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By H. R. Beard

The Bureau of Mines investigated the absorption of radium and thorium from waste uranium leach liquor by clays and other materials. This work was conducted in support of the Bureau's goal of minimizing the environmental conflicts, impacts, and occupational hazards associated with mining and milling operations. Tailing and soil samples from New Mexico were evaluated for their potential to absorb radium and thorium from tailing liquors. Absorption ranged from 0 to 97 pct for radium and 0 to 60 pct for thorium. Some samples that readily absorbed radium were contacted with various salt solutions that could be present in tailing solutions to determine whether desorption would be a potential problem. The desorption of radium ranged from 0 to 75 pct. An alpha spectrometric method was used to determine the radium and thorium concentrations in the solutions and solids.

Jan 1, 1980

By L. W. Kelly

The purpose of this paper is to describe several methods that have been employed in successfully recovering roof bolts in Indiana, Illinois, and western Kentucky coal mines, the States where successful roof-bolt recovery was started. As far as is known, the first bolts were recovered in a mine in western Kentucky in January or February 1951. In April 1951 a meeting was held at that mine to discuss the recovery of roof bolts. The meeting was attended by A. D. Sisk, former Chief, Kentucky Department of Mines and Minerals; and L. W. Kelly, Federal Bureau of Mines; and officials of the coal company. Inasmuch as roof bolting was in its infancy, the thinking regarding roof bolts at that time was on the problem of getting them in, not getting them out; consequently, the thought of recovering them was revolutionary. The subject was discussed at length from all angles, and it was finally agreed that, if certain safeguards were taken, no agency represented at the meeting would oppose the practice. That this decision was sound has been proved, as thou-sands of bolts have been recovered in the Middle West without a lost-time accident. Recovering roof bolts is a simple operation; consequently, no complicated equipment had to be designed or built for this purpose. However, about 5 years ago, officials of the Traux-Traer Coal Co. conceived the idea and constructed a mechanical device for recovering bolts that has been very successful and has been copied widely in this area. This device will be discussed in detail in part II of this paper.

Jan 1, 1958

By S. J. Pearce

The Bureau of Mines has prepared, as circumstances have dictated, a series of Schedules setting forth the minimum requirements that various types of equipment should meet to be considered safe and satisfactory for use in certain hazardous or unhealthful conditions. These Schedules cover a wide variety of devices ranging from explosives to electrically operated mine locomotives. This paper deals with those Bureau of Mines Schedules under which respiratory protective devices are tested and approved, and its purpose is to explain the function and operation of these Schedules. Provisions have been made for testing and approval of the following types of respiratory protective devices: Self-contained breathing apparatus,2/ supplied-air respirators,3/ gas masks,4/ dispersoid respirators,5/ and chemical cartridge respirators.6 These devices are tested at the Central Experiment Station of the Bureau of Mines in Pittsburgh, Pa. Self-contained breathing apparatus is tested by the Safety Branch, and the other types of respirators are tested by the Health Branch.

Jan 1, 1951

By M. E. Tyrrell

Work in this investigation was undertaken by the Bureau of Mines to demonstrate how waste glass might be utilized to lower the required firing temperature and firing time of structural clay products. Mixtures of waste glass and common clays were formed by stiff-mud extrusion and fired to the temperature required to produce a body having 6 to 7 percent absorption. Substitution of glass for one-half of the clay in a red body reduced the firing temperature 500° F, which made possible a 30-percent increase in production; in a tan body, the firing temperature was reduced 400° F, which made possible a 23-percent increase in production.

Jan 1, 1972

By Steve Iverson, Jeffrey C. Johnson, Henry Rodriguez, Rene Rodriguez, Michael Lhamond

To reduce fatalities resulting from personnel falling into voids formed above feeders in coal piles, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health at the Spokane Research Laboratory established a project to monitor coal surge piles to detect the formation of voids. A resistivity imaging method has been developed by GECOH Exploration, of Lexington, KY, in which a geophysical technique known as vertical electrical sounding (VES) is used to scan for these voids. VES operates by measuring the electrical field produced by a current in the ground at the bottom of the coal pile. This paper summarizes the results obtained from a field-scale test and shows that mapping voids within a coal pile is possible.

Improve underground long-hole drilling efficiency and safety by developing a lightweight, easily transportable drilling pust that can be adjusted to fit a range of mine opening heights. Background Standard one-piece commercially available steel posts weigh approximately 10 pounds per foot. Transporting these posts underground and carrying them over obstacles and through small mine doors is very difficult. Because the length of a one-piece post cannot be adjusted, variations in mine opening height at the drilling site must be accommodated. This is accomplished by stacking several wooden blocks to form a base for the post, resulting in a dangerously unstable drilling setup. The only alternative to this unstable setup is to obtain a longer post. There problems can be reduced by the use of a two-piece telescoping aluminum post having a 3-foot adjustment range in 6-inch increments. The two-piece extendable post will be easy to transport and carry underground. It will fit any opening height within its adjustment range. One large wooden block is used as a base and one cap block is used at the top to bear against the mine roof. This arrangement results in a stable, rigid setup.

Jan 1, 1990

By W. Dan Walker

In an effort to keep mine hoist accidents to a minimum and to impart to managers and workers the essential elements that enter into safe installation and maintenance of hoisting equipment, the Bureau of Mines presents this Information Circular as a guide. Hoisting of men and materials is an essential operation in many mines and has become so commonplace that some persons are likely to ignore day-to-day inspections or become lax in the operating phases. With proper maintenance and operation, hoists can be exceptionally safe. However, lack of strict attention can invite tragedy or costly shutdowns.

Jan 1, 1961

By Fred N. Kissell

The new MSHA diesel rules have stone mine operators looking hard at pos¬sible upgrades to their ventilation systems. There are existing methods to reduce diesel engine emissions (MSHA, 2001)(Head, 2001b),but many operators will decide that a ventilation upgrade is necessary is well. NIOSH hay several stone mine ventilation projects underway, but in the meantime a good information resource is the work done by the U.S. Bureau of Mines in the 70's and 80's on ventilation for oil shale mines. The Bureau conducted this research because oil shale mines were projected to be gassy and would, therefore, require a lot of ventilation air. The focus of this oil shale work was on the use of jet tans for lace area ventilation, and on stoppings that would he low Lost and leak-tight. The work also considered changes in mine design to reduce the number and size of stoppings. The findings are still applica¬ble to stone mines.

Jan 1, 2002

By THEO L. JOHNSTON

In preparing for war , Japan built an iron and steel industry that ranked high with other industrial nations . Deficient in raw materials for making iron and steel , it had to acquire the bulk of its iron ore and much of its coal and scrap iron from foreign sources . Steel manufacture, and fabrication , however , were reserved mostly for the Home Islands , where modern integrated plants produced the implements of war . The vulnerability of relying on imports during the war was recognized early, and steps were taken to exploit iron-ore deposits and develop treatment processes on the Home Islands in order to be as self - sufficient as possible . Although the industry had expanded considerably, the capacity of the large plants still was insufficient for military requirements, so other meth- ods of producing iron and steel were adopted, which in some ways illustrate the desperate effort made to supply the war machine. In developing the iron and steel industry, modern practices of other countries were studied and followed with modifications to suit Japanese con- Aitions. German and American technical ability and equipment played a large part in the program; however, the Japanese had competent furnace technologists capable of obtaining proper equipment performance. For the most part, the standard practice consisted of smelting iron ores in blast furnaces and then refining the pig iron to make steel in open-hearth furnaces. Electric furnaces played an important part, especially in the manu- facture of alloy steels. Various other methods yielded minor but significant production. Among the various other treatment processes used, the production of sponge iron in rotary kilns 'probably was the most important in producing melt- ing stock for steel making. Of special importance was the fact that sponge iron made from low-grade ores contained critical metals, such as nickel and chromium, so that the results were more significant than was generally believed.'

Mar 1, 1948

By d&apos, Kathleen J. Amico

THIS SUMMARY appears in Minerals Yearbook volumes I and III, which cover mineral production in the United States, its island possessions, the Canal Zone, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, as well as the principal minerals imported into and exported from the United States. The several commodity and area chapters contain further details on production. A summary table comparing world and U .S. mineral production also is included. Mineral production may be measured at any of several stages of extraction and processing. The stage of measurement used in the chapter is normally what is termed ?mine output." It usually refers to minerals in the form in which they are first extracted from the ground, but customarily includes for some minerals the product of auxiliary processing operations at or near mines.

Jan 1, 1965

By W. W. Weller

Low-temperature heat capacity measurements were conducted, and entropies at 298.15° K were evaluated for sodium monomolybdate (Na2Mo04), magnesium monomolybdate (MgMo04), and calcium monomolybdate (CaMo04). The 298.15° K entropy values were sodium monomolybdate, 38.1±0.3 cal/deg mole, magnesium monomolybdate, 28.4±0.2 cal/deg mole, and calcium monomolybdate, 29.3±0.2 cal/deg mole.

Jan 1, 1963

By Fun-Den Wang

Finite-element structural analyses were performed to determine the stress distribution and displacements around a single rectangular coal mine opening in a multilayered rock system. The effects of changes in mechanical properties of roof and coal layers, roof layer and mine opening geometry, horizontal-to-vertical load ratio, and structural geologic features on the stress distribution about the opening were studied. Variability in the stiffness and relative thickness of the immediate roof layers can produce a considerable difference in the stress distribution about the opening as compared with that of a homogeneous material. Changes in opening width and horizontal-to-vertical load ratio have different effects on the stress distribution about the opening depending on the composition of the roof layers. In general, where a stiff layer exists in the roof at the surface of the opening, the stresses are higher in the roof and ribs around the opening. Horizontal changes in facies in the roof layers produced by structural geologic features can also greatly alter the stress distribution about the opening compared with the simple layered cases.

Jan 1, 1974

This Bureau of Mines report summarizes the research, development, and evaluation demonstrations conducted by the Bureau of Mines under the Health and Safety Act of 1969 to improve the means of notifying miners underground, who are away from their own phone, that they are being called.

Jan 1, 1977

By d&apos, Kathleen J. Amico

THIS SUMMARY is shown in volumes I and III of this series on mineral production in the United States (including Alaska and Hawaii), its island possessions, the Canal Zone, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and on the principal minerals imported into and exported from the United States. For further details on production, see the several commodity and area chapters. A summary table comparing world and U.S. mineral production also is included. [ ]

Jan 1, 1960

By T. C. Higgins, J. S. Malesky, J. A. O'Connor

"INTRODUCTION This circular contains the story of a stubborn mine fire of electrical origin that started on the main haulage road of No. 59 mine of the Peabody Coal Co. and illustrates that sometimes serious fires can be fought by direct attack. The story also points out that the cost of such procedure can be extremely high, and it is better, therefore, to minimize the possibility of a fire of electrical origin by suitable over-current and line-fault protection. The lives of 163 men were saved by utilizing a recently sunk air shaft near active workings as an escapeway. These men could not have reached the older openings. Also described are the rescue of 75 additional men through another air shaft, sealing of the fire, attempted extin¬guishment with carbon dioxide, and the difficulties of fighting the fire and recovering the mine.A fire occurred shortly before 12 o'clock noon, August 15, 1949, in the No. 59 mine, Peabody Coal Co., Springfield, Ill. All 257 men underground escaped to the surface. One group of 75 men was delayed from escaping for several hours after the alarm was given because smoke and fire gases were circulating in a main return airway, which intervened between their working section and one air shaft, and also in the stairway compartment of the shaft. After being supplied with universal-type gas masks, or self-rescuers, these men were conducted from the mine by members of a State mine-rescue team and other mine employees. Six nine officials were hospitalized because of exposure to carbon monoxide during fire-fighting activities; all were discharged a few days afterward. Later, while doing work incident to fighting the fire, two men were killed, and several were injured by falls of roof and rib.The fire broke out after a collision of a loaded trip with four empty mine cars on the main east haulage entry. The mine cars were jammed against the trolley wire causing a sustained electric arc that ignited the wooden mine cars and the fire spread to the timbers and coal."

Apr 1, 1950

By Motohisa Kanda

The time and amplitude statistics necessary to adequately describe electromagnetic (EM) noise in mines are illustrated through computer software techniques. They are 1) Allan Variance Analyses (AVA), 2) Interpulse Spacing Distributions (ISD), 3) Pulse Duration Distributions (PDD), 4) Average Crossing Rates (ACR) , and 5) Amplitude Probability Distributions (APD) . These statistics are illustrated using data taken from a rather large store of raw analog data recorded in operational mines. The curves generated for the illustrations characterize the noise environment in the mines from which the corresponding data were taken, and should aid in the design of reliable communication systems for such mines.

By Lisa Steiner, Robin Burgess-Limerick

In 2004, there were 646 underground coal mines in the USA employing 37,445 miners. These mines reported 3556 injuries to MSHA that year - 17% were associated with bolting machines (593 injuries), 8% with continuous miners (283 injuries), and 4% each with Scoop/LHD (1 51 injuries), shuttle cars (134 injuries), and personnel transport (145 injuries). The use of the frequency of reported injuries for the prioritization of risk control strategies has limitations because of the tendency to underestimate the importance of relatively rare but high-consequence events. Injury reports also underestimate the contribution of risk factors such as whole body vibration, which have a long-term cumulative contribution to an elevated risk of injury. However, taking these limitations into consideration, the results of the injury narrative analysis suggest the following hazards as the highest priority for elimination or control: • rock falling from supported roof • inadvertent or incorrect operation of bolting controls • handling continuous miner cable • collisions while driving LHD/Scoop, shuttle cars and personnel transport • rough road while driving or traveling in LHD/Scoop, SC & PT

By W. H. Lewis

This Bureau of Mines report and its companion report (Information Circular 9074) have been prepared as a complete reference on underground coal mine lighting. This report discusses the fundamentals of light and its interrelationship with the visual process. The purpose of the report is to insure an understanding of the numerous complex and interrelated factors that must be considered to design and implement a mine lighting system that will satisfy human needs for good vision and comfort. Topics include history, objectives, and technical considerations of coal mine lighting; light physics; light and vision relationships; and disability and discomfort glare.

Jan 1, 1986

By R. E. Morgan, J. F. Barkley

"INTRODUCTION In city smoke-abatement work it is customary to require approval of the sizing of fuel-burning equipment. This is to insure that, with reasonable attention, the equipment can be operated essentially smokelessly, having such features as ample furnace volume and air supply. To answer the many inquiries that come to the Bureau of Mines as to what dimensions are acceptable and standard, the requirements of a number of smoke-abatement ordinances have been tabulated.CONCLUSIONSStudy of these tabulations shows that even after many years of fuel-burning practice and experience there is no common standard. Variations in the requirements for the same type of equipment under the same conditions of operation are great. This causes considerable difference in installation costs. Over-all costs being affected, the competitive positions of different types of fuel-burning equipment are also affected. It is apparent that there is a lack of information as to proper dimensions that is commonly accepted as authoritative.DISCUSSIONTable 1 gives the minimum furnace-setting heights required by various cities for mechanical underfeed stokers installed under H.R.T. boilers. Figure 1 shows a typical installation. The dimension given for each case is the distance from the dead plate of the stoker to bottom of boiler shell, unless otherwise noted. As shown in the table, different cities use different size-classification systems; it is not possible to make complete, exact, direct comparisons. Table la gives a comparison for various cities, showing the approximate percentage difference in H.R.T. furnace-setting heights required from those recommended by the Stoker Manufacturers' Association arbitrarily chosen to serve as a basis of comparison. The percentages are approxi¬mate because they were calculated as if all heights as given were measured from the dead plate of the stoker. In two cases a lower height is permitted, in a number of cases the height may be the same, and in a number of cases the height must be greater. The percentage increase goes to 100 in one case. Lack of uniformity is quite evident."

Mar 1, 1950

By d&apos, Kathleen J. Amico

THIS SUMMARY is shown in volumes I and III of this series on mineral production in the United States (including Alaska and Hawaii), its island possessions, the Canal Zone, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and on the principal minerals imported into and exported from the United States. For further details on production, see the several commodity and area chapters. A summary table comparing world and U.S. mineral production also is included. [ ]

Jan 1, 1960