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By M. C. Irani

This survey was conducted to determine the magnitude of the methane emission and control problem in U.S. bituminous coal mines. The resultant data indicate that the emission rate for any given coalbed depends primarily on the coal production rate and on mine depth, as well as on the nature of the coalbed and the surrounding strata. An excellent correlation was found between (1) the methane emission rate and (2) the product of coal production rate and mine depth for the mines in the Pittsburgh, Pocahontas Nos. 3 and 4, and the Illinois Nos. 5 and 6 coalbeds. The highest total emission rates found in U.S. bituminous coal mines were as follows, in million cubic feet per day: Monongalia County, W. Va., 39; Marion County, W. Va., 30.4; McDowell County, W. Va., 13.1; Washington County, Pa., 11.9; Greene County, Pa., 11.4; Buchanan County, Va., 21.6; Jefferson County, Ala., 10.3; and Franklin County, Ill., 6.6.

Jan 1, 1972

By Mark P. Zaitsoff

The project involved design, construction, and testing of hydraulic models of culverts, decant and open channel spillways which are typical drainage structures used for protecting mine waste embankments. MSHA (The Mine Safety and Health Administration, U. S. Department of Labor) made a motion picture of the tests. Tests results and products in the forms of graphs, tables and films, demonstrate the principles and factors which govern the function and performance of the three types of drainage structures.

Jan 1, 1981

By Mirza A. Beg

The Piedmont physiographic province of east-central Alabama lies in a humid subtropical climatic zone. Such an area with mature land forms underlain by rocks rich in feldspars provides conditions condusive to development of gibbsite, a major source of alumina; a raw material for which the United States relies on foreign suppliers for 85 percent of its needs. Gibbsite occurs in the northern and inner sections of the Piedmont Province of Alabama in Coosa, Clay, Randolph, Chambers, Elmore, Tallapoosa and Lee Counties in soils and saprolite derived from amphibolites, granites, feldspathic hornblende gneiss and other gneissic rocks. The major occurrences of gibbsite are in areas underlain by hornblende gneiss in Chambers and Randolph Counties. This region provides the proper physiographic and mineralogical setting for large areas containing up to 25 percent of saprolitic gibbsite. These areas provide potential sources of alumina that could be used to meet the United States future needs. Narrow zones and pockets rich in gibbsite also occur in soil and saprolite derived from areally restricted feldspar rich zones of narrow linear amphibolites in the inner Piedmont and feldspathic zones in various granites distributed throughout the Piedmont.

Jan 1, 1982

By Paul Hatmaker

This paper covers briefly the particular field of dolomite and magnesium limestone; certain uses of high-calcium limestone are mentioned only to show more clearly the limita¬ tions of the magnesian rocks. Such a comparison is helpful because magnesium carbonate is essential for some uses; for others it is immaterial; and for many its presence in an appreciable amount is objectionable. Magnesium carbonate, occurring as a rock resembling limestone or dolomite, is described in United States Bureau of Mines Information Circular 6437, Magnesite. Other com¬ pounds of magnesium are described in United States Bureau of Mines Information Circular 6406, Magnesium Compounds (Other Than Magnesite). Limestone, geologically, is a rock composed essentially of calcium carbonate; commercially, however, the term may include dolomite and magnesium limestone.

Sep 1, 1931

By Maria I. De Rosa

The U.S. Bureau of Mines performed experiments to determine the embedded hydrogen chloride (HCI) and smoke particle characteristics during combustion of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and chlorinated mine materials for development of a test parameter. The experiments were conducted in an approximately 20-L furnace at set furnace temperatures of 250° and 1,000° C, for a 14-min duration, with an airflow through the furnace of 10 L/min. The variables studied, as a function of time, were hydrogen chloride embedded on smoke particles, hydrogen chloride concentrations in the gas phase, smoke particle average diameter (dg) and particle concentration (no), and product of smoke particle diameter and concentration (dgno). Other variables included carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and oxygen (O2) concentrations; sample mass weight loss; and furnace temperatures. Results show that there is a correlation between embedded hydrogen chloride, hydrogen chloride gas concentrations, and inverse of the smoke particle diameter-concentration product (1/dgno); the higher the hydrogen chloride gas concentrations, the higher the embedded hydrogen chloride, the higher the 1/(dgno) values. These correlations will enable development of a simple test parameter to assess the toxic hazard that these materials pose during fire.

Jan 1, 2010

By Hugh M. Wolfin

This Information Circular is an abstract of a manuscript which was completed in June 1933, by Mr. Hugh M. Wolflin, formerly of the U. S. Bur eau of Mines. This abstract has been prepared by Charles Will Wright for presentation at the February meeting of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers in New York. It has been necessary to omit many of the details and most of the cost data and tables, as well as the illustrations in the original manuscript. As the use of airplanes in mining developments is making such progress and as a publication on this subject to be of greatest value should include the most recent information, it is unfortunate that, due to a lack of printing funds, it has not been possible to publish this manuscript. The purposes of Mr. Wolflin's paper are: (1) To describe briefly what has been accomplished in some outstanding examples by the use of aircraft in the mining and petroleum industries, (2) To record costs, (3) To present available information and suggestions to assist in solving future air-transportation problems in the industries under consideration.

Jan 1, 1934

By G. L. Oldright

The first Report of Investigations of the present series (No. 4562) was on the fundamental properties of lead compounds, and the manner in which they set limits to the richness of lead products treated in the usual sintering-blast furnace units. These properties of the compounds were emphasized, as' it was desired, also, to learn the limitations of smelting the same compounds in present ore hearth practice; the hearth has a competitor in these "usual" units, even with the rich lead feeds best adapted for the hearths. Operating conditions that were followed in older metallurgical processes, when rich products, were treated, were outlined. The second report of the series (R. I. 4563) was on the development of the ore hearths of the types now used in the Tri-State from the viewpoint of the features, functions, and dimensions of the earlier hearths that had been most changed. Experimental data, for both well and poorly desulfurized charges being considered, were given to show the relative changes in the sizes and compositions of the charges after they were added to the ore (Scotch) hearths. A general picture was given of the charge column and of the conditions prevailing there when the operation was satisfactory. In this third paper, the composition of the gases prevailing in the charge column at various elevations will be correlated with what has been learned of the nature of the charge column in order to trace the steps of operation by which lead sulfide is converted into metallic lead. The metallurgical factors that govern operation and the lines along which improvements may be made will be noted.

Jan 1, 1949

By J. Douglas Causey

A U.S. Bureau of Mines study indicates over 200 million yd3 (153 million m3) of cinder resources occur in the Mount Washington Wilderness. No future demand for the deposits is anticipated. Based upon the geologic environment, the area is considered favorable for discovery of geothermal resources. INTRODUCTION The Mount Washington Wilderness, located about 32 mi (51 km) west of Bend, Oregon, contains 46,655 acres (18,881 ha) (fig. 1). A 6,300-acre (2,550-ha) addition on the northeast and east boundaries has been proposed by the Forest Service under RARE II. The U.S. Geological Survey made regional geological, geophysical, and geochemical surveys, and the U.S. Bureau of Mines examined, analyzed, and evaluated the economic potential of prospects and commercially important mineral resources.

Jan 1, 1982

By Frank D. McGuirk

Underground coal mining is traditionally hazardous. Although many danger-prone human activities are now performed by mechanized equipment, this mechanization has itself brought new dangers to the underground mining industry, and the loss of life and limb has caused increased concern for mine safety. The 1969 Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act has precipitated a great deal of safety-related research on the part of the Government, industry, and private agencies. Much of this safety research has been focused on the new and varied man-machine interfaces caused by increased mechanization. Recent projects in this area have dealt with standardized controls, emergency shutdown capabilities (panic bars, strike plates, self-centering controls, "dead man" controls), and machine operator protective devices (fully enclosed cabs, canopies, side rails). There was a need for integration of the findings of current and past projects to move rapidly toward the smooth, orderly implementation of standardized operator work station designs for underground mining equipment.

Jan 1, 1975

By Richard J. Mainiero, Michael J. Sapko, James H. Rowland III, Marcia L. Harris

All explosive materials produce a cloud of reaction products, the most toxic of which is nitrogen dioxide (NO2). In the study reported here, 4.5-kg (10-lb) charges of blasting agent confined in either thin-wall 10-cm (4-in) diameter galvanized pipe or 10-cm (4-in) schedule 80 seamless steel pipe were detonated in a closed chamber. The detonation gases were analyzed for NO2, nitric oxide (NO), ammonia (NH3), hydrogen (H2), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2), and methane (CH4). Data were evaluated to determine the kinetics of the oxidation of NO to NO2. Analysis revealed that the only mechanism for NO loss for the conditions existing in the chamber was the reaction 2NO + O2 6 2 NO2. The rate constant was 2.08 @ 10-38 cm6 molecules-2 sec-1 for the rate equation -½d [NO]/dt = K @ [NO]2 @ [O2] for NO concentrations up to 100 ppm. The rate constant is in agreement with that recommended by Baulch, Drysdale, and Horne (1973).

By Thomas J. Peters

In 1984, at the request of the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Mines studied 7,000 acres of the 9,240-acre Little Blitzen Gorge Wilderness Study Area in Harney County, OR, to evaluate its mineral resources. The study area is dominated by a 1,500-ft-deep canyon that was carved by Pleistocene glaciers in gently westward-dipping homoclinal flows of Miocene Steens Basalt. The Bureau reviewed pertinent literature and county mining records During the field investigations, 18 rock samples were collected from basalt dikes, breccia, fractured or porphyritic flows, and 20 alluvial samples from gravel accumulations. Mercury anomalies from sampling by the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries could not be verified. The mercury might have originated -From the Pike Creek Formation, a known mercury-producing unit that may extend into the study area beneath the Steens Basalt. Any epithermal deposit at depth would be expensive to explore and develop.

Jan 1, 1986

By H. R. Babitzke

The purpose of this investigation was to develop an alloy of columbium for use at high temperatures and for nuclear applications. The properties of possible alloys were determined, and the more promising ones were selected for further improvement. Criteria for selection were machinability, hardness, workability, tensile strength, and oxidation resistance. Thirteen 100-gram ingots, ranging from 100 percent columbium to 100 percent vanadium, were prepared and subjected to various tests. Also included for comparison were zirconium and the zirconium alloy, zircaloy-2. Test results showed that a columbium alloy, containing 10 atomic percent vanadium merits further development. Besides being workable at room temperature, the columbium-10 atomic percent vanadium alloy has oxidation resistance superior to the other alloys of the series and is also superior to zirconium or zircaloy-2. The latter two materials have comparable neutron-absorption cross sections. The strength and hardness values of the alloys tested were found to increase with increasing vanadium content, reaching a maximum at 50 atomic percent vanadium and decreasing with further increase in vanadium. This behavior is typical of binary alloys wherein each element will retain any proportion of the other in solid solution. INTRODUCTION There is an increasing need for alloys for service at high temperatures. Since current world reserves of columbium metal approximate 1,500,000 tons (1),4 this metal is now readily available. Columbium can ties; be considered a practical base material for high-temperature alloys required in nuclear reactors and in aircraft and space vehicles. General requirements chosen are: (1) Workability, (2) satisfactory mechanical properties at temperatures approaching 1,000° C., and (3) resistance to oxidation at such temperatures.

Jan 1, 1962

By J. Koster

Boron is an element whose metallurgical possibilities never have been investigated thoroughly, probably because of the difficulties experienced in the preparation of elemental boron and its intermetallic compounds. The southwestern United States contain the world's largest deposits of boron minerals. In general, the mineral is readily available, and mining costs are not excessive. The most important boron mineral of commerce is borax (sodium tetraborate); however, there are large deposits of colemanite (a mineral having the composition represented by 2CaO 3B203 5H20) in Clark County, Nov. This material was worked in times past by converting it to sodium tetraborate. In recent years the deposits have laid idle because of a mere readily available source of borax in the old lake beds of California.

Jan 1, 1940

By Gabriel S. Esterhuizen, Anthony T. Iannacchione

The roof rock in underground limestone mines in Northern Appalachia can be subject to high horizontal stresses in spite of the shallow depth of the workings. The high stresses can cause roof stability problems. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health staff have observed a distinctive asymmetrical mode of failure at the pillar-roof contact in two underground stone mines, which is different from the typical failure mode observed in response to excessive levels of horizontal stress. A dip of greater than 5° was identified as a possible cause of this mode of failure. Numerical model experiments showed that an increase in the dip of the workings can cause an increase in the stress at the up-dip corner of the roof beam. A case study is presented in which failure at the pillar-roof contact was observed where the dip of the workings was 7° in a high horizontal stress field. Numerical modeling showed that the relatively small dip of the workings could have induced stresses changes in the immediate roof that would explain the failures. The model results also showed that this mode of failure is less likely to occur if the limestone pillars contain weak bedding planes that provide stress relief. In addition, the results showed that for the conditions at the case study site, the stress in the roof beam was not sensitive to the thickness of the roof beam or to the excavation span. The high horizontal stresses at this site are an important contributing factor to the observed failures.

By George A. Morgan

The 53 countries that constituted Africa in 1990 accounted for a significant portion of total world output of a number of mineral commodities. Among the most significant to be produced in Africa were andalusite, antimony, asbestos, bauxite, chromite, coal, cobalt, copper, diamond, fluorspar, gold, lithium minerals, manganese, phosphate, platinum-group metals, the titanium minerals-ilmenite and rutile, vanadium, vermiculite, uranium, and zircon. Several of these, chromite, cobalt, diamond, and manganese, were not produced in the United States. Despite the underdevelopment of much of Africa, mineral raw materials playa very important part in the national economies of many of its countries. In many cases, the production of minerals is the dominant economic activity in the country, often having the largest and most sophisticated work force. In several countries, one or two mineral commodities are dominant in a weakly diversified economy. Among these are petroleum and diamonds in Angola, petroleum in the Congo, gold in Ghana, bauxite in Guinea, uranium in Niger, phosphate in Senegal and Togo, and copper and cobalt in Zaire and Zambia.

Jan 1, 1992

By Loren R. Anderson

This is an Appendix of Volume I. In contains the results of the electric cone penetrometer soundings from the second phase of the testing program.

Jan 1, 1982

By O. C. Blade

This report on the properties of aviation gasolines and aviation jet fuels produced in the United States during 1955 was made under a co-operative agreement between the American Petroleum Institute and the Bureau of Mines of the United States Department of the Interior. Analytical data are presented for 116 samples of aviation gasoline and for 38 samples of aviation jet fuel. The analyses were made on samples typical of the manufacturers' 1955 production in their laboratories and the results submitted to the Bureau of Mines for compilation. The products of 20 manufacturers of aviation gasolines and of 16 producers of aviation jet fuels are represented.

Jan 1, 1956

The purpose of this study is to formulate practical guidelines for active underground mining in close proximity to water bodies. This was accomplished through systematic completion of three phases of study: I) Collection and Documentation of Data; II) Application of Existing Guidelines to Case Histories of Previous Inundations; and III) Development of Recommended Guidelines for Underground Coal Mining Near Bodies of Water. Phase I of the study involved a worldwide data collection effort designed to obtain foreign and domestic guidelines for mining near water bodies, and accident records and case histories of accidental mine inundations. Within Phase II, existing guidelines were categorized and classified and then evaluated as to their effectiveness in precluding past inundations had they been in effect at the time of inrush. Advantages and disadvantages of existing guidelines were defined. Drawing on the broad data base established in previous study efforts, Phase III was directed at development of viable guidelines to promote the greatest possible coal extraction while precluding accidental mine inundation. Two levels of guidelines are presented; Level I Guidelines require little or no subsurface exploration on the part of the mine operator, while Level II Guidelines recommend various testing and investigative procedures to permit greatest possible mineral extraction. This report presents findings and conclusions of the study.

Jan 1, 1976

By Michael E. Meadows

The results of tests to determine the .regional applicability of four synthetic unit hydrograph models are presented. The SCS curvilinear (Haan), SCS single triangle, Williams and TVA double triangle unit hydrograph models were tested on 271 events from 38 USDA experimental watersheds in 14 physiographic provinces. Though inconclusive due to the limited number of events analyzed, the results indicated a regional tendency for each model, with the SCS curvilinear unit hydrograph method generally performing best overall. It outperformed the SCS single triangle by predicting better shape; they differed less than 2 percent in time of peak and peak rate predictions. The Williams model performed well at Oxford, Mississippi and Coshocton, Ohio, which suggests it may be applicable to surface mined lands within the Northern and Central Appalachian Plateau and Texas coal producing regions. The TVA model is applicable to the Appalachian Plateau, specifically the Cumberland Plateau. A second test using only the SCS curvilinear unit hydrograph on 11 small watersheds and 50 events was conducted to investigate the effect of the excesss rainfall pattern on simulation results. A Green and Ampt infiltration model was coupled with the SCS unit hydrograph model to determine if peak rate and timing errors noted in the regional test could be minimized with an alternate to the SCS curve number model for determining infiltration losses. The results confirm the curve number model is the better approach to determining the excess rainfall pattern for unit hydrograph simulation.

Jan 1, 1983

By S. P. Sandoval

Previous research by the U.S. Bureau of Mines demonstrated that nonionic surfactants increased the leaching rate of copper in the flask leaching of chalcopyrite with ferric sulfate if sufficient ferric sulfate was present. This research was continued by the Bureau in Part 2 to further explore the application of nonionic surfactants to the dump leaching of chalcopyrite. A polyoxyethylene lauryl ether was selected as the superior nonionic surfactant tested at 25° and 50° C. The addition of the surfactant increased copper leaching by 116 pct at 25° C and 1.0 pct solids and by 61 pct at 50° C and 0.5 pct solids at Fe 3+ concentrations greater than 1 g/L. At 0.1.0 g/L Fe 3+ and below, the addition of the surfactant produced as much as a 35 pct decrease in leaching. Each of the nonionic surfactants studied was found to be heavily adsorbed by a typical chalcopyrite ore, which poses a serious barrier to the application of nonionic surfactants in an actual chalcopyrite dump.

Jan 1, 2010