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By D. B. Lovett

The work described in this report was directed toward identifying and devising methods to minimize the previously observed variability between working level hour exposures and the alpha particle track densities resulting on Track Etch films exposed to mine atmospheres containing radon and radon daughters. The disequilibrium between radon and its daughters was shown to directly affect this Track Etch film calibration factor. The wide range of disequilibrium states possible in mine situations amply explains the variability in the previous tests. A file of published mine atmosphere composition data was compiled and was used, along with atmospheric compositions derived from several theoretical models ref the atmospheric behavior, to evaluate the variability of several dosimeter configurations and concepts. A nonlinear, iterative regression analyse; was formulated that successfully predicted working levels to within 8 to 10% from only the alpha particle activities (Rn, RA, and RaC') data such as are obtainable from Track Etch films over a wide range of disequrlibrium conditions. A model expressing atmospheric concentrations as a function of radon source strength, plate out rate factor, ventilation rate and the fractional re-entry by recoil of previously platted-out daughters was derived and used in the regression program in addition to preparing a set of reference tables and graphs showing the disequilibrium behavior of the atmosphere. Other factors that can affect the Track Etch Film response writ considered and shown to he less crutial than the disequilibrium state. The results of a series of exposures of a dosimeter concept fixture in the Denver Mining Research Center radon chamber air presented and discussed.

Jan 1, 1976

By G. R. Hopkins

The average heat requirement per barrel of crude processed in the United states rose from 555,000 B. t. u. in 1939 to 579,000 B. t. u. in 1940, although crude runs increased from 1,237,840,000 barrels to 1,294,162,000 barrels in that period. Thus the almost invariable rule that the average amount of heat needed to refine a barrel of crude oil declines when total crude runs to stills increases was broken. (See fig. 1.) The reasons underlying the apparent loss in fuel efficiency in 1940 are quite obscure. There is little question but that the principle of heat exchange, the most important fuel saver, was used as extensively in 1940, as in 1939. A few companies replaced purchased power with electricity made at their plants, but for the country as a whole purchased electricity increased 7 percent, as compared with a 5-percent gain in crude run to stills. Furthermore, the premise the more complex the products the more fuel required -does not hold, as the yield of ?complex" products, including gasoline, declined in 1940.

Jan 1, 1942

By Frank B. Fulkerson

A study was made of scrap iron and steel in the South Central States in order to determine trends in processing, shipment, and consumption of this important commodity. These data were derived in part from statistical sources and in part by visits to scrap yards and steel mills. Trends in the industry were reviewed. Dealers in 1963 supplied 1.8 million tons of iron and steel scrap to steel mills and foundries in the south-central area, compared with 2.1 million tons in 1955. Most of the scrap was processed and shipped within 200 to 300 miles of consuming centers. Exports provide a principal outlet for dealers along the gulf coast. Most of the scrap that fills these orders is loaded onto freight cars at yards in Texas and Louisiana and -is shipped to ports for direct transfer from railroad car to ship. The tonnage exported varies greatly from year to year. The largest scrap operations are in or near large cities which are heavy scrap generating areas, steel mill sites, or port cities for export of scrap. A tentative analysis indicates that the short-run supply of prepared scrap is inelastic to price changes; therefore, buyers probably arc in a strong bargaining position at times of declining demand. One technological development in the iron and steel scrap industry is the use of large presses which can take complete automobiles with frames, wheels, springs, and other heavy parts still intact and reduce them to bundles. At Houston, Tex., and Kansas City, Mo., shredding plants are in operation that reduce car bodies and other light scrap into flat pieces 4 to 6 inches in size.

Jan 1, 1966

By J. H. East

"INTRODUCTION .Very little information regarding coal mining in Spain has been published in the American technical press, and few people realize the extent of this industry or the conditions under which coal is mined. The information in this publication was collected in 1945 and consists of personal observations in Spain, statistics, and other data of a, general nature obtained from official sources.Spain produces bituminous coal, lignite and anthracite, but the total tonnage mined is less than the national requirements. Before the war, an appreciable tonnages coal was imported from Great Britain under the Anglo-Spanish treaty, which rebated import duties and effectually prevented competition from any other foreign source. The war stopped the major part of the important of British coal and caused rapid expansion of the domestic sources, but this was not sufficient to supply the industrial demand. Coal that formerly was not acceptable to industry because of quality is now mined and marketed. The Government, allocates the better-grade bituininous coal to the various industries in accordance with the national importance of the work in which they are engaged; for example, the railroads are allotted 100 percent of their requirements, but cement companies can obtain only 25 percent.The Government offered to inducements to increase the production of coal of any class, but the larger part of the increased tonnage obtained was in inferior grades; as a result, the lignite production was taxed, while a bonus was paid for bituminous-coal production in excess of the 1942 tonnage.The anthracite and bituminous-coal areas were severely damaged during the Civil War and many experienced miners migrated to the lignite mines in eastern Spain. This has resulted in an acute shortage, particularly the Province of Oviedo where the most important bituminous-coal deposits are located."

Jan 1, 1947

By G. R. Hopkins

The average heat requirement per barrel of crude processed in the United states rose from 555,000 B. t. u. in 1939 to 579,000 B. t. u. in 1940, although crude runs increased from 1,237,840,000 barrels to 1,294,162,000 barrels in that period. Thus the almost invariable rule that the average amount of heat needed to refine a barrel of crude oil declines when total crude runs to stills increases was broken. (See fig. 1.) The reasons underlying the apparent loss in fuel efficiency in 1940 are quite obscure. There is little question but that the principle of heat exchange, the most important fuel saver, was used as extensively in 1940, as in 1939. A few companies replaced purchased power with electricity made at their plants, but for the country as a whole purchased electricity increased 7 percent, as compared with a 5-percent gain in crude runs to stills. Furthermore, the premise -the more complex the products the more fuel required -does not hold, as the yield of ?complex" products, including gasoline, declined in 1940.

Jan 1, 1942

On July 1, 1969, the Explosives Research Center merged with the Health and Safety Research and Testing Center to form the Safety Research Center, with facilities at Pittsburgh and Bruceton, Pa. Subsequently, passage in December of the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 (Public Law 91-173) had a major influence on the activities of the new center. These activities were conducted under two main programs, Coal Mine Safety Research and Explosives Research. The Coal Mine Safety Research program was concerned primarily with two categories of hazards: health-related hazards associated with the mine environment, due to such factors as respirable dust, toxic gases and vapors, and excessive noise; and accidents due to mine fires, explosions, and roof falls.

Jan 1, 1972

By Edward G. Cunney

[Track in underground bituminous coal mines was investigated and technology has taken from other industries in order to Main information on conditions that impair the safety and efficiency of the track and to develop guidelines ad useful information on the constriction, inspec¬tion and maintenance of mine track. Volume l contains information oil the investigations, observed track conditions, useful technology from railroads and other industries, derivations of track condition descriptors and limits, conclusions, and recommendations. Volume 2, Guidelines, contains recommended standards and practices for mine track. It includes the relation of track conditions to safe speeds; descriptions and limits for measurable track features such as gage, descriptions of conditions for track components that are normally not measurable, such as subbase soils; construction requirements and techniques; inspection requirements and methods; and methods for managing and performing track maintenance work. As a research product, it 0005 nut repeat the summary or derivations. Volume 5, Inspection Handbook, summarizes recommended standards and procedures from Volume 2 and provides related information for read: refer¬ence by inspectors in tin mines. As a research product to be used in mines, it does not repeat the summary, derivations or references.]

Jan 1, 1977

By E. L. Rawlins

Systematic leakage surveys of natural-gas transmission lines not only aid in the conservation of gas, but can be made to show direct financial returns of large magnitude. 1. Such surveys reveal the actual leakage from the lines, and indicate repairs to be made in order, to eliminate unnecessary waste. 2. Tests on lines, after repairs are made, show the actual saving that has been accomplished. 3. Tests on newly constructed lines reveal the presence of leakage that should be eliminated before the lines are put into service.

Jan 1, 1926

By Gregory R. Wagner

The Program of Mine Safety and Health Research described in this document reflects the continuing commitment of the Spokane and Pittsburgh Research Laboratories to focus on the most important areas where research can make a difference in reducing risk and improving safety and health for miners. It is the first program of work conducted since Congress mandated closure of the former U. S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) in the Department of the Interior and supported integration of the health and safety research function of the former USBM into the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Organizational changes made FY97 a challenging year of transition. Ongoing research was reviewed and revised to reflect the new, more limited, health and safety mandate of the research laboratories. The mining industry, mine worker representatives, and interested government agencies provided broad input to assure that the research performed would focus on the most critical safety and health problems confronting mining today and which are expected to be faced in the future. The two laboratories worked to evolve coordinated programs of safety and health research, each with a special focus. The work of the Spokane Research Laboratory is directed toward issues of special importance to the Western mining industry, particularly those safety hazards found in metal/nonmetal mining and surface mining. The work of the Pittsburgh Research Laboratory will continue to focus on Eastern mining, particularly underground coal mining. Traditional areas of expertise for understanding and preventing fires and explosions and for controlling the hazards of dust and noise will continue to reside in Pittsburgh. Each laboratory is developing new capabilities in the analysis of relevant safety and health information to assure that program priority-setting decisions are informed by the best available data. Recognizing the continuing importance of communicating the results of research to all who are capable of improving safety and health conditions in mining, each laboratory has developed an activity for information dissemination and coordination with stakeholders. In the midst of organizational self-examination and change, the research staff in Pittsburgh and Spokane have never wavered from their continuing commitment to conduct the highest quality scientific research-solution-oriented scientific work meant to reduce the risk of injury, disease, and death from occupational hazards in mining. The pages that follow give insight into some of the program activities and accomplishments from FY97. I hope you share my pride in the many accomplishments of the NIOSH mine safety and health research program during this year. This report comes at a time of increasing stability for the mine health and safety research program. The organizational changes in Spokane and Pittsburgh have been concluded, and NIOSH has succeeded in recruiting a new, permanent associate director for mining to lead this critically important national program. Congress has contributed to an optimistic future by providing expanded funding for NIOSH mining-related research for the next fiscal year. On a personal note, I greatly appreciate the opportunity I have had to serve as the NIOSH Acting Associate Director for Mining during this transitional year. The commitment and intelligence with which the mining research staff pursued their mission was matched by their patience and understanding in moving into a new organizational environment. All of us committed to improved safety and health for this Nation's miners owe them our respect and appreciation.

By David C. Uhrin

Two improved methods have been developed to transfer microfilmed mine maps to suitable base maps showing surface features. The methods provide for (1) positioning and orienting maps; (2) merging adjacent maps; and (3) plotting maps at a common scale. One method produces an overlay mosaic of mine maps using an Integrated camera-processor. This photographic method shows the details of mine workings and is most useful for specific limited-area projects. In the second method, outlines of mine maps are digitized, manipulated, and plotted as overlays using a computer. This computer method can plot mine outlines and spatially index large numbers of microfilmed maps. Microfilmed mine maps used in this Bureau of Mines study are on file in the Mine Map Repository of the Eastern Field Operations Center. The base maps are U.S. Geological Survey 7.5-minute topographic maps. The demonstration area is located in the New Kensington East and West quadrangles, Pennsylvania.

Jan 1, 1977

By Charles D. Wood

"Selected Topics,? in reviewing the control of emissions from diesel engine powered equipment used in underground mining, explores these fields of interest: hydrogen as fuel; lubricating oil as a source of particulates; applicability of stationary source scrubbers; worldwide diesel exhaust scrubbers; instrumentation technology for measurement of N02; control of emissions through application of sensors and microprocessors; use of fuel additives; technology transfer of marine diesel practice; technology required to use 4-stroke, aftercooled, turbocharged, direct injection engines; oxidation and reduction catalysts for diesel engine exhausts. "Selected Topics? makes recommendations for research and provides a bibliography and lists of references.

Jan 1, 1979

By Reed. Donald F.

"Deposits of gray hematite occur in two districts in Talladega County, Ala., the Emauhee-Tallasochatchee and Weewoka, both in the vicinity of Winterboro, 50 miles east of Birmingham.The deposits were investigated by the Bureau of Mines in 1943 and 1944. Approximately 13,000 feet of diamond drilling was done and 6,000 linear feet of trenches excavated and sampled.A total of 13,000,000 tons of ore averaging 36 percent iron was indicated in all areas.A detailed discussion of each property investigated, drill logs, and sampling results are given in this report.In the work done in the Talladega County iron investigation, special acknowledgement is due to Paul M. Tyler, formerly regional engineer, Eastern Region, and Richard W. Smith, formerly district engineer, for aid and direction of the project; also to J. B. Clemmor, metallurgist, for diligent research work in the Southern Experiment station laboratory. All were members of the Bureau of Mines Staff.The project was conducted in cooperation with the Federal Geological Survey, whose field work was in charge of T.G. Andrews assisted by Brewster Baldwin. The able and valuable assistance of Andrews and Baldwin aided greatly in accomplishing the project.The areas investigated by the Bureau of Mines were in two districts: The Emauhee-Tallaseehatchee district, between Sylacauga and Sycamoer (marked B on fig. 1) and the Weeworka district, between Winterboro and Sycamore (marked A on fig. 1)."

Mar 1, 1949

This publication summarizes the in-house and contract research and development projects programed for fiscal year 1981 by the Bureau of Mines under its Minerals Environmental Technology activity. The document provides a mechanism for interested parties, including potential contractors, to gain insight into ongoing and projected work of the Bureau?s environmental research efforts. Research to identify and correct environmental problems associated with mining and metallurgical operations has long been an integral part of the Bureau's mission. The environmental research and demonstration activities of the Bureau were consolidate in 1979 with the formation of the Minerals Environmental Technology program, which is directed toward the elimination or reduction of environmental problems associated with the extraction and processing of minerals. Among the efforts underway are development of data and technology for assessing the potential environmental impact of minerals development, for monitoring minerals extraction operations, and for establishing viable reclamation requirements on abandoned mine lands; development and demonstration of technology 'or control of environmental disturbances during minerals extraction operations; development and demonstration of land reclamation and mine closure techniques to restore or enhance the productive use of mined lands; development of engineering techniques that incorporate state-of-the-art mining environmental technology in the design and planning of minerals extraction operations; development and demonstration of new mining systems that greatly reduce or eliminate the adverse environmental impacts of minerals extraction; and providing the technologic base for Federal, State, and local establishment of environmental standards for mining operations. Included in the minerals-processing-related work are projects to clean mineral-processing waters: demonstrate a Bureau process for scrubbing SO from powerplant stack :;as; recover dissolved minerals from process streams; stabilize discarded dusts, slags, and tailings: remove hazardous contaminates from byproduct wastes; reduce generation of waste solids; and improve metallurgical process engineering to eliminate pollution. Approximately $21 million was appropriated for this work in fiscal year 1981.

Jan 1, 1981

By Larry Patts, Jon Hummer, Jim Noll, Aleksandar Bugarski1, George Schnakenberg, Steve Mischler, Mike Crum, Shawn Vanderslice, Rick Anderson

This study is organized under the auspices of the Metal/Nonmetal Diesel Partnership formed by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the National Mining Association (NMA), the National Stone Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA), the United Steel Workers of America (USWA) and the MARG Diesel Coalition. The ultimate objective of the study is to reduce the exposure of underground miners to diesel particulate matter (DPM) and gases, and to help in fulfilling the partnership’s goal of identifying technically and economically feasible controls to curtail particulate matter emissions from existing and new diesel powered vehicles in underground metal and nonmetal mines. The majority of current knowledge on the performance of the diesel particulate filter (DPF) systems and other control technologies is based on studies done under laboratory conditions, the results then being applied the results to on-highway vehicles. According to the best knowledge of the authors, only two comprehensive studies that were conducted recently at Noranda’s Bathurst Mining and Smelting Mine and International Nickel Company’s Stobie Mine under the sponsorship of the Diesel Emissions Evaluation Program [McGinn 2001, Bugarski and Schnakenberg 2001, Bugarski and Schnakenberg 2002] offered some insight into the problems associated with the deployment of modern DPFs to underground mining vehicles. The U.S. mining industry has expressed concern that this rather limited knowledge base is not sufficient to help them comply with the rule limiting DPM exposure of underground metal and nonmetal miners [30 CFR 57.5060 2001]. The partnership agreed that a series of comprehensive field evaluations of DPFs in several underground mines was needed to determine their viability of DPF systems and establish confidence in their performance. The first in this series of studies was the one conducted in Stillwater Mining Company’s Nye Mine, Nye, Montana. This study was conducted in two phases. The objective of the first phase was to establish the effectiveness of the selected technologies in reducing diesel emissions by using an isolated zone methodology. The objective of the second phase was to assess the effectiveness of diesel particulate filters in controlling the exposure of underground miners in actual production scenarios. As part of the first phase of the study a series of tests were conducted at Nye Mine from May 19, 2003 until May 30, 2003. The results of Phase I of the study are presented in this report.

Jan 1, 2005

By Donna L. Anderson

The first section of this U.S. Bureau of Mines report includes a discussion of the navigational tasks performed by operators of mobile mining equipment, with the focus on the navigational information and guidance techniques required by continuous mining machine operators. Some previous research and attempts in remote and autonomous navigation of continuous mining machines are mentioned. Issues of research in autonomous navigation of various other mobile robots are presented, with attention focused on their applicability to a continuous mining machine navigating in the mining environment. Conclusions are stated on methods of automating the navigational tasks of a continuous mining machine, and a decision to concentrate initial attempts on the tasks of autonomous face navigation is defended. The second section of this report includes a presentation of the Bureau's proposed solution for autonomous face navigation of a continuous mining machine, which includes the employment of a mobile roof support as a reference for guidance in the face area, and a navigational guidance system for the continuous mining machine.

Jan 1, 1989

By W. H. Tomlinson

This publication presents the basic text for a 20-hour accident-prevention training course developed for supervisors by the Federal Bureau of Mines. During the past 2 years, the course has been used by the Bureau in teaching more than 300 groups of coal-mine supervisors-men whose responsibility is twofold: To manage in production and maintenance phases of coal mining and to guide their men along paths of safety. This is a handbook for teaching teachers. In this handbook will be found references to safety practices followed by companies that consistently have low accident records. These companies credit their outstanding performance to the adoption and faithful observance of accident prevention by supervisors and workers alike on a wholesome, cooperative basis. Teaching safety to workers involves both on-the-job and classroom-type instruction. If such training is to be permanently effective, it must be reinforced consistently on the job by the immediate supervisor of the worker. This publication is intended to provide such a supervisor with the motivation to provide such follow-up and shows how he can accomplish it effectively.

Jan 1, 1962

By R. A. Cattell

A technologic group such as the Petroleum and Natural Gas Division of the Bureau f Mines, which conducts research on many of the complicated and frequently interrelated problems f extracting crude oil and natural gas from the ground, transporting them to market or to daces for subsequent treatment, and manufacturing products, should report progress from time to time. Engineers and others who apply the results obtained by this division are closely associated with its personnel, because many of the problems are attached cooperatively with groups in industry. Some of this cooperation is formal, as exemplified by work now in progress under cooperative agreements with the States of Oklahoma, Kansas, and others, but much of it is informal, prompted by the desire to be mutually helpful in the public interest. Furthermore, the published reports of the Bureau on subjects pertaining to petroleum and natural-gas technology come to the direct attention of a relatively large number of persons, whose interest in results and appreciation of the value of this type of work have caused them to be kept currently informed regarding available data.

Jan 1, 1940

By Joan Weinberg

Real gross national product (GNP) grew at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2.2% in the third quarter, down from a revised 3.0% in the second quarter, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Department of Commerce (table 1). The slowdown in the rate of growth was attributed to the summer drought, a larger trade deficit, and a decline in Federal spending for defense. Exports slowed from the second quarter, as the dollar, compared with other industrial country currencies, edged up. Imports of both consumer goods and capital goods rose sharply, with consumers buying more foreign cars, computers, and electrical machinery. Although net exports of goods and services deteriorated slightly from the second quarter, the U.S. trade position continues to be much improved from 1987 and first quarter, 1988. Business spending for new plant and equipment rose at a 4.6% pace, well below that recorded earlier in the year. The 3.5% increase in consumer expenditure was accounted for mainly by nondurable goods and services; expenditure for durable goods--those products lasting more than 3 years--rose only 0.4%. Inflation, as measured by the fixed-weighted GNP price index, rose at an annual rate of 4.9% in the third quarter. Prices rose slightly less than they had in the second quarter, when inflation reached a 6-year high. In September, 1988, the President signed a U.S.-Canada free trade agreement (FTA) which will eliminate all tariffs and most nontariff barriers between the two countries by 1999, thereby creating the world's largest open market. In 1987, U.S.-Canadian bilateral trade totaled $161 billion. The expansion of trade is expected to generate 5% higher growth for Canada and up to 1 % higher growth for the United States by the end of the century. The higher growth for the United States translates into an estimated 750,000 jobs, and $2.4 billion in exports. Canadian parliamentary approval of the agreement is still required before the treaty can take effect. The debate in Parliament is continuing, and the issue is not expected to be resolved until after the November 21 election.

Jan 1, 1988

By Dana C. Reinke

Jan 1, 2005

By Annie G. Smelley

As a part of research conducted in its mission to effect pollution abatement, the Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of the Interior, is developing a dewatering technique that allows for disposal of clay wastes, for reuse of water now lost with clays, and for reclamation of mined land. The technique utilizes a high-molecular-weight nonionic polyethylene oxide polymer (PEO) that has the ability to flocculate and dewater materials containing clay wastes. In laboratory experiments, coal-clay waste, potash-clay brine slurry, phosphatic clay waste, uranium tailings, and talc tailings were successfully consolidated. Coal-clay was te was consolidated from 3-. 6 to 57 percent; potash-clay brine slurry was consolidated from 3.8 to 35 percent; phosphatic clay waste from 15.6 to 49 percent; uranium tailings from 15.4 to 67 percent; tailings from talc production from 9.7 to 53 percent; and an acidic Ti02 slurr slurry from 1.68 to 30 percent.

Jan 1, 1980