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This publication contains 10 papers presented at a symposium on ATRS systems in Charleston, WV, on June 23, 1983. Included are papers by MSHA Technical Support (Roof Control), West Virginia Institute of Technology, the Bureau of Mines, and seven roof bolter manufacturers and/or designers of ATRS systems. These papers summarize the most recent developments in ATRS technology and can serve as a guide to potential designers, developers, and users of ATRS systems.

Jan 1, 1985

By G. L. Oldright

By means of a technique developed in cooperation with the Eagle-Picher Mining & Smelting Co. and outlined in the first report of this series (R. I. 4333 ), it was possible to take many thermocouple readings with base-metal couples at temperatures over 2300° F with unsupported protection tubes for over half the lengths of the Henryetta retorts. -This technique made it possible to avoid the use of the usual optical pyrometer, which gives temperatures dependent upon the luminosity of the flames, and which is not conveniently usable to read temperatures for the lengths of the retorts from the front of the furnace. The temperatures of the retorts themselves were necessary in order to set upper limits for safe operation; the lower limits of operating temperatures are set by the zinc content of the retort residues. The zinc content left in the retort residues for various sections of length also varies with retort temperatures rather than with flame temperatures. The variations in temperature along the retort can then be used as guides to distill more zinc from the residues, to avoid fluctuations in the rates ,of flow of zinc vapor into the condenser and to employ lower temperatures if such rates become high enough to cause losses of uncondensed zinc.

Jan 1, 1948

By Andrew Brown

"In recent years operators of brown-ore mines have shown increasing interest in .the reclamation of ore heretofore lost in tailing ponds. In January and February.1945 the author made a preliminary survey of the ponds in the Russellville district, Franklin County, Ala. The Russellville district (fig. 1) was chosen for the preliminary work because it contains many large ponds in a comparatively restricted area. All important properties in the district were visited with Charles R. Wilson of Russellville, who has been familiar with the Franklin County brown-ore industry since 1890; with Edmund Craddock and W. S. Blackburn, managers of the two washers now operated near Russellville by Shook & Fletcher Supply Co., and with S. A. Britton, manager of the Sloss-Sheffield Steel & Iron Co. washer. The larger ponds were measured roughly and tonnages estimated. and samples taken from different areas were analyzed and beneficiated at the Southern Experiment Station of the Bureau of Mines; Tuscaloosa, Ala.The ponds explored were the Sloss No.1 (Ensley); the Sloss No. 8, and the Sloss No. 4-5, which are among the largest in the district and so located, within an area of .three square miles (see fig. 2), that ore from all of them could be-treated,one centrally located washer.Actual work was begun on May 9. Between that date and June 30, when field work was completed, 246 holes in ponds were drilled and sampled, and 15 additional holes were put down primarily to test the drill .in different types of ground with a view to its possible utilization in other types of prospecting. Samples from all holes were analyzed for iron content; samples from 13 holes were sized and analyses made for each size fraction, and six large samples have been composited for beneficiation tests.Brown iron ore has been mined in the Russellville district since 1815, when the first blast furnace in Alabama was built in NW1/4 sec. 10, T. 7 S., R. 12 W., about 3 miles southwest of Russellville (19).-J The furnace was abandoned before the Civil War, and mining continued on a small scale until 1888, when Enoch Ensley began to mine the ridge between Russellville and Pain Creek. His first washer, Ensley No. 1, was about 300 feet south of the junction of the present Tharptown road with the Waco spur of the Southern Railway."

Aug 1, 1946

By W. J. Wuest

This U.S. Bureau of Mines report presents an overview of ground control considerations associated with cutter roof failure. Many of the relevant U.S. and international research studies since the late 1940's are reviewed, and summaries of recent design guides are included. Factors affecting cutter roof, such as underground stress field and rock structure around the entry, are described. Strata control techniques are also outlined. These techniques are divided into three sections: artificial support, mine structure design, and multiple-seam extraction. Other subjects covered in the report include monitoring and prediction, effect of geologic features, and mapping of adverse mining conditions. The emphasis of this report is on practical considerations; theoretical discussions are minimal.

Jan 1, 1994

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 A. B. Needham

A number of the pegmatites in the southern Black Hills of western South Dakota contain sheet mica; and as the demand increased during World War II the area became an important producer of strategic qualities of mica. During this period of maximum activity, the U. S.. Geological Survey made detailed studies of the geological structural control, the mineralogical associations, and the production Of many pegmatites in the Black Hills. On the basis of results of this study, and at the suggestion of the Geological Survey, several of the pegmatites were examined by the Bureau of Mines, and a few were selected for further investigation. Accordingly, the White Bear, Silver Dollar, Buster Dike, and Hot Shot mines were diamond-core-drilled in 1947. The Hot Shot mine was investigated further by deepening the shaft and crosscutting the pegmatite in 1948. The mica-bearing deposits occur in lenticular intrusions of pegmatite in schists of various mineral composition. Eleven diamond-drill holes, totaling 2,111.4 feet in length, were completed on the four deposits. The shaft on the Hot Shot deposit was deepened 44 feet to the 112-foot level, and crosscuts were driven from the bottom of the shaft to the hanging Wall and foot wall of the pegmatite. This publication briefly describes the location, ownership, and history of the deposits and gives details of the work done by the Bureau of Mines and the Geological Survey.

Jan 1, 1950

By Fred W. Snow

This paper describing the mining practices at the Magma mine, Superior, Ariz., is one of a series being prepared by the Bureau of Mines on mining prac¬tices, methods, and costs in the various mining districts in the United States. At present (1929) practically all the mineral production in the Superior district is from the Magma mine of the Magma Cooper Co. The ore is mined for its copper but contains associated silver and gold. Both direct smelting ore and ore of concentrating grade are produced. The mining methods now in use at the Magma mine were adopted or developed as knowledge was gained of the physical condition of the ore bodies and the inclosing formations; the wall rock is soft and crushed and the ore is relatively hard. In general, existing methods have been adapted to fit local conditions, but some of the mining practices used were originated at this mine. Most of the ore is mined by a combination of rill stopes and pillar stopes. The pillars are extracted by underhand mining.

Jan 1, 1929

The Florida phosphate industry, which supplies about three-quarters of the domestic phosphate fertilizer, produces tremendous volumes of phosphatic clay wastes (slimes). These clays retain a high percentage of water for extended periods of time. The clays also pose an environmental hazard because the disposal technique involves aboveground storage behind earthen dams. Although much research has been undertaken by numerous organizations to dewater slime, no completely satisfactory solution has been developed. In June 1972, a cooperative effort by the Federal Bureau of Mines and the Florida phosphate mining industry was initiated to develop a solution for dewatering the Florida phosphatic slimes. This report discusses various aspects of the slimes problem, reviews past research, makes recommendations for future research, and includes a bibliography of references and patents dealing with the subject.

Jan 1, 1975

By Robert B. Hoekzema

The Bureau of Mines and U.S. Geological Survey completed a 4-yr (1979-82) mineral appraisal of the Chugach National Forest (CNF), AK. This report summarizes the Bureau's placer gold studies in the CNF. Placer mining from the mid-1890's through 1982 produced an estimated 133,800 oz of gold, of which two-thirds was produced prior to 1920. As much as 6,800 oz of placer gold was produced from 1979 to 1982. Most production came from Crow, Canyon, and Resurrection Creeks. Five types of placer gold deposits were identified in the CNF: (1) alluvial placers, (2) bench placers, (3) eluvial placers, (4) glacial placers, and (5) marine placers. Placer sampling indicated a potential for gold production from alluvial and bench placers associated with historically mined drainages such as Crow, Canyon, Resurrection, Sixmile, and Mills Creeks and from unmined drainages including the Avery, Kings, Snow, Copper, and Tasnuna Rivers and several smaller streams throughout the CNF. Results of fineness tests indicated that gold from the CNF ranges from 455 to over 950 fine. Subsequent investigations in drainages with anomalous placer sample values also identified previously unknown lode mineralization.

Jan 1, 1986

By L. A. Conley

This report, covering the period January through December 1976, contains abstracts of articles related to cost engineering and economics for chemical and petroleum plants, mining, and other mineral industries from the following periodicals: 1. Air Pollution Control Association Journal 2. Chemical Engineering 3. Chemical Engineering Journal 4. Chemtech 5. Coal Age 6. Coal Mining and Processing 7. Combustion 8. Drilling-DCW 9. Electrical World 10. Engineering and Mining Journal

Jan 1, 1977

By A. Livingston

This paper on mining practice at the Fresnillo silver mines is one of a series being prepared by the Bureau of Mines on mining practices, methods, and costs in the various mining districts of North America. Two classes of ore are produced at Fresnillo. A low-grade oxidized silver ore; end a complex-base sulphide are containing gold, silver, lead, zinc, and copper. This paper is confined to a discussion of operations relating to the production of oxidized silver ores. To date, more than 10 Million tons of this ore rave been mined. The present (June, 1931) daily production is 2,000 tons of ore, and approximately 600 men are employed in the mining operations.

Jan 1, 1932

By Richard A. Dick

In this report commercial blasting compounds are classified according to their nitroglycerin (or equivalent explosive oil) and ammonium nitrate content as dynamites, gelatins, blasting agents, military explosives, and blasting , accessories. The ingredients and more significant properties of each explosive are tabulated and briefly discussed. Data are summarized from various handbooks, textbooks, and manufacturers' technical data sheets, together with the author's personal experience; however, this report is not intended to be a technical handbook, since it does not deal with blasting techniques. Instead, it seeks to acquaint the reader with the great variety of explosives, available, their advantages and disadvantages, and their general areas of application. Properties discussed are weight strength, cartridge strength, detonation velocity, density, detonation pressure, water resistance, and fume class. The weakness of the strength rating system and the importance of detonation pres- , sure, density, and detonation velocity in rating explosives are discussed. The terms "blasting agent" and "slurry," which are often misused, are defined. Trends indicate that blasting agents (that is, blasting mixtures with none of of the ingredients singly classified as an explosive), particularly high-density slurry blasting agents, will dominate the explosives field in the future.

Jan 1, 1968

By Michael Rieber

The increase in f.o.b. mine prices of coal from $5/ton to over $18/ton in five years [1] has increased the significance of transportation costs. Coals produced in the vicinity of the consumer bear a much lower transport cost than those produced in the west. This differential may be used for flue gas desulfurization, other cleaning, or further processing of local coals. To the extent that western coals are cheaper to produce and have a lower sulfur content, they offset the locational disadvantage. To the extent that they have a lower heating value, the disadvantage is exercabated. Given the other conditions, an accurate analysis of transport costs will help suggest the location of coal mining and the moue of transport both transport costs and tariffs have risen. Together they have increased delivered coal prices, altered the balance between the use of coal and other fuels, helped to alter the location of mining activity, and put pressure on consumers to examine the cost effectiveness of alternative transport modes. Transportation options for long distance coal movements include rail, barge, pipeline, and EHV transmission lines. A summary of system parameters is shown in Table 2.1. Barge transport, pneumatic and slurry pipelines are discussed elsewhere in this report. Together with EHV, they have been the subject of previous studies [2,3,4]. Slurry pipelines have been shown to be especially useful where rails are not available [2] but the technical problems of dewatering, handling, and utilization of lines [5] remain unresolved. They are discussed in Section 3. Barge transportation depends on the location of the mine and consumer with respect to the waterway system. One drawback of barge shipment is interruptions due to winter, and low or high water conditions. Mine mouth power generation followed by EHV transmission of over 500 miles has been shown to be the most expensive means of delivering an equivalent amount of energy to consumers [2].

Jan 1, 1977

By Hanns J. Billmayer

This report, which covers the period from April 1975 to November 1975, describes the work performed in compliance with the requirements of Contract No. H0357091. The purpose of this contract was the development of protective canopy concepts applicable to rail haulage equipment used in underground coal mines.

Jan 1, 1976

By C. K. Eilerts

Knowledge of the phase relations of the fluids that exist in the porous spaces of rocks constituting natural petroleum reservoirs and of the behavior of these fluids under various field conditions of operation is essential to the conservation of petroleum and natural gas and to their efficient recovery. The problem of determining whether these fluids axe in the liquid or gaseous state send of recognizing the transitions that may take place as the material in the reservoir is subjected to different conditions of pressure and temperature confronts many producers today, especially in certain fields. The subject has grown rapidly in importance since the discovery of and production from deeper reservoirs that have correspondingly higher pressures rind temperatures as compared with shallower

Jan 1, 1938

By Milford L. Skow

This report summarizes the principal activities and results of 15 years of research by the Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of the Interior, on methane control in coal mines. This research has investigated fundamental factors regarding the occurrence and movement of methane in coal beds, removal of methane prior to mining, and control of methane during mining. The report includes a bibliography listing the more than 150 publications resulting from the Bureau's methane control program as well as numerous other references, a section on methane recovery and use, a look at the upcoming Bureau of Mines research program, and a brief review of methane drainage practices in other coal-producing countries.

Jan 1, 1980

By C. H. Fisher

[Many methods of analyzing tar oils for their tar acid and base content have bun employed in connection with both academic and. industrial investigations. Most of these analytical procedures are based on the diminution in volume caused by extraction with alkali and mineral acids (contraction method), although other methods haves been employed.4/ In many instances the adoption of an analytical method was not preceded by adequate study, and, as a consequence, the literature, on this subject is conspicuous for its contradictory claims and recommendations. It has bin shown in the, case of certain synthetic solutions5/ that large errors may result if the analysis is carried out by simple extraction with alkali and mineral acids.]

Jan 1, 1936

By J. W. Lyman

The U.S. Bureau of Mines investigated methods of separating valuable rare-earth materials from Fe in neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) magnet scrap. A selective oxidation treatment of the scrap oxidized the rare-earth portion while leaving elemental Fe. Magnetic and leaching procedures were tried for separating the metallic Fe and rare-earth oxides, but the extremely fine grain size of the oxidized scrap prevented recovery by either technique. The best separation of rare earths from bulk NdFeB magnet scrap was obtained by dissolution with H2S04 followed by precipitation of recyclable rare-earth salts. By precipitating neodymium-alkali sulfate double salts as an intermediate that can be converted to a variety of useful products, many materials-handling and economic disadvantages found with direct precipitation with fluoride or oxalate were avoided. Iron was removed from magnet leach solutions by precipitation as a jarosite, eliminating a major disposal problem. Research was also conducted with contaminated mixed SmCo5 and NdFeB swarf. Using a flotation-leaching technique allows the SmCo5 to concentrate in the froth, while the grinding-medium contaminant sinks and is removed as tailing. The NdFeB is dissolved by H2S04 during the process.

Jan 1, 2010

By C. T. Anderson

In July 1947, the U. S. Bureau of Mines, in cooperation with the Air Materiel Command, started an investigation of zirconium alloys with the object of determining the suitability of such alloys for high-temperature applications. This report covers the preliminary study of about 25 zirconium-rich alloy systems with respect to preparation, fabrication, tensile properties, metallographic structures; constitution, and heat resistance. Obviously, each system could not be investigated thoroughly, and this publication can be regarded only as a first approach. The more promising individual alloy systems will be studied in greater detail and reported in subsequent publications. The study of zirconium alloys on such a scale has been made possible by the U.S. Bureau of Mines developments in the past 5 years On producing zirconium metal. This basic process is similar to that developed by Kroll for producing ductile titanium metal and consists essentially of reducing zirconium chloride by means of molten magnesium. The Northwest Electrodevelopment Laboratory at Albany, Oreg., has produced several thousand pounds of ductile metal in this manner and has a pilot plant producing over 300 pounds of metal per week. Alloys were prepared by melting Bureau of Mines zirconium and the best available grade of alloying element in graphite, with suitable provisions for preventing oxidation. The ingots were quartered longitudinally and sheath-swaged at 850° c. to 3/8-inch diameter rod. Two of those rods were send to Wright Field for room-temperature and 1,200° F. tensile properties. The remaining two sections were used for metallographic, hardness, heat-treatment, and heat-resistance studies. The salient features of this investigation are summarized in table 1.

Jan 1, 1950

By Lloyd Williams

1. The investigation shows that the Poplar Creek and Big Mary beds contain the largest known recoverable reserves of coal in Morgan County, Tenn. The Poplar Creek bed has been the most productive. 2. Known measured and indicated reserves of coal, based on a minimum bed thickness of 14 inches and on 1,800 short tons per acre-foot of coal in place, are estimated to be 96 million tons, as of January 1, 1954. Of this total, 59 million tons is in beds 28 inches and more thick. Areas in each bed were omitted from the estimate because available data relative to the bed characteristics were too meager to make 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.

Jan 1, 1956