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By Linneas W. Laage

The purpose of this report is to document the fire experiments conducted at the Waldo Mine, NM during March 1990. The U.S. Bureau of Mines is concerned with improving and validating the predictive capability of the mine ventilation and fire simulator, MFJRE. To accomplish this, fire experiments were conducted at the Waldo Mine and temperature profiles were developed as functions of time and distance from the fire. These tests then provided data for verifying the heat transfer model in the MFIRE mine ventilation and fire simulator. An initial analysis of this data indicates that it will serve this purpose well. This report summarizes the data obtained during six fire tests at the Waldo Mine.

Jan 1, 1994

By J. C. Johnson, W. G. Pariseau, D. F. Scott, F. M. Jenkins

In situ stresses are important input data for the design of safe, stable stope layouts and extraction sequences. However, it is commonly assumed that normal and shear stress gradients in a stress field are negligible and, consequently, that stresses are uniform throughout the region of analysis. To evaluate these assumptions and to provide input data for an analysis of a shaft pillar mining plan, in situ stresses were measured at the Homestake Mine, Lead, SD, using overcoring on hollow inclusion cells and borehole deformation gauges. These measurements were used with conventional least squares, best fit data reduction schemes. The results showed that normal stresses within the shaft pillar were less than, but comparable to, those estimated from finite-element modeling. Shear stresses were an order of magnitude less than normal stresses and varied considerably from site to site. Possible causes of this variability include effects of scale, elastic moduli, anisotropy, and axial strain. Because of the variability, it is not possible to determine the magnitude of horizontal stress gradients.

Jan 1, 1993

By Sidney Katell

This report covers the period January 1963 through December 1963; it is a continuation of the series that began with the publication of Information Circular 7516 in October 1949. Also, it is the fifth in a series of reports prepared under a cooperative agreement between the Bureau of Mines and the American Association of Cost Engineers. The agreement provides for the publication of an annual cost bibliography with the work load involved in the preparation shared equally. The abstracted articles, concerned with all facets of cost engineering in the field of chemical and petroleum plants and related subjects, are from the following sources: 1. American Association of Cost Engineers Bulletin. 2. Bureau of Mines Information Circulars. 3. Bureau of Mines Reports of Investigations. 4. Chemical Engineering. 5. Chemical Engineering Progress. 6. Chemical Week. 7. Coal Age. 8. Coal--Today and Tomorrow. 9. Coal Utilization. 3/ 10. Cost Engineering. 11. Hydrocarbon Processing and Petroleum Refiner. 12. Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. 13. Nucleonics. 14. Oil and Gas Journal. 15. Petroleum Management. 16. World Oil.

Jan 1, 1964

By G. S. Scott

Mine fires have occurred since the mining of coal was begun, and they are still occurring. The resulting economic waste may become considerable (219),3 especially if a fire is allowed to assume major proportions or to get beyond control temporarily. It is important, therefore, to act promptly whenever a fire is suspected and to have every action count. To do this effectively, it is necessary to know at the earliest possible moment and thereafter what is happening in a remote or inaccessible area. It is equally important to know before¬hand what may be expected as a result of any proposed combative measure. The logical method of combatting a fire demands the cooperation of both mining engineer and chemist. They should decide the course of action to be taken, drawing upon the mining engineer's intimate knowledge of the physical structure of the fire area, the cost and time required for proposed operations, and the probable efficiency with which they could be carried out, and upon the chemist's knowledge of the results to be expected therefrom.

Jan 1, 1944

By R. J. Fantel

The Bureau of Mines investigated the resource availability of titanium minerals from 63 mines and deposits in 12 market economy countries. These mines and deposits contain, at the demonstrated resource level, an estimated 438 million metric tons (mt) of titanium dioxide (TiO2) in the minerals rutile, ilmenite, leucoxene, and anatase. An additional 314 million mt of TiOz is available from inferred resources. If all titanium minerals and other recovered heavy minerals are sold at total costs at least equal to the January 1984 market prices, approximately 200 million mt of contained TiO2 could be recovered in total. In terms of mineral concentrates, this equals approximately 11 million mt of rutile concentrate, 187 million mt of ilmenite concentrate, 3 million mt of leucoxene concentrate, 13 million mt of synthetic rutile concentrate (in addition to the ilmenite), and 89 million mt of titanium slag. The study indicates that world resources of low-cost rutile are declining. In order to maintain future supply for high-grade titanium resources, alternate sources will need to be developed, which may include higher cost rutile mines, Brazilian anatase deposits, increased production from slag operations, or more synthetic rutile capacity from ilmenite resources, which are abundant.

Jan 1, 1986

By Joseph Grumer

About a century ago Bunsen and his associates invented the famous burner that bears his name and was to become the ancestor of today's gas appliances. Over the years, Bunsen's invention became the starting point of a highly developed, practical technology that culminated in the gas industry as we now know it. However, it did not occur to the early workers to investigate the scientific potentialities of the new device, and as a result the science of gas-burner performance did not keep pace with the growing industry. It was with the objective of closing the rapidly widening gap between science and technology that the present research was undertaken Its immediate purpose was to provide basic information on the combustion characteristics of .fuel gases, in particular as they affect flashback, blowoff, and yellow tipping. Information obtained in the present research and contained within this report consists of the following: (1) Fundamental flashback and blowoff characteristics have been determined, it is believed, for all fuel-gas mixtures in which the gas industry may be interested. These are critical boundary velocity gradients for flames in free air, on burners with ports at room temperature and pressure. Burner aeration is characterized by the parameter, fraction of stoichiometric. These basic limits are explained, values are presented, and calculation procedure is given for deriving corresponding values of port loading and percent primary air (chs. I and II).

Jan 1, 1956

By Rita D. Sylvester

THE BUREAU OF MINES was established in the public interest to conduct inquiries and scientific and technologic investigations concerning mining and the preparation, treatment, and utilization of mineral substances; to promote health and safety in the mineral industries; to conserve mineral resources and prevent their waste; to further economic development; to increase efficiency in the mining, metallurgical, quarrying, and other mineral industries; and to inquire into the economic conditions affecting these industries. The organic act of the Bureau, as amended by Congress and approved February 25, 1913, made it the province and duty of the Bureau to "disseminate information concerning these subjects 'in such manner as will best carry out the purposes of this Act.'" In accordance with that directive, the Bureau reports the findings of its research and investigations in its own series of publications and also in articles that appear in scientific, technical, and trade journals; in proceedings of conventions and seminars; in reference books; and in other non-Bureau sources. The number of these reports, the wide range of subjects they cover, and the variety of mediums in which they appear make the kind of list and index presented in this special publication both necessary and valuable. This issue describes Bureau reports and articles published during the period January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1964. It, supplements the 50-year list of Bureau publications issued from July 1, 1910, to January 1, 1960,2 and the 50-year list of articles by Bureau authors published outside the Bureau from July 1, 1910, to January 1, 1960.3 It supersedes the annual lists of Bureau publications and articles from January 1 to December 31, 1960,4 from January 1 to December 31, 1961,5 from January 1 to December 31, 1962,6 and from January 1 to December 31, 1963.7 The leading general and technical libraries of the United States maintain files of the Bureau's publications. A list of these libraries appears immediately following this introduction.

Jan 1, 2007

By Frank E. Cash

The work of the United States Bureau of, Mines is concerned primarily with the prevention of accidents in the mining, petroleum, and allied industries. This report analyzes the fatal accidents in the coal mines of Tennessee and gives the pertinent factors in tabular and descriptive form, with interpretations and suggestions to operators, workers, and the State Division of Mines for the future prevention or reduction of accidents in coal mines. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This study was made possible through the cooperation of A. W. Evans, chief mine inspector of Tennessee, and his secretary, Miss Hiliary Penny, who made available the department records and assisted in the segregation and assembly of the data.

Jan 1, 1935

By Fredrick L. Johnson

No mineral resources were identified during the investigation of the White Cloud-Boulder RARE II area. Only a few claims have been located in the area and only two workings were found. However, there has been considerable exploration and mining activity near the RARE II area. Sand and gravel resources are abundant but similar deposits occur closer to market areas. There are no known coal, oil, or gas deposits. Most of the RARE II area is underlain by volcanic rocks. The likeliest host rocks for metallic minerals are the metasedimentary rocks exposed in the south part of the area; there is potential for zinc and silver resources at a prospect in that part. Traces of scheelite and powellite were observed in the Kent Peak-Ryan Peak area along hair-line fractures in calcareous country rock. While no significant concentrations of the minerals were found, their presence, a northwest alignment of prospects with similar deposits, and an abundance of dikes near the deposits, suggest that the intrusive system (Summit Creek stock) exposed near the head of Little Fall Creek may extend to the northwest under the RARE II area.

Jan 1, 1983

By Andrew Allan

[This report describe the first experiment of the Anthracite Research Laboratory, Bureau of Miners, in attempting to reduce underground-mining costs and conserve anthracite as a natural r-source by introducing now minim methods. The work war, dons in cooperation with one of the large anthracite-producing companies. It applies to productive mining, characterized by comparatively low cost, per ton and high production per man, as differentiated from development mining, which is always necessary before the, productive or retreat phase can begin. The system d scribed in this report is believed to be generally applicable to beds pitching 70° to 90° and, under certain conditions, to beds pitching loss than 70°. After development hate been completed, an openings is made, extending the full width of the 9- to 10-foot coal bad and reaching from the haulageway to the vertical limits of the solid coal. Long drill holes (20 to 50 feet) charged with about one stick of permissible explosive riper foot of length are fused to break the coal. Once broken, the coal is loaded onto a shaker conveyor by gravity and thence into mine: cars. The coal is mined retreating in 15- to 20-foot sections that are broken and loaded onto the conveyor through a specially constructed chute. In the Bureau?s experimental work, the height of sections arse ranged from 35 to 60 fact, depending on the geologic extent of the coal bed.]

Jan 1, 1952

By Harry Dobroski

Communications with moving tracked vehicles in a rail haulage mine pose a difficult problem. These communications take place from dispatcher to vehicles or from vehicle to vehicle via the trolley line, which is a very poor communications line. As a result, deadspots and high-signal areas can occur anywhere along the line, or signal can decrease simply as a function of distance. An analysis is made of the trolley line as a communications line, and methods of improving its characteristics are discussed. Data from inmine experiments are presented, showing actual improvements in communications. Recent Bureau developments in new hardware are also discussed. These include an adaptive speaker control for existing carrier phones and a new generation of improved carrier phones.

By J. W. Paul

This report is the second of a series of papers on coal-mining methods and costs which are being prepared by the U. S. Bureau of Mines for the purpose of placing before those interested in the industry a knowledge of the mining methods employed in this particular mine, and cost data on the several operations pertaining to removing the coal from the face into the railroad cars at the tipple with economy and safety. The methods employed are influenced by the natural local conditions, with respect to the thickness of overburden, frequency of local "wants," and the means employed for roof support, and its control

Jan 1, 1929

By John S. Berber

Acids, neutral oils, and pitch were produced by distillation of low-temperature lignite tar and processed to upgrade them into more valuable products: The acids were separated from the distillate and catalytically dealkylated to produce phenol, cresol, and xylenol. Aromatic and naphthene fractions of the neutral oil were converted into phthalic and maleic anhydrides by catalytic hydrodealkylation and vapor- phase oxidation. Paraffins and n-olefins from the neutral oil were processed into alkybenzene sulfonate, a biodegradable substance. Aromatic materials from the neutral oil were also extracted with organic compounds and the extract hydrogenated under pressure to produce jet fuel. The pitch was processed by various means to change its characteristics and make it suitable for similar applications as high- temperature tar pitch, including preparation of carbon black and metallurgical electrodes. In most cases, products obtained from the low-temperature tar were examined for physical and chemical characteristics and for potential commercial utility. Information obtained from this research would be helpful if a new coal- chemical industry based on tar utilization were established.

Jan 1, 1973

By Joseph M. Pugliese

This work was done by the Bureau of Mines to provide quarry operators with an uncomplicated, first-approximation method for designing blast patterns, considering geologic structure, and to show the valid use of the technique by comparing drill and blast pattern dimensions used in the quarry with those determined by the presented method. The author visited 12 limestone and dolomite quarries in Ohio (Adam, Crawford, and Highland Counties), Wisconsin (Milwaukee, Racine, and Waukesha Counties), and Minnesota (Fillmore, Olmsted, and Wabasha Counties); observed the blasting practices; studied the major geologic features; and after discussion with the quarry managers, foremen, and blasters, compared the quarry blasting patterns with those as calculated by the empirical formulas (after R. L. Ash), with geologic structural considerations. When geologic structure such as bedding, jointing, folding, and caves, as well as explosive properties and field performance characteristics are accounted for in a manner suggested by the research, the presented empirical formulas may be used as a good first approximation. The included steps in planning a blast design and generalized blast patterns should be of help to the quarry operator. Design changes are recommended for those quarries where problems are occurring.

Jan 1, 1972

By Lloyd A. Morley

This final report concludes the documentation under Grant G0155003 and details research not covered under foregoing report volumes. The first chapter lists all other reports. The following chapters are divided into three major research tasks: Continuous Safety Monitoring Systems, Battery and Battery-charging Safety, and Mine Power System Transients. The monitoring chapter discusses the prediction of power-system failures. The battery chapter details work on battery-box stresses, battery chargers, and the elimination of electrocutions. The final chapter covers transient instrumentation, distribution transients sources and suppression, and utilization transients on mine power systems.

Jan 1, 1981

By Shih-Chi Chang

[An exploratory research is done on untreated coal 1v- using&apos; x-ray crnctinn techniques. Comparison is made on diffraction data before And pct Pr n-tiAne is pressurized (n the coal samples. Although, only ? qualificative -1; t s obtained, the FoIIowing Statement r :&apos; n untreated teal seem- There are other materials in cost. They are accumilated in !e ,r rc r, cin? the microseoric layered structure of coal. 7"P partial graph r :r a&apos; o., «&apos; the i&apos;pr1 cart o ! in cna1 assumes varclor, r,rie&apos;,r: r in&apos;is. R nr ?-&apos;c,.r1&apos;ed I n coal is helm ;n the micrornre s&apos;??ste^ o&apos; c, .:l an&apos; t rr i, ,o <.~i:&apos;epee of Ion(4inc to carton h« x-ray tit If raction me.:SUr&apos;rientq. :t?e me r &apos; nP in r^icropores assumes no structure themselves at room tempera¬FLre. ;inally, some of the other materials in coal are in the form of }vrlrited crystallites and they have anisotropic pro&apos;th hnt&apos;1? in the lavers.]

Jan 1, 2012

By Sean Gallagher, John R. Bartels, Dean H. Ambrose

Remote operation of continuous miners has enhanced the health and safety of underground miners in many respects; however, numerous fatal and non-fatal continuous miner struck-by accidents have occurred when using remote controls. In an effort to prevent these injuries, NIOSH researchers at Pittsburgh Research Laboratory examined the workplace relationships between continuous miner operators and various tramming modes of the equipment using motion captured data, predicted operator response times, and field- of- view data to determine causes of operator-machine struck-by events in a virtual mine environment. Factors studied included machine speed, direction of escape, operator facing orientation relative to the machine, work posture, distance from machine, and operator anthropometry. Close proximity to the machine, high machine tramming speeds, a right-facing orientation and operator positioning near the tail all resulted in high risk of being struck. It is hoped that this data will provide an improved rationale for operator positioning for remotely operated continuous miners.

By Sidney Katell

This report covers the period January 1963 through December 1963; it is a continuation of the series that began with the publication of Information Circular 7516 in October 1949. Also, it is the fifth in a series of reports prepared under a cooperative agreement between the Bureau of Mines and the American Association of Cost Engineers. The agreement provides for the publication of an annual cost bibliography with the work load involved in the preparation shared equally. The abstracted articles, concerned with all facets of cost engineering in the field of chemical and petroleum plants and related subjects, are from the following sources:

Jan 1, 1964

By J. B. Zadra

Much has been published by various investigators on the use of activated carbon for adsorbing precious metals from cyanide solution and pulp. For the benefit of the reader, a list of these earlier publications appears at the end of this report. The present paper deals only with a process for extracting gold from gold-laden carbon and re-use of the de-adsorbed carbon. At the Getchell mine, Redhouse, Nev., experiments have been in progress for several years concerning the use of activated carbon to adsorb gold from their slime circuit pulp. The experimental work has been successful. Their practice has been to ship the gold-laden carbon to a smelter for treatment, which meant the total loss of the carbon in addition to smelter and freight, charges, all of which proved costly and wasteful.

Jan 1, 1950

By K. E. Robinson

This study provides an initial indication that mill tailings produced in the Coeur d&apos;Alene Mining District of Idaho can be placed on floodplain areas in a technically acceptable manner without artificial liners and without seriously contaminating the surrounding area. Tests have shown that landfills on these unused areas can result in returning these areas to productive use. The engineering properties of mill tailings permit construction of stable embankments. Designed slope protection inhibits water erosion. Among the environmental considerations in using tailings for landfill construction are the acid and other contamination produced by tailings and wind erosion of exposed tailings surfaces. The initial results indicate that adverse impacts are not as severe as previously thought, and mitigative measures are feasible. Based on the preliminary data, and in accord with existing Federal and State waste management regulations, a conceptual design has been developed for 23 potential landfill sites in the District, which could reclaim 750 acres of floodplain. A cost analysis of landfill construction with mill tailings indicates that the method would be an economically viable means for increasing the valleywide tailings storage capacity, provided construction with slurried tailings is feasible. A Stage H study is proposed to evaluate slurried tailings as a foundation material, as opposed to hauled tailings used in this present study.

Jan 1, 1981