Search Documents

By K. C. Dean

This report is the first of a series concerned with processes for producing magnesium. These reports will evaluate metallothermic, carbothermic , and electrolytic production methods, and will furnish a cost basis for comparing the processes. Areas deemed most promising for future research will be delineated for each procedure. This report presents briefly the history of the metallothermic process, and describes the operations of the Defense Plant Corp. (DPC) plants that employed the process. A hypothetical plant designed to produce 12,000 tons of magnesium per year, using ferrosilicon as a reductant, is described, and raw materials, energy, and major equipment requirements are estimated. Several process modifications are suggested for future research.

Jan 1, 1965

By James F. Neill, O&apos

Brown iron ore resources in Barbour, Butler, Crenshaw, and Pike Counties were investigated in a drilling program and geological study by the Federal Bureau of Mines in cooperation with the Alabama Geological Survey and the University of Alabama. The aggregate footage drilled was 18,010 linear feet. When developed, reserves of 12,664,000 long tons of crude ore were indicated, containing from 26.9 to 29.0 percent iron and 0.2 to 1.6 percent manganese under a maximum overburden of 40 feet. Total inferred crude ore for the four counties was calculated to be 827,700,000 long tons. Beneficiation of samples by simulated log washing and use of a 1/8-inch screen yielded from 46.8 to 51.7 percent iron and 0.2 to 2.6 percent manganese. Screen-test studies indicated no appreciable interlocking between the iron and manganese minerals and the waste particles of materials retained on a 200-mesh screen. Clay was prominent in micron-size slimes. Silica was deleterious in the minus 20-mesh size. While an indicated 2,198,000 dry long tons of usable iron ore can be recovered, sink-and-float tests show that it may be possible for 4,654,000 dry long tons to be recovered by other than log washing. However, applicable commercial processes have not been demonstrated.

Jan 1, 1965

By Donald F. Reed

The bauxite deposits of Tippah and Benton Counties in northeastern Mississippi were developed by drilling as a part of the investigation by the Bureau of Mines of the domestic sources of supply of aluminum. The primary purpose of investigations of this nature was to provide essential information to the war agencies of the United States Government and to assist owners and operators of mining properties in the production of minerals vital to the prosecution of the war. These reports are based upon the field work of the Bureau of Mines and upon data made available to the Department from other

Jan 1, 1948

By B. J. Moore

This Bureau of Mines publication reviews U.S. helium resources as of January 1, 1973. These resources, estimated to be 693.7 billion cubic feet, are broken down into four classifications, as follows: helium in storage, 34.9 billion cubic feet; helium in measured helium-rich natural gas reserves, 119.5 billion cubic feet; helium in measured helium-lean natural gas reserves, 62.8 billion cubic feet; and helium in indicated or undiscovered natural gas resources, 476.5 billion cubic feet. The helium in undiscovered natural gas is considered a national resource; however, this gas may not be discovered depending on many factors beyond the scope of this paper, and most of the helium in natural gas will be dissipated as the gas is consumed for fuel and other purposes.

Jan 1, 1976

By David J. Kusler

A gravimetric method for the determination of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, methane, and oxygen in blast furnace top gas is described. Nitrogen may be determined directly by volume measurement or by difference. The method is direct, permits continuous as sampling, and provides an averaged analysis over a selected range of sampling intervals from 1/2 to 24 hr or more. Neither expensive equipment nor specialized personnel are required. The method is suitable for routine analysis, and the results compare favorably with those obtained by established methods.

Jan 1, 1963

By W. D. Mcmillan

Important reserves of nickel ore occur in the Levies district in Oriente, Cuba. The area is mountainous and mostly covered by heavy vegetation. The ore bodies comprise surface tracts of nickeliferous laterite underlain with decomposed serpentine of ore grade. The Cuban Nickel Co., a wholly owned United States Government corporation, owns a plant for leaching the nickel from its ores at Nicaro, Oriente, Cuba, Between December 1943 and March 31, 1954, 5,902,225 short tons of ore was treated, with a recovery of 116,206,519 pounds of nickel (52,711 metric tons). In 1953, 1,330, 224 short tons of ore was mined and 27;"3,129 pounds of nickel produced. The Cuban Nickel Co. also owns a townsite, with the necessary facilities, mining equipment, and 11 miles of railroad. Ore for the plant has been produced from the Ocujal-San Juan claims on lends owned by the Nicaro Nickel Co., a sub¬sidiary of Freeport Sulphur Co. The Government enterprise is man-aged by the Nickel Processing Corp. The Cuban Nickel Co. has denounced mineral concessions and has purchased other claims from private owners.

Jan 1, 1955

By R. Hogg, Y. Lee, D. E. Rannels

"Lee, Yu-Chen, Richard Hogg, and D. Eugene Rannels. Extracellular matrix synthesis by coal dust-exposed type II epithelial cells. Am. J. Physiol. 267 (Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol. 11): L365–L374, 1994.—Although integrity of the alveolar basement membrane may influence progression of lung injury induced by inhaled particulates, little is known about direct effects of coal dusts on the alveolar epithelium or its extracellu¬lar matrix (ECM). Effects of dust on synthesis of cell and ECM proteins by type II cells (T2P) was thus investigated. Three coal dusts (anthracite no. 867; bituminous no. 1451 and no. 1361) and mine dust MIT-3, of respirable size, were studied as a function of dose and time over 3 days of primary T2P culture. On day 1, 750 µg/ml of 867 were required to increase relative synthesis of ECM proteins (ECM/cell). MIT-3, 1451, and 1361 were without effect. By day 3, 867 or MIT-3 increased ECM/ cell 60-100% at 300 µg/ml; 1451 produced modest, dose-dependent stimulation, whereas 1361 remained without effect. None of the dusts caused significant cytotoxicity. The results show dose- and time-dependent effects of well-characterized coal and mine dusts to modify partitioning of newly synthesized proteins into the ECM and suggest that coal dust exposure may modulate structure or function of the subepithelial basement membrane.basement membrane; cell culture; inorganic dust; lung injury; extracellular matrix deposition; pulmonary epitheliumCHRONIC EXPOSURE to coal dust may be associated with development of pulmonary fibrosis and consequent loss of normal lung function (see Ref. 26 for review). Al¬though the pathways of inorganic dust-induced lung injury are recognized to involve an inflammatory re¬sponse, the underlying pathogenic mechanisms are not understood in detail. Acute and chronic responses to dust exposure involve a variety of interacting cells of the immune system, including macrophages, T cells, and B cells, along with pulmonary fibroblasts. These responses reflect direct effects of the dust particles, as well as indirect effects mediated by soluble factors, including cytokines and eicosanoids (see Ref. 41 for review).Studies of pulmonary macrophages and fibroblasts following silica exposure suggest that dust-induced damage at the airway surface may involve cellular injury through oxidant-mediated pathways. Coal dusts and related inorganic particulates can activate the alveolar macrophage (42) to produce fibronectin (15) and cytokines, such as interleukin-1 or tumor necrosis factor (4) and/or other soluble products which act locally (29) to cause acute cellular injury and to initiate the progression of fibrotic lung damage (16). Type I epithelial cells are typically more susceptible than type II cells to oxidant injury. Type I cell damage and subsequent death leads to denudation of the subepithelial basement membrane (2, 21) and can be associated with leakage of plasma constituents from the pulmonary vasculature into the alveolar compartment (13)."

Dec 1, 1995

By Ronald T. Mayerle

In 1989, the U.S. Bureau of Mines conducted a mineral investigation of the Mallard study area near Elk City, Idaho. The study area comprises most of the original Mallard RARE II area (1-847) plus some additional lands. The investigation is part of an ongoing, multi-year study of north-central Idaho that is being conducted in cooperation with the Idaho Geological Survey and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The only identified resources are rock suitable for road metal. Five lode prospects and a pyrite-bearing rock quarry, which is operated by the Forest Service for aggregate, were examined for metals. One of the prospects warrants additional exploration for silver in quartz veins, but the chance of finding an economically minable deposit is limited. Several rock and stream sediment samples were anomalous in various metals. Two of the more promising localities for gold and/or other metals are adjacent to a unit of the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness that the USGS classified as having a moderate potential for gold deposits related to fossil hot springs.

Jan 1, 1991

By David E. Emerson

The Bureau of Mines has developed a mass spectrometer method for deter-mining the helium-3 content of high-purity helium. The work was performed to evaluate experimental methods for removing helium-3 from high-purity helium and to better determine the composition of pure helium used in research. This was accomplished by increasing the inlet sample pressure, ionizing current, and amplification of the current produced by the ions collected on a conventional mass spectrometer that had been modified. With these modifications, the helium-3 content was determined in the parts-per-million and parts-per-billion range in helium-4.

Jan 1, 1976

By H. Dale Nichols

[The growing importance of the Sundence (Jurassic) formation an a source of oil, in the Rocky Mountain area has prompted the making of a series of porosity determinations of core samples collected. from the reservoir sands of the Lance Creek oil field, Niobrara. County, Wyo. These analyses are preliminary to a stud of fluid and energy relations in the Basal Sundance reservoir of that field, and the determinations of porosity will be used in subsequent studies requiring, calculations of the volumetric capacity of the reservoir and estimation of the reserves of oil and gas. However, the porosity characteristics an of the Sundance sands in the Lance Creek field are factory that affect the solution of many current practical problems of development and operation. Primarily for that reason but also because it is recognized that porosity values of different oil-production sands are of widespread interest throughout the industry, the results of the initial work have been presented in tabular and graphic form with no attempt to evaluate their significance as they relate to the production history of the field.]

Jan 1, 1938

By D. W. Blaylock

1. The Lower Freeport and Lower Kittanning beds are the most important beds in Clearfield County, Pa., from the standpoint of production. The Lower Kittanning bed has the largest remaining recoverable reserves of any of the beds in the county. 2. Known measured and indicated reserves in all beds, based on a minimum thickness of 14 inches and 1,800 short tons per acre-foot of coal in place, are estimated at 1,909 million short tons as of January 1, 1953. Of this total, 1,177 million short tons is in beds 28 inches and more thick. Areas in some beds were omitted from the estimate because available data relative to the bed characteristics are too meager to make an estimate that conforms with the definitions of measured and indicated coal adopted for this study. Should future drilling or development prove reserves in these areas, such reserves should be added to the total estimated reserves.

Jan 1, 1955

By H. Tomlinson

This circular is one of a series of papers on coal mining methods and costs which being prepared by the United States Bureau of Mines for the purpose of making available to those interested in the industry a knowledge of the mining methods employed, the places here mechanical and hand loading are practiced, and coat data on the several operations pertaining to the removal of coal from the working faces and its transportation to the tipple for loading into railroad cars. Mining costs are governed by the relative efficiency of the mining method employed. The method is selected for Its adaptability to the local natural physical conditions such as the nature and thickness of the coal bed, its dip, the character of the coal, and the thickness of the overlying strata.

Jan 1, 1930

By C. Harry Benedict

This paper, describing the leaching practice at the Calumet and Hecla mills, Lake Linden, Mich., is one of a series on milling methods and costs being published by the United States Bureau of Mines. GENERAL DESCRIPTION The reclamation plant is located along the shores of Torch Lake at a slightly lower level than the concentrator itself. The entire location of the original concentrator, in connection with the present reclamation plant, has been ideal, lore particularly as the leaching and flotation departments are common to both units. After 15 years of operation and with the reclamation sands just a little more than half exhausted it would appear that the remaining life of the deposit could be worked by the present plan, without decided changes or renewals of plant or equipment.

Jan 1, 1930

By Roger J. Morrell

Disk-cutter experiments were performed on five rock types ranging in compressive strength from 9,000 psi to 27,000 psi. A specially constructed testing machine called a linear-cutter apparatus (LCA) was designed to load and traverse a free-rolling disk cutter across a sawed rock surface. The LCA was instrumented to measure the vertical and horizontal forces acting on the cutter during the run.. The ability of disk cutters to fragment rock was determined for both 60--degree and 90-degree cutting-edge angles, and relationships and regression equations were developed to predict cutter performance based on rock physical properties and applied forces,

Jan 1, 1970

By R. W. Stahl, H. E. Sanford, J. B. Benson

Immediately following the capitulation of Germany in World War II, the German State was occupied by various allied forces, who supervised all indus- trial activities in the area. Coal production is vital to the industrial life of Germany, and most of the coal is mined in the American- and British- occupied zones of western Germany. The British-occupied zones include the Aachen and Ruhr districts, from which approximately 90 percent of the coal is obtained. Figure 1 is a map of the Ruhr district. Because of the magni- tude of the task of insuring an adequate supply of coal and the necessity for united action, it was deemed best to reorganize the coal-producing facilities in the British zone undor the joint supervision of American and British authorities. As a result, the UK/US Coal Control Group was established accord- ing to the organization plan indicated in figure 2. Headquarters for the group was established at Essen, in Villa Huegol, the prewar home of the Krupp family (fig. 3). One of the many problems recognized immediately by the UK/US Coal Control Group was the necessity of preventing disasters and reducing accidents to work- men in mines undor military-governmont control. Consequently, the United States Bureau of Mines was requested to furnish the services of qualified men to search for the hazards incident to coal mining and to prepare comprehensive reports on the results of their investigations. The authors, who wore selected for this task, spont about a year in Germany and visited all except a few of the smaller mince. Whereas their principal purpose was to investi- gate safety conditions, somo of the operating conditions and practices also wore studied. The results of the studies and investigations are embodied in this circular with the hope that some useful information will be disseminated to the mining industry of the United States, including supervisory officials, safety directors, engineers, and mine workmon.

Feb 1, 1950

By R. B. Anderson

As a part of a Bureau of Mines program on the conversion of coal to liquid and gaseous fuels, the kinetics of the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis on iron catalysts was investigated. Nitrided catalysts were studied at 21.4 atmospheres using feed gases ranging from 2H2+1CO to 0.25H2+1CO, and at 7.8 to 21.4 atmospheres using 1H2+1CO gas. The overall apparent activation energy increased with increasing carbon monoxide content of the feed gas from 19.5 kcal/mole for 2H2+1CO to 23.7 for 0.7H2+1CO. The rate of synthesis with 1H2+1CO feed increased linearly with operating pressure from 7.8 to 21.4 atmospheres. A semifundamental rate equation of the form [r=a'PH2 0.6pco 0.4- ?r0.5PH200.5] was shown to fit the data satisfactorily. The relative usage of hydrogen to carbon monoxide decreased with increasing conversion, passed a minimum, and then increased. Apparently water is the principal primary product and carbon dioxide is produced by subsequent water-gas shift reaction. In another group of experiments water, carbon dioxide, argon, and methane were added to 1H2+1CO feed to a nitrided iron catalyst. Argon and methane were only diluents. Carbon dioxide was a slight inhibitor and water vapor was a strong inhibitor to the rate of synthesis. Water accelerated the water-gas shift and usually increased methane production. Important factors of catalyst geometry in determining rate were found to be particle size and extent of reduction. Apparently the active portion of the catalyst is confined to a layer of 0.01 to 0.02 cm from the external surface of particles. A special solution was made of differential equations relating re¬action at the catalyst surface to diffusion in pores of the catalyst for spherical particles with an active layer surrounding an inert core. The equation derived expressed the experimental data reasonably well. Diffusivities determined by this equation varied from 3 to 24X10-6 cm2/sec; these values are of the same magnitude as observed for the diffusion of gases in liquid. The appendix presents a group of synthesis experiments at pressures of 21.4 to 103 atmospheres. In this range the rate of synthesis on nitrided iron catalysts increased with pressure to the 0.74 to 0.84 power.

Jan 1, 1964

By M. J. Senk, A. Lusin

Federal regulations require that methane liberated at the face be diluted and removed to maintain methane gas concentrations below 1 pct (CFR) in working places and intake air courses. The delivery and distribution of intake air at the face is critical for effective face ventilation. Improved techniques for monitoring the movement of intake air to the face are needed. A test system was developed and a computer program written for using a three-axis ultrasonic anemometer to measure airflow in a simulated mine entry. Results of tests conducted in the entry showed that the anemometer is a valuable tool for measuring mine airflow conditions near the face.

By R. L. Bolmer

Rapid depletion of our known mineral resources has stimulated exploration for new mineral deposit. Abandoned mines or prospects may prove to be commercial in today's economy. Often it is necessary to revaluate such properties. Some of these may be inaccessible because of caving of flooding. Many, however, remain in good condition, except that over the years the air in the workings has become depleted of oxygen. Each year the Bureau of Mines receives numerous requests for aid in entering old mines, the air in which is incapable of supporting life. Requests of many individuals who wish to examine or explore-such places with the help, of the Bureau's self-contained oxygen breathing apparatus have been denied because of the hazards involved in the use of this equipment for such purposes. The distance to be traveled in irrespirable gases may be too great for safety; under favorable conditions, a round trip of 2,000 feet from fresh air is the maximum distance that may be traveled.3/ The use of such equipment is hazardous unless a team of at least 5 men thoroughly experienced in its use is provided; and when extensive traveling from. a fresh-air base is required, a reserve team should be provided.3/ Usually, the apparatus is requested for use in exploring workings having only one surface connection, as mines having more than one opening usually are more easily ventilated;,and in some natural ventilation is sufficient or can be made so by cleaning out obstructed openings.

Jan 1, 1951

By Arnold F. Stalder

The measurement of various gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a particular location has become a problem of considerable importance. Levels that need to be monitored vary from the range of percent for constituents such as oxygen to parts per million levels for gases like nitrogen dioxide. In particular, mine air can become contaminated with noxious or toxic gases from several sources: fires within the mine, diesel-powered equipment, and explosive sources. The contaminants that result are carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and oxides of nitrogen (NO and NO2). Additionally, oxygen (O2) may be depleted. Thus, the workman can be exposed to potentially toxic or asphyxiating atmospheres. A device was needed that will continuously monitor the mine air in working areas and provide warning of hazardous atmospheres. The Mine Air Monitor was conceived as being a portable, rugged instrument capable of measuring the concentration of the various atmospheric constituents in the mine environment. The unit was to provide both warning signals and quantitative measurements when hazardous contaminants existed at too high a level, or when the oxygen was being depleted. The initial concept involved optical sensors for all of the contaminating gases to be measured, namely CO, CO2, CH4, and NO2, and an electrochemical cell to monitor O2. When the explosion proof requirements of Schedule 2-G made the concept appear to be unfeasible from the standpoint of weight and portability, the program was redirected and a three channel monitor employing electrochemical sensors was adopted. In this case the gases to be monitored were O2, CO and NO2. The remainder of the program was oriented towards obtaining good, commercially available lectrochemical sensors for the above gases, testing them, reducing deficiencies noted during these tests, and making the necessary modifications to integrate the three sensors into a Mine Air Monitor suitable for the mine environment.

Jan 1, 1974

By G. E. Rennick

An oil well penetrating the Pittsburgh bituminous coalbed in northern West Virginia was plugged and safely mined through 3 months later. A sensitive chemical tracer, introduced into the oil reservoir before the test, was not detected in the mine air following the plugging and during mining of the pillar and penetration of the well. Effectiveness of the plugging in preventing reservoir gas from entering the mine through the well hole was verified by continuous monitoring of the mine air for indications of sulfur hexafluoride, an inert gas detectable in amounts as minute as 1/2 part per billion. Expandable cement and fly ash-gel-water slurry were utilized to seal the well above and below the coal seam. Three other wells were also plugged using various techniques.

Jan 1, 1972