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By Franklin P. Hall

U.S. supply and demand data for utility electricity by States and regions were tabulated for the years 1960 and 1965. Estimates are provided of State-by-State quantitative data for the utility electricity industry that can be integrated into State and regional energy balances by source, form, and major consuming sectors, and used to determine basic flow-patterns. The difficult problem of compiling interstate and interregional shipments of electricity was resolved by (a) assuming the negligibility of interregional shipments and (b) deriving a theoretical line loss percentage used for determining interstate shipments. The data developed were able to show an estimated total supply of utility electricity available for consumption. The tables also report the distribution of the supply among the major consuming sectors (household and commercial, industrial, and transportation). To compare the various energy sources of utility electricity, quantities were converted to their British thermal unit (Btu) equivalents. The Federal Power Commission, Edison Electric Institute, and Bureau of Mines are the sources of the data used in this study.

Jan 1, 1969

By T. R. Jolley

An investigation was begun by the Bureau of Mines in 1948 to determine the preparation characteristics of American coals. Results of the investigation were planned to be reported on a county basis and, from the data developed, to determine: I. Which coals either as mined or after beneficiation by conventional preparation are chemically suitable under present standards for producing metallurgical coke. 2. Which coals require special and more intensive treatment in preparation than is now practiced. 3. Which coals cannot be considered potential sources of metallurgical coke, regardless of preparation by present-day methods. This report is one in the county series that describes the preparation characteristics of the coals of Bell County, Ky.

Jan 1, 1957

By Clarence O. Babcock

ROCK BEHAVIOR has proved of national interest in a variety of fields. The behavior of rock consequent to a nuclear blast was used to detect such blasts, as criteria for the design of underground military defense installations that would resist nuclear blasts, and for judging the feasibility for peaceful uses of nuclear explosives. An obvious peaceful application of nuclear explosives would be for large-scale rock excavation, and plans were presented during the year to improve the present Panama Canal or create a new canal by this method. These plans were based largely on earlier crater tests that demonstrated rock behavior when subjected to a buried nuclear blast. A knowledge of rock behavior under impact was used to evaluate the materials of the moon by means of the geometric configurations visible in the close-up pictures of the moon surface taken by the U.S. rocket Ranger 7. The composition of the moon must be considered in devising methods for taking samples of the surface layers or in designing underground shelters as bases for future explorations of the moon.

Jan 1, 1965

Provide d comprehensive source of up-to-date information about technology for revegetating coal mined lands. Approach A great deal of activity and research in the field of coal mine revegetation has been reported in technical literature, both before and after the passage of Public Law 95-87, the Surface Mining Control and Ruclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). This information is widely scattered throughout books, scientific journals, periodicals, Government reports, and other sources, and there has been a need to develop a method of accessing it quickly and efficiently. At the request of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement which promulgates and enforces regulations implementing the act, the Bureau of Mines has prepared a document that identifies literature relevant to coal mine revegetation. Most of the literature available on this subject has been published during the past 15 years. To tap this reservoir of information, 14 data bases were accessed from DIALOG SDI (Selective Dissemination of Information) Service using three keyword combinations (surface mining and reclamation, strip mining and reclamation, and revegetation). This procedure generated over 7,000 listings. The U.S. Department of Energy's ENERGY data base was selected from the 14 DIALOG bases, both for its large number of listings and for its broad coverage of literature. This data base contains all the unclassified information that passes through the Technical Information Center of the Department of Energy, including reports, journal articles, conferences, patents, books, monographs, theses, and engineering materials relating to energy development.

Jan 1, 1986

By Deno M. Pappas, Christopher Mark, Eric R. Bauer

During 1998-99, groundfall incidents resulted in 27 fatalities and were responsible for over 70% of all deaths in U.S. underground coal mines. To obtain a better understanding of where and why these incidents occurred, a comprehensive analysis of ground fall injuries and fatalities was conducted. The first portion of the study examined various factors associated with roof and rib fall injuries and reportable roof fall noninjuries that occurred during 1995-98. The study found that the room-and-pillar mining method has twice the groundfall incident rate than the longwall method. Mine locations with high groundfall rates seem to correlate to regions where there is a higher concentration of problematic coalbeds. For example, the Illinois Basin has very high groundfall rates, which can be traced back to several key coalbeds-Kentucky No. 13, Herrin/No. 6/Kentucky No. 11, and Springfield No. 5/Kentucky No. 9. High rib fall rates were found in mines located in thick seams. Groundfall rates were found to be 30% to 40% higher during the months of July through September, possibly due to high humidity that may cause the shale mine roof to deteriorate. The second part of the study examined the root causes of failure by reviewing all groundfall fatality reports for 1996-99. Primary and secondary hazard factors were assigned to each groundfall incident. The primaryf actors resulting in these groundfall fatalities were pillar extraction, traveling under unsupported roof, skin failure, construction, longwall faces, intersections, and geologic discontinuities. Defining prominent ground control incident trends and hazards will identify areas where additional study is needed and where innovative solutions need to be developed to reduce these severe occupational hazards.

Jan 10, 2000

By A. L. Murray, C. A. Allen

"The Industrial Commission of Utah from a study of the accidents (especially the fatalities) occurring in connection with mining in the State was struck by the large number arising from lack of due care on the part of the employee injured or carelessness on the part of some fellow employee. Figures show that approximately 40% of the deaths are due to carelessness as against only ) 10% or 12% that can be laid to faulty conditions in the mines. With a view to reducing the number of these accidents an intensive campaign of education was inaugurated, conducted jointly by the Industrial Commission of Utah and the United States Bureau of Mines.Through the cooperation of the U. S. Bureau of Mines, Mine Rescue Car No. 11 operating in Utah has been utilized as the means of carrying on the campaign. In making the regular training visits to the mining camps of Utah the crew of car 11 was authorized to include with the courses of instruction in Mine Rescue and First Aid, safety and health rallies, foremen's safety meetings, and appeals carried on through the public schools to stimulate an awaking of personal responsibility of miners and their familiar' in safety and health endeavor. The work was placed under the direct charge of Dr. Murray who has had previous experience in similar work and brought to the campaign helpful enthusiasm. He was assisted by Bruce Johnson, fore¬man miner of Car 11, who had been safety engineer for the U. S. Smelting Company, and R. W. Clark, first aid miner of Car 11. The expense of providing posters, literature, pledge cars, buttons, rental of special educational films and incidental expenses of foremens' meetings has been born by the Industrial Commission.Plan of the Campaign.In planning the campaign the main object was to revive as much as possible, among the workers, a spirit of responsibility for safety. Any considerable reduction of preventable accidents can be accomplished only through the workers themselves who are responsible for such accidents, therefore, the more personal the application could be made to all the workers the greater the accruing results would be."

May 1, 1921

By D. K. Dysinger

In this U.S. Bureau of Mines study, neodymium metal of 99.8 pct purity was prepared by electrolysis of Nd203 salts dissolved in a molten fluoride electrolyte. The metal was electrowon in a molten state at current efficiencies of 50 to 60 pct. Oxygen and carbon were the major impurities detected in the product. During operation of the small-scale laboratory cell, a number of technical problems including anode effect, low oxide solubility in the electrolyte, high neodymium metal solubility, reactivity of the metal with the cell materials, and back reaction of the metal with the anode gases were encountered. Approaches to improve cell operation and prospects for commercial adoption of the electrolytic production of neodymium metal are discussed.

Jan 1, 2010

By T. J. Ballard

The Rickard mine in York County, S. C., named for the original owner, Alexander Rickard, was operated about 50 years as. No records are available of the quantity of corundum shipped. Pratt states, "Many tons were picked up from the surface and shipped." The mine was visited on August 6, 1943, by the author, accompanied by Gilbert W. Withers of Atlanta, Ga. Investigation of the property was begun by the Bureau of Mines after some initial work by the Mi-Cor Corp., a company organized by Gilbert P. Withers of Atlanta to explore the property. In conducting the Bureau program, 754 linear feet of trenches were dug, 110 feet of old drifts cleaned out and examined, and 38 feet of shaft retimbered.

Jan 1, 1948

By C. E. Wethered

This paper describing the mining methods employed by the Federal Mining and Smelting Co., operating the Morning mine at Mullan, Idaho, is one of a series being prepared by the United States Bureau of Mines on mining practices, methods, and costs in the various mining districts of the United States. The daily tonnage produced at the Morning mine, including that mined by leasers, is 1,100 tons. Mine run of ore will average 9.1 per cent lead, 5.8 per cent zinc, and 4.4 ounces silver per ton. A stull set and fill method of mining is employed.

Jan 1, 1930

By E. J. Kloos

The Bureau of Mines evaluated all previously approved gas masks to determine their ability to provide respiratory protection against each of the following six selected amines: ethylenediamine, diethylamine, n-butylamine, ethylamine, methylamine, and hydrazine. Minimum requirements were a 24-minute service life at a flow rate of 64 liters per minute (32 liters per minute for hydrazine) and an amine concentration of 1.0 volume-percent (0.5 volume- percent for hydrazine). The three masks meeting these requirements were the LG4, Willson Products Division, The Electric Storage Battery Co.; the GMD-SS, Mine Safety Appliances Co.; and the 084-PHOV-R, Acme Protection Equipment Co.

Jan 1, 1966

By Ted C. Briggs

The Bureau of Mines is evaluating the thermodynamic properties of helium and helium-containing mixtures. Twenty-two compressibility runs were made with helium at 0° C and pressures to 800 atmospheres using a Burnett-type apparatus. Data from the 22 runs were treated simultaneously and as separate runs while different functional forms and weighting factors were used. A fourth-degree-polynomial equation in the pressure gives a statistically satisfactory representation of the compressibility factor when the data are treated simultaneously and a weighting factor of Pr-3/4 is used. The second virial coefficient of helium at 0° C from this investigation is 11.997±0.015 cm3 mole-1. The stated uncertainty is the random error standard deviation. Compressibility factors determined by this investigation are precise to better than 0.01 percent and are believed to be accurate to better than 0.02 percent.

Jan 1, 1969

By Edward F. Divers

This Bureau of Mines report describes the results of a program to develop small, rugged scrubbers with high dust collection efficiency for use in under-ground coal mines. The Bureau's Pittsburgh (Pa.) Research Center has developed and assisted in the development of several types of improved scrubbers that are especially suitable for various underground mining applications. Research efforts concentrated on reducing the size, power, and water consumption of these scrubbers, while optimizing their dust collection efficiency. Fractional dust collection efficiency, air volumetric range, size, power, water consumption, and application guidelines for each type are described. Air pressure differentials ranged between 2-and 3D-inches water column (wc). The dust collection efficiency of six scrubbers--a venturi, two flooded-fibrous-bed, a venturi-impaction plate, a wetted-fan, and a rotating flooded-bed--were compared. The rotating flooded-fibrous-bed and the stationary flooded-fibrous-bed scrubbers showed the highest coal dust collection efficiency. Test results show that these scrubbers can generally achieve respirable size coal dust collection efficiencies in the high 90-pct range required to reduce both long-(8-hour) and short-term coal mine dust concentrations below Federal requirements.

Jan 1, 1979

By David W. Wisecarver

This report describes a tool to engage and/or place a Bureau of Mines type gage to measure borehole deformation in a horizontal , 1½ - inch - diameter , stress relief borehole . The tool was successfully used at a borehole depth of 105 feet . Practical usage up to borehole depths of 200 feet might be realized . The tool was designed to work inside EX- size ( 1½ - inch ID ) diamond - drill drive casing used as drill rod and through which the deformation gage is guided into an EX- size stress relief borehole . Through laboratory experiments it was found that by exercising a reasonable amount of care the deformation gage could be placed at a point within a ± .01 foot distance of a predetermined depth in a horizontal EX- size hole and that the deformation measuring piston or plunger of the gage could be oriented in the borehole within 0.5 ° of a preselected angle of orientation in a vertical plane .

Jan 1, 1964

By H. B. Carroll

The Bureau of Mines investigated the adaptability of the Meteorology Research Inc.2 (MRI) nephelometer and the Sinclair-Phoenix smoke meter for use in routine, analytical, smog-chamber experiments and to compare their responses to aerosol during these experiments. Both instruments' sampling systems were modified--smaller size sample input systems were studied using the nephelometer and a secondary sample system was added to the smoke meter to allow measurement of Aitken or condensate nuclei. Both instruments were easily adapted for use with small smog chambers and both displayed good precision and sensitivity to aerosol. A correlation was shown to exist between the two instruments' responses to aerosol. This correlation makes it possible to report the Sinclair-Phoenix measurements in visibility and/or mass units if desired.

Jan 1, 1973

By R. V. Ramani, B. K. Belle

The increased effectiveness of a two-phase spray system (TPSS) over a single-phase spray system (SPSS) for dust suppression is reported in several laboratory studies. The dust collection efficiencies of SPSS and TPSS were studied in a model experimental longwall gallery facility at Pittsburgh Research Laboratory at NIOSH (USA). The experimental design consisted of two factors: pressure, and airflow. Each factor had three levels. SPSS experiments were conducted at only one pressure (1035 kPa) which is nearly 1.5 times higher than the highest air and water pressure for TPSS experiments. The results of the study are presented in this paper. While it appears that TPSS performed better than SPSS, the data is not sufficiently conclusive on this aspect. The differing spray characteristics of the chosen TPSS and SPSS nozzles did not allow a direct comparison of the two systems. In the TPSS arrangement, considerably greater turbulence in airflow is created around the shearer; it is likely that at least in the immediate vicinity of the tailgate drum, there is a roll back of the dust/mist cloud into the walkway. Therefore, positioning of the personnel upwind of the tailgate drum is necessary to avoid high dust exposures. The rate of decrease in concentration with TPSS is higher than that with SPSS. This may be due to the greater atomization of the water. The test set-up did not allow the study of conditions when coal is cut from tail to head where the potential for personal exposure is high. Changes in the experimental design are necessary to overcome some of the reasons expected for the inconclusive results.

By Edward A. Barrett, Lynn L. Rethi

Recent studies have shown that miners performing construction, maintenance, and repair (CMR) work activities in the conduct of their jobs incur from 39 to 65 percent of all reported injuries in the mining industry, The number is particularly high at surface aggregate operations; however, the problem exists at all mining locations and commodities. To address this issue, an interactive, (3-D) slides training exercise, Hazard Recognition Training Program for Construction. Maintenance and Repair Activities, was developed. The purpose of the exercise is to teach work& to recognize CMR hazards in the workplace and to deal with them using accepted safe work procedures. It was field tested using a total of 340 persons from surface mining operations in six states. The subjects were tested before and after the training intervention to determine if objectives of the instruction were achieved. Results indicated that 7 1 percent of the participants showed improvement in ink test scores. Following the posttest, subjects responded to a seven question Likert scale. These questions related to the validity of the exercise and the utility of the training program. More than 93 percent of the miners reported that they "learned something new from the training" and over 94% said they "would use these practices to work more safely".

By Robert Blickensderfer

Equipment and procedure for the continuous roll bonding of metal strips are described. The reels, mill rolls, and furnace were located within a vacuum chamber capable of operation at a residual gas pressure of 1 x 10-4 to 1 x 10-5 torr. Several metals were successfully clad at rolling temperatures of 930° to 1,050° C in lengths up to 120 ft. The bimetals that were clad included stainless steel to carbon steel, molybdenum and nickel to stainless steel and carbon steel, and titanium to carbon steel. Bend tests of bond integrity are described, and microstructures of the interfaces are presented. The amounts of brittle intermetallic phases formed at the interface are minimized by this cladding method.

Jan 1, 1980

By John Henderson

If you missed this year?s Texas State Holmes Safety Association meeting, you missed a great one. On January 23 & 24, 2009, we held the meeting that was rescheduled when Hurricane Ike threatened Corpus Christi in September 2008. Sixty-five persons from across the state attended the meeting held at the Holiday Inn Emerald Beach. The weather was 82 degrees, and the sky was clear and perfect for a safety meeting. Evaluations submitted by the attendees gave the presentations, the networking, and even the food top marks. There were eight councils represented; Big Country, Central Texas, Costal Bend, Heart of Texas, Hill Country, North Texas and North Central. Presentations included Workplace Examinations, Emergency Preparedness, Screen Safety, Contractor Responsibilities, Powered Haulage, Supervising for Safety, and Basic Inspections of Slings and Rigging. Mr. Edward Lopez, SC MSHA District Manager, gave the State of the District Address.

Jan 1, 2009

By Thys B. Johnson

A three-dimensional dynamic programing method is presented for determining the optimal ultimate open pit limit. The method given is based on the block concept and is an extention of the two-dimensional Lerchs-Grossmann approach. The three-dimensional technique presented herein is fast and simple and may be used for an initial open pit evaluation when only limited data are available or as a more refined model when the entire deposit is well delineated. The method is illustrated by simple numerical examples and is also presented in algorithmic form. A computer program was written in Fortran IV which implements the three-dimensional algorithm and some computational aspects are discussed.

Jan 1, 1971

By Harold J. Bennett

This report deals with the processing and marketing of iron and steal scrap in the intermountain States of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming and the northwestern Plains States of Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The quantity and quality of iron and steel scrap consumed in both the steel mills and iron foundries in these States in 1964 were decided by (1) the type of facilities used to produce an end product; (2) the availability of a dependable source of iron and steel scrap at competitive prices; and (3) the, ratio of the cost of iron in iron ore to iron in scrap. In recent years the quantity of scrap used per ton of steel ingot produced has decreased. The major individual. consumers of iron and steel scrap were the steel mills in Arizona, Colorado, and Utah, foundries in Utah and Arizona, and copper leaching, operations in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. About 2 million tons of iron and steel scrap was used by the iron and steel industry in 1964. Although there has been a decline in the amount of scrap used per ton of steel ingot produced because of changes in steelmaking methods, there has been a slight increase in the overall quantity of scrap used because of the increase in ingot production. It is estimated that the scrap consumption in the steel industry will increase by 19 percent by 1980. In addition to the scrap consumed by the steel industry, 273,000 tons of ferrous scrap were used by copper-leaching operations. Thirty-one percent of the ferrous scrap used by the steel industry in 1964 was purchased from dealers and other sources. The CF&I Steel Corp. (formerly The Colorado Fuel and Iron Corp.) at Pueblo, Colo., complemented its blast- and open-hearth-furnace operations with basic-oxygen converters in 1962. The basic-oxygen and open-hearth furnaces were charged with 30 and 90 percent scrap, respectively. Future use of the open-hearths would probably be used to supplement ingot production requirements. Because it was more economical to use less scrap and a high molten-metal charge, the United States Steel Corp. at Geneva, Utah, which uses the open-hearth process to make steel, charges the furnaces with 25 to 35 percent scrap. The Allison Steel Manufacturing Co. at Tempe, Ariz., uses a 100 percent scrap charge in its electric furnace. Although it was estimated that there were 327,000 tons of various grades of motor vehicle scrap generated in 1963, no estimates were made concerning the total quantity and grade of scrap available in the area. Most of the scrap used in the steelmaking industry originated within the area. It was advantageous to sell scrap generated in eastern Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota to markets in the Midwest because of freight costs.

Jan 1, 1967