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By Ernest L. Corp

The natural marine environment can be divided into four basic categories: the air-sea interface, the water zone, the seafloor, and the subbottom. Efforts are being made to accumulate data to delineate the conditions in each of these areas and to conduct engineering studies which will determine how these environmental parameters affect the mining process. Laboratory facilities have been constructed and equipment and techniques for scientific data collection and laboratory research have been developed. Major emphasis is being placed on studying the subbottom material. The objective of this emphasis is to study the engineering properties of marine placer deposits in order to assess their influence on the design and performance of the various mining subsystems involving penetration, excavation, transportation, and disposal. Presented are the results of engineering properties tests on a placer simulant which is currently being used for model and prototype testing of coring tools. The effect of these engineering properties on penetrability, core recovery, and sample recovery is discussed.

Jan 1, 1970

By Webster S. Anderson

Two series of tests were run with planer model 'BB": one at the Arickaree mine of the San Francisco Chemical Co., Rich County, Utah, and one at the Roslyn No. 9 mine of the Northern Pacific Railway Co., Roslyn, Wash. The tests at the Arickaree mine were started on June 25, 1958, and continued until September 30, 1958. Prior to these tests, an electrically activated remote-control system was installed, and other modifications were made on the planer. The tests showed that the planer in general and the remote-control system worked very well; however, the various cutting tools used would not consistently penetrate and cut the phosphate rock. This indicated that the cutterhead design had to be changed before the planer would operate efficiently in phosphate beds similar to the "A" bed in the Arickaree mine.

Jan 1, 1962

By R. V. Ramani

This report, Volume I of the seven-volume Final Report on the U. S. Bureau of Mines research contract no. G0254030 titled Application of a Total System Surface Mine Simulator to Coal Stripping with the Pennsylvania State University provides an executive summary of the purpose and scope, objectives and results of the research. The remaining volumes of the Final Report, listed below, describe in detail model development, input and output documentation and the three case studies. Under the project, an existing surface mine simulator, Open-pit Materials Handling Simulator (OPMHS) was modified and extended for application to surf ace coal mining. In addition, two equipment selection models, and a cost model were also developed. Volume II: OPMHS User's Manual Volume III: Equipment Selection Models Volume IV: Surface Mining Cost Model Volume V: Application of OPMHS to an Illinois Mine Volume VI: Application of OPMHS to a South Eastern Ohio Mine. Volume VIII: Application of OPMHS to a South Western Mine.

Jan 1, 1978

By S. J. Davenport

[The tremendous increase in mine mechanization since 1929 has increased markedly the application of electric power in and about the coal mines of the United States. Cutting, drilling, and leading machines have replaced hand-mining methods in nary mines. As a result, expansion of the gathering haulage has necessitated introduction of extensive feeder, trolley, grid other power wires. (1)3/ In spite of this vast mechanization the fatality rate from electric shock has been on the decline. However, there are still too many accidents, and efforts to eliminate electrical hazards cannot be relaxed. It is hoped that an acquaintance with the physiological aspects of electrical accidents will make workers end management aware of the lurking dangers of this very common and extremely dangerous form of energy.]

Jan 1, 1951

By John S. Berber

Bureau of Mines research on the production of phthalic anhydride by vapor phase oxidation of hydrocarbons began at Morgantown, W. Va., in October 1960. For these preliminary studies, a known solution containing naphthalene and 1-methylnaphthalene was used. In another series of tests, pure naphthalene was dissolved in different solvents. A series of investigations was conducted with the neutral oil fraction (210° to 270° C) of a low-temperature tar obtained from the Texas Power and Light Company's low-temperature carbonization unit. The neutral oil fraction was first dealkylated, and then the product was distilled into 210° to 250° C and 250° to 270° C fractions. These two fractions were then subjected to catalytic vapor phase oxidation. Although a number of catalysts was tested, most of the experiments were made using 9 percent vanadium pentoxide on inert alumina. The activity of this catalyst did not decrease after 162 hours at 1,030° F. Studies were conducted over a temperature range from 610° to 1,180° F. An operating temperature of 1,030° F yielded 47.50 percent of phthalic anhydride from a synthetic mixture of naphthalene and 1-methylnaphthalene. The highest yield (84.40 percent phthalic anhydride) was obtained with naphthalene dissolved in toluene and also with naphthalene dissolved in methyl ethyl ketone. With a 210° to 250° C fraction the highest yield of phthalic anhydride obtained was 12.32 percent at a temperature of 900° F, and, with a 250° to 270° C fraction, it was 15.80 percent at a temperature of 875° F.

Jan 1, 1963

By J. J. Demeter

A tube-wall reactor with a Raney nickel catalyst deposited on the outer wall of the tube by flame spraying is effective in the practically complete conversion of 3H2+1CO synthesis gas to a high-Btu gas (methane) at an hourly space velocity of 7,000 volumes of gas (NTP) per hour per volume of annular volume. Partially reacted synthesis gas containing an appreciable amount of methane can also be treated in this reactor to increase the heating value to over 900 Btu per cubic foot. Excellent heat removal through the metal wall to a coolant and temperature control were obtained. The heat transfer co-efficient from the catalyst to the coolant was about 275 Btu per hour per square foot per ° F. Synthesis tests were conducted with tubes 1.2 inches in ad by 6 inches long, and 1.3 inches in od by 36 inches long. When operating at a synthesis gas rate of 100 to 120 scfh per square foot of catalyst-coated tube, catalyst life was long enough to realize a catalyst cost for the raw Raney nickel alloy of about 0.3 cent per 1,000 cubic feet of pipeline gas (900 to 950 Btu per scf). Gas recycling at ratios of 1:1 to 3:1 was effective in increasing conversion and in extending the life of the catalyst to about 16 weeks. In cost and in operating characteristics the tube-wall reactor compares favorably with the fluidized-bed and hot-gas-recycle reactor systems for the synthesis of high-Btu gas from H2+CO.

Jan 1, 1967

By J. T. Schimmel

The purpose of this investigation was to obtain complete information on some of the uses of a 24-inch-diameter auger in the underground mining of pitching anthracite beds. The auger was placed in operation early in 1958 to drive ventilation connections between coal gangways driven by a continuous miner. Although designed to drill rise holes only, it was used also to drill dip holes. The latter holes were drill id from an adjacent gangway to avoid interference between the auger and the continuous miner. These holes established immediate ventilation returns when intersected by the continuous miner. Bureau participation in the project covered 361 working days. The auger was used on 288 shifts, usually one 7-hour shift per day, and drilled 3,246 feet, of which 493 feet were reamed. The longest hole was 87 feet; hence the maximum drilling depth of the machine (rated at 100 feet) was not required. Holes drilled normal to the strike of the bed ranged from 30 to 66 feet deep, averaging 45 feet. The continuous miner drove gangways on 575 shifts. Thus, the auger worked one shift for each two worked by the continuous miner and was used on less than 80 percent of the workdays. The auger drove 24-inch holes 10 times faster than the larger, conventional openings could have been driven by usual mining methods and exceeded the workload for which it was purchased. Augering eliminates exposure to the hazards encountered in driving chute-work by conventional methods and provides adequate circular ventilation openings, which are strong in self support and are adaptable to reaming when required. With alterations, the auger may have limited use as a production machine in thin-bed pitch mining but cannot compete with established methods of thick-bed pitch mining.

Jan 1, 1962

By K. C. Strebig

The effect of some organic additives in diamond drilling of quartzite was investigated in the laboratory with a drill instrumented to measure the rate of penetration, the thrust, and the torque and to record each as a function of the distance drilled. A statistical plan was followed throughout the investigation, and an equation representing the bit performance was derived from the mathematical theory of reliability. The coefficient of friction in drilling increased with the use of additives, although the wear coefficient decreased. The decrease in wear associated with an increase in energy per unit volume consumed and the increase in penetration rate resulted in a net decrease in the cost per foot of drilling. A hypothesis explaining the effects achieved with the additives is given.

Jan 1, 1971

By G. B. Shea

The accident experience of the California petroleum industry for 1927 was characterized by a decrease it .the number of fatalities. The year closed with a total of 41 fatal accidents, as compared with a total of 54 for the preceding year. 3 In percentage, the figure for 1927 represents a decrease of 24 per cent from that of 1926 and evidences the promising results of organized safety work, in which the industry in California has taken an absorbing interest. The percentage of decrease for 1927 is the largest recorded in any one year since the compilation of the fatality record in the California petroleum industry was begun. Although good progress has been made during the past few years, much remains to be done to reduce still further the human and economic waste caused by accidents. This review is intended to show the employee, as well as the employer, the proximate and contributing cause of accidents. To increase the value of the report, preventive measures in various instances are suggested, on the theory that accidents of a similar nature will occur unless remedial action in taken to remove the cause.

Jan 1, 1928

By David C. McHuron

The U. S. Bureau of Mines in their continuing research into sealants, selected MBAssociates to design, build, and test equipment and evaluate sealant as to its effectiveness is shale degradation. There were 20,050 sq.ft. of coal mine roof sprayed with a mine sealant and as a result, it has been estimated that the sealant coated roof has from 50% to 95% less roof falls than that roof which was not coated with sealant.

Jan 1, 1980

By Carl E. Norman

An investigation of geologic structure on macroscopic, mesoscopic, and microscopic scales was conducted on near-surface igneous and metamorphic rocks in which the existing stress field was determined by in situ methods. A consistent NE-SW orientation of the maximum compressive stress in the horizontal plane at four of five test localities appears due to the intrusion of NW-trending diabase dikes. Structural features at the mesoscopic scale show no consistent directional relationship to determined stress directions. Petrofabric diagrams of open microfractures show preferred orientations, but these are not consistently related to the orientations of larger structural features, such as joints, foliation, or mineralized shear zones. However, at five of six test sites the preferred direction of microfractures occurs nearly perpendicular to the maximum principal stress directions; an anomalous parallel relationship exists at a test site in an intrusive rock body. The results suggest that the open microfracture subfabric may provide a means for gaining information on the directional properties of stress fields. Such information can be obtained from oriented cores taken from holes which exceed the approximate 100-foot depth to which other in situ methods are presently limited.

Jan 1, 1970

By D. E. Wolfson

Destructive distillation (carbonization) was shown to be a feasible method of disposing of scrap tires. The Bureau of Mines conducted tests under a variety of conditions. Solid, liquid, and gaseous products were produced, recovered, and analyzed. The quantities of the various products were shown to be quite dependent on the test temperature. Variability in composition of the liquid and gaseous products with changes in test temperature was also significant.

Jan 1, 1969

By John B. Shutack

In an effort to improve the performance of the explosive-anchored rock bolt, the Bureau of Mines studied the effect of the detonation velocity of the explosive and type of charge (linear or nonlinear) on the fracturing tendency of the anchor tube. Also, different types of tubing were compared to determine the one most suitable for use as an anchor tube. The Bruceton up-and-down method was applied in tests in which steel shooting blocks having boreholes ranging from 1-3/8 to 2-1/8 inches in diameter were used. Of the four types of tubing evaluated, a welded A-178 tubing that was drawn over a mandrel and renormalized gave the most promising results. The A-179 seamless tubing that is normally used with the explosive bolt was the most inferior. Both types, however, gave significantly better anchorage than the conventional shell when tested in both laboratory and underground experiments. Within the range of velocities studied (5,000 to 7,000 m/sec), the type of explosive showed no significant effect on anchor-tube performance. In general; linear explosive charges provided better anchorage than nonlinear charges.

Jan 1, 1968

By A. A. Giardini

This report represents the results of a literature study on boron nitride and related substances. The purpose of the study was to find Information that might be of value for production of a new, hard modification of boron nitride preferably in single crystal form. The report consists of a review of the major developments in boron nitride research, a discussion of the results, tabulations of physical and chemical properties;, conclusions drawn from the study, and a bibliography.

Jan 1, 1953

By H. E. Powell

The selective recovery of nickel and zinc from a waste phosphate solution by solvent extraction was investigated by the Bureau of Mines as part of a broad program to recover valuable metals and compounds from industrial wastes, and to reduce the associated land and water pollution caused by dumping these wastes. The waste, which resulted from the phosphation of automboile bodies, yielded 99 percent of both the nickel and the zinc by extraction with dinonyl naphthalene sulfonic acid (DNSA) and di-2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid (EHPA), respectively. Dilute sulfuric acid was used to recover the metals and regenerate the solvents.

Jan 1, 1970

By D. D. Dornenburg

The effect of changes of atmospheric pressure on methane emissions from extensive worked-out areas of coal mines in several Midwestern States has lone caused concern to State and Federal mining departments, as well as to the operating companies involved. Common mining and ventilation methods employed in mines in these States have resulted in large sealed and unsealed worked-out areas in which considerable quantities of methane are emitted alone both intake-and return-air courses. The common practice is to watch barometric changes very closely and take special precautionary measurer during periods of low barometric pressure. Although the hazard is recognized, mining officials have different opinions concerning the effect of barometric pressure variations on the emission of mine gases. These opinions are based upon scattered personal observations, as no records exist of actual studies to establish such effects.

Jan 1, 1955

By Robert E. Hershey

1. The investigation shows that the Sewanee coal bed is the most important bed in Grundy County arid is the only bed that has had any sustained production. There is no production, at the present time, from any of the other coal beds in the county. The Richland (Lower Sewanee or Coke Oven) coal bed has been prospected but has never been developed extensively. The Angel coal bed has been worked to a very small extent near Beersheba Springs, Tenn., for local consumption. The Battle Creek coal bed has been worked sporadically near Monteagle, Tenn. 2. Known measured and indicated reserves in the Sewaneee coal bed, based on a minimum thickness of 14 inches and on 1,800 short tons per acre-foot of coal in place, are estimated to be 15 millon short tons as of January 1, 1953. Of this total, 10 million tons represents coal 28 inches and more thick. Areas in the bed were omitted from the estimate where 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, 1955

By Sidney Katell

An estimated capital investment of $76,499,800 will be required for a plant designed and built to produce 90 million standard cubic feet per day (std.c.f.d.) of synthetic pipeline gas through Lurgi gasification of bituminous char. This investment figure does not include the pretreatment plant, the cost of which is assumed to be reflected in the cost of the char fed to the gasification system. Shift conversion, C02 removal, and methanation are required after gasification in the Lurgi unit to make a gas suitable for pipeline transmission. Capital investment data are based upon equipment costs, January 1959. Based on a 90-percent or 330-day operating year, the operating cost before profit and Federal taxes with the char price as a variable will amount to the following: [ ]

Jan 1, 1959

By A. C. Fieldner

The Bureau of Mines has recently conducted a study of results obtained in analyzing similar samples of coal and coke by 25 laboratories throughout then country, in comparison with results obtained in the Bureau's coal laboratory at Pittsburgh. The purpose of this work was primarily to obtain a comparison of the methods of coal analysis used by the laboratories of the American Gas Association. Therefore, four standard samples of coal end one of coke ware prepared in the Bureau of Mines coal laboratory at Pittsburgh, and portions sent to each laboratory. At the same time, a like number of standard samples were submitted to 12 commercial laboratories rot affiliated with the Association, for the purpose of comparing their analyses with the results is obtained by the U. S. Bureau of Mines and the American Gas Association. Tire comparison is based on the average of 24 analyses by the Bureau of Mines on each kind of coal, and the accompanying curves show the deviation from this average analysis, together with deviations from the check limits of the American Society for Testing Materials.

Jan 1, 1923

By Karl C. Dean

The Bureau of Mines studied the precipitation of copper from dilute acidic sulfate solutions using shredded automobile scrap in a rotary drum. The tests established that the scrap in the rotary drum precipitated copper faster and more completely than shredded, detinned, tinplate scrap in a launder, with comparable iron consumption. Although power is required to rotate the drum, the faster precipitation and continuous recovery of cement copper are advantages of the tumbler method. Cost evaluation indicates that the rotary drum method, which uses relatively low-cost and readily available shredded automobile scrap, is competitive with the launder method, which uses relatively high-cost shredded tinplate scrap or detinned shredded cans.

Jan 1, 1968