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By Clyde E. Eilliams

In recent ye.ars much intere,t has been centered on the possibility of pro­ducing alumina from clq, a.nd proposed methods tor the recove:r,v of alumina are appearing constantly in parent lit,erature, As a good· grade of clay contains from 30 t<> 40 per cent of al"WDina, the prospect of tecovering it is alluring, al though obviously ditfieul t. A patent typical of m projected thermal processes is that 0£ Paul Migu.et, (U, S, Patent No, l,376,563) entitled nprocess for the preparation of pure alkaline alu:ninates.'' Re proposes to prepare alkaline a.luminate by fusing clay, lime, and acrap iron with a reducing aget in the electric furnAce, thereby reducing the silica a.r.d formin1s calcium alumina.te and ferrostlicon, The calcium aluminate, being lighter, would. float on top substantially free from foreign oxides, It could. then be tapped ott, cooledf ana later crushed and leached with aodium carbonate solution to torm, by double decomposition, sodium aluminate, and calcium carbonte. The fonMr is soluble and yields readily aluminum hydroxicie. 'l'he ferrosilicon wo'Uld be r,covered as such and sold at a profit.

Aug 1, 1922

By Lawrence K. Requa

The property being worked by the Lewiston dredge of Placer Development (Ltd.) is on the Trinity River in Trinity County, Calif., about 9 miles north of the town of Lewiston (see fig. 1). The nearest rail point is at Rending, Calif., which is exactly 50 miles bar road from the dredge camp. Recently a very good section of State highway has been constructed from Redding to Weaverville, and it is now possible to use this highway for 35 miles of the distance between the dredging property and Redding. The remaining 15 miles, however, are over ordinary dirt road. No trouble is experienced in reaching the property except for a few weeks during the middle of the winter when snowstorms may make travel difficult but not impossible. At present the property consists of about 500 acres of patented land, which extends for about 3 miles along the main Trinity River and Stuart&apos;s Pork. It is being worked with one 7-cubic foot, Bucyrus-type dredge, which has an average monthly capacity of about 100,000 cubic yards. To the end of 1931 approximately 10,000,000 cubic yards of gravel had been dredged.

Jan 1, 1932

Validate the premise that there is measurable seismic activity associated with abandoned mint lands and that this activity can be used to determine stability of the abandoned mine openings, failure cycle of these openings, and susceptibility of the area to surface subsidence. Approach The U.S. Bureau of Mines conducted field investigations at two geologically contrasting sites, Colorado Springs, CO, and the Allegheny Portage Railroad Historical Site near Cresson, PA, to demonstrate that developing monitoring technology can be applied to any site. An array of seven geophones (velocity-measuring sensors) were strategically located to encompass an area at each site where failure in the underground mine openings could be expected, based on historical, geological, and engineering information. How It Works Bureau research has effectively demonstrated that stress changes within a rock mass can stimulate the development of cracks and fractures, resulting in the release of strain energy that generates seismic waves. These seismic waves, traveling outward from their source, can be detected, and the point of origin can be located in three-dimensional space. Furthermore, these seismic signals contain information that defines the source mechanism and the conditions between the source and the receiving sensor.

Jan 1, 1992

By Carlton E. Brown

Inquiries and instructional work on the determination of the number concentration of dust in atmospheres known or suspected to contain pneumoconiosis (silicosis and asbestosis) - producing particulate matter indicate a need for a description of the impinger method used by the Bureau of Mines. The impinger method consists of the collection of dust in a liquid medium and the counting under the microscope of the particles in a known portion of this liquid. The dust-collecting device is called an impinger. The dust in the air drawn through this collector at a known rate impinges at high velocity upon a smooth surface under a bubbling column of liquid. The dust is either picked up from this surface by the liquid or removed from the air as it passes through the liquid.

Jan 1, 1938

By Keith L. Harris

Real gross national product3 (GNP) grew at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.2% in the fourth quarter compared with a revised 4.3% rate in the third quarter, according to the most recent estimates released by the U.S. Department of Commerce (table 1). Expanding inventories, Government purchases of goods and services, residential fixed investment, and a narrowing of the trade deficit fueled the growth. Significantly reduced consumer demand led to the heavy inventory growth. Almost half of the buildup in inventories consisted of automobiles because consumers reduced purchases when Detroit ceased most incentive programs in late summer. Reduced consumer demand also affected imports, however, and the narrowing of the trade deficit resumed after widening in the third quarter. Nonresi- [ ] dential fixed investment also declined after a strong gain in the third quarter. On a year-to-year basis, the economy grew at an inflation-adjusted rate of 2.9%, the same as that of 1986. However, on a fourth-quarter-to-fourth-quarter basis, the real growth reached 3.8%, the highest growth since 19M, and exceeded the Reagan Administration&apos;s estimate of 3.4%. Rising merchandise exports accounted for about one-third of the growth in GNP for all of 1987 and are expected to continue to grow as domestic manufactures benefit from the lower value of the dollar vis-a-vis other major trading country currencies. Consumer demand became a less important factor of economic growth, but employment continued to grow (table 2), and civilian unemployment declined by 0.9 percentage points (December to December) as the industrial sector geared up to increase exports. Inflation, as measured by the fixed-weighted GNP price index, remained low at 3.4%.

Jan 1, 1988

By H. F. Feldmann

This Bureau of Mines report presents a method for the computer solution of the equilibrium compositions of any complex, multiphase, chemical system for which appropriate thermodynamic data are available. The method describes in detail the computation of systems in which solid or liquid species can form by heterogeneous chemical reactions where these species do not occur in any equilibrium equations. Also described are the calculation of phases formed by condensation (pure or solutions) and the inclusion of other system restrictions such as electroneutrality. The method is being used to compute the equilibrium composition of mixtures of an electrically conductive plasma and a liquid slag phase arising from the high-temperature combustion of coal for magnetohydrodynamic power generation. These mixtures can contain up to 65 species including gases, liquids, free electrons, and ions.

Jan 1, 1969

By M. B. Cooke

An analytical method for the determination of the gum-forming material in gasoline has been developed by the Bureau of Mines, during a study nor in progress to determine the best rays for elimination of such constituents from gasoline. This method is similar in principle to that previously described by Smith end Cooke,2 which involved evaporation of e sample of gasoline in a small glass dish. The evaporation was started on an actively boiling steam bath and completed in an air oven at 105°C. In the improved method described below, the stem bath has been replaced by a steam heated oven in which an inert atmosphere is maintained. Air is excluded from the oven, consequently the precision of the determination is increased. Furthermore, evaporating dishes different from those previously described may be used.

Jan 1, 1925

By Frank E. Federspiel

In 1992, the Bureau of Mines conducted a mineral resource investigation of the 19,200-hectare Garfield Mountain study area in east central Idaho. The area had been proposed for Wilderness. Cretaceous-age quartzite and limestone conglomerates underlie the area&apos;s east half; thick travertine beds, as well as limestones, dolomites, sandstones, and volcanic tuffs occupy the west half. All the rocks have been faulted and folded as part of the Western Overthrust Belt. Two, enormous travertine deposits occur in the west end of the study area. The lower deposit, controlled by Faxe Kalk Inc., has at least 200 million m3 (cubic meters) of travertine resources. Most of their deposit is very bright with a high CaC03 content and a low insoluble residual percentage: thus it is suitable for use as a paper and paint filler. The upper deposit, owned by Idaho Travertine Corp., contains 100 million m3 of travertine resources; it is used for facing or dimension stone. Weathered travertine outcrops are buff to tan and locally vuggy. Bureau of Mines samples of&apos; outcrops contained greater than 95% CaC03. Approximately 600 m3 of travertine have been quarried from the two deposits and used for facing stone. Four travertine quarries and two dozer cuts were examined. Faxe Kalk has 103 White Rock placer claims on the lower deposit; approximately one-half of the claims are within the study area. Idaho Travertine has the Limestone 1 and 2 placer claims on the upper deposit. A 4,647-m-deep oil and gas exploratory well was drilled on the east end of the study area without success.

Jan 1, 1993

By C. D. Litton

The results of full-scale fire tests are used to determine optimum distributions of fire sensors for the protection of conveyor belt haulageways in underground coal mines. Empirical relationships are derived that relate the spacing of fire sensors to the rate of development of the fire hazard. For this application, a critical fire size is defined as that size of fire for which belt ignition and subsequent flame spread down the belt is assured. Detection and alarm, regardless of sensor type or sensing methodology, must be achieved at some point in time before the critical fire size is reached. Based upon this approach, it is found that the horizontal spacing for products-of-combustion sensors is in the range of 300 to 600 meters, while the required thermal sensor spacing is found to be ~4 meters or less. Additional design criteria are discussed for product-of-combustion fire sensing systems.

Jan 1, 1982

By Nicholas Kyriazi

The Bureau of Mines subjected three commercial compressed-oxygen self-contained self-rescuers to a series of laboratory treatments designed to simulate various environmental conditions in underground coal mines. The environmental treatments consisted of extremes of temperature and of shock and vibration. The tests were designed to predict the ability of the self-rescuers to withstand those environmental stresses without causing a decrease in wearer protection. A critical concern was internal damage to an apparatus that would cause it to malfunction or seriously degrade its performance without any obvious external signs. The Bureau has previously tested chemical oxygen self-contained self-rescuers in a similar research program. Although the three compressed-oxygen units are not as sturdy as the chemical oxygen self-rescuers tested previously, they performed reliably after treatments on treadmill tests with human subjects and on machine tests using a breathing and metabolic simulator. Serious damage was caused by both the heat treat-ment of 71° C (venting of the 02 bottle in most cases), and in the shock treatment (breaking open of the case and dislodging of the components). When physical damage is obvious, a complete refurbishing of the damaged self-rescuer is recommended.

Jan 1, 1983

By L. B. Pankratz

Thermodynamic data on the sulfides were reviewed, evaluated, and compiled at the Bureau of Mines Albany Research Center. Values for Cp°, S°, H°298 -(G° - H°298)/T, ?Hf°, ?Gf°, and log Kf are given in tabular form. Cp°, H° - H°298, ?Hf°, and ?Gf° are also expressed algebraically.

Jan 1, 1987

By Bergerm L. B., S. J. Davenport

"INTRODUCTION Oxygen, because of its vital relationship to man's physical well being, is the most important chemical_ element. It may be breathed, however, only in a rather limited range of concentrations and pressures without producing ill effects. An excess of oxygen may be equally as harmful as too little of it. Because of the importance of these effects, the study of the physiological action of oxygen has received attention for many years and by many investigators. Much of the investigative work has been directed toward determining the limits within which oxygen in abnormal concentrations and at abnormal pressures may be breathed with safety in such applica¬tions as deep-sea diving, work in comprossod-air, aviation, the wearing of apparatus designed to permit entrance into irrespirable atmospheres, and in the therapeutic applications of the medical profession.The Bureau of Mines frequently receives requests for information on the effects of breathing essentially pure oxygen, because of the Bureau's association with the use of self-contained oxygen breathing apparatus for entering irrespirable mine atmospheres, and the use of oxygen in conjunction with artificial respiration as a moans of resuscitation. The purpose of this paper is to summarize briefly the effects upon the human body of the inhalation of oxygen in various concentrations and at various pressures and to give reference to other published information that deals in greater detail with the diverse phases of the subject. The literature in this field is voluminous; therefore, a complete bibliography has not boon presented in this paper. No paper on this subject would be complete without reference to the classic pioneering work of Paul Bert (1) 3/ in this field. Articles such as those of Stadia, Riggs, and Haugaard (2), Bean (3), Specht (4), and others cited contain extensive lists of references that will leadthe reader to information in a degree of detail that is not within the scope of this publication."

Jul 1, 1950

By H. J. Seim

An ion-exchange-instrumental analysis technique is described for analyzing impurities at 1 to 1,000 parts per million level in rare-earth metals. A cation-exchange flame photometric method is used for the alkali and alkaline earth groups of metals, and an anion-exchange procedure is used in conjunction with polarographic and X-ray fluorescence techniques for selected transition elements. The standard deviation is about 6 percent, and the average error, about 5 percent.

Jan 1, 1962

By Aner W. Erickson

"Preliminary examination of tungsten deposits on the Mountain View property near Hyder, Alaska, was made by Neal M. Muir, an engineer of the Bureau of Mines daring the summer of 1942. Fifteen samples were cut, rough esti¬mates of ore reserves were made, and it was proposed to extend the drift on scheelite-bearing vein 300 feet in a northwesterly direction.From May 22 to October 24, 1944, an exploratory project was conducted on the property by the Bureau. In the course of this work, the camp buildings were rehabilitated; the dam, hydraulic line, and machinery were repaired; 226 feet of drift was driven; 80 groove samples aggregating 3.9 tons in weight were cut; a 6,000-foot surface and underground traverse was run; and the area was mapped in detail.In its program of exploration of mineral deposits, the Bureau of Mines has as its primary objective the more effective utilization of our mineral resources to the end that they make the greatest possible contribution to the national security and economy. It is the policy of the Bureau to publish the facts developed by each exploratory project as soon as practicable after its conclusion. The Mining Branch, Lowell B. Moon, chief, conducts preliminary examinations, performs the actual exploratory work, and prepares the final report. The Metallurgical Branch, R. G. Knickerbocker, chief, analyzes samples and performs beneficiation tests. Both these branches are under the supervision of Dr. R. S. Dean, assistant director.Special acknowledgment is doe Neal W. Muir, project engineer, and Robert S. Sanford, acting chief, Alaska Division, Mining Branch, for their supervision of the field work and revision of the report.Acknowledgment is also made to Silbak Premier, Ltd., for rendering valuable assistance in the repair of equipment and for extending various courtesies to Bureau of Mines personnel during the conduct of this project.The Mountain View property is located at latitude 55° 59' north, and longitude 130° 03' west in the Salmon River mining district of southeastern Alaska, about 5 miles in a northwesterly direction from the town of Hyder, which lies at the head of Portland Canal, as shown in figures 1 and 2. Vein outcrops and surface workings are at an elevation of 950 feet and occupy the west flank of a low ridge between Skookum and Fish Creeks, as shown in figure 3. The portal of the long adit exposing the vein at depth is on Skookum Creek about 550 feet north of the confluence of Skookum and Fish Creeks.Access to the property is over a 4-foot wide trail built and maintained by the United States Forest Service. This trail is suitable for pack animals and is adequate for transportation of supplies and material for exploratory work. During the periods of camp construction and past exploratory operations a 4,000-foot, single-cable, aerial tramway, now in disrepair, served for transportation of materials and all machinery from the Salmon River Highway to the property. The cost of such hauling was high, amounting to $12 a ton. Topography is suitable for construction of a ""cat road"" 2 miles in length, connecting the property with the Salmon River Highway. It is estimated that such a road could be built for $5,000 a mile, and supplies, machinery, and concentrates could be haled over it at a cost of less than $2.50 a ton."

Sep 1, 1946

By David L. Veith

This report summarizes a Bureau of Mines review of selected literature on the effects of subsidence due to high-extraction underground coal mining on farmland areas. The data are presented for consideration in evaluating the subsidence effects due to similar mining techniques on the prime farmland areas of Illinois. In Illinois the ground water level in the glacial drift is only 2 to 15 ft below the nearly flat to gently rolling ground surface. The main subsidence concern is flooding, as caused by the lowering of the ground surface, and the subsequent effects on crop production. Positive drainage must be maintained in the farmlands, and the need exists for extensive regional planning by the mining and agricultural industries to maximize short- and long-term production from both efforts. The Bureau is cooperating with the State of Illinois to develop basic information necessary for such planning.

Jan 1, 1987

By Richard D. Miller

The helium resources base of the United States was estimated by the Bureau of Mines to be 1,070 Bcf as of January 1, 1985. These resources are divided into four categories in decreasing degree of assurance of their existence: (1) helium in storage and in proved natural gas reserves, 280 Bcf, (2) helium in probable natural gas resources, estimated at 243 Bcf, (3) helium in possible natural gas resources, estimated to be 287 Bcf, and (4) helium in speculative natural gas resources, which makes up the remaining 260 Bcf. These helium resources are further divided into depleting, non-depleting, and stored classifications. The depleting resources are those associated with natural gasfields that are, or will be, produced for the natural gas they contain. Almost all of the helium in potential (probable, possible, and speculative) natural gas resources is included in this classification. These depleting resources are estimated to contain 900 Bcf of the total helium resource base. Helium resources contained in nondepleting natural gas resources, those in shut-in, abandoned, or otherwise nonproducing natural gasfields, are estimated to total 133 Bcf. There is 37 Bcf of helium in storage in the Federal Government-owned Cliffside Gas Field near Amarillo, TX.

Jan 1, 1987

By Fred D. DeVaney

The Mesabi iron district of Minnesota has a potential production of over 50 million tons of iron ore annually. The large shipments of ore each year are gradually depleting the reserves, and if the present rate of production is to be maintained there must be a growth in the present available ore supply. Growth is a natural course. The growth of a city may be affected by the addition of city blocks or by the improvement of utilities necessary for its betterment. These may go on in the order named or concurrently. The city-block type of growth of the Mesabi has been tremendous, and the "betterment" type has followed in due course. Probably the former has reached its limit, and if so, more time will be allotted to the latter. It is not the intent of this paper to present either a eulogy of the wonderful mining methods or a history of the milling, but it is pertinent to say that if the lean-ore area continues to produce, the continuance will be more the result of further improvement of milling methods now well under way than of extension, of boundaries by the city block plan of growth. In an examination of the western end of the Mesabi district one finds sludge basins containing millions of tens of millable ore rejected by washing plants which were built for economy in operating cost and with little thought of conservation, and rich tailings piles of jigging plant rejects. In addition, there is an appreciable tonnage of bowl rake products so low-grade that it requires mixing with the best ore of the district to make it merchantable.

Jan 1, 1932

By Ramie H. Thompson

1.1 BACKGROUND In many underground coal mining operations the use of electromagnetic field equipment, particularly communication systems, not only increases the overall efficiency of the mining operation but can be directly linked with mine safety considerations. The use of electromagnetic field producing equipment in underground coal mining operations can only be expected to grow. Several new communication systems have already been proposed. In addition, high-frequency producing equipments for many diverse uses in mining operations are under study. The use of these equipment in underground mining operations is hampered by the possibility of their electromagnetic fields interacting with the electric blasting cap operations commonly carried out in the mines. Such interactions can have at least two results bearing directly on mine safety: o premature initiation of the cap, either in its normal shot location or during hookup or transportation; o dudding of the cap so that normal firing operations do not cause irritation; thereby leaving unexploded high explosives after normal firing. Since the consequences of a premature initiation could, particularly in coal mines operations, result in catastrophe involving human life, the overall approach to prediction of possible hazard must be, as far as possible, of a "worst case" nature. The general problem of predicting possible RF hazards for any electroexplosive device (EED) is best treated by reference to Appendix A of

Jan 9, 1983

By B. J. Dalton

The Bureau of Mines Helium Research Center has as a long-range objective the development of an equation of state for helium that will allow all of the thermodynamic properties to be calculated within the accuracy with which they are known. If this objective is to be realized, a method of calculation must be known. This report gives the principles of the method we use in such problems. A computer program was developed for predicting these properties, including those at the critical point, that is perfectly general and applicable to any equation of state. To demonstrate the efficacy of our method, this computer program was used to evaluate thermodynamic properties of a Redlich-Kwong fluid in the two-phase region. Expressions for calculating various thermodynamic functions specific for this particular equation of state are derived. Numerical values are tabulated and graphs are presented for all functions calculated. It is shown that for a Redlich-Kwong fluid there are finite discontinuities in (1) the second temperature derivative of the Gibbs free energy or chemical potential at the critical point, (2) the second derivative of the vapor pressure curve with regard to the temperature on passing through the critical point, and (3) the measured heat capacity at constant volume on passing through the critical temperature when the calorimeter is filled to the critical density. It is also shown that the heat of vaporization is infinite for a Redlich-Kwong fluid at absolute zero.

Jan 1, 1969

By G. M. Kintz

It is estimated that 10,000 lives were lost and $285,000,000 worth of property was destroyed by fire in 1937. Of the 103 fatalities in tie petroleum industry in 1938, 36 resulted from fires and explosions.3/ Everyone can help to prevent the tremendous losses, both in life and property, caused annually by fires and explosions, Forest fires occur every year, in which the tremendously intense heat wave ahead of the flame turns beautiful green trees into blazing torches like so much gasoline, vapor, and jumps over the tops of trees to start fires behind the firs fighters; prairie-grass fires occur, and a farmer in the path of the fire must plow a furrow around his home and outbuildings before the flame reaches them; and frequently automobiles are burned up in filling stations. Persons who have witnessed such sights know better than to throw a lighted match, cigarette, cigar, or hot coal from a pipe out of an automobile or to discard a fire or flame of any type in the forest, in the country, or in the city.

Jan 1, 1941