Abstract: Phyllosilicate minerals which exhibit in their structure, sequentially, octahedral layers containing magnesium, aluminum and/or iron oxides and tetrahedral layers of silica, are superficially etched with dilute acid to remove the outer octahedral layer under controlled conditions which preserve the basic structural integrity of the mineral substrate. The acid etch exposes silanol groups on the outer silicate layer of the mineral so that they become available to form silicon-to-oxygen-to-silicon-to-carbon bonds through condensation with organo-silanes. The condensation of the organo-silane with the conditioned mineral surface is accomplished by mixing the acid etched silicate mineral with the organo-silane in a suitable solvent system under mild conditions.The organo-silane may be chosen from either of two classes: those which impart an oleophilic surface to the mineral; or those which enable the mineral surface to form additional chemical bonds with reactive sites within certain polymers and prepolymers.

Abstract: A centrifugal microstrainer includes a closed cylindrical vessel with a cylindrical screen within, both rotating about a hollow shaft forming a common central axis. Liquid-solid admixture introduced through the shaft is flowed radially outward subjected to centrifugal acceleration, and forced back through the screen under pressure with particles too large to pass the screen remaining on its outboard side. The centrifugal force applied by the rotation of the vessel acts on these larger particles pushing them away from the screen thus preventing clogging and permitting substantially continuous operation. The device may be operated as a classifier by providing a plurality of concentric screens of decreasing mesh size spaced outwardly from one another in conjunction with properly sized chokes.

Abstract: Phyllosilicate minerals which exhibit in their structure, sequentially, octahedral layers containing magnesium, aluminum and/or iron oxides and tetrahedral layers of silica, are superficially etched with dilute acid to remove the outer octahedral layer under controlled conditions which preserve the basic structural integrity of the mineral substrate. The acid etch exposes silanol groups on the outer silicate layer of the mineral so that they become available to form silicon-to-oxygen-to-silicon-to-carbon bonds through condensation with organo-silanes. The condensation of the organo-silane with the conditioned mineral surface is accomplished by mixing the acid etched silicate mineral with the organo-silane in a suitable solvent system under mild conditions.The organo-silane may be chosen from either of two classes: those which impart an oleophilic surface to the mineral; or those which enable the mineral surface to form additional chemical bonds with reactive sites within certain polymers and prepolymers.

Abstract: A drilling fluid additive effective as a viscosity controlling agent is composed of complex titanium or zirconium lignosulfonates and/or salts of lignosulfonic acid. Alternatively, the additive may be a titanium-iron lignosulfonate and/or salt or lignosulfonic acid or a zirconium-iron lignosulfonate and/or salt of lignosulfonic acid. The additive is effective with the lignin component of the lignosulfonate being in either oxidized or unoxidized form.

Abstract: Apparatus for aiding a well logging instrument in traversing highly deviated boreholes including a plurality of extensible arms mounted in the elongated logging instrument, each arm terminating in a pad member which includes a toothed wheel or gear mounted therein but extending outside the pad. When the arms are extended, moving the pad members outward and away from the logging instrument toward the borehole wall, the toothed wheels engage the mud cake or the borehole wall. A motor is effectively connected to the toothed wheels through a plurality of shafts, universal joints and interconnecting gears for rotating the toothed wheels to move the logging instruments up or down the borehole length. By mounting the toothed wheels within the pad members at an angle other than parallel to the axis of the borehole such that an auger-like movement of the logging instrument is produced, the drive force exerted on the logging instrument is amplified.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for the in situ examination of earth formations penetrated by a borehole to ascertain the optimum location along the length thereof for instituting well stimulation operations or, where the well is cased, the optimum location for perforating the casing. The method utilizes natural gamma ray logging to determine the optimum locations with the natural gamma ray radiation of the earth formation surrounding the borehole measured and the total measurement then separated into potassium-40, uranium, and thorium energy-band signals. A differential value is derived by subtracting the energy-band signal for either potassium or thorium from the energy-band signal for uranium, with the differential thereafter compared to a energy-level standard having a preselected magnitude. The optimum locations for perforating and/or instituting well stimulation operations will be those zones in which the differential exceeds the preselected energy level standard.

Abstract: A source of fast neutrons and two differently spaced detectors are utilized in a well logging instrument, each of such detectors being responsive to the thermal neutron population decay rate. The inverse of this decay rate is proportional to the measured macroscopic absorption cross section (Sigma). The measured Sigma is obtained simultaneously as a function of the radiation detected by each of two detectors. The signal generated which is indicative of the Sigma observed from one detector is subtracted from the Sigma observed by the second detector. The difference between the measured Sigma from two differently spaced detectors provides a unique function of the fluid-filled porosity of the formations giving rise to the measured Sigma values.

Abstract: A pulsed neutron generator in a well logging instrument is pulsed at a clock frequency of 20 KHz. Inelastic scatter gamma rays are detected during a first time interval coinciding with the neutron source being on and capture gamma rays are measured during a second interval subsequent to the end of each neutron burst. Only a single detected pulse, assuming detection occurs, is transmitted during each of the two detection intervals. Sync pulses are generated in the well logging instrument scaled down to a frequency of 200 Hz for transmission to the earth's surface. At the earth's surface, the scaled-down sync pulses are applied to a phase locked loop system for regenerating the sync pulses to the same frequency as that of the clock frequency used to pulse the neutron source and to open the detection gates in the borehole instrument.

Abstract: Phyllosilicate minerals which exhibit in their structure, sequentially, octahedral layers containing magnesium, aluminum and/or iron oxides and tetrahedral layers of silica, are superficially etched with dilute acid to remove the outer octahedral layer under controlled conditions which preserve the basic structural integrity of the mineral substance. The acid etch exposes silanol groups on the outer silicate layer of the mineral so that they become available to form silicon-to-oxygen-to-silicon-to-carbon bonds through condensation with organo-silanes. The condensation of the organo-silane with the conditioned mineral surface is accomplished by mixing the acid etched silicate mineral with the organo-silane in a suitable solvent system under mild conditions.The organo-silane may be chosen from either of two classes: those which impart an oleophilic surface to the mineral; or those which enable the mineral surface to form additional chemical bonds with reactive sites within certain polymers and prepolymers.

Abstract: A combination fuel introduction, distribution and air shaping device is provided for a fuel carburetion system of an internal combustion engine. The distributor is elongated and of generally inverted tear-drop cross-section. Fuel discharge openings are spaced longitudinally near or at the bottom of the distributor. The distributor extends across the intake air duct of an air-fuel mixing and modulating device that is adapted to deliver a mixture of finely divided fuel droplets in air to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine. The body of the distributor divides the intake air flow into two converging air streams which entrain the fuel as liquid droplets sweeping it from a helically coiled wire extending along the downstream side of the distributor and uniformly distributing the droplets in the air streams.

Abstract: A combination fuel introduction, distribution and air shaping device is provided for a fuel carburetion system of an internal combustion engine. The distributor is elongated and of generally inverted tear-drop cross-section. Fuel discharge openings are spaced longitudinally near or at the bottom of the distributor. Spaced-apart teeth aligned with the fuel openings or other means to prevent liquid bridging and depend from the bottom or discharge side of the distributor. The distributor extends across the intake air duct of an air-fuel mixing and modulating device that is adapted to deliver a mixture of finely divided fuel droplets in air to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine. The body of the distributor divides the intake air flow into two converging air streams which entrain the fuel as liquid droplets sweeping it from the downstream side of the distributor and uniformly distributing the droplets in the air streams.

Abstract: Discharge velocity of the air-fuel mixture being supplied through a variable venturi flow passage device to an internal combustion engine at idle to near idle operation of the engine is optimized by controllably varying the area ratio between the throat and exit planes of the device. Opposite jaw faces of the device define the flow passage that is gradually opened and closed in correlation to demand imposed on the engine between idle and full throttle operation. Area ratio control in one form is achieved by apparatus operative to selectively vary the diffuser angle between the opposing jaw faces. Area ratio control in another form is achieved by apparatus operative to effect a localized passage opening at idle of selectively different aspect ratio than the aspect ratio defined over the full longitudinal extent of the jaw faces.