Search Documents

THE IRON HUNTER. By Chase S. Osborn, pp. 316, Ills. 10. The MacMillan Company, New York. 1919. An autobiography, the story of a Hoosier boy who fought his way to manhood and power through early misfortune and poverty, from street urchin and newsboy, to editor and author; from lumberjack and dock walloper to statesman and Governor of Michigan. The reader has the measure of the man in the first chapter, a dramatic recital of how the fighting boy editor cleaned up a lawless mining camp of 40 years ago. The thread of the narrative is the author's life-long devotion to outdoor living, ex-ploration and travel. Residing in Sault de Sainte Marie, Mich., in the heart of the Lake Superior country, he took his delight and, incidentally, found his fortune in prospecting the north woods for iron ore; eventually, extending his travels to the continents and many of the islands of the world, he discovered what, he believes-to be a great iron range in Madagascar. In this book there is plenty of anecdote, a great deal of wholesome social and po¬litical philosophy and some interesting sidelights on the characters of some of the author's prominent contemporaries in the political life of Michigan. The style is direct and animated, flavored and illuminated with the vernacular of Hoosierdom and the woods country of the North. The author levies on the vocabulary of the sciences and the classics for many a noun and adjective and, with Rooseveltian license, now and then coins a word. The reader's interest will be gripped from cover to cover, albeit he may occasionally need a dictionary. R. C. A.

Jan 11, 1919

By James Warner, Peggy Ganse, Glen Smoak, Raymond Henn, Sam Bandimere

Over the past several decades, cement-based grouts using ultrafine cement as are placement for portland cement have begun to gain acceptance as an alternative to chemical solution grouts, however the amount of information currently available on these grouts is limited. For this reason, the authors developed a field testing program to evaluate the penetration capabilities of various ultrafine cement grout mixes. The tests were conducted by injecting sand columns using different portland and ultrafine based grouts, the measuring penetration distances after applying equal injection pressure for the same time period. Results of tests performed in 1999 and 2000 are discussed herein.

Jan 1, 2001

By L. P. Purtell

The performance of ten anemometers of several types has been measured at low air speeds. Multiple calibration runs provided sufficient data for measuring random error about the mean calibration curve in addition to the difference between indicated and true speeds. Measurements were also performed of the minimum operating speeds of the anemometers.

Jan 1, 1979

By James R. Wait

The present final report constitutes the total productivity of a series of contracts from the U.S. Bureau of Mines and the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences over the period 1971-1979. The emphasis on the research has been analytical. In this "executive summary" we give a succinct description of each phase of the investigation. In the first phase of the investigation that was stimulated by the National Academy of Engineering, we concentrated on the analytical studies of techniques relevant to mine rescue. Several specific procedures for locating a buried source were analyzed. In the next, but overlapping phase of the investigation, we dealt with the fundemental character of how electromagnetic waves propagate in mine tunnels. At the outset we allowed for the finite conductivity of the tunnel walls and the presence of axial conductors such as cables, pipes, and tracks. The third phase of the investigation was devoted to the analyses of various specific geophysical engineering problems. The related fourth phase dealt with the general subject of non-destructive testing of wire ropes such as used for mine hoists.

Jan 1, 1980

In presenting this paper the author has in view a twofold purpose. In the first place, it is intended to set forth for the benefit of practical mining men some account of the principles underlying the design of tungsten carbide rock bits in the hope that a knowledge of these principles will assist in the successful application of the bits to mine and quarry drilling. Secondly, by evoking discussion, and even controversy, it is hoped that manufacturers and users of these rock bits will be encouraged to contribute to the general knowledge of a subject which to date has been rather lacking in published literature. The author well appreciates that many of the conclusions drawn in this paper are highly controversial, but if the only result is to call forth contradictory testimony from other workers in this field, at least one of his purposes will have been achieved.An attempt will first be made to set forth and examine those characteristics which go to make up an efficient rock bit, and the main factors affecting these characteristics will be discussed. In a paper of this general nature, consideration of any particular aspect must necessarily be rather brief, and there is little opportunity for detailed presentation of test procedures and data. Thus, it has been found advisable' to confine discussion of some minor points to a simple statement of fact. However, an attempt has been made to support all major conclusions by reference...

Jan 1, 1950

By R. England

"This paper describes the objectives and design parameters for the operation of a computerized In-The-Hole (I. T.H.) Drill. The principal objective is to add computer control to an Inco 00-60 I. T.H. (CMS-CD-90) drill in order to drill holes with greater accuracy. The computer provides control of the angle of the hole by maintaining the orientation of the drill head, and optimizes the straightness of the hole by maintaining a constant force on the drill bit.The second objective is to provide the greatest degree of operational automation, so the objective outlined above can be accomplished with a minimum of operator intervention.In order to provide full operational automation it was necessary to also provide the capability for the computer to add and remove drill rods. To accomplish this, a rod-handling mechanism consisting of a rod storage rack and rod manipulator arms was used.IntroductionMining machinery that lacks automatic control has been found to show a high degree of variation in work output and performance quality when operated by different personnel. Differences in operator attitude, judgment, and skill are reflected directly by production statistics. The addition of automated control has the potential for considerable improvement in machine life and performance. Even with a more acceptable mine environment and much safer conditions than ever before, situations still exist where it is preferable to remove personnel for reasons of safety as well as productivity. Typical advantages of such situations are automated skip loading and hoisting, and the use of remote control load-haul-dump units exposed to open stopes.Other cases arise where heavy work is required under conditions where lighting is poor, floors are slippery, noise levels are high and dust and oil mist exist in the atmosphere. I.T.H. drilling is carried out under such conditions and is one operation where automation can easily be justified."

Jan 1, 1987

By Ralph H. Whaite

To assist the anthracite industry obtain technical data on pneumatic packing, the Federal Bureau of Mines imported a pneumatic packing machine from Germany and installed it in a mine of a cooperating company in the Northern anthracite field of Pennsylvania. This report covers the second in a series of experiments in applying pneumatic packing for controlling strata movement (subsidence) above mine workings in the Pennsylvania anthracite region. The first experiment2/ was begun in January 1950, in a section of the mine where about 50 percent of the original coal remained in the form of pillars; since the company did not plan to mine the pillars in this particular area, pneumatic packing of the chamber voids was done for test purposes only. During this initial test the machine was operated on 204 shifts, and 652,400 cubic feet of breaker refuse material (22,834 tons) was packed into the voids of 16 chambers. The work was completed in December 1951.

Jan 1, 1956

THE Synthetic Liquid Fuels Act. (30 U.S.C., 321-325, and amendments) became law April 5, 1944, and a period of intensive research and development in this field was begun by the Bureau of Mines. As part of this program, bulletins were published on pressure hydrogenation.3 the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis,4 anal oil shale.5 The Bureau also has published a short bibliography on coal gasification,6 mostly of a theoretical nature. Because coal gasification is prerequisite to either the Fischer-Tropsch or coal-hydrogenation processes, publishing this sizable collection of technical information in this form will be valuable. The material will be presented in three parts, as follows: I. United States Patents. II. United Kingdom Patents. III. Other Foreign Patents. The domestic patents for this bulletin were collected between 1953 and 1955.

Jan 1, 1960

The 1969 Lignite Symposium was held at Grand Forks, N. Dak., on May 1-2, 1969. Cosponsored by the University of North Dakota and the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines, the meeting was the fifth in this series. Registrants from many States and Canadian Provinces attended the meeting representing many segments of energy-oriented companies, State and Federal Government, and universities. At 2-year intervals, these symposia provide a common meeting place where recent research and developments in technology and utilization of energy resources with emphasis on solid fuels (lignite) are presented. Proceedings3 of the previous symposia including a Forum held in 1958 have been published.4

Jan 1, 1970

The STATE MINERAL SUMMARIES publication provides estimated data and summaries of mineral activities at the State level for 1989. Most of the estimates are based on nine months data. These summaries have been prepared in cooperation with State geological surveys or related agencies. Individual State summaries are published separately as State Mineral Industry Surveys and copies can be obtained from the appropriate State Activities field office.

Jan 1, 1990

By Henry P. Wheeler

As recently as 1915, helium was available only in very small quantities at a cost equivalent to $2,500 per cubic foot. It was a laboratory curiocity, and its properties were of interest to a limited number of scientists (11).3/ During the past 30 years, however, helium has grown from a plaything of scientists to a factor of importance in the prosecution of the recent war. Navy blimps filled with nonflammable helium proved to be more than a match for German submarines operating in the Atlantic. American bombers were able to fly unheard-of distances to drop bombs on Tokyo, Nagoya, Yokahama, and other Japanese cities because they had been made lighter with magnesium, arc-welded in a helium atmosphere. The Army utilized helium-filled radio-sonde balloons to obtain vital information concerning weather conditions affecting D-day invasions and other military maneuvers.

Jan 1, 1946

By R. J. Hundhausen

This report describes the exploration and recent utilization studies the Bureau of Mines conducted on the Iron King, Chambers, and Dry Camp chromite deposits in the John Day district, Grant County, Oreg. The field investigations were undertaken during parts of 1939 and 1942 to determine the tonnage and grade of chromite in the district that could be utilized as a war reserve for the steel industry. As a result of the Bureau's field work, which included construction of 9 miles of access road, 6,204 feet of diamond drilling, 195 channel samples, and 1,020 linear feet of trenching, an ore reserve of 208,000 tons of 22-percent chromic oxide was indicated in the 3 deposits. Less than 1,000 tons of this ore has been mined since the field work was completed because the 2 largest deposits are submarginal in grade and there is as yet no incentive to develop and mine the ore. Since the war, however, the Bureau has been seeking means of utilizing the ore. Two methods of utilization that show promise are direct smelting of the ore in an electric furnace and use of the chromite for making refractory brick.

Jan 1, 1956

By R. S. Dean

[During the past fiscal year the Metallurgical Division has made important contributions along the lines dictated by the Bureau policy of conservation of domestic mineral resources through Its investigations include determining of fundamental data of metallurgically important materials improvement of standard ore-treatment method to eliminate waste and improve the grade or recovery of the products; and development o new metallurgical processes.]

Jan 1, 1940

By Pat McLaughlin

Environmental constraints are pushing many operators to change from large rotary blastholes to the smaller diameter holes drilled with down-hole or top-hammer rigs. Productivity improvements over the years with these two drilling techniques has taken some of the bite out of the transition, while improved fragmentation and more uniform muck due to the tighter patterns can help offset increased explosives costs.

Jan 1, 1995

By Heloíza Döering Gasparin

Os efeitos de elevadas temperaturas e do tempo de exposição sobre as propriedades mecânicas de um ferro fundido cinzento hipoeutético foram avaliados em amostras de dois ferros fundidos da classe FC300, de mesma base, com diferentes percentuais de molibdênio. Ensaios de tração até ruptura a quente foram realizados em corpos de prova com diâmetro de 10 mm, usinados de um pino bruto de 30 mm de diâmetro. Os ensaios foram realizados a frio (temperatura ambiente) e a quente (200°C, 300°C, 350°C, 400°C, 450°C, 500°C e 550°C). Os tempos de exposição a elevadas temperaturas, após homogeneização térmica do material, foram de 0, 60, 90 e 120 minutos. As amostras com maior percentual de molibdênio (0,27% em peso) apresentaram melhores propriedades mecânicas para todas as condições ensaiadas. De acordo com a literatura a redução na resistência mecânica com a elevação da temperatura é atribuída à ocorrência de decomposição da perlita, como resultado da difusão do carbono vindo da cementita às lamelas de grafita, que é o responsável pelo aumento da quantidade de grafita no material. As análises metalográficas evidenciam a ocorrência deste fenômeno. Aumentos no tempo de exposição a temperaturas elevadas também contribuíram para a degeneração da perlita.

Aug 7, 2018

By R. L. Derick

On a regular basis, mine personnel should obtain air samples directly from active underground areas as well as remotely from sealed locations. These samples provide mine officials with data relative to the makeup of the various atmospheres. Should conditions underground change, these results can provide a baseline that can assist officials in determining the extent of change. Relating the concentrations of individual gases to time, applying gases to equations, and examining their change over time are tools that have been successfully used to determine if a heating event exists and, if so, the extent of the emergency. These atmospheric status equations have either been developed for the mining industry or adapted from other industries. They serve as tools to assist personnel in determining the condition of underground mine atmospheres. As long as the problem area continues to be ventilated, certain gases, gas ratios, and equations can be used to determine if a fire exists, what type of material could be burning, and what quantity of coal is burning. Once the mine or the involved section has been temporarily sealed, gases, ratios, and gas-derived equations can assist personnel in determining how conditions within the sealed volume are changing over time. To alleviate potential explosions when fresh air is once again introduced into the sealed volume, equations and a diagram have been developed to predict the likelihood of an explosive atmosphere. Similarly, prior to commencing recovery of a mine or section, equations exist that can assist in determining if the fire will rekindle when air is reintroduced. This paper serves as an overview to remind and/or instruct readers about gas-sampling methodologies and gas analyses to assist in determining the status of underground atmospheres.

Jan 1, 2006

By F. F. Aplan

Though over 100 minerals are known to contain the rare earth (RE) or lanthanide elements, only a few provide the bulk of the world's source of these elements. The principal RE-containing mineral, monazite [(Ce,La,Th,Y)PO4], is recovered by gravity, magnetic, electrostatic and flotation concentration methods, while the other important source mineral, bastnasite [CeFC03], is concentrated by flotation. The processing of the lesser important source minerals is discussed, as is the recovery of the lanthanides from apatite [Ca5(P04)3(F,OH)] where the rare earth elements are present from trace amounts to over 10% as the mixed oxides.

Jan 1, 1989

By Paikowsky, Samuel G.

"Due to the way drilled deep foundations are being constructed, their structural integrity and geotechnical capacity are highly variable. Drop weight systems are increasingly being used to dynamically test the capacity and integrity of drilled deep foundations. Conventional pile driving hammers are often either inadequate or not economical to test these foundations and drop weight systems have therefore been developed to allow for dynamic testing.The advantages of the tests include high mobility, short testing time, low cost relative to static load tests (allowing multiple tests at a single site), and integrity/construction quality evaluation concurrent with capacity determination. The dynamic testing method for drilled deep foundations encounter several difficulties including: the need for a pre-testing analysis for matching pile, soil and testing system, adequate mass and drop height to reflect the mobilized capacity without structural damage, test interpretations for irregularly shaped and/or non-uniform piles, need for reliable dynamic measurements depending on the impact and the distance between the impact and the measuring point, and limited knowledge about the accuracy of the predictions.The principles of the tests are presented using simplified models and demonstrated via a case history. Drop weight systems are reviewed. Dynamic measurement principles are explained and the construction and testing quality effects are outlined and demonstrated via numerical modeling and case histories. A comparison of dynamic and static tests is presented via a database, case histories and finally a short review of relevant codes is provided.1 IntroductionTraditional static axial load test is performed by a slow application of a force produced against independent reaction, imitating structural loading. It is the most reliable method to determine the pile’s performance as commonly required under typical service conditions. The major limitations of this testing are: (i) high cost associated with set-up, test duration, interpretation and construction delays, and (ii) inability to obtain information about the pile-soil interaction along the pile without additional testing means (e.g. tell tales, strain gauges, etc.). These limitations are acute when high capacity foundations are involved."

Jan 1, 2015

By John S. Corsentino

This Bureau of Mines study is a listing of fuels -related projects that are presently under construction, planned, or proposed by various companies and organizations in the Western United States. The future facilities covered in this report fall into the following categories: coal mines and expansions to existing mines, electric powerplants and expansions to existing plants, coal conversion plants, waste-to-fuel conversion plants, oil shale projects, tar sands projects, potential geothermal facilities, coal slurry pipelines, railroads related to fuels development, uranium mines and expansions to existing mines, uranium mills and enrichment facilities, oil refineries, and natural gas processing plants. The projects are listed by state. Data concerning the company, location, planned markets, process type, initial operating date, capacity, water requirements, employment, current status, and other relevant information are included. Each project has been plotted on an accompanying state map. Due to present uncertainties concerning the fuels industry, some of the listed projects may never he constructed. No attempt has been made to determine the degree of certainty or viability of each project.

Jan 1, 1976

By C. A. Geffen-Fowler

This report, sponsored by the Bureau of Mines, presents the results of an examination of the safety of the Blind Shaft Borer (BSB) shaft sinking system and an alternative modified BSB design concept in comparison to conventional shaft sinking technology. Detailed study of the two systems was also performed to identify and recommend design changes for optimum safety conditions. A comparison of the BSB systems with conventional shaft sinking was made on the basis of relative risk levels. Risk incorporates both the frequency and the potential consequence of accidents. A safety evaluation of the component operations of the two BSB systems was performed using a Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) methodology. The results of this analysis show generally that both BSS systems are safer than conventional shaft sinking. The potential risk of conventional shaft sinking operations could be reduced by over 30%, on the average, with the use of the original BSB system, and by an average of about 10% with the modified BSB. Design change recommendations to further improve the safety of these systems include a better fire suppression system, improved man haulage systems and more compact hydraulics. An operational safety manual was also developed for the modified BSB system.

Jan 1, 1981