Search Documents

By H. F. A. Hergt, K. L. Sutherland, J. Rogers

In 1938 Ralston4 reviewed the many attempts to find a satisfactory collector for the separation of cassiterite from its ores and in 1944 Dean and Ambrose2 summarized some further attempts. Generally, soaps and amines are effective but nonselective collectors. We have discovered that reagents containing either the polar group — SO4- or — SO3- are excellent collectors for cassiterite and promise to be selective. The response to these reagents of cassiterite and of minerals commonly associated with it was studied, using the captive-bubble technique. Using these fundamental data, the practicability of separation and concentration of tin was investigated by flotation tests in a 2000-gram Denver cell. Experimental Methods Reagents All inorganic reagents were of Analar grade. The preparation and purification of sodium cetyl sulphate, cetyl trimethyl-ammonium bromide, laurylamine and cetylamine have been previously described.5 The other collectors were commercial surface-active agents, which were used without purification. Tests Captive-bubble Tests and Cylinder Flotation Tests have been previously de- scribed.5,10 The full lines shown in the figures relating solution composition to contact (flotation) distinguish solutions in which contact (flotation) is possible from those in which it is not. The curve is derived by successive approximation and the accuracy is ±0.2 pH units and ± 5 mg. per liter of collector or depressant. Solution compositions for which it was shown experimentally that contact or flotation is possible are marked by a circle, those for which it is not possible, by a cross, and those for which it is doubtful by a cross within a circle. It is assumed that at all other solution compositions within (without) the curve, contact or flotation is possible (not possible). After testing in the collector solution, the mineral was removed, washed, and tested by the captive-bubble method in water, or floated in a cylinder with frother only. In this way the composition of solutions in which a mineral was conditioned but in which properties of the collector solution prevented contact or flotation can be defined. The composition of solutions in which conditioning was possible lie between the full and broken curve, and the experimental results are indicated by a square. The curves show the limits of composition of solutions in which flotation in a cell would be possible but many factors other than those considered in these the determine recovery and grade of a given mineral in practice. Flotation Tests in 500 and 2000-gram Denver SUbmachines,—Melboume tap water, containing 12 parts calcium, 6 parts

Jan 1, 1947

By J. Rogers, H. F. A. Hergt, K. L. Sutherland

In 1938 Ralston4 reviewed the many attempts to find a satisfactory collector for the separation of cassiterite from its ores and in 1944 Dean and Ambrose2 summarized some further attempts. Generally, soaps and amines are effective but nonselective collectors. We have discovered that reagents containing either the polar group — SO4- or — SO3- are excellent collectors for cassiterite and promise to be selective. The response to these reagents of cassiterite and of minerals commonly associated with it was studied, using the captive-bubble technique. Using these fundamental data, the practicability of separation and concentration of tin was investigated by flotation tests in a 2000-gram Denver cell. Experimental Methods Reagents All inorganic reagents were of Analar grade. The preparation and purification of sodium cetyl sulphate, cetyl trimethyl-ammonium bromide, laurylamine and cetylamine have been previously described.5 The other collectors were commercial surface-active agents, which were used without purification. Tests Captive-bubble Tests and Cylinder Flotation Tests have been previously de- scribed.5,10 The full lines shown in the figures relating solution composition to contact (flotation) distinguish solutions in which contact (flotation) is possible from those in which it is not. The curve is derived by successive approximation and the accuracy is ±0.2 pH units and ± 5 mg. per liter of collector or depressant. Solution compositions for which it was shown experimentally that contact or flotation is possible are marked by a circle, those for which it is not possible, by a cross, and those for which it is doubtful by a cross within a circle. It is assumed that at all other solution compositions within (without) the curve, contact or flotation is possible (not possible). After testing in the collector solution, the mineral was removed, washed, and tested by the captive-bubble method in water, or floated in a cylinder with frother only. In this way the composition of solutions in which a mineral was conditioned but in which properties of the collector solution prevented contact or flotation can be defined. The composition of solutions in which conditioning was possible lie between the full and broken curve, and the experimental results are indicated by a square. The curves show the limits of composition of solutions in which flotation in a cell would be possible but many factors other than those considered in these the determine recovery and grade of a given mineral in practice. Flotation Tests in 500 and 2000-gram Denver SUbmachines,—Melboume tap water, containing 12 parts calcium, 6 parts

Jan 1, 1947

By Elbert Rowland

THE widespread interest in the alloys of beryllium with copper is due principally to the fact that certain compositions show very favorable precipitation-hardening characteristics and are, in fact, the strongest nonferrous alloys known at the present time. Investigations have been conducted by Masing and Dahl and others on the physical characteristics of ternary beryllium alloys, in an attempt to produce precipitation-hardening effects with a smaller amount of beryllium than that required in the binary copper-beryllium alloys (2.0 to 2.5 per cent Be). The results of these investigations show that ternary alloys of beryllium with Cu-Sn, Cu-Al and Cu-Zn, among others, exhibit promising improvements in physical properties after precipitation-hardening treatment and, while the increases in properties obtained are not as high as those realized from the binary copper-beryllium alloys, excellent properties are obtained with beryllium contents averaging about one-half the amount required in the binary alloys. This paper presents the results of an investigation of the equilibrium relations of certain alloys containing copper, tin and beryllium. The alpha-phase boundary of the ternary system is given for alloys containing from 0 to 1 per cent beryllium. The equilibrium conditions beyond the alpha-phase boundary are presented for alloys containing up to 32 per cent tin and 1 per cent beryllium. The data were collected by means of

Jan 1, 1935

By J. M. Neilson

The occurrence of iron ore deposits in the State of Western Australia has been known at least since the 1930's,3 but the true significance of the deposits has only come to light within the past four years. Although they are widely distributed throughout the State, it is now known that more than 90% of the available iron ore reserves are located in the "Hamersley Iron Province". Western Australia may well contain the world's largest known reserves of iron ore. Recent reports place this reserve at 15 billion tons and an even higher figure may appear in the future. LOCATION, CULTURE AND COMMUNICATIONS It is difficult to comprehend the immense size of Western Australia (Fig. 1). The State occupies almost one million sq miles and it is more than 2000 miles from north to south. More specifically, it stretches from the 14th to the 35th parallel of latitude south. The Ophthalmia Region in the Hamersley Iron Province is barely halfway up the long dimension of the State. Nevertheless, the region is 800 miles north of Perth, a distance comparable to that from New York to Chicago or to that from Chicago to New Orleans. The Hamersley Iron Province (so named in 1963 to distinguish it from the Pilbara mineral district adjacent to it on the north) covers an area of approximately 30,000 sq miles in the northwestern part of the State. It extends in a roughly oval form from the Indian Ocean to the Gibson Desert of the interior, a distance of about 300 miles. With the exception of the small coastal towns of Onslow, Roebourne and Port Hedland and a few other communities such as the asbestos-mining town of Wittenoom, the region is very sparsely populated. Sheep and cattle stations are scattered thfough the region and these and the main towns are connected by truck tracks and a few main highways. Voice communication is almost entirely by the short-wave radio net operated by the Royal Flying Doctor

Jan 1, 1965

By O. D. A. Pease, C. D. Young, C. H. Strand

In an effort to employ cast steel of a stronger structure than that found in the annealed steel casting, the possibilities of heat treatment which will increase the strength without materially decreasing the ductulity may be resorted to.

Jan 1, 1915

By Frederick G. Coqueron, Joseph E. Pogue

The purpose of this study is to present the results of a detailed survey of the financial and operating aspects of 30 oil companies comprising a major sample of the American petroleum industry. This review supplements a previous paper entitled "Capital Flow and Capital Formation in the Petroleum Industry, 1934-1941,"a and deals not only with a longer period but also gives new and more revealing analyses of the capital movements and characteristics. The data are gathered from published financial statements of the companies, especially the annual reports to stockholders and Form 10-K to the Securities and Exchange Commission, supplemented by confidential information. The 30 oil companies covered by this study are listed on the leading stock exchanges and for the purpose of analysis are grouped as follows: 9 companiesb engaged principally in crude production, 4 companiesc with production averaging in excess of refinery requirements, and 17 companiesd with refinery throughput in excess of crude production. These samples are sufficiently broad and representative to constitute norms against which individual company performances may be profitably compared. The 30 companies in 1942 produced 54 per cent of the Nation's total output of crude oil and refined 79 per cent of the country's crude run to stills. The financial data apply predominantly to the domestic oil business, although 15 of the companies have investments and operate facilities in foreign countries. The net value of these foreign holdings amounted to 724 million dollars, or 12 per cent, of the combined net assets of the 30 oil companies at December 31, 1942.

Jan 1, 1944

By Thomas Harris

This paper. was written in conjunction with the work being undertaken by the Technical Committees on Classification of Coal, and an effort has been made to compile information relative to the use of coal for stationary steam generation in order to use this information to assist the Committee on Classification of Coal for the ultimate purpose of elimination of losses both by the' reduction of indivi-dual effort and waste in the consumption of material. Under the auspices of the National Association of Purchasing Agents, a questionnaire was drawn up to develop this information from stationary steam plants throughout the United States. in order to consolidate the information de-veloped from the many hundreds of boiler tests on coals consumed by various coal¬burning equipment. These questionnaires covered: 1. The company reporting, location and method of delivery to the plant. 2. Complete coal date, including description of coals used (with. sufficient space to- include first, second and third, preference) on--source of coal used,- complete-analysis and factors affecting choice of, coal used. 3. Plant data, divided into - A. Hand fired, B. Overfeed stokers,. . C. Underfeed stokers, D. Traveling grate stokers, E. Pulverized coal, and included complete description of furnace data, draft data, coal-burning rate, type of stoker, type of pulverizer, efficiency date and remarks.

Jan 1, 1933

By Charles M. Romanowitz

The motivation for the art of dredging for placer mining can be compared in a slight degree to the spread of civilization which started in the Near East and spread both east and west. Dredging started with the "bag and spoon" dredge in the lowlands of Europe reportedly about 1565, went southeast to New Zealand where designs were developed for a bucket-line mining dredge known as the New Zealand type, and westward to the eastern United States where a dredge was developed and used exclusively for excavating. Then it moved to Montana, where it was first used for mining in 1895. The New Zealand-type dredge was imported into California in 1898 (Fig. 1) and was followed shortly by the Montana design. As today, these early dredges were equipped with continuous bucket- line chains, a treatment plant, and a means of waste disposal mounted on a wooden hull. Both types of dredges are complete mining units: they dig the formation, transport the dug materials, and concentrate the valuable ore. After sizing, the fines containing the ore are passed by gravity to the treatment unit, while the barren materials are discharged overboard. By digging the materials to be treated at the bow and depositing all the waste, at the stern, the dredges automatically advance to new reserves without presenting any transportation problems. The main differences between the two types are in the method of holding the dredge in the digging position and in the disposal of the tailings to the rear. The New Zealand type (Fig. 2) uses the headline system with a bow anchor for holding the dredge in the digging position and long tailing flumes or short stackers off the stern for disposal of the barren materials. The California type (Fig. 3) uses box girder spuds projecting into the ground in a vertical position at the stern of the

Jan 1, 1969

By H. I. Aaronson, C. Laird

The kinetics of thickening and of lengthening of ?' plates in an Al-3.93 pct Cu alloy in the temperature range 203" to 300" C were determined by means of transmission electron microscopy. The rate of thickening was found to be less than that allowed by volume diffusion control at all temperatures, by amounts which increased with decreasing temperature, in agreement with the predictions of a general theory of precipitate morphology.1 Thickening was treated on the basis of the ledge mechanism. Ledges were deduced to spread across the broad faces of ?' plates at volume dzjrfusion-controlled rates, as anticipated from the disordered structure of their edges. Lengthening of 8' plates, on the other hand, took Place more rapidly than allowed by volume dzjrfusion. This occurred despite clear morPhological evidence of a bmrier to growth at the edges of these plates. It was concluded that the misfit dislocation structure comprising the barrier requires that lengthening take place by a jog mechanism. The tnisfit dislocations, however, also serve as diffusion short circuits, and allow high overall lengthening rates to be achieved. In Part I' it was shown that, within the range of aging temperatures and times studied, the broad faces of 8' plates formed in Al-4 pct Cu are fully coherent with the a, matrix. Virtually .all of the dislocations present in these faces were found to have developed as a result of plastic deformation in the a phase. Such dislocations are thus "intruders", rather than the more usual misfit-compensating variety. The edges of 8' plates were confirmed, by extension of the earlier studies of Mat-suura and Koda,3 to be made up of edge-type misfit dislocations, in sessile orientation with respect to lengthening of the plates. These interfacial structures should cause 8' plates to thicken and to lengthen at rates less than those allowed under the condition of volume diffusion control, such as would be expected if the interphase boundaries had disordered structures.' The narrow width of 8' plates, the reproducible crystallography of their broad faces, and the appearance of these plates in cross section as octagons rather than as circular discs2 provide qualitative support for these deductions. The present study of the rate of thickening and the rate of lengthening of 8' plates was undertaken in order to examine them on a quantitative basis. I) THICKENING KINETICS OF THE BROAD FACES OF?' PLATES A) Literature Review. The measurements now available on the thickening kinetics of single-phase precipitate plates consist of one plot of the thickening of a proeutectoid ferrite plate in an Fe-C alloy,' showing (as predicted) thickening rates less than those allowed by volume diffusion control. B) Experimental Procedure. Details of the preparation of the 4-3.93 pct Cu alloy used in this study have been previously reported.4 As in Part 1,' transmission electron microscopy was the observational tool employed. A general description of the apparatus and procedures of the electron microscopy studies is given in Section I of Part I. In thin foils, 0' plates tend to form at and parallel to the foil surface.' A direct investigation of the thickening process by means of hot-stage transmission electron microscopy was therefore not feasible. It was thus necessary to use the conventional method of aging individual bulk specimens for a wide range of different times at the various temperatures studied. In each specimen, the thicknesses of a number of plates were measured. Since thin foils prepared from "bulk-aged" material contain a large proportion of grains with orientations near (001) , it was relatively easy to find, near the edges of the foils, the characteristic multifold patterns of intersecting extinction contours which indicate regions where the foil is exactly at an (001) orientation. The thicknesses of large numbers of plates were measured along the (200) branches of the "stars" so that the 8' plates were precisely parallel to the optical axis of the microscope. Wherever possible, intersecting extinction contours were adjusted with the parameter s > 0 to improve the visibility of the plates in bright-field illumination. These precautions, in combination with taking the measurements at the thinnest parts of the foils, minimized the errors in the measurement of the thickness of the plates resulting from inexact parallelism to the electron beam. Since the plates were very thin, it was not easy to measure their thickness on the photographs. The techniques of enlargement and of microdensitometry were employed to minimize errors from this part of the measurement. A further source of possible error, that the plates can appear thicker because of contrast associated with mismatch normal to the plane of the plate, was also considered. The images of the plates were usually thinner than those of dislocations, however, and no anomalous changes in apparent plate thickness were observed when regions of foil containing plates were tilted through various diffracting conditions. Any error from this cause must therefore be small. Other sources contributing errors were: a) the microdensitometer traces per se and the subjective estimates of their peak limits, and b) slight fluctuations in magnification associated with small changes in the current of the objective lens of the electron microscope. The overall error probably amounted to no more than 5 to 10 pct. In order to obtain readily interpretable data on thickening kinetics, it is essential that the diffusion fields of adjacent ?' plates not be allowed to overlap. Calculations'-' showed that this condition is definitely not ful-

Jan 1, 1969

By L. Seigle, R. Resnick

An inert-marker movement experiment indicates that the ratio of the intrinsic diffusion coefficients DC:DTa = 80:l in TaC at 2500°C. Measurements of the diffmion coefficient of carbon in nonstoichiometric TaC at temperatures from 1700° to 2700°C reveal that Dc increases with decreasing carbon content, but much less than expected from the probable change in vacancy concentration with carbon content. A diffusion process involving two simultaneously operating mechanisms is postulated, and shown to be theoretically feasible. The average value of the carbon diffusion coefficient is given by DC = 0.18 exp[(-85,000 ± 3000)/RT] sq cm per sec over the composition range 46 to 49.5 at. pct C. BECAUSE of their high melting points and hardness, the carbides of the IV, V, and VI group transition metals, along with those of uranium, have attracted considerable interest for applications at high temperatures. In these applications the reactivity of the materials is important, and, since rates of diffusion within the compounds influence reactivity, a knowledge of diffusion kinetics and mechanisms is desirable. While many investigations of the mechanical and electrical properties of these compounds have been made, only two fundamental investigations of diffusion in the carbides are known. Chubb, Getz, and Townleyl measured the diffusivity of carbon and uranium in UC, and Gel'd and Liubimov2 measured the diffusivity of carbon and niobium in NbC. This paper describes an investigation of the diffusion of carbon in tantalum monocarbide and, in particular, the influence of carbon deficiency on this process. Tantalum carbide melts at approximately 3800°C, which makes it one of the highest melting materials known. The compound exists over a rather wide range of carbon Content.3-7 At the peritectic temperature, 3240°C, the phase extends from about 36 to 50 at. pct C. Although the compound can exist with a substantial carbon deficiency, the high carbon phase boundary remains near the stoichiometric composition over the entire temperature range; i.e., no carbon excess is observed. The structure of TaC is the NaCl type wherein carbon atoms normally occupy the octahedral sites in a somewhat expanded fcc lattice of tantalum. Decrease of the lattice parameter with decreasing carbon suggests that the removal of carbon introduces octahedral vacancies into the lattice. I) EXPERIMENTAL DETAILS AND RESULTS Inert-Marker Experiments. In a compound such as TaC the interstitial element would be expected to diffuse more rapidly than the metal. This was confirmed by an inert-marker experiment, following Srnigelskas and irkeendall.8 Ideally, the markers should be placed at the interface between a slab of low-carbon TaC and graphite, and their movement during subsequent inter-diffusion measured. Unfortunately, no solid could be found which is unreactive in contact with carbon at the high temperatures employed in these experiments. In order to circumvent this problem, a specimen was designed in which the markers consisted of several small canals running just below the surface of a tantalum slab. This specimen was prepared by machining grooves on the surface of the tantalum slab and then diffusion-bonding a thin plate of tantalum to the slab over the grooves. The surface of the plate was then ground down until the distance between the canals and surface was as small as possible (about 0.01 cm). Thus, the canals would lie entirely within the TaC phase after a short period of diffusion. The diffusion anneal consisted of immersing the metal sample in high-purity graphite powder and heating for approximately 10 hr at 2500°C under vacuum. At this temperature, the vapor pressure is sufficiently high and the transfer of carbon from graphite sufficiently rapid to allow the surface of the diffusion sample to attain the stoichiometric carbon concentration very quickly. Conclusions regarding the relative diffusion rates of carbon and tantalum in the compound layers (TaC and Ta2C) can be drawn from the location of the canals after the diffusion anneals. If the growth of the layers is governed mainly by the diffusion of carbon, as expected, the canals should remain close to the sample surface. If the diffusion of tantalum contributes appreciably to formation of the compound layers, the distance from the markers (canals) to the surface should increase. Fig. 1 shows, diagrammatically, the appearance of the specimens after diffusion, and Table I presents the depth below the surface at which the

Jan 1, 1967

By Donald A. Brobst

The minerals barite (BaSO4) and witherite (BaCO3) are the chief sources of the element barium and its compounds needed for many industrial processes and products. Barite, the principal ore mineral, is found the world over and is abundant and widely distributed throughout the United States.3 Witherite is much less common than barite, though more desirable in many ways as a raw material for the production of barium chemicals. England is the chief producer of witherite. Witherite is not mined in the United States at the present time, but it has been mined with barite from a deposit at El Portal, California. Barite is also called barytes, tiff, cawk, or heavy spar. Ordinarily it is a heavy mineral that crystallizes in the orthorhombic system. It is colorless, white, or gray, and transparent to opaque. In some deposits barite is black, yellow, brown, red, green, or blue because of included impurities. The streak is white and the luster vitreous to resinous or pearly. The specific gravity of pure barite (65.7 pct BaO and 34.3 pct SO3) is calculated to be 4.5, but inclusions and impurities in natural barite may reduce this value considerably. Well-formed crystals are generally tabular and have three cleavages. The barite of many deposits, however, has an uneven fracture and an apparent cleavage caused by separation along planes between successively deposited layers. The hardness is 2.5 to 3.5 on Mohs' scale. Commercially the terms "hard" and "soft" are used to refer to ease of grinding. Barite is relatively insoluble in water and acid, and thus can be used as a chemically inert material. Witherite, the natural carbonate of barium (77.7 pct BaO and 22.3 pct CO2), crystallizes in the orthorhombic system. The fracture is uneven and the luster is vitreous to resinous. The hardness is 3 to 3.5. The specific gravity of the pure mineral is calculated to be 4.29. It is transparent to opaque. The color is ordinarily white, gray, yellow, brown, or green. Geology and Distribution of Deposits Workable deposits of barite are widely distributed throughout the world in many geologic environments in sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks. Most deposits can be classified into three main types: (1) vein and cavityfilling deposits; (2) bedded deposits; and (3) residual deposits. 1. Vein and cavity-filling deposits are those in which barite and associated minerals occur along faults, gashes, joints, and bedding planes, and in breccia zones and solution channels. They also occur in various collapse and sink structures in limestone. Sharp contacts of the veins and cavity fillings with wall rocks are common. Barite cements fault and collapse breccia by replacement of the matrix or by filling voids. Large-scale replacement of the wall rocks beyond ore-controlling structures is rare. Barite in vein and cavity filling deposits is generally dense, "hard," and white to gray. Associated minerals are fluorite, calcite, ankerite, dolomite, quartz, and many sulfide minerals, especially pyrite, chalcopyrite, galena, and sphalerite. Gold, silver, and rare earth minerals occur with barite in some deposits in the western United States. Barite is also a gangue mineral in metallic ore deposits but production as a byproduct from such deposits will be affected by many economic factors. The host rocks are igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks of pre-Cambrian to

Jan 1, 1960

By Leo F. Reinartz

Part II of a four-part series on the history of steelmaking in the US, points out the inadequate safety and living conditions that existed in steel mills at the turn of the Century. Also defined are furnace and process developments. OPERATIONS in steel plants today are highly mechanized. Men work in light, clean, orderly melting shops, making it difficult for old timers to convince young men that primitive, hazardous conditions existed in steel plants at the turn of the century. Working conditions then were very poor as compared to present day standards. In small plants especially, sanitary, locker, and washroom facilities, first-aid practices and stations were un- known Accidents were frequent and severe. Workers had a fatalistic attitude toward getting hurt. He who had an accident was looked upon as a hero. A dirty bandanna often served as a bandage. Infections were frequent. Electric cranes were in their infancy and broke down often Cables had not as yet replaced chains. Pig iron and scrap iron were loaded by hand in the stockyard, and stockyard locomotives were un- known; mules served as the usual motive power. It was not unusual to see recorded a delay of ½ hr in charging a furnace because of a balky mule. Furnace operations A few plants had primitive charging machines, but most furnaces were charged by placing scrap or pig iron on the paddle of a long peel, which rested on a bar across the furnace door opening. Laborers at the handle end of the peel, using the bar as a fulcrum, would heave the material into the furnace by a down and sideward motion of the peel handle. In time they became expert in placing these materials in the furnace, but it was hard, hot work, and a long time was required for charging. Cold charges of 25 tons required more than 12 hr for melting and re- fining the steel. Ports, doors, and frames were not water cooled. The charging and working area in front of the furnace was covered with steel plates. They were hot and often warped by the intense heat of the un- insulated checker chambers directly below. In the summer, working conditions on the charging floor were almost unbearable. Silica refractories were of poor quality. Because of this, and the inadequate training of furnace men in fuel control and furnace operations, roofs, front and back walls, and ends burned out rapidly. Dolomite machines were unknown; consequently, furnace banks and hearths were fettled with dolomite by the use of hand shovels. The round system required six or more men. Each man took a shovelful of dolomite and, in his turn, deposited it on the back wall and bank by a dexterous forward swing and twist of the shovel. The upward swing of the shovel partially protected his face from the searing heat of the furnace coming out through the wide-open door. Considerable skill and stamina were required to do this job properly. Reverse valves, usually of the cast-iron butterfly type, were located below the charging floor. They were operated by long levers on the charging floor level men they became warped, because of heat and abuse, great strength and skill were required to reverse them. Furnace operations were difficult. The quality and quantity of producer gas coming from irregularly stoked, hand-operated gas producers was uncertain and unreliable. Furnace Linings and ports were quickly burned out. Poor bottom and side-wall refractories, indifferent and inexperienced crews, as well as irregular re-

Jan 1, 1961

By T. S. West

Completion and production data presented for three wells in the Oakville area of Live Oak County, Texas, which were completed near the gas-oil or water-oil contact, indicate that coning may not be as prevalent a cause of failure in such cases as is commonly assumed. Failure in the cases discussed is indicated to be due instead to: (I) erosion of the formation, (2) flowing out of mud filter cake, or (3) failure of the cement. An open-hole gravel-pack type of completion procedure is proposed for preventing failures of this kind by preventing movement of all solid material in the space in which completion is made. Various combinations of layers of gravel, sand, and cement are utilized for this purpose. Experimental results and theoretical discussion as to the applicability of gravel pack completion are included. Introduction This paper is primarily a study of the reasons for failure of oil-well completions near the gas-oil or oil-water contact, and suggests a procedure for increasing the efficiency of this type of completion. The value of improvement in completion effectiveness near the gas or water zone is not confined, however, to wells of relatively thin oil columns. Thick oil columns become thin as depletion progresses. It would seem to follow that the minimum distance from the gas or water zone at which completion can be made in a new well indicates the limit to which depletion may be carried in a well having an oil column of any initial magnitude. Only four ways can be postulated in which high gas-oil or water-oil ratio can initially occur if the zone exposed for production is within the oil column: 1. Failure of the cementing material. 2. Vertical coning. 3. Failure along the boundary between the cement and the wall of the well. 4. Failure of the formation comprising the wall of the well. Cementing materials such as portland cement and plastics have reached a high stage of development. Failures of this type are probably due almost always to extraneous causes such as mud contamination rather than to faulty cementing material. Vertical coning can and obviously does occur. However, the usual occurrence of thin impermeable streaks in sand sections and the success with which open-hole drill-stem tests can be made near the gas-oil contact suggest that over-all effective vertical permeability, and in turn vertical coning, is less prevalent than frequently is assumed. Much has been written on failure by flowing out of the mud filter cake between cementing material and the formation. A filter cake is always present if, prior to cementing, mud has come in contact with a permeable formation at pressures exceeding the pressure head of the fluid it contains. Mechanical methods are in use for removing filter cake during the cementing operation? which undoubtedly are of

Jan 1, 1947

By T. S. West

Completion and production data presented for three wells in the Oakville area of Live Oak County, Texas, which were completed near the gas-oil or water-oil contact, indicate that coning may not be as prevalent a cause of failure in such cases as is commonly assumed. Failure in the cases discussed is indicated to be due instead to: (I) erosion of the formation, (2) flowing out of mud filter cake, or (3) failure of the cement. An open-hole gravel-pack type of completion procedure is proposed for preventing failures of this kind by preventing movement of all solid material in the space in which completion is made. Various combinations of layers of gravel, sand, and cement are utilized for this purpose. Experimental results and theoretical discussion as to the applicability of gravel pack completion are included. Introduction This paper is primarily a study of the reasons for failure of oil-well completions near the gas-oil or oil-water contact, and suggests a procedure for increasing the efficiency of this type of completion. The value of improvement in completion effectiveness near the gas or water zone is not confined, however, to wells of relatively thin oil columns. Thick oil columns become thin as depletion progresses. It would seem to follow that the minimum distance from the gas or water zone at which completion can be made in a new well indicates the limit to which depletion may be carried in a well having an oil column of any initial magnitude. Only four ways can be postulated in which high gas-oil or water-oil ratio can initially occur if the zone exposed for production is within the oil column: 1. Failure of the cementing material. 2. Vertical coning. 3. Failure along the boundary between the cement and the wall of the well. 4. Failure of the formation comprising the wall of the well. Cementing materials such as portland cement and plastics have reached a high stage of development. Failures of this type are probably due almost always to extraneous causes such as mud contamination rather than to faulty cementing material. Vertical coning can and obviously does occur. However, the usual occurrence of thin impermeable streaks in sand sections and the success with which open-hole drill-stem tests can be made near the gas-oil contact suggest that over-all effective vertical permeability, and in turn vertical coning, is less prevalent than frequently is assumed. Much has been written on failure by flowing out of the mud filter cake between cementing material and the formation. A filter cake is always present if, prior to cementing, mud has come in contact with a permeable formation at pressures exceeding the pressure head of the fluid it contains. Mechanical methods are in use for removing filter cake during the cementing operation? which undoubtedly are of

Jan 1, 1947

By Wayne A. Greenwalt

A method that determines venture participation when the decision maker's level of risk aversion varies according to venture profitability and risk investment is presented. The decision maker's fundamental aversion to risk is established by the selection of a desired working interest for a venture that anticipates only a discounted payout.

Jan 1, 1982

By H. H. Campbell

Many attempts have been made to write a formula by which to calculate the strength of steel from its chemical composition, but most of these endeavors have failed because there were too many disturbing conditions. It is idle to collect from the pages of trade-papers, books, or the proceedings of scientific societies, a multitude of observations. The combination of such results will simply show that steel of the same composition will vary in tensile strength through wide limits—a fact that has been known for generations. That cold-working, overheating, and many another form of heat-treatment alter fundamentally the strength of steel, is ancient history, although it is only recently that the microscope has pointed out the road to an explanation of the phenomena. It mag be urged that the microscopic structure must betaken into consideration in any formula giving the ultimate strength, but from the standpoint of the present investigation this is unnecessary. We are trying to determine primarily, not what changes in ultimate strength may be made by variations in the condition of carbon, but what effect is produced by changes in the amount of carbon, when its condition remains constant. For such an inquiry, in order that the condition of the carbon should remain as nearly uniform as possible, it is essential that all testrpieces be made under the same conditions; and it is believed that the tests described in this paper satisfy that requirement. The investigations were made at the works of the Pennsylvania Steel Company, Steelton, Pa.; the ingots from which the tests were made were 6 in. square in every case; they were heated in the same furnace and forged at the same ham-

Jan 1, 1905

By Charles D. Borror, George K. Foster

The Jeffrey mine of the Canadian Johns-Manville Co., Limited, is in the town of Asbestos, situated approximately 100 miles northeast of Montreal and about the same distance southwest of Quebec, in Richmond County, Quebec. Mining operations were started in 1881 on outcrops on a hill, as a side-hill cut, followed by a second and third cut. This development was the forerunner of the present large open-pit operations, the mine now ranking as the largest open-pit asbestos mine in the world. Operations were first carried on by hand, then by horsepower and later by stem cableways. By 1924 the derrick spans, 2000 ft. or more long, became unwieldy. To overcome this, and also to eliminate hand labor as much as possible, steam shovels and railroad haulage were introduced. The steam shovels were replaced in 1928 by larger electric shovels of the full-revolving type. The Ore Body The ore body is a serpentinized peri-dotite rock mass. The chrysotile fibers form a network of veins throughout, varying from microscopic width to two or more inches measured across the veins (Fig. I). These veins may be continuous for a few or many feet; they may increase or decrease in width within a few feet. The veins in which the fibers occur per- pendicular to the veins are known as cross fiber. Those in which the fibers lay parallel to the veins are known as slip fiber. The cross fibers are of better quality, and more in demand. The majority of the fiber

Jan 1, 1948

By George K. Foster, Charles D. Borror

The Jeffrey mine of the Canadian Johns-Manville Co., Limited, is in the town of Asbestos, situated approximately 100 miles northeast of Montreal and about the same distance southwest of Quebec, in Richmond County, Quebec. Mining operations were started in 1881 on outcrops on a hill, as a side-hill cut, followed by a second and third cut. This development was the forerunner of the present large open-pit operations, the mine now ranking as the largest open-pit asbestos mine in the world. Operations were first carried on by hand, then by horsepower and later by stem cableways. By 1924 the derrick spans, 2000 ft. or more long, became unwieldy. To overcome this, and also to eliminate hand labor as much as possible, steam shovels and railroad haulage were introduced. The steam shovels were replaced in 1928 by larger electric shovels of the full-revolving type. The Ore Body The ore body is a serpentinized peri-dotite rock mass. The chrysotile fibers form a network of veins throughout, varying from microscopic width to two or more inches measured across the veins (Fig. I). These veins may be continuous for a few or many feet; they may increase or decrease in width within a few feet. The veins in which the fibers occur per- pendicular to the veins are known as cross fiber. Those in which the fibers lay parallel to the veins are known as slip fiber. The cross fibers are of better quality, and more in demand. The majority of the fiber

Jan 1, 1948

By A. B. Cox, L. W. Wark

An attempt has been made to compare the influences of the two most widely used depressants—alkalis and sodium cyanide—and the most widely used activator—copper sulfate—on the air-mineral contact induced by five sulfur-bearing compounds: (1) sodium di-ethyl dithio-phosphate (sodium Aerofloat); (2) potassium ethyl xanthate; (3) sodium di-ethyl dithiocarbamate; (4) potassium iso-amyl xanthate; (5) potassium di-n-amyl dithiocarbamate. Three different organic types are included in lhis group and for two of these types a higher and a lower homologue have been tested. The study of potassium ethyl xanthate, the preliminary results of which have been described,' was continued until there had been obtained a comprehensive account of the influence of variations in pH value and in the concentrations of xanthate, sodium cyanide and copper sulfate on the adsorption of this xanthate by galena, sphalerite, pyrite and chalcopyrite. With concentrations of copper sulfate and collector that the work with ethyl xanthate indicated would give the most illuminating. results, the other four collectors were tested, in a less exhaustive way. The same general principles determine the influence of alkalis, cyanide and copper sulfate, no matter to which type the collector belongs, but there is a gradation in the quantitative measure of such influence. In the list above, the five collectors are cited in the order of their capacity to withstand the depressants, sodium Aerofloat being the least resistant, potassium di-n-amyl dithiocarbamate the most resistant. This order coincides substantially with that of the solubilities of the heavy metal salts formed by double decomposition with the collectors, those formed from sodium Aerofloat being most soluble. There is little difference between the third and fourth members of the series, and under certain conditions their positions are reversed. In general, then, of the three types of collectors investigated, the dithiophosphate type is most easily influenced by depressants, and the

Jan 1, 1935

By R. R. McNaughton

The Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada, Ltd. at Trail, B. C., inaugurated a comprehensive program of investigation about 15 years ago to develop the most economical process of recovering the metal in the large accumulated stock of by-products of the lead smelter and the zinc plant. Two principal methods of recovery were followed to a successful conclusion—an electrothermic process to treat zinc-plant residues and cold slag and the fuming of hot slag from the lead blast furnaces. The latter was selected because it showed a saving over the former in its ability to handle hot blast-furnace slag, thus obviating the necessity of granulating, handling and eventually remelting the same slag for the electrothermic process. The design of a fuming plant was commenced in 1928, and construction, which was started immediately, was completed in July 1030. Operating intermittently for a general tuning up, the plant was officially blown in for regular operation in August. During this month the vagaries of a slag-fuming plant were studied and an operating crew was trained. A history of slag fuming at Trail and the development of plant design is given in a paper by G. E. Murray in the Transactions of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy for 1933. Fuming Plant The fuming plant at Trail (Fig. 1) is a separate unit although of necessity interlocked closely with the lead smelter. The plant consists essentially of a fuming furnace with its accessories, a waste-heat boiler followed by an economizer, and a suction-type baghouse. The plant was built as the first of two 400-ton units with the intention of adding the second unit within a year, so that flues, fans and buildings were built to handle double the original load. Furnace.—The furnace as originally built (Fig. 2) was of water-jacket construction, 10 ft. wide, 20 ft. long and 6 to 10 ft. high. The roof height was made variable to check experimental work, which had indicated that this dimension affected the rate of reduction. Coal and air were supplied

Jan 1, 1937