Search Documents

By T. W. Johnson

One of the common methods of increasing recovery of oil from partly depleted oil sands is to inject natural gas, air, or air-gas mixtures into the sand, thereby supplying energy to move oil. into the well bore. Where natural gas is not available, air or an air-gas mixture is used as the repressuring medium. Air-gas mixtures are obtained from the casingheads of oil-producing wells in the areas repressured with air or air-gas mixtures and consist usually of varying amounts of the hydrocarbon gases, nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. Laboratory experiments have been conducted by the Bureau of Mines to determine the effect of air on crude oils.4/ In these experiments the crude oils were oxidized by the air, and the degree of oxidation depended not only upon the chemical composition of the crude oil but also upon the duration and method of contact between the oil and air, the temperature of the fluids and the concentration of the oxygen. When the crude oils were oxidized the following results and changes in the oils were obtained:

Jan 1, 1937

By H. H. Schrenk

[There is a need for method of determining: benzene vapor in air which is simple and accurate and suitable for making industrial hygiene surveys. The most widely used method in this country is the modification of the Elliott and Dalton6/ procedure. This depends on the nitration of the benzene to reduction to phenylenediamine with all excesses of standard titanous chloride; solution, and titration with e standard ferric ammonium sulphite solution. This method has the disadvantages of being what time consulting: and cumbersome it requires considerable apparatus, and a special modification is necessary in the presence of toluene.]

Jan 1, 1935

By L. L. Oden

The U.S. Bureau of Mines and the Department of Energy (DOE), through its contractor EG&G Idaho Inc., are collaborating on a multiyear research project to evaluate the applicability of three-phase, electric arc furnace melting technology to vitrify materials simulating low-level radioactive and mixed wastes buried or stored at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory and other DOE sites. The melter is a sealed, 1-t (1.1-st), three-phase, 800-kV?A electric arc melting furnace with 10.2-cm-(4-in?) diameter graphite electrodes, water-cooled roof and sidewalls, and four water-cooled feed tubes. A water-cooled copper fixture provides for continuous tapping of slag. An instrumented air pollution control system (APCS) with access ports for analysis and a feeder based on screw conveyors and a bucket elevator are dedicated to the facility. Test data are provided by an arc furnace analyzer and by sensors indicating feed rate; slag temperature; and temperature, pressure, and velocity in the APCS. These data are received by a data logger, digitized, and transmitted to a personal computer for storage and display. This unique waste treatment facility is available for public and private use on a cost-sharing basis.

Jan 1, 2010

By S. M. Shelton

The widespread occurrence of domestic manganese deposits and the shortage of ferromanganese-grade ore have been sources of much speculation and investigative effort for many years. The present emergency has intensified the search by the Bureau of Mines for methods of producing ferromanganese-grade concentrates4/ from low-grade ores.

Jan 1, 1941

By S. M. Shelton

[The widespread occurrence of domestic manganese deposits and the shortage of ferromanganese-grade ore have been sources of much speculation and investigative effort for many years. The present emergency has intensified the search by the Bureau of Mines for methods of producing ferromanganese-grade concentrates4/ from low-grade ores.]

Jan 1, 1941

By John A. Johnson

The first report of investigations5/ in this series pertaining to the investigation of stemming at the Mount Weather testing adit dealt with dust produced from blasting. The present report discusses the effect of stemming on eases generated by blasting, describes the test procedure, and analyzes the results from, blasting 61 standard rounds. Following care the types of stemming that -,re being investigated: 1, No stemming. 2. Sand in 2 paper cartridges. 3. Clay in 2 paper cartridges. 4. Commercial hydrated lime in 2 paper cartridges. 5. Combustible blasting plugs. 6. Ceramic is blasting plugs with clay in 2 paper cartridges.

Jan 1, 1940

By John A. Johnson

The first report of investigations5/ in this series pertaining to the investigation of stemming at the Mount Weather testing adit dealt with dust produced from blasting. The present report discussed the effect of stemming on eases generated by blasting, describes the test procedure, and analyzes the results from, blasting 61 standard rounds. Following care the types of stemming that are being investigated: 1, No stemming. 2. Sand in 2 paper cartridges. Clay in 2 paper cartridges. Commercial hydrated lira in 2 paper cartridges. 5. Combustible blasting plugs. 6. Ceramic is blasting plugs with clay in 2 paper cartridges.

Jan 1, 1940

By V. A. Marple, K. L. Rubow, B. A. Olson

"INTRODUCTION Inertial classification, gravitational sedimentation centrifugation, and thermal precipitation arc techniques that can be used to collect particles for subsequent analysis or for particle classification. The inertial classifiers, which include impactors, virtual impactors, and cyclones, are widely used in the sampling or particles. Settling chambers, which include centrifuges as well as gravitational settling devices, are less widely used. Thermal precipitators arc seldom used.Impactors, in particular, have been used extensively, studied both theoretically and experimentally, and arc the instrument or choice for the determination or aerosol mass size distributions. Many versions or impactors arc available commercially and many more have been designed, built, and used in special studies.Virtual impactors are a more recently developed inertial classifier and possess a feature not round in conventional inertial impactors; namely, that the particles remain airborne after classification compared to the conventional impactor, where the particles arc collected on a solid surface. The feature or keeping particles airborne is important for transporting the particles to other particle-analyzing instruments, or to filters, and in concentrating particles larger than the cutsize in a small fraction of the total now."

Nov 1, 1995

By Thomas L. Ochs

The Bureau of Mines is investigating the fundamental behavior of electric arcs in electric furnace operations. The electric arc is a poorly understood phenomenon. If the arc in a steelmaking furnace can be more carefully controlled, it should be possible to increase heat transfer to the melt, reducing both electrical and acoustical noise. As a first step toward a better understanding of the are, voltage and current signals from operating furnaces were analyzed. The results of the initial analysis show that instrumentation used in monitoring and controlling furnaces, such as meters and strip-chart recorders, gives incomplete or erroneous information to the operator and therefore leads to less than optimal control. Advanced instrumentation and analysis techniques, such as the waveform analysis used in these investigations, can improve the understanding of operation and the control of electric furnaces. This report describes the instrumentation and the numerical analysis methods used and compares these methods with standard metering and recording techniques.

Jan 1, 1986

By Maurice J. Peterson

THE VISUAL-ARC spectroscopic method of rapid qualitative analysis of complex inorganic compounds has been popularized in the past few years and is being employed by an increasing number of laboratories. The mineralogy and chemistry departments of several universities recently have added visual spectroscopy to their laboratory curricula. This revival of interest in a somewhat dormant analytical method has been stimulated through the publication of three papers 4 by members of the College Park staff of the Bureau of Mines. These virtually are the only recent sources of information on visual-arc spectroscopic analysis. They include data on the spectroscopic assembly, the analytical procedure, and the practical application of the method to determinative mineralogy and related fields. Requests for reprints of these papers continue to be received; at present only a limited number of copies are available for distribution. In order that these requests may be adequately answered, material from the three papers has been combined and, with some additional data, is presented in this bulletin. Numerous specific inquiries have been received regarding types of equipment available, problems in instrumentation, and information on the approximate sensitivity limits of the elements that can be detected by this method. Some of this material was not included in the original papers. Accordingly, the table of wavelengths has been revised to include the approximate visual-arc spectroscopic sensitivities, and a section on commercially available equipment has been added.

Jan 1, 1953

By William J. Campbell

One of the principal objectives of the Bureau of Mines program for developing super refractory materials is to obtain fundamental data on the physical properties of refractory oxides. This particular investigation obtained accurate thermal expansion coefficients for alpha alumina and evaluated, critically, those coefficients with other published values. High-temperature X-ray diffractometer measurements, by the Bureau, showed that alpha alumina expands anisotropically with expansion parallel to the c axis approximately 10 percent greater than parallel to the a axis. Thermal expansion characteristics of four different alumina samples were determined up to 1,200° C.; the results are presented in both tabular and graphical form. The combined random and systematic errors in the measurements are considered less than 3 percent above 500° C, and approximately 2 percent at 1,000° C. No differences in expansion were observed between the samples or between the heating or cooling cycles.

Jan 1, 1961

By Andrew Allan

[Research conducted by the Bureau of Mines hrinq the last 5 years on the uce of machines for 7!naer:rolmrl ?.eve loym~nt in pi.t,c hlng anthracite beds l~a~ provide? data ?howin? that ?:;panrt of thc roof an9 str?eg of thes? oTen - jnqs requires almst half of' the PRS? workin? time. The possibilitie~ of i!rinz a mvable,. te1.ee*co@. c tpr? 3f ?tee1 ~h-!.oltl at the face in~tetcrl of conventional wood a*ti~yorts w?r? si:~q~eteil by engineers engaqad on the~ work If ~uch a shi~l8 COLI.~,~. be ~sve~.~yad, it tnillil man that face workera w~uld be provi8ed with mulrnu.m prot?ct+on from falls of' roof and ribs mi! the en- tire ehift could he I~W? Lo ~lro,J.~:ce cocl. Fermanent tim3er coald be p'l.acnA behind the shielR independently of the 'face work as the face advanced.]

Jan 1, 1953

By Lloyd Williams

1. The investigation shows that the Pewee, Big Mary, and Windrock are the most important beds in Anderson County. About 73 percent of the known recoverable reserves of coal in the county are in these beds, and from them comes 94 percent of the production. The remaining reserves tabulated in this report are in the Joyner, Jellico, Coal Creek, and Poplar Creek beds, and 6 percent of the county production comes from these beds. No production is being reported at present from the Jellico bed, although it was mined years ago. 2. Known measured and indicated reserves in all beds, bared on a minimum thickness of 1/4 inches and on 1,800 short tons put acre-foot of coal in place, are estimated to be 170 million torts as of January 1, 1953 Of this total, 155 million tons is in beds 2S inches and more thick. Areas in each bed were omitted from the estimate because available data relative to the bed characteristics are too meager to permit making 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 they total estimated reserves.

Jan 1, 1955

By E. J. Matson

The Bureau of Mines has been investigating deposits of critical and essential minerals in the United States since 1939. The Rush Creek lead-zinc deposit, Mono County, Calif. (fig. 1), was examined by W. T. Benson in July 1944 and again in September 1945 by D. W. Butner, engineers of the Bureau of Mines. From the results of these preliminary examinations, a core-drilling program (fig. 2) was started in August 1946 and continued until November 1946, when work was stopped on account of inclement weather. Field work was again started in May 1947 and completed in June 1947. The drilling program was laid out to develop the horizontal .and vertical extensions of showings exposed in surface pits.

Jan 1, 1949

By JOEL H. SWARTZ

During a series of resistivity measurements carried out in 1929 and 1930 a number of questions arose concerning the effect of topography on the character of the curves and the depths attained , the ratio of true depth to certain radii interpreted as representing depth , etc. To answer these questions it was decided to undertake a series of experimental investigations on artificial strata . It is the purpose of the present paper to present the results of the studies thus undertaken .

Feb 1, 1931

By E. G. Davis

Under a memorandum of agreement with Reynolds Metals Co., Richmond, VA, the Bureau of Mines studied the problem of corundum formation on refractory linings in aluminum recycling furnaces. A laboratory test was developed for evaluating refractories in contact with molten recycled aluminum and identifying the mechanism of corundum formation. A test apparatus was designed and constructed to evaluate the performance of refractory samples. Corundum mechanism formation studies indicated that corundum formed on refractories when there is metal penetration. Once corundum forms, it acts as a wick allowing the molten aluminum to move to the surface where it is oxidized, thus causing further growth of the corundum. Phosphoric acid treatment or a spinel mortar coating prevented corundum formation on the 70-and 90-pct-A1203 refractories.

Jan 1, 1988

By P. C. Good

Work was done to determine conditions necessary for efficient electrodeposition of aluminum from fused chloride electrolytes. Aluminum was deposited from a molten chloride salt electrolyte over a temperature range of 150° to 750° C. At lower temperatures in a heat-resistant glass cell, aluminum was deposited on stainless steel and on aluminum cathodes. The deposit was recovered in the form of light, feathery dendrites that could not be consolidated. At 750° C, molten aluminum was deposited at cathode current efficiencies as high as 90 to 100 percent on titanium diboride cathodes and in molten aluminum cathodes. Nitride-bonded silicon carbide was the best cell material, although porcelain was also used. The electrolyte consisted of a mixture of sodium and potassium chlorides in 1 to 1 mole ratio, containing aluminum chloride in concentrations ranging from 2 to 30 weight-percent in cells holding up to 1,000 grams of electrolyte. Generally favorable results were attained in studies made at temperatures greater than the melting point of aluminum.

Jan 1, 1966

By C. Özgen Karacan

The methane emission rate into an underground mine environment from overburden strata during longwall mining is impacted by reservoir and geomechanical characteristics of the coal measure rocks in the overlying strata, as well as the presence of any coal seam. The reservoir characteristics and how they change during mining potentially affect the performance of gob gas ventholes, which consequently impacts the efficiency of methane control in the mining environment. This study presents reservoir and elastic properties of coal measure rocks in the Lower Monongahela Group in Greene County, southwestern Pennsylvania, of the Northern Appalachian Basin. Since the source of methane in this region from underground mining is located between the Sewickley coal and the Pittsburgh coal, a specific emphasis was given to this interval. Core analyses were performed in the laboratory to determine rock porosity and permeability. Geophysical logging data (gamma, density, sonic) obtained from two exploration boreholes were used for evaluating formation boundaries, shale contents, log porosities, and geomechanical properties of formations. Permeability was also calculated using density-log data and empirical equations and compared with laboratory measurements and slug tests performed in isolated intervals of boreholes. The results presented in this study can be used as data sources for reservoir studies related to the production and control of methane.

Jan 1, 2009

By B. R. Eichbaum

To develop technology to assure an ample supply of zinc and to reduce environmental pollution, the U.S. Bureau of Mines investigated alternatives to the roast-leach process for treating complex sulfide concentrates. Previous studies proved that low-grade zinc sulfide (ZnS) concentrates could be leached using chlorine-oxygen to produce zinc chloride (ZnCI2). The process involves high energy requirements for evaporating the pregnant solution to produce anhydrous ZnCl2 needed for electrolytic cell feed. An efficient hydrometallurgical process would facilitate treatment of lower grade ores than can be used in conventional processing and would render roasting unnecessary. An alternative method was devised for recovering ZnCl2 from solution. Zinc diammine chloride [Zn(NH3)2CI2] was precipitated from solution by adding ammonium chloride (NH4CI) and sparging with ammonia (NH3) to a pH of 6 to 7.5. The spent solution was treated with calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)21 at 60° to 80° C for 1 to 4 h to remove remaining zinc and NH3. The Zn(NH3)2CI2 was heated to 300° to 400° C to remove NH3 and produce anhydrous ZnCI2. A possible flowsheet was devised and is included.

Jan 1, 1991

By B. J. Dalton

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

Jan 1, 1969