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By M. R. Geer

The cleaning of fine coal, particularly for metallurgical use, is receiving greater attention. An increase in the proportion of fine coal in the run-of-mine product has been created by changes in mining practice, and a concur-rent deterioration in the quality of the fines has occurred because of more widespread full-seam mining. These two factors, augmented by the depletion of premium beds of metallurgical coal in some areas and the resulting shift to "dirtier" beds, are providing the impetus for adoption of improved cleaning techniques. For example, froth flotation, which has been used for years in a few preparation plants, now is gaining more rapidly in acceptance. Similarly, the dense-medium cyclone, which is used widely in Europe for making difficult separations, recently has been introduced to the United States. Regardless of the cleaning process employed, the finer sizes of coal can be treated with maximum effectiveness only when they are removed from the run-of-mine product and treated separately. No present process can treat the full range of sizes together with complete effectiveness. Flotation is applicable only to the coal finer than a top size ranging between 14-and 48-mesh, and cyclones require removal of all material finer than 0.5 to 0.3 mm. from the feed. Thus, the trend toward more-effective cleaning of the fine coal imposes the attendant problem of fine screening. Whereas in the past there was little need to screen finer than about l/4-in., present developments indicate that fine screening will become increasingly prevalent.

Jan 1, 1960

By R. S. Fowkes

The Bureau of Mines constructed a fully automated pilot plant facility to study the hydraulic transportation of solids through a lock hopper feeder system. An equation for the energy requirements to transport coarse solids hydraulically proved applicable to this system. Optimum velocities were obtained for limestone, mine refuse, and bituminous coal. The experimental data, calculations, and graphs show the effect of velocity, specific gravity, and solids concentration on head loss and power requirements. Other data were obtained and evaluated to determine the effect of particle size on head loss. Results also are given for (a) tests using friction reducing polymers; (b) tests using seven test sections of steel alloy pipe to determine their wear characteristics; (c) tests to determine spatial segregation of moving particles; and (d) tests to determine the effect of shape, size, and specific gravity on particle velocity in a horizontal pipeline. The lock hopper feeder system was found practical for continuous hydraulic transportation of the material types and size ranges tested.

Jan 1, 1969

By S. J. Aresco

The Bureau of Mines has been active in promoting the purchase of coal for Government use under specifications that define the requirements in terms of heating value of the coal, expressed in British thermal units, and the composition as shown by proximate analyses. To these, when required, are added the ash-softening temperature, the free-swelling index, and the Hardgrove grindability index. Under most of these specification contracts the bidders guarantee the quality of the coal, and that guaranteed by the successful bidder becomes the standard of his contract. The deliveries are sampled in accordance with instructions3 issued by the Bureau of Mines; the samples are analyzed in the Bureau laboratory to determine whether the coal is of the quality guaranteed by the contractor; if it is not, a price adjustment is made. Analyses of the delivered coal and tipple samples (samples collected at mine tipples as coal is being loaded into railroad cars or trucks) provide valuable data for use in evaluating future bids. In addition, the continuous sampling of coal as delivered is a check on the practical results obtained in burning the coal.

Jan 1, 1968

By Joe N. Magee

As part of the important program of promoting conservation and efficient utilization of petroleum, Bureau of Mines engineers are making studies of secondary oil-recovery projects throughout the United states and publishing reports setting forth the pertinent facts so that others may profit by the experience gained. This report presents the results of a study by engineers of the Bureau of Mines, stationed at Franklin, Pa., of secondary oil recovery in a part of the Cabin Creek field, Kanawha and Boone Counties, W. Va., where natural gas is injected into the reservoir to stimulate oil production. Most oil produced in the Appalachian region at present is obtained from stripper fields in which almost all natural energy has been dissipated. Secondary-recovery methods are used extensively in many oil-producing areas of New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky for recovering oil not produced by primary-production methods. The part of the Cabin Creek field reported in this study is shown in figure 1 and has been designated by the operator as project 4. In 1944 the developed area of the entire field was approximately 4,200 acres, and the area of project 4 was about 600 acres. In the developed area of the project the oil reservoir is in the Berea sandstone and occurs at 2,914 to 3,410 feet.

Jan 1, 1952

By Mark Sheppard

This paper is the third of a series recording the results of tests made at various quarries throughout the United States to determine (1) the relation between the size gradation of feed to, and product from, primary crushers, (2) the particle shape of the crushed. product, (3) the differences in gradation and particle shape produced by different types of primary crushers, and (4) the differences in gradation and particle shape caused by crushing different kinds of stone. Progress reports 1 and 2 dealt with comparisons of different types of crushers crushing the same type of stone. This report deals with relation¬ship between feed and product of two different limestones, as to size distribution and particle shape, when crashed in the same crusher.

Jan 1, 1938

This is the eighth in a series of reports en properties of commercial meter fuels, made in accordance with a cooperative agreement between the Cooperative Fuel Research (C. F. R.) Committee and the Bureau of Mines of the United States Department of the interior. The first report gave data en meter gasolines sold during the winter of 1935-36.3/ The present report, covering 1,679 samples, represents the products of 118 companies plus these from the Pacific coast, which were averaged by the Pacific Coast Technical Group before being submitted and are published exactly as they were submitted. The throe groups of data en samples of regular, premium, and third-grade gasolines arc averaged separately. The number of samples and brands representing each grade are as follows: Regular price, 869 samples, 76 brands; premium price, 452 samples, 45 brands; third-grade, 358 samples, 82 brands. In this report the same marketing districts are retained as were used in the preceding report, and as far as possible the actual sampling points in each area arc indicated on table 1.

Jan 1, 1940

[This is the eighth in a series of reports on properties of commercial motor fuels, made in accordance with a cooperative agreement between the Cooperative Fuel Research (C.F.R.) Committee and the Bureau of Mines of the United States Department of the interior. The fir t report gave data on motor gasolines sold during the winter of 1935-36.3/ The present report, covering 1,679 simples, represents the products of US companies plus those from the Pacific coast, witch were averaged by the Pacific Coast Technical Group before being submitted and arc published exactly as they were submitted. The three groups of data on samples of regular, premium, and third-grade gasolines are averred separately. the, number of samples and brands representing each grade are as follows: Regular price, 869 samples, 76 brands; premium price, 452 sample, 45 brands; third-grade 358 samples, 52 brands. In this report the same marketing districts are retained as were used in the preceding report, and as for as possible the actual sampling points in each area are indicated on table 1.]

Jan 1, 1940

By T. M. Garland

This report presents a Bureau of Mines assessment of crude oil and associated gas production and reserves that would result from different drilling efforts in the lower or contiguous 48 States during the 1972-85 period. The drilling effort was based upon five growth rate assumptions from the 1971 level. Additions to crude oil reserves were computed for nine cases resulting from the use of three equations for findings per foot drilled and three constant revision factors. The results indicate that the United States will not become self-sufficient in crude oil production by 1985 and also illustrate the lead time required to reverse the decline in oil production. Discussion is limited to three of the nine cases to provide high, intermediate, and low results. More emphasis is on the intermediate case because it is indicative of the most probable trends. The methodology and statistical data are included in the appendices.

Jan 1, 1974

By A. J. Kraemer

This report is one of a series dealing with oil-shale-operations in foreign countries visited and studied by Bureau of Mines oil-shale technologists within the past 4 years. Many oil-shale deposits have been discovered in Brazil and studied with various degrees of thoroughness. In this report the major emphasis is upon the oil-shale concessions of Companhia Nacional de Oleos Mineraes, in the River Valley of the State of Sao Paulo, because this oil-shale deposit is one of the most promising in Brazil for large-scale utilization for the manufacture of liquid fuels and other products of oil-shale processing, and because the opportunity was afforded to examine the concession area and to study mining, retorting, and. refining operations on these shales. Results of detailed analyses at the Oil Shale Research and Development Laboratories of the United States Bureau of Mines, Laramie, Wyo., are reported, Analyses and other date dealing with other oil-shale deposits in Brazil have been compiled from many sources. As many data have been reported as could be correlated to indicate the range of variation of the several types of shale end similar material. The oil-shale deposits in Brazil differ widely in size, richness of the shale, and of the oil. Some deposits are situate& more favorably for exploitation than others.

Jan 1, 1950

By Lloyd Williams, R. E. Hershey, B. W. Gandrud

"1. The investigation shows that the Sewanee bed is the only bed of major importance in Marion County, 97 percent of the coal mined in the county having come :from this bed. There are coal reserves in minor quantity in the Battle Creek bed, and production from this bed depends on a few small truck mines. The Richland bed, or Lower Sevanee has been mined in the past, but no coal has been produced from it in late years. There are no production records of any other beds in the county, although some coal has been produced from them.2. Known measured and indicated reserves in all beds, based on a minimum thickness of 14 inches and on l,800 tons per acre-foot of coal in place, are estimated to be 61 million short tons as of January 1, 1953. Of this total, 55 million short tons is in beds 28 inches and more thick. Areas in each bed ·were omitted from the estimate where available data relative to the bed characteristics are too meager to permit making an estimate that conforms with the definitions of measured and indicated coal adopted for this study. Should future drilling or development prove reserves in these areas, such reserves should be added to the total estimated reserves.3. Recoverable reserves of coal are estimated in beds 28 inches and more 'thick. This recovery is based on total thickness of coal in the bed (less partings 3/8-inch thick or more), rather than on the thickness of the coal actually mined. This thickness is about the minimum now being mined by hand loading onto conveyors in the Appalachian Region. The combined weighted average recovery for the Sewanee and Battle Creek beds in Marion County, as determined by this investigation, is 60.9 percent. Based on this, the recoverable reserves of coal in Marion County are estimated at 34 million tons."

Oct 1, 1955

By P. D. Lindahl

[A cost/benefit analysis was conducted by comparing the industry cost to protective structures on low-coal face equipment with the benefits paid for injuries/fatalities considered preventable by the use of these structures. Th industry costs were based on estimates by OEM's and rebuild shops for install protective structures on new and rebuilt face equipment. The accident benefit was based on evaluations performed by the USBM Accident Cost Indicator Model. Industry wide population data were developed on low-coal face equipment and injuries/ fatalities preventable with protective structures. The results of the analysis are to be used as a tool by USBM in determining the feasibility of continuing development of cab and canopy technology for low-coal equipment.]

Jan 1, 1983

By J. W. Miller

From 1889, when the first railroad shipments of coal were made from McDowell County, W. Va., until today, the coals produced from the New River and Pocahontas groups have had a good reputation as premium low-volatile coals. Although there has been a large production from the Pocahontas No. 3 and. Pocahontas No. 4 beds, considerable reserves remain. This Bureau of Mines publication is one of a series appraising the Nation's coking-coal reserves by presenting data on the basis of which the practicability of upgrading marginal deposits to metallurgical standards can be determined. This study of the preparation characteristics of McDowell County coals is the second of the series to be undertaken in West Virginia. The Pocahontas No. 3 and No, 4 beds have not been included because their washing characteristics are well known.

Jan 1, 1954

By Albert W. Deurbrouck

The performance of four sand cones was evaluated by the Bureau of Mines in three preparation plants that utilized cones in various flow schemes. The cone at plant A was a simple two-product one that provided clean coal and refuse. Plant B had two cones; one cone made a primary separation and the other a secondary separation. The primary cone separated salable coal from heavy rejects. The secondary cone separated a low-ash metallurgical coal and an intermediate-ash product suitable for plant fuel or steam markets. In plant C the sand cone was equipped with a middlings draw Which continually removed an intermediate specific-gravity product below the surface of the cone. The three primary separations of raw coal effected between floats and sinks were excellent. The recovery efficiencies for the plus 1/4-inch material ranged from 99.8 to 97.6 percent, the error areas ranged from 19 to 23 square centimeters, and the probable errors in specific gravity ranged from 0.033 to 0.024. The performance data of the two secondary separations varied from excellent in plant B, where the separation was on a par with the primary separations, to somewhat inferior in plant C, where the secondary separation was effected at the middlings draw.

Jan 1, 1965

By R. L. Crosby

From studies of wrought magnesium alloys containing rare-earth elements, data are presented on the mechanical properties of the alloys at room temperature and at temperatures of 100°, 200°, and 300° C. Results of studies of the solid-solubility of cerium and zirconium in magnesium as determined by electrical resistance measurements are also discussed and are compared with those of other investigators. The strength of magnesium-cerium alloys did not increase with the addition of vanadium and titanium dioxide. The addition of zirconium increased the tensile strength of the alloys as much as 10,000 p.s.i. at room temperature, but this increase diminished above 100° C.

Jan 1, 1962

By H. C. Carpenter

Data are presented comparing results obtained with 17 different catalysts in hydrogenating crude shale oil to gasoline in single-pass operation. A method is described for predicting the maximum yield of gasoline obtainable at constant pressure for each catalyst from results of a limited number of experiments at different temperatures. Operating variables have considerable influence on yields and properties of products. With most of the catalysts, at operating temperatures below 890° F. liquid yield exceeded 100 volume-percent. Above this temperature the volume of liquid product decreased rapidly. Maximum gasoline production in most instances was achieved at a temperature higher than that at which the maximum volume of liquid product was produced.

Jan 1, 1959

By C. A. Komar

The Bureau of Mines has undertaken an investigation to determine possible applications of acoustic energy at sonic and ultrasonic frequencies to improve ultimate recovery from oil reservoirs. A literature search was conducted to provide background information for initiating laboratory research. The purpose of the literature search was to review the uses that have been made of acoustic energy in the petroleum industry and to select procedures and techniques that could be applied to the solution of petroleum production problems. The characteristics (68)3 of ultrasonic energy make it potentially useful to a variety of industrial and experimental applications. Pulse techniques (99) are common in the testing of materials where inspection is accomplished by propagating an ultrasonic pulse through the material. Viscosity measurements (45) are made by interpreting changes in the absorption of sound as it is propagated through a flowing liquid. Cavitation phenomena (93) produced by high-intensity ultrasound in liquids have been used extensively in industrial cleaning, machining, impact grinding, and aluminum soldering operations.

Jan 1, 1963

By Andrew B. Cecala, Robert J. Timko, Alexander D. Prokop

Bag loading and stacking processes are the highest dust-exposure job categories in the metal/nonmetal mining industry.1 To cost-effectively decrease respirable dust levels, the Pittsburgh Research Center of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), formerly of the U. S. Bureau of Mines, designed and tested a system called the Bag and Belt Cleaner Device (B&BCD). [ ]

By W. A. Stickney, J. W. Town

Batch and continuous - circuit flotation , leaching , precipitation , and electrodeposition studies were made by the Bureau of Mines to determine optimum conditions for treatment of complex mercury - antimony sulfide and mercury- arsenic sulfide ores and concentrates . On the Red Devil ore sample over 95 percent of both the mercury and antimony sulfides were recovered in a flotation concentrate containing 35.6 percent mercury and 21.0 percent antimony . By selective flotation a mercury concentrate containing 71.0 percent mercury and 2.9 percent antimony was obtained with a mercury recovery of 90.4 percent . Leaching results show that , with 150 grams per liter of sodium sulfide and 50 grams per liter of sodium hydroxide , 95 to 99 percent of the mercury , antimony , and arsenic sulfides could be extracted from the concentrates treated . Sodium hydroxide reagent consumption was based on the sulfides generated in the dissolution of the sulfide minerals and on the method of metal recovery used . Selective leaching of the antimony and arsenic sulfides with potassium sulfide dissolved more than 95 percent of either of these two sulfides and 0.5 to 5 percent of the mercury sulfide present . Methods for recovering mercury and antimony from solution were electrodeposition of mercury followed by electrodeposition of antimony , aluminum precipitation of both mercury and antimony , or antimony precipitation of mercury followed by antimony electrodeposition . The method used in recovering the mercury depended on the mercury- antimony content of the solution being treated .Batch and continuous - circuit flotation , leaching , precipitation , and electrodeposition studies were made by the Bureau of Mines to determine optimum conditions for treatment of complex mercury - antimony sulfide and mercury- arsenic sulfide ores and concentrates . On the Red Devil ore sample over 95 percent of both the mercury and antimony sulfides were recovered in a flotation concentrate containing 35.6 percent mercury and 21.0 percent antimony . By selective flotation a mercury concentrate containing 71.0 percent mercury and 2.9 percent antimony was obtained with a mercury recovery of 90.4 percent . Leaching results show that , with 150 grams per liter of sodium sulfide and 50 grams per liter of sodium hydroxide , 95 to 99 percent of the mercury , antimony , and arsenic sulfides could be extracted from the concentrates treated . Sodium hydroxide reagent consumption was based on the sulfides generated in the dissolution of the sulfide minerals and on the method of metal recovery used . Selective leaching of the antimony and arsenic sulfides with potassium sulfide dissolved more than 95 percent of either of these two sulfides and 0.5 to 5 percent of the mercury sulfide present . Methods for recovering mercury and antimony from solution were electrodeposition of mercury followed by electrodeposition of antimony , aluminum precipitation of both mercury and antimony , or antimony precipitation of mercury followed by antimony electrodeposition . The method used in recovering the mercury depended on the mercury- antimony content of the solution being treated .

Jan 1, 1964

By O. C. Blade

This report on the properties of aviation gasolines and aviation jet fuels produced in the United States during 1956 was made under a cooperative agreement between the American Petroleum Institute and the Bureau of Mines of the United States Department of the Interior. Analytical data are presented for 120 samples of aviation gasoline and for 38 samples of aviation jet fuel. The analyses were made on samples typical of the manufacturers' 1956 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 17 producers of aviation jet fuels are represented.

Jan 1, 1957

By C. H. Riggs

This report describes the geology and reviews the oil-production history of the Dutcher sands of Pennsylvania age in the Muskogee oilfield. The geology and production history are presented not alone as a review of the past behavior of the field but also to interpret the possibilities for future production of oil from semidepleted sands in this and similar areas. The Muskogee field, one of the oldest oil-producing areas in Oklahoma, yields paraffin-base oil of 40° API gravity -a gravity higher than that of most Oklahoma oils. Oil was discovered in the townsite of Muskogee in 1894 but was not produced in commercial quantities until 1904. A peak yearly rate of 1,340,000 barrels of oil was attained in 1910 (see table 1).

Jan 1, 1959