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By J. E. Schiller

The Bureau of Mines has investigated the surface charge of amphibole asbestos fibers and nonasbestiform cleavage fragments, as part of the Bureau's fundamental studies to provide new knowledge on the physical and chemical properties of the amphibole minerals. Microelectrophoresis was used to measure the electrophoretic mobilities, in water, of particles from six asbesti-from amphiboles and seven nonasbestiform amphiboles over the pH range of 5 through 9. The particles generally ranged in size from 2 to 5 µm wide by 10 to 30 µm long. The isoelectric point was determined for four of the minerals, and values were found to be between pH 3.5 and pH 5. The minerals studied had zeta potentials that generally ranged from -25 to -so mv in neutral solution. Attachment of colloidal positively charged AgI was also studied as a means of determining surface charge. Scanning electron microscopy of amphibole particles that had been in contact with aqueous AgI showed equal attachment of AgI to asbestos fibers and to cleavage fragments; the extent of AgI coating was the same for both. The electrophoretic mobilities of asbestos fibers were essentially the same as those of elongated cleavage fragments of the same aspect ratio (particle length divided by width). Blocky particles from both asbestiform and nonasbestiform specimens had lower mobilities.

Jan 1, 1980

By F. D. DeVaney

An examination of the physical properties of manganese ores is being made at the Mississippi. Valley Station of the United States Bureau of Mines in cooperation with the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy, Rolla, Missouri. The object of the study is to find out how much these ores can be beneficiated by such processes as jigging, tabling, magnetic separation, and flotation. Some. of the results were given in an earlier report.4 Eighty samples obtained from various prospects and mines throughout the country have been examined; this is a very small part of those that should be examined before the work can be a definite factor in-the appraisal of manganese ores or the guide in beneficiation which the operators seek. The ore deposits are not expected to reach to great depths vertically, after the manner of copper and gold, but in lateral distribution their greater extent is notable. This applies particularly to the residual and replacement deposits of manganese.

Jan 1, 1929

By H. O. Poppleton, F. E. Block

This investigation was made to develop a method of preparing high - purity thorium metal in quantities up to 20 kilograms per batch . Several methods for the preparation , purification , and reduction of thorium tetrachloride are discussed . Thorium tetrachloride was prepared by chlorination of decomposed thorium nitrate or oxalate with carbon tetrachloride or phosgene . tion of the crude tetrachloride was achieved by multiple distillations or by filtration of the molten chloride . It was found that high - purity thorium metal could be prepared by sodium reduction of thorium tetrachloride if chloride of sufficient purity were available . Byproduct salts and excess reductant were removed by vacuum distillation , and the resultant thorium metal sponge was consolidated by consumable - electrode or fixed - electrode arc melting . It was demonstrated that metal prepared by this method could be fabricated into bar , rod , or sheet , at room temperature .

Jan 1, 1964

By Gerald T. Homce, Michael R. Yenchek, H. Kenneth Sacks, James C. Cawley

Accidents occur when least expected, from sources that we rarely anticipate and with outcomes that can vary greatly. Anyone who has ever been involved in an automobile accident knows, the transition from driving comfortably and safely down a highway to being involved in a potentially life-threatening situation can occur in a heartbeat. Accidents on the job are no different. The mining industry has a relatively small number of electrical injuries, compared to industries such as construction or agriculture, due to the small total employment in mining. Mining does, however, have one of the highest occupational electrocution rates of any U.S. industry, at 2.8 for every 100,000 workers per year. This is approximately four times the average for all industries. Data from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) shows that 75 electrical fatalities occurred in the mining industry between 1990 and 1999. Of these, at least 17% involved high-reaching mobile equipment that contacted overhead power lines.

The objective is to provide effective training on refuge chambers for underground coal miners. This training will increase knowledge about how to teach miners to operate, transport, and inspect a refuge chamber; what to expect psychologically and physiologically inside a refuge chamber; and how to decide when to use a refuge chamber. Background During 2006?2007, several disasters occurred at U.S. underground coal mines, resulting in 28 fatalities. These disasters led to new approaches to mine safety and health, as well as new federal regulations. One new technology mandated by federal legislation is the refuge chamber. Refuge chambers are movable shelters that are either made of steel or inflate from a steel skid as a tent. They can potentially save the lives of miners during an underground mine emergency by providing breathable air, food, water, and a safe environment for up to 96 hours. Because the refuge chamber is a new technology, recommendations, information, and training products are greatly needed.

Nov 1, 2009

By E. L. Litchfield

This report of work by the Federal Bureau of Mines has two primary objectives: A survey of the present status and usefulness of the minimum ignition-energy concept, and the presentation of recent data that are believed to bear on the safety problem associated with the ignition of combustible gases by electric discharges. The minimum ignition-energy concept has widespread applicability, especially to safety. The primary obstacle in making theoretical calculations of the requisite ignition energy is the lack of data on chemical kinetics and flame hydrodynamics. The new data on electrical ignition are representative of the great increase in knowledge that can be achieved by proper utilization of geometrical and electrical characteristics associated with the ignition source. CONCEPT OF MINIMUM IGNITION ENERGY The basic concept of a minimum ignition energy (the minimum amount of energy required to cause ignition) follows quite naturally from general physical principles and from the stability (lack of chemical reaction) of the gaseous mixture under the initial conditions. It also follows that if, as a first condition, lossless, instantaneous, and spatially localized energy can be injected and, as a second condition, the relaxation time for conversion of this type of energy to the type required for the reaction is short compared to some characteristic time scale of the ignition phenomenon, the energy requirements will be essentially independent of the type of energy source. Even if condition one cannot be fulfilled, it is sometimes possible to estimate the energy content of the gas required for ignition, and under these circumstances, condition one is fulfilled in effect. There are several instances where results can be interpreted for circumstances that effectively satisfy conditions one and two; these will be discussed later.

Jan 1, 1960

By K. D. Luxbacher

Understanding methane emissions in underground coal mines is critical for a safe and productive mine. In addition to reasonable estimation of initial coalbed reservoir parameters, it is also crucial that changes in effective stress due to mining and pore pressure reduction are taken into account due to their effects on porosity and permeability. Primary parameters for estimation of emissions or modeling of the mining environment for this purpose are porosity and permeability which can change dramatically as a result of stress redistribution associated with mining and gas desorption from a large coal volume. These parameters affect the emission rates and ventilation requirements, as well as water inflow into the working environment. Stopping leakage, on the other hand, is a secondary stress dependent factor in estimation of emissions, as convergence of the roof and floor strata, compromising the integrity of the stopping, may result in leakage, making prediction of ventilation requirements difficult. This paper aims to examine the effects of porosity and permeability changes of the coal seam on methane emissions in an underground continuous miner section. The models were developed and executed in a dynamic fashion to simulate an advancing section. Through this process, the changes of effective stress in coal, particularly their change paths, on porosity and permeability were incorporated into the models and methane emissions, concentrations, air requirements, water inflow and possible leakage from the stoppings were investigated using a conventional coalbed methane reservoir model.

Jan 1, 2009

By Mark I. Copeland

The formation of A1203 dispersoids 0,14 and less in size in dilute iron-aluminum alloys by internal oxidation in wet hydrogen and dispersion strengthening of iron by application of the technique to iron powder were found to be feasible by the Bureau of Mines. In flowing H2-1.5 H20 gas, A1203 dispersoids 0.1w and less in size formed (at 650° to 750° C) in Fe-l and 2 Al sheet material but not in Fe-3 or 4 Al alloys. With higher temperatures and/or higher H2O/H2 volume-ratio gases, A1203 and FeA1204 dispersoids >0.14 in size formed in all the sheet materials- Minus 100-mesh Fe 2 Al powders were internally oxidized under conditions that promoted formation of fine A1203 particles in sheet material, and then the oxidized powders were hydrogen reduced, sintered, extruded, and evaluated. During internal oxidation, fine A1203 dispersoids formed within the powder grains, and coarse FeA1204 particles formed on the powder surfaces and grain boundaries. The FeA1204 content was essentially eliminated during sintering by reacting with the unoxidized aluminum that remained in the center of the larger internally oxidized powders. The tensile strength at 800° C depended upon the aluminum-oxygen weight ratio of these elements in the extrusions and reached a maximum of 17,000 psi. The stress-rupture strengths at 800° C of the better alloys were comparable with those of type 310 stainless steel.

Jan 1, 1972

By H. H. Fields, Joseph Cervik, G. N. Aul

Coal is a soft and brittle material. Drilling rates in the Pittsburgh coalbed using a drag bit exceed 3 ft/min at 2,500-pound thrust. However, maintaining the bit on a horizontal trajectory or parallel to bedding planes to attain lengths of 1,000 feet is difficult. This Bureau of Mines report presents a drill string configuration that can be guided through the coalbed. The angle of the borehole is measured periodically and by proper combinations of bit thrust and rotational speed (r/min), bit trajectory can be lifted or dropped to keep the bit in the coalbed. An example of a hole drilled to 2,126 feet is presented to show levels of thrust and rotational speed used to lift or drop the bit, the seemingly unexplainable events that occur, and the strategy used during drilling. Thrust levels during drilling range from 600 to 2,500 pounds. Hydraulic motors powered by a 30-hp, 440-volt motor provide ample power for drilling horizontal holes 2,000 feet long.

Jan 1, 1975

By Joseph Cervik

Coal is a soft and brittle material. Drilling rates in the Pittsburgh coalbed using a drag bit exceed 3 ft/min at 2,500-pound thrust. However, maintaining the bit on a horizontal trajectory or parallel to bedding planes to attain lengths of 1,000 feet is difficult. This Bureau of Mines report presents a drill string configuration that can be guided through the coalbed. The angle of the borehole is measured periodically and by proper combinations of bit thrust and rotational speed (r/min), bit trajectory can be lifted or dropped to keep the bit in the coalbed. An example of a hole drilled to 2,126 feet is presented to show levels of thrust and rotational speed used to lift or drop the bit, the seemingly unexplainable events that occur, and the strategy used during drilling. Thrust levels during drilling range from 600 to 2,500 pounds. Hydraulic motors powered by a 30-hp, 440-volt motor provide ample power for drilling horizontal holes 2,000 feet long.

Jan 1, 1975

By E. C. Lane

"INTRODUCTION This is the fourth in a series of reports on properties of commercial motor fuels, made in accordance with a cooperative agreement between the Cooperative Fuel Research (C.F.R.) Committee and the Bureau of Mines of the Department of the Interior. The first report gave data on motor gasolines sold during the winter of 1935-36 3/. The second resort gave the same data for motor gasolines sold during the summer of 1936 4/. The third report of the series gave the same data for motor gasolines sold during the winter of 1936-37 5/.This report covers 63 brands of gasoline represented by 1,136 samples excluding the Pacific Coast. Those from the Pacific Coast were averaged by the Pacific Coast technical group before being submitted and are published exactly as they were submitted. In some areas reports were received from five or six companies on the same brands of gasoline, whereas in other areas only one company reported on a brand. Thus, it can be seen that some of the data are more representative than others."

Dec 1, 1937

By V. Rajaram, S. Bhattacharya, M. F. Dunn

During a mine fire or other emergency, it may be desirable to reverse the airflow in order to provide an escapeway or to isolate a fire. Also, (in colder areas, the airflow may be reversed to prevent ice buildup. When reversing main mine fans, the mine operator usually does not know what operating characteristics of flow and pressure to expect. Laboratory a field tests of vane axial main mine fans in the 7- to 9-ft diameter size range were conducted to establish forward and reverse performance characteristics under controlled conditions and at typical mine installations. The data obtained suggest that reverse performance characteristics are dependent upon the blade angle and the hub to tip ratio. There is also evidence that reverse performance can be predicted for a family of blade angles and a given hub to tip ratio. Generally, quantity of air is 30% to 65% less in reverse than when operating in the normal forward mode.

Jan 8, 1983

By Cecil E. Lester

Since the advent of coal mining, the minimal lighting in the under¬ground working place has been an obstacle to the safe and efficient performance of the miner's many tasks. Compounding this problem is the fact that the machines being operated in the working place are so large that the vertical and horizontal clearances around the machinery are severely limited. Consequently, in these poorly lighted and congested working places, the machine operator is unable to utilize his peripheral vision. He cannot see hazards as they develop and, too often, cannot react in time to avoid serious injury or death to himself or his fellow miners. The greatest hazard to miners inby the last open crosscut is from falls of roof which are often preceded by warning signs such as falling rock fragments, roof supports taking weight, or a sudden reduction in the height of the working place. These warning signs often go undectected because the machine operator's attention is focused on the small circle of light emitted from his cap lamp. Congress recognized the illumination deficiencies, and, in the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, charged the Secretary of the Interior with the authority and responsibility for development and promulgation of minimum standards for illuminating working places in coal mines. These standards have been developed and, as stated in the April 1, 1976 Notice, Federal Register, Volume 41, No. 64, will be promulgated on October 1, 1976, as mandatory regulations under Section 75.1719, Title 30, Code of Federal Regulations. The regulations require that the designated surfaces within the miner's normal field of vision be illuminated to 0.06 foot-lamberts while self¬propelled mining equipment is being operated in the working places. The term "working place" is defined in the Act as "the area of a coal mine inby the last open crosscut".

Jan 1, 1976

By Nicholas Kyriazi, John P. Shubilla

A joint effort by the U.S. Bureau of Mines 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 CFR 75.1714), survived the underground environment with regard to both impact damage and aging. This report presents findings regarding laboratory-tested SCSR's from 1982 through 1990. 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 for units with manufacturing defects or design deficiencies. 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. This poses a potential danger to a user in an emergency. Recommendations include improved training in inspection procedures.

Jan 1, 1992

By C. H. Herty

Manufacturers and consumers of steel have come to realize during the past few years that cleanliness is of great importance in steels which must meet rigid specifications for various physical properties. Of equal importance is the consistent production of steel which is uniform in these properties. For maximum utility, steels should be uniform not only from heat to heat, but also from ingot to ingot and within each ingot. In the manufacture of killed steels such as the higher carbon forging grades, uniformity as indicated by the usual chemical analysis is easy to obtain, provided that a normal top discard is taken, as is al¬ways the case in steels poured with hot-top practice. No such uniformity, however, holds true for the nonmetallic matter, which consists for the most part of the products of deoxidation of the steel. For a large tonnage of steels which go into articles manufactured by deep-drawing processes, killed steel has never been successfully applied because with the present deoxida¬tion practice, low-carbon killed steel is almost invariably extremely dirty. To obtain the desired qualities for deep drawing, the steel is rimmed, - that is to say, deoxidized with manganese and perhaps a small amount of aluminum, - the resultant product being of high purity in the skin of the ingot, but very badly segregated at the center of the ingot, particularly in the upper-central section. This segregation necessitates a very heavy top discard, and one of the major segregates is carbon which renders the steel too hard to draw properly. If clean, low-carbon killed steel could be made successfully, much better ingot yields would be obtained than by the present rimming steel practice. Furthermore, banded structures and outside and inside seams, which are undoubtedly due in a large measure to blowholes in the ingot, are defects which are very difficult to control in rimmed steel. These defects would be minimized by clean killed steel.

Jan 1, 1931

By Jr. Herty

Manufacturers and consumers of steel have come to realize during the past few years that cleanliness is of great importance in steels which must meet rigid specifications for various physical properties. Of equal importance is the consistent production of steel which is uniform in these properties. For maximum utility, steels should be uniform not only from heat to heat, but also from ingot to ingot and within each ingot. In the manufacture of killed steels such as the higher carbon forging grades, uniformity as indicated by the usual chemical analysis is easy to obtain, provided that a normal top discard is taken, as is always the case in steels poured with hot-top practice. No such uniformity, however, holds true for the nonmetallic matter, which consists for the most part of the products of deoxidation of the steel. For a large tonnage of steels which go into articles manufactured by deep-drawing processes, killed steel has never been successfully applied because with the present deoxidation practice, low-carbon killed steel is almost invariably extremely dirty. To obtain the desired qualities for deep drawing, the steel is rimmed, - that is to say, deoxidized with manganese and perhaps a small amount of aluminum, - the resultant product being of high purity in the skin of the ingot, but very badly segregated at the center of the ingot, particularly in the upper-central section. This segregation necessitates a very heavy top discard, and one of the major segregates is carbon which renders the steel too hard to draw properly. If clean, low-carbon killed steel could be made successfully, much better ingot yields would be obtained than by the present rimming steel practice. Furthermore, banded structures and outside and inside seams, which are undoubtedly due in a large measure to blowholes in the ingot, are defects which are very difficult to control in rimmed steel.

Jan 1, 1931

A Helix Pressure Gauge to Indicate roof bolt loads was designed, fabricated and field tested. The gauge indicated loads between 3,000 and 15,000 pounds with a ± ten per cent error. The coat of fabrication of the gauge was estimated to be $3.39 including an assumed overhead and profit per indicator for a series production of 5,000 unite. The unit can be read on a bolt to within ± 1,000 pounds load from a distance of twenty feet.

Jan 1, 1974

As part of remote sensing research on an abandoned mine lands (AML) site in the Colorado Springs, Colorado area, a geographic information system (GIS) database was generated. This GIS database contains information on the locations and extents of abandoned underground coal mines, the geology of the area, subsidence features and degrees of subsidence risk, topography, drill hole locations, and lineaments (linear features) related to subsurface geologic structures. A GIS database allows the reproducible and accurate comparison and analysis of any data sets which geographically overlap and are within the same coordinate system. The database has been released to the public domain so that government agencies, researchers, educators, and the general public can access this coherent database for the purposes of better understanding the study area and GIS technology. Data files and maps are available in formats that are compatible with the GIS software used in the research project and with most CAD systems so that as many people as possible can make use of the majority of the database. This document serves as the data dictionary for the database by providing descriptions and origins of the data files.

Jan 1, 1992

By G. H. Schnakenberg

In response to the underground mining industry's growing concern with the exposure of workers to the diesel particulate matter (DPM) component of diesel exhaust, a method was developed to estimate the average workplace concentration of DPM that could be expected from using the new lower DPMemitting engines now being approved by the US Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) when these new engines are equipped with state-of-the-art exhaust-control, technology for filtering and combusting DPM. The resulting estimate uses the MSHA-reported particulate index for these engines, the prevailing rule-of-thumb ventilation rate of 150 cfm/hp and the available diesel-exhaust filter technology that has been shown to be at least 80% effective in reducing tailpipe DPM. In the estimate calculation, every engine used in an underground mine is assumed to be equipped with this control technology. Under the stated reasonable conditions, an average DPM level of 90 µg/m3 (mass) is predicted as technically feasible.

By Ben A. Kornhauser

Petroleum production was the principal component of the mineral industry, followed by cement production and some salt output. The French Central Fund for Economics Cooperation loaned $9.15 million2 to the Communauté Electrique du Benin (CEB), which served Benin and Togo, toward financing the construction of a dam on the Mono River at Nangbeto, Togo. The dam was to supply hydroelectric power to reduce the energy dependence of the two countries and to irrigate crops. Nine other international financial organizations, including the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank). the African Development Bank, the Arab Bank for African Economic Development, and the French Aid and Cooperation Fund, contributed to the estimated $140 million cost of the dam. The CEB also was to contribute to the financing. Contracts amounting to $60 million already had been awarded to West German and Canadian firms. The dam was expected to be completed in 1987.

Jan 1, 1986