Search Documents

By Aner W. Erickson

"Magnetite iron deposits on Tolstoi Mountain were examined as part of the investigations by the Bureau of Mines of iron and copper ores on Prince of Wales Island. The Tolstoi Mountain project was a part of a program for investigating mineral deposits in Alaska, under the general supervision of R. S. Sanford, acting branch chief.A preliminary examination was made by S. P. Holt, mining engineer of the Bureau of Mines, in company with John Reed, L. A. Warner, and W. S. Twenhofel of the Federal Geological Survey, on July 14, l943. Three samples were taken, rough estimates were made, and it was proposed that the area be mapped, topographically and geologically,. Dip-needle work was added to the program, and it was decided that, should results warrant, the deposits would be diamond-drilled.From March 26 to May 28, 1944, the deposits were examined thoroughly by Bureau of Mines personnel under the direction of the author. Thirty-two acres were mapped with contour intervals of 10 feet, grids were established covering the principal outcrops, over 1,500 dip-needle readings were secured, and the magnetite bodies were outlined. Additional information was gathered by trench inch and channel-sampling, 600 linear feet of trench being dug and 32 channel samples being cut. Finally, the mapped area was checked for nonoutcropping deposits by taking dip-needle readings at 10-foot intervals along the traverse lines, creeks, trails, and all outstanding topographical features. This re-connaissance work gave sufficient coverage of the 32 acres to eliminate the possibility of further magnetite bodies of any consequence remaining undiscovered.Acknowledgment is made to Nile Johannsen, assayer, Territorial Department of Mines, Ketchfkan, Alaska, for determination of samples.The deposits are on Prince of Wales Island in Southeastern Alaska near Tolstoi Pay, a deep-water indentation at the northwest and of Kasdan Peninsula. The physical features are shown on figures 1 and 2 and the location of the deposition figure 3. Old workings were found on the west side of Tolstoi Mountain; between elevations of 650 and 1,150 feet, at distances of 3/4 to 1-1/4 miles from the east shore of Tolstoi Bay.Access to the area is over a brushed foot trail built by the Bureau of Mines. Topography would permit construction of either surface or aerial tramways at moderate cost but would make road building expensive. Deep-water navigation, permitting inexpensive water transportation, is possible the year around.Kasaan Peninsula is an area of moderate relief, being considerably less rugged than the mainland to the east. Most of the mountains and ridges are less than 2,500 feet in height and show evidence of having been covered by the ice cap of the Pleistocene age. Rock exposures below elevations of 2,000 feet are limited, as extensive overburden 2 to 20 feet deep covers the greater part of the peninsula."

Dec 1, 1948

By Charles W. Perdue

This U.S. Bureau of Mines report considers, from a psychological perspective, the perceptual process by which miners recognize and respond to mining hazards. It proposes that if the hazard recognition skills of miners can be improved, mining accidents may be reduced to a significant degree. Prior studies of hazard perception in mining are considered, as are relevant studies from investigations of military target identification, pilot and gunnery officer training, transportation safety, automobile operator behavior, research into sensory functioning and visual information processing. A general model of perception is introduced, and selected concepts from the psychology of perception that are applicable to the detection of mining hazards are reviewed. Hazard recognition is discussed as a function of the perceptual cues available to the miner as well as the cognitive resources and strategies employed by the miner. The development of expertise in responding to hazards is related to individual differences in the experience, aptitude, and personality of the worker. Potential applications to miner safety and training are presented.

Jan 1, 1995

By L. T. Grose

The Bureau of Mines conducted a comprehensive study of the Kanab, Kolob, Kaiparowits, and Harmony coalfields of southwestern Utah to obtain additional information and to determine the potentials of these coalfields as sources of energy for steam-electric power-generating plants. Field examinations were made to ascertain the geologic structure and the stratigraphy of the coalfields, the accessibility of the coal-bearing strata, and the general nature of the coal-bearing strata and the terrain. Many mines, both active and abandoned, were examined, and key personnel in the coal industry in the area were consulted. Available analyses of southwestern Utah coals were compiled, and tentative conclusions regarding the rank and quality of the coals were drawn. Coals have been classified by rank according to the standards established by the American Society for Testing and Materials in 1964. The Parr formula for moist, mineral-matter-free British thermal units has been used to calculate the rank of each sample, except as otherwise noted. Water resources related to the areas of the coal reserves also were investigated. Existing literature and maps pertaining to the geology of the areas were reviewed. Production potentials of the coalfields and economic conditions affecting the possible utilization of the coal reserves as sources of energy for steam-powered electricity-generating plants were investigated and analyzed. The data obtained and the conclusions reached as a result of this study are included in this document. The total reserves of subbituminous A and high-volatile bituminous C coals in the fields of southwestern Utah are estimated to be at least 8 billion short tons at depths generally less than 2,000 feet. It appears likely that this estimate will be increased as additional data are made available through exploration and other investigations. Sufficient coal is available in four southwestern Utah counties to supply three or four large steam-electric plants. If the States involved grant water rights to companies planning to build steam-electric plants, the cost of producing power with coal might be attractive and might justify the construction of one or more of these plants.

Jan 1, 1967

By Donald I. Bleiwas

The U.S. Bureau of Mines has evaluated the potential availability of nickel from 36 deposits or districts in 16 market-economy countries (MECs), analyzing more than 95 percent of production in those countries. This study indicates the quantity of nickel available on the basis of net production costs and total costs with a 0-pct and a 10-pct discounted cash flow rate of return (DCFROR). Costs of production are expressed in dollars per pound of recovered nickel. The study also indicates sensitivities of the cost of production to energy, labor, and other factors. The studied deposits and properties contain approximately 33 Mmt of recoverable nickel. About 26 Mmt of nickel is potentially recoverable from laterite deposits, of which 4.5 Mmt can be produced at $2.50/lb or less with a 0-pct DCFROR. Approximately 7 Mmt of nickel is potentially recoverable from sulfide deposits, of which about 6.3 Mint could be produced at $2.50/lb or less at a 0-pct DCFROR. The price of nickel averaged above $6.00/lb in 1988. Sensitivity studies performed for both laterite and sulfide deposits indicate that the total cost of producing nickel from laterites is most sensitive to increases in energy costs and that the total cost of producing nickel from sulfide deposits is most sensitive to increases in labor costs; sulfides are also affected by changes in revenues from byproducts.

Jan 1, 1991

By E. G. King

Thermodynamic calculations involving the oxides of tungsten and molybdenum have been hampered by lack of accurate entropies and high temperature heat contents. This paper presents work by the Federal Bureau of Mines on new low-temperature heat-capacity data leading to the evaluation of the 298.15° K. entropies of tungsten dioxide and tungsten trioxide, as well as high-temperature heat contents (above 298.15° K.) of molybdenum dioxide, molybdenum tri-oxide, tungsten dioxide, and tungsten trioxide. Included are heats of fusion of the two trioxides. The heats of formation at 298.15° K. of these four oxides are tabulated as measured by Mah4 5/ of this laboratory. Included also are the 298.15° K. entropy of Mo02 measured by Kin 6/ of this laboratory, and that for Mo03 according to Kelley and King.7/ These basic data provide a consistent compilation from which to perform accurate thermodynamic calculations involving these compounds. No previous low-temperature- heat-capacity measurements have been reported for tungsten dioxide. Seltz, Dunkerley, and DeWitt8/ measured the low-temperature heat capacity of tungsten trioxide. The only previously-reported high-temperature heat-content measurements for any of the oxides were conducted by Cosgrove and Snyder,9/ who measured molybdenum trioxide to 1,300° K.

Jan 1, 1960

By A. G. Loomis

Although secondary-recovery methods have not been applied widely in California, it is apparent that increasing attention and effort must be given to this phase of recovery if the State is to maintain its high rank as a petroleum producer. Steadily increasing demands for petroleum products and decreasing rates of discovery of new oil fields and rapid depletion of existing reserves emphasize the prospect of an adverse situation of supply and demand in the not-far-distant future. If the trend of discoveries becomes more favorable or if more complete economic recovery of the oil in place can be obtained by secondary recovery, this situation can be averted. Not only are these reserves of economic importance to the petroleum industry to meet increasing market demands, but economic reclamation of such reserves is an important conservation measure, which will prolong the productive life of many fields" Accordingly, progressive operators in California are alert to the possibilities of secondary recovery and have done much to implement such operations wherever feasible. Most of the operations are of the pressure-maintenance type} in which the reservoir pressure is maintained or partly maintained by injecting natural gas to increase oil recovery. The possibilities of recovering additional oil from stripper fields by gas drive and water flooding (including water disposal) also are being tested in experimental field projects. Table 1 summarizes gas and water-injection projects in California.

Jan 1, 1952

By Green R. E.

The removal of silica from commercial iron oxide concentrates by dissolution with sodium hydroxide was investigated by the Bureau of Mines as a means for producing supergrade concentrates. The effects of strength of solution, temperature, and digestion time on the extraction of silica were evaluated using eight iron oxide concentrates. Silica extraction from the eight concentrates was enhanced by autoclave leaching in the temperature range of 150° to 250° C and varied from 70 to 95 pct depending on the concentrate used. Superconcentrates containing less than 2 pct Si02 and more than 69 pct Fe were made only when magnetite concentrates were leached in the autoclave. The investigation showed that it is not difficult to obtain a supergrade product if the gangue is mainly quartz.

Jan 1, 1973

By R. W. Watson

At the request of the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) the Bureau of Mines evaluated the potential hazards of three compressed oxygen self-contained self-rescuers (SCSR's) designed for use in under-ground coal mines. The evaluation followed the lines used in a similar investigation of chemical self-rescuers and involved laboratory experiments as well as field trials designed to simulate a mining environment. They included bullet impact, bonfire, feeder-breaker impact and feed-through, and mining machine runover tests. The work showed that the units were not inherently unsafe but that under certain conditions of extreme abuse they can present a potential ignition or explosion hazard. This, coupled with a survey of reported damage on SCSR's currently deployed in underground mines, which indicated a relatively high frequency of incidents leading to the destruc-tion of the units, led to new recommendations on the deployment of SCSR's. The recommendations formulated by MSHA state that the units should be either properly worn by the miner, stored in heavy containers, or otherwise protected from situations in which they might be accidentally ruptured or destroyed, such as runover by mobile mining equipment.

Jan 1, 1984

By Maria I. De Rosa

The U.S. Bureau of Mines conducted a study to determine if correlations exist between the chlorine or nitrogen contents of materials and the hydrogen chloride (HCI) or hydrogen cyanide (HCN) concentrations evolved during the thermal decomposition of these materials. Hydrogen chloride, hydrogen cyanide, and carbon monoxide (CO) were found to be the primary toxic gases evolved during the combustion process. The experiments were carried out in a 20-L furnace with 1-g samples. The furnace temperature, rising from ambient, was set at 1,000 °C with an airflow of 10 L/min. The variables measured were the gas loads (milligrams per gram) of HCI, HCN, CO, and CO2 (carbon dioxide); CO and CO2 concentrations as a function of time were also measured. Other variables included the average concentrations of submicrometer smoke particles and particles' average diameter, mass of particulates, sample and furnace temperatures, and sample weight loss. The data indicate that there are significant correlations between the percentage of chlorine or nitrogen contained in the original samples and the HC1 or HCN concentrations evolved during the combustion of the materials. These correlations may be used to predict and evaluate a material's toxic hazard during combustion.

Jan 1, 2010

By B. H. Eccleston

The effect upon automobile emissions in changing from leaded to lead-free gasolines was studied in experiments by the Bureau of Mines in cooperation with the American Petroleum Institute. Typical U.S. leaded gasolines and prototype lead-free gasolines of comparable octane quality were used in eight vehicles operated to simulate city driving. The experiments were run at 70° and 95° F. Exhaust and evaporative emissions were measured and the photochemical effect of the emissions was experimentally observed in an artificial smog chamber. Results of the study reveal the manner and degree in which the changes in fuel composition alter the amount and characteristics of both exhaust and evaporative emissions. Briefly, it is shown that the compositional differences between leaded and prototype lead-free fuels resulted in higher photo-chemical pollution potential of the emissions from the lead-free fuels. The effect is attributed to the photochemical characteristics of high-octane fuel components that are used in greater quantity in the lead-free fuels.

Jan 1, 1970

By J. R. Thoenen

This paper outlines briefly results of seismic measurements recorded in the vicinity of quarry blasting under practical operating conditions. The data cover field work done from January to the middle of August 1930, during which time records were made of 61 blasts in 19 quarries. Of the tests made, one was in biotite-gneiss, two in dolomite, two in a flintlike volcanic complex, three in gabbrodiorite, five in trap rock, and six in limestone. One quarry was in Alabama, two were in South Carolina, two in New York, four in Kentucky, five in Connecticut, and five in Massachusetts. Explosive charges ranged from 0.30 pound to 41,900 pounds, and the method of shooting varied from mud caps through hammer and wagon drill holes to churn drill holes and coyote tunnel shots.

Jan 1, 1937

By C. R. McCann

The Bureau of Mines conducted an experimental study of conditions needed to produce flames of pulverized coal when the heat needed for ignition is sup-plied only from the flame and hot furnace refractory. An electrically heated furnace which burned about 1 pound of coal per hour was designed and fabricated. A sheath of air, surrounding the primary coal and air stream, was used to prevent entry of hot gases from recirculating combustion products. Furnace temperatures needed for ignition ranged from about 1,8300 F for an Illinois coal to 2,250° F for a Beckley seam coal. Apparent flame velocities were about 2 to 5 feet per second, increasing with volatile content of the coal and with distance from the burner mouth to the flame. The time required for ignition, approximately 0.02 to 0.07 sec, was a better measure of flame behavior than was velocity.

Jan 1, 1969

To address the safety of programmable electronics-based mining systems before this technology proliferates in the mining industry.

Jan 1, 1999

By K. C. Dean

Changes in the types of materials used for the construction of recent automobile models have occasioned a review of the continued applicability of current recycling techniques. Plastics are being used increasingly in late model cars. To evaluate the changes occurring, a 1972 Mercury Montego, furnished by the Ford Motor Co., was completely dismantled and analyzed, and the composition was compared with that of a composite automobile from 15 vehicles ranging in date of manufacture from 1954 to 1965 and designated as a circa 1960 model. The composite vehicle contained about 26 pounds of plastics, while the 1972 model contained over four times that quantity. The increasing use of plastics in automobiles suggests that research to improve the economic potentiality of plastics recycling is warranted.

Jan 1, 1974

By G. J. Slavens

The U.S. Bureau of Mines conducted research on preparing submicrometer titanium nitride (TiN) powder as a substitute for tungsten carbide (WC) in cutting tools and wear-resistant parts. Earlier research on a small scale was expanded to include a larger reactor. The TiN powder was produced by contacting titanium tetrachloride (TiCI4) with anhydrous ammonia (NH3) in the presence of Mg at 1,100° C. The powder was collected in an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) filled with ultra-high-purity (UHP) Ar. All collected powder was thermal vacuum distilled to remove Mg and magnesium chloride (MgCl2), leaving the purified TiN. Powder handling and purification procedures were conducted to assure low oxygen content in the powder product. Oxygen content in the distilled TiN powder product was as low as 0.40 wt pct. Nitrogen averaged near 22.0 wt pet with a high of 22.4 wt pct. The purified powder product had an average median particle diameter of 0.14 µm with a standard deviation of 0.09 µm.

Jan 1, 2010

By Seth T. Reese

THE INJURY DATA and experience at coke ovens in the United States for 1952 are presented in this bulletin under the following general sections: (A) General injury experience: Tables 1 to 9: Contain current and comparable data on operating statistics, number and classification of injuries, frequency rates, and accident agencies involved in causing injuries. Data are given for the industry as a whole, for each type of oven, and for the States in which coke is manufactured. (B) Selected injury experience: Tables 10 to 15: Contain comparable injury data in the coking industry covering 5- and 10-year periods on the number of injuries, accident agencies, and severity of injuries. (C) Historic injury experience: Tables 16 to 19: Contain data on the number of injuries, frequency rates, and employment at coke ovens from the earliest records through 1952, Operating statistics from 1929 through 1952 are given in table 19.

Jan 1, 1955

By Lotfollah Nahai

India is one of the fortunate countries that has substantial reserves of many raw materials for producing steel; however, for historical and economic reasons these resources have not been aggressively developed until recently. Production of steel on an industrial scale started in 1912, but annual output was below 1 million tons3 in 1938 and about 1,500,000 tons in 1951. Expansion of the steel industry became one of the objectives of India's economic planning after independence in 1947. The Planning Com¬mission's 1951 report emphasized the importance of steel production, but financial obstacles, emphasis on river valley projects, and priority for increased food production in the First 5-Year Plan (1951-56) did not permit large-scale expansion of steel capacity. The 1956 planned target for crude steel, only 1,650,000 tons, was actually exceeded by production of 1,737,900 tons. In the Second 5-Year Plan (1956-61), however, construction of steel plants received a high priority. Currently three new steel plants, each with an annual capacity of approximately 1 million tons of steel, are nearing completion in Rourkela, Dorgapur, and Bhilai. Simultaneously, the two privately owned steel plants and the small State-owned plant in Mysore have been enlarged and modernized. As a result, India's crude steel capacity will be about 6 million tons in 1961, almost evenly divided between Government-owned and privately owned plants. Actual production in 1960 totaled 3,254,000 tons compared with 2,434,000 tons in 1959. Assuming that the population will be 430 million and that capacity production will be achieved, the 1961 per capita steel output will be only 31 pounds compared with 200 pounds for Japan in 1959. Some Indian experts feel that development of steel-consuming industries merits greater emphasis in the Third 5-Year Plan (1961-66) than expanding existing steel-producing facilities. Nonetheless, the Third 5-Year Plan calls for a 10 million ton annual capacity by 1966 to be achieved by expanding the Government-owned plants in Bhilai, Durgapur, and Mysore, and by establishing a new integrated Government plant in Bokaro, in the State of Bihar.

Jan 1, 1961

By E. C. Lane

This paper is the second report of the results of the United States Bureau of Mines twenty-third semiannual survey of motor fuel marketed in the United States. The first paper, reporting data relating to gravity, vapor pressure, and distillation range of the samples, was published as Report of Investigations 31293. A third and concluding paper giving the results of other tests will be published as soon as these tests have been completed. The present paper deals with the data of the twenty-third semiannual survey presented in accordance with the revised specifications for United States Government motor gasoline. The sample numbers used are identical with those used in Report of Investigations 3129, with additional data included for copper strip corrosion (method 530.22).4 and sulphur content by the lamp method.5 Three hundred and twelve samples were collected and analyzed in this survey. Two hundred and seven samples were competitive-price gasolines and one hundred and five samples were premium-price motor fuels.6

Jan 1, 1931

By E. C. Lane

This paper is the second report of the results of the United States Bureau of Mines twenty-third semiannual survey of motor fuel marketed in the United States. The first paper, reporting data relating to gravity, vapor pressure, and distillation range of the samples, was published as Report of Investigations 31293. A third and concluding paper giving the results of other tests will be published as soon as these tests have been completed. The present paper deals with the data of the twenty-third semiannual survey presented in accordance with the revised specifications for United States Government motor gasoline. The sample numbers used are identical with those used in Report of Investigations 3129, with additional data included for copper strip corrosion (method 530.22),4 and sulphur content by the lamp method. Three hundred and twelve samples were collected and analyzed in this survey. Two hundred and seven samples were competitive-price gasolines and one hundred and five samples were premium-price motor fuels.

Jan 1, 1931

By K. K. Kelley

Synthetic fluorphlogopite mica (KMg3AlSi3010F2) is a relatively new product developed at the Norris (Tenn.) Station of the Bureau of Mines, Thermodynamic data have applications both in the production and use of this product, and the work described in this paper was undertaken to fill the need for such data. Measurements were made of the heat of formation at 298° K., the heat capacity between 50° and 298° K., the entropy at 298° K., and the heat-content and entropy increments between 298° K. and a maximum of 1,804° K. These basic data are combined to obtain heats and free energies of formation of the mica from the elements and from molecular constituents at temperatures ranging from 298° to 1,800° K. Minimum heat requirements to form melted mica from commonly used ingredients were calculated.

Jan 1, 1959