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By Alan Lawley

AS part of a programme of experimental work on single crystals of rhenium and ruthenium, it was found necessary to have the crystallographic angles for these elements. The angles given in Table I were determined to the nearest minute of arc, by Univac Computer. The angle $ between (HKIL) and (hkil) is given by the formula: The angles given for rhenium should be particularly useful in view of the increasing interest in this element. For completeness, angular values are also given for cadmium zinc and magnesium; these form a more complete set of values than those given by Salkovitz.' The assistance of Professor J. Hobstetter and Mr. J. Crozier in the programming of this data is acknowledged. The work is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research under contract No. NONR 551 (19).

Jan 1, 1961

CHAIRMAN (J . E. JOHNSON, J R., New York, N. Y.).-It may be n matter of some interest that sodium cyanide is now being made commercially by melting together in an electric furnace calcium cyanide with a common salt, which produces calcium chloride and sodium cyanide. It seems to me entirely possible that you have here about the same results that would be obtained by melting calcium chloride and ordinary cyanide together, only you obtain it a good deal cheaper. There is no doubt about that reaction once it is being carried on on a large industrial scale for the manufacture of cyanide for other uses. I think probably the same, thing takes place here, with the possible exception of lowering the melting point due to the presence of the calcium chloride.

Jan 5, 1919

The Institute maintains a dual relationship with students: (1) an individual relationship with a Student Associate; and (2) a relationship with local organizations of students, known as Affiliated Student Societies or Student Chapters. 1. The conditions of Student Associateship are set forth in Section 9, Article I, of the Bylaws of the Institute (see page 62 and following pages). During 1934, sundry amendments were made for the purpose of improving the student relationship. Postgraduate students are now eligible; and associateship can be maintained, with the payment of the regular dues of $2 per year, for 18 months following graduation in June. With his regular dues, each Student Associate is entitled to receive during the year his choice of MINING AND METALLURGY, METALS TECHNOLOGY, MINING TECHNOLOGY, PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY, or two "classes" of Technical

Jan 1, 1944

By J. E. Lawver

On the basis of both laboratory and pilot-scale tests, a newly developed high-tension electrostatic process is technically and economically feasible for the production of iron ore superconcentrates containing 0.02 to 0.20% silica at iron recoveries of 85 to 90%. The process can be used to recover both a superconcentrate and a pellet-grade concentrate, from a feed containing middlings, and the system is not unduly upset from changes in feed structure and composition. The adverse affect of excess quantities of material finer than 30 microns, i.e., above 10% in quantity can be avoided by a desliming step. Finally, because of the cost of drying, the best feed for the process appears to be dry-ground ores as well as spiral, flotation, or magnetic concentrates.

Jan 1, 1970

By W. F. McDermott

This is the dawning of the computer age in process control. As 1968 drew to a close, many plants had computer installations which were being used for logging, monitoring and reporting. Today, computer usage is given serious consideration before the construction of any major minerals processing plant. Unitized automatic control of individual processes is abundant. Many plants are considering closing these control loops, i.e., allowing the computer to direct the operation of the controllers (Digital Analog Control-DAC). The next step is to make the computer itself the controller (Direct Digital Control-DDC)1 Perhaps the most important future use of computers will be in controlling interrelated operations and control units. Progress along these lines depends on the steadily improving capabilities in the field of mathematical modeling.

Jan 1, 1970

By F. V. Lenel

Resistance sintering under pressure is a method of hot pressing in which a powder compact is subjected to pressure and simultaneously heated by passing a low voltage high amperage current through it. Equipment for this process is described. Its basic characteristics such as resistance requirements for powders and compacts, temperature distribution in compacts, and gas reactions during resistance sintering are discussed. Examples of the sintering process in compacts made of a single metal or an alloy powder and in compacts made of mixtures of powders are presented. Potential commercial applications of the process are evaluated. THE usual sequence of operations in commercial powder metallurgy is to compact metal powders in a die at room temperature and sinter the compact subsequently without applying pressure while the compact is in the sintering furnaces. In hot pressing, on the other hand, the compacting and the sintering are combined. The loose powder, or in many cases a cold formed compact, is inserted into the die which is held at the hot pressing temperature, the compact is left in the die until it attains its temperature, and then pressure is applied and maintained for a given length of time. The die may be heated by surrounding it with a suitable furnace, by high frequency induction heating, or by passing current through the die. In hot pressing, compacts of high density and good mechanical properties can be produced in a relatively short time. One of the principal difficulties in hot pressing is the lack of suitable die materials which will have adequate strength at the hot pressing temperature. This difficulty can be overcome at least partially by heating only the material to be hot pressed without heating the die directly. This can be done by passing a low voltage high amperage current through the material and simultaneously subjecting it to pressure. Either loose powders or compacts can be hot pressed by this method in which the desired temperature is produced by the power dissipated in the metal powder. This method of hot pressing has been termed "electrical resistance sintering under pressure." The most significant differences between this operation and conventional hot pressing are: 1—The sintering times are very short, usually a fraction of a second and at most a few seconds. 2—The powder and die are initially cold. 3—Heat is generated within the powder itself and not conducted in from the die. 4— The pressure used is high. 5—Cooling following sintering is rapid, amounting to a quench. Resistance sintering of metal powders under pressure has been suggested repeatedly. In 1933, G. F. Taylor' proposed an apparatus which consisted of an insulating tube made of glass, or a ceramic filled with the powder to be pressed, and plungers above and below the powder. The powder was to be heated by passing an electric current through it and pressure was then applied. The apparatus was intended principally for hot pressing cemented carbides. Although the principle of resistance sintering under pressure is clearly shown in this patent, few details are given. A sintering period of a second or a fraction of a second, which is terminated by the operation of an inertia switch, is mentioned but no values for current density are mentioned. Low pressures, such as atmospheric pressure or a somewhat higher pressure exerted through a lever, are suggested. W. D. Jones' discussed electrical resistance sintering under pressure and proposed using resistance welding apparatus for this purpose. In a patent issued in 1944, G. D. Cremera described a method of electrical resistance sintering under pressure using resistance welding apparatus which was to be applied mostly to nonferrous metals such as copper, brass, bronze, and aluminum. Current densities of 400,000 amp per sq in., sintering times of 1 and 2 cycles of 60 cycle current, and pressures of 5 to 10 tsi are proposed. Cremer suggested using an

Jan 1, 1956

By J. S. Levine, M. Prats

Several methods are available for calculating the performance of solution-gas-drive reservoirs from the PVT properties of the oil and from the relative permeability and other properties of the formation. These methods require a number of simplifying assumptions. The present method of computation has made use of a high-speed computer to solve simultaneously the nonlinear partial differential equations that describe two-phase flow by solution-gas drive in order to calculate the performance of a reservoir. Some of the results obtained by the nonlinear partial differential equation solution are compared with those obtained with an approximate method, which has been called the semisteady-state solution. The pressure and saturation profiles from the wellbore to outer boundary calculated by the two methods are compared for one constant-terminal-rate case and two constant-teminal-pressure cases. The agreement in these profiles, as well as in the values of average reservoir pressure and cumulative recovery, leads to the conclusion that, for most engineering calculations, the semisteady-state method will give a reasonable approximation to the numerical solution of the differential equations describing solution-gas drive. An unfavorable (as regards ultimate oil production) set of relative permeability curves was used in the calculations in the belief that the effect of the parameters which were studied would be emphasized to a greater degree. Furthermore, the reservoir was assumed to be completely homogeneous, and these results should not be considered applicable to any other type of reservoir. Gravity effects are not considered. The absolute permeability was varied from 25 to 0.5 md. At an economic limit of 2 B/D, the recovery for a 25-md reservoir is about 1.8 times as great as that for a 0.5-md reservoir. The effect of permeability on the producing gas-oil ratio is minor. Once PVT properties of the oil and the relative penneability properties of the reservoir are fixed, the pro- during gas-oil ratio is found to be a function of the fraction of oil recovered. Well spacings of 10, 40 and 80 acres were considered. For the assumed homogeneous-reservoir properties, the effect of spacing on recovery at an economic limit of 2 B/D was very slight. Certain dimensionless groups can be used to extend the results to other fields having different penneabilities, spacings, reservoir thicknesses, well radii and porosities, so long as the PVT and relative permeability properties are similar to those used in this paper. INTRODUCTION An important aspect of reservoir engineering is the prediction of the performance of the reservoir based on the limited information normally available early in the life of a field. Usually, soon after a field has been discovered, it is necessary to decide upon the spacing to be employed and the production program to be used for most efficient utilization of reservoir energy. Where these decisions have not been dictated by legal or political considerations, they have frequently been based on experience factors which indicate that two fields with similar characteristics will probably have similar performances. To the extent that the industry has been successful in economically exploiting oil reservoirs, this rule-of-thumb method has been found to have merit. A large amount of theory has been developed with which it is possible to predict the performance of a reservoir by using certain known properties of the oil and the formation. Because of the difficulties of the mathematics involved for a drainage area having square or rectangular boundaries, the problem usually has been simplified and idealized by assuming each drainage area to have radial symmetry and the field to be represented by a number of these drainage areas. Muskatl was one of the first to formulate the theory for two-phase flow and to solve the equations for a few cases by numerical integration, using the relatively slow means of computing available at that time. His equations describing

By Ezequiel Ordonez

MOST spectacular of Nature's contributions to the making of the postwar world is the Paricutin volcano, in Mexico, which I described in the July issue of this magazine last year, a few months after it was born. Now, after more than a year of continuous eruption, it is still and perhaps will remain a comparatively small though no less interesting volcano. The cone on April 1 had an altitude of nearly 1200 ft. above the level of the small flat field from which it began to grow on Feb. 20, 1943. This cone is now almost entirely surrounded by the lava flows that poured out at different dates, from its base or from outlets on the slopes near its base. To the north and northwest these lavas were

Jan 1, 1944

The Institute maintains a dual relationship with students: (1) an individual relationship with a Student Associate; and (2) a relationship with local organizations of students, known as Affiliated Student Societies or Student Chapters. 1. The conditions of Student Associateship are set forth in Section 9, Article I, of the Bylaws of the Institute (see page 62 and following pages). During 1934, sundry amendments were made for the purpose of improving the student relationship. Postgraduate students are now eligible; and associateship can be maintained, with the payment of the regular dues of $2 per year, for 18 months following graduation in June. With his regular dues, each Student Associate is entitled to receive during the year his choice of MINING AND METALLURGY, METALS TECHNOLOGY, MINING TECHNOLOGY, PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY, or two "classes" of Technical

Jan 1, 1942

By AIME AIME

THE world was not quite ready for Hal Marsh when he emerged from the California Institute of Technology in 1922 with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering, so, finding no promising job, he went back on a fellowship for another year. He wound up his responsibilities to it on a Saturday in June, 1923, went to work for the General Petroleum Corp. of California the next Monday morning, and has been there ever since. His present position is that of "production engineer." As such, his duties are miscellaneous and vague, but may mostly be described as investigation of equipment and methods pertaining to drilling and the production of oil, with occasionally a bit of design. He has written important papers for the A.I.M.E., American

Jan 1, 1936

By John F. Abel

At the spring meeting of the Open Pit Division of AIME's Arizona Section, I was asked a question which indicates the acceleration of technical advancement. The question was: "How does an engineer at a properly keep abreast of what is new?" The fact that some 200 Arizona AIME members were at the meeting is a testimonial to the desire of these men to do just that- keep abreast. There is a great deal of talk in academic circles about the built-in obsolescence of an engineering or scientific education, too. About 100 commencement speakers every spring are sure to admonish the graduates that education is a continuing thing. Mining engineers are a small fraternity. We keep informed by talking to one another. Talking shop is valuable but there is no substitute for reading.

Jan 1, 1970

By A. S. Yue

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

Jan 1, 1964

By C. C. Templeton, S. S. Rushing

Methods previously developed for the study of air-liquid displacements in microscopic capillaries (inner diameters of 3 to 40 microns) have been used to investigate oil-water displacements in capillaries initially filled with water. Displacement calculations assuming perfect displacement and no capillary pressure hysteresis yielded oil effective viscosities smaller than the macroscopic viscosities. For a given liquid pair, the oil effective viscosity decreased both with decreasing capillary size and with increasing oil-water viscosity ratio. This behavior can be explained by the existence of an annular water film (20 A to 260 A thick) on the capillary wall. When the capillary was first filled with oil, the ratio of the oil effective viscosity to the normal oil vircosity was highest for the first water displacement and decreased with subsequent displacements. Sometimes the oil effective viscosity ratio during the initial water displacement was greater than unity. INTRODUCTION In a previous paper1 a technique was described for studying air-liquid and liquid-liquid displacements in very small capillaries of uniform diameter, in the hope that such microscopic data would further the understanding of the nature of multiphase fluid flow through porous media. That paper contained comprehensive data for air-liquid displacements in Pyrex capillaries, with a few data for oil-water displacements in capillaries initially filled with water. The purpose of this paper is to present more complete results for oil-water displacements in capillaries initially filled with water, and to describe for the first time such observations in capillaries initially filled with oil. In this way the effect of the wetting history of the system upon the displacement process may be studied. METHODS The basic techniques employed were described in the previous paper.1 The measuring procedure and the working equations will be briefly summarized here and a few modilications will be pointed out. For the present study, temperature control within 0.l °C was obtained by placing the microscope and its immediate accessories in a thermostated air bath made of a steel frame covered with plexiglas. The water and oils used in this work were the same as in the previous paper,1 with the addition of "Medium Mineral Oil, U.S.P. supplied by the Harshaw Scientific Co. When the first liquid was introduced into the horizontal capillary, the air-liquid static capillary pressure Poc was measured along the observable length of the capillary. From the relation Poc = 4y cos 0/d, the capillary diameter d could be calculated from Poc if the "microscopic" air-liquid boundary tension, To = y cos On, was taken as equal to its known "macroscopic" value. This calculation involves assuming that cos 6 = 1 and that capillary size or the resulting high interfa-cial curvature has no effect on surface tension, or y cos 6, as was verified by our work, and also by that of Cohan and Meyers on air-liquid-solid systems. For several capillaries these calculated diameter values were compared with values measured visually with a filar micrometer eyepiece. For a given capillary the average values for the two methods agreed within 1 or 2 per cent, but the visual values were less reproducible than the calculated values. Further the calculated values were much less subject to personal bias and took into account any slight ellipticity that might be present. Hence diameters calculated from air-liquid Poc data were used throughout this paper. The second liquid was introduced in such a way that a single spherical interface separated the two liquids. Displacements were always made with a constant pressure, Pt, between the ends of the capillary. The times (t) at which the interface passed certain

Jan 1, 1957

By R. E. Bish

IN an effort to distinguish experimentally between the radically different limits of two-liquid im-miscibility reported for the Cu-Pb system by Borne-inann and Wagenmann and by Briesemeister (see Fig. I), it was found that the high temperature homogeneous liquid containing between 41 and 93 pct Pb could not be frozen without separation into two liquids with the fastest cooling technique that could be devised. Thus, the two-phase state could not be distinguished with certainty from the one-phase state by the examination of quenched samples. To overcome this obstacle the following method for detecting the presence of an interface between two immiscible conducting liquids at temperature was developed. Measurements made by the new method substantiate the Briesemeister diagram in its general form. The method consists essentially in the measure-

Jan 1, 1953

By J. Avraamides

Many of the current methods for producing metallic silver particles having specific characteristics involve several steps, are time consuming and subject to contamination. The novel non-aqueous chemistry of silver and copper is used in a simple two step process capable of producing high purity silver powders of specific size and shape. The chemical basis of the process involves the manipulation of the equilibrium -- Cu(I1) + Ag [=]Cu(1) + Ag(1). The addition of at least 50% (V/V) acetonitrile (CH3CN) stabilizes both Cu(1) and Ag(1) ions in aqueous sulphate medium, and the metallic silver dissolves. Removal of the volatile nitrile by distillation reverses the equilibrium and silver powder is precipitated. The nature of the powder depends on the presence of additives such as gelatin, thiourea and polyacrylamide.

Jan 1, 1984

The papers presented at the International Congress, held in San Francisco, Cal., Sept. 20 to 25, 1915, are published in 11 volumes of Transactions. In addition, an index volume is published, containing .besides the author and title index, a report of the business meetings of the Congress, and a brief digest of each paper presented. The following is a schedule of the volumes: Index and Digest.-General proceedings, indexes and digests. Vol. I. Panama Canal. II. Waterways and Irrigation. III. Municipal Engineering. IV. Railway Engineering. V. Materials of Engineering Construction. VI. Mechanical Engineering. VII. Electrical Engineering and Hydro-electric Power Development. VIII. Mining Engineering. IX. Metallurgy. X. Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. XI. Miscellaneous. Aeronautics; Refrigeration; Agricultural Engineering; Engineering Education; Heating and Ventilation. Remember the New York Meeting, Feb. 14 to 17, 1916.

Jan 12, 1915

By K. E. Starling

Phase equilibria data were used to develop an equation-of-state correlation for complex hydrocarbon mixtures, thereby circumventing difficulties associated with use of pressure-volume-temperature data. Equilibrium phase data for two condensate reservoir fluids were used to determine equation-of-state parameters for hydrocarbons as heavy as C22H46 in a modified form of the Benedict-Webb-Rubin equation of state. Comparative tests of K-values from the resultant correlation were made with data for condensate reservoir, separator and gas plant absorber mixtures. Generally, for temperatures above OF and computed liquid densities below 0.55 Ib-mole/cu ft, the modified BIVR equation predicted K-values in close agreement with the experimental data. INTRODUCTION Accurate predictions of thermodynamic behavior for complex hydrocarbon mixtures are necessary for many calculations in the petroleum industry. Because of the relatively high cost of extensive experimental data, many correlations for prediction of phase behavior have been developed. Some of these, such as the correlation of K-values presented in the NGAA Equilibrium Ratio Data Book, are totally empirical.l Others, such as the Benedict-Webb-Rubin (BWR) equation-of-state method, are semitheoretical.2-4 Unfortunately, published correlation methods often do not accurately predict the phase behavior of complex hydrocarbon mixtures, principally because of inadequate representation of the effects of components heavier than decane. This paper presents a new approach to this problem in which basic equation-of-state relations including heavy hydrocarbon effects are applied. Equilibrium phase data for two condensate reservoir fluids containing hydrocarbons as heavy as C22H46 are used to correlate component K-values. The BWR equation was chosen as the prototype equation of state for this study because of its proven capability for accurately predicting phase behavior and thermodynamic properties of light - hydrocarbon mixtures? Research was directed toward development of BWR parameters for the heavy hydrocarbons and modifications of the mathematical form of the BWR equation for application to complex hydrocarbon mixtures. The new equation-of-state approach presented differs considerably from previous methods in that phase equilibria rather than PVT data are used for determination of equation-of-state parameters. It is an explicit approach since the parameters are determined directly from mixture data. As such, it does not encounter problems inherent in the implicit method used by Benedict, Webb and Rubin 2-4 and numerous other investigators—one in which mixture parameters were postulated to be functions of the pure component parameters. The pure component BWR parameters, in turn, were determined from experimental PVT data. This method has been limited to mixtures containing components lighter than decane because of lack of vapor phase PVT data. Studies have been reported in which BWR parameters have been determined explicitly from PVT data for binary mixtures.6-8 However, since small concentrations of heavier components have only a minor effect on PVT behavior, it is doubtful that these explicit methods would yield useful results for condensate systems. Ellington and Eakin9 have shown that the accuracy of K-values predicted by an equation of state developed from mixture PVT data probably would be more than an order of magnitude lower than the accuracy of the PVT data. On the other hand, an equation of state utilizing parameters developed from phase equilibria data should predict K-values with accuracy comparable to the accuracy of the experimental phase compositions. This work applies this explicit approach with the objective of improving hydrocarbon mixture phase behavior predictions. Results are evaluated by comparing predicted and experimental K-values at reservoir, separator and gas plant

Jan 1, 1967

By Roshan B. Bhappu, Raul A. Deju

A method is proposed by which the chemical reactions between water and a silicate bed can be related to equations of flow. First the reaction mechanism is studied both theoretically and experimentally. Once the reaction mechanism is established, the equations of flow are solved, and a solution (under physically reasonable side conditions) is obtained. Experiments to substantiate the solution are also presented. The knowledge of surface reactions at the water-solid interface is of critical importance in extractive metallurgy. This is especially true in regard to the froth-flotation process of mineral concentration and all phases of hydro metallurgical recovery of metals. Similarly, the problem of ground-water contamination is one of growing concern, not only because of the increasing demands on our sources of supply but also because of the increasing necessity to find vehicles of waste disposal. The hydrochemistry of waste waters must be understood to exploit and develop such resources properly. To understand these problems, it is necessary to obtain a better insight into the reactions that take place between water and a solid packed bed. To do this, we will develop here in a theoretical model that predicts the fate of a chemical species in solution as it reacts with a silicate bed through which the liquid percolates. The treatment will be one-dimensional in nature and will not include dispersion. Experiments will also be presented to substantiate the theoretical model, using the silicate minerals listed in Table 1. This paper is preliminary in nature and is part of a larger study of the surface chemistry of the silicate-water interface. Mechanism of Surface Reactions In a previous paper,' the authors discussed the properties of various silicate minerals from a mineralogical standpoint. Now efforts will be made to study the reactions that occur when these minerals are put in contact with water. The reactions occur almost entirely in the surface layer of the mineralsa and are termed sorp-tion reactions. In this study sorption denotes the composite of all physical adsorption and chemical adsorption occurring between the silicate surface and the water in contact with it. A model of sorption as seen from a chemical-bond standpoint is presented below. On the basis of this model, the surface reactions between deionized water and a silicate mineral can be studied. Sorption Model: It is known that as the oxygen-silicon ratio increases from quartz to the olivines, a greater percentage of the oxygen bonding power is available for bonding to cations other than silicon. Hence, with an increasing oxygen-silicon ratio, the oxygen-to-metal bonding increases. Upon the fracturing of a silicate-mineral crystal, the oxygen-metal bond breaks more easily than the stronger oxygen-silicon bond, resulting in a negatively charged surface. Then, if the mineral is immersed in a liquid containing hydrogen ions, the negatively charged surface should tend to be neutralized by hydrogen ions from solution, resulting in a change of the solution pH. Thus, an increase in the degree of sorption of hydrogen ions must occur as the oxygen-silicon ratio in the crystal structure increases. Also in a previous paper,' the authors found that for a given silicate mineral the change of pH with time is given by

Jan 1, 1971

By R. M. Jorda

The mechanism of parafin deposition and prevention has been studied in the laboratory using an apparatus which provides a quantitative means of studying parafin deposition on metal and plastic surfaces. The amount, hardness, adhesion, per cent wax and mean molecular weight of parafin deposits appear to be governed by surface roughness alone, all other conditions being constant. Tests of various plastic coatings indicate that most smooth, nonparafinic plastics are capable of reducing parafin deposits in oil wells, but flexible, highly polar, nonparafinic plastics are more suitable for providing long term resistance to parafin deposition in oil wells if the flow stream contains abrasive materials. INTRODUCTION The problem of paraffin deposition is one of long standing in the oil industry.' Crude oils often contain paraffins which precipitate and adhere to the liner, tubing, sucker rods and surface equipment as the temperature of the producing stream decreases in the normal course of flowing, gas lifting or pumping. Heavy paraffin deposits are undesirable because they reduce the effective size of the flow conduits and restrict the production rate from the well. Where severe paraffin deposition occurs, removal of the deposits by mechanical, thermal or other means is required, resulting in costly down time and increased operating costs. The troublesome paraffins are normal hydrocarbons ranging from approximately C15H38 to C38H78 mixed with small amounts of branched paraffins, monocyclic paraffins, polycyclic paraffins and aromatics.' The amount of paraffins found in crude oils varies from less than 1 to more than 30 per cent. Many publications are available which deal with this problem, and perhaps the most significant findings in recent literature are contained in a publication by Hunt3 ho developed the "cold spot tester", a really useful means of investigating paraffin deposition. Hunt's observations led to many generalized conclusions concerning the effect of surface roughness on paraffin deposits. He ascertained that there was an observable qualitative correlation between the severity of paraffin deposition and the roughness of the surfaces which he tested (cold rolled steel, stainless steel and several plastics). Because of the number of meaningful observations made by Hunt, his cold spot tester was modified somewhat and extensive tests were per- formed to study the quantitative relationship between surface roughness and the physical and chemical nature of paraffin deposits. LABORATORY TEST PROCEDURES The cold spot test apparatus consists of a flat circular plate mounted on a curved tube and positioned in a vessel containing a wax-oil solution (Fig. 1). The apparatus is arranged so that the temperature of the central portion of the circular plate can be varied by means of a circulating liquid stream; the test equipment includes provisions for maintaining a constant wax-oil solution temperature and stirring speed. In the paraffin deposition studies, the modified cold spot tester was used as follows. The cold spot probe consisted of a flat circular plat 2 in. in diameter and 1/8-in. thick positioned in the wax-oil solution kept at constant temperature. As in Hunt's earlier experiments," a cold liquid was circulated through a tube connected to the circular plate so that the liquid impinged on one side of the plate cooling the plate from the center outward, causing paraffin to deposit on the side of the plate exposed to the wax-oil solution.

Jan 1, 1967

By J. F. Havard

Gypsum is a useful industrial mineral found abundantly on the earth's crust. It is inexpensive to mine and process, and its calcined products have a wide range of readily controllable properties such as strength, density and setting time. It has proven to be such a useful material indeed, that ten American companies, operating some 57 calcining plants in 25 states in 1958, produced or imported in that year a total of 13,649,000 tons of the crude mineral valued at $39,361,000, which they then converted into manufactured products with a value of $329,070,000. Gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O) is calcium sulfate with two molecules of combined water, which are responsible for most of its useful properties. It is closely associated in most deposits with anhydrite (CaSO4), which contains no combined water and has limited commercial value in the United States. Man has long recognized the useful qualities of gypsum. It was utilized by the Egyptians in the construction of the pyramids and, later, by the Romans for important structures. Many of the ancient peoples prized gypsum for artistic and ornamental purposes, carving statuary from alabaster and making casts with plaster. The tabular variety, selenite, was used for windows, and the light transmitted through these windows reminded people of light from the moon (selene), hence the name selenite. The use of gypsum continued through the Middle Ages and into modem times. Benjamin Franklin was a famed exponent of gypsum because he applied ground gypsum to clover fields in the form of large letters which later read, in the more luxuriant growth, "land plaster used here." Gypsum is still used as an effective conditioner for some soils, but in recent decades, particularly in North America and Europe, it has become much more important as a major material for the building industry. Description Gypsum and anhydrite are closely associated minerals. Gypsum is found in a number of forms: massive rock gypsum, alabaster, selenite, satin spar, and gypsite. Anhydrite is found as massive rock or as smaller bodies or isolated crystals included in gypsum. Massive Rock Gypsum comprises most of the commercial gypsum and occurs as a sedimentary rock, interbedded in most places with shale, limestone or dolomite. This rock is soft and crystalline. Its color is white or shades of gray, pink, yellow, brown or other colors. Alabaster is a pure, compact and fine-grained variety suitable for use in sculpture or turning into artistic forms; it may be white or selected for attractive coloration. Selenite is gypsum crystallized in flat, transparent, flexible foliated plates, found in clays or in surface vugs in gypsum. Satin Spar is a fine silky fibrous variety with the axes of the crystalline fibers perpendicular to the vein or joint in which it has formed. Gypsite is an earthy mixture of gypsum with clay and sand in secondary formations; it is sometimes useful as a soil conditioner and has been used in making base-coat plasters. Pure gypsum contains 20.9 pct combined water, 46.6 pct sulfur trioxide (SO3) and 32.5 pct lime (CaO). Standard specifications (American Society for Testing Materials Designation C 22-50) read that minimum purity for material to be called gypsum is 70 pct CaSO4.2H20. Most of the commercial gypsum is 85 to 95 pct pure as produced. Impurities in

Jan 1, 1960