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By M. A. Trevits, A. Ozmet, A. C. Smith, J. B. Walsh, T. P. Mucho

Improvements in remote fire fighting technology are needed to reduce miner exposure to the dangers of fires and possibly save the lives of those who may become trapped. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, in cooperation with U.S. Foam Technologies, Inc1., conducted a series of experiments at the NIOSH Lake Lynn Experimental Mine to study the stability, transport, control and fire extinguishing effectiveness of nitrogen-enhanced foam technology. This paper presents a description of the mine test configurations and experimental results

7253. Arkhangelsky, A. D. Geological Results of the General Magnetometric and Gravimetric Surveys of the U.S.S.R. (in Russian). Internat. Geol. Cong., Rep. of the 17th Sess., Moscow-Leningrad, 1937, vol. 1, Moscow, 1939, pp. 241-250. Geophysical methods have been used in the U.S.S.R. to study geological problems. Such is the case of the general magnetometric and gravimetric surveys made jointly by the Main Physical Observatory, Main Office of Geodesy and Cartography, Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, and Main Office of Geophysical Prospecting. Some institutions supplied the data, others processed them. Geological interpretation was made by the author. (1) Regional magnetic anomalies in the plains of the U.S.S.R. are traceable to the folded substratum overlain by sedimentary rocks; these anomalies promise to yield data characterizing the substratum in respect to strike and depth. Anomalies in European U.S.S.R. suggest that the pre-Cambrian -substratum of the East European plateau consists of elements of different ages. In the most ancient of them, the main strike of the folding is almost latitudinal; in the younger ones, the folding is oriented in the meridian. (2) The Faye and Bouguer gravity anomalies are caused primarily by differences in the density of rocks composing the upper crust and by unknown processes producing changes of density at depth; these processes are not connected with isosiatic movements. The anomalies in the European and adjoining Asiatic U.S.S.R. promise to indicate the volume of the pre-Cambrian massif of the east-European plateau and to clarify the interrelations between the Ural, Tian-Shan, and Donetz Basin folding systems, as well as between the Dnieper-Donetz depression and the mid-European depression. - V. S.

Jan 1, 1944

By E. L. McHugh, J. M. Girard

This paper discusses the results of two recent case studies in which high-tech prototype instruments were used. The first case study describes the results of a ground-based hyperspectral imaging tool used to map the geology of an open-pit mine highwall. The second case study outlines the use of interferometric synthetic aperture radar and how this type of radar can be used in a variety of geotechnical situations. These case studies are part of an on-going research project at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) Spokane Research Laboratory. The project objective is to implement engineering controls and design methods in order to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities associated with slope failures at mining operations. Project personnel are hopeful that these new developments in technology will lead to better geotechnical monitoring and design in slope stability and other important areas of rock mechanics.

Safety rules for installing and using electrical equipment in and about coal mines covered in this information circular supersede those previously included in Bureau of Mines Bulletin 514, issued in 1952. This revision brings these rules up to date and more nearly in line with present operating and safety practices in the industry. The rules are intended to supplement existing Federal and State regulations, and no provision shall be construed to oppose or supersede any provisions of the Federal Mine Safety Codes, the Federal Coal Mine Safety Act, or the mining laws of any State. The rules were designed to permit progress, such as application of new or improved materials and equipment or use of new practices where these materials, equipment, or practices retain or improve the level of safety established by these requirements. It is hoped that they will fill the need for a concise edition for mine electricians and electrical engineers, especially those who do not have ready access to more detailed rules or codes.

Jan 1, 1964

By Kevin Connor

There was little change during 1988 in the production of minerals in Burundi. The Government of Burundi, which banned all commercial mining operations in the country in 1979, lifted the ban on mining of alluvial gold deposits and started a program of small-scale artisan gold mining in October. Along with the legal mining of gold, licensed gold trading counters were established. Other mineral commodities produced were kaolin clay, lime, and peat. In compliance with the Government ban, the only mineral wealth exploited for commercial sale and export was alluvial gold. Through financial assistance from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), a study to inventory the country's mineral resources continued throughout the year. As part of this study, during the year, a West German company undertook a drilling program to further outline the nickel reserves of the Musongati area in central Burundi. Results of the work as of yearend were disappointing, with only 12 million tons of ore identified with better than 2% nickel content proven. Investigations also continued during the year regarding the centrally located deposits of vanadium-bearing titaniferous magnetite. A Norwegian company contracted to prepare a prefeasibility study for developing the deposit. The British Sulphur Corp. Ltd. was nearing completion of its $1.2 million2 study of the phosphatic limestone deposit at Matongo-Bandaga at yearend. Ore reserves of about 17 million tons grading 11% phosphorus pentoxide (P2O3) had been identified. The phosphate zone overlies a carbonatite rock, which could provide the basis for a cement industry. Additional drilling was planned for 1984. Exploration for gold was underway in 19S3 in northern Burundi through UNDP funding. Several primary deposits of shallow semimassive sulfides with gold values ranging from traces to 11 grams per ton had been discovered. With assistance from the Federal Republic of Germany, bastnasite reserves of 5,400 tons, with associated high europium oxide and cerium content, were verified, and the prospects for finding

Jan 1, 1985

Safety rules for installing and using electrical equipment in and about coal mines covered in this information circular supersede those previously included in Bureau of Mines Bulletin 514, issued in 1952. This revision brings these rules up to data and more nearly in line with present operating and safety practices in the industry. The, rules are intended to supplement existing existing Federal and State regulations, and no provision shall be construed to oppose or supersede any provisions of the Federal Mine Safety Codes, the Federal Coal Mine Safety Act, or the mining laws of any State. The rules were designed to permit progress, such as application of new or improved materials and equipment or use of new practices where these materials, equipment or practices retain or improve the level of safety established by these requirements. It is hoped that they will fill the need for a concise edition for mine electricians and electrical engineers, especially those who do not have ready access to more detailed rules or codes.

Jan 1, 1964

Researchers, medical organizations, statisticians, and others often use data on the nature and rate of occurrence of occupational diseases in directing their efforts and plans. Very often this information is developed from the reports of the States which describe the nature of work¬men's compensation claims and awards and the frequency with which they are made. To be meaningful, the statis¬tical information must be viewed in the context of the State laws involved. There is considerable variation among the laws of the different States. The Bureau of Mines has responsibilities for protecting the health of persons employed in the mineral industries and for the development of useful mineral products. To assist the Bureau in the accomplishment of its objectives, this compilation has been undertaken. For the benefit of the mineral industries, and any others who may have a similar interest, this volume is made available. An earlier compilation of the Bureau of Mines on this subject was published in 1952.4 However, during the intervening years, sufficient changes have been made in State laws to warrant completely recompiling the information. This publication includes the laws of the States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Is¬lands through 1964. Only those portions of the workmen's compensation laws which apply to or as ' related to occupational diseases are presented, and in each case enacted additions to and deletions from the basic law have been incorporated into the text of the law, thus snak¬ing it unnecessary to search out the various amendments made each year.

Jan 1, 1967

This report presents the results of reconnaissance-level investigations of the mill refuse disposal systems for 15 plants throw-heat the conterminous United States. The sites visited represent a cress section f the copper, iron, lead and zinc, and phosphate industries' practices in the field of fine-grained refuse disposal. The reconnaissance-level investigations were carried out to gather supplemental data to tae in-depth studies of Kennecott's Magma and Phelps Dodge's Morenci tailings deposits and Kennecott's Chino leaching dump. The various sites visited were classified according to the different systems and techniques used by the mining industry. The probable effects and relationships between site conditions and disposal methods were determined and evaluated to the extent feasible by a reconnaissance level investigation.

Jan 1, 1974

By Avery H. Reed

RECORD production of crude petroleum, lime, crushed marble, and talc highlighted the mineral industry of Alabama in 1963. Among the States, Alabama ranked second in the production of bauxite, third in the production of scrap mica and native asphalt, and fifth in iron ore. The mineral industry of Alabama was dominated by mining and processing coal and stone, the manufacture of cement, and the production of crude petroleum, which together comprised 86 percent of the total value of production, compared with 82 percent in 1962. The iron-ore industry continued to decline; in 1959 the value of iron ore produced was 12 percent of the total State production value; in 1960, 11 percent; in 1961, 10 percent; in 1962t 8 percent; and in 1963, 5 percent.

Jan 1, 1964

By Oliver C. Ralston

The Nonmetals Division studies problems relating to the use of minerals, many of which are important to national defence for purposes other than the extraction of metals. In fact, virtually all of the work of the division has been diverted to investigations pertaining to better use of the Nation's natural nonmetallic is resources as weapons of defense. The experiment stations of the division are at Norris, Tenn.; Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Seattle, Wash.; and College Park, Md. Studies involving the application of electric power to the nonmetallic minerals are conducted at the Electrotechnical Laboratory at Norris, and investigations on mineral-dressing treatment are conducted mainly at the Southern Experiment Station at Tuscaloosa. The cleaning and preparation of coal are studied at both Tuscaloosa and the Northwest Experiment Station Lit Seattle (other projects relating to utilization of coal are conducted by the Coal Division of the Bureau of Mines). Problems covering the use of minerals and fundamental problems as to their properties are studied at College Park.

Jan 1, 1941

By Margaret R. Egan

A series of experiments were undertaken by the Bureau of Mines to determine the emission products of several types of conveyor belting and other combustible materials found in mines. These experiments were conducted under intermediate-scale, simulated mine conditions to determine smoke characteristics and gas concentrations. From these determinations, heat-release rates, particle sizes, obscuration rates, combustion yields, and production constants were calculated. Three types of belts were investigated: chloroprene, also known as neoprene (NP); polyvinyl chloride (PVC); and styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR). The belts were designated as ignitable or self-extinguishing depending on the length of the burning time and the subsequent combustion products. Under these experimental conditions, the SBR belts were the easiest to ignite. The PVC and NP belts tended to self- extinguish within a few minutes after ignition, but were still capable of maintaining a brief flaming period. These conveyor belt combustion results are compared with previous analyses of wood, transformer fluid, and coal fires. Together they form a data base by which findings from future experiments with other mine combustibles can be compared.

Jan 1, 1988

By Larman J. Heath

Wellbore enlargement was tested using hydrazine hydrate in a gas-storage well in Ohio to increase the well productivity. The wellbore was to be enlarged by chemical disaggregation of the sandstone adjacent to the wellbore. Productivity immediately declined 49.1 percent and gradually declined to zero in 7 months. A down-hole camera survey showed a white-to-gray precipitate covering the entire wellbore surface. The precipitate was chemically analyzed and identified as mostly carbazic acid, a hydrazine derivative of carbonic acid. Formation of this precipitate was not anticipated; this viscous sub-stance caused the gradual loss in productivity of the well. The wellbore was not enlarged. Laboratory tests were run to determine what clay stabilization measures could be taken in sandstone cores to prevent clay swelling and particle migration caused by hydrazine hydrate. Normal clay stabilization methods did not prevent the virtually complete loss in permeability to hydrazine hydrate. Other laboratory tests using natural gas diluted with small amounts of carbon dioxide confirmed the ease with which carbazic acid could be formed in a hydrazine hydrate-saturated environment within and adjacent to the wellbore.

Jan 1, 1970

By George S. Rice

"The emission of hydrocarbon gases from coal beds and contiguous strata causes many accidents in coal—mine workings, the number of fatalities so caused being second only to those due to falls of roof. Gases tend to increase in amount with depth of coal mining, hence the danger of explosion is increased with depth. The pressure of the gas in virgin—coal areas at a distance from mine workings likewise tends to increase with depth from the surface, probably due to corresponding increase in hydraulic head and possibly, when the gas is held in nonporous formations, to greater ground pressure. The rise in gas pressure with depth under usual conditions is shown in wells drilled from the surface and in some coal fields in drill holes into the face of workings; however, under normal conditions of coal formation gas does not issue into workings under high pressure because the coal and adjacent strata have many bedding and joint planes which allow the gas to escape freely at the face of the workings. The rare occurrence of instantaneous outbursts of gas, with violent effects referred to later, constitute the exception.Variations of volume and pressure of fire-damp or methane found in different coal beds by wells at a distance from mine workings, are analogous to variations in volume and pressure of natural gas found in different gas and oil sands, although in general the pressure tends to increase with the depth. Sometimes, however, in tight sands higher in the formation the pressure of gas therein is abnormally high, and on drilling the well deeper gas in the lower strata may be found at lower pressure."

Jun 1, 1934

By L. D. Patts, J. D. Noll, S. E. Mischler, G. H. Schnakenberg

In this study, we evaluated the ambient diesel particulate matter (DPM) concentrations (at the intakes and exhausts of the mine) as the entire vehicle fleet of a stone mine switched from using 35% biodiesel to using a water emulsified fuel (PuriNOx). Elemental carbon (EC) was reduced by 45% when a PuriNOx blend containing 10% water replaced 35% biodiesel and by 57% when a PuriNOx blend containing 20% water was used. Other factors such as engine duty cycle and production changes could potentially cause some day-to-day EC fluctuations, and no direct comparison to commonly used dieselfuels (No. 1 or No. 2) was achieved. Therefore, a second study was performed in a controlled “isolatedzone” environment to fametal mine, comparing PuriNOxto No.1 diesel fuel in a load haul dump vehicle. The EC fraction of the DPM was reduced by about 71% when the PuriNOx blend containing 10% water was used and by about 85% when the PuriNOx blend containing 20% water was employed. This study did not determine how the water emulsified fuel would affect the engine or power.

By Robert H. Merrill

Several investigators have obtained solutions for the concentration of stress around circular, ovaloidal, elliptical, and rectangular holes in an elastic, isotropic, semiinfinite plate subjected to uniaxial and biaxial stress. These solutions are used to evaluate the changes in stress around openings immediately under the undercut normally used in conventional block caving operations. The evaluations are based on the assumption that a horizontal undercut removes most of the vertical component of a biaxial stress field. The location and magnitude of the significant changes in stress concentration around the opening are computed. Conditions under which the assumptions used in the evaluations may or may not be consistent with conditions around block caving mines are discussed, and examples of preferred opening shapes for a biaxial (hydrostatic) stress field are shown. This report is a summary of one phase of an investigation to establish design methods for the size and shape of mine openings used in block caving mining methods .

Jan 1, 1962

By J. R. Hamke

THE WILLISTON basin is the largest known sedimentary basin on the North. American continent. Two-thirds of this large basin lies within the United States in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Less than 10 years after the first commercial oil discovery in North Dakota in 1951, the petroleum became one of the largest industries in the three-state area. Crude petroleum is now the most valuable mineral resource in the area. In 1960, the basin produced 39 million barrels of worth $100 million at the wellhead. Most of the 137 oil pools covered to date are in Paleozoic carbonates at depths ranging from 3,000 to 13,000 feet. The major producing fields, centered on the Cedar Creek anticline in Montana and the Nesson anticline in North Dakota, produce from depths below 6,000 feet. This report presents descriptions of all phases of the Williston basin petroleum industry, including leasing, exploration, geology, drilling, production, transportation, and refining. Engineering, physical, and production data, maps, and crude petroleum analyses for 137 separate oil pools are included.

Jan 1, 1966

By E. S. Leaver

The gold that is not recovered by a particular process is refractory to that process. A study to determine how the refractory gold is associated in the ore constituents usually indicates the needed improvement in the process or additional methods for bettering recovery. In preliminary work, segregation of the various minerals, gangue or impurities, and data showing the reactions of each in the recovery method readily confines the refractory gold to a certain part on which extensive research can be directed. In this dissecting plan, the microscope is an important aid in locating the refractory gold but should be supplemented by chemical tests.

Jan 1, 1934

By J. P. Walker

"INTRODUCTION Sponge iron has been made commercially since 1912 at a Swedish ceramic plant; and the product, known as Swedish disk-type nagger sponge iron, has an excellent reputation as a superior furnace feed wherever high-grade steels are made.The general procedure for making brickyard sponge iron was described frequent in Swedish technical journals before 1932 and at that time consisted in filling clay refractory containers, called saggers, with iron ore plus the necessary quantity of solid reducing agent and then firing in an ordinary ceramic kiln. Two types of sponge iron were made in this way: (1) An inferior, high-sulfur product obtained by mixing the ore and solid reducing agent; and (2) a high-grade, low-sulfur product made by filling the sagger with alternete layers of unmixed ore and reducer, yielding sintered disks of metallic iron particles.Swedish disk-type sponge iron of interest to the steel industry because it has a very low sulfur content, even when made by the use of low-grade, high-sulfur coals for reducing and firing. The Swedish product also contains little siliceous gangue residue and is almost phos¬phorus-free. To those features must be added the high metallic-iron content -90 to 96 percent - and freedom from even small amounts of the metals that are undesirable in steel making.The details essential for successful operation of this procedure are not known, especially as regards improvements said to have been made since 19;2. The Bureau of Mines therefore decided to determine some of these missing details, and this report records the results of the first set of experiments on the manufacture of brickyard or sagger sponge iron."

Sep 1, 1945

By Edward A. Barrett, Roberta A. Calhoun

Introduction This Instructor’s Copy contains most of the information needed to use the Wearing Hearing Protection Properly 3-D training reel. It offers practical suggestions on how to use the reel as a training aid, performance objectives for deciding if the training is appropriate for your needs, and discussion notes that provide additional information to the user. The 3-D reel was designed as a self-teaching aid that drillers and others who work at a drill site can use wherever the opportunity for such training presents itself. The latter could be a company preshift requirement or a tailgate session where workers would have an opportunity to view and discuss the reel. It could also be an individual looking at the reel in a pickup truck prior to beginning work at a drill site. The 3-D training reel is versatile in that it can be used for a small group of persons or for a single worker. For any of these situations, information is transferred to the individual by viewing each of the seven colorful, in-depth 3-D scenes and relating the words that appear in each scene to what is depicted in the visual. Acknowledgment The authors thank Linda J. McWilliams, Statistician, NIOSH Pittsburgh Research Laboratory, for her assistance in analyzing the experimental data in this document.

Jan 11, 2004

By C. W. Whitten

Iron ore deposits in south-central Missouri have emerged as a possible resource for the rare-earth elements. The Pea Ridge Iron Mine is one such deposit. Rare-earth minerals at the Pea Ridge Iron Mine are contained in breccia pipes consisting primarily of silicon oxides and feldspars. These pipes extend up through the magnetite ore body and appear to be alterations and replacement of earlier hematite. The mineralogy of these pipes is very complex and varied, which could complicate the concentration and extraction of the rare-earth minerals. This U.S. Bureau of Mines !eport represents a study by characterization of the mineral phases to assess the amenability and development of concentration and extraction techniques. Previous characterization of rare-earth minerals has been mainly by transmitted light microscopy. This method along with reflected light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction was used to identify and characterize the rare-earth and associated minerals. The minerals identified were the major ore minerals, magnetite and hematite; the rare-earth phosphates, monazite and xenotime; the rare-earth silicate, allanite; the minor associated minerals, cassiterite, pyrite, and apatite; and the gangue minerals, feldspar, quartz, and actinolite.

Jan 1, 1990