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By John S. Berber

Bureau of Mines research on the production of phthalic anhydride by vapor phase oxidation of hydrocarbons began at Morgantown, W. Va., in October 1960. For these preliminary studies, a known solution containing naphthalene and 1-methylnaphthalene was used. In another series of tests, pure naphthalene was dissolved in different solvents. A series of investigations was conducted with the neutral oil fraction (210° to 270° C) of a low-temperature tar obtained from the Texas Power and Light Company's low-temperature carbonization unit. The neutral oil fraction was first dealkylated, and then the product was distilled into 210° to 250° C and 250° to 270° C fractions. These two fractions were then subjected to catalytic vapor phase oxidation. Although a number of catalysts was tested, most of the experiments were made using 9 percent vanadium pentoxide on inert alumina. The activity of this catalyst did not decrease after 162 hours at 1,030° F. Studies were conducted over a temperature range from 610° to 1,180° F. An operating temperature of 1,030° F yielded 47.50 percent of phthalic anhydride from a synthetic mixture of naphthalene and 1-methylnaphthalene. The highest yield (84.40 percent phthalic anhydride) was obtained with naphthalene dissolved in toluene and also with naphthalene dissolved in methyl ethyl ketone. With a 210° to 250° C fraction the highest yield of phthalic anhydride obtained was 12.32 percent at a temperature of 900° F, and, with a 250° to 270° C fraction, it was 15.80 percent at a temperature of 875° F.

Jan 1, 1963

By B. Olson, V. A. Marple, D. J. Radet

"Gravitational forces have been found to be an important factor in defining the particle collection efficiency curve of inertial impactors for large particles. In general it was found that if the parameter G = gW /V 0 2 (g is the gravitational acceleration. w is the nozzle diameter and V 0 is the average fluid velocity at the nozzle throat) in greater than 10-3 the efficiency curve would shift to lower panicle sizes. No effect could be seen for lower values of G.IN'IRODUCTIONInertial impactors have long been used as classifiers for airborne particles. By proper design of the nozzles and flow rate it is possible to classify particles with a fairly sharp cut in the particle size range from approximately .02 µm to 50 µm. Because of inertial impactors wide usage they have been extensively studied calibrated and evaluated. Most of these studies have been experimental calibrations of single stages using monodisperse aerosol particles. However, due to impactor simplicity. i.e. a jet of particle laden air impinging upon a flat plate with large inertia particles crossing the streamlines and impacting upon the plate the impactor also lends itself to theoretical evaluation.The most comprehensive method for analyzing impactors theoretically is to use finite difference solutions to the Navier-Stokcs equations and solve for the velocity components and pressure at node points of a grid placed over the area of interest. Using iteration and relaxation techniques the value of the velocity vectors can be determined at these node points with good accuracy. Once the velocities arc known, theoretical particles of known size can be placed into the now field and their trajectories determined by analyzing their equation of motion using numerical methods.Rader and Marple (1985) have performed theoretical analysis on impactors and have included such factors as Ultra-Stoksian .drag and the physical diameter of the particle in their analysis. However, even with these· factors included, there appears to be discrepancy · between the experimental and theoretical results when the particle size is larger than approximately 4 or 5 µm. One possible reason for this discrepancy could be the effect of gravity on the particle as it passes through the impactor. Therefore, a program was initiated to study the effects of gravitational forces on the collection· efficiency of particles in impactors. The results of that study arc presented here."

Jan 1, 1990

By Paul Biggs

This Bureau of Mines report provides information on 138 waterflood projects in Wyoming. Injection was in 25 producing zones and 65 fields. Specific data presented include field location, discovery and development, water supply and injection, oil and water production, estimates of oil in place, and oil recoveries by primary and secondary methods. The 138 projects studied will, if successful, recover about 800 million barrels of secondary oil. Almost all of the injection water is from deep water wells.

Jan 1, 1970

By Ryron O. Pickard

"The Berkeley safety station of the U. S. Bureau of Mines was recently informed that a geologist was killed through entering an abandoned 90-foot exploratory shaft without making a preliminary test of the shaft atmosphere. He was one of a geological party which was investigating coal lands in California. The only light that he carried into the shaft was an electric flash light. After he had descended a short distance, one of his associates on the surface heard him exclaim, ""This place is full of gas, I am coming up"", He had no more than finished the remark when he was seen to lose his grip on the ladder and fall down the shaft. He was apparently weakened from impure air in the shaft, and could no longer suppers himself on the ladder. When his body was recovered, it was found that his neck had been broken by the fall.This is the ;second recent accident that has been called to the writer's attention where a life has been lost in abandoned exploratory workings; the other fatality being in Minnesota where a mining engineer was overcome while sampling a shallow pit in iron-ore formations. This engineer was on the bottom of the shallow pit and died before help could reach him. It was generally supposed that each of these deaths were due to poisonous gases, but the writer believes, after reviewing the information available, that death in both instances may have been directly caused by deficiency in oxygen.Frequently in the daily press there are items relative to lives being lost through cleaning out old wells, and as a general rule such accidents are also caused by impure atmospheres.In every abandoned shaft or pit, or in fact, any old working where the air has been stagnant for a considerable time, there is always danger of oxygen deficiency, as the oxygen which originally comprised one-fifth of the atmosphere may be appreciably replaced by gases that do not support life, usually by carbon dioxide (black damp) or methane (fire damp). Much valuable information on the subject of mine atmospheres, mine gases, and the effect of oxygen deficiency onthe human system is contained in Miners' Circular 14, ""Gases Found in Coal Mines"" by G.F. Burrell and F. M. Seibert; Technical Paper 122, ""Effects of Oxygen Deficincy on Small Animals and Men"", by G. A. Burrell and G. G. Oberfell; and ''Chit of Properties of Mine Gees"" by G. A. Burrell. These publications of the Bureau of Mines should be rent by all who are interested in the subject of this paper."

Nov 1, 1921

By G. S. Rice

[This paper describes preliminary tests at the Bureau's Experimental Mine to determine, under conditions that may prevail ira bituminous coal-mine heading, how small a quantity of fire damp may bring coal-dust into suspension and ignite to it. The results show that the explosion of as little as 150 cubic feet of an explosive mixture of gas and air containing 9 per cent natural gas may start a disastrous explosion Of coal-dust. This is a very small volume, of gas, to cause such a result. Let us suppose that this amount of exclusive mixture, was at the face of an entry which was 10 feet wide and the face was overcut to a depth of 6 foot and an upper layer of coal 2 1/2 feet thick had been removed, the recess so made would save a volume of 150 cubic feet. Furthermore, only 13 cubic feet of pure methane is needed in this volume to produce this 9 per cent explosive mixture.]

Jan 1, 1930

By S. P. Sandoval, A. E. Clark, S. W. Yopps, J. S. Gomer

The U.S. Bureau of Mines conducted Cu exchange tests for six common clays under simulated in situ leaching conditions. Regression equations were obtained from the data expressing the Cu exchange capacity as a function of Cu concentration, pH, and temperature. Using these equations, an analysis was made of the impact each clay could have on overall Cu recovery. The results suggest that Ca and Na montmorillonite clays could have a major impact on Cu recovery and that attapulgite and illite clays could have a smaller, but still significant, impact. Kaolinite and ripidolite clays pose little threat to loss of Cu from in situ leaching solutions.

Jan 1, 1992

By John R. Benham

The Long Swamp RARE II area contains no prospects, claims, or mines. It has a low potential for ore deposits. There are no geothermal, oil, or gas leases in the area. APPRAISAL There are no mining districts in the study area. The nearest is Chewack Mining District, which is 6 mi (9.6 km) north of the area. This district had numerous claims located for tungsten; the principal tungsten ore mineral was wolframite. Wolframite was found here in 1898 by surveyors of the International Boundary Commission. The area was staked in 1908 and developed during 1915 and 1916. Only in 1936 was ore shipped; the 30 ton (27.2 t) shipment proved to be unprofitable for the claimants (Culver, 1945, p. 41).

Jan 1, 1982

By Charles Prasky

This report describes bench-scale studies and pilot-plant development of the Bureau of Mines process for roasting iron ores with a ferrous scrap reductant, such as discarded automobile hulks, to yield artificial magnetite. Quality magnetic concentrates containing about 66 percent iron and 6 percent silica with iron recoveries of over 90 percent were obtained after roasting fine-grained oxidized or nonmagnetic taconite with unburned, sheared automobile hulks in a rotary kiln. The relatively complete oxidation of the lighter gage metal in the automobile during roasting resulted in a metallic byproduct consisting of the unconsumed heavier gage metal scrap. This residual or tailored scrap is potentially useful as heavy melting stock and has more value than the original automobile hulk.

Jan 1, 1970

By W. J. Wenger

Results of the analyses of 151 crude oils from 123 oilfields in the Williston basin are presented. Production statistics are compiled by geographical areas within the basin, by geological age of the producing zones, by States, and by field for the nine fields with the greatest production. Characteristics of the oils are tabulated, and correlations are included to show relationships between properties of the oils and some factors in the environment. Properties of the oils in some instances imply that there has been migration and mixing of the oils between productive formations of different geological time periods.

Jan 1, 1968

By J. J. Jakosky, D. H. Zellers

"IntroductionThe Bureau of Mines has been conducting experiments in underground communication during a period of several years, and a brief summary of what has been done is as follows:During 1919-1920, investigations were conducted with the geophone. This instrument was used extensively during the World War for detecting enemy digging and mining operations, by means of the vibrations transmitted through the earth strata.A preliminary investigation using short wave-length (200 to 300 meters) radio equipment carried out jointly with engineers of the Westinghouse Electric & Mfg, Co. during 1922.The step was to investigate ground conduction signaling, (called T.P.S. in Signal Corps parlance)."

Nov 1, 1924

By W. M. Weigel

"Sand is one of the commonest materials for industrial use, not only as a building material, but in many industrial processes. The general name applies to all grades, from the comparatively impure, unsorted product used in concrete, to especially sized products of extreme chemical purity. Various definitions have been proposed, all more or less open to objection, as they fail to cover special applications. One is: ""Sand - The fine granular material naturally or artificially produced by the disintegration or crushing of rock or slag"". This does not fit the definition of sand as understood by geologists, who consider sand only as a naturally formed product. Another is: ""Sand - The fine granular material naturally produced by the disintegration of rock"". This does not take the chemical com-position into account, and for practically all uses, except in concrete and plaster products, a material composed predominantly of silica or rather quarts is implied.Sand for special purposes usually requires different methods of preparation from those where the ordinary mixture of sizes as naturally occurring are suitable. One of the classes requiring the most uniformly sized grains is sand blast sand.Sand Blast SandThe use of the sand blast has increased rapidly during the past few years. It was formerly used almost entirely in the foundry to clean and remove inequalities from rough castings. This is still the most important application, but in addition, it is now employed for the removal of paint from old surfaces, carving and engraving on stone and marble, glass cutting, cleaning or renovating the rails of stone and brick buildings that have become discolored, preparing the surface of metals for the electrolytic bath, putting the final finish to metal surfaces, and has even been proposed as a means of channeling or cutting out blocks of stone in the quarry."

Jun 1, 1924

By D. B. Dow

The study of oil production methods with reference to the amount of oil originally pressent in the oil-bearing, formations has developed the fact that-ordinary methods-of production remove only a part of the oil actually present. In fact, it is generally realized that when a field is abandoned more oil remains in the sand than has ever been removed. As a consequence of this realization, the petroleum engineer has devoted considerable tine in recent years in devising methods for increasing the percentage of recovery. His studies have indicated that in most cases the total production of a field is dependent upon the available gas rather than upon the available oil. Mien the gas in the sand is exhausted, oil production ceases even though there may be enormous quantities of oil remaining unrecovered. Consequently, any method of conserving the gas or increasing the supply of gas will increase the ultimate recovery from a field. The practice of producing oil under vacuum increases the effectiveness of the gas remaining in the sand, as well as furnishing more gas by evaporating the light fractions of the crude. Pumping ' compressed gas or air down selected wells of a lease has been found to increase the production of oil from the surrounding wells. Studies of oil and gas ratios have indicated that much of the available gas has been wasted as far as its effectiveness on oil production is concerned. his has led to the development of "stop cocking"3 and the practice of producing under back pressure3, which methods aim, to obtain more effective work from the gas with reference to the amount of oil delivered to the well.

Jan 1, 1926

By R. Karl Zipf

In some instances, extensive room-and-pillar working scan collapse with little warning and pose a serious risk to underground miners. Traditional strength-based pillar design methods applicable to coal or hard-rock mines use a factor of safety defined as pillar strength divided by pillar stress. Factor of stability, defined as local mine stiffness divided by post-failure pillar stiffness, may offer a way to design room-and-pillar mines and eliminate collapses. Three alternative design approaches to decreasing the risk of large-scale catastrophic collapses are described: the containment approach, the prevention approach, and the full-extraction approach. Until good data on the post-failure behavior of pillars become available, the containment and full-extraction options are the safest. The limitations in our ability to evaluate both the stability of old workings and the long-term performance of room-and-pillar mines are described.

By R. O. Dannenberg

Exploratory research was conducted to ascertain the feasibility of recovering beryllium from Spor Mountain, Utah, ore by the sodium fluosilicate (Na2SiF6) method used industrially for processing beryl. Na2SiF6 requirements to form water-soluble salts of beryllium were determined for three different samples--two clayey ores containing 0.6 and 1.3 pct BeO, respectively, and a calcareous ore containing 0.6 pct BeO. The ores were sintered with Na2SiF6 at 750° C for 3 hours. About 80 pct of the beryllium was rendered water soluble by sintering the 0.6-pct BeO ores with 30 and 40 lb Na2SiF6 per lb BeO contained in clayey and calcareous ores, respectively. The higher grade 1.3-pct BeO clayey ore required only 20 lb Na2SiF6 per lb BeO to solubilize over 80 pet of the beryllium. As the 0.6-pct BeO clayey ore was possibly the most representative of the deposit as presently delineated, leach liquor prepared from this sample was treated to recover beryllium salts. About 60 pet of the beryllium contained in the ore was recovered as beryllium hydroxide, which then was calcined to yield a 99-pct BeO final product by means of the following operations: (1) Sintering with Na2SiF2, (2) leaching with water, (3) precipitating crude Be(OH)2 by adding NaOH, (4) filtering to separate the hydroxide from the NaF solution, (5) redissolving the crude Be(OH)2 in excess NaOH, (6) filtering to reject caustic-insoluble impurities, and finally (7) boiling the Na2BeO2 filtrate from (8) to precipitate pure Be(OH)2. Reagent consumption was 49 lb Na2SiF6 per lb BeO recovered and 17 lb NaOH per lb BeO.

Jan 1, 1963

By D. L. Boreck

Thick coal seams are common in the Western United States, Many seams are over 50 it thick (some are over 200 ft thick) and are too deep to extract using surface methods. Currently, such deposits are developed using standard "eastern" mining methods which only extract a few feet of total seam thickness, often rendering the remaining coal unminable with current technology. Novel methods that increase thick-seam recovery have been developed and are currently being used in Europe. These methods--high-face single-pass and multislice longwall, longwall caving, and hydraulic mining--have great potential for use in the United States. Successful use of these methods is an objective of the Bureau of Mines. Their use requires, among other things, a full evaluation of geologic features common to thick coals. The objective of this report is to present and summarize those features that will affect the introduction of the methods into thick-seam mines in the Western United States. The geologic elements delineated are three-dimensional configuration of the seam, cleat development, joints and fractures, roof and floor lithology, and faulting.

Jan 1, 1986

By A. Gene Collins

During recent years the interest in trace and minor constituents of oil-field water, petroleum, and their associated reservoir rocks has increased. The metals copper, nickel, lead, manganese, iron, zinc, and cadmium are not determined routinely in oilfield brine analyses. Determination of these metals and subsequent correlation of these data should yield information to aid 1n the interpretation of the origin of different waters. The methods of analyzing oilfield waters have several potential applications: (1) Aiding in the search for petroleum; (2) identifying sources of intrusive brines; (3) controlling corrosion; (4) controlling produced water; increasing knowledge of the geology of subsurface formations; (5) identifying incompatible waters in waterflooding operations; (6) increasing the knowledge of the flow of oil, gas, and water in underground formations; and (7) aiding in the identification and location of valuable mineral reserves. Some brines contain enough valuable minerals to be recovered commercially.

Jan 1, 1962

By G. S. Rice

This paper describes preliminary tests at the Bureau's Experimental Mine to determine, under conditions that may prevail in a bituminous coal-mine heading, how small a quantity of fire damp may bring coal-dust into suspension and ignite it. The results show that the explosion of as little as 150 cubic feet of an explosive mixture of gas and air containing 9 per cent natural gas may start a disastrous explosion of coal-dust. This is a very small volume, of gas, to cause such a result. Let us suppose that this amount of explosive mixture, as at the face of an entry which was 10 feet wide and the face was overcut to a depth of 6 feet and an upper layer of coal 2.5 feet thick had been removed, the recess so made would have a volume of 150 cubic feet. Furthermore, only 13 cubic feet of pure methane is needed in thin volume to produce this 9 per cent explosive mixture.

Jan 1, 1930

1. In 2003, a total of 4,357 stone mining operations reported employment to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). The major industrial classifications in stone mining are dimension stone (used for construction purposes), crushed and broken stone (aggregates), cement, and lime. • Stone mines comprised 30.3% of all mining operations. • Mines producing crushed and broken stone (n = 3,412) comprised 78.3% of all stone mining operations.

Feb 1, 2005

By Samuel B. Flagg

The Bureau of Mines is endeavoring to ascertain how mineral fuels in which the Government has a direct interest, by ownership or use, can be utilized with highest efficiency. For this reason the bureau has been, and is, carrying on investigations to ascertain the condi- tions of furnace construction and management that are necessary to insure the smokeless combustion of the different coals that are found in public lands or are purchased for Government ships and power plants. Another reason for the bureau undertaking these investigations is the need of better furnace management and a more careful selec- tion of fuel at many Government plants. There are Federal build- ings in hundreds of cities. The coals available at many of these cities differ greatly in quality, and the furnaces in some of the Fed- eral buildings were not designed for efficient utilization of the cheap- est available coal. Hence, some of the boiler plants smoke badly unless fed with low-volatile coal and have caused repeated com- plaints not only from neighboring property owners who have suffered damage, but from persons endeavoring to create a civic pride in clear air. In the course of its fuel investigations the bureau has noted the conditions governing fuel consumption in different cities and has studied the attempts made by these cities to abate smoke through the passage of ordinances imposing penalties on smoky stacks. Some results of that study are presented in this report. The most im- portant conclusion reached is that smoke abatement by ordinance can not hope to succeed unless supported by public sentiment and that a smoke ordinance should look to future prevention rather than to immediate prohibition. In other words, strict control of furnace construction offers much greater hope for smoke abatement than desultory imposition of severe penalties on the escape of "dense" or "black" smoke.

Jan 1, 1912

By A. L. Murray, C. A. Allen

"In the Spring of 1919, the Industrial Commission of Utah undertook the assembling of safety orders covering metal mining operations Just at that time there appeared several articles in the mining papers advocating the licensing of hoisting engineers, so this subject was given careful consideration,The licensing of hoisting engineers means that they must pass an examination covering the mechanical features of hoists and boilers, and must have a certain amount of experience. This undoubtedly serves to get a class of hoisting engineers that are better informed about the mechanical operation and theoretical considerations in hoisting and the only room for argument against it is that it is difficult to give an examination that will determine whether or not a man is a competent hoisting engineer.A man might pass an excellent examination yet be absolutely unqualified to operate a hoist and the judgment of the mine super- intelligent would have to be depended upon to choose the right man from among those who were licensed. This difficulty of properly determining, by ordinary examination, a man's qualifications to run a hoist caused the idea of licensing' in the ordinary sense of the word to be abandoned; but, as there was no question that a hoisting engineer should be physically fit, it was decided to require a medical examination, and at the same time to require the hoist engineer to state his experience, so the State would better knowledge of his general qualifications.The orders covering the question were therefore issued as follows;"

Jan 1, 1920