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Objective: To improve the effectiveness of dust collector capture on surface mine drills.

Oct 1, 2005

By Patricia R. Devine

This report expands an earlier study by Jack Faucett Associates (OFR #40-88) of the same title. Both reports are based upon an interindustry analysis from 1963 through 1982, during which time U.S. metals consumption and production did not keep pace with economic growth. The report discusses three sources of change: technological change, economic growth, and composition of final demand, as well as the relative importance of the individual components of final demand for metals. The results show investment and personal consumption to be the most metal-intensive components of final demand, and technological change to be the major cause of decline in consumption growth during the study period. Technology change is defined as alterations in production processes resulting in more or less consumption of metal per unit of output, often because of material substitutions and design changes. A trade analysis shows the significance of import growth, particularly indirect imports (metal contained in imported goods) as a factor contributing to the reduced growth rate of domestic metal production. The effect of import growth is partially offset by indirect export growth, suggesting that continued increase of all U.S. exports can have a strong effect in reducing the negative trade balance in metals.

Jan 1, 1988

By V. C. Petersen

The titanium-rich end of the titanium-germanium system was investigated by x-ray and metallographic methods and verified by resistivity and dilatometer measurements. A constitution diagram is proposed. The titanium-rich portion of the phase diagram is characterized by eutectic and peritectic reactions. The eutectic composition is 19 percent germanium, and the eutectic temperature 1,360° C. The peritectic reaction occurs at 905° C. and 4 percent germanium. Germanium is soluble in alpha titanium to a maximum of 4 percent at 905° C. and in beta titanium to a maximum of 12.5 percent at 1,360° C. Both limits of solubility decrease with decreasing temperatures. Although substantial quantities of germanium are soluble in beta titanium, beta is not retained on quenching. The beta phase probably transforms to alpha by a martensitic reaction.

Jan 1, 1957

By L. G. Marshall

The geology, mining, beneficiating, types of products, and costs in terms of percent of total costs and of labor, power, and supplies of two crushed- limestone operations in Madison County, Iowa, are described in this paper. The operations are basically similar, differing in refinements in mining, product types, and markets. The operations are comparable as to personnel and as to weighted costs in terms of percent of total costs and in terms of man-hours, power, and supplies. The waste-to-stone stripping ratio is 1 to 0.8 at both operations, the powder factor is 0.29 pound of explosives per ton of stone, and daily production is 95 tons per man-shift. Both companies use crawler-mounted diesel shovels for loading, truck transportation, wagon drills, and dry screening.

Jan 1, 1963

By Jeffrey H. Welsh

This report presents a study on the use of computerized, continuous remote monitoring systems for fire and explosive atmosphere safety in underground coal mines. The effects of these systems on the safety level in mines are investigated, and the relationship between mine safety regulations and computerized, continuous, remote monitoring is analyzed.

Jan 1, 1982

By Charles L. Harness, A. T. Coons

Sodium carbonate, Na2CO3, more commonly known as soda ash, is the most important of the alkalies. Sulfuric acid is the only heavy chemical, Soda ash enters the market either as the natural product or as a manufactured derivative of common salt. Notwithstanding their common occurrence in closed basins of the Western States, natural sodas are produced at present by only four firms, all in the same California area, and satisfy only 4 percent of domestic demand for soda ash; soda ash made from salt supplies 96 percent of the requirements. The impossibility in wartime of routing all westbound American shipping through the Panama Cami.l has curtailed Pacific Coast receipts of soda ash and-increased the importance of local resources of natural carbonates. One of the most promising of ·these is the recently discovered trona (sodium sesquicarbonate)· deposit 2o·mnes· west of Green River, Wyo. Reserves are likely to run into hundreds ·of million·s of tons, and the deposit probably could be worked by the room-and~pillar· system of mining, like common salt or coal. • • Raw materials ·ne·cessary for manufacturing synthetic soda ash occur closely associated in m·afiy parts· bf the United 8tates. Almost unlimited resources of salt in brines and in rock-salt depbsits are located near limestone quarries in many areas. The· limesto'ne furnishes the carbon dioxide for the manufacture of soda ash arid the lime f o'r the recovery of ammonia. used in one step of the process. Expansion of the industry to meet wartime needs depends chiefly on availability of trained labor, materials, and equipment necessary for the erection of additional units.

Jun 1, 1942

By W. H. Blackburn

This paper describing the milling practice at the Tybo concentrator is one of a series of similar papers being prepared by the United States Bureau of Mines on milling methods and costs at the various mills in the United States. ACKNOWLEDGMENT A large part of this paper way prepared by H. M. Lewers, mill superintendent of the Tybo plant of the Treadwell Yukon Co., Ltd.

Jan 1, 1931

By K. Robert Dorman

This Bureau of Mines report describes laboratory and field experimentation in building mine ventilation stoppings, air-door frames, and fan bulkheads with a civil construction technique. Shotcrete is applied to a free-standing, three-dimensional wire-truss panel, which is easily cut and rapidly erected. In mines where shotcrete equipment is available, this technique should be faster and cheaper than conventional block-and-mortar or monolithic concrete construction.

Jan 1, 1980

By J. A. Baicker

A prototype borehole probe for ore grade determinations by means of in-situ neutron activation analysis was designed, built, and tested in a two-phase program. Phase I dealt with the design and fabrication of a borehole logging system for operation in 7.6 cm (3 in.) diameter or larger boreholes. It consisted of a 5.06 cm (2 in.) diameter borehole probe containing an intrinsic germanium detector, a canister-type solid cryogen cooling system, cooled FET preamplifier, linear amplifier, high voltage supply, analog-to-digital converter, microprocessor-based multichannel analyzer, buffer memory, bi-directional cable link, power supplies, and a Californium-252 neutron source. A surface support vehicle was designed and outfitted. A minicomputer system was constructed and software developed and tested. In Phase II the system was field tested at several mine sites. The system was calibrated, tested, improved, and demonstrated in a variety of applications. Tests were performed at sites pertinent to uranium, iron, coal, copper, silver and gold. Technical feasibility was demonstrated for all these applications except gold; the gold results were inconclusive. In-situ neutron activation analysis using high resolution gamma ray spectrometry was found to be a potentially viable logging method for are grade analysis under certain conditions.

Jan 1, 1984

By D. Harrington

Near the close of the nineteenth century electricity was introduced underground, and the mining industry automatically was confronted with another potential source of fatalities and injuries to mine workers. Electricity has become an increasingly vital factor in the production of goal, particularly in recent years, because of the greatly extended mechanization that has taken place underground. The enlarged use of electrical equipment for cutting, loading, and hauling coal unquestionably increased the potentiality of shock and explosion hazards underground. Electricity may be used in coal mines with minimum danger if electric equipment and power-carrying wires are chosen properly and installed and kept protected by proper safeguards; on the other hand, if vigilance is relaxed in the slightest degree accidents may result. Electrical accidents are caused chiefly by direct contact with electrical equipment or power-carrying wires, by ignition of explosive gas or dust, and by fires of electrical origin. Electricity now ranks fourth as a cause of coal-mine fatalities, not including deaths from explosions or fires of electrical origin.

Jan 1, 1936

By Robert M. Cox

The objective of this study was to determine if significant relationships exist between coal mine roof stability and the time roof is left unsupported. Additional factors such as geology, opening geometry, and mining methods were also studied: to determine their relative influence on mine roof stability. The results of the study indicate that geologic factors such as shear zones (either joints or faults) and changes in roof rock lithology were the principal factors governing mine roof stability. The time lapse factor appeared to be of critical importance when poor mine roof conditions are encountered. The study pointed up the need for improved and permissible rock mechanics instrumentation for use in coal mine investigations.

Jan 1, 1974

By W. D. Mcmillan

Although the Shafter district of Presidio County, Tex., is principally renowned for silver production from the Presidio mine, the occurrence of lead-zinc ores in the western part of the district has been known for at least 50 years, and there has been some production. An area of about 3 square miles in the vicinity of an extending westward from the Presidio mine was investigated in detail by C. P. Ross of the Federal Geological Survey in 1934. In the fall of 1943, A. B. Needham, an engineer of the Bureau of Mines, called the attention of the Geological Survey to the area west of that included in Ross's map, and requested a detailed investigation of that area by the Survey in advance of development by the Bureau of Mines. After a brief reconnaissance by the Survey in the spring of 1944, detailed studies were made by Federal geologists in the summer of 1944, during which about 450 acres were surveyed, on a scale of 1 inch to 100 feet. Recommendations for the exploration of certain parts of the area were made in the accompanying report.

Jan 1, 1949

By Joe N. Magee

As part of the important program of promoting conservation and efficient utilization of petroleum, Bureau of Mines engineers are making studies of secondary oil-recovery projects throughout the United states and publishing reports setting forth the pertinent facts so that others may profit by the experience gained. This report presents the results of a study by engineers of the Bureau of Mines, stationed at Franklin, Pa., of secondary oil recovery in a part of the Cabin Creek field, Kanawha and Boone Counties, W. Va., where natural gas is injected into the reservoir to stimulate oil production. Most oil produced in the Appalachian region at present is obtained from stripper fields in which almost all natural energy has been dissipated. Secondary-recovery methods are used extensively in many oil-producing areas of New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky for recovering oil not produced by primary-production methods. The part of the Cabin Creek field reported in this study is shown in figure 1 and has been designated by the operator as project 4. In 1944 the developed area of the entire field was approximately 4,200 acres, and the area of project 4 was about 600 acres. In the developed area of the project the oil reservoir is in the Berea sandstone and occurs at 2,914 to 3,410 feet.

Jan 1, 1952

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 presents analytical data for 4, 457 samples, representing the products of 92 companies. The samples were collected by companies during June, July, and August 1956, 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 National Motor Gasoline Survey reports published during the past 10 years is on page 5.

Jan 1, 1957

By Nicholas Kyriazi

A joint effort by the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) and the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) was undertaken to determine how well self-contained self-rescuers (SCSR's), deployed in accordance with Federal regulations (30 CPR 75.1714), held up in the underground environment with regard to both physical damage and aging. This report presents findings regarding laboratory-tested SCSR's in the fourth phase of testing from 1989 to 1993. The SCSR's were tested on human subjects and on a breathing and metabolic simulator (BMS). These results indicate that most of the apparatus, if they pass their inspection criteria, perform as expected except units with manufacturing defects. However, when the apparatus are carried in and out of the mine daily and stored at the working section, they may suffer abuse. Physical signs of abuse, unless extremely obvious, are frequently not detected by the miners or mine operators. In addition, some apparatus collected for this study had not been returned to the manufacturer in a recall effort for correction of a manufacturing defect. In both cases, the apparatus would have presented problems in emergency use. Recommendations include improved training in inspection procedures and better enforcement of recall notices.

Jan 1, 2010

By R. V. Lundquist, A. E. Morris, E. L. Singleton

This experimental research was performed to determine rate - of - reaction constants on the MnO - C and Mn , C₂ - 3MnO systems at 1,100 ° , 1,150 ° , and 1,185 ° C. Reactions were conducted at atmospheric pressure under controlled flow of purified helium through the furnace chamber . The weight - loss method defined reduction percentages , and reaction products were identified by X- ray methods . The system Mn0 - C followed a linear reaction rate , and experimental results produced an apparent activation energy of 55.8 kcal per mole of Mn0 . The system Mn, C - 3Mn0 followed a parabolic rate of reaction law and yielded an apparent activation energy of 114.4 kcal per mole for the reaction .

Jan 1, 1964

By John Ward Smith, Neil B. Young

Shale specific - gravity to oil - yield relationships were developed for black shales of the New Albany Formation of Kentucky from data collected on core samples representing the complete section of the formation in three counties . Linear equations for estimating oil yield from measured specific gravity and for estimating specific gravity from measured oil yield were shown to be applicable within small error limits to all the sites tested . Variation in pyrite content is the largest source of error .

Jan 1, 1964

By Alice M. Chieruzzi

This Country Documentation Report presents the development of economic indices for Zambia for the period from 1970 through 1981. The work done through the Bureau of' Mines, Minerals Availability Program, under Contract number J0225001. This contract calls for the development of twelve index time series describing factor input costs in the mining sector of 95 countries. The twelve index time series describe the costs of: 1) mining wages, 2) construction wages, 3) equipment and repair parts, 4) bits and related steel, 5) timber and lumber, 6) fuel, 7) powder and blasting agents, 8) tires, 9) construction materials, 10) industrial materials, 11) transportation, and 12) electrical power. These indices combined with weight factors being developed by the personnel of the Minerals Availability Field Office (MAFO) of the Bureau of Mines in Denver, Colorado, will be used to perform instantaneous updates of all costs relating to the mining industry. The indices were developed primarily for use in the Bureau's Minerals Availability Program in assessing the worldwide availability of nonfuel minerals.

Jan 1, 1983

By Jonnie M. Estes

A two-constant equation is presented for helium from 30° = T = 1,473° K. This equation is developed by modifying a generalized equation of state originally presented by Redlich and Kwong (20).3 The modification consists of setting B = 0.06372 Tc/PeT. This modified equation represents the compressibility factors of each of 80 isotherms tested in this temperature range to less than 1 percent average deviation.

Jan 1, 1967

By Arno C. Fieldner

Coal for coke production is fundamentally necessary for the manufacture of pig iron , and pig iron must be had for making steel - a vital element in our modern industrial economy . In both World Wars , special effort by Government and industry was required to meet the emergency of greatly increased demands . In the first World War , lack of coke - oven capacity , rather than lack of coking coals , was the principal problem ; but in the second World War both oven capacity and coking -coal mining capacity were pushed to the utmost . Because of inadequate supply , it became necessary to allocate a part of the production of these coals from other fuel use to coke production . This was done by the Solid Fuels Administration . These experiences raised a question , during and after the war, as to the nature and amount of the minable reserves of coking coal suitable for the manufacture of metallurgical coke ; and to what extent the lower -rank and lowergrade coals could be utilized by improving preparation and by appropriately blonding different coals . Obviously , much investigation and research are required to find answers to these questions . Somo work was done by Governmental and industrial agencies during the war , and , fortunately , more has been undertaken since the close of It is the purpose of this paper to review briefly our fuel reserves , with special reference to coking coal , and to discuss the problems of utiliz . ing progressively poorer coking coals as the reserves of high - quality coals approach depletion .

Mar 1, 1950