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By Andrew M. Leszcykowski

The Bureau of Mines (Bureau) conducted mineral investigations of the Payette Crest-South Fork area in west central Idaho near McCall, Idaho, in 1989. There are no known producing mines or mineral production from the area. Forty-seven samples were taken (stream sediment, rock. and placer); no identified mineral resources were delineated.

Jan 1, 1991

By S. P. Howell

"Technical statistical study has been made of accidents in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania in which explosives were involved. The data have been taken from the accident reports in the files of the department of mines of Pennsylvania, supplemented by inquiries in the field.This study has disclosed a wealth of information regarding the nature and the cause of accidents that occurred where different means of firing shots of explosives were employed. In the anthracite region shots are fired with fuse, with squibs, and with electricity,Many of the salient features of this accident experience are illustrated in this report of investigations, and a number of recommendations are made to reduce the hazards of each of these three methods of shot firing.Experience seems to demonstrate that, under conditions in the anthracite region, electric firing of shots is substantially the safest method; that accidents wherein fuse is employed are more frequent than accidents in which electric firing is employed; and that the number of accidents when squibs are employed far exceeds those in which either fuse or electric firing is used."

Mar 1, 1930

By S. G. McAnally

This is one of a series of papers describing mining and crushing methods and costs at cement plant quarries throughout the United States and deals directly with the methods employed and costs obtained at the Reliance quarry of the Giant Portland Cement Co. at Egypt, Pa., although it is more or less descriptive of the methods used throughout the Lehigh Valley cement district. Systems of transportation vary according to local conditions, such as proximity to the mill, depth of quarry floor with relation to the mill level, etc. Methods of prospecting differ mainly in the type f drills used. Systems of storage, crushing, and grinding vary chiefly in the types of units. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Most of the information regarding the early history of the Lehigh cement district was obtained from the History f the Portland Cement Industry of the United States, by Robert W. Lesley, the first president of the Portland Cement Association. The writer is indebted also to Charles Clader, Giant Portland Cement Co. quarry superintendent, for valuable information regarding present and past methods and equipment.

Jan 1, 1931

By Frank J. Wiebelt

In its efforts to maintain production of tungsten during the recent war period, the Bureau of Mines explored certain parts of the properties of the Atolia Mining Co. in San Bernardino County, Calif., by diamond drilling. Owing to past production record and other available data, the area was considered attractive for possible development of new ore bodies. Scheelite occurs in narrow veins ranging in width from a fraction of an inch to several feet. The veins are in quartz monzonite in a zone 2 miles long and 500 feet wide. Production from the district was reported to have been over 1,000,000 units of W03. Twelve diamond-drill holes, totaling 5,056 feet, were drilled by the Bureau of Mines in the vicinity of the Papoose, Papoose No. 5, Amity, and Union mines, the tailings pond, and the "Old Spud Patch." The work began in August 1943 and was completed in June 1944. This publication briefly describes the history and deposits of the district and gives full details of the work performed by the Bureau.

Jan 1, 1950

By N. C. Dunham

"The Bureau of Mines exploratory work on the Bear Lodge, Wyo., fluorite property wider the strategic minerals Program was completed in November 1944. Exploration consisted of surface trenching, shaft sinking, and drifting at shallow depth. Doak C. Cox of the Federal Geological Survey visited the area during the latter part of 1944 and napped the Bear Lodge property.The Bear Lodge property is situated in the Black Hilts National Forest in eastern Crook County, Wyo., 6 miles north of the community of Sundance (fig. 1). Sundance is 29 miles northwest of Upton, Wyo., a station on the Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy Railroad and 43 miles southwest of a siding on the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, 3 miles south of Belle Fourche, S. Dak. U. S. Highway 14 passes through Sundance in an east-west direction. Sundance may be reached from the south over U. S. Highway 85 and Wyoming State Highway 585.The Bear Lodge property i a situated in the Boer Lodge Mountains in secs. 15, 22, and 23, T. 52 N., R. 63W., 6th P.M.The topography in the vicinity of the fluorite deposits consists essentially of rounded hills which slope gently to the valley floors. Near the north end of the Property the terrain steepens locally, and the canyon walls are Precipitous along the courses of several streams. There is an adequate supply of water and native timber for mining purposes. The average elevation near the deposits is 5,700 feet.The climate of the region is relatively moderate. The summers are usually warm, with frequent rainstorms. Temperatures often fall below zero during the winter months. Snowfalls are moderate to heavy.Fluorite occurrences in the Bear Lodge area have been known since 1914; however, fluorite was not discovered on the Bear Lodge property until 1943, when prospectors working on a nearby manganese deposit found fluorite mineralization in the limestone. No production has been recorded from the property."

Apr 1, 1946

By H. S. Auvil, J. T. McCartney, J. D. Davis

"INTRODUCTION It is now generally recognized that the small-scale laboratory dilatometer method of test does not give results of much utility in predicting the expansion (or contraction) of a coal in a coke oven. The carbonizing conditions in the laboratory test differ radically from those in the oven; in this test, the charge is heated through the coking range of temperature as a whole, whereas in the oven, coking proceeds by layers parallel to the oven walls as each succeeding portion of the charge goes through the plastic range of temperature and coke formation sets in. The paths of the gases and vapors and the pressures set up are different in the two methods. Furthermore, the rate of heating in the test usually is much more rapid than in the oven. H. Koppers 5/ was perhaps the first to adopt apparatus and procedure whereby the layer coking of the coke oven could be simulated closely however, the heating progressed from one side of the charge only; later he experimented with a small coke oven with a movable wall heated from both sides. It is not clear how well the results in the later oven correlated with those of the earlier small test oven, but in a comparatively recent Koppers publication a modification of the original small test oven heated from one side is recommended 6/ Altieri 7/ was perhaps the first to experiment with the Koppers type small test oven in the United States and Brown- has tested a large variety of coals in a rectangular test oven of his own design heated from the sole or floor. Subcommittee XV of American Society for Testing Materials Committee D-5 is now making a study of the various methods proposed for determination of expanding and plastic properties of coal with a view to standardization. 9/"

May 1, 1939

By Claire C. Caruso, John M. Russo, Jennifer M. Schmit, Robert B. Dick, Edward M. Hitchcock

PURPOSE This report provides an integrative review of 52 recently published research reports that examine the associations between long working hours and illnesses, injuries, health behaviors, and performance. The report is restricted to a description of the findings and methods and is not intended as an exhaustive discussion of all important issues related to long working hours. Findings and methods are summarized as reported by the original authors, and the study methods are not critically evaluated for quality. SUMMARY In 16 of 22 studies addressing general health effects, overtime was associated with poorer perceived general health, increased injury rates, more illnesses, or increased mortality. One meta-analysis of long work hours suggested a possible weak relationship with preterm birth. Overtime was associated with unhealthy weight gain in two studies, increased alcohol use in two of three studies, increased smoking in one of two studies, and poorer neuropsychological test performance in one study. Some reports did not support this trend, finding no relationship between long work hours and leisure-time physical activity (two of three studies) and no relationship with drug abuse (one study). A pattern of deteriorating performance on psycho physiological tests as well as injuries while working long hours was observed across study findings, particularly with very long shifts and when 12-hour shifts combined with more than 40 hours of work a week. Four studies that focused on effects during extended shifts reported that the9thto 12th hours of work were associated with feelings of decreased alertness and increased fatigue, lower cognitive function, declines in vigilance on task measures, and increased injuries. Two studies examining physicians who worked very long shifts reported deterioration on various measures of cognitive performance. When 12-hour shifts combined with other work-related demands, a pattern of more adverse findings was detected across studies. Six studies examining 12-hour shifts combined with more than 40 hours of work per week reported increases in health complaints, deterioration in performance, or slower pace of work. Two studies com-paring 8- and 12-hour schedules during day and night shifts reported that 12-hour night shifts were associated with more physical fatigue, smoking, or alcohol use. Two studies examining start times for 12-hour shifts reported that decrements in alertness or more health complaints were associated with early 6:00 a.m. start times. One study examining 12-hour shifts in hot work environments reported a slower pace of work as compared with shorter shifts. Another study examining high workloads during 12-hour shifts showed increased discomfort and deterioration in performance as compared with shorter shifts. More definitive statements about differences between 8-hour and 12-hour shifts are difficult because of the inconsistencies in the types of work schedules examined across studies. Work schedules differed by the time of day (i.e., day, evening, night), fixed versus rotating schedules, speed of rotation, direction of rotation, number of hours worked per week, number of consecutive days worked, number of rest days, and number of weekends off. All of these factors could have interacted with overtime and influenced study results. Also, some studies did not report how many hours participants worked per week or other details about the work shifts, which complicated the assessment of their results. The many

Jan 4, 2004

By Floyd G. Anderson

Owing to the rapid growth of the perlite industry in recent years, the Bureau of Mines has received numerous requests for information relative to the possible harmful effects of breathing dust resulting from the processing and use of perlite. As published information on the composition of perlite is rather meager, consisting chiefly of conventional chemical analyses, samples of crude and expanded perlite from 9 deposits in 6 Western States were studied. Crude perlite ores were examined petrographically and analyzed by chemical, spectrographic, and X-ray-diffraction methods. Sized crude and expanded perlites were analyzed chemically for total free and combined silica content.

Jan 1, 1956

By R. Burrell, N .. L. Lapp

"Except for asthma and pulmonary infections, the types of lung disease that have been of immunologic interest the longest are the various mineral pneumoconioses. Because of their chronicity, type of pathology produced, and well-known immunotoxic properties associated with the dusts inciting them, the pneumoconioses have long drawn attention to the possibility that the immune system has not only been modulated but that its effectors have possibly contributed to their pathogenesis. All of the mineral dusts reviewed here have definite immunomodulating properties and act on various cellular and molecular components of the immune system. Further, each has an immunotoxic potential to induce either hypersensitivity (as in the case of beryllium) or other types of immune injury. This article reviews the immunologic aspects of the four major occupational minerals that have an immunologic impact on the lung: asbestos (particularly chrysotile), silica or quartz, beryllium, and coal mine dust.These agents have many things in common, yet each is distinctive. Although the possibility still exists that these mineral particles can adsorb intrinsic tissue antigens or extrinsic organic antigens to their surfaces and initiate immune responses to the adsorbed antigens, only one, beryllium, can act as an antigen itself. Silica is a profound macrophage toxin and thereby exerts many effects on those factors controlled by macrophages. Asbestos has undergone the most immunologic studies resulting in a much dearer picture of how it may contribute to immunopathology. Coal mine dust is the agent about which least is known immunologically, partly because there is no such thing as purified coal mine dust or a standard by which coal mine dust can be defined. Indeed, there are studies that use only the dust from the ground coal itself, whereas other studies use the total dust collected from air samples of a working mine in the belief that other types of dusts (e.g., silica from roof bolt drilling, from sand ground on the rails by cars, and from surface drilling) contribute to the disease (Figs. 1 to 5). This properly is coal mine dust and is poorly characterized. Yet, workers exposed to these dusts share similar reactive characteristics and they may be considered collectively as well as individually."

Mar 1, 1992

By M. H. Kline

The Chestatee mine is one of several well known pyrite deposits in Georgia that are reputed to carry appreciable quantities of copper with the ore. The deposit is? in Lumpkin County on the Chestatee River, 6 miles northeast of Dahlonega (fig. 1). Old records and reports indicated the probable existence of an extensive unmined ore body, but the mine is inaccessible at present. The Bureau of Mines, after studying old maps and records, decided to cor8-drill along the strike of the lense beyond the limits of the indicated old workings in an attempt to extend the possible reserves. The advantageous location of the property indicates that it could become an economic source of pyrite to be used for the manufacture of sulfuric acid. Iron sinter resulting from the roasting of the ores could be sold at a premium in the Birmingham, Ala., area, and the copper content could be extracted to help replace the nation's depleted resources of this metal.

Jan 1, 1949

In 2007, a total of 14,871 mining operations reported employment data to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).1 Almost half (48.4%) were sand and gravel mines, followed by stone mines (31.2%), coal mines (13.7%), nonmetal mines (4.9%), and metal mines (1.9%).

Aug 1, 2009

By O. C. Blade

A comparison of certain properties of the commercial aviation gasolines produced in the United States during October 1949, 1950, and 1951 is presented in table 1, the 1951 data being average values from tables 3 through 6 of the present report. Trends in the average values of certain characteristics of these fuels may be seen in figures 1 through 4 which also indicate the minimum and maximum values. As may be observed, with the exception of changes in kinematic viscosities, the properties of commercial aviation gasolines have not varied greatly during recent years. A list of aviation-gasoline survey reports published by the Bureau of Mines is given on page 6. A summary of the average values of the properties on jet fuels is shown in table 2.

Jan 1, 1952

By Robert E. Barieau

General expressions for evaluating practically all the thermodynamic properties of a fluid from a single equation of state are derived. Most of the formulas are expressed in terms of the compressibility factor, with this factor being an explicit function of the temperature and the molal density. Similar expressions are given using reduced variables.

Jan 1, 1967

By L. E. Dalverny

This Bureau of Mines report describes the deployment, 5-month operation, and lessons gained from a continuous gas monitoring system using sampling-tube bundles at an underground mine fire in West Virginia. Research information gained indicates the utility of relating certain gas concentration ratios to events during fire development, mine reventilation, and mine recovery. In addition to monitoring the quality of remote fly ash seals, the system provided timely warning of dangerous gas concentrations which developed during surface and underground recovery activities. An evaluation of system components is supplemented by recommendations for improvements.

Jan 1, 1975

By Ted A. Lewtas

The effectiveness of induction fans in ventilating dead headings was studied in the laboratory and underground. The following fan attachments were evaluated: a. Aerodynamic nozzle b. Various lengths of vent tube c. Honeycomb airflow straightener. Various fan locations were also tested. The following conclusions were reached: a. A nozzle on a fan located against the drift wall gives the greatest jet penetration distance. b. Air straighteners are ineffective in increasing jet penetration. c. Induction fans are ineffective in removing contaminants from dead headings without sufficient main ventilation flow.

Jan 1, 1980

By Nabil A. Bibawy

The U.S. Bureau of Mines has established a method for the calibration of class 2 and class 4 standards of mass using a procedure from designs developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This method produces a weight calibration that is within 1.0 pct of the balance sensitivity. A set of four 1-kg weights yielded a standard deviation of 3.25 mg compared to ±2.91 mg balance sensitivity. The method employs the use of a high-accuracy balance to measure the difference between a set of weights calibrated by NIST and the set to be calibrated. The error of the balance is included in the error for each weight calibrated.

Jan 1, 1989

By Daryl R. Tweeton

The Bureau of Mines conducted experiments to measure the influence of environment on the friction and wear of a steel-quartz system at several speeds and loads. In each test a quartz block was pressed against a rotating ring of low-carbon steel. Environments used were moist air, dry air, dry nitrogen, water, aqueous oleylarnmonium acetate (ClsH35NH3+-OCOCH3), and aqueous aluminum chloride (A1C13). The sliding speeds were 2.2, 13, and 33, cm/sec, and the loads were 6.8 and 13.6 kg. The coefficient of friction, the wear, and the roughness of the surfaces were measured, and the wear debris was examined. The coefficient of friction was significantly lower in moist air at 2.2 cm/sec than for any other combination of environment and speed employed, and was generally an inverse function of the oxidizing ability of the environment. The coefficient of friction increased somewhat with increasing load. The wear of the steel rings was greatest in dry air at all speeds and loads. The wear of the quartz blocks at 180 rpm was greatest in dry air, but at 12 rpm it was greatest in nitrogen. Friction and wear in aqueous oleylarnmonium acetate and in aqueous aluminum chloride were similar to effect in water alone.

Jan 1, 1976

By W. P. Yant

Publication of lists of the devices for giving respiratory protection which have been approved by the U. S. Bureau of Mines is made periodically for the purpose of aiding consumers in procuring equipment .374/ The last published list , approved to March 15 , 1935 , appeared as Information Circular 6845 with the same title as this article . The schedules of requirements and tests which the devices must meet in order to obtain approval are published 2/6/1/8/ by the Bureau of tests the devices must Mines and are available to the public . It is pertinent to mention that the preparation of a schedule of requirements for fresh-air supply devices of the types commonly known as positive -pressure respirators , airline respirators , sand- blast helmets , and hoods , has been practically completed and will soon be ready for release to the public .

Oct 1, 1936

By John W. Cole

The Butte district has been the principal producer of metallurgical-grade manganese in the United States since World War I. Manganese dioxide nodules are produced from rhodochrosite ore by concentrating the rhodochrosite and roasting the concentrate in rotary "cement-type" kilns. The Anaconda Copper Mining Co. is the only producer at present. Under the stimulus of a purchasing program administered by Metals Reserve Company during World War II, however, several independently owned or operated mines (including the Norwich) produced manganese carbonate ore. These mines were examined in Juno 1949 by John W. Taber, mining engineer, Bureau of Mines. A core-drilling program to develop ore in the Norwich mine was recommended and approved. drilling was completed early in 1950. This report gives factual data obtained.

Jan 1, 1951

By Floyd G. Anderson

The Federal Bureau of Mines promotes the use of safe and effective dust-collecting devices for rock drilling in coal mines. To insure that such devices are available to the coal-mining industry, the Bureau issues certificates of performance for dust-collecting systems and certificates of approval for dust collectors and rock drills or other mining equipment with integral dust-collecting systems that meet the requirements of an established Schedule.4/ Investigations are conducted under the provisions of the current revision of this Schedule by engineers of the Branch of Health Research. This circular describes briefly the requirements and procedure for obtaining certificates of performance or approval and lists equipment that has been certified as permissible under Schedule 25 or its revisions as of January 31, 1961. The names and addresses of companies to which certificates have been issued are listed alphabetically at the end of this circular.

Jan 1, 1961