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By R. J. Leary

Iron and steel scrap has accounted for 45 to 50 percent of the metallics used by the steel industry. In an electric furnace which utilizes a 100-percent cold charge consisting of about 99 percent scrap and 1 percent pig iron, sensible heat from molten pig iron is not present as it is when hot metal is charged to open hearths and converters. A study of means for more efficient utilization of iron and steel scrap in steelmaking indicated that the time and fuel requirements to melt scrap were important cost factors, particularly in arc-furnace steelmaking. A process to preheat scrap economically prior to charging into the arc furnace has been developed, utilizing efficiently the heat from combustion of fossil fuels as a substitute for electric-arc heating in the initial stage of arc-furnace steelmaking. Scrap is loaded into a portable vertical cylindrical furnace body that is open at the top and has a perforated dropout door at the bottom. In the heating operation, the furnace body containing scrap is placed upon a hollow base connected to a flue, and then the burner and combustion-chamber unit is lowered on top of the furnace body. The stream of hot-combustion products flows down through the bed of scrap imparting heat to it, and the cooled gases exhaust through the flue. After the heating operation the furnace body containing hot scrap is transported to the arc furnace for charging. Thus, the furnace body serves as a charging bucket for top-charged arc furnaces, enabling this preheating process to be integrated into existing material-handling patterns in many arc-furnace plants.

Jan 1, 1961

By William H. Holley

Thirteen additional preservative/fire retardant systems were applied to Ponderosa pine and evaluated for flammability both before and after water leaching. The more promising four systems were given a thorough evaluation for flame spread, toxic gas and smoke density levels, resistance to decay, and compressive strength. The most promising system on the basis of history of usage in the mine, ease of application and low cost as well as overall performance is the Fyreprufe/ACC Albi 107A/ 144 combination. A survey of inspection tools and instruments, identified equipment which could be assembled into an inspection kit for use in determining the extent of decay and/ or impregnant retention levels in mine timber. A literature search identified those high fire hazard areas found in a typical mine. Timber and other wooden structures used in such areas should be treated with an acceptable fire retardant system. A survey of insurance companies revealed that the use of such treated timber in the mines would probably have little or no impact on the rate structure.

Jan 1, 1980

This report presents the results of a study of Kennecott Copper Corporation?s Chino leaching dump at Santa Rita, N. Mex. The stability studies described herein were performed on only one cross section of the leach dump, utilizing data obtained from drilling, sampling, and testing, which was limited in nature. The first part of the report contains a discussion of site geology and seismicity, pertinent information on the waste material disposal system and leaching method, a discussion of the waste embankment characteristics, a summary of the engineering analyses, and a bibliography. The second part (appendices) contains basic geologic and engineering data supporting the discussions in the first part.

Jan 1, 1974

By Thomas S. Jones

This Bureau of Mines publication reviews characteristics, manufacture, and uses of natural and synthetic iron oxide pigments. Supply and demand trends within the domestic industry and in foreign trade are presented for 1955 through 1976. Iron oxides are expected to continue in demand for traditional uses, and if anything, to be favorably affected by technological developments. Imports have been significant in relation to domestic production, most notably for synthetic oxides from West Germany and Canada.

Jan 1, 1978

Objective The main purpose of this video is to teach mine rescue personnel certain aspects of rescue work that are not traditionally taught. These include the strain caused by working continually under adverse conditions; the "survivor guilt" that occurs from being spared the fate of one's deceased cohorts; and the posttraumatic stress that may be experienced during the sometimes lengthy task of recovering the victims' bodies. Background On November 20, 1968, an explosion rocked the Farmington No. 9 Mine in northern West Virginia (figure 1). The explosion killed 78 of 99 miners who were working in the mine, including all but one member of the mine's rescue team. Some 30 years after the event, researchers from the NIOSH Pittsburgh Research Laboratory (PRL) conducted a video interview with Danny Kuhn (figure 2), the only Farmington No. 9 mine rescue team member who was not working that day and who did not die in the explosion. According to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), there are about 80 underground coal mine rescue teams in the United States, and according to the National Mining Association, there are more than 850 underground coal mines. This represents a significant decrease in both over the past decade. The low number of rescue teams is a concern because serious incidents, though fewer, still happen, and if a disaster occurs, there will be fewer rescue teams to respond. This would result in an increased need to use available human resources very efficiently. Much training to prepare these rescue teams still takes the form of what educators call "teaching to the test." In other words, teams practice in order to win mine rescue contests. This test-oriented approach has traditionally been augmented by interactions with others who have responded to real situations or by participating in actual incidents. Given few incidents and fewer rescue teams from whom to derive enrichment, the preparation of coal mine rescue personnel becomes a problem. Recently, more emphasis has been placed on active learning, such as working out problems in smoke. These sessions more nearly simulate the actual conditions that today's team members might rarely encounter. To properly prepare and retain the current coal mine rescue personnel who are left in the workforce, it is necessary not only to offer such hands-on experience, but also to replace the learning narratives that once were passed from team to team. The present video is intended to contribute in that capacity. Approach NIOSH researchers first learned of Mr. Kuhn in the fall of1998. Mr. Kuhn was contacted and agreed to an interview. An oral history interview was conducted with Mr. Kuhn in early November1998. After reviewing the videotape of the interview, researchers determined the content to be so rich as to warrant a second interview in a more formal setting. The second interview was done in early December 1998. During this interview, Mr. Kuhn spent about 2 hours describing the Farmington disaster, including the workplace climate leading up to the explosion, the events that took place in the 10 days after the explosion, and the nearly 10-year effort to safely and successfully recover most of the victims' bodies. The videotape of the second oral history interview with Danny Kuhn was reviewed and edited by NIOSH researchers for content. Careful attention was used to ensure that valuable information was presented, but within a reasonable timeframe. A detailed map of the Farmington No. 9 Mine was edited into the final video and used to highlight critical features as they were being described by Mr. Kuhn. Results and Accomplishments A 60-minute videotape and instructor's guide for use in safety training or other settings was completed. The target audience consists of all those who work in underground coal mines. This training video will help safety instructors better prepare mine rescue team members for the situations that they will encounter when engaging in extended rescue and recovery work. As a result of this expectations training, team members will be more likely to serve their

Mar 1, 2002

By J. B. Elizondo

This paper, which describes mining methods and practices at the Piokee mining unit and the Piokee expertmental mining project of The Eagle-Picher Co. in northeast Oklahoma, is one of a series being prepared by the Federal Bureau of Mines on mining methods, practices, and costs in various mining districts of the United States. The Piokee unit, comprising the Piokee, Rowe, Lucky Syndicate, and parts of the Netta White and Otis White leases, is in the SW1/4, W1/2NW1/4SE1/4, and W1/2SW1/4SE1/4 sec. 17, T. 29 N., R. 23 E., Ottawa County, Okla. (figs. 1 and 2), The 200-acre tract is adjacent to the town of Picher and near the heart of the Picher field of the Tri-State zinc-lead mining district.

Jan 1, 1959

By K. P. V. Lei

The Bureau of Mines investigated molten-salt electrorefining as a practical method for reclaiming vanadium from vanadium scrap. An electrolytic process utilizing a KC1-LiC1-VC12 electrolyte at 615° C was developed for producing ductile vanadium with a purity over 99.9 percent. The recovery of the vanadium in the cell feed ranged from 88 to 93 percent with a current efficiency from 83 to 95 percent.

Jan 1, 1967

By Roger L. Baer

Marine disposal of mill tailings has been practiced worldwide for over a century. However, only recently have the environmental effects of marine disposal been systematically studied. Some early attempts at marine disposal of tailings resulted in adverse impacts to marine life. However, recent advances in tailings disposal methods have included the introduction of engineered submarine tailings discharge systems, advanced environmental assessment and monitoring methods, and oceanographic modeling systems. Successful submarine tailings disposal (STD) has occurred at several mines. The U.S. Bureau of Mines (BOM) has undertaken studies of the disposal of mining and milling wastes in the marine environment. The BOM Alaska Field Operations Center, Juneau, initiated a review of the technology, regulations, and economic aspects of STD. The review illuminated the need for organization of literature on the subject, therefore the Bureau compiled this extensive bibliography on marine disposal of mill tailings. The bibliography presented here contains 1483 references and is also available through diskette in the Word Perfects format. A review of the references indicates that literature on submarine disposal inadequately covers the subject. The majority of the references listed only peripherally relate to the subject. Published literature on the engineering and environmental aspects of STD is severely limited.

Jan 1, 2011

By Rimas Pakalnis, Tom Brady, Lewis Martin

A major focus of ground control research presently being conducted by the Spokane Research Laboratory of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is to incorporate weak rock masses (such as are associated with operations in the Carlin Trend in Nevada) into existing design relationships. The original database that led to most of the empirical design relationships presently employed in hard-rock mining was derived from fair-to-good-quality rock. In this study, the relationship between weak rock quality and opening design (nonentry/entry methods) is being investigated. The common factor in all mines is a weak back or wall. This work attempts to provide tools that will enable a mine operator to make economic decisions that will also ensure a safe working environment.

By James Westfield

Following is a brief resume of the Division's activities that have had a favorable effect on health, safety, and the reduction of injuries at coal mines: 1. The Federal Mine Safety Code for Bituminous Coal and Lignite Mines of the United States was issued originally by the Director of the Bureau of Mines on July 24, 1946, after consulting with management and labor representatives of the coal-mining industry. The code has been used by Federal coal-mine inspectors while inspecting bituminous-coal and lignite mines as a basis for determining the existence of unhealthful and unsafe conditions and practices in these mines. A revised code was issued by the Secretary of the Interior on October 8, 1953, after further consultations with representatives of management and mine workers and was incorporated by reference in the 1952 and subsequent bituminous-coal wage agreements. The agreement of May 29, 1946, between the Secretary of the Interior, acting as Coal Mines Administrator under authority of Executive Order 9728, and the United Mine Workers of America, covering bituminous-coal and lignite mines in Government possession, charged Federal coal-mine inspectors with the responsibility of making periodic investigations of the mines and reporting to the Coal Mines Administrator any violations of the Federal Mine Safety Code. Federal coal-mine inspectors also had temporary authority to close mines found to be imminently dangerous, but such authority under Executive Order 9728 was removed on June 30, 1947, when Government control of the mines was terminated.

Jan 1, 1961

By W. W. Adams

"Although rock-dust is an effective and generally recognized preventive of wide-spread explosions in bituminous-coal mines and although in explosions many lives have been saved by its use that almost certainly would have been lost otherwise, yet more than two thirds of the yearly production of bituminous coal from underground mines in the United States is still being obtained from mines that do not use rock-dust, and more than two thirds of all men that work underground in bituminous mines are employed in nonrock-dusted mines. These facts are revealed by a statistical survey of all mines in the United States that were in operation during 1930, 1931, and 1932. The survey was conducted by the Demographical Division of the Health and Safety Branch of the United States Bureau of Mines and was based upon reports from operating companies received in connection with the Bureau's annual statistical surveys of accidents in the mining industry.In 1932, the latest year for which complete figures are available, rock-dust was used, to some extent at least, in 393 bituminous-coal mines whose total production of coal during the year was 83,632,327 tons, or 30.6 percent of the entire output of bituminous coal from all mines in the United States not including opencut mines. The number of men employed underground at mines that used rock-dust was 25.7 percent of the total number employed underground at all bituminous mines, and the number of man-hours worked at these mines was 27.1 percent of the total number of man-hours worked underground at all bituminous mines during the year."

Nov 1, 1934

By R. H. Schutz

TO ASSIST users in the selection of reliable and satisfactory respiratory protective devices, the Bureau of Mines bas established five schedules of minimum performance requirements for the approval of respirators. The current revisions of these schedules include 130 for self-contained breathing apparatus, 141F for gas masks, 19B and the amendments to 19B for supplied- air respirators, 21B for dust, fume, and .mist respirators, and 23B for chemical cartridge respirators. Copies of these schedules may be obtained from the Bureau of Mines, Publications Distribution Section, 4800 Forbes Avenue, Pitts- burgh, Pa., 15213. Approval tests on respirators are performed only at the request of the manufacturer of the respirator and at his expense. If the deice meets the approval requirements, a certificate of approval is granted on the complete respirator. This certificate states that as long as the respirator is manufactured as originally approved, or in accordance with any changes covered by an extension of the original approval, the manufacturer may advertise and sell his respirator as being approved by the Bureau of Mines. Many industries and regulatory agencies require that respirators approved by the Bureau of Mines he used where respiratory protection is needed. The Bureau of Mines, however, has no regulatory power over the use of the respirators that it approves. It acts as an impartial testing agency to insure the availability of suitable and safe respirators.

Jan 1, 1966

By R. H. Schutz

TO ASSIST users in the selection of reliable and satisfactory respiratory protective devices, the Bureau of Mines bas established five schedules of minimum performance requirements for the approval of respirators. The current revisions of these schedules3 include 13D for self-contained breathing apparatus, 141F for gas masks, 19B and the amendments to 19B for supplied- air respirators, 21B for dust, fume, and mist respirators, and 23B for chemical cartridge respirators. Copies of these schedules may be obtained from the Bureau of Mines, Publications Distribution Section, 4800 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213. Approval tests on respirators are performed only at the request of the manufacturer4 of the respirator and at his expense. If the device meets the approval requirements, a certificate of approval is granted on the complete respirator. This certificate states that as long as the respirator is manufactured as originally approved, or in accordance with any changes covered by an extension of the original approval, the manufacturer may advertise and sell his respirator as being approved by the Bureau of Mines. Many industries and regulatory agencies require that respirators approved by the Bureau of Mines he used where respiratory protection is needed. The Bureau of Mines, however, has no regulatory power over the use of the respirators that it approves. It acts as an impartial testing agency to insure the availability of suitable and safe respirators.

Jan 1, 1966

By H. B. Carroll

The performance of commercially available portable instrumentation for detecting nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide was evaluated. Length-of-stain detector tubes from several manufacturers were included in the study. The instruments were evaluated in atmospheres with 50-and 80-percent relative humidities at 75° F and containing test gas concentrations of 0.1, 0.25, 0.50, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 times the threshold limit values. The results from the gas analyzers were correlated with the known contaminant concentration by calculating and plotting an estimated line of regression, confidence limits, and correlation coefficient for each detector system. An increase in the relative humidity from 50 to 80 percent at /5° F changed the instrument response to the contaminants. The uncertainties in detection precision reported are for the observer-instrument system. The main difference or inconsistency in toxic gas concentrations determined with length-of-stain tubes resulted from the observer's interpretation of the results rather than from a predominant difference in the tubes.

Jan 1, 1975

By C. M. McKinney

This report contains Bureau of Mines routine analyses of 492 samples of crude petroleum from 470 United States oilfields, each of which produced 2,500 barrels a day or more during at least 1 of the years 1946-56. The fields are listed alphabetically by State and field names in table 1, with information on the geographical and geological sources of the samples. Table 2 summarizes the general characteristics of the crude oils and analytical and computed data determined from the analyses. A previous report 4 contains similar analyses of 283 important United States oilfields; some of them are repeated in this report. Many fields for which analyses previously were published are represented by new analyses, which include data not previously reported. Refractive index nu and specific dispersion, ng minus nD divided by the density, for some of the distillate fractions are included in the analyses of 316 of the crude-oil samples. This is the first Bureau of Mines report on analysis of crude oils to contain such data, and their use in calculating hydrocarbon-type composition of the fractions is explained.

Jan 1, 1957

By Lloyd A. Morley

The problems associated with the presence of organic materials and of water in explosion-proof enclosures used in high voltage, high capacity applications were examined through a literature search and theoretical reasoning. Information on volatilities is presented. The conclusion is reached that explosive pressures are significantly enhanced by inclusion of these materials.

Jan 1, 1976

By C. E. Wood

A special appropriation made by Congress in July 1940 provided funds for the investigation of methods for recovering manganese from low-grade [ ] domestic deposits. These funds were assigned to the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines. A committee, identified as the Technologic Committee on manganese of the National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences, was appointed to recommend the allocation of the funds for investigation of the more promising projects.

Jan 1, 1942

By C. E. Wood

A special appropriation made by Congress in July 1940 provided funds for the investigation of methods for recovering manganese from low-grade [ ] domestic deposits. These funds were assigned to the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines. A committee, identified as the Technologic Committee on Manganese of the National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences, was appointed to recommend the allocation of the funds for investigation of the more promising projects.

Jan 1, 1942

By O. C. Blade

Sales of diesel fuel in the United States during the post year and a half have increased greatly. In 1955 over 174 million barrels were sold of which 80 million (or 46 percent), were used by the railroads, and over 44 million barrels (25 ½ percent) of the fuel were used in trucks, busses, tractors, and heavy moving equipment. Vessels (12 percent), industry (9 ½ ), the military forces (4 ½ ), power plants (2), and oil companies (1/2 percent) account for the remainder. 2/ Dally deliveries of diesel type fuel from refineries averaged over 16,750 barrels during the first six months of 1956 in comparison with 15, 250 barrels during the corresponding period of 1955. 3/ Information on the properties of diesel fuel is very important to the petroleum industry, engine manufacturers, and consumers. To supply such information the American Petroleum Institute and the Bureau of Mines, United States Department of the Interior, under cooperative agreement, are conducting annual surveys of diesel fuel oil produced in refineries in this country.

Jan 1, 1957

By J. R. Hoskins

This is the final report for Research Contract No. 00101300 (Min. 34) granted by the U.S. Bureau of Mines to the University of Idaho Mining Research Bureau. The research project is entitled "Development of Improved Ventilation Technology for Non-coal Mines and Other Underground Excavations.' The duration of the project was six calendar months, from 16 April to 16 October 1970. The budgeted cost was $34,867.00 of which $31,953.00 was to be furnished by the U.S. Bureau of Mines. The sequence of reporting that follows is to state the objectives as contracted, outline the program of investigation, highlight briefly the important technological factors peculiar to vein-type metal mine ventilation, and describe the normal methods of control. This is followed by the results achieved by the survey, and an itemization of the observed deficiencies in current technology. There follows a section dealing with the adopted Federal Regulations.

Jan 1, 1970