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By C. M. Harrer

This paper describes the location, features, qualities, extent, and potential of iron occurrences and some associative resources - limestone and dolomite, coal, petroleum and natural gas, power, and water - in New Mexico. Reconnaissance investigations were made of 118 iron occurrences to determine their extent, attitude, and potential; character samples were analyzed to determine their quality and impurities; and pioneer metallurgical investigations were made on character samples to present their metallurgical problems. Some factors influencing past and potential iron markets are discussed. The most abundant iron minerals are magnetite and hematite, The higher grade deposits are extensive contact-metamorphic and pyrometasomatic replacements in calcareous Paleozoic rocks associated with intrusives. Low-grade deposits of considerable potential are the extensive Cambrian oolitic hematites of sedimentary origin and the Precambrian magnetite-hematite taconite iron formation. Iron occurs also as extensive colluvial and alluvial concentrations. A wide variety of accessory elements are indicated and these pose metallurgical and economic problems.

Jan 1, 1963

By C. M. Harrer

This paper describes the location, features, qualities, extent, and potential of iron occurrences and some associative resources -limestone and dolomite, coal, petroleum and natural gas, power, and water - in New Mexico. Reconnaissance investigations were made of 118 iron occurrences to deter-mine their extent, attitude, and potential; character samples were analyzed to determine their quality and impurities; and pioneer metallurgical investigations were made on character samples to present their metallurgical problems. Some factors influencing past and potential iron markets are discussed. The most abundant iron minerals are magnetite and hematite. The higher grade deposits are extensive contact-metamorphic and pyrometasomatic replacements in calcareous Paleozoic rocks associated with intrusives. Low-grade deposits of considerable potential are the extensive Cambrian oolitic hematites of sedimentary origin and the Precambrian magnetite-hematite taconite iron formation. Iron occurs also as extensive colluvial and alluvial concentrations. A wide variety of accessory elements are indicated and these pose metallurgical and economic problems.

Jan 1, 1963

By J. A. Organiscak

Quartz dust is one of the most significant ongoing health concerns in coal mining today. Since the early 1980's, the U.S. Bureau of Mines has conducted numerous studies in underground and surface coal mines to identify the sources of quartz dust and its fundamental characteristics. This report presents data and conclusions obtained from these studies. The two most significant quartz dust sources were found to be the continuous miner excavating rock and the highwall drill operating in a rock overburden. The percentage of quartz was found to be higher in the smaller size fractions of dust when significant amounts of rock were mined by the continuous miner. Another factor theorized to affect quartz dust generation and size characteristics is the morphology of the quartz-bearing rock. Several laboratory studies were conducted to investigate capture efficiency of water spray technology and flooded-bed scrubbers with respect to the particle size of the dust. Water sprays and flooded-bed scrubbers were both found to be less efficient on smaller dust particles, and the scrubber was particularly less efficient on quartz dust. These results indicate that quartz control technology should be directed at controlling smaller sized dust particles.

Jan 1, 1990

By Paul Biggs

This Bureau of Mines report contains information on 63 water flood projects in Colorado. Water was injected in 10 formations located in 58 oilfields. Specific field data presented include location, discovery, development, water supply, fluid injection, oil and water production, oil reserves, and oil recoveries by primary and secondary methods. An estimated 3.5 billion barrels of water has been injected to recover approximately 533 million barrels of oil, a ratio of 6.57 to 1. Most of the injection water is from alluvial deposits, although produced water is used in many fields. Injection water treatment is not a major problem. Appraisal of project success or failure in this report is based on technical, rather than economic, information.

Jan 1, 1974

By R. F. Tenney

The performances of four anthracite-burning stokers have been observed under identical 74-hp. steam boilers. Fifty runs of 12 and 24 hours' duration were made in accordance with the test code of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The capacity of each stoker for burning anthracite has been determined, the heat efficiency at each fuel rate has been computed, and the various significant items of hear loss have been estimated. The operating data and results from each run are tabulated in this report in the form used in the test code. The heat efficiencies and most significant operating data for each run are also presented graphically for each stoker to establish the trends with increasing boiler outputs, The tests show that rice anthracite can be burned on stokers adapted to its use at heat-conversion efficiencies of 82 percent or more under continuous firing. These high efficiencies are maintained with fuel inputs 30 percent higher and lower than the peak efficiency rate. Moreover, a heat efficiency of 70 percent or more is obtained at 50 percent of the optimum fuel rate, even though the excess air into the furnace cannot be held below 150 percent.

Jan 1, 1960

By T. F. Curry, L. B. Berger, H. A. Watson, S. J. Pearce

The conduct of work at elevated air pressures , such as in caissons and in tunnel - driving in subaqueous strata , poses safety problems not encountered in mining and tunneling operations at ordinary atmospheric pressure . This publication discusses some of the problems involved and presents information on the following subjects : ( 1 ) Physiological effects of gases at elevated pressure . ( 2 ) Use of respiratory protective equipment in rescue or recovery operations in event of fire or other emergency in pressurized tunnels . ( 3 ) Effect of elevated pressure on performance of some gasdetecting instruments ; interpretation of the results . Various types of respiratory protective devices are discussed in relation to their possible use at elevated pressures , especially the 2 - hour , selfcontained , recirculating - oxygen - breathing apparatus , which has had wide use in the United States during rescue and recovery work in the mining industry . A modified procedure that eliminates the hazard of oxygen poisoning enabling the safe use of this apparatus at elevated pressures , up to 45 pounds per square inch , gage , and tests to verify its practicability are described . procedure involves control of the partial pressure of oxygen in the breathing

Jan 1, 1964

By J. L. Kohler

The final report for Phase II of Bureau of Hines Contract J0134025 concerns the research and development of sensitive ground-fault relays for dc utilization systems in mining. Sensitive relaying employs very low pickup levels such that, when used in conjunction with very high resistance grounding, the exposure of a human to ventricular fibrillation is significantly reduced. To delineate the desired relay characteristics, the report begins by reviewing previous research in this area. A theory for the saturable transformer used to sense the fault current is presented. The design of the ground fault relay is described in sufficient detail that it may be duplicated. Test procedures and results are given. Finally, conclusions and recommendations related to Phase II are presented.

Jan 1, 1986

By W. L. Heidenreich

This report describes the methods and results of field investigations conducted by the Bureau of Mines between December 1956 and December 1957 on seven deposits of nickel-cobalt-iron-bearing laterite and weathered serpentine near the west coast of Puerto Rico east and south of Mayaguez. These deposits were named, for purposes of identification, Guanajibo, Punta Guanajibo, Las Mesas, north and south deposits of the Rosario Southeast group, and the west and east deposits of the Maricao Southwest group. In addition, the lower 17 miles of the Guanajibo River Valley was tested at widely spaced intervals for possible concentrations of magnetite and chromite in the alluvial sands. The objective of the investigations was to appraise, by drilling and sampling, the two largest deposits--the Guanajibo and Las Mesas. Testing of the smaller deposits was much more restricted. Field investigations consisted of mapping, drilling with power auger, sampling drill-hole sections, and pre-paring samples for chemical analyses, mineralogical studies, and metallurgical tests. The work was financed jointly under a cooperative agreement by the Bureau of Mines and the Economic Development Administration, an agency of the Puerto Rican Commonwealth.

Jan 1, 1959

By Oliver Bowles

The manufacture of lime is one of the oldest industries. Plants are distributed widely and furnish an essential raw material for numerous industries. The use of lime by the building trades, in agriculture, and in hundreds of manufacturing and chemical processes has created demands for a large production and has necessitated exhaustive research on methods of manufacture and uses. The bibliography of lime is an extensive one, but for the most part each publication has dealt with only certain operations. The purpose of this paper is to present a general picture of the industry as a whole. The abundant literature has been abstracted and quoted freely, and the National Lime Association has rendered valuable assistance in furnishing data for certain sections. Publications containing more detailed information on the various branches of the industry are referred to in the footnotes and in the bibliography.

Jan 1, 1936

By Joseph J. Wallace

The 1952 Annual Report of the West Virginia Department of Mines lists seven beds that are being mined in Mingo County, of which the Cedar Grove is the most important. The Cedar Grove, Alma, and Coalburg contain the largest remaining known reserves. 2. Known measured and indicated reserves in all beds, based on a minimum thickness of 14 inches and 1,800 tons per acre-foot of coal in place, are estimated at 3,007 million short tons as of January 1, 1953. Of this total, 2,396 million short 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 are too meager for 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.

Jan 1, 1954

By D. A. Reynolds, R. G. Travis, James J. Dowd, R. F. Abernethy

"1. Reserve estimates have been made for eight coal beds in Monongalia County, W.Va., but only the Pittsburgh, Sewickley, and Upper Freeport beds are important at this time. The Pittsburgh, Sewickley, Waynesburg, and Upper Freeport beds contain the largest recoverable reserves.2. Known measured and indicated reserves in all beds, based on a minimum thickness of 14 inches and 1,800 short tons per acre-foot of coal in place, are estimated at 3,526 million tons as of January 1, 1954. Of this total, 3,294 mil¬lion tons is in beds 28 inches and more thick. Areas in each bed except the Pittsburgh were omitted from the estimate because available data relative to the bed characteristics are too meager for 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 have been estimated in beds 28 inches and more thick. This thickness is about the minimum now being mined by hand loading onto conveyors in the Appalachian region. The weighted average recovery for all beds in Monongalia County, as determined by this investigation, is 47.9 percent. This percentage is based on the total thickness of coal (less partings three-eighths inch thick or more) in the bed rather than on the thickness of the coal mined. Based on the weighted average percentage of recovery for all beds in Monongalia County, the recoverable reserves are estimated at 1,577 million tons as of January 1, 1954.4. Monongalia County coals of the major producing beds are of high-volatile a bituminous rank.5. The Pittsburgh and Lower Freeport beds in this county yield coal that can be used as metallurgical coal, especially when blended with low-volatile coals. The Lower Freeport coal is coked singly and in beehive ovens, and makes good metallurgical coke.INTRODUCTIONThe investigation to evaluate the reserves of coking coal was planned to cover three phases: (1) Estimation of known measured and indicated recoverable reserves of all coking coal; (2) study of methods of upgrading marginal coals through effective preparation; and (3) study of carbonizing properties of coals and coal blends not now widely used for metallurgical coke making."

Jun 1, 1956

By J. A. Kost

A dust-control manual was prepared for use by mine operations personnel. The manual documents state-of-the-art control techniques, dust sampling, and use of personal protective devices. Content addresses advantages/disadvantages of control techniques, design and operating specifications, and implementation and maintenance guidelines. An indexed list of selected references is also included. In addition to the completed manual, this report documents work performed in the course of its preparation.

Jan 1, 1981

By J. D. Ramsdell

The object of this investigation by the Federal Bureau of Mines was to evaluate the workability, recrystallization characteristics, and mechanical and physical properties of high-purity electrorefined vanadium. The low level of interstitially soluble elements in electrorefined vanadium results in a soft ductile metal which responds readily to cold working by rolling, swaging, and press-forging. Hardness, strength, and resistivity increased with an increase in impurity content, but thermal expansion was independent of impurity content. The work-hardening of vanadium occurs rapidly. Most of the hardness increase occurs in the first 15 pct. of reduction in area. When vanadium is annealed, its hardness increases to a maximum when the annealing temperature is between 200° to 400° C. A sharp decrease in hardness develops as the annealing temperature is increased. An anomaly in the hardness versus annealing temperature curve is present in the 600° to 800° C. range, while all evidence of cold-work is removed at annealing temperatures above 900° C.

Jan 1, 1961

By T. M. Barczak

One of the primary goals of Bureau of Mines research is to reduce the cost of coal mining by improving the efficiency of longwall supports. One method of achieving this goal is the optimization of stress distribution within the support structure, resulting in a lower overall weight, more fully stressed shield. However, before stress optimization can be initiated, load conditions must be defined that cause maximum stress in the various support components. A finite-element model of a longwall shield was used to identify these critical load conditions. These load conditions were then evaluated in the Bureau's mine roof simulator (MRS) by instrumentation of a longwall shield and measurement of strains in each of the shield components. The critical (canopy-base contact) load conditions were identified that can cause structural failure at less than rated shield (hydraulic yield) capacity. Comparisons were made between full-contact and partial-contact load conditions. Other parameters investigated included the stiffness of the contact material, changes in shield geometry, rate of load application, and effects of horizontal constraint. Conclusions were drawn regarding the structural integrity of the major shield components and potential for stress optimization.

Jan 1, 1987

By C. C. Hwang

The Bureau of Mines formulated a method for calculating the concentration of entrained dust from a dust deposit by a turbulent gas stream. In particular, a diffusion equation is used to calculate dust concentrations in a channel following an explosion. Dust leaving the channel walls was treated as originating from stationary or moving, and single or multiple material sources. Formulas and sample computations for various types of dust sources in circular and rectangular channels are given, based on experimental entrainment rates. The analysis predicts the dust concentration as a function of time and channel space. The results appear to agree with the physical characteristics of explosion-driven dust dispersion in a O.6-m-diameter, 50-m-long explosion tunnel. The analysis is also applied to simultaneous and consecutive dispersion of coal and rock dust from simulated coal mine surfaces (walls, floor, roof, and ribs).

Jan 1, 1974

By L. Allan White

Instrumental analysis is an indispensable tool to many phases of research on rare-earth metals and their compounds; therefore, the development of new and improved instrumental techniques is essential. This report describes an emission spectrometric analytical method using direct-current carbon-arc excitation of various rare-earth-oxide mixtures. Lanthanum oxide serves the dual purpose of an internal standard and a constant major constituent. The versatility of the method was demonstrated by three different applications: (a) Analysis of complex rare-earth concentrates; (b) determination of impurities in high-purity rare-earth oxides; and (c) detection of rare-earth elements in other types of matrices, such as those resulting from beneficiation of rare-earth ores. The average error of analysis in the concentration range of 0.2 to 10.0 percent was 14.6 percent for a group of complex synthetic mixtures of rare-earth oxides. An average error of analysis in the concentration range of 0.05 to 0.50 percent was 21 percent for a group of high-purity rare-earth oxides.

Jan 1, 1959

By E. C. Lane

For a number of years the Bureau of Mines has been studying crude petroleum from the producing fields of the United States, During the past year 10 crude-oil samples have been collected and analyzed from the producing fields of Pennsylvania and New York. This report gives the results of these analyses and for the purpose of comparison also analyses of samples of crude oils taken previously from some of these fields. This survey includes samples from normal producing properties as well as from properties using stimulative production methods such as water flooding and rapressuring. The outstanding feature of the survey is that the crude oils from tike various fields throughout this general area are similar in character and uniform in quality although they were produced from different sands and by various methods. Samples from fields in Venango County, Pa., however, appear to have a lower gasoline content than the others. This report includes two analyses reprinted from Bureau of Mines Bulletin 291.4/

Jan 1, 1938

By E. C. Lane

For a number of years the Bureau of Mines has been studying crude petroleum from the producing fields of the United States. During the past year 10 crude-oil samples have been collected and analyzed from the producing fields of Pennsylvania and New York. This report gives the results of these analyses and for the purpose of comparison also analyses of samples of crude oils taken previously from some of these fields. This survey includes samples from normal producing properties as well as from properties using stimulative production methods such as water flooding and repressuring. The outstanding feature of the survey is that the crude oils from tine various fields throughout this general area are similar in character and uniform in quality although they were produced from different sands and by various methods. Samples from fields in Venango County, Pa., however, appear to have a lower gasoline content than the others. This report includes two analyses reprinted from Bureau of Mines Bulletin 291.4/

Jan 1, 1938

By Gerald T. Homce

Accidental contact of overhead electrical power lines by mobile equipment is a leading cause of occupational fatalities in the United States, accounting for 20% of on-the-job electrocutions. Overhead electrical power line proximity warning devices (PWDs) are intended to warn personnel if mobile equipment moves within some preselected minimum distance of an energized overhead electrical power line. Two commercially available PWDs were tested at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health?s (NIOSH) Pittsburgh Research Laboratory (PRL). The objective of the tests was to document performance capabilities and limitations for these PWDs by identifying factors that can influence their operation. The two PWDs evaluated in this research are the SIGALARM Model 210 marketed by Allied Safety Systems, LLC, and the ASE Model 2100 from Allied Safety Engineering. Both of these devices operate by measuring the electric field present around energized power lines. The PWDs were installed on a government-owned 22-st (20-mt) rough terrain crane. A purpose-built test site used for this research at PRL allowed operation of the crane near a variety of power line configurations operating at up to 25 kV. Most of the tests involved positioning the crane adjacent to one or more overhead power lines, adjusting sensitivities of the PWDs to alarm when the crane boom was approximately 20 ft (6.1 m) from the power lines, swinging the crane boom toward the lines under a wide variety of test conditions, and finally, for each unique set of test conditions, documenting the deviation from 20 ft (6.1 m) for actual alarm activation. Test results show that several factors can adversely affect PWD performance. PWD alarm accuracy generally deteriorated when operating with a boom position significantly different than that used for the device?s last sensitivity adjustment. Another factor that can affect PWD performance is configuration of the overhead power line(s) involved. Accuracy of alarm activa­tion distances was best for simple single-circuit installations, but degraded for multiple circuits on the same poles. This degradation was slightly greater for installations with different voltage levels and/or a combination of vertical and horizontal conductor arrangements. Performance also degraded for crane operation between two intersecting power line installations, especially for intersecting lines at different voltages. An additional aspect of power line configuration shown to influence PWD accuracy was phase sequence on the power line circuit(s). Specific phase con­ductor arrangements and combinations, particularly in multiple circuit installations, resulted in either improved or degraded accuracy.

Jan 1, 2008

By W. W. Adams

[The s1xteeilth an.nual National Safety C mpeti t1on, concluc ted "by the Bureau of t4ine g, Un+ ~ed st tag' DepartIilent 0:1' the Interior, has jast been closed, and the results reveal t:'W.t. t_!e co~)eting comps.nies had fewer a.ccidents in proportion to the number. of !\1a..."1-h(J1J.l'~ :orkcd than in a:ny other yeex in the record of the contest. These annUk~l contestn are thus achieving the r purpose of promoting safety in tho minin induC'tr:r. ]

Jan 1, 1941