was obtained. After crushing, the powder was mixed with Alundum of approximately the same grit size to prevent sinter-

Jan 1, 1958

By Jack White, Ralph B. Adair

The Mufulira mine in Northern Rhodesia is 13° south of the Equator and at an altitude of 4100 ft above sea level. The concentrator was planned in 1930 to treat about 10,000 tons of ore per day, but before construction work had gone very far the size of the plant was reduced to 1500 tons daily capacity. Then just as the construction was finished in December 1931, the price of copper did not warrant the commencement of operations and it was not until October 1933 that the mine re-opened. Extensions have been made to the plant in 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1940 and finally in 1945. The capacity of the plant when the 1945 extension is completed will be 9500 short tons per day. The various extensions have been carried out with the minimum confusion and with great skill on the part of the designers and the erection engineers. In dealing with the plant in this paper it is proposed to give an outline of the present practice and only to refer to past practice when it is considered of particular interest. Ore Treated The ore consists of fine grained highly siliceous, felspathic and argillaceous quartz- ites, the latter containing graphitic carbon and locally termed graywacke. These rocks are considerably altered near the surface and on the fringes of the ore body. Despite extensive efforts at mixing, both underground and in the crushing plant, many sudden changes of ore take place in the mill feed. The minerals are chalcocite, bornite and chalcopyrite with relatively unimportant amounts of malachite, native copper, azurite, covellite and chrysocolla. Gold is present at about I oz to a thousand tons, and silver at about 2 dwt. per ton. With increasing depth the nonsulphide content or,, as commonly termed locally, the oxide content of the ore is decreasing and is now less than 0.25 pct against a high of 0.77 pct- Crushing Operations The first stage of crushing is done under. ground where the oversize from I2-in. grizzlies is fed to a 56 X 72-in. jaw crusher. At the Selkirk shaft two 10-ton skips deliver the run of mine ore at a rate of 450 tons per hour to the 400-ton capacity shaft bins. One 6 ft wide Ross chain feeder and one locally made air-operated finger feeder feed the two 30-in. McCully crushers. Ahead of each crusher is a 6 X 9-ft spring grizzley spaced at 5 in. on a 35O slope. Neither the Ross chain feeder nor the finger feeder is entirely satisfactory and for the wet, muddy and sticky ore that has to be handled it is planned to replace these with two 6-ft wide apron pan feeders. The McCully crushers deliver a minus 5-in. product, at a.rate of over 500 tons per

Jan 1, 1949

By M. C. Leverett

KNOWLEDGE of the theory underlying the behavior of mixtures of fluids in reservoir rocks is essential to the proper solution of certain types of problems in petroleum pro-duction, but is as yet incompletely devel-oped. The object of this paper is to show the application of well established thermody-namic and physical principles to these prob-lems, and thus to assist in the development of the basic theory. For convenience the problems to be considered here may be divided into two groups: I. Static problems, involving only the static balance between capillary forces and those due to the difference in densities of the fluids; i.e., gravitational forces. 2. Dynamic problems, involving analysis of the motion of mixtures of immiscible fluids in porous media under the influence of forces due to gravity, capillarity, and an impressed external pressure differential. CAPILLARY EQUILIBRIUM IN SANDS Under this heading the static type of problem will be discussed and the results of experimental investigations on the capillary properties of unconsolidated sands will be presented. Although the discussion of this section is, in a sense, prefatory to the treat-ment of problems of mixture flow, the con-cepts developed here have considerable intrinsic importance apart from their ap-plication to flow problems. For, it is reason-able to postulate that the reservoir fluids are, owing to their long existence in undis-turbed mutual contact prior to exploitation, in substantial equilibrium. It follows that their distribution in the reservoir at the time of tapping should be entirely predict-able from the theory of capillary equi-librium, provided certain experimentally measurable properties of the reservoir rock are known. Knowledge of the distribution of the several fluids in the reservoir is, of course, helpful in the estimation of reserves and in other problems. It is to be emphasized that throughout the discussion of capillary statics it is as-sumed that the fluids are in equilibrium from the capillary standpoint. Thus, water, where it is referred to as being in a reser-voir, will be understood to be interstitial water, present at the time of drilling the reservoir, commonly termed "connate" water. The theory developed here is perfectly general for any porous solid, whether a carefully prepared unconsolidated sand or a natural sandstone from an oil reservoir. At present, however, only problems in-volving clean, unconsolidated sands can be made to yield numerical solutions, since only such sands have been adequately in-vestigated experimentally. Experimental evaluation of the pertinent properties of natural reservoir rocks will permit the ex-tension of the numerical treatment to prob-lems involving these materials. We shall now consider in some detail the static equilibrium of fluid mixtures in porous solids; that is, the manner in which the reservoir fluids are distributed vertically when the forces due to capillarity are just balanced by those due to gravitation.

Jan 1, 1940

By Marie L. V. Gayler

WITHOUT diffusion taking place in liquid metals and alloys, no castings could be made; it is therefore the most important factor affecting the structure of metals. Diffusion involves the interchange of atoms, a process which takes place during the life history of an ingot. In the liquid, atoms are in a state of high thermal agitation, but this thermal vibration is reduced in amplitude with falling temperature. When solidification sets in, the atoms arrange themselves on an ordered space lattice and the changes in structure which take place in the solid are due to the interchange of atoms on this space lattice. The rate of atomic interchange-e.g., of diffusion-is most rapid at temperatures close to the melting point and decelerates as the temperature is lowered. At room temperature, the rate of diffusion is practically negligible in most alloys, and any change in structure can only be brought about by using methods which will accelerate the rate of diffusion. The rate of diffusion depends on three factors (I) temperature; (2) concentration gradient and (3) activation energy. The growth of grains and particles in the solid alloy also depend on these factors and are therefore intimately associated with diffusion. The rate of homogenization in a cast alloy depends on several factors, such as: (I) rate of solidification, which involves grain and particle size which, in their turn, depend on diffusion: (2) the nature of the constituents; (3) the temperature interval between the melting point of the metal or alloy and the temperature at which it is being heat-treated. It is well known that coarse, cast structures are extremely difficult-if possible to homogenize, and the finer the grain size and particle size, the more readily solid solution will take place. The rate of diffusion depends, also, largely on the nature of the constituents; for instance, copper and magnesium form solid solutions with aluminum quite readily but nickel and iron do not; neither do certain intermetallic compounds, such as alpha and beta FeSi. Furthermore, the actual formation of intermetallic compounds may be a very slow process, particularly when they are formed in the solid state as equilibrium products. For example, ßFeSi is formed in the solid as the result of the reaction aFeSi + Al?ß FeSi. The particles of aFeSi become sur¬rounded with a reaction ring of ßßFeSi. This layer is formed as the result of diffusion of atoms taking place between the aluminum matrix and aFeSi. As the amount of ßFeSi surrounding the core of aFeSi increases the concentration gradient becomes low and so the rate of diffusion of atoms also decreases until it practically ceases. This occurs after a comparatively thin layer of ßFeSi has been formed. It follows that when intermetallic compounds of this type are formed in the solid, as the result of diffusion, it is generally impossible ever to attain equilibrium, since the forma-

Jan 1, 1944

By M. C. Flemings, R. Mehrabian, G. E. Nereo

Analytical expressions derived previously are used to describe quantitatively effects on macrosegregation of some solidification and mold design variables. Al-4.5 pct Cu alloy is used as example. It is shown that abrupt changes in heat transfer rate result in solute-rich or solute-poor "bands". Severe solute-rich bands accowzpany "reheating" that can result, for example, from abrupt formation of an air gap at a mold-metal interface. With planar isotherms, solute-poor regions also result from reduction in cross section through which fluid flow to feed shrinkage takes place. It is suggested that the negative "cone" of segregation often found at the base of large ingots results from this reduction in cross section for feeding. Consideration is given to the positive and negative segregation to be expected in laboratory ingots in association with changes in ingot cross section. Under-riser positive segregation is considered and it is concluded this segregation results when vertical temperature gradient is low in the region of the riser; the segregation is accentuated by the temperature gradient reversal which can occur in inadequately insulated risers ("'hot tops"). Finally it is shown for Al-4.5 pct Cu alloy that the assumption of constant k and p in analytic solutions gives calculated results close to those obtained for the case of ziariable k and 0. A basic "local solute redistribution equation" was derived earlier' for calculation of macrosegregation resulting from flow of solute-rich liquid to feed solidification shrinkage, thermal contraction, and/or other contractions occurring during solidification. This expression relates fraction liquid, g~, to liquid composition, CL, at a given position x, y, z, in a solidifying Eq. [I] is for the general case of three-dimensional heat and fluid flow assuming constant solid (but not necessarily liquid) density during solidification, negligible net solute change from diffusion, and no pore formation. In this paper we first demonstrate application of this equation for calculation of macrosegregation in several examples involving one-dimensional heat and fluid flow. Specifically considered are examples in which segregation results from sudden changes in heat flow conditions. Next, Eq. [I] is used to describe segregation in examples where isotherms remain planar but where fluid flow is no longer one-dimensional. Application of this expression illustrates the type of segregation to be expected in unidirectionally solidified ingots of gradually or abruptly varying cross section. For segregation calculations, A1-4.5 pct Cu alloy is employed with constant k and p Vz = 0.172, 4 = 0.055), eutectic composition (CE = 33 pct Cu). In all examples, fraction eutectic is neglected in velocity calculations; this was previously shown to introduce little error.' A linear distribution of fraction liquid in the liquid-solid zone is assumed. In a concluding section it is shown that the assumption employed of constant k and /3 gives results close to those obtained when the actual (variable) values of k and 0 are employed.

Jan 1, 1969

By H. F. Winham

The history, development, subsurface geology, production, economics and estimated reserves are discussed in this paper. The Magnolia structure is an anticline with a known maximum structural relief at 372 ft., and the areal extent of the producing acreage is 4494 acres. Production is obtained from the Smack-over oölitic lime and 116 successful wells have been drilled. The field, which was developed on 40-acre spacing, has been under strict control. It is believed to be producing with a strong water drive, To date it has produced more than eighteen million barrels and the estimate of ultimate recovery is 220 million barrels. Early History The Magnolia field is in colurnbia County, Arkansas, T. 17 s., R. 19 and 20 W. Various geologists had long been interested in this general area, and as early as 1921, John F. Magale was able to define a surface structure. The first wildcat, one of the first in Columbia County, was drilled in 1923 by Mid-States Oil Co., in sec. 10, T. 17 S., R. 20 W. This well was about 11/2 miles northwest of the Kerlyn oil Company's discovery well and was based on surface geological work done by Jewel and Dobie. Subsequently, several shallow wells that were not carried below the Upper Cretaceous beds were drilled in the immediate area of the discovery well, but none of them contained any commercial showings of oil Or gas. In the latter part of 1935, Elam and Magale (or Southwood) Garrett NO. I was located in sec. 13, T. 17 S., R. 20 W., 3/4 mile east of the discovery well. It was drilled to a total depth of 4018 ft. in the lowermost Glen Rose beds but failed to obtain any showings of oil or gas. Interest had been stimulated in this general area, however, by the discovery of several oil fields, mainly Glen Rose oil production in the Rodessa field in Louisiana in 1935, Smackover lime productioil in Snow Hill in May 1936, production from the Cotton Valley formation in Schuler in 1937, and Smackover lime production from the Buckner field in November 1937. With this background and subsequent seismic work, which was carried on partly because the old shallow wells drilled in the township had shown evidence of closure in the Upper Cretaceous beds, the discovery well, Kerlyn Oil Company's Barnett No. I, Sec. 14, T. 17 S., R. 20 W., was originally projected to a total depth of 6300 ft., to test the equivalents of the Morgan sands of the Cotton Valley series, then producing at Schuler. The well was carried to a depth of 6325 It. and tested the objective beds without finding commercial production. In the meantime, however, one well had found production in the Jones sand and another in the Smaclrover lime at Schuler. Kerlyn immediately made arrangements to deepen the Barnett well to the Smackover lime. The top of the Smackover lime was encountered at 7618 ft. and the well

Jan 1, 1943

By H. F. Winham

The history, development, subsurface geology, production, economics and estimated reserves are discussed in this paper. The Magnolia structure is an anticline with a known maximum structural relief at 372 ft., and the areal extent of the producing acreage is 4494 acres. Production is obtained from the Smack-over oölitic lime and 116 successful wells have been drilled. The field, which was developed on 40-acre spacing, has been under strict control. It is believed to be producing with a strong water drive, To date it has produced more than eighteen million barrels and the estimate of ultimate recovery is 220 million barrels. Early History The Magnolia field is in colurnbia County, Arkansas, T. 17 s., R. 19 and 20 W. Various geologists had long been interested in this general area, and as early as 1921, John F. Magale was able to define a surface structure. The first wildcat, one of the first in Columbia County, was drilled in 1923 by Mid-States Oil Co., in sec. 10, T. 17 S., R. 20 W. This well was about 11/2 miles northwest of the Kerlyn oil Company's discovery well and was based on surface geological work done by Jewel and Dobie. Subsequently, several shallow wells that were not carried below the Upper Cretaceous beds were drilled in the immediate area of the discovery well, but none of them contained any commercial showings of oil Or gas. In the latter part of 1935, Elam and Magale (or Southwood) Garrett NO. I was located in sec. 13, T. 17 S., R. 20 W., 3/4 mile east of the discovery well. It was drilled to a total depth of 4018 ft. in the lowermost Glen Rose beds but failed to obtain any showings of oil or gas. Interest had been stimulated in this general area, however, by the discovery of several oil fields, mainly Glen Rose oil production in the Rodessa field in Louisiana in 1935, Smackover lime productioil in Snow Hill in May 1936, production from the Cotton Valley formation in Schuler in 1937, and Smackover lime production from the Buckner field in November 1937. With this background and subsequent seismic work, which was carried on partly because the old shallow wells drilled in the township had shown evidence of closure in the Upper Cretaceous beds, the discovery well, Kerlyn Oil Company's Barnett No. I, Sec. 14, T. 17 S., R. 20 W., was originally projected to a total depth of 6300 ft., to test the equivalents of the Morgan sands of the Cotton Valley series, then producing at Schuler. The well was carried to a depth of 6325 It. and tested the objective beds without finding commercial production. In the meantime, however, one well had found production in the Jones sand and another in the Smaclrover lime at Schuler. Kerlyn immediately made arrangements to deepen the Barnett well to the Smackover lime. The top of the Smackover lime was encountered at 7618 ft. and the well

Jan 1, 1943

By Fred C. Bond

Many grindability tests have been made in the Allis-Chalmers laboratory since the tabulated results were last published.' The lists of standard ball-mill and standard rod-mill grindability tests are brought up to date in this paper, and considerable new material is added. This includes a tabulation of open-circuit grinding tests, with impact and compression-crushing tests. The standard ball-mill grindability tests (Table I) were made in a standard laboratory ball mill, 12 by 12 in. inside, running at 70 rpm, with a charge of 285 iron balls ranging from 1½ to 3/4 in. in diameter and weighing 20,125 grams. Seven hundred cubic centimeters of minus 6-mesh stage-crushed dry feed was used, and the circulating load was maintained constant at 250 pct by adjusting the number of mill revolutions for each grinding period. Tests were made at all mesh sizes from 28 to 200, and the grindability is the number of net grams of screen undersize produced per revolution. The table includes 479 tests. It has been calculated that the ball mill does 52.3 joules of useful work on the ore per revolution2 with 93 joules input to the mill. The standard rod-mill grindability tests (Table 2) were made in a laboratory tilting rod mill, 12 in. in diameter by 24 in. long inside, with a wave-type lining, running at 46 rpm. The grinding charge consisted of six I1/4-in. diameter and two 13/4-in. diameter steel rods, all 21 in. long and weighing 33,380 grams. The mill was rotated level for eight revolutions, then tilted up 5' for one revolution, down 5° for one revolution, and returned to level for eight revolutions. It was discharged by tilting downward at 45° for 30 revolutions. Feed consisted of 1250 cc of minus in. stone and the circulating load was maintained constant at 100 pct by adjusting the number of mill revolutions for each grinding period. Tests were made at all mesh sizes from 3 to 65, and the rod-mill grindability is the number of net grams of screen undersize produced per revolution. The table includes 105 tests. The impact and compression-crushing tests (Table 3) are given in a table that is an extension of a previous publication8 in which the method of testing was described in detail. Two equal hammers weighing about 30 lb each were arranged to strike simultaneous blows on opposite sides of the test specimen. Broken pieces of rock passing a 3-in. square and retained on a 2-in. square were set up with the smallest dimension between the hammers, and this distance was measured. The height of the hammers was increased slightly before each blow until the specimen broke, and the foot-pounds per inch of thickness was calculated. Ten pieces

Jan 1, 1949

By H. F. Winham

THE history, development, subsurface geology, production, economics and estimated reserves are discussed in this paper. The Magnolia structure is an anticline with a known maximum structural relief at 372 ft., and the areal extent of the producing acreage is 4494 acres. Production is obtained from the Smackover oölitic lime and 116 successful wells have been drilled. The field, which was developed on 4o-acre spacing, has been under strict control. It is believed to be producing with a strong water drive. To date it has produced more than eighteen million barrels and the estimate of ultimate recovery is 220 million barrels. EARLY HISTORY The Magnolia field is in Columbia County, Arkansas, T. 17 S., R. 19 and 20 W. Various geologists had long been interested in this general area, and as early as 1921, John F. Magale was able to define a surface structure. The first wildcat, one of the first in Columbia County, was drilled in 1923 by Mid-States Oil Co., in sec. 10, T. 17 S., R. 20 W. This well was about 1 ½ miles northwest of the Kerlyn Oil Company's discovery well and was based on surface geological work done by jewel and Dobie. Subsequently, several shallow wells that were not carried below the Upper Cretaceous beds were drilled in the immediate area of the discovery well, but none of them contained any commercial showings of oil or gas. In the latter part of 1935, Elam and Magale (or Southwood) Garrett No. I was located in sec. 13, T. 17 S., R. 20 W., ¾ mile east of the discovery well. It was drilled to a total depth of 4018 ft. in the lowermost Glen Rose beds but failed to obtain any showings of oil or gas. Interest had been stimulated in this general area, however, by the discovery of several oil fields, mainly Glen Rose oil production in the Rodessa field in Louisiana in 1935, Smackover lime production in Snow Hill in May 1936, production from the Cotton Valley formation in Schuler in 1037, and Smackover lime production from the Buckner field in November 1937. With this background and subsequent seismic work, which was carried on partly because the old shallow wells drilled in the township had shown evidence of closure in the Upper Cretaceous beds, the discovery well, Kerlyn Oil Company's Barnett No. I, sec. 14, T. 17 S., R. 20 W., was originally projected to a total depth of 6300 ft., to test the equivalents of the Morgan sands of the Cotton Valley series, then producing at Schuler. The well was carried to a total depth of 6325 ft. and tested the objective beds without finding commercial production. In the meantime, however, one well had found production in the Jones sand and another in the Smackover lime at Schuler. Kerlyn immediately made arrangements to deepen the Barnett well to the Smackover lime. The top of the Smackover lime was encountered at 7618 ft. and the well was cored and drilled to a depth of 7740 ft.

Jan 1, 1942

By B. H. Sage, W. N. Lacey

The results of an extensive experimental program relating to the effectiveness of gravel screens have been correlated. The factors considered in some detail include gravel size and condition of packing, sand size and size distribution, fluid velocity, fluid viscosity, and thickness and arrangement of grave! screens. Good agreement between calculated values based upon probability considerations and experimental results relating to the influence of the thickness of the gravel screen was obtained. All of these factors are treated in the correlation in order that their influence may be taken into account in ascertaining the characteristics of an effective gravel screen for a particular set of conditions. The details of the experimental program are not given in the present paper but a description of generalized behavior and typical experimental results are recorded in graphic form. Introduction Gravel screens have been placed in water and oil wells for a number of yearsl,2,3 with the dual objective of increasing the productivity and decreasing the entrance of sand into the well bore. An understanding of the factors controlling the effectiveness of gravel screens in this connection is of industrial interest because it will lead to the proper selection of gravel. Some of the fundamental considerations involved in the migration of sand through a coarser body of porous materials were investigated by Coberly and Wagner4 and further experimental work has been carried out by Gumpertz.5 Apparently the pertinent phenomena are somewhat complex and are influenced by many variables. The present paper deals with the prediction of the behavior of gravel screens under the conditions encountered in practice but does not attempt to discuss the experimental methods or results that were obtained as a background and upon which the prediction is based. Influence OF Gravel Screens upon Productivity The use of a gravel screen may increase the productivity of a well by increasing its effective diameter, and this constitutes one of the objectives of its use. The permeability of most gravels and coarse sands that are employed in practice is so large compared to that of the sand in place that relatively little loss in production rate will arise from the use of material fine enough to cause the desired resistance to sand migration. For example, in Fig. I is depicted the approximate variation in the permeability of closely sized spherical gravels under the conditions of packing likely to be encountered in screens. The dotted lines indicate the variation that might be found because of differences in packing. It should be realized that the permeability is not a single-valued function of the average grain diameter but is related to a large number of factors, including the size, the size distribution and the shapes of the particles. However, Fig. I does permit a rough estimation of the permeability of closely sized spherical gravels and shows that the permeability with even the smaller particles is very large compared to that of most petroleum production horizons.

Jan 1, 1942