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By AIME AIME

THE paper by C. H., Lieb on the "Economics of Oil-Producing Practice" (June issue, M. & M.) contains much food for thought. The engineers should be gratified that an executive with Mr. Lieb's. responsibility should recognize their standing in the industry. Yet after giving them that recognition, he proceeds to spur them on to greater accomplishments by pointing out that their job is only partly done and in some instances poorly done. The operating policies in this paper when applied to new pools with flowing wells are sound. Neither do I take exception to their application to pumping wells. But I do wish to comment on what lie says about price when applied to the many more wells that are approaching abandonment that is, the small producing wells. Mr. Lieb states in effect that higher prices would be detrimental from the long range viewpoint. I doubt that the present prices of crude will provide an ample return from the hundreds of thousands of small wells that have possibilities of substantial recovery by means of water-flooding, repressuring with gas, and air drive. Probably expenditure for experimental work can he justified, but at this time it must usually be considered as experimental. Recently I visited a property where it was estimated that $250,000 would be spent on a 160-acre tract for flooding purposes. The rate of r e t n r n and amount of profit at today's prices are uncertain. It can be argued that if this type of recovery is not economic with crude at $1 then it can he delayed as it is now possible to secure economically an ample supply of crude from our flush fields. But these old fields still retain large quantities of crude in a dormant state, and should not he abandoned per-

Jan 1, 1936

By E. A. Gulbransen, K. F. Andrew

The gas-metal reactions of zirconium are very interesting. The metal is extremely stable at room temperature to reactions with the several gases present in air and the metal will stay bright indefinitely. However, at temperatures of several hundred degrees higher the metal reacts readily with oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen. This behavior, in addition to the fact that zirconium is one of the higher melting point metals which might have high temperature applications under the proper conditions, resulted in the work reported in this communication. There are several factors which indicate that zirconium might have good oxidation resistance at elevated temperatures. These are: (1) the high melting point of approximately 1860°C, (2) the high melting point of the oxide of approximately 2675°C, (3) the high degree of thermodynamic stability of the oxide to chemical reaction and the low decomposition pressure of the oxide and (4) the possible formation of a continuous oxide film since the volume ratio of oxide to metal is greater than unity. The unfavorable factors are: (1) the metal reacts to form nitrides, hydrides and carbides, (2) the oxide is soluble at elevated temperatures in the metal and (3) the oxide ZrO2 undergoes crystal structure transformations at high temperature. The oxidation resistance of this metal is not only a question of the rate of film formation but is complicated by the fact that the oxide and other reaction products dissolve in the metal which in turn will affect the physical and mechanical properties of the metal. The protection of the metal to nitride formation must be considered separately from the oxide problem. One unfavorable factor is that the volume ratio of the nitride to the metal is about unity. This indicates that a discontinuous film might be formed. This paper will present measurements on the rates of reaction of the metal with O2, H2 and N2 over a wide temperature and pressure range. The reaction in high vacuum and the stability of the several compounds formed will be presented. The results are correlated with fundamental rate theory and with the physical and chemical structure of the metal and film. Literature Although many papers have been published on the chemical reactions of zirconium with various gases, comparatively few are concerned with the protective nature of the metal and its reactions at normal pressures. The studies in the pressure range below 0.01 mm of Hg gas pressure are largely of interest in the nature of the adsorption of gases by hot filaments in high vacuum apparatus. The reactions of zirconium in this pressure range have been reviewed by Fast8 and by RaynOr.27 In spite of certain differences of opinion as to the maximum adsorption temperatures for various gases, the low pressure range is qualitatively understood. Some of these papers will be mentioned briefly here. 1. LOW PRESSURE Ehrke and Slack' find that oxygen reacts above 885°C and hydrogen above 760°C. Nitrogen does not react up to a temperature of 1527°C. Fast9 on the other hand observes that oxygen is absorbed above 700°C and nitrogen at temperatures exceeding 1000°C. Hydrogen is absorbed from 300" to 400°C and liberated between 500" and 800°C. It is readsorbed at 862°C and released above 862°C. Hukagawa and Nambo22 find a rather complicated picture for the absorption of oxygen. A rapid initial absorption is found between 180" to 230°C. Further oxygen is not taken up until a temperature of 450°C is reached. The optimum temperature for complete absorption is 650" to 700°C. Nitrogen is found to be completely adsorbed at 600°C. However some of the gas is evolved at higher temperatures. Their data on the absorption of hydrogen indicate some of the gas is removed at 550°C. Guldner and Wooten17 in a study of the low pressure reactions of zirconium with various gases observed that the reaction with oxygen occurs at temperatures above 400°C and that the oxide is formed. The reactions with carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide occur rapidly at temperatures of about 800°C with the oxide and carbide being formed. Zirconium reacts at temperatures of 400°C slowly and at 800°C rapidly to form the nitride and with hydrogen and water at 300°C to form the hydride and a mixture of the oxide and hydride respectively. 2. NORMAL PRESSURE DeBoer and Fast3 in a study of the electrolysis of oxygen in zirconium find that the metal absorbs up to 40 at. pct of oxygen without forming a new phase. The solubility of nitrogen in the lattice has been studied by de Boer and Fast4 and Fast10 and is found to be considerable. At higher temperatures the oxide dissolves in the lattice at an appreciable rate according to Fast10 and the zirconium surface becomes active. De Boer and Fast4 and Hägg18 have studied the solubility of hydrogen and find that at room temperature the solubility corresponds to ZrH1.95 Desorption occurs on lowering the pressure. Hydrogen is stated to be more soluble in the ß-form and the

Jan 1, 1950

By James Boyd

In critical times such as the present, when the whole world is agitated by the aftermath of war and the road to peace is blocked by seemingly insurmountable obstacles, it is fitting that we should pause to take inventory of the material resources essential to our national security. Our status as a world power, in peace as well as in war, is intrinsically bound to the availability of minerals, for the foundation of our industrial and economic structurewhich in turn largely determines our military potential and our limits of national prosperity-rests on our ready access to economic sources of iron, copper, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, and at least threescore of other metals, minerals, and mineral fuels. By applying the well-known facts of mineral resources to recognized fundamental concepts of preparedness, we can obtain a- clearer picture of the essential needs of our country. Historically, the lure of minerals and other raw material resources has all too frequently led nations to policies of imperialism and war. For more than a century the staking of colonial territory for new sources of raw materials has been a primary objective of many nations. These national policies. of aggrandizement were accelerated by increasing industrialization. The nations, in their aggressive search for

Jan 1, 1948

By K. I. Savage, L. G. Austin, S. C. Sun

The comminution environment - the physical, chemical, and solid state - was studied for silicon carbide ground wet in a laboratory vibratory mill. The relative importance of these variables on the grinding rate of producing a material 50% passing 5µ from a powder feed of 50% passing 19µ was established.

Jan 1, 1975

By A. C. Stevenson

THE hoisting equipment selected for use at the Hecla mine in 1907 was one of the first Ilgner type Ward-Leonard controlled hoists put into ser- vice. Development of the Hecla below the 2000-ft. level, which is the ultimate depth of the old equipment, and the additional service required by the "Star," necessitated additional hoisting capacity. It will be our endeavor to give j70u a brief summary of the engineering which determined the selection of the new equipment. The engineer in making his decision as to size, speed, etc., must .make a duty study approximating as closely &s possible the actual opePating conditions which will eventually result. Primarily, it is necessary to know what work must be done. The amount of material which must be hoisted under the maximum condition, as well as its distribution from the various levels of the mine was carefully studied by the mining engineering department, as the ore reserves, their relative-position and the probable method of working them had to be considered. The final figures reached, taking into consideration four different operating conditions, were, in tons per day, as follows:

Jan 1, 1930

By F. Selig, A. S. Odeh

A second-order approximation to the exact solution of the diffusivity equation corresponding to the pressure build-up of a well producing at a variable rate is derived. This approximation is applicable when the well's shut-in time is larger than the total time elapsed since the well was first produced. The resulting equations are compact in form and easy to use. Thus, the need for Horner's' theoretically precise but rather laborious solution to the above problem is eliminated. In addition, these equations apply where the use of Horner's widely known approximate method is questionable. From a practical point of view, the reported method is best suited for analysis of drill-stem tests and short production tests conducted on new wells. INTRODUCTION The utility of drill-stem and short production tests in reservoir studies has long been recognized by the reservoir engineer. If interpreted correctly they could lead to a wealth of information upon which may depend the success or failure of reservoirs' analyses. Initial reservoir pressure and the average flow capacity are two quantities that are normally sought from a drill-stem and/or a short production test analysis. Pressures are the most valuable and useful data in reservoir engineering. Directly or indirectly, they enter into all phases of reservoir engineering calculations. Therefore, their accurate determination is of utmost importance. The flow capacity kh of the reservoir is indicative of its commercial capability. In addition, it can indicate the presence of a darnaged zone around the wellbore and, thus, the necessity for remedial measures. Of the several methods used to analyze drill-stem and short production tests, Horner's' method is by and large the most common. It applies to an infinite reservoir and or a limited reservoir where the effect of production has not been felt by the boundary. Horner's method makes use of the so-called "point-source" solution of the diffusivity equation. The point-source solution is approximated by a logarithmic function and the superposition theorem is utilized to give the familiar pressure build-up equation where is the shut-in time, q is in reservoir barrels per day and the rest of the symbols conform with AIME nomenclature. Eq. 1 was derived for a well which produced at a constant rate q from time zero to time t and was then shut in. In actuality, such a constant rate of production does not normally obtain. Therefore, a correction must be applied to Eq. 1 to account for the varying rates of production. Horner suggested two methods. The first, which results in a theoretically accurate solution, is rather lengthy and laborious and, thus, it is not suited for routine analysis. The second which has been termed a "good working approximation" is the one used by the majority of the reservoir engineers. In the second method, Eq. 1 is modified by simply introducing a corrected time t, and writing where q is the last established production rate prior to shut-in, and t, is obtained by dividing the total cumulative production by the last established rate. Horner's original paper does not give any indication that this method of correction is based on any theoretical justification. In addition, there is a question as to what constitutes the last established rate. In case of a drill-stem test some engineers use the average rate obtained by dividing the total fluid produced by the total flow time, while others calculate the average rate by dividing the total fluid produced by the last flow-period time. Obviously, different results obtain for the different flow rates used. Because of this, a simple method to the varying-rate case was developed which is theoretically sound and which defines clearly the flow rate and its associated time to be used in the calculations. The final equation arrived at is where q* and t* are a modified rate and time, respectively, and can be easily calculated. In addition, it is shown theoretically that Horner's approximate method, if used for a variable-rate case, gives the correct pressure but would not be expected to give the correct flow capacity. MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS The general equation governing the flow of slightly compressible fluid in porous media may be written as The elementary solution to Eq. 4, representing an instantaneous withdrawal of Q units volume of fluid at the origin at t = 0, is known as the instantaneous sink

By C. W. Thompson

Paul D. Suloff (Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., Inc., Akron, Ohio)—I would like first to comment on problems of the conveyor belt discussed in Mr. Thompson's excellent paper, since that is what we hope we know most about. Twists in relatively wide conveyor belt unavoidably produce a lateral maldistribution of tension, raising tension at belt edges and reducing it at the center. They also produce a lateral collapsing force on the belt at the center of the twist owing to the inherent tendency of all the longitudinal elements of the belt to try to pass through a point at the twist center. Calculation of the twist geometry by the methods shown in Mr. Thompson's paper keeps these extraordinary forces within limits which the belt designer can tolerate. No reduction in belt life due to twisting need be contemplated when this geometry is maintained. There is a minor exception that belts of extreme lateral flexibility will tend to curl laterally at the center of the twist. However, any ordinary fabric construction will perform satisfactorily in this respect. These twists are always made in regions of low tension in the conveyor so that even in the edges of the twist, belt tension does not exceed the average tension found in highly stressed regions of the conveyor. Offsetting these out-of-ordinary belt stresses is the advantage that Mr. Thompson has brought out of getting the return run up out of the dirt where it can be seen. This not only makes it easier to train, but also, in the event that it is not properly trained, frees it of the normal return run edge wear hazard. It is well known that return run edge wear is a prominent cause of belt mortality underground. An interesting aspect of this two-way conveyor is that the belt may be made what is known as a Mobius Strip. A Mobius Strip is obtained by splicing a belt after turning one end of it 180" about its longitudinal axis. In other words, one end is turned upside down before splicing. A belt spliced in this fashion turns itself upside down every time it comes around, but the twist which has been put in the splicing, of course, stays at one location on the conveyor, in this case one of the twist sections at the end. Turning the belt over every revolution might have advantages in some cases. Belts could be made with equal covers and the two sides worn equally and simultaneously. In this case there would be no problem of getting belts on upside down by mistake. However, the two-way conveyor does not have to be a Mobius Strip. It can be twisted in such fashion that the same side is up on both runs. It is simply a question of which way the final 90" twist is made before joining the ends. Another interesting aspect of the two-way conveyor is the problem of operating two-way conveyors in series. Here the sequencing of starting brings up some new problems. It will be recognized, although not always at first glance, that if the starting sequence is planned for one run of the conveyor the reverse will result on the other run. With the two runs carrying bulk material in both directions a reverse sequence on one run would be intolerable. In this situation the only solution appears to be a simultaneous starting of all conveyors in the series. However, with the coal in one direction and intermittent supplies in the other it would be entirely practical to sequence the conveyors for the coal run and accept a reverse sequence on the supply run. The two-way conveyor also lends itself to new driving possibilities. First, it is quite possible to drive at the head end of each run, which of course, means a drive at each end of the two-way conveyor. Driving in this way a given belt can be extended to substantially greater lengths than a conventional conveyor with drive at one end only. In addition to this, under certain conditions the conveyor can be extended to extreme length by driving at one end and at some intermediate point on the most heavily loaded run. As a particular case, a belt carrying coal downgrade and supplies back upgrade could be extended to extreme lengths by driving at the head of the coal run and at an intermediate point of the supply run. Mr. Thompson has been a pioneer in belt conveyor transportation underground and his accomplishment here with the first two-way conveyor of any consequence is another notable addition to the art.

Jan 1, 1954

By John L. Miles

John L. Miles (Arthur D. Little, 1nc.)—Pollack and orris" have reported measurements on electron tunneling through A1-A12O3-A1 sandwiches in which the oxide was formed by gaseous oxidation in a glow discharge. From these measurements they deduced the asymmetry of the barrier and, since this is small, conclude that the mechanism suggested by Mott19 for the growth of oxide in thin A12O3 films is inapplicable. In earlier papers20 Pollack and Morris report similar work for oxide films grown thermally. In this case they find a greater asymmetry and conclude that the Mott mechanism is valid. I would like to point out that both these conclusions are quite unjustified. Mott suggests that the growth of the oxide film on aluminum results from the passage of ions through the already present film of oxide under the action of an electric field. This field results from a constant voltage which is in effect a contact potential between metal on one side of the barrier and adsorbed oxygen ions on the other side of the barrier. The theory does not require that the oxide grown is nonuniform either in stoichiometry or structure. It does however specifically assume that the partial layer of ionized oxygen on the surface remains adsorbed on the surface of the growing oxide. In other words, the so-called "built-in field" remains in the oxide only as long as the ionized oxygen is present. When a counter electrode of aluminum is deposited on the oxide, it will react with the adsorbed oxygen on the surface of the oxide, thus forming a small additional amount of oxide. It is clear, then, that there is no requirement in the Mott theory of oxide growth which would necessitate tunneling currents through an Al-A1203-A1 sample to be different when the polarity is reversed. Neither does the theory eliminate the possibility that some additional mechanism could cause the tunneling barrier to be asymmetric and hence tunneling currents to be a function of polarity in such a sandwich. Thus these tunneling-currents measurements are not germane to the question of whether the Mott mechanism is the true method of growth of aluminum oxide films. In fact, it is not surprising that there should be a difference between the oxide properties at the two interfaces (with resulting asymmetry in the tunneling barrier) since the growth conditions and growth rates must have been quite different at these two positions. S. R. Pollack and C. E. Morris (authors' reply)— The point raised by Miles above is one has caused some confusion in the past. The following is an attempt to clarify this point. The built-in field which is responsible for the growth of the thermal oxide at low temperatures arises, according to Mott, because of the passage of electrons from the Fermi surface of the oxidizing metal to surface states introduced by the adsorbed oxygen. It is assumed that the energy of these surface states lies below the Fermi energy of the metal. Electrons therefore continue to flow from the metal to the surface until the built-in electric field raises the potential energy of the surface states to the value of the Fermi energy in the metal, at which time equilibrium is obtained between the surface states and the metal. That is in equilibrium as many excess electrons pass from the metal to the surface per unit time as vice versa. The surface of the oxide prior to deposition of a metallic counterelectrode can then be pictured as follows. The Fermi energy lies in the energy gap of the oxide and is essentially pinned at the energy of the oxygen surface states. The vacuum work function of the oxide is then given by the sum of the electron affinity of the oxide (i.e., the difference in energy between the vacuum and the conduction-band minimum) plus the energy difference between the conduction-band minimum and the Fermi energy. The deposition of a metal onto the surface of the oxide can result in a transfer of electrons across the extremely thin oxide only if there is a contact potential difference between the deposited metal and the parent metal or oxide. That is if the vacuum work function of the deposited metal differs from that of the parent metal, then charge can be redistributed across the oxide in order to equilibriate the Fermi energy across the structure. (It should be

Jan 1, 1965

By D. Havlena, A. S. Odeh

The material balance equation used by reservoir engineers is arranged algebraically, resulting in an equation of a straight line. The straight line method of analysis imposes an additional necessary condition that a successful solution of the material balance equatiott should meet. In addition, this algebraic arrangement attaches a dynamic ineuning to the otherwise static material balance equation. The straight line method requires the plotting of one variable group vs mother variable group. The sequence of the plotted points as well as the general shape of the resulting plot is of utmost importance. Therefore, one cannot progrm the method entirely on a digital computer ar is usually done in the routine solution of the material balance equation. If this method is applied, then plotting and anaIysis are asential. Only the appropriate equations and the method of analysis and interpremtion with comments and discussion are presented in this paper. Illustrative field examples for the various cases treated are deferred to a subsequent writing. INTRODUCTION One of the fundamental principles utilized in engineering work is the law of conservation of matter. The application of this principle to hydrocarbon reservoirs for the purpose of quantitative deductions and prediction is termed "the material balance method of reservoir analysis". While the construction of the material balance equation (MBE) and the computations that go with its application are not difficult tasks, the criteria that a successful solution of the MBE should fulfill have always been a problem facing the reservoir engineer. True and complete criteria should embody necessary and dcient conditions. The criteria which the reservoir engineer uses possess a few necessary but no sufficient conditions. Because of this, the answers obtained from the MBB are always open to question. However, the degree of their acceptability should increase with the increase in the number of the necessary conditions that they should satisfy. Generally, the necessary conditions commonly used are (1) an unspecified consistency of the results and (2) the agreement between the MBE results and those determined volumetrically. This second criterion is usually overemphasized. Actually, the volumetrically determined results are based on geological and petrophysical data of unknown accuracy. In addition, the oil-in-place obtained by the MBE is that oil which contributes to the pressure-production history,' while the volumetrically calculated oil-in-place refers to the total oil, part of which may not contribute to said history. Because of this difference, the disagreement between the two answers might be of paramount importance, and the concordance between them should not be overemphasized as the measure of correctness of either one. In this paper, a third necessary condition of mathematical as well as physical significance is discussed. It is not subject to any geological or petrophysical interpretation, and as such, it is probably the most important necessary condition. It consists essentially of rearranging the MBE to result in an equation of a straight line. This straight line method of the MBE solution has invalidated a few long time accepted concepts. For instance, it has always been advocated that if a water drive exists, but one neglects to take it into account in the MBE, the calculated oil-in-place should increase with time. The straight line method shows that in some cases, depending on the size of the neglected aquifer, the calculated oil-in-place might decrease with time. The straight line method requires the plotting of a variable group vs another variable group, with the variable group selection depending on the mechanism of production under which the reservoir is producing. The most important aspect of this method of solution is that it attaches a significance to the sequence of the plotted points, the direction in which they plot, and to the shape of the resulting plot. Thus, a dynamic meaning has been introduced into the picture in arriving at the final answer. Since the emphasis of this method is placed on the interpretation of the sequence of the points and the shape of the plot, one cannot completely automate the whole sequence to obtain "the best value" as normally done in the routine application of the MBE. If one uses the straight line method, then plotting and analysis are musts. The straight line method was first recognized by van Everdingen, et al,2 but for some reason it was never fully exploited. The advantages and the elegance of this method can be more appreciated after a few cases are carefully treated and worked out by it. SOLUTION OF THE MATERIAL BALANCE EQUATION SATURATED RESERVOIRS The MBE for saturated reservoirs written in AIME symbols is

By J. D. Hunt, D. T. J. Hurle

A uariety of eutectic structures are formed in faceted/nonfaceted eutectics. The various structures are explained in terms of the absence or presence of small facets in the liquid groove. Regular structures are produced when, for purely geometric reasons facels cannot form. The presence of a facet in the liquid groove leads to the formation of an irregular or a cell-like complex regular structure, due to the relative immobility of the groove. A classification of eutectics was proposed by Hunt and jackson, based on the presence or absence of facets on the primary phases (the absence of facets may be predicted from the dimensionless entropy of melting2). Eutectics were divided into three groups: 1) eutectics in which both phases grow in a nonfaceted manner; 2) eutectics in which one phase grows faceted, the other nonfaceted; 3) eutectics in which both phases grow faceted. It was suggested that regular1 rodlike or lamellar structures1 should be formed in the first group, that irregular or complex regular structures1 should be formed in the' second, and that irregular structures1 should be formed in the third. Recently it has been shown that the structural classification is incomplete. Regular rodlike structures (InSb-NiSb eutectic3), or broken lamellar structure (Bi-Zn eutectic, Fig. 8), are formed in alloys of the second group when the faceted phase has a large volume fraction. Hunt and jackson' argued that regular structures could form in faceted/nonfaceted systems, but that such structures would be unstable in the presence of microfacets on the lamella of the faceting phase, because the growth rate at a point on such a facet would depend on the kinetic undercooling at the point of nu-cleation on the facet, and not on the local kinetic undercooling. In these circumstances it would not be possible to consistently balance the compositional and kinetic undercooling over a lamellar structure and thus obtain a stable isothermal interface. In this paper we discuss in detail the origin of the various structures formed in faceted/nonfaceted systems, pointing out that the most important factor promoting the formation of a regular structure is the absence of a facet in the liquid groove. 1) FACET FORMATION IN SINGLE-PHASE MATERIALS Facets form when there is an energy barrier for the addition of a new solid layer on an existing solid. When a barrier is present,2 growth proceeds by the lateral movement of steps across a crystallographic plane. The rate-controlling stage of the process occurs when the step is first formed. Hulme and Mullin6 have shown that faceting in single-phase materials can only occur when both interface curvatures are convex with respect to the solid and when the surface is tangential to the facet plane. When even one of the curvatures is concave a facet does not form because new layers of solid from adjacent regions can always feed the facet plane, Fig. 1. Growth under these conditions is then as easy as elsewhere. Similar considerations will apply to eutectic growth; consequently the shape of the faceted phase is extremely important. 2) LAMELLAR SPACING CHANGES IN EUTECTICS Jackson and Hunt7 have shown that the interface undercooling AT of a growing lamellar interface (neglecting kinetic undercooling) is related to the lamellar spacing, A, and growth velocity, v, by an expression of the form: where m, Ql, and nL are constants of the system given in Ref. 7. Eq. [I] is plotted for fixed v in Fig. 2. Jackson and Hunt postulate that a regular eutectic grows near, but to the right of the minimum in the AT vs A curve. They argue that the spacing cannot be to the left of the minimum because the interface is then unstable to fluctuations in A. It cannot grow too far to the right, because when the spacing becomes too wide an isothermal interface can no longer be maintained over the large-volume-fraction phase.7 It is argued that during any change in growth rate the lamellar spacing remains in the permitted range by the movement of lamellar faults. When the spacing is too wide, the fault, shown in Fig. 3, moves to the left; when the spacing is too narrow it moves to the right. The faults, however, have to be formed. heir formation has been shown to occur when local regions deviate considerably from the spacing defined by the lamellar When the spacing is locally too narrow (it passes to the left of the minimum, Fig. 2), pinching off of the narrow phase occurs. When the spacing is locally too wide, the interface on the large volume-fraction phase can no longer be maintained as an iso-

Jan 1, 1969

By A. U. Seybolt

The solubility of oxygen in a iron has been determined in the range between 700° and 900°C. The solubility is a function of temperature and varies from about 0.008 pct oxygen at 700°C to atureandabout 0.03 pct at 900°C. The heat of solution is approximately +15,500 cal per mol. AS pointed out in a recent paper by Kitchener et al.,1 there has been a lack of agreement among many investigators even as to the order of magnitude of the solid solubility of oxygen in the various forms of iron. This lack of agreement is attributable in large part to the difficulties in the determination of a small oxygen solubility; but because the problem has remained so long unsettled, it also indicates a lack of interest which is rather surprising when the demonstrated importance of small amounts of soluble nonmetallic impurities in iron is considered. The work of Kitchener et al. apparently leaves the solubility of oxygen in iron in a satisfactory state, but no attempt was made to investigate the solubility in a iron. The solubility of oxygen in a iron is actually of greater interest, since it is in this form that iron and mild steels are employed ordinarily. That the effect of oxygen in iron is of more than theoretical interest has been well established by Fast,' and more recently by Rees and Hopkins," who demonstrated that oxygen in the range between 0.0008 and 0.27 wt pct has a pronounced effect upon the mechanical properties. Previous Work and Methods Used To report in detail the literature relating to the solubility of oxygen in a iron would require an inordinate amount of space. For those interested in reviewing this work, a bibliography4-13 of the more significant papers is appended. In general, two methods of studying this problem have been used. One is the gas-metal equilibrium method where the H2O-H2-Fe or the CO2-CO-Fe equilibria have been used. The other is the more direct approach of the oxidation of thin strips of pure iron by packing in mill scale or by air or gaseous oxygen at some desired temperature. In this method oxygen is allowed to oxidize the surface and then to diffuse inward until saturation is obtained. In the gas-metal equilibrium method the oxygen dissolved in solid iron at a given temperature is proportional to the ratio of the water vapor-hydrogen pressures or the CO2-CO pressures over the sample for small ratio values. If the ratio becomes higher than a critical value, then an oxide phase makes its appearance (the solution becomes supersaturated). In principle, it is possible to use a series of H2O/H2 or CO2/CO ratios and to find by analysis the corresponding amounts of oxygen in solid solution at constant temperature. At the point where a very small increase in the gas ratio (increase in oxidizing powder) produces a large increase in oxygen content, the solid solubility limit is reached. Alternately, if the critical ratio is known, it is possible to use the procedure of Kitchener et al.1 and to use a ratio which is near but below the critical one. The solubility corresponding to this lower ratio will not be the saturation solubility at the temperature employed, but the saturation solubility can be calculated by multiplying the measured solubility by the critical ratio over the ratio used. However, in the case where oxygen gas is the oxidizing medium, the saturation solubility is not a function of pressure, providing the pressure exceeds the dissociation pressure of FeO in equilibrium with iron. This is 1.2x10-16 mm at 800 °C, according to Dushman." As pointed out by Darken17 in discussing the FeO phase diagram, most of the possible errors tend to yield high values of oxygen solubility. For example, one circumstance which evidently caused the reporting of many high values was the use of finely divided or powdered iron in the gas equilibrium method. Because of the large surface area of such a sample, and the likelihood of some surface contamination if only by exposure to air, the results tended to be high. The direct oxidation method which was used in this work has the advantage in that it is simple and direct, but it suffers from one disadvantage: equilibrium can only be approached from the low oxygen side. The important factors to be kept under control are the following: 1—use of high purity iron to avoid internal oxidation (oxidation of readily

Jan 1, 1955

By Chas. A. R. Lambly

In the extreme northeast corner of the State of Washington, on the Canadian border, lies the Metaline mining district. This district is old in history, but young in production. Geology The Metaline district is a zinc-lead area of the replacement type in dolomite and limestone. The ore bodies of the Josephine horizon are in many ways similar to the ore bodies of the famous Tri-State zinc fields. The beds are faulted and folded and have varying low dips in varying directions, and underlie large areas of the district. History Production started in 1927 on a very limited basis. The property is now mining and milling 700 tons per day. The mine is opened by adit tunnels and a vertical shaft. As the ore horizons gained depth, it was necessary to sink inclines to follow the ore horizon (see Fig 1). From 1927 to date, approximately 600,000 ft of diamond drill was put down This work indicated that suficient tonnage existed to justify a redesigning of the whole operation, surface and underground. After four years of general study, the following program was planned: 1. A new mine entrance, which would be an incline, that could follow the ore body down at whatever pitch was necessary. The incline will be equipped with conveyors for the moving of ore and waste to the surface and with tractor-type locomotives for man and supply transportation. 2. The new incline also required a new type of mining which was developed and is now in use. It is called contour mining and will be described in a future paper. 3. The new incline exit would necessitate the moving of the mill and mine shops across the Pend Oreille River. This part of the program is now underway. The Incline The sinking of the incline was to start as soon as World War II ended and was as follows: The first leg of the incline was to be sunk from the surface 1600 ft on a 17" slope. The collar and first level at elevation 2180 ft, the second level at elevation 2000 ft, the third level at elevation 1875 ft, and the fourth level at elevation 1700 feet. From the 1700 ft elevation the incline was to flatten out to 12" for 400 ft to give the necessary depth for the ore pockets below the 1700 ft level and the necessary clearance for future sinking (see Fig 1 and 2). Due to lack of manpower in 1946, the program was changed and was as follows: A drift was driven from the old mine workings on the 1700 ft elevation in an easterly direction. At 1300 ft the drift was turned N 50" E and at this point a raise was driven 180 ft on a 50" slope. This raise intersected the Josephine horizon and commercial ore was encountered. At the 2000 ft mark, a main raise was driven, 245 ft on a 50" slope, and the 1875 ft elevation was cut. Exploration drifts were started on this level and production followed on a limited basis. The main drift at the 2500 ft point was turned N 35" E and ran parallel to and 10 ft east of and under the proposed incline line. At the proposed intersection of the drift and incline on the 1700 ft elevation, it was planned to raise the incline to intersect the 245 ft raise and to continue on to the surface, a distance of 1600 ft. When this proposed intersection point was reached, a heavy flow of water, approximately 800 gpm, was encountered and all work on the main drift face was stopped. This water flow flooded the main pump station in the old mine and the two lower levels with approximately 20,000,000 gal of water. The water was controlled and finally drained from the cave areas and lower levels after six months of pumping. After the heavy flow of water was encountered in the main heading, it was decided that the incline would have to be started from the surface, as originally planned, so that too much time would not be lost. The surface overburden had to be removed, a total of 6000 yards. A temporary dry house for 6 men was built. An 8 in. churn drill hole was intersected in the first raise driven from the 1700 foot elevation tunnel. Air and water lines were placed in this hole, and air and water were delivered to the collar of the incline from the mine working. The incline started down at 15 ft wide and 7 ft high through the Leadbetter slates. After sinking 4 sets, it was

Jan 1, 1950

By G. L. F. Powell

g samples of Cu-20 wt pct Ag alloy have been mdercooled to a maximum of 197°C by melting under a slag of commercial soda-lime glass in a vitreous silica crucible. No grain refinement of the primary copper was observed in samples undercooled to the maximum of 197°C. When the samples contained a small amount of oxygen, the copper dendrites were partially recrystallized at undercoolings greater than 97°C. In previous papers'-3 reporting the grain structure of undercooled silver and copper, it was observed that grain refinement was dependent on both undercooling and oxygen content. Grain refinement occurred in undercooled silver when the degree of undercooling exceeded the range 153" to 175"C, while in Ag-0 alloys (0.12 wt pct) fine equiaxed grains were exhibited when undercooling was greater than 50°C. Similarly, copper samples undercooled as much as 208°C displayed fan-shaped growth from a single nucleation site, while the grain structure of Cu-O alloys (0.08 wt pct) was fine and equiaxed at undercoolings larger than 150°C. Thus the presence of oxygen greatly reduced the undercooling at which grain refinement occurred. It was also observed that the change in grain size resulted from recrystallization and was not due to an enhanced nucleation rate in the liquid-solid transformation. It is possible that the influence of oxygen on recrystallization is due primarily to its presence as a solute element. walker4,' reported that, although a grain size change did not occur in pure nickel until the undercooling exceeded 150°C, small grains were observed in samples of Ni-Cu alloy solidified at small and large degrees of undercooling. Jackson et al.6 suggested that the fine grained structure of the Ni-Cu alloy resulted from the melting off of dendrite arms during recalescence. This remelting process may occur in alloys as a result of segregation during freezing which causes a variation in liquidus temperature from point to point within a dendrite. It was therefore decided to undercool copper with a metallic alloying element to ascertain whether the presence of a metallic solute would have a similar effect to oxygen in inducing grain refinement. A Cu-Ag alloy was chosen, since both metals had been shown to behave similarly on undercooling. The alloy Cu-20 wt pct Ag was selected since the eutectic constituent outlines the initial growth form of the primary copper, so that the as-frozen grain structure is not obscured if subsequent recrystallization occurs. This paper describes the results of undercooling experiments carried out with Cu-20 pct Ag samples undercooled to a maximum of 197°C and the effect of oxygen content on the grain structure of the undercooled samples. EXPERIMENTAL Melting was carried out in a small cylindrical resistance furnace using "fine" silver granulate and oxygen-free high conductivity copper. The procedure adopted was to melt the required quantity of silver in air in a clean vitreous silica crucible for approximately 15 min, freeze, and add granulated commercial soda-lime glass to form a complete surface slag cover, after which the sample was melted and frozen several times to reduce the oxygen content. The glass slag cover was approximately 3 in. thick. Pieces of copper (=50 g) were added to the crucible until the required quantity to make 350-g samples of alloy had been charged. Each piece was added quickly to the crucible which was held at a temperature slightly above the melting point of silver. The piece was quickly pushed beneath the glass to minimize oxidation and any oxide coating usually decomposed before the piece had settled down into the silver. After the full quantity of copper had been added, the melt was stirred with a silica rod to hasten homogenization and a Pt/Pt 13 pct Rh thermocouple enclosed in a vitreous silica sheath inserted for temperature measurement. Heating and cooling curves were recorded on a potentiometric chart recorder fitted with a zero suppression unit. The milli-voltage range of the recorder was adjusted so that temperatures could be read to 1°C. Heating and cooling curves were taken every hour until three consecutive readings gave the same solidus-liquidus range, consistent with the solidus-liquidus range for this alloy composition by reference to Hansen and Anderko.7 Metallographic examination of samples frozen at this stage, failed to show any variation in composition from bottom to top of the ingot. Consequently, it was considered that the melt was homogeneous at this stage and undercooling experiments were then car-

Jan 1, 1970

By T. E. Leontis, J. P. Murphy

During the last few years, the trend in the aircraft and automotive industries has been toward higher and higher operating engine temperatures. This has created considerable interest in the effect of temperature on the properties of alloys. In the magnesium field, it has been recognized for many years that the addition of cerium imparts high strength and good resistance to creep at elevated temperatures. Beck,' in his treatise on magnesium, has summarized the work of German investigators. This includes the unpublished data of Menking, showing the increase in strength and hardness of extruded alloys containing 2 to 20 per cent Ce at temperatures from 20' to 300°C. (68" to 57z°F.) and the results of Vosskiihler, who demonstrated the improved resistance to creep of alloys containing 6 per cent Ce plus 2 per cent Mn and 0.5 per cent Ce plus 2 per cent Mn at 150°C. (302°F.). Wellinger and Kei12 have also reported the creep properties of a forged magnesium-cerium-man-ganese alloy at 200' and 250°C. (392' and 482°F.). Haughton and Prytherch have determined the tensile properties of various forged magnesium alloys containing cerium, cerium plus manganese, cerium plus calcium, cerium plus nickel, cerium plus nickel plus manganese, and cerium plus cobalt plus manganese at temperatures up to 290°C. (554OF.). Magnesium-cerium alloys have been used in some commercial applications. It is reported that an alloy containing 3 per cent Ce plus 0.5 per cent Mn plus 0.5 per cent Ca is being used on a forged impeller in Great Britain. Two forged parts made from an alloy with a nominal composition of 5 per cent Ce and 2 per cent Mn have been found on the German BMW-8o1D aircraft engine. These two forgings consist of a supercharger impeller and a rear cam-follower guide. In this country, several types of pistons have been made experimentally in both the cast and the forged conditions from an alloy containing 6 per cent Ce plus 2 per cent Mn and in the cast condition from an alloy of magnesium plus 10 per cent Ce. The cast pistons have been tested in various types of internal-combustion engines, with promising results. This paper presents the results of an extensive investigation on the properties of various cerium-containing magnesium alloys in both the cast and the forged conditions. Data are presented to show the beneficial effects of increasing amounts of cerium on the mechanical properties of magnesium at at temperatures' The effects of heat-treatment on the properties of these alloys and the attendant changes in the microstructure are discussed. The alloys investigated most extensively are

Jan 1, 1946

By J. P. Murphy, T. E. Leontis

During the last few years, the trend in the aircraft and automotive industries has been toward higher and higher operating engine temperatures. This has created considerable interest in the effect of temperature on the properties of alloys. In the magnesium field, it has been recognized for many years that the addition of cerium imparts high strength and good resistance to creep at elevated temperatures. Beck,' in his treatise on magnesium, has summarized the work of German investigators. This includes the unpublished data of Menking, showing the increase in strength and hardness of extruded alloys containing 2 to 20 per cent Ce at temperatures from 20' to 300°C. (68" to 57z°F.) and the results of Vosskiihler, who demonstrated the improved resistance to creep of alloys containing 6 per cent Ce plus 2 per cent Mn and 0.5 per cent Ce plus 2 per cent Mn at 150°C. (302°F.). Wellinger and Kei12 have also reported the creep properties of a forged magnesium-cerium-man-ganese alloy at 200' and 250°C. (392' and 482°F.). Haughton and Prytherch have determined the tensile properties of various forged magnesium alloys containing cerium, cerium plus manganese, cerium plus calcium, cerium plus nickel, cerium plus nickel plus manganese, and cerium plus cobalt plus manganese at temperatures up to 290°C. (554OF.). Magnesium-cerium alloys have been used in some commercial applications. It is reported that an alloy containing 3 per cent Ce plus 0.5 per cent Mn plus 0.5 per cent Ca is being used on a forged impeller in Great Britain. Two forged parts made from an alloy with a nominal composition of 5 per cent Ce and 2 per cent Mn have been found on the German BMW-8o1D aircraft engine. These two forgings consist of a supercharger impeller and a rear cam-follower guide. In this country, several types of pistons have been made experimentally in both the cast and the forged conditions from an alloy containing 6 per cent Ce plus 2 per cent Mn and in the cast condition from an alloy of magnesium plus 10 per cent Ce. The cast pistons have been tested in various types of internal-combustion engines, with promising results. This paper presents the results of an extensive investigation on the properties of various cerium-containing magnesium alloys in both the cast and the forged conditions. Data are presented to show the beneficial effects of increasing amounts of cerium on the mechanical properties of magnesium at at temperatures' The effects of heat-treatment on the properties of these alloys and the attendant changes in the microstructure are discussed. The alloys investigated most extensively are

Jan 1, 1946

By C. G. Dunn

MANY investigations have been made concerning the nature of plastic deformation and recrystallization of metals either in the form of polycrystalline materials or in the form of single crystals. However, similar work on strip materials composed of large grains as thick as the strip and having a high degree of preferred crystal orientation has not been carried out extensively. Such materials are ideal not only for studying changes in single crystals under conditions where neighboring grains exert their influences but also for obtaining the, complete change in orientation of a grain or group of grains during the course of plastic deformation and subsequent recrystallization. It is well known that first-order twins in the form of Neumann bands may be produced during the plastic deformation of ferrite crystals, particularly silicon ferrite crystals.1-3 Furthermore, it is believe that high-stress regions exist in the vicinity of these bands4a and it has been said that these banded regions would be active in recrystallization processes.5 Evidence to that effect in silicon ferrite had already been presented with photomicrographs showing recrystallization among Neumann bands during the early stages of recrystallization.5,6 Similar evidence has been published for nonferrous metals.5 Merging of fine parallel deformation bands during annealing to form twin bands of ordinary appearance in alpha brass has been offered not only as evidence of an active role being played by mechanical twins but also as evidence that such twins existed prior to recrystallization.5 Proof that such new structures are actually first-order twins, or even twins at all, must be considered inadequate except for those cases where X-ray or optical data have been obtained to confirm the necessary orientation relationship.7,8 A. B. Greninger has obtained excellent iliustrations of annealing twins in alpha irons Since his material was previously deformed by sharp hammering, a process that generally induces Neumann bands, the existence of twins following annealing might suggest that they grew from mechanical twins. In connection with transformation twins in alpha iron, Greninger reported that grains containing. three twin orientations occurred rarely and none occurred with three sets of well-developed bands.9 The work at the Pittsfield Works Laboratory on silicon ferrite in the form of large-grained strip steel deformed a small amount and annealed to partially recrystallize the grains indicates that the deformation and recrystallization processes that lead to annealing twins involve more complex processes than the formation of Neumann bands and the growth of such bands. Some groups of annealing twins are obtained which contain not only three well-developed twin structures, but also contain more than one order of twins. It is also shown, in one case, that an interrelated group of twins did not arise within one single parent grain and, furthermore, orientations of grains in the group

Jan 1, 1944

By W. R. Hibbard

Although extensive pole figure studies have been reported by Brick1 and others2,3 showing preferred orientations in rolled and annealed 70-30 alpha brass, and by Hermann and Sachs4 in 70-30 alpha brass cups, comparatively little information has been published on textures in drawn 70-30 alpha brass tubes. Crampton5 reported a (110) , [111] texture in drawn brass tubes based on selected individual X ray photograms following the method of Norton and Hiller,6 but the extent and ease of developing this texture and the annealing texture have not been reported and pole figures of these structures were not found in the literature. The present investigation was further stimulated by the possible influence of textures on the mercury stress-corrosion cracking of brass tubes. According to Snoek,7 iron-nickel alloy sheet with a strong cubic texture was more resistant to corrosion than a randomly oriented sheet. Crampton5 reported that single crystals of 70-30 alpha brass drawn into tubes did not crack after 24 hr in a standard mer-curous nitrate test. Edmunds12 found that single crystals of 70-30 alpha brass did not crack in a standard mercurous nitrate test but did crack when subjected to ammoniacal vapor. Wasserman11 reported a similar failure of a single crystal of brass in ammonia. A tube with a strong texture might approach single crystal behavior and tend to resist mercury cracking if the differences in orientation between adjacent grains were sufficiently slight. Preparation OF Specimens Crampton's5 tubes drawn 28 pct reduction in area developed a slight degree of preferred orientation while in tubes drawn 48 pct it was more marked. Based on this information, in order to obtain specimens with markedly different degrees of preferred orientation but with the same final draw, two sets of 70-30 alpha brass tubes were made following the mill schedules shown in Table I. The final draw involved a large reduction in outside diameter, and a ratio of reduction in area to reduction in outside diameter similar to that reported by Crampton,5, 10 to cause mercury cracking of brass tubes. The brass contained 71.31 pct copper, 0.01 pct lead, 0.01 pct iron and zinc by difference. Determination of Pole Figures A 6-in. length from each tube was rotated rapidly by an electric stirrer in 25 pct nitric acid until the gauge was reduced to 0.003-0.005 in. The tubes were carefully cut longitudinally and the walls gently flattened. They were further etched in 25 pet nitric acid to 0.0015 in. thickness and (111) pole figures were determined using copper K-alpha radiation in the manner described by Brick.' The three general types of pole figures

Jan 1, 1949

By W. R. Hibbard

Although extensive pole figure studies have been reported by Brick1 and others2,3 showing preferred orientations in rolled and annealed 70-30 alpha brass, and by Hermann and Sachs4 in 70-30 alpha brass cups, comparatively little information has been published on textures in drawn 70-30 alpha brass tubes. Crampton5 reported a (110) , [111] texture in drawn brass tubes based on selected individual X ray photograms following the method of Norton and Hiller,6 but the extent and ease of developing this texture and the annealing texture have not been reported and pole figures of these structures were not found in the literature. The present investigation was further stimulated by the possible influence of textures on the mercury stress-corrosion cracking of brass tubes. According to Snoek,7 iron-nickel alloy sheet with a strong cubic texture was more resistant to corrosion than a randomly oriented sheet. Crampton5 reported that single crystals of 70-30 alpha brass drawn into tubes did not crack after 24 hr in a standard mer-curous nitrate test. Edmunds12 found that single crystals of 70-30 alpha brass did not crack in a standard mercurous nitrate test but did crack when subjected to ammoniacal vapor. Wasserman11 reported a similar failure of a single crystal of brass in ammonia. A tube with a strong texture might approach single crystal behavior and tend to resist mercury cracking if the differences in orientation between adjacent grains were sufficiently slight. Preparation OF Specimens Crampton's5 tubes drawn 28 pct reduction in area developed a slight degree of preferred orientation while in tubes drawn 48 pct it was more marked. Based on this information, in order to obtain specimens with markedly different degrees of preferred orientation but with the same final draw, two sets of 70-30 alpha brass tubes were made following the mill schedules shown in Table I. The final draw involved a large reduction in outside diameter, and a ratio of reduction in area to reduction in outside diameter similar to that reported by Crampton,5, 10 to cause mercury cracking of brass tubes. The brass contained 71.31 pct copper, 0.01 pct lead, 0.01 pct iron and zinc by difference. Determination of Pole Figures A 6-in. length from each tube was rotated rapidly by an electric stirrer in 25 pct nitric acid until the gauge was reduced to 0.003-0.005 in. The tubes were carefully cut longitudinally and the walls gently flattened. They were further etched in 25 pet nitric acid to 0.0015 in. thickness and (111) pole figures were determined using copper K-alpha radiation in the manner described by Brick.' The three general types of pole figures

Jan 1, 1949

By Walter R. Hibbard

ALTHOUGH extensive pole figure studies have been reported by Brick1 and others2,3 showing preferred orientations in rolled and annealed 70-30 alpha brass, and by Hermann and Sachs4 in 70-30 alpha brass cups, comparatively little information has been published on textures in drawn 70-30 alpha brass tubes. Crampton5 reported a (110), [III] texture in drawn brass tubes based on selected individual X ray photograms following the method of Norton and Hiller,6 but the extent and ease of developing this texture and the annealing texture have not been reported and pole figures of these structures were not found in the literature. The present investigation was further stimulated by the possible influence of textures on the mercury stress-corrosion cracking of brass tubes. According to Snoek,7 iron-nickel alloy sheet with a strong cubic texture was more resistant to corrosion than a randomly oriented sheet. Crampon5 reported that single crystals of 70-30 alpha brass drawn into tubes did not crack after 24 hr s in a standard mercurous nitrate test. Edmunds 12 found that single crystals of 70-30 alpha brass did not crack in a standard mercurous nitrate test but did crack when subjected to ammoniacal vapor. Wassermann reported a similar failure of a single crystal of brass in ammonia. A tube with a strong texture might approach single crystal behavior and tend to resist mercury cracking if the differences in orientation between adjacent grains were sufficiently slight. PREPARATION OF SPECIMENS Crampton's5 tubes drawn 28 pct reduction in area developed a slight degree of preferred orientation while in tubes drawn 48 pct it was more marked. Based on this information, in order to obtain specimens with markedly different degrees of preferred orientation but with the same final draw, two sets of 70-30 alpha brass tubes were made following the mill schedules shown in Table I. The final draw involved a large reduction in outside diameter, and a ratio of reduction in area to reduction in outside diameter similar to that reported by Crampton,5,10 to cause mercury cracking of brass tubes. The brass contained 71.31 pct copper, 0.01 pct lead, 0.01 pct iron and zinc by difference. DETERMINATION OF POLE FIGURES A 6-in. length from each tube was rotated rapidly by an electric stirrer in 25 pct nitric acid until the gauge was reduced to 0.003-0.005 in. The tubes were carefully cut longitudinally and the walls gently flattened. They were further etched in 25 pct nitric acid to 0.0015 in. thickness and (III) pole figures were determined using copper K-alpha radiation in the manner described by Brick.1 The three general types of pole figures

Jan 1, 1947

By V 7. 0 / 300 dpi

LAST fall, having a number of ore samples from mine-development work carried on in spite of the "Revolution," I was forced to do my own assaying again, after a lapse of many years. This gave me an opportunity to build a furnace for crucible assaying, using wood for fuel, along lines which had been developing in my mind since the time 20 years ago, when as general factotum at a little mining camp in western Chihuahua, Mexico, I had converted a crucible charcoal furnace into one using the reverberatory principle. Wood-burning furnaces have been described in technical literature, but I believe the present application will prove helpful to those of the profession who are working in out-of-the-way places. The furnace is shown in detail in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Remembering the trouble caused by stoking my first charcoal furnace too heavily, I fired this one with but a few sticks of wood at a time. By this method I could run out a charge of 12 crucibles in 30 to 35 min., using 50 sticks of ordinary stove wood. Later I fill up the firebox, holding about 40 sticks, get everything ready, put the crucibles into the melting chamber and "fire up." Just as soon as the fire is well started the draft door is closed and the furnace allowed to heat up slowly for 5 min. Then the draft is opened (the door to the ash-pit) and the fire allowed to roar, which it does. In 20 min. from the time the fire is lighted the fire door is opened, the fire stirred along the grates, and 5 or 6 more sticks of wood thrown in. In 25 min. from the start, the draft is closed again, the cover of the melting chamber pushed back and the charges poured. The melts will be found to be perfect, and the crucibles to pour absolutely clean, if everything has gone right, as will usually be the case. A new charge may be put in, and fired with S to 10 sticks of wood at a tine, and be ready to pour within 20 min.; but it is just as well to leave the crucibles in the melting chamber a full 2.5 min. By using 10 sticks of wood to start the fire and adding 5 sticks as often as needed, which will be as soon as the last sticks fed in are in perfect combustion, the smelting can be completed in from 30 to 35 min., using from 35 to 40 sticks of wood. I consider this to be the best method of stoking.

Jan 10, 1914