Search Documents

By J. P. Powell

The increased costs of exploration and drilling of new oil fields and the continued success of water flooding in nearly depleted oil fields have created a demand for information on the results obtained from individual projects. The Bureau of Mines has published several reports concerning water-flood activity in the Mid continent area and at the request of the industry has continued to collect and disseminate this information. This report was written in response to these requests. It describes in detail the water-flooding projects in Anderson, Franklin, Linn, and Miami Counties, Kans., and includes methods of water treating and the results obtained. The production histories of each county and many water-flood projects are shown graphically from the date of the first development. Maps of most of the major projects, showing their status as of January 1, 1953 are presented also. The practice of injecting water to stimulate oil production was legalized in Kansas in 1935, and the first water-flooding project authorized in this four-county area was initiated by the Texas Co. in December 1935 in Linn County, Forty-nine projects2/ initiated in the area to January 1953 are estimated to have recovered approximately 10 million barrels of oil that could not have been produced by methods used previously. About 7,900 productive acres had been, or are, flooded by these projects, and approximately 1.36 million barrels of water had been injected.

Jan 1, 1953

By Robert H. Peters

This report presents a literature review conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Mines. The review summarizes what has been learned from recent empirical studies of the relationship between mine safety and characteristics of miners, mine management, and mining companies. The review is based on literature published in the United States during the period from 1976 to 1988. In addition to summarizing the empirical findings, this report discusses the implications and limitations of these studies, and gives recommendations for improving mine safety. An annotated bibliography section appears in the appendix.

Jan 1, 2009

By F. P. Haver

The Federal Bureau of Mines developed a 10,000-ampere cell to determine the economic feasibility of producing high-purity electrolytic titanium from mill scrap or offgrade sponge. Operating variables were investigated, matetial handling procedures were established, and the cost of electrorefining titanium was determined. The prototype cell produced premium-grade metal (<100 Brinell hardness number (B.h.n.)) from very impure Kroll sponge at a processing cost of less than $0.60 per pound. Refined metal was deposited at the cathode in the form of coarse (85 percent plus 34-mesh), hexagonal crystals of a titanium when the cell was operated an 850° C. A cathode current density of 1,000 amperes per square foot and a molten sodium chloride electrolyte containing approximately 5 percent by weight of soluble titanium were used. In continuous operation, at the optimum number of ampere-hours, (40,000), the current efficiency averaged slightly less than 60 percent. It was possible to supply large enough amounts of electric current for electrolysis to maintain the temperature of the bath, thus reducing overall power consumption to less than 5 kilowatt-hours per pound of metal refined.

Jan 1, 1961

By Özgen C. Karacan

It is generally accepted that typical coalbed gases (methane and carbon dioxide) are sorbed (both adsorbed and absorbed) in the coal matrix causing it to swell and resulting in local stress and strain variations in a coalbed confined under overburden pressure. The swelling, interactions of gases within the coal matrix and the resultant changes in the permeability, sorption, gas flow mechanics in the reservoir, and stress state of the coal can impact a number of reservoir-related factors. These include effective production of coalbed methane, degasification of future mining areas by drilling horizontal and vertical degasification wells, injection of CO2 as an enhanced coalbed methane recovery technique, and concurrent CO2 sequestration. Such information can also provide an understanding of the mechanisms behind gas outbursts in underground coal mines. The spatiotemporal volumetric strains in a consolidated Pittsburgh seam coal sample were evaluated while both confining pressure and carbon dioxide (C02) pore pressure were increased to keep a constant positive effective stress on the sample. The changes intemal to the sample were evaluated by maps of density and atomic number determined by dual-energy X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT). Early-time images, as soon as CO2 was introduced, were also used to calculate the macro porosity in the coal sample. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and photographic images of the polished section of the coal sample at X-ray CT image location were used to identify the microlitho types and microstructures. The CO2 sorption-associated swelling and volumetric strains in consolidated coal under constant effective stress are heterogeneous processes depending on the litho types present. In the time scale of the experiment, vitrite showed the highest degree of swelling due to dissolution of CO2, while the clay (kaolinite) and inertite region was compressed in response. The volumetric strains associated with swelling and compression were between ± 15% depending on the location. Although the effective stress on the sample was constant, it varied within the sample as a result of the intemal stresses created by gas sorption-related structural changes. SEM images and porosity calculations revealed that the kaolinite and inertite bearing layer was highly porous, which enabled the fastest CO2 uptake and the highest degree of compression. Keywords: Coal; Carbon dioxide; Sorption; Swelling; Sequestration; X-ray computed tomography; Volumetric strain; Gas outbursts

By Nicholas Kyriazi, John P. Shubilla

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Pittsburgh Research Laboratory, has undertaken a study to determine how well self-contained self-rescuers (SCSRs), deployed in accordance with Federal regulations (30 CFR 75.1714), hold up in the underground environment with regard to both physical damage and aging. This report presents findings regarding laboratory-tested SCSRs in the sixth phase of testing from mid-1996 to early 1998. The SCSRs were tested on human subjects and on a breathing and metabolic simulator. These results indicate that most of the apparatus, if they pass their inspection criteria, perform satisfactorily. However, the deployed CSE SR-100s exhibited significantly higher inhaled CO2 levels than new units, as in the previous phase. This will cause higher ventilation rates in most users, which will, in turn, result in higher breathing pressures, possibly causing users to prematurely remove the apparatus. CSE Corp. has developed a noise test that can identify apparatus suffering from chemical-bed degradation causing the early CO2 breakthrough. This test was added to the inspection criteria for the SR-100. In addition, several of the MSA Portal-Packs that passed their inspection criteria were found to have KO2 dust in their mouthpieces. Further investigations by NIOSH and the Mine Safety and Health Administration confirmed these findings, which resulted in the decertification of the apparatus and their removal from service.

Jan 1, 2000

By E. S. Shedd

Amenability studies were conducted by the Federal Bureau of Mines on an electrooxidation technique for the extraction of mercury from cinnabar ores, particularly those that are too low in grade to be furnaced or retorted economically. Oxidation was accomplished by electrolysis of the ore while slurried with brine. Mercury was dissolved through the formation of the soluble tetrachloro mercury complex, HgC142-. Mercury extractions ranged from 90 to 98 percent in 4 to 6 hours of processing time when tests were made on eight different types of cinnabar ores containing from 0.7 to 18 pounds mercury per ton ore. Salt concentration was varied from 4 to 10 weight-percent depending on whether Pb02 anodes and iron cathodes were used or whether graphite was used for both electrodes. Power consumption ranged from 17 to 64 kilowatt-hours per ton of ore treated. Ninety-nine percent of the mercury was recovered from pregnant solutions by precipitation on an active metal such as zinc, followed by distillation of the resulting amalgam at 600° C.

Jan 1, 1975

By R. R. Lowery

This project was proposed to provide information on the hazards associated with arc melting of thorium. A general air-sampling analysis was made to determine the separation, concentration, and distribution of thorium daughter (decay) products throughout arc melting, machining, and forging processes of a thorium handling facility. The value of well coordinated health physics program is stressed in connection with potential health hazards and personnel protection. Building, equipment, and exhaust ventilation requirements for such a facility are discussed. Special handling methods are described for thorium. INTRODUCTION The Bureau of Mines at the Albany Metallurgy Research Center has been involved in handling the naturally radioactive metals, uranium and thorium, for several years. Cooperative work for the Atomic Energy Commission has been carried out with thorium metal, and as a result the concerned laboratories of the Center have accumulated experience on the hazards associated with this metal. This report details the radioactive hazards arising from the arc melting, machining, and forging of thorium.

Jan 1, 1962

By Frank E. Chase, John L. Ellenberger, Christopher Mark

The nature of competition in the coal market tends to deplete the most favorable coal reserves first, and forces subsequent development of mines in more extreme ground conditions such as those associated with multiple-seam mining. In fact, 70% of the United States coal reserves are in multiple-seam situations. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is conducting research to develop mine design algorithms that will result in safer multiple seam mines. This paper presents an overview of multiple seam issues in the central Appalachian coalfields. To date, more than 50 case histories have been analyzed from 20 operating mines in Eastern KY, Western VA, and Southern WV. Each case history is classified according to the degree of multiple-seam interaction, ranging from no apparent interaction to severe interaction with direct impacts on mine safety and resource recovery. The case histories are also examined with regard to amount and geologic characteristics of interburden and overburden, and design stability factors. The sequence of mining has also been found to be critical when the lower seam is fully-extracted. This paper compares current case histories to traditional rules of thumb. In addition two situations were modeled using LaModel software. LaModel has been upgraded to import pillar grids and topographic data from AutoCAD files. The cases presented demonstrate vertical stress capabilities of LaModel.

By L. J. Kane

Conventional methods for determining the size of dust suspended in a gas require that agglomerates (clusters of particles) first be broken into particles, but in evaluating industrial dust-removing equipment the size of the agglomerates as they actually exist in the gas stream is far more important. This paper presents results of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Mines to develop methods for determining the size of dust agglomerates suspended in a gas stream. The studies are part of the Bureau&apos;s continuing research on synthetic liquid fuels. The size and size-distribution of agglomerates as they exist when the gas reaches the filter was determined by using a membrane filter in conjunction with a dust count under a microscope. A membrane filter is a cellulosic sheet about 150 microns thick containing millions of holes per square centimeter--holes of uniform diameter that run directly through the sheet without interconnection.

Jan 1, 1960

By D. Randolph Berry

Foster-Miller Associates has developed a set of guidelines to permit hoist manufacturers, mine owners, and MESA mine inspectors to design, purchase, install or inspect a safe and effective Emergency Escape Hoist, as required by the Coal Mine Health and Safety act of 1969. A series of surveys were carried out to determine: 1. The attitudes and local needs of the MESA District Managers. 2. Current escape hoist installations. 3. Equipment available for future designs. 4. Foreign methods and equipment for mine rescue. From these survey studies, preliminary guideline objectives were developed.

Jan 1, 2012

By V. Ferrari

This report documents the three-phase program to design, fabricate, test, and demonstrate economical and practical methods of reducing noise levels on underground coal mining portal buses (mantrip vehicles). The noise-control treatments applied to a production-model portal bus were as follows: ? Wheel/rail vibrations were isolated from the vehicle frame by inserting elastomeric materials between suspension components. ? Vibration-induced noise was reduced by replacing all large sheet metal panels (except floor plates) with damped steel panels. ? Motor noise was reduced by tight-fitting covers made from damped steel and lined with sound-absorbing material, and by elastomeric motor mounts. ? The standard spur gears used in the traction drive system were replaced with helical gearsets. The program achieved the goal of reducing the average sound-level to below 85 dBA for typical operating conditions.

Jan 1, 1981

By Paul Hatmaker

Lime was a highly useful commodity thousands of years before the simple chemistry of its manufacturing process was known. The employment of lime for agriculture, building, and even certain essentially chemical purposes is so old that its origin is among the unrecorded details of man&apos;s first ventures into the manufacture and use of prepared substances. Lime is a most versatile material and consequently has come to be widely utilized in modern civilization. Immediately before the depression of the early 1930&apos;s the annual production of lime in the United States was more than 4 million tons, valued at 33 to 42 mil-million dollars. This output was sold to many industries, so many that mere enumeration becomes tedious.

Jan 1, 1934

By Susan M. Moore

Many challenges are faced by workers in lower-seam (42 inches or less) mines. The lower-seam heights confine mine workers to their knees as they perform their daily tasks such as installing roof bolts, delivering supplies, repairing belt, or cutting coal. Miners working in these lower seams often consider kneepads to be their only line of defense against knee injuries. However, healthy knees do not start and stop with kneepads. Other interventions such as changing postures, proper hygiene, and work station design may also be used to reduce mine workers? risks for developing knee injuries. Incorporating these and many other interventions into a mine worker?s ?way of life? is an important step to ensuring a long, healthy career and retirement. Keeping knees healthy is also a key aspect to reducing costs in low-seam mines as the industry battles rising health care costs, and training/recruitment of replacement workers is time-consuming and costly. Educating the workforce about the possible interventions to reduce knee injury risk is a primary objective for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health?s (NIOSH) Pittsburgh Research Laboratory (PRL). Therefore, NIOSH researchers, along with industry and academia, developed a training package to educate the mining community about some possible interventions beyond kneepads that may be used to help decrease knee injury rates. Increased awareness and simple changes are the first steps to reducing knee injuries.

May 1, 2008

By M. M. Wong

Beryllium possesses attractive properties for use in the nuclear and space fields. Since fused-salt electrorefining can be employed to produce this metal in high-purity form from low-grade or scrap metals, the Bureau of Mines investigated electrorefining of beryllium in electrolytes composed of a LiC1-KC1 eutectic mixture plus varying amounts of BeC12. Results showed a 99- percent or better reduction of oxygen and magnesium and a substantial reduction of other minor metallic impurities. Extremely pure beryllium metal was produced. Operating variables, including BeCl2 concentration in the bath (3.5 to 16.5 mole-percent), temperature of operation (450° to 550° C.), and cathode current density (45 to 770 a,/sq, ft.), were studied; their effects on the deposition of metal, working condition of the bath, and purity of the refined metal are discussed. The safety precautions used in handling beryllium in the laboratory are also described.

Jan 1, 1962

By Phillip Allender, Wolf Karo, Knox Van Dyke, Lixin Wu, Ali Ardekani, Jorge Garcia, Jaime Gutierrez

"We report that two different micropolystyrene round beads linked to either luminol or lucigenin have been developed. The 1-µ.m-diameter beads arc useful reagents that allow one to perform chemiluminescent (light producing) phagoeytic reactions without opsonization. It is known that luminol reacts with peroxidases (e.g., myeloperoxidase) while lucigenin reacts mainly with superoxide anion. Luminol and lucigenin beads produce cellular chemiluminescence (CL) with neutrophils, macrophages, monocytes, and differentiated human promyelocytic leukemic cells (HL60). When myeloperoxidase (MPO) is present luminol beads evoke higher CL from neutrophils, but when little or no MPO is present, lucigenin beads produce higher amounts of light. Lucigenin beads appear to be active inside these cells where unbound lucigenin does not enter freely.INTRODUCTIONA variety of cells, e.g., neutrophils (Ns) and macrophages (Ms), can engulf foreign particles (1). This engulfing or phagocytic activity is used by the body to kill bacteria and to eliminate foreign particles such as respirable dusts, e.g., coal, silica, or cotton. The neutrophil engulfs or phagocytizes bacteria which are coated with plasma antibodies and/or complement proteins (Fig. 1). The coating or opsonization allows the neutrophil to recognize foreign substances. Usually the absence of opsonization prevents the cell's recognition of a foreign particle and the particle is not phagocytized. Macrophages, particularly the alveolar Oung) cells, do not require opsonization for phagocytosis. Ms should not be selective toward individual dusts because they serve a major role in eliminating a variety of these.Particle size can also be a factor. Usually a particle with a diameter of 0.5-5 µ.m is considered in the respirable range. Larger particles are trapped before they reach the alveoli Oung spaces where oxygen exchange with blood occurs), ·and smaller particles do not generally settle, and are not engulfed by macrophages (2). Tabato and Ikada (3) found that maximal phagocytosis of microspheres takes place when their diameter is in the range of 1.0 to 2.0 µ.m. In addition, they found that beads with hydrophobic surfaces were more readily phagocytized than hydrophilic surfaces."

Jan 1, 1990

By Arthur E. Wells

"The present and possible future commercial production of potash from various sources in the United Status is discussed below under the following heads:1. Potash from the saline lakes.(a) Nebraska lakes.(b) California lakes.(c) Other lakes.2. Potash as by-product from the cement kilns.3. Potash as by-product from the iron blast furnace.4. Potash from silicate rocks.(a) Feldspathic material.(b) Leucite rocks of Wyoming..(c) Sericite slates of Georgia.(d) Glauconite (greensand) of New Jersey.5. Potash from Alunite.6. Potash from organic sources other than kelp.7. Potash from kelp.In this discussion very little more than passing reference, if any, will be given to those projects which up to date have been developed only slightly, if at all, beyond the small scale laboratory stage, or for the development of which there appears to be very little financial and technical backing at the present time. Nether or not many of these proposed projects have merit can be determined only by an actual operating demonstration.Generally speaking, the potash industry of the United States has been hardly more than marking time since the armistice. This is, largely due to the fact that the consumers of potash have been expecting that heavy shipments of foreign potash to the United States would be resumed soon at somewhere near the pre-war prices, and they have not seen owing domestic potash at present prices for many months. The result has been that domestic producers have been unable to sell their product at even cost and many producers of potash have been obliged to close down. Thu Nebraska lake plants were closed down in February. The California saline plants were operating at below capacity, and the only large alunite plant is closed down. Even the cement plants have little or no inducements to recover the potash being lost in their waste gases and the production is very small at present.This condition will doubtless continue until a definite policy is decided upon as to the future importation of potash salts from Germany and. France. If unrestricted importation is allowed at prices even 50% greater than in 1913, only a very few, if any, of the domestic projects will be in position to compete with the foreign potash immediately, and the present industry will probably greatly decline with little or no prospect for a future resumption of the industry."

Aug 1, 1919

By D. A. Keefe, O&apos

The electrowinning of beryllium from beryllium oxide (BeO) using a molten-salt electrolyte composed of 56 LiF-37 BeF2-7 BeO (mole-percent) was investigated. Anodes made of porous carbon were found to be superior in current-carrying capacity and gave a lower cell voltage than other types of anode material tested. When porous carbon anodes were used) the resultant increase in anode area prevented anode passivation. The cell voltage was 3.3 volts) and electrode current efficiencies of 50 to 70 percent were obtained. The electrodeposited beryllium was recovered as beryllium powder or was coalesced to metal beads by heating to 1,300° C.

Jan 1, 1970

By Albert L. Toenges

The Deep River coal field is in Chatham, Lee, and Moore Counties, N. C. The coal-bearing part of the basin is about 35 miles long and 5 to 10 miles wide. Sanford, the county seat of Lee County, is the largest town in the area, with a population of 10,000. Four railroads provide transportation to the area, and four United States highways and improved county roads provide easy access to the field. The Carolina mine at Farmville is the only operating mine in the field. The mine was opened in 1921 by two rock slopes driven from the surface to the Cumnock bed. Mining operations continued intermittently until 1945 and then stopped. In the fall of 1947 the mine was reopened by the newly organized Raleigh Mining Corp.

Jan 1, 1952

By G. W. Jones

One of the major activities of the Bureau of Mines is the promotion of safety in mining and other industries, In this connection, the Bureau determines the explosion hazards&apos; of combustible gases, vapors, and solids and investigates means of controlling and preventing explosions. Many dangers are likely to confront men who must enter a building immediately after it has been damaged. Rescue workers must watch constantly for common gases and vapors that may be present in dangerous concentrations in and about demolished, buildings. Fuel gas is the most common source of danger, although refrigerants, gases from furnaces, flues, fires, sewers, and industrial processes, and gas from bomb, explosions in confined places also constitute definite hazards. To rescuers and trapped casualties, these gases offer the hazards of (1) explosion, (2) toxic effects, including asphyxiation and death, and (3) displacement of air so that the oxygen content of the atmosphere is reduced to or below the danger level.

Jan 1, 1944

By Leonard F. Heising

At the Groveland-mine iron ore is mined by open-pit methods and concentrated by means of spirals and flotation. A brief history of the mine and its early development is given. The ore deposit is described, with emphasis on those physical characteristics that affect the choice of mining and milling methods. Development and mining, which include breaking ground, loading, transportation, engineering, and operating control; are explained, and the milling method is described Mining and milling costs are given in percent of total cost.

Jan 1, 1963