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By Lloyd Williams, R. E. Hershey, B. W. Gandrud

"1. The investigation shows that the Sewanee bed is the only bed of major importance in Marion County, 97 percent of the coal mined in the county having come :from this bed. There are coal reserves in minor quantity in the Battle Creek bed, and production from this bed depends on a few small truck mines. The Richland bed, or Lower Sevanee has been mined in the past, but no coal has been produced from it in late years. There are no production records of any other beds in the county, although some coal has been produced from them.2. Known measured and indicated reserves in all beds, based on a minimum thickness of 14 inches and on l,800 tons per acre-foot of coal in place, are estimated to be 61 million short tons as of January 1, 1953. Of this total, 55 million short tons is in beds 28 inches and more thick. Areas in each bed ·were omitted from the estimate where available data relative to the bed characteristics are too meager to permit making 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.3. Recoverable reserves of coal are estimated in beds 28 inches and more 'thick. This recovery is based on total thickness of coal in the bed (less partings 3/8-inch thick or more), rather than on the thickness of the coal actually mined. This thickness is about the minimum now being mined by hand loading onto conveyors in the Appalachian Region. The combined weighted average recovery for the Sewanee and Battle Creek beds in Marion County, as determined by this investigation, is 60.9 percent. Based on this, the recoverable reserves of coal in Marion County are estimated at 34 million tons."

Oct 1, 1955

By O. C. Blade

This report on the properties of motor fuels sold through service stations in the United States was made in accordance with a cooperative agreement between the American Petroleum Institute and the Bureau of Mines of the United States Department of the Interior. This paper is a continuation of a series made in cooperation with the Coordinating Fuel Research (CPR) Committee of the Coordinating Research Council (CRC), Inc. The first of this series of reports presented data on motor gasolines sold during the winter of 1935-36, and succeeding reports described motor gasolines sold during the summers and winters to and including the summer of 1941. No reports were made on motor gasolines sold during the winter of 1941-42 and during the summer of 1942. However, starting with the winter of 1942-43, the semiannual reports were resumed.

Jan 1, 1949

By Cleo Griffith Rall

The method for determining the effective porosity, of oil- and gas- bearing sand described in this report is a development of an earlier method devised by Bureau of Mines. The apparatus has been improved and made more convenient to use, but the procedure has been in use for many years without essential changes. A tabulation at the end of the report gives the results of more than 2,000 porosity determinations for oil sands in the fields of 13 states. A selected bibliography of articles containing descriptions and evaluations of various methods of determining porosity Is a. part of this report. The method was devised and developed at the Petroleum Experiment Station at Bartlesville, Okla., as part of the Bureau's research on fluid-energy relationships and ,on methods of improving the recovery of crude oil from underground reservoirs.

Jan 1, 1949

By J. G. Kirby

According to the annual Bureau of Mines survey of refinery capacity, there were 343 petroleum refineries in the United States as of January 1, 1953, with a total daily crude-oil throughput capacity of 7,638,661 barrels. Compared with the previous year, this represents a decline of 7 in the total number of refineries, but a gain of 305,776 barrels in daily crude-oil throughput capacity. The capacity of the average refinery to process crude oil increased to 22,270 barrels, a gain of 1,319 barrels during 1952. All refining districts reported increases in installed capacity for the year, with Texas Gulf Coast accounting for 28 percent of the increase; California, 21 percent; and the Indiana-Illinois-Kentucky district, 18 percent. Additional crude-oil capacity under construction January 1, 1953, was 60 percent greater than at the beginning of 1952. The total reported, 509,721 barrels daily, is a record high for refinery expansion. In addition to the new facilities under way, facilities for 127,755 barrels daily are being installed to replace those that are obsolete. Four new refineries were under construction at the beginning of the year, and three of these are now in operation. Plans for five' new refineries have been announced, but actual construction has not been started.

Jan 1, 1953

By David Schlain

The galvanic corrosion properties of titanium and zirconium were investigated by the Bureau of Mines. The dissimilar metals involved in these experiments included magnesium, magnesium alloy FS1, aluminum alloys, zinc, steel, tin, lead, copper, Monel, nickel, and several stainless steels. Couples were immersed in synthetic ocean water, tap water, 5-percent ammonium sulfate solution, 5-1/2-percent sodium chloride solution, sodium hydroxide solution, 0.1 N hydrochloric acid, and various concentrations of sulfuric acid.

Jan 1, 1956

By R. V. Higgins

A numerical method is presented to calculate the pressure distribution in a petroleum reservoir that has irregular boundaries. The computer program is straightforward and requires minimal data preparation. The method can also be used to determine pressure distribution in many other types of underground reservoirs. In this method, the grid solution of the fluid-flow equations in a reservoir that has regular boundaries (previously published) was expanded to handle irregular boundaries. The computer program locates grid points at the irregular boundaries. The method of mirror images is then used to form a special stencil to determine the pressure at each of these points. Two examples are presented to demonstrate the applicability of the method for virtually any reservoir configuration.

Jan 1, 1972

By G. W. Elger

The Bureau of Mines conducted laboratory and larger scale studies on samples of domestic perovskite and ilmenite ore concentrates to devise a procedure for recovering TiC from these ores. From the concentrates, mixtures of titanium and calcium carbides were produced. The carbides were then ground and reacted with water. This reaction decomposed the CaC2 to acetylene and hydrated lime and simultaneously liberated the TiC. Using a combination of elutriation and gravity-separation techniques to separate the hydrated lime, approximately 93 pct of the titanium was subsequently recovered as purified carbide containing 54 to 70 pct titanium with CaO content as low as 0,6 pct. This combination of techniques can be used to separate more than 90 pct of the CaO from the TiC. Therefore, this carbiding procedure is a viable method for treating titaniferous materials, including perovskite, that contain more than 20 pct CaO. Tests made in a static-bed reactor showed that for the reaction of TiC with elemental chlorine to produce titanium tetrachloride (TiCI4), a temperature of at least 940° F is desirable to achieve a suitable extraction of titanium in a laboratory chlorination reactor. In fluidized-bed tests at 840° F, 98 pct of the titanium contained in TiC was extracted.

Jan 1, 1980

By Margaret E. Egan

Reliable fire detection is essential for both safe evacuation and containment or extinguishment. In order to increase reliability by reducing the number of nuisance fire alarms in underground mines that use diesel-powered equipment, the U.S. Bureau of Mines has developed a diesel-discriminating fire detector (DDD). It was designed to discriminate between smoke produced by a fire and the smoke-laden exhaust of a diesel engine. Experiments were conducted by the Bureau to compare the smoke detection capabilities of the DDD with those of conventional fire detectors in response to smoldering coal and conveyor belting. A comparison was made among the alarm times of a carbon monoxide (CO) detector with an alarm threshold of 5 ppm, a smoke detector with an optical density alarm threshold of 0.044 of', and the DDD with an alarm threshold of 0.025 V. The results show that the DDD will reliably detect developing coal and conveyor belt fires. The average time delay separating the DDD alarm from the first detector to alarm was 76 s for smoldering conveyor belt and 65 s for smoldering coal. The longest time delay between the response of the DDD and the first detector to alarm was approximately 120 s.

Jan 1, 1993

By Raymond M. Stateham

Microseismic noise rates and slope movements were measured in an unstable area along the north wall of the Tripp-Veteran pit, Kennecott Copper Corp., Ruth, Nev. Low-noise, wide-band microseismic geophones were located at various points in the wall, and the change in distance across open fractures, resulting from instability, was determined by repeated measurements between fixed points set on each side of the fractures. The microseismic noise rate increased and decreased with corresponding increases and decreases in the rate at which the fractures opened. The microseismic noise rates and changes in width of the fractures show excellent agreement, and the two types of measurements complement each other in monitoring the progress of pit wall failure.

Jan 1, 1971

By K. P. Wang

SIGNIFICANT general developments took place in the Far East during 1964, with far-reaching repercussions on the mineral and industrial economies of individual countries and the region as a whole. Japan, during this, "the Year of the Open Door," ushered in the era of industrial maturity, greater independence in economic policy, and expanded technical assistance to less developed countries. Symbolic of its dynamic economic growth is the fact that Japan out-produced the Federal Republic of Germany in steel during 1964 to take over a third-ranking world position. Mainland China, recovering from the "Leap Forward" debacle, made significant gains in industrial output. Mainland Chinese trade with Japan was on the upswing, and discussions were held between the Chinese and the Soviets for possibly resuming Soviet aid in industrial and mineral development. Meanwhile, United States aid to Taiwan was being phased out because of progress achieved. Rapprochement between South Korea and Japan was imminent late in 1964, a factor which may well affect South Korean mineral development. The Indonesian-Malaysian confrontation created economic difficulties in both countries. The war in Viet-Nam seriously disrupted industrial activities, particularly in the south.

Jan 1, 1966

By D. S. Kingery

Efficient transportation is necessary to complement modern mechanized mining methods. The increasing trend toward high-capacity face loading equipment has demanded equally efficient haulage methods; this has been met by increasing mine-car sizes, using larger locomotives, and increasing haulage speeds, all requiring properly installed and maintained haulage roads specifically designed for this type of traffic. The recommendations and specifications included in this circular were made to point out salient factors important to the proper construction and maintenance of track haulage roads and to serve as recommended standards for track installation and maintenance. GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED Haulageway. - The track, walkway, trolley wire, feeder lines signal end telephone lines, signals, telephones, support, and drainage of the entry referred to. Subgrede. - The base upon which the ballast is laid.

Jan 1, 1954

By G. L. Oldright

The data presented in this paper were collected et the smelter of the Consolidated Mining A Smelting Co. of Canada, Limited, Trail (Tadanac), British Columbia, through the courtesy of S. G. Blaylock, vice president and general manager; James Buchanan, smelter superintendent, George Murray, assistant smelter superintendent; and the staff members listed in Paper XI, Report of Investigations 3243. INTRODUCTION This paper is the twelfth of a series on smelting in the lead blast furnace and the fifth4 dealing with blast-furnace gases.

Jan 1, 1934

By Edward F. Divers

This Bureau of Mines report describes a new type of scrubber (dust collector) and ventilation system built into the auger support frame (boom) of a Jeffrey 120L continuous mining machine. With this twin scrubber arrangement, one scrubber is mounted into each side of the boom. Each scrubber includes a 2,500-cfm fan, a flooded fibrous-bed scrubber panel, and a water droplet eliminator. The system was designed for minimum size and adds only a few inches to machine height. Exhaust duct design allows flexibility with various airflow configurations to suit both blowing and exhaust fare ventilation systems and brattice distances ranging up to 20 feet. Full-scale tests with exhaust ventilation were conducted at a Mine Safety and Health Administration surface facility at Bruceton, Pa., to determine the scrubbers' methane dilution capability. Several configurations of the twin scrubber-ventilation system produced striking improvements in face methane dilution when compared with conventional systems.

Jan 1, 1981

By Charles B. Kenahan

The chemical and galvanic corrosion properties of commercially pure titanium, a titanium-manganese alloy, a titanium-aluminum-tin alloy, 2 titanium-copper alloys, and 2 titanium-aluminum alloys were studied. Tests were conducted in synthetic ocean water, tapwater, 1-percent sodium hydroxide, 5-percent ferric chloride, and 5-percent ammonium sulfate solutions, various concentrations of sulfuric and hydro-chloric acids, and 1-percent oxalic acid. All tests were carried out at 35° or 60° C., with a flow of air or helium. Dissimilar metals involved in galvanic-couples experiments were aluminum, magnesium, and stainless steel. Electrode-potential measurements on single (uncoupled) specimens were also measured. Commercially pure titanium and the titanium-base alloys were generally quite similar in their resistance to corrosion, whether alone or in. contact with a dissimilar metal. Contact with the titanium metals caused aluminum and magnesium to corrode by galvanic action. Coupling with stainless steel in sulfuric acid solutions decreased the normal corrosion rate of the titanium metals. Contact with aluminum in air-aerated oxalic acid and 0.1N sulfuric acid solutions resulted in cathodic corrosion of titanium and the titanium-base alloys; however, there were a few exceptions. The copper alloys showed better corrosion characteristics than titanium in certain sulfuric acid solutions but were more susceptible to chemical attack in some hydrochloric acid solutions.

Jan 1, 1958

By Ellsworth Spencer

Noise induced hearing loss continues to afflict workers in many occupational settings despite longstanding recognition of the problems and well-known methods of prevention and regulations. Sound levels associated with heavy construction equipment range from 80 to 120 dB(A) and power tools commonly used in construction produce sound levels up to 115 dB(A).(1) The focus of this research was to determine the noise exposures of heavy construction equipment operators while documenting the workers’ tasks, (i.e. hauling, moving, and/or pushing construction material). Time-motion studies were performed at the construction sites and were used to correlate the noise dosage with the work performed by equipment operators. The cumulative dose for the operator was then plotted with references to work tasks, to identify the tasks that caused the greatest noise exposure. Three construction sites were studied for this research located in the western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio areas. The types of construction equipment studied included asphalt pavers, backhoes, bulldozers, compaction equipment, excavators, haul trucks, telehandlers, and wheeled loaders. The results showed that bulldozer operators consistently had the highest noise exposures, ranging from a NIOSH REL (Recommended Exposure Limit) dose of 844% to 25,836% and an OSHA PEL (Permissible Exposure Limit) dose of 139% to 1,397%.

By Oliver Bowles

A conviction is growing that depressions and other adverse conditions are not entirely unavoidable if a knowledge of past achievements and shortcomings is intelligently, applied in shaping the course of industry. Mineral producers have available a source of such knowledge concerning; their industry in the statistical records of the United States Bureau of Mines, and by scanning, this increasingly exact history can obtain information on which to found a more stable future. This paper contains a brief history, covering more than 50 years, of the activities of the nonmetallic mineral industries as a group, followed by short histories of each of the more important commodities in which are noted the circumstances that lave influenced their development.

Jan 1, 1933

By Diane Schwegler-Berry, Vincent Castranova, Chang-geng Moe, Jane Y. C. Ma, Mark D. Moore, Joseph K. H. Ma, Carl J. Malanga, Ji-Hee Kane

"Effects of Bisbenzylisoquinoline Alkaloids on Alveolar Macrophages: Correlation between Binding Affinity. Inhibitory Potency and Antifibrotic Potential. CASTRANOVA, V., KANG, J-H., MA. J. K. H., Mo, C-H., MALANGA, L. J., MOORE M. D., SCHWEGLER-BERRY, D.. AND MA. J. Y. C. (1991). Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol 108, 242-252. The Chinese have conducted extensive studies concerning the medicinal properties of plant products. In this investigation the ability of three bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids to inhibit particle-induced activation of alveolar macrophages was evaluated and this inhibitory potential was correlated with the ability of those drugs to bind to membrane components. Tetrandrine. i.e.. an herbal medicine used as an antifibrotic agent in China, was a potent inhibitor of particle-stimulated oxygen consumption, superoxide release, and hydrogen peroxide secretion by alveolar macrophages. Tetrandrine also exhibited substantial binding affinity for membrane lipids and alveolar macrophages. In contrast, tubocurine, an analogue with little antifibrotic potential, exhibited low binding affinity and had little effect on macrophage activation. Methoxyadiantifoline, an alkaloid of unknown antifibrotic potential, exhibited inhibitory and binding properties similar to those of tetrandrine. The data indicate that a strong relationship exists between the antifibrotic potential of these alkaloids and their ability to bind to alveolar macrophages and inhibit particle-induced activation of these phagocytes. These drugs should serve as useful probes to evaluate the role of alveolar macrophages in pulmonary fibrosis. © 1991 Academic Press, Inc.Chronic silicosis is a fibrotic disease resulting from occupational exposure to silica dust. It is manifested initially by an increase in the quantity of pulmonary surfactant (Dethloff et al., 1986). However, in later stages it is characterized by an increase in collagen formation and the development of concentric hyalinized nodular lesions in the lung (Ziskind et al., 1976). Although mechanisms for the progression of silicosis have not yet been completely defined, activation of alveolar macrophages by respirable silica particles is believed to play an important role in the etiology of this disease. Studies from our laboratory have shown that both in vitro and in vivo silica exposures result in a stimulation of macrophage release of reactive products capable of damaging the lung parenchyma (Castranova et al., 1990; Goodman et al., 1990). In addition, exposure of al¬veolar macrophages to silica results in the release of fibrogenic factors which enhance the proliferation of fibroblasts and the synthesis of collagen by these pneumocytes (Leibovich and Ross, 1976; Bitterman et al., 1982, 1983).The bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids, which represent the largest group among the iso-quinoline compounds isolated from the plant kingdom, are known to exhibit a broad rangeof pharmacological activities. Tetrandrine, for example, an alkaloid isolated from the root of Stephania tetrandra, has been tested for its antitumor, antihypertensive, and antisilicotic effects (Kupchan and Atland, 1973; Zeng et al., 1985; Yu et al., 1983). It is currently used in China as a treatment for angina, hypertension, and silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis (Li et al., 1981). Several related bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids such as methoxyadiantifoline and tubocurine have also been evaluated for medicinal effects. Methoxyadiantifoline has been shown to exhibit effects on the cardiovascular system similar to those reported for tetrandrine (Jia et al., 1988). However, to date, the antifibrotic activity of methoxyadiantifoline has not been evaluated. In contrast to tetrandrine, tubocurine, a structural analogue of this drug, has been reported to be relatively ineffective against fibrosis (Mo et al., 1982)."

Mar 1, 1992

By J. Douglas Causey

In 1986, at the request of the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Bureau of Mines studied the 7,940-acre Southern Otay Mountain Wilderness Study Area (CA-060-029), and the 5,750-acre Western Otay Mountain Wilderness Study Area (CA-060-028) in order to evaluate their mineral resources. The wilderness study areas are located in San Diego County, CA, about 20 miles southeast of San Diego. No mineral resources were identified in the Southern or Western Otay Mountain Wilderness Study Areas, based on literature, field observations, and sample results. The wilderness study areas are underlain by a complex blend of Late Jurassic, moderately metamorphosed sedimentary and volcanic rocks. Evidence of mineralization is not obvious.

Jan 1, 1987

By William C. Henkes

Anticipating the availability of space-altitude imagery from the Earth Resource Technology Satellites (ERTS), the Bureau of Mines investigated the possibilities of using suck imagery in its activities in solid waste disposal, reclamation of mine workings, and mineral resource inventory. The study indicates that monitoring open pit and strip-mining operations can be done using conventional techniques if the sharpness of the imagery is sufficiently high. Possibilities also exist for semi-automated processes for change detection. Additional experimentation is needed for multispectral discrimination and identification of mine-related phenomena.

Jan 1, 1971

By H. M. Cooper

Many analysts have had difficulty in obtaining accurate and consistent determinations of the volatile matter in low-temperature coke when the usual standard method for coal was followed. The tendency is toward too-high results, due to mechanical losses which are extremely difficult to avoid or control. With cokes there also may be an error due to excessive oxidation of the fixed carbon. Much of the earlier experimental work on the volatile-matter determination in coal, such as that of Parr, Fieldner and Davis, and others, has been on the effect of time, temperatures, shape and size of crucibles, method of applying heat, and type of furnace, all of which data has evolved the present A.S. T. M. standard method for volatile matter in coal and coke. It is not the purpose of this investigation to deal directly with the above phases of the procedure, but rather to study some of the factors affecting the results in those types of fuel which give erroneous results due to mechanical losses. This mechanical loss is usually designated as "sparking." There are two kinds of sparks or incandescent particles which may appear: particles of soot from partially condensed carbon from the burning gases, and unburned particles of the material itself which escape. The first type does not affect the accuracy of the volatile matter results, and is therefore negligible. The second type, however, causes appreciable loss and results in showing higher volatile percentages than actually exist.

Jan 1, 1932