Search Documents

By Robert H. Peters

This report presents a literature review conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Mines. The review summarizes what has been learned from the large volume of empirical studies on the effectiveness of eight types of interventions intended to increase organizational effectiveness via in the management of human resources. The interventions concern the following: recruitment, selection, training, objective feedback, goal setting, reward systems, participative management practices and organization development. Although many of these interventions appear to have the potential for improving the safety and efficiency of mining operations, it does not appear that they are being widely used. Examples are given of the successful use of a few of these interventions at mining operations. An analysis of the relationship between coal mine productivity and safety is also presented. This analysis generally supports the view that good safety performance and high productivity are NOT incompatible goals. In fact, safe mines also tend to be more productive and vice versa.

Jan 1, 1992

By Walter K. Utt

The process of drilling and bolting the roof is currently one of the most dangerous jobs in underground mining, resulting in about 1,000 accidents with injuries each year in the United States. To increase the safety of underground miners, researchers froth the Spokane Research Laboratory of- the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health are applying neural network technology to rite classification of mine roof strata in terms of relative strength. In this project, the feasibility of using a monitoring system on a roof drill to assess the integrity of a mine roof and warn a roof drill operator when a weak layer is encountered is being studied. Using measurements taken while a layer is being drilled, one can convert the data to suitably scaled features and classify the strength of the layer with a neural network. The feasibility of using a drill monitoring system to estimate the strength of successive layers of rock was demonstrated in the laboratory.

Aluminum Production. -By October 1, Aluminum Company of America will restart a 35,000-ton-per-year unit at its aluminum smelter at Rockdale, Tex., restoring that facility to its full capacity of 325,000 tons annually. Primary Ingot Price Increase. -Most U.S. aluminum producers in mid-September were quoting a price of 72 cents per pound for primary aluminum ingot. On September 19, Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. announced that it would increase the price of primary aluminum ingot 4 cents to 76 cents per pound.

Jan 1, 1980

New GSP Trade Status Approved.--President Carter, by Executive Order effective March 30, has approved Generalized System of Preference treatment for imports of nonferrous metal products and other imports from Ecuador, Indonesia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, and Venezuela. As of May 2, Afghanistan and Ethiopia will be taken off GSP status. Under the Generalized System of Preferences, certain imports from developing countries are provided duty-free treatment. A country can lose its GSP status if its shipments of the product exceed $41.9 million or more than 50% of total U.S. imports during the preceding year. However, the President can waive the 50% rule in cases where total U.S. imports of an item in 1979 were less than $1 million. Certain nonferrous imports from Mexico, Peru, Chile, and Zambia are already covered by GSP. Hearings April 10 on International Tin Agreement.--The Fifth International Tin Agreement of which the United States is a signatory, which entered into force on July 1, 1976, will expire on June 30, 1981. A negotiating conference for a Sixth International Tin Agreement will be held under auspices of the United Nations at Geneva from April 14 to May 16, 1980.

Jan 1, 1980

By Alan R. Buehler

The Bureau of Mines conducted a mineral investigation of the 177,000-acre Secesh study area; most of the area had been proposed as wilderness. Bureau personnel mapped and sampled several hundred mine and prospect workings; 1,715 rock, soil, and placer samples were taken during the investigation. The study area is centered about 25 mi east-northeast of McCall, Idaho, in the Payette National Forest. Five mining districts extend into or are adjacent to the study area. There have been more than 3,000 mining claims located inside the study area, 884 are current. In excess of $17 million (historical value) in placer and lode gold has reportedly been produced from the Warren district alone. The study area contains gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, tungsten, and antimony. At least six properties that would be in the proposed wilderness contain gold resources; more than 18 million tons averaging 0.038 oz/ton gold have been identified. Additional resources may be located at 4 other localities. The 4th of July mine is currently producing gold/silver/lead ore. Similar resources may be located on at least 3 other properties. Placer samples from the study area contained up to 0.34 oz gold/yd3 ($120/yd3). The samples are representative of relatively small occurrences and do not constitute resources; small quantities of gold may be recovered by recreational placer miners.

Jan 1, 1993

By H. F. Yancey

The development, manufacture, and sale of small coal stokers suitable for domestic use has provided a new industry in the United States at a time when badly needed. Sales of domestic stokers have doubled each year for the past 4 rears, until in 1936 probably more than 90,000 such units were put into use. According to reports of the Bureau of the Census 79,543 residential stokers were sold in the first 10 months of 1937 by 109 manufacturers. This rapid expansion has made itself felt in the coal-mining industry. The smaller sizes of coal, either in a sized or slack condition, are in greater demand; as a result, preparation practices at the mines have had to be revised so that, in many instances, lump coal is being crushed to meet the demand for stoker coal. This situation in turn has necessarily resulted in a realignment of price schedules for the different sizes. One of the first underfeed stokers small enough for domestic use was developed at Seattle, Wash., in 1912; in 1916, a small overfeed stoker was developed at Seattle. These two types are generally considered to represent the beginning of the present domestic stoker industry in the United States. A careful inquiry as to the number of domestic stokers now installed in the Seattle area, made by C. R. Pate, who was detailed to this duty by the Works Progress Administration, indicated that probably 7,000 domestic stokers are being used in this area for residential heating. Most of these stokers axe of the overfeed type, although in the past 2 years the underfeed type has made rapid gains.

Jan 1, 1938

By H. F. Yancey

The development, manufacture, and sale of small coal stokers suitable for domestic use has provided a new industry in the United States at a time when badly needed. Sales of domestic stokers have doubled each year for the past 4 years, until in 1936 probably more than 80,000 such units were put into use, According to reports of the Bureau of the Census 75,543 residential stokers mere sold in the first 10 months of 1937 by 108 manufacturers. This rapid expansion has made itself felt in the coal-mining, industry. The smaller sizes of coal, either in a sized or slack condition, are in greater demand; as a result, preparation practices at the mines have had to be revised so that, in many instances, lump coal is being crushed to meet the demand for stoker coal. This situation in turn has necessarily resulted in a realignment of price schedules for the different sizes. One of the first underfeed stokers small enough for domestic use was developed at Seattle, Wash., in 1912 in 1916, a small overfeed stoker was developed at Seattle. These two types are generally considered to represent the beginning of tie present domestic stoker industry in the United States. A careful inquiry as to the number of domestic stokers now installed in the Seattle area, made by C. R. Pate, who was detailed to this duty by the Works Progress Administration, indicated that probably 7,000 domestic stokers are being used in this area for residential heating. Most of these stokers axe of the overfeed type, although in the past 2 years the underfeed type has made rapid gains.

Jan 1, 1938

The Bureau of Mines is operated to assist in promoting economic development through increased efficiency in the mining, preparation, treatment, and utilization of mineral substances; to aid in conserving mineral resources through preventing waste; and to help the mining industry improve health conditions and increase safety. Accomplishment of those ends is sought through investigation of scientific, technologic, and economic problems of the, mineral industries and dissemination of resulting information. Building materials of mineral origin constitute an important product of mining, and the Bureau makes studies of these in the various fields mentioned. The following commodities come within this classification: Asbestos, anhydrite, asphalt, cement, clay and clay products, diatomite, dolomite, glass and mineral wool, granite, greenstone, gypsum, lightweight building materials, lime, limestone, magnesite, marble, sand, sand and gravel, sandstone, sand-lime brick, slate, soapstone, and trap rock.

Jan 1, 1937

Antitrust Investigation Dropped. - The Department of Justice announced that it was dropping its 5-year investigation of the aluminum industry. The investigation was over whether the aluminum companies were acting as if they were a shared monopoly. Deep Seabed Mining. - The Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has established an Office of Ocean Minerals and Energy which will be responsible for implementing the Deep Seabed Nard Minerals and Energy Act and the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Act. It will establish licensing and regulatory programs.

Jan 1, 1980

By D. Harrington

Fine ventilation was discussed. much more 15 to 20 years ago than it is now, yet today there are tendencies in connection with ,-line ventilation (in fact, numerous ventilation systems have been installed in recent years) indicating that the lessons learned by bitter experience in the past either have been forgotten or lave not been brought to the attention of the present generation. Possibly, the mining min of today considers that conditions have changed so much that experiences of the past cannot be repeated today. At any rate, it seems desirable to restate some of the principles of mine ventilation that were understood more or less in the past and to call attention to some danger in connection with present-day trends or practices.

Jan 1, 1939

By D. J. Parker

The ease of ignition and violence of explosion of Utah coal dusts, together with the large volumes of methane given off in some of the mines of the State, made it imperative to abandon obsolete equipment and obviously hazardous practices for up-to-date equipment and safer methods of mining if reasonable progress wore to be attained in fire and explosion prevention. Although much can still be done to improve safety conditions in Utah coal mines, considerable progress has been made in the past 10 years. The fundamentals of such progress include increased use of permissible electrical equipment in gassy mines, closed lights, rock-dusting, more liberal use of water at the face, butter ventilation, permissible explosives fired electrically both within and without the mine, partial inhibition of blasting while the shift is in the mine, 100-percent first-aid training, increased supervision and inspection, and mass safety meetings.

Jan 1, 1935

By Parry. V. F., John B. Goodman

"INTRODUCTION The Denver region coal field, covering an area of approximately 7,640 square miles, extends from the Wyoming State line to the middle of El Paso County, Colo. The coal in this region is subbituminous in rank. Much of it is used as domestic fuel. During the last decade the production of coal in this field has remained fairly constant at an average of 2,600,000 tons per year. This production has come from 50 to 60 mines, 88 to 90 percent of the production being from the section of the field north of Denver.According to the Standard Specifications for Classification of Coal by Bank of the American Society for Testing Materials 4/ the coals in this region are classified in the Subbituminous B and C group. On the as—mined basis, they contain about 22 percent moisture and average 9,600 B.t.u. per pound. They are noncoking and slack to a variable extent when exposed to the weather. This is characteristic of subbituminous coals."

Aug 1, 1939

By Oliver Bowles

Whiting or Paris white is a fine-grained preparation of calcium carbonate having a wide variety of uses. Until recent years it was prepared almost exclusively from certain north European chalks. With the curtailment of imports of European chalk during the World War of 1914-18, however, finely ground limestone, of domestic origin was used more extensively to satisfy the American demand.

Jan 1, 1942

By Richard L. Sanford

This report summarizes the results of an update on a previous Bureau of Mines grant (G0264026), and includes 5 additional years of computer pro-gram development. The directory includes a sampling of computer usage in operating and manufacturing companies, consulting firms, computer companies, research organizations, universities, and various governmental agencies. References to computer applications throughout the industry are presented as well as comments on program availability. The work effort on the updated directory concentrated on programs that are available to the public and are well documented.

Jan 1, 1982

By J. E. Conley

Available statistics show that the demands of the American chemical industry for sodium sulphate have been increasing slightly in recent years. The supply from domestic sources, particularly In the form of byproduct salt cake from the acid manufacturers, has been tending to decrease due to the growing manufacture of synthetic acid. Both hydrochloric and nitric acids are being synthesized from their elements. The natural result has been that a smaller amount of salt cake is available. Simultaneously, the expansion of the Kraft paper industry, especially in the South, has brought about greater demand for sodium sulphate in that section. This dean is being met by domestic byproduct salt cake, by imported German sodium sulphate made from potash waste liquors, and by favorable situated domestic deposits of Glauber salts and tile anhydrous salt, thenardite. No shortage of natural sodium sulphate exists in the United States, but usually such deposits occur in semiarid regions far removed from transportation facilities and from markets. Moreover, the major portion of the natural deposits is Glauber salt or mirabilite (Na2SO4 ? 10H20), which must be dried or dehydrated in order to meet consumer requirements. The water of hydration represents, roughly, 55 percent of tae total weight of the crude salts and therefore has a very important influence on transportation costs. In marry instances the cost of getting, even the dehydrated product to market is the deciding economic factor. Therefore, the recovery oil production of anhydrous sodium sulphate from plant-.waste liquors or from natural brines of suitable composition might be economically feasible. The U.S. Bureau of Mines, at its nonmetallic Minerals Experiment Station, New Brunswick, N. J., has, for a number of rears, been investigating the commercial possibilities of treating the complex saline mineral polyhalite (K2SO4?NgSO4?2CaSO4?2H20) for the recovery of potash and magnesia. Certain proposed processes (1, 2, 3, 4)4/ yield waste liquors that contain the bulk of the magnesium and sulphate originally combined as magnesium sulphate in the polyhalite molecule. Sodium chloride In limited concentrations is also present, as extensive beds of salt occur in strata overlying the polyhalite deposits. A typical waste liquor would contain:

Jan 1, 1936

By Joseph H. White, DR. JAMES G. CUMMING

This report presents the results of an investigation of hookworm infection in the deep gold mines of the Mother Lode, California. In this investigation 1,440 miners of the Mother Lode have been examined for hookworm infection; 444 miners were found to be infected; and 91 miners have taken the treatment and have gotten rid of the infection. ·Within a short time after this preliminary examination, an industrial strike started, which gradually scattered the miners and made it difficult to institute the treatment of many of those who had been found infected. ·With the completion, however, of the State survey all these will eventually be identified and treated. In 1906 Dr. F. F. Sprague, of Jackson, Cal., and formerly of the Philippine Islands, recognized the prevalence of hookworm infection in the gold mines of California. He treated many cases of the infection and brought the prevalence of the disease to the attention of his colleagues. Following closely this pioneer work of Dr. Sprague was that of Dr. E. E. Endicott, health officer of Amador County. In 1911 Dr. Endicott a related his experience in a paper before the American Medical Association. In 1909, Dr. Herbert Gunn, under the auspices of the California State Board of Health, made an investigation to determine the prevalence of the disease among miners. b He reported on the blood and stool examinations of groups of men from three large mines in Amador County. The high eosmophilia verified by stool examinations in many of the cases, and the demonstration of larvae in soil from the workings led Dr. Gunn to the following conclusions: 1. Hookworm disease is endemic in certain mines of California. 2. From 50 to 80 per cent of those working in these mines are infected. 3. The infection undoubtedly is present in practically all the gold mines of California and in those of Nevada just over the border. vYhen it was definitely determined by the California State Board of Health to make an investigation, in cooperation with the Industrial Accident Commission of the State of California and the Federal Bureau of Mines, as to the prevalence of hookworm infection among the miners of California, the following procedure was planned: (1) To encourage the superintendents of the various mines to cooperate in the campaign; (2) to diagnose fecal specimens from the miners and determine the percentage of infected miners; (3) to reach an agreement with the superintendents that all infected men must be treated; (4) to make reexaminations of all treated men; (5) to issue "hookworm certificates"; and (6) to eventually reexamine all California miners. A visit to several of the mines on the Mother Lode made it evident that the mine operators would cooperate most cordially in this campaign; in fact, several superintendents had already considered the advisability of such an undertaking.

Jan 1, 1917

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 Thomas Fraser, E. A. Holbrook

The data in this bulletin were obtained during an investigation of screening practice by the University of Illinois engineering experiment station and the United States Bureau of Mines under a cooperative agreement between them and the State of Illinois Geological Survey Division. Earlier work on this subject includes a study of the general practice of coal preparation in Illinois, made in 1914 and published in 1916/ and an investigation of Illinois coal-w.ashing methods, results of which were published in 1912 in a bulletin 2 that contained complete information on the methods then in use for sizing washed coa 1.

Jan 1, 1925

By Albert L. Toenges

[sing tho ppsf; few Yomn t!le:.c. hcs beer. p. trqnd away frorn locomotive haulwe of cop2 frorn tile losdiw point to tho prop,nration plant of bitu~i- nnus-cod strip mlncc to a;~to~lzcd. h,71Jlr.:~. The qrostion has arisen rrhethcr this is alwqvs econ~nicd, rxcl the purpcrse or' tnf s investigation is to de- termine, if possible, the econonic limlt for ~~torieod had.we. sing tho ppsf; few Yomn t!le:.c. hcs beer. p. trqnd away frorn locomotive haulwe of cop2 frorn tile losdiw point to tho prop,nration plant of bitu~i- nnus-cod strip mlncc to a;~to~lzcd. h,71Jlr.:~. The qrostion has arisen rrhethcr this is alwqvs econ~nicd, rxcl the purpcrse or' tnf s investigation is to de- termine, if possible, the econonic limlt for ~~torieod had.we.]

Jan 1, 1938

By Albert L. Toenges

[During the past few years there has beer trend away from locomotive haulage of coal from the loading point to the preparation plant of bituminous-coal strip, miner to motorized. haulage. The question has arisen whether this is always economical, and the purposes of this investigation is to determine, if possible the economic limit for motorized haulage. The operators of strip coal mines and of open-pit ore mines have shown great interest in this problem, and it is thought that the findings of this investigation will. Provo helpful to them.]

Jan 1, 1938