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By Harold M. Smith

[Important discoveries of new oil fields were made in 1937 in the State of Illinois. Oil production, which was virtually constant during 1934, 1935, and 1936 at about 4,400,000 barrels a year, a increased to 7,499,000, barrels during 1937, and in 1938 this production was trebled. In 1939, 94,302,0003/ barrels were produced (almost foot times the 1938 quantity), making Illinois one of the cost important oil-producing areas in the United States. The Bureau of Mines has analyzed 35 samples of petroleum from these new Illinois fields and presents the analyses herein. Included with them in this report are analyses of seven samples from fields developed before 1936.]

Jan 1, 1940

By Lloyd Williams, James R. Boyle

The mining methods and practices used at the Young zinc mine, American Zinc Co. of Tennessee, have resulted in a low-cost, high-yield operation. Zinc ore (sphalerite) occurs in limes tone- dolomi te beds of the Kingsport Formation and is mined by modified room and pillar method. Utilizing trackless mining equipment which incorporates a high degree of flexibility, this operation has had a steady increase in productivity.

Nov 1, 1964

By Steven J. Page

The Bureau of Mines used fiber-laden air to test two identical fibrous aerosol monitors (FAM) in order to establish the FAM-optical count correlation. The FAM is a unique instrument developed by GCA Corp. (GCA) to measure real-time fibrous aerosol concentrations. It will also respond to particulates that have sufficient shape irregularities to possess fiber characteristics such as the 3:1 length: diameter (L:D) aspect ratio. Results of the Bureau's laboratory tests showed that the FAM response is linearly correlated to concentration data obtained using the optical membrane filter count technique approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. A plot of the FAM-optical count correlation showed that FAM concentration readings are generally well within ±25 pct of the optical membrane filter count. Initial tests to estimate the best ratio control setting of the FAM for 5-µm fiber-length discrimination were performed using one instrument only (the ratio control setting determines the minimum threshold fiber length that will be detected by the FAM). The estimated setting was then used to correlate both FAM units. The result was a 65 pct difference in correlation between the two units. It appears that the major factor responsible for this difference was the internal adjustment of the photomultiplier detector sensitivity for each of the two FAM units.

Jan 1, 1980

By Bertrand L. Johnson

Pure talc is a hydrous magnesium silicate (Mg3Si4010(OH)2). Pyrophyllite, although it resemble: talc in certain physical properties and uses, is a hydrous aluminum silicate (Al2Si4010(OH)2) - like kaolin, except that kaolin has a somewhat different composition (Al2Si205(OH)4) and structure. Soapstone can be considered essentially an impure talc grid when pulverized is used for many of the same purposes as talc. Massive, compact varieties of talc often are called steatite. PROPERTIES Talc and pyrophyllite are characterizes; by their softness (hardness on Mohs' scale, 1) their greasy feel, pearly luster, white color, and perfect basal cleavage. They have similar crystal structures, and this similarity explains the close resemblance of the two minerals in physical acid chemical properties. Talc is a good electrical insulator, resists the action of most acids and alkalies, and has an exceptional heat-retaining capacity. Its specific gravity is about 2.7.

Jan 1, 1939

By W. I. Garms

This paper, describing the milling practices at the Hayden concentrator of the Nevada Consolidated Copper Co. is the first of a Series being prepared by the Bureau of Mines on milling methods and costs in various districts of the United States. The Hayden concentrator is located at Hayden, Gila County, Ariz., 20 miles from the mine at Ray, Pinal County, Ariz., and approximately 1-1/2 miles north of the junction of the Gila and San Pedro Rivers. During the fourth quarter of 1928 the concentrator treated daily by flotation an average of 10,336 tons of ore containing 1.25 per cent of copper. The average recovery during this period amounted to 87.84 per cent of the total copper. The concentrates contained 19.88 per cent of copper.

Jan 1, 1930

By John D. Bardill

This report covers the magnetic surveying done in the Plattsburg area , which was part of a general survey, of magnetite deposits in New York State . Other areas being surveyed are the Star Lake district , St. Lawrence County ; Brewster district , Putnam County; and the Sterling district , Orange County. Reconnaissance indicated an area about 3 miles long and 1,200 feet wide , but detailed surveys have been completed on only a portion of that area . In several districts , surveys of this type have served as a basis in the selection of areas for exploration by diamond drilling by the Bureau of Mines .

Jan 1, 1947

By Harold M. Smith

Important discoveries of new oil fields were made in 1937 in the State of Illinois. Oil production, which was virtually constant during 1934, 1935, and 1936 at about 4,400,000 barrels a year, a increased to 7,499,000, barrels during 1937, and in 1938 this production was trebled. In 1939, 94,302,0003/ barrels were produced (almost four times the 1938 quantity), making Illinois one of the cost important oil-producing areas in the United States. The Bureau of Mines has analyzed 35 samples of petroleum from these new Illinois fields and presents the analyses herein. Included with them in this report are analyses of seven samples from fields developed before 1936.

Jan 1, 1940

By C. J. Wilhelm, John M. Devine

"Hydrogen aulphide associated with natural as was noted as early as at Point Albino, Canada. 4 The presence of this impurity was recognized also in other of the earlier oil and gas fields, although the occurrence ma by no means common. However, in recent years, with the development of the producing zones of west Texas and the Texas Panhandle the production of ""sour"" crude has increased greatly and hydrogen sulphide has proved a generally troublesome factor-frequently a major problem—in the drilling and operation of any wells in those areas.The problems arising from the drilling and producing of oil or gas wells in hydrogen-sulphide areas, fall under two general divisions: safety problems and corrosion problems. Mention is made of a third division which is closely related to the other two, that of treating--or the development of processes for the removal of hydrogen sulphide. From the standpoint of safety and health hazards, hydrogen sulphide in the petroleum industry has been discussed in a number of publications. 5 Likewise, the problem of hydrogen-sulphide corrosion of production equipment has been given considerable attention in the literature.6"

Sep 1, 1931

Develop a portable emissions measurement apparatus to sample and measure tailpipe concentrations of diesel particulate matter (DPM), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitric oxide (NO), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) under steady-state engine load and speed conditions during a 1-minute test.

Jan 1, 1994

Objective: To develop and test a training program that enhances the hazard recognition skills of underground limestone miners. This program can help job performance and lead to enhanced safety in the underground workplace.

May 1, 1998

By W. M. Traver, A. M. Evans

"INTRODUCTION The Bureau of Mines undertook exploration in the Torlingua district, Texas, during June 1943, at a time when the demand for mercury for war industries was considerably more than the anticipated domestic production. In view of the impressive past production of the mines and the favorable geologic conditions in several underdeveloped areas in the district, the investigation was considered of immediate importance.Prior to initiation of the exploratory program, a preliminary examination of the district was made in August 1942 by A. B. Needham, an engineer of the Bureau of Mines. This examination was followed by a comprehensive geological study by the Federal Geological Survey 3/ and further investigation the Bureau of Mines."

Jan 1, 1947

By R. R. Lowery

The Bureau of Mines developed hypereutectic aluminum-silicon alloys which 11.7.d better mechanical properties than the unmodified hypereutectic alloy. A commercial aluminum-20 weight-percent silicon LIr alloy was selected as a ary base for improvement. The primary silicon. grains were reduced from ASTM 4-5 to ASTM 8.5 by the use of phosphorus and phosphorus compounds. The remaining eutectic matrix was refined by sodium metal additions of 0.2 weight-percent. Solid solution strengthening of the alpha aluminum was obtained by adding 2 percent copper and 0.5 percent magnesium. Also, 1 percent nickel was added to harden the alloy. Optimum thermal treatment consisted of a solution treatment for 10 hour:, at 480° C with hot water quench, followed by aging for 6 hours at 175° C. The final alloy exhibited a Rockwell B hardness of 75 ±2 in the heat-treated condition. The ultimate tensile strength was 39,5O0 psi with no recordable elongation. The coefficient of linear thermal expansion was 20.4 x 10-6 per °C in the temperature range 20° to 300° C. No wear resistance data were collected.

Jan 1, 1966

By Jr. Blake

This work was done to determine the technical feasibility of using the Pedersen process to produce cell-grade alumina and an iron byproduct from the high-silica and titania bauxites of the Pacific Northwest. Smelting of these bauxites with lime and coke at about 1,750° C in an electric arc furnace produced calcium aluminate slags in which at least 80 percent of the alumina was leachable by sodium carbonate solution. After a lime-desilication of the sodium aluminate leach liquors, neutralization of these solutions with carbon dioxide resulted in precipitation of an alumina hydrate of sufficient purity for calcination to cell-grade alumina. Recoveries of byproduct iron averaged over 90 percent; however, the iron contained about 1 percent phosphorous and would require additional refining. Additional small scale tests on these slags showed the following: (1) Titania had little effect on leachability if sufficient additional lime was added to form calcium titanate (CaO.TiO 2); (2) a slag containing about 14 percent silica required a slower cooling rate than one containing 7 percent silica for formation of high percentages of soluble aluminates; and (3) high-silica slags leached better at room temperature for long periods than at 65° C for shorter periods, but low-silica slags leached well by either method.

Jan 1, 1967

By R. F. Abernethy

Recent investigations in the United States and in other countries have produced considerable information on the nature and occurrence of minor elements in coal. The possibility of recovering certain elements, particularly germanium and uranium, from coal ash and other coal products has received considerable attention. Some flue dusts are potential sources of germanium, and certain lignite deposits are potential sources of uranium, but industrial recovery of these elements has been limited to small quantities for technical and economic reasons. Considering the large amount of coal mined annually, a small percentage of a rare element may have industrial significance if an economical method of recovery can be developed. In 1944 information on the occurrence of rare elements in coal was reviewed in Bureau of Mines Technical Paper 669 (46).3 This report is a revision of that paper with the view of summarizing published information available for United States coals, and pertinent information concerning coals of other countries. Selected references from the original paper are retained. New references do not include all preliminary reports when more permanent literature describing complete projects is available. Consequently, the list of references should not be considered complete.

Jan 1, 1963

By Patricia J. Leonard - Mayer

A Bureau of Mines surface resistivity method has been used to determine the joint strike and coefficient of anisotropy of jointed , nearsurface formations at five study areas . The field studies demonstrate the use of rotated , or azimuthal , Wenner-Lee arrays for determining the strike of predominant joint sets . The results of the field studies include the following : in a formation having a predominant , vertical joint set , the maximum value of the apparent resistivity ( pa ) occurs in the same direction ( azimuth ) as the joint strike ; the polar coordinate graph of pa for such a formation is approximately elliptical ; the coefficient of anisotropy ( ^ ) can be calculated from the field data , and values of λ for jointed formations are in the same range of values reported for layered formations ; values of λ are higher at mined sites than at unmined sites . The azimuthal resistivity method and horizontal profiling were used at a site in Pennsylvania to delineate a zone of intensely jointed and fractured bedrock that provided a flow path from a surface stream to a mine . Analysis of the data has been based on a simple model of a jointed formation having a single joint set ; the success achieved to date indicates the need for a more complex model and additional field data .

Jan 1, 1983

By Richard D. Miller

This publication contains routine analyses and related source data for 350 natural gas samples from 19 States collected during calendar year 1962 as part of a continuous survey of the United States for occurrences of helium in natural gas. This survey has been conducted by the Helium Activity of the Bureau of Mines since 1917. The analyses published herein were made by mass spectrometer and a special helium analysis apparatus. Four previous publications have been made to present the results of 5,648 gas analyses made by the Bureau of Mines, Helium Activity, prior to 1962. The first, Bulletin 486, 3/ contains analyses and data on 2,195 gas samples collected during the period 1917-47. Bulletin 576, 4/ the second publication, includes data and analyses for 1,575 samples collected from 1947 through May 1956. The third bulletin 5/ contains 1,444 analyses and source data of samples obtained from May 1956 to January 1, 1961.

Jan 1, 1964

By F. J. Gallagher

Some serious fires have occurred in bituminous-coal mines because of short circuits on direct-current power systems that do not have adequate circuit-breaker protection. The writer's observation of circuit-breaker installations in numerous coal mines leads to the conclusion that many persons am not properly informed as to the true functions, limitations, and operation of circuit breakers. Faulty protection results in fire hazards that endanger lives and property. Proper circuit-breaker protection would greatly minimize or, in many instances, eliminate the hazards; moreover, many operating advantages of proper application of modern circuit breakers would be gained. The purpose of this circular is to show why fire hazards exist in many mines despite the use of circuit breakers and how, the hazards may be overcome. A method is given for determining whether additional circuit-breaker, protection is required for a specific 250/275-volt direct-current distribution system, and, if so, the approximate locations and capacities of the required supplemental breakers.

Jan 1, 1951

By Richard D. Miller

This publication contains routine analyses and related source data for 350 natural gas samples from 19 States collected during calendar year 1362 as part of a continuous survey of the United States for occurrences of helium in natural gas. This survey has been conducted by the Helium Activity of the Bureau of Mines since 1917. The analyses published herein were made by mass spectrometer and a special helium analysis apparatus. Four previous publications have been made to present the results of 5,648 gas analyses made by the Bureau of Mines, Helium Activity, prior to 1962. The first, Bulletin 486, 3/ contains analyses and data on 2,195 gas samples collected during the period 1917-47. Bulletin 576, 4/ the second publication, includes data and analyses for 1,575 samples collected from 1947 through May 1956. The third bulletin contains 1,444 analyses and source data of samples obtained from May 1956 to January 1, 1961.

Jan 1, 1964

By W. A. Calhoun

This investigation of low-grade bauxites as potential sources of aluminum by caustic desilication and alumina extraction was undertaken by the Bureau of Mines to develop extractive methods for winning alumina from domestic deposits of low-grade bauxites. This report is the second of a series covering the work by the Bureau of Mines' Rolla, Mo., and Bauxite, Ark., laboratories. The first report published in the Journal of Metals, December 1951,3/ and dealt with kaolin and halloysite. The present investigation is concerned with low-grade bauxites only. The purpose of these investigations is to increase the domestic supply of aluminum ores. With eventual depletion of high-grade deposits, aluminous materials, such as low-grade bauxite, clays, shales, and high-iron laterites, will become our principal domestic sources of aluminum. The development of extractive processes for winning alumina from these low-grade materials is one of the many national security measures undertaken by the Bureau of Mines. A method has-been developed in the laboratory for successfully treating high-silica bauxites from domestic deposits. In this process the bauxite was calcined at 980° C. to form amorphous silica and alumina. The calcine was then leached by percolation with 15-percent sodium hydroxide solution at 940 to 96° C., removing 67 to 77 percent of the silica with a loss of 4.1 to 5.0 percent of the alumina. The sodium hydroxide in the spent liquor used in desilication was 95 percent recoverable, and comparable desilication results were obtained with 100-percent reclaimed liquor, The indicated cost of reagents, for sodium hydroxide and lime used in the desilication and regenera¬tion of spent liquor, was about $4.00 per ton of calcine treated.

Jan 1, 1954

By E. L. Singleton

The electrochemical reduction of aluminum chloride to aluminum was investigated in a closed, two-compartment cell utilizing a molten chloride electrolyte. The externally heated cell was divided into a reduction compartment and a combination AICl3 feed and metal removal compartment. Aluminum was deposited at 700° C on a molten aluminum catbode from a KCI-NaCI-AICI3 electrolyte. The AICl3 content of the electrolyte was replenished by either vapor or solid additions. The chlorine evolved was collected and measured to give a quantitative evaluation of AICl3 reduction. The effects of anode and cathode current densities and AIC13 concentration on anode current efficiencies were studiedo A range of 64 to 84 percent anode current efficiency was obtained with the 25-pound electrolyte capacity cell and related auxiliary equipment.

Jan 1, 1968