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By H. R. Batchelder

Much information on oxygen production and the manufacture of synthetic liquid fuels has been published during the past several years. From time to tine the investment and operating cost of oxygen plants of various sizes has been estimated. Surveys have been made so that the various processes by which oxygen is produced commercially might be compared. The gas-making processes in which oxygen is employed, which wore used in Germany during the war, have been described in T.O.M. reels, and this information has been published. Descriptions of pilot-scale or proposed commercial plants for the production of synthesis gas or hydrogen and their conversion to synthetic liquid fuels also have been published. In general, each of these publications has dealt with a particular phase of the over-all problem. The present paper will discuss the relationship between these phases: The factors that affect oxygen manufacture and costs, the methods for the use of oxygen and for the production of synthetic liquid fuels, and, to some extent, the economic factors that must be considered.

Jan 1, 1951

By John A. Breslin

This publication provides an historical overview of research undertaken by the U.S. federal government over the last 100 years to improve the health and safety of our nation?s miners. Federal research efforts began with the establishment of the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM, or the Bureau) in 1910. They have continued over the past century, even after the Bureau?s closure in 1996. It is hoped that this publication will give the reader an appreciation for the work of mining health and safety researchers over the past century, and of the miners served by this research. Although not a comprehensive history, this report highlights the key organizational changes made within the Bureau and the federal government that affected mining safety and health research. Some mention is also made of Bureau research not directly related to mining health and safety. Note that the work classified as safety and health research has varied over the last century. For example, before 1970 the Bureau separated mining research and safety and health research. At that time, mining research included ground control and methane drainage because they had direct implications for mine safety. Explosives research was also reported separately from health and safety, even though permissible explosives research was obviously related to safety. Therefore, where budget figures from the Bureau are mentioned in this report, it is often not possible to separate safety and health research from other types of research. This history is generally chronological, with a few exceptions. Because of their prominence and direct links to Bureau research, most of the Public Health Service mining studies completed before 1970, when NIOSH was established, will be discussed in a single section, even though the work spanned many decades. Likewise, for convenience, the brief histories of the Bureau?s mining research centers are located in one section.

Feb 1, 2010

By G. St John Perrott

"The United States Bureau of Mines is cooperating with the State of Utah and the City of Salt Lake in an investigation of methods of abating the smoke nuisance in Salt Lake City. In the course of this work samples of the atmosphere have been collected and analyzed in an attempt to determine the part played by sulphur dioxide or smelter gases in polluting the air at Salt Lake City.A fairly wide-spread opinion exists in Salt Lake City that the smelters contribute appreciably to the smoke nuisance. The gases discharged from the smelter stacks are believed (1) to float over the city in a heavy blanket which prevents the smoke from rising, and (2) to unite with the water vapor in the air to form corrosive fogs injurious to health and property.The first of these theories seems untenable. If the gas did not mix with air it would sink, owing to its heavier specific gravity, and form a blanket an the earth. Actually, the gas diffuses rapidly in air and any part reaching Salt Take must he thoroughly diluted. Perhaps sulphur dioxide in sufficient concentration might aid in fog formation. The more obvious nuisance, however, would be the injury to health and vegetation.The Garfield smelter is 16 miles west of the city, The Murray smelter 8 miles south, and the Midvale smelter 12 miles south. Under normal operating conditions, a relatively small amount of solid matter is discharged from these stacks. The toxic gaseous constituent of the discharge is sulphur dioxide, it is being discharged from the smelters the year round. If they are a factor in the city's smoke problem, the concentration of this gas in the air of the city should be appreciable and should increase toward the smelters, the con centration being highest with a south or a west wind."

May 1, 1920

By C. Lorimar Colburn

"The use of helmets during the war has accentuated interest in the advisability of using stiff hats in mines to protect the miners against falling rocks. About forty per cent of the accidents in mines are due to falling rocks or roof. A large number of these accidents could be prevented if the miners wore stiff hats or helmets.The use of head protective devices in minas is not new, for they have been in use for many years in Europe and in the Lake Superior District in the United States. In practically all of the mining districts in Europe stiff hats of some kind are required by the mine management. George S. Rice, chief mining engineer of the Bureau of Mines, reported that in Germany, Belgium, and France stiff hats made of papier mache or felt rosin are in use. Similar hats are generally employed in the Lake Superior District. In building the subways of New York and Philadelphia it was the practice of engineers and workers to let the hair grow very long and to wear a close fitting cap or felt hat. In Germany the hats are high like the military helmets, whereas in France and Belgium they fit more closely to the crown. In England the practice is mixed. As a rule the miners use soft padded caps, but in Yorkshire many of the miners use sole leather, tight-fitting caps of jockey pattern with the seam forting a little ridge down the middle of the cap. These hats are very useful allow thin beds of coal, as in crawling one is very likely to strike his head a sharp piece of rock or on a timber. Of course, such mishaps are more likely to occur to a man not familiar with the mine. It must be admitted such hats do not stick on well, though this is usually due to their not being especially fitted. The German hat is particularly unsuited to an American-shaped head.It is interesting to note that on the continent tight cotton caps are generally worn over the hair and under the hard hat. This is a measure for cleanliness which is excellent. In low beds of coal share much crawling on hands and knees is necessary the dirt and coal dust sift down, making the miner black and dirty. In metal mines stiff hats are of especial use in shaft work; also in raises or high stapes. A small fragment of rock falling some distance either down a shaft or raise would kill a man if it struck him squarely on the head. A stiff hat or helmet may protect him and save his life. At a station in a shaft where men are loading the cage or skip, some kind of adequate head protector should be compulsory. A head-protecting hat or cup which is also a good insulator should be worn where there is danger of striking one's head against a wire carving an electric current."

Jun 1, 1920

By P. S. Lewis

Shortage of natural gas is reviving interest in low-Btu fuel gas made by gasifying coal in fixed-bed producers. The Bureau of Mines gasified strongly caking Pittsburgh bed coal over test periods lasting four days in an experimental gas producer located at Morgantown, W. Va, Mechanical stirring throughout the fuel bed was effective for keeping the fuel moving and this stirring made the operation successful; hence, the gas producer was named the stirred-bed producer. Nuclear density gages were applied as control instruments to indicate coal flow and fuel level, and to record the frequency and location of void spaces in the bed, The gas, of nominal 140 to 165 Btu/scf calorific value, could be burned in a boiler for generating steam.

Jan 1, 1972

By Donald O. Capstick

A mineral survey of the 520-acre Quigg West Wilderness Study Area (MT-074-155) was conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Mines in 1986 at the request of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in order to evaluate its identified mineral resources. The Wilderness Study Area is in Granite County in western Montana about 16 miles northwest of Phillipsburg and 27 mi les northeast of Hamilton, MT. Stony Mountain, a study area on lands administered by the U.S. Forest Service, is about 1 mile to the south-southwest and was studied concurrently. No mineral resources were identified in the Quigg West Wilderness Study Area, but high grade gold assays, as much as 1.24 ounce gold per ton, were obtained at the one prospect found. Samples from four workings contained significant gold; minor silver, molybdenum, and copper were also present. The prospect containing the narrow and discontinuous gold-bearing quartz vein straddles the south boundary of the Wilderness Study Area. The shear zone containing the vein projects toward the old Crescent mine, about 4.5 miles to the south, which shows a similar geologic structure.

Jan 1, 1987

By Lawrence W. Scott

This report presents several systems for continuously monitoring the quality of air in underground mines that are being developed by the Bureau of Mines. Underground stations measure methane, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide concentrations, air velocity, and air temperature. This information is transmitted over a single telephone pair to central stations located on the surface. The central stations display alarms and the data is selectably displayed on digital panel meters.

Jan 1, 1977

By W. H. Lewis

This Bureau of Mines report and its companion report (Information Circular 9073) have been prepared as a complete reference on underground coal mine lighting. This report discusses system design criteria and procedures, data and specifications to aid in selection of suitable mine lighting hardware, and guidelines for system installation and maintenance. Topics include light measuring techniques and instruments, illumination regulations for underground coal mine environments and equipment, lamps and ballasts, available mine lighting hardware, design and evaluation of coal mine illumination systems, and installation and maintenance of a mine lighting system.

Jan 1, 1986

By Ronald T. Mayerle

There are no producing or developing mines in the Rattlesnake RARE II area. Specific areas with mineral occurences are prospects for: 1) stratabound copper and silver in Belt sedimentary rocks on the northwest border of the study area; 2) base metal sulfides, in thin veins and shear zones in Belt sedimentary rock, and diabase dikes and adjacent metasedimentary rocks in the southern part of the study area; 3) barite in sedimentary rocks near Rattlesnake Creek and Sheep Mountain; 4) limestone near Rattlesnake Creek and Blue Point; and 5) silica in quartz veins near the headwaters of Rattlesnake Creek and Sanders Lake. Stone, sand and gravel suitable for construction material are in the study area; however, equal or better quality deposits are common throughout the region. The RARE II area has no known oil and gas, coal, or geothermal energy deposits.

Jan 1, 1983

By Donald E. Redmon

This Bureau of Mines report reviews injury experience in the nonmetallic mineral industries (except stone and coal) for 1968-69. For each of the years, 23 tables summarize disabling work injuries by department, source of injury, extent of disability, part of body injured, and nature of injury. Correlative information on employment, worktime, and operating activity is also presented.

Jan 1, 1973

By Steven A. Fechner

In 1991 and 1992, the Bureau of Mines completed chromium, platinum-group metals (PGM), and tin investigations, and started indium, manganese, titanium, and vanadium investigations in Alaska. These studies were done as part of the Site Specific Minerals Investigations project. As a result of this work, the Bureau found PGM-bearing composite plutons in the Yentna River area of the Alaska Range, which are chemically similar to composite plutons in other parts of the Alaska Range and to Ural-Alaskan type complexes. Previously unknown chromium and PGM occurrences were found in the western Brooks Range. A compilation report on the Bureau's chromium and PGM investigations in the western Brooks Range was also published. Indium was found in anomalous concentrations at the Lost River tin deposit. Small occurrences of manganese were located, mapped, and sampled in the Wiseman and Chandalar quadrangles, and in the Liberty Falls, Prince William Sound, and Homer areas. Tin occurrences in western Alaska were summarized in three Bureau open file reports. The beaches near Cape Yakataga and Yakutat were evaluated for their titanium potential and a sampling methodology was developed. Vanadium investigations included examining streams in the Wiseman and Eagle areas that contained anomalous vanadium values. In the Eagle area, high vanadium, uranium, and copper values were found in the basal layers of the Road River formation.

Jan 1, 1994

By A. R. Elliott

"In addition to the usual interpretation that is placed on the words ""thief"" and ""thieves"", the petroleum industry also uses these words when referring to an instrument that is used for taking samples of oil from a tank or reservoir. It is an abbreviation of the term ""thief-tube"". It is desirable in sampling volumes of oil in tanks or reservoirs to obtain samples at different intervals below the surface of the fluid, because of the variation in the character of the oil at different depths. It is for this purpose that the ""thief"" is used.The subject of oil thieves is probably as old as the oil industry itself. Opinions as to which is the most practical instrument for thieving oil in tanks, to obtain a true average sample, differ wherever oil is produced and is analyzed. Every district, and even many of the companies within the district, will have different appliances for ""grabbing"" oil samples. It is interesting to note in passing that though the thief has an apparently insignificant part in the handling of oil, yet the results depending on it are of paramount importance practically every branch of the transportation, refining, and marketing of petroleum. Determinations, particularly dependent on a representative sample, are made by the centrifuge, laboratory distillation tests, and the hydrometer.The purpose of this article is to discuss conditions found in the California fields. Only a general description of types of thieves and the methods of using them will be given. However, it is believed sufficient data are given to enable the reader to form his own opinion as to which of the devices is most practicable under the prevailing conditions. Thieves of all types have their good points, speaking broadly, and it is possible to get good results with any of them, provided they are operated according to instructions and with due care. In work of this kind the advantages or disadvantages reside in the person operating the instrument rather than in the instrument used."

Apr 1, 1920

By William J. Wuest

This U.S. Bureau of Mines report presents an overview of ground control considerations associated with floor heave. Factors affecting heave, such as in situ stress, floor characteristics, and mine geometry, are described. Floor-displacement monitoring and data analysis methods are outlined. Finally, floor heave remediation is discussed. The remedial techniques are divided into four categories: mine maintenance, supplemental support, mine structure, and techniques for multiple-seam operations. Other subjects covered in the report include laboratory and in-place testing of floor rocks, U.S. and international case studies, effects of mine layout, determination of excess horizontal pressure, and types of heave failure. The emphasis of this report is on practical considerations; theoretical discussions are kept to a minimum.

Jan 1, 1992

By Irving Hartmann

In recent years various modifications in the methods of blasting have been tried as a means of increasing the production of cod and of reducing mining costs. Following an investigation by the Bureau or Mines, authorization was granted to increase the charger limit for permissible explosives par shot hole from 1.5 to 3 pounds under contain conditions; this greatly facilitates the blasting of coal in some cool fields the practice has gradually evolved of simultaneously charging several shot holes in a face and then firing the charges singly without inspecting for gas after each blast. This practice is disapproved by the Bureau of Mines. In other coal mines the explosive chews in several adjacent shot holes are fired simultaneously. This form of shooting is claimed to increase the rate of production, generate smaller volumes of noxious gases, promote the health and safety of workers by eliminating the need of inspection of the face after each charge is fired, produce less float dust, and require less explosive than single shooting. However, simultaneous blasting may have a more harmful effect on the immediate roof strata; in some instances it leads to wedging of the broken coal, thereby making the coal more difficult to load out; it makes misfired shots more difficult to detect and possibly increases the chances of misfires. This lacy be duo to variations in the characteristics of detonators, because of more stringent requirements for adequate firing current, to the need for better electrical connections in the shot-firing circuit, and partly to the inadequacy of present permissible multiple blasting devices.

Jan 1, 1952

By Jacqueline A. McClaskey

The U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) Information and Analysis Directorate collects worldwide data on virtually every commercially important non fuel mineral commodity. These data form the base for tracking and assessing the health of the minerals sector of the U.S. economy. The USBM's data collection activity was instituted by the 47th Congress in an appropriations act of August 7, 1882 (22 Stat. 329), which placed the collection of mineral statistics on an annual basis. The most recent authority for the USBM survey activity is the National Materials and Minerals Policy, Research and Development Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-479, 96th Congress). This act strengthens protection for proprietary data provided to the U.S. Department of the Interior by persons or firms engaged in any phase of mineral or mineral-material production or consumption.

Jan 1, 1993

"INTRODUCTIONMany of the facilities and much of the equipment available to the Generic Mineral Technology Center for Respirable Dust are highly specialized and therefore, unique to the universities associated with the Center as illustrated in FIGURES 30 through 39.For example, a sample bank of 1300 U.S. coal specimens housed in the Coal Research Section, Deike Building of The Pennsylvania State University has been characterized for physical, elemental, mineralogical and maceral compositions. The results of this research have been used to initiate a study of the relationship between pneumoconioses and coal properties. Selected samples from this bank have been used in animal (primate) studies at the Milton S. Hershey (Penn State) and West Virginia University Medical Centers. These laboratory facilities for research in the medical and biological disciplines is state-of-the-art and includes a primate colony where dust research is currently underway. The Materials Research Laboratory and the Rock Mechanics Laboratory at PSU, and the Mechanical Systems Design and Control Laboratory, the Rock Mechanics Laboratory and the Mine Electronic System Laboratory at WVU are equipped for fundamental research on dust generation and characterization. While the majority of respirable dust research projects fall into these two categories, dust generation and characterization and interaction of dust and lung, there are other laboratory facilities available to the Center which are unparalleled in the type of equipment and expert personnel that they contribute to the program. The Mine Particle Laboratory located at the University of Minnesota and the Diesel Engine Laboratory at Michigan Technological University are examples. They house equipment and instrumentation that is unique to these facilities. much of it having been developed specifically for dust research by the research scientists there. The dust collection equipment and the fine particles measurement, characterization and analysis apparatus are essential to research in the areas of dust collection, particle characterization and diesel particulates. In addition to university laboratories, the research facilities of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) are available to the Center through its relationship With West Virginia University."

Aug 31, 1989

By Peter Grandone

"INTRODUCTION The Bureau of Mines, recognizing the importance of knowing the evapor¬ation losses of aviation gasoline as larger quantities of this material must be stored, has made studies at a large refinery in the Texas Panhandle area during the past 13 months to determine the magnitude of the losses, by evaporation, under different storage conditions. Proper storage of aviation gasoline is very important, not only because large supplies are being stored for military use but because the specifications to which his fuel must conform are very rigid. Aviation gasolines that conform present-day specifications are blended from base-gasoline stocks (in some instances relatively pure hydrocarbons), each of which has different physical and chemical characteristics. Consequently, partial loss of any one of the more volatile components from the blended fuel results not only in material loss of the blended fuel but also may affect the characteristics or performance of the gasoline. One characteristic that has considerable influence or the vaporization tendency of gasoline is vapor pressure; and although the vapor pressure of aviation gasoline usually is lower than that of average commercial motor fuel, the quantity of certain components having relatively higher vapor pressure is greater in aviation gasoline, so that under prolonged storage the evaporation loss of these components may be appreciable."

May 1, 1943

By Manuel Gomez

Primary, low-temperature tars are generally known to alter with time. The effect is believed to occur, in some instances, without the external influence of air, light, or heat. Since one of the processes occurring during extended storage is oxidation, the action of mild oxidation induced by air and heat, in addition to the effect of storage, was studied. The principal effect in aging and oxidation is formation of pitch at the expense of the distillate fraction. The fraction boiling above 270° C. is mainly involved in pitch formation due to storage, whereas all fractions are affected to some degree when tar is heated at 125° C. in the presence of air. If the effects of air are considered, the aromatic and tar-acid fractions seem to be important in pitch formation.

Jan 1, 1956

By O. C. Blade

This report on the properties of motor fuels sold through service stations in the United States was made in accordance with a cooperative agreement between the American Petroleum Institute and the Bureau of Mines of the United States Department of the Interior. By agreement with the American Petroleum Institute, identification of the Items is confidential. It present's analytical data for 4,608 samples, representing the products of 101 companies. The samples were collected during December 1956, January and February 1957. As in previous surveys, the gasolines covered by this survey include those from both large and small suppliers. The data were obtained by laboratories of various refiners, motor manufacturers, and chemical companies and submitted to the Bureau of Mines for compilation. A list of the Notional Motor Gasoline Survey reports published during the post 10 years is given on page 5.

Jan 1, 1957

By Rogers F. Davis

This publication has been prepared to supply manufacturers and industrial users a listing of mobile diesel-powered transportation equipment approved or certified by the Bureau of Mines f r use in gassy noncoal mines and tunnels. Testing of diesel-powered equipment is one phase of the Bureau's health and safety program of approval of electrical and diesel equipment designed to prevent explosions, fires, shocks, and toxic hazards in underground mines. In mines such equipment must be used and maintained properly. Manufacturers submit machinery and component parts to the Bureau for study f their design and safety features. Equipment must pass exacting tests and meet strict requirements established through research, development, and experience before the Bureau approves it as permissible for safe use in mines.

Jan 1, 1967