Search Documents

By J. R. Thoenen, Hugh D. Pallister

"INTRODUCTION The Stone Hill Copper project resulted from the recommendations made in the war minerals report on this deposit by engineers of the Bureau of Mines 4/ and a similar report of the Geological Survey. 5/ACKNOWLEDGMENTSIn its program of investigation of mineral deposits, the Bureau of Mines has as its primary objective the more effective utilization of domestic mineral resources to the end that they make the greatest possible contribution to the national security and economy. The Mining Division, Lowell E. Moon, chief, conducts preliminary examinations, does the actual investi¬gative work, and prepares the final report. The Metallurgical Division, Oliver C. Ralston, chief, analyzes samples and makes beneficiation tests.This report was prepared under the supervision of Paul M. Tyler, former regional engineer, Eastern Region, and is based on the examination and investigation of the deposit by Hugh D. Pallister, mining engineer, made under the immediate supervision of Richard W. Smith, former District Engineer for Alabama and Mississippi.The report was rewritten and prepared for publication by J. R. Thoenen, chief, Tuscaloosa Branch, Mining Division.LOCATION AND ACCESSIBILITYThe Store Hill copper mine is about• 12 miles south of Heflin, the oounty seat of Cleburne County, Ala. Heflin, a town with a population of approximately 1,700, is the nearest shipping point for freight and express. It is on the Southern Railway, between Birmingham and Atlanta. A rural mail route passes within quarter of a mile of the mine. Paved reads from Heflin lead to Atlanta, Birmingham, and Montgomery. The country Toads leading from Heflin are well-maintained but are practically inaccessible during inclement weather. The road crossing the property within a hundred yards of the mine needs grading and repairing (see fig. 1)."

Apr 1, 1948

By Richard L. Rains

During this study in 1983, the U.S. Bureau of Mines examined one mine and five prospects in the Greenwater Valley Wilderness Study Area (WSA). No mineral resources were identified within the WSA. Principal mineral commodities in the WSA are gold and silver with minor lead, and zinc. Two properties have significance; sample analyses indicate the Salsberry Prospect may have gold-silver-lead-zinc resources, and the Graham Jem Mine may have gold resources. The likelihood for development is greatest at the Salsberry Prospect, although the only recorded production from the study area was from the Graham Jem Mine; in 1908 less than 1 ton of gold-bearing ore valued at $25,000 per ton was produced. Gold, silver, lead, zinc, and copper minerals in the WSA are associated with rhyolite dikes and quartz veins in Precambrian gneissic rocks, commonly concentrated in sheared zones along the dikes and veins. Although known to contain silver-lead deposits elsewhere, Precambrian Noonday Dolomite sampled inside the WSA contained no significant mineral values. Much of the WSA is covered by relatively unmineralized Tertiary and Quaternary volcanic rocks. The Bureau collected 140 rock samples at four adits, nine shafts, four trenches, and 33 prospect pits in the WSA. In 1983, 14 lone claims and one millsite within the study area were current. No patented claims, placer claims, or coal, mineral, oil and gas, or geothermal leases were in the WSA.

Jan 1, 1985

By B. M. Bird

For several years the U.S. Bureau of Mines and the University of Washington have been cooperating, in a study of coal tabling. The first pert of the work consisted of experiments using, one of the commercial-sized coal washing tables in the laboratories of the College of Mine. As an outgrowth of this work, hindered-settling classification has been successfully applied in the tabling of coal4, and several important improvements, mainly in the riffling, have been made in the table itself. Both of these developments have resulted in increasing the rapacity and efficiency of the coal-washing table. In order to facilitate further progress in this work an investigation has been undertaken to throw more light on the mechanism of table separation. The final separation of a table is obviously the resultant of several operations; namely, stratification, removal of the top strata or parts of them as washed coal by the cross-flowing water, and removal of the bottom strata or parts of

Jan 1, 1929

This manual provides instructions for installling, operating, and maintaining protective canopies on the Joy Mfg. Co. cutter. These instructions are based upon two actual installations: one made in a mine and one in the factory. The parts list and engineering drawings for the protective canopies are included at the end of the manual. And a discussion of some alternative design concepts is also included. The manual can also be used for retrofitting other cutters with similar protective canopies. Skilled mechanics can determine if the instructions herein would be applicable to the other cutters and can determine any necessary modifications if they are not.

Jan 1, 1973

By W. R. Crane

Subsidence and ground movement are phenomena common to and attendant upon practically all large-scale mining operations, and under certain conditions may occur in all workings, large and small. The interpretation of the cause of failure in rock masses involves a study of the nature of plants of weakness common to all rocks. The dominating planes of weakness can readily be determined by observation in any given locality, and in order of importance in the study of subsidence are (1) faulting planes, (2) bedding planes, (3) joint planes, and (4) other prominent planes of weakness such as thrust and shear planes and contacts. This report has mainly to do with the third item, joint planes, and is a preliminary statement which t to be followed by a more complete report in bulletin form.

Jan 1, 1931

By James L. Eirls

The objective of this project was to improve a driver's field of view for large trucks used in the mining industry. Rearward viewing was enhanced by improving the rear-view mirror designs. Rear vision was accomplished using a closed circuit television system. Views ahead,, to the right, and downward were obtained with a blind area viewer (BAV). The BAV is a unique combination of fresnel lenses housed in a shielded, environmentally protected enclosure that produces an image of the area in front of and downward 70° and to either side of the BAV 300. The improved visibility devices were evaluated by long-term, in-mine testing. The right Bide mirror (RSM) and BAV provide the greatest improvements for the least cost and are commercially available. Application of the RSM and BAV should achieve a reduction in accident potential and greater vehicle productivity by enlarging and improving the equipment operator's visibility and making priviously blind areas and hazardous situations detectable.

Jan 1, 1982

By H. Polat, Q. Hu, S. Chander

"The collection efficiency of dust particles was determined in a laboratory dust chamber equipped with a water spray. Measurements were made in the presence of selected nonionic, cationic and anionic surfactants. For the nonionic and the anionic reagents, efficiency was maximum in a narrow range of concentration. The surfactant concentration corresponding to high collection efficiency was usually much below the commonly used concentration of l "", however. In comparison, much higher collection efficiency was observed for a cationic surfactant at extremely low concentrations. For delineating the mechanism of capture of dust particles, surface tension and contact angle results were used to obtain a correlation between the work of adhesion and the efficiency of collection. Such a correlation was reasonable for the nonionic surfactants but not for charged surfactants. In the latter case, electrostatic interactions between charged droplets and particles were more important, especially for the cationic reagent. INTRODUCTIONSeveral methods are used to control dust in mines. These include: ventilation, foam, scrubbers and sprays. This article is concerned with improving the effectiveness of water sprays, which are widely used to remove dust particles during continuous mining, by adding small quantities of surfactants. Water sprays produce small droplets which act as collectors of dust particles suspended in air. Sprays directed at the actual source of dust have the additional property of wetting the coal before the ·particles become airborne (Hamilton, 1974). Wetting agents, also called surfactants, arc known to play an important role in many applications where dust is a problem. However, conflicting reports exist in the literature with regard to the effectiveness of surfactants in water sprays (for a review, see Chander et al., 1988). In spite of the conflicting reports, the use of surfactants for dust control has increased over the years. In a recent study by the Bureau of Mines, a 27'6 reduction in respirable dust levels was observed in a mine test when surfactants were added to sprays (Foley, 1991)."

Mar 1, 1992

By John P. Coughlin

The Bureau of fines has tested a portable microseismic processor recorder at the Galena Mine, Wallace, ID, both in an environmentally controlled enclosure and, with minimal protection, in a working area of the mine. In both trials the device demonstrated effective and reliable data acquisition capabilities.

Jan 1, 1985

By Robert L. Lagace

The objective of this task was to perform theoretical analyses related to identifying and increasing the understanding of wireless propagation mechanisms in mines, and for predicting the performance ranges and limitations of proposed systems. This was to be achieved by building on and extending previous ADL work* and utilizing experimental data as they became available in the radio frequency bands of interest. B. TASKS Theoretical radio wave propagation investigations undertaken on this task centered on three areas. The first area dealt with extending previous UHF wireless propagation results*: to estimate the losses caused by the presence of haulage vehicles such as trains in coal mine tunnels; to estimate the propagation losses and wireless communication ranges expected along a longwall coal face tunnel; and to assess the applicability of previous analytical approximations to tunnels having reduced crossectional dimensions, such as those found in low coal and in the presence of haulage vehicles. The second area dealt with the development of a suitable propagation model to adequately explain the unexpected, highly favorable LF to MF band wireless radio wave propagation behavior experimentally observed in Consolidation Coal Co.'s Ireland mine. The third area dealt with the formulation of a model for evaluating the overall system transfer function and transmitter requirements for a hoist shaft LF communications system, taking into account the hoist rope/shaft transmission line characteristics, the cage and sheave wheel line terminations, the signal inductive couplers, and hoist shaft signal and noise data.

Jan 1, 1975

By Frank J. Wiebelt

As a result of the examination of many copper-zinc properties in the West Belt area of California, nine were chosen for exploration projects by the Bureau of Mines. This was part of the Bureau's wartime mineral-development program aimed at maintaining production of essential metals and increasing ore reserves. The properties explored were the El Dorado, El Dorado County; Copper Hill, Newton, and Gray House, Amador County; Constellation, North Keystone, and Collier, Calaveras County; and American Eagle and Akoz, Mariposa County. In addition to surface sampling and mapping, 41 holes, aggregating 18,134 linear feet, were diamond-drilled. Detailed results of the work done on all properties except the El Dorado and Akoz are given in this report. The El Dorado and Akoz were discussed in Reports of Investigations 3896 and 4144, respectively. Figure 1 is an index map showing the location of the mines covered in this publication.

Jan 1, 1951

By Robert T. Davis

An award is a form of recognition given for superior performance in a special field of endeavor. Each year awards are given by the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association and the National Safety Council to the coal-mining industry's underground and open-pit mines that have worked a specific number of man-hours without a lost-time injury. These awards have a dual significance in that they prove efficiency can be attained without injury to persons. Safety awards do not result from luck or good fortune but do result from sincere desire coupled with sufficient effort and cooperation to achieve a desired goal.

Jan 1, 1964

This report summarizes the work performed and results achieved in the period from 18 June 1971 through 18 October 1971 under Phase I (Task 1: Literature and Industry Search; Task 2: Conceptual Design and Evaluation; and Task 3: Concept Selection and Preliminary Design) in substantiation of the drill/impregnation machine concept recommended for detailed design in Phase II. Also included as Task 5 are recommendations for an experimental investigation to be conducted during Phase II. The report is submitted for approval and authorization to proceed to Phase II.

Jan 1, 1972

By C. A. Kumke

The Korean crisis and the cessation of Russian manganese-ore shipments to the United States in 1950 reemphasized the almost total dependence of the domestic steel industry on foreign supplies for metallurgical-grade manganese ore. In this emergency, Congress authorized the Bureau of Mines to undertake experimental mine and process development work on the known large reserves of low-grade manganese ore in the Artillery Mountains region in Mohave County, Ariz. The objective of the work was to obtain the basic mining and metallurgical data needed to make specific plans for initiating exploitation of the deposits within 3 years if high-grade foreign ore could not be obtained during the emergency. The manganese deposits of the Artillery Mountains region are in an area of about 25 square miles on the north side of the Bill Williams River in southern Mohave County. Lasky, of the Federal Geological Survey, has estimated reserves at 175 million tons of manganiferous material assaying 3.5 to 4 percent Mn. Although the man¬ganese occurs in various Tertiary and Quaternary formations as both bedded and fissure vein deposits, the more important syngenetic deposits are found in upper and lower manganiferous zones in the sedimentary beds of playa and alluvial fan origin that constitute the Chapin Wash formation.

Jan 1, 1957

By Eugene T. Sheridan

The process of converting coal into coke is known as carbonization. Essentially, carbonization is destructive distillation in which the volatile matter of coal is released when coal is he ted above its decomposition temperature and passes through a plastic stage before solidifying and forming coke. The mechanics of coke formation are complex, and the specific properties of certain coals that tallow them to "cake" or form coke are still unknown. Coke is a hard, cellular, carbonaceous mass, formed by heating coal in the absence of air. It is porous, irregular in size and shape, and is similar in appearance to wood charcoal. Coke, however, is denser, more porous, and more abrasive than charcoal.

Jan 1, 1965

By Eugene T. Sheridan

The process of converting coal into coke is known as carbonization. Essentially, carbonization is destructive distillation in which the volatile matter of coal is released when coal is heated above its decomposition temperature and passes through a plastic stage before solidifying and forming coke. The mechanics of coke formation are complex, and the specific properties of certain coals that allow them to "cake" or form coke are still unknown. Coke is a hard, cellular, carbonaceous mass, formed by heating coal in the absence of air. It is porous, irregular in size and shape, and is similar in appearance to wood charcoal. Coke, however, is denser, more porous, and more abrasive than charcoal.

Jan 1, 1965

This Bureau of Mines publication presents five papers given at a Technology Transfer Seminar on Metal Mine Fire Protection Research. Several seminars are held each year to bring the latest results of Bureau conducted and sponsored research to the attention of the mining industry as quickly as possible.

Jan 1, 1977

By Edward W. Parsons

The explosive-anchored rockbolt was field tested in six mines where rock conditions varied from incompetent shale or mudstone through fairly soft sand-stone to firm sandy shales. The purpose of the testing was to document, under a wide variety of conditions and in comparison to other rockbolt anchors, the quality of the anchorage produced by the explosive-anchored bolt. In addition, the length, strength, and design of the explosive charge necessary to produce positive anchorage up to the yield strength of the weakest component of the bolt were determined. A l4-inch length beaded explosive charge was found to be suitable, in general, in relatively weak strata, and the length can be reduced in more competent strata. Of the 127 explosive?-anchored bolts tested, 118 bolts produced an evaluated anchorage in excess of 17,000 pounds. Only 4 of 43 expansion-shell bolts and 4 of 14 wedge bolts produced anchorage this good. In preliminary tests, properly coupled explosive-anchored bolts did not ignite an explosive gas mixture. Some minor phases included in the investigation were as follows: (1) effect of explosive-anchored rockbolt on surrounding rock; (2) effect of time on anchored bolts based on torque tests; (3) effect of submersion in water on rockbolt anchorage; (4) pull tests to higher loads; and (5) ignition tests.

Jan 1, 1965

By L. Kaufman

Fifteen boride composites were synthesized by hot pressing and evaluated by physical and incendivity testing as non-sparking tool materials. The incendivity tests, conducted at the U. S. Bureau of Mines, Albany Research Center, compared the boride compo-sites with standard cobalt-bonded tungsten carbide material used for coal cutter bits. Two titanium diboride composites and two zirconium diboride composites out-performed cobalt-bonded tungsten carbide in wear resistance and reduced tendency to cause ignitions. However, three of these candidates exhibited undesirable chipping. The remaining candidate, a TiB2-(Ni, Cu) composite, did not chip, nor did it cause ignitions at levels where cobalt-bonded tungsten carbide tools caused ignitions in the incendivity tests. Thus, this material appears to be a logical candidate for further development.

Jan 1, 1973

By F. L. Wideman

This paper lists resources of sulfur in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizons, an area comprising approximately 522,600 square miles, Sources of sulfur occuring within the region are sulfur are, pyrite and pyritic ores, and natural gases and petroleum. Data concerning these sources are presented on a statewide basis. Some of the known deposits of sulfur ore are surficial and of fumerole origin; other deposits have resulted from oxidation of pyrite or sulfide ores of copper, lead, and zinc. The deposits are small and the sulfur is distributed erratically in them. There is a small production from some of the deposits, and the material produced is used as soil conditioner.

Jan 1, 1957

There has been a substantial increase in the use of rubber-tired front-end loaders in the mining industry in recent years. Concurrent with this increased usage, in the period of 1966 to 1970, there were at least 74 mining industry fatalities involving front-end loaders, or (on the average) in excess of one fatality per month. When the usage of front-end loaders by the construction industry and other industries, organizations, and agencies, such as the Government (i.e., Department of Defense), along with the uncounted numbers of serious, but non-fatal accidents, are included in the picture, the safety record for front-end loaders, of necessity, becomes a serious subject for study. There is an urgent need for attempts to be made to eliminate or reduce the number of safety hazards; to decrease the confusing diversity of controls designs found on present front-end loaders; to improve the maintenance and operating procedures; to formulate better personnel policies; to increase management and official awareness of the extent of the problem, in both industry and the Government; etc.; in order to decrease the number of accidents. Part of the problem may be traced to the fact that the operator of a front-end loader is frequently designated a "heavy equipment operator." This implies that he is automatically qualified to operate any model, of any manufacturer's, wheeled or tracked, front-end loader as well as many other types and classes of heavy equipment. Contrary to automotive practice, the complement of primary operating and emergency controls varies widely from model to model, as well as from manufacturer to manufacturer. Not only are certain controls present on one front-end loader model and absent on others, but there are significant differences in the modes of control operation, in the functions performed by superficially similar controls, in the location of the various controls, etc.

Jan 1, 1973